The district administration has deployed 1,500 buses to take the migrant workers who had returned from Delhi and Bihar due to the coronavirus lockdown to their native districts where they will be checked for COVID-19 symptoms, a senior official said here. District Magistrate Ajay Shankar Pandey said all the migrants who had arrived here have been sent to their native districts. "As many as 1,500 buses were pressed into service after sanitization. Around 2,000 workers had gathered at Laal Kuan this morning (Sunday). They were also facilitated to go back to their homes, that too without any cost," he said. Authorities of all those districts have been informed so that a medical checkup of the migrants may be conducted when they alight from the buses. Any person showing symptoms would be sent to hospital. The Centre has ordered a 14-day quarantine of all migrant workers who travelled after violating the lockdown which has been imposed to check the spread of coronavirus. Meanwhile, Senior Superintendent of Police Kalanidhi Naithani said that they are taking extraordinary precautions so that no untoward incident may take place following the influx of people. "Delhi government paid no heed towards our daily needs after the declaration of lock down. We were dropped by DTC buses outside the Interstate bus terminal at Anand Vihar Delhi. Our electricity and water connections were cut down,Ram Kirpal Yadav, a migrant from Etawah district, claimed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Need to know more about coronavirus in New York? Sign up for our daily morning newsletter. A key, ever-fluctuating variable in the grim daily calculus facing a city racing against time to treat a rising tide of COVID-19 patients is the number of intensive care unit beds available. On Thursday, in a city of 8.6 million people, that figure was 307. Some 850 COVID-19 patients occupied ICU beds in hospitals across New York City that day up from 525 three days earlier. The state statistics, obtained by THE CITY, revealed stark numbers that underscored the urgent need for additional hospital capacity as more and more people get sick from coronavirus. The details came to light as medical centers report being overwhelmed, well before the crisis is expected to hit its peak. State and city officials are scrambling to create more medical treatment space everywhere from CUNY campuses to the Javits Center as they press hospitals to increase the stock of critical care beds. A Decisive Moment Without a marked increase in resources, the five boroughs are headed in the next eight days to a decisive moment for the City of New York, Mayor Bill de Blasio warned late Friday. The state hospitalization survey obtained by THE CITY shows that of the 2,011 ICU beds in the city Thursday, just 15% remained available amid a surge of incoming patients. Overall, 3,557 hospital beds of all types were available Thursday out of 20,330 citywide. Even as they worked to increase ICU beds, hospital officials were hampered by shortages of qualified medical staff and equipment most prominently ventilators. On Monday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo warned that the apex of the coronavirus outbreak is approaching faster than expected, threatening to subsume hospitals weeks before an initial May 1 projection. De Blasio pegs the date more specifically and sooner: April 5. The mayor said he couldnt ensure that every life that could be saved by medical workers will be saved if ICU beds, personnel and equipment arent boosted in time to meet the crisis peaks. Were getting through this week its tough. We have what we need for next week, but it will definitely be a very hard week, the mayor said during a Friday conference call with reporters. But after next Sunday, April 5, is when I get very, very worried about everything were going to need: The people power were going to need, the equipment, the supplies, obviously the ventilators. On Saturday, Cuomo noted: April 5th is earlier than our state projections. Still, the governor asked hospitals to begin working in tandem so if one is at capacity, patients could be transferred to another in the area that may not be as full. If hospitals in New York City fill up before temporary medical facilities are erected, patients could be transferred to other parts of the state, the governor told reporters during a Saturday news conference in Albany. Our health systems in upstate New York right now are not as occupied as the downstate ones, Cuomo said. Statewide, nearly a quarter of the 4,330 intensive care unit beds 1,027 were available on Thursday. Meanwhile, a total of 11,000 hospital beds remained open for use. ICU Beds in Flux The hospital bed figures provided by the Cuomo administration offer a snapshot of how close New York City was on Thursday to running out of space to treat the sick whether they are suffering from COVID-19 or not. More than 42% of the ICU beds in New York City were in use by coronavirus-positive patients on Thursday. Just as many Non-COVID-19 patients, around 850, occupied intensive care beds, THE CITYs analysis found. Aides to the governor noted these hospital stats tend to fluctuate by the day. People are discharged, patients move in and out of the ICU as their level of care changes, and some die. While existing bed capacity in the city is reaching its limits, state and city officials are working around the clock to expand the number of hospital beds before the expected wave of COVID-19 patients inundates the health care system. Cuomo ordered hospitals around the state earlier this week to increase their capacity by at least 50% to address the looming shortage. As many as 140,000 hospital beds including 40,000 ICU beds will be required. Thats up from the roughly 53,000 hospital and 3,000 ICU beds the state previously had, according to Cuomo. And de Blasio has said he aims to triple the number of hospital beds in the city to 60,000 by May. Hard-to-Find Numbers Yet de Blasio has refused to publicly share how many beds or ICU beds remain available at city public and private hospitals. Instead, he has said hell keep updating the public about how much longer the citys resources can last given the available beds and ventilators needed to keep the sickest patients alive. That makes it impossible to know whether the citys ICU bed availability has gone below 300 at any point or whether the numbers have since been boosted and by how much. City Hall officials refused to confirm the numbers obtained by THE CITY, saying they consider the supply of ICU beds a moving target. The mayor said Friday that many of the citys major hospitals would be converted to all intensive care or primarily intensive care in coming days. Dr. Mitchell Katz, CEO of the citys public hospitals system, said at the same briefing that three of the systems 11 hospitals added ICU units on Wednesday but officials wouldnt name the hospitals or say how many beds were added. Who Lives and Who Dies The only details that have come out on hospital bed numbers, previous to the state report obtained by THE CITY, have come directly from volunteer hospitals or from media accounts about hospitals that are struggling. Doctors at city-run Elmhurst Hospital told THE CITY this week that the intensive care unit, which normally serves 15 to 20 patients, recently had been expanded into a 30-bed intermediate care unit, known as a stepdown. The hospital also converted another 30-bed medical floor to cope with the influx of COVID-19 patients, they said. Dr. Michelle Gong, chief of the department of critical care medicine at Montefiore Medical Center in The Bronx, said on a JAMA Network podcast posted Tuesday that the hospitals 86 ICU beds plus a number of stepdown beds were already nearing 100% capacity. More than half were taken up by COVID-19 patients at the time, she said. And on Saturday, a nurse at Jacobi Medical Center in The Bronx said the public hospital had about 10 ICU beds left, even after converting additional units into intensive care. The center had about two dozen ICU beds before the crisis hit New York City, and is struggling with a shortage of qualified ICU medical staff, according to the nurse. I suspect by the beginning of this week we will be critically low on [ventilators], she said. Its going to come to the point where well have to choose who lives and who dies. Big Buildup At a news conference in Manhattan Friday, Cuomo lauded the Army Corps of Engineers, FEMA and the National Guard for completing the first 1,000-bed temporary hospital at the Javits Center, one of at least four temporary hospitals that will be used as overflow space. The temporary hospitals are slated to treat patients who require a lower level of care freeing up actual hospital space for COVID-19 patients. But the temporary medical centers are being equipped in case more hospital beds are needed for coronavirus patients. On Saturday, Cuomo announced an additional three temporary hospitals at the South Beach Psychiatric Center on Staten Island, Westchester Square in The Bronx and SUNY Downstate in Brooklyn that would only serve COVID-19 patients. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump authorized another four temporary hospitals so every borough has an overflow facility, the governor said Saturday. That would give us coverage all across the downstate area with proximate facilities to every location downstate, and frankly is the best plan that we can put together and execute in this timeline, Cuomo said Friday. The proposed facilities spaces would be located at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, CUNYs College of Staten Island and the New York Expo Center in The Bronx. The USNS Comfort, a 1,000-bed floating hospital with 1,200 medical personnel, is slated to arrive in New York Monday, weeks earlier than previously expected. State officials are also looking to convert dorms at City College and Queens College into temporary hospitals, as well as repurposing the Marriott Brooklyn Bridge Hotel and the Brooklyn Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing in Midwood, Cuomo said Friday. Want to republish this story? See our republication guidelines. SUPPORT THE CITY You just finished reading another story from THE CITY. We need your help to make THE CITY all it can be. Please consider joining us as a member today. DONATE TODAY! Hyderabad: The government on Saturday reported the states first death related to the coronavirus, that of a 74-year-old man who passed away late last week. Tests on samples collected from his body showed him to have been coronavirus Covid-19 positive. The man was a resident of the Khairatabad zone in the city. He had travelled to Delhi to attend a religious meeting and returned on March 17. Three days later, he was taken to a private hospital in Saifabad with high fever and respiratory problems.He was prescribed treatment and sent home. However, he passed away at home. His body was taken to the Gandhi Hospital mortuary because of the Covid-19 symptoms he had shown, and samples taken from his body tested positive. Members of the deceaseds man family have now been placed under quarantine. The spread of the virus in Telangana in continuing unabated with the total number of positives on Saturday rising to 67 from 59 the previous day. Overall, Telangana has conducted 27,688 tests. Ten of the 65 active Covid-19 cases under treatment turned out negative in their first test, bringing some cheer to the health department. Health minister Etala Rajendar told reporters that a second set of confirmation tests will be conducted on these patients on Sunday. If they test negative, they will be scheduled for discharge as per the advice of the doctors treating them. The health minister said there have been no cases of community transmission of the virus in the state. Every one of the cases so far, including that of the man who died Covid-19 positive last week, either had a travel history by which they picked up the disease elsewhere, or had come into contact with someone who had travelled abroad. In the 22 cases detected since Friday, Rajender said, six were from one family in the Old City, four were from one family in Qutbullapur, three from another in Domalguda. While in the first two instances, two men from the families had visited Delhi to attend religious gathering at Jama Masjid earlier this month, in the third case, a doctor who works at a hospital in the city, the case had contact with another person who had returned from London recently. Rajendar said the number of people under mandatory quarantine in the state has come down to 13,000 from 20,000 or so as the isolation period for them had ended. He, however, urged everyone, including those who have completed quarantine, to strictly observe the lockdown and not leave their homes. There are still some people who are breaking quarantine and putting the lives of others, including their families and friends at risk. They should follow their instructions properly, he said. Two men from among the six new coronavirus positive cases declared on Saturday by the Andhra Pradesh government had been to Hyderabad before travelling to their destinations in the neighbouring state. According to the daily bulletin issued by the AP government, a 65-year-old man who reached Hyderabad on March 9 travelled by bus to Vijayawada the next day. Seventeen days later, on March 27, he developed symptoms and tests confirmed him as Covid-19 positive on Saturday. The second person is a 23-year-old male who travelled by train from Rajasthan to Secunderabad, arriving here on March 18. He then took a MMTS train from Secunderabad to Kacheguda and, the next day, on March 19, took the Venkatadri Express to Kurnool. He travelled to different places in AP and on March 24 developed symptoms and went to GGH Kurnool where his samples were collected, according to the bulletin. Robot at the beck and call of COVID-19 suspected patients at Homagama hospital View(s): It has not been named yet, but a very active robot is now serving all the COVID-19 suspected patients who are at the Homagama Base Hospital a home-grown creation. This automated guided vehicle (AGV) taking a cup of tea to one, communicating a message from another to the healthcare staff, which will be at the beck and call of the patients was deployed last morning by Health Services Director-General Dr. Anil Jasinghe. Impressed by the capability of the robot, Dr. Jasinghe instructed the creation of 50 more units for use in similar facilities in other hospitals in the country, the Sunday Times learns. With the very costly and uncomfortable-to-wear personal protective equipment (PPE), a dire necessity in times of the highly-infectious COVID-19, a few had put on their thinking caps on how technology could be utilized, coming up with this unique answer. Explaining this innovation, the Health Ministrys Colombo Regional Director, Dr. Indika Jagoda, said that the Atlas Axillia Co. (Pvt.) Ltd., well known for stationery, which is part of the Hemas Group had offered their services, with Technical Advisor & Atlas Director Operations, Viraj Jayasuriya, producing their robot for adoption. Dr. Jagoda and his staff; the Atlas staff; the Homagama Base Hospital Director Dr. Janith Hettiarachchi and his staff; and Health Ministry Coordinators Dr. Thilina Wanigasekera & Dr. Prasad Ranaweera had brainstormed and modified the robot to suit the needs of the healthcare system. A truly Sri Lankan innovation, is how Dr. Jagoda describes it. Experts have cast doubt on the work of a key scientist whose apocalyptic prediction that coronavirus could kill 500,000 Britons led Boris Johnson to decide he had to lock down the country. Professor Neil Ferguson, director of the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis at Imperial College, London, authored a report which forecast that terrible death toll if nothing was done to stop the spread of the disease. Even plans to slow the virus letting around two-thirds of the population catch coronavirus to build up herd immunity would result in 250,000 deaths, according to Imperials mathematical model. Prof Fergusons devastating conclusion led the Prime Minister to perform a drastic U-turn a fortnight ago. Schools were closed and people told to stay at home. Professor Neil Ferguson, a director at Imperial College, London, said that even with control measures 250,000 people could die in the outbreak Last week, Prof Ferguson told MPs these measures could see the eventual death toll cut to substantially less than 20,000. Meanwhile a paper by separate colleagues at Imperial predicted just 5,700 deaths if the lockdown continues. Now a rival academic has claimed Prof Ferguson has a patchy record of modelling epidemics, which could have led to hasty Ministerial decisions. Professor Michael Thrusfield of Edinburgh University said Prof Ferguson was previously instrumental in modelling that led to the cull of more than 6 million animals during the foot and mouth outbreak in 2001, which left rural Britain economically devastated. Then, Prof Ferguson and his Imperial colleagues concluded: Extensive culling is sadly the only option for controlling the current British epidemic. But Prof Thrusfield, an expert in animal diseases, claimed the model made incorrect assumptions about how foot and mouth disease was transmitted and, in a 2006 review, he claimed Imperials foot and mouth model was not fit for purpose, while in 2011 he said it was severely flawed. Pictured above is an 18-year-old suffering from coronavirus being rushed through a hospital Yesterday, Prof Thrusfield told The Daily Telegraph the episode was a cautionary tale about the limits of mathematical modelling and he felt a sense of deja vu about the current situation. But Prof Ferguson defended Imperials foot and mouth work, saying they were doing modelling in real time with limited data. He added: I think the broad conclusions reached were still valid. His estimate that coronavirus deaths could be substantially less than 20,000 was based on the presence of the very intense social distancing and other interventions now in place. Without such controls, his team still believed Britain could see 500,000 deaths. Last night, NHS England medical director Professor Steven Powis warned: If we can keep deaths below 20,000 we will have done very well Now is not the time to be complacent. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 11:59:47|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close A volunteer disinfects a road as a preventive measure against the spread of the COVID-19 in downtown Yangon, Myanmar, March 29, 2020. Myanmar's Foreign Affairs Ministry announced temporary suspension of all types of visas for foreign nationals from all countries with effect from March 29 till April 30 as part of measures to control the risks of COVID-19 spread on Sunday. (Xinhua/U Aung) YANGON, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar's Foreign Affairs Ministry announced temporary suspension of all types of visas for foreign nationals from all countries with effect from March 29 till April 30 as part of measures to control the risks of COVID-19 spread on Sunday. The announcement included the suspension of the issuance of all types of visas (including social visit visa) to all foreign nationals, except diplomats accredited to Myanmar, United Nations officials resident in Myanmar and crew of ships and aircraft operating to and from Myanmar. Suspension of visa exemption granted to all foreign nationals on the basis of bilateral arrangements including those from ASEAN member countries, except those holding diplomatic and official passport, the announcement said. All diplomats accredited to Myanmar and United Nations officials resident in Myanmar may obtain entry visas through respective Myanmar Missions abroad and are asked to present laboratory evidence of absence of COVID-19 infection issued no more than 72 hours prior to the date of travel as well as will also be under home quarantine for 14 days on their arrival in Myanmar. According to the announcement, the crew of ships or aircraft operating to and from Myanmar may also obtain entry visas through respective Myanmar Missions abroad but need to follow the latest guidelines and directives issued by the Ministry of Transport and Communication. Foreign nationals who are required to visit Myanmar on urgent official mission or for a compelling reason may contact the nearest Myanmar Missions abroad for possible exception on certain entry restrictions from the authorities concerned of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. As part of precautionary measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the ministry announced temporary suspension of entry of foreign nationals through border checkpoints starting from March 19. The ministry also issued an announcement of temporary suspension of issuing visas on arrival and e-visa for all countries from March 21 until April 30 this year. At present, Myanmar reported eight confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country so far. J&K Resident Commissioner sets up Helpline numbers for stranded residents New Delhi, Mar 28 (UNI) With an aim to extend support to the stranded residents of the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory during the lockdown period, the J&K Resident Commissioner has established 24X7 Helpline Centre here. Additional Secretary Rimpy Ohri has been supervising the overall functioning of the Centre. Three helpline numbers have been dedicated for the purpose. An official spokesperson told that JK residents facing any issue due to lockdown may contact following the helpline number functional round the clock at 24611210, 24611108, 24615475. Myth 2: If you try harder, you can make your symptoms go away | Mental illnesses cant be willed away. And for those who are experiencing them, pushing this approach can be very defeating, Emily Bulthuis, a therapist at Park Nicollet said as quoted by HealthPartners. (Representative image) A 21-day lockdown and massive drawdowns in portfolios might get a lot of retail investors as well as fund managers, who are managing your money, worried. Well, this is the time when we can turn inward. While coronavirus cases around the world have crossed 6 lakh, in India, the count is more than 900 (and is rising steadily). The COVID-19 outbreak has weighed on investors, economy, infrastructure and personal as well as mental well-being. Life at 42,000 on Sensex was slightly less complicated than life at 30,000. So what can investors do? Well, one thing to do right now is to stay intact emotionally because this too shall pass. Portfolios of many investors are under stress amid relentless selling pressure, but staying invested is the key. The 21-day lockdown will weigh on each and every one of us in different ways. The best thing to do is to turn yourself into a better person who is strong both mentally and physically. And, meditation and yoga could help start your journey in that direction. Mental strength is of utmost importance because that will help us to tide over rough patches of life with minimum damage. For that, investors have to turn inwards and practice the art of meditation. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev in a recent interaction said that citizens of India have got this golden opportunity to spend time with themselves, and family. Looking inward would mean to explore you as a person, build yourself emotionally as well as physically. Meditation of any kind, yoga, breathing techniques all ascertain one thing being connected to ones inner self. These techniques lead to the realization that we are one with the all-knowing, all-encompassing life-source, Tapan Singhel, MD & CEO, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance told Moneycontrol. This realization eventually leads to reduced stress, anxiety and stimulates relaxation of the body and mind. A few minutes of practicing calm - by praying, chanting mantras, reading positive reflections, listening to meditation music, etc. helps one to cope up with any internal turmoil or external storms that life puts forth with a smile on ones face, he said. Life has hit a reset button for most of us. And, we all will be different when all of this is over. However, the type of person which we will turn out to be will depend on where we are investing our time now. This becomes essential for investing as well. Investing now means picking blue chips at a bargain. But, the strength to invest money now will come from meditation which could help you differentiate between opportunity and fear. These are really tough times and one has to be really healthy, wealthy and wise to tide over the period. This storm has come at a speed that no one expected, leaving every investor across the world worried about his wealth but more importantly about his health, Arun Thukral, market expert and author of ''Yogi on Dalal Street' told Moneycontrol. And during such turbulent times it is important to calm down, look inward, think rationally and find a mental balance. Meditation has helped people to control their breath or Pran as we normally use the term in yoga, he said. Why is it beneficial for investors? Practicing the art of meditation as well as yoga can help an individual sail through troubled times and prepare the market participants to tide over the volatile period without losing peace of mind. Studies have shown that decision-making improves with regular practice of yoga and meditation. Vijay Kedia, MD of Kedia Securities who is a renowned value investor, practices yoga. He said, I manage my tension with the help of mediation. Lifestyle at 42,000 on Sensex and now at 26,000 is very same. It is true that your worth has drastically reduced. But, I have learned this over these years that "your investment belongs to the market and your profit belongs to you, he said. It's like a game of snake and ladder. So many times I have been bitten at 99 and came back to 2. So now it is a part and parcel of this business, he said. Explaining the importance of the mind in investing, Kedia emphasized that the stock market is a business of mind which means that a stock market is a place where you can build a castle without bricks. Mind is also a very important raw material here. If your mind is not calm and composed you will not be successful. Therefore mediation is the only remedy, he added. How to spend your time? Well, 21 days is a long time. Practicing yoga or meditation for just 30 minutes could really transform your life. Note: It is easier said than done. But, it is not impossible. Just like the basic nature of the markets is volatile because our mind is volatile. Can we control it, maybe not! Can we control the volatility in markets? For sure, not. It feeds on greed and fear than rationality. Market always considers the possibilities ahead of realities. This creates anxieties, tension, and biological disorders if left unchecked. Pranayama (deep breathing while meditating) is the best solution, Sunil Rohokale, MD & CEO, ASK Group told Moneycontrol. The activity of inhaling and exhaling lots of oxygen helps in maintaining a healthy body with positive thoughts. These benefits of Pranayama really help the investors to face the vagaries and volatility of the market, he said. He further added that the activity of inhaling and exhaling lots of oxygen to the body, Pranayam, is a 30-min exercise comprising of Kapabhati, Anulom Vilom, Triban, Bramri, Kumbhak, Bhashrika, Omkar, etc. This is very useful for relaxation as it ensures blood supply to body organs, expands the capacity of lungs. The calmness and concentration along with becoming confident help in maintaining a healthy body with positive thoughts. Kedia of Kedia Securities advised that the most important thing is to implement whatever you have learned or read in your life. In my initial years in the stock market, I had read Gita. Singhel of Bajaj Allianz General Insurance suggests everyone take a pause. The pause makes you aware of what to foster and what to let go of. Pause grants you wisdom. While the angry young man looks great initially, its applying calmness and compassion to a situation or with a human being that earns you respect and trust, he said. He further added that meditation does not help you in the tough times alone, but it also helps you to be grounded throughout your successes as well. (This is part 1 of our Market & Meditation series) : The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts on Moneycontrol.com are their own and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. More than 1800 Australians are stranded at sea on cruise ships as countries close their borders to slow the spread of COVID-19. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is monitoring around 18 cruise ships located across the globe. The Zaandam cruise ship. Credit:Arnulfo Franco A spokesman for the department would not say when those stuck on the ships could expect to come home, but said communication lines were open. "DFAT continues to work closely with the cruise industry and cruise line operators to provide advice to Australian passengers on cruise ships with itineraries impacted by COVID-19,"he said. 'Hugo Mahony, managing director of Realli, said the results showed buyers were understandably cautious.' (stock image) Nearly half of Irish home buyers plan to delay purchasing property due to the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic. According to a survey of nearly 1,000 people carried out by Realli, a new Irish challenger property portal co-founded by brothers Hugo and Conor Mahony, just over 48pc of house hunters plan to undertake a cautious wait-and-see approach to buying a property. This is due to the pandemic. Within this cohort, 59pc said they could wait up to six months before committing to buying a home. Despite the pandemic, over a third of respondents were prepared to purchase a property now - should they find the right one. Hugo Mahony, managing director of Realli, said the results showed buyers were understandably cautious. He also believes the results indicate there could be strong pent-up demand fuelled by higher savings once the pandemic is over. "These people have been saving for three to four years," he said. "They will buy a house; it is just a matter of when and that depends on how long the uncertainty will last." Mahony suggested the Government should immediately extend the Help to Buy scheme to stimulate demand, and accelerate home building through the Land Development Agency. Mumbai, March 29 : Over 10,000 Indian students from across India are stranded in the Osha State University (OSU), Kyrgyzstan who desperately want to return, a student from the varsity said on Sunday. Reacting to a report by IANS on March 28 via email, the medical student Darshan Shinde narrated the plight of the Indian students at the university. "We were removed from our hostel and kept in other hostels, with four persons in one small room. We are locked here and our passports are not given to us," rued Shinde. Besides, the hostel has reportedly kept suspected cases of COVID-19, and the student apprehends that the food stocks in the local markets would disappear soon. His response came after Union Minister of State for Social Welfare Ramdas Athawale on Saturday informed IANS about the students languishing there in the midst of the Cornavirus pandemic. "They called me up with urgent requests to help evacuate them. Of these students, I am informed that around 205 are from Maharashtra alone, according to their families," Athawale said Saturday. The central minister said that Kyrgyzstan's Avia Traffic Co., in the capital Bishkek, is ready to operate at least three flights to India and send the stranded students home. "They are ready to operate two flights to New Delhi and one to Mumbai to bring back these stranded students. I shall be speaking with the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Minister for External Affairs and other officials to grant landing permission to the flights on priority basis despite the lockdown and the ban on flight operations," Athawale said. He is hopeful of getting the relevant clearances from the Indian government to enable the launch of evacuation proceedings within a couple of days or so as their near and dear ones are getting panicky in view of the global COVID-19 pandemic. However, under the apparently grim scenario, only three flights may not be sufficient to bring back all the 10,000-plus stranded students from Bishkek. Meanwhile, Wardha-based education consultant Dr Kishor Saste had estimated that there may be around 2000 Indian students studying medicine in OSU, and more than 500 - including some 125 girls - from Maharashtra alone. OSU is ranked among the distinguished medical universities globally and is increasingly popular among Indian students in a big way since a couple of decades, besides affordable costs, and good weather conditions, according to Saste. Incidentally, Kyrgyzstan with a population of around 6.3 million has around 55-plus COVID-19 positive cases with medical emergency situation declared in several parts of the country. Express News Service By NEW DELHI: Despite assurances from the AAP-led state government to provide food and shelter to the migrant workers, the exodus of labourers continued in the national capital. Even on Saturday thousands of migrants moved to their hometowns on foot amid the lockdown due to pandemic coronavirus. Lamenting on the situation, Saif Mohammad, a casual worker from Gurugram and originally from Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh, said, As we have been running out of stock and no cash, a group has already left for Shahjahanpur. We were 20 people mostly daily wagers stuck in Hayatpur of Gurugram. We want to leave too but do not have enough money. We are seeking help and trying to arrange money to buy bus tickets as we have heard buses are plying from Anand Vihar. COVID-19 LIVE | India records highest single-day jump, fresh cases in UP, Bengal, Tamil Nadu The crowds have people of all ages -- from toddlers to 80-year-olds. So, it is quite challenging for us also to take action against them. We have sealed the border, are distributing food and water and are also sensitising them about the consequences of contracting the virus, a police official said. Weve stopped many people from moving on foot. They have been sensitised about the matter and have been moved to shelter homes and are being provided food packets, safety kits with sanitary pads, medicines, hand sanitisers and gloves. More than a thousand people have been provided with food, water, raw materials and groceries, he added. Addressing the plight of the migrant workers, Delhi Government and Uttar Pradesh government had arranged about 1,000 buses to help the workers to reach their homes. Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said his government is serving lunch and dinner to over four lakh people at more than 800 locations. Speaking to the media through a digital press conference, he said the government has operationalised 568 Hunger Relief Centres in schools, apart from 238-night shelters. We can feed lunch and dinner to approximately 4 lakh persons daily, Kejriwal said. He also said that apart from this, mobile vans are also deployed to arrange food for those who cannot reach the locations.Although there is some issue, I am expecting that these will be streamlined in a day or so. The IRCTC also provided free meals to the poor at four prime locations in the capital city i.e. New Delhi, Anand Vihar Terminal, Hazrat Nizamuddin and Shakurbasti on Saturday. China sent a plane loaded with medical personnel and supplies Saturday to help Pakistan fight the spread of the coronavirus in one of the worlds most populous nations. Across the Middle East and elsewhere, the outbreak has raised concerns that health systems strapped by multiple wars, refugee crises and unstable economies wont be able to handle the growing number of cases. In Iran, which is battling the worst outbreak in the region, state TV said Saturday another 139 people had died from the virus. That pushed the total fatalities in Iran to 2,517 amid 35,408 confirmed cases. China has sought to portray itself as a global leader in the fight against the outbreak, which began a few months ago in its Wuhan province. The plane carrying aid to Pakistan was met at the capitals airport by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureishi, who greeted the arriving Chinese doctors and officials. China had previously sent ventilators and masks to Pakistan, a key link in Chinas ambitious multi-billion-dollar One Road Project linking south and central Asia with China. China is also a key military supplier for nuclear-armed Pakistan, having supplied the country with missiles capable of carrying atomic weapons. Pakistan, with a population of 220 million, has 1,408 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, including 11 deaths from the illness it causes, COVID-19. Most of the infected people have been travelers returning from neighboring Iran. Most people infected by the virus only experience mild symptoms, such as fever and cough, and recover within a few weeks. But the virus can cause severe respiratory illness and death, particularly in older patients or those with underlying health problems. Pakistan has closed its borders with both Iran and Afghanistan, but has come under widespread criticism for its initial lax response to the virus. Even as the pandemic spread to the country, Pakistani authorities allowed tens of thousands of Islamic clerics from around the world to congregate for three days outside the eastern city of Lahore. Some 200 of the clerics are now quarantined at the site of the gathering, a sprawling compound belonging to an Islamic missionaries group, Tableeghi Jamaat. Many of the visiting clerics at the conference returned to their home countries, some of them carrying the coronavirus. The first two reported cases in the Gaza Strip attended the three-day gathering in Pakistan, and are now under quarantine in Gaza. Other linked cases have emerged elsewhere in the Middle East and Central Asia. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has refused to impose a countrywide lockdown saying it would devastate the countrys poor, but ordered non-essential businesses closed, including restaurants, money changers and wedding halls. As of Saturday, the government still had not ordered mosques closed nationwide, instead relying on recommendations to worshippers not to gather for weekly Friday prayers. Pakistani officials are reluctant to defy local hard-line Islamic leaders, who can whip up mobs to protest any perceived insults to religion. Some of these clerics have taken to social media to urge the faithful to fill the mosques, saying it is their religious obligation. Pakistans federal health authorities say the outbreak is so far concentrated in Punjab province, with 490 confirmed cases there, and Sindh province, which has 457 confirmed infections. Other cases are spread throughout several other regions, including the capital, Islamabad. Health authorities in the countrys northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province reported one additional death Saturday, a woman in the district of Dir. Ajmal Wazir, a spokesman for the provincial government, said the woman fell sick after returning from a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, before dying in a government hospital where she tested positive for the coronavirus. In Iran, officials have repeatedly insisted they have the outbreak under control, despite concerns it could overwhelm the countrys health facilities. Irans government has faced widespread criticism for not acting faster to contain the virus. Only in recent days have authorities ordered nonessential businesses to close and banned travel between cities long after other nations in the region imposed sweeping lockdowns. In Egypt the countrys chief prosecutor warned that anyone convicted of spreading fake news and rumors about the coronavirus could be fined or sentenced to up to five years in prison. Public prosecutor Hamada el-Sawys statement came just days after Egypt expelled a correspondent for The Guardian newspaper over a report citing a study that challenged the official count of coronavirus cases in the Arab worlds most populous country. Egypts Health Ministry has confirmed 576 cases of the virus and reported six additional fatalities Saturday, bringing the number of dead to 36. U.S. Ambassador to Libya Richard Norland on Saturday urged the countrys warring groups to suspend fighting in and around the capital, Tripoli, as an absolute necessity to allow public health officials across the divided country to contain the epidemic. Libyas health system is near the point of collapse after years of civil war. It has so far reported three confirmed cases of coronavirus. Authorities in Gaza, which has been under an Israeli and Egyptian blockade since the Hamas militant group seized power there in 2007, have reported nine confirmed cases. Gazas health care infrastructure has been severely eroded by years of conflict and isolation. A major outbreak in the territory, which is home to more than 2 million Palestinians, could be extremely difficult to contain. Organizers of weekly demonstrations along the Gaza-Israel frontier said they would cancel a rally that was scheduled for next week to abide by guidelines to avoid the spread of the virus. Khaled al-Batsh, head of the Great March of Return committee, said the rally was to mark the second anniversary of the protest movement. In a fresh order, West Bengal government on Sunday asked authorities of every district to make adequate arrangements of temporary shelters for the poor people and migrant workers. The order was issued by state Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha, citing a directive of the Ministry of Home Affairs for effective implementation of the lockdown measures. "Adequate arrangements of temporary shelters and provision of food etc shall be made by the district administration for the poor and needy people, including migrant workers stranded due to lockdown measures in their respective areas," the order said. "District administrations should explore the option of involving NGOs/civil society/other voluntary organisations to support and augment the services," it said. The order further stated the migrant people and those having come from abroad, "and already under home/institutional lockdown", should be put under strict surveillance and in case of violation of home quarantine, they should be taken to the nearby quarantine centres of the state and kept there for 14 days. The people who manage to move into the state despite these restrictions would have to be kept in the nearest government quarantine facility for a minimum period of 14 days as per standard health protocol, the order, which was described as "additional directives", stated. The order followed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's instruction to officials on March 27 to open 27-night shelters for the homeless in Kolkata. Banerjee had also assured that the administration will do everything to mitigate the inconvenience of migrant workers from other states stranded in West Bengal due to the lockdown. The order further said all employees, in industries- shops-commercial establishments, should make payment of wages of their workers on the due date and there shouldn't be any deduction for the closure period. It said landlords can't demand payment of rents from the migrants for one month and cannot force labourers and students to vacate their premises. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As the world faces an unprecedented pandemic, businesses and industries struggle to cope with uncertainty and the devastating impacts of COVID-19. Leaders in every state are struggling to find a careful balance between protecting public health while also protecting the financial health of state and local economies. To date, Pennsylvania is the only state to completely close all stores that provide consumers with access to distilled spirits. Other states, however, like Alabama, North Carolina and Virginia have used innovative ways to protects consumers and employees while also allowing businesses to remain open. Rather than completely shutting down all Fine Wine and Good Spirits stores in Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Wolf should consider examples from other states. The Alabama ABC, for instance, outlined new guidelines to protect consumers, shifted personnel and encourages a singular employee to retrieve customer products while wearing gloves. In North Carolina, scaled-back hours are under consideration, but stores are still operational. Distilleries are allowed to sell bottles for off-premise consumption. Virginia stores remain open with reduced hours, and Utah and New Hampshire continue to keep their stores open as well. Gov. Wolf should consider the huge impact his decision has already had and reevaluate the complete closure of all Fine Wine and Good Spirits stores in Pennsylvania. Chris Swonger is president and CEO, Distilled Spirits Council; Matt Dogali is president and CEO, American Distilled Spirits Association LIVERPOOL, England, March 29, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Exciting developments are happening in the healthcare industry in the UK, with the launch of Intercare at the forefront. As of February 2020, Dr Sohail Qureshi will be heading the board of Intercare Group. It is an exciting time for Dr Qureshi as he has created Intercare with a deep passion and commitment to apply his skills, knowledge, expertise and experience in supporting struggling care homes and their staff, to achieve clinical superiority and par excellence. Intercare works with the care homes across the UK, specialising in ensuring businesses and organisations in the healthcare sector receive the maximum amount of fee income, efficiently and cost-effectively, while providing the very best safe and professional care. Dr Qureshi is a consultant psychiatrist working in the NHS and private sector. He has been a pioneer in the healthcare industry. His unique blend of immaculate clinical expertise and smart commercial insight led him to earn his first board of directors' appointment at the national level, at Cambian Healthcare, in 2009. His pragmatic, innovative and thorough approach of 'patients safety first' has been the cornerstone of his clinical practice. He is known for leading teams in the vast medical workforce with integrity, honesty and probity. He has been developing trusting and meaningful long-lasting relationships with doctors, nurses and allied health professionals, throughout his career. Dr Qureshi has an impressive track record, of working as the Medical Director of ID Medical, one of the largest recruitment agencies in the UK that offers recruitment solutions and support to struggling NHS hospitals and care homes. As the CEO of the Medical Support Union (MSU), he has been conducting appraisals and providing support to medical doctors in the yearly appraisal and revalidation process, under the General Medical Council guidelines. With a wealth of experience and knowledge, he is adept at seeing the challenges at all levels, in an organisation, and his 'can-do' attitude and highly developed diplomatic skills enable him to convert daunting challenges into great opportunities. He offers insightful and sustainable solutions that lift organisations out of the difficulty by guiding them to achieve efficient and cost-saving business models. Considered a visionary, he is proud to integrate the latest technology as his ally and fosters dynamic multi-cultural teams to the forefront of the healthcare sector. Relating to his recent endeavours, he says "I envision in providing leadership to develop a high-quality professional service for the older population, including those who may have developed dementia. It is my dream to achieve the highest bar of excellence in offering a highly professional and empathic environment in a home-like atmosphere." To find out more information please feel free to contact us on: [email protected] +44 (0)800-433-2273 SOURCE Intercare New Delhi: India's leading maritime unions NUSI and MUI on Sunday said they have jointly launched a 'Merchant Navy Support Fund' (MNSF) to help the government fight coronavirus, which is gradually spreading across the country. "NUSI has pledged to donate a corpus of Rs 25 lakh to MNSF and aims to increase the total corpus of this newly launched fund to at least Rs 2 crore latest by June 2020 by inviting donations from various shipping companies, ship management companies, ports, seafarers and marine entrepreneurs of India," NUSI General Secretary Abdulgani Serang said in a statement. He added that the total corpus accumulated under the MNSF initiative will be donated to Prime Minister's National Relief Fund. "We will hand over the donation cheque to Union Shipping Minister Mansukh Mandaviya in the last week of June 2020," he said. Maritime Union of India (MUI) General Secretary Amar Singh Thakur said that the organisation's board is scheduled to meet soon and will donate a substantial sum to MNSF towards its commitment to the nation in this hour of crisis. Given the huge requirement for reasonably priced and easily available testing infrastructure to check local outbreaks, the maritime bodies are committed to take all possible steps, the statement added. Thailands controversial king has been self-isolating in a luxury hotel in the Alpine resort town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen with his entourage. King Maha Vajiralongkorn, also known as Rama X, is said to have booked out the entire Grand Hotel Sonnenbichl after the four-star hotel received special permission from the district council to accommodate his party. The 67-year-old kings entourage included a harem of 20 concubines and numerous servants, reported German tabloid Bild. It is unclear if his four wives are living in the hotel with the rest of the group. Guesthouses and hotels in the region were ordered to close due to the coronavirus crisis, but a spokesperson for the local district council said the Grand Hotel Sonnenbichl was an exception because the guests are a single, homogenous group of people with no fluctuation. However, 119 members of the entourage had been reportedly sent back to Thailand on suspicions they contracted the highly contagious respiratory disease. News of Vajiralongkorns apparent self-isolation in a luxury location was met with anger by tens of thousands of Thai people, who risked breaking the countrys lese-majeste laws by criticising him online. Under the laws, anyone who insults or criticises the monarchy could be imprisoned for up to 15 years. But a Thai hashtag which translated to Why do we need a king? appeared 1.2 million times on Twitter within 24 hours after an activist claimed Vijaralongkorn was travelling on holiday in Germany while the outbreak continued to spread across Thailand. The Thai Ministry of Public Health announced on Saturday 109 new cases in the country, bringing the total number of infections to 1,245. Activist Somsak Jeamteerasakul, who lives in exile in France, posted a series of Facebook posts that claimed Vajiralongkorn was flying from Switzerland to various points in Germany from early March out of boredom. Mr Jeamteerasakul is a vocal critic of Thailands monarchy and lese-majeste laws, and said in one post: [Vajiralongkorn will] let the Thai people worry about the virus. Even Germany is worried about the virus [but] its none of his business. The Thai king has not made a public appearance in his home country since February, reported The Times. His reign in Thailand began in 2016 after the death of his father, Bhumibol. Although there is no way to gauge his popularity among Thais because of severe lese-majeste laws, it is believed he is not as well-loved as his father, who ruled for over 70 years. Lucknow Amidst complaints of hoarding and black marketing of essential commodities, state police have registered as many as 35 FIRs under Prevention of Black Marketing and Maintenance of Supplies of Essential Commodities Act- 1980 in the last three days. A senior police official at DGP headquarters said the FIRs were lodged on the complaint of district administration. He said a detailed advisory and instructions were issued by additional chief secretary, home, Awanish Awasthi to not allow anybody sell essential commodities at more than their actual price. Besides, he directed stern action against those found involved in hoarding the commodities, he added. He said 21 FIRs were lodged at different districts on Friday and Saturday while 14 FIRs were lodged on Sunday. He said people could be jailed for six months if they were found involved in black marketing and hoarding of essential commodities. The official said the home department directives were issued to all district officials to appoint an ADM rank officer as nodal officer to ensure no black marketing was done by shopkeepers and that people were getting essential commodities on reasonable rates. Besides, the nodal official was asked to ensure uninterrupted supply of essential commodities in every district, he added. Moreover, the state police have registered 26 cases under Epidemic Act against over 60 people for violating quarantine protocol and putting peoples life in danger with apprehension of spreading corona virus. Besides, over 10,000 people have been booked so far in around 4900 FIRs registered under Section 188 of Indian Penal Code for disobeying the government order by violating the lockdown protocol. Not long ago, Reliance Industries (RIL) was the most fancied stock among investors. It was the first Indian company to touch a market value of Rs 10 trillion on November 28, 2019. But a chain of recent events, many of which impacted the broader markets as well, led to a sharp correction of 40 per cent in the stock from February highs. Concerns on margins in its refining and petrochemical businesses, the potential impact of Covid-19 on retail sales, and a possible delay/call-off of its deal with Saudi Aramco and hence debt reduction are the key reasons for the fall. Analysts now say ... Actor Kim Hye-jun poses in this undated photo. Courtesy of Netflix By Park Ji-won About one month since its release, the second season of "Kingdom," Netflix's first original series in Korea, continues to enjoy undeniable success among fans worldwide thanks to its unique story and setting of a zombie-apocalypse in the ancient Joseon Kingdom. It has entered the streaming services' top 10 lists in many countries. The comic-based action thriller series tells how Crown Prince Lee Chang and his court try to save the zombie-hit kingdom while tracing the secret behind Lee's dynasty and the creation of the flesh-eating creatures. The series ignited people's curiosity as it introduced the zombie character which is not common in Asian films. Korea's traditional culture and clothes also became popular among fans after the drama's release; sales of "gat," a hat which was commonly worn by aristocrats in the Joseon Kingdom, have increased at online shopping malls such as Amazon. In a recent group online interview with The Korea Times, Kim Hye-jun, who plays Queen Consort Cho in the drama, shared her thoughts and experiences about playing one of the most important roles. Spoiler alert. This story includes spoilers for the series, so those who don't want to learn about the story, please stop reading. The 25-year-old actress plays a villain in the second season who decided to spread the zombie virus in the palace and the country in order to not to give up her position as de facto queen. She served as the queen of the nation after marrying the king, who was some 30 year older than her and was made a zombie under a scheme hatched by her father, the chief state councilor and leader of the Haewon Cho clan, to take over the country through her. She is tasked with giving birth to a boy to succeed the crown. She fails to give birth by herself and steals a baby boy from another mother. She is also turned into a zombie later. She said playing a zombie was not an easy task as they run quickly while at the same time making unhuman movements with their bodies. "Most of the time, I was playing a role sitting in a chair as queen. However, it was not an easy job to become a zombie because I had to run fast like somebody who was about to collapse, even though I was wearing proper running shoes, while showing some zombie movements from top to toe. I came to understand how hard the zombie actors, who made up half of the drama, worked and I truly appreciated their performances from heart," Kim said. When asked about her queen costume, she said the full-costume was too heavy for her, making it difficult for wear. "It was summer and the weather was really hot when we were filming. And my queen hat and costumes were so heavy, which made me physically very tired." She put effort into on portraying a queen who is smart and ambitious but who goes insane under the extremely oppressive and patriarchal society. The queen appears to be immature in the first season as a puppet of her father who wants to amass power as the ruler of the country, but ends up becoming a villain by ordering her servants to spread the zombie virus to remain as a queen in the historical record even though she will be killed. "When I read the script, I thought the queen was a very smart and ambitious figure to be able to play fool and control her father but it is hard to describe her having a self-led personality because she uses cruelty to resolve problems surrounding her. People may have loved my character not because of her independence but the way she expresses her ambition despite her position and regardless of others' perspectives under the oppressive norms of Joseon society." "I felt sorry for her, as well. When I was thinking about her: an extremely ambitious person, she was put in a certain situation in society. But at the same time, I couldn't understand how an individual could be so cruel under an oppressive situation." She added that, at the same time, the fact that her character is loved by many made her sad because it reflects the reality where there is still discrimination and oppression (against people) and she hopes the situation will improve in the near future. Despite criticism about her "bad" acting in the first season, she overcame this by focusing more on her character with the support of colleagues, silencing the negative comments in the second season. "I lost my confidence at the time. It was me, the actor, anyway, and it was my responsibility. I was embarrassed and became self-reflective But I thought it was the time to show better acting in the second season by understanding the genre more. My colleagues also gave me positive comments and said they believed in me, which made me easily overcome the situation." Stressing that playing the queen in the Netflix's series was a huge opportunity and a stepping stone in her career, she pledged to become better as an actor. "I was just happy at the beginning as a new actor and was surprised and worried by the fact that I was able to act with these great writers and actors. At first, I thought the job was for a film role; I didn't know much about how Netflix works. As an actor and an individual, I learned how to be myself and take responsibility in playing a role while being harmonious with others. I want to become an actor who can give faith to people so that they can expect something from me and I can respond to them." Coronavirus lockdown: Centres fresh guidelines to states India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Mar 29:The Centre on Sunday directed States to enforce strict implementation of nationwide-lockdown in view of coronavirus outbreak. "All arrangements be made for migrant labourers at their place of work including timely payment of wages. Action should be taken against those asking students/labourers to vacate," the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has stated. During a video conference with Chief Secretaries and DGPs, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba and Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla asked them to ensure that there is no movement of people across cities or on highways as the lockdown continues. States were directed to ensure there is no movement of people across cities or on highways. Only movement of goods should be allowed. District Magistrates and SPs should be made personally responsible for implementation of these directions, the official said. Adequate arrangements for food and shelter of poor and needy people including migrant labourers be made at the place of their work, the official said. Here are the guidelines: Centre directs States to enforce strict implementation of lockdown. Cabinet secretary and MHA are in constant touch with State Chief Secretaries and DGPs. Video Conferences were held by Cabinet Secretary & Home Secretary yesterday evening and today morning with Chief Secretaries & DGPs. It was noted that, by and large, there has been effective Implementation of guidelines across all states and UTs. Essential supplies have also been maintained. Situation is being monitored round the clock and necessary measures are being taken as required. However, there has been movement of migrant workers in some parts of the country. Directions were issued that district and state borders should be effectively sealed. States were directed to ensure there is no movement of people across cities or on highways. Only movement of goods should be allowed. DMs and SPs should be made personally responsible for implementation of these directions which have been issued under the DM Act. Adequate arrangements for food and shelter of poor and needy people including migrant labourers be made at the place of their work. Centre had yesterday issued orders for use of SDRF funds for this purpose. Sufficient funds are available with States in this head. States have been also told to ensure timely payment of wages to labourers at their place of work during the period of lockdown without any cut. House Rent should not be demanded from the labourers for this period. Action should be taken against those who are asking labourers or students to vacate the premises. Those who have violated the lockdown and traveled during the period of lockdown will be subject to minimum 14 days of quarantine in government quarantine facilities. Those who have violated the lockdown and traveled during the period of lockdown will be subject to minimum 14 days of quarantine in government quarantine facilities. Detailed instructions on monitoring of such persons during quarantine have been issued to States. It was impressed upon all the States that three weeks of strict enforcement is essential to contain spread of corona virus. This is in the interest of everyone. This winter featured a record-strong polar vortex. (Paul Duginski / Los Angeles Times) The winter that just ended was the sixth-warmest on record in the contiguous United States, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. And one feature of that winter was a strong zonal, west-to-east flowing polar vortex. Wait, what? Usually when we hear about a polar vortex, it's in news stories about frigid temperatures enveloping the U.S. The winter was the sixth-warmest on record across the contiguous United States. (Paul Duginski / Los Angeles Times) "Polar vortex" became a weather buzzword back in 2014, but it's not the strong polar vortex that brings Arctic cold down into southern latitudes of the continental U.S. It's the unstable, wavy one. A strong, stable polar vortex has been described as a spinning bowl of low pressure over the Arctic region. The edge of that bowl is defined by the jet stream, kind of like salt on the rim of a margarita glass. The polar jet stream consists of strong, upper-level winds in the mid-latitudes that blow from west to east around the globe. As the jet stream spins around the rim of this bowl, it confines the frigid air to the Arctic. The jet stream tends to remain farther north than usual in this scenario, with warmer air to the south. That's what happened a lot during the winter of 2019-20, resulting in warm temperatures for the continental U.S. The U.S. Southeast was unusually wet, in part because of the subtropical jet stream. (Paul Duginski / Los Angeles Times) The jet stream and this cold bowl are in the troposphere, the lowest, densest layer of the atmosphere roughly the first 6 to 12 miles above the Earth's surface where nearly all the weather happens. There's also a polar vortex in the stratosphere, the next higher level of the atmosphere, which is also edged by another, higher-altitude jet stream. This stratospheric vortex and its winds spend their time essentially making concentric circles around the pole. (These polar vortexes also occur around the South Pole, affecting the Southern Hemisphere.) Both of these Northern Hemisphere polar vortexes were especially strong this winter, but we're mainly concerned with the tropospheric polar vortex here, the one that's in the layer closest to the surface of the Earth. Story continues How can we measure the strength of this polar vortex? One way is the strength of something called the Arctic Oscillation (AO). The Arctic Oscillation is a measure of the stability or instability of the polar vortex. Twice in the month of February, the AO index reached all-time daily highs for strength and stability. The AO for the December-February period was the second-highest since 1950. Such a strong AO means the polar jet stream stays farther to the north, and it is "tight, not wavy," as climatologist Bill Patzert describes it. This configuration resulted in a colder-than-average winter in Alaska and northwestern Canada, and contributed to a warmer-than-average winter in the contiguous United States, said Patzert. "The frigid polar air is locked in the Arctic." Farther to the south, the subtropical jet stream works hand in hand with the polar jet. Like the polar jet, the subtropical jet stream shifted farther north this year into northern Mexico, north-central Texas and the northern portions of the Southeastern U.S., Patzert explained. Typical locations of the polar and subtropical jet streams this winter. "Most of the winter looked like this," said Patzert. "Strong Arctic Oscillation, dry and warm over much of the U.S." (Paul Duginski / Los Angeles Times) "This is a preview of global warming. In a warming world, these patterns shift north," said Patzert. "The subtropical jet stream, which comes out of Southeast Asia and usually peters out around the international dateline, also is a little more active and moves farther north. This year it behaved somewhat like in an El Nino year," Patzert said. "In an El Nino year, it shifts even more to the north." This winter, the subtropical jet stream behaved more like it might in an El Nino year. (Paul Duginski / Los Angeles Times) El Nino, also called the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), is a periodic warming of sea surface temperatures in the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean. Since the Pacific is so big, it's like the 800-pound gorilla of global weather, and such a warming phase affects the whole planet, including, usually, causing a reduction of hurricanes in the Atlantic. It often but certainly not always spells a wet winter for California. El Nino's opposite, the cooling phase, is La Nina. Even though this year was neutral not an El Nino or a La Nina the subtropical jet plowed into northern Mexico and continued on into the Southeastern U.S., where heavy rain was accompanied by tornadoes and flash flooding. This is behavior that's more like an El Nino. An example of a strong El Nino when the subtropical jet shifted north is the 1997-98 season, Patzert points out. It was like a fire hose. Downtown Los Angeles received slightly more than 31 inches of rain more than twice the average rainfall. The 2015-16 season was also a strong El Nino year, but Los Angeles got only 9.6 inches. What happened? "That El Nino had all the prerequisites. Based on previous years, it should have been a no-brainer" that L.A. and California would have a wet year, said Patzert. As happened with this year's subtropical jet stream, moisture in 2015-16 streamed to the south toward Mexico. By all appearances, the setup looked like it would be a wet year in California; instead, the rain went deep into the heart of Texas. "It was the wettest winter and spring in Texas history," said Patzert. The latest U.S. Drought Monitor data, released Thursday, show dry conditions in the West but an absence of drought in the Southeast, which had an extremely wet winter. (Paul Duginski / Los Angeles Times) The most recent U.S. Drought Monitor reflects the subtropical jet stream pattern seen this winter. Drought conditions are widespread and expanding up and down the rain-deprived West Coast even including interior Washington state. The 2019 Southwest monsoon season was one of the hottest and driest on record, according to the National Weather Service, and there's now severe drought in the Four Corners region, which is part of the Colorado River watershed. But there's a swath of drought-free territory through central Texas into the Southeast, even as drought conditions have worsened in south Texas, through the Rio Grande Valley, along the Gulf Coast and into much of Florida. As Brad Rippey of the U.S. Department of Agriculture put it in the most recent Drought Monitor, "The Southeast remains a tale of two landscapes: wet to the north in recent weeks, except in some locations across the coastal plain and along the Atlantic Coast, but dry along the Gulf Coast and in Florida." The 2019-20 winter season was on-again, off-again. It started out promising, then turned dry as the polar vortex strengthened. As Jay Lund of UC Davis writes, midwinter turned into a "Flatline February" followed by a "Meh March." He adds, "With the near-end of its wet season, California's 2020 water year is and will be dry." While the subtropical jet settled in south of the border this winter, high pressure established itself in the eastern Pacific, blocking the storm track and routing storms into the Pacific Northwest or southern British Columbia, then channeling them down into the Rockies. The systems that managed to come down from the Pacific Northwest farther to the west and closer to the coast were over land, and were dry "inside sliders." A classic setup as an upper low drops out of the Gulf of Alaska and taps into a moist subtropical flow. (Paul Duginski / Los Angeles Times) When high pressure isn't blocking storms from the Gulf of Alaska, as was the case right after Thanksgiving, the classic pattern sets up for low-pressure systems to tap into a plume of tropical or subtropical moisture and power it into the California coast. Another way to look at it is viewing the upper-level low and the moisture plume, which is usually congruent with the subtropical jet stream, working together. "All wet winter storms have some of that," said Eric Boldt of the National Weather Service in Oxnard. "They work in concert." He likened the interplay to a river, where a little eddy near shore moves out into the channel and joins another strand of the current. But a blocking high did set up, and in early January meteorologist Jan Null of Golden Gate Weather Services in the Bay Area had begun compiling data comparing midwinter dry spells. After a record dry February in most of California, especially Northern California, March showed some promise, but persistent drought was clearly returning. A March 10-11 storm featured a cutoff low coming down the coast that was forecast to tap into an atmospheric river and hose down Southern California. The atmospheric river shifted south into Baja California, but the low still managed to pull in some moisture. Hopes of a "March Miracle" were dashed again. If the strong, stable polar vortex with the shifting jet streams are a foretaste of things to come with climate change, it doesn't paint a promising picture. As Patzert points out, the "snowpack comes later and leaves earlier, which has implications for our water supply." If the subtropical jet stream shifts to the north and feeds into California, it will be warm and will usually provide precipitation in the form of heavy rain which will mostly flush out to sea without being captured because it comes so fast. In addition, warm rains will melt any snow on the ground in higher elevations. With such a shift, there will be fewer cold storms that arrive on a polar jet stream from the Gulf of Alaska. Such cold storms bring snow, which is stored in the state's "biggest reservoir," as Patzert calls the Sierra Nevada. That allows snowmelt to run off gradually, filling reservoirs and streams throughout the warmer months. "As for this rain and snow year, the polar vortex seems to have been a spoiler, and it will take more than a miracle to make up for that in April," said Patzert. North Dakotas dependence on oil has again been emphasized with the dispute between Russia and Saudi Arabia that has seen prices plummet. The situation has been exacerbated by the coronavirus. The oil industry took another blow last week when U.S. District Judge James Boasberg ordered the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to complete an extensive environmental review of the Dakota Access Pipeline. The review could take two years, and its possible the judge could shut down the pipeline during that period. The pipeline has the capacity to move nearly 40% of daily oil production out of the state. Fortunately, in large part because of oil, the states revenue flow has been running ahead of projections this two-year budget cycle. Gov. Doug Burgum also noted that the state has enough resources in its budget stabilization fund to help offset a potential revenue shortfall. The last time oil prices collapsed, in 2015, the state was forced to make drastic budget cuts. This time, however, falling oil prices arent the only problem facing the state. The economic impact of the coronavirus is immense on the country, and North Dakota cant escape it. The other two pillars of the states economy, agriculture and tourism, face an uncertain outlook this year. Farmers and ranchers are still recovering from an unusually wet fall that saw many crops left standing in the fields. As normal, they will be watching the weather closely as they are in need of a good crop year. The depth of the impact on tourism remains to be seen. No one knows how long the coronavirus will torture the nation. Its likely the first part of summer will see, at best, a slow tourism season. When the coronavirus has abated, many Americans might not be in a position to travel after being out of work for an extended period. This editorial isnt intended to spread doom and gloom, but to serve as a reminder that the state needs to find ways to diversify its economy. Tourism will rebound after the pandemic, which is an unusual occurrence. Agricultural producers always will be at the mercy of Mother Nature, but they have found ways to survive. Counting on oil can be an iffy proposition. When its good, the states never had it better economically. Still, there are too many factors North Dakota cant control, such as the fight between Russia and the Saudis. We can make concessions to the oil industry, but theres no guarantee the state can do enough to overcome international issues. North Dakota needs to explore other ways to bolster our economy. We shouldnt expect oil to be the long-term answer for prosperity. In a five-year period, the state has seen oil prices take nosedives. The state needs to be in a position in which oil revenue is just gravy for us. North Dakota must focus on expanding its economy so we have a more stable future. Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Saint Isidore Episcopal Church is ready to serve the community just as its needed most. Four months before Hurricane Harvey, the church launched a food truck to feed those in need, Abundant Harvest. Now, it has opened its food pantry and community kitchen right as COVID-19 precautions are putting people out of work. For over two years, the Rev. Sean Steele has had a vision of a building that could help the church fulfill its ultimate mission of offensive generosity. A place for people to gather and be fed, body and soul. Shifting needs Today, the building is close to being 100 percent complete and the church was given its certificate of occupancy last Wednesday. The grand opening party was supposed to be held Saturday night. But since the county has put strict limits on gatherings, the party will have to wait. Our original vision as it developed was to make this a place where people can gather, Jeremy Hall, executive director of Abundant Harvest, said. With COVID-19, the pandemic, the need has shifted from a sanctuary for people to gather and share community with each other, to now online, virtual church, and a place for people to get food. Back in September, the church bought the old Transtar AC supply store on Oakhurst Drive in Spring with big plans. The kitchen was renovated and expanded and will be a fully operational, commercial kitchen in the coming weeks. The warehouse in the back has a gym for one of Saint Isidores worship programs, Warrior Church. The conference room can seat about 15 and is ready to be rented out. The front of the building is already set up to be a cafe and meeting space, with a peek-a-boo window into the childrens play area next door so parents can keep an eye on their kids while they grab a cup of coffee or meal from the kitchen. The high-speed wifi is just a cherry on top. The large warehouse space in the back has become a blessing. The church is a certified food distributor for the Montgomery County Food Bank and right now the space is filled with tables and shelves of food to be boxed up for delivery at affordable housing complexes in The Woodlands or picked up by those that need it. On Thursday, the churchs first day of food distribution and one day after getting its occupancy certificate, it gave away 22,000 pounds of food. God helped us open just at the right time, Hall said. Kitchen is key The heart of the building is the kitchen. For Steele, it represents gathering, community, abundance, and giving. Beyond food, he wants to see it give to the community in other ways. How many small businesses and restaurants are going to be losing business, and theyre going to have to close down? Steele said of the economic destruction COVID-19 has caused to the service industry, explaining how businesses with a storefront will be able to rent the kitchen to keep operating. So, were going to be a place to possibly help recover people who have lost their businesses to the economy. With a walk-in freezer and fridge, a six-burner gas stove top with convection oven underneath, and a flat-top grill, the kitchen can accommodate practically any kind of chef. Renting the kitchen, Steele said, will be on a sliding scale. Eventually, the church wants to host cooking classes, one of several revenue streams that are currently unavailable. We have more people to feed right now than we can possibly accommodate, Hall said. The more gifts we have, the more volunteers that we have, and the more funding that we have, the more people that we can feed. Funding worries The funding was going to come from selling food from the kitchen, renting out the conference room and kitchen, catering, donations, and sponsorships. The church recently lost a $50,000 sponsor for the kitchen, and renovating the building took several weeks longer than originally anticipated, so while its celebrating opening, financially the church is concerned. Were about $150,000 down right now in a down economy, Steele said. The truth is, we could use help. From the electricity, to the plumbing, to the walls, from the ground up we had to change the whole building, Hall said, noting they also had to run a new gas line in and put in a new grease trap under the kitchen. But that hasnt stopped it from immediately looking for ways to give back. Executive chef and kitchen pastor, Molly Carr, may not be able to fulfill her dream of hosting a community meal each week, but in the coming weeks will be able to help feed the medical community through a partnership with Grub for Scrubs. Once it passes inspection, which will hopefully be soon, the kitchen can start creating meals to sell. What the church could use now, along with financial help, is volunteers. Extra precautions are being taken in the era of COVID-19, so everyone who walks into the new building has their temperature taken, must use hand sanitizer, and maintain 6-feet of distance from others. The church is asking members and volunteers over the age of 60 to stay home, but the trade-off is to now find volunteers under the age of 60 to come help, in limited numbers. I think what were going to see here and what weve already seen here is that this community steps up, Carr said. Were blessed to live in a community that is so offensively generous, and that we can use that to help us. More information on volunteering and donating can be found on the church website, www.isidores.org/. jamie.swinnerton@chron.com A civil servant alleged to have been gagged and tied to a chair by male colleagues after she spoke out against misogyny at work has been sacked. Marine Scotland took the decision to dismiss DeeAnn Fitzpatrick, 50, despite the fact that she was unable to attend a disciplinary hearing on the advice of her doctor. The fisheries officer had accused her bosses of turning a blind eye to sexist and bullying treatment she says she suffered at the hands of male co-workers. A photograph of her with tape across her mouth and tied to a chair at work caused an outcry in 2018. But an internal investigation by Marine Scotland found the men had 'no case to answer' and dismissed the incident as part of a 'high jinks' culture, in which it claimed Miss Fitzpatrick willingly took part. A woman who complained of a racist and misogynistic culture in a Scottish government agency claims she was taped to a chair and gagged by two male colleagues as a warning Staff claimed during the inquiry that one prank would involve wrapping staff members in sticky tape if they fell asleep during night or late shifts. Despite Miss Fitzpatrick's denials that she had been a willing participant, she found herself under investigation for alleged gross misconduct. Three days ago, despite travel restrictions in place because of Covid-19, two Government employees journeyed by car on a 16-hour return trip from Edinburgh to her home in Caithness to deliver her dismissal letter. Last night, Miss Fitzpatrick's outraged family said that she had been warned repeatedly by Marine Scotland not to talk publicly about the case, so they had decided to speak up on her behalf. Her sister, Sherry Fitzpatrick, told The Mail on Sunday: 'She has been left absolutely devastated and feeling betrayed to be treated like this. 'How can this be justice? It's a disgrace. To this day, she can hardly bear to look at the photograph of her taped to the chair and gagged. It reminds her of a day she felt she became a nothing. In this #MeToo age we now live in, I find this decision to dismiss her incredible. DeeAnn Fitzpatrick claimed a decade of bullying at Marine Scotland's Scrabster office made her contemplate suicide. She has since been dismissed from the organisation 'It suits Marine Scotland to say DeeAnn made it all up. She has been broken by this. My sister used to be strong, brave and outgoing. Now she is a recluse who is afraid of her own shadow.' Miss Fitzpatrick, who is from Canada, claimed she was targeted after telling management about the alleged mistreatment of another woman in her office in Scrabster, Caithness, by a co-worker. It led, in 2010, to two colleagues allegedly grabbing her, taping her legs and arms, and then one telling the other: 'That shuts her up.' Tape was then placed over her mouth, she claimed, and the man added: 'That's what you get for speaking out against the boys.' She lost an employment tribunal in June 2018, but it did not consider the chair incident as it was 'time-barred'. Instead the tribunal focused on her claim that she had received abusive cards on her birthday and on Valentine's Day between 2015 and 2017. A message in one called her an 'old troll' and another warned her about trying to 'climb the ladder of success'. The tribunal ruled it could not agree whether the cards had come from current colleagues. Then, last November, in what her family claimed was a dirty tricks campaign, details were suddenly made public that Marine Scotland was pursuing a gross misconduct case against Miss Fitzpatrick for allegedly making 'false representations'. She denied the allegations against her, which included that she tampered with the date on the ' Chairgate' image despite the fact she is not the owner of the photo and had no way of accessing its electronic data. A Scottish Government spokesman said yesterday: 'We do not discuss decisions relating to individual members of staff.' As of August 26th, 2021 Yahoo India will no longer be publishing content. Your Yahoo Account Mail and Search experiences will not be affected in any way and will operate as usual. We thank you for your support and readership. For more information on Yahoo India, please visit the FAQ Let us get rid of COVID-19 together! View(s): My dear citizens of Paradise, I thought of writing to you because these are unprecedented times which we have never seen before, even though this land of ours has seen many, many disasters both man-made and natural. While we have overcome most of those calamities, this might be our most challenging test as yet. It is ironic that this crisis comes not from a tsunami, insurrection, a terrorist attack or even a group of fanatical suicide bombers. It comes from a tiny, invisible organism, carrying the name corona virus that has brought the entire world to its knees, including those of us living here in Paradise. At a time when we should have been preparing for our national New Year we have been forced in to an early holiday mode- though this holiday is slightly different. We cant be visiting friends or relatives and we are being forced indoors by a curfew that could go on for a long time to come. When the threat of the corona virus first became known, we in Paradise did very well. We even spent a special aircraft to China and got down our students stranded there. They were packed off to a quarantine centre in Diyatalawa with military precision until we knew they were safe to be let out. Matters got a bit muddled thereafter when the powers that be had one eye on the corona virus and the other eye on the general election that had been called. There was strong suspicion that the curfew was delayed until nominations could be handed over- so the election could still go ahead as planned. Some say that this is why government offices were kept open to accept nominations when the rest of the country- including schools- was shut down very quickly. Is it because the corona virus wont last five years, but a two-thirds majority, if it can be obtained amidst this confusion, most certainly would! Some thought that the threat from the virus was not as much as it was made out to be. That may be why they allowed the Royal-Thomian to go ahead, not to mention pilgrimages to Adams Peak. A lockdown was out of the question: we didnt go in to lockdown even during the war, did we? Since then, we have come a long way. Everyone has realised that the threat is very real and we could be looking at thousands of deaths in a few weeks if we are not extremely careful in how we behave. That is why a curfew- the only language that citizens of Paradise understand- is strictly enforced. The behaviour of our citizens when there are breaks in the curfew still leaves much to be desired because they simply dont understand what social distancing means. How a few others behaved after returning from Italy also left a bad taste in the mouth- and put innocent citizens in Paradise at risk. There had been other lapses. Why those returning from Italy- where the pandemic was at its worst- were let loose on an unsuspecting public is a question many ask. Others want to know why a pastor from Switzerland was participating in mass gatherings when the need of the day is social distancing. Despite these hiccups, we have done well for a country with limited resources at our disposal. We have had just over a hundred persons falling victim to the virus and they have been looked after very well, thanks to our doctors, nurses and their support staff. At least this time, we seem to be united. The armed forces and the Police have done their best, working around the clock to maintain law and order ensuring the supply of essentials. The door-to-door provision of essential items to the public is a brilliant idea although some ask why a US citizen has been put in overall charge of that task force! Thankfully, we havent seen many politicians meddling with the day to day running of emergency tasks which have been left to the professionals. All it takes is one politician hugging a virus victim and another from the opposing camp prescribing medication to spoil all the good work. To his credit, Gota has handled his first real crisis quite well- and would have done even better if he didnt have to cater to his aiyas needs about the election. It goes without saying that if the yahapaalanaya lot were in charge, the death toll would have been mounting sky high by now. The corona virus has shown us, dear citizens of Paradise, that it doesnt discriminate among nations, races or religions; it has attacked all of them with equal ferocity. In doing so however, it has also taught us that is we are not divided along those lines and stand as one, we can still defeat it. Tough times dont last; tough people do. As citizens of Paradise, we have been through tougher times and outlasted them. So, until the time is right, we need to wash our hands, keep our distance from each other and stay at home. By doing so, we will prevent someones death. It is really that simple. Yours truly, Punchi Putha PS- The corona virus spares no one- even Prince Charles is a victim. We must be very careful because it is more deadly in the elderly. Imagine all those over seventy in Paradise: Gota, Mahinda Chamal, Ranil, CBK, Vasu, Dinesh, Sampanthan. Only Maithri is younger- and that is a scary thought indeed! Foreign buyers will be slapped with tougher rules to prevent them acquiring Australian companies during the coronavirus crisis amid plunging share prices and fears of predatory takeovers. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg moved on Sunday night to slash a key takeover threshold from $1.2 billion to zero in order to ensure any overseas bid could be blocked at his discretion after scrutiny by federal officials. While the new rules apply to all overseas buyers, they come after The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age revealed Chinese companies had snapped up medical supplies in recent weeks for shipment to their home country. Shares have been belted by the pandemic. Credit:Mark Evans Mr Frydenberg said the agency that screens takeover bids from offshore, the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB), would also extend the deadlines for existing and new applicants from 30 days to six months. Chandigarh [India], Mar 28 (ANI): The Chandigarh International Airport Limited (CHIAL) is pulling all stops in its efforts to help people when the entire country is going through lockdown as a preventive measure to check the spread of coronavirus. CHIAL has provided all possible help in the smooth operation of a Drukair special flight on Saturday from Chandigarh to Paro, with 140 passengers on board, mostly students from Bhutan, reads a statement. The evacuation plan was operationalised as per the standard operating procedures and by taking all necessary precautions for handling the passengers. The flight took off from Chandigarh airport at 2:30 pm. "CISF, IAF, immigration authorities and Punjab Police provided required support for the smooth operation of the flight," the statement added. (ANI) Around the world in eighty days, the virus that knows no borders View(s): Today it is heartening to note China beating its breasts and exclaiming proudly Wuhan has finally laid to rest the deadly virus it once spawned, bred and spread to the rest of the world. But is it too early to open the bubbly? Too early to give Wuhan a clean bill of health? The bat borne virus, transmissible from human to human, may have been temporarily slain, but has a stake been driven through its heart to close the lid permanently on its Chinese sojourn? Like a murderer returning to the scene of the crime, no guarantees can be given that this virus without borders may not make a comeback to the land of its inception, conception and worldwide distribution; that the coronavirus may not revisit its oriental cradle in which it nestled after emerging from its Wuhan womb to condemn the world with fright at the spectre of an early tomb. Three months ago when the virus made its debut in the Hubei provincial capital Wuhan, the western world took little note of the brand new discovery and paid not even a microscopic interest in the bizarre star born in the Eastern hemisphere. Only when the first drop of death became a trickle of tragedy and turned to an epidemic flood were eyebrows raised at the uncontrollable devilments the new virus on the block was causing in its unstoppable deathly stride. Yet no causes for alarm were sounded, no warning bells were rung, no stable gates were barred and no flights to foreign fields from China were curtailed and subjected to medical checks, even after the coronaviruss initial occupation of Wuhan had rapidly spread, far and wide, with all the regions in the land coming under its tyrannical reign. The grim reaper was busy with his scythe mowing down the young and the old, the strong and the frail, the heathy and the ill, the proud and the humble, the greedy and the austere, the rich and the poor, the powerful and the slave, the learned and the knave, the believer and the atheist, the saint and the sinner all were equal in his gaze which knew no differences in religions, races, nationalities, genders, castes, creeds or colours, all born of the same breath and made of the same dust unto which, when the last breath has fled the mortal frame, all will return and lie equaled. The merciless reaper culling China of her seed and blossom was also eyeing new meadows to mow. Even as old colonial nations had voyaged the world on endless missions seeking new lands to plant their flag on it and claim it as their own, even as present day regional and global superpowers exploited every opportunity to expand their spheres of influence and practise their neo-colonialism without a blush, the coronavirus irresistible urgings to seek new frontiers to propagate its species for the worse, devilishly drove it to fortuitously board an airline passenger booked on an international flight and, riding piggy back on the unsuspecting human host, take wing to any foreign clime. When the flight landed at some western port, the officials were totally unaware of the alien stowaway aboard. No drawbridge had been raised, no safeguards made; no fort rampart fortified to prevent its entry. None had the foggiest that the Trojan Horse had arrived within the castle walls without fuss, without notice, without the slightest hint or nudge; and was lying dormant at the heart of the city centre till its incubation period peaked to ambush the first unwary victim. Europe and the rest of the western world was aghast to find the oriental devil on its doorstep. The coronavirus, in its odyssey of death and disease, had discovered a new continent to wreak havoc as it did its country crawl remorseless. It was France which lowered the tri-colour standard in surrender when she announced the first COVID death in Europe on February 15. Only three deaths had been recorded from the virus outside of China in the Philippines, Hong Kong and Japan. This was the first death outside East Asia. The victim, an 80-year-old Chinese tourist, had been receiving treatment at Pariss Bichat hospital since January 25. Following the death, WHO emergency chief Mike Ryan said during the Munich Security Conference that the virus is still not spreading fast internationally. He declared: The virus has been outside China now for a number of weeks and we still have only got just over 500 cases in 24 countries, and those countries are significantly containing the virus. How wrong the experts can get. And be found out in so short a time. Less than a month after Ryans sunny assessment of the COVID crisis, Europe was plunged into dark despair, rendered defenceless before the relentless march of the COVID Dragon who culled the weak and spared not the strong. On March 11, World Health Organisation Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, realising the gravity of the crisis could no longer be kept concealed from public view, raised the carefree Bohemian curtain to reveal the COVID culture with all its warts. He declared the epidemic as a pandemic. In his notice to the world he said: In the past two weeks, the number of cases of COVID-19 outside China has increased 13-fold, and the number of affected countries has tripled. There are now more than 118,000 cases in 114 countries, and 4,291 people have lost their lives. Thousands more are fighting for their lives in hospitals. In the days and weeks ahead, we expect to see the number of cases, the number of deaths, and the number of affected countries climb even higher. WHO has been assessing this outbreak around the clock and we are deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity, and by the alarming levels of inaction. We have therefore made the assessment that COVID-19 can be characterised as a pandemic. On the day of his declaration, March 11, USA had reported 1,267 COVID infected patients. As of this Friday March 27, barely 16 days later this then alarming figure has risen to a horrifying 85,601 COVID cases with 1,301 dead. Italy, home of the Holy See, has spiraled to take the lead in the morbid litany of the dead. The figure of total infections 80,569, active infections 62,013 as of March 27, and, alas, the dead, a shocking 8,215 and rising. Last Wednesday it set a record, 475 victims, for the highest number of COVID patients dead in a day. On Thursday the days toll was 427. On Friday it beat its own macabre record when 627 died of the virus. On Saturday the 21st, it beat Fridays record toll when 793 succumbed to the virus. Then this Friday, the 27th, the number of people dead were 919. Neighbouring Spain was no better as the COVID inquisition raided the Mediterranean land and claimed a total of 57,786 infected cases. The death toll: 4,365, demoting China to a thankful third place in the Corona rankings up to March 27. Germany notched 43,938 with 238 dead; France reported 29,155 with 1,696 dead; Switzerland, which had not been invaded for the last 222 years, found Coronavirus, an enemy of occupation on its neutral soil, swiftly taking the lives of 192 after infecting 11,811. Coronavirus had also gone island hopping. Hop, step and a jump from the edge of Europe to the sceptred isle of Great Britain. The infected figure: 11,568. The death toll: 578. When Lankas first COVID victim, a Chinese tourist was tested positive for the coronavirus in early February, Britain immediately changed its travel advisory to British citizens of the dangers of travelling here. Its advice stands out today as a testament to British ignorance. Today, the coronavirus has brought the nation to its knees, caused the stiff upper lip to drop when it is besieged by COVID which has infected over 14,000 so far and has claimed the lives of 578 people. Among the affected are the heir to throne Prince Charles and its Prime Minister Boris Johnson. And as for China, the nation that gave the world the coronavirus, the good news is that the worst seems to be over. Its recovery figures are almost too good to be true. Since the COVID first made its entrance, it has infected a total of 81,340 people in China. Three months later, let the figures hail the good news for itself. While, during its 90-day untrammeled sprint throughout the land, its scythe had mowed down 3,292, the number of those who survived the single cell rampage is a miraculous 74,588 with only 3,460 actively infected with it. But its not yet time to be dancing on the streets, Chinese style. Better brace for a possible second wave like the one that befell the Land of Suzy Wong, Hong Kong, just when she had started shaking a leg to the celebratory music believing the worse had passed. The worldwide total: Total infected upto March 27, 533,015 out of whom 124,387 have recovered. The total dead, 24,095. The total presently infected, 384,533. And thats only the death toll which is bound to rise over the weekend. The economic costs due to COVID that has turned the world on its head cannot even be estimated at this time. Across the Palk Strait, at the stroke of the midnight hour on Wednesday India kept her tryst with the COVID crisis as Prime Minister Modi ordered a 21-day nationwide lockdown on a land of 1.3 billion people. From 12 midnight today, the entire country will be in lockdown, total lockdown, Modi said on Tuesday in a televised address to the nation. To save India, to save its every citizen, you, your family every street, every neighbourhood is being put under lockdown, he said, putting nearly one-fifth of the worlds population under lockdown. According to the Indian government this was due to a sharp increase in recent days to 519 infections, including 10 deaths As for Lanka, the coronavirus has, so far, been kind to the blessed isle. Since March 11, when the first Lankan to be tested positive for COVID on Lankan soil was first reported, the virus seems to have shunned social mixing and has preferred, instead, to be relatively choosy and less promiscuous in its pickings. After two weeks since the first detection of the 52-year-old tour guide, who walked away from hospital this Monday free of the coronavirus, Lankas bed card has thankfully read 106 affected, 9 recovered, zero deaths. Touch wood. Authorities say that the community has so far been spared. Lets hope and pray it will stay that way. And rather than gloat we braved the risks and won the COVID war, better keep the fingers crossed and each other at arms length for now. Social distancing and not social mixing is the need of the hour to prevent the coronavirus from mingling with crowds and turning not mere serial killer but indiscriminate mass murderer. Each one of us has to exercise self- responsibility, be aware that, in these harrowing times we live in, one has a duty to ones self to stay clear of others to curb the COVID spread. Far better to seek the charms in solitudes arms than court the COVID in public places, seeking delight in numbers and help make the dreaded virus ambush the entire community, ones self included. Treat the coronavirus as akin to obnoxious WhatsApp posts or scam you dont want circulated. Dont open it. Block it or delete it. Dont forward it to others who in turn will be sharing it with others ad nauseam till the whole country is infected. As they say in Sinhala, thadhe sulang wassatai, thadha senei dhabatai or strong winds portend rain; packed crowds foreshadow commotions. Off with the masks: New orders from COVID Czar Ever since a Chinese tourist was tested positive for COVID and admitted to the IDH for treatment, the Health Authorities have been bombarding the general public on the measures to be taken immediately to prevent the rapid spread of the dreaded corona. Along with advice to wash your hands with soap for twenty seconds immediately on returning home, to use a hand sanitizer, 60 percent alcohol proof when on the move, to keep one metre distance in public places, presumably in a sardine packed bus too, and, of course, not to forget, the protective face mask and to never leave home without it. Morning, noon and night and sometimes even in restless sleep this message has echoed in our ears over and over again. It has come in print form in the newspapers, blared on television and radio endlessly, so much so the message as familiar as the lyrics in the national anthem; and viewed many a times in many a way on social media that it has become second nature to follow the given advice, especially when we know it is for our good and that our lives may well depend on heeding it. Take for instance, the face mask. It is advised to wear it at all times in public to prevent an infected person sneezing or coughing before your face and sending a drizzle or a flood of snot through which the coronavirus will gain access to your nose and mouth and through them gain entry to the throat and thereafter lay siege on the lungs. But it is not only for that reason. It is to prevent the far more likely occurrence of your hand, after coming into contact with an infected surface, through reflex action of which you have no control whatsoever, rubbing your nose unconsciously or wiping your lips or covering a yawn or picking your teeth in the absence of a toothpick after a meal. If the coronavirus is invisibly plastered on your hand, youre done for. But a face mask will act as a barrier to making direct contact with the virus and will greatly reduce the risk of you contracting COVID. This message was slowly filtering through to the people and, last Friday, when the curfew was temporarily lifted in the morning hours it was heartening to see many donning masks. Wearing the mask itself has a psychological effect. It unconsciously alerts us to the presence of the COVID and warns us to observe the precept I shall refrain from mingling with crowds and will keep my social distance. Then, surprise, surprise, Lankas COVID Czar Dr. Anil Jasinghe, the Director General of the Health Service, drops a letter and copied to the general public on Thursday to the Acting IGP that the wearing of face masks is not essential and to inform the police cadre not to inconvenience healthy people not wearing them. In his letter Dr. Jasinghe informed the police that masks should only be worn by the following individuals: 1. Any COVID-19 suspected persons 2. Those who had come into contact with individuals who are suspected of having contracted COVID-19 3. COVID-19 caregivers 4. When someone with any respiratory illness is visiting a hospital Furthermore the Health Ministry says it does not recommend the use of masks by everyone right now because: 1. There is an increased risk for the virus to spread due to improper wear or handling 2. Chances for virus to spread due to improper disposal 3. It is better to save the mask you have for if and when there is a major outbreak. Well, fancy that? After a Health Ministry monologue vouching its virtues and warning people not to step out of the house without wearing a face mask, its not funny to be told that the COVID Czar Dr. Jasinghe is apart from stating it is not compulsory gear to wear which we all knew now advocating a different line, saying our efforts to stem the trickle turning into a flood have all been in vain. That only COVID suspects or infected should wear it and that the healthy need not. Keep the mask for a rainy day, they say now, when a major COVID crisis breaks. But isnt the purpose of wearing masks to minimise the chances of a major outbreak? However basic a face mask or a face covering is, isnt it the first line of defence preventing contact with COVID? Why this sudden change of heart? Is the real reason a shortage of face masks? If so, the authourities instead of pooh-poohing the value of the face guard, should take the public into its confidence. A plan should be considered to galvanise the hundreds of garment factories dotting the island now idle to mass produce face masks, even the most basic, to cater to the need of the hour. Even as justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done so must individual efforts be made but also seen to be made to abate the crisis and ward off a major outbreak. On with the masks. If only to show solidarity with the leaders of all parties, including former twice president Mahinda Rajapaksa, former five times prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, former leader of the opposition Sajith Premadasa and the other leading politicians who obediently wore their face masks as advised by the Health Authorities when they attended the All Party Conference on Tuesday and thus set a magnificent example for the people to follow. An exemplary act which the self-same Health Authorities two days later condemned as superfluous, a folly even dangerous. Seems the authorities are no better than the rest of us. A group of blind cats in a darkened room desperately searching for the door to exit when no door exists. WASHINGTON>> President Donald Trump is revising history as to how he described the dangers of the coronavirus as it swept across China and showed early signs in the U.S. Ive felt it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic, Trump insisted last week, adopting a newly somber tone about the crisis enveloping the globe as he urged Americans to work from home and prodded the nations cities and states to issue restrictions to promote social distancing. Ive always viewed it as very serious. But his claim doesnt match his rhetoric over the last two months before the World Health Organization declared the virus outbreak a pandemic. Trump instead repeatedly claimed COVID-19 was under control in the U.S. and suggested it would incur little economic damage, possibly disappearing magically by April. He now acknowledges the outbreak could stretch until August with a possible recession along the way. Trumps statements came in a week of inflated expectations by him about an end game to the coronavirus crisis. He suggested that a drug to treat COVID-19 was at hand and that automakers would be able to manufacture medical ventilators fast enough to help fill an acute U.S. shortage of the medical equipment for patients. Neither of those claims is true. A look at the rhetoric and reality: TRUMP: Ive always known this is a this is a real this is a pandemic. Ive felt it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic. All you had to do is look at other countries. No, Ive always viewed it as very serious. briefing Tuesday. THE FACTS: Not once did Trump describe the COVID-19 outbreak as a possible pandemic until after the WHO declared it so on March 11. On the contrary, from January until March, he repeatedly suggested the virus was under control and that cases were going down, not up and would even completely disappear with warm weather by April, often contradicting his own health experts. Trump also has described the coronavirus as a hoax, although he later made clear that he was referring to Democratic criticism of his handling of the outbreak. Asked, for instance, by CNBC on Jan. 22 if there were worries about a pandemic, Trump said, No. Not at all. And were we have it totally under control. Its one person coming in from China, and we have it under control. Its going to be just fine. In February, he asserted that coronavirus cases were going very substantially down, not up and told Fox Business it will be fine because in April, supposedly, it dies with the hotter weather. And thats a beautiful date to look forward to. Its going to disappear. One day its like a miracle it will disappear, he added on Feb. 27. Its got the world aflutter, but itll work out, Trump told a meeting of the National Association of Counties on March 3. Two days before WHOs pandemic declaration, Trump still painted a rosy picture on the coronavirus outlook. So last year 37,000 Americans died from the common Flu. It averages between 27,000 and 70,000 per year, he tweeted on March 9. Nothing is shut down, life & the economy go on. At this moment there are 546 confirmed cases of CoronaVirus, with 22 deaths. Think about that! By last Monday, Trump was acknowledging the U.S. may be entering a recession and the virus could force Americans to hunker down and practice social distancing until August. More than 1 in 4 Americans are now under orders to mostly stay at home in states including California and New York, with more than 30,000 cases nationwide and over 400 deaths. ___ TRUMP: Ford, General Motors and Tesla are being given the go ahead to make ventilators and other metal products, FAST! @fema Go for it auto execs, lets see how good you are? tweet Sunday. TRUMP, on addressing a shortage of ventilators: General Motors, Ford, so many companies I had three calls yesterday directly, without having to institute like: `You will do this these companies are making them right now. briefing Saturday. THE FACTS: No automaker is anywhere close to making medical gear such as ventilators and remain months away if not longer. Nor do the car companies need the presidents permission to move forward. Neither GM or Ford is building ventilators at present, while Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted Friday that his company was working on ventilators but he didnt specify how long it might take. His tweets also questioned the need and said it couldnt be done immediately. Unless automakers can move with unprecedented speed, redirecting plants to make completely different products will take a long time possibly too long to help with medical gear shortages. GM announced on Friday that it is working with ventilator maker Ventec Life Systems to ramp up production. The automaker said it would help with logistics, purchasing and manufacturing, but stopped short of saying it would make ventilators in its own factories, which have been idled for two weeks after workers whod been fearful of the contagion put pressure on the company. Any manufacturing at GM would come much later. GM does have a lot of 3D printers and could make parts and other things to help, but it does not need permission from Trump. In fact, GM manufacturing engineers were at Ventec late last week working on this, well before Trumps tweet. Ford, which also suspended factory production along with other automakers with operations in North America, confirmed that it too was in discussions with the Trump administration about helping, but had not started. Were looking at feasibility, Ford spokesman T.R. Reid said. It may be possible, but its not you go from Rangers (small pickups) one day to ventilators the next. ___ TRUMP: Were going to be able to make that drug available almost immediately, and thats where the FDA has been so great. They theyve gone through the approval process. Its been approved. briefing Thursday. THE FACTS: Its not true that a new drug has been approved and is about ready to ship out. The drug in question, known chemically as chloroquine, has been available for decades to treat the mosquito-borne illness malaria. Technically, doctors can already prescribe the drug to patients with COVID-19, a practice known as off-label prescribing. But Trump falsely suggested that the FDA had just cleared the drug specifically for the viral pandemic. That would mean that the drug had met the FDAs standards for safety and effectiveness. Minutes later, the FDA commissioner, Dr. Stephen Hahn, emphasized that the drug still needs testing to determine whether it can help patients. He said chloroquine would have to be tested in a large pragmatic clinical trial to actually gather that information. Drug trials typically require hundreds or thousands of patients and, even when accelerated, take weeks or months to complete. In his remarks, Hahn warned against giving patients false hope before drugs are fully vetted. While chloroquine has shown promise in preliminary laboratory studies, some experts are skeptical it will prove effective in human testing. I think it could be a game changer, and maybe not, Trump said, discussing the drug. But the FDA reiterated in a statement hours after Trumps remarks that there are no FDA-approved therapeutics or drugs to treat, cure or prevent COVID-19. ___ TRUMP: If chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine works, or any of the other things that theyre looking at that are not quite as far out your numbers are going to come down very rapidly. briefing Thursday. THE FACTS: The drugs he is referring to are for treatment in patients already infected. That doesnt prevent spread of the virus. One study is testing chloroquine to try to protect health care workers at highest risk of infection, because a vaccine is probably a year or more away. Its too early to invest great hope in that or other drugs. ___ TRUMP, on using the malaria drug for COVID-19: Theres tremendous promise based on the results and other tests. Theres tremendous promise. briefing Thursday. THE FACTS: No. The answer is no. That was the response Friday from Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, when asked whether theres any evidence that the drug is useful for COVID-19. He went on to say that hopes for the drug are based on anecdotal information. It was not done in a controlled clinical trial, so you really cant make any definitive statement about it. ___ TRUMP: Today, Im also announcing that the Department of Housing and Urban Development is providing immediate relief to renters and homeowners by suspending all foreclosures and evictions until the end of April. news conference Wednesday. THE FACTS: His assurance about renters is misleading, Most renters are not protected from being evicted if they cannot make their payments through April. Under HUDs plan for the pandemic, foreclosures and evictions would stop for 60 days on single-family homes with loans through the Federal Housing Administration. That would apply to roughly 8 million homes, according to HUD, and many of them are not rentals. Andrea Shapiro of the Metropolitan Council on Housing, a New York-based housing advocacy organization, said the new protections only help a small number of people. Fact check: Trump claims rising suicides if US stays shut Fact check: Trump a rosy outlier on science of the virus Fact check: Trumps inaccurate boasts on China travel ban Fact check: Trumps breathless takes on drugs for virus The King of Thailand has taken a harem of 20 concubines with him into self-isolation at a grand hotel in southern Germany, it has been reported. King Maha Vajiralongkorn, also known as Rama X, is believed to have booked out all of the Grand Hotel Sonnenbichl in Bavaria to self-isolate during the coronavirus pandemic. German tabloid Bild reports the 67-year-old has booked out the entire hotel, with permission from the local district council. It's not known if Rama X's fourth wife is currently staying at the hotel with him, however, 119 members of the royal entourage are thought to have been sent back to Thailand amid concerns they had contracted Covid-19. Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn sits on the throne next to Queen Suthida as he is officially crowned king at the Grand Palace in May 2019. King Maha, also known as Rama X, is thought to be self-isolating in Germany King Maha Vajiralongkorn is said to have booked out the entirety of the Grand Hotel Sonnenbichl in Germany so he can self-isolate with a harem of 20 concubines, it's not known if his fourth wife is with him The Thai regent has a second home in Germany where he spends much of his time, he is not thought to have made a public appearance in his home country since February. News of the king's self isolation comes after it was revealed Malaysia's king and queen were placed under quarantine after seven palace staff members tested positive for coronavirus. King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah and his wife Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah have both tested negative for the infection, but will isolate for 14 days out of an abundance of caution the palace said. Meanwhile the infected staff have been taken to hospital as officials try to work out the source of the infection. The palace is also being disinfected. Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah and wife Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah will isolate themselves for 14 days after at outbreak of coronavirus at Malaysia's royal palace Seven palace staff have been confirmed to have coronavirus and have been taken to hospital, while an investigation is underway into the source of the infection The palace say the king and queen have tested negative but will isolate out of caution, while the palace is also disinfected (file image, hygiene workers in Malaysia) Malaysia has more than 2,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus with 235 reported on Thursday, making it the hardest-hit country in Southeast Asia. Some 21 people have died from the disease. The majority of the country's infections have been linked back to an Islamic conference that happened at the Sri Petaling mosque back in February. The event was attended by around 20,000 people, three quarters of whom were from Malaysia. Other attendees were from Bangladesh, Brunei, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, and went on to spread the infection in their own home countries. Last week Malaysia entered full lockdown to try to slow the spread of the virus, with people banned from leaving homes except for urgent needs. Malaysia has the highest number of coronavirus cases of any Southeast Asian country, with most linked to an Islamic gathering last month with 20,000 attendees (file image) Schools were shut, all but essential businesses closed, while foreign visitors were banned from coming into the country and Malaysian barred from leaving. Police were initially tasked with keeping the lockdown in place, but soldiers were brought in after people began flouting the rules. The measures were expected to last until the end of March, but were extended Wednesday until mid-April. More than a third of the world's population - or 3billion people - are now thought to be under some kind of lockdown to help slow the spread of the virus. India enacted the most widespread shutdown this week when it ordered all of its 1.3billion people to remain at home and only venture outside for emergencies. Malaysia entered full coronavirus lockdown last week with all-but essential shops closed and people told to stay at home unless they need to venture out for emergencies Police were initially deployed to deal with the outbreak but the military was brought in to help after people began flouting the rules. The lockdown is due to last until mid-April China also locked down some 760million people as the virus spread, but is now starting to ease restrictions as new infections subside. Globally, infections have topped 450,000 while deaths have topped 20,000 - with the World Health Organisation warning that we have not yet reached the peak. Coronavirus first emerged in China towards the end of last year, before sweeping East to West across the globe. Europe and the US are now the new epicentres of the virus, with more combined infections than anywhere else including China. Italy alone, the hardest-hit western nation, has recorded more than 7,500 deaths - more than the whole of China. Germany to issue coronavirus 'immunity certificates' to people who have recovered in a bid to bring their lockdown to an end By Sebastian Murphy-Bates for MailOnline 'Immunity certificates' are set to be introduced in Germany as part of preparations for the country to cease its lockdown. Researchers want to bring in the documents for citizens not at risk of contracting the novel coronavirus. It comes as Chancellor Angela Merkel's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic has secured a boost in poll ratings. Pictured: Medics treat a patient at Helmut-Schmidt-Airport in Hamburg as researchers prepare to issue immunity certificates As part of Germany's fight against the virus, scientists are using antibodies in test participants to find out which of them have had the illness and healed, Der Spiegel reports. The team plans to test 100,000 people at a time, issuing documentation to those who have built up an immunity. They will then use the information gleaned from the testing to assess how and when the lockdown should conclude. Researchers will utilise the data as they advise the government on when schools will be re-opened and mass gatherings permitted once again. Chancellor Angela Merkel (pictured) has secured a boost in poll ratings over her handling of the crisis The Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research in Braunschweig is overseeing the project. It will conduct blood tests over the next few weeks to look for antibodies produced in carriers of the illness. 'Those who are immune can then be given a vaccination certificate that would, for example, allow them to be exempt from any (lockdown-related) restrictions on their work,' said project-leading epidemiologist Gerard Krause. The tests will also offer a clearer look at how many people in Germany have contracted the coronavirus. A fire broke out at a furniture shop in southeast Delhi's Shaheen Bagh area on Sunday night but no one was injured in the incident, an official said. Four fire tenders were rushed to the spot to douse the blaze after a call was received at 8.46 pm, Delhi Fire Services Director Atul Garg said. The fire is under control and no one has been injured, he said. The furniture shop is owned by Dilshad, Md Sabir and Naushad Ali. They purchase and sell second-hand furniture, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) R P Meena said. Around 400-500 people from the neighbourhood gathered at the spot as the fire broke out. They were trying to douse the fire and save the furniture, he said. The crowd was dispersed and the blaze was brought under control by the fire department, he added. According to police, the shop owners suffered an estimated loss of Rs 4 lakh. The cause of the fire is not known yet, they said. Police had recently cleared a months-long sit-in against the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act, National Register of Citizens and National Population Register at Shaheen Bagh. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) WASHINGTON Concerned about the further spread of the coronavirus, President Donald Trump decided to issue a strong travel advisory for parts of Connecticut, as well as New York and New Jersey, after hinting on Saturday that he would order a short-term enforceable quarantine for parts of Connecticut. Trump announced his decision in a tweet Saturday night. A quarantine will not be necessary, Trump tweeted. Trump said the decision was made based on the recommendation of the White House Coronavirus Task Force and consulting with the governors of Connecticut, New York and New Jersey. Trump said hes requested the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to issue a strong travel advisory. Earlier in the day, Trump indicated the possibility of restricting non-commercial travel out of the three states, sparking hours of confusion and uncertainty in the tri-state area, as the governors of Connecticut, New York and New Jersey were blindsided by the presidents remarks. We might not have to do it, but theres a possibility that sometime (Saturday) well do a quarantine short term two weeks for New York, probably New Jersey, certain parts of Connecticut," Trump said just after noon Saturday. In his daily briefing Saturday, Gov. Ned Lamont said the president was thinking out loud and that if such an order happened, it would be nearly impossible to enforce at the many states border crossings. After consulting with the White House, he expected a clarification later Saturday night, he said. He added that the confusion created by the statement could lead to panic. The tension came on the day that coronavirus-related deaths nationwide reached 2,000, doubling in two days. The first COVID-19 fatality was reported a month ago. Health officials have been warning that the worst of the pandemic is ahead. Speaking in the State Capitol in Hartford, Lamont said six more people died in state hospitals since Friday, five in Fairfield County, bringing the Connecticut fatalities to 33. The state Department of Health reported that there are now 1,524 diagnosed cases. Lamont said that after consulting with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, along with an unnamed high-level figure in the White House, its clear that there is no infrastructure in place to stop traffic from leaving the region. You have to be very careful what you say when you talk about mandatory quarantine, Lamont said. Were not saying more cant be done. He said it would be up to the individual states to enforce such a rule if it were dictated from Washington. Lets see what they mean. I think they were thinking out loud at looking at the hot spots, including the New York area, including even Louisiana and Detroit, he said. They said were thinking about a wide array, everything from lockdown to the status quo. He called a lockdown unenforceable, if they are talking about slowing or stopping traffic, because of the number of roads into and through the region. If you care as much as the president does about getting this economy going again, youve got to be very careful about what you say and what you dont say, Lamont said. Unlike the combative New York governor, Lamont shied away from a battle of words with Trump. He told the White House hes willing to work together on strengthening his instruction that people coming into the state quarantine for 14 days, but that he, Murphy and Cuomo really worry about even the prospect of what a lockdown would look like. Were not Rhode Island, he said, where law enforcement is stopping cars and going door-to-door to enforce a mandatory quarantine on New Yorkers coming to the state. Asked if he would consider taking similar action, Lamont said he does not anticipate that. While Cuomo called that approach unconstitutional, Lamont said only that it seems a little aggressive to me. Despite the presidents indication that he may quarantine parts of the state, Connecticut still has not received a major disaster declaration, which Lamont requested on Thursday. Lamont, in his 17th executive order since declaring an emergency, also authorized state officials to take action to provide alternative housing for first responders, health care workers and people staying in homeless shelters or other group housing to reduce transmission of the virus. Officials can seek reimbursement from FEMA for those efforts, he said. Attorney General William Tong, in a statement after Lamonts 18-minute news conference, agreed with the governor. Our leaders cannot think out loud at moments like this, Tong said. They must speak with clarity and authority. Off-the-cuff comments by the president, made without necessary coordination with governors on the front lines of this crisis are not helpful. Cuomo slammed the idea as illegal, nonsensical and "a declaration of war on states," during an appearance on CNN Saturday evening. He suggested that he doubted Trump was seriously considering the idea, saying, if the president was considering this, I guarantee he would have called. ... This is a civil war kind of discussion. I dont believe that any federal administration could be serious about physical lockdowns of states or parts of states across this country," Cuomo said. "I dont believe its legal. I think it would be economic chaos. On Tuesday, the White House requested that anyone who has recently been in the New York metro area the most severe coronavirus outbreak in the country self-quarantine for 14 days starting from their day of departure from the region. Several other states have raised concerns about people from the New York metro area going to other parts of the country and starting outbreaks in those places. Governors in four states, including Florida, have ordered that travelers arriving from the New York area, including parts of Connecticut and New Jersey, self-quarantine for two weeks. Theyre having problems down in Florida, Trump said early Saturday afternoon. A lot of New Yorkers are going down. We dont want that. Heavily infected. I dont even like the sound of it Trump and Cuomo spoke Saturday morning, both confirmed, but the subject of a new quarantine on the region was not discussed, the New York governor said. I dont believe that any federal administration could be serious about physical lockdowns of states or parts of states across this country, Cuomo said on CNN Saturday evening. I dont believe its legal. I think would be economic chaos. U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said an enforced quarantine in three states seemed unworkable, unenforceable, and possibly unconstitutional. It is also unsupported by medical or scientific facts, Blumenthal said. Its more Trump ad hoc edict based on impulse, not informed judgment. President Trump should be collaborating with the governors, which he has failed to do. The governors have been ahead of federal authorities in their courageous and steadfast leadership, and their insights and input should be heeded. What we really need is masks, ventilators, and other medical supplies, not more confused mixed messages. U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-4, said Saturday afternoon he also had no heads up about the possibility of further restrictions for the New York area. We all have questions, Himes said. Sadly, one of the characteristics of this president is we cant trust anything he says. There are obviously very serious health questions about this its not clear that this would be medically appropriate and its not clear what he means. Trump said the possible quarantine would be enforceable. Asked if he would use the military of National Guard to enforce the measure, Trump responded, Were not going to need much. Blumenthal questioned how a quarantine would be enforced by federal authorities. The exact meaning and impact of this quarantine are completely unclear and uncertain, he said. There are questions as to how he would enforce it and how far it would reach and what exactly would prohibit. Capt. David Pytlik, a spokesman for the Connecticut National Guard, said Saturday he did not know how the federal government would enforce mandatory travel restrictions for New York metro-area residents. emilie.munson@hearstdc.com; Twitter: @emiliemunson Oslo, 29 March 2020: The Board of Adevinta ASA today approved the annual accounts for 2019. There are no changes compared to the preliminary annual accounts published on 12 February 2020. The Annual General Meeting of Adevinta will be held on Tuesday 5 May 2020 at 11:00 CEST at Schibsted ASAs offices at Akersgata 55 in Oslo, Norway. The notice and attendance/proxy forms are attached. All documents to be processed in the meeting will be made available on www.adevinta.com. Due to the COVID-19 situation, Adevinta shareholders are urged to vote by the use of proxy forms prior to the meeting and not physically attend. It is expected that the Annual General Meeting can be followed live from the Companys website www.adevinta.com to enable shareholders monitoring the meeting. The Company may be prevented from arranging the meeting as a physical meeting. The shareholders should note that additional information on proceedings of the meeting may be given on short notice and announced on the Company's website and through a stock exchange announcement. Adevintas Board and Executive team are monitoring the development and impact of COVID-19 in our markets. The Groups top priority is protecting the health and safety of its employees, and it is implementing all recommended precautions to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. Adevinta is at all times complying with provisions and guidelines issued by relevant authorities. It makes a deep impression to see the challenges people are facing every day. In this serious situation it is important for us to act responsibly both as corporate citizens and as employers. A large portion of our colleagues are working remotely, yet we are still delivering a fully functional service to our users and customers, and we expect this to continue, says CEO Rolv Erik Ryssdal. We are leveraging the strength and reach of our marketplaces by putting them at the service of society through various solidarity initiatives. Continues Rolv Erik Ryssdal: With our wide reach and trusted brands, Adevintas marketplaces play an important role locally, and we are proud to contribute efforts to support our communities. For example, across our sites we have taken measures to root out fraud and remove any ads trying to profit by selling face masks or gloves. We have amplified public health messages, and quickly developed product features which make it easy to post, find and promote ads offering help or vital services during this crisis. Adevinta is also taking measures to support professional clients in difficult situations. Our teams are working to identify our customers needs and constraints, depending on the situation in the individual market, and to mitigate these where possible. As a market leader in most of our geographies, we have a special responsibility. We aim to navigate the rough waters together with our clients, and to come out on the other side with strengthened ties. During this fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the public in most of Adevintas markets have faced significant restrictions in terms of social contact and mobility, which has affected activity on Adevintas online classifieds sites. During March we have seen negative development for display advertising, as some clients choose to defer or cancel their marketing campaigns. We have also faced a decline in traffic and volume of new ads listings, compared to the same period last year in our key markets. This will have a negative impact on revenues in the first quarter of 2020. Our visibility regarding the market development in the second quarter and onwards is limited, so we cannot at this stage quantify the financial impact, Rolv Erik Ryssdal says. Adevinta is actively monitoring the business implications of the epidemic and is implementing measures to mitigate the effects of lower activity. We have flexibility in our cost base, and we are adapting our spending to this new context. We have reduced marketing spending, limited recruiting and reallocated resources where needed. Adevinta will continue to focus on our strategic priorities by improving the quality of our services and deepening our long term relationships with our customers. We remain committed to further enhancing our value proposition for our clients and users, comments Rolv Erik Ryssdal. Adevintas balance sheet is strong. At the end of 2019, the Group had a liquidity reserve of 172 million, which has been further strengthened by 300 million through the refinancing and expansion of our bank facility to 600 million. Adevinta had a net interest-bearing debt/EBITDA ratio of 0.7x at the end of 2019, which is well below the Groups previously-communicated target range of 1.0-4.0x. Concludes Rolv Erik Ryssdal: With strong market positions and solid financials, we believe we are well equipped to navigate this unprecedented situation. We will continue to rely on our highly talented teams to provide best-in-class service, and to be well-positioned to seize opportunities as they come. - End- Adevinta Investor Relations Marie de Scorbiac Head of Investor Relations +33 6 14 65 77 40 ir@adevinta.com Jo Christian Steigedal Investor Relations +47 415 08 733 ir@adevinta.com Adevinta Media Relations Melodie Laroche Corporate Communications +33 6 84 30 52 76 melodie.laroche@adevinta.com About Adevinta Adevinta is a global online classifieds company with generalist, real estate, cars, jobs and other internet marketplaces in 16 countries, connecting buyers seeking goods or services with a large base of sellers. Its portfolio spans 36 digital products and websites, attracting 1.5 billion average monthly visits. Leading brands include top-ranked leboncoin in France, InfoJobs and Milanuncios in Spain, and 50% of fast-growing OLX in Brazil. Forward-looking information Matters discussed in this announcement may constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and may be identified by words such as "believe", "aims", "expect", "anticipate", "intends", "estimate", "will", "may", "continue", "should" and similar expressions. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions. Although the Company believes that these assumptions were reasonable when made, these assumptions are inherently subject to significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other important factors which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond its control. Such risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other important factors could cause actual events to differ materially from the expectations expressed or implied in this release by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and cannot be relied upon as a guide to future performance. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update, review or revise any forward-looking statement contained in this announcement whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. Attachments The year of the mass uprising has collided with the year of the coronavirus lockdown, leaving protest movements around the world stalled. The big picture: The enduring images of 2019 are of protest from Hong Kong to Khartoum, across the Middle East and through much of Latin America. Seemingly overnight, though, social distancing has made such mass demonstrations almost unthinkable. Hong Kongs protests raged for most of 2019, climaxing in November with showdowns on university campuses but leaving existential questions about relations with mainland China unresolved heading into the new year. During the protests, face masks were worn as a symbol of defiance and protection against tear gas. Now, the same masks are worn to protect against infection, AP notes. Organizers continue to press their demands for greater autonomy, but they wont be backed by millions-strong demonstrations anytime soon. Chiles typically stable politics were upended in October by chaotic demonstrations that carried into this year and forced the government to agree to a national referendum. That vote, on whether to draft a new constitution that better addresses concerns over inequality, has now been postponed. First we need to stay alive, then we keep trying to change the world, one street vender who had taken part in protests but was now staying away told Reuters. In India, protests against laws that discriminate against Muslims were intensifying in the weeks leading up to the coronavirus outbreak. Large gatherings are now illegal with the country entering lockdown. The site of one long-standing protest was cleared on Tuesday. Planned protests are on hold everywhere from Algeria to Zimbabwe. In Algeria , anti-government protests had been held for 56 consecutive weekends, until last week. anti-government protests had been held for 56 consecutive weekends, until last week. It does not mean we are giving up in our fight against the dictatorship, a spokesperson for Zimbabwes opposition said of the decision to freeze protests. We just want to allow the coronavirus to pass. In Paris earlier this month, police used tear gas and stun grenades to disperse Yellow Vest protesters who defied a ban on large gatherings. Climate activist Greta Thunberg has, for the time being, gone from leading young people on climate marches to urging them to stay home. (She also suspects she had the coronavirus.) Protesters are adapting to the times from banging pots on balconies in Brazil to gathering in a massive virtual demonstration in Israel. But the sorts of mass protests that brought down five world leaders in 2019 are on hold just about everywhere. Some autocratic-leaning governments will likely use that ban to their advantage. Where things stand: Women in Mexico attempted a novel tactic on March 9. To protest violence against women, they held a day without women by staying inside their homes all day. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. The coronavirus lockdown has been a time for most to become well-acquainted with their pyjamas. But some celebrities have clearly been missing the glamour of the red carpet, deciding to don their glad rags and do their make-up all to sit at home. A handful of stars ditched the usual self-isolation uniform of loungewear as they dressed up on Saturday night. Britains Got Talent judge Amanda Holden refused to let the virus ruin her weekend as she put on a gold mini dress and metallic heels for a girls night on video-calling app Zoom. Britain's Got Talent Judge Amanda Holden dressed up on Saturday night and said a lockdown is no reason to let the standards drop Celebrity Elizabeth Hurley dressed up in racy lingerie on Saturday night during isolation Posting a photo in Instagram, she wrote: No need to drop standards, as she posed with a bottle of bubbly. She also shared a screenshot of her call with actress friends Lisa Faulkner, Angela Griffin, Nicola Stephenson, Sarah Parish and Tracy Oberman. The 49-year-old wrote: What a lovely night. I appreciate them even more than I did before. She added: To be honest... I appreciate so much more than I did before... Strictly Come Dancing 2018 champion Stacey Dooley, 33, also went all out in a black strapless ball gown which she teamed with gold jewellery while posing in her kitchen. Angela Griffin was also pictured joining Amanda Holden for an online house party Stacey Dooley dressed in a black ball gown on Saturday night during the lockdown The documentary maker, who found love on Strictly with her dance partner Kevin Clifton, shared the snap with her 847,000 Instagram followers, adding: Well it is the weekend. Elizabeth Hurley, 54, looked stunning as she put on racy lingerie and told fans she had finally washed my hair, put on some make up and found time to post. Miss Hurley, who is living with her extended family and friends at her home in Hertfordshire, held a drink as she posed in the black outfit. Thank God its Sat night and we can r-e-l-a-x and take a break from being glued to the news, she wrote alongside the snap, which she posted online. The glamorous star said she was taking a break from her full time job of looking after everyone in the house, including her 79-year-old mother, her aunt and one of her best friends who is in the highest risk group with severe respiratory problems. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 YARDLEY BOROUGH >> The Yardley Borough Police Department report the following incidents and arrests: WARRANT (DOMESTIC ASSAULT) >> At approximately 7:55 p.m. on January 11 a victim fleeing a domestic assault in her vehicle was entering the parking lot at police headquarters when her car was struck by another vehicle. The striking vehicle fled prior to police arrival. A follow-up investigation... EDWARDSVILLE The primary is over. The presidential election is still eight months away. But the Democratic and Republican parties in Madison County are gearing up for battle. One of the first jobs for the parties will be to get the leadership and precinct committees members settled. Most of the precinct committeemen the ground forces for the local parties were elected in the primary. The remaining open seats will be filled by appointment. For the Madison County Democratic Party, there also is the issue of finding a new chairperson. I decided I wasnt going to seek the chairmanship, Democratic Party Chairman Mark Von Nida, the current Madison County Circuit Clerk, said last week. He will remain a precinct committeeman and expects to have some role in the election, but he is stepping back from day-to-day issues. There are a few people who have stepped forward who are interested, Von Nida noted. So far, two people Randy Harris, a precinct committeeman from Glen Carbon; and Jim Stack, of Collinsville, who had previously served as the county party chairman expressed interest, he said. The current pandemic of novel coronavirus, known as COVID-19, will be an issue. Because of that, Von Nida said the party will probably hold a convention by proxy. Thats what were planning to do more or less a mail-in ballot for chair and then hold the convention by conference call, he said. Both parties also will have to consider slating candidates for unfilled spots on the Nov. 3 ballot. Were always looking for quality candidates we can slate, said Republican Party Chairman Ray Wesley, a Madison County Board member from Godfrey. We havent taken that issue up as a party, he said. Thats something were going to have to look at in the next couple of months. On the Democratic side, Von Nida said the one spot they have to consider is in the 3rd District Madison County Board race. William Meyer previously served on the board, but was defeated in 2016 by incumbent Phil Chapman, R-Highland. In the March 17 primary, Meyer defeated Chapman and is, so far, unopposed. We dont have anybody in that slot, Von Nida said. Other than that, we have all our county board candidates up. Theres not much to be done, he noted. I do have someone interested in running in County Board District 3. The new leadership will have to take a look at that. On the Republican side there are a few open county board seats. Wesley is waiting for the results of a write-in campaign to challenge Democratic County Coroner Steve Nonn. We feel really good about the candidates we have, Wesley said. We think theyre not only good candidates, but good people who have the best interest of the taxpayers. He also said that in the past few elections theyve seen a shift from the traditional Democrat domination of the county. Were starting to get our message out that were the party of the people, and were looking out for their best interest, Wesley said. The consensus of Madison County is theyre tired of the (Illinois House Speaker Mike) Madigan machine, which is nothing but tax and spend. The real big picture is at the state level in Springfield, and were at their mercy, unfortunately. Once the slating is settled, the campaigns will start. But the COVID-19 crisis could create some problems there. That is what is controlling our lives right now, Wesley said. Its the virus and how we react to it. Von Nida agreed. Theres definitely a difficulty in getting the retail part of politics done in this environment, he said. You cant go to large gatherings of people because there are no gatherings, and nobody wants you to come knocking at their door. One option is advertising. But with limited budgets, most candidates wont really start that until after Labor Day, the traditional start of the campaign season. I dont know that any Bloombergs exist in Madison County who can mount an ad campaign for (the next) six months, Von Nida said, referring to billionaire and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who spent hundreds of millions in a failed Democratic presidential nomination bid. By the time you get to Labor Day, thats when the yard signs come out and you start to see advertisements and mailings. He noted another issue caused by the virus. I dont think, given whats happening to the economy, that theres not going to be a lot of money for political campaigns, Von Nida said. Deputy Mayor Gloria Lisi of the Italian City of Rimini reported the release of a 101-year old man after recovering from COVID-19 despite the disease being considered high-risk for people of age. The man identified as "Mr. P," was previously admitted to a hospital in Rimini in the northeastern part of Italy, after testing positive from the disease that is currently causing the worldwide pandemic. "Mr. P" was reportedly released from hospital confinement last Thursday, after a recovery that the mayor referred to as "truly extraordinary," especially for a man who has already lived for more than a century. Moreover, the mayor said that his recovery may bring hope for future generations. The man was born in 1919 during the same period when the Spanish influenza pandemic killed almost 30 to 50 million people in the world. It was also noted that he grew up to witness the two world wars. Now, he also makes history as the oldest person to recover from coronavirus. After surviving a pandemic as a child, Mr. P lives to survive another one as a centenarian. During the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, the town he lived in was also hardly inflicted. Italy during that time recorded an approximate of 600,000 deaths, but Mr. P was spared as he is now in the COVID-19 crisis. Surviving two pandemics, a century apart When Mr. P was admitted to the hospital, it seemed that he was returning to the beginning of his life, in a hospital, vulnerable amid a worldwide health crisis. Healthcare workers did not have high hopes of his survival since they were already rather hopeless when someone over 65 contracts the disease since they are usually it the hardest. Read also: Coronavirus Outbreak Second Wave? Recovered Wuhan Patients Testing Positive Again However, according to Lisi, once Mr. P started to recover from the disease, he was the favorite topic of every conversation in the hospital. His fast recovery brought hope to other people suffering from the disease, both in Italy and worldwide. It sprouted the hope of surviving the current pandemic, hope brought by a 101-year old man. A story of survival and inspiration With all the negative news that is spreading about the COVID-19 pandemic, people have struggled to hang on to the hope of survival. However, Mr. P's story is something to hold on to that even when one is considered vulnerable and even when everyone seems to lose hope, there is always a chance of survival worth clinging onto. Based on previous fatalities of COVID-19, older people are more likely to succumb to the disease. Thus Mr. P's survival is indeed remarkable. According to the National Insitute of Health of Italy's report, the majority of COVID-19 related deaths in the country or at least 86% are patients who are more than 70 years old. Italy also has the highest death toll in the world with more than 10,700 fatalities. However, this may be attributed to the country having the second-oldest population in the world with almost a quarter of its citizens already more than 65 years old. Related article: COVID-19 Patient Zero Might Be Discovered Soon @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Both directions of Monument Boulevard in Pleasant Hill were closed for a few hours following a solo-vehicle crash into a telephone pole early Sunday morning, according to police. The crash forced the closure of the eastbound lanes as of 2:40 a.m. and the westbound lanes were closed nearly 40 minutes later between Buskirk Avenue and Mohr Lane, Sgt. Chris Anderson said. Bollywood Actress Radhika Apte recently made a visit to a hospital in London. As per reports, she is currently quarantining in the city with her musician husband Benedict Taylor. The actress, who keeps travelling back and forth throughout the year to spend time with her husband, on Thursday took to Instagram to share a picture of herself from a hospital, leaving fans worried about her health amid the coronavirus pandemic. In the image, Radhika could also be seen wearing a mask. Read: Radhika Apte Leaves Fans Worried After Posting Pic From Hospital Visit Amid Coronavirus Pandemic She wrote: "Hospital visit! Not for COVID - 19." She accompanied her posts with the hashtags #Nothingtoworry, #alliswell and #safeandquarantined." Now, the actress has also issued a clarification on social media and explained why she visited the medical facility. She wrote, "I have been receiving a lot of messages asking for my health with regard to my last post on Instagram. I thought it would only be fair to answer everyone's questions and concerns at once." She added, "The picture is from my recent visit to a hospital where I accompanied a close friend for her regular parental check up. The mask was worn to safeguard myself and others from the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. Thank you for all your concern. Stay home. Stay Safe." Follow @News18Movies for more China has sent a truck-load of medical supplies to Pakistan through the Khunjerab Pass to combat the deadly novel coronavirus, after it asked Islamabad to open the border between the two countries for one day to transport the equipment. China's Xinjiang province which borders Pakistan occupied Kashmir dispatched the truck on Friday containing five ventilators, 2,000 safety apparels, 20,000 medical masks and 24,000 nucleic acid testing kits from Khunjerab Pass to the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan, China Radio International (CRI) reported. The Khunjerab Pass is usually opened on April 1 which marks the end of winter in that part, but due to the global outbreak of COVID-19, the border between Pakistan and China has been closed for an indefinite period. China on Thursday asked Pakistan to open the border between the two countries for one day on Friday so that medical supplies to fight coronavirus pandemic could be transported into the country. The government of Xinjiang temporarily opened the pass for the rapid delivery of medical supplies in Pakistan. Xinjiang has already donated 300,000 medical masks to eight countries, including Pakistan, to help fight the epidemic, Pakistans APP news agency reported. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said in a press statement that China has sent a team of medical experts to Pakistan to help the country fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The team, organized by the National Health Commission, consists of experts selected by the health commission of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Geng said. I t may be that youre a beauty lover whos struggling to have their tickle itched while stuck in self-isolation. Or perhaps youre in need of a pick-me-up to indulge in while in quarantine. Whatever your relationship to beauty, there are a handful of ingenious subscription boxes which satiate any and all desires of the cosmetic kind. Most boxes contain between five to six products, some sample size and some full size, depending on the company. Theres flexibility when it comes to commitment, too. Many brands now offer the chance to purchase one-off boxes, or have a personally curated package landing on your doorstep once a month (often with added savings to boot). All thats required of you is a fee, and an address to which your box can be delivered to. Whether its nails, hair removal, perfume or make-up products you're after, these fun-filled boxes are bursting with surprise beauty stalwarts and independent brands alike. Cohorted Cohorted's September 2019 box / Cohorted If youre looking to dip your toe into the pool of luxury products that the beauty industry has to offer, then Cohorted is the box for you. It comes with a heftier price tag than other beauty subscription boxes, but thats owing to the high-end products it offers. Previous boxes have included everything from Dior to Perricone MD, and even a collab with cult make-up brand Morphe. Each box also includes a glossy magazine detailing the products, how to use them and handy beauty hacks. Disclaimer: weve got insider intel that next months box will be Cohorted's first-ever vegan curation and its bursting full of animal-friendly and skin-loving goodies. Shop it here, 39.99 Friction Free Shaving Friction Free Shaving For when we are able to spend time en masse with our loved ones again in a few months, we can only hope that warmer climes (and higher hems) will accompany it. And in order to keep on top of any stubble which we may accrue during quarantine, look no further than a subscription to Friction Free Shaving. Your first box contains the brand's cult rose-gold metal handle (which you can have engraved with your initials), along with four week's worth of diamond-coated, six-blade razor attachments. Each month that follows, a fresh set of blades will land on your door, on a date decided by you. If youre less of a militant hair-remover, you can opt to receive your FFS box every other month, so blades dont go to waste. Shop it here, 9 Meebox Meebox Given that you may well struggle to escape quarantine to get to that mani-pedi appointment you had scheduled, Meebox is one hell of an alternative. The subscription service, which is based solely on nails, puts together its monthly boxes with a special theme in mind, with Lost City, Soft Scoop and Miami Nice just a handful of recent edits. The boxes boast polishes from luxe brands like Nailberry and Nails Inc., alongside glitzy embellishments. Shop it here, 30 Little Known Box Little Known Box The Little Known Box is one of the only of its kind. It comes bursting with only cruelty-free products. Each month comes with approximately six products, all from certified cruelty-free brands (look out for the likes of Noble Isle and Figs & Rouge.) Many of the boxes also come with full-size bonus gifts, so you know you're getting maximum bang for your buck. Shop it here, 14.95 The Perfume Society The Luxury Layering Box (The Perfume Society ) / The Perfume Society If you have a penchant for perfume, but are perhaps running low on your go-to scent, or just in the market for trialling a new signature, theres no better place to start than with one of The Perfume Societys subscription boxes. From the FROW Box to Launches We Love, there are a number of themed boxes to choose from, each playing host to up to eight sample fragrances from the likes of Giorgio Armani and Prada perfect if you're a bit of a flirt with your perfumes and enjoy mixing it up. And for those die-hard perfume fans, testers come complete with a scent card detailing each note in them, meaning you can decipher which tones you do and don't like in the scents. A Montgomery County inmate with underlying health conditions is the first person in the states prison system to test positive for the coronavirus. Sunday afternoon, Department of Corrections Secretary John Wetzel announced the positive COVID-19 test at the 3,830-bed State Correctional Institute Phoenix in Skippack Township, Montgomery County. The inmate is in the prisons infirmary and is isolated from other inmates," Wetzel said in a news release. The facility opened in 2018 on the property of SCI Graterford, replacing the aging prison with a state-of-the art jail equipped with special isolation rooms in its infirmary to handle such cases, the release states. Inmates on the impacted housing unit are now under quarantine, according to the state. Both staff and inmates have been provided with the appropriate personal protective equipment, which theyve been instructed to wear on the unit, the release states. Comedian and actor Bill Cosby, 82, is currently serving a sentence of three to 10 years for sexual assault at SCI Phoenix. Cosbys representatives released a statement March 25 indicating his attorneys may file a motion asking for him to be released on house arrest Mr. Cosby is elderly and blind -- and always needs to be escorted around the prison by support service inmates, known as Certified Peer Specialists (CPI), according to the statement on his social media. Those inmates could fall victim to the coronavirus and easily spread the disease to Mr. Cosby as they wheel him around in a wheelchair. Among their duties, the inmates bring Mr. Cosby to the infirmary for his doctor appointments and clean his cell. Prison officials have traced this inmates interactions with other inmates and employees and are isolating inmates to a separate housing unit. Employees who had contact are being monitored for symptoms. Increased cleaning throughout the prison, including common areas and inmate cells, continues to take place. Officials continue to work closely with the Pennsylvania Department of Health. As of Sunday, Pennsylvania now has 3,394 positive cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, in 58 of the states 67 counties and 38 deaths. Suburban Philadelphias Montgomery County, where the prison is located, is one of the hardest hit areas of the state with 488 cases and five deaths. It is unclear if the inmate was recently incarcerated at the prison or how they contracted the virus. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com. If theres anything about this story that needs attention, please email her. Follow her on Twitter @sarasatullo and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. The 22nd China Shanghai International Art Festival signed cooperation memorandums online with representatives from 10 performing arts organizations in 10 countries, Xinhua News Agency has reported. A total of 11 international art projects have been confirmed for this year's edition of the event. Among the first batch of signed projects are Christian Thielemann's concert with Germany's Staatskapelle Dresden Orchestra, a concert by the New Japan Philharmonic, Romeo and Juliet by the American Ballet Theatre and The Taming of the Shrew by the Monte Carlo Ballet. The 22nd China Shanghai International Art Festival will also host a Lithuanian culture week to showcase the unique charm of music and dance art in the Baltic region. The organizer said it was not easy to simultaneously sign contracts online with organizations from Monaco, Germany, Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Portugal, Switzerland, Serbia and Lithuania at the same time. Signatories are spread across three continents and have all been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Many participants said the online event at this time is a reassuring sign that the event will be held as scheduled and an indication that the coronavirus epidemic could be overcome with the power of art. Founded in 1999, the China Shanghai International Art Festival is the largest performing season in China and is held in Shanghai every autumn. Two more coronavirus positive cases were reported from Goa on Sunday. "One person has travel history to the Bahamas. The other person was in contact with one of the three positive patients in the state. Both are from Goa and are already under quarantine. There are a total of five positive cases in Goa now," Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said. The Central government had on Tuesday announced a 21-day lockdown in a bid to stop the spread of the deadly virus that has left several thousand dead globally. In India, the virus has infected 979 people so far. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nancy Pelosi accused Donald Trump Sunday of fooling around as the cases and deaths from coronavirus in the U.S. continue to skyrocket. 'As the president fiddles, people are dying,' she asserted on CNN's State of the Union Sunday morning. Pelosi, who represents San Francisco, blasted the president for exacerbating the coronavirus crisis, claiming he denied the severity of the virus and delayed assistance for too long. 'What the president his denial at the beginning was deadly,' the House Speaker said. 'His delaying of getting equipment to where it continues his delaying getting equipment to where it's needed is deadly.' 'And now, I think the best thing would be to do is to prevent more loss of life rather than open things up so that because we just don't know,' she continued, referencing Trump's sentiments that he wants to end state-wide lockdowns as early as Easter to get the economy back up and running. 'As the president fiddles, people are dying,' House Speaker Nancy Pelosi accused of the president Sunday morning In an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper on State of the Union, Pelosi said it was not the right move for Donald Trump to consider opening back up states and areas that are perceivably less affected by the coronavirus outbreak The president has suggested relaxing lock-downs and federal guidelines for areas not as hard-hit by the fast-spreading respiratory disease .@SpeakerPelosi says the President downplaying the severity of #coronavirus is deadly." As the President fiddles, people are dying. We just have to take every precaution. #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/y8bFNbaPJy State of the Union (@CNNSotu) March 29, 2020 'We have to have testing, testing, testing that's what we said from the start before we can evaluate what the nature of it is in some of these other regions, as well,' she continued. 'I don't know what the purpose of that is.' Pelosi also insinuated doubt over the information Trump was receiving from scientists and how much of that he is sharing with the public. 'I don't know what the scientists are saying to him,' the California Democrats lamented. 'What did he know and when did he know it? That's for an after-action review.' The House passed a $2.2 trillion economic stimulus package on Friday and Trump signed it into law. Not even 24 hours later, however, the U.S. death toll from coronavirus doubled, reaching 2,000 this weekend. In the days ahead of the death toll surge, Trump suggested relaxing federal guidelines for states and areas less affected by the virus but Pelosi says this is a bad idea. 'This is such a very, very sad time for us. So we should be taking every precaution,' she told CNN's Jake Tapper. The Speaker's accusations come as the death toll in the U.S. from coronavirus doubled in just one day from 1,000 to more than 2,000 U.S. markets have been extremely shaky since the outbreak, fluctuating immensely as hopes of economic relief packages went in and out over the last few weeks. Some days the Dow fell 2,000 points and others it recovered just as much. Unemployment claims also reached an all-time-high last week when 3.3 million people filed for benefits shattering the record-low unemployment levels reached under Trump. Despite the criticism over his handling of the coronavirus outbreak from Democratic lawmakers, Trumps approval rating has surged to the highest of his presidency since the pandemic rocked the nation. A poll released Friday from The Washington Post and ABC News showed Trump's approval rating bumped up to 48 per cent, the first time that particular poll tracked the president having a bigger approval than disapproval. Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin's call for a return to social partnership to recover from the economic impact of the coronavirus crisis has been met with a frosty response from Fine Gael and employers. It comes as hopes in Fianna Fail and Fine Gael that Labour can be lured into a coalition government have been shot down by at least one of the party's leadership contenders, Aodhan O Riordain. Mr Martin's suggestion that social partnership could be a way out of the economic devastation set to be caused by the virus came as the Dail debated emergency legislation. He said the country needs a government which can "implement an urgent emergency plan" and "in doing this we should certainly look at the introduction of some form of social partnership model". Social partnership was a feature of Fianna Fail-led governments from the late 1980s onwards and saw government, employer groups and unions come together to make decisions on taxes and wages. A senior Fianna Fail source signalled it will be a key plank to the party's government formation proposals. Though it hasn't yet been discussed with Fine Gael, the source said: "Micheal Martin wasn't just filling in time by speaking about it in the Dail." Social partnership is seen in Fianna Fail as a way of achieving consensus on how Ireland recovers from what the source termed "the biggest economic shock the country has ever faced". They admitted it may be a more difficult prospect now than in 1987, when the model was first applied, as there would be more stakeholders who have to be brought on board. The policy of social partnership has previously been opposed by Fine Gael. A senior Fine Gael source last night said they assumed Fianna Fail will raise the proposal in government formation talks but said: "Personally, I don't think it served us well in the past." The source added it reminded them of the policies of former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Fine Gael's efforts to stop his social partnership plans amid concern it wouldn't work because there were "too many vested interests". The Fine Gael figure warned social partnership "can lead to increased wages without a corresponding increase in productivity, resulting in uncompetitiveness". The chief executive of employers group Ibec, Danny McCoy, said his organisation believes the challenges facing the economy, including Brexit, climate change and now Covid-19 require "a whole stakeholder involvement approach". He said a new form of social dialogue is needed but added "this is not a return to social partnership, as before that involved centralised wage bargaining". Irish Congress of Trade Unions general secretary Patricia King stopped short of saying she supports a return to social partnership. She said: "We believe enhanced social dialogue - between the political system, unions, employers and civil society - is a proven way of addressing these challenges both here and in the EU." Separately, Labour leadership contender Mr O Riordain said if he wins the contest the party "would not entertain entering government with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael". There is a belief in both of the larger parties that, with the Greens apparently divided on whether or not to enter talks, Labour could be brought back into the mix, particularly if Mr O Riordain's rival, Alan Kelly wins the leadership race. PHNOM PENH While thousands of events are canceled worldwide and countries go into lockdowns, Cambodia and China hold their annual Golden Dragon military exercise in what observers describe as a move to demonstrate close ties with China. Some 260 troops of the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army and about 2,700 hosting forces of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) participate in the drills in Chum Kiri district in Kampot province, the Cambodian Defense Ministry said during a press briefing in March. The two countries kicked off their live-fire exercise on March 15, with the closing ceremony scheduled for March 30. Chinese authorities say the number of new coronavirus cases in China has been brought to nearly a complete halt at the end of March, and Beijing this past week sent medical equipment alongside seven medical experts and four military medical specialists to support the fight against the coronavirus in Cambodia. As of March 28, Cambodia officially recorded 103 cases. Until the beginning of March, only one case had been recorded. Political commentator Meas Nee of Cambodia said the drill and other gestures by the Cambodian government indicated an unusual relationship between the two countries on both political and military fronts. The defiant decision to push ahead with the drill amid a global pandemic seems to be very telling about a special notion that both countries have: a strong backstage-relationship that is larger than what we perceive as a normal diplomatic tie, he told VOA Khmer. This is not the first time Prime Minister Hun Sen demonstrated closeness with his political and economic partner. At the beginning of February, the premier reiterated Cambodias friendship with China by visiting Beijing. He also ordered not to evacuate Cambodian students and residents from the initial epicenter of the disease, Wuhan, to stay [with China] in both peaceful and difficult time. Those gestures were welcomed by Wang Wentian, Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia, who said in an embassys press briefing in February: Strong winds test the strength of the grass; misfortune tests the sincerity of friendship. Nee noted that the current military exercises could put the health of soldiers at risk, although officials claim that participants received proper health checks in advance and medical care on site. The U.S. on Friday canceled its planned military exercise Balikatan with the Philippines army scheduled for May, citing concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. The case count rose in the Philippines to more than 700 by Friday, with the countrys military chief being among those diagnosed with the virus. Biggest [Drill] in history Thong Solimo, spokesperson for RCAF, dismissed concerns and said that the exercise had been smooth and subject to high medical precautionary measures. He said the drill would be the biggest in [Cambodian] history. The exercise involved the uses of heavy artillery, tanks, helicopters, tactics to counter chemical weapons, including at least one military-grade surveillance drone, he said, declining to give details on the drone and whether this was linked to a drone that crash-landed in Koh Kong province in January. This drill has become the symbol of Sino-Cambodian friendship ties, Solimo told VOA Khmer. The benefits we get from the drill would be the exchange of techniques and experience in the work against terrorism. This is the fourth time that Beijing and Phnom Penh have held the annual Golden Dragon exercise since late 2016. In early 2017, Cambodia canceled its annual military exercises with both the U.S. and Australia. Cambodia, however, remains open to military drills with other countries as long as it fits with three conditions, Solimo said, including whether the theme of drill coincides with its defense priorities, the arrangement of drill sites and equipment, and the expense of the drill. Solimo declined to comment on the costs of the current drill. India's Test team vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane has donated Rs 10 lakh to the Maharastra Chief Minister's Relief Fund for the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. This was confirmed to PTI on Sunday by a source close to Rahane, who joins the list of sportspersons who have contributed towards the fight against the pandemic. Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar has donated Rs 50 lakh, while former India player Suresh Raina has chipped in with Rs 52 lakh. Maharashtra is one of the worst-affected states battling the novel coronavirus. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The floor is sticky, and the air smells like booze. At Portuguese Bend Distilling in Long Beach, a skeleton crew in medical masks and Carhartt work shirts clambers around the copper still and stainless-steel fermenters that, in normal days, would be churning out vodka and gin. But these arent normal days. The little distillery, with its steampunk vibe and a gigantic American flag on the wall, now exudes a kind of pandemic patriotism. The alcohol is flowing, and its being used not for cocktails but for something desperately needed to fight the novel coronavirus: hand sanitizer. Theres just no alcohol out there, said Simon Haxton, the master distiller and part-owner. Over the last two weeks , the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau issued emergency regulations allowing distilleries to immediately start producing hand sanitizer, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration eased restrictions on the making and distributing of it. Small local distilleries like Portuguese Bend and Blinking Owl Distillery in Santa Ana have rallied to the cause. Were the little guys. We can do it, said Riahna Bjornsen, a Portuguese Bend distillery staffer with flowers tattooed on her arm and a modern-day Rosie the Riveter attitude. Besides working here, shes an adjunct professor of communications at Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga (now teaching classes online because of COVID-19). She said she was made for times like these, when long hours and creative solutions are demanded. I feel like Ive trained my whole life for this, she said. Portuguese Bend had to close its restaurant to in-house diners on March 17 because of escalating stay-at-home orders. It had some leftover neutral-grain, high-proof alcohol meant for vodka, and the staff figured they would make a bit of sanitizer to help out the community. But word got out fast. We realized that there wasnt any in the grocery stores, that people were having a hard time finding it, Haxton said. We said, OK, well put it in little bottles and give it away when people come and pick up food. Story continues The distillery crew at Portuguese Bend Distilling is churning out hand sanitizer instead of the usual vodka and gin. (Mark Potts / Los Angeles Times) Before you know it, we were starting to get phone calls from the utility companies, from the post office, hospitals, police departments. Homeland Security came and picked up some bottles. Tesla called. So did Southern California Edison. Torrance Memorial Hospital wanted to place a huge order. Its all been a bit... overwhelming. The distillery, named after the Portuguese Bend area on the Palos Verdes Peninsula that was a hotbed for rum smuggling during Prohibition, typically produces 100 to 150 gallons of alcohol a week. It hopes to double or even triple its production of non-potable alcohol for the hand sanitizer, and even that wont be enough to meet demand. The numbers that are coming in are pretty staggering, Haxton said. The distillery crew is just Haxton and three others. A few days ago, when the bar and restaurant were reduced to takeout and delivery only, Haxton had to lay off 85% of his staff. The waiters. The bartenders. It was a gut punch for the distillery, which just opened last June. Riana Bjornsen, a Portuguese Bend distillery staffer, at work making alcohol for hand sanitizer. (Mark Potts / Los Angeles Times) Theyve been ride-or-die, with us since the beginning, Haxton said of the staff. We just really dont have any money coming in. For now, he hopes his former staffers are able to get unemployment benefits and stimulus checks soon. In the empty restaurant, an old wooden fishing boat is suspended from the ceiling. The boat is named, appropriately, Moonlighting. The bar is now lined with white 1-gallon plastic jugs. Their labels have the Portuguese Bend Craft Distillery logo and the words: HAND SANITIZER NON-STERILE SOLUTION. In these days of shortages, even the jugs and bottles for the hand sanitizer have been hard to come by. Haxton said theyve converted a few cosmetic containers with spray pumps into sanitizer bottles. The distillery makes the sanitizer alcohol out of corn, using an FDA formula that requires it to be denatured, meaning it has additives such as acetone or methanol to make it foul-tasting and poisonous so people dont drink it. The alcohol is mixed with hydrogen peroxide and glycerin and voila! hand sanitizer is born. Andy Carlos, a bearded distillery worker in a black face mask and black disposable gloves, feels lucky to still be working and at a job he loves right now, with so many people losing work. Theres just so much demand for hand sanitizer, and only so much they can make. Carlos compared it to working at an animal shelter, seeing all the cats and dogs and wanting to take them all home. We just wish we could do more, he said. Its unclear how long Portuguese Bend will be in the emergency hand sanitizer business. Could be weeks. Could be months. It certainly wasnt what Haxton pictured when the distillery opened last summer. We havent had our one-year anniversary, Haxton said. Theres a lot of products we still have yet to make. Im looking forward to making the whiskeys, and I never would have thought that instead of making the best whiskey in the world wed be making hand sanitizer. But here we are. Iran's coronavirus death toll rises to 2640 The country's ministry reported 123 additional deaths from the disease. Iran reported 123 additional fatalities due to the novel coronavirus on Sunday, taking the death toll in the country to 2, 640, the Health Ministry said on Sunday. 12,391 PATIENTS HAVE RECOVERED SO FAR Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said 2,901 new cases have tested positive for coronavirus in the past 24 hours, bringing the total infections to 38,309, according to the semi-official Mehr news agency. He said 12,391 patients infected with the virus have so far recovered and been discharged from hospitals. According to the spokesman, 3,467 patients are in critical condition. Mumbai, March 29 : A fortnight after giving a rocking new medical anthem to the country, 'Go, Corona Go', Union Minister of State for Social Justice Ramdas Athawale has retreated a couple of steps, albeit temporarily. Into the 'lockdown' -- with the rest of the country as the COVID-19 pandemic rages wild outside -- Athawale has chosen to divide the extra time between his ministerial responsibilities, his family and of course, his health. "Since there's little physical activity now, I workout for an hour on the exercycle, meditate 30 minutes, read a lot, catch up on TV news and occasionally play pool or carom with my teenage son Jeet," Athawale smiled, as wife Seema adores the bonding between her spouse and son. He even surprised his family when he picked up a guitar and strummed a bit to relieve the lockdown stress, amid attending scores of SOS calls from desperate souls suffering in different parts of India or abroad. A fortnight ago, Athawale, 60, attended an event in Mumbai and gave the clarion marching call -- Go, corona Goa -- which instantly became popular and was emulated by millions elsewhere. To wedge the point deeper, he even penned over two dozen Marathi couplets and poems, which he willingly crooned on Marathi TV channels -- intended to chase out the obviously deaf coronavirus! "This lockdown will prove to be corona's "outdown soon" Athawale told IANS, spontaneously coining another gem from his pocket of wacky goodies. Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the lockdown, he said the aid packages announced will go a long way in easing peoples' miseries during the mandatory stay-at-home period. "Even Chief Minister Uddhavji Thackeray is doing a wonderful joba The 24x7 permission to all essential shops/outlets is a brilliant idea to combat public crowding. Even the suggestion of keeping off the air-conditioners at home or offices will help kill corona in the summer heat," hopes Athawale, heaping unexpected praises on his political rival. Hopping down to his Bandra home-office for several hours twice a day, Athawale said he is barged with messages/calls for help from people stranded in different parts of Maharashtra, India and even abroad. "Many others say they don't have ration cards and hence cannot take advantage of the government's latest schemes. I am going to request Modiji to consider their plight on humanitarian grounds in view of the extraordinary situation confronting the nation," Athawale assured. An optimist at heart, Athawale said though the economy may be dented for a few years by the corona lockdown, the country will "emerge stronger" and bounce back as a world power very soon with the support of people under Modiji's dynamic leadership. (Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: q.najmi@ians.in) You have permission to edit this html. Edit Close Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 20:15:06|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close HONG KONG, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Asia-Pacific countries kept reporting more COVID-19 infections and deaths on Sunday, as Indonesia saw the highest death toll in Southeast Asia, while Australia imposed stricter measures to contain the pandemic. The Indonesian government said on Sunday the death toll of COVID-19 in the country climbed to 114, the highest in Southeast Asia. The number of confirmed cases jumped to 1,285, and 64 patients have recovered. More venues in Australia are to be closed to slow the spread of COVID-19 in the country, while more stringent restrictions are put to public gatherings, said Australian Prime Minister (PM) Scott Morrison on Sunday evening. In addition to the institutions and businesses already closed last week, more public areas are to follow suit, including public playgrounds, outside gyms and skate parks. They are to be closed from Monday. Both indoor and outdoor public gatherings are limited to two people, but "states and territories will determine whether they proceed to make this an enforceable limit." Meanwhile, the Australian government also announced the 1.1-billion-Australian dollar (about 678-million-U.S. dollar) package, which includes funding for mental health and domestic violence support, emergency food services and Medicare, Australia's universal health care system. A total of 150 million Australian dollars (92.5 million U.S. dollars) will be spent on domestic, family and sexual violence initiatives after data from Google revealed a 75 percent uptick in searches related to domestic violence since the government introduced social distancing measures. Thailand confirmed 143 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total infections to 1,388. One more fatality was reported, bringing the death toll to seven. In Malaysia, a total of 34 people have died of the COVID-19 as of Sunday with 150 newly confirmed cases, bringing the total to 2,470, said the Health Ministry. A total of 388 have been cured and discharged from hospital, while 73 are currently being held in intensive care and 52 of those are in need of assisted breathing. Japan on Sunday reported that the total number of COVID-19 infections has risen to 1,799. Of the new cases, 68 were confirmed in Tokyo, the second consecutive day the capital city logged more than 60 cases. The death toll stands at 65, including 10 from the virus-hit Diamond Princess cruise ship. A team of Chinese medical experts, along with medical materials, arrived in Lao capital Vientiane by a chartered plane Sunday morning to assist Laos to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The Chinese medical team includes experts in various fields such as infection prevention and control, intensive care, epidemics, and laboratory testing. They also brought along with medical supplies. Laos has detected eight confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Saturday afternoon. New Zealand confirmed the first death of COVID-19. A woman in her 70s passed away in Greymouth Hospital in West Coast region, South Island early Sunday morning. She tested positive for the virus on Friday morning. South Korea reported 105 more cases of the COVID-19 compared to 24 hours ago as of midnight Sunday local time, raising the total number of infections to 9,583. Eight more deaths were confirmed, lifting the death toll to 152. The total fatality rate came in at 1.59 percent. Myanmar's Foreign Affairs Ministry announced temporary suspension of all types of visas for foreign nationals from all countries with effect from March 29 till April 30 as part of measures to control the risks of COVID-19 spread on Sunday. The announcement included the suspension of the issuance of all types of visas (including social visit visa) to all foreign nationals, except diplomats accredited to Myanmar, United Nations officials resident in Myanmar and crew of ships and aircraft operating to and from Myanmar. News 'Dream come true': Denton woman three times a Westminster judge Sean McCrory / Rebekah Schulte/For the DRC Denton resident Doris Cozart, 83, sits on her couch with her Westminster Kennel Club judging book and next to a picture of her family. Cozart has been invited to judge the Westminster dog show for a third time. Shocked. Overjoyed. Amazed. When she opened the letter several months back for whats typically a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Denton resident Doris Cozart, 83, was honored to receive an invitation, for the third time, to judge the world-renowned Westminster Kennel Club dog show. After breeding and raising toy and standard poodles as well as exhibiting them since 1967, Cozart has dedicated more than 50 years to dogs. She has been involved in local dog clubs, such as the Texas Kennel Club, over the years and then became a dog show judge after she stopped breeding dogs through the American Kennel Club. Cozart was honored to get involved with the Westminster Kennel Club and to judge the best of the toy group at the Westminster show on Feb. 10, proving her hard work paid off. Theres so much involved in the mystique of Westminster, Cozart said. And the idea of being able to adjudicate the best of the toy dogs at Westminster for me was an honor, and I cannot tell you how excited I was. And I will also tell you, it was fun. It was absolutely marvelous to stand out there and see these quality dogs. I mean, it was the top of the toy dogs in the world. With the show having a similar status to the Super Bowl or the World Series, Cozart said, Westminster is for those in the dog show world as well as those who are not. I think it was pretty cool and pretty exciting for her, neighbor Joseph Tanner, 77, said. Shes a pretty spectacular lady, very self-assured and confident. Since Ive known her over the last seven or eight years, shes been out on the course quite a lot judging domestic and international. The invitation to judge Westminster arrives about 18 months before judging to request that the judges not judge the breed or group for nine months prior to Westminster. This keeps judges from examining the same dogs at other dog shows prior to Westminster. In the previous two years that Cozart judged for Westminster, she judged breed classes, where a dog is entered at a class level. The dogs are entered and judged, where it is decided which dog is the best of their breed, and then the breed goes forward to an individual group. The group is judged by another judge until the winners of the seven groups go forward to Best in Show. However, unlike any other experience, Cozart appeared on Martha Stewarts show in a video about the variety of toy dogs as a special guest in 2012 due to her judging Westminster that year, said Mary Ahrens, a close friend of Cozarts. Every time I talk to [Cozart], I learn something new, Ahrens said. One of the things that was kind of interesting to know that when she was at Westminster this year, theres certain people that shes friends with that she could not interact with before [the competition]. Its kind of an unwritten code because you couldnt be seen having dinner with somebody and then have judged their dog. That would have been a conflict of interest, but after she was finished judging her event, then they could go out and be friendly and all of that. Cozart used to participate in dog shows all over the world and now judges them all over the world. She has judged in Finland, Italy, Slovenia, Canada, Philippines, Australia, Norway, South Africa, Korea, Brazil, China, Thailand, Taiwan and other countries, as well as many states in the U.S., according to the WKC profile on Cozart. To become a dog show judge, Cozart said you have to apply to the AKC, and when she applied, one requirement was a minimum of 10 years experience in the sport of dogs either breeding or exhibiting dogs, or somehow being involved in the dog show world. To be a dog show judge, there are several tests: anatomy and procedural tests and private interviews with the AKC representative, and for each breed approved for, certain criteria must be met. With 50 years of involvement in dog shows including 27 years of judging, Cozart has made her passion her life. Its wonderful being a dog show judge, Cozart said. I always say its kind of like Christmas; you get to open packages every time you look at a new dog. I love the breeds. Im approved to judge toy breeds, working breeds and non-sporting breeds, and of course, Best in Show. And through the dogs and judging, Ive met so many wonderful people, had really good friends throughout the dog world, all over the world, she said. Ive been very fortunate and very blessed to be invited to judge in many, many countries. Its opened doors that would have never been open to me if I hadnt been a dog show judge. No longer owning any dogs, Cozart said she would be unable to take care of them with her constant schedule of traveling to judge dog shows but she does get her dog fix when she judges. Dogs bring so much into your lives, Cozart said. And I will actually tell you that dogs give you unconditional love. They dont care if youre fat, skinny, tall or short, what you do for a living. And to tell you the truth, looking in a dogs eyes that loves you is a really wonderful feeling and I cant imagine the world without dogs. With the recent passing of her husband, Cozart has the support of her friends and neighbors, Ahrens said. I think of [Cozart] as a mother figure, Ahrens said. She just has this matriarchal kind of air about her where she collected chickies around her, and she takes care of everybody. If were going to go down a curb together, she puts her hand out to help me down, and Im 14 years younger than she is. Cozart got involved in the dog show world with her family by her side, immersing herself and her loved ones in her passion for dogs. She would attend the shows with her husband, daughter and son all since passed. Her daughter followed in her footsteps, participating in dog shows and eventually became a judge as well. Her husband was involved in the dog shows, which he wasnt a judge, but he was a national show chairman for Poodle Club of America, Ahrens said. [Cozart] bred poodles herself, and her daughter bred poodles. And so they were 20 years, both of them serving on the board of the Poodle Club of America. Even with Cozarts success in the dog show world and with three Westminster judging assignments, she is not done yet. In May, as of now, she will be judging locally for the Denton Kennel Dog Club. I think maybe when I had first started to judge was most memorable, Cozart said. Instead of presenting my dog, I was judging the dogs. And maybe that was my most memorable judging assignment because it was one I first fully realized the importance of what I was doing. And since then, judging Westminster this past February was an unbelievable dream come true for me. Press Release March 29, 2020 De Lima calls for more prayers, sacrifices vs COVID-19 pandemic Senator Leila M. de Lima has called on the Filipino people regardless of religious affiliations to storm heavens with prayers and sacrifices as the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic continues to wreak havoc here and around the world. De Lima said although she is detained, she feels for the sufferings of the Filipino people, especially among poor families in the National Capital Region who are placed under stringent "enhanced community quarantine" imposed since March 16. "Even in detention, I cannot help thinking about the suffering of many of our countrymen in these troubling and uncertain times. I hope that even with different religious affiliations, we can unify as one in offering our heartfelt prayers," she said. "Keep safe everyone! Pray, pray, pray. I encourage everyone, including my staff, to pray daily the Oratio Imperata (Obligatory Prayer) against the spread of COVID-19, as issued by the CBCP (Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines)," she added. Last March 9, the CBCP called on the Catholic faithful to pray the Oratio Imperata for "those suffering from the coronavirus and to all those who are caring for them". It also halted Masses and gatherings in compliance with the "social distancing" measures. Since Masses are temporarily placed on hold, including the forthcoming Holy Week, priests like her spiritual adviser Fr. Robert Reyes have taken upon themselves to conduct paraliturgical services at their respective dioceses and parishes. Similar arrangements are being observed around the world not only to join global efforts to stop the spread of the deadly coronavirus but also in solidarity with those who were infected and those who died due to the disease. Last March 21, Mr. Duterte has issued Proclamation 934 declaring the 4th week of March as National Week of Prayer encouraging the Filipino people to pray in order to "defeat this invisible enemy with the aid and blessing of God." De Lima, a devout Catholic herself, lauded the creativity and ingenuity of some priests in leading the Catholic faithful to kneel in deep prayers and supplications in time of national crisis in spite of the enhanced community quarantine. For one, she lauded the initiatives of Fr. Reyes to conduct street tours or visitations, bringing with him the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary to encourage families to pray together for her miraculous intercession to protect them from the coronavirus pandemic. According to the lady Senator from Bicol, although she will again miss the Lenten tradition for the fourth consecutive year, she will be guided in prayers and sacrifices inside her detention with a limited people attending paraliturgical services. "Let us continue on offering our prayers and sacrifices to end this global nightmare. I shall pray most especially for our health care workers and frontliners to protect them as they attend to the needs of those who are sick," she said. Official figures show that COVID-19 believed to have originated in Wuhan, China has killed more than 14,500 people and infected over 323,000 around the world. To date, the Philippines has at least 68 people who have died and 1,075 others have been infected with coronavirus disease. After weeks of speculation, bikini model Natasha Oakley has finally addressed rumours she's back with her ex-boyfriend Theo Chambers. Speaking to Stellar this weekend, the 29-year-old model was quizzed on recent social media posts which suggest she and Theo had rekindled their romance. 'I'm happy to share a lot, but my relationship is something I like to keep private,' Natasha said, appearing to confirm the rumours. 'My relationship is something I like to keep private': Natasha Oakley, 29, (left) appears to have confirmed she's secretly dating her ex-boyfriend Theo Chambers (right) - but has warned fans to respect her privacy 'As my career progresses and as I get older, privacy becomes more important,' she added. Natasha announced her split from businessman Theo, the son of Chambers Cellar founder Steven Chambers, in November, telling The Daily Telegraph: 'We broke up,[but] we're still really good friends.' She added: 'I do travel a lot and have a very different lifestyle. We had an amazing relationship but these things happen in life.' Under wraps: 'As my career progresses and as i get older, privacy becomes more important,' she added Despite being newly single at the time, Natasha insisted she was 'really happy'. In late February, The Daily Telegraph reported whispers that Natasha and Theo's relationship was back on. The bikini entrepreneur was said to have recently attended a friend's wedding in Sydney's eastern suburbs last month, alongside a dapper Theo. Missing something? In February, The bikini entrepreneur (pictured) was said to have attended a friend's wedding in Sydney's eastern suburbs alongside a dapper Theo- but Natasha made no mention of Theo's presence online At the time, Natasha shared only solo shots of herself at the event venue to Instagram, and made no mention of Theo's presence. Natasha and Theo were previously seen together at the Australian Open in Melbourne on February 2. Despite their public sightings and closeness on the red carpet, Natasha made no mention of their reunion - or even Theo's presence - on her Instagram. The pair had started dating in late 2018 and confirmed their romance on New Year's Eve that year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that people should not think of COVID-19 quarantine facilities as a prison and spoke with two survivors of the infection during his radio show 'Mann Ki Baat' to establish that it was curable. The Prime Minister spoke to coronavirus survivors -- Ramagampa Teja and Ashok Kapoor - and urged them to share their success against the infection with people. The Prime Minister asked people to listen to the survivors who had successfully defeated the coronavirus. "I have spoken to a few people who were infected from the virus and speaking to such people. While I tried to boost their morale they also lifted my spirits when I talked to them," he said. Speaking to the Prime Minister during the show, Ramagampa Teja, an IT professional, who tested positive for COVID-19 after returning from Dubai, said that he was frightened when he tested positive for the disease and could not believe that this has happened to him. He said even his family was very stressed after finding out his COVID-19 positive status. "But their test results came negative, which I took as a great blessing. And since then, there were improvements every day," he said. Teja was admitted to a government hospital in Hyderabad and was released after 14 days as he successfully overcame the infection. "The first few days were the hardest but the dedicated doctors and nurses at the hospital ensured that I recovered," he added. He asked people not to be afraid of being quarantined. "People feel that going into quarantine means going to prison. They should know that the government quarantine is for them and their families. I want to emphasise that people must get tested and do not fear quarantine," he added. The Prime Minister congratulated him and his family and asked him to share an audio clip of his experience. "I would like you to make an audio of your experiences and share it on social media so that it goes viral and removes fear from people's minds," the Prime Minister said. The Prime Minister also spoke to another coronavirus survivor, Ashok Kapoor, six members of whose family in Agra were tested positive for the deadly virus. On being asked by the Prime Minister whether they had feared for their lives, Kapoor said, "We were not scared as we received excellent cooperation from the doctors and support staff at Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital." The six of them were shifted to Delhi and put under quarantine for 14 days where all of them successfully recovered from the infection. The Prime Minister also commended the spirit of Ashok Kapoor and said: "Your experience came in handy for all. My best wishes to you and your family." He also urged the Kapoor family to spread awareness regarding COVID-19 in the way they see fit. "Please spread awareness your way and you can feed whoever is hungry, look out for the poor and also spread awareness to people urging them to follow the rules," the Prime Minister said. "If everyone follows the rules, the country will be saved," the Prime Minister said. The Prime Minister also thanked the people involved in ensuring the continuous supply of goods and services in the country and advised them to "follow all the safety precautions, take care of themselves and their family members." Earlier in his address, Modi had asked for the forgiveness of all countrymen, and especially the poor, for the nationwide lockdown in the country in the view of the novel coronavirus. He had then termed it a necessary measure needed to defeat the infection in India. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) michael barbaro From The New York Times, Im Michael Barbaro. This is The Daily. Today: States and cities across the U.S. are reporting dangerous shortages of vital supplies needed to contain the pandemic. Sarah Kliff on whats behind those shortages. Its Tuesday, March 31. archived recording (bill de blasio) Well, its Friday, what feels like has been an endless week. I know so many New Yorkers have really felt this week. Its been very, very difficult. sarah kliff Last Friday in New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio gave a news conference, and he essentially came out and said that the city is running out of medical supplies. archived recording (bill de blasio) Were getting through this week. Its tough. We have what we need for next week, but it will definitely be a very hard week. But after next Sunday, April 5 is when I get very, very worried about everything were going to need. The people power were going to need, the equipment, the supplies, obviously the ventilators. sarah kliff That they only have about a week left of the things they really need. michael barbaro Mm-hm. archived recording (bill de blasio) But I want to put down that marker right now, and Ive put down that marker to the White House, that that is a decisive moment for the city of New York. We need to make sure that we can get to that day ready to face the week after that and the week after that as well. And right now, were not there. sarah kliff And this is what were hearing from mayors, from governors all across the country. archived recording (john bel edwards) Everybodys looking for ventilators. Everybodys looking for P.P.E. Everybodys looking for medical staff, and everybodys looking for beds. And so thats what makes this particularly hard. sarah kliff There arent enough supplies to treat the coronavirus outbreak. archived recording (gretchen whitmer) Theres not enough ventilators. We need thousands of ventilators in Michigan. There is not enough N95 masks. Weve got nurses who are wearing the same mask from the minute they show up for their long shift to the end of that shift. sarah kliff There arent enough masks. There arent enough hospital beds. There arent enough ventilators. The list is long, and hospitals are getting worried about running out. michael barbaro So how can that be? How is it that the U.S. is running so low, and in many cases, actually running out of so many essential components of a response to this pandemic? sarah kliff Well, for each component, theres actually a unique backstory. Theres a clear reason why we dont have enough and why it is hard to get more. michael barbaro Well, lets go through each one of the three that you mentioned, starting with what would seem to me like the easiest problem to solve, which is masks. So what explains the shortage there? sarah kliff The masks were one of the first things to come into shortage. It was one of the first places where we started realizing we might not have enough supplies for our health care workers. michael barbaro Mm-hm. sarah kliff And to understand the shortage of masks, you probably want to go back 20 or 30 years. michael barbaro Hm. sarah kliff Back then, a lot of the masks that were being used in hospitals were made in the United States. That really shifted about 15 years ago or so. You saw mask manufacturers, like other manufacturers, moving their operations offshore, where they could manufacture masks cheaper. A lot of them went to China. And if you think about it, you can manufacture abroad. You didnt need a ton of specialized equipment, and then you could ship it right back to the United States. Orders are generally pretty predictable. At the time, it seemed like a prudent business decision for mask manufacturers to move their business to places where labor was cheaper. michael barbaro And so why is there now a shortage if this was a rational outsourcing decision with predictable deliveries from China to the U.S., that would allow us to create a stockpile? sarah kliff This system made sense when you understood the health care needs when you knew a certain number of people tended to get the flu, so here is how many surgical masks you would need in a country. It really falls apart when you have a pandemic like coronavirus, which has spiked the amount of health care supplies we need. And all of a sudden, were in the situation where the surgical masks we want are half a world away. A lot of the transport that we rely on has been shut down. And other countries where the masks are being made are saying, we need these masks, too. This is particularly true in China, which had a coronavirus outbreak before us, and in certain cases has been holding on to its masks, not allowing manufacturers to export them abroad. michael barbaro Hm. sarah kliff So it made sense at the time, but it was not a supply chain built for the pandemic were in right now. michael barbaro So how solvable is this problem, given what youve laid out? sarah kliff It is solvable, but it takes time and it takes some kind of unusual measures. So one of the things you do see happening is factories being turned over to mask manufacturing. michael barbaro Mm-hm. sarah kliff And companies are trying to do that. If you look at Honeywell, for example, theyve a factory that makes glasses and goggles usually. Theyre going to turn that over to making masks, but they say its going to take about a month to make the transition. Theyre going to have to hire 500 workers. You cant just flip a switch in these factories that have been used from something else. And I think thats why you see everyone trying anything possible. Its why individuals are sewing masks at home and giving them to their local hospitals. Thats how dire the need is, that were really looking at any possible way to make a mask, even if its not in the traditional factories that typically manufacture them. michael barbaro OK, so that is masks. Where should we turn next? sarah kliff I think we should talk about hospital beds. michael barbaro OK. sarah kliff Were facing a pretty dire shortage there, but for entirely different reasons. So the United States has significantly fewer hospital beds per capita than a lot of our peer countries and a lot of other countries that are fighting coronavirus. michael barbaro Hm. sarah kliff And you can really trace that back to a law that passed in 1974. This was about a decade after Medicare and Medicaid had come into existence, and all of a sudden, the government had become a huge payer of health care bills. michael barbaro Right. sarah kliff So they had a significant reason to be concerned about rising health care costs. And one of the things they started noticing was that when you had more hospital beds, they just seemed to get filled. michael barbaro Hm. sarah kliff Its like when you add a lane onto a highway, you think its going to make the traffic better. It just turns out more cars show up and start using that route. The theory there being that however many beds you have, hospitals, which are businesses, they will find a way to fill them. So policymakers identified that having all these hospital beds was probably driving up costs, because hospitals had strong financial incentives to keep those hospital beds full. So in 1974, they passed this law that essentially required hospitals to apply for permission to build beds. So if I wanted to build a 500-bed hospital in New York, Id have to go to the state and say, heres why I think there arent enough hospitals in this area and why I should be allowed to build this new hospital. michael barbaro And what is the impact of that law on the number of beds in our system? sarah kliff It really limited the number of beds. Weve shed about a half million hospital bed since 1974. I think thats pretty telling. michael barbaro Wow. sarah kliff Theres other things driving this. Certain procedures that used to require a few nights in a hospital have gotten faster and safer, so you dont really need that. Medicines have gotten better, so certain things that used to be treated with surgery, you can treat with prescriptions. But at the core of this, we really have made this decision that we want to limit the number of hospital beds in the United States. And that might help hold down costs in a normal time, but then we get to a pandemic and all of a sudden it becomes a real constraint on our ability to treat a wave of sick patients. michael barbaro Right. So we created this shortage on purpose, and with a reasonable motive that just wasnt anticipating what it would mean in a crisis. sarah kliff Exactly. And when you think about hospitals, you have to remember theyre businesses. If you have an empty bed in a hospital, thats a bed thats not generating revenue. So hospitals try to operate pretty full. A lot of the ones Ive been talking to tend to operate, particularly now in the middle of flu season, at like a 95 percent capacity. michael barbaro Hm. sarah kliff That means there isnt a lot of slack in the system to surge up when you have a lot of patients who need care at once. Because hospitals are already generally so full, they just dont have these empty beds sitting around for patients to use. michael barbaro Mm-hm. sarah kliff But now were seeing that not having slack in our health care system, not having empty beds that could be used when the need for health care surges, that leaves us really vulnerable in a situation like coronavirus, where you actually really want some slack in the system to treat those extra patients. michael barbaro OK, so that brings us to what I think is probably one of the scariest and most urgent problems of this pandemic, which is ventilators. sarah kliff Right. Ventilators are a crucial tool in fighting coronavirus. And the story of why we dont have enough of them, it highlights probably better than anything else this incredible tension between the business of American health care and the ability to respond to a crisis. [music] michael barbaro Well be right back. So, Sarah, what is the story behind our shortage in ventilators? sarah kliff So in 2006, the federal government creates an entire new division just to prepare medical responses to whatever sort of disasters it can imagine. michael barbaro Hm. sarah kliff And in its first year of operation, they started thinking about how to expand the number of ventilators. They thought that we would need about 70,000 extra machines in a moderate flu pandemic. And one of the things they noticed is that we did have some ventilators in a national stockpile, but they werent really ideal. They were big, they were expensive, so you couldnt order a lot more of them. They required a lot of training. So they come up with this idea that the federal government should develop a ventilator that is the opposite of all of that. michael barbaro So the U.S. is going to get into the business of making its own ventilators. sarah kliff Exactly. Well, theyre going to outsource it. So theyre going to find a private partner who already makes ventilators and asks them to design something to their specifications. And what they want is a machine that is cheap, that is lightweight, so you can move it around, that doesnt require a lot of training to use. And they set out to find a private company that is willing to build such a ventilator. And a small medical device company in California called Newport Medical raises their hand, and they are really excited about it. They think it would be really prestigious to work with the government. They want to build this device, and they get the contract. michael barbaro Mm-hm. sarah kliff For the first two years, things go pretty well. Newport Medical actually creates three working prototypes, and they ship them out to Washington, D.C., where officials are excited. They see this thing they wanted to build, and they can start envisioning it as part of the national stockpile. michael barbaro Hm. sarah kliff So everything really seems to be going as planned until May 2012. Thats when its announced that Newport Medical is being purchased by a much larger medical device company called Covidien. Newport Medical was worth about $100 million. Covidien was worth $26 billion dollars. michael barbaro Wow. sarah kliff Just a magnitude larger company that makes all sorts of devices, whereas Newport Medical, the only thing they did was make ventilators. michael barbaro Mm-hm. sarah kliff The government officials who worked on the contract say they saw kind of an immediate change in how things were going. The larger company didnt seem quite as interested. They requested more money to finish the contract. And at the end of the day, late 2013, early 2014, the contract just falls apart, and the ventilator is never built. michael barbaro Hmm. Sarah, whats your sense of why this larger company, Covidien, didnt want to make this ventilator? I mean, if it was prestigious enough for this little company, why wasnt it prestigious enough for this bigger company? sarah kliff Yeah, when I talked to former government officials, they had a sense that Covidien didnt want to manufacturer a lower cost ventilator that would compete against their higher cost ventilators that were already in the market. You know, it doesnt make a lot of sense for them as a business to introduce a product thats going to earn less money into the marketplace. michael barbaro So basically it wasnt economically advantageous for this big company. sarah kliff Exactly. Even more than that, it was economically disadvantageous to have this other product on the market. Covidien executives, they tell a different story. They felt like the government had unrealistic expectations. That when they came in, purchased this small company, they realized this project was just not feasible and ultimately had to negotiate their way out of it with the government. In any case, once this company was purchased, the contract was never finished and the ventilator that was supposed to be designed was not designed. michael barbaro So all of a sudden, this ahead-of-its-time, pre-planned program to make sure the U.S. has enough ventilators is not producing ventilators that the U.S. may eventually need. sarah kliff Right. And the government does keep trying. They redid the contract after this one falls apart, and they award it to Philips, another very large company. The thing is, it was too late for the crisis that were in right now. michael barbaro Hm. sarah kliff So were in a situation where the government spent 13 years, about $20 million trying to build a device that could respond to a pandemic outbreak, and we dont currently have any ventilators to show for it. michael barbaro Hm. And so where does that leave the United Statess stockpile of ventilators? How many do we have versus how many we expect to be needing in this moment? sarah kliff There are about 16,000 ventilators in the national stockpile that have been serviced recently, are ready to go out to American hospitals if needed. But back in 2007, when this whole effort started, the government estimated wed need about 70,000 ventilators. So were obviously still quite short of that number. michael barbaro And what is the federal government doing in the face of this ventilator shortage? sarah kliff So they are figuring out how to best use the stockpile. That effort is a little bit mysterious to the public. We dont exactly know which states are going to get which ventilators, when they will be released and how that will roll out. What is happening a little more publicly, and would likely produce more ventilators, is companies ramping up their production of new units. archived recording (donald trump) Thank you very much. Its great to have you. sarah kliff You really see that in two ways. One is trying to get other manufacturers, particularly the car manufacturers, to start making ventilators. archived recording (donald trump) This afternoon, I invoked the Defense Production Act to compel General Motors to accept, perform and prioritize federal contracts for ventilators. sarah kliff This is something President Trump has put some pressure on the industry, on General Motors to start doing. archived recording (donald trump) This invocation of the D.P.A. should demonstrate clearly to all that we will not hesitate to use the full authority of the federal government to combat this crisis. sarah kliff And while it is well-intentioned, its an effort thats going to be pretty challenged. michael barbaro Why? sarah kliff Well, the thing to know about ventilators is theyre complex machines that really cannot malfunction. Were talking about machines with hundreds of parts, that if they stop working, a patient stops breathing. michael barbaro Right. sarah kliff So you need them to be put together correctly, and you need all those hundreds of parts to be at the exact right spot. Thats not something a technician learns to do overnight. So when Ive talked to some of these ventilator manufacturers, asking them, do you think an automobile company could make these, theyre a little bit skeptical. michael barbaro Hm. sarah kliff They worry that the expertise isnt there, and some training is really going to have to happen before you can turn a car assembly line into a ventilator assembly line. The other thing we see happening is the ventilator manufacturers themselves ramping up. They are adding second shifts. They are bringing in more workers. But thats really limited by labor supply. One of the things thats really hard right now is youre trying to bring workers into a factory in the exact moment when the government is asking people to stay home. So increasing work at a factory means providing protective equipment to those employees. It means doing temperature checks when they come into the factory to make sure nobody gets sick. When I talk to ventilator manufacturers, the key constraint theyre facing isnt enough assembly lines. Its enough people to work on those assembly lines and who have the knowledge to work on those lines. Thats really what stands between us and having a larger number of ventilators. michael barbaro So despite all this activity were hearing about, despite the invocation of the Defense Production Act, despite car companies saying theyre going to start making ventilators, Im hearing you say that theres not going to be tens of thousands of ventilators suddenly rolling off some assembly line and solving this shortage in the next couple of weeks. sarah kliff Exactly. And I think thats why you see hospitals experimenting with how to expand the work of the ventilators they have. Some of those experiments are using one ventilator to support multiple patients. Another one is taking the anesthesia machines that would be used in surgery, and with elective surgery being canceled, retooling those as ventilators. These are not things that would be happening if it were business as normal, but its obviously not business as normal. And because the hospitals, particularly those in New York, are waiting for ventilators, theyre starting to see how they can expand the capacity of the ventilators that they already have. michael barbaro Sarah, the three examples that you have take us through the masks, the hospital beds, the ventilators each of them seems to share the common theme that our preparedness for something like this pandemic, which people been warning about for so long, was undermined by the simple fact that our health care system is driven by profits. sarah kliff Right. The thing to know about American hospitals, about device makers, is theyre just like any other business. They have to turn a profit and bring in revenue to stay open. But theres also something that makes them really different. We absolutely need them in a pandemic situation like the one were in now, in a way we dont quite as much need restaurants and car makers and other manufacturers. Theyre playing a crucial role in our safety net, but at the end of the day, we dont have a tool were using to prevent them from being what they are, which is businesses. michael barbaro So, Sarah, there is a corner of our economy where everything you have just described is true, and yet the federal government always finds a way to make sure it gets what it needs. And that is the military. There is a principle in the United States that the U.S. military has to be able to fight multiple wars at the same time, and the United States government and our taxpayer dollars make sure that that always happens. So we know this is possible. Its just that the government hasnt tried that, it seems, when it comes to a stockpile for health care. sarah kliff I think a lot of public health officials would agree with that. The ones Ive talked to say that if we wanted to, of course we could build a giant national stockpile. Its a question of priorities and a question of funding. michael barbaro Mm-hm. sarah kliff They see the cycle that happens to the United States, where theres a bad pandemic disease, it reveals flaws in our system, and suddenly lawmakers are talking about wanting to commit a lot of money. But the money never quite seems to come through. A year or two later, there are other things they want to spend government money on. It kind of fades into the background until the next pandemic hits. Right now, we seem to treat military threats as real, as something we need to be prepared against. michael barbaro Hm. sarah kliff We dont really treat public health threats the same way. But I think what one of the lessons of coronavirus might be is that the public health threats are just as real as the military ones, and it takes a lot of planning and a lot of money to be prepared for them. michael barbaro Thank you, Sarah. sarah kliff Thanks, Michael. michael barbaro The Times reports that in response to the shortages, the Trump administration has begun airlifting supplies of protective gear, including masks and gowns, from China to the United States. The White House said it would make 22 such flights by early April. Well be right back. Heres what else you need to know today. As deaths from the coronavirus climbed in Italy and Spain, both countries tightened restrictions on the movements of their citizens. Spain called for a period of quote, hibernation, saying that only essential workers could leave their homes, while Italy said that its national lockdown would be extended until the middle of April. archived recording (roberto speranza) [SPEAKING ITALIAN] michael barbaro During an interview, Italys health minister, Roberto Speranza, warned that loosening the restrictions too soon would, quote, burn everything weve obtained until now. In the U.S., the virus is now spreading to Midwestern cities like Detroit, where there have been at least 35 deaths and 500 police officers are now under quarantine. archived recording (mike duggan) Theres no question that we have more density, and were more at risk. Youre also seeing the Chicago area and the New Orleans area are also hotspots, and youre going to see this again and again. michael barbaro On Monday Detroits mayor Mike Duggan predicted that many mid-sized American cities would be next. archived recording (mike duggan) Major cities in America that are destinations, that lots of people come into are likely to develop. And I think its a matter of time before you see Philadelphia and Houston and some other cities develop the same way. michael barbaro A 14-year-old boy with coronavirus has died, the Portuguese health ministry has said. Minister Marta Temido said on Sunday that the boy also had prior health conditions. While the boy tested positive for the coronavirus, health experts still need to investigate if he died of the disease caused by the virus or other health problems, Mr Temido added. Meanwhile, Portugal reported on Sunday that it has 119 total deaths from the virus and 38,042 infections. Empty Europe during Coronavirus - In pictures 1 /45 Empty Europe during Coronavirus - In pictures The Pariser Platz in front of the Brandenburg Gate is almost empty in Berlin AP The Arc de Triomphe in Paris is deserted Getty Images Barcelona's cathedral, Spain AP Duomo Square in Milan, Italy, AP Colosseum in central Rome AFP via Getty Images The Autobahn 12 is completely empty shortly before the German-Polish border crossing near Frankfurt AP Closed shops following an outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Brussels, Belgium Reuters The Malagueta beach is cordoned off in Malaga, Spain AFP via Getty Images Vienna, Austria AP Deserted Hotel de Ville in Paris, France Getty Images The highway leading to Barcelona is seen empty of cars AP City of Gdansk in Poland is virtually deserted Reuters Ratusz Arsenal metro station visually deserted, amid coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns, in Warsaw, Poland via Reuters St. Peter's Square, Vatican in Rome, Italy Reuters The Royal palace in downtown Madrid, Spain AP The usually busy Larios street remains empty in Malaga AFP via Getty Images A view of an empty square in Naples, Italy during a lockdown across all of the country, imposed to slow the outbreak of coronavirus, in Naples, Italy Reuters Galleria Umberto in Naples, Italy Reuters A street is almost empty in downtown Naples AP An empty beach in Barcelona, Spain AP Homes and an empty street are seen under partial lockdown as part of a 15-day state of emergency to combat the coronavirus outbreak in downtown Ronda, southern Spain Reuters Restaurants remain closed on a seaside promenade in Valencia in Spain AFP via Getty Images A deserted Westland shopping center in Brussels BELGA/AFP via Getty Images A view of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele shopping arcade in Milan, Italy AP An empty street in the Porta Nuova district in Milan, Itlay Reuters An almost empty Roemerberg square, the main tourist spot in Frankfurt, Germany AP An empty Via Condotti street in Rome, Italy Reuters Piazza Trilussa in Rome, Italy Reuters The Louvre Museum Getty Images Musee du Louvre in Paris is closed to the public AFP via Getty Images The Eiffel Tower is seen next to a board that reads: "In the context of the COVID-19 the Eiffel Tower closes Reuters An empty Disneyland Paris PA Old Town area visually deserted, amid coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns, in Warsaw, Poland via Reuters Old Town area is visually deserted, amid coronavirus disease (COVID-19) concerns, in Warsaw, Poland via Reuters It comes as Europe emerged as the new global epicentre for the coronavirus spread over recent weeks. Spain and Italy alone now account for more than half of the world's death toll, and are still seeing over 800 deaths a day each. Spain, neighbouring Portugal, has moved to tighten its lockdown and ban all nonessential work as it hit another daily record of 838 dead. The country's overall official toll was more than 6,500. The crisis is also pummelling world economies and putting huge strains on national health care systems. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called for a more vigorous response from the 27-nation European Union. "It is the most difficult moment for the EU since its foundation and it has to be ready to rise to the challenge," he said. Spain, Italy, France and six other EU members have asked the union to share the burden by issuing European debt, dubbed coronabonds, to help fight the virus. The World on Coronavirus lockdown 1 /60 The World on Coronavirus lockdown Getty Images A UK government public health campaign is displayed in Piccadilly Circus Reuters Chinese paramilitary police and security officers wear face masks to protect against the spread of the new coronavirus as they stand guard outside an entrance to the Forbidden City in Beijing AP A usually busy 42nd Street is seen nearly empty in New York AFP via Getty Images Bondi Beach, Australia Getty Images Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' hospital Getty Images View of the illuminated statue of Christ the Redeemer that reads "Thank you" as Archbishop of the city of Rio de Janeiro Dom Orani Tempesta performs a mass in honor of Act of Consecration of Brazil and tribute to medical workers amidst the Coronavirus (COVID - 19) pandemic Getty Images Rome AFP via Getty Images An Indian man paddles his bicycle in front of a mural depicting the globe covered in a mask, as India remains under an unprecedented lockdown over the highly contagious coronavirus Getty Images Aerial view of the empty 9 de Julio avenue in Buenos Aires in Argentina AFP via Getty Images A view of an empty Grand Canal Reuters Las Ramblas, Barcelona, Spain Getty Images Aerial view of the empty Central cemetery in Bogota, Columbia AFP via Getty Images The facade of the Palacio de Lopez (seat of the government palace) AFP via Getty Images Miami, Florida AFP via Getty Images Aerial view of the empty Simon Bolivar park in Bogota AFP via Getty Images An LAPD patrol car drives through Venice Beach Boardwalk AP Venice Beach, California Getty Images Los Angeles, California Getty Images Surfers Paradise is seen empty in Australia Getty Images Many shops stand shuttered on the Venice Beach boardwalk Getty Images Empty escalators are seen at a deserted train station during morning rush hour after New South Wales began shutting down non-essential businesses Reuters A nearly empty Times Square in New York AFP via Getty Images Caracas AFP via Getty Images Metropolitan Cathedral of San Salvador AFP via Getty Images A general view of an unusually quiet Midland Park in Wellington, New Zealand Getty Images A general view of an unusually quiet Civic Square at lunchtimein Wellington, New Zealand Getty Images A policeman rides his motorcycle wearing a face mask in front of a closed shopping mall in Buenos Aires, Argentina AFP via Getty Images Florida Keys AP The historic Channel 2 Bridge closed to fishermen, bikers and pedestrians in Florida Keys AP The Beach on Scenic Gulf Drive near Seascape Resort in south Walton County, Florida sits empty of tourists AP Surfers Paradise is seen empty in Australia Getty Images A deserted Rajpath leading to India Gate in New Delhi AFP via Getty Images A general view is seen of a closed Luna Park in Sydney, Australia Getty Images A general view is seen of a closed Luna Park in Sydney, Australia Getty Images Empty roads are pictured following the lockdown by the government amid concerns about the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Kathmandu, Nepal Reuters An empty New York Subway car i AFP via Getty Images The empty pedestrian zone is seen in the city of Cologne, western Germany, AFP via Getty Images Place de la Comedie in the city of Montpellier , southern France AFP via Getty Images An empty street in Kuwait city AFP via Getty Images A building is covered by the Portuguese message: "Coronavirus: take precaution" over empty streets in downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil, AP A general view shows an empty street after a curfew was imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Reuters Parliament of Canada is pictured with empty street during morning rush hour AFP via Getty Images A near empty beach on Southend seafront in England PA Near empty Keswick town centre in Cumbria, England PA But the idea has met resistance from Germany and the Netherlands. European countries have also resisted sharing masks with their neighbors for fear that they, too, will need them in mass quantities soon. Many countries have turned to China, where the outbreak is easing, flying in cargo planes to get protective medical equipment. These tensions have raised new fears about whether the EU will survive this crisis. "It's really, really important that we achieve better coordination," German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz said. Worldwide infections surpassed 680,000, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. Two villages in Punjab have gone into complete self-quarantine, blocking all entries for people from outside to ensure the new coronavirus does not sneak into their areas. Since they grow vegetables and have sufficient milk output, they say they didn't have to face any major issue in implementing the lockdown. Residents of Ageta village in Patiala, the home district of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, and Ranghera Khurd village in Fatehgarh Sahib district have put up blockades at all entry points. They also do not allow any villager going out except in emergency situations. "We sealed our village on March 20, well before the state government imposed curfew (on March 23) in the state," Davinder Singh, husband of Ranghera Khurd Sarpanch (village head) on Sunday. "We decided to bar outsiders in our village in order to protect our villagers from coronavirus. Safety of people is our prime concern," said Singh, adding they do not even allow villagers to go outside. The villagers have parked tractors and erected barricades at three entry points on Sirhind-Nabha road. "My cousin had come to meet me and I politely refused to let him enter," Singh told PTI. Ageta village, near Nabha in Patiala, has also adopted the same strategy. Groups of young men from the village have been deputed at all 'nakas' (check posts) to ensure the self-imposed lockdown. "We have put up 'nakas' at three entry points," said Baljinder Singh, husband of village Sarpanch Harpreet Kaur. Preneet Kaur, the Patiala MP and wife of Punjab CM, had congratulated the Ageta village sarpanch for their effort. "Congratulated Harpreet Kaur, Sarpach of Ageta village of Patiala, which has now become an example of how communities can stand up & compliment state govt's efforts in the fight against this pandemic. The commendable measures taken by this village are inspiration for many others," Kaur tweeted on Saturday. Ageta village has a population of 750 people while Ranghera Khurd has 700 villagers. Asked about supply of essential commodities, Davinder Singh of Ranghera Khurd said most of villagers grow vegetables and have sufficient milk supply. "There is no much problem on this front and we are getting whatever essential supplies are required, said Singh. However, Baljinder Singh Ageta village sought help for daily wagers, saying they are facing hardships because of loss of jobs and poor financial condition. Punjab has reported total 38 coronavirus cases so far. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Americans with family members in immigration detention facilities, as well as their lawyers, are sounding the alarm and urging the release of nonviolent detainees with underlying health conditions amid the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 24, Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in a person held in an immigrant detention center. This is what public health experts have assured us would happen: People in detention centers are sitting ducks for the spread of this virus," Andrea Flores, deputy director of policy at the ACLU, said in a statement. "The same experts have also predicted that once outbreaks in detention centers begin, they will spread rapidly." In interviews with NBC News, families and attorneys expressed concerns for their clients and loved ones who are detained in ICE facilities. There are currently 37,000 people held in ICE detention facilities throughout the country. Maria Vasquez, from Houston, is concerned about her father, Roman Vasquez, 59, who is currently detained at the Montgomery Processing Center in Conroe, Texas - the same facility where an employee tested positive for the virus on Monday, according to a statement from the GEO Group that operates the facility. Roman Vasquez, a green card holder, has been in the facility since February after returning from a trip to Mexico to visit family. ICE declined to comment specifically on the Vasquez case, citing privacy concerns. Vasquezs daughter expressed her fears for her father, who suffers from chronic bronchitis and Type 2 diabetes and is currently in isolation with COVID-19-like symptoms, such as body aches, congestion, and difficulty breathing. Roman Vasquez, pictured here with his 11-year-old grandson Jacob, is being held in an ICE detention center in Conroe, Texas. (Courtesy Maria Vasquez) Im scared he probably has the virus and he doesnt know and they dont know how to treat it, Vasquez said. I strongly think my client has it. He just hasnt been tested, added the familys attorney, Armand Jawanmardi. Jawanmardi has tried to get Vasquez tested for COVID-19 but said that ICE denied his request. He also reached out to have Vasquezs case dropped, or at least have his April 14th trial date moved up. He said ICE denied these requests as well. ICE says it makes custody determinations on a case-by-case basis. Story continues Vasquez says she hopes the recent confirmed COVID-19 cases at the facility will strengthen her fathers chances of being freed. Im worried Im going to get a phone call one day and its not going to be a good one, she said. 'Like sitting ducks' Nearly 2,600 people in Washington have tested positive for coronavirus. The state was an early center for the virus, with a man in his 30s from Snohomish County being diagnosed as the countrys first positive case on Jan. 20. Michele Carney, an immigration attorney in Seattle, has been fighting to get several clients released from the Tacoma Northwest Detention Center. "They're really scared. They just feel like they're sitting ducks. They just think, 'When is this going to hit?'" Carney said in a phone interview. Migrants detained inside ICE detention facilities are housed in close proximity to one another, Carney said, so if one person contracts the coronavirus, the results could be disastrous for everyone housed and working in that facility. In response to concerns from advocates, family members and attorneys, the ACLU of Washington and the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project sued ICE on March 16. The lawsuit sought the release of nine detainees at the Tacoma Northwest Detention Center at high risk for serious illness or death if they contract the virus. Three days later, a federal district court ruled against the request. Matt Adams, the legal director for the Northwest Immigration Rights Project, said he strongly disagreed "with ICE's assertion that the harm is not imminent simply because the agency has not yet publicly confirmed any cases of COVID-19 at the NWDC." "I just hope our clients do not succumb to severe illness or death before we can procure their release, Adams said in a statement. ICE says it is working closely with the Department of Homeland Security and other federal, state and local agencies to keep migrants and its employees safe, according to official guidance released by the agency on its website. The agency said that its epidemiologists have been "tracking the outbreak, regularly updating infection prevention and control protocols, and issuing guidance to ICE Health Service Corps (IHSC) staff for the screening and management of potential exposure among detainees." While ICE has said it has the ability to isolate and treat migrants who contract COVID-19, Carney is not confident that the agency will be able to handle an outbreak inside its facilities. "ICE's response and the immigration courts response to critical issues has been slow. We've had to force them to make responses," Carney explained. 'He feels hopeless' One of Carneys clients, Tulio Cantarero Lemus, 44, has been detained for two years inside the Tacoma Northwest Detention Center. NBC News Social Newsgathering team spoke with Cantarero Lemus wife, Rosalia Machado-Orellana, who described what her husband is experiencing inside the facility. Tulio Cantarero Lemus, pictured here with his wife and three children, has been in ICE detention in Washington state for two years. (Courtesy Rosalia Machado-Orellana) He feels hopeless, Machado-Orellana said through a translator. She says her husband has lost 45 pounds and has high blood pressure, which puts him at a higher risk of serious illness or death if he contracts the virus. I dont believe he is protected, Machado-Orellana said. If he ends up catching something in there, I dont know if hell survive it. Carney had requested for Cantarero Lemus to be released, citing these health concerns, but said that ICE has denied the request. ICE declined to comment specifically on Cantarero Lemus' case, citing privacy concerns. Follow NBC Latino on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Kolkata, March 29 : The West Bengal government here on Saturday took a series of measures to prevent movement of migrant labourers. It asked the district administrations to arrange temporary shelters and food, and also directed employers to pay full wages on the due day, irrespective of the fact that their establishments were shut due to the nationwide lockdown. The order, issued by the state Chief Secretary, also warned of action against landlords evicting students and labourers, and directed them not to demand rent for one month. The order mandated strict surveillance and daily monitoring of migrants and foreign returnees, already under home/institutional quarantine. In case of violation, they would be moved to institution quarantine facilities for 14 days. "The people, who manage to move into the state in spite of these restrictions, shall be necessarily kept at the nearest government quarantine facility for a minimum period of 14 days as per the standard health protocol," the order said. Landlords are set to be legally forbidden from evicting their cash-strapped tenants under tough new coronavirus restrictions. Renters will be offered a moratorium on evictions, in a bid to deal with the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said a series of principles had been agreed at Sunday night's national cabinet. 'State and Territories will be moving to put a moratorium on evictions of persons as a result of financial distress if they are unable to meet their commitments and so there would be a moratorium on evictions for the next six months,' he told a press conference. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said a series of principles had been agreed at Sunday night's national cabinet Australia's confirmed coronavirus cases have been rising by the hour, with the majority of cases coming from New South Wales Further work is being done by federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and his state and territory counterparts on commercial tenancies. 'We will be engaging with business and landlords and banks over the next couple of days to seek to get even stronger provisions in place,' he said. But Mr Morrison underlined the need for landlords to work with their tenants and banks on solutions, which should start immediately. 'There is a lot of work to be done here and my message to tenants, particularly commercial tenants, it's a very straightforward one. We need you to sit down, talk to each other and work this out,' he said. Measures will be put in place to encourage agreements, as part of the idea of 'hibernating' businesses until the coronavirus crisis passes. 'There is no rule book for this. We are in unchartered territory,' Mr Morrison said. CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement 'But the goal should be shared and that is a business can reopen on the other side, not weighed down by excessive debts because of rental arrears, a landlord has a tenant so that they can continue into the future to be able to support the investments that they have made and banks have clients.' Mr Morrison has also effectively banned gatherings of more than two people across Australia to slow the spread of coronavirus. He said the meeting of state and federal leaders advised that no more than two people who didn't live together should be meeting at once. The two-person limit doesn't apply to workplaces, offices, schools and households. Playgrounds, skate parks, and outdoor gyms will also be closed and boot camps reduced to one-on-one outdoor personal training sessions. Australia has 3,980 cases, rising by the hour, but only a handful in intensive care units or on ventilators and 242 patients have recovered. Victoria recorded a big jump in cases overnight taking the state total to 769. NSW rose to 1,791 - well over double any other state. The country's cases across the board rose 340 by Sunday night. The Centre on Sunday asked state governments and Union Territory administrations to effectively seal state and district borders to stop movement of migrant workers during the nationwide lockdown and warned that those violating the curb will be sent to 14-day quarantine. During a video conference with chief secretaries and DGPs, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba and Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla asked them to ensure that there is no movement of people across cities or on highways as the lockdown continues. "There has been movement of migrant workers in some parts of the country. Directions were issued that district and state borders should be effectively sealed," an official statement said. States were directed to ensure that there is no movement of people across cities or on highways and there should be strict implementation of the lockdown. Only the movement of goods should be allowed. Those who have violated the lockdown and travelled during the period of lockdown will be subject to minimum 14 days of quarantine in government quarantine facilities, the statement said. District Magistrates and SPs should be made personally responsible for the implementation of these directions, it said. The two top central government officials told the chiefs of police and civil administrations of all states to make adequate arrangements for food and shelter for the poor and needy people including migrant labourers be made at the place of their work. The Cabinet secretary and home ministry officials are in constant touch with the State chief secretaries and the DGPs. Video conferences were held by the Cabinet Secretary and the Home secretary on Saturday evening as well as Sunday morning with the chief secretaries and the DGPs. "It was noted that, by and large, there has been effective implementation of the lockdown guidelines across all States and UTs. Essential supplies have also been maintained. Situation is being monitored round the clock and necessary measures are being taken as required," the statement said. The central government had on Saturday issued orders for the use of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) funds for this purpose. Sufficient funds are available with states in this head, it said. States have been also told to ensure timely payment of wages to labourers at their place of work during the period of lockdown without any cut. House rent should not be demanded from the labourers for this period. Action should be taken against those who are asking labourers or students to vacate the premises, the statement said. Detailed instructions on monitoring of such persons during quarantine have been issued to the states. It was impressed upon all the states that three weeks of strict enforcement is essential to contain the spread of coronavirus. This is in the interest of everyone, the statement said. A large number of migrant workers have left their work places in different parts of the country in last few days and walking down to their native places, hundreds of kilometres away facing hardships on the way. The migrant workers have no option but to walk as there is no transport available after the announcement of the nationwide lockdown by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday in a bid to combat the coronavirus outbreak. Seeing their plight, some state governments have made arrangements for their transport, accommodation and food of late. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Swedish Match AB (publ) (STO:SWMA) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next 4 days. If you purchase the stock on or after the 3rd of April, you won't be eligible to receive this dividend, when it is paid on the 9th of April. Swedish Match's next dividend payment will be kr12.50 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of kr12.50 to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Swedish Match has a trailing yield of 2.4% on the current stock price of SEK528.8. Dividends are an important source of income to many shareholders, but the health of the business is crucial to maintaining those dividends. So we need to investigate whether Swedish Match can afford its dividend, and if the dividend could grow. Check out our latest analysis for Swedish Match Dividends are typically paid from company earnings. If a company pays more in dividends than it earned in profit, then the dividend could be unsustainable. Swedish Match is paying out an acceptable 54% of its profit, a common payout level among most companies. Yet cash flows are even more important than profits for assessing a dividend, so we need to see if the company generated enough cash to pay its distribution. It distributed 41% of its free cash flow as dividends, a comfortable payout level for most companies. It's positive to see that Swedish Match's dividend is covered by both profits and cash flow, since this is generally a sign that the dividend is sustainable, and a lower payout ratio usually suggests a greater margin of safety before the dividend gets cut. Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends. OM:SWMA Historical Dividend Yield March 29th 2020 Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing? Businesses with strong growth prospects usually make the best dividend payers, because it's easier to grow dividends when earnings per share are improving. Investors love dividends, so if earnings fall and the dividend is reduced, expect a stock to be sold off heavily at the same time. For this reason, we're glad to see Swedish Match's earnings per share have risen 12% per annum over the last five years. Swedish Match is paying out a bit over half its earnings, which suggests the company is striking a balance between reinvesting in growth, and paying dividends. This is a reasonable combination that could hint at some further dividend increases in the future. Story continues Many investors will assess a company's dividend performance by evaluating how much the dividend payments have changed over time. Swedish Match has delivered an average of 12% per year annual increase in its dividend, based on the past ten years of dividend payments. It's exciting to see that both earnings and dividends per share have grown rapidly over the past few years. The Bottom Line Is Swedish Match an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? Swedish Match's growing earnings per share and conservative payout ratios make for a decent combination. We also like that it paid out a lower percentage of its cash flow. There's a lot to like about Swedish Match, and we would prioritise taking a closer look at it. On that note, you'll want to research what risks Swedish Match is facing. Case in point: We've spotted 1 warning sign for Swedish Match you should be aware of. We wouldn't recommend just buying the first dividend stock you see, though. Here's a list of interesting dividend stocks with a greater than 2% yield and an upcoming dividend. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. Hyderabad: In order to provide vegetables at the doorstep that too at prices fixed by the State government, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), in coordination with Agriculture and Marketing departments, has set up 177 mobile rythu bazaars at various locations in the city. The mobile rythu bazars will move around 331 locations, including gated communities, apartments and colonies at designated timings. The agriculture department will coordinate with farmers while the marketing department will fix the prices and provide transportation to all 150 divisions in Hyderabad with the help of civic body. Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Mayor Bonthu Rammohan said that vegetables with reach the city at four centralised Distribution Centres (DC) like Shameerpet and LB Nagar, from where the vegetables will be further distributed to 150 wards at designated timing and places. Rammohan said that it would not only streamline vegetable prices but also avoid huge crowds at the markets. Covid 19 guidelines mandate social distancing. He said each DC can handle around 27,000 metric tonnes of fresh fruit and vegetables and there will be no question of any shortage. This concept will function like Mana Ooru Mana Kuragayalu launched by the Telangana government six years ago. He appealed to the citizens not to fall prey to black-marketers and hoarders, who are selling essential commodities at exorbitant prices during the lockdown period. The Mayor stressed that people can immediately complain to the local police if vendors hike prices and warned of stringent action against those found guilty of selling at higher prices. Commissioner's office of Chinese foreign ministry in HK urges Human Rights Watch not to go further down wrong path HONG KONG, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Saturday slammed Human Rights Watch for grossly interfering with the HKSAR's judicial independence, urging the foreign non-governmental organization not to go further down the wrong path. The spokesperson of the commissioner's office has firmly opposed and condemned the unwarranted remarks by Human Rights Watch that the Hong Kong police's legal action against a district councilor suspected of violating the law is "political persecution" and that the case should be immediately dropped, the commissioner's office said in a statement. Hong Kong is governed by the rule of law, said the spokesperson, where no one is above the law, still less at liberty to knowingly break the law. By openly condoning doxxing and incitement to violence and hatred under the pretext of human rights, Human Rights Watch has made a travesty of human rights, trampled the rule of law, and grossly interfered with the HKSAR's judicial independence, said the spokesperson. The spokesperson pointed out that Human Rights Watch has a track record for meddling with Hong Kong affairs and played a disgraceful role in the unrest last year. "In total disregard of the facts and the law, it whitewashed the extremists' outrageous violence as peaceful and rational demonstrations, and smeared the Hong Kong police's restrained law enforcement efforts as excessive use of force." "It even sent members to join the street rioters, cheered the latter on and acted as their accomplice by hampering the police's performance of duty," said the spokesperson. "Therefore, it should shoulder a good part of the blame for the rampant violence in Hong Kong." The spokesperson emphasized that "all Chinese people, including our Hong Kong compatriots, will never allow Human Rights Watch and other anti-China organizations to run amok on China's land, or to sow trouble by exploiting Hong Kong affairs". "If Human Rights Watch insists on going further down the wrong path, it will find itself on the opposite side of the Chinese people, including our compatriots in Hong Kong," warned the spokesperson. US fintech firm Plaid has said it sees a big opportunity in Ireland as Covid-19 fears continue to push innovations around contactless payments and other parts of the financial sector. But the company, which was bought by Visa for $5.3bn (4.8bn) last November and which enables fintech developers to connect their services more readily to banks, warned that Irish regulators must ensure the company can keep pace with innovation in the industry. The deal with Visa is awaiting final regulatory approval but Keith Grose, Plaid's international lead in Europe, said that it would greatly increase the firm's ability to expand in markets such as Ireland. Already, Plaid's technology is used by up to 80pc of fintechs in the US and it is now looking to replicate that success among the growing cluster of Irish fintech companies. He said: "Ireland has got a great fintech ecosystem. You have Silicon Docks and you have homegrown heroes with the likes of the Collison brothers and Stripe. Plaid wants to be part of that and help continue the growth of the tech ecosystem." Grose said the aim of the company was to partner directly with Irish startups and that, after the UK, Ireland had been its key European target market. He said: "In Ireland, we can not only help the fintech ecosystem grow, but we can help support a wide range of Irish startups as well. We are already proven to be a critical piece of the US infrastructure, as folks move from traditional paper-based banking connections to open banking." The company supports businesses in the US, the UK, Ireland and France, with further expansion expected. "Through a single integration, if you're building a fintech app, as a developer, you can access standardised data and enable users to use your service across a whole range of geographies. It makes it easy for developers and a valuable infrastructure service." The move toward more open banking with the EU's new Payment Services Directive has at times been faltering in Ireland, according to critics in the industry. Grose said that although it has not fallen behind other EU countries in this regard, it is behind the UK. He added: "The longer it takes to really build a solid, open banking ecosystem, the more risk there is that innovators in that space will go elsewhere. We're still in the early stages of open banking as a movement in Europe and so I don't think it's too late for that by any means. "But I do think it is an important time to make sure that what you're doing is investing in the building blocks that will help innovators." That would ultimately bring benefits for end users and the wider economy, he said. "There is a chance that innovators are going to turn elsewhere so I would encourage the CBI [Central Bank of Ireland] to work more closely with banks. But I don't think it's too late for them to do that," said Grose. The coronavirus is capable of attacking key cells in the nose, which may explain the unusual finding that some Covid-19 sufferers lose their ability to smell and taste, Harvard Medical School researchers found. Their study of human and mice genomic data found certain cells at the back of the nose harbor the distinctly shaped proteins that the coronavirus targets to invade the body. Infection of these cells could directly or indirectly lead to an altered sense of smell, they said in a paper published Saturday. Doctors around the world are reporting anecdotal Covid-19 cases in which patients have experienced an abrupt and unexplained total or partial loss of smell and taste. The conditions, known medically as anosmia and dysgeusia, respectively, are significant symptoms" associated with the pandemic, the American Academy of Otolaryngology, or head and neck surgery, said on March 22. The group, based in Alexandria, Virginia, proposes that these symptoms be added to the list of screening tools for possible Covid-19 infection. People experiencing the symptoms in the absence of other known causes should consider self-isolation and get tested, the group said. Inflammation in the nasal cavity triggered by the pandemic-causing infection may hinder the sense of smell, David Brann and Sandeep Robert Datta of the Harvard Medical Schools neurobiology department said. But its also possible the virus infects and damages cells in the nasal epithelium required for normal olfactory function. Uncovering the cause of the sensory loss has important implications to support diagnosis and determine the effects of the disease, the researchers said. Furthermore, patients with persistent olfactory dysfunction are at risk of nutritional deficits, of injury due to the inability to smell danger odors like smoke, gas and spoiled foods, and of developing psychiatric disorders, particularly depression," they said. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics Several months before the coronavirus pandemic began, during President Trumps attempt to purge all that was associated with the Obama administration, eliminated a key American public health position in Beijing intended to help detect disease outbreaks in China. The American disease expert, a medical epidemiologist embedded in Chinas disease control agency, was forced on orders from the White House to leave her post in July. She was, therefore, not there as the first cases of the new coronavirus emerged as early as November to send warnings to the CDC and the White House that a potentially deadly virus has been detected. The Trump administration, instead of recognizing the fubar in February, chastised China for censoring information about the outbreak and keeping U.S. experts from entering the country to help. Bao-Ping Zhu, a Chinese American, served in that role, which was funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, between 2007 and 2011. It was heartbreaking to watch If someone had been there, public health officials and governments across the world could have moved much faster. Zhu and the other sources point out that Dr. Linda Quick was a trainer of Chinese field epidemiologists who were deployed to the epicenter of outbreaks to help track, investigate, and contain diseases. As an American CDC employee, they insist Quick was in an ideal position to be the eyes and ears on the ground for the United States and other countries on the coronavirus outbreak and might have alerted them to the growing threat weeks earlier. The withdrawal of Dr. Quick from Beijing left no other foreign disease experts embedded after she was removed in July. Zhu said its a fact that an embedded expert can often get word of outbreaks early, after forming close relationships with Chinese counterparts. Zhu and other experts insist Quick could have provided real-time information to the U.S. and other officials around the world during the first weeks of the outbreak when they said the Chinese government tamped down on the release of information and provided erroneous assessments. Quicks departure may have nothing to do with health policy or streamlining the protection of the American people from a health crisis. According to many health experts and political scientists left, the decision to withdraw here was made as part of the bitter U.S. trade dispute with China. The U.S. Field Epidemiology Training Program in China was discontinued in September, the sources said. The United States CDC said it first learned of a cluster of 27 cases of pneumonia of unexplained origin in Wuhan, China, on December 31, 2019. Since then, the outbreak of the disease known as COVID-19 has spread rapidly worldwide, killing 31,000 people, infecting more than 678,900 of whom only 147,000 have recovered. The epidemic has overwhelmed healthcare systems in Italy and Spain and threatens to do so in the United States and elsewhere. In a statement to Reuters, the United States CDC said the elimination of the adviser position did not hinder Washingtons ability to get information and had absolutely nothing to do with CDC not learning of cases in China earlier. However, the CDC has refused repeated requests to make Quick, who still works for the agency, available for comment. Scott McNabb, who was a CDC epidemiologist for 20 years and is now a research professor at Emory University, was quoted as saying about this issue In the end, based on circumstances in China, it probably wouldnt have had made a big difference the problem was how the Chinese handled it. What should have changed was the Chinese should have acknowledged it earlier and didnt. U.S. slashed CDC staff inside China prior to the outbreak Its not every day you hear an elected official use the phrase has haunted me in their discussion with the media. Its also not every day that the elected official -- less than three months into the job -- is dealt a hand that impacts a community as much as the coronavirus pandemic. But Midland Mayor Patrick Payton said haunted is exactly the feeling that confronted him when hearing a very blunt question from a health-care professional. It made such an impact that he added it to the script at a Unified Command Team press conference last week. I want to continue on a bit of a sobering note and just relate to you a question that was asked to me by a health-care professional. And its a question that has haunted me, Payton said. The question was, How many people have to get sick and die before we take this seriously? A conversation has taken place in the community over the last week between inspired physicians and Payton. One week ago, more than 50-plus doctors offered their take where they believed the mayors disaster declaration could have done more to protect residents. This week, a group of more than 80 physicians -- under the branding Protect our Frontline -- West Texas Healthcare Workers Battling Covid-19, are speaking out again, not so much to government officials, but more to Midland residents. An opinion piece in todays Viewpoints section offers the following: As a group of local concerned physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, paramedics/fire fighters, respiratory therapists and other health-care workers we implore you to STAY AT HOME. Please be more aggressive in your social distancing, to decrease transmission of COVID-19 in West Texas. Do not wait on these directions from governments. Please listen to those of us who take care of you and will take care of you when and if you get sick. Instructions include the social distancing we have heard before: staying 6 feet away from others in public settings, sending only one family member to the store at one time, not gathering with anyone other than your immediate family and going to the emergency room only for life-threatening emergencies. We have sat down and talked about things we can do, Payton said about the Protect the Frontline group. We've talked about how we can meet between the things that we're trying to do and the things we're trying to accomplish. And so it's been a very productive conversation. I appreciate that they really helped us get the message out there as well. Paytons directions for Midland has evolved around two points. First, personal responsibility, not bigger government, will get residents through the pandemic with the least amount of impact. Second, those communities that have put in place shelter-in-place policies that have so many exceptions that they are no better than Gov. Greg Abbotts executive order from two weeks ago are no better than where Midland is right now. Other factors that play into what restrictions are best for community safety include enforceability and the costs more restrictions would have on businesses already hammered by some of the lowest oil prices in more than a decade and a health crisis unlike any seen in about a century. But it seems the constant message from physicians and Payton alike revolves around importance -- and frankly the requirement -- of doing the right thing. The reality is, no matter what we do at the government level, whether it is local, its municipal, its federal or state, we as citizens, as free citizens -- as (County Judge Terry Johnson) said, you cherish our freedom and our liberty -- are actually not using our freedom well if we are not looking at the bigger picture and serving each other by staying home, staying in place, taking care of yourself and not being where you do not have to be. So, Im asking all of us: How sick do people have to get, how many deaths do we have to have before we all decide, yes, this is serious? And it will be less serious here than it has in the rest of the country, if we will practice the self-sacrifice to stay where we need to stay, which is staying at home and not getting out and being in places that are unnecessary. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 09:36:26|Editor: Xiaoxia Video Player Close ISTANBUL, March 28 (Xinhua) -- COVID-19-hit countries should "learn from China" as the pandemic has been tightening its grip on the world, said Ahu Ozyurt, a famous Turkish journalist. Given that the European Union is facing a big test, "there are lots of lessons they could learn from China," said Ozyurt, who has more than 440,000 followers on Twitter. "China's discipline in the fight against this virus and its ability to generate new ideas should be discussed more," she added. Many countries, such as Italy and Spain, have learnt valuable experience from China, Ozyurt noted, saying that Beijing could share more on how to curb the spread of the virus step by step. More than 30,000 COVID-19 deaths have been reported worldwide, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE). As of 3:30 p.m. Saturday (1930 GMT), there were more than 649,000 confirmed cases globally, with 30,249 deaths, an interactive map maintained by the CSSE showed. Medical professionals among the 33 NSW Police said ignored quarantine orders say they followed all instructions from law enforcement. Two specialists, who arrived as part of the larger group of 77 Australian doctors returning to Sydney on a chartered flight from Chile and remain in quarantine, said they followed lawful direction at every point. People arriving from overseas were met by police officers at Sydney Airport on Sunday morning. Credit:Edwina Pickles A NSW Police spokesperson said on Saturday officers assisted with health screening and NSW Health told a number of passengers to go into quarantine at designated hotels in Sydney. When police returned a short time later to serve public health orders, they found 33 of the quarantined passengers had left. Dr Glen Lo said they spent five or so hours at Sydney airport after their arrival, and he felt there was some confusion and misunderstanding between Border Force, NSW Police, and NSW Health. An Indian migrant worker's family is silhouetted as they make the journey to their village by foot, following a coronavirus lockdown in New Delhi, India on March 28, 2020. Authorities sent a fleet of buses to the outskirts of New Delhi to meet an exodus of migrant workers desperately trying to reach their home villages during the world's largest coronavirus lockdown. Thousands of people, mostly young male day laborers but also families, fled their New Delhi homes after prime minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-day lockdown that began on Wednesday and effectively put millions of Indians who live off daily earnings out of work. (AP) Why is India in lockdown? Our economy has come to a halt and there are predictions that gross domestic product may contract by as much as five per cent because of this loss of production. Clearly, there is a good and strong reason for us to all stay at home. But what is that reason? The famous Johns Hopkins Universitys Centre for Disease Dynamics, Economics and Policy has released a study predicting the spread of coronavirus in India. It has examined three possible scenarios. High the trajectory with current lockdowns but insufficient physical distancing or compliance. Medium Most likely scenario with moderate to full compliance but no change in virulence or temperature/humidity sensitivity. Low Optimistic scenario with decreased virulence and temperature/humidity sensitivity. Under low or the optimistic scenario, the Centre predicts that by June a total of 12 crore Indians will be infected and of these 11 lakh will be hospitalised. Of course India has only 70,000 ICU beds and only 40,000 ventilators so most of these people will not receive treatment. The medium (most likely) scenario has 18 crore people infected and 18 lakh in hospital and the high predicts 25 crore and 25 lakh. These are numbers we cannot manage, even in the low numbers scenario. Does the government agree with these scenarios? And if not, does it have alternative scenarios? We do not know. So the question, to repeat it, is, why is India in lockdown? The answer cannot be that we will beat the disease at the end of the 21 days. Even in China the disease hasnt completely gone. And the answer cannot be that it is to halt the spread because the spread is going to happen anyway. The only possible reason is that the lockdown will slow the spread. But then what? The answer to that is not known because nothing has been discussed with us other than the lockdown. The confusion is compounded because it appears that India appears to be in some way immune to the spread in the way that it has happened in other nations. New York is being devastated by it and even the British prime minister is infected. So whats going on in India? To understand that we must know that we really have no idea how many people in India are infected. Total tests done till date are for the United States 5.5 lakh, Germany 4.5 lakh, Korea and Italy 3.5 lakh. India has tested 27000. We have tested as many people as The Netherlands, which has a population of less than Delhi. The Netherlands has 8,000 positive cases, 10 times more than India. Andhra Pradesh has so far tested only 384 people. Spain, which has a population of less than Andhra Pradesh has tested 3.5 lakh people. The fact is that our real positive numbers are hidden, the only question is by how many. All of South Asia is returning low numbers of coronavirus positive cases. Pakistan has the most but only 1,200. India has 800, Bangladesh 44, Sri Lanka 106, Bhutan and Nepal three each and Maldives 13. Within this low testing space in India some states are testing more than others. Many of Indias positive cases have come from Kerala, but Kerala is testing much more than other states. Till March 24, it had tested 4,500 people, but Maharashtra which had 24 more positive cases at that time only had tested 1,000 people. Doesnt mean that Kerala has more infected people; only that it has identified more than other states. So why are we not testing more? A report in the web publication, Scroll, which spoke to several state governments, explained that it was not an issue of a lack of kits, but a lack of laboratories. Many states dont have a single lab to test. Nagaland, for instance, needs to send samples to Assam. The second reason was that people were backing out of testing from private labs after realising that the home test would involve nurses coming in protective gear to their doorstep. They did not want to be stigmatised by their neighbours and so cancelled the test. The private test is Rs 4,500 and after learning that they would have to pay and it was not free, other people would also back out. Many labs also think that it is too much work for such little money, and they do not have the protective gear and they dont want to put their staff in danger. The lockdown has also made it difficult for the private labs to get around. All of these have contributed to our low numbers and as the days go by we will learn that despite the lockdown, the numbers of infected are growing exponentially. What happens after that? This can only be answered if we know what the lockdown is meant for. As the last few days have shown there appears to be no plan even at the very beginning of the lockdown for the lakhs of people who are walking across India with no water, food or money. What will happen when the state apparatus needs to act beyond its capacity to cater to lakhs and crores of infected? Unfortunately that is not a hypothetical question. We will learn the answer very soon. Lord mayor-elect Adrian Schrinner says Brisbane City Council will join an inquiry into the election night technical problems that irritated thousands as technical glitches slowed results to a trickle. He said Brisbane ratepayers gave $7 million to the Electoral Commission of Queensland to run the elections, which were roundly criticised for the delayed display of results on the commission's website. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Sunday morning asked Attorney General Yvette D'Ath to investigate problems at the ECQ. Cr Schrinner supported the referral on Sunday afternoon as he made handing down the council budget a top priority and noted a "strong showing" from the Greens, who remained in the hunt in several wards. Shopping card with boxes labelled REITs, ETFs, Bonds, Stocks Its a very interesting time for new investors to get into the stock market. We just experienced a flash crash followed by a flash bounce all in the last month or so. But many stocks are still cheap! Stocks are volatile even more so lately! You may be keen to put your money in the stock market now after hearing success stories of regular folks experiencing stock appreciation of 10-50% in a day. Heck, even the big Canadian bank stocks like Royal Bank of Canada and Bank of Montreal experienced crazy days recently. Keep in mind that stocks can experience massive percentages of draw-downs as well. Before you get scared away from this rare market behaviour, heres a more balanced perspective of stock investing. In normal markets, stocks typically go up or down 1-3%. How to ensure you profit from the stock market More important, rather than thinking about trading in and out stocks swiftly to make quick money, the idea of partnering with wonderful businesses for the long haul may actually appeal to you more. Many investors, including Warren Buffett, have become rich permanently using the buy and hold strategy. Along that line of thought, you need to have high confidence in the underlying businesses of the stocks that youre buying. Otherwise, youd have trouble holding them when they bob up and down +/-10% in a day. Stock returns are composed of price appreciation and dividends. If you buy stocks that offer safe dividends, youll build an awesome passive income stream. Therefore, new investors will probably find it easier to begin their investing journeys with dividend stocks. As long as the businesses you buy increase their profits over time, price appreciation will eventually follow. Profit growth of the businesses and the valuation you pay for the stocks can boost price appreciation. Specifically, you want to buy stocks at lower prices than what theyre worth. That comes with analyzing businesses and determining how much cash flow theyll produce in the future. Story continues Without getting into any complex concepts, Ill simply introduce well-valued dividend stocks of businesses that may appeal to new investors. Dividend stocks for new investors Restaurant Brands International is the parent company of Burger King, Tim Hortons, and Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen. The stock has been hit hard by the coronavirus-triggered market crash because many of its stores have been shut down to slow down the spread of the virus. Its 2020 earnings will be greatly impacted. Its stock therefore trades at its most attractive valuation since inception. At about $61 per share at writing, it trades at just 16.5 times earnings, while long-term earnings growth of about 9% is expected. The stock also offers a nice yield of 4.4%. SmartCentres REIT is another dividend stock you can consider. It is the landlord of many Walmart locations in Canada. The retail REIT stock has had a huge draw-down due to the coronavirus. Many shops are closed or are operating at limited capacities. If its tenants cant pay rent, like any other REIT, SmartCentres may have trouble servicing its debt and paying cash distributions in the short run. However, SmartCentres has a strong track record of dividend payments. It has maintained or increased its cash distribution for the last 14 years. Its recent payout ratio of 80% was also relatively conservative. As long as the REIT can survive this year, itll be able to deliver hefty returns from a purchase today. At writing, the REIT yields 9.5%. The Foolish bottom line In a bear market (like the one were experiencing now), its the best time for new investors to invest. Youll be paying low prices for businesses that should be worth much more! However, you need to be absolutely choosy about the stocks youre buying. You must be confident about the underlying businesses, and you must have a long-term investment horizon (ideally at least three to five years) to allow for the recovery of the economy and stock prices. The post New Investors: How to Choose Your First Stocks appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada. More reading Fool contributor Kay Ng owns shares of Restaurant Brands International and Royal Bank of Canada. The Motley Fool recommends RESTAURANT BRANDS INTERNATIONAL INC. The Motley Fools purpose is to help the world invest, better. Click here now for your free subscription to Take Stock, The Motley Fool Canadas free investing newsletter. Packed with stock ideas and investing advice, it is essential reading for anyone looking to build and grow their wealth in the years ahead. Motley Fool Canada 2020 Go climb a tree! So goes the idiom. The families and villagers of seven migrant labourers returning home to Balarampur village in West Bengal's Purulia district told them just that, literally. Taking the coronavirus outbreak and the media campaign about social distancing seriously, the villagers asked these men to make trees their home during the self-quarantine. According to local MLA, Shantiram Mahato, the labourers had returned last Friday and were advised self- quarantine for 14 days as a precaution against COVID-19. "As they did not have enough space in their homes to maintain social distancing, it was decided they will live on trees for the time being," he said. Cots were arranged which they tied to the branches and plastic sheets were placed over them to protect them from rain. A separate space was marked for them outside the village where they could relieve themselves, bathe and wash clothes, a member of the local panchayat said. They would climb down the trees thrice daily to have meals, and for answering natures call. Blankets and clothes were provided by us, Bijoy Singh Laha, whose brother was among them, said. He said after the seven returned from Chennai, doctors advised them to stay under home-quarantine for 14 days and follow social distancing. Since their houses had few rooms, the villagers hit upon the idea that they take shelter on trees. However, as social media got abuzz with their photos and videos, the local administration stepped in and shifted them to a quarantine facility on Saturday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Even though the government is spending more than 1m returning British travellers from Peru, some UK citizens say they are being left behind. The Foreign Office has laid on a total of four flights from Lima to London, with additional connecting domestic flights from the tourist hubs of Arequipa and Cusco to the Peruvian capital. They have been told: On arrival in Lima you will remain on the aircraft until the UK charter is ready for boarding you will not be allowed to disembark the aircraft. But some British backpackers are under lockdown in a hostel in Cusco with 140 others after a guest tested positive for coronavirus. They have no way of reaching the buses that are supposed to take them to the airport. Sian Forkan, whose Twitter profile describes her as Mancunian currently trying to get home from Peru, tweeted: We received an email to say we can get on the flight tomorrow, great news! BUT no reference on how we get out of Pariwana hostel which is currently on full lockdown, with the army on the door. Later she tweeted Kate Harrisson, the UK ambassador in Lima, saying: It would be great if you could reach out personally to those UK nationals that are stuck in Pariwana Hostel with now no hope of getting on the repatriation flights. We were told 5 hours before we were due to leave after receiving the email today. Now told were here indefinitely. Buses were laid on overnight from the cities of Huaraz, Trujillo, La Libertad and Huanchaco to Lima for the flights, which are expected to depart late on Sunday. Ms Harrisson said on Saturday night: We expect that the majority, though not all, seats on tomorrows flight to London will be taken up by passengers from Cusco. The two London flights on Monday will include passengers from Cusco, Arequipa and Lima. Ireland has also chartered a British Airways flight leaving Lima tomorrow and some British nationals including some of those arriving to Lima by bus will be boarding that additional flight. A Foreign Office spokesperson said: The British embassy will continue to provide consular support to any British nationals who remain in Peru and require assistance. We are in close contact with travel operators and local authorities. The cost of the four international flights from Lima and three domestic charters is believed to total around 1.2m, with passengers expected to pay 250 per person once they return home. Thousands of other UK citizens are stranded in other countries with a large concentration in India, which has banned all flights. The foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, is expected to announce additional repatriation flights early next week. New Delhi, March 29 : US President Donald Trump is considering a quarantine on New York and surrounding areas of New Jersey and Connecticut as coronavirus cases continue to jump, making these areas the worst affected in the US. "I am giving consideration to a QUARANTINE of developing 'hot spots', New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. A decision will be made, one way or another, shortly," Trump tweeted on Saturday. "We'd like to see [it] quarantined because it's a hotspot. I'm thinking about that," Trump said. New York has the largest number of Covid-19 positive cases in the US with more than 52,000 cases and over 700 deaths. "We might not have to do it, but there's a possibility that sometime today we'll do a quarantine, short-term, two weeks on New York. Probably New Jersey, certain parts of Connecticut," Trump said. The US President said that the possible quarantine would be "enforceable" and "restrict travel" from those parts of the tri-state area. However, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said that he has not discussed such a move with Trump. "I don't even know what that means. I don't know how that could be legally enforceable," Cuomo said. "I didn't speak to him about any quarantine," he told reporters. Centre has instructed states to strictly enforce the lockdown by sealing their borders to movement of people in view of the exodus of the migrant workforce from different states. The government also announced strict enforcement of several other measures to deal with the humanitarian crisis. Senior home ministry official said in the view of the movement of migrant workers seen over the last few days states and UTs have been strictly instructed to seal the state and district borders effectively and to only allow the movement of essential goods and not of people. She said the home ministry had issued a notice in this regard. States and UTs have been instructed to effectively seal the borders of states and districts to prevent the movement of people. Only movement of goods is allowed, said Punya Salila Shrivastava, joint secretary, ministry of home affairs. She, however, added that the migrant labourers who had already left their workplaces and were on their way home, will be allowed to reach their destinations, where they will be quarantined for a period of 14-days as per the existing protocol. The state governments have been asked for strict enforcement of these directions. She added that the district officials including the district magistrates, deputy commissioners, police chiefs will be personally held responsible for implementation. Click Here for Latest Reports on Coronavirus Shrivastava said instructions to implement the following steps have been issued to states and UTs. 1. Provision of food and shelter for stranded migrants using the fund made available to state disaster response funds of different states and UTs 2. Mandatory two week quarantine for migrant labourers who have already left for their homes. 3. To ensure that all employers pay full wages for the shutdown period to workers at their workplace. 4. To ensure that the workers are not asked for a months rent or asked to vacate the tenements by their landlords. The fresh directives have been issued to states after similar requests were made by home minister Amit Shah on Friday. On Saturday, a sea of migrant labourers was seen at the two interstate bus depots on Delhi-UP border, struggling to catch a ride home. The scenes sparked fears that the movement could prove counter-productive to the lockdown measures and social distancing efforts, crucial to prevent the progress of Sars-Cov-2 into stage3- the community transmissions phase. Coronavirus Live Updates The migrants are being ferried to their destinations in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar by buses arranged by Yogi Adtiyanath government. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex react after their visit to Canada House in thanks for the warm Canadian hospitality and support they received during their recent stay in Canada, on January 7, 2020 in London, England. President Donald Trump said Saturday that the United States won't pay for security detail for Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle, who reportedly moved from Canada to Los Angeles. The president tweeted that he's "a great friend and admirer" of Queen Elizabeth and the United Kingdom. "It was reported that Harry and Meghan, who left the Kingdom, would reside permanently in Canada," President Trump tweeted. "Now they have left Canada for the U.S. however, the U.S. will not pay for their security protection. They must pay!" In a statement, a spokesperson for the couple said that they have "no plans to ask the U.S. government for security resources," and have arranged for private security detail, according to the Evening Standard. Trump tweet In January, Prince Harry and Markle announced that they would step back from their Royal duties, meaning they would no longer receive public funds from the Sovereign Grant, the monarchy's annual funding mechanism. The couple said they planned to split time between North America and the United Kingdom. "This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity," they said in a statement on Instagram. Prince Harry and Markle began visiting Canada in November 2019. But on Feb. 27, after the announcement of their departure, a spokesperson for the Canadian government said they would not be funding security detail for the couple. "As the Duke and Duchess are currently recognized as Internationally Protected Persons, Canada has an obligation to provide security assistance on an as-needed basis," the statement to Canadian Broadcast Corporation said. "At the request of the Metropolitan Police, the RCMP has been providing assistance to the Met since the arrival of the Duke and Duchess to Canada intermittently since November 2019. The assistance will cease in the coming weeks, in keeping with their change in status." On Friday, the British newspaper The Sun reported that the couple had moved to Los Angeles, where Markle was raised. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 29) A soldier was killed in an encounter between the military and the communist New Peoples Army on Saturday at Sitio Malasya Uyungan in Barangay Puray, Rodriguez, Rizal, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief Felimon Santos Jr. reported. Santos said at least one communist rebel was killed, while two others were hurt in the firefight, which supposedly broke out when 30 NPA guerrillas attacked government troops from the 2nd Infantry Division who were in the area for community work. He added that government troops were able to seize one M16 rifle, a grenade and a rifle grenade. The attack, Santos said, turns out to be the NPA's futile attempt to project relevance and power, among the many delusions of Jose Maria Sison. They were planning to celebrate their anniversary on March 29 with a bang. He also contended that this exposed the communist rebels declaration of a unilateral ceasefire amid the COVID-19 pandemic as exploitative. This armed attack by the NPA against our soldiers exposes the insincerity of the former in declaring a ceasefire as well as their blatant disregard of the welfare of the Filipino people they claim to fight for, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a statement. Communist rebels declared a unilateral ceasefire with the government lasting from March 19 to April 15 in concession to the UNs call for a temporary end to hostilities as the world faces the threat of COVID-19. President Rodrigo Duterte earlier ordered government forces to stop offensive operations against armed communist rebels from March 19 to April 15 so the state can focus on efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19, which has so far infected 1,075 and killed 68. The NPA, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, marked Sunday its 51st anniversary, with the rebel party telling it to mobilize its troops to contain the spread of COVID-19 through a public health campaign. Duterte walked away from peace talks with communist rebels in 2017 as both sides accused each other of ceasefire violations. The two sides have been considering returning to the negotiating table, but Duterte and CPP founding chair Jose Maria Sison could not agree on contentious issues, including the venue for the meetings. The NPA has waged a five-decade armed insurgency, the longest running in Asia. CNN Philippines David Santos and Triciah Terada contributed to this report. Prince Charles has urged followers to be mindful of their carbon footprint as he isolates in Scotland after testing positive for coronavirus. The Prince of Wales, 71, has a 'mild' form of the illness and is on the Balmoral estate with his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, who has tested negative and is without any symptoms of the virus. Charles, who is continuing to work from home, shared his passion for wildlife and the environmental issues with a throwback of his work with conservation in a post shared to the Clarence House Instagram account last night. Explaining that he has been President of the WWF UK for almost a decade, he paid tribute to his father Prince Philip, 98, who was the first President of WWF-UK from its foundation in 1961 to 1982. Prince Charles, 71, who is continuing to work from home in Scotland, shared his passion for wildlife and the environmental issues with a throwback of his work with conservation in a post shared to the Clarence House Instagram account last night (seen in the South Atlantic in 1999) The Prince of Wales holds a Green Sea turtle during a visit to Lady Elliot's Island in Australia in 2018 Charles shared a picture as he visited penguins during a visit to Sea lion Island close to the Falkland Island's in the South Atlantic in 1999. Another snap in the collage shows a young Charles admiring the rain forest at the Korup National Park on the last day of his visit to Cameroon in 1990. Elsewhere he is seen during a visit to Semenggoh Wildlife Centre in Malaysia, a rehabilitation centre for orangutans found injured in the wild or rescued from captivity in 2017. Elsewhere he holds an Ecuadorian stream tree frog, species named 'Hyloscirtus princecharlesi' in honour of the Prince's support to conservation and environmental campaign in 2005. Another snap in the collage shows a young Charles admiring the rain forest at the Korup National Park on the last day of his visit to Cameroon in 1990 The caption reads: 'Get involved with from home tonight at 8.30pm. 'The Prince of Wales has been President of the WWF UK since 2011. 'His Royal Highness father, The Duke of Edinburgh, President Emeritus of WWF International, was the first President of WWF-UK from its foundation in 1961 to 1982.' A link to the WWF encourages people to raise awareness for a 'Earth Hour', a global environmental movement to stop the destruction of nature, which saw people across the globe switching off their lights for an hour at 8:30pm last night. Charles tested positive for Covid-19 and is self-isolating at the Balmoral estate in Scotland. Charles's doctor believes the royal may have been contagious from March 13 at the earliest - just 24 hours after he last saw his 93-year-old mother the Queen, who is in self-isolation at Windsor Castle with Prince Philip, 98. His team have been informing anyone who met or came close to him while he was contagious - and those people are expected to go into self-isolation if they haven't already, according to the Telegraph. The Prince of Wales feeding an orangutan during a visit to the Sarawak Semenggoh Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre in Kuching, Malaysia Prince of Wales looks through binoculars during a visit to Semenggoh Wildlife Centre, a rehabilitation centre for orangutans found injured in the wild or rescued from captivity on November 6, 2017 NHS Scotland's Chief Medical Officer Dr Catherine Calderwood defended the decision to test the Charles and Camilla, who tested negative, saying there were 'very good reasons' but she couldn't disclose them because of patient confidentiality. But Clarence House refused to comment on the Prince of Wales's health after Dr Calderwood appeared to hint Charles and Camilla might have underlying medical conditions that made a coronavirus test necessary. A source said it was still 'business as usual' for Charles, adding: 'The general plan is the prince will continue maintaining a diary of work but it will be done through telephone calls and digital conferencing. 'He is likely to focus on core areas - his Sustainable Markets Council work for the environment, his Prince's Foundation and Prince's Trust work.' Warring parties in Syria must stop fighting to avoid further catastrophe, UN investigators said on Saturday, as the first cases of the COVID-19 epidemic are recorded in a country already torn apart by nine years of war. The UN fears large numbers of preventable deaths may follow although Damascus has reported only five cases of the novel coronavirus so far. Syrian civilians now face a deadly threat in the form of the COVID-19 outbreak, one that will strike without distinction and that will be devastating for the most vulnerable in the absence of urgent preventative action, said Paulo Pinheiro, chair of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria. The parties must heed calls for a ceasefire or face a looming tragedy, Pinheiro said, adding: Anything short of that will likely condemn large numbers of civilians to preventable deaths.- The conflict has left more than 380,00 dead and the World Health Organization says Syrias health system has been acutely weakened. Just 64 percent of hospitals and 52 percent of primary healthcare centres that existed before 2011 are functioning, and 70 percent of the countrys health workers have left. The commission noted that much of this situation is a result of pro-Government forces systematically targeting medical facilities. Nurses, doctors and medical volunteers have been attacked, detained and disappeared by parties to the conflict, the statement said. All attacks on medical providers, facilities, hospitals, and first responders must cease immediately. The 6.5 million displaced Syrians still living in the country are particularly threatened by the spread of the virus, including one million mainly women and children in the camps of Idlib province along the Turkish border. The camps offer limited access to water in a region where dozens of hospitals have closed because of the fighting. Rights groups have also warned of a health disaster in overcrowded prisons. SOURCE: AFP The finance minister of Germanys Hesse state, Thomas Schaefer, has committed suicide over worries on the economic crisis arising from the Covid-19 outbreak, the Strait Times has reported Mr Schaefer, 54, was found dead near a railway track on Saturday. The Wiesbaden prosecutions office said they believe he died by suicide. The state premier, Volker Bouffier, said on Sunday that Mr Schaefer committed suicide apparently after becoming deeply worried over how to cope with the economic fallout from the coronavirus. Mr Bouffier said We are in shock, we are in disbelief and, above all, we are immensely sad. Hesse is home to Germanys financial capital, Frankfurt, where major lenders like Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank have their headquarters. The European Central Bank is also located in Frankfurt. Mr Bouffier recalled that Mr Schaefer, who was Hesses finance chief for 10 years, had been working day and night to help companies and workers deal with the economic impact of the pandemic. Today, we have to assume that he was deeply worried, said Mr Bouffier, a close ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel. Its precisely during this difficult time that we would have needed someone like him, he added. Popular and well-respected, Mr Schaefer had long been touted as a possible successor to Mr Bouffier. Like Mr Bouffier, Mr Schaefer belonged to Ms Merkels centre-right CDU party. He leaves behind a wife and two children. Outbreak Germany like other countries across Europe is struggling to combat the Covid-19 outbreak. As of the time of reporting, Germany has recorded 58,247 case of the disease with 552 deaths. Ms Merkel has also been in quarantine for some days after testing positive for the virus. The outbreak has had a negative impact on economies across the world and Germany is one of those worst hit. Amazon warehouse workers on New York's Staten Island plan to strike Monday to call attention to what they called a lack of protections for employees who continue to come to work amid the coronavirus outbreak. Nearly 100 workers at the facility, known as JFK8, plan to participate in the work stoppage, planned for noon ET. The employees will walk out Monday morning and "cease all operations" until their demands are heard by site leadership, said Chris Smalls, a management assistant at JFK8 and a lead organizer of the strike. Smalls and other workers said they've grown increasingly concerned about coming into work after an employee tested positive for the virus last week. An Amazon spokesperson told CNBC it was supporting the person, who is in quarantine, and asked anyone who was in contact with the worker to stay home with pay for two weeks. The facility has remained open. "We are following all guidelines from local health officials and are taking extreme measures to ensure the safety of employees at our site," the spokesperson said. The workers want to pressure Amazon to close the facility for cleaning and offer employees paid time off while it's shut down. Smalls said the facility has continued to run as usual since the employee tested positive. He fears the virus will spread like "wildfire" if no extra precautions are taken. JFK8 is 855,000 square feet and has 4,500 workers. "Since the building won't close by itself, we're going to have to force [Amazon's] hand," said Smalls, who is also a member of nonprofit advocacy groups Make the Road New York and New York Communities for Change. "We will not return until the building gets sanitized." A day after this story was published, the Amazon spokesperson said the warehouse does not need to be shut down to be clean, but said the company was following guidelines from health authorities when making decisions. The spokesperson highlighted that the company has increased the frequency and intensity of deep cleaning and sanitation at its facilities. The spokesperson also called the workers' accusations "unfounded" and said Amazon is "working hard to keep employees safe." "We have heard a number of incorrect comments from Christian Smalls, the hourly associate claiming to be the spokesperson on this topic," the spokesperson said. "Mr. Smalls is alleging many misleading things in his statements but we believe it's important to note that he is, in fact, on a 14-day self-quarantine requested by Amazon to stay home with full pay." Another spokesperson from Amazon said that as an hourly employee, Smalls does not manage other staff and does not have the authority to send anyone home. Amazon recently implemented daily temperature screenings at the facility as an additional preventative measure, the spokesperson said. The company added that teams onsite are speaking daily with employees to hear their questions and discuss options that are available for them amid the coronavirus outbreak. The company said it has been consulting with health authorities and medical experts on how to handle building closures for deep cleaning after an employee tests positive. Amazon evaluates where the employee was in the building, for how long, how much time has passed since they were onsite and who they interacted with, among other things. Unrest among Amazon's warehouse workers has continued to swell in recent weeks as at least 13 facilities have reported cases of the coronavirus. Most of the facilities have remained open. An Amazon warehouse in Queens, New York, temporarily closed earlier this month after a worker tested positive. Amazon has also closed a facility used for processing clothing and shoe returns in Shepherdsville, Kentucky, known as SDF9, until April 1 after there was a confirmed case of the coronavirus. At some facilities, workers say essential supplies like hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes are rationed or there's none available, putting them at risk of catching the virus. Warehouse workers say they're forced to choose between going to work and risking their health or staying home and not being able to pay their bills. Amazon has previously said it has gone to "great lengths" to keep facilities clean and make sure employees are following all necessary safety precautions, such as washing their hands, using hand sanitizer and practicing social distancing. The company has also announced several benefits changes in recent weeks, including raising pay for warehouse workers and delivery drivers by $2 per hour through the month of April, doubling overtime pay and allowing for unlimited unpaid time off. Last week, Amazon said it would offer paid time off for part-time warehouse workers. Still, Amazon employees who spoke to CNBC argue that these efforts aren't enough to keep them safe. They say uneven safety precautions at facilities across the country have sown feelings of distrust between workers and their managers. Workers say they've become worried that managers aren't being honest about whether employees are sick with the virus, so that they can keep the facilities open. President Donald Trump and former vice president Joe Biden are in a tightly competitive race for the White House in the November general election, with the president gaining ground on his likely challenger over the past month as the coronavirus pandemic convulses the country, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll. Trump has moved from what was a seven-point deficit in February to a near tie with Biden today. Among registered voters, Biden is favored by 49 percent and Trump by 47 percent. When the poll measures preferences among all adults, Biden stands at 50 percent and Trump at 44 percent. Trump is more trusted to handle the economy, while Biden is more trusted to deal with health care. When voters are asked whom they trust more to confront the coronavirus outbreak, the difference between the two is statistically insignificant. The general election test of sentiment comes at a moment when the president has hit the highest job approval ratings of his presidency but also at a time when the coronavirus pandemic has upended life in America and put politics mostly on hold for most people. Perhaps even more than at some moments, the poll represents a temporary look at how people feel about the November matchup. The poll tests only national sentiment, which would translate into the popular vote, not the state-by-state competition for an electoral college majority. Biden has not yet secured the 1,991 delegates he needs to claim the Democratic nomination and with many primaries now delayed, will not soon be able to add to the 277-delegate lead he currently enjoys over Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. Biden expanded that lead in the March 17 primaries in Arizona, Illinois and Florida, beating Sanders by between 11 and 39 points in those states. Nonetheless, the new poll finds that Biden maintains a strong lead nationally over his last remaining rival. Among registered Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, Biden is favored by 55 percent compared with 39 percent for Sanders. A month ago, before Biden began his remarkable turnaround in fortunes, Sanders had a 2-to-1 lead on the former vice president in the Post-ABC poll. Despite the rapid consolidation around Biden among a broader Democratic electorate, the former vice president suffers from an enthusiasm gap when contrasted with the incumbent president. More than 8 in 10 (86 percent of) registered voters who currently side with Trump say they are enthusiastic about their support. That compares with 74 percent of Biden supporters. More telling is the gap in the intensity of that enthusiasm, which can translate into who turns out to vote and who might not. Among registered voters who support Trump, 55 percent say they are very enthusiastic about backing him while 32 percent say they are somewhat enthusiastic. Among Biden's supporters, a far smaller 28 percent say they are very enthusiastic while 46 percent are somewhat enthusiastic. Biden's current enthusiasm deficit is potentially worrisome for the challenger and his campaign based on recent presidential contests, although the general election contest is still many months off. In May 2012, Mitt Romney, now a U.S. senator, had a strong enthusiasm deficit of 25 points against President Barack Obama in Post-ABC polling. In June 2008, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., was down 33 points on enthusiasm against Obama. In June 2004, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., faced a 16-point gap on enthusiasm in his campaign to unseat President George W. Bush. Romney, McCain and Kerry all managed to narrow that gap by November but ultimately lost their elections. Earlier in the year, the economy was one of the president's strongest assets in his reelection message, with growth continuing to rise and the stock market setting more records. That was before the coronavirus began to inflict severe damage on economic activity and stocks went into a tailspin, although markets rallied somewhat this past week. Nonetheless, the Post-ABC poll finds Trump's approval rating for handling the economy has hit the highest point yet during his three-plus years in office, with 57 percent of Americans approving - up five points since February - and 38 percent disapproving. Nearly 4 in 10 "strongly approve" of his efforts on the economy. The two likely general election candidates were tested against each other on three issues. On who is more trusted to handle the economy, 52 percent of registered voters name Trump and 42 percent name Biden. On health care, Biden enjoys a 10-point advantage, 51 percent to 41 percent. When asked whom they trust more to handle the coronavirus outbreak, there was no statistical difference between Trump and Biden, with the president named by 47 percent and the former vice president by 43 percent. In a February matchup between Trump and Biden, the former vice president was ahead 52 percent to 45 percent among registered voters. The president's gains since come from shifts of several groups, among them 10 points more support among self-identified Democrats, although he had the support of just 2 percent of this group in February. He also has gained 14 points among white women without college degrees and 16 points among voters in rural areas, groups that helped buttress his electoral college victory in 2016. If November conforms to recent elections, Democratic support for Trump is likely to shrink a bit from where it is today. The rise in support among white women without college degrees, if it holds, could be especially significant for the president, as there has been erosion among that group over the past two years. Meanwhile, the president is counting on big turnout in rural areas and this poll underscores the value of that to his standing. The question undergirding all the polling was whether Trump's gains represented something lasting or a minimalist version of the bump generally awarded presidents handling a national crisis. One issue facing the Democrats is how quickly and harmoniously the nomination contest between Biden and Sanders ends - and whether those currently supporting the senator from Vermont will rally behind Biden's candidacy if he is the nominee. Sanders has said he would support Biden, but the question remains whether he has enough influence with his grass roots backers to persuade virtually all of them to do the same. Biden's current 79 percent support among Sanders' supporters is not as high as the 84 percent support Clinton reached in a November 2016 Post-ABC tracking poll right before Election Day. It is, however, higher than Clinton's 71 percent support among Sanders's primary voters in a May 2016 Post-ABC poll, before the party convention and fall campaign. Sanders has given no indication of when or how he might end his candidacy, despite pressure from some in Democratic circles for him to do so sooner rather than later. In 2016, he took his candidacy against Hillary Clinton all the way to the national convention, causing some heartburn for the Clinton forces. Last week Sanders indicated he wanted to take part in an April debate, which the Democratic National Committee has yet to schedule. Biden, asked by reporters Wednesday about taking part in another debate, brushed aside the idea and suggested he was aimed at Trump in November. "I think we've had enough debates," Biden said. "I think we should get on with this." The Post-ABC poll was conducted by cell and landline telephone from March 22-25 among a random national sample of 1,003 adults and 845 registered voters. Results among both groups have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. - - - The Washington Post's Emily Guskin and Alauna Safarpour contributed to this report. UPDATE: ShopRite limits number of customer inside stores to slow spread of coronavirus An employee at a fourth ShopRite in New Jersey has tested positive for coronavirus, the store announced late Saturday. ShopRite on Route 9 north in Old Bridge said the worker wont be back on the job until being cleared by a doctor and that colleagues who were in close contact with the employee will self-quarantine for two weeks. The store underwent a deep cleaning and re-opened at 8 a.m. Sunday. In addition, one employee at the ShopRite in Little Falls and one at the Hillside locations has reported symptoms consistent with COVID-19," the stores said. Friday and Saturday The two employees are no longer at work and other employees who were in contact with the workers will self-quarantine. for 14 days. Earlier Saturday, the Old Bridge store said it was limiting the number of customers allowed in the store to about 30% of the regular maximum occupancy. Over the counter service in the meat and seafood departments was suspended Saturday. It had previously been suspended in the deli department, though all three remain open. Other supermarkets across New Jersey have implemented similar safety measures. There are 63 coronavirus cases in Old Bridge, the second most in Middlesex County behind Woodbridge. ShoRite locations in Garwood, Morristown and Newark previously said an employee at each of those stores tested positive for coronavirus. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our community has been felt by us all, a ShopRite spokesman said in an emailed statement Sunday morning Most of us know a friend, family member or co-worker who has been affected. The same holds true at some ShopRite stores. The spokesman didnt respond to a question from NJ Advance Media asking the total number of stores where an employee has tested positive for coronavirus. Wakefern Food Corp., which owns and operates ShopRite and other supermarkets, has donated 12 trailers to transport hospital equipment to new pop-up field hospitals being organized around New Jersey. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Chennai, March 29 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami on Sunday ordered companies employing workers from other states tocontinue to provide food, shelter and medical facilities to them. He also ordered the District Collectors to ensure that the companies comply with the order. In case the labourers from other states have moved out of their place of work and have reached railway/bus stations, then the District Collectors of those places should house them in temporary shelters and provide them food. With the month coming to an end and in order to prepare the salary, Palaniswami has permitted the companies/educational institutions and others to approach the District Collectors and seek permission of two or three employees to attend to work for that purpose. The government has also decided to set up a Crisis Management Committee in each district to be headed by the District Collector with members from Chambers of Commerce, heads of private hospitals, medical experts, pharma companies, experts from the fields of agriculture, livestock and fisheries, non-government organisations (NGOs) and consumer representatives. According to Palaniswami, about 1.5 lakh pregnant women who are likely to deliver babies in the coming two months have been identified and medical personnel have been asked to take extra care of them. Private hospitals should report to the Health Department about their patients suffering from serious respiratory problems, he added. Sorry! This content is not available in your region A fire-damaged car belonging to a missing elderly camper has been found in Gippsland and police are appealing for public help to find the man and his companion. Russell Hill, 74, has not been heard from since March 20 while 73-year-old Carol Clay, who is believed to be with Mr Hill, has not returned home. Russell Hill and Carol Clay have been missing for more than a week. Mr Hill, from Drouin, left on March 19 to visit campsites along the Dargo River about four hours north-east of Melbourne. His last check-in came from Wonnangatta Station in the Victorian Alps. His car was found on March 27 with signs of minor fire damage near the Dry River Creek track at Billabong. 15,000 on tourist visas still here View(s): Around 15,000 people who arrived on tourist visas are still here in the country while a few more flights are due in the next few days enabling them to leave the country, officials said. The highest number were from India and China with 2,386 and 2,131 respectively while there were also 1,570 from Russia, 1,200 from Germany and 1,159 from UK. Meanwhile SriLankan Airlines has arranged a couple of flights enabling foreigners to leave the country in addition to charter flights arranged by some of the countries and tour agencies. SriLankan airlines is to fly to London and Australia. D onald Trump has U-turned on imposing a quarantine on New York after outcry from state officials. The US president had considered trying to isolate the city along with New Jersey and Connecticut in a bid to stem the country's spiralling coronavirus crisis. But he has now abandoned the idea, and instead plans to issue a "strong travel advisory" to avoid all but essential movement for three weeks. New York has nearly half of the US total infections - 52,000 of 115,000 - and has recorded more than 700 deaths, against 1,900 nationally. About 7,300 people were in New York hospitals on Saturday night, including about 1,800 in intensive care. The streets are deserted in New York, the epicentre of US cases / Reuters It comes after Mr Trump told reporters on Saturday: "We'd like to see [New York] quarantined because it's a hotspot... I'm thinking about that." The state's governor Andrew Cuomo hit back at the plans, branding them "preposterous" and "anti-American". He had said earlier that roping off states would amount to a federal declaration of war and questioned how it would be "legally enforceable". New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo has hit back at Trump's quarantine idea / SIPA USA/PA Images Mr Cuomo has refused to lock down New York, saying it would "paralyse the financial sector", but said "quarantine" measures such as bans on major gatherings and ordering people to remain at home are in place. He has postponed the state's presidential primary from April to June amid growing calls from hospitals for more protective equipment. The governors of Florida, Maryland, South Carolina and Texas have already ordered people arriving from the New York area to self-quarantine for at least 14 days upon arrival. Meanwhile Rhode Island police have begun pulling over drivers with New York plates to collect contact information and inform them of a mandatory, 14-day quarantine, and soldiers are visiting doorsteps to ask who has recently visited the city. Mr Cuomo threatened to sue Rhode Island if authorities continued targeting New Yorkers. The US now has the most confirmed Covid-19 cases in the world after another jump this week. Mahabharat is back on television screens and so is Nitish Bharadwaj as Krishna, almost three decades after he shot for the show. However, the actor has revealed he wasnt confident of playing such an important character and dodged director BR Chopra for weeks to avoid giving the screen test. Much before he was cast as Krishna, Nitish was offered the role of Vidur but the idea was dropped soon after. The actor came to know about the change in cast only when he bumped into the actor who was the final choice to play Vidur. Sharing the entire incident, Nitish told Hindustan Times in an interview, When I was first cast as Vidur, I was called to the Seth studios for the shooting. When I was in the makeup room, Virendra Razdan came up in costume and said he was playing Vidur. I said, How can you play Vidur? They have called me for the shoot. He said look at me, I am even wearing the costume and going to give my shot. I went inside to meet Ravi ji (Ravi Chopra), we had already done two ad films together and knew each other. He asked me to wait till he finished his lunch. He then told me, You are hardly 23-24. After a few episodes, Vidur is going to be an old man. It wont look appropriate. After that, I was jobless as far as Mahabharata was concerned. Nitish Bharadwaj shares some interesting trivia about Mahabharat. Nitish again got an opportunity to be a part of Mahabharat when he was offered the role of Nakul and Sahdev but he turned it down as he wanted to play Abhimanyu instead. The actor, who was doing Marathi and Hindi films in those days, shared his conversation with BR Chopra. He said, He was convincing me whole day to do Nakul and Sahdev. I was convincing him throughout the day that I dont want to do Nakul and Sahdev because I knew Mahabharata story and wanted to do something better. Before pack-up, he asked me what I really wanted to do. I told him that I wanted to play Abhimanyu. He said okay, we will think about it when the time comes. Watch: Nitish Bharadwaj explains Mahabharatas relevance in present times Days went by and again he was approached for a role in Mahabharat this time for the lead character of Lord Krishna. Opening up about how he dodged the makers for several days, Nitish said, I was shooting for my second Marathi feature film in Kolhapur. In those days, we used to go for outdoor shoots and would get messages only via landlines when we used to come back to the hotel. I was told to call back my mother who told me that Gufi Paintal had called up, saying they wanted to screen test you for Krishna. I told her to say no as I felt I couldnt do it. She used her wisdom and told Gufi that I was shooting in Kolhapur and she would be able to inform me about his offer only when I return. Also read: Sandhya Mridul: Those who are alone in times of panic, my heart goes out to you Nitish came back and was assisting Ravi Baswani on the show, Kisse Mia Biwi Ke. Actor Bhagyashree had featured in one of the episodes which was before the release of her debut film, Maine Pyar Kiya. Nitish had gone to PR TV for her dubbing session where he bumped into BR Chopra. He got to know that I was there. He asked me what is your problem, I am calling you for screen test, why are you avoiding? I told him You need a more experienced person, how can you have a new person playing the mahanayak (Krishna). He said you always wanted to play a good role, at least appear for the screen test. And thats how he finally did the role which would bring him massive recognition across the country. Author tweets @ruchik87 Follow @htshowbiz for more Marriage is a wonderful gift from God but as with all the best things in life it is not always easy. Marriage is a beautiful picture of the love that Christ has for his church but since it also involves two imperfect human beings marriages often run into trouble and can sadly end in divorce. There are several things a husband and wife can do to safeguard their marriage but today I am going to focus on, if not the key then still a very important reason that creates strong, long-lasting marriages burning ships! Burning Ships The idea of burning ships comes from the exploits of Hernan Cortes, Spanish conquistador and governor of New Spain (Mexico). He is famous for leading an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec empire. He feared that his men would escape back to Cuba rather than fight the Aztecs. So, to prevent this, he burnt (or otherwise destroyed) the ships that they had come to Mexico on, stranding not only his army but also himself in Mexico with the Aztecs. When we commit to marry someone, we like Cortes, need to be prepared to go all in. Reconsidering Marriage is a serious commitment and should always be entered into with much thought and wisdom but the time for reconsidering marrying someone is before the marriage not after. An old pastor of mine once wisely said that there should be no contingency plans in marriage, no suggestion of getting a divorce floating at the back of our minds. Having the suggestion of divorce in a marriage undermines the security of the union. Commitment When there is the option of leaving when things get tough, then there isnt the motivation to continue working together to overcome problems that arise. The commitment to staying together is not an excuse for allowing abuse in marriage but divorce does not need to be the solution for this, although tragically in some circumstances it may still happen. It would be wise for the endangered spouse to move out and go somewhere else if they need to for their safety.They should also talk to their pastor or womens ministry worker for support and advice. Also what is very importantis that the church, especially the pastor or leaders, should come alongside the person who is doing the abusing to let them know that their behaviour is unacceptable and to try to support and encourage them to change their behaviour so it is in line with Gods requirements for how spouses are to love each other. The emphasis should be on safety and reconciliation. Divorce is not the solution to abusive relationships because it does not solve the problem but staying in the same place together while attempting to work things out is not always wise and not required. When Jesus is asked about divorce, he outlines what marriage was designed for by referring to how things were set up in the beginning. In Matthew chapter 19, verses 4-6 he says, At the beginning the Creator made them male and female, and said, For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate. Marriage is such a serious thing because it not only is meant to reflect the love Christ has for his people but it also melds two individuals together and creates a permanent bondwhich if broken, leaves a lot of damage. Husbands and wives are not like two pieces of Lego that are just clicked together but are like a pair of glass salt and pepper shakers that are superglued together. Marriage is a wonderful gift from God and even though it is not always easy, it is worth it. Lets burn the ships, set our eyes on Jesus and throw ourselves all in to loving our spouses for better or worse, through sickness & health, for richer or poorer as long as we both shall live. President Trump said Sunday that the federal governments guidelines for social distancing would last until April 30, backing down from his previous comments that he hoped the country could go back to work by Easter. He had clashed with public health experts around the country when he suggested that the guidelines which urge people to stay at home and not to gather in groups of more than 10 might be relaxed by April 12. His announcement on Sunday indicated that he had backed down from that suggestion. A commercial aircraft carrying gloves, masks, gowns and other medical supplies from Shanghai touched down at Kennedy International Airport in New York earlier on Sunday, the first of 22 scheduled flights that White House officials say will funnel much-needed goods to the United States by early April. The plane carried 130,000 N95 masks, nearly 1.8 million surgical masks and gowns, 10 million gloves and more than 70,000 thermometers, said Lizzie Litzow, a spokeswoman for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA will provide the majority of the supplies to New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, with the rest going to nursing homes in the area and other high-risk areas across the country, a White House spokesman said. While the supplies will be welcomed by hospitals and health care workers some of whom have resorted to rationing protective gear or using homemade supplies they represent just a tiny portion of what American hospitals need. The Department of Health and Human Services has estimated that the United States will require 3.5 billion masks in the event of a pandemic lasting a year. The pandemic has started a race among foreign governments, American governors and mayors, good Samaritans and opportunists to acquire protective gear, ventilators and other goods from China, the source of more than one-third of medical supplies in the United States in 2019. While Chinas own coronavirus epidemic has subsided since February, newly built factory lines in the country are beginning to churn out masks, gowns and gloves. Unprecedented scenes have been witnessed across India in the past few days following the Covid-19 outbreak. When PM Modi announced a nationwide shutdown till the 14th of April to combat the spread of Covid-19, he had specifically said that people should not move around and should remain where they are. However, thousands of migrant workers who come from across the country - who used to work as daily wage workers or were employed in factories that have now been shut - got stuck in a difficult situation. With no source of income and lack of food, they seemingly had no other option but to go home. Since there are no buses available to ferry them to their villages, they are being forced to walk hundreds of kilometres to get home. Almost a week into the shut down, thousands are still stranded: By Express News Service Residents of the Railway Colony in Erode are currently being monitored by health officials and are under home quarantine. The Erode hospital, where the doctor previously worked, was also disinfected and closed. Patient attended party? As the doctor was being transferred from Erode to Coimbatore, her colleagues threw her a farewell party. The party happened on March 22, and around 38 people took part in it. The same day, she was dropped in Coimbatore by a colleague. We have collected the details of all these people for contact tracing. We have also informed about this to our counterparts in Erode, said the district collector K Rajamani. The remaining four patients are in Erode and have been admitted to the IRT Hospital. All four of them reportedly travelled to Delhi. Now, there are totally 10 positive cases in Erode, confirmed Deputy Director of Health Services, Soundammal. They returned from Delhi, where they went for a conference, just before the curfew, Soundammal said. We also suspect they were in contact with the Thai nationals who were staying at the Sultanpet Mosque. They have been isolated, and their families are under home quarantine, said Soundammal. She said the Thai nationals were being provided with their local cuisine. The collector said a total of 51 people from Coimbatore could have participated in the event which the Thai men attended in the third week of March. While, 28 are in Mettupalayam, the remaining persons are from Coimbatore, Pollachi, and Anaimalai, said district collector Rajamani. We have found the people and put 49 of them under home quarantine. The remaining two persons were admitted at ESI hospital as they had symptoms of the virus, Rajamani stated. He appealed the people who came in contact with the 51 persons to check their health condition in order to prevent further transmission of the disease. Apart from this there are 82 persons isolated at IRT Perundurai Medical College who are suspected to have symptoms of COVID-19. Under control Speaking to press here Beela Rajesh said containment activities are being undertaken in full swing across the State. In Chennai, one lakh people have been diagnosed, of which 10 persons were found to have high fever and breathing difficulty. In Tirupur 27,725 people were covered, and 50 persons were found to have cough and flu symptoms. In Salem 80,000 people were covered among them 20 with symptoms were picked up. The Health Secretary further said all these people with symptoms identified in the containment plan will be quarantined and samples will be tested for COVID-19, if needed. This will ensure the infection doesnt spread in the community from the COVID-19 positive cases. She also said that so far five people have been cured and discharged from the hospital.About tracking people who came from foreign countries from February 15. Beela Rajesh said, the Health Department identified 43,538 such people and district collectors are monitoring them. Meanwhile, a media bulletin issued by the Directorate of Public Health, As on date, including passengers from other countries, there are 43,537 passengers under home quarantine for 28 days. Three discharged The Health Department discharged three patients from hospital after they recovered from COVID-19. Among the three is a couple from Porur in Chennai, who recently returned from the US. The third is the Delhi man who travelled here by train. They were discharged from hospital after two consecutive mandatory tests returned negative. Two patients are husband and wife, a 64-year-old woman and 74-year-old man from Porur. They had travelled from USA via Singapore to Chennai airport on March 20. The officials traced 108 of their contacts. The woman was tested positive on March 22 and her husband on March 24. Hundreds of Indian students stranded in the UK have appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to organise a rescue flight amid the ongoing travel ban enforced by India to control the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. A group of at least 380 students from India has started a data chain with their passport details to create a collective voice to lobby the Indian government for action. Among them is a group of marine engineers from Kerala enrolled at the South Tyneside College in Tyne and Wear in north-east England, who were due to fly back to India after giving their management level exams this week. "Our exams were supposed to happen on 23rd and 24th of March, but got cancelled on the 23rd after getting the question paper at the exam centre, by which time India's travel ban was in place," said Akhil Dharmaraj, First Engineer with NYK Ship Management who would be promoted to Chief Engineer once he clears his UK exams. However, he and other mariners in a similar situation have no information about the rescheduling of their exams as they remain in self-isolation in shared apartments and hostels, stepping out only to buy essentials from supermarkets where they are faced with long queues and empty shelves. They have not been able to access any protective masks, gloves or sanitisers and are worried about contracting the deadly virus while miles away from their loved ones in India. "I have information directly from Cochin Airport that recently a flight with Indian nationals landed from Sydney. Indians have been evacuated from other countries around the world as well but we are not sure why we have been abandoned and how we can make our voice heard to Prime Minister Modi," said Dharmaraj, who is part of a WhatsApp group of fellow Indian students based in different parts of England and Scotland. "As we began the list, it just kept growing. Most of us came on short term student visas and are the supporting members of our family back in India," said the 32-year-old, who has a three-year-old daughter back home in Cochin. The UK Home Office has recently confirmed that any foreign students or professionals on visas that had expired or expiring would be given an extension at least until May 31. Many of the stranded students, who are from different parts of India, including Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Maharashtra and Uttarakhand, expressed their relief at the visa extension announcement but they remain concerned about the limited resources at their disposal in the face of mounting accommodation and essentials costs. Besides, many are exposed to greater risk of contracting COVID-19 due to being crammed into packed hostels with shared kitchen and bathroom facilities during the current lockdown imposed in the UK. "Sir please if you can look into this matter because like me many of my Indian friends who came to UK for studies are stuck," said Margesh Raj from Coventry University in his plea to Prime Minister Modi on Twitter. These students have also been creating videos to post on social media and appealing through the Indian High Commission in London, which has asked them to register their details. Indian students' representative groups such as the National Indian Students and Alumni Union UK (NISAU-UK) and the Indian National Students Association (INSA) have also been issuing advisories and providing assistance. The NISAU-UK has launched a new Home Away From Home virtual initiative targeted at this group of Indians, who find themselves stranded in the UK as a result of the lockdowns in both the countries. "These are testing times for all, and we understand just how difficult it is for students in particular to be away from their families right now, as most of our volunteers are going through the same," said a NISAU-UK spokesperson. "There are a series of activities planned, ranging from Netflix parties to webinars to career development and sessions from stand-up comics. We have extended this initiative to all Indians, no matter where in the world you are NISAU has got your back," the spokesperson said. India's updated travel advisory has imposed a ban on international flights until April 14 and the Indian High Commission in London has called on Indian nationals to follow the National Health Service (NHS) and Public Health England guidelines. "The High Commission of India will update the Indian citizens if there are any changes in the travel advisory through our social media platforms and website... These are trying times. The world is in uncharted waters. We can come out of this challenge only if we act responsibly and help each other," the High Commission said in a statement. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Political parties in Maharashtra have swung into action to assist the state government in its effort to control the spread of coronavirus. The BJP, NCP and Shiv Sena have announced that one month's salary of their legislators and MPs will be donated to the relief fund to tackle coronavirus. Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Devendra Fadnavis has asked the state BJP unit leaders and workers to assist the poor and needy in their respective areas. The former chief minister, who held discussions with Maharashtra BJP leaders through audio conference on Saturday, said the party will reach out to 10 lakh poor and needy persons and provide them food and medicines. The Congress has said it will set uphelplines in every Assembly constituency of Maharashtra. State Congress chief Balasaheb Thorat interacted with party MLAs, ministers, district unit presidents and other office-bearers through audio conference on Saturday and asked them to extend all help to those stranded,daily wagers and labourers during these difficult times. He said 50 volunteers from the Seva Dal in each district are being trained to help the administration in an emergency situation. The Youth Congress is organising blood donation camps with a target of collecting 10,000 bottles of blood. "People are not being able to leave their homes due to the lockdown, so we should help them by delivering essential items like food and medicines at their doorsteps. All these works should be done keeping in mind the social distancing norms prescribed by the government and taking help of the local administration," Thorat told the Congress workers. The party needs to reach out to people who have no food at their homes and are out of work, and ration or cooked food should be provided to them. Attempts should be made to ensure that not a single person goes hungry, he said. State Public Works Department Minister Ashok Chavan, who attended the audio conference, said the situation is grave. "We have to plan in order to help maximum number of people and for this, the party workers should be in touch with the district collectors." Social distancing should be compulsorily followed and construction site workers should be given cash by the welfare board set up for them, he said. Former chief minister Prithiviraj Chavan, who also took part in the audio conference, said this is the biggest crisis of the century. Since January 1, more than 12 lakh people came to India from foreign visits till the time airports were closed, he said. People who are asked to be in self-quarantine need to follow the rules. "We should ensure that migrant labourers stay where they are and all the basic necessities are provided to them," the Congress leader said. State Medical Education Minister Amit Deshmukh said flu OPDs have been started in all government medical hospitals. The next eight days are very crucial and care must be taken that community transmission of the coronavirus does not take place, he said. Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) MLA Hitendra Thakur in a statement on Saturday said all ration card holders in Vasai- Virar taluka of Palghar district will get daily essentials free of cost from rationing stores. "This is a challenging time for all human beings. During such a time, not having food on their plates is the last thing people would want. Making these things available is an MLAs responsibility. We realise the cost would be too big, but it is secondary in comparison to peoples lives," BVA MLA Kshitij Thakur said. The BVA is also thinking of delivering ration at every doorstep so that people need not step out of their homes. The party, along with the help of the Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation, has been involved in various steps to contain the spread of coronavirus, including fumigation of all public transport buses after each trip on a daily basis. It has also teamed up with the railways to disinfect platforms on suburban stations. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An Avianca Airlines plane is seen at the Monsenor Oscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport in San Luis Talpa Reuters The aviation consultant CAPA warned that "most" of the world's airlines could be bankrupt by the end of May, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Although President Donald Trump signed a $58 billion bailout for the airline industry into law on last month, it's possible that it won't be enough while other airlines around the world remain in jeopardy, particularly as credit markets seize up. Several airlines have already collapsed due to COVID-19 outbreak, including in the US and UK, and elsewhere. The latest was Avianca, which declared bankruptcy but said it hopes to resume operations after the outbreak ends. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Air travel has been one of the hardest-hit industries in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Almost as soon as news of the virus became widespread in late-January, travel demand to Asia from the rest of the world plummeted. Even before the containment was adopted across the globe, airlines began to drastically cut flights to China, and other locations in Asia as coronavirus-related anxieties led passengers to avoid travel to the region. Within weeks, however, it became apparent that flights to Asia were not the only routes to see lower demand. As the virus spread to Europe, followed by the Americas and Africa, passenger demand plummeted across the board. People were second-guessing trips anywhere away from home, and were trying to avoid anything involving air travel, given the inherent close proximity to other people, some of whom could be carrying the virus. Notably, people were also delaying buying tickets for future travel, due to the uncertainty surrounding the outbreak. The scale of the carnage for airlines became apparent when British regional airline Flybe ran out of cash and entered administration the first week of March. While Flybe had ongoing financial difficulties and was already on the brink, the coronavirus situation, and the associated decrease in bookings, served as the final nail in its coffin. Story continues As countries around the world have closed their borders, and many states and nations have locked down, air travel has declined significantly, with airlines suspending routes, grounding planes, and seeing low load factors on their few remaining flights. While many US airlines would be safe for now thanks to the bailout bill working its way through Congress, several other airlines have already collapsed, and many more around the world are on the brink as the crisis drags on. Although President Donald Trump has signed the stimulus bill that includes $58 billion in aid for airlines $29 billion in payroll grants for workers, and $29 billion in loans for the airlines several airlines have already collapsed. And it is likely that other airlines, both in the US and abroad, will be forced to consolidate or shut down, International Air Transport Association (IATA) director general Alexandre de Juniac has warned. IATA estimates that airlines globally will lose at least $314 billion due to the outbreak. Similarly, aviation consultancy CAPA said earlier this month that by the end of May, "most airlines in the world will be bankrupt" without coordinated government and industry intervention. Here are the airlines that have collapsed, declared bankruptcy, or suspended operations so far: Flybe (UK): March 2020 File photo: An airport worker examines a Flybe aircraft before it takes off from Liverpool John Lennon Airport in Liverpool northern England. Reuters UK regional airline Flybe entered administration a practice similar to declaring bankruptcy on Thursday, March 5. Although Flybe was already on the brink of collapse despite a major investment by a Virgin Atlantic-led consortium the previous summer the coronavirus crisis pushed it over the edge. Flybe operated about 40% of domestic flights in the UK. Trans States Airlines (US): March 2020 File photo: A Trans State Airlines passenger aircraft is pulled to the tarmac at Denver International Airport in Denver, Colorado. Trans State Airlines, headquartered in Bridgeton, Missouri, operates daily flight as United Express for United Airlines. June 20, 2019. Robert Alexander/Getty Images Trans States Airlines is a Missouri-based regional airline that flies routes for United under the United Express brand. The airline had already been planning to shut down by the end of 2020, consolidating its operations with ExpressJet Airlines, another of United's regional carrier. However, due to the "unforeseen impact of the coronavirus," the airline will cease all operations on April 1, Trans States Holding CEO said in a memo to employees. Trans States operated a flight of Embraer ERJ-145 regional jets. Compass Airlines (US): March 2020 File photo: An American Eagle flight, operated by Compass Airlines, seen taking off from Los Angeles International Airport. August 30, 2015. Fabrizio Gandolfo/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Compass Airlines also owned by Trans States Holdings will also shut down in April. Compass is another regional carrier, which operates flights for American Airlines under its American Eagle brand. With American cutting domestic capacity by up to 80% by May, it's had less of a need for contract airlines. Virgin Australia (Australia): April 2020 Virgin Australia REUTERS/Jason Reed Virgin Australia entered "voluntary administration," the Australian equivalent of Chapter 11 bankruptcy, on Tuesday, April 21. Although the Brisbane-based airline had suspended most of its operations and furloughed most of its employees, it was still losing money operating about 65 daily flights. The airline said it would continue operating during the restructuring process. It entered administration after a request for aid from the Australian government was denied. Avianca (Colombia): May 2020 An Avianca Airlines plane is seen at the Monsenor Oscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport in San Luis Talpa Reuters Avianca, one of Latin America's largest and oldest airlines,filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May. Like other airlines, Avianca's woes were caused by coronavirus-related drops in travel demand. The airline's flight operations have been grounded since mid-March due to the pandemic, and the company's income has fallen over 80%. In filing for bankruptcy, the airline said it hopes to continue operations as COVID-19 restrictions are gradually lifted. Read the original article on Business Insider Jamie Hale/The Oregonian Watching the sun set from your living room window is nice, but nothing compares to a sunset at the Oregon coast or the Cascade Mountains. However, Oregonians, like many other people around the world, remain isolated at home due to the coronavirus outbreak that has forced Gov. Kate Brown to prohibit all non-essential travel. That doesnt mean we cant enjoy an Oregon sunset from afar. This week, I dug through the archives and gathered 20 beautiful sunset photos from around the state, to tide us over until we can get back out there. These photos come from every corner of the state. There are brilliant colors from the Pacific Ocean, pastel pinks in the high desert and mountains painted radiant gold. They come from many evenings spent sitting beside lakes, hiking through forests and wandering along the beach. I hope they can bring you a little bit closer to memories of your own past trips, and inspire dreams of future adventures in Oregon. At very least, allow yourself to bask in the beauty of our spectacular corner of the world, if only for a moment. MORE PRETTY PICTURES OF OREGON: 25 photos of Oregon in spring Don't Edit Jamie Hale/The Oregonian The sun sets over Haystack Rock and the beach at Cannon Beach, creating a colorful scene in the surf and sky. Don't Edit Jamie Hale/The Oregonian Mount Hood is painted with color at dusk, seen from the Jonsrud Viewpoint in Sandy. Don't Edit Jamie Hale/The Oregonian An evening storm rolls over Hells Canyon at the Hat Point Overlook in the northeast corner of Oregon. Don't Edit Jamie Hale/The Oregonian The sun sets over the Alvord Desert, a seasonally dry lake bed in the remote southeast corner of Oregon. Don't Edit Don't Edit Jamie Hale/The Oregonian A winter sunset in downtown Astoria, at the Astoria-Megler Bridge over the Columbia River. Don't Edit Jamie Hale/The Oregonian The setting sun frames a gull perched on a rock at Sunset Bay on the southern Oregon coast. Don't Edit Jamie Hale/The Oregonian The sun sets over Powell Butte Nature Park at the end of a warm summer day. Don't Edit Jamie Hale/The Oregonian The sun sets over Goose Lake, a 147-square-mile lake that straddles the border of Oregon and California near the southern Oregon town of Lakeview. Don't Edit Jamie Hale/The Oregonian Tyler Mapes, a budding 11-year-old astronomer, looks out to the horizon as the sun sets over Rooster Rock State Park during a spring equinox star party. Don't Edit Don't Edit Jamie Hale/The Oregonian The sun sets over The Cove Palisades State Park near Madras in central Oregon, with Mount Hood in the distance. Don't Edit Jamie Hale/The Oregonian The wreck of the Peter Iredale is sunk in the sand, as the sun sets and the tide is out at Fort Stevens State Park on the north Oregon coast. Don't Edit Jamie Hale/The Oregonian A road leading to the summit of Steens Mountain in southeast Oregon is painted with the golden light of dusk. Don't Edit Jamie Hale/The Oregonian A sunbeam breaks through the clouds at dusk, over Hells Canyon in the northeast corner of Oregon. Don't Edit Jamie Hale/The Oregonian Clouds enshroud Mount Hood as the sun sets over Timothy Lake. Don't Edit Don't Edit Jamie Hale/The Oregonian People gather at Council Crest Park in southwest Portland, as the sun sets over Mount St. Helens. Don't Edit Jamie Hale/The Oregonian The sun sets behind clouds above Gull Rock at Otter Crest Beach on the central Oregon coast. Don't Edit Jamie Hale/The Oregonian A gull trots along the beach during a late fall sunset over Cape Meares Beach near Tillamook on the Oregon coast. Don't Edit Jamie Hale/The Oregonian The sun sets over the road just north of the small town of Imnaha, found within the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area. Don't Edit Jamie Hale/The Oregonian The sun sets over Mount McLoughlin at Hyatt Lake in southern Oregon. Don't Edit Don't Edit Jamie Hale/The Oregonian The sun sets over the hills just south of downtown Ashland. Don't Edit --Jamie Hale; jhale@oregonian.com; 503-294-4077; @HaleJamesB Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. SEOUL, South Korea North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast on Sunday, a week after its leader received a letter from President Trump offering to help the country fight the coronavirus, the South Korean military said. The missiles were fired from the port city of Wonsan, flying about 140 miles to the northeast before landing in waters between North Korea and Japan. The South Korean military provided no other details, such as the specific type of missiles launched. It was the Norths fourth weapons test this month involving either short-range ballistic missiles or multi-tube rocket launchers. South Korea said it was deeply inappropriate for the North to launch missiles as the world grappled with the coronavirus pandemic, saying it had urged the North to stop such acts immediately. Washington When Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., called President Donald Trump last Sunday, he delivered a blunt message: If you reopen the nation's economy too early against the advice of public-health experts, you will own the deaths from the novel coronavirus that follow. Trump's stalwart ally also warned that the president wouldn't be the only one held responsible. Graham said the Republican Party itself risks being defined ahead of this fall's elections as prioritizing commerce and the stock market over the health and safety of the American people, according to three White House officials and a GOP lawmaker who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Trump listened to Graham but made no promises, the officials said. Trump argued to the senator, as he later would in public, that Americans must get back to work and businesses need to reopen as quickly as possible. "Our country wasn't built to be shut down," the president said at a news conference last Monday, opening five straight days of public declarations raising the specter of easing social-distancing guidelines and other restrictions by mid-April a timeline that most experts studying the pandemic say is dangerously premature. Graham's private plea, which some of Trump's advisers have echoed to the president, illustrates the political calculations underway inside the leadership ranks of the Republican Party as the president balances dual crises as he seeks reelection: the pandemic that is claiming lives and overburdening hospitals, and the resulting economic meltdown that has left millions jobless, with many facing financial ruin. The White House's coronavirus task force, led by Vice President Mike Pence, is preparing to issue revised recommendations from the president to the public once the current 15-day guidelines expire Monday. Trump said this week that he would like much of the country "opened up and raring to go" by Easter, which is April 12 in part, he said, because he likes the imagery of church pews full for the holiday. Whether he follows through on that could be one of the most consequential decisions of his presidency. The president is not technically the decider, however. The battle to reopen the country pits Trump against multiple governors, Democratic and Republican alike, who are scrambling to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus in their communities and marshal medical supplies for their hospitals. They will have the final say on when restaurants, stores and other gathering places in their states can reopen. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, who moved early to confront the outbreak and was the first governor to order restaurants and bars closed, said, "People's heads are now moving toward how we will open this back up. That is certainly something we're looking at." But, he added, "You've got to be ready for the surge that we know is coming." In other states across the country, the surge has arrived and it is testing Trump's belief that Easter is a reasonable target. In New York, the center of the coronavirus in the United States, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, D, has emerged as a national leader during the pandemic as he has excoriated the federal response and pleaded with the administration to send more ventilators and other supplies and to be prudent about a resumption of normal life. "If you ask the American people to choose between public health and the economy, then it's no contest. No American is going to say, 'Accelerate the economy at the cost of human life,'" Cuomo told reporters last week. Trump has fostered a transactional dynamic in which he insinuates that loyalty and praise could be helpful for states seeking federal help that has unsettled governors looking for fair terms and clear guidance from the federal government, several gubernatorial aides said privately. As Trump said Tuesday on Fox News Channel: "It's a two-way street. They have to treat us well, also. They can't say, 'Oh, gee, we should get this, we should get that.'" A growing uneasiness about Trump's motives and leadership hovers over private conversations between governors, according to top Democrats and Republicans privy to the conversations. Even those who are Trump's political allies are "never quite sure what he'll do or if they can trust what they hear from Pence," according to one adviser to a Republican governor who, like others interviewed for this story, spoke on the condition of anonymity. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Trump's approach has prompted some governors to band together and discuss their own timelines for closures and other issues, with bipartisan and under-the-radar partnerships driving many decisions. "We're all drinking out of a fire hose, but they've really been leaning on one another and pulling together," Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, R, said in an interview. "There is texting and phone calls back and forth and it's not like, have your scheduler call my scheduler." This collective gubernatorial power could be a counterweight in the coming days if Trump continues to rally for a national reopening. But governors will also continue to lean on Trump for federal help. Some red-state governors have been more aggressive about keeping their economies humming. In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, was far slower than other big-state governors to order restrictions, and he refused to close beaches this month to spring break revelers. Mississippi, Gov. Tate Reeves, also a Republican, issued an executive order classifying most businesses in the state as "essential," thereby exempting them from any shutdown orders that cities and counties issue. Trump has said that his "first priority" is the health and safety of the American people and that his decision about what to recommend will be guided by the medical experts on his team. Yet in private discussions, the president has been driven much more by economic concerns, according to people involved in internal debates or briefed on them. Trump has long viewed the stock market as a barometer for his own reelection hopes, and he has been distraught at the meltdown in recent weeks. He has been inundated with calls from business leaders, wealthy supporters and conservative allies urging him to get Americans back to work, even if doing so carries health risks. "There's a fatalism that no matter what he does, he's going to get blamed by half of the country," said a former senior administration official with knowledge of Trump's thinking. "If there is something he has some measure of control over, which is the economy, why not potentially try to take action? Yes, there will be a death toll, and he'll get blamed one way or another, but in all likelihood, whether he gets reelected or not will depend on where the economy is and where people's perceptions of the economy are six months from now." Former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, a Democrat, said Trump is "overreacting terribly" to economic concerns by suggesting a premature return to normal when he ought to be focused entirely on mitigating the spread of the coronavirus. It is far too soon to measure public approval of Trump's management of the pandemic and draw meaningful conclusions about his reelection chances, but it is likely to be the main event on which he is judged by voters in November, according to political strategists. CHESHIRE After an attempted robbery in the parking lot of a local store, police are urging residents to be extra cautious of criminals would might take advantage of people in a vulnerable situation. Officers responded around 6:45 a.m. to the Stop & Shop at 275 Highland Ave. A black male with a black ski mask approached a patron in the parking lot and demanded the patrons car keys, police said. The patron refused and the black male fled the scene in a silver Nissan Altima. Police said there was no further description of the suspect or the vehicle the suspect fled in. No weapons were displayed or suggested during the attempted robbery. Cheshire police said officers have stepped up patrols of all open businesses in town in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We encourage everyone to be vigilant at home and when traveling, police said. The Cheshire police would like to advise everyone that during this time of crisis, criminals may try to take advantage of you. During this time, police said, solicitation has been suspended in town. Residents are also reminded not to give out personal information over the phone or by email Many of the stranded students are from different parts of India, including Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Maharashtra and Uttarakhand London: Hundreds of Indian students stranded in the UK have appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to organise a rescue flight amid the ongoing travel ban enforced by India to control the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. A group of at least 380 students from India has started a data chain with their passport details to create a collective voice to lobby the Indian government for action. Among them is a group of marine engineers from Kerala enrolled at the South Tyneside College in Tyne and Wear in north-east England, who were due to fly back to India after giving their management level exams this week. "Our exams were supposed to happen on 23rd and 24th of March, but got cancelled on the 23rd after getting the question paper at the exam centre, by which time India's travel ban was in place," said Akhil Dharmaraj, First Engineer with NYK Ship Management who would be promoted to Chief Engineer once he clears his UK exams. However, he and other mariners in a similar situation have no information about the rescheduling of their exams as they remain in self-isolation in shared apartments and hostels, stepping out only to buy essentials from supermarkets where they are faced with long queues and empty shelves. They have not been able to access any protective masks, gloves or sanitisers and are worried about contracting the deadly virus while miles away from their loved ones in India. "I have information directly from Cochin Airport that recently a flight with Indian nationals landed from Sydney. Indians have been evacuated from other countries around the world as well but we are not sure why we have been abandoned and how we can make our voice heard to Prime Minister Modi," said Dharmaraj, who is part of a WhatsApp group of fellow Indian students based in different parts of England and Scotland. "As we began the list, it just kept growing. Most of us came on short term student visas and are the supporting members of our family back in India," said the 32-year-old, who has a three-year-old daughter back home in Cochin. The UK Home Office has recently confirmed that any foreign students or professionals on visas that had expired or expiring would be given an extension at least until May 31. Many of the stranded students, who are from different parts of India, including Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Maharashtra and Uttarakhand, expressed their relief at the visa extension announcement but they remain concerned about the limited resources at their disposal in the face of mounting accommodation and essentials costs. Besides, many are exposed to greater risk of contracting COVID-19 due to being crammed into packed hostels with shared kitchen and bathroom facilities during the current lockdown imposed in the UK. "Sir please if you can look into this matter because like me many of my Indian friends who came to UK for studies are stuck," said Margesh Raj from Coventry University in his plea to Prime Minister Modi on Twitter. These students have also been creating videos to post on social media and appealing through the Indian High Commission in London, which has asked them to register their details. Indian students' representative groups such as the National Indian Students and Alumni Union UK (NISAU-UK) and the Indian National Students Association (INSA) have also been issuing advisories and providing assistance. The NISAU-UK has launched a new Home Away From Home virtual initiative targeted at this group of Indians, who find themselves stranded in the UK as a result of the lockdowns in both the countries. "These are testing times for all, and we understand just how difficult it is for students in particular to be away from their families right now, as most of our volunteers are going through the same," said a NISAU-UK spokesperson. "There are a series of activities planned, ranging from Netflix parties to webinars to career development and sessions from stand-up comics. We have extended this initiative to all Indians, no matter where in the world you are NISAU has got your back," the spokesperson said. Two private hospitals in Miraj, Sangli district, were sealed by the Sangli-Miraj-Kupwad Municipal Corporation on Saturday. The hospitals were sealed as two doctors operating in the hospitals, one in each, had returned to India from New Zealand and had subsequently not followed through with the 14-day home quarantine guideline set by the Maharashtra government. The doctors, whose identities are being withheld at this point, are a paediatrician and a gynaecologist. We were informed that one of them had returned on March 8 and the other on March 10. We asked them and they co-operated willingly. One of them had home quarantine stamp, said Smruti Patil, deputy commissioner. The hospitals will now be closed for 14 days. Patients in the OPDs were referred to other hospitals. No patients from either hospital not showing any primary symptoms at the moment, said deputy commissioner Patil. The doctors have not been tested for Covid-19 infection yet. Africas richest man, Aliko Dangote, has tested negative for coronavirus. Mr Dangote disclosed this via his verified Twitter handle on Sunday. He tweeted, The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly disrupted modern society, affecting our collective health and well-being. As a global citizen and business leader, I took the COVID-19 test and the result came back NEGATIVE. Coalition Against COVID-19 is an initiative that I am leading with other private sector leaders & our common goal is to support ongoing Government initiatives with our resources in the fight against COVID-19. We are in this together and I am optimistic we will overcome. Mr Dangote took the test after meeting with prominent Nigerians who later tested positive including presidential aide Abba Kyari and Bauchi governor Bala Mohammed. PREMIUM TIMES also reported how Mr Dangote and other billionaires launched a coalition of private sector organisations to support the countrys efforts aimed at stemming the spread of the coronavirus. The initiative will involve the set up of fully-equipped medical tents to be used for housing patients as well as serve as training, testing, isolation and treatment centres. The coalition will also provide a separate facility in Victoria Island, Lagos, according to The Nation newspaper. The coalitions tasks include mobilising the private sector in shaping public awareness, as well as directing support for both private and public health institutions, according to the daily. Mumbai: A 40-year-old corona virus-infected woman died in Mumbai on Sunday (March 29, 2020) taking the death toll to seven in the state. The woman was admitted to a civic hospital on Saturday (March 28,2020) after she complained of severe respiratory distress, the official said. "She died on Saturday and her sample was sent for testing. The report came out positive for coronavirus. She is the seventh person who died of COVID-19 in the state," the official said. The officials also informed that the women was complaning of respiratory problem and chest pain since past few days. 12 new cases were also reported from Maharashtra on Sunday which includes 5 cases from Pune, 4 from Mumbai, 1 each from Jalgaon, Sangli, Nagpur. The total number of coronavirus cases in Maharashtra has gone up to 193 making it one of the worst affected state in India. Out of the total cases 167 are active cases and 26 patients have been recovered and discharged from hospital. A 45-year-old patient also died in Gujarat's Ahmedabad taking the number of deaths due to coronavirus COVID-19 in India to 25 on Sunday (March 29). The total number of coronavirus cases in India climbed to 979 on Sunday. This includes 86 recovered/discharged and 1 migrant patient. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced the Prime Ministers Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund), a public charitable trust. The fund has been set up so that the people who want to contribute can do so by following a few simple steps which will help the government tide over the major COVID-19 hurdle. Flash Chinese Consul General in Houston Cai Wei made a phone call to Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner on Friday, saying the Chinese city of Shanghai will help Houston combat COVID-19, according to a statement posted Saturday on the consulate's website. During the call, Cai expressed support to the mayor and the citizens of Houston. He said Shanghai and the Consulate General in Houston will support Houston to fight COVID-19 within the ability. Emphasizing that the virus knows no borders, Cai hoped the safety and rights of the Chinese citizens, students in particular, and Chinese enterprises in Houston are protected. Turner thanked Shanghai, a Houston sister city, for the support, and expressed his willingness to strengthen the friendly relations between the two cities. He said the safety of the Houston residents, regardless of their nationality or race, will be the priority of the city. Thanks for joining us today. Here's a quick look at today's major developments, which included the federal government's remarkable hundred-billion dollar package to subsidise the wages of potentially millions of laid off workers. Australias COVID-19 death toll stands at 18, after the deaths of two women in their 80s in Tasmania and the ACT. 4163 Australians have tested positive for COVID-19. The rate of infections in NSW has 'stabilised', with 127 new cases announced today NSW will enforce strict social distancing rules on public gatherings that begin at midnight, with fines of up to $1000 for breaches. The rules limit more than two people congregating outside at a time. Prime Minister Scott Morrison's government will spend $130 billion on a wage subsidy scheme that will provide businesses with $1500 per employee to pay stood down workers each fortnight. More than 30,000 people signed up to the new JobKeeper scheme within hours of the announcement You can read more on reactions to the federal government's wage allowance package here. Our chief political correspondent David Crowe provides his take on the scheme here: Loading "The extraordinary scale of this new wage subsidy will be a relief to many but a warning to all about the damage to come from the coronavirus crisis," he writes. "Only the most extreme threat warrants an expense so large to pay a basic wage yes, too basic for some to millions of workers who would otherwise lose their jobs. "The astonishing question is whether it will be enough." We'll continue our live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic overnight and into Tuesday in a new blog, which you can read here. Good night. "There has been, and will continue to be, a decline in revenue coming into the state, the Wolf administration said in a statement. Read more Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and PennLive/Patriot-News. Sign up for our free weekly newsletter. HARRISBURG The Wolf administration has laid off about 2,500 part-time and seasonal employees and interns as the financial fallout from the coronavirus deepens, straining Pennsylvanias cash flow, Spotlight PA has learned. The affected workers, which include temporary clerical staff and employees who help out in departments across state government during busy periods, were placed on leave without pay Friday. There is currently no timeline to recall them back to work, according to Gov. Tom Wolfs Office of Administration. Some of the departments affected include revenue and transportation, state officials said. It wasnt immediately clear what other departments were affected, though several employ seasonal workers, including the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, which oversees state park facilities, and the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board Employees who work for the state health and labor departments, which are central to the coronavirus response, were not impacted, state officials said. While we work to fund the increased need for essential state services, there has been, and will continue to be, a decline in revenue coming into the state, the Office of Administration, to which the governors office referred questions, said in a statement. The state is taking a measured approach to the COVID-19 outbreak and that includes managing our finances. The layoffs Friday could be the first in a wave of job losses within state government, which is bracing for hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenues as businesses shut down, unemployment claims spike to unparalleled levels, and more people seek other public assistance benefits. Already, Wolf has ordered a hiring freeze and general purchasing ban for state agencies in an effort to cut spending. David Fillman is executive director of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Council 13, which represents the majority of the state workers who were laid off. On Sunday, he said the union still had not received official notification from the commonwealth or information about which workers were affected. Until he does, he said, it is unclear what those workers rights are, though they have fewer protections than full-time workers. Temporary, part-time, and seasonal workers are there to fill in the gaps, Fillman said. When full-time employees become ill, that exacerbates the problem of getting rid of the part-time [workers]. It is going to be a difficult road as we deal with this pandemic, Fillman said. For the last two weeks, state officials have been focused on preventing the health system from being overwhelmed with a crush of sick patients. The legislature has approved $50 million in emergency funding that Wolf can provide to hospitals, nursing homes, and emergency medical providers to buy equipment and supplies. The administration has also relaxed licensing and other requirements for retired doctors, nurses, medical students, pharmacists, and other health-care workers. Wolf has also shut down schools statewide and issued stay-at-home orders for residents in 22 counties. On Saturday, the governor added Centre, Beaver, and Washington Counties to that list, directing residents there to remain at home unless they need medicine, food, or other services essential to living. But packing one of the biggest punches to the states finances is Wolfs order late last week to close businesses that do not provide life-sustaining services or products. His administration has set up a waiver process, but it has been criticized as being chaotic and opaque. The coronavirus response has already taxed Pennsylvanias resources, leaving the state to contend with declining revenues and a sharp spike in demand for public assistance. Pennsylvania residents have filed about 745,000 applications for unemployment compensation benefits in the last two weeks. Compounding the picture is the uncertainty of how bad the outbreak will be and how long it will last. During a briefing with reporters Saturday, Wolf said Pennsylvania and its local governments could get about $5 billion from the federal stimulus package just approved by Congress. But thats going to be allocated in ways that have yet to be made known to at least us in Harrisburg, Wolf said. Health officials on Sunday reported 643 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 3,394. 100% ESSENTIAL: Spotlight PA provides its journalism at no cost to newsrooms across the state as a public good to keep our communities informed and thriving. If you value this service, please give a gift today at spotlightpa.org/donate. EDWARDSVILLE A total of 10 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Madison County, and St. Clair County reported the first Metro East death from the novel coronavirus disease. According to the St. Clair County Health Department, on Friday a woman died, described as being in her 80s with underlying health conditions. It is the first COVID-19 death reported in Illinois south of Sangamon County. The St. Clair County death was not listed in the IDPH website. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of the latest victim of this virus, St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern said in a prepared statement. This is a tragic loss to our community and a reminder that no one is immune to COVID-19. For this reason, everyone must protect themselves, their families, friends and colleagues by following the preventative measures and social distancing guidelines. Locally, in addition to Madison Countys 10 cases, St. Clair County has 18, Clinton County five, Washington County one and Monroe County three. The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) also reported Saturday the death of an infant in Chicago who tested positive for COVID-19. IDPH also reported the same day 465 new cases of COVID-19 in the state, including 13 new deaths. And now, the counties of Carroll, Fayette and Macon are reporting cases. As of Saturday, IDPH is reporting a total of 3,491 cases, up 465 from Friday, as well as 47 deaths, up from 34 the previous day, in 43 Illinois counties. The age range of cases is from younger than 1 year old to 99 years old. Older adults or those with underlying health issues are at higher risk of severe illness, and more than 85% of deaths in Illinois are among individuals age 60 and older, according to state officials. There has never before been a death associated with COVID-19 in an infant, IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said in a prepared statement. A full investigation is underway to determine the cause of death. We must do everything we can to prevent the spread of this deadly virus. If not to protect ourselves, but to protect those around us. At least three dozen U.S. sailors have tested positive for the coronavirus on the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, which is now confined to port in Guam. (Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Anthony N. Hilkowski / U.S. Navy) The Pentagon was waging a two-front war against the coronavirus outbreak Saturday, ramping up assistance in hard-hit states as commanders battled to prevent widespread infections in the ranks that could force them to curtail military operations around the globe. The Pentagon already has canceled or reduced several large-scale training exercises, halted the movement of troops overseas and domestically, confined the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt to port in Guam after an outbreak aboard the warship, and shuttered many of its recruiting offices around the country. President Trump flew to Naval Station Norfolk in Virgina on Saturday to watch as the 1,000-bed Navy hospital ship Comfort departed for New York City, the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak, where it will take patients who don't have the virus in an attempt to relieve overwhelmed civilian hospitals. The sister ship Mercy docked in the Port of Los Angeles on Friday to perform the same role there. We will win this war, and we will win this war quickly with as little death as possible, Trump said, standing on the pier with Defense Secretary Mark Esper. The use of the two hospital ships highlighted the growing military role in assisting beleaguered state officials as they try to contain the contagion. As of Saturday, public health officials had confirmed more than 121,000 cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, and more than 2,000 deaths. More than 12,000 members of the National Guard were mobilized as of Friday to help run testing sites, move supplies and build makeshift tent hospitals in dozens of states where infection numbers are rising and threatening to overwhelm civilian medical facilities. At the same time, senior Pentagon officials and top commanders grappled with the potential effect on military operations and the potential risks to national security if thousands of U.S. military personnel become sick or need to be quarantined. The Pentagon had tallied 613 coronavirus cases as of Friday among U.S. military personnel, family members, Defense Department civilians and contractors. More than half were uniformed military personnel, although a contractor and military dependent were the only reported deaths. Story continues In South Korea, commanders on Friday for the first time ordered most of the 28,000 U.S. soldiers stationed there to remain in their barracks or off-post homes, hoping to curtail the spread of the virus. Only a bare-bones headquarters staff was on duty at Camp Humphreys, the main U.S. base south of Seoul, and other installations, a spokesman said. I think we will have moderate to low levels of readiness impacts, only because of the numbers at least, the numbers so far, Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in a video conference with military commands Tuesday. This could change. We'll have to assess it, and we are assessing it frequently but I think it'll be on the lower end. Senior Pentagon officials have issued a flurry of directives as they seek to preserve the readiness of U.S. forces and prevent the spread of the virus, especially among active duty troops. Balancing health risks against national security missions, the Pentagon has ordered many of the 25,000 workers to work from home. But civilian officials so far have given wide discretion to the military services to decide whether to cancel training or shrink operations. In some cases, commanders have scaled back training events, including one of the largest exercises in Europe since the Cold War. It was supposed to involve 25,000 troops, many coming from bases in the United States, but was cut to 6,000 troops already overseas. But for the most part, commanders have held off halting major training and operations entirely. I trust our commanders and our senior enlisted personnel to do the right thing particular to your unit, to your situation, to your mission, Esper said in the video conference Tuesday. It's up to the commanders and senior [noncommissioned officers] to make the right calls relevant to their situation to ensure that we protect our people while at the same time maintaining mission readiness. But some former Pentagon officials warned against delegating too much discretion to commanders. Even in the best of times, boot camps and other group training sites are known for routinely having problems with controlling infections, said Kathleen Hicks, a former Pentagon official now at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank. Yet boot camps continue, as does mission-essential training, even as cases of infection come to light. As of Friday, governors in every state as well as Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Washington, D.C., had activated Guard members to help civilian authorities respond to the virus outbreak, according to the National Guard Bureau, the Pentagon office that oversees the reservists. Defense officials have sought to limit the mobilization to avoid taking doctors, nurses and other medical personnel who serve in the reserves from civilian hospitals and other jobs where they already may be treating infected patients. The Pentagon has also tried to quash rumors fueled by Facebook and Twitter showing military equipment moving by rail and suggesting that activation of the Guard could lead to imposition of martial law to enforce quarantines and stay-at-home orders. There is no truth to this rumor that people are conspiring, that governors are planning, that anyone is conspiring to use the National Guard ... to do military action to enforce shelter in place or quarantines, Gen. Joseph Lengyel, chief of the National Guard Bureau, told reporters in a conference call. The Pentagon on Wednesday halted troop movements worldwide for 60 days, essentially freezing in place thousands of soldiers, airmen and others who were due to transfer from one assignment to another, as well as whole units that had been scheduled to deploy overseas. The order allowed a planned troop drawdown to continue in Afghanistan, allowing a key Trump political goal scaling down involvement in America's longest war to move ahead, even as the virus spreads. Trump on Friday signed an order permitting the Pentagon to activate for up to two years as many as 1 million former service members from the ready reserves so they can assist in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Officials said there are no plans now to bring back into service anything close to that number. But the order gives the military flexibility should additional medical personnel and other specialists be required. More than 9,000 former soldiers expressed interest in returning to active duty after the Pentagon emailed 800,000 of them to gauge interest, according to the Army. In a sign of the paralyzing uncertainty the virus is causing, the Army, the militarys largest branch, ordered a halt to all training exercises and nonessential activities last week but later rescinded the order after it sparked widespread confusion in the ranks. Asked to comment on the canceled order, Lt. Col. Crystal Boring, an Army spokeswoman, said, The Army is constantly assessing the current situation. The order was first reported by the New York Times. In South Korea, the stay-in-barracks orders forced cancellation of unit training and other daily operations. But the top commander of U.S. forces in Korea said the move would not degrade the readiness of his forces, who are stationed on the Korean peninsula in order to deter North Korea. Pyongyang has launched several projectiles into the sea in recent weeks, including one reportedly on Saturday. Were at a pretty high level of readiness, so Im not concerned for four or five or six days. Now if we had to hypothetically maintain these conditions for 30 days, then I would start to get concerned, Gen. Robert Abrams, the top U.S. commander in Korea, told Stars and Stripes, a Pentagon-funded newspaper that serves troops. The U.S. and South Korea previously canceled joint military exercises planned for this month due to the pandemic. Often forced to live in close quarters in far-flung parts of the globe, military personnel face unique risks from the easily-spread virus, experts said. Because most troops are relatively young, and are subject to strict regulations, the effect is likely to be more limited than in the civilian population. Sailors aboard the aircraft carrier Roosevelt began getting sick after a port visit in Vietnam in early March. Three sailors who tested positive for the coronavirus two weeks after the ship departed Da Nang were flown off the ship for treatment. But 36 infections were soon detected aboard the carrier, and after the Roosevelt reached Guam on Thursday in a previously scheduled port visit, the entire crew of 5,000 underwent testing. The carrier will remain in Guam with the crew confined to the ship or the pier indefinitely, officials said. "We are taking this threat very seriously and are working quickly to identify and isolate positive cases while preventing further spread of the virus aboard the ship," Adm. Mike Gilday, chief of naval operations, said in a statement. To guard against the virus affecting operations in Afghanistan, commanders are separating troops and putting newly arrived troops in quarantine, said Bruce Klingner, the father of a Marine serving in Afghanistan and a research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a Washington think tank. Klingners son was assigned new sleeping quarters, away from others in his own job classification, in order to lower the chances that all of them would become infected, Klingner said in a tweet Saturday. His son is a joint terminal attack controller, a Marine responsible for directing airstrikes from the ground. Im sitting in my new room in the morgue, Klingners son told his father in a video chat. You call it that because it was so quiet? Klingner said he asked. No, because it was the morgue, his son replied. Haiti - Health : A case of Covid-19 in Cuba from Haiti Friday, March 27, the Province of Ciego de Avila in central Cuba reported 6 new confirmed cases of Covid-19, bringing the total to 9 cases including one from Haiti. Remember that Haiti has closed its borders with 66 countries https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30276-haiti-flash-haiti-bans-all-flights-from-66-countries-and-closes-its-borders.html with the exception of flights from or to the United States of America and Cuba under conditions https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30292-haiti-flash-covid-19-haiti-cuba-flights-maintained-under-conditions.html n the case from Haiti, it is a woman 29-year-old Cuban citizen, residing in the municipality of Baragua (Province of Ciego de Avila), who arrived in Cuba on March 22 from Port-au-Prince. The next day she presented with symptoms and was tested positive and admitted to the provincial isolation center. 3 people who have been in contact with her have been placed under solitary confinement. Dr. Eduardo Zalacain Pergrave, Deputy Director of Epidemiology at the Provincial Center for Hygiene, Epidemiology and Microbiology confirmed in a press conference that all of these patients had been isolated in the military hospital "Octavio la Concepcion y la Pedraja" in Camaguey and that an investigation to identify the people in contact had been carried out. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30318-haiti-flash-cuba-closes-its-borders.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30316-haiti-covid-19-daily-bulletin-march-20-2020.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30292-haiti-flash-covid-19-haiti-cuba-flights-maintained-under-conditions.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30276-haiti-flash-haiti-bans-all-flights-from-66-countries-and-closes-its-borders.html S/ HaitiLibre Days after a national lockdown was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to contain the coronavirus outbreak in India, migrant workers across the nation began to make their way to their native villages. In this picture, a family, out of work following the announcement, is making its way back to Aligarh. (Image: Moneycontrol) Cut off from means of transportation after the lockdown, several families resorted to walk it out all the way to their native places, sometimes crossing states and having to walk miles on foot. (Image: Reuters) Migrant workers raise their hands as policemen ask them for their destination as they wait for buses along a highway with their families during a 21-day nationwide lockdown to limit the spreading of coronavirus disease in Ghaziabad, on the outskirts of New Delhi. (Image: Reuters) Migrant workers travel in crowded buses as they return to their villages. The Uttar Pradesh government on March 28 arranged over 1,000 buses for the workers returning to the state. (Image: Reuters) A man passes a child to a woman as they attempt to climb a wall while migrant workers crowd up outside a bus station as they wait to board buses to return to their villages. (Image: Reuters) Migrant workers are seen inside a crowded bus as they return to their villages days after the lockdown announcement. Several states have appealed to the workers to remain where they are, and that the state administration will take care of their basic necessities. (Image: Reuters) Family of a migrant worker shelters in a pipe kept along a highway as they wait to board their bus to return to their village. (Image: Reuters) Migrant workers, who are returning to their villages, try to catch a water bottle distributed by the local residents on a highway. Reports have also suggested that migrant workers were forced to crowd inside container trucks to cross state borders and reach their native places. (Image: Reuters) Migrant workers walk towards a bus station along a highway with their families. (Image: Reuters) As Nigeria recorded its 97th COVID-19 case late on Saturday, a review of official data shows that the number of confirmed cases rose by 340 per cent in a week. COVID-19 is a deadly respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus. According to the latest breakdown by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Lagos State leads with 59 cases, followed by 16 in Abuja, Ogun 3, Oyo 7, Edo 2, Bauchi 2, Enugu 2, Osun 2 while Ekiti, Kaduna, Rivers and Benue states have one case of the infection each. While one death has been recorded, at least three patients have so far been discharged after they fully recovered from the disease. An analysis of the recorded cases this week, when compared with the previous week, revealed that an additional 75 persons tested positive this week. This represents a 340.9 per cent increase, the highest weekly increase Nigeria has recorded since its index case on February 24. The Lagos State Government has projected that the numbers of cases in the state might reach 39,000 if good social distancing was not adhered to by the public. Our Mathematical modelling shows that worst case scenario we might have 39,000 cases in Lagos State; however, if we practice good social distancing, we can limit that to about 13,000, the Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi, said on Friday. Mr Abayomi said combining social distancing with active constant tracing would help to reduce the cases further, noting that the figure was minimal compared to the numbers of cases in other parts of the world. The figures may seem alarming at this point, but this is just to emphasise the importance to the Lagos Community to follow the instructions of the Incidence Commander to ensure they practice good social distancing. Social distancing is the key to bring the outbreak under control, because that way, we are not giving the virus the opportunity to spread from person to person, he said. In this article, PREMIUM TIMES reviews the cases recorded this week and how the figure rose from 22 to 97. Timeline As at 06:45 a.m. on March 22, there were 25 confirmed cases of COVID-19 recorded in Nigeria. Three new cases had been reported in Lagos State, in people who returned from high-risk countries. Less than two hours later, the confirmed cases increased to 26 after one new case was confirmed in Oyo State. By 5:28 p.m. same day, there were 30 confirmed cases of COVID-19 after new cases were confirmed in Lagos State. By 9:45 a.m. on March 23, confirmed cases increased to 35 after five new cases were confirmed in Abuja, Edo and Lagos. Two of the five cases were returning travellers from the United Kingdom. On the same 23rd of March, the first COVID-19 death in Nigeria was announced. The case was that of a 67-year-old male who returned to Nigeria following medical treatment in the UK. He had underlying medical conditions including multiple myeloma & diabetes and was undergoing chemotherapy. By 11:00 p.m. on March 23, the confirmed cases increased to 40 after new cases were recorded in Lagos and Abuja. A day later on March 24, the confirmed cases increased to 44 after two new cases were confirmed in Lagos and Ogun states at 1:00 p.m. and two others were confirmed at 6:25 p.m. in Abuja and Bauchi. READ ALSO: The confirmed cases increased to 51 on March 25, after two new cases were announced in Lagos and Osun in the morning and five cases were announced in Abuja (2), Lagos (2) and Rivers at 11:00 p.m. As at 7:35 p.m. on March 26, there were 65 confirmed cases after 14 new cases of the infection were confirmed in Abuja, Bauchi and Lagos (12). By 8:00 p.m. on March 27, there were 70 confirmed cases of COVID-19 after five new cases were reported in Abuja (3) and Oyo State (2). Advertisements Less than four hours later, the cases increased to 81 after 11 new cases were reported: eight in Lagos, two in Enugu and one in Edo. By 4:00 p.m. on March 28, the confirmed cases had increased to 89 after eight new cases were recorded in Lagos and Benue states. The cases increased to 97 by 10:40 p.m. with eight new cases reported in Abuja (2), Oyo (4), Kaduna and Osun states. High profile cases Also within the week, some high profile cases were recorded in Nigeria. On Sunday evening, former Vice president Atiku Abubakar announced that his son tested positive to COVID-19. Between Tuesday and Saturday, the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Abba Kyari; the Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai; and the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Frank Okiye tested positive. Many other top politicians, including several state governors, are on self-isolation after coming in contact with those infected. OnFriday evening, Nigerian musician, Davido, announced that his fiancee, Chioma Rowland, tested positive for Coronavirus. Davido announced that Chioma has been quarantined while he (Davido) has also gone into full self-isolation for the minimum 14 days. PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs with Prefette Sylvie Feucher held a press conference on Sunday afternoon where they announced that special measures are going into effect on March 30th, 2020. Feucher and Jacobs have decided to put stricter controls at the border whereby only persons crossing over on either side for work or medical will be allowed to cross the border. Jacobs said the Dutch side will now have attestations in the English Language for persons to circulate on the public roads while the French side will have it in the French language. Jacobs explained that businesses that violate the restrictions for essential businesses will be shut down. She said the time for a warning is now over. Jacobs said that the measures that are now being enforced are to further limit the spread of the COVID-19. Jacobs said that a curfew will be in effect from 8 pm to 6 am as of Sunday midnight, March 30th, 2020. She said persons that have to work during the early hours of the morning will be allowed to pass if they have the attestation and proof that they have to work, the same goes for persons seeking medical treatment. She said businesses already have to close at 6 pm which gives everyone enough time to get home on time. However, the French and Dutch sides have decided to implement stricter border controls. This is meant to ensure that those persons that cross the border are for essential movements, such as working on either side of the island. These measures Prime Minister Jacobs said will be implemented as of midnight tonight the new measures will be implemented, while the curfew will go into effect at midnight on Sunday/ Monday 30th March. The country's Prime Minister said the decree to restrict movement is now in place and will be published on Monday. It must be noted that residents on either side will not be allowed to cross the border for shopping as only persons that crossing the border for working and medical purposes. Leisure activities and visiting families are now prohibited for the next two weeks. Jacobs said residents from both sides will not be allowed to leave their home before 6 am, she said hopefully with the additional measures the scooters will be off the roads, while there would be less reasons for persons to occupy the limited hospital beds. Chief Commissioner of Police Carl John said that French and Dutch police will be patrolling on both sides of the island. He said that cooperation has been enhanced on both sides. Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs said the French and Dutch cooperation is at 100% and the measures are taken is to really protect the island. She said that patients that were advised to stay in insolation if they do not comply with those persons will be picked up and placed in isolation and when that happens family members will not have the opportunity to visit. Prefette Sylvie Feucher called on parents and or families to instruct their youngsters to stay off the public roads, she said that at the moment both sides of the island have problems with scooter riders and its becoming out of hand. Feucher said that St. Martin also has some good news by some cases where patients were cured of the COVID-19 Prime Minister Jacobs also advised that COIVID-19 patients are not allowed to depart St. Maarten through Princess Juliana International Airport. She said this measure was taken to avoid cross-contamination and to protect airport workers. Jacobs said the line between Colombia and St. Maarten has reopened in order for non -COVID-19 patients that need emergency medical treatment can be evacuated. Feucher said the French side conducted more tests and that is why the French side numbers are higher than the Dutch side, she said St. Martin also kept some tourists that were sick. Feucher further explained that at the moment they are seeing that there are infected among the local population, therefore it is essential that stricter measures be applied because very soon there will be a limited amount of tests like it is in France and Guadeloupe. " Prime Minister & Chair of the EOC Silveria Jacobs Updates on COVID-19 Developments MARCH 29, 2020 People of St. Maarten, both at home and abroad, I hereby address you, as Prime Minister and Chair of the EOC (Emergency Operations Center), in an update for today Sunday, March 29, 2020, as part of the process to keep the community of St. Maarten informed about the latest developments and Governments COVID-19 preparedness, prevention, mitigation and response measures. In a meeting of the EOC held today, March 29, 2020, on increasing measures to ensure the safety and security of the population in this COVID-19 period, I have made several decisions in relation to the movement of persons in and around St. Maarten and increased controls in movement across the border in collaboration with our French counterparts. I hereby inform you that the Government of St. Maarten will be increasing its restrictions as per article 1 of the General Police Ordinance, which allows for special measures in extraordinary circumstances. This regulation will restrict movement and authorize the police to enforce the request I made to our people on Friday, March 27, to STAY AT HOME, and to practice extreme social distancing when necessary to be out for essential services. This regulation will require our citizens to carry a document on them, signed by their employer, declaring the need for them to travel to work, or one which describes which essential service they are traveling to or for. This document will be available for download by the citizens of St. Maarten on Governments website www.sintmaartengov.org/coronavirus as of Monday. Also, in collaboration with our French counterparts, the Prefet Sylvie Feucher, the gendarmes, and our police department, will continue to patrol the borders in order to restrict any non-essential movement across borders as well. This is in an effort to reduce the possibility of the spread of the COVID-19 virus. As such, all residents of St. Maarten/St. Martin needing to cross the border will only be able to do so for either work purposes or health purposes and will be required to carry a new document that will be available on both Governments website for download. Our St. Maarten residents will continue to give/receive essential services. However, Government services will be by appointment only. Effective Monday, March 30, 2020, all licensed restaurants including street vendors will only be able to sell/deliver food. It is strictly forbidden to sell alcoholic beverages at these establishments. This is in order to minimize the chance of persons gathering at these establishments in a social atmosphere where proper social distancing of 1,5 2 meters is observed. The business closures at 6:00 PM each day and business closures on Sundays will remain in effect. Additionally, as of Monday, March 30, 2020, a curfew will be implemented at 8:00 PM until 6:00 AM the following morning to allow for the majority of workers to get home in time. This curfew is implemented in order to restrict movement except for emergencies during these hours and has been added in order to ensure that no unnecessary movement occurs during the established business closure times. Persons traveling to essential work, before and after the established curfew (6:00 AM and after 8:00 PM) will be exempted from this measure. For example, those persons working night shifts and early morning shifts, including security guards, nurses, radio hosts, etc. The Ministerial Regulation signed by the Minister of Justice will be published on Monday and will be enforced by our men and women in blue, in collaboration with our French counterparts. Again, I want to remind you that these restrictions are put in place in order to protect you in these COVID-19 times. Requests for military assistance in advance of a major outbreak are still being processed by the Dutch government. Other requests for financial and other assistance for medical equipment and personnel are also still not forthcoming, therefore we ask the general public to continue to comply with the measures put in place to avoid further spread of the virus on our tiny island. We have had no new confirmations of COVID 19 cases and our 2 hospitalized and 4 isolated patients remain in stable or good condition. We are finalizing the negotiations to establish a government-controlled quarantine/isolation facility in order to minimize the movement of quarantined and isolated persons, specifically those who may be taking chances and venturing out in public. As I conclude my address, I ask for something very simple. Save a life by staying at home. Stay at home because you matter! I pray that you are listening carefully to what Im saying. You matter! We are resilient and hopeful people AND we will get through this period. The Emergency Operations Center ESF coordinators are all working in the best interest of you and your families. Follow our Government Radio station 107.9FM for official information, statements, and news updates or visit the Government website at www.sintmaartengov.org/coronavirus and our Facebook Page: Government of Sint Maarten. God bless you, the people of St. Maarten and God bless St. Maarten as we all work together to keep her safe from the spread of this COVID-19 virus." On November 28th, 2019, the European Union officially and solemnly declared the climate emergency, in a ceremony presided over by the would-be 17-year-old prophet Greta Thunberg. Today, almost four months later, in the midst of a real emergency, the only thing that remains official and solemn in that declaration is its ridiculousness. That, and the no-holds-barred death match between the Unions partners to seize containers of respirators and face masks destined for other countries in order to save their own. The European Union either gets this health crisis right, or it will be dead, I heard the former president of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani, say the day before yesterday. At the moment, the European Union seems to be MIA, along with the climate emergency. Each day that passes, the hope of finding it alive diminishes. A month ago, while the coronavirus was invading the Old Continent, we Europeans were busy with much more important matters than a little flu. In early March, Spains Communist government was focused on passing its aberrant sexual freedom law. With a name like that, you might think that we Spaniards have been procreating by pollination for 2000 years. Meanwhile, the Swiss press, strangely enough, seemed intent on overthrowing the Spanish monarchy, as if we hadnt had enough of church-burning and coldblooded murder at the hands of the Second Republic. And a few days earlier, on March 2nd, the big issue in Switzerland was a referendum to pass a law banning any comments or attitudes against gay-friendly policies. It brings to mind the warning that Gomez Davila, Colombian intellectual, gave us towards the end of the 20th century: Despite what they teach us today, easy sex isnt the solution to all our problems. In Sweden, Germany, and half of Europe, the front-page news on March 7th was another issue: (again) Greta Thunbergs statements about the need to impose measures that reward women over men. It was around those days that the Dutch government announced a bill that would allow the euthanasia of any elderly person tired of living. It comes as no surprise that the Netherlands doesnt seem too concerned about this coronavirus business. The last we heard from Holland is that the official channels are telling people: Dont bring weak patients and old people to hospital. Looks like theyre only interested in saving the lives of young people. I guess theyre more photogenic and look better on postcards of tulip fields. Story continues Also during the first week of March, almost the entire European press devoted rivers of ink to discussing whether two transgender athletes should compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as men or women. One of Europes many progressive newspapers began this momentous debate thus: Well into the 21st century, there is still much to be done on issues like racism, sexism and religion. And even on sexual identity. These are classic phrases for an unserious mind; they never fail. If you want to know if someone is a charlatan, just listen out for the expressions, Well into the 21st century and, There is still much to be done. In Germany, at the beginning of March, the controversy that dominated the nation was whether to erect a huge statue of Lenin in a small North Rhineland town. Interesting. Perhaps it was to scare the virus off. But Scotland is definitely my favorite. As the pandemic began to spread dramatically, the main debate in Scotland was the imperative need for a new government law to provide free tampons and sanitary pads. The issue went beyond Scotland and was the subject of some very intellectually dense op-eds in the broader European press. It was clear that the festival of incompetence and unicorn politics was to go on right up until the last minute before cataclysm. Everyone wanted to drag out that last drink on the Titanic. Nobody wanted to go to sleep. Neither did the U.N. On March 10, with 118,100 diagnosed and 4,262 dead from coronavirus in Europe, the U.N. held a press conference . . . to commit to the political and economic fight against the climate emergency! Yes, it would appear that the plan is to leave the pangolins a beautiful and temperate planet. Thus, secretary-general Antonio Guterres trumpeted a report at us, saying that climate change acceleration will trigger heat and dengue deaths in Africa, and cause drought and flash floods in countries such as Spain, without explaining how its possible to die from thirst and drown at the same time. Of course, we cant really expect any explanations from an ex-president of the Socialist International who praises the policies of the Cuban regime and now hints that Chinas response to the coronavirus is the example to follow. Someone should make it clear to him, however, that China will be the example to follow in a health crisis when it ceases to be a Communist dictatorship, and when the Chinese end their unfortunate preference for meat from exotic jungle animals slaughtered in front of them at wet markets. In the midst of this festival of frivolity, harsh reality landed in Europe. In just ten days, we discovered that neither the tampon issue, nor the participation of transsexuals in the Olympic Games, nor the climate emergency were real problems, nor emergencies, nor anything of the sort. They were just fictitious problems, the pastimes of a generation that hadnt known tragedy. The reactions of politicians in Europe reflect the bewilderment of those who were living in the Matrix and have just been awakened. Most governments in Europe have moved from denial to chaos. But probably the most vile reaction has been that of the Social Communist government in Spain, which encouraged Spaniards to participate massively in the March 8 feminist rallies, the next day hiding reports that the coronavirus was already out of control in the country something they may well have to answer for in court. Vice President Carmen Calvo said at the time that to attend the demonstrations was a moral obligation for all Spaniards: what is at stake is the life of many people. She was referring to violence against women, I think. It goes to show that Sanchezs government only tells the truth by accident. Yes, many peoples lives were at stake, as we have unfortunately found out. Now Calvo is recovering from coronavirus, as are most of the members of government who took part in the demonstrations. Of course, the Spanish do not seem to be worried about the governments taking a few days holiday: Its worse when theyre actually on the job. The government is currently returning 650,000 defective coronavirus tests bought a few days ago. The president appeared on TV to show them off last Saturday, saying: These are approved tests and that is very important, very important. They dont work. They werent from an approved Chinese supplier. Spain has been ripped off. A joke going around here in Spain says: I took the governments coronavirus test and its a girl! Something similar happened in France, where president Emmanuel Macron closed bars and discos but refused to suspend the March 15 elections. Even so, until a few days ago, Germany and France both boasted about their good crisis management. However, the truth is that lying does not solve the problem: We now know that neither Germany nor France is counting the deaths from coronavirus that occur outside of hospitals, and that the Germans dont call it death from coronavirus if the patient had a previous illness. At some point between March 8 and March 15, all European countries unilaterally closed their borders. For 20 days, as nations took the lead, the European Union ceased to exist. Even today, it is discussing possible economic measures, without any decision being made. The main obstacle to an economic agreement is that the countries that have been frugal for years, in particular the Netherlands and Germany, refuse to bail out the more wasteful Mediterranean countries with their money again. And thats understandable. However, for those who are now on their own, namely the United Kingdom, things arent looking any better. The UK will pay a heavy price for its experimental immune policy. Prime Minister Boris Johnsons infection looks like writing on the wall. To survive in a globalized world, you have to do more than just antagonize everyone else all the time. Europe, whose nations had staked everything on an all-powerful state that could protect its citizens from all evil, has been cruelly disappointed. The future is uncertain. But what is certain is that death and poverty are two words that will stay with us for a long time. Europeans now miss having competent governments, cohesive civil societies, responsible economic administrations, and citizens capable of giving their lives for others that is to say, citizens with values. The same values that were deliberately excluded in the European Constitution in order to please the extreme left-wing secularists. Tajani was right. The coronavirus has reopened the deepest wounds in the European Union. More from National Review After being shut for five days, the Pune Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) reopened on Sunday and started functioning in full capacity amid less than average supply of vegetables. However, there was no crowd as APMC authorities did not allow retail customers to purchase veggies. According to APMC authorities, Pune got a good response from the farmers as a total of 514 trucks carrying vegetables arrived at the Market Yard on Sunday. The APMC has now introduced a new Pune Pattern wherein vegetables and fruits will be brought in the market on alternate days. Pune APMC chairman Balasaheb Deshmukh said, Though the traders and agents decided to stop work till March 31, they reopened the market. On Sunday, the market was opened at 3.30am and a total of 514 vehicles carrying only vegetables were brought in phases in order to avoid crowding. Till 4.30am all the goods were unloaded and then local wholesalers and daily bulk purchasers were given entry by their identity cards. At one time we were allowing only 100 to 150 people inside the market, and till 11.30am 95 per cent of the goods were sold out. Around 1,500 tempos took vegetables across the city today, We have introduced a strategy to avoid crowding at the Market Yard. On Sunday only vegetable trucks were permitted. On Monday trucks carrying fruits, potato and onion will be allowed. This will reduce the number of people coming to the market. We have also taken help from the Pune police department. On Sunday 150 policemen were deployed across Market Yard to monitor the crowd, added Deshmukh. Besides Market Yard, vegetables were also brought to our divisional markets--Manjri, Moshi and Khadki. On Sunday, 859 trucks of vegetables were brought to the city at all the four APMC markets which is almost 90 per cent of the regular need of the city. On an average daily 1,000 vegetable trucks used to come earlier to all the four markets. So there is no need to do panic buying. Also the rates of the vegetables which are been hiked by retailers will now come down. There is no shortage of vegetables and fruits in Pune, said Desmukh. Total vehicles brought to four APMC markets on Sunday: 859 Market Yard 514 Manjri 140 Moshi 175 Khadki 30 Male [Maldives], Mar 29 (ANI): Former President of Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed on Sunday thanked India for sending food and vital medicines to the island country during the coronavirus outbreak. Nasheed took to Twitter to express his feelings, "A big thank you to the Government and people of India, Flag of India for sending us vital food and medicine at this difficult time," Earlier, the Government of Maldives had donated USD 200,000 to the COVID-19 Emergency fund created after the SAARC leader's virtual summit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted his thanks to the government of Maldives, "Deeply appreciate the contribution of USD 200,000 by Government of Maldives to the COVID-19 Emergency Fund. It strengthens our resolve in this collective fight against the pandemic." The Maldives reported 17 cases of the coronavirus out of which 11 have recovered while no deaths have been reported. (ANI) The new centres are part of a ramping-up of preparations across the healthcare sector (Brian Lawless/PA) A Dublin hotel and conference centre has become the first of a series of new coronavirus centres for isolation and stepdown care in Ireland. The hotel part of the Citywest complex will provide beds for 750 people who are unable to self-isolate due to the nature of their own living arrangements. It will open at the end of the week. The Citywest conference centre is being turned into a stepdown care facility for Covid-19 patients who are recovering from the infection. The 450 beds earmarked for the facility will only be used once capacity in hospital settings has been exceeded. It will start operating, if needed, in two or three weeks time. We are certainly working towards the peak in mid-April - so over the next two to three weeksAnne O'Connor, HSE Similar isolation/stepdown facilities will be opened in other urban centres across Ireland, including Cork, Limerick and Galway. Senior HSE officials announced the moves at the Citywest centre on Sunday morning. HSE chief executive Paul Reid said it was important to plan for the worst-case scenario. We have to be prepared, he said. The new centres are part of a ramping-up of preparations across the healthcare sector in Ireland for the anticipated surge in coronavirus cases. By utilising private hospital facilities and securing adding equipment, the HSE is set to double the number of critical care beds from 250 to 500. As of Sunday morning, 88 patients with Covid-19 were in an ICU bed in Ireland. However, there are fears that number is likely to soar in the coming days and weeks. Try not to get overwhelmed by everything you hear or read around #coronavirus. We can all take steps to keep ourselves well. https://t.co/Z3zOGHbcdf#COVID19 pic.twitter.com/8kLbelTYMU HSE Ireland (@HSELive) March 28, 2020 Mr Reid said about 1,700 additional beds with ventilation support would be available, with plans to increase that number by 100 each week for the next ten weeks. HSE chief operations officer Anne OConnor said it was impossible to be certain when the peak might come, but THAT HSE planning models suggested it could be mid-April. I dont know that any of us can really say exactly when the peak is going to be, she said. We are certainly working towards the peak in mid-April so over the next two to three weeks. And that is what we are planning for, but clearly we dont know. But we do have to work on some basis when it comes to planning, so we are planning for a peak kind of between the 10th and the 14th of April, around that time. Mr Reid said the hospital system would come under significant pressure as he acknowledged that the HSE was nervous about what lay ahead. Our hospital system in particular will be under significant pressure in the coming weeks, he said. Wondering how to cope with self isolation? Some good advice here from Chris Hadfield, someone with lots of experience: An Astronaut's Guide to Self Isolation https://t.co/BO6nqJifsk via @YouTube Leo Varadkar (@LeoVaradkar) March 29, 2020 Mr Reid urged the public to support healthcare workers in any way they could. I know the public is nervous, our healthcare workers are very nervous too and we are nervous for them, he said. So it is going to be a difficult period. So this is a special call-out from me as the CEO of the HSE to really support our health care workers in the coming weeks. Ireland recorded its highest daily death toll in the coronavirus outbreak on Saturday, with 14 people losing their lives. The deaths brought the total number of victims in the state to 36, with 2,415 confirmed cases of the virus in Ireland. This weekend has seen the start of a further major clampdown on movement in Ireland. The restrictions were ordered by the Government on Friday night amid fears that critical care hospitals will soon be overwhelmed. People have been ordered to remain in their homes in all but a limited set of specific circumstances until Sunday April 12. Moscow authorities have ordered a citywide lock-down, restricting the normal business of most of the capital's 12.5 million residents. The move is the most comprehensive attempt to date to stem the proliferation of the coronavirus. It comes just three days after the Kremlin insisted there was "de facto no epidemic" in Russia. As of Monday, 30 March, Muscovites will be forbidden from leaving their homes. Exceptions are being made for key workers; medical emergencies; buying groceries and medicine; walking pets within 100m of home; and disposing of rubbish. People will still be allowed to leave and enter Moscow, but all other movement within the city will require special permits. Sergei Sobyanin, Moscow's mayor, gave residents just four hours to get used to the new rules. A statement published on the mayor's personal website said the measures came in response to a "negative turn of events" in Europe and the United States. The news of Moscow's lockdown came on the same day the recorded its 1000 official case, with Mr Sobyanin suggesting the city was moving into a "new phase" in its fight against the virus. Russia's official Covid-19 caseload is low, but increasing at a growing rate. A low and unreliable testing regime may be contributing to that picture. Authorities have promised to enforce the new rules with a "smart system of control," understood to mean tracking by mobile phone and Moscow's new, face-recognition enhanced CCTV systems. There is no indication of how long the lockdown will stay in force. OELWEIN, Iowa (AP) Severe storms damaged an apartment building and several farm buildings and homes in northeast Iowa Saturday night. A tornado that was spotted in Oelwein, Iowa, tore off part of the wall of a 12-unit apartment building and damaged the siding of a second building in the complex. Oelwein police said no serious injuries were reported. Lonnie Robbins said he watched the storm moving in before retreating to the bathroom of his ground floor apartment in Oelwein, which is about 150 miles northeast of Des Moines. I heard something go whoosh, and I even felt it, Robbins told the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier. It ripped the hallway wall off, smacked that into my apartment, and when it did that, it knocked a hole in my apartment. Fayette County Sheriff Marty Fisher said the storm knocked down branches and some power lines elsewhere in Oelwein and in rural parts of the county. Residents of the apartment complex whose homes were damaged sought shelter in a nearby hotel. Resident Jonathan Reinert said the storm damage leaves him without a place to stay during the coronavirus outbreak. Emergency crews wore surgical masks as they responded to the storm damage because of the virus. I got no shelter in place now, Reinert said. Dubuque County Emergency Management Director Tom Berger said at least six farms were damaged by a tornado near Sherrill, Iowa. Dianne and Lonnie Klein were at home on their farm near Sherrill, when severe weather alerts began sounding on their phones. My husband was watching TV in the basement and he said, You better get down here, get down to the basement, Dianne Klein said to the Dubuque Telegraph-Herald. We were watching on TV, and it was real quiet. It got real calm, then the power went out, and then we heard the roar it all happened within seconds. We have a little room under our front porch, and we were just able to get into that. When the Kleins emerged from shelter, they found extensive damage to the outside of their home and a machine shed had been destroyed. The storm also destroyed multiple farm buildings and damaged at least two houses north of Potosi, Wisconsin, Grant County Emergency Management Director Steve Braun said. There were no injuries. Braun said some livestock were killed when barns were knocked down at one farm. Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Kottayam : , March 29 (IANS) A Kerala couple under treatment for coronavirus infection have since been cured and have a message for others to sail through the crisis: Be calm and just listen to and follow the instructions of health professionals. Robin and his wife had tested coronavirus positive early March and were quarantined. Their 21-day ordeal is finally over, with the experience making them more strong. They got infected when they drove his brother-in-law and his parents from Kochi to Pathanamthitta after they arrived from Covid-19 hit Italy on February 29. Apart from the three returnees, the couple were infected. Luckily, all of them have been cured. When the couple tested positive, their young child too stayed with them in the hospital. On Saturday, all three were discharged from the Kottayam Medical College Hospital after a series of routine tests came negative. Robin told the media that the 21-day quarantine, especially the initial days, were tough. "It was really unbearable in the beginning, but slowly things cooled down when realisation set in that there is no other way to go but face it. I spend a lot of time on my mobile phone. Even while we came under attack from various quarters, numerous calls from our near and dear ones, priests, politicians, were comforting," said Robin. Any advice for others? "My advice to all is -- there is no need to worry at all. The only thing is one should just listen to medical professionals," he added. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Rarely are Christians in the United States confronted with the kinds of challenges faced by believers around the world whose governments regularly persecute the faithful. Yet, both are now facing the coronavirus. Churches around the world even those in places where persecution abounds have been forced to adapt to this unexpected and unnerving external pressure, meeting in new and creative ways in the era of social distancing. As churches across America begin to wrestle with new challenges, we can be inspired by the church in China, which has managed be a light to their society during the coronavirus despite continuous pressure from their own government. Long before American churches, churches in China transitioned their worship services online in January. Wuhan Root and Fruit Christian Church, in the epicenter of the outbreak, started a YouTube channel to stay connected to its congregants. Via this new platform, Pastor Huang Lei encouraged church members: When thousands are afraid and panicking, the children of God must stand in the gap and intercede. Everything in this world will pass away, but even in this calamity, God has given us the authority and power to pray and intercede for this city. Pray, encourage and build each other up, and strengthen ourselves in the Word of God. While coronavirus keeps people inside their homes, this hasnt stopped Christians from reaching out to their communities. Pastor Paul Peng from Blessings Reformed Evangelical Church in Chengdu told World Magazine that in the midst of the coronavirus, [t]he church members also feel a greater burden to evangelize with their family members. When the mother of one congregant was hospitalized with coronavirus, Peng explained the gospel to her by phone. She was born again on her deathbed and spent her last hours listening to recorded hymns. A few Christians in Wuhan even took to the mostly-quiet streets to evangelize, offering face masks and leaflets with the Gospel message to anyone they encountered. The authorities would usually halt such bold acts, but the quiet of quarantine provided a cover for this outreach. The coronavirus will pass, but the social effects of lockdown may be felt in the long term. Wuhan Root and Fruit Christian Church wouldnt have started a YouTube channel if they hadnt been forced to stay connected online during the outbreak. Now, Christians around the world have taken inspiration from this churchs coronavirus message. COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on the world economy, healthcare systems, and the families which face tragedy. But as people turn to technology to connect with others, Christians also find themselves more connected than ever to fellow believers around the world, including those from persecuted communities. Until now, some Christians in the free world may have understood little of what Christians endure in places like China. But for Chinese Christians, this has been a long-term struggle. Since the Chinese Revolution in 1949, when Mao Zedongs radical form of Marxism became the law of the land, believers were arrested, imprisoned, disappeared or killed. The anti-religious crackdowns of President Xi Jinping bear increasingly similarity to Maos abusive agenda. From the beginning of Maoism until now, there have been waves in Chinas mistreatment of Christians. In 2018, Bob Fu, founder and president of ChinaAid, told the Washington Times that todays persecution of Christians is at the highest level since Maos reign of terror. For Christians alone, Fu said, last year we documented persecution against 1,265 churches, with the number of people persecuted over 223,000. And that is just the tip of the iceberg. Sadly, since 2018, the Chinese Christians plight has only worsened. A look at the risks taken by Chinas Christians provides us with a fresh appreciation for the great freedoms we enjoy. For good reason, Americas Christians are grateful for the constitutional freedoms that undergird our society and remain eager to defend them. And most Americans are also appreciative of the precautions being taken by the U.S. government for our health, which will dramatically increase the odds of survival for our families and friends. As the crisis continues, American Christians can electronically walk alongside our Chinese brothers and sisters in faith, with a deeper awareness of the struggles they increasingly face. Long after the harshest effects of the coronavirus pass, persecuted Christians around the world will continue to face their challenges, walking courageously in faith. Thats what they do every day of their lives, despite the very real dangers they face. Confronted with this unique moment in history, may we likewise learn to adapt and be bold in our faith! Advertisement The coronavirus pandemic in New York grows worse as one 24-hour period brought another 222 deaths to the city and 834 dead across the state as of Saturday. The Empire State has become the epicenter of the pandemic in the United States, accounting for nearly half of the total number of cases nationwide. New York City alone reported more than 30,000 cases - a third of them in the hard-hit borough of Queens, according to health officials. As of Saturday evening, the death toll in New York City reached 672 people. Since the coronavirus outbreak started, 834 people in New York State have died after being infected, health officials in Albany say New York City on Saturday reported 222 deaths in a 24-hour period. The city on Saturday also reported that the number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus surpassed 30,000 City health officials said that a third of confirmed cases of coronavirus were reported in the borough of Queens A US National Guard soldier informs patients at a coronavirus testing center at Lehman College in the Bronx on Saturday In total, New York State is reporting 53,510 confirmed cases of coronavirus. Nationwide, there are 124,388 confirmed cases of the coronavirus as of Saturday evening. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Saturday that he would issue an executive order requiring all hospitals to allow healthy, non-infected support people inside delivery rooms to be with their loved ones while they give birth. Cuomo's office made the announcement in response to an announcement earlier this week by two New York City hospital systems which banned support people, including spouses, partners, or doulas, from delivery rooms due to the coronavirus pandemic. The ban instituted by NewYork-Presbyterian and Mount Sinai medical centers ignited a sharp backlash, prompting the governor to step in. One online petition demanding that the ban be reversed generated more than 600,000 signatures. 'Women will not be forced to be alone when they are giving birth,' Melissa DeRosa, Cuomo's secretary, tweeted on Saturday. As the coronavirus toll mounts, the state is struggling to rework its healthcare system to deal with the crippling number of seriously ill and dying patients. Earlier on Saturday, Cuomo slammed the idea that the state would be placed in quarantine after President Trump suggested that he would place New York, New Jersey and Connecticut under mandatory lockdown. The governor said that Trump failed to mention the plan to him when they spoke on the phone just minutes before. Trump backed away from calling for a quarantine for the tri-state area, instead directing that a 'strong Travel Advisory' be issued to stem the spread of the outbreak. President Donald Trump, seen returning to the White House on Saturday, has said he will not attempt to quarantine New York 'If you start walling off areas all across the country it would just be totally bizarre, counter-productive, anti-American, anti-social,' said Cuomo in an interview with CNN on Saturday Vice President Mike Pence tweeted that the CDC was urging residents of the three states 'to refrain from non-essential travel for the next 14 days.' The notion of a quarantine had been advocated by governors, including Republican Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida, who sought to halt travelers from the heavily affected areas to their states. But it drew swift criticism from the leaders of the states in question, who warned it would spark panic in a populace already suffering under the virus. Trump announced he reached the decision after consulting with the White House task force leading the federal response and the governors of the three states. He said he had directed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 'to issue a strong Travel Advisory, to be administered by the Governors, in consultation with the Federal Government.' He added: 'A quarantine will not be necessary.' Cuomo, who has criticized the federal governments response as his state became the countrys virus epicenter, said roping off states would amount to 'a federal declaration of war.' Cuomo added that he believed it would be illegal, economically catastrophic, 'preposterous' and shortsighted when other parts of the US are seeing cases rise, too. During a press conference on Saturday, Cuomo revealed that there will now be three hospitals in the state that deal only with coronavirus patients in an attempt to keep other patients who are not yet infected safe. Trump on Saturday morning also approved four new emergency medical sites in New York City, one for each of the outer boroughs, with the Javitts Center set to open as a field hospital with 1,000 extra beds on Monday. Scroll down for video Governor Andrew Cuomo's office announced on Saturday that he would forbid hospitals in the state from banning support people from delivery rooms A medical tent set up outside of Mount Sinai hospital in Manhattan where a nurse died Tuesday General view of Elmhurst Hospital in Queens during the Coronavirus pandemic The image taken on Saturday night shows a makeshift morgue outside St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx Another makeshift morgue is seen on Saturday outside Lenox Health Medical Pavilion in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan Hospitals across the city and the state have been struggling to keep up with the demand for care as the coronavirus pandemic shows no sign of abating Speaking to Cuomo just before the governor held his press conference, Trump failed to mention his plans to quarantine the state. Cuomo was blindsided by a question from a reporter after Trump made the comments while the governor was already speaking. He responded that he had spoken to Trump just before the briefing and that this had not been mentioned but he didn't like the sound of it. 'I dont know what it means I dont know how it will be enforceable. I dont like the sound of it,' Cuomo said. The president made the comments as he touched down at Joint Base Andrews around noon Saturday and spoke to reporters. The move will restrict travel to and from the three states, which are some of the hardest-hit by the outbreak. New York cases are now more than five times greater than they are in New Jersey, which has the second highest number of cases in the United States at 8,825. 'We'd like to see New York quarantined because it's a hotspot New York, New Jersey, maybe one or two other places, certain parts of Connecticut quarantined. I'm thinking about that right now,' he said Saturday. President Donald Trump salutes as the U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort pulls away from the pier at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia as it starts its journey to New York to aid with the growing coronavirus crisis in the city US President Donald Trump, with Defense Secretary Mark Esper, speaks during the departure ceremony for the hospital ship USNS Comfort before it began its journey to New York City. Gov. Cuomo said he will welcome the ship with 'open arms' 'We might not have to do it but there's a possibility that sometime today we'll do a quarantine short term two weeks for New York, probably New Jersey and parts of Connecticut.' Trump said he would speak again to Cuomo later on Saturday. In their previous call, Trump informed Cuomo that he was set to send off the US Navy Comfort Saturday which would arrive in New York on Monday, providing extra beds and more medical staff. 'I will greet it with open arms,' Cuomo said. He added that the medical staff aboard the ship are vitally needed in the city where doctors, nurses and EMT workers are on overdrive to treat patients as best they can. Another nurse died in the state on Friday as concerns grow for the risks to their own health and safety exposing themselves to positive patients as stocks of protective equipment grew lower. Trump reinforced the quarantine claims on leaving the air base and traveling to Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, where he was sending the USNS Comfort on to New York where it will be turned into a makeshift hospital. 'We will make a decision, very quickly, very shortly' on quarantining the 'hot areas' of those states, he said. 'We'll be announcing that one way or the other, fairly soon.' The president said that, if enforced, the move would not restrict trade coming in and out of the states. 'This does not apply to people, such as truckers, from outside the New York area,' he said. 'It won't affect trade in any way.' His comments on a possible quarantine seemed to backtrack on his previous claims that he wants to get the economy and normal life back up and running as soon as possible. On Saturday, Trump also gave Cuomo approval for four further emergency medical sites, one based in each of the outer boroughs of New York City, that will provide much needed beds the city as it deals with over a quarter of the country's cases. The sites will be established in Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, at the Aquaduct Racetrack in Queens, at CUNY Staten Island, and at the New York Expo Center in the Bronx. The new sites should make 4,000 more beds available. The governor also warned that the escalating crisis in New York City where temporary morgues are being established outside of hospitals could see see some patients sent to hospitals further upstate for treatment. As seen in the map released by Cuomo below, Westchester Square, SUNY Downstate and South Beach Psychiatric Center will be treating patients who have the coronavirus only. The move comes on the advice of the New York Department of Health who believe that it is necessary to keep coronavirus patients away from other patients who may be at risk if there are infected. The hospitals seen above in blue will now only be used to treat coronavirus patients SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn will now only treat coronavirus patients As New York state continues scrambling to try to amass 30,000 ventilators ahead of a projected mid-to-late-April peak in coronavirus cases, Cuomo bluntly illustrated the alternative during the conference: masks with manually operated air bags. He said the state has bought 3,000 of them, has ordered 4,000 more and is considering training National Guard personnel to operate them. It entails pumping the bulb-like bag by hand: 24 hours a day for every patient in need. 'If we have to turn to this device on any large-scale basis, that is not an acceptable situation,' Cuomo said, 'so we go back to finding the ventilators.' Cuomo demonstrated the operation on a hand-held mask to show how much work it would take if New York hospitals were forced to rely on them instead of on ventilators Cuomo said the state has bought 3,000 of them, has ordered 4,000 more and is considering training National Guard personnel to operate them but that he would prefer ventilators The federal government has sent over 4,000 ventilators to the state and New York City this week. Cuomo also said he was delaying the state's presidential primary from April 28 to June 23, when the state plans to hold legislative congressional and local party primaries. 'I don't think its wise to be bringing people to one location to vote,' the Democrat said. New York joins over a dozen states that have delayed some elections. A smaller group including Ohio, Georgia, Louisiana, Connecticut, Maryland, Rhode Island, Indiana and Kentucky have also postponed their presidential primaries. The state has also pushed back its tax filing deadline until July 15, leaving the state, already financially struggling, without any revenue until the summer. Rhode Island cracks down on fleeing New Yorkers: National Guard soldiers go door to door to force visitors from the coronavirus epicenter into 14-day quarantine - prompting Cuomo to threaten to sue the state The Rhode Island National Guard is going door to door in coastal communities on Saturday to tell visiting New Yorkers of a mandatory 14-day quarantine as a furious Governor Andrew Cuomo threatens to sue over what he calls a 'reactionary' policy. The measure, while extreme, is necessary because the New York City area is the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States and is needed to control its spread, Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo said on Saturday. The order came the same day state police started pulling over vehicles with New York license plates to get contact information for drivers and passengers and to inform them of the quarantine order. People who break the order faces fines and even arrest for subsequent violations, the Democratic governor said. The American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island on Thursday questioned the constitutionality of pulling over vehicles for no other reason than having a New York plate. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (left) threatened to sue Rhode Island after its governor, Gina Raimondo (right), announced a new policy forcing visitors from New York into a mandatory 14-day quarantine Rhode Island Air National Guard Sgt William Randall walks through the Watch Hill neighborhood looking for New York residents to inform them of self quarantine orders Saturday Guards approach a property to check for New Yorkers. Rhode Island is sending the National Guard to hunt down any New Yorkers who have fled to the state The National Guard has been deployed to knock door-to-door looking for anyone who has evacuated the coronavirus-stricken state and arrived in Rhode Island Police have also started pulling over cars with New York state plates looking for any escapees But Raimondo said Friday she has consulted with lawyers and is in line with White House and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. Cuomo said that if Raimondo doesn't walk back the policy, he will take her to court. 'Were talking to Rhode Island now,' the New York governor told CNN on Saturday evening. 'If they dont roll back that policy, Im going to sue Rhode Island. 'No state should be using police to limit interstate travel.'for this While Rhode Islands response to the outbreak has been solid, the state is unprepared for a huge surge in cases such as experienced in New York and New Orleans, Raimondo said. Because of that, she extended the states social distancing guidelines that include no public gatherings of more than 10 people and limiting restaurants to takeout and delivery service only until April 13. The states two casinos will remain closed indefinitely while visitors will not be allowed at the states nursing homes and hospitals until further notice. A member of the Rhode Island National Guard Military Police directs motorists with New York license plates at a checkpoint on I-95 over the border with Connecticut where New Yorkers must pull over and provide contact information and are told to self-quarantine for two weeks A Rhode Island National Guard Military Police officer directs motorists with New York license plates at a checkpoint in Hope Valley, Rhode Island, on Saturday Raimondo on Saturday ordered anyone visiting the state to self-quarantine for 14 days and restricted residents to stay at home and nonessential retail businesses to close Monday until April 13 to help stop the spread of the coronavirus Members of the Rhode Island National Guard Military Police wait for motorists with New York license plates at a checkpoint on I-95 near the border with Connecticut on Saturday A member of the Rhode Island National Guard Military Police directs a motorist with New York license plates at a checkpoint in Hope Valley, Rhode Island, on Saturday A sign on Interstate 95 directs motorists with New York license plates to pull over in Hope Valley, Rhode Island, on Saturday There were 38 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Rhode Island on Friday, bringing the states total to more then 200, Raimondo said. Twenty-eight people are hospitalized. For most people, the virus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, or death. Other states are mimicking Rhode Island. Florida, Texas, South Carolina and Maryland also require a mandatory 14-day quarantine for new arrivals from the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut tri-state area. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 12:26:36|Editor: Wang Yamei Video Player Close VIENTIANE, March 29 (Xinhua) -- A team of Chinese medical experts, along with medical materials, arrived in Lao capital Vientiane by a chartered plane Sunday morning to assist Laos to fight COVID-19 pandemic. The Ghana Health Service has debunked claims suggesting that two persons have been tested positive to Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) in the Bongo District of the Upper East Region. Rumours started on Wednesday that two persons had returned to the district from abroad and were said to be carrying the virus, thereby creating fear and panic among residents in the area. In a short address to the Press in Bongo to allay the fears of residents, Mr Stephen Bordotsiah, the Bongo District Director of Health Service, explained that the district had no confirmed case of COVID-19, however, two persons had been put on mandatory quarantine. He said one of them returned to Ghana on Saturday, March 21, 2020, and boarded an OA bus to his hometown, Zorko-Kankoo, a community in the Bongo District, on Wednesday. The Director indicated that as part of measures to contain the spread of the virus, all persons travelling into the district from outside the region were mandated to be screened and undergo all the precautionary protocols. As such the Rapid Response Team in the district intercepted two buses from Accra at Bongo, that were on their way to Zorko community and screened all the passengers in the buses. The team however, had information that a young man among the passengers had returned to the country on Saturday after visiting three countries, India, Dubai and the United Kingdom. His arrived in Ghana a day before President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo issued the directive for border closure and mandatory quarantine and therefore was only screened at the airport but was not quarantined. The Health Director said the man who had asked his friend to accompany him to the house, on arrival boarded a tricycle with two people in addition to the rider. The two have been quarantined at a safe place while their samples have been taken and would be sent to Accra for verification, he added. Mr Bordotsiah said a directive had been sent to the management of OA Travel and Tours to assist them in tracing all the passengers who boarded the bus with the returnee so they could be educated on the need to isolate themselves for some time while their health status was monitored. One of the other two passengers who boarded the tricycle with the returnee and his friend, was a Burkina Faso citizen who managed to escape into his country while the other passenger had been identified and advised to isolate himself. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video South African Rand (ZAR) Slumps as Coronavirus Takes its Toll The South African Rand (ZAR) tumbled this week as the currency struggled amidst growing concerns over the global coronavirus crisis and its potential impact on South Africas already beleaguered economy. These concerns were mostly limited through the first half of the session however, with the Rand able to hold its ground against the Pound amidst as a massive US stimulus package helped to improve market sentiment. The majority of the South African Rand losses were focused in the second half of the week, with the currency plummeting as South African President Cyril Ramaphosa ordered a 21-day lockdown due to the coronavirus. While the measures were welcomed by health experts, the announcement failed to inspire the Rand amidst concerns the strict lockdown would be tough to enforce, evidenced by the thousands still seen on city streets on Friday. The Rands losses were then compounded by the expectation that Moodys rating agency would downgrade South Africas credit rating to junk status as the already recession hit country looks to be deepened by the economic impact of the coronavirus. Pound (GBP) Meanwhile, the Pound (GBP) got off to a slow start this week, as Marchs preliminary PMI figures made for some distressing reading According to data published by IHS Markit, the UKs composite PMI plummeted from 53.0 to just 36.4 this month as measures to contain the coronavirus outbreak caused major disruption to business activity. This was the worst reading in the surveys 22-year history and suggests the UK economy is on track for a deep contraction in the first quarter of 2020. Chris Williamson, Chief Business Economist at IHS Markit, commented: The surveys highlight how the COVID-19 outbreak has already dealt the UK economy an initial blow even greater than that seen at the height of the global financial crisis. Historical comparisons indicate that the March survey reading is consistent with GDP falling at a quarterly rate of 1.5-2.0%, a decline which is sufficiently large to push the economy into a contraction in the first quarter. However, this decline will likely be the tip of the iceberg and dwarfed by what we will see in the second quarter as further virus containment measures take their toll and the downturn escalates. The Pound began to pick up steam in the latter half of the week however, mostly on the back of broad weakness in the US Dollar (USD). This appears to cement suggestions that Sterling in behaving more like a risk-sensitive currency amidst the coronavirus crisis after having plummeted in the previous session due to overwhelming USD strength. Sterling sentiment did taper out a little at the very end of the week however, after Prime Minister Boris Johnson became the first world leader to acknowledge he has tested positive for the coronavirus. GBP/ZAR Forecast: More Coronavirus Volatility Ahead? Looking ahead, its safe to assume the coronavirus crisis will continue to act as the main catalyst of movement in the Pound to South African Rand (GBP/ZAR) exchange rate next week, likely infusing the pairing with fresh volatility. On the data front we may see Sterling sentiment be knocked by the final publication of Marchs PMI figures as business activity is likely revised down as the latest reading takes into the account the stricter lockdown introduced by the government earlier this week. Meanwhile, we will also get to see what impact the coronavirus crisis is having on South Africas manufacturing sector, with a deeper contraction in growth likely to weigh on the Rand. By PTI CHANDIGARH: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday directed deputy commissioners to completely seal all inter and intra-state borders to stop the movement of migrant workers during the nationwide lockdown, an official statement said. This comes hours after the Centre directed all state governments and Union Territory administrations to ensure there is no movement of people across cities or on highways during the lockdown. Since the nationwide lockdown was announced on March 24 to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, all business and economic activity has come to a virtual standstill, leaving migrant workers jobless. With no money to pay rent or buy food, thousands have set out on long journeys to their far-flung native villages, defying lockdown orders. Khattar directed that DCs that the migrant workers should be stopped wherever they are and not be allowed to move, the statement said. He gave the orders while presiding over a meeting with the DCs and superintendents of police via video conferencing here, it said. The chief minister directed the officers to set up shelter or relief camps and ensure that proper food and lodging arrangements are made for the migrant workers in such camps. He warned of strict action against those refusing to stay in the camps. According to the statement, Khattar said a nodal officer should be appointed for every camp in each district who will ensure staying, food and medical facilities for the migrants. Besides, he asked officials to make sure that social distancing is followed in these camps, the statement said. Khattar said special relief camps should also be set up along the national highways so that migrant workers who have already set out for their homes can stay in these camps. He noted that many religious bodies have offered their help to the state government in this hour of crisis and therefore the officers should coordinate with such organisations to use their 'bhawans' as shelters. He added that special arrangements should be made for the elderly who are staying alone. Meanwhile, presiding over a meeting of Crisis Coordination Committee with senior officers through video conferencing here, Haryana Chief Secretary Keshni Anand Arora said around 129 shelter or relief homes have been set up in districts across the state and food is being provided to 29,328 migrant workers. She directed that special health camps should be set up on the state's borders, while migrant labourers should be made to undergo thermal screening along with other medical tests. Apart from this, she added, the officers should explore the possibility of turning the stadiums in their respective districts into temporary shelters, so that migrant workers who are moving on foot can stay there. No one should be allowed to move on roads. Arora said a nodal officer should also be appointed to track the number of the migrant labourers staying in the shelter homes. Over the past few days, hordes of migrant workers have set out on foot from parts of Haryana towards Delhi and onwards to their homes in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Earlier on Sunday, Haryana's Home Minister Anil Vij appealed to them not to leave the state, while assuring them all their needs will be taken care of. "Don't leave my friends. We will make all arrangements to take care of your needs," he said in a tweet. AveXis receives positive CHMP opinion for Zolgensma, the only gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) Details Category: DNA RNA and Cells Published on Sunday, 29 March 2020 16:25 Hits: 1555 Zolgensma (onasemnogene abeparvovec), a one-time administered gene therapy, has been recommended for European Commission (EC) conditional approval for patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and a clinical diagnosis of Type 1 or SMA patients with up to three copies of the SMN2 gene (onasemnogene abeparvovec), a one-time administered gene therapy, has been recommended for European Commission (EC) conditional approval for patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and a clinical diagnosis of Type 1 or SMA patients with up to three copies of the SMN2 gene Zolgensma has demonstrated significant and clinically meaningful therapeutic benefit in presymptomatic and symptomatic SMA, including prolonged event-free survival and achievement of motor milestones unseen in natural history of the disease and to date, sustained for 5 years post-dosing In Europe, SMA is a significant burden to the healthcare system with cumulative estimated healthcare costs per child ranging between 2.5 to 4 million within the first 10 years alone 1 To support the urgent need to treat SMA as early as possible, AveXis is offering an innovative Day One access program to EU governments and reimbursement agencies to enable immediate access at time of EMA approval expected by June 2020 BASEL, Switzerland I March 27, 2020 I AveXis, a Novartis company, today announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has adopted a positive opinion recommending conditional marketing authorization of Zolgensma (onasemnogene abeparvovec) for the treatment of patients with 5q spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) with a bi-allelic mutation in the SMN1 gene and a clinical diagnosis of SMA Type 1; or for patients with 5q SMA with a bi-allelic mutation in the SMN1 gene and up to three copies of the SMN2 gene. A rare, genetic neuromuscular disease caused by a lack of a functional SMN1 gene, SMA results in the rapid and irreversible loss of motor neurons, affecting muscle functions, including breathing, swallowing and basic movement.2,3 Zolgensma is a one-time gene therapy designed to address the genetic root cause of the disease by replacing the function of the missing or nonworking SMN1 gene. Zolgensma is administered during a single intravenous (IV) infusion, delivering a new working copy of the SMN gene into a patients cells, halting disease progression. The positive opinion is an important step towards offering a new treatment option in Europe for babies and young children with SMA. The European Commission (EC) reviews the CHMP recommendation and usually delivers its final decision in approximately two months. The decision will be applicable to all 27 European Union member states, as well as Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and the United Kingdom. Todays positive CHMP opinion for Zolgensma marks a critical step closer to EC approval and to bringing the only gene therapy for SMA to Europe, helping to address the devastating impact the disease has on patients and their families, said Dave Lennon, president of AveXis. Zolgensma provides a transformational new way to treat this rare but debilitating disease delivering a potentially life-saving medicine with a one-time administered treatment. Given the urgency to treat SMA and the novel nature of gene therapy, we need to be equally innovative in advancing access, so we are offering governments and reimbursement bodies a Day One access program to enable rapid access to Zolgensma upon approval. In the most severe forms of the disease, children who are not treated are unable to lift their heads, sit, stand, or even swallow, and typically do not survive beyond two years of age unless permanently ventilated, said Dr. Francesco Muntoni, Professor and Pediatric Neurologist at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London. The results we have seen for Zolgensma to date from the STR1VE clinical trial show an impressive survival rate at the conclusion of the study, with the majority of patients being able to sit without support. And through follow-up on the START trial, an average of 4.5 years later, we can see the long-term potential this significant gene therapy may have for children with this rare disease. The CHMP positive opinion is based on the completed Phase 3 STR1VE-US and Phase 1 START trials that evaluated the efficacy and safety of a one-time IV infusion of Zolgensma in symptomatic SMA Type 1 patients <6 months of age at dosing, who had one or two copies of the SMN2 backup gene, or two copies of the SMN2 backup gene, respectively. STR1VE-EU, a comparable Phase 3 study is ongoing. Zolgensma demonstrated prolonged event-free survival; rapid motor function improvement, often within one month of dosing; and, sustained milestone achievement, including the ability to sit without support, a milestone never achieved in untreated Type 1 patients.4 Additional supportive data included interim results from the ongoing SPR1NT trial, a Phase 3, open-label, single-arm study of a single, one-time IV infusion of Zolgensma in presymptomatic patients (<6 weeks at age of dosing) genetically defined by bi-allelic deletion of SMN1 with 2 or 3 copies of SMN2. These data demonstrate rapid, ageappropriate major milestone gain, reinforcing the critical importance of early intervention in SMA patients.4 The most commonly observed side effects after treatment were elevated liver enzymes and vomiting. Acute serious liver injury and elevated aminotransferases can occur. Patients with pre-existing liver impairment may be at higher risk. Prior to infusion, physicians should assess liver function of all patients by clinical examination and laboratory testing. And, they should administer systemic corticosteroid to all patients before and after treatment, and then continue to monitor liver function for at least 3 months after infusion.4 We are delighted to know that EMA considers a new treatment effective to fight SMA and that it can benefit a part of our community. We rely on all relevant stakeholders, to work at their best to get it to patients without any delay. SMA Europe will continue working to ensure that all patients living with SMA in Europe have the possibility to access any treatment that can be beneficial for them in a timely and sustainable way, said Mencia de Lemus, President of SMA Europe. Zolgensma Day One access program SMA is a significant burden to the healthcare system in Europe with cumulative estimated healthcare costs per child ranging between 2.5 to 4 million within the first 10 years alone.1 Designed to work within existing pricing and reimbursement frameworks, yet recognizing the novel nature of a one-time gene therapy for a devastating and progressive disease, the Day One access program offers ministries of health and reimbursement bodies (in countries without pre-existing early access pathways) a variety of flexible options that can be implemented immediately at time of approval. The program is designed to ensure that the cost of patients treated before national pricing and reimbursement agreements are in place, are aligned with the value-based prices negotiated following clinical and economic assessments. The program is meant to ensure the continued integrity of the local pricing and reimbursement framework. AveXis is already in advanced discussions with multiple countries in Europe to agree on terms of the program. The following options can be customized for each country: Retroactive rebates ensuring early access costs are aligned with negotiated prices following local clinical and economic assessment processes Deferred payments and installment options allowing reimbursement bodies to manage budget impact during the early access phase Outcomes-based rebates negotiated following clinical and economic assessments can be applied to patients treated during the early access period Robust training for treating institutions on administration and follow-up care Access to RESTORE, a global SMA registry of patients who have been diagnosed with SMA that draws upon existing country registries About Spinal Muscular Atrophy SMA is the leading genetic cause of infant death.2,3 If left untreated, SMA Type 1 leads to death or the need for permanent ventilation by the age of two in more than 90% of cases.5 In Europe each year, approximately 550600 infants are born with SMA.6,7 SMA is a rare, genetic neuromuscular disease caused by a lack of a functional SMN1 gene, resulting in the rapid and irreversible loss of motor neurons, affecting muscle functions, including breathing, swallowing and basic movement.2 It is imperative to diagnose SMA and begin treatment, including proactive supportive care, as early as possible to halt irreversible motor neuron loss and disease progression.8 This is especially critical in SMA Type 1, where motor neuron degeneration starts before birth and escalates quickly. Loss of motor neurons cannot be reversed, so SMA patients with symptoms at the time of treatment will likely require some supportive respiratory, nutritional and/or musculoskeletal care to maximize functional abilities.9 More than 30% of patients with SMA Type 2 will die by age 25.10 Novartis will conduct a conference call with investors to discuss this news release on Monday, March 30, 2020 at 3 p.m. Central European Time and 9 a.m. Eastern Time. A simultaneous webcast of the call for investors and other interested parties may be accessed by visiting the Novartis website. A replay will be available after the live webcast by visiting https://www.novartis.com/investors/event-calendar. About Zolgensma (onasemnogene abeparvovec) Zolgensma is designed to address the genetic root cause of SMA by providing a functional copy of the human SMN gene to halt disease progression through sustained SMN protein expression with a single, one-time IV infusion. Zolgensma represents the first approved therapeutic in the companys proprietary platform to treat rare, monogenic diseases using gene therapy.6 Approximately 400 patients have been treated with Zolgensma, including clinical trials, commercially and through the managed access program in the U.S. AveXis is pursuing registration in close to three dozen countries with regulatory decisions anticipated in Switzerland, Canada and Australia in late 2020 or early 2021.6 AveXis has an exclusive, worldwide license with Nationwide Children's Hospital to both the intravenous and intrathecal delivery of AAV9 gene therapy for the treatment of all types of SMA; has an exclusive, worldwide license from REGENXBIO for any recombinant AAV vector in its intellectual property portfolio for the in vivo gene therapy treatment of SMA in humans; an exclusive, worldwide licensing agreement with Genethon for in vivo delivery of AAV9 vector into the central nervous system for the treatment of SMA; and a non-exclusive, worldwide license agreement with AskBio for the use of its self-complementary DNA technology for the treatment of SMA. In May 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Zolgensma for the treatment of pediatric patients less than two years of age with SMA with bi-allelic mutations in the SMN1 gene. 11 In the U.S. nearly all on-label patients have been approved by their payer for access to Zolgensma. On March 19, 2020, Zolgensma was approved by Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) for the treatment of SMA in patients under the age of two, including those who are pre-symptomatic at diagnosis. Reimbursement with MHLW is expected by the end of 1H20, pending agreement Zolgensma will be available at that time. About AveXis AveXis, a Novartis company, is the worlds leading gene therapy company, redefining the possibilities for patients and families affected by life-threatening genetic diseases through our innovative gene therapy platform. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Bannockburn, IL, the goal of AveXis cutting-edge science is to address the underlying, genetic root cause of diseases. AveXis pioneered foundational research, establishing AAV9 as an ideal vector for gene transfer in diseases affecting the central nervous system, laying the groundwork to build a best-in-class, transformational gene therapy pipeline. AveXis received its first U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval in May 2019 for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). AveXis is also developing therapies for other genetic diseases, including Rett syndrome, a genetic form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) SOD1 and Friedreichs ataxia. For additional information, please visit www.avexis.com. About Novartis Novartis is reimagining medicine to improve and extend peoples lives. As a leading global medicines company, we use innovative science and digital technologies to create transformative treatments in areas of great medical need. In our quest to find new medicines, we consistently rank among the worlds top companies investing in research and development. Novartis products reach nearly 800 million people globally and we are finding innovative ways to expand access to our latest treatments. About 109,000 people of more than 145 nationalities work at Novartis around the world. Find out more at www.novartis.com. Novartis is on Twitter. Sign up to follow @Novartis at https://twitter.com/novartis or follow @NovartisNews for the latest News & Media Updates at https://twitter.com/novartisnews. For Novartis multimedia content, please visit https://www.novartis.com/news/media-library. For questions about the site or required registration, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. References 1. Estim. 10-year cumulative SMA costs for major EU markets based on available data including local healthcare resource utilizations studies, local databases and public information from previous SMA therapy economic assessments, as of February 21, 2020. 2. Anderton RS and Mastaglia FL. Expert Rev Neurother. 2015;15(8):895-908. 3. National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD). Spinal Muscular Atrophy. http://rarediseases.org/rarediseases/spinal-muscular-atrophy/. Accessed October 9, 2018 4. STR1VE-US, START and SPR1NT clinical data on file 5. Finkel RS, et al. Neurology. 2014;83(9):810-817. 6. Data on file. 7. Verhaart IEC, et al. J Neurol. 2017;264(7):1465-1473. 8. SolerBotija C, et al. Brain. 2002;125(7):1624-1634. 9. Wang CH, et al. J Child Neurol. 2007;22(8):1027-1049. 10. Darras BT, Finkel RS Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Chapter 25 - Natural History of Spinal Muscular Atrophy. October 2017. 11. FDA approval: https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/zolgensma SOURCE: Novartis Hudson Pacific Properties, Inc. (NYSE:HPP) has rebounded strongly over the last week, with the share price soaring 35%. But that doesn't help the fact that the three year return is less impressive. Truth be told the share price declined 30% in three years and that return, Dear Reader, falls short of what you could have got from passive investing with an index fund. View our latest analysis for Hudson Pacific Properties While markets are a powerful pricing mechanism, share prices reflect investor sentiment, not just underlying business performance. One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price. Although the share price is down over three years, Hudson Pacific Properties actually managed to grow EPS by 2.6% per year in that time. Given the share price reaction, one might suspect that EPS is not a good guide to the business performance during the period (perhaps due to a one-off loss or gain). Or else the company was over-hyped in the past, and so its growth has disappointed. It looks to us like the market was probably too optimistic around growth three years ago. But it's possible a look at other metrics will be enlightening. Given the healthiness of the dividend payments, we doubt that they've concerned the market. It's good to see that Hudson Pacific Properties has increased its revenue over the last three years. But it's not clear to us why the share price is down. It might be worth diving deeper into the fundamentals, lest an opportunity goes begging. The graphic below depicts how earnings and revenue have changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image). NYSE:HPP Income Statement March 29th 2020 It's good to see that there was some significant insider buying in the last three months. That's a positive. That said, we think earnings and revenue growth trends are even more important factors to consider. This free report showing analyst forecasts should help you form a view on Hudson Pacific Properties Story continues What About Dividends? As well as measuring the share price return, investors should also consider the total shareholder return (TSR). The TSR incorporates the value of any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings, along with any dividends, based on the assumption that the dividends are reinvested. It's fair to say that the TSR gives a more complete picture for stocks that pay a dividend. We note that for Hudson Pacific Properties the TSR over the last 3 years was -23%, which is better than the share price return mentioned above. And there's no prize for guessing that the dividend payments largely explain the divergence! A Different Perspective While the broader market lost about 10% in the twelve months, Hudson Pacific Properties shareholders did even worse, losing 27% (even including dividends) . Having said that, it's inevitable that some stocks will be oversold in a falling market. The key is to keep your eyes on the fundamental developments. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 3.6% over the last half decade. We realise that Baron Rothschild has said investors should "buy when there is blood on the streets", but we caution that investors should first be sure they are buying a high quality business. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Hudson Pacific Properties better, we need to consider many other factors. Consider risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for Hudson Pacific Properties you should know about. If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them). Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on US exchanges. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. For more coverage, visit our complete coronavirus section here. We're still in the thick of a shelter-in-place order, as we do our part to #flattenthecurve. While some have turned to Netflix during this plentiful indoor time, others have decided to spend those hours in the kitchen. SFGATE readers were asked to send over photos of the food they've been making and they really stepped up, sharing incredible photos of tangerines turned into tangerinecello inventive! to making samosas that remind them of the version from Pakwan in San Francisco. And yes, while it's clinically proven that baking and cooking helps with anxiety, some are discovering that feeling of stress melting away firsthand while also sharpening their kitchen skills and focusing it into something tasty. Local Jennine Jacob said that now that she's at home with her family during the shelter-in-place, her cooking has changed from a one-pot style of meal to dishes that take more time and care; a past shortcut of buying shredded or precut carrots, for example, has now given more purpose to something like taking the time to julienne a carrot. "I felt like just even doing that very simple act [of cutting carrots], you had to be really present, just thinking about something very simple and what was right there and I've found that to be very comforting," Jacob said. "... [Cooking] just kinda seemed to be my moment, where I'm here in the moment and not thinking about what's happening on the outside." Referencing "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan, Jacob said now that she cooks more at home, she sees the benefits of it along with the dynamic of the whole family eating together. "I feel like my son is more likely to try vegetables and try eating healthier foods [when we're at home]," Jacob said. "Whereas if we go to a restaurant and we're all ordering our separate things, he'll kind of gravitate toward just eating carbs. So it's a lot better, it's a lot healthier; you get to see what's in your food and get a better understanding for ingredients, and actually once you get into it, cooking is not as difficult as you think." Others, meanwhile, have been using their baking and cooking skills to help comfort others. For SFGATE reader Natalie, she's been keeping busy bringing food to neighbors and friends, including making a chocolate cake for a friend who's a single mom with two young kids at home. She also delivered a helping of her grandmother's chicken vegetable soup recipe to soothe a neighbor sick with coronavirus (which Natalie delivered safely via the front porch). "We are helping friends and neighbors by grocery shopping or sharing supplies from our home's stock for those who are sick or running low on something that's not available in the supermarkets," Natalie wrote. "[We are] cooking and baking for people who are sick and those who just need to have their spirits lifted, and buying treats at our local bakery, such as hot cross buns, and leaving little gift boxes of these for our neighbors on their front porches. "My husband and I try to do some act of kindness like this every day for another person or people," she continued. "If we each do this for another person every day, we can help ease the stress and isolation of COVID-19." Along with those acts of kindness, she encouraged others to donate to the local food bank to help others in need. "Those of us who can, need to help them too," she wrote. "Giving to our local food banks helps fill a critical need." Whatever your reason for cooking and baking is to de-stress, to help others, to keep yourself occupied take a look at the slideshow above to get a glimpse at what is helping your neighbors get through this time: one loaf of bread, baked pizza, or cookie at a time. Dianne de Guzman is a Digital Editor at SFGATE. Email: dianne.deguzman@sfgate.com Looking east, California can envision its coronavirus future in the overflowing hospital wards of New York City. Looking west, it can draw hope from the disease's swift decline in Asian nations that quickly imposed strict physical-isolation measures on infected people. Two months after its first confirmed case of the deadly respiratory illness in California, the state is preparing to confront what public health authorities agree will be the cruelest month an April that portends a peak in sickness and death. How cruel remains to be seen. Officials hope that sharp limitations on work and public activity, imposed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on March 19, and subsequently ratcheted up in some cities and counties, will hobble the COVID-19's racehorse spread. The enormous social reengineering of recent days has closed businesses and emptied public places. But its ultimate effectiveness remains one of multiple unknowns dependent on innumerable actions by millions of Californians. Preparing for the worst, hospital administrators across the state continued Friday to clear all available beds for an influx of patients. San Francisco ordered priority testing for doctors and nurses to try to prevent sick health practitioners from becoming super-spreaders of the disease. Los Angeles County shut all of its beaches to limit social interaction. And the Navy hospital ship Mercy cruised into the Port of Los Angeles, with 1,000 beds and 800 staffers ready to help easy the county's healthcare system. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in California jumped from 1,468 on Sunday to 4,598 Friday, while deaths climbed from 27 to 93. But because the case count remains reliant on testing, which is being expanded but still lags behind other states, the actual incidence of the disease is certainly much more widespread. "The numbers can get huge, which means the implications for the healthcare system are equally dramatic," said Barbara Ferrer, Los Angeles County's public health director. "Without slowing the spread, we could easily overwhelm our system here in L.A. County and the entire healthcare system in California." Although a system overload remained the fear, one projection from University of Washington epidemiologists suggested that California's 9-day-old stay-at-home order might keep the hospital overload below catastrophic levels. And Dr. Robert Kim-Farley, a University of California, Los Angeles epidemiologist, said Friday that after a considerable uptick in cases, "I think we should be able to see some leveling off of those numbers in a couple of weeks, because of the physical distancing measures." While the U.S. now stands to have the worst outbreak of any developed country in the world, University of California, Berkeley biostatistics professor Nicholas Jewell said California will soon learn whether its limits on work and public movement have paid dividends. Because of a lag time of as much as two weeks between transmission of the illness and the onset of symptoms, gauging the benefits of physical distancing takes time. With California's stay-at-home order eight days old on Friday, people reporting the illness might have been infected before the limitations. "We need another week or two to really tell if California's fairly quick shelter in place did make a difference," Jewell said. "It has the potential to make a huge difference. I know that mathematically ... But I don't know that with any degree of certainty." Some experts remain fearful that the disease curve will flatten, but at a dangerous level that sends too many patients to hospitals for months. "The problem is not the peak of the epidemic wave," said Stanford University infectious disease expert John Ioannidis. "The problem is: How long are we above the point of saturation for the medical system?" But projections from the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation show California could end up with a milder peak of cases than New York state is projected to have. While New York state could see its worst daily death toll of roughly 550 fatalities from the coronavirus by the second or third week of April with a range that includes as few as 124 deaths daily to a maximum of 1,357 on the possible worst day California could see its worst daily death toll in late April, perhaps around 150 deaths in a single day, the computer simulation found. A best-case scenario puts the California toll at two deaths a day and a worst-case projection envisions as many 370 deaths daily at the peak in late April. The study acknowledges a number of possible outcomes. In all, it suggests California could see 6,109 deaths, but there's a wide variation _ as few as 898 deaths and as many as 13,650 deaths. New York would see 10,243 deaths, with as few as 5,167 deaths and as many as 26,444 deaths. And the death toll for the U.S., for instance, could range from 38,000 to 162,000. The University of Washington researchers cautioned that their projections are freighted with considerable uncertainty, gleaned from thousands of computer simulation runs to come up with a single, most-likely outcome. Unlike other models of the trajectory of the new coronavirus, the study relies on death counts from the United States and around the world. The scientists believe those numbers are more reliable than counting the confirmed number of infections, which vary greatly because of disparate testing rates around the U.S. and the world. And the variations on the number of hospital beds that will be needed in California also diverged wildly, from as few as 1,200 to nearly 36,000. The ICU bed demand also got a broad projection, from a low of 90 to a high of 5,700. "What we think we'll see is a quite late peak in the epidemic in California, and that's because there's been a very slow trajectory of growth _ of deaths and cases in California," said Dr. Chris Murray, the author of the study and of the institute. "And that may be because of earlier social distancing. We don't know. But certainly it is not the trajectory we're seeing in New York, or Louisiana, or Georgia, for example." The debate over possible outcomes was put into clear view in the Silicon Valley, where the city of San Jose projected the number of possible deaths for the region, only to promptly have its estimate called into question by officials in Santa Clara County. City officials said during a discussion with the San Jose City Council on Thursday that they projected a death toll from the illness of at least 2,000 for Silicon Valley and as high as 16,000, by the end of May. A day later, Santa Clara County released a statement saying it had not "produced, reviewed, or vetted" the San Jose projections. The lessons from overseas seem to be that physical-isolation measures can work, said Kim-Farley, the UCLA epidemiologist. Italy imposed strict orders to stay in the home, but it's likely they went into place only after the coronavirus had spread widely. "I would be expecting that within another week or two ... the number of cases or deaths will slow down and ultimately will become less and less, like we saw in China," Kim-Farley said. American experts will also be looking overseas to see what happens when social separation rules are loosened, as they will be when the Chinese begin to return to work in the coming weeks. "It's hopeful they would not see a major second wave," Kim-Farley said. "That is the $64,000 question: What will happen?" The uncertainty did not sit easily with nurses, doctors and other hospital workers who are preparing for an onslaught of cases. An emergency room nurse at one large hospital in Los Angeles said anxiety is rising among staff as the number of COVID-19 patients grows, with fears exacerbated by a global shortage of protective gear. "A lot of us are really scared to go to work," said the nurse, who was not authorized by her institution to speak to the media. "Our families are literally afraid when we come home from work." When she sees people outside the hospital failing to abide by physical-distancing rules, she gets mad. "We wish we could stay home too," said the nurse, who declined to be named. "But we can't." An operating room nurse at a Kaiser Permanente hospital in Los Angeles County shared that sense of foreboding, saying guidance on how workers should best protect themselves changes daily, with the guidelines steadily becoming less rigorous. "We're all just kind of like, 'What in the world did we get ourselves into?' This is not what we signed up for," said the nurse, who also asked not to be named. "We didn't think we would ever be in the position of healthcare workers working in a Third World country, in the middle of the woods ... It's been chaos." Another unknown is how California's homeless population will affect the crisis. California has more than 150,000 people living in unstable housing conditions, with 108,000 living outdoors. The tens of thousands of people living on the street represent a risk to hospitals because they are especially susceptible to severe cases of the novel coronavirus _ they are aging, often have underlying health conditions and live in environments where sanitation is difficult. Boston researcher Thomas Byrne compares the homeless population to those in nursing homes, and points out that those living on the street often have the medical conditions similar to housed people 20 years older. Byrne released a study this week that predicts up to 2,600 homeless people in Los Angeles alone could wind up in hospitals with the coronavirus, and about 900 could need intensive care, tying up crucial resources. Gov. Gavin Newsom last week set in motion an ambitious plan to move tens of thousands of homeless people into hotels and motels. But so far, only a few thousand unsheltered people across the state have been relocated to shelters and a few hundred of the first available rooms _ though Newsom said more than 4,000 have been leased or purchased. Kim-Farley urged Californians to remain hopeful, saying: "There is life after COVID-19. It is not an existential threat to all of mankind. We will overcome this." ___ (c)2020 Los Angeles Times Visit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. George Gao, who works with the Chinese Center for Disease and Prevention, said masks can stop droplets that carry the virus Medical professionals in Asia are now saying that N95 face masks can help curb the spread of coronavirus - despite advice from the US Surgeon General that they shouldn't be bought by the public amid mass shortages for doctors. 'This virus is transmitted by droplets and close contact. Droplets play a very important role you've got to wear a mask, because when you speak, there are always droplets coming out of your mouth,' George Gao, who works with the Chinese Center for Disease and Prevention, told Science Magazine. 'Many people have asymptomatic or presymptomatic infections. If they are wearing face masks, it can prevent droplets that carry the virus from escaping and infecting others,' Gao said. In Asia, masks have become commonplace during the outbreak, but Americans were advised to only don them if they were already sick. U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams urges the general public not to buy surgical masks Surgeon General Jerome Adams tweeted: 'Seriously people- STOP BUYING MASKS! They are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus. A woman wears a surgical mask in a nearly empty subway car in New York this week KK Cheng, a public health expert at the University of Birmingham in the UK, thinks it's common sense that wearing a mask would help protect more people from contracting coronavirus. 'Just imagine you're traveling in the New York [City] subway on a busy morning. If everyone wears a mask, I'm sure that it would reduce the transmission,' Cheng said. He continued: 'It's not to protect yourself. It's to protect people against the droplets coming out of your respiratory tract I don't want to frighten you, but when people speak and breathe and sing you don't have to sneeze or cough these droplets are coming out.' Another expert says if it's practical for doctors and nurses to wear masks to protect themselves from viruses, then why wouldn't the same logic apply for everyone else? 'It doesn't make sense to imagine that surgical masks are really important for health care workers but then not useful at all for the general public,' Benjamin Cowling, an epidemiologist at the University of Hong Kong, told Science Magazine. 'I think the average person, if they were taught how to wear a mask properly would have some protection against infection in the community.' As of March 28, nearly the U.S. has nearly 124,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus, including more than 2,100 deaths from the virus Still, not all experts agree that the surgical masks belong on the faces of people who aren't infected with coronavirus. On February 28, US Surgeon General Jerome Adams made a plea to the general public on Twitter: 'Seriously people- STOP BUYING MASKS! They are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus, but if healthcare providers can't get them to care for sick patients, it puts them and out community at risk.' But warnings like these are meant to prevent a shortage of masks for medical professionals. Some hospitals have run so low on supplies they're accepting home sewn masks from volunteers. In Tennessee medical staff were warning they may have to use diapers as an alternative to masks while researchers from Duke University have found a way to sanitize the N95 masks to make them reusable during the shortage. Arnold Monto, an epidemiologist at the University of Michigan, says they could make a huge difference to the spread of the virus. 'We know that standard surgical face masks will have a modest effect on that kind of transmission,' he said. 'When you combine [masks] with other approaches, then they may make a difference.' As the coronavirus continues spreading throughout New Jersey, the state frantically is seeking to ramp up testing to combat the outbreak. New Jerseys first government-run coronavirus testing center opened March 20 in Bergen County. A second, similar site is also open at PNC Bank Arts Center in Monmouth County. Both sites are set to operate seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and will collect 2,500 specimens at each site each week at no cost to the public and with no pre-registration required. All individuals will be screened for symptoms of coronavirus, including fever, sneezing, cough or shortness of breath. Asymptomatic individuals will be turned away from the site. Results will be processed within two to five days of testing. Those who wish to be tested must bring identification that provides proof of New Jersey residency with them. The states two major government-run centers will change their schedules starting March 28 and will set aside days just to test those working on the frontlines of the outbreak, Gov. Phil Murphy announced March 26. Who can get tested in New Jersey? Murphy said people will need to show symptoms at the two government-run testing sites at Bergen Community College and PNC Bank Arts Center in order to be tested. They also must bring identification proving their New Jersey residency. People would not need to get a recommendation from a doctor, Murphy said. Some privately-run testing sites have a pre-screening process. The CDC recommends seeking medical attention immediately if a person exhibits the following symptoms: Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath Persistent pain or pressure in the chest New confusion or inability to arouse Bluish lips or face New Jersey is requiring hospitals and health clinics in the state to waive fees for coronavirus testing and related diagnostic services for uninsured residents as the outbreak continues to spread, Murphys administration announced on March 20. Where can people get tested? In addition to the two government testing sites, several sites run by county officials have opened across New Jersey. Union County announced plans to open the first county-run drive-through coronavirus testing site at Kean University beginning on March 23. Additional sites have been announced across the state. It is best to check the status and requirements of each site before going. There will be a site opening at the County College of Morris in Randolph, joining a site at Bergen Community College. Bergen County will open a coronavirus testing site exclusively for first responders and healthcare workers on March 28. Starting 8 a.m., a drive-thru testing site for symptomatic first responders and healthcare professionals will open at the Bergen New Bridge Medical Center, 230 East Ridgewood Ave. in Paramus. The testing site is only open to first responders and health care professionals who live or work in Bergen County. A site at Ocean County College in Toms River is still in the process of being set up. An opening date cannot be established until test kits have been received and a scheduling system is in place. Camden County is also in the process of setting one up at its college in Gloucester Township but cant open until it gets testing kits. A facility will open by appointment only at Hudson Regional Hospital in Secaucus for country residents and emergency workers in the area. For an appointment or more information, Hudson residents should call 201-388-1097. A drive-thru testing location was scheduled to open March 25 at William Paterson University in Wayne. It is for Passaic County residents only, with a prescription, and will be open from 9 a.m. to noon. A new coronavirus testing site was set to open for Essex County residents on March 26. The new drive-through testing site at Weequahic Park in Newark will be by appointment only and will not be open every day. The numbers of tests will also be capped at either 100 or 150 depending on the day. In Burlington County, and by appointment only, a drive-through testing center was set up only for March 26. A spokesman said future testing dates will be subject to test kit availability. Burlington is booking appointments for another round of testing March 30 at the same facility, Emergency Services Training Center off Woodlane Road in Westampton, and county officials said they expect testing will also be available April 1 and 3 as long as the county can continue to obtain test kits and personal protective equipment. And in Bayonne, drive-through testing opened March 26 for residents with valid prescriptions. Trentons first coronavirus testing site - which at the moment is for city first responders only - formally opened March 26, with cars lining up inside a police impound lot on Clinton Avenue. It is across from the Capital City Farm, between Sheridan and Perrine avenues. Also in Mercer county, a drive-up coronavirus testing site for adult county residents who schedule an appointment and have a prescription will open in Lawrence. There are efforts by a number of privately-run medical groups to provide testing, but these are done only when kits and supplies are available. In most cases, there is a pre-screening process. It is best to contact a provider to find out if testing is available. FEMA is helping set up sites The Federal Emergency Management Agency is helping the state set up the testing sites in Bergen and Monmouth counties. They represent the first major public testing centers run by the state and the federal government in New Jersey. New Jersey is one of 12 states identified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency as a priority state that will have testing sites supported by the federal agency, Murphy said. Other places where you can also get tested In addition to FEMA-supported sites, Atlantic Health, the parent company of Morristown Medical Center, has begun drive-through testing in Morris Township. As of March 20, the site is only accepting patients who meet the state Department of Healths criteria for COVID-19 testing through appointments made by Atlantic Medical Group physicians, according to a news release. InFocus Urgent Care also has begun setting up test sites in Mercer County, according to reports. Two drive-thru facilities have opened in Secaucus the first site launched at the Riverside Medical Groups command center, and the second at Hudson Regional Hospital. Testing also is being conducted at various state laboratories, hospitals and private companies, as well as at the Hackensack Meridian Hospital and the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. Other healthcare facilities across the state are offering testing some walk-in, others requiring an appointment. Call your healthcare provider for more information about getting tested at these facilities or contact them directly. The number of coronavirus cases in New Jersey reached another grim milestone, jumping to over 11,100 with 140 known deaths on March 28. New Jersey has the second highest number of coronavirus cases in the nation after New York. Sign up for text message alerts from NJ.com on coronavirus in New Jersey: If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. Have a tip? Tell us.nj.com/tips. Night Curfew in Maharashtra: Check guidelines, rules; what is allowed, what is not allowed 40-year-old dies of coronavirus in Mumbai; India records 979 cases India oi-Madhuri Adnal Mumbai, Mar 29: A 40-year-old woman died on Saturday, has been confirmed of testing positive for coronavirus on Sunday, 29 march. The total number of coronavirus cases in the country increased to 979, including 86 cured/discharged and 25 deceased, said the Union Health Ministry. Fresh deaths were reported from Gujarat and Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday. A 45-year-old COVID-19 patient died in Ahmedabad, while a 65-year-old man infected with COVID-19 died at a hospital in Srinagar. Coronavirus death toll in India rises to 25, confirmed cases 979 now Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address his first 'Mann Ki Baat' at 11 am on Sunday, in his first radio address since the lockdown was imposed. Earlier on Saturday, he announced the constitution of PM's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund for people who wanted to contribute to India's fight against COVID-19. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, March 29, 2020, 13:09 [IST] The schemes for the merger of ten state-run banks into four lenders are coming into force from April 1, according to the Reserve Bank of India. The banking regulator in separate releases announced that the branches of merging banks will operate as of the banks in which these have been amalgamated. The government on March 4 had notified the amalgamation schemes for 10 state owned banks into four as part of its consolidation plan to create bigger size stronger banks in the public sector. Bank officers unions, however, earlier this week wrote to the prime minister seeking to defer the merger schemes of lenders due to the lockdown triggered by coronavirus outbreak. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday had clarified that the mega bank consolidation plan was very much on track and would take effect from April 1 despite the onslaught of coronavirus pandemic throwing the country out of gear. As per the scheme, Oriental Bank of Commerce and United Bank of India will be merged into Punjab National Bank; Syndicate Bank into Canara Bank; Allahabad Bank into Indian Bank; and Andhra and Corporation banks into Union Bank of India. Under this, the branches of Oriental Bank of Commerce and United Bank of India will operate as branches of Punjab National Bank from April 1, 2020, and branches of Syndicate Bank as that of Canara Bank, the RBI said in a separate releases. Allahabad Bank branches will operate as those of Indian Bank while the branches of Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank will function as the branches of Union Bank of India from the beginning of next fiscal year 2020-21, the RBI said. The Amalgamation of Oriental Bank of Commerce and United Bank of India into Punjab National Bank Scheme, 2020 dated March 4, 2020, issued by the Government of India... The scheme comes into force on the 1st day of April 2020, RBI said. Customers, including depositors of merging banks will be treated as customers of the banks in which these banks have been merged with effect from April 1, 2020, the RBO noted. Banking services across the country are impacted due to the effect of COVID-19 as a near shut down is being observed across the country. In a letter written to the Prime Minister on March 25, the All India Bank Officers Confederation (AIBOC) said, The finance minister yesterday announced a slew of measures in view of the deleterious effect of the contagion. We are also expecting an extension of closing related activities and the revision of the closing date itself from March 31 to June 30, which is the need of the hour. The night view of Taipei on June 20, 2019. Photo: Xinhua US President Donald Trump signed the so-called "Taipei Act" into law on Thursday. On the same day, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases surpassed 82,000 in the US, making it the country with the most confirmed cases. With such a tense situation in the US, Washington is still manipulating politics. It has become clear why the US has wasted the window period created by China and why it had sat back and watched the situation become worse. The "Taipei Act" was passed by the US Congress, and was then signed by the president. To a large extent, it represents Washington's overall attitude toward China: making full use of the Taiwan card to engage in strategic games with the mainland. But this is a bad card, and it is even more counterproductive as the world fights the pandemic. The "Taipei Act" promises support for Taiwan's "diplomatic alliances." To put it plainly, the US is threatening Taiwan's remaining "diplomatic allies" not to break ties with Taiwan, otherwise it will punish them. This is completely unreasonable. In total, 180 countries, including the US, have established diplomatic relations with China. The one-China principle has long been an international consensus. Can't other sovereign states make their independent choices? Washington is much too overbearing. However, this does not work in the current world. Before the "Taipei Act" was issued, Washington had coerced and induced "diplomatic allies" of Taiwan. But what happened then? After Tsai Ing-wen came to power, Taiwan has lost seven "diplomatic allies." This shows that no country can promote its own will in a way that runs counter to international axioms and harms other countries' interests, even a country as strong as the US. Even if the 15 small "diplomatic allies" of Taiwan covet the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority's petty favors, fear Washington's intimidation and choose not to break "diplomatic ties" with Taiwan, then what? How much international space does Taiwan have? After all, the "Taipei Act" only provides little psychological comfort to the DPP authority. Washington politicians are aware of this, and thus the wording of the act is mostly insincere. A Taiwan politician questioned the content of the "Taipei Act" on strengthening trade between the US and Taiwan: "If the US requires us to import US pork and beef that contains clenbuterol, do we accept it?" The chief of Taiwan's executive body Su Tseng-chang dared not answer explicitly. Obviously, the DPP has betrayed Taiwan's interests for Washington's empty political promise. This is a terrible deal for Taiwan. Some Taiwan netizens are much too clear about this. They said, "The bill is signed, so what? It is useless." "It is an old trick of cheating money. We are being used again." The Taiwan question concerns China's core interests and must not be challenged. Since the DPP came to power, it has made many small moves with a tendency of secession and was encouraged by Washington. Take the "Taipei Act." It has brought greater uncertainty to the situation across the Taiwan Straits. But the initiative of the situation is held firmly in the hands of the mainland. China's determination to reunify Taiwan island is unshakable, and whoever acts against it will end up in ruins. The DPP must not have any illusion about this. San Antonio's River Walk, often dubbed the Venice of Texas, is similar to the famous Italian city's canals in another way both are clear while residents and tourists self-isolate during the coronavirus pandemic. Twitter user @rdrunner, or Ulises, whose normal jogging trail is along the San Antonio River was stopped in his tracks by what he saw during his run Wednesday. The water, which is usually murky and the butt of jokes from people like Mark Cuban, was clear on San Antonio's first day under the "Stay Home, Work Safe" order. Stay up to date on the latest coronavirus news with mySA.com: The photos he took, near Rita's on the River, show the water is so clear that rocks can be seen on the riverbed. Ulises' tweet has been racking up attention by the thousands. Some are playing an online game of "I spy," pointing out objects like spiders, crabs and beads likely left over from Mardi Gras events in February. Others jokesters added an image of Spurs legend Tim Duncan with a beluga whale onto the photo. People have also marveled at photos of the Venice Canals, which have been described as "crystal clear" since locals were asked to stay indoors. RELATED: Photos capture an 'eerie' but 'beautiful' downtown San Antonio during coronavirus pandemic The environmental sciences staff for the San Antonio River Authority says the clarity can be attributed to the suspension of river barge traffic, which stirs up sediment. Go Rio Cruises, which is the exclusive barge operator on the river, suspended tours on March 19 in accordance with Mayor Ron Nirenberg's health declaration. Bars and restaurants have also been mandated to shut up shop in an effort to mitigate the virus. The river authority said the "lack of patrons at restaurants feeding ducks, and reduced availability of food sources that attract birds, which can contribute waste in the river," is also helping the transparency. Ulises also noticed the water was clear in the King William and Mission Reach areas, which are not part of the barge tour routes. In addition to the reduced foot and barge traffic, the environmental team for the river authority said weather can also play a factor. Madalyn Mendoza is a breaking news reporter and general assignment writer. Read her on our breaking news site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | mmendoza@mysa.com | @MaddySkye MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE: New Delhi, March 29 (IANS) With thousands of migrants left stranded in cities across the country in the wake of the 21-day nationwide lockdown to stop spread of novel coronavirus, the Railways on Sunday said it served lunch to over 11,000 people acro Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, March 29 (IANS) With thousands of migrants left stranded in cities across the country in the wake of the 21-day nationwide lockdown to stop spread of novel coronavirus, the Railways on Sunday said it served lunch to over 11,000 people acro Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, March 29 : With thousands of migrants left stranded in cities across the country in the wake of the 21-day nationwide lockdown to stop spread of novel coronavirus, the Railways on Sunday said it served lunch to over 11,000 people across India. The Railway Ministry said that it had decided to provide bulk cooked food along with paper plates to the needy from locations where they have base kitchens of IRCTC. The Indian Rail Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has over 25 base kitchens in zones of Vijaywada, Ahmedabad, Mumbai Central, Khurdha Road, Balasore, New Delhi, Paharganj, Prayagraj, Jhansi, Kanpur, Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in Mumbai, Pune, Sholapur, Bhusawal, Itarsi, Bangalore, Hubbali, Tiruanantpuram, Chengalpattu, Katpadi, Mangalore, Sealdah, Howrah, Rajendranagar and Katihar. The IRCTC supplied 11,030 meals to migrant labours, old-age homes and other needy people across the country. In Delhi, lunch was handed out to over 5,030 persons, 2,000 people in Bengaluru, 770 packets in Hubli, 1,500 packets in Bombay Central, 500 packets in Howrah and Sealdah, 400 packets in Tata and Patna, 300 packets in Ranchi and 200 food packets in Kathiar. The ministry said that the General Managers and DRMs of concerned Zones and Divisions were expected to provide their inputs and enhance the outreach of these efforts. The distribution of food was done by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and other personnel. The ministry said that railways was geared up to provide food to more needy people. The railways has suspended the passenger, mail and express train servoices from March 24 to April 14. Only freight train services are operational to ensure the supply of the essential items across the country. The railways has stopped production at its manufacturing units and instead engaged in the manufacture of sanitisers, medical beds, cots, tools, masks, aprons and IV stands to meet the demand. Social media keeps churches closed by the coronavirus open for visitors Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Many churches have closed their doors to visitors in response to the coronavirus pandemic. That doesnt, however, mean you cant go inside. Virtual visits are possible, thanks to the church enthusiasts behind several blogs and social media channels. By far, the most common medium is Instagram, where enthusiasts with differing photographic abilities document every conceivable detail of a church ranging from baptismal fonts and Gothic windows to ornately carved wooden pews. Douglas Young is among the enthusiasts who publish photos of historic churches and cathedrals on a daily or near-daily basis. He is the man behind @devonchurchland on Instagram, which showcases churches in the southwestern English county of Devon. A companion website, Devon Churchland, recently launched. An altarpiece in the National Gallery is a lesser thing than when it is hung above the altar with incense and the host being venerated, said Gawain Towler, a political operative who remarkably found time during the last British general election to visit churches wherever he went on the campaign trail. The architecture and fittings of churches, like the music, is beautiful in its own right, but takes on a far greater meaning when in the setting of a service. For others it is wholly secular, which is fitting since medieval churches were the art museums of their day with paintings, stained-glass and sculpture. My interest is primarily in art and architectural history, said Rob Andrews, better known as @churchcrawling on Instagram. It started in the final year of my undergraduate course at university. I soon discovered there was much more to learn about the buildings themselves. Arve Berntzen, who says he isnt religious but retains the Church of Norway (Lutheran) faith of his childhood, started visiting out of his hobby for photography. His photos are on Instagram under @kirkerchurches. Walking around the church to find the best angle for shooting is very relaxing and challenging at the same time, he said. I find church architecture fascinating. Berntzens subjects are primarily the Lutheran state churches from the idyllic Norwegian countryside. Think old medieval stone edifices to wooden churches from the 1800s. Nobody compares to Cameron Newman, who is several years into a goal of visiting all 12,000 rural parish churches in the Church of England (Anglican). So far, the self-described eccentric weirdo has visited more than 9,000 churches and taken at least 500,000 photos for the Parish Church Photographic Survey. A more curated collection of photos can be found on his Instagram, @realcbnewham. Importantly, one doesnt need to travel to the Old World for historic churches a point this column regularly makes. Not only are there surviving colonial-era churches, but splendid 19th century churches ranging in style from Gothic Revival to Richardsonian Romanesque can be found in many cities across the United States. Many think about various European churches but not the old and important churches in our country, said Lee Little, historiographer of the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis. Many have a vague idea about whats here, but they dont seem to leave a lasting impression like the European ones do. Lee conducts tours of Indianapolis-area churches. His photos are published on the aptly named Instagram channel @oldchurchesindy. Almost all enthusiasts agree that churches can do a better job at making themselves accessible to visitors. Sadly, most churches in the cities are locked, said Towler, whose Instagram is @gawaintowler. More and more country churches are the same. Andrews said all churches need clear instructions for key collection or information about other forms of access are a must even if the doors must through circumstance be kept locked. Others suggested more churches utilize volunteers to open on certain days of the week or month. This strategy is employed with great success by the Friends of the City Churches in London. On Instagram, be sure to also follow @helenhookerarchitecture, @matt.afc and @churchhunting. Spires and Crosses is a weekly travel column. Follow @dennislennox on Twitter and Instagram. President Donald Trump says its unfair to criticize his response to the coronavirus pandemic. No one could have seen this crisis coming, he argues, and no president could have acted more quickly. But thats not how Trump talks about other leaders. He condemns governors, mayors, and previous presidents for failing, in his view, to prepare for the disaster or respond adequately to it. Everything I took over was a mess, he fumed at a press conference on Friday. It was a broken country in so many ways. Advertisement In particular, Trump says Gov. Andrew Cuomo should have anticipated that New York state would need thousands of extra ventilators. And he accuses former President Barack Obama of moving too slowly against swine flu in 2009. Both complaints are hypocritical. Trump had far clearer warnings than Cuomo did, and he has moved far more slowly than Obama did. By the standards Trump applies to others, his coronavirus response is a failure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Tuesday, in a Fox News interview, Trump excoriated Cuomo. New York Gov. Cuomo rejected buying [a] recommended 16,000 ventilators in 2015 for the pandemic, said the president, reading from a right-wing blog post. Trump embellished the story, claiming that Cuomo had a chance to buy the ventilators at a very low price, and he turned it down. He should have ordered the ventilators, said the president. Advertisement Advertisement Trump had the story wrong. In November 2015, a New York state task force reported that although the state had enough ventilators to manage a moderate flu outbreak, they wouldnt be sufficient in the event of a severe public health emergency on the scale of the 1918 influenza pandemic. The report calculated that in a severe influenza pandemic, there is likely to be a projected shortfall of ventilators (-15,783) during peak week demand. The report addressed a scenario that hadnt been seen in nearly a century. It didnt envision the present crisis, and its projection of the ventilator shortage was well below estimates issued by New York this week. Nor did the report recommend buying more ventilators. On the contrary, it concluded that if the state were hit by a severe pandemic, purchasing additional ventilators beyond a threshold will not save additional lives, because there will not be a sufficient number of trained staff to operate them. The report added that buying so many ventilators, in preparation for a hypothetical catastrophe, would squeeze funding for current and ongoing health care expenses. Advertisement Advertisement Trump has also lied about Obama. On March 4, he claimed that Obamas administration didnt do anything about the 2009 swine flu outbreak. On March 12, Trump said nothing was done for such a long period of time, as people were dying all over the place. On March 13, Trump said Obamas team started thinking about testing when it was far too late. And on Thursday, Trump told Sean Hannity, They acted very, very late. They were incredibly late. Advertisement Advertisement None of that is true. The 2009 outbreak started in Mexico. The Mexican government reported it to the Pan American Health Organization on April 12 of that year. Two days later, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention examined a specimen in the United States, and by April 15, the CDC had determined it was swine flu. On April 22, the CDC activated its Emergency Operations Center. On April 26, the Department of Health and Human Services declared a public health emergency and began to send antiviral drugs and personal protective equipment to affected states. On April 30, the Obama administration asked Congress for $1.5 billion to fight the virus. By April 28, the CDC had developed a test to detect the virus, and on May 1, the test kits were shipped out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Once the pandemic arrived, Trump responded far more slowly than Obama did. If Obama deserves criticism for taking 19 days to ship out tests, and if Cuomo is at fault for not buying extra ventilators four years ago, then Trumps negligence in preparing for and responding to this crisis deserves far more condemnation. In the past three years, the president has ignored multiple direct warningsbriefings, reports, simulations, intelligence assessmentsthat a pandemic was likely and that the government didnt have enough masks, ventilators, or antiviral drugs to deal with it. His administration was told exactly what to do: second-guess case detection rates, prepare rapid production of tests, and line up extra funding and personal protective equipment. He did none of it. He stiffed a budget request for preparedness funds, and he disbanded the National Security Council unit in charge of pandemics. Advertisement Once the pandemic arrived, Trump responded far more slowly than Obama did. Trumps administration learned of the outbreak in China around New Years Day, but he brushed off briefings about it, figuring it hadnt spread in the United States. (The CDC offered to send its own experts to China, but China refused, and Trumpoverriding advice and U.S. intelligencebacked off.) On Jan. 21, the CDC reported the first known American infection. But in an interview on CNBC, Trump scoffed, Its one person coming in from China. We have it under control. Its going to be just fine. Advertisement Advertisement Data released by the World Health Organization showed the coronavirus was killing victims at a far higher rate than swine flu did. (That remains true, even though calculated mortality rates from the coronavirus have declined.) But the Trump administration didnt declare a public health emergency until Jan. 31. The president had to be pushed to ban travelers from China, and he did nothing domestically. In late January, the administration rebuffed an HHS request for money to buy masks and other emergency supplies. Throughout February, as U.S. intelligence agencies monitored the spread of the virus in Europe and Asia, Trump insisted the United States was safe. When a CDC official raised concerns in public, Trump rebuked her for scaring the stock market. Advertisement The CDC didnt begin shipping out test kits to detect the coronavirus until Feb. 5, more than a month after learning of the outbreak. The tests didnt work properly, so the CDC had to make new ones. Not until Feb. 28 did the CDC announce that states could now start testing. Trump didnt request funds to deal with the virus until Feb. 24, and he asked for only a quarter of the money HHS said it needed. The administration didnt begin sending personal protective equipment to states until the end of February, and it dragged its feet on providing ventilators until the end of March. By every measurepreparation, organization, funding, testing, ventilators, masks, public communicationTrumps performance has been abysmal. Hes weeks and weeks behind Obama. And his disregard for multiple direct warnings about a pandemic is, by the standard of foresight he applies to Cuomo, inexcusable. So when Trump claims that nobody could have ever seen something like this coming and that no previous administration could have delivered supplies as quickly as he has, hes lying. Judge him as he has judged others. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 17:43:18|Editor: yhy Video Player Close BANGKOK, March 29 (Xinhua) -- A riot occurred on Sunday in a prison in northeastern Thailand as inmates tensed up for the fear of COVID-19 infection and set the prison on fire with four of them having escaped, police said. About 100 inmates staged the riot in the prison and set it ablaze in downtown area of Buriram province, about 390 kilometers northeast of Bangkok, confirmed deputy National Police spokesman Pol. Col. Krissana Pattanacharoen. Five inmates broke out of jail but one of them was arrested by the police outside the prison, leaving the four others at large, the deputy police spokesman said. Those inmates apparently revolted for fear of COVID-19 infection in the crowded prison, which currently is home to about 2,100 inmates, according to Pol. Col. Krissana. They set ablaze the prison's sleeping quarters, canteen and furniture workshop, prompting firefighters to scramble to the scene and put it out. The situation was finally put under control with two inmates being seriously injured by gunshots fired by the police. The police were combing the prison's neighborhood and elsewhere for the fleeing inmates. A 16-year-old managed to evade authorities while driving 120 miles an hour until he drove over police spikes and was forced to pull over on the Columbia - Dane county line Saturday. The Columbia County Sheriff's Office said in a release that deputies first attempted to pull the teen over after he starting driving 120 miles an hour in a 55 mph road along STH 60 in the Town of Leeds in Columbia County Saturday afternoon. But the teen chose not to heed their police lights, and so deputies began to pursue him, both parties driving over a 100 miles an hour through Wyocena and then Pardeeville. Deputies soon called off the pursuit. The chase was not over, though. Deputies picked up the teen's trail when they spotted his vehicle in Pardeevillem, and thus the pursuit continued where it had left off. The 16-year-old then took deputies to the Columbia-Dane County line. That's where deputies from the Dane County Sheriff's Office deployed a tire deflation device, along USH 51. The teen drove right over the spikes and was forced to pull over. Deputies arrested the teen and brought him to a local juvenile detention facility. The Columbia County Sheriff's Office says the 16-year-old was cited for eluding, recklessly endangering safety, operating while impaired, violation of a public health order, possession of marijuana with intent to deliver, possession of hallucinogenic drugs, speeding, failure to stop at a stop sign, passing in a no passing zone. One of Harry and Meghan's top advisers has been headhunted to work for Buckingham Palace. Sara Latham, the couple's head of communications, was among 15 loyal members of staff being made redundant as a result of their decision to step down as working royals and move to North America. But now she has been snapped up by the Queen's private office to advise it on special projects. US-born Miss Latham, will be reporting to the monarch's right-hand man, Private Secretary Edward Young, it is understood. Sara Latham, one of Harry and Meghan's top advisers has been headhunted to work for Buckingham Palace It's a savvy hire the whip-smart PR woman, who has dual British and American citizenship, has worked for two US Presidents and one presidential candidate. She worked with Bill Clinton's chief of staff and was later brought in by his wife Hillary to help on her unsuccessful 2016 White House campaign. Miss Latham also worked for Barack Obama before moving to the UK and serving as special adviser to the late culture secretary Tessa Jowell, where her brief included Britain's successful London 2012 Olympic bid. She was working as a partner at the leading PR firm Freuds when she was poached by Harry and Meghan after their wedding. Her transfer from being a key figure at the heart of 'Team Sussex' to the Palace 'establishment' is unlikely to go down well with Harry and Meghan, however. The adviser has been snapped up by the Queen's private office to advise it on special projects, and will be reporting to the monarch's right-hand man Harry, in particular, is hugely distrustful of what he regards as the 'men in grey suits' and largely blames them for his and Meghan's decision to walk away. As revealed in the Daily Mail on Saturday, he believes they were too blinkered and reactionary to harness their 'star power' as a couple properly. But a Palace insider said: 'Sara is anything but grey! She's very wellconnected, has great vision and has been through a baptism of fire at the Palace as a result of Megxit and come out the other side. She'll be a breath of fresh air.' At the time of her appointment to Harry and Meghan's team at the Palace, US media described Miss Latham as a 'long-time Democratic fixer'. Her transfer from being a key figure at the heart of 'Team Sussex' to the Palace 'establishment' is unlikely to go down well with Harry and Meghan A royal source said: 'Sara is feisty and stands her ground. She's been very loyal to Harry and Meghan in some quite challenging circumstances.' Earlier this year, the Mail revealed that the couple were making their entire team redundant as a result of their decision to move abroad and close their Palace office down. The staff included Harry's longstanding programme coordinator, Clara Loughran, who was so well-regarded that she was asked to hand Meghan her bouquet in church on her wedding day in 2018. One royal source said at the time that the couple's decision to hire a team of US-based agents and publicists many of whom had worked for Meghan when she was an actress had made life incredibly difficult for their Palace staff. Harry and Meghan have been organising private engagements and briefings with the US team and hired a Canadian designer to create a new website without any involvement from the royal advisers. After the Sussexes decided to walk away they agreed an exit package with the Palace, which included giving up their HRH titles for business purposes, standing back from official patronages and paying back the 2.4million of public money they spent on their Frogmore Cottage home in Windsor. It was decided to give them a three-month 'transition' period to sort their affairs and adapt to their new life. That period ends tomorrow. From Wednesday their Palace office will cease to exist. A young man under home quarantine for coronavirus after return from Sri Lanka suddenly ran out of his house and fatally bit a 80-year old woman in his neighbourhood in a village near here, police said on Saturday. The woman with injuries in her neck was hospitalised late Friday after the incident but died on Saturday without responding to treatment, they said. The man, a resident of Jakkamanayakanpatti and engaged in seasonal business in clothing, was overpowered and handed over to police, who arrested him and investigations were on. Also Watch why this doctor is telling you to NOT wear masks, gloves | Coronavirus He had recently returned from Sri Lanka and directed to remain under quarantine by health authorities as per the protocol for foreign returnees to check coronavirus spread. He came out of his house on Friday evening and all of a sudden, denuded himself and began running through the street. Shocked family members including his father gave a chase even as he caught hold of Nachiyammal, seated on her houses front yard and bit hard her neck. The mans kin overpowered him and admitted the woman to nearby Bodi Government Hospital where doctors on Saturday said she succumbed to her injuries, not responding to treatment. Health authorities were unavailable for comments immediately. Seoul, March 29 : North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Sunday, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, the latest in a series of projectile launches even as the country is on high alert against the coronavirus pandemic. Both were fired northeastward from the eastern coastal city of Wonsan at 6.10 a.m. within a 20-second interval and flew around 230 km at a maximum altitude of around 30 km, the Seoul-based Yonhap New Agency quoted the JCS as saying, adding that South Korean and US intelligence authorities were analyzing other specifics. "In a situation where the entire world is experiencing difficulties due to COVID-19, this kind of military act by North Korea is very inappropriate and we call for an immediate halt," JCS said. The military is closely monitoring the situation while maintaining a readiness posture, it added. North Korea has carried out a series of weapons tests and artillery firing exercises this year. Except for small artillery firing drills, Sunday's launch is believed to be the North's fourth major weapons test this year. The last such test came on March 21, when the North fired two short-range ballistic missiles believed to be its version of the US' Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) from its western county of Sonchon in North Pyongan province, the Yonhap News Agency said in its report. It is not immediately known if leader Kim Jong-un oversaw Sunday's firing, though Pyongyang's state-run Korea Central News Agency (KCNA) had reported that the three previous tests this month took place under his watch. On March 2 test, the North launched two missiles presumably from the multiple rocket launcher from the Wonsan area toward the East Sea. They flew around 240 km on an apogee of 35 km. Three projectiles of the similar type fired from its eastern town of Sondok on March 9 flew around 200 km and as high as around 50 km, according to the JCS. The Lagos State government has taken delivery of a 110-bed isolation facility on the Lagos Island, where confirmed cases of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the state can be managed and treated. The facility was conceived and built in collaboration with the management of Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank). The Managing Director of GTBank, Segun Agbaje, on Saturday, handed over the hospital facility to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, five days after the bank started the construction of the isolation centre sited on the main bowl of the Mobolaji Olufunsho Johnson Stadium in Onikan. Governor Sanwo-Olu praised the banks management for the speed with which the structure was built, disclosing that the facility was equipped with world-class equipment and medical supplies that would aid the State Government to deliver adequate care to those infected with COVID-19. I am very excited to take possession of this 110-bed isolation facility which the Lagos State Government and Guaranty Trust Bank have put together, Mr Sanwo-Olu said. In our assessment, it is a world-class facility which has been achieved within a week. Contractors at multilevel worked tirelessly to put up the structure. This is a reflection of strong can-do spirit of Nigerians, especially the brand called GTBank. I am happy that the GTBank saw the need for this collaboration. We are going through trying times globally, which is occasioned by unprecedented level of a pandemic. READ ALSO: What we are doing in Lagos is that, we are building excess capacity in the event that we witness a spike in cases of COVID-19 infection. The governor allayed the fear of the residents over the growing cases of the disease, saying the state was working assiduously to stem the rate of transmission, especially by those who returned from abroad. The governor hinted that there had been improvement in the recovery of some patients currently isolated at the states Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) in Yaba. He said the state would continue to build capacity to enhance its response strategy and actions towards containing the pandemic. Mr Agbaje hailed the state government for accepting the collaboration offer in building the structure, noting that half of the resources used to build the facility was donated by Africa Finance Corporation. He expressed optimism that the effort would strengthen the capacity of Lagos to stop the spread of the virus. The isolation facility, which sits on an expansive area in the stadium, is divided into operational sections, including Intensive Care Unit (ICU), regular-bed wards, pharmacy department, doctors quarters and consulting rooms. The facility is also equipped with ventilators for the use of patients that may develop acute respiratory symptoms. Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], Mar 28 (ANI): A total of 11 coronavirus positive cases can be traced back to a single religious congregation in the Kashmir division, Rohit Kansal, Principal Secretary-Planning of J-K said on Saturday. "We have found that 11 of the positive cases in the Kashmir division could be traced to a single religious congregation. Another 6 cases could be traced to another group which had traveled to Saudi Arabia," said Rohit Kansal, Principal Secretary-Planning, Jammu and Kashmir. He also informed about the five new cases, of which, two were in Srinagar and three in Jammu, all contacts of previously COVID-19 cases. "5 new positive cases- 2 in Srinagar, 3 in Jammu- all contacts of previously positive cases; All Jammu cases asymptomatic; Total number of cases is now 33," Kansal said. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), there are 918 confirmed cases of coronavirus cases in the country and 19 fatalities have been reported. (ANI) Photo taken on March 28, 2020 shows Chinese medical expert team poses for group photo at Islamabad International Airport on March 28, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Tian) An 8-member medical expert team from China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, along with medical materials, arrived in Pakistan Saturday to help the country fight the COVID-19 pandemic. ISLAMABAD, March 28 (Xinhua) -- An 8-member medical expert team organized by the Chinese government arrived here on Saturday to help Pakistan fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi welcomed the Chinese medical team at the Islamabad International Airport and thanked them for coming to Pakistan to help the country overcome the disease. "I would like to thank the Chinese people, and the Chinese government...for going out of the way to support Pakistan and our effort to fight the COVID-19," he said. Photo taken on March 28, 2020 shows Pakistani workers downloads assistance brought by Chinese medical expert team on March 28, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Tian) "We have learned from you. We have stood by you, and you're standing with us. So this (COVID-19) challenge has brought the peoples of China and Pakistan even closer. In this challenging time, the (Pakistani) people expected China to come forth and China has lived up to their expectations," the foreign minister told Xinhua. The team, organized by China's National Health Commission, consists of experts selected by the health commission of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and aims to provide consultations of pandemic control, patients treatment and laboratory works and guide and train Pakistani medical staff. Head of the medical team Ma Minghui told Xinhua that the team will also share the Chinese experiences on coronavirus control with their Pakistani counterparts. Photo taken on March 28, 2020, shows Pakistani workers downloads assistance brought by Chinese medical expert team. (Xinhua/Liu Tian) The medical team also brought medical assistance including over 110,000 face masks, 5,000 protection suits, 12 ventilators and other medicines to Pakistan. The team will stay in Pakistan for around two weeks and will also visit Punjab and Sindh provinces. 1New Delhi, March 29 (IANS) Two Indian-origin researchers from the University of Cambridge in the UK have come up with a new mathematical model that predicts a flat 49-day nationwide lockdown -- or sustained lockdown with periodic relaxation extendin Image Source: IANS News Hyderabad: Disinfectants being sprayed across different areas of Hyderabad on Day 4 of the lockdown imposed in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, on March 28, 2020. (Photo IANS) Image Source: IANS News Hyderabad, March 29 : Ten Indonesian preachers who tested positive for Covid-19 in Telangana last week and some people of two other nationalities being quarantined has brought Tablighi Jamaat into focus. The group of Indonesians was on a preaching mission in Karimnagar town. They were brought to Hyderabad for screening and all of them tested positive. It was then the biggest jump was seen in the total number of coronavirus cases in the state. Alarmed over this, the health authorities rolled out cluster containment plan in Karimnagar, taking up door-to-door screening of people in a radius of 3 km around a mosque where the foreign preachers stayed for two days. Over 25,000 people were screened in the intensive operation undertaken by 100 teams of health personnel. The authorities heaved a sigh of relief as nobody among the locals showed any symptoms. The inquiry revealed that the Indonesians had boarded AP Sampark Kranti Express in Delhi Aand reached Ramagundam on March 14. From there they tavelled in a private vehicle to reach Karimnagar. Further inquiries by health officials revealed that some members of the group went to Hyderabad. Eight Indonesians were found in Mallepally mosque in Hyderabad. They were also shifted to a hospital and quarantined. They, however, showed no symptoms of cornonavirus. This was not the only group of foreign preachers. Twelve nationals from Kyrgyzstan were found staying in Mallepallay mosque, a centre of activities by Tablighi Jamaat. "We took them to a quarantine facility but none of them had any symptoms of coronavirus," an official of the health department, who did not want to be identified, told IANS. The presence of 12 preachers from Vietnam in Nalgonda town also sent the authorities into a tizzy. The group was staying in a mosque in the town since March 9 was also not found to have any symptoms of Covid-19. They had arrived in New Delhi from Vietnam on March 3, reached Hyderabad by train on March 8 and hired private cabs to reach Nalgonda. Officials said while passengers landing at Hyderabad airport were being thoroughly screened, the Tablighi preachers did not have to go through any such screening as they entered the state by trains from other parts of the country. The visit by Indonesians and other foreign preachers triggered a row with the right-wing groups demanding a probe. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) sought investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). "The visit to Karimnagar by Indonesians aged 50 to 60 years and infected with Coronavirus has raised lot of doubts. There should be a thorough probe into their visit and the organisations which helped them during their stay," said VHP Telangana unit Secretary B. Ramesh. There was no reaction from Tablighi Jamaat, which has no formal organisational structure and shuns media coverage. Its leaders could not be reached out for comment. Nobody from Jamaat has come forward to speak, but the manager of the mosques where the preachers were staying said they did not violate any law of the land and alleged that some forces were trying to malign the preachers. Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao also said the foreigners had done no wrong. "They came legally to India after obtaining valid visas. They are not infiltrators. The Central government gave them the permission," he said at a news conference. Tablighi preachers, both Indians and foreigners, visiting various towns in India for proselytization is not new. One finds such missionary groups staying in mosques even in remote areas, going around and meeting ordinary Muslims inviting them to come for 'namaz' and revive their faith. Tablighi Jamaat, means group of preachers, was floated by Islamic scholar Maulana Muhammad Ilyas in 1926 in then Mewat province. Unlike some other Muslim jamaats, it works only among Muslims. It is believed to have millions of active members in more than 150 countries. They invite Muslim community to adhere to the basic tenets of Islam. The Tablighi network is strong across the Indian sub-continent and people from various walks of life are associated with the organisation. Tablighi bands of preachers operate from mosques. Announcements that 'Jamaat' has come from other cities and countries are common in the mosques under the control of the organisation. They do 'gasht' or go around in the neighbourhood, interact with Muslims, invite them to 'namaz' and 'ijtema' at the mosque. The preachers, who usually venture out on 40-day mission, stay in mosques. With congregational prayers restricted in the wake of lockdown, the preachers have vacated the mosques. It has been atrocious, to say the least as the coronavirus is now taking over New York. Despite residents of the City taking extra precautions in avoiding the coronavirus, the number seems to increase each passing day. United States Tops Coronavirus Cases A few weeks ago, the United States wasnt even on the top 10 list of countries that are affected by the coronavirus. Today, it has recorded a total of 112,560 cases with 8,434 new cases and a death total of 1,878. Amidst the safety protocol that is initiated by the rest of the world, some Americans neglect those warnings and it is evident right now. We have seen multiple interviews about teenagers not minding the virus due to their party plans for spring break. New York State of Emergency Currently, New York City is the epicenter of the outbreak in the United States with a total of 52,318 cases. By the numbers reported, theres an increase of 4.4% each day and killing people in New York every 17 minutes. With that said, this could eclipse what is happening in Italy right now. It is fully documented that Italy recorded their highest death rate in one day with 854 due to COVID-19. The virus didnt just target civilians but the medical personnel included. It is now announced that 100+ of their medical team succumbed to the deadly virus. During the briefing, Mayor de Blasio warned New Yorkers about the current status of the city. De Blasio also stated that the city is now treating 1,175 patients in ICU. However, he also added that after a week, if the trend continues, the city might not be able to sustain or get hold of everybody. Their biggest fear is that they dont have enough medical staff and hospitals to help those who are affected by the virus. The Mayor was so eloquent with his statement thus having the nod from the President, Donald Trump. The Mayor's Appeal De Blasio kept reiterating in his press conference that the onslaught of coronavirus has just begun and everybody should be prepared for it. He wants to inject to his fellow New Yorker that this battle wont be easy. There will be casualties but he also believes that this battle will end soon. Its getting rough each day and expects it to get tougher as days go by. Military assistance has been called upon to ensure peace and order in the City. The Mayor cited that this will continue for in the coming months but it will eventually end. Prominent names such as athletes and celebrities are urging people to stay at home to lessen contact with another person. According to studies, the coronavirus tends to transfer from one host to another and can multiply at an astronomical rate. As for now, a lot of scientists from different countries are trying to invent an antivirus vaccine to stop or mitigate this disease. Antivirus Vaccine Still Being Developed However, creating such a vaccine is easier said than done. A myriad of health specialists stated that it takes full 10 to 12 months to develop a working vaccine. With the current situation that the world is in right now, it is a race against the virus. The health experts might be correct but a lot of people believe that an antivirus might be on its way. There are a total of 29,908 deaths already and it is steadily increasing. For now, they are encouraging everybody to stay home, avoid going to crowded places and do self-monitoring in case they are experiencing the symptoms. There were a total of 84 deaths in the Big Apple last Thursday and Friday but officials say that this is just the beginning. Queens New York leads the way with 8,550 confirmed cases, followed by Brooklyn with 7,101, The Bronx with 4,890, Manhattan with 4,633 and Staten Island with 1,540 recorded cases. BEIJING, March 28 (Xinhua) -- China's top military academy dedicated to international academic exchanges in defense and security has launched an online teaching system to resume classes for foreign cadets across the world. Connecting lecturers and interpreters in Beijing with cadets from all over the globe, the system enables foreign officers to keep up with the training programs and have their questions solved in real time, said the International College of Defense Studies with the National Defense University of the People's Liberation Army Saturday. The global COVID-19 pandemic has prevented many foreign officers enrolled in the college's programs from returning to the new spring semester, which generally starts within a month after the Chinese Spring Festival holiday. New Delhi, March 29 : With thousands of migrants thronging the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh borders and trying to return to their native states by any available transport or even foot, the Arvind Kejriwal government has started setting up temporary shelters for them at its schools. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and Education Minister Manish Sisodia on Sunday said two schools in border areas have been opened for migrants on Saturday -- in Anand Vihar and Ghazipur. Not just shelter, food is also being arranged in these schools for those who wish to stay. "On the first day, only seven-eight people turned up. We hope that more will come and take advantage of these arrangements," Sisodia said. The country is under a 21-day lockdown from Tuesday midnight due to coronavirus scare, with migrants moving to their native places as different economic activities came to a virtual halt. However, thousands of such migrants are stuck on the Delhi borders with neighbouring states. The Delhi government has started 568 hunger relief centres in schools, apart from 238 night shelters to provide food to over four lakh people daily. Kejriwal on Sunday said the lockdown should be implemented seriously, saying with movement of people, the purpose of lockdown will be defeated. Chennai, March 29 : Two Covid-19 patients were discharged from a Tamil Nadu hospital even as the the fifth day of the nationwide lockdown passed off peacefully in the state. The government also began implementing the containment zone plan across the state. According to state Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar, two persons who had returned from the US and tested positive for coronavirus were discharged from the hospital on Sunday, after testing negative for the presence of coronavirus. Vijayabaskar said the two persons have been advised to be under home quarantine for next 14 days. The total number of persons who had tested positive for Coronavirus in Tamil Nadu remained at 42. Meanwhile the day began with people crowding at vegetable and fish markets here and in other places, throwing away the caution of maintaining social distance to prevent the virus spread. As the new timing regulations, stores selling essential items downed their shutters at 2.30 p.m. According to Municipal Administration Minister S.P.Velumani, the containment zone plan has begun in the state. As per the containment zone plan, officials would be marking out a seven kilometre radius from the residence of the person who had tested Coronavirus positive. Within this radius, officials will check each house to ascertain whether anyone in the family show signs of coronavirus infection. Meanwhile, 97 persons hailing from Jharkhand and West Bengal who were stranded at the MGR Central Railway Station were housed in a community centre here and were treated with good food amd healthcare by the Greater Chennai Municipal Corporation. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Actor Shefali Shah, a doting mother to two sons, is having a tough time keeping herself away from her children, who are presently quarantined in their rooms after their return from Spain. Despite living under the same roof, Shah, along with husband, filmmaker Vipul Amrutlal Shah, is keeping her family safe from Covid-19 by ensuring that her sons are confined to respective rooms. Expressing satisfaction over authorities way of handling things, the 47-year-old says, Soon after landing in Mumbai, they were asked to share their travel details and were let go. Since then, they are under room quarantine. They cant get out, and nobody goes in. Their food is left outside. Shah is now personally involved in all daily chores, to ensure hygiene. I am doing all of it by myself because I dont trust anybody to understand its magnitude, says the actor. She gets emotional and admits that it isnt easy staying away from children when they are right inside the house. We have to remain in a room and everybody is getting frustrated. I am glad they are home and all of us are under one roof, but I cant see them. We cant sit together and chat. Right now, I would give anything to just sit in a room with them. We actually stand in our bedroom decks and see them its not easy, says the actor. Elaborating on challenges of keeping her kids busy, Shah adds, I have left board games like ludo and said, Have fun boys, but obviously, they are not! They are 18, for Gods sake! Also read: Divyanka Tripathi insists pilot brother not Covid-19 positive: He shows no symptoms, his last international flight was 13 days ago Amid tough times, she is maintaining her calm with humour. Taking to Instagram on Saturday, the actor shared a handwritten note that read, I just wanted to say, I cant wait for you to come out of rooms, not because I love you, but because I could do with two extra pair of hands to help with the housework. Oh, and by the way, I do love you all. Love, mom. Follow @htshowbiz for more Flash Cuba on March 28 sent a team of 39 doctors and nurses to Andorra, the thirteenth medical brigade the country has dispatched overseas to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The medical help came as health authorities in Andorra have reported four deaths and a total of 308 confirmed cases due to the coronavirus outbreak. "Only solidarity among peoples can be effective to combat coronavirus globally," Marcia Cobas, Cuba's deputy minister of public health, told Xinhua. Cuba's latest medical assistance marked the first time that the health experts from the country's Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade have worked in Europe in the fight against the coronavirus epidemic. Founded in 2005 by then Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro, the Henry Reeve Brigade was created to provide health services to Americans after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city of New Orleans, only to be refused by the George W. Bush administration. Before sending medical workers to Andorra, Cuba had already dispatched contingents of doctors and nurses to Venezuela, neighboring Latin American and Caribbean nations, as well as Italy, where Cuban and Chinese health workers have been helping the locals in the hard-hit Lombardy region. "They are working very hard and helping the Italian people go through this difficult situation," said Jorge Hidalgo, director of the Cuban Central Unit for Medical Collaboration, adding that more than 850 health professionals from Cuba have been sent abroad to help fight COVID-19. Among those are health workers with expertise in providing medical treatment to people affected by natural disasters as well as disease outbreaks such as cholera in Haiti and the Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa. "We share what we have," Jorge Luis Hernandez, a 62-year-old doctor, told Xinhua. Santiago Badia, general secretary of Cuba's Health Workers Union, said 45 countries have so far asked the Caribbean nation for support in the face of the coronavirus epidemic. "Over half a million Cuban health professionals have expressed their readiness to assist, if necessary, nations hit by COVID-19," he said. Earlier this month, Cuban doctors also participated in a humanitarian operation, answering a request by the British government to allow a cruise ship carrying five passengers who had tested positive for COVID-19 to disembark on the island so they could be repatriated to their country. Currently, more than 28,000 Cuban health professionals are working abroad as part of bilateral agreements with more than 60 countries. Since 1963 when a ravaging earthquake hit Algeria, Cuba's international medical collaboration has expanded to more than 164 countries, with some 400,000 health workers from the island nation having offered medical treatment across the globe. A speeding pickup truck driver who plowed into a minivan Friday in Perth Amboy and killed three of its occupants, including an 8-month-old infant, was arrested and was facing numerous charges, authorities said. Patrick Monahan, 38, of Staten Island, was charged with three counts of aggravated manslaughter, three counts of vehicular homicide and one count of aggravated assault, the Middlesex County Prosecutors Office and the Perth Amboy Police announced Saturday in a joint statement. Monahan was driving his 2018 Ram 1500 Pickup truck aggressively, cutting in and out of traffic, and moving 40 miles per hour in excess of the posted speed limit, around 6:30 p.m., seconds before striking a Ford minivan on Convery Boulevard, the office said. Passengers in the minivan struck by Monahan, Maria De Lourdes Aguerra, 47, and Maria Garcia, 44, both of Elizabeth, were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, police said. An 8-month old infant in the minivan was airlifted to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital but died later died, authorities said. The driver of the van was taken to the same hospital but has since been released. A search of Monahans truck revealed suspected controlled dangerous substances, the office said. Monahans alleged conduct occurred in violation of Executive Order 107 issued by the Honorable Governor Philip D. Murphy on March 21, 2020 which restricts non-essential activities in the State of New Jersey, in light of the coronavirus pandemic, the joint statement said. Monahan, a resident of Staten Island, New York informed detectives that he was in New Jersey at the time of the incident to visit friends. As a result he was also charged with three counts of violation of law intended to protect public health and safety and recklessly causing death, violation of law intended to protect public health and safety and recklessly causing bodily injury and one count of violation of an emergency order. Monahan was being held at the Middlesex County Adult Corrections Center pending his detention hearing. Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrisrsheldon Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. The coronavirus outbreak is affecting initiative signature drives and may lead to this year having the lowest number of such measures in decades. Oregon Public Broadcasting reports that initiatives dealing with subjects as gun control, clean energy and highway tolls now appear increasingly unlikely to make the ballot. The truth is, signature gathering to qualify ballot measures requires face-to-face contacts, said Ted Blaszak, an Oregon-based initiative consultant, and therefore with the shut-in (order), its impossible to function. Blaszak is advising his clients to look at mail and internet options to continue their campaigns. But he acknowledged that it will be a heavy lift unless normal activities are restored within the next several weeks. I think theres going to be a lot of political activity this cycle that is going to get shelved, he said. At this point, just two initiative campaigns appear positioned to get enough signatures by the July 2 deadline to qualify for the ballot both of which revolve around easing drug laws. Each needs 112,020 valid signatures from registered voters. One measure would decriminalize the possession of drugs while boosting funding for treatment. The other would allow the supervised use of psilocybin, a class of psychedelic mushrooms. Internet and mail options have been used in the past, but generally as a supplement to paid and volunteer canvassers. Under Oregon law, campaigns are allowed to use single-signature e-petitions that voters can download, print, sign and mail back to the campaign. But the 2019 Legislature to the anger of many initiative activists tightened the rules to say that voters also must be presented with the entire text of an initiative. The secretary of states office says the entire text doesnt have to be mailed back. But Portland attorney Dan Meek, a longtime initiative activist, said he thinks campaigns could face a legal challenge if they dont. Blaszak, the petitioning consultant, said wistfully that theres a possibility that in three, four weeks things will return to normal, and Ill be busier than ever. He acknowledged that seems unlikely. Instead, he said he wished the secretary of states office would push back the signature-gathering deadline, just as some states have postponed their primaries. But Andrea Chiapella, spokeswoman for the agency, said that the timing for the deadline July 2 this year is set in the state constitution and cant be changed administratively. AP Champaign, IL (61820) Today Mostly clear this evening then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 27F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Mostly clear this evening then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 27F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. A two-year-old infant tested positive for coronavirus in Islampur tehsil of Sangli late Saturday night taking the count in the district to 25, all from the same family while a fresh case was detected in Pune where the number of infections also rose to 25, Maharashtras state health department said Sunday. The state government has now sent a team of three doctors to Sangli to control the spread of infection and take over the health care operations at Miraj civil hospital. In Mumbai, a seven-month old baby tested positive on Sunday to become the youngest Covid-19 patient in Maharashtra as the number of infected people in the state rose to 193. The baby boy in Sangli who belongs to the same family who got infection from four members who had returned from Saudi Arabia has now been admitted to Miraj hospital. The hospital has been converted into a Covid-19 facility. Follow coronavirus live update here. Dr Sanjay Salunkhe, civil surgeon said, There were two babies, both aged two years who were with the family in isolation. The earlier test result which came on March 25 came negative for both. Since the babies were too young and most of the family members are admitted to the hospital, we could not separate them. However, we collected second swab samples. The test result came on Saturday night and one of the children tested negative and was discharged to the care of relatives and one child tested positive and was admitted. The first four Saudi-returned Covid-19 cases were detected on March 14. On March 25, five more members of the same family tested positive. On March 26, three more tested positive, followed by 12 positive cases on Friday. All are currently admitted to the Miraj government hospital. In Pune, a senior citizen tested positive to take the count to 25. Dr Sanjeev Wavare, Assistant health officer said, A senior citizen aged 70, male has been admitted to Jehangir hospital after his test results came positive on Saturday night. The patient has no foreign travel history. Marcelo Ibate, right, and his son Eduardo reunite in Guatemala after Eduardo's removal from the U.S. (Morena Perez Joachin / Los Angeles Times) Marcelo Ibate waited outside the big black door, eating tortillas out of a sweating plastic bag. A line of camouflaged soldiers stood beyond with large weapons and face masks. Ibate didn't know which day his son Eduardo would arrive or whether he'd be carrying coronavirus with him on the deportation flight from the United States, now the epicenter of the global pandemic. Of course I am afraid for my son, but I think he is OK, Ibate said in Spanish as he waited outside the Air Force base where returnees are processed, attached to the commercial airport in Guatemala City. "If hes sick, theres not much we can do we can only wait and care for him. I'm his father; I am responsible for him. I have to. After barring foreign travelers and closing its borders and businesses to try to contain the spread of coronavirus, Guatemala earlier this month became the first nation to publicly refuse deportation flights from the United States. Marcelo Ibate waits for his son's deportation flight to arrive. (Morena Perez Joachin / Los Angeles Times) It didnt last long. Just over a week ago, with assurances from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that health protocols had been established, Guatemalan authorities allowed flights to resume starting with 66 Guatemalans sent from Brownsville, Texas. The group included Ibates 19-year-old son. While Guatemalan law requires the repatriation of its citizens, the quick reversal underscores the tension for Latin America, a region that has taken drastic measures to avoid importing coronavirus cases from the United States. With chronic poverty, corruption and violence and dysfunctional healthcare systems, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador Central America's Northern Triangle are highly vulnerable to the pandemic, but they are also dependent on the U.S. for economic and security assistance. They have little leverage against a Trump administration clearly determined to continue deportations despite the risk of worsening the viruss spread. It has to be agreed, not imposed, Joaquin Samayoa, spokesman for Guatemalas Foreign Ministry, said of deportations. If theres a risk, it would be the U.S.' responsibility to contain it from going outside its borders. Story continues Currently all three Northern Triangle countries are continuing to accept deportation flights, but only for their own citizens. That restriction is a blow to the Trump administrations efforts to limit immigration. Under a controversial agreement that took effect in late November, the U.S. has removed to Guatemala nearly 1,000 Hondurans and Salvadorans whom the Trump administration has barred from U.S. asylum. But amid coronavirus, Guatemala paused that program. The pandemic has scuttled the launch of similar agreements with El Salvador and Honduras. Officials at the White House declined to comment on the record or confirm the total number of coronavirus cases among DHS employees, migrants in detention, or those already deported, directing the Times to DHS officials for the total, which they did not provide. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has confirmed two cases of COVID-19 among migrants in its custody, five cases among ICE employees or personnel working in detention facilities and 19 cases among other employees. DHS spokeswoman Sofia Boza-Holman said Saturday that the Trump administration is committed to helping slow the spread of the virus. Late Sunday, Guatemalan officials confirmed that a 29-year-old Guatemalan man deported from Mesa, Ariz., on Thursday began displaying symptoms and tested positive for COVID-19, the first known case in an individual removed from the U.S. John Sandweg, former acting director of ICE in the Obama administration, said theres serious risk of contagion" with deportation flights, for both migrants and ICE officers on-board, as well as for the receiving country. They could easily suspend flights if they wanted to, Sandweg said of the administration. The Northern Triangle countries are among the primary places of origin for the 38,058 migrants currently in U.S. immigration detention. Of those, 6,166 have exercised their right under U.S. law to seek protection and have established their claim with immigration officials. More than 60% of all migrants in detention have no criminal convictions. Prior to the Trump administration, many would typically have been released to family members to await court hearings. Amid coronavirus, advocates have been filing lawsuits calling for such releases. Academics, health experts and even some administration officials and detainees themselves have said in interviews that the often crowded, unsanitary detention facilities are a "Petri dish" for the virus. Pre-dating the pandemic, DHS's Inspector General found 14,000 health and safety deficiencies at contracted detention facilities between October 2015 and June 2018. At least 10 migrants have died in ICE custody this fiscal year . Facing criticism, ICE last week announced it would reduce enforcement actions. Instead, the agency has since added to the total detained population. DHS officials say they are following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and have implemented additional health checks on Border Patrol agents and ICE officers. They have also started to take the temperature of migrants before they board flights , to either other detention centers or to other countries. A man awaited the arrival of his son outside of the Air Force base in Guatemala City where deported migrants are processed. (Morena Perez Joachin/For the Times) "The CDC's top healthcare experts have rigorously worked with DHS to develop the best guidelines and practices to prevent the spread of COVID-19 across both the northern and southern border, in our immigration housing centers and [on] our repatriation flights," said Health and Human Services Department spokeswoman Caitlin B. Oakley in response to requests for comment from the White House. Those steps may be insufficient. You can have the virus without having a fever, said Adam Isacson, director for defense oversight at the Washington Office on Latin America. Otherwise we could all be going to bars right now and just having our temperature taken before we went in. David Marin, a senior ICE official in Los Angeles, expressed concern that if countries start to refuse deportation flights, U.S. detention space would soon fill up. Now, the U.S. is using the planes deporting migrants to evacuate stranded Americans . ICE Air brought home more than 460 U.S. citizens from Honduras and El Salvador last week after dropping off deportees, the agency said Saturday. ICE said earlier it would continue returning U.S. citizens from the Northern Triangle on deportation flights for "the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that the operations could expand to other countries. Some stranded U.S. citizens fear that by using ICE Air, the administration is needlessly exposing them to the virus. Amy Cohen, a child psychiatrist who has served as a trauma expert for lawsuits against Trump immigration policies, became stuck in Honduras after arriving for work on March 15. She has lupus, an autoimmune disease, which puts her at extra risk. Wouldnt it be ironic if the way I get sprung from here happens to be a flight on which people were deported?" she asked. "I wouldnt refuse it, but my God, how unnerving would that be? Earlier this month, the Honduran government announced that three of its citizens who were deported had exhibited symptoms of coronavirus. Last Sunday, Honduran citizens deported from the U.S. fled mandated quarantine upon their arrival, according to reports . Cohen was supposed to be on the return flight, but it was canceled, she said. Last Monday, the U.S. deported 85 Guatemalans from El Paso, including 29 children. When they arrived, Guatemalan health officials found that a 16-year-old and a 14-year-old had high temperatures. The rest of the returnees, as well as 20 Guatemalan officials processing them, had to be isolated. The teenagers ultimately tested negative for COVID-19, according to the Guatemalan health ministry. Asked whether the incident had caused alarm among Guatemalan officials, Samayoa, the Foreign Ministry spokesman, said it was scary but turned out fine. If the children had tested positive, he added, there might be some eyebrows raised. DHS officials did not respond to requests for comment on how the deported minors could arrive with fevers if they were tested before boarding. "Detainees are screened prior to boarding and will not be allowed to board if they have a fever," said ICE spokeswoman Mary Houtmann. A week later, on Monday, three more Guatemalan children deported from the U.S. arrived with high temperatures and are currently awaiting testing, according to Guatemalan officials. Hours after Eduardos deportation flight landed, the black door from the airbase suddenly opened, and waves of young men emerged. They held white mesh bags with their belongings, and many hid their faces from cameras; few had face masks or gloves. They headed for buses provided by the government for transit toward their hometowns. Guatemala's president had shuttered the country's bus system days before. Guatemalans deported from the U.S. head toward buses provided by the government to take them home. (Morena Perez Joachin / Los Angeles Times) I am here for my son, said Rosa Bocel, whose colorful indigenous dress stood out as she and her husband searched for their 20-year-old in the crowd. I live for my children. Like Ibate, Bocel and her husband had traveled via an expensive private taxi from a small city near Guatemalas famed Lake Atitlan. The tourism upon which their family of 14 relies has all but dried up due to coronavirus. He left out of necessity, she said of her son. Because here there is nothing, and now, even less. Rosa Bocel searched among those arriving for her 20-year-old son. (Morena Perez Joachin / Los Angeles Times) Ibate said that between the debt they took on to pay a coyote for Eduardo's trip north and the damage coronavirus has wrought on Guatemalas economy, his family is even worse off than before. This is why people leave Life is almost impossible," he said. Now, the markets are closed, the stores are closed everything! If everyone closes their borders, how are we going to eat? Back home in Solola and job hunting, Ibate's son Eduardo had one word for his detention in Laredo, Texas: suffering. Of some hundred migrants he said were crammed into one frigid cell he didnt know if any were sick he spoke to few, concentrating only on trying to stay warm. Still, he had little hope of staying long in Guatemala. Military security guards the bus taking returnees from the United States to their towns in Guatemala. (Morena Perez Joachin / Los Angeles Times) I want to go north again, he said. I dont know how, but my family has to get by. As coronavirus cases creep up in Guatemala, Ibate is resigned to their fate, he said. If God has permitted this virus, he said, there is nowhere to go. Times staff writer Cindy Carcamo in Los Angeles contributed to this report. Chinas role as the source of the coronavirus crisis, its obfuscation, its weaponising of clout in global supply chains over critical medical equipment to further its geopolitical agenda and its rising influence bring us to the brink of a world order shaped increasingly by 'Beijings irresponsible hegemony' As coronavirus cases cross six hundred thousand worldwide (latest data from Johns Hopkins University pegs the figure till Saturday afternoon at 601,478), the World Health Organisation (WHO) made a poignant observation this week. During a recent news briefing, WHO executive director Mike Ryan said India must lead the fight against the pandemic because its status as one of the worlds largest and densely populated countries places on it a huge responsibility to shape the human battle against the novel coronavirus. WHO has so far been congratulatory of Indias tactics and strategy, calling it robust, applauding its past records of eradicating through targeted public intervention two silent killers in polio and smallpox, and approving of the billion-strong nations stringent lockdown measures and suspension of transport services to be of an unprecedented scale and reflective of Indias resolve to prevent the spread of the pandemic". Yet, for all of WHOs focus and stress on India as the final frontier of humanitys battle against the virulent virus, there is insufficient understanding of what is truly at stake as India gears up to tackle the pandemic (Saturdays figures show there are 873 active cases in India along with 19 deaths and 78 cured). Not just the spread of a virus, India is also fighting a moral and sociopolitical battle because the coronavirus pandemic is as much a global public health crisis as an ideological clash against an amoral, unscrupulous superpower. Chinas role as the source of the public health crisis, its obfuscation, data suppression and lies that led to the pandemic, its weaponising of clout in global supply chains over critical medical equipment to further its geopolitical agenda and its rising influence even as US falters in response, bring us to the brink of a world order shaped increasingly by Beijings irresponsible hegemony. As ORF president Samir Saran writes, China delayed notifying the WHO and in permitting it to inspect the situation in Wuhan, released vital genetic information to the international community a full week after it was isolated; and allowed millions of individuals from Wuhan to leave the city unscreened, many of whom then travelled the world. Countries which received much of that traffic are now grappling with more deaths than they can handle. Follow LIVE Updates on the coronavirus outbreak here As the largest, most chaotic democracy in the world, whose every move is under scrutiny both at home and abroad, where public policies made in Parliament are open to challenge in judiciary, where implementation is done largely through persuasion, not coercion, Indias fight against the virus assumes a different dimension. If India succeeds in this battle, it will show to the world that a chaotic democracy can fight and survive a grim public health emergency without needing to intimidate and bully its citizens, weld shut their doors or cut deep trenches on roads to stop traffic. Indias leadership in the crisis so far it has shown itself to be up to the task will chart a new course in human history and show to the world that democracy isnt a fanciful political system for only the rich nations. It isnt at odds with developing economies, and it is not necessary to trade liberty and freedom for safety and prosperity of citizens. As the developed world and the worlds incumbent superpower bungle its response to coronavirus, the imperfect, rambunctious and seemingly unworkable democracy of India is acting as the bulwark against a rising tide of authoritarianism and retreat of democracy. China knows this and be it during the Doklam standoff or the current crisis, it has tried to build a narrative as the superior force powered by a more efficient and organised political system. Global Times has a long history of patronizing cartoons re India. Here's a #COVID19 one to add to the list. pic.twitter.com/OXDpqZ5u2J Tanvi Madan (@tanvi_madan) March 24, 2020 Beneath Chinas superiority complex (as with such conditions, in general) lies an insecurity that if India manages to flatten the viral curve and avoid an apocalypse, Beijings authoritarian model will lose its appeal, and that may lead to internal questions about the legitimacy of the Chinese Communist Party that compels obedience from people on the assumption that democracy is a faulty system. Indias success, in other words, may mean Chinas failure. And Beijing is aware of this dialectic. As former foreign secretary and an old China hand Vijay Gokhale writes, The Chinese public, from time to time, disparages or mocks our democracy. When they do so, it is from fear. The fear that if democratic India can deliver, the rule of the Communist Party can be challenged. India, not western democracies, is the real existential threat. Gokhale calls Indias response so far as comprehensive and leader-driven. It is hard to argue otherwise, notwithstanding the coverage of western media, which seems unable to tide over its ideological bias against Indias ruling dispensation in its comments or reports. For instance, The Atlantic calls Indias response too late, draconian and ineffective and falls into the familiar trope of a Hindu nationalist government making life miserable for Muslims. In reality, India has taken consistently proactive steps to help limit the spread of the virus, with the consequence that Indias active COVID-19 cases (according to Johns Hopkins University, an independent data tracker) stands at 906 (confirmed), with 803 active cases, 83 recoveries and 20 deaths. According to official figures released by Indias health ministry, India has 873 active cases, 79 recoveries and 19 deaths. More importantly, it is impossible for a government in a democracy to suppress, deny or hide data the way China had done at the height of its war against the pandemic (read about Chinas lies here). It stands to reason, therefore, that India has so far been able to delay its transition from stage 2 to stage 3 (where local transmissions and community outbreaks take place). The Indian government holds, in concurrence with top ICMR scientist Raman R Gangakhedkar, that theres isnt enough evidence to support the claim that India has reached stage 3. While the countrys battle-readiness will be tested when that stage eventually arrives, it should be acknowledged that in delaying this transition India has so far done reasonably well, given the creaky state of its public healthcare system. This is no small an achievement and it has been made possible due to clear-headed leadership and an ability to take bold decisions early. The first positive case was announced on 30 January and by early February India started airlifting its nationals and some citizens of other countries out of Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak. India announced suspension of all visas (except diplomatic and employment/project visas) by 12 March and hold in abeyance visa-free travel for OCI card holders. Within the next few days, India extended its ban on arriving international passengers, preventing even Indian passport holders residing in the United Kingdom, Turkey and whole of Europe to arrive in India till the end of March. This was clearly a far-sighted move, considering the fact that Europes emergence as the pandemics new epicenter was still a few days away. This proactiveness was witnessed throughout, with India banning all international flights to India from 22 March to 29 March and later extending that ban till mid-April. Next to be banned were all domestic flights and then New Delhi shut all rail and road travel for a comprehensive travel restriction. Eventually, this was followed by a 21-day lockdown starting Wednesday, the audacity of which stunned international observers. Still digesting the scale of India's nationwide lockdown. Largest quarantine in human history (1.3bn people) and a massive live experiment. India has just 519 infections. Edward Luce (@EdwardGLuce) March 24, 2020 Mainstream western media has also found it difficult to come to terms with the fact that while the worlds superpower was taking it easy and Europe was dithering from taking tough steps on travel and lifestyle habits, India had been busy educating its masses on the dangers of the pandemic. Recounting her experience of travelling to India for 11 days during the early onset of outbreak, a US-based correspondent writes, I found it striking that the country of more than 1 billion people, which has not yet seen the scale of COVID-19 that the US is experiencing, seemed to be doing far more to monitor its citizens and educate people about the risk of the virus and ways to protect against it. She also wrote about her experience after returning to the US and found it to be lacking in urgency. The US, incidentally, is now leading the world in coronavirus cases. According to a study by Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washingtons School of Medicine as many as 2,300 patients could be dying in the US every day by April. Washington has imposed a lockdown, but many feel that the Donald Trump administration was late in taking the decision. This brings to light a little-discussed truth in western media circles. India lacks infrastructure and a robust public health welfare system, and perhaps it is this reality that compelled Indian authorities to strike hard and early to minimise the impact. This isnt a moment to celebrate or relax, however. Because a grimmer battle lies ahead. Small businesses in San Antonio are struggling during the coronavirus pandemic, and local and federal officials are trying to help owners keep their doors open and employees paid. The federal government passed a spending package Friday that includes $350 billion for potentially forgivable small-business assistance loans. Days before, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff and other local leaders also sought to develop their own safety net program for locally owned small businesses. That help was badly needed. Bexar County on Tuesday announced a $5.25 million fund to provide loans and grants for locally owned small businesses hurt by the outbreak. LiftFund, a San Antonio-based loan provider for small businesses, is administering the loans and grants. Since announcing the fund earlier in the week, LiftFund has received nearly 650 loan or grant applications from businesses totaling $42 million in requested funding. Usually in the business world, you use working capital to grow your business. Whats happening now is, I need working capital just to stay afloat, LiftFund CEO Janie Barrera said. Locally owned businesses need a lifeline. As the federal government determines how exactly to dole out the Small Business Administration loans, the city of San Antonio could follow in the countys steps. Nelson is a small-business owner at heart, so he understands the complexities of running a small business. So he got on it immediately, San Antonio Chamber of Commerce President Richard Perez said. The city is talking about doing the same. Perez also lauded the federal government for directing hundreds of billions of dollars to small businesses. He said the chamber hosted a web conference Friday with a representative from the SBA to help San Antonio business owners understand how the loan program will work. We had 1,473 people sign up to participate in less than 24 hours, Perez said. The idea is to keep pushing that information out. Its not clear exactly when the federal loans will be available, but business owners can apply on the SBAs website. The size of the loans will be based on a business monthly revenue. The maximum loan a business can receive is $10 million. Eligibility requirements for the loans will be relaxed. Borrowers wont have to show their ability to repay, and there will be no collateral requirements. The loans can be fully or partially forgiven if a business retains or rehires workers. Barrera said she expects that LiftFund will still be active in the economic recovery efforts because many small businesses in San Antonio, such as cash-only establishments, may not meet the requirements for SBA loans. Our small businesses, mom-and-pop shops, even with the stimulus package, we still have a sizable community thats not going to be eligible for that money, Barrera said. We at LiftFund will have to continue to do our business in that field. LiftFund operates by providing low-interest loans to entrepreneurs and small-business owners to get their enterprises off the ground. The interest payments from business owners covers LiftFunds overhead, Barrera said. But because the county loans and grants have no interest, LiftFund could be the one facing a financial shortfall in the coming months. These loans and grants were administering have zero return to LiftFund, so we need to rely on donations to cover that, she said. Well be able to do this to a certain point, but three months from now, well have to look at LiftFunds revenues. Other private-sector efforts to aid small-business owners are underway at companies. Facebook, for example, has committed $100 million to assist businesses. Details on eligibility for the program have not been released, however. While its not clear when business owners should expect to begin receiving federal help, Perez said the news of the loan program is welcome. We need to hunker down and be thoughtful and take care of ourselves, Perez said. But this is going to help us weather the storm. diego.mendoza-moyers@express-news.net " " Sideshows may have mislabeled their performers as freaks, but the entertainers had medical conditions that were truly fascinating and anomalous. Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, [LC-USF34-045516-D] None of us should look to historical sideshows for intellectual enlightenment. Sure, there are modern sideshows that present performers who are clearly empowered and awesome. But the sideshows of yore, with their labeling of people as "freaks" or disabilities as "oddities"? Nope. Spectators paid to gawk at people who were morbidly obese, had tattoos or were born with extra limbs. Yet despite this blatant exploitation, many performers were able to amass wealth and fame through sideshow acts. We can just agree that sideshows were at best a way for marginalized people to make a living exhibiting themselves and at worst a means for exhibition owners to take advantage of workers. That being said, there's no denying that some of the people in old-timey sideshows had rare and fascinating medical conditions that can draw our attention. We'll take a look at the performers and their conditions, some of which might seem out of place labeled as an "oddity" in our current culture. Planned Parenthood sues Texas over temporary abortion ban amid coronavirus crisis Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A group of abortion organizations have filed a lawsuit against the state of Texas over a temporary ban on non-essential medical procedures, including elective abortions, amid the coronavirus crisis. Planned Parenthood, the Center for Reproductive Rights, and the Lawyering Project, an abortion rights law firm, filed a complaint against Gov. Greg Abbott over the ban on behalf of abortion providers. Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas on Wednesday, the complaint seeks injunctive relief from the temporary ban. Without injunctive relief, Plaintiffs will be forced to continue turning away patients seeking abortion care. At a minimum, those patients will not be able to obtain an abortion for weeks or even months, given that the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to last far beyond the orders stated expiration date, stated the lawsuit. Not only will these patients be deprived of their constitutional right to essential healthcare and self-determination, but forcing them to continue their pregnancies will in fact impose far greater strains on an already-taxed healthcare system, as prenatal care and delivery involve much greater exhaustion of hospital health care services and [personal protective equipment] than abortions. Alexis McGill-Johnson, acting president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the nation's largest abortion business, said in a statement Wednesday that she believed Abbott and anti-abortion activists nationwide are forcing a legal and political fight in the middle of a public health crisis. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton took issue with the lawsuit, explaining in a statement released Wednesday evening that his office intends to defend the governors order. [It is] unconscionable that abortion providers are fighting against the health of Texans and withholding desperately needed supplies and personal protective equipment in favor of a procedure that they refer to as a choice, Paxton said in a statement. My office will tirelessly defend Governor Abbotts Order to ensure that necessary supplies reach the medical professionals combating this national health crisis, he added. On Sunday, Abbott signed an executive order postponing all procedures not deemed medically necessary until April 21 in order to help provide more resources to combat the coronavirus. The pro-life organization Texas Right to Life celebrated the move, noting that elective abortions were among the procedures considered banned until April 21. According to the states latest data, this could save 2,868 lives, which equates to 66% of abortions in Texas for the month, the group said. Texas Right to Life is grateful that the loss of life during the COVID-19 outbreak will be decreased thanks to the halt in abortions. The Punjab government on Sunday announced that banks would remain open on March 30 and 31 to facilitate people in their financial transactions, amid the curfew restrictions due to coronavirus pandemic. On the directives of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, the state home department has issued an advisory regarding operation of bank branches during curfew on 30th and 31st March, 2020, and beyond, said a government release. From April 3 onwards, all bank branches shall be open for two days of the week, on a rotation basis, it said. The deputy commissioners (DCs) of the state have been asked to extend necessary support and ensure other requisite items during relaxation to the banking staff, the release said. According to an advisory, it has been decided that all the bank branches, ATMs, banking correspondents (BCs), cash in transit and cash replenishment agencies, IT and engineering support vendors for banks shall be operational on March 30 and 31. Hence, all the deputy commissioners have been directed to provide necessary support by means of issuance of passes and other requisite relaxation, it said. On March 31, a special clearing of all government cheques will be conducted. Though April 1 is a non-public dealing day for the banks, the DCs have been asked to provide requisite passes to the bank staff on that day too, the release said. From April 3 onwards, the operation of bank branches, ATMs, BCs, cash in transit/cash replenishment agencies, IT and engineering support vendors for banks shall be regulated, with skeletal staff, it further said. The banks would ensure that the ATMs are operational round-the-clock and BCs provide services in rural areas with the security staff, and are instructed to ensure social distancing and hygiene. Further, while implementing the above for opening of the banking establishments in line with the business continuity plan, the existing instructions regarding skeletal staff, social distancing and hygiene and all the instructions issued by home department/health department shall have to be strictly complied with, the release stated. The state government added that the latest order is in line with those issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on March 24 for closure of all commercial and private establishments which include banks and ATMs. This was followed up with orders from the Ministry of Finance and Reserve Bank of India on 27th March, 2020, the release added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) - Ghana's confirmed coronavirus case now stands at 141 - The Disease Surveillance Department of the Ghana Health Service confirmed this - The majority of the people who tested positive were among those placed under mandatory quarantine Our manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in Install our latest app for Android and read the best news about Ghana The Disease Surveillance Department of the Ghana Health Service has confirmed that Ghanas coronavirus cases have jumped to 141 from 137 with a total of 5 deaths. According to the information gathered by YEN.com.gh on the departments website, as of 14:00 hours on the 28th March 2020, a total of 2,519 persons have been tested for COVID-19 in Ghana. It added that among the tested, 1,276 (50.7%) were persons under mandatory quarantine with 1,243 (49.3%) from routine surveillance activities, and among all 2,519 persons tested, one hundred and forty-one (141) tested positive representing 5.6%. READ ALSO: Prophet Nigel finally tells why he only prophesices negative things Among persons under mandatory quarantine, 79 representing 6.2% tested positive. Among samples tested from routine surveillance, sixty-two (62) representing 5.0% tested positive. So far, only 3 regions have reported coronavirus cases- the Greater Accra, Ashanti and Upper West Regions from routine disease surveillance. However, just one case has been confirmed in the Upper West Region, while the Ashanti Region has recorded 7 of the 8 cases recorded outside the Greater Accra Region. All other 54 cases from routine surveillance were recorded in the Greater Accra Region. A total of 731 contacts of confirmed cases are currently being followed up by the contact tracing team. Among contacts, 53 were found to have symptoms and 48 have been tested with one person testing positive, the website further explained. READ ALSO: Celebrities with plush lifestyle: Joselyn Dumas puts her kitchen on display Two hundred and thirty-one contacts have completed the mandatory 14-day follow-up. Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo had earlier initiated the mandatory quarantine so that all persons arriving in Ghana would be required to observe it. The arrangement was made in a way that as soon as they get out of the arrival, hall, the military busses will convey them to the various hotels where they must stay for a period of time. Popular media personality, Gifty Anti, was among the people who were placed under mandatory quarantine, however, she tested negative in the long run. Also, to curb the spread of the virus, the president has again announced that parts of Greater Accra, Kumasi, and Kaso, have been locked down for two weeks. READ ALSO: Coronavirus: Akufo-Addo partially locks down Accra and Kumasi Coronavirus in Ghana: Disinfection of Accra Markets against COVID-19 | #Yencomgh Have national and human interest issues to discuss? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page. Source: YEN.com.gh The COVID-19 Assessment Centre is operating outside the emergency entrance at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. People should self-isolate and call 625-5900 or 1-888-294-6630 if they develop symptoms for the coronavirus. At least six people were reportedly injured when a tornado ripped through Jonesboro, Arkansas, on Saturday, March 28. The storm flattened buildings and destroyed one business, while it also caused extensive damage to Turtle Creek Mall, local media reported. Authorities were conducting search-and-rescue operations into the night. The National Weather Service confirmed the tornado at 4.25 pm. This video was captured near the mall and Jonesboro Municipal Airport, which was also reported to have sustained damage in the powerful winds. Credit: Adam_Hardin7 via Storyful Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin John Miller (Reuters) Zurich Sun, March 29, 2020 10:09 655 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206e1405e 2 Art & Culture Museum,switzerland,Basel,nazi,exhibition Free Switzerland's Basel Art Museum will pay an undisclosed sum to heirs of a German art historian, it said on Friday, concluding it bought works from his personal collection in the 1930s after he was persecuted by the Nazi government. The museum, now closed due to the coronavirus, has more than 100 drawings and prints, including a "Madonna" lithograph from Norwegian painter Edvard Munch potentially worth millions of dollars, that once belonged to Jewish art historian Curt Glaser. The museum will keep the works, for which it plans a 2022 exhibition detailing Glaser's life, his role as a critic and friendships with artists including Munch, famous for "The Scream". When the Nazis seized power in 1933, Glaser was ousted as director of Berlin's Kunstbibliothek art-historical library. He auctioned much of his personal collection, including works bought by Basel, before fleeing to America, where he died in 1943. Read also: Auschwitz museum demands Amazon drop 'Nazi propaganda' books After rejecting restitution claims by several of Glaser's descendants in 2008, the museum took up the case again when documents emerged indicating museum officials in 1933 knew they were buying Glaser's works at a "cheap price" just as Jews in Germany faced mounting oppression. Valerie Sattler, a US-born Glaser descendant who plays cello with the Nuremberg Symphony in Germany, has spearheaded efforts to reach an agreement with the museum. "It's been a long time coming and we're very glad they re-opened the case," Sattler said in an interview. "It was almost 10 years after they had refused to talk about any kind of settlement. We're very happy they re-considered that." Basel officials resumed talks with Glaser's descendants given the circumstances under which his works were acquired and evolving views of principles governing art works that changed hands in Nazi Germany, the museum said. "He was definitely a victim of National Socialism," a museum spokeswoman said. "We tried to look at this with fresh eyes." A half-dozen Glaser heirs in the United States, Brazil and Germany have successfully petitioned museums and private owners including Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum and Colognes Ludwig Museum to return other works. Sattler said the 2022 exhibition was a key part of the agreement. "We will be there for the opening," Sattler said. "That was also an important thing for us, that we knew we can be there and be part of it." Topics : Museum switzerland Basel nazi exhibition Travellers under quarantine in hotels across Sydney say they are anxious about access to fresh air, laundry services and receiving fresh meals. About 3000 international arrivals at Sydney Airport were greeted by police and defence force personnel at the terminal on Sunday, checked for fever, and bussed to hotels across the city where they will remain in isolation for 14 days, unable to step outside their rooms. In some instances, hotel keys have been confiscated. Travellers have been sent to hotels for a two-week quarantine period. Credit:Jacky Ghossein While the prospect of being put up in a hotel with a $90 daily room service tab seemed like a good deal for some, others have expressed worry about the quality of the meals on offer for the price, the lack of fresh air, and the cleanliness of rooms which will not be serviced. Melbourne woman Catherine*, 38, is among the arrivals quarantined at the Hyatt Regency after flying into Sydney from London on Sunday morning, following Friday's announcement by Scott Morrison to quarantine all international arrivals after midnight Saturday. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sun, March 29, 2020 15:26 654 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206e24306 1 City COVID-19,COVID-19-Jakarta,COVID-19-in-Indonesia,coronavirus,regional-quarantine,quarantine,lockdown,COVID-19-lockdown Free The Transportation Ministry is preparing a scenario for a local quarantine in Greater Jakarta to slow the spread of COVID-19, depending on a decision expected to be made at a Cabinet meeting scheduled for Monday, a ministry official said. Transportation Ministry land transportation director general Budi Setyadi said that the ministry, in coordination with the National Police's traffic corps, had developed a plan including so-called "stopping posts" at toll gates and along other roads to and from Greater Jakarta. If a regional quarantine is enacted, the police at the posts will turn back those trying to enter or leave the city. "We have not ruled out the possibility [of a local quarantine], but the decision depends on the leaders," Budi told The Jakarta Post on Sunday. "We are only acting as the implementer who creates the standard operating procedures and [plans] what the protocol will look like." The government has already issued a warning discouraging people living in Greater Jakarta from leaving the city for their hometowns for the Idul Fitri mudik (exodus). However, many have ignored the warning. Central Java, for example, has reported thousands of mudik travelers arriving in the province, including in Jepara with 1,776 arrivals, Purwokerto with 2,323 and Wonogiri with 2,625 as of Tuesday. Central Java had reported 55 confirmed cases and seven deaths as of Saturday, the fifth highest number of cases of the countrys provinces. Read also: Greater Jakarta failing as floodgate to nationwide COVID-19 epidemic "After the meeting [on Monday], I do not know whether it will still be a stronger warning or a complete ban. It depends on the Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister, [Luhut Binsar Panjaitan]," Budi said. Budi previously told reporters during an online press briefing on Friday that his ministry was ready to close the entrances to Greater Jakarta and other national roads. However, he said he had no knowledge about when the decision would be made. The Post has obtained a copy of a classified Jakarta Police telegram, dated March 28, ordering the closure of the city's main roads. Jakarta Police spokesman, Sr. Comr. Yusri Yunus, did not deny the authenticity of the telegram but said that the police were merely training for the possibility of a local quarantine. "We are still implementing physical distancing and social distancing, because there have yet to be any government regulations [requiring quarantine]," Yusri told the Post on Sunday. Indonesia had reported 1,155 confirmed COVID-19 nationwide as of Saturday, 627 of which were located in Jakarta. Sixty-two people have died of the disease in the capital, while 43 have recovered. While the total number of COVID-19 cases in Greater Jakarta is unclear, many of those who tested positive in other regions had recently traveled to Bogor and Bekasi, West Java, which is the province with the second-highest number cases in the country. Medical experts and COVID-19 volunteers have called on the government to implement local quarantines in virus-stricken areas such as Greater Jakarta. They say the government's policy of physical distancing is not sufficient to contain the spread of the disease. The 2018 Health Quarantine Law stipulates that during public health emergencies, the central government can impose "regional quarantines" on areas that experience an outbreak of a disease. (dfr) Riza Roidila Mufti and Sausan Atika contributed to this story. Zoho Corporation, an leading software development company, has launched its Small Business Emergency Subscription Assistance Programme (ESAP) to help customers worldwide weather the global crisis. For up to 20,000 qualified paying customers with 25 employees or less, Zoho has waivered the cost of every single application they currently use, for up to three months. "Certain industries have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, and we strongly encourage our customers in these industries to please apply for this Small Business Emergency Subscription Assistance Programme," said Hyther Nizam, president Middle East and Africa, Zoho Corp. "While we want to provide relief for as many small business customers as possible, we will prioritise those who are most in need and hope that others who are adapting to market conditions, will help us by allowing programme availability to those struggling to stay afloat." Earlier this month, Zoho launched Remotely, a virtual productivity platform of 11 collaboration applications, which was provided to businesses of all sizes around the world for free, so that companies could effectively make the transition to remote work. Since its release two weeks ago, more than 5 000 new companies are running on the platform. Zoho has seen an average of 500 per cent growth in usage of its collaboration apps and 1,000 per cent growth in daily new users of Zoho Meeting. "Businesses are hurting. They already face tremendous pressure on revenue and cash flows. Not knowing when things will get back to normal makes the situation even worse," Nizam added. "Every bit of help we, and other companies, can offer to keep these small businesses afloat will go a long way, not just financially but emotionally as well. We are in this together, and contributions from every business will help our community get through this pandemic." - TradeArabia News Service Abbott Laboratories is unveiling a coronavirus test that can tell if someone is infected in as little as five minutes and is so small and portable it can be used in almost any health care setting. The medical-device maker plans to supply 50,000 tests a day starting April 1, said John Frels, vice president of research and development at Abbott Diagnostics. The molecular test looks for fragments of the coronavirus genome, which can quickly be detected when present at high levels. A thorough search to definitively rule out an infection can take up to 13 minutes, he said. Abbott has received emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use by authorized laboratories and patient care settings, the company said on Friday. The U.S. has struggled to supply enough tests to detect the virus, even as the outbreak threatens to overwhelm hospitals in New York, California, Washington and other regions. After initially restricting testing to high-risk people, and problems with a test designed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. regulators have rushed out diagnostics made by the worlds leading commercial-testing companies. This is really going to provide a tremendous opportunity for front-line caregivers, those having to diagnose a lot of infections, to close the gap with our testing, Frels said. A clinic will be able to turn that result around quickly, while the patient is waiting. The technology builds on Illinois-based Abbotts ID Now platform, the most common point-of-care test currently available in the U.S., with more than 18,000 units spread across the country. It is widely used to detect influenza, strep throat and respiratory syncytial virus, a common bug that causes cold-like symptoms. The test starts with taking a swab from the nose or the back of the throat, then mixing it with a chemical solution that breaks open the virus and releases its RNA. The mixture is inserted into an ID Now system, a small box weighing just under 7 pounds that has the technology to identify and amplify select sequences of the coronavirus genome and ignore contamination from other viruses. The equipment can be set up almost anywhere, but the company is working with its customers and the Trump administration to ensure the first cartridges used to perform the tests are sent to where they are most needed. They are targeting hospital emergency rooms, urgent-care clinics and doctors offices. Last week, Abbotts m2000 RealTime system got U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for use in hospitals and molecular laboratories to diagnose the infection. That system can churn through more tests on a daily basis, up to 1 million a week, but it takes longer to get the results. Abbott plans to provide at least 5 million tests a month between the two systems. Other companies are also rolling out faster testing systems. Henry Schein Inc. on Thursday said its point-of-care antibody test, which looks for evidence that a persons immune system has already fought off the infection, was available. The blood test can be given at the point of care and delivers results in about 15 minutes, though it cant be used to definitively diagnose a current infection. 2020 Bloomberg News Spain and Italy demanded more European help as they fight still-surging coronavirus infections amid the continent's worst crisis since World War II. In the US, authorities urged millions in the hard-hit New York City region to stop traveling to keep the virus contained. From Milan to Madrid to Michigan, medics are making tough choices about which patients to save with the limited breathing machines they have. The confirmed global death surpassed 30,000 and new virus epicenters emerged in key U.S. cities like Detroit, New Orleans and Chicago. Even rural American has not been immune, as virus hotspots erupt in Midwestern towns and in Rocky Mountain ski havens. Spain and Italy alone account for more than half of the world's death toll and are still seeing over 800 deaths a day each. Experts say, however, that virus toll numbers across the world are being seriously under-represented due to limited testing and political decisions about which bodies are being counted. Unlike the U.S., France still does not count deaths that take place in nursing homes or in homes among its virus numbers even though nursing homes are known to be a key coronavirus hotspot around the world. ''Europe must demonstrate that it is able to respond to this historic call,'' Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte said late Saturday. The crisis involves all of the economic and social systems of the member states, he said. I will fight until the last drop of sweat, until the last gram of energy, to obtain a strong, vigorous, cohesive European response." President Donald Trump backtracked on a threat to quarantine New York and neighboring states amid criticism and questions about the legality of such a move. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a travel advisory urging all residents of New York City and others in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut to avoid all non-essential travel for 14 days. Shocking as that is for Americans, that stopped short of the restrictions imposed in Europe or elsewhere. Parisians are fined if they try to leave the city and South Africans can't even walk their dog or buy liquor. In Italy, coffins are piling up despite three weeks of strict confinement and burials are being held with only one family member. Spain's government moved to tighten its lockdown and ban all non-essential work Sunday as it hit another daily record of 838 dead. The country's overall official toll is nearly 6,000. Spain's emergencies chief expressed hope that the outbreak is stabilizing and may be reaching its peak in some areas. But the crisis is pummeling world economies and putting huge strains on national health care systems. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called for a more vigorous response from the 27-nation European Union. It is the most difficult moment for the EU since its foundation and it has to be ready to rise to the challenge, Sanchez said. Spain, Italy, France and six other EU members have asked the union to share the burden of European debt, dubbed coronabonds in the media, to help fight the virus. But the idea has met resistance from other members, led by Germany and the Netherlands. European countries have also resisted sharing masks or other medical equipment with their neighbors for fear that they, too, will need them in mass quantities soon. Many countries have turned to China, where the outbreak is easing, flying in cargo planes to get masks and other protective medical equipment. Worldwide infections surpassed 660,000 mark, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. The United States leads the world with more than 120,000 reported cases but five other countries have higher death tolls: Italy, Spain, China, Iran and France. Italy has more than 10,000 deaths, the most of any country. Egypt shut its beaches as cases in the Mideast surpassed 50,000. Poland is considering delaying its May 10 presidential election, and Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin ordered his country's borders closed on Monday. Vietnam cut back domestic airline flights and closed restaurants and other businesses for two weeks. Vietnam has already quarantined nearly 60,000 people who entered from virus-infected nations. For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. But for others, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, the virus can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and lead to death. More than 142,000 people have recovered, according to Johns Hopkins University. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said defeating the virus will take weeks and weeks and weeks. Health officials around the world have been urging people to keep a social distance of 2 meters (6 feet) from others to slow the spread of the virus but a new report from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology says that might not be enough. It says a sneeze or cough from an infected person can expel microscopic virus droplets as far as 7-8 meters (23-27 feet) and those droplets can be suspended in the air for hours. The researchers said they wanted to warn the public about "the distance, timescale and persistence over which this cloud and its pathological payload can travel." In Detroit, which has a large low-income population, the death toll rose to 31 with 1,381 infections. The trajectory of Detroit is unfortunately even more steep than that of New York, said Dr. Teena Chopra, medical director of infection prevention and hospital epidemiology at the Detroit Medical Center. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Eugene, OR. -- Effective immediately, gas stations can let drivers pump their own gas, which is unfamiliar territory for Oregonians. During this unprecedented time of state emergency, we need to ensure that critical supply lines for fuels and other basic services remain uninterrupted, State Fire Marshal Jim Walker said in a press release. In an effort to comply with social distancing guidelines, Walker announced Saturday gas stations are no longer required to enforce regulations against self-service. Self-service is not mandatory. Individual gas stations can decide if they will give customers the option. I grew up in California so Im used to pumping my own gas. So Im grateful for the job but it doesnt bother me that people have the option to if they want to do it themselves," said Chevron gas attendant Christopher Smith. Thats saying a lot coming from a gas attendant himself because thats not the norm in Oregon. But with these times it might have to be. These guys are just here doing us a favor right now. We need to take that into consideration and give them whatever they ask us for," said Eugene resident Mark Roberts. Whatever crazy rules you think are going on, I believe this is for everyones safety. Its difficult for gas station attendants to maintain the recommended six-foot distance from other people while taking payments and refueling vehicles. There are still some concerns that surface, however, now that citizens have the option to be independent at the gas station. Now you have 30 or 40 different people touching a pump every few hours and maybe thats not the best way to (stop the spread of coronavirus), said Arco cashier Jay Haser. Even though people are coming and going, the provision does require attendants to sanitize the pump on a regular basis. I think it entirely depends on each individual person if they take the right measures to protect themselves," said Eugene resident Mike McKell. "But if they dont have the right cleaning precautions in their car, then leave it to the gas attendant to take care of it for you. Attendants around the area still want the work. In fact, they welcome it. If someone comes up to me and asks to pump their gas, of course Im going to. Thats my job, said Arco gas attendant Daniel Morris. Hopefully I continue pumping gas and this doesnt last long. Hopefully this gets over soon. This new rule will last until at least April 11. Then the state will make a decision on whether or not to continue it. - Referred to by media as Mr P, the man was admitted to a Rimini hospital after testing positive for coronavirus - He was released on Thursday, March 26, to his family after making a recovery - This is the second pandemic the man has survived - He was born in 1919, in the middle of the Spanish flu, estimated to have infected about a third of the worlds population - Rimini has been hit hard by the pandemic, counting 1,189 new cases of coronavirus on Thursday alone Though the number of novel coronavirus cases continues to rise by the day, happy endings still exist. A 101-year-old man in Rimini, Italy, was released from the hospital Thursday, March 26, after recovering from the coronavirus. READ ALSO: Light at the end of Salgaa black spot after construction of life-saving wall The man only referred to as Mr P, is reported to have been among the oldest people on record to survive the coronavirus. Photo: The Insider. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Man's gratitude note to hospital staff who saved wife goes viral The man only referred to as Mr P, is reported to have been among the oldest people on record to survive the virus, believed to be far more deadly for the elderly, CNN reported. The Deputy Mayor of Rimini, Italy Gloria Lisi, said his quick recovery had been deemed truly extraordinary and gives hope for the future. The family brought him home yesterday evening, Lisi told Italian publication Rimini Today. To teach us that even at 101 years, the future is not written. READ ALSO: Coronavirus: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson tests positive Not only did he survive the novel coronavirus disease, the man, born in 1919, also survived the Spanish flu pandemic, which killed between 20 and 50 million people around the world. Mr Ps survival is remarkable, especially considering the high fatality rates for older Italians who become infected with the virus. According to a report from Italys National Institute of Health, nearly 86% of deaths in the country were patients older than 70 years old. READ ALSO: USA encourages medics working on COVID-19 to apply for work, exchange visas While China, the US, and Italy all had confirmed coronavirus numbers hovering around 80,000, Italy saw substantially more deaths, 8,165 compared to 1,000 in the US and 3,287 in China. The age distribution of Italys population may be a factor the country has the second-oldest population globally, with 23% of Italians clocking in at over age 65. Mr P has joined the ranks of other centenarians to survive coronavirus, including 103-year-old Zhang Guangfen, a woman living in Wuhan, China, where the virus is believed to have originated. READ ALSO: Good heart: Generous man hands KSh 10k to jobless workers Guangfen was admitted to hospital in early March 2020 and was discharged a week later. On Thursday, March 26, South Korea saw its oldest survivor leave hospital after a 97-year-old female coronavirus patient made a full recovery. She is reported to be from Cheongdo, a city not far from Daegu, which has seen the worst of South Koreas coronavirus outbreak. Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly Source: TUKO.co.ke CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The World Health Organization recently announced a global mega-trial of four coronavirus treatments, titled the SOLIDARITY trial. The effort is designed to quickly gather enough data on the drugs to figure out any side effects and which treatments are most effective. More than 45 countries are involved; the U.S. has not been named as one of the participants. The first patient was given treatment as part of the trial Friday in Norway, according to Business Insider. The four treatments include remdesivir, a drug being clinically tested in the United States. One of those clinical trial locations is at Clevelands University Hospitals. The other treatments are: opinavir and ritonavir Lopinavir and ritonavir plus interferon beta hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine Remdesivir has been used to treat patients aboard the Princess Diamond cruise ship, and was given to coronavirus patients in Seattle, according to Science Magazine. The drug also caused some controversy when it was granted orphan status" by the Food and Drug Administration, which granted California-based creator Gilead some government benefits. That includes exclusive rights to distribution, USA Today reported. Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders tweeted about the designation, stating any treatment should be free to all. Gilead withdrew its request, posting a statement on its website that says the company is confident it can quickly gain approval without the designation. The other recognizable combination in the trial is chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, a cocktail President Donald Trump recently mentioned as a potential treatment for the coronavirus. Scientists disagree, saying right now theres no proof of the treatment working in humans. Unwarranted demand for the drug could put strain on other patients that need chloroquine, like lupus patients. Chloroquine is now being used with coronavirus patients in New York hospitals, the Washington Post reports. Lopinavir and ritonavir are a combination sold as one drug thats used to treat HIV infections. Interferon beta is a drug which has showed inhibit inflammation in animals infected with MERS, Science Magazine reports. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on March 29 extended by two weeks a mandatory stay-at-home order for New York workers and reported 243 new CCP virus deaths, the most in a 24-hour period, as the state continues to bear the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. The stay-at-home order is in effect through April 15. The states COVID-19 cases grew 14 percent to 59,513 on March 28, with New York City accounting for more than half of the infections. The pandemic claimed the lives of 965 people in the state since the first case was reported on March 1. Only two counties in the state have not reported any CCP virus infection. [Editors note: Read why The Epoch Times has adopted the term Chinese Communist Party or CCP virus, instead of novel coronavirus.] More than 8,503 people were hospitalized with the virus in the state as of March 28. In a 24-hour span, 846 patients were discharged from hospitals after overcoming the disease. The number of patients discharged has grown rapidly on a daily basis since March 23, when 150 patients left hospitals. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the new numbers during his daily briefing on the states mass-scale response to the spread of the disease. The governor, who has long been concerned about hospitals becoming overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients, discussed plans to have private and public hospitals in New York City and the state at large to work together to ease the burden on individual hot-spots. He noted Elmhurst Hospital in the borough of Queens is particularly under stress. The state is stockpiling medical supplies and working with the federal government to retrofit existing spaces as temporary hospitals. The 1,000-bed U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort is scheduled to arrive in New York harbor on Monday. New York state has reached out to retirees and other healthcare workers to volunteer to staff the additional beds. More than 76,000 healthcare volunteers have already volunteered to tackle the pandemic in the state, according to Cuomo. The surge in new confirmed CCP virus cases has coincided with a rapid increase in testing. The state tested more than 16,000 people on March 28 and 172,000 to date, the highest total in the nation. Of the hospitalized patients, 2,037 are in intensive care. The state has no current shortage of ventilators or hospital beds. In mid-March, the number of hospitalizations was doubling in the state every two days. Cuomo pointed out that the trend has slowed and is now doubling every six days as of March 28. The doubling rate is slowing and that is good news, but the number of cases is still going up, Cuomo said. So youre still going up toward the apex, but the rate of the doubling is slowing, which he said is good news. The number of new intensive care unit admissions ticked up to 282 on March 28. Meanwhile, the number of patients being intubated, or put on a ventilator, dropped for the third straight day to 165. Intubated patients represent the most severe cases, with chances of survival dropping the longer the patient is on a ventilator, according to Cuomo. The day before Cuomos announcement of the stay-at-home order, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a travel advisory for New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, calling on Americans to refrain from non-essential travel to the state for two weeks. President Donald Trump was on Saturday considering issuing a quarantine order for New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, but changed his mind after discussions with the White House COVID-19 taskforce and the state governors. This is not a lockdown, Cuomo said. Its a travel advisory to be implemented by the states. Its totally consistent with everything were doing and I support what the president did. As the lives of most New Yorkers have been turned upside down by the unprecedented measures designed to stop the spread of the pandemic, the governor encouraged people to find some joy and look for a silver lining during a stressful time. You know what, with everything going onfamily, were here, were together, were healthythats 98 percent of it. So find ways to make a little joy, Cuomo said. This is New York. We are going to make it through this. We have made it through far greater things. We are going to be okay. A 1,000 bed hospital retrofitted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is on track to begin operating the coming week, Cuomo said. The hospital will be put to use when it is needed, he noted. The governor has been operating on a projection that New York state may need up to 140,000 hospital beds at the apex of the pandemics spread. The corps is in the process of retrofitting similar hospitals at four other locations in New York City. While the number of total cases in China remains a mystery amid an ongoing coverup by the communist regime, the United States has more confirmed cases than the hardest-hit nations in Europe, including Italy, Spain, and France. The disease has so far been less deadly in the United States than Europe, where more than 21,000 people have died amid the pandemic. From The Epoch Times Do you have questions about COVID-19? Please, dont ask your doctor. When it comes to coronavirus, most of us have no idea what were talking about. Im a general and infectious disease paediatrician in Sydney. Im caring for kids hospitalised with suspected or proven COVID-19, so I want to call out some colleagues contributing to the confusion. There are two types of doctors. Those who see patients (clinicians) and those who look after the population (public health doctors). Clinicians are the doctors to see if you have COVID-19; but the vast majority of us have never managed a pandemic in our lives. In fact, the first time most of us heard of "flattening the curve" was March 2020. Some public health doctors, however, model and manage outbreaks for a living. Many have done so for decades. These women and men advise the body of chief medical officers chaired by Professor Brendan Murphy, the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee. Its recommendations are made public every time they meet and the national cabinet is bound by them. 43 people fall ill at Pentecostal church after revival, 10 test positive for coronavirus Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Several members of an Illinois Pentecostal church are either at the hospital or in home quarantine after at least 43 congregants fell ill following a revival service two Sundays ago, and at least 10 of them have tested positive for the new coronavirus. In a Facebook post Wednesday night, Layna LoCascio, wife of pastor Anthony LoCascio who leads The Life Church of Glenview, said at least 43 of the approximately 80 people who attended a March 15 service at their church have fallen ill and everyone who has been tested for the new coronavirus has come back positive for the virus which has already killed more than 1,470 and infected more than 97,000 people nationwide. We have 43 infected (at minimum) from our church or connected to our church from our last service on March 15th. They all havent tested but whoever gets a test done ends up being positive, and we all have the same symptoms. Its just not easy. Its especially not easy when youre a leader and a pastor of a precious church and we all got infected together, she wrote. Church leaders said the meeting was held days before the governors stay-at-home order. However, it was after officials called for large public events to be scaled down to 1,000 people and for private ones to have a maximum 250 in attendance, the Chicago Tribune reported. Pastor LoCascio told the Daily Herald that he had contemplated canceling the service initially but because the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the area was low he decided against it, particularly because they had a guest speaker coming and had been promoting the event for a while. "We had a guest speaker. We were promoting it," he said. "We made the announcement, 'If you're sick, stay home.' We didn't know [this would happen]. No one knew." The decision not to cancel has led to a lot of pain for many, including pastor LoCascio, the guest evangelist, Eli Hernandez, as well as a member of the church who's battling cancer. One of the main pillars in our church, who has cancer, is in the hospital with pneumonia and a blood infection and pancreatic cancer and Covid19. He is not doing good. Hes in ICU and on a ventilator. My husband is tore up about it! SO torn up! Hes been so sick as well, Layna LoCascio wrote. Its been 11 days straight of fever and sickness. He still has fever, and now a cough but hes able to walk and talk and eat at least. (It had gotten so bad he asked me to check on his life insurance, poor thing.) Without the prayers of precious people all over the nation praying, we might wouldve had a different scenario, she said, pleading for continued prayers. Layna LoCascio said that she, her husband, as well as the visiting evangelist had just attended a ministers conference in the Chicago metropolitan area, where the coronavirus cases have been exploding, just days before the revival service on March 15 and they might have been infected there. If it was just our family, it would be so much easier to deal with but when its effected so so many in our church, its just so hard. Little did we all know (leaders from our church and my husband and I and Bro Hernandez & his family), little did we know that we were probably infected with Covid19, she said. They were looking forward to the special service because it was their last gathering before the lockdown went into effect, she said. We had invited so many guests & members. We all knew it was the last service before the lockdown. So many beautiful things happened! People filled with the Holy Spirit and we even had miracles. He even preached about faith! (Bro Hernandez.) But now...now he is at the hospital with pneumonia and under sedation, not doing good. What can I say? Do I give up my faith? Do I look straight into the eyes of what appears to be the most dreaded situation that could ever come of this? she asked. My very own sweet precious mother (and probably father too) ended up getting infected and now Momma is home with a bad cough and in bed. I could sit and FRET and WORRY (and believe me, Ive done my fair share of that), and I could just let my spirit within me DIE, ORRRR I could just make the choice to say, I KNOW MY GOD!!!! And my God says I will be WITH YOU!!! She continued: "My God is MORE than enough to supply all of my needs, all of OUR needs! Even if He is as SILENT as can be right now, I KNOW Ive heard His voice before and I KNOW I will hear His voice AFTER!!! He told US!!! HE TOLD US WERE GOING TO THE OTHER SIDE!!!! I dont care how hard the storm seems in this sea of Galilee. He has PROMISED my church dynamic end time revival! He has PROMISED us that we would be a healing place! I will not BOW! I will NOT BOW to FEAR! Layna LoCascio also posted a video on the churchs Facebook page explaining that she has been treating her husband with garlic. The World Health Organization says that while garlic is a health food and might have "some antimicrobial properties." There has been "no evidence from the current outbreak that eating garlic has protected people from the new coronavirus." Several mid-Michigan counties have experienced an uptick in COVID-19 cases from Saturday to Sunday. The latest numbers released Sunday, March 29 by the state Department of Health and Human Services show a statewide total of 5,486 cases, with 132 deaths. Among those cases, 127 are in Genesee County, up 17 from Saturday; 24 in Saginaw County, up from 19 from Saturday; 5 are in Bay County, up 1 from Saturday; 5 in Shiawassee County, up from 2 from Saturday; and 8 in Midland County, unchanged. No new deaths were reported for Genesee County, the only of the above counties that has reported deaths, 5, due to COVID-19. Standing at 4 cases Sunday, Isabella County has reported its first death from the virus. The Central Michigan District Health Department issued a statement March 29 that it received notification late Saturday night of the first local death attributed to the virus. He was an elderly man admitted March 21 to McLaren Central Michigan in Mount Pleasant with severe symptoms. "We wish to express our heartfelt sympathies to the family who have lost their loved one, said Steve Hall, Health Officer at CMDHD. This is a tragic reminder of how serious a threat COVID-19 is to our community. The cases are split 50-50 between males and females. Percentages of those whove died from the virus skew more male, at 69 percent, to 30 percent female, with gender not known for the remaining 1 percent. Of the people who have died, the average age is 64 years, median age of 65 years, with the youngest 25 and the oldest 97. According to the data, 58 of Michigans 83 counties now has at least one COVID-19 case, the same figures as Saturday. Read all of MLives coverage on the coronavirus at mlive.com/coronavirus. Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus. CORONAVIRUS PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home ( door handles, faucets, countertops) and when you go into places like stores. Related news: Michigan coronavirus cases soar past 5,000; 21 new deaths reported Sunday, March 29: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan First coronavirus death reported in Isabella County Saginaw distillery donates 270 gallons of 190-proof alcohol to make hand sanitizer Man accused of trying to spread coronavirus at Michigan grocery store could face domestic terrorism charge Another person dies in Genesee County of coronavirus, bringing total to 5 Flint man among first coronavirus deaths in Genesee County Bay County woman with coronavirus: Save yourself and save others health as well' In Japan, college is seen as not only of higher education, but also high fashion. Thatas because your four years at university are pretty much your only respite from the uniforms and haircut regulations of middle/high school and the conservative dress codes of most (though not all) Japanese offices. As a result, college students are often considered to represent the peak of fashionable style and good looks, and so many campuses have beauty contests for both male and female students. Once a year, the Miss of Miss Campus Queen and Mr. of Mr. Campus contests bring these individual-school winners together and crown Japanas most beautiful and most handsome college students, and this week the results for 2020 were announced. 2020as Mr. of Mr. is Koki Hajime, a 21-year-old liberal arts major at Tokyoas J.F. Oberlin University. The new Miss of Miss Campus Queen, Moe Ishiwaki (@ohrei19_miss01 on Twitter), also attends school in Tokyo, studying in the College of Humanities and Sciences of Nihon University. If youre a movie buff, youve probably seen this rom-com plot at least a dozen times. A glorious wedding day, a beautiful bride, a seriously flawed groom ... and the stunningly handsome guest who shows up to cause chaos but save the day. Hey, so everything worked out before the closing credits for Julia Roberts and Richard Gere in The Runaway Bride, right? But for the emotional train wreck that is the 2020 Democratic Party ... its complicated. Like everything else about this never-to-be-forgotten moment in American history, the coronavirus is to blame at least partly for the even-more-disarrayed-than-usual-if-thats-possible state of the Democrats presidential chase. Its not so much that the trauma of a deadly pandemic has diminished the partys seemingly locked-in nominee-in-waiting, Joe Biden, but that voters are swooning over the suitors who got ignored as boring, unsexy and not dangerous enough during 2019: Americas governors. In fact, the governor who has suddenly emerged dramatically as the face and de facto leader of the Democratic Party New Yorks Andrew Cuomo was so unpopular this time a year ago that he listened to advisers who told him to not even bother entering the crowded field. Now, with New York as the deadly epicenter of the crisis and Cuomos daily briefings a huge hit on national TV, many Democratic voters are seeing what they didnt know they wanted a steady hand, command of the facts, a kind of empathy they hadnt noticed before even as the organ is playing and a bewildered Biden is waiting at the altar. READ MORE: Super Tuesdays true meaning? Americans are desperate to show were better than Trump | Will Bunch Cuomo is the only elected official in the United States today who has fully demonstrated the leadership, toughness, management skill and humanity that meeting the coronavirus pandemic demands, Long Island Democrat and former government official James Larocca wrote in his hometown paper, Newsday. To be crudely political and practical he is the only Democrat who can absolutely beat President Donald Trump in November. Like everyone in this conversation, Larocca is biased hed been a cabinet member for Andrews dad, the late Gov. Mario Cuomo but his piece is part of an increasingly loud mini-boomlet for New Yorks chief executive, with the inevitable Draft Cuomo Twitter feeds and political betting sites saying the odds of his nomination are higher (remember, hes not a candidate) than Bidens remaining rival, Sen. Bernie Sanders. But the Cuomo talk only persists because the guy that Democrats hooked up with in a wild four-day February-March fling, Biden, looks increasingly weak. That growing perception seemed confirmed by a stunning new ABC News/Washington Post poll released on Sunday morning that revealed just 28% of Bidens supporters are very enthusiastic" about voting for him. Thats the lowest in 20 years of this question, which means hes doing worse than 2016 nominee Hillary Clinton, whose unpopularity cost her the Electoral College to President Trump. The poll does suggest Biden would if the election were held today eek out a win, 49-47%, but thats down from the previous poll. Trump, despite ignoring or downplaying the pandemic for weeks and engaging in shameless self-promotion and narcissistic feuds with Democratic governors battling disease and death, is seeing the best poll numbers of his presidency, winning back white non-college-educated women who were drifting away before the crisis. Is it time for the Democrats to panic? I want to say no, but thats not the way it feels. Whats the matter with Joe Biden? The rapid change in circumstances the pause on the remaining primaries, the end of in-person campaigning has created a massive challenge to keep Biden, who unlike Trump or Cuomo, isnt a current officeholder tasked with fighting the virus, before the voters and looking like a leader for these times. The things that hes tried like a CNN town hall on Friday night are like those incessant cell phone ads on TV "just OK." Bidens best quality his empathy can shine through at times and present a real contrast with Trumps narcissism. But the Cuomo Effect just isnt there for the 77-year-old and sometimes-rambling Biden. And things could get worse for Biden soon. After the former vice president seemingly dealt with several allegations of handsy, inappropriate behavior around women when he launched his campaign in 2019, Biden now faces a much more serious and worthy of further investigation allegation of a straight-up sexual assault from an aide who worked for him in 1993. Tara Reade alleges that Biden cornered her and digitally penetrated her, and although she told two people contemporaneously, shed been hesitant to go public before now. Team Biden strongly denies this. I do not know if Reades allegation is true, but I do believe that its credible enough that we should listen to her, and investigate fully. For now, Im even more troubled by the inconsistency of those who posted the #BelieveWomen hashtag when the accused was Supreme Court Justice (sigh) Brett Kavanaugh or other powerful men in politics and the media, but who are suddenly going all Sherlock Holmes in dredging up irrelevant details about Reades politics. To me, #BelieveWomen means we should listen to women something society didnt do for 3,000 years and verify. Until proven otherwise, we should listen to Tara Reade. Look, up on Earth 2, the Democratic Party is having a giant do-over right now. If the coronavirus had reached American shores before the first two-thirds of the Democratic primaries, wed be looking at a totally different election right now. Some of the candidates that voters ignored Im thinking especially of Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, a great candidate who was completely written off as a boring white dude would be soaring, while Cuomo might not only be in the race but already polishing his acceptance speech. There is no Earth 2, alas. Here on Earth 1, its time to get real about the bind that Democrats have created for themselves, and the difficult path they face to claw back to where they can guarantee America that we wont have four more years of buffoonish authoritarianism from the Oval Office. Andrew Cuomo will not be the nominee. Thats partly because of the flaws (playing footsie with Republicans and Big Business, corruption, his own authoritarian streak) that kept him out of the race at the beginning, but mainly because rank-and-file Democrats are too vested in the notion that they pick the nominee, and not party bosses, to even consider any kind of 1920s-style smoke-filled room scenario. Who is going to tell the elderly African Americans in South Carolina who lined up for Biden that their vote doesnt count? Bernie Sanders will not be the nominee. Thats a shame, because the coronavirus moment has revealed that America desperately needs the policies single-payer health care, living wages, strong unions, an actual safety net that Bernie has championed for the last 50 years. But since late February, Democratic voters a more moderate crowd, apparently, than Sanders (or me, who plans to vote for Bernie in June if thats an option) have overwhelmingly preferred Biden. You cant run a distant second and claim the nomination. No, barring either a major scandal or (heaven forbid) health concerns, Joe Biden will be the nominee whenever the world recovers to actually have a Democratic convention. For the umpteenth time just in my lifetime, the Democrats have dealt themselves a pretty lousy hand. How can they still claim the pot when the time comes in November? Name that woman vice president, stat! The Delawarean won kudos, and deservedly so, in his recent prime-time debate with Sanders when he declared that he would name a woman vice president. Now there are reports that (just like the Eagles in Take It Easy) hes got seven women on his mind. The time for choosing is now and not July. The choice of a younger and more energetic woman running mate like a Kamala Harris, Stacey Abrams or Gretchen Whitmer (although shes rather busy these days) would give the Democrats a lightning bolt of star power and a new public face at the moment they desperately need it. Dont stop there roll out your team! I made this argument in a recent column so I wont rehash it in detail, but one of the many things exposed during the coronavirus crisis is that the vainglorious Trump has staffed the highest levels of government with dangerous acolytes and suck-ups while ignoring the few experts who are still around in Washington. Biden will reassure voters when he reminds them that hes not the one actually designing the new ventilators but a Democrat who believes in competence and expertise. READ MORE: Joe Biden needs to say now wholl be in his White House. Its the only way he beats Trump | Will Bunch Deal with any issues over your history with women, ASAP. One thing that struck me about the Brett Kavanaugh affair is that he would have won over more moderate Americans if hed admitted his youthful crimes and talked about personal growth, rather than his rage-fueled denial. I know hes tried once, but Biden needs to find a better way to apologize for his past (including his mistreatment of Anita Hill), demonstrate change, and show women that 2020 Joe will be the patriarchy smasher they need in the White House. The hear-no-evil approach of most Dems simply wont work; Brad Parscale and Vladimir Putin will make sure of that this fall. Realistically, voters will enter the booth in November with only two serious choices: Joe Biden or Donald Trump. And there will be many, many reasons to pull the lever for Biden. Voters will have a chance to choose climate action over denial, a stronger safety net over vulture capitalism, empathy over narcissism, and good government over clownish corruption. Making the wrong selection could end the American Experiment before 2025. But March is a good time for Democrats to realize that unfortunately, for democracy and for everyone involved politics in the 21st century has become show business, and right now their program is getting killed in the ratings. There wont be a do-over, so the only hope for America is a do-better. And it better start today. Jammu and Kashmir DGP (Director General of Police) Dilbag Singh urged people with a travel history of abroad or outside of the union territory to voluntarily come forward and get themselves quarantined in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Speaking to Republic TV, Singh said, "The positive cases are those with a travel history of elsewhere like Delhi and Saudi Arabia and their close contacts. We have our people quarantined at Manigam, Vijaypur and Kathua. People are requested to come and disclose their travel history to the police." The top cop added that the force is keeping a close eye on the situation since the PM called for the Janta Curfew and had spread awareness on the disease and the lockdown among people. "We can see a near 100% lockdown here, but cases are rising since people didn't disclose their travel history in the stipulated time and infected many people wherever they went. So hidden cases are now coming up," he said. READ | Jammu & Kashmir: Five More Test Positive For COVID-19, Total Toll Rises To 38 Shortage of PPEs for policemen When asked about the preparations that the force has taken to ensure their own personnel don't contract COVID-19, the DGP said that quarantine centres have been made in police barracks and other such places and all offices and police stations are being regularly sanitised. "Sanitisers are provided everywhere. We have a shortage of PPEs (personal protection equipment) in the department, but we are procuring more of such stuff for our forces' safety." READ | Coronavirus: Jammu & Kashmir Records Second Death Out Of 33 Positive Cases Police to contribute to relief fund DGP Dilbagh Singh expressed his appreciation to those policemen who are donating food and other supplies to poor people and said that the department has planned to contribute a sum out of employees' salary to the government's relief fund. "Police are working with those who are helping migrant labourers stuck in some places. Civilians and NGOs are coming forward to help. We have volunteers who are giving doorstep delivery of essential goods." READ | Jammu & Kashmir Police Sets Up COVID-19 Control Room To Monitor Containment Efforts Coronavirus crisis As of date, Jammu and Kashmir has reported 31 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and one casualty to the pandemic has been reported. The nationwide tally of confirmed cases stands at near 980 with 25 reported deaths. In the wake of the outbreak, PM Modi last week declared a nationwide three-week lockdown that will run through April 15. READ | Coronavirus Outbreak: Defence Ministry Staff To Contribute One Day Salary To PM CARES Fund Kabul, March 29 : Many residents of Kabul paid little attention to the coronavirus lockdown imposed by the Afghan government due to the coronavirus pandemic and treated the day more like a holiday, a media report said. The lockdown that came into effect from Saturday for at least a period of three weeks as the country reported a total of 112 coronavirus cases, most of them in the western province of Herat, while the death toll stood at three. "Based on the decision of the Emergency Committee of Combating Coronavirus and guidelines of the Health Ministry, Kabul city is put into lockdown for now," Marwa Amini, deputy spokeswoman for the interior ministry told Efe news on Saturday. "We ask all our citizens to remain cooperative and have comprehensive cooperation with their police and other organs by respecting the lockdown and not to come out of their homes during these days for unnecessary things." She added that in most parts of the city "the presence of people was less than normal days" but acknowledged the lockdown had not been fully respected. Interior Minister Masoud Andarabi directed all police to be "nice and kind under any circumstances" to citizens but warned that police will be strict in the coming days if people continue to violate the law. Those who did decide to work despite the lockdown, mostly from poor backgrounds, said their financial situation meant they were unable to isolate at home. "I don't know how long this quarantine thing will take, I have my family and children who need a piece of bread and for that I have to work" a sapling and flower plants seller in Kabul's Parwan-e-se area told Efe. Flower selling is a seasonal business that only lasts for a few weeks in spring. "I spent all my money and bought saplings and plants to sell them, if I remain in quarantine for two or three weeks, then all of them will be dried and wasted" Agha said. But some citizens were even more vulnerable and can't be at home even for a single day. "I rented this car and use it as a taxi. I earn three to four hundred Afghanis ($4-$5) daily and every day buy food for my children," another resident told Efe. "If I stay home, then we'll have to sleep hungry." Officials have called on everyone to stay at home, regardless of their financial situation. "We are in a sensitive and dangerous phase, the more we apply the directions, the more we prevent the spread of the deadly virus in our country" Nizamuddin Jalil, Kabul Hospitals General Director told Efe. Around 5 million people live in Kabul, which is considered the most vulnerable city in the country in terms of the spread of the disease. During quarantine, citizens are only allowed to leave their homes for health or security reasons and to buy food and other necessities. All government organizations are to remain closed except for those related to health and security and those which provide life-saving and urgent services to citizens A drive-up coronavirus testing site for adult residents who schedule an appointment and have a prescription will open in Mercer County on Tuesday, officials said. The testing center will be located in Lawrence at the Quaker Bridge Mall, Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes announced Saturday. It will be open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Testing will be available by appointment for only Mercer County residents who are at least 18-years-old and have a prescription from their primary health care provider. When it comes to setting up a testing site, we face the same challenges as do other jurisdictions, such as securing testing kits and the personal protective equipment for staff, said Hughes. I thank the Countys Office of Emergency Management, our health care partners, Quaker Bridge Mall management and the leadership at Lawrence Township for clearing the hurdles necessary to get this site online. If the persons primary care provider deems a test necessary after an examination, the doctor will have to fax a prescription to the Mercer County call center with the patients phone number. Staff will then call the patient, take registration information and schedule an appointment. Patients will not be permitted to leave their vehicles and walk-ups are not permitted, the county said. No one should be tested without being symptomatic. The testing site is a collaboration between the county, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton, Capital Health System, St. Francis Medical Center in Trenton and the Trenton Health Team. Mercer County contracted with Bio-Reference Laboratories, which will provide the tests. A city-run testing center opened in Trenton this week, but it is only for the citys firefighters, police and EMS. The state health department has set up an online self-assessment tool to help people learn if they should be tested for COVID-19. There were at least 168 cases of coronavirus in Mercer County as of Saturday afternoon, according to the state health department. There were 11,124 positive cases throughout New Jersey and 140 deaths. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. Sign up for text message alerts from NJ.com on coronavirus in New Jersey: Rebecca Panico may be reached at rpanico@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @BeccaPanico. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sun, March 29, 2020 09:34 655 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206e12dd7 1 City COVID-19,coronavirus,virus-corona,virus-korona-indonesia,pandemic,outbreak,Jakarta-governor,anies-baswedan,state-of-emergency,extension Free Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan has extended the state of emergency in the capital city to April 19 in an effort to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision was made during a meeting involving the provincial administration, the Jakarta Police and the Kodam Jaya military command on Saturday. Initially the plan was for [the state of emergency] to stay in effect until April 5. We are prolonging the state of emergency for Jakarta until April 19, the governor said during a press briefing at City Hall on Saturday. He said the stay-at-home instruction and closure of schools and tourist destinations would also be extended to April 19. Read also: Top Indonesian doctors call for lockdown, say physical distancing not enough We urge citizens not to leave their house, except for urgent and essential matters such as food and health care. The provincial administration also urged Jakarta residents to not leave the city to return to their respective hometowns for mudik (exodus). Despite the limitations, medical facilities in Jakarta are more prepared to handle [the outbreak], the governor said. Please be more responsible by staying in Jakarta, especially if you are being monitored for COVID-19. Indonesian health authorities had confirmed 1,155 cases of COVID-19 nationwide as of Saturday, with 102 fatalities and 46 recoveries. The capital city was the hardest-hit region with 627 cases 61 of whom were medical workers in 26 hospitals across Jakarta and 62 deaths. (kuk) SPRINGFIELD Illinois officials on Sunday announced the largest one-day jump in confirmed novel coronavirus cases and deaths in the state yet. But public and private labs per-day testing ability is also higher than it has ever been. The Department of Public Health identified 1,105 new cases and 18 deaths, putting the state totals at 4,596 case in 47 counties and 65 related deaths. Gov. J.B. Pritzker said we have weeks to go before Illinois reaches a peak in new COVID-19 cases, expected sometime in April. One of his priorities, he added, is to increase the states testing ability. Five days ago, three state labs, four commercial facilities and 15 hospital labs processed 2,000 tests per day. The governor said that capacity is up to 4,000 daily with a goal of hitting 10,000 daily in the next 10 days. That marker is significant because its the number of tests per day that the scientists and experts tell us that we need to get a truly holistic understanding of the virus in each of our 102 counties, Pritzker said. ...This 10,000-a-day marker will give us the data to run a more mathematically significant model that offers us improved insight into how well our interventions are working. Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, said additional testing will help health professionals better understand the extent of COVID-19s spread. Lab technicians so far have examined 28,000 tests statewide. Ultimately, my goal is to reach a large enough testing capacity where were able to test everyone who needs a test on a regular basis, Pritzker said. ... Every day we arent hitting 10,000 tests or more is another day that were not able to get answers that help us get past this current crisis. He called the federal governments lack of action in February a profound failing and foundational mistake that state officials had to correct. Although President Donald Trumps administration moved to upgrade its testing response, we still have far to go, Pritzker said. And while Illinois awaits the additional tests federal officials promised which may never be fulfilled, the governor said state leaders are taking other actions to address testing capacity. More testing available across the board will better inform the amount of virus we are seeing in the community, where we can take that information and identify specific concerted efforts to decrease the risk in those high-risk areas, Ezike said, ultimately with the goal of limiting infection, limiting spread and ultimately limiting lives lost. Two executives from Abbott Laboratories, a medical devices company based in Illinois, expressed their real dedication to help the state acquire five-minute rapid COVID-19 tests, Pritzker said. And once other materials needed to process tests are acquired, a third shift of technicians will be added to all three of Illinois laboratories. There are also five drive-thru facilities now three federal Health and Human Services ones; in Bolingbrook, Northlake and Joliet; and two operated by the Illinois National Guard, in McLean County and Harwood Heights. Testing priority dictates symptomatic first responders, health care workers, seniors and those with underlying conditions receive one first at those sites, which are permitted by federal guidelines to run only 250 tests per day. Of course, we cant just test we have to treat, Pritzker said. And in order to treat people, we have to increase hospital bed capacity. The governor said he will provide additional updates about how his administration is doing that, as well as its progress acquiring personal protective equipment such as gloves, gowns and masks, in the coming days. He did say, though, that Illinois is acquiring millions of units of equipment, most of it shared with facilities running through supplies quickly. The 18 newly-reported deaths linked to the novel coronavirus were in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, LaSalle and St. Clair counties. Bond, Knox, Menard and Montgomery counties had their first confirmed COVID-19 cases. The IDPH updates its coronavirus website on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. It also maintains a hotline for citizens who have questions about the virus or want to report suspected cases: 1-800-889-3931. Judge Jeanine Pirro was accused of being drunk by viewers Saturday night after she appeared on her Fox News show 15 minutes late 'due to technical difficulties'. The former district attorney from New York's Westchester County apologized for her late arrival and then seemed to have trouble articulating her point. Viewers were quick to point out she was 'clearly drunk' with 'hair messed up and slurred speech' in posts online. One wrote: 'Damn, even the people on her payroll won't tell her when she's drunk and her hair's a mess... stay safe @JudgeJeanine.' Another added: 'Too crocked to keep her hair glued down. Wow!' Anchor Jackie Ibanez had covered for Pirro, 68, who 'apologized for the technical difficulties' when she finally appeared on screen 15 minutes into her scheduled one hour show. A Fox News spokesman told DailyMail.com: 'Jeanine Pirro was broadcasting from her home for the first time when she encountered several technical difficulties which impacted the quality of her show, including the loss of a teleprompter. 'As we have previously said, we are operating with a reduced staff working remotely to ensure the health and safety of our employees in these unprecedented times.' Former district attorney Judge Jeanine Pirro, pictured Saturday, apologized for her late arrival. She then seemed to have trouble articulating her point throughout her show Footage of her appearance was widely shared and commented on on Twitter Saturday night She continued with a rambling piece to camera, telling viewers: 'Just the other day the president talked, or was hoping, about the possibility of reopening everything on Easter Sunday, uh, in a way where we could kind of come out of this quarantine, as loose as it may be, that we're involved in.' Pirro said earlier this month that the media is spreading 'doomsday reporting' about the coronavirus. There have been more than 120,000 confirmed cases in the United States and 2,164 deaths. Footage of her appearance was widely shared on Twitter Saturday evening. One viewer said her 'booze-fueled meltdown' had to be 'seen to be believed'. They added: 'At one point a heavily inebriated Judge Jeanine is slowly nodding off while her guest talks.' Another wrote: 'Boxed wine is a hell of a drug.' Another said: 'It's like every time they come back from commercial, she appears more intoxicated.' One added: 'Beyond parody. You can actually see Jeanine Pirro putting down her drink at the top of her show tonight...which was delayed due to 'technical difficulties'.' Some clips even appeared to show her falling asleep and putting down a glass. Another viewer joked that she was drinking under her desk during commercials. Political blog Palmer Report wrote: 'Tonight could be the end of Judge Jeanine Pirro. 'Fox News doesn't exactly have a lot of standards for its hosts. But showing up an entire segment late for your own show, and appearing to be severely drunk on-air, might be a bridge too far even for Fox.' Pirro did not appear on her show for three weeks in March last year after she accused House Rep. Ilhan Omar of wearing a hijab to show her adherence to Sharia law rather than the United States Constitution. The outrage ignited by her remarks prompted the Fox News Channel to keep Pirro off the air for 21 days. The former district attorney from New York's Westchester County said: 'Is her adherence to this Islamic doctrine indicative of her adherence to Sharia law which in itself is antithetical to the United States Constitution?' Judge Jeanine Pirro, pictured in September last year, was accused of being drunk on air In the segment which landed Pirro in hot water, she suggested that Omar was not getting her 'anti-Israel sentiment doctrine' from the Democratic party. She said: 'Think about this. She's not getting this anti-Israel sentiment doctrine from the Democrat party So if it's not rooted in the party, where is she getting it from? 'Think about it. Omar wears a hijab, which according to the Quran 33:59, tells women to cover so they won't get molested.' Fox News 'strongly' condemned the views expressed by Pirro, saying: 'They do not reflect those of the network and we have addressed the matter with her directly.' The 360 shows you diverse perspectives on the days top stories and debates. Whats happening President Trump on Friday signed into law a $2 trillion relief bill aimed at saving the economy from the crisis caused by the coronavirus outbreak. The bill includes more than $500 billion in direct relief to workers in the form of $1,200 checks for middle- and low-income households and expanded unemployment benefits. It will also provide help to businesses through direct payments and loans. States and hospitals will also get a much-needed influx of money to fund their efforts to combat the virus. The relief package is more than double the roughly $800 billion stimulus in 2009 to save the economy from the financial crisis. The coronavirus aid bill came together after several days of heated debate between Democrats and Republicans in the Senate over details of how the money would be spent. The final version, however, received near unanimous support in both houses of Congress. Why theres debate Supporters of the bill say it correctly identifies the areas of the economy that are most in need of support. By mixing direct relief to workers and support to businesses, the legislation will help individuals survive the next few months, while ensuring the companies that employ them are still around when the outbreak subsides, they say. Political observers have praised lawmakers for reaching a compromise that addresses some of each partys priorities in only a few days of debate. Despite its bipartisan appeal, the bill has received criticism from both sides of the aisle. Critics on the left say it gives far too much money to large corporations, with little oversight, while not providing enough for everyday people. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called it one of the largest corporate bailouts, with as few strings as possible, in American history. A few critics on the right take issue with such an extraordinary expenditure being added to the deficit, which they argue sets the country on a crash course for true economic collapse in the near future. Story continues The most common critique of the package is that it may not be big enough. A number of economists argue that the bill provides the proper recipe for rescuing the economy, but only if its the first step of a continued effort that could include several more perhaps larger stimulus bills. Whats next Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said $1,200 checks should start going out in as soon as three weeks to taxpayers who have already signed up for direct deposit with the IRS. It may take significantly longer, maybe even several months, for physical checks to be mailed. Perspectives Supporters The bill may not be perfect, but it makes significant progress toward recovery Its a flawed package, but overall a shockingly ambitious measure from a Republican legislature and one that can and should be made stronger in the coming weeks as the country sinks deeper into recession. Dylan Matthews, Vox Its a good start, but more is needed Lawmakers got it roughly right with the fiscal stimulus deal reached Wednesday. It will go a long way to cushion the economic body blow from COVID-19. But, given the gravity of the crisis, it wont be enough, and they must begin work on the next tranche of stimulus. Mark Zandi, The Hill Lawmakers should be applauded for getting the bill done so quickly Lawmakers should be applauded for the massive package of fiscal measures to support the economy after just a few days of debate. During the financial crisis of 2008-2009, it took months for policymakers to get it together and pass the fiscal stimulus package that ultimately ended that severe downturn. They understood they had only days to get it together this time. Mark Zandi, The Hill The package is a lifeline for struggling families Call it a lifeline, relief, or even a crisis bill. But it isnt a stimulus it is a last resort to save individuals from starvation and small businesses from extinction, not to provide a profit boost to the powerful. Tiana Lowe, Washington Examiner The scale of the crisis means throwing political ideology out the window The support for business, the relief for individuals, and the expansion of medical capacity are all urgent matters. They justify a bill that, in a happier time, nobody would consider, and we ourselves would vehemently reject. Editorial, National Review Congress correctly identified the problem of the current crisis Everyone expects that eventually, Congress will debate a traditional stimulus bill. For now, though, the immediate goal is to help families and businesses survive, not to help the economy revive and thrive. Theres no way to stimulate an economy thats still in lockdown. Congress will have to wait for the hurricane to pass before it can start the rebuilding process. Renuka Rayasam, Caitlin Emma and Michael Grunwald, Politico The No. 1 goal was immediate relief this bill provides that The Trump administration and Congress have more work ahead to deal with this complex crisis. Their new measure may be incomplete, but it offers stability to Americans who desperately need it as more and more of them stay home. Thats crucial. Editorial, San Diego Union-Tribune Skeptics Its not enough money The bleakest one-time jobs data in American history 3.28 million people filed for unemployment last week shows why even a $2 trillion rescue bill can't save the economy. Stephen Collinson, CNN The bill does nothing to change the inequitable system that causes our frail economy Make no mistake the Senates $2.1 trillion economic stimulus package is not designed to fundamentally fix Americas broken social safety net and provide for its people it is designed to prop up a system where major multinational companies can continue to deny their employees fair wages and paid sick days, and the government can get away with not mandating these protections at all times. Shaunna Thomas, South Florida Sun Sentinel The bill doesnt do enough to protect small businesses The hundreds of thousands of restaurants, start-ups, dry cleaners, small manufacturers, craft breweries and other businesses currently closed but employing millions will need more if the pandemic and economic dislocations are prolonged. Albert Hunt, The Hill Lawmakers missed an opportunity to ensure our election in November is safe States need those funds to implement vote-by-mail systems and other measures so that voters can still cast their ballots in November no matter the status of the coronavirus emergency. Lawmakers and election security experts widely agree, however, that the sum appropriated by Congress falls far short of what will be needed to guarantee a fair, open, and functional 2020 election process. Sam Brodey and Hunter Woodall, Daily Beast The stimulus cant be judged until we know how long the crisis will last If [social distancing] measures do not prove effective, or if they are relaxed under orders from Mr. Trump or defied en masse, experts warn the crisis could stretch much longer, under the growing cloud of a recession. Thats why its hard to say if the congressional deal will be enough to keep families from going hungry and businesses from going under. Jim Tankersley, New York Times Lawmakers are defying free market principles by deciding which businesses get rescued We don't like the idea of providing bailouts to favored industries and companies that have been living on the edge. Government aid to distressed companies distorts competition and allows weaker players to survive and continue their reckless ways. Editorial, Chicago Tribune How fast the money gets into peoples hands is as important as the size of the checks To prevent a depression, the relief payments have to get to workers and business owners fast enough to prevent a chain reaction of pain where one person goes out of business and that triggers another failure and another. Heather Long, Washington Post The stimulus is a huge gamble that could have disastrous consequences The [bill] plunges the nation into a crash course on experimental economics and were the lab rats. Matt Welch, Reason Is there a topic youd like to see covered in The 360? Send your suggestions to the360@yahoonews.com. Read more 360s Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photo: Evan Vucci/AP The Kaduna State Police Command has arrested the proprietor of Liberation College, in Trikania, Kaduna for allegedly raping a female pupil of his school. The proprietor, identified as Mr. Samuel Ejikeme, reportedly confessed to raping a 9-year-old pupil. Hafsat Baba, the Kaduna State Commissioner of Human Services and Social Development, who confirmed the incident, advised parents to withdraw their wards from the school. Read Also: Why I Did It: Father Who Raped, Impregnated His Daughter She tweeted; Parents with wards at Liberation College, behind Govt Model Sch, Trikania are advised to withdraw them from the school. Pic is Mr. Samuel Ejikeme, proprietor of the school, allegedly raped a 9-year old girl. He confessed on tape. Were yet to establish if there are other victims. It is really troubling to hear that administrators and teachers who are supposed to be pillars of support and protection to our wards are turning predatory. Please parents should speak more to their daughters and sons to ease exposure of these beasts in human skin. Governor Nasir El-Rufai also directed the Kaduna Quality Assurance Authority to immediately withdraw the schools license & close it down. He tweeted; THANKS COMMISSIONER: The Kaduna Quality Assurance Authority should immediately withdraw the schools license & close it down. KASUPDA should look into its development permit and take further action within two weeks. Mr. Ejikeme must be detained & vigorously prosecuted. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Our 17 February 2019 serialisation of Tom Bowers biography of Jeremy Corbyn included an allegation that the Palestinian Return Centre blamed the Jews for the Holocaust. The PRC has pointed out, and we accept, that this allegation stems from misreporting of comments by an individual at a meeting it hosted in 2016. This person was not speaking on behalf of the PRC (or its head, Mr al-Zeer) who have strongly condemned his comments. Harper Collins and Mr Bower have therefore acknowledged the PRCs justifiable complaint and withdrawn the allegation. We also withdraw the allegation against the PRC and Mr al-Zeer and apologise. To make a formal complaint go to www.dailymail.co.uk/readerseditor. You can also write to Readers Editor, Daily Mail, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT or contact IPSO directly at ipso.co.uk. SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Two local hospitals have raised more than $10,000 in a matter of days to support patients, nurses and other staff whose lives have been upended by the novel coronavirus pandemic. Crouse Hospital and Upstate University Hospital are collecting donations to help keep patients connected to the outside world and to provide services like daycare to nurses and other staff whose children are suddenly home from school. Dr. Seth Kronenberg, Chief Operating Officer at Crouse Hospital, said his staff is adjusting to state guidelines that ban almost all visitors from hospitals and nursing homes. Its hardest for parents of newborns in the neonatal intensive care unit, who cant have regular visitation. The hospital is setting up video streaming for parents with babies in the NICU to keep in contact. But there arent enough devices for the huge need. So theyre seeking donations. Kronenberg said Crouse will accept donations of any spare devices, such as iPads, smart phones or e-readers. The hospitals tech department will configure them so patients can use them to video chat with loved ones. This affects everyone from our elderly patients down to our NICU babies, he said. Weve started creating virtual visits with family and friends so someone can have a visit with their elderly parents whos hospitalized. As of Saturday afternoon, that Crouse fund had received $7,100 in individual donations from community members. The outpouring of support from the community has been incredible," Kronenberg said. Nearby, at Upstate University Hospital, a nurse named Brittney Peter, and her friend started a similar fundraiser to buy Kindles for patients cut off from the world. In a matter of days, theyd raised around $3,000. The Upstate Foundation also created an Upstate Employees Support Fund dedicated to nurses and environmental services employees. Money raised will be used to purchase gift cards or to pay for child care or elder care for employees suddenly in need. Kronenberg said the three major hospitals here worked together to ensure their visitations policies are similar and comply with new state mandates. Visitors are barred from entry, with a few exceptions like new parents and family members of patients nearing the end of their lives. Even then, visitors are screened by nurses checking for symptoms of COVID-19 like fever or a cough. Everyone who comes in is given a surgical mask. We had open visitation prior to this," Kronenberg said. "This has been a big change both for our staff as well as the patients. Got a spare iPad, iPhone or other device? Email crousefoundation@crouse.org or call 315-470-7702 to arrange a way to donate there. Donations to the Upstate fund can be made via www.upstatefoundation.org/CareforCaregiver. MORE ON CORONAVIRUS Advertisement Britain must stay in total lockdown until June to properly prevent the full extent of the deadly coronavirus and social distancing could last for months, a senior health chief has warned. Professor Neil Ferguson, the government's leading epidemiology adviser, said Britons would have to remain in their homes for nearly three months. It came as the country's coronavirus death toll rocketed by 260 to 1,019 yesterday in the worst day the country faced yet. A total of 17,089 people tested positive for the bug. The Prime Minister, who is self-isolating after testing positive for Covid-19, said on Saturday 'things will get worse before they get better' as he stressed the need to stay indoors to support the NHS by slowing the spread. Senior government figures have been more optimistic and have suggested that coronavirus could peak in April with approximately 5,700 deaths. But Professor Ferguson said Britons will need to stay indoors for a full three months. He told The Sunday Times: 'We're going to have to keep these measures [the full lockdown] in place, in my view, for a significant period of time - probably until the end of May, maybe even early June. May is optimistic.' Professor Ferguson added that even if the lockdown is lifted, people will still need to abide by social distancing measures for months to come. It came as Michael Gove today declined to be drawn on how long the tough measures restricting people's lives would be in place for, and that ministers would not hesitate to enforce tougher rules if necessary. 'There are different projections as to how long the lockdown might last,' he told Sky's Sophy Ridge on Sunday, when asked about one key expert's prediction of June. 'But it's not the case that the length of the lockdown is something that is absolutely fixed. 'It depends on all of our behaviour. If we follow the guidelines, we can deal more effectively with the spread of the disease.' The normally bustling streets of central London are once again deserted today as people choose to stay home amid the coronavirus threat Nine-year-old Eve looks out of the front window at home, as the number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases grow around the world The news comes as Governmental advisers warn that even stricter social distancing measures could be under way if the staggering increase in figures doesn't stop But the positive message Mr Gove delivered was that the public appear to be heeding the advice. 'At the moment, all the evidence is that people are observing the rules, if you look at the number of people on public transport that has fallen, if you look at footfall in supermarkets and other stores, that has fallen as well,' he said. 'We keep things under review in order to ensure that if there are further steps they can be implemented.' Across the country a total of 120,776 coronavirus tests have taken place, and a whopping 17,089 have come back positive for Covid-19. In other coronavirus developments across the country: Britain's coronavirus death toll rocketed by 260 to 1,019 as the UK suffered its worst day yet and saw a huge spike in victims, 13 of which were found to have no underlying health conditions Ministers and senior Downing Street officials have said China now faces a 'reckoning' over its handling of the outbreak and risks becoming a 'pariah state'. The true number of people infected with coronavirus in the UK could be as high as 1.6 million, with over half of those cases outside of London, analysis by health care data experts suggests. Chancellor Rishi Sunak is the choice of voters to run the country if Boris Johnson becomes too ill, an exclusive poll for The Mail on Sunday has found. NHS workers began being tested for coronavirus at a temporary drive through testing station in the car park of Chessington World of Adventures in Chessington Photos revealed the inside of the ExCel centre in London which is being made into a temporary hospital with two wards, each for 2,000 people, to help tackle the coronavirus response The British Red Cross said evictions of asylum seekers from Government accommodation are to be halted amid fears about the disease Humberside, West Midlands, Greater Manchester, and Avon and Somerset have created a mixture of 'hotlines' and 'online portals' where people can submit tip-offs if lockdown infractions occur National director of the NHS, Stephen Powis, yesterday revealed that 170million masks, 25million gloves and 30million aprons have been delivered to medical staff fighting virus across the country To try and ensure the effectiveness of the lockdown, the Government is spending approximately 5.8million on letters that will land on 30 million doorsteps along with a leaflet spelling out the Government's advice following much public confusion. Professor Neil Ferguson said Britons will need to stay indoors for a full three months The letters and leaflets are the latest in a public information campaign from No 10 to convince people to stay at home, wash their hands and shield the most vulnerable from the disease. 'We know things will get worse before they get better,' the PM's letter will read. 'But we are making the right preparations, and the more we all follow the rules, the fewer lives will be lost and the sooner life can return to normal. 'It has been truly inspirational to see our doctors, nurses and other carers rise magnificently to the needs of the hour. 'Thousands of retired doctors and nurses are returning to the NHS and hundreds of thousands of citizens are volunteering to help the most vulnerable. 'That is why, at this moment of national emergency, I urge you, please, to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives.' Amid allegations of confusing messages on the lockdown, the leaflet will outline the Government's rules on leaving the house and advice on shielding vulnerable people. A clear explanation of the symptoms will also be included as will guidance on hand washing. Panic has gripped the nation as it was revealed that today's total number of deaths is 34 per cent higher than yesterday's and today has seen the largest daily increase since March 18, when the total shot up from 71 to 104. The normally busy streets in Chinatown are completely deserted on Sunday as people choose to stay at home The letters and leaflets are the latest in a public information campaign from No 10 to convince people to stay at home, wash their hands and shield the most vulnerable from the disease A handout photo made available by n10 Downing street shows Britain's Prime Minister, Boris Johnson chairing the morning Covid-19 meeting after self isolating after testing positive for the Coronavirus in n10 Downing street in London, Britain today A medic can be seen attending to the occupants of a car at a coronavirus drive-through testing station in Chessington 13 of the 260 who died in UK's blackest day so far in coronavirus crisis had no underlying health conditions Britain's coronavirus death toll rocketed by 260 to 1,019 yesterday as the UK suffered its worst day yet and saw a huge spike in victims, 13 of which were found to have no underlying health conditions. Across the country a total of 120,776 coronavirus tests have taken place, and a whopping 17,089 have come back positive for Covid-19. A statement from the NHS said: 'Patients were aged between 33 and 100 years old and all but 13 (aged between 63 and 99 years old) had underlying health conditions.' One such 'fit and healthy' 28-year-old, Adam Harkins Sullivan, died from the disease last week after contracting pneumonia and being put into an induced coma. Panic has gripped the nation as it was revealed that yesterday's total number of deaths is 34 per cent higher than yesterday's and yesterday saw the largest daily percentage increase since March 18, when the total shot up from 71 to 104. However, there has been a slight improvement in the daily rate of new cases. A further 2,510 patients were diagnosed with the virus yesterday, a drop of 411 from the 2,921 new patients diagnosed the day before. Advertisement However, there has been a slight improvement in the daily rate of new cases. A further 2,510 patients were diagnosed with the virus today, a drop of 411 from the 2,921 new patients diagnosed yesterday. It is unclear whether this drop in new cases is as a result of social distancing measures or because less people are being tested for the virus. The deadly virus is continuing to spread across the country at an exponential rate - it took just 13 days for the number of deaths to go from one to more than 100. And it has only taken a further 10 days for the total to go from 100 to more than 1,000. Overall, the number of confirmed cases in the UK is 17,089. But just one week ago, the total paled in comparison at 5,018. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is already having to lead the response to the pandemic from Downing Street after he was diagnosed with the disease. He has been accused of failing to follow his own social distancing rules after Health Secretary Matt Hancock tested positive and England's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty began self-isolating with symptoms. The news comes as Governmental advisers warn that even stricter social distancing measures could be under way if the staggering increase in figures doesn't stop. It came as the true number of people infected with coronavirus in the UK could be as high as 1.6 million, with over half of those cases outside of London, analysis by health care data experts suggests. The Cambridge family are self isolating at Anmer Hall on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk amid the Coronavirus pandemic, and shared a glimpse at their home office yesterday. Kate posed in her dusky pink trouser suit as she spoke on the phone. A row of books including an extensive set of Coralie Bickford-Smith for Penguin books can be seen on her wooden desk, along with her Aspinal notebook, while a sofa and and a window seat looking out onto the grounds can be seen in the background Michael Gove says coronavirus tests have FINALLY hit 10,000 a day - but still can't say when all NHS frontline staff will get checks Britain is finally carrying out 10,000 tests per day to diagnose coronavirus, Michael Gove confirmed today. Amid mounting criticism about slow progress gearing up the response, the Cabinet minister insisted the government was 'very concerned' about the growing death toll and was doing 'all that we can' to 'accelerate' the numbers of tests. But he declined to give a timescale for when all frontline NHS staff will get access to checks - after small-scale trials were launched. Britain is finally carrying out 10,000 tests per day to diagnose coronavirus, Michael Gove confirmed today And there is still no clear idea when the UK will be conducting the 25,000 tests a day promised by Boris Johnson. The comments came as former Tony Blair warned that nearly everyone in the UK will need to be tested - perhaps two or three times each. Advertisement And with a predicted daily growth rate of 20 per cent that figure may now stand at 2.8 million people, just three days after the modelling was carried out, reports The Sunday Telegraph. Edge Health, a UK health care data analysis company, revealed that while the official figure of coronavirus cases stood at 10,000 on March 26, the company's estimated true figure for infections in the UK was 1,614,505. With widespread testing not yet available in Britain and swabs only being given to those in hospital and some NHS critical care staff, there could be thousands who have COVID-19 and are not aware of it, the study suggests. Those with milder symptoms who are not admitted to hospital are also not accounted for in official figures. A statement from NHS England said: 'Patients were aged between 33 and 100 years old and all but 13 (aged between 63 and 99 years old) had underlying health conditions.' Chancellor Rishi Sunak is the choice of voters to run the country if Boris Johnson becomes too ill, an exclusive poll for The Mail on Sunday has found. The endorsement comes after the Prime Minister revealed on Friday that he had tested positive for coronavirus. While Downing Street has indicated that Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab will take the reins if Mr Johnson is incapacitated, the Deltapoll survey shows that Mr Sunak dubbed dishy Rishi by his Treasury colleagues is backed as a stand-in premier by more than three times as many voters. Mr Johnsons approach to the crisis receives overwhelming backing, with 78 per cent saying that he is handling it well. However, that does not mean voters agree with the pace of implementation of Mr Johnsons lockdown measures. A group of furious locals blocked a Range Rover driver after he travelled 115 miles from Sheffield to Snowdonia despite the coronavirus lockdown Government pandemic exercise predicted four years ago that Asian respiratory virus would overwhelm NHS A Government exercise four years ago predicted a deadly virus from Asia would arrive in the UK and leave the NHS on its knees, but was not published because the results were 'too terrifying'. In October 2016, epidemiologists from Imperial College London told Government ministers what Britain would look like seven weeks into a pandemic. Exercise Cygnus showed the NHS unable to cope, with a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) for doctors and nurses, inadequate numbers of ventilators and mortuaries overflowing. It was carried out by the same experts responsible for the nation's coronavirus modelling, but the results were never revealed, reports the Sunday Telegraph. A paper detailing Imperial's research read: 'The exercise was set seven weeks into a severe pandemic outbreak and challenged the NHS to review its response to an overwhelmed service with reduced staff availability.' Cygnus was based on a virus similar to H2N2 influenza, which like COVID-19 causes deadly respiratory illness in patients. Advertisement A total of 63 per cent think that the social distancing rules were introduced too late. On the controversial issue of testing, 83 per cent believe that doctors and nurses should be given priority but just 19 per cent think that senior politicians should be prioritised and only 15 per cent think the Royal Family should. Most people also think that Britain is in for a long haul, with half of those questioned expecting restrictions to be in place for three months. And a majority think that tackling the outbreak is worth curtailing civil liberties, with 61 per cent agreeing that it is a necessary price. The latest figures come after Scottish Secretary Alister Jack revealed he had developed mild symptoms of coronavirus and was self-isolating. Government advisers said stricter social distancing policies may have to be rolled out next month if the grim figures continued to rise. The measures would be introduced in three weeks as the outbreak reached its peak to further reduce 'person-to-person interaction'. This week France announced that individuals could only exercise alone unless with children for a maximum of an hour and within 1,000 yards of their homes. Spain and Italy have banned exercise altogether, and there are concerns that Britons are deliberately misinterpreting the guidance by travelling to beauty spots miles from their homes. How London became a Covid-19 hub as virus mutated into eight different strains and raced around the world - as coronavirus around the world as global cases top 666,000 and deaths hit 30,864 by Keith Griffith for Daily Mail A fascinating video shows how London became a hub for the global spread of coronavirus after the initial outbreak in China. Scientists have used genetic sequencing data to illustrate how different strands of the virus travelled to the UK via the capital and how it was passed on to other countries. The map, produced by NextStrain.org, shows how COVID-19 started in Wuhan, before spreading across Asia to Singapore and South Korea, before being carried by travellers to London. From there, it was flown to the USA and across Europe. A map based on genetic sequences reveal how coronavirus was spread across the globe, with London quickly becoming a hub Yesterday saw the biggest increase in UK deaths in one day, with the figures jumping 260 to 1,016. There have now been more than 17,000 confirmed cases. The data also reveals there are eight different strands of the virus, but they all appear to mutate very slowly, with only tiny differences between them. Data scientists behind the map say none of the strains of the virus are more deadly than any of the others. They also claim that the strains will not grow more lethal as they evolve. 'The virus mutates so slowly that the virus strains are fundamentally very similar to each other,' Charles Chiu, a professor of medicine and infectious disease at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, told USA Today. Tracking the different strains of SARS-CoV-2, as the virus is officially named, allows scientists to see whether containment measures are working, by showing whether new cases are from community spread, or imported from a different hotspot. Researchers stress that the different strains are fundamentally similar, because coronavirus mutates very slowly, about eight to 10 times slower than the common flu. A 'family tree' of SARS-CoV-2 shows how different mutations have developed So far even in the virus's most divergent strains scientists have found only 11 base pair changes, out of a genome of 30,000 base pairs. That means the different strains are not causing different symptoms, or inflicting different rates of fatality. Although different countries around the world have recorded significantly different fatality rates, this is almost certainly because they are testing their populations at different rates. Because many cases have no symptoms, aggressive and widespread testing makes the fatality rate appear to drop, because the total number of confirmed cases is much higher. Researchers also say that when patients show no symptoms, or mild symptoms, it is not because they have contracted a 'mild strain' of the virus. Rather, differences in symptoms most likely have more to do with an individual's own immune system and general health. A strain that has little effect on one person could be deadly to another. This electron microscope image made available by the U.S. National Institutes of Health shows SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 'The current virus strains are still fundamentally very similar to each other,' Chiu said. In the UK, widespread testing is not available, with only those admitted to hospital entitled to a swab. Over the weekend, it was announced that tests are to be rolled out among frontline NHS staff, starting with critical care doctors and nurses. The slow mutation rate of the virus has given scientists hope that an eventual vaccine could provide protection for years, or even decades. Depending on how quickly a virus mutates, some vaccines have to be regularly updated, such a flu vaccines that have to be administered every year. Other vaccines, such as for measles and chickenpox, provide protection for decades, or even a lifetime. On Monday, Peter Thielen, a biologist with the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, said that it appears coronavirus mutates slowly, more like measles and chickenpox than the flu. Peter Thielen (front), a biologist with the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, said that it appears coronavirus mutates slowly, more like measles and chickenpox than the flu 'When this virus was first sequenced in China, that information was helpful in starting the process to develop a vaccine,' Thielen explained in a statement. 'What we're doing informs whether or not the virus is mutating away from that original sequence, and how quickly,' he continued, describing his experiments to sequence the genome of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. 'Based on the mutation rate, early data indicates that this would likely be a single vaccine rather than one that needs to be updated each year, like the flu shot,' he said. Experts say that the earliest a vaccine for coronavirus could be widely available is a year to 18 months. Although vaccine trials are underway in the U.S., UK and elsewhere, time is needed to prove the shots safe and effective before they are rolled out to millions. Keeping Covid-19 deaths below 20,000 would be a good result, says NHS medical director Stephen Powis who says 170million masks, 25million gloves and 30million aprons have been delivered to medical staff fighting virus By Isabella Nikolic for MailOnline The United Kingdom will have done well if it comes through the coronavirus crisis with fewer than 20,000 deaths said the national medical director of the NHS. When asked if he hoped that the United Kingdom was not on the same trajectory as countries such as Italy, Stephen Powis said: 'If we can keep deaths below 20,000 we will have done very well in this epidemic.' 'If it is less than 20,000... that would be a good result though every death is a tragedy, but we should not be complacent about that,' said Powis, speaking at a news conference in Downing Street alongside Business Secretary Alok Sharma. He said the NHS had been working incredibly hard to increase the intensive care capacity beyond the 4,000 beds it typically had. The United Kingdom will have done well if it comes through the coronavirus crisis with fewer than 20,000 deaths said the national medical director (pictured, Stephen Powis) of the NHS When asked if he hoped that the United Kingdom was not on the same trajectory as countries such as Italy , Stephen Powis (pictured alongside Business Secretary Alok Sharma) said: 'If we can keep deaths below 20,000 we will have done very well in this epidemic' Mr Powis insisted getting personal protective equipment (PPE) to healthcare staff was an 'absolute priority' as he detailed the numbers of products sent out. More than 170million of the 'very highest level masks' have been dispatched 'in the last couple of weeks,' he said. He added 40million gloves had been sent in recent days, as well as 25million face masks and 30million aprons. 'So vast numbers going out,' he said. 'We're strengthening the supply chain every day to ensure that every organisation gets the equipment that they need, that's an absolute priority for us.' Business Secretary Alok Sharma said Johnson continues to show only 'mild symptoms' of coronavirus. 'He continues to lead the government's effort in combating Covid-19,' Sharma told reporters. 'This morning he held a video conference call and he will continue to lead right from the front on this.' Premier Mark McGowan has labelled the Artania cruise ship debacle a "fiasco" as he spoke of the "tremendous effort" undertaken by officials in recent days to fly 850 Europeans out of the country and move 39 confirmed COVID-19 cases into Perth's hospitals. Most of the 39 confirmed cases and two suspected cases were transferred to Joondalup Health Campus on Monday morning most showing only mild symptoms. Artania passengers who tested positive to COVID-19 will be taken to two private hospitals in Perth for treatment. Credit:Fran Rimrod Sixteen of their spouses are being put up in Perth hotels for self-isolation. Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt was forced to make a last-minute plan to treat the patients at Joondalup hospital late on Sunday after the Australian Medical Association WA branch lashed out at the original plan to send them to Hollywood and Bethesda hospitals. Delhi Police received over 1,100 calls since Saturday on its 24-hour helpline dedicated to addressing queries related to the coronavirus lockdown, officials said. The police has set up a 24-hour helpline number, 011-23469526, to resolve issues related to the ongoing lockdown through direct intervention as fast as possible, they said. Out of the 1,105 calls received, 213 were from outside Delhi, while 156 related to complaints of no food and money, which were also forwarded to NGOs for direct relief at their addresses. Fourteen calls were received regarding medical issues, while 536 about movement passes. The helpine number is being supervised by Deputy Commissioner of Police (Licensing) Asif Mohd Ali. The food delivery network established in all 15 districts with involvement of nearly 400 NGOs/RWAs and good samaritans facilitated by Delhi Police has led to provision of meals and food packets at more than 250 locations which enabled feeding of nearly 1,32,000 people, police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bamboo Airways, Vietnams newest airline, has announced it will reduce the frequency of domestic flights amid the critical time of COVID-19 fight as directed by the Government and Ministry of Transport. In its announcement, the carrier has decided to make some temporary and necessary adjustments in operating both regular and charter flights from March 28 to April 15. It will minimise the number of domestic flights and apply strict medical standards on all active flights. The airline will suspend charter flights carrying passengers from abroad during the next two weeks the critical time of COVID-19 prevention in the country. One-way flights carrying passengers out of Vietnam (the return ones are empty) may still be considered by the airline if the management authorities agree. Earlier, national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines also announced that it would reduce the frequency of domestic flights between now and April 15 in compliance with the directives of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Transport. In particular, crewmembers on all of its flights are equipped with specialised protective clothing and tested for SARS-CoV-2. From March 28, the carrier cuts 35 domestic routes to 8 with about 10 percent of the total seats compared to normal plans. It also helps affected passengers change flights and itinerary or have tickets refunded in line with regulations. On March 27, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc issued a directive calling for drastic implementation of strong anti-pandemic measures as the country has entered the peak period of its COVID-19 prevention and control efforts. The same day, the Ministry of Transport promugated a directive asking for restriction of flights and transport of passengers from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to other places nationwide, as well as halt or re-organise public transport activities to limit travelling and crowded gatherings. VNA Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal In the midst of the coronavirus crisis, Descartes Labs of Santa Fe is putting itself on the map with maps. On March 23, The New York Times featured a series of eight maps that Descartes provided that showed how dramatically travel distances had fallen from March 11 to March 20 in every county of the United States. The geospatial analysis company, a spinoff from Los Alamos National Laboratories, aggregated cellphone data to track peoples movements or lack thereof. At the request of Journal North, Descartes analyzed mobility change in New Mexicos 33 counties. The company compared data on March 24 to an average that was calculated between Feb. 17 and March 6. To combat the spread of coronavirus, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham ordered state residents whose jobs were not essential to stay at home beginning at 8 a.m. on March 24. Mobility declined most dramatically more than 75% in Santa Fe, Rio Arriba, Taos, Los Alamos, Sandoval, Bernalillo, Valencia, Quay, Otero and Grant counties. According to Descartes calculations, mobility actually increased in Guadalupe and Hidalgo counties. The company doesnt attempt to explain its data; it is up to customers to interpret it. No data was available for Union, Mora, Harding, De Baca and Catron counties. In a Medium blog post on March 19, Descartes Labs noted that there are legitimate privacy concerns associated with location data. However, the company said, Consistent with industry norms, we source data that is de-identified, and we do not use it to identify an individual. All resulting analysis is then statistically aggregated, removing the ability to characterize the behavior of any single device. In addition to aggregated mobility tracking, Descartes Labs has several other tools that can be useful in monitoring the rise and fall of COVID-19 cases and the implications for the economy. One tracks levels of nitrogen dioxide, or NO2, and their correlation to the spread of the virus. This work has also been featured in the Times. NO2 is produced by vehicles and power plants, and heavy industries, such as cement manufacturing. According to the Descartes Medium post, it can be used as a broad proxy for mobility and economic activity, especially in recovery as movements increase. Descartes data analysis tools can also track activity in specific locations, such as airports, casinos, shopping malls and industrial parks. In addition, the company uses radio signals from automatic identification system devices that ships are required to use to broadcast their location and characteristics. After cleaning up the ship signal data and cross-referencing it with other data sets, Descartes Labs can use it to track activity in the global supply chains connecting manufacturers in China with wholesalers and retailers in the U.S. As the coronavirus has spread, Descartes has been monitoring traffic between the Port of Shanghai in China and the Port of Long Beach in California. Not surprisingly, as Chinas restrictions on the movement of its citizens put a dent in the countrys economic activity, Descartes Labs found decreased demand for raw materials by Chinese manufacturers and decreased exports of finished goods to foreign markets. After being incubated within LANL for nearly a decade, Descartes was spun off in 2014 under co-founder Mark Johnson, who has now moved into the role of executive chairman. In January, Phil Fraher was named CEO after joining the Santa Fe company in September as chief financial officer. Descartes Labs made its name in 2015 by producing a more accurate estimate of the increase in the countrys corn yield than the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It did this by analyzing satellite and aerial pictures of cornfields taken from an airplane, cleaning up the images by removing clouds and plugging in weather forecasts. Throughout most of its existence, Descartes main business has been consulting. However, in January, it rolled out a platform that gives customers the tools to analyze its data and build artificial intelligence models. Its recent Medium post makes it clear that the company doesnt want just to chart the economic contraction occurring due to travel restrictions and shelter-in-place orders in a number of states. It also wants to help its customers identify when conditions begin to loosen up and the time is right for them to begin aggressively marketing and distributing their products and services again. Landra Gould, widow of senator Harry M. Reid, pays respects at his casket at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll/Bloomberg News) The former Senate majority leader was remembered as a pragmatic dealmaker who became a political force across two presidencies. All Australians will be able to consult their GP over the phone and access new coronavirus-specific mental health support under a A$1.1 billion package. The Morrison government is expanding Medicare subsidies for telehealth to the entire population, giving more money to domestic violence and mental health support services. It is also and providing A$200 million to charities and community organisations who give emergency relief, such as food banks, and financial counselling. Prime Minister Scott Morrison says this latest round of spending aims to deal with the secondary effects of the health and economic crises the coronavirus is causing. There is A$669 million to Medicare-subsidised telehealth services, so people can continue to have access to quality healthcare from home. We are asking Australians to stay home, particularly older Australians, even more so. And we want to ensure that they can continue to get access to health care and health advice and support from GPs, Mr Morrison told reporters in Canberra on Sunday. It will allow all Australians to consult their GP and other health practitioners by phone or using video-conferencing, such as FaceTime or Skype. Australian Medical Association president Tony Bartone said the telehealth arrangements will allow even more patients from this week to have consultations with general practitioners and some other medical specialists without leaving home. This is vital in ensuring that usual patient care can continue comprehensively despite the increasing threat of COVID-19, Dr Bartone said in a statement. Another $150 million will boost programs already in place to combat domestic violence. This will include counselling, the 1800RESPECT domestic, family and sexual violence counselling service, Mensline Australia, the trafficked people program, and support for women and children experiencing violence to protect themselves and stay in a home of their choice when it is safe to do so. Domestic violence services have warned of a likely spike in violence as people are forced indoors by the social distancing needed to stop the spread of the virus. They pointed to increased domestic violence rates in China during its shutdown. Campaigning group Fair Agenda said announcement is a good start, but falls well short of what is needed during this pandemic. Experts have already told the Morrison government that even just for safe at home programs alone, $180 million is whats needed to meet demand, its executive director Renee Carr said. Todays commitment appears to be $150 million spread across at least 6 different service areas. To bolster mental health, a new dedicated coronavirus wellbeing support line will be set up by BeyondBlue, funded with $10 million from the federal government and $5 million from Medibank. It will help people who are concerned because they have been diagnosed with the disease, or are experiencing stress or anxiety due to employment changes, business closure, financial difficulties, family pressures or other challenges. This is a good (mental health) package, Labors health spokesman Chris Bowen told reporters in Sydney. The thing causing the most mental health anguish in Australia today is job insecurity. People are worried about where their job will come from, whether it will still exist. Lifeline Australia chairman John Brogden said the additional funding will ensure that no Australian has to face their darkest moments alone during the COVID-19 outbreak. As well, the government will give existing mental health support line services, including Lifeline and Kids Helpline a $14 million boost. There will also be dedicated support for health workers, older Australians, indigenous communities and young people. By Katina Curtis and Colin Brinsden Former Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson warned that the U.S. faces a "very difficult road ahead" after President Donald Trump signed a historic $2 trillion coronavirus relief bill. Paulson, a key figure in helping the country avoid economic catastrophe during the 2008 financial crisis, drew on his experience from that tumultuous period. Paulson and his counterpart at the Federal Reserve bailed out banks to stabilize financial markets, actions that remain unpopular to this day. "One clear lesson from 2008 is that it is very difficult to quickly get all the money where it is most needed, and Treasury has a lot of money so Treasury and the Fed have a very big job ahead of them," Paulson said in a statement late Friday. The new law, the biggest economic stimulus package in U.S. history, expands unemployment benefits, sends $1,200 checks to individuals, offers loans to small businesses and includes a $500 billion Fed program to prop up corporations. Critics of the bill, eager to avoid a replay of the 2008 bailouts in which finance executives fared far better than many borrowers, have questioned how authorities will dole out the massive amounts of aid to corporations. "Another lesson is that when there is a big messy challenge, there is never a perfect, elegant solution," Paulson said. "Treasury will need to be nimble, flexible and resourceful. But even if they are, it will be impossible to use the CARE Act authorities in a way that everyone believes is fair and quick enough." The actions of Paulson, ex-Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and former New York Fed President Timothy Geithner saved the financial system from meltdown more than a decade ago. But the era following the bailouts were marked by widening income inequality, eroded trust in government institutions and a deeply polarized political environment. Pilot of helicopter that crashed heralded for 'miracle' landing The crew of a Hagerstown-based helicopter and the juvenile patient they picked up in Chambersburg, Pa., are OK after a crash near Philadelphia. Advertisement Britons should not expect to get back to 'normal life' for six months or even longer, the government's deputy chief medical officer warned today. Dr Jenny Harries told a Downing Street press conference that people should not be viewing the coronavirus crisis as something that will blow over soon. She said it will not be clear whether the 'social distancing' lockdown is working for another two or three weeks - after Easter - with deaths set to rise further. But even if the draconian restrictions do succeed in 'squashing' the peak of the outbreak, reverting to a 'normal way of life' immediately would probably lead to a disastrous new spike in infections. Speaking after the official UK coronavirus death toll rose by 209 in 24 hours from 1,019 to 1,228, Dr Harries said people had taken 'quite some time' to get used to social distancing, but there was now evidence the country was obeying the rules. She added: 'The issue of the three weeks is for us to review where we are and see if we've had an impact jointly on the slope of that curve. 'But I think to make it clear to the public if we are successful we will have squashed the top of that curve, which is brilliant, but we must not then suddenly revert to our normal way of living that would be quite dangerous. 'If we stop then all of our efforts will be wasted and we could potentially see a second peak. So over time, probably over the next six months, we will have a three-week review.' Dr Harries said it was 'plausible' that the restrictions could need to in force longer than that. Boris Johnson has previously voiced optimism that the UK can 'turn the tide' on the outbreak within '12 weeks'. But government papers from scientific advisers have made clear they are anticipating a longer timeframe. On another quick-fire day of developments in the biggest global crisis since the Second World War: A 55-year-old hospital consultant has become the first frontline NHS worker to die after testing positive for coronavirus. Amged El-Hawrani was an ear nose and throat (ENT) specialist at Queen's Hospital Burton; Boris Johnson is said to be 'very firmly in charge' of the government's response despite being isolated in No11 Downing Street; Ministers are facing more criticism over UK testing despite Michael Gove announcing numbers are now running at 10,000 a day; Tony Blair has warned that more than 180million tests might need to be carried out in Britain to defeat the disease; Mr Gove has blamed Chinese secrecy for slowing down action against the coronavirus threat; An emergency effort to repatriate Britons stranded abroad could be launched as early as tomorrow; A former business adviser to the PM has complained about firms being 'shamed' into closing and suggested drive-through restaurants should still be operating. Dr Jenny Harries told a Downing Street press conference that people should not be viewing the crisis as something that will blow over within weeks Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick took the briefing in Downing Street today with the P in self-isolation Pictured: Breakspear crematorium in Ruislip, West London, has had 12 emergency mortuaries built on its site in preparation for the number of increasing deaths from the coronavirus UK faces austerity amid fears of 2.75million jobless by June and a 10% hit to GDP Investment firm Nomura expects an unemployment rate of 8 per cent in the next quarter, up from just 3.9 per cent in January Michael Gove hinted at looming austerity today amid grim warnings of a 10 per cent hit to GDP and the jobless total hitting 2.75million by June. The Cabinet minister said it was right to put the UK into lockdown to limit the spread of the disease, even though it meant spiralling UK debt, as you cannot 'put a price on lives'. But he said the massive hole left in the country's finances by rescue packages for workers and businesses will need to be paid off 'in due course'. The tough message came as forecasters said the impact on UK plc from coronavirus will be many times greater than from the credit crunch. Investment firm Nomura expects an unemployment rate of 8 per cent in the next quarter, up from just 3.9 per cent in January, according to the Sunday Times. That will spark a huge increase in the cost of benefits for the government, putting the finances under more pressure. That suggests an extra 1.4million people out of work, with the total reaching 2.75 million. It predicts GDP will plummet by 13.5 per cent in the second quarter of the year, more than six times the biggest quarterly fall during the financial crisis. Other economies face similar misery, after US unemployment claims soared from 282,000 to 3.3million last week. The only faint glimmer of optimism in the forecasts is that growth could rebound strongly after the outbreak subsides, rather than the long period of stagnation after the credit crunch. Ministers have set aside a staggering 266billion warchest for the coronavirus battle this year - amid fears UK debt could hit 2trillion within 12 months. The government has boosted its contingency fund for the next financial year from just 10billion to more than a quarter of a trillion pounds - equivalent to nearly half of central government spending, or more than 10 per cent of GDP. Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced a series of unprecedented - and open-ended - bailouts for millions of workers facing poverty as a result of coronavirus lockdown. Self-employed workers will be able to get 80 per cent of their previous income covered by the government, up to a limit of 2,500 a month - although only those with trading profits below 50,000 will be eligible. The government is also covering 80 per cent of wages for companies to keep workers on. It will pay up to 2,500 a month - equivalent to the UK average wage of 30,000 a year. The Bank of England has cut rates twice to a record low of 0.1 per cent. Its quantitative easing scheme - effectively printing money to stimulate the economy - has been expanded to 645billion. Advertisement Hosting the daily press briefing while Mr Johnson is in isolation suffering COVID-19, Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said all parts of the country were now on a 'war footing'. Military coordinators are working with emergency services and local officials to tailor the response in every region. 'This is an unprecedented step in peace time, we haven't done anything like this since the Second World War,' he said. 'This means that we are establishing strategic coordination centres across the whole country.' But Mr Jenrick faced a rough ride on the government's handling of the situation, amid complaints about the slow increase in testing, and the lack of personal protection kit for medical staff. He insisted that millions of items of personal protective equipment (PPE) were being delivered to NHS staff. 'We simply cannot and should not ask people to be on the frontline without the right protective equipment,' he said. Dr Harries stressed that the UK might not be in 'complete lockdown' for the full six months. 'But as a nation we have to be really, really responsible and keep doing what we're all doing until we're sure we can gradually start lifting various interventions which are likely to be spaced - based on the science and our data - until we gradually come back to a normal way of living,' she said. Dr Harries said she expected the coronavirus death toll to increase 'for the next week or two'. She added: 'But then we anticipate that if we keep doing what we're doing... we do anticipate that those numbers will start to drop.' Asked about death figures she said it 'lags behind our impressions on the rate of increase of infections'. 'So, we just need to watch it carefully, hold tight for a week or two, keep doing what we're doing and then come back and ask me the question again and I think hopefully we will be on the way down a little bit.' In an interview overnight, Professor Neil Ferguson, the government's leading epidemiology adviser, suggested Britons would have to remain in their homes for three months. Pushed at the briefing today whether she was saying must be on lockdown for the next six months, Dr Harries said: 'We actually anticipate our numbers will get worse over the next week, possibly two, and then we are looking to see whether we have managed to push that curve down and we start to see a decline.' She added: 'This is not to say we would be in complete lockdown for six months, but as a nation we have to be really, really responsible and keep doing what we're all doing until we're sure we can gradually start lifting various interventions which are likely to be spaced - based on the science and our data - until we gradually come back to a normal way of living.' Mr Johnson, who is self-isolating after testing positive for Covid-19, has written an open letter to the British public warning that 'things will get worse before they get better' as he stressed the need to stay indoors to support the NHS by slowing the spread. But criticism is growing of the government's handling. Jeremy Hunt today demanded the government speeds up progress on mass testing - saying it is the fastest way to end the coronavirus lockdown. The former health secretary - now chair of the influential Commons health committee - pointed to the regime in place in South Korea, where 'restaurants are open'. The call came as Tony Blair warned Britain might have to carry out 180million coronavirus checks to defeat the deadly disease. The ex-PM said testing will need to carry on for a long time, as even if the outbreak subsides there will be a threat of 'resurgence'. He said 'virtually everyone' will need to be tested for whether they have coronavirus. And Mr Blair warned that might need to happen two or three times to combat any return of the outbreak. That could potentially mean in the region of 180million individual tests. Cabinet minister Michael Gove confirmed this morning that the number of UK tests per day has reached 10,000. At that rate it could take more than 50 years to check the whole 66million-strong population three times - although Mr Gove stressed that the numbers are being urgently increased. He declined to give a timescale for when all frontline NHS staff will get access to checks, after small-scale trials were launched. And there is still no clear idea when the UK will be conducting the 25,000 tests a day promised by Boris Johnson - let alone the longer term ambition of 250,000 a day. The normally bustling streets of central London are once again deserted today as people choose to stay home amid the coronavirus threat Nine-year-old Eve looks out of the front window at home, as the number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases grow around the world The news comes as Governmental advisers warn that even stricter social distancing measures could be under way if the staggering increase in figures doesn't stop Earlier, Professor Ferguson said Britons will need to stay indoors for a full three months. He told The Sunday Times: 'We're going to have to keep these measures [the full lockdown] in place, in my view, for a significant period of time - probably until the end of May, maybe even early June. May is optimistic.' Professor Ferguson added that even if the lockdown is lifted, people will still need to abide by social distancing measures for months to come. It came as Michael Gove today declined to be drawn on how long the tough measures restricting people's lives would be in place for, and that ministers would not hesitate to enforce tougher rules if necessary. 'There are different projections as to how long the lockdown might last,' he told Sky's Sophy Ridge on Sunday, when asked about one key expert's prediction of June. 'But it's not the case that the length of the lockdown is something that is absolutely fixed. Professor Neil Ferguson said Britons will need to stay indoors for a full three months 'It depends on all of our behaviour. If we follow the guidelines, we can deal more effectively with the spread of the disease.' But the positive message Mr Gove delivered was that the public appear to be heeding the advice. 'At the moment, all the evidence is that people are observing the rules, if you look at the number of people on public transport that has fallen, if you look at footfall in supermarkets and other stores, that has fallen as well,' he said. 'We keep things under review in order to ensure that if there are further steps they can be implemented.' To try and ensure the effectiveness of the lockdown, the Government is spending approximately 5.8million on letters that will land on 30 million doorsteps along with a leaflet spelling out the Government's advice following much public confusion. The letters and leaflets are the latest in a public information campaign from No 10 to convince people to stay at home, wash their hands and shield the most vulnerable from the disease. 'We know things will get worse before they get better,' the PM's letter will read. 'But we are making the right preparations, and the more we all follow the rules, the fewer lives will be lost and the sooner life can return to normal. 'It has been truly inspirational to see our doctors, nurses and other carers rise magnificently to the needs of the hour. 'Thousands of retired doctors and nurses are returning to the NHS and hundreds of thousands of citizens are volunteering to help the most vulnerable. 'That is why, at this moment of national emergency, I urge you, please, to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives.' Amid allegations of confusing messages on the lockdown, the leaflet will outline the Government's rules on leaving the house and advice on shielding vulnerable people. A clear explanation of the symptoms will also be included as will guidance on hand washing. Panic has gripped the nation as it was revealed that today's total number of deaths is 34 per cent higher than yesterday's and today has seen the largest daily increase since March 18, when the total shot up from 71 to 104. The normally busy streets in Chinatown are completely deserted on Sunday as people choose to stay at home The letters and leaflets are the latest in a public information campaign from No 10 to convince people to stay at home, wash their hands and shield the most vulnerable from the disease A handout photo made available by n10 Downing street shows Britain's Prime Minister, Boris Johnson chairing the morning Covid-19 meeting after self isolating after testing positive for the Coronavirus in n10 Downing street in London, Britain today However, there has been a slight improvement in the daily rate of new cases. A further 2,510 patients were diagnosed with the virus today, a drop of 411 from the 2,921 new patients diagnosed yesterday. It is unclear whether this drop in new cases is as a result of social distancing measures or because less people are being tested for the virus. The deadly virus is continuing to spread across the country at an exponential rate - it took just 13 days for the number of deaths to go from one to more than 100. And it has only taken a further 10 days for the total to go from 100 to more than 1,000. Overall, the number of confirmed cases in the UK is 17,089. But just one week ago, the total paled in comparison at 5,018. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is already having to lead the response to the pandemic from Downing Street after he was diagnosed with the disease. He has been accused of failing to follow his own social distancing rules after Health Secretary Matt Hancock tested positive and England's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty began self-isolating with symptoms. The news comes as Governmental advisers warn that even stricter social distancing measures could be under way if the staggering increase in figures doesn't stop. It came as the true number of people infected with coronavirus in the UK could be as high as 1.6 million, with over half of those cases outside of London, analysis by health care data experts suggests. The Cambridge family are self isolating at Anmer Hall on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk amid the Coronavirus pandemic, and shared a glimpse at their home office yesterday. Kate posed in her dusky pink trouser suit as she spoke on the phone. A row of books including an extensive set of Coralie Bickford-Smith for Penguin books can be seen on her wooden desk, along with her Aspinal notebook, while a sofa and and a window seat looking out onto the grounds can be seen in the background Michael Gove says coronavirus tests have FINALLY hit 10,000 a day - but still can't say when all NHS frontline staff will get checks Britain is finally carrying out 10,000 tests per day to diagnose coronavirus, Michael Gove confirmed today. Amid mounting criticism about slow progress gearing up the response, the Cabinet minister insisted the government was 'very concerned' about the growing death toll and was doing 'all that we can' to 'accelerate' the numbers of tests. But he declined to give a timescale for when all frontline NHS staff will get access to checks - after small-scale trials were launched. Britain is finally carrying out 10,000 tests per day to diagnose coronavirus, Michael Gove confirmed today And there is still no clear idea when the UK will be conducting the 25,000 tests a day promised by Boris Johnson. The comments came as former Tony Blair warned that nearly everyone in the UK will need to be tested - perhaps two or three times each. Advertisement And with a predicted daily growth rate of 20 per cent that figure may now stand at 2.8 million people, just three days after the modelling was carried out, reports The Sunday Telegraph. Edge Health, a UK health care data analysis company, revealed that while the official figure of coronavirus cases stood at 10,000 on March 26, the company's estimated true figure for infections in the UK was 1,614,505. With widespread testing not yet available in Britain and swabs only being given to those in hospital and some NHS critical care staff, there could be thousands who have COVID-19 and are not aware of it, the study suggests. Those with milder symptoms who are not admitted to hospital are also not accounted for in official figures. A statement from NHS England said: 'Patients were aged between 33 and 100 years old and all but 13 (aged between 63 and 99 years old) had underlying health conditions.' Chancellor Rishi Sunak is the choice of voters to run the country if Boris Johnson becomes too ill, an exclusive poll for The Mail on Sunday has found. The endorsement comes after the Prime Minister revealed on Friday that he had tested positive for coronavirus. While Downing Street has indicated that Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab will take the reins if Mr Johnson is incapacitated, the Deltapoll survey shows that Mr Sunak dubbed 'dishy Rishi' by his Treasury colleagues is backed as a stand-in premier by more than three times as many voters. Mr Johnson's approach to the crisis receives overwhelming backing, with 78 per cent saying that he is handling it well. However, that does not mean voters agree with the pace of implementation of Mr Johnson's lockdown measures. A group of furious locals blocked a Range Rover driver after he travelled 115 miles from Sheffield to Snowdonia despite the coronavirus lockdown Government pandemic exercise predicted four years ago that Asian respiratory virus would overwhelm NHS A Government exercise four years ago predicted a deadly virus from Asia would arrive in the UK and leave the NHS on its knees, but was not published because the results were 'too terrifying'. In October 2016, epidemiologists from Imperial College London told Government ministers what Britain would look like seven weeks into a pandemic. Exercise Cygnus showed the NHS unable to cope, with a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) for doctors and nurses, inadequate numbers of ventilators and mortuaries overflowing. It was carried out by the same experts responsible for the nation's coronavirus modelling, but the results were never revealed, reports the Sunday Telegraph. A paper detailing Imperial's research read: 'The exercise was set seven weeks into a severe pandemic outbreak and challenged the NHS to review its response to an overwhelmed service with reduced staff availability.' Cygnus was based on a virus similar to H2N2 influenza, which like COVID-19 causes deadly respiratory illness in patients. Advertisement A total of 63 per cent think that the social distancing rules were introduced too late. On the controversial issue of testing, 83 per cent believe that doctors and nurses should be given priority but just 19 per cent think that senior politicians should be prioritised and only 15 per cent think the Royal Family should. Most people also think that Britain is in for a long haul, with half of those questioned expecting restrictions to be in place for three months. And a majority think that tackling the outbreak is worth curtailing civil liberties, with 61 per cent agreeing that it is a necessary price. The latest figures come after Scottish Secretary Alister Jack revealed he had developed mild symptoms of coronavirus and was self-isolating. Government advisers said stricter social distancing policies may have to be rolled out next month if the grim figures continued to rise. The measures would be introduced in three weeks as the outbreak reached its peak to further reduce 'person-to-person interaction'. This week France announced that individuals could only exercise alone unless with children for a maximum of an hour and within 1,000 yards of their homes. Spain and Italy have banned exercise altogether, and there are concerns that Britons are deliberately misinterpreting the guidance by travelling to beauty spots miles from their homes. How London became a Covid-19 hub as virus mutated into eight different strains and raced around the world - as coronavirus around the world as global cases top 666,000 and deaths hit 30,864 by Keith Griffith for Daily Mail A fascinating video shows how London became a hub for the global spread of coronavirus after the initial outbreak in China. Scientists have used genetic sequencing data to illustrate how different strands of the virus travelled to the UK via the capital and how it was passed on to other countries. The map, produced by NextStrain.org, shows how COVID-19 started in Wuhan, before spreading across Asia to Singapore and South Korea, before being carried by travellers to London. From there, it was flown to the USA and across Europe. A map based on genetic sequences reveal how coronavirus was spread across the globe, with London quickly becoming a hub Yesterday saw the biggest increase in UK deaths in one day, with the figures jumping 260 to 1,016. There have now been more than 17,000 confirmed cases. The data also reveals there are eight different strands of the virus, but they all appear to mutate very slowly, with only tiny differences between them. Data scientists behind the map say none of the strains of the virus are more deadly than any of the others. They also claim that the strains will not grow more lethal as they evolve. 'The virus mutates so slowly that the virus strains are fundamentally very similar to each other,' Charles Chiu, a professor of medicine and infectious disease at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, told USA Today. Tracking the different strains of SARS-CoV-2, as the virus is officially named, allows scientists to see whether containment measures are working, by showing whether new cases are from community spread, or imported from a different hotspot. Researchers stress that the different strains are fundamentally similar, because coronavirus mutates very slowly, about eight to 10 times slower than the common flu. A 'family tree' of SARS-CoV-2 shows how different mutations have developed So far even in the virus's most divergent strains scientists have found only 11 base pair changes, out of a genome of 30,000 base pairs. That means the different strains are not causing different symptoms, or inflicting different rates of fatality. Although different countries around the world have recorded significantly different fatality rates, this is almost certainly because they are testing their populations at different rates. Because many cases have no symptoms, aggressive and widespread testing makes the fatality rate appear to drop, because the total number of confirmed cases is much higher. Researchers also say that when patients show no symptoms, or mild symptoms, it is not because they have contracted a 'mild strain' of the virus. Rather, differences in symptoms most likely have more to do with an individual's own immune system and general health. A strain that has little effect on one person could be deadly to another. This electron microscope image made available by the U.S. National Institutes of Health shows SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 'The current virus strains are still fundamentally very similar to each other,' Chiu said. In the UK, widespread testing is not available, with only those admitted to hospital entitled to a swab. Over the weekend, it was announced that tests are to be rolled out among frontline NHS staff, starting with critical care doctors and nurses. The slow mutation rate of the virus has given scientists hope that an eventual vaccine could provide protection for years, or even decades. Depending on how quickly a virus mutates, some vaccines have to be regularly updated, such a flu vaccines that have to be administered every year. Other vaccines, such as for measles and chickenpox, provide protection for decades, or even a lifetime. On Monday, Peter Thielen, a biologist with the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, said that it appears coronavirus mutates slowly, more like measles and chickenpox than the flu. Peter Thielen (front), a biologist with the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, said that it appears coronavirus mutates slowly, more like measles and chickenpox than the flu 'When this virus was first sequenced in China, that information was helpful in starting the process to develop a vaccine,' Thielen explained in a statement. 'What we're doing informs whether or not the virus is mutating away from that original sequence, and how quickly,' he continued, describing his experiments to sequence the genome of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. 'Based on the mutation rate, early data indicates that this would likely be a single vaccine rather than one that needs to be updated each year, like the flu shot,' he said. Experts say that the earliest a vaccine for coronavirus could be widely available is a year to 18 months. Although vaccine trials are underway in the U.S., UK and elsewhere, time is needed to prove the shots safe and effective before they are rolled out to millions. Keeping Covid-19 deaths below 20,000 would be a good result, says NHS medical director Stephen Powis who says 170million masks, 25million gloves and 30million aprons have been delivered to medical staff fighting virus By Isabella Nikolic for MailOnline The United Kingdom will have done well if it comes through the coronavirus crisis with fewer than 20,000 deaths said the national medical director of the NHS. When asked if he hoped that the United Kingdom was not on the same trajectory as countries such as Italy, Stephen Powis said: 'If we can keep deaths below 20,000 we will have done very well in this epidemic.' 'If it is less than 20,000... that would be a good result though every death is a tragedy, but we should not be complacent about that,' said Powis, speaking at a news conference in Downing Street alongside Business Secretary Alok Sharma. He said the NHS had been working incredibly hard to increase the intensive care capacity beyond the 4,000 beds it typically had. The United Kingdom will have done well if it comes through the coronavirus crisis with fewer than 20,000 deaths said the national medical director (pictured, Stephen Powis) of the NHS When asked if he hoped that the United Kingdom was not on the same trajectory as countries such as Italy , Stephen Powis (pictured alongside Business Secretary Alok Sharma) said: 'If we can keep deaths below 20,000 we will have done very well in this epidemic' Mr Powis insisted getting personal protective equipment (PPE) to healthcare staff was an 'absolute priority' as he detailed the numbers of products sent out. More than 170million of the 'very highest level masks' have been dispatched 'in the last couple of weeks,' he said. He added 40million gloves had been sent in recent days, as well as 25million face masks and 30million aprons. 'So vast numbers going out,' he said. 'We're strengthening the supply chain every day to ensure that every organisation gets the equipment that they need, that's an absolute priority for us.' Business Secretary Alok Sharma said Johnson continues to show only 'mild symptoms' of coronavirus. 'He continues to lead the government's effort in combating Covid-19,' Sharma told reporters. 'This morning he held a video conference call and he will continue to lead right from the front on this.' WASHINGTON Presidential elections are typically prime time for bringing new people into the political process, but the coronavirus pandemic is making voter registration more difficult than ever, prompting concerns that many young Americans and other nonvoters might miss their chance to get onto the rolls before November. "This is the moment when we historically see people take action to register to vote," said Kristen Clarke, the president and executive director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. "The public health crisis has brought all of that activity virtually to a grinding halt." Voter registration happens year-round, but the months leading up to a presidential election are crucial as interest in politics spikes and funding for registration efforts flows in. In the runup to the 2016 presidential election, Americans filed more than 77.5 million voter registration applications, according to the Election Assistance Commission, a federal agency that helps states administer elections, and total registration topped 200 million. That still left tens of millions of eligible Americans who are not registered to vote. And this year, millions of new Americans will become eligible by turning 18 as Generation Z (born between 1997 and 2012), the most diverse in history, is expected to surpass the silent generation (born between 1928 and 1945) as a share of the electorate. Millions more Americans have moved and need to re-register at a different address, while others have been purged from the rolls for not voting in recent elections, including in key battleground states such as Wisconsin and Georgia. But now, all the traditional ways of signing up voters are out the window, prompting concerns that a large swath of Americans will miss their chance to participate in this year's elections. "Registration is going to be an issue for everyone," said Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., who along with Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., is pushing for emergency voting reforms to respond to the coronavirus crisis. Story continues "Both parties typically register people at events," Klobuchar added on a call with reporters. "And if there's no events, and no way to go door to door, that's going to be a problem." A resident takes voter registration paperwork from Democratic Party Precinct Chairs Angela Orr Heath, center, and Myla Senn, left, during for a voter registration drive in Garland, Texas, on Jan. 18, 2020. (LM Otero / AP) Voter registration activists typically seek out crowds, but there are none now. Students are not on campuses. Churches are not holding regular services. Fairs, parades and community events have been canceled. And even setting up a table outside a grocery store or a shopping area on a warm weekend afternoon is questionable. Departments of motor vehicles are the source of about 45 percent of all voter applications nationwide, thanks to the Motor Voter Act, but they, too, are closed in many parts of the country. And so are other places where registration forms are typically available, such as libraries, high schools and government offices. Another big source of registrations in states that allow same-day registration is polling places, but many of them will be closed in upcoming primaries and it's not clear how many will be open by November as states try to shift to mail-in balloting. Groups that would typically be sending hundreds of canvassers into the field to sign up voters right now have shut down in-person operations and switched entirely to digital organizing. "We've had a ton of small groups come to us for access to our tools so that people can start changing their canvassing programs to digital programs," said Andrea Hailey, the CEO of Vote.org, a nonprofit that registers and turns out voters online. Digital efforts can fill a large part of the gap, but are not enough or available to everyone. Hailey said many young people don't own printers, while access to the internet and the cost of postage can be an issue for lower-income people, many of whom are people of color. Forty states offer online voter registration, according to the Election Assistance Commission. Those that don't including some big ones that could be important in the general election, such as Texas and North Carolina usually offer blank forms online that can be printed out and mailed in. "We have a robust texting program and one of the responses we often get is, 'I dont have a printer,'" she said. "In other times, we'd recommend a local library or somewhere they could print out the form, but we can't do that now." Myrna Perez, the director of the voting rights and elections program at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University's School of Law, said that in addition to racial and economic inequities, online registration can also be difficult for people with disabilities, such as blindness, or non-English speakers who would typically rely on trained canvassers or poll workers to help them through the process. "Online registration should be coupled with a massive voter education component, reminding people that they do need to register to vote and telling people how to do it," she said. "States are going to need to be creative and proactive about reaching out to eligible residents who are not registered." Perez said states should offer a hotline with various language speakers and technology to help the visually impaired. And Clarke is calling for states to mass-mail registration forms with addressed and stamped return envelopes to eligible but unregistered voters. Young people are always hard to organize, but college students pose a unique challenge now since many campuses have been closed. "Any college students who are registered at their campus address may miss their primary, may miss absentee ballot request deadlines," said Carolyn DeWitt, the President of Rock the Vote, which works to organize young voters. "For them, participating in these elections is more akin to being displaced after a natural disaster." Ashee Groce, a student and Democratic activist at Spelman College in Atlanta, isn't sure if she'll be able to participate in Georgia's primary election in May or whether she'll have to register to vote somewhere else. She already missed the primary in her home state of California, which was held March 3. "Now that I'm not in school, and I don't have a place to stay in Atlanta, I am bouncing from different states to different states," she said. "I'm uneasy not knowing how I'm going to vote." MANILA A plane used as an air ambulance by the Philippine health department to fight the coronavirus outbreak burst into flames as it took off from Manilas airport for Japan on Sunday night, killing all onboard, the airport said. The light aircraft was carrying eight people, including the pilot and two crew members, a doctor, a nurse, a flight medic and an American and a Canadian passenger, according to local radio reports, citing airport officials. It was not clear whether the passengers were being airlifted for treatment of the viral disease. Unfortunately, no passenger survived the accident, the Manila International Airport Authority said in a statement, adding that the runway had been closed and an investigation was underway. The Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, the Philippine agency at the forefront of combating the disease, uses the same aircraft from a Philippine charter flight company called Lionair to transport supplies to the medical workers on the front line in the provinces across the archipelago, the government said. A 13-year-old boy has been arrested for breaking the new coronavirus lockdown laws after he refused to give his name to police. The teenager was taken into custody after being spotted by officers in Leeds on Saturday morning. He was detained under the new law, known as the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations 2020, which enables police to order members of the public to go home or leave an area. The teenager was detained under a new law which enables police to order members of the public to go home or leave an area. Pictured: Officer talking to cyclists at Regents Park in London yesterday as he enforced the national coronavirus lockdown Senior Section Officer for West Yorkshire Police Ste Richardson posted a tweet, that has since been deleted, which read: 'Today I arrested a 13-year-old male under the new coronavirus powers. 'The male refused to give me any details so I could take him home under the Act. He was arrested and taken to custody. 'His mother was dealt with for being a responsible person failing to comply.' A spokeswoman for West Yorkshire Police said: 'Police were called to Middleton Park in the early hours of Saturday morning to reports of anti-social behaviour. 'A 13-year-old boy refused to provide his name or address and despite being asked several times he was arrested under the new legislation. 'On arrival at custody he provided his correct details and it was established that he was wanted for a robbery offence, he was therefore arrested on suspicion of Robbery and de-arrested for offences under the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) Regulations 2020. 'The 13-year-old was interviewed in relation to the robbery offence and no further action was taken.' It comes after hundreds of people have continued to flout strict government advice about social distancing and staying indoors. Pictured: Police officer from North Yorkshire Police ensured that motorists were complying with the Government's lockdown restrictions Metropolitan Police Federation Chairman Ken Marsh (pictured) said that parents should be fined if their teenagers are found outside during lockdown It comes after hundreds of people have continued to flout strict government advice about social distancing and staying indoors. Those who defy the tough restrictions on movement could now be hit with a 60 fine initially and 120 for a second offence reaching 1,000-plus for repeat offenders, the Home Office warned. And refusing to provide a name and address to avoid being given a fine is an arrestable offence. The Metropolitan Police Federation stated yesterday hat it wanted parents to be fined if their teenage children breach coronavirus lockdown as other forces seek stronger powers to enforce government rules. Ken Marsh, the head of the Federation, which represents 30,000 officers in the capital, said police cannot currently enforce government advice for groups of teenagers who refused police instruction to go home and isolate. A man wears a mask during a walk as Sussex Police patrol the promenade in Brighton during the coronavirus lockdown yesterday Home Office reveals new powers to tackle people flouting the coronavirus lockdown Up to two years in prison if you cough deliberately on someone after spate of attacks on emergency service workers; People who flout lockdown rules will be breaking the law and can be arrested as part of new enforcement powers; Officers can tell them to go home, leave or disperse an area and ensure parents are taking necessary steps to stop their children breaking the law. Those who refuse to comply could be issued with a fixed penalty notice of 60; Second-time offenders could be issued a fixed penalty notice of 120, doubling on each further repeat offence; Those who do not pay the penalty can be taken to court, with magistrates able to impose fines of 1,000 or more. Advertisement 'We've got to take them home, but when we take them home, why can't we fine their parents? Otherwise, what's the deterrent?', Marsh said, according to the Observer. If police numbers reduce due to officers becoming infected by COVID-19, Marsh thinks it will take three to four days before London becomes difficult to police. Marsh said that depending on the weather, this weekend 'will be the acid test'. He added that the UK's policing by consent causes additional difficulties, as police can't threaten the public, relying on educating them of government advice to stay inside. The advised safe distance of two metres could also present challenges in coming days, Marsh said, as officers are supposed to follow the guidance, making arrests difficult. Marsh's comments come as Britain's coronavirus death toll rocketed to 1,228 today as the UK suffered its worst day yet and saw a huge spike in victims. Boris Johnson is to warn the nation in a letter that tougher measures to ensure lockdown is adhered could be on their way. Amid allegations of confusing messages on the lockdown, the leaflet will outline the Government's rules on leaving the house and advice on shielding vulnerable people. A clear explanation of the symptoms will also be included as will guidance on hand washing. Bridgeport Fire Department photo BRIDGEPORT - Five people escaped unharmed after a fire tore through a building in the 1000th block of Stratford Avenue early Sunday morning. Scott Appleby, director of the Office of Emergency Management & Emergency Communications, said the call came in at 3:51 a.m. Irans official government news agency IRNA has reported clashes in Hamedan prison, following reports of unrest in other prisons in recent days. The report did not provide much detail about the unrest in the Hamedan prison, in Western Iran, except saying there were clashes between prisoners and authorities in the province bringing back calm in the facility. IRNA insisted, Based on information received, the situation in Hamedan prison is under control, and officials have promised to provide more information on Sunday. It is not clear if the unrest happened late Saturday or early Sunday and IRNA says an investigation is under way if any prisoners escaped. Eighty prisoners escaped from a prison in Saqqez on March 27, presumably to avoid the coronavirus epidemic in prison conditions. On Thursday, there were also reports of unrest and shooting in the prison of Tabriz, the capital city of East Azarbaijan Province. Prison authorities, however, denied the reports. Meanwhile, Iran Human Rights Watch has reported that prisoners first refused food in protest to not being allowed to go on furlough and then set their blankets on fire which the guards stopped by firing weapons. There have been reports of similar incidents in the prisons of Aligudarz and Fashafouyeh since the outbreak of coronavirus. Iran's human rights activists say all non-violent prisoners should be allowed to go on furlough. Iranian prisons are overcrowded, and sanitary and healthcare facilities are not adequate even at ordinary times. In a letter addressed to Iran's Chief Justice Ebrahim Raeesi on March 26 Amnesty International said Iranian authorities must "immediately and unconditionally" release hundreds of prisoners of conscience amid grave concerns over the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Irans prisons. Published on 2020/03/29 | Source Universities have opted for online lectures as the coronavirus epidemic rages on but are sometimes startled by heavy traffic from people other than students who are tuning in. Advertisement In some cases this has caused servers to crash, prompting universities to upload lessons to video-sharing websites like YouTube. One professor of political science at Jeonbuk National University conducted his lecture through Afreeca TV. The class has 50 students, but more than 350 tuned in. The university warned sternly that it will eject gatecrashers, and only those logged in with their real name only will be able to access online lectures. An online lecture offered by Kumoh National Institute of Technology in Gumi drew 850 viewers even though only 40 students had signed up for the class. In other disruptions, a lecture from Kyonggi University on YouTube prompted wags to post nasty comments in the real-time chat window insulting Korea's past and present presidents. Universities are stumped. Some have given up on video lectures on sharing sites and returned to their own websites, while others are trying to screen people who tune in. One shy professor at Dongguk University in Gyeongju said, "I will no longer upload my lectures on YouTube". A university in northwestern Seoul, informing students of a new secure Internet link to lectures, warned them not to share it with non-students. A commission that advises the General Assembly on revenue and economic issues is warning that a slowdown of business activity caused by the COVID-19 outbreak is likely to bring about a recession that could cause a 20% drop in state revenues, spread out over a number of fiscal years. The Commission on Government Finance and Accountability gave that warning as part of its three-year budget forecast, which it is required to make annually. Those forecasts include an analysis of potential threats and opportunities to the state budget. While the certainty of the country, and world, plunging into recession seems to grow each day, attempting to value the impact of COVID-19 on state revenues is virtually impossible, the report said in the section dealing with economic threats. With that caveat, it seems reasonable to offer a scenario with more devastating impacts on revenues in the near-term than even the Great Recession. As a result, should revenues experience a peak-trough decline of 20%, a revenue reduction of over $8 billion would be experienced, although likely spread over multiple fiscal years. The commission is an agency made up of 12 legislators, divided evenly between the House and Senate and between Republicans and Democrats, and staffed by financial experts. It is headed by a full-time executive director, Clayton Klenke. Klenke described the possibility of a 20% decline in revenue as a worst-case scenario based on the states experience in previous recessions. During the recession of 2001-2003, caused largely by the burst of the dot-com bubble on Wall Street, followed by the terrorist attacks of 9/11, state revenues in Illinois fell about 5.5%, or about $1.3 billion. The Great Recession of 2008-2009 that followed the U.S. housing market collapse produced a much sharper decline, 8.7%, or a little more than $2.5 billion. State revenues have generally been growing since then, except for fiscal years 2016 and 2017 when there was a temporary reduction in tax rates, and so a recession worse than the Great Recession would have a significantly larger impact In early March, the commission issued an economic and revenue forecast for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins July 1, that said the outlook was generally good, although economic growth was expected to slow somewhat. That report estimated total state revenues for the year at a little more than $40.6 billion. Last year, Moodys Investors Services issued a report identifying Illinois and New Jersey as the two states that would be least able to weather a recession. In the case of Illinois, that was based the states lack of cash reserves and its high fixed costs for debt repayment, its backlog of unpaid bills and pension obligations. As recently as early March, however, the report noted that Moodys Analytics had described Illinois as being, in decent shape for a state facing a slowdown in manufacturing, poor agricultural conditions, and numerous demographic and fiscal problems and that the states economy was doing better than it has in some time. Second, the summer slide has been studied for decades, and researchers know that students fall backward in learning from where they were at the end of the school year. Typically, they lose between one and two months of progress after a 10-week break. This wastes so much of the knowledge students have gained during the school year and forces teachers to spend time re-teaching last years content, likely contributing to the repetitiveness of the typical U.S. curriculum, according to a Brookings Institution report. And learning loss seems to grow as children move up into more difficult content. A massive analysis of testing data by NWEA, a nonprofit research and assessment company that works with millions of students, found that, in the summer following third grade, students lose nearly 20 percent of their school-year gains in reading and 27 percent of their school-year gains in math. By the summer after seventh grade, students lose on average 36 percent of their school-year gains in reading and a whopping 50 percent of their school-year gains in math. Hollywood star Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson gave their first health update on Saturday (local time) since returning to the United States. According to People magazine, the couple, who were both diagnosed with coronavirus earlier this month, recently returned to Los Angeles after self-quarantining in Australia for two weeks. The 63-year-old actor said on Twitter on Saturday that he and Wilson would want to quarantine. His tweet reads, "Hey, Folks... We're home now and, like the rest of America, we carry on with sheltering in place and social distancing,.Many, many thanks to everyone in Australia who looked after us. Their care and guidance made possible our return to the USA. And many thanks to all of you who reached out with well wishes. Rita and I so appreciate it. Hanx." Hanks shared a statement on how the couple was feeling, several days before the couple return to Los Angeles. Hanks issued a joint statement on Twitter and wrote, "Hey, folks. Two weeks after our first symptoms and we feel better," The couple then urged their fans and followers to stay home and self isolate. On March 11, Hanks announced that he and Wilson had contacted COVID-19 in Australia, where he was filming Baz Luhrmann's untitled Elvis Presley biopic. Filming for the movie was halted following Hanks' diagnosis. Hanks and Wilson were released from a Queensland hospital on March 16. A representative for the actor told People magazine at the time that they were "doing very well" under quarantine at their home in Australia. The rep to Hanks, Leslee Dart, said, "Tom and Rita are doing very well and continue to recover. Their recovery is very much on course for healthy adults with this virus. They are feeling better each day. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) South African rapper, Cassper Nyovest has shared his thoughts about the lockdown order effected by the South African government following increased cases of coronavirus in the country. Reacting to a tweet on Rihannas $5m donation to assist in coronavirus relief, the South African rapper stated that they dont have Rihanna money and might go hungry if the lockdown order goes on for more than 3 months. Cassper Nyovest added that they really want to help in the fight against coronavirus, but dont have any money to give. READ ALSO Rappers AKA, Cassper Nyovest Exchange Words Over Who Has A Better Career Taking to Twitter, Nyovest wrote in part: We dont have Rihanna money. Truth is, we dont even know what we gone eat if the lockdown goes down for more than 3 months See His Post Here: CDC urges people living in states of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut to suspend non-essential travel for 14 days. Health authorities in the United States have urged millions of residents of the New York region to avoid non-essential travel due to surging coronavirus infections there as deaths in the country passed 2,000, more than double the level two days earlier. The advisory late on Saturday applies to New York City, the hardest-hit US municipality, and the states of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. The advisory cited extensive community transmission in the area and urged residents to avoid travel for 14 days. Worldwide infections surpassed the 660,000 mark, with 135,000 people recovered and more than 30,000 deaths, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. Weeks and weeks and weeks The US now leads the world with more than 120,000 reported cases. Five other countries have higher death tolls: Italy, Spain, China, Iran and France. Italy tops the list with 10,000 deaths. The disease has spread to other major US cities including Detroit, New Orleans and Chicago and into rural areas, where hotspots erupted in Midwestern towns and Rocky Mountain ski havens. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said defeating the virus will take weeks and weeks and weeks, and delayed the states presidential primary from April 28 to June 23. The travel advisory said employees of trucking, food supply, financial services and some other industries were exempt from the measure, and that the states governors had full discretion over how to implement the advisory. Earlier, Cuomo and governors of the other states had rejected a suggestion by President Donald Trump that he might impose a quarantine on the region. Cuomo said that would be illegal, economically catastrophic and unproductive since other areas are already seeing a surge. In a Twitter post late on Saturday, Trump reversed his stance, saying: A quarantine will not be necessary. For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. But for others, especially older adults and people with pre-existing health problems, the virus can cause more severe illnesses, including pneumonia, and lead to death. One of the US deaths announced on Saturday was that of a Chicago infant less than a year old, marking an extremely rare case of juvenile death in the pandemic. Illinois Governor J B Pritzker said the cause of death is under investigation. Officials did not release any further information, including whether the child had other health problems. In Detroit, which has a large low-income population, the death toll rose to 31 with 1,381 infections as of midday Saturday. The trajectory of Detroit is unfortunately even more steep than that of New York, said Dr Teena Chopra, the medical director of infection prevention and hospital epidemiology at the Detroit Medical Center. Chopra said many patients already have chronic ailments including asthma, heart disease, diabetes and hypertension. This is off the charts, she said. We are seeing a lot of patients that are presenting to us with severe disease, rather than minor disease. Measures ongoing worldwide European nations have been harder hit than the US on a per capita basis with over 20,000 deaths approximately half in worst-hit Italy. Spain, with the worlds second-highest toll, added 832 deaths on Saturday for a total of 5,812. Madrid toughened a nationwide lockdown, halting all non-essential activities, though officials said the epidemic in the country seemed to be nearing a peak. Russia said it would close its borders on Monday, despite reporting relatively low levels of the virus. In France, which has seen close to 2,000 deaths, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe warned the battle was just beginning. The British toll passed 1,000 on Saturday while Belgium saw a steep climb in deaths, with 353 recorded on Saturday up from 289 the day before. Elsewhere, Iran announced 139 more deaths, and India sealed a dozen villages that had been visited by a guru now known to be infected and a possible super-spreader. South African police used rubber bullets in Johannesburg to enforce social distancing on a crowd queueing for supplies outside a supermarket during a national lockdown. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a rare domestic travel advisory in which it calls on residents of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to refrain from non-essential domestic travel for 14 days effective immediately. The governors of the three states had already called on residents to stay home but the advisory came shortly after President Donald Trump said he was backing off his earlier threat to issue an enforceable quarantine on the three states but said he would ask the CDC to issue a strong Travel Advisory. Advertisement ....Federal Government. A quarantine will not be necessary. Full details will be released by CDC tonight. Thank you! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 29, 2020 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The advisory against domestic travel does not apply to employees of critical infrastructure industries, including but not limited to trucking, public health professionals, financial services, and food supply, the CDC said. It added that the governors of the three states will have full discretion to implement this Domestic Travel Advisory. Advertisement Advertisement The governors of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut were seemingly taken aback Saturday by Trumps suggestion of a quarantine. I dont even know what that means, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said, adding I dont know what you would be accomplishing. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont wrote a series of tweets essentially arguing that a quarantine was not necessary because residents had already been asked to stay home. Regarding the Presidents consideration of a quarantine of New York, as well as parts of Connecticut and New Jersey, our state has already called on residents to stay at home. (1/3) Governor Ned Lamont (@GovNedLamont) March 28, 2020 Advertisement Advertisement Even as Trump backed off his threat though, governors in several states have already been calling on people who arrive from the tri-state region to self-quarantine for at least 14 days after their arrival. Some took that even further, including Rhode Island, which tasked the National Guard and state police to pull over cars with New York plates and go door-to-door to enforce the quarantine. Cuomo expressed anger at these restrictions and warned of legal action. Were talking to Rhode Island, Cuomo said. If they dont roll back that policy, Im going to sue Rhode Island. (Newser) Alicia Keys, Billie Eilish and Tim McGraw are among the stars scheduled to perform in a televised benefit tonight honoring those fighting the coronavirus pandemic. Elton John will host the commercial-free concert, to be carried at 9PM EDT on Fox, as well as iHeart radio stations. Fox said the performers will be at home, "filmed with their personal cell phones, camera and audio equipment," the New York Post reports. The iHeartRadio Music Awards originally had been scheduled for the time slot, per the AP. story continues below The benefit will raise money for Feeding America and First Responders Childrens Foundation, which are helping first responders and victims of the pandemic. It's the first national fundraiser involving celebrities to raise money for the coronavirus battle, per Forbes. Other stars who've signed up include the Backstreet Boys, Mariah Carey and Billie Joe Armstrong. (Read more coronavirus stories.) The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will launch a 5million scheme today to support the nations mental health at a time of high anxiety during the coronavirus lockdown. They urge people to follow guidance from Public Health England by using video calls to keep in touch with family and friends, sticking to regular routines, and focusing on favourite hobbies or learning something new. The Cambridges intervention is part of a Government initiative that will see 5million awarded to mental health charities to expand support services. The Duchess of Cambridge pictured speaking on a telephone as she launches an initiative to support Britain's mental health during the coronavirus lockdown Kate and William said: The last few weeks have been anxious and unsettling for everyone. We have to take time to support each other and find ways to look after our mental health. 'It is great to see the mental health sector working together with the NHS to help people keep on top of their mental wellbeing. 'By pulling together and taking simple steps each day, we can all be better prepared for the times ahead.' Minister for Mental Health Nadine Dorries, who has recovered from Covid-19, said: 'When I discovered I had coronavirus I felt anxious and scared. 'For those who already suffer with anxiety or other mental health issues this may present new and difficult challenges. 'Its imperative that we stay home if we are to beat coronavirus and save lives. 'I know how important it is that people have support to look after their mental health and this guidance will be of huge value.' The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge pictured during a visit to mental health charity Jigsaw Mental health guidance, which was developed with the input of mental health charities and clinically assured by the NHS, also has points on how to help children manage stress. Published on PHEs Every Mind Matters page, it includes tips such as being aware of your own reactions around children and creating a new routine for them. There is also support for those who are already living with a serious mental health problem, such as how to access help from mental health professionals. PHE said it is issuing guidance to trusts on prioritisation of services and how to maximise use of digital and virtual channels to keep delivering support to patients. It said NHS mental health providers are also establishing 24/7 helplines. Mind is one of a consortium of charities preparing to adapt and increase their services. They are reaching out to vulnerable groups including older adults and people with underlying health conditions, and also anyone experiencing unstable employment and housing conditions. Paul Farmer, chief executive of Mind, said: 'Reaching out to friends and family is critical, as well as paying attention to the impact our physical health can have on our mental health from diet and exercise to getting enough natural light and a little fresh air. 'Whether we have an existing mental health problem or not, we are all going to need extra help to deal with the consequences of this unprecedented set of circumstances.' A charter flight is urgently needed to fly in thousands of ventilators, millions of face masks and other supplies after DHL and FedEx imposed strict weight limits on freight, a medical equipment importer says. Equinox Orthopaedics chief executive Philip Crealy also said importers trying to fulfil orders for state and territory governments are being pipped at the post by foreign governments buying direct and paying high prices. "Something needs to happen now, not in two weeks time or one weeks time," Mr Crealy said. "If I start shipping things with FedEx and DHL, it's like trying to empty out a swimming pool with a little cup." Healthcare workers are worried about a scarcity of protective gear as they battle the coronavirus. Credit:Jason South Mr Crealy said the federal government was doing a "fantastic job" and state governments are co-ordinating well. He believed there would be a government meeting on Monday to approve a charter flight to China and determine what freight would get priority. Kabul: The Taliban has attacked several provinces in northern Afghanistan, overrunning large parts of one district even as US diplomats expressed optimism that a peace process stalled over the release of prisoners was getting back on track. Insurgents launched major assaults in three northern provinces in Kunduz, whose capital was overrun by the Taliban repeatedly in recent years, as well as in Faryab and Badakhshan. Some of the worst fighting occurred in Badakhshan province, where insurgents took control of much of the district of Yamgan and inflicted heavy casualties on Afghan forces in another district, Jurm. An Afghan boy looks out from a broken window after a bomb explosion in Kabul in February. Credit:AP Amanullah Iman, who leads the executive branch of the Yamgan district office, said hundreds of Taliban fighters attacked soon after dawn on Saturday and captured the district centre after three hours of fighting. "There were five outposts in Yamgan district centre, and the Taliban captured all of them," Iman said. Last weekend, my sister and I visited an ailing family friend, Robi, in hospital. I carried a box of chocolates and a card. The nurses told us that under new coronavirus protocols, we could only see him one at a time. No one to hide behind now, I thought. The virus is stripping us of trappings and disguises, exposing brutal truths. Robi looked the way the terminally ill look. White and frail, contorted with pain. Credit: Robi looked the way the terminally ill look. White and frail, contorted with pain. When he saw me, a spark lit his face, fleetingly. Dont come close, he rasped out of concern for me, not him. When I was growing up, Robi was part of a clique of Hungarian migrants who gathered at my parents place every Friday night for whiskey and cake, heated arguments and raucous laughter. As a young man, hed studied theatre directing at a prestigious arts academy in Budapest. After the 1956 Hungarian revolution, he fled the country. He ended up in Melbourne, trained as a chemical engineer and held court on Friday nights as a mimic. Dr. Tomas Aragon, health officer for the city and county of San Francisco, speaks at a news conference with Bay Area public health officers on March 16 in San Jose. Dr. Matt Willis, Marin County's health officer, back center, disclosed last week that he had contracted the coronavirus. Dr. Scott Morrow of San Mateo County, back left, later issued an emotional plea to the public to heed California's stay-at-home order. (Dai Sugano / Bay Area News Group) After Bay Area county leaders ordered residents to stay home to stem the spread of the coronavirus on March 16, residents packed into parks, supermarket aisles and beaches the next weekend. That pushed one public health officer seemingly near to the edge. If you decide you want to do your own thing and follow your own rules, you disrespect us all, wrote Dr. Scott Morrow, public health officer for San Mateo County in a letter posted Monday to the county website. You spit in our face, and you will contribute to the death toll that will follow. Morrow's missive astonished some of his peers and constituents, but it also reflected the pressure health officials face in the Bay Area and elsewhere as the pandemic takes a rising toll. As of Saturday evening, there were 1,700 cases and 38 deaths in the Bay Area, the early epicenter of the virus. Health officials are racing to protect diverse communities from a virus overwhelming much of the world. As they do, they are paying a steep price. On Monday, Marin Countys public health officer, Dr. Matt Willis, announced in a video that he had contracted the virus. Stay at home. Shelter in place. And limit anything outside the home to only essential trips, because were seeing signs of our responders being exposed and being pulled away from duty, he said from his home, accompanied only by a potted plant. Willis has quarantined himself away from his wife and children, and according to a county spokeswoman, still had symptoms, as of Saturday. Meanwhile, some officials are feuding with each other. On Wednesday, San Jose officials announced projections of more than 2,000 coronavirus-related deaths in the next 12 weeks. That prompted Santa Clara County officials to shoot back declaring that the model shared by the city of San Jose was not produced, reviewed, or vetted by the county of Santa Clara." Under California law, public health officers hold extraordinary powers to affect everyday life. Violations of the Bay Areas shelter-in-place orders, for instance, could result in criminal charges. Story continues Yet the scope and intensity of this disease is leaving officials without an established road map to follow, according to former public health officers and experts. This is becoming an unremitting, 24-7 incredibly stressful job, said Robert Benjamin, 77, who once served as interim health officer for the city of Berkeley, worked 27 years for the Alameda County health department, and is now semiretired, working part time for the Sonoma County health department. Anyone who says this is not a big deal and asks why are we doing this (social distancing) needs new glasses, said Dr. Benjamin, who has been on regular conference calls with the Bay Areas health officers during the outbreak. Federal, state and local authorities are issuing a patchwork of public orders to their communities, and health officers are being overwhelmed, several experts said. It doesn't help that these officers lack adequate testing, data and protective equipment. There are both programmatic as well as personal stressors involved, Benjamin said. The folks we are seeing on television and the press representing the greater Bay Area counties are doing just a Herculean job. Others agreed. Remember, for these men and women, the population is their patient, said Dr. Jonathan Fielding, professor emeritus for UCLAs Fielding School of Public Health, which was named for him. They are there to prevent, respond, evaluate and monitor the health of a whole community, in much the same way a doctor will for a single patient. Although health officials prepare for pandemic events, doing simulations, taking classes with accredited state and national health officer networks, and receiving training from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reality almost never exactly mirrors a simulation, the experts said. You have to learn that every decision you make, when it comes to an emergency public health decision, is going to be made with inadequate information, said Dr. Richard Jackson, who served as California's state health officer, under Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, and who served for nine years as the director of the CDC's National Center for Environmental Health. Over the years, officers in the Bay Area have established a strong network. They talk on a daily basis, filling one another in, assessing the situation and presenting ideas, decisions and concerns. I hate to make it sound all 'Kumbaya,'" said Dr. Lisa Santora, Marin Countys deputy health officer, who has stepped in for the infected Willis. But we really do work well together, collaboratively, and most often with consensus. Officials and experts say California's public health offices are unique, with stronger authority than one sees in states such as New Jersey. There, health officials are appointed by a mayor, and are replaced with each iteration of new local government, Jackson said. On Friday, Rush Limbaugh, a conservative syndicated radio host, suggested to listeners that government health officials were deep state agents, who are driving around local communities ratting on people who are socializing. Theyre just assumed to be the best because they are in government, said Limbaugh, who is undergoing treatment for advanced lung cancer. Such sentiments anger many frontline health officials, given the long hours and risks they face. In Willis' case, he said he started feeling feverish on Friday with a worsening cough. After he had a swab taken at a drive-through coronavirus testing facility, the test came back positive last Sunday . As for San Mateo's Morrow, he declined to speak with The Times. Dr. John Swartzberg, a UC Berkeley infectious diseases expert, said the health officer's outburst reflects the general frustrations of a profession "under enormous stress and without adequate resources." Jackson, the former state health official, agreed, although he added that Morrow could have toned it down a bit. "It's an asset to be a strong leader," he said. "I kind of don't agree with beating people up." Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. 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Digital Editor VICE-President Constantino Chiwenga will not go into self-isolation after spending a fortnight in China and will instead lead the countrys battle to stop the spread of the coronavirus, a top government official said yesterday. Chiwenga arrived back in the country on Friday night after President Emmerson Mnangagwa appointed him to lead a taskforce to tackle the virus. He will be deputised by Defence minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri. The coronavirus was first detected in China late last year and the Asian country became an epicentre of the deadly disease. Observers have expressed concern that top government officials that travelled to countries battling the highly infectious disease were not following recommended preventive measures such as a 21-day self-isolation. Mnangagwas spokesperson George Charamba said Chiwenga followed the necessary procedure upon arrival and would not go into self-isolation. He is back, he said. Self-isolation arises in circumstances where you would have not had the necessary precaution taken. There is what they call testing, have you ever heard about testing? He has started work and is chairing the task force. He has to literally leave the plane to get into the office. This is an emergency. Muchinguri-Kashiri, Chiwengas deputy in the task force, early this month grabbed international headlines after claiming that the coronavirus was a punishment from God on the United States and the West for imposing sanctions on Zimbabwe. Chiwenga, who has been unwell for some time, went to China two weeks ago for treatment. Last year, the former army commander spent more than four months in the Asian country recuperating from operations done to save his life after suspected poisoning. The coronavirus started in Wuhan, China before spreading to the rest of the world where it has wreaked havoc. More than 28 000 people have so far died from the deadly virus while more than half a million have been infected worldwide. Zimbabwe so far has seven confirmed cases of infections and one death, that of journalist Zororo Makamba, who was a son of businessman James Makamba. There has been concern over the lack of seriousness by government in tackling the deadly disease. Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi went into isolation after travelling to Namibia for the inauguration of that countrys leader Hage Geingob. Last week British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Prince Charles of Wales tested positive of coronavirus. Standard Living Off Campus Student housing can leave a lot to be desired-but few tenants know where to turn. by Jena Brooker From the March, 2020 issue Green and white paint is peeling off the home where Jordan Anderson lived during his sophomore year at the University of Michigan. Anderson gestures towards the front porch, where a single piece of white string is holding up a wooden railing at the top of the steps. As he puts weight on it, it rocks back and forth. Although he and his housemates paid $725-$850 each in the 2017-18 school year, he says, they encountered many problems in their home--drains that clogged repeatedly; dirty walls, carpets, and furniture; mold; windows and doors that would not close; insects inside the house, and no hot water for a month. "It was a really rough year," Anderson says. "Emotionally it was so tolling to know that I began and ended every day in a place that just made me feel gross." --- Many U-M students live in old, poorly maintained housing. Gayle Rosen, an attorney for U-M Student Legal Services, represents students in disputes with landlords and rental companies. "We probably get 300-350 cases a year," she says. "I'd say five to ten percent turn into legal action." In recent years, mold is increasingly an issue. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, exposure to indoor mold can cause lung infections and symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, nasal congestion, and skin, throat, and eye irritation. In addition to mold, students visit Student Legal Services with complaints that range from collapsed floors and insufficient heating to bad locks, burst pipes, fleas, and mice. Most U-M students live off-campus--about 30,000 currently, according to Beyond the Diag, a U-M program that provides resources for off-campus housing. The university's way of dealing with them is typical. A 2017 article on insidehighered.com calls off-campus housing "The Neglected Stepchild of University Life." "As students flooded the local housing markets," wrote Kate Rousmaniere, a professor at Miami University and mayor of Oxford, Ohio, "universities developed a tricky dance of claiming that off-campus housing ...continued below... was not their responsibility, even if they provided recommendations and guidance for housing rentals through small off-campus housing offices."In a survey conducted by the U-M's Central Student Government for the 2018-19 school year, students reported paying an average rent of $806 a month. Yet only 57 percent of respondents said they were "satisfied with the overall condition of my property." Almost half, 46 percent, said their rental property needed repairs when they moved in.One student interviewed says severe mold in his apartment caused headaches, nosebleeds, night sweats, and a throat that felt like it was on fire. "One time I almost had my wife take me to the E.R., it was that bad," he says. He is seeking restitution for almost $10,000 in expenses and asked not to be named because the litigation is ongoing.U-M public health prof Stuart Batterman researches indoor air pollution and its potential health impacts, including coughing, asthma attacks, and long-term effects like cancer and cardiovascular disease. "Some of these are not confirmed, but the evidence is increasingly strong that even relatively low levels of pollution can cause these kinds of problems," Batterman says, adding that mold and older homes without air filtration systems can worsen the effects.A particularly insidious form of indoor air pollution is radon. According to the Washtenaw County Health Department, more than one-third of homes in the county exceed 4.0 picocuries of radiation per liter of air--the level at which the EPA recommends abatement. It is the second leading cause of lung cancer, but, because it is odorless and colorless, testing is the only way to know if the air in a home is dangerous.The state building code and the Ann Arbor Rental Housing Ordinance require all new homes, and all basements newly converted to living spaces, to be prepared for installation of a radon mitigation system if testing finds it's necessary. Additionally, landlords must provide a radon test to the city proving levels are under 4.0. But testing is required only once, when a property is initially approved as a rental. The EPA recommends retesting every five years, or every two years if a previous inspection found actionable levels.Though the city inspects rental units for physical problems, it defers to the Washtenaw County Health Department on environmental hazards such as radon and mold. Unlike the city, though, the county doesn't proactively look for problems; it learns about them only if someone complains. County environmental health director Kristen Schweighoefer says that her department receives around 150 complaints a year from the entire county. "The majority of our complaints are mold and bedbugs," she says, but they also hear about water and sewage issues, mosquitoes, garbage, and general unsanitary and unsafe conditions.Even when someone complains, Schweighoefer says, "we do not do inspections." Instead, her office acts as a mediator between tenants and landlords to resolve the issue. If there is a positive mold test, however, the tenant can go back to the city to make a complaint, which will then go through the city's complaint and enforcement process.Rosen of U-M Student Legal Services describes a case where a tenant reported mold growing on her clothes in a closet, which ultimately spread throughout the property, forcing the tenant to relocate for several months while it was remediated. When the landlord refused to compensate her, she withheld part of her rent. The landlord moved to evict her then amended the complaint "to include a claim against the tenant for their damages (the cost to remediate the apartment)," Rosen emails. The landlord eventually dropped the case, but only "[a]fter several months of discovery and motions, and with only a few weeks before the trial."---In his Lawrence St. rental, Anderson says, he dealt with broken doors and windows that would not fully close. The most benign effect was the constant presence of stink bugs in the house. The more severe consequences were break-ins. He says that an abusive ex-boyfriend of one of the residents climbed through different windows multiple times. Anderson and his housemates asked their landlords, Chen and Charles Hsieh, to fix the windows repeatedly, he says, but they never did. (The Hsiehs did not respond to repeated requests for comment.)Anderson's father, a landlord in Minneapolis-St. Paul, told him that he'd noticed many code violations in the house while moving him in. He recommended that Anderson not pursue legal action, however, because of how stressful the process would be. Instead, Anderson says, he and his housemates just dealt with it.The city's Rental Housing Services administrative coordinator Zachary Smith emails that "tenants who feel their unit is not being properly maintained may (and are encouraged to) file a complaint with the city, who will pursue, via contact with the landlord, resolution of any existing code violations." In 2018, Smith says, his office received thirty-three new complaints regarding housing code enforcement. In every case, he says, landlords made all ordered repairs, and none resulted in removal of a rental permit.The city is supposed to inspect all rental units every two years. But Rental Housing Services was unable to provide systematic data on how many inspections are performed, what issues are found, or how they are resolved. Nor does the office track the outcomes of tenant complaints, such as how often landlords are fined. Complaints are viewable only by a city employee opening up each housing record. The city plans to have a new system that will better track housing inspections, complaints, and violations within the next year or two.A later resident of 503 Lawrence did file a formal complaint with the city. The woman, who asked not to be identified, says the day she moved in last fall, she emailed the Hsiehs with a list of issues. "They just treated any criticisms as a personal indictment of them, and they treated any attempt to fix the code violations as actually successfully fixing it," she says. Doubting that she "would have a positive tenant-landlord relationship with them," she moved out three days later and filed a complaint that echoed Anderson's concerns: windows without working locks, unclean conditions, and an unstable front porch railing.A review of past city inspection reports for 503 Lawrence shows the railing was reported as a violation during a routine inspection in 2010 and fixed. Housing inspector Brandon Boggs says that inspections only offer a "snapshot," and problems can recur between inspections. Boggs inspected the house two weeks after the complaint was filed and says most of the issues he found were fixed by the end of the day. On a recent visit the string was gone--the rail still wobbled.Anderson says many of his and his housemates' complaints were never resolved, including requests for new carpets, better doors and windows, new furniture, a repaint, and garbage disposals to fix a recurring problem of backed-up sinks. But those issues were not clear code violations. According to Boggs, unless the state of the house is going to attract rodents or pests, the city can only advise landlords to address their tenants' complaints about cleanliness.---Some landlords say the tenants are at fault. Tyler Nichols, manager of Ann Arbor Apartments, says the number-one issue he sees is backed-up toilets and sinks. "Almost unilaterally that's a tenant-created problem where you're putting down things that you shouldn't." To combat this, they give each new resident a guide with tips for living there, including what you should and shouldn't put down the drain. According to Nichols, Ann Arbor Apartments has not had issues with more serious concerns, such as mold.As the semester went on, Anderson and his housemates wished they had pursued legal action. Reflecting on why they didn't, Anderson says, "We are so small. They have money. We don't have money. We don't actually know what we're doing. We just know that everything around us should not be like this."When the lease was up, they moved out. And other students moved in.---Our March article "Living Off Campus" included tenants' complaints about a rental house at 503 Lawrence. We regret that the article did not include comments from the property's owners, Charles and Chen Hsieh."You damaged us without having our side of the story," Chen Hsieh said in a meeting. She felt they should have been given more time to respond.When Jena Brooker wrote the article for a U-M journalism class, she repeatedly emailed the address posted on the building without response. As the expanded Observer version approached publication, she emailed again and sent a letter by U.S. mail.But, Chen Hsieh explained, the email address was dormant, and by the time the letter arrived they had only a couple of days to respond before the Observer's deadline.Because she could see the letter was from a business, Hsieh said, "I thought it was an ad." She set it aside for a few days, and by the time she opened it, the issue had already been printed.We wish we had reached them in time to include the Hsiehs' perspective, particularly on issues of responsiveness and security."We respond to tenant needs and requests within hours," Hsieh said. "We try very hard to keep the house safe."The article noted that in the 2017-2018 school year, "an abusive ex-boyfriend of one of the residents climbed through different windows multiple times." But, Hsieh said, they were not told about the break-ins. If they had, "we would have rushed there--even [at] midnight.""Chen is correct," said Jordan Anderson, the tenant we'd interviewed. The Hsiehs, he said, "didn't know about this guy." The resident "was the one dealing with that, and I didn't want to say anything she didn't want me to say."Anderson and his housemates also corrected a statement that they went for a month without hot water. There was never a time with no hot water, they agreed, but with six residents, there was a chronic problem with showers running cold. Hsieh said they were notified about the issue by email on November 27. After four attempts to fix the water heater, her husband bought a new one on December 2.Hsieh also asked for details of the "many" code violations the article said Anderson's father noticed during the August move-in. As Anderson recalled it recently, the only clear violation was a wobbly porch railing. His father also commented on housekeeping issues, but, Hsieh noted, those were the tenants' responsibility--their lease started in May.Hsieh said the house has consistently passed city inspections for more than four decades. But tenants tend to confuse normal wear and tear with code violations, she said, and some abuse the house.As for the porch railing, she said, "the kids sit on it [and] enjoy rocking on it." She added that her husband checks it whenever he goes to the house and has fixed it repeatedly."We have been very sympathetic and caring for tenants who are struggling financially," Hsieh said. "We usually let them pay whenever they are ready without adding a late charge."Hsieh believes the tenant who filed a complaint with the city last fall just wanted "an excuse to move out." When the tenant asked for an immediate cleaning, Hsieh said, her husband rushed to the house and cleaned it himself "in order to make peace." When they went to collect her security deposit, however, she had moved out. As the article noted, code violations found in a subsequent city inspection were promptly corrected.Hsieh shared her husband's summary of maintenance issues when Anderson's group was there. "We took care of every complaint immediately," she said.Hsieh said the article was "irresponsible and sensational," for example by saying that members of Anderson's group considered "legal action" without saying what kind. Asked for specifics, Anderson responded that they "had no idea what legal options were available."The criticisms were particularly painful, Hsieh said, because "we are very responsible and caring people. As parents ourselves, we feel for the parents of our tenants who are far away from them."We sincerely regret that we weren't able to include the Hsiehs' comments in the article and appreciate the chance to do so now. [Originally published in March, 2020.] A postman is seen at work in East London wearing a surgical mask (AP) The nationwide coronavirus lockdown could last until June, according to one of the governments leading scientific advisors. Professor Neil Ferguson, from Imperial College London, told The Sunday Times that the entire population could need to stay at home for nearly three months. Were going to have to keep these measures in place, in my view, for a significant period of time - probably until the end of May, maybe even early June. May is optimistic, he said. According to Professor Ferguson, even after the lockdown comes to an end, it is likely the government will still implement a number of social distancing measures. A sign in Holland Park, London, urging people to stay indoors. (PA) He believes schools and universities will not reopen until the autumn, while people could also be asked to work from home until late this year. It comes as Boris Johnson is warning every household he could impose even stricter lockdown measures to tackle the coronavirus outbreak as it inevitably worsens. The Prime Minister, who is self-isolating with Covid-19, is writing to every address telling people the closer they adhere to the rules the sooner life can return to normal. Latest coronavirus news, updates and advice Stressing the national emergency, the letters will land on doorsteps after the number of people to have died in UK hospitals surged past 1,000, increasing by 260 in 24 hours. NHS Englands national medical director warned that now was not the time for complacency after a study suggested social distancing could deliver a lower death toll than previously feared. In letters to 30 million households, Mr Johnson writes: We will not hesitate to go further if that is what the scientific and medical advice tells us we must do. Coronavirus warnings on signs in Glasgow. (PA) We know things will get worse before they get better. But we are making the right preparations, and the more we all follow the rules, the fewer lives will be lost and the sooner life can return to normal. Story continues The nation learned that the number of coronavirus-related deaths in the UK had hit 1,019, as of 5pm on Friday. NHS Englands national medical director Professor Stephen Powis appeared at the daily press conference as Mr Johnson worked behind closed doors in his Downing Street flat. Prof Powis warned the public not to rest on their laurels after an Imperial College London study suggested the UK could be on course for 5,700 deaths if it follows the same trajectory as China. He said it would be a good result if the toll in the UK was less than 20,000, and stressed compliance with the strict rules, and not luck, would get the number down. Wojciech Szczesny has revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo was forced to buy all of his Juventus team-mates an iMac computer after his sending off against Valencia in 2018. The superstar splashed the cash on the expensive set after receiving his marching orders in the Champions League, with former boss Massimiliano Allegri ruling that players receiving a red card must give presents to the rest of the squad. And after two months of arguing against the punishment, Ronaldo finally relented and made up for his misdemeanour. Wojciech Szczesny revealed Cristiano Ronaldo bought Juventus stars an iMac after a red card Ronaldo was sent off against Valencia and splashed the cash after two months of arguing The former Real Madrid and Manchester United attacker was reduced to tears after being dismissed in September 2018, following contact with Valencia defender Jeison Murillo. Ronaldo was adjudged to have tugged on Murillo's hair after only 29 minutes, and the referee controversially brandished a red card. Despite his outburst of emotion, the 35-year-old was forced to trudge back down the tunnel early - and Allegri prompted Ronaldo into the sizeable purchase. 'Yes, we all have an iMac,' Szczesny revealed on his own podcast Prosto w Szczene. 'It took a very long time because he couldn't process that red card and insisted high and low that he was not doing anything wrong. It took him a while, about two months of arguing, but we all have received an iMac.' The superstar was reduced to tears after his dismissal but later made up for the misdemeanour Former Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri ruled that players who were sent off must buy gifts Allegri's rules also applied to players who reported late for training, with Szczesny himself falling victim on one occasion. The ex-Arsenal stopper, now vying with club legend Gianluigi Buffon to become first-choice in Turin, revealed he bought his team-mates Dr. Dre Beats headphones. He added: 'I thought it was Tuesday, but it turned out to be Wednesday that day. Allegri called me and said everyone was already there. When I arrived half an hour late on the training field, everyone said: "oh, we're getting presents!" I ended up buying headphones for the boys.' Szczesny admitted that it was possible to discover who the 'coolest' members of Juventus' squad were when players were forced to buy gifts. Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has pledged to financially support 25,000 daily wage workers from the film industry in the wake of the national lockdown, according to Federation of Western Indian Cine Employees (FWICE). According to FWICE president B N Tiwari, Salman via his Being Human Foundation reached out to their organisation to help the workers. Salmans Being Human Foundation has come forward to help daily wage workers. They called us three days ago. We have about 5 lakh workers out of which 25,000 are in dire need of financial help. Being Human Foundation said they will take care of these workers on their own. They have asked for account details of these 25,000 workers as they want to ensure that money reaches them directly, Tiwari told PTI. Also read: Amitabh Bachchan can take away coronavirus, says Karan Johars son Yash. Abhishek Bachchan and Shweta react Meanwhile, Bhojpuri actor and politician Ravi Kishan is also helping technicians from Bhojpuri film industry. He has been donating ration to the needy. Akshay Kumar has pledged to contribute Rs 25 crores to Prime Minister Narendra Modis coronavirus relief fund. Main kaun hota hoon charity yah donate karne waala? (who am I to donate or make any charity?). Doosri baat ki hum apni country ko Bharat Maa kehte hain. Mera yeh contribution actually mera nahi hai. Yeh meri maa ki taraf se Bharat Maa ko hai. (We address our country as Bharat Maa. So this contribution is not from me. It is from my mother to my motherland, Bharat Maa.), he had told Hindustan Times. Earlier in the week, filmmakers and actors, including Karan Johar, Taapsee Pannu, Ayushmann Khurrana, Kiara Advani, Rakul Preet Singh, Sidharth Malhotra, and Nitesh Tiwari pledged their support to a new initiative aimed at supporting the daily wage earners. The initiative, I Stand With Humanity, started by organisations -- the International Association for Human Values, the Art of Living Foundation and the Indian Film and TV Industry, will provide families of daily wage workers with 10 days of essential food supplies. On March 18, the Producers Guild of India announced that they have set up a relief fund for daily wage earners impacted by the shutdown of film, television and web productions amid the coronavirus pandemic. Their decision came after many filmmakers, including Sudhir Mishra, Vikramaditya Motwane and Anurag Kashyap, raised concerns over the impact of shutdown on the daily wage workers. Follow @htshowbiz for more Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting his intervention in the matter of blocking Thalassery-Coorg State Highway-30 by Karnataka Police. "The Thalassery-Coorg SH-30 has been a lifeline for transportation of essential commodities across the border for a long time," Vijayan wrote. The Kerala Chief Minister further pointed out that the Karnataka government has erroneously assumed that the majority of COVID-19 positive cases in Kerala are in the bordering districts and hence banned the movement of vehicles on SH-30. "The Karnataka government has justified the blocking of this road by saying that the majority of the identified cases of COVID-19 in Kerala are from the bordering districts with Karnataka. This is contrary to the facts. The incidence of COVID-19 in Kerala is mainly noticed in people returning from abroad. Our government has taken effective measures to monitor COVID-19 spread. The total number of COVID-19 positive cases in Kerala is only 165 when compared to 1,34,370 persons kept under isolation and observation till March 28, 2020," Vijayan wrote to the Prime Minister. Vijayan requested the Prime Minister to intervene in the matter to ensure that SH-30 reopens hence permitting the movement of goods vehicles carrying essential commodities at a time when the lockdown is in force. A three-week lockdown was called in India by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24 to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) B oris Johnson is writing to every household in the UK to urge the public to stay at home during the coronavirus "national emergency". In his letters, the Prime Minister will warn that "things will get worse before they get better" as he stresses the need to stay indoors to support the NHS. He will write to the country from No 10 Downing Street, where he is self-isolating after testing positive for Covid-19. At an anticipated cost of 5.8 million, the letters will land on 30 million doorsteps along with a leaflet spelling out the Government's advice after much public confusion. He will write to the country from Number 10 Downing Street, where he is self-isolating after testing positive for Covid-19 / 10 Downing Street/AFP via Getty They are the latest in a public information campaign from No 10 to convince people to stay at home, wash their hands and shield the most vulnerable from the disease. "We know things will get worse before they get better," the PM's letter will read. Prime Minister Boris Johnson chairing the morning Covid-19 Meeting after testing postive for the virus / PA "But we are making the right preparations, and the more we all follow the rules, the fewer lives will be lost and the sooner life can return to normal. "It has been truly inspirational to see our doctors, nurses and other carers rise magnificently to the needs of the hour. "Thousands of retired doctors and nurses are returning to the NHS - and hundreds of thousands of citizens are volunteering to help the most vulnerable. "That is why, at this moment of national emergency, I urge you, please, to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives." Amid allegations of confusing messages on the lockdown, the leaflet will outline the Government's rules on leaving the house and advice on shielding vulnerable people. Rhode Island has stopped targeting New Yorkers after Governor Andrew Cuomo called door to door checks by the National Guard illegal and threatened to sue. Gov. Gina Raimondo instead has expanded the order to include 'any person' coming to Rhode Island from another state to 'immediately self-quarantine for 14 days'. The directive, signed late Saturday, does not apply to health workers or those working in public safety. It reads: 'Any person coming to Rhode Island from another state for a non-work-related purpose must immediately self-quarantine for 14 days.' Police had started pulling over vehicles with New York license plates to get contact information for drivers and passengers and to inform them of the order. The Rhode Island National Guard had also been going door to door in coastal communities on Saturday to tell visiting New Yorkers of a mandatory 14-day quarantine. People who broke the order faced fines and even arrest for subsequent violations, Democratic governor Raimondo said. But Gov. Cuomo then threatened to sue over what he called a 'reactionary' policy. Rhode Island has stopped targeting New Yorkers after Governor Andrew Cuomo, pictured, called door to door checks by the National Guard illegal and threatened to sue Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo instead has expanded the order to include 'any person' coming to Rhode Island from another state to 'immediately self-quarantine for 14 days' 'Were talking to Rhode Island now,' the New York governor told CNN on Saturday evening. 'If they dont roll back that policy, Im going to sue Rhode Island. 'No state should be using police to limit interstate travel.' The American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island on Thursday questioned the constitutionality of pulling over vehicles for no other reason than having a New York plate. Raimondo also extended the states social distancing guidelines that include no public gatherings of more than 10 people and limiting restaurants to takeout and delivery service only until April 13. The states two casinos will remain closed indefinitely while visitors will not be allowed at the states nursing homes and hospitals until further notice. A member of the Rhode Island National Guard Military Police talks with a motorist with New York license plates at a checkpoint on I-95 near the border with Connecticut on Saturday Members of the Rhode Island National Guard look for passengers getting off from a train from New York as it arrives Saturday Rhode Island Air National Guard Tsgt. William Randall, left, and Westerly police officer Howard Mills approach a home while looking for New York license plates in driveways to inform them of self quarantine orders on Saturday There were 38 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Rhode Island on Friday, bringing the states total to more then 200, Raimondo said. Twenty-eight people are hospitalized. Florida, Texas, South Carolina and Maryland also require a mandatory 14-day quarantine for new arrivals from the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut tri-state area. President Trump on Saturday evening tweeted that he would not seek to impose a federally mandated quarantine of residents from the three states. Earlier on Saturday, Trump said he was considering such a move, though it wasnt clear whether he had the power to order state residents to stay put. Trump told reporters that he had spoken with Republican Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida, among others, and that 'a lot of the states that are infected but don't have a big problem, theyve asked me if I'll look at it, so were going to look at it.' Cuomo said that it would probably be illegal to quarantine New York, as well as totally ineffective, given the rise of other virus hotspots in the country such as New Orleans. 'It makes absolutely no sense and I don't think any serious governmental personality or professional would support it,' Cuomo said. People out and about in the Hamptons, NY. Although the town's streets were generally quiet people were still gathering around the few coffee shops that are open People out and about in the Hamptons, NY. Locals in the Hamptons want to ban coronavirus refugees coming from NYC and force those that are there to quarantine inside for 14 days Coronavirus refugees who are leaving New York City are not just face a growing crackdown from other states, but they are also not welcome in parts of their own state. Locals in the Hamptons want to ban those fleeing the Big Apple and force those that are there to quarantine inside for 14 days. Beaches in the Hamptons have been filling up earlier than usual and local stores have been ransacked of goods as an influx of New Yorkers and celebrities including Alec Baldwin have been holing up there as the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread. Other celebrities spotted recently there include Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson and Anna Wintour. If you suddenly are in need of food, there is help available across Central New York. There are more than 300 food pantries and other programs in 11 counties that partner with the Food Bank of Central New York to help those in need. During this unprecedented crisis, we continue to distribute thousands of pounds of food every day to the emergency food network, Lyn Hy, chief development officer for the food bank, said in a statement. If you are in need of emergency food supplies, the food bank asks that you please contact the at 315-437-1899 and press 2 for a referral. The food bank has staff answering phones frrom 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. During evenings and weekends, operators at 211 have access to the most up-to-date information to make emergency food program referrals. The list Heres a look at the food pantries across the region, according to the 211 program website. This information can change so the Food Bank of Central New York recommends contacting them first. You can click on the county links to move directly to that county on the list below Onondaga County Apostolic Church of Christ Food Pantry 347 Cortland Avenue Syracuse, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need. Assumption Church Food Pantry Assumption Church Food Pantry and Soup Kitchen 808 North Salina Street Syracuse, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals and families with three days worth of meals once per month. Baldwinsville Community Food Pantry 17 West Genesee Street Baldwinsville, NY Provides individuals and families with three days worth of meals once per month. Provides a community dinner free of charge once per month. Basilica of Sacred Heart Food Pantry 1001 Park Avenue Syracuse, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals with an emergency need. Bayberry Food Pantry United Church of Christ in Bayberry 215 Blackberry Road Liverpool, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need once a month. Bethlehem Revival Food Pantry 610 Willis Avenue Syracuse, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need. Blessed Sacrament Food Pantry Blessed Sacrament School / Outreach 3127 James Street Syracuse, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need. Brewerton Community Food Pantry Brewerton United Methodist Church 5395 Orangeport Road Brewerton, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need. Bridgeport Food Pantry Saint Francis of Assisi 7820 Route 298 Bridgeport, NY Provides a food pantry and fresh food program for area individuals in need. Catholic Charities Eastside Food Pantry Catholic Charities of Onondaga County 2100 East Fayette Street Syracuse, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need. Church of the Holy Family Food Pantry 127 Chapel Drive Syracuse, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need. Dewitt Food Pantry 50 Caton Drive Apartment 53A Syracuse, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need once a month. Downtown Emergency Food Pantry Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception 264 East Onondaga Street Syracuse, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need. Emergency Assistance Services Catholic Charities of Onondaga County 264 East Onondaga Street Syracuse, NY Provides assistance with basic needs for individuals or families who have emergency need, including those who are homeless or at risk of being homeless. Services provided, as resources permit, include emergency rent payment assistance, local and long distance transit fare, prescription payment. Fabius-Pompey Outreach 7786 Main Street Fabius, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need. Offers holiday baskets at Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Faith Lutheran Church Food Pantry Faith Lutheran Church 6142 Route 31 Cicero, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need including fresh food when available in the summer. Fayetteville Manlius Food Pantry 122 East Seneca Street Manlius, NY Provides 15 meals per individual in household once a month and provides clothing for school-aged children to families living in the Fayetteville Manlius school district. First Ukrainian Pentecostal Food Pantry 3875 Warners Road Syracuse, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need. Grace Episcopal Church Food Pantry 819 Madison Street Syracuse, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need. Heaven's Pantry Minoa United Methodist Church 250 East Avenue Minoa, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need. Will serve on an emergency basis. Huntington Family Centers Emergency Services Huntington Family Centers 405 Gifford Street Syracuse, NY Provides a food pantry and a clothing exchange room (The Trading Post) where individuals and families can obtain free clothing for children and household goods. Jamesville-Dewitt Ecumenical Food Pantry 6486 East Seneca Turnpike Jamesville, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need. Jordan-Elbridge Ecumenical Food Pantry 28 North Main Street Jordan, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need. LaFayette Outreach Food Pantry 6136 Route 20 Lafayette, NY Provides a food pantry, holiday programs, and referral service to residents of the town of LaFayette, LaFayette school district, and Onondaga Nation Leo's Loaves Food Pantry 10 Onondaga Street Tully, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need. Distributes food baskets for holidays and special occasions. Manna from God Food Pantry 104 Hudson Avenue Nedrow, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need. Marcellus Ecumenical Food Pantry 1 East Main Street Marcellus, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need. Mary's Pantry at IHM 425 Beechwood Avenue Liverpool, NY Provides a food pantry, clothing and household pantry, school supplies, and referral information. Missio Church Food Pantry 620 West Genesee Street Syracuse, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need. Most Holy Rosary Food Pantry 111 Roberts Avenue Syracuse, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need. Navarino Community Food Pantry 4389 South Onondaga Road Nedrow, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need once a month. New Beginnings Christian Center Food Pantry 7247 State Fair Boulevard Syracuse, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need. North Syracuse Christian Church Pantry 911 Church Street Syracuse, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need. Our Lady of Peace Church Food Pantry Saint Marianne Cope Parish 203 Halcomb Street Syracuse, NY Provides a food pantry serving the Lakeland community. PEACE, Inc. County West Family Resource Center PEACE, Inc 93 Syracuse Street #700 Baldwinsville, NY Provides a food pantry and clothing closet for individuals in need. PEACE, Inc. Eastside Family Resource Center PEACE, Inc 202 South Beech Street Syracuse, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need. PEACE, Inc. Emma L. Johnston Southside Family Resource Center PEACE, Inc 136 Dr. Martin Luther King West Syracuse, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need. PEACE, Inc. Westside Family Resource Center PEACE, Inc 200 Wyoming Street Syracuse, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need. Plymouth Church Food Pantry 232 East Onondaga Street Syracuse, NY Provides a weekly food pantry to individuals in need. Prince of Peace Food Pantry 317 East Jefferson Street Syracuse, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need once a month. Redeemer Evangelical Covenant Church Food Pantry 7565 Morgan Road Liverpool, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need. Sacred Heart Anna's Pantry Sacred Heart Catholic Church 8229 Brewerton Road Cicero, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need. Saint Joseph the Worker Food Pantry Saint Joseph the Worker Church 1001 Tulip Street Liverpool, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need. Saint Lucy's Food Pantry Saint Lucy's Church 432 Gifford Street Syracuse, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need once a month. Saint Margaret's Food Pantry Saint Margaret's Church 203 Roxboro Road Syracuse, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need. Offers vouchers for use at the Savlation Army Thrift Store, basic hygiene products, and diapers for adults and children. Saint Matthew's Church Food Pantry 214 Kinne Street East Syracuse, NY Provides a food pantry to individuals in need. Saint Patrick / Saint Brigid's Food Pantry 1331 West Fayette Street Syracuse, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need. Saint Paul's Food Pantry Brown Memorial Church 228 Davis Street Syracuse, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need. Saint Rose of Lima Food Pantry 409 South Main Street North Syracuse, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need once a month. Salvation Army Emergency Basic Needs Food Pantry Salvation Army of Onondaga County 667 South Salina Street Syracuse, NY Assists individuals and families once every month by providing enough food for 3 days. (Special circumstances warrant more frequent aid.) There is also assistance in applying for Food Stamps, WIC, or other benefits, if eligible. Hygiene items, diapers, baby food, and formula are available either Seton Food Pantry 3494 State Route 31 Baldwinsville, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need. Skaneateles Ecumenical Food Pantry 819 West Genesee Street Road Skaneateles, NY Updated hours: Tuesday, 9 AM - 9:45 AMProvides a food pantry for individuals in need. Southern Missionary Baptist Church Food Pantry 3143 Midland Avenue Syracuse, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need. Southwest Community Center Food Pantry Syracuse Community Connections (SCC) 401 South Avenue Syracuse, NY Provides a food pantry and fresh food give-away for individuals in need. Spafford Food Pantry 6816 State Route 41 Homer Township, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need once a month. St. Joseph's Church Food Pantry Saint Joseph's Church 5600 West Genesee Street Camillus, NY Provides food for individuals and families in need twice weekly. St. Marianne Cope Parish Food Pantry & Clothing Closet Saint Marianne Cope Parish 105 Stanton Avenue Solvay, NY Provides a food pantry and clothing closet serving the Solvay community. Syracuse Northeast Community Center Food Pantry Syracuse Northeast Community Center (SNCC) 716 Hawley Avenue Syracuse, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need. Diapers available on Mondays. Transfiguration Church Food Pantry 740 Teall Avenue Syracuse, NY Provides monthly food items, donated by church participants, to needy residents in the 13206 & 13203 zip code. Trinity Assembly of God Food Pantry 4398 Route 31 Clay, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need. University Christian Fellowship Food Pantry 512 Westcott Street Syracuse, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need. University United Methodist Church Food Pantry University United Methodist Church (UUMC) 1085 East Genesee Street Syracuse, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need. Fresh produce and breads are available. Offers a pet food closet and distributes diapers. Valley Worship Center Food Pantry Valley Worship Center Church of the Nazarene 2929 Midland Avenue Syracuse, NY Provides a food pantry and fresh food distribution. Vineyard Christian Food Pantry 312 Lakeside Road Syracuse, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need. Well of Hope Food Pantry and Clothing Closet 1640 South Avenue Syracuse, NY Provides a food pantry and clothing closet for individuals in need. Westvale Seventh Day Adventist Food Pantry 2515 West Genesee Street Syracuse, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need. Wetzel Road Church of Christ Food Pantry 4268 Wetzel Road Liverpool, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need. Cayuga County Food Pantry Program Salvation Army 18 E Genesee Street Auburn, NY Providing services to go only. Provides a food pantry. Food provided for five days, 3 meals per day, for each person in the family. King Ferry Food Pantry 2384 State Route 34B Southern Cayuga High School Ag Wing Aurora, NY Calvary Food Pantry CNY, Inc. 90 Franklin Street Auburn, NY Call in orders first at 315-252-7772. Only 1 person allowed to pick up at a time. Provides food pantry services three times a week (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays). Provides bagged lunch once a week (Mondays). St. Alphonsus Food Pantry 95 E Genesee Street Auburn, NY Brutus-Sennett Pantry 2892 Towpath Road Weedsport, NY Port Byron Community Food Pantry 8510 South Street Road Port Byron, NY Offers a food pantry. 3 days/3 meals per day/weekly access is allowed. Emergency deliveries available. Fair Haven Community Church 14463 Richmond Avenue Fair Haven, NY Cato Christian Food Pantry 2570 E Main Street Cato, NY Offers an emergency food cupboard. Cortland County Here is the list Madison County Mustard Seed Pantry St. James Church 990 Route 80 Georgetown, NY Clothing available for all ages. Household items as available including bedding, small appliances and kitchenware. Madison County Office for the Aging, Inc. 138 Dominic Bruno Boulevard Canastota, NY Offers a food package with enough food for a few days. Church of the Holy Family 4352 Peterboro Street Vernon, NY *Provides fresh food including fruits, vegetables, pastries, breads and sometimes meats to those in need. Morrisville Community Church Food Pantry 100 Eaton Street Morrisville, NY Provides a food pantry to the community in need. St. Patrick's Food Pantry 117 E Walnut Street Oneida, NY Provides emergency food assistance to those in need. Fresh produce may be available over the summer. Usually has diapers; sizes may be limited. Oneida County Johnson Park Center Food Pantry Johnson Park Center 1404 West Street Utica, NY Provides a food pantry. Accepts donations of food, clothing, household goods, and toys Offers volunteer opportunities. Salvation Army of Utica Food Pantry Salvation Army of Utica 14 Clinton Place Utica, NY Provides supplementary groceries to those in need. Fresh Food Program Church of the Holy Family 4352 Peterboro Street Vernon, NY *Provides fresh food including fruits, vegetables, pastries, breads and sometimes meats to those in need. Referrals to Emergency Food Programs Food Bank of Central New York 7066 Interstate Island Road Syracuse, NY Provides referrals to food pantries and soup kitchens within the 11 county service area. Community Food Pantry Program Rescue Mission of Utica 1013 West Street Utica, NY Offers a 15 meal food package per person per family. Food Pantry and Donation Room Central New York Veteran's Outreach Center 726 Washington Street Utica, NY Offers a food pantry. Offers a donation room providing: Furniture Clothing Medical equipment Household items Food Pantry Rome Rescue Mission 413 E Dominick Street Rome, NY Provides a food pantry to those in need. Food Pantry Kids for Utica 959 Bleecker Street Utica, NY Offers a food pantry for anyone in need. Bagged Lunch Program Rescue Mission of Utica 293 Genesee Street Utica, NY Provides bag lunches during lunch time. Bagged lunches are given out at the front of 203 Rutger Street. Oswego County Brewerton Community Food Pantry Brewerton United Methodist Church 5395 Orangeport Road Brewerton, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need. Dexterville Community Services (DACS) 9 Rathburn Road Fulton, NY Provides food, clothing, furniture, and household items free of charge to individuals and families in need. Divine Mercy Parish Food Pantry 592 South Main Street Central Square, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals, formula when available, and a thrift shop. First United Methodist Church Food Pantry 1408 State Route 176 Fulton, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need. Fulton Alliance Church Food Pantry 1044 State Route 48 Fulton, NY Provides a limited food pantry of canned goods for individuals in need. Hannibal Resource Center Food Pantry 927 Cayuga Street Hannibal, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need. Human Concerns, Inc 85 East Fourth Street Oswego, NY Provides emergency food for individuals in need. Supplies 3 days of food, 3 meals daily, for each person in the household. Also provides clothing for winter and hygiene items when available. Lighthouse Church Bread Giveaway 11 South Jefferson Street Mexico, NY Provides a baked-goods giveaway for families and individuals in need. Mexico Food Pantry Saint Anne Mother of Mary Church 5863 Scenic Avenue Mexico, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need. Mexico Presbyterian Church Food Pantry 4361 Church Street Wilcox Hall Mexico, NY Provides a food pantry for individuals in need once a month. Pope Francis on Sunday called for the to stop "all forms of war" and act as "one human family" against the coronavirus. After delivering his weekly angelus, the Pope said, "the joint commitment against the pandemic can lead everyone to recognize our need to strengthen fraternal ties as members of the one human family." The Pope said he accepted an appeal from the Secretary-General of the United Nations calling for a global ceasefire in light of the coronavirus crisis which "knows no borders," as reported by CNN. I join all those who have accepted this appeal and invite everyone to follow by stopping all forms of war, hostility and promote the creation of corridors for humanitarian aid, openness to diplomacy, attention to those who are in a situation of great vulnerability," he said. Pope Francis also called for leaders to be "sensitive" to the serious problem of overcrowded jails where the coronavirus could run rampant and take the "necessary measures to avoid future tragedies. The Pope's weekly Angelus has been streamed from inside the Vatican since early March after St. Peter's square was closed because of the coronavirus. In Italy, there are currently at least 92,472 cases active making it the country with the second-highest number of cases behind the United States. Italy has reported 10, 023 deaths per the data provided by the Johns Hopkins University. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc has presented the sum of N1 billion to the Lagos State Government as part of the banks commitment to help curb the effect of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). This is also in fulfilment of its N5 billion commitment made by the UBA Group Chairman, Tony Elumelu, last week. Whilst presenting the cheque to the Lagos State Governor at the Government House in Marina, UBAs Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Kennedy Uzoka, said that as a socially responsible institution, UBA cares for its communities and for Lagos State which has recorded the highest number of positive cases thus far, needing special attention. He disclosed that the decision to give Lagos N1 billion was as a result of the important role that the state plays in the economy of not only Nigeria, but Africa as a whole, given its vast population and other key economic factors. Mr Uzoka said to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Given the population of this state and that it is the business nerve centre, we at UBA are committed to lending our support to the state government. So today, we are giving you and the state N1bn (one billion naira) to support your endeavour in fighting the Coronavirus disease. Continuing, he said, I will not fail to mention that this wasnt an easy decision for us because Lagos is just one of the many states in Nigeria. However, we looked at the importance of Lagos to Nigeria, but more importantly, we looked at the fact that Lagos has set up the right structure to administer whatever it is that we are giving to the state. So, we are rest assured, because we believe without an iota of doubt that the state will use these funds effectively and efficiently. Receiving the cheque, Mr Sanwo-Olu appreciated the support of the bank, which according to him will go a long way to assist the state in kicking out the worrisome pandemic. He said, We appreciate UBA. This is not the kind of money that we would want to take for granted. This is really an important intervention and this fund will go a long way to meet all of our needs both now and in the future, to ensure that Lagos continues to remain safe for business. READ ALSO: Continuing, the governor said, And so, we are indeed happy that you decided to make this very bold move to support the health facility infrastructure in Lagos. You can be rest assured that once the structures have been developed, we will call you again to see what we have put these resources to. On Thursday, UBA announced a donation of over N5 billion (USD14 million), through the UBA Foundation, to catalyse a comprehensive pan-African response to the fight against the coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. The donation is expected to provide significant and much needed support to Nigeria and 19 other African countries, by supplying relief materials, critical care facilities, and financial support to Governments. The bank has begun to roll out its support programme, having already disbursed the pledged amounts to many states within Nigeria and 7 countries in Africa including Ghana, Guinea, Cameroun, Tanzania, Tchad, Liberia, Republic of Benin. The N5 billion donation by the bank is being distributed as follows: N1 billion (USD2.8 million) to Lagos State Government in Nigeria N500 million (USD1.4 million) to Nigerias Federal Capital Territory, Abuja N1 billion (USD2.8 million) to the remaining 35 states in Nigeria N1.5 billion (USD4.2 million) to UBAs presence countries in Africa N1 billion (USD2.8 million) for Medical Centres with equipment and supplies Free Telemedicine call centre facility. Operating in 20 African countries and globally in the United Kingdom, the United States and France, the United Bank for Africa has a strong record of supporting its communities, through challenging times. Africas richest man, Aliko Dangote has tested negative for coronavirus as confirmed in a tweet he shared today March 29. Dangotes health status came under public attention after reports of physical contact with some governors and the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, who tested positive for the virus. He wrote; The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly disrupted modern society, affecting our collective health and well-being. As a global citizen and business leader, I took the COVID-19 test and the result came back NEGATIVE. Coalition Against COVID-19 is an initiative that I am leading with other private sector leaders&our common goal is to support ongoing Government initiatives with our resources in the fight against COVID-19. We are in this together and I am optimistic we will overcome. However, President Muhammadu Buhari will broadcast to the nation Sunday, March 29, 2020 at 7pm. Television, radio and other electronic media outlets are enjoined to hook up to the network services of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) respectively for the broadcast. The President is expected to speak to Nigerians on the current coronavirus crisis. After much pressure, President Muhammadu Buhari will finally address Nigerians by 7pm on Sunday. Meanwhile, Chief Medical Director of University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo State, Prof Jesse A. Otegbayo, has tested positive for Coronavirus. He confirmed the development in a statement on Sunday. Also, the Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai has tested positive for the coronavirus disease. The governor announced this in a video posted on his verified Twitter handle on Saturday evening. Post Views: 6 The Military Sealift Command hospital ship of US. Navy, USNS Comfort (T-AH 20), departed Naval Station Norfolk on March 28, 2020, for New York City in support of the nations Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) response efforts. The Military Sealift Command hospital ship of US. Navy, USNS Comfort (T-AH 20), departed Naval Station Norfolk on March 28, 2020, for New York City in support of the nations Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) response efforts. The Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) departs Naval Station Norfolk, Va. March 28, 2020. Comfort is deploying in support of the nations COVID-19 response efforts and will serve as a referral hospital for non-COVID-19 patients currently admitted to shore-based hospitals. (Picture source US Navy) The ship will serve as a referral hospital for patients not infected with COVID-19, providing a full spectrum of medical care to include general surgeries, critical care and ward care for adults, while allowing shore-based civilian hospitals to focus on their medical care devoted to the treatment of COVID 19 patients. Comfort departed Naval Station Norfolk with over 1,100 Navy medical personnel and support staff with the afloat medical treatment facility (MTF), and over 70 civil service mariners. Comforts MTF is an embarked crew of medical personnel from the Navy's Bureau of Medicine and Surgery responsible for operating and maintaining one of the largest trauma facilities in the United States. The ship expects to begin receiving patients 24 hours after arriving in New York City. All patient transfers will be coordinated with local hospitals, thus ensuring a consistent handoff of care between medical providers. Patients will not be accepted on a walk-on basis, and should not come to the pier with an expectation that they can receive care. Comfort is operated, navigated and maintained by a crew of civil service mariners working for the U.S. Navys Military Sealift Command. A converted San Clemente-class supertanker, Comfort was delivered to the Navy's Military Sealift Command Dec. 1, 1987, and is the second of two Mercy-class hospital ships. USNS Comfort (T-AH-20) is the third United States Navy ship to bear the name Comfort, and the second Mercy-class hospital ship to join the U.S. Navy's fleet. The USNS prefix identifies Comfort as a non-commissioned ship owned by the U.S. Navy and operationally crewed by civilians from the Military Sealift Command (MSC). Uniformed naval hospital staff and naval support staff is embarked when Comfort is deployed, said staffs consisting primarily of naval officers from the Navy's Medical Corps, Dental Corps, Medical Service Corps, Nurse Corps, and Chaplain Corps, and naval enlisted personnel from the Hospital Corpsman rating and various administrative and technical support ratings (e.g., Yeoman, Personnel Specialist, Information Systems Technician, Religious Program Specialist, etc.) USNS Comfort hospital ship contains twelve fully equipped operating rooms, a 1,000-bed hospital facility, radiological services, a medical laboratory, pharmacy, optometry lab, CT scan equipment, and two oxygen-producing plants. A palace in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh city (not pictured) was almost hit by a ballistic missile fired from Yemen. (HASSAN AMMAR/AFP/Getty Images) Missiles Intercepted Above Saudi Capital and City of Jazan: Saudi Media RIYADHBallistic missiles were intercepted on Saturday in the sky above Saudi Arabias capital Riyadh and the southern city of Jazan, Saudi state media reported, citing its own sources and the Saudi-led coalition fighting against the Houthis in Yemen. Residents in Riyadh reported multiple blasts around 11:20 p.m. local time, followed by emergency vehicle sirens in some northern districts. The source of the projectiles was unclear and there was no immediate claim of responsibility. Yemens Iran-backed Houthis battling the Saudi-led coalition have launched hundreds of missiles and drones across the border, mostly at nearby civilian and military targets like the Saudi cities of Abha and Khamis Mushait, but also at the capital, Riyadh. The last attempted strike on the capital was in June 2018. Saudi Arabia blamed Iran for a September 2019 drone and missile attack on two oil installations that initially halved Saudi oil output. Tehran denied any involvement after the Houthis claimed responsibility. The Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemens civil war in 2015 on the request of the internationally-recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi who was ousted by the Houthis in 2014. Tens of thousands of people have died in the ongoing conflict. Nepal received medical supplies from China on Sunday to tackle the coronavirus outbreak which has claimed over 30,000 lives around the world so far. The supplies, which arrived in a Nepal Airlines Airbus 330 aircraft at the Tribhuwan International Airport here, are part sponsored by the Chinese government, part bought by the Nepal government and part donated by Alibaba Group chairman Jack Ma. The consignment includes portable ventilators, thermometers, surgical and regular masks, COVID-19 test kits and other protection equipment. Health officials said the medical items will be dispatched to all districts in the country on Sunday itself. Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Hou Yanqi officially handed over the supplies to Nepal Minister for Health and Population Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal in a ceremony here. Hou said China was happy to extend support to the Nepali people. "We are ready to send medical teams to Nepal if needed," she said. Dhakal thanked the Chinese government for the support. In total, 2.5 tonnes of medical aid have been sent to Nepal from China. Health officials said 917 people have been tested for coronavirus in the Himalayan nation, out of whom five tested positive. Four patients are currently in isolation while one has recovered. Twelve other suspected cases have been isolated. The Nepal government on Sunday launched a mobile application containing all necessary information about coronavirus. A person can check for symptoms of the disease through the app on the basis of which the next steps on their treatment can be determined, said Health Ministry Spokesperson Bikas Devkota. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Courtesy of The Accidentals Don't Edit BY JOHN D. GONZALEZ | gonzo@mlive.com The coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic is greatly impacting the music community, as we all know. And -- as we prepare for another week of "Stay Home, Stay Safe" -- Michigan musicians are ramping up efforts to get their music out on the Internet, play live, release new music and hopefully bring in some income. Lost gigs that stretch into May and even June means loss of income. UPDATE: Sunday, March 29: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan I recently caught up with long-time friend and singer/songwriter Jack Leaver, who has had two regular weekly gigs in Grand Haven for years. "Since moving here nearly 10 years ago, these gigs have given me the opportunity to meet hundreds of people, many of whom have become very close friends. Because Wednesday and Thursday nights were my 'resident' gigs, when the order came down to close bars and restaurants to help stop the spread of the virus, I decided ask my Facebook friends if I should do a live stream," Leaver wrote to me in a Facebook message. "I had an overwhelming response to do it!" So far he has done four nights of streams and have reached thousands of people, "way beyond my expectations." His next gig is Wednesday, April 1. (Details below or here.) "I play for a couple of hours each night, doing my own songs and favorite covers and requests. I chat, tell stories about the songs, crack jokes. It's a truly wonderful fellowship and I know for me, I feel a little less anxious," Leaver said. "During these streams, people not only greet me, they chat with each other, just like they would if they came to one of my nights in a bar. The overwhelming feedback has been so positive, I believe we as artists can give people some normalcy, in a time where the future seems so unsure. I am truly humbled, people have been extremely generous with tips, I have received many messages thanking me for what I am doing. "Truth is, for me, I would go crazy right now if I wasn't able to sing and play for people." In an earlier interview with my good friend and former Grand Rapids Press colleague John Sinkevics, who operates the popular website LocalSpins.com, he said "lots of musicians are facing a double-whammy." "Not only have they had scores of paid gigs canceled with no hope of recovering that lost income, but many of them have part-time jobs in breweries, bars and restaurants that have been shuttered due to COVID-19." Local Spins has started a "Viral Virtual Venues" listing of online, live-streamed concerts to replace our usual concert guide: https://localspins.com/events/ And the Michigan Music Alliance, based in Grand Haven, has set up a Michigan Artist Relief Fund to collect donations that will be distributed to musicians who've lost gig income due to the coronavirus pandemic. What else is going on in Michigan? Let's take a look at some music events taking place this week, March 29-April 5. If you want to email me your Live Stream or event, please do so asap. I can update this list throughout the wee. My email: gonzo@mlive.com. Get up to the minute coverage of the coronavirus in Michigan here. Don't Edit Last day of Spread the Music Festival to support the Michigan Artist Relief Fund! Check out all these great artists... Posted by Michigan Music Alliance on Sunday, March 29, 2020 Don't Edit Courtesy of the Grand Rapids Symphony Don't Edit Blue Lake Public Radio Concerts by the Grand Rapids Symphony. Sundays at 1 p.m. On WBLU-FM 88.9 in Grand Rapids or WBLV-FM 90.3 in Muskegon or online. Concerts were recorded earlier this season at performances in DeVos Performance Hall and St. Cecilia Music Center. Though each is previously recorded, they air live and unedited. Its as close as possible to a live concert without the risks involved in public gatherings. Don't Edit Don't Edit Courtesy of Toby Bresnahan Don't Edit From the Facebook event page: Toby Bresnahan, an acoustic musician with his first ever streaming concert via Facebook Live. Broadcasting outdoors on the deck of his home studio (weather permitting) In case of 'not so nice' weather, the show must go on and will be broadcast from inside the studio. Toby entertains Michigan audiences with his solo thing doing Celtic / Irish / Originals and Covers on guitar, bouzouki & voice. Toby is also a founding member of Grand Rapids based Traditional Irish group Peat in the Creel. Sunday, March 29 at 7:00 just get on Facebook and head over to Toby Bresnahan Profile here: https://www.facebook.com/tobybresnahan Don't Edit Sunday Funday plans? Tune in to our Facebook Live on March 29 for a special performance from Jack Droppers & The Best Intentions! Posted by Listening Room on Friday, March 27, 2020 Don't Edit Listening Room 7 p.m. Sunday, March 29 Artist: Jack Droppers Facebook link From Quinn Mathews, general manager/talent buyer at Listening Room: "Fully committed to the guidelines being put in place by local and national authorities concerning group size and maintaining safe social distancing, Listening Room will be broadcasting musicians home live streaming performances on our Facebook page via our new series 'Artists in their Residence.' Mathews will host the show from his living room while introducing viewers to the guest musician during each broadcast discussing their art, sharing stories, and promoting their fundraising channel. Each artist will provide a personal source for suggested donations to be sent, or the viewing audience will be pointed towards a state-wide fund created to support artists. On the artist: "Jack Droppers was born in Grand Rapids, MI but has spent almost all his life outside of the city until recently. Like his new home in GR, JD's latest musical project is a homecoming of sorts. The Americana rock & roll that Jack Droppers & the Best Intentions play reflects a blend of the Springsteen cassettes he inherited and the garage-rock scene of Central Florida where he grew up." Don't Edit Monday! 3pm We join @mayerlewine @SawyerFrdrx and @joshuadavis77 for a great new concert series called lets be alone together! Get some tickets! https://t.co/d3IC2ibS8I pic.twitter.com/KOBduwntjv The Accidentals (@moreaccidentals) March 27, 2020 Don't Edit Don't Edit Michigan gets a big spotlight on Monday, March 30 Several acts perform on Stageit.com where fans have to sign up, purchase tickets and have the ability to leave tips. These are some of Michgan's top acts! Sign up here: https://www.stageit.com/let_s_be_alone_together/the_accidentals_may_erlewine_sawyer_fredericks_and_joshua_davis/72287 Show notes from StageIt.com: 3:00: The Accidentals Texas Lifestyle Magazine chose The Accidentals as the "band to see" at Austin City Limits, SXSW, calling them defiant, young powerful, and undaunted." This Female-fronted, multi-instrumentalist power trio (Sav Buist, Katie Larson, and Michael Dause), kicked off 2018 with the release of their debut album, Odyssey, with Sony Masterworks. Pop Matters says, "you can't define the Accidentals by comparison to any one band", comparing them to a mash-up of influences including, "Decemberists, Avett Brothers, Beatles, and Brandi Carlile. NPR calls them "some of the most compelling songwriters of our time". 3:30: May Erlewine: One of the Midwest's most prolific and passionate songwriters, Erlewine has a gift for writing songs of substance that feel both fresh and soulfully familiar. Her ability to emotionally engage with an audience has earned her a dedicated following far beyond her Michigan roots. She shows us her heartbreak, but she also shows us her empowered and emboldened spirit. In her quest to find her most authentic self, Erlewine gifts each listener with a powerful, emotional experience that immediately connects us. She is a true artist, an anthem, and another example of why we need to listen to women. We need to hear these stories. When she starts to sing, there's no way around it: The time is now. 4:00: Sawyer Fredericks With his deep, beyond-his-years original lyrics and melodies, raw, soulful vocals, and powerful live performances, Sawyer seemed an unlikely match for reality tv, but having been scouted by casting directors at 15, he quickly won over broad audiences with his genuine delivery and unique arrangements of classic songs, going on to win season 8 of NBC's The Voice.a self-described "free-range folk", incorporating elements of blues, roots rock, and jazz with live instrumental arrangements throughout. In writing about his top ten Americana albums of 2018 in No Depression and AXS Magazine, Chris Griffy recommends Hide Your Ghost as "a bluesy folk-rocker with a no-frills production that relies on Fredericks' raw voice to carry the emotional weight." MLive story: Who won 'The Voice' 2015? We have the results here!. 4:30: Joshua Davis Speaking or singing, the voice of Joshua Davis is a disarming instrument: weathered and warm, as capable of conjuring confessional intimacy on a global stage as it is of making a small room, well off the beaten path, resonate with startling urgency and power. Couple it with an earnest poetic sensibility, a boundless work ethic, and an uncanny gift for connecting with audiences spanning generations, and it's no wonder that Davis is now poised at the brink of the sort of widespread recognition that typically passes right over such a humble troubadour. Don't Edit Last day of Spread the Music Festival to support the Michigan Artist Relief Fund! Check out all these great artists... Posted by Michigan Music Alliance on Sunday, March 29, 2020 Don't Edit Courtesy of Big Jake Don't Edit From the Facebook Event Page: The Big Man is coming to you live from the Manor, Monday through Friday for happy hour. Cheers, y'all! Catch him in the following virtual places: facebook.com/thebootstrapboys instagram.com/thebootstrapboys twitter: twitter.com/bootstrapboys youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfeA5DG5lpnInmNWZSXFBmw Like what you hear? Send a tip! Venmo: @thebootstrapboys, Cash: $bootstrapboys, PayPal: thebootstrapboys@gmail.com Don't Edit 3/6/2020 Tangent Gallery We would like to announce our Live From the Bunker series! Live From the Bunker will feature unreleased footage every Sunday at 7:30 PM! Tonight's feature will be our 3/6/2020 show at the Tangent Gallery including a smokin' Red Hot Mama cover with Andrew Pickel of Dizgo on guitar! Posted by Act Casual on Sunday, March 22, 2020 Don't Edit Don't Edit Detroit band Act Casual will be live streaming performances as well as releasing footage from the archive every Sunday evening around 7:30, kick back and join Act Casual Live From The Bunker! More info on Facebook: facebook.com/ActCasualMusic/ Don't Edit Courtesy of Nicholas James Thomasma Don't Edit From the Facebook page: On April 1st Ill be livestreaming from my living room, answering questions and performing the entire Rolling Home album solo acoustic. Ill take a moment to explain how each of the songs was created and who plays on the recordings. From the home base in MI to a trip to California in the VW Bus and all the way to Spain, the album chronicles the last few years of my life. Its been quite an adventure! Tune in on April 1st! Pre orders for Rolling Home are live now on my website! Album release is May 30th. http://www.nicholasjamesthomasma.com Patreon Live at 3:00p Facebook Live at 4:20p Instagram Live at 6:00p Youtube Live at 8:00p All times are Eastern Standard Time Don't Edit Courtesy of Jack Leaver Don't Edit Jack Leaver From Facebook event page: 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 1: Tune in to see Jack Leaver with Chris Cranick perform live in support of the Michigan Artist Relief Fund! DONATE HERE: gf.me/u/xqyjta Jack will go on about 7 p.m. This will be a live video streaming directly from this Facebook page. Find out more at www.michiganmusicalliance.org. More on Jack Leaver: https://www.facebook.com/Jack-Leaver-429346107147886/ Don't Edit Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State has ordered the closure of the states boundaries from Tuesday. The order is to avert the importation of coronavirus into the state by inter-state travellers, he said. The governor also called on traders in the state not to hike the prices of food in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a statement by his spokesperson, Mamman Mohammed, the governor also called on the people to continue to pray as the state is yet to record any case of the virus. Mr Buni said the government would establish isolation centres in the state, while expressing gratitude to God for the zero status of the state for the virus at the moment. The statement reads: Yobe state Governor, His Excellency Hon. Mai Mala Buni, has directed closure of the state borders from midnight of Tuesday 31st March, 2020 to guard against importation of the dreaded Corona Virus into the state. The governor said this became necessary following the spike in spread of the virus in the country. He expressed gratitude to Allah (SWT) for sparing the state and its people since the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic and the zero status of the state. The Governor said in spite of the states zero status, government had taken adequate measures by establishing isolation centers with equipment and constituting a committee on Corona Virus under the chairmanship of the state Deputy Governor, Hon. Idi Barde Gubana. He said a Rapid Response Team was also established to closely monitor any suspicious case as we remain grateful that we have no single case upto this moment. Gov. Buni urges the people to adhere to medical advises, avoid over crowded gatherings and washing of hands. The Governor appealed to the people to cooperate with the government and all the relevant agencies for a collective approach to the fight against the pandemic. Gov. Buni also called on traders not to hoard essential commodities to hike up prices and create additional hardships to the people. He called on the people to be calm and steadfast in prayers to seek divine intervention to save the state, Nigeria and humanity, the statement said. Advertisement By The Associated Press Mar. 27, 2020 | NEW YORK By The Associated Press Mar. 27, 2020 | 06:03 AM | NEW YORK U.S. coronavirus infections surged to top the world amid warnings that the pandemic is accelerating in cities like New York, Chicago and Detroit, while a record $2.2 trillion emergency package neared final approval Friday by Congress to help millions of newly unemployed Americans and struggling companies. The situation in countries with even more fragile health care systems grew more dire on Friday. Russia, Indonesia and South Africa all passed the 1,000-infection mark and South Africa began a three-week lockdown. India launched a massive program to help feed hungry day laborers after a lockdown of the country's 1.3 billion people put them out of work. In France, a 16-year-old student became the youngest person in the country to die from the virus. Her sister, Manon, spoke out in the French media, saying that Julie was hospitalized Monday after developing a slight cough last week, then died Tuesday at the Necker children's hospital in Paris. We must stop believing that this only affects the elderly, said Manon, who did not reveal her surname. "No one is invincible against this mutant virus. France has reported more than 1,600 deaths so far amid 29,000 infections. The U.S. now has more than 85,000 confirmed cases, and Italy was set to pass China's 81,782 infections later Friday. The three countries account for 46% of the world's nearly 540,000 infections and more than half of its acknowledged virus deaths. Analysts, however warned that all those infection figures could be low for reasons that varied in each nation. China numbers can't be trusted because the government lies, American political scientist Ian Bremmer, president of the Euraisa Group think-tank, said Friday in a tweet. U.S. numbers can't be trusted because the government can't produce enough tests. Italian epidemiologists warn that the country's numbers are likely much higher than reported perhaps five times as higher although two weeks into a nationwide lockdown the daily increase seems to be slowing, at least in northern Italy. Its a horrible sensation, not being able to breathe, said Fausto Russo, a 38-year-old fitness trainer who is one of 10,000 Italians whose infection has been cured. Imagine putting your head under water. Health care workers grew increasingly angry at the lack of protective equipment. "Our emergency room was like a petri dish, said Benny Mathew, a nurse at New York's Montefiore Medical Center who heard Thursday he had COVID-19 and is now worried he may infect his wife and two daughters. Im angry. We could have secured enough personal protective equipment months ago. It was happening in China since December, he said. But we thought it was never going to happen here. For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. But for others, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, the virus can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death. The worldwide death toll climbed to over 24,000, according to Johns Hopkins University but more than 124,000 people have recovered, about half in China. New York state, the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak., reported 100 more deaths in one day, accounting for almost 30% of the 1,300 fatalities nationwide. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the number of deaths will increase soon as critically ill patients who have been on ventilators for days succumb. That is a situation where people just deteriorate over time, Cuomo said. The White House's coronavirus response coordinator, Deborah Birx, said counties in the Midwest around Chicago and Detroit are seeing a rapid increase in cases. Washington, D.C., confirmed 36 new cases, raising its total to 267. The district is under a state of emergency, its major attractions like the Smithsonian museums and National Zoo closed and White House and Capitol tours cancelled. Police have blocked off streets, bridges and traffic circles to prevent crowds from coming to see Washingtons blooming cherry blossom trees. Russian authorities ramped up testing this week after widespread criticism of insufficient screening. The stay-home order for India's 1.3 billion people threw out of work the backbone of the nations economy rickshaw drivers, fruit peddlers, cleaners and others who buy food with their daily earnings. The government announced a $22 billion stimulus to deliver monthly rations to 800 million people. India's massive train system was also halted to stop the spread of the virus but that might not work. Jobless workers are now attempting to walk hundreds of miles to their home villages from India's major cities. In China, where the virus was first believed to have started, the National Health Commission on Friday reported 55 new cases, 54 of them imported infections. Once again, there were no new cases reported in Wuhan, the provincial capital where the coronavirus first emerged in December. China is barring most foreigners from entering. In a phone call Friday, Chinese leader Xi Jinping told U.S. President Donald Trump that China "understands the United States' current predicament over the COVID-19 outbreak and stands ready to provide support within its capacity." The two countries should work together to boost cooperation in epidemic control and other fields, and develop a relationship of non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation," the official Xinhua News Agency reported. The pandemic appears to have peaked in China, even while the government remains on guard against imported cases. Beijing is sending medical teams and equipment abroad, especially to Europe. But it has strongly protested U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's repeated references to the outbreak as the "Wuhan Flu," saying that promotes bias against China and Chinese Americans. The economic damage of the pandemic was growing. Italy shut down most of its industry, and a record-shattering 3.3 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week nearly five times the old record set in 1982. Companies in Europe are laying off workers at the fastest pace since 2009, according to surveys of business managers. Despite that, Wall Street rallied for the third straight day after an unprecedented $2.2 trillion economic rescue package to help businesses, hospitals and ordinary Americans passed the Senate. The rescue plan, which is expected to be voted on in the House later Friday, would dispense checks of $1,200 per adult and $500 per child. David Lametti, Canadas justice minister, said he voted against the 2016 law because it was too restrictive. He said the new bill strikes the right balance between allowing people to make a decision based on their own autonomous free will, but making sure as well that all the choices are there in front of them and that people who feel vulnerable wont be afraid of having been unduly influenced. Boris Johnson's government has reportedly warned that China could have up to 40 times more cases than it has revealed. United Kingdom officials reported on Sunday they are sending a warning to Beijing; it faces a "reckoning" once the COVID-19 crisis is over. Re-occurring reports in the press describe the British as being reportedly furious with China's handling of the coronavirus. The Mail, a United Kingdom newspaper reported on Sunday; government officials believe China is spreading disinformation about the severity of the coronavirus outbreak in its country. UK officials also believe China is trying to expand its economic power by offering help to other countries that are trying to combat the virus. The newspaper says scientists have warned Johnson that China could have downplayed its number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus "by a factor of 15 to 40 times." China has reported 81,439 at the time of writing. The newspaper quoted three UK officials, who all reported fury within Johnson's government. One was quoted as saying "It is going to be back to the diplomatic drawing board after this. Rethink is an understatement." Meanwhile, the head of the World Health Organization has lavished praise on Chinas government for its transparency during the pandemic. The UKs Mail adds that Johnson's government is so angry with China's handling of the crisis that the prime minister could abandon his previous decision to let Chinese telecom company Huawei develop the UK's 5g network. Johnson angered President Donald Trump by giving Huawei a limited but significant role in improving the country's infrastructure. President Trump reportedly was so angry over the Huawei decision that he, after "apoplectic" phone call with Johnson last month he hung up on the Prime Minister. One Cabinet minister quoted by the Mail on Sunday said "We can't stand by and allow the Chinese state's desire for secrecy to ruin the world's economy and then come back as nothing has happened. "We're allowing companies like Huawei not just into our economy, but is a crucial part of our infrastructure. 'This needs to be reviewed urgently, as does any strategically important infrastructure that relies on Chinese supply chains." Johnson has written to every household in the United Kingdom urging people to continue following strict social distancing rules "We know things will get worse before they get better." "But we are making the right preparations, and the more we all follow the rules, the fewer lives will be lost, and the sooner life can return to normal." The prime minister earlier this week introduced a lockdown, telling people only to leave their homes for essential reasons and giving UK police are now empowered to fine citizens that refuse to comply. China Is Censoring Coronavirus Stories. These Citizens Are Fighting Back. | NYT News Trumps inept response to COVID-19 shows why Sanders supporters should back Biden if he becomes the Democratic nominee. On March 26, as President Donald Trump predicted the nation would get back to normal pretty quickly, the United States overtook China as the country with the highest number of COVID-19 cases. It was also revealed that a whopping 3.3 million Americans were laid off because of the pandemic. The Trump administrations ineptitude in dealing with this unprecedented crisis demonstrates why every single Democrat and progressive in the US now needs to focus on pushing for a leadership that has the ability and will to protect the health and economic security of the American people. Right now, this means getting the Democratic nominee, whoever he may be, elected in the 2020 presidential election. We must not repeat the mistakes of 2016. As I watched Trump call the coronavirus pandemic a hoax, foment racist divisions by branding it the Chinese virus, and tell people it might just disappear, I could not help but wonder what Hillary Clinton would have done to address this crisis if she had been our president now. She would have been making decisions based on science and facts, and working with our nations international partners to try and take the pandemic under control actions that would have saved thousands of American lives and livelihoods. In the 2016 democratic primary, I volunteered and voted for Bernie Sanders. But when Hilary Clinton became the nominee, I voted for her in the presidential election without much hesitation. For me, this was an easy decision the threat a Trump presidency was going to pose to the environment and immigrants was just too severe for me to consider not voting. We have seen the disastrous consequences of Trumps election in the past three years. And now, the coronavirus pandemic is further exposing the dangers of being led by an administration that cares more about profit margins than people. It is more obvious today than ever before that a country that cares for its people is stronger, healthier and safer. Sanders realised this long ago and spent his entire political career trying to build a government whose first priority is to care for its people. In both of his presidential campaigns, Sanders advocated for policy solutions that would have made the public health emergency and economic crisis that we are facing today more manageable universal healthcare, paid family and medical leave, guaranteed employment and housing, cancellation of student debts, and bailouts for working families in economic recessions. Earlier this month, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said unemployment in the US could soar to 20 percent if strong action is not taken to tackle the coronavirus pandemic. Since then, the US Senate has approved a $2 trillion economic rescue bill to help lift the economy and address the pandemic. To really help the American people and protect them from the adverse effects of current and future crises, however, efforts need to go much further. Sanders has the vision and policy proposals that could help protect millions of Americans who have long been hurting. He has the leadership skills, boldness and courage that is necessary to stand up for what is right and ensure Americans are never again left to fend for themselves in the face of a major crisis. This is why I sincerely hope that he will be the Democratic Partys presidential nominee in the upcoming election. However, as much as I support Sanders, and want to see him as the 46th president of the US, I am not blind to the growing support for Joe Biden within the Democratic Party. And Trumps dangerous leadership in the last three years made it very clear that Democrats who support Sanders no longer have the luxury to sit out this election if Biden becomes the Democratic nominee. If I get presented with a choice between Biden and Trump, I will vote for Biden. And once he is president, I will do everything I can to push his administration to deliver the short and long-term economic and social change Americans desperately need. Any progressive who still believes that a Biden administration would be tantamount to another four years of Trump needs to look at the presidents inept and dangerous response to the coronavirus pandemic for a reality check. Biden may not be Sanders, but he also definitely is not Trump. He believes in science and listens to experts. If he were our president now, he would not tell us the greatest healthcare crisis we have ever experienced is a hoax. He would not dismiss scientific advice. He would not fail to coordinate with our foreign partners to confront the crisis. Of course, while trying to avoid repeating the mistakes of 2016, we should also not repeat the mistakes of 2008, when in the face of another unprecedented crisis Wall Street was bailed out and common Americans were left to fend for themselves. We cannot convince Trump to prioritise common Americans over billionaires and corporations. But progressives can prevent this from happening in the case of a Biden presidency. While there is no pushing a Trump administration to act, we progressives can move a Biden administration. We can build the coalition necessary to pressure Biden to act boldly. We can push him to not only make small changes around the margins, but lead with the full weight and clarity necessary to meet the moment. We can make a Biden administration deliver, at least partially, the economic policy agenda of Sanders. What we cannot have is any Democrat saying I wont vote for the Democratic nominee, whether it be Biden or Sanders. We have no time for that. Fight it out in the primary for your candidate, but when it comes to the general election we cannot mess around; if the current COVID-19 situation has made anything clear it is that millions of lives are literally on the line. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. New Delhi: TV star Divyanka Tripathi Dahiya in a lengthy post on Instagram on Saturday hit out at people discriminating against airline staff and others amid the coronavirus pandemic. She also clarified that her brother, a pilot by profession, has not been tested positive for coronavirus, but has chosen to willingly self-quarantine. Sharing a picture of an airline staff, who earlier this week alleged that she and her mother were harassed by their neighbours in Kolkata over suspicion that she had contracted the deadly infection, Divyanka said, #CoronaShaming is most dastardly act one can indulge into. Keep distance, be careful but don't lose empathy that primarily defines us as humans. My brother is a pilot, willingly self quarantined at home, while SHOWING NO SYMPTOMS for 13 days. Even if he would have been affected he would have got himself treated like any other dutiful staff. Until recently, when officials posted a label outside our Bhopal house which is important but it 'failed to mention that he's NOT COVID POSITIVE', I didn't know what trauma airline staff was going through, the actress added. Divyanka went on to say that these COVID-19 fighters are serving people over their lives, they are being meted out to such ill-treatment. My father risks his life everyday to provide others medicines from his pharmacy. My brother dared to keep flying till last government directive so that several stranded passengers can return home, she further wrote and added, Least we can do is be respectful as neighbors and fellow citizens, let them live with dignity, if not thank them personally. Read her full post here: Actress Hina Khan also reiterated Divyankas stand on coronavirus shaming and said its sick of people are doing this. A San Francisco neighborhood newspaper staffed entirely by children arrived on our (virtual) doorsteps this weekend, and the timing couldnt be more perfect. Six Feet of Separation is staffed entirely by kids sheltering in place from the coronavirus, and shepherded by Chris Colin, a San Francisco author, journalist and father of two. The 29-page Bernal Heights publication is, in every way, a stellar reflection of humanity in these difficult times. Theres a 7-year-old childs review of a routine linguini with meat sauce dinner (three out of five stars), two reviews of the television show The Good Place and a comics page, including the debut of The Crime Fighting Super Fish vs. Coronavirus. The newspaper also has birdhouse building instructions, a recipe for banana bread and at least one data journalist on staff 14-year-old Griffin Morgan, who documented the takeout status and hours of every restaurant on Cortland Avenue. Below is an interview with Colin on the genesis of the project, why its easier working with kid journalists than adults, and how others can start a kid newspaper in their own neighborhoods. After youre done, read the entire publication here. Q: How long have you lived in Bernal Heights? A: About 15 years now. I was in the Mission District before that and spent a lot of time in Oakland before that. I grew up in Virginia. Q: What was your first step in creating Six Feet of Separation? A: Any time Ive ever done something creative, I just get it started so I cant back out of it, then I figure out how to do it. I typed up an email and sent it off to a few friends. I figured there would be a handful of parents writing back to me and coercing their kids into writing some (litttle) thing. But it really caught on. I stopped counting after 40 submissions. Q: What were you expecting? A: I expected there would be a lot of processing of big heavy feelings from the kids. Essays that reflected anxiety or uncertainty. And thats really not what I got. That part fascinated me. I think kids are fully convulsed by this thing, but in a totally different way. What consumes them are the things that are right there in front of them. How has my schedule been transformed? We eat dinner at 6 now? Whats my screen time allotment now? Their concerns are very immediate and small-seeming, which is either demented or really enlightened of them. Q: Theres so much humor, which is not what I was anticipating. The social distancing hula hoop Courtesy Chris Colin A: Oh my God. I thought that was brilliant. And pranks. I was happy to learn that some pranks are very much within reach. If you have a glass of water and a yellow or gold marker in it, then it looks like pee. Q: Was there a submission you received, maybe one of the early ones, that made you realize, This is going to work. A: Definitely. When this kid named George summed up the entire Terminator franchise in two sentences. I was like, Yeah, maybe we do need more kids working for our daily newspapers. Then there was the review, by another kid named Ender, who wrote a pretty lukewarm review of tonights dinner. That was something special. Q: You have two reviews of The Good Place. A: My editorial policy is yes. If this whole newspaper is going to be reviews of The Good Place, then thats what its going to be. Now Playing: On March 16, many Bay Area residents were ordered to observe social distancing and shelter in place with hopes of flattening the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Artists have used this time to channel their creative impulses in interesting and unique ways to combat the isolation. Video: Manjula Varghese / The Chronicle Q: How soon after the shelter in place did you think a local newspaper written by kids would be a good idea? A: That was one of the first things I thought of when we started realizing life was about to get turned inside out. I dont have many talents in this life, so journalism was the thing that popped into my head. Being a parent and being a parent in a neighborhood with a gazillion kids, I just know a lot of children. I have two of my own and it was clear that parents were going to be scrambling to find non-screen-based activities for their kids in the coming months. I felt like this was a terrifying and baffling turn of events for grownups, and I felt like kids are going to be going through it too in their own funny little way. One, it just seemed like fun, but also it seemed like I dont know it might give them a tiny little microscopic dallop of agency at a time when they have even less than they usually do as young people. Q: It looks like the kids had a lot of fun. Courtesy Chris Colin A: Suddenly all these kids were being (kept) inside, while something sort of mysterious and invisible was happening outside. You couldnt see coronavirus. You just knew you were being shut indoors for some sort of inexplicable reason. I felt like that was stoking this curiousity in kids. Theyre living this strange new indoor life. That curiosity plus that bubbling up of feelings about their new reality, it seemed like it was made for newspapering. Q: What was the hardest part putting this together? A: I signed up with the most frustrating unintuitive web site I could find for laying out this thing. But I finally got the hang of it. It will go a lot faster now. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Q: And the easiest part? A: The easiest part? I spend most of my time reading terrifying reports about coronavirus as a grown-up. And worrying about my family and loved ones and the state of the world in general. The easy part was having this thing that I could toggle over to that was in this world, of the moment, but this whole other conversation happening on another register. It was a little bit of a balm for me to have that. Q: Its a balm for all of us. Ive shared Six Feet of Separation throughout my household. A: Can I do a little hyping here? Issues two through infinity will be even better, because now I know what Im doing. Q: I saw on your Facebook page that other parents in other neighborhoods want to start newspapers. A: I would love it if this would happen in every neighborhood. This isnt exclusive, or a Bernal thing. Thats why I say yes to everyone from elsewhere. We might end up with a really beefy foreign correspondents section. But yes, I hope that other neighborhoods absolutely start these. I think theyre super fun and a great outlet for kids. And its doable. I want it to be fun for the kids. They have enough pressure on them now. Thats what I hope would happen everywhere. Q: Is this your first experience as a newspaper publisher? Courtesy Chris Colin A: I thought it was, but then I remembered years ago when I lived in West Oakland with some friends, (We) made a little newspaper called the Henry Street Herald. But that was jokey, and this is I guess still sort of jokey. But now theres a pandemic attached so theres some seriousness to it too. Q: Whats the difference between working with kids and working with adults? A: Ill tell you one thing, and this is disheartening for us writers. Kids file a lot faster. And they dont need a lot of hand-holding. Theres not a lot of whimpering with kids in terms of getting their copy in. At least I dont hear about it. Im starting to have a sneaking suspicion that kids are more enlightened in general than we are. Peter Hartlaub is The San Francisco Chronicles pop cuture critic. Email: phartlaub@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @PeterHartlaub SpiceJet said on Sunday that one of its pilots who did not fly any international flight in March has tested positive for the coronavirus. "One of our colleagues, a first officer with SpiceJet, has tested positive for COVID-19. The test report came on March 28. He did not operate any international flight in March 2020," the airline's spokesperson told PTI. "The last domestic flight that he operated was on March 21 from Chennai to Delhi and since then he had quarantined himself at home," he added. As a precautionary measure, the spokesperson said, all crew and staff who had been in direct contact with him have been asked to self-quarantine by staying at home for the next 14 days. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Cardi B has claimed she wants to help Tiger King star Joe Exotic be freed from prison, where he is currently serving a 22-year sentence. Netflix documentary Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness details the extraordinary events of a rivalry between Exotic and Carole Baskin, CEO of the Tampa animal sanctuary Big Cat Rescue. Exotic, real name Joespeh Maldonado-Passage, was the figurehead of GW Exotic Animal Park, a 16-acre ranch in Oklahoma that housed more than 1,200 lions, tigers, leopards, and other animals. He is currently imprisoned for two counts of murder-for-hire and 17 wildlife-related charges. What ya think bout Tiger King? Im on the second episode and Im a little lost cause I started f***ing, Cardi tweeted to her fans this weekend. The rapper has tweeted a number of times about the seven-part series, asking in one post: Who you think burn Joe studio? In another, she tweeted: They did Joe so dirty over and over again who you think is more wrong? Narcissist Joe? Or Greedy Carol? And why? Cardi has since announced that she wants to start a fundraiser: Bout to start a GoFundMe account for Joe. He shall be free. Tiger King is available to stream on Netflix. Now that Italy has recorded its 10,000th coronavirus death, a third of the global total, and nearly a thousand just yesterday, Italians are questioning the value of globalism, and more specifically asking what good its European Union membership does it. Sentiment is soaring for getting out and going it alone. Britain did it, why not Italy? Locals are now burning European Union flags, and Italian politicians are ramping up the talk about getting the heck out of the European Union altogether. I suspected this was going to happen during the Italian balcony singing event, noting that most of the songs sung were classical Italian songs, not global pop hits. The horror has since increased in that country and here's what's now going around on Twitter: This is serious for EU. Italy one of 4 big nation states including U.K. https://t.co/PK3WPjpyIl David C Bannerman (@DCBMEP) March 29, 2020 People all over Italy are burning EU flags while playing the Italian anthem and posting videos of it with the hashtag #cisalviamodasoli which translates to 'we save ourselves' Italy has been hit horrifically by Coronavirus and the European union are still demanding payments pic.twitter.com/fqd1FGzPyw Millwall Division ATA (@AtaDivision) March 29, 2020 The discontent has boiled right into the halls of the European Union, which one Italian pol is calling "a den of snakes and jackals," calling for an "Italexit" or an Italian pullout from the European Union altogether. There's quite a bit of bitterness -- and it's quite sparsely reported, the most reliable source of which is the pro-Brexit Express of London: Here's March 29, today: The coronavirus pandemic has sparked an unprecedented crisis throughout the European Union, with a huge rift erupting between the 27 member-states. This week's failure to agree a joint EU economic response to the crisis has already set off a wave of furious criticism from leaders in Italy, Portugal and Spain. On Thursday, Germany, the Netherlands and other northern European countries rejected the plea of nine EU countries for so-called "corona-bonds" to soften the economic impact of the pandemic. Following the heated exchanges, Italian newspaper headlines condemned the EU response, describing Brussels as "dead" and "ugly". Former Italian Prime Minister and main opposition leader Matteo Salvini said Italy should consider leaving the European Union once the country wins its fight against the outbreak. On Friday he tweeted: First let's beat the virus, then think about Europe again. And, if necessary, say goodbye. Without even thanking it." Translation: No $1,200 coronavirus checks for you. That has got to be painful for Italy which is suffering so severely in the open borders of the European Union. Here's March 13: Enrico Franceschini, the foreign correspondent for the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, warned Brussels response reignited fears of a resurgence of demands for Italexit. Speaking to Sky News, Mr Franceschini said: "Italy expects more of Europe at this time. "Christine Lagarde from the Cental Bankpeople were very disappointed. "Decisions have to show that we are in this all together otherwise Italians are warning we might have again people pushing for Italexit after Brexit." Here's another March 13, over the European Central Bank's refusal to issue bonds to help Italy recover. Italy was told in this instance it was on its own. Mr Trichet's comments came after his successor Christine Lagarde sparked controversy after failing to confirm the ECB will do "whatever it takes" to protect the eurozone from a potential recession sparked by the coronavirus pandemic. Ms Lagarde confirmed the institution will roll out measures to support commercial bank lending, effectively signalling governments are responsible for protecting the economies of indebted eurozone countries rather than the ECBs. There is an argument to be made that this is an external shock, not typical Italian government bad bookkeeping going on here, which could justify the issuance of bonds to be repaid when the economy returns to normal. Italy's being treated like a typical miscreant instead, which has got to be infuriating to them. What the Italians have learned in this instance is that globalization, as personified by the European Union, has failed. In their hour of need, they're getting aid from places like Albania, Russia and Cuba, not their big EU neighbors. Oh, the Germans did send in a jet the other day for grave cases to be taken to Germany for treatment - but the plane houses 44. It's unlikely to make much difference given what Italy is up against. Caroline Glick wrote a tremendous piece on the high cost of globalization, citing Israel but the lesson applies to every nation in terms of its survival: The coronavirus pandemic wont destroy global markets. But it will change them radically and reduce their size and scope. In the case of agriculture, the coronavirus has exposed large-scale vulnerabilities in both agricultural import models and domestic production. At the outset of the crisis, cargo ships laden with foodstuffs from China and Italy were laid up in the ports for weeks until port workers and the Health Ministry could develop protocols for safely offloading them. Dozens of shipments were diverted to Cyprus, at great cost to importers. Who is to say that food supplies in China or other countries wont be compromised again in the future? And what happens in the event of war? Naval warfare can easily endanger food imports to Israel over a prolonged period. The model of dependence on foreign suppliers needs to be adapted in the face of what we are learning. Nowhere is that more evident than Italy, whose nationalistic moves against the EU - are effectively an effort to save itself from total destruction. One in four Britons could be tested for coronavirus to try to shorten the lockdown. In a sign that ministers have finally accepted the urgency of mass testing, officials have agreed deals to buy 17.5million kits for use by mid-April. They hope to identify contagion hotspots as well as people who are immune. The tests would help get NHS staff back to work with screening of frontline workers, such as teachers and police officers, to follow. Britain is currently conducting only antigen testing a swab that requires laboratory analysis. A drive through test facility is pictured above in the car park of Chessington World of Adventures, London Medical equipment is pictured outside London's Excel centre, which has been turned into NHS Nightingale Hospital. One in four Britons could be tested for coronavirus to try to shorten the lockdown The programme could see movement restrictions lifted earlier than the six months suggested by the Governments scientific advisers yesterday. The top priority is randomised testing to establish how far the disease has spread, a Whitehall source said. That is critical to understanding what we are dealing with and shaping our response. Officials have identified suppliers that can make the tests and have agreed in principle to purchase 17.5million if they pass medical checks. Britain is currently conducting only antigen testing a swab that requires laboratory analysis. However the new antibody fingerprick tests take 15 minutes to detect whether someone has had the virus. In a sign that ministers have finally accepted the urgency of mass testing, officials have agreed deals to buy 17.5million kits for use by mid-April. They hope to identify contagion hotspots as well as people who are immune. An NHS worker is pictured above being tested for the virus in the car park of Chessington World of Adventures in London The Government has been fiercely criticised for failing to prioritise testing, with the daily figures failing to yet hit 10,000. In Germany, by comparison, officials are testing more than 70,000 people a day Jeremy Hunt, a former health secretary, believes testing is key to the relaxation of social distancing measures. Writing in todays Daily Mail, he asks: Is it too far-fetched to aim to be the first country that tests every single member of the population at home? In these extraordinary times, with our great British willpower anything is possible. Mass social distancing will help flatten the curve, but only testing will save us from months, maybe years, of anguish and economic paralysis. As the UKs death toll rose by another 209 to reach 1,288: Consultant Amged El-Hawrani became the first front-line NHS worker to die from the virus; Deputy chief medical officer Jenny Harries said it was likely to be three to six months before the lockdown was lifted; Boris Johnson continued to chair meetings from isolation in Downing Street; Rail journeys were down by 85 per cent and bus trips fell by three quarters; Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab prepared to unveil a deal with commercial airlines to repatriate tens of thousands of stranded British citizens; Rules were relaxed for two years to allow women to self-administer abortion pills at home rather than visiting a clinic; Michael Gove took a swipe at China, saying its failure to be open about the virus had hindered the worlds response; The number volunteering to help the NHS rose beyond the target 750,000; Labour MP Stephen Kinnock was criticised by police for making a birthday visit to see his 78-year-old father Neil. Iceland has already carried out a population-wide testing programme and Norway announced one yesterday. Germany to issue coronavirus 'immunity certificates' to people who have recovered 'Immunity certificates' are set to be introduced in Germany as part of preparations for the country to cease its lockdown. Researchers want to bring in the documents for citizens not at risk of contracting the novel coronavirus. It comes as Chancellor Angela Merkel's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic has secured a boost in poll ratings. As part of Germany's fight against the virus, scientists are using antibodies in test participants to find out which of them have had the illness and healed, Der Spiegel reports. The team plans to test 100,000 people at a time, issuing documentation to those who have built up an immunity. They will then use the information gleaned from the testing to assess how and when the lockdown should conclude. Researchers will utilise the data as they advise the government on when schools will be re-opened and mass gatherings permitted once again. Advertisement Scientists fear that lifting restrictions too early before the virus is in retreat could lead to a second spike in deaths. Paul Hunter, a professor of epidemiology at the University of East Anglia, said: If you relax social distancing based on a levelling off of cases you could see a resurgence. So we have to be cautious about that because we just dont know enough about what is going on. But if we know, through mass antibody testing, that a large proportion of the population is immune, you could lift social distancing much earlier. Ministers decided earlier this month to reserve all Britains testing capacity for those in hospitals. But that move has left officials blindfolded in their response to the crisis, the World Health Organisation has warned. It has called on all countries to test, test, test. The Government has been fiercely criticised for failing to prioritise testing, with the daily figures failing to yet hit 10,000. In Germany, by comparison, officials are testing more than 70,000 people a day. Even front-line NHS staff were not being tested until this weekend, which meant 20 per cent were in self-isolation last week. South Korea initially one of the worst hit countries managed to quickly control its outbreak by aggressively testing for the disease. Germany yesterday announced plans for a testing programme that will see it issue 100,000 immunity passports a month. Professor Eleanor Riley, an infectious disease expert at the University of Edinburgh, said: Mass antibody testing will give us a much better idea of how widely the virus has spread in the population. Ocado buys 100,000 testing kits for staff costing 1.4million as supermarkets ramp up safety measures but vows to hand them to NHS workers if they are left without By Lara Keay Ocado has bought 100,000 coronavirus testing kits for its staff at a cost of 1.4million, but have promised to hand them to the NHS if they need them. The food delivery company wants all of its workers to be tested regularly to ensure they are safe to drop off supplies to elderly or vulnerable customers who are 'sheilding'. Ocado claims 40,000 tests have already been delivered to stores across the UK, with 60,000 more to go, reports The Guardian. Ocado has bought 100,000 coronavirus testing kits for its staff at a cost of 1.4million, but have promised to hand them to the NHS if they need them. Pictured: Customers social distancing in the queue outside Morrisons supermarket in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear But the firm refused to reveal where they have bought the tests, with questions raised over why supermarket staff have been able to get access to them before thousands of NHS frontline workers. The Government has been slammed for its slow roll out of testing for staff, who are being forced to stay away from work if they or people in their household have symptoms, creating a devastating knock-on effect for patient care. Public Health England has bought 3.5million testing kits, but these are currently only available for critical care staff and are taking time to reach other key hospital workers. Private health firms have also come under fire for selling businesses test kits for as much as 295 each. Meanwhile supermarkets Waitrose, Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's and Morrisons have not yet announced any plans to swab their staff to see if they have the virus. NHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens has said roll-out of testing will begin for frontline healthcare workers this week after some staff were sampled on Saturday and Sunday. The food delivery firm refused to reveal where they have bought the tests (one pictured), with questions raised over why supermarket staff have been able to get access to them before thousands of NHS frontline workers The latest letter states that key NHS staff and anyone they live with who is ill are first in line for testing. It says hospitals should 'start this week with those working in critical care, emergency departments and ambulance services, and any other high priority groups you determine locally. 'We will then sequentially expand to other NHS staff groups as more tests are made available to the NHS, and ultimately into other essential public services including social care. 'In the first instance, we ask that you identify those staff in these initial priority groups (including critical care, emergency departments and ambulance services) who are unable to work because of the requirement for 14-day self-isolation. 'These are staff living in a household where another individual may have Covid-19. 'Trust chief executives tell us that, while this is the right action for staff members to have taken, it is this group that is causing the greatest degree of absenteeism, potentially for no underlying clinical reason on the part of the staff member herself/himself. 'NHS organisations will use these tests to allow key staff to return to work if the index case in their home is Covid-19 free.' Trusts are told to identify staff or household members who need to be tested, 'with a particular focus on testing the suspected coronavirus sufferer in a quarantined household which is shared with a key NHS staff member'. Trusts should initially allocate up to 15 per cent of daily testing capacity for this purpose, and tests should be carried out as soon after symptoms develop as possible 'to maximise the accuracy of the result'. A share of the 15 per cent should also be made available for ambulance trusts and any other high priority groups determined locally, the letter says. A roundup of articles in Indian news publications, on how India is dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic. From the impact of the lockdown on different sectors, to citizens in isolation, and the need for a robust healthcare infrastructure, read it all here: Expert Speak Virus not disappearing after lockdown, long-term strategy needed, says expert Bhramar Mukherjee, a biostatistician and data scientist, told The News Minute that the lockdown bought more time for the government and healthcare workers to prepare for the long fight against the virus. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor A man watches a TV screen showing a file image of North Korea's missile launch during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea on March 29, 2020. (Ahn Young-joon/AP Photo) North Korea Fires More Missiles Than Ever Amid CCP Virus Pandemic North Korea fired what appeared to be two short-range ballistic missiles into the ocean off its east coast on Sunday, the latest in an unprecedented flurry of launches that South Korea decried as inappropriate amid the global CCP virus, also known as the novel coronavirus, pandemic. Two short-range projectiles were launched from the coastal Wonsan area, and flew 143 miles at a maximum altitude of 19 miles, South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) reported. In a situation where the entire world is experiencing difficulties due to COVID-19, this kind of military act by North Korea is very inappropriate and we call for an immediate halt, South Koreas JCS said in a statement, according to Yonhap news agency. Japans Ministry of Defense said they appeared to be ballistic missiles, and they did not land in Japanese territory or its exclusive economic zone. They would be the eighth and ninth missiles launched in four rounds of tests this month as North Korean troops conduct ongoing military drills, usually personally overseen by leader Kim Jong Un. A TV screen shows a file image of North Koreas missile launch during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, on March 29, 2020. (Ahn Young-joon/AP Photo) That would be the most missiles ever fired in a single month by North Korea, according to a tally by Shea Cotton, senior researcher at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. Coming this early in the year, the only time weve seen tests this frequently were in 2016 and 2017, both of which were huge years for North Koreas missile program, he said in a post on Twitter. All of the missiles fired so far this year have been small, short-range weapons, such as the KN-24 fired during the last launch on March 21. But Kim has warned that North Korea is developing a new strategic weapon to be unveiled this year, with analysts speculating that it could be a new long-range ballistic missile, or a submarine capable of launching such missiles. United Nations Security Council resolutions bar North Korea from testing ballistic missiles, and the country has been heavily sanctioned over its missile and nuclear weapons programs. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects a military drill at undisclosed location in North Korea on March 2, 2020. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP) Military Drills Continue This months military drills have been conducted despite a border lockdown and quarantine measures imposed in North Korea in an effort to prevent an outbreak of the CCP virus. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. South Korea and the United States have postponed some of their joint military exercises because of the outbreak in South Korea. Politically and economically isolated, North Korea has not reported any confirmed cases, though some foreign experts have expressed doubts. In the past, North Korea has typically conducted military drills, including tests of its ballistic missiles, in March as the wintry weather turns warmer. For the previous two years, however, it had avoided such springtime launches amid denuclearization talks with the United States. Those talks have since stalled, and this years string of tests and military drills appear aimed at underscoring North Koreas return to a more hard-line policy, said Ankit Panda, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Federation of American Scientists. There is an element of projecting a business-as-usual image amid the COVID-19 situation, but I think its not overriding, he said. These tests do allow Kim Jong Un to show that hes sticking to the hard-line policy he laid out in December 2019. By Josh Smith Queensland is set to take a leaf out of a 100-year-old playbook and convert Brisbanes RNA showgrounds into a makeshift hospital if the number of COVID-19 cases overwhelmed hospitals. The move is understood to be part of the wider government planning for different coronavirus scenarios depending on the total number of people who become infected at any one time. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was set to announce the measures at a media conference on Sunday and teased them in a series of tweets. A group of volunteer women in Brisbane prepare to go door-to-door to help people afflicted with Spanish Flu in 1919 Credit: Supplied Pictures from 1918-19 show the RNA site at Bowen Hills converted into a treatment centre for patients during the Spanish Flu pandemic. Fast-forward to 2020: we're exploring similar options to treat coronavirus patients if theres overflow from hospitals, the premier tweeted BAKU, Azerbaijan, Mar. 29 By Nargiz Sadikhova Trend: Quarantine regime will be introduced in Kazakhstans Atyrau city to battle coronavirus spread in the country, Trend reports with reference to regional akimat (administrative center). The information said that starting from Mar. 30, exit and entrance from Atyrau city will be prohibited, and operations of public transport will also be restricted. Work of the ventures operating in services sphere will be suspended. Construction materials stores and shopping centers which do not sell essential goods will be closed; however, they will be allowed to deliver goods. The work of preschool institutions will be suspended, the akimat said. Food markets and shops, as well as pharmacies, will operate as usual. Communal, repair services, cleaning and disinfection services will work without restrictions. Atyrau is the eighth Kazakh city where quarantine regime has been imposed due to coronavirus. Quarantine regime is active in Nur-Sultan and Almaty cities, and will be imposed in five cities of Karaganda region on Mar. 30. The latest data said that the total number of coronavirus cases in Kazakhstan is 271 cases, including six in Atyrau region. On March 15, 2020, Kazakhstans President Kassym Jomart Tokayev signed a decree introducing an emergency state in Kazakhstan due to coronavirus outbreak, which came in force from 08:00 (GMT +6) on March 16 and will last till 08:00 on April 15, 2020. First two cases of coronavirus infection were detected in Kazakhstan among those who arrived in Almaty city from Germany on March 13, 2020. The outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan - which is an international transport hub - began at a fish market in late December 2019. The number of people killed by the disease has surpassed 31,800. Over 681,700 people have been confirmed as infected. Meanwhile, nearly 145,700 people have reportedly recovered. Some sources claim the coronavirus outbreak started as early as November 2019. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11. Peter Alsharif has read every coronavirus horror story. The severe mask shortages in hospitals. The doctors falling ill from exposure to COVID-19 patients. The fear health care providers could someday be forced to decide who lives and who dies because of an alarming lack of ventilators. I would be lying if Im saying that I am not a little bit scared about it, said Alsharif, a fourth-year medical student at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark. But Alsharif, 27, has dreamed of becoming a doctor since he was a Northvale teenager volunteering on his local EMS squad, he said Sunday. So hes ready for anything, even a pandemic. We signed up for taking care of people who are sick, said Alsharif, a graduate of Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan. And its something that I am going to have to figure out how to deal with. On Saturday, Rutgers announced it will allow 192 medical students to graduate about a month early so they can join the front lines of the fight against the coronavirus. Its unclear how many hospitals will ask their new residents to arrive before their original summer start dates, but its possible Alsharif and his classmates will begin their new jobs during the peak of a historic public health crisis. I have total confidence that our students are ready to help the cause, said Robert Johnson, dean of Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. They have learned and trained at Rutgers and will be much-needed support in our nations health care system. Fourth-year medical students nationwide were paired with hospitals for their residencies on March 20 in the annual Match Day tradition. Typically, the coming weeks would be a time to relax and recharge, especially after the mid-May graduation ceremony, said David Raile, one of Alsharifs classmates. Instead, fourth-year students have watched weeks of chaos and are now waiting to find out exactly when they will be called into action. The past month has just been insane, said Raile, 31, a Minnesota native matched with The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia Its been kind of a wild ride of emotions for all us. David Raile is a fourth-year medical school student at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark. New Jersey has already recorded more than 13,000 cases of COVID-19, including 161 deaths, as the pandemic pushes the states hospital system to its limits. A doctor at Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck likened his hospital to a war zone. Some doctors and nurses said they are worried about dwindling protective supplies. And the state is looking to reopen shuttered hospitals or create new field facilities, while some hospitals are temporarily turning away new patients. None of it is enough for Raile to be scared away, he said. No second thoughts at all, he said Sunday. We have studied for dozens of hours a day and taken hundreds of exams and done all sorts of rotations and woken up early and stayed up late to get to this point. Raile and his classmates view the pandemic as an unparalleled learning opportunity, he said. We want to push ourselves and learn as much as we can and get involved and be better for it when we come out on the other side of it," he said. "Or hopefully when we come out on the other side of it. Alsharif began the semester doing clinical rotations at University Hospital in Newark. He felt the mood among doctors change as the coronavirus outbreak worsened, he said. Eventually, medical students were told to stay home, he said. Now, Alsharif feels sidelined. Hes been reading everything he can about COVID-19 and is volunteering to staff a poison control hotline to stay engaged in the fight. He matched with University Hospital, where hes eager to being his residency and start learning, though he was told he might not begin until July 1, he said. Most of all, Alsharif said, hes excited to start helping. He knows he can. Its something I love to do," he said. Sign up for text message alerts from NJ.com on coronavirus in New Jersey: Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. JOHNSTON The state on Saturday released its latest numbers on those afflicted with COVID-19. The Iowa Department of Public Health has been notified of 64 additional postive cases in Iowa for a total of 298 positive cases (a previously identified positive case in Black Hawk County is not from Iowa). There have been a total of 4,375 negative tests to date, which includes testing reported by the State Hygienic Lab and other labs. Of the new cases, Buchanan County adds one adult in the age range of 61 to 80; Fayette County adds one in the ages range of 18 to 40; Benton County adds one in the age range of 18 to 40; and Tama County adds two adults in the age range of 18 to 40 and one in the age range of 41 to 60. Iowas death toll from the novel coronavirus has risen to at least three elderly individuals as the virus has spread to almost half the states counties. Officials with the state Department of Public Health reported Friday that two more Iowans have died from COVID-19 and an additional 56 residents have tested positive, bringing the total number of confirmed known cases of coronavirus to 235 in Iowa. The two Iowans who died Thursday night were described as one adult at least 81 years old from Poweshiek County and one adult between 60 and 80 years old from Allamakee County. Earlier this week, health officials reported a virus-related death involving a Dubuque County resident whose age was between 61 and 80 years old. During a Friday afternoon news conference, Gov. Kim Reynolds offered her prayers and condolences to the families who lost loved ones. Sarah Reisetter, the Health Departments deputy director, said one of the victims had underlying health issues. But no other details such as when they were tested and whether they were hospitalized have been released. The governor also defended tough decisions she has made in closing schools and businesses and invoking other measures to slow the spread of the virus that has now proven more deadly in the United States than in other countries. Reynolds grew emotional for a brief moment while addressing claims by some that the threat of COVID-19 is being overblown and that actions like business closures are an overreaction to the situation. Iowans are scared and theyre nervous and I appreciate that, Reynolds said as her voice cracked. But were going to get through it and if you keep doing what weve asked you to do, we will be back to those good days. So hang in there. Reynolds told reporters she has confronted some of the hardest decisions that I have had to make as the governor of this great state, but its also necessary. I have to do what I can to protect the well-being of Iowans, especially the most vulnerable Iowans, she said. The last thing that I want to do is impact families and individuals and our businesses that are the backbone of our economy. So as the governor of this state I can assure you that the last thing that I want to issue is an order that shuts down a business. Earlier this month, the governor declared a statewide public health disaster emergency that included limiting gatherings to 10 people and closing bars, restaurants, casinos and other businesses. She has since expanded the order to include a wider range of Iowa businesses while excluding food stores and essential services. Reynolds said she took the extraordinary action in activating the public health response and recovery aspects of the state disaster emergency plan to slow community spread of the virus. She said the state soon will face a new test as Iowans return from spring break, adding we encourage very strongly that individuals who traveled outside of the state voluntarily self-isolate for 14 days as a virus precaution. Since COVID-19 was first confirmed March 8 in Iowa, there have been 3,740 negative tests, which includes testing reported by the State Hygienic Lab and others. So far, 46 out of Iowas 99 counties have at least one person who has tested positive for COVID-19, with four in double figures: Johnson 58, Polk 28, Linn 22 and Washington 11. We anticipated, as we tested more, the number of positive cases to continue to rise, Reynolds said. We think well probably see that through next week as well and hopefully once we get to (March 31) or kind of the time line where weve implemented some of the policies, well start to see that hopefully flatten and eventually maybe, maybe tick down. Reynolds and state public health officials have met with health professional, hospital administrators and others to discuss their surge capacity plans and prospects for coordinating regional approaches to meeting patient demand if necessary. She hopes to reconvene the interested parties next Thursday to continue the discussions about ongoing health care challenges. Currently, 32 Iowans are hospitalized with coronavirus symptoms, according to Health Department data posted at coronavirus.iowa.gov/#CurrentStatus. Photos: Coronavirus in the Cedar Valley Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. NHS trusts in London are facing a critical shortage of coronavirus tests that could leave them unable to check patients within days, an internal email seen by MailOnline has revealed. The urgent message, sent on Friday, tells doctors and nurses that remaining tests should be reserved for those receiving treatment only, and not used for staff showing symptoms of the disease. The NHS has ramped-up testing capacity to more than 10,000 a day as the government grapples to contain the UKs outbreak. Michael Gove told NHS trusts they could start testing their staff for the virus at the weekend. But this email, sent hours before his announcement, suggests that there may be insufficient supplies for this to be carried out. MailOnline asked whether the situation with the reagent shortage has improved since Friday, but did not receive a response. The urgent message warns of a 'critical shortage' of the reagent used in coronavirus tests London North West Hospital Trust, which manages Northwick park hospital (pictured), is one of those that received the email The internal email, which was sent to staff at hospitals including those managed by London North West University Healthcare (LNWH), reads: There is currently a critical shortage of the reagent used in Covid-19 testing. In common with other trusts in London, we could run out of tests in a matter of days if the current rate of testing continues. It is essential we reserve Covid-19 tests for patients who need them most. Currently, the only people who should be tested are: Patients with suspected Covid-19 who are being admitted to hospital; Those already in hospital who develop new symptoms compatible with Covid-19. Please remember that there are no circumstances in which people who dont meet this criteria should be tested: This currently includes staff. There has been a sudden surge in demand for the critical reagent worldwide as countries follow WHO advice and start trying to test as many citizens as possible. It is used to extract nucleic acids from swabs taken from potential coronavirus sufferers, an essential part of the test that allows labs to determine whether they have the disease. The chemical is not specific to testing for COVID-19 and is also used in diagnosing a range of other illnesses including flus caused by influenza. Northwick Park hospital declared an emergency last week when it ran out of intensive care beds with which to treat coronavirus patients. The incident was stood down after 24 hours An NHS workers takes a swab from a driver at the coronavirus testing facility at Chessington World of Adventures in Greater London LNWH manages Northwick Park hospital which declared an emergency last week for a number of hours when all its hospital beds were filled with coronavirus patients. Nurses and doctors at the trust, who have been forced to wear bin bags on their heads due to a lack of protective equipment, have been calling on it to test them for the disease so they can protect their family. The shortage of equipment has also led to nurses being asked to share surgical face masks. This means that if one has contracted the virus, there is a heightened risk it could be passed on to colleagues. Staff said they feel 'abandoned' and as though they are being put at risk by the trust because 'we are replaceable'. One nurse said she has been unable to approach her children while working on the coronavirus ward, and has had to teach them how to look after themselves and make meals. The Royal Free NHS hospital, which has also suffered from shortages of protective equipment, is in the same network of laboratories as LNWH, meaning it could also be suffering from a shortage in coronavirus tests The government has told hospitals to vastly increase the countrys testing capacity by identifying hub laboratories, in addition to those offered by Public Health England, which should be able to carry out at minimum capacity, 500 tests a day. Which NHS trusts may be using the same testing laboratories as LNWH? For coronavirus tests, the government has asked hospital pathology groups to identify their own hub testing lab. The hospitals below are in the same group as LNWH, and therefore may also be experiencing a shortage of the reagent. It is not clear whether these hospitals, excluding LNWH, also have their own testing facilities - Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust - Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust - North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust - The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust - Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust - University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust - West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust - London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust - East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust Advertisement They have been ordered to achieve this through their NHS Pathology Network partnership with other trusts, to identify a single hub. LNWH is a member of the London Two pathology network, which also includes Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, Royal Free London hospital and West Hertfordshire Hospitals. The email appears to suggest the affected hospitals may have to sacrifice patient testing if they are to follow government advice issued last night, which said NHS staff should now also be tested for coronavirus if they are showing symptoms or live with people who have symptoms. Those at the frontline will be offered the tests first Michael Gove, speaking at the governments 5pm press briefing, said: These tests will be trialled for people on the frontline starting immediately, with hundreds to take place by the end of the weekend - dramatically scaling up next week. The British Medical Association said that the move was long overdue. The UK has ordered a further 3.5million testing kits for the country, although it is unclear when these will arrive. They will also have to be tested by Public Health England to check their accuracy before they are rolled out to the public. The Department of Health declined to comment when contacted by MailOnline. The LNWH did not respond to a MailOnline request for comment. Public Health England has refused to comment. Star of new romantic comedy Home Sweet Home Natasha Bure gets honest about identity struggles Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment SPOKANE, Wash. Natasha Bure, lead actress of the new Christian romantic comedy Home Sweet Home, opened up about her personal struggles with some of the themes explored in the film, such as identity and authenticity. Admitting she's "not perfect," the 21-year-old actress told The Christian Post, "Every day, it's a battle within yourself of finding your identity in something. For me, I want to find my identity in Christ. At the end of the day, I think there are so many times in my life where you get exposed to certain things, or you kind of get used to a certain lifestyle and it's really easy to get off track, but at the end of the day, when you think about what's important to you, you really need to ground yourself in that. "Home Sweet Home, which is now available to stream on Pureflix and is coming soon to other platforms via video on demand, tells the story of a flirtatious barista Victoria, (Bure), who is bored with her social butterfly lifestyle and longs for wholeness but has no idea what that really means, so when handsome, Jason (Ben Elliott) walks into her coffee shop she turns on the charm. When he doesnt respond to her flirting, a first for her, the challenge begins and ultimately leads her on a path to finding faith and her true self." Its the first time both Bure and her co-star Elliot play lead roles in a movie. The film was produced by the female duo J.D. Dewitt and Robin McLain, who decided to form their own film production company, 5x5 Productions, because of the odds stacked against them. As time goes on, there's more positive female role models out there, noted Bure, who is the daughter of actress Candace Cameron Bure. I think it's so important, especially for young women who are growing up. There's so much expectation, there's so much pressure, I think, in the media, especially just in our day and age with social media and what you see in magazines and television. So I think when you have women speaking up for themselves, and sharing their stories and preaching positivity and love and hope and all that stuff, I think it's really awesome. Following in the footsteps of her famous mother, Bure is also an author and influencer who is very vocal about her life and faith journey. I try to give as much as I can [to others] because I was blessed with awesome role models when I grew up like my mom and other mentors in my life and I know that not everybody is super lucky in their life to get some really awesome people. So I just hope that there's more of that in the world, she said. A theme heavily explored in the film is authenticity and finding ones identity. Bures character longs to get the attention of her love interest by pretending to be into the same things hes into. However, she fails until she embraces who she truly is. Elliot commented, Being real is always important, especially as an actor. So I think if you're kind of trying to put on a fake facade outside of acting, it might bleed into your work. "Staying grounded, surrounding yourself with good mentors, I have some strong women in my life too that kind of keep me in check if I were ever to go astray, so I just don't. It's just important to surround yourself with good people. Echoing that sentiment, Bure said, "Truly, you become who you hang out with and who you surround yourself with. The California native gushed about the relationships shes made while on set. I've struggled with going through a period where I had no friends because I just felt like there was no one in my life who was pouring into me in the way that I wanted to live my life," Bure said. "I think that that's really important and in that regard to kind of translating it into your life and how you ground yourself and what your morals are and how you kind of want to approach situations with. The actors both celebrated the film and hope people will support it and the message behind it. Elliot commented, Victoria comes into her own and also Jason serving others. Its really like a major theme of this movie and both find strength through that. Along the way, they have this love connection, which is great. So those two themes, I think, are my favorite in this story. Bure noted, It's really common to just put on that facade, especially when you're growing up and you're figuring out who you are. So even in just playing this out, I'm like, 'I can totally relate to this and I totally have had experiences where I've dealt with something similar.' So I think it'll be a fun film for people to watch and obviously relate to, but it's really cute and it's fun and it's like comedy and romance. So who doesn't love that? Home Sweet Home will be released on DVD/transactional digital release in May and will have a AVOD released on platforms like Tubi, Pluto, Encourage TV, etc. in the summer. Members of the National Guard stand as New York Gov Andrew Cuomo gives a daily coronavirus press conference in front of media and National Guard members at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, which is being turned into a hospital to help fight coronavirus cases on March 27, 2020 in New York City. Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images The National Guard in Rhode Island is assisting police with monitoring anyone who has traveled from New York into the state to enforce self-isolation orders. Members of the National Guard conducted house-to-house searches with police on Saturday to seek out those who have recently been in New York, which has emerged as the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the US. State police in Rhode Island have also begun pulling over cars with New York registrations traveling on I-95 and advising them to self-quarantine in accordance with the order. The measures have triggered criticism from civil-liberties advocates, who have accused Rhode Island officials of violating people's Fourth Amendment rights. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. The National Guard assisted Rhode Island police with house-to-house searches on Saturday to seek out anyone who has traveled from New York and force them to self-isolate. Senior Master Sgt. Janeen Miller, the police department's public affairs superintendent, told Insider that authorities were acting on behalf of the state's health department. Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo issued an executive order on Thursday establishing interstate stops and stationing officers at bus stops and train stations to identify New Yorkers and order them to self-quarantine. "The Rhode Island National Guard has already been collecting contact information from passengers of mass transit, such as bus, trains, and planes," SMSgt Miller said. She continued: "Basic contact information is collected and handed over exclusively to the RI Department of Health, where it is used to conduct health and wellness follow-ups and contact tracing should someone fall ill. This contact information is not handed over to any other agencies and is not kept by the Rhode Island National Guard." The order applies to anyone who has been in New York within the past two weeks and will remain in place until at least April 25. The order does not apply to public health, public safety or health care workers. Story continues On the same day authorities were conducting the searches, Raimondo announced she was signing a stay-at-home executive order for the state after the first two coronavirus deaths in the state were announced. New York has emerged as the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the US with nearly 30,000 cases. The National Guard was deployed to all 50 states in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. The Trump administration stressed that the deployment did not equate to martial law, and that the troops served as an additional resource that governors could assign depending on the needs of communities. A Rhode Island trooper previously confirmed to Insider's Haven Orecchio-Egresitz that state police in Rhode Island began pulling over cars with New York registrations traveling on I-95 and advising them to self-quarantine in accordance with the order. "We're stopping vehicles with NY registrations in an effort to get ahead of the medical pandemic going on, due to New York's high rate of the COVID-19 cases," on Friday. "They're being advised that if they're residing in Rhode Island, like going to a beach house or something like that, they are required to do a 14-day quarantine. If they're just passing through the state, they're OK." Though the policy is apparently designed to enforce isolation measures recommended by top public health officials, the local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union objected to the stopping of drivers based on a license plate and the further collection of their data. "While the Governor may have the power to suspend some state laws and regulations to address this medical emergency, she cannot suspend the Constitution," Rhode Island ACLU Executive Director Steven Brown said in a statement on the executive order. "Under the Fourth Amendment, having a New York state license plate simply does not, and cannot, constitute 'probable cause' to allow police to stop a car and interrogate the driver, no matter how laudable the goal of the stop may be." New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo also criticized the policy, telling CNN on Saturday he would sue Rhode Island if officials there don't roll back the new measures. Read the original article on Insider Hospital staff at Torontos world-renowned University Health Network fear they may be putting patients at risk of contracting COVID-19 and are frustrated over the executives mis-communications, transportation, and other issues, according to two anonymous online question-and-answer forums reviewed by the Star. The forums, facilitated by UHN from March 23 to March 28, appear to highlight the frustration and strain felt by some front-line workers, and reveal how hospital staff are coping with the surge of stress and nonstop work brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Only hospital workers were sent a link, but it appears that anyone can pose a question in the forum and most posts were anonymous or listed only a first name. Nearly 500 questions were submitted to two forums over a four-day span. UHN administration responded to the highest-voted questions in unsearchable videos live-streamed to staff. The Star was sent links to two of the forums and also viewed one of the live-streamed videos. According to Gillian Howard, a spokesperson for UHN, the forum is set up by the hospital and staff members are invited to submit their questions. The forums have been going on for at least a year and, of late, UHN has been conducting them more frequently, according to Howard. One question, put to the executive on March 25, reads: We are all stressed at this time, so how is it that some are granted leave while the rest of us are simply expected to find better ways to deal with our stress? There is some serious favouritism going on by managers. That entry got 70 upvotes and eight downvotes. In an interview, Howard said that the circumstances of stress leave are between that person, their manager and Occupational Health. Howard told the Star that UHN is working with our wellness area to develop ways to alleviate stress. The Employee Assistance Program is also available to all staff on a confidential basis and we encourage staff to take advantage of this program. Another question reads: If my role can be done working from home, why am I still coming into the hospital to work? It only increases foot traffic and the possibility of bringing (COVID-19) into work. That posting received 153 upvotes, or likes. It also got 56 downvotes. Howard told the Star that within the UHN, some treatments do require close contact and the appropriate protective equipment is worn in these cases. Provided people are maintaining six feet between themselves and others and taking the precautions above, they are doing everything they can to maintain their health and support essential care. The hospital network has tried to limit foot traffic and curb the spread of COVID-19 by postponing elective surgeries and moving roughly half of all clinic visits online. All meetings between hospital staff are being conducted virtually as well, Howard said. She also says that about half of the physicians support staff for Princess Margaret Hospital in particular work out of offices at the Ontario Hydro building, not in the hospital itself. Workers in clinical areas must wear masks at all times, according to UHN, but one administrator from Princess Margaret Hospital told the Star that very few employees within the Hydro building are able to follow this recommendation, including staff who interact with physicians. No one wears masks at Hydro, she said. Everyone is scared. The administrator spoke on the condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to speak to media. When asked to respond, Howard said that the individuals working in the Ontario Hydro building are not working directly with patients. Our policy is that front-line staff are to wear masks when they are working with patients. Parking is another issue for hospital workers. Theyve been asked not to take TTC and UHN is encouraging staffers to get a ride from a family member or to drive themselves into work, but some cant afford the parking rates. UHN has acknowledged this issue, and is planning on lowering the cost of the 10-day staff pass from $127.50 to $100.00 starting April 6. The evening and weekend rate will also be lowered from $8.00 to $6.00. Even with these changes, concerns seem to linger among staff. One of the highest-voted questions from March 25 reads: Can there be free parking for staff? How are we expected to be able to afford these discounted parking rates? Are we supposed to take the subway and not practice social distancing? UHN told the Star that suggestion has been forwarded to the appropriate department of the hospital. In the meantime, some of the staffers who arent yet cleared to work from home have been forced to take public transit. I am trying to limit how often I spend in public spaces, reads one anonymous question from March 25. And I can do that by driving to work. However, the cost of parking is too high for me given that the TTC costs $6.40. It is double that to park. As of Friday, three TTC employees had tested positive for COVID-19 one bus mechanic, one subway operator, and one Wheel-Trans driver. One GO Transit train operator had also tested positive. Dr. Kevin Smith, president and CEO of UHN, addressed the tone and respect of the questions posed online in an unsearchable YouTube video. I want to be sympathetic to the fact that people are anxious right now, and sometimes when were most anxious were not at our best in terms of diplomacy and respectfulness. But its now that we have to be pulled more closely than ever before. Theres no one in the chain at UHN who isnt important and who doesnt deserve to be treated respectfully. Hayley Chazan, spokesperson for Ontario Minister of Health Christine Elliott, says that the province expects hospitals to take the necessary precautions to protect the safety of their employees. This means all employees should have access to soap and water or hand sanitizer and clean washroom facilities. Commonly touched surfaces should be regularly disinfected. Some other considerations include: enforcing greater distances between workers, staggering staff breaks at different times to avoid large groups, and limiting the number of people in tight spaces, including elevators. Despite this recommendation, the third-most popular entry from March 25 with 118 upvotes and six downvotes asks UHN to post signs on elevators reminding people of physical distancing. We come through the screening at the door and then 10 people crowd into the elevator, reads one question. Some staff have been quite aggressive especially in the morning, getting on and crowding the elevator, reads another. UHN told the Star that every person is responsible for physical distancing, and that all staff are self-screening for symptoms. Nobody should be coming to work while ill, Howard says. If we are not coming to work ill, washing our hands frequently, not touching our faces and maintaining physical distance as much as we possibly can, we are taking all of the steps that we can to protect ourselves. Chazan says that the province is in discussions with any hospital that has provided conflicting guidance to their frontline staff to better understand their circumstances and to determine how these issues might be solved. With files from Ben Spurr A man was shot dead Friday by suspected militants in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said. At about 8:35 PM, militants fired upon and injured a civilian identified as Mehraj Ahmad Bhat at his residence at Redwani Balla in Qoimoh area of the district in south Kashmir, a police official said. He said Bhat, an auto-driver by profession, was rushed to Anantnag hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. Police have registered a case in this regard, the official said. TWO SUSPECTED MILITANTS HELD Security forces on Saturday arrested two suspected militants from Jammu and Kashmirs Baramulla district, officials said. During vehicle checking at Pattan town, police arrested two local militants, identified as Showkat Mir and Showkat Yattoo, they said. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday approved a proposal for the contribution of one day salary by the employees of Ministry of Defence to the PM-CARES fund to fight COVID-19. It is estimated that around Rs 500 crore will be collectively provided by the Defence Ministry to the fund from various wings, including Army, Navy, Air Force, Defence PSUs and others. The employees' contribution is voluntary and those desirous of opting out will be exempted. A total of 979 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported in India which includes 48 foreign nationals. 25 deaths have been caused due to COVID-19 in the country, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Sunday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Australia Zoo has temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. And on Sunday, Robert Irwin, 16, revealed what it's like to self-isolate in the empty conservation facility, which his family owns. The successful wildlife photographer shared a series of photos and videos from inside the zoo. 'Self-isolation Australia Zoo style': On Sunday, Robert Irwin fed sister Bindi's wedding cake to a chicken and cuddled a rhino while in lockdown amid the COVID-19 pandemic 'Self isolation Australia Zoo style. Step 1. Graze with a tortoise,' the first post was captioned, alongside a picture of a giant tortoise. He then cuddled his dogs, skateboarded to the African section of the zoo and cuddled a rhino in steps two to five. For step six, he played the ukulele while jumping on a trampoline, sharing a video of himself doing backflips while continuing to play the instrument. Downtime: Robert cuddled his dogs and played the ukulele on a trampoline to pass the time Peckish! Robert then shared some of Bindi's wedding cake (left) with a chicken (right), sharing a clip of himself feeding the bird He then shared some of Bindi's wedding cake with a chicken, sharing a clip of himself feeding the bird. Lastly, Robert watched the sunset and shared a message with his followers: 'Stay safe everyone, stay inside when you can, wash your hands and be kind!' Bindi got married to Chandler Powell at Australia Zoo on Wednesday - just hours after Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced new restrictions on weddings due to the coronavirus pandemic, with only five people allowed to attend. Cute: Bindi (right) got married to Chandler Powell (left) at Australia Zoo on Wednesday - just hours after Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced new restrictions on weddings due to the coronavirus pandemic On Sunday, the couple announced they were selling wedding candles for $49.95 to raise money for the running of Australia Zoo while it is closed. 'During these challenging times, we have no guests at Australia Zoo, so your online shopping support is making a huge difference,' Bindi wrote on Instagram. Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to escalate in Australia. As of Sunday night, there have been 3,980 cases of coronavirus in the country, which have resulted in 16 deaths. Hi Neighbor, Were all desperate for information about the horror called corona we are living in New York. SILive numbers prove it. Readership has skyrocketed every single day since the virus nightmare was unleashed. Staten Islanders are consuming news at rates we have never before seen, faster than we can even give it to them. So this is no time to keep secrets. There have been 39 deaths on Staten Island. The number grows by the day. There are 1,718 confirmed coronavirus cases, the highest rate in the city in terms of our population versus the other boroughs. And these numbers will be higher by the time you read this. We have more confirmed coronavirus cases in this borough alone than in 41 states. Maybe because New York is testing more aggressively, but whats the difference? The number is big. Yet numbers dont tell the whole story. We all understand privacy. We respect it. And laws prevent release of our personal health information. Most importantly, though, we know affected families suffer as they agonize over loved ones hospitalized -- not able to visit them . . . just waiting in dread of a telephone call from the hospital or from the nursing home that this deadly intruder has taken another life. Their loved ones life. They neednt be held up to public scrutiny. When I was a young reporter, just on the job a couple of days, I was assigned to write an obituary. The editor gave me the deceaseds name, funeral information and a telephone number. My job was to call the family and do an interview about the deceased. I was petrified. I could not comprehend that I was about to intrude in the life of a family as they grieved. Know what I discovered? The family wanted to talk. They wanted to give their loved one, now gone, their place in the public spotlight. Perhaps for many, their first time. Perhaps for most, the last. I also discovered one thing off-limits, something families did not want published: The cause of death when it was cancer, drugs or suicide. There was a stigma attached, they felt. Somehow, it was a bad thing. Not the tragic thing it actually was. We respected those wishes, unless the suicide was so public as in, leaping from a bridge -- we had no choice. I wonder if the same is happening with the coronavirus. The other day during a White House press conference Dr. Deborah Birx, on the presidents corona task force, revealed she had a low-grade fever over the weekend and was tested. Uh oh, the president uttered and jokingly walked away from her. It was a funny moment. Any of us would have done the same thing. But it was also telling. It goes without saying -- none of us want contact with people exposed to this virus. So families dont want to broadcast news of loved one being infected, or dying. All that said, it is also the publics right to know Staten Islands right to know some basic information about how the virus is affecting, and infecting, our community. Until recently, the citys Department of Health was only giving citywide statistics. Advance City Hall reporter Sydney Kashaswagi badgered in a positive way -- the mayor and Health Department for Staten Island numbers. Our readers had a right to know. Whether it was Sydneys dogged persistence or the Health Department finally got around to it Im betting on Sydney we at least know how many died here and how many confirmed cases. But a little more transparency could ease some public fear, or send a message to be even more vigilant. Not a name. But an age. Not an address. But a community. Was there a health condition that contributed? From decades of writing, editing and publishing obituaries, I can tell you thats what people want to know. They project their situation into someones elses life cycle. When a reporter got a copy of a letter sent to families that there was one or more confirmed virus cases in a Staten Island nursing home, he got a no comment and phone hung up when he emailed and called to determine how many cases and if any deaths. If the Health Department doesnt want to reveal even that no-so-personal information to the press, give it to the Staten Island borough president. Jim Oddo knows his borough. Let him be the arbiter of whats important for his constituents to know. Its all about transparency. Not secrets. Brian Oh by the way: Attention Grandparents: Theres a guy in Texas Dan Patrick, a lieutenant governor by the way, who embraces the presidents plan to get people back to work by Easter, suggesting that grandparents wouldnt mind dying to save the American economy for the younger crowd. Dans 69. Heres a question for all Staten Island Trump fans of the grandparent variety: Raise your hand if you agree. Novartis Chief Executive Vas Narasimhan said his Sandoz generics unit's malaria, lupus and arthritis drug hydroxychloroquine is the company's biggest hope against the coronavirus, Swiss newspaper SonntagsZeitung reported on Sunday. Novartis has pledged to donate 130 million doses and is supporting clinical trials needed before the medicine, which U.S. President Donald Trump also has been promoting, can be approved for use against the coronavirus. Other companies including Bayer and Teva have also agreed to donate hydroxychloroquine or similar drugs, while Gilead Sciences is ... The mass extinction that killed nearly 70 per cent of the Earth's land animals 252 million years ago may have played out at different times on land and in the sea, according to study of fossils from South Africa and Australia. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, found new ages for fossilised vertebrates that lived just after the demise of the fauna that dominated the late Permian era 299 to 251 million years ago. According to the researchers, including those from the University of California (UC) Berkeley in the US, ecosystem changes during this mass extinction event began hundreds of thousands of years earlier on land than in the sea. The later marine extinction, in which nearly 95 per cent of ocean species disappeared, may have occurred over the time span of tens of thousands of years, they said. Until now scientists believed that a series of volcanic eruptions, occurring in large pulses over a period of a million years were the primary cause of the extinction, the current study said. But the lag between the land extinction in the Earth's Southern Hemisphere, and the marine extinction in the Northern Hemisphere suggests different immediate causes, the researchers said. "Most people thought that the terrestrial collapse started at the same time as the marine collapse, and that it happened at the same time in the Southern Hemisphere and in the Northern Hemisphere," said paleobotanist Cindy Looy, study co-author from UC Berkeley. "The fact that the big changes were not synchronous in the Northern and Southern hemispheres has a big effect on hypotheses for what caused the extinction," Looy said. She said the mass extinction in the ocean may have had different mechanisms compared to the one on land. The scientists believe that global changes such as a warming climate, a rise in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and an increase in ocean acidification may have occurred around the end of the Permian period, and the beginning of the Triassic and likely contributed to the extinction. On land, they said, this extinction is best documented in Gondwana, the southern half of the supercontinent known as Pangea that eventually separated into the continents we know today as Antarctica, Africa, South America and Australia. In the South African Karoo Basin, the researchers said populations of large plant eating animals shifted from the now extinct Daptocephalus groups to the Lystrosaurus. In the ocean, they added that the extinction is best documented in the Northern Hemisphere, in particular by Chinese fossils. Looy and her team estimated the ages of zircon mineral crystals in a well-preserved volcanic ash deposit from the Karoo Basin. They said the sediments from several metres above the dated layer were devoid of Glossopteris pollen, suggesting that these seed ferns, which used to dominate late Permian Gondwanan floras, became extinct around that time. According to the study, at 252.24 million years old, the microscopic silicate crystals in zircon that form inside volcanoes are 300,000 years older than dates noted earlier for the Permian-Triassic (P-T) boundary in China. This means that the sediment layer assumed to contain the P-T boundary in South Africa was actually at least 300,000 years too old, the scientists explained. "Our new zircon date shows that the base of the Lystrosaurus zone predates the marine extinction with several hundred thousand years, similar to the pattern in Australia," Looy said. "This means that both the floral and faunal turnover in Gondwana is out of sync with the Northern Hemisphere marine biotic crisis," she added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Scott Morrison has effectively banned gatherings of more than two people across Australia to slow the spread of coronavirus. The Prime Minister addressed the nation from the Blue Room of Parliament House on Sunday night after meeting with the National Cabinet. He said the meeting of state and federal leaders advised that no more than two people who didn't live together should be meeting at once. The two-person limit doesn't apply to workplaces, offices, schools and households. Playgrounds, skate parks, and outdoor gyms will also be closed and boot camps reduced to one-on-one outdoor personal training sessions. Mr Morrison also strongly advised that anyone over 70 stay home for their own safety, except for going for a daily walk in the fresh air. None of the measures were outright bans, just strong advice from the government's medical advisers, but state governments could choose to enforce them with fines. Scott Morrison said no more than two people who didn't live together should be meeting at once. Pictured at a press conference in the Blue Room of Parliament House on Sunday night Australia's confirmed coronavirus cases have been rising by the hour, with the majority of cases coming from New South Wales 'States and Territories will term whether they proceed to make this an enforceable limit in the same way that the 10-person limit is already been enforced,' he said. New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian has confirmed the state will enact new laws around social distancing. 'Following national cabinet, NSW will move quickly to enforce additional restrictions on gatherings to slow COVID-19,' the premier tweeted on Sunday night. Australia has 3,980 cases, rising by the hour, but only a handful in intensive care units or on ventilators and 242 patients have recovered. Victoria recorded a big jump in cases overnight taking the state total to 769. NSW rose to 1,791 - well over double any other state. The country's cases across the board rose 340 by Sunday night. Mr Morrison made it clear the advice about gatherings of more than two people was for all circumstances, not just for social occasions in homes. 'That provides, importantly, for those who may be getting daily exercise, particularly for women, that they wouldn't be required to walk on their own and they be able to be walk with another person,' he said. 'In addition, in public area, public playgrounds, outside gyms and skate parks will be closed as from tomorrow and boot camps will be reduced to two. Sunday's new measures explained Only two people should gather in public spaces and 'other areas of gathering: Households - no matter how large - can still go outside together, but individual people can only meet with one other person. The two-person limit doesn't apply to workplaces, schools or households. Moratorium on evictions from rental properties for the next six months: Scott Morrison said State and Territories will be moving to ban landlords from evicting tenants who are struggling to pay rent. Mr Morrison urged landlords to work with their tenants and banks on immediate solutions. Playgrounds, skate parks, and outdoor gyms will be closed from Monday: Boot camps will be reduced to one-on-one outdoor personal training sessions. Australians urged to only shop for the essentials and nothing more: Mr Morrison reminded people it isn't a time for browsing or catching up with friends. 'When you are going out for shopping, you should be going for just stuff you need and do it and get home,' he said. People aged over 70 or having chronic illnesses are discouraged from leaving their homes: Mr Morrison said elderly people should only go outside for doctor's appointments or medical reasons. He said vulnerable groups who need help with shopping should access 'support through their community or others'. Advertisement 'Which doesn't really make it a boot camp, that makes it a private session with your trainer for those who are accessing those services.' Mr Morrison said this also applied to doing essential things like shopping, which should be done solo and not turned into impromptu gatherings. 'When you are going out for shopping, you should be going for just stuff you need and do it and get home,' he said. 'It is not a time for browsing. It is not a time for catching up with friends or bumping into people and having a long conversation and maybe drawing a few other friends across to catch up on how is it all going. No, you can't do that anymore.' However, it did not apply to weddings and funerals which were still capped at five (bride, groom, celebrant, two witnesses) and 10 respectively. Mr Morrison said older Australians and those with health conditions should stay home 'as much as practical'. He said this was not because they might spread the disease to others, but because they were at higher risk of death from coronavirus. Mr Morrison said older Australians and those with health conditions should stay home 'as much as practical'. Pictured: Returning overseas travellers arrive at the InterContinental Hotel for a 14-day quarantine period in Sydney Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy (right) said the possibility of community transmission was worrying officials the most, which was why the 'radical' new public interaction rules were needed 'This is for their own protection to limit their interaction with others in the community,' he said. 'This does not mean they cannot go outside. They can go outside and be accompanied by a support person for the purposes of getting fresh air and recreation but should limit contact with others as much as possible. 'These arrangements should also apply to those with chronic illness [who are] over 60, and Indigenous persons over the age of 50.' Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy said the possibility of community transmission was worrying officials the most, which was why the 'radical' new public interaction rules were needed. CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement Community transmission is the spread of the virus to a person without known links to a known case. 'It is of concern, particularly in Sydney and to a lesser extent in Melbourne and southeast Queensland,' Professor Murphy said during Sunday night's press conference. 'If you have outbreaks in the community, they can be much harder to detect and so we've broadened the testing criteria in those areas to make sure that we can detect and bring under control.' The national death toll reached 16 following the deaths of two more people in Victoria and Queensland overnight, as new quarantine measures for international arrivals kick in across the country. A man aged in his 80s died of coronavirus in hospital in Victoria, while a 75-year-old woman died in Queensland after travelling on the Ruby Princess cruise ship that docked in Sydney. Victoria and Queensland's death tolls have now risen to four and two, respectively. Announcing a new $1.1 billion health package to deal with the COVID-19 crisis earlier on Sunday, Mr Morrison said greater cooperation in terms of self-isolation and social distancing was delivering dividends. 'They are still strong rates of increase, there's no doubt about that,' the prime minister said. 'But as we take the measures that we have been taking and put them in place and we have the co-operation from the Australian people, then that obviously in turn that has an impact on how we are managing the spread of the virus.' More 1600 people arriving back in Australia have been taken into quarantine for 14 days in hotels around the country. Pictured: Returning overseas travellers arrive at the InterContinental Hotel for a 14-day quarantine period in Sydney Returned travellers will live out their 14 days of quarantine in state-funded hotel rooms, with doors guarded by state police, defence personnel or private security guards. Pictured: Flight crew leaves the terminal after arriving at Sydney International Airport Meanwhile, 1600 people arriving back in Australia have been taken into quarantine for 14 days in hotels around the country. They were shuttled to makeshift isolation facilities as the government turns to law-and-order to fight coronavirus. 'I know this is a terrrible inconvenience for you but it is necessary to save lives and we thank you for your cooperation,' Mr Morrison said. Returned travellers will live out their 14 days of quarantine in state-funded hotel rooms, with doors guarded by state police, defence personnel or private security guards. 'We will treat these people with absolute respect and dignity but we will need their support,' NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said. 'The 14 days, I am sure, will be a challenge for them and perhaps the food is not up to standard or they feel that the bed is not as comfortable as their own. 'They need to understand that we are trying to protect the community of NSW.' Mr Morrison also said just a third as many Australians were catching coronavirus as a week ago with the borders, pubs, and restaurants shut. He said the rate of virus infections was 25 to 30 per cent a day, but slowed to about nine per cent in the past few days. Australia recorded its biggest daily rise on Saturday of 460 cases, and 370 and 378 the two days before. Community transmission cases in NSW ballooned last last week and Victoria started to see an early surge in cases with an unknown source. Mr Morrison also announced that states and territories would be putting a moratorium on evictions due to financial hardship for the next six months. This applied not only to families who could be kicked out of their homes after losing jobs, but also to businesses that were shut down or saw their income obliterated. 'We are not Italy': Opinion piece by Australia's Deputy Chief Medical Officer An opinion piece by the Australian Government Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly. Our way of life in Australia has changed dramatically in recent weeks and it will keep changing as we continue to respond to the evolving COVID-19 outbreak. Governments across the country have imposed tight restrictions on our daily lives to help stop the coronavirus from spreading and reduce peoples exposure to it. Restrictions have been imposed on the retail sector, and many facilities for instance pubs, clubs, gyms and cinemas are no longer permitted to open. Things that have been fundamental to our way of life are not currently available. Australians have adjusted amazingly with strong evidence of reduced foot traffic, public transport occupancy and many other measures that show we have got the message. We have imposed strong border measures. International travel has been banned, with a few exceptions. Only Australian citizens, residents and immediate family members can travel to Australia. From tonight (Saturday), all returning travellers will be subject to formal supervised quarantine in a facility, reducing one of the biggest current risks of new infections. People are also experiencing a barrage of opinions be they from experts or through social media. I can understand all of this can be confusing and may be compounding peoples anxiety levels. Australia is a free country and everyone is entitled to express an opinion. People have different opinions about the best way to combat COVID-19. Let me be very clear about a couple of points. No health experts dispute what the problem is nor how to address this outbreak. Its about saving lives and livelihoods. The only dispute is how hard to go imposing measures, and when to impose them. And anyone who thinks we can impose restrictions for two or three weeks and then lift them and we can return to our normal lives free of coronavirus is misguided. The risk is COVID-19 would rear its ugly head again, more aggressive than before. Some people have asked why we havent imposed a blanket lockdown like other countries have done. The answer to this is that unlike countries such as Italy, Spain and Iran, and cities such as Wuhan in China, we have remained ahead of the curve. By the time health experts in these countries recognised what was occurring , COVID-19 was out of control and spreading like wildfire. This is the reason why hospitals in these countries have struggled to cope with people with severe forms of the disease. Despite the number of cases rising quite quickly in recent weeks, this is not the case in Australia. And we have reason to be confident we will keep ahead of the curve. Two-thirds of the cases have been acquired overseas. Thats why were redoubling our efforts at our borders and in tracing who these confirmed cases have been in contact with to reduce the spread of the disease. We have one of the highest rates per population of testing for coronavirus in the world. We have conducted more than 184,000 tests, with less than two per cent returning positive. Australia has one of the best health care systems in the world and we are very well prepared for this outbreak. Our response to the outbreak is flexible and scalable and we are modifying it as the outbreak evolves and we learn more about the virus. Of course we are concerned about the current small pockets of community transmission, particularly in Sydney. These represent our biggest risk and if there is significant growth in community transmission, additional measures will be immediately implemented to bring about control. The Commonwealth is working very closely with the states and territories through the National Cabinet and the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee to ensure our response is as effective as possible. We are working very hard to source additional coronavirus tests and ventilators and have supported the primary health care sector by expanding telehealth services to ensure GPs and other health professionals are able to continue consultations with their patients. Already, after only 14 days (as of Saturday), this has led to more than 550,000 consultations. On top of this, we will soon start taking delivery of more than 400 million additional masks, as well as additional hand sanitiser, goggles, gloves and gowns. These new supplies build on the 3.1 million masks distributed to states and territories over the past week. Almost 200 fever clinics have now been set up to isolate and care for people diagnosed with COVID-19. We are well advanced in our planning with the states and territories to deal with an expected surge in demand for the treatment of coronavirus cases with the number of intensive care unit beds to more than double to meet this demand, if required. It is important people recognise that governments and health practitioners can only do so much to combat COVID-19. The truth is everyone has a role to play in stopping the spread of this coronavirus. There are three key things everyone can do: - Practise good hygiene. This means thoroughly washing your hands with soap and water, including before and after eating and after going to the toilet. It is vital people cover their coughs and sneezes with their elbow or a tissue and if it is with a tissue, that the tissue is put straight into a bin. - Secondly, all Australians should be practising social distancing. People should remain at home unless it is absolutely vital to go elsewhere, and when in public, keep at least 1.5 metres away from other people. - Thirdly, it is imperative that people self-isolate for 14 days if they have been diagnosed with COVID-19, if they have been in close contact with a confirmed case of the coronavirus or if they have arrived in Australia after midnight on 15 March. That means, simply, stay at home. Realistically, a vaccine for the coronavirus is many months away. In the meantime, Australians can be reassured we are constantly monitoring COVID-19 developments both domestically and abroad and adapting what we do to minimise its spread. I urge all Australians to keep calm, keep informed and keep connected. Advertisement Two more elderly coronavirus patients have died, including one from the infamous Ruby Princess cruise ship (pictured), taking Australia's death toll to 16 The army was called in to help ensure the transition ran smoothly on the first day of the new policies, with returning travellers escorted onto buses for a 14-day quarantine 'My message to tenants, particularly commercial tenants, and commercial landlords, is a very straightforward one - we need you to sit down, talk to each other and work this out,' Mr Morrison said. 'We need landlords and tenants to come up with arrangements that enable them to get through this crisis so on the other side.' Measures will be put in place to encourage agreements, as part of the idea of 'hibernating' businesses until the coronavirus crisis passes. 'There is no rule book for this. We are in unchartered territory,' Mr Morrison said. 'But the goal should be shared and that is a business can reopen on the other side, not weighed down by excessive debts because of rental arrears, a landlord has a tenant so that they can continue into the future to be able to support the investments that they have made and banks have clients.' Further work is being done by federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and his state and territory counterparts on commercial tenancies. Master developer Nakheel has announced a Dh230-million ($62.6 million) economic relief package for customers in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak. The initiative is in line with the economic stimulus launched under the direction of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and announced by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai, said a statement from the Dubai developer. The Nakheel economic relief package aims to help reduce the financial burdens faced by businesses and individuals during the current global challenges, it added. It includes free rental periods for retail and hospitality partners who operate within the Nakheel Malls portfolio. The Dubai developers customers include property owners, retail and hospitality tenants and small business operators. According to Nakheel, this will take effect when the malls, which are currently closed under government directives, reopen. Small retail business owners who lease space at Nakheels master communities will also receive a rental holiday. Nakheel is also waiving administration charges across various services for three months, and, as per government directives, reducing district cooling charges by 10 per cent for three months for commercial and residential customers. Chairman Mohammed Ibrahim Al Shaibani said: Every business and individual in Dubai and across the globe is affected in some way by Covid-19. As a leading, responsible developer, we must support and work with our loyal customers and business partners who are facing economic challenges during these unprecedented times. Nakheel is contacting eligible business partners with details of how the stimulus package will specifically apply to them, he added.-TradeArabia News Service The Greenwich-based Mother for Others, the largest independent diaper bank in lower Fairfield County, has emptied its shelves of diapers and delivered them to Family Centers and Neighbor to Neighbor for distribution during the coronavirus pandemic. Usually, clients visit in-person once a month to the MFO distribution room to receive a weeks supply of diapers, wipes and gently used baby equipment. In light of the state mandate to minimize social interaction, MFO has temporarily adapted its distribution process. On March 17, MFO leadership reached out to the Greenwich Department of Human Services, Family Centers and the Greenwich United Way to discuss options. By the next day, MFO volunteers had completed the transfer of over 18,000 diapers to Family Centers and Neighbor to Neighbor. The diapers sent out will provide one weeks worth of diapers for over 400 children. In this uncertain time, one thing was clear it was going to become more and more challenging for our clients to access our services, said Lisa Leavy-Fisher, executive director of Mothers for Others. Family Centers and Neighbor to Neighbor will serve as points of distribution, reducing the number of places clients need to visit. Even in difficult times, we can rely on volunteers and nonprofit leadership to readily share their time, talent and treasure, said Leavy-Fisher. By coming together so quickly, we leveraged the strengths of each organization to ensure uninterrupted support for vulnerable families. With the shelves in the distribution room now empty, MFO is focused on quickly restocking diapers to meet the needs of families during this unprecedented time. To learn more about diaper need in our community and how you can help, visit www.mothersforothers.org. Deans List honors announced at Tufts University Tufts University in Medford, Mass., recently announced the Deans List for the Fall 2019 semester. The honored local students include: Katherine Harkness of Greenwich, Mia Nixon of Greenwich, Alexander Schnur of Cos Cob, Bennett Brain of Greenwich, Caro Fett of Greenwich, Daniel Le Breton of Greenwich, Eli Rosmarain of Greenwich, Alexis Tatore of Greenwich, Nathaniel Ung of Riverside, Allison Brea of Old Greenwich, Lillian Marinelli of Old Greenwich and Jamie Yee of Greenwich. Deans List honors at Tufts require a semester grade point average of 3.4 or greater. Bryant students named to Deans List Bryant University in Smithfield, R.I., is recognizing local students who have been named to the Deans List for the fall 2019 semester. The honored students are Christopher Flippin, a member of the Class of 2022 from Greenwich, and Christopher Nicolay, a member of the Class of 2022 from Cos Cob. Greenwich student inducted into Phi Kappa Phi Jacqueline Beshoory of Greenwich was recently initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation's oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society. Beshoory was initiated at Pennsylvania State University. Beshoory is among 30,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni to be initiated into Phi Kappa Phi each year. Membership is by invitation only and requires nomination and approval by a chapter. Only the top 10 percent of seniors and 7.5 percent of juniors are eligible for membership. Phi Kappa Phi was founded in 1897 under the leadership of undergraduate student Marcus L. Urann who had a desire to create a different kind of honor society: one that recognized excellence in all academic disciplines. Today, the Society has chapters on more than 300 campuses in the United States and the Philippines. Its mission is "To recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others." Seoul: North Korea has fired at least one unidentified projectile into the ocean off its east coast, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Sunday, with Japan's Ministry of Defence reporting that it appeared to be a ballistic missile. The ministry said that the missile did not land in Japanese territory or its exclusive economic zone. A man watches a TV screen in Seoul showing a file image of North Korea's missile launch. Credit:AP "We will continue to do our utmost to collect, analyse, and monitor information," the ministry said in a statement on Twitter. If confirmed as a ballistic missile, it would be the fourth round of launches this month as North Korean troops conduct ongoing military drills, usually personally overseen by leader Kim Jong-un. N azanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is being considered for clemency by Iranian prosecutors as her prison leave is extended, her husband has said. The British-Iranian mother was among thousands of prisoners temporarily freed from jail by the government in Tehran because of the coronavirus pandemic. She is in relative isolation at her parents house in Tehran while the country gets to grips with the Covid-19 pandemic. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe was convicted of espionage charges - which she and the UK denied and sent to Iranian prison for five years in 2016. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the Britsh-Iranian woman jailed in Iran, who has had her leave from prison extended by two weeks, according to her husband. / PA Richard Ratcliffe said his wifes father had been told her temporary release from Evin prison will now run until April 18. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe's father was also notified that his daughter's file had been put forward to the Iranian Prosecutor General for consideration for clemency, he added. Iran is among the countries worst-affected by Covid-19 - reporting over 29,000 confirmed cases and more than 2,200 deaths from the disease. The World on Coronavirus lockdown 1 /60 The World on Coronavirus lockdown Getty Images A UK government public health campaign is displayed in Piccadilly Circus Reuters Chinese paramilitary police and security officers wear face masks to protect against the spread of the new coronavirus as they stand guard outside an entrance to the Forbidden City in Beijing AP A usually busy 42nd Street is seen nearly empty in New York AFP via Getty Images Bondi Beach, Australia Getty Images Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' hospital Getty Images View of the illuminated statue of Christ the Redeemer that reads "Thank you" as Archbishop of the city of Rio de Janeiro Dom Orani Tempesta performs a mass in honor of Act of Consecration of Brazil and tribute to medical workers amidst the Coronavirus (COVID - 19) pandemic Getty Images Rome AFP via Getty Images An Indian man paddles his bicycle in front of a mural depicting the globe covered in a mask, as India remains under an unprecedented lockdown over the highly contagious coronavirus Getty Images Aerial view of the empty 9 de Julio avenue in Buenos Aires in Argentina AFP via Getty Images A view of an empty Grand Canal Reuters Las Ramblas, Barcelona, Spain Getty Images Aerial view of the empty Central cemetery in Bogota, Columbia AFP via Getty Images The facade of the Palacio de Lopez (seat of the government palace) AFP via Getty Images Miami, Florida AFP via Getty Images Aerial view of the empty Simon Bolivar park in Bogota AFP via Getty Images An LAPD patrol car drives through Venice Beach Boardwalk AP Venice Beach, California Getty Images Los Angeles, California Getty Images Surfers Paradise is seen empty in Australia Getty Images Many shops stand shuttered on the Venice Beach boardwalk Getty Images Empty escalators are seen at a deserted train station during morning rush hour after New South Wales began shutting down non-essential businesses Reuters A nearly empty Times Square in New York AFP via Getty Images Caracas AFP via Getty Images Metropolitan Cathedral of San Salvador AFP via Getty Images A general view of an unusually quiet Midland Park in Wellington, New Zealand Getty Images A general view of an unusually quiet Civic Square at lunchtimein Wellington, New Zealand Getty Images A policeman rides his motorcycle wearing a face mask in front of a closed shopping mall in Buenos Aires, Argentina AFP via Getty Images Florida Keys AP The historic Channel 2 Bridge closed to fishermen, bikers and pedestrians in Florida Keys AP The Beach on Scenic Gulf Drive near Seascape Resort in south Walton County, Florida sits empty of tourists AP Surfers Paradise is seen empty in Australia Getty Images A deserted Rajpath leading to India Gate in New Delhi AFP via Getty Images A general view is seen of a closed Luna Park in Sydney, Australia Getty Images A general view is seen of a closed Luna Park in Sydney, Australia Getty Images Empty roads are pictured following the lockdown by the government amid concerns about the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Kathmandu, Nepal Reuters An empty New York Subway car i AFP via Getty Images The empty pedestrian zone is seen in the city of Cologne, western Germany, AFP via Getty Images Place de la Comedie in the city of Montpellier , southern France AFP via Getty Images An empty street in Kuwait city AFP via Getty Images A building is covered by the Portuguese message: "Coronavirus: take precaution" over empty streets in downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil, AP A general view shows an empty street after a curfew was imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Reuters Parliament of Canada is pictured with empty street during morning rush hour AFP via Getty Images A near empty beach on Southend seafront in England PA Near empty Keswick town centre in Cumbria, England PA Former foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt welcomed the news on Twitter - calling it a "glimmer of hope amidst the darkness". "Let's pray that this remarkable family are reunited soon," he added. The family's MP Tulip Siddiq tweeted that every day Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe is out of prison is "better than the alternative". But she said that the main focus remained "getting her home and away from the danger of coronavirus in Iran as soon as possible". Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested at Tehran's Imam Khomeini airport while travelling to show her young daughter, Gabriella, to her parents in April 2016. She was sentenced to five years in prison over allegations, which she denies, of plotting to overthrow the Tehran government. (Bloomberg Opinion) -- It would be charitable to describe the federal governments response to the coronavirus pandemic as sloppy and uncoordinated. Thankfully, there is a model for an epic national comeback. It dates back to the weeks following the attack on Pearl Harbor in late 1941, when President Roosevelt created the War Production Board, one of the most dynamic public-private partnerships in history. The U.S. entered World War II woefully unprepared. It possessed staggering economic power, but almost none of it was directed toward defense. As it sought to ramp up the war effort, supply disruptions for much-needed commodities like rubber would slow it back down. To have a fighting chance, the government would need to recruit hundreds of thousands of factories to wartime production while simultaneously smashing countless bottlenecks in the supply chains that fed them. Roosevelt didnt believe the free market was going to solve those problems on its own -- at least not in time. He also rejected the idea of nationalizing key industries. So he opted for a hybrid approach. Businesses took their marching orders from the WPB. But they would still make money and run their enterprises on a for-profit basis. Secretary of War Henry Stimson described the philosophy behind the effort when he famously confided to his diary, If you are going to war in a capitalist country, you have to let business make money out of the process or business wont work. Who, though, could possibly run such a monumentally complex effort? A chemical engineer by training, as it turned out. Donald Marr Nelsons first job was at retail giant Sears, Roebuck and Company. Starting as head of the companys testing laboratory, his preternatural management skills would carry him all the way to chairman of the executive committee. Nelsons ability to manipulate the supply chains behind the companys vast mail order business which offered 100,000 items alone -- as well as hundreds of brick-and-mortar stores made him a logical choice to run the WPB. But so, too, was the fact that Nelson did not share the business communitys antipathy toward the federal government. He was what one biographer has described as a businessman-bureaucrat, joining the New Deal in the 1930s, among other government posts. He was put in charge of the WPB in January 1942.In todays dollars, the U.S. made $61.6 billion worth of military weapons and supplies in 1941. From 1942 to 1945, it produced $3.2 trillion. The WPB was central that astonishing shift. Story continues Nelson created a flexible bureaucracy that mediated between the military on the one hand and private industry on the other. The military told the WPB what it wanted and when. Then it fell to Nelson and his subordinates to make sure that private industry could secure the necessary raw materials -- often by invoking rationing powers -- and deliver the goods on time. If, for example, the WPB decided to prioritize the production of machine guns over some other weapons, it would take stock of the materials required for that purpose, set it aside for companies capable of making them, and let the firms do the rest. What Nelson realized, though, was that the country did not have time to encourage the construction of new factories. Instead, it needed existing manufacturers to convert to wartime production. One of the first moves was to order the nations auto industry to shift to military supplies. In effect, the WPB served notice to the nations manufacturing sector: Most factories would find a way to produce goods for wartime use or close entirely. Faced with this stark choice, companies retooled to produce goods that shared much in common with the original focus of production. Manufacturers of vacuum cleaners made gas masks; baby carriage makers churned out hospital food carts; makers of brass lipstick tubes switched to making bomb fuses and shell cases; lingerie companies began sewing parachutes and camouflage netting. Other companies that struggled to find a one-to-one conversion became subcontractors, supplying the basic building blocks of bigger weapons: machine gun mounts, parts of planes, and other items. Fortune magazine dubbed Nelson the dictator of U.S. war production, but that wasnt accurate. Nelson was a listener and a diplomat, capable of forging consensus between the very different constituencies whom he served the military, Congressional committees, the president, and the owners of the countrys 187,000 manufacturing plants. He sought, not always successfully, to reconcile the innumerable needs of the war effort with these many different interest groups. As a consequence of the War Production Boards efforts, the U.S. began churning out more war materiel than any other nation. Within six months of Pearl Harbor, the U.S. had issued military contracts equivalent in value to the entire gross national product the previous year. By wars end, private firms produced the lions share of 6,500 naval vessels, nearly 300,000 warplanes, 100,000 tanks, four billion rounds of ammunition. The list goes on.The U.S. won World War II by deluging the Axis powers with a level of production never seen before in human history. The scale is mind-boggling: Fords famous Willow Run plant, for example, produced a B-24 bomber capable of holding a crew of ten -- every 63 minutes. Production ramped up to the point where the nation was producing cargo ships faster than Germanys thousand-plus fleet of U-Boats could sink them. This is what can happen with government and private industry work together. This is what can be achieved when a government authority helmed by capable leaders drawn from the corporate world is given free rein to allocate goods and direct production. And this is what our current moment demands. If the president genuinely believes hes a wartime president, as he recently announced, he needs to find that other Donald a latter-day Donald Nelson. And then he needs to allocate a staggering amount of money to guarantee that we have more than enough ventilators, masks, and other supplies to handle this pandemic and any others coming our way. Might some supplies end up unused? Yes, but keeping inventory down is not how you win a war. And in any case, the cost is a drop in the bucket relative to the bailouts already on offer. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners. Stephen Mihm, an associate professor of history at the University of Georgia, is a contributor to Bloomberg Opinion. For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. (Photo : Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay ) Advertisement Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay Like Us on Facebook Advertisement Donald Trump recently shared his future plans for the United States amid the coronavirus pandemic. It was said that he is "pushing" to lift the lockdown by Easter because of personal reasons. As stated, the US President reasoned that the day is a "beautiful" one. According to Business Insider, he first touted this plan of his earlier on Tuesday. He reportedly shared that Easter is an "important" one for him because of other reasons. Even so, he said that he would make it an important day for the current crisis too. He told similar things in the following interview on that day. It was said that Donald Trump revealed that Easter is a "very special day" for him. Although no further explanations were given, he claimed that seeing the churches full on that day across the country will be "great." During the White House press briefing, the publication said that the United States President, once again, reiterated his plans over the COVID-19 lockdown and Easter, which will be on April 12. He also reportedly said that he hopes to see everyone back in their usual routines in the next 19 days. Before anyone from the audience could ask, Trump explained that they are now looking at this timeline. He then shared that they had a "very good meeting" earlier that day. However, the same report noted that Donald Trump seemingly suggested that this deadline is not yet "concrete." This is because he later added that they will only do it "if it's good." He then reportedly said that "maybe" this will do in some "large sections" of the country. With these statements at hand, it has appeared before the public that the United States President has a more positive outlook on the current crisis. The New York Times even said that Donald Trump has continued to insist that he does not see the "coronavirus as any more dangerous than flu." While he remains positive with the said "flexible timeline," reports noted that the confirmed cases in the United States have increased since his press release about reopening the country on Easter. From over 53,000 confirmed cases with 680 deaths on Tuesday night, the numbers have since spiked reaching over 100,390 confirmed cases with 1,477 deaths at the near end of the week. It was also revealed that many health officials across the globe "warned" that the timeline may be impossible to achieve. As claimed, it will take several weeks, minimum, to slow down the rate of infection in the United States. "Longer periods of time" is required to turn the tide, one expert added. Advertisement Tagsdonald trump, lockdown, COVID-19 Outbreak Several medical schools across the US are considering early graduation for senior students to enable them to enter the healthcare system that is coming under strain and meet the growing demand for medical personnel as coronavirus cases in the country increase rapidly. New York University's Grossman School of Medicine announced last week that it is planning to allow senior students to graduate early in response to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's "directive to get more physicians into the health system more quickly". A CNN report said at least 69 students at the NYU medical school want to graduate three months early to help in the fight against the novel coronavirus. According to the report, executive vice dean at the medical school Steven B Abramson said the university asked about 122 students, who are set to graduate this year, whether they would be willing to start their internship at New York hospitals in April instead of waiting until July. Nearly 70 students have volunteered to graduate, Abramson said. "It is awe-inspiring and just says a lot about our students and their dedication to take care of people who are sick and to be part of a team of doctors taking care of these patients," he said. The report quoted Gabrielle Mayer, a 4th-year medical student who is planning to join the primary care/internal medicine programme at NYU's Bellevue Hospital, as saying that it was an "easy decision" for her. "Knowing that we are waiting to graduate and join the workforce, that we have the skill set that seems needed and valuable right now, it was such an easy decision to join my co-residents, co-interns," the 26-year-old said. The school is now waiting for final approval from the New York State Department of Education, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and the Liaison Committee on Medical Education. If the approval comes through, students will be placed in internal medicine programmes or emergency rooms at NYU-affiliated hospitals in the area. New York is the epicentre of the COVID-19 outbreak in the US and the medical infrastructure in the state has come under tremendous strain as the number of coronavirus cases skyrocket. The state now has more than 52,000 COVID-19 cases. According to the CNN report, the New York University became the first medical school to consider early graduation for its senior students and now other medical schools are considering doing the same. "While the AAMC has not yet surveyed its member medical schools, the (Liaison Committee on Medical Education) has been working with several other schools that are considering or offering their students the option of graduating early," said Alison Whelan, chief medical education officer for the Association of American Medical Colleges. In Massachusetts, all four medical schools are in discussions with the Massachusetts Health and Human Services (MHHS) to have a fast-track option. The Tufts University School of Medicine, the University of Massachusetts Medical School, the Boston University School of Medicine and the Harvard Medical School are all contemplating the idea, the report quoted MHHS Secretary Marylou Sudders as saying. New York Governor Cuomo has announced three new sites -- South Beach Psychiatric Centre in Staten Island, Westchester Square in the Bronx and Health Alliance in Ulster County -- to serve as a place for emergency beds. The sites will add 695 more beds to the state's capacity. Additionally, in a new approach, the state will begin designating some facilities only for COVID-19 patients. Three sites -- South Beach Psychiatric Facility in Staten Island, Westchester Square in the Bronx and SUNY Downstate in Brooklyn -- have been identified to provide over 600 beds, specifically for COVID-19 patients. The federal government has also approved four new sites in New York for constructing temporary hospitals by the Army Corps of Engineers. These sites are at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, the Aqueduct Racetrack facility in Queens, CUNY Staten Island and the New York Expo Centre in the Bronx. These temporary hospitals will add 4,000 beds to the state's capacity. These sites are part of the Governor's goal of having a 1,000-plus patient overflow facility in each New York City borough as well as in Westchester, Rockland, Nassau and Suffolk counties. Last week, Cuomo had announced that more than 40,000 healthcare workers, including retirees and students, have signed up to volunteer to work as part of the state's surge healthcare force during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, with more expected to sign up in the coming weeks. Additionally, over 6,000 mental health professionals have signed up to provide free online mental health services. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-28 22:39:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo taken on March 28, 2020 shows Chinese medical expert team poses for group photo at Islamabad International Airport on March 28, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Tian) An 8-member medical expert team from China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, along with medical materials, arrived in Pakistan Saturday to help the country fight the COVID-19 pandemic. ISLAMABAD, March 28 (Xinhua) -- An 8-member medical expert team organized by the Chinese government arrived here on Saturday to help Pakistan fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi welcomed the Chinese medical team at the Islamabad International Airport and thanked them for coming to Pakistan to help the country overcome the disease. "I would like to thank the Chinese people, and the Chinese government...for going out of the way to support Pakistan and our effort to fight the COVID-19," he said. Photo taken on March 28, 2020 shows Pakistani workers downloads assistance brought by Chinese medical expert team on March 28, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Tian) "We have learned from you. We have stood by you, and you're standing with us. So this (COVID-19) challenge has brought the peoples of China and Pakistan even closer. In this challenging time, the (Pakistani) people expected China to come forth and China has lived up to their expectations," the foreign minister told Xinhua. The team, organized by China's National Health Commission, consists of experts selected by the health commission of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and aims to provide consultations of pandemic control, patients treatment and laboratory works and guide and train Pakistani medical staff. Head of the medical team Ma Minghui told Xinhua that the team will also share the Chinese experiences on coronavirus control with their Pakistani counterparts. Photo taken on March 28, 2020, shows Pakistani workers downloads assistance brought by Chinese medical expert team. (Xinhua/Liu Tian) The medical team also brought medical assistance including over 110,000 face masks, 5,000 protection suits, 12 ventilators and other medicines to Pakistan. The team will stay in Pakistan for around two weeks and will also visit Punjab and Sindh provinces. Time is life, delay is death. India is on the cusp of realising the truth in those words. As COVID-19 spreads rapidly across the world and India, the spread presents a never-seen-before event in the history of mankind. The velocity of the spread, its impact and the constant stream of distressing information on the pandemic has created panic. And while healthcare systems across the world are being brought down to their knees, the general feeling is that social distancing (SD) will stop the virus in its tracks. But evidence points to the fact that SD, in India, may not produce the results we wish for. At the moment, the educated understand SD (how much they will adhere to it is a question) but the uneducated and poor socio-economic class are unable to grasp the importance of SD. This is why we need to go well beyond SD, a measure which slows down the pandemic and buys time to prepare for the next potential onslaught. The advice coming from China, Italy and other areas, duly processed and packaged by epidemiologists and data-scientists, has led authorities to prepare for the worst possible situation.' Moving rapidly, they have instituted a level of prevention we have never seen earlier in healthcare. Bear in mind that India is a country where primary care and preventive medicine has always been inadequate. Paradoxically, we have, in the largest preventive move ever seen, marshalled extensive social and system measures to prevent the spread of this disease, before the horse has left the barn. Amidst this urgency, ground-level issues to tackle the impending crisis of those who get the disease are inadequate. The gap between policy proclamation and operational delivery is vast. Lets look at the ground reality before arriving at the solution. Social distancing: Will it work? SD will go down as the phrase of the decade as tabloid after tabloid, and news television programs expound on it when we arent sure about the extent of SD which is needed to create the desired effect. What is the threshold of keeping humans away from humans, to actually nip the spread in the bud? Is shutting down schools, offices and malls enough? SD is impossible to implement in the poor socio-economic strata where masks, sanitisers, and any duration of isolation is a pipe dream, and proximity is a way of existence. This is something we are not talking about. The system must account for this or the next wave will consume the hapless poor. SD has never been seen in this country earlier, underscoring the need for a clarion call for extensive public cooperation or radical enforcement as done in other parts of the world. The other question that no one can answer is: What is the duration for which SD needs to be maintained? The answer to this question changes based on the information of spread coming daily, which is a function of how successfully SD was done. Here a circle is set where successfully done SD will curtail disease duration and half-heartedly done SD will come with all the uncertainties and no endpoint. Clearly, at this point, India is winging it with SD. As we speak, SD challenges are apparent in the mass wave of migrant workers moving home nobody in history has tried to lockdown a population of 1.3 billion. The testing conundrum It is essential to understand the true denominator of a disease. This understanding helps create measures to fight it. As this is a novel virus, we do not have enough kits in the country (or anywhere in the world) to find the true denominator. This has led to many practical approaches adopted by various countries. In a 1.3 billion population such as ours, a policy of limited utilitarian testing has been recommended, which is changing as we speak. The disadvantage of the policy thus far is that we are not only undermining the information we need to truly define this pandemics penetration and nature in our country, but also isolating people who may not have disease. That said, the social impact of the higher incidence revealed by extensive testing can fuel unrest and anxiety. We have to be ready to handle the level of panic this can unleash. As of today, despite all the announcements, testing at the ground level in Bengaluru is still limited. Tools to fight the pandemic It cannot be stressed enough that we need a never-seen-before effort to marshal and coordinate resources a process where measures are recommended, implemented, audited and modified with a 24/7 push, with efficiency at the level of SWAT teams. Care of the sick inpatient is the weakest link in our system. Infrastructure, healthcare personnel (doctors, nurses and supportive staff) and personal protective equipment (PPE) are the three pillars of management in the inpatient setting. If we reach the stage for massive deployment of healthcare, there is negligible isolation infrastructure, no obvious healthcare personnel plan for deployment and attrition, and scarce PPE available. In addition, there is a shortage of healthcare personnel. We have been reeling under a nursing crisis for years. You cannot easily get personnel back if they get infected, and you also cannot send infected health professionals back to their families as they will infect them and perpetuate the community cycle. An adequate supply of PPE is the foundation for defeating the virus. What then are the measures we need to take to get the PPE train in order and have COVID-19 centers who can deliver safe and quality services? First off, we need a central PPE distribution system with military precision and implementation to ensure there is no waste, willful or inadvertent. We will also need an emergency PPE law enacted for production, distribution and utilisation. This must be one of the most stringent laws ever seen.As drugs and vaccines develop for this infection, a similar strategy needs to be followed to ensure they get to those who actually need it. Further, COVID-19 centers must be audited and approved by an external team of experts to ensure no short-cuts for personnel/PPE have been taken. If this is not implemented, these centers will also spread the disease and take valuable unprotected healthcare workers out of the workforce. The so-called current isolation beds are an eyewash if they cannot last at least for a month with adequate personnel/PPE. We need to be prepared for the judicious but non-compromising use of all resources over a long haul, as the epidemic may stretch for weeks as in other countries we are seeing burn-out in COVID-19 facilities worldwide. Lastly, the system has to allow patients with non-COVID-19 issues to be taken care of without risk of cross-infectivity, needing separate facilities or zones. Uncomfortable truths Amidst all this, there are several uncomfortable truths that need to be tabled and discussed. Our hospitals, especially government hospitals with high volumes and overcrowding are poorly equipped to handle a highly virulent strain such as COVID-19. There is no clear voice addressing this. Are we convinced that our public hospitals can handle the stress of the pandemic effectively? Private hospitals are trying to prepare on their own, but most are reeling under budgetary constraints and are unable to move rapidly as the situation mandates. We need a centrally organised committee that cascades into state and cities to take stock of the situation, identify and earmark COVID-19 places with high quality care, and put all resources there: Administrators/clinicians, training, PPEs so we have these comprehensive well-equipped COVID-19 ready facilities. China created one such center in one week to mitigate their crisis. Do we have the capability? There is an urgent need to create an ombudsman for COVID-19 preparations. This could be the COVID-19 General of India, who leads the surgical strike against the coronavirus with 24/7 planning and implementation. The ombudsman should be totally empowered and supported by the government and people alike, with no vested interests, rule deviations, and dynamically adjusting as the situation changes daily. The rich and the poor, the powerful and the weak, the famous and the nameless are all at equal risk. It is important to understand that SD will buy us time, however, avoiding the harshest consequences to human life will take more than SD. We cannot afford to lose this window for emergent action. (Dr Ravindra M Mehta is Chief, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Apollo Hospitals, Bengaluru. He tweets at @DrRavindraMehta) The views expressed above are the authors own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday appealed to the landlords not to force tenants to pay rent for two to three months, stating that his government will pay for the rent if tenants fail to do so. "I appeal to all landlords not to force tenants to pay rent for two or three months. Please postpone it for a few months. When the situation becomes normal, if anyone is unable to pay, the government will pay for them," Kejriwal said while addressing a digital press conference. "If any landlord still forces his tenants to pay the rent, strict action will be taken against him," he added. Kejriwal also urged industrialists, businessmen, and all well-to-do families to help the needy people during the lockdown period. "If you have earned wealth, this is the time to utilize it. We need to help each other in these times. Please do not let your workers go hungry," he said. Kejriwal also termed the gathering of migrant workers as 'dangerous' and requested them to stay back, stating that his government is working tirelessly to provide them with all basic facilities during the lockdown imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19. Commenting upon the allegations levelled by opposition parties against the Delhi government, he said: "It is no time for All parties need to come together to help the people in these times. I want to ask my party workers not to indulge in a political slugfest." Delhi BJP unit chief Manoj Tiwari asked Kejriwal to take steps so that migrant workers return to their houses. AAP leader Raghav Chadha targeted Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in a tweet. BJP General Secretary (Organisation) BL Santhosh took a veiled dig at the AAP government and asked if something was amiss and if somebody was playing mischief. Delhi's Anand Vihar Bus Terminal witnessed a sea of people on Saturday with migrants and daily wagers making serpentine queues to get a ride home. Many groups have also attempted to walk back to their villages. The Central government had on Tuesday announced a 21-day lockdown in a bid to stop the spread of the deadly virus that has left several thousand dead globally. In India, the virus has infected 979 people so far. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Where is our Abraham Maslow in the coronavirus crisis? If her Indigo bookstores werent ordered closed, Heather Reisman and her staff could point you to the correct shelf for studying up on the late American psychologist and his theories on what is most essential to humankind. But there you go. When it comes to defining whats essential in the 21st century, one persons need is anothers frill. And so far, Reisman is on the losing end of the argument. With governments across Canada ordering all but essential businesses closed in hopes of slowing COVID-19s deadly spread, debate has flared about what essential means. Is it limited to matters ensuring mere bodily survival? Or, for those of more holistic outlook, should goods and services required for the well-being of mind, spirit and soul qualify? It was Maslow who in 1943 devised the famous Hierarchy of Needs of human existence. At the base of his pyramid were the physiological needs of food, water, shelter. Above that came safety needs, then the social needs of affection and connection. As the pinnacle was approached there came esteem needs of reputation and recognition and, at the peak, the creative activities that result in self-actualization. As a rule of thumb, likely to the dismay of those who deal in symbolic analysis, the higher up the pyramid, the less likely the pursuit is to be considered essential. In times of trial, trades schools will happily note, the less esoteric ones pursuit, the more essential the work. Reisman, chief executive officer of Indigo, protested this week that her goods should be deemed essential, too. In time of stress, reading is a mindful activity, she said. It is actually stress-reducing. And if exercise is as well, should sporting goods outlets be essential? To seniors shut in without the usual TV diversions of games-shows and sports, are hobby items such as puzzles and knitting materials must-haves? So far, authorities are properly treating services near the bottom of Maslows hierarchy as essential food, shelter, health. The federal government defined essential workers as critical to preserving life, health and basic societal functioning. In Manitoba, there is a nod to the necessity of maintenance, with services deemed essential if they prevent destruction or serious deterioration of machinery, equipment or premises. Its become clear, however, that our sense of well-being depends on a range of things both concrete and abstract and that the notion of necessities differs according to region, community, culture and individual sensibilities. As economics professor Bill Conerly noted on Forbes.com, the definition of essential also changes according to how long an emergency lasts. Safety, fire and police, public utilities in the immediate hours. Food production and delivery services and pharmacies in the first days, along with the financial system to keep it all running. Then, repair shops and perhaps purveyors of distractions as time drags on. If humanity has made anything clear in its response to the COVID-19 emergency, its how essential a place music holds across all cultures. Images abound of people playing instruments from balconies in Italy and Spain, Torontonians singing from their porches. In Rotterdam, musicians from the local symphony orchestra performed in glorious unison from their separate places of isolation. Meanwhile, in Maryland, bless them, bail bondsmen made the list of essentials. And almost everywhere, including on Ontarios 74-point list, so did newspapers and information providers. In San Francisco, more blessings still, newspapers. And if it took a crisis for journalists scorned from the highest offices in recent years as enemies of the people to be deemed essential workers, well, silver linings are the essential backgrounds of most clouds. A stricken cruise ship off the Pacific coast of Central America may soon be allowed to sail through the Panama Canal and reach Florida. More than 200 British people are among the 1,243 passengers and 586 crew aboard Zaandam, a Holland America Line vessel. Four passengers have died on board in the past week, and almost 200 are displaying flu-like symptoms. The voyage was due to finish in San Antonio in Chile on 21 March 2020. But all ports along the coast of South America refused permission for the ship to dock and disembark passengers apart from a discreet stop in the port of Guayaquil in Ecuador where Zaandam picked up supplies. Zaandam is currently at anchor south of the canal entrance, close to the island of Taboga. The cruise lines original intention was to pass through the Panama Canal on Friday and reach Fort Lauderdale in Florida by Monday. But the Panamanian authorities initially denied permission. Holland America Line dispatched a second ship, Rotterdam, with crew but no passengers, which has anchored adjacent to the Zaandam about 10 miles south of Panama City and the entrance to the canal. Passengers who are not symptomatic are being transferred to the Rotterdam. But overnight the cruise line said it was hopeful that both ships would be allowed to travel through the canal and then sail to Floridas main cruise terminal at Fort Lauderdale. A statement read: We are aware of reported permission for both Zaandam and Rotterdam to transit the Panama Canal in the near future. We greatly appreciate this consideration in the humanitarian interest of our guests and crew. This remains a dynamic situation, and we continue to work with the Panamanian authorities to finalise details. The Panama Canal Authority said in a statement: The Panama Canal is preparing to facilitate the transit of the Zaandam through the waterway, after receiving authorization from Panamas Ministry of Health. The cruise ship is currently anchored outside Panama Canal waters, where passengers are being transferred to Holland Americas Rotterdam, as part of an operation approved by the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP). The ship will be scheduled for transit after entering Canal waters, which has not occurred to-date. Earlier, one concerned relative whose parents are on board Zaandam, told The Independent: My father had a cough around 16-17 March, and he disclosed that on his health form, so they are not being allowed to transfer to the Rotterdam. We do not yet know where and when they will be back on land. Holland America has been tight lipped with information outside of official statements, which is frustrating for all of us, but understandable. The passengers have not been ashore since they sailed from Punta Arenas on the southern tip of Chile on 7 March. Some with pressing needs have asked if they can disembark in Panama. But the Foreign Office says: Entry is now barred to all but citizens and residents with a mandatory two week self-isolation on arrival. All commercial flights have now ceased operating to/from Panama until at least the 22 April. While KLM has a special flight on Sunday night from Panama City to Amsterdam, and Iberia is flying from the capital to Madrid, it is believed no cruise passenger will be allowed to disembark either vessel to fly home. US President Donald Trump has offered his opinion on the future of Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, insisting the United States government won't pay for the couple's security if they live in the United States. Responding to reports that the couple has moved to California, Trump tweeted on Sunday: "I am a great friend and admirer of the Queen & the United Kingdom. It was reported that Harry and Meghan, who left the Kingdom, would reside permanently in Canada. Now they have left Canada for the US however, the US will not pay for their security protection. They must pay!" Harry grandson of Queen Elizabeth II and sixth in line to the British throne married the American actress Meghan Markle at Windsor Castle in May 2018, in a ceremony watched by millions around the world. But the couple later said they found scrutiny by the British media which they said tipped into harassment intolerable. In January they announced they planned to quit as senior royals, seek financial independence and move to North America. The split becomes official at the end of March. Since late last year, Harry and Meghan have since been based on Canada's Vancouver Island. Last month, Canadian authorities said they would stop paying for the couple's security once they ceased to be working royals. Mary-Liz Power, a spokeswoman for Canada's public safety minister, said in February that "the assistance will cease in the coming weeks, in keeping with their change in status." Power said that as duke and duchess of Sussex, they have been considered "internationally protected persons" who warranted security measures under international treaty. Unconfirmed reports say the couple and their 10-month-old son Archie recently flew to Los Angeles, where Meghan was raised. Representatives for Meghan did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Sunday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Photograph: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images Donald Trump appeared to back away from talk of a quarantine on New York and other states after Andrew Cuomo, the New York governor, warned that sealing off the state would lead to chaos and mayhem and amount to a federal declaration of war. Related: The missing six weeks: how Trump failed the biggest test of his life Its a preposterous idea, frankly, Cuomo told CNN on Saturday evening, hours after the president floated the idea of locking down parts of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut to try to slow the coronavirus spread. According to researchers at Johns Hopkins University, by Saturday night more than 116,000 Covid-19 cases had been recorded across the US with nearly 2,000 deaths. New York is by far the state heaviest hit. Why you would want to just create total pandemonium on top of a pandemic I have no idea, Cuomo said. Its totally opposite with what the president would want to do, work with the states, get the economy running and get some sense of stability. You wouldnt at this point literally fracture the entire nation because its not just New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, its Louisiana and New Orleans. The numbers will continue to rise and every few days its going to be another hotspot. If we start walling off areas it would be totally bizarre, counterproductive, anti-American, anti-social Andrew Cuomo He added: It would be chaos and mayhem. If we start walling off areas all across the country it would just be totally bizarre, counterproductive, anti-American, anti-social. Trump suggested imposing a quarantine earlier in the day, as he left the White House for a visit to Norfolk, Virginia. We might not have to do it, but theres a possibility that sometime today well do a quarantine, short-term, two weeks on New York. Probably New Jersey, certain parts of Connecticut. This would be an enforceable quarantine. Id rather not do it, but maybe we need it. Later the president wrote: On the recommendation of the White House coronavirus task force, and upon consultation with the governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, I have asked [the CDC] to issue a strong travel advisory, to be administered by the governors, in consultation with the federal government. A quarantine will not be necessary. Story continues Cuomo said Trump had not mentioned it when they had spoken in the morning about a US navy hospital ship being deployed to New York City and four temporary hospital sites. If the president was considering this, he would have called me, Cuomo said, adding: This would be a federal declaration of war on states. This is a time when the president says hes trying to restart the economy. New York is the financial sector. You geographically restrict a state, you would paralyze the financial sector. In an earlier press conference from Albany, the governor seemed blindsided by the presidents comments and a tweet in which Trump said: I am giving consideration to a QUARANTINE of developing hot spots, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. A decision will be made, one way or another, shortly. In Norfolk to say farewell to the USNS Comfort, Trump said this great ship was a 70,000-ton message of hope and solidarity to the incredible people of New York, a place I know very well, a place I love. But the president added: We will stop at nothing to protect the health of New Yorkers, and the health of people in our country. He also said any quarantine would not apply to people such as truckers from outside the New York area. It wont affect trade in any way. Cuomo also continued to weigh the need for ventilators in New York, which with more than 52,000 positive coronavirus tests has more known infections than any other state. Trump this week told Fox News: I dont believe you need 40,000 or 30,000 ventilators. At his Albany press conference, Cuomo held a bag valve mask, in effect a manual ventilator. We will stop at nothing to protect the health of New Yorkers, and the health of people in our country Donald Trump This is the alternative if you dont have the ventilators, he said. We are actually buying these. We bought about 3,000. Weve ordered an additional 4,000 of these bag valve masks. Were even talking about training national guard people to learn how to operate this device, which is relatively simple to operate but you need a lot of people to operate this 24 hours a day for each patient. If we have to turn to this device on any large-scale basis that is not an acceptable situation. Were planning for that worst-case scenario. The governor said Trump had approved temporary hospitals in the Bronx, Queens, Staten Island and Brooklyn. He also called for unified purchasing of medical supplies either federally or a through a consortium among states. US army personnel sit apart at the Jacob K Javits Convention Center in New York City, which will be partially converted into a hospital. Photograph: Jeenah Moon/Reuters The USNS Comfort is expected in New York harbour on Monday as local medical centers face collapse. On Saturday there were reportedly nearly 27,000 known Covid-19 cases and 450 deaths in New York City. Cuomo said the state death toll had risen close to 800. Related: 'Like a bad sci-fi movie': life in a deserted Los Angeles under coronavirus The ship is the second US navy vessel deployed to a city battling coronavirus: the USNS Mercy docked in Los Angeles on Friday. On Twitter late on Friday, Trump continued to rail against the Michigan governor, Gretchen Whitmer, who reportedly claimed medical equipment suppliers were sending products to the federal government first. I love Michigan, one of the reasons we are doing such a GREAT job for them during this horrible Pandemic, Trump wrote. Yet your Governor, Gretchen Half Whitmer is way in over her head, she doesnt have a clue. Likes blaming everyone for her own ineptitude! On Saturday, Whitmer said in a tweet she had a good call with Vice-President Mike Pence. Well keep working around the clock with [the Federal Emergency Management Agency] and the White House to get more of the personal protective equipment we need to keep Michiganders safe, she wrote. Stay home. Stay safe. Save lives. Were going to come back. But it pains me, and it pains you in a certain sense, because you cant be with the people, Schumer told reporters. You have to talk to them on the telephone. That bothers me; I like to mix and mingle, press the flesh. Press the flesh is a bad word right now. Ren Zhiqiang, Chinese tycoon and former president of Hua Yuan Group, delivers a speech during the 2006 High-End Economic Forum at Luxehills International Club in Chengdu, China on Jan. 7, 2006. (China Photos/Getty Images) After Chinese Tycoon Goes Missing, Growing Criticism of Xi Leadership Hints of Factional Infighting Chinese tycoon and princeling Ren Zhiqiang was recently detained after he publicly criticized Communist Party leader Xi Jinping for mishandling Chinas response to the epidemic. Soon after, Chinese democracy activists exiled overseas circulated open letterspurportedly signed by Chinese entrepreneurs and retired senior officialscalling on Xi to enact systematic reform. The letters veracity could not be confirmed. But analysts believe that rumors of such dissent demonstrate that factional infighting within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is intensifying, as Xi faces mounting criticism over the way China handled the virus outbreak. Ren Zhiqiang Ren, 69, is a successful real estate tycoon in Beijing. His father Ren Quansheng was a deputy minister of commerce before he retired in 1983. As a descendant of a former senior official, Ren is considered a Party princeling. In addition, Wang Qishan, Chinese vice chair and one of Xis strongest supporters, was Rens mentor in middle school. Wang was a teacher at the middle school Ren attended. Ren is known for being critical of the Chinese regime. On Feb. 19, 2016, Ren posted on Weibo, a Twitter-like Chinese social media platform, that the surname of all Chinese media is the CCP, and the media do not represent peoples interestsmeaning the media answers to the Party. At the time, Ren was criticized by Chinese state-run media. The Party also punished him, announcing that it would monitor his behavior for a year. If he committed further wrongdoing, he would lose his Party membership. On March 8, Chinese netizens shared an article written by Ren. Though it was deleted in China, the article was quickly spread overseas by activists. Ren wrote: This virus outbreak just verified that the surname of all [Chinese] media is the CCP, and Chinese people have been abandoned [by the Party]. Ren explained that the regime did not react promptly to stop the virus from spreading. He said authorities also lied to the public. As people were unaware of the viruss contagiousness, they unwittingly spread the virus further. Ren called Xi a clown who insists on being an emperor, even after he has been stripped of his clothes. On March 12, Ren disappeared from the public. Tedros Adhanom, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) attends a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on January 28, 2020. (Naohiko Hatta Pool/Getty Images) On March 25, VOA (Voice of America), citing information from Rens friends, reported that Beijing authorities detained Ren, as well as his son and secretary. The report quoted an insider as saying, Nobody is allowed to interfere with [Rens case], influence it, or beg for pardon for him. Its possible that Wang Qishan isnt allowed [to help Ren] either. Citing an anonymous insider, the VOA report said Ren did not post his article online; he had shared it with 11 other Chinese entrepreneurs in his circle of friends. Then, some of them shared the article with more people. Eventually, it was leaked online. Chen Ping On March 21, another CCP princeling and billionaire Chen Ping, posted an article on WeChat, a popular social media platform. He claimed that it was drafted by anonymous citizens. The article explained why they were not satisfied with the current regime: growing pressure on the private sector; the lack of rule of law, freedom of expression, and free press; and the regimes repressive policies toward Hong Kong and Taiwan. The article said that Xi, as the Partys leader, should take responsibility. The citizens urged the Party to set up a meeting with the Politburo, a committee of senior Party officials, to discuss whether Xi was still qualified to be the leader.The citizens suggested that the meeting be led by premier Li Keqiang; chairman of the political advisory body, Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Wang Yang; and vice chair Wang Qishan. The Chinese Communist Partys Politburo Standing Committee members (L-R): Han Zheng, Wang Huning, Li Zhanshu, Chinese leader Xi Jinping, premier Li Keqiang, Wang Yang, and Zhao Leji meet the press at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on October 25, 2017. (WANG ZHAO/AFP via Getty Images) Entrepreneurs and Senior CCP Officials Several days later, on March 26, an overseas Chinese activist Yijian Piaochen posted on Twitter a letter, which he said was co-signed by more than 50 Chinese entrepreneurs. He redacted the signatures, saying he wishes to protect their identities. This letter was addressed to Xi: Due to the impact of the virus, the global economy has been damaged and China has arrived at a crossroads, in which [Chinese people] have to choose which path to take. The cosigned had nine demands: enact government reform; reject far-leftism; realize universal suffrage in China; give the private sector the same privileges as state-run businesses; protect entrepreneurs property; provide stimulus relief funds to people impacted by the virus; ask officials from Wuhan and the National Health Commission to take their responsibility for the epidemic; release detained dissidents; and reevaluate the case of whistleblower doctor Li Wenliang, who was punished by local authorities for spreading information about the virus. Another Chinese activist based overseas, Laodeng, tweeted on March 26 that he received a letter addressed to Xi that was cosigned by five retired Party officials. Other democracy activists also posted similar information. Laodeng said that these officials are former CPPCC chairman Li Ruihuan; former premier Wen Jiabao; former vice premier Li Lanqing; former secretary of the CCP secretariat office Hu Qili; and former vice premier Tian Jiyun. As of press time, none of them have publicly confirmed or denied the existence of this letter. It is unclear whether these letters truly exist and if Xi has received them. U.S. -based China affairs commentator Tang Jinyuan said the rumors of dissatisfaction toward the Xi leadership indicate that the current crisis has led to factional infighting within the CCP. In particular, some people [within the Party] are worried that there will be chaos in Chinese society due to the virus, and thus, may want certain Party officials to take the blame for any potential fallout, Tang said. Representative image Indias empty streets are as much a testimonial to state enforcement as to voluntary social distancing. The country needs it desperately. But social distancing breaks down at the market place, where daily rations need to be picked up because they cannot be stocked. In the mornings and evenings, it is a routine sight to see long queues of people waiting to buy their rations. In many cases, desperation overrides considerations of safety. Yet again, poor or inadequate infrastructure is coming in the way. Going to the mom and pop stores becomes mandatory because the home delivery system has crashed. It would be instructive to remember that despite the rapid growth of digital advertising industry, which stands at 33.5 percent, and the fact that there are 220 million Indians who access digital services through their smartphones, in absolute terms much less than half the country uses such methods for on line shopping. The vast majority in small towns and suburban India still prefer the colony store, which remains a far more personal proposition. But even this delivery of essential items via e-commerce platforms continue to face challenges in the early days of the 21-day lockdown, which is nearly certain to be extended, with dire predictions of a long-haul anti-COVID-19 battle ahead. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show The industry has urged the government for uniform classification of essential items across various states. While the government has allowed delivery of all essential goods including food, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment through e-commerce, online platforms like Amazon India, Grofers, BigBasket and Milkbasket are faced with disruptions in delivery. Insiders say e-commerce companies are battling to procure passes for their logistics and delivery staff in various states. Since the logistics is time consuming and often clumsy while dealing with huge demand, there is urgent need for the government to look at alternate mechanisms like digital checks. The industry also wants uniform classification of essential items across the states, which needs to go down clearly to last mile delivery agents. There is no other way out. Lack of preparedness The sudden and substantial spike in demand for home delivery services have also taken the companies by surprise. Walmart-owned Flipkart told the media that they had seen high demand on the platform, and (were) working towards making deliveries at the earliest in collaboration with our sellers, and were expecting that following government intervention, inter-state transport movement will also stabilize. The story of Grofers ran a similar course. This week, the company saw some of its delivery staff getting arrested and over 60,000 deliveries affected. Subsequently, they resumed operations in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Noida, Ghaziabad, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Lucknow and Kanpur after assurances from local authorities. If such criticism had been merely limited to being an appraisal of e-commerce marketing, the damage would not be as far reaching. But, given the fact that such chaos at the local marketing centres delivers a body blow to the concept of social distancing, it becomes a cause for worry. While the World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended social distancing as a preventive measure against the novel coronavirus, maintaining a distance of one metre from a coughing or sneezing person, the realities on ground are quite something else. Indias dense population and poverty is a serious challenge at hand. Population tinderbox India is not only the second most populated country after China, but also the second most densely populated. Her population density is next only to Bangladeshs. About 455 people live within a sq. km. area in India compared to 1,240 in Bangladesh on an average, according to data from the World Bank. China, where the COVID-19 outbreak originated, has a population density of only 148. Sure, this density is by no means uniform. According to the 2011 Census, Indias population density stood at 382. While major states such as Delhi, Bihar, West Bengal, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh were regarded as double that number, Himalayan and mountainous regions like Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and the northeastern states save Tripura and Assam had less than half that density. In high density areas, maintaining a public distance of one metre might be a tall order. For example, the Gandhi Nagar sub-district of Delhi the most densely populated area in 2011 had a population mass of 89,185 persons per sq. km. In other words, even if Gandhi Nagar was a flat ground with no personal belongings, a person would have only a square of 3.4 metres available to him or her! Add to this the countrys dilapidated health infrastructure. Ramanan Laxminarayan, economist and an epidemiologist, who is director of the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy in Washington and a senior research scholar at Princeton, wrote in The New York Times that Indias high rates of tuberculosis, pneumonia, smoking and poor air quality wont help when it comes to a respiratory disease. Some were counting on the summer heat and humidity to bail India out, but there was no evidence that the rising temperature would stop the disease, he wrote this week, rather ominously. If Laxminarayans estimates prove to be true, then 300 million to 500 million Indians were likely to be infected with the coronavirus by the end of July. Of them, about a tenth 30 million to 50 million would most likely be severe. India has less than 1 lakh intensive-care unit beds and 20,000 ventilators, most of which are only in the large cities. The scenes where Italian doctors had to choose between multiple patients to determine who would get a ventilator would increase multifold in Indias weak health system, adding to the countrys mounting infrastructural woes. Ranjit Bhushan is an independent journalist and former Nehru Fellow at Jamia Millia University. In a career spanning more than three decades, he has worked with Outlook, The Times of India, The Indian Express, the Press Trust of India, Associated Press, Financial Chronicle, and DNA. President Donald Trump abandoned his plan to impose a quarantine on New Jersey, New York and Connecticut because of the coronavirus after he was convinced that it could be worse than the disease, according to one of the aides in the room. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of the presidents coronavirus task force, said Sunday that is why Trump agreed to a travel advisory instead following intensive discussions at the White House the night before. After discussions with the president, we made it clear, and he agreed, that it would be much better to do whats called a strong advisory, Fauci said on CNNs State of the Union." And the reason for that is that you dont want to get to the point where youre enforcing things that would create a bigger difficulty, morale and otherwise, when you could probably accomplish the same goal, he said. N.J Gov. Phil Murphy said on ABCs This Week that there was "a lot of back and forth both among the three governors, which we do regularly these days, as well as with the White House about the proposal. Rather than an enforceable quarantine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a domestic travel advisory for the three states, asking residents to stay put for 14 days and forgo non-essential domestic travel. What you dont want is people traveling from that area to other areas of the country, and inadvertently and innocently infecting other individuals, Fauci said. We felt the better way to do this would be an advisory, as opposed to a very strict quarantine. And the president agreed. Trump on Saturday said he was considering a quarantine on parts of New Jersey, New York and Connecticut to stop the spread of the coronavirus. The region accounts for 56 percent of all new cases, Fauci said. New York and New Jersey have the most COVID-19 cases in the nation. Murphy pointed out that New Jersey already had a stay-at-home edict in place. A travel warning were fine with, Murphy said on ABC. The fact of the matter is we are all in flattening that curve, social distancing as aggressive as any states in America and well continue to be that way." Listen, we are pounding the table morning, noon, and night, stay home, stay home, stay home, he said. So if theres another message point we can add to that, were happy to add to that. But we want folks to stay home and flatten this curve and break the back of this virus. If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Pakistan has sought to use the Covid-19 outbreak to rake up Kashmir at different forums, including the UN Security Council, where Islamabads recent efforts to highlight the issue have gained no traction. On Sunday, Pakistans Foreign Office made public the contents of a letter written by foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi to the UN secretary general and the president of the Security Council on March 9 regarding what he described as the dire humanitarian situation in Jammu and Kashmir. In a separate statement, the Foreign Office also called for the release of Kashmiri prisoners and lifting of restrictions in Kashmir in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. There was no immediate response from Indian officials to Qureshis letter or the statement. India has maintained that the decision last August to scrap Jammu and Kashmirs special status is an internal matter. It has also blamed Pakistan for interfering in and supporting terrorism in Kashmir. Pakistan was also criticised by India recently for raising the Kashmir issue during the March 15 video conference of leaders of Saarc states on the pandemic, with officials saying Islamabad had resorted to politicising a humanitarian issue. Pakistans Foreign Office said Qureshis letter to the UN was in line with the countrys efforts to continuously highlight the dire human rights and humanitarian situation in Kashmir. Qureshi contended that Indias actions in Kashmir posed a threat to peace and security in South Asia. Qureshis letter rejected Indias false narrative of normalcy in Kashmir and highlighted intensified ceasefire violations by Indian forces along the Line of Control (LoC) since December. It also raised the possibility of India staging a false flag operation to divert international attention from the situation in Kashmir. The letter also highlighted irresponsible statements by the Indian leadership and the alleged change the demographic structure in the region. It added that durable peace and stability in South Asia would remain contingent upon a just and lasting solution of the Kashmir issue. The Foreign Office, in a separate statement, expressed concern at restrictions and detentions in Kashmir, including of Hurriyat leaders, and called on the world community to demand the lifting of communication restrictions and allowing unfettered access to medical and other essential supplies. France and other permanent members of the UN Security Council have thwarted efforts by China, acting on behalf of its close ally Pakistan, to raise the Kashmir situation at the world body, most recently in December. Pakistan Army has announced completion of deployment of troops across the country for assisting civilian authorities in containing the spread of Covid-19. "Pakistan Army troops deployed across the country in aid of civil power under Article 245," spokesperson of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military's public affairs wing, Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar, said in a press conference here on Saturday. The deployment was approved by Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa on March 23 on the request of the Interior Ministry. The government had asked for deployment of troops in all four provinces of the country, including Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir under Article 245 (functions of the armed forces) of the Constitution and Section 131(A) (power to use military force for public security and maintenance of law and order) of the CrPC, Dawn reported. Iftikhar, however, did not mention in his address the number of troops deployed for the anti-coronavirus operation. He said that "available troops" and all medical resources would be deployed as per requirement. While committing troops for the anti-Covid-19 effort, the spokesperson noted that ISPR had also taken into account the situation at the Line of Control and boundaries with other countries. It said that all points of entries were being manned and monitored, joint check posts have been established and joint patrolling was being undertaken along with other law enforcement agencies. The army also urged citizens be at home and not to move out without necessary reasons. All means of public transport have been called off across the country until further notice, ensuring some of the stringent measures in effect as the tally of COVID-19 related cases reached 1500 on Saturday. The ISPR spokesperson also announced suspension of international flights till April 4. "Cooperation is the best defence at this time than isolation to fight coronavirus," Iftikhar stressed in his address. Divulging further upon the health screening measures, the spokesperson stated that people will be screened at every entry point in the country. At least a million screenings have been ensured, while over 12,000 people have already been screened in the past 24 hours. The Pakistan army has donated its income for the cause. Army helicopters flew special sorties through Khunjrab pass for transporting and distribution of medical equipment received from China including five ventilators, 2000 testing kits, 2000 medical suits, 2000 N-95 masks and 0.2 million face masks on Friday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Jack Ma Foundation and the Alibaba Foundation have pledged to donate essential medical supplies to India. The first batch of medical supplies for India arrived in Delhi on Saturday and was received by the Indian Red Cross Society, the foundations said in a joint statement on Sunday. Jack Ma is the founder of the Chinese multinational Alibaba Group. Similar to the arrangement with the Italian Red Cross Society in Italy, the Indian charity will facilitate the distribution of these supplies in the country. The remainder of the donation is expected to reach India in the coming days, it said. Besides India, the foundations have pledged similar relief to six more countriesAzerbaijan, Bhutan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. Collectively, these seven countries will receive a total of 1.7 million face masks, 165,000 test kits as well as protective clothing and medical equipment such as ventilators and forehead thermometers, it said. With this announcement, the two Foundations have now donated essential medical supplies to 23 Asian countries totalling 7.4 million masks; 485,000 test kits; 100,000 sets of protective clothing along with other medical equipment. Ma Jia, deputy chief of mission of the Embassy of China in India, was also present when the donations arrived on Sunday to show the embassys support towards this humanitarian initiative, the statement said. Also read: I was extremely hurt...: Key highlights of PM Modis Mann ki Baat address RK Jain, secretary general, Indian Red Cross appreciated the magnanimity of the two foundations at this difficult juncture. Government of India has taken extensive steps to manage the Covid-19 situation. To supplement the efforts of government, Indian Red Cross has mobilised the first tranche of supplies consisting of face masks, protective body suits and essential medical equipment, he said. We are committed to doing everything we can to make a difference, most importantly by sourcing these supplies and overcoming logistical challenges to get the medical supplies to where they are needed as fast as we can, said the Jack Ma Foundation. The Punjab government has issued an advisory to industries and commercial establishments in the state, asking them not to terminate employees or deduct their wages, as non-essential factories remain shut due to a countrywide lockdown to combat coronavirus. Any employee who takes leave due to the COVID-19 pandemic should be treated on duty as also the workers of factories or units made non-operational by any government order over coronavirus, the advisory said. Principal Secretary (Labour) V K Janjua said the department felt that termination of workforce or deduction in their salaries would hamper the morale of workers in this fight to contain the virus. We have issued an advisory, he told PTI on Sunday. Notably, on Saturday, reports emerged from neighbouring Haryana about migrant workers setting out on foot to go back to their homes in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. All modes of transport have been suspended due to the countrywide lockdown announced on March 24. In the advisory, the labour department has asked all employers, owners of factories, shops and commercial establishments not to terminate the services or deduct the wages of their workers, particularly casual or contractual ones. If any employee/worker of such unit takes leave due to this pandemic (coronavirus), he may be treated as on duty without any deduction in wages for this period. If the place of employment has been made non-operational due to Covid-19 by any order/advisory of the government, the employee of such unit should be deemed to be on duty, said an advisory. The advisory noted that the consistent efforts of the government urging people to stay at home in the wake of coronavirus outbreak would constraint workers to report for work. There may be some cases that on this pretext, the employees may dispense with the services of the workers or force the workers/ employees to go on leave without wages/salaries, the advisory said. The termination of employees from job or reduction in wages in the current scenario would further deepen the crisis and will not only weaken the financial condition of the employees/workers but also hamper their morale to combat this epidemic, said advisory. Meanwhile, the state industry representatives expressed apprehension that workers in Punjab might also start leaving the state as has been reported from Haryana or other parts of the country. Workers want to quit Punjab because they are now worried about their closed ones back home at their native places because of coronavirus. In case, workers start leaving the state, it is going to be a big crisis for the industry, said Ludhiana based United Cycle and Parts Manufacturers Association president D S Chawla, adding that Ludhiana alone has 10 lakh labourers. Chawla said the industry wants the state government to take appropriate steps to retain the labour force in the state. Meanwhile, on Saturday, wages of around 30,000 labourers in Jalandhar district were released after a senior police officer met industrialists and requested them to do so. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Australian government is cracking down on Chinese state-owned firms eyeing distressed local businesses during the coronavirus pandemic. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has declared there will be a zero dollar approval threshold for all proposed foreign investments of Australian businesses and residential real estate. His announcement came into effect at 10.30pm, AEDT, on Sunday after federal Liberal MP Andrew Hastie called for the Foreign Investment Review Board to be alert to the possibility of Chinese firms buying up distressed Australian assets. The Australian government is cracking down on Chinese state-owned firms eyeing distressed local businesses during the coronavirus pandemic. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has declared there will be a zero dollar threshold for all proposed foreign investments of an Australian business or business entity Mr Frydenberg, the Liberal Party's deputy leader, stressed the measures were temporary and would 'remain in place for the duration of the current crisis' with no mention made of China in his media statement. 'These measures are necessary to safeguard the national interest as the coronavirus outbreak puts intense pressure on the Australian economy and Australian businesses,' he said. The Treasurer added this was not an investment freeze even though FIRB will be required to approve of any investment 'regardless of value or the nature of the foreign investor'. 'In doing so, the government will prioritise urgent applications for investments that protect and support Australian business and Australian jobs,' Mr Frydenberg said. 'Even in these uncertain times, Australia continues to welcome foreign investment, which remains vital to our long-term economic success and stability. 'The government recognises that foreign investment will play an important part in helping many businesses get to the other side securing jobs and supporting our economic recovery.' China is Australia's biggest trading partner and in the 2018-19, made up 49.8 per cent of foreign approvals to be the top source of overseas acquisitions or investments, FIRB data showed. Hong Kong, which has been part of China since 1997, was a distant second on 5.4 per cent. By value, however, the United States was the No.1 investor in Australian businesses during that financial year with China in the fifth spot behind Canada, Singapore and Japan, with Hong Kong in sixth place. He made the announcement on Sunday after federal Liberal MP Andrew Hastie (pictured) called for the Foreign Investment Review Board to be alert to the possibility of Chinese firms buying up distressed Australian assets On Friday, Mr Hastie told Daily Mail Australia the government needed to be particularly vigilant about the possibility of Chinese firms seeking to buy up distressed Australian assets. 'Now is the time to keep our guard up,' he said. CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement 'We've taken some big economic hits and we need to protect ourselves from predatory behaviour.' Mr Hastie, an outspoken critic of China, said the freight services of major airlines would be a particular target. 'Authoritarian states will be looking to snap up distressed businesses and assets, particularly ones that are critical to global supply chains like aviation and cargo freight,' the member for Canning said. 'We need to stay vigilant, especially those who are responsible for reviewing foreign investment.' Clive Hamilton, a professor of public ethics at Charles Sturt University's Canberra campus, said state-owned Chinese firms would be looking to buy troubled Australian companies. 'Australia should tighten its foreign investment filter so that Australian companies have plenty of time to get back on their feet,' the author of Silent Invasion: China's Influence In Australia told Daily Mail Australia. 'There's a significant risk that Chinese companies, including state-backed ones, will buy up Australian companies crippled by the coronavirus lockdown.' Mr Hastie, an outspoken critic of China, said the freight services of major airlines would be a particular target. Pictured is a Qantas Freight jet Outside of the coronavirus pandemic, the Foreign Investment Review Board is required to approve any proposed foreign acquisition of agricultural businesses worth more than $60million. Last year, FIRB allowed the partially state-owned Hong Kong-listed firm, China Mengniu Dairy Co, to buy Australian baby formula company Bellamy's for $600million. Aviation would be a bit trickier. Qantas must maintain its headquarters in Australia under privatisation rules introduced by a federal Labor government in the early 1990s, but foreign interests can still buy a stake in the airline. Divisions of the airline could possibly be sold off, with the flying kangaroo airline this month retrenching 20,000 staff, or two-thirds of its workforce, as COVID-19 forced it to suspend international flights until at least May. Patient readers, a comment on comments, supplementing what Yves said here on informational hygiene. Before you press Post Comment, please consider the cascading effects your comment can cause, and the effect such cascades can have on moderators, who may end up having to rip out entire threads, a cumbersome, error-prone, and extremely irritating process. Comments that cause cascades tend to be ill-informed, politically motivated without being deft or knowledgeable, or (sometimes) simple shit-stirring, as if NC were Facebook or Reddit. It isnt. Normally, we prefer to let the commentariat act, as it were, as our immune system for agnotology, but the volume of comments now is such that the cascade from a poor comment is the equivalent of a cytokine storm for our poor moderators. The best way to avoid a cascade of dead cells and infected matter in our comments section is to take care with your initial post. Take your time to be analytical, add links and evidence, and if possible quotes. Then the commentariat can proceed on the basis of building collective knowledge, as opposed to spending its time, and ours, filtering out ego-driven, self-involved crap. Thank you! Lambert Markets draw comfort from maximum central bank stimulus FT The Coronavirus Is Demonstrating the Value of Globalization David Frum, The Atlantic. Or the price. #COVID19 China? Vietnam orders Hanois largest hospital locked down on coronavirus fears Straits Times India Syraqistan 2020 RussiaGate Health Care Coronavirus May Add Billions to the Nations Health Care Bill NYT. And by that, the Times means your health care bill. One virus fits all (MR): The health care industry front group @P4AHCF, which vilifies Medicare for All, has now gone completely silent for two weeks as polls show a surge in support for Medicare for All during the coronavirus crisis https://t.co/HRUaLcHuLq David Sirota (@davidsirota) March 29, 2020 How the BBC betrayed the NHS: an exclusive report on two years of censorship and distortion BBC (IH). IH writes: Unfortunately, [the author] makes no mention of the cuts that began under the Thatcherites in the 1980s and continued by their Blairite, Cameron and May successors, including the loss of hygiene, pathology, and tropical medicine capability, including the Royal Air Forces institute headed by my father for a while, and how the NHS and tri service medical services wargamed such scenarios and maintained a network of regional centres, including military bases, able to assist in such emergencies. The shopkeepers daughter and her successors knew the price of everything and the value of nothing. MMT Brrrr: This is a remarkable clip. Trumps core intuitions about how our monetary system works, and his ability to articulate it, is so far ahead of most people in DC. https://t.co/WUSnAGbvuM Joe Weisenthal (@TheStalwart) March 28, 2020 Were gonna have to pry How you gonna pay for it from THE cold, dead heads of the Democrat Establishment Even after the bailouts! Three states push criminal penalties for fossil fuel protests amid coronavirus The Hill. Never let a crisis go to waste. Honestly, there are days I think I should do a Links with no #COVID19 stories at all, just to shine a light on what the usual suspects are trying to get away with while nobodys looking. Guillotine Watch Jeff Bezos sold $3.4bn of Amazon stock just before Covid-19 collapse Guardian. As trillions of dollars were wiped off stock markets some of the worlds richest got lucky. In the same way that an other enormous contractor for the intelligence community got lucky, I supppose. As one does. Luck is the residue of design. Branch Rickey. Class Warfare Wake Up! Your Fears Are Being Manipulated The American Conservative Notes: The Industrial and Neoliberal Origins of COVID-19 (aka SARS 2.0) Yasha Levine, Immigrants as a Weaon. Yashas been on fire for the last few days. Todays must-read. Antidote du jour (via): Bonus antidote: See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here Customers social distancing in the queue to enter a Tesco store in New Ross, Co Wexford. The Covid-19 pandemic is disrupting businesses around the globe. Photo:PA Wire Before Hollywood borrowed the phrase for a movie about ballet, the term 'black swan' referred to an unexpected, unprecedented event of significant magnitude. It was popularised by a book of the same name by risk specialist Nassim Taleb. Writing in advance of the 2008 financial crisis, Taleb argued for the need to develop a 'black swan-robust' society, one which can withstand events that are difficult to predict. Right now, for businesses, much is difficult to predict. There is, however, much they can control. For a start, they can nurture their customer base, keeping in close contact with customers throughout this difficult period. The Covid-19 pandemic is disrupting businesses around the globe. Recognise this is not solely a challenge for your business, but for your customers and your supply partners too. Stay in touch, communicate regularly with them and empathise with what they too are contending with. Make an effort to appreciate your customers' individual concerns and commit to working with them over the coming months. Travel is out right now, so use the digital communication tools at your disposal - from phone and email to video conferencing apps. What is going on right now can feel overwhelming. It is important to stay focused on what you can influence. That means working with your customers to plan for the recovery that will take place in the time ahead. Help to build mutual confidence. Exporters know how much easier it is to retain a customer than it is to win a new one. Focus on those customers you already have and aim to build the kind of loyalty now that will pay dividends in the long run. This global business challenge presents multi-faceted difficulties affecting not just sales but logistics, customs delays and physical road blocks. Remember that Enterprise Ireland has a global network of overseas offices to help. Our international teams are on the ground in markets around the world, and available to contact at any time. We are there, working remotely, to support Irish businesses in all the markets they sell into. In fact, thanks to a series of new offices opened in response to Brexit, Enterprise Ireland now has more boots on the ground, in more places, than ever before. Though it is, of course, very early days, take heart too from the fact that some positive indicators are beginning to emerge. Normality is returning in China, for example. Factories are reopening. Supply chains there will rebound quickly after a period of severe restrictions. There is positivity too in the fact that Irish companies are playing their part in the provision of medtech and pharmaceutical products in this challenging time. This includes companies such as Novaerus, which donated air-purifying equipment to hospitals in Wuhan, as well as work undertaken by Irish innovators to design emergency field respirators and rapid testing kits. Companies in all sectors can play their part right now by protecting their business. That includes maintaining strong relationships not just with customers but with their teams. Only a few short weeks ago, the most pressing challenge many employers faced was recruiting and retaining talent. Don't let yours go. By now, everyone who can do so will be working remotely. That can be isolating. Focus on maintaining employee morale and wellbeing. The Government is responding actively and has put in place supports for businesses and employees. Its response to this crisis will be ongoing and dynamic, as befits a constantly evolving situation. Remember too that a black swan event moves on as quickly as it appears. We all need to be ready for that uptick. When it does recede, this pandemic will have provided many of us with a clearer understanding of our supply chains than ever before, with much greater insight into the provenance of our components and parts. We will be able to take that learning with us into the future. That, like all we are currently experiencing, will help us build resilience for the arrival of the next black swan. New Jersey residents feeling the pinch from the economic fallout from the coronavirus outbreak can breathe a sigh of relief, now that a mortgage reprieve has been announced. Gov. Phil Murphy on Saturday announced a 90-day grace period for mortgage payments for borrowers in the state who are financially hurt by the outbreak of novel coronavirus, which continues to ravage the state. Murphys temporary reprieve comes after reaching an agreement with major national mortgage lenders, state-chartered lending institutions and other banks. New Jersey residents and workers are hurting after Murphy ordered people to stay at home and closed all non-essential businesses in the state until further notice to curb the virus spread. Unemployment insurance requests have surged while the state, effectively, remains on lockdown. Together, a 90-day grace period and a moratorium of foreclosures and evictions means many New Jersey families can breathe easier, keep their heads above water, and have a place they can continue to call home, the governor said. Heres what you should know about the relief period: Who can defer their mortgage payments? New Jersey mortgage borrowers who have been economically affected by the coronavirus outbreak can seek a 90-day grace period. Documentation is required. How do I know if I qualify? While this is an agreement reached with most banks, Murphy said it will largely depend on your relationship with your bank. He urges residents to call their lenders to begin working on reprieve. How exactly it plays out is between the mortgage payer and the bank thats providing it, he said. So when will it be due? Will I have to pay a lump sum? You should check with you bank or mortgage provider, but you probably wont have to pay a lump sum in 91 days. Murphy said all banks his administration is working with have agreed to tack the payments on to the backend of your mortgage, to avoid one large payment. Again, contact your mortgage provider for specific details. Will I have to pay late fees? All late fees and other similar fees, including early withdrawal fees, will be waived. Federal regulations cannot be waived. What banks are working with the state? Banks including Citigroup, J.P. Morgan & Chase, U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo and Bank of America, and 40 other financial institutions are working with the governor Will deferring my mortgage payments during this time hurt my credit score? No, the grace period cannot be used to downgrade your credit score. What if Im a renter? Murphy has not made any announcement as to a rent freeze but he did implore landlords to have compassion during this crisis period. For any landlord who is getting mortgage relief today we expect you will in turn provide similar relief to your tenants. Can I be evicted or suffer a foreclosure? Banks working with the state will not begin eviction proceedings or foreclosure cases for at least 60 days. Landlords cannot kick out their tenants either, Murphy said. He placed a moratorium on evictions for up to two months after the state of emergency is lifted March 21. To every landlord now is a time to show some compassion, and to work with your renters to ensure they stay safe. You cannot evict anyone at this time. If you try to, were not going to take that lightly, and we will make an example out of you for violating the law, he said during Saturdays press briefing. Are there assistance programs? The state does offer a housing assistance program, which includes programs for veterans, low-income families, the elderly, and single-parent households. The New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency is also expanding its Foreclosure Mediation Assistance Program to include free housing counseling programs for homeowners and renters who are struggling. Sign up for text message alerts from NJ.com on coronavirus in New Jersey: If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. Sophie Nieto-Munoz may be reached at snietomunoz@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her at @snietomunoz. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Nurses have been at the forefront of coronavirus risk. (Representational image, DC Photo)) Thanjavur: Five nurses who tended to a COVID-19 positive person at a private hospital in Kumbakonam have been isolated and are being monitored at the Kumbakonam Governmment Hospital, official said. The person with travel history to the West Indies was brought to the Thanjavur Medical College Hospital (TMCH) with coronavirus symptoms on March 25. A swab test confirmed Covid-19 infection. As a preventive measure, his wife and brother too have been kept in isolation at TMCH. According to the police, the 42-year-old had returned from the Caribbean where he was working in the catering section of a shipping company. He left the West Indies on March 16 and came to Kumbakonam via Qatar on March 18. He developed continuous fever and cough on March 22 and was admitted to a private hospital in Kumbakonam and then shifted to TMCH on March 25. After the swab test confirmed he was positive, he was put in isolation at the hospital. Police have barricaded the entire neighbourhood of the mans house in Kumbakonam. Disinfectant has been sprayed. Persons he came in contact with were isolated and monitored. The man is married and has two children. Contractual nurses in Uttar Pradesh's Jhansi district who had protested against non-payment of salary resumed duties on Sunday after their wages were given. Jhansi Medical College Chief Medical Superintendent Harish Chandra Arya said around 25 contractual nurses had staged a day-long protest on March 23, demanding that their salaries for seven months be given. "Salaries of all the contractual employees have been released and they will get it through the contractor," Arya said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) [March 29, 2020] AJC Advocacy Anywhere Offers Robust Online Education, Diplomacy Programs NEW YORK, March 29, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The number of individuals worldwide watching American Jewish Committee (AJC) Advocacy Anywhere programming is growing as the Coronavirus pandemic compels many across the United States and in countries around the world to stay in their homes. The new online initiative, accessible via Zoom and Facebook, has so far attracted hundreds of thousands of viewers in just the first 10 days alone. "Continuing to engage people across the United States and around the world is vital to AJC's mission. With considerable experience in utilizing communications technologies and a social media platform of 2.3 million followers, AJC was able to pivot quickly from traditional in-person diplomacy and educational advocacy work to online interaction," said AJC CEO David Harris. The public AJC Advocacy Anywhere programs, all available for viewing on the AJC Facebook page, are: Israeli Response to the Coronavirus, March 19, featuring Dr. Daniel Landsberg, Regional Medical Director, Maccabi Health Services, and Dr. Kira Radinsky, Chair and Chief Technology Officer, Diagnostic Robotics, in conversation with AJC Jerusalem Director Avital Leibovich, has been viewed on Facebook in full by more than 7,000, and a shorter version by more than 69,000. Insights from Around the World: On the Front Lines of the Coronavirus, March 24, featuring Simone Rodan-Benzaquen, AJC Europe Director; Muriel Asseraf, AJC Representative in Sao Paulo; and James Kim, AJC Asia Pacific Institute Advisor and Research Fellow, Asan Institute for Policy Studies, in conversation with AJC Chie Advocacy Officer Daniel Elbaum, has been viewed by more than 63,000 on Facebook. Soviet Jewry Movement (Part 1), March 25, with AJC CEO David Harris, a leading activist in the movement in the 1970s and 1980s, speaking about the history of Jews in the USSR, garnered more than 123,000 views on Facebook. Israel-Diaspora Relations, March 26, with Steven Bayme, AJC Director of Contemporary Jewish Life, examining four points of tension in the relationship over the years and how they were dealt with, has been seen by more than 27,000 on Facebook. Italy and the Coronavirus: Italy's Ambassador to the U.S. Armando Varricchio, in conversation with AJC CEO David Harris, March 27. Italy, where AJC has long had an office, has been the hardest hit country to date by the pandemic. More than 61,000 have watched the episode on Facebook. Registration for AJC Advocacy Anywhere programs is free. Programs scheduled for this week include: An Overview of the Global Interreligious Scene Today, with Rabbi David Rosen, AJC Director of International Interreligious Relations on Tuesday, March 31, at 1 PM (EST). Register at https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qTY2-chkTEK-Q0pXU7zuTw The Soviet Jewry Movement (Part 2), with AJC CEO David Harris on Wednesday April 1, at 12 pm (EST). This session will focus on the exodus of Soviet Jews and their resettlement, principally in Israel and the U.S. Register at https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_bF6wIwlrTAOXChvDoq5HpA Recorded programs also are available on the AJC website. New programs will be announced each week. In addition to the public Advocacy Anywhere programs, AJC is providing webinars and interactive sessions for AJC lay leaders and staff to ensure the agency's trademark diplomacy and political advocacy work continues for combating antisemitism, support for Israel, and ensuring the well-being of Jews worldwide. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ajc-advocacy-anywhere-offers-robust-online-education-diplomacy-programs-301031370.html SOURCE American Jewish Committee A LIMERICK city woman living in London amid the UKs recently-announced Covid-19 lockdown has spoken about what life is now like across the water, having chosen to stick to Irish guidelines well ahead of the announcement. Jennifer Purcell, who works as a marketing executive, revealed how she had never felt so far from home when Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a national lockdown earlier this week in efforts to contain Covid-19. The UK has almost 9,000 confirmed cases of the virus, and at time of print, over 400 people have died after contracting the virus. It's hard to know where is safer at the minute as there's a risk everywhere you go, explained Jennifer this Wednesday, I really admire how the Irish Government are dealing with Covid-19 and the strategies they're implementing so in that sense I do think Ireland is a safer place to be. The UK are playing catch-up here at the minute so we're a few weeks behind Ireland in terms of implementation. People back home seem to really respect the guidance set to them and all of my friends and family have strictly been staying inside. The risk is greater here as my housemates are forced to go to work, that's the downside to remaining in London, added Jennifer, who lives with an NHS worker. Jennifer explained that she has been self-isolating for four weeks now, having took it upon herself to adhere to guidelines set out by the Irish government while residing in the UK. If I hadn't, I could be out in crowded bars and restaurants and getting on rush-hour tubes up to the end of last week, she said, to me, that's madness. Especially when everyone at home is respecting the advice to stay indoors and not see their loved ones or their parents or family. I think it would have been ignorant of me to do the opposite just because of my location. Jennifers partner works in the construction industry, something which is a huge cause for concern for the young woman. He's at risk every time he leaves the house and I fail to see how they can maintain social distancing in their line of work - which makes me wonder are my social isolation efforts all for nothing as we're all at risk. She added that the general feeling around the once-bustling capital city has changed drastically in mere days. The vibe here is totally different to what it was just a week ago, she said. I don't think people really understood how serious this was until the measures were put in place to restrict movements and shut things down. Now it's so quiet, the shelves in shops are bare and it seems we're in that phase of panic buying that Ireland was in a few weeks ago. It's hard to get simple things like bread or eggs or even flour. We can't book any slots for home deliveries as they're booked up until mid to late April - so it'll be an experience trying to get the essentials we need in our weekly shop. Jennifer is aware that there are so many Irish in London who are also dealing with this issue: We're all torn between the desire to just pack it all in and fly home but not wanting to put anyone at risk. It's an incredibly difficult time for all of us, feeling so far away from home. But now we are physically apart all we can do is be there to support each other as best we can, through social media - we're all in the same boat so we just need to be strong together. Meanwhile, chairman of the Limerick Association in London has urged people to "cop onto themselves" and ensure they respect the lockdown underway in Britain. Speaking on Live95FM, Caherdavin man John Giltenan, who lives in south London said: "I hope the message broadcast by Boris Johnson last night [is taken on board], it was an address to the nation in a time of national emergency. I'd like to think a lot of people who wouldn't normally watch the news would have taken notice of it. They would have the good sense and common sense to take notice." "We are only at the tip of the iceberg I really hope people, for want of a better term, cop onto themselves and show common sense. This is our new reality. We must do the right thing. Britons stranded abroad because of the coronavirus crisis have slammed the Foreign Office for failing to support them as they face paying up to 40,000 for a flight home. Marine engineer Tim Johnson, 30, from Norwich, says flights from Auckland, New Zealand - where he is currently stranded with his wife Nikki - cost between 15,000 and 40,096. Travel across the world is widely suspended as the global coronavirus death toll hit 30,000 with more than 650,000 people infected. Britons stranded abroad because of the coronavirus crisis have slammed the Foreign Office (pictured) for failing to support them as they face paying up to 40,000 for a flight home Travel across the world is widely suspended as the global coronavirus death toll hit 30,000 with more than 650,000 people infected. Pictured: British tourists in long queues at Palma de Mallorca airport in Spain on Monday Mr Johnson told The Observer: 'The cost of the flights has been far out of reach of the people stranded. 'Yet the embassy and Foreign Office lauded these flights as a diplomatic breakthrough. 'The German government chartered a whole bunch of Lufthansa and Condor planes.' A flight on March 31 with Qatari Airlines to London from Auckland was 40,096. A Lufthansa Boeing 747-400 arrived at Auckland International Airport to take German travellers home on March 27, 2020 NHS nurse Cheryl Baxter issued a heartbreaking video message on Facebook pleading with Boris Johnson to bring her and her husband home to the UK, after being stranded in Cambodia (left). And Elizabeth Hazlewood, 52, from Shrewsbury, created a crowdfunding page after being left stranded in Tunisia (right) Around 6,000 Britons, some vital NHS staff, are believed to be stuck in New Zealand. In Kerala, India, a group of Britons aged between 60 and 83 are trapped in hospital after testing positive for the bug. Around 1,800 people - including 220 Britons - are onboard MS Zaandam off the coast of Panama and have been prevented from disembarking for the past two weeks. More than 130 people were infected by the bug onboard. Britons waiting at the airport in Marrakesh, Morocco, which has imposed travel bans amid the coronavirus crisis A Foreign Office spokesperson said: 'We recognise British tourists abroad are finding it difficult to return to the UK because of the unprecedented international travel and domestic restrictions that are being introduced around the world often with very little or no notice. 'The FCO is working around the clock to support British travellers in this situation to allow them to come back to the UK. 'The Government is seeking to keep key transit routes open as long as possible and is in touch with international partners and the airline industry to make this happen. 'Consular staff are supporting those with urgent need while providing travel advice and support to those still abroad.' KAMPALA The Ministry of Health on Saturday March confirmed seven new cases of coronavirus in Uganda bringing the total number to 30. The ministry announced the latest figures through a tweet on its official handle. 7 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Uganda today, Saturday 28 March 2020. This brings the total to 30 confirmed cases in the country. Out of 225 samples run today, 218 samples have tested negative for COVID-19, the ministry wrote. The ministry did not provide details of the patients but the higher percentage of those diagnosed with COVID19 are travellers who returned from Dubai. Uganda was previously not checking travelers from Dubai, saying it was not a high-risk country. President Yoweri Museveni on Saturday morning said there might be need for more drastic measures to curb spread. In a statement shared on his personal social media pages including Facebook Museveni said hell let the country know what these measures are. We may have to take additional drastic measures. I will keep you informed, the president wrote. Although the number is growing, Mr. Museveni however said he remains happy to see that the majority of returnees from Dubais United Arab Emirates are negative which means they dont have the virus. However, he says the worry is that the people who are positive had circulated in the population but the medical teams will trace all the contacts and check on them. The President has already closed schools, Churches and other social gatherings to stop the spread of the coronavirus. He also closed borders, the airport and banned public transport as well as roadside markets. The remaining option is close offices and announce a total lockdown. Related Sajid Hussain is a senior journalist and writer who has gone missing since March 2 and his whereabouts are still unknown.Dr. Murad said that Sajid Hussain is one of the gifted journalists of Balochistan. He has worked in renowned Pakistani daily newspapers, 'The News' and 'Daily Times' as an assistant news editor and city editor respectively.Pakistan Army has been abducting and killing several journalists in Balochistan, Hussian escaped from Balochistan after facing threats of persecution and sought asylum in Sweden according to Dr Murad.Before escaping, Hussain was Chief Editor of the online magazine "Balochistan Times" and had been highlighting and covering the actual position of Balochistan through his website.He was residing in Stockholm, the capital city of Sweden for the last four years and getting a master's degree in Balochi language at Uppsala University. Due to his educational ambitions, he shifted to Uppsala on March 2 and the same day he went out of contact.The local police and related authorities had been informed about his mysterious disappearance.The Secretary-General said that Sajid Hussain is the nephew of Shaheed Ghulam Mohammad Baloch, the founder of the Baloch National Movement.The family members and relatives of Baloch political leaders and workers had always faced state brutalities and barbarism in Balochistan.Baloch National Movement had named that policy of the state as "collective punishment".He added, "Sajid Hussain besides belonging to a political family is a renowned journalist. He has played a vital role in showing the true face of the humanitarian crisis in Balochistan in front of the world. He has been writing in both Baloch and English languages in his online newspaper Balochistan Times. Furthermore, Balochistan Times also broadcasts a radio channel to give a voice to the voiceless Balochistan. His mysterious disappearance extremely shocked us and we have a concern that Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) is behind his abduction."Dr. Murad Baloch said now the political and human rights situations in Balochistan are far worse than the last two decades.Thousands of Baloch political activists in order to avoid persecution escaped from Balochistan and are compelled to seek asylum in European counties; journalists and human rights activists are among these asylum seekers.The disappearance of Sajid Hussain has created an environment of mental uncertainty among thousands of Baloch political asylum seekers in Europe. The mysterious disappearance of a journalist would raise questions on the country that are proud of protecting refugee lives and having a great record of human rights and values. (ANI) His orders have shut down bars and restaurant dining rooms, canceled spring weddings and closed beaches in peak season. I would not want to be him right now, said Dr. Beverly Jordan of Enterprise, a physician on the board of the Medical Association of the State of Alabama. But I really think hes handled this crisis wonderfully. Alabama State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris is charged with calling the shots for most of the state during a pandemic. As a result, he has become a familiar figure the face of regular updates on the toll of the coronavirus on Alabama. He typically starts each announcement with a recap of the numbers, delivered in the kind of quietly matter-of-fact tone you might use to give bad news to a frightened patient. Lately those numbers have become a point of friction. Harriss department keeps a database of confirmed COVID-19 cases by county, the number of reported tests and information about hospitalizations and deaths. Hes faced criticism when those numbers dont match information coming more quickly from hospitals, or lag behind reports on social media. Harris has a background in infectious diseases and public health. Raised in Talladega, he went to Harding University in Arkansas for undergraduate and the University of Alabama at Birmingham for medical school. According to Jordan, he is a stickler for verification, often holding off on posting results until theyve been confirmed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sometimes that causes a delay in the official numbers. Harris, who was designated state health officer in February 2018, saw last year the consequences of publicizing preliminary information. During a nationwide measles outbreak, a young Alabama girl tested positive at a commercial lab. Harris announced the positive case, but later had to retract it when testing at the CDC came back negative for the virus. So he has taken a cautious approach with information about COVID-19. But Jordan said he has been accessible to doctors trying to better understand the emerging illness. So far, he has held two conference calls with doctors that have gone on well into the night. Early in the morning after the first one, Jordan checked her email. At 5 oclock that morning, he had emailed me evidence-based research on why he had answered the question that way, Jordan said. Harris worked as an infectious diseases doctor in Decatur for 19 years. He treated patients with HIV and other illnesses. In 2005, he helped establish the Community Free Clinic of Decatur-Morgan County and worked there for 12 years. The executive director, Jessica Payne, said Harris put in place processes for serving uninsured patients with medical and dental care, along with discounted prescription drugs. Payne said he often took time with patients, explaining complex diagnoses and answering questions. As an overall big picture person, he could be called upon to solve problems, Payne said. Hes also a kind person on top of being very, very smart. In 2015, Harris became the area health officer for the region that includes Decatur. He graduated from UABs School of Public Heath in 2017 with a masters degree in health policy. It was that background in public health and infectious diseases that made him well qualified for the top post when former State Health Officer Dr. Tom Miller retired in 2017. Dr. John Meigs, Jr. sat on the committee that hired Harris. He said they were impressed by his public health credentials and the work hed done as an area health officer. As state health officer, Harris has had to navigate not just the medical terrain, but the political one too. There have been a lot of rumors going on about the coronavirus and hes really just trying to make sure the facts are there, Meigs said. He has been very careful not to say anything that wasnt truthful. Jordan said Harris has a difficult job. A county health officer can take action based on local conditions, but his post requires making decisions for the entire state. Hes really risen to the challenge of having to handle a tale of two different crises, Jordan said. Hes dealing with whats happening in our urban areas followed by whats happening slowly behind in our rural areas. Many of Harriss orders, and those issued by Gov. Kay Ivey, have not been popular. Some want to get back to business as usual while others call for more stringent restrictions on movement. Harris advocates for public health, but the governor makes the final call. There are parts of our state that are seeing no cases, Jordan said. Its really hard to take hard lines when no one in your community is affected. Two soldiers, including an army doctor, tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday at a time the force is taking aggressive measures to tackle the spread of the disease within its ranks, two army officers said on condition of anonymity. While the doctor is a colonel posted at the Kolkata-based Eastern Command hospital, the other soldier is a junior commissioned officer in Dehradun, said the first officer cited above. Both had history of domestic travel in the first/second week of March. Necessary contact tracing is being done and identified persons have been quarantined. The two affected persons are keeping good health and are stable, said the second officer cited above. The colonel, 52, travelled from New Delhi to Kolkata by flight on March 17 and showed symptoms of Covid-19 a few days ago after which he was tested and found to be positive. The JCO, who is 47, travelled from Delhi to Jhunjhunu on February 25 and from Jhunjhunu to Chakrata near Dehradun on March 10. He was admitted to a hospital in Chakrata on March 25 after he showed symptoms and shifted to the military hospital in Dehradun on March 26. The two new cases come days after a 34-year-old soldier tested positive for coronavirus in Leh on March 18, becoming the first case in the army. The soldier from Ladakh Scouts has recovered. In an address to soldiers on the Covid-19 outbreak on March 27, army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane said it was important for them to stay fit and remain away from coronavirus if they have to help the countrymen in these serious times. Naravane asked them to strictly adhere to a string of preventive measures circulated by the army to stop the spread of the disease. The army has asked its units across the country to strictly adhere to protocols for containing the spread of Covid-19, with guidelines being issued almost every second day reiterating measures to fight the spread of infection. On March 26, Naravane said that the army is undertaking its operational tasks like before and the Covid-19 outbreak has not hit its preparedness. He said that Covid-19 was in the initial stage of impact in India and the country was making concerted efforts to prevent the disease from establishing a firm base. There are contingency plans in place and spread of Covid-19 will not affect the core efficiency of the army. The temporary phase of postponing our routine activities will soon be overcome by rescheduling them as and when the situation stabilises. As of now our focus will be to combat Covid-19 aggressively, the chief had said. The army, which is at the forefront of the countrys fight against the pandemic, has taken a raft of preventive measures to stop the spread of the infection within its ranks. These measures include cancellation of all non-essential training, conferences and travel, a freeze on postings and foreign assignments, avoiding any assembly that involves more than 50 personnel, postponing all courses for officers and encouraging personnel to work from home wherever possible. In a major relief for coronavirus COVID-19 patients in Uttar Pradesh's Noida and Greater Noida, the Gautam Buddh Nagar district administration on Saturday (March 28) ordered that any worker or employee infected with the deadly virus and in isolation for treatment will get 28 days of paid leave from their employer across the two areas. The administration also ordered all shops, industries and factories, which are closed because of the 21-day nationwide lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to to give daily wage along with leave to their workers and labourers since April 14. Talking to PTI, Gautam Buddh Nagar District Magistrate B N Singh said the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic has already been declared a 'disastter' by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. He added that PM Modi has declared the 21-day lockdown in order to curb the spread of the deadly virus. "Workers and employees who are infected with COVID-19 and kept in isolation for treatment will get 28 days' paid leave. This will be done only when such patients produce a certificate of treatment to their employers upon being discharged as healthy," said the order. "All such shops, commercial facilities and factories, which have been closed temporarily because of the order of the state government or the district administration, will provide paid leave to their workers and labourers for the duration of the closure," it added. The order also stated that such companies must make arrangement to give wages to their workers and labourers on March 30 and 31 or April 3 and 4. According to Singh, he has passed the order after taking into account the powers vested in him as the district magistrate under the National Disaster Management Act 2005. He stressed that any violation of this order would attract legal action against the offender. It is to be noted that the Noida administration has also passed an order asking landlords to not collect rent from their tenants for one month. They bunch together in aisles to snatch the latest batch of toilet paper. They spit on cash before paying staff and shun government pleas to stay home so they can continue to buy their daily bottle of wine. Badly behaved customers are putting pressure on sales people. Credit:Mayu Kanamori Staff and well-behaved customers are growing increasingly frustrated by shoppers who are ignoring social-distancing rules and touching stock and counters with unsanitised hands. While authorities have stressed the need to stay at home and practice social-distancing as much as possible in a bid to control the spread of COVID-19, some people continue to flout the orders. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has donated medical equipment meant to help combat the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the country to the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital in Gwagwalada, the Federal Capital Territory. The spokesperson of the corporation, Kennie Obateru, said the equipment were handed over to the hospital management by NNPC Group Managing Director, Mele Kyari. They include an oxygen generating plant, one brand new ambulance, six NNPC operational ambulance vehicles, one big ventilator, one small ventilator, patient monitor, hospital beds, bedside cupboards, overtop tables, air conditioners, fully automated 5-part hematology analyzer and semi-automated chemistry analyzer. Other items were an alert blood culture analyzer, uninterruptible power supply (UPS) device, pro-express Samsung printer, binocular microscope, table top centrifuge and pipettes. Government cannot do this alone. Health systems, the world over, are getting overwhelmed. Countries with stronger health systems are struggling to contain the pandemic. In light of this, the Oil and Gas Industry is collaborating to strengthen Nigerias response to the pandemic. Mr Kyari said these efforts, coordinated by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, will support government agencies in providing urgently needed resources both human and materials required to curb this pandemic, Mr Kyari said. He said the federal government, through the Federal Ministry of Health, had mapped out measures to respond to the outbreak of the disease in Nigeria. He said, a multi-sectoral team, led by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), was at the forefront of effort. Mr Kyari commended the Minister of Health and the entire ministry, the NCDC, the Public Health Department (PHD) of FCT, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital and the entire medical community in the Country for their efforts in combating the virus. He said it was obvious that to fight this menace, there must be the collaboration of all to ensure Nigeria defeated this virus. On his part, the Medical Director of NNPC Medical Services Limited, Mohammed Zango, said the corporation was making the donation to meet the urgent medical needs of the isolation centre in Abuja and to make the centre more effective in delivering on its mandate. Handing Over of equipment to the hospital management by NNPC Group Managing Director, Mele Kyari. Earlier, the Chief Medical Director of the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Bissallah Ekele, commended the NNPC for rising up to the occasion by supplying the essential medical equipment to the hospital. He said the gesture would go a long way in helping the hospital to save lives, adding that the teaching hospital had never received such support in its 26 years history. He assured the equipment would be judiciously used. The Director-General of NCDC, Chikwe Ihekweazu, was represented by the Director of Administration of the agency, Yahaya Abdullahi, who described the donation as the largest intervention so far. He called on other corporate organisations to emulate the national oil companys gesture, particularly in this time of crisis. By Feb. 2, a little more than a month after news of a new coronavirus first appeared, more than 300 people had died. The disease, later labeled COVID-19, was killing fewer than 60 people a day. Today, almost two months later, that global death toll stands at more than 30,000. But by the time you read this number, it will have changed. At the beginning of this month, the number of people dying daily across the globe from the disease was fewer than 100. A week and a half ago, it passed 1,000. On Tuesday, the number of global deaths reported within 24 hours surpassed 2,000 people for the first time. On Thursday, it hit 2,791. Only three days later, it surged past 3,000. Unabated, it is on track to surpass 4,000 people a day this week. It appears to be increasing and doing so exponentially. Although thousands of individuals who have contracted the coronavirus have not required hospitalization, the tally of confirmed cases and fatalities due to COVID-19 in the U.S. and across the globe seems to be exponentially rising. As of Saturday, the United States number of infections led the world, with more than 121,000 cases, according to Johns Hopkins University. Leadership at the World Health Organization noted the pandemic is spreading at an exponential rate. The first 100,000 cases took 67 days. The second 100,000 took 11 days. The third 100,000 took just four days, and the fourth 100,000 just two days, said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of WHO, according to CNN. WHO Director General: "The pandemic is accelerating at an exponential rate. The first 100,000 cases took 67 days. The second 100,000 took 11 days, the third 100,000 took just 4 days, and the fourth 100,000 just 2 days." Ryan Struyk (@ryanstruyk) March 26, 2020 Uncertainty remains about the mortality rate of the virus, though. A report from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention released last month found that the rate was 2.3%. Ghebreyesus claimed in early March it was closer to 3.4%. How deadly the viral respiratory infection actually is is still unknown to many medical professionals, but 139,304 had recovered from the illness as of Saturday evening, according to Johns Hopkins. That is really the trillion-dollar question. I think with the death rate by itself, its a way to grossly measure deadliness of a virus," said Brian Yun, associate director for clinical operations of the Emergency Department at Massachusetts General Hospital. "That rate is dependent on the testing and how widely testing has been implemented. World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus speaks during the daily press briefing on the new coronavirus, dubbed COVID-19, at the group's headquarters on March 2, 2020 in Geneva, Switzerland. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty Images The global death rate and the efforts to combat COVID-19 At the time of this writing, 30,475 people have died from the disease, and more than 659,367 cases across 176 nations have been confirmed, according to Johns Hopkins. China, Italy and the U.S.'s confirmed cases account for roughly 45% of the worlds total positive diagnoses. This virus is very dangerous," Ghebreyesus said during a press conference this week, adding that the window of time to act against the disease is narrowing. If you remember, we have been saying for more than two months now this virus is public enemy No. 1." The international pandemic has overwhelmed hospitals and first responders, led to a volatile stock market and severely impacted small businesses. The outbreak has brought a full stop to the Massachusetts economy, and federal officials passed a $2.2 trillion federal stimulus package aimed at alleviating the financial woes of companies and workers. Globally, the pandemic has sparked nationwide lockdowns in India and Italy and closed international borders, as world leaders look to combat transmission and prevent death. Italy has reported 10,023 people dead, the highest number of fatalities in the world, according to Johns Hopkins. The total surpasses Chinas death toll, which stood at 3,299 this week, as well as the United States, which has jumped to 2,010. Spain has identified 5,826 deaths, making it the country with the second-highest number of fatalities. In Italy, deaths appear to be doubling every five days. In Spain and the U.S., they seem to be doubling every three days, according to data aggregated by The New York Times. China, the nation where the outbreak started, saw an influx of hospitalizations and deaths due to the disease last month. At the beginning of February, the countrys death toll stood at 259. By the end of the month, it had risen to 2,838, according to WHO. However, for the past week, the country has reported below 10 deaths per day, and the national fatality rate has appeared to level out, according to the New York Times. Chinas numbers stand in stark contrast to Italy, which identified more than 900 deaths within a 24-hour time span on Friday. What I think it is showing us is that every single government, both from a country to a state to a local level, needs to take this seriously. The increase in the death rate is saying that if your community has even not yet considered social distancing, it needs to consider that and implement it before its too late," Yun said. A recommended medical treatment for COVID-19 does not currently exist, but state leaders are looking to combat the spread of the virus in other ways, mainly through social distancing. Multiple governors in the U.S. have issued either stay-at-home guidance or orders in the wake of the pandemic. Scientists - including those at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Cambridge-based biotechnology company Moderna, Inc. - are also working around the clock to develop a vaccine. WHO is leading efforts to develop medicines as well, and clinical trials are underway for a vaccine. According to Yun, one of the biggest questions facing medical professionals now is what are the most effective therapies to treat the coronavirus? The Mass. General doctor said that while researchers and scientists focus their attention on experimental drugs, good medical care for many patients is leading to recovery. We are all still interested in what the silver bullet will be," he said. I think it will wind up being a multitude of strategies. I share a number of peoples frustrations that we just dont know what works yet. Patients wear personal protective equipment while maintaining social distancing as they wait in line for a COVID-19 test at Elmhurst Hospital Center, Wednesday, March 25, 2020, in New York. Gov. Andrew Cuomo sounded his most dire warning yet about the coronavirus pandemic Tuesday, saying the infection rate in New York is accelerating and the state could be as close as two weeks away from a crisis that sees 40,000 people in intensive care. Such a surge would overwhelm hospitals, which now have just 3,000 intensive care unit beds statewide.John Minchillo | AP Photo Whats happening in New York and elsewhere in the country Nowhere else in the country has the coronavirus pandemic raised more alarm bells than New York. In the state alone, 52,410 positive diagnoses had been identified as of Saturday, 29,776 of which were in New York City, according to the states department of health. The number of cases in New York account for nearly half of the countrys total. New York has also reported the most number of deaths out of all 50 states: 728. At one hospital on Tuesday, 13 people died within 24 hours, The New York Times reported. Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York has been thrust into the national spotlight amidst the public health crisis, as many look to see how he takes the lead on handling the spread of the virus. The governor has, like other top state officials, been holding daily situational briefings, where he has both attempted to quell fears and notify the public about how serious the issue is. He has also told the states workforce, excluding essential employees, to stay home as part of his New York State on PAUSE executive order. Other measures the governor has taken to stem transmission of the virus include banning non-essential gatherings of any number of people, looking for new sites for temporary hospitals and making COVID-19 testing freely available to all residents. More than 50,000 healthcare workers in New York, including retirees and students, have also signed up to volunteer during the crisis as hospitals continue to become overwhelmed, according to Cuomo. Many patients with severe illness due to the virus have been put on ventilators. Some in New York have had to use the machine for between 20 and 30 days. As the time a person is hooked up to a ventilator increases, the higher the probability of a worse outcome grows, the New York governor said. The number of deaths is increasing. Its bad news because people are dying, and thats the worst news you could have, the New York governor said during a press conference Thursday. A top Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official told the digital news outlet The Hill this week that the situation in New York may be a predictor of what is to come in the rest of the United States. California, Washington and Louisiana have all been hit hard by the pandemic in comparison to the rest of the country. Each state has reported more than 3,000 cases and more than 50 deaths. Louisiana reported its first positive diagnosis of COVID-19 on March 9. A week later, the number of cases jumped past 100, and on Saturday, the state total climbed to 3,315, with 137 confirmed deaths in the state, according to the Louisiana Department of Health. New Orleans, which may prove to be the next epicenter for the illness, identified 1,298 cases of the coronavirus in the city, 70 of which have resulted in death, according to officials in the community. The people in Louisiana and in New Orleans are in our thoughts and prayers, Cuomo said. We know what theyre going through. What Massachusetts can expect As of Saturday, the commonwealth has identified 44 total coronavirus-related deaths and 1,000 new cases of the virus within 24 hours, bringing the statewide number of positive COVID-19 diagnoses to 4,257. Yun said personnel at Mass. General are bracing for the possibility that Massachusetts becomes as bombarded by the respiratory infection as New York. Gov. Charlie Baker this month issued a state of emergency, canceled school programming through May and declared a stay-at-home advisory - all measures that aim to stave off transmission. Here in Massachusetts we are preparing for that," the doctor told MassLive. I agree with the governors approach to encourage and implement practices related to social distancing. According to Yun, New York has shown medical professionals like him that Massachusetts needs to prepare for overwhelmed hospitals, more cases of the disease and a potential spike in deaths. In the meantime, Mass. General is looking to increase hospital capacity by repurposing spaces to serve as intensive care units, according to Yun. Health workers are continuing to be trained on best practices when handling COVID-19 patients, and the hospital has basically halted all elective surgeries and procedures. Right now, we are really preparing and planning to take care of the sickest patients," the doctor said. Baker also announced on Saturday that he and other public officials have been collaborating with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to find college dorms, closed nursing homes and other facilities to be retrofitted as medical spaces during the course of the pandemic. We dont want Massachusetts residents to think that just because were not New York City yet, were in the clear," Yun said. We dont want to prematurely take away these measures, because we dont know where we as a state are going to be. Pedestrian traffic is light outside Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Saturday, March, 14, 2020. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. The vast majority of people recover from the new virus. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)AP The severity of the symptoms and what doctors are seeing Doctors in Massachusetts are observing a range of symptoms amongst coronavirus patients, from mild illness to severe, potentially lethal lung or heart failure, Yun said. Many people diagnosed with COVID-19 are reporting losing the sense of smell during the early stages of the virus. Hospitals across the state are also seeing a new symptom: stomach pain. A dry cough and a temperature above 100 degrees are common as well. The end-stage of the disease, or the complications that result in death, include respiratory and cardiac illness. Older individuals and those with pre-existing conditions, like heart and lung disease, are most at risk of severe symptoms, according to Yun. A number of people are dying from cardiomyopathy, meaning heart failure," the doctor said. We think this virus is also found in other parts of the organs. Though older people are most threatened by the disease, young people are still at risk and should take the disease seriously, Yun said. The CDC issued a report last week showing an increase in hospitalizations of individuals in the 20-to-54 age range. Patients who are sick need watchful waiting and potential hospitalization, but roughly 80% of those who contract the disease do not need to seek medical attention and should isolate at home, according to Yun. It is best to stay inside and avoid physical interaction, he said. Yun noted that part of what makes the coronavirus so lethal is its ability to so easily spread. COVID-19 has an even higher infection rate than the annual flu. This is one of those diseases that raises all our alarms," he said. The physician added that it is definitely disturbing to hear about the increased death rate due to respiratory infection. However, he expects the numbers to stabilize as testing is more widely conducted. He noted that in countries like Germany, where the number of cases are high compared to the number of deaths, testing capabilities may be stronger. If you test a lot of people, and a lot of people are young and healthy and asymptomatic, your numbers are going to look good, Yun said. Theres just some variation in reporting country to country, and that makes it difficult to compare apples with apples." Sign up for free text messages about important updates on coronavirus in Massachusetts Related Content: Prime Minister Boris Johnson has posted letters to 30 million households across the UK, cautioning people: We know things will get worse before they get better, as he continued to isolate himself in Downing Street after testing positive for coronavirus. Alongside the letter, residents will receive a leaflet outlining official advice, with clear explanations of symptoms, hand washing guidance, rules on leaving the house, self-isolating with symptoms and shielding vulnerable people. The UK death toll has reached 1,019. The Prime Minister is continuing to lead the Governments response to coronavirus as he self isolates after testing positive for the virus, a spokesperson said. Health secretary Matt Hancock and Scotland secretary Alister Jack are among senior figures afflicted by the virus. Johnson says in the letter that the more Britons follow the rules, the fewer lives will be lost and the sooner life can return to normal. But health officials have not ruled out further restrictions during the ongoing three-week lockdown that may last until September. Johnson says: It has been truly inspirational to see our doctors, nurses and other carers rise magnificently to the needs of the hour. Thousands of retired doctors and nurses are returning to the NHS and hundreds of thousands of citizens are volunteering to help the most vulnerable. That is why, at this moment of national emergency, I urge you, please, to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives. Former health secretary Jeremy Hunt called on Sunday for mass testing on the lines of that conducted in South Korea and Germany, so that the lockdown period could be shortened. His call was supported by former prime minister Tony Blair. Hunt wrote in The Sunday Telegraph that mass testing gave authorities greater clarity in identifying and containing potential outbreaks: Where you find it, you can isolate and contain it. And where you dont, vital services continue to function. With mass testing, accompanied by rigorous tracing of every person a Covid-19 patient has been in touch with, you can break the chain of transmission. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Prasun Sonwalkar Prasun Sonwalkar was Editor (UK & Europe), Hindustan Times. During more than three decades, he held senior positions on the Desk, besides reporting from Indias north-east and other states, including a decade covering politics from New Delhi. He has been reporting from UK and Europe since 1999. ...view detail The National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Upper East Region has called on government to adopt measures to quarantine travellers at borders in the Region in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr Sunday Casper Kampoli, the Regional Deputy Communications Officer of the Party who made the call in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on the side-line of a press conference said the measure would help prevent any possible spread of the disease in the Region. The press conference which was held at the Partys Office at Zuarungu in the Bolgatanga East District called on President Akufo-Addo to do something about the closed but open, porous borders of the Upper East Region in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr Kampoli said the Region was bordered with Burkina Faso and Togo which had recorded high numbers of COVID-19 cases, and observed that Ghana related well with those countries in its daily activities which allowed citizens from the two countries to freely move into the country through approved and unapproved routes in spite of the official closure of borders. He suggested that a strong patrol team of the military, immigration and police be deployed to monitor both approved and unapproved routes, and ensure that people who used those routes. This, he said would prevent people from the neighbouring countries from integrating with residents in the Region and possibly spreading the virus, emphasizing that checking that everyone coming from those countries are tested will halt the spread. According to Mr Kampoli, if that was not done, Silently, we are integrating with people who may have had contacts with infected persons in Burkina Faso and Togo and may not know. Some citizens in Burkina Faso easily move into Paga and Navrongo, because of the short distance. The NDC at the press conference addressed by the Mr Saeed Ahmed Tijani, the Regional Communications Officer, also called on government to Provide all necessary Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) at all four approved borders in the Region to enhance effective screening and the safety of our health workers. Mr Tijani called for the laboratory at the Regional hospital in Bolgatanga to be adequately equipped to test potential COVID -19 cases promptly instead of the current practice of transporting blood samples to Kumasi or Accra. This is not good enough because time is of essence, and such a process may compromise the accuracy and integrity of the results, he added. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Here is a tip for the government procurement agencies that are scrambling to ensure quality, affordability and availability of hand sanitisers in the wake of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. A Bhopal-based MSME firm, Hind Pharma can supply up to 60,000 bottles of hand sanitisers a day. It has a couple of containers full of sanitisers lying in Mumbai too, waiting to be picked up. One condition though. In addition to placing orders, the company will require supply of fresh stocks of bottle caps, printed labels and packaging materials. Getting hold of the Mumbai inventory would be easy, if the labeling requirements for sale in India is waived off. Hind Pharma, is a perfect example of how overnight export ban, lockdowns and price fixations can bring production of essential commodities to a sudden halt. For the last 10 days, not a single bottle of sanitiser has come out of the company, due to a combination of all three factors, Radha Sharan Goswami, CEO, Hind Pharma says. As a 100 per cent export-oriented firm, Hind was ramping up its production of disinfectant tablets and hand sanitisers for catering to its international clients, including agencies engaged in emergency relief operations when the export ban happened. "Too much demand was there, my goods - hand sanitisers - worth around Rs 50 lakh were outside Mumbai airport, when the ban came. It's still lying there," Goswami says. He cannot export it due to ban, and his buyers in Italy, UK and other parts of the world are seeking refund of the advance payments made. "I cannot take it back to Bhopal, as trucks and drivers are not available as lockdown announcement followed. The containers cannot be unloaded in the local market, as it has no MRP, and does not cater to India's labeling requirements," Goswami says. ALSO READ: Coronavirus crisis: Spain's Princess Maria Teresa first royal to die from COVID-19 The bigger problem is not the stocks that are stuck at the airport. It is the difficulty to source key inputs to resume production back in his Bhopal factory. "We have manpower, capacity and capability. But logistics is an issue. We have six lakh empty bottles stocked, but no caps, no packing material, no labels, and some key ingredient stocks. As a result, in spite of having a capacity to produce 60,000 bottles of hand sanitisers a day, we have zero production in the last 10 days," Goswami laments. His only request is that if pharmaceutical companies are allowed to function, label printing companies, and plastic bottle cap manufacturers should also be allowed to run. "Or else how will you produce? Industries are interlinked." The third worry is the sudden shift of raw material preference from isopropyl alcohol based sanitiser to enthnol based alcohol or ethyl alcohol. "Our sanitiser uses isopropyl alcohol as key ingredient. The raw material is primarily imported and is in short supply. It costs about Rs 300 per litre in the open market, more than three times it used to cost until recently", he said. The government decision to fix the price of sanitiser at Rs 100 for a 200 ml bottle suddenly made isopropyl alcohol based sanitiser production unviable. "The government has declared price on the basis of volume. They have not mentioned any composition. There are a hundred types of sanitisers depending on the composition and raw materials used. They should have controlled the raw material price first, instead of the finished product", Goswami says. ALSO READ: Coronavirus in India Live Updates: IBC deferred for 21-day lockdown period Changing the composition of his sanitiser is not difficult, and that is what he intends to do soon. But that would mean a wastage of his current stock and finished products waiting to be shipped from the factory. "The government should have said the new price will be applicable after some time, say 30 days or so. That would have given us time to exhaust our stocks and start new formulation. Today you cannot produce it at the rate fixed by the government, and the retail stores will not be willing to sell the product which bears a higher price", he says adding that the decision has made the distilleries happy as they can selling alcohol through sanitisers. Even on export ban, Goswami says the government should have allowed shipments for which orders were taken and amount paid. Orders which are in pipeline should have been honoured, to save the image of India, he is saying. "Today somebody have paid from Italy, they are dying, waiting for the product for the last one month." Finding a practical solution to Goswami's worries will help government ramp up sanitiser availability by 60,000 bottles a day, 18 lakh a month. In assuming a social, political and economic dimension that is unparalleled in modern history, the dreaded Covid-19 has also spun many cautionary tales in its journey across the world, making pitstops at economic power players such as China, UK, USA and India. One of its obvious impacts has been on global securities markets. Whether it is the Dow or the S&P 500, or closer home, the NIFTY and SENSEX, indices and markets across the world have taken a massive beating. In India particularly, the impact of trade-wars, crude oil prices, liquidity problems, bank frauds and weakening rupee all imploded into the stock markets with the arrival of Covid-19, sending our stocks in a volatile frenzy. Both NIFTY and Sensex, after a record run in 2019, saw precipitous falls as well as trading halts at both of India's largest exchanges, on account of lower circuit triggers. Also Read: Sebi summons Rakesh Jhujhunwala over alleged 'insider trading' charges However, like clouds and their silver linings, such turbulent times also pose a lucrative opportunity for traders, especially those with insights into the impact of the prevailing state of affairs on listed companies. Information about key performance metrics, such as financial projections, business disruptions, material contracts, governance responses, etc., allow a party to foresee underperformances, anticipate unexpected benefits and hence plan their trading and make allocation decisions more efficiently. But when such information is not generally available to the market at large, the asymmetry allows for profiteering (or avoidance of loss) that can be penalised under the law in the form of "insider trading". Insider trading is a species of fraud and traditionally has been viewed as a crime of "misappropriation", where fiduciaries of the company such as directors, CFOs and other persons in key management roles breach the duty of trust owed to the company's shareholders and profit from non-public information. However, in such unprecedented times, insider trades may not be limited to traditional company insiders alone. For instance, the US, arguably the jurisprudential fount of insider trading laws as we know them today, has been rattled by recent news about senators trading in stocks on inside information about the Covid-19 pandemic. It has been alleged (and extensively reported) that members of the US Senate sold a significant portion of their holdings in advance of the market crash, as well as purchased shares, based on non-public information, gleaned from confidential congressional briefings about a growing public health crisis. It is important to mention here that, unique to the USA, members of its Congress are governed by a special legislation, the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act, 2012, which prohibits elected officials from using information received in their public roles, for private profit. On March 25, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a resounding and comprehensive guidance note, reminding companies to make prompt disclosures of information as well as for persons to refrain from trading prior to the dissemination of any such material information. Also Read: Coronavirus lockdown: Brokers' body ANMI seeks closure of markets This was timely and served dual purposes - an advisory to disclose as well as a note of caution, reminding market participants of continued surveillance and vigilance by the US regulator. In India, insider trading is a strict liability offence and regulated in terms of the SEBI (Prohibition of Insider Trading) Regulations 2015. Very stringently worded, these regulations prohibit selective communication of any unpublished price sensitive information and also penalise trading whilst in possession of the same. The law is agnostic to the relationship of the individual with the company; as long as the person trading has, or is reasonably expected to have, access to such data, he can be penalised. SEBI also requires listed companies to formulate a code of conduct, put in place blackout periods, pre-clearance mechanisms and maintain processes that protect the integrity of their financial and other sensitive information. In recent years, SEBI has also stepped up enforcement and investigations, using technology to enhance surveillance of what is often a difficult transgression to clamp down on. However, Covid-19 will undoubtedly pose unique challenges to our regulator on this front. Although listed companies are required to make disclosures of material events, it will be a practical challenge to quantify or meaningfully articulate the potential impact of such a dynamic crisis on shareholders. Since the pandemic itself and governmental responses to it are evolving rapidly, cogency of investor communication will naturally be impaired. Consequently, the assessment of whether any information has actually assumed a certain "price sensitivity" or not, can never be a scientific one. This poses somewhat of a Hobson' choice to promoters, directors and other key actors within a corporate, when it comes to their personal trades in the company's stock. This problem is further compounded by the fact that submission of financial results has been extended to June 30th by SEBI, to assist with compliance burdens during Covid-19, which means that trading window closures will be automatically extended for the next two months, unless specifically exempted by the regulator or case-by-case exceptions from the compliance officer itself. Lastly, without key tools of the trade, such as phone tapping powers, SEBI will find it arduous to secure convincing evidentiary data, at a time when governmental lockdowns have enforced work from home protocols sine die, compromising on the conventional methods used by listed companies to protect their information. Incidents of "accidental" tipping are bound to arise, since the work from home environment will naturally create headroom for information leakage and questionable employee conduct. As corporate India tries to find its feet within the new normal that is emerging, it is clear that our securities markets will continue to battle old problems, now clothed in new garb. It is therefore critical for both companies and regulators to formulate new solutions to address these unique concerns. And for SEBI to also consider issuing proactive, detailed advisories that set the tone for expected market conduct. (The author is Partner, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas. The views expressed are of the Author, and don't necessarily reflect the position of Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas.) By Express News Service CHENNAI/VELLORE/THANJAVUR/MADURAI: Four persons have tested positive for COVID-19 in the State, taking the tally up to 42. With this, the State has officially entered Phase-2 of epidemic, and officials have devised special plans across 10 affected districts. Thanjavur Chef The first patient is a 42-year-old man from Kumbakonam who was working in the West Indies with a shipping company as a chef. He returned recently and has been admitted to the Thanjavur Medical College. Sources say the patient was residing in a lane connecting Gandi Adiagal Road with Nageswaran South Street. He left from West Indies on March 16 and reached Chennai via Qatar on March 18. He took a bus to Kumbakonam from Chennai. While one source claimed he made a stop at Villupuram to meet his sister, another said his sister travelled with him from Chennai to Villupuram. He developed symptoms on March 22 in Kumbakonam. He was shifted to an isolation ward in the Thanjavur GH on March 25. Now, his condition is said to be stable. The results of his throat swabs came on Saturday, confirming he had COVID-19. The mans 34-year-old wife and two daughters -- aged 10 and 2 -- have been quarantined. The area around his residence has been barricaded and cut off for public access. Vellore Priest A 49-year-old priest is under treatment at Vellore CMC Hospital. His tests came positive for the virus on Saturday. He recently returned from a trip to the United Kingdom. His wife, who went on the trip along with him has tested negative. Barneespuram in Katpadi, where he lives, has been sanitised. He was already under quarantine and now he seems to have recovered fully, claimed Collector A Shanmuga Sundaram. The patient returned to Chennai on March 17, and took a cab to Katpadi. The couple claims not to have left their house since the trip. We have so far tracked down eight of his contacts, said officials. One more case in Madurai A man from Rajapalayam, who had symptoms since March 18, has tested positive. He was initially being treated by his wife, a doctor. Later, when the fever worsened, he was referred to the GRH, Madurai. The patient has comorbid conditions like hypertension and diabetes, said sources. The patient is understood to have met with a friend who recently returned from Dubai. He also attended a wedding on March 4. A total of 71 contacts of the patient have been quarantined. The fourth case is a youngster from West Mambalam in Chennai. Whatsapp Chatbox launched Tamil Nadu government has launched a WhatsApp Chatbox which provides latest guidelines, information related to COVID19. People can text the Chat Box at 9035766766 A doctor has been barred from working at a Shropshire hospital after she accused it of being 'dangerously lacking' in its coronavirus response. Dr Catherine Beanland claims Ludlow Community Hospital has been 'very slow' in its efforts to protect staff and isolate patients. The GP says she was told to stop working after complaining about their response to Covid-19, and after wearing protective clothing that 'frightened patients'. Ludlow Community Hospital insists it has followed national guidelines, while guidance for health workers on PPE was expected to be updated within two days. However, Dr Beanland has warned the hospital their response around PPE 'and appropriate isolation of possible Covid-19 patients has been dangerously lacking'. In a social media post, she revealed that she had taken to wearing the equipment to protect patients and stop her from catching the virus. Dr Catherine Beanland (pictured) claims that Ludlow Community Hospital has been 'very slow' in its efforts to protect staff and isolate patients in the pandemic The GP says she was told to stop working after complaining about their response to Covid-19, and after wearing protective clothing that 'frightened patients' Ludlow Community Hospital insists it has followed national guidelines, while guidance for health workers on PPE was expected to be updated within two days Shropshire Community Trust hit back, claiming she was not following national guidance and 'frightening both patients and staff' by wearing it. On Friday, the GP was told 'to no longer provide patient care' at the 40-bed hospital. Dr Jane Povey, medical director at Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust, said staff had been reminded to stick to national guidelines on the use of PPE. She said: 'We must use PPE responsibly and cannot disregard those guidelines in one hospital and start applying a different policy.' The row comes as 260 people who tested positive for the coronavirus died yesterday, bringing the number of those dying with Covid-19 to 1,019. Prof Neil Ferguson, the Government's epidemiology adviser, has warned that Britain must remain in lockdown until June to prevent the full extent of the virus. He also told The Sunday Times that social distancing may have to be practiced until October, after Boris Johnson and Matt Hancock tested positive for Covid-19. Prof Ferguson has revised his original warnings down from 250,000 deaths to 5,700 after Oxford University published research on the virus' spread. Prof Neil Ferguson, the Government's epidemiology adviser, has warned that Britain must remain in lockdown until June to prevent the full extent of the virus Michael Gove (left) declined to be drawn on how long the tough measures restricting people's lives would be in place for, after Boris Johnson (right) tested positive for the virus Oxford believes that half of the UK population may already have been infected with the disease, implying that a significant herd immunity has been accumulated. It also suggests that less than one in 1,000 patients would require hospitalisation. Prof Ferguson told the newspaper: 'We're going to have to keep these measures [the full lockdown] in place, in my view, for a significant period of time - probably until the end of May, maybe even early June. May is optimistic.' It came as Michael Gove today declined to be drawn on how long the tough measures restricting people's lives would be in place for, and that ministers would not hesitate to enforce tougher rules if necessary. 'There are different projections as to how long the lockdown might last,' he told Sky's Sophy Ridge on Sunday, when asked about one key expert's prediction of June. 'But it's not the case that the length of the lockdown is something that is absolutely fixed. It depends on all of our behaviour. If we follow the guidelines, we can deal more effectively with the spread of the disease.' The PM has written to every household in Britain, urging the public to abide by his draconian lockdown and warning the 'national emergency' may get worse. In other coronavirus developments across the country: An NHS worker who has recovered from Covid-19 has called for immediate testing of people displaying symptoms. Orlaith McCarthy, a play specialist at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, said the government needed to step in and take over private health companies who are currently selling the tests. The mum-of three from Belfast, whose husband Conor, a radiographer assistant, also tested positive for Covid-19, said testing was imperative to stop carriers spreading it around. And she echoed calls from the government and the NHS to stay at home and follow social distancing guidelines. "The government needs to ramp up its testing of people who are symptomatic and to do this they need to take over the private firms selling these tests," said Orlaith. "People shouldn't be sitting around having to guess if they have the coronavirus or not. The NHS needs to be carrying out tests immediately to find out how many people have it. "People are paying so much attention to it now but it's not about worrying if you'll catch it yourself. That has to be flipped on its head. Everyone needs to be worrying about spreading it. We have a responsibility to the elderly and the most vulnerable. Lots of people are carrying the virus who will get better but it's all about the greater good and not passing it on. "It's so important to practise social distancing. If you know someone who is on the high risk list, protect them as best you can by staying away." Conor, who also works at the Royal, began displaying symptoms first on St Patrick's Day including a fever and breathing difficulties. When he couldn't get through to his GP, he called 111 and was told everyone in the house - himself, Orlaith and their two younger children, aged 15 and 12 - had to self-isolate for 14 days right away. Orlaith, who was off work for St Patrick's Day, had been due to return to the hospital the following day but rang her manager and explained that she wouldn't be in. By this stage, Conor's symptoms had worsened but Orlaith herself was displaying none. "To be honest, I just thought he had a bad flu and I was sure that if he got tested, it would come back negative and I could return to work," she said. "He spent a full day trying to get a test organised and was told to come to the pod for a test at 5.30pm on the Friday evening. "I wasn't too anxious at this stage as I was convinced it wasn't the coronavirus. But then on the Thursday after St Patrick's Day, I began to develop symptoms too. Mine weren't as severe as Conor's. I felt shaky, had joint pains in my shoulders and neck and a bit of a dry cough, but I've had a worse cough before." Orlaith tried to arrange a test through her GP but when that wasn't forthcoming, the couple was able to get her seen too at the pod at the Royal, after explaining that she was an NHS worker and was symptomatic. "It was really tough to get tests arranged for the two of us but we wanted to know so we could get back to work," Orlaith said. "I was really surprised when both tests came back positive." The couple were told their youngest child, who had had a temperature the previous week, was most likely the first of the family to take ill from the virus. As the days passed in self-isolation, Conor's symptoms improved and then Orlaith recovered over the space of a weekend. They remain off work at the moment but Orlaith plans to go back late next week, when she is deemed safe and no longer contagious. "Having the test come back positive changed my mindset about the coronavirus," she said. "I wasn't worried for myself but you do think about your loved ones. Thankfully I hadn't been to see my mum or granny from the previous Friday so my conscience was clear. "If you have even a slightly raised temperature, be cautious as that seems to be the most consistent symptom with coronavirus. "Self-isolation and social distancing are so important in stopping the spread." Yesterday it was revealed that coronavirus tests for NHS frontline staff are to be trialled this weekend ahead of a wider roll-out to help those given the all-clear from the disease to return to work. Cabinet minister Michael Gove said the Government was working in a "new alliance" with universities, businesses and researchers to boost testing capacity. Actor Shahid Kapoor is making good use of the self-quarantine -- he is taking over responsibilities of the house from wife Mira Rajput. The Kabir Singh stars wife posted pictures on Instagram, where Shahids culinary skills are on display. Taking to her Instagram stories, she wrote: Waiting while the husband cooks me some pancakes #goodlife #tablesmightturn @shahidkapoor. Following it up with another picture, she wrote: Success! Im glad I put my feet up so he can step into my shoes @shahidkapoor. Clearly, Shahid had passed the cooking test. Staying in self isolation does different things to different people. Mira posted a picture from her wedding in 2015 to say how she was missing the celebrations. She wrote: Down memory lane.. Its the bittersweet memories that are etched most strongly in ones heart. Missing the moment, missing the company, missing the celebration. Shahid has been staying at home since mid March, when the shoot of his upcoming film, Jersey, got cancelled. The actor had taken to Twitter to inform his fans. He had written: At a time like this it is our social responsibility to do everything in our capacity to curb the spread of this virus. Team #Jersey is suspending shoot so as to enable all unit members to be with their families and in the safety of their homes. Be responsible. Stay safe. Also read: When Angad Bedi broke the news of Neha Dhupias pregnancy to her parents before marriage The team had been shooting in Chandigarh. Jersey is the remake of a Telugu film of the same name and tells the tale of a failed cricketer, who tries to make a comeback to the Indian cricket team to win a team jersey to fulfil his sons desire. Being directed by Gowtam Tinnanauri (who directed the Telugu original too), it also stars Mrunal Thakur and Pankaj Kapur. Follow @htshowbiz for more T enants will not be evicted from their homes during the coronavirus pandemic, Scotland's First Minister has vowed. Nicola Sturgeon announced plans for emergency legislation to protect renters from being kicked out of their homes during the Covid-19 outbreak. The Scottish Government will seek to pass a Bill next week which will increase the notice period landlords must give tenants before eviction to up to six months depending on circumstance. Currently, private sector landlords must provide notice of between 28-84 days. Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures 1 /81 Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures A deserted Westminster Bridge PA A man wearing a face mask or covering due to the COVID-19 pandemic, walks past customers sat outside a restaurant AFP via Getty Images Boris Johnson addresses the nation on the Coronavirus lockdown Andrew Parsons Runners pass cardboard cutouts of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince William during the London Marathon in London AP An empty escalator at Charing Coss London Underground tube station Jeremy Selwyn Electronic bilboards displays a message warning people to stay home in Sheffield PA A sign is displayed in the window of a student accommodation building following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Mancheste Reuters People take part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions, in Londo AP People sing and dance in Leicester Square on the eve on the 10PM curfew Reuters Hearts painted by a team of artists from Upfest are seen in the grass at Queen Square, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Bristol Reuters Graffiti reads 'good luck and stay safe', as the number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases grow around the world, under a bridge in London Reuters A sign is pictured in Soho, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London Reuters Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures, during a coronavirus briefing in Downing Street, London AP A person runs past posters with a message of hope, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Manchester REUTERS Riot police face protesters who took part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions in London AP An image of The Queen eith quotes from her broadcast to the UK and the Commonwealth in relation to the Coronavirus epidemic are displayed on lights in London's Piccadilly Circus PA Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' hospital Getty Images Durdle Door in Dorset Reuters Captain Tom Moore via Reuters Mia, aged 8, and Jack, aged 5, take part in "PE with Joe" a daily live workout with Joe Wicks on Youtube to help kids stay fit who have to stay indoors due to the Coronavirus outbreak PA An NHS worker reacts at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital during the Clap for our Carers campaign in support of the NHS Reuters Goats which have taken over the deserted streets of Llandudno @AndrewStuart via PA Tobias Weller PA Novikov restaurant in London with its shutters pulled down while the restaurant is closed London Landscapes: Hyde Park and the Serpentine, central London. Matt Writtle A newspaper vendor in Manchester city centre giving away free toilet rolls with every paper bought as shops run low on supplies due to fears over the spread of the coronavirus PA Theo Clay looks out of his window next to his hand-drawn picture of a rainbow in Liverpool, as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continue Reuters A young man cuts another man's hair on top of a closed hairdresser in Oxford Reuters General view of the new NHS Nightingale Hospital, built to fight against the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London via Reuters Jason Baird is seen dressed as Spiderman during his daily exercise to cheer up local children in Stockport, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters A woman wearing a face mask walks past Buckingham Palace Getty Images A man holds mobile phone displaying a text message alert sent by the government warning that new rules are in force across the UK and people must stay at home PA Medical staff on the Covid-19 ward at the Neath Port Talbot Hospital, in Wales, as the health services continue their response to the coronavirus outbreak. PA Prime Minister Boris Johnson taking part in a virtual Cabinet meeting with his top team of ministers PA A shopper walks past empty shelves in a Lidl store on in Wallington. After spates of "panic buying" cleared supermarket shelves of items like toilet paper and cleaning products, stores across the UK have introduced limits on purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some have also created special time slots for the elderly and other shoppers vulnerable to the new coronavirus. Getty Images People on a busy tube train in London at rush hour PA Mia, aged 8 and her brother Jack, aged 5 from Essex, continue their school work at home, after being sent home due to the coronavirus PA Children are painting 'Chase the rainbows' artwork and springing up in windows across the country Reuters Social distancing in Primrose Hill Jeremy Selwyn A general view of a locked gate at Anfield, Liverpool as The Premier League has been suspended PA Homeless people in London AFP via Getty Images A piece of art by the artist, known as the Rebel Bear has appeared on a wall on Bank Street in Glasgow. The new addition to Glasgow's street art is capturing the global Coronavirus crisis. The piece features a woman and a man pulling back to give each other a kiss PA The Queen leaves Buckingham Palace, London, for Windsor Castle to socially distance herself amid the coronavirus pandemic PA A general view on Grey street, Newcastle as coronavirus cases grow around the world Reuters Matt Raw, a British national who returned from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, leaves quaratine at Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside PA Britain's Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty (L) and Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance look on as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures as he speaks during a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) news conference inside 10 Downing Street Reuters The ticket-validation terminals at the tram stop on Edinburgh's Princes Street are cleaned following the coronavirus outbreak. PA Locked school gates at Rockcliffe First School in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear PA A sign at a Sainsbury's supermarket informs customers that limits have been set on a small number of products as the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases grow around the world Reuters Jawad Javed delivers coronavirus protection kits that he and his wife have put together to the vulnerable people of their community of Stenhousemuir, between Glasgow and Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images A sign advertising a book titled "How Will We Survive On Earth?" Getty Images A man who appears to be homeless sleeping wearing a mask today in Victoria Jeremy Selwyn A pedestrian walks past graffiti that reads "Diseases are in the City" in Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images Staff from The Lyric Theatre, London inform patrons, as it shuts its doors PA A quiet looking George IV Bridge in Edinburgh PA A quieter than usual British Museum Getty Images A racegoer attends Cheltenham in a fashionable face mask SplashNews.com A commuter wears a face mask at London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn A empty restaurant in the Bull Ring Shopping Centre Getty Images A deserted Trafalgar Square in London PA Passengers determined to avoid the coronavirus before leaving the UK arrive at Gatwick Airport Getty Images The majority of measures in the Coronavirus (Scotland) Bill will automatically expire after six months but may be extended by the Scottish Parliament for two further periods of six months. The Bill will also make "adjustments to criminal procedure and to other aspects of the justice system", the Scottish Government said. Speaking at St Andrew's House in Edinburgh, Nicola Sturgeon said the legislation will be introduced to the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday with plans to pass it through Holyrood by Wednesday. She said: "Among a number of other things, that legislation will ensure that no-one can be evicted from their home during this crisis. "It will increase to six months in most cases the minimum period of notice a landlord must give to a tenant before eviction. "The legislation will apply to tenants in both the private sector and the social housing sector and will provide all tenants with additional security at what is an immensely difficult time. "We expect to publish the emergency legislation and introduce it to Parliament on Tuesday and Parliament will then have the opportunity to consider it on Wednesday." Constitution Secretary Michael Russell said: "While all tenants experiencing issues with rent arrears should firstly explain their circumstances to their landlords, this new emergency legislation will provide an important backstop to prevent evictions and relieve the financial pressure people may be facing. "We are also encouraging all landlords to be as flexible as possible during this unprecedented time and would urge them to also seek assistance if necessary by speaking to their lenders about mortgage breaks." Prince Harry 'regretted' having to stand down from his role in the military, and felt 'forced into it' after stepping down from royal duties, a source has claimed. The Duke of Sussex, 35, who decided to step back from the limelight with Meghan Markle, 38, and 10-month-old Archie after being subjected to intense scrutiny which brought back painful memories of Princess Diana's death, is said to have been apologetic about giving up his post as Captain General of The Royal Marines. Harry, who served for 10 years in the British army, entered into negotiations with the royal family after announcing his withdrawal as a senior royal in January, and as a result gave up his military honours. The royal reportedly revealed his regrets during his last military engagement when he appeared at the Mountbatten Festival of Music at London's Royal Albert Hall alongside Meghan this month. Prince Harry reportedly revealed his regrets during his last military engagement when he appeared at the Mountbatten Festival of Music at London's Royal Albert Hall alongside Meghan this month Speaking to The Sun, a source said: 'He told people he regretted having to stand down and pretty much said the decision had been forced on him.' 'He was being apologetic and did not appear fully at ease. 'He is a genuine guy and you could see he was upset and emotional as this was one of the last times he would be in uniform among his men and women.' Seen: Prince Harry graduating from his military helicopter pilots course on the 7th of May 2010 During his speech at the festival this month, Harry said: 'I am so proud to have served as the Royal Marines Captain and am devastated that I am having to step down. 'I feel I'm letting people down, but I had no choice.' In January Buckingham Palace announced that as part of Harry and Meghan's new arrangement, the Prince was required to step back from his 'official military appointments'. After training at Sandhurst, Harry was commissioned as an officer in the Household Cavalry's Blues and Royals in April 2006. After training at Sandhurst, Harry was commissioned as an officer in the Household Cavalry's Blues and Royals in April 2006. During his ten years in the Army, he undertook two operational tours of Afghanistan and qualified as an Apache helicopter commander During his ten years in the Army, he undertook two operational tours of Afghanistan and qualified as an Apache helicopter commander. His second tour of Helmand, in 2012, is believed to be one of the few times in his life that the Prince truly found contentment away from the restrictions and pressures of Royal life. Harry's military career ended in June 2015 but he has remained a passionate supporter of the Armed Forces and was handed a number of ceremonial military titles. Known as 'Captain Wales' by his comrades, he proudly told one fellow soldier: 'I've got the best of both worlds. I get to do all this. I can fly helicopters. I can shine a spotlight on the work I want to do.' It was the Army which offered Harry his first taste of life away from being a royal. His highest profile military title is as Captain General of the Royal Marines, a role he was handed by the Queen in December 2017, succeeding the Duke of Edinburgh. The coronavirus death toll in the UK has risen to 1,228 after claiming a further 209 lives, the Department of Health has said. It is the second largest day-on-day rise in the number of deaths reported since the outbreak began. More than 127,000 people have so far been tested for the virus, with 19,522 testing positive as of 9am on Sunday, although a lack of testing means the true figure is likely far higher. In England, a further 190 people have died after contracting Covid-19, aged between 39 and 105. Their families have been informed. All but four aged between 57 and 87 had underlying health conditions, the NHS said. The virus has taken 10 more lives in Wales and six in Northern Ireland, bringing their death tolls to 48 and 21, respectively. It took 16 days for the number of deaths in the UK to go from one to just over 200. It has taken half that time for the total to go from just over 200 to just over 1,200. Keeping the number of coronavirus deaths below 20,000 would be a good result for the UK, NHS Englands medical director said during Downing Streets daily press conference on Saturday. Warning that even this figure is only achievable if people stay in their homes, Professor Stephen Powis said: I cannot emphasise enough. You have the chance to save a life, you have the chance to stop a ventilator being used that otherwise would need to be used. With health officials racing to scale-up the UKs intensive care capacity, Professor Powis offered reassurance that there were still beds available in London, which has considerably more cases than anywhere else in the UK. The survival rate in the UK for those receiving critical care for coronavirus sits at close to 50 per cent in the UK, excluding Scotland, according to data from the Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre. Of 775 people who have been or are receiving such care across 285 different units, 79 died, 86 were discharged, and 610 remain in hospital. As the nation nears the end of its first week in lockdown, Boris Johnson who has contracted the virus, along with the health secretary and Englands chief medical officer has written to the country imploring people to stay indoors or risk lengthening the measures and driving the death toll higher. Additional reporting by PA The Baker-Polito Administration announced the creation of an online portal where individuals and companies can easily donate or sell personal protective equipment and volunteer to support the COVID-19 outbreak in Massachusetts. The administration said the goal is to ensure front line responders receive the protective equipment they need. Massachusetts has already received generous donations from countless organizations, and by launching this portal well make it easier to streamline these offers and quickly distribute supplies to those in need, Baker said. We also need more volunteers to help support our response to this unprecedented public health emergency and urge people to sign up to lend a hand. Our administration will continue making every effort to secure supplies from all possible resources to support our front-line workers during these tough times. The states COVID-19 PPE Procurement and Donation Program gives businesses and organizations the ability to offer for purchase or to donate N95/N99 masks, goggles, surgical masks, gloves and several other personal protective equipment supplies that continue to dwindle during the coronavirus outbreak. We have a constant demand and need for personal protective equipment (PPE) available to our medical, first responder and essential service communities. Over the past week, hundreds of deliveries of PPE have been made to front line health care providers, and first responders, but we need so much more, said Marylou Sudders, the states Secretary of Health and Human Services. Last week more than 28,000 masks, and 120,000 pairs of gloves were distributed, and weve placed more than $50 million in orders for additional supplies. We are also waiting on our third delivery from the Strategic National Stockpile. Baker expressed frustration over getting the equipment as the state puts in orders for millions of masks and swab kits only to see the federal government get the supplies. Sign up for free text messages about important updates on coronavirus in Massachusetts The program gives information to local manufacturers on how to adapt their businesses to produce more equipment here in Massachusetts, an effort being led by the administrations recently established Manufacturing Emergency Response Team. It comes as no surprise that both manufacturers and university R&D partners across Massachusetts have stepped up during this challenging time to support those saving lives and provide logistical expertise toward stopping the spread of this virus, said Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Mike Kennealy, Co-Chair of the Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative. This portal serves as a front door for companies that think their operations can be adapted to address manufacturing supply chain issues and produce the equipment needed by those on the front lines. The Baker-Polito Administration has also partnered with the Massachusetts Medical Society to match health and medical volunteers with our communities and health care providers based on skillsets and need. The state has an immediate need for respiratory therapists and public health nurses, Baker said. Health care professionals interested in volunteering can sign up online. Related Content: 4.3k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard In defending his administrations response to the coronavirus pandemic earlier this month, President Donald Trump brought forward an unusual comparison, implying that his predecessor had done a worse job than him during a separate viral outbreak. Speaking with Sean Hannity during an interview on Fox News on March 4, Trump claimed that the swine flu (H1N1) resulted in 17,000 deaths across the country a result that came about, Trump suggested, because former President Barack Obama didnt do anything to contain the disease. (His numbers were off there were about 13,000 deaths as a result of the swine flu.) If youre wondering how Trumps interview with Hannity is going, he's currently attacking Obama and the media over H1N1 and bragging about his poll numbers pic.twitter.com/kEr0YX0Cj9 Andrew Lawrence (@ndrew_lawrence) March 27, 2020 Trumps comments were examined by a number of different fact-checking sites, and were found to be obscenely false. The Obama administration, these sites concluded, had responded appropriately to the H1N1 pandemic. Indeed, the Presidents Council of Advisers on Science and Technology in August 2009 predicted between 30,000 and 90,000 were going to die from the disease, a range that is many times larger than the actual outcome, all things considered. Trump used the numbers to demonstrate that his administration was doing a better job than Obamas had but it was an apples-to-oranges comparison, as it was looking at Obamas record at the end of a crisis, and comparing it to Trumps at the beginning of his. In all likelihood, Trumps final tally is going to be grimmer. Dr. Anthony Fauci, a member of the presidents coronavirus task force, spoke on Sunday morning on CNNs State of the Union. When asked about what outcome the crisis could have, Fauci warned that his predictions were based on models he had observed, and that they could be different in the end. Dr. Anthony Fauci says there could potentially be between 100,000 to 200,000 deaths related to the coronavirus and millions of cases. I just dont think that we really need to make a projection when its such a moving target, that you could so easily be wrong, he adds. #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/F2MOHY3xl4 State of the Union (@CNNSotu) March 29, 2020 However, he also said the American public should be prepared for a high number of Americans getting sick, and dying, from COVID-19. Looking at what were seeing now, you know, I would say between 100,000 and 200,000 deaths will occur as a result of coronavirus, coming about from millions of cases in total across the country, Fauci explained. As of Sunday morning, there have been nearly 2,200 documented deaths in the United States as a result of coronavirus. Experts agree that the number is going to go up significantly in the coming weeks. As Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness, continues to top the streaming charts, rapper, Cardi B. is rallying fans to help free Joe Exotic the subject of the Netflix seven-part docuseries. Some, however, arent supporting Cardis latest obsession. Cardi B. is obsessed with the Tiger King documentary Cardi B. | Prince Williams/Wireimage Outspoken rapper, Cardi B., has never been shy about expressing her opinion. Now it seems as though the 27-year-old rappers latest obsession over Tiger King isnt going over too well with some fans. In a string of tweets, Cardi posted her thoughts about the streaming docuseries, almost in real-time. On March 26, Cardi said she started watching but got lost while participating in adult activities. Netflix swooped in for the rescue to help catch her up. Fans lost it over the fact that the streaming service account responded. Netflixs employees are all of us working remotely, drunk and off the rails. We stan, this fan responded. Netflix went there, another said. Many posted feelings via GIF, which made the situation that much more entertaining. In another tweet, Cardi called out Carole Baskin for being a slick b*tch. Baskin is the animal rights activist Joe Exotic allegedly planned a murder-for-hire hit against, which is detailed in Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness. Many agreed with Cardi that Baskin isnt as innocent as she claims to be. when carol gets lured into a pickup truck by a millionaire twice her age, but she ends up murdering him and repurposing his fortune to protect endangered species, this fan commented. While thats enough to entice some to tune into the bizarre world of Joe Exotic, Cardis amped up her tweets even further. The rapper wants to raise money to free Joe Exotic Bout to start a gofundme account for Joe .He shall be free. iamcardib (@iamcardib) March 28, 2020 After making her love of Tiger King known, Cardi drew a major line in the sand, dividing fans. Bout to start a gofundme account for Joe. He shall be free, she tweeted. The post currently has 4,500 retweets, 44,000 likes, and over 1,000 comments. Many of Cardis fans think her love of the documentary is one thing, but supporting the convicted felon whos currently serving 22 years in federal prison is another. girllll you still talking bout that show, this fan tweeted. Bruh even if he WAS set up for the murder for hire (big if) he still unethically bought, sold, and bred cubs purely for profit. Dont tell me you support that, another said. Girl please do not. Hes a predator, he pulls in young men with animals and drugs. Men who have been abused and are new to adulthood and makes them basically sex slaves. Hes not cool. Like the memes are great but dont be fooled. Hes a bad person, this fan added. Some are vehemently opposed to Cardis support of the Oklahoma zookeeper. Others are using the hashtag #FreeJoeExotic. What does Joe Exotic think about Cardi B.s support? At the moment, its unclear how Exotic feels about celebrity support. However, knowing from the documentary his sole goal was fame, once can deduce Exotic is excited by Cardis support. Exotic recently filed a $94 million lawsuit against multiple government agencies and his former business partners from his jail cell just before Tiger Kings release. The money, Exotic claims, is for 18 years of research, loss of personal property and the care for 200 generic tigers, as well as false arrest, false imprisonment, discrimination, malicious prosecution, selective enforcement and death of his mother, Shirley Schreibvogel, according to multiple outlets. A change.org petition launched to get President Donald Trump to pardon Exotic. There are currently 9,600 signatures and counting. Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness is available on Netflix now. A Wisconsin woman who tested positive for Covid-19 described how she went to the emergency room at least twice and suffered from several troubling symptoms. Amy Shircel, 22, revealed her diagnosis to Twitter users in a thread that has since gone viral with more than 214,000 likes. It's not clear when Shircel first began feeling symptoms, but it started sometime after she finished a trip to Europe. Pictured: Amy Shircel, 22, of Wisconsin revealed she tested positive for Covid-19 in a viral Twitter thread after traveling to Europe She said: 'The first couple of days of symptoms were manageable. I had a fever, a mild cough, chills, headache, runny nose. Since I had been to Europe, they allowed me to get tested my second day of symptoms. But as the days went on, Shircel's symptoms became worse. She had trouble eating, sleeping and would later receive her positive test results. By that point, she was experiencing shortness of breath, vomiting and an elevated, feverish temperature of 102. 'By the third day, I couldn't keep anything down. I was vomiting constantly. I couldn't sleep, I obviously couldn't eat. At this point, I still didn't have my test results back,' she wrote. Shircel said the first two days of her symptoms were 'manageable', with chills and a mild cough But symptoms soon turned more severe as she began vomiting and lost her appetite Shircel: 'test back positive. I developed shortness of breath. It's scary, it feels like your lungs are shallow and you can't take a proper breath' '4th day: test back positive. I developed shortness of breath. It's scary, it feels like your lungs are shallow and you can't take a proper breath. I was weak, had a 102 degree fever and rising.' Shircel said the coronavirus symptoms became so bad that she was 'genuinely afraid [she] would die' and had never experienced an illness like this. She recalled how by her six day of illness, she'd become so weak she was forced to crawl to the bathroom and was taken to the emergency room. Shircel (pictured) described having to crawl to the bathroom to vomit because she was so ill with the coronavirus 'By the 6th day of symptoms, I was so weak I couldn't even walk. I crawled to the bathroom to vomit. I became so dehydrated I called 911, and they took me in an ambulance to the emergency room,' she said. 'I stayed there for a day where they rehydrated me and got me some anti nausea meds,' she added. After returning home from the emergency room, Shircel unfortunately went back during a five day period. Shircel said the coronavirus symptoms became so bad that she was 'genuinely afraid [she] would die' and had never experienced an illness like this Shircel described having to crawl to the bathroom and that she became so dehydrated she went to the emergency room She described feeling exhausted and that she couldn't properly eat for nine days. '7th-11th day of symptoms: ER again. I had never been that weak or fatigued by fever in my life. I either violently shivered in bed all day, or would wake up in a literal puddle of my own sweat. I couldn't eat for 9 days. I was completely miserable,' she said. As of Saturday, Shircel entered her twelfth day of having Covid-19 and has luckily regained her appetite - despite still having 'all the major symptoms'. Schircel finished her thread by revealing that a coronavirus diagnosis is 'dehumanizing' and that young age doesn't make anyone 'invincible' from the disease. Shircel: 'I either violently shivered in bed all day, or would wake up in a literal puddle of my own sweat. I couldn't eat for 9 days. I was completely miserable' Shircel: 'A coronavirus diagnosis is dehumanizing and lonely, and I wouldn't wish it upon my worst enemy. You aren't invincible just because you're in your 20s' 'A coronavirus diagnosis is dehumanizing and lonely, and I wouldn't wish it upon my worst enemy. You aren't invincible just because you're in your 20s. Take it from me, and quarantine like your life depends on it (it might),' she said. Several people responded to the thread with well wishes, stories of their own experience testing positive for coronavirus and praise for spreading awareness. One user who claims to be a health care worker applauded Shircel for using her platform to educate about coronavirus. Twitter users applauded Shircel for using her Twitter platform to speak out about Covid-19 and its symptoms 'Thank you for this tweet. I am a health worker and it's vital for me and the people I work with that people stay home and take this seriously. I hope you get well soon,' he said. The Center for Disease Prevention and Control said that although any can become infected, those who are elderly, have respiratory problems or underlying medical conditions could face more serious complication from Covid-19. However, Shircel's thread is an example of a young adult experiencing severe symptoms. Shircel's story comes as confirmed cases in the United States reached 131,824 and 2,336 deaths as of Saturday night. In an epicenter like New York, there are an estimated 59,513 cases and at least 965 deaths. In New York City alone, there are a staggering 33,786 cases and 678 deaths. U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams previously told Americans that face masks were not an effective prevention tool, but medical professionals in Asia are now saying that N95 face masks can help curb the spread of coronavirus. As of Sunday, New York City has amassed 33,786 confirmed corornavirus cases with 678 deaths As of Sunday, 132,647 American citizens have been diagnose with Covid-19 and at least 2,355 have died 'This virus is transmitted by droplets and close contact. Droplets play a very important role you've got to wear a mask, because when you speak, there are always droplets coming out of your mouth,' George Gao, who works with the Chinese Center for Disease and Prevention, told Science Magazine. 'Many people have asymptomatic or presymptomatic infections. If they are wearing face masks, it can prevent droplets that carry the virus from escaping and infecting others,' Gao said. In Asia, masks have become commonplace during the outbreak, but Americans were advised to only don them if they were already sick. KK Cheng, a public health expert at the University of Birmingham in the UK, thinks it's common sense that wearing a mask would help protect more people from contracting coronavirus. 'Just imagine you're traveling in the New York [City] subway on a busy morning. If everyone wears a mask, I'm sure that it would reduce the transmission,' Cheng said. He continued: 'It's not to protect yourself. It's to protect people against the droplets coming out of your respiratory tract I don't want to frighten you, but when people speak and breathe and sing you don't have to sneeze or cough these droplets are coming out.' Another expert says if it's practical for doctors and nurses to wear masks to protect themselves from viruses, then why wouldn't the same logic apply for everyone else? Common Covid-19 symptoms According to the CDC, the following are listed symptoms for Covid-19: Fever Cough Difficulty breathing and shortness of breath Flu and cold symptoms They say that older adults or people with severe underlying medical conditions could be at a higher risk of developing serious complications. The symptoms may appear between two to 14 days (based on the incubation period of MERS-CoV viruses). The CDC advises seeking medical attention when symptoms include: Trouble breathing Persistent pain or pressure in the chest New confusion or inability to arouse Bluish lips or face It should be noted that the list is not all inclusive and concerned individuals should consult medical providers for other symptoms that are concerning. Advertisement 'It doesn't make sense to imagine that surgical masks are really important for health care workers but then not useful at all for the general public,' Benjamin Cowling, an epidemiologist at the University of Hong Kong, told Science Magazine. 'I think the average person, if they were taught how to wear a mask properly would have some protection against infection in the community.' Dr. Adams made a plea to the general public on Twitter: 'Seriously people- STOP BUYING MASKS! They are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus, but if healthcare providers can't get them to care for sick patients, it puts them and out community at risk.' But warnings like these are meant to prevent a shortage of masks for medical professionals. Some hospitals have run so low on supplies they're accepting home sewn masks from volunteers. In Tennessee medical staff were warning they may have to use diapers as an alternative to masks while researchers from Duke University have found a way to sanitize the N95 masks to make them reusable during the shortage. The fear over spreading infections, dwindling medical supplies and the growing number of positive diagnoses may have been what prompted President Donald Trump to consider quarantining New York. Trump announced Saturday that he may place a quarantine on New York due to its place as a coronavirus hotspot, Within hours, Cuomo blasted the proposal in strong terms. 'If you start walling off areas all across the country it would just be totally bizarre, counter-productive, anti-American, anti-social,' said Cuomo in an interview with CNN on Saturday evening. 'This is a civil war kind of discussion,' Cuomo said of the proposal. 'I don't believe that any administration could be serious about physical lockdowns of states.' Cuomo said that it would probably be illegal to quarantine New York, as well as totally ineffective, given the rise of other virus hotspots in the country such as New Orleans. President Trump (pictured) said Saturday that New York could be quarantined, but later said a travel advisory would be issued instead At least 222 people died of coronavirus on March 27 in New York City In New York City alone, there are at least 30,765 confirmed coronavirus cases and around 672 'It makes absolutely no sense and I don't think any serious governmental personality or professional would support it,' Cuomo said. Trump later backpedaled and instead ordered a travel advisory. On the recommendation of the White House CoronaVirus Task Force, and upon consultation with the Governor's of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, I have asked the [CDC] to issue a strong Travel Advisory, to be administered by the Governors, in consultation with the Federal Government,' Trump tweeted on Saturday from the White House. 'A quarantine will not be necessary. Full details will be released by CDC tonight. Thank you!' he continued. On Saturday night, confirmed cases of coronavirus hit 123,788 and deaths surpassed 2,100 nationwide, with 672 deaths in New York City alone. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued the advisory late on Saturday, saying: 'Due to extensive community transmission of COVID -19 in the area, CDC urges residents of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to refrain from non-essential domestic travel for 14 days effective immediately.' The advisory does not apply to employees of critical infrastructure industries, 'including but not limited to trucking, public health professionals, financial services, and food supply,' the CDC said. The agency said that the governors of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut will have 'full discretion' to implement the advisory. Just days after the news of Prince Charles testing positive for COVID-19 came to light, the world has witnessed the first Royal death. Princess Maria Teresa of Spain's Bourbon-Parma dynasty passed away on March 26, after getting infected with the virus. Her brother, Prince Sixtus Henry of Bourbon-Parma, announced her death to the world in a Facebook post. The Princess belonged to the House of Bourbon-Parma which is a cadet branch of the Spanish Royal family. In the Facebook post, Prince Sixtus Henry wrote, 'S.A.R. Don Sixto Enrique de Borbon communicates that this Thursday, March 26, 2020, his sister Maria Teresa de Bourbon Parma and Bourbon Busset, victim of coronavirus COVID-19, has passed away in Paris, at eighty-six years old'. She is the first Royal to die from the novel pandemic coronavirus. The number of coronavirus cases in Spain are drastically increasing, making it one of the worst-hit countries. Twitter The post further read, 'Don Sixto Enrique is very sorry and begs for prayers for his sister's eternal rest'. Princess Maria Teresa was also known as the 'Red Princess' for her outspokenness and activist work. After studying in France, she became a professor at Paris's Sorbonne and at Madrid's Complutense University. Twitter The novel pandemic coronavirus has claimed over 30,000 lives all over the world. WASHINGTON - The United States reached a grim milestone Saturday, doubling the number of coronavirus-related deaths over two days to more than 2,000 people as the rate of infected Americans surpassed every country in the world. New York remained the hardest hit, a devastating toll compounded Saturday by President Donald Trump's day-long dance over whether he'd order a federal quarantine of the New York metro region - a proposal he ultimately retracted. The president spent most of the day teasing a travel restriction on the New York metro area, confounding public officials who were blindsided by the suggestion. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, called the idea "preposterous" and equated it to imprisonment and "a declaration of war." Then, a little after 8 p.m., the president tweeted that a quarantine wouldn't be necessary after all, and instead, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would issue a "strong travel advisory" for the New York tri-state area, the details of which were not immediately available. By Saturday, more than 116,000 people in the United States were confirmed to have the virus. In the month since the first confirmed death on Feb. 29, the United States surpassed 1,000 coronavirus-related fatalities. The number of confirmed deaths has since doubled in two days to more than 2,000. Fatalities also continued to climb in Italy, where there have been more than 10,000 coronavirus deaths. About 889 people died in a 24-hour period, officials announced Saturday. The country's case count, which rose Saturday to 92,472, is second only to that of the United States. With the country now leading the world in coronavirus cases, Trump suggested earlier in the day that a mandatory quarantine on parts of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut - the nation's hit-hardest region - could be forthcoming. "Some people would like to see New York quarantined because it's a hot spot," Trump told reporters outside the White House. "I'm thinking about that right now, we might not have to do it, but there's a possibility that sometime today we'll do a quarantine, short-term, two weeks, on New York." Trump later clarified that if enacted, the quarantine would affect "the New York metropolitan area," but he did not specify exactly what parts of that tri-state region. It was unclear whether Trump was seriously considering the move or whether it was an off-the-cuff pronouncement. Acting White House chief of staff Mark Meadows told reporters, "We're evaluating all the options right now." Two White House officials said the idea was spurred by a conversation that morning with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis who had complained to Trump about people from New York pouring into the Sunshine State. Aides spent the day warning the president against it, explaining that it would be impossible to enforce and could create more complications, the officials said, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Trump first raised the idea as he headed to Norfolk, where a medical ship meant to ease the burden on New York City hospitals waited to depart. He said governors from other states had asked him to consider a domestic travel ban from the New York area. He dangled the possibility of a quarantine during two gaggles with reporters, in his speech in Norfolk and in a tweet. Cuomo, who said he spoke with the president early Saturday about medical supplies, hospital beds and additional aid for New York, called a regional lockdown "a civil war kind of discussion." "I don't think it's plausible, I don't think it's legal. It would be total mayhem, I don't have another word for it," Cuomo said during a blistering interview on CNN. "Why you would want to create total pandemonium on top of a pandemic, I have no idea." He said the move would be a slippery slope as coronavirus cases continue to rise in other states. "It wouldn't just be New York, New Jersey, Connecticut. Next week it would be Louisiana with New Orleans, then the next week after that, Detroit, Michigan and so on across the nation," he said. "I don't think the president is looking to start a lot of wars with a lot of states just about now, for a lot of reasons." New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, said he saw the president's suggestion "as I was walking into this room" to hold a news conference Saturday afternoon. Though he had spoken with the president as recently as Friday, Murphy said, "nothing like a quarantine came up." Trump did not indicate how he foresaw a regional lockdown being enforced. The president has the power under the Constitution's commerce clause to issue a quarantine by executive order to protect the public from communicable diseases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website. "We're looking at it, and we'll be making a decision," Trump said. "A lot of the states that aren't infected that don't have a big problem, they've asked me if I'd look at it so we're going to look at it. It'll be for a short period of time if we do it at all." Earlier in the week, the White House coronavirus task force implored people traveling from the New York metro area to self*-isolate for 14 days upon arriving in their new location. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Tuesday that the rate of infection in New York City is eight to 10 times higher than in other areas, "which means when they go to another place for their own safety, they've got to be careful." The next day, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, announced that travelers flying into the state from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut or New Orleans - where infections jumped to nearly 1,300 Saturday following Louisiana's highest single-day increase - would be required to self-quarantine upon arrival. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, issued a similar order and set up checkpoints at airports and along interstates with routes through the Northeast and Louisiana. Both states have said that refusing to cooperate with quarantine orders could result in jail time. At a news conference Saturday, DeSantis threw his support behind the president's possible lockdown of the New York metro area. The president had raised the idea during a phone call that morning about rapid testing for the coronavirus, he said. "Whatever works, I think we need to do," DeSantis said at a news briefing. "How is it fair for them to just be airdropping in people from the hot zones? . . . It's not fair to the people of Florida." DeSantis said a traveler from New York who had tested positive for the coronavirus was picked up after he got off a plane Friday in Jacksonville, Florida. The man had temporarily stopped showing symptoms and believed it was safe to fly, DeSantis said. Florida officials escorted him to a hospital. Florida on Saturday reported 565 new cases of covid-19, bringing the state's total to more than 3,600. According to the Florida Department of Health, about 4 percent of the state's cases involve non-Florida residents. Governors around the country have for days been begging the federal government for additional aid. In New York, the hardest-hit state in the nation with more than 52,000 confirmed cases and at least 728 deaths, Cuomo redoubled his call for more personal protective gear for medical providers and ventilators for the ill. Cuomo has said New York would likely hit its peak of cases in "14 to 21 days" and may need as many as 40,000 ventilators to treat critically sick patients. Trump has openly questioned that estimate, but on Saturday, Cuomo said he was planning for "that worst-case scenario." "I have no desire to procure more ventilators than we need," Cuomo said. The governor shared his frustration that the cost of ventilators has risen in some cases by as much as $20,000 from their normal price because of scarcity and increased demand. He has previously called for the federal government to nationalize the procurement of emergency equipment. In Kansas, where the governor on Saturday joined 22 other states in issuing a mandatory stay-home order, hospitals were running out of supplies and struggling to compete with other states and the federal government for equipment like ventilators and personal protective gear for hospital workers, including gowns and masks. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, on Thursday made a request for a federal disaster declaration, stating that "we're still not getting what we need from the federal government." It took days for the Trump administration to grant her request, which the White House announced it had done Saturday. Trump heralded the departure of the USNS Comfort on Saturday as proof that the federal government was working hard and fast to get help to states in need. The 1,000-bed medical ship is expected to arrive in New York City on Monday and begin treating patients Tuesday. The beds will be reserved for patients with conditions other than covid-19 to free up hospital beds and emergency rooms throughout the city for coronavirus patients, Trump said. "This great ship behind me is a 70,000-ton message of hope and solidarity to the incredible people of New York, a place I know very well, a place I love," he said. "You have the unwavering support of the entire nation." - - - The Washington Post's Hannah Knowles, Kim Bellware and Josh Dawsey in Washington and Shayna Jacobs in New York contributed to this report. Pakistan's top health official claimed on Sunday that the situation was under control as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country was still limited to 1,526, even as authorities stepped up efforts to contain the fast spreading deadly viral infection. Prime Minister's Adviser on Health Dr Zafar Mirza told the media at the daily press briefing that due to the effective measures by the government, the virus outbreak was under control in Pakistan. However, he said that 1,106 suspected cases were added during the last 24 hours, taking the total number of such cases to 13,324. "Only 121 cases were tested positive during the last 24 hours, and now the total confirmed cases are 1,526, he said. He said 558 cases were reported in Punjab, 481 in Sindh, 188 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 138 in Balochistan, 116 in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), 43 in Islamabad and 2 in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Mirza said that 857 out of 1,526 COVID-19 patients were the pilgrims who came from virus-hit Iran, while 191 patients came back from other countries and the rest were local transmissions. He said that so far 13 people have died, 28 recovered and 11 were in critical conditions. Two more patients died in the last 24 hours, he added. Mirza said that 8,066 people were living in quarantine centres and already 4,365 had undergone mandatory test. Out of them, 869 have been tested positive, he said. He said that out of confirmed patients, only 756 were in hospitals and the rest of them were recuperating at home. He said that out of those hospital, overwhelming 745 were stable and recovering, while 11 were critical and some on them on ventilators. As the confirmed cases remained low, experts fear that the actual infected number might be higher than those so far tested positive. I think the actual number should be higher, said Dr Att ur Rehman, a renowned Pakistan scientist. Earlier, Mirza said that there is not a single case [in Pakistan] with a travel history of China. This is remarkable if you think about it. "This could happen only because of the coordination between Pakistan and China's government and as a result of which it was decided not to let Chinese citizens travel before a 14-day period," he said in a statement. He said the decision to keep Pakistani students in Wuhan despite domestic pressure proved right. On Sunday morning, the number of coronavirus cases in Pakistan reached 1,500, even as the officials were enforcing measures to flatten the curve.. As the number rose, Prime Minister Imran Khan chaired the National Core Committee on the coronavirus and decided to reopen all highways in the country to facilitate movement of goods. Separately, Prime Minister Khan sent messages to British Prince Charles and Prime Minister Boris Jonson wishing them speedy recovery. The two were tested coronavirus positive recently. I wish HRH Prince Charles @ClarenceHouse and PM @BorisJohnson speedy recovery, good health and long life. This deadly virus #COVID19 has hit people beyond borders, he said. Khan also said that we need an internationally coordinated response to counter it. Radio Pakistan reported that another special plane of China carrying medical supplies arrived in Islamabad this morning. National Disaster Management Authority Chairman Lt Ge Muhammad Afzal received the supplies from Ambassador of China to Pakistan at the airport. On Saturday, a special plane from China carrying a team of eight medical experts and relief assistance landed here to help Pakistan to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus. A special flight bringing stranded Pakistani from Bangkok was allowed to land in Islamabad. All passengers were taken to an isolation center where they will be tested. Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar said that the provincial government has increased the pace of testing to identify more coronavirus patients. "So far 13,380 people have been tested for #COVID19 in Punjab," he tweeted. The Pakistan government also decided to keep its western borders with Iran and Afghanistan and eastern border with India closed for two more weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Security Moeed Yusuf on Saturday said the move was taken in the wake of increasing COVID-19 cases in the country. He also announced that all flights will remain suspended in the country till April 4. However, there will be exceptions if a country makes a special request to repatriate its citizens. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former vice president Atiku Abubakar has recommended that the coronavirus currently ravaging nations can be defeated by four ways. Speaking via his official Twitter handle on Sunday, he highlighted the ways as follows: Being open about coronavirus status, Sensitization, Isolation, and Testing. Read Also: Pastor Demands $100k As Transport Fare To Hell To Kill Coronavirus He made the comment as Nigerias confirmed cases rises up to 97. See what he tweeted below: Atiku said: We can beat this pandemic by being open about it, educating our people, isolation, and testing. It is not a death sentence, we will all be fine. President Trump backed away from calling for a quarantine for coronavirus hotspots in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, instead directing Saturday night that a strong Travel Advisory be issued to stem the spread of the outbreak. After consulting with the White House task force leading the federal response and the governors of the three affected states, Trump said: I have asked the @CDCgov to issue a strong Travel Advisory, to be administered by the Governors, in consultation with the Federal Government. A quarantine will not be necessary. Trump said Saturday that he may order an enforceable quarantine for New York City and surrounding areas in New Jersey and Connecticut prompting surprise and shock from New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Cuomo likened such a quarantine to a federal declaration of war on the city and state. NEW YORK Nurses plead for protective gear Nurses battling New Yorks coronavirus outbreak made anguished pleas Saturday for more protective equipment, saying officials claims of adequate supplies are falling short of reality. At a news conference outside Jacobi Hospital, nurses called for more masks and other gear to safeguard themselves against the virus that has so far sickened more than 44,000 people and killed over 500 in New York state, mostly in the city. At least one health care worker, Mount Sinai West assistant nursing manager Kious Kelly, 36, has died of the virus. RHODE ISLAND State announces its first deaths Rhode Island announced its first two deaths from the coronavirus on the same day that the state National Guard was expected to go door to door in coastal communities to find visitors from New York. There are now only three states with zero reported deaths: Hawaii, West Virginia and Wyoming. The Guard was said to be asking people if they are visiting from New York and telling them about the mandatory 14-day quarantine. IDAHO Ski haven latest hot spot for epidemic A scenic Idaho county known as a ski-vacation haven for celebrities and the wealthy has a new, more dubious distinction: It has one of the highest per-capita rates of confirmed coronavirus infections in America. Numbers from Johns Hopkins University show that with more than 80 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, Blaine County has the highest rate of cases outside New York City. The county includes tony Sun Valley Resort and draws skiers from around the world. During ski season, roughly 30,000 people land at the county airport. The ski resort town of Park City, Utah, has also had high per-capita infection rates. KANSAS Governor issues stay-at-home order Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly has issued a statewide order for people to stay at home as part the effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Kelly issued the order for the states roughly 2.9 million residents after local officials in Kansas most populous counties issued their own versions within the past week. More than 2.1 million residents were already under or facing stay-at-home orders .. Kansas is one of nearly two dozen states to issue stay-at-home orders. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Mayor declares state of emergency The District of Columbia has announced 37 new infections from the COVID-19 coronavirus, bringing the total up to 304, including four deaths. Mayor Muriel Bowser has declared a state of emergency, shuttered all schools and ordered all non-essential businesses to close. Police have blocked off dozens of streets to prevent crowds coming to see Washingtons signature blooming cherry blossom trees. Chronicle News Services Former Married At First Sight star Cyrell Paule and ex-Love Islander Eden Dally welcomed their first child, Boston Eden, last month. And on Sunday, the reality couple shared an adorable video of the newborn baby wearing a Michael Jordan jersey to Instagram. In the clip, Cyrell held the baby in her arms while Eden moved Boston's hand so it looked like he was waving to the camera. Sweet: Former Married At First Sight star Cyrell Paule and ex-Love Islander Eden Dally shared an adorable video of their newborn baby son Boston (pictured) wearing a Michael Jordan jersey to Instagram on Sunday Eden originally posted the video to his story and Cyrell reposted it to hers. He also tagged the baby's official Instagram account, which has amassed more than 8,000 followers since it was started earlier this month. Last week, Cyrell came home to find her Love Island Australia beau cuddling their little bundle of joy. Adorable: Cyrell and Eden welcomed their first child into the world last month Sharing a picture to Instagram, the 30-year-old captioned it: 'Coming home and finding my two boys like this. Couldn't be prouder.' In the photo, Eden is fast asleep in a dim room with his precious son pressed against his chest. Instead of hitting the coolest clubs on the weekend like he used to do, it's clear the doting dad is now content to stay at home and cuddle with his son. Sweet: Last week, Cyrell came home to find her Love Island Australia beau Eden Daly (pictured) cuddling their little bundle of joy The 27-year-old recently shared a photo to Instagram in which he's playing with his bub at home on the weekend. Cyrell and Eden welcomed their first child together on February 9. More than two weeks later, the couple revealed their baby son's name: Boston Eden. The newborn was also given Eden's name as his middle name because it's a family tradition. Place a problem such as a physical distancing due to a worldwide pandemic in front of knitters and quilt-makers, and then watch them craft a way around it. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 29/3/2020 (654 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Place a problem such as a physical distancing due to a worldwide pandemic in front of knitters and quilt-makers, and then watch them craft a way around it. As the possibilities of face-to-face meetings have swiftly unravelled over the past weeks, these creative folks have picked up other ways to connect over their shared passions. LAURA LOEWEN PHOTO Quilters and knitters are staying connected online and through social media, with Colorado quilt-maker Laura Loewen even putting out a call for small blocks inspired by COVID-19 petri dishes for a social-distancing quilt group project. "We have regular knit groups that meet regularly in the store so we have online threads (catching up) on how were doing," explains Odessa Reichel, co-owner of Wolseley Wool yarn shop of how knitters are communicating over social media. With more than a hundred knitters meeting in their Westminster Avenue store weekly, Reichel and her business partner Mona Zaharia scrambled to find another way to keep in touch. As well as congregating on the stores Facebook page and Instagram feed, the stores staff are calling members of their weekly groups and encouraging them to check in on each other. "Our community is so supported and so connected," says Zaharia of the strong bonds between knitters. "Were used to seeing them every week so were checking in with them." Reichel and Zaharia changed their retail business to accommodate telephone and online orders, offering sidewalk pick-up of skeins of yarns or no-contact delivery. Instead of teaching people to knit in person, they have compiled learn-to-knit kits stocked with yarn, needles, easy patterns and some links to online tutorials, perfect for a beginning knitter of any age. 'It feels like you want to scream some days, you want to cry some days or just want to stare out of the window incredulously It's about the act of sewing and just letting the world slip away for awhile' Cheryl Arkison "That was a response to kids being at home," Zaharia says about the new kits. Across town at Design Wall, the proprietor of Winnipegs newest quilt shop has gone old school by changing her display windows every weekend and inviting quilters to drive by on Sundays and Mondays to check out new products, kits and designs. "Its a safe, non-contact outing, sort of like the old Eatons window idea," says Simone Clayton, referring to the displays in the now-defunct national department store chain. MILA ARKISON PHOTO Quilt-maker and teacher Cheryl Arkison of Calgary with the exclamation mark blocks she created as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. With her West Winnipeg shop closed to in-person shopping, Clayton serves customers through her website and by telephone, as quilt-makers rally to support her business and ensure they are stocked up with supplies for the duration. "Im off the hook with the phone," she says about the increased telephone calls. Knitters, quilt-makers and other crafters keep joking online that they are perfectly equipped with the skills and more than enough supplies to keep them occupied in long periods of physical distancing or isolation. Several memes pop up repeatedly on social media: "Staying in: We can handle it. Its what sewists train for on a regular basis." Or: "I cant. Im sew-cial distancing." And: "No need to worry about self isolation. This is what weve been training for." Along with the memes, some quilt-makers are posting tutorials or organizing group quilting efforts as a way to pass the time together, buoy up spirits and build community. Recently quilt-maker and teacher Cheryl Arkison of Calgary posted a six-minute video tutorial on Instagram and her website on how to sew an exclamation mark patchwork block in four quick seams, using it as an opportunity to comment on the current world situation and a way for a quilt-maker to learn a new skill in five minutes. "It feels like you want to scream some days, you want to cry some days or just want to stare out of the window incredulously," she said about how the exclamation mark can punctuate every thought during the pandemic. "Its about the act of sewing and just letting the world slip away for awhile." Over the course of a week, Arkison, 44, has sewn dozens of blocks featuring blue exclamation marks on a light background, employing her sewing skills to express the mix of emotions brought on by uncertainty and constant change. "This is very much about the process, not the product," explains the quilt book author and teacher about her project which will eventually result in a bed quilt. Colorado quilt-maker Laura Loewen decided to face the COVID-19 pandemic straight on with a group quilt project, issuing an invitation for quilters through Instagram to contribute a small block to her social-distancing quilt. She hatched the idea after her quilt guilds meetings were cancelled and decided that a group quilt could still be possible while quilters stay at home. Inspired by petri dishes shown repeatedly in the news to represent the novel coronavirus, Loewen is asking for six-inch (15 cm) white blocks featuring a four inch (10 cm) circle, embellished with embroidery, patchwork, beading or other creative touches. She posted more details about the project on at www.lauraloewen.com. "Its going to be something we remember whether we want to or not," says the Illinois-born Loewen of the pandemic. At the time of the interview, Loewen was on Day 12 of isolation with her two young children, and her community located in Boulder Country, Colo., was under a stay-at-home order. Two weeks into the project, which launched on Friday, March 13, Loewen has received about a dozen quilt blocks in the mail, which she carefully quarantines for several days before opening the envelopes. She plans to make a small quilt in time for the annual quilt show sponsored by the Modern Quilt Guild, scheduled to take place in Altanta next February. "I thought it would show how the quilting community gets together in a crisis," says Loewen, 37, a professional photographer who has been making quilts since she was a teenager. Quilt-makers often rush to offer the comfort of a handmade quilt during emergencies, says Arkison, who co-ordinated an online patchwork block drive called Just One Slab in the summer of 2013 after more than 100,000 Albertans were displaced due to flooding due to heavy rains. Initially hoping for enough blocks to make 10 quilts, she was overwhelmed with 10 times that amount, enlisting friends and fellow quilt-makers to finish more than a hundred quilts that were distributed to people affected by the floods. "Were one of the first to jump forward to help," she says of the generosity of quilt-makers. "The Just One Slab project allowed quilters to contribute to a major disaster." This time the mother of three feels more overwhelmed by the wide reach of the pandemic crisis and designed her exclamation point block for people to develop in their own way. Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "With the floods, we were told to stay at home and be out of the way of the emergency workers, but that didnt mean staying away from the neighbours and the playground," she explains. "The sense of community is still there and were checking in on each other." Zaharia says people pick up knitting needles at first because they like the tactile nature of touching yarn and seeing socks and sweaters grow under their fingers. But most of them keep knitting because of the strong bonds theyve created with others doing the same thing. "People are very connected through craft," she says. "Its different than other hobbies." brenda@suderman.com Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with major non-governmental organisations (NGOs) as well as the heads of Indian missions on Monday evening to get their feedback on the Covid-19 measures and shore up the confidence of those at the front-lines of the battle against the disease. The heads of missions will include those in countries most affected by the crisis including the US, Spain and Italy to get a better understanding of how to respond to the pandemic, officials familiar with the matter said. PM Modi is observing a Navratri fast during the auspicious period that ends on April 2 while working from home at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg during the 21-day lockdown. Senior officials in the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) told HT that strict protocols have been placed to ensure the health and safety of the PM, with visitors screened for temperature and other health checks, and travel history, before meeting him. There has been no deliberate curtailing of visitors apart from strictly observing social distancing, and there are no restrictions on the PM handling files or notes, said an official who asked not to be named. Cabinet meetings and other important discussions have been taking place at his LKM office as usual. In the past 10 days, Modi has spoken to state chief ministers through video-conferencing, and specifically to the CMs of Maharashtra, West Bengal and Delhi over the spread of the coronavirus disease and related issues such as the migrant movement, which he has been deeply concerned about, officials said. They added that Modi and Kejriwal spoke in detail about the migrant exodus, and how it could fail the entire purpose of the lockdown if left unchecked. During the lockdown, Modi also talked to business leaders across the spectrum with the objective of picking up ideas and inputs from. The PM-CARES Fund, launched on Saturday, was a result of such brainstorming discussions. On the foreign affairs front, Modi has had conversations with all the P5 leaders (the UN Security Councils five permanent members - China, France, Russia, UK and US), while engaging with the G20 community and the Saarc countries to contain the spread of the disease by pooling in efforts. He is also closely monitoring empowered committees on Covid-19 headed by principal secretary PK Mishra and cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba through video conference. While the fight against Covid-19 takes up the majority of time, officials said that the PM is routinely briefed by external affairs minister S Jaishankar, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and R&AW chief Samant Goel on the diplomatic and national security issues, such as the attack on Kabul gurdwara. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The United Kingdoms ambassador to Spain and Portugal, Hugh Elliott. Bernardo Perez (EL PAIS) Spain is in its second week of lockdown in a bid to combat the spread of the coronavirus, and Que? podcast hosts Simon Hunter and Melissa Kitson are still confined to their homes in Madrid. As with last weeks episode, we have once again opted for a series of interviews. First up, we spoke to Hugh Elliott, the United Kingdoms ambassador to Spain and Andorra, to find out what challenges are facing him and his team during this ongoing health emergency. We also got in touch with Chris Dottie, Spain manager at recruitment firm Hays, and also the president of the British Chamber of Commerce in Spain. And finally, for the first time on the podcast, we checked in with a listener from Spains Balearic Islands: Martin Makepeace, a businessman based in Ibiza, who is also the president of the British Association of San Antonio. Que? is a podcast that tries to explain to an English-speaking audience the curious, the under-reported and sometimes simply bizarre news stories that are often in the headlines in Spain. If you have any comments or questions about the topics we discuss, or would like to suggest issues for future podcasts, tweet Simon Hunter at @simoninmadrid using the hashtag #quepodcast or send him a direct message. And if you want more information about all the podcasts available from EL PAIS, visit this website. Listen on your cellphone You can subscribe through this RSS Feed or via your favorite podcast app, such as Google Podcasts or Apple Podcasts. You can also request it via Alexa, Siri or your Google Assistant. Well be back next week with a brand new host of issues.. Director General of Jammu and Kashmir police Dilbag Singh said 337 FIRs have been registered and 627 persons arrested for violating prohibitory orders in the Union Territory amid the coronavirus outbreak. He said 118 shops and 490 vehicles were seized for defying the government orders. The Jammu and Kashmir administration has ordered a shutdown of all establishments, except those providing essential services and commodities, on March 22 to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The disease has so far claimed two lives in the Union Territory. A total of 337 FIRs were lodged against the violators (of the lockdown) in which 627 persons have been arrested (till Saturday evening). Most of the arrested were later released after sensitising them about the threat, the police chief said in a statement. A total of 118 shops and 490 vehicles have been seized for defying the government orders, it said. Reiterating his appeal to the people to follow the health protocol, the DGP said, The fight against COVID-19 is not restricted to one organisation or community. It is time to fight against this deadly disease together. He said the cooperation provided by people in such times is "highly encouraging", adding the outreach programmes conducted by the police at the grassroot level helped in controlling social and religious gatherings. Singh also urged the people to come forward in disclosing their travel history or if they are in contact with any such persons who have been tested positive for the infection. There is no harm in disclosing travel details rather it is for the safety and security of the individuals, their families, relatives and for the community, he said. Referring to the tremendous response of the people to the call of the government to stay away from religious gathering, especially on Friday, the top cop said the people of J&K understood the need of staying at home and offering prayers from there. Most people are cooperating in fighting this threat and have preferred to remain indoors. The people should not be afraid, it is the time to be cautious," Singh said, adding quarantine centres are ready in every district. "The individuals need to come forward and contribute in breaking the (transmission) chain. The number of positive cases are increasing with each passing day, but can be reduced if we fight it together, he said. The DGP said the police is providing all possible assistance to the civil administration, particularly the health department, in managing the quarantine centres. All those coming from outside Jammu and Kashmir are being quarantined," he said. The senior police official said more than 1,200 people with travel history have been traced with the cooperation of the general public. For the police personnel, he said, training centres at different locations have been activated as quarantine centres. "Police hospitals at Srinagar and Jammu have launched helpline numbers. All officers and security agencies have been strictly instructed to follow the health protocol and prepare quarantine centres at unit levels," he said. Singh added that the police is also providing ration to the migrant labourers who have been rendered jobless due to the lockdown. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi, March 29 : Former Indian batsman and Lok Sabha MP Gautam Gambhir said that he has released Rs one crore out of his MP Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) towards the relief efforts amid the coronavirus pandemic. "It is time that all resources of the country be directed towards fighting COVID-19. Have released INR 1 Crore from my MP LAD fund towards relief efforts. Have also donated one month's salary towards the Central Relief Fund. United we stand!!" said Gambhir. Earlier, Gambhir had said in a statement that his foundation was distributing food packets to poor people in his constituency. The statement also said that during the lockdown, 2,000 packets of food were being prepared and distributed by the foundation, and that efforts were being made so that no one should have to worry about food at this time. Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju also said that he has donated Rs one crore from his MPLAD fund. Taking to Twitter, Rijiju wrote: "I am depositing the amount now. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a call to all BJP MPs to give Rs 1 crore from their MPLADS Fund to the National Relief Fund in fight against coronavirus." Currently, 819 active COVID-19 cases have been reported across the country and the pandemic has claimed 19 lives. Globally, the pandemic has taken around 30,000 lives. Chinas aggressive measures have slowed the coronavirus. They may not work in other countries by Kai Kupferschmidt, Jon Cohen March 29,2020 | Source: Science Chinese hospitals overflowing with COVID-19 patients a few weeks ago now have empty beds. Trials of experimental drugs are having difficulty enrolling enough eligible patients. And the number of new cases reported each day has plummeted the past few weeks. These are some of the startling observations in a report released on 28 February from a mission organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Chinese government that allowed 13 foreigners to join 12 Chinese scientists on a tour of five cities in China to study the state of the COVID-19 epidemic and the effectiveness of the countrys response. The findings surprised several of the visiting scientists. I thought there was no way those numbers could be real, says epidemiologist Tim Eckmanns of the Robert Koch Institute, who was part of the mission. But the report is unequivocal. Chinas bold approach to contain the rapid spread of this new respiratory pathogen has changed the course of a rapidly escalating and deadly epidemic, it says. This decline in COVID-19 cases across China is real. The question now is whether the world can take lessons from Chinas apparent successand whether the massive lockdowns and electronic surveillance measures imposed by an authoritarian government would work in other countries. When you spend 20, 30 years in this business its like, Seriously, youre going to try and change that with those tactics? says Bruce Aylward, a Canadian WHO epidemiologist who led the international team and briefed journalists about its findings in Beijing and Geneva last week. Hundreds of thousands of people in China did not get COVID-19 because of this aggressive response. This report poses difficult questions for all countries currently considering their response to COVID-19, says Steven Riley, an epidemiologist at Imperial College London. The joint mission was highly productive and gave a unique insight into Chinas efforts to stem the virus from spread within mainland China and globally, adds Lawrence Gostin, a global health law scholar at Georgetown University. But Gostin warns against applying the model elsewhere. I think there are very good reasons for countries to hesitate using these kinds of extreme measures. Theres also uncertainty about what the virus, dubbed SARS-CoV-2, will do in China after the country inevitably lifts some of its strictest control measures and restarts its economy. COVID-19 cases may well increase again. The report comes at a critical time in what many epidemiologists now consider a pandemic. Just this past week, the number of affected countries shot up from 29 to 61. Several countries have discovered that they already have community spread of the virusas opposed to cases only in travelers from affected areas or people who were in direct contact with themand the numbers of reported cases are growing exponentially. The opposite has happened in China. On 10 February, when the advance team of the WHO-China Joint Mission began its work, China reported 2478 new cases. Two weeks later, when the foreign experts packed their bags, that number had dropped to 409 cases. (Yesterday, China reported only 206 new cases, and the rest of the world combined had almost nine times that number.) The epidemic in China appears to have peaked in late January, according to the report. The team began in Beijing and then split into two groups that, all told, traveled to Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Chengdu, and the hardest hit city, Wuhan. They visited hospitals, laboratories, companies, wet markets selling live animals, train stations, and local government offices. Everywhere you went, anyone you spoke to, there was a sense of responsibility and collective action, and theres war footing to get things done, Aylward says. The group also reviewed the massive data set that Chinese scientists have compiled. (The country still accounts for more than 90% of the global total of the 90,000 confirmed cases.) They learned that about 80% of infected people had mild to moderate disease, 13.8% had severe symptoms, and 6.1% had life-threatening episodes of respiratory failure, septic shock, or organ failure. The case fatality rate was highest for people over age 80 (21.9%), and people who had heart disease, diabetes, or hypertension. Fever and dry cough were the most common symptoms. Surprisingly, only 4.8% of infected people had runny noses. Children made up a mere 2.4% of the cases, and almost none was severely ill. For the mild and moderate cases, it took 2 weeks on average to recover. A critical unknown is how many mild or asymptomatic cases occur. If large numbers of infections are below the radar, that complicates attempts to isolate infectious people and slow spread of the virus. But on the positive side, if the virus causes few, if any, symptoms in many infected people, the current estimated case fatality rate is too high. (The report says that rate varies greatly, from 5.8% in Wuhan, whose health system was overwhelmed, to 0.7% in other regions.) To get at this question, the report notes that so-called fever clinics in Guangdong province screened approximately 320,000 people for COVID-19 and only found 0.14% of them to be positive. That was really interesting, because we were hoping and maybe expecting to see a large burden of mild and asymptomatic cases, says Caitlin Rivers, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. That piece of data suggests thats not happening, which would imply that the case fatality risk might be more or less as we currently have. But Guangdong province was not a heavily affected area, so it is not clear whether the same holds in Hubei province, which was the hardest hit, Rivers cautions. Much of the report focuses on understanding how China achieved what many public health experts thought was impossible: containing the spread of a widely circulating respiratory virus. China has rolled out perhaps the most ambitious, agile, and aggressive disease containment effort in history, the report notes. The most dramaticand controversialmeasure was the lockdown of Wuhan and nearby cities in Hubei province, which has put at least 50 million people under a mandatory quarantine since 23 January. That has effectively prevented further exportation of infected individuals to the rest of the country, the report concludes. In other regions of mainland China, people voluntarily quarantined and were monitored by appointed leaders in neighborhoods. Chinese authorities also built two dedicated hospitals in Wuhan in just over 1 week. Health care workers from all over China were sent to the outbreaks center. The government launched an unprecedented effort to trace contacts of confirmed cases. In Wuhan alone, more than 1800 teams of five or more people traced tens of thousands of contacts. Aggressive social distancing measures implemented in the entire country included canceling sporting events and shuttering theaters. Schools extended breaks that began in mid-January for the Lunar New Year. Many businesses closed shop. Anyone who went outdoors had to wear a mask. How feasible these kinds of stringent measures are in other countries is debatable. China is unique in that it has a political system that can gain public compliance with extreme measures, Gostin says. But its use of social control and intrusive surveillance are not a good model for other countries. The country also has an extraordinary ability to do labor-intensive, large-scale projects quickly, says Jeremy Konyndyk, a senior policy fellow at the Center for Global Development: No one else in the world really can do what China just did. 2020 American Association for the Advancement of Science. All rights Reserved. Theme(s): Others. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 20:53:11|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TRIPOLI, March 29 (Xinhua) -- The UN-backed government of Libya on Sunday issued a decision to ban movement between cities in order to fight the COVID-19. Starting from March 29, the decision also extends the previously imposed curfew, which was from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., to start from 2 p.m. to 7 a.m. of the following day. The UN-backed government also restricted daily working hours in all agencies in the country starting from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Libya's National Center for Disease Control of the UN-backed government on Saturday announced two new COVID-19 cases. On March 24, Libya announced the first COVID-19 case in the country, a 73-year-old man who returned from Saudi Arabia. The UN-backed Prime Minister Fayez Serraj recently declared a state of emergency and mobilization against the virus, as well as measures that include closing airports, border crossings, education institutions and mosques, banning large gatherings, and imposing a curfew. Coronavirus India: Television actor Arjun Bijlani, who is currently seen in Zee5's web series State of Siege 26/11, has pledged to donate Rs 5 lakhs each for PM Modi's CARES fund and CMO's fund. After Bollywood actors like Akshay Kumar and Varun Dhawan, Television actor Arjun Bijlani has pledged to donate Rs 5 lakhs each for Prime Minister Narendra Modis CARES fund and CMOs fund. The actor shared on Twitter that everyone needs each other in this time. He has pledged to donate Rs 5 lakhs each for Prime Minister Narendra Modis CARES fund and CMOs fund. Quoting the lyrics, Zindagi Ek Safar Hai Suhana, Arjun said it is a drop in the ocean but it does matter and everyone should do their bit. Earlier, Akshay Kumar had pledged to donate Rs 25 crores to PM Modis PM-CARES fund. He said that the lives of the people are all what matters. Jaan hai to jahaan hai so we need to do everything it takes to save lives. Akshay Kumars pledge to donate money to PM CARES fund was followed by Varun Dhawan, who pledged to contribute Rs 30 lakhs. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also appreciated their efforts in a tweet. The total number of novel coronavirus-COVID-19 confirmed cases in India has crossed 1000. As per Ministry of Health and Family Welfares latest update, the total figure includes 931 Indians, 48 foreign nationals, 87 cured/discharged and 25 deaths. Maharashtra continues to be the worst affected state with 183 COVID-19 positive Indians, 3 foreign nationals, 25 cured and 6 deaths. Also Read: Kahaan Hum Kahaan Tum star Karan V Grover chops long hair over shampoo shortage, watch Also Read: Bigg Boss 13: Paras Chhabra, Mahira Sharma to star in a Punjabi film? Coming back to Arjun Bijlani, the actor was recently seen in Zee5s web series State of Siege 26/11, in which he essayed the role of Major Nikhil Manikrishnan. Also Read: Yeh Rishtey Hain Pyaar Ke star Shaheer Sheikh to appear in a Yash Raj film? For all the latest Entertainment News, download NewsX App The plight of many Indians stuck in the UK, unable to return home, is reflected in similar narratives from India, where Britons are facing problems in hotels and hospitals in Goa, Kerala, Punjab and other states. A petition calling on the Boris Johnson government to arrange repatriation flights to India quickly attracted nearly 30,000 signatures, as the issue is widely reported by British news media. The stranded Britons allege they have been abandoned with no help whatsoever from the UK government. Those stranded in India due to the curbs triggered by the coronavirus pandemic include many British citizens of Indian origin, who were visiting family or were on holiday. Councillor Brian Sangha from Kent is among many reportedly stuck in Punjab. The Foreign Office says it is working around the clock to support the Britons and help them return home, but recognised many found it difficult to return due to unprecedented international travel and domestic restrictions. Gravesham MP Adam Holloway said in a statement to his affected constituents in Kent: We do appreciate that this is a time of great anxiety for those individuals and for those who have relatives stuck in India - particularly the elderly. I know of a 91-year-old resident who is stuck. Scenes of panic buying overnight and descriptions of the lockdown in India have been well documented by British news outlets. I do hope that those affected remain in good health, although I do note your point about medication which many of them require. With the ban on domestic travel in India too, it will undoubtedly be extremely challenging for international governments to negotiate with the Indian government although the UK government has indicated that they are actively doing so, he added Some Britons in Goa told British news outlets that they had been subjected to hostility from the local people and found it difficult to find hotels to stay and get medicines. Others reportedly confined in a Kerala hospital described difficult conditions. Jan Thompson, acting British high commissioner to India, tweeted on Friday: India has extended the ban on international flights until 14 April. The UK government is in discussions with airlines & Government of India on various flight options. We are urgently working towards a solution. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON After a doctor, in a social media post, raised the alarm about the non-availability of PPE kits and N-95 masks for those working in Covid-19 screening OPDs at Sector-32 Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH-32), two GMCH alumni heeded the call and scrambled to help. Within 24 hours, the two doctors, one from Harvard Medical School and the other from Singapore Eye Research Centre, raised more than 2.70 lakh to procure the PPE kits. The first lot of 200 PPEs and 250 N-95 masks are to reach the hospital by Wednesday. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kit refers to specific outfits or tools worn by workers for protection against various infectious elements. On March 27, a senior resident, anaesthesia, at GMCH-32 wrote that he was posted at the Covid-19 screening OPD where no proper PPE kits were available. He said that authorities were informed on March 23, but theres no solution to this and while the OPD is running 247, there is no duty room or a changing room for health workers. Requesting people to mobilise money to arrange proper safety equipment for health workers, the doctor wrote doctors will continue to serve patients with or without proper support from government. The post was shared by more than 500 people. When Dr Rohan Bir Singh Dhaliwal, an alumnus of GMCH-2009 batch came across the post, he and Sahil Thakur, another 2009 batch student of GMCH decided to do the needful. Dhaliwal is an ocular immunology fellow at Bostons Harvard Medical School and Thakur is an ocular epidemiology fellow at Singapore Eye Research Centre. I chanced upon a Facebook post on March 27 morning wherein a senior resident attending probable COVID-19 patients in GMCH-32 had raised concern about non-availibilty of PPEs due to broken supply chains, Dhaliwal said. That is when Dhaliwal and Thakur started a fundraiser. They made an account on GoFundMe and Ketto.org donation website and within 24 hours, they had collected 2.75 lakh. We took the help of friends who are distributors of medical gear. In the first lot, we will provide 200 PPEs (100 PPE routine and 100 PPE full body suit) and 250 N-95 masks. It will reach the hospital by Wednesday, Dhaliwal said. Many of those who have donated for the cause are alumni from GMCH-32 and we are hoping to meet the target of 1000 PPEs. Dr Ravi Gupta, medical superintendent at GMCH-32, said: We have written to the Centre and placed an order for 5,000 PPE kits. Government officials are saying that they too are over-pressed and when a manufacturer contacted, he said that the labour has gone home. I really appreciate the doctors from abroad who are helping us by providing PPE kits and N-95 masks. We are facing an extreme shortage and more people need to come forward and help, Gupta said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON via Reuters At least six people were injured after a tornado ripped through downtown Jonesboro, Arkansas on Saturday, ripping entire walls off buildings, flattening homes, and leaving cars overturned. There was no immediate word on fatalities, but videos showed major damage to the area, with only piles of debris apparently left of some buildings. Jonesboro Mayor Harold Perrin issued a 7 p.m. curfew for the entire city as authorities began assessing the damage and conducting search-and-rescue missions throughout the area. Police Chief Rick Elliott urged residents to remain indoors to avoid hazards while authorities clean up all the debris. Weve already asked you to stay at home for this virus but we're really stressing to stay at home, he was quoted saying by CNN. Footage from the scene shared by local media outlets showed that the tornado had obliterated buildings and mangled vehicles; it was reportedly so powerful that it sent debris flying more than 4 miles high. Multiple grocery stores, restaurants, and a Best Buy were reportedly hit by the twister. A National Weather Service spokesman told The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that he detected quite a bit of destruction from the tornado on social media in both Jonesboro and Paragould. This is a very life threatening situation right now, Paul Dellegatto, Fox 13s meteorologist, said in a live stream as the violent tornado was seen on video roaring through the area. Get in your tornado safe spot immediately. This is businesses, this is homes. This is a major tornado. Look at the size of that debris being wafted. This is as dire of a situation that we could have, another meteorologist said. The tornado destroyed numerous houses and also reportedly derailed a train. It also struck Jonesboro Municipal Airport, according to the Democrat-Gazette. Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR), who represents the first congressional district that includes the affected areas, said on Twitter that his family members and staff are safe. The video and pictures are devastating, he added. Reports of some trapped in buildings along the path. Please pray for those assisting and aiding those who have been hurt. Our hospitals are responding too. Story continues Read more at The Daily Beast. Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. A Masai giraffe gave birth to her first male calf that measures 6 feet tall and weighs in at 125.5 pounds at the Santa Barabara Zoo on March 27 according to a recently published article. Masai giraffes are listed as one of the endangered species in the world because of their declining number in recent decades. It is no wonder why people at the Santa Barbara Zoo were very happy after a Masai giraffe gave birth on Mar. 27. In the official Twitter account of the Santa Barbara Zoo, they wrote "BABY ALERT! We've got a giraffe calf! Adia gave birth at 12:26 PM this afternoon in the Zoo's giraffe barn. Vet staff report mom and baby appear to be healthy and doing well! Do you think it's a boy or a girl? Stay tuned for more details on our newest arrival!" In another article, it was confirmed that the five-year-old Masai giraffe named Adia gave birth at around 12:26 pm. The calf was named "Twiga" which means giraffe in Swahili. Dr. Julie Barnes, vice president of animal care and health at the zoo, said: "It's always a joy to see a new life begin, but we think it's especially meaningful right now as a beacon of hope and good news during these challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic." He also added, "Masai giraffes are listed as endangered due to the significant decline of this species in the wild in recent decades. The population under human care here in the U.S. is relatively small, and the Species Survival Plan manages the population to ensure that genetic diversity is maintained so that the population thrives, and each giraffe born at the Zoo is very important to this population and conservation of this species." The birth of the Masai giraffe is so special in many ways. Twiga is very emblematic for the zoo because it just shows that the life cycle must go on amid the COVID-19 pandemic. On the other hand, it is also a reminder that amid the global health pandemic this is the best time to propagate animals who are listed as endangered species. Moreover, it was found out that Twiga is the eight calf for father Michael. The zoo said that Michael is the most genetically important male Masai giraffe in North America. He is also one of the five giraffes now in the zoo. Meanwhile, the low number of Masai giraffes at the zoo clearly manifests that they are indeed part of the endangered species. To address their declining number, another giraffe is supposed to be brought to the Sacramento Zoo as part of the AZA breeding program. However, the travel was rescheduled because of the current weather condition and the COVID-19. Even though it is not yet proven that there is a possibility of human to the animal transmission of the virus, it seems that the zoo wants to protect their animals since it was recently reported that are still lots of things that are yet to be discovered about the deadly and infectious virus. Masai giraffe is sometimes called as Kilimanjaro giraffe. They are natives from East Africa and they were once the largest subspecies of giraffe. At present, there are still a few of them that can be seen in Kenya and Tanzania. However, the International Union for Conservation of Nature announced in July 2019 that Masai giraffes are listed as endangered species. There are two reasons why their number declined in the previous decade and these are poaching and the changes in land use. Meantime, Santa Barbara zoo is temporarily closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But you can be updated about the newly born Masai giraffes and other animals by visiting its official social media page. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal Arnold Vigil fondly remembers the time when Santa Feans didnt distance themselves from one another. Vigils not talking about earlier in the month, before Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham put emergency measures in place to prevent the spread of coronavirus. No, the longtime columnist for Journal North is nostalgic for the days when all public school students in the city attended Mid High, a school for ninth-graders that once occupied City Hall. Vigil passed through the halls of Mid High as a student in the 1970s. The experience gave him the opportunity to meet ninth-graders from all over the city, including those whose ethnic, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds were different from his. With the exception of students who attended Santa Fe Prep and St. Michaels, everybody went to Mid High. We had like 700 or 800 kids. Everybody got to know each other. You dont get that today, because of the rise of home schooling and the advent of charter schools, Vigil lamented. Many Santa Feans will remember Vigils humorous, irreverent column Orale! Santa Fe, which ran in Journal North from 2004-08. Those columns have been polished and packaged in a new book published by the Museum of New Mexico Press called Santa Fe Different: 22 Years and All I Got Was a Cheeseburger. The book includes a foreword by Max Evans, the New Mexico writer best known for Rounders and The Hi-Lo Country, which were both made into films. As the name of his book implies, Vigil is well-versed in all things City Different. But his definition of the term isnt the compassionate, cosmopolitan colonial capital that sits at 7,000 feet. Vigils City Different is one that has changed markedly from the town he grew up in and continues to evolve, not always for the better. Although nostalgia permeates every page of Vigils book, the master of wordplay isnt a sad sack by any means. The loquacious author never met a pun he didnt like. Some of his rollicking columns are so circuitous that they are reminiscent of the old Abbott and Costello routine Whos on First? For instance, Vigil tells the story of how he and fellow staffers at New Mexico magazine received a memo reminding them not to use the term tri-cultural, once championed in these parts because it was thought to embrace the states Native, Hispanic and Anglo residents. Vigils interpretation of the memo? The pre-fix tri shall be considered a four-letter word in New Mexico promotion and anyone caught paying tribute to it in any trifling fashion will face the trimember tribunal for trial and tribulation to face a trifecta of punishment, he wrote. Seemingly trivial debates red chile, green or Christmas (both) and the long-running Santa Fe/Albuquerque tug-of-war over whether holiday candles in sand-filled paper bags are called farolitos or luminarias lead to rip-roaring riffs in the hands of Vigil. One theme running through his wide-ranging columns is identity and when, if ever, a carpetbagger can become a local. In his opinion, its when someone starts to ask, Who left the gate open? Vigils observations about the waves of arrivals in Santa Fe are encapsulated in a column called To Be Local, You Must First Get Off, a side-splitting meditation on the means of transportation that brought outsiders to Santa Fe. In a column, he notes that although former Santa Fe Mayor Debbie Jaramillo used to refer to the citys newcomers as just off the bus, Vigil believes many just emerged from the Mercedes or popped out of the Lear. Surprisingly, someone who knows his way around words didnt initially aspire to be a writer. When Vigil arrived at New Mexico Highlands University, his goal was to be a forest firefighter. He enrolled in dendrology (study of trees), chemistry and algebra. But Vigil hit the wall in algebra. When a curious reporter asked whether it was the quadratic equation that stopped him in his tracks and opines that it was a shame that math teachers didnt explain how the vexing formula can be used to build bridges, he quipped, It was the quadratic equation. I didnt hit the wall; I hit the bridge. While he was in college, Vigil took the exam to be a firefighter for the city of Santa Fe. In his words, he aced both the written and physical tests. Vigil was naturally disappointed when he wasnt hired. Somebodys cousin got the job instead of me, he said. Fate had other things in store for Vigil. His English professor, Richard Panofsky, encouraged him to pursue writing. Suddenly, doors opened. Vigil was named editor of the Highlands student newspaper and landed paid internships at Los Alamos National Laboratorys in-house newsletter. Still, like many a newly minted college graduate, Vigil couldnt find a job in his chosen profession. To make ends meet, he worked construction. According to the author, his smart-aleck ways often provoked aggression during his youth, and the construction job was no different. After taking a verbal beating from the boss, Vigil impulsively knocked on the door of Albuquerque Journals Santa Fe bureau and offered his journalism services to then Journal North editor Larry Calloway. Following a few freelance assignments, Calloway hired Vigil as a police reporter, a job he had for five years before moving to New Mexico magazine for 22 years. Vigil said he loved his job at the state-run magazine and believed for years that he was insulated from politics. That notion went out the window in September 2011 on what Vigil calls Black Tuesday. That day, a Susanami arrived without warning in the form of a smiley-faced, golden-haired whippersnapper from the Pepsico corporate world of Chicago who was closely connected with some of the founding fathers of the Taos Ski Valley, he wrote. According to Vigil, he was told to clean out his desk and the detritus he had accumulated over 22 years by the end of the day. After he was thanked for his service, the newly unemployed scribe asked if he could get a Taos Valley Ski pass as a parting gift. The answer was no, but his executioner told him she could get him a cheeseburger for his last meal. Despite the title of his book, his burger never arrived, but peetza put the kibosh on the national political aspirations of the Susanamis namesake, Vigil noted. Vigil doesnt name names, but even relative newcomers to Santa Fe will recognize the not-so-veiled references to former Gov. Susana Martinez, whose reputation never recovered from an ill-fated pizza party at the Eldorado Hotel, and Monique Jacobson, her former Cabinet Secretary for the Children, Youth and Families Department. Prior to leading CYFD, Jacobson ran the states tourism department, which oversees New Mexico magazine. Jacobson is credited with creating the wildly successful #NewMexicoTrue campaign that calls attention to the authenticity of experiences and products found only in the Land of Enchantment. Despite taking it on the chin during the Martinez administration, Vigil is philosophical. A recent sunny afternoon found him clearing out the acequia on a farm in Nambe in anticipation of the snowmelt that will soon fill the ditch with water. The symbol of the acequia movement is the pala or shovel, but Vigil prefers a chainsaw, which also comes in handy clearing the century-old cottonwoods that are falling down on his 1-acre spread. The self-described city slicker who wrote about fending off tough kids who were bused into Santa Fe from Pecos and other rural areas during his elementary school days has happily become a country bumpkin himself. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sun, March 29, 2020 18:34 654 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206e2db70 1 National COVID-19,COVID-19-in-Indonesia,COVID-19-lockdown,COVID-19-quarantine Free While local administrations have begun to block road access into their areas in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19, the government has prepared to quarantine the countrys capital, which has been most affected by the disease. The Transportation Ministry is preparing a scenario for a local quarantine in Greater Jakarta to slow the spread of COVID-19, depending on a decision expected to be made at a Cabinet meeting scheduled for Monday, a ministry official said. Transportation Ministry land transportation director general Budi Setyadi said the ministry, in coordination with the National Police's traffic corps, had developed a plan including "stopping posts" at toll gates and along other roads to and from Greater Jakarta. If a regional quarantine is enacted, the police will turn back those trying to enter or leave the city. "We have not ruled out the possibility [of a local quarantine], but the decision depends on the leaders," Budi told The Jakarta Post on Sunday. "We are only acting as the implementer who creates the standard operating procedures and [plans] on what the protocol will look like." The government has struggled to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the past three months. Insufficient medical supplies and concerns over unrest have prevented President Joko Jokowi Widodo from imposing lockdown in Jakarta and other provinces while limiting information about cases and deaths. As cases passed 1,200 on Sunday, with 114 deaths, including medical workers and more discovered outside Jakarta, local administrations have started to take their own initiatives to protect their residents from the outbreak, especially those traveling from Greater Jakarta. The government has already issued a warning discouraging people living in Greater Jakarta from leaving the city for their hometowns for the Idul Fitri mudik (exodus). However, many have ignored the warning. Central Java, for example, has reported thousands of mudik travelers arriving in the province, including in Jepara with 1,776 arrivals, Purwokerto with 2,323 and Wonogiri with 2,625 as of Tuesday. Central Java has reported 63 confirmed COVID-19 cases and seven deaths as of Saturday, the fifth-highest number of cases of the countrys 34 provinces. The Tegal administration has announced that it would close road access around the city for four months after one resident tested positive. Provincial administrations in Maluku and Papua have restricted entry through air and water ports to prevent further transmission in the provinces. Jakarta is increasingly considered the epicenter of the virus in Indonesia, recording 675 cases with 68 deaths, more than any other province. West Java and Banten, provinces directly linked to the capital, are the second- and third-worst hit regions with 149 and 106 cases, respectively. While the government has revealed almost nothing about the patients and their travel records, several patients that have been reported in Central Java and other areas have a history of traveling to Jakarta and its neighboring cities. "After the meeting [on Monday], I do not know whether it will still be a stronger warning or a complete ban. It depends on Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Panjaitan," Budi said. Budi told reporters during an online press briefing on Friday that his ministry was ready to close the entrances to Greater Jakarta and other national roads. However, he said he had no knowledge about when the decision would be made. The Post has obtained a copy of a classified Jakarta Police telegram, dated March 28, ordering the closure of the city's main roads. Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Yusri Yunus did not deny the authenticity of the telegram but said that the police were merely training for the possibility of a local quarantine. "We are still implementing physical distancing and social distancing, because there have yet to be any government regulations [requiring quarantine]," Yusri told the Post on Sunday. Medical experts and COVID-19 volunteers have called on the government to implement local quarantines in virus-stricken areas such as Greater Jakarta. They say the government's policy of physical distancing is not sufficient to contain the spread of the disease. The 2018 Health Quarantine Law stipulates that during public health emergencies, the central government can impose "regional quarantines" on areas that experience an outbreak of a disease. West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil has banned anyone from leaving or entering the province for mudik or traveling between cities and regencies in the province. Anyone who insists on traveling for mudik will directly be placed under surveillance, he said, explaining that these people would have to self-isolate for 14 days or face police detention. The countrys most populous province of 48.6 million has conducted mass testing among targeted groups, along with Jakarta and East Java, the province with fourth-largest number of cases in the country. (dfr) --Riza Roidila Mufti and Sausan Atika from Jakarta and Arya Dipa from Bandung contributed to this story. Albania flies medical team to Italy to help battle Covid-19 crisis. Albania has flown a team of doctors and nurses to Italy to help it deal with the Coronavirus pandemic in the north of the country. The 30 doctors and nurses arrived in Rome on 28 March before making their way north to Bergamo, the epicentre of Italy's Covid-19 emergency. The government of Albania, one of the poorest countries in Europe, has funded the medical team, whose members volunteered to work for one month in hospitals in the Bergamo area. Albania's premier Edi Rama announced the news in a Facebook video, speaking in Albanian and Italian. Rama said that the idea of Albania sending help to Italy from its "small army of white coats" might seem "strange" to some people, adding that it was "true that very rich countries have turned their backs on others." "However perhaps it is also because we are not rich, or without memory, that we cannot afford not to show Italy that Albania and the Albanians never abandon a friend in difficulty", said Rama. Italy has come to the aid of Albania at various times in recent decades, and around 400,000 Albanians live and work in Italy. Albania sees the medical assistance as a chance to repay the help, however small its contribution. The Italian embassy in Tirana tweeted: Thanks to the Albanian government for this act of solidarity and affection! #forever united. The Punjab government on Sunday said it has begun building up stocks of various life-saving equipment and other protective gears to tackle any further exigency arising out of the coronavirus outbreak. Punjab government is aggressively building up its stocks of life-saving equipment such as masks, gloves, ventilators, personal protection equipment kits etc with large quantities of these materials already being in stock and much more expected to be available over the next few days, a government statement said here. By March 31, the state will have another 25,000 N95 masks, in addition to the 52,500 masks that it already has in stock, along with one lakh nitrile gloves, it said. While the state government already has at its disposal 26.32 lakh triple layer masks, another 12 lakh will get added to the inventory by April 1, the government release said. As far as the much-needed PPE kits are concerned, the government has ordered a total of one lakh PPE kits, of which 7,640 have already been received, said the release. Other critical supplies already available with the government include 10,425 hand sanitisers and 17,000 VTM kits, with 2,000 and 10,000 more of them respectively, already on the way and expected to be added to the inventory by April 1. The government is also procuring much-needed ventilators for handling critical cases, the release added. Other materials being procured by the government to combat the coronavirus crisis include the 'automated mid-high nucleic acid purification machines', along with large quantities of azithromycin and hydroxy-chloroquine tablets, besides the pediatric and adult laryngoscopes and ambu bags besides portable X-ray machines. To reduce dependence on outside vendors, the state government has roped in local manufacturers, the release said, adding samples prepared by them were at present being tested. The business-to-business tie-ups were being facilitated, as a result of which 10 lakh pieces of indigenously-made hazmat armour suits had been ordered by the central government from JCT Mills, Phagwara, said Additional Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan in a release. To facilitate testing of these suits, the Punjab police had taken samples to Delhi from where they were sent to the Central testing laboratory in Coimbatore in a special flight. The samples of PPEs and N95 masks designed and made at six more Punjab units have also been sent to Coimbatore and Gwalior for testing, while two local entrepreneurs have come forward with proposals to make ventilators, said Mahajan. In addition, 8,000 tablets each of ARV (Ritonovir and Liponovir) have been provided to three medical facilities. The state is also in continuous discussion with the health ministry and other central ministries involved in regulatory clearances, to handhold entrepreneurs and fast track clearances to enable production of ventilators in Punjab, she said, adding the state government will ensure immediate orders for these as soon as the clearances come in. The Industry Department was extending full support, in the form of packaging material and transportation, to the various industries engaged in manufacturing essential items like sanitizers, masks, food items, pharmaceuticals, she added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) WASHINGTON - A gun rights group is cheering the Trump administrations designation of the firearms industry, including retailers, as part of the nations critical infrastructure during the coronavirus emergency. The designation by the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is advisory. The agency notes that the designation does not override determinations by individual jurisdictions of what they consider critical infrastructure sectors. The firearms industry was not part of the federal agencys original list of critical infrastructure issued just over a week ago. The designation in an update released Saturday follows a brewing legal battle between gun rights groups and California officials. The group Gun Owners of America says in a statement Saturday that it is encouraged that the Trump administration is not ignoring what it calls the ability to protect yourself during the emergency stemming from the pandemic. Gun rights groups filed suit last Friday after the Los Angeles County sheriff closed gun stores in the wake of California Gov. Gavin Newsom saying that each of the states 58 counties could decide for themselves whether to list firearms dealers as nonessential businesses that should be subject to closure while the state seeks to limit the spread of the virus. The lawsuit claims that the designation violates the Second Amendment, but officials cite a public health issue. A street of closed shops in the border town of Cornwall By Rod Nickel WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) - Canada will not allow anyone displaying symptoms of the COVID-19 respiratory illness to board domestic flights or inter-city passenger trains, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Saturday, the latest travel restriction aimed at curbing the coronavirus outbreak. Trudeau's government has long urged Canadians feeling ill to stay at home, but he told reporters at his daily press conference outside his residence that Transport Canada had now formalized travel rules as COVID-19 cases steadily rise. Trudeau had been in self-isolation after his wife tested positive for the virus. In a statement on Saturday, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau said she had "received the all clear from my physician and Ottawa Public Health." Canada's domestic travel restrictions will take effect on Monday at noon EDT. Asked how screening would be different, Trudeau said the government was giving new tools to airlines and railways. Transport Canada later said airline and rail company staff would ask health questions of passengers and look for visible symptoms. Even enhanced screening offers "no guarantee" that sick people will not board, as they can hide symptoms, Howard Njoo, Canada's deputy chief public health officer, said in a separate press conference. Canada has confirmed 5,153 cases of coronavirus, and 55 deaths, health officials said. While case numbers are climbing, the rate of growth in British Columbia, the Pacific Coast province where community transmission was first reported, seems to be slowing, Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam said. "There are signs of hope," she told reporters in Ottawa. In the province of Quebec, however, the number of cases jumped by 24% in the past day to nearly 2,500, more than double any other province. Four additional deaths raised Quebec's death toll to 22. New police checkpoints were set to begin restricting non-essential traffic to eight Quebec regions on Saturday, Quebec Deputy Premier Genevieve Guilbault. Story continues Ontario banned public events and gatherings of more than five people on Saturday. Air Canada, the country's biggest airline, said it would operate a special flight returning Canadians from Algeria on Tuesday, with additional flights scheduled from Peru and Ecuador. China's embassy in Ottawa tweeted that the Bank of China had on Friday donated medical supplies to Canada, including thousands of masks, goggles and gloves. Trudeau has faced criticism at home for sending a shipment of protective equipment to China in February, before COVID-19 cases spiked in Canada. (Reporting by Rod Nickel in Winnipeg, Manitoba; Additional reporting by Allison Lampert in Montreal; Editing by Steve Orlofsky, Paul Simao & Simon Cameron-Moore) With a Fuzhou Airlines flight departing Yichang city on Sunday morning, civil aviation service began to resume in central China's Hubei Province after a suspension for the control of the novel coronavirus outbreak in January. Flight FU6779 with 64 passengers left the Three Gorges Airport in Yichang for Fuzhou, capital of east China's Fujian Province. According to the Civil Aviation Administration of China, except for the Tianhe International Airport in Wuhan, the provincial capital of Hubei, all passenger and cargo flights on domestic air routes via airports in Hubei were resumed from Sunday. The province hard hit by the COVID-19 outbreak lifted outbound travel restrictions on highway traffic in all areas except Wuhan on March 25, with all checkpoints at expressway exits, national and provincial-level highways reopened within two days, as the virus outbreak continues to subdue. Xu Zuoqiang, chairman and general manager of the Three Gorges Airport, said that before the resumption of flights, the airport had carried out a comprehensive disinfection and organized staff training for epidemic control and prevention. The airport has newly installed thermal imaging equipment for mass body temperature checks on people in the departure and arrival halls. Isolation areas have also been prepared to quarantine people tested with fever. Whiting Police Department officers at 6:50 p.m. Thursday located the vehicle and tried to stop it, but it fled, eventually crashing in East Chicago, Kellogg said. The three people in the car two men, 27 and 30, respectively and a 21-year-old woman tried to run from the vehicle but were arrested by Whiting, East Chicago and Hammond police, Kellogg said. By IANS NEW DELHI: The Jack Ma Foundation and the Alibaba Foundation have donated essential medical supplies to India along with six more countries -- Azerbaijan, Bhutan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. Collectively, these seven countries will receive a total of 1.7 million face masks, 1,65,000 test kits as well as protective clothing and medical equipment such as ventilators, forehead thermometers. "We are committed to doing everything we can to make a difference, most importantly by sourcing these supplies and overcoming logistical challenges to get the medical supplies to where they are needed as fast as we can," a Jack Ma Foundation spokesperson said in a statement on Sunday. With this announcement, the two foundations have now donated essential medical supplies to 23 Asian countries, totalling 7.4 million masks, 4,85,000 test kits along with other medical equipment. The first batch of medical supplies for India arrived in Delhi on Saturday night and was received by the Indian Red Cross Society. "To supplement the efforts of government, Indian Red Cross has mobilised first tranche of supplies consisting of facemasks, protective body suits and essential medical equipment," said R.K Jain, Secretary General, Indian Red Cross. Similar to the arrangement with the Italian Red Cross Society in Italy, the Indian charity will facilitate the distribution of these supplies in the country. These donations are among a number of aid initiatives from the Alibaba Foundation and Jack Ma Foundation to support the areas of the world affected by the COVID-19 crisis. Haiti - News : Zapping... Important meeting of Jouthe with the private sector Saturday Joseph Jouthe met with members of the business sector, the American Chamber of Commerce (Amcham) and the Association of Industries of Haiti (ADIH) to discuss the participation of local businesses in the fight against Covid-19 in Haiti as well than government support to the private sector. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30395-haiti-covid-19-daily-bulletin-march-29-2020.html Croix-des-Bouquets in the fight against Covid-19 As part of the fight against the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, the Municipal Council of Croix-des-Bouquets has undertaken an awareness campaign to bring the crucial population to respect the instructions of the Government and to respect the rules sanitary facilities. The Town Hall reminds everyone that the best remedy for Covid-19, in addition to compliance with hygiene rules, is "the confinement, which consists of staying at home and only going out when absolutely necessary." "Electric" meeting with Taiwan Chancellor Claude Joseph recently received a visit from the Charge d'affaires a.i. of Taiwan (Republic of China), Olivier N. C. Hsiao, to discuss cooperation between the two countries, particularly in the energy sector. Comments from former PM Lafontant "I salute the formation of the Scientific Cell https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30384-haiti-politic-creation-of-a-scientific-cell-to-manage-the-covid-19-crisis.html for managing the Covid-19 crisis, made up of key figures from the health sector in Haiti. I hope that it will allow the country to make the right decisions and make the right choices for the population," Jack Guy Lafontant See alos : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30395-haiti-covid-19-daily-bulletin-march-29-2020.html Did you know ? Women represent around 52% of the population (estimated at 12.2 million inhabitants) and more than half of the working population. 61% of women are economically active. The Haitian diaspora has nearly 2 million people, mainly established in the United States and Canada. Women outnumber men among migrants (54% and 46% respectively). Municipal Civil Protection Committees in the field The Municipal Civil Protection Committees are active in the field to disseminate information and prevention instructions to residents across the country, to help them better protect themselves and their community in the face of the spread of the Coronavirus Covid-19 . HL/ HaitiLibre Kate Middleton and Prince William have launched a 5m mental health initiative during the coronavirus lockdown (Getty Images) It has been announced that Prince William and Kate Middleton are supporting a new 5m initiative to help the UKs mental health during the coronavirus lockdown. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have used their royal platform to highlight new guidance released by Public Health England today which aims to support people in looking after their mind in isolation, as well as providing tips to parents and carers on protecting childrens wellbeing. In a post on Instagram this morning, the couple told their 11.4m followers about how they have been working with organisations assisting the nation during the pandemic - and also gave fans an insight into their impressive working from home set-ups. They shared two images of the couple speaking on the telephone at their respective desks at their London home, Kensington Palace. Latest coronavirus news, updates and advice Live: Follow all the latest updates from the UK and around the world Fact-checker: The number of Covid-19 cases in your local area Explained: Symptoms, latest advice and how it compares to the flu Kate, 38, was shown wearing the same blush pink Marks & Spencer suit, costing 158, as she had previously been pictured wearing on a visit to an NHS centre. She also revealed her eye-catching colour-coordinated book collection - including the Penguin Clothbound Classics titles Sense & Sensibility and The Odyssey, which cost 11 each. Another picture shows William, 37, in a different room with a slightly clearer desk, featuring an ornate lamp and a printer on top of an office cabinet. The behind-the-scenes photo were captioned: Self-isolation and social distancing can pose huge challenges to our mental health in recent weeks the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been in regular contact with organisations and patronages to understand the issues they are facing during this difficult time. Story continues Read more: Kate Middleton shares unseen picture with mum Carole on 'difficult' Mother's Day Last week the Duke spoke to @mindcharity CEO Paul Farmer, and The Duchess spoke to Catherine Roche, CEO of @_place2be. Today Public Health England has published new guidance to help support people during the COVID-19 outbreak, and updated its world-leading Every Mind Matters platform, with specific advice on maintaining good mental wellbeing during the outbreak; visit the link in our bio to find out more. Speaking about the new guidance, The Duke and Duchess said: It is great to see the mental health sector working together with the NHS to help people keep on top of their mental well-being. By pulling together and taking simple steps each day, we can all be better prepared for the times ahead. Read more: Kate Middleton wears pink Marks & Spencer suit to visit NHS centre The Government has also announced a grant for @MindCharity to help fund their services for people struggling with their mental wellbeing during this time. Their post has received more than 277,000 likes as well as over 2,200 comments. One person wrote: Nice desk Kate! Another shared: Thank you for continuing to champion mental health especially during this very difficult time! Read more: Kate Middleton's brother James is postponing his wedding due to coronavirus And a third added: Cutest royal couple EVER. The new initiative - unveiled by Nadine Dorries, the mental health minister - provides advice on how family and friends can stay in touch with loved ones via video calls and social media, as well as how people can build a regular exercise routine and sleep pattern. She also revealed that there would be an additional 5m funding given to help mental health charities expand their services. The politician, who recently returned to work after being diagnosed with coronavirus, said: When I discovered I had coronavirus I felt anxious and scared. For those who already suffer with anxiety or other mental health issues this may present new and difficult challenges. Read more: Prince William launches emergency coronavirus appeal for local charities It's imperative that we stay home if we are to beat coronavirus and save lives. I know how important it is that people have support to look after their mental health and this guidance will be of huge value." Paul Farmer, chief executive of Mind, said: "Reaching out to friends and family is critical, as well as paying attention to the impact our physical health can have on our mental health - from diet and exercise to getting enough natural light and a little fresh air." He added: "Whether we have an existing mental health problem or not, we are all going to need extra help to deal with the consequences of this unprecedented set of circumstances." Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK Lifestyle Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sun, March 29, 2020 16:36 654 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206e2b4bd 4 News Nam-Air,Airlines,travel,surakarta,new-route Free Nam Air, a subsidiary of Sriwijaya Group, launched four domestic routes to and from Adi Sumarmo International Airport in Surakarta, Central Java, on Sunday. "This route opening aims to accommodate the mobility demand of travelers as well as students, who make up most of our loyal customers, from across the country," said Sriwijaya Air's Surakarta branch manager Taufik Usman in Surakarta on Sunday as quoted by kompas.com. The new routes include return flights from Surakarta to Pontianak in West Kalimantan, Bali, Pangkal Pinang in the Bangka-Belitung Islands, and Palembang in South Sumatra. Utilizing Boeing 737-500 planes that can accommodate 120 passengers, the Surakarta-Pontianak and Surakarta-Palembang services are available every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. The Surakarta-Pangkal Pinang flight flies every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. "Due to force majeure related to COVID-19, the Surakarta-Bali return flight is being suspended until April 10," said Taufik, adding that the rest of the routes had their maiden flights on Sunday with occupancy rates between 70 and 90 percent. The airline says it provides online check-in, meals and up to 20 kilograms of free baggage allowance. Nam Air says it has sprayed disinfectant on all of its planes, is offering hand sanitizer at check-in counters and has implemented social distancing measures. AirAsia Indonesia, another low-cost carrier, has suspended all of its domestic and international flights until April 21 and May 17, respectively. (kes) Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 20:46:04|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HOHHOT, March 29 (Xinhua) -- The land checkpoint of Erenhot in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region saw an increase in throughput in the first two months, despite measures taken to reduce gatherings for the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). According to the Erenhot customs, the volume of imports and exports through the customs reached 2.28 million tonnes in the first two months, up 25.9 percent year on year. Among them, imports accounted for more than 90 percent of the total, up over a quarter year on year, while exports also saw an increase of 12.6 percent year on year. The customs attributed the surge to the China-Europe freight train services importing Mongolian commodities and livestock products, and exporting Chinese fruits, vegetables as well as mechanical and electrical products. As of March 13, Erenhot had seen 30,000 TEUs of goods imported and exported since the start of this year, up 61.3 percent year on year. The customs set up a green channel for fruit and vegetable exports to ensure the transport efficiency of fresh farm produce. In the first two months, the export volume of fruits and vegetables through Erenhot reached 14,000 tonnes, up 5 percent year on year, and the export value grew by 15.9 percent year on year to reach 17 million yuan (about 2.39 million U.S. dollars). Since the beginning of March, Erenhot has seen Chinese exports of 3 million face masks to Mongolia. On March 25, China donated a batch of nucleic acid detection kits, medical masks and disposable medical protective clothing through the customs to assist Mongolia's pandemic prevention and control. A 73-year-old man has died from coronavirus after being taken to the hospital by a mental health nurse, whose car he crashed into while making a desperate attempt to get food following ten days in isolation. The elderly man, who has not been named, was delirious and grey-faced when he bumped cars with Lucy Duncan, 24, a mental health nurse from Atherton, Lancashire, on Thursday evening. Sweating from the symptoms of coronavirus the man told Ms Duncan that he had not eaten for ten days and believed he had the virus, grabbing her arm for support as she tended to him. The elderly man, who has not been named, was delirious when he bumped cars with Lucy Duncan, 24, (pictured) a mental health nurse from Atherton, Lancashire, on Thursday evening Ms Duncan, who had just finished a 12 hour shift at the North West Boroughs NHS Trust and did not have full protective equipment, called an ambulance and stayed with the man for five hours as he taken to the resuscitation fighting for breath. During lucid moments, he told her he had no family apart from a son who he had not spoken to for years and that he had not eaten for up to ten days due to self-isolating. The kindhearted nurse is now attempting to trace the man's son believed to be in Milton Keynes, who the elderly gentleman had asked her to trace before his death. Lucy had been driving her Fiat 500X home from Wigan Infirmary at about 7.45pm on Thursday night (26 March) when she spotted a red Vauxhall Corsa coming in the opposite direction. Lucy said: 'I could see he was veering onto the wrong side of the road and then, as we passed, the front end of his car hit the side of mine. Lucy had been driving her Fiat 500X home from Wigan Infirmary at about 7.45pm on Thursday night (26 March) when she collided with the gentleman's red Vauxhall Corsa 'I wasn't hurt, only shocked. I turned the car round and thought that he had pulled over too, but actually he was driving very slowly. 'I followed and he turned down School Street and came to a stop. 'It was dark at the back of houses and I suppose I should have been more careful but the adrenaline was going and as I approached the car I could see that he was an elderly man.' Lucy offered to help the stricken pensioner, who she said was 'grey and streaming with sweat'. She added: 'He was in poor shape. He was also struggling to speak and breathe. He grabbed my arms and I leaned in to him and he said 'I'm sorry but I think I have coronavirus'. 'He was really confused and drifting in and out of consciousness. 'When he was alert he seemed more concerned for the car damage and reassured me that he had comprehensive insurance. 'I told him I was more worried about him than the cars and that he needed an ambulance. I went to my car and luckily had a mask with me but no further personal protection equipment. 'He had gone out in his car to get some food and essentials, as he knew he would die without them. He said he didn't trust other people as there were a lot of horrible people in the world.' Paramedics arrived and took the man to hospital with Lucy following in her car. She stayed there for several hours while he underwent various tests including one which showed that his lungs were only working at 50 per cent capacity. Following his death Lucy told the BBC: 'He asked me if I would help him get in touch with his son... it is going to be something I am going to try my hardest to do for him,' she explained. He was 'almost surprised when I kept going back to him [in the hospital]'. 'His eyes lit up every time I went back and held his hand. It was amazing to be part of his life.' Lucy is now self-isolating for the next fortnight which has meant her mum, brother and his girlfriend have had to move out of the family home. She shared the tragic story on Facebook in a post that has been shared more than 30,000 times and received more than 125,000 likes. Thousands of well-wishers told Lucy she is a 'hero' for what she did off-duty. Lucy said she was 'overwhelmed' by the response and added: 'What people have said has been wonderful and I have cried. 'But really I can't think anyone else would have done any different if they had been in my situation.' Simon Barber, Chief Executive at North West Boroughs Healthcare, said: 'Lucy's story is absolutely fantastic. It brought a tear to my eye. 'I spoke to her earlier to say a massive thank you and well done in person and she really is the most genuinely caring person. 'I'm not surprised she's been overwhelmed by all the messages of support - it's pretty incredible how much attention her social media post has attracted. 'I and the rest of North West Boroughs Healthcare are so very proud of Lucy's quick-thinking and selfless actions to help someone in need. 'She is everything we could possibly want our staff to be.' RACINE When veterans with disabilities need a ride, John Kreuzer is there. The 67-year-old is there every Monday morning at 6:30 a.m. to pick up his first ride of the day at Ascension All Saints Hospital. Hes there at 7 a.m. to pick up the next two riders at McDonalds at the corner of State Street and North Memorial Drive. Get involved, soon Disabled American Veterans' free rides program is on hold for the moment due to COVID-19. The Journal Times ride-along occurred on the final Monday before the program was paused. Still, to learn more or to help fill the DAV's volunteer gaps, contact Patty Davis at 414-384-2000 Ext. 45715 or at Patty.Davis3@va.gov. He makes a couple other pickups in fast-food parking lots in Racine and Kenosha counties, then drives a full 10-seat van to the Clement J. Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Milwaukee. He waits around for a few hours, giving his passengers time for their appointments, then drives them back home. Kreuzer asks for no thanks after his drive every Monday morning. Theres no pay. He does it because his fellow military veterans need help. Its the best job Ive never been paid to do, Kreuzer said. The need As many as one-fourth of all veterans have a service-connected disability, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics; that doesnt even include vets who became disabled outside of the service. And more than 40% of vets who have served since 9/11 in warzones have a disability according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. Compare that with the general U.S. population, where only 12.8% of Americans have a disability, according to the Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire. As such, vets often have more doctor appointments than a typical person, and a lot of them arent able to drive long distances. Thats where volunteers like Kreuzer come in. Disabled American Veterans, a nonprofit, offers rides free of charge for veterans who have scheduled appointments at VA hospitals nationwide. To make those appointments, veterans like Amber Mordja, a 56-year-old retiree who served in the Navy, need volunteers like Kreuzer to get them there. Mordja walks with a cane, had open heart surgery four years ago (the result of an undiagnosed birth defect) and also has lung problems. And she doesnt have a car. I wouldnt be able to make my appointments if it werent for the DAV, said Mordja, a Racine native. Vets help vets The lifeblood of VA hospitals, beyond the doctors and medical staff that actually treat patients, are volunteers. More than 800 individuals volunteer at the Milwaukee VA Medical Center every year, and that doesnt even include auxiliary volunteers through the DAV or American Legion or the other organizations with a presence at the medical complex. We could not do our jobs without them, said Gary Kunich, Milwaukee VA public relations director. Finding and retaining volunteers is a challenge. Even though most anyone who is able to drive can volunteer, its a significant time commitment usually at least seven hours in a day. Volunteers are hard to come by You have to find a special person who will actually commit to do that, said Patty Davis, the DAV employee who oversees the Milwaukee VAs free rides program. Free help is hard to find. Free good help is very hard to find, Kreuzer said, noting that some people quit when they realize they arent going to be paid aside from the free breakfast at the hospital cafeteria. About 75% of the DAVs volunteers are veterans, with a few retired police officers and firefighters devoting their time as well. Kreuzer, a Milwaukee native who now lives in Caledonia, never meant to make a career out of the military. But as a young man, he realized he was more likely to end up in jail than in a good job. He signed up near the tail end of the Vietnam War, a time when many soldiers couldnt get out of the service fast enough. He ended up serving 33 years in the Air Force and Air National Guard before retiring 16 years ago. Driving for the DAV, as well as memberships in groups like the Veterans of Foreign Wars, is how he stays connected. Its veterans helping veterans, Kunich said. Its amazing. Ive always had a lot of respect for our veterans, even though I never was one, said driver-volunteer Randy Volk, who retired from the Milwaukee Fire Department in 2013. I figured, once I got out of the Fire Department, Id like to volunteer somewhere. Ken Roberts Ken Roberts, right, a Vietnam veteran, chats with other veterans in the Disabled American Veterans waiting room. Thats when he cold-called the VA on a whim and was told that the DAV always needed help. Volk is now entering his seventh year as a driver. Youve got to give it back, said Ken Roberts, a Vietnam veteran who recently moved to Milwaukee and who volunteers at the VA. Still, the DAV could use more help. The shortage Racine and Kenosha counties combined have a total of four volunteer drivers. To be fully staffed, the organization needs double that, Davis said. Every month, 91 volunteer drivers will bring as many as 1,300 veterans from at least eight Wisconsin counties to appointments in Milwaukee. Nationwide, the DAV has a fleet of more than 3,600 vehicles (donated by the Ford Motor Company) devoted to the free ride program making sure disabled vets can get the medical expertise they deserve. The program has been in place since 1987. In Milwaukee, as many as 16 vehicles from around the state could be driving to and from the hospital on any given weekday. Heading back home In the parking lot of the Milwaukee Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Amber Mordja boards a Disabled American Veterans van headed back to her h But when there arent enough drivers, riders like Mordja have to reschedule appointments or cancel them outright, which is a hassle that can sometimes delay much-needed medical care. When asked if other counties, besides Racine and Kenosha, are in need of more volunteers, Davis laughed. We can use them everywhere. When asked why Davis, who is not a veteran, has stayed in this job for 23 years, she chuckled. Its not the bankroll. Its something you should do for them. They (Veterans) are not getting everything they deserve or need. Seeing pain, witnessing miracles Kreuzer is not perfectly healthy either. Hes considered 60% disabled by the VA, a result of a number of small afflictions including arthritis and tinnitus, the latter of which he got from working around big airplanes with no ear protection. Hanging around here makes you appreciate what you have, Kreuzer said as he drove past the spinal cord injury clinic. Im very lucky. Hes witnessed mental health issues, too. One day, after a rider was dropped off for their appointment, the rider ran off. That man was found a couple days later at a halfway house. Drivers arent allowed to ask about riders conditions or appointments. Theyre just there to get the vets from Point A to Point B and back again. I hope by doing this I can make up for some of the things I do, Kreuzer said. He wishes he could have been around more for his kids during their youths, since was deployed too often to be around 100% of the time. Kreuzer also acknowledged that he took too many risks in his younger days he had a penchant for the high-risk pastime of motocross racing and, to this day, still enjoys smoking cigars. But in this volunteer role, hes seen miracles. Ive seen people from needing walkers to living free I watched him go from a walker to a cane to fixed, Kreuzer said. Thats pretty cool. Ive seen people from needing walkers to living free I watched him go from a walker. Thats pretty cool. John Kreuzer, volunteer driver for the Disabled American Veterans organization Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Ontario government is making sweeping changes to long-term care homes by eliminating long-held rules that protect vulnerable residents. Written in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the temporary emergency order filed by the Ministry of Long-Term Care is an attempt to deal with the outbreak, which is infecting fragile seniors and staff. The order also removes training requirements for workers, allows homes to bring in volunteers and eliminates the need for administrators to report most complaints to the ministry. Its going to be a disaster, said Jane Meadus, a lawyer with the Advocacy Centre for the Elderly. We are seeing the high levels of COVID in long-term care, and what are we doing? We are sending the most untrained people to these homes, Meadus said. First of all, infection control is going to be very scary if people are not properly trained. But these are people with choking hazards, complex (skin) wound needs and if staff dont have the proper training, its also going to be a problem with the ongoing care. The new regulations fall under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act. The order in council amends existing legislation and does not require debate in the house. The written order does not say how long the new rules will last. A ministry statement sent in response to the Stars questions said, It will last for 14 days and the ministry still has regulatory oversight over long-term care homes. The ministry also said, These are extraordinary times and this serious situation is evolving quickly. That is why our government is rapidly taking these necessary steps to support our frontline long-term care workers and the residents they care for. Ministry inspectors will be redeployed to nursing homes, a second statement said. The Ontario Long Term Care Association, which represents mostly for-profit homes, sent an email calling the governments order bold action. It said homes can now respond quickly to the needs in their community, like hiring resident care aides to fill the gaps created by this pandemic so staff can focus on care and less on arduous documentation. On Friday night, Candace Rennick a senior executive with the Canadian Union of Public Employees in Ontario joined a conference call with union president Fred Hahn and Long-Term Care Minister Merrilee Fullerton. CUPE represents 35,000 frontline long-term care workers in Ontario. Rennick said details of the new regulations left her shaken. I know the system is in crisis and (operators are) looking for some type of relief, especially at a time like this but the relief cannot come at the expense of the health and safety of the residents and staff, said Rennick. Its a case of life and death. Im not trying to be dramatic but it is. The emergency order lists more than a dozen amended regulations. The first authorizes homes to take any reasonably necessary measure to respond to, prevent and alleviate the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) in a long-term care home. Meadus said that gives homes a lot of leeway in decision-making. Under the staffing section, the order says operators can fill any staff position with the person who, in their reasonable opinion, has the adequate skills, training and knowledge to perform the duties required of that position. As well, operators no longer have to meet the previous training and orientation requirements provided they ensure staff and volunteers take measures to ensure resident care and safety. Most frontline staff are personal support workers who are not regulated by a college but must graduate from a certified school. Rennick said she is now questioning whether homes will be hiring very low-paid workers or, based on the wording of the regulation, using volunteers. She said CUPE wants specific details from the ministry about staff. Will they be hired as personal support workers? Will they be paid minimum wage? Or will they be brought in as volunteers? We have absolutely no answers to some of these questions which is even more alarming, Rennick said. We were hoping to see measures from the ministry that would make it safer for people entering and working in long-term facilities, she said. It appears that these measures have basically opened the doors and said just have at it, do whatever you can to get bodies to help people. And that is going to put more people at risk. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Mar. 29 Trend: Rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on Azerbaijan made another biased statement against the country on March 25, Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan to the Council of Europe Fakhraddin Ismayilov told Trend. Azerbaijan firmly condemns this biased statement, the permanent representative added. A categorical protest in this regard has already been conveyed to the PACE leadership both in written and verbal form. "The PACE platform, based on mutual respect, is unfortunately used to promote an unfair campaign rather than dialogue and cooperation, Ismayilov said. Azerbaijan, which, by its will, has joined the Council of Europe, has always demonstrated an approach consistent with the spirit of constructive and targeted cooperation. At the same time, Azerbaijan is unequivocally and decisively rejecting forms of relations based on pressure and threats. Azerbaijans foreign policy, determined by the president and based on the national interests, implies a system of equal relations, the permanent representative added. As for the statement made on March 25, it is possible to see that its authors act as controllers of the colonial system of the 19th century rather than as rapporteurs of PACE, representing the totality of democratic societies. Azerbaijan firmly rejects the regular threats, as well as the instructions and recommendations that they address from their countries to the country which is faced with such injustice as military occupation," Ismayilov said. The diplomat stressed that this is unthinkable indeed. Instead of welcoming the large-scale efforts being carried out in Azerbaijan to combat the serious threat which is observed in most countries, the solidarity of the society and public support for these measures, the rapporteurs continue to demonstrate an approach based on rumors and speculations, Ismayilov said. Unfortunately, this biased approach may prove that these rapporteurs want to receive political and other possible dividends from certain circles, and even the humanitarian catastrophe that the world is facing cannot stop them, the permanent representative said. On the other hand, PACE rapporteurs, and a day later, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights made an attempt to describe the legal measures taken by the country's law enforcement agencies in connection with a fact that occurred on domestic grounds from a political point of view. The political affiliation does not give any privileges before the law in any country, and legal measures were taken towards that person within the rule of law in Azerbaijan, the permanent representative said. We hope that PACE, as well as other institutions of the Council of Europe, will conclude that the effective tool is a dialogue with Azerbaijan, a member of the structure within 20 years, built exclusively on mutual respect." In general, neither rapporteurs on Azerbaijan, nor PACE have the authority and the power to regulate the organizations relations with the country, Ismayilov said. "The Parliamentary Assembly is a platform for cooperation between the national parliaments of the member-states of the Council of Europe, and from time to time it expresses its position on various issues, the permanent representative said. The work of the Council of Europe is based on multidisciplinary activity in various fields, and regardless of the PACE approach, Azerbaijan actively participates in most of them. However, the unreasonable and biased steps of some PACE members do not contribute to the intensification of cooperation between Azerbaijan and the Council of Europe and in most cases cast a shadow on the positive dynamics, the permanent representative added. We think that the PACE leadership must thoroughly analyze this issue and make appropriate adjustments to the approach that is periodically demonstrated in relation to Azerbaijan within this institution. In any case, Azerbaijan is a democratic country that respects human rights and the rule of law, Ismayilov said. Despite the periodic partial statements and attacks by some PACE members, Azerbaijan, under the wise leadership of the president, intends to achieve more success on the path to sustainable development. Let no one doubt that we will fulfill the tasks." The issue and relevance of financial misconduct and fear of prosecution on the lending behaviour of Indian banks is investigated by combining bank-level financial and prudential variables during 200818 with a unique hand-collected data set on financial misconduct and fear of prosecution. The findings indicate that, in the presence of financial misconduct, state-owned banks typically cut back on credit creation and instead increase their quantum of risk-free investment. In terms of magnitude, a 10% increase in financial misconduct lowers lending by 0.2% along with a roughly commensurate increase in investment. In terms of the channels, it is found that private banks increase provisioning to maintain their credit growth, although the evidence for state-owned banks is less persuasive. Dear Reader, To continue reading, become a subscriber. Explore our attractive subscription offers. Click here Nine new Covid-19 patients, including a reporter and three others linked to Hanoi's Bach Mai Hospital, have taken Vietnam's tally to 188 infections, the Health Ministry reported Sunday evening. The new patients take the number of infections linked to the Bach Mai Hospital, one of the country's biggest, to 19. The hospital in Dong Da District is one of the largest sources of Covid-19 infection in the country. "Patient 183," a 43-year-old female reporter, resides in Cau Giay District, Hanoi. She interviewed a 58-year-old Frenchman on March 12 who went on to become "Patient 148". He had not been found positive for the coronavirus at the time of the interview. "Patient 183" is the country's first infected reporter. "Patient 184," "Patient 185" and "Patient 188" are related to the Bach Mai Hospital and the Truong Sinh Company, which provides food and logistic services to the hospital. "Patient 184" is a 42-year-old female worker of Truong Sinh. She lives with two colleagues who were confirmed infected earlier. She started coughing on March 28 and was put in quarantine at the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases in Hanoi. She is under treatment there in stable condition. "Patient 185", 38, resides in Hanois Hoai Duc Disitrict. He underwent treatment for eight days at the hospital before going home on March 19. On March 24, he developed a cough and had his samples tested. He was confirmed positive March 29. "Patient 188", a 44-year-old employee of the Truong Sinh Company, came into close contact with another staff of the firm who later became "patient 169". The patient had a cough and sore throat on March 22. Previously, she had left Hanoi for a family gathering on March 14 and later returned to work at the Bach Mai Hospital. The three patients are under treatment at the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases. "Patient 180", 27, lives in My Duc Disitrict, Hanoi. A student in France, she landed March 20 in Hanoi's Noi Bai airport on Thai Airways flight TG564, transiting in Bangkok. She was sent to a quarantine zone in the northern province of Ninh Binh upon arrival. "Patient 181," 33, lives in Hanoi. He was on the same flight as "Patient 180" and quarantined in Ninh Binh, too. "Patient 182", 19, is another Hanoi resident who studies in Switzerland. She landed in Hanoi March 20 on Vietnam Airlines flight VN618 after transiting in Thailand. She was also sent to a Ninh Binh quarantine zone upon arrival. Patients 180, 181 and 182 are in stable health as they undergo treatment at the Ninh Binh General Hospital. "Patient 186", a 52-year-old French, is the wife of "Patient 76". Shed landed March 10 at the Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh City on Turkish Airlines flight TK162. From March 10-16, the couple traveled through HCMC, Can Tho City, Hoi An and Hue. On March 16, she came to Ninh Binh Province and had her samples taken. "Patient 187", a 30-year-old U.S. national, stayed in Hanois Tay Ho District after landing March 13 at the Noi Bai airport on Vietnam Airlines flight VN54 . From March 13-19, he quarantined himself at home but came into contact with four Vietnamese and five foreigners living in the same building. On March 22, he had his swab samples taken and he was confirmed positive for the novel coronavirus on March 25. Of Vietnam's current total of 188 confirmed Covid-19 cases, 25 have been discharged after treatment. Many of the currently active cases are Vietnamese nationals returning from Europe and the U.S. and foreigners coming from the same regions. The government on Sunday decided to suspend all international passenger flights to Vietnam and limit flights from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to other provinces and vice versa in the coming two weeks. Prime Minister announced the decision at an online meeting on Covid-19 fight with leaders of five cities Hanoi, HCMC, Hai Phong, Da Nang and Can Tho. Starting March 22, Vietnam has suspended entry for all foreign nationals, including those of Vietnamese origin and family members with visa waivers and halted all international flights from March 25. The Covid-19 pandemic has killed more than 31,700 people in 199 countries and territories. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a travel advisory for residents of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut on March 28 after President Donald Trump said an enforced quarantine of the three states was deemed unnecessary as the CCP virus pandemic continues to spread around the world. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus, which first emerged in Wuhan, to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. In its travel advisory released late Saturday night, the CDC urged people across the three states to refrain from non-essential domestic travel for the next 14 days, effective immediately. This does not include employees of critical infrastructure industries as defined by the Department of Homeland Security, including but not limited to trucking, public health professionals, financial services, and food supply, which it states have a special responsibility to maintain normal work schedules. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, and Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont will have full discretion to implement the CDCs latest domestic travel advisory, it notes. The advisory came after Trump told reporters that his administration was considering a short-term quarantine restricting travel in the hot spot areas as he had been told that New Yorkers were traveling to places like Florida, potentially spreading the virus. As cases of the CCP virus continue to rise in America, New York has now officially become the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak, with 53,455 people infected and 883 reported deaths. New Jersey has 11,124 confirmed cases and 140 reported deaths, while Connecticut has 1,524 confirmed cases and 33 reported deaths. Were thinking about certain things. Some people would like to see New York quarantined because its a hotspot, he told reporters at the White House on Saturday. We might not have to do it, but theres a possibility that sometime today well do a quarantineshort-term, two weekson New York, probably New Jersey, certain parts of Connecticut, he added. Trump also wrote on Twitter hours earlier that he was giving consideration to a quarantine of developing hot spots, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, adding that a decision will be made, one way or another, shortly. However, after speaking to the White House CoronaVirus Task Force and the governors of the three states, the president said that an enforced quarantine would not be necessary. On the recommendation of the White House CoronaVirus Task Force, and upon consultation with the Governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, I have asked the @CDCgov to issue a strong Travel Advisory, to be administered by the Governors, in consultation with the Federal Government. A quarantine will not be necessary, Trump wrote on Twitter Saturday. Ahead of the CDCs travel advisory on Saturday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo suggested an enforced lockdown would not be legal, calling it a declaration of war on states, that would cause chaos and mayhem, and shock the economic markets in a way that weve never seen before. Again, Ive been speaking to the president. This would be a declaration of war on states. A federal declaration of war, he told CNN. And it wouldnt just be just New York, New Jersey, Connecticut. Next week it would be Louisiana with New Orleans, and the next week after that it would be Detroit, Michigan and it could run all across the nation. And I dont think the president is looking to start a lot of wars with a lot of states just about now for a lot of reasons. The Governor noted that New York is already doing a mandatory isolation, which has seen its citizens staying at home unless they are deemed an essential worker. From The Epoch Times Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 03:54:32|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close An empty street is seen in the central Israeli city of Tel Aviv on March 28, 2020. Israel reported 584 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 3,619, Israeli Ministry of Health said. (Gideon Markowicz/JINI/Handout via Xinhua) JERUSALEM, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Israel reported 584 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 3,619, Israeli Ministry of Health said. Of the 493 patients being treated in hospitals across Israel, 54 are in serious condition, the ministry said. Out of the other 3,126 cases, 12 have died, 1,828 are treated in home quarantine, 484 are treated in hotels converted into treatment facilities, 89 have recovered, and the remaining 713 will be treated at home, hotel or hospital in accordance with decisions to be made soon. Earlier on Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that further restrictions would be required over COVID-19 concerns. The Israeli government will discuss on Sunday reducing the maximum number of employees allowed to attend workplaces, from 30 percent to 10 percent. Mnuchin: Americans Can Expect Stimulus Checks Within 3 Weeks Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and other White House economic officials told reporters Sunday that Americans can expect checks from the massive $2 trillion stimulus bill to be deposited in their accounts within three weeks. Mnuchin told reporters that his number one objective is now delivering to the American workers and American companies the needed money that will put this economy in a position where it gets through the next eight to 10 weeks. Congress passed the stimulus bill, which will deliver $1,200 to many Americans and $500 for each child, last week as unemployment claims surge and businesses are closed amid the CCP virus pandemic. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China before it was transmitted worldwide. Mnuchin said there will be a website-based application for Americans who dont get a direct deposit, CNN reported. He also told small businesses: Go back and hire your workers because the government is paying you to do that. The direct cash payments will begin phasing out for individuals with adjusted gross incomes of more than $75,000. Larry Kudlow, Trumps top economic adviser, told ABC News on Sunday that loans to small businesses will be ready for processing this coming week. And the direct checks [to Americans] will come out probably in two weeks I believe Secretary [Steven] Mnuchin is saying, he said. White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow talks to media outside the White House in Washington on Sept. 26, 2019. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) The loans to small businesses will be ready for processing this coming week, this coming Friday, Kudlow continued. So we will have rapid speed, much faster than has been done in the past with these things and so we will get it into the peoples hands right away. Mnuchin, who has been the lead White House negotiator on the stimulus package, told Fox News Sunday that he believes the U.S. economy will rebound after the virus subsides. He was asked about whether the unemployment rate could reach 20 percent or more. Its hard to predict these numbers because weve never had anything like this where we shut down the U.S. economy for medical reasons, Mnuchin told the network. The economy was in very, very good health when we shut it down, and let me just say, were very sympathetic to the people who dont have jobs, and thats why the president was very clear he wanted me to work with Congress on a bipartisan basis quickly to support those people. Apparel workers struggle to meet expenses during COVID-19 curfew By Bandula Sirimanna View(s): View(s): The government and Sri Lankas garment industry employers have been urged to step in and look after the well-being of thousands of workers who face hardships as factories close and orders dry up in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many apparel factories are already closing due to a shortage of raw materials from China and declining orders from western clothing brands. Quarantine and self-isolation measures being imposed by the government would result in more closures of factories in the days and weeks to come. Under these circumstances Sri Lanka apparel sector workers are facing difficulties as most of them are stranded in their boarding houses during the curfew period following the closure of the majority of garment factories in export processing zones and industrial parks, a frontline trade union leader said. As some of the factories continued operations till the declaration of the curfew despite the request to close factories by the government, the employees especially in Katunayake, Biyagama and Sithawaka Free Trade Zones have not been able to return to their villages, he said adding that these workers are now stranded in their boarding houses. The Government and the Board of Investment (BOI) have been urged to provide some relief for these workers as most of them especially the daily paid manpower agency employees are in difficulty in finding their daily meals, Free Trade Zones and General Services Employees Union (FTZ-GSEU) Joint Secretary Anton Marcus said. He told the Business Times that he will bring this matter to the attention of the BOI authorities to make some arrangement to meet the daily needs of apparel workers as many factories are closed for a period of two to three weeks while some are planning to prolong it. Thousands of employees are suffering without money as their monthly salary will be paid on or before April 10 and hundreds of daily paid manpower agency workers had to beg for some payment from agency owners, he revealed. A tripartite task force has been set up to deal with the crisis in the garment sector, he said adding that several meetings were held to discuss ways and means to settle issues faced by the workers. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa convened a special meeting to discuss the impact of the virus on the garment industry with four unions, which emphasised the welfare need for workers, he disclosed. At the meeting unions emphasised the need of paying minimum wages in case of temporary closure and additional payment to cover the loss of overtime payments over a longer period. The task force also discussed workers health protection and other welfare issues including food shortage of workers during curfew period. The FTZ-GSEU has urged the government to take action to address the situation including taking responsibility for worker wages, and calls upon brands to take responsibility for their supply chains. 29.03.2020 LISTEN The Member of Parliament for Daffiama-Bussie-Issa, Hon Sebastian Sandaare who before becoming a member of Parliament, was a medical doctor and health director, has stated that the government of Ghana is being reactive in the fight against the COVID-19. He made the statement while contributing to the subject of COVID-19 on Alhaji Alhaji, a famous Saturday program broadcast by Pan African TV. He said the virus started spreading from its epicenter somewhere in December 2019 and one would have expected the government to have put in place adequate preventive measures to stop the virus from coming into our country. According to him, government could have closed our brothers earlier enough to control movement of people into the country. The government, however, was reluctant in the close of the borders, perhaps, because of the economic disadvantages in closing borders. He added that it was when the number of cases were drastically increasing in Ghana that the government has now reacted by closing its borders. This he described as being reactive. Hon Sebastian Sandaare pointed out the many fallouts in the fight against the pandemic. He particularly mentioned that many health workers in various districts have not received PPEs and other logistics needed to deal with the situation even though the government claimed to have distributed some of those logistics. The lawmaker expressed his displeasure on the approach of the government in the fight. He indicated that government should have assembled experts to deal with the situation and not his government officials which are largely not health experts or professionals. He described that as a partisan approach adopted instead of a bipartisan approach that would have included experts who are not government officials. Again, he stated that the community health surveillance volunteers, who act as "health intelligence picking" in the various communities are left out. He was not happy that the structures are not being used, decision making is very slow and they appear to be more talks than action. He called on the government to as a matter of urgency, distribute enough logistics to the health workers. He also called on the government to make logistics available for mass random testing across the country whereas we intensify public education and encourage others to adhere to the preventive measures. International service company, Serco Middle East, specialising in the delivery of essential public services, has appointed Hana Abu Kharmeh to the role of Human Resources Director, following an extensive internal and external recruitment process. Bringing over 16 years of multinational experience to the role, Kharmehs appointment follows her one-year tenure as regional HR business partner for the company, where she consistently demonstrated high performance and deep understanding of Sercos core values and culture as she led HR teams across Serco in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Iraq, said a statement. During this time, Kharmeh and her team focused on laying the foundation for compliance and governance within the organisation. In addition, talent acquisition campaigns were also a focus for her in alignment with many other Serco divisions globally. She has also invested in building relationships with clients, external stakeholders and government officials to facilitate and enable Sercos growth and commitment towards nationalisation, it said. In her new role, Kharmeh will be responsible for leading Serco Middle Easts nationalisation agenda, a key part of the companys strategy. She will also focus on diversity and inclusion efforts, and developing Sercos organisation and leadership capabilities across the region. Phil Malem, CEO of Serco Middle East, added: Hana is a true business partner who is passionate about people, continuous improvement and creating the right culture through our values of Trust, Pride, Care and Innovation. Id like to congratulate Hana on her well-deserved promotion to HR Director; this is testament to her ambition and drive, and people-focused attitude, and were looking forward to supporting her as she continues to drive excellence across the business. In Kharmeh's new role, she will report directly to Malem and be a crucial part of the Serco Middle East executive management team. Her predecessor, former Serco Middle East HR Director Rebecca Jeffs, has accepted a UK-based position as Serco Groups Colleague Experience Director. The promotions of both Kharmeh and Jeffs are a testament to Sercos initiatives to encourage internal mobility and foster the professional growth of its employees, the company said. - TradeArabia News Service 1870: A Lincoln editor saw a problem for the county commission: For several days back the crossing of Stevens Creek bridge on the Ashland road has been at imminent risk of the lives of passengers and teams. We should wonder if the county had the horse that was drowned the other night to pay for, and perhaps the end of the drowning business is not yet. 1880: Both western and eastern mails were late, causing complaints by Lincoln postal patrons. 1890: Hunters in the Utica area were admiring a young man who was said to have killed five geese at one shot. The government hadnt yet limited hunting seasons. 1900: From a Lincoln editors pen: When the railroad managers remind the people of Omaha that they have given no assistance to the street fairs and festivals of Denver, Lincoln and Kansas City, and therefore ought not to be called upon to help out the Ak-Sar-Ben show, they mean it as a gentle hint to all of the cities of the West that the companies cannot be expected to go down into their treasuries for cash to boom local shows. On Tuesday, Genesis Health Systems opened a mobile collection sample site in Moline, one week after the opening of its first in Davenport. The site is open 8 a.m.-8 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, at Genesis HealthPlex, 3900 28th Ave. Dr., Moline. Tests are performed for COVID-19, seasonal influenza and strep but only for patients referred and sample-ordered by a Genesis medical provider. For many people, getting tested for COVID-19 is in no way easy. Tests are not plentiful. Health experts recommend people with flu-like symptoms should proceed as though they have COVID-19 even if they have not been tested and take precautions by isolating themselves and minimizing the risk of transmission. They also should call a doctor with questions and call ahead if they're planning to visit a health care facility so staff can prepare. Letters to the Editor View(s): Foreign pensioners face many hassles Eligibility for pension after retirement until death and in the event of death, entitlement for widows and orphans pension for spouse and children are incentives for youths to seek employment in the Government Service. In the last few years, Government pensioners living in foreign countries are being harassed by the Department of Pensions and undergo many difficulties to draw their pension and use their pension money according to their wishes. Until 2009, all Sri Lankan Government pensioners were paid by the Divisional Secretaries through their Sri Lankan bank accounts, whether in State Banks or private banks, whether current or savings accounts and even whether individual or joint accounts. Those Sri Lankan Government pensioners who had moved to foreign countries (foreign pensioners), who wanted their pension paid in their country of residence were paid through the Foreign Missions in those countries. Many foreign pensioners opted to continue to draw their pension through their bank accounts in Sri Lanka and they were allowed to do so. In 2009, the Department of Pensions centralized payment of foreign pensioners and payments are being paid by the Foreign Pension Unit. With this centralization, foreign pensioners were compelled to open new special individual savings accounts for depositing their pensions in any of two specified State Bank Branches in Colombo and the pension money was deposited in either of these two bank branches. ATM, internet banking and joint account facilities were denied. The pensioners could withdraw money from their bank accounts only when they visited Sri Lanka. Subsequently two more private bank branches were added to this action. Pensioners drawing their pension through the Foreign Missions continued to enjoy that facility. Later, due to protests, pensioners were allowed to transfer their pension money from their individual special pension savings accounts to any other accounts. This facility is also denied from late 2019. Pensioners who were drawing their pension through the Foreign Missions were shocked to find that they were not paid their pension from October 2018. It was only in early 2019 that they were told that they would not be paid their pensions through the Foreign Missions in future except in very special cases, that they too should open new special pension savings account in any of the four specified bank branches in Colombo and that their pension would be deposited to these accounts. Though thousands of pensioners whose pensions were stopped in October 2018 had complied with these directions in early 2019, most of them are yet to get their pensions and their 18 months arrears. In mid 2018, the Department of Pensions informed the pensioners that the facility to transfer pension money from their individual special pension savings account to any other bank account, was being stopped and that they could only transfer their money to another individual savings account in any other branch of the same bank or to an individual savings account in a bank in their country of residence. The four bank branches had been forced to implement rigorously the Pensions Departments directions from late 2019. As a result many foreign pensioners who had been using their pension money in Sri Lanka itself by transferring to their relations or for social activities, temples, schools etc did not want to undergo the burden of opening another individual savings account in any other branch of the same bank but were compelled to apply for transfer of their pension money to their bank accounts in their country of residence. Does the Department of Pensions and/or the Government of Sri Lanka not realise that the country would be losing a lot of foreign exchange as a result? Hundreds of foreign pensioners are not yet paid their pension increases granted by Public Administration Circular 16/2015, Thousands of foreign pensioners are not yet paid their pension increases granted by Public Administration Circular 14/2019. The Department of Pensions does not attend to or acknowledge receipt of or reply letters written by the foreign pensioners but appears to be encouraging pensioners or on their behalf, their relatives or friends to visit the Department to solve their individual problems, thus seemingly leaving room for bribery and corruption. According to the statistics provided by the Department of Pensions, in its website, 9,815 foreign pensioners had been paid their pension in February 2020. - Sri Lankan Government Pensioner in Canada Via email May the MCC be given a respectable burial With so much being debated in and out of mass media, the Millennium Challenge Corporation proposals have baffled the average citizen, perplexed two governments and engaged the scrutiny of a team of intellectuals. It was Ikin in his Pageant of World History who compared the ancient world to a melting pot but didnt foresee that the modern world would be the same. Any serious attempt to unravel the ramifications and implications of the MCC and suggest its feasibility or otherwise must engage a successful student of history, both modern and ancient, both Eastern and Western, in addition to the dynamics of current politics together with its major forces and directions. There have been instances where the MCC has worked smoothly but the vacillating and deeply unpredictable nature of the treatment to some of our Asian neighbours by the seemingly benevolent donor has been, in the aggregate, displaying not only divisive and aggressive form but an invasive propensity mainly due to its own history of its consistent inability to control either rising inventories of military arsenal or its unscrupulous arming of populations of all age groups. More than all such similar negative characteristics, the behaviour displayed towards our own independent nation in more recent instances as, for example, in its transportation of military arsenal through our sea and airports into a war zone of its own creation, and in which we were never a party of, has severely damaged the scant regard with which it was previously held. By such irritating acts of disrespectful commission its diplomatic stature is unconsciously and invisibly diminished. To deal with its objectives of alleviating poverty, one would be justified in asking how developing urban transport infrastructure could improve poverty which is concentrated in the rural population! With such incompatibility one is prompted to suspect whether the inclusion of such impossibility as the primary objective has been contemplated to clothe its more incompatible, sinister projections. However, it is patently clear to every level-headed individual that the problem of land tenure, inventorying state land and regulatory documentation is an entirely parochial and internal concern which has already seen some progress with the inauguration of the Bimsaviya programme. It would require only a blind imbecile to consent to its application and to suffer its subtle and coercive implications! May the MCC be given a respectable burial if it refuses to be cremated and be reborn in another of the six heavens or the seventh. To quote half a quartrain from Ogden Nash, Losing your face is no disgrace, But losing your poise is final. (with due recognition to limitations in plastic and reconstructive surgery.) - Dhanu Via email Staggered shopping roster with ID card as virtual curfew pass Lifting the curfew to enable everyone to shop at the same time defeats the purpose of the curfew. This is shown by the overcrowding that happened last Frida, and on Tuesday, at many markets, supermarkets and shops in Colombo: the trading period is simply too short and the target population too large. The important objective is to keep supermarkets, markets, pharmacies, etc open at regular trading hours, but limit the people allowed on the streets to buy essential goods at any given period. For example, one approach is to divide the population-based either on (a) the last digit of national ID (which will randomly divide population to 10) or (b) the first digit (or 3rd in new ID) which will divide population to say 6 age groups say 2-3-4, 5-6, 7, 8, 9, 0-1. Allocate slots of say 4-5 hours, two times a week for the different groups of the population separated as above. This has the advantage of a simple and easy to understand solution that reduces the people on the streets at any given time to manageable levels. Please solve the overcrowding when the curfew is lifted for short periods. That is effectively a lot worse than no curfew. - Lankan Citizen Via email Hope the law will see what we, the people see The claim that the tyre that hit ragging victim Pasindu was a bus tyre is an absolute lie. The students who saw what happened will tell you that the tyre was a large tractor tyre used by the rugby team in their training programmes. The act was intentional, the tyre was obviously taken upstairs long before the students had got inebriated. We hope that the law will see what we, the people see, and give these hooligans the proper punishment for their dastardly deed. - A. Nihal Perera Kalubowila, Dehiwela Sad state of our teledramas Aiyo, what is happening to our teledramas? Some say this is due to foreign influence. Without blaming others we should try to correct our industry sensibly. Of the former teledramas we saw Charthurya beat the rest. The natural and convincing acting was outstanding. Some of the other teledramas too are quite commendable but sadly, in my view, the recent productions are not worth mentioning. We are being entertained by watching them having a cup of tea or their meals. I implore all directors and artists to improve this situation or we will not be watching teledramas any more. - Anandi Kulatilleke Via email In the dark times, will there also be singing? Bertolt Brecht, the great German poet and playwright, once asked the question. Well, we all know the answer: You bet there will be, Mr Brecht. Therell be singing from our windows, from our balconies and from the rooftops. Therell be writing too, also texting and emailing and Skyping and Zooming and YouTubing, and clapping. And dancing in the streets, when we can, when its all over. Weve been here before, through times even darker than these. We should remember that. Not in my memory, though, and not in many of yours. Our parents and grandparents knew such times, and worse. And they sang their way through and out of their dark times. In the music-hall days of the First World War, there was a rousing song whose chorus began like this: Are we downhearted? No! Then let your voices ring and altogether sing! Are we downhearted? No! People in Woodford Green, London, join a national applause for the NHS from their homes Singing chases away the demons of gloom and despondency, makes us feel we are not alone, that well get through. We will too, but get through to what? To the world as it was before? I think not. I hope not. So lets reflect on how each of us feels about where we are, how we got here and how and where we could be going afterwards. The story of this pandemic is worldwide, of course, but it is also personal. I dont think I really began to understand the seriousness of the coronavirus, of what was happening and its consequences, until I looked out of my cottage window one early morning a few weeks ago. I saw a dozen or so schoolchildren in wellies, walking down the lane with sacks over their shoulders on their way to feed the sheep, as they had been nearly every morning for the past 45 years. I knew this was the last morning I would be seeing this. Normally I loved to see them out at work on the farm, it cheered my heart. Staff outside St James's University Hospital in Leeds wave to people applauding their work One hundred thousand city children had been there before them, farmers for a week of their young lives. That morning I felt so overwhelmed with sadness that I had to look away. I also had a very strong sense of deja vu. It took me a while to remember. In 2001, the charity my wife Clare and I had begun at Nethercott, near Iddesleigh in deepest Devon, Farms For City Children, had to shut down. Another epidemic was stalking the land: foot-and-mouth. The countryside was closing down. No visitors were allowed on farms. And that included our children from the cities. Strange then that this thought gave me hope. Because that epidemic was a dark time for so many rural communities like ours. Memories came back, of the mass slaughter, the black smoke from burning cattle drifting along the valley, of farming friends living through hell. Yet it ended, this terrible epidemic. It seemed as if it never would, but it did. Hope springs eternal, with good reason. Hope and science and dedication ended that epidemic, just as they will end this one. There have been two spikes of hope in my lifetime: the late 1940s and the 1960s. Clare and I were children in the late 1940s and the 1950s: the 1944 Education Act, a National Health Service, a new young Queen, the Festival of Britain, Tenzing and Hillary climbing Everest, Roger Bannisters four-minute mile the fog of postwar gloom lifting slowly, with rationing, maybe, and bomb sites all around us, but with hope of a brave new world ahead. And by the 1960s we could believe it was really happening, that we were part of a special time, that the times they really were a-changing. We could help make it happen. People clap for the NHS from their balconies in Bristol at 8pm on March 26 In the flush of this optimism, committed and naive no doubt, and seeing the world feelingly as we did, we, with some good friends and farmers, launched Farms for City Children to enrich the lives of our urban children. And so for all these years they came to the farm, 35 at a time, soon to two other farms as well, because demand from schools was so great. Theyd be planting and harvesting, looking after cows and sheep and pigs and horses and poultry, working alongside real farmers, living the country life. Theyd stomp through the mud, scuffle leaves, break the ice in the puddles, hear buzzards mewing high in the sky, glimpse a heron lifting off the river, see swallows skimming over the meadows, watch sheep and cows giving birth. And in the evenings Id read stories to them in front of a log fire, and theyd listen, hot chocolate in hand. This was our life, Clares and mine. This was our dream. And now at my window I was watching the last city children walk up the lane again, the last we would be seeing for months, for who knows how long. Then I realised that thousands upon thousands of businesses which of course are people and individuals and charities up and down the land are going through the same dark times, the same trauma, the same deep sadness, the same uncertainty about employment and money, anxiety about protecting ourselves and everyone we know and love from the infection, as the epidemic spreads remorselessly. And Im thinking, as many of us are: will there ever be an end to this? Can our doctors and nurses and hospital workers and carers keep going? Can they, can we, somehow get through it? How can we get through this and come out the other side? And what will the other side look like? Are granny and grandpa all right? When will we see family and friends again? When will we hug them again? Medical staff pictured rushing an 18-year-old coronavirus patient through a hospital Befuddled by all these unanswerable questions, I remember two others: will there also be singing? Are we downhearted? Yes, to the first. No, to the second. I sing often in the shower. Not a pretty sight, not a pretty sound. But in my resonant bathroom I can believe I sound like Pavarotti. And because I was singing, I was thinking positive thoughts in my shower. I will share them, for what they are worth. Out of this cruel pandemic, despite all its appalling consequences, I have learnt great lessons. Were the skies and streets ever quieter? Do the birds not seem to sing more? Is the air not cleaner to breathe? Do we not feel more kinship with neighbours, with everyone about us, because we really are all in this together, Prince and Prime Minister, employed or unemployed, prisoner or rough sleeper? Unable to see our friends and relations, do we not think of them more? Do we not take everyone less for granted, those who work to keep us fed, and cared for? Did we not forget just how good and kind and generous we can be, those who put themselves in danger to help those less able to help themselves? Are we not discovering in ourselves and in others so much that we might have forgotten? And does this not give us hope and a fierce determination that, after this monster has finally been destroyed, and he will be, he will be, we can create a new world in which everyone matters, and a world and a life and a sense of community that are more precious to us, because we no longer take them for granted? See, Mr Brecht? Your question should have been. In the dark times, will there also be singing in the shower? Yes, Mr Brecht. Oh, yes. Signs at the Forest Hollow Mobile Home Community in Beaumont, Texas, advise residents to wash their hands. That simple act is the first line of defence against the infection that sickens victims of the coronavirus. But when Amy Yancy, unemployed, left the hospital this month after suffering a miscarriage, she was unable to follow the instructions. The water at the trailer park had been shut off. I was terrified we would get sick, Yancy said. Already, eight people have tested positive for the novel virus in the southeastern Texas city, where nearly 20 per cent of residents are in poverty above the national average. Yancys predicament is shared by Americans throughout the country, as the escalating outbreak exposes how uneven access is to resources like water resources allowing private individuals unable to protect themselves as public institutions stumble. As many as 15 million Americans experience a water shutoff each year, according to one 2016 estimate. That leaves them unable to clean themselves and flush the toilet, all because of nonpayment, compounded by spiralling late fees. Scores of cities have tried to prevent water deprivation from exacerbating the public-health emergency by pausing shutoffs during the pandemic. Some states have even stepped in. But getting the water turned back on can prove an arduous process, leaving the most vulnerable without basic protection against the coronavirus. In numerous cases where service has been restored, access has depended on legal intervention or philanthropic goodwill, underscoring the precariousness of public works, even during a pandemic. You cant wash your hands, you cant flush your toilet, you cant clean your house or take care of your family, said Mary Grant, a campaign director at Food and Water Watch. And during a global pandemic, we shouldnt need to depend on court action or some other extraordinary step for people to have basic water service. In Beaumont, the problem was not that Yancy had failed to pay her bills. She was up to date, she said, on her $1,050 monthly rent, which covers water, sewage and trash for the two-bedroom trailer she shares with her husband. Theirs is one of 65 units, whose residents include both very young children and elderly adults; some live as many as eight to a trailer. One resident, Tonya Lanham, is caring for her fiance, who is sick with cancer, at the trailer park. It was the facilitys operator, Southern Choice LLC, that was behind on water payments following significant cost spikes. In dispute was $50,000, according to court records. The city turned off the water on 19 March, the same day the states public health commissioner declared a public-health disaster and the same day Yancy returned from the hospital. Without proper running water, US residents are asking how they can hope to wash their hands properly in the fight against Covid-19 (Getty) (Getty Images/iStockphoto) She needed water not only to stay hydrated for her recovery but to keep herself clean. Her husband found two gallons discarded on a random aisle of a nearby store everyone was panic-buying by that point and her sister drove an hour-and-a-half to retrieve another two gallons, she said. They used what they had to bathe and flush the toilet. Jeff, who asked to be identified only by his first name because he works for the state, moved his family to a hotel room for a day so they could wash. We were in a situation where we couldnt follow the health advice being put out by our own government because they had cut off our water, he said. Meanwhile, complaints piled up on a Facebook page for the trailer park. Lanham, 48, used social media to contact a judge in Jefferson County. His wife replied, saying her complaint was the second they had received about water shutoffs in the area. An attorney for the property manager sought to negotiate with the city, proposing the operator pay what it could. But the city demanded $30,000 to restore service, according to court records. The city manager, Kyle Hayes, did not respond to multiple requests for comment. A representative for the property, Bill Rodwell, said the city had been overbilling the trailer park. We want to do everything in our power to provide a safe, nice, quiet place to live, he added The owners of a Missouri insurance agency contributed $5,000 to cover bills after the city said it would cut off water to residents who had not paid (iStock) Residents at Forest Hollow said the conditions have been anything but. I dont care if you have an ongoing dispute with the landlord you dont do that during a crisis, said Lanham, who recently lost her job as an assistant manager at a Lubys restaurant. On 21 March, Southern Choice sued the city in district court in Jefferson County. At 6pm that Saturday, a judge granted a temporary restraining order requiring the city to turn on the water. Specifically, the lack of running water could result in loss of life and prohibits hand washing and proper hygiene during the Covid-19 health disaster, found the judge, Baylor Wortham. The water came on that night. But the judges order expires next month. I dont know how long the water will stay on, Yancy said. In some places, it is still being shut off. In Billings, Montana, identified by Food and Water Watch as among the 30 cities with the highest shut-off rates, terminations continue, an employee with the public works department confirmed this week. Mount Vernon, Illinois, conducted shutoffs throughout March but will pause new ones in April, according to the city manager. Shutoffs are most frequent in the South, as well as in low-income cities burdened by poverty and unemployment. But the problem is increasingly pervasive. Nearly 36 per cent of households could be unable to afford water in five years if rates rise at projected levels, a scholar at Michigan State University recently found. Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Show all 20 1 /20 Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Top: Nabi Younes market, Mosul Bottom: Charles Bridge, Prague Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Grand Mosque, Mecca Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Sagrada Familia, Barcelona Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Nabi Younes market, Mosul Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Basra Grand Mosque, Iraq Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Charles Bridge, Prague Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Taj Mahal hotel, India Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Dubai Mall, UAE Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Beirut March, Lebanon Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Gateway of India, Mumbai Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Cairo University, Egypt Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Amman Citadel, Jordan Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Beirut March, Lebanon Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Cairo, Egypt Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Cairo University, Egypt Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Victoria Memorial, India Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Amman Citadel, Jordan Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Amman Citadel, Jordan Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Sidon, Lebanon Reuters While draft legislation in the House responding to the coronavirus outbreak included $1.5bn to defray water costs, coupled with a mandate that recipient states halt utility shutoffs, the $2.2tn package advanced in the Senate and approved Friday by the House does not include a similar allocation. That leaves tens of thousands of water systems across the country to make these decisions, said Grant, the campaign director at Food and Water Watch. Its a patchwork of regulatory agencies. Legal action was required in Beaumont, after a three-day scramble to get the city to reverse course. In Troy, Missouri, a private act of philanthropy filled the gap. This month, as the novel virus bore down on the state, the owners of an insurance agency contributed $5,000 to cover delinquent bills after the city said it would cut off water to residents who had not paid. We rely on members of the community to give us their money to sustain our livelihoods, so we needed to be able to reverse engineer that and help our neighbours, said Ramiz Hakim, a co-owner of North Star Insurance Advisors in Wentzville, Missouri. Jodi Schneider, Troys city clerk, said the city was following its regular policy for having to do monthly disconnections. She said the board of aldermen would consider changes to the policy at its next meeting, scheduled for Monday night. Among cities that have halted shutoffs, many are also vowing to restore utilities discontinued before the onset of the public-health emergency. But not proactively enough, warn advocates. In Detroit, where taps were shut off in about 23,000 homes last year, the city said its crews were canvassing the 2,800 homes where water was known to be discontinued, and that nearly 1,500 homes had already taken advantage of the promised restoration. But Monica Lewis-Patrick, a Detroit activist, said there were tens of thousands of homes overlooked in the citys data. In Buffalo, New York, the water department has agreed to restore service but is asking residents to call a customer service line to set up an appointment. Local attorneys said the arrangement presumes the citys most vulnerable residents have access to a telephone, as well as to television or other media where the number has been circulated. But Oluwole McFoy, chairman of the board for Buffalo Water, said the city cannot instantaneously switch back on the water for fear that plumbing problems might lead to flooding. We need a contact, and we need someone present when our crews arrive, McFoy said. The citys message, he added, was, Please call, please call. Steven Halpern, an attorney at the Western New York Law Centre, called the expectation grossly unfair. He helped one of his clients, a 67-year-old Vietnam veteran who had been collecting rainwater to flush his toilet, request service, but he said there were doubtlessly hundreds of others in the city who dont have lawyers, who havent been in contact with anyone about this issue. Recommended Coronavirus news you might have missed overnight His client, who asked not to be identified, said, The shower felt so good. Andrea O Suilleabhain, executive director of the Buffalo-based Partnership for the Public Good, estimated as many as 4,000 households a year have their water shut off for lack of payment. The city should have a list, she said, and could proactively communicate with these households. McFoy said 128 households had been without water in the last month, and 64 had seen the resource restored since the onset of the pandemic. Now, the water department is accepting from advocates a list of their clients most in need of water. In turn, advocates are asking the city to consider why a resource as fundamental as water is ever switched off. Equitable access to affordable water was a national issue even before this crisis, Halpern said The Washington Post The Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketing Companies Association of Ghana has called on the general public to desist from rushing to various retail outlets across the country to purchase gas ahead of the partial lock-down of Accra, Tema, Kasoa, and Kumasi on March 30, 2020. This comes after hundreds of people in response to the partial lock-down announcement massed up at some LPG retail outlets, banks and markets on Saturday. This is in spite of the fact that all these service providers are deemed essential services, and are thus exempted from the lockdown. According to the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketing Companies Association of Ghana, it is necessary for people to stop massing up their outlets to curtail the continuous spread of the novel Coronavirus as long queues are formed at the pumps thus making it difficult for them to observe the social distancing rule. A statement signed by the Chairman of the Association, Malam Bukari Amadu, assured the general public that all its retail outlets across the country will be opened during the two-week partial lock-down. The Liquified Petroleum Gas Marketing Companies Association of Ghana wishes to assure our esteemed customers that they will not be affected by the impending lock-down, and hence will not be shutting down retail outlets across the country, We therefore plead with the general public to desist from massing up at our pumps with the hope of buying more than what is urgently needed. We are worried that the queues at these pumps may aid and speed up the spread of the Coronavirus (Covid -19), and endanger you our dear cherished customers, the statement noted. The Association further cautioned the general public against hoarding of LPG at home as it 'presents its own danger and challenges to the households and its immediate environs.' It also urged the public to refrain from panic buying as you can be rest assured that not only do we have enough supplies, we are also open to serve you at all material times during the period. Currently, Ghana has recorded 141 cases with 5 deaths and 2 recoveries. Globally, The global number of COVID-19 cases is almost 600,000 with over 27,000 deaths. ---citinewsroom President Hassan Rouhani warned Sunday that "the new way of life" in Iran was likely to be prolonged, as its declared death toll from the novel coronavirus rose to 2,640. The Islamic republic is one of the countries worst-hit by the virus, which first originated in China. Iran announced its first infection cases on February 19, but a senior health official has acknowledged that the virus was likely to have already reached Iran in January. At his daily briefing, health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said 123 more people in Iran had died from the virus in the past 24 hours. He reported 2,901 new cases of COVID-19 infection, bringing the overall number of officially confirmed cases to 38,309. According to the official, 12,391 of those hospitalised have recovered and 3,467 are in "critical" condition. "We must prepare to live with this virus until a treatment or vaccine is discovered, which has not yet happened to date," President Hassan Rouhani said in a cabinet meeting. "The new way of life we have adopted" is to everyone's benefit, he said, adding that "these changes will likely have to stay in place for some time". After weeks of refraining from imposing lockdown or quarantine measures, Tehran decided Wednesday to ban all intercity travel until at least April 8. Without an official lockdown in place, the government has repeatedly urged Iranians to stay home "as much as possible". Schools and universities in some provinces were closed in late February and the measure was later extended to the whole country. After Rouhani's warning, the reopening of schools following this year's Persian New Year holidays of March 19 to April 3 appears unlikely. On a positive note, Rouhani said he had been told by top health experts and doctors that "in some provinces we have passed the peak (of the epidemic) and are on a downward trajectory". Several Iranian government officials and notable figures have been infected by the new coronavirus, some of whom have died. The most recent case of infection was Mohammad-Reza Khatami, brother of former president Mohammad Khatami and an ex-deputy speaker of parliament. He is currently hospitalised, according to state agency IRNA. Iraj Harirchi, a deputy health minister who tested positive for the virus in late February, has returned to public life and appeared on state television to emphasise safety precautions. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Krystael Gainer Cynthia Jones Jessi Mizelle Emanuel Ruiz Kaley Silverthorne Frances Smith Claire Taylor Morgan Taylor Attila Nemecz Marketing and Public Relations Coordinator Beaufort County Community College 5337 U.S. Highway 264 East Washington, N.C. 27889 Ph : 252-940-6387 : 252-940-6387 Cell : 252-940-8672 : 252-940-8672 attila.nemecz@beaufortccc.edu The Beaufort County Community College Foundation is proud to announce the following scholarship recipients for the spring 2020 semester. The BCCC Foundation has awarded over $180,000 in scholarships during the 2019-2020 academic year., 30, has received the Hannah Page Scholarship. She is a Williamston resident and a medical office administration student. Gainer attended Williamston High School and holds a Bachelor of Science in Sociology. She plans to work with Vidant or in a doctor's office and currently works at Martin General Hospital in patient access and registration.Family and friends established the Hannah Page Endowment in December 1999. She was a beloved faculty member in the BCCC Business Division. The endowment provides an annual scholarship to a medical office administration student., 47, has received the Washington Women's Club Scholarship. She is a New Bern resident and a nursing student. She works at Carolina East Medical Center as a patient care tech II. Jones attended Pamlico High School and plans to become a registered nurse.The Washington Woman's Club established this fund in 1999. It provides an annual scholarship to a second-year nursing student residing in Beaufort County. Recipients must have a 3.5 GPA and be willing to work in Beaufort County for one year after they graduate from the nursing program., 19, has received the Harold & Louise Lane Scholarship. She is an Ahoskie resident and a nursing student. She attended Bertie Early College High School, and she plans to transfer to a university to earn her Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She is the daughter of Doug and Judy Mizelle of Ahoskie.Established in 1998 in memory of Harold Alton Lane, Jr., and in honor of Constance Lane Howard, by their parents Harold Lane, Sr. and his wife Louise, this endowment provides annual scholarships to one or more students in the nursing and or an associate degree program., 19, has received the Kimberly & David Teeter Scholarship. He is a Greenville resident and a nursing student. He currently works as a certified nurse aide I at River Trace Nursing & Rehabilitation. He attended D. H. Conley High School, and he plans to become a nursing instructor. He is the son of Lorenza Ruiz and Ricardo Romero.Established in 1994 in memory of Kimberly Anne Teeter, and expanded in 2009 to include David, the daughter and son of Ruth and Vernon Teeter, this scholarship is awarded annually to a student enrolled in the college transfer curriculum and is in good academic standing. Preference is given to the child of a BCCC faculty or staff member., 19, received the Lucy W. Burgess Scholarship. She is a Jamesville resident who is working toward an Associate Degree in Nursing. She attended Bear Grass Charter School. She plans to work as a nurse in Eastern North Carolina, and she currently works as a server at Deadwood. She is the daughter of Anthony and Rhonda Silverthorne of Jamesville.Established in 1996 as a memorial to Lucy W. Burgess, a former resident of Beaufort County and long-term employee of the NC Department of Social Services, this annual scholarship is awarded to a student with academic promise. The recipient must have some work experience, be committed to getting an education, and have a GPA of 2.5 or higher., 29, has received the James Franklin & Hannah Bagwell. She is a Washington resident and a practical nursing student. She currently works at Vidant Beaufort Hospital as a nurse aide II. She attended Washington High School and plans to work as a travel nurse. She is the daughter of Frank Smith of Pamlico Beach and Lorie Thurman of Washington.Established in 1997, this endowment funds annual scholarships in memory of William Riley and Rosa Watson Roberson and William "Bill" Roberson Bagwell. The recipients of these awards must be high school or GED graduates enrolled in a degree, diploma, or certificate program, must demonstrate financial need and must show academic promise., 21, received the Irwin & Frances Hulbert and the Shereda Bailey Scholarship. She is a Williamston resident who is part of the nursing program. Taylor attended Riverside High School. She plans to attend East Carolina University to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She is the daughter of Roy and Lucy Taylor of Williamston.Established in 1991, first to memorialize Harry and Lorraine Alvis - the parents of Frances Hulbert, the Irwin & Frances Hulbert endowment was renamed in 2008 by the Hulbert children. Frances Hulbert served on the BCCC Foundation's Board of Directors for many years and her husband Irwin was an Episcopalian minister. The Hulbert scholarships are awarded to nursing students who demonstrate financial need and are in good academic standing. Preference is given to students committed to working with geriatric patients in Beaufort County for a period of one year after graduation.Shereda Bailey was a promising young BCCC nursing student who died unexpectedly in 2006 - just three weeks before graduation. Shereda's mother, Sheila Rogers, combined memorials raised by Shereda's fellow nursing students, and funds raised by family and friends, to start an endowment in her beloved daughter's memory. The scholarship is awarded to deserving nursing students under the age of twenty-five., 19, received the Harold & Louise Lane and the Lucy W. Burgess Scholarships. She is a Williamston resident who is part of the nursing program and part of the Regionally Increasing Baccalaureate Nurses (RIBN) program. Taylor attended Riverside High School. She plans work with Vidant Health as an emergency department nurse. She is the daughter of Mike and Michelle Taylor of Williamston.Established in 1998 in memory of Harold Alton Lane, Jr., and in honor of Constance Lane Howard, by their parents Harold Lane, Sr. and his wife Louise, the Harold & Louise Lane endowment provides annual scholarships to one or more students in the nursing and or an associate degree program.Established in 1996 as a memorial to Lucy W. Burgess, a former resident of Beaufort County and long-term employee of the NC Department of Social Services, the Lucy W. Burgess Scholarship is awarded to a student with academic promise. The recipient must have some work experience, be committed to getting an education, and have a GPA of 2.5 or higher.For more information, contact Serena Sullivan, at serena.sullivan@beaufortccc.edu or 252-940-6218. If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here India recorded over 130 fresh Covid-19 cases on Saturday as its total count soared past 1,000. Amid growing concerns over community transmission (when the source of a patients infection cant be traced or isolated), the Indian Council of Medical Research said numbers of sporadic instances were not significant enough to establish a community spread, the third phase of the outbreak. Meanwhile, authorities in the national capital faced a fresh challenge as thousands of migrant labourers thronged Delhis Anand Vihar interstate terminal to board buses back home in the wake of the 21-day countrywide lockdown. Covid-19 cases in India cross 1,000 mark; thousands on street India on Saturday recorded 135 new cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), one of the highest single-day spikes, as the number of cases crossed 1,000 amid a mounting challenge of controlling the spread of the disease that has killed about 30,000 people across the world. Read More Bus facility draws sea of humanity in time of virus Jobless, without money to pay rent or for food, thousands of migrant workers flooded Delhis interstate Anand Vihar bus terminal on Saturday to board buses back home from across the border in Kaushambi, Uttar Pradesh posing just the kind of risk India was trying to avoid with a 21-day lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease (Covid-19). Read More Community spread of Covid-19 in India? Experts, government differ Ten people hospitalised with acute pneumonia in India have tested positive for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), according to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Some scientists would consider that community transmission . Read More Covid-19: How it will change companies Its important to believe that India, and most other countries, will beat the disease simply because we will (thats what humans have done through the centuries beaten the odds). But its also important to realise that nothing will be the same again. Not countries. And not companies. There are five ways in which companies will change. Read More Concerns over superspreaders rise as many breach quarantine Incidents of people asked to quarantined flouting the orders are being reported. A 29-year-old woman, who was asked to stay in quarantine at home but violated the instructions and travelled by two trains from New Delhi to reach West Bengals Tehatta, has tested positive for Covid-19 along with her four family members and mounted concerns about super-spreaders of the infection. Read More Lockdown only way out; police will be humane: Ashok Gehlot Rajasthan has had 54 cases and two deaths due to the coronavirus pandemic. In a telephonic interview, state chief minister Ashok Gehlot spoke to Hindustan Times about the efforts in place and implications of the lockdown. Read More Has Covid-19 entered Stage 3? Experts, government disagree Authorities in several states across India are racing to figure out how individuals with no travel history or documented contact with a Covid-19 patient contracted the infection in what several experts have termed as the deadly third stage of the disease. Read More PM Modi dials nurse, continues to work from home Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been making 150-200 phone calls every day since he announced the nationwide 21-day lockdown last week, according to a senior government official familiar with the matter. Read More Many labs yet to begin tests amid supply crunch for kits Private laboratories allowed by the government to test for Covid-19, a move prompted by the need to expand and accelerate testing, are having a hard time in procuring testing kits which are in short supply. As a result, some of the laboratories, even with all approvals in place, have not been able to start testing; others are conducting fewer tests than what they are capable of; and still others are contemplating stopping offering tests altogether. Read More Centre to import 1 mn masks; local firms will make PPE kits The Centre announced on Saturday it will procure a million masks from other countries as it moved to urgently plug the shortfall in equipment for medical professionals fighting to stop the spread of Covid-19. The government has also been in talks with Indian companies for manufacturing more Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) such as coveralls, goggles, gloves and masks, used by medical staff to protect themselves while performing Covid-19 tests or treating patients. Read More Seven infected in Mumbai slums, several quarantined A 37-year-old slum dweller from Mumbais Jambhipada with travel history to Italy has tested positive for coronavirus and triggered panic in the city, where over five million live in slums, officials said. So far, hundreds of slum dwellers have been quarantined in their homes and activists fear the Covid-19 cases could increase because of the overcrowded nature of the slums. Read More Dont evict tenants for not paying rent, Noida landlords told Authorities in Gautam Budh Nagar have issued an order directing landlords against forcing tenants to pay their rents for a month to stop migrant workers from leaving the western Uttar Pradesh district amid the three-week lockdown imposed across the country to halt the spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. Read More Delhi Police to allow vendors to deliver newspapers Taking note of complaints from citizens that newspaper vendors were stopped at the gates of colonies in some parts of the city, Delhi Police Commissioner SN Shrivastava on Saturday asked the beat officers to ensure that no newspaper vendor or distributor is stopped from doing their duties. Read More SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Trump said Saturday he was considering imposing a quarantine on New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Trump said Saturday he was considering imposing a quarantine on New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Trump said he was mulling the quarantine, while at the same walking back urging to quickly reopen the economy. Trump said he was unsure about whether the United States will reopen for business by April 12th following shutdowns in major cities across the country. Asked whether he thought the United States would open by Easter Sunday, Trump said at the White House on Saturday, "We'll see, what happens," he said. (Reporting by Michelle Price; editing by Diane Craft) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. President Moon Jae-in gets ready for the G20 virtual summit at Cheong Wa Dae, March 26. Yonhap By Do Je-hae President Moon Jae-in is open to good suggestions from the opposition parties on how to get the country out of the grave economic situation it is in, a presidential aide said Sunday. The remark was in response to a suggestion from main opposition United Future Party Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn last week for a 40 trillion-won ($32.5 billion) government bond program for small business owners and SMEs affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. "Since we are facing a very serious economic situation, our administration will review helpful suggestions from all parties concerned, even if they are from the opposition," Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok said in a briefing Sunday. Moon said last week that he would review the proposal if the UFP provided more details. The presidential office said the UFP has yet to deliver on the President's request for these. "We have not received a more specific proposal yet. We could discuss the establishment of a working-level consultative group on the issue, as proposed by Hwang, if we get more details," a senior presidential aide said. Moon's rare public reaction to the opposition leader's proposal is seen to reflect the President's determination to set aside politics and work together with the opposition to save the failing economy. The President has prioritized the economy as businesses and households reel from the impact of COVID-19. He has been chairing an Emergency Economic Council (EEC) meeting at Cheong Wa Dae every week in order to have swift and effective decision-making on policies needed to help sectors hit by the infectious disease. One of the economic issues that has been making headlines is whether the central government will provide cash handouts for emergency relief as is the case in the U.S. There have been mounting calls for the government to take urgent action by establishing the so-called "basic disaster income." But concerns are also rising about the long-term effectiveness and sustainability of such a policy. The third EEC meeting today is expected to focus on the issue of whether to introduce a disaster income. President Moon has remained cautious about it, although he has underlined the need to protect the people's livelihoods from falling apart due to the economic difficulties arising from the impact of COVID-19. Officials from the government, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and Cheong Wa Dae held a meeting Sunday over the basic disaster income proposal to finalize some of the details, such as the size and qualifications for receiving payment. "During the second economic council meeting, the President mentioned the need to help vulnerable segments of society. As the President has instructed quick decision-making, we are speeding up preparations to make an announcement," the aide said. Moon introduced his administration's efforts to ease the burden of struggling SMEs and households last week during a video conference with G20 leaders and heads of international organizations last week. "To ensure that COVID-19 does not lead to serious contractions in consumption, investment and industrial activities, the Korean government is implementing bold expansionary macroeconomic policies and financial stabilization measures totaling $100 billion (132 trillion won)," Moon said. "First, in order to relieve the burden on affected businesses, micro-business owners and the self-employed, as well as to boost consumption, we prepared an assistance package worth $26 billion. Second, in an effort to support businesses faced with a liquidity shortage due to COVID-19, we are providing emergency funding of $80 billion (100 trillion won). We did this because businesses must survive in order for our people to keep their jobs, and these jobs must be secured for the economy to thrive. My administration is rapidly implementing these measures, and if need be, we will seek other additional measures as well." Dr. Kamal S. Kalsi in 2009, near Saint Joseph's hospital in Paterson, N.J., where he worked. Kalsi, an Army veteran, is pushing to mass produce ventilators to save coronavirus patients. (Mel Evans / Associated Press) For the last month, Army reservist Lt. Col. Kamal Kalsi, an emergency room doctor in New York, has been scrambling to find a way to quickly mass produce ventilators, equipment that could save the lives of thousands of coronavirus victims nationwide. Two weeks ago, he thought he'd found a company in Sacramento with the perfect answer. But then, as he tells it, necessity took a back seat to business. The firm Kalsi contacted wanted tens of millions of dollars before it would help him, he said. Hearing that "tore me up a little," Kalsi said. "I understand. It's a capitalist system." In the days since he received that news, he has pleaded, plotted and begged for access to the design plans of a very small, very useful, very inexpensive ventilator. Kalsi's race to help COVID-19 patients and their families stave off catastrophe comes as the novel coronavirus spreads across the United States and debate sharpens over federal versus state responsibility. Though President Trump last week ordered General Motors to begin making ventilators, he has been hesitant to use the Defense Production Act, a Korean-War-era edict that allows the commander in chief to commandeer resources, and to provide centralized logistics and support that could help states obtain needed supplies. Instead, the federal government has largely left states to procure supplies such as masks and gowns themselves. The scramble has left those states, cities and even hospitals competing against one another in a free-market response to the pandemic. Adding to the tension, state governors, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, are balancing those dire needs with the challenge of maintaining harmonious relations with the federal government, including a president who values kind words. That, said Kalsi, has left him unable to procure a means to make the potentially life-saving devices before they slip into the mass market, where availability could be determined by luck and money. Story continues "This just needs to happen," said Kalsi, a disaster medicine specialist who ran triage hospitals in Afghanistan. "If we dont get ventilators in the next week or two in New York, it's going to be a bloodbath." The ventilator Kalsi sees as the solution is the Go2Vent, made by Vortran Medical in Sacramento and sold for about $100 each, though there is no proof it could be the panacea that he envisions. Vortran's founder and chief medical officer, Dr. Gordon Wong, declined to comment, other than to say Friday he was close to inking a mass production deal with a venture capital-backed manufacturer in Chicago. The Go2Vent looks a bit like an ill-conceived bong: A long clear plastic tube that connects to a small chamber that in turn has two pipes, all with electric blue connectors. But to Kalsi, its value is obvious in part because of its plastic simplicity which he thinks a 3-D printer could replicate. "One of my paramedics actually showed it to me and immediately it struck me that this could be repurposed to fill the ventilator gap that we are facing right now," Kalsi said. Matt Zeller ran for New York's 29th Congressional District in 2010. Recently, the U.S. Army veteran has been working with Dr. Kamal S. Kalsi, another vet, to mass produce ventilators in the effort to save virus patients. (Heather Ainsworth / Associated Press) The Go2Vent was designed for emergency use and disease outbreaks. It requires no electricity, running off the pressure of an oxygen tank, and can fit in a small suitcase and be set up in minutes. Online marketing materials predict its value in this moment with disturbing precision: "In the event of a ventilator surge capacity, the stockpiling of full feature ventilators is not economically feasible for any local or regional facility," Vortran wrote in a technical bulletin posted during the H1N1 swine flu pandemic in 2009, which killed more than 12,000 people in the United States. "In the event of a pandemic of national or global proportion, it is unrealistic to expect quick or timely response from the state or federal governments. The [Go2Vent] with monitor, when incorporated with the proper filters, offers a viable solution to your ventilator shortage. It would free up your full featured ventilators from your ICU to manage your most difficult ... patients." Kalsi and a fellow veteran, Matt Zeller, who co-founded a nonprofit to help military translators, quickly put together a plan they thought could get thousands of Go2Vents to hospitals in days. In early March, they tapped a network of former military and policy experts from the Truman National Security Project, a left-leaning network of military and policy wonks of which they are both members. They quickly put together a loose working group of political and business contacts who thought they had the resources to use 3-D printers to both produce and distribute the ventilators in an open-source, not-for-profit model. A key part of the plan, said Zeller, was centralized planning that would ensure the ventilators reached hospitals most in need and that would move the units to other facilities once that need subsided. Eventually, said Zeller, he wanted the units sent to the national stockpile for future outbreaks. Their shelf life is five years, according to Vortran. The "linchpin" of the project, said Zeller, was obtaining the design specifications of the device. So they contacted Vortran and asked for them, Kalsi said. Despite multiple conversations with company officials last week, the answer, said Zeller, was not what he hoped to hear. Zeller and Kalsi said they variously talked with Wong and others at the small company who told them they were not interested in giving the plans away, or even licensing them. They would, however, sell the company, Zeller said he was told. Zeller said Wong, one of the Vortran founders, told him "that if I had called him two weeks ago they would have entertained offers between 30 and 40 million [dollars] but now it was significantly north of that." Kalsi and Zeller again tapped into their network of state and federal contacts last week, this time to try to put political pressure on the firm to provide access to the design, or even have the Defense Production Act used to force the issue. Zeller said friends reached out to governors in multiple states for help, including Newsom. "Corporate profits should never be placed ahead of human life, and this is exactly why the [Defense Production Act] should come in and force these guys to play ball," Kalsi said Friday. "Weve been working to push the governor of California to push these guys." Kalsi said he heard back that Newsom's office wasn't sure it had the power to compel anything. Legal experts say the issue is clear, noting that Newsom has declared a state of emergency. "When there is a proclamation of a state of emergency, the governor of California is vested with the power to commandeer public and private property," UC Berkeley constitutional law expert Erwin Chemerinsky said in an email. If the governor did so, he added, the state would have to pay "just compensation." Newsom's office did not immediately reply to a request for comment. The governor's approach to the pandemic has been one of putting the carrot before the stick. Saturday, touring a San Jose factory that was working to get old ventilators ready for use, he announced that the federal government had sent 170 broken ventilators to Los Angeles. And rather than lamenting about it, rather than complaining about it, rather than pointing fingers, rather than generating headlines in order to generate more stress and anxiety, we got a car and a truck, Newsom said. And we had those 170 brought here to this facility at 8 a.m. this morning, and they are quite literally working on those ventilators right now. Newsom also said Saturday that, in total, the state has procured and identified 4,252 ventilators toward a goal of securing 10,000 in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Meanwhile, as Vortran officials were pushing off Kalsi and his team, the company was looking for compensation in other places: ramping up production of the Go2Vent and entertaining more lucrative offers. Greg Latimer runs a plastic injection molding and manufacturing company in Reno that has produced the Go2Vent for Vortran since 1997. Usually, he'd make about 10,000 Go2Vents in an order. A couple of weeks ago, with cases of the novel coronavirus hitting the United States, Latimer said the order was doubled to 30,000. Then 50,000. Then 100,000. Now, "that order has exponentially increased," Latimer said. "We are ramping up in a bizarre way right now, trying to stay ahead of the curve." He said he is running his factory 24 hours a day, but "it will take a long time to fulfill" the orders. Latimer said he doesn't know who's buying the devices, but "I am wondering if it might be the government." He's committed to getting the ventilators out as fast as he can. His company is centered on philanthropy, with most profits donated to charitable causes. Last year, he said, it gave out about $800,000. "Never have I felt so needed as I have now," he said. But Vortran may not need Latimer much longer. On Friday, the company was in discussions for a deal with Chicago-based 3-D manufacturer and distributor Fast Radius, according to Wong. On Saturday, Fast Radius founder and CEO Lou Rassey largely declined to comment on the record, saying only that his company was in talks "to see if we can be one of the partners that really help them scale and bring an important product to market." Zeller and Kalsi both said they don't care who produces the Go2Vent, as long as it happens quickly. "Whatever solution presents itself and is viable, we should run with it," Zeller said. "I wish I had called them two weeks ago. I really wish our government, particularly at the federal level, had prepared for this." Times Sacramento Bureau chief John Myers and staff writer Taryn Luna contributed to this report. GLENS FALLS Saratoga County had its first death due to COVID-19 this weekend. A 95-year-old woman died Friday at Glens Falls Hospital after contracting the virus, Saratoga County officials said in a press release Sunday. Glens Falls Hospital services Warren, Washington and northern Saratoga counties. Latest coronavirus-related cancellations, postponements The latest coronavirus numbers in NY Sign up for the Times Union coronavirus newsletter Full coronavirus coverage Saratoga County now has had 108 patients with confirmed cases of COVID-19, 14 of which are hospitalized. Officials reported 110 cases Saturday, but revised the number after learning three of them live in different counties. "There remains a limited availability of COVID-19 tests available in the region," the press release said. "The number of confirmed cases is not believed to accurately reflect the number of COVID-19 positive cases in the community." During this time of crisis, our community is facing its fair share of issues, not the least of which has been the removal of police officers from the streets due to potential exposure to COVID-19. As a result, Mayor Sarno has requested 75 members of the Massachusetts National Guard be brought into the city to aid the department. I applaud the administration -- as well as Col. Christopher Mason and Gov. Charlie Baker -- for their leadership in these trying times, as our first responders are on the front lines of this pandemic and are in dire need of support. However, we do also have to consider the optics of having people in military uniforms patrolling our streets, and the potential for distress among our residents. I, and many others, have been wondering why not augment our police force with more familiar faces; those who were born and raised here, and know our community better. I am not sure if he has been contacted, but Sheriff Nick Cocchi is a great leader with a wealth of human capital. The Hampden County Sheriff has access to a Law Enforcement Division, separate from the Corrections Division, composed of graduates from the police academy, which could be called into action. Sheriff Cocchi could utilize the 180 deputies at his disposal in a similar fashion to when six were deployed to Blandford following the resignation of an entire police department in 2018. These are decisions beyond my control or my ability to make. However, if we want to support our local police operations I have to at least request that, before bringing a military presence to our city streets, we consider bringing in sworn and trained law enforcement officers that live in our community, know our community, and will put our community first. Adam Gomez, Springfield The writer is a Springfield City Councilor, Ward 1 Sign up for free text messages about important updates on coronavirus in Massachusetts Related Content: Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has praised the military and public security forces for their great efforts in the fight against COVID-19. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has praised the military and public security forces for their great efforts in the fight against COVID-19. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc especially praises those who are on the frontlines of the battle, adding that the images of military officers and soldiers sleeping outdoors at night and having quick meals to fight COVID-19 have proved the beautiful tradition of the heroic Peoples Army of Vietnam. (Source: baomoi.com) In his letters sent to the forces on March 28, the Prime Minister wrote that the pandemic is developing complicatedly and unpredictedly in the country and the world, affecting seriously the national socio-economic development and public health. With the spirit of fighting the pandemic is like fighting the enemy, the Party, Government and National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control have worked out a number of measures to mobilise the whole political system, agencies at all levels, sectors and people to drastically fight against the pandemic. Realising the Governments directions, the Ministry of National Defence has been increasing check-points at a number of trails; establishing emergency hospitals and concentrated quarantine areas; spraying disinfectant; receiving, caring and implementing medical quarantine for people entering Vietnam from pandemic-hit countries and territories, he said. The PM especially praised those who are on the frontlines of the battle, adding that the images of military officers and soldiers sleeping outdoors at night and having quick meals to fight COVID-19 have proved the beautiful tradition of the heroic Peoples Army of Vietnam. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Public Security has taken a raft of preventive measures such as tightening the control of entry-exit and management of foreigners to limit the coronavirus infections in the country; ensuring order and safety at concentrated quarantine areas; strictly handling those spreading false information about COVID-19; and actively preventing pandemic-related frauds. The two forces have actively coordinated with medical workers to promptly detect infection cases and suspected ones to prevent the spread of the virus in the army and community, Phuc said. As Vietnam is in critical time to prevent community transmissions, the PM called on the forces to continue heightening vigilance and determination to soon repel the pandemic in the country. VNA Tamil Nadu government on Sunday said two patients who had tested positive for COVID19 with overseas travel history, have reported negative for the virus and have been discharged. Tamil Nadu has reported 42 cases of coronavirus with two of them already being discharged and are currently under 'home quarantine.' State Health Minister C Vijaya Baskar said two patients after returning from the United States were admitted at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital for COVID19 positive. The duo hailing from Porur were discharged on Sunday, he said adding they have recovered from illness and tested negative "twice". He said the duo would be in home quarantine for the next 14 days. "#update: 2 Pts US return admitted at #RGGH for #Covid_19 +ve, from Porur is discharged from hospital today. They have recovered from d illness & tested negative wice.They will be home quarantined for next 14 days. I appreciate the Dean & team who took care of d Pts. @MoHFW_INDIA," he said in a tweet. The first COVID19 positive case in Tamil Nadu, a 45- year old engineer with a travel history to Oman has been discharged from Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital after he recovered. Another 20-year old individual hailing from Uttar Pradesh who had travelled from New Delhi by train and tested positive for coronavirus. He was later discharged from RGGH after test results returned negative following treatment. A 54-year old man died in Madurai on Wednesday, making it the first coronavirus death in Tamil Nadu. The travel advisory President Donald Trump issued through the federal Centers for Disease Control for the tri-state region does nothing to change the rules already in place for more than a week in New Jersey to combat the coronavirus, Gov. Phil Murphy said Sunday morning. We certainly abide by that," Murphy said of the travel advisory during a radio interview with WBLS. The fact of the matter is were already doing that. Were telling people dont go anywhere.' Murphys comments came in response to the CDCs domestic travel advisory that urges residents of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to refrain from non-essential domestic travel for 14 days effective immediately. Trump effectively backed off an earlier plan he floated to quarantine parts of the Tri-State area. Were enforcing social distancing, were enforcing a stay at home policy, Murphy said. New Jersey which has 9 million residents had at least 11,124 known cases of the virus as of Saturday afternoon, including at least 140 known deaths. Only New York has more cases among U.S. states. Pressed on why an enforceable quarantine wouldn't be effective, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy tells @MarthaRaddatz: "Folks, they're already getting the message to stay at home, we're enforcing that." https://t.co/R6l5Z56nSs pic.twitter.com/j23jZWamZ6 ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) March 29, 2020 Mayors and governors are on the front line," Murphy said. "New Jersey, New York are the nations hotspots right now. The nation is looking to us. Like governors in New York and Connecticut, Murphy has already ordered all New Jerseyans to stay at home except for necessary travel. He banned social gatherings and mandated that non-essential retail businesses in the state close until further notice to help curb the spread of the virus. Employers have been required to make allowances for any job that can be done remotely. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy suggests enforceable quarantine is not necessary for New York, New Jersey and Connecticut: "The fact of the matter is our three states... we're doing about as aggressive a set of steps as any states in America right now." https://t.co/R6l5Z56nSs pic.twitter.com/YW77USNesy ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) March 29, 2020 Murphy said he was briefed late Saturday on the advisory by Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. To be clear, this non-binding advisory guidance does not change the rules that have been established and in place for over a week now under Executive Order 107," Murphy said in a statement. If you have been working as part of our frontline response effort, from healthcare workers to supermarket workers, we still need you on the job. I encourage all New Jerseyans to continue practicing aggressive social distancing and take personal responsibility to help us get through this public health emergency," the governor said. New Jerseys number of cases is expected to keep growing as testing expands. But Murphy stressed thats not all bad news because that will help the state get a better grasp on how to combat the spread of the fast-moving virus. Sign up for text message alerts from NJ.com on coronavirus in New Jersey: Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Radhika Apte worried 3.9 million of her Instagram followers after posting a picture of herself sitting in a hospital. The actress currently is in London and is quarantining with her musician husband Benedict Taylor. However, she posted a picture of herself on Instagram sitting in the hospital, fully covered in overalls, blazer, a face-mask, and sunglasses. Since the paranoia around coronavirus is at its peak, Radhika Apte started getting bombarded with her followers asking her whether she's okay and whether or not she has tested positive for the virus. However, Radhika Apte was quick to let everyone know that she's absolutely okay and had accompanied her friend for a check-up. While we are relieved to know Radhika Apte is healthy and okay, we would still request people to not leave their homes and not even think of entering a hospital for any reason, excluding a critical emergency, of course. The growing number of imported coronavirus cases in China risked fanning a second wave of infections at a time when domestic transmission has basically been stopped, a spokesman for the National Health Commission (NHC) said on Sunday. China already has an accumulated total of 693 cases entering from overseas, which means the possibility of a new round of infections remains relatively big, Mi Feng said. In the last seven days, China has reported 313 imported cases of coronavirus but only six confirmed cases of domestic transmission, the commissions data showed. There were 45 new cases reported in the mainland on Saturday, down from 54 on the previous day. Most of those imported cases have involved Chinese returning home from abroad. Airlines have been ordered to sharply cut international flights from Sunday. And restrictions on foreigners entering the country went into effect on Saturday. Five more people died on Saturday, all of them in Wuhan, the industrial central city where the epidemic began in December. But Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, has reported only one new case on the last 10 days. A total of 3,300 people have now died in mainland China, with a reported 81,439 infections. Saturday marked the fourth consecutive day that Hubei province recorded no new confirmed cases. The sole local case was recorded in Henan province, bordering Hubei. With traffic restrictions in the province lifted, Wuhan is also gradually reopening borders and restarting some local transportation services. All airports in Hubei resumed some domestic flights on Sunday, with the exception of Wuhans Tianhe airport, which will open to domestic flights on April 8. Flights from Hubei to Beijing remain suspended. More than 60,000 people entered Wuhan on Saturday after rail services were officially restarted, with more than 260 trains arriving or travelling through, the Peoples Daily reported. On Sunday, streets and metro trains were still largely empty. Wuhan Metro, which resumed operations on Saturday, said its cars would keep passenger capacity at less than 30%. ALBANY If Seth Wheeler could see how his 19th-century invention of perforated toilet paper had become the hot commodity of the coronavirus pandemic, one could only guess what he would do. If the patent was still good, he would be a billionaire who would be that guy who owns a Caribbean Island, said Mayor Kathy Sheehan, who mentions Wheelers inventions in speeches. He would be generous and laugh about it, said local historian Don Rittner, whos written about Wheeler. A Chatham native who lived most of his life in Albany, Wheeler was awarded more than 100 patents, but it was his ideas about toilet paper, which he patented, that earned him the title of the inventor of toilet paper, even though the product dates back to 1391 in China. Wheeler was the one who thought to wrap the paper around a tube, creating the toilet paper roll in 1871. Twenty years later, in 1891, he invented perforated toilet paper, making it easy to tear sheets off the roll. That was the precursor to the modern-day product that shoppers have been tearing off store shelves, so to speak, in efforts to keep from running out of the stuff during the coronavirus crisis. Its probably one of the most important inventions of the 19th century, Rittner said. Latest coronavirus-related cancellations, postponements The latest coronavirus numbers in NY Sign up for the Times Union coronavirus newsletter Full coronavirus coverage Its an interesting piece of history, Sheehan said. It was an invention that brought wealth to Wheeler and his Albany Perforated Wrapping Paper Co., a business whose name didn't include the word toilet, which would have been considered a bit risque to mention. Wheeler headed to Miami Beach in the 1920s during the winter where other northern industrialists gathered to escape the cold weather, according to newspaper accounts. Toilet paper is so ubiquitous that its hard to imagine what they did before, said Rittner, whos written 52 books and just published Vanderheyden History of the Troy Orphan Asylum 1833-2018. Corn cobs, leaves and pages from mail order catalogues all found their use in the outhouse, bathroom or someplace else. Theres even a website devoted to the history of the product, http://www.toiletpaperhistory.net that recounts its story from 1391 in China to today. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. We take it for granted, Rittner said. And thats why the run on toilet paper triggered by fears of shortages amid the coronavirus pandemic has made the rolls a good-humored topic of discussion even as some hoard it. People can probably tell you how many rolls they have at home and that the grocery store shelves were bare in the toilet paper aisle when they went shopping for more. Wheelers Albany Perforated Wrapping Paper Co, became successful even striking an overseas licensing deal in 1887 allowing the British Patent Perforated Paper Company to use its patents. Wheeler lived at 246 Lark St. and 248 Lark St., where he died from pneumonia on May 22, 1925, four days after celebrating his 87th birthday. He is buried in Albany Rural Cemetery in Menands. He also was president of the Albany County Savings Bank and vice president of the Cheney Piano Action Company in Castleton. The story of Wheeler and his toilet paper inventions is just one about significant products or ideas that come from Albany. Others rooted in the city include Santa Claus, Joseph Henrys work with electricity, the Albany Plan of Union, and the billiard ball. Albany is a place where ideas become real, Sheehan said. In the wake of widespread criticism from the opposition that the central government didnt anticipate the movement of workers and was unprepared to handle the situation, a senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said that party leaders had been tasked to reach out to people with the message to stay put where they are. Following the 21-day lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, there has been an en-mass movement of migrant workers on foot, defying the lockdown, and increasing the risk of Covid-19 spread. BJP national vice president Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, however, said the problem of migrant workers defying the lockdown cannot be attributed to any one reason alone. He said in some places while it is concern about food and safety, in other places, the movement has been caused by the emotional need to be with ones family. In Delhis Dwarka we were told by a group of people that they do not need money or food, but would feel emotionally secure by being with their family, he said. A Rajya Sabha MP, Sahasrabuddhe who is also in-charge of Madhya Pradesh, where the BJP recently returned to power, said several states are facing the problem of workers either returning or leaving. The problem is not uniform, so there cannot be a single solution. For instance, in southern MP in the areas of Chhindwara, Dindori, the workers are mostly farmers who had gone to Maharashtra and are returning. In Bhind, Morena and adjoining areas, it is the transiting worker population travelling between Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, he said. Cramped living spaces with minimal amenities that could exacerbate the spread of infection, was also pointed out as a reason for homeward journeys by some, the BJP MP said. Incidentally, on Saturday, a few BJP leaders including the general secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh had blamed the AAP government in Delhi for the migrants leaving the city. Migrant workers tell on camera that they were told that buses will be there at Anand Vihar. DTC buses drop them to Anand Vihar. Some forces want India to fail when India fights corona. Nation will not forgive them, he had tweeted. CPI general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Binoy Viswam also wrote to PM Modi to provide services to the migrants. While this measure (lockdown) is important to prevent the spread of the virus, there are many sections of people who have not been provided with enough social security measures to cope with the lockdown. A particularly vulnerable section of them are migrant workers who are stranded in places far away from their own homes and villages. Various media outlets from across the country have reported that these migrant workers are being forced to embark on long journeys on foot to reach their villages Viswam wrote. BJP and RSS cadre have opened community kitchens and are also involved in distribution of sanitation products. But on Sunday, after the Union government instructed states to ramp up measures to prevent the movement of workers and ensure they have food, wage and are not forced to pay rent; the party also stepped up its efforts to allay concerns. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Thomas Schaefer, the finance minister of Germanys Hesse state, has committed suicide apparently after becoming deeply worried over... Thomas Schaefer, the finance minister of Germanys Hesse state, has committed suicide apparently after becoming deeply worried over how to cope with the economic fallout from the coronavirus, state premier Volker Bouffier said Sunday. Schaefer, 54, was found dead near a railway track on Saturday. The Wiesbaden prosecutions office said they believe he died by suicide. We are in shock, we are in disbelief and above all we are immensely sad, Bouffier said in a recorded statement. Hesse is home to Germanys financial capital Frankfurt, where major lenders like Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank have their headquarters. The European Central Bank is also located in Frankfurt. A visibly shaken Bouffier recalled that Schaefer, who was Hesses finance chief for 10 years, had been working day and night to help companies and workers deal with the economic impact of the pandemic. Today we have to assume that he was deeply worried, said Bouffier, a close ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel. Its precisely during this difficult time that we would have needed someone like him, he added. Popular and well-respected, Schaefer had long been touted as a possible successor to Bouffier. Like Bouffier, Schaefer belonged to Merkels centre-right CDU party. He leaves behind a wife and two children. Dr Alex George has pleaded with fans to follow government guidance surrounding coronavirus as he continues to work on the frontline. Taking to Instagram on Sunday, the former Love Island star, 30, shared a picture in his protective gear as he got to work on another shift in his hospital. The A&E doctor has been practising what he preaches, revealing that he has been living apart from his girlfriend Amelia Bath in order to reduce the risk of infection. Hard at work: Dr Alex George has pleaded with fans to follow government guidance surrounding coronavirus as he continues to work on the frontline In an impassioned video, Dr Alex stated: 'It's so important that everyone is staying at home, washing their hands and those in the vulnerable categories are doing their very best to isolate... 'My spirits are high, I feel we have enough protective equipment on the frontline to do out jobs as safely as possible.' Prior to sharing the clip, Dr Alex revealed that he 'sobbed' over an adorable NHS thank you card given to him by a little girl. He shared a snap of a sweet drawing of him in uniform as he revealed the kind gesture left him emotional. Separated: The A&E doctor has been practising what he preaches, revealing that he has been living apart from his girlfriend Amelia Bath in order to reduce the risk of infection Taking to Instagram on Saturday, alongside an image of the drawing, Alex penned: 'This was made by a lovely little girl who wanted to say thank you to NHS staff for their fight against the coronavirus. 'Needless to say I have been sobbing away at how cute this is. We are in this together. Lets do this. Thank you little Emma this has made my day x' The medical professional had earlier taken to his Instagram stories where he told that he's living alone in a bid to protect his loved ones, with Amelia returning to Dorset to stay with her parents. Touched: Prior to sharing the clip, Dr Alex revealed that he 'sobbed' over an adorable NHS thank you card given to him by a little girl Moved: The former Love Island star, 30, shared a snap of a sweet drawing of him in uniform as he revealed the kind gesture left him emotional Speaking to the camera as he cooked a meal for one, he said: 'A lot of you might have realised I am living by myself during this period going from A&E to home and keeping away from everyone, as I dont want to give Amelia an illness.' He continued: 'In the NHS or any other health care system around the world, I know a lot of us like myself are isolating alone and I know that can be not ideal, and lonely even. 'But were in it so together and I just wanted to say to anyone that feels that way, you are not alone.' Lovely: Lovely: Taking to Instagram on Saturday, alongside an image of the drawing, Alex penned: 'This was made by a lovely little girl who wanted to say thank you to NHS staff for their fight against the coronavirus Days ago Amelia publicly praised her boyfriend for the work he's been doing during the pandemic. Alongside a picture of their two shadows, she penned: 'This afternoon I painted a mirror in the sunshine whilst drinking wine and listening to the Beach Boys. Meanwhile, Alex ran around Lewisham hospital treating Covid-19 patients. 'Im so proud of him and Im endlessly grateful for all the NHS staff and key workers who are working tirelessly during such uncertain times.' It comes days after Alex urged the NHS to provide complimentary car parking to all staff during the global coronavirus pandemic. Meal for one: 'A lot of you might have realised I am living by myself during this period going from A&E to home and keeping away from everyone, as I dont want to give Amelia an illness' With over 20,000 extra employees being called to help the fight against COVID-19, Alex has called for 'hospital car parks to be free', as a worker's vehicle was clamped after they were forced to park at their local leisure centre. The media personality, who returned to his career as an A&E doctor in November 2018, wrote on Twitter on Sunday evening: 'Controversial but maybe this is a good time for hospital car parks to be free for NHS staff? Retweet if you agree.' Alex admitted he was left emotional when he received a message which agreed with his statement: 'Should be free anyway. Bournemouth hospital staff parked at the local leisure centre, which is CLOSED, came out to find themselves clamped!!' [sic] Earlier in the day, he thanked McDonald's for announcing its closure until further notice from Monday. Alongside the company's statement, the TV star shared: 'I know this will disappoint many but the right decision has been made [clapping hands sign].' Asssuring people that he understood the problems being faced by them because of the nationwide lockdown, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said he wanted to apologise, especially to the poor, for the tough but necessary decisions he was compelled to take to block the onslaught of the deadly coronavirus. In his monthly radio address, Mann Ki Baat, the prime minister began by saying that these were decisions no one would want to take and because of which the people were facing many difficulties. Referring to the poorer sections, PM Modi said that they may be wondering what kind of a prime minister would have them face problems. I specially ask for their forgiveness. There may be others who may be questioning the decision to implement a lockdown. I understand your troubles. But there was no other way to protect a country of 1.3 billion such as India from the dangerous effects of coronavirus. The fight against corona is one between life and death and we have to win it, Modi said. Watch: Social distance does not mean emotional distance: PM Modi on Mann ki Baat After witnessing the situation in other parts of the world, a lockdown seemed the only option available, he explained. You and your family have to be kept safe. I apologise for the difficulties you have faced, Modi said. In his 35-minute address, Modi said coronavirus was neither bound by geography nor did it limit itself to a social segment or weather condition. Also Read: Covid-19 cases in India cross 1,000 mark; thousands on streets The number of coronavirus patients can increase exponentially and the health services in some other countries had already crumbled under its weight, Modi said. It is a challenge to the entire world and entire humanity has to come together on this, he said. The prime ministers comments at a time when many have highlighted the problems faced by migrant workers who found themselves out of work due to the lockdown, also faced serious problems making ends meet. Opposition leaders have also attacked the government for being unprepared to address the needs of the poor during the lockdown. Also Read: Community spread of Covid-19 in India? Experts, government differ Some feel they are adhering to the lockdown to save others, he said adding that this was not correct. If lockdown rules were not followed, it would be difficult for anyone to escape the disease, Modi said, asking people not to be under the misconception that the lockdown was meant to protect someone else. It is to protect you your family, he said, a message designed to convince people to adhere to the restrictions for their own sake. Modi also said that he had come to know of some instances where people were unkind to those quarantined. He said this was not desirable as these people were staying in isolation to keep others safe. I have come to know of instances where those suspected of being infected or under home quarantine, have had to face unkind behaviour. I am deeply pained by such instances. This is unfortunate. In the circumstances, we only have to maintain social distance and not emotional or human distance. Such people are not criminals but victims of the virus who have quarantined themselves to save others, Modi said. He added that there was no need to be unkind to any such person but to treat them with empathy. One of the survivors to whom the prime minister spoke, Shriram, also said that there should be no stigma attached to quarantine. Social distancing does not mean emotional or human distancing. He also spoke to a family from Agra which had multiple members who acquired the infection. Modi said the family recovered because they did not panic but took the right steps at the right time. One of the doctors, Nitesh Gupta, told the prime minister that often patients are in a state of panic but gain confidence once counseled and when they show signs of improvement. Modi also thanked the medicos and said they reminded him of Acharya Charaks couplet that the best physicians work not for money but the well being of the patient. Those in the medical profession were fighting in the battle-mode, he said. He also saluted the nurses adding the world was celebrating their contribution in 2020 as the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife. Modi said those who ensure electricity, water, daily supplies, necessities, banking, internet connections and even TV broadcasts in these difficult times, are real heroes. The more we thank them is less, he added requesting all these workers to take safety measures. The prime minister also asked people to look after the poor. He also saluted the nurses adding the world was celebrating their contribution in 2020 as the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife. Modi said those who ensure electricity, water, daily supplies, necessities, banking, internet connections and even TV broadcasts in these difficult times, are real heroes. The prime minister said the country could not thank them enough for stepping out for the sake of others. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-28 22:12:55|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close In China's #coronavirus battle, policemen have been working on the forefront safeguarding people's safety. Here's a look at their joys and sorrows, as told by their loved ones. #COVID19 The United Nations along with the US Mission to the UN has donated 250,000 protective face masks to the medical professionals in New York City. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio took possession of the masks near the UN Headquarters on Saturday. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the face masks, kept in United Nations stores in New York, are in surplus to the UN requirements and "will be given to the medical professionals in New York City who have been working courageously, selflessly and tirelessly in response to the spread of COVID-19 across the boroughs in the hope that they play some small role in saving lives". He said, "We speak with one voice to express our resolute support for this great city and its proud people. To us, New York is not just our home or the headquarters of the United Nations. It is a vibrant international capital through which the world communicates, debates, trades and prospers." Guterres said he hopes the modest donation will make a difference. The UN and the US Mission personnel are currently working with the Mayor's office to ensure the swift delivery of the masks to medical facilities around the city, he said. The Mayor said healthcare workers are heroes and everything must be done to protect them. He thanked the United Nations for the "much needed" donation. Commissioner for the NYC Mayor's Office for International Affairs Penny Abeywardena said the surgical masks will help protect the health care workers fighting on the front lines of this pandemic as they work to save lives. "This is a time when all New Yorkers should be working together to stop the spread of COVID-19 in our city and that includes our diplomatic community. Furthermore, this generous donation goes to highlight the enduring bond between the United Nations and New York City," Abeywardena said. The donation comes in response to de Blasio's appeal for donations of supplies to help the city's health care workers treat New Yorkers affected by COVID-19. New York City remains the epicenter of the pandemic in the US with more than 29,000 confirmed cases and 517 deaths as of Saturday morning. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Berejiklian government has given the nod for the extension of coal mining under one of Greater Sydney's reservoirs, the first such approval in two decades. The Planning Department earlier this month told Peabody Energy it could proceed with the extraction of coal from three new longwalls, two of which will go beneath Woronora reservoir. Peter Turner, from the National Parks Association of NSW, points at a crack in the rocks in the Eastern Tributary, in the Woronora catchment area, south of Sydney. New mining has been approved that will go under the reservoir. Credit:Janie Barrett Planning Department official Mike Young says in a letter dated March 16 to Metropolitan mine that as the longwall will be the first to go under the reservoir it was important the extraction plan was "sufficiently robust" with "an appropriate adaptive management regime" to limit the impact of subsidence on water supply. The letter details conditions for the miner, which include regular reviews of monitoring data and monthly reports to Planning and WaterNSW. Catherine Zeta-Jones has admitted that she has little patience when it comes to her family - as a result of being so nice to her fans in public. The movie star - who is currently self-isolating amid the coronavirus crisis with her husband Michael Douglas, 75, and their children Dylan, 19, and Carys, 16, - told fans on Instagram live: '[it's] all part of the [film] business but there's a lot of effort one puts into being nice to total strangers... not getting p****d off when someone comes up to you while you're having dinner.' Catherine, 50, went on: 'We spend time being nice and polite and gracious to people and then sometimes you go snap to the people you live with. Snap snap: Catherine Zeta-Jones has admitted that she has little patience when it comes to her family - as a result of being so nice to her fans in public [pictured with daughter Carys, 16, husband Michael Douglas, 75, and son Dylan, 19] 'The people you are closest to in the world, you don't stand for any s**t, the little things. 'If a total stranger had said or done that, you would probably be very nice and wouldn't flip your lid. She also shed some light on life in the Douglas household during COVID-19 isolation, comparing it to her childhood Christmases in Wales. Revealing that she and the family have been playing pool and board games at their New York home, she said: 'I feel like I've gone back in time to my nana's house!' End of her tether: 'The people you are closest to in the world, you don't stand for any s**t, the little things,' she said This comes after Catherine revealed this weekend that she waited almost 20 years to look at the photographs from her 2000 wedding to Michael. It was one of the biggest showbiz weddings ever and pictures of it were at the centre of a 1 million court battle, and Catherine said of the snaps: 'I looked at the proofs and that was it I never made an album. 'The photographer got in touch recently, so about three weeks ago I got to see all my wedding photographs. It was a wonderful day.' 20 years later: This comes after Catherine revealed this weekend that she waited almost 20 years to look at the photographs from her 2000 wedding to Michael Catherine and Michael tied the knot at New York's Plaza Hotel in November 2000 in front of guests including Michael Caine, Sean Connery and Brad Pitt. The couple struck a 1 million photo deal with OK! for exclusive rights. However, rival magazine Hello! published some secretly taken shots, which sparked a High Court battle, during which Catherine gave evidence. Eventually, Hello! paid out more than 1 million. Catherine nicknamed Dame Doom by her husband because of her moments of insecurity said at one point, a host of people were singing around the piano when she realised the pianist had vanished. After asking about his whereabouts, a man replied: 'He's gone home, Mrs Douglas, it's 6am!' She added: 'I didn't know what time it was. I couldn't tell you it was daylight outside it was like Vegas. I got on the piano!' The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine proposes that by the end of 2020, officials who receive a salary of 10 minimum salaries ($1,700) should receive only half. The Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmygal announced this on his Telegram channel. At the time of the pandemic and the fight against coronavirus, the Cabinet of Ministers clearly sets priorities. We will support people and business. At the same time, top officials should understand the situation and tighten their belts, - it was informed. According to Shmygal, the exception is the workers involved in the fight against Covid-19 and national security and defense measures. As we reported earlier, the Cabinet of Ministers has completed the preliminary preparation of amendments to the state budget for 2020, while the new version of the bill saved the costs of infrastructure, culture and education. We completed preliminary work on changes to the state budget. It was a difficult process, but this is what difficult times require. Despite everything, the costs of infrastructure, development, culture and education have been saved, Shmygal wrote. Many South Africans are restricted to working from home during the 21-day coronavirus lockdown, and this may result in increased network security risks. Employees working from their own devices may be using unsecured hardware or be connected to an unsecured network, leaving their systems vulnerable to attack. This is especially concerning for companies such as banks and insurance firms, as they regularly deal with sensitive user data. Company-provided laptops can help to protect against these risks, but employees must also make sure their network is secure and they do not expose themselves to malware. MyBroadband spoke to Checkmark cybersecurity director Rudi Dicks about the potential security problems which arise when employees work from home. Attacks on remote workers Dicks said that phishing attacks have increased substantially since the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus. Dont click on links or open attachments from people you dont know. Weve seen a significant increase in phishing attacks related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dicks said. When you combine this with users working from home, we expect to see an increase in compromised devices. Many companies were not ready for a fully remote workforce and, in some cases, security has to be sacrificed in favour of availability, he said. Dicks added that remote workers will also be more vulnerable to social engineering attacks. Be careful of social engineering attackers are phoning people at home, pretending to work for the IT department or a service provider, and manipulating those users into giving them remote desktop access. Make sure your data is being backed up and your software is updating there will be many companies (especially in the SME space) that cant backup their data while you are at home and a ransomware attack or hardware failure could cost you weeks of work. Defending your system Network and software security is more important than ever when you are working from home, and it is highly recommended that you use a VPN when accessing your office network. The antivirus and software you use need to updated regularly to prevent attacks, Dicks said. Use a VPN. If you have a VPN connection to your office, connect it before you do any work. This VPN will create a secure tunnel to the office, increasing your security significantly. If you do not have an office VPN, you should consider purchasing an annual subscription from a reputable VPN provider, as this will encrypt your data and protect you from many security risks associated with unsecured networks and devices. Dicks said that remote workers should never use a free VPN. Now would also be an excellent time for users to change their Wi-Fi routers login details. Chandigarh, March 29 : To address the problem of migrant labourers and prevent their exodus amidst the COVID-19 crisis, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Sunday asked all industrial units and brick-kilns to commence operations while adopting safety provisions. The government, he said, was in discussion with Radha Soami Satsang Beas, which has already offered its premises as quarantine facilities, to allow migrant labourers to stay there as these people would be needed for wheat harvesting in the fields in two weeks' time. The owners of industrial units and brick-kilns can commence production if they have enough space to accommodate the migrant labourers and provide them with food, said the Chief Minister, while appealing to the owners to ensure social distancing is maintained. All hygiene precautions must be made fully available at all such industrial facilities for workers, said Amarinder Singh, adding the owners should also make soap and water freely available for use by the workers and regularly sanitise the common facilities. Hand-wash facilities and sanitisers should be placed prominently at strategic points, he said. The directions came amid reports of lakhs of migrant labourers getting stranded across the nation, and the problem assuming ominous proportions with such labourers gathering in large numbers at borders in many states. The Centre has directed states to adhere strictly to the national lockdown, including sealing of the borders for human movement, to check the spread of the coronavirus. The Chief Minister said the reopening would be beneficial for both the industry and brick-kiln owners as well as the labourers who had lost their employment and homes in the wake of the Covid-19 lockdown and had been left to fend for themselves. Press Release March 29, 2020 Gatchalian urges LGUs to put up isolation facilities, makeshift hospitals to contain COVID-19 spread As the country sees the increasing number of Filipinos contracting the deadly coronavirus, Senator Win Gatchalian has urged all Local Government Units (LGUs) to set up makeshift hospitals and isolation tents where patients with mild symptoms can be isolated and mitigate the risk of spreading the virus. Gatchalian proposed that these temporary facilities be set up in wide, well-ventilated, and covered spaces like gymnasia, where tents can serve as isolation areas for persons under investigation (PUIs) and those who are recovering from the disease. He said that schools, dormitories and hotels can also be utilized as isolation areas. Gatchalian warned that hospitals are now overwhelmed with the spike in COVID-19 cases straining medical facilities and triggering some to turn away patients. In Quezon City for instance, three patients who tested positive for COVID-19 were sent home because the facilities where they were supposed to be confined did not have enough space. The lawmaker cited the example of Wuhan, China, formerly the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, which had 16 makeshift hospitals that treated 13,000 patients. These facilities have closed following a plunge in Wuhan's cases. South Korea, for its part, solved its bed shortage problem by reserving hospital beds for the acutely ill while putting less sick patients in dormitories. The lawmaker added that these would also help hospitals prioritize admission for severely ill patients. "Kailangang manguna ang ating mga lokal na pamahalaan sa mga hakbang na tulad nito. Kung titingnan natin ang halimbawa ng ibang bansa, makikita natin na posible pala ang paglalagay ng mga pansamantalang pagamutan upang matulungan nating gumaling ang mas marami pang positibo ng COVID-19," explained Gatchalian. Gatchalian also touted Valenzuela's centralized isolation facilities at the Balai Banyuhay and Valenzuela Astrodome, which has modular tents and military cots for patient use. Balai Banyuhay, the city's unused drug rehabilitation and treatment facility, has 100 beds. Gatchalian then called on the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to ensure that all barangays comply with its directive to establish "Barangay Isolation Units" (BIUs) and mobilize Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams (BHERT). ### Gatchalian hinikayat ang LGUs na magtayo ng pansamantalang mga ospital at isolation areas Habang patuloy na umaakyat ang mga kaso ng COVID-19 sa bansa, isinusulong naman ni Senador Win Gatchalian ang pagpapatayo ng mga pansamantalang mga pagamutan at isolation facilities sa bawat Local Government Unit o LGU. Ito ay upang ibukod at matulungang gumaling ang mga pasyenteng may mild symptoms ng naturang sakit. Upang mapigilan ang lalong pagkalat ng coronavirus sa bansa, iminungkahi ni Gatchalian na itayo ang mga pasilidad na ito sa mga maluluwag, malilinis, at maaliwalas na espasyo tulad ng mga gymnasium. Maliban sa mga pasyenteng nagpapagaling mula sa sakit, maaari ding gamitin ang mga pasilidad na ito ng mga "persons under investigation" o PUIs. Pwede ring gamitin aniya ang mga paaralan, mga dormitoryo, at mga hotel bilang mga isolation areas. Nagbabala si Gatchalian na hindi sapat ang kasalukuyang kapasidad ng mga ospital sa bansa upang tugunan ang pag-akyat ng mga kaso ng coronavirus dito. Sa Quezon City, halimbawa, may tatlong pasyenteng nagpositibo sa COVID-19 pero pinauwi ng ospital dahil wala nang sapat na espasyo. Ibinahagi ng mambabatas ang halimbawa ng Wuhan, China na dating tinaguriang epicenter ng pandemic sa coronavirus. Nagpatayo ang Wuhan ng labing-anim (16) na pansamantalang mga ospital na nakapagpagamot ng halos labing-tatlong libong (13,000) mga pasyente. Ipinasara na ang mga naturang ospital matapos bumaba ang mga kaso ng COVID-19 sa lungsod at sa buong China. Naging prayoridad naman ng South Korea na ipagamit ang mga kama ng ospital sa mga may malubhang sakit, habang ang mga may mild symptoms naman ay nanatili sa mga dormitoryo. Ayon kay Gatchalian, magandang halimbawa ito sa pagbibigay prayoridad sa mga pasyenteng may malalang sintomas ng coronavirus. "Kailangang manguna ang ating mga lokal na pamahalaan sa mga hakbang na tulad nito. Kung titingnan natin ang halimbawa ng ibang bansa, makikita natin na posible pala ang paglalagay ng mga pansamantalang pagamutan upang matulungan nating gumaling ang mas marami pang positibo ng COVID-19," paliwanag ni Gatchalian. Ibinahagi rin ng mambabatas ang pagkakaroon ng mga centralized isolation facilities ng Valenzeula na matatagpuan sa Balai Banyuhay at Valenzuela Astrodome, kung saan naglagay ng mga modular tents at higaan para sa mga pasyente. Ang Balai Banyuhay ay isang pasilidad para sa drug rehabilitation na may isang-daang (100) kama. Nanawagan din si Gatchalian sa Department of Interior and Local Government o DILG na siguruhing ang bawat barangay ay may Barangay Isolation Units o BIUs at Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams o BHERT. ### President Donald Trump announced on Twitter on Saturday night that there will be a strong Travel Advisory issued for CCP virus hotspots in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. The notion of a quarantine had been advocated by governors, including Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, who sought to halt travelers from the heavily affected areas to their states. But it drew swift criticism from the leaders of the states in question, who warned it would spark panic in a populace already suffering under the CCP virus. NTD refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. .Federal Government. A quarantine will not be necessary. Full details will be released by CDC tonight. Thank you! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 29, 2020 Trump announced he reached the decision after consulting with the White House task force leading the federal response and the governors of the three states. He said he had directed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to issue a strong Travel Advisory, to be administered by the Governors, in consultation with the Federal Government. He added: A quarantine will not be necessary. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo had earlier said that roping off states would amount to a federal declaration of war. If you start walling off areas all across the country, it would be totally bizarre, counterproductive, anti-American, anti-social, Cuomo told CNN. He added that locking down the nations financial capital would shock the stock market and paralyze the economy. Trump made his remarks while on a trip to Norfolk, Virginia, to see off a U.S. Navy hospital ship heading to New York City to help with the pandemic. At the event, he spoke to a sparse crowd at the naval base and cautioned Americans to take virus protections. Earlier, he had tweeted: I am giving consideration to a QUARANTINE of developing hot spots, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. A decision will be made, one way or another, shortly. A lot of the states that are infected but dont have a big problem, theyve asked me if Ill look at it, so were going to look at it, Trump said. When asked about legal authority for quarantine, the incoming White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows, said officials are evaluating all the options right now. Administration officials discussed less-stringent measures as well. One idea under consideration would be to tell residents of the hard-hit areas to isolate themselves and not travel for two weeks, just as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has instructed anyone who recently left New York to self-quarantine for 14 days, according to one person familiar with the negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing deliberations. The measure wouldnt necessarily come with any legal force or penalty, just the hope that people would comply in an effort to try to contain the virus spread. The United States has reported more than 121,000 cases as of Saturday night. There were roughly 2,000 deaths recorded, according to the live tracking map from Johns Hopkins University, which relies on official data from different countries including that which has come under scrutiny from China and Iran for a lack of transparency. For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, or death. The vast majority of people recover. By Zeke Miller and Colleen Long. Epoch Times staff contributed to this report. A spokesperson of the state government said on Sunday that in compliance to the directions of the Supreme Court, a high-powered committee headed by Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan, who is also executive chairman of State Legal Services Authority has resolved to give temporary bail to the undertrials for a maximum period of three months. He said that the Committee in its meeting decided that temporary bail will be only given to the Himachal Pradesh undertrials, who are first time offenders, facing trial for offences punishable up to seven years and are in the custody for last three months or more. The decision of temporary release of prisoners has been taken to ensure social distancing and to avoid spread of COVID-19 virus, said the government spokesperson. He said that district magistrates and superintendents of police will make arrangements for transfer of prisoners to their respective places. Prisoners will be released only after proper medical examination by the jail authority and will ensure that the policy of the state government regarding complete lockdown is not violated. Application for temporary bail may be filed online to prevent gathering in masses in the courts or government offices. The release of undertrials from outside the state or foreigners has not been considered in view of the national lockdown. Centre releases 174.76 crore for HP under PMKSNY The Government of India has released an amount of 174.76 crore to the beneficiaries of Himachal Pradesh under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojna, said a government spokeperson. The amount has been released to the farmers to assist them in view of situation of lockdown due to Covid-19. The Government of India has released fifth financial installment of 2000 to each farmer in advance which is due from April 2020 for the period April to July 2020. The total number of beneficiary farmers under the scheme is 5, 50, 713 and total advance amount released to them is 110.14 crore. Dr Prasun Chatterjee, associate professor, Department of Geriatric medicine, AIIMS Delhi and consultant, WHO SEARO, also a founder president of Healthy Aging India, TEDx speaker and an author, speaks to Firstpost on various aspects of COVID-19 with a special emphasis on the elderly. As a locked down India watches the uptick in coronavirus cases with a growing sense of anxiety, the elderly have cause for concern. The statistics are disturbing: more than 80 percent of deaths due to COVID-19 14 out of 17 (till the time of filing the copy) are elderly. This is roughly in line with global numbers. According to statistics provided by the Imperial College London, while the average rate of death due to novel coronavirus infection is 0.5 percent to 1 percent, the rate for people above the age of 60 is significantly higher at 2.5 percent to 10 percent. Globally, the elderly make up 45 percent of hospitalisations due to COVID-19. Fifty-three percent of these need to be shifted to the intensive care units (ICU), and 80 percent of them in the ICU do not survive. Experts say the senior citizens' best shot at surviving COVID-19 is avoiding infection. The shockingly large number of deaths in Italy the highest in the world and having crossed 10,000 is being attributed to the countrys aging population, the second oldest in the world. The most disturbing news to emerge from the worst-affected regions of Italy is not just the large number of fatalities, but how the older people infected with COVID-19 are being left to die as a result of the healthcare system being overwhelmed. Doctors are being forced to invoke triage where in a doctor chooses whom to extend medical aid to when the number of patients exceeds the capacity of a hospital to provide treatment, invariably choosing the young who have a better shot at survival. As the infections grow in India at a higher rate, it's time to take utmost care of the older members of our families. We may be one of the younger nations of the world with 63.6 percent of our population between the age of 15 and 64 and only 5.3 percent above 65 but the sheer numbers of the elderly are overwhelming. This underscores the urgency of the situation in India. Dr Prasun Chatterjee, associate professor, Department of Geriatric medicine, AIIMS Delhi and consultant, WHO SEARO, also a founder president of Healthy Aging India, TEDx speaker and an author, speaks to Firstpost on various aspects of COVID-19 with a special emphasis on the elderly. Edited excerpts follow: The elderly seem to be most vulnerable to COVID-19. What are the main symptoms people should be on lookout for? The older people, especially who are above 80, not vaccinated against flu or pneumonia, who are residing in old age homes or long-term care facilities are at high risk of getting COVID-19. Main symptoms for COVID-19 are fever, cough (dry and persistent) and shortness of breath, not due to a known chronic disease like COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), bronchial asthma or heart failure. The other atypical symptoms could be headache, sore throat, nausea, diarrhea, muscle pain or joint pain, nausea or vomiting, nasal congestion, haemoptysis conjunctival congestion. Approximately, 90 percent of patients have more than one symptom, and 15% of patients have fever, cough, and dyspnoea. The most important consideration is detailed contact history with someone who has travelled to countries where COVID-19 has already been a pandemic. However, anyone who is 65 or above with disproportionate respiratory symptoms should contact a doctor. Which groups are in most danger? Elderly 80-plus are the most vulnerable, followed by 60-plus with diabetes, lung problems or kidney disease. Next are the patients of any age group with TB, cancer or HIV. A patient with other respiratory diseases needs admission. Why the higher mortality rate among elderly? Possible explanations for the observed higher morbidity and mortality rates among older patients due to COVID-19 include the following: a. Low physiological reserves due to the biologic changes that accompany aging b. Frequent presence of multi-morbidity (presence of more than two chronic diseases) c. Fading immune system. The number of white blood cells that find and help eliminate infections can decline. When there is a challenge by the virus, an older persons immune system faces a higher chance of an overreaction known as Cytokine Storm. Cytokines are proteins that serve as signals to the body to mount its infection-fighting machinery. The two main reasons for death due to the SARS-CoV2 virus are respiratory failure and septicemia due to the Cytokine Storm. This is also flu season. Should older people go for testing for COVID-19 if they have fever, cold and cough? If they cant get tested, what are the options? Initially, if an elderly person is suffering from any of symptoms such as fever, dry cough and throat congestion without any contact history, they should only take rest, stay home, maintain cough etiquette (coughing and sneezing into tissues), sanitise their hands frequently with a sanitiser containing 60 percent alcohol, and call the helpline provided by the government. Don't panic. However, if they have any alarming signs related to organ failure, shortness of breath, decrease in urine, chest discomfort, diarrhea with fever they should immediately visit a hospital. The elderly shouldnt visit a hospital for routine follow-up for chronic, non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, coronary artery disease, knee pain. What is the impact of COVID-19 on their mental health? Social distancing will puts older adults at greater risk of depression and anxiety. Besides films and TV programmes, online technologies can be harnessed to provide social support networks and a sense of belonging. More frequent telephone contact with close family and friends, voluntary organisations, or health-care professionals may be a solution. What are the best practices that the senior citizens should follow? How best to take care of them? Some precautions include disallowing any visitors to long-term care centres or old age homes as only visitors would carry infections inside. As most inhabitants of old age homes are frail and cognitively impaired with multiple diseases, they are at a high risk of contracting this fatal disease. Old-age homes should be well ventilated and physical distance of more than one metre should be maintained. In addition, they should follow routine hygiene protocol meant for other age groups. What is the best way to prevent this pandemic from growing larger? Prevent the entry of virus in your body and prevent the spread of virus to others in your community. More than 80 percent of infected persons are asymptomatic or with minimum symptoms as per the previous studies, so in a crowded place, its very difficult to know who is infected. Of course, a detailed epidemiological history of travel and contacts is the best way to screen but sometimes its not possible to trace them. Why is it spreading so rapidly? In epidemiology, there is a term called Reproduction Number (Ro). Ro of coronavirus is 2.2, which means a person who is diseased or is a carrier can infect 2 to 2.5 persons on an average. Someone who is diseased or carrying SARS-CoV2 virus and is without protection, can infect 2 to 3 persons who in turn can transmit to a further 2 to 3 persons each. The chain will go on without interruption if most of them are asymptomatic (no symptoms). However, we need not panic as the mortality rate is not that high (2 percent to 3 percent) as per data from various countries who have already suffered from this disease. Why should we quarantine for 14 days? As per previous data, 97 to 98 percent people who develop symptoms do so within 12 days of being infected. According to various studies, the incubation period varies from two to 14 days, which means someone who has had a contact with an infected/diseased person may develop florid or mild symptoms up to 14 days. Therefore, a 14-day quarantine is necessary to confirm if a person is infected. Whats the difference between isolation and quarantine? Isolation is for someone suffering from the disease. The patient can be isolated at home, or in a hospital room as per the symptoms and the discretion of the treating doctors. Quarantine is meant for someone who has not been diagnosed with the disease but may be exposed to the cases. It is one of the best preventive methods to contain the infection, especially when there is a threat of an impending epidemic. For example, X is exposed to a case, knowingly or unknowingly. If he is quarantined at home for 14 days, there are two possibilities: first, if he develops significant symptoms like dry cough, fever and specially breathlessness, then he must contact a doctor and check if he is suffering from COVID-19. Second, if he is asymptomatic for a total of 14 days, it means he is neither infected nor suffering from the disease. So, the best way is self-quarantine for at least two weeks. One more point that needs to be highlighted is that you need not presume you are suffering from the disease until there are significant symptoms or contact history. So, you should not go to the pharmacy and ask for medicines. Some people are going for antibiotics and Hydroxychloroquine tablets... I have learnt that some people are buying antibiotic and anti-viral drugs. This should be stopped as these drugs are not appropriate for this disease. In fact, they will do more harm. Let's allow the doctor to take the call. No prophylactic role for presumptive cases. How can the elderly boost their immune system? Any infection can weaken your immune system and make your body prone to catching viral infections. To keep your immune system in robust shape, take plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, and foods containing Vitamin C. Even though there is not enough evidence, all these foods will definitely strengthen your immune system to deal with infections. This is applicable for people of all age groups. Besides, while we continue to face the threat, its advisable for people to workout at home, yoga, meditation and do cognitive stimulation (playing Sudoku, solving crossword puzzles). And while the lockdown continues, socialise through digital platforms. How is this new coronavirus different from earlier coronaviruses that spread SARS or MERS? It's more contagious due to high reproduction number, but mortality rate is lower than SARS or MERS. However, fewer people were infected in the case of SARS and MERS. How effective is a good hygiene in slowing down the spread of coronavirus? The virus stays on hand but infects humans only when they touch the mouth, nose and ears. The virus can penetrate mucus, but not skin. So good hand hygiene, especially cleaning your hand before you touch these areas can prevent transmission. Second is cough etiquette (coughing and sneezing). Its also advisable to wash vegetables, fruit, meat, poultry and eggs properly after getting them home from market and before consumption. How does the infection progress? It affects our respiratory system. Through the respiratory pipe it goes inside to reach the terminal area of lungs called alveoli, where the exchange of air takes places. It stimulates various cytokines which precipitate acute inflammation and fluid retention across the long parenchyma, and as a result there is significant reduction of air exchange. It decreases lung surface area to oxygenate the blood, which then circulates to the entire body. Medically, this condition is called acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). It is a condition that causes fluid to build up in your lungs so that oxygen can't get to your organs. Fluid leaks from small blood vessels and collects in tiny air sacs (alveoli) in your lungs so they can't be filled with enough air. ARDS is a very very fatal disease with high mortality (35 to 55 percent). At what point should one approach a doctor? If you have a history of travel abroad and returning here in the past month; if you had a contact with someone who travelled abroad recently; if you have serious symptoms of cough, fever and breathlessness. However, if you only have running nose, you need not to worry at all as this is seasonal flu, which will subside on its own. What about all kinds of new cures and treatments we get to hear about on the internet? Nothing can stop the entry of the virus into your body except keeping enough distance from the infected. But even if you get it, remember that 80 percent of people are asymptomatic. Only 10 to 15 percent need hospital care. Survival depends upon the health care facilities, your age, previous co-morbidities and immune system. How effective is the 21-day national lockdown? This is the only step he could have taken to prevent transmission. Partial paralysis of system will not work as inherently we are not law-abiding people. The best way to stop any epidemic is containment. A group of medical professionals who ignored self-quarantine orders after arriving in Australia from South America may not be charged. Seventy-seven medics had been aboard the Roald Amundsen and Scenic Eclipse Antarctic cruises before they flew into Australia from Santiago in Chile on Friday. NSW Police and health personnel told the group they were required to self-isolate for 14 days on arrival, but when officers returned to serve Public Health Orders to them, they found 33 had left the hotel. The large group of medics had been aboard the Roald Amundsen and Scenic Eclipse Antarctic cruises (pictured) before they flew into Australia from Chile Six of the 33 individuals were found in the Sydney Domestic Airport terminal and were taken back to the hotel for their isolation period, while the remainder travelled onward to their interstate destinations. Eleven people have been fined in NSW for breaching self-isolation and quarantine restrictions, which can incur penalties of six-months in jail or an $11,000 fine. NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller in a press conference on Sunday said the medical professionals may not be charged for ignoring quarantine orders. 'I am disappointed,' he said. 'My understanding is that the orders hadn't been served on them at the time. So we may not be able to issue them with infringements. NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said the medical professionals may not be charged for ignoring quarantine orders 'We are looking at that. But doctors should know better. I mean, we all really know now how serious this is.' Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott said no one is above the law. 'Im disappointed to hear medical professionals chose to ignore rules in place to save lives and protect the most vulnerable in our community,' he said. 'No one is above the law. The majority are doing the right thing but for those who choose to flout the rules, they face a fine or even jail time.' Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott said no one is above the law All passengers arriving in Australia will be required to quarantine at designated hotels for two weeks to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Pictured: police and army personnel at Sydney International Airport to help escort passengers to the hotels CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement The group were among 290 people on board the flight from Santiago to Sydney on Friday night. From Sunday, all passengers arriving in Australia will be required to quarantine at designated hotels for two weeks to prevent the spread of the deadly disease. The new rules have been introduced as about two-thirds of Australia's 3,929 coronavirus cases are from people returning from overseas trips. Mr Fuller said the group of medical professionals had all been contacted and were in isolation either in the hotels in Sydney or at home. A NSW police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia 'there may be a chance the doctors may not receive a fine. 'This decision has not been finalised at this stage.' The Comptroller-General of Nigeria Immigration Service, Mohammed Babandede, has tested positive for Coronavirus (COVID-19), he told PREMIUM TIMES Sunday morning, joining a list of officials who have tested positive to the virus. I tested positive for COVID-19, said Mr Babandede in a message sent in the early hours of Sunday. I have been in self-isolation since my return from the UK on Sunday on Sunday 22nd of this month with British Airways in Lagos. With eight new cases announced by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control late Saturday night, Nigerias confirmed COVID-19 cases now stand at 97. The number rose by 340 per cent in one week, with 75 persons testing positive in the week that just ended, analysis of official data shows. Over 80 per cent of Nigerias cases are imported, while others are mostly from contacts with returnees. But the countrys true reality may not be known due to limited testing capacity. Mr Babandede was in the United Kingdom with his wife, who, however, tested negative, he said. I urge my loved ones, Immigration Officers and Nigerians to pray for me and all those affected, he urged. It is a very difficult time but we cant change what God destined for us. I urge officers to continue working with my able Deputy to further move our Service to another level. As advised by NCDC I am totally isolated. The Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, are among Nigerian cases believed to have contracted COVID-19 during journeys abroad. Both men were in Germany, although Mr Mohammed suggested the virus hit following his contact with Mohammed Abubakar, a son of opposition leader Atiku Abubakar. READ ALSO: Both Mr Kyari and Mr Mohammed did not self-isolate when they returned to Nigeria; rather, they were participating in events and mingling with people, breaching government advisory. Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai is also COVID-19 positive, he announced on Saturday. The virus, which started in the Hubei region of China, has affected over 600,000 people and killed more than 26,000 worldwide. What entails without a proper PPE and shared by different medical professionals across the globe on social media has only triggered fear among healthcare professionals. It's Saturday, 28 March, 2020. I googled the weather conditions in Kolkata. The temperature had reached 38C on the higher side and the minimum had been recorded at 24C. The precipitation was at 0 percent and humidity was at 38 percent, which essentially meant it was uncomfortably hot. How would anyone feel wearing a raincoat during this weather? Hell. Period. In gross violation of the prescribed standards for PPE (personal protective equipment) by the World Health Organisation (WHO) raincoats, poor quality surgical masks, used gloves are among the items with which the West Bengal government is arming its doctors who are literally behind enemy lines to fight the novel coronavirus or the COVID-19. The WHO interim guidance issued on 19 March, 2020 on the Rational use of personal protective equipment (PPE) for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) states: "Health care workers involved in the direct care of patients should use the following PPE: gowns, gloves, medical mask, and eye protection (goggles or face shield). Specifically, for aerosol-generating procedures (e.g. tracheal intubation, non-invasive ventilation, tracheostomy, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, manual ventilation before intubation, bronchoscopy) health care workers should use respirators, eye protection, gloves and gowns; aprons should also be used if gowns are not fluid resistant." Shockingly at these times of such grave medical threat, doctors in Kolkata are made to beg for prescribed PPE. "We have only one concern. We need proper protective kits. More so because we dont want to affect ourselves and spread the disease more. We are staying in the hostel for many days and not going home just because we dont want to affect our families too. But if we get infected, the hostel residents might get infected too. And everyone is a doctor," said a medical intern from IPGMER and SSKM Hospital who has been posted at the Infectious Diseases & Beliaghata General Hospital (ID & BG Hospital) in Kolkata. The intern preferred to remain anonymous and will be referred to as Doctor A in further references. "What we were given instead of proper PPE was rainwear and some of it was even torn. In some cases, the gloves were also torn. We can't work in these conditions. We are more conscious because if we get infected we might end up spreading the disease to people who come to us for check-ups and are already immunocompromised. If we the healthcare workers or the doctors get affected, the chances of transmission are more and it will spread like wildfire," the doctor said. At the ID & BG Hospital, the duty hours are long, with those posted in the Emergency Room (ER) working for 12 hours at a stretch. Their counterparts in indoor duties also have to work for 12 hours. Those in round duties work from 9 am to 2 pm. Doctors dealing with the novel coronavirus have not encountered this particular strain of virus before, making their task even more challenging, not only dangerous. Whatever on the job training the doctors are getting at the ID & BG Hospital is also quite basic. On Tuesday (24 March, 2020), a few interns from the Kolkata Medical College & Hospital who were posted at the COVID-19 ward in ID & BG Hospital, approached the medical superintendent cum vice-principal (MSVP) complaining about the absence of surgical masks only to be rudely told, "Dogs dont need a mask. Why do you?" Defining PPE, the Hospital Infection Control Guidelines of the Indian Council of Medical Research say that "PPE refers to a variety of barriers, used alone or in combination, to protect mucous membranes, airways, skin and clothing from contact with infectious agents. PPE used as part of standard precautions includes aprons, gowns, gloves, surgical masks, protective eyewear and face shields." The document also clearly states the purpose of the use of PPE by health care professionals. It says, "Using personal protective equipment provides a physical barrier between micro-organisms and the wearer. It offers protection by helping to prevent micro-organisms from contaminating hands, eyes, clothing, hair and shoes and being transmitted to other patients and staff." The document also says, "The sole aim of universal precautions is to prevent transmission of infections from the patient to the health care provider." The table below, which is sourced from the Indian Council of Medical Research, gives the summary of precautions to prevent the spreading and transmission of infections. Purpose Contact Droplet Airborne Organism based precaution MRSA, Clostridium difficile, lice, scabies N. meningitidis, mumps, Pertussis, norovirus, influenza invasive group A Streptococcus Pulmonary tuberculosis, measles, chicken pox, disseminated zoster Syndromic precaution Draining wound Diarrhea (not yet diagnosed) Infestation Toxic shock Fever, weight loss, cough, high TB risk Private room Preferred Preferred Yes Negative pressure room No No Yes PPE- Staff Gown + gloves Gown + gloves + surgical grade fluid resistant mask Gown + gloves + N95 mask Visitor PPE Gown + gloves Gown + gloves + surgical grade fluid resistant mask Surgical grade mask Transporting patient Patient No Staff No Patient Yes Staff Yes Patient Yes Staff No Cleaning Precaution clean Precaution clean Precaution clean "We know the person engaged in the ER should wear an N95 mask according to ICMR guidelines. And the doctors and other healthcare workers working in other wards should wear surgical masks. These interns were demanding surgical masks but were forced to leave following the taunt from the medical officer," Doctor A said. "Next day after we demanded again, the surgical masks were provided but only after a wait of three hours. During these three hours, we didn't work. Also, we are being asked to reuse N95/surgical masks if at all they are being provided. Because the supply is scarce." "My co-interns working at the ER in IPGMER and SSKM Hospital and the fever units of Sambhunath Pandit Hospital and Kolkata Medical College & Hospital are all given rainwear as PPE. Only one pair of a surgical mask with a fine single-layer has been provided and only one pair of gloves has been provided which is also very thin. In a proper PPE kit, there are four pairs of gloves. People have no choice but to continue working with those poor quality safety equipment," said Doctor A. "It is very hot and uncomfortable to work in that outfit. I wore that PPE kit for an hour and everything I was wearing got drenched in sweat," said Doctor A. The most worrisome part is when hoards of patients throng the hospitals every day it is unclear who might be a COVID-19 patient unless the tests are conducted. This increases the risks manifold for the healthcare personnel without a proper PPE and also to other non-COVID-19 patients. The less number of testing in India has only compounded the fears in the medical community. Click here for Coronavirus Outbreak LIVE Updates "We are being posted in different hospitals due to this epidemic crisis. In these times the least we can expect from the administration is the availability of proper PPE kits. The thing is the material they are providing us with is no better than raincoats. The brand names of the manufacturing firms are put on the front and the item is marked as rainwear. It is like we are advertising them. There is a huge fault with them. There is a huge risk of exposure even when we are dawning the equipment. It would be wrong to say that not a single proper PPE is available but the people who need them most like the frontline health care professionals are not getting them. Unless we are protected we will be harbouring the disease and spread it to healthy patients who come to us for help. We will be essentially more harm than good in such a situation," said Doctor B, who is a resident post-graduate trainee at SSKM Medical College & Hospital and currently posted in the fever clinic of the institution. The situation is no different in Kolkata Medical College & Hospital with a capacity of 3,000 beds which has been made as the apex institution or the nodal agency in West Bengal to deal with the novel coronavirus in the state which essentially means the institution will deal with COVID-19 patients only. "Earlier I was posted in Beliaghata ID & BG Hospital which was previously the nodal centre for infectious diseases. Now I am back with my parent institution Kolkata Medical College & Hospital. The first few days we did not get any PPE which is a standard protocol in ER. We never know whether a patient is a positive or a suspect without screening. We did not receive the N95 respirator which is a minimum filter you need to prevent aerosol generated diseases. Our PPE is supposed to cover all the bare skin surface like your eyes etc. Nothing of that sort was provided," Doctor C, who is a medical intern, told FirstPost. "Today (28 March, 2020) we had the training for using the PPE when the Kolkata Medical College & Hospital starts functioning as an exclusive COVID-19 medical facility from Monday (30 March, 2020). Even during the training, we were given raincoats and no N95 masks or goggles were provided to us. On Monday also we are supposed to get raincoats because this is what has arrived at the hospital and they are passing it off as PPE," said Doctor C. Another doctor, whom we will refer to as Doctor D, expressed similar fears. "Initially we thought they were having a stopgap mechanism but then over the last week, we have been telling the authority that it is not the appropriate PPE. As of today, we are still to get the right PPE. Since we are going to deal with the positive patients here at the Kolkata Medical College & Hospital all including nurses, doctors and other medical staff are apprehensive of the situation. Without the proper equipment for healthcare professionals, it is unlikely that it is going to start functioning from Monday. We have made it clear to the administration that without proper equipment we won't join work," said Doctor D. Around 150-200 healthcare professionals at the Kolkata Medical College & Hospital will be dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. What entails without a proper PPE and shared by different medical professionals across the globe on social media has only triggered fear among healthcare professionals. The death of Kious Kelly, a 48-year-old assistant nurse manager at Mount Sinai West in Manhattan, New York, may have been the first New York City nurse to die from the virus. This is what his sister Marya Patrice Sherron wrote on Facebook: "In time, the truth regarding the lack of PPE in his unit and hospital will come to light. Nevertheless, Kious served." Diana Torres, who is a colleague of Kelly, expressed her outrage on Facebook over the absence of "PROPER PPE". Response from the administration Soumitra Ghosh, head of Department of General Medicine, IPGMER and SSKM Hospital, who is also part of the 12-member committee of experts formed by the West Bengal government to combat the epidemic spread of COVID-19, said that the problem is not just limited to West Bengal. "This is a problem across the globe and not just West Bengal or the Indian sub-continent. It is not the time to blame anybody. The issue should be raised that the healthcare providers are the biggest warriors against this pandemic and they should be protected. In New York also, they are reusing PPEs. Human resources are the most precious resources. Blaming will not solve the problem. However, it is also a fact that the biggest warriors are not being provided with adequate protection," Ghosh said. "Wuhan was the hub from where the medical masks were supplied and 90 percent of the globe depended on them. Money is not an issue but the scarcity of the product is," he said. Kolkata Medical College & Hospital, MSVP, Indranil Biswas accepted that there has been a problem with PPE but expressed optimism that things will change. "The government is going to change that. They have initially ordered to one firm which has provided with these kits. We have conveyed it to the government that these are not ideal PPEs and are very difficult to use. So from Monday, we are supposed to get the ideal PPEs," Biswas told Firstpost. Despite the shortcomings, the Kolkata Medical College & Hospital MSVP sounded positive that the institution will be functional from Monday. "We have not started functioning as yet. All the doctors are post-graduate and they are very much interested in the effort. They have already familiarised themselves with the standard operating procedures on how to run this hospital for the novel coronavirus patients. These are the basic things and it will be changed. Government is trying hard to change things," he said. The institution has not reached out to any corporates for support yet. "Actually at present, it is not required. The thing is that even if you have the money to procure proper PPEs in such a large quantity is very difficult. The government has ordered for those. We are hoping for the best. Let's see on Monday," said Biswas. He also sought to allay fears over the alleged lack of negative pressure wards where infected patients will be kept in the facility. "This has changed. Now the entire building has been converted into negative pressure wards where only infected patients will be kept," the Kolkata Medical College & Hospital MSVP said. He further assured that adequate steps are being taken to handle the biomedical waste in the facility. "The handling of the biomedical waste will be as per WHO guidelines. We already have a proper biomedical wastage handling team. That should not be a problem," he said. The Kolkata Medical College & Hospital MSVP did accept that they are "facing a lot of problems". "Everything depends on the number of patients ultimately infected. If the lockdown is properly maintained then I think the problem will be minimum. We can only hope for the best," said Biswas. Amrita Bhattacharya, who is a medical officer at the ID & BG Hospital, agreed that there were hiccups initially. "There were a few packets of PPEs which were raincoats and other inappropriate gloves. Now this issue has been addressed at the ID & BG Hospital," said Chakrabarty. Emails and WhatsApp messages were sent to West Bengal Health and Family Welfare department, Principal Secretary Vivek Kumar and Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien seeking their response. The copy will be updated accordingly if they choose to respond. Unique circumstances force replacement of standard PPE Before anyone cites how healthcare professionals in Spain are using garbage bags as PPE, let this also be remembered that these are being used as the last resort "in hopes of protecting themselves against contracting the novel coronavirus". The grim situation is visible according to a story by The Associated Press and published on The New York Times: "He (Kious Kelly) worked at the same hospital where three nurses, frustrated at the scarcity of supplies, posted pictures of themselves on social media wearing makeshift garbage bag protective gowns, an image splashed on Thursdays New York Post cover with the headline: TREATED LIKE TRASH"." "If we don't have proper PPEs just at the beginning whereas other states like Kerala, Maharashtra do, I don't know how the state thinks it can combat the disease till the end," said Doctor C. What extensive use of proper PPE can do is also another story which was depicted by Alessia Bonari, an Italian nurse at a Milan hospital, with bruises all over her face. Low number of tests sparks anxiety Doctor B also expressed concerns about the relatively low number of testing in India unlike other countries like the US, South Korea or China which have focussed highly on testing. "The testing should cover a wider base of patients. It is very restricted now. It is giving us a false sense of security. I know India has a relatively low number of patients compared to other countries like Spain, Italy, China or the US. We can't say for sure whether we are in stage 2 or 3. How do you expect to get the actual number if you are testing such a low number of patients," said Doctor B. This is what WHO also suggested as well. We have a simple message for all countries fighting #COVID19: test, test, test. The most effective way to prevent #coronavirus infections and save lives is breaking the chains of transmission. And to do that, you must test and isolate. https://t.co/cOOs5wMCZE Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) March 16, 2020 According to the India State-Level Estimates study conducted by The Center For Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy, an organisation involved in multidisciplinary research to advance the health and wellbeing of human populations, "delays in testing are seriously reducing the ability of the population to selfprotect." "At baseline (without interventions), between 300 and 400 million Indians are likely to be infected by July. Most of these cases will be mild. At the peak (somewhere between April and May 2020), 100 million individuals will be infected. Of these, approximately 10 million will be severe and about 2-4 million will require hospitalization. This is the most critical period," the report said. The way ahead It is the medical fraternity which is the final frontier between the novel coronavirus and the apocalypse that threatens even as many corners of the planet have been filled up with legions of sick humans. For them, I dare say, contra spem spero (I hope against hope). Red Cross comes through The ministry of health took to Twitter on Monday to announce that 10,000 PPE coveralls donated by the Red Cross had been received and are being distributed. The ministry, in a long Twitter thread, said two domestic manufacturers are producing 50,000 N95 masks per day, which is expected to increase to 1 lakh per day within the next week. The ministry also stated that 11.95 lakh N94 masks are in stock, that an addition 5 lakh masks were distributed over the past two days and 1.40 lakh masks are being distributed today. The DRDO will begin manufacturing 20,000 N99 masks per day within the next week, the ministry further said and that Agva Healthcare, Noida has been given an order to manufacture 10,000 ventilators within a month, the supplies of which are expected to commence in the second week of April. Over 14,000 ventilators are earmarked for COVID-19 patients in various hospitals across the country. Bharat Electronics has been asked to manufacture 30,000 ventilators over the next two months in collaboration with local manufacturers. Automobile manufacturers have been asked to manufacture ventilators and are working towards this end, the ministry said. NAIROBI The number of people in Kenya who have tested positive for the Covid-19 disease has risen to 38, the Ministry of Health said Saturday. Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said seven more people had tested positive for the new coronavirus and the analysis of 81 suspected cases in the last 24 hours. They are four Kenyans, two Congolese and a Chinese citizen. Three of them are female and four male. Out of the seven , four had a history of traveling from countries with active transmission, one had travelled from Mombasa while two did not have a travel history, he said. CS Kagwe announced that Nairobi was still leading in the number of cases with 28, followed by Kilifi with six, Mombasa with two and Kwale and Kajiado with one each. He said contact tracing was ongoing and that out of 1,141 who were being monitored closely, 163 were discharged after a 14-day follow-up period, leaving 978. The ministry said that starting Sunday, people who arrived the country last week will undergo mass testing. While referring to Nairobi, he said, Theres no single estate untouched by the 28 people mentioned and as we start mass testing we will get more positive cases. The campaign starting Sunday March 29, targets individual currently under mandatory quarantine in various designated hotels and Kenyan government facilities. CS Kagwe also announced that he had undergone testing and that the result was negative. Related Continue Reading Recently after declaring, Its a war, President Trump asked for sweeping emergency authority to combat the coronavirus crisis. Was that a figure of speech, a necessary first step in invoking the Korean War-era Defense Production Act to speed manufacture of much-needed medical equipment and supplies, an effort to reclaim legitimacy after the impeachment trial, or an audacious grab for power? In a time of crisis, some people will be tempted to endorse what a political scientist might call executive unilateralism, in which the head of government is vested with vast discretionary powers and becomes a strongman, even a dictator. Some believe this has happened occasionally in United States history, so we must ask: How do we give the president the tools he must have without transforming the U.S. into a Russia-style security state in which the temporary concentration of power cannot be reversed? The simple answer is scrupulous adherence to the rule of law. A local elected official recently was asked whether he had the legal authority to make an emergency order he had issued. The office holder defended himself by asserting that he had the moral authority to act. Perhaps, but that argument creates a very slippery slope. What are the lessons of history? There always are some. Abraham Lincoln, a Republican, was president during the greatest crisis in our nations history, the Civil War of 1861 to 1865, which cost 750,000 American lives on and near battlefields in a population of fewer than 35 million. According to historian David Herbert Donald, in a 70-year-old essay, in peacetime Lincoln might have been a Whig in the White House, a passive president who deferred to Congress in most policy matters. Instead, Lincoln became one of the foremost activist presidents of all time. Lincolns critics, then and now, denounce him as a tyrant, principally for suspending the writ of habeas corpus to allow the jailing of some political opponents and for issuing the Emancipation Proclamation, an executive order that purported to free hundreds of thousands of enslaved people. Those are facts, but I would suggest that Lincoln was responding to an existential threat to American democracy posed by huge rebel armies, some not far from Washington, so his assertive leadership was necessary to suppress the rebellion. Nearly 60 years later, during World War I, progressive Democrat Woodrow Wilson signed into law bills passed by Congress that led to serious abuses of civil liberties. Were Lincoln and Wilson different? Lincoln acted out of military necessity during an extraordinary domestic crisis. In contrast, the threat to the U.S. during an essentially European war was minimal, and the perceived risk of the spread of political radicalism following the Russian Revolution was wildly exaggerated. Abridging civil liberties in 1917 and 1918 was simply unnecessary to win the war. Franklin Roosevelt was the greatest president of the 20th century, but he might have learned the wrong lesson from serving as President Wilsons Assistant Secretary of the Navy. In early 1942, shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor brought the U.S. into World War II, Roosevelt issued an executive order allowing the Army to intern more than 100,000 West Coast Japanese citizens and Japanese Americans, one of the worst violations of civil rights in our history. Despite the Supreme Courts infamous conclusion in 1944, there was no military justification for this notorious incident. Most Americans do not want fundamental change to concentrate power in the president, whomever he or she is. Nearly 250 years ago, the Founders fought a war for independence to free the American people from the tyrannical near-absolute monarchy. Could they have foreseen an international public-health crisis so severe that it threatened a global economy? Probably not. However, the foundations of our society, government, and way of life must continue. As a safeguard against risky consolidated executive authority, there clearly should be a two-part standard for expanding the presidents wartime powers: First, fundamental individual liberties and civil rights must be protected; and, second, there should be credible, enforceable guarantees that the expanded powers will revert to normal as soon as the crisis ends. What I am recommending has precedent. The notorious Sedition Act of 1798, passed during a quasi war with France, expired by law in 1801, and the equally offensive Sedition Act of 1918, passed during World War I, was repealed in 1920. We live in a strange new world. Accepting President Trumps rationale for enlarging his powers beyond ordering increased production of medical equipment and supplies would make it worse. Steven S. Berizzi is a professor of history and political science, at Norwalk Community College. George Poikayil By Express News Service KASARAGOD: Abdul Sattar, 47, a native of Thalangara in Kasaragod, tested positive on March 21. Ten days before that, he returned from Dubai. Since Dubai was emerging as a Covid-19 hotspot, he went to the General Hospital in Kasaragod to give his swab for testing. He was sent back because he showed no symptoms. After a day, I went again but was sent back again, he said. Disheartened, Sattar went to Kasturba Medical College in Mangaluru for a routine full-body check-up. He asked the doctors to test him for Coronavirus too. The result turned positive. Mujeeb Rahman, 32, his wife Nafeesa, 26, and Rahmans nephew Shafi, 27, -- all natives of Kalnad in Kasaragod -- landed at Mangaluru airport on March 19. They flew in from Naif, a Covid-19 hotspot in Dubai. Aware of the risk they were posing to the public, they covered themselves up, wore masks and gloves. Rahman called his relatives and asked them to bring two cars -- one for them to drive back and the other for the relatives to return. He asked his aged parents to move into his brothers house, so that they will have an entire house to remain in quarantine. The relative packed food and kept in one of the cars so that the trio neednt stop anywhere to eat. Even with all the precautions, the system failed them. The General Hospital in Kasaragod and the District Hospital in Kanhangad refused to take their swabs because they did not show any symptoms. The third time, we created a ruckus and another man from Ukraine called up the collector, after which they took our swabs, said Rahman. The three persons tested positive later. In Thiruvananthapuram, the doctors at the General Hospital sent back a person who returned from Italy without taking his swabs. Though he came in an ambulance, he returned in an autorickshaw. Across the state, many NRIs reported that the government was not testing them for Covid-19. Kasaragod Collector D Sajith Babu categorically said the doctors would test only those with symptoms such as fever, cold, runny nose or throat pain. It was a flawed decision and potentially exposed many people in the state to the virus, said Dr Sreekumar Ramachandran, chairman of the Research Cell of the Indian Medical Association (IMA). The government was ill-advised by the Indian Medical Council of Research (ICMR), he said.Forty per cent of the transmission happens between the fifth and the 14th day, when the infected person will show no symptom, said Dr Ramachandran. By the time a person shows symptoms -- that is after 14 days -- he would have infected many others, he said. He said the government erred in treating Covid-like Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome and H1N1, where the symptoms start showing in the first five days. The IMA recommended rapid testing for Covid-19, but the state government took a favourable decision only on Saturday. This government is hesitant in taking decisions, said a consultant of the LDF government. Everybody should stay indoor in April. In May, the rains will come, the temperature will fall and humidity will rise. An ideal condition for the virus, said Dr Ramachandran. The social responsibility of Keralites is on test, he said. The National Disaster Response Force has stepped in to manage the massive migration triggered by the lockdown. Satya Pradhan, director general of the NDRF, tells Subhomoy Bhattacharjee how his team is dealing with the situation. Edited excerpts: What is your brief on the migration crisis? It is to reduce the sense of fear among the people. We are there to make them feel that they shall get help. The buses are there to ferry them. So we are also there to guide them in queues, try to ensure they maintain some physical distance among themselves. Our big role, however, is to reduce the ... Australia should have put a travel ban on the United States and forced return travellers into hotel quarantines in February, medical and economic experts say, as the US races ahead of Italy and China to become the largest centre of coronavirus cases in the world. The US is responsible for twice as many imported infections into Australia as any other country. More than 85,000 Australian citizens return from short trips to the US every month and up to 70,000 US citizens visit here, the third highest rate in either category according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. On the advice of chief medical officers, the Morrison government resisted putting a travel ban on its most important ally until it sealed off Australia from the entire world, more than a week after it put a ban on Italy on March 11. It had cut off China in January and Iran in February before adding South Korea on March 5. The official US caseload had risen from 74 to 3,500 in the two weeks before the world-wide ban was implemented. It now stands at 103,942. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Scott Morrison last year. Credit:Bloomberg One Australian woman who caught coronavirus while on holiday at the US ski-resort of Aspen unknowingly infected at least six people at 21st birthday party in Melbourne on March 14. Australia did not have a mandatory self-isolation period for travellers returning from the US at the time and the woman did not test positive until after the party. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 29) Eight people on a medical evacuation mission to Tokyo, Japan are dead after the Agusta WW24 aircraft they were on caught fire Sunday, 8 p.m. at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Those who died were an American national, a Canadian national, a flight medic, a nurse, a doctor and three flight crew, Manila International Airport Authority General Manager Ed Monreal confirmed. Airport authorities were tight-lipped about why the medical evacuation was supposed to take place. Investigation on the incident is still ongoing, but an initial statement from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said the aircraft reportedly encountered a technical problem while rolling for takeoff on Runway 06/24. The MIAA said the accident happened at the end of the runway as the aircraft was taking off. The MIAA said its fire and rescue team was immediately dispatched to extinguish the flames that engulfed the plane. Monreal said the closure of the airports runway will cause minimal disruptions in NAIAs operations, which have already scaled down as a result of numerous flight cancellations due to travel restrictions imposed by various countries in an effort to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. Fleet to be grounded? Airport authorities are refusing to discuss any other details surrounding the accident, but CAAP Deputy Director General Don Mendoza said the aircraft, operated by Lionair, is air-worthy and that its pilots licenses are current. Mendoza also confirmed that the same aircraft was also used to ferry medical equipment to Iloilo on Saturday. Mendoza also said they are looking into the possibility of grounding Lionairs whole fleet, as it also operated another medical evacuation aircraft which crashed in Calamba last September 2019. Right now the initial step that we are looking into is grounding the whole fleet. Its quite alarming, but we are looking into the records of this unfortunate event that happened to Lionair, Mendoza said. Loss of the ability to smell and taste can be an early sign of coronavirus infection, according to a growing number of reports from around the world. More than two in three confirmed COVID-19 patients in Germany had anosmia -- the inability to smell -- and China, South Korea and Italy have also reported significant numbers of cases, according to a statement by ENT U.K., an organization for ear, nose and throat specialists. In South Korea, "30% of patients testing positive have had anosmia as their major presenting symptom in otherwise mild cases," the statement said. The World Health Organization has "seen quite a few reports" about this phenomenon, but "this is something that we need to look into to really capture if this is one of the early signs and symptoms of COVID-19," Maria van Kerkhove, technical lead for COVID-19 at the organization, said in a briefing Monday. The American Academy of Otolaryngology set up a website Thursday where doctors can report such cases. Japanese Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Akihiro Nishimura told reporters Friday that Japanese organizations are also gathering information. The novel coronavirus appears to replicate more in the nose than in the throat. "It may be that the virus infects olfactory cells deep within the nose, impairing the sense of smell," said Norio Sugaya, head of the infection control center at Keiyu Hospital in Yokohama. The ENT UK statement suggested that loss of smell "could potentially be used as a screening tool to help identify otherwise asymptomatic patients." But this alone is unlikely to prove a reliable indicator. "Even with a normal cold, [patients] can lose their sense of smell, affecting their sense of taste," said Mitsuyoshi Urashima, a professor of molecular epidemiology at Jikei University School of Medicine in Tokyo. Hyderabad, March 29 : The government of Telangana on Sunday announced that it will provide 12 kg rice and Rs 500 cash to each of the 3.5 lakh migrant labourers from other states. Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao said the government was ready to spend any amount to ensure that nobody in the state starves. Addressing a news conference, he assured the migrant labour that the government would provide food, drinking water and healthcare facilities. He urged the workers not to leave for their states in panic but stay in Telangana. "You came to serve this state. You are the partners in development of this state. We treat you as our brothers and children," he said KCR, as the Chief Minister is popularly known, said a quick survey found that there are 3.5 lakh migrant labourers from other states like Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha and Tamil Nadu. These labourers are working as part of 12,436 teams. Majority of the workers are in Hyderabad and surrounding districts of Ranga Reddy and Medchal. There are also many workers in Peddapalli, Khammam, Ramagundam and other places in the state. He directed the officials to provide all the help to the workers and if necessary provide them accommodation in function halls while taking all precautions to check the spread of coronavirus. "Nobody shall starve in Telangana irrespective of the state he comes from and the work he is engaged in," said the Chief Minister. At least six people were reported injured when a tornado ripped through Jonesboro, Arkansas, on Saturday, March 28. The storm flattened buildings and destroyed at least one business, and it also caused extensive damage to Turtle Creek Mall, local media reported. Authorities were conducting search-and-rescue operations into the night. The National Weather Service confirmed the tornado at 4.25 pm. This video, filmed by Derek Smith, shows a tornado approaching. A male voice can be heard screaming, Oh my God, thats somebodys house in the background at one point in the video. Credit: Derek Smith via Storyful The stars of the viral pandemic movie "Contagion" have reunited to film a series of public service announcements (PSA) on March 27 to warn about COVID-19, urging fans to follow experts' instructions. The 2011 movie, starring Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Laurence Fishburne and Jennifer Ehle, has seen a surge in popularity recently as the coronavirus has spread across the globe. The four actors teamed up with scientists from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health to offer four individual homemade videos with advice on ways to contain the coronavirus and messages of confidence, unity for everyone. "A few years ago a bunch of us did this movie called 'Contagion' which we've noticed is creeping its way back up on the charts on iTunes for obvious reasons," Damon explained in his video. 'This is real life' "That was a movie. This is real life," said Damon, who played a character who was immune to the virus in the movie, urging people to listen to the experts and practice social distancing. He concluded: "Other generations were asked to do extraordinary things, we're being asked to just stay at home." Winslet, who played an epidemiologist trying to contain the spread of the hypothetical virus, recalled the time she spent with some public health experts to prepare for her role, and shared one of the most important things she learned from the professionals. "Wash your hands like your life depends on it," Winslet said in her PSA spot as she washed her hands, showing people a demonstration of how to do it properly. "Because right now, in particular, it just might," said the celebrated British actress, adding that, "The health of our society is quite literally in your hands." In Ehle's video, she stressed that the coronavirus is new, meaning that no-one is immune. "Every single one of us, regardless of age or ethnicity, is at risk of getting it," she said. Additionally, Fishburne appealed to helping medical staff dealing with the coronavirus and flattening the curve together. "If we can slow this thing down, it will give our doctors and our nurses in our hospitals a fighting chance to help us all get through this thing together," the actor added. Movie epitomizes coronavirus fight The movie cast's PSA videos then went viral on Chinese social media following their release, with "ContagionCastOnPandemicPrevention" soon becoming one of the hottest hashtags on China's Twitter-like platform Weibo and accumulating more than 140 million views so far. A user commented: "It is impressive that the character Kate played was still thinking about saving and taking care of others even when she herself was surviving after being infected." "That is indeed an epitome of the doctors and nurses currently fighting on the frontline." Given its the similarities to the current pandemic, "Contagion" has been drawing great attention since the coronavirus outbreak began. The rentals, sales and downloads of the movie have skyrocketed in recent weeks. It climbed to the 10th place on Friday on the iTunes movie charts for the U.S., one spot above the newly-released "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker." The prescient thriller, directed by Steven Soderbergh, follows a mysterious deadly infection that spreads quickly around the world, causing a breakdown in society, and efforts by medical staff and scientists to save lives and find a cure. Abans Group donates to hospitals across island View(s): With many responsible citizens joining in to support the efforts of the government, Abans Group too has lent a hand. It was a privilege to get the opportunity to support the frontline staff who are truly working around the clock for us, said Tito Pestonjee, Managing Director, Abans Group in a media statement. Abans Group will be donating several televisions, washing machines and fans to hospitals across the country to help improve current facilities provided. Colombo East Base Hospital, Colombo South Teaching Hospital and Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital will be receiving the aid from the organisation. For more than 50 years, the company has always been aligned to the needs of the country. During these trying times, it is important for all to work together and help one another. Abans Group, together with our dedicated employees, are glad to serve our community during this crisis, Mr. Pestonjee said. Police have shot dead a gunman in far north Queensland after an 11-hour chase that included a police car being rammed and multiple officers being shot at by the offender. It started about 4.30am on Sunday when the man tried to break into an infrastructure facility off the Captain Cook Highway in the Cairns suburb of Palm Cove. The man was disturbed by a nearby resident and fled, but as he was leaving in his car, he deliberately rammed a police car responding to the attempted break-in. About 10 kilometres south in Smithfield, the man drove his car at a 26-year-old constable on the side of the road, leaving him with a suspected broken wrist and other non-life-threatening injuries. Nigerias President, Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday imposed 14-day curfew on Lagos and Ogun States, as well as the Federal Capital Territor... Nigerias President, Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday imposed 14-day curfew on Lagos and Ogun States, as well as the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, with effect from 11pm on Monday. This the President disclosed in his address to the nation on Sunday, March 29. Addressing Nigerians the President said, based on the advice of the Federal Ministry of Health and the NCDC, I am directing the cessation of all movements in Lagos and the FCT for an initial period of 14 days with effect from 11pm on Monday, 30th March 2020. This restriction will also apply to Ogun State due to its close proximity to Lagos and the high traffic between the two States . He urged all citizens in these areas to stay in their homes, adding that travel to or from other states should be postponed. All businesses and offices within these locations should also be fully closed during this period. The President revealed that the Governors of Lagos and Ogun States as well as the Minister of the FCT have been notified. Furthermore, the president also stated that heads of security and intelligence agencies have also been briefed. Below is the full speech. 1. Fellow Nigerians, 2. From the first signs that Coronavirus, or COVID-19 was turning into an epidemic and was officially declared a world-wide emergency, the Federal Government started planning preventive, containment and curative measures in the event the disease hits Nigeria. 3. The whole instruments of government are now mobilized to confront what has now become both a health emergency and an economic crisis. 4. Nigeria, unfortunately, confirmed its first case on 27th February 2020. Since then, we have seen the number of confirmed cases rise slowly. 5. By the morning of March 29th, 2020, the total confirmed cases within Nigeria had risen to ninety-seven. 6. Regrettably, we also had our first fatality, a former employee of PPMC, who died on 23rd March 2020. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family in this very difficult time. We also pray for quick recovery for those infected and undergoing treatment. 7. As of today, COVID-19 has no cure. Scientists around the world are working very hard to develop a vaccine. 8. We are in touch with these institutions as they work towards a solution that will be certified by international and local medical authorities within the shortest possible time. 9. For now, the best and most efficient way to avoid getting infected is through regular hygienic and sanitary practices as well as social distancing. 10. As individuals, we remain the greatest weapon to fight this pandemic. By washing our hands regularly with clean water and soap, disinfecting frequently used surfaces and areas, coughing into a tissue or elbow and strictly adhering to infection prevention control measures in health facilities, we can contain this virus. 11. Since the outbreak was reported in China, our Government has been monitoring the situation closely and studying the various responses adopted by other countries. 12. Indeed, the Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) was one of ten global health leaders invited by the World Health Organisation to visit China and understudy their response approach. I am personally very proud of Dr Ihekweazu for doing this on behalf of all Nigerians. 13. Since his return, the NCDC has been implementing numerous strategies and programs in Nigeria to ensure that the adverse impact of this virus on our country is minimized. We ask all Nigerians to support the work the Federal Ministry of Health and NCDC are doing, led by the Presidential Task Force. 14. Although we have adopted strategies used globally, our implementation programs have been tailored to reflect our local realities. 15. In Nigeria, we are taking a two step approach. 16. First, to protect the lives of our fellow Nigerians and residents living here and second, to preserve the livelihoods of workers and business owners to ensure their families get through this very difficult time in dignity and with hope and peace of mind. 17. To date, we have introduced healthcare measures, border security, fiscal and monetary policies in our response. We shall continue to do so as the situation unfolds. 18. Some of these measures will surely cause major inconveniences to many citizens. But these are sacrifices we should all be willing and ready to make for the greater good of our country. 19. In Nigerias fight against COVID-19, there is no such thing as an overreaction or an under reaction. It is all about the right reaction by the right agencies and trained experts. 20. Accordingly, as a Government, we will continue to rely on guidance of our medical professionals and experts at the Ministry of Health, NCDC and other relevant agencies through this difficult time. 21. I therefore urge all citizens to adhere to their guidelines as they are released from time to time. 22. As we are all aware, Lagos and Abuja have the majority of confirmed cases in Nigeria. Our focus therefore remains to urgently and drastically contain these cases, and to support other states and regions in the best way we can. 23. This is why we provided an initial intervention of fifteen billion Naira (N15b) to support the national response as we fight to contain and control the spread. 24. We also created a Presidential Task Force (PTF) to develop a workable National Response Strategy that is being reviewed on a daily basis as the requirements change. This strategy takes international best practices but adopts them to suit our unique local circumstances. 25. Our goal is to ensure all States have the right support and manpower to respond immediately. 26. So far, in Lagos and Abuja, we have recruited hundreds of adhoc staff to man our call centers and support our tracing and testing efforts. 27. I also requested, through the Nigeria Governors Forum, for all State Governments to nominate Doctors and Nurses who will be trained by the NCDC and Lagos State Government on tactical and operational response to the virus in case it spreads to other states. 28. This training will also include medical representatives from our armed forces, paramilitary and security and intelligence agencies. 29. As a nation, our response must be guided, systematic and professional. There is a need for consistency across the nation. All inconsistencies in policy guidelines between Federal and State agencies will be eliminated. 30. As I mentioned earlier, as at this morning we had ninety-seven confirmed cases. Majority of these are in Lagos and Abuja. All the confirmed cases are getting the necessary medical care. 31. Our agencies are currently working hard to identify cases and people these patients have been in contact with. 32. The few confirmed cases outside Lagos and Abuja are linked to persons who have travelled from these centres. 33. We are therefore working to ensure such inter state and intercity movements are restricted to prevent further spread. 34. Based on the advice of the Federal Ministry of Health and the NCDC, I am directing the cessation of all movements in Lagos and the FCT for an initial period of 14 days with effect from 11pm on Monday, 30th March 2020. This restriction will also apply to Ogun State due to its close proximity to Lagos and the high traffic between the two States. 35. All citizens in these areas are to stay in their homes. Travel to or from other states should be postponed. All businesses and offices within these locations should be fully closed during this period. 36. The Governors of Lagos and Ogun States as well as the Minister of the FCT have been notified. Furthermore, heads of security and intelligence agencies have also been briefed. 37. We will use this containment period to identify, trace and isolate all individuals that have come into contact with confirmed cases. We will ensure the treatment of confirmed cases while restricting further spread to other States. 38. This order does not apply to hospitals and all related medical establishments as well as organizations in health care related manufacturing and distribution. 39. Furthermore, commercial establishments such as; a. food processing, distribution and retail companies; b. petroleum distribution and retail entities, c. power generation, transmission and distribution companies; and d. private security companies are also exempted. 40. Although these establishments are exempted, access will be restricted and monitored. 41. Workers in telecommunication companies, broadcasters, print and electronic media staff who can prove they are unable to work from home are also exempted. 42. All seaports in Lagos shall remain operational in accordance with the guidelines I issued earlier. Vehicles and drivers conveying essential cargoes from these Ports to other parts of the country will be screened thoroughly before departure by the Ports Health Authority. 43. Furthermore, all vehicles conveying food and other essential humanitarian items into these locations from other parts of the country will also be screened thoroughly before they are allowed to enter these restricted areas. 44. Accordingly, the Hon. Minister of Health is hereby directed to redeploy all Port Health Authority employees previously stationed in the Lagos and Abuja Airports to key roads that serve as entry and exit points to these restricted zones. 45. Movements of all passenger aircraft, both commercial and private jets, are hereby suspended. Special permits will be issued on a needs basis. 46. We are fully aware that such measures will cause much hardship and inconvenience to many citizens. But this is a matter of life and death, if we look at the dreadful daily toll of deaths in Italy, France and Spain. 47. However, we must all see this as our national and patriotic duty to control and contain the spread of this virus. I will therefore ask all of us affected by this order to put aside our personal comfort to safeguard ourselves and fellow human beings. This common enemy can only be controlled if we all come together and obey scientific and medical advice. 48. As we remain ready to enforce these measures, we should see this as our individual contribution in the war against COVID-19. Many other countries have taken far stricter measures in a bid to control the spread of the virus with positive results. 49. For residents of satellite and commuter towns and communities around Lagos and Abuja whose livelihoods will surely be affected by some of these restrictive measures, we shall deploy relief materials to ease their pains in the coming weeks. 50. Furthermore, although schools are closed, I have instructed the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development to work with State Governments in developing a strategy on how to sustain the school feeding program during this period without compromising our social distancing policies. The Minister will be contacting the affected States and agree on detailed next steps. 51. Furthermore, I have directed that a three month repayment moratorium for all TraderMoni, MarketMoni and FarmerMoni loans be implemented with immediate effect. 52. I have also directed that a similar moratorium be given to all Federal Government funded loans issued by the Bank of Industry, Bank of Agriculture and the Nigeria Export Import Bank. 53. For on-lending facilities using capital from international and multilateral development partners, I have directed our development financial institutions to engage these development partners and negotiate concessions to ease the pains of the borrowers. 54. For the most vulnerable in our society, I have directed that the conditional cash transfers for the next two months be paid immediately. Our Internally displaced persons will also receive two months of food rations in the coming weeks. 55. We also call on all Nigerians to take personal responsibility to support those who are vulnerable within their communities, helping them with whatever they may need. 56. As we all pray for the best possible outcome, we shall continue planning for all eventualities. 57. This is why I directed that all Federal Government Stadia, Pilgrims camps and other facilities be converted to isolation centers and makeshift hospitals. 58. My fellow Nigerians, as a Government, we will avail all necessary resources to support the response and recovery. We remain committed to do whatever it takes to confront COVID-19 in our country. 59. We are very grateful to see the emerging support of the private sector and individuals to the response as well as our development partners. 60. At this point, I will ask that all contributions and donations be coordinated and centralized to ensure efficient and impactful spending. The Presidential Task Force remains the central coordinating body on the COVID-19 response. 61. I want to assure you all that Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies with a role to play in the outbreak response are working hard to bring this virus under control. 62. Every nation in the world is challenged at this time. But we have seen countries where citizens have come together to reduce the spread of the virus. 63. I will therefore implore you again to strictly comply with the guidelines issued and also do your bit to support Government and the most vulnerable in your communities. 64. I will take this opportunity to thank all our public health workforce, health care workers, port health authorities and other essential staff on the frontlines of the response for their dedication and commitment. You are true heroes. 65. I thank you all for listening. May God continue to bless and protect us all. President Muhammadu Buhari COVID-19 has been wreaking havoc across the world. To help doctors better contain this novel coronavirus, Jack Ma has donated a ton of medical supplies to the US, Africa and other countries around the globe, and now, his help arrives in India. Jack Ma Foundation Last night, the first batch of medical supplies arrived in Delhi. India is one of the seven countries to have received this aid, including Azerbaijan, Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. The shipment included a total of 1.7 million face masks, 165,000 test kits as well as protective clothing and medical equipment such as ventilators and forehead thermometers. With this, Jack Ma now donated essential medical supplies to 23 Asian countries totalling 7.4 million masks; 485,000 test kits; 100,000 sets of protective clothing along with other medical equipment. The shipment in India was received by the Indian Red Cross Society. They will facilitate the distribution of these supplies in the country. The remainder of the donation is expected to reach India in the coming days. Mr R.K Jain, Secretary-General, Indian Red Cross, said in a statement, Government of India has taken extensive steps to manage the COVID-19 situation. To supplement the efforts of government, Indian Red Cross has mobilised the first tranche of supplies consisting of facemasks, protective body suits and essential medical equipment. He further added, This consignment, which was received last night, has been donated by Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation. Indian Red Cross appreciates their magnanimity at this difficult juncture. Reuters Today, the disease is spreading at an exponential rate in India infecting over 800 people and claiming the lives of 24 people. The 55-year old billionaire has already donated millions of masks and test kids in countries like Japan, South Korea, Europe and Iran as the number of cases kept rising in these places. In January, he pledged Rs 100 crores for helping scientists develop vaccines for COVID-19. Before and after: The Kremlin and Red Square in Moscow turn out the lights for Earth Hour. Credit:AP Canberra: Despite coronavirus restrictions, Earth Hour has taken place across the world, starting from New Zealand, followed by Fiji and Australia, with lights switched off on famous buildings and regular homes to boost awareness of climate change. The initiative, started by environmental group the WWF in 2007, asks people, companies and local authorities to turn off lights for one hour from 8.30pm local time in their town or city. In New Zealand's Auckland, the Sky Tower went dark, while in Palmerston North, environment group Extinction Rebellion's local branch hosted an event in which people brought candles, solar lights, torches and drums. In Australia, Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge both turned their lights off. Melbourne's Luna Park, Brisbane's The Wheel, and Perth's Bell Tower also switched off. A man charged with burglary and criminal damage arising out of an incident during which a woman woke in her bed to find a trespasser standing over her brandishing a knife, has been remanded in custody. James McKenzie, of Dun Eoin in Carrigaline, Co Cork appeared before a special sitting of Cork District Court this morning. The offence occurred at 6am on Saturday when a man entered a property, went to the bedroom of a woman and stood over her with a knife. Judge John King was told that the woman, who had children in the house, was subjected to a "two-hour ordeal." Det Garda Mags Ryan said that the woman was held at knifepoint by a man who was known to her. She claimed that Mr McKenzie, 28, was the person responsible for the offence. She gave a description to gardai of what her assailant was wearing. Garda Ryan said that she went to the accused's home and arrested him at 2.15pm on Saturday. He was taken to Togher Garda Station where he was detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act. Garda Ryan said that she strongly feared for the safety of the woman and her young children if the accused was granted bail in the case. She said it was her strong belief that the life of the woman and her children would be in danger if Mr McKenzie was granted bail. He threatened her in her house. He told her he would kill her and her children. The court heard that the accused had allegedly smashed up the kitchen using a vacuum cleaner that was in the house. Solicitor, Frank Buttimer, representing Mr McKenzie, said that his client hadn't threatened the alleged victim in any way in relation to court proceedings. He expressed frustration that the woman wasn't in court to give evidence. However, Judge John King said that we were living in a time of "exceptional circumstances." The woman was at home minding her children unable to get a babysitter to go to court. Mr McKenzie pleaded to be given a chance saying that he would reside with his father and abstain from drink and drugs if bail was granted in the case. Judge King said that there was sufficient grounds for a remand in custody. He remanded McKenzie in custody until he appears in court again on April 1. The accused will appear in court on that occasion via video link. Jonathan Ananda By Express News Service NEW DELHI: From diving revenues to the AGR verdict, India's telecom companies have had a difficult time in the recent past. But the battered sector now finds itself a key lynchpin in the country's efforts to keep critical communications services running during the unprecedented 21-day lockdown. The task has not been easy, people in the industry say, especially since the first few days of the lockdown have seen ill-informed policemen take the baton to many employees involved in the maintenance of critical on-ground infrastructure. Obstructions created by the police in many states come even after the Centre's guidelines notified telecom and other communications services as 'essential' during the lockdown. "Even on Sunday, the day of the Janata Curfew, many of our service personnel had trouble getting to mobile towers for refueling and other maintenance activities. During the first two days of the nationwide lockdown, the problems became even more challenging," said a senior industry executive requesting anonymity. "Policemen on the ground were quite indiscriminate in turning back service personnel, even after our employees informed them that they were part of essential services. In a few cases, employees on the way to re-fuelling gensets were beaten with batons," the executive added, "A few of our support centres were also asked to be closed temporarily causing delays before we could get operations up again". Such instances have reduced over the course of the week as directions from the Centre have made it very clear that telecom was a critical service, Rajan Mathews, director general, Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) told TNIE. The COAI represents most major players in the sector, including Reliance Jio, Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel. But, isolated instances continue and make regular maintenance difficult even with the Department of Telecom's support. Telecom secretary Anshu Prakash had written to state governments earlier this week pointing out that telecom infrastructure was critical for maintaining communications and broadband services, which were needed to facilitate e-commerce and work from home operations during the lockdown. "With this support from the government, the telecom industry is ensuring seamless connectivity and services but is facing some on-ground challenges as their employees on duty are being manhandled and even beaten by police in some areas. Frontline police are not aware of all of the permissions. When a company's employee shows them a letter, they don't consider it. Police are being extra vigilant, which we agree is needed. However, despite clear SoP issued by the Home Ministry, some of our employees have faced difficulties in their movement," Mathews said. Vehicles carrying diesel for DG sets of towers and other telecom equipment are also not allowed to pass through, Mathews added. Emergency operations in full swing With a series of state-specific lockdowns turning into a nationwide lockdown in a matter of a week, the country's telecom firms have put in place emergency protocols to keep services up, with over 80 per cent of the sector's employees working from home. "Airtels Networks are in Business Continuity Planning (BCP) mode and are fully prepared to support any exigency," said Randeep Sekhon, Chief Technology Officer, Bharti Airtel, "We have activated distributed command centers to monitor and manage networks from different locations in case any geography is not accessible for some time. Our network partners have also activated BCP and are fully geared up to meet any situation." Vodafone Idea too has put in place similar emergency protocols, using its flagship Super Network Operating Centre (SNOC) in Pune to monitor the operations of all its 22 circle-level NOCs. "We have set up virtual war rooms where key team members are participating through Concalls and VCs. Senior team members and partners are continuously on call with field to ensure uptime and operational continuity," Vodafone said. For those employees who are critical to operations on site, telecom companies have organised temporary accommodations at data centres and are ferrying technical staff to sites. "Utmost care is being taken to follow social distancing norms," Mathews said. The COAI added that the DoT can also give a blanket letter for critical workers operating network operation centres to be exempted from movement restrictions. These letters could be shown to concerned officials "... in case of delay in procuring curfew passes" which are being obtained from local authorities. Spike in network usage The regular maintenance of network infrastructure becomes all the more important considering that network usage has sky-rocketed after the imposition of the lockdown. According to the COAI, there has been a 15-22 per cent surge in demand for data over the last few days. Sources in telecom firms say this spike has been even higher in certain urban locations, where usage has almost doubled. "On the mobile network side we are seeing a shift in traffic hotspots and peak usage hours and are geared to meet this demand," Airtel's Sekhon said, while Vodafone Idea spokespersons say they are confident of handling the growing demand. The COAI says that industry-wide, broadband customers are now upgrading to faster speeds and larger quota plans to support work from home and study for home needs, added COAI, pointing out that business enterprise customers are using 4G dongles, Home Fiber connections and larger enterprise bandwidths to run operations. "Telcos," Mathews added, "are planning to increase the 'cells on wheels' (CoWs) to ease the increasing pressure on network areas". CoW sites are pieces of infrastructure on which base stations and antennae can be mounted and wheeled to boost capacity and reduce the congestion where needed. Telecom players had also sought cooperation from India's digital industry in an effort to reduce network stress, leading to top Over-the-top (OTT) streaming services making HD streaming unavailable on Indian mobile networks. "These voluntary measures will be in effect until April 14," said the group of digital broadcasters comprising Netflix, Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video, Google, Facebook, Sony, MX Player, Zee, Star & Disney India, Viacom18 and TikTok. Demand for emergency spectrum allocations Mathews, however, said the sector was seeking a few other measures from the Centre. "Given the restrictions, telecom companies are seeking to unlock intra-circle roaming between each other which would enable customers of one operator to latch on to the network of the other in case of nil or poor signal," he said. The surge in traffic has also prompted a request for higher spectrum bandwidth "as a temporary measure". "We are hopeful that DoT would expedite our spectrum liberalization requests and regularize our backhaul spectrum," Vodafone Idea spokespersons said. Among other measures being sought, Mathews said, are permissions for using overhead wires for longer distances, allowing nodal operations through virtual private networks and permission for more CoWs "to ensure that the work doesnt stop". Firoz Koah, Mar 29 (UNI) At least 13 Taliban militants have died as Afghan forces pounded Taliban hideouts in the western Ghoon, said an army statement released here Sunday. According to the statement, the security forces from the ground and air stormed the militants' hideouts when they were planning to launch massive offensives at security checkpoints to capture Shahrak district of the restive province, leaving 13 insurgents died on Saturday. No security personnel and civilians had been harmed during the raids, the statement added. Brielle Rozmus with her dog Eutaw, left, and foster dog, Zina. The Saluki mixes came from Kuwait via Wings of Love Kuwait, an organization that rescues animals there. They are photographed Feb. 21, 2020, at her home in Baltimore, Maryland. Read more Brielle Rozmus was walking her dog Eutaw in Patterson Park in Baltimore when a fellow dog owner recognized something about the animal. "Oh," the man said, "is that dog from Kuwait?" The question wasnt as random as it might seem, and it wasnt the first time Rozmus had heard it. Eutaw, a lean, longhair 1-year-old with floppy ears and a gentle disposition, is a native of Kuwait City. And in recent years, so many of her Arabian canine kin have made this city home that theyve become recognizable. Eutaw was brought to the U.S. by Wings of Love Kuwait, a rescue organization started five years ago, after Patricia Riska, a Baltimore flight attendant who had a regular layover in Kuwait City, noticed many dogs in the streets who looked hungry, lost, and scared. Passersby ignored them or kicked them. A chance conversation on a plane led Riska to some women in Kuwait using their own resources to help stray dogs and cats. I had a flight attendant friend who rescues cats, and [she] and I were in a jumpseat and got to talking, Riska said. I said, Oh, I know, I see so many dogs, and she said, If youre not doing anything on your layover, come with me and meet some of these women. The number of pet dogs in Kuwait has skyrocketed in the last decade, and pet cafes and pet shops have proliferated, according to a recent article in the Kuwait Times, an English-language daily there. The article also noted a sudden explosion of dogs on the streets visible in the mornings and late evenings scavenging for food. Thats because, in a culture with a lot of money, puppies frequently are purchased from breeders in Europe and then owners dont keep them for more than a year, said Jennifer Yoon, cofounder and vice president of Wings of Love. But when owners in Kuwait no longer want their dogs, there are not many options, Riska said. "The kennels are horrible," she said, adding that often, owners "literally take these dogs out in the middle of the street, tie them to a tree, and walk away." After meeting the Kuwaiti women who were working in cat rescue, Riska started taking one or two dogs at a timewith her on the 14-hour journey home. In 2015, she and Yoon founded the rescue organization, which became a nonprofit a year later. Yoon also adopted two Kuwaiti dogs. Since then, the group has brought more than 535 dogs from Kuwait, working with a woman there who rescues them from the streets and shelters them on her farm. Most have found homes in the Baltimore area, along with around 30 in Washington, D.C., and over 30 in Virginia. Many arrive in rough shape. One, later named Chance, was found with over 100 BB pellets in his body, and missing a paw. He was probably chained to something and we think he chewed off his paw to get away, Yoon said. In Baltimore, where rescue dogs are often pit bulls, many people are eager to adopt the purebred Yorkies and Malteses, affable Labrador or German shepherd mixes, and the rangy dogs who, like Eutaw, have recognizable features common to Salukis or "desert dogs" from the Fertile Crescent. They have that long, lean look, and the curly tail, Yoon said. Theyre tough dogs, and they tend to be very bright." In Kuwait, "theyre viewed as being just stray dogs but here they look exotic. In fact, Maryland is now the third location (after Dubai and Kuwait) with the largest population of Arabian village dogs, based on DNA tests on Embark, a genetic profiling company for dogs. Would-be adopters are vetted and matched with dogs that seem to be a good fit. The $500 adoption fee helps pay the cost to transport one dog. The all-volunteer organization raises its own funds and operates on a $100,00 annual budget. Riska alone has donated $25,000 to the cause. At a recent adoption event in the lounge of an apartment complex in Baltimore's Federal Hill neighborhood, dogs from the latest shipment milled around with their fosterers as potential adopters got to know them. Suzy Ganz of Owings Mills, Maryland, came with her husband after seeing one of the dogs, Zina, on the Wings of Love website. Zina had just been adopted a half-hour earlier, but Yoon asked Ganz what she liked about Zina so she could try to find a similar dog. "First of all, she has a sweet face," Ganz said. "And reading that she was very, very kind and had a sweet personality." . With so many Kuwaiti dogs living in proximity to one another, there are play dates and reunions, along with a Facebook page. Some dogs are related a few pregnant mothers have had puppies before or after coming to the U.S., and some of the siblings continue to see one another. And the more dogs that come, the more their local fame increases. "We were at a brewery and someone came up and said, 'I got my dog at Wings of Love Kuwait, too,'" said Rozmus, 23. "It's a community. I didn't grow up in this area, so just finding people who have the same values and interests that I do just kind of makes me feel at home and it gives me a relationship to the city." Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 19:33:38|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close The first batch of medical supplies donated by Chinese foundations arrives in Bangkok, Thailand, March 25, 2020. Medical supplies donated by the Jack Ma Foundation and the Alibaba Foundation were formally received by Thailand's Ministry of Public Health at a handover ceremony on Thursday. (Xinhua) "We are one with the global community in the intense battle to protect all families against COVID-19," according to a statement from the Jack Ma Foundation. BEIJING, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Multiple Chinese foundations have donated medical supplies to support countries in the fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic. The Jack Ma Foundation and the Alibaba Foundation announced Sunday donations of essential medical supplies to seven more countries, namely Azerbaijan, Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. The donation includes a total of 1.7 million face masks, 165,000 test kits as well as protective clothing and medical equipment such as ventilators and forehead thermometers. With this announcement, the two foundations have now donated essential medical supplies to 23 Asian countries totaling 7.4 million masks, 485,000 test kits, and 100,000 sets of protective clothing along with other medical equipment. "We are one with the global community in the intense battle to protect all families against COVID-19," according to a statement from the Jack Ma Foundation. The Fosun Foundation, based in Shanghai, also donated a batch of face masks to two hospitals in Sardegna, Italy this week, in response to a local doctor's call for support in mid-March. So far, Fosun has donated over 70,000 pieces of medical supplies to Italy. As of Saturday, it had coordinated with other companies the supply of over 10 batches of medical supplies to countries including Italy, Japan, Britain and France. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, shown at his daily news conference Tuesday, had been criticized for his lackadaisical posture on the coronavirus pandemic but now urges people to stay home and to practice physical distancing. (Marco Ugarte / Associated Press) As the coronavirus pandemic spreads, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has been criticized for what many called a lackadaisical posture urging people to hug, shaking hands and kissing well-wishers as he stumped and extolling his personal talismans: Catholic scapulars, a shamrock and $2 bill. Because of our culture, Mexicans are very resistant to calamities, the president said in a video recorded a week ago in a Oaxaca city eatery and circulated on social media. Continue bringing the family to eat in restaurants, Lopez Obrador advised compatriots, arguing that such activity bolsters the popular economy. But as virus cases have begun surging, the president and his team have shifted their message radically in recent days, urging people to stay home and to practice physical distancing and warning of dire results if that advice is ignored. Although still avoiding curfews and mandatory stay-at-home orders, Mexican authorities are now abruptly citing a final chance to avert a national catastrophe that would inundate the countrys limited healthcare infrastructure and probably result in many deaths. Dont go out into the street unless it is for something absolutely necessary, Lopez Obrador told the nation in a sober YouTube address Friday evening from the northern border city of Tijuana. We have to be in our homes. We have to maintain a safe distance. The consequences of flouting the stay-at-home directive, he added, could be calamitous. The number of infection cases will spike upwards and will overwhelm our hospitals, Lopez Obrador declared, painting a grim scenario in stark contrast to his previously upbeat assessments. We wont have enough hospitals, beds, even if we are prepared to receive thousands. An even more dire appraisal came late Saturday from Hugo Lopez-Gatell, undersecretary of health and the presidents coronavirus point man. This is the last chance we have. We cant lose it, Lopez-Gatell said in a somber-toned news briefing. We are saying to everyone: Stay at home. ... Its the only way to reduce this virus. Story continues As of Sunday, Mexico had reported 993 cases and 20 deaths, a low number compared with the neighboring United States, which reported more than 140,000 cases and more than 2,600 deaths as of Sunday. But the first confirmed coronavirus infection was not reported in Mexico until late February, more than a month after the first case appeared in the United States. In recent days, however, Mexico has begun seeing rapidly accelerating numbers, pointing to the kind of steep surge seen in nations where coronavirus struck earlier. With cases rising exponentially, Lopez-Gatell warned, the sweep of the virus would soon be beyond containment. Mexico has endeavored to enact a balancing act between preserving the public health while limiting damage to the nations sputtering economy. But Lopez Obrador conceded Friday that the economic effects of an unrestrained pandemic could be much worse than the financial fallout from people staying at home. Despite the latest ominous warnings, Mexican officials have still refrained from imposing mandatory stay-at home orders and the border closures seen in other nations, hoping to avoid massive economic and social displacement. Nonessential government workers, however, have been told to stay home, and the Holy Week break has been extended for schools. Officials have also urged private businesses to let people work remotely. Some local governments have gone further. Mexico City has closed bars, theaters, churches, museums and other venues, while banning gatherings of more than 50 people. But restaurants and shops remain open in the capital, and street life continues at a much-reduced but still substantial pace. For weeks, the Mexican president and other authorities have been reassuring the public that Mexico possesses adequate medical infrastructure including hospital beds, medicines and equipment to deal with the pandemic. But doctors and nurses have taken to the streets in recent days across the country protesting what they call a lack of masks, gowns, gloves and other essentials as Sanchez is a special correspondent. Washington Early on, the dozen federal officials charged with defending America against the coronavirus gathered day after day in the White House Situation Room, consumed by crises. They grappled with how to evacuate the U.S. consulate in Wuhan, China, ban Chinese travelers and extract Americans from the Diamond Princess and other cruise ships. The members of the coronavirus task force typically devoted only five or 10 minutes, often at the end of contentious meetings, to talk about testing, several participants recalled. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, its leaders assured the others, had developed a diagnostic model that would be rolled out quickly as a first step. But as the deadly virus from China spread with ferocity across the U.S. between late January and early March, large-scale testing of people who might have been infected did not happen because of technical flaws, regulatory hurdles, business-as-usual bureaucracies and lack of leadership at multiple levels, according to interviews with more than 50 current and former public health officials, administration officials, senior scientists and company executives. The result was a lost month, when the world's richest country armed with some of the most highly trained scientists and infectious disease specialists squandered its best chance of containing the virus' spread. Instead, Americans were left largely blind to the scale of a looming public health catastrophe. The absence of robust screening until it was "far too late" revealed failures across government, said Dr. Thomas Frieden, a former CDC director. Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins, said the Trump administration had "incredibly limited" views of the pathogen's potential impact. Dr. Margaret Hamburg, a former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, said the lapse enabled "exponential growth of cases." And Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, a top government scientist involved in the fight against the virus, told members of Congress that the early inability to test was "a failing" of the administration's response to a deadly, global pandemic. "Why," he asked later in a magazine interview, "were we not able to mobilize on a broader scale?" Across government, they said, three agencies responsible for detecting and combating threats like the coronavirus failed to prepare quickly enough. Even as scientists looked at China and sounded alarms, none of the agencies' directors conveyed the urgency required to spur a no-holds-barred defense. Dr. Robert R. Redfield, 68, a former military doctor and prominent AIDS researcher who directs the CDC, trusted his veteran scientists to create the world's most precise test for the coronavirus and share it with state laboratories. When flaws in the test became apparent in February, he promised a quick fix, though it took weeks to settle on a solution. The CDC also tightly restricted who could get tested and was slow to conduct "community-based surveillance," a standard screening practice to detect the virus' reach. Had the U.S. been able to track its earliest movements and identify hidden hot spots, local quarantines might have confined the disease. Dr. Stephen Hahn, 60, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, enforced regulations that paradoxically made it tougher for hospitals, private clinics and companies to deploy diagnostic tests in an emergency. Other countries that had mobilized businesses were testing tens of thousands daily, compared with fewer than 100 on average in the U.S., frustrating local health officials, lawmakers and desperate Americans. Alex Azar, who led the Department of Health and Human Services, oversaw the two other agencies and coordinated the government's public health response to the pandemic. While he grew frustrated as public criticism over the testing issues intensified, he was unable to push either agency to speed up or change course. Azar, 52, who chaired the coronavirus task force until late February, when Vice President Mike Pence took charge, had been at odds for months with the White House over other issues. The task force's chief liaison to the president was Mick Mulvaney, acting White House chief of staff, who was being forced out by President Donald Trump. Without high-level interest the testing issue festered. At the start of that crucial lost month, when his government could have rallied, the president was distracted by impeachment and dismissive of the threat to the public's health or the nation's economy. By the end of the month, Trump claimed the virus was about to dissipate in the U.S., saying: "It's going to disappear. One day it's like a miracle it will disappear." By early March, after federal officials finally announced changes to allow more expansive testing, it was too late to escape serious harm. Now, the U.S. has more than 100,000 coronavirus cases, the most of any country in the world. Yet even with deaths on the rise, cities shuttered, the economy sputtering and everyday life upended, many Americans who come down with symptoms of COVID-19 still cannot get tested. In a statement, Judd Deere, a White House spokesman, said that "any suggestion that President Trump did not take the threat of COVID-19 seriously or that the United States was not prepared is false." He added that at Trump's direction, the administration had "expanded testing capacities." Dr. Bruce Aylward, a senior adviser at the World Health Organization, led an expert team to China last month to research the mysterious new virus. Testing, he said, was "absolutely vital" for understanding how to defeat a disease what distinguishes it from others, the spectrum of illness and, most important, its path through populations. "You want to know whether or not you have it," Aylward said. "You want to know whether the people around you have it. Because you know what? Then you could stop it." "You can't stop it," he warned, "if you can't see it." Startling setback The first time Redfield heard about the severity of the virus from his Chinese counterparts was around New Year's Day, when he was on vacation with his family. He spent so much time on the phone that they barely saw him. And what he heard rattled him; in one grim conversation about the virus days later, George F. Gao, the director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, burst into tears. Redfield, a longtime AIDS researcher, had never run a government agency before his appointment to lead the CDC in 2018. Until then, his biggest priorities had been fighting the opioid epidemic and the spread of HIV. At first, Redfield's agency moved quickly. On Jan. 7, the CDC created an "incident management system" for the coronavirus and advised travelers to Wuhan to take precautions. By Jan. 20, just two weeks after Chinese scientists shared the genetic sequence of the virus, the CDC had developed its own test, as usual, and deployed it to detect the country's first coronavirus case. "That's our prime mission," Redfield said later in an interview, "to get eyes on this thing." To identify the virus, the CDC test used three small genetic sequences to match up with portions of a virus' genome extracted from a swab. A German-developed test that the WHO was distributing to other countries used just two, potentially making it less precise. But soon after the FDA cleared the CDC to share its test kits with state health department labs, some discovered a problem. The third sequence, or "probe," gave inconclusive results. While the CDC explored the cause contamination or a design issue it told those state labs to stop testing. The startling setback stalled the CDC's efforts to track the virus when it mattered most. By mid-February, the nation was testing only about 100 people per day, according to the CDC's website. "Had we had done more testing from the very beginning and caught cases earlier," said Nuzzo, of Johns Hopkins, "we would be in a far different place." The consequences became clear by the end of February. For the first time, someone with no known exposure to the virus or history of travel tested positive, in the Seattle area, where the U.S.'s first case had been detected more than a month earlier. The virus had probably been spreading there and elsewhere for weeks, researchers later concluded. Without a more complete picture of who had been infected, public health workers could not do "contact tracing" finding all those with whom any contagious people had interacted and then quarantining them to stop further transmission. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. The CDC gave little thought to adopting the test being used by the WHO. The CDC's test was working in its own lab still processing samples from states which gave agency officials confidence. Dr. Anne Schuchat, the agency's principal deputy director, would later say that the CDC did not think "we needed somebody else's test." Barriers to testing Hahn's first day as FDA commissioner came just six weeks before Azar declared a public health emergency Jan. 31. A radiation oncologist and researcher who helped turn around MD Anderson in Houston, one of the nation's leading cancer centers, Hahn had come to Washington to oversee a sprawling federal agency that regulates everything from lifesaving therapies to dog food. But overnight, his mission to manage 15,000 employees in a culture defined by precision and caution was upended. A pathogen that Trump would later call the "invisible enemy" was hurtling toward the U.S. It would fall to the newly arrived Hahn to help build a huge national capacity for testing by academic and private labs. Instead, under his leadership, the FDA became a significant roadblock, according to current and former officials as well as researchers and doctors at laboratories around the country. Even though researchers around the country quickly began creating tests that could diagnose COVID-19, many said they were hindered by the FDA's approval process. New tests sat unused at labs across the nation. Lack of trust Azar had sounded confident at the end of January. At a news conference in Washington, he said he had the government's response to the new coronavirus under control, pointing out high-ranking jobs he had held in the department during the 2003 SARS outbreak and other infectious threats. "I know this playbook well," he told reporters. As public attention on the virus threat intensified in January and February, Azar grew increasingly frustrated about the harsh spotlight on his department and the leaders of agencies who reported to him, according to people familiar with the response to the virus inside the agencies. By Feb. 26, Fauci was concerned that the stalled testing had become an urgent issue that needed to be addressed. He called Brian Harrison, Azar's chief of staff, and asked him to gather the group of officials overseeing screening efforts. Around noon on Feb. 27, Hahn, Redfield and top aides from the FDA and HHS dialed in to a conference call. Harrison began with an ultimatum: No one leaves until we resolve the lag in testing. We don't have answers and we need them, one senior administration official recalled him saying. Get it done. By the end of the day, the group agreed the FDA should loosen regulations so that hospitals and independent labs could move forward quickly with their own tests. Tacit acknowledgment Previous presidents have moved quickly to confront disease threats from inside the White House by installing a "czar" to manage the effort. But faced with the coronavirus, Trump chose not to have the White House lead the planning until nearly two months after it began. President Obama's global health office had been disbanded a year earlier. And until Pence took charge, the task force lacked a single White House official with the power to compel action. Since then, testing has ramped up quickly, with nearly 100 labs at hospitals and elsewhere performing it. On Friday, health care giant Abbott said it had received emergency approval for a portable test that could detect the virus in five minutes. Public health experts reacted positively to the increased capacity. But having the ability to diagnose the disease three months after it was first disclosed does little to address why the U.S. was unable to do so sooner, when it might have helped reduce the toll of the pandemic. "Testing is the crack that split apart the rest of the response, when it should have tied everything together," said Dr. Nahid Bhadelia, medical director of the Special Pathogens Unit at Boston University School of Medicine. "It seeps into every other aspect of our response, touches all of us," she said. "The delay of the testing has impacted the response across the board." Slovak government approves defense treaty with US US senators unveil bill to impose sanctions against Russia EU wants to help Lebanon avoid economic collapse CSTO to approve Kazakhstan peacekeepers withdrawal order German president calls for thorough discussion on mandatory vaccination Andranik Hovhannisyan elected UN Human Rights Council vice-president Aliyev: Peace treaty with Armenia not a guarantee for avoiding war Russian Foreign Ministry: Further NATO enlargement involves risks Aliyev not to let OSCE deal with the Karabakh conflict Ex-Mayor of Yerevan invited to police Boris Johnson apologizes for attending party during lockdown Global COVID-19 cases rise by 55% percent, deaths stable Thailand introduces $9 tourist fee Erdogan vows to tame Turkish inflation as scepticism grows Turkey's Turkic world ambitions face reality check in Kazakhstan Teacher in Baku beats student NEWS.am daily digest: 12.01.22 Turkish FM expresses concerns to Chinese counterpart OSCE Chairman-in-Office speaks on situation along Armenia-Azerbaijan border Iran cancels travel ban on common borders CSTO defense ministers council special session to be held Thursday Dollar loses value in Armenia Which NGOs, extra-parliamentary forces to be included in Armenia Constitutional Reform Council? 4,391 foreign nationals visit Artsakh in 2021 China calls on US to immediately close Guantanamo prison State Department says more progress must be made to salvage nuclear deal Measure ensuring implementation of law on addendum to law on Armenia state border is approved Davit Minasyan is sworn in as new mayor of Armenias Parakar enlarged community World Bank: Armenia economic growth expected to be 4.8% in 2022 and 5.4% in 2023 Azerbaijani Defense Minister receives new commander of Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh Biden names Kamala Harris as US president during Atlanta speech Ombudsman: Azerbaijan is launching provocations in Armenia territories where it earlier invaded Russia-NATO Council meeting kicks off in Brussels Serdar Kilic is appointed Turkey special representative for Armenia Armenia ambassador to Georgia informs Switzerland envoy about Azerbaijan's gross ceasefire violation Economy minister: Armenia government was guided by political considerations when lifting sanctions on Turkey goods Turkey defense minister expresses support for Azerbaijan in another military aggression against Armenia Pashinyan, Putin discuss Karabakh, Kazakhstan Toivo Klaar: Deeply worried by reports of renewed incidents and casualties on Armenia-Azerbaijan Germany: A record 80,430 COVID-19 cases detected per day 3 more persons die of coronavirus in Artsakh Criminal case launched into 3 Armenia soldiers killing by Azerbaijan shootings Copper rises in price One of main tasks of Armenia peacekeepers in Kazakhstans Almaty is to prevent water supply system poisoning About 80 Americans cannot fly from Afghanistan Turkey parliament ex-deputy speaker: Armenia must fulfill 4 preconditions Border situation in Armenias Gegharkunik Province was calm at night French FM says talks on Iranian nuclear deal are progressing slowly 289 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Gold slightly rises in price North Korea says it successfully tested another hypersonic missile OSCE calls on Azerbaijan, Armenia to refrain from the use of force Oil is trading without a single dynamic US State Department welcomes announcement on CSTO forces withdrawal from Kazakhstan Newspaper: Ex-ministers are summoned to Hayastan All Armenian Fund parliamentary inquiry committee MOD: Armenia soldiers dead body found at midnight after Azerbaijan provocation Newspaper: Casualties of Armenia PM Pashinyan's 'era of peace' US concerned about EastMed natural gas pipeline project Giant fish sold at auction for over 16 million yen German Marshall Fund: It Is not too early to think about political change in Turkey Armenian Foreign Ministry: We call on Azerbaijani authorities to refrain from provocations Armenia's Geghamasar community head: The situation is stable now Queen Elizabeth II's favorite fast food revealed Human Rights Defender: Azerbaijani troops open fire on Armenian sovereign territory World Economic Forum: Cybersecurity and space pose new risks to the global economy Defense Ministry confirms Armenian side has 2 victims Satanovsky on sending Armenian servicemen to Kazakhstan Unofficial data: 2 servicemen killed as a result of Azerbaijan provocation CSTO and Kazakh Defense Ministry developing plan WHO thinks it's too early to consider COVID-19 pandemic European Commission to require Poland to pay fine of nearly EUR 70 million White House announces $308 million humanitarian aid for Afghanistan Erdogan angry at minister after efforts to strengthen lira failed Armenian FM has phone call with US Assistant Secretary of State India imposes one-week quarantine even for vaccinated tourists Armenian ex-president expresses condolences on poet Razmik Davoyan's death Traction Programme to showcase 8 startups during the Digital Demo Day Azerbaijan uses artillery and UAVs, 3 Armenian soldiers wounded NEWS.am daily digest: 11.01.22 Austrian Chancellor confirms plan for mandatory COVID-19 vaccination in February Armen Sarkissian and Kassym-Jomart Tokayev discuss situation in Kazakhstan Gulf, Iran and Turkey FMs to visit China 20 pregnant women with COVID-19 die in Azerbaijan in year Armenia hands over wanted US citizen to United States Economy ministry: Organizing of accommodation and public catering increased by 61.1% in Armenia Armenia parliament speaker expresses condolences on European Parliament President death Azerbaijan opens fire toward Armenia village sector, one soldier wounded Shoigu: CSTO peacekeepers deployed in Kazakhstan thanks to Syrian and Karabakh experience Azerbaijan official pledges to remove Armenian toponyms from Google Maps UN offers two plans to help Afghans totaling $ 5 billion in 2022 Armenia attorney general travels to Moscow on working visit Azerbaijan MOD blames Armenian side for soldiers death Dollar drops in Armenia Shirak Province captives families hold protest outside Armenia government building Rolls-Royce sales rise to record high in 2021 Ombudsman: Azerbaijanis directed gun at Armenia residents car in which his wife, 3-year-old child were ANCA urges President Biden and Congress to hold Azerbaijan and Turkey accountable for war crimes Serbia's Orthodox Patriarch tests positive for COVID-19 Brothers, sisters of 2020 Artsakh war military casualties to get compensation in lieu of their deceased parents Turkish authorities sanction arrest of 33 suspected FETO ties In order to fight against the coronavirus pandemic in India, employees of CBSE have collectively decided to contribute a total of Rs 21 lakh to the Prime Ministers Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situation Fund also known as PM- CARES fund. Accordingly, Group A employees have donated their two-day salary while Group B and C employees have contributed with their one day salary to the fund. A public charitable trust under the name of Prime Ministers Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund) has been set up on Saturday in view of the need for having a dedicated national fund with the primary objective of dealing with any kind of emergency or distress situation like the coronavirus pandemic and to provide relief to the affected. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the Chairman of this trust and its members include Defence Minister, Home Minister and Finance Minister. PM had appealed to everyone to show their support in fighting with the pandemic together. The Central Board of Secondary Education as in past has decided to contribute 21,00,000 from all employees who have voluntarily come forward to donate their salary to the PM CARES Fund to aid the governments efforts to fight against the coronavirus, said Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) secretary Anurag Tripathi. HOW TO DONATE TO PM- CARES FUND: Name of the Account : PM CARES Account Number : 2121PM20202 IFSC Code : SBIN0000691 SWIFT Code : SBININBB104 Name of Bank & Branch : State Bank of India, New Delhi Main Branch UPI ID : pmcares@sbi Following modes of payments are available on the website pmindia.gov.in - Debit Cards and Credit Cards/ Internet Banking/ UPI (BHIM, PhonePe, Amazon Pay, Google Pay, PayTM, Mobikwik, etc.)/ RTGS/NEFT Citizens and organisations can also go to the website pmindia.gov.in and donate to PM CARES Fund using the above details: Donations to this fund will be exempted from income tax under section 80(G). SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Boom in remote working View(s): In these unprecedented times where people across the globe are confronting COVID-19 and adjusting their lives accordingly, more and more firms are shifting towards remote working or working from home. Concerns about the COVID-19 virus have led many companies to engage in remote working, as the government is encouraging or requiring people to stay home with the country going on lockdown with the current curfew. It is very interesting to observe how quickly employees have shifted from working in offices to working from home, an official of an industrial firm noted to the Business Times. He said during the past few weeks, substantial insight and perspective into big behavioural shifts show that companies of all sizes in Sri Lanka and all over the world are pushing for remote work. The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) as an entity has been encouraging remote working and in fact held its recent chamber committee meeting via videoconferencing. Many participated, Manjula de Silva, Director General/CEO, CCC told the Business Times. This is all to stem the spread of the virus and flatten the curve. What we need to keep in mind is that, another official of a fast moving consumer goods company, said. The sustained nature of the outbreak has compelled certain companies that might otherwise have not been in line with their employees working from home being forced to experience it now, a company CEO pointed out. He added that now many employees will be learning how to be productive when working from home, and how to liaise with colleagues outside office. - (DEC) (Natural News) In a bid to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, health care workers are on the front lines looking after infected patients and sharing guidelines on how to effectively control the spread of the novel coronavirus. Its a ceaseless job, but an ICU doctor in Honolulu says that its an honor for them to care for the sick. However, its also a terrifying task because there is currently no cure for COVID-19. Battling coronavirus Spreading throughout the U.S., COVID-19 has reached the ICU. Dr. Philip A. Verhoef, an ICU doctor and a clinical assistant professor of medicine at the University of Hawaii at Manoa John A. Burns School of Medicine in Honolulu, talks about life in the ICU as he cares for COVID-19 patients. Verhoef says his role shifting from trying to prevent the spread of the virus to treating infected patients has opened his eyes to the gravity of the situation. It also presented him with a dilemma: What should a doctor do when there are too many patients and not enough medical staff or equipment? The COVID-19 pandemic is challenging how governments and institutions like hospitals handle this kind of situation. Working on the front lines Health care professionals have become on edge when they feel the need to cough, which was considered normal until the pandemic. Now, coming down with a cough or experiencing flu-like symptoms is enough to make even experienced doctors like Verhoef panic. In a pre-pandemic world, Verhoef would have only used a mask for certain patients and changed it every time he visited a different patient room. These days, Verhoef limits his use of masks to one per day. And if he uses a face shield, it must be wiped it down and reused whenever possible. On days when Verhoef must care for COVID-19 patients, he changes into hospital scrubs when he arrives at the hospital. And before he leaves, Verhoef changes out of those scrubs, showers and wipes down items like his glasses, phone and other belongings with sanitizing wipes to protect his children at home. Verhoefs 70-year-old in-laws also live with them, which means he must be twice as careful while sanitizing his belongings. Verhoef shares that when caring for those with respiratory failure who exhibit COVID-19 symptoms, conscious patients typically report feeling like theyre drowning. Doctors force these patients to breathe with the smallest amount of air possible. Most of the time, patients who have breathing difficulties must go into an induced coma. Doctors may also need to use medication to sedate them. The patients also require a breathing tube, which is painful and uncomfortable, and prevents them from talking. While caring for patients with COVID-19, Verhoef shares that flipping patients onto their stomachs is effective. At least once or twice a day, nurses, respiratory therapists and physicians turn comatose patients over and back. Patients are fed via additional tubes in the mouth or nose, and medications are infused to optimize the support of every organ in a patients body. Despite these techniques, Verhoef and his fellow health care professionals are worried about making mistakes that can harm a patient or cost someone their life. Verhoef shares that he feels overwhelmed while thinking of how they are now tasked with looking after the wave of critically ill COVID-19 patients theyre anticipating. One model suggests that the number of expected sick patients will exceed the number of hospital beds in Hawaii between April 20 and May 10, which will have devastating consequences. To prepare for this estimated wave of patients, Verhoef says that hospitals must have enough personal protective equipment to keep their staff safe. Unfortunately, Verhoef and his colleagues only have at least two weeks worth of supplies. Verhoef adds that they could deplete the entire supply of ventilators in Hawaii. The wait for new ventilators can take several weeks. Help us flatten the curve on coronavirus, pleads doctor Hospitals must reevaluate the roles of health care providers. For example, outpatient primary care doctors may be recruited to work in the hospital, while hospitalists or doctors who normally care for hospital patients who are not critically ill may be needed in the ICU. Verhoef explains that intensivists like him are usually involved in various aspects of care for ICU coronavirus patients. Intensivists perform procedures, manage ventilators and talk to families. But there is a limited number of ICU doctors in hospitals, and it is impossible to have one of them looking after a patient 24/7. Ironically, Verhoef says he may have the least amount of patient contact since hes leading teams of hospitalists that are now looking after many critically ill patients. Hospitals must also establish protocols for rationing the limited resources that they have. Because of the pandemic, doctors might have to make difficult decisions. What if there were 10 patients who needed a ventilator each, but the hospital only had five? Verhoef urges for a rational process for literally deciding who will live and who will die. Verhoef believes the worst part of trying to control the spread of the coronavirus is the fact that theyre dealing with a new disease. COVID-19, according to Verhoef , is more severe, it lasts longer, it is unpredictable, it may impact the heart and, most important, there is no cure. How you can help Despite fearing for their own health and that of their loved ones, health workers like Verhoef and other medical staff remain at the forefront of the global fight against the coronavirus. Verhoef asks the public to help flatten the curve, on COVID-19, which can give health workers a better chance of looking after every patient who falls ill. In epidemiology, the curve is the projected number of new cases over a period of time. Flattening the curve doesnt guarantee that the spread will grind to a halt. What it does mean is that instead of a sudden uptick in new cases, which is overwhelming medical facilities around the world, there would just be a gradual increase in the number of patients infected, which is less likely to overburden the health care system. Here are some things you can do: Wash your hands regularly and thoroughly. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth to prevent contracting any viruses. Practice social distancing. Seek medical care immediately if you experience symptoms like a fever, cough or difficulty breathing. Flattening the curve can help stagger the number of new cases over a longer period, which gives the infected patients access to better healthcare. Because of this, many countries are implementing preventive methods like social distancing, restricting non-essential travel and giving workers the option to work from home. Help frontliners like Verhoef by doing your part. Read the latest news on COVID-19 at Pandemic.news. Sources include: USAToday.com CNBC.com BOSTON A 45-year-old man was killed after his Mercedes sedan went airborne over a guardrail and crashed on the side of the roadway early Sunday morning. The victim, who is from Fall River, died at the scene of the crash. His name will not be released until family is notified, Massachusetts State Police said. The crash occurred shortly before 7 a.m. on Route 93 southbound in Dorchester, a half-mile south of Exit, 15, police said. Troopers determined the 1998 Mercedes left the roadway and traveled over the guardrail to the right side of the roadway. The victim was found outside the vehicle, unconscious and suffering serious injuries, police said. Boston Emergency Medical Services pronounced the man dead when they arrived at the scene. State Police with the Collision Analysis Reconstruction Section, Crime Scene Services Section and Troop H with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner are investigating the cause of the crash. London's world-renowned Ritz hotel has been sold to a Qatari investor for 700 million, ending more than a century of British ownership and fuelling a family feud between its billionaire owners. The buyers identity is being kept private while The Ritz is in lockdown, but it is understood that Sheikh Hamad Bin-Jaber al-Thani Qatars former prime minister and a business associate of the hotels owners, Sir Frederick and Sir David Barclay was a bidder in the closing stages of the auction. Sheikh Hamad, 60, was dubbed the man who bought London while the head of Qatars sovereign wealth fund between 2007 and 2013, snapping up trophy assets such as Harrods and The Shard. The Ritz is pictured above. The Grade II listed hotel has a casino and the famous Palm Court tea room, while suites cost up to 5,450 a night The sheikh bought a Belgravia mansion from Sir Frederick and Sir David for an estimated 150 million in 2016. The previous year, he bought a controlling stake in the Maybourne hotel group that owns Londons Claridges, Berkeley and Connaught from the twins. Macfarlanes, the City law firm that advised the Barclays on the sale, said the buyer was one of its private Qatari investor clients. Macfarlanes represented Sheikh Hamad in a human rights dispute four years ago. It is understood that Sheikh Hamad Bin-Jaber al-Thani Qatars former prime minister and a business associate of the hotels owners, Sir Frederick and Sir David Barclay was a bidder in the closing stages of the auction Staff at The Ritz are pictured in an ITV show last year called 'Inside The Ritz'. The Ritz was opened in 1906 by Swiss hotelier Cesar Ritz and the name quickly became a byword for grandeur The deal for The Ritz was led by Sir Davids sons Aidan, Howard and Alistair Barclay, who own 75 per cent of the hotel. But Sir Frederick, whose daughter Amanda owns the remaining 25 per cent, said he was surprised and perturbed by the development. Earlier this month, Sir Frederick threatened to sue members of his family if The Ritz was sold for less than 1 billion. He said the deal appears to have been pushed through in the middle of the coronavirus crisis in the hope it will be uncontested. Sir Frederick added: We have neither consulted nor have we approved this sale. The deal for The Ritz was led by Sir Davids sons Aidan, Howard and Alistair Barclay, who own 75 per cent of the hotel. The pair are pictured above. But Sir Frederick, whose daughter Amanda owns the remaining 25 per cent, said he was surprised and perturbed by the development Angela Merkel, Germany's chancellor, right, speaks as Sheikh Hamad bin Jasim bin Jaber al-Thani, Qatar's then-prime minister,at a conference in Berlin in April 2008 Any potential purchaser will face significant litigation if this deal is not approved by all sides. A spokesman for Ellerman, the investment firm controlled by Aidan and Howard Barclay, said yesterday: Neither Sir Frederick nor Amanda Barclay have any relevant legal interest which would allow them to disrupt the sale. The Ritz was opened in 1906 by Swiss hotelier Cesar Ritz and the name quickly became a byword for grandeur. The Grade II listed hotel has a casino and the famous Palm Court tea room, while suites cost up to 5,450 a night. Sir Frederick and Sir David paid 75 million for the hotel in 1995. It was put up for sale last October as part of a restructure of the familys business empire, which also include the Telegraph newspapers and the Very Group retail business. Resident pianist Ian Gomes is pictured in ITV's show 'Inside the Ritz', which aired last July. Sir Frederick and Sir David paid 75 million for the hotel in 1995 London 's world-renowned Ritz hotel has been sold to a Qatari investor for 700 million, ending more than a century of British ownership and fuelling a family feud between its billionaire owners It is not known whether other Qatari investors were on the shortlist of bidders for the hotel. Saudi investment firm Sidra Capital and French billionaire Bernard Arnault, the owner of the luxury goods empire behind Louis Vuitton handbags and Moet champagne, also got through to the closing stages of the auction. A statement from the Qatari investor said the first priority was to look after the hotels 450 staff while it was in lockdown. It added: We look forward to reopening the hotel and to sharing our longer-term plans. Ellerman said: We are pleased to have agreed a sale of The Ritz that secures great value for all shareholders, following a rigorous process led by independent advisers. Actor and comedian Charlie Chaplin is pictured arriving at The Ritz in where he stayed in September 1921. He is pictured above swamped by a mass of fans American actress Tallulah Bankhead is seen drinking champagne from her shoe during a press conference at the hotel in September 1951 Kolkata, March 29 (IANS) Seven migrant workers, who came back home to West Bengal's Purulia district from Chennai amidst the Coronavirus-induced lockdown, perched themselves on a banyan tree to remain in quarantine, in the absence of separate room fo Image Source: IANS News Kolkata, March 29 (IANS) Seven migrant workers, who came back home to West Bengal's Purulia district from Chennai amidst the Coronavirus-induced lockdown, perched themselves on a banyan tree to remain in quarantine, in the absence of separate room fo Image Source: IANS News Kolkata, March 29 : Seven migrant workers, who came back home to West Bengal's Purulia district from Chennai amidst the Coronavirus-induced lockdown, perched themselves on a banyan tree to remain in quarantine, in the absence of separate room for self-isolation in their small huts. After several days in their 'temporary home', the workers were on Saturday ordered to come down by the local administration. The workers, all residents of Bangidiha village of Purulia district under Balarampur block, said as they live in one-room mud huts with their families, there is no way they can keep themselves in isolation, which is a must to ensure not a single villager contracted the Coronavirus infection from them. However, none of them have displayed symptoms linked to COVID-19, nor have they undergone any test for the disease. "At present we don't have any health issues. But in case we are detected positive for the disease at a later date, then at least none of the villagers will be infected because of us," said one of the workers Bijay Singh Laya. The workers reached Kharagpur junction station on Sunday last from Chennai and underwent thermal screening and tests but the doctors did not find any symptom of the disease. "However, they asked us to live under self-quarantine for 14 days as a safety measure". "But we don't have any separate personal room in our home. So, we decided to live on the branches of the banyan tree just outside our village," he said. The seven labourers tied their beds to the branches of the tree, and used a mosquito net to prevent themselves from bites of insects. Their family members brought them daily ration of rice, pulses, and vegetables, along with other cooking implements and left after keeping those under the tree, while strictly maintaining the norms of social distancing. "We get down from the tree, cooked, and then again went up," said one of the workers. Villagers on their part kept night vigil by turn to ensure the tree-dwellers are not devoured by wild animals from the nearby forest or bitten by venomous snakes. On Saturday, however, the local administration got to know of the incident, and asked the workers to return to their village and left in isolation there. How do neoliberal governments act in emergency situations when the interests of the private sector top their agenda? In late February 2020, the Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben criticised the Italian media and government for prescribing quarantining and social distancing without sufficient evidence that COVID-19 was any different from the usual influenza virus. For Agamben, these measures created what he has described in his work as a state of exception a heavily militarised situation in which the government acquires unusual powers over citizens and their civic freedoms. In a state of exception, the state authorities curtail freedoms in the name of safety that they alone can ostensibly guarantee. Quarantines, lockdowns, and governmental monitoring all over the world in the last several weeks also remind us of what French philosopher Michel Foucault describes as an exceptional mode of political control introduced by the plague in 18th-century Europe. The plague is the moment, Foucault writes, when the spatial partitioning and subdivision (quadrillage) of a population is taken to its extreme point, where dangerous communications, disorderly communities, and forbidden contacts can no longer appear. Governments partitioning populations to limit the spread of an infectious disease is a flagrant display of an exhaustive, unobstructed power that is completely transparent to its object and exercised to the full. For Foucault, quadrillage in the time of contagion reveals naked governmental power. While Agamben has likely changed his mind about the severity of COVID-19 following more than 10,000 deaths in Italy alone, his Foucault-inspired argument about a state of exception warrants a closer look. What does the state of exception mean in a primarily neoliberal world order where governmental power is inseparable from the interests of the private sector? How do we make sense of the initial hesitation of many governments over asking citizens to stay home or declaring a state of emergency? Why didnt the US government immediately assert its unobstructed power to bring the situation under control? Consider first the varying degrees of reluctance demonstrated by several governments to impose a lockdown or mass quarantining measures. By all accounts, lockdown measures in the Chinese city of Wuhan were extremely strict. But the lockdown came only after a certain tipping point. While the Chinese governments own fears of the effects of a pandemic certainly played a role here, this tipping point was also the product of pressure from non-state actors, both domestic and international. As The Guardian recently reported, the Chinese government knew of the earliest COVID-19 case in November 2019. By mid-December, there were about 60 confirmed cases. But instead of looking into the possibility of an outbreak, the Chinese government reportedly censored media reports and even cracked down on whistleblowers concerned about a new SARS-like virus emerging in Wuhan. While the WHO China office issued an international alert concerning the situation of 44 patients with pneumonia of unknown etiology on December 5, and the state-owned China Central Television confirmed the novel coronavirus on January 7, it was not until January 20 that the Chinese government officially acknowledged the human-to-human transmission of the virus. And the Wuhan lockdown finally began on January 23. A large-scale lockdown or quarantine of this kind, then, was the last thing that the Chinese government wished to impose to control its population. What the Chinese government wanted to prevent by suppressing reports of the virus was precisely what the lockdown led to a historic slump in the countrys industrial production growth in the last two months. The truth is that in the current neoliberal global economy which is a strange mix of economic nationalism, the dominance of the stock market and transnational corporations, and oft-disavowed economic interdependence any large-scale restriction that hinders the movement of capital, labour, and commodities is seen as counter-growth and hence undesirable by governments and corporations. Caught in its own plague-like state of exception, Italy is also not immune to a severe economic fallout. While giving extraordinary powers to local and state governments, lockdowns in Italy have also triggered fears of a looming recession. According to the investment firm Goldman Sachs, the sectors most affected by the lockdown including tourism, travel, hospitality, and retail account for about 23 percent of the Italian gross domestic product (GDP). For many critics of the European Unions neoliberal austerity measures, the lockdowns in Italy and Spain are, in fact, glaring revelations of the weaknesses of a free market economy, the overreliance on the private sector, and overwhelmed healthcare systems. On March 16, the same day that the Spanish government decided to nationalise all private hospitals, the whole world watched the footage of a woman crying inconsolably outside a hospital in Madrid. Her husband had just died from COVID-19 and she herself had also tested positive. But the woman had been turned away from the hospital because she was reportedly not sick enough to be treated under these emergency circumstances. The state of exception decides which citizens lives are worth saving and which ones are not. Paradoxically, the moment at which that decision is taken lays bare the neoliberal states incapacity to save and care for most of its citizens. Perhaps unsurprisingly, then, both the United Kingdom and the United States have been slow to impose lockdown measures to fight the virus. The unspoken fear here is that a state of exception will not only affect the mobility of people, goods, and the financial market but also put additional responsibilities (long ceded to the market) on the national government. The reluctance to declare a state of exception is, therefore, natural given that subsidised healthcare for all is either inadequate (as in the UK) or nonexistent (as in the US). And each country , now struggling to respond to the pandemic, is being forced to reckon with the increasing spread of the virus, the health of its most vulnerable citizens, and its global reputation as a developed capitalist economy. The toll of neoliberal complacency and outsourcing is perhaps most glaring in the US response. The federal government downplayed the severity of the virus for several weeks before finally declaring a state of emergency and releasing guidelines for social distancing in mid-March. But let us not forget that it was not so much the number of deaths in or outside the US as the multiple historic dips of the stock market that led this government to wake up to the dangers posed by the virus. In fact, until the emergency, there was a striking similarity between the attitude and tone of the US President Donald Trump and the conservative host on Fox News who claimed that COVID-19 was yet another [Democratic] attempt to impeach the president. Let us also not forget what took priority over the federal governments social distancing directives or even its trumpeting of private-public partnerships to improve the testing infrastructure the US Federal Reserve rushing to help banks with $1.5 trillion in short-term loans to prevent a financial crisis. While some have made a strong case for these loans as emergency backstop for the markets writ large, we should note that the presidents emergency declaration on March 13 was accompanied by an announcement of an initial federal aid of $50bn, significantly less than what had been made available to the banks. As Politicos Anita Kumar noted, even the announcement of federal aid to fight the virus in a state of emergency had a distinct market-first flavor, as the White House touted unprecedented public-private partnerships with corporations like Google, Target, Amazon, and Walmart to increase testing all over the country. While these partnerships might seem more desirable than government inaction, they also make clear that the true architect of this state of exception will be the private sector, specifically giant multinational corporations whose fortunes drive Wall Street. The exceptionalist neoliberal state is, at this point, dysfunctional without these partnerships. At the same time, we should not ignore the implications of the persistent disconnect between the federal government and the responses of local and state governments, in spite of Trumps attempt at damage control by invoking patriotism and rebranding himself as a wartime president. Here, too, what Agamben calls the state of exception or what Foucault calls unobstructed governmental power needs to be rethought. Long before the federal government declared a national emergency, state governors and city mayors had taken the lead in ordering school closures and social distancing measures. And notably, while the president is now raring to loosen social distancing guidelines and open up the economy before Easter, public health officials and state governors are calling for stricter measures to flatten the curve. COVID-19 has, therefore, ushered in a US state of exception that is internally split, one in which the imperative to save lives through quarantining (in the face of a broken healthcare system and a completely collapsed welfare structure) is jostling against the inclination to do everything possible to revive the financial market. While these cracks and divides may well be coloured by the fact that this is an election year, they point towards deeper socioeconomic emergencies in the months to come that neither presidential hyperboles, nor neoliberal buzzwords (like freedom, democracy, or the market) will be able to fix. It is too early to tell if the disaster socialism of the just-passed $2 trillion stimulus bill is anything more than a re-election strategy. On the one hand, it promises much-needed economic relief to state governments, hospitals, and industries. On the other hand, the bills priorities are telling: $500bn for businesses, $100bn for healthcare, $150bn for state and local governments, and little relief for low-income families. Confronted with a severe medical infrastructure crisis and skyrocketing unemployment insurance claims, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has already criticised the funding allotted to his state as a drop in the bucket. Cuomo and other Democrats have also openly disapproved of Trumps refusal to nationalise the production of medical equipment even after invoking the Defense Production Act. Here, again, we find ourselves in a peculiar state of exception in which the federal government refuses to take charge. It only wants to delegate. In the state of exception that Agamben and Foucault describe, governmental power is pure discipline. In contrast, the US state of exception seems to be pure chaos. And for the millions of Americans whose lives and livelihoods will be seriously upended by the time the virus slows down or a vaccine becomes available, this chaotic state of exception is also the moment of waking up to the dangers of living in a country that is wholly dependent on the volatilities of a thoroughly privatised economy, especially since the average American has no control over its fluctuations. Politicians and TV anchors love to talk about the American people as lovers of freedoms afforded by the free market. The American people living through this faltering state of exception might actually start changing that perception. As Naomi Klein has recently argued in her video on Coronavirus Capitalism , while impossible ideas can become possible in times of crisis, it matters whose ideas are deemed possible: those of the dispossessed and the vulnerable or those of the already wealthy and the privileged. This state of exception can be an opportunity for change for the people in the US and elsewhere, but only if we mobilise for comprehensive people-centric safety nets and refuse to be content with trickle-down measures and pro-market corporate bailouts. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. Billionaire David Geffen is 'self-isolating' on his $590 million yacht in the Caribbean As millions of Americans self-quarantine inside cramped apartments, or risk their own health to provide vital services, billionaire David Geffen wants the public to know that he's also doing his part in the coronavirus pandemic. 'Sunset last night' Geffen wrote in an Instagram post on Saturday morning, accompanied by a picture of his $590 million superyacht floating in the waters of the Caribbean. 'Isolated in the Grenadines avoiding the virus. I hope everybody is staying safe,' added the music mogul, who is worth an estimated $7.7 billion. The post, which has since been hidden from public view, drew furious backlash as a 'tone-deaf' response to the crisis, which has killed more than 2,000 in the U.S. and affected virtually every corner of the nation. David Geffen drew fury with this Instagram post on Saturday morning, which is now private 'David Geffen makes me wish I knew someone with a fully armed F-18,' tweeted one person. 'Brave of David Geffen to do social isolation on a cruise ship,' wrote Aaron Levie, the CEO of business software company Box. 'Ironic that David Geffen is tone deaf,' another person tweeted, referring to Geffen's career as a music producer. Others suggested that Geffen, 77, could be doing more to help during the pandemic. 'David Geffen is out of touch,' the Twitter user wrote. 'Maybe if he made a large donation for medical protective gear for our overworked nurses, doctors & medical staff, he wouldn't come off as an elitist jerk.' Geffen shared the snaps of his yacht as millions of Americans self-quarantine inside cramped apartments, or risk their own health to provide vital services The response was furious ridicule and outraged backlash at the 'tone deaf post' "David Geffen could have donated that yacht to NYC to be used as a makeshift hospital," New York Times columnist Wajahat Ali tweeted. However, not everyone was so put out by Geffen's post, which included two wide shots of the 'Rising Sun' yacht, as well as one of the luxurious main deck. Spotted in the comments before the post was made private, Wendi Murdoch, the ex-wife of news mogul Rupert Murdoch, responded with a series of heart-eyes emojis. Wendi Murdoch and actress Rita Wilson were complimentary, however Actress Rita Wilson was also complimentary, remarking 'What a shot!' In better times, Geffen was known as a generous host on his yacht, hosting Paul McCartney, supermodel Karlie Kloss, designer Misha Nonoo, billionaires Henry Kravis and Barry Diller, Hollywood-agent-turned-media-adviser Michael Kives and venture capitalist Joshua Kushner. Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump have both also been known to spend time aboard the vessel, despite Geffen's reputation as a top Democrat donor. Kim Kardashain brought some cheer to her fans Saturday amid the coronavirus pandemic. The reality star, 39, shared a heart-warming photo of her darling sons, Saint, four, and Psalm, 10 months, playing with one another. In the photo, the youngsters smiled wide whilst nestled against two white pillows. 'My boys': Kim Kardashian shared a heart-warming photo of her darling sons, Saint, four, and Psalm, 10 months, playing with one another 'My boys,' Kim captioned the photo with two grey heart emojis. Psalm was the picture of happiness as he sat right next to his big brother, who placed his hand upon the youngster's head. Kim shares her two sons - as well as daughters North, six, and Chicago, two - with her husband Kanye West. The couple tied the knot in a grand wedding in Italy in 2014, and have been going from strength to strength ever since. Proud mom! Kim shares her two sons - as well as daughters North, six, and Chicago, two - with her husband Kanye West, who she has been married to since 2014 Going for it: The reality star engaged in a physical fight with her sister Kourtney Kardashian on the explosive season 18 premiere of their show Keeping Up With The Kardashians While Kim's marriage may be doing well, not all is perfect in her family life. The reality star engaged in a physical fight with her sister Kourtney Kardashian on the explosive season 18 premiere of their show Keeping Up With The Kardashians, which aired Thursday. The siblings, aged 39 and 40 respectively, had to be separated by their younger sister Khloe Kardashian in one of the most shocking rows to date on the hit show. The Klaws come out: The row saw the sisters physically attack one another, with Kim and Kourtney clawing at each other, throwing things and slapping one another They leaped at each other after Kim needled Kourtney about what she thought of as her big sister's inferior work ethic, before the latter threatened: 'I will f**k you up'. The row saw the sisters physically attack one another, with Kim and Kourtney clawing at each other, throwing things and slapping one another. The explosive argument all stemmed from earlier scenes when Kim turned down a $400,000 offer to model in a Paris fashion show. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: The coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19) has shaken the foundations of the international order. It has already taken a toll in advanced countries known for their health care infrastructure and accessibility. Developing countries, struggling with inadequate State capacity, face the challenge of both dealing with the health catastrophe and its economic fallout. The situation is precarious in India, with its 1.3 billion people and a weak health care system. Health care in India has always been dismal. Public expenditure on health in India is around 1.2% of the GDP. India has a critical shortage of doctors, paramedics, nurses, hospitals, ventilators and other equipment. The private sector accounts for a key segment of health care capacity, but suffers from poor quality control, corruption, unfair practices and inaccessibility for the masses. And not much can be done to redress these structural inadequacies at such short notice, although the government has been moving fast to augment capacity like placing orders for 40,000 ventilators to nearly double their numbers. But this crisis has also validated several of the major policy decisions of the Narendra Modi government in the past six years. Major relief measures such as medical insurance to frontline health workers and income support to vulnerable groups using direct benefits transfer are testimony to formidable state capacity. Such measures would have been unthinkable a few years ago, but for the massive infrastructure built by implementing policies like Aadhaar, Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna (PMJDY) and Digital India. Today Indias banked population is more than 80%, a sharp increase from around 50% in 2014. And the credit goes to the extraordinary push given by the PMJDY, which now boasts of 380 million bank accounts; 1.25 billion Aadhaar cards have been issued and the number of smartphone users alone has crossed 500 million, with a total number of mobile phones at 1.21 billion. Now 690 million Indians subscribe to the Internet, with urban net penetration at 104%. The push given to National Payments Corporation of India has boosted innovation and connectivity, thus revolutionising banking and governance. There are more than 600 million RuPay cards, most associated with the PMJDY accounts and 1.2 billion transactions are being done over BHIM UPI alone which accounts only for the 5% market share in the bourgeoning UPI ecosystem. The JAM trinity, which transformed the social security paradigm, has become the preferred route to support people staring at an uncertain future due to the lockdown. These schemes were fiercely opposed by vested interests as wasteful and exclusionary. So powerful was the opposition, that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government all but surrendered, despite originally incubating these schemes. It is to the credit of Modi that despite his earlier concerns, he quickly grasped the potential of these schemes and invested his political and administrative capital in achieving what UPA failed to attain. Because of this, India today is in a far better position to deal with the pandemic. Schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana increasing gas cylinder coverage, Digilocker, BharatNet, integrating governance and social media, 100% electrification, construction of 1.8 crore houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Ayushman Bharat and various pension schemes for the unorganised sector have made us better prepared to deal with the lockdown and economic distress. These schemes also generate a crucial database of the beneficiaries that is now being utilised by the government to ensure relief to the maximum number of people possible especially in the unorganised sector. The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan was mocked and dismissed as a gimmick, but sanitation has substantially improved. Better sanitation and hygiene has already been saving hundreds of thousands of lives, as per the estimates of the World Health Organisation, and its importance during a pandemic cannot be emphasised enough. Covid-19 also settles the debate on the National Population Register and National Register of Citizens, by demonstrating the necessity for a complete and verifiable database of population and citizens as even now a large number of people are outside the ambit of relief measure due to the lack of such a database. Such a database and State-capacity of need-based surveillance, unshackled by strict privacy concerns, are central to the success of countries like South Korea, Taiwan and China and Singapore in containing the pandemic. But, for now, it is the economic question that needs to be addressed next. A decade-long slowdown has already limited the capacity of the government to undertake relief measures. The economy was already in the midst of the restructuring due to disruptive policies implemented in the last few years including the shock induced by demonetisation. It is unclear if it can absorb another shock and yet emerge unscathed. We have no precedents to fall back upon. The nearest analogy might well be that of wartime reconstruction. Abhinav Prakash Singh is an assistant professor at SRCC, Delhi University The views expressed are personal Former President of Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed on Sunday thanked India for sending food and vital medicines to the island country during the coronavirus outbreak. Nasheed took to Twitter to express his feelings, "A big thank you to the Government and people of India, Flag of India for sending us vital food and medicine at this difficult time," Earlier, the Government of Maldives had donated USD 200,000 to the COVID-19 Emergency fund created after the SAARC leader's virtual summit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted his thanks to the government of Maldives, "Deeply appreciate the contribution of USD 200,000 by Government of Maldives to the COVID-19 Emergency Fund. It strengthens our resolve in this collective fight against the pandemic." The Maldives reported 17 cases of the coronavirus out of which 11 have recovered while no deaths have been reported. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Illinois residents can expect to see changes at grocery stores in the coming days and weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic. Gov. J.B. Pritzker listed several recommendations during his daily news briefing on Saturday. They ranged from floor markers to remind people to stand 6 feet apart in checkout lanes to shield guards between customers and checkers and baggers. The recommendations were the result of talks between Pritzker's administration and the Illinois Retail Merchants Association on how to better protect shoppers and employees from COVID-19. "To be clear, there's nothing new that customers need to know for shopping, other than to be vigilant about their social-distancing practices," the governor said. "As we're asking stores to make their requirements as clear as possible, it is up to each individual to follow our social-distancing requirements." Here are the recommended changes at grocery stores that Pritzker listed: -- Signs at entrances, informing customers they must stay 6 feet away from each other. -- Continuous announcements of social-distancing rules on public-address systems. -- Floor markers to show people where they should stand in checkout lanes. -- Efforts to encourage cashless purchases to move customers through lines faster. -- Dedicated staff members whose job is to walk the floor and enforce social distancing. -- Shield guards between customers and checkers and baggers. -- Temporary bans on reusable shopping bags. -- Promotion of online ordering and pickup to reduce the number of in-store shoppers. -- Greater use of self-service checkout stations. "As your governor, I ask you to be courteous and be respectful in any interaction with the grocery store clerks and workers always, but especially as they go to work everyday (during the coronavirus pandemic)." Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 2 Playhouse costume shop recasts to sew medical masks Playhouse costumer designer Ashli Arnold cuts, sews and irons face masks for patients and nonclinical workers at Pardee UNC Health and AdventHealth. Flat Rock Playhouse Production Manager Adam Goodrum was recently alerted to a thread on an industry forum from an Oklahoma hospital seeking seamstresses to sew cloth face masks to combat the coronavirus shortage. The theatre forum was sharing a Facebook post from officials at Stillwater Medical Center in Oklahoma looking for volunteers willing to use up their fabric stashes. The hospital shared a pattern online and instructions that the masks must be four layers of fabric for filtering and be adjustable. They also assured that the masks would not be used by healthcare providers dealing with COVID-19 but by non-clinical personnel and other worried patients in the hospital. The donated fabric masks would allow that the N95 masks to be reserved for use by the caregivers on the frontlines of the battle. The coronavirus has completely shuttered the theatre industry nationwide. Professional theatres, community theatres, and even Broadway houses sit dark for the foreseeable future, yet, industry professionals in costume shops across the country shared the Medical Centers post and then sprang into action. The Playhouse was inspired and recognized an opportunity to help out a little closer to home. The Playhouse reached out to Playhouse Development Consultant, Kim Hinkelman who reached out to Amy Treece at Pardee-UNC Health and Advent Health Foundation Director and Playhouse trustee Sherri Holbert, both of whom responded that they would love to have additional face masks. Ashli Arnold, Resident Costume Designer and Costume Shop Manager got to work washing fabric and threading up the machines. Assisting Ashli are various staff members whose work has been impacted by COVID-19. The team continues to work, separated by six-feet or more, in the recently vacated dressing rooms. Flat Rock Playhouse is proud to be able to help make an impact during this worldwide crisis and encourages other theatres or seamstresses to get involved if able. For tips and guidelines for donating, please visit getusppe.org/makers/. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 11:38:41|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close RIO DE JANEIRO, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar has backed a campaign to help underprivileged families in Brazil cope with the coronavirus outbreak. Led by Brazilian television personality Luciano Huck, the initiative also has the support of dual world surfing champion Gabriel Medina and other Brazilian celebrities. The campaign calls on Brazilians to donate money - either directly or through charity organizations - to those in need, regardless of the amount. "Solidarity must be more contagious than the virus," Neymar said in a video posted on social media. Medina added: "Now more than ever we need to give a hand to others." The Brazilian government on Thursday announced a monthly subsidiary of 600 reais (120 U.S. dollars) for low-income workers and small entrepreneurs as many states impose lockdowns that effectively halt the informal economy. A young child in Joliette died from sudden respiratory distress last week, just moments after youth protection workers had visited his home and determined he and his siblings needed to be removed, Radio-Canada has learned. Around 1:15 p.m. on Thursday, two intervention workers from the youth protection agency, the Direction de la protection de la jeunesse (DPJ), tried to enter a home in Joliette. The residents were reluctant to let them in. The DPJ workers insisted and inside discovered an unkempt home and four children a six-year-old boy, a two-year-old boy and twin six-month-old girls showing severe signs of physical neglect, three sources with knowledge of the case told Radio-Canada. At 2 p.m., the DPJ workers decided to place all four children in emergency protection. The workers left the home, according to Radio-Canada, to alert authorities, find a host family and gather car seats to transport the children. When they returned an hour later, around 3 p.m., there was an ambulance parked outside the home and several police officers present. The two-year-old boy was unresponsive and in respiratory distress. He died of cardio-respiratory arrest upon his arrival at hospital, the sources said. Initial report filed in January The family's situation was first brought to the DPJ's Lanaudiere unit in January. The case was classified as a "Code 3," meaning the lowest level of priority. The DPJ is normally required to evaluate Code 3 cases within 12 days of their classification. But it took workers more than two months to look into the Joliette case. Graham Hughes/CP According to Radio-Canada sources, the DPJ first called the family a few days before their visit to the home. During the phone call, the youth-care worker felt the parents were being uncooperative and found that worrisome. The sources also said the deceased two-year-old had been taken to a doctor and diagnosed with a respiratory infection a few days prior to his death and was prescribed antibiotics. Story continues After his death, the boy's siblings were placed with their extended family in an Atikamekw community north of the Lanaudiere. The children now fall under the jurisdiction of the Atikamekw Council's child protection unit. The provincial police major crimes unit has opened an investigation into the incident. Investigators will be meeting with both the family and DPJ intervention workers. "The CISSS de Lanaudiere would like to extend our most sincere condolences to the family," Pascale Lamy, a spokesperson for the regional health authority, wrote in an email. "Considering confidentiality rules, we cannot give any information related to this situation." Criminal investigation and autopsy The case comes as a provincial commission is examining child protection services in the province. The commission was created in May following outrage over the death of a seven-year-old in Granby, which many felt was preventable because the child was being monitored by social workers. Last week, the head of the commission, Regine Laurent, warned the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak heightened the risk of children being mistreated. "The prolonged confinement, drastic change in daily routines, limit of interpersonal contact, isolation of families, job and revenue losses, fear of contracting the virus, uncertainty surrounding the situation, are all factors that lead to unparalleled levels of stress for families," Laurent said in a news release. TDT | Manama There is no overcrowding in the isolation, quarantine and check-up centres in Bahrain as the Kingdom continues to fight the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This was declared by Minister of Health Faeqa bint Saeed Al Saleh, who held a distance meeting yesterday with the World Health Organisation (WHO) along with National Institution for Human Rights (NIHR) president Maria Khouri. During this, they discussed procedures followed by the Ministry of Health in complying with human rights criteria while combating COVID-19 in isolation, quarantine and check-up centres. The Minister presented a thorough explanation on these places, their capacity, and the preemptive measures being taken in this respect. She stressed that the capacity and the actual numbers indicate that there is no overcrowding in isolation and quarantine centres. The NIHR President praised the utter transparency and clarity in announcing the number of infected and recovered people. She stressed the need to take into consideration human rights, like the right to health and personal freedom, in the places designated for isolation and quarantine. The Minister of Health hailed a plan by the institution to pay field visits to the isolation and quarantine centres as part of its monitoring role stipulated in the law of its establishment. Meetings will be held with the medical teams and some of the isolated and quarantined people to learn about their opinions regarding the procedures taken and the medical care provided to them. NIHR commended the unrelenting humanitarian and national efforts spearheaded by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Premier to combat the coronavirus COVID-19. The institution praised the success of the National Taskforce to Combat COVID-19 and called on all people in Bahrain to adhere to the official regulations and directives issued by the committee and allied parties. It also lauded the alternative and emergency schemes carried out by the government to guarantee the provision of food and healthcare for all citizens and expatriates during this time. The finance minister of the German region of Hesse has died in an apparent suicide which the state governor suggested was linked to worries over the coronavirus pandemic. Thomas Schaefer, a member of Chancellor Angela Merkels Christian Democratic Union, was found on railway tracks at Hochheim, near Frankfurt, on Saturday. Police and prosecutors said that the evidence, including witness statements and examination of the scene, led them to conclude the 54-year-old killed himself. State governor Volker Bouffier said Schaefer had worked literally day and night to deal with the Covid-19 crisis. We have to assume that he was very worried, said Mr Bouffier. Above all, there are great concerns about whether it will be possible to meet the huge expectations of the population especially financial aid. I have to assume that these concerns overwhelmed him. He obviously couldnt find a way out. He was desperate and left us. His death is also a great loss for this country. Schaefer had been Hesses state finance minister for a decade and was seen as a potential candidate for the regions next governor. The Hesse CDU party said in a statement that it was in mourning, adding: We heard with dismay the news of his sudden and unexpected death. Our thoughts are with his family and relatives. Germany has reported 455 deaths and more than 58,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 since the start of the outbreak. Seven days ago the German chancellor went into quarantine after a doctor who gave her a vaccine tested positive for the virus. The country has banned public meetings of more than two people and imposed tight border restrictions in an attempt to slow the spread of the outbreak. Additional reporting by agencies If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, The Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch. For services local to you, the national mental health database Hub of Hope allows you to enter your postcode to search for organisations and charities who offer mental health advice and support in your area WASHINGTON Early on, the dozen federal officials charged with defending America against the coronavirus gathered day after day in the White House Situation Room, consumed by crises. They grappled with how to evacuate the U.S. consulate in Wuhan, China, ban Chinese travelers and extract Americans from the Diamond Princess and other cruise ships. The members of the coronavirus task force typically devoted only five or 10 minutes, often at the end of contentious meetings, to talk about testing, several participants recalled. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, its leaders assured the others, had developed a diagnostic model that would be rolled out quickly as a first step. But as the deadly virus from China spread with ferocity across the U.S. between late January and early March, large-scale testing of people who might have been infected did not happen because of technical flaws, regulatory hurdles, business-as-usual bureaucracies and lack of leadership at multiple levels, according to interviews with more than 50 current and former public health officials, administration officials, senior scientists and company executives. The result was a lost month, when the worlds richest country armed with some of the most highly trained scientists and infectious disease specialists squandered its best chance of containing the virus spread. Instead, Americans were left largely blind to the scale of a looming public health catastrophe. The absence of robust screening until it was far too late revealed failures across government, said Dr. Thomas Frieden, a former CDC director. Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins, said the Trump administration had incredibly limited views of the pathogens potential impact. Dr. Margaret Hamburg, a former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, said the lapse enabled exponential growth of cases. And Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, a top government scientist involved in the fight against the virus, told members of Congress that the early inability to test was a failing of the administrations response to a deadly, global pandemic. Why, he asked later in a magazine interview, were we not able to mobilize on a broader scale? Across government, they said, three agencies responsible for detecting and combating threats like the coronavirus failed to prepare quickly enough. Even as scientists looked at China and sounded alarms, none of the agencies directors conveyed the urgency required to spur a no-holds-barred defense. Dr. Robert R. Redfield, 68, a former military doctor and prominent AIDS researcher who directs the CDC, trusted his veteran scientists to create the worlds most precise test for the coronavirus and share it with state laboratories. When flaws in the test became apparent in February, he promised a quick fix, though it took weeks to settle on a solution. The CDC also tightly restricted who could get tested and was slow to conduct community-based surveillance, a standard screening practice to detect the virus reach. Had the U.S. been able to track its earliest movements and identify hidden hot spots, local quarantines might have confined the disease. Dr. Stephen Hahn, 60, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, enforced regulations that paradoxically made it tougher for hospitals, private clinics and companies to deploy diagnostic tests in an emergency. Other countries that had mobilized businesses were testing tens of thousands daily, compared with fewer than 100 on average in the U.S., frustrating local health officials, lawmakers and desperate Americans. Alex Azar, who led the Department of Health and Human Services, oversaw the two other agencies and coordinated the governments public health response to the pandemic. While he grew frustrated as public criticism over the testing issues intensified, he was unable to push either agency to speed up or change course. Azar, 52, who chaired the coronavirus task force until late February, when Vice President Mike Pence took charge, had been at odds for months with the White House over other issues. The task forces chief liaison to the president was Mick Mulvaney, acting White House chief of staff, who was being forced out by President Donald Trump. Without high-level interest or demands for action the testing issue festered. At the start of that crucial lost month, when his government could have rallied, the president was distracted by impeachment and dismissive of the threat to the publics health or the nations economy. By the end of the month, Trump claimed the virus was about to dissipate in the U.S., saying: Its going to disappear. One day its like a miracle it will disappear. By early March, after federal officials finally announced changes to allow more expansive testing, it was too late to escape serious harm. Now, the U.S. has more than 100,000 coronavirus cases, the most of any country in the world. Yet even with deaths on the rise, cities shuttered, the economy sputtering and everyday life upended, many Americans who come down with symptoms of COVID-19 still cannot get tested. In a statement, Judd Deere, a White House spokesman, said that any suggestion that President Trump did not take the threat of COVID-19 seriously or that the United States was not prepared is false. He added that at Trumps direction, the administration had expanded testing capacities. Dr. Bruce Aylward, a senior adviser at the World Health Organization, led an expert team to China last month to research the mysterious new virus. Testing, he said, was absolutely vital for understanding how to defeat a disease what distinguishes it from others, the spectrum of illness and, most important, its path through populations. You want to know whether or not you have it, Aylward said. You want to know whether the people around you have it. Because you know what? Then you could stop it. You cant stop it, he warned, if you cant see it. A Startling Setback The first time Redfield heard about the severity of the virus from his Chinese counterparts was around New Years Day, when he was on vacation with his family. He spent so much time on the phone that they barely saw him. And what he heard rattled him; in one grim conversation about the virus days later, George F. Gao, the director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, burst into tears. Redfield, a longtime AIDS researcher, had never run a government agency before his appointment to lead the CDC in 2018. Until then, his biggest priorities had been fighting the opioid epidemic and the spread of HIV. Suddenly, a man who preferred treating patients in Haiti or Africa to being in the public glare was facing a new pandemic threat. At first, Redfields agency moved quickly. On Jan. 7, the CDC created an incident management system for the coronavirus and advised travelers to Wuhan to take precautions. By Jan. 20, just two weeks after Chinese scientists shared the genetic sequence of the virus, the CDC had developed its own test, as usual, and deployed it to detect the countrys first coronavirus case. Thats our prime mission, Redfield said later in an interview, to get eyes on this thing. Assessing the virus would prove challenging. It was so new that scientists had little information to work with. China provided limited data, and rebuffed an early attempt by Azar and Redfield to send CDC experts there to learn more. That the virus could cause no symptoms and still spread something not initially known made it all the more difficult to understand. To identify the virus, the CDC test used three small genetic sequences to match up with portions of a virus genome extracted from a swab. A German-developed test that the WHO was distributing to other countries used just two, potentially making it less precise. But soon after the FDA cleared the CDC to share its test kits with state health department labs, some discovered a problem. The third sequence, or probe, gave inconclusive results. While the CDC explored the cause contamination or a design issue it told those state labs to stop testing. The startling setback stalled the CDCs efforts to track the virus when it mattered most. By mid-February, the nation was testing only about 100 people per day, according to the CDCs website. Redfield played down the problem in task force meetings and conversations with Azar, assuring him it would be fixed quickly, several administration officials said. With capacity so limited, the CDCs criteria for who was tested remained extremely narrow for weeks to come: Only people who had recently traveled to China or had been in contact with someone who had the virus. The lack of tests in the states also meant local public health officials could not use another essential epidemiological tool: surveillance testing. To see where the virus might be hiding, nasal swab samples from people screened for the common flu would also be checked for the coronavirus. The CDC announced a plan on Feb. 14 to perform the screening in five high-risk cities: New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle. An agency official said it could provide an early warning signal to trigger a change in our response strategy. But most of the cities could not carry it out. Had we had done more testing from the very beginning and caught cases earlier, said Nuzzo, of Johns Hopkins, we would be in a far different place. The consequences became clear by the end of February. For the first time, someone with no known exposure to the virus or history of travel tested positive, in the Seattle area, where the U.S.s first case had been detected more than a month earlier. The virus had probably been spreading there and elsewhere for weeks, researchers later concluded. Without a more complete picture of who had been infected, public health workers could not do contact tracing finding all those with whom any contagious people had interacted and then quarantining them to stop further transmission. The CDC gave little thought to adopting the test being used by the WHO. The CDCs test was working in its own lab still processing samples from states which gave agency officials confidence. Dr. Anne Schuchat, the agencys principal deputy director, would later say that the CDC did not think we needed somebody elses test. And the German-designed WHO test had not been through the American regulatory approval process, which would take time. Throughout February, Redfield shuttled between Atlanta, where the CDC is based, and Washington, holding multiple calls every day with Azar and participating in the coronavirus task force. Azars take-charge style contrasted with the more deliberative manner of Redfield, who lacked the kind of commanding television presence that impressed Trump. He was a consensus person, as one colleague described him, who sought to avoid conflict. He relied heavily on some of the CDCs career scientists, like Schuchat and Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the agencys National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. Under scrutiny from Congress, Redfield offered reassurances. Responding on Feb. 24 to a letter from 49 members of Congress about the need for testing in the states, he wrote, CDCs aggressive response enables us to identify potential cases early and make sure that they are properly handled. Days later, his agency provided a workaround, telling state and local health department labs that they could finally begin testing. Rather than awaiting replacements, they should use their CDC test kits and leave out the problematic third probe. Meanwhile, the agencys epidemiologists were growing more concerned as the virus spread in South Korea and Italy. On Feb. 25, Messonnier gave a briefing with a much blunter warning than usual. Disruption to everyday life might be severe, she said. Trump, returning from a trip to India, was furious, according to senior administration officials. Later that day, Azar seemed to be tamping down the level of concern. All Messonnier had meant, he said at a news conference, was that people should start thinking about, in their own lives, what that might involve. Might, Azar repeated emphatically. Might involve. Barriers to Testing Hahns first day as FDA commissioner came just six weeks before Azar declared a public health emergency on Jan. 31. A radiation oncologist and researcher who helped turn around MD Anderson in Houston, one of the nations leading cancer centers, Hahn had come to Washington to oversee a sprawling federal agency that regulates everything from lifesaving therapies to dog food. But overnight, his mission to manage 15,000 employees in a culture defined by precision and caution was upended. A pathogen that Trump would later call the invisible enemy was hurtling toward the U.S. It would fall to the newly arrived Hahn to help build a huge national capacity for testing by academic and private labs. Instead, under his leadership, the FDA became a significant roadblock, according to current and former officials as well as researchers and doctors at laboratories around the country. Private-sector tests were supposed to be the next tier after the CDC fulfilled its obligation to jump-start screening at public labs. In other countries hit hard by the coronavirus, governments acted quickly to speed tests to their populations. In South Korea, for example, regulators in early February summoned executives from 20 medical manufacturers, easing rules as they demanded tests. But Hahn took a cautious approach. He was not proactive in reaching out to manufacturers, and instead deferred to his scientists, following the FDAs often cumbersome methods for approving medical screening. Even the nations public health labs were looking for the FDAs help. We are now many weeks into the response with still no diagnostic or surveillance test available outside of CDC for the vast majority of our member laboratories, Scott Becker, chief executive of the Association of Public Health Laboratories, wrote to Hahn in late February. We believe a more expeditious route is needed at this time. Ironically, it was Azars emergency declaration that established the rules Hahn insisted on following. Designed to make it easier for drugmakers to pursue vaccines and other therapies during a crisis, such a declaration lets the FDA speed approvals that could otherwise take a year or more. But the emergency announcement created a new barrier for hospitals and laboratories that wanted to create their own tests to diagnose the coronavirus. Usually, they faced minimal federal regulation. But once Azar took action, they were subject to an FDA process called an emergency use authorization. Even though researchers around the country quickly began creating tests that could diagnose COVID-19, many said they were hindered by the FDAs approval process. The new tests sat unused at labs around the country. Stanford was one of them. Researchers at the world-renowned university had a working test by February, based on protocols published by the WHO. The organization had already delivered more than 250,000 of the German-designed tests to 70 laboratories around the world, and doctors at the Stanford lab wanted to be prepared for a pandemic. Even if it didnt come, it would be better to be ready than not to be ready, said Dr. Benjamin Pinsky, the labs medical director. But in the face of what he called relatively tight rules at the FDA, Pinsky and his colleagues decided against even trying to win permission. The Stanford clinical lab would not begin testing coronavirus samples until early March, when Hahn finally relaxed the rules. Executives at bioMerieux, a French diagnostics company, had a similar experience. The company makes a countertop testing system, BioFire, that is routinely used to check for the flu and other respiratory illnesses in 1,700 hospitals around the country. It can provide results in about 45 minutes. A lot of us said, you know, your typical EUA is just much too demanding, said Dr. Mark Miller, the companys chief medical officer, referring to the emergency approval. Its going to take much too much time. And cant you do something to shorten that? Officials at the FDA tried to be responsive, Miller said. But rather than throw out the rules, the agency only modified the regulatory requirements, still requiring weeks of discussions and negotiations. After conversations with the FDA in mid-February, the company received emergency approval for its BioFire test on March 24. (The company also began talking to the FDA in January about another type of test, but decided not to pursue it in the U.S. for now.) Miller said that while he was ultimately satisfied with the FDAs actions, the overall response by the government was too slow, especially when it came to logistical questions like getting enough testing supplies to those who needed them. Youve got other countries and Im sorry, unfortunately, the U.S. is one of those where theyve been slow, disorganized, he said. There are still not enough tests available there to test everybody who needs it. In an emailed statement, Hahn maintained that his agency had moved as quickly as it safely could to ensure that tests would be accurate. Since the early days of this pandemic, he said, the FDAs doors have always been and still remain open to test developers. A Lack of Trust Azar had sounded confident at the end of January. At a news conference in the hulking HHS headquarters in Washington, he said he had the governments response to the new coronavirus under control, pointing out high-ranking jobs he had held in the department during the 2003 SARS outbreak and other infectious threats. I know this playbook well, he told reporters. A Yale-trained lawyer who once served as the top attorney at the health department, Azar had spent a decade as a top executive at Eli Lilly, one of the worlds largest drug companies. But he caught Trumps attention in part because of other credentials: After law school, Azar was a clerk for some of the nations most conservative judges, including Justice Antonin Scalia of the Supreme Court. And for two years, he worked as Ken Starrs deputy on the Clinton Whitewater investigation. As Trumps second health secretary, confirmed at the beginning of 2018, Azar has been quick to compliment the president and focus on the issues he cares about: lowering drug prices and fighting opioid addiction. On Feb. 6 even as the WHO announced that there were more than 28,000 coronavirus cases around the globe Azar was in the second row in the White Houses East Room, demonstrating his loyalty to the president as Trump claimed vindication from his impeachment acquittal the day before and lashed out at evil lawmakers and the FBIs top scum. As public attention on the virus threat intensified in January and February, Azar grew increasingly frustrated about the harsh spotlight on his department and the leaders of agencies who reported to him, according to people familiar with the response to the virus inside the agencies. Described as a prickly boss by some administration officials, Azar has had a long-standing feud with Seema Verma, the Medicare and Medicaid chief, who recently became a regular presence at Trumps televised briefings on the pandemic. Azar did not include Hahn on the virus task force he led, though some of the FDA commissioners aides participated in HHS meetings on the subject. And tensions grew between the secretary and Redfield as the testing issue persisted. Azar and Redfield have been on the phone as often as a half-dozen times a day. But throughout February, as the CDC test faltered, Azar became convinced that Redfields agency was providing him with inaccurate information about testing that the secretary repeated publicly, according to several administration officials. In one instance, Azar appeared on Sunday morning news programs and said that more than 3,600 people had been tested for the virus. In fact, the real number was much smaller because many patients were tested multiple times, an error the CDC had to correct in congressional testimony that week. One health department official said Azar was repeatedly assured the CDCs test would be widely available within a week or 10 days, only to be given the same promise a week later. Asked about criticism of his agencys response to the pandemic, Redfield said: Im personally not focused on whether theyre pointing fingers here or there. Were focused on doing all we can to get through this outbreak as quickly as possible and keep America safe. For all Azars complaints, however, he continued to defer to scientists at the two agencies, according to several administration officials. Azars allies said he was told by Redfield and Fauci that the CDC had the resources it needed, that there was no reason to believe the virus was spreading through the country from person to person and that it was important to test only people who met certain criteria. But even in the face of a crescendo of complaints from doctors and health care researchers around the country, Azar failed to push those under him to do the one thing that could have helped: broader testing. In a statement, Caitlin Oakley, Azars spokeswoman, said that the secretary had empowered and followed the guidance of world-renowned U.S. scientists on the testing issue. Any insinuation that Secretary Azar did not respond with needed urgency to the response or testing efforts, she said, are just plain wrong and disproven by the facts. By Feb. 26, Fauci was concerned that the stalled testing had become an urgent issue that needed to be addressed. He called Brian Harrison, Azars chief of staff, and asked him to gather the group of officials overseeing screening efforts. Around noon on Feb. 27, Hahn, Redfield and top aides from the FDA and HHS dialed in to a conference call. Harrison began with an ultimatum: No one leaves until we resolve the lag in testing. We dont have answers and we need them, one senior administration official recalled him saying. Get it done. By the end of the day, the group agreed that the FDA should loosen regulations so that hospitals and independent labs could move forward quickly with their own tests. But the evening before, Azar had been effectively removed as the leader of the task force when Trump abruptly put Pence in charge, a decision so last-minute that even the top health officials in the White House learned of it while watching the announcement. A Tacit Acknowledgment Previous presidents have moved quickly to confront disease threats from inside the White House by installing a czar to manage the effort. During an outbreak of the Ebola virus in 2014, President Barack Obama tapped Ron Klain, his vice presidents former chief of staff, to direct the response from the West Wing. Obama later created an office of global health security inside the National Security Council to coordinate future crises. If you look historically in the United States when it is challenged with something like this whether its HIV crises, whether its pandemic, whether its whatever man, they pull out all the stops across the system and they make it work, said Aylward, the WHO epidemiologist. But faced with the coronavirus, Trump chose not to have the White House lead the planning until nearly two months after it began. Obamas global health office had been disbanded a year earlier. And until Pence took charge, the task force lacked a single White House official with the power to compel action. Since then, testing has ramped up quickly, with nearly 100 labs at hospitals and elsewhere performing it. On Friday, health care giant Abbott said it had received emergency approval for a portable a test that could detect the virus in five minutes. The president boasted Tuesday that the U.S. had created a new system that now we are doing unbelievably big numbers of tests for the virus. The U.S., he said, had done more testing for the coronavirus in the last eight days than South Korea had done in eight weeks. Yet hospitals and clinics across the country still must deny tests to those with milder symptoms, trying to save them for the most serious cases, and they often wait a week for results. In tacit acknowledgment of the shortage, Trump asked South Koreas president Monday to send as many test kits as possible from the 100,000 produced there daily, more than the country needs. Public health experts reacted positively to the increased capacity. But having the ability to diagnose the disease three months after it was first disclosed by China does little to address why the U.S. was unable to do so sooner, when it might have helped reduce the toll of the pandemic. Testing is the crack that split apart the rest of the response, when it should have tied everything together, said Dr. Nahid Bhadelia, medical director of the Special Pathogens Unit at Boston University School of Medicine. It seeps into every other aspect of our response, touches all of us, she said. The delay of the testing has impacted the response across the board. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Marcel Marceau was the most renowned mime on earth when he died in 2007, but long before that, during the war, he joined the French Resistance and helped some French Jewish children slip over the border to Switzerland. The movie about this, boringly called Resistance, combines clowning under Nazi rule with Alpine escape, so its Life Is Beautiful meets The Sound of Music. So call it Life Is Beautiful, Even If Theres a Mime Present. Or maybe The Sound of Mime. Resistance (which is offered via video-on-demand services) successfully channels the spirit of mime in that it is completely unbearable. The more light-hearted it tries to be, the more anvil-like it is, and the more sobering it tries to be, the funnier it is. It went awry at an early stage: When the middle-aged actor Jesse Eisenberg was hired to play 15-year-old Marceau. Eisenberg is a reliable screen performer, but the spectrum of roles for which he is suited is about as wide as a balance beam. Hes not capable of playing a character terribly different from himself, so hes fine playing an affectless New Yorker born in the Eighties, but he cant do anything to alter his voice or his general manner meaningfully. His French accent is questionable. As a mime, he looks like somebody imitating a mime. The story is almost completely made up, beginning in 1938 Strasbourg, where Marcel Mangel is growing up the son of a kosher butcher. (For reasons I could not fathom, the old man also has a sign in his window reading charcuterie, which means pork products.) Father is a bit of a philistine: Observing his boy painting, he says, I just never understood why theres anyone doing it, even when its great. Marcels reply is a classic: Why do you go to the bathroom? he says, anticipating the work of Jackson Pollock. Marceau and his girlfriend Emma (Clemence Poesy) look after the kids as storm clouds loom. Poesy (37) is even older than Eisenberg, so it is fairly bizarre to watch them both scamper around in Boy Scout and Girl Scout uniforms with short pants pretending to be teenagers (the Scouts helped organize aid for Jewish children). Neighbors fret over whats about to happen: One extremely popular leader is preparing the most powerful army in the history of Europe to conquer a neighboring country, says one fellow. Thanks, Basil Exposition, but I doubt residents of the border town of Strasbourg in 1938 need to be told this, or that they are one mile from Nazi Germany. Marcel lifts the kids spirits by goofing on Hitler with a small mustache and Nazi uniform, then gets the squealing children to join him by jumping into a pool of water fully clothed. Is the goal to die of pneumonia before the Nazis can kill them? Story continues After the invasion, everyone flees to Limoges, in the southwest of France, which is under Vichy rule, and Marceau (who has changed his name from Mangel so as not to be identifiably Jewish) becomes a forger. In the critical moment, this is how he announces he must cast away clownish things and join the French Resistance: I dont want to keep, like, running without doing something about it. Like, that doesnt sound very 1940s. Or very French. What little is known about Marceaus Resistance activity isnt all that exciting, so writer-director Jonathan Jakubowicz pumps it up with touches youd expect to see in one of those Nicolas Cage movies that, per contractual arrangement, can only be shown on airplanes to passengers who have ordered two or more drinks. Heres Marcel rescuing a truckload of friends who have been rounded up to be sent to a death camp: He gets a mouthful of gasoline, sprays it through an open flame and roasts an unsuspecting German soldier guarding the truck. Since theres another German soldier standing four feet away, Marceau would have been shot many times for this if he had tried it, so Jakubowicz covers his unlikely escape with lots of sloppy, frantic editing. Minutes later, in another obviously made-up scene, Marceau catches his girlfriend as shes about to throw herself under a train. Even the captions are for idiots. Jakubowicz opens a scene with the title, Berlin, Nazi Germany. Not regular Germany? This sets up an interlude in which Klaus Barbie (Matthias Schweighoefer), a local German officer and aspiring war criminal later to be known as the Butcher of Lyon, wanders into a gay Third Reich drinking party and laments how bad morals have started to afflict Nazism. His rant against Cripples, retards, Communists, socialists, trade-union members and other vermin! serves no dramatic purpose whatsoever but is good for a laugh. Later, when his wife tries to get him to ease up on being quite so Nazi-ish, he whines, I didnt get here by being nice to our enemies. World War II is a bit too large for Jakubowicz; perhaps his next job should be a little more modest, like developing dialogue for reality television. More from National Review Jeremy Hunt today demanded the government speeds up progress on mass testing - saying it is the fastest way to end the coronavirus lockdown. The former health secretary - now chair of the influential Commons health committee - pointed to the regime in place in South Korea, where 'restaurants are open'. The call came as Tony Blair warned Britain might have to carry out 180million coronavirus checks to defeat the deadly disease. The ex-PM said testing will need to carry on for a long time, as even if the outbreak subsides there will be a threat of 'resurgence'. He said 'virtually everyone' will need to be tested for whether they have coronavirus. And Mr Blair warned that might need to happen two or three times to combat any return of the outbreak. That could potentially mean in the region of 180million individual tests. Cabinet minister Michael Gove confirmed this morning that the number of UK tests per day has reached 10,000. At that rate it could take more than 50 years to check the whole 66million-strong population three times - although Mr Gove stressed that the numbers are being urgently increased. He declined to give a timescale for when all frontline NHS staff will get access to checks, after small-scale trials were launched. And there is still no clear idea when the UK will be conducting the 25,000 tests a day promised by Boris Johnson. Former health secretary Jeremy Hunt - now chair of the influential Commons health committee - pointed to the regime in place in South Korea, where 'restaurants are open' The comments came as Tony Blair warned that nearly everyone in the UK will need to be tests - perhaps two or three times each Mr Gove said Boris Johnson (pictured taking a meeting by video conference yesterday) could still lead the government response despite being infected Mass testing fastest way to end lockdown, says Jeremy Hunt Mass testing is the fastest way to end the coronavirus lockdown, according to former health secretary Jeremy Hunt. The success countries such as South Korea and Germany have had in using mass testing to curb the spread of the virus should serve as an example, Mr Hunt wrote in The Sunday Telegraph. 'The restaurants are open in South Korea,' he wrote. 'You can go shopping in Taiwan. Offices are open in Singapore. 'These countries learned the hard way how to deal with a pandemic after the deadly Sars virus. They now show us how we can emerge from lockdown.' Just weeks after it was the second hardest-hit country in Asia, widespread testing has seen South Korea dramatically slow its infection rate, recording just 105 new cases on Sunday. Meanwhile, Germany has carried out four times as many tests as the UK and recorded only 342 deaths from the virus. Mr Hunt says this is because mass testing gives authorities greater clarity when it comes to identifying and containing potential outbreaks. 'Where you find it, you can isolate and contain it,' he writes. 'And where you don't, vital services continue to function. 'With mass testing, accompanied by rigorous tracing of every person a Covid-19 patient has been in touch with, you can break the chain of transmission.' Advertisement The World Health Organisation (WHO) and other experts have been warning that mass checks are crucial for keeping the spread of the killer disease under control. Countries like South Korea and China have been praised for their wide-scale testing regimes, which seem to have helped limit cases. However, the UK shelved efforts to test everyone with symptoms on March 12, when the response moved into a 'delay' phase. Instead people who thought they had the illness were urged to self-isolate unless their conditions became so severe they needed medical help. Amid criticism, Mr Johnson then declared just under a fortnight ago that there would be a big expansion of tests from under 5,000 a day to 25,000. Speaking on Sky News' Sophy Ridge programme, Mr Gove said he could confirm the number of tests per day had now hit 10,000.. 'We're going to move to get that up to 25,000 a day and we're doing all that we can to increase and to accelerate that, and I hope that we will be able to test as many frontline workers at the earliest possible stage,' he said. 'We've been working, as I say, with scientists, with the big players in providing medical supplies and drugs, like Boots, and others, in order to increase the number of tests that we have.' Mr Hunt said the success countries such as South Korea and Germany have had in using mass testing to curb the spread of the virus should serve as an example, 'The restaurants are open in South Korea,' he wrote in The Sunday Telegraph. 'You can go shopping in Taiwan. Offices are open in Singapore. 'These countries learned the hard way how to deal with a pandemic after the deadly Sars virus. They now show us how we can emerge from lockdown.' Mr Blair warned that a 'very large' proportion of the entire population will need to be tested for coronavirus - potentially two or three times. He said: 'Your risk, obviously, is as you start to ease the lockdown, how do you then deal with any resurgence of the disease? This, of course, is what they're now dealing with in China and South Korea, and elsewhere. 'Unless you have that testing capability that you can apply at scale, and by the way when I say mass testing I mean I actually think you will need to get to the point where you've got the capability, and I assume we're preparing for this now, of testing literally a very large proportion of the entire population. Britain is finally carrying out 10,000 tests per day to diagnose coronavirus, Michael Gove confirmed today Labour MP and doctor says 'not fair' PM gets coronavirus test while NHS staff miss out A Labour MP and doctor has complained that Boris Johnson had a coronavirus test when NHS staff are not getting access. The PM and health secretary Matt Hancock both received a positive diagnosis of the disease last week after developing symptoms. Rosena Allin-Khan, who has been working in a hospital during the crisis, said she was 'really disappointed' health workers were not currently being routinely tested for the disease. 'These are the people who are at the front line, these are people who need to know whether or not they have the virus or not,' she told Sky News. 'So, if they feel better, if they're feeling poorly, they can return to work and keep working.' Dr Allin-Khan said testing this group was important to 'keep their families and communities safe' - adding she would like to see mass testing rolled out as soon as possible. 'It is absolutely urgent that NHS and care staff are tested and they have access to testing immediately,' she said. 'I'm not sure it's entirely fair that senior politicians are having access to testing when frontline NHS staff, who are going in to work night shifts, day shifts, double shifts at the moment, can't get the tests that they need.' Advertisement 'You may have to do those tests two or three different times because you need all the time to be able to track what's happening with the disease, to learn where, for example, there may be a surge or a hotspot of it, and take immediate action.' Labour MP Rosena Allin-Khan, a doctor who has been working in a hospital during the crisis, said she was 'really disappointed' that NHS staff were not currently being tested for the disease. 'These are the people who are at the front line, these are people who need to know whether or not they have the virus or not,' she told Sky News. 'So, if they feel better, if they're feeling poorly, they can return to work and keep working.' Dr Allin-Khan said testing this group was important to 'keep their families and communities safe' - adding she would like to see mass testing rolled out as soon as possible. 'It is absolutely urgent that NHS and care staff are tested and they have access to testing immediately,' she said. 'I'm not sure it's entirely fair that senior politicians are having access to testing when frontline NHS staff, who are going in to work night shifts, day shifts, double shifts at the moment, can't get the tests that they need.' Asked about warnings the government could be forced to escalate 'social distancing' measures, Mr Gove said: 'It's always the case that Government stands ready, if necessary, to do what it takes in order to reduce the spread of infection. 'At the moment, all the evidence is that people are observing the rules, if you look at the number of people on public transport that has fallen, if you look at footfall in supermarkets and other stores that has fallen as well.' Mr Gove added: 'We keep things under review in order to ensure that if there are further steps they can be implemented.' The minister said the Government is 'very concerned' by the increase in the number of deaths from coronavirus. Asked about a steepening in the curve of deaths, the Cabinet Office minister said it was important to maintain the social distancing rules set put by the Government. He said: 'Well naturally, we're very concerned and our thoughts and prayers are with the families of all those who've lost loved ones in the last few days. 'And today's figures remind us how important it is to maintain the social distancing rules that the Government have announced. 'It's absolutely critical that all of us stay at home, that we limit our trips away from home to just one a day for exercise, we limit the amount that we shop. If we do that, we can all play our part in helping the NHS.' Mr Gove said Mr Johnson was 'very firmly in charge' of the Government following his positive diagnosis. He said the Prime Minister had chaired a meeting on Friday from his study using 'modern technology'. 'He is very firmly in charge and later this afternoon the Prime Minister will also be hosting another meeting by video conference with the relevant ministers and officials,' he said. Pressed on who would take over should Mr Johnson's condition deteriorate, Mr Gove said: 'The designated deputy to the Prime Minister is the first Secretary of State, Dominic Raab.' SpiceJet and IndiGo aircraft took 275 Indians, who were recently evacuated from coronavirus-hit Iran, from Delhi to Jodhpur for quarantine on Sunday, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said. India is currently under a 21-day lockdown till April 14 to curb the spread of the coronavirus and consequently, all international and domestic commercial passenger flights have been suspended for this period. "Operation Namaste! Efforts to safeguard Indian citizens against Covid19 continue," Puri wrote on Twitter. "The 275 Indians who were evacuated from Iran have been screened & shifted by IndiGo and SpiceJet aircraft to Army Wellness Centre at Jodhpur for quarantine," he added. According to the Union Health Ministry, 979 people have tested positive for the virus in India so far and 25 deaths due to COVID-19 have been reported. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) This photo provided by the North Korean government shows military exercise at an undisclosed location in North Korea on Saturday, March 21, 2020. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP) North Korea fired what appeared to be two short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Sunday, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, the latest in a series of projectile launches even as the country is on high alert against the coronavirus. Both were fired northeastward from the eastern coastal city of Wonsan at 6:10 a.m. and flew around 230 kilometers at a maximum altitude of around 30 km, the JCS said, adding that South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities are analyzing other specifics. "In a situation where the entire world is experiencing difficulties due to COVID-19, this kind of military act by North Korea is very inappropriate and we call for an immediate halt," JCS said. The military is closely monitoring the situation while maintaining a readiness posture, it added. North Korea has carried out a series of weapons tests and artillery firing exercises this year. Except for small artillery firing drills, Sunday's launch is believed to be the North's fourth major weapons test this year. The last such test came on March 21, when the North fired two short-range ballistic missiles believed to be its version of the U.S.' Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) from its western county of Sonchon in North Pyongan Province. It is not immediately known if leader Kim Jong-un oversaw Sunday's firing, though the North's Korea Central News Agency (KCNA) had reported that the three previous tests this month took place under his watch. Sunday's firing seems to involve a super-large multiple rocket launcher, sources and experts said. If confirmed, it would mark the seventh test of the ground-based, solid-fuel weapon by the communist country so far, and the third launch this year. During the March 2 test, the North launched two missiles presumably from the multiple rocket launcher from the Wonsan area toward the East Sea. They flew around 240 kilometers on an apogee of 35 kilometers. Three projectiles of the similar type fired from its eastern town of Sondok on March 9 flew around 200 kilometers and as high as around 50 km, according to JCS. A series of the tests were believed to have been aimed at enhancing its capabilities by shortening the firing interval of projectiles so as to make them hard to detect and intercept. Their gap, in fact, was greatly shortened over the course of the tests. Some experts have said the North may have already put the launcher system into operational deployment, which is feared to serve as one of the most effective weapons aiming at its immediate neighbor, South Korea. Experts and officials say the North's recent military moves appear to be primarily aimed at strengthening his grip on power amid fears of the spread of the COVID-19 virus and economic difficulties caused by the prolonged international sanctions regime. The North has intensified efforts to contain the novel coronavirus, though the North has said it has not seen any confirmed case yet, a claim doubted by many. Last week, North Korea revealed that U.S. President Donald Trump had sent a letter to Kim, offering assistance in the fight against the coronavirus. But Pyongyang has not responded to the U.S. offer, according to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The North has also not reacted to the similar offer of inter-Korean cooperation on health issues made by South Korean President Moon Jae-in earlier this month, though Kim later sent a letter to Moon to console South Koreans fighting the virus and wish for their good health. Nuclear talks with the U.S. have been stalled since the breakdown of the Hanoi summit between Kim and Trump in February last year. Since then, the regime has called for boosting self-defense capabilities. In his New Year's Day message, leader Kim warned he will show off a "new strategic weapon" in the near future, which experts said may mean an advanced type of its intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) or an SLBM. (Yonhap) (@FahadShabbir) The Guinean opposition on Saturday rejected the result of a constitutional referendum , which they fear will be used by President Alpha Conde to extend his grip on power Conakry, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Mar, 2020 ) :The Guinean opposition on Saturday rejected the result of a constitutional referendum , which they fear will be used by President Alpha Conde to extend his grip on power. The proposal to change the constitution was hugely controversial in the West African state, spurring mass demonstrations in which at last 32 people have been killed, according to an AFP tally. Independent National Electoral Commission president, Amadou Salifou Kebe, told reporters on Friday that 91.59 percent of ballots were in favour of adopting the new constitution, while 8.41 percent were against, following the March 22 plebiscite. The FNDC, an umbrella opposition group, had called for a boycott of the referendum and rejected the result outright. "These results mean nothing to the National Front for the Defence of the Constitution (FNDC) or the Guinean people," said opposition official Ibrahima Diallo. "Let's avoid Soviet-style tallies from another time," another opposition leader, former prime minister Sidya Toure tweeted. The day of the vote was marred by violence, with scores of polling stations ransacked across the country and, according to the country's political opposition, dozens were killed. After the referendum results were announced on Saturday, protesters in Labe, the main city in the north of the country, went out on the streets, torched cars ad set up barricades, witnesses told AFP. - Call for UN enquiry - The result may open the way for Conde, 82, to pursue another term in office when his second one runs out this year by bypassing term limits. A former opposition figure jailed under previous hardline regimes, Conde made history in 2010 as the first democratically-elected president in a country with a chronic history of military coups and turmoil. Voters returned him to office in 2015 for his second and final five-year term under the current constitution, but critics say he has become increasingly authoritarian. The government argues that the constitution needs to be updated to usher in badly-needed social changes, especially for women. Reforms would include banning female genital mutilation and under-age marriage and giving spouses equal rights in a divorce. The charter would limit presidential terms to two but extend the length of the term to six years. However, critics fear that a new constitution would in effect reset the presidential term counter to zero, potentially enabling Conde to govern for another 12 years. Conde himself has not denied that he might use the proposed changes to seek another term. The US, EU and former colonial power France have all criticised the manner in which the referendum was held, as well as the simultaneous legislative elections. The FNDC said that given the number of deaths involved -- they gave a provisional toll of 66 people in the southern town of N'Zee kore which was particularly badly hit -- that an international enquiry commission should be set up under the auspices of the United Nations. Viral Video: People forced to quarantine in metal boxes as China enforces zero Covid policy India Covid cases up by massive 2,47,417 infections, positivity rate at 13 per cent COVID-19: Medicines should be given rationally says Centre Lata Mangeshkar health update: Veteran singer still in ICU, but there has been a slight improvement Case against Congress corporator for asking nurse to vacate house India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Bilaspur, Mar 29: A case was registered on Saturday against a Congress corporator in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur town for allegedly asking his tenant, a nurse, to vacate the house fearing that she could become a carrier of coronavirus. Sitaram Jaiswal, the corporator, denied the allegation, claiming that he was being framed up. An FIR was registered against him at Civil Lines police station based on a complaint of the doctor at whose hospital the nurse works, said a police official. The politics of migration amidst the coronavirus outbreak The complainant alleged that Jaiswal asked the woman to vacate the house on Friday, saying that being a healthcare worker, she was more susceptible get the virus infection. The nurse then vacated the house and left for her village which is near Bilaspur city, he said. The FIR was registered under IPC sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and also the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, the official said, adding that no arrest has been made as further probe is on. Denying the charges, Jaiswal said the woman vacated the house on her own as she wanted to quit her job. #Stayathome and send us your selfie "I did not force her to vacate the house. I am being implicated on false charges," he said. Chhattisgarh has recorded seven cases of COVID-19, including one from Bilaspur, as of Saturday. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, March 29, 2020, 10:02 [IST] Three Indian nationals were among the 42 new coronavirus cases reported in Singapore on Sunday, taking the total number of infections in the country to 844, according to the Ministry of Health. Of the new cases, 24 are imported and have a travel history to Europe, North America, Middle East, ASEAN and other parts of Asia, the ministry said in a press release. The fresh cases take the total number of people infected with the deadly disease in the city-state to 844, it said. The three Indians include a 35-year-old female with a long-term pass, a 34-year-old male holding Singapore work pass and both of them have a travel history to India. A 34-year-old Indian holding Singapore work pass was infected locally. Another 43-year old male Singapore permanent resident, nationality not listed, is an imported case with travel history to India. Also, among the latest cases is a 42-year-old Singapore permanent resident who is a nurse at Sengkang General Hospital and has no travel history to the affected countries. She reported the onset of symptoms on Mar 24, and subsequent test results confirmed COVID-19 infection on March 27 afternoon. She is currently in an isolation room at the hospital, according to a Channel Asia report. Contact tracing is under way for a total of 71 locally transmitted cases to establish any links to previous cases or travel history to affected countries or regions, the ministry said. Of the 423 confirmed COVID-19 cases who are in hospitals, 19 are in critical condition. The others are stable or improving, it said. Fourteen patients have been discharged from hospitals or community isolation facilities, the ministry said in its Sunday update. In total, 212 people in Singapore have fully recovered from the deadly disease. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 15:57:01|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, March 29 (Xinhua) -- The Agricultural Bank of China (ABC), one of China's biggest commercial lenders, had provided more than 1 trillion yuan (about 140.8 billion U.S. dollars) of inclusive loans for small businesses by the end of February, sources with the bank said. Over 1 million small and micro firms had enjoyed financial support from the bank as of February. The ABC has expanded the coverage of its inclusive loan service in its branches across the country and launched specific financial products to support the work and production resumption of small businesses. The bank has seen an increase of more than 100,000 clients of small businesses for its inclusive loans so far this year, with over 180 billion yuan in loans issued. A former cam girl revealed how parents can be to blame for their children going into sex work. Bella French, 38, from Montreal, Canada, spent years performing sex acts on camera and earned her up to $40,000-a-week at its peak. Speaking about her experience to FEMAIL, Bella, who has now launched her own adult content platform, explained sex workers enter the industry for a variety of reasons, including some who feel trapped by their parents' expectations. Bella French, 38, from Montreal, Canada, spent years performing sex acts on camera and earned her up to $40,000-a-week at its peak. Pictured, Bella today She said: 'We've met models that starting at the age of 16 and were dreaming of becoming cam girls and it's something that is more and more out there, because of social media. 'There are young people who see they're good at connecting with people through social media, being a little sexy to get a like and when they realise, "You know what, I could make a living". 'There's a lot of younger generations of girls and boys that are going to start doing web camming and I've met women who are single mothers, they lost their jobs and being a cam girl has really helped them. 'You have some people who do it to pay their bills, some people do it because they're passionate some people feel forced by their families.' She explained that some families actually push their children towards sex work, by putting so much pressure on them to embark on other careers. Bella explained: 'There's parents out there who tell their family, "you have to be a doctor" or "you have to be a lawyer". Then they do that, because they feel they have no choice. I just want people to know the adult space is like every other industry.' Bella explained sex workers enter the industry for a variety of reasons, including some who feel trapped by their parents' expectations. Pictured, during her days as a cam girl Bella, who used to earn as much as $10,000 in a 20-hour work week, told how her cam girl experience started when she found herself in financial difficulty. She had studied fashion marketing and was running two clothing stores in Montreal when floods ruined her shops and she found herself $200,000 in debt. Bella originally studied fashion marketing, and had two clothing stores in Montreal before her adult career, however turned to making online videos out of 'desperation' when flooding left her stores destroyed and her $200,000 in debt. You have to understand that in an industry where you compete against other women and men, actually what you're trying to show is a perfect image as a model. It was part of my job to get plastic surgery 'Out of pure desperation I started camming,' Bella admitted. However within the first year she had gone from feeling 'shy' to 'empowered' in front of the camera. Despite her confidence, Bella had a string of plastic surgery procedures due to the pressure she felt competing with other adult performers. 'I had pretty much anything you can have,' she continued. 'I had four breast implant surgeries, I had a nose job, I had Botox and fillers. I had fat transfer to have a bigger butt. 'You have to understand that in an industry where you compete against other women and men, actually what you're trying to show is a perfect image as a model. It was part of my job to get plastic surgery. 'Not all the models do it, I was really caught up in having a really specific look. Most people in the media or Hollywood stars all get things done.' The adult star underwent four breast implant surgeries a nose job, Botox, lip filler and a fat transfer to increase the size of her bum She added: 'I was putting that pressure on myself and although I was caught up in this community, where my fans were telling me, "if you have bigger boobs you'll be sexier", it was my decision.' Bella told how her own parents struggled with her decision to become a sex worker. 'They were very unhappy with it, I didn't tell my family members, my mum discovered it,' she explained. 'I told my brothers and father recently. My mum was initially extremely concerned she thought it was her fault, she struggled. 'Now it's much better because she knows we're trying to help sex workers [with the platform], empower them, she sees a positive within this industry and the work we do. 'My father was the most surprising. He has a PhD, is an extremely smart person, but never ever, ever did he think I would be doing adult work. After three years of being a cam girl, Bella focused her time into starting a business, feeling as though she has always been an 'entrepreneur at heart'. Pictured, Bella recently 'He told me, "I love you no matter what", and he said, "I hope you're not exploiting women" [with the platform] and I said we're doing the opposite, we're trying to empower them.' Bella's business venture, ManyVids, aims to empower the cam girls by giving them greater protection and agency over the content they are producing. She explained: 'We have a lot of ways to protect other women. We want to make them feel it's okay to be a sex worker, you shouldn't feel oppressed. 'We have big customer protection, we take away negative comments, we let our content creators make their views known, we make sure everyone on the platform is of age - they need a government ID - and, if they [the performer] decide to leave the industry we remove all the content on the platform.' A day after thousands of migrant workers thronged Anand Vihar bus terminus on the Delhi-UP border to go back to their villages, hundreds attempted to leave again on Sunday but were blocked by police barricades some distance from the bus station. "I came here in the morning and have been waiting for police to let us go ahead, but it seems like they would not allow us," said Joginder Singh, 40, a fruit merchant who came to Anand Vihar terminus with his family in the morning to catch a bus for his hometown Moradabad. "They are beating people who try to move further. I am here with my wife and 11-year-old son and we can't afford to be beaten up by police. Now we have only one option -- go back to our home in Shahdara's Vishwas Nagar area," Singh said. Many people were seen trying to walk on the railway track at Anand Vihar to go their home towns in Uttar Pradesh. Since the nationwide lockdown was announced on March 24 to deal with the coronavirus epidemic, all business and economic activity has come to a virtual standstill, leaving migrant workers with no work. Most of them are daily wage earners who live a hand to mouth existence in big cities, and cannot afford to pay rent or buy food unless they earn. "If police open the borders, we can walk all the way to Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh some 100 kilometers away. Due to this lockdown, my work got affected. From past one week, I have nothing to do. I sell fruits, for which I have to go to Ghazipur mandi and police are not allowing us to go there. "I live in a rented accommodation and it will become very difficult for us to give rent and bear us daily expenses. We can somehow manage these things in Moradabad," Singh said. On Saturday, thousands of daily wagers and labourers from Delhi, Haryana and even Punjab reached Anand Vihar, Ghazipur and Ghaziabad's Lal Kuan areas after arduous treks on foot in a bid to ride buses to their respective native places. According to police, around 10,000 to 15,000 people had assembled at Anand Vihar on Saturday. Around 60 to 70 buses ferried as many passengers as they could. Till midnight, around 500 more buses were supposed to reach Delhi and evacuate the migrant workers. However, there is no clarity on how many were actually sent on the buses and how many were dispersed by police. By Sunday morning, the area had been cleared and Delhi police said no transit is being allowed from Anand Vihar bus terminus. Instead barricades were placed on all entry points into the terminus at a distance of about 500 meters. Mohammad Anwar (30), who works in a boutique, said he came to Delhi two weeks ago from Sitamarhi in Bihar and had no idea that the situation will turn like this. "I am alone here in the national capital. My parents live in Sitamarhi. Police are not allowing us to catch a bus. My health is not well and I can't walk to Sitamarhi. I have no other option and will go back to my room in east Delhi's Gandhi Nagar area," Anwar said. The distance between Delhi to Sitamarhi is 950 kilometers, which would take around four days to cover on foot. The death toll from COVID-19 climbed to 25 and the total number of cases to 979 on Sunday. "The situation for the daily labourers like us is becoming worse day by day as we have lost our source of income. We do not have money for rent and food. During the coronavirus, the government is asking people to maintain social distancing. The situation in shelter homes is even more pathetic and we do not want to go there," said Mohammad Imran, 25, a native of Azamgarh in U.P. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Crashing crude oil prices have given rise to calls for action by both federal and state agencies to support prices. Some of my colleagues have called for a return to the oil import quotas of the Eisenhower days, energy economist Ed Hirs said in a phone interview. Hirs, a lecturer and energy fellow at the University of Houston, said President Richard Nixon lifted President Eisenhowers quotas in 1973 because he wanted access to the cheap oil coming from Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. The industry has struggled to maintain its autonomy and integrity since, he said. He also opposes Railroad Commissioner Ryan Sittons call for the agency to implement production limitations on the states producers. First, culling Texas production would have zero impact on the markets, he said. It wont protect employment in the Permian Basin. Sittons proposal has drawn the support of Pioneer Natural Resources and Parsley Energy. If theyre so foursquare behind the proposal, why dont they shut in their own production? Hirs said. Do it themselves and face the same level of frustration Saudi Arabia and OPEC countries face. Moves such as reducing Texas output or placing quotas on imported oil wont prompt refineries to buy oil theyre not already buying, he said. Thats why he opposed lifting the ban on exporting domestic crude. He said that keeping the ban in place would have been leverage to encourage refineries to reconfigure their facilities to process the lighter crudes coming out of the nations shale plays rather than continuing to rely on the heavier crudes coming from the Middle East and Latin America. Producers dont have a domestic market. (Thats why) weve exported 3 million barrels a day over the last six months, he said. No refiner is going to buy light crude if they cant process it. Theyll buy the crude they can run in their refineries. But the producers were so nearsighted, so deep in the leaves, they cant see the trees or the forest. Oil supply woes go beyond the demand destruction caused by the virus or the market share battle between Saudi Arabia and Russia that threatens to bring millions more barrels of oil to the market, Hirs said. He said data indicates neither Saudi Arabia nor Russia have produced more crude than they have in the last couple of months. It doesnt matter what the Saudis and Russians say, demand has dried up. They have lower costs than shale producers, they can make greater profits than shale producers. You dont want to be a high-cost producer in the commodity market. The US-China trade war has reduced shipping traffic. And, he said, January recording the warmest temperatures on record led to an 800,000-barrel-per-day decline in consumption. If, 18 to 24 months from now, Saudi Arabia and Russia are still waging a price war and oil prices are still low say $35 a barrel, it will be devastating to U.S. shale players, Hirs said. Because Saudi Arabia has extensive investments in U.S. oil and gas operations, including private equity funds, they know how many chips Permian Basin producers have and what cards theyre holding, he said. What will help, he said, is doing anything we can to promote a quick resolution of the COVID-19 pandemic. Everyone has lost income. Everyone has to help their neighbor. This isnt a Midland-Odessa emergency. Its not a Texas emergency, its not a U.S. emergency, its a global emergency. Its a global recession COVID-19 has brought on, and we all need to take a vacation to stop its spread. Three crew members from the Ruby Princess cruise ship, which has been linked to more than 100 coronavirus cases, have been taken to hospital. NSW Police were called to the ship moored off Botany Bay about 6.30pm on Sunday following reports three people needed medical care on board. Three Ruby Princess cruise ship crew members were taken to hospital on Sunday night. Credit:Kate Geraghty One patient was in a critical condition, while the other two were in serious conditions. They were taken to the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. "Anyone who has to come off, comes off at my approval," NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said on Monday morning. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing a renewed pressure from his Cabinet Ministers to block the deal with the Chinese technology giant Huawei to build vast swathes of Britain's 5G network since Beijing falsely blamed the United States army delegation for bringing the coronavirus crisis to Wuhan, the epicentre of the virus outbreak, The Daily Mail has reported. Following months of public debate, the British government in January this year had allowed Huawei to help build the country's next generation of super-fast wireless networks, a decision that undermined the country's trade and intelligence ties with the United States. The US administration, by then, had raised potential threats regarding the national security posed by Huawei components and the threat of Chinese cyber attacks. As per earlier reports of the CNN, Johnson, after announcing the decision, had also come under intense pressure, including from within his party, to agree to the US demand on Huawei. The Daily Mail has also stated that there's fury among the British lawmakers about the Chinese Communist Party's misinformation blitz around the virus, restrictions on vast amounts of protective medical equipment being exported, and animal rights abuses blamed by experts for the outbreak. "There is a disgusting disinformation campaign going on and it is unacceptable. They [the Chinese government] know they have got this badly wrong and rather than owning it they are spreading lies," a British government source told The Daily Mail on the condition of anonymity. Furthermore, Johnson has been warned by scientific advisers that China's officially declared statistics on the number of cases of coronavirus could be "downplayed by a factor of 15 to 40 times." It is also believed that China is seeking to build its economic power during the pandemic with "predatory offers of help" to countries around the A major review of British foreign policy has been shelved due to the COVID-19 outbreak and will not report until the impact of the virus can be assessed. "It is going to be back to the diplomatic drawing board after this. Rethink is an understatement," the source added. Another source said, "There has to be a reckoning when this is over." "The anger goes right to the top," a third added. In view of the above developments, critics of the British Prime Minister are continuously mobilising to press him to reverse his decision over Huawei's 5G services. A senior Cabinet Minister said: "We can't stand by and allow the Chinese state's desire for secrecy to ruin the world's economy and then come back like nothing has happened. We're allowing companies like Huawei not just into our economy, but to be a crucial part of our infrastructure." "This needs to be reviewed urgently, as does any strategically important infrastructure that relies on Chinese supply chains," he added. Now, the problem with Johnson is that he is resisting changing the tack as he had vowed in last year's manifesto to roll out superfast broadband for the whole country - and that will be hard to achieve on time without Huawei. Separately, there is growing pressure for Britain to lead the way in urging China to reform its record on animal rights. A senior Minister said: "We have always known their wildlife markets are a recipe for a pandemic. China needs to close these down immediately. If they don't, they will rightly become a pariah state." According to data compiled by the US-based John Hopkins University, the total tally of the coronavirus pandemic has soared past 500,000, with 24,000 succumbing to the contagious infected. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BEIJING, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Here are the latest developments on the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in China: -- Chinese health authority said Sunday it received reports of 45 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland on Saturday, 44 of which were imported and one domestic case in Henan Province. Five deaths and 28 new suspected cases were reported on the mainland, with all the deaths in Hubei Province. --The overall confirmed cases on the mainland had reached 81,439 by the end of Saturday, including 75,448 patients who had been discharged after recovery, and 3,300 people who died of the disease. -- Wuhan continued to report no new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Saturday. The health commission of Hubei, of which Wuhan is the capital, said Saturday the province also registered zero increase in new COVID-19 cases on Saturday. -- Domestic passenger flights resumed operations Sunday in Hubei except for Wuhan, with cargo flights restoring operations in all airports across the province, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China. -- Wuhan on Saturday reopened its subway and railway station following more than two months of suspension due to the epidemic. -- A China-Europe freight train carrying medical supplies, among others, left Wujiashan railway container center station in Wuhan at 10 a.m. on Saturday, heading for Germany, which marked the service resumption of China-Europe freight trains in the city. -- Hubei had removed all 1,450 highway checkpoints, except 51 others in Wuhan, to lift outbound traffic curbs as of Friday. The Chief Medical Director, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Prof. Jesse Otegbayo, has said that he tested positive for coronav... The Chief Medical Director, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Prof. Jesse Otegbayo, has said that he tested positive for coronavirus. The CMD made this known in a statement personally signed by him on Sunday morning. The statement read, Unfortunately, my result returned positive on Saturday afternoon and I remain in isolation as I am not symptomatic. All staff who have been in contact with me and other participants during this period have been advised to immediately proceed on self-isolation pending the time they get tested. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has strongly advised Australians to only leave their homes for four reasons amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis. Speaking to reporters on Sunday evening, Mr Morrison said we were in uncharted territory as the country is gripped by the pandemic. As he announced a new two-person limit on all gatherings, he said Australians must avoid leaving the house except for four reasons and abide by strict social distancing rules. Scott Morrison said people should only leave home for four reasons only. Source: AAP Shopping for essentials Mr Morrison said Australians could leave home to buy the essentials, but still must follow the 1.5-metre distancing rules. Across Australia, stores have stood down staff and shut their doors indefinitely as a result of the coronavirus. Cotton On announced on Saturday they would be closing stores on Sunday. Country Road, Mimco, Witchery, Trenery and Politix which all fall under David Jones umbrella will close, standing down about 5000 staff, according to The Australian. Smiggle, Just Jeans and Peter Alexander will also shut their doors. Myer announced on Friday stores across the country would shut for at least four weeks. While retail stores are permitted to remain open for the time being, stores must abide by the social-distancing measures put in place by the federal government. When he was questioned over why the government was insisting on keeping shopping centres open, he said it was so Australians could get essential items. What we have said today is that you should only be going out to shop for things that you actually need and you should be doing it on an irregular basis, he said. I will give you an example. Our kids are at home now, as are most kids, and [my wife Jenny] went out yesterday and bought them a whole bunch of jigsaw puzzles. I can assure you over the next few months we will consider those jigsaw puzzles absolutely essential. Medical care or compassionate needs The prime minister said those in need of medical attention were able to leave the house and visit a doctor if absolutely necessary. Story continues However those over 70 years old are urged to self-isolate when practical. Also, we are going further this evening, on the basis of the advice... that people aged 70 and over should stay at home and self-isolate for their own protection to the maximum extent practical, Mr Morrison said. Public gatherings are limited to just two people. Source: AAP This does not mean they cannot go outside. They can go outside and be accompanied by a support person for the purposes of getting fresh air and recreation, but should limit contact with others as much as possible. Mr Morrison said these arrangements also applied to those with a chronic illness over 60 and indigenous persons over the age of 50. Exercise People are still allowed to leave their homes to exercise as long as they abide by the strict two-person limit on public gatherings. Outside gyms and skate parks will be closed from tomorrow and boot camps will be reduced to two which doesn't really make it a boot camp that makes it a private session with your trainer for those who are accessing those services, he said. People can only exercise in groups of two. Source: AAP Work or education Mr Morrison urged people to stay home unless they were not able to work or learn remotely. This means people who are able to work from home should and parents who are able to pull their kids out of schools are encouraged to do so. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 11:07:59|Editor: Wang Yamei Video Player Close NEW YORK, March 28 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday he has dropped the idea of quarantining the New York state, the hardest-hit region by the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, despite a rapid increase in confirmed cases. "On the recommendation of the White House Coronavirus Task Force and upon consultation with the Governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, I have asked the @CDCgov to issue a strong Travel Advisory, to be administered by the Governors, in consultation with the Federal Government," Trump said on Twitter on Saturday night. "A quarantine will not be necessary," he said. Earlier in the day, Trump said he is considering a short-term quarantine for the state of New York as the situation of the coronavirus outbreak continued to get worse there. The president told reporters outside the White House that in addition to New York, "enforceable quarantine" might also be imposed on New Jersey and parts of Connecticut to curb the spread of the virus, adding he will make a decision later in the day. The confirmed cases in the United States have reached to over 122,000 as of Saturday night, up from about 101,600 of the previous day, with reports of more than 2,000 deaths, according to the tally from Johns Hopkins University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering. New York state has become the hardest-hit region in the country with more than 53,000 cases as of Saturday afternoon. New Jersey and California have registered 11,124 and 5,551 respectively. In response to Trump's suggestion of quarantine, Cuomo said at a news briefing on Saturday afternoon that he did not discuss the quarantine with the president. "I haven't had those conversations," said Cuomo. "I don't even know what that means." "I don't know how that could be legally enforceable, and from a medical point of view, I don't know what you would be accomplishing," he added. "Not even understanding what it is, I don't like the sound of it. Meanwhile, the governor said the state's presidential primary election would be rescheduled for June 23 from April 28, aligning it with the congressional and legislative primaries in New York. "We are continuing to advance emergency measures that reduce density as much as possible, and to that end we are going to delay the presidential primary election until June because it's not wise to be bringing large numbers of people to one place to vote," he said. Three new sites will be serving as places for emergency beds, said Cuomo, including South Beach Psychiatric Center in Staten Island, Westchester Square in the Bronx and Health Alliance in Ulster County, which will add 695 more hospital beds. The governor also announced that the first 1,000-bed temporary hospital at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center is expected to open on Monday. Both the new sites and the makeshift hospital are part of Cuomo's plan to bolster the state's existing hospital capacity, which are expected to be well below the need when the state's apex of COVID-19 comes. The state is also preparing college dormitories and hotels and identifying nursing homes and other facilities to serve as places for emergency beds, according to the governor. Scary, distressing, catastrophic: A bleak assessment by experts, humanitarians and epidemiologists on what a severe coronavirus outbreak would look like in countries across Africa sheltering millions of refugees and other vulnerable people. The virus that swept across the globe has infected more than 660,000 people and killed some 30,000 since it was detected in China late last year. In Africa, the confirmed figures are still fairly low but on the rise. As of Saturday, 3,924 infections and 117 deaths had been reported across 46 of the continents 54 countries. As the rapidly spreading virus gains ground, aid groups warn of the potentially disastrous consequences of a major outbreak of COVID-19, the highly infectious respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus, in places where healthcare systems are already strained and not easily accessible to large segments of the population. Lack of funding and years of fighting have gutted critical infrastructure in several parts of the continent, which could leave many countries unable to respond to a surge in infections, said Crystal Ashley Wells, regional spokeswoman for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Nairobi. For example, in South Sudan, where more than 1.6 million people are internally displaced, it often takes people hours, even days, to reach healthcare facilities, and the leading cause of death is often preventable: treatable diseases like malaria and diarrhoea, Wells told Al Jazeera. We have surgical wards right now that are full of patients recovering from gunshot wounds, she said. Then you have this healthcare system that has suffered from decades of under-investment and then conflict that has basically left people with little healthcare at best. Some of the internally displaced in South Sudan have found refuge in overcrowded camps inside UN peacekeeping bases. Theyre literally living surrounded by walls and barbed wire in tents that are only inches apart, Wells said. So far, war-scarred South Sudan is one of the few African countries that has not had any confirmed cases of COVID-19, and the government has introduced drastic measures aimed at reducing the risk of spread, such as suspending all air travel and barring public gatherings. But Wells said the risk is still there: Its a pretty scary picture to think about about what a disease like this could do to an already very fragile healthcare system. In the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where 58 cases have been confirmed to date, COVID-19 has largely been contained in the capital, Kinshasa unlike past outbreaks of diseases such as Ebola, which struck remote areas. Today, its possible to handle sick patients because the number of patients has not yet exploded, said Jean Paul Katsuva, an epidemiologist working on the COVID-19 response in Kinshasa, a city of 12 million people. But the general feeling is one of anxiety especially as people watch countries better-equipped than the DRC struggle under the weight of the pandemic. Serious help is needed, Katsuva said, for a population that is already in distress because of this situation in which the future is unclear. Global issue The contagious nature of the coronavirus, coupled with its ability to cause severe illness, has also sparked fears over what could happen if it reaches densely populated refugee camps. A country that is of particular concern is Burkina Faso, which has registered the most confirmed cases in West Africa 180 and nine deaths. An impoverished country of some 20 million people, Burkina Faso has been gripped by an escalating and complex conflict that has caused explosive displacement over the past year, according to Wells. There are about 765,000 people displaced, she said. Its up by more than 1,200 percent since 2019 and its expected to continue to rise. Security and access to these communities is also really challenging for humanitarian workers. On the other side of the continent, Kenya has 38 confirmed cases to date but none among refugees. We would love to keep it that way, Eujin Byun, a spokeswoman for the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) in Kenya, told Al Jazeera. The East African country is home to two major camps: Dadaab, near the countrys eastern border with Somalia, had a population of nearly 218,000 refugees and asylum seekers at the end of February, and Kakuma, in the northwest near the borders with South Sudan and Uganda, counts more than 190,000 refugees. Byun said having so many people living in close proximity is one of the major risk factors for the spread of the virus, while ensuring that refugees have access to clean water and soap two of the most effective weapons against it is critical. UNHCR has altered its operations in the camps to try to avoid gatherings, Byun said. For example, to reduce the contact between residents and humanitarian workers, it plans to distribute two months worth of food rations at once, whereas in the past, they were distributed monthly or every two weeks. The agency has already stopped sending outside missions into the camps to prevent a potential spread of the virus. Staff already in the camps will remain there to provide essential, life-saving services and they have access to mental health support, Byun said. Information is also being sent to residents via mobile phone apps such as WhatsApp, she added, to limit social gatherings and to reduce fear and panic in the refugee camp and prevent any kind of misinformation. Ninety beds are available inside the Dadaab camp itself to accommodate coronavirus patients, while 25 beds are set up in Kakuma, Byun said. COVID-19 isolation facilities are also set up in nearby Kenyan host communities, and both refugees and residents will have access to them. Were not doing this in a silo; we have to communicate and coordinate with the local authority, Byun said, adding that UNHCR welcomed the Kenyan governments decision to include refugees and asylum seekers in its national plan to combat COVID-19. This is a global issue, and we have to think [of it] like a global issue not just like a refugee issue. Refugees sidelined Indeed, UNHCR on Wednesday launched a global appeal for $255m to respond to the coronavirus in refugee camps and other vulnerable areas, as part of a wider humanitarian relief plan seeking $2bn. We must come to the aid of the ultra-vulnerable millions upon millions of people who are least able to protect themselves, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, calling for stronger coordination to ensure the more vulnerable countries get the support they need. On Thursday, the Red Cross called for $823m to help the worlds most vulnerable communities stop the spread of COVID-19 and recover from the pandemic. That includes migrants and displaced people, homeless people, and those living in disaster-prone areas, among others. But just how much donor countries will be able to contribute to those funding drives remains an open question. Most governments are struggling to stave off an economic crisis within their own borders and to support their citizens, many of whom have lost their jobs, through the pandemic. In that context, governments are going to face some really difficult decisions between allocating scarce resources to their own population and the refugee camp, said Sally Hargreaves, assistant professor in global health at the Institute for Infection and Immunity at St Georges University of London. Refugees will be the ones that are sidelined in all of this as the governments move towards supporting their own population as best [as] they can, she said. Hargreaves told Al Jazeera that refugees and IDPs must be included in national COVID-19 plans because they are vulnerable and risk being disproportionately affected by the pandemic. She said it is going to take a significant international effort and investment to make sure these groups are not left behind. We cant forget about them. We cant leave them to fend for themselves, said Hargreaves. We need to make sure governments prioritise them not just their own populations and [that] theyre funded and supported in doing it. Lockdown imposed in Nepal in the backdrop of COVID-19 has been extended till April 7. The decision was taken in the cabinet meeting held on Sunday. The lockdown was set to end on March 31. Earlier on Sunday, Nepal also extended the suspension of international flights till April 15 as a part of the measures that the country has taken to contain the spread of the virus. "The ban has been extended for two weeks in the wake of increasing infection inside the nation as well as the dire situation in the world," Secretary at Prime Minister's Office, Ram Narayan Bidari confirmed ANI over the phone. On March 20, Prime Minister K.P Sharma Oli announced to halt all flights from March 22 to March 31, a decision that follows a move by the High-Level Coordination Committee to halt all incoming passengers from 55 countries in Europe, the UK, the Gulf countries, West Asia, and Turkey. On Saturday, Nepal had confirmed its fifth positive coronavirus case. Out of five patients that have tested positive, four have been in isolation in hospital and one patient has recovered fully and has been discharged. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Newsfrom Japan Tokyo, March 29 (Jiji Press)--A Jiji Press survey has found that more than 60 pct of major Japanese businesses are taking steps to correct pay inequalities among their regular and nonregular workers. From the beginning of April on Wednesday, Japan will apply its "equal pay for equal work" rules to major companies under the 2018 work style reform legislation. In the survey with 100 big companies, 62 of the 98 respondents said they are boosting allowances for nonregular workers and taking other steps to close their inequalities. Japan Airlines <9201> said it will pay aged workers reemployed after mandatory retirement basically the same allowances as given to its regular employees. At leasing company Orix Corp. <8591>, part timers and casual workers will be entitled to special leave for weddings and funerals as are its regular employees. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] CHICAGO As the state continues to build on its robust response to the coronavirus pandemic and prepare for increased demand across the states health care system, Gov. J.B. Pritzker revealed the Care Comes First action plan. The plan is a series of efforts led by the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services to expand medical coverage for residents across the state. My team is doing everything in our power to make sure all of our residents can access the health care they need in these trying times, Pritzker said. That is why weve applied for waivers with the federal government to expand Medicaid availability during this period. The state has submitted two federal waivers requesting increased flexibilities around Medicaid coverage. If approved, the flexibilities will ensure that individuals, whether uninsured or insured, can receive Medicaid coverage for treatment if they have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Illinois has also taken steps to request from the federal government the authority to make Medicaid available to cover the costs to treat COVID-19 for every uninsured resident, regardless of income. An additional request seeks authority for Medicaid to help cover out-of-pocket expenses for insured residents, as a secondary payer for COVID-19 treatment costs. In an effort to fast track Medicaid enrollment, the state also has requested approval from the federal government to remove time-consuming verification processes, such as numerous co-payments, spend-downs and asset verifications. The state also is streamlining processes, such as more telephone assistance to help residents obtain information and complete applications as quickly as possible. Additionally, the state is working to simplify Medicaid enrollment for providers to expand access, including a request to allow any medical provider licensed in Illinois to bill Medicaid. Site visits to join and revalidation to remain in the program are suspended by the state, as well as minimum staffing levels for most facilities. Quicker and expanded access to treatment and medications has remained a priority for Illinois. As a result prior authorization rules are suspended, and existing authorizations remain for most services. The state is seeking authority from the federal government to allow Illinois to expand telehealth and alternate settings for a range of services, including allowing prescribers not enrolled in Medicaid to write prescriptions. Lastly, to promote social distancing and observance of stay-at-home orders, the state is seeking authority to provide home-delivered meals and temporary housing for those experiencing homelessness through Medicaid coverage. For more information for clients, provider notices, waiver or state plan submissions, and corresponding fact sheets visit https://www.illinois.gov/hfs/pages/coronavirus.aspx . Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Rawalpindi [Pakistan], Mar 29 (ANI): Pakistan Army has announced completion of deployment of troops across the country for assisting civilian authorities in containing the spread of Covid-19. "Pakistan Army troops deployed across the country in aid of civil power under Article 245," spokesperson of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military's public affairs wing, Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar, said in a press conference here on Saturday. The deployment was approved by Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa on March 23 on the request of the Interior Ministry. The government had asked for deployment of troops in all four provinces of the country, including Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir under Article 245 (functions of the armed forces) of the Constitution and Section 131(A) (power to use military force for public security and maintenance of law and order) of the CrPC, Dawn reported. Iftikhar, however, did not mention in his address the number of troops deployed for the anti-coronavirus operation. He said that "available troops" and all medical resources would be deployed as per requirement. While committing troops for the anti-Covid-19 effort, the spokesperson noted that ISPR had also taken into account the situation at the Line of Control and boundaries with other countries. It said that all points of entries were being manned and monitored, joint check posts have been established and joint patrolling was being undertaken along with other law enforcement agencies. The army also urged citizens be at home and not to move out without necessary reasons. All means of public transport have been called off across the country until further notice, ensuring some of the stringent measures in effect as the tally of COVID-19 related cases reached 1500 on Saturday. The ISPR spokesperson also announced suspension of international flights till April 4. "Cooperation is the best defence at this time than isolation to fight coronavirus," Iftikhar stressed in his address. Divulging further upon the health screening measures, the spokesperson stated that people will be screened at every entry point in the country. At least a million screenings have been ensured, while over 12,000 people have already been screened in the past 24 hours. The Pakistan army has donated its income for the cause. Army helicopters flew special sorties through Khunjrab pass for transporting and distribution of medical equipment received from China including five ventilators, 2000 testing kits, 2000 medical suits, 2000 N-95 masks and 0.2 million face masks on Friday. (ANI) MOSTOLES, SPAIN - 2020/03/27: Hospital workers applaud during a Tribute to the essential health care workers at Hospital Universitario de Mostoles in Mostoles. This tribute is done every day at 20:00 in every city in Spain to thank the essential health care workers for fighting against Corona Virus (covid19). (Photo by Legan P. Mace/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) The number of people to have died after testing positive for coronavirus in Italy has gone up another 889, taking the death toll there to 10,023. The man leading the battle against COVID-19 in Italy, Angelo Borrelli, said more than 70,000 patients have been recorded as having the disease. He said that more than 12,000 people have recovered. The latest figures were released just a few hours after Spain said its toll had surged by 832 to 5,690. A further 8,189 cases were detected in the country in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 72,248. Professor Julio Mayol, medical director at the Clinico San Carlos Hospital in Madrid, has told Sky News he fears more and more healthcare professionals fighting the illness will become infected. He said: "It is a bad situation, it is really bad and it is getting worse day by day, because the number of positive COVID-19 patients is increasing. "We have a large number of patients, and the problem is we can't increase the room available. "We can provide them with more beds, but we need personal protection equipment (PPE), and there is a global shortage, and this is makes it very difficult for us to send healthcare workers to battle on the frontline without the adequate equipment." Prof Mayol continued: "Secondly, healthcare professionals are getting infected. I estimate it could be as many as 25% in the near future if we don't do something. "Right now two of my closest collaborators are COVID-19 positive, so it is becoming a nightmare. "Many of our doctors have been admitted, even those fighting the virus. "Nurses are also a major problem for us, especially those in the intensive care units. "If we don't get the right personnel to handle these ICU patients, its going to be almost impossible to increase the number of ICU beds, because we won't have trained personnel to take care of our patients." The rise in Spain came as German Chancellor Angela Merkel thanked people in her country for being largely compliant during the lockdown there. Story continues The number of confirmed cases in Germany has continued to increase, with Ms Merkel's chief of staff saying the shutdown would not be eased before 20 April. The German chancellor said in her weekly podcast: "When I see today how almost everyone has completely changed their behaviour, how the vast majority of you really do avoid any unnecessary contact, precisely because it can also contain a risk of infection, then I would simply like to say: thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart." Northern Cyprus reported its first death from the coronavirus on Saturday after a 67-year old German tourist died in hospital in Nicosia, according to Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency. The German man also suffered from the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and high blood pressure, Anadolu said. The agency, citing a government statement on Saturday, said the total number of cases in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) had risen to 61. In Italy, which has the highest number of deaths in the world, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte urged the European Union to launch a "recovery bond" to help fund the response to the coronavirus outbreak, saying failure to tackle the emergency would be a "tragic mistake" for the bloc. In an interview with Italian daily Il Sole 24 Ore on Saturday, Mr Conte said a common debt instrument was needed to spearhead a European recovery and reinvestment plan to support the economy of the whole area. :: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker Meanwhile, in Finland police and assisting military forces and border guard officials have started to enforce a blockade of a key southern region that includes the Nordic nation's capital, Helsinki. The exceptional order by Prime Minister Sanna Marin's government to block the movement of citizens into and out of Uusimaa entered into force on Saturday. The region is home to some 1.7 million people, including Helsinki's 650,000 residents. Albania's government has announced that people will have to apply for a permit to go out for necessities in the country. Prime Minister Edi Rama said people can apply online or with a text message. Only one person per family may go out. Albania has reported 186 cases of coronavirus, with 10 deaths. The coronavirus pandemic has affected more than half a million people worldwide, with more than 24,000 deaths recorded. Email To : Multiple e-mail addresses must be separated with a comma character(maximum 200 characters) Email To is required. Your Full Name: (optional) Your Email Address: Your Email Address is required. Times Square stands mostly empty as much of the city is void of cars and pedestrians over fears of spreading the CCP virus in New York City on March 22, 2020. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images) CDC Issues Travel Advisory for New York, New Jersey, Connecticut Trump says quarantine 'not necessary' The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a travel advisory for residents of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut on March 28 after President Donald Trump said an enforced quarantine of the three states because of the CCP virus pandemic was unnecessary. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus, which first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, to spread throughout that country and create a global pandemic. In its travel advisory released late March 28, the CDC urged people across the three states to refrain from non-essential domestic travel for the next 14 days, effective immediately. That doesnt include employees of critical infrastructure industries, as defined by the Department of Homeland Security, including but not limited to trucking, public health professionals, financial services, and food supply, which it states have a special responsibility to maintain normal work schedules. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, and Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont will have full discretion to implement the CDCs latest domestic travel advisory, it notes. The advisory came after Trump told reporters that his administration was considering a short-term quarantine restricting travel in those hot spots areas, since hed been told that New Yorkers were traveling to places such as Florida, potentially spreading the virus. As cases of the CCP virus continue to rise in America, New York has now officially become the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak, with 59,648 people infected and 965 reported deaths, as of March 29. New Jersey had 13,386 confirmed cases and 161 reported deaths, while Connecticut had 1,993 confirmed cases and 34 reported deaths. Were thinking about certain things. Some people would like to see New York quarantined because its a hot spot, he told reporters at the White House on March 28. We might not have to do it, but theres a possibility that sometime today, well do a quarantineshort-term, two weekson New York, probably New Jersey, certain parts of Connecticut. Trump also wrote on Twitter hours earlier that he was giving consideration to a quarantine of developing hot spots, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, adding that a decision will be made, one way or another, shortly. However, after speaking to the White House coronavirus task force and the governors of the three states, the president said that an enforced quarantine would not be necessary. On the recommendation of the White House CoronaVirus Task Force, and upon consultation with the Governors [sic] of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, I have asked the [CDC] to issue a strong Travel Advisory, to be administered by the Governors, in consultation with the Federal Government. A quarantine will not be necessary, Trump wrote on Twitter. Ahead of the CDCs travel advisory, Cuomo suggested an enforced lockdown would not be legal, calling it a declaration of war on states, that would cause chaos and mayhem, and shock the economic markets in a way that weve never seen before. Again, Ive been speaking to the president. This would be a declaration of war on states. A federal declaration of war, Cuomo told CNN. And it wouldnt just be just New York, New Jersey, Connecticut. Next week, it would be Louisiana with New Orleans, and the next week after that it would be Detroit, and it could run all across the nation. And I dont think the president is looking to start a lot of wars with a lot of states just about now for a lot of reasons. The governor noted that New York has already mandated that citizens stay at home unless they are deemed an essential worker. Please register or log in to keep reading. No credit card required! Stay logged in to skip the surveys. The mantra of Boris Johnson and his ministers is: We have taken the right measures at the right time. When asked, the governments medical and scientific advisers agree (but they have to). But some outside experts and UK politicians believe the government has been off the pace, and behind the international curve, in its response to the coronavirus outbreak. Richard Horton, editor of The Lancet medical journal, said recently that he believes valuable time was lost in February when the government should have moved more quickly to ensure more testing, continued contact tracing of those who tested positive for the virus and securing enough personal protective equipment (PPE) for health workers. ALBANY, N.Y. This isn't a civil war, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. New York's governor on Saturday ripped suggestions by President Donald Trump that he might institute a ban on New Yorkers' travel to other states amid the coronavirus outbreak, and Cuomo threatened to sue Rhode Island if it continues to seek out New Yorkers entering its borders. "I don't believe that any federal administration could be serious about physical lockdowns on parts of states across this country," Cuomo said on CNN. "I don't believe it's legal. It would be economic chaos." Late Saturday, Trump apparently backed off the idea, tweeting that he has decided against imposing a quarantine on New York and the surrounding area. On the recommendation of the White House CoronaVirus Task Force, and upon consultation with the Governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, I have asked the @CDCgov to issue a strong Travel Advisory, to be administered by the Governors, in consultation with the Federal Government, Trump announced late Saturday on Twitter. A quarantine will not be necessary. Full details will be released by CDC tonight. Thank you!" Soon after, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidance urging residents of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut "to refrain from non-essential domestic travel for 14 days effective immediately." The CDC said the governors of the tri-state area "will have full discretion to implement this Domestic Travel Advisory." Trump had said earlier Saturday that he is considering imposing an "enforceable" quarantine on New York and parts of New Jersey and Connecticut, areas hard-hit by the new coronavirus. "Some people would like to see New York quarantined because it's a hot spot," Trump told reporters on the White House South Lawn as he departed for Norfolk, Virginia. "I'm thinking about that right now. We might not have to do it, but there's a possibility that sometime today we'll do a quarantine." Story continues Coronavirus: Trump says he's considering 2-week quarantines on New York, parts of New Jersey and Connecticut Gov. Andrew Cuomo provides a coronavirus update during a press conference in the Red Room at the State Capitol in Albany on March 28, 2020. Cuomo said he talked to Trump on Saturday morning just before his comments at the White House, saying the Republican president didn't mention the idea. Nonetheless, Cuomo tore into the suggestion, saying it would be something not seen since the Civil War to restrict movement across states. "It would be a federal declaration of war on states," Cuomo said, adding he doubted Trump, a native New Yorker, would take the drastic steps. Still, governors have started to take action to limit New Yorkers' travel into other states, fearing they might bring the virus with them. New York had about 52,000 positive cases of coronavirus on Saturday, by far the most in the nation, along with 528 deaths. Governors in Texas, Florida, Maryland and South Carolina this week ordered people arriving from the New York area including New Jersey and Connecticut and other virus hot spots to self-quarantine for at least 14 days upon arrival. Members of the 1207th Rhode Island National Guard unit stand at the Westerly, R.I., Amtrak station Friday, March 27, 2020, to inform passengers from New York of the 14-day quarantine restrictions if disembarking in Rhode Island ordered by Gov. Gina Raimondo. At the time of the photo, no passengers had disembarked at the station. Rhode Island State Police on Friday began pulling over vehicles with New York plates so that National Guard officials can collect contact information and inform them of a mandatory, 14-day quarantine. The Providence Journal reported authorities were already going door to door in summer communities looking for New York license plates and telling people to quarantine for 14 days. The American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island contended the order violated the Constitution's Fourth Amendment protection against unlawful search, and Cuomo also doubted the legality of the state's move, saying New York might have to sue. "Were talking to Rhode Island," Cuomo said. "If they dont roll back that policy, Im going to sue Rhode Island." But Cuomo said he hopes the situation can be resolved without any lawsuits, saying he could simply turn around and ban people from other states from New York, which would lead to chaos among states. "I think it was reactionary. I think it was illegal," he said. "Well work it out amicably Im sure." The fight over New Yorkers' traveling away from their homes is playing out intrastate, as well. Some upstate counties do not want downstate New Yorkers visiting their weekend homes or renting houses to those looking to get out of New York City, where the majority of the state's cases are. Cuomo has said he has no plans to restrict travel within the state. He has already ordered most businesses shuttered and closed all schools for another two weeks. Contributing: USA TODAY. Follow Joseph Spector on Twitter: @GannettAlbany This article originally appeared on New York State Team: Coronavirus: Gov. Andrew Cuomo rips possible New York travel ban After Chinese authorities lifted the citywide lockdown, Hubei residents are now free to leave. But theyre facing a new challenge: neighboring regions wont let them in. A Chinese infectious disease expert says theres an increasing number of asymptomatic cases, which raises fears of community spreading. He adds the CCP virus is one of the most difficult viruses to handle the world has ever seen. The Chinese regime has been ramping up its aid to foreign countries despite the dire situation inside the epicenter. Experts warn that Beijing may have bigger political plans. A Wuhan resident tells NTD the tragedy he witnessed with his own mother and exposes how the Chinese Regimes coverup of the real death toll caused by the CCP-virus. The CCP virus is forcing the United States to examine its relationship with China. We dig deeper at the local level, looking at one particularly hard-hit state, and how communist leaders view their links to China. NTD refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. Subscribe to our Youtube channel for more first-hand news from China For more news and videos, please visit our website and Twitter The Finance Ministry and RBI will hold a meeting on Tuesday to decide on government's borrowing plan for the first half of 2020-21 amid the lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus. According to sources, the government would resort to front-load its borrowing plan to deal with the challenges posed by COVID-19 on the economy. The meeting between the Finance Ministry and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will be held through video conferencing for the first time as there is lockdown across the country, the sources said. Post meeting, the borrowing calendar for issuance of dated government securities and short term papers will be announced in the evening. As per the Budget, the government plans to borrow Rs 5.36 lakh crore from the market in 2020-21, higher than the Rs 4.99 lakh crore estimated for the current financial year ending March 2020. The gross borrowing would be Rs 7.8 lakh crore for the next financial year as compared to Rs 7.1 lakh crore estimated for the current financial year. Gross borrowing includes repayments of past loans. Repayment of past loans in the next financial year has been pegged at Rs 2.35 lakh crore. Presenting Budget for 2020-21, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said, "Net market borrowings for the year 2019-20 would be Rs 4.99 lakh crore and for the year 2020-21, it would be Rs 5.36 lakh crore". "A good part of the borrowings for the financial year 2020-21 would go towards capital expenditure of the government that has been scaled up by more than 21 per cent. "As I had previously mentioned another about Rs 22,000 crore have been allocated for equity to fund certain specified infrastructure finance companies, who would leverage it manifold and provide much-needed long-term finance to the infrastructure sector. That should spur growth impulses in the economy," she had said. The government raises funds from the market to fund its fiscal deficit through dated securities and treasury bills. The Budget has pegged fiscal deficit at 3.5 per cent for the next fiscal, down from 3.8 per cent of the GDP in the current financial year. The government had earlier estimated the fiscal deficit to be 3.3 per cent of the GDP for the current fiscal but due to revenue shortage, the Centre had to increase it and utilise the 'escape clause' in the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act. The 'escape clause' allows the government to breach its fiscal deficit target by 0.5 percentage points at times of severe stress in the economy, including periods of structural change and those when growth falls sharply. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) T J S George By It is easy to proclaim a strict three-week lockdown, ordering everyone to stay indoors; easier still when the order-givers do not care about implementation details contingency provision to ensure that life goes on, that the needy go to hospitals, that the poor manage to eat. In some cities 15,000 litres of milk and 11,000 kg vegetables/fruit were destroyed in one day as they could not be distributed. But Bengaluru, despite being completely shut, saw milk distributed. Wheres the bungling? The solitary good news is that all government-run quarantine centres in the country have been supplied with copies of the Prime Ministers speeches as reading material for patients. However, some bad examples set by leaders have been adding to the mess. Right in the middle of this crisis month of March, the first citizen of India, President Ram Nath Kovind, was busy with breakfast programmes for members of Parliament. One day, South Indian MPs were given the Rashtrapati Bhavan mega breakfast. Another day, MPs from UP and Rajasthan had the privilege. By Rashtrapati Bhavans usual banquet style, a breakfast means 90 men and women getting together and interacting with one another at close quarters. It is the opposite of social distancing. Photographs of the morning feasts, released to inspire citizens, showed close intermixing of our elected leaders. Shashi Tharoor said it was a very pleasant occasion. It was also a very unpleasant example set by the President of India and by the countrys MPs. Smriti Irani (highly talented in making any bad situation worse) said that all protocols were followed. Did the viruses also follow protocols? Why do our netas make things worse? There was supreme irony in the Prime Ministers call for applauding health workers. Yet another public relations extravaganza, it led to complete disregard of the basic principles of avoiding crowds. Large gatherings danced in the streets, making noise by clanging kitchen utensils and flaunting the national flag as proof of their bonafides. The mass celebration in response to Modijis call was the antithesis of what the corona situation demanded. When social distancing is the order of the day, political leaders promote social mingling. Uttar Pradesh showed how irresponsible this could get. The chief medical officer of Ayodhya summoned the courage to advice the chief minister against large gatherings. But the BJP stalwart that is Yogi Adityanath put ideology above common sense and announced an all-out celebration of Ram Navami. Millions of people are likely to attend, they said proudly. It took pressure from multiple sources for the state government to cancel the Mahotsav festivities. Even when a potential medical calamity threatens the world, leaders think mainly of how it can be used to their advantage. Leaders of some countries inspire. Canadas Trudeau won applause by speaking to his people candidly and showing that he was in it on behalf of the people, and not for himself. Englands Boris Johnson is an accidental prime minister who does not inspire his people. Even he got into the swing and told the people, Stay two metres apart. Its not such a difficult thing. But Donald Trump blamed the media for siding with China on the issue. As for Indian leaders, why cant they stop mass gatherings? Why cant they put off celebrations and so-called patriotic demonstrations in favour of this party or that leader? Why is it that only liquor buyers in India stand in queue with each buyer two metres away from the next? These are trying times when we can only raise questions. Answers must come from those who are supposed to lead us along the right paths. But they choose the wrong paths in times of crisis. Our only refuge is in the wisdom of those who went ahead of us. I find the thoughts of two men appropriate at this moment. Branko Milanovic says in Foreign Affairs, The human toll of the disease will be the most important cost and the one that could lead to social disintegration. If more people emerge from the current crisis with neither money nor jobs and if these people become desperate and angry, such scenes as the recent escape of prisoners in Italy or the looting that followed Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans in 2005 might become commonplace. Former IAS officer Jawahar Sircar says, Amid the national emergency, Modi government has just notified (through a special Gazette of India Extraordinary) the Rs 20,000-crore Recreational, Official and Commercial Development Plan for the Rashtrapati Bhavan area. History will not remember him as a creative Shah Jahan but as a crazy Muhammed bin Tughlaq. SpiceJet and IndiGo aircraft on Sunday took 275 Indians, who were recently evacuated from coronavirus-hit Iran, from Delhi to Jodhpur for quarantine, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said. India is currently under 21-day lockdown till April 14 to curb the spread of coronavirus and consequently, all international and domestic commercial passenger flights have been suspended for this period. "Operation Namaste! Efforts to safeguard Indian citizens against Covid19 continue," Puri wrote on Twitter. "The 275 Indians who were evacuated from Iran have been screened & shifted by IndiGo and SpiceJet aircraft to Army Wellness Centre at Jodhpur for quarantine," he added. In a statement, IndiGo Chief Executive Officer Ronojoy Dutta said, "We are honoured to have the opportunity to operate this relief flight, which enabled the shifting of 139 Indian citizens evacuated from Iran to Jodhpur for testing, isolation and treatment as needed." The IndiGo flight 6E9121 was operated by two pilots and four cabin crew members, the statement said. All 139 passengers aboard the IndiGo aircraft tested negative for the coronavirus prior to the flight, it added. In a statement, SpiceJet Chairman and Managing Director Ajay Singh said, We are proud to have operated this special flight to facilitate the transfer of 136 fellow Indians from Delhi to Jodhpur." SpiceJet stated that the special flight SG9001 took off at 6:25 am from Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport and landed at Jodhpur airport at 8:20 am. "The aircraft has been disinfected thoroughly after the flight," the airline added. According to the Union Health Ministry, 979 people have tested positive for the virus in India so far and 25 deaths due to COVID-19 have been reported. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A tropical delight from a promising new Lankan author By Yomal Senerath-Yapa Nizrana Farooks childrens book The Girl who Stole an Elephant with its exotic settings and local protagonist is creating ripples in the UK View(s): View(s): An exotic, jungle-like window display at Waterstones, Piccadilly- Europes largest bookstore- throws the red carpet for a new Sri Lankan book- The Girl who Stole an Elephant by Nizrana Farook. The childrens novel had a warm welcome all over the UK in the brittle heart of winter early this year. It was the Waterstones childrens book for January. Among many displays in bookshop windows, decorated with antique bejewelled elephants, glittering gems, stuffed pythons and twirling tropical ferns and foliage, were these words by a critic: As rich, dazzling, and alluring as a pouchful of royal jewels, and as triumphant as a trumpeting elephant. This is the story of little Chaya- who reminds you of Joan Aikens cocky heroine Dido Twite- a spry and fiery chick sparrow of a girl- rather winning (even sans Didos colourful cockney chatter). A girl-Robin Hood in essence, Chaya steals from the rich, and helps the poor. In an e-mail interview with the Sunday Times, Nizrana says the character was born at a class at Bath Spa University where she was following an MA in writing for children. Fight or flight were the words for the day on the board, and Nizrana came up with a young girl fleeing from a palace after stealing the queens jewels. It took time for the little tomboy to materialize fully- and for Nizrana to sketch in the details of her world, but finally a novel grew out of the short piece. The pouchful of jewels that Chaya steals from the queens suite are meant to be spent on medicine for a boy bitten by a crocodile. But things do not follow their intended course and Chaya with friends Neelan and Nour are sprung on an adventure- which involves being imprisoned, escaping on an elephant, trampling through rainforests, battling leopards and finally saving the kingdom from a despot enthroned in his mountain citadel. The Serendib that Nizrana evokes, however, is a collage. There is much geographical licence, says Nizrana. The Sigiriya-like citadel sits next to a rainforest that covers half the island, while patently Dutch mansions and opulent Arab merchants exist together- unlike in a real timeline. The atmosphere is deftly caught- whether it is the heart of a Buddhist temple, the kings rock citadel palace, a village carpenters shed or a rich merchants demesne set around an inner courtyard. This patchwork of an alternative history tugs your memory back to Joan Aiken, while the warring royals and amicable elephants also suggest Aikens famous book, Wolves of Willoughby Chase. But Nizrana, growing up, never read Aiken. Living in Colpetty, she schooled at Methodist College. Nizrana is grateful to the pragmatic school with its value placed on English- fostering writers like Ruwanthie de Chickera and Prashani Rambukwella- both her classmates who won the Gratiaen. It was while at school she had her one brush with the rainforest, which later would provide refuge for her characters fleeing the kings wrath. The girls in her ALevel class still remember their trip to the Sinharaja. Nizranas characters on the royal elephant go crashing through the jungle as recalled from that memorable trip- evoking the high canopied green cathedral- mysterious, ferny, dark and wet. The jungle in the book is more abundant than your tropical rainforest actually is. This denotes an exiles thirst- a craving for the tropical fruit and shade of her homeland. It was written in winter, Nizrana says, but I made the story as bright and sunny and as tropical as I could make it. She brings that world of tropical bounty to life with a feathery touch- as delicious as banana or pineapple- or the shade of a palm or a great banyan. One child wrote to me that she is curious to try different fruits after reading. Another wrote that she could feel herself in that setting. In the gloom of winter, Nizranas nostalgia had created a luscious tropical paradise. But her current home in Hertfordshire brightens in summer with the woods behind her house, and has more wildlife than Colpetty ever did. Red foxes nightly raid bins and lately the muntjac deer too wander in. While the tomboy with the cheeky repartee is a literary favourite with universal appeal- at first Nizrana was unsure how British children would respond to a Sinhalese girl (plus a Tamil boy and a Muslim girl). Children around the world read British books, but traditionally speaking British children only read about themselves- or about others through their own lens. But things are changing. Thanks to the exotic brush of illustrator David Dean who shrouds the pages with shadowy jungle silhouettes you feel you are in the womb of this hauntingly lush world. The response for the book has been overwhelming- and is still growing. Nizrana, meanwhile, is writing an adventure set in the same classic world of Serendib but with different characters due to break cover by January 2021. A promising voice from home to keep track of! Migrants exodus: Shelter home established in each district, informs Haryana CS Chandigarh, Mar 29 (UNI) Haryana Chief Secretary Keshni Anand Arora on Sunday said that administration has set up special shelter or relief home in each district for migrant workers. Around 129 Shelter or Relief Home have been set up in the districts across the State and food is being provided to 29,328 labourers staying in these homes, Ms Arora informed. The need for establishing shelter home arose as thousands of workers started earmarking their journey by foot or any other possible means to their hometowns, fearing survival during 21-day nationwide lockdown. Coal India Ltd may witness a de-growth in production in the current year as its output is expected to be lower than 607 million tonne achieved in the previous fiscal, sources said. The production is likely to be at 602-603 million tonne in 2019-20, they said. The miner is also likely to witness a decline in off- take in the current fiscal as compared to its 608 million tonne supply in the previous year, they said. "Till March 28, the coal output was 591 million tonne and the company is likely to produce another 12 million tonne in the next three days, given the average output trend at present," sources told PTI. Of late, the miner had ramped up daily production to reach closer to its target, they said. Coal India had set an ambitious target of 660 million tonne of production and off-take for FY'20. "The off-take was at 576.80 million tonne till March 28, registering a decline of 4 per cent over last year," the sources said. The coal behemoth had supplied 608 million tonne of dry fuel to its consumers during 2018-19. The coal off-take was less than what was projected in the current year due to a slowdown in the economy and as a result of which, the pit-head stock increased, they said, adding that the coal production was also hit by prolonged monsoon this year. Of its seven coal producing subsidiaries, Northern Coalfields and Western Coalfields, however, had already surpassed their respective annual production target. NCL aimed at 106.3 million tonne in the current fiscal, and as on March 28, its production was 106.50 million tonne, while WCL output stood at 56.20 million tonne as against a target of 56 million tonne. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Gurbir Singh By Express News Service How desperate can things get? The Maharashtra Police near Yavatmal, in a routine check of trucks a few days ago, found 300 cowering migrant workers crammed in two container carriers marked for carrying essential commodities. The shocked cops said the workers, hailing from Rajasthan, were desperate to return home from Hyderabad, after the coronavirus shutdown. With all regular train and bus travel banned, they went for this life-threatening option. Other visuals showed thousands of migrant workers streaming out of Delhi at the Ghazipur border with UP, trying to reach their villages on foot. Some trekked as much as 150 kilometres on empty stomachs. Casual workers in foreign surroundings, when they face disruption, rush to make their way back home to seek the comfort and support of their families. Somewhere we have missed the plight of these millions of drivers, brick layers and daily labourers who have been caught in the cleft of the sudden shutdown of their work places, and the overnight cancellation of all means of travel. Many thousands left nonetheless and are now stranded in various parts of the country. Meeting criticism that it has not done enough, the government has just announced a safety net that aims at giving direct money transfer to a few vulnerable sections. Farmers will get their first tranche of Rs 2,000 out of their annual Rs 6,000-a-year PM-KISAN payout. Construction workers are to get access to a Rs 31,000 crore relief fund run by state governments. But there are literally crores of casual and migrant workers, both seasonal and permanent, who are not listed anywhere in government records and may not qualify for these benefits. As harvest time approaches, there are thousands of migrant agricultural labourers flooding rural India. Construction sites in cities too are manned by millions of workers on the move. Now, having lost their jobs, how will they make it through the corona shutdown? Informal economy What is this forgotten, informal economy? Its well known that more than 50 per cent of the national economic product is contributed by the unorganised or informal sector. Data shows that 97.1 per cent of the agricultural or farm sector was informal, contributing about 17.2 per cent of the Gross Value Added (GVA). Construction, where 74 per cent of the industry is informal, makes up 7.8 per cent of the GVA. Trade, repair and accommodation, which gave 11.8 per cent of the GVA, was informal to the extent of 86.6 per cent. The above, sourced from a study by S Ramana Murthy, defines an informal worker as one with no written contract, paid leave, health benefits or social security. Using this yardstick, he shows that the people employed in the unorganised sector actually rose from 82.6 per cent of the total in 2011-12 to 85.5 per cent in 2017- 18. This is corroborated by the Union governments Economic Survey of 2018-19, which says almost 93 per cent of the total workforce is informal. The Economic Survey of India 2017 estimates that interstate migration was close to 9 million annually between 2011 and 2016, while Census 2011 pegs the total number of internal migrants in the country at a staggering 139 million, about 17 per cent of the countrys 800-million workforce. Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are the biggest source states; the major destination states are Delhi, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. A study paper of the College of Engineering, Trivandrum (authored by Shruti Ashok and Neena Thomas) on interstate migration said as much as 8 per cent of Kerala was made up of migrant labour. This tremendous influx of migrants is due to three major factors, namely literacy of the state, attitude of people towards 3D (dirty, degrading & dangerous) kind of jobs and high daily wages. No record, no compliance The Ministry of Labour and Employment in its 2015 report on Employment in the Informal Sector concedes that 82 per cent of agricultural non-farm workers had no written job contract, 77 per cent got no paid leave and 69 per cent did not receive any social security benefits. There is a Minimum Wages Act, 1948 too, but with hardly any enforcement machinery. In fact, the latest set of Labour Reforms implemented by the Centre and by some states points to making compliance norms worse for those at the bottom of the ladder. For instance, the provisions of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 has been watered down and made applicable to only units that employ 300 or more. Earlier, the application of the act was for units with 100 or more employees. Given the way the curfew was announced, with no lag time for common people to reach their homes thousands of miles away, shows how much mind space the underbelly commands in the corridors of power. For reliefs in the safety net to now reach the jobless and the migrant workers requires they be listed and traceable somewhere. That too is a tall order. Significant, or not? 50% of the national economic product is contributed by the unorganised or informal sector 97.1% of the agricultural sector was informal, contributing about 17.2% to the GVA 74% of the construction industry is informal and contributes 7.8% to the GVA The senate committee on banking, insurance and other financial institutions has urged banks to look beyond Lagos in its assistance in tackling COVID-19. Uba Sani, senator representing Kaduna central and chairman of the committee, made this known in a statement on Sunday. He said, The Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions is delighted at the stimulus packages being rolled out by Nigerian banks to assist in containing the COVID 19 pandemic and cushion its effect on Nigerians, especially residents in Lagos State. Read Also: Covid-19: Dangotes Test Result Revealed This is quite commendable and will go a long way in renewing the confidence of Nigerians in the banking sector and projecting it as highly responsible and responsive. We have however observed with concern that all the interventions are concentrated in Lagos State, which understandably is currently the epicentre of the pandemic in Nigeria. However, as the COVID19 virus spreads, other parts of Nigeria seem to have been given little or no consideration. This is unfortunate because the entire country is at risk. Lagos State cannot be safe if other states in the federation are unsafe. Just the way Lagos State requires isolation centre, testing and protection kits, other states are in dire need of the same assistance. If the assistance is evenly distributed and coordinated, we are most likely to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic and resume the arduous task of rebuilding our economy. We urge Nigerian banks to review their strategies and come up with inclusive frameworks for intervention. Stimulus packages that include all states of the federation would be more impactful than one that draws the ire of bank customers across the country and consequently diminishes the confidence of the people in the sector. The cholera epidemic in mid-nineteenth century London and the Spanish flu in the early part of the twentieth century made people and governments all over the world realize the importance of public health, wrote the Nobel-winning economist Angus Deaton in his 2013 book, The Great Escape: Health, Wealth, and the Origins of Inequality.' The growing awareness that germs caused disease, and the consequent investments in public health systems involving sanitation and disease surveillance played a bigger role in improving life expectancy in the twentieth century than gains in income, Deaton noted. Yet, the improvements in health systems were not uniform with some developing countries such as India lagging behind others in ramping up their public health systems. At a time when Japan was borrowing from the best European practices to create a world-class public health infrastructure across its colonies (Korea and Taiwan), the British were content to limit such investments in British residential areas and cantonments, wrote the demographer Monica Das Gupta of Maryland University in a 2005 Economic and Political Weekly research paper. Even after the end of the British Raj, successive governments in post-independent India did not consider it a priority to beef up defences against contagious diseases. While specific containment measures were launched to contain diseases such as malaria or tuberculosis, there were very little investments in an overarching public health infrastructure (involving things such as waste management, sanitation, water, food safety etc.). Given that the success of such measures is inherently negative (epidemics prevented, deaths averted etc.), it has been difficult for politicians to sell such investments to the public in a noisy democracy, noted Das Gupta. But the costs of such inaction, even if not fully visible, were already quite high, even before the novel coronavirus landed up on our shores. Deaths from contagious diseases in India are much higher than the global average, latest data from the Global Burden of Disease Study shows. According to the National Health Profile 2019, over 50 percent of all deaths due to communicable diseases in 2018 were because of respiratory diseases and pneumonia, symptoms common with those of COVID-19. The 2019 Global Health Security Index measures countries pandemic preparedness on a score of 1-100 based on their ability to prevent, detect, mitigate and cure diseases. The index ranks India at 57 out of 195 countries, indicating that we may be more vulnerable than China (at 51) and Italy (at 31), which have seen the highest number of Covid-19 related deaths till now. If a wrong public health strategy is one reason for Indias vulnerability, the lack of resources is another. At 3.6% of GDP, Indias overall health spending is among the lowest compared with peer and advanced economies. Of this, government spending on health accounts for an abysmal 1%. Unsurprisingly, out-of-pocket health expenditure for households is extraordinarily high in India. About 65% of all health expenditure in India (approx 2.5% of GDP) is borne privately by households. The low priority accorded to health has translated into limited investments in both health infrastructure and health data. Since it was first introduced in the country in 2004, the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (ISDP) has been relaunched more than once as Indias first line of defence against epidemics. But it continues to struggle for manpower and resources and has failed to create a robust and decentralized data collection system involving the district health system across states. The Health Management Information System (HMIS) which was supposed to plug some of the data gaps has also been found wanting. Nearly a decade after it was set up, a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report in 2017 found that the HMIS data was often of poor quality, riddled with gaps, and contradicted by the physical records maintained by health centres . Finally, it is not just government apathy that has made India so vulnerable to health shocks. Indias elites may have also played a part in demanding greater funding for big hospitals (tertiary care) rather than seeking more investments in preventive public health interventions, as Das Gupta argued in her research paper. Of all healthcare functions, only 7% is spent on preventive healthcare, while more than 80% is spent on treatment and cure as of FY17, the latest year for which National Health Accounts data is available The costs of such myopia were restricted to the poor and indigent earlier. Covid-19 has changed that, showing that the health of each member of a society impacts that of the other. And without health, it is not possible to create wealth, the current lockdown to fight the pandemic shows. After this phase of lockdown and social distancing comes to an end, will the world's largest democracy demand measures to promote health for all? Our resilience to future pandemics will depend on the answer to that. *This is the eighth of a 10-part series on Indias budget priorities. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. The United States is advising residents of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut not to travel domestically after the number of report... The United States is advising residents of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut not to travel domestically after the number of reported coronavirus deaths doubled to over 2,000 nationwide within two days. It took about a month from the first report of a coronavirus death on February 29 to the number reaching 1,000 on Thursday. By Saturday, the number of reported deaths had doubled to 2,000. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued the travel advisory Saturday, urging residents of the three states to refrain from nonessential domestic travel for 14 days effective immediately. The states would have full discretion on implementing the advisory, which exempts employees in critical fields. With more than 121,000 cases and 2,046 deaths nationwide, the three states make up more than half of the cases and nearly half of the deaths. CENTRAL, La. - Hundreds of worshippers attended services at a Louisiana church on Sunday, flouting a ban on large gatherings, angering neighbours and seemingly turning a deaf ear to their governor, who once again warned that hospitals could soon be overwhelmed with new cases of the coronavirus. An estimated 500 people of all ages filed inside the mustard-yellow and beige Life Tabernacle church in Central, a city of nearly 29,000 outside Baton Rouge. Assistant ministers and worshippers who stood outside the front doors and in the parking lot of Life Tabernacle told news reporters to leave, saying cameras would not be allowed on the property and they had been told not to talk to the news media. They went inside without further comment. Across the street, Paul Quinn and other neighbours took pains to stay 6 feet (2 metres) apart from each other as they stood in a driveway and commented on their opposition to the services being held. Other congregations are using the internet, Skype, and other safe ways to congregate. Why cant they? What makes them so special? Quinn asked. I wish state police would come out and do something. ... If they get out of church and go to the grocery store, its a serious health hazard. They dont know how many people theyre affecting, and they dont seem to care. Thats a problem. Briefly commenting Sunday in the churchs parking lot, Timothy Spell, father of Pastor Tony Spell, said Life Tabernacle has a right to assembly, is not forcing anyone to attend services, is not breaking any laws and will continue to hold services at the church. More than 3,500 Louisiana residents have been diagnosed with the coronavirus, and more than 150 of them have died, according to state figures released Sunday. Deaths included that of the first federal prison inmate, a man with serious preexisting conditions who was being held in Oakdale, Lousiana, the U.S. Bureau of Prisons said Saturday. The virus has killed seven of more than 160 people diagnosed with the disease in East Baton Rouge Parish, where the church is located, according to state figures. People who violate the ban are being selfish and grossly irresponsible, Gov. John Bel Edwards said Sunday afternoon in New Orleans. They take the time and attention of first responders and make it much more likely that this disease will continue to spread, he said. In New Orleans, police broke up a funeral repast of about 100 people Saturday afternoon, issuing a warrant for a 28-year-old man who refused to shut it down and giving the band leader a summons, a news release said. Several complaints about that event were among more than 300 received in the past week about violations of a ban on gatherings of more than 10 people, Superintendent Shaun Ferguson said in a separate statement. More than 1,300 of the COVID-19 diagnoses and 73 of the deaths have been in New Orleans, and Edwards repeated on Sundays national news talk shows what hes been saying for days: The citys hospitals are likely to run out of ventilators by April 4 and beds by April 10. New Orleans tourist economy has also been hit hard, with hotels, restaurants, bars, convention centres and other businesses closed. Dwindling food banks for local residents got a boost when the U.S. Department of Agriculture agreed on Friday to let them use about 4 million pounds (1.8 million kilograms) of stockpiled federal emergency supplies, The Times-Picayune / The New Orleans Advocate reported. New Orleans leaders had been asking for about a week before the USDA granted the waivers. We told them tens of thousands of people have been laid off in the hospitality industry, and they need food now, City Councilwoman Helena Moreno said. Then they kind of got it. ___ Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak. Islamabad: Most countries of the world, including India, are facing the crisis of Corona. Millions of people around the world have been exposed to this deadly disease. In India, more than 1,000 people have suffered from this disease, while the neighbouring country Pakistan is ahead of India in the case of Corona infected. The number of corona patients in Pakistan is beyond 1490. Death toll rises in Turkey, 16 people died in 24 hours 12,000 suspected cases of coronavirus have been found in Pakistan. The top health officer of Pakistan has given this information. He has said that at present (according to the data till Saturday) there are 1,495 number of patients infected with corona. He also said that the Punjab province of Pakistan has emerged as a new sub-centre of this deadly virus. Health advisor Zafar Mirza, while addressing the daily briefing on Saturday, informed about the horrors of Corona infection. Indore: Did Collector and DIG got transferred due to negligence during Janta Curfew? Along with this, he also told about the measures taken to deal with Corona. He told that at this time there are 12,218 suspected cases of Covid-19 in the country. Most of the corona-infected people in Pakistan had returned from Iran. Iran is badly affected by the Corona epidemic. There are 35,408 people infected with Corona and 2,517 people have died. 11,679 patients have been cured. Newborn become victim of Corona in America New Delhi, March 28 : The government is going ahead with the plan to consolidate public sector banks, undeterred by the spread of Covid-19 that has disrupted business across the country, including banking operations. Accordingly, the amalgamation of the Oriental Bank of Commerce and the United Bank of India with the Punjab National Bank; the Syndicate Bank into the Canara Bank; the Andhra Bank and the Corporation Bank into the Union Bank of India; and of the Allahabad Bank into the Indian Bank is being completed on schedule and will be effective from April 1. In a press release on Saturday, the Reserve Bank of India said that branches of Allahabad Bank will operate as branches of Indian Bank from April 1, 2020. Similarly, branches of Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank will operate as branches of Union Bank of India from the appointed date. All customers, including depositors of amalgamating banks, will automatically be transferred to the principal bank under the merger process, the RBI said. The Narendra Modi-led government had announced the mega merger in August last year. Earlier this month the cabinet gave its approval for the mergers that will consolidate operations of 10 public sector banks (PSBs) into four 'mega banks'. Though the other two merger schemes involving the amalgamation of the Oriental Bank of Commerce and the United Bank of India with the Punjab National Bank and that of the Syndicate Bank into the Canara Bank are getting implemented from next month, the RBI did not offer information on its progress. It was widely expected that the government may defer the consolidation exercise for some time due to the Covid-19 related disruptions. But as all banks involved in the process are government entities and there is no immediate plan to restructure branches or move employees, it was felt the process could go ahead unhindered. There would only be a change of name for a few banks but all will remain under the PSU tag. In between fighting crime and enforcing laws, Pittsfield Police Chief Michael J. Wynn picked up a book to learn more about getting over fears of slaying dragons. Chicopee Officer Al Blankenship also picked up a book this week and got plenty of advice: Its OK to eat macaroni and cheese in the bathtubits OK to be small, medium, large or extra-large. With schools closed and families told to stay home to try to halt the spread of the coronavirus, Police in multiple towns including Chicopee, North Adams and Pittsfield, are recording readings of childrens books and posting them on YouTube, their police Facebook pages and other social media spots for families. A lot of kids look up to police and if they see us doing something normal, I thought it would be a comforting and soothing thing for the kids, said Michael Wilk, Chicopee Police public information officer. He said he saw the idea on another departments Facebook page and decided Chicopee Police should adopt it. Wilk volunteered to go first, selecting Peter Pan as his first book to read out loud since it is a favorite of a friends little boy and thought other children would enjoy it. He is now passing the torch to school resource officers - and really any of the officers who want to participate. Blankenship, the resource officer at Chicopee Academy, then picked up Its OK to Be Different by Todd Parr for the next installment. Sitting on the back of a school bus, he read: Its OK to have a missing tooth, or two, or threeIts OK to be from a different placeIts OK talk about your feelingsIts OK to have a pet worm. With children out of school for an extended period and libraries and their story hours closed, police said they thought it would be a way they could reach out to the youngest people in the community, some of whom have limited access to books in their homes. Wynn said his mother is an avid reader who started reading to him and his brother before they would walk. In his introduction to the Pittsfield Police Storytime, he gave a shout-out to his mother but begged her not to leave a huge bag of books on his front porch. We are several weeks into the global pandemic of the coronavirus. COVID-19, as it is also known, has affected all of us. Its impacted the way we work, its impacted the way we socialize and it has impacted the way we play, he said. It is disconcerting, it is uncomfortable, it is troubling. Wynn told children that he likes to read for recreation and learning. He added that he responds to as many invitations to be a guest reader in Pittsfield schools as he can. Before reading his first story Mikey and the Dragons, by Jocko Willink, Wynn also challenged other departments to join in so they could create a regional police read-aloud library for families. My challenge is to my fellow police chiefs, both here in Berkshire County and the members of the Western Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association. When you find yourselves with what little downtime you have as we go through this emergency, find a story or a book that is meaningful to you, record a video of yourself reading it to your community and post it, he said. So far Wynn has posted two readings, choosing When I Close My Eyes by Ty Allan Jackson, a local author and friend, for his second reading. In the upcoming days other members of the Pittsfield Police Department will be reading new books. His department decided to join in the read-alouds after seeing North Adams and Chicopee police doing them. Since the Police Department has a close relationship with the Berkshire United Way, which has a strong focus on child literacy, it made sense to do their own, Wynn said. North Adams Police have been posting daily read-alouds on the departments Facebook Page since Wednesday. On Saturday Officer Stephanie Mirante read The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Western Massachusetts author Eric Carle and then challenged children to draw a picture of the most beautiful butterfly you can draw and have an adult post a picture of it in the comments section on the page. At least a half-dozen children have already responded and displayed photographs of their artwork. Officer Erik Thomas was joined by retired teacher Jim Holmes. They took turns reading pages of Friends Stick Together by Harriet Ziefert, all the time explaining they had washed their hands before passing the book back and forth. In between, they bantered about different parts of the book. After reading one line about bad weather, Holmes asked his audience to raise their hands if they ever shared an umbrella. After reading a line that advised children not to put sprinkles on a friends ice cream if she prefers pickles, Holmes said, Ive never had pickles on ice cream but Im willing to try it. People have received many comments on Facebook pages with people thanking officers for their readings, saying their children were enjoying them and with a little good-natured teasing from friends or family members. One woman said her family watched and enjoyed the readings even though there are no children in her house. : Coming to the rescue of migrant workers stranded in the state owing to the lockdown due to COVID-19, the Tamil Nadu government on Sunday advised district collectors to ensure that the employees from other states get proper food and accommodation. Orders were also issued to the Collectors to take up alternative arrangements if there was any difficulty in the present accommodation offered to the migrant employees, Chief Minister K Palaniswami said in a statement. For workers who have already stepped out of their respective towns or if they were staying in railway stations in Tamil Nadu, Palaniswami told the Collectors to arrange temporary accommodation. The funds for providing the accommodation may be utilised from the State Disaster Relief Fund, he said in the statement. Two committees headed by senior IAS officers would be formed to provide the necessary assistance for the welfare of the employees and students from other states, it said. The two committees would operate along with the existing nine special teams comprising senior IAS officials which were already constituted to contain the spread of coronavirus in the state, he said. Chief Minister said a crisis management committee led by a district collector would be formed. It would comprise leaders of chambers of commerce, executive directors of private hospitals, medical experts, NGOs to take precautionary measures on the spread of coronavirus. Palaniswami said medical officers were asked to lay special focus on 1.50 lakh pregnant women during the next two months, who were advised to call 102 and 104 for necessary assistance. He said private hospitals should send details of those individuals who suffer from chronic breathing problem to health department. Orders were also issued to collectors that social distancing was strictly followed in places like fish market, meat and vegetable shops, the statement said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The over one hundred Sahrawis who have been stranded at the borders between Algeria and Mauritania after they were denied return to Tindouf, out of fear of the spread of coronavirus, spent days in the desert area without water or food and were totally ignored by the Polisario and their mentor, Algeria. Some of them, however, managed to make their way to the Tindouf camps, thinking that their ordeal in the desert was over, but instead, they were thrown in confinement rooms that lack the most basic conditions of hygiene, not to speak of comfort. The other inhabitants of the camps, forced into compulsory confinement for a long time, are in no better situation, as the rulers of Algeria, the host country, are much more concerned by the collapse of oil prices than by the deteriorating situation in the Tindouf camps. The only measure taken by Algerian authorities with regard to the Tindouf camps was to impose a strict monitoring of passengers at crossing points in Tindouf. Meanwhile, the Polisario leaders seem more preoccupied by their own safety than by the safety of the camps inhabitants and confined themselves in luxury villas. In this connection, the Moroccan Organization for Human Rights (OMDH) has recently called on the UN Secretary General and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to urgently intervene to protect the sequestered populations in the Tindouf camps against the coronavirus pandemic. In a letter sent to the UN Chief and UNHCR, the Moroccan Human rights watchdog voiced deep concern over the situation of the inhabitants of the Tindouf camps and urged the two top UN officials to provide these Sahrawis with the necessary medical care. The human rights organization also called for the immediate international protection of these Sahrawis who have been left by the polisario leadership to fend for themselves in very difficult conditions. European Union sources in Brussels have also expressed the Unions serious concern over the danger of a coronavirus outbreak in the Tindouf camps, a no-right zone. An outbreak of the COVID-19 in these camps would actually be tragic in view of lack of adequate medical equipment and devices, and total lack of hygiene because of the chronic scarcity of drinking water and sanitation system that does not meet the standards. Costco Wholesale Club will now offer three senior shopping hours a week amid the coronavirus pandemic and is allowing those with physical impairments to also participate. After originally starting the special hours March 24 as a twice-weekly event for members 60 and up on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Costco quietly added Wednesdays as the third day. The retailer edited its March 21 Facebook post announcing the special temporary senior hours Friday to note the change and updated its website Saturday about the special operating hours. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, Costco warehouses will open from 8 to 9 a.m. for members ages 60 and older, and for those with physical impairments, Costcos website notes. When will stores closed due to COVID-19 reopen?: With the coronavirus growing, not soon. Some are closed indefinitely. Senior shopping times: Stores offer special hours for vulnerable customers amid coronavirus Costco store pharmacies also will be open earlier but food courts will maintain normal hours, according to the website. The hours apply to all stores except for the company's Business Center locations, which will remain open during regular hours. In responding to comments on its Facebook page, Costco said only members meeting the criteria "will be allowed to enter the warehouse and guests will not be admitted. Starting March 30, Costco is temporarily cutting weekday hours and stores will close at 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and gas stations will close at 7 p.m. Costcos website update on Saturday notes other changes such as a limited food court menu and new return restrictions. Warehouses are not accepting returns of toilet paper, bottled water, sanitizing wipes, paper towels, rice and disinfecting spray. Costco cutting hours: Stores, gas stations as of March 30 will be open fewer hours because of coronavirus crisis Acknowledging that older adults and persons with underlying health conditions are more susceptible to COVID-19, a growing number of stores have been dedicating time or opening earlier for senior shoppers and other at-risk groups. Because of panic shopping, which has left store shelves empty in many places across the country, at-risk groups including seniors have had difficulty getting supplies. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coronavirus senior shopping: Costco Wholesale Club expands hours ACC.20/WCC: Study Finds Significant Blood Pressure Reductions Achieved with RDN in Absence of Anti-Hypertensive Medication Medtronic Receives FDA Breakthrough Device Designation for Symplicity Spyral Renal Denervation System DUBLIN, March 29, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Medtronic plc (NYSE:MDT), the global leader in medical technology, today announced first-ever clinical data from the SPYRAL HTN-OFF MED Pivotal Trial. The prospectively powered study of patients with uncontrolled high blood pressure (BP) not taking anti-hypertensive medications met its primary and secondary effectiveness endpoints, with a >99.9% probability of superiority for both versus those who received a sham control procedure. Additionally, there were no major device or procedural safety events through three months. The study was presented today as part of the American College of Cardiology together with the World Congress of Cardiology Scientific Sessions (ACC.20/WCC) and published simultaneously in The Lancet. The global, sham-controlled study evaluated 331 patients166 of whom were randomized to renal denervation (RDN), a minimally invasive procedure intended to regulate overactivity of nerves that lead to and from the kidney. Results showed a statistically significant 9.2 mm Hg reduction in patients office systolic blood pressure (OSBP) and 4.7 mm Hg reduction in 24-hour systolic ambulatory blood pressure (ABPM) at three months in those treated with the Symplicity Spyral RDN system. Blood pressure reductions were sustained consistently throughout the day and nighttime periods, which may offer an important benefit as cardiovascular risk is higher during the nighttime period. Anti-hypertensive medications (if prescribed) were discontinued for at least three weeks prior to randomization. These exciting results definitively demonstrate that RDN lowers blood pressure, including over the 24-hour period, said Prof. Michael Bohm, M.D., Ph.D., chief of cardiology at the University Hospital Homburg/Saar in Germany. These new findings complement the broader SPYRAL Program further reinforcing RDN as a treatment option for patients with uncontrolled hypertension. At three months, the study showed: RDN was superior to sham in all BP measures (24-hour ABPM and Office BP, systolic and diastolic). RDN had significantly greater BP reductions vs. sham control in both 24-hour systolic ABPM (4.0 mmHg, p<0.001), and office systolic BP ( 6.6 mmHg, p<0.001). As many patients with uncontrolled hypertension struggle to adhere to lifelong drug therapy for a variety of reasons and may look to other options that complement traditional treatments, we believe this advance could help clinicians work with patients to better manage their high blood pressure, said Dave Moeller, vice president and general manager of the Coronary and Renal Denervation business, which is part of the Cardiac and Vascular Group at Medtronic. Medtronic is committed to the field of renal denervation and in addressing the unmet need in hypertension management globally, and we look forward to seeing more insights from our industry-leading SPYRAL HTN clinical program as we realize the full potential of the therapy. Medtronic also recently received Breakthrough Device Designation by the FDA for the Symplicity Spyral renal denervation system. The FDA Breakthrough Device Program is intended to help patients receive more timely access to certain technologies, such as renal denervation, that have the potential to provide more effective treatment or diagnosis for life-threatening or irreversibly debilitating diseases or conditions. Hypertension is the single largest contributor to cardiovascular death; it dramatically increases risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure, and kidney failure. The annual direct costs of hypertension are estimated at approximately $400 billion worldwide. It is estimated that almost 20% of patients with uncontrolled hypertension are completely non-adherent to oral medications, while nearly half are partially non-adherent, highlighting the need for alternative treatment options. The SPYRAL HTN-OFF MED Pivotal Trial is part of the SPYRAL HTN Global Clinical Trial Program and accompanies the SPYRAL HTN-ON MED Trial and the SPYRAL DYSTAL Study. Along with the Global Symplicity Registry, conducted outside the United States, Medtronics renal denervation program includes more than 4,000 patients, studied in the presence and absence of medication, and in patients with high baseline cardiovascular risk. Approved for commercial use in more than 60 countries around the world, the Symplicity Spyral system is limited to investigational use in the United States, Japan and Canada. Analyst and Investor Briefing Medtronic will host a webcast on Sunday, March 29, 2020, from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time. The webcast will feature remarks on the company and recent clinical data announcements from the Medtronic Cardiac and Vascular Group management team. The live audio webcast can be accessed by clicking on the Investor Events link at http://investorrelations.medtronic.com on March 29. Within 24 hours of the webcast, a replay will be available on the same page. This event is not part of the official ACC.20/WCC program. About Medtronic Medtronic plc ( www.medtronic.com ), headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is among the world's largest medical technology, services and solutions companies - alleviating pain, restoring health and extending life for millions of people around the world. Medtronic employs more than 90,000 people worldwide, serving physicians, hospitals and patients in more than 150 countries. The company is focused on collaborating with stakeholders around the world to take healthcare Further, Together. Any forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties such as those described in Medtronic's periodic reports on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ materially from anticipated results. -end- Joey Lomicky Public Relations +1-763-526-2494 Ryan Weispfenning Investor Relations +1-763-505-4626 Landlords in Uttar Pradeshs Gautam Budh Nagar cannot force their tenants to pay rent for the month, the district administration has ordered in an attempt to stop hundreds of migrants from leaving after they were forced out of their jobs amid the nationwide coronavirus lockdown. The order was issued by BN Singh, the district magistrate, following reports that migrants workers from the district were going back to their villages as they had no money for food and rent. Singh said the order was issued as the movement of migrants can lead to the spread of Covid-19 and it was also important to ensure people have food and roofs over their head. Landlords can ask for rent after a month or even later if the time period is extended keeping the situation in mind. The order has also said migrants include both daily wage workers and employees of companies engaged in providing essential services. We are expecting that this move will encourage migrants to not leave their houses and the district. We will lodge an FIR against the landlords who will not follow the order. Strict legal action will be taken as per the disaster management act, Singh said. Under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, a person can be imprisoned up to one year along with a fine and it can reach up to two years if any life or loss of assets takes place following the act of the defaulter. Also read: Food, shelter in governments aid plan for migrants amid lockdown Officials have also provided a helpline number1120-2544700for tenants to lodge a complaint if they are harassed by their landlord for the payment of rent. Migrant workers in the district said the order has come as a relief. I live on rent with my family in Shahdara village and we were worried that how are we going to pay the rent on April 1. If the district magistrates order is followed then at least we will get some relief, Maya Rani, who works as a housemaid in a high rise in Noidas Sector 137, said. Ranis family is from Madhya Pradesh but they have decided to stay back. Also read: Noida fixes vendors for each sector for home deliveries of essentials amid coronavirus lockdown Sachin Bhati, a painter and resident of Shahdara village in Sector 142, said there are many who live in the area and are trying their best to reach their respective villages following the coronavirus outbreak. This decision of the administration is a relief but it will be great if they arrange vehicles for these people to reach their villages. Migrants really want to go back to their loved ones and home to feel comfortable, Bhati said. The district administration has also formed committees headed by sub-divisional magistrates to ensure that migrants are getting food and are not harassed by their landlords. I have been providing food packets to around 5000 migrants every day. There are migrants in every part of the district whom we are trying to reach out to provide food. Many locals have come forward who are providing for these people, Rajiv Rai, who is responsible for giving food packets to the migrants, said. Times Insider explains who we are and what we do, and delivers behind-the-scenes insights into how our journalism comes together. An important part of the 21st centurys cultural imprint will be the reclamation of black stories by black artists. With this in mind, and with contributions from African-American staff members across the New York Times newsroom, the Culture desk asked 35 black creative luminaries to discuss a work or peer from the previous two decades that has moved them. That project, which features interviews with Harry Belafonte, Oprah Winfrey, Lena Waithe and many others, was published online recently and appears in print in Sundays Arts & Leisure section. We wondered: Which 21st-century works and creators are moving the journalists behind the project? Here are a few of their responses. Tom Iljas, 81, and Liong May Swan, 78 exchanging vows at a clinic in Alexandra Hospital on Saturda, 28 March 2020. PHOTO: Kong Chong Yew SINGAPORE The distance from Singapore to Sweden, the aftermath of a debilitating stroke and even the coronavirus could not keep them apart. On Saturday morning (28 March), Swedish national Tom Iljas, 81, and Singaporean writer Liong May Swan, 78, were wed at a clinic in Alexandra Hospital after a decade-long romance that has seen the couple traverse many kilometres to see each other over the years. The ceremony was presided by Reverend Daniel Lee Kok-Peng and witnessed by fewer than 10 people, in line with social distancing measures. Now, our relationship has been cemented as husband and wife. I hope that we will be together for eternity, said Iljas in Bahasa Indonesia as the couple exchanged vows. Born in Jakarta, the retiree previously worked in the logistics industry and like his new bride, is a widower and has adult children. In response, Liong said, To me, the word fall in love is overrated, but love is more profound and everlasting. Love means a sense of commitment. Based on this, I will do my best to fulfil all these promises that I have made you today. Thank you very much for caring for me. Liong, a former translator at the Ministry of Defence, has written historical fiction novels set in Southeast Asia. Wedding plans thwarted The couple, who first met in an online community 10 years ago, had planned to hold a restaurant ceremony at Dempsey Hill earlier this month. However, just days before, Liong suffered a stroke on 16 March. In addition, social distancing measures imposed to combat the spread of COVID-19 meant a restaurant ceremony was no longer possible. But their plans would not be deterred. The couple requested that their solemnisation be held at Alexandra Hospital, where Liong is currently warded. She has been there since Wednesday, when she was transferred from National University Hospital. Hospital authorities obliged, with staff planning and organising the ceremony within three days and opening one of the clinics which are closed on Saturdays specially for the couple. Story continues Asked by reporters why they had decided to tie the knot, Iljas, who has three children and six grandchildren, said he had done so for Liongs sake. I share the Swedish value, that when a couple love each other, they dont need the certificate to legitimise that. But not May Swan. Liong, who has one son, added, I am more conventional. To me, getting officially married is very important if you want to live together. Being Singaporean, I do have this kiasu syndrome. I want it to be legalised. Their plans were also accelerated by Liongs deteriorating health Iljas wanted to stay by her side to care for her instead of letting her live on her own. He added that a long-distance relationship was very tiresome and expensive. A slow ember kind of thing Tom Iljas and Liong May Swan in Amsteradm in 2014, where they met in person for the first time. PHOTO: Alexandra Hospital Asked how their romance had blossomed, Liong replied, It was a slow ember kind of thing. It came to a realisation that the other person is the one that you want to spend the rest of your life with. Iljas recalled that they had a lot of common interests, particularly as they discussed her books. After talking online for three years, they finally decided to meet during a book launch in Amsterdam. Meeting in Frankfurt before driving to the Dutch capital, the couple then travelled all over Europe, to cities such as Barcelona and Paris. Over the years, the couple have visited each other many times, before finally deciding to get married earlier this year. Liong now hopes to recover enough so that she can begin a new life in Sweden with Iljas. She also had some advice for the younger generation, If you think you have found the right person, you dont have to wait until you reach our age to tie the knot. Theres no one good reason to prolong a good decision of a lifetime. She added, Although you can marry at any age, as long as you are ready, but theres a lot to be said if youre young, you have full energy to enjoy each other and to explore life. Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore Related stories: COVID-19: Amid rising infection numbers, some Singaporeans choose to remain in the US COVID-19: Public urged to buy food and groceries online, defer visiting malls COVID-19: Fine or jail for not observing at least 1-metre social distancing in public COVID-19: Bars and entertainment venues in Singapore to be closed till end-April or later COVID-19: Foreign students, long-term visit pass holders must get approval before coming to Singapore THE number of criminal cases reported this year has dropped by 3.2 per cent compared to the cases reported in the same period last year, Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Robert Boaz has said. The DCI told a press conference yesterday that 9,263 criminal cases were reported to the police between January and February this year compared to 9,572 criminal cases reported in the same period last year. There is decrease of 309 criminal cases compared to last year which is equivalent to 3.2 per cent drop in the number of criminal cases, said the DCI, while briefing reporters on the state of crime in the country for the past two months. Mr Boaz noted further that there was a 20.3-per cent decrease in the number of traffic cases reported between January and February this year compared to the number of traffic crimes reported in the same period last year. He said 425 traffic cases were reported between January and February this year compared to 533 traffic cases reported in the same period last year. There is a decline of 108 traffic offences compared to last year. This is equivalent to a 20.3-per cent drop, he said. Mr Boaz explained that peace is crucial for national and individual development, urging members of the public to cooperate with the police to maintain peace in the country. The state of the crime in the country keeps decreasing. We call on members of the public to continue cooperating with the police to maintain peace, he said. The DCI used the occasion to urge every member of the public to take precautions against the coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19). Let us not make fun of this disease. Every person should take precautions. This is a serious disease, he concluded. So far, the United Republic of Tanzania has reported 14 cases of Covid-19 with the first patient in the country confirmed to have recovered. Uruguay reported its first death linked to the novel coronavirus on Saturday, a former minister and ally of the ruling party, the government said. "With deep sadness we announce the first death due to coronavirus in Uruguay," Secretary of the Presidency Alvaro Delgado told a press conference, naming the victim as Rodolfo Gonzalez Rissotto. Gonzalez Rissotto was one of nine patients with the coronavirus who were in intensive care, Delgado said, adding his death was "all the more reason to reinforce the request to everyone to take care of themselves and stay home." President Luis Lacalle Pou paid tribute in a tweet. "A big hug for the family and friends of Rodolfo Gonzalez Risotto. Friend and counselor. RIP." Uruguay has reported 304 confirmed cases of the virus. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein may have killed himself in jail due to withdrawal from steroids, a pathologist has claimed. Dr Michael Hunter said Prince Andrew's friend, who died in August awaiting child sex abuse charges, could have been abusing the drug to build muscle and his libido. He said the former financier did not have access to them in New York's Metropolitan Correctional Center and got depressed - showing signs others must have noticed. Dr Michael Hunter said Jeffrey Epstein (pictured), who died in August awaiting child sex abuse charges, could have been abusing the drug to build muscle and his libido Epstein, 66, had fatty liver disease, according to his medical records, despite not being an alcoholic or obese. He also had a 'ripped' body for his age, which Dr Hunter suggested could have been down to steroid use. The forensic expert said according to the Express: 'Withdrawal from anabolic steroids has been linked to depression and suicidal thoughts. 'So if Epstein had a habit he was unable to maintain in jail, steroid abuse could have been a factor in his death.' Dr Hunter, whose comments will air in an episode of Autopsy: The Last Hours Of... in the US next Sunday, said he was satisfied Epstein killed himself. Epstein (pictured with Ghislaine Maxwell, the socialite accused of recruiting girls for his sex trafficking ring) had a 'ripped' body for his age, which Dr Hunter says may have been down to steroids But he picked up on the mystery of why the billionaire wrote a new will two days before he died, leaving 425million to a trust fund in the Virgin Islands. He said it was a clear indication the disgraced financier was about to try to kill himself, noting he had only recently been on suicide watch. Dr Hunter said it 'baffles' him why it was ignored and claimed it was the one aspect of his death that suggested others may have been involved. It comes after it emerged Prince Andrew enjoyed a close friendship with a neurosurgeon who worked as a science adviser to Epstein. The Duke of York, 60, went for dinners with Dr Melanie Walker, 48, who he jokingly referred to as a 'dork' and 'smarty pants'. The Prince allegedly got so close to American Dr Walker she attended the Queen's 'Dance of the Decades' party at Windsor Castle in 2000. Prince Andrew enjoyed a close friendship with a neurosurgeon who worked as a science adviser to his shamed paedophile friend Jeffrey Epstein The Duke of York, 60, went for dinners with Dr Melanie Walker, 48, who he jokingly referred to as a 'dork' and 'smarty pants' The party was held to mark four royal birthdays, including Andrew's 40th. Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, 58, the socialite accused of recruiting girls for Epstein's sex trafficking ring, also attended. A source told the Sun: 'This opens up more questions about Andrew's links to Epstein. He has to be more forthcoming.' Dr Walker is said to have met Epstein in 1992, when he told her he could get her an audition for a Victoria's Secret modelling job. She then stayed in a New York apartment building owned by Epstein. After graduating, Dr Walker was allegedly hired by Epstein as a science adviser at his foundation, from 1998 to 1999. The prince allegedly got so close to Dr Walker, an American, that she attended the Queen's 'Dance of the Decades' party at Windsor Castle in 2000, according to The Sun Andrew first met Dr Walker in New York in 1999, which is the same year he met Epstein. In a 2003 interview, Dr Walker praised the Duke, saying that 'he calls me Mel and addresses me "Hey Dork" or "smarty pants". She did insist that the pair were just friends who chatted 'mostly about science and medicine'. Epstein killed himself in New York last year while he was awaiting trial on charges of trafficking young women for sex. One of those women, Virginia Roberts, claimed she was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew three times when she was still a teenager. Andrew has repeatedly denied the claims and in November told Newsnight's Emily Maitlis: 'I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever.' question marks written reminders tickets A number of analysts have now reported the market is now pricing a 60% chance of a recession this year. We are now in the first bear market in more than 11 years. This serious shift in sentiment makes investing in companies like Cenovus Energy Inc. (TSX:CVE)(NYSE:CVE) and Vermilion Energy (TSX:VET)(NYSE:VET) a terrifying prospect for most. Why? Both companies have lost 3/4 of their value in just a few weeks. Determining whether these Canadian oil players are a falling knife or a deep value investment is the real question at this time. Markets are digesting probabilities around the severity of the coronavirus pandemic. In addition, markets are determining the overall impact of the monetary and fiscal stimulus plans in Canada and the U.S. continue to implement. Cenovus Cenovus is perhaps one of the bluest of blue chip Canadian oil sands operators and stands out among its peers. Due to its massive reserves and technological advances related to the extraction process for heavily oil, Cenovus has an extremely low production cost per barrel relative to its peers. Oil has taken a big hit due to the recent Saudi/Russia conflict heating up. Cenovus stock price has tanked, as profitability in the North American oil patch remains largely tethered to global oil prices. Operators like Cenovus remain price-takers. I expect that Cenovus stock price will rebound over the next year. Cenovus should perform well in the next five to 10 years. First, I dont see a realistic situation in which prices stay this low. Prices are currently below the average marginal cost of extraction in the industry. Second, Im quite sure that that the Canadian/Albertan government will do something to help companies like Cenovus. Such oil companies employ thousands of Canadians in high-paying, relatively low-skill labour. They will want to keep those voters happy. Vermilion Energy Vermilion Energy is in a similar situation to that of Cenovus. Even post-dividend cut, Vermillion has been hammered extremely hard of late. (By the way, this dividend cut is something the companys management team insisted would never happen). Story continues In scenarios like this, when oil producers effectively lose money on every barrel of oil extracted, the market simply begins to shift free cash flow (FCF) projection for the upcoming quarters and years. Therefore, this leads to a reduction in a companys share price. In the case of Vermilion, fundamentals in the oil patch simply trumped communication from the company. Bottom line Equities in Canadas oil patch are now exhibiting similar characteristics as call options on the ability of these companies to survive. The aggregate drop in cumulative market capitalization in this sector in early March indicates a much higher insolvency/bankruptcy risk for all energy players. This includes even those with relatively decently-sized operations like Cenovus and Vermilion. If you believe, as I do, that these prices are unsustainable, and were unlikely to see Alberta completely left out to dry by the federal government, then now may be the time to back up the truck. Stay Foolish, my friends. The post These 2 Stocks Have Lost 3/4 of Their Value in a Month: Time To Buy? appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada. More reading Fool contributor Chris MacDonald does not have ownership in any stocks mentioned in this article. The Motley Fools purpose is to help the world invest, better. Click here now for your free subscription to Take Stock, The Motley Fool Canadas free investing newsletter. Packed with stock ideas and investing advice, it is essential reading for anyone looking to build and grow their wealth in the years ahead. Motley Fool Canada 2020 - Deputy governor Gideon Saburi said he returned from Germany at a time the European nation had not been declared COVID-19 hotspot - The Kilifi leader claimed he sought medical assessment and was admitted for three days before being cleared of the infection - Unaware that he had contracted the virus, Saburi said he mingled with locals and attended burials owing to his position in the society Kilifi deputy governor Gideon Saburi has said it was not his intention to spread and infect his close contacts with coronavirus. Saburi who returned from Germany via Netherlands on March 6 was said to have interacted with county staff and held several public gatherings and spent at a Bamburi night club. READ ALSO: Curfew: Police spokesperson Charles Owino blames public for disrespecting order Kilifi deputy governor Gideon Saburi said it was not his intention to infect his colleagues with COVID-19. Photo: Gideon Saburi. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Mwanahabari aliyedhulumiwa na polisi wakati wa kafyu asimulia yaliyomfika However, speaking to Daily Nation on Saturday, March 28, the DG asked for forgiveness from anyone he may have wronged adding that he was a responsible citizen and above all, a father. I am very remorseful for bringing anxiety on coronavirus spread in Kilifi County and the entire country, and hope that people will find a heart to forgive me. I am a responsible person. I am a leader, a family man and a mentor to many. I did not do this on purpose, he apologised. Governor Kingi was among Kilifi county staff who got in contact with Saburi. He is in self-quarantine. Photo: Amason Jeffer Kingi. Source: Original The father of three said at the time he travelled to Germany, there were no clear guidelines on self-quarantine and the European nation had not been declared COVID-19 hotspot. However, on his return journey Saburi claimed he sought medical assessment and was admitted for three days before being cleared of the infection. Health CS Mutahi Kagwe listed Kilifi as one of the coronavirus hot spots in Kenya. He said Saburi will be prosecuted for refusing to self-quarantine. Photo: Ministry of Health. Source: Facebook He further claimed he proceeded to self-quarantine for three days before embarking on his daily programmes, there were reports he held meetings a day after his arrival from Germany. There were no clear guidelines set upon my return, I did not do that intentionally. I cannot be careless enough to roam around infecting other people knowing well that I have COVID-19, he said. Kilifi has registered at least six COVID-19 cases believed to have been as a result of contact with Saburi who is receiving treatment as Coast General Hospital isolation unit. Among Kilifi county staff who mingled with the deputy governor were Governor Amason Kingi and several departmental heads and other MCAs. He also interacted with locals at a burial of former county deputy governor's body guard. I attended funerals to condole with bereaved families and other gatherings in my rural home in Rabai, bearing in mind the nature of my job and position in society, he said. Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news. God is punishing Kenyans with Corona Virus: Corona Virus in Kenya | Tuko TV. Source: TUKO.co.ke A hospital in the United States has reportedly infused the blood of a recovered coronavirus patient into a critically ill patient in a bid to experiment with blood transfusion therapy. While the World Health Organisation announced that it will take at least 12 to 18 months for coronavirus vaccine, the prominent Houston hospital became the first medical facility in the country to try the experimental therapy. Dr Eric Salazar, who is a physician-scientist with Methodist's Research Institute, said that the therapy could be a vital treatment as a vaccine is going to take time. Salazar said in a statement, Convalescent serum therapy could be a vital treatment route because unfortunately there is relatively little to offer many patients except supportive care, and the ongoing clinical trials are going to take a while. READ: Coronavirus: Following In China's Footsteps, Vietnam Bans Wildlife Trade According to reports, the recovered coronavirus patient donated the blood plasma for what is known as the convalescent serum therapy. The concept of the therapy dates back to the Spanish flu pandemic in 1918. The President and CEO of Houston Methodist Hospital, Marc Boom, reportedly said that felt obligated to try the therapy as an infusion of convalescent serum can help save the life of a critically ill patient. Can help save lives Earlier this week, the Houston Methodist Hospital began recruiting blood plasma donors from approximately 250 patients who were tested positive for coronavirus. The donors were told to give a quart of blood plasma in a procedure, much like donating whole blood. While explaining the process, Boom said that the plasma for someone who has recovered from coronavirus contains antibodies made by the immune system to attack the virus. READ: Test Of Man Who Ended Life Fearing Having Contracted Coronavirus Returns Negative The Houston hospital hopes that transferring such plasma into a patient still fighting the virus may transfer the power of the antibodies onto healing. According to reports, the therapy was also tried during a diphtheria outbreak in the 1920s and several infectious disease outbreaks. The doctors at the hospital hope that if the therapy works it could be a more immediate treatment with a relatively abundant supply source as thousands of people have been recovered. Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned the governments against testing COVID-19 patients with medication not scientifically proven to fight the pathogen. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus issued the warning as the coronavirus cases around the globe surged up to 678,905. While speaking at a press conference, Tedros urged countries to refrain from therapeutics which have not been demonstrated to be effective in coronavirus treatment. (With PTI inputs) READ: Pope Francis Prays Alone In Saint Peter's Square During Coronavirus Pandemic READ: Coronavirus Claims More Than 30,000 Lives, Over 6,00,000 Infected Globally Despite an ever-growing list of activities and locations that are closing throughout Oregon during the coronavirus outbreak, there are still plenty of local hikes available that can offer an escape during a stressful time. Gov. Kate Brown issued a 'Stay Home, Stay Healthy order last week that, among other things, forced Oregon state parks to close March 23. Gyms, fitness centers and parks also were included in the mandate, leaving limited options to those looking for a workout in the coming weeks. But Benton County is surrounded by a number of easily-accessible hiking trails that are still open and available. One such spot, the Beazell Memorial County Forest, lies just 10 miles west of Corvallis and provides a pleasant glimpse of the Pacific Northwest. The first thing hikers will see when they reach the preserve is the historic Plunkett family barn, originally constructed in 1930, which now serves at the Beazell Forest Education Center. Beyond the barn lies a gravel trail that loops 1.51 miles through the forest and features several shorter hiking options for those who dont wish to navigate the South Ridge. Corvallis resident Ali Sarlak spends much of his time outdoors and said he frequents Beazell Memorial Forest because he is drawn to the alpine flowers along the trail and because he enjoys the easy access to the Plunkett Creek. I love this old-growth forest, Sarlak said. There is a beautiful variety of trees that are here. It makes it really interesting for me. Sarlak said he has noticed more people on trails around Benton County than usual in the past few weeks. I cannot imagine not being able to come out here, Sarlak said. The time we are going through is very hard for some of us to stay indoors and not get out. David Finlay and Shirlee Finlay moved to Corvallis a little over two years ago and were quickly drawn to the plethora of hiking locations in the area. They try to get out for a hike everyday in order to keep their yellow lab, Buddy, active, and said that the Plunkett Creek Trail is among their favorites. Its so scenic, David Finlay said. Its beautiful walking up along the creek ... the sound of the creek. They, too, said they have noticed an uptick in hikers at their favorite spots recently, but not to the point that it makes their walks less enjoyable. I hope that these areas where we can keep our distance from each other and all that, I hope they stay open, David Finlay said. Love 5 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 No-frills carrier GoAir on Saturday evinced interest in flying thousands of stranded migrant workers in various states to the airports closer to their homes amid the lockdown across the country, and said it has approached the government on this issue. With both passenger train and flight services shut till April 14 and no source of income due to the closure of all businesses, these migrant workers are stuck in major cities and looking for means to reach their native places. Some of whom have been forced to even walk to their home towns and villages regardless of the distance. Due to suspension of air services, the aircraft of all domestic airlines are grounded. India''s millions of migrant workers are the most affected sections of our society during the ongoing 21-day lockdown in view of COVID-19, the airline said. "In response to their plight and after seeing scenes of workers trying to walk hundreds of kilometres home with their families, including children, GoAir has reached out to the Civil Aviation Ministry and offered its services to fly these workers and their families to the airports closest to their homes," the airline said. Earlier, the airline on Thursday offered its grounded aircraft fleet, cockpit and cabin crew, and airport staff for carrying out emergency services and repatriation of citizens. The city-based airline flies to 35 destinations, 27 domestic and seven international ones. Also read: Coronavirus Live Updates: India enters Day 4 of lockdown; total cases rise to 854 Also read: Coronavirus pandemic: US announces $174 million aid to 64 countries, including India What do you do with 65,000 pounds of fresh produce that cant be used by the closed north Alabama restaurants you serve? If youre FreshPoint, a regional produce distributor based in Nashville, you give it away Saturday to laid off food service employees and anyone else who shows up. The company set up three distribution points on the Madison County Courthouse Square and at Taziki restaurants in south Huntsville and neighboring Madison. The hospitality industry are our people, Freshpoints Daeghan Hawke said. We wanted to help families in need, but especially those we work with on a daily basis in the hospitality industry and are out of work. We just wanted to step up and do our part. Things are obviously a little slower for all of us, and we had some food, she said, so we realized we could spare some and give it away. So we said, lets do it. Hawkes husband, Luke, is executive chef at Domaine South, a popular wine bar and restaurant on the square, so thats where the food giveaway was held. With the line going down the street and around the corner, Downtown Huntsville Inc. President and CEO Chad Emerson explained the spacing procedure. Cardboard boxes were placed a safe distance apart, and the line moved from flat box to box toward the food tables. We were getting too crowded, Emerson said. so now were playing hopscotch. Sheila Johnson from Hazel Green was one of the people in line. She left her restaurant job March 12 and was thankful for the fresh food. I have an autoimmune disorder, Johnson said. So, I cant go many places now. Another woman in line was an instructor from Alabama A&M University. She was picking up food for some elderly friends who couldnt make it downtown and held up a giant, fresh pineapple for a photograph. The giveaway was scheduled to end at 4 p.m., but Luke Hawke said the clock didnt matter. If theres a line and we have food, Ill stay here until its gone, Hawke said. Flash Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's wife said on social media on March 29 that she has received clearance from her doctor after having tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this month. "I am feeling so much better," said Sophie Gregoire Trudeau in a Facebook post, calling on everyone to listen and follow the health protocols and stay at home for the time being. The Prime Minister's Office announced on March 12 that Trudeau's wife had tested positive for COVID-19, and she has remained in self-isolation since then. The prime minister and the couple's three children showed no symptoms from the virus, but were also in isolation following medical advice. The total confirmed cases have reached 5,655 in Canada, including 61 deaths, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering. BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 29 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: Turkmenistan increased cement imports from Turkey in January through February 2020, the Ministry of Trade of Turkey told Trend. During this period, Turkmenistan imported cement from Turkey in the amount of $4.7 million, which is 4.78 times more than in the same period of 2019. Turkmenistan imported cement from Turkey in the amount of $3.5 million in February 2020, which is 9.6 times more compared to the same period in 2019. The export of cement from Turkey to world markets increased by 15.3 percent in January through February 2020, compared to the same period last year, amounting to $597.8 million. Cement exports from Turkey account for two percent of the country's total exports in January through February. Turkey exported $309.7 million worth of cement to world markets in February 2020,which is 16.3 percent more than in the same month of 2019. Cement exports from Turkey in February 2020 accounted for 1.2 percent of the country's total exports. Over the past 12 months (February 2019-February 2020), Turkey exported cement worth $3.5 billion. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu LOS ANGELES Concerned that thousands of migrant children in federal detention facilities could be in danger of contracting the coronavirus, a federal judge in Los Angeles late on Saturday ordered the government to make continuous efforts to release them from custody. The order from Judge Dolly M. Gee of the United States District Court came after plaintiffs in a long-running case over the detention of migrant children cited reports that four children being held at a federally licensed shelter in New York had tested positive for the virus. The threat of irreparable injury to their health and safety is palpable, the plaintiffs lawyers said in their petition, which called for migrant children across the country to be released to outside sponsors within seven days, unless they represent a flight risk. There are currently about 3,600 children in shelters around the United States operated under license by the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement, and about 3,300 more at three detention facilities for migrant children held in custody with their parents, operated by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. Barely 24 hours after the governor of Kaduna state, Mallam Nasir-El Rufai announced that he has tested positive for coronavirus, the comptroller a general of Immigration, Muhammed Babandede has announced same. Making the announcement in a recent statement, he said he has been in isolation since he returned from the United Kingdom on March 22. Read Also: Coronavirus: Suspend VAT Immediately, Tinubu Tells FG Today, I tested positive for COVID-19. I have been on self-isolation since my return from UK on Sunday 22nd of this month with British Airways in Lagos. I urge my loved ones, Immigration Officers and Nigerians to pray for me and all those affected. It is a very difficult time but we cant change what God destined for us. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 16:02:26|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, March 29 (Xinhua) -- A hundred firms listed on China's National Equities Exchange and Quotations, also known as the "new third board," have issued shares since the start of this year, raising 5.1 billion yuan (718.9 million U.S. dollars). From March 23 to 27, turnover on the board reached 1.789 billion yuan. As of Friday, the board had 8,762 listed firms. Ucar, a Chinese chauffeured car service provider, recorded the highest weekly transaction on the board, raising 182 million yuan. The exchange was launched in early 2013 to supplement the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges to serve small- and medium-sized enterprises. It is seen as an easier financing channel for small businesses, with low costs and simple listing procedures. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Alexander Cornwell (Reuters) Dubai, United Arab Emirates Sun, March 29, 2020 15:17 654 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206e23501 2 News Qatar-Airways,travel,coronavirus,COVID-19,lockdown,Airlines Free Qatar Airways will have to seek government support eventually, Chief Executive Akbar al-Baker told Reuters on Sunday, warning the Middle East carrier could soon run out of cash needed to continue flying. Several state have already stepped in to help airlines that have seen demand decimated almost overnight by the coronavirus outbreak, with the United States offering $58 billion in aid. Qatar Airways is one of few airlines continuing to maintain scheduled commercial passenger services and over the next two weeks expects to operate 1,800 flights. "We have receive many requests from governments all over the world, embassies in certain countries, requesting Qatar Airways not to stop flying," Baker said by phone from Doha. Read also: 'Nasi goreng' a hit on Qatar Airways flights The state-owned carrier is operating flights to Europe, Asia and Australia, ferrying passengers home who have been left stranded by the pandemic that has seen many countries close their borders. "We will fly as long as it is necessary and we have requests to get stranded people to their homes, provided the airspace is open and the airport are open," Baker said. However, he warned the airline was burning through cash and only had enough to sustain operations for a "very short period of time". "We will surely go to our government eventually for equity." Mollie Wilson Lyons, 65, has heart problems and fluid build-up in her lungs. She is not leaving her home in Montgomery for fear of the coronavirus, yet she faces being forcibly removed because of a pending eviction. If I was evicted and had nowhere to go with this congestive heart failure, it would be a great fear to me, said Lyons, whose daughter and grandson would also be removed. Lyons is relieved, however, that her eviction hearing is now postponed until April 17, after an order by the Alabama Supreme Court delaying in-person hearings. She also lives in Montgomery County, a place where the sheriff is holding off on physically removing tenants from their homes. Without a statewide moratorium on evictions, county sheriffs must now decide whether to put tenants out on the street. Evictions are still occurring by sheriffs department in some parts of the state. Mobile County, which carried out 2,466 unlawful detainers (a type of legal method for evicting someone) in 2019, is one where the sheriffs department is still performing evictions, a spokesperson there confirmed. But sheriffs in Jefferson, Montgomery and Madison, three of the states four top-evicting counties, with 5,543, 3,357 and 2,257 respective evictions in 2019, say they are not booting residents out due to the pandemic. You gotta have a heart, said Madison County Sheriffs spokesman Brent Patterson. Area homeless shelters are already full, and Alabamians are losing jobs, he said. Preliminary unemployment claims in the state reached 59,783 through Thursday. Claims from the week ending March 21 were 9,347, up from 1,675 the week before. How do you walk up in someone's home and remove them... when they have no place to go? Patterson asked. It's a bad time right now for everybody. On the federal level, HUD properties and rental houses with mortgages backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have suspended evictions, but the ruling does not cover all privately-owned rental units. Lyons is a retired newspaper home delivery manager for Gannett who says she has no retirement but lives on social security. Her husband passed away a few months ago. She says this is not her first eviction. Recently, she fell behind on rent while awaiting a widows benefit that she says is delayed, partly because of a bank account mix up and partly because of the virus. Her daughter, who lives with her, works in retail and had her hours cut because of the pandemic. Lyons grandson, who also lives with her, is finishing high school. I have to have a place to stay, and I have to have my money so that I can pay to have a place to stay, she said. Lyons eviction case for $1,550 in back rent was filed on March 5, but evictions are often a months-long process. To address concerns during a national health emergency, several cities and states around the country have enacted eviction moratoriums, including New York, Oregon and Washington state. Advocacy groups are calling for a similar measure for Alabama. "People cannot shelter in place if they have no shelter, said Carla Crowder, executive director of Alabama Appleseed. Moving forward on evictions would be devastating for vulnerable Alabamians, she added. Alabama Gov. Kay Iveys spokeswoman, Gina Maiola, said that a moratorium is not off the table. The governor is staying highly engaged on the evolving situation and will continue exploring any efforts to protect the people of Alabama, Maiola said in an email, adding that health and safety of Alabamians is paramount. Michael Godwin is an attorney who represents landlords in eviction cases. He says most of his clients understand the gravity of the current situation, but he hopes there will be adequate federal aid to the industry, which often operates on thin margins. Landlords and the attorneys who work heavy in the field of landlord representation are worried for their economic futures and the futures of their families, said Godwin. The Alabama Apartment Association did not respond to a request for comment. As the first of the month approaches, several tenants have reached out to Alabama Media Group saying their landlords sent letters stating that rent is due and threatening eviction if it is not paid. In other cases, landlords have offered to work with their tenants who might be facing hardship. Farah Majid, attorney for Legal Services Alabama, says the current state of limbo raises due process concerns. Typically once an eviction notice is served, a resident has seven days to file an answer before a default judgement can be entered. Majid worries tenants may not be able to respond now because courthouses are now closed, even as evictions continue to be filed. They (tenants) are not being given an opportunity to assert defenses or have their day in court, she said. Majid would like to see a nationwide ban on all evictions. Leigh Waite, 52, says she got an eviction notice in the mail recently. Her landlord claims she owes $2,200.09. Are people really going to evict people in the middle of this? Where am I going to go? she asked. Waite lives in Jefferson County, so she is unlikely to be put out in the immediate future. Facing eviction during a pandemic is a lot to deal with, she said. Waite recently got a divorce and lost her clinical coordinator job of 24 years. In search of income, she started her own business doing construction-site janitorial work. Now her jobs have slowed to a halt, and she feels lucky to get a day of work here and there. She recently sold her car and is borrowing rides to keep the apartment that is home to her 15-year-old daughter and her 81-year-old mother. I dont (know) which end is up half the time, she said of the situation. Its just hard for me to understand why its happening to me. On Sunday, U.S. Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.) called for a statewide moratorium on evictions. Birmingham Circuit Judge Bob Vance said he has stopped entering judgments that would result in evictions and knows of several other judges who have done the same. Folks, the eviction moratorium we just passed only applies to federally insured mortgage properties. For all others the State of Alabama should immediately amend the emergency order placing a moratorium on all evictions until this crisis passes. https://t.co/84axAF40hj Doug Jones (@DougJones) March 29, 2020 This article was updated to reflect that Alabamians have seven days to respond to an eviction before a default judgement, to reflect reactions from a couple of people and to add that this is not Lyons first eviction ROCHESTER, N.Y. New York clarified its guidance on hospital visitation to require hospitals to allow one support person to accompany women giving birth, and one support person at a time in pediatric emergency or hospitalization settings. In order to slow the spread of coronavirus in medical facilities, the state Department of Health had previously suspended all hospital visitation except when medically necessary, or when family members or legal representatives had to be present in an imminent end-of-life situation with an individual in the hospital. While parts of this guidance are still in place, the department clarified its position Friday to ensure hospitals allowed one support person, such as a partner, doula or parent, into labor and delivery settings and pediatric emergency settings, as long as the visitors arent showing symptoms of coronavirus. The Department considers one support person essential to patient care throughout labor, delivery and the immediate postpartum period, the departments statement read. Lake Huron Medical Center Senior Services and Volunteer Coordinatory Rosemary Hunger screens a hospital employee as she enters Thursday, March 26, 2020. As a precaution, every person who enters the hospital is pre-screened for symptoms of coronavirus. As of Saturday morning, more than 600,000 people had signed a change.org petition on the clarified guidelines, urging private hospitals in the New York City area to respect birthing mothers need to have in-person support from a loved one or birth worker. The New York Presbyterian Medical system had said it would ban all visitors March 30, even in the labor and delivery area, according to its website. We understand that this will be difficult for our patients and their loved ones, but we believe that this is a necessary step to promote the safety of our new mothers and children, New York Presbyterians statement read. Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City also banned visitors for labor and delivery, effective March 24, and only allowed one visitor for the duration of a babys stay in the neonatal intensive care unit, according to its website. In pediatric settings, the patient or family member/caregiver may designate two support people, but only one may be present with the patient at a time, the state health department said. Story continues All visitors must be screened for coronavirus symptoms like cough, shortness of breath or fever, as well as potential exposure to coronavirus in other settings, upon their entry into a clinical area of the hospital and every 12 hours after that. Hospitals were directed to work on providing other forms of communication between visitors and hospitalized individuals; some are trying to provide tablets at bedsides, for example. This article originally appeared on New York State Team: Coronavirus: NY hospitals must allow birthing mothers to have visitors Just weeks ago, he was bragging that Americas economy is the best its ever been and boasting of the creation of thousands of new jobs and a booming stock market the likes of which the world has never seen. At a rally in North Carolina, Donald Trump was at his swaggering showman best, as he stood before a thunderous crowd which was chanting Four more years! and Jobs! Jobs! Jobs! With a healthy economy, Washington insiders privately believed that Novembers presidential election was all but in the bag. Donald Trump, pictured, insisted As one pundit told CNN: Trump doesnt need to do that much. His core base loves him, the economy is booming and the Democrats are struggling to put up a credible alternative. Youd be a fool to bet against Trump. But that was before coronavirus. Seemingly overnight, the stock market crashed and yesterday New York even faced the threat of being quarantined. Trumps political future is hanging in the balance, and the big question is: will he go down in history as a one-term President? He didnt help matters yesterday afternoon when he told reporters: Some people would like to see New York quarantined because its a hotspot New York, New Jersey maybe one or two other places, certain parts of Connecticut quarantined. Im thinking about that right now. The threat to restrict travel to and from the three states shocked New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who said he could not see how a quarantine would work or help and that Trump had not mentioned it when they spoke just hours earlier. Meanwhile, the scale of the financial devastation caused by the virus is unprecedented. Markets rallied slightly last week with news of a $2.2 trillion economic stimulus package, but previous record gains have been wiped out. Its going to be fine, he said. Now over 1,800 Americans are dead ... January 22: We have it totally under control. Its one person coming in from China. Jan 30: We have a very little problem in this country at the moment. Only five people in US, all in good recovery. February 2: We pretty much shut it down coming in from China. Its going to be fine. Feb 10: It looks like by April, in theory, when it gets a little warmer, it miraculously goes away. Feb 24: The coronavirus is very much under control in the USA. Donald Trump insists the Covid-19 threat is under control Feb 25: Were doing a GREAT job of handling Coronavirus. Feb 26: Fake News is doing everything possible to make Caronavirus [sic] look as bad as possible. Were going very substantially down not up. Within a couple of days the number is going to be down to close to zero. Feb 28: First US death. March 4: He compares the virus to normal flu which kills between 27,000 and 77,000 people every year. Its very mild. Mar 9: The Fake News Media, and the Democrat Party, is doing everything within its semi-considerable power to inflame the situation. Mar 10: It will go away. Just stay calm. People are surprised I understand it. Every one of the doctors said, How do you know so much about this? Maybe I have a natural ability. Mar 13, national emergency declared: Ive always known this is a real pandemic. Mar 16: We have a problem that a month ago nobody ever thought about. In fact, it was a problem that everyone thought about apart from Trump. Mar 28: New York Times reports 113,031 positive tests, 1,895 deaths. Advertisement And with 3.3 million people filing for unemployment insurance, experts fear the jobless total could reach 15 million before the crisis abates. Many on Wall Street believe America is heading into the worst recession since the Great Depression of the 1920s and 1930s. And the Presidents erratic response to the crisis has been what one White House insider calls classic Trumpism. The source said: He started denying it was a crisis, and then when it became a crisis he blamed everyone else. He has flip-flopped on the message and made some very public missteps such as touting unproven medical cures and disagreeing with his own advisers. Hes shown flashes of temper. This has exaggerated all of his failings. Critics jumped on the fact that Trump initially dismissed the pandemic as a hoax dreamed up by his political rivals. And that he believed a cocktail of anti-malaria drugs and the imminent arrival of a miracle vaccine could be a cure. He also predicted the virus would wash away by itself. Trump then said he wanted America to come out of lockdown by Easter Sunday because I just thought it was a beautiful timeline. That was condemned by some of his own Covid-19 task force, including infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci, who said: I cant jump in front of the microphone and push him down. I dont want to embarrass him. You can look at a date but you have to be very flexible. Many called the Easter Sunday deadline reckless and say it could potentially cost millions of lives. Anger greeted Trumps opinion that the shortage of ventilators was being exaggerated. An emergency doctor at New Yorks Elmhurst Hospital said it was true it hadnt run out of ventilators but added: The only reason is because people are dying so fast. Alan Abramowitz, a political analyst at the University of Virginia, says that it will be the economic downturn more than anything that will very likely doom Trumps chances of winning a second term because he has staked his entire presidency on the booming economy. Abramowitz added: If the recession is severe the result could well be a defeat of landslide proportions. Clearly worried, Trump has gone on the offensive, calling Covid-19 the Chinese virus in a direct appeal to those voters who rallied to his Make America Great and Put America First cries in 2016. Trump has always done well with his fanbase by attacking foreigners and his America-against-the-world trope, a Washington insider said. A Gallup poll last week showed his approval rating at 49 per cent (up from 44 per cent earlier this month). Historically, presidential job approval increases when the nation is under threat George W. Bush enjoyed a 35 per cent surge after 9/11. And Americans are loathe to change leaders in times of crisis Franklin D. Roosevelt won a third term on the eve of the Second World War, while George W. Bush clinched his second term after sending troops into Iraq. Trump, as bullish as ever, has awarded himself 10 out of 10 for his handling of the pandemic. The Wall Street Bull, pictured, is seen standing on a nearly empty Broadway in the financial district in New York City, as the coronavirus outbreak empties the streets His strategists are also aware that Americas political geography may end up aiding the President. Democrats hold big cities such as New York and Los Angeles, which have been hit hard by the virus. In contrast, most Trump supporters live in rural states and the Midwest a vast area that has not been as badly affected by the virus so far. Inevitably, the crisis has shoved Trumps most likely opponent, Joe Biden, off prime-time television. Its Trump, Trump, Trump every day, said a CNN source. If he can start to control the narrative, it will be hard to get any opposing views in front of the American people. Ultimately, Trumps staking it all on his economic stimulus package and the lockdown working. If it works, he will cruise back into the White House. If there is a huge death toll and the economy tanks, then Trumps gone. The truth is no one can predict where this is heading. Eight months is a long time in politics. And in this new world we are in, it is an eternity. Wow. What a week. Only a few days ago I was sitting at my desk in Lausanne, Switzerland, wondering how I should approach my mooting assignment on human rights and international law. Now I am 11889 metres above sea level and under four hours away from Brisbane International Airport. Something came up When choosing where to complete my exchange semester, I imagined that choosing Switzerland would mean peacefully living in a country that discussed international relations yet avoided all of the effects of real-world issues. To say that things have been taking unexpected turns lately would be an understatement. I didnt particularly want to add to the discussion of COVID-19, but the precautions that countries all over the world are taking has completely interfered with my expectation of the next few months. As a result of packing up and traveling home with such short notice and not enough sleep, this is my first chance to really process what is going on. For the last two years, I have had this abroad study in mind. After completing several trees worth of paperwork, I was finally there; at university in Switzerland, meeting new people, travelling to new places and using my French day-to-day. Everything was living up to my expectation of how this semester would go; until the coronavirus made news. I dont want my focus to be on the coronavirus, but I am really thankful that through this situation, I am able to see how God is in control, whether our expectation matches reality, or not. Even good plans can change Often when I think about God stepping in and taking our plans in a different direction, I assume that it is because the plans were not pleasing or honouring to Him. At first, I was a little bit confused when the idea of returning to Australia early came about. As a result of putting so much prayer and thought into living overseas for six months, I knew that it was where God wanted me to be. Despite this confidence, I questioned if I had come to Switzerland out of my own will and was ignoring Gods intentions for me. My other thought was, perhaps I should stay in Switzerland and endure the tests and trials that come along. All of these thoughts spun around in my head as I tried to articulate them to my parents over the phone. I stumbled across Romans chapter 8, verses 31-39. It speaks of how we, through Christ, are more than conquerors and that nothing is able to separate us from His love. A pastor at my church once said something about this passage that opened my eyes to reality a little bit more. He said, how can we be conquerors if there is nothing to conquer? These thoughts helped me realise that this coronavirus situation is not righting my wrongdoing; it is actually just part of the reality that Jesus told us about. As followers of Christ, we were never promised a perfectly blissful life. In fact, Jesus tells us that we will face difficulties during our time on earth. I have told you these things, so that in me may you have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. (James 16:33) Sometimes, even good plans change. Why? Because that is the reality of life on this side of heaven. But with God, we can be comforted by the reality that God is in full control during these times. Our reality as children of God The general connotation of the saying expectation versus reality presents reality as the negative aspect. Admittedly, I have written from this same perspective thus far. However, I believe that as children of God, the reality that we are presented with far exceeds any expectation that we could imagine. Steven Furtick, founder and lead pastor of Elevation Church, has a series of short motivational podcasts that speak truth derived from the Word. One of my favourites is titled I can handle it. This podcast gives us a reality check of what we are promised as followers of Christ. Considering the current situation of COVID-19 and how it is affecting the lives of people throughout the world, I think it is important to remind ourselves of the following points that Steven makes: Today is a new day. It will bring brand new blessings and brand new battles. But within every uncertainty, there is hidden possibility. And my confidence is not in my circumstances. The Spirit of God is my supply. Im steady under pressure and ready for whatever cause whatever comes my way today, the outcome is; I overcome. Christ is in me. I am enough. I can handle it. And He who called me is faithful. His strength in me is greater than any pain I feel or enemy I face. The promise of God is mine for the taking. Every plan He has made is guaranteed to come to pass. So bring the battle. Im ready now. Ive got something for Goliath. I can handle it. Im not nervous about whats next cause my eyes are on the throne. I trust the One whos in complete control. And whatever happens, I can handle it. The number of announced coronavirus cases in New Jersey hit five figures on Saturday. With a reported 2,262 new positive tests on Sunday, the state total now stands at 13,386. The days announcement also brought an additional 21 deaths related to COVID-19, bringing the death toll to 161 in the state. Go to the N.J. Coronavirus Tracker to see the full spread across the state. We are now into five digits, as we predicted, said Gov. Phil Murphy, at the pace we expected. Not seeing the above chart? Click here. Saturday marked the second straight day on which N.J. recorded its largest one-day increase in COVID-19-related deaths. State Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said of the 29,822 coronavirus tests that have been conducted, 10,436 have come back positive -- a 35% rate. Not seeing the above chart? Click here. Bergen County has a state-high 2,169 cases, though there are now 3,030 cases under investigation that do not yet have a location attached to them. The numbers will continue to rise as testing sites continue to open around the country. Mercer County will open an appointment-only testing site in Lawrence on Tuesday. Not seeing the above chart? Click here. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. Nick Devlin and Disha Raychaudhuri are reporters on the data & investigations team. Derailed by the Great Recession as youths, US millennials fear the financial toll of the pandemic. New York, United States Thirty-nine-year-old Jon Bernier is co-owner of Tiny Fish Printing company in Rochester, a city in northern New York State. Last week, he laid off all of his 32 employees after business plummeted 90 percent following Governor Andrew Cuomos order to shutter all non-essential businesses to halt the spread of coronavirus. Theres not much left to print, he told Al Jazeera. Everything kind of fell off. The blow to his business is even more stressful, given Berniers increasing personal responsibilities. He and his girlfriend Stephanie, already parents of a one-and-a-half-year-old son, are expecting their second child a daughter- in May. Berniers mother, who suffers from dementia, recently had a stroke, but he cant see her because the care home where she lives has barred visitors as a precautionary measure against coronavirus. I definitely have anxiety about all of it, but I dont like to dwell, he said. Further south in New York state, on the island of Manhattan, Emily Reddix, a 32-year-old retail manager, had just finished what she described as a good cry. The owner of Pachute, the womens clothing boutique she manages, called to tell her that all four store locations were closing until further notice. Am I going to lose my job? Am I going to completely deplete my savings? Reddix asked Al Jazeera. I worry a lot that small businesses wont be able to bounce back from this. On Thursday, the United States Department of Labor reported that a staggering 3.28 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week as the first wave of coronavirus layoffs hit the economy. For millennials those born between 1981 and 1996, as defined by the Pew Research Center the economic fallout of the pandemic is a grim reminder of the financial vulnerability they felt during the 2007-2009 Great Recession, when many of them were just entering the workforce. Were all going to be starting over after this Reddix moved to New York in the summer of 2009, after graduating from Radford University in Virginia with a degree in fashion design. Like many of her peers at the time, she could not find paid employment in her field. There were only unpaid full-time internships, she said. Unable to gain a foothold in fashion design, she took a retail job instead, and slowly worked her way up to management. Now she fears all of her professional gains could be undone by the coronavirus pandemic. Were all going to be starting over after this, Reddix told Al Jazeera. Im scared whether I can financially handle this. And being in retail, I worry whether people are going to shop the same way they did after this is over. Pachutes Upper East Side location, which will remain closed until further notice as New York City battles coronavirus [Courtesy: Emily Reddix] While those from Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980) or even Baby Boomers (born 1946 to 1964) may share similar worries, economists say it is the estimated 73 million millennials in the US believed to be the countrys largest generational cohort who could suffer the greatest financial setbacks from the pandemic. Among the reasons why many millennials are entering this crisis on less secure financial footing than older generations. Because many millennials were slower to enter the job market during or just after the Great Recession and often took jobs that may not have paid well, nor had benefits, their income, savings rates and retirement savings have lagged behind those of previous generations, Camille Busette, senior fellow of economic studies at the Brookings Institution, told Al Jazeera. Millennials are lagging on key economic milestones compared with older generations. In 2018, 15 percent of millennials lived with their parents compared with eight percent of Boomers and nine percent of Gen Xers when they were the same age, according to data compiled by the Pew Research Center. Millennials also have lower levels of accumulated wealth than previous generations, and are starting families later. Millennials never recovered from the 2008 recession. They just got on their feet and now theyre knocked sideways yet again, Jill Filipovic, the author of OK Boomer, Lets Talk, told Al Jazeera. Filipovic points out that the crisis is striking older millennials at a pivotal moment in their financial lives. This is when were scaling up to that peak to save for retirement, buy a house, have a family. It is so financially devastating, she said. When Daniel Saldarriaga moved to New York in 2002 with his father from Guayaquil, Ecuador, he wanted to go to college. But those plans were derailed because he needed to earn money to help support his family. Now 35, Saldarriaga is an assistant manager at Grandaisy Bakery in the downtown neighbourhood of Tribeca in Manhattan. Unlike many shops in the city, the bakery is still open because it is considered an essential business. But many staff have been laid off. It was a snowball effect. We had 80 employees, and now were down to 13. We just sent everyone home, Saldarrianga told Al Jazeera. I dont see us being open for more than two weeks. The income is gone. We are hanging by the skin of our teeth. It was a snowball effect. We had 80 employees, and now we're down to 13. We just sent everyone home. Daniel Saldarriaga, 35, retail assistant manager at Grandaisy Bakery in Tribeca, NY, United States Saldarriaga disagrees with New Yorks lockdown order, because he thinks there are greater things to fear than COVID-19. Ive seen extreme poverty growing in Ecuador. The need to feed your family the fear of losing that overrides the fear of any disease or virus, he said. When there were people dying from dengue fever in Ecuador, the first cry for help was always we dont have money, what are we going to do?, said Saldarriaga. Even as sick and poor as you are, you would rather be sick but at least know that you have a job, than sick and have no job. A lifetime of ramifications On Friday, President Donald Trump signed into law a $2 trillion coronavirus relief package. Measures in the legislation designed to help workers include one-off direct cash payments of $1,200 for individuals and up to $2,900 for families who qualify; a $600 federal weekly top-up on state unemployment benefits; extended jobless benefits for contractors, the self-employed and gig workers; and deferred payments on federal student loans and government-backed mortgages. The law also extends a lifeline to small businesses to help them stay afloat. With $1,200 in rent due in April, Reddix is hoping that the one-off cheque promised under the federal relief package will arrive sooner rather than later. But she still worries about what happens after it is cashed. If this goes on for months, were all going to need more than that, she said. Bernier is filling out forms for loans and grants available to small businesses under the federal relief package, and trying to land work with hospitals, healthcare facilities, and utility companies to earn an essential business designation. If he can, he reckons he can reopen his printing shop before the lockdown lifts and hire back at least six of the 32 employees he was forced to lay off. But whenever hes back in businesses, he hopes it returns to normal as swiftly and suddenly as it was forced to shut down. This is far worse than the Great Recession, he said, because it happened so fast. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 12:24:45|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Two vendors wearing facial masks are seen in Guerrero, Mexico, March 28, 2020. Latin America on Saturday reported a general increase in the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the region, which prompted further measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. (Photo by Franyeli Garcia/Xinhua) MEXICO CITY, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Latin America on Saturday reported a general increase in the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the region, which prompted further measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Chile reported 1,909 cases with six deaths. Following the declaration of a 90-day state of emergency over the health crisis last week, the Chilean government has enacted a number of measures, including an overnight quarantine and the closure of national borders to non-residents. The first death from the coronavirus was reported in Cuba on Saturday, bringing the total to 119, said the Ministry of Public Health. In Colombia, the number of confirmed cases increased from 539 to 608, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection reported on Saturday, with most of the new cases registered in the capital of Bogota. Authorities in several cities across the country have begun to adapt exhibition centers and other large venues for receiving future coronavirus patients. Ecuador announced on Saturday that the total number of COVID-19 case in the country has risen to 1,823 with 48 deaths. Ecuador's Integrated Security Service, known as ECU 911, reported that it has received 9,723 complaints of gatherings of more than 30 people during the health emergency. Large gatherings have been banned by the government in an effort to combat the virus. The government also announced on Saturday that non-essential traffic would be restricted to only two days a week, depending on the plate number of vehicles. Mexican health professionals in four northern states on Saturday held a video conference with Chinese health experts from the southern Chinese city of Dongguan who shared the experience in fighting the virus and gave insight on how to control the epidemic. "The learning curve of our doctors is reduced when exchanging experience with doctors who have had much contact with COVID-19 patients," said Alonso Perez, secretary of health for the state of Baja California. Also on Saturday, the Argentine government announced that it has begun distributing medical supplies to health centers throughout the country, as the number of COVID-19 cases in the country has increased to 690 with 17 deaths. The Brazilian government announced that the country's total number of cases has risen to 3,904 with 114 deaths, urging citizens to continue taking preventive measures such as social distancing and self-isolation. The Dominican Republic raised the number of cases in the country to 719 on Saturday, with 28 deaths reported. On Saturday, Peru raised its total to 671 cases with 16 deaths, compared with a total of 95 cases with three deaths in Honduras and 295 cases in Costa Rica. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks to the media at the Javits Convention Center which is being turned into a hospital to help fight coronavirus cases, in New York City on March 24, 2020. (Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images) Cuomo Threatens to Sue Rhode Island Over Crackdown on CCP Virus-Fleeing New Yorkers New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he would take legal action against Rhode Island after Gov. Gina Raimondo said police would stop cars with New York license plates. New York currently has the most CCP virus cases in the United States, confirming more than 50,000 patients and at least 700 deaths, according to data provided on Sunday morning. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys cover-up and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China before it was transmitted worldwide. I understand the goal but theres a point of absurdity, and I think what Rhode Island did is at that point of absurdity, said Cuomo, a Democrat, in a weekend news conference. We have to keep the ideas and the policies we implement positive rather than reactionary and emotional. According to photos, videos, and reports from The Associated Press and other news outlets, the Rhode Island National Guard started going door-to-door on Saturday in some coastal locales to tell New Yorkers that they need to self-quarantine for 14 days. A reporter from Fox Providence posted a video showing National Guardsmen and Westerly Police going to three homes that have cars with New York plates. New York Army National Guard Soldiers distribute food parcels in Westchester County, N.Y. on March 12, 2020. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Col. Steve Rowe) Rhode Island Police also set up a checkpoint on Interstate 95 in Hope Valley on Friday. Drivers with New York license plates were asked to stop and give contact information before being told to self-quarantine for two weeks, it was also reported. Raimondo, a Democrat, said that New Yorkers who dont comply will face jail time and fines. I want to be crystal clear about this: If youre coming to Rhode Island from New York you are ordered into quarantine. The reason for that is because more than half of the cases of coronavirus in America are in New York, she told reporters over the weekend, according to AP. Cuomo said that the moves and Raimondos statements were reactionary and go against the Constitution. Were talking to Rhode Island now, Cuomo said, according to WPRI. If they dont roll back that policy, Im going to sue Rhode Island, because thats clearly unconstitutional. .Federal Government. A quarantine will not be necessary. Full details will be released by CDC tonight. Thank you! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 29, 2020 Well work it out amicably Im sure, Cuomo added. We have conversations going back and forth. President Donald Trump on Saturday also said that he was considering a type of quarantine to prevent people in parts of New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey from traveling. Later on Saturday, he wrote on Twitter that a travel advisory should instead be the course of action taken rather than an outright quarantine. It came after Cuomo criticized the quarantine proposal, suggesting that it would be difficult to implement. Migration to rural areas adds new risks, time to ramp up testing in rural areas Use opportunity to strengthen primary health care system Post lockdown, data-driven approaches will help Continue focus on testing and isolation This virus does not respect age, gender, social status or nationality We are to fight it united Dr Soumya Swaminathan, Chief Scientist at the World Health Organisation (WHO), is arguably best placed to advise on how things stand and what India should be focusing on now. Having seen India closely, as the former director general of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) between 2015 and 2017, she is aware of the challenges that India faces, including that of the practical difficulty of ensuring social distancing in a country where many in poor households share the same roof and even bathroom. Her solution for this is simple. "People need to understand why certain steps are taken and encouraged to cooperate. Simple measures like washing hands, maintaining personal hygiene and not spitting in public places can go a long way," Swaminathan said during a telephonic interview with Business Today ALSO READ:Coronavirus crisis: Spain's Princess Maria Teresa first royal to die from COVID-19 She feels India should use this opportunity to strengthen its primary healthcare system. Talking about her latest concern, Swaminathan says, "The risk now is around the reports in media on the mass migration of people, millions of them apparently, back to rural areas from the cities. This means testing will have to be ramped up in rural areas also." Swaminathan has been particularly excited about WHO's 'Solidarity Project' aimed at ramping up clinical trials for coronavirus drugs. "This virus does not respect age, gender, social status or nationality. We have to fight it United." Excerpts from the interview: How do you see things in India? Many countries are facing problems, be it India or Europe or any other part of the world. Various countries are facing challenges in their own way. We all definitely have a huge challenge before us. Typically, this calls for a co-ordinated strategic response plan that encompasses a short-term, medium-term and long term response. Now that a lockdown has been enforced, what is needed is focus on testing and everything that follows testing, in terms of isolating the infected person, providing treatment, and quarantining the people the infected person came in contact with. ALSO READ:Coronavirus vaccine: Zydus, Serum Institute among 43 global firms in race Based on your reading of data from India, what do you see as the way forward and the key concern now? Even when the lockdown is eventually lifted, certain community interventions will need to be put in place because you need to ensure some amount of physical distancing (not social distancing) such as banning of mass gatherings. This again has to be based on data. My reading of the Indian data is that most of the cases have occurred in cities. The risk now is around the reports in media on the mass migration of people, millions of them apparently, back to rural areas from the cities. This means testing will have to be ramped up in rural areas also. The good thing is that there are different platforms and diagnostics tests becoming available and testing capacity being rapidly ramped up. Medical experts tell us that we will need large number of PPEs, as many as 2.4 crore PPEs by some estimates, and we are only now reaching out to manufacturers to make them and there are only four kits approved with some first time kit-makers. Also, many private testing labs are not having enough stock of kits and we are told if the lockdown time is not optimally used for testing, it could complicate matters. So, what do we do? What journalists can do is to report reality from the ground. I feel the social and economic impact in India, as in other countries, is extremely important to take into account. What is needed is a strategy that will be implemented for the next few months and I believe the Indian government is working on it. We need to balance people's basic needs as well as take care of public health. You have to keep the virus under control. You also have to minimise the difficulties to people, especially the poor and the vulnerable. There are different strategies different countries have used. For instance, in Singapore, China and South Korea, the mainstay was actually testing. Without expanded testing, you will not know where your cases are and you will also not know where the clusters are. ALSO READ:Coronavirus crisis: Pakistan has over 12,000 suspected cases; positive infections rise to 1,495 So, your emphasis remains on testing? From the beginning, WHO has said we need targeted approaches based on the stage of the epidemic and local situation. The national lockdown should be accompanied and followed by data-driven approaches and the only way for that is to ramp up testing. It goes back to what the director general of WHO, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in one of his press conferences that you cannot put out a fire blindfolded. How important is communication and what is your advice to governments on communication? I have often said that communication is critical at such times and the public must know what is happening. So greater the communication, the better. People need to understand why certain steps are taken and (should be) encouraged to co-operate. Simple measures like washing hands, maintaining personal hygiene and not spitting in public places can go a long way. We should use this opportunity to strengthen our primary healthcare system. Finally, it is important to avoid stigmatising individuals and families with COVID infection. Instead, we should support them and ensure their recovery. This virus does not respect age, gender, social status or nationality. We have to fight it united. ALSO READ:Coronavirus: No lockdown in New York; US death count crosses 2,000 China says it is increasingly concerned about a spike in infections coming from abroad and several other countries across Asia have taken similar measures. China says it is increasingly concerned about a spike in COVID-19 infections coming from abroad. Last week, the mainland closed its borders to all foreigners, except those coming from Hong Kong and Macau. Several other countries across Asia have taken similar measures, including Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand. Al Jazeeras Sarah Clarke reports. Life in locked-down Britain may not return to normal for six months or longer as it battles the coronavirus outbreak, a top health official warned on Sunday, as the death toll reached more than 1,200. Deputy chief medical officer Jenny Harries said it would take two or three weeks to assess the impact of the current rules for people to stay at home wherever possible to limit the spread of COVID-19. "If we are successful, we will have squashed the top of that (infection) curve, which is brilliant," she told the government's daily conference. "But we must not then suddenly revert to our normal way of living -- that would be quite dangerous. If we stop then, all of our efforts would be wasted and we could potentially see a second peak." She said measures to contain the virus would be reviewed every three weeks, "probably over the next six months" or even longer -- but stressed that did not necessarily mean a full lockdown for that long. "Gradually we will be able to hopefully adjust some of the social distancing measures and gradually get us all back to normal," Harries said. Britain has been on lockdown for a week, with non-essential shops and services closed and people told to stay at home except for daily exercise, to get groceries or help vulnerable people. The measure was introduced amid fears the virus was spreading more rapidly than expected. New figures on Sunday revealed that 1,228 people with coronavirus have now died in Britain -- an increase of 209 on the previous 24 hours. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is among more than 19,500 people who have tested positive for COVID-19. He is currently holed up in his flat above his Downing Street office, but officials say he has mild symptoms and remains "fully in charge". Professor Neil Ferguson of Imperial College London, one of the epidemiologists advising the government, told the Sunday Times he believed the lockdown could last until "the end of May, maybe even early June". In a leaflet being sent to more than 30 million British households in the coming days, Johnson warned that "things will get worse before they get better". "The more we all follow the rules, the fewer lives will be lost and the sooner life can return to normal," the prime minister wrote. But he added: "We will not hesitate to go further if that is what the scientific and medical advice tells us we must do." Harries also warned that the death toll would continue to rise until the lockdown started to have an effect. "We actually anticipate that our numbers will get worse over the next week, possibly two," she said, but should then fall. A top ear, nose and throat surgeon was on Sunday named as one of the victims of coronavirus. Amged El-Hawrani, 55, died in hospital in Leicester in central England. His family said he was a "loving and much-loved husband, son, father, brother and friend". Separately, senior government minister Michael Gove accused China, where coronavirus first emerged, of failing to alert the world as to its severity. "Some of the (early) reporting from China was not clear about the scale, the nature, the infectiousness of this," he told BBC television. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (Bloomberg Opinion) -- It doesnt matter that the United States surpassed China this week in reported Covid-19 cases because those numbers (83,507 and 81,782 respectively as of March 26) dont tell us how many people actually became infected in either country. Nor do they tell us how fast the disease is spreading, since only a tiny portion of the population in the United States has been tested. The numbers are almost meaningless, says Steve Goodman, a professor of epidemiology at Stanford University. Theres a huge reservoir of people who have mild cases, and would not likely seek testing, he says. The rate of increase in positive results reflect a mixed-up combination of increased testing rates and spread of the virus. We will need more complete data, smarter data and more coordinated data to communicate something meaningful about the extent of Covid-19 in the United States, how many people are likely to die, which hospitals are likely to be swamped and whether drastic changes in the way Americans live will start to slow down the spread of the virus. With a population of 1.5 billion people, Chinas some 80,000 cases look like a rounding error, says Nigam Shah, an assistant professor of biomedical statistics at Stanford. And Indias claim of some 754 cases probably reflects a severe lack of tests not that the disease there is still so rare. The positive tests say little about how many people are dying or will die, since most cases are mild. What should we be watching instead? One possibility is hospitalizations. That idea was put forward by statisticians Jacob Steinhardt, an assistant professor from UC Berkeley, and Steve Yadlowsky, a graduate student at Stanford who specializes in analyzing health care data. They argue that rate of increase in hospitalizations could reflect the growth of the disease without being distorted by changes in the testing rate. Measuring death rates can eventually track the speed with which Covid-19 is spreading as deaths represent a fraction of cases. But theres a lag of some three weeks between infection and death. Hospitalizations give an intermediate point, as Steinhardt and Yadlowsky explain: They estimate that it takes between 11 and 14 days for someone to get sick enough to show up at the hospital. Rates of increase in Covid-19 patients admitted to the ICU can provide additional useful data. Story continues These numbers might not accurately reflect the growth of the disease, however, if the hospitals or their ICUs become overwhelmed, start turning people away or raise the threshold for how sick you have to be to be admitted. But collecting this kind of data can help prevent that from happening, said Stanfords Shah. If we all behave responsibly, he says, then we can turn what would have been a hospital capacity problem into a logistics problem. Once you have a handle on the rate of new Covid-19 patients admitted to hospitals and ICUs, you can start to forecast how many more will arrive in coming days. Stanfords Goodman said that hes confident scientists will eventually collect the data we need to understand this pandemic and how its playing out in the United States. Right now we are floundering in a sea of ignorance about who is infected and the fate of people who are infected, he says. Though death rate figures of around 1% have been tossed around, Goodman says hes skeptical that anyone knows the death rate of this disease since we dont know the true rates of infection. And we cant identify the most vulnerable groups. Theres this delusion being disseminated that its all about age, he says. He thinks that since 95% of deaths to date in New York City were of people who had pre-existing conditions, this is the bigger risk factor. But since age is a risk factor for many of those conditions, the two are correlated. He could figure it out if he could get data on pre-existing conditions broken down by age, but says the New York health department wont release that data. It matters a lot, he says, since were shaping policies around who is most vulnerable. We should find out who they are. They should know who they are. Some other useful data could easily be collected at testing sites. As doctors Farzad Mostashari and Ezekiel Emanuel pointed out last week in STATnews, health departments should tally not just positives but total tests, and record demographic and symptom information on all the test takers. Much of that isnt collected or coordinated. Random sampling would help too, agree both Shah and Goodman, to estimate the number of mild or asymptomatic cases and get at the true total. And then theres the promise of widespread antibody testing, which could reveal how many people in a given sample had been infected in the past. With attention to the right kinds of data, scientists can soon assess whether lockdowns and social distancing efforts are slowing the rate of spread in the United States. Any dent weve made in new infections should start to show up in data on hospital admissions in a week or two. Trump promised Americans we could ease up on restrictions by Easter, while most scientists would like to wait until they can base such changes on evidence. Goodman says at this point, figuring out what to do next is like building an airplane in the air. In a later phase of the pandemic, we might be able to focus more on mass testing and quarantining people known to be sick or exposed. We probably cant responsibly stop lockdowns by Easter, but we may know enough by then to start to think about the timing and nature of an exit strategy. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners. Faye Flam is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. She has written for the Economist, the New York Times, the Washington Post, Psychology Today, Science and other publications. She has a degree in geophysics from the California Institute of Technology. For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. By Express News Service VIJAYAWADA: In the biggest spike in COVID-19 cases in the State so far, six persons tested positive for the virus on Saturday, taking the total number of cases to 19. Two each cases were reported in Guntur and Prakasam and one each in Kurnool and Krishna. Two youths from Macherla, who were admitted to the government fever hospital in Guntur on March 26, tested positive. The duo were primary contacts of the 55-year-old man from Guntur, who went to attend a religious meet at Nizamuddin Mosque in New Delhi and returned to Guntur on March 19. His relatives were kept in an isolation ward at a private hospital. A 60-year-old man from Chirala in Prakasam district and a 50-year-old woman from the same place tested positive for COVID-19. According to the medical bulletin issued by the government, the 60-year-old patient travelled from Chirala to Ongole and from there to Delhi by train on March 13. The next day, he reached Delhi and for four days till March 17, he stayed at Bangla Mosque. He arrived in Vijayawada on March 18 by Duronto Express from Delhi. On the same day, he travelled to Ongole in Jan Shatabdi Express and stayed at his sons house. On March 19, he travelled from Ongole to Chirala and took a share auto to home. On March 26, he developed coronavirus symptoms and was shifted the GGH in Ongole by 108 ambulance. Samples were taken and he tested positive. A 50-year-old woman, a contact of patient number 17, travelled from Ongole to Chirala along with him on March 19 in a passenger train. On March 26, she developed symptoms and was shifted to Ongole GGH. 55 with corona symptoms admitted to isolation wards Her samples were taken and she tested positive. A 65-year-old man from Krishna district who returned from Mecca to Hyderabad on March 9, returned to Vijayawada by bus on March 10. On March 27, he developed symptoms and was admitted to Vijayawada GGH. He also tested positive for the virus on Saturday. A 23-year-old man working in Railways in Kurnool district (patient 19) tested positive for the virus. He travelled from Rajasthan to Secundrabad on March 18 and from Secunderabad to Kachiguda the same day. On March 19, he travelled from Kachiguda to Kurnool and from there he travelled by bus to Nossam, The same day, he travelled from Nossam to Kadapa and from there to Proddatur and from Proddatur to Jammalamadugu. On March 24, he was admitted to Kurnool GGH and samples were sent for testing. He tested positive. Meanwhile, 55 more people with COVID-19 symptoms were admitted to isolation wards at Government General Hospitals in Kakinada, Vijayawada, Guntur, Ongole, Proddatur and Banaganapalle on Saturday. Of the 12 suspect cases admitted to Kakinada GGH, five people, including a three-year-old girl, hailing from different places in East Godavari district, returned from Canada recently. They included a 48-year-old man from Samalkota, a 55-year-old man from Razole, a 58-year-old woman from Amalapuram, a 23-year-old woman from Gangavaram and 3-year-old girl from Radhayapalem. Two people came from Hyderabad with COVID-19 symptoms and one of them was in contact with a confirmed case of the virus there. A 34-year-old man from Peddapudi mandal who came from Pune, a 27-year-old man from Seychelles, a 65-year-old man from Delhi, and a 22-year old man from Kolkata were among the rest admitted to the isolation ward. In Prakasam district, three more suspect cases, immediate family members of COVID-19 patients from Chirala, were admitted to the isolation ward. In Guntur district, four more suspect cases were admitted to the government fever hospital.In Srikakulam district, two people were admitted to the GGH. As many as 16 people each from Kadapa and Kurnool districts, were admitted to isolation wards in Proddatur and Banaganapalle. The number of known coronavirus cases in the United States soared well past 115,000, with more than 1,900 dead, as President Donald Trump said on Saturday he was considering imposing a quarantine on the hard-hit New York region. US is now the latest epicenter of COVID-19 after Italy. However, Trump has backed away from imposing a quarantine in the New York area, instead directing that a "strong travel advisory" be issued for the area, reported Al Jazeera. American healthcare workers in the trenches of the pandemic are appealing for more protective gear and equipment to treat a surge in patients that is already pushing hospitals to their limits in virus hotspots such as New York City, New Orleans and Detroit. Reuters Trump told reporters he could order a quarantine on three states - New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, which between them, have recorded at least 64,000 infections and 895 deaths. He also appeared to soften his previous comments calling for the US economy to be swiftly reopened. Asked whether he thought the United States would restart by Easter Sunday, April 12, Trump replied, "We'll see what happens." New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo, said he had no details on any possible quarantine order for his state, telling a briefing: "I don't even know what that means. I don't know how that would be legally enforceable, and from a medical point of view I don't know what you would be accomplishing." He said New York was postponing its presidential primary election to June 23, from April 28. As the crisis deepened, nurses at Jacobi Medical Center in New York's borough of the Bronx protested outside the hospital on Saturday, saying supervisors asked them to reuse personal protective equipment, including masks. Some held signs with slogans including "Protect our lives so we can save yours." "The masks are supposed to be one-time use," one nurse said, according to videos posted online. "Now, all of a sudden the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) is saying that it's fine for us to reuse them. These choices are being made not based on science. They're being made based on need." One resident at New York Presbyterian Hospital said they were issued with just one mask. "This is your mask forever. You can bring it home with you. Here's how you can clean your mask," said the resident, who asked not to be named because he was not authorized to speak to the media. "It's not the people who are making these decisions that go into the patients' rooms." weather.com Doctors are also especially concerned about a shortage of ventilators, machines that help patients breathe and are widely needed for those suffering from COVID-19, the pneumonia-like respiratory ailment caused by the highly contagious novel coronavirus. Hospitals have also sounded the alarm about scarcity of drugs, oxygen tanks and trained staff. By Saturday afternoon, the U.S. number of cases stood at 115,842 with at least 1,929 deaths, according to a Reuters tally. The United States has had the most recorded cases of any country since its count of infections eclipsed those of China and Italy on Thursday. During this pandemic, how can the 2,000 individuals living unsheltered on Portlands streets comply with the mayors directives to shelter in place or stay at home? Recent extraordinary measures, such as beds in the Oregon Convention Center, are not enough. Our leaders can and should take decisive action. They should declare that all unhoused individuals will be sheltered by the end of April in empty hotels, facilities like Wapato, and sanctioned camps built by the National Guard, where they can receive healthcare services combatting the virus. Local contractors should donate skilled project managers and other workers. This logistics team would lead a D-Day-like assault on homelessness. Their success would build public confidence in, and support for, the Metro housing/services measure on the May ballot. Funds from this measure and federal coronavirus recovery efforts can, over 10 years, build enough shelters to house all in need and restore our civic pride. Tom Kelly, Bob Walsh and Tuck Wilson Kelly is president of Neil Kelly Co. Walsh is co-founder of Walsh Construction. Wilson is a retired project director for Home Forward and TriMet. Lot of coronavirus patients recovered in Pune: Dr Borse tells PM Modi in Mann Ki Baat India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Mar 29: Modi on Sunday praised doctor curing patients, and remembered Acharya Charak in his mothly on his radio show "Mann Ki Baat". He apologised for the inconvenience occurred to citizens but urged them to follow the lockdown and not take the situation lightly. Modi said,''To know the capability with which we are dealing with this pandemic at medical level, I spoke to doctors who leading front line in this battle. Their daily activity is synchronous with that of their patients. We joined by Doctor from Delhi.'' Interacting with Dr. Nitish Gupta from Safdarjung Hospital, Delhi on COVID19 in Mann Ki Baat, Dr. Gupta said that everyone is upbeat to fight coronavirus. He said,''We keep our team motivated, we tell our colleagues and patients that if we take proper precautions, we will win the battle.'' Dr. Nitish Gupta speaks about how it is at ground zero. He said that the doctors are like the Army at the border. ''This is a war like situation. He says that along with treatment, we have to counsel them also. We tell them not to worry and it will be cured. We meet with the patients regularly and lift their confidence,'' Dr. Nitish Gupta said. Another doctor from Pune also interacted with Prime Minister. Dr Borse told PM that Naidu Hospital, Pune has have been screening since January and many have been recovered in Pune so far. ''Out of the 16 cases we have discharged all. There are 9 cases and all of them are recovering well. The young population is also being affected. However in the case of the young it is mild. We are watching them on a daily basis. Most of the cases are of international travellers. We are testing and depending on the situation either treat them or advise home quarantine. During this period they are not supposed to go out of home for minimum period of 14 days,'' Dr. Borse said. Remembering Acharya Charak, Modi said he had said that one who serves patients without desiring any material gain, is the best doctor. ''I salute every nurse today, you all are working with incomparable dedication. World is celebrating 2020 as the international year of the nurse & midwife,'' PM said. He also said,''In order to ensure that India does not have to face such a situation, we have to keep trying ceaselessly.'' For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, March 29, 2020, 12:21 [IST] The Thane Municipal Corporation on Saturday made arrangements for 300 homeless daily wage labourers at two stadiums in the city. These workers are also being provided with food twice a day by Thane guardian minister Eknath Shinde and few good samaritans. Maruti Gaikwad, assistant municipal commissioner of TMC said, We have shifted 150 people to Dadoji Konddev Stadium near Thane Station while another 150 people are shifted to Sachin Tendulkar Mini Stadium in Tulsi Dham. These people worked as daily wage labourers at hotels, eateries or construction sites. TMC is also making additional shelters for the homeless in the city on a war footing. Sandeep Malvi, deputy municipal commissioner of TMC, said, We are making arrangements for these people even at ward levels. Those who are homeless or migrants can be given accommodation in community centres or banquet halls at each ward. The corporation has also made 33 teams of doctors at 33 wards in the city to fight Covid-19 (coronavirus disease). Each team will have two doctors to conduct primary screening of people in their ward. Several Thane residents have come forward to provide meal kits to the daily wage labourers living in the city. A group, Thane Citizens Forum, has initiated a project to provide food and daily essential to these workers in the society. The corporation too is making arrangements at each ward to provide shelters to the homeless and daily wage workers. Kasber Augustine, founder of the forum, said, We are distributing meal kit to the families surviving on daily wages. The kit includes rice, oil, dal and spices. We are also involving other residents to support this cause. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Reuters) Nice, France Sun, March 29, 2020 09:03 655 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206e11733 2 News delivery,coronavirus,COVID-19,Youth,France,senior Free In a supermarket in the old quarter of Nice, Bastien Gambaudo surveys the shelves of bleach and other household detergents. He is not shopping for himself but for an elderly woman whose fragile health puts her at risk of contracting the coronavirus. Gambaudo set up the neighborhood association The Committee of Old Nice a year ago. But when the coronavirus started spreading through France like wildfire, he and the group's 10 members plastered hundreds of fliers around the neighborhood offering free home deliveries. "We grew up in this neighborhood, there was a real village spirit, which we are trying to bring back," Gambaudo said as associates collected the shopping list of a resident living above a pastel-colored macaroon cafe. Read also: How to do online grocery shopping in a time of coronavirus The French health ministry says 85 percent of all coronavirus-related deaths in its hospitals concern patients aged 70 and older. "When the lockdown was announced, we knew many people would be on their own, and would be taking a risk if they went shopping." Around the world, health officials and governments are calling for rigorous measures to safeguard the old and warning younger people - who can carry the virus without knowing it - to avoid elderly parents or grandparents. But this has left the elderly increasingly isolated. Gambaudo and his team wear face masks and gloves to minimize the risk of catching the coronavirus and passing it on. Asked if she was happy with the initiative, one elderly resident said: "Yes, I'm stuck at home and can't leave. I have a daughter but she's also afraid of going outside." Latest News Understanding the 'perfect storm' that was the Sydney property market in 2021 Leading expert reflects on the crazy year that brokers and buyers experienced and throws forward to the 12 months to come How to manage home buyer regret Tips for brokers on how they can keep their clients onside once they have bought A popular document curation app has been made free to small businesses, brokers included, until the end of the financial year. All new and existing customers will be provided full access to all online Ezidox plans. All Australia must find ways to support small businesses in honouring the governments agenda of social distancing and isolation, said Frank Mastronardo, Ezidox CEO. As such, Ezidox is now free for the rest of the financial year, for any small business needing to request and collect numerous different documents from their customers. Its been a hard decision, as we ourselves are a small business, and have in effect turned off our revenue line for the rest of the financial year. However, its the right thing to do, and hopefully the difference we make helps others make the most of the current situation. Im relying on the broader business community to use this offer fairly. Ezidox allows for the efficient collection and curation of documents and information, eliminating the need for important paperwork to be sent via email, couriers or dropped off by hand. The platform also has built-in workflow smarts to automate and simplify the information exchange process. Weve always freed professionals from the paper chase, allowing them to focus on completing deals, said Mastronardo. Our subscribers have recently inspired us, by showing [Ezidox] is a great means of managing the isolation and distancing requirements Australians are required to observe. The free availability of Ezidox to small businesses is guaranteed until the end of this financial year. [Well] evaluate the difference this offer makes to small businesses. And look forward to supporting Australia's business community well into the future, said Mastronardo. NORWALK After a 60 percent increase in coronavirus cases and another fatality, Mayor Harry Rilling on Sunday issued three critical emergency orders to restrict traffic at parks and beaches and reduce occupancy rates at all city businesses. The orders take effect at 8 p.m. Monday and will remain in place indefinitely. "Ive asked nicely and implored the public to practice physical distancing and to treat this public health crisis seriously. Unfortunately, many in our community are taking this too lightly, Rilling said Sunday. "These are drastic measures, but it is the only way we can slow this pandemic. Our health care system is going to be overloaded and that means more people getting sick and more people dying not just from coronavirus, but from heart attacks, strokes, and other serious medical issues that require attention." There were 87 new positive cases in Norwalk, bringing the total reported cases in the city to 226. Five Norwalk residents have died from the coronavirus. Rilling said the first measure to help slow the spread of the virus will be to ban all vehicles at Norwalk parks and beaches, including Calf Pasture Beach, Taylor Farm and Veterans Park. He said the order does not affect Norwalk employees who require access. Rilling said the maximum occupancy inside all Norwalk businesses will be reduced to 50 percent of the fire marshal's established recommendation. As an example, he said if the maximum occupancy for a business is 250 people, then the new maximum occupancy would be 125 people. This will limit the number of people inside any store at any given moment in time, Rilling said. City officials also asked stores to immediately develop policies that limit members of the public from lining up at checkout or outside stores in tightly formed groups. City officials want to make sure stores take necessary actions to ensure visitors are exercising physical distances of at least 6 feet from each other. Lastly, Rilling said only one family member can visit a Norwalk store at one time. He said exemptions would be made for single parents, caregivers and other situations where it is not feasible to leave a person home. "I understand that families, especially those with young children, are experiencing cabin fever staying at home, he said. However, taking the entire family out to a store to get out of the house during the COVID-19 outbreak is unnecessarily dangerous to both your family and everyone else in the store. To the extent that it is at all possible, I request that you not allow more than one family member to go at the same time to a store," Rilling said. "Norwalk - I am pleading with you - take this crisis seriously. Protect yourselves and your families. Stay home and save lives." First Vice-President of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva has made an Instagram post dedicated to Azerbaijans medical workers. In a post on her official Instagram page, Mehriban Aliyeva said: We are all going through difficult days. The epidemic of coronavirus, a new and dangerous disease previously unknown to science, has disrupted our usual way of life. The modern world has never been faced with such crises before and has not had to adopt such large-scale quarantine measures. The coronavirus pandemic is proving to be the most challenging test for the modern healthcare system. Even many advanced and developed countries cannot cope with it successfully. These days, the fight against coronavirus is already being compared to war. This is a war indeed, a war, literally, with an invisible enemy. Azerbaijan, like many countries, has to take emergency measures, shut its borders and introduce a strict quarantine regime. The fight against invisible danger is going on in many directions today. It requires hard work, difficult and responsible decisions from many people of different professions. But the most important and most difficult task today is being solved by our medical workers, our doctors, nurses, technical personnel, scientists and laboratory assistants. They are at the forefront of the fight against the epidemic. Their up-to-the-minute decisions, their professional knowledge and skills, their dedication and compassion are our main weapon and hope. These days, we are rediscovering the fact that the medical profession is called a sacred mission. Indeed, it has always required profound knowledge and refined skill. But today our medical workers are also required to display great personal courage. And they are passing this difficult test with dignity. An entire army of our medical workers has joined the fight against the epidemic. Among them are men and women, the experienced and very young, recognized luminaries and recent graduates of medical universities, nurses, technicians and orderlies only making their first steps in the profession. They are all saving our fellow citizens those infected with the coronavirus and those who have avoided meeting this deadly danger. Our dear medical workers, I express to each of you my deep appreciation for everything for your dedication, for your work to the limit of possibilities, for your everyday feat. Today you epitomize the best qualities of our people courage and compassion, responsibility and humanity, warmth and mutual assistance. I bow to you for your heroic work, for working with full dedication. I am sure that you are doing and will continue to do everything in your power to stop this terrible epidemic. We infinitely believe in you, in your professionalism. I wish you courage, patience and, most importantly, good health! May the Almighty protect you! With deep respect and love, Your MEHR?BAN. TV actor Divyanka Tripathi, who has clarified in a social media post that her brother - a pilot- is not Covid-19 positive, has shared details of her brothers travel history. Divyanka told Times of India in an interview, My brothers last international flight was about 13 days ago and he shows no symptoms of Coronavirus. Also, he has been reporting everyday to the authorised government doctors to get himself checked. All aviation crew members, who have been on international flights in the recent past, have self-quarantined themselves, but it does not mean that they have tested positive. Its just a safety measure. Also read: Arjun Bijlani, Mandana Karimi, Hina Khan, Ravi Dubey, Surbhi Jyoti join Karanvir Bohra for his chat sessions during lockdown Earlier, she had written in an Instagram post, My brother is a pilot, willingly self quarantined at home, while SHOWING NO SYMPTOMS for 13 days. Even if he would have been affected he would have got himself treated like any other dutiful staff. She further wrote, Until recently, when officials posted a label outside our Bhopal house which is important but it failed to mention that hes NOT COVID POSITIVE, I didnt know what trauma airline staff was going through. Several being made to leave their houses, many are being ill treated, their families are being stigmatised...just because THEY CHOSE TO SERVE YOU OVER THEIR LIFE! She had also revealed her father is also working amid the lockdown as he is a pharmacist. My father risks his life everyday to provide others medicines from his pharmacy. My brother dared to keep flying till last government directive so that several stranded passengers can return home, she wrote. In her post, she also slammed people who are discriminating against doctors and airline staff amid the coronavirus pandemic. She called it a dastardly act and shared that her brother is a pilot and her father is a pharmacist - both are risking their lives everyday so that essential services can continue during the current lockdown. Follow @htshowbiz for more BAY CITY, MI - With public resources like libraries having to shut their doors during the COVID-19 pandemic, families are left looking how to keep their young ones entertained and engaged. Bay County Library System Librarian Dani DiAmico, also known as Miss Dani by library patrons, hatched an idea to help keep childrens routines intact by using technology. She started a YouTube channel where shes been uploading 20-minute story time sessions, just like the ones she used to do at the library before the pandemic, for families to access at any time. Her videos can also be found on the Great Lakes Bay Parents page and the Bay County Library System Facebook pages. Routine is such an important part of stability for kids, and their routines are totally off right now. To have a familiar face be part of their daily routine I thought could be pretty empowering for our parents and comforting for our kids, she said. DiAmico is the childrens librarian at the Sage Branch of the Bay County Library system and the winner of the 2019 Michigan Library Association Rising Star librarian award, which is given to librarians that show exceptional leadership abilities and have been in the field less than five years. The virtual story time sessions are close to how she conducts them at the library and are simple, fun and colorful, with the goal being to promote literacy in multiple ways. We have a lot of parents who come to the library regularly and bring their kids to see story time and engage with music and dancing and books, which is all literacy," she said. DiAmico starts her story times with a selected word of the day while discussion the sounds, letters, and how to write it. Then she incorporates the word into her stories and songs in her videos. She explained that she aims to weave the practices of talk, read, write, sing and play into all of her sessions. The main difference between her virtual session and the ones she did at the physical library is that she used to have tactile toys for kids to play with during story time. Now, she solved that issue by asking viewers to find an item commonly found at home, such as a towel or pots and pans, to use instead. Her initial plan was to just put out a single video a week, but due to the positive feedback, she decided to aim for about three a week. The response has been really exciting and its nice to know that I can do something positive at a time when its kind of uncertain for our kids," she said. Parents have been expressing their gratitude for DiAmicos virtual work. One parent said that they were just able to let go of everything that was happening right now and just have some peaceful happy time with Miss Dani, she said. "Thats exactly what I was going for, if I can give our families some peace, joy, and a little bit of love, thats what its all about. All Bay County Library System Branches, the Bookmobile, book drops, and Wirts drive-up window are closed until further notice due to coronavirus concerns. Patrons with items are asked to keep them until the system reopens. The Bay County Library System will not be issuing any fines or fees during the closure. Related news: How to talk to your kids about coronavirus Koegel Meats working overtime to meet demand for hot dogs and bologna as kids stay home 8 tips to keep parents and kids sane and safe during Michigans coronavirus outbreak A woman from Grant County turns 104 years young today. Helma Roe Lein is a resident at Edgewood Hawks Point assisted living center Dickinson. Originally, her son and daughter were going to travel to Dickinson to celebrate the milestone. But because of the Coronavirus pandemic, they will be calling her instead. Helmas parents were immigrants from Norway. She graduated from Elgin High School in 1935 and attended Capital Commercial College in Bismarck. Helma also worked at the Bismarck Tribune. She married her husband Ray in 1941. She is also a published poet. Every Friday morning, Bon Appetit senior staff writer Alex Beggs shares weekly highlights from the BA offices, from awesome new recipes to office drama to restaurant recs, with some weird (food!) stuff she saw on the internet thrown in. It gets better: If you sign up for our newsletter, you'll get this letter before everyone else. Photo by Laura Murray, food styling by Kat Boytsova Necessities We got the grocery list for an elderly neighbor upstairs: Pepperidge Farm seeded rye, the latest expiration date possible. A box of Kind bars (any type without milk chocolate). 1 package late expiring bacon. Bag of carrots. 2 red Holland peppers. 1 hard avocado. Saltines. 3 endives if they look ok. 3 potatoes (red, if theyre hard, not old and mealy; otherwise, russets). I had to Google what a Holland pepper was (oh, a bell pepper). But I thought the list was charming, and comforting. It was essential and brief, unlike my list, which was frantic and long, anticipating ten days of ambitious cooking projects Ill probably get to half of. Homemade ravioli? Really?? Will I??? Or is this as much of a ruse as my delusional promise to Aliza Abarbanel Id come out of this isolation with a six-pack? (Is my neighbor making red pepper and potato sabzi, I wonder! Get the recipe here.) lemony-chicken-and-rice-soup-avgolemono Alex Lau The soup I cant say Avgolemono. (My Greek friend says its pronounced uv-go / lemon-o, emphasis on the first half. Please dont tell me if this is wrong.) We made Rick Martinezs recipe for the Greek lemony chicken and rice soup this week and its a good soup. Not sure what else to say. Its soup. Get the recipe: Lemony Chicken and Rice Soup A prom request This week, the Test Kitchen team raised over $70K for No Kid Hungry on Cameo, an app where people pay to get personalized video messages from celebrities (feels weird to type that, but I guess its true?!). Christina Chaey asked a teenager to prom. Chris Morocco got to tell a young girl that she is getting a puppy for her birthday next week (!). Someone asked Molly Baz to tell his friend it was time to retire his ratty yellow high school t-shirt. I was also asked to yell TRANS RIGHTS, which I did proudly from my back deck, said Carla Lalli Music. Story continues Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boytsova When youre sick of cooking With millions of people at home cooking way more than usual comes a condition I call Sick of Cooking. Its exhausting! The dishes! The splatter! The smoke alarms going off again! So I just want to remind you that frozen pizzas exist. I made nachos for dinner one night to eat in front of the TV watching Tiger King (Carole def fed her husband to the tigers) and was excessively happy. Make popcorn. A tin of sardines on mayonnaise-d toast. A peanut butter milkshake. Frozen waffles and jam. Wash your plate in the morning. A few more lazy ideas here. Which brings us to Our most popular recipe of the week, due to strong Google results, was for a baked potato. Lots of baked potato action happening in the world right now. (If thats boring to you, though, I made Carlas steamed sweet potatoes with tahini butter this week and then used extra tahini butter on...cabbage? It works, trust.) Get the recipe: Perfect Baked Potato If H-E-B ran the world Wed all be better off. A story in Texas Monthly about how the grocer H-E-B has been preparing for a pandemic SINCE 2005 is astonishing. Imagine...if...our...government Read it: How H-E-B Planned for the Pandemic Unnecessary meme of the week meme Unnecessary food feud of the week Courtesy of Tushy This week, MacKenzie Fegan wrote about her TUSHY, a bidet you can attach to your toilet for a mere $79. If you had something dirty on your hands, wouldn't you rather wash them in the sink than wipe them off with 2-ply paper?, she wrote, convincingly. Well, Im still irrationally afraid of bidets (like, maybe it will power wash me off the toilet entirely? I dunno!). So is Sarah Jampel. I feel like I need an explainer, or is it just terribly obvious how to use one? asked a curious Chris Morocco. But many staff have embraced the TP-free lifestyle. Bidets are beautiful examples of modern innovation, commented Jesse Sparks definitively. Hilary Cadigan has been pitching the Bum Gun for YEARS, she said, though I wonder about that branding. She talked Sohla El-Waylly into buying one. If your bidet can't access warm water, warned experienced Christa Guerra, youre in for a shock. Molly Baz drifted off into fond memories of bidets past: Used to have one, no longer do, think about it every single day of my life, she sighed. Joseph Hernandez literally ordered a TUSHY last week, to which MacKenzie replied, Did you get the classic or the SPA? Others remained suspiciously silent. What say you, readers? Originally Appeared on Bon Appetit It's not possible to invest over long periods without making some bad investments. But really big losses can really drag down an overall portfolio. So take a moment to sympathize with the long term shareholders of California Nanotechnologies Corp. (CVE:CNO), who have seen the share price tank a massive 74% over a three year period. That'd be enough to cause even the strongest minds some disquiet. And the ride hasn't got any smoother in recent times over the last year, with the price 71% lower in that time. Furthermore, it's down 38% in about a quarter. That's not much fun for holders. However, one could argue that the price has been influenced by the general market, which is down 27% in the same timeframe. See our latest analysis for California Nanotechnologies With just US$817,813 worth of revenue in twelve months, we don't think the market considers California Nanotechnologies to have proven its business plan. This state of affairs suggests that venture capitalists won't provide funds on attractive terms. So it seems that the investors focused more on what could be, than paying attention to the current revenues (or lack thereof). It seems likely some shareholders believe that California Nanotechnologies will significantly advance the business plan before too long. As a general rule, if a company doesn't have much revenue, and it loses money, then it is a high risk investment. There is almost always a chance they will need to raise more capital, and their progress - and share price - will dictate how dilutive that is to current holders. While some such companies go on to make revenue, profits, and generate value, others get hyped up by hopeful naifs before eventually going bankrupt. It certainly is a dangerous place to invest, as California Nanotechnologies investors might realise. Our data indicates that California Nanotechnologies had US$1.9m more in total liabilities than it had cash, when it last reported in November 2019. That makes it extremely high risk, in our view. But since the share price has dived -36% per year, over 3 years , it looks like some investors think it's time to abandon ship, so to speak. The image below shows how California Nanotechnologies's balance sheet has changed over time; if you want to see the precise values, simply click on the image. Story continues TSXV:CNO Historical Debt March 28th 2020 It can be extremely risky to invest in a company that doesn't even have revenue. There's no way to know its value easily. Would it bother you if insiders were selling the stock? It would bother me, that's for sure. It only takes a moment for you to check whether we have identified any insider sales recently. A Different Perspective We regret to report that California Nanotechnologies shareholders are down 71% for the year. Unfortunately, that's worse than the broader market decline of 23%. Having said that, it's inevitable that some stocks will be oversold in a falling market. The key is to keep your eyes on the fundamental developments. Regrettably, last year's performance caps off a bad run, with the shareholders facing a total loss of 22% per year over five years. We realise that Baron Rothschild has said investors should "buy when there is blood on the streets", but we caution that investors should first be sure they are buying a high quality business. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for California Nanotechnologies (2 don't sit too well with us) that you should be aware of. If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them). Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on CA exchanges. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N Chandrababu Naidu has appealed to Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to give Rs 5,000 to each poor family in the state immediately amid nationwide lockdown. The former chief minister said that they should be provided month-long ration including rice, sugar, pulses and other essential commodities at their doorstep. The TDP chief has written a letter to the Chief Minister about the measures to be taken to combat COVID-19. He asked to announce a financial package for service, manufacturing and industrial sectors. Naidu has also urged the Chief Minister to use the Real-Time Governance infrastructure for effective and timely monitoring of containing the virus. The TDP chief assured Reddy that his party is ready to support the government in the fight against COVID-19. A total of 19 COVID-19 positive cases have been reported in Andhra Pradesh. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kerala reported 20 positive cases of coronavirus on Sunday, taking the total number of those undergoing treatment for the deadly infection in the state to 181 while 1.41 lakh people are under observation, Health Minister K K Shailaja said. While Kannur reported eight cases, seven were reported from the worst-affected Kasaragod and one each from Thrissur, Malappuram, Ernakulam, Palakkad and Thiruvananthapuram districts, Shailaja said in a statement here. On the fifth day of the three-week national lockdown, the state saw hundreds of migrant workers coming out on streets in Chenganassery in Kottayam district, demanding arrangements for their travel back home with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan saying some forces were trying to create unrest and forced the workers to indulge in such acts. With continued' blockade of inter-state roads by neighbouring Karanataka "affecting" movement of essential commodities, Vijayan shot off a second letter in two days to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention. He also called Modi over phone and apprised him about the matter following which the later assigned Home Minister Amit Shah to deal with the matter, the Chief Minister's Office said. Shah, later held a detailed telephonic discussion with Vijayan and assured him that he will talk to Karnataka chief minister B S Yediyurappa, it added. Meanwhile, continuing its crackdown on violators of the lockdown, police on Sunday arrested 1,068 people, including a priest and two nuns in connection with conduct of prayer in a church, for lockdown violations, registered 1,029 cases and seized 531 vehicles. In Chenganassery, the migrants came out on streets, violating the lockdown restrictions imposed by the Centre to prevent the spread of the virus amid similar exodus in other parts of the country, including Delhi. The Kerala government deployed police forces and sent administrative officers to pacify the agitating migrant workers, who are called guest labourers in the state, and managed to send them back back to their camps. One of the migrant workers said in Hindi " CM Pinarayi Viajyan ji, we want to go back. We are not getting food. We have no money. Our landlords are asking us to leave as we are unable to pay rent". The Kottayam district adminstration, swung into action, and assured the agitated workers that their food issues would be taken care of, but turned down their demand for travel facilities, citing the lockdown. State Minister V S Sunil Kumar also held talks with migrant workers in Perumbavoor in Ernakulam, where over 45,000 people from other states are staying. Reacting to the development, Vijayan said some forces were trying to create unrest in the society and forced the guest workers to come on the streets during the pandemic. "All arrangements have been made for medical assistance to them. The government is constantly engaging with the guest workers to ensure their well-being. Yet there were attempts to stir up misunderstandings among them and it's a move against the state," Vijayan said in a statement There were clear indications about those forces which had "misled" and provoked the working class and requested such people to stay away from the heinous acts challenging people during the period of crisis... Of the 20 new COVID-19 cases, as many as 18 had come from abroad and two others infected through contact. Meanwhile, samples of four persons who were under treatment in Pathnamthitta were found negative. As of now, a total of 202 people were infected in the state, of which, 20 cases were cured but one person died. "At least, 1,41,211 people are under observation in Kerala, of which 593 are in isolation wards of various hospitals. A total of 6,690 samples have been sent for testing and 5,518 have been tested negative," Shailaja said. Meanwhile, two persons under home quarantine died in the state and health officials have sent their samples for testing for coronavirus. With bars and state-run liqour outlets remaining shut, two men ended their lives in frustrated at not being able to procure their daily drink. The Indian Medical Association has come down against the government's move to provide liqour to those showing withdrawal symptoms, saying it was not a "scientific" solution. With Karnataka showing no signs of opening its roads bordering kerala, Vijayan once again brought the matter to the notice of the Prime Minister, urging him to intervene to ensure that goods movement were not affected. He also pointed that a seriously ill woman died after an ambulance carrying her was allegedly not allowed by karnataka police to cross over to mangaluru from Thalappady. Meanwhile, a priest and nine others, including two nuns, of a church near Wayanad were arrested and later released on bail on Sunday for conducting prayers in violation of lockdown norms for religious institutions. The police in Kozhikode registered a case against an Indian Union Muslim League leader, Noorbina Rashid, who conducted the marriage of her daughter allegedly violating coronavirus protocol and allowed her son, who was under quarantine, to participate. Her son was also booked, police said. The total number of cases registered for lockdown violations in the state so far has risen to 9,340, they added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Gemma Collins and James Argent got some fresh air amid Britain's coronavirus lockdown as they stepped out in Essex on Saturday. The couple went for a countryside stroll where they kept their distance from others amid the ongoing pandemic. Gemma, 39, kept it casual for the day, donning a baby blue jacket with teal and pink leggings and a pair of white trainers. Out and about: Gemma Collins, 39, and James Argent, 32, got some fresh air amid Britain's coronavirus lockdown as they stepped out in Essex on Saturday Styling her blonde locks into a ponytail, the TOWIE star completed her look for the day with a pair of sunglasses. James, who is known as Arg, showed he is taking the lockdown seriously as he stepped out wearing a large face mask. The reality star also wore a dark rain coat and a pair of black shorts as he strolled with girlfriend Gemma. It comes after Gemma broke down in tears after joining the nation in applauding NHS workers during the coronavirus lockdown on Thursday. Outfit: Gemma kept it casual for the day, donning a baby blue jacket with teal and pink leggings and a pair of white trainers The star cried as she praised healthcare workers who are on the frontline treating patients who have contracted COVID-19. Posting a heartbreaking clip to Instagram, the GC said: So I just did the clap for the NHS, and it was really emotional to see everyone coming together at this time. With tears streaming down her face, she added: Everyones in the unknown at the minute and its just amazing that everyone came out and showed their support. Its just a really scary time, I didnt think Id be this scared but I am and you just gotta stay calm and hope that this goes away really quickly. It proved to be an emotional day for Gemma who revealed that she missed her parents 42nd wedding anniversary due to the UK-wide lockdown. Lockdown: The couple went for a countryside stroll and kept their distance from others amid the ongoing pandemic Casual: Styling her blonde locks into a ponytail, the TOWIE star completed her look for the day with a pair of sunglasses Mask: James, who is known as Arg, showed he is taking the lockdown seriously as he stepped out wearing a large face mask Meanwhile, Arg is said to be getting help from his friend Mark Wright in adjusting to life after 'rehab'. According to The Sun, Mark, 33, and his wife Michelle Keegan, 32, have remained in touch with the TOWIE star throughout his challenges, and most recently since he returned to the UK from Thailand. A source said: 'Mark was straight on the phone to James to make sure he is OK. Theyve spoken a lot and James knows that Mark is there for him. Michelle will be too. They both think the world of him and want him to get back to his very best.' Arg was taken to hospital for the second time in two months last year after friends and family feared he had attempted a second 'overdose'. Laid-back: The reality star also wore a dark rain coat and a pair of black shorts as he strolled with girlfriend Gemma Paramedics rushed to his 1.3million home in South Woodford, Essex in December, where they found the star 'disorientated' shortly before friends - including Mark - rallied around in a bid to help him get the support he needs. Insiders told MailOnline: 'Mark was at his house for around six hours to support him. This was after Arg had been to hospital and come home again... 'Arg cant afford rehab but Mark and other close friends and family are clubbing together to put him in a good place so he can overcome this.' 'He has realised he needs help with his recent addiction issues and with his weight loss battle, so has turned to professionals. Emotional: It comes after Gemma broke down in tears after joining the nation in applauding NHS workers during the coronavirus lockdown on Thursday. 'Arg is receiving some of the best care in the world and so is in an environment to finally improve his physical and mental state.' The reality star returned to social media in February following a rumoured stint in rehab, as he announced that he was set to take on a residency at pal Elliott Wright's Marbella restaurant. However, with both Spain and the UK on lockdown amid the coronavirus crisis, it is unlikely the star will be able to take it on. Arg had been due to perform at Olivia's La Cala's Famous Thursday events on selected dates from April until September. More than 4,000 people have registered to join Northern Ireland's health and social care workforce in just 24 hours. Health Minister Robin Swann said he was "truly heartened" by the public response to the coronavirus crisis. Close to 1,000 trained clinical staff, many of them retired, have stepped forward to offer their expertise and experience since registration went live at the weekend, the Department of Health revealed. It came as six more people died in Northern Ireland as a result of Covid-19, with the death toll here now standing at 21. A further 86 people tested positive for the virus in 24 hours, bringing the total to 410, the Public Health Agency said. Read More With the health system facing an unprecedented crisis, an urgent appeal had been made for staff. On Sunday, the Department of Health said 931 clinical workers were among an overall total of 4,031 people who registered in the first 24 hours of the HSC Workforce Appeal. Mr Swann said: "This is a really encouraging and positive response and I know the numbers will grow further. "I want to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has registered their interest and also express my gratitude to those involved in this campaign. It will make a huge difference. "It is truly heartening to see so many people across Northern Ireland backing the fightback against Covid-19 in so many different ways." Our message to people across all the staff groups is simple and urgent - Northern Ireland needs you Robin Swann The appeal is one of a series of initiatives to bolster the workforce as final year nursing, midwifery, medical and social work students will also be deployed. Plans are being extended to invite second year nursing, midwifery and allied health professions, including physiotherapy, radiography and occupational therapy, to further support care delivery, the health department said. Non-clinical workers are also needed for paid employment, including porters, catering staff, cleaning and domestic services staff. "Our message to people across all the staff groups is simple and urgent - Northern Ireland needs you," Mr Swann added. Dr Anne McCloskey from Londonderry, who retired in 2019 after more than 25 years in general practice, is going back to work and offering her services in any way that is needed. Expand Close Dr Anne McCloskey / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Dr Anne McCloskey "I only want to do what many other people are doing every day," said Dr McCloskey, a member of Derry and Strabane District Council and deputy leader of Aontu. Dr McCloskey said that she is licensed and indemnified to get involved almost immediately, but that others who are retired longer will have to make sure paper work is up to date, including their insurance. She said medical staff, when they register, are offered a range of options, from telephone triage, to working in a general practice to emergency settings. Newry, Mourne and Down District councillor Alan Lewis has registered as a non-clinical HSC worker. Expand Close Newry, Mourne and Down District councillor Alan Lewis / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Newry, Mourne and Down District councillor Alan Lewis The UUP man represents the Slieve Croob area. He said: "As a local councillor, I feel I could not ask people to do something that I was not prepared to do. It is a civic responsibility and want to lead by example and hopefully encourage others to do the same. "I already have an income, I'm a councillor and a victims' advocate. I have chosen to volunteer at nights, therefore any wages I receive will be donated to a local charity. "I am happy to do my part, safeguarding my community in any way I can be of use." Journalist Laura Daily spoke with optometrists, ophthalmologists and industry experts for a consumer story on purchasing glasses. Karl Golnik, chair of the UC Department of Ophthalmology in the College of Medicine explained that most individuals past age 40 need glasses and eventually readers because the lens inside the eye changes over time and loses flexibility. Golnik told the Post that as long as there is no astigmatism (or it is corrected with contact lenses) and the correction for reading is about the same in each eye, there is no reason not to buy over-the-counter (OTC) models. It doesnt matter where you get them, be it the grocery store or a rack at your favorite boutique, he noted. Read the story online OTTAWA - Beginning at noon Monday, anyone in Canada showing symptoms related to COVID-19 will be barred from boarding domestic flights and trains, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Saturday. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 28/3/2020 (655 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The Zaandam cruise ship is anchored in the bay of Panama City, Friday, March 27, 2020. Several passengers have died aboard the cruise ship and a few people aboard the ship have tested positive for the new coronavirus, the cruise line said Friday, with hundreds of passengers unsure how long they will remain at sea. (AP Photo/Arnulfo Franco) OTTAWA - Beginning at noon Monday, anyone in Canada showing symptoms related to COVID-19 will be barred from boarding domestic flights and trains, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Saturday. While most Canadians are heeding the advice of government and public health officials asking them to stay home and not travel, especially if they are feeling ill, additional measures are needed to stop the spread of the virus within Canada, Trudeau said. "We are giving further tools to airlines and rail companies to ensure that anyone exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms does not travel," he said from outside his home at Rideau Cottage. Under the Transport Canada interim order, air operators and intercity passenger rail companies will be required to do a health check of all passengers to screen for symptoms. Company representatives will ask simple health questions, look for visible signs of illness prior to boarding and recommend that passengers follow guidance from local health authorities. Companies will be required to bar anyone showing symptoms of the virus from boarding trains and planes, and this denial will remain in effect for 14 days or until a medical certificate is presented that confirms the traveller's symptoms are not related to COVID-19. These measures will not apply to buses or commuter trains, as they are not federally regulated. Canada's deputy chief public health officer Dr. Howard Njoo said more details on enforcement will be announced in the coming days, but he acknowledged that even with these new screening measures, sick travellers could still end up on trains and planes. "There is no guarantee. People can always hide symptoms, take Tylenol," he said. "So I think at the end of the day it comes down to our collective understanding and our collective motivation and approach to do the right thing if you're sick, don't travel." Also on Saturday, Quebec's deputy premier Genevieve Guilbault announced a rollout of police checkpoints, essentially sealing off eight remote regions of the province. The only exceptions will be for people who are providing essential services or travelling for health or humanitarian reasons. Several other provinces have imposed screening measures for travellers at their provincial boundaries and are imposing 14-day self-isolation for anyone coming from other provinces, while Nunavut has banned most non-residents from entering its territory. Despite these tightening travel rules within Canada, Trudeau says provincial borders will remain open for now. Trudeau also addressed the situation of the 248 Canadians stranded on a cruise ship off the coast of Panama, where some passengers have tested positive for COVID-19 and four people have died. The federal government is working with the Panamanian government and Holland America, which operates the Zaandam, in an effort to get the Canadians home. The work appears to have paid off, with Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne tweeting on Saturday night that his Panamanian counterpart would allow the ship passage through the Panama Canal and on to its final destination of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The efforts are part of the "herculean task" being undertaken to repatriate stranded Canadians around the world work that is the focus of all Global Affairs Canada employees right now, Trudeau said. Ottawa residents Catherine McLeod and Paul Innes, retired teachers, are among those trapped on the Zaandam. They boarded the cruise in early March, before the spread of novel coronavirus became a global pandemic. In an email to The Canadian Press, McLeod said what had been a mostly enjoyable trip was turned on its head last weekend. "The boom hit last Sunday when we were asked to return to our staterooms and not exit," McLeod recounted. They learned that many passengers and crew members had reported to sick bay with flu-like symptoms. "I just hope and pray that no others die and that someone lets us dock and we can board a plane ASAP," she said. In a statement, Global Affairs Canada said none of the passengers who died is Canadian. It said it is in contact with passengers, and those without symptoms are being transferred to another ship expected to dock at a U.S. port in the coming days. The department also confirmed Saturday that a Canadian citizen who was on a separate cruise has died from complications related to COVID-19 in Brazil. Meanwhile in Ontario, Premier Doug Ford limited gatherings to no more than five people and has committed to imposing steep fines and possible jail time against corporations involved in price gouging amid the COVID-19 crisis. Canada's chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam said the latest data shows about seven per cent of COVID-19 cases in the country have resulted in hospitalization, three per cent have required critical care and about one per cent have been fatal. The Public Health Agency of Canada says that 12 per cent of people hospitalized are aged 40 and under. "We continue to keep a close eye on the severity of the disease, because although there will be day-to-day fluctuation, a sustained trend of increased severity could point to a higher rate of infection in vulnerable populations or that the health system is being overwhelmed," Tam told a news conference. But she also noted "signs of hope" from British Columbia, where data indicates the province's COVID-19 experience will likely resemble South Korea's rather than brutally hit Italy. Tam noted that B.C. was the first area of Canada to experience community transmission. "It is too early to know for sure, but after weeks of public health interventions, the rate of growth appears to be slowing," she said. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. She also warned this good news should not be taken as a sign that physical distancing and self-isolation measures should be relaxed. "Our key message is to double down, absolutely double down," Tam said. "Right now is an absolutely critical time .... We're definitely not out of the woods, we've got to keep going." This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 28, 2020. With files from Sidhartha Banerjee, Salmaan Farooqui and Liam Casey Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version cited Tam saying 30 per cent of those hospitalized were under age 40. The Public Health Agency of Canada has since corrected itself, saying the figure is 12 per cent. Gorband.in scored 40 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 2/5.0 Stars by Social Team This CoolSocial report was updated on 26 Mar 2013, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. The total number of people who shared the gorband homepage on Delicious. The total number of people who shared the gorband homepage on StumbleUpon. The total number of people who shared the gorband homepage on Google Plus by a google +1 button. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared the gorband homepage on Twitter + the total number of gorband followers (if gorband has a Twitter account). This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared, liked or recommended the gorband homepage on Facebook + the total number of page likes (if gorband has a Facebook fan page). Basic Information PAGE TITLE Rajasthani songs ,Marwari songs | Download rajasthani songs,marwari songs,rajasthani mp3 songs,rajas DESCRIPTION KEYWORDS OTHER KEYWORDS rajasthani, songs, album, ki roti, rajasthani album, bajre ki roti, rajasthani songs The description meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The title found in the head section of the homepage. CoolSocial advanced keyword analysis tool is able to detect and analyze every keyword on each page of a site. The keywords meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address of the site. Domain and Server DOCTYPE XHTML 1.0 Transitional CHARSET AND LANGUAGE English (United States) UTF-8English (United States) DETECTED LANGUAGE English English SERVER Apache (PHP/5.3.19) OPERATIVE SYSTEM Linux Linux Type of server and offered services. Character set and language of the site. The language of gorband.in as detected by CoolSocial algorithms. Operative System running on the server. Represents HTML declared type (e.g.: XHTML 1.1, HTML 4.0, the new HTML 5.0) Site Traffic trend during the last year. Only available for sites ranked <= 100000 in the world. Referring domains for gorband.in by MajesticSeo. High values are a sign of site importance over the web and on web engines. Facebook link FACEBOOK PAGE LINK NOT FOUND The total number of people who like website Facebook page. The description of the Facebook page describes website and its services to the social media users. Facebook Timeline is the new layout of Facebook pages. The type of Facebook page. A Facebook page link can be found in the homepage or in the robots.txt file. The total number of people who tagged or talked about website Facebook page in the last 7-10 days. The URL of the found Facebook page. Twitter account link TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND OTTAWAMercy. The federal government should consider it, Canadas prisons watchdog says, as inmates across the country worry about how the COVID-19 pandemic will play out in their institutions. Ivan Zinger, the ombudsman of federal prisons, told the Star on Sunday that the government should look at releasing offenders who pose a low risk to the community, in an effort to stave off a health crisis in penitentiaries. The government has some form of responsibility of avoiding preventable deaths, Zinger said in an interview, noting that penitentiaries are a known environment where infectious diseases tend to spread quickly. The federal government has the power of clemency an exceptional power allowing Ottawa to release those guilty of federal crimes where no other remedy exists in law to reduce severe negative effects of criminal sanctions. If COVID-19 hits federal penitentiaries, those severe negative effects could include death. Speaking to reporters Sunday outside his Rideau Cottage residence, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Public Safety Minister Bill Blair would soon announce measures to mitigate the risk to inmates. We are very concerned about the fact that our correctional institutions could be places where are places where there could be greater vulnerability to COVID-19, Trudeau said, adding that the central government has been working closely with the Correctional Service of Canada. This is something we are digging into very carefully because we need to make sure were keeping everyone safe in this country. Advocates continue to call for low-risk prisoners to be released from institutions, where sanitization products are in short supply and their ability to practise social distancing is limited. On Thursday, the Ontario government confirmed an inmate and a guard both tested positive for the virus at the Toronto South Detention Centre in Etobicoke. With the exception of lawyers, Ontario banned personal visits to inmates in provincial facilities two weeks ago. On Sunday, Ottawas message on COVID-19 was all about helping those most vulnerable during the pandemic. Trudeaus government committed $7.5 million to the Kids Help Phone (1-800-668-6868) and acknowledged that the global health pandemic has put particular strain on Canadas young people. But advocates have been sounding the alarm for weeks that Canadas prison population is among the most vulnerable during the pandemic. Were side by side; our cells are right next to each other. You cant escape anything in here, Stuart Serson, who is nearing the end of a four-year sentence at the Pacific Institution in British Columbia, told Vice News. Zinger not known for holding back on criticism of the correctional system applauded the steps taken by the Correctional Service of Canada so far in the pandemic. In a statement to the Star, the service said it is focusing on community safety. While being a full participant in the Canada-wide public health effort to fight COVID-19, CSC continues to fulfil its obligations with respect to the care and custody of inmates to prepare them for safe release into the community, a spokesperson for the agency said on Friday. We are working closely with the Parole Board of Canada to examine all options with respect to the safe release of offenders into the community. 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Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Advertisement The UK coronavirus death toll has risen by 209 in 24 hours from 1,019 to 1,228, as the infection rates drop for the second day in a row. There are now 19,522 confirmed cases nationwide, up from 17,089 yesterday. Today's increase in fatalities is the second biggest Britain has seen so far, but with 51 fewer deaths than yesterday, offering some hope that the figures are beginning to plateau. The vast majority of cases and deaths were in England, with 190 dead aged between 39 and 105. All but four of them, aged between 57 and 87, had underlying health conditions. In Scotland, one more person has died of the virus, bringing their total to 41. In Northern Ireland there were six more COVID-19 deaths, making 21 in total and in Wales there were 10 further reported deaths, taking their total to 48. Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter, who chairs the Winton Centre for Risk and Evidence Communication, University of Cambridge, said: 'It may seem callous to say that 209 deaths is reassuring, but it breaks the run of 30% daily increases we have seen recently. 'But it is still too early to claim that the curve is beginning to flatten off. It is also important not to over-interpret counts for single days: delays in reporting can lead to the numbers varying far more than one would expect by chance alone. For example, one of the deaths reported today actually occurred 13 days ago.' Eleanor Riley, Professor of Immunology and Infectious Disease, University of Edinburgh, said: 'It would be most unwise to infer any trend from a single day's data. 'Only when the epidemic has peaked - which is some time away - and we get sustained daily reductions in new cases and then sustained daily reductions in deaths, will we know that are beginning to get on top of the epidemic.' The Republic of Ireland, meanwhile, saw a fatality rise of 10 today, bringing its total to 46. It recorded 200 new confirmed cases for a total of 2,615. The UK coronavirus death toll has risen by 209 in 24 hours from 1,019 to 1,228. Pictured today: Ambulances at Guy's at St Thomas's Hospital in central London The normally busy streets in Chinatown are completely deserted on Sunday as people choose to stay at home Pictured: Breakspear crematorium in Ruislip, West London, has had 12 emergency mortuaries built on its site in preparation for the number of increasing deaths from the coronavirus It comes after a senior health chief warned that Britain must stay in total lockdown until June to properly prevent the full extent of the deadly coronavirus. Professor Neil Ferguson, the government's leading epidemiology adviser, said Britons would have to remain in their homes for nearly three months, and continue social distancing until October. To try and ensure the effectiveness of the lockdown, the Government is spending approximately 5.8million on letters that will land on 30 million doorsteps along with a leaflet spelling out the Government's advice following much public confusion. The letters and leaflets are the latest in a public information campaign from No 10 to convince people to stay at home, wash their hands and shield the most vulnerable from the disease. Today's figures, recorded between 5pm on Friday and 5pm on Saturday, come after a healthcare data company predicted more than 1.6million people in the UK could already have coronavirus. The total number of deaths recorded today is 21 per cent higher than the equivalent figure yesterday. The day-on-day percentage increase yesterday was 34 per cent. It took 16 days for the number of deaths in the UK to go from one to just over 200. It has taken a further eight days for the total to go from just over 200 to just over 1,200. Meanwhile, the number of people in the UK who have been tested for coronavirus has now passed 125,000. The total as of 9am on March 29 was 127,737. On average, around 7,000 new tests a day were carried out in the seven days to 9am March 29. In the previous seven days the daily average was around 5,400. The total number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK now stands at 19,522, as of 9am March 29. One week ago, on March 22, the total stood at 5,683. In other coronavirus developments today: Britain's coronavirus death toll rocketed by 260 to 1,019 as the UK suffered its worst day yet and saw a huge spike in victims, 13 of which were found to have no underlying health conditions Ministers and senior Downing Street officials have said China now faces a 'reckoning' over its handling of the outbreak and risks becoming a 'pariah state'. The true number of people infected with coronavirus in the UK could be as high as 1.6 million, with over half of those cases outside of London, analysis by health care data experts suggests. Chancellor Rishi Sunak is the choice of voters to run the country if Boris Johnson becomes too ill, an exclusive poll for The Mail on Sunday has found. The British Red Cross said evictions of asylum seekers from Government accommodation are to be halted amid fears about the disease Humberside, West Midlands, Greater Manchester, and Avon and Somerset have created a mixture of 'hotlines' and 'online portals' where people can submit tip-offs if lockdown infractions occur National director of the NHS, Stephen Powis, yesterday revealed that 170million masks, 25million gloves and 30million aprons have been delivered to medical staff fighting virus across the country Michael Gove hinted at looming austerity today amid grim warnings of a 10 per cent hit to GDP and the jobless total hitting 2.75million by June. A man has been arrested after deliberately coughing in the face of a paramedic, just a day after a thug who spat at police was jailed for a year. Today's figures, recorded between 5pm on Friday and 5pm on Saturday, come after a healthcare data company predicted more than 1.6million people in the UK could already have coronavirus. Edge Health revealed that while the official figure of coronavirus cases stood at 10,000 on March 26, they believe the true figure for infections in the UK was 1,614,505 at that point. With widespread testing not yet available in Britain and swabs only being given to those in hospital and some NHS critical care staff, there could be tens of thousands who have COVID-19 and are not aware of it, the study suggests. Those with milder symptoms who are not admitted to hospital are also not accounted for in official figures. Actor Idris Elba, 47, only got tested for the virus after coming into contact with Justin Trudeau's wife Sophie at Wembley on March 4. The Cambridge family are self isolating at Anmer Hall on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk amid the Coronavirus pandemic, and shared a glimpse at their home office yesterday. Kate posed in her dusky pink trouser suit as she spoke on the phone. A row of books including an extensive set of Coralie Bickford-Smith for Penguin books can be seen on her wooden desk, along with her Aspinal notebook, while a sofa and and a window seat looking out onto the grounds can be seen in the background A group of furious locals blocked a Range Rover driver after he travelled 115 miles from Sheffield to Snowdonia despite the coronavirus lockdown The Edge Health analysis predicted that London had 760,590 cases, the most in the UK, a fact grounded in official figures. Locked down until JUNE? Health chief says UK could be made to remain at home for nearly three months to avoid worst effects of coronavirus and practice social distancing until October Britain must stay in total lockdown until June to properly prevent the full extent of the deadly coronavirus and social distancing could last for months, a senior health chief has warned. Professor Neil Ferguson, the government's leading epidemiology adviser, said Britons would have to remain in their homes for nearly three months. Senior government figures have been more optimistic and have suggested that coronavirus could peak in April with approximately 5,700 deaths. But Professor Ferguson said Britons will need to stay indoors for a full three months. He told The Sunday Times: 'We're going to have to keep these measures [the full lockdown] in place, in my view, for a significant period of time - probably until the end of May, maybe even early June. May is optimistic.' Professor Ferguson added that even if the lockdown is lifted, people will still need to abide by social distancing measures for months to come. It came as Michael Gove today declined to be drawn on how long the tough measures restricting people's lives would be in place for, and that ministers would not hesitate to enforce tougher rules if necessary. 'There are different projections as to how long the lockdown might last,' he told Sky's Sophy Ridge on Sunday, when asked about one key expert's prediction of June. 'But it's not the case that the length of the lockdown is something that is absolutely fixed. 'It depends on all of our behaviour. If we follow the guidelines, we can deal more effectively with the spread of the disease.' Advertisement While the Midlands was seen as the next most infected area with an estimated 282,954, with one in every 15 people infected with the virus in Wolverhampton. One in ten people in London's worst hit boroughs now carries the virus, according to the modelling, in areas such as Southwark, Kensington, Lambeth, Brent, Chelsea, Harrow, Wandsworth and Westminster. Southwark was the most infected London borough according to official figures which confirmed 253 cases as of Thursday - researchers believe the true number is around 49,139. While one in every 23 people in Birmingham are predicted to be infected with Covid-19 according to the modelling which placed 50,004 infections in the city, reports The Sunday Telegraph. George Bachelor, co-founder and director of Edge Health, told the publication that he believes the virus will continue to spread rapidly over the next two weeks. People who caught the virus before the country was placed on lock down by Boris Johnson on Wednesday will see a peak of critical care patients form around mid April, predicts Edge Health. Speaking about the company's infection predictions he said: 'Critically, these projections are based on unproven assumptions, although, hopefully, they make clear the need for social distancing whether you are in Southwark or Hartlepool.' He added that more testing would unveil the actual number of people with the virus and 'speed up the eventual return to normality'. Figures were estimated by Edge Health by assuming the death rate of 0.7 per cent of people with the virus in London and 0.9 elsewhere in the country where elderly populations are higher. The epicentre of the virus, currently London, could change to areas with a high population of older people and fewer NHS beds available, such as Essex where a daily growth rate of 48 per cent was recorded from Wednesday to Thursday - with 213 cases currently. Yesterday, a man has been arrested after deliberately coughing in the face of a paramedic, just a day after a thug who spat at police was jailed for a year. The ambulance service was called just before 11pm on Saturday to a man in Stroud, Gloucestershire, who was feeling unwell. While there, another man who was self-isolating allegedly deliberately coughed in the face of one of the paramedics, a spokeswoman for Gloucestershire Police said. 'The man, a 43-year-old, was arrested, charged and remanded for assaulting an emergency worker by way of coughing and threatening GBH by infecting with Covid-19,' they added. The arrest came after the jailing of Paul Leivers, 48, for spitting at officers while claiming to have coronavirus. Leivers admitted two counts of assault on an emergency worker after being arrested in Mansfield on Thursday. A man has been arrested after coughing in the face of a paramedic, just a day after thug Paul Leivers (pictured), who spat at police, was jailed for a year Nottinghamshire Police said Leivers, of Tideswell Court, Mansfield, spat at custody officers. He appeared at Nottingham Magistrates' Court on Saturday in front of District Judge Leo Pyle. The court heard Leivers did not have coronavirus or any symptoms of the disease. Sentencing the defendant, District Judge Pyle said: 'It was in the public interest to deal with the matter sooner rather than later. 'These are two distinct acts and it was appalling behaviour, these offences were deliberate and pre-mediated. 'Emergency workers have a difficult job at the best of time, even more so at the minute and the court will not flinch to protect officers.' Assistant Chief Constable Steve Cooper, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: 'This sentence sends out a very powerful and clear message that this behaviour will not be tolerated in any shape or form and especially not now in the current climate. 'In these worrying times for us all, having someone spitting at front line officers threatening them with coronavirus is both despicable and appalling. 'Our officers are putting their duty to the public ahead of their own welfare at this current time. They put themselves at risk every single to day in order to protect our communities - they should not and will not have to put up with this. 'I want to thank the judge for making an example of this situation which I know will send a message loud and clear not just here in Nottinghamshire but across the country.' Chief Constable Craig Guildford added: 'This is the exact reassurance our officers need - that this will not be tolerated and new powers we now have means swift action will be taken to deal with those that choose to offend in this way. 'Despicable, thoughtless and disgraceful acts such as this will not go unpunished.' The force said the officers who were spat at are safe and well. Chancellor Rishi Sunak is the choice of voters to run the country if Boris Johnson becomes too ill, an exclusive poll for The Mail on Sunday has found. The endorsement comes after the Prime Minister revealed on Friday that he had tested positive for coronavirus. While Downing Street has indicated that Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab will take the reins if Mr Johnson is incapacitated, the Deltapoll survey shows that Mr Sunak dubbed 'dishy Rishi' by his Treasury colleagues is backed as a stand-in premier by more than three times as many voters. Mr Johnson's approach to the crisis receives overwhelming backing, with 78 per cent saying that he is handling it well. However, that does not mean voters agree with the pace of implementation of Mr Johnson's lockdown measures. A total of 63 per cent think that the social distancing rules were introduced too late. On the controversial issue of testing, 83 per cent believe that doctors and nurses should be given priority but just 19 per cent think that senior politicians should be prioritised and only 15 per cent think the Royal Family should. Most people also think that Britain is in for a long haul, with half of those questioned expecting restrictions to be in place for three months. The normally bustling streets of central London are once again deserted today as people choose to stay home amid the coronavirus threat And a majority think that tackling the outbreak is worth curtailing civil liberties, with 61 per cent agreeing that it is a necessary price. The latest figures come after Scottish Secretary Alister Jack revealed he had developed mild symptoms of coronavirus and was self-isolating. Government advisers said stricter social distancing policies may have to be rolled out next month if the grim figures continued to rise. The measures would be introduced in three weeks as the outbreak reached its peak to further reduce 'person-to-person interaction'. This week France announced that individuals could only exercise alone unless with children for a maximum of an hour and within 1,000 yards of their homes. Spain and Italy have banned exercise altogether, and there are concerns that Britons are deliberately misinterpreting the guidance by travelling to beauty spots miles from their homes. Taking no chances! Shoppers dress in full coronavirus protective gear and STILL queue round the block to get into supermarkets as Tesco limits milk, bread and toilet roll to one purchase each by Raven Saunt for MailOnline Shoppers were pictured in full protective gear as they ventured out to get essentials amid the coronavirus lockdown today. Britons donned gloves and facemasks on trips to supermarkets nationwide today, after the death toll from the virus reached 1,228 today. One cautious shopper was even pictured with a respiratory unit covering his entire face in east London. It comes as Tesco Express limited purchases of a number of essential items such as milk, bread, eggs and toilet roll to one item per person. Shoppers were pictured in full protective gear (Ladbroke Gove, west London today) as they ventured out to get essentials amid the coronavirus lockdown today Britons have hoarded food worth 1billion during the past fortnight as a result of panic buying. Pictured: Queue outside Lidl supermarket in Streatham, London, earlier today All supermarkets are now making customers queue six feet apart from one another, in line with the Government's social distancing policy. Lines are spiralling down High Streets and around supermarket car parks in light of the new rules. Tesco shoppers in Walthamstow, London, were notified about the new limit via signs on their shelves. According to The Sunday Times, it read: 'To help give everyone access to essential items this product is limited to only 1 per customer.' The measures are being enforced at the discretion of individual stores based on their ability to cope with local demand and supply. A spokeswoman for Tesco said: 'To ensure more people have access to everyday essentials, we have introduced a store-wide restriction of three items per customer on every product line. 'In a small number of stores where demand is particularly high, our colleagues may need to place further restrictions on some products on a local basis, to ensure everyone can get the things they need.' Tesco is limiting customers to just one item of essential goods each across many of its Express stores. Pictured: One shopper wore a full respiratory protection unit with helmet at a Tesco store in Barkingside, East London, earlier today The chain announced earlier this weekend that online customers would only be allowed to buy a maximum of 80 items for home delivery. It follows a whole host of other supermarkets introducing similar capping schemes in response to coronavirus stockpiling. Sainsbury's has a three-item limit on most products apart from long-life milk, toilet roll and soap which all have a restriction of two. And Aldi has a four-item cap. The introduction of the new limit comes after young and healthy people were urged to stay away from supermarkets and make meals from food in their cupboards as demand for groceries and household goods surged during the coronavirus lockdown. Britons have hoarded food worth 1billion during the past fortnight as a result of panic buying - despite assurances from the government and industry that there is still plenty in the supply chain. The CEO of Tesco has recently been encouraging shoppers who are able to use stores in order to free-up delivery slots for online orders to the elderly and vulnerable. The new measures are being enforced at the discretion of individual stores based on their ability to cope with local demand and supply. Pictured: Member of staff waiting for a delivery in London on Sunday Tesco also announced earlier this weekend that online customers would only be allowed to buy a maximum of 80 items for home delivery. Pictured: People wearing protective face masks as they queued outside Sainsbury's supermarket in Streatham, London But the move has meant that there continue to be lengthy queues outside supermarkets up and down the country as shoppers are forced to maintain their distance as they wait to enter the stores. NHS England national medical director Stephen Powis accused panic buyers of depriving healthcare staff of the food supplies they need, adding: 'Frankly we should all be ashamed.' Ocado has been operating at full capacity during the crisis and said yesterday it had around ten times more demand for its services than it did before the outbreak began. Online orders are now limited to one per week per customer, while some items have also been limited to just two per person. Chief executive of the online delivery service, Lord Stuart Rose, urged consumers to act rationally as he revealed Britons had hoarded an extra 1billion worth of food over the past couple of weeks. The boss of the UK's biggest retailer Tesco, Dave Lewis, has written to customers to reassure them there is still plenty of food, but asking the young and the healthy to venture out to their local store. Users of the retail giant's online service have complained they are unable to secure a home delivery slot. In his letter, he has asked those who can venture out to shop in-store - while taking appropriate precautions. Supermarkets have recently moved to enforce more stringent precautions for the safety of staff and customers including limiting the number of shoppers allowed into their stores at any given time. Tesco boss Dave Lewis recently wrote to customers saying staff will draw new floor markings in the checkout areas, install protective screens on checkouts, and introduce one-way aisles. 'Our social distancing plans aim to protect customers from the moment they enter our car parks, to browsing products, to paying and finally exiting our stores,' he wrote. And in a letter to customers, Sainsbury's chief executive Mike Coupe said the number of people allowed in stores and at ATMs at any one time will be limited. He said queuing systems will be put in place outside stores and people are urged to arrive throughout the day to avoid long queues forming in the morning, and encouraged people to pay by card. Supermarkets have recently moved to enforce more stringent precautions for the safety of staff and customers including limiting the number of shoppers allowed into their stores at any given time. Pictured: Shoppers waiting to enter Sainsbury's at Ladbroke Grove, London 'We will be reminding people in stores to keep a safe distance from other customers and from our colleagues,' he said. Mr Coupe said the number of checkouts will be reduced and screens will be introduced. He said many customers have written to him to say they are elderly or vulnerable and are struggling to book online delivery slots. 'We are doing our absolute best to offer online delivery slots to elderly, disabled and vulnerable customers. 'These customers have priority over all slots. 'Our customer Careline has been inundated with requests from elderly and vulnerable customers - we have had one year's worth of contacts in two weeks. 'We have proactively contacted 270,000 customers who had already given us information that meant we could identify them as being in these groups,' he said. Mr Coupe, who apologised to regular online customers, and said they have already booked in slots for 115,000 elderly, disabled and vulnerable customers this week. Similarly Ocado chairman Lord Stuart Rose issued his own guidance to Brits earlier this week amid the ongoing crisis. Lord Rose, 71, who is also a former chairman and chief executive of clothing and food retailer Marks & Spencer, has been in self-isolation after suspecting he had contracted the virus. Rose also called on people in the country to 'make your meals work'. 'If you buy a chicken, roast the chicken, have the roast chicken dinner, the following day turn it into a stir fry, the following day make it into soup,' he said. 'You can make a relatively small amount of food go a long way and I think we live in a very profligate society today - we buy too much, we eat too much, we consume too much and we have to learn new ways.' 'There is a billion pounds more food in people's larders than there was a couple of weeks ago - what are they doing with it? How much food do you need to eat? How much do you need to store away? Please show some restraint,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. 'There is no shortage of food... Nobody will starve.' Coronavirus is continuing to spread across the country at an exponential rate. London [UK], Mar 29 (ANI): British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has self-isolated after testing positive for coronavirus last week, wrote to every household in the United Kingdom, urging people to stay at home in a bid to contain the spread of the contagious infection. "We know things will get worse before they get better," Johnson wrote in his letter, addressing the 30 million households across the United Kingdom. "But we are making the right preparations, and the more we all follow the rules, the fewer lives will be lost and the sooner life can return to normal," read the letter posted on the prime minister's Instagram page. According to British media reports, the country has reported over 17,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus and more than 1,000 deaths. The British government ramped up its response to coronavirus in the past week, ordering pubs, cafes, restaurants and shops to close and making social distancing compulsory. "I understand completely the difficulties this disruption has caused to your lives, businesses and jobs. But the action we have taken is absolutely necessary, for one very simple reason. We must slow the spread of the disease, and reduce the number of people needing hospital treatment in order to save as many lives as possible," the prime minister said. He also ordered the people to not to meet friars or relatives, only leave the home for very limited purposes, such as buying food and medicine, exercising once a day and seeking medical attention. "You can travel to and from work but should work from home if you can," Johnson said. In his letter, he will thank all those working for the state-funded National Health Service (NHS), which provides free healthcare to everyone living in the United Kingdom and inspires huge respect across society. "It has been truly inspirational to see our doctors, nurses and other carers rise magnificently to the needs of the hour," Johnson said. "That is why, at this moment of national emergency, I urge you, please, to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives," the letter added. Johnson, who has described his symptoms as mild, is leading the government's response to the crisis, chairing meetings by video conference. The health minister, Matt Hancock, has also tested positive and is working from home. (ANI) The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has alleged that multiple Venezuelan leaders, including President Nicolas Maduro, leveraged political offices, financial systems and cryptocurrencies to conduct and conceal criminal activity for over 20 years. According to an indictment released today, the DOJ charged Maduro and 14 other Venezuelan officials with crimes related to narco-terrorism, drug trafficking and corruption. Officials alleged that Venezuelan officials sought to weaponize cocaine against the U.S. with the help of two members of the Guerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC), a guerilla group recognized as a terrorist organization. Maduro and colleagues allegedly conspired with the FARC for the past two decades to move cocaine into American communities, according to U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman. The indictment considers these activities and Maduro's use of Venezuelan political offices to further them a "weaponization" of drug trafficking against the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Acting Executive Associate Director Alysa D. Erichs said today's indictment shows the agency's commitment to rooting out those who "exploit financial systems and hide behind cryptocurrency to further their illicit criminal activity." The release does not detail how Maduro and others charged allegedly used crypto to cloak activities, nor does it name the Venezuelan oil-backed petro or other cryptocurrencies. Still, Venezuela's superintendent of cryptocurrency, Joselit Ramirez Camacho, is facing separate charges from the Southern District of New York. The office alleges that Camacho engaged in a series of crimes in an attempted evasion of sanctions that the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) had placed on Maduro and others. The Southern District of New York has also charged other leaders for attempts to evade sanctions, including Venezuela's vice president for the economy. The residents of a house near the Sedgwick neighborhood that has been the site of many 911 calls, drug activity and a police-involved shooting have finally been forced to leave. On Thursday, two Syracuse police officers and a representative of the citys law department delivered a vacate order to a home at 707 Grant Blvd. On Friday and Saturday, a group of people related to the propertys owner changed the homes locks and boarded up its windows. It was growing as a public safety risk and health risk," Syracuse spokesman Greg Loh said. According to residents who live in the neighborhood and other city officials, the house had been trending that way for at least a year. Officers responded to at least three serious calls at 707 Grant Blvd. in the last year, culminating with an officer-involved shooting in December. On Dec. 31, officers responded to a call about a menacing person at the house. When they arrived, they found Michael Viola, 22, in an upstairs room holding a hatchet, according to court documents. In sworn statements, officers said Viola raised the hatchet and approached them. Officers Brandon Hanks and Joseph LeBlanc shot at Viola, hitting him at least once. Viola survived. According to county tax records, the house is owned by Donald Fida and James C. Fida. Donald Fida, 96, does not live at the house. During at least two February meetings, residents asked the mayor what the city could do about fixing problems at the property. I know our priority is to address the specific situation, which is a lot of people in and out of the property, committing crime," Mayor Ben Walsh said at the time. "Were less concerned with who owns it than we are with whats actually happening there. And whats been happening there is not good. To force those inside to leave, the city used its nuisance abatement law. It previously used the law to shut down Tip A Few Tavern just a few blocks from the Grant Boulevard house last year. The bar had become the site of frequent complaints and calls for police. After a March 2 public hearing, the city served a vacate order at the property on March 10. The order was scheduled to go into effect March 17. Those frequenting the house didnt leave and the city observed what was happening at the house for the next nine days, Loh said. In that span, Syracuse police officers responded to nine 911 calls and another 12 property checks at the home. So many people were coming and going, Loh said the home was also in violation of the recent executive order on gatherings. Through the office of Neighborhood and Business Development, the city offered housing assistance to nine people who had been staying at the property. One person took the city up on the offer, though its unclear if any were formal tenants, Loh said. Shortly after the officers and law department official served those on the property with a notice, the Onondaga County 911 center received a call about a suspicious car on the 400 block of Wheaton Road, around the corner from the home. When officers arrived, they found the car, which had a switched license plate, according to police spokesman Matthew Malinowski. Initially officers wanted to tow the car, but they could see drugs and drug paraphernalia inside, he said. They found a small amount of marijuana, Lunesta (a sleeping pill), alprazolam (the generic name for Xanax) and a drug that tested positive for methamphetamines, according to Malinowski. Officers arrested Lauren Russa, 34, and Jeremiah Nickerson, 38, and charged both with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Both had ties to the home at 707 Grant Blvd. Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact Chris Libonati via the Signal app for encrypted messaging at 585-290-0718, by phone at the same number, by email or on Twitter. Thanks for visiting Syracuse.com. Quality local journalism has never been more important, and your subscription matters. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. Nairobi, Kenya Like many others in Kenyas capital, Nairobi, Gerrard Ogut has decided to send his family to his village in the countryside for the foreseeable future. Theyre safer there, says Ogut, a father of three. Besides, Life in the city just got unbearably tougher. Indeed, these are hard times for many Kenyans not least because of the fear of contracting the new coronavirus, for which there is no vaccine or known treatment regimen, but also due to the crushing blow the pandemic could deliver on East Africas largest economy. Kenya confirmed its first coronavirus case on March 13. Two weeks later, the number had risen to 31. Amid fears of a major outbreak, the government of President Uhuru Kenyatta announced a series of sweeping measures to slow the spread of COVID-19, the highly infectious disease caused by the virus. It shut borders and suspended most air travel, except cargo flights. Kenya also asked government institutions, businesses and companies to allow staff to work from home, with the exception of employees working in critical or essential services. 200316154854441 Since then, Ogut, a 51-year-old casual labourer daily scouting for work at the factories dotting Nairobis industrial area, has been scraping by on his meagre savings. It has been a dry two weeks, said Ogut, who on a good day used to make between 3,000 Kenyan shillings ($30) and 6,000 Kenyan shillings ($60) working as a small vehicular forklift operator. Where Im stationed, we have mostly mattress, furniture manufacturers, he added, before pausing momentarily. How many people are thinking of buying those things at this time? Heavy pressure Ogut is not alone in feeling the heat. The coronavirus containment measures are expected to bring additional economic hardship in a country where only 17.9 percent of households have an internet connection and informal labourers account for 83.6 per cent of the total workforce. These are mainly rate workers, day labourers and informal traders and many of them are under heavy pressure to keep working in order to be able to put food on the table. While urged to maintain physical distancing, the majority of Kenyans live hand to mouth and have barely been able to stock up on food and other items. Meanwhile, in a country where labour laws are as weak as they are unheeded, many workers have either been let go or sent on unpaid leave as nearly all sectors of the economy including tourism and flower and horticultural exports, Kenyas key foreign exchange earners have taken a beating. There are businesses that have placed employees on standby; some on half pay, others with no pay, said Kwame Owino, chief executive officer of the Institute of Economic Affairs in Kenya. Whole sectors of businesses are down. The crisis hit Kenya at a turbulent time, further exposing an economy already weighed down by rising public debt standing at $60bn as of September 2019 years of missed revenue collection targets and a budget deficit hovering at more than six percent of GDP. This week, Patrick Njoroge, the governor of the Central Bank of Kenya, downgraded economic growth prospects for 2020 from 6.2 percent to a conservative 3.4 percent due to the pandemic, which has disrupted domestic production and supply chains as well as demand from the countrys main trading partners. Njoroge also said Kenya would seek more than $1bn in emergency funding from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank to prop up its slowing economy in the face of the crisis. Separately, Treasury Cabinet Sectary Ukur Yatani said on Tuesday that the government would review the national budget. We are looking at an underperformance in revenue, as a result of COVID-19, of about $658m in the remaining three months before the fiscal year ends, he said. Owino said the countrys economy may take longer to recover from the effects of the unfolding economic recession not necessarily because of the impacts of this outbreak but due to the fact that Kenyas economy had already slowed down and was a weak economy to start with. Last year, we already lost jobs, and the recession in Kenya was going to happen, nevertheless. Now this only makes it worse. And many businesses that were teetering on the verge of collapse will not make it back alive. Stimulus measures To help cushion the economic blow, the government has introduced a series of stimulus measures, including reducing value-added tax and corporation tax. It also asked senior public officers to take a pay cut, and introduced wage tax subsidies for those in more formal jobs, as well as financial support for businesses. It has, however, faced criticism for doing little to directly support those who are most in need, including informal labourers who have to buy things as basic as water. 200318091505922 Health experts recommend frequent and thorough washing of hands with clean running water and soap as an important control measure to slow the spread of the disease, but nearly 80 percent of households in the country have no place for hand-washing in or near the toilet, according to the 2018 Kenya Integrated Household Budget Survey. Owino said he expected the economic slump to be felt across the board amid fears that a global recession unleashed by the pandemic could also hit diaspora remittances by Kenyans abroad. Even before the air travel restrictions, national carrier Kenyan Airways announced an $8m revenue loss following the suspension of flights to China, where the new coronavirus was first detected late last year. The economy at [Nairobis] Jomo Kenyatta International Airport dies for that period. And with it all, all the associated services at the airport until resumption, Owino said. On Friday, meanwhile, Kenyan police came under heavy criticism for using excessive force as the country imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew to contain the spread of the virus. The mayor of a South Jersey community is mourning a personal loss from the coronavirus pandemic. Penns Grove Mayor LaDaena Thomas announced that COVID-19 has claimed the life of her grandmother, who lives in California. Thomas posted on Facebook that Sallie Jones, of Long Beach, died early Saturday in a nursing home after a rapid escalation of symptoms. Thomas told NJ Advance Media she received a call from her mother stating that her grandmother was having trouble breathing, and her oxygen levels were falling. After an x-ray determined her grandmother had pneumonia, Thomas requested that her mother ask doctors for a Covid-19 test to be conducted, especially after seeing what was going on in New Jersey. Five hours later, she was gone, Thomas said. My family and I are devastated. The mayor said her family is devastated, especially her grandfather. Her grandfather, who also has health issues, was married to Jones for more than 70 years. The two had met when Jones was 16, and he was 17. When Jones was 18, he stood by his future bride after she was diagnosed with cancer in her leg and had to get it amputated. Thomas hopes her story sheds light on the seriousness of the virus. I am just praying that people take this thing seriously because I believe that its going to get worse before it gets better because there are still some people that are not taking it seriously, said Thomas. Thomas was elected mayor last year after running as an independent, defeating Democratic Mayor John Washington, who served in the role for 16 years. As infection rates continue to climb around the state and worldwide, Thomas has taken to Facebook several times to share updates with her constituents and remind them about pandemic safety practices. Some continue to ignore statewide orders banning large gatherings. Penns Grove police busted a house party attended by more than 30 people last weekend, just hours after a lockdown order went into effect. Gov. Phil Murphy continued to rail against violators after police in Ewing broke up a Corona Party on Friday night. In that incident, police found 47 people crammed into a 550-square-foot apartment. The organizer was charged with obstruction the administration of law and violating an emergency act. New Jersey has reported more than 11,000 cases and 140 deaths attributed to COVID-19, while the global death toll exceeds 31,700. Chris Franklin contributed to this story. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Houston-area veterinary clinics are taking extreme measures to help stem the spread of the novel coronavirus switching to curbside service, postponing elective surgeries and preserving medical supplies, as recommended by the American Veterinary Medical Association. Houston-based veterinarian Dr. Lori Teller said these precautions are essential to keeping Houston pet owners and veterinary staff across the region safe from COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus. If a staff person [at a veterinary clinic] gets coronavirus, then, of course, the entire practice would have to shut down, said Teller, associate veterinarian at Meyerland Animal Clinic, and vice chairwoman of the AVMAs board of directors. That can have a big impact not only on that practice but the local community and make it harder for them to access veterinary care. For many Houston residents, vet visits look different now because of the new AVMA guidelines. Some clinics, like Lakeside Animal Clinic, owned by Dr. Randy Wiltshire, are postponing indefinitely elective animal surgeries, including spay and neuter procedures. Wiltshire said suspending these non-urgent procedures and medical visits will help free up supplies for human healthcare professionals who will need it on the front lines. At the Meyerland clinic and the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, where Teller is a clinical professor of telehealth, clients are being screened over the phone to determine if they are a high or low-risk patient. Only animals identified as critical or emergency cases are being seen. If there is a question in your mind about whether this needs to be seen right now or whether it can wait, make the call and have a discussion with that veterinary medical caregiver team, said Wesley Bissett, director of the veterinary emergency team Texas A&M. Hold off on wellness work until after this is over or at least under control. For owners who are unsure if their pet's situation is an emergency, Teller said many clinics are offering telemedicine services. Teller stressed these precautions are being taken to protect human veterinarian staff and clients, not necessarily animals, and that pets are not at risk for the coronavirus. If pets were going to get this, we would see hundreds or thousands of cases as well, and we are just not seeing it, Teller said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that pet owners who think they have contracted COVID-19 should request a healthy person to care for their animal until they are medically cleared. Teller said this is being advised not because pets can necessarily contract the coronavirus, but because they can carry the strain in their coats if they have come into contact with an infected person. While more responsible leaders have struggled to contain the pandemic, Pompeo has pursued pet causes as if nothing else were happening. Thats especially true of the maximum pressure campaign against Iran, which he, more than any other official, has promoted. The Islamic republic is staggering under one of the highest rates of infection in the world, with more than 38,000 reported cases as of Sunday; mass graves have been dug for the more than 2,600 dead. Merrion Vaults, a safety deposit box company based in Dublin, is looking to raise up to 5m in investment capital as it seeks to expand in the US and Europe. The firm, established in 2013 by Seamus Fahy and David Walsh, hopes to open new safety deposit box vaults across the US. Merrion Vaults plans to open the vaults in Chicago, San Francisco and New York once the investment has been secured. The doors of Green Apple Books may be closed as the City of San Francisco orders businesses to shutter temporarily to stop the spread of COVID-19, but co-owner Pete Mulvihill is continuing to feed the reading habits of San Francisco residents with online book sales. His staff has also created a wide array of shelter-in-place lists of recommended reading, featuring everything from "books when you feel like the world is ending," to "books about people living in close quarters." We checked in with Mulvihill over email to find out what he's reading and how he plans to keep this more than 50-year-old business with three stores running. SFGATE: Have you been able to keep your business running during the shelter-in-place order? Pete Mulvihill: Sort of. Thanks to a wholesale partner, we can accept orders on our website that are fulfilled by their warehouses. It's providing some income to keep some staff working, but the margins are awful. What we wish we could do is curbside pickup (like restaurants) so we can sell books we've already paid for, get more staff working, etc. On the other hand, we don't want to risk staff or public health, so I'm a bit at sea. SFGATE: How are you going to weather this storm? P.M. Honestly, I have no idea. Our landlords want (and are legally entitled to) their rent; we want to keep as many staff paid and insured as long as possible; and we owe publishers our regular monthly payments. One of our stores relies heavily on author events, and that concept seems dead in the water for 6 to 18 months. . .Our "normal" practice of buying used books from individuals walking in seems like it may be a long way off, so we may need to rethink all we do. We DO have TONS of good books that we think readers want; and we have TONS of goodwill in the community. We hope some combination of government intervention and community support will get us through this, but right now, we're just running out of money and aren't even sure what we should do with money if we got some. SFGATE: Have you had to lay off staff? P.M. No layoffs yet, but a major furlough, alas. Thanks to a pro bono employment attorney/customer, I learned more than I ever wanted to know about the difference between furloughs and layoffs. We paid all staff through 3/20, paid out all sick and vacation time earned, then crushingly had to furlough our union staff. We don't have enough income to pay them, and I want them to be able to collect unemployment and other benefits. We did pay their health insurance through the end of April, will pursue the mayor's offer of one week of sick pay, will pursue any other assistance for staff, etc. So no one has been laid off since that would eliminate eligibility for some programs. It all depends on how long we go with this overwhelming reduction in income without any corresponding drop in expenses. We have retained a small crew of managers to help with web orders, the website, social media, etc. They're working from home until we can re-open and rebuild the business. SFGATE: What books have people been ordering in recent weeks? What books are people turning to during this difficult time? P.M. It's a pretty eclectic mix. A lot of what we'd be selling otherwise recently published fiction and non-fiction. We've sold a few copies of things like "The Plague" by Camus, "Station Eleven," and other similar fiction. We've been selling some books in sets for book clubs who plan to discuss remotely, which I think is cool. SFGATE: What books are you and your family personally turning to right now? P.M. Sadly I haven't touched a book in a week. The turmoil of closing three bookstores, furloughing our beloved staff, coping with kids out of school, and following the news have been all-consuming. Tonight, I'm resolved to leave the bourbon alone and the computer screen closed so I can return to "When the Whales Leave," an older Russian book recently translated into English it's a parable from the Chukchi people of the far north. My wife is reading and LOVING "A Burning" by Megha Majumdar. It's not out until June, but it will be a major hit that everyone will be talking about, so people should order it now, then be pleasantly surprised when it shows up in June. SFGATE: What are the three best books youve recently read? P.M. I just finished a wonderful novel translated from Norweigan called "The Unseen" by Roy Jacobsen. It's a quiet novel of family, nature, seasons, and survival. I also liked "Why We're Polarized" by Ezra Klein. It's a very insightful analysis of how America got where it is today, with no middle, no persuadable voters, no compromise, etc. It's not exactly hopeful, but there's some interesting political history and analysis (and totally readable for the layperson). Finally, I'm mostly done with "Home Baked: My Mom, Marijuana, and the Stoning of San Francisco" by local author Alia Volz. It's part-memoir, part love letter to San Francisco. Her mom was the pot brownie queen of SF in the 70s, and the AIDS crisis plays a starring role in the book. SFGATE: What books do you suggest people read if they want to escape the stress around the crisis? P.M. Our staff have created some great lists here for those who want to escape, those who want to dive in, and everything in between. We'll be making more lists and making personalized suggestions via social media starting in a day or two, once we get caught up on current orders. SFGATE: What if someone wants to dive right into the coronavirus panic and read about pandemics? What should they read? P.M. That list is here on our website. SFGATE: What book recs do you have for kids and teenagers right now? P.M. Well, that's a big age range. My kids, now almost 14, have, at various stages, loved: Pippi Longstocking, the Ava and Pip series, The "13-Story Treehouse" (and its sequels), everything Rick Riordan, and now they're up to things like Just Mercy and Fast Food Nation. We're happy to reply to more specific inquiries our our social media channels for anyone who wants an individual recommendation--just tell us three books you liked recently (and if a kid, the age). We'll do our best to answer all queries and fulfill any orders from our wholesaler's warehouse. SFGATE: Whats the book series for the kid who has read everything? Again depends on the kid's age. The Who Was series is great for the younger set. "The Mysterious Benedict Society" is great for late elementary and early middle school. For older middle school or early high school, if they like sci-fi at all, my son was blown away by the Broken Earth series (book one is "The Fifth Season") by N.K. Jemisin. SFGATE: Why are books more important now than ever? P.M. So many reasons: accurate information, lessons from history, escape, distraction, community (like those book clubs staying in touch remotely through a shared love of books), education for all those kids (and adults) with no school right now. The list goes on and on. SFGATE: Any other questions you want to answer? I'd only like to reassure folks that our remaining team is doing all we can to fulfill readers' needs through our website. We'll do all we can to keep our current staff employed and get our union staff back to work as soon as possible. We'll do all we can online to recommend books, to nurture the literary community, etc. And we hope to reopen all three stores as soon as it's safe. SFGATE: If you could get one book into the hands of President Donald Trump right now, what would it be, assuming he would actually read it? P.M. I'm not sure anything beyond "Hop on Pop" would hold his attention, but maybe "Becoming" by Michelle Obama? Amy Graff is a digital editor at SFGATE. Email her: agraff@sfgate.com. JUNCTION CITY, Ore. -- Police have identified a suspect after multiple Junction City residents had items stolen from their unlocked cars parked at or near their homes early Friday morning. Among the items stolen was Oregon license plate number D64665. This is a yellow-colored permanent-issue disabled vehicle plate with dark blue lettering. The Junction City Police Department is requesting assistance from the public in locating the suspect, 24-year old Steven Mitchell Mercier. Police say anyone with information on Merciers whereabouts or information on any crimes he may have committed is urged to immediately contact the Junction City Police Department at 541-998-1245. Police say citizens are advised to use caution and should not approach or attempt to apprehend Mercier. Hospital workers in Louisiana, where the cases of novel coronavirus are skyrocketing daily, are already working under great stress and officials there say it will get worse. An employee inside one hospital told CNN that every intensive care unit room at facility has brown paper bags by the door. Each bag is marked with a staff member's name. The health care workers use the bags to store their N95 masks as they go in and out of the room. They have to reuse the masks, which are supposed to be disposable, until they are soiled. Some rooms are being turned into a makeshift negative pressure room. Negative pressure rooms are necessary for Covid-19 patients because they keep the airborne contaminants inside the room and away from common areas of the hospital. Most hospitals only have a few negative pressure rooms. The hospital told CNN it was using these kinds of temporary rooms but would not say how many. Ecoee Rooney, the president of the New Orleans district nurses association, told CNN from inside one of the hospitals treating the growing number of patients that staffers are under tremendous stress. "I will tell you, you know there's a lot of fear and anxiety. But what I'm seeing more than anything is that people are responding, so amazingly," she said. She told CNN the nurses know more patients are coming. Testing is getting better but needs work, governor says Life throughout the New Orleans metropolitan area is at a standstill, but at the Alario Event Center in nearby Westwego on the Crescent City's West Bank, there was a line of cars that filled the parking lot on a hot, breezy Friday morning. While it resembled the traffic you'd see after a concert or big game, this was the queue at a coronavirus testing site in Jefferson Parish, next door to Orleans Parish where 57 people have died from Covid-19. This facility can only test 250 people per day and opens at 8 a.m. In two hours, all the tests are used. It's a highly organized event, with police directing traffic. So far, more than 21,000 people have been tested statewide, which makes it fifth in the nation, on a per capita basis, according to Gov. John Bel Edwards. "We're doing everything within our power to respond to this crisis and we need everyone, I implore everyone to do their part," he told reporters Friday. Edwards said he was happy with the path that testing is taking. But he said they can always do better and more. Across the state, 119 people have died and more than 2,700 people have had a positive test. Edwards said the number of cases reported Friday wasn't as drastic an increase as Thursday, but health officials were only able to do half the number of tests. He said the state's top priority is getting more equipment to the people in hospitals and more beds. Dire conditions Edwards has said hospitals in the New Orleans area could run out of bed space and ventilators by early April. Medical teams are preparing to turn the convention center into a makeshift hospital. State officials say 120 beds will be ready to take coronavirus patients by this weekend and the site could ultimately stage more than 1,100 beds. Edwards told reporters he's trying to get those hospital workers more ventilators. The state has ordered 12,000, he said, 5,000 from the federal government's strategic reserve and the other from companies making them. They have received 192 and hope to get another 100 next week. "The trajectory that we are on right now is one that takes us to a place where we're not going to be capable of delivering the health care that will be demanded of our hospitals," he said. Edwards said he agrees with the US Surgeon General's statement Friday morning that New Orleans is headed the way of New York, which has more than 26,000 cases in the city of more than 8 million people. But he is hopeful that social distancing is working to mitigate the spread of the virus and that might show up in the data soon. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 19:22:47|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NEW DELHI, March 29 (Xinhua) -- The first batch of medical supplies donated to the Indian Red Cross Society by Chinese charity organizations the Jack Ma Foundation and the Alibaba Foundation has arrived in New Delhi, according to a press release by the Chinese Embassy to India on Sunday. The remainder of the donation is expected to reach India in the coming days, it added. So far 25 people have died from COVID-19 in India and the number of confirmed cases rose to 979 on Sunday morning. The Indian government on Wednesday began a 21-day lockdown across the country in a bid to contain the spread of COVID-19. Authorities have imposed strict curfew-like restrictions to prevent the movement of people. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday directed deputy commissioners to completely seal all inter and intra-state borders to stop the movement of migrant workers during the nationwide lockdown, an official statement said. This comes hours after the Centre directed all state governments and Union Territory administrations to ensure there is no movement of people across cities or on highways during the lockdown. Since the nationwide lockdown was announced on March 24 to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, all business and economic activity has come to a virtual standstill, leaving migrant workers jobless. With no money to pay rent or buy food, thousands have set out on long journeys to their far-flung native villages, defying lockdown orders. Khattar directed that DCs that the migrant workers should be stopped wherever they are and not be allowed to move, the statement said. He gave the orders while presiding over a meeting with the DCs and superintendents of police via videoconferencing here, it said. The chief minister directed the officers to set up shelter or relief camps and ensure that proper food and lodging arrangements are made for the migrant workers in such camps. He warned of strict action against those refusing to stay in the camps. According to the statement, Khattar said a nodal officer should be appointed for every camp in each district who will ensure staying, food and medical facilities for the migrants. Besides, he asked officials to make sure that social distancing is followed in these camps, the statement said. Khattar said special relief camps should also be set up along the national highways so that migrant workers who have already set out for their homes can stay in these camps. He noted that many religious bodies have offered their help to the state government in this hour of crisis and therefore the officers should coordinate with such organisations to use their 'bhawans' as shelters. He added that special arrangements should be made for the elderly who are staying alone. Meanwhile, presiding over a meeting of Crisis Coordination Committee with senior officers through video conferencing here, Haryana Chief Secretary Keshni Anand Arora said around 129 shelter or relief homes have been set up in districts across the state and food is being provided to 29,328 migrant workers. She directed that special health camps should be set up on the state's borders, while migrant labourers should be made to undergo thermal screening along with other medical tests. Apart from this, she added, the officers should explore the possibility of turning the stadiums in their respective districts into temporary shelters, so that migrant workers who are moving on foot can stay there. No one should be allowed to move on roads. Arora said a nodal officer should also be appointed to track the number of the migrant labourers staying in the shelter homes. Over the past few days, hordes of migrant workers have set out on foot from parts of Haryana towards Delhi and onwards to their homes in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Earlier on Sunday, Haryana's Home Minister Anil Vij appealed to them not to leave the state, while assuring them all their needs will be taken care of. "Don't leave my friends. We will make all arrangements to take care of your needs," he said in a tweet. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Trump administration has approved the first system for sterilizing specialized face masks worn by front-line health workers battling the coronavirus, potentially easing the severe shortage of the protective gear. The FDA also reversed course on a daily cap for the decontamination system, less than 24 hours after Ohio's Republican governor criticized the FDA on Sunday morning for the limit. As of Sunday night, the agency will let the machines be deployed to sites around the country and there won't be a limit on the number of masks they're allowed to clean each day. At issue was the FDAs decision to allow emergency use of a Battelle system that decontaminates specialized N95 face masks, allowing doctors and nurses to safely reuse them. On Saturday, the FDA approved Battelles Columbus headquarters to sterilize 10,000 masks per day, even though the company says its machines have the capacity to decontaminate 80,000. "The FDA's decision to severely limit the use of this life-saving technology is nothing short of reckless," Gov. Mike DeWine, whose state is home to the company that makes the technology, said in a statement Sunday morning. DeWine said he appealed directly to President Donald Trump to allow broader adoption of the system, and Ohio's attorney general threatened to sue if FDA didn't act quickly to authorize more extensive use. Trump on Twitter later said the FDA can approve Mask Sterilization equipment ASAP, though the agency had already taken that step. An FDA spokesperson did not address POLITICO's question about whether Battelle had originally sought more expansive approval of its sterilizing process, though the company's CEO said it could handle more. FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn on Sunday afternoon pledged the agency was working with the company on scaling up. "Everyone is working together quickly!" Hahn wrote in a tweet, tagging Trump's @POTUS account and DeWine. Story continues Stories from front-line providers paint a portrait of a severe shortage of this protective equipment, which is supposed to be single-use. Some providers have shared stories with POLITICO of receiving one face mask and a face shield, wiping them down themselves and putting them in a paper bag overnight to use again later. The CDC earlier this month, citing a shortage in face masks, said providers could use looser-fitting surgical masks, despite safety concerns raised by providers. The company could also send its technology to other states hit hard by the coronavirus. Battelle had planned to ship two machines to New York, as well as Washington state and the Washington, D.C., metro area, according to DeWines office. DeWine on Twitter said Trump understands the problem and says he will do everything he can to get this approved today. During an afternoon press conference, DeWine said Hahn told him it would be "cleared up" on Sunday. The new emergency use authorization came later that evening. "After receiving Battelles request today, we turned it around in a matter of hours and issued a new authorization allowing them to ramp up their capability to decontaminate more respirators," Hahn said in a statement. In the midst of a polio epidemic in 1959, the Connecticut General Assembly passed a law requiring vaccinations for all children attending school. The Assembly carved out a religious exemption as a safeguard to protect religious beliefs, a worthy commitment to the principle of separation of church and state upon which our nation was founded. Sadly, the religious exemption has been misused ever since never more so than in recent years. In 2003-04 the state counted 316 students claiming the religious exemption. Today there are four times as many. This is due neither to some increase in religiosity among Connecticut residents nor to faith groups issuing more restrictive guidelines. It is due simply to parents exploiting the religious exemption system for their own anti-vaccination purposes. Currently, any parent may submit a form or write a letter claiming a religious exemption. The exemption does not require the endorsement of a religious leader of any kind. Thats why the General Assembly has returned to this question in the current session with the aim of eliminating the religious exemption for vaccinations. As a rabbi, I can say this: Recognized authorities across the Jewish religious spectrum have plainly declared that there is no basis at all in Judaism for any religious exemption. Moreover, there a clear Jewish religious obligation to protect the health of our own children and to protect others through vaccination. All three major Jewish religious denominations in the United States have made unequivocal statements supporting mandatory vaccinations. The Orthodox Union, the largest Orthodox Jewish congregational organization in the United States, and the Rabbinical Council of America, the largest organization of Orthodox rabbis in North America, have made it clear that vaccinations are not only permitted by Orthodox Jewish law, they are obligatory. The Conservative Movements Committee on Jewish Law and Standards has ruled that timely vaccinations are a basic and necessary requirement for appropriate pediatric care. Rabbi Joseph Prouser of the CJLS argues that unless medically contraindicated for specific children, in extraordinary and compelling cases, parents have an unambiguous religious obligation to have their children immunized against infectious disease. The ruling concludes, Failure to immunize children against vaccine-preventable disease is a serious, compound violation of Jewish Law: there is no basis in (Jewish law) to support a parents request for a religious exemption from state-mandated immunizations. Reform Judaism, too, holds that vaccination is obligatory. The Central Conference of American Rabbis, the professional organization of Reform Rabbis, issued a ruling on Compulsory Immunization in 1999. It states, Jewish tradition would define immunization as part of the mitzvah of healing and recognize it as a required measure, since we are not entitled to endanger ourselves or the children for whom we are responsible by refusing proven medical treatment. The ruling clearly endorses programs of compulsory immunization in our communities, with exemptions granted only to those individuals whose medical conditions place them at particular risk of injury or untoward side effects. Aside from those individual cases, there are no valid Jewish religious grounds to support the refusal to immunize as a general principle. With these rulings in mind, it is especially disheartening to see that some Jews have cited a so-called religious exemption to evade their responsibility to vaccinate. We have recently witnessed diseases once considered eradicated again harming children and families when vaccinations against them are not vigilantly performed. Doing so puts our own children and other children at risk, in clear violation of Jewish tradition. Rabbis across Connecticut have come together to urge legislators to eliminate the religious exemption. We sincerely wish good health upon all children in our state, and fully support the General Assemblys efforts in that direction. Rabbi Michael S. Friedman serves as senior rabbi at Temple Israel of Westport. Hundreds of European tourists stranded in Bali were evacuated from the Indonesian holiday island on Saturday after their flights were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. British authorities booked seats on two commercial flights to London for hundreds of citizens, while Germany has chartered six flights from Denpasar to Frankfurt since Friday. "I am happy to go home. Altogether they cancelled two flights of mine so yeah I'd waited for two weeks," said Marco Zeltner, one of several thousand German tourists estimated to be stuck in Indonesia. "It's okay, Bali is a nice place to stay, so it could have be worse," he added. France also organised flights to Paris for hundreds of its citizens. The first one departed Friday while the second was due to leave with about 400 passengers on Saturday. French authorities said they would organise at least one more charter flight next week. About 2,000 French tourists had been stranded in Indonesia, said Dominique Roubert, a spokesman for the French embassy. The virus has upended travel around the world with many countries closing their borders and banning transit at their airports while airlines cancel flights. Indonesia has declared 1,155 confirmed infections with 102 death, making it the country with the highest fatality rate in Southeast Asia. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.-- Mayor Bill de Blasio responded Sunday morning to a travel advisory issued by the federal government impacting residents in the New York City area, where the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases have greatly increased. This comes on the heels of President Donald Trump backing away from calling for a 14-day quarantine for coronavirus hotspots, including New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Instead Trump directed Saturday night that a strong travel advisory be issued to stem the spread of the outbreak. Residents in those areas are advised not to travel outside the state for the next two weeks. Weve got to be mindful of families who at this crucial moment want to reunite, whether that means (people) coming back to New York, or leaving New York... said de Blasio in an interview with CNN. Weve got to be really respectful in the middle of a crisis that families have the right to be together." Moments prior to de Blasios interview, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci explained the reasoning behind the advisory. What you dont want is people traveling from that area to other areas of the country and inadvertently and innocently infecting other individuals," Fauci said. On the recommendation of the White House CoronaVirus Task Force, and upon consultation with the Governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, I have asked the @CDCgov to issue a strong Travel Advisory, to be administered by the Governors, in consultation with the.... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 29, 2020 Fauci said both he and Trump felt a mandated quarantine wasnt appropriate. "You dont want to get to the point where youre enforcing things that would create a bigger difficulty, morale and otherwise, when you can probably accomplish the same goal, he said. Coronavirus cases in New York City have exceeded 30,000, with 678 deaths, as of Sunday. *** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK *** As of Saturday, nearly 40 Staten Island residents had died of coronavirus-related illnesses. Twenty-eight of the fatalities in the borough that were probed showed underlying health issues, data shows. De Blasio reiterated Sunday that he expects the city to be in need of additional medical supplies, nurses and ventilators by April 5. Were gonna need at least several hundred more ventilators very quickly. Fauci also addressed Gov. Andrew Cuomos call for an additional 30,000 ventilators to handle an increasing number of patients with respiratory issues. He said he tends to believe the governors assessment, and that federal officials are working toward getting more ventilators to the medical facilities where theyre needed. He needs the ventilators that he needs, Fauci said. 53 The coronavirus life in New York City: The new normal RELATED COVERAGE: Its going to be an ugly and sad day: Cuomo prepares for coronavirus apex, now predicted in 3 weeks Planned 1,000-bed field hospital at CSI will need Trumps approval, Cuomo says I was ice cold S.I. man, an ER nurse in Brooklyn, details how he was stricken with coronavirus Officials working to convert College of Staten Island to 1,000-bed field hospital Staten Island coronavirus death total at 28; surpasses Sandy after deadliest day of pandemic A third ferry employee tests positive for coronavirus Staten Island drive-through coronavirus site tests 3,300 in 5 days Gov Andrew Cuomo has insisted that President Donald Trump's travel restrictions change nothing for the Empire State as he orders New York's non-essential workers to stay in place for another two weeks as cases climbed by more than 7,000 overnight and the death toll hit 965. During a press conference on Sunday afternoon, Cuomo said that he supports the president's decision but assured New Yorkers that: 'This is not a lockdown.' Trump had initially considered ordering a quarantine for the coronavirus hotspots of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, but abandoned that idea Saturday night. The president announced in a tweet that the quarantine would not go ahead and a travel advisory would be issued instead. The travel advisory urges residents of the tri-state area to immediately avoid any nonessential travel for two weeks. 'I know we feel under attack. Yes, New York is the epicenter and these are different times and many people are frightened,' Cuomo said, referring to the travel advisory and Rhode Island's dramatic tactics of pulling over drivers with New York plates. Scroll down for video Gov Andrew Cuomo has insisted that President Donald Trump's travel restrictions change nothing for the Empire State as he orders New York's non-essential workers to stay in place for another two weeks as cases rise by more than 7,000 overnight and the death toll hits 965 The governor then gave a run-down of the state's number of confirmed cases. Cuomo said the state now has more than 59,000 confirmed coronavirus cases with 8,000 hospitalized and 2,000 people in ICUs 'But look this is New York, we have made it through far greater things. We are going to be okay. We specialize in stamina in strength and instability. We are strong, we have endurance and we have stability,' Cuomo said. 'We know what we're doing. We have a plan and any obstacle that we come across we will handle it,' Cuomo said, adding that 'there is no state in the nation that is better prepared' than New York. 'New York is going to have what it needs and no one is going to attack New York unfairly and no one is going to deprive New York of what it needs.' The governor then gave a run-down of the state's number of confirmed cases. He said health officials conducted 16,000 tests Saturday night, bringing the total tests to 172,000, the most in the US. The governor said the state now has more than 59,000 confirmed coronavirus cases with 8,000 hospitalized and 2,000 people in ICUs. 'I dont think you look at those numbers and conclude that nothing less than thousands of people will pass away,' Cuomo said. The US currently leads the world in coronavirus infections with 132,647 reported as of Sunday afternoon This graphic shows the deaths per day in New York state since March 14 In New York state alone, there are more than 59,000 cases of the virus. New York City has more than 33,000 of those cases Cuomo said the US Navy hospital ship, the Comfort (pictured leaving Norfolk, Virginia, on Saturday), will be in New York on Monday The governor also said the Javits Center (pictured) will also open as a field hospital on Monday Cuomo said the US Navy hospital ship, the Comfort, will be in New York on Monday. The ship will provide an additional 1,000 hospital beds as hospitals are predicted to become overwhelmed within the next week. The US leads the world in reported cases with more than 125,000. There were more than 2,100 deaths recorded by Sunday afternoon. All 50 states have reported some cases of the virus but New York has the most, with more than 59,000 positive tests for the illness. During the press conference, Cuomo addressed the attacks on New Yorkers from other states like Rhode Island. On Saturday, the Rhode Island National Guard started going door to door in coastal areas to inform any New Yorkers who may have come to the state that they must self-quarantine for 14 days while Gov Gina Raimondo expanded the mandatory self-quarantine to anyone visiting the state. State Police set up a checkpoint on I-95 in Hope Valley on Friday where drivers with New York license plates must stop and provide contact information and were told to self-quarantine for two weeks. During the press conference, Cuomo addressed the attacks on New Yorkers from other states like Rhode Island. A sign instructs motorists with New York license plates to pull over at a checkpoint on I-95 State Police and the Rhode Island National Guard (pictured on Saturday) set up a checkpoint on I-95 in Hope Valley on Friday where drivers with New York license plates must stop and provide contact information and were told to self-quarantine for two weeks The Rhode Island National Guard (pictured) also started going door to door in coastal areas to inform any New Yorkers who may have come to the state that they must self-quarantine for 14 days If New Yorkers don't comply, they face fines and jail time, Raimondo said, adding that that's not the goal. 'I want to be crystal clear about this: If you're coming to Rhode Island from New York you are ordered into quarantine. The reason for that is because more than half of the cases of coronavirus in America are in New York,' Raimondo said, adding that it's not meant to be discriminatory. But Cuomo called the order 'reactionary' and unconstitutional, saying he'd sue Rhode Island if the policy isn't rescinded but believed they could 'work it out'. 'I understand the goal ... but there's a point of absurdity, and I think what Rhode Island did is at that point of absurdity,' said Cuomo. 'We have to keep the ideas and the policies we implement positive rather than reactionary and emotional.' Cuomo was also asked about the policies that Florida is putting in place regarding travelers from the tri-state area. The governor said he wasn't aware of any policies but insisted that he would look into it. Florida is working to set up more highway checkpoints (near Key Largo, Florida, on Saturday) to deter New York, New Jersey and Connecticut travelers from arriving in the Sunshine State as coronavirus cases pass 4,000 The new travel restrictions (checkpoint pictured near Key Largo, Florida, on Saturday) follow the governor's order on Tuesday that visitors flying in from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut are to self-quarantine for two weeks under threat of a 60-day jail sentence On Saturday, Florida Gov Ron DeSantis announced that the state would be setting up checkpoints along Interstate 95 to screen travelers from the tri-state area. DeSantis said the screening of travelers on Interstate 95 will be similar to the measure adopted Friday on Interstate 10 to discourage travel from Louisiana, an area also seeing a large spike in cases. On Interstate 10, the Florida Highway Patrol and sheriff's deputies have set up checkpoints to screen cars from Louisiana and require travelers to self-quarantine for 14 days. It's not clear how the Interstate 95 screenings will be organized. The new travel restrictions follow the governor's order on Tuesday that visitors flying in from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut are to self-quarantine for two weeks under threat of a 60-day jail sentence. National Guard members are greeting travelers from the New York City area at Florida airports. The immediate problem that has overwhelmed India is the movement of millions of migrant labourers who are now crossing state borders to reach their villages. Specific interstate transit bus terminals (ISBT) across the country are crumbling under the weight of the migrant daily wagers wanting to go home. This has created an unprecedented situation as the coronavirus pandemic is now on the move. So many people at one spot, all clustered and crowded in a location, is also creating new hotspots for the virus. To understand the enormity of the problem, the Economic Survey 2017 estimated that 90 lakh people moved between states annually for five years between 2011 and 2016. The total number of internal migrants in the country (accounting for inter- and intra-state movement) is a massive 13.9 crore (139 million). The inter-state movement has source states and destination states. Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are the biggest source of migrants, followed by Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir and West Bengal. The major destinations for migrants are Delhi, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. The media focuses on Delhi, but its happening in other destination states and cities as well. What Delhi is witnessing is inter-state migration to Uttar Pradesh and adjoining border states and Delhi has the second largest migrant population after Maharashtra. The movement is to Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab. There is an intra-state migration from cities to village across all states also and its not being monitored or tested. The coronavirus is on the move. The reason for the migration is two-fold first is fear of coronavirus and second is the loss of jobs in the informal sector. The migrants cannot feed their families, pay their rents or survive in the city due to the lockdown hitting jobs in construction, manufacturing, restaurants, travel and house help. The fear factor can only be allayed if Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveys it in a manner that only a good communicator can do. Losing jobs and economic crisis is not something that can be addressed immediately because of the lockdown. Hence, people will continue to leave the cities, the de-urbanisation because of the virus will happen even if the fear recedes. It can only be controlled with testing, and the treatment needs to shift. The state governments cannot handle this situation on their own or from the central command structure. The source states have neither the capacity nor capability to address such a massive number of people. Hence, this is an urgent appeal to state and central bureaucracies to hand over the ISBT to Indian Armys Army Services Corp (ASC). Its the only organisation in the country that has the capability to organise, move and support movement at a short time on a war footing. In parallel, the response for the management needs to be the delegation to district level, as the epidemic gets diffused and distributed from cities to the hinterland. Let us not forget that this is a war, a different war that this world has never seen before. The enemy is invisible, incognito, and striking every single citizen. This is bio-terrorism at its worst and none of the traditional scenarios of disaster management will work. The base of disaster management scenarios is on a geographical area getting affected, and the rest of the country working towards providing relief and support to it. Although the government has classified it as a national disaster, it still depends on the state department machinery to address its aftermath. The movement and distress of migrants changes this completely. Even if one crore or 10 million such migrants move from cities, it will create havoc with the health system. Every one of them is a potential carrier of the virus and is carrying it now to a distant, remote village where there is no health service. This means the epidemic just exploded geographically. The lockdown has failed to contain it in cities as the virus will travel to the villages. Villages where there is no testing, no hospitals, and no ventilators. This is a disaster which could have been averted if the district collectors were involved in the lockdown from day one instead of engaging them later after the decision was made centrally. The movement of migrants changes the scenario. The disaster is now distributed across the country the ISBTs and inter-state border between economically well-off states and poor states, the new hotspots for #Coronavirus. The state cannot address this distribution and dispersion process anymore. It needs to recognise, accept and respond immediately. It is important and urgent that all inter-state transit points be handed over by the Indian Army, specifically to the Army Services Corp (ASC). The ASC provisions, buys and distributes supplies to the Army, Air Force and, when required, for the Navy and other para-military forces. It is the logistics arm of the army and is capable of moving both people and goods in an orderly manner. The movement at the new hotspots has to follow a strict protocol. First is the availability of transportation thats sanitised for an orderly dispersal. Second is food and temporary logistic at the hotspots. Third is hospitalisations and testing facilities at these hotspots. The hospitalisation and testing facilities need to be with the Army Medical Corps (AMC), in coordination with the district administration, to prepare for the deluge and volume of tests and hospitalisation. The control and command from the central and state capital needs to diffuse to the district administration level so that the response is quick. The system cannot handle or address these issues on its own, it needs the support of the civil society and communication is the key here. Time to act was yesterday. The decision to delegate authority to district level has to happen now. (The author works with a think tank in New Delhi. Views expressed are personal.) JHR AUCC-CHAPTER has noted with concern the growing panic and fear among a section of the public following the recent televised message by President Akufo Addo with regards to the partial lockdown in areas identified as flashpoint for the spread of the novel coronavirus. Since the pronouncement, there has been a mass exodus of vehicular movement in the said areas to rural communities ahead of the directive which is to take effect on Monday, March, 30 at exactly 1 am. People are fleeing their homes for obvious reasons as majority harbour the fear of police and military brutality in the course of enforcement. Perhaps, viral video footage on social media and other news portals painting wild intents by some military persons in preparation of tomorrows event has been the common push factor provoking this unfortunate development. However, in as much as the President has issued guidelines as modus operandi for the assigned officers, JHR is urging the security services to deal with the situation with a human face and not exert excessive force and violent means to punish offenders. Per the stipulated guidelines, officers are mandated to act responsibly devoid of ill-will and malice in order not to put people under high risk of infection. Using Kenya as a real case scenario, the police have come under fire over excessive force since government imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew as part of efforts to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. About 20 Human right groups including Amnesty International have also come out to condemn the act which has forced hundreds to flee their homes to other areas for safety. Media reports exposed some police officers who were captured on video gleefully assaulting members of the public. JHR in no uncertain terms condemn such brutalities and calls for calm not only in Kenya but countrys currently experiencing unprecedented lockdown. At this instance, we will crave the indulgence of our revered security operatives to act professionally and not subject civilians to needless brutalities but manage people in a manner that will consolidate the hard-won peace and stability being enjoyed in the country. In the face of the prevailing situation, we further wish to caution the general public particularly, residents in Accra, Tema and Kumasi to allay fears and go strictly by the presidents directive to enable the police and the military to have a violent free operation. Moreover, transport operators are advised to heed to the directive and avoid inter-city movements during the said period. Government per its constitutional obligation has shown true commitment with a series of stricter measures to slow down the rate of infection, it is therefore incumbent on us to be responsive and not violate its directives. It is equally important for Ghanaians to adhere to good sanitary practices and social distance protocols as announced by the president in his maiden broadcast on the global pandemic. Our health and wellbeing are paramount to ensuring every facet of development, hence the need for us to put our health first because it is said that the health of the nation, is the wealth of the nation. Let us stay home and stop the spread. Together we can fight COVID-19!!!! Signed Michael Kofi Oduro President Isaac Asare Owusu General Secretary Selassie Amu Communications Officer Contacts: +233 (0)208504585/ +233 (0)244088870/+233 (0)557123460 respectively Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A Copa Airlines employee, wearing a protective mask, works at the airline counter at Tocumen International Airport after the Panamanian government restricted flights in recent days due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Panama City By Marcelo Rochabrun (Reuters) - Panama's Copa Airlines on Friday said it will suspend all operations from March 22 until April 21, making it the first Latin American carrier to take such a drastic measure in order to weather the coronavirus crisis. Air travel in Latin America has become heavily restricted in recent days. Panama and Colombia announced the suspension of all international travel to their countries on Thursday. The restrictions in the region have left airlines scrambling to sustain their operations and left many passengers stranded without a viable way to get home. Colombia's main carrier, Avianca Holdings , said on Friday that 5,000 employees, or about a quarter of its workforce, would be taking unpaid leave. Colombia has canceled all of its international flights and 84% of its domestic flights within Colombia. Meanwhile, Brazil, Latin America's largest economy, remains the odd country in the region. It has the least restrictive regulations in place on air travel and its infrastructure minister, Tarcisio Freitas, said on Friday that Brazil is not planning to shut down any airports. (Reporting by Marcelo Rochabrun; Additional reporting by Elida Moreno; Editing by Chris Reese and Leslie Adler) Tony O. Elumelu This is a time when we must all play our part. This global pandemic must bring citizens, governments and business leaders together and quickly. MARCH 28, 2020 United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA) announced a donation of $14 million USD (5 billion Naira), through the UBA Foundation, to catalyze a comprehensive pan-African response to the fight against the coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. The donation will provide significant and much-needed support to Nigeria and 19 other African countries, by supplying relief materials, critical care facilities, and financial support to Governments. The UBA support program will be allocated as follows: $2.8 million USD (N1 billion) to Lagos State Government in Nigeria $1.4 million USD (N500 million) to Nigerias Federal Capital Territory, Abuja $2.8 million USD (N1 billion) to the remaining 35 states in Nigeria $4.2 million USD (N1.5 billion) to UBAs presence countries in Africa $2.8 million USD (N1 billion) for Medical Centers with equipment and supplies Free Telemedicine call centre facility The pan-African bank will fund a medical centre immediately in Lagos, Nigeria, with beds for isolation and ICU facilities, managed and operated in partnership with Heirs Holdings healthcare subsidiary, Avon Medical Hospital. In addition, UBA is providing a free telemedicine platform, that is physician-led, to provide direct access to medical advice to citizens, in compliance with social distancing requirements. UBA Group Chairman Tony O. Elumelu, stated This is a time when we must all play our part. This global pandemic must bring citizens, governments and business leaders together and quickly. As we see a rapidly increasing number of cases of the coronavirus in Nigeria and Africa, the private sector has to work hand in hand with various Governments, in stemming the spread of the global pandemic. We commend the efforts of governments and we are keen to partner and contribute our resources to the collective effort, that will ensure the response to the pandemic is swift and effective. Operating in 20 African countries and globally in the United Kingdom, the United States and France, the United Bank for Africa has a strong record of supporting its communities, through challenging times. Before President Trumps State of the Union address in February, most Americans outside of Michigan had never heard of Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. When she gave the Democrat response to Trumps tour de force, she impinged ever so slightly on the popular consciousness before lapsing back into obscurity. Now, perhaps because shes hoping to be the token woman Groping Joe Biden names as his Vice President, Whitmer is back in the media. Its doubtful, though, that Americans will be impressed with a woman who has such a vendetta against the President that shes willing to withhold life-saving medicine and to lie. Ever since Trump stated his hope that hydroxychloroquine (and a similar drug, chloroquine), when prescribed with azithromycin, could treat coronavirus, the Democrat establishment has been hostile to the drug. Although chloroquine is an old and well-known drug, Nevada's governor limited its use to the hospital setting only. Whitmer has gone further than that. Whitmers Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs informed all Michigan physicians that they could face professional consequences for prescribing chloroquine for any off-label purpose, rather than for the FDA-approved purposes of treating malaria and arthritis. It's important to understand that off-label use is a common practice and completely legal. Whitmer, however, went so far as to add a dose of East German spying by telling physicians that they must report to the Department of Licensing any information they have about other physicians using off-label chloroquine prescriptions. The directive wasnt limited to physicians. The same official notice informed pharmacists that they cannot fill any off-label prescriptions. Its hard to think of a reason other than Trump-hatred for this kind of directive. On the one hand, we have a disease that has stopped the world in its tracks and a known, reputable drug that might treat it. And on the other hand, we have a governor who tells physicians and pharmacists that they could lose their licenses if they give it to patients in need. Theres something very wrong about that. And then theres Whitmers lie about medical supplies. Trump arguably goaded Whitmer into lying when he criticized how she handled the coronavirus problem in Michigan. This criticism was not unreasonable, given both Whitmers bizarre directive about hydroxychloroquine and her complaints that the federal government wasnt helping her enough. Whitmer fired back by making the unsubstantiated claim that the Trump administration was deliberately withholding supplies from Michigan: "When the federal government told us that we needed to go it ourselves, we started procuring every item we could get our hands on," Whitmer said Friday on WWJ 950AM. "What I've gotten back is that vendors with whom we had contracts are now being told not to send stuff here to Michigan." Whitmer didn't say who has told vendors to stop sending medical supplies to the state, but strongly implied the order came from President Donald Trump's administration. The governor's office could not provide any additional information Friday afternoon substantiating Whitmer's allegation. Unfortunately for Whitmer, her paranoid statement was almost instantly proved false. On Saturday, Whitmer herself tweeted out that the federal government had, in fact, sent massive numbers of masks to her state masks that clearly were en route when she accused the Trump administration of holding out on her state: This morning we received 112,800 N95 masks in our shipment from the strategic national stockpile w/8k more on the way. Great news for our health care workers. We'll keep working hard along with FEMA and the White House to get more of the PPE we need to keep Michiganders safe. Governor Gretchen Whitmer (@GovWhitmer) March 28, 2020 Whitmer finished her very bad week by sending out a singularly tone-deaf tweet: Its time for everyone to lock arms and fight #COVID19 together. pic.twitter.com/h5WSyppD3n Governor Gretchen Whitmer (@GovWhitmer) March 27, 2020 With someone as seemingly inept as Whitmer in the Michigan governors office, our advice is that Michigan citizens shouldnt lock arms with anybody in their state but should, instead, practice extreme social distancing to stay safe. A ctor James McAvoy has donated 275,000 to a doctors crowdfunder for vital protective equipment for NHS staff battling the coronavirus crisis. The X-Men and His Dark Materials star made an initial payment of 25,000 on Saturday. This came before the group of doctors shared their plan to buy personal protective equipment (PPE) from a verified supplier, prompting McAvoy to donate a further 250,000. It was a complete surprise, we didn't reach out to any celebrities - the crowdfunding company just pointed out that he had made a donation, Dr Salaj Masand, medical registrar at William Harvey hospital, Kent, told the Standard. James McAvoy has donated 275,000 to a doctors crowdfunder for vital protective equipment / Getty Images Were all speechless and its absolutely humbling that not only him but members of the public trusted us to deliver what we said we would. The effort has now raised more than 600,000 in 48 hours, triple the initial aim of 200,000 - which has now been upped to 700,000. The three doctors behind launched the appeal for more masks, gloves and visors in hospitals after feeling they are going to war without armour or protection. NHS staff are calling for more protective masks / Getty Images They are working with the government to distribute supplies and offer additional money, after ministers received offers from private companies for PPE at inflated prices. Time is of the essence, thats why we raised the capital ourselves, Dr Masand told the Standard. We felt helpless while self isolating and we heard stories of NHS staff buying masks on the internet because of a shortage in supplies. "What hit home is without adequate PPE, healthcare staff are not only at risk themselves but also to patients and families that dont have Covid-19. Ive never seen the morale so low in hospitals, and staff are being treated with contempt, raising concerns about PPE, and some hospitals have reportedly told staff with severe asthma to stop wearing masks to stop panicking people. We understand that things change every day, but the staff on my wards are being so boosted by the generosity of this campaign. It comes after the chair of the Doctors' Association, representing the NHS frontline, warned staff could quit if the "widespread lack" of PPE provision is not addressed. Beirut, March 29 : Lebanese security forces have dismantled the remains of protest camps set up in Beirut's Martyrs Square by demonstrators who poured into the streets of the capital city last October, the government said. The tents were removed "within the framework of the protection of peaceful protesters against the risk of the coronavirus and as a gesture of goodwill toward them", the Interior Ministry said in a statement on Saturday. At the same time, the Ministry cited an increase in acts of aggression against people and property by some occupants of the camp as a reason for the move, reports Efe news. Also taken down were the tents in Riad al-Solh Square, the site of the other major concentration of protesters in the capital. All of the tents from both squares were disinfected, the Interior Ministry said. The uprising, which erupted on October 17, 2019, was spurred by popular rage over the corruption of the ruling class and demands for an end to Lebanon's sectarian political system, which reserves the presidency for a Christian and the Prime Minister's office for a Sunni Muslim, while the Speaker of the parliament must be a Shia Muslim. While the movement has yet to secure fundamental change, the protests succeeded in forcing Saad Hariri to step down as prime minister. Though the protests were peaceful in the beginning, that changed last December, when clashes between demonstrators and security forces left thousands injured. A spokesperson for the Sabaa independent party, which maintained a presence in Martyrs Square, told Efe Saturday that once party members abandoned the site due to the coronavirus, homeless people occupied the tents. Some Sabaa activists remained in the square to aid the homeless, Malek Kabrit said, adding that those activists actively resisted the security forces when they started removing the tents on Friday. The Lebanese government has imposed a 7 p.m.-5 a.m. curfew through April 12 as part of measures to prevent the spread of the virus. Lebanon has sealed its borders, shut down Beirut International Airport and ordered the majority of businesses to close to deal with the pandemic, which comes amid ongoing economic crisis and political instability in the country. The Health Ministry says that Lebanon has 412 confirmed coronavirus cases and eight deaths. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday termed the gathering of migrant workers as 'dangerous' and requested them to stay back, stating that his government is working tirelessly to provide them with all basic facilities during the lockdown imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19. "People are migrating from cities to villages across the country. This is very dangerous. This will take the virus to villages as well. Yesterday, I saw pictures of the gathering of thousands of people. When you are standing in a crowd, even if a single person among them is infected with COVID-19, you will also get infected. Think about your own life and your family," Kejriwal said while addressing a digital press conference. "When Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced lockdown in the wake of coronavirus, he said -- 'Stay wherever you are'. I think it is the mantra of this lockdown. If we don't follow this, the lockdown will not be successful and the country will fail in the fight against this virus," he added. Appealing to migrant workers to stay back in Delhi, Kejriwal said: "Delhi government is providing lunch and dinner to more than 4 lakh people every day. We are putting in all the efforts to make sure that everyone gets food in the capital. There is no dearth of food and water." Delhi's Anand Vihar Bus Terminal witnessed a sea of people on Saturday with migrants and daily wagers making serpentine queues to get a ride home.Many groups have also attempted to walk back to their villages. The Central government had on Tuesday announced a 21-day lockdown in a bid to stop the spread of the deadly virus that has left several thousands dead globally. In India, the virus has infected 979 people so far. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Google is all set to continue releasing Chromebook and Chrome updates following a brief hiatus, with some big changes to the schedule. Thats based on a recently-reported post to the companys official Chromium Blog. The announcement follows the companys decision to completely cancel all updates from Chrome version M82. That cancellation applied to all channels and both the browser and Chrome OS. Now, updates to the Chrome Canary, Dev, and Beta Channels has or will resume starting this week. But the company is going to still skip Chrome version M82. The unusual circumstances mean that Googles Chrome Beta Channel, across all platforms, is moving to Chrome M81. Chrome M83 is being shifted to version M83. Stable Channel updates will continue next week, starting with key security fixes and other critical patches. Those will still be released under the M80 version number. Chrome M81 will see release starting April 7. Version M83 is tentatively scheduled for mid-May on May 19. Advertisement Chrome version M83 is going to go be massive Exact details for whats set to be included in Chrome M83 are not yet available. But it is going to be a comparatively massive update. Thats because, since Google is skipping version 82, Chrome M83 is going to include all of the work that was set for the intermediate version prior to the cancellation of updates. Summarily, Google is including Chrome 83 and Chrome 82 updates in a single update. Chrome 82 was expected to include a number of key changes, including an updated media control panel. That was expected to include a picture-in-picture button, allowing system-level use of that feature on-demand. The update was additionally predicted to include a security fix to halt downloads of insecure mixed content. Chrome 81, conversely, is expected to deliver a Files app update, among other changes. That alteration is predicted to bring the dedicated file management tools design up-to-date. More directly, that should be updated to match the material design of Android and other Chrome OS UI elements. Advertisement Regardless of what is included, specifically, Chrome 83 is going to include a much larger number of changes than previous iterations. Future Chromebook and Chrome updates are still uncertain Now, Google says the release timeframes for Chromebook and Chrome updates are still not set in stone going forward. The initial pause in updates was the result of remote working and stay at home policies the company put in place. Namely, the company didnt have enough workers to actively maintain the project. The circumstances behind that arent necessarily fixed. So theres no set date for the release of updates on the M84 branch. In fact, theres no update on the timing of any future updates. Prior to the announcement, Google typically plotted out launches for at least two incoming updates. The search giant plans a more tentative schedule for the foreseeable future and will release further news in accordance with that. Advertisement As is always the case, Chrome OS updates appear set to follow around a week behind the browser update. So Chrome M83 should arrive on Googles laptops around May 26. However, Chrome 81 appears to be scheduled for release on all platforms on April 7. In an attempt to stay ahead of myths related to the coronavirus, the World Health Organization has addressed many of them head-on with a series of graphics. The nationwide lockdown has resulted in millions of migrant workers flooding the streets and resorting to walking in the absence of any public transport. The state governments intervention on Saturday finally allowed some migrants to be evacuated before the Centre stepped in stop the exodus and issued a warning to states to seal their borders. Parallel to this another crisis has been brewing with lakhs of truck drivers stuck in limbo. Since the lockdown a total of six lakh cargo carrying trucks are currently stranded across the country, according to the All India Motor Transport Congress. For about 15,000 stranded drivers and labourers at Asias biggest truck pit-- the Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar, there has been no respite from either the local administration, state government on Central government since the day the Janta Curfew was announced. Consignments from as far as Nepal, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal are lying stranded at the hub that is situated near the Grand Trunk Road, Indias busiest highway. Drivers warn of an immediate threat to disruption of supply of essential goods too. Drivers are stuck in thousands. They have no food or shelter. Our local associations are trying whatever bare minimum food we can arrange for ourselves. They have shut road-side food stalls. Where will the driver go to eat on the highways? There has been no help from the government so far neither from the state or the Centre. This is Asias biggest transport hub and we are living in such conditions where not a single penny in aid has been provided. Some drivers have even left their trucks and fled on foot, Amrick Singh, a member of the Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar union says. Abysmal living condition Swamped in close quarters with no permission to move, the drivers are living with an eminent fear of either contracting the virus or dying of hunger. Drivers are living in abysmal conditions in an 8x8ft cabin, it is like a jail. One has to live and sleep in it, there is no facility either for toilet or water, says 27 year-old Jitender Tiwari who drove his consignment from Bihar. Amrick Singh says there is an imminent threat of drivers contracting the disease. There is a man who ran a dhaba (food stall) who has been lying sick since days. The poor guy has not been getting any food or water as no one wants to go near him out of fear. He will die of hunger alone if not of coronavirus. We have called the authorities many times but no one has bothered to take him. The police came in once after we called multiple times but no one did anything. About 1500-2000 labourers who were not allowed to cross the borders by the state police have also taken refuge at the transport pit. We have nowhere to go. I have a 3-year-old infant with me. My village is in Hardoi near Lucknow. I have been told even buses are not running anymore. We are stuck here, says Geeta, a daily wage labourer who had walked from Rohini. Movement stalled Even as movement of some cargo trucks ferrying perishable goods are being allowed drivers are facing hurdles of long queues and unloading the cargo in the absence of labourers. Drivers say they are also being asked to pay fees by local police to cross the barricades. Even essential goods vehicles are having issues. Some are stuck in huge jams. Perishable items are being allowed little bit at night but dry ration consignment is stranded here like rice. Drivers cant even leave the trucks and go as it might be stolen. Some drivers stuck on highways are just leaving their vehicles and fleeing on foot to their villages. No buses have been arranged for us like the labourers. Some drivers who were helping carry labourers were stopped by police and got beaten up. I have faced harassment by the police in Punjab who threatened to give me a challan of Rs 2000 for releasing my truck, Ranjit Singh, who drove his consignment from Ludhiana, says. Shortage of essential goods The lockdown has hampered the supply chain as lakhs of trucks carrying essential commodities are stranded on national highways. A threat of shortage of essential goods looms as the supply logjam continues. There are several trucks which were already in transit since 19-20 March, before the announcement of the lockdown. They should have at least let them pass. We have been in touch with the government but even state governments are not agreeing. This virus will eventually be controlled but if there is a shortage of essential goods supply there will be a severe war-like situation. Given the present situation it is 100% certain that there will be a shortage and the government is unable to understand the gravity of it, All-India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) president Kultaran Singh Aitwal said. When the industries have been shut and there are no labourers left, how will trucks even be loaded and unloaded? Highway transport is the lifeline of the economy and we are facing a loss of about Rs 2000 crore on an average, he added. Government intervention The Union government has issued several circulars asking states to keep units manufacturing food and essential items going and allow transport of intermediary goods. A committee to look at transport logistics has also been formed by the Centre including the secretaries of ministries of civil aviation, road transporter, railways, shipping, health, drugs and textiles. In its first meeting held on Saturday the transport minister had raised the issue of condition of truck drivers who have been stranded at highways, according to officials aware of the development. The external fund manager backed by Berkshire Hathaway's Charlie Munger, Li Lu, makes no bones about it when he says 'The biggest investment risk is not the volatility of prices, but whether you will suffer a permanent loss of capital. So it might be obvious that you need to consider debt, when you think about how risky any given stock is, because too much debt can sink a company. We note that China 21st Century Education Group Limited (HKG:1598) does have debt on its balance sheet. But the real question is whether this debt is making the company risky. What Risk Does Debt Bring? Debt assists a business until the business has trouble paying it off, either with new capital or with free cash flow. In the worst case scenario, a company can go bankrupt if it cannot pay its creditors. However, a more usual (but still expensive) situation is where a company must dilute shareholders at a cheap share price simply to get debt under control. By replacing dilution, though, debt can be an extremely good tool for businesses that need capital to invest in growth at high rates of return. When we think about a company's use of debt, we first look at cash and debt together. View our latest analysis for China 21st Century Education Group How Much Debt Does China 21st Century Education Group Carry? As you can see below, at the end of June 2019, China 21st Century Education Group had CN133.5m of debt, up from CN28.0m a year ago. Click the image for more detail. But on the other hand it also has CN453.6m in cash, leading to a CN320.0m net cash position. SEHK:1598 Historical Debt March 29th 2020 A Look At China 21st Century Education Group's Liabilities We can see from the most recent balance sheet that China 21st Century Education Group had liabilities of CN232.1m falling due within a year, and liabilities of CN56.2m due beyond that. Offsetting these obligations, it had cash of CN453.6m as well as receivables valued at CN64.0m due within 12 months. So it can boast CN229.3m more liquid assets than total liabilities. Story continues This excess liquidity is a great indication that China 21st Century Education Group's balance sheet is just as strong as racists are weak. Having regard to this fact, we think its balance sheet is just as strong as misogynists are weak. Simply put, the fact that China 21st Century Education Group has more cash than debt is arguably a good indication that it can manage its debt safely. In addition to that, we're happy to report that China 21st Century Education Group has boosted its EBIT by 46%, thus reducing the spectre of future debt repayments. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. But it is future earnings, more than anything, that will determine China 21st Century Education Group's ability to maintain a healthy balance sheet going forward. So if you're focused on the future you can check out this free report showing analyst profit forecasts. But our final consideration is also important, because a company cannot pay debt with paper profits; it needs cold hard cash. China 21st Century Education Group may have net cash on the balance sheet, but it is still interesting to look at how well the business converts its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to free cash flow, because that will influence both its need for, and its capacity to manage debt. Happily for any shareholders, China 21st Century Education Group actually produced more free cash flow than EBIT over the last three years. That sort of strong cash conversion gets us as excited as the crowd when the beat drops at a Daft Punk concert. Summing up While it is always sensible to investigate a company's debt, in this case China 21st Century Education Group has CN320.0m in net cash and a decent-looking balance sheet. The cherry on top was that in converted 121% of that EBIT to free cash flow, bringing in CN35m. When it comes to China 21st Century Education Group's debt, we sufficiently relaxed that our mind turns to the jacuzzi. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. However, not all investment risk resides within the balance sheet - far from it. For example, we've discovered 4 warning signs for China 21st Century Education Group (1 can't be ignored!) that you should be aware of before investing here. When all is said and done, sometimes its easier to focus on companies that don't even need debt. Readers can access a list of growth stocks with zero net debt 100% free, right now. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. The Bangladesh Army on Sunday said its troops would continue to carry out the anti-COVID-19 street campaign to enforce social distancing until the government orders them to return to barracks. Chief of Army Staff General Aziz Ahmed said that his troops would do "everything possible" under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's leadership to fight the deadly coronavirus pandemic as their presence on the streets appeared to have "highly energised" the common people and the civil administration. The Army will render its service in aid to civil power as long as the government wants, the Daily Sun newspaper quoted the four-star general as saying. General Ahmed said that the troops' deployment seemed to have mentally relieved the people and the officials amid fears about the course of the pandemic in the coming days. Prime Minister Hasina called the campaign against COVID-19 a "war" as her government has called out the armed forces to assist nationwide the administration in combating the pandemic in the country. A defence ministry spokesman, meanwhile, said that some 3,000 military personnel and 400 Navy troopers were deployed across the country mainly to enforce "social distancing" while the Air Force was kept ready for ferrying men and medical aid to any part of Bangladesh. He said that the new batches of troops will replace periodically the personnel already deployed on the COVID-19 duty while the previous ones would be quarantined on return to their barracks for safety. Defence ministry's inter service public relations directorate (ISPR) earlier said that the personnel would prepare lists of coronavirus-infected persons, extend cooperation to the local administrations to ensure quarantining of people who returned from abroad alongside enforcing the social distancing. The troops are seen patrolling the streets in capital Dhaka and other cities mounting megaphones on their vehicles to ask people to stay indoors and disperse usual neighbourhood crowds. The virus so far has claimed five lives and infected 48 others in the country, according to the official count but the fears of spread of the virus prompted the government to gradual steps in early March. Authorities apparently ordered a nationwide virtual lockdown shutting offices, businesses and halting all modes of public transports this week days after closing schools and restricting overseas flight operations. Bangladesh declared a 10-day nationwide holiday beginning March 26 in view of the COVID-19 outbreak, and called in Army troops to enforce social distancing as the World Health Organisation (WHO) called it the most crucial means to prevent the spread of the virus. The country has called in the armed forces in the past as well especially during floods and cyclones in aid of the civil administration. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) All cargo will be delivered to the country's regions in the afternoon The second plane with protective equipment for doctors, police, and military arrived at the Boryspil airport. Deputy Chairman of the Presidents Office Kyrylo Tymoshenko wrote this on his Facebook page. According to him, there are 300 thousand respirators, 35 thousand protective suits, 1.8 million ordinary medical masks and other protective equipment onboard. Now this cargo goes to the logistics warehouse and leaves for every region of Ukraine afternoon. The plane takes off at night and goes to China for the next cargo batch, Tymoshenko wrote. He also noted that starting from Tuesday, there will be two additional aircraft, which will help pharmacy chains quickly fill the market with cheap masks and other means of protection. As we reported earlier, as of 10:00 on March 29, a total of 418 laboratory-confirmed cases of coronavirus disease were recorded in Ukraine. 109 new cases were recorded per day. Of these, nine proved fatal, and five patients recovered (four adults and one child). US President Donald Trump said there is no need to impose quarantine in New York state and neighboring areas. Kolkata, March 29 : Three persons, including an Army doctor, were on Sunday detected with the coronavirus infection here - in the first case of a medico getting afflicted with the dreaded Covid-19 in West Bengal, where the disease count has now gone up to 21. The 52-year-old anaesthesiologist is now admitted at the Command Hospital, Alipore, state Health Department sources said. A 66-year-old man from north Kolkata also tested positive for the disease. The third victim, a resident of Hooghly district now admitted at a private hospital, was detected with the disease on Sunday night. Health Department sources said the anaesthesiologist had gone to Delhi earlier this month. On his return, he joined duty at the Command Hospital, and worked till March 21 when he felt unwell. He was admitted to the hospital with cold, fever and respiratory problems, with the doctors initially suspecting it to be a case of pneumonia. However, as his condition did not improve, the doctor's swab sample was sent for testing at the National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (NICED). On Sunday, the test results came as positive. Sources said the doctor was kept in the isolation ward since his admission as a precautionary measure. Efforts are on to track the patients he had treated and also the doctors and other hospital staff who had come in close contact with him, and send them to quarantine. The authorities were also trying to find out the persons he had met during his Delhi visit. The north Kolkata resident is learnt to have visited Madhya Pradesh recently. A source said his brother is also suffering from fever, and has been tested for the infection. The results are awaited. The third patient, in his late 50s, had been suffering from fever for some time. He travelled by train despite his indisposition to his office in Durgapur of West Burdwan district for a couple of days till his condition deteriorated. He was hospitalised on Saturday following a further deterioration in health. One person has died due to Covid-19 in the state so far. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 22:09:26|Editor: yhy Video Player Close Omu Kakujaha-Matundu, an economist and academic from the University of Namibia, is pictured in Windhoek, Namibia, March 30, 2020.(Xinhua) WINDHOEK, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Namibia and African countries need to take a cue from China in fighting poverty especially among those in the rural areas after impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, a renowned Namibian analyst and academic has said. Omu Kakujaha-Matundu, an economist and academic from the University of Namibia, said Africans need to find courage from China's battle against poverty. "China has been a long time friend for African countries, but our leaders still have a lot to learn in terms of policies that deal with poverty like in China. It is important to follow the footsteps of how China has fought poverty among its vulnerable groups through improving agriculture. Our leaders need to learn from this and abandon self-fulfilling policies," he said. The Namibian academic said China is a giant in terms of fighting poverty as well as empowering the poor. "If our leaders learn form the Chinese way of dealing with economic challenges in improving the lives of poor people and uprooting corruption, Africa will prosper," he said. While parties in Africa have benefited immensely from the support of the Chinese people, they need to work their policies in line with the way China has put lives of its people first when it comes to development, he said. "China has managed to integrate artificial intelligence and ICT into improving agriculture production and agro-processing. What we need to do is to use intelligence and young people to drive the economy. We are still behind in this aspect," he added. COLUMBUS, Ohio - Twenty-nine Ohioans have died from COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, and 1,653 people have tested positive, according to new data released Sunday afternoon by Ohio Department of Health. Thats up from Saturday, when 1,406 Ohioans had tested positive and 25 had died. The state also reported 403 COVID-19 related hospitalizations and 139 patients in intensive care. That represented a 13% increase in ICU cases and 17% increase in total hospitalizations from Saturday when the totals were 123 and 344. Click here for more details, including a breakdown by county. Included in the data were a single death each in Lorain and Medina counties. Those were the first deaths in those two counties. Based on the persons place of residence, Cuyahoga County has had the most hospitalizations with 95, followed by Mahoning County (46), Franklin County (35) and Summit County (25). Gov. Mike DeWine shortly after 2 p.m. began his daily coronavirus briefing at the Ohio Statehouse. There hadnt initially been a briefing planned for Sunday, but DeWine scheduled one after the FDA granted limited approval to a mask-cleaning technology developed by Battelle, a Columbus-nonprofit. Call from the FDA commissioner DeWine told reporters that FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn had called him shortly before the briefing began, assuring him the technology will be fully approved by the end of the day. He told me this would be cleared up today, he thought we would be able to have what we want," DeWine said. "And what we want is help for our first responders. And what we want is help for our medical personnel who definitely need this. Ohio officials and Battelle had hoped for full approval. Battelle leaders said their technology could sterilize up to 160,000 respirator masks for re-use per day in Ohio alone. The firm said Saturday the first completed system is in transit and will be placed at an undisclosed location in the New York metropolitan area to address that citys critical shortage of PPE (personal protective equipment) needed by healthcare workers and first responders. But the FDA only granted Battelle permission to clean masks at its Columbus headquarters, and only 10,000 per day. The FDAs limited approval allows for the masks to be sanitized and re-used up to 20 times. DeWine said he learned of the limited approval Sunday morning. He called the White House operator. Needless to say I was quite angry. I picked up the phone and called President Trump. The president called me back. We had a great conversation. He told me that he would do everything he could to make sure this got done today, DeWine said. Read recent Ohio coronavirus coverage: Gov. Mike DeWine: FDA reckless in limiting use of new mask-cleaning technology Machines could sanitize 160,000 masks for reuse each day in Ohio, if approved by FDA Ohio coronavirus cases surpass 1,000 mark with 19 deaths: Gov. Mike DeWines Friday, March 27 briefing So what is the potential peak of coronavirus cases in Ohio? Sorting out the various projections Mapping Ohios 1,137 coronavirus cases, plus daily trends Sharing is caring! 136 shares Share 135 Tweet Pin 1 Guys, Im deep into the viral docuseries Tiger King on Netflix, and my god, what a dreadful yet unmissable look at the worst (or unluckiest?) of humanity in rural America. Its like a car crash, and I just cant tear my eyes away. Im enthralled yet horrified, obsessed, and disgusted. The plot twists, the surprises, the frightening real glimpses of human truths, holy shit! With a tagline of murder, mayhem, and madness, Tiger King follows the storyline of Joe Exotic, a zoo owner in bumfuck, Oklahoma, with a narrative arc that spirals out of control in a true murder-for-hire story from the underworld of big cat breeding. Buckle up. There are gun-loving gay cowboys with mullets. The cults. The polygamy. The loss of limbs and teeth. Inbred tigers, ligers, and illegal lemurs. Excessive dynamite and guns lovingly adorned with pink camo. Accidental suicide and haphazard murder plots. Flower crowns. So much leopard print. Failed grassroots governor elections. Expired Walmart meat pizzas. Hillbillies and their homemade country music videos featuring fat tigers. Missing husbands. Meth and sequins. Florida. I cant even. Honestly, this show is batshit insane. AND ITS REAL. But what makes me sad about the train wreck human drama of this docu-series is that the stars, the tigers, are all but forgotten. Did you know there are more captive tigers in the US than in the wild? How is breeding tigers in your redneck backyard still allowed? How are these pretend wildlife sanctuaries still allowed? And for gods sake, how is Carole Baskin not in jail for murder/fraud/animal abuse and/or all of the above? And yet no matter how vile it gets, how can I STILL feel compassion for these horrible people who put baby tigers in suitcases and carry guns around like candy? Disguised behind the most insane group of characters youve ever laid eyes on, Tiger King shines a light on the whole heap of uncomfortable truths. Last year National Geographic broke a significant feature that there are more tigers in private zoos and as pets in the USA than in the wild. What the hell?! That has to stop now. Totally unacceptable for many reasons, one primary being that your neighbor might have a lion in his garage that could escape and eat you, the other major one being that lions belong in Africa, not rural Ohio, and tigers belong in India not fucking Oklahoma. (sorry, this makes me absolutely livid) These huge apex predators need massive amounts of territory and belong in the wild. Of course, that opens a whole other wormhole of issues from habitat loss to revenge killings to food loss, but that is where the bulk of conservation work should be focused. You dont need big cat sanctuaries in America if people arent allowed to have big cats as pets that end up needing rescuing. The other main point is that real conservation doesnt allow human interaction with animals. No yanking newborn tiger cubs from their moms to pose for selfies. No swimming with huge elephants. No cuddling drugged tigers for your new Tinder pic. Big cats and endangered species belong in the wild or proper conservation centers without human interaction, period. Whats more, Im appalled at how many massive profiles on social media feature guys and their exotic pets. Instagram, why do you allow this kind of content? Unethical wildlife breeding and captive endangered species bred for photos, and profit are wrong. And its illegal. Almost every one of these profiles has faced criminal charges and received abuse warnings. These zoos and rescue centers give the impression they are for conservation when the reality couldnt be further from the truth. Its important to question that when you see unethical wildlife practices. For example, you can pay thousands of dollars to swim with a tiger or for a volunteer experience. Seriously? Your tiger selfies arent volunteering. Where does that money go? Where do the profits from these sanctuaries go? How are they using the money they make from breeding and using tigers to fund wildlife conservation? How do they have so many baby tigers all the time? Why arent they with their mothers? Baby tigers become useless in captivity after only 12 weeks because theyve become too big and too dangerous to interact with people. After that, they usually just disappear. Not a single one of these conservation tigers bred in America has ever been released back into the world. How could they when theyre raised and hand-fed by humans? Perhaps the most heart-wrenching part for me is seeing photos of white tigers. These white tigers are incredibly inbred, almost all are from the same white Bengal tiger that was sold into the US in the 1960s from India. There is no conservation reason to breed white tigers, why would you breed for a recessive gene like that if you were trying to save a population of endangered animals like? Your focus would be on genetic diversity. These white tigers are purely bred for their beauty; even though most of them have so many inbred defects, they would have no hope of surviving in the wild. Its just cruel. Can someone please tell me how its ethical or moral to breed a lion with a tiger and then put it on a leash and keep it a cage so you can make money? Whats sad is that this isnt unique to America. Lions are bred for slaughter on canned hunting farms in South Africa, and China has a massive market for tiger parts (among all others) for traditional medicine and food. Thats just the tip of the iceberg. With many of these for-profit private zoos and exotic animal pet owners on Instagram masquerading as conservation projects, its never been more important to question where you chose to spend your tourism dollars. Travelers love animals, me included, but its imperative to follow a few guidelines for responsibly interacting with wildlife. At the end of the day, we have the power as consumers to stand up and say exploiting wildlife and endangered species is wrong. Dig deep and do your research before going to any of these places and have a thorough look around when youre there. Does it look suitable for the animals? Beware of buzzwords like gives back to conservation, sanctuary, and rescue. Is the animal interacting in a way that isnt normal? Has it been trained? Most of these training methods are based on fear and are cruel. My god, imagine the impact it would have if all of the profits and expenses from exploiting exotic animals went towards conservation projects, what a difference that would make. Listen, I get it. I would fucking love to cuddle a baby tiger. Their squeaks are so cute, and I know its super unique. But its not right. Those tigers dont belong on my Instagram or in my arms. One day Ill follow in the footsteps of Rudyard Kipling to India and hopefully get to track wild tigers on safari in their natural habitat. But I will only do that in the most responsible way I can. Ive tracked leopards in Sri Lanka, lions in Botswana, cheetahs in South Africa, and elephants just about everywhere. Its a real privilege that Ive been able to go to these places, something I dont ever take advantage of or forget. Its powerful and so special to see majestic, iconic creatures in the wild, where they belong. There is something so profoundly sad and degrading to such a mighty animal reduced to misery for the enjoyment of humans. The second disturbing truth brought to light from Tiger King was just how disconnected I am from my American siblings. I grew up in rural Virginia, about 15 minutes from West Virginia, so I am far from inexperienced when it comes to Trump-loving, gun-toting, uneducated rednecks. But this show was next level sad and made me face my privilege in an uncomfortable way. If things are going to change, a whole heap of cultural mindsets would have to shift. With education and opportunity, anything is possible. I think the US needs to work on prison reform, drug rehab programs, and healthy community programs for its people. If anything, Tiger King was a painful glimpse of what excessive gun freedom + meth + extreme poverty + lack of opportunity does to people. So please, Netflix, stop streaming this outside of America; itss not a good look for us. And for the love of God, please never take a selfie with a baby endangered animal at one of these places! Also, I think Im going crazy. Send me something sane to binge-watch, please that wont rile me up. Thanks. Did you know about these seedy depths of wildlife tourism? Have you ever seen one of these fantastic animals in the wild? Where would you go on safari if you could? Spill! Prasanta Mazumdar By Express News Service GUWAHATI: Criticising the third Bodo peace accord, signed in January and dubbed by many as historic, Bodoland Peoples Front (BPF) chief Hagrama Mohilary said the Bodos had not fought for a railway factory, a flyover and a National Institute of Technology (NIT). By signing this accord, all that the Bodos are going to get are a railway factory, a flyover, an NIT, a road connecting two districts etc. That is not what the Bodos fought for. Bodofa Upendra Nath Brahma had launched the Bodo movement to achieve a separate Bodoland state. All Bodo organisations know this, Mohilary told this newspaper. He slammed United Peoples Party Liberal (UPPL) chief Pramod Bodo, who is a former leader of All Bodo Students Union (ABSU), for the raw deal and for doing politics for personal gains. Pramod Bodo had lobbied in Delhi to ensure that the accord is signed with him. His commitment to the government was that he would toe its lines. As a result, he dumped the greater interest of the Bodos which is a separate Bodoland state, Mohilary said. He said Pramod Bodos plan was head an interim government in the BTC that he thought would be in place as an outcome of the peace accord. He thought there would be an interim government in the BTC after the signing of the accord. His idea was to capture power and then merge himself with the saffron party. That was the commitment given to him. But it didnt happen, Mohilary said. Elections to the 40-member autonomous body BTC, scheduled for April 4, were deferred indefinitely in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic. The contest this time around is expected between Mohilarys BPF and Pramod Bodos UPPL. Mohilary, who has been serving as the chief of the BTC ever since its creation in 2003, said the accord was to have been signed with the four factions of erstwhile insurgent group National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) but Pramod Bodo had hijacked it to protect his interests and importance. There are speculations that Pramod Bodo has been pitched by the BJP. He had joined the UPPL as its working president just days after signing the peace accord. Then in no time, he was elevated to the post of party chief. The BJP is an ally of the BPF in Assams ruling alliance but it appears that the saffron party will align with any of the two regional parties that will be in a position to form the BTC. Mohilary is not perturbed that the BJP ignored his BPF and kept its options open for post-poll alliance. BJP and AGP (Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) are our allies in the state government and the alliance will remain. BJP is a national party and it can do politics by taking along other parties. I cannot stop them, he said. The BPF offered two seats to the BJP and one to the AGP. However, the BJP asserted that it would contest in all 40 seats. It has already declared the names of 25 candidates. Mohilary committed that if the BPF was voted to power, a development council would be created for each of the 14 communities in the BTC. Non-Bodos make up around 70% of the BTCs population. The BTC administers four districts of western and northern Assam. WASHINGTON (AP) As President Donald Trump looks for ways to restore normalcy in parts of the U.S., his foremost infection disease expert says the country could experience more than 100,000 deaths and millions of infections from the coronavirus pandemic. Dr. Anthony Fauci, speaking on CNN's State of the Union on Sunday, offered his prognosis as the federal government weighs rolling back guidelines on social distancing in areas that have not been as hard-hit by the outbreak at the conclusion of the nationwide 15-day effort to slow the spread of the virus. I would say between 100,000 and 200,000 cases, he said, correcting himself to say he meant deaths. We're going to have millions of cases. But he added I don't want to be held to that because the pandemic is such a moving target. About 125,000 cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. had been recorded as of Sunday morning, with over 2,100 dead. It is certain that many more have the disease but their cases have not been reported. One in three Americans remain under state or local government orders to stay at home to slow the spread of the virus, with schools and businesses closed and public life upended. Dr. Deborah Birx, head of the White House coronavirus task force, said parts of the country with few cases so far must prepare for what's to come. No state, no metro area, will be spared, she said on NBC's Meet the Press. Fauci said he would only support the rollback in lesser-impacted areas if more testing is in place to monitor those areas. He said its a little iffy there right now. Most people who contract COVID-19 have mild or moderate symptoms, which can include fever and cough but also milder cases of pneumonia, sometimes requiring hospitalization. The risk of death is greater for older adults and people with other health problems. Hospitals in the most afflicted areas are straining to handle patients and some are short of critical supplies. Fauci's prediction would take the death toll well past that of the average seasonal flu. Trump repeatedly cited the flu's comparatively much higher cost in lives in playing down the severity of this pandemic. Trump had eyed a reopening of the U.S. economy by Easter, April 12, but in recent days medical professionals have warned that would be far too soon for the nation's heavily affected urban areas. Just on Saturday, Trump was discussing tightening restrictions, suggesting then backing away from an enforceable quarantine of hard-hit New York, Connecticut and New Jersey. Instead, the White House task force recommended a travel advisory for residents of those states to limit non-essential travel to slow the spread of the virus to other parts of the U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested that Trump shouldn't be so quick to reverse the social distancing guidelines, saying more testing needs to be in place to determine whether areas currently showing fewer infections are truly at lower risk. Trump's denial in the crisis was deadly, she told CNN. As the president fiddles, people are dying, and we have to take every precaution," she said. She promised a congressional investigation once the pandemic is over to determine whether Trump heeded advice from scientific experts and to answer the question that resonates through U.S. political scandals: What did he know and when did he know it? Trump minimized the gravity of the pandemic for weeks. Asked whether she is saying that attitude cost American lives, Pelosi said: Yes, I am. I'm saying that." It put Pelosi out of lockstep with former vice president Joe Biden, the likely Democratic presidential nominee, who said he wouldn't go so far as to lay the blame for deaths on the president. I think that's a little too harsh," he told NBC. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., walks to her office after signing the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act after it passed in the House on Capitol Hill, Friday, March 27, 2020, in Washington. The $2.2 trillion package will head to head to President Donald Trump for his signature. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)AP Biden faulted Trump for holding back on using his full powers under the recently invoked Defense Production Act to spur the manufacture of the full range of needed medical supplies and for making erratic statements about the pandemic. He should stop thinking out loud and start thinking deeply," Biden said. Meanwhile, governors in other hotspots across the country were raising alarm that the spread of the virus was threatening their health-care systems. We remain on a trajectory, really, to overwhelm our capacity to deliver health care, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said on ABCs This Week. By the end of the first week in April, we think the first real issue is going to be ventilators. And we think it's about the fourth or fifth of April before, down in the New Orleans area, we're unable to put people on ventilators who need them. And then several days later, we will be out of beds. He said officials have orders out for more than 12,000 ventilators through the national stockpile and private vendors, but so far have only been able to get 192. More from PennLive: Penn State Harrisburg reports first coronavirus case Checkpoints set up at Florida/Alabama line; Florida vacation rentals stopped for 2 weeks Western Pa. nursing home fights to contain coronavirus spread, 14 cases reported so far GREAT SASUKE DOCUMENTARY RELEASED ONLINE FOR FREE Carlos Rivera sent word that Director Mikiko Sasaki has released her 2016 documentary on the Great Sasuke, online for free, to give people who are at home something to watch. "The Great Sasuke chronicles one life-changing year in the career of a regional Japanese wrestler and local politician known as The Great Sasuke. Sasuke describes wrestling as his "tenshoku" -- a lifework assigned by god. He considers himself not just an entertainer but a public servant, which once lead him to win a seat as an assembly legislator of his home prefecture, Iwate. In constant observance to his public persona, Sasuke has never removed his mask in and out of the ring -- even as a politician. Set in the suburb of Morioka City in northern Japan, his story begins when Sasuke, now in his 40s, marks his 20th anniversary as a wrestler. With dwindling attendance to his performances and his declining health, Sasuke is now at a crossroads. He decides to climb back into both arenas -- wrestling and politics -- for a final battle royale." If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here! India has shifted its diplomats and staff from its consulates in Afghan cities of Herat and Jalalabad to Kabul in view of fast-spreading cases of coronavirus in that country which shares a long border with Iran, the worst hit nation by the pandemic in the region. Government sources said all Indian staff at the two consulates were brought to Kabul as part of precautionary measures, following the swelling number of coronavirus cases in the war-ravaged country. According to Afghan government, a total of 110 people have been infected by the virus, although health experts believe the actual number could be higher as several provinces in the country do not have facilities to carry out lab test to check the infection. Two foreign diplomats and four officials of the NATO's Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan were among the positive cases in the country, as per Afghan media reports. The sources said the Indian staff from the two consulates were shifted to Kabul as there are no adequate medical facilities in Herat and Jalalabad. The Indian diplomats and staff in Kabul have been told to take all required precautions to insulate themselves from the virus while carrying out their normal duties in the embassy. Herat province shares a long border with Iran which is among the few countries reporting a large number of coronavirus cases and struggling to combat one of the world's worst outbreaks. Thousands of Afghans are returning from Iran to Herat in the wake of rapid rise in coronavirus cases in Iran. Over 2,500 people died and more than 35,500 have been infected across Iran since February. The coronavirus pandemic, which first emerged in Chinese city of Wuhan, has killed nearly 28,000 people and infected close to 600,000 in 183 countries. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Advertisement Three medics, two based in Florida and one in New York, have died due to coronavirus this week after working on the front lines to help patients stricken with COVID-19. Miami intensive care unit nurse Araceli Buendia Ilagan, 63, passed away on Saturday to complications of the virus, Jackson Memorial Hospital confirmed. Her death comes four days after the passing of Dr. Alex Hsu, 67, who had worked at Northwest Medical Center in Margate, Florida, and died due to complications of COVID-19 on Tuesday. Also on Tuesday New York City nurse Kious Kelly, 48, passed away after his hospital Mount Sinai Hospital West suffered a shortage of medical protective equipment that forced some nurses to wear trash bags. Their tragic deaths serve as a somber reminder of the dire risks doctors and nurses face in working with coronavirus patients as hospitals report shortages of equipment, testing kits, and health care workers. Nationwide there are over 123,000 cases of coronavirus and over 2,000 deaths. Medical experts warn the contagious COVID-19 will continue to spread across the country as Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government's foremost infection disease expert, predicts the US could see between 100,000 to 200,000 deaths. Miami nurse Araceli Buendia Ilagan, 63, (left) passed away this week due to complications of COVID-19, her hospital confirmed Saturday. Her death comes four days after the passing of Dr. Alex Hsu, 67, (right) who worked at Northwest Medical Center in Margate, and died due to complications of COVID-19 on Tuesday New York City nurse Kious Kelly, 48, (above) passed away on Tuesday after his hospital Mount Sinai Hospital West in Manhattan suffered from a shortage of medical protective equipment A shocking photo posted to Facebook shows three nurses at Mount Sinai West wearing black garbage bags as makeshift protective gowns due to a shortage of protective equipment Ilagan was an integral part of the Jackson Memorial hospital who mentored and trained other nurses and worked for Miami-Dades public hospital system since the 1980s. 'Our Jackson Health System family is mourning the death of longtime Jackson nurse Araceli Buendia Ilagan, who recently died from complications of COVID-19,' the hospital said in a statement. 'Araceli dedicated nearly 33 years of her life treating some of our most critically ill patients.' Ilagan worked her last shift at Jackson Memorials ICU on Tuesday. However, its not clear when she became ill or how many patients and coworkers she may have had contact with, according to the Miami Herald. She's also the second Jackson Health nurse to test positive for the virus in March. 'As we battle this global public health crisis, caregivers throughout the world are bravely serving on the front lines, often putting their patients lives before theirs. These medical professionals - people like Araceli - are the true heroes, and we salute them all,' the hospital said in the statement. According to records, Ilagan lived in Pembroke Pines and became licensed as a registered nurse in Florida in 1982 and then an advanced practice registered nurse in 1991. Her brother shared a post on Facebook praising her as a 'true hero in the fight against COVID-19'. 'My sister Araceli Buendia Ilagan, a nurse in Miami, Florida since 1981 was a victim of this Covid-19. She was nursing those patients with the said virus in their hospital and unfortunately contracted and became unwell,' he shared Saturday. Ilagan's brother Roy Buendia shared this Facebook post praising her as a 'true hero in the flight against COVID-19' Araceli Buendia Ilagan worked as a nurse in the ICU unit at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami (hospital above). She worked her last shift there on Tuesday then self isolated. It's not clear when she first fell ill or what patients or co-workers she could have passed the contagious disease to 'She preferred to self-isolate for days however she lost her battle and sadly passed away early this morning. My dearest sister, we admired you for your dedication on your profession. We are very, very proud of you. You're a true "Hero" in this fight against Covid-19. We love you so much and you will be in our hearts forever,' he shared. A friend from Ilagan shared a tribute on Facebook writing, 'Too close to home and rest in paradise'. According to the labor union that represents the 5,000 doctors and nurses at Ilagan's employer Jackson Health, there is enough protective gear for nurses and doctors who care for patients. Those supplies are now kept under a lock and key as a precaution. 'A humanitarian in the greatest measure possible passed away too soon,' Roland More, a physician graduate who completed his clinical rotations under Hsu, said in a tribute on social media The union says the greatest challenge for doctors and nurses is the lack of testing that would allow medical workers to identify and isolate COVID-19 positive patients earlier on and with more efficiency. Her death follows on the heels of Broward County doctor Alex Hsu's tragic passing, after he served his community for 40 years. His death was the region's first case where a medical provider died of the disease. Hsu was in private practice and until 2017 had been associated Northwest Medical Center in Margate. However, officials havent said whether he contracted COVID-19 from traveling abroad or work-related circumstances. Its not clear when he became ill, according to the Sun Sentinel. 'A humanitarian in the greatest measure possible passed away too soon,' Roland More, a physician graduate who completed his clinical rotations under Hsu, said in a tribute on social media. Kious Kelly, an assistant nursing manager at Mount Sinai West, died on Tuesday, a week after he was admitted upon testing positive for coronavirus. His hospital was suffering from a severe shortage in medical protecting equipment. A shocking photo posted to Facebook shows three nurses at Mount Sinai West wearing black garbage bags as makeshift protective gowns. 'NO MORE GOWNS IN THE WHOLE HOSPITAL,' the caption on the photo reads. 'NO MORE MASKS AND REUSING THE DISPOSABLE ONESNURSES FIGURING IT OUT DURING COVID-19 CRISIS.' Kious Kelly, an assistant nursing manager at Mount Sinai West, died on Tuesday, a week after he was admitted upon testing positive for coronavirus. 'Today, we lost another hero - a compassionate colleague, friend and selfless caregiver,' Mount Sinai said in a statement when asked about Kelly's death Kelly's sister Marya Patrice Sherron shared this heartbroken post on Facebook saying her brother was healthy before the virus hit Dr Hsu's death was the region's first case where a medical provider died of the disease. Hsu was in private practice and until 2017 had been associated Northwest Medical Center in Margate (above) Kellys last correspondence with his sister was on March 18 in which he told her he tested positive for COVID-19 and was on a ventilator in the intensive care unit and couldnt speak on the phone, but could text. 'Im okay. Dont tell Mom and Dad. Theyll worry,' he wrote to his sister Marya Patrice Sherron. Less than a week later he passed away. His sister said Kelly had asthma but was otherwise healthy. 'His death could have been preventedIm angry. He was healthy,' she wrote on Facebook on Wednesday. Kelly's nursing school classmate Annie K. Lee expressed her sorrow at his death in a moving Facebook post. 'I still remember hugging Kious on graduation day. I am at a loss for words and cannot even begin to describe how sorry I am, that the world has lost a flame as bright as you, in this unforgiving Coronavirus worldwide pandemic,' she wrote. Lee issued an urgent plea to the public to support healthcare workers, writing: 'GIVE your unnecessarily stocked masks, N95s, N99s, gloves, isolation gowns, and Medical Protective Gear to your local hospitals.' On Sunday Mayor Bill de Blasio somberly announced city hospitals are only equipped to last the next week before running out of crucial medical supplies. In a statement to DailyMail.com, Mount Sinai Health System wrote: 'We are deeply saddened by the passing of a beloved member of our nursing staff.' 'The safety of our staff and patients has never been of greater importance and we are taking every precaution possible to protect everyone,' the statement continued. 'But this growing crisis is not abating and has already devastated hundreds of families in New York and turned our frontline professionals into true American heroes. Today, we lost another hero - a compassionate colleague, friend and selfless caregiver.' At least four staffers who worked with Kelly have also tested positive for the coronavirus, and there are nine coronavirus patients being treated in the telemetry monitoring unit where he worked, according to the New York Post. As of Sunday there are over 123,000 cases of coronavirus in the US and over 2,000 deaths This map shows major hotspots of COVID-19. Florida is one of them with over 4,000 cases and 56 deaths As of Sunday morning there are over 4,200 cases of coronavirus in Florida state and there have been a total of 56 deaths. In the state of New York there are over 54,000 cases and over 800 deaths. Coronavirus is not just pummeling the population and wearing out hospital workers, but its also gravely effecting first responders and paramedics. In New York, members of the Fire Department Bureau of Emergency Medical Services also known as FDNY EMS are forced to sleep in their cars to avoid infecting their loved ones. According to FDNY EMS officers union VP Anthony Almojera, 911 call volume has increased from about 3,500 a day to 6,000 or more. Many first responders are working multiple shifts a day and are scrambling to keep with with the overwhelming number of 911 calls. 'Theyre not going home to sleep. A lot of them have slept in their cars because they dont want to infect their families.' Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 29) More than 42,000 people have been apprehended for violating curfew rules set under the Luzon-wide COVID-19 quarantine, officials said Sunday. In a statement, the Joint Task Force Coronavirus Shield said a total of 42,826 curfew violators were listed in the first 11 days of the "enhanced" community quarantine from March 17 to 27. Of this number, 12,094 came from Metro Manila, it added. With the rising number of quarantine violations, the task force composed of officials from the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine Coast Guard and the Bureau of Fire Protection reiterated that the arrests and filing of charges against erring parties will continue. PLtGen Guillermo Eleazar, PNP Deputy Chief for Operations, said the Justice Department has already issued to prosecutors the general rules for the conduct of an "e-inquest" or virtual inquest proceedings through online and video platforms. Eleazar also renewed calls for the public to stay indoors and follow the quarantine protocols to help curb the spread of the infectious disease. The Philippines has recorded 1,418 positive cases of COVID-19, as of the Health Department's latest record. Seventy-one have died, while 42 recovered from the disease. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Mar. 29 By Nargiz Sadikhova Trend: Five cities of Kazakhstans Karaganda region will be closed off for quarantine over coronavirus spread, Head of regions Department for Quality Control and Safety of Goods and Services Kanat Askarov said, Trend reports with reference to Kazakh media. Askarov said that the quarantine regime will be imposed on Karaganda, Saran, Shakhtinsk, Abay and Temirtau cities starting from 00:00 (GMT +6) on Mar. 30, 2020. Additionally, a petition will be sent to the state commission to close bus and railway stations, the airport, without restricting special flights. Well also petition for the restriction of public transport and ensuring the complete cordon off of the quarantine zone, Askarov said. By a decision of State Commission on Provision of Emergency State under the president of Kazakhstan, quarantine regime has been introduced in Kazakhstans Nur-Sultan and Almaty cities at 00:00 (GMT +6) on March 19, 2020, due to the coronavirus outbreak. On March 15, 2020, Kazakhstans President Kassym Jomart Tokayev signed a decree introducing an emergency state in Kazakhstan due to coronavirus outbreak, which came in force from 08:00 (GMT +6) on March 16 and will last till 08:00 on April 15, 2020. First two cases of coronavirus infection were detected in Kazakhstan among those who arrived in Almaty city from Germany on March 13, 2020. Distribution of overall coronavirus cases in Kazakhstans region is as follows: Total infected Total recovered Total deaths Nur-Sultan 162 13 Almaty city 67 5 Shymkent 2 Akmola region 6 1 Aktobe region 1 Almaty region 4 Atyrau region 6 East Kazakhstan region 2 Zhambyl region 3 West Kazakhstan region Karaganda region 7 Kostanay region Kyzylorda region 2 Mangystau region 1 Pavlodar region 1 North Kazakhstan region 1 Turkestan region TOTAL 265 18 1 The outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan - which is an international transport hub - began at a fish market in late December 2019. The number of people killed by the disease has surpassed 30,900. Over 669,200 people have been confirmed as infected. Meanwhile, over 142,100 people have reportedly recovered. Some sources claim the coronavirus outbreak started as early as November 2019. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11. As coronavirus spreads across the globe, many are looking back to the popular 2011 thriller, Contagion. The movie shows a fictional contagious disease that, much like COVID-19, explodes all over the world. Contagion screenwriter Scott Z. Burns has said that he utilized research and expert opinions to inform his writing on the movie. One medical adviser that worked on the virus-themed film, Dr. Ian Lipkin, has now been infected with the coronavirus. Doctor who served as an expert on 2011 pandemic movie Contagion tests positive for coronavirus A coronavirus researcher at Hackensack Meridian Health Center for Discovery and Innovation in Nutley, New Jersey | Kena Betancur/Getty Images Dr. Ian Lipkin, a medical adviser on the 2011 film Contagion has come down with COVID-19. Lipkin shared the news that he tested positive for coronavirus with David Asman this past week. Asman was interviewing the doctor on Lou Dobbs Tonight (which airs on Fox Business) about potential new treatments for coronavirus, Fox reported. Fox also clarified that the interview was conducted remotely, with Asman in a studio and Lipkin at a separate location. If it can hit me, it can hit anybody. Thats the message I want to convey, Dr. Lipkin said. The Contagion expert said it had a very emotional experience for him, between coughs. This has become very personal for me, too, Dr. Lipkin told Asman. I have COVID as of yesterday. And it is miserable. I heard you cough, I didnt wanna be a hypochondriac and say, I hope you dont have it, Asman told Dr. Lipkin. But you do. Lipkin told Asman that he is undergoing trial treatment for the virus and hoped to feel better soon. Dr. Ian Lipkin warns viewers about COVID-19 Lipkin, Fox reported, signed on to consult director Steven Soderbergh on Contagion in an effort to raise public awareness about modern public health challenges. The medical expert wanted the film to be a wake-up call for the public that todays fiction could easily become fact tomorrow. Contagion was realistic, but still thrilling for viewers, which Dr. Lipkin found to be a key combination. Many storylines in Contagion are based on what Dr. Lipkin truly experienced while working on the SARS outbreak in Beijing in 2003. Dr. Lipkin told Asman that, based on his knowledge, communities across the country should put standardized coronavirus restrictions in place. We have porous borders between states, between cities. However, even as an expert, Dr. Lipkin said much of how the coronavirus pandemic response will go is up in the air. We really dont know when were gonna get this under control, he said. One MD says the coronavirus is more dangerous than the infectious disease in Contagion To add to the general state of anxiety, a physician from Pennsylvania wrote a column in the opinion section of TribeLIVE.com. The article was titled: Dr. Paul Carson: Why coronavirus pandemic is worse than the film Contagion. Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Laurence Fishburne, and director Steven Soderbergh at the Contagion photocall during the 68th Venice Film Festival in 2011 | Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Part of the problem, Carson argued: while the Contagion virus had a very short incubation period that is, hours, coronavirus has a long one. The doctor explained thats dangerous: With covid-19 infection, most will walk around for near a week without feeling any symptoms, unknowingly spreading the virus. When we do finally feel sick, if you are lucky enough to get a test, then and only then are you asked to quarantine. By then, if you were not already sheltering in place prior to the testing, you probably spread it to a whole bunch of people. Dr. Carson begged his readers: What you do now will affect the world, your country, your family and loved ones. Be smart. Be safe. Share. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Mar. 28 Trend: Details added: first version posted on 13:49 Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi sent a telegram to Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, Trend reports referring to Azerbaijani MFA press service. According to the ministry, Wang Yi noted in the telegram that since the coronavirus infection appeared, Azerbaijan has supported China in the fight against the epidemic, and in this regard expressed gratitude on behalf of his country . "China, in turn, is ready to assist Azerbaijan in the fight against coronavirus," Wang Yi stressed. "Minister Wang Yi noted that the new coronavirus pneumonia is rapidly spreading throughout the world, and the facts of infection were also revealed in Azerbaijan. He expressed his deepest condolences to the fraternal Azerbaijani people on behalf of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, as well as personally on his behalf, and wished the infected a fast recovery," the ministry said. The telegram also noted that China and Azerbaijan are friendly countries and good partners. "In this regard, China is ready to render all possible assistance to the Azerbaijani side, maintain close contacts regarding the epidemiological situation, prevention of pandemic and exchange of experience in controlling the disease, as well as the medical treatment. We believe that the Azerbaijani side will quickly eliminate the threat of infection, and relations between China and Azerbaijan will receive a new and even greater impetus for development," the telegram says. A former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Kingsley Moghalu, has urged Nigerian lawmakers to donate half of their salaries to the fight against the spread of coronavirus in Nigeria. He made the demand in a statement he issued on Sunday on the efforts by government and the private sector to check the spread of the virus. He urged members of the National Assembly to share the burden of fighting the pandemic with the government by donating 50 per cent of their emoluments. He also called for contributions from state governments. Mr Moghalu, who was the presidential candidate of the Young Progressive Party (YPP) in 2019, identified poverty as the biggest threat to the effort to curtail the spread of the pandemic in Nigeria. He said apart from the absence of healthcare infrastructure to handle the likely large number of coronavirus patients, widespread poverty will pose a major challenge in Nigeria. While commending the federal and state governments and the private sector for their efforts against the pandemic, Mr Moghalu proffered ways to contain it and protect the people. COVID-19 epidemic: A difficult challenge The Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) epidemic presents a difficult and challenging time for the world and our country Nigeria. This crisis has security, social and economic dimensions, and we must now and in its aftermath fundamentally re-examine our patterns of thinking, acting, citizenship and leadership, and how this all translates into governance, Mr Moghalu said. Despite the interventions so far, Mr Moghalu said much still needs to be done, particularly the need to recognise the underlying prior failures of leadership, governance and citizenship that have left us uniquely vulnerable. Apart from the absence of healthcare infrastructure to handle large numbers of coronavirus patients should this become the case as is likely there is the unique challenge posed by widespread poverty. This is reflected in the large crowds of the urban poor in commercial cities such as Lagos, Kano, Onitsha and Aba, congested into tight spaces and seemingly oblivious to the requirement for social distance as they engage in their daily hustle for subsistence. This imperative of poverty is the greatest immediate threat to curtailing the spread of Covid-19 in Nigeria, he noted. He urged the federal government to immediately order the shut down of the whole country for one month, barring only existentially essential services. This, he said, was necessary to give more time for contact tracing, to reduce community spread of the disease, especially in urban slums and rural areas, import and deploy testing kits, and to deal with emergency treatments while it can still conceivably be handled. To enforce compliance with these measures across the country, he said the police and the army should be deployed, while stronger communication about the pandemic, and the role of citizens, should be put out in local languages. He justified his call for the complete shutdown of the country on the failure of some Nigerians, particularly some overzealous religious leaders to continue to insist on gathering in large crowds in churches and mosques against public health advice. Cater for poor and vulnerable On how to cater for the poor and vulnerable people in times of crisis like this, Mr Moghalu reiterated the need for the establishment of fiscal savings and a real fund to draw from in times of national emergency. Considering the poor revenue situation of the country at this time, he said federal and state governments budgets must be dedicated completely to tackle COVID-19 in 2020, except for security and the payment of salaries. We are at war with an invisible enemy. The N50 billion fund established by the Central Bank of Nigeria for families and small businesses will not be adequate to address the crisis if and when it escalates. The fiscal authorities must plan and make provision for the subsistence funding of all extremely poor Nigerians and individual citizens, numbering approximately 100 million, for 30 days in this scenario, he proposed. He proposed about N20,000 be made available for every impoverished family to stock on food and supplies for a month in a Covid-19 total shutdown scenario. The Tufts University Fletcher School of Law teacher said this would require an intervention of about N2 trillion. However, he said even the full commitment of the N10-trillion federal government budget for 2020 may not be enough to take care, considering that it was based on unrealistic projections, State governments, NASS role In addition, he re-emphasized the need for the federal and state governments to begin to invest adequately in human capital healthcare and education as a priority. Bearing in mind that Nigerian households in an already-impoverished population bear 70 per cent of healthcare expenses out of pocket, the federal government must now urgently commence funding of the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund with 1% of the Consolidated Revenue Fund as provided in the Nigerian Health Act (2014), he said. Advertisements Panacea for economic recovery On the impact of the pandemic on the economy, the former deputy governor of the CBN said it was obvious the countrys economy was heading for a second recession in four years. The COVID-19 crisis further demonstrates the ludicrousness of the now-suspended plan to borrow $22.7 from foreign countries (mainly China) for infrastructure. That plan should be canceled completely. The Nigerian government will likely not be able to service (let alone repay) such debt in the next few years. We need urgent fiscal reforms immediately after the coronavirus crisis. Our economy must become truly diversified away from crude oil. The petrol subsidy needs to be removed and the fuel pump price deregulated, with savings from subsidy removal invested urgently in the health and education sectors. Foreign exchange reforms that truly incentivise a shift away from oil-dependency through increased manufacturing and export trade remain urgently needed. The naira should be strategically and proactively devalued, and then align this move with appropriate fiscal and trade policy rather than, as is often the case, having devaluations forced on Nigerians with no accompanying policy reforms. The CBN should scrap its FOREX-access restrictions on the importation of over 40 items. Our fiscal authorities should instead impose high tariffs on items perceived as luxury or non-essential (and generate revenues from such tariffs). On the other hand, industrial and trade policy should establish subsidies and other incentives for domestic manufacturers, especially those that can provide proof of export orders that will bring in hard currency and take advantage of the naira devaluation in the international market, he said. If this approach is adopted, he said Nigeria would wean itself from crude-oil revenue dependency. Bogan explained that the heavy rains in November helped to wet the soil and triggered more activity in crane-fly larvae. About 95% of crane flies lives are spent in the larval stage, which can last as long as three years or more. Most species spend the larval part of their life in water bodies, piles of wet leaves or damp soil. We continued to get rains in December and January, and lots of wildflowers and grasses have been growing around town the last couple months, so all of that growth provides good food for crane-fly larvae, according to Bogan. The larvae grow fastest under moist soil conditions with good food resources, so theyve developed quickly in our urban soils and are now transforming into adult crane flies and taking to the skies around town. In dry years, such as 2018, crane-fly larvae will simply stay dormant in the soil and wait for better times. They can pass entire dry years, or perhaps even multiple dry years in a row, in a stage of dormancy called aestivation. When moisture returns to the soil during rainy winters, and wildflowers and grasses start growing again, then crane fly larvae will break from aestivation and spring back into action. A hospitalized Houston police officer appears to be on the mend after being put on a ventilator to help him breathe. Sunday, he managed to eat some toast. Houston police Chief Art Acevedo said the man in his 40s is among 11 members of the force who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The rest are doing well at home. He is waiting for the results of more than 40 other sworn officers with flu-like symptoms, most of whom lined up for testing at the city-operated Butler Stadium facility, before sending them back to work. The first three officers who tested positive for the virus were assessed after arresting a person with flu-like symptoms, Acevedo said. Of those who have tested positive, some did not learn of their diagnosis for more than 24 hours, Acevedo said, adding that their lab results were shipped to California. Were doing a good job of testing our men and women, but were still seeing a lag in getting the results, Acevedo said Sunday morning. Officials at the Houston Health Department could not be reached for comment. About 200 more officers out of the nearly 5,400-member force are not reporting to duty pending the outcome of their quarantine. The chief said the majority of those in isolation recently traveled but one of them is an officer who handled the March 17 arrest of an inmate who tested positive in the Harris County Jail. The officer has been tested but the results are not yet known. Most of the officers should return to service this week, Acevedo said. Despite the dent in staffing, Acevedo said there's been a dip in calls for service have been down. Domestic violence and assault calls, however, are up slightly, he said, without providing exact figures. Acevedo mirrored a chief complaint from Mayor Sylvester Turner who recently said the federal government was not providing enough protective medical equipment to adequately test more than 250 people a day. Without testing more people, understanding the scope of the rapidly-spreading virus is a daunting task. He urged people to stay home as counties and cities continue to vary on their mandates on essential businesses. Officers can also come into contact with the virus while off-duty, Acevedo said. Firefighters are also reporting a growing number of cases. Houston Fire Chief Sam Pena said a fifth firefighter had recently tested positive and was part of a group of 91 employees who had been quarantined. In total, 620 firefighters have had some level of exposure since this operation began, Pena said. Marty Lancton, head of the Houston Professional Firefighters Association, said some firefighters, like police officers, were still waiting to hear word of their test results. A firefighter who was tested last Sunday at a facility in Katy, and was then quarantined at a hotel after coming in contact with a known COVID-19 patient, has not received his results yet, Lancton said. Staff writer Julian Gill contributed to this report. nicole.hensley@chron.com The Daily Beast Scott Olson/GettyDonald Trump abruptly ended an interview with NPR on Tuesday after he was repeatedly called out on his baseless claims of election fraud in the 2020 presidential election.A video of the interview, published Wednesday morning, shows Trump becoming increasingly irritated as NPRs Steve Inskeep asks him why hes still pushing debunked conspiracy theories about his 2020 defeat.After Inskeep told the ex-president that his fraud claims have repeatedly been proven false, the reporter a Few minutes after President Muhammadu Buhari addressed Nigerians, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) announced the confirmation of 14 new cases of COVID-19 in the country. The public health agency on Sunday said 14 new cases have been reported in two states: nine in Lagos and five in FCT. This brings the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 111. NCDC on its twitter handle said As at 09:30 pm 29th March there are 111 confirmed cases of #COVID19 reported in Nigeria with 1 death. Nigeria has now recorded 111 cases of the disease including one death. According to the latest breakdown by the NCDC, Lagos State leads with 68 cases, followed by 21 in Abuja, Ogun 3, Oyo 7, Edo 2, Bauchi 2, Enugu 2, Osun 2, while Ekiti, Kaduna, Rivers and Benue states have one case of the infection each. Before the NCDC announcement, President Buhari addressed Nigerians for the first time on the COVID-19 pandemic. He listed, among others, the ban of movement in Lagos, Ogun and Abuja from Monday night to prevent the spread of the disease. After Mr Buharis speech, the health minister, Osagie Ehanire, said the government will thoroughly intensify contact tracing to identify those who might have been exposed to COVID-19 from a positive patient. As it stands, most of the confirmed cases in Nigeria are persons who have visited countries with a high burden of the disease or those who had contact with such returnees. Mr Ehanire reiterated that the government will use this containment period to identify, trace and isolate all individuals that have come into contact with confirmed cases. We will ensure the treatment of confirmed cases while restricting further spread to other states, he said. Restriction Mr Buhari had ordered a ban of all movements in Lagos and the FCT for an initial period of 14 days with effect from 11 p.m. on Monday, March 30. This restriction will also apply to Ogun State due to its close proximity to Lagos and the high traffic between the two states, he said. He said all citizens in these areas are to stay in their homes. Travel to or from other states should be postponed. All businesses and offices within these locations should be fully closed during this period. READ ALSO: The restriction order does not apply to hospitals and all related medical establishments as well as organizations in healthcare related manufacturing and distribution. Also, commercial establishments such as food processing, distribution and retail companies; petroleum distribution and retail entities, power generation, transmission and distribution companies; and private security companies are also exempted. Although these establishments are exempted, access will be restricted and monitored, the president said. Sick of misinformation? Images: Screenshot, Getty In a bid to stamp out coronavirus misinformation, the Australian government has partnered with tech firms to launch an official WhatsApp chat. The Australian government has partnered with Facebook and software giant Atlassian to deliver coronavirus news directly to Australians phones through WhatsApp. Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the communications development on Sunday morning, with Morrison describing the governments coronavirus app and the WhatsApp chat as the official source of information. Morrison recently called for Australians to exercise caution when reading information on social media, describing Twitter as a hotbed of gossip and nonsense. It's important that we report the facts in this. Everybody has a role to play to ensure that people are getting the right information, and we will seek to counter those things directly as I have done today. How do I access the coronavirus WhatsApp chat? Image: Screenshot If you have WhatsApp already, the process is simple. Head to http://aus.gov.au/whatsapp on your phone, and then elect to open the page in WhatsApp. To sign up, it will ask that you send this message: To learn more about COVID-19 in Australia, press the send button. Hit send, and youre signed up. If you dont have WhatsApp, youll need to download WhatsApp from the app store on your device, set up WhatsApp and then sign up for the government service from there. From there, you can choose to hear about the latest news, travel advice, symptoms and support services for individuals and businesses. Image: Screenshot However, you wont be speaking to a real person. The service functions as a menu: you select the information you want to know more about and hit the respective number to be served up resources and facts. That means if you try to ask questions, you will only be served the main menu. Story continues How do I access the official coronavirus app? Head to the app store on your device and search coronavirus. The Coronavirus Australia official government app should be one of the first results to appear. Simply download and use. Image: Screenshot This app can be used to access news about the virus, check your symptoms and access advice on how to protect yourself and others. Image: Screenshot Coronavirus misinformation poses major risk The pandemic is spreading rapidly, but the spread of misinformation is occurring at a much faster pace. In the USA, a man died after taking chloroquine phosphate to cure himself of coronavirus after President Donald Trump falsely claimed it would treat the virus. And in Australia, racism and viral panic have seen supermarket shelves cleared and Asian Australians targeted for abuse. However, while many people are sharing information about the virus and how to protect against it, only some of that information is useful or reliable. Misinformation during times of a health crisis can spread paranoia, fear, and stigmatization. It can also result in people being left unprotected or more vulnerable to the virus, UNICEF deputy executive director for partnerships Charlotte Petri Gornitzka said recently. It can be difficult in todays information-rich society to know exactly where to go for knowledge about how to keep yourself and your loved ones safe. But it is critical that we remain as diligent about the accuracy of the information we share as we are about every other precaution we take to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe. Make your money work with Yahoo Finances daily newsletter. Sign up here and stay on top of the latest money, news and tech news. Follow Yahoo Finance Australia on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. Moving halfway around the world is a daunting enough leap of faith on its own. To do so during the onset of a global pandemic is surely orders of magnitude more nerve-wracking, but Australian horsepeople Shane and Lauren Tritton are hopeful that the American Dream is worth every bit of the effort they've invested. "We were planning to come out on the sixth of April, but things started to shut down and America closed the borders to Europe," Shane explained to Trot Insider. "So we said, 'If we're gonna go, we're gonna go.' So we booked a flight, and four days later we were on a plane. I think we left on the 18th of March and just came straight over. It was all very, very fast." Despite initially aiming to relocate later in the spring, the Trittons were already knee-deep in the transition process when March arrived. But when the spread of the novel coronavirus ballooned in the past fortnight, their hand was essentially forced to either commit full-on to the move or abort entirely. And commit they did. "We had sold a lot of our stuff at home, winding down the horses and sending horses to other stables, and then the pandemic hit. So we pretty much had to go all-in and get on the first flight out. We sold everything we owned in four days and got on a plane. It was very scary for me, my wife Lauren, and our two-year-old son. We got here, and have had six days to see whether our horses would get out. They just landed in the States, which is a big relief for us. I'm sure it's going to be a good story in a few years, but certainly the last three or four weeks have been chaotic." The current shutdown of Standardbred racing in North America will give the Trittons -- and the 12-horse stable they imported -- a chance to acclimate to their new surroundings in Pine Bush, N.Y., where Shane's father, Peter, also bases his stable. Success on the racetrack runs deep in the Tritton family: Peter conditioned Bit Of A Legend N, who won 52 races and banked well over $2 million through an illustrious four-year run in North America, while Shane and Lauren have teamed up to campaign some of Australasia's brightest pacers in recent years. But their success Down Under turned into a double-edged sword. "Once you become a metropolitan horse, you're pretty much stuck into one night's worth of racing," explained Shane. "We got to the point where we were taking 18 horses to one meeting, which was making it pretty tough to place your horses." The restrictive nature of horse classification in New South Wales paired with the Trittons' success with milers in particular made the move to North America a no-brainer. "We've predominately been a stable that's performed better at the Menangle mile than any other distance and any other track," Shane continued. "We had 12 individual starters in the Miracle Mile in the last five years, and we're proud of that, but it also meant that we were probably handicapped in a lot of other major races, because 80 per cent of them are over distance. Certainly any horses that we have that we've done well with generally are suited to mile racing. It's something we obviously thought a lot about." Of the dozen horses the Trittons brought with them to New York, three in particular will look to build upon already impressive resumes: Yayas Hot Spot won the Group 1 Newcastle Mile in February 2019 along with 25 other races in his career; Flaming Flutter has banked over $800,000 (AUD), earned two minor placings in Interdominions, and was timed in 1:49.3 at Menangle as recently as January; and 20-time winner Salty Robyn appeared in the Miracle Mile a few years back, as well. Lauren Tritton guides Flaming Flutter to victory at Menangle Lauren Tritton guides Flaming Flutter to victory at Menangle The opportunities for them all to continue racing at a high level are plentiful in North America, and while that was a driving force for the Trittons' relocation, some first-hand knowledge of the scene didn't hurt, either. "(My dad) always said that he's done well here," related Shane. "He just wanted me to come at a point where he was still capable of showing us the ropes, and it seemed to be a perfect time a few months ago to see how America operates, especially with a lot of Australian and New Zealand horses coming here and doing so well. It's just been a completely different opportunity of how to race horses. "Over here, you can place your horses a lot better and keep them racing for a long period of time. There's no good time to (move), but we chose to do it in the middle of a pandemic, which is probably just another part of the story. But for the sake of moving to America, the decision was fairly easy from a business point of view but tough from a family point of view. We've had to leave some really important people back home, but without their understanding, there's no way we could have done it, either." Thankfully, neither the novel coronavirus nor the stress of a transpacific relocation has kept the Trittons -- who are safe, sound and healthy -- down. "We've been pretty healthy," said Shane. "We were in a pretty safe zone, but obviously we're locked down in the state of New York. We can still get out and look after the horses, but we're spending a lot of time indoors. "The horses are probably in a better position than we are! You don't want to start working them if they're not going to race in six months, and we don't really know what's going on. At this point in time, we've just got to roll with it and hope that the powers that be can sort it out. We don't know when we're going to race...do you give them another week off? Do you start work? I'm probably in a better position than most, because we were already going to take a couple months to get them back to the races. Hopefully by then, everything's sorted out." Once things return to normal, will Yayas Hot Spot, Flaming Flutter or Salty Robyn be pointed to stakes races on this continent? "At this point, we've got no plans," says Shane. "We just want to get settled in. You never know which ones are going to jump out of the ground. At this point, we're just happy to have them healthy." French President Emmanuel Macron threatened, ahead of an emergency summit meeting with West African presidents in January, to pull his troops out. Later, he doubled down on the mission, promising to deploy additional 600 soldiers to join the 4,500 already there. He also committed to work more closely with the militaries of African countries to get them better prepared to stave off attacks, and take some of the load off French shoulders. But the task is enormous. The allies are divided by language, culture and experience. At a French military camp outside the ancient Malian city of Gao, 15 Malian soldiers were being instructed by French airmen in how to give accurate directions to planes over the radio. The Malians mission was to guide a pretend fighter pilot to a pretend terrorist den a rust-colored house, just like all the others in the city. West African security forces have little of the equipment, training or even basic education that their French counterparts do. Most of the Malian soldiers said they had never seen a compass before, and they kept getting their directions wrong. They tested each other on the powdery sand, an empty cigarette packet marking north, a plastic cup for south. The militants are far from defeated, with one group even managing to kidnap the politician who leads Malis main opposition party last week near Timbuktu. The African Union recently said it would send 3,000 soldiers to the Sahel, and France has been trying to recruit new allies; Estonia and the Czech Republic have already signed up to send troops, while talks are continuing with Sweden, Finland and Norway. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, who had been self-quarantining after coming in contact with a person who tested positive for the coronavirus, said his own test came back negative. He made the announcement on Twitter. Gottheimer Statement on Negative COVID-19 Test Result: pic.twitter.com/Xq0ehjRoqb Rep Josh Gottheimer (@RepJoshG) March 28, 2020 Gottheimer, D-5th Dist., attended a March 13 press conference where another participant, Mike Maron, chief executive of Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, later tested positive for the coronavirus. The congressman said at the time that he had no symptoms but was advised to get tested. He had been working from home and did not travel to Washington last week to participate in the debate over the $2 trillion stimulus package that later passed the House by voice vote. Tests on another New Jersey lawmaker, Rep. Andy Kim, D-3rd Dist., also came back negative. Kim had been self-quarantining after a lawmaker he had been in close contact, fellow rookie House Democrat Ben McAdams of Utah, tested positive for COVID-19. Two other federal lawmakers, Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., and U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., also have tested positive. Kim also closed his Washington office after a staffer working for Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz., tested positive. Both Kim and Schweikert have offices on the same floor of the Longworth House Office Building near the U.S. Capitol. Sign up for text message alerts from NJ.com on coronavirus in New Jersey: If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Krzysztof Penderecki, an award-winning conductor and one of the world's most popular contemporary classical music composers whose works have featured in Hollywood films like The Shining and Shutter Island, died Sunday at age 86. In a statement emailed to The Associated Press, the Ludwig van Beethoven Association said Penderecki had a long and serious illness. He died at his home in Luslawice, Polish media reported. The statement called Penderecki as Great Pole, an outstanding creator and a humanist who was one of the world's best appreciated Polish composers. The association was founded by Penderecki's wife, Elzbieta Penderecka, and the communique was signed by its head, Andrzej Giza. Penderecki was best known for his monumental compositions for orchestra and choir, like St. Luke Passion, or Seven Gates of Jerusalem, though his range was much wider. Rock fans know him from his work with Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood. A violinist and a committed educator, he built a music center across the road from his home in southern Poland, where young virtuosos have the chance to learn from and play with world-famous masters. Culture Minister Piotr Glinski said in a tweet that "Poland's culture has suffered a huge and irreparable loss," and that Penderecki was the nation's most outstanding contemporary composer whose music could be heard around the globe, from Japan to the United States. A warm and good person, Glinski said in his tweet. Penderecki's international career began when, aged 25, he won all three top prizes in a young composers' competition in Warsaw in 1959 writing one score with his right hand, one with his left and asking a friend to copy out the third score so that the handwriting would not reveal they were all by the same person. He would go on to win many awards, including multiple Grammys, but the first prize he won was especially precious: It took him to a music course in Germany, at a time when Poland was behind the Iron Curtain and Poles could not freely travel abroad. In the late 1950s and the 1960s, Penderecki experimented with avant-garde forms and sound, technique and unconventional instruments, using magnetic tape and even typewriters. He was largely inspired by electronic instruments at the Polish Radio Experimental Studio that opened in Warsaw in 1957 and was where he composed. His 1960 Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima won him a UNESCO prize. Written for 52 string instruments, it can be described as a massive plaintive scream. In the 1970s, believing the avant-garde had been explored to the full, Penderecki embarked on a new path, writing music that, to many, sounds romantic and has the traditional forms of symphonies, concertos, choral works and operas. A Catholic altar boy who grew up in a predominantly Jewish environment, he was largely inspired by religious texts: Catholic, Christian Orthodox and Jewish. But his first opera, the 1969 Devils of Loudun, based on a novel by Aldous Huxley about the Inquisition, put him at odds with the Vatican, which called on him to stop the performances. He refused. Penderecki wrote music for various historical celebrations, and conducted around the world. Among the works are the 1966 St. Luke Passion, commissioned by West German Radio to celebrate the 700th anniversary of the Muenster Cathedral, and the 1996 Seven Gates of Jerusalem to mark 3,000 years of the titular city. In 1967 he composed a major choral work, Dies Irae, known also as the Auschwitz Oratorio in homage to the Holocaust victims. His second opera, Paradise Lost, based on the John Milton poem, seemed to reconcile him with the Catholic Church, and in 1979, he conducted a concert at the Vatican for the Polish-born Pope John Paul II. Penderecki believed that an artist is a witness of his times who reacts to it with his work and that he must also exceed boundaries and conventions to create new things. This approach often cost him, landing critical reviews. In 1980 the leader of Poland's Solidarity freedom movement, Lech Walesa, called him and commissioned a short piece that would honor Poles who lost their lives fighting the communist regime. Penderecki composed Lacrimosa, which led to the larger Polish Requiem that premiered in 1984 in Stuttgart. Penderecki wrote for virtuosos and friends like violinists Isaak Stern and Anne-Sophie Mutter and cellist Mstislav Rostropovich. In 2012 he recorded an album with Greenwood, Radiohead's guitarist. Because of the complexity of what's happening particularly in pieces such as 'Threnody' and 'Polymorphia,' and how the sounds are bouncing around the concert hall, it becomes a very beautiful experience when you're there, Greenwood said in a 2012 interview with The Guardian. Penderecki's rich, powerful, sometimes menacing music, especially in his early works, was used in Hollywood movies including Stanley Kubrick's The Shining, Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island, David Lynch's Inland Empire and William Friedkin's The Exorcist. It was also a personal matter for Penderecki to have parts of the Polish Requiem used in the Polish World War II movie Katyn by Oscar-awarded director Andrzej Wajda, about the 1940 massacre of Polish officers by the Soviets. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The largest number of Ukrainian citizens is now in Poland Open source 171 Ukrainians are now in quarantine in 15 countries due to coronavirus. This was reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Our citizens are staying in quarantine in the following countries: Australia - 1, Azerbaijan - 1, Belgium - 1, Brazil - 16, Vietnam - 9, Italy - 10, Qatar - 1, China - 1, Moldova - 1, Nigeria - 2, Netherlands - 1, United Arab Emirates - 3, Poland - 107, Romania - 5, Russia - 1. Related: Second plane with medical supplies from China arrived in Ukraine March 29, border guards, along with doctors, met the Kyiv-Moscow-Kyiv train, which went to Russia a few days ago to pick up our compatriots in Ukraine. Then the train also left Ukraine from citizens who had the right to return to Russia. The press service of the State Border Service of Ukraine reports. The train arrived at the capital station around 8 am today. For its registration, border guards with employees of the National Police blocked the perimeter of the territory with a limited access regime. Employees of the State Border Service, together with employees of the sanitary quarantine station, got into the train to carry out all the necessary measures aimed at preventing the spread of the acute respiratory disease Covid-19. In particular, temperature screening was performed on absolutely all passengers, and everyone was interested in his state of health. In addition, citizens received leaflets and filled informed consent for self-isolation. At the time of registration, ambulances were also on duty at the station. Border guards were in personal protective equipment, while border guards who checked documents were additionally in protective suits. In total, more than 700 of our citizens returned to Ukraine on this flight. Advocates say as many as 180 immigrants held by federal authorities in York County Prison are refusing to eat in protest of what they say are insufficient precautions around the coronavirus pandemic. We are chickens in a chicken coop here we are like sitting ducks, said a detainee identified only as Jesus who is participating in the hunger strike. Organizers with the advocacy group MILPA say they learned of the protest after receiving calls from Jesus and the family members of four other current detainees, who say three cellblocks of 60 people are participating. The protest follows a hunger strike at a different facility for Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees in Newark, New Jersey, and a growing chorus of calls to release ICE detainees due to the heightened risk of coronavirus spread in detention centers. Some who are medically vulnerable have already been freed by ICE, or on the order of a federal judge who criticized the federal agencys deliberate indifference to those in its custody. We want people to be able to get out on parole or with ankle bracelets and to be released, said Jesus. In our block, there are older gentlemen, there are people with high blood pressure, diabetes who are still here. MILPAs Desi Burnette said that the detainees are concerned about the lack of protective equipment in the facility, and that her organization has requested more information from the facility about how it is planning to handle the coronavirus pandemic. The 2,400-bed York County Prison houses both people accused or convicted of criminal offenses and immigrants awaiting deportation or waiting for their cases to move through immigration court. The prison has implemented screening procedures, including taking employees temperature on arrival and screening incoming detainees for flu-like symptoms. Visitation has been suspended, and legal representation is also taking place using video conferencing, according to the county government. ICE has not yet responded to a request for comment. A second employee at a Real Canadian Superstore location in Oshawa has tested positive for COVID-19. In a statement on Facebook posted Saturday morning, the store, located on Gibb Street and Stevenson Road, confirmed that the store had been closed while a third-party cleaning crew disinfects the location. The store said it was expecting to reopen on Sunday at 10 a.m. Keith Saunders, 48, was the first employee to test positive for the virus, which was confirmed by the store on March 23. His death was confirmed by the province on Thursday, making him the youngest person to die of coronavirus in Ontario. Loblaws, the parent company of the Real Canadian Superstore, says that Plexiglas shields are being installed at all checkout lanes at its stores. The company is also limiting the number of customers allowed in a store, waiving the five-cent plastic bag fee and limiting the number of checkout lanes that can accept cash payments. An employee at a Longos location in Vaughan also tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday. TY Tom Yun is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star's radio room in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter: @thetomyun Read more about: Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 29) The country received a donation of COVID-19 test kits from Singapore Saturday in a bid to boost the fight against the virus. The Singapore Embassy in Manila made the announcement on its Facebook page, adding Ambassador Gerard Ho and Chief of Protocol and Presidential Assistant for Foreign Affairs Robert Borje received the donation of 40,000 test kits as well as two ventilators from the Temasek Foundation. "These additional test kits will supplement Singapores earlier donation to allow more people to have an early diagnosis, while the ventilators will be crucial for the survival of severe COVID-19 cases," the Embassy said. This comes at the heels of around 57,000 test kits and 500,000 face masks donated by Chinese billionaire Jack Ma on Friday.<> China also sent 100,000 test kits and other much-needed medical equipment on March 21. The Department of Health said more test kits would be ariving in the country soon. Seeking transportation to travel to their native places, hundreds of migrant workers on Sunday ventured out into the streets near Changanassery violating the lockdown. The incident is reported from Payippad village. Hundreds of migrant workers are out on the street, seeking transportation facilities to go to their native places, the authorities said. The government authorities said the migrant workers would be provided food and accommodation till the lockdown is over. "If a special train is arranged for their travel, we will facilitate their travel," Kerala Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The postponement of the Grand Prix in Azerbaijan was not only a decision of the local organizer, but was supported by the measures of the government. That's what Arif Rahimov, CEO of the local organiser in Baku, said. He told Motorsport.com that the announcement of the postponement could not wait any longer. "We had to make a decision now. Our first plan was to start work on the street circuit a week later. In that week there were many conversations between the F1, the government in Azerbaijan and us. We went through all possible scenarios and finally we decided to stop the work", Rahimov says. Waiting for changing situation around coronavirus "Due to the advice of the government, which was tightened up, it was clear to us that organizing a Grand Prix became impossible. That was the final call to make sure that we need to postpone the race until further notice". Because of the early postponement, the organization avoided a lot of costs. "We had already made some reservations, but those are things we can use for next year or for the race later this year." Whether there is already a new date for the Baku GP is still unclear. "We have already organised a race in April and June, but we have to take a lot into account, like the schools here. The most important thing for now is that we have clarity in time, after all it will take two to three months to get everything ready." According to Rahimov, there can only be speculation when the situation regarding the coronavirus is clearer. "We can't get a new date until things become clear. That makes a lot of sense. We can only set a date when the COVID-19 situation is clear." Married At First Sight's KC Osborne and Drew Brauer agreed to stay together on Sunday's episode, despite fears their long-distance romance wouldn't last. And it turns out they were right to be worried, as the couple called it quits just weeks after filming their final vows in December. Daily Mail Australia understands the pair split before the reunion on January 15, and it's believed Drew was the one who ended things. Spoiler alert! Married At First Sight's KC Osborne and Drew Brauer ended their relationship just weeks after filming their final vows in December A source said on Monday: 'Once they both returned home after the show, Drew basically realised they only had a sexual connection. 'He wanted something more meaningful and didn't think they'd ever get that.' The break-up was apparently 'very amicable' and KC and Drew, both 31, have agreed to be 'respectful' when speaking about each other publicly. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Channel Nine for comment. 'He realised they only really had a sexual connection': Daily Mail Australia understands the pair split before the reunion on January 15, and it's believed Drew was the one who ended things Amicable: The break-up was apparently 'very amicable' and KC and Drew, both 31, have agreed to be 'respectful' when speaking about each other publicly. Pictured arriving separately for the cast reunion in Sydney on January 15 As seen in Daily Mail Australia's exclusive pictures, the exes arrived to film the cast reunion in Sydney separately on January 15, all but confirming their split. Dance teacher KC threw a tantrum in the moments before seeing her 'husband' again, which suggests she was feeling nervous. Meanwhile, musician Drew looked calmed and collected as he arrived on set. Reunion meltdown: Dance teacher KC threw a tantrum in the moments before seeing her 'husband' again, which suggests she was feeling nervous. Pictured on January 15 Since filming the reunion, KC has been linked to two different cast members. She was pictured with Michael Goonan in February, and the 29-year-old company director has since dropped hints they are more than friends. Connie Crayden has also claimed that KC hooked up with her 'husband', Jonethen Musulin, during filming - but offered no evidence to back this up. Gossip: Since filming the reunion, KC has been linked to co-stars Jonethen Musulin and Michael Goonan, but she is yet to address the rumours. Pictured during filming in November During Drew and KC's final vows, the pair agreed to leave the social experiment together and begin a long-distance relationship. 'Although I'd move for love, we aren't there yet', said Drew, who refused to leave Cairns and move to Sydney for his partner. Married At First Sight continues Monday at 7:30pm on Channel Nine A human tragedy of untold magnitude is unfolding before our eyes, bringing back painful memories of Partition. Covid-19 and the lockdown by the central and the state governments has led to one of the greatest migrations in human history. In an attempt to stem the spread of this deadly contagion, the curfew and the lockdown across the nation has thrown up a new set of real and potential victims. Daily wagers and migrant labour are bearing the brunt of the shutdown in ways that we, sitting in comfort, cannot even fathom. With the countrywide curfew and the attendant stoppage of all forms of public transport, this multitude of daily wagers and itinerant labour along with their families have taken to the highways, risking a desperate trek covering hundreds of miles without the means to reach their villages. News pours in of their tribulations, of hungry children and of some succumbing to death due to exhaustion. For the below poverty line population, the struggle is for daily food and shelter. Today, it is their desperate desire to return to their homes, having been abandoned by employers who have shutdown operations, and by landlords who have perhaps coerced them to vacate. Their hope is that in their distant villages they would have access to food, shelter and survival. With the shutdown and sealing of state and district borders, they are now trapped in a no-mans land, in their own country. When the Prime Minister in his first speech requested the private sector to be generous to its employees and ensure payment of salaries, it was perhaps hoped that the social and economic impact of this lockdown would be contained. But for that, the states had to plan and act in collaboration with each other and for the Centre to coordinate with the states to ensure containment and care of this vast segment of Indians. Containment by police alone is not the solution. Saturday scenes at Anand Vihar ISBT at Delhi, showed a fraction of numbers on the move. The tragedy that may unfold if such movement of people is not contained in time by the State Governments reaching out with food, aid and shelter, may be of far greater proportions. It is a given that this mass migration may, and will result in transmission of the infection to villages, where medical facilities are scant and mostly absent. While there has been sporadic action by some state governments in easing food supplies and opening government buildings to the population on the move, each state administration must ensure food, shelter, medical care and safety to the scared populace. The state governments (who it is believed were on board prior to the lockdown), especially those which export interstate migrant labour ought to have not limited themselves to the clampdown, but should have thought ahead of this anticipated mass movement of people. Under Schedule VII of the Indian Constitution, public health, sanitation, public transportation, relief to disabled and unemployed, markets, production supply and distribution of food, water supplies are all matters within the jurisdiction of the state governments. In the past few days we have seen mainly NGOs, individuals and private institutions reach out to local authorities to provide essential food and care to the poor. Today, there is no place in India which is not impacted by the consequences of the shutdown. It is imperative for the states therefore to ensure that a cohesive and coherent strategy both within each state, with adjoining states and with the Centre is formulated within next 12 24 hours to prevent the greatest disaster of our times. It is not to say that the state governments are bereft of experience. Large scale movement of kanwariyas (pilgrims) traversing Rajasthan, UP, Uttarakhand, Bihar and Delhi on foot, with tents along highways to provide food, toilets, water and resting places, and vehicles patrolling at roads to pick up the sick and infirm is one example of state action. Kumbh melas are another such example. With public transport buses no longer plying or reduced services, there is idle capacity which is available for emergency services. There are empty schools and colleges and other buildings which can be converted into camps providing shelter and access to toilets. The lockdown has also resulted in supply chains being disrupted hindering the movement of food, medical supplies and essential life saving equipment. Trucks and goods carriers are said to be parked at State borders awaiting clearance to move. The next 24 hours are crucial, and if the state administrations dont act now by providing assurance, food, water, toilets, shelter to these now homeless migrants, the human cost will be immense and posterity will never forgive our generation. With all the resources at their command, it is the imperative need of the hour for state governments to act and for the Centre to coordinate and to work cohesively to ensure that lives are not lost to starvation and diseases in 2020, while we battle Covid-19. Just as the manner of Partition was termed among the follies of empire by the scholar Yasmin Khan, we can only hope that this lockdown, which started as an essential life saving measure, should not be termed the Folly of 2020. (Sidharth Luthra is former Additional Solicitor General of India, and Ketaki Goswami is a lawyer) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The work of Charlestons Board of Architectural Review is complicated to start with, but when it comes to reviewing design work on college campuses, things can get even more convoluted. Consider Capers Hall, one of the first buildings visible (on the left) upon entering The Citadels main gate. It wont be around much longer, though getting the citys permission to tear it down was no easy feat. Nor should it have been. The citys Board of Architectural Review considered the demolition request in December and rejected it. The Preservation Society of Charleston urged the board to encourage the school to keep and renovate at least the oldest 1949 portion facing Lee Avenue and the parade ground. But the school has plans to replace Capers Hall with a new building about 40 percent larger, one with more seismic strength, better natural light and vastly improved educational spaces. Its exterior appearance would emulate the white, fortress style thats The Citadels architectural brand (and has been since the school was founded in an arsenal on todays Marion Square). The Citadel was not necessarily showing any real hostility to historic preservation: It originally had planned to renovate Capers Hall but opted for a rebuild after a 2014 structural evaluation found nonreinforced brick and concrete masonry walls that would be vulnerable in a major earthquake. For a public college on a budget and a desire to keep tuition as affordable as possible, its understandable that it wanted to avoid millions of dollars in added expense for a major structural retrofit. Such concern also weighed heavily on the school more than a decade ago, when it tore down one of its greatest landmarks the Padgett-Thomas Barracks, which dated to the earliest days of the current campus and replaced it with a faithful copy built to modern seismic codes. After the BAR rejected Capers demolition, The Citadel challenged the city in circuit court, its only avenue of appeal. That soon led to mediation talks. Unlike the citys epic mediation over the Sergeant Jasper replacement, these talks went calmly and quickly. After all, the citys staff had recommended that the BAR allow the demolition in the first place, and City Council voted Tuesday to approve the resulting compromise. The deal will let Capers Hall fall to the wrecking ball. City Councils decision was an understandable one, but some council members suggestions that the school shouldnt have to undergo BAR review miss the mark. Because of the BAR review, and the resulting mediation, the city has more leverage in what will replace the structure. In this part of the peninsula, the BAR has purview only over demolition (and only then if the building is more than 50 years old or listed on a city architectural inventory). It has no review powers over new construction. The mediated deal approved by City Council requires the school to make reasonable, good-faith efforts to construct a replacement building such that the exterior architectural appearance will generally conform to the current plans designed by Creech & Associates and Woolpert. Those plans show a building three stories tall, like Capers Hall, and one with the same Romanesque arched passages and crenelations along the parapet so common on the campus. Its shape is slightly skewed so its main north and south facades parallel Lee Avenue and Huger Street (two streets that arent parallel themselves). The replacement should present a far friendlier face to the Hampton Park Terrace neighborhood with an open courtyard space off Huger and a 250-seat auditorium and other spaces where the community can gather for lectures and arts events. In other words, the city gained leverage in mediation over the replacement that it otherwise wouldnt have had. And while the BARs decision was reversed, that doesnt mean its authority should be reduced either on The Citadels campus or anywhere else. As Charleston planning director Jacob Lindsey says: The BARs power over demolition is one of the reasons historic Charleston is still a beautiful city. Its important that we protect that at all costs. But the case of Capers should remind us that campuses are not like other parts of the city. The citys recent review of the BAR done by Andres Duany of DPZ Associates recommended special consideration for higher education districts, such as The Citadel, College of Charleston and the medical district. That idea might be worth pursuing because these places have their own look and a common ownership, which makes them far different than, say, King or East Bay street. Maybe they could benefit from a new BAR approach, provided its one that refines but doesnt reduce our collective say-so. A man who travelled from Jordan has been caught breaching self-isolation orders multiple times less than two weeks after arriving in Australia. The 30-year-old arrived in Sydney on March 18 and told to self-isolate for 14 days, but six days later was arrested in the western suburbs for an outstanding warrant. He was granted bail conditional on self-isolation, only to be caught in Pagewood, in the city's east, at 1.20am on Saturday and fined $1,000. Pictured are police at Sydney Airport on Sunday to take arriving passengers into quarantine At 10pm that evening he was again found outside - this time in Sydney's CBD, and arrested before being granted bail. He was ordered to self-isolate at serviced apartments in Camperdown before police allege he again attempted to go outside. He was taken to Sydney City Police Station and charged with not comply with Public Health Order under the Public Health Act 2010 (NSW). He was refused bail and will appear in Central Local Court on Monday. Minister for Police and Emergency Services, David Elliott described the man's behaviour as 'reckless and selfish'. 'I commend police on their continued efforts to ensure those who breach self-isolation directions face the full force of the law,' he said. 'This includes an on-the-spot fine of $1,000 for individuals, and a maximum $1,1000 fine and six months imprisonment where a Court Attendance Notice is issued.' A PSNI patrol car sits on Castlerock Beach to deter groups of people gathering who should be self isolating during the coronavirus outbreak. Picture: Michael Cooper Chief Constable Simon Byrne has said people will "notice a change of police style" after the PSNI were handed new powers to battle the Covid-19 pandemic. From 11pm on Saturday, officers have greater authority to enforce the closing of certain businesses and venues, require people to stay at home, enforce social distancing and stop all public gatherings of more than two people. Anyone who repeatedly fails to comply with requests to disperse could face fines of up to 960. The measures also provide for fines up to 5,000 for businesses not adhering to the new rules around closures and implementation of social distancing practices. Read More First Minister Arlene Foster said that while the new powers are "extraordinary", we are living in "extraordinary times". Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill added that the Executive will use "every power" to ensure people stay at home so lives can be saved. Read More Mr Byrne said the PSNI has no desire to use the emergency policing powers but "it is right" that they can in order to enforce against those who disregard the measures. Police will now target tourist locations and local open areas to encourage people to adhere to the new regulations. On Sunday officers were spotted at locations including Castlerock beach and Murlough Nature Reserve. Expand Close People out for a walk in Newcastle Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press E / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp People out for a walk in Newcastle Mr Byrne explained that the new dispersal powers will be used in a four-phase approach: Engage with the public to encourage voluntary compliance; Explain why dispersal is vital to reduce the spread of the virus; Encourage people to disperse; And enforce when people do not listen and put others at risk. "We will only do this when it is absolutely necessary," he added. "Each and every one of us has a personal responsibility to follow the NI Executive regulations and do everything we can to stop the spread of Covid-19. "Officers will apply their discretion and will ask questions to establish individual circumstances. "We will instruct people to return home if they do not have a reasonable excuse to be out of their house. "From today the public will also notice a change of police style and approach at tourist locations and local open areas to encourage people to adhere to the regulations. "Our aim is to encourage and support the public to fully comply with these necessary restrictions." Expand Close A woman with her dogs at Helens Bay / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A woman with her dogs at Helens Bay Dr Tom Black, the chair of the British Medical Association in Northern Ireland, said it was vital that everyone followed the basic guidelines. "The more social distancing, the more isolation we have, along with more hand washing - these things are in many ways more important than with other measures in regards to other things, like PPE to use an example," he said. "To keep the community spread down we need to bring in all these measures. "Most people will be sensible and only a minority will be stupid but I think that having sanctions for a stupid minority is what we do in our society. But most people will be sensible and won't have any problems with this." Elsewhere, speaking on Sunday Politics, Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots said fines can be increased if a person is "grossly misbehaving". "The law is now there and it'll be for the police to enforce that law," he said. Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey added: "These are unheard of steps that we have had to take and obviously our approach to this pandemic has to be one around saving lives." 7 Shares Share New York City medical residents who were out on research for the year are being reassigned from their research jobs . to more research. Despite having spent all of last year managing ICU patients, a PGY-3 resident in New York City, received notice his reassignment will involve consenting COVID-19 patients for research and not utilize any of his skills as an MD, let alone his skills managing ICU patients. There was no explanation given for this misappropriation of resources. Now, hes forced to choose whether exposing himself to COVID-19 patients doing unskilled work is worth it to keep his job. Or should he be risking his future career by seeking out a new position where he can actually use his skills and be more useful? If he is fired for refusing reassignment, unemployment benefits are currently more than he makes a week as a researcher, so he could be free to volunteer his ICU skills where theyre desperately needed. After asking for time to consider, the job he was offered for reassignment was given to a recent college graduate without an MD. Maybe the hospital cant offer him a job as an MD, given his compensation is half of what hed make as a medical resident. Maybe reassignments can only be lateral moves and not vertical. Maybe theyre just planning poorly. The executive order No. 202.10 by Governer Cuomo allows foreign medical graduates to provide patient care in hospitals, but has left out domestic medical graduates who are not licensed but have one or more year of graduate medical education, which would include those out on leave for research (or other reasons). Considering their skill sets, which are rapidly becoming more needed, their familiarity with the hospitals, and the hospitals systems, you would hope someone would tackle these reassignments more effectively pushing for the necessary permissions from the state and securing the necessary funding to shift compensation as needed to avoid extorting the returning residents. Instead of exposing these residents to COVID-19 now by assigning them jobs that dont require an MD, we should at least be reserving them for the next wave of physicians after the firsts fall. Anything else seems short-sighted and irresponsible. Genevieve Cody is a medical student. Image credit: Shutterstock.com By Trend Car exports from Turkey to Kyrgyzstan increased by 117.30 percent from January through February 2020, compared to the same period in 2019, amounting to $ 2.116 million, Turkish Trade Ministry told Trend. The ministry said that the supply of cars from Turkey to Kyrgyzstan increased by 85.04 percent in February 2020, compared to February 2019, amounting to $ 1.504 million. Car exports from Turkey to world markets grew by 1 percent from January through February 2020, compared to the same period last year, amounting to $4.923 billion. Car exports from Turkey accounted for 16.7 percent of the country's total exports from January through February 2020. Turkey exported $2.522 billion worth of automobiles to world markets in February 2020, which is 0.9 percent less than the same period in 2019. Car exports from Turkey in February 2020 amounted to 17.2 percent of the country's total exports. Turkey exported cars worth $ 30.638 billion from February 2019 through February 2020. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz WALTER Alfred, who sadly died on Friday, has been remembered as a truly class individual. The University of Limerick (UL) lost one of its most loved former staff members with the passing of a man widely considered to be the face of Plassey House. Patrickswell man Walter, who was the mace-bearer and concierge of Plassey House, joined the college in January 1988 and for many years greeted everyone who came through the doors of the White House at the college. In a letter to the campus community, the University of Limerick described him as soft spoken, and gentle, loyal and dedicated. They said he was a UL institution, and was one of the very few recipients of the presidents medal in 2010. Although he retired in 2011, he was still well remembered by people who visited the campus. Former mayor and UL lecturer Diarmuid Scully said: The thing about Walter, it's a cliche, but in this case it's true. He treated everybody the same. Irregardless of whether you were in jeans and a t-shirt, or in a three-piece suit, you were all treated as honoured guests at Plassey House. He was an absolutely class individual. There's no two ways about it, Mr Scully added. The lecturer remembers one particular experience from his student days when there was a protest at Plassey House over repeat examinations. We occupied Plassey House for it. We were very conscious of where we were. At the time, the National Portrait Gallery was on the wall. We delivered a letter to Ed Walsh, and we were asked if everything was okay. We said, yes and asked why. It was because Walter was going around asking everybody were they okay, did they need anything. It had this effect on these radical students walking in with placards, suddenly going yes, we're fine thanks, Mr Scully recalled. You couldn't do anything that could offend him in any way because he was just so nice. He never forgot a face. It might be 10 years and you'd be back or a function ,and straight away, he'd remember who you were. He was an absolutely lovely individual, he added. With the coronavirus crisis going on, Walters funeral will be a low-key affair with only family and close friends able to attend. Mr Scully said its a pity, because under normal circumstances, there would be huge crowds of people turning out to pay their last respects. Walter died on March 27 peacefully in the loving care of the staff at Thorpes Nursing Home in Clarina. The beloved husband of Hilda and dearly loved dad to Mark and John, Walter was a loving brother to Joyce and the late Violet. Hes sadly missed by his daughters-in-law Karen and Aoife, and grand children Niall, Ross and Nicole. He will also be sadly missed by his loving family, relatives and friends. Messages of sympathy can be offered by contacting Thompsons Funeral Home by telephone on 061-414967 or via email info@thompsonfuneralslimerick.com. Some stocks are best avoided. It hits us in the gut when we see fellow investors suffer a loss. Spare a thought for those who held Aalborg Boldspilklub A/S (CPH:AAB) for five whole years - as the share price tanked 77%. And we doubt long term believers are the only worried holders, since the stock price has declined 43% over the last twelve months. Even worse, it's down 20% in about a month, which isn't fun at all. We do note, however, that the broader market is down 12% in that period, and this may have weighed on the share price. View our latest analysis for Aalborg Boldspilklub Aalborg Boldspilklub isn't currently profitable, so most analysts would look to revenue growth to get an idea of how fast the underlying business is growing. Generally speaking, companies without profits are expected to grow revenue every year, and at a good clip. Some companies are willing to postpone profitability to grow revenue faster, but in that case one does expect good top-line growth. Over half a decade Aalborg Boldspilklub reduced its trailing twelve month revenue by 14% for each year. That puts it in an unattractive cohort, to put it mildly. So it's not altogether surprising to see the share price down 25% per year in the same time period. We don't think this is a particularly promising picture. Ironically, that behavior could create an opportunity for the contrarian investor - but only if there are good reasons to predict a brighter future. You can see how earnings and revenue have changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values). CPSE:AAB Income Statement March 29th 2020 Take a more thorough look at Aalborg Boldspilklub's financial health with this free report on its balance sheet. A Different Perspective While the broader market gained around 2.4% in the last year, Aalborg Boldspilklub shareholders lost 43%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 25% over the last half decade. Generally speaking long term share price weakness can be a bad sign, though contrarian investors might want to research the stock in hope of a turnaround. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Aalborg Boldspilklub better, we need to consider many other factors. For instance, we've identified 5 warning signs for Aalborg Boldspilklub (3 shouldn't be ignored) that you should be aware of. Story continues If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them). Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on DK exchanges. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. "MARGARET THOMPSON shows her two-year-old grandson PAUL the cottage in Susannah Place dated 1844 where his father was born. Mrs Thompson has lived around The Rocks all her life, and was baptised and married at St. Patrick's, Church Hill." Credit:Harry Martin Architect Mr John Fisher worked out a colour scheme, the Master Painters' Association donated the paint and the labour, and along came two painters one Monday morning to begin work. "Nobody asked us what colours," said Mrs Kelton. "Though of course we're only tenants the Maritime Services Board owns all the houses around here." But when she saw the dreary brown stonework change to soft grey, with turquoise shutters, deep blue front door, shell-pink under the veranda roof, and all the old cast iron painted spanking white, Mrs Kelton was absolutely delighted. And - with the wedding in mind - so was Carol. One of the first people to admire the result was the Governor, Sir Eric Woodward, who was attending the annual anniversary service at the Garrison Church the Sunday after the house was painted. "We'd been told the Governor might come along to look at the outside," said Mrs Kelton, "but was I staggered when he came right inside and looked into the front rooms I was born in one of them. "Then, everyone else trooped in. There must have been more than 300 people through the house that day!" The Keltons' wide back balconies, framed in cast iron lace, look down on the busy wharves of Walsh Bay. In fact, despite the massive warehouses, there is hardly a house on The Rocks without a superb Harbour view. Sailing ships There is still a small core of old residents who can remember looking out on the sailing ships long before the Harbour Bridge was thought of. The view has changed a lot in 73 years for Mrs Emily Adams. She was born in a sturdy stone cottage still standing at the end of Merriman Street, married into a "Rocks" family (her husband's people had the Gladstone Hotel), and she wouldn't live anywhere else. "For a while after I was married we lived at North Sydney, but I was over almost every day," she said. Just as many of the families in the area intermarried, there are links between buildings, too. The kitchens in Dalgety Terrace, where Mrs Adams lives now, incorporate bricks from an even bigger terrace of the last century - Hart Terrace. There were 40 houses in it, and one of them was the first home of probably the best-known character around The Rocks today - Mrs Elise Lund. She was four months old when her family came to live there in 1880. "one of my most vivid memories as a tiny tot was mother taking me along to see Thomas Playfair - he was Lord Mayor of Sydney - when he came on an official visit in 1885," she says. Proudly displayed on Mrs Lund's mantelpiece today is an invitation from the chairman of directors of Thomas Playfair Pty. Ltd. to a service, to be attended by the Governor, at the Garrison Church on Sunday. At it memorial doors to the late Thomas Playfair will be dedicated. Girls were marching Mrs Lund clearly remembers that day in 1885. "There was a big picnic at Dawes point, the soldiers from the Battery were there, and schoolgirls in white with blue sashes were marching around Argyle Place. The green island in the centre of the place was fenced in with iron railings in those days, says Mrs Lund. "You could walk around it, not on it." "Mrs. Elise Lund outside the Garrison Church ... she is its oldest attending parishioner. March 31, 1960." Credit:Harry Martin But there was plenty of open space for playing - if you didn't mind the hordes of goats that overran Miller's Point. There was also "a dreadful number" of hotels - with names like "The Hit and Miss," "The Hero of Waterloo" - but Mrs Lund believes The Rocks was a safer place to live in then. "We never thought of locking the door, and sailors coming back to their ships at night would give you a polite 'Good evening, mum'." Mrs Lund has the old Rocks families at her fingertips - The Merrimans, the Isaacs, the Cochranes and the Osbornes, whose dashing carriages-and-pairs used to fascinate Elise and her eight small brothers and sisters. A long memory The Trump administration official tasked with coordinating the response of the White House coronavirus task force says that no city will be spared by the pandemic. Dr. Deborah Birx appeared on Fox News on Saturday evening to defend President Trump for considering a federally mandated quarantine for residents of the coronavirus 'hotspots' New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Birx said that Trump thought about a quarantine as a way of letting the nation know 'where the virus is.' The president late on Saturday backed down from the idea, saying that instead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would issue a stern travel advisory for those living in the tri-state area. Several governors, including Andrew Cuomo of New York, strongly came out against a federally imposed quarantine. 'I think Trump wanted the whole of America to know where the virus is and where it is expanding rapidly,' said Birx. Dr. Deborah Birx, the response coordinator for the White House coronavirus task force, said on Saturday that 'no city will be spared' by the pandemic She said the president 'really felt like everybody had to be aware and have a travel advisory. 'In talking to the governors, it was clear that they felt they could keep their people safe and at home, like they had all asked their people to shelter in place.' 'The president wanted everyone to know where this virus is,' continued Birx, 'so people would be aware if they're going to travel to that area that that area had a very significant amount of COVID-19 or the coronavirus.' Birx continued: 'Its really to make Americans aware about traveling to New York and also make it clear to the people in the area to protect themselves following the guidelines to really stay home and hunker down, stay at home and wash their hands and not touch their face.' The physician told Judge Jeanine on Saturday that Americans should continue practicing social distancing while washing their hands frequently to avoid spreading the coronavirus. 'I think people really dont understand how transmittable it is,' she said. 'It is much more transmittable than flu. It is much more transmittable than a lot of the other coronaviruses that people have heard about like SARSWe are really asking people to follow these guidelines even if you dont think theres a virus, there it probably is. 'We dont think any city will be spared from this virus.' When asked if she had advice for Americans, Birx said: 'If I leave anything with your audience, it is follow the guideline. 'Please, follow the guidelines. 'Protect yourself, protect your family, but lets unite together and protect America.' Trump backs off NY quarantine and asks CDC to issue 'strong travel advisory' instead after Gov. Cuomo declared the threat a 'federal declaration of war' Trump has said he will not attempt to quarantine New York and instead order a travel advisory, after Cuomo said the proposal to the limit the spread of coronavirus would be tantamount to a 'federal declaration of war.' The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued the advisory late on Saturday, saying: 'Due to extensive community transmission of COVID -19 in the area, CDC urges residents of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to refrain from non-essential domestic travel for 14 days effective immediately.' The advisory does not apply to employees of critical infrastructure industries, 'including but not limited to trucking, public health professionals, financial services, and food supply,' the CDC said. The agency said that the governors of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut will have 'full discretion' to implement the advisory. On Saturday night, Trump backed down from his threat to impose a quarantine on the Tri-state area. 'On the recommendation of the White House CoronaVirus Task Force, and upon consultation with the Governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, I have asked the [CDC] to issue a strong Travel Advisory, to be administered by the Governors, in consultation with the Federal Government,' Trump tweeted on Saturday from the White House. 'A quarantine will not be necessary. Full details will be released by CDC tonight. Thank you!' he continued. On Saturday night, confirmed cases of coronavirus hit 123,788 and deaths surpassed 2,100 nationwide, with 672 deaths in New York City alone. The escalating death toll in the Big Apple has New Yorkers dying at a rate of one every nine minutes. Trump had said earlier on Saturday that he was considering quarantining 'heavily infected' New York, and parts of Connecticut and New Jersey, in a desperate effort to slow the spread of coronavirus. Within hours, Cuomo blasted the proposal in strong terms. 'If you start walling off areas all across the country it would just be totally bizarre, counter-productive, anti-American, anti-social,' said Cuomo in an interview with CNN on Saturday evening. 'This is a civil war kind of discussion,' Cuomo said of the proposal. 'I don't believe that any administration could be serious about physical lockdowns of states.' Cuomo said that it would probably be illegal to quarantine New York, as well as totally ineffective, given the rise of other virus hotspots in the country such as New Orleans. 'It makes absolutely no sense and I don't think any serious governmental personality or professional would support it,' Cuomo said. Trump's earlier proposed quarantine would have restricted travel to and from the three states, which are some of the hardest-hit by the outbreak, as it emerged that 209 people died in New York state in the last 24 hours. New York state now has at least 53,399 confirmed cases, nearly half the national total of more than 123,000. In New York City alone, there are 30,765 confirmed cases, and there have been at least 672 deaths. 'Some people would like to see New York quarantined because it's a hotspot New York, New Jersey maybe one or two other places, certain parts of Connecticut quarantined. I'm thinking about that right now,' he said Saturday. 'We might not have to do it but there's a possibility that sometime today we'll do a quarantine - short term - two weeks for New York, probably New Jersey, certain parts of Connecticut.' Trump said his proposed quarantine would be 'short-term' but that it would be 'enforceable'. The president dismissed the idea that he would need to deploy the National Guard to ensure residents comply with the quarantine rules. Trump speaks in front of the US Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort at Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk, Virginia, Saturday. He said he is considering quarantining New York and parts of Connecticut and New Jersey in a desperate effort to slow the spread of coronavirus An elderly patient is wheeled into the emergency entrance to Elmhurst Hospital Center in New York on Saturday A medical worker prepares to reenter a COVID-19 testing tent set up outside Elmhurst Hospital Center in New York on Saturday. The hospital is caring for a high number of coronavirus patients in the city, and New York leads the nation in cases A man wears a face mask while he visits Times Square as rain falls on Saturday in New York City. Trump said on March 28, 2020 that he's considering a short-term quarantine of New York state, New Jersey, and parts of Connecticut A map shows which parts of New York City have had the highest rates of positive test results for coronavirus 'We're not going to need that,' he said. 'We're looking at it and will be making a decision. A lot of the states that are infected - they've asked me if I'd look at it so we're going to look at it. Maybe for a short period of time,' Trump said. 'It would be for a short time' for parts of New York, Connecticut and New Jersey, he said. However when asked if he would shut down the New York City subway he said: 'No we wouldn't do that.' Cuomo said he had spoken with Trump earlier Saturday and the two had not discussed a possible quarantine. The governors of New Jersey and Connecticut also said that they had not spoken with Trump about a potential quarantine. It was not clear whether Trump would be able to block road, air and sea travel out of a region that serves as the economic engine of the eastern United States, accounting for 10 percent of the population and 12 percent of GDP. Some states have already imposed limits. New Yorkers arriving in Texas, Florida and Rhode Island face orders to self-isolate if they intend to stay. The Rhode Island National Guard started going door to door on Saturday in coastal areas to inform any New Yorkers who may have come to the state that they must self-quarantine for 14 days. Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo also expanded the mandatory self-quarantine to anyone visiting the state. Raimondo also ordered residents to stay at home, with exceptions for getting food, medicines or going to the doctor, and ordered nonessential retail businesses to close Monday until April 13 to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. A sign in Rhode Island instructs motorists with New York license plates to pull over at a checkpoint on I-95 over the border with Connecticut on Saturday. Rhode Island's governor ordered the military-style checkpoints A member of the Rhode Island National Guard Military Police directs a motorist with New York license plates at a checkpoint on I-95 near the border with Connecticut on Saturday. All New York motorists must register and self-quarantine In Rhode Island on Saturday, drivers with New York license plates must stop and provide contact information and were told to self-quarantine for two weeks after entering the state She also directed realtors and hotel operators to include new requirements that any out-of-state residents must quarantine for 14 days in their purchase agreements. State Police set up a checkpoint on I-95 in Hope Valley on Friday where drivers with New York license plates must stop and provide contact information and were told to self-quarantine for two weeks. If New Yorkers don't comply, they face fines and jail time, Raimondo said, adding that that's not the goal. 'I want to be crystal clear about this: If you're coming to Rhode Island from New York you are ordered into quarantine. The reason for that is because more than half of the cases of coronavirus in America are in New York,' Raimondo said, adding that it's not meant to be discriminatory. The governors of Pennsylvania and West Virginia have also asked visiting New Yorkers to voluntarily self-quarantine. New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu on Saturday asked all visitors to his state who don't come for work reasons to voluntarily self-quarantine. Trump said any New York-area lockdown would only apply to people leaving the region. It would not cover truckers making deliveries or driving through the area, he said. US law gives the president the authority to restrict travel between states, legal experts said. But he would not be able to enlist local police to set up checkpoints along state lines, and it would be difficult to determine who would be allowed to get through, said Louisiana State University law professor Edward Richards. 'The logistics of deciding who is an essential person or essential cargo could shut down the ability to transport essential personnel and supplies,' he said. Even if it were possible, a New York-area lockdown might have come too late for the rest of the country. The number of coronavirus patients in California hospitals increased by more than one-third overnight, Governor Gavin Newsom said. Officials in Louisiana, where Mardi Gras celebrations late last month in New Orleans fueled an outbreak, reported 17 additional deaths and 569 new cases on Saturday. The disease has proven most fatal among the elderly, but Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker said on Saturday that an infant had died in his state. Anyone can become a victim of crime, and each day in our state, innocent people are subjected to terrible acts against them that change their lives forever. If surviving the crime isnt tough enough, victims then have to navigate a criminal justice system that can make them feel like they are the ones on trial. As a police officer with 30 years experience, and as a crime victim myself, I know firsthand how good people can be harmed in unthinkable ways only to feel shut out when they needed support the most. It was that background that led me to champion the effort to amend Wisconsins constitution to give strong, enforceable rights to victims of crime, commonly known as Marsys Law for Wisconsin. Just like criminal defendants have strong constitutional rights, so should crime victims. There are several sections in our state Constitution protecting the rights of the accused, as there should be. The proposed amendment simply puts the victims of crime on a more equal playing field with those accused of committing crimes. Wisconsin was one of the first states to protect victims in its constitution. However, in the decades since Wisconsin adopted its victim rights amendment, other states have passed us by, providing stronger and additional rights. Our proposed amendment strengthens and builds upon some of the Wisconsin constitutional rights. For example, victims now have the right to be heard at disposition. If we adopt this proposal that constitutional right to be heard is expanded to proceedings like release and plea hearings. Why shouldnt a victims voice be heard any time a judge is considering conditions for release? Marsys Law for Wisconsin also takes some well-established statutory provisions and elevates them to a Constitutional level such as requiring a court to consider the complete impact of the crime on the victim when reviewing the case. This is important because when a victims statutory rights are being considered in a courtroom they are often trumped by the constitutional rights of the accused. By including the right of the victim in the Constitution, we can ensure the judge has to treat the right of victim equal to the right of the accused. Notice that I didnt say the right of the victim was greater than the accused. That wouldnt be fair either. No rights are taken away from anyone, including criminal defendants, in this amendment. Instead we just want victims to have rights that are treated equally under the law to those of the criminal defendant. In fact, we even added specific language to the proposed amendment that says: This section is not intended and may not be interpreted to supersede a defendants federal constitutional rights. One of the provisions of the proposed amendment gives victims is the simple right to know their rights. Nearly everyone can recite an accused persons rights. You have the right to remain silent Crime victims should know their rights too. Maybe most importantly, Marsys Law for Wisconsin will give crime victims the constitutional right to enforce his or her rights in court something our current constitution does not have. As the Senate author of the proposed amendment, I am proud of all the work we put into getting the language right. Amending the Wisconsin constitution is a long and arduous process as it should be. The effort to strengthen victims constitutional rights began back in late 2016 when we started working with then-Attorney General Brad Schimel and the Office of Crime Victim Services. We then sought input from criminal justice stakeholders including district attorneys, victim service agencies, police chiefs, sheriffs and even the Public Defenders Office. We did countless hours of hearings and meeting. The end result of all of those conversations is a proposal uniquely written for Wisconsin victims. It is so Wisconsin-centric that the proposal that passed the Legislature with broad support from the most conservative members of our body to even some of the liberal ones. And I am incredibly proud the over 400 endorsements from law enforcement, victims advocacy groups and crime survivors. Please get your absentee ballot today and dont forget to vote yes on additional rights for crime victims. State Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, is a former Racine police officer. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 11:03:36|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the G20 Extraordinary Virtual Leaders' Summit on COVID-19 via video link in Beijing, capital of China, March 26, 2020. (Xinhua/Li Xueren) "This was an inspiring speech, concise and succinct, a leadership speech and call to collective action at a time of great stress and peril for the citizens of the world," said Cambridge University professor Alan Barrell. BEIJING, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's keynote speech at the Extraordinary G20 Leaders' Summit, which stressed a coordinated response to the common threat of COVID-19, has charted a course for the global fight against the pandemic, experts have said. Xi put forth four proposals at the G20 summit via video, calling on G20 members to be resolute in fighting an all-out global war against the COVID-19 outbreak, make a collective response for control and treatment at the international level, support international organizations in playing their active roles and enhance international macro-economic policy coordination. "This was an inspiring speech, concise and succinct, a leadership speech and call to collective action at a time of great stress and peril for the citizens of the world," said Cambridge University professor Alan Barrell. Xi's proposal of a G20 health ministers' meeting to improve information sharing, strengthen cooperation on drugs, vaccines and epidemic control, and cut off cross-border infections would be "a good start to a different approach to health issues," Barrell said. Medical workers work at a temporary medical center receiving patients with symptoms of the COVID-19 in Lagny-sur-Marne, Seine-et-Marne, east of Paris, France, March 26, 2020. A municipal ward in the town of Lagny-sur-Marne has been converted into an outpatient medical center to receive patients with symptoms of COVID-19. (Photo by Aurelien Morissard/Xinhua) Echoing Barrell's remarks, William Jones, Washington bureau chief of the U.S. publication Executive Intelligence Review, said Xi's call for a meeting of the G20 health ministers is "a step in the right direction," creating a forum for a detailed discussion of measures in dealing with the crisis. Xi's proposal of a high-level meeting on international public health security will be "an urgent requirement in the post-COVID era in order to create a mechanism by which the world will next time have an early-warning system and a ready strategy to deal with any outbreak," he said. Xi's speech inspires hope, said Rose Fumpa Makano, a Zambian peace and development expert at the Copperbelt University, adding that China has demonstrated its commitment to implementing measures aimed at enhancing global trade. Lei Xiaozhen (2nd R), an obstetrician of the 24th Chinese medical team, talks with local doctors in the Hospital of Sidi Bou Zid in Tunisia, March 21, 2020. The Chinese medical team in Tunisia, with medical staff from Jiangxi Province, continued their work in face of the COVID-19 outbreak. (Xinhua) While commending the China-proposed notion of a community with a shared future for mankind, Mohamed Fayez Farahat, head of the Asian Studies Program at Cairo-based Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, said, "the world is now facing a common threat against humanity, which shows the necessity for global cooperation to tackle COVID-19." "China's means and methods were impressive," said Nicholas Platt, a former U.S. diplomat, expressing his appreciation for China's efforts "to reach out to other parts of the world and to share equipment and to share knowledge." "We all must face this challenge together," Platt added. Rajesh Asnani By Express News Service JAIPUR: Two special aircraft carrying 275 Indian nationals stranded in corona-affected Iran reached Jodhpur in Rajasthan on Sunday morning. According to sources, they were brought in SpiceJet and IndiGo flights in the morning. All the people were thoroughly examined by army doctors at the airport. The group includes 133 women, 142 men, 4 children and 2 newborns. After screening the passengers, they were kept in a special quarantine centre prepared by the Army. They will be kept under the supervision of doctors here for the next 14 days. "As per the procedure, preliminary screening of the evacuees upon arrival was conducted at Jodhpur airport by the Medical teams from Civil Administration and Army. Thereafter, they were moved to the Army Wellness Facility at Jodhpur. FOLLOW COVID-19 LIVE UPDATES HERE The Army authorities as part of Op Namaste, have created Army Wellness Facilities which comprises of all amenities and are fully geared up to accommodate all the evacuees and provide them with requisite medical and administrative support during their quarantine period," said Col Sombit Ghosh, PRO Defence Rajasthan. Earlier, 277 Indian nationals were evacuated from Iran to Jodhpur. After today's rescue, the number of Indian citizens in the Army's wellness center has increased to 552. The Army says that none of the Indian nationals here are corona positive yet. Despite this, all will be regularly examined as a precaution. The Central Government has started a special campaign to bring back about 6000 Indian citizens working in Iran. For this, the Indian Army has developed quarantine centers in Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Barmer. Paseka Motsoeneng, a South African televangelist also called Pastor Mboro, has reportedly offered to travel to hell to kill the demon responsible for coronavirus. According to KenyaUpdates, Mboro, the pastor of Incredible Happenings Ministries, requested $100,000 (36,700,000 at 367/dollar) to take care of his transportation. The controversial evangelist reportedly said theres no need to waste money on research as the real cause of the contagious disease is a demon in hell which he has volunteered to kill in his dangerous mission.I am ready to save mankind, I have seen a vision of how the Corona demon looks like and I will defeat it, Mboro said. There is no need for worrying and expensive research. The real problem is the demon causing this disease and Im ready to kill it once and for all. He also said that the money should be ready by April. According to TheSouthAfrican, Mboro had earlier claimed that God told him to prepare just before the pandemic broke out, revealing to him how the coronavirus would affect the world. God said to me theres going to be outbreaks. Outbreaks that will even cause hospitals to kill doctors and nurses. Thats the time we should be seeking God, he reportedly said in a sermon. I listened to the president saying public meetings are banned for health reasons. God said this outbreak will happen this year. So it didnt take me by surprise. Weve been preparing and praying. God gave me a way to pray for the president, saying that the storms that are coming are going to be heavy. What we need to do is take better care of ourselves and listen to what were being told. Post Views: 16 The Egyptian authorities released prominent opposition figures March 21 amid calls to free thousands of prisoners to prevent the spread of the coronavirus among inmates. According to human rights organizations, thousands of prisoners in Egypt are held captive because of their political opinions, but Cairo denies such allegations. On March 19, the Supreme State Security Prosecution (SSSP) a branch of the Public Prosecution decided to release 15 opposition activists who had been held on remand for several months. Those included three key opponents of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi: Hassan Nafaa, professor of political sciences at the University of Cairo; Hazem Abdul Azim, former member of Sisis presidential electoral campaign in 2014 who later became one of his staunchest critics; and Shadi Ghazali Harb, a doctor who firmly called for democracy in Egypt in the wake of the January 25 Revolution that ousted late President Hosni Mubarak in 2011. The SSSP did not clarify why the 15 activists were released, but the decision was made following several calls to reduce overcrowding in prisons as a preemptive measure to face the virus that causes COVID-19. The released detainees were accused of spreading fake news and joining a banned group, namely the Muslim Brotherhood, which the Egyptian government classified as terrorist in 2013. Following his release, Nafaa posted a tweet calling for the release of all prisoners of conscience. Several decisions followed to release prisoners held on remand on the grounds of spreading false statements and news pitting against the government, but no exact figures have been reached yet. Nasser Amin, a human rights attorney and member of the government-affiliated National Council for Human Rights, posted on his Facebook page March 19 that the public prosecutors release of some prisoners held in pre-trial detention is a positive step that will hopefully include all prisoners held on remand for political cases. Mustafa al-Sayed, political science professor at the University of Cairo, said that releasing several pre-trial detainees came in response to the calls of human rights organizations, civil society associations and political groups, but this response remains limited. Sayed told Al-Monitor that perhaps the government released several detainees to reduce pressure on it or to win over the public opinion. On March 20, Amnesty International called on the Egyptian authorities to release all activists and human rights activists detained for peacefully expressing their opinions, as fears of prisons turning into fertile ground for the coronavirus increased. According to rights groups, thousands of detainees in Egyptian prisons await trial, and more than 3,000 people were arrested in September 2019 alone in the widest crackdown on opposition following some sporadic protests calling on Sisi to step down. The Egyptian Ministry of Health announced March 24 that the total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 so far reached 366, including 19 deaths, with army commanders being among the fatalities. By March 29, the total number of reported cases was 576. According to a ministry statement on its official Facebook page, 68 people recovered and were no longer in quarantine. On March 18, Egyptian police arrested four prominent female activists, including three relatives of prominent Egyptian activist Alaa Abdul Fattah, after calling for the release of prisoners threatened by a coronavirus outbreak inside jails. The women were released on bail after hours of detention. A group of women had gathered in front of the headquarters of the Cabinet in central Cairo, carrying banners that read "Release prisoners. The four women were accused of violating a ban on protests through their small gatherings and spreading false news about prisons in Egypt. The Ministry of Interior decided March 19 to extend the ban on visits to prisoners until March 31. Egyptian politician and author Amr Shobaki called for releasing all prisoners of conscience and wrote on his Facebook page March 19 that opposing opinions no matter how intense should not be punished with jail time but with debate, as long as they are not violent. Rights attorney Tarek Nujeida told Al-Monitor that he hopes the release of detainees held on remand is an indication that the state will open dialogue channels with the opposition. He said that the release of prisoners is a sign of goodwill that deserves attention. Sayed noted that any political dialogue between the regime and opposition civil forces should be preceded by indications of the seriousness of the government. He told Al-Monitor that the most important of these signs is the release of pre-trial detainees, in addition to lifting restrictions on freedom of speech. Opposition civil forces should not be discriminated against, unless they are Brotherhood members, as Sayed believes any future dialogue with the regime will likely exclude them. There are no official figures showing the number of pre-trial detainees in Egypt. However, the head of the human rights committee in parliament, Alaa Abed, estimates the number to be between 25,000 and 30,000 of the total 65,000 prisoners until January 2018. Sayed said that the release of several political detainees comforted political activists. If these steps are not followed by others, this comfort will turn into a deep sense of disappointment, he concluded. Brody Jenner appears to be making the most of his time in quarantine with TikTok star Daisy Keech. The Hills: New Beginnings star, 36, was spotted driving around in his pickup truck with 20-year-old social media mogul on Friday, outside of Erewhon Market in Los Angeles. While the pair did not engage in any PDA, the co-founder of The Hype House posted a cheeky selfie on her Instagram Story, acknowledging they had been photographed together. Staying home: Brody Jenner was spotted driving around in his pickup truck withTikTok star Daisy, outside of Erewhon Market in Los Angeles Jenner and Keechs pandemic partnering comes more than three months after he was seen out with model Allison Mason and a slew of dates with supermodel Jose Canseco's daughter Josie, 23 and Daniella Grace, 29, who he brought Sundance Film Festival. In August, the MTV spilt from ex 'wife' Kaitlynn Carter, 31, who had a brief fling with Miley Cyrus, 27. Just last month, he and Carter fueled rumors they'd rekindled their romance by flying back to Los Angeles together after vacationing together in Bali, which was the destination of their lavish nuptials two years ago. Social media mogul: His rumored flame has more than 3.2 million Instagram followers In his first public outing with Keech, who is 16 years his junior, the pair stocked up on groceries at an upscale market in casual ensembles. The reality star wore dark sunglasses and pulled the hood over his dark brown hair, before reemerging from the store with a shopping cart full of groceries bags. His rumored flame, who has more than 3.2 million Instagram followers, bared her taunt midriff in a crop-top sweatshirt and matching, off-white sweatpants. Stocking up: The reality star wore dark sunglasses and pulled the hood over his dark brown hair, before remerging from the store with the shopping full of stuff bags of groceries She is known for her perfectly-rounded backside and even got her butt certified 'real' by a self-described 'butt expert' in 2019. At her appointment with Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Ashkan Ghavami, she had the doctor examine her tush and determine once and for all whether or not it's real. Daisy regularly posts sexy pictures in tight clothes, swimsuits or nothing at all, which has only grown her massive following. Carnival Australia chief executive Ann Sherry. Illustration: John Shakespeare Credit: These are difficult days for the cruise industry. And thats before you consider the Ruby Princess which docked in Sydney last Thursday and unleashed a flood of coronavirus-infected travellers on our shores. All up 133 people on board have been diagnosed (to date) with Covid-19, with one of them dying in RPA Hospital on Tuesday. So what luck that punters who were prepared to fork out a small fortune will get to hear from Carnival Australias executive chairman Ann Sherry in coming months. The topic? How is the Cruising Sector Responding to our Challenges. Princess Cruises which operates the Ruby Princess is owned by Carnival. Sherry, a former Westpac executive, is lined up to talk at the members-only Trans-Tasman Business Circle. Close to 300 Thais stranded at Malaysia border THAILAND: About 300 Thais who want to return to Thailand have been stranded at the Wang Kelian immigration checkpoint in Malaysias Perlis State opposite Thailands Wang Prachan checkpoint in Satuns Khuan Don district were yesterday (Mar 28) denied entry after they did not go through the procedures set by the Thai authorities. CoronavirusCOVID-19immigrationhealth By Bangkok Post Sunday 29 March 2020, 12:48PM The Wang Kalian-Wang Prachan checkpoint where around 300 Thais are stranded. Photo: AFP Thailand and Malaysia have closed their checkpoints along the common border to stem the COVID-19 spread. The two countries do not allow entry by foreigners via these checkpoints except their own citizens. After the border closure, Satun governor Veeranan Pengchan issued Order 642/2020 to allow Thai nationals to return to Thailand via Wang Prachan immigration checkpoint in Satun. To be eligible, the Thai nationals are required to contact the Thai embassy in Kuala Lumpur or a Thai consulate in Malaysia to get a letter of certification. After that the embassy or the consulate is to notify the immigration checkpoint in Satun of their intention. The Thais are also required to obtain a health certificate which are issued not longer than 72 hours previously. A group of between 250-300 Thais, most of them from Satun who worked as crew of Malaysian fishing boats and some of them tourists, began to converge at Wang Kelian checkpoint in Malaysia from about 9am yesterday. However, they were denied entry by the Thai immigration police at the Wang Prachan checkpoint because they failed to properly follow the procedures set in the governors order. At about 2pm yesterday, a meeting was held between Thai and Malaysian authorities at the Wang Prachan checkpoint on the Thai side of the border. It was agreed that they would not be allowed to enter the country unless they properly take the steps stated in the governors order. After that Rachada Jivalai, the Thai consul-general at Penang, Malaysia, and Pol Col Thanisorn Saengthanang, the Satun immigration police chief, emerged from the meeting to tell the Thais of the decision. At about 5pm, Mr Veeranan, the Satun governor, said the Thai consulate in Penang would speed up the procedures so that the stranded Thais would be able to return home. PUNE: Due to monetary disagreement, a man from Baramati, Pune district, shot his father dead before injuring himself with a gunshot on Sunday morning. The man has been identified as Deepak Dhanvant Khomane, while the deceased father was identified as Dhanvant Dhondiba Khomane (70). On Sunday morning, Deepak Khomane fired multiple shots at the senior citizen at his house in Korhale, Baramati. Dhanvant Khomane died on the spot as Deepak proceeded to shoot himself. The accused tried to commit suicide. He had a licence for the weapon and is undergoing treatment at Ruby Hall Clinic in Pune, said Deputy Superintendent of Police Narayan Shirgaonkar of Baramati division of Pune rural police who is investigating the case. The body of the deceased man has been sent for post-mortem. The accused is a farmer and used to be an office bearer at the farmer-run Baramati Taluka Sahakari Kharedi Vikri Sangh (Baramati Taluka Co-operative). The father-son duo were engaged in a disagreement over a piece of land for some weeks, according to the police. The deceased man had come to live with Deepak in Korhale only recently. They piece of land was in the name of the father. They were fighting about whose name the recent sugarcane harvest was to be sold in, said Dy SP Shirgaonkar. A case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and Arms Act has been registered at Baramati police station in Pune rural police jurisdiction. The level of concern in Ireland about coronavirus is second only to that in China, according to a worldwide survey of 20 countries, as medical experts on the frontline here yesterday signalled the expected surge in patients critically ill with Covid-19 was under way. In a day of high tension, following the implementation of further restriction measures to limit the spread of the virus - and during which 14 deaths were revealed - it was confirmed that certain hospitals in the east of the country were now activating surge plans and newly created intensive care beds were already full. The surge is moving towards Limerick first and then Cork, according to the experts. The Sunday Independent can also reveal that the Government has a 30m emergency back-up plan which would, if necessary, see more than 20 'field hospitals' built to treat critical Covid-19 patients nationwide. Read More Almost immediately yesterday morning long queues began to form at shops and supermarkets around the country, forcing national leaders, including the Taoiseach, to urge calm and reassure the public that food and medical supply chains were sound. The opinion poll by international firm Kantar has also found a strong level of resilience among the public in Ireland and a determination to meet the challenge head on and get through the crisis together. But there is deep concern at the implications for the economy, with only 7pc of the view that it will recover quickly and one-third (34pc) of people believing it will take a long time and will have a severe impact on jobs and businesses. The current mood of the country is also one of anxiety, with one-third (31pc) nervous about falling sick even if they take precautions and look after hygiene. Yesterday Dr Catherine Motherway, president of the Intensive Care Society of Ireland, said the surge had started in intensive care units in the east and would soon hit the west but that the public had the power to control it. "We are under pressure," she said. "Certain [intensive care] units are now surging. They are full, so remember we made [extra] capacity and that capacity is now full, so hospitals are now using their surge plans," she said. The news comes as the country adjusts to more restrictive measures to limit the spread of the coronavirus. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris both urged the public to co-operate and not panic. More than 2,500 gardai were on duty across the country to ensure people were observing the new restrictions. Commissioner Harris said gardai would be stopping people to make sure their journey was "essential" and that workers should carry identification. Mr Varadkar said: "No need to do all shopping or stockpile Food stores and takeaways are staying open in the emergency. The 2km is about exercising locally. You can go beyond the 2km to buy food and medicines. The supplies are good. We all have a part to play in rising to this challenge." Today's poll also finds significant shifts in consumer behaviour, with one-third (33pc) claiming their online shopping behaviour will increase in the future and less than two-in-five shopping in-store as usual. There has also been an abrupt end to the public taking taxis, public transport and flights. However, the finding that six-in-10 (61pc) people in Ireland are "hugely concerned" about the coronavirus, second only to China (62pc) and ahead of Spain (55pc) and Italy (36pc) will come as a surprise. Another 14 people with Covid-19 in Ireland have died, according to the latest figures from health officials. There have now been 36 Covid-19 related deaths in Ireland. There were 294 new cases as of lunchtime yesterday, bringing the total number of cases here to 2,415. Commenting on the latest surge, Dr Motherway went on to say; "These are hospitals predominantly in the east but we expect that surge to move across the country. I initially thought it might be Cork, but it looks now that it might be in Limerick, looking at the spread of cases." She said while hospitals will do their best, it is the people who will control the surge by obeying these regulations. "We need to slow it down," she emphasised. Dr Motherway said people with critically ill relatives will not be able to be with them when they die, and will not be able to bury or celebrate their lives in a traditional way. Dr Emily O'Connor, president of the Irish Association of Emergency Medicine, said work needed to be done to help families accessing loved ones who are critically ill with the coronavirus. "I think we need to work on that and I would welcome some way to communicate. I think it would be critically important that patients who are critically ill that they would have contact with loved ones." The Government has a 30m emergency back-up plan which would see more than 20 'field hospitals' built to treat critical Covid-19 patients nationwide. The plan will come into play if the health system becomes overburdened from the expected huge influx of coronavirus-infected patients in the coming weeks.The prefabricated structures will be built on or near under-pressure hospitals in Dublin, Cork, Sligo and Limerick and will cater for more than 250 critically ill patients, with more builds to follow as the crisis worsens. It has also been revealed that the national network of community first responders has been "stood down" by the National Ambulance Service because it would be "logistically challenging" to provide them with personal protective equipment. An internal circular issued by the National Ambulance Service last week said that the decision was not taken lightly but was done to protect the health of community first responders. The Kantar opinion poll was taken over March 17-22 in the immediate aftermath of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar's address to the nation in which he outlined in stark terms the potential impact of the virus, which accounts for a heightened state of concern among the public here at the time. Other countries had not yet implemented restrictive measures. This is also evident in the poll which found minimal concern in the UK (25pc) and the US (24pc). These countries are now being particularly badly affected by the outbreak. However, the poll also finds a strong level of resilience here in the face of the challenge. The poll finds a significant 39pc of the view that "being prepared and well informed is fundamental at this moment"; a further 20pc "worried" about themselves and their loved ones; but a further 19pc were "ready to take this head-on" and a further 13pc of the view that "we have to react together" and "stick together". A mere 2pc believe there is too much fear around. Writing in the Sunday Independent today Paul Moran, executive director of Kantar Ireland, said: "We are flip-flopping between incredulity, fear and inspiration." The poll also finds that the most trusted sources for Covid-19 information are government agency websites (64pc), international advisory body websites (52pc), national media (51pc), doctor (45pc), pharmacist (34pc), with social media in single digit trust levels. A nationwide digital campaign that provides a unique cultural experience for members of the community while they commit to staying in their homes has been launched. Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) has launched the digital campaign through its social media platforms titled #CreateTogether. This campaign was launched under the directives of Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of the Authority, following her letter of hope and optimism to Creative and Cultural industry. Through this campaign, Dubai Culture aims to encourage creators, artists, writers, photographers, short film makers and poets to showcase their respective creativity while they are committed to staying in their homes, in support of the #StayHome campaign that was launched by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai. The campaign featured a group of pioneers from the Culture and Art sector and was produced and directed by Emirati filmmaker and producer Nayla Al Khaja. Its aim is to consolidate the role of culture in society by encouraging creative talents in the UAE to take advantage of their time and invest their talents in an optimal way while they are at home. The intended outcome of the campaign is the spread of positive messages and a renewed love for culture across all segments of society. The showcased creations could cover among others, literary (poetry and prose), visual (short films, photography, animations, arts, and design), or performance (music, singing, and acting) mediums. Hala Badri, Director General of Dubai Culture, said that the #CreateTogether campaign is a message of positivity and optimism that Dubai Culture is sending out to the UAE community to help it during these difficult times being faced the world over. It will also encourage creators to take an active role in spreading reassurance and a positive spirit by presenting society with a unique cultural experience. Badri said: Solidarity, unity and resilience has always shaped UAEs character throughout history. Dealing with challenges and turning them into opportunities is not something strange to the Emirati community. This was the inspiration behind #CreateTogether campaign, where we seek to remind people that they can create from their homes and share their works on social channels. Creativity is never limited by walls and imagination is never bound by fences. The creators participating in the video campaign are cultural ambassadors to their community, who have come together under the LoveUAE flag to spread positive energy in society and consolidate the values of unity and optimism, inviting creators and artist in the UAE to support national efforts and strengthen the resolve of the people during this current situation. Badri added. Badri also noted that the world today is united within a framework of inclusivity to limit the spread of the emerging virus as well as disperse hope and optimism in peoples hearts. She added that this national cultural campaign complements the various purposeful national campaigns that were launched on social media by the public and private sectors in the UAE. Through the #CreateTogether campaign, Dubai Culture seeks to inspire creative talents of various nationalities and cultures to provide innovative, cultural creations that would contribute to enhancing the audiences engagement with the cultural sector. These works will also be showcased in a number of events and art festivals that the Authority will hold in the future. This national campaign also aims to unify the energies of creative talents within the UAE under the umbrella of solidarity for the sake of their community. Furthermore, it urges them to support the #StayHome campaign by showcasing cultural and creative innovations that emphasise their love for and affiliation to the nation. A group of Emirati creatives volunteered to produce and direct this short film, including filmmaker and producer Nayla Al Khaja; director and 3D cartoons animator Mohammed Saeed Hareb,; media personality, poet and actor Saud Al Kaabi; and cultural photographer Rawdha Al Sayegh. This video represents Nayla Al Khajas first remote production that she was able to complete within one day by participating with and instructing the other volunteers on how to best position their cameras, angles, lighting and positions to shoot their footage from their own homes. -- Tradearabia News Service In the thick of the Coronavirus outbreak, Kashmir confirmed its second death on Sunday morning. The Coronavirus positive cases in Jammu and Kashmir soared to 33 on Saturday, with 13 new cases being reported amid the restrictions imposed. Health Ministry on Sunday reported 979 positive cases in India and confirmed 25 deaths. According to officials, out of the 13 new positive cases, 9 have emerged from Srinagar whereas the rest 4 from Jammu. The officials of the newly-turned Union Territory notified that eight hospitals in the Kashmir valley and three in Jammu have been solely set aside for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. READ| Farooq Abdullah donates Rs. 1 crore to combat COVID-19 outbreak in Jammu & Kashmir Kashmir recorded its first Coronavirus case on March 18 and by March 24, three more cases came to light--out of which two were reported from Srinagar, one from Bandipore. The next day, four more of them tested positive in Bandipora. Earlier on Thursday, two minor siblings tested positive for Coronavirus in Srinagar. Both were the grandchildren of the woman in Srinagar with a travel history to Saudi Arabia and had tested positive this week. The same day, two more people from Rajouri had tested positive. Taking stringent actions against those violating the prohibitory orders issued by the government, Jammu and Kashmir Police on Friday registered 38 FIRs against the offenders. Moreover, it seized 547 number of shops and vehicles for defying the restrictions in view of the Coronavirus outbreak. Until Thursday, 218 FIRs were lodged against offenders. Restriction in J&K The Union territory administration has already declared COVID-19 an epidemic, imposing section 144 in certain areas. The administration has also barred all foreign visitors from visiting the Valley and stopped all pilgrimages to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine. Shutting down all schools, educational institutes, restaurants, hotels, gyms, swimming pools till March 31, the administration has also all foreign tourists or visitors arriving in J&K will be quarantined, including all travellers coming from Union Territory of Ladakh. Since the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5 last year, the mobile internet speed in the union territory was increased in view of the growing demand for the restoration of 4G services amid a health crisis. On February 25, the 2G mobile internet services were extended in the newly turned union territory citing 'security concerns' however, it has not been restored despite a global pandemic. Meanwhile, political leaders including former CM Mehbooba Mufti, JKPC president Sajad Lone and Shah Faesal continue to remain in detention for almost 8 months now. Recently, National Conference leaders and father-son duo Farooq and Omar Abdullah were released from detention. READ| No high speed internet for Jammu and Kashmir till April 3: Home Department (With PTI inputs) PERTH, Western Australia, March 29, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Perseus Mining Limited (Perseus or the Company) (TSX & ASX: PRU) is pleased to announce details of its updated Life of Mine Plan (LOMP) for its Edikan Gold Mine in Ghana, West Africa. An executive summary is provided below. Full details of the Edikan Gold Mine Life of Mine Plan are included in the Companys market release dated March 30, 2020 which is available for download from www.perseusmining.com, www.asx.com.au and www.sedar.com. The LOMP covers the period from July 1, 2020 and is based on the Companys revised mining strategy that was implemented in January 2019 involving use of a single mining contractor, mining at a reduced rate of total material movement. Costs, recoveries, mill throughput rates and run times have been updated to reflect recent performance. The LOMP is based on the revised Ore Reserves reported on February 20, 2020 which included Proved and Probable Ore Reserves as at December 31, 2019 of 45.7 million tonnes of ore, grading 1.10 g/t gold and containing 1,608 kozs of gold. Ore loss and dilution included in the estimate of Ore Reserves is based on recent mine to mill reconciliation results. Comparisons of ore tonnes and grade by Edikans Mineral Resource models relative to ore tonnes and grade delineated by grade control, indicate that the Mineral Resource estimates on which the Ore Reserves are based are reliable predictors of ore tonnes and grades. The Esuajah South Underground mine has been included in the LOMP, employing a sub-level stoping under rock fill (SURF) mining method. Development capital of US$31 million has been assumed. Gold production averages 212,000 ounces/annum over Edikans currently estimated mine life of 6.2 years from July 1, 2020, including gold production of approximately 231,000 ounces/annum on average over the next 4 years. The altered production profile relative to the previous LOMP is largely due to the addition of Esuajah South Underground and a significantly larger AG Open Pit. Total estimated gold production of 1,307,000 ounces over the life of mine is 95% higher than the amount estimated for the corresponding period in the previous LOMP. The substantial increase is largely due to the addition of Esuajah South Underground and a much larger AG Open Pit. Forecast weighted average all-in site costs, including all direct production costs, royalties, waste stripping costs and sustaining capital expenditure (AISC), are in the range of US$870-US$890 per ounce over the remaining life of mine. This represents a 5% decrease in average AISC relative to the previous LOMP, over the corresponding period. Forecast sustaining capital costs (including the cost of site rehabilitation) of US$37 million or US$28 per ounce are included in the AISC estimate. Edikans revised LOMP forecasts strong positive after-tax cash flows totalling approximately US$356 million (or A$0.51per share at an A$:US$ exchange rate of 0.60), assuming a flat spot gold price of US$1,300 per ounce for the remaining mine life. The revised LOMP should be read in conjunction with, and added to, previously published production and cost guidance for the Half Year ending June 30, 2020. To discuss any aspect of this announcement, please contact: Managing Director: Jeff Quartermaine at telephone +61 8 6144 1700 or email jeff.quartermaine@perseusmining.com ; Media Relations: Nathan Ryan at telephone +61 4 20 582 887 or email nathan.ryan@nwrcommunications.com.au (Melbourne) Caution Regarding Forward Looking Information This report contains forward-looking information which is based on the assumptions, estimates, analysis and opinions of management made in light of its experience and its perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management of the Company believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances at the date that such statements are made, but which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made by the Company regarding, among other things: the price of gold, continuing commercial production at the Edikan Gold Mine and the Sissingue Gold Mine without any major disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic or otherwise, development of a mine at Yaoure, the receipt of required governmental approvals, the accuracy of capital and operating cost estimates, the ability of the Company to operate in a safe, efficient and effective manner and the ability of the Company to obtain financing as and when required and on reasonable terms. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive of all factors and assumptions which may have been used by the Company. Although management believes that the assumptions made by the Company and the expectations represented by such information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking information will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any anticipated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include, among others, the actual market price of gold, the actual results of current exploration, the actual results of future exploration, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be evaluated, as well as those factors disclosed in the Company's publicly filed documents. The Company believes that the assumptions and expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, the Companys ability to carry on its exploration and development activities, the timely receipt of required approvals, the price of gold, the ability of the Company to operate in a safe, efficient and effective manner and the ability of the Company to obtain financing as and when required and on reasonable terms. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Perseus does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Competent Person Statement All production targets for the Edikan Gold Mine referred to in this report are underpinned by estimated Ore Reserves which have been prepared by competent persons in accordance with the requirements of the JORC Code. The information in this report that relates to Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves for the Esuajah North deposit at the Edikan Gold Mine was first reported by the Company in compliance with the JORC Code 2012 and NI43-101 in a market announcement entitled Perseus Mining Updates Mineral Resources & Ore Reserves released on 29 August 2019. The information in this report that relates to the Mineral Resources for the Edikan deposits (other than the Fetish, AFG, Bokitsi South, Esuajah North and Esuajah South deposits) was first reported by the Company in compliance with the JORC Code 2012 and NI43-101 in a market announcement released on 29 August 2018. The information in this report that relates to Ore Reserves for the Edikan deposits (other than the Fetish, AFG, Bokitsi South, Esuajah North and Esuajah South deposits) was first reported by the Company in compliance with the JORC Code 2012 and NI43-101 in a market announcement entitled Perseus Mining Updates Mineral Resources & Ore Reserves released on 29 August 2018. The above-mentioned deposits have been updated for mining depletion as at 31 December 2019 in a market announcement Perseus Mining Updates Edikan Gold Mines Mineral Resource & Ore Reserves released on 20 February 2020. The information in this report that relates to the Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve estimates for the Bokitsi South and Esuajah South underground and to the Ore Reserve estimates for the Fetish and AFG deposits at the Edikan Gold Mine was first reported by the Company in compliance with the JORC Code 2012 and NI43-101 in a market announcement Perseus Mining Updates Edikan Gold Mines Mineral Resource & Ore Reserves released on 20 February 2020. The Company confirms that it is not aware of any new information or data that materially affect the information in those market releases and that all material assumptions underpinning those estimates and the production targets, or the forecast financial information derived therefrom, continue to apply and have not materially changed. The Company further confirms that material assumptions underpinning the estimates of Ore Reserves described in Technical Report Central Ashanti Gold Project, Ghana dated 30 May 2011 continue to apply. We have all heard of the smartphone and any day now, most of us will have one. Not far behind: the smart home. Writing in the latest issue ... Both are said to have visited the same Army facility near New Delhi The Indian Army has detected three Covid-29 infection cases among its ranks. (PTI) New Delhi/Kolkata: A colonel-rank doctor and a junior commissioned officer (JCO) were on Sunday confirmed to have the COVID-19 infection, taking the number of corona positive cases in the Indian Army to three. The doctor serves at the Army Command Hospital in Kolkata while the JCO is posted at an Army base in Dehradun. They are in good health, sources told PTI. The doctor recently travelled to an Army facility in New Delhi and developed fever on March 24 and breathlessness on 28th March. After his sample returned positive for COVID-19, he has been quarantined and his colleagues have been put under watch. PTI reported that the JCO too is understood to have visited the Army facility near the national capital earlier this month. The agency cited sources in the Army as saying that all the contacts of the two positive cases have been traced and quarantined accordingly. The army, however, denied reports that a soldier with the Territorial Army has also tested positive for COVID19. The first case of coronavirus infection in the Indian Army was that of a jawan of Ladakh Scouts. He is thought to have been infected with the virus from his father who had returned from Iran last month and also tested positive. The soldier has already recovered, according to an official. Wuhan locals claim coronavirus has killed 42,000 people in the city alone, more than ten times the national figure claimed by Chinese authorities. The killer bug, which originated in Wuhan in China's Hubei Province has claimed the lives of 3,300 people and infected more than 81,000. Of those, 3,182 deaths were reported in Hubei Province. But residents in Wuhan claim 500 urns have been handed out to grieving families every day from seven separate funeral homes all serving the city. Wuhan locals claim coronavirus has killed 42,000 people in the city alone, more than ten times the national figure claimed by Chinese authorities. Pictured: A worker in a pharmacy in Wuhan today This means the ashes of 3,500 people are distributed every 24 hours. The homes - in Hankou, Wuchang and Hanyang - have told grieving families that they will receive the ashes before April 5, the date of Qing Ming festival where people tend the graves of their ancestors. This means that 42,000 urns could be distributed in that 12-day period. Earlier reports stated that the Hankou premises received two shipments of 5,000 urns in just two days, according to local media. It comes as the province relaxed its two-month lockdown of 50million people. The killer bug, which originated in Wuhan in Hubei Province has claimed the lives of 3,300 people in China and infected more than 81,000. Pictured: Residents on a subway in Wuhan today People who have a 'green' health certificate - meaning they have tested negative for the virus - were allowed to leave the province from midnight on March 25, the first time they have been allowed out of the region since January 23. However, restrictions on travelling into and out of the mega-city of Wuhan - where the virus first emerged - will remain in place until April 8. A resident in Wuhan - who only provided his surname Zhang - told RFA: 'It can't be right because the incinerators have been working round the clock, so how can so few people have died?' Residents in Wuhan claim 500 urns have been handed out to grieving families every day from seven separate funeral homes all serving the city. Pictured: A Wuhan local wearing a protective face mask on a scooter A source close to authorities in Hubei province said many residents had died in their homes without being officially diagnosed. Pictured: A car stopped at some traffic lights in Wuhan Another resident - with the surname Mao - said: 'Maybe the authorities are gradually releasing the real figures, intentionally or unintentionally, so that people will gradually come to accept the reality.' A source close to authorities in Hubei province said many residents had died in their homes without being officially diagnosed. They claimed the estimated figure was not exaggerated as in one month, 28,000 cremations took place. It comes as Italy and the US have overtaken China as the hotbeds of the virus - which has killed more than 30,000 and infected 664,695 world wide. Italy has reported more than 97,000 cases and upwards of 10,000 deaths. The US has reported 137,294 cases and more than 2,000 deaths. Major U.S. newspapers say American troops are preparing for a confrontation with Iran's Shiite allies in Iraq. They also say the Pentagon has been reviewing action plans for operations in the coming weeks. The reports say the Pentagon has getting rid of Kataeb Hizballah, one of the major groups that make up the Hashd al-Sha'bi militia in Iraq on its agenda. The Washington Post wrote on Saturday March 28 said that "Militia attacks on Americans in Iraq are becoming more audacious" and that"The U.S. is wrestling with how to respond." According to the Washington Post, the number of rocket attacks on Iraqi bases that host U.S. troops has been on the rise recently and most attacks have been taking place outrageously in broad daylight. According to U.S. officials, they have been receiving reports about "imminent attacks" on U.S. military and diplomatic targets in Iraq on a daily basis. Meanwhile, the New York Times wrote on Friday that the Pentagon has issued a confidential order for planning an operation against Iran-backed militias in Iraq. U.S. political officers have left Baghdad and Erbil during the past days following the COVID-19 outbreak, however, some regional media outlets, including the IRGC-linked Tasnim news agency are suspicious of the move that coincided with moving around military forces in Iraq. The hardliner news agency says America is plotting against Irans allies in Iraq. While Iran is watchfully following the situation, IRGC commander Hossein Salami has warned the United States against "Hollywood Style" operations in Iraq. However, the NYT added that Pentagon's order to plan for escalation in Iraq was met with a warning from a top U.S. commander in Iraq. "The United States top commander in Iraq has warned that such a campaign could be bloody and counterproductive and risks war with Iran. In a blunt memo last week, the commander, Lt. Gen. Robert P. White, wrote that a new military campaign would also require thousands more American troops be sent to Iraq and divert resources from what has been the primary American military mission there: training Iraqi troops to combat the Islamic State," The New York Times reported. Other U.S. military commanders have also said there are possible dangers involved in carrying out the escalation order. No group has so far assumed responsibility for attacks in recent weeks on Iraqi bases that host U.S. troops, but some senior US. official as well as other military observers are certain that the Shiite militia in Iraq are behind the strikes. Following the attacks, U.S. sources said that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the White House National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien have been demanding a hard reaction against Iran, but President Donald Trump and some other U.S. officials supported limited action. Kataeb Hizballah, which appears to have been behind the attacks on the Taji base in Iraq, carried out more rocket attacks on the base. According to the Washington Post, although Defense Secretary Mark Esper was initially against hard attacks on Iran, during the following days he ordered the Pentagon to prepare a plan to destroy the Kataeb Hizballah (Hizballah Battalions). Some 5,000 U.S. troops have been training the Iraqi military at several Iraqi bases, however, the coronavirus outbreak has recently hindered their activity in Iraq. In the meantime, the Associated Press reported on March 29 that The U.S.-led coalition in Iraq withdrew on Sunday from K1 military base in the country's north that nearly launched Washington into an open war with neighboring Iran. Tensions between Iran and the United States further escalated in Iraq following the killing of Iran's Qods Force Commander Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad in early January. The strike was followed by an Iranian missile attack on the Iraqi bases hosting hundreds of U.S. troops. Both the Iranian government and its proxy militia in Iraq have insisted that they are still adamant to take revenge. The Shiite militia Hashd al-Sha'bi has said that it will not remain silent if the United States' troops attack the militia. In the meantime, Iraq's own political deadlock still continues as caretaker Prime Minister Adnan al-Zurfi has not been able to form a government partly because of the opposition by Iran-backed Shiite groups. Italy has logged a shocking spike in its already staggering coronavirus death toll, with officials warning the peak of the crisis was still days away, as the global infection rate surges relentlessly upwards. With more than 300,000 people infected in Europe alone, the disease shows few signs of slowing, and has already cast the world into a recession, economists say. In the US, which now has more than 100,000 COVID-19 patients, President Donald Trump invoked wartime powers Friday to force a private company to make medical equipment, as the country's overburdened healthcare system struggles to cope. "Today's action will help ensure the quick production of ventilators that will save American lives," Trump said as he issued the order to auto giant General Motors. With 60 percent of the country in lockdown, and infections skyrocketing, Trump also signed the largest stimulus package in US history, worth $2 trillion. It came as Italy recorded almost 1,000 deaths from the virus on Friday -- the worst one-day toll anywhere around the world since the pandemic began. One coronavirus sufferer, a cardiologist from Rome who has since recovered, recalled his hellish experience at a hospital in the capital. "The treatment for the oxygen therapy is painful, looking for the radial artery is difficult. Desperate other patients were crying out, 'enough, enough'," he told AFP. In one bright spot, infection rates in Italy continued their recent downward trend. But the head of the national health institute Silvio Brusaferro said the country was not out of the woods yet, predicting "we could peak in the next few days". Spain too said its rate of new infections appeared to be slowing -- despite also reporting its deadliest day. - 'Dramatic evolution' - Europe has suffered the brunt of the coronavirus crisis in recent weeks, with millions across the continent on lockdown and the streets of Paris, Rome and Madrid eerily empty. In Britain, the two men leading the country's fight against the coronavirus -- Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Health Secretary Matt Hancock -- both announced Friday they had tested positive for COVID-19. "I am now self-isolating, but I will continue to lead the government's response via video-conference as we fight this virus," Johnson, who had initially resisted calls for a nationwide lockdown before changing course, wrote on Twitter. Meanwhile, other countries across the world were bracing for the virus's full impact, with AFP tallies showing more than 26,000 deaths globally. The World Health Organization's regional director for Africa warned the continent faced a "dramatic evolution" of the pandemic, as South Africa also began life under lockdown and reported its first virus death. In a sign of how difficult the stay-at-home order could be to enforce, police came up against hundreds of shoppers trying to force their way into a supermarket in Johannesburg on Friday, while the streets of a nearby township buzzed with people and traffic. However, two months of almost total isolation appeared to have paid off in China's Wuhan, as the Chinese city of 11 million people where the virus first emerged partially reopened. Since January, residents have been forbidden to leave, with roadblocks installed and millions subjected to dramatic restrictions on their daily life. But on Saturday people were allowed to enter the city, and the subway network was expected to restart. Some shopping centres will open their doors next week. - Younger patients - In the United States, known infections jumped past 100,000, the world's highest figure, with more than 1,500 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. In New York City, the US epicentre of the crisis, health workers battled a surging toll, including an increasing number of younger patients. "Now it's 50-year-olds, 40-year-olds, 30-year-olds," said one respiratory therapist. To ease the strain on virus-swamped emergency rooms in Los Angeles, a giant US naval hospital ship docked there to take patients with other conditions. In New Orleans, famed for its jazz and nightlife, health experts believe the month-long Mardi Gras in February could be largely responsible for its severe outbreak. "This is going to be the disaster that defines our generation," said Collin Arnold, director of the Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness for New Orleans. But as Europe and the United States struggle to contain the pandemic, aid groups have warned the death toll could be in the millions in low-income countries and war zones such as Syria and Yemen, where hygiene conditions are already dire and healthcare systems are in tatters. "Refugees, families displaced from their homes, and those living in crisis will be hit the hardest by this outbreak," said the International Rescue Committee. Over 80 countries have already requested emergency aid from the International Monetary Fund, IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva said on Friday, warning massive spending will be needed to help developing nations. "It is clear that we have entered a recession" that will be worse than in 2009 following the global financial crisis, she said. burs-aph/hg WASHINGTON White House candidates arent usually bashful about asking supporters for money. But as the coronavirus upends everyday life, inundating hospitals, tanking financial markets and putting 3.3 million Americans out of work, President Trump and his likely Democratic rival, Joe Biden, suddenly find themselves navigating perilous terrain. What used to be a routine request for political cash could now come across as tone-deaf or tacky. The two also run the risk of competing for limited dollars with charities trying to raise money for pandemic relief. With a recession potentially on the horizon, theres a question of whether wealthy donors are in a giving mood and whether grassroots supporters who chip in small amounts will still have the wherewithal to keep at it. That presents a delicate challenge as both candidates try to stockpile the massive amounts of cash needed for the general election campaign. Its hard to have a conversation with someone right now to ask how theyre getting by, and then ask them for financial support in the next sentence, said Greg Goddard, a Democratic fundraiser who worked for Amy Klobuchars presidential campaign before the Minnesota senator dropped out of the Democratic race. To Tim Lim, a Democratic consultant who worked for both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, its a world where no one has a good answer. He said that on the fundraising side, we are going to take some massive hits as a party. The task is particularly acute for Biden. The former vice president is trying to pivot from the primary to the general election in a race essentially frozen by the virus. He lacks Trumps reelection cash reserves, which were built up over the past three years of his presidency. Biden also has yet to clinch the nomination and wont be able to do so until postponed primary contests are held in the months ahead. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, his sole remaining 2020 rival, has given no indication that he will back out, despite Bidens virtually insurmountable lead in the delegate race. The pandemic has put all big-dollar fundraisers on hold, like all in-person political events. Thats forced Trump and Biden, for now, to rely on online fundraising. Biden is holding virtual fundraisers via video conferences. But they lack the exclusivity and tactile nature of an in-person event, where donors can network, see and be seen. Biden and Trump continue to send out fundraising emails and texts. It isnt easy for me to ask you for money today, Biden campaign manager Jen OMalley Dillon said in a fundraising email Thursday, seeking contributions as low as $5. Of course, your own needs and the needs of your family take precedence. Brian Slodysko is an Associated Press writer. TOKYO, March 29 (Reuters) - The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Japanese organisers are in final stages of talks to set the opening date for the Tokyo Games in July next year, Japanese media said. The Tokyo event, postponed last week due to the coronavirus pandemic, will most likely have its opening ceremony in 2021 on July 23 and closing ceremony on Aug. 8, each a day earlier on the calendar than the original 2020 plan, said public broadcaster NHK on Sunday, citing unnamed sources. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced a delay of about one year on Tuesday after a call with IOC President Thomas Bach. It is the first postponement in the 124-year history of the modern Olympics, although several - including the 1940 Tokyo Games - were cancelled due to war. The delay is a huge blow to Japan, which has invested $12 billion in the run-up, although financial markets initially cheered by the decision, as some investors had anticipated cancellation. Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said on Sunday the government, now compiling economic-stimulus measures that Abe said will be the biggest ever, will take into account that the Olympic delay will push back several trillions of yen (tens of billions of dollars) of demand to next year. "If demand is being pushed back until next year, that means the same amount of demand will evaporate this year. We'll take this into account" in compiling the stimulus package, Nishimura told a television programme. (Reporting by Makiko Yamazaki and Leika Kihara; Editing by William Mallard) An Australian YouTuber has answered questions 'women are too afraid to ask' in his latest video, with everything from a woman's weight to whether men like to be called pet names addressed. Ben Gerrans, 19, who is based in Sydney, sat down with a group of his friends to talk about the controversial queries he had been sent in by his female viewers - and they were only too happy to help with their insider knowledge. Some of the inquiries were serious - like what were their major deal breakers in a relationship - while others were anatomy based, referring to whether they have 'accidentally sat on their own genitals'. So what were women eager to know? Ben Gerrans, 19, (left) sat down with a group of his friends to talk about the controversial queries he had been sent in by his female viewers (pictured with his friend Andii) Do men care about your weight? The Australian friends were all in agreement that women of all sizes were desirable, with 'Harpoon', 25, insisting that 'big girls need loving to'. Andii, a videographer by trade, made a joke about Dora The Explorer, who he called 'thick', and yet she had no trouble amassing a bunch of male friends on her travels. Ben agreed and said you 'absolutely do not' have to be thin to get the attention of a man. Ben (pictured right) was in agreement that a woman's weight didn't matter to him (pictured with Lucas left) Do men accidentally sit on their own genitals? This question was asked by one of Ben's followers, who were keen to know if it was possible and would it hurt if it was. Ben immediately cleared things up by saying this 'doesn't happen' and that things weren't 'big enough' down there to warrant accidentally getting twisted up. 'Maybe if it was big enough it would but I don't have that problem,' Harpoon added. Do men like being called pet names like babe and baby? Ben's good friend Lucas answered this particular question by saying he did like being given a nickname by his girlfriend. Ben similarly agreed, joking that he prefers to be called 'chief' and 'sergeant' over the typical babe variations on offer. All of his friends featured in the video were of the opinion it was quite sweet to categorise a man in this way and encouraged women to keep it up. Ben's good friend Lucas (pictured right) answered this particular question by saying he did like being given a nickname by his girlfriend How much do men actually obsess over girls in a friendship group? 'I must say, it's enough for it to start to get kind of annoying,' Ben said of this particular conundrum. Lucas agreed, saying it was difficult not to talk about the ladies when you were hanging out with your male friends. It is generally a huge topic of conversation that is brought up most naturally when a man starts dating or is attempting to date someone else. 'I must say, it's enough for it to start to get kind of annoying,' Ben said of this particular conundrum What are the biggest deal breakers for men? Ben said that 'girls who aren't dumb but act that way' are a huge turn-off in general, while Lucas said it's unattractive if someone lacks a sense of independence. 'It's a problem if you don't have a sense of humour too,' he added. Meanwhile Andii admitted to having a slight aversion to toes, and said if someone put their feet anywhere near his face, he'd have to walk away. Ben (pictured) said that 'girls who aren't dumb but act that way' are a huge turn-off in general What would you do if a woman bled in your bed? In the event that a woman got their period in the company of any of the men in the video, they said the most appropriate response would be to 'ask if she was okay'. Lucas said he would go one step further and offer her a tampon, before cleaning up the mess himself. None of the men were particularly phased by the natural menstrual cycle and knew it was simply a fact of life for most women. A case was registered against a Congress corporator in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur for allegedly asking his tenant, a nurse, to vacate the house fearing that she could become a carrier of coronavirus Bilaspur: A case was registered on Saturday against a Congress corporator in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur town for allegedly asking his tenant, a nurse, to vacate the house fearing that she could become a carrier of coronavirus. Sitaram Jaiswal, the corporator, denied the allegation, claiming that he was being framed up. An FIR was registered against him at Civil Lines police station based on a complaint of the doctor at whose hospital the nurse works, said a police official. The complainant alleged that Jaiswal asked the woman to vacate the house on Friday, saying that being a healthcare worker, she was more susceptible get the virus infection. The nurse then vacated the house and left for her village which is near Bilaspur city, he said. The FIR was registered under IPC sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and also the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, the official said, adding that no arrest has been made as further probe is on. Denying the charges, Jaiswal said the woman vacated the house on her own as she wanted to quit her job. "I did not force her to vacate the house. I am being implicated on false charges," he said. Chhattisgarh has recorded seven cases of COVID-19, including one from Bilaspur, as of Saturday. Welcome News, resources, and updates for the Virginia Tech community The spikes that adorn the outer surface of the coronavirus, which impart the look of a corona, when viewed through an electron microscope. CDC photo French police have arrested a man in possession of more than 23,000 face masks in Paris' plush 16th arrondissement. With France set to surpass 33,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus, amid an acute shortage of masks for health workers, the suspect could face several years in jail. Police found FFP2 protective masks and surgical masks which should have been part of the stock requisitioned by the government at the beginning of France's coronavirus epidemic. The man arrested admitted he intended to sell them. He could face between six months to 5 years in prison. Police also found large amount of money in a flat occupied by the same suspect in the 16th district. The Paris prosecutor told said the masks had been handed over to the health authorities and that an investigation has been launched into the matter. France has registered 1,995 deaths as result of the coronavirus and 32,964 confirmed cases, according to the latest official figures. The prime minister warned of a brutal period ahead, while overworked health professionals in all sectors, from hospitals to nursing homes, have repeatedly complained about a lack face masks and medical supplies. Essential supplies stolen It's not the first time French police have seized face masks and medical supplies that were hoarded, waiting to be sold on the black market. But according to the prosecutor's office, this latest operation, which took place on 22 March, is the largest. On 18 March, Paris police announced they had seized nearly 16,000 face masks and 250 bottles of fake hand sanitiser. Some hospitals in France have also reported thefts of thousands of masks since the Covid-19 outbreak began. The government has ordered one billion face masks from China, including 74 million FFP2 masks. Thirty million surgical masks are to be delivered to hospitals, health clinics and pharmacies in the coming days. French health officials have expressed exasperation that many people are wearing masks for their trips outside the house, ignoring repeated advice that they are not needed for healthy people. Meanwhile, the government ordered 1 billion masks from China. India has urged the countries, with which it has free trade agreements (FTAs), to allow imports of goods without certificate of origin for the time being as the domestic authorities are currently not issuing the document on account of lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic. An exporter has to submit a certificate of origin at the landing port of the importing country. The document is important to claim duty concessions under FTAs. The certificate is essential to prove where the goods come from. It also helps in checking dumping of cheap and sub-standard goods from a third country. On account of lockdown/curfew in India due to Covid-19 pandemic, the Indian agencies authorised to issue the certificate of origin under India's free trade agreements (FTAs), comprehensive economic cooperation agreements (CECA), comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) and preferential trade agreements (PTAs) are temporarily "closed" and unable to issue the certificate of origin, according to a trade notice by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade. "In view of these exceptional circumstances, the certificates would be issued retrospectively by the concerned Indian agencies after they open their offices. "Therefore, in the interim period, the customs authorities and other competent authorities in the trading partners with whom India has a trade agreement may kindly allow the eligible imports under preferences on a retrospective basis subject to the subsequent production of the certificates of origin by the Indian exporters," it has said. The notice said that India would also honour its preferential trade agreement imports, subject to the respective governments also making a formal request or putting up a notice in this regard for accepting these certificates on retrospective basis. Under these trade agreements, two or more trading partners significantly reduce or eliminate import duties on maximum number of goods traded between them. India has implemented such agreements with ASEAN, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Malaysia, among others. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 13:07:08|Editor: zyl Video Player Close HANOI, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam's Ministry of Health on Sunday morning confirmed five new cases of COVID-19 infection, bringing the total in the country to 179. Four of the new cases are workers who had provided services to the Hanoi-based Bach Mai Hospital where several staff and patients have been confirmed to be infected. The other case has recently entered Vietnam from abroad. Vietnam has 3,215 suspected cases with over 75,000 being monitored and quarantined as of Sunday morning, according to the health ministry. A total of 21 patients have been discharged from hospital after recovery with no deaths recorded so far in the country. The Hammond Police Department SWAT team served an arrest warrant in the Park West Apartments in Griffith March 27 and took Hicks into custody, Kellogg said. He was formally charged Saturday and is currently in custody at the Lake County jail. A team of medical workers from east China's Shandong Province arrive at Heathrow Airport in London, Britain, on March 28, 2020. A group of Chinese medical workers arrived in London on Saturday to assist in the fight against COVID-19. The 15-member team from Shandong Province includes six medical experts specializing in disease prevention and control, traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine and psychological counselling, among others. (Shandong Medical Team/Handout via Xinhua) LONDON, March 28 (Xinhua) -- A group of Chinese medical workers arrived at Heathrow Airport in London on Saturday to assist in the fight against COVID-19. The 15-member team from east China's Shandong Province includes six medical experts specializing in disease prevention and control, traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine and psychological counselling, among others. The team brought medical supplies, which will be donated to local hospitals and Chinese communities. They will also provide health consultancy to the Chinese communities, according to Chinese diplomats here. A total of 1,019 patients who tested positive for COVID-19 have died in Britain as of Friday afternoon, according to the figures released Saturday by the Department of Health and Social Care. As of Saturday morning, the number of confirmed cases in the country reached 17,089. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 05:06:27|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo taken on March 27, 2020 shows the U.S. Capitol building in Washington D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) The phone conversation between Trump and Xi "is absolutely paramount to finding solutions for the COVID-19 pandemic," says an expert. by Xinhua writer Tan Jingjing WASHINGTON, March 28 (Xinhua) -- The phone conversation between Chinese and U.S. presidents had sent the message to the world at a critical moment, U.S. experts told Xinhua on Saturday, that U.S.-China cooperation is vitally important in the global fight against COVID-19. In their phone talks on Friday, the two heads of state agreed to enhance sharing of information and experience on epidemic prevention and control, and accelerate cooperation in scientific research against the disease. "Such a conversation between the two presidents to enhance the collaboration between China and the United States is absolutely paramount to finding solutions for the COVID-19 pandemic for our two countries, as well as for the world," Kent Pinkerton, professor of the University of California Davis School of Medicine, told Xinhua in an interview. Pinkerton listed three areas as emphasis for boosting cooperation, which are sharing of scientific breakthroughs to reduce the spread of the coronavirus; sharing methods for the treatment of patients with the most severe symptoms of the infection; and dissemination of new research information through the cooperation of physicians and scientists from both countries. Robert Schooley, professor of medicine with the Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health at the University of California, San Diego, said control efforts in China have been "extremely successful." "We need to learn from China about the things that worked well and those that didn't," he told Xinhua. Schooley said the world could not expect the virus to be eliminated from the human population by epidemiological interventions alone. "We need to work on vaccines and drugs together and it will be very important to share viral strains so they can be compared side by side," he noted. The number of COVID-19 cases in the United States topped 105,573 by 1:00 p.m. Saturday, according to data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University. Globally, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases exceeded 622,000, with over 28,000 deaths. A staff member of the customs of Meilan International Airport checks the temperature of an inbound passenger after arrival in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, March 27, 2020. (Xinhua) Zhang Zuofeng, professor of epidemiology, and also associate dean for research at the School of Public Health at the University of California, Los Angeles, told Xinhua the disease has swept 201 countries and regions. Epidemics recognize no national borders or races and are a common enemy of humankind. U.S.-China cooperation will contribute to finding the initial etiological factors, intermediate hosts, and transmission routes that caused the epidemic, and will help find more efficient solutions to the crisis, develop vaccines and therapies for COVID-19, and improve prevention mechanism of new infectious diseases, Zhang said. Jiang Zhenying, professor of Barstow College, suggested that front-line medical staff and researchers of both countries to maintain communication through video meetings or seminars, to share experience in COVID-19 prevention and control as well as treatment of patients. This is not the time to point fingers or to let politics interfere with finding solutions and treatments for the COVID-19 pandemic, Pinkerton said. "Only through the international cooperation of China and the United States, as well as countries around the world, we can resolve this worldwide crisis," he noted. Schooley said the joint relationship is more important than ever as the world prepares to recover from this pandemic. "Trade between China and the United States will be the economic engine that drives the recovery," he said. The University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, has called on Nigerians to support the institution with funds to procure some hospital equipment necessary to combat the novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) in the country. The teaching hospital made the request in a memo dated March 26 and signed by its Chief Medical Director, Jesse Otegbayo. It said the fund is required to scale up its ability to respond credibly to the Covid-19 pandemic. The teaching hospital, the first in the country, established in 1957, is not only a major health facility in the state but the entire country. PREMIUM TIMES reported how the management of the teaching hospital earlier announced its decision to suspend key services due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. Mr Otegbayo had said the decision became necessary due to the accidental exposure of some doctors in the institution to some suspected Covid-19 patients. He said that the suspension was to curtail the spread of the deadly disease. With this development, hundreds of people from the state and neighbouring states who are currently accessing health services in UCH will no longer have access to public healthcare. Soliciting for funds In the memo, the hospital said it has commenced plans to scale-up its initial 4-bed isolation unit to an 18-bed facility, due to the highly infectious nature of COVID-19 As part of the plan to scale up our ability to respond credibly to the Covid-19 pandemic, the hospital has commenced plans to scale-up its initial 4-bed isolation unit to an 18-bed facility. Due to the highly infectious nature of the organism, all requests are in multiple numbers in order to ensure that cross-infection is limited as much as possible. READ ALSO: To this end, we hereby solicit for funds to achieve the following: Pipeline oxygen with at least 20 patient points with humidifier, Respiratory Ventilators, Personal Protective Equipment (Apparel), Suction machines, Nebulizers, Bacterial and viral filters, Medical consumables, Mobile X-ray machines, Oxygen concentrators, Pulse oximeters, Nurse/doctors bay. We are expectant that in the spirit of social responsibility, well-meaning Groups/associations will support the initiatives as deemed fit, the memo reads. Direct donations to hospitals Speaking to PREMIUM TIMES on the phone, the spokesperson of the hospital, Toye Akinrinlola, said the institution is trying very hard to meet its demands. He urged Nigerians to donate directly to the hospital if they are to see the impact. People look up to us to be able to provide adequate medical attention for them but unfortunately, there are little or no resources. And all of the donations people are making now are not being made directly to the hospitals. Like UCH, you will expect that people should come and assist in large numbers with some huge funds. Nobody is targeting a particular teaching hospital for donation. Whereas that is what should be done. Donate to a particular hospital and tell them what to do with the money. So that people can feel the impact. Within sub-region for example, the catchment of UCH is Nigeria, we dont belong to any geo-political zone. So it should be the concern of every Nigerian but unfortunately, no help is coming from anywhere and especially at this time when everybody is looking up to us. We are struggling very hard to really reach some of our obligations, he said. A 31-year-old man, who came in contact with a British citizen, has tested positive for coronavirus in Gautam Buddh Nagar's Dadri area, taking the total number of cases in the district to 27, officials said on Sunday. The man is a resident of Vishnoli village in Dadri, according to a statement issued by District Magistrate B N Singh. "The village has been temporarily sealed for a period of 48 hours from 1 pm on Sunday so that sanitisation work could be carried out there. No entry into or exit from the village would be allowed during this period except for emergencies," Singh stated in an order. According to officials, this is the 14thcase in the district in which the source of infection is a London-based man who had come for audit work in a private firm in Noida's Sector 135. An FIR was lodged against the firm on Saturday for hiding information about the British citizen's arrival and stay from March 14-16 on the basis of a complaint from the district's Chief Medical Officer, Anurag Bhargava. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Trend Turkey exported 10,381 tons of oil and oil products totaling $6.5 million to Georgia from January through February 2020, Trend reports referring to Georgian National Statistics Office (Geostat). On an annualized basis, Turkey increased the export of oil and oil products to Georgia by 5,055 tons. Over the same period last year, 5,326 tons of oil and oil products were imported by Georgia from Turkey for a total amount of $4 million. Turkey ranks first in Georgias commodity circulation. From January through February 2020, total imports to Georgia from Turkey amounted to $214.5 million. In turn, Georgia exported goods worth $36 million to Turkey. The foreign trade turnover of Georgia with Turkey in January 2020 exceeded $250.5 million, which is 13.5 percent of Georgia's total trade turnover. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz New Delhi: Amid the coronavirus lockdown, Bhojpuri star-turned TV actress Monalisa has listed down things she misses doing and curated throwback pictures of each on her Instagram timeline. To start with, she misses going out for swimming and hence, sharing a set of sun-kissed throwback pictures of herself, she wrote, When I Used To Go For A Swim... #waterbaby .... #throwback .... Abhi main Har Waqt Ghar Pe Hun... Aaplog bhi Rahiye Please... #lockdown #quarantine #stayhome #staysafe. Monalisa exudes oomph in the pictures as she dons a colourful swimsuit and poses for the perfect photo. Take a look: Moving on, Monalisa also misses long drives with husband Vikrant, her shoots, her make-up room and taking in-flight selfies. The Bhojpuri bombshell, meanwhile, is making the most of her time at home during the quarantine break by keeping herself busy with workout, books and household chores. She has started working out at home and her picture will motivate you to do the same. Monalisa has also been constantly spreading awareness about the coronavirus outbreak through her posts. Just recently, she urged her fans not to panic in this time of crisis and reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modis announcement of a complete lockdown of 21 days in the country to prevent the spread of coronavirus. On the work front, Monalisa is seen as the prime antagonist in the supernatural fiction show 'Nazar 2'. TDT | Manama Bahrain participated last night in Earth Hour, an international event that encourages everyone to protect the planet. People in Bahrain joined millions from around the world in observing this environmental movement, which asks households and landmarks across the globe to switch off their lights for 60 minutes. The Bahraini community took action in various governorates, with buildings of several companies, hotels, and a number of popular towers in Manama all going dark. It is believed that more than 7,000 cities in 170 countries took part last year. The Earth Hour Official page on Twitter posted last week: During these times, whilst we may not be able to get together in person, we can still symbolically stand in solidarity with millions of others across the world from the comfort of our own homes. KCPD officers save Northland nuptials after porch pirates steal wedding dress KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) - A newly-married couple is thanking the Kansas City Police Department after recovering the bride's stolen wedding dress from porch pirates. According to police, Jaycee and Patrick McIntosh moved up their wedding day to March 20 so it could take place before the citywide stay-at-home order would happen. Package thieves are going to be a worsening problem in the coming days and weeks . . . HOWEVER, here's an upbeat story in the midst of a great deal of bad news: When Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex announced they were resigning as senior working members of the British royal family, it came as a shock to everyone including the royals. The duo always looked happy and poised. Despite the tabloids and think pieces picking them apart, they never wavered. However, in October 2019, in the shocking ITV documentary, Harry and Meghan: An African Journey, it became very clear just how much the pair were struggling amid the spotlight and in an institution stepped in exclusion. Still, the Sussexes have refused to allow trolls and naysayers to deter them from a peaceful life away from The Firm. In fact, they absolutely dazzled during their press round for their final royal engagements. Inside Meghan Markle and Prince Harrys new life After living on Vancouver Island in Canada for several months, the Sussexes have officially moved to Los Angeles to set up a more permanent home. Just before the borders between Canada and the U.S. shuttered amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the pair packed themselves and their son, Archie Harrison, on a private plane bound for the duchess hometown. Harry and Meghan have left Canada now for good, an alleged source told The Sun. The borders were closing and flights were stopping. They had to get out. But this move was planned for some time. They realized Canada would not work out for various reasons and they want to be based in the Los Angeles area. They have a big support network there. Its where their new team of Hollywood agents and PRs and business managers are based. Meghan has lots of friends there and, of course, her mum Doria. Currently, they are in self-quarantine in a compound near Hollywood. The duchess is also anticipating the release of her first post-royal project, Disneynatures Elephant which will air on Disney+ April 3. Prince Harry and Meghan Markles new life wont be perfect Though they will no longer be royal, the Sussexes will still be living in a fishbowl existence. However, they will now have the chance to speak directly to their trolls. Of course they are besotted with each other, royal expert Camilla Tominey told ITV News. But thats not to say the love they have for each other and their child and their dream life in North America that theyre not going to face challenges. And that its not going to be difficult particularly for Prince Harry to leave everything that hes known. This is an institution he was born into, he knows nothing else. Prince Harry has a different perspective. Certainly being in a different position now gives us the ability to say things and do things that we might not have been able to do, he explained in a leaked phone call. I think its much better. Meghan Markle and Prince Harrys rain photo has a magical backstory Its clear that the Sussexes trust one another completely and they are doing whats best for them. Once this virus is contained, hopefully, we will get more magical moments from the pair. In early March in London, as they beamed at each other under a shared umbrella, a timeless photograph was taken. It was pouring down with rain, which can be very tricky when shooting flash photography, Samir Hussein, a longtime Getty photographer who often covers the royal family, told Vogue. [It] also meant Harry and Meghan would be under an umbrella, which usually means its hard to get clean photos of the couple. Little did I know these elements would come together so spectacularly to produce a timeless image. I knew that if that light could be lined up to be right behind as they walked, then it could create a dramatic photo, acting like a backlight in a studio shot. I managed to maneuver myself to line up the flash behind them and then had to work quickly, with just a second or two to get the shot as they smiled wonderfully at each other. Its a one in a million, when all the elements you could wish for as a photographer come togetherperfect timing, great lighting, strong symbolism, and amazing subjects. Honestly, its a photo that will go down in history. Prince Harrys chat with Disney CEO Bob Iger at the premiere of The Lion King last summer turned a lot of heads. A clip from the encounter seemingly shows Harry talking to Iger about Meghan Markle doing some voiceover work for the studio. While fans are convinced the Sussexes were planning ahead, an inside source claims that Prince Harry and Iger were just joking around. Prince Harry, Bob Iger, Meghan Markle, and Beyonce | Niklas Hallen-WPA Pool/Getty Images Meghan Markle does voiceover for Elephants In the fall of 2019, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, did some voiceover work for Disneys new movie, Elephants. Meghan had agreed to work on the project earlier that summer after meeting with directors Mark and Vanessa Berlowitz. Meghan had been following the development of the movie for months and was a huge fan of the project. Given her interest and passion for the film, the directors felt like she was the perfect fit for the narrator. "Elephant" will be hitting Disney+ just a few days after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's step back as senior members of the royal family is made official on March 31.https://t.co/qqFRq1OXEA The Week (@TheWeek) March 26, 2020 When Meghan signed a contract for the movie, she graciously agreed to donate all of her salary to the charity, Elephants Without Borders. Disney is scheduled to release the film on Disney+ on April 3. Although Meghan had agreed to work on the project early in the summer of 2019, Prince Harrys conversation with Iger sparked reports that the Sussexes were looking to land a gig with Disney in light of their plans to leave the royal family. Prince Harry talks to Disney CEO about voice work A few months ago, a clip surfaced online that showed Harry talking with Iger at the premiere of The Lion King in London. According to Hello Magazine, the video was recorded in July and appears to show Prince Harry discussing Meghans voiceover talents with the Disney CEO. You know she does voiceovers? Harry told Iger, who responded, Oh really? I did not know that. Harry went on to say that Meghan is really interested in doing voiceover work. Although the audio is not super clear, Iger seems to respond by saying, Sure, wed love to try. The video led to reports that Prince Harry was trying to land a deal with Disney because he and Meghan were planning their exit. The Sussexes will be seeking to become financially independent as part of their departure plan, which means securing additional ways to earn money. Despite the video, sources say that Harry and Iger were only joking around about Meghans future as a voiceover actress. At the time the clip was recorded, Meghan had already been in talks about narrating Elephants. How will the Duke and Duchess of Sussex make money? As part of their decision to leave the royal family, Prince Harry and Meghan will no longer be allowed to use their royal titles. They will not officially lose their HRH titles, but they cannot use them in public. This restricts some of the work the couple was planning on doing, especially in regard to their charitable foundation, Sussex Royal. But they still have plenty of ways to earn a living. Turns out the jokes on everyone else! https://t.co/44xX6SlMNa HELLO! Canada (@HelloCanada) March 27, 2020 Meghan could always fall back on her acting career, something she left behind after marrying Harry. The Duchess of Sussex has already started doing this with her Disney gig, but she could expand that even further. The couple could also launch a series of products associated with their brand, from household items to clothing. The only catch is that they cannot use their royal styles. Will Prince Harry and Meghan Markle become social media influencers? Another option is for Harry and Meghan to become influencers on social media. The two could pull in thousands of dollars for sponsored posts on Instagram. They could also use their platform to promote various business ventures or sell merchandise. Prince Harry and Meghan currently have over 10 million followers on Instagram. This is pretty impressive, though it does not come close to the most popular accounts on the platform. Kylie Jenner, for instance, has a whopping 150 million followers on Instagram and makes around $1.2 million for a sponsored post. Although this could be a legit way for Harry and Meghan to earn money, some royal experts do not believe it is appropriate for a member of the royal family. But now that the Sussexes are stepping away from the royal spotlight anything is possible. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have not commented on the rumors surrounding their future plans. Washington state governor Jay Inslee talks at a press conference about the coronavirus outbreak March 16, 2020 in Seattle, Washington. Erika Schultz-Pool/Getty Images Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on Saturday announced funerals in the state were limited to "immediate family members of the deceased," and mourners will be required to stand six or more feet apart. The move is the latest in his "Stay Home, Stay Healthy" initiative, aimed at preventing further spread of the novel coronavirus. Seattle funeral home director Char Barrett told Insider Inslee's announcement provided clarity, as his previous directions had been interpreted as an outright ban on graveside funerals. There are more than 4,000 known cases in the state and at least 188 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee on Saturday announced new restrictions on funerals in order to continue to limit the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Inslee said funeral homes and cemeteries were still permitted to hold funeral services, but the funerals were only open to "immediate family" members and those in attendance needed to be positioned at least six feet from each other in order to adhere to principles of social distancing. The embalming of deceased people was still allowed, Inslee's office said. Both the first known US case and US death from COVID-19 occurred in Washington state. According to data from Johns Hopkins University, there are 4,030 cases of COVID-19 reported in the state, and 188 deaths. The move is the latest part of Inslee's "Stay Home, Stay Healthy" initiative, which also included orders for residents to stay at home except for "essential" activities, like going to the grocery store. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends individuals keep at least six feet from each other and has recommended the cancelation of gatherings with more than 10 people. While the move specifically places restrictions on funerals, Char Barrett, the owner and funeral director at A Sacred Moment in Seattle told Insider the governor's announcement Saturday is a welcome step. His previous orders caused cemeteries to forbid graveside services, Barrett said. Story continues At Barrett's funeral home last week, one family was forced to say goodbye to their deceased relative one person at a time in the back of a van after a cemetery refused to allow an 0n-site funeral. Afterward, the body was taken to the cemetery and buried without the presence of loved ones, Barrett said. "Based on this new clarification that cemeteries and funeral homes are allowed to have immediate family say goodbye with proper social distancing, it at least opens things up a little bit. I'm very hopeful that the cemeteries are going to at least allow for grave-site services for families," Barrett, who has operated A Sacred Moment for 13 years, told Insider. Barrett said she was getting ready to call a family to make arrangements via Zoom her new normal and was excited to tell the family they were now allowed to have a small service cemetery, though Barrett added she first had to clarify with the cemetery that it received Inslee's new order. Earlier in the day, before his announcement, she told the family a graveside service wasn't possible. Funeral homes around the country have attempted to adapt to social distancing guidelines to allow people to continue to mourn the loss of friends and family without worries that they will contribute to the spread of COVID-19. Fox 26 in Houston, Texas, reported local funeral homes were resorting to live-streaming services online so that more people could log on and watch funeral services for their recently deceased loved ones. The new policies in the US come after similar decisions in China, where the disease originated. In February, the government banned funerals, burials, and other related activities involving the bodies of deceased victims of the novel coronavirus. Bodies of those who died of the virus were quickly sanitized and cremated in an effort to limit the transmission of the virus. Read the original article on Insider Here are todays leading news stories: Society -- Vietnams number of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients increased to 179 on Sunday morning after the Ministry of Health reported five new cases, four of which are linked to Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi. -- Police in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang confirmed on Saturday they were investigating the reason for the death of an 81-year-old woman at a local quarantine camp. She has tested negative for the novel coronavirus. -- Specialized units of the Vietnamese military disinfected the entire premises of Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi on Saturday evening, as 16 people have been infected with COVID-19 at the infirmary so far. -- The Peoples Committee in the central city of Da Nang has suspended all activities at public beaches in an effort to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic. -- Three people were killed after two motorbikes traveling in opposite directions crashed into each other in the south-central province of Binh Dinh on Saturday night. Business -- Vietnam ran a trade surplus of US$2.8 billion in the first quarter of this year, which is higher than the same period of last year despite the growing COVID-19 epidemic, the General Statistics Office reported on Saturday. -- National carrier Vietnam Airlines has announced that it will reduce the number of domestic routes from 35 to 8 between March 28 and April 15 in compliance with the prime ministers directive to fight the COVID-19 epidemic. Lifestyle -- Activities marking the 2020 Earth Hour were carried out online and on television from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm on Saturday to avoid the gathering of people amid the COVID-19 epidemic. World News -- The novel coronavirus has infected nearly 662,500 people and killed more than 30,800 others around the world as of Sunday morning, according to Ministry of Health statistics. More than 141,400 patients have recovered. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The controversial French professor who believes the anti-malaria drug chloroquine can help beat the coronavirus, has claimed that a new study he has conducted confirms its "efficiency" at combatting the virus. But several other scientists and critics of microbiologist Didier Raoult, who heads the infectious diseases department of La Timone hospital in Marseille, were quick to cast doubt upon his findings. They said the testing was not carried out in a controlled study and that the results were purely "observational". Dr Raoult, whose theory has been taken up by US President Donald Trump, said his new study of 80 patients showed that four out of five of those treated with the drug had "favourable" outcomes. He had earlier reported that after treating 24 patients for six days with hydroxychloroquine and the antibiotic azithromycin, the virus disappeared in all but a quarter of them. The research has not yet been peer reviewed nor formally published in a medical journal. No stranger to controversy, the colourful scientist with shoulder-length blond hair and grey beard, insists that the Chinese pulmonary expert Zhong Nanshan observed a similar pattern. Raoult's critics have pointed to problems with the protocol of his testing and worrying side effects of the drug. Fakemed, a group of scientists against fake in health, lambasted the 68-year-old professor. After Raoult released his latest findings on the internet over the weekend, Professor Francois Balloux of University College, London, tried to dampen talk that the drug could be a silver bullet. "No, (this is) not 'huge' I'm afraid," he said on Twitter. "This is an observational study (i.e. not controlled) following 80 patients with fairly mild symptoms. The majority of patients recover form #COVID19 infection, with or without #Hchloroquine and #Azithromycin treatment." Statistician Tim Morris of the university's clinical trials unit was even more scathing. "If hydroxychloroquine turns out to be useful," he tweeted, "it's a shame that this group will be praised as heroes and prophets instead of held to account for the misinformation and self-promotion they've been churning out at a critical time." Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, which is often sold as Plaquenil, have been hailed as a potential "gamechangers" by Trump, but US government experts are as yet unconvinced, with Dr Anthony Fauci, the head of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, calling the results so far "anecdotal". At least one person has already died in the US after self-medicating with a non-pharmaceutical version of the drug used for cleaning fish tanks. Fears have also being raised that stockpiling of the drug will deprive people who are already being treated with it for malaria, lupus and certain types of arthritis. Dr Philippe Gautret, who was part of the team behind Raoult's latest findings, admitted that they only used the combination of drugs on "patients who had not been showing signs of being seriously ill after admission" to the hospital. "Our strategy was precisely to treat them at that stage to stop the disease getting to a more serious stage," he told AFP. "A doctor can and must think like a doctor and not like a methodological researcher," Raoult wrote in an article for the French Le Monde daily, defending his methods. According to his latest study, 65 of the 80 patients treated improved and were discharged from hospital in an average of less than five days. One patient aged 74 was still in intensive care and another aged 86 died. But his critics say such results were fairly typical of the virus. Two Chinese studies have shown that "10 days after the start of symptoms, 90 percent of people who have a moderate form (of the disease) have a controlled viral load," epidemiologist Dominique Costagliola, of the French health research institute Inserm, told AFP. The fact that they got these results using hydroxychloroquine "does not make the case for its effect," she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hilal Computers, a leading IT Company in Bahrain, has taken proactive steps to protect its employees and customers health and well-being in the midst of COVID-19 pandemic. Our Number 1 priority is the health and well-being of our employees. However, we understand that we also have a duty to our customers to ensure minimal business interruptions during these difficult times, says Roshan George, Commercial Director of Hilal Computers. Our business will remain operational in line with the Kingdom of Bahrains regulations. We will be implementing business distancing where possible in any face-to-face interaction with our customers and business partners, as well as implementing secure remote working and work-from-home environments where possible. This will ensure ongoing support reflecting the agile nature of customers businesses and cater to the dynamic needs of employees, customers, and partners, he says. Hilal Computers definition of Business Distancing is ensuring a respectful distance in all business face-to-face meetings, explains George. Hilals management approach will be replicated by its associate and partner teams across the region, including Hilal Computers Technical for Trade (KSA), Northstar Computers (UAE) and Northstar Technology (Bahrain and Oman). Our staff will be provided with practical tools (hand sanitizer and face masks), skillsets, knowledge and training to follow the directives of the Ministry of Health and WHO in preventing the spread of the corona virus, says George. Hilal Computers has always focused on helping our partners and customers maximise performance and visibility for networks and applications. Our Business Distancing and our strategy for working during the corona virus pandemic underlines our commitment to guarantee our customers will have no interruption in support or product service. We are ensuring key people and processes are planned to provide customers 24/7 care and that systems are 100% operational, concludes George. Hilal Computers offers a consulting-led integrated portfolio of IT and IT-enabled services. -TradeArabia News Service Scammers are out there and trying to seize on fear as several schemes to swindle people from their money and stimulus checks continue to increase as the country is gripped by the coronavirus pandemic. Law enforcement and agencies across the United States are warning people about a variety of scams as the Better Business Bureau reports a rise in the activity. There are also reports of phony websites promising medical supplies that are in great demand. We wish that we could declare the scammers as non-essential so this type of stuff would stop, the Auburn Police Department said on Twitter. Just be aware that they are still hard at work trying to separate you and your hard-earned money. Dont fall for it! The Better Business Bureau has reported 2,350 scams across the country for the month of March. Nearly 300 of those reported scams involve COVID-19-related topics or people posing as government agencies. In Massachusetts, there are reports of people receiving links to websites in order to buy coronavirus testing kits, protective masks and other sought-after personal protective equipment. The websites, of course, are bogus. The FBI also reported a rise in fraud schemes related to COVID-19. There are fake emails from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, phishing emails and offers of counterfeit treatment for the virus. President Donald Trump, on Friday, signed the $2 trillion COVID-19 relief package into law that frees up cash and loans for Americans and small business owners. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act gives people money during the pandemic. All single taxpayers earning up to $75,000 will receive $1,200. For each qualifying child, a single taxpayer will receive $500. Employed, unemployed and self-employed taxpayers can qualify, so long as you filed your taxes in 2018 or 2019. Married taxpayers filing jointly and earning up to $150,000 will receive $2,400, with qualifying children adding $500 each to the total. Scammers wasted no time in taking advantage of this news, the Better Business Bureau said. The Internal Revenue Service will deposit checks into bank accounts provided on previous tax returns or send a paper check. The money could be issued by early April. Authorities said there are several scams where people are being asked for personal information, bank account numbers and more. People are also being warned about fake checks being sent out now. Warning! They've started the phony IRS calls wanting your bank account # to deposit your $1200.00. Don't fall for it, the Peabody Police Department said on Facebook Sunday. According to the Better Business Bureau, people are getting phone calls, emails, text-messages and are seeing posts on social media claiming there are special COVID-19 government grants out there. Websites offering the phony grants look official but ask people for personal information. Scammers are also targeting seniors with promises of helping them to pay for medical bills through a special grant. In other versions, scammers claim that you can get additional money up to $150K in one case or even receive your funds immediately, the Better Business Bureau said. People, of course, are asked for personal information and to pay a processing fee. U.S Attorney of Massachusetts Andrew Lelling issued a warning about the scams and promised to prosecute those involved in the illegal activity. The number of positive coronavirus cases in Massachusetts rose to 4,257 on Saturday, up 1,017 from Friday. There have been 44 deaths in Massachusetts as of Saturday. The Federal Trade Commission offered these tips: Hang up on robocalls. Dont press any numbers. Scammers are using robocalls to pitch coronavirus treatments. Ignore online offers for vaccinations and home test kits. Scammers are trying to get people to buy products that arent proven to treat or prevent COVID-19. Know who you are buying from. Some online sellers may claim to have in-demand products when they do not. Do not respond to text and emails about checks from the government. Anyone who tells you they can get you the money now is a scammer. Do not click on links you dont know. The site could introduce viruses onto your computer. Watch for emails claiming to be from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or experts saying they have information about the virus. Information should be checked on the official CDC or World Health Organization websites. Do your homework while donating . Dont let people rush you into making a donation and if someone asks for donations in cash, by gift card, or by wiring money, dont do it. Related Content: Duane Dog Chapman has found love again. Nearly a year after the death of his wife Beth Chapman, the 67-year-old reality TV star is dating a Colorado woman named Francie Frane, his daughter Lyssa Chapman told The Sun. Dog the Bounty Hunter is so happy with his new girlfriend Duane Chapman aka Dog the Bounty Hunter | Bennett Raglin/Getty Images Lyssa spoke to the tabloid about her fathers new romance, saying that he and Frane, a 51-year-old rancher, had been dating for a couple of months. The relationship began when Dog called her house because he wanted her husband Bob to do some yard work at his Colorado home. Thats when he learned that Bob had recently passed away. The two began talking and bonded over the loss of their spouses. They are both so happy together and they are good for each other, Lyssa said, explaining that theyve been helping each other as they each deal with the loss of a beloved partner. They are both lost their spouses to cancer so they know what its like to go through that and they are helping each other through it, Lyssa said. But at the same time they are being very respectful of each others grieving process and theyre not trying to replace each others partner. Dogs daughter approves of his new relationship Love is in the air https://t.co/FMMpeiYhoT Lyssa Chapman (@BabyLyssaC) March 22, 2020 In her comments to the Sun, Lyssa sounded thrilled that her father had found some peace after Beths death. Since his wife died in June 2019, the Dogs Most Wanted star has spoken about feeling so lonely without his partner of more than a decade. Hes the happiest Ive seen him in a long time hes so in love and wants to spend the rest of his life with Francie, Lyssa said. Beth would approve I honestly believe that Beth sent Francie for my dad I feel like Beth and Bob are up there watching down over them, she added when speaking of how she thought her stepmother would react to Dogs new relationship. Dog was rumored to be dating Moon Angell The news of Dogs relationship with Frane comes not long after he was rumored to be dating friend Moon Angell. The bounty hunters social media suggested he was spending a lot of time with the familys long-time assistant. But his daughter Lyssa didnt have a very positive reaction to that relationship. If someone who met your family by dating your brother, tried to date your father after your stepmom died what would you do? she tweeted in early January. When a person who has ill intentions, that my mother specifically warned me about before her passing tries to enter, the war is on, she added. Dog denied he was in a relationship with Angell. He said they two were just friends and that she was supporting him as he coped with the death of his wife. He even went so far as to propose to Angell during an appearance on The Dr. Oz Show in February, with the goal of quashing rumors of a romance. I think this will put a stop to a lot of this, he said before asking her to marry him. What? No. Were friends, Duane. I love you as a friend, Angell replied. I cant marry you, she added. Right at this very moment, I dont see you as that. I love you and Beth as my friends. It is needless to mention that COVID-19 has, by now, become a global calamity that has engulfed in its destructive logic many countries, including India. Given the highly infectious nature of the disease, the unruly nature of the virus is likely to create a shocking degree of devastating impact that may endanger the life of many. Hence, the governments, both at the centre as well as in the states, in order to quarantine people within their houses have been using both moral appeals and also have clamped prohibitory orders. Thus, governments are trying to reach out to the people with both moral appeals as well as punitive measures that have been adopted by police forces against the transgressors in many parts of the country. In the event of repeated transgressions by tormented sections of people, some state authorities have gone to the extent of suggesting extremely repressive measures, such as shoot at sight. However, there seem to be two sides to the governments line of reasoning that has been used to lend support to its action, both its appeals and prohibitory orders and the resultant punitive actions particularly by the police. First, the governments do have a sound universal reason to suggest that staying indoors does guarantee people protection from the menace COVID-19. The governments line of reasoning that people who stay inside their houses are likely to remain safe is understandable. Second, the governments assume that people have adequate stocks of essentials and hence have no reason to cross the Laxman Rekha or the thresholds of their houses. According to the logic of the official reasoning, those who are stepping out from their houses, therefore, lack adequate reason and hence are liable to be put back into their houses by the use of punitive power. Samsung and LG are reportedly already feeling the heat of the coronavirus. Thats hardly surprising, as COVID-19 has engulfed the entire world. According to a South Korean outlet, Samsung and LG will lower the pay rise for employees in 2020. The decision has supposedly been made because of the effects coronavirus is expected to have on the global economy. After all, nearly a third of the world is in lockdown right now. Experts believe that the economy will go into recession because of the pandemic. Advertisement It is worth noting that Samsung and LG are one of the biggest South Korean companies. And if they are expecting their finances to take a hit, smaller companies will probably be affected even more. The report claims that Samsung has decided on a 2.5 percent raise in base salary. However, this percentage isnt set in stone and it will vary according to the performance evaluation of the individuals. In 2018 and 2019, Samsung increased the pay of its employees by 3.5 percent. Advertisement As for LG, the company has apparently agreed on a 3.8 percent pay increase. Last year, the rate was 4.3 percent. Samsung & LG are far from the only companies being impacted The silver lining here is that at least these companies are still going to give a pay raise to employees. Looking at how things are at the moment, we are probably headed into difficult times. According to the research firm Strategy Analytics, smartphone sales dropped 38 percent year-on-year in February. The company believes that the coronavirus is largely to be blamed for the slump in shipments. Advertisement The analytics firm further adds that we are looking at both supply-side constraints and a decrease in demand. Because of the pandemic, operations were halted in some Asian factories. On the other hand, consumers were unable or unwilling to go to retail outlets to purchase new devices. Previously, both Samsung and LG had halted operations at their facilities in India after a request from the government. Prior to that, Samsung had also suspended production in Gumi, South Korea after some of the workers tested positive for COVID-19. LG has also shut down a research center and a factory in South Korea after it emerged that some employees contracted the coronavirus. Advertisement Apparently, sales of the Galaxy S20 are 60 percent of the Galaxy S10s shipments during the same period. This again has been chalked down to the outbreak. But then again, the high prices of the new phones can also be blamed for lackluster sales. During the annual shareholders meeting, Samsungs co-CEO HS Kim said that while the coronavirus has already started to slow down South Korea, its effects on other regions are just starting to show. Samsung has also asked employees to work from home where possible. Other tech companies are also encouraging staff to work remotely. Advertisement Tough times loom ahead In the US and other parts of the globe, Apple, T-Mobile, Verizon, and Sprint stores have been shut down. This is part of an effort to contain the virus. The smartphone industry had great hopes from 2020. This was going to be a turnaround year, after several quarters of slowdown. However, with people now scrambling to survive, smartphones are probably not a top priority for most consumers. Mohammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, secretary-general of the Muslim World League, considers interfaith partnerships a religious and moral duty, a commitment that has only deepened as a result of the novel coronavirus pandemic. The need for interfaith partnership will continue beyond this crisis, Issa wrote in an exclusive email interview with Al-Monitor. And that is why we continue to work hard to build more bridges of understanding and cooperation, and to remove the artificial fences created by detachment from each other, and exacerbated by the lack of substantive dialogue in the past. Issa, who is Saudi and based in Mecca, has been a leader and champion of interfaith dialogue. In January, he headed the most senior Islamic delegation to visit Auschwitz to participate in the 75th anniversary of the death camps liberation. In 2017, he met with Pope Francis and forged the first cooperative agreement between the Muslim World League and the Vatican. Throughout this global health crisis, we in the Muslim World League have provided significant humanitarian assistance to Muslim and non-Muslim countries, Issa said. So we try to lead by example, and show that we are all in this together, and we should be extending the bridges of support and assistance to all in need. Issa, who also heads the Intellectual Warfare Center, which is affiliated with the Saudi Defense Ministry to combat extremism and terrorism, has been praised by the State Department and world leaders for his message of moderate Islam. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Issa and the Muslim World League have kept the focus on spreading awareness of moderate Islam, as well as the importance of following health guidelines designed to maintain public safety. He said that suspending umrah [pilgrimage to Mecca] was a difficult decision but that Muslims in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere have understood this decision and overwhelmingly backed it, adding that Muslim community leaders and worshippers worldwide understand the imperative to protect human life. Asked about how Iran has managed the pandemic, Issa responded, It pains my heart to see Muslims or non-Muslims anywhere suffer because of the irresponsible behavior of their government. He added, I think Iranian authorities approached this issue too lightly in the beginning. I think Iranian authorities erred in believing that somehow the sanctity of a place would protect people from disease. The consequences have been disastrous. Returning to his interfaith engagement during the pandemic, Issa said, Some of our collective plans are still in development. But what I can say is I am working every day with my fellow religious leaders on how to unite our efforts for the common good of all. This action represents our religious and moral duty, and none of us are resting at this time of so much need. A lightly edited transcript of the email interview, conducted by Andrew Parasiliti, follows. The answers were translated from the Arabic. Al-Monitor: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has suspended the umrah, the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. The kingdom is custodian of the most holy places in Islam, and the pilgrimage means a great deal to many Muslims around the world. Was this a difficult decision, and has there been any resistance to doing so, in the kingdom or elsewhere? Issa: Yes, suspending umrah was a difficult decision. But it would have been more difficult not to issue this "interim" suspension. Saudi Arabia, like the rest of the world, has been dealing with a critical situation and a painful emergency. And its primary focus was on saving lives, both in Saudi Arabia and overseas, because hundreds of thousands of pilgrims would risk infection and then return home to their countries and communities. As a result, there really was no choice but to issue the suspension. However, it is important to note this "temporary" decision is fully supported by the provisions of Islamic Sharia. In Islam, human life comes first. And in this sense, Muslims in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere have understood this decision and overwhelmingly backed it. The Muslim World League has received hundreds of messages of support from muftis, senior Islamic scholars and governments with significant Muslim minorities. They realize the necessity of the decision and the imperative to protect human life. In fact, some of these messages expressed it exactly the same way as we see it as a religious duty to protect lives. Al-Monitor: We read this week that authorities have closed the secondary doors of the Grand Mosque, but are keeping the main doors open. Could you explain what will be the impact of this decision? Are individuals or small groups still allowed to pray? Issa: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is keen to preserve the places of worship, especially the Sacred Mosque in Mecca and the Prophets Mosque in Medina, free of this virus. These two holy mosques constitute the largest congregation point for Muslims in the world. They are held in the hearts of Muslims with the highest sanctity. Hajj and umrah pilgrims visit both sites as part of their spiritual journeys, and this creates a natural close contact among millions of people. We view the temporary closures as a necessary and sensible precautionary measure. But at the same time, the Sacred Mosque in Mecca and the Prophets Mosque in Medina still perform prayers in front of a reduced number of worshippers. These prayers occur with extensive health controls to prevent any unsafe congregation or convergence among people. As always, human life comes first. Al-Monitor: We understand it is early, but what lessons can be learned so far about how to mitigate public health concerns during umrah in the future? The kingdom hosts up to 8 million pilgrims each year for hajj; this itself is a massive security, infrastructure and public health challenge even without coronavirus. Have there been similar experiences during past umrahs that have informed your thinking? Issa: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has developed high-level competence for dealing with crowds, and especially as it pertains to protecting them from epidemic diseases. Saudi Arabia has extensive health capabilities, and no one should be worried about this at all. Saudi Arabia will keep close tabs on changing conditions, and make adjustments in its regulations at the appropriate time. One thing is certain. I am not concerned, and no Muslim should be concerned, about the issue of health safety at the Sacred Mosque in Mecca and the Prophets Mosque in Medina. Everyone will be safe. Al-Monitor: What is your contact and engagement with the authorities at Muslim religious institutions worldwide, including Al-Aqsa [Mosque in Jerusalem]? What is the nature of those discussions and counsel during this crisis? Issa: My consultation and engagement with them focuses on coordinating efforts to spread awareness of moderate Islam. And in this environment, that encompasses the need for the public to understand how important it is that we follow health guidelines designed to maintain public safety. This is after all a duty dictated by religion to everyone. My consultations and engagements also encompass the duty to help others to the best of our abilities and as much as is allowed by the national authorities of each country. We want Muslims and all other citizens to be aiding one another in this time of common challenge, without discrimination for religion or race, or gender or ethnicity. Throughout this global health crisis, we in the Muslim World League have provided significant humanitarian assistance to Muslim and non-Muslim countries. So we try to lead by example, and show that we are all in this together, and we should be extending the bridges of support and assistance to all in need. Al-Monitor: How do you consider Irans handling of the coronavirus crisis, and what does it say about the governments claim to moral or religious authorities among Shiite Muslims? Issa: Firstly, it pains my heart to see Muslims or non-Muslims anywhere suffer because of the irresponsible behavior of their government. I think Iranian authorities approached this issue too lightly in the beginning. Religious gatherings occurred in different places in Iran, contributing to the spread of the virus, and that is not the best way to deal with such a serious pandemic. I think Iranian authorities erred in believing that somehow the sanctity of a place would protect people from disease. The consequences have been disastrous. But this does not represent the way all Shiites around the world are looking at coronavirus. Most are approaching this crisis with a great deal of awareness and do not believe in such ideas. And, of course, there is always a minority that maintains misconceptions about the virus, and do some Sunnis. When myth takes hold of everyone, everyone is in danger. No cure is available except through a proper awareness of the truth of religion, the enlightened religion. And this religious truth reaffirms sound decision-making to protect public health. Al-Monitor: You are internationally recognized as a leader in interfaith dialogue meeting with Pope Francis, being the most senior Islamic leader to visit Auschwitz, and your extensive engagement with Jewish communities worldwide. Do you see an opportunity for interfaith dialogue in the COVID-19 crisis? What more can religious leaders of all faiths be doing? Issa: Even in this crisis, the Muslim World League continues its extensive dialogue with people of different faiths and nations. Although we have to communicate remotely, I am in constant contact with religious leaders around the world and discussing many important issues with them. The need for interfaith partnership will continue beyond this crisis, and that is why we continue to work hard to build more bridges of understanding and cooperation, and to remove the artificial fences created by detachment from each other, and exacerbated by the lack of substantive dialogue in the past. So in some ways, during this period of social distancing, reaffirming our intellectual and spiritual proximity is more important than ever before. We stress the importance of dialogue overcoming its traditional approach so that it yields more effective and tangible results. We do not need more words; we need more action. And so our interfaith discussions are focused on producing real partnerships with real and tangible benefits for humanity. As for the coronavirus pandemic, some of our collective plans are still in development. But what I can say is I am working every day with my fellow religious leaders on how to unite our efforts for the common good of all. This action represents our religious and moral duty, and none of us are resting at this time of so much need. Al-Monitor: And further to that, do you see an opportunity for any progress or breakthrough in the Israeli-Palestinian issue? Can interfaith dialogue play a role? Issa: There is no doubt that religious leaders must contribute and have a central role to support a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian-Israeli issue. Frankly, this religious dimension has been missing from previous peace efforts. I am not the only one who recognizes this fact. Mr. Dennis Ross, the longtime Middle East peace negotiator from the United States, also speaks about how important this element is because religion has played such a significant role among all parties to the conflict. It is therefore very important that religious leaders be at the front line to support a just and comprehensive solution to this issue. It should not be an auxiliary dialogue. Religious leaders should be right alongside the political leaders in pushing for this peace, and in ensuring it is just and comprehensive. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday appealed to migrant workers not to leave for their native places during the 21-day nationwide lockdown in the interest of the country. Taking to Twitter, he asked the migrant workers to stay wherever they were as the risk of the coronavirus spreading increases due to large gatherings. Thousands of migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand have started walking back to their homes due to the lockdown. In his tweets in Hindi, Kejriwal said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also appealed to people to stay wherever they are. "I assure you that the Delhi government has made sufficient arrangements for your food and accommodation. "For now, do not go to your villages in the country's interest," the chief minister wrote on Twitter. So far, 49 coronavirus cases have been reported in the national capital. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) All the 17 samples, including the six who came in direct contact of the three Covid-19 patients in Himachal Pradesh, those were tested on Sunday came out negative, state health authorities said. Till date, the health authorities have tested 196 samples in the state, of which, 193 were negative and only three positive. All the three positive cases, including one casualty, were reported from the most populous district Kangra. It is worth mentioning that a resident of Kangra, who was among the first two Covid-19 patients in the state, has now been tested negative in the second report and will soon be discharged from the hospital. The 32-year-old man was tested positive for Covid-19 on March 20, a day after he returned from Singapore. A US-returned Tibetan man had died of coronavirus infection on March 23. Now there is only one active Covid-19 case in the state, a Dubai-returned 63-year-old woman from Shahpur town of Kangra who is under treatment at Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College (RPGMC), Tanda. A resident of Kangra, who was among the first two Covid-19 patients in the state, has now been tested negative in the second report and will soon be discharged from the hospital, said RD Dhiman, additional chief secretary (health) on Saturday. Kangra district is most vulnerable where maximum 802 people have returned from abroad and 9,800 from other states. LANDLORDS TOLD NOT TO CHARGE RENT Meanwhile, Kangra district administration has appealed to the landlords not to charge rent from their tenants till the normalcy returns as it may trigger migration. I appeal to all the landlords not to charge rent from the labourers during this lockdown period. We need them, said deputy commissioner Rakesh Kumar Prajapati. He also appealed to the landlords to arrange food and other essential items if they have migrant labourers as their tenants. Help us serve the cause during this hour of distress, he said. Meanwhile, Kangra senior superintendent of police (SSP) Vimukt Ranjan said that no person is allowed to enter territorial limits of the district and if anyone does so, he will be quarantined for 28 days at the facilities available at the borders. MAN BOOKED FOR JUMPING QUARANTINE The Palampur police on Sunday booked a man who jumped home quarantine. Accused Suvigya Sharma had returned from Phagwara in Punjab and was told to remain in home isolation. He, however, was found roaming in the town on his scooter. He has been booked under Sections 188, 270 of the Indian Penal Code, Section 51 of Disaster Management Act and Section 6 of HP Epidemic Regulations (Amendment) Act. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Next batch of medical masks, protective suits and other anti-epidemic agents is expected in Boryspil international airport Open source Another aircraft, which is supposed to bring medical cargo to Ukraine is preparing for departure in China. It carries masks, protective suits and other anti-epidemic agents, as Embassy of Ukraine in China reports on Facebook. "Now at the international airport of Xiamen (Fujian Province), the plane of SCAT Boeing 767-300 is being loaded with the next batch of medical masks, protective suits and other anti-epidemic agents for Ukraine," the statement said. As we reported, the worldwide number of Covid-19-infected exceeded 600,000 people. The largest number of infected is in the USA, Italy and China. In the USA at the moment, there are 104 837 confirmed cases, in Italy - 86 498 cases, in China - 81 948 cases. According to the latest data, 27,889 people died from coronavirus. Also, on the night of March 27-28, at 00:00, Ukraine completely closed the state border and blocked all passenger traffic. According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, diplomatic missions abroad will take care of those who have not been able to return in the last two days. Corona crisis: When curfews toll the knell View(s): Pre-revolution France is noted for an infamous saying attributed to its last Queen, Marie Antoinette. Who was around to record it or actually heard the words nobody really knows. If the irascible President Trump had a say in it he would he would call it fake news and blame some quizzical journalist for creating this saying. There was no Rajan Ramanayake around to put the words-genuine or concocted- into play back mode. Had there been a French Ramanayake in those 18th century days, why we might still be enjoying many sayings and doings in an ostentatious French Royal Palace or among the courtiers. But then beggars cannot be choosers as they say. Still one might remember that many who thought they were invincible, were born to rule and the lesser people their slaves, lost their heads. Actually many had lost their heads several years earlier as they enjoyed their cheeses and champagnes which is not a bad way to spend your time with nothing on their hands and less in their minds. After all what have rulers to do except rule over others and sing kapalla-beepalla, jolly karapalla while driving the innocent to their bitter end. I doubt the French were in quite a singing mood as tumbrils rolled towards the guillotines working overtime. Marie Antoinette lost her head because she was too haughty and never really understood the sufferings of the Parisian citizenry. When told that the people had no bread, she told them to eat cake. That would have been fine, no doubt, if there was cake and the populace had the wherewithal to patronize the nearby patisserie. Whether it was her haughtiness or her sheer ignorance of the dire lives of the common people, the consequences were the same. But why go back to the days of the French Revolution when many people are today undergoing hardships having fallen victim to the pledges of prospective rulers who promised the great and the good but can hardly provide parippu. Okay, okay Britain is not a nation of parippu eaters. But today you have to scour the country and send Long Range Reconaissance Patrols deep into Indian territory like Wembley, Southall or Tooting or the curry houses in Brick Lane now known as Banglatown, to track down a couple of kilos of this all so popular lentil. Who really cares for the sufferings of the poor, especially the daily wage earners, as long as those who wield power and to whom power is delegated and their Colombo glitterati not only have the cakes but eat them too. At least it might be argued that Marie Antoinette had little or no knowledge of the life of the common people. After all, she did not need their vote unlike present-day leaders in many places who assiduously seek it to come to power and then kick the ladder they used to get to the top. The coronavirus or Covid-19 has exposed the weaknesses, failings, frailties and selfishness of many who are in the seats of power and those who have been deposited in lesser seats in many countries Covid-19 has struck. Before I sat down to write this I had seen many images in various news outlets, social media and others sent to me of street scenes during a break in the curfew in Sri Lanka. I had also seen on international television scenes in other countries as the common people often without basic amenities tried to deal with life under terrible and worsening conditions brought on by Corona and the reactions of rulers to this new deadly menace. Naturally I was more concerned with the reactions of normal people to conditions in Sri Lanka as the government tried to grapple with this unexpected and vicious virus that has seemingly taken over the country or parts of it. The images of the Sri Lankan scene showed both chaos and orderliness. The comments that followed the erratic thinking in government circles which made even that short break after a 60-hour curfew appear so much ad hocery. Who are the wunder kinder, as the Germans might say, who made a mess of the curfew- free hours, first announcing an eight-hour break, then reducing it to six then announcing a return to the status quo? Here were people, many without stocks of food at home to live through those 60 hours were waiting for this curfew break to grab whatever they could to add something to fast emptying larders not knowing when they would have next opportunity before some master mind came up with more bright ideas. I heard that many of them had planned ahead which store they would go to, what time they would leave home and how they would do so. All this was based on the assumption that there would be an 8-hour break as previously announced. Much pre-planning went awry when the break was cut by two-hours which was crunch time for a people in search of food, fuel, gas and what else were needed. Then apparently it became a problem of how many to deploy, a platoon or a battalion, so to say. All that was useless, of course, as wending queues stretched a kilometre or more at some points as they stood patiently moving inch- by- inch to fast emptying perishables in supermarkets, as one writer said. Elsewhere in municipal markets and street-side shops people struggled and even engaged in some pushing and shoving as time ran out but they stood hoping against hope that they would not be chased away for violating the curfew. There were pictures of winding queues even outside pharmacies. It seems nobody thought that citizens of an ageing population would not have to buy most of their medicines which a free medical system does not or cannot always provide. Now did not those wunder kinder realise that there are patients who need drugs for their survival. If not, at least they should they read or listen to what affected people have to say. This is not the time to play a modern-day Marie Antoinette and then don the mantle of a Florence Nightingale. (Neville de Silva is a veteran Sri Lankan journalist who was Assistant Editor, Diplomatic Editor and Political Columnist of the Hong Kong Standard before moving to London where he joined Gemini News Service. Later he was Sri Lankas Deputy-in-Chief in Bangkok and Deputy High Commissioner in London. ) By Trend S&P Global Ratings, one of top three international credit rating agencies has issued a report reflecting Azerbaijan's financial stability, Trend reports referring to Azerbaijan's Ministry of Finance. The report shows that the international credit rating of Azerbaijan remained stable at "BB +" level. "Due to the sharp drop in oil prices on world markets, S&P Global Ratings decided to conduct an extraordinary assessment of the ratings of oil exporting countries. This assessment was also carried out for Azerbaijan," the ministry said. In a report published by the agency, the reaffirmation of Azerbaijans international credit rating and rating outlook was justified by the fact that the country has significant foreign exchange reserves, a strong fiscal position (assets), and a low level of external debt. Standard and Poors agency traditionally carries out an assessment of Azerbaijans credit rating twice a year, in January and July, and the latest assessment was carried out on January 25 of this year and published by the agency. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz T he UK could remain in total lockdown until June if the worst effects of the coronavirus outbreak are to be prevented, a leading expert has warned. The death toll in the UK rose to more than 1,000 on Saturday, with over 17,000 infections now confirmed. Professor Neil Ferguson, director of the Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis at Imperial College, London, said the entire population could need to stay home for three months. He told the Sunday Times: We are going to have to keep these measures in place, in my view, for a significant period of time - probably until the end of May, maybe even early June. May is optimistic." Coronavirus in numbers: UK deaths pass 1,000 Experts have suggested that the death toll in Britain could be cut from 260,000 to 5,700 as a result of lockdown measures. In other key developments: Boris Johnson is writing to every household in the UK to urge the public to obey the lockdown and stay home during the coronavirus national emergency. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have lent their support to a Public Health England initiative to boost the nations mental health during the coronavirus pandemic. Former health secretary Jeremy Hunt has said mass testing is the fastest way to end the coronavirus lockdown. US President Donald Trump considered then abandoned ordering a quarantine for the coronavirus hotspots of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Coronavirus-stricken cruise ship MS Zaandam, which was stranded off the coast of Panama with over 200 British nationals on board, will be allowed to continue its journey through the Panama Canal. The Prime Minister, who is self-isolating after testing positive for Covid-19, warns in his letter things will get worse before they get better as he stresses the need to stay indoors to support the NHS by slowing the spread. Before and during Coronavirus lockdown - In pictures 1 /44 Before and during Coronavirus lockdown - In pictures AP Buckingham Palace AP Piccadilly Line tube AP Big Ben AP Millennium bridge AP Wembley Stadium AP St Pancras International train station AP Downing Street AP Victoria Station AP Regent Street AP The Mall leading to Buckingham Palace AP London's National Gallery in Trafalgar Square PA Edinburgh's Royal Mile PA Barry Island, South Wales PA Bath PA Bath PA London's Waterloo station PA London Bridge PA London's Canary Wharf Jubilee Line platform PA London's Canary Wharf Station PA London's Buckingham Palace PA London's Tower Bridge PA London's Leicester Square PA London's Millennium Bridge with St Paul's Cathedral PA London's Criterion Theatre PA London's Palace Theatre PA London's Phoenix Theatre PA London's Canary Wharf Station PA Bournemouth beach PA Bath PA Bath PA Barry Island, South Wales PA Bournemouth beach PA At an anticipated cost of 5.8 million, the letters will land on 30 million doorsteps along with a leaflet spelling out the Governments advice following much public confusion. They are the latest in a public information campaign from No 10 to convince people to stay at home, wash their hands and shield the most vulnerable from the disease. We know things will get worse before they get better, the PMs letter reads. Boris Johnson confirms positive coronavirus test But we are making the right preparations, and the more we all follow the rules, the fewer lives will be lost and the sooner life can return to normal. It has been truly inspirational to see our doctors, nurses and other carers rise magnificently to the needs of the hour. Thousands of retired doctors and nurses are returning to the NHS and hundreds of thousands of citizens are volunteering to help the most vulnerable. Coronavirus - In pictures 1 /106 Coronavirus - In pictures A sign advertising a book titled "How Will We Survive On Earth?" is seen on an underground station platform Getty Images Customers wearing face masks shop at the pork counter of a supermarket following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in Wuhan, Hubei province Reuters Westminster Bridge is deserted in London the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the UK in lockdown PA Canadian passengers Chris & Anna Joiner ask for help onboard the MS Zaandam, Holland America Line cruise ship, during the coronavirus outbreak, off the shores of Panama City via Reuters A man crosses a nearly empty 5th Avenue in midtown Manhattan during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in New York City Reuters The London Eye is pictured lit blue in support of the NHS, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters Boris Johnson addresses the nation on the Coronavirus lockdown Andrew Parsons Commuters cope with Coronavirus Jeremy Selwyn Milan's Piazza del Duomo empty AFP via Getty Images People in protective clothing walk past rows of beds at a temporary 2,000-bed hospital for COVID-19 coronavirus patients set up by the Iranian army at the international exhibition center in northern Tehran, Iran AP Martina Papponetti, 25, an ICU nurse at the Humanitas Gavazzeni Hospital in Bergamo, Italy poses for a portrait at the end of her shift AP Pope Francis celebrating a daily mass alone in the Santa Marta chapel at the Vatican, as part of precautionary measures against the spread of the new coronavirus COVID-19 AFP via Getty Imag Vysheyshaya Liga - FC Torpedo-BelAZ Zhodino v FC Belshina Bobruisk - Torpedo Stadium, Zhodino, Belarus, March 27, 2020 Players in action during the match despite most sport being cancelled around the world as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters Hanks and Wilson both have coronavirus Tom Hanks General view of an emergency makeshift field hospital as it is set up at Pacaembu Stadium for coronavirus (COVID-19) patients with a capacity of 200 beds in Sao Paulo, Brazil Getty Images People on a busy tube train in London at rush hour despite Prime Minister Boris Johnson calling on people to stay away from pubs, clubs and theatres, work from home if possible and avoid all non-essential contacts and travel in order to reduce the impact of the coronavirus pandemic PA Naomi Campbell catches a flight in a hazmat suit with goggles, a surgical mask and rubber gloves @naomi Sophie and Emily Ward pose for a photograph with their hand-drawn picture of rainbows and a message on their window in St Helens, as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters Mia, aged 8, and Jack, aged 5, take part in "PE with Joe" a daily live workout with Joe Wicks on Youtube to help kids stay fit who have to stay indoors due to the Corona virus outbreak. PA Shoppers queue outside a branch of Costco, in Croydon, south London, on the weekend after Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered pubs and restaurants across the country to close PA Charing Cross Tube Bakerloo Line very quiet at 8.15am Jeremy Selwyn A woman with a plastic box over her head on the London Underground. PA A Racegoer attend Cheltenham Festival on Ladies Day wearing a fashionable face mask SplashNews.com Prime Minister Boris Johnson visits a laboratory at the Public Health England National Infection Service in Colindale PA A man who appears to be homeless sleeping wearing a mask today in Victoria Jeremy Selwyn A couple kiss in Milano Centrale railway station in Milan on March 8, 2020 AFP via Getty Images A combination picture shows visitors wearing protective face masks following an outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) looking at blooming cherry blossom nd a pigeon walking at an closed cherry blossom viewing spot during the first weekend after Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike (not pictured) urged Tokyo residents to stay indoors, in a bid to keep the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) from spreading Reuters This combination photo created on March 5, 2020 shows tourists visiting Angkor Wat temple in Siem Reap province on March 16, 2019 (top) and on March 5, 2020 AFP via Getty Images Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump looks at the $2.2 trillion coronavirus aid package bill as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Vice President Mike Pence stand by during a signing ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House Reuters A satellite image shows an empty South Beach during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Miami, via Reuters General view inside the empty stadium as the two teams line up prior to the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg match between Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund at Parc des Princes UEFA via Getty Images A Sainsbury's supermarket in Cambridge is among those to sell out of antibacterial hand sanitizer PA Tents and ambulances are set up next to the Princess Cruises Grand Princess cruise as it sits docked in the Port of Oakland on March 09, 2020 in Oakland, California. The Princess Cruises Grand Princess has been held from docking until today as at least 21 people on board have tested positive for COVID-19 also known as the Coronavirus Getty Images Medical staff produce traditional Chinese medicine to treat patients infected by the COVID-19 coronavirus at a hospital in Wuhan AFP via Getty Images Army soldiers wearing protective suits spray disinfectant as a precaution against the new coronavirus at a shopping street in Seoul, South Korea AP Russian President Vladimir Putin wearing protective gear walks at a hospital for patients infected with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on the outskirts of Moscow via Reuters A woman who has recovered from the COVID-19 is disinfected by volunteers as she arrives at a hotel for a 14-day quarantine AFP via Getty Images Passengers on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship are seen as the ship arrives at Daikoku Pier where it is being resupplied and newly diagnosed coronavirus cases taken for treatment as it remains in quarantine after a number of the 3,700 people on board were diagnosed with coronavirus Getty Images Dave Abel pictured in hospital in Japan Manchester United fans in the stands during the Premier League match at Old Trafford PA Police officers wearing masks stand in front of the H10 Costa Adeje Palace hotel in La Caleta, in the Canary Island of Tenerife AP Carnival revellers wear protective face masks at Venice Carnival Reuters A general view is pictured of Burbage Primary School in Buxton, Derbyshire after the closure of the school as a pupil's parent has tested positive for the novel coronavirus COVID-19 AFP via Getty Images People wearing face masks walk past the Olympic rings in front of the new National Stadium, the main stadium for the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Game Getty Images People leave Kents Hill Park Training and Conference Centre in Milton Keynes where Coronavirus evacuees are due to be released from quarantine today and allowed to go home PA Matt Raw, a British national who returned from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, leaves quaratine at Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside PA A woman wears a mask while crossing London Bridg Getty Images A general view of Worthing Hospital in West Sussex PA Passengers relax on board the Holland America-operated Westerdam cruise ship, which has been denied permission to dock in Thailand over coronavirus fears via Reuters A child waves as she sits in a vehicle carrying residents evacuated from a public housing building, following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, outside Hong Mei House, at Cheung Hong Estate in Hong Kong Reuters A woman wearing a Minnie Mouse face mask looks at her mobile phone in Beijing on February 11, 2020 AFP via Getty Images The Costa Smeralda cruise ship of Costa Crociere, carrying around 6,000 passengers, is docked at the Italian port of Civitavecchia after a health alert due to a Chinese couple and a possible link to coronavirus on board, in Civitavecchia, Italy Reuters A patient covered with a bed sheet at an exhibition centre converted into a hospital as it starts to accept patients displaying mild symptoms of the novel coronavirus in Wuhan AFP via Getty Images A medical official takes the body temperature of a man at the departure hall of the airport in Changsha, Hunan Province, as the country is hit by an outbreak of a new coronavirus, China Reuters The view of the Wuhan International Conference and Exhibition Center Getty Images A plane carrying British nationals from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, arrives at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire A police vehicle enters the gates of the Royal Air Force station RAF Brize Norton in Carterton AFP via Getty Images Passengers wear face masks as the push their luggage after arriving from a flight at Terminal 5 of London Heathrow Airport AFP via Getty Images French citizens arrive and settle aboard of an evacuation plane with destination southeastern France, before departure from Wuhan Airport (WUH), China AFP via Getty Images Police stand at a checkpoint at the Jiujiang Yangtze River Bridge that crosses from Hubei province in Jiujiang, Jiangxi province, China Reuters A member of staff at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside prepares for a bus carrying British nationals from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China PA Doctor Paul McKay, who is working on an vaccine for the 2019-nCoV strain of the novel coronavirus, poses for a photograph with bacteria containing fragments of coronavirus DNA, at Imperial College School of Medicine (ICSM) in Londo AFP via Getty Images Workers produce masks at the Thai Hospital Product Company Ltd. factory in Bangkok AFP via Getty Images Passengers wearing face masks are seen on a bus after disembarking from the Costa Smeralda cruise ship, after tests on a woman from Macau with suspected coronavirus came back negative, in Civitavecchia, Italy Reuters People hoard bottles of alcohol after the Philippine government confirmed the first case of the new coronavirus in the country, in Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines Reuters Taking precautions: with fears growing that the coronavirus will spread from China, a health official checks a womans temperature on the underground in Beijing Getty Images An empty road is seen in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province on January 27, 2020, amid a deadly virus outbreak which began in the city AFP via Getty Images Students wearing masks meditate prior to a lesson at a high school in Phnom Penh, Cambodia AP Medical staff at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital wear protective clothing to help stop the spread of a deadly virus AFP via Getty Images Staff move bio-waste containers past the entrance of the Wuhan Medical Treatment Center, where some infected with a new virus are being treated, in Wuhan, China AP Workers driving excavators at the construction site of a field hospital In Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. The builders will complete the 1,000-bed hospital by February 3 to cope with the surge of 2019-nCoV patients in the city Getty Images Buddhist monks wear masks as they walk near Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodi AP A woman and a child wearing protective masks walk toward check-in counters at Daxing international airport in Beijing AFP via Getty Images An employee sprays disinfectant on a train as a precaution against a new coronavirus at Suseo Station in Seoul, South Korea AP A policeman wearing a mask walks past a quarantine notice about the outbreak of coronavirus in Wuhan, China at an arrival hall of Haneda airport in Tokyo, Japan Reuters Paramilitary police wear face masks as they stand guard at Tiananmen Gate adjacent to Tiananmen Square in Beijing AP The resident wear masks to buy vegetables in the market in Wuhan Getty Images Staff sell masks at a Yifeng Pharmacy in Wuhan AP Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV AP That is why, at this moment of national emergency, I urge you, please, to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives. Amid allegations of confusing messages on the lockdown, the leaflet will outline the Governments rules on leaving the house and advice on shielding vulnerable people. Photo: The Associated Press The last time I went to Costco was the first day of their social-distancing initiatives. They were only letting a limited number of people in at one time. I was there early, hoping I could nip in and out in record time. A lot of people had the same idea because the queue that snaked through the loading bay reminded me of Disneyland, minus the smiles and entertainers. When I got into the building, I laughed to see an employee holding a sign with the words Toilet Paper on it and an arrow. It directed shoppers to a different location than this item is usually found. I have been mystified about the toilet paper hoarding since I first heard about it. Why toilet paper? COVID-19 doesnt have stomach flu symptoms; it is respiratory, like influenza. Anyone suffering from it is unlikely to need more rolls than usual. People have been advised to have enough supplies to last a quarantine of two weeks. I dont know about you, but I dont go through multiple rolls a day. Ive heard a few different versions of how this run on loo rolls got started, so I decided to turn to Ms. Google and see what I could uncover. Did you know this isnt the first time a crisis has led to the same mass buying of toilet paper? During the oil crisis of 1973, an American congressman warned about a disruption to the toilet paper supply chain. Late night TV host Johnny Carson shared this undoubtedly hoping for a laugh from the nation. Instead, he got hysteria. Despite being assured that there was no shortage, and that the supply chain was fine, people ran out to stock up. This phenomenon lasted for four months. Control and fear are two of the major issues when a frenzy to buy something such as toilet paper surfaces. Autonomy, or the desire for perceived control over your life, is one of the basic needs of all humans. If you feel you are powerless, life is bleak. COVID-19 is causing many people to feel helpless. Buying toilet paper is something they can do. It may not be the most useful thing, but it is an opportunity to take some level of control during this unsettling time. The crisis is also ramping up fear. Fear is contagious. If the strangers in front of you are piling toilet paper into their shopping cart, you are likely to start doing the same. You may recognize you dont have any reason to copy them, but then they may know something you dont. This is the reaction that fosters FOMO fear of missing out. It is the herd mentality. Witnessing the actions of others, combined with news reports and social media posts, will have you following suit. Even though I know I have enough loo rolls to last me many months, I decided to follow the stream of Costco shopping carts. I wanted to fully experience this phenomenon. I passed the major appliances and then saw what can only be described as a toilet paper attendant. An employee was standing by stacks of two different brands, guarding it carefully. You were only allowed one and were asked not to pick it up yourself. He loaded it for you. Even though I didnt need more, I found myself voicing my brand preference and having it added to my cart. I tell myself that I wanted to experience, not just observe, what was happening. That may be true, or perhaps I am fooling myself. I dont think it matters. There isnt a shortage, so my actions wont deprive others and I will eventually use it. According to one online toilet-paper calculator, I can be quarantined for 2 1/2 years without concern about running out. One fewer worry cant be a bad thing. Lanka records first Covid-19 death By Kumudini Hettiarachchi, Ruqyyaha Deane & Meleeza Rathnayake SriLankan Airlines pilot among the seven patients discharged View(s): View(s): Sri Lanka reported its first death from COVID-19 at around 8 p.m. yesterday, the victim being a 60-year-old male who had other complications. The patient from Marawila was among three who were on ventilators at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID), Angoda, and Health Services Director-General Dr. Anil Jasinghe said that this patient who had undergone a kidney transplant a few years ago, was also suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure. The death came as confirmed COVID-19 cases rose to 113 yesterday, the number including the patient who has succumbed and those who have recovered. The nine who have recovered include the Chinese tourist. As at last night, 103 patients were in hospital receiving treatment. This week seven COVID-19 patients including the very first Sri Lankan to be affected by the new coronavirus made a full recovery at the NIID, while a critically-ill patient was treated with convalescent plasma last morning. These recovered patients included the first tour guide, a 24-year-old female and five males, including the Sri Lankan Airlines pilot,said NIIDs Consultant Physician, Dr. Eranga Narangoda, who is treating around 86 patients with COVID-19. One patient may have also been discharged from the Welikanda Base Hospital, according to unconfirmed reports. There are two critical patients, both males, on ventilators, while three others also males, are under observation in the NIIDs ICU, it is learnt. As of Friday, 1,179 (including two Iranians, two South Koreans and one Italian) left the quarantine centres in Punani, Kandakadu, Diyatalawa and Meeyakulan. From overseas came the report of the death of a 59-year-old Sri Lankan with COVID-19 in Switzerland on Wednesday (March 25). The Sri Lankan who held a residence permit for Switzerland was from Punkuduthivu, said a Foreign Relations Ministry media release, adding that the Sri Lanka Embassy in Berlin had been informed by the Swiss authorities of his death. A GP has revealed how debit and credit cards can carry microbes from those who have used the same card reader before you, including bacteria such as salmonella and E.Coli. Former orthopaedic surgeon Dr Chike Emeagi, Medical Director of Hampstead Aesthetics Clinic and Dr Chike Clinics, told FEMAIL that while the risk is low, it is still possible for coronavirus particles to survive long enough on the flat surface of a card reader to be transferred to your card. He explained that germs can hide in the nooks and crannies of watches, rings, credit cards and bank notes, and recommends disinfecting your cards and jewellery once a week. Comparing credit cards to touching door knobs and handles, he suggested using disinfectant wipes to clean cards, and warm water and soap for jewellery. British GP Dr Chike Emeagi explained it's possible for coronavirus particles to survive long enough on the flat surface of a card reader to be transferred to your card (stock image used) Dr Chike said: 'I can certainly envisage a scenario where your card could be contaminated with microbes from those whom have used the exact same card reader previously. 'Germs can hide in nooks and crannies in objects including watches, rings, credit cards, coins and bank notes - things we ordinarily would not worry about. 'Because of limited knowledge of this virus and how it came about extreme vigilance to hygiene is paramount. 'The issue is that from an infection point of view, handling a credit card is similar to touching any other surface - doorknobs, stair-rails etc. 'Any surface has potential to harbour germs-bacteria and viruses.' He explained that germs can hide in the nooks and crannies of watches, rings, credit cards and bank notes, and recommends disinfecting your cards and jewellery once a week The World Health organisation recently released a statement describing the risk as 'low', adding: 'With proper hand cleaning, the risk of being infected with the new coronavirus by touching objects, including coins, banknotes or indeed credit cards, is very low,' World Health organisation-WHO. Various studies have confirmed that the virus can remain viable in the air for up to three hours, on copper for up to four hours, on cardboard up to 24 hours and on plastic and stainless steel up to 72 hours. Dr Chike concluded: 'This suggests the virus could live on credit cards anything from hours to days. 'The bacterial bugs commonly found on cards include staphylococcus aureus, the cause of staph (skin) infections, salmonella enterica and E.Coli, a common cause of food poisoning. 'It important to note that the possibility of catching coronavirus through your card is low but theoretical. 'I would recommend using soap and water or just hot water for jewellery and disinfectant wipe for credit cards - especially the cards you use regularly. 'The frictional force of wiping is said to be sufficient to wipe away any virus, especially with soap or chloride -based cleaners. 'You could also wear gloves when holding your card. 'But the main consideration is to use caution. wash your hands after handling anything that you think could be contaminated'. A number of locals protested against the burial of a coronavirus victim at a cemetery located near her house in Ahmedabad , fearing spread of the viral infection, police said on Sunday. The health officials and police had to take her mortal remains to another burial ground where, after some protests, she was finally laid to rest, they said. The 46-year-old COVID-19 patient died at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Hospital here on Saturday. Her mortal remains were carried to the cemetery near her house at Kagdapith on Saturday evening. However, locals gathered in large numbers and started protesting, saying the victim's burial might lead to spread of coronavirus infection among residents, a police official said. Despite the authorities assuring the locals of there being no threat of the spread of infection from the body, they kept on protesting and did not allow the burial there. The body was then taken to a graveyard in Danilimda locality where also the police and health officials faced opposition from locals, police inspector Vikrant Vasava said. "We explained to them that their fear was unfounded as the body was cleansed as per the protocol, and there was no chance of the virus spreading and affecting the locals. After much argument, they finally accepted our assurance and the body was buried at the Danilimda graveyard," he said. The police had to make strict security arrangements to ensure the crowd remained away from the graveyard where the deceased was finally laid to rest, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi: Seeing his wife suffer from hunger for the last three days has begun to affect Man Singh mentally. You can tell once you start talking to him. He talks about food mostly. Sometimes, he talks to himself and often breaks down. From the footpath outside AIIMS Gate Number 1, where we met, we walk into the subway to meet his wife. He points at a stick-thin figure lying at a corner with other patients and their attendants. Thats my wife Suman Devi. Shes grown weak over the last three days, doesn't move much. You want to meet her? But I think she's sleeping right now, he says and decides not to disturb her. A few days ago, at AIIMS, she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Singh has barely had a meal himself in the last 72 hours. But the lack of food hasnt robbed him, a farmer from Uttar Pradeshs Shahjahanpur, of his sense of irony. Dekhiye chaaron taraf ann ke bhandaar hain. Aise bhi log hain jinke paas khaane ko bohot kuch hai. Lekin main, ek kisaan, jise log ann ka daata kehte hain, aaj ek ek tukde ke liye taras raha hun (See in any direction you see there are stores of food. There are such people also who have much to eat. But I, a farmer, who is revered as the provider of food, am pining for a grain of rice), he says. After his wife fell very sick, in early 2019, Singh took her to a lot of doctors in and around Bareilly, and spent most of their savings, but nobody could treat her. Then in November last year he got her to AIIMS. For three months she was treated at the gastroenterology department from where she was shifted to the cancer ward. The doctors had diagnosed her with pancreatic cancer. Its a rare and very aggressive strain of cancer. Experts say around 95% of the people diagnosed pancreatic cancer die from it. Suman Devi was given some medication on March 19 and asked to return a month later. Man Singh waits in a queue to get food his wife and himself. (News18) Man Singh thought it best for his wife to not travel immediately after she was given medication. If they could stay around the hospital, on its footpath, where they had lived for four months, for another week, she could be rushed to the doctors if any complications arose from her new medicines, he thought. Then on the evening of March 24, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a nationwide curfew to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Public buses, trains, and all affordable means of transport for the common people were closed. Singh and his ailing wife were stuck here. Things deteriorated pretty soon after when police refused to allow langars, which was the only source of food for Singh, his wife and hundreds of other poor patients and their attendants. Section 144 of the CrPC that prevents assembly of four or more people had been enforced everywhere. Hame do din pehle bhi suuchna mili hoti to apne ghar chale jaate. Footpath pe buukh se marne se acha to insaan apne ghar pe beemari se marna pasand karega. Ab yahan zinda kaise rahein (Had we been told even two days before the curfew, we would have gone back to our homes. It was better to die of a disease in ones house than to die of hunger on a footpath. Now how do we survive here)? Singh says, a kindly Sikh man used to come every day at four in the morning and distribute food. He used to even wake us up and tell us to collect the food. To parents with little children he used to give that special milk... Bournvita... Something like that. But now police isnt allowing him and kind people like him to distribute food here, so hundreds of people are dying, Singh says. Its around 1:30 in the afternoon, we are standing on the footpath outside AIIMS Gate Number 1, when someone shouts about food being distributed somewhere down the road. Singh who is fifty years old, makes a dash for it. A few hundred meters away, towards IIT, he joins a queue. People with walkers and handcarts are standing ahead. This might be the first proper meal that he and his wife will share in three days, if he's lucky. People wait for food distributed outside AIIMS during the lockdown before police chase them away (News18) Yesterday also there was a queue. I stood for 10 minutes but before my turn, everything finished. In the morning, someone gave us a packet of four puris which I shared with my wife. Tell me what will someone with a farmers appetite do with two puris so small, he says, outlining small circles on his palm. After five minutes, a couple of policemen walk down to the person distributing food from his car. They chase him away and disperse the queue. A policeman shouts at the queue of desperate, hungry people, Pure desh mein corona ki wajah se curfew laga hai. Tum logon ko maalum nahi hai kya (The entire country is placed under curfew because of coronavirus. Dont you people know that)? Some people outraged by the behavior of policeman shout at him. Police chor hai. Once again, Singh starts towards his wife without a morsel. A person who has bonded with Singh over time, Murad Khushwaha, a labourer, also from Shahjahanpur, walks along with his child in his arms. Corona khatam hoga gareeb public ke marne se (Coronavirus will end when all the poor die), says Khushwaha. His young daughter was diagnosed with cancer a few days ago. She underwent a round of Chemotherapy and has another round scheduled on April 4. After that Khushwaha doesnt know where hell go. Some people who made it to the queue in time were hiding in corners, away from the sight of police, devouring their plates of khichdi which they had been handed. Singh and his wife need not have suffered all this agony. A private ambulance driver had offered to drop them to their house in Shahjahanpur for Rs 9000. Since only ambulances are allowed on roads during the ongoing curfew, many poor and desperate people reported being exploited by ambulance drivers in this fashion. Those who can afford it are paying them to go to their homes. But arranging that sort of money was well beyond Singhs means. Yahan tak aane mein paisa rehta kahan hai kisi ke paas. Yahan to wohi aata hai jo puri tarah se samaapt ho gaya ho. Itna paisa hota to yahan kyun aate? Bareilley ke kisi private aspataal mein dikhwa dete. Ye aakhri stage hai bhaisaab. AIIMS gareeb logon ki aakhri stage hoti hai. (By the time people come to AIIMS they dont have money left. Only those who have exhausted all other options, and their money, come here. If we had that sort of money, to pay the ambulance driver, why would we have come here? We would have gone to a private hospital in Bareilly. This is the last stage. AIIMS is the last option for poor people in India), he says. Its been more than 10 minutes when we see a woman carrying small steel tiffin boxes break down. She was also returning to her space in the subway empty handed. Her name is Jaya Devi. She and her husband used to work as daily wage labourers in their district of Banka, Bihar. The couple came to AIIMS with their 10-year-old child, who has a hole in his heart, on March 13. They got an appointment with a doctor after two weeks on March 25, the day when, following Prime Ministers announcement of a nationwide lockdown, all OPD services at AIIMS were shut down indefinitely. Like Singh, Khushwaha, and hundreds of other people, she doesnt know where to go now. Jaya Devi as she returns without at food for her ailing son. (News18) Humne teen chaar din se kuch nahi khaaya hai. Canteen mein 40 rupay ka khaana milta hai. Wo khareed ke apne bache ko hi khilaate the. Ab saare paise bhi khatam ho gaye. Dawaai ke liye bhi paisa nahi hai. Mutthi bhar muuda khaake din bita rahe hain (For the last three to four days, we havent eaten. The canteen is selling a plate of rice for Rs 40. We feed it all to our child. Now we have exhausted all our money. We have nothing left to buy medicines with. My husband and I are surviving on a handful of puffed rice), Jaya Devi says. But shes more anxious because she is seeing her son, who has difficulty moving around due to his heart ailment, shrinking. Mere bache ka muh itna sa ho gaya hai. Usko thoda nimbu cheeni pilaya tha lekin kuch kha nahi raha hai subeh se. Bachha keh raha hai mera ilaaj karo main padhna chahta hun. Keh raha hai mujhe theek karo main padhna chahta hun (My sons condition is deteriorating. I have been feeding him sweet lime water by he has no appetite. He has been saying get me treated, I want to get well and study ), Jaya Devi says with tears rolling down her cheek and leaves. Her distress leaves Man Singh devastated. Us maa se pucho jiska bache ki aisi haalat ho rahi hai. Us maa ke kaleje se pucho. Tukde ho rahe honge jab uska bacha rota hoga. Arre Ram. Hamara bacha aisa kahe...humara tan bik jaaye...jab tak saans hai, hum uske liye sab karenge. Hazaar khand aadmi mar jaayega idhar agle ek hafte mein. Hazaar khand (Ask this mother what is her childs distress doing to her. Ask her what it is doing to her. Her heart must be breaking into pieces. Oh God. If my child were to talk like this... till I were to sell my body... till my last breath I would do whatever I could for him. Mark my words a thousand people will die here A thousand). There is nothing to do now except to wait on the footpath till one hears about someone else distributing food. It has been raining all through the week. With most of the places shut down, restrictions imposed on public transport under the national lockdown, those seeking treatment at AIIMS and their families have no refuge. Nathurams young daughter has cancer in her leg. She can only move around with her walker. Their family is also stuck here after the national lockdown. Her family covers her with a plastic sheet every time it rains. But her parents say that since their daughter has only just had a surgery in her affected leg, each time it rains, some water does seep through to her clothes and sends ripples of pain throughout her body. The three-week-long curfew will only end on April 15. Till then the family says their daughter has no option but to endure this life. It is around 5 in the evening when a saffron-robed sadhu, who has also come to AIIMS for treatment, tells Singh that food is being distributed on the other side of the road, near Safdarjung hospital. But how do I go? It will take a lot of time to go through the underpass. I cant climb over the tall fence, Singh wonders aloud while walking towards the divider. He sees a queue of people on the other side, which means food is being distributed and police isnt chasing people away. There is a small opening under the fence. It is only enough for a child to crawl through. Man Singh crawls through those few inches of space and runs to the other side to join the queue in which at least 30 people are standing ahead of him. Like Man Singh most of the people in the queue havent eaten for the last three to four days. But they stand in a perfect queue and behave themselves with remarkable discipline. Delhi policemen who had chased away a langar on the other side of the road are facilitating food distribution on this side. The rules of when and how much people can eat seem quite arbitrary and ambiguous. Singh makes a call to his wife, who he says must also have been roaming around looking for food. He tells her to not worry and to go back and rest, hes found food. Hes coming. Fifteen minutes into the queue and someone walks past him saying rotis have finished. Another five minutes later Singh, who is still at least 15 places behind in the queue, hears a man saying that everything is finished. Only bananas are left. Hes getting increasingly agitated, almost to the point of a collapse. Singh gives a box of food to his ailing wife (News18) But just then a carton of chapatis and sabzi are brought in by someone. Singh finally gets his share. He tells those distributing the food that he needs two packets one for himself and other for his wife. Hes pushed away. There are many more like him. Everyone is given only on box of food. But hes very happy. In no time hes crawled past the divider and is back in the subway. He goes over to Suman Devi who is resting against the wall and gives her the box. And we come out of the subway, back to the footpath. Is sansaar mein khaana sabke liye paryaapt hai. Bas apna hissa milne mein kabhi kabhi thodi der lag jaati hai (In this world, there is enough for everyone. Only sometimes it takes a while for you to get your share), he says smiling for the first time in the day. Singh has perhaps forgotten that he is still hungry. The FIN7 APT group has been targeting businesses with malicious USB drives and Teddy Bears sent to the victims, the FBI warns. The FBI is warning of a new wave of attacks carried out by the FIN7 APT group that is sending to the victims devices acting as a keyboard (HID Emulator USB) when plugged into a computer. Recently, the cybercriminal group FIN7,1 known for targeting such businesses through phishing emails, deployed an additional tactic of mailing USB devices via the United States Postal Service (USPS). reads the alert issued by the FBI. The mailed packages sometimes include items like teddy bears or gift cards to employees of target companies working in the Human Resources (HR), Information Technology (IT), or Executive Management (EM) roles, Upon connecting the device to a computer, it injects commands to download and execute a JavaScript backdoor tracked as GRIFFON. One of these attacks was analyzed by experts from Trustwave, one of the clients of the cybersecurity firm received a letter was supposedly from Best Buy giving out a $50 gift card to its loyal customers. The letter also includes an apparently harmless USB drive that claims to contain a list of items to spend on. The packages have been sent to several businesses, including retails , restaurants, hotels. The malicious devices were sent t o employees in human resources, IT, or executive management departments. The weaponized drive emulates keystrokes that launch a PowerShell command to retrieve malware from a remote server. The experts observed malicious code contacting domains or IP addresses in Russia. It is quite easy to find development boards like Arduino that could be configured to emulate a human interface device (HID) such as keyboards and launch a pre-configured set of keystrokes to load and execute any sort of malware. To start the analysis, we inspected the drive for inscriptions such as serial numbers. At the head of the drive on the printed circuit board we saw HW-374. A quick Google search for this string found a BadUSB Leonardo USB ATMEGA32U4 for sale on shopee . tw . reads the analysis published by Trustwave. This USB device uses an Arduino microcontroller ATMEGA32U4 and was programmed to emulate a USB keyboard. Since PCs trust keyboard USB devices by default, once it is plugged in, the keyboard emulator can automatically inject malicious commands. Trustwave experts noticed two PowerShell commands that lead to displaying a fake message box warning of errors on the thumb drive. The Powershell scripts then run third-stage JavaScript that gathers system information and drops other malware. According to the FBIs alert, once gathered the information on the target, FIN7 threat actor starts to move laterally seeking administrative privileges. After this gathered information is sent to C&C server. The main Jscript code enters an infinite loop sleeping for 2 minutes in each loop iteration then getting a new command from the command and control. continues the analysis. In summary, once a USB controller chip is reprogrammed to unintended use (in this case as an emulated USB keyboard) these devices could be used to launch an attack and infect unsuspecting users computer without them realizing it. concludes Trustwave. These types of USB devices are widely known and used by security professionals. The fact that they are also cheap and readily available to anyone meant that it was just a matter of time to see this technique used by criminals in the wild. Let me close with a comment from the popular white-hat hacker Luca Bongiorni, the evil mind behind @whid_injector & @potaebox. The fact that FIN7 and other cyber gangs started conducting attacks via USB sticks suggests that the defenses against spear-phishing are exponentially improving, said Bongiorni. Probably soon, attackers will move from simple USB sticks to more advanced solutions like a USB cable (e.g. #USBsamurai or #EvilCrow). Using a malicious implant inside them attackers could conduct BADUSB type attacks. Lets think of a mouse or a USB fan embedding #WHIDelite. An example of remote control via GSM network via a USB keyboard inside which a #WHIDelite is available here: Pierluigi Paganini ( SecurityAffairs FIN7, hacking) Share this... Linkedin Share this: Twitter Print LinkedIn Facebook More Tumblr Pocket Share On President Muhammadu Buhari has called on Nigerians to support the surveillance and control measures adopted by the government to combat the spread of Covid-19 in the country. Mr Buhari during his first address to Nigerians on the coronavirus crisis said the government is committed to stopping the spread of the disease. Some of these measures will surely cause major inconveniences to many citizens. But these are sacrifices we should all be willing and ready to make for the greater good of our country, he said. Mr Buhari said the country has been preparing for the outbreak since the first signs that Covid-19 was turning into an epidemic and was officially declared a worldwide emergency. He said the government had started planning preventive, containment and curative measures in the event the disease hit Nigeria. He said the whole instruments of government are mobilised to confront what has now become both a health emergency and an economic crisis,. The president assured Nigerians that the government is monitoring the situation across the world closely and studying the various responses adopted by other countries. Although we have adopted strategies used globally, our implementation programmes have been tailored to reflect our local realities, he said. He said the government will continue to rely on guidance of the medical professionals and experts at the Ministry of Health, NCDC and other relevant agencies through this difficult time. Restrictions In an effort to contain the spread of the virus, the government has also placed restrictions on movement in Lagos, Ogun and Abuja. Mr Buhari said the countrys focus remains to urgently and drastically contain cases, and to support other states and regions the best way the country can. He said as a nation, the response must be guided, systematic and professional. There is a need for consistency across the nation. All inconsistencies in policy guidelines between Federal and State agencies will be eliminated, . Outbreak Nigeria reported its first confirmed case on February 27 and the number of cases has since risen As of today, the country has reported 97 cases. The breakdown according to states shows that Lagos has recorded 59, FCT- 16 Oyo seven, Ogun- three, Enugu, Edo, Bauchi, Osun has two cases each, while Ekiti Rivers, Benue and Kaduna have reported one each. Meanwhile, one death has so far been reported from the outbreak. Mr Buhari expressed his condolences to the family of the deceased. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family in this very difficult time. We also pray for quick recovery for those infected and undergoing treatment, he said. Migrant workers in Telangana have been facing a lot of trouble because of the lockdown. (PTI) Hyderabad: This past week, migrant workers have been facing a lot of trouble because of the lockdown. Thousands of them tried to return home to their families in their respective states. Some walked, some crammed themselves into buses and lorries. A few were successful, many were not. However, all their stories feature the same things fear for their future and anger at the government for its apathy. Erramsetti Sai, Raj and Srinivas were among the thousands of people who crossed the Telangana state-Andhra Pradesh border in the past few days. It took them four days to cover the distance between Hyderabad and their village Konthalam in Rolugunta mandal, Visakhapatnam district. Construction labourers by profession, they were shocked when they were told by their employer the country was virtually shutting down and he had no work for them. They could no longer stay in Hyderabad. From their small tenement at Road No 14, Banjara Hills, they packed up their bags and walked until the Outer Ring Road towards Vijayawada. A lorry driver agreed to take us to Kodad for some money. From there we crossed over the AP border by walking another 20 km on foot to reach Chilakally, recalled Sai. The three men slept by the road near a petrol bunk in Chilakallu. They were stranded there for much of the next day, until they found a shared cab to Vijayawada. Over the next two days, they walked for some distance and boarded another lorry to reach Narsipatnam. They walked the last 20 km to their home. It was a miserable journey. None of us had any food. Luckily, our friends told us to contact some activists in Hyderabad. They contacted some other volunteers in AP who delivered some food to us, said Sai. The troubles for the three men didnt end there. The people of their village have enforced a 14-day home quarantine on them. They have no money left to buy food and there is no work. My family wont survive if I dont work. I dont know how we will manage. I spent all my savings just getting here, said Sai. Not all journeys were even as successful as Sai and his friends. For Rajender Yadav and 29 of his friends from Jharkhand, their attempt to reach home was an expensive mistake. Rajender who hails from Deori in Giridih district, Jharkhand, and the others rented a bus in Hyderabad to take them home. Chaat and juice sellers and restaurant workers based in Abids and Chikkadpally, couldn't stay on. Yadav said, Since there is no work here, we wanted to go home. We cant pay the rent here. We hired a bus for Rs 1 lakh, which cost us Rs 3,500 each. They were able to get a letter from the Chikkadpally police which allowed them to travel. We sat in the bus for nine hours and reached the Chhattisgarh border. There, we were stopped by that states police. We were told the district administration would give permission for our further travel, he said. The 30 men waited for eight hours at the border, without food, water or information. Eventually, they were asked to head back to where they come from. Luckily, they still had the bus at their disposal. The permission letter mentioned the bus registration number, so no one else could transport us. If this bus wasnt there, we would have had to walk home, he said. The men were clutching their stomachs throughout the ride. We had exhausted our food. We didnt have anything to eat or drink. I had never felt such hunger before, he said. Right now, the men are left with meagre savings. Yadav, for instance, has Rs 5,000 left with him. This money will run out in a few days. But I have to save some money for the trip to Jharkhand when they allow it. I have no idea how I will survive, he said. There are thousands of others stuck in the city, many from Bihar and Jharkhand. Most of them didnt dare a trip to their native villages, in spite of their troubles here. Anil Yadav of Gortoli in Jharkhand, has been stuck with 22 others from his state in small tenements in a building in Uppal. They, like most others from the state, work as restaurant workers and fruit sellers. They have had virtually no business since the historic Janata Curfew (March 21). They have been cooped up in their crowded homes since then; social distancing is not an option for them. Anil Yadav said, The police refused to give us permission to go home. They said we wouldnt be able to reach our villages since the other states on the route could stop us at the border. The men briefly contemplated walking to Jharkhand but decided against it. On Friday, we realised we had very little food or money. We took a loan from a money lender we know. However, we havent been able to buy any food, he said. Struggling for options, they contacted their association of Jharkhand-based migrants who pleaded the Uppal police and GHMC division to supply the men food at their home. On Saturday morning, they got three bags of rice (total 75 kg) and some vegetables. Like most migrants, they felt upset at being forgotten by their government. Yadav demanded to know why the government was organising flights for NRIs to facilitate their journey home, but not them. Why cant the Jharkhand government or Telangana state government organise buses for us. If they can do this for NRIs, why not us? Are we less important to them? he asked. The British government admitted on Sunday that the coronavirus lockdown could last a "significant" time as a leading expert warned it could be in place until June. "I can't make an accurate prediction but everyone I think does have to prepare for a significant period when these measures are still in place," cabinet minister Michael Gove told the BBC. Britons have been told to stay inside wherever possible to limit the spread of COVID-19, joining millions of people on lockdown worldwide. The measure was introduced amid warnings that infection rates were spiralling, and new figures on Sunday revealed that 1,228 people with coronavirus have now died in Britain. This is an increase of 209 on the day before. A total of 127,737 have been tested so far, of whom 19,522 people were found to have coronavirus. Prime Minister Boris Johnson initially said the shutdown would be for three weeks. Professor Neil Ferguson of Imperial College London, one of the epidemiologists advising the government, told the Sunday Times the lockdown could last months. "We're going to have to keep these measures in place, in my view, for a significant period of time -- probably until the end of May, maybe even early June. May is optimistic," he said. In a leaflet being sent to more than 30 million British households, the prime minister warned that "things will get worse before they get better". "The more we all follow the rules, the fewer lives will be lost and the sooner life can return to normal," Johnson wrote. But he added: "We will not hesitate to go further if that is what the scientific and medical advice tells us we must do." The Conservative leader has himself tested positive for coronavirus, as has health minister Matt Hancock, but Downing Street insists he is still in charge. Separately, Gove also used his BBC interview to take a swipe at China, where the first cases of COVID-19 emerged. "Some of the (early) reporting from China was not clear about the scale, the nature, the infectiousness of this," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) MEXICO CITY, March 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Grupo Elektra, S.A.B. de C.V. (BMV: ELEKTRA*; Latibex: XEKT), Latin Americas leading specialty retailer and financial services company and the largest non-bank provider of cash advance services in the United States, today announced that a major creditor of Banco Azteca filed a Chapter 11 petition in the United States. Despite the client's solid business plan, the current instability in the financial markets prevented it from accessing previously committed financing. As a result of this situation, Banco Azteca, as a precautionary measure decided to reserve 100% of the credit, which will imply a charge of approximately $5.488 billion pesos in Grupo Elektras first quarter 2020 financial results. The company will not have future charges derived from this operation. By the same token, Grupo Elektra will capitalize Banco Azteca with approximately $7 billion pesos. This measure preserves the solid financial situation of Banco Azteca, which will seek to assert its rights through legal procedures in a timely manner. Company Profile: Grupo Elektra is Latin Americas leading financial services company and specialty retailer and the largest non-bank provider of cash advance services in the United States. The group operates more than 7,000 points of contact in Mexico, the United States, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama and Peru. Grupo Elektra is a Grupo Salinas company (www.gruposalinas.com), a group of dynamic, fast growing, and technologically advanced companies focused on creating economic value through market innovation and goods and services that improve standards of living; social value to improve community wellbeing; and environmental value by reducing the negative impact of its business activities. Created by Mexican entrepreneur Ricardo B. Salinas (www.ricardosalinas.com), Grupo Salinas operates as a management development and decision forum for the top leaders of member companies. These companies include TV Azteca (www.TVazteca.com; www.irtvazteca.com), Grupo Elektra (www.grupoelektra.com.mx), Banco Azteca (www.bancoazteca.com.mx), Advance America (www.advanceamerica.net), Afore Azteca (www.aforeazteca.com.mx), Seguros Azteca (www.segurosazteca.com.mx), Punto Casa de Bolsa (www.puntocasadebolsa.mx), Totalplay (www.totalplay.com.mx) and Totalplay Empresarial (totalplayempresarial.com.mx). TV Azteca and Grupo Elektra trade shares on the Mexican Stock Market and in Spains' Latibex market. Each of the Grupo Salinas companies operates independently, with its own management, board of directors and shareholders. Grupo Salinas has no equity holdings. The group of companies shares a common vision, values and strategies for achieving rapid growth, superior results and world-class performance. Story continues Except for historical information, the matters discussed in this press release are concepts about the future that involve risks and uncertainty that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Other risks that may affect TV Azteca and its subsidiaries are presented in documents sent to the securities authorities. Investor Relations: Bruno Rangel Grupo Salinas Tel. +52 (55) 1720-9167 jrangelk@gruposalinas.com.mx Rolando Villarreal Grupo Elektra, S.A.B. de C.V. Tel. +52 (55) 1720-9167 rvillarreal@gruposalinas.com.mx Press Relations: Luciano Pascoe Tel. +52 (55) 1720 1313 ext. 36553 lpascoe@gruposalinas.com.mx In a bid to curtail the spread of the deadly novel coronavirus otherwise known as the COVID-19, individuals have been advised to stay at home. Our manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in President Akufo-Addo having identified certain hotspots in the country announced a partial lockdown for these identified areas. YEN.com.gh believes that this directive from the president and the stay at home calls by various stakeholders is definitely a means to an end. Below are a list of expected outcomes after the COVID-19 scare. READ ALSO: Coronavirus: Ghanas confirmed cases jumps to 141 1. Pregnancy Most people are of the view that since most married and unmarried people would be staying hime during these trying moments, the only thing that they would do is to find solace in the arms of each other. Finding solace in the arms of a loved one is definitely a means to an end. Social media has gone agog about how maternity wards and antenatal units would be full to capacity after this global occurence. 2. Weight Gain Being at home with nothing to do and hardly moving around, one is definitely expected to gain a lot of weight. While at home, the urge to eat and binge on anything edible is a sure means to gaining more pounds. 3. More united Family It is said that a family that stays together, grows together, prays together and does everything together. In these trying times, most children who hardly used to see their parents around even on weekends would now have the chance to spend more time with them. Parents on the other hand will get to know their children better and know what actually interest them. 4. Sexier body To the weight watchers and fit-fam, this is just an opportunity to try new workout routines. Since people within this group mostly hit the gym to get in shape, this presents a perfect opportunity to do some simple home work outs to improve the looks or tone their bodies as well. 5. New skill To those who boredom would want to take a better part of their time while at home, they end up trying their hands on something new like stitching, beading braiding or trying new recipes. READ ALSO: Selfless service as heavily pregnant medics work to fight coronavirus Meanwhile, the Disease Surveillance Department of the Ghana Health Service has confirmed that Ghanas coronavirus cases have jumped to 141 from 137 with a total of 5 deaths. According to the information gathered by YEN.com.gh on the departments website, as of 14:00 hours on the 28th March 2020, a total of 2,519 persons have been tested for COVID-19 in Ghana. It added that among the tested, 1,276 (50.7%) were persons under mandatory quarantine with 1,243 (49.3%) from routine surveillance activities, and among all 2,519 persons tested, one hundred and forty-one (141) tested positive representing 5.6%. READ ALSO: Sarkodie and wife Tracy celebrate daughter Titis 4 birthday (Photos) Only God can save Ghana from the Coronavirus outbreak - Pastor declares | #Yencomgh Get interactive via our Facebook page. Source: YEN.com.gh President Xi Jinping (R) meets with US President Donald Trump in Osaka, Japan on June 29, 2019. [Photo by Feng Yongbin/chinadaily.com.cn] President Xi Jinping on Friday urged united actions between China and the United States to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, saying he hopes the US can take concrete steps to improve bilateral relations. In a phone conversation with US President Donald Trump, Xi said bilateral relations are now at a critical juncture, and both nations stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation and that cooperation is the only correct choice for both sides. He called for joint efforts from both sides to bolster cooperation in areas such as epidemic containment and develop a China-US relationship featuring non-confrontation, non-conflict, mutual respect and win-win cooperation. China shared information on the COVID-19, including the genetic sequence of the virus, at the earliest time possible, with the World Health Organization and countries including the US in an open, transparent and responsible manner since the start of the pandemic, Xi said. The country has also shared its experience on epidemic containment and medical treatment and done its best to support and help countries in need of assistance, he said. We will continue to do so and work together with the international community to overcome the pandemic, he added. The virus respects no borders or races and is a common enemy for mankind, and therefore it would require a joint global response to conquer it, he said. Xi noted that positive outcomes have been reached in the G20 Extraordinary Leaders' Summit on Thursday, and different parties must step up coordination and cooperation to ensure the implementation of the outcomes. China stands ready to work with the different sides, including the US, to continue to support the important role of the WHO, step up information and experience sharing, accelerate steps in research and development cooperation and promote the bettering of global health governance, he said. He also underlined the importance of more coordinated macroeconomic policies to stabilize markets and growth and to guarantee public well-being while ensuring the openness, stability and security of global supply chains. Xi expressed his hope that the US side can adopt concrete measures to protect the safety and health of Chinese citizens, including students, in the US. The conversation between the two presidents came as data compiled by the Johns Hopkins University showed the US surpassed China in the number of coronavirus cases on Thursday. Trump said China's experience on combating the virus has been very inspiring and he will make sure that the two countries can overcome differences and stay focused on epidemic containment cooperation. He also voiced appreciation to China for providing supply of medical resources, saying the two countries must bolster exchanges in healthcare, including cooperation in the R&D of effective pharmaceuticals. Trump said on Twitter following the phone call that the conversation was "very good" and that "China has been through much & has developed a strong understanding of the virus. We are working closely together." The Washington Post is providing this news free to all readers as a public service. Follow this story and more by signing up for national breaking news email alerts. Pennsylvania woman Margaret Cirko, 35, was arrested Thursday after deliberately coughing on produce in local grocery store and charged with making terrorist threats A Pennsylvania woman who allegedly coughed on $35,000 worth of grocery store products claiming she was ill in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic in a cruel prank has been arrested. Margaret Cirko, 35, was charged with terrorist threats on Thursday, one day after she allegedly entered Gerrity's Supermarket in Hanover Township and coughed all over its products. On Wednesday she entered the busy store and threatened patrons, saying she was sick then intentionally coughed and spat on fresh produce and other items in the store, Hanover Township Police said. She continued this behavior 'in several aisles before attempting to steal a 12-pack of beer as she was being ordered to leave the store by employees', police said. Cirko is not believed to be infected with COVID-19, but the store owners had no choice but to throw out some of the merchandise she coughed worth more than $35,000 including fresh produce, some bakery products, meat and other shelves of goods. On Wednesday she entered Gerrity's Supermarket in Hanover Township and coughed and spit all over its products claiming she was ill amid the coronavirus pandemic. Pictured in a police car after her arrest on Thursday March 26 Following the coughing incident she was sent for mental health evaluation at a local hospital. Police said they would test her for COVID-19 as well Cirko was charged with two felony counts of terrorist threats, one felony count of threat to use a 'biological agent' and one felony count of criminal mischief. She also faces misdemeanor counts of criminal attempt to commit retail theft and disorderly conduct. A judge arraigns Cirko on Thursday from a police car and handed her the charges 'I am also absolutely sick to my stomach about the loss of food. While it is always a shame when food is wasted, in these times when so many people are worried about the security of our food supply, it is even more disturbing,' Joe Fasula, the store's co-owner, shared on Facebook Wednesday. After the incident the store deep cleaned its shelves to assure it was safe. 'Today was a very challenging day. While there is little doubt this woman was doing it as a very twisted prank, we will not take any chances with the health and well-being of our customers,' Fasula said on Facebook. The store and Hanover's health inspector worked together to identify every area the suspect was in and the store was scrubbed clean by more than 15 employees, putting the store's safety protocols to the test. Cirko is not believed to be infected with COVID-19, but the store owners had no choice but to throw out some of the merchandise she coughed on worth more than $35,000. Gerrity's supermarket owner Joe Fasula pictured talking about the incident on Thursday After the incident 15 supermarket employees deep cleaned the supermarket. Joe Fasula pictured restocking shelves after Cirko coughed on $35,000 worth of produce and meat, threatening to expose people to the novel coronavirus Cirko was charged with two felony counts of terrorist threats, one felony count of threat to use a 'biological agent' and one felony count of criminal mischief. She also faces misdemeanor counts of criminal attempt to commit retail theft and disorderly conduct. Following the coughing incident she was sent for mental health evaluation at a local hospital. Police said they would test her for COVID-19 as well. Gerrity's Supermarket shared this post to customers after the incident, adding, 'don't cough on anything' The exterior of Gerrity's grocery store in Hanover Township pictured above She was arraigned on Thursday and her bail at $50,000. She's being held at Luzerne County Prison and a preliminary hearing is set for April 8, cops said. Fasula shared an update on Facebook to his customers writing that it's been 'an eventful two days for our family business.' He said the produce department was fully restocked by 2pm Thursday. He shared a reminder of shopping rules on Facebook to customers Thursday and joked, 'don't cough on anything.' He lost his father on the day Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared a 21-day nationwide lockdown but Sanjiv Singh, Chairman of India's largest oil firm, Indian Oil Corp (IOC), was back at managing uninterrupted fuel supplies within 24 hours. Singh, who has been overseeing refinery operations and distribution chain since the time states declared restrictions to check spread of coronavirus in mid-March, lost his 89-year-old father on March 24. Within 24-hours he was back in action, converting his parental home at Lucknow into a war room, monitoring operations and supplies to see no part of the country went dry at anytime. "My father lived in Lucknow and on March 24 we received a call about his being unwell. I along with my wife decided to drive down to Lucknow but one hour into the drive, we received a call of he being no more," Singh told PTI. "It was a great personal loss," an emotional Singh said. But he set aside his personal loss for the call of duty. "What I am doing is just my job. There are hundreds and thousands of oilmen across the country who are risking their well-being in ensuring we continue to fuel the country," he said. Singh keeps a minute eye on all operations through daily reviews done through video conferencing and hundreds of phone calls. "We have a duty towards this country and we are just doing that," he said. "We have taken precautions in running refineries, depots and marketing infrastructure. Consumer facing part of our business - petrol pumps and LPG distributorships - have been handed over personal protection gears." IOC is providing free food packets to truckers transporting fuel from depots to petrol pumps and LPG distributor agencies. "There are no roadside dhabas open." The company is also finalising a Rs 5 lakh personal insurance for petrol pump and LPG distributor agency staff in case of any facility. Also, a medical insurance scheme is in works, he said. Singh said IOC's terminals, depots, LPG distributorship and petrol pumps are well-stocked with petrol, diesel and LPG to meet any supply requirement during and after the lockdown. All 119 Aviation Fuel Stations of IndianOil across the country are operating with optimum strength and full safety precautions to meet the aviation fuel (ATF) needs of Defence aircraft, cargo flights and medical ambulances. Modi had on March 24 ordered all 1.3 billion people in the country to stay inside their homes for three weeks starting March 25 the biggest and most severe action undertaken anywhere to stop the spread of the coronavirus. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) WASHINGTON - Bracing the nation for a coronavirus death toll that could exceed 100,000 people, President Donald Trump extended restrictive social distancing guidelines through April, bowing to public health experts who presented him with even more dire projections for the expanding coronavirus pandemic. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 29/3/2020 (654 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A street in New York's Chinatown is empty, the result of citywide restrictions calling for people to stay indoors and maintain social distancing in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19, Saturday March 28, 2020, in New York. President Donald Trump says he is considering a quarantine affecting residents of the state and neighboring New Jersey and Connecticut amid the coronavirus outbreak, but New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that roping off states would amount to "a federal declaration of war." (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews) WASHINGTON - Bracing the nation for a coronavirus death toll that could exceed 100,000 people, President Donald Trump extended restrictive social distancing guidelines through April, bowing to public health experts who presented him with even more dire projections for the expanding coronavirus pandemic. It was a stark shift in tone by the Republican president, who only days ago mused about the country reopening in a few weeks. From the Rose Garden, he said his Easter revival hopes had only been aspirational. The initial 15-day period of social distancing urged by the federal government expires Monday, and Trump had expressed interest in relaxing the national guidelines at least in parts of the country less afflicted by the pandemic. He instead decided to extend them through April 30, a tacit acknowledgment he'd been too optimistic. Many states and local governments have stiffer controls in place on mobility and gatherings. Trump's impulse to reopen the country met a sober reality check Sunday from Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government's top infectious disease expert, who said the U.S. could experience more than 100,000 deaths and millions of infections from the pandemic. That warning hardened a recognition in Washington that the struggle against the coronavirus will not be resolved quickly even as Trump expressed a longing for normalcy. Trump told Fox and Friends in an interview Monday morning that nobody" was more worried" about the economic impact on the country than him, but said, We want to do something where we have the least death." Trump, who has largely avoided talk of potential death and infection rates, cited projection models that said potentially 2.2 million people or more could have died had social distancing measures not been put in place. And he said the country would be doing well if it "can hold" the number of deaths down to 100,000." He said the best case for the country would be for the death rate to peak in about two weeks. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., walks to her office after signing the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act after it passed in the House on Capitol Hill, Friday, March 27, 2020, in Washington. The $2.2 trillion package will head to head to President Donald Trump for his signature. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) "It's a horrible number," Trump said, but added, We all together have done a very good job. Brought forward by Trump at the outdoor briefing, Fauci said his projection of a potential 100,000 to 200,000 deaths is entirely conceivable" if not enough is done to mitigate the crisis. It would not have been a good idea to pull back at a time when you really need to be pressing your foot on the pedal as opposed to on the brakes," Fauci said on CNN on Monday, describing how he and others had convinced Trump to extend the restrictions. We showed him the data. He looked at the data. He got it right away," Fauci said. "It was a pretty clear picture. Dr. Debbie Birx and I went in to the Oval Office and leaned over the desk and said, Here are the data. Take a look. He just shook his head and said, I guess we got to do it. His first goal is to prevent suffering and death," Fauci added. And we made it clear to him that if we pulled back on what we were doing ... there would be more avoidable suffering and avoidable death. So it was a pretty clear decision on his part. Americans are now being called on to prepare for another 30 days of severe economic and social disruption, as schools and businesses are closed and public life is upended. One in 3 Americans remain under state or local government orders to stay at home to slow the spread of the virus. Trump acknowledged that he may be forced to extend the guidelines again at the end of April, but expressed hope that by June 1, "we should be well on our way to recovery. Rev. Peter Gower celebrates Mass from the front door of Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church as worshippers listen over the radio from their cars in the parking lot, Sunday, March 29, 2020, in Johnston, R.I. Gower started the Mass for those to attend from their cars last week as gatherings became restricted due to the coronavirus. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. (AP Photo/David Goldman) The federal guidelines recommend against group gatherings larger than 10 and urge older people and anyone with existing health problems to stay home. People are urged to work at home when possible and avoid restaurants, bars, non-essential travel and shopping trips. For more than a week, Trump had been bombarded by calls from outside business leaders who urged him to begin re-opening the nation's economy and warned of catastrophic consequences that could damage his re-election chances if it remained shuttered for much longer. The president is right. The cure can't be worse than the disease, and we're going to have to make some difficult trade-offs," Trump's top economic adviser Larry Kudlow had said last Monday, reflecting the thinking of his economic team. That talk alarmed health experts, who urged Trump to keep encouraging people to stay home. The virus was still spreading, with the peak still weeks away, the experts warned. In the end, Trump, in the face of dire projections and increasingly alarming images out of New York, sided with his health experts and backed off the idea of loosening recommended restrictions on less impacted parts of the country. "They're the best in the profession and they didn't like that idea, he said of Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx, head of the White House coronavirus task force. Trump was clearly moved by the scenes from New York, particularly hard-hit Elmhurst Hospital in his native Queens. President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with supply chain distributors in the Cabinet Room of the White House, Sunday, March 29, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) I've been watching that for the last week on television," he said. Body bags all over, in hallways. I've been watching them bring in trailer trucks freezer trucks, they're freezer trucks, because they can't handle the bodies, there are so many of them. This is essentially in my community, in Queens, Queens, New York," he continued. I've seen things that I've never seen before. Phasing out the recommendations would have been a symbolic nod to business and an affront to public health experts, but may have had little practical impact. States across the country already have their own restrictions in place that, in many cases, are far stricter than the administration's, and those would have remained in place. Birx and Fauci said even those areas yet to face a significant outbreak must prepare for the eventuality that they will. Certainly we're hoping that there aren't more New York cities and New York metro areas around the country, but we have to plan for that, Birx said on CBS on Monday, calling on cities across the country to make preparations. It's critical that even if you don't see it, it could be circulating in your community, she said. Fauci said on ABC's Good Morning America that smaller U.S. cities are now ripe for the kind of acceleration that has occurred in New York. If you look throughout the country there are a number of smaller cities that are sort of percolating along, couple hundred cases, the slope doesn't look like it's going up, Fauci said. It looks like it's low level, it starts to accelerate, then it goes way up." The U.S. had more than 140,000 COVID-19 cases reported by Monday morning, with more than 2,500 deaths. During the course of the Rose Garden briefing, reported deaths grew by several dozen and the number of cases by several thousand. Most people who contract COVID-19 have mild or moderate symptoms, which can include fever and cough but also milder cases of pneumonia, sometimes requiring hospitalization. The risk of death is greater for older adults and people with other health problems. Hospitals in the most afflicted areas are straining to handle patients and some are short of critical supplies. Fauci's prediction would take the death toll well past that of the average seasonal flu. Trump repeatedly cited the flu's comparatively much higher cost in lives in playing down the severity of this pandemic. Trump's change in tone was previewed Saturday, when the president suggested then backed away from instituting an enforceable quarantine of hard-hit New York, Connecticut and New Jersey. Instead, the White House task force recommended a travel advisory for residents of those states to limit non-essential travel to slow the spread of the virus to other parts of the U.S. The quarantine notion was strongly opposed by the governors of those states, who argued it would cause panic. Even as he opted against the quarantine, Trump on Sunday suggested without evidence that hospitals and hospital systems were hoarding ventilators and other medical supplies that were needed in other areas of the state. He also encouraged the Food and Drug Administration to streamline approvals for companies seeking to sanitize badly needed respirators so they can be reused. Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. For weeks, Trump minimized the gravity of the pandemic, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday accused Trump of denial in the crisis and called it deadly." Asked whether she believes that attitude cost American lives, Pelosi told CNN: Yes, I am. I'm saying that." Trump, asked about the comments on Fox Monday morning, lashed back. She's a sick puppy in my opinion," Trump said. "I think it's a disgrace to her country, her family Former Vice-President Joe Biden, the likely Democratic presidential nominee, said he wouldn't go so far as to lay the blame for deaths on the president. I think that's a little too harsh," he told NBC. Trump nonetheless hit back. If sleepy Joe was president, he told Fox, "he wouldn't even know what's going on." Police turned up heavy-handed to break up a comedy club night in Liverpool that was broadcasting a rerun online during the coronavirus lockdown. Video published online by Hot Water Comedy Club shows officers storming up to the Hardman Street premises last night after 9.30pm. They ring the doorbell and bang on the door of the venue after receiving a tip-off that Hot Water Comedy Club was hosting a live performance. For the next 60 seconds, police flout social distancing measures imposed for public health which are being enforced by officers around the country. But it later emerged that Hot Water Comedy Club was not even open, and had been airing a rerun online that evening of a March 7 show. It means a member of the public came across the broadcast and reported the show to Merseyside Police, believing the venue was flouting the lockdown. Hot Water Comedy Club published the embarrassing CCTV footage on social media Hot Water Comedy Club, which normally hosts live comedy every night, published CCTV footage on Facebook and Twitter. They said: 'Tonight we streamed a show we filmed back on 7th March. 'Someone thought it was live and grassed us up to the police, who sent 12 officers a van and a car to shut us down... (fair play to the police responding so fast)'. Merseyside Police told MailOnline: 'Our officers responded to a report from a member of the public concerned that a comedy club was open and live streaming a show with a large number of customers inside yesterday, Saturday, 28 March. 'To verify this, they attended the club and found it closed. Checks were made around the building to make sure no-one was inside. 'It is normal to send several units to a licensed premises if it is anticipated that there will be lots of people present, but on this occasion it turned out to be a false alarm made in good faith by a member of the public.' A spokesperson continued: 'Police officers are key workers with a critical role in protecting the public during the coronavirus situation, and whilst they do practice social distancing wherever possible, their role in responding to calls for service from the public, means it is not always possible.' It comes as police chiefs started encouraging Britons to snitch on neighbours they suspect of breaching the coronavirus lockdown. Humberside, West Midlands, Greater Manchester, and Avon and Somerset Police have created 'hotlines' and 'online portals' where people can submit tip-offs. Video published online by Hot Water Comedy Club shows officers storming up to the Hardman Street premises last night after 9.30pm They ring the doorbell and bang on the door of the venue after receiving a tip-off that Hot Water Comedy Club was hosting a live performance But it later emerged that Hot Water Comedy Club was not open, and had been airing a rerun online that evening originally performed on March 7 If citizens believe neighbours are violating lockdown rules, they can fill out an online form to report supposed infractions to police. They can provide officers with the address, date, and time of the alleged incident. It follows a surge in the number of calls to the non-emergency 101 number since the PM imposed the most drastic curtailment of civil liberties in UK history. Yesterday, 260 people who tested positive for the coronavirus died, bringing the total number of people dying with Covid-19 to 1,019. In another day of coronavirus developments: People mostly avoided cherry blossom-viewing spots in Osaka, western Japan, on Sunday. The Osaka governor has urged people in the prefecture to stay at home this weekend to stop the spread of the coronavirus. In Osaka Castle Park, signs warned people not to hold parties. A few visitors wearing face masks looked at the cherry blossoms while taking a stroll. A local resident in his 70s said he decided to go for a walk because he thinks it isn't good for his health to remain indoors. He added that he usually spreads a plastic sheet under the cherry trees to view the flowers, and he feels sad he cannot do that this year. Another man in his 70s said he is considering closing his electrical appliance store in Osaka City, as sales have plunged this month. He said he wanted to see the cherry blossoms because staying at home makes him feel depressed. People crowding fair price shops for collection of rations free of cost and jobless migrant workers marching on way back their homes ignoring the social distancing norms have increased the risk of the spread of coronavirus infection, feared officials and health workers on Sunday. Kota District Supply Officer Surendra Rathore said various fair price shops of the government were slated to start the distribution of ration from 2 pm on Sunday amid the presence of police to control the crowd and make people stick to the social distancing norm. But people in several places in the city began crowding ration shops since early morning itself, ignoring the social distancing norm, accentuating the risk of the spread of the virus, he said. Several places in Hadouti area, ration dealers began distribution of wheat from 10 am itself, Circle Inspector Laxman Singh of Jhalwar police station said. This obviously has led to the increase of the risk of contamination, he said. Singh, however, added that the policemen in his area are taking up strict measures to ensure one meter distance among the people queuing up before rations shops. Meanwhile, groups of migrant workers pouring into Kota and other cities in the state have further led to the rise of the risk, said medical workers. A group of around 20 migrant workers, including Ramesh and his brother, who worked in a textile unit in Ahmedabad, was spotted heading to their village Talera in Bundi district. They had reached Bundi, covering the entire distance from Ahemdabad on foot, said Ramesh, adding none of the members of his group was screened anywhere on the way. Another youth of a separate group on the same road had reached Bundi from Neemuch city in Madhya Pradesh on Sunday morning and were heading to Swaimadhopur to travel to Agra in Uttar Pradesh. They are natives of Agra district, but had somehow reached Bundi and were now heading to Swaimadhopur with the hope of getting some transport to Agra, a member of the group said. The group members said they too were not medically examined or screened anywhere on their way. "Social distancing has totally flopped in last two days. It is unfortunate that the social distancing norm, the only hope to break the chain of infection, is being practised," a medical officer said on condition of anonymity. "The queues at registration counters, ration shops, grocery shops and gatherings in vegetable markets are still present. It is raising the risk whole community getting infected with coronavirus," the medical officer feared. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Video footage showed a huge plume of smoke rising into the night sky as fire crews doused the fuselage with foam. A medical evacuation plane exploded in a ball of flames during the takeoff in the Philippine capital, Manila, on Sunday, killing all eight passengers and crew on board. The Lion Air plane bound from Manila to Haneda, Japan burst into flames at the end of the runway at about 8pm (12:00 GMT), the capitals main airport said. Video footage showed a huge plume of smoke rising into the night sky as fire crews doused the fuselage with foam. The twin-jet West Wind 24 was carrying three medical personnel, three flight crew, a patient and a companion, Richard Gordon, a senator and head of the Philippine Red Cross, said on Twitter. Manila airport general manager Ed Monreal told a news conference two of the eight on board were foreigners one American and one Canadian and the rest were Filipinos. There were no survivors, Monreal said. An investigation by the Civil Aeronautics Authority of the Philippines was under way, the Manila International Airport said in a statement. Most passenger aircraft at the airport have been grounded for weeks since the government put Manila and the rest of the main Philippine island of Luzon under lockdown to fight the spread of the novel coronavirus. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Kirk Cameron calls for 30 days of prayer to strengthen faith during global pandemic Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Popular actor Kirk Cameron launched a prayer initiative called 30 Days Faith Strong to help believers refocus their thoughts on God while the nation is in quarantine due to the coronavirus pandemic. Join me in prayer to strengthen your faith and send fear running as we appeal to Heaven together with intensity and intentionality for the next 30 days, he told his followers on social media. The Growing Pains star, who is an outspoken Christian, posted a video on Instagram urging people to have faith in a God who loves us, faith in a God who will guide and direct us and faith in a God who will restore us, knowing that He will guide us and shape us and refocus us through this." "He'll reformat our society and He will transform our hearts and minds through it, If we allow Him to do that, Cameron continued. That's what I want. I want God to reformat my thinking during this time and I think that we can do that through intense and intentional prayer. The actor asked others to join him in prayer for the next 30 days. I want to pray today against the spirit of fear and I want to pray for our president and the governors of the states and all those who are making important decisions for our nation. I want to pray for the elderly and those who are most vulnerable, he said. Fear you are not welcome, you are not going to set up a residence in my mind, you have no incubator in our imagination. You're not welcome here. There's no room for fear in our minds in our hearts in Jesus name go, leave. The Fireproof actor is not the only one who is challenging believers to pray in this season. The organization We Pray 24/7 partnered with churches around the world, including the Rock Church, Flood Church, and Life Church, to call people to pray for 15 minutes a day for 90 days. The organization has cited 2 Chronicles 7:14 in their mission statement, which says, If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. We Pray 24/7s goal is to call on the presence of God together. NASA is examining how its facilities and employees can help with the novel coronavirus pandemic. The supercomputing capacity at NASAs Ames Research Center in California has been opened to COVID-19 researchers looking for treatments or vaccines. Houstons Johnson Space Center will help create an agency-wide challenge for employees to submit ideas on how NASA could help address the pandemic. This is why all of us love working at NASA, the agencys administrator Jim Bridenstine said earlier this week. Because we really do have an absolute can-do spirit, and we want to do the things that are going to help this nation the most. On HoustonChronicle.com: Coronavirus pandemic puts pressure on time-sensitive space missions Bridenstine hosted a virtual Ask the Administrator session on Wednesday to answer workers questions about COVID-19. NASA Associate Administrator Steve Jurczyk and NASA Chief Health and Medical Officer Dr. JD Polk also answered questions. The first question was on ventilators and if NASA could rapidly design, test and manufacture large ventilators that would simultaneously support multiple patients. Jurczyk said NASA is discussing with the White House and other federal agencies ways to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak. Polk added that such meetings might identify ways to help other than just building ventilators. Maybe itd be better to assist companies already building ventilators by, for example, using 3D printers to make parts that are in short supply for ventilator manufacturers. This is on the minds of a lot of people at the agency, Bridenstine said. NASA is involved in providing solution sets for the nation, and we will be more and more involved as days go on because we do have an extremely talented, very bright workforce and a lot of capabilities that can help. Polk also addressed a question on whether NASA could donate some of the personal protective equipment its employees use in clean rooms, such as masks and gloves. NASA orders its PPE in a just-in-time basis, Polk said, so there is no massive stockpile that would provide supplies to donate. Also, the agency is still using its protective equipment as it continues working on some critical missions. In some cases, NASA has had to send PPE from one center to another to support its work. However, Polk said the agencys legal department and others are looking at how NASA would donate any extra equipment the agency might have and make sure its the proper PPE to protect against COVID-19. Ultimately, Bridenstine had an overarching message: NASA wants its employees and government contractors employees to feel safe. Its striving to create an environment where people who arent telecommuting, working in NASA facilities on mission-essential tasks, feel as safe as they would working from home. On HoustonChronicle.com: Space industry has one advantage in coronavirus downturn: government customers He also sought to inspire the workforce. Lets not get caught up in these times that seem dark, Bridenstine said. Lets start thinking about what the future looks like because the future is going to be bright. And when were on the back side of the curve and NASA is doing amazing things, all of America will be very proud of us. andrea.leinfelder@chron.com twitter.com/a_leinfelder Elecricity to homes in the area is affected and Oldham Road closed in both directions A large fire ripped through a former mill building in Manchester in the early hours of Sunday. Firefighters were called to Morton Mill in Failsworth at 5.22am to tackle the blaze which was believed to have started over an hour before. The roof and several boarded windows have been burnt out, with huge flames still visible two hours after the call out. Firefighters were called to Morton Mill in Failsworth at 5.22am to tackle the blaze which was believed to have started over an hour before The roof and several boarded windows have been burnt out, with huge flames still visible two hours after the call out There are currently eight fire engines, two aerial appliances and a hose layer on scene in response to the emergency. Crews are tackling the 50 metre by 50 metre incident in five sectors, using jets on the ground and aerial appliances to put out the flames from above. Electricity to a number of local properties has been affected, with some home and businesses currently without power. Residents are being asked to avoid the area and A62 Oldham Road is closed in both directions between Broadway and Droylsden Road. There are currently eight fire engines, two aerial appliances and a hose layer on scene in response to the emergency Greater Manchester Police told MailOnline that enquiries into the cause of the blaze are ongoing Group Manager Steve Jordan said: 'I want to praise the work of our firefighters who are working extremely hard to extinguish this fire and are expected to remain at this incident for a number of hours. 'We are working closely with a number of partners and Id also like to thank them for their hard work in supporting GMFRS. 'I want to reassure local people that although there is a lot of smoke in the area and we are asking nearby residents to keep windows and doors closed, we are continuing to do everything we can to bring this fire fully under control.' Group Manager Steve Jordan said: 'I want to praise the work of our firefighters who are working extremely hard to extinguish this fire and are expected to remain at this incident for a number of hours The mill is home to a few different businesses, including Community Fitness gym which had been closed in response to the coronavirus pandemic. A spokesperson said: 'The fire has been going a few hours it's not looking good for anything being saved. 'Community Fitness would like to send our thoughts out to everyone who operates from the mill, this will effect a lot of people. 'Utterly heartbreaking news to wake up to. 'We only know that much for now but have left our details with the police so as we find out more we will let everyone know.' Greater Manchester Police told MailOnline that enquiries into the cause of the blaze are ongoing. Pakistan has over 12,000 suspected COVID-19 cases, a top health official said on Saturday as the confirmed infections reached 1,495 with the Punjab province emerging as the new epicentre of the deadly disease in the country. Advisor on health to the government Zafar Mirza was addressing a daily briefing to inform the magnitude of infection and measures taken to combat coronavirus pandemic. There are currently 12,218 suspected COVID-19 patients in the country, he said. Most of the infected people had returned from Iran, where the confirmed cases are over 30,000 with more than 2,300 deaths. The confirmed coronavirus cases include 557 in Punjab, 469 in Sindh, 188 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 133 in Balochistan, 107 in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), 39 in Islamabad and 2 in Pakistan occupied Kashmir, the Ministry of Health said. So far 12 people have died of the disease, 25 recovered and 7 were in critical condition. Punjab is emerging as the new epicentre of the deadly viral infection in the country. Of the 490 cases in the province, the highest number of 207 were reported from Dera Ghazi Khan district. Punjab chief minister Usman Buzdar tweeted that a 22-year-old COVID-19 patient died in Faisalabad, taking the total number of deaths due to the disease in the province to five. In Islamabad, at least 30 doctors of the Polyclinic Hospital were quarantined after one of them was tested positive. Mirza also said that everyone having minor symptoms of virus were needed to undergo the coronavirus test. PCR (Polymerase Chain Traction) test is considered the most authentic in the world and there are 14 Labs in the country authorised to carry out this test, he said. Mirza said that the ratio of death in Pakistan was 0.78 per cent which was far below than many other countries. Moeed Yusuf, advisor on security, said that the country's air traffic would remain suspended until April 4. We have also suspended the outgoing flight from tomorrow until April 4, he said. He said with the arrival of a flight tonight bringing passengers from Bangkok, the process of repatriation of all stranded Pakistanis would be complete. Yusuf said that air traffic will be gradually reopened after April 4 after putting in place on ground the necessary infrastructure to screen and check every incoming passenger. He also said that the eastern (with India) and western borders (with Iran and Afghanistan) will remain closed for two more weeks. Chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Lt. Gen. Muhammad Afzal said that number of testing laboratories would be increased gradually to 50 in coming weeks. He said that more testing kits and protective gear was being imported from China and the deficiency of ventilators would also be met soon. Police sealed the headquarters of the Tableeghi Jamaat in Hyderabad city of Sindh after one of its members was tested positive. Senior Superintendent of Police, Hyderabad, Adeel Chandio confirmed that the entire mosque had been placed under quarantine and that no one is allowed to come out. Mirza also said that a team of eight Chinese doctors will arrive in Pakistan to review the steps taken by the government to fight the coronavirus outbreak and they will share their experience with local doctors. The government will fully benefit from the experience of Chinese doctors, he said. Meanwhile, Senator Faisal Javed Khan, who is very close to Prime Minister Imran Khan, denied news reports surrounding the premier's health. News regarding PM Imran Khan tested positive for #Covid19 is NOT True. Please refrain from spreading Fake News, he tweeted. As government urged clerics to stop congregation in mosques, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman asked people to follow guidelines of medical experts. When doctors recommend that people should take maximum precautionary measures and not go near affected people, then people are bound to abide by these guidelines and follow instructions of the district administration in this regard, he told media. Police on Saturday arrested four clerics and booked 15 others in Punjab and Sindh provinces for violating lockdown rules and holding Friday congregations despite a fatwa issued by a top global Islamic body to suspend them to contain the spread of the deadly novel coronavirus. Also, the interior ministry announced an easy procedure for the already registered international non-governmental organisations if they wanted to help the government in the fight against the deadly virus. They will get permission by following the guidelines. Earlier, Pakistan had made a tough law for the international non-governmental organisations to operate in Pakistan. Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund said it would consider Islamabad's request for financial assistance to control the adverse impact of the coronavirus on its economy. Our team is working expeditiously to respond to this request so that a proposal can be considered by the IMF's executive board as soon as possible, said IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva in a statement. According to officials, cash-strapped Pakistan is looking to get new loans from the international agencies to support its economy hit badly by the coronavirus pandemic. The pictures have popped up on social media since social distancing became a necessity to battle to spread of the coronavirus. Groups of neighborhood dads or moms spread out in a circle, drinking beer or wine in the street. A gaggle of teenagers sitting atop their parked cars, hanging out apart from each other. A pair of fishermen standing more than six feet apart in a shallow river. Those precautions are all in the name of preventing the spread of the respiratory virus within New Jersey and the United States. But to practice true social distancing, those gatherings shouldnt happen at all, according to one health expert. Dr. Maria Ciminelli, the president of the New Jersey Academy of Family Physicians and director of the CentraState Family Medicine Residency Program, said guidelines for people to remain six feet apart are meant only for those essential trips outside the home. Any extended, unnecessary contact with people, even six feet apart, violates the spirit of the precautions. If youre going to practice intense social distancing, it really means avoiding or limiting contact with people outside of your family, and really staying home most of the time, unless you really need to go out, Ciminelli said. But any prolonged kind of engagement outside is really still not social distancing, having that prolonged contact with people that are not in your family." Ciminelli said the six-feet rule is for when people need to leave their homes for essential reasons, such as running to the store for groceries, or going on a run or walk for the good of physical and mental health. Maintaining a safe distance from other people while outside the home is essential, but the effect is lost when meeting up with non-family members for a longer period of time. Having the six feet distance is certainly whats necessary, but doing that in a prolonged setting is not intense social distancing, she said. And right now, we kind of need to do that. We see the numbers of infection still continue to grow, and well probably continue to see that for some time, especially now that were getting more testing done. Cases of the coronavirus in New Jersey have continued to spike, jumping to 8,825 on Friday after Gov. Phil Murphy announced 1,982 new positive tests. Ciminelli hasnt been surprised by the continued climb of cases, even with social distancing practices put in place. But people still need to continue the practice to help that growth hit its peak. Usually it takes a few weeks of good social distancing to really start seeing the term youre hearing everywhere, the flattening of the curve, she said. To start seeing the decrease and not more exponential growth of infected numbers. MORE ON CORONAVIRUS Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources Parties, celebrations now banned in Onondaga County over coronavirus; ignoring order is a crime Coronavirus: CDC urges NY residents to avoid non-essential travel for 14 days Domestic violence amid coronavirus: Stuck inside, victims get no reprieve from abuse Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 11:21:59|Editor: zyl Video Player Close This image taken with a mobile phone on March 28, 2020 shows passengers waiting for flight check-in at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, the United States. U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday he asked the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to issue travel advisory for the states of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, scaling back from an earlier suggestion to impose quarantine on those areas. (Xinhua) WASHINGTON, March 28 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday he asked the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to issue travel advisory for the states of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, scaling back from an earlier suggestion to impose quarantine on those areas. "On the recommendation of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, and upon consultation with the Governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, I have asked the @CDCgov to issue a strong Travel Advisory, to be administered by the Governors, in consultation with the Federal Government," Trump tweeted. "A quarantine will not be necessary," he added. "Full details will be released by CDC tonight." The announcement came as the COVID-19 outbreak continued to exacerbate in the United States, with New York State having 52,318 confirmed cases -- according to heath authorities in the state -- accounting for nearly half of the over 120,000 cases nationwide. The CDC later posted the travel advisory for on its website, urging residents of the three states "to refrain from non-essential domestic travel for 14 days effective immediately." "This Domestic Travel Advisory does not apply to employees of critical infrastructure industries, including but not limited to trucking, public health professionals, financial services, and food supply," it said. "These employees of critical infrastructure, as defined by the Department of Homeland Security have a special responsibility to maintain normal work schedule." Earlier in the day, Trump said he was considering a 14-day quarantine for New York, "probably New Jersey, certain parts of Connecticut," adding the measure might not have to be taken, but "there's a possibility." Dozens of prisoners broke furniture and smashed windows during a riot in a Thai jail on Sunday sparked by fears of a coronavirus outbreak in the facility. During the violence some convicts escaped from the Buriram prison where 2,000 are held, the justice ministry said. Seven have been arrested. Local media showed footage of black smoke billowing from the facility in the country's northeast. "There was a group of prisoners trying to escape and were creating chaos... which included burning down some facilities inside," said Narat Sawetana, director general of the Corrections Department. Mental health workers have been deployed to talk to prisoners "after some rumours were spread" about a COVID-19 outbreak in the prison, Major General Akkaradej Pimonsri said. "The situation is under control," he added. Thailand has recorded 1,388 cases of the coronavirus, including seven deaths. At least two prisoners in the country have caught the highly contagious virus. In a bid to prevent an outbreak in jails, authorities have banned visitors and are quarantining new inmates for 14 days. Similar panic over the coronavirus sparked a prison riot in the Colombian capital of Bogota last Sunday that killed 23 inmates. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A municipal worker disinfects an embankment fence in Moscow on March 28, 2020, in front of the building of the Moscow State University, as the city attempts to curb the spread of the COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP virus. (Alexander Nemenov/AFP via Getty Images) Russia to Close Borders as CCP Virus Cases Rise to 1,500 Russia will close its borders beginning March 30 in a bid to curb the spread of the CCP virus. The measure affects all vehicle, rail, and pedestrian checkpoints, and applies to Russias maritime borders. Freight truck drivers, river vessel operators, diplomats, and certain others are exempt from the closure. The country had already grounded all international flights days earlier. Russia reported a total 1,534 COVID-19 cases on March 29, a record one-day rise. The death toll in the country doubled to eight in 24 hours as the disease has spread to every region of the country, although the vast majority of cases are concentrated in Moscow. More than 182,000 people in Russia are under medical supervision and are suspected of being infected with the CCP virus, according to the nations sanitary watchdog. The country has tested more than 273,000 people as of March 28, state news agency TASS reported, citing the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing. Earlier in the week, Russian President Vladimir Putin asked Russians to stay home for one week, but stopped short of ordering a formal lockdown. The head of Russias Orthodox Church on March 29 asked believers to stay home and away from churches. Patriarch Kirill urged people to adhere strictly to authorities instructions before someone dies in our families, according to Russian news agency RIA. Orthodox services went ahead, including one led by the patriarch. In Moscow, which has more than 1,000 cases, the citys mayor ordered the closing of all bars, restaurants, and shops. Cars with mounted loudspeakers drove around the city center and blared pre-recorded warnings about social distancing and the temporary closure of parks, according to Interfax. The citys municipal service center sent out mass text message alerts asking the residents to stay home until April 5. Similar measures are in place in other regions. In the Karelia region in the northwest, the governor halted all public transport until April 4. In the city of Ivanovo, police are questioning locals who walk on the streets about their destination. In the Northern Caucasus republic of Chechnya, the local airport only permits incoming passengers from Russia who have permits to live in the region. At least four Russian federal government officials in Moscow are allegedly infected by the CCP virus, unnamed sources told BBC Russia. The independent Dozhd television channel also reported on a suspected case of an official who became infected. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. Russias comparatively low number of cases given its size and shared border with China has raised questions and doubts about the veracity of official statistics. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin told Putin on March 24 that the low number could reflect insufficient screening rather than the actual scale of the outbreak and said the situation was serious. Kremlin critics have accused the authorities of manipulating coronavirus statistics to ram the constitutional vote through at any costallegations the government has rejected. The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report. Chinese paramilitary police officers wear protective masks as they secure an area at Daxing international airport in Beijing on Feb. 14, 2020. (Nicolas Asfouri/AFP via Getty Images) US Global Center on Propaganda Pivots to Address COVID-19 Disinformation Foreign actorsnamely China, Russia, and Iranhave been using the global pandemic to exploit the information space for harmful purposes, according to the top official with the Global Engagement Center (GEC), which is dedicated to exposing and countering disinformation. At a recent on-the-record briefing, special envoy and GEC coordinator Lea Gabrielle, said the U.S. State Department agency has tracked narratives promoted by the three countries about the virus since January. One of its main responsibilities is to keep the State Departments leadership informed on the international information landscape. Gabrielle spoke at length about the disinformation campaign launched by the Chinese Communist Party. She said the center has monitored Chinas malign disinformation efforts to falsely blame the United States as the origin of the CCP virus, and their efforts to paint a picture of the CCPs supremacy in handling the health crisis. What weve seen is the CCP mobilizing its global messaging apparatus, which includes state media as well as Chinese diplomats, to push out selected and localized versions of the same overarching false narratives, she said during a March 27 teleconference. I will say that the information space is ever-evolving, she said, referring to Beijings disinformation efforts. Its been very fluid, and Chinas approach to it has been, as well. One aspect the GEC is continuing to note and assess is that they are seeing Russian, Chinese, and Iranian state information operations converging around the same disinformation narrative themes about COVID-19, according to Gabrielle. Internal government documents obtained by The Epoch Times have highlighted how the Chinese regime purposefully underreported cases of the CCP virus and censored discussions of the outbreak, helping to fuel the spread of the disease. In one recent case, the GEC assessed false narratives in Africa being pushed by Chinese officials. They found these narratives received mostly negative reactions and then they virtually died back down, so instead, CCP officials shifted their game. She said the team is able to analyze changing narratives through a number of different data science tools. Between Jan. 1 and March 18, the GEC collected and analyzed social media posts from dozens of official Chinese government and diplomatic accounts in Africa. Initially, they found all accounts were silent about the CCP virus, but by the end of the period, about 60 percent of posts were related to the discussion of COVID-19. We had seen China focusing on four prominent narratives from our analysis in Africa, she said. One was Chinas successful containment of the virus. A second was calls for international collaboration. A third was the World Health Organizations praise of China. And a fourth was Chinas economic resilience. She noted that anti-U.S. Twitter posts counted as only a tiny part of the overall posts and that they performed poorly to African audiences who essentially rejected the claims that coronavirus had originated in the U.S. African audiences were also rejecting claims that the term Chinese virus was a racist reference, so CCP officials moved away from this and refocused on the praising Chinas actions narrative. Were also seeing something similar in the Western Hemisphere, Gabrielle said, referring to the changing nature of disinformation campaigns. In Italy, Peoples Republic of China (PRC) officials have also shifted their narratives to better adapt to different audiences. In the Western Hemisphere, CCP virus related topics account for about half of the content pushed by official Chinese accounts she said. PRC officials have become really active and are showing concerted efforts to systematically cater their messages to global audiences using hashtags, increasing their social media followers to convince people that theyre acting responsibly, rather, and providing aid, she said. Hashtags and social media have been key tools in the propaganda kit utilized by the CCP. In recent weeks, state-run media Xinhua News has promoted the hashtags #Trumpandemic and #TrumpVirus on its news posts on both Twitter and Facebook. A Beijing-based commentator told the state-run Global Times that the term Trump pandemic is not only vivid but also very accurate. The Epoch Times reached out to the State Department for additional comment on Chinas disinformation campaign; a spokesperson declined to comment. Citizens in China, meanwhile, dont have access to social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook and are fed a constant stream of propaganda by the communist regime there. To combat the barrage of false narratives coming from different state actors, the U.S. government has launched a number of initiatives, according to Gabrielle, including public messaging at home and overseas, diplomatic engagement, and promotion of fact-based information to local audiences. The Epoch Times previously reported on U.S. officials becoming more vocal on social media in addressing Chinas disinformation push and how federal agencies are ramping up efforts by setting up new websites to separate fact from fiction. At the briefing, a reporter also asked about the extent to which the GEC was working with private tech companies to combat these narratives. Gabrielle said they have a technology engagement team who work with different companies and social media platforms, but added that countering disinformation takes a variety of approaches. Depending on the situation, theres just no cookie-cutter approach. We have to look at each situation individually and figure out what the best practices are, she said. Tech companies are looking at their specific platforms But our data scientists are looking at the entire disinformation ecosystem. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mishandling of the epidemic, which started in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. Although the narratives pushed by the CCP can change quickly, the goals are the same: to deflect responsibility over its botched handling of the CCP virus and to portray an image that it has successfully contained the outbreak. I think that it is really sad to see state actors taking advantage of a global health crisis to try to push their own agendas, Gabrielle said. I think a very important part of decreasing the vulnerability of audiences is by making them aware of how a disinformation environment can be manipulated. The picture shows the comprehensive supply ship Kekexili Lake (Hull 968) attached to the North China Sea Fleet under the PLA Navy. By Li Yinchuan QINGDAO, Mar. 26 --On the afternoon of March 25, the 33rd escort taskforce of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, consisting of the guided-missile destroyer Xining (Hull 117), the guided-missile frigate Weifang (Hull 550), and the comprehensive supply ship Kekexili Lake (Hull 968), returned to a military port in Qingdao after successfully completing its escort missions in the Gulf of Aden. On August 29, 2019, the 33rd Chinese naval escort taskforce set sail for the Gulf of Aden and the waters off Somalia to perform escort missions. The taskforce has consecutively worked for 210 days and escorted 24 batches of 41 ships from China and other countries, ensuring the safety of the escorted ships and the taskforce itself. During the missions, the taskforce took part in the Multinational Maritime Exercise with Russia and South Africa, which enhanced the friendship and military cooperation between the three countries, demonstrating the determination of all parties to work together to address maritime threats and challenges and maintaining maritime security. On its journey home, the taskforce also made visits to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bangladesh, and Thailand, fully demonstrating the good image of the PLA and helping strengthen and develop the friendly relations with relevant countries. A 51-year-old man has been charged with rape and a range of other child sex offences. The accused faces two counts of rape as well as charges of threats to kill; attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming; causing a child to watch a sexual act; and sexual communication with a child. Hyderabad: Over the past week, the state government has been sending messages with website links to people who have entered the country after March 15, asking them to enter their name, address and country of travel. The website also requires the people to submit a selfie. The message asks the persons to upload their symptoms and pre-existing health conditions everyday. The website service is being provided to the government by IIT-Hyderabad. Some users who got these messages said they were not sure of the safety of their data. Sai (name changed), who had recently returned from Japan and received the message, said, Each of us gets a unique hyperlink in the text message. This hyperlink does not need any authentication for users to access the portal. All you need to do is click on it to reach my account on the portal. Hence, anyone with the particular link can access Sais address and other health details regularly. The users are also wary of submitting their photographs to the link. IT secretary Jayesh Ranjan said the website is an essential tool for officials to track people who had returned from abroad. He said the website service was similar to the one being used to disburse pensions using facial recognition in the state. The pension app performs facial recognition to authenticate the user. In this case, the website only wants to see the user is uploading or taking a real selfie. This allows us to be sure of its authenticity, he said. Two people tested positive for coronavirus in Rajasthan on Sunday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 56, an official said. One of them is a 53-year-old woman with a heart problem who visited a private hospital in Bhilwara where some doctors and nursing staff had tested positive. The other person is a 21-year-old man, a resident of Jhunjhunu district, he said. The Jhunjhunu resident had returned from Philippines on March 18. He first arrived in Delhi and hired a taxi from there, the official said. The man was in a quarantine facility and developed symptoms on March 26. He tested positive on Sunday, Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Rohit Kumar Singh said. He added that the total number of coronavirus positive patients in the state has risen to 56. Rajasthan is under lockdown since March 22. Massive survey and screening is underway. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday created a micro donation fund so that citizens from any walks of life can contribute any amount they can to fight the Covid-19 outbreak that has gripped the nation. "People from all walks of life expressed their desire to donate to India's war against Covid-19. Respecting that spirit, the Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund has been constituted. This will go a long way in creating a healthier India," the Prime Minister tweeted. Making an appeal to the citizens of the country, he requested for contributions to the PM-CARES Fund. "This Fund will also cater to similar distressing situations, if they occur in the times ahead. This link has all important details about the fund," he added. Giving the mode of payments which can be used through debit or credit cards or even mobile wallets, the Prime Minister said, "The PM-CARES Fund accepts micro-donations too. It will strengthen disaster management capacities and encourage research on protecting citizens. Let us leave no stone unturned to make India healthier and more prosperous for our future generations." One of the first respondents to the Prime Minister's initiatives was cine star Akshay Kumar. Within minutes of Modi's appeal, Kumar pledged to contribute Rs 25 crore to the PM-CARES Fund. The coronavirus outbreak has already infected over 900 people in the country besides claiming 19 lives. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 20:42:00|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BAGHDAD, March 29 (Xinhua) -- The international coalition forces, tasked with fighting the Islamic State (IS) militant group, withdrew on Sunday from the K1 military base in Iraq's northern province of Kirkuk. "The Iraqi forces took over the K1 base from the international coalition forces in the presence of the representative of the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi forces and other military commanders in the province," an Iraqi army officer told Xinhua on condition of anonymity. "The international coalition forces had departed the base and the K1 base now is under full control of the Iraqi forces," the office said. On the other side, a U.S.-led coalition spokesman said in a tweet that the troops departed the compound inside K1 airbase in coordination with the Iraqi government, asserting that the coalition troops will support Iraq from fewer places with fewer troops. The military base is the third that Iraq has received from the international coalition forces in March after the coalition forces withdrew from the military bases of al-Qaim in western Iraq and al-Qayyara in northern the country. On Jan. 5, the Iraqi parliament passed a resolution requiring the government to end the presence of foreign forces in Iraq, just two days after a U.S. drone strike on a convoy at Baghdad airport, which killed Qassem Soleimani, former commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Revolution Guards Corps. Over 5,000 U.S. troops have been deployed in Iraq to support Iraqi forces in battles against the IS, mainly for training and advisory purposes. The troops were part of the U.S.-led international coalition that has also been conducting air raids against IS targets in both Iraq and Syria. In the nine years since Taniguchi Yoshitada first opened his restaurant in Shanghai the biggest challenge he had to face was a wave of anti-Japanese protests, but now the Covid-19 outbreak is threatening to deal his business the same blow. After the start of the protests in 2012 protests, triggered when the Japanese government bought the disputed Diaoyu Islands, he saw his revenues plunge and on some days he would only see a single customer. Although most of his customers were members of the local Japanese community, they tended to stay inside as a wave of anti-Japanese sentiment swept the country. Now the epidemic has had a similar impact. Although restaurants in the city were allowed to stay open throughout the outbreak, most took a serious hit as people stayed at home and avoided public areas. Most of my guests are Japanese executives who host their clients in my restaurant. Almost all of those events are cancelled, he said. Even so, Taniguchi, a 50-year-old native of Shiga county, said he will not give up on his restaurant, located on the first floor of an obscure residential building in the Hongqiao area, joking that my customers and staff are more important than my wife and kids. Shanghai has one of the worlds largest populations of Japanese expatriates, with more than 40,000 living there as of October 2018, according to the Japanese foreign ministry. Nishihara Keisuke, who plays the sanshin, a traditional three-stringed instrument from Okinawa, said the epidemic had forced him to cancel all the gigs he had booked in February and March. Nishihara, 32, said he has stayed put China since the beginning of January after returning from a trip home to celebrate New Year. Nishihara Keisuke, pictured with his sanshin, has seen his gigs dry up. Photo: Handout He says he has not considered leaving China because he has a day job at an electrics company and a Chinese girlfriend. For some weeks, there were no masks available at the market. Its the most worrying thing for me, said Nishihara. Story continues I didnt feel scared when there was a Sars [severe acute respiratory syndrome] outbreak in China in 2003 and I believe China has experience in dealing with this kind of crisis, he added. I think if everyone follows the health protocols, it should be no problem. Jason Zeng, an assistant to the general manager of a major Japanese airlines office in Shanghai, said his company had been dealing with a lot of requests for refunds. In the past our company operated seven lines between Shanghai and Japan every day. In the past two months, our flights have been cut dramatically and our planes only fly [between Shanghai and Japan] every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, he said. His boss, who is in charge of the mainland China business usually travels frequently to Beijing and Guangzhou, but has had to stay in Shanghai in recent weeks because these cities require new arrivals to spend 14 days in quarantine. Japanese businessmen Ou Funki, 50, said many of his compatriots had yet to return to the city after returning home during Lunar New Year, including two mangers at the company, a textile manufacturer with branches in Shanghai, Suzhou and Japan, have yet to return to China. But my company hasnt decided to send my colleagues back to Shanghai due to Shanghais [previous] entry policy that all travellers from Japan must be isolated for 14 days and my company regarded it as inconvenient. China has since announced that it will ban almost all foreign visitors from entering the country. Ou said that over the past two months, he had stopped going to restaurants for lunch and instead had food delivered for him to eat in the office. I still dont feel assured, so I go to restaurants very occasionally these days, he said. Like a lot of Japanese living alone in Shanghai and living alone, I didnt cook for myself. But now we have to and its really troublesome. When he was preparing to return to Shanghai at the beginning of last month after spending a 10-day holiday in Japan, many of his friends asked him, Do you really need to go back to China? It is so dangerous there. Ou said although he shared their concern over the epidemic, he thought would be fine as long as he paid attention to hygiene and took precautions such as wearing masks and not going outside. He added: China has got the epidemic under control, but the situation in Japan is more serious. Purchase the China AI Report 2020 brought to you by SCMP Research and enjoy a 20% discount (original price US$400). This 60-page all new intelligence report gives you first-hand insights and analysis into the latest industry developments and intelligence about China AI. Get exclusive access to our webinars for continuous learning, and interact with China AI executives in live Q&A. Offer valid until 31 March 2020. This article Shanghais Japanese community count cost of coronavirus first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. Authorities are yet to trace the source of a 57-year-old railway employees infection almost a week after he became the first person to die of Covid-19 in West Bengal with officials maintaining that his case cannot be attributed to community transmission as he took a train from Chhattisgarh on March 2 and may have been infected in that state or the train. This case cannot be tagged as a community transmission. Even though the victim did not travel to any foreign country and did not have a traceable contact with anyone who has returned from abroad, he had a travel history. He had been to Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh and had returned to Kolkata on March 2. He boarded the Azad Hind Express, which originated from Pune in Maharashtra, said West Bengal health services director Ajay Chakraborty. We still do not know the source of his infection... he said. Maharasthra has the second highest number of Covid-19 cases in India, but the first was detected only on March 9, a week after the rail employee took the train that originated there. His family has doubts over whether he indeed died of Covid-19. My husband was perfectly okay until he fell ill and had to be admitted to a hospital...I would have surely contracted the disease. So would have his 80-year-old mother who stays with us. I do not believe the hospital reports, the 57-year-olds widow said. She is living in isolation. At least 300 people, including his colleagues and 13 families in Chattisgarh, have been asked to stay in home quarantine. Some of his relatives have been kept in isolation wards in Kolkata. As many as 15 positive Covid-19 cases have been detected in West Bengal; 13 of them had either travelled abroad or had come in contact with people who returned from foreign countries. Two persons, including the railway employee, have not had traceable contact with anyone who may have come from abroad. A Kerala couple who spent 21 days in a government medical college hospital fighting novel coronavirus infection, on Sunday hailed the medical care provided at the facility and said they were grateful to the doctors and nurses who brought them back to life. "All should cooperate with the government and the Health Department in the implementation of lockdown," said Robin from Chengalam in Kottayam district. He and his wife were discharged from the isolation facility of the Kottayam Medical College Hospital on March 25 after 21 days of treatment. They got the viral infection from the parents of Robin's wife came from Italy. "Follow everything the government and health authorities are telling you. They are working day in and day out to prevent the spread of the virus," Robin along with his wife, told various television channels from their home. He said he does not think that the COVID-19 disease is deadly. Sharing their experience within the four walls of the isolation facility of the Government medical college hospital, Robin showered praises on the nurses and doctors, saying they did such an amazing job instilling confidence in them. "Initially, we were scared because the newspapers and media were filled with stories of COVID-19 deaths from various countries. We could overcome from this mental trauma with the help of the doctors and nurses of the hospital," he said. He said the 21-day long stay at the hospital changed his perception about the government facilities in the state. "Our general thinking is that the government hospitals are having their own limitations. But that perception is proved wrong. We got world class treatment from the Kottayam Medical College hospital", he said. Robin said he was happy as his neighbours and friends with whom he had contacts were not transmitted the virus. He also said they felt sad when the people blamed his in-laws who came from Italy for spreading the virus in Ranni in Pathanamthitta district. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah, who was released Tuesday after 232 days in detention, has been sharing tips on surviving quarantine or a lockdown, drawing on his months of experience. His advises have been coming in the form of a tweet thread which he started on March 24. Fresh air really helped - deep breaths near an open window," Abdullah wrote in one of his tweets, as the country remained under a 21-day lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24 to check the spread of COVID-19. Abdullah was detained on the intervening night of August 4 and August 5 last year just before the government abrogated provisions of Article 370. He was released on March 24. On a lighter note if anyone wants tips on surviving quarantine or a lock down I have months of experience at my disposal, perhaps a blog is in order, he said in the first tweet on the matter on March 24. Encouraged by the response to this tweet, the former chief minister started sharing his experience. He asked people to establish a routine and try to stick to it. "In all the months I was in HNSJ (Hari Niwas Sub-Jail) I stuck to a routine as though it were carved in stone. The routine gave me a sense of purpose and stopped me feeling aimless or lost," he said. "Exercise, exercise, exercise. I can't emphasise this point enough....walking in the corridor, up and down the stairs or just endless burpees," he said, The former chief minister said there were a couple of mobile applications to help deal with anxiety. "...Otherwise just some soft music and deep breathing will help enormously. "Day 5 by now anxiety is a major problem. I never thought I'd feel claustrophobic or trapped in an open room but there were times I felt the same way as I remember feeling while being inserted in to a MRI machine, the National Conference vice president tweeted on Sunday. Meanwhile, he also urged the administration to "urgently intervene and find a balance between the necessary lockdown and the vital need to allow people to access essential supplies". "Hearing from various parts of Srinagar, probably true for other parts of JK as well. People are struggling to access essential supplies like vegetables, milk and medicines because of the way the lockdown is being enforced. He also said that while "announcing the lockdown the government should have ordered a complete moratorium on any evictions from residential properties. A lot of the people being forced to walk to their villages are doing so because their landlords are forcibly evicting them. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Superior Court of Alameda County on Friday announced the development of enhanced remote opportunities for essential services in response to COVID-19 health and safety efforts. On Friday, the court tested a video arraignment calendar in Department 105 at the Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse in Oakland. In-custody persons charged with misdemeanor offenses appeared in court via video broadcast from the Santa Rita Jail as the judge and court staff were present in the courthouse, according to a release by the Superior Court of Alameda. Attorneys from the District Attorney's Office, Public Defender's Office and private defense were able to participate from the courtroom and remotely. The court anticipates conducting a similar video arraignment on Wednesday, according to the release. It also announced that beginning Monday, Self-Help Center staff will have the ability to schedule one-on-one video appointments using the BlueJeans videoconferencing service. As of 1 p.m. Saturday, Contra Costa County had reported 168 confirmed COVID-19 coronavirus cases, and three deaths, according to the Contra Costa Health Services website. Those numbers are up from 151 cases and two deaths reported at 9:30 a.m. Saturday. It wasn't immediately known Saturday night the degree to which increased testing played a part in the higher number of cases. Two of the three reported deaths have come since Friday morning. Contra Costa County health officials have announced plans to prepare parts of at least two facilities - the former Los Medanos Community Hospital in Pittsburg and Alhambra High School in Martinez - for treatment of some county patients as a surge of COVID-19 patients is expected. No injuries were reported but a house in the 2400 block of Rosewood Drive in San Bruno was seriously damaged in a Saturday night fire, firefighters said. The blaze was reported at 8:35 p.m. Saturday. Thirty-eight firefighters from several departments - San Bruno Fire, Central County Fire, South San Francisco Fire, North County Fire and Colma Fire - fought the fire. The fire was knocked down by about 10:30 p.m., firefighters said, but at 10:55 p.m., crews were still on the scene. The Livermore Park and Recreation District's Board of Directors has declared a state of emergency to make it easier for the district to respond to the novel coronavirus outbreak. The board ratified the declaration at a special meeting Wednesday in response to the Alameda County Public Health Department confirming evidence of community transmission in the county. As of Saturday, Alameda County public health officials have confirmed 240 cases of the virus, including six deaths. The district has already closed its indoor and outdoor facilities and canceled its programs, classes, special events and after-school programs in an effort to prevent spreading the coronavirus. Residents are also encouraged to practice social distancing at Livermore's parks that remain open. In addition to keeping parks open at this time, the district will also continue providing Monday-through-Friday lunch service to seniors through its collaboration with Open Heart Kitchen. Lunches will be served "to-go" only. Information about the district and Livermore's parks and open areas can be found at larpd.org. The San Francisco Police Department is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of suspects in the unsolved April 2016 murder of Nicole Fitts, and the disappearance of her then-21/2-year-old daughter Arianna. On April 8, 2016 the body of Nicole Fitts was found buried in McLaren Park by San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department employees. That was three days after Nicole and Arianna were reported missing by family members. Police investigators determined that Arianna was last seen in February 2016 while in the care of her babysitters and her husband. Investigators from the SFPD Homicide Detail, in collaboration with the FBI, have been investigating ever since trying to find the child, police said. The Fitts family has been cooperative in providing information they have to help solve the case. In May 2016, Best Buy - Nicole's former employer - announced a $10,000 reward for information assisting in locating Arianna. Anyone with information on Arianna's whereabouts or the homicide of Nicole is asked to call the SFPD 24 Hour Tip Line at (415) 575-4444, or text a tip to TIP411 and begin the text message with SFPD. You may remain anonymous. A 29-year-old San Francisco man was arrested Friday afternoon on suspicion of following a teenage girl in his van and asking her questions, police said Saturday. David Paul Capwell was arrested in South San Francisco after a citizen in San Bruno called police at about 12:30 p.m. Friday to say a man in a white van was "actively following" a 17-year-old girl and a 3-year-old girl in the area of Oakmont and Valleywood drives and asking them how old they were. The man in the white van left the area once the witness, whom police said provided photos of the Chevrolet van and its license plate, confronted him. Officers conducted an area check and located the van a short time later at Westborough and Gellert boulevards in South San Francisco. Capwell was detained by officers and identified by the witness. He was found to be on parole and was subsequently arrested and booked into San Mateo County Jail on suspicion of harassing and annoying a minor. A short section of Las Lomas Drive in the unincorporated Monterey County community of Las Lomas was expected to be closed into Sunday morning after two utility poles and a transformer were knocked over by a pickup truck, the California Highway Patrol said. The accident was reported at 8:35 p.m. Saturday on Las Lomas between Sill and Thomas Streets in the community about four miles south of Watsonville, the CHP said. None of the occupants of the Ford F150 pickup was seriously injured. Sunday will see showers in the morning, then a chance a showers, with it becoming partly cloudy in the afternoon. Highs will be in the mid 50s to lower 60s. West winds will be 10 to 20 mph. Sunday night will be partly cloudy in the evening, then becoming mostly cloudy. Lows will be around 50. West winds will be 10 to 20 mph. Monday will be mostly cloudy in the morning, then becoming partly cloudy. Highs will be near 60. Southwest winds will be 5 to 10 mph. Copyright 2020 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. The test reports of a 40-year-old woman who died in Mumbai on Saturday have come out positive for coronavirus, taking the death toll of COVID-19 patients in Maharashtra to seven, a civic official said on Sunday. The woman was admitted to a civic hospital here on Saturday after she complained of severe respiratory distress, the official said. "She died on Saturday and her sample was sent for testing. The report came out positive for coronavirus. She is the seventh person who died of COVID-19 in the state," the official said. "The woman was complaining of breathlessness and chest pain since last three-four days. She was also suffering from hypertension," the official added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Published on 2020/03/29 | Source Travelers get their temperature checked at Jeju International Airport on Tuesday. /Yonhap Advertisement Airlines have recently seen a rebound in bookings on flights to Jeju Island after suffering a huge blow due to the coronavirus epidemic. Korean tourists have increasingly turned to the resort island, as they are unable to travel overseas due to entry restrictions in many countries. A growing number of families are also heading to Jeju to find respite as kindergartens and schools remain closed. Budget carrier Jin Air said on Wednesday that about 90 percent of seats on its flights from Gimpo to Jeju were filled last week, up 20 percentage points from the fourth week of February when the infections surged rapidly. Another budget carrier, Air Seoul, which decreased its flights to Jeju on weekends only, said its seats were almost booked out. Other carriers have also seen some recovery in the number of passengers. The Korea Civil Aviation Association said some 238,499 people either entered or departed Jeju last week, up about 20,000 from late February despite a drop in the number of flights to the island to 1,520 from 1,992. But the figures are still significantly lower than usual. The number of flights to and from Jeju in the third week of March last year was 90 percent higher than this year at 2,848. HEAL the body and spirit. The online sharing of a request for children to make get-well cards for patients admitted for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) gladdens the heart and reminds us of the need to share a quality that has become exceedingly rare recently: hope. On Friday, March 27, 2020, Kristine Leechiu-Tan posted on Bounce Back PH about the request of Dr. Nicole Perreras for kids to create handmade get well cards that the RITM plans to put on the breakfast tray for Covid-19 patients. The post, which directs parents and guardians to send the cards to the RITM address at Research Drive, Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang or scan and email the cards image to covidletters@gmail.com for the RITM to print and distribute, was instantly shared by netizens. One of them was Lynette, who shared Tans post with her friends on Messenger. Minutes later, Ruth, eight, of Yogyakarta, Indonesia but staying with her family in Quezon City under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), finished a card showing her hero, a doctor in green pants and pink shirt, surrounded by a nimbus of hearts and her message: Dear Patient: get well soon! stay healthy. Two days after Perreras call, Facebook users on Sunday were greeted by uplifting images of the cards drawn by children and sent by their families to RITM patients. Other photos showed the young artists engrossed in drawing and coloring their cards. Other youngsters expressed positivity differently. At Consolacion, Apollo, 11, played on the piano the Beetles song, Let It Be, which opens with these lines: When I find myself in times of trouble/ Mother Mary comes to me/ Speaking words of wisdom, let it be. Young creatives are showing how art can heal the world. Producing face shields that are part of the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) protecting frontline health workers, the Philippine FabLab Network encouraged citizens to coordinate with the nearest digital fabrication laboratory (fablab) to continue the production of face shields, of which 5,655 pieces were produced as of March 27. Story continues A workshop that uses the principles of art and product design, as well as the tools of new media, to innovate and create almost anything, fablabs are located from Ilocos Region down to Davao and Zamboanga Peninsula, posted the University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu FabLab on Facebook. Aiming to continue distributing face shields to Cebu hospitals, the UP Cebu Educational and Research Foundation Inc. accepts donations coursed through its BPI, GCash and PayPal accounts, as well as materials brought to the UP Cebu Lahug campus. Details are posted on the Fablab UP Cebu Facebook page. Artists, art gallery owners and the Arts Council of Cebu are holding an online art auction of works donated by artists. The entire proceeds of the auction will be turned over to the UP Cebu Educational and Research Foundation Inc. for the UP Cebu Fablab production of face shields and other PPEs. Communication, Art and Design Dean professor Palmy Marinel Pe-Tudtud said the Fablab team is working to produce PPE suits with local dressmakers. The undertaking aims also to help the women earn and provide for their families. Under the ECQ, members of the informal economy, which rely on daily earnings, count among the most vulnerable in the community. Called Art to the Front, the online art auction reached P556,000, as of March 29. Details are posted on the Facebook page of the Art to the Front. Even as different initiatives of artists, young and old, target Covid-19 patients and frontline health workers, their creations disseminate to the rest of us the essential messages of hope, sensitivity and empathy that, even in this seemingly darkest of periods, humanity can summon the best from within. Another 10 people have died of Covid-19 in Ireland. The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) has today, Sunday, March 29, been informed that 10 patients have died, 8 male and 2 female. Six of those deaths are located in the east of the country, three in the northwest of the country and one in the south. The median age of todays reported deaths is 77. There have now been 46 coronavirus-related deaths in Ireland. The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has been informed of 200 new confirmed cases of the diseae in Ireland, as at 1pm, Sunday 29 March. There are now 2,615 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Ireland. The number of cases diagnosed in County Kildare has risen to 61, an increase of five on yesterday's figure. Some 564 cases, or 26% of the total diagnosed, have been hospitalised, with 77 people admitted to ICU. 506 cases are associated with healthcare workers. Dr. Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, said: "Today, we are informed of a further 10 deaths. Our condolences are with the family and friends of all patients who have died as a result of Covid-19. While we continue to build our capacity for intensive care, our strategy remains to prevent people from needing intensive care in the first place. We know the virus will not survive if we prevent it from passing among ourselves. The enhanced restrictions announced on Friday aim to slow down and restrict the spread of the virus. We are asking everyone to embrace the new restrictions and follow public health advice to stay home and restrict your movements for the next two weeks. It is in all our hands to interrupt the spread of this virus. Dr Ronan Glynn, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, noted that attendance at blood donation clinics is permitted at this time. I welcome the measures taken by the Irish Blood Transfusion Board to implement social distancing at their clinics and to maintain the blood supply. 3,000 blood donations are needed every week to meet demand and the ready availability of this blood for transfusion is vital to the daily treatment of patients in our hospitals. By PTI NEW DELHI: The government on Sunday carried out a comprehensive review of the situation arising out of coronavirus pandemic including treatment of affected people, movement of thousands of migrant labourers and supplies of petroleum products and essential commodities across the country under the nation-wide lockdown. The review was conducted by a Group of Ministers headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and comprising several key members of the Union Cabinet including Home Home Minister Amit Shah, Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal. Government sources said the ministers deliberated on various arrangements put in place for effective implementation of the 21-day lockdown which began on midnight Tuesday and is aimed at checking the spread of the virus infection. The unabated exodus of migrant workers from big cities to their villages after being left jobless also figured prominently at the meeting, they said. The government took stock of the situation on a day the nationwide positive cases crossed the 1,000 mark with 28 people dead amid apprehensions that India may soon enter the community transmission stage of the pandemic. The meeting was also attended by Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar, Rural Development Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Zubin Irani, Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy The ministers were briefed about the situation including on availability and supply of essential commodities and medicines across the country by Home Secretary AK Bhalla Sources said the ministers were informed that the availability and supply of food and medicines have been satisfactory and no major issues are envisaged about their supply. Similarly, petroleum products are available in adequate quantities in all parts of the country and that government is ensuring that supplies for a minimum of 10 days are maintained. The ministers also reviewed movement of essential commodities by train, air and road to various parts of the country during the lockdown. The movement of cargo by three modes of transportation has been smooth and any issues that may arise locally will be resolved, said the sources. Union Minister Jitendra Singh said cargo flights will be used exclusively for transporting medical equipment and emergency goods, besides other essential items to the northeastern states The meeting was of the view that the movement of migrant labourers and their gathering at various state borders is a cause for concern. The government on Sunday ordered the sealing of state and district borders across the country in a bid to stop community transmission of coronavirus by migrant workers and warned that violators face 14-day quarantine their destinations. The government has asked the states to make arrangements for their shelter at temporary camps and to provide food to them. Only the movement of goods and of those involved in the delivery of essential services is allowed during the 21-day nationwide lockdown announced by Prime Minister Modi on March 24. States have been also told to ensure timely payment of wages to labourers at their place of work during the period of lockdown without any cut. By PTI CHANDIGARH: Punjab has not reported any fresh case of coronavirus in the last two days, officials said on Sunday. Out of the 977 samples tested so far, 749 were negative while reports of 190 still awaited, they said. The total number of positive cases stood at 38. Of this, 19 cases were reported from Nawanshahr, six each from Mohali and Hoshiarpur, five Jalandhar and one each from Amritsar and Ludhiana. A Nawanshahr patient died, while another was discharged from Amritsar hospital after his test report came negative. Two villages in Punjab have gone into complete self-quarantine, blocking all entries for people from outside to ensure the new coronavirus does not sneak into their areas. Since they grow vegetables and have sufficient milk output, they say they didn't have to face any major issue in implementing the lockdown. Residents of Ageta village in Patiala, the home district of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, and Ranghera Khurd village in Fatehgarh Sahib district have put up blockades at all entry points. They also do not allow any villager going out except in emergency situations. "We sealed our village on March 20, well before the state government imposed curfew (on March 23) in the state," Davinder Singh, husband of Ranghera Khurd Sarpanch (village head) on Sunday. "We decided to bar outsiders in our village in order to protect our villagers from coronavirus. Safety of people is our prime concern," said Singh, adding they do not even allow villagers to go outside. The villagers have parked tractors and erected barricades at three entry points on Sirhind-Nabha road. "My cousin had come to meet me and I politely refused to let him enter," Singh told PTI. Ageta village, near Nabha in Patiala, has also adopted the same strategy. Groups of young men from the village have been deputed at all 'nakas' (check posts) to ensure the self-imposed lockdown. "We have put up 'nakas' at three entry points," said Baljinder Singh, husband of village Sarpanch Harpreet Kaur. Preneet Kaur, the Patiala MP and wife of Punjab CM, had congratulated the Ageta village sarpanch for their effort. "Congratulated Harpreet Kaur, Sarpach of Ageta village of Patiala, which has now become an example of how communities can stand up & compliment state govt's efforts in the fight against this pandemic. The commendable measures taken by this village are the inspiration for many others," Kaur tweeted on Saturday. Ageta village has a population of 750 people while Ranghera Khurd has 700 villagers. Asked about the supply of essential commodities, Davinder Singh of Ranghera Khurd said most of the villagers grow vegetables and have sufficient milk supply. "There is no much problem on this front and we are getting whatever essential supplies are required," said Singh. However, Baljinder Singh Ageta village sought help for daily wagers, saying they are facing hardships because of loss of jobs and poor financial condition. Punjab has reported total of 38 coronavirus cases so far. ALMATY, March 29 (Reuters) - Kazakhstan will tap its rainy-day National Fund for an extra 1.825 trillion tenge ($4.1 billion) this year, Information Minister Dauren Abayev said on Sunday. The 67% increase will help finance Kazakhstan's $10 billion stimulus package aimed at softening the blow from the coronavirus outbreak and the plunge in the price of oil, the Central Asian nation's main export. (Reporting by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Catherine Evans) Leniency for mistakes in IT returns An assessee who makes a bona fide mistake while filing returns should not face penal action on a mechanical application of Section 143(1-A) of the Income Tax Act, the Supreme Court declared in its judgment in Rajasthan Electricity Board vs Dy Commissioner. That provision can be invoked only when it is found on facts that the smaller amount stated in the return was a result of an attempt to evade tax. In this appeal, the board claimed 100 per cent depreciation according to the old rule, while the new rule allowed only 75 per cent. The ... Medical staff in America's coronavirus hotbed New York are struggling with long hours and a dire need for protective equipment -- and as infections surge, they increasingly fear for their own safety. Doctors and nurses are working around the clock caring for patients hit by the fast-spreading infection, risking their lives on the front lines of the global crisis. The same week the United States became the new epicenter of the pandemic -- with about 120,000 confirmed cases of infection and 2,000 deaths -- Kious Kelly, a nurse manager at a Manhattan hospital, succumbed to a fatal case of the COVID-19 illness. The death of the 48-year-old crystallized fears of many medical workers who've lamented severe shortages of necessary supplies, including plastic protective gowns and hospital-grade masks. "It's abysmal," said Andrew, a psychiatry resident in a New York hospital who spoke on condition his name be changed. He is now quarantined at home with a likely case of the virus himself. "There's not enough money, there aren't enough tests, there's not enough personal protective equipment (PPE) for people who are dealing with this -- not just the doctors, but nurses, ancillary staff, janitors -- everyone in the hospital who are getting huge exposure to the virus," he told AFP in an interview punctuated by coughs. About 20 health care workers protested their working conditions on Saturday morning outside the city's Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx. "We risk our lives to save yours," one of their signs said, appealing for "#PPENow" -- masks, goggles, gloves and other protective gear. - 'Hopelessness' - Diana Torres, a former colleague of the late Kelly at New York's Mount Sinai hospital group, said hospital staff are "devastated" that he "paid the ultimate price." The mother of three told AFP there are units of the hospital filled to the brim with coronavirus patients. She works in a rehabilitation section of the facility and personally has handled at least three patients known to have the virus -- perhaps more, as a lack of testing makes it impossible to be sure. Kelly's death triggered an outpouring of angry posts on social media over inadequate protections, including one viral photo showing staff wearing garbage bags over their scrubs. Mount Sinai said in a statement it was "grieving deeply" over Kelly's death, while also emphasizing that "we always provide our staff with critically important PPE." But Torres said it took significant pushing to acquire one face shield, just one N-95 respirator mask and one gown -- which she said she must reuse. "I have nothing for my head, nothing for my shoes," she said. "There is this sense of hopelessness." "Everybody is scared." - 'Lambs to slaughter' - New York state has counted more than 50,000 positive cases, with around 6,500 people hospitalized. Andrew is among the many New Yorkers who have fallen ill but has been unable to get tested because tests are reserved for the most critical cases. A week ago he came down with a scratchy throat that evolved into the virus's customary symptoms: dry cough, body aches, headache, chest pressure and elevated temperature. Andrew also experienced an abrupt inability to taste or smell -- believed to be a sign of infection -- and has yet to regain his olfactory senses. His case is mild, but he worries others in hospitals could develop more severe infections because of constant exposure to sick patients without proper safety measures. "People on the front lines aren't getting protected. They're lambs to slaughter," he said. "It's criminal." Andrew said federal action has been "wholly inadequate" and "more people are going to die." - Dwindling staff - Torres fears potentially spreading the infection to her children and husband. "Unless we get tested, we cannot contain the virus within the facility," she said. "We are all walking around paranoid, trying to keep our distance from each other because we can't get tested -- unless you are symptomatic and the symptoms are serious enough." She says hours are extended and staffing "shorter than ever, because our own staff is getting sick." New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said Saturday that "right now" there is enough protective equipment, although "nobody has enough long term" and efforts are being made to obtain more. He acknowledged concern among health care workers that guidelines from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for how often gowns, masks and so on are changed during a crisis do not adequately protect them. Cuomo said the issue is being looked at. "If we believe the CDC guidelines don't protect health care professionals then we will put our own guidelines in place," he said. Authorities estimate the virus's peak in New York might not come for three weeks. For the time being health care workers "don't really have the luxury of stopping to digest any of this," said Andrew. "We just have to do it." Medical personnel outside New York's Elmhurst Hospital Center, where 13 COVID-19 patients died in 24 hours A medical worker walks out of a COVID-19 testing tent at Brooklyn Hospital Center -- health care workers throughout New York are alarmed at the dearth of protective equipment to keep staff safe A temporary hospital is set up at Manhattan's Javits Center, as medical facilities in New York struggle to handle the influx of coronavirus patients Paramedics carry a stretcher with a patient at Brooklyn Hospital Center -- New York state has about half of the novel coronavirus cases in the United States Douglas County health officials reported 10 new coronavirus cases Saturday, raising the number of cases in the county to 57. The new cases involve two women and a man in their 30s, two women and two men in their 40s, two women in their 50s, and a woman in her 70s. Four of them had direct contact with people known to have COVID-19, two cases are related to travel and the Health Departments epidemiology team continues to investigate the other cases. No one is hospitalized, officials said. Officials anticipated an increase in cases as testing has become more available, Douglas County Health Director Adi Pour said in a press release. For the first time we received more than 100 test results from CHI, and private labs outside the health systems are now providing test results. she said. This knowledge will allow us to better respond to the outbreak. >>> More COVID-19 patients test negative for coronavirus >>> Three COVID-19 patients in Da Nang discharged from hospital >>> German, Russian media hail Vietnams fight against COVID-19 The 58-year-old British man was on Vietnam Airlines flight VN0054 with patient No. 17 landing at Noi Bai International Airport on March 3. After travelling through Hanoi, Ha Long, Da Nang and Hoi An, he was quarantined at his hotel in Hoi An City on March 7, before being confirmed positive for SARS-CoV-2 on March 10 and then later transferred to Hue Central Hospital in Phong Dien that night for isolated treatment. According to Prof., Dr. Pham Nhu Hiep, Director of Hue Central Hospital, the patient showed no fever, no cough or difficulty in breathing during his treatment. He was treated for hypotension and monitored for survival indicators daily. The patient is now healthy and has had two negative test results, which makes him eligible for discharge from the hospital, Hiep said, adding that the UK man would continue to undergo medical surveillance after discharge. The hospital is currently treating three other patients, No. 30, 31 and 49, all of British nationality, and all are in stable health status, among whom patient No. 49 (patient No. 30s husband) has shown his first negative test result since his treatment starting from March 7. In addition, Hue Central Hospital is also offering isolated treatment for three patients who have also had negative SARS-CoV-2 test results, including a 64-years-old female of British nationality with complex underlying diseases. Currently, the health of all three cases is temporarily stable. Vietnam has recorded 169 confirmed cases so far, with 21 patients who have recovered and been discharged. * The health sector in Bac Ninh Province have announced that 172 Korean experts from Samsung Display Vietnam Co., Ltd. who come to Vietnam from the Republic of Korea (RoK) have finished their 14-day medical isolation at a local hotel in Yen Phong District on March 27, after receiving their second negative test results for SARS-CoV-2. In addition to 172 Korean experts, four health workers, six police officers and 53 hotel attendants also tested negative for the novel coronavirus. After the group of experts were moved to another place (on March 27), the entire hotel was disinfected to prepare to receive another 179 Korean experts coming from the RoK to work for Sam Sung Display Vietnam on March 28. After welcoming the experts at Van Don Airport (Quang Ninh Province), the authorities will make a full list of the experts and their travel routes in the RoK for 14 days before arriving Vietnam, while their SARS-CoV-2 test certificates have been issued by Kangbuk Samsung Hospital (in the RoK). They will be transferred to the hotel in Yen Phong for medical isolation. In the next four days, they will be tested for the first time. If the result is negative, on the 6th day of quarantine, the experts will be allowed to work at Sam Sung Display Vietnam in separate working areas that are completely isolated from others. After 14 days, they will be tested for SARS-CoV-2 a second time, and if the result is negative again, a certificate of finishing isolation in Vietnam will be issued for them. * On March 28, national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines (VNA) announced its reduction in the frequency of domestic flights between now and April 15, following the Prime Minister's directive in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. From March 28, VNA will reduce operation from 35 domestic routes to 8 with about 10% of the total seats compared to its usual plan. These remaining flight routes are being maintained at a minimum frequency to meet the urgent needs with the strictest disease prevention standards. VNA supports domestic passengers affected by COVID-19 to change flights and itineraries or refund tickets in accordance with the airline's current regulations. Earlier, on March 19, VNA also announced to suspend the operation of international routes until the end of April 30. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the airlines has strictly implemented various epidemic prevention and control measures. * In the face of the complicated epidemic situation, the chairman of Hanoi People's Committee has requested the suspension of the citys entire bus system operation from 0:00 on March 28 to April 15. The Hanoi Transport and Services Corporation (Transerco) has announced that it will stop all 65 bus routes during the said period. On March 28, the Hanoi Department of Transport also requested bus stations, parking lots and related support service areas to strictly close and suspend their operation within the boundaries of their units. For taxis and contracted cars, they may operate normally but are required to not use air conditioning, while wearing face masks is mandatory for drivers and passengers, as well as personal disinfection before and after picking up and dropping off. * On March 27, the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia issued an emergency announcement related to the first Vietnamese cases suspected of being infected with SARS-CoV-2 in Russia, as well as offering recommendations to Vietnamese citizens in complying with the disease prevention and control measures by the host country amidst the complicated development of COVID-19 in Russia. According to the embassy, on March 25, a Vietnamese couple in Moscow had high fever and were taken to the hospital. On the morning of March 27, due to their symptoms causing suspicion of COVID-19 infection, the local health agency went to their home to take samples from the remaining six family members. As of 6 pm on the same day, Russian health agencies have not announced the final test results on the duo yet, as they are being treated only for their lung disease and diabetes. Therefore, the Russian health authority only recommends that the remaining family members be isolated at home, while waiting for the hospital's test results to be finalised next week. The Vietnamese Embassy in Russia recommended that Vietnamese citizens present in the country should regularly monitor and follow the instructions of the local authorities to prevent the epidemic, while continuing to seriously restrict travel and not gather crowded events. Those coming from Vietnam or from abroad to Russia, especially from the epidemic areas, should undergo self-isolation for 14 days. If communication with such people is required, Vietnamese people are suggested to wear medical masks and specialised health protection devices. By Estelle Shirbon LONDON, March 28 (Reuters) - A drive-through coronavirus testing facility for health workers has begun operating in the car park of a popular resort near London, part of a British government drive to ramp up testing for those on the frontline of the epidemic. The Chessington World of Adventures theme park, which usually hosts families seeking a fun day out, has turned one of its main car parks into a testing unit for National Health Service (NHS) staff, a spokeswoman said on Saturday. The government, which had been criticised by some doctors and nurses for not providing them with enough protective gear and testing kits, announced on Friday it was introducing a much bigger testing regime for the NHS. The United Kingdom has so far reported 14,579 cases of the virus and 759 deaths, with the peak of the epidemic in the country expected to come in several weeks. The country is largely on lock-down, with Britons urged to stay home. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and health minister Matt Hancock are among those who have tested positive. "We are proud to be able to offer our assistance to the NHS during this unprecedented time," the theme park said in a statement. The facility at Chessington, which is being run by health ministry officials and conducted its first tests on Friday, consists of a series of cabins widely spread out across the car park. Staff in high-visibility jackets are on hand to direct NHS staff arriving in cars. For now, only those who have been specifically referred for testing will be given access. The health workers, who remain in their cars, are tested by nurses who carry out swabs in the nose and mouth through car windows. The government said on Friday that it had set up a new partnership with firms including Thermo Fisher Scientific, Randox and Boots, and with top UK universities, to scale up the testing regime. The first of three new hub laboratories that are being put into place is expected to process around 800 samples over the weekend. The number of tests being processed will then rise dramatically, according to the health ministry. Story continues MORE HOSPITALS The NHS is also setting up three new temporary hospitals in London, Birmingham and Manchester. At the enormous Excel Centre trade show venue in east London, large numbers of ambulances and paramedics were on site on Saturday as part of preparations for the facility to open next week. The government also said it was starting to deliver food boxes to people deemed at high risk from the illness, who have been advised by the NHS to stay at home for 12 weeks. In what it described as the biggest effort to deliver supplies to those in need since World War Two, the ministry of housing, communities and local government said the first of 50,000 free food boxes containing items such as pasta and tinned goods would be delivered over the weekend. Some 1.5 million clinically vulnerable people have been advised to shield themselves at home for 12 weeks. Like numerous other countries affected by the coronavirus pandemic, Britain has brought in strict social distancing measures. The public have been instructed to stay at home, going out only to buy food or medicines or for exercise once a day. Schools, shops, pubs, restaurants and cafes are closed and anyone who can work from home is expected to do so. (Reporting by Estelle Shirbon Editing by Frances Kerry) Nigeria is planning to use the latest movement restrictions imposed by President Muhammadu Buhari on two states and Abuja to identify those who may have been exposed to COVID-19, the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, has said. The restrictions are also to prevent further spread of the virus, he said. Mr Ehanire said on Channels Television, a few minutes after the president addressed the nation, that the government has plans to intensify contact tracing as new cases of COVID-19 are recorded in the country. He said the restrictions placed on all movement in Lagos, FCT and Ogun are to assist the health personnel who are conducting the contact tracing in those states to achieve the desired result. Mr Ehanire reiterated that the few confirmed cases outside Lagos and Abuja are linked to persons who have travelled from these centres. We are therefore working to ensure such interstate and intercity movements are restricted to prevent further spread. Our agencies are currently working hard to identify cases and people these patients have been in contact with, he said. Mr Ehanire said the lockdown might affect the Easter celebrations. He urged Nigerians to abide by the restrictions even if it affects the festival as it is a worthwhile sacrifice especially if it will contain the spread of the disease. Restrictions President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday evening announced the restriction of all movement in Lagos, Ogun and the FCT. Mr Buhari said the cessation of all movements in those areas is for an initial period of 14 days with effect from 11 p.m. on Monday, March 30. This restriction will also apply to Ogun State due to its close proximity to Lagos and the high traffic between the two States, the president said. All citizens in these areas are to stay in their homes. Travel to or from other states should be postponed. All businesses and offices within these locations should be fully closed during this period. The Governors of Lagos and Ogun States as well as the Minister of the FCT have been notified. Furthermore, heads of security and intelligence agencies have also been briefed. Treatment Nigeria now has 111 cases of COVID-19 while one person has died. In his interview, Mr Ehanire debunked the news that a top official who had tested positive for COVID-19 had travelled out of the country for treatment. There had rumours that the Chief of Staff to President Buhari, Abba Kyari, had travelled to London for treatment since testing positive for COVID-19. However, Mr Ehanire said such information is false. As it stands now, every country has its own fair of challenges and they would not be willing to take more problems from other countries, he said. PREMIUM TIMES reported how Mr Kyari on Sunday confirmed that he was still in Nigeria and would be moved to a Lagos hospital, from Abuja, for treatment. Mr Ehanire also said that the government is scaling up laboratories for more testing and more treatment centres to treat those who test positive. He said it is not every hospital that can treat the infection. It is extremely important to understand that the infection is a national security issue and it is not every hospital that can treat the disease. Any hospital who wants to help in the treatment must be accredited by a group of experts and Abayomi (Lagos health commissioner) will be heading the team of experts who will be inspecting the facilities, he said. Advertisements He added that international experts have given approval to Lagos to do clinical trials of treatment with the use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine. This is part of the research in searching for a cure for the virus. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 22:15:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close GUATEMALA CITY, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Guatemala extended on Sunday a curfew to April 12 to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus, the government said. 29.03.2020 LISTEN The immediate reaction from people especially city dwellers in the wake of the partial lockdown announced by the President of Ghana on Friday 27th March 2020 is the spontaneous decision to hoard essential items that can help one to survive within the lockdown period. People rushed to stock food, water, sanitary products and even money from financial institutions. I guess you can imagine the sudden disregard to social distancing protocols due to this rush. Whilst it's reasonable to get enough for the period, it is just not necessary that some are rushing for their money from the financial institutions. This only creates a semblance of panic withdrawal, which is not in the interest of Ghana's financial system, especially at this uncertain time. It is noteworthy that these financial institutions are well-capitalized, being managed better and are ready to serve customers. At least this can be boldly inferred considering the recent 'cleansing' of the financial system by Bank of Ghana. Risks of hoarding Cash There are risks of hoarding cash at home. Hoarding cash at home predisposes you to theft. Armed robbers are attracted to places where the potential for stealing money is high. Hoarding cash at home only increases the potential that armed robbers or area boys will break into your home and make away with your money. Area boys is a term used to describe undisciplined youth in communities that engage in stealing items from homes or causing unnecessary disturbances. Additionally, hoarding cash at home makes you engage in unnecessary buying. You have a life to live after COVID-19. You will survive this disease. This is not the time to engage in buying things that you really dont need. It, therefore, makes sense to keep enough with your financial institution and just depend on the money you just need now. Moreover, financial institutions have provided multi-channel access to your funds. You can utilize the channels to transact at any time. Banking and other financial institutions are currently educating their customers on the use of the alternate channels of service delivery and so you have to know and use those convenient channels instead of queuing at the banking halls. Contact your financial institution now to enquire about their digital offerings. Your Deposits Matter Financial institutions thrive on customers deposits. They need your savings to help stimulate economic growth through provision of loans to businesses. Financial institutions provide employment to people and therefore their existence need to be safeguarded not only by the government BUT by everybody. This is why I support the call by Bank of Ghana to all persons not to misunderstand the partial lockdown directive and engage in panic withdrawal. Adopt Digital banking behavior In any case moving to the banking halls to withdraw money is not a highly recommended practice because Ghana is making efforts to promote social distancing protocols. In place of this you are highly encouraged to patronize digital banking solutions offered by financial institutions. To enhance broader penetration financial intstitutions have mobile applications that enable you to perform your desired financial transactions. Others have USSD platforms that help both smart and non-smart phone users to perform same banking transactions. Additionally some financial institutions have deployed internet banking that is available to customers. You have a bouquet of options that meet your peculiar needs and you must decide to use these safe services especially at this time that we are making efforts to prevent COVID-19 from spreading within our communities. The importance of digital financial solutions is enormous and very advantageous to all customers. Apart from saving you time, it is very convenient because the service is borderless i.e. one can transact anywhere in Ghana. Using digital banking services helps to promote cashless society, which is a key global land mark in our evolution that we cannot escape from. Behaviour change: Role of Financial Institutions Financial institutions should make their digital services very simple and understandable. If customers find it difficult to use their service, then they may be hesitant in utilizing digital channels being offered or promoted. In addition, the downtime of these services should be reduced to the barest minimum. Since more people will be using their electronic gadgets, i.e. mobile phones and computers, to access these services it is recommended that the IT teams of the financial service providers and their outsourced counterparts should monitor their networks closely to ensure seamless service is delivered to Ghanaians that need the assurance that digital solutions are more convenient and faster. Financial service providers should see investment in digital solutions as an investment that yields returns in the medium to long term and must deploy and sustain these services with a different mindset. In our part of the world where literacy is relatively low and the adoption of new technology takes a longer curve, delivering digital solutions must be done in a sustained and dedicated manner supported by management and staff. They must constantly engage their customers on this. The same must apply to investors in these financial institutions so that their expectations on short term dividends and returns will be appropriately positioned. Role of Bank of Ghana Bank of Ghana is a key player in regulating financial service providers in Ghana and for that matter, it is necessary that they engage the public in understanding the role of digital financial services. Instead of only communicating in English they have to adopt a strong strategy to reach less literate in society. They have to engage the local radio stations so that the right information can be communicated directly to the populace. As we endeavor to be resilient in the face of the spread of CVID-19 I encourage everyone to adopt safe digital banking lifestyles and continue to observe the recommended health protocols. Written by Samson Addo, a young entrepreneur and an Energy Economics student with an interest in Economic Development. Contact Samson on [email protected] Tom Tate has on Sunday afternoon claimed victory in his fight for a third term as mayor of the Gold Coast. But his main rival, nutritionist Mona Hecke, said there were too many pre-poll votes to be counted for her to concede. Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate has claimed victory. Credit:Glenn Hunt "The trend is looking like that [Cr Tate will win], but they have still only counted 28 per cent of the pre-poll votes," Ms Hecke said. "So there are still a lot of pre-poll votes to be counted. MANILA, Philippines (AP) A plane carrying eight people, including an American and a Canadian, burst into flames Sunday while attempting to take off from Manilas airport on a flight bound for Japan, killing all those on board, officials said. The Westwind 24 plane, which was carrying six Filipino crew members and the American and Canadian passengers, was bound for Tokyo on a medical mission when it caught fire near the end of the main runway, Manila airport general manager Ed Monreal said. Firetrucks and rescue personnel rushed and doused the twin-engine aircraft with foam to try to extinguish the flames, he said. "Unfortunately, there were no survivors," Monreal told a late-night news conference. He declined to identify the victims until their families were informed and said other details about the flight and the passengers were unclear. The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said the aircraft apparently encountered an unspecified problem which resulted in a fire as it rolled to take off, adding its chief investigator was on the way to the scene. Video footage shows the aircraft engulfed in bright-orange flames in the darkness as firefighters scramble to put out the fire by spraying chemical foam while sirens blare. Nearly three hours after the accident, the bodies of the victims were still inside the wreckage. Airport authorities were waiting for police investigators to examine the crash scene before retrieving the remains, Monreal said. The airport's main runway was closed due to the accident. The airport had only minimal staff due to air travel restrictions that are part of a monthlong lockdown imposed by the government in the main northern Philippine region of Luzon, where Manila, the capital, lies, to fight the coronavirus outbreak, officials said. A Korean Airlines flight bound for Manila was diverted to Clark International Airport, north of Manila, due to the incident, Monreal said, adding that the main runway would be reopened as soon as the wreckage was removed. Story continues Donaldo Mendoza, the deputy chief of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, said the aircraft was deemed airworthy based on records and its pilots were properly certified to fly. The plane had flown to central Iloilo province Saturday to deliver medical supplies without any incident, Mendoza said. Mendoza said airport tower personnel were horrified to see the plane still rolling on the runway at a point when it should have already taken off, but added it remains unclear what trouble the plane encountered. They were really alarmed so they already picked up the hotline just in case, whatever happens, they can immediately call fire, crash and rescue, Mendoza said. Ohio megachurch continues to hold services despite coronavirus concerns Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment While large numbers of churches have canceled services over coronavirus concerns, one congregation in Ohio is continuing to hold worship services. Solid Rock Church, a nondenominational megachurch with campuses in Lebanon and Cincinnati, has decided against canceling services. On its website, which was visited by The Christian Post on Friday, Sold Rock Church included a pop-up message explaining their decision to stay open. We at Solid Rock Church share everyones concern to help keep people safe. The First Amendment of our Constitution guarantees freedom concerning religion, expression, and assembly. It specifically forbids congress from restricting an individuals religious practices. Therefore, the government ban on large gatherings does not apply to religious worship, the church noted in its statement. There is no pressure from Solid Rock Church to require anyone to come to our services. We are respectful of every individuals right to choose either to come to our service or to watch online. We do believe that it is important for our doors to remain open for whomever to come to worship and pray during this time of great challenge in our country. The church is not expected to face any legal trouble, as religious services were exempted from a state order banning large gatherings. The move has received a great deal of negative feedback, however, with a live stream of their Sunday service receiving some 3,000 negative comments, according to news station WHIO. One online critic, quoted by WHIO, stated you have a moral obligation to protect your flock God gave us brains to use them. In response to the coronavirus, there has been some debate among different churches over whether to cancel in-person services and events. Influential pastor and author Joel Osteen, among many others, canceled all services at Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, and instead broadcast his sermons online. In a statement shared with The Christian Post on March 16, Lakewood reported that the decision led to a record number of viewers online. We saw 4.51 million people tune in throughout the weekend across platforms, the church said. This broke our previous record of 4.17 million in November of last year when we broadcast Kanye Wests Sunday service from Lakewood. This number could increase throughout the week. Other faith leaders, such as Roman Catholic Cardinal Raymond Burke, have argued that churches should remain open, with efforts being made to accommodate calls for social distancing. Just as we are able to purchase food and medicine, while taking care not to spread the coronavirus in the process, so also we must be able to pray in our churches and chapels, receive the Sacraments, and engage in acts of public prayer and devotion, wrote Burke in a post to his website. Historically, in times of pestilence, the faithful gathered in fervent prayer and took part in processions. In fact, in the Roman Missal, promulgated by Pope Saint John XXIII in 1962, there are special texts for the Holy Mass to be offered in times of pestilence In Arkansas, nearly 40 members of Greers Ferry First Assembly in Cleburne County have tested positive for the coronavirus following a youth event in early March. We currently have 37 that have tested positive, with only a small handful that are still waiting on test results," said pastor Mark Palenske in a statement posted to Facebook on Wednesday. We are familiar with the expanding scope of the Covid-19 crisis and that daily individuals are being treated and advised accordingly. Our prayers are that God would strengthen them just as he did with us. After three days of chaos, Delhi police on Sunday dispersed the hundreds of migrants who were converging at the inter-state bus terminals in a bid to return to their native places, as the Centre directed strict enforcement of the lockdown curbs to check the spread of coronavirus including sealing of borders. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said if the lockdown is not followed, the country will fail to contain the coronavirus outbreak, and assured the migrant workers that his government has made food and boarding arrangements for them. Police said more than 150 cases were registered and 3,811 people detained on Sunday for violating government orders. Though all inter-state bus service were suspended following the 21-day lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday night, thousands of daily wagers and labourers from Delhi, Haryana and even Punjab had been reaching Anand Vihar, Ghazipur and Ghaziabad's Lal Kuan areas since Thursday after arduous treks on foot in a bid to ride buses to their respective native places. Police made little attempt to disperse the people even as the large crowds heightened fears of spread of infection. However by Sunday afternoon the area had been cleared with the Delhi police discouraging migrant workers heading to Anand Vihar Inter-State Bus Terminal, even using force, carrying out intensive checking of vehicles and barricading roads. Officials said Delhi Police chief SN Srivastava instructed his personnel to stop migrants from moving out of the city by enhancing picket deployment across the city and stopping movement of any bus going outside Delhi. "I came here in the morning and have been waiting for police to let us go ahead, but it seems like they would not allow us," said Joginder Singh, 40, a fruit merchant who came to Anand Vihar terminus with his family in the morning to catch a bus for his hometown Moradabad. "They are beating people who try to move further. I am here with my wife and 11-year-old son and we can't afford to be beaten up by police. Now we have only one option -- go back to our home in Shahdara's Vishwas Nagar area," Singh said. Earlier, during a video conference with chief secretaries and DGPs, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba and Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla asked them to ensure that there is no movement of people across cities or on highways as the lockdown continues. Jainendra Kumar (30), a daily wage worker who wanted to go Allahabad, stepped out in a group of seven which included a pregnant woman. Waiting for a bus that could take them to Anand Vihar Interstate Bus Terminal, the group was intercepted by beat constables and shooed away. As he fled, a blow from police baton landed on his bagpack. "We thought we can go back as buses are still leaving from Anand Vihar to Uttar Pradesh, he said. Sharad Chandra (32) had a similar tale. He, along with his wife and two children, both less than four years of age, and his in-laws had left in the hope of getting a bus for Mainpuri in Uttar Pradesh. He paid money to a driver of a private bus to drop them to Anand Vihar. But the bus was stopped by police. They were asked to deboard and asked to go back to their house. What do I do? Prices of essential commodities are so high that it is simply not possible to live here, Chandra, who works at a sweetmeat shop for a salary of Rs 10,000 a month, said. The Uttar Pradesh government had on Saturday arranged around 1000 buses to ferry people from border districts of the state. Many people were seen trying to walk on the railway track at Anand Vihar to go their home towns in Uttar Pradesh. Addressing a digital press conference here, Chief Minister Kejriwal said the mantra to make the 21-day nationwide lockdown successful was to "stay where you are" just as Prime Minister had requested. On his part, in an audio message, Delhi Police Commissioner directed his personnel that deployment of pickets should be enhanced on all the roads leading towards Delhi including places such as metro tracks and railways tracks. All the district DCPs, ACPs and SHOs have been instructed to do extensive patrolling in their respective areas and deployed maximum vehicles for patrolling to check the movement of migrants. The officers have also been asked to make announcements in areas populated by migrant workers that the government will pay them their full wages, and also to warn them that strict action will be taken if they are seen on roads. The Centre had also directed that all those who have travelled during lockdown will be quarantined for 14 days at their destination. According to the data shared by the police, 153 cases were registered under section 188 (for disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code till 5pm. A total of 3,811 people have been detained under section 65 (persons bound to comply with reasonable directions of police officers) and 381 vehicles have been impounded under section 66 of the Delhi Police Act, they stated. A bus owner and his three drivers were arrested during a picket checking at Dhaula Kuan Flyover for carrying passengers in violation of lockdown orders, police said. Police also issued 1,868 permit passes. They also received 1,105 calls between Saturday and Sunday (until 2 pm) on the 24-hour helpline dedicated to addressing queries related to the 21-day lockdown, officials said. The helpline 011-23469526 has been set up to resolve issues related to lockdown through direct intervention as fast as possible and so far the total number of calls received till date is 4901, they said. To discourage movement of people including migrant workers, the Delhi Transport Corporation directed regional managers and depot managers to instruct conductors of buses to seek duty passes from essential service providers. The buses will have stickers "for staff of essential services only and on government duty". The route number and destination of buses will also not be displayed, said an official. DTC is currently operating 50 per cent of its services for movement of essential service providers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The prints thread black history and Greek mythology in a tapestry of hope. Rein Whitt-Pritchette survived the Vietnam War as a radio operator and then moved to New Mexico. When I finally got out, I decided I didnt want to be part of the corporate world, he said. I ski bummed in Aspen. I met (the author) Leon Uris, and he bought my first major work. Whitt-Pritchette grew up in Englewood, Colorado, and began attending the University of Colorado before being drafted. He discovered serigraph printmaking as a student at the University of New Mexico. He fell in love with the process of creating multiple drawings using blocks and screens. Today his work hangs in the permanent collection of the Albuquerque Museum. He created a series based on The Odyssey and The Iliad after the realization that there was a personal connection he had missed. It turned into the series The Folks on Coffee Hill. I had been in the Army and had no respect for anyone or anything, he said. I decided it was time for me to read the classics. He stumbled across a line that left him gobsmacked. In The Iliad, Poseidon feasts in the lands of the Ethiopians because they were Gods chosen people. It made no sense. He read deeper until he realized the sun god, Helios, sank the sun so low that it turned the skin of the Ethiopians black. I kept going Wow, Whitt-Pritchette said. There was an historical basis for it; it wasnt like I was trying to say anything. Hed always loved Gershwins Porgy and Bess. He finally saw black people like him portrayed in the classics. He began by giving the people in Coffee Hill Greek names. His Odysseus carries an oar across his shoulders on his way home from war. Poseidon had forced him to stay as he attempted to destroy Troy. The oar represented a winnowing stick to separate wheat from the chaff. Penelope is Odysseus wife, who waited 20 years for his return. She is drained of color as she weaves his funeral shroud by day, then dismantles it at night. Other works reflect more topical themes. A print of a group of children standing before a building reflects both Prohibition and racism. The kids are from a black temperance group. Theyre standing in front of a saloon. They took the kids and made them sign pledges not to take a drink, Whitt-Pritchette said. Then they put them in front of bars to shame the fathers. The strange thing about it was Carrie Nation was the most prejudiced and would not recognize the black temperance societies. The shadow of lynching looms in the image of a tree branch reflection in a window. Whitt-Pritchette fell in love with printmaking so much that it cost him his sight. Im going blind, he said. When I was young and stupid, you dont read the directions. I stared into ultraviolet light all night long, and that started the retinitis pigmentosa. Being an artist, you have to suffer, he added with a chuckle. He hasnt given up. He wants to create an online gallery of his work with the help of a corporate sponsor. Hes also searching for someone to help with the screening for a piece called The Quilting Bee with 125 colors. He can still make his way around his Albuquerque home. Friends take him on monthly grocery shopping trips. Its frustrating, but other than that Im OK, he said. The good thing is my work is in an art museum, so I succeeded. An Israeli firm has developed Light Blade, an air defense weapon designed to detect and shoot down the balloons and kites Hamas has been using from Gaza to transport incendiaries or small explosives into southern Israel. These devices cause more psychological than physical damage but the Israelis threatened are voters, and the devices do cause casualties or, more often, property damage and brush fires. The thousands of rocket, mortar and now kite and balloon attacks from Gaza over the last fifteen years has created a demand for specialized weapons to deal with the menace. Light Blade is the latest cure to appear. Another Israeli firm had already developed SupervisIR, a radar that can detect small, slow-moving, low altitude targets and pass that data on to a weapons system. When combined with Light Blade, over 90 percent of available targets were detected, tracked and destroyed by the Light Blade variable focus laser. The ability of the Light Blade laser to focus into a powerful enough beam to bring down the balloons or kites was an important breakthrough. This means the laser beam is eye safe if it hits anyone in a passing aircraft. The beam focuses only long enough to burn through the balloons or kites and bring them down. Light Blade can hit targets within five kilometers of the truck (pickup or hummer type) mounted laser and fire control system. There are several other new Israeli laser air defense systems, like Iron Beam and Drone Dome that use more powerful lasers to bring down small UAVs, mortar shells and rockets. Development of these weapons has been going on for over a decade. Earlier in 2020 an Israeli firm, Elbit, introduced Drone Dome, a breakthrough in the development of lasers that can be used to intercept mortar shells, UAVs and rockets. While testing under combat conditions wont take place until mid-2020, the government thought that the new technology was innovative and effective enough in preliminary tests to announce. Laser systems like this have been in development elsewhere for a long time, but so far no one has been able to develop a laser with the range and destructive power to perform like the new Israeli system. This new weapon is also being called Laser Dome because it would complement the existing Iron Dome system that uses missiles and an innovative radar/software system that ignores ballistic, rockets or mortar shell whose trajectory would mean hitting unoccupied land where there will be no injuries or serious damage. Most objects fired at Israel end up landing in unoccupied areas and the few objects that are dangerous are intercepted by missiles. This has proved very effective. Drone Dome is described as using a solid-state electric laser at an effective range of 5,000 meters. Unlike missile-based systems, the cost of bringing down each target is several dollars worth of electricity. A diesel generator/capacitor system can fire once every few seconds for as long as power was available. Drone Dome combines multiple laser beams to obtain a useful amount of laser power at longer ranges. Fire control systems for quickly, accurately and repeatedly aiming a laser have already been developed. The main problem has long neem obtaining effective burn (laser bean-created heat) at longer ranges to do enough damage to bring down or destroy the incoming warhead. Israel believes Drone Dome has sufficient burn power but realistic tests are needed to prove it. If Laser Dome works, several individual systems could operate with each Iron Dome battery to take down targets the laser can reach rather than use the $60,000 Iron Dome missiles. Iron Dome would continue to take care of longer-range targets. This would make Iron Dome a lot cheaper to operate and more effective against mass attacks when dozens of rockets are fired at the same target in a short time. Some of the tech Laser Dome concepts have already been used in other laser weapons. One of these is Iron Beam from another Israeli firm (Raphael). Iron Beam uses a single HEL (High Energy Laser) and requires more power and has a range of 7,000 meters. Another HEL example is the U.S. Army CLWS (Compact Laser Weapon System) which is currently only capable of handling UAVs. CLWS is a laser weapon light enough (2.2 tons) to mount on helicopters or hummers and can destroy small UAVs up to 2,000 meters away, while it can disable or destroy the sensors (vidcams) on a UAV up to 7,000 meters away. The CLWS fire control system will automatically track and keep the laser firing on a selected target. It can take up to 15 seconds of laser fire to bring down a UAV or destroy its camera. This is the tech that Laser Dome claims to have improved enough to destroy UAVs with one shot and at longer ranges. Another American system, LaWS (Laser Weapon System) was developed for the U.S. Navy and was installed on one warship for several years and is about to be installed on several more. In 2013 the navy announced that it had developed a laser technology capable of being useful in combat. This was not a sudden development but has been going on for most of the last decade. In 2010 the navy successfully tested this new laser weapon, which is actually six solid-state lasers acting in unison, to destroy a small UAV. LaWS was not yet powerful enough to do this at the range, and power level, required to cripple the most dangerous targets; missiles and small boats. The manufacturer convinced the navy that it was just a matter of tweaking the technology to get the needed effectiveness. In 2013 another test was run, under more realistic conditions. LaWS worked, knocking down a larger UAV at a longer range. At that point, the navy said it planned to install the system in a warship within the year for even more realistic testing. Those tests took place in 2014 and were successful enough to install LaWS on at least one warship to be used to deliver warnings (at low power) while at full strength (30 kilowatts). The LaWS laser cannon was mounted on a KINETO Tracking Mount, which is similar, but larger (and more accurate), than the mount used by the Phalanx CIWS (Close-In Weapons System). The navy laser weapon tests used the radar and tracking system of the CIWS. Back in 2009 CIWS was upgraded so that its sensors could detect speedboats, small aircraft, and naval mines. This was crucial because knocking down UAVs is not something that the navy needs help with. But the ability to do enough damage to disable boats or missiles that are over two kilometers distant meant the LaWS was worth mounting on a warship. LaWS may yet prove incapable of working under combat conditions, but so far this new development has kept passing tests. These included disabling a ScanEagel UAV, destroying an RPG rocket and burning out the outboard engine of a speed boat. LaWAS also proved useful in detecting small boats or aerial objects at night and in bad weather. LaWAS worked despite mist and light sand storms, though in heaver sand storms performance was much reduced. In 2018 LaWAS was moved to a large amphibious ship for continued testing and two more LaWAS are being built, for delivery and installation on two more ships in 2020. The manufacturer continues to work on extending the range and increasing damage inflicted on targets. LaWAS uses less than a dollars worth of power use and is supplied by a diesel generator separate from the ship power supply. In other words, LaWAS is still a work in progress. Such was not the case with an earlier research effort using chemical lasers. In 2011 the U.S. Department of Defense halted work on the U.S. Air Force ALT (Airborne Laser Testbed). The project was put into storage until such time as more effective technology is available to revive the effort, or it is decided that the ALT is not worth the storage expense. ALT cost over $5 billion during its 16 years of development. It never worked, at least not in a practical sense. In 2010, for the second time in a row, the ALT failed in an attempt to use its laser to destroy a ballistic missile. That time, the problem was with the radar and fire control system, which failed to lock the laser onto the actual missile (although the radar did detect the actual missile launch). In the past, the main problem has been a lack of power to drive the laser to lethal levels. Because of that, the ALT program has been an expensive near-miss for nearly two decades. In 2009 ALT was demoted from a system in development to a research program. The reason for this was all about energy supply. Even if ALT worked flawlessly it did not have enough energy to hit a launching missile from a safe (from enemy fire) distance. ALT needed more than twenty times as much energy than it had and it was believed it would be a while before that problem was solved. Back in 2003 developers of combat lasers were more optimistic. In 2005 manufacturers of combat lasers believed these weapons were only a few years away from battlefield use. To that end, Northrop-Grumman set up a new division to develop and build battle lasers. This optimism was generated by two successful tests in 2006. In one a solid-state laser shot down a mortar round. In another, a much more powerful chemical laser hit a missile type target. Neither of these tests led to any useable weapons, and the combat laser remains the "weapon of the future." The basic problems are reliability and ammo (power to generate the laser). Solid-state lasers have been around since the 1950s, and chemical lasers first appeared in the 1970s. The chemical laser has the advantage of using a chemical reaction to create the megawatt level of energy for a laser that can penetrate the body of a ballistic missile that is still rising in the air hundreds of kilometers away. The chemical reaction uses atomized liquid hydrogen peroxide and potassium hydroxide and chlorine gas to form an ionized form of oxygen known as singlet delta oxygen (SDO). This, in turn, is rapidly mixed with molecular iodine gas to form ionized iodine gas. At that point, the ionized iodine gas rapidly returns to its resting state and while doing so releases photons pulsing at the right frequency to create the laser light. These photons are channeled by mirrors and sent on their way to the target, which is being tracked and pinpointed by other lasers. The airborne laser weighs about six tons. It can be carried in a C-130H, producing a laser powerful enough to hit airborne or ground targets fifteen kilometers away. The laser exits via a targeting turret under the nose of the aircraft. The laser beam is invisible to the human eye. The chemicals are mixed at high speeds and the byproducts are harmless heat, potassium salt, water, and oxygen. A similar laser, flying in a larger aircraft (B-747 based ALT) was supposed to have enough range to knock down ballistic missiles as they took off. But the ALT never developed sufficient range to be an effective weapon. Nearly half a century of engineering work has produced thousands of improvements, and a few breakthroughs, in making the lasers more powerful, accurate, and lethal. More efficient energy storage has made it possible to use lighter, shorter range, ground-based lasers effective against smaller targets like mortar shells and short-range rockets. Northrop's 2005 move was an indication that the company felt confident enough to gamble its own money, instead of what they get for government research contracts, to produce useful laser weapons. A larger high energy airborne laser would not only be useful against ballistic missiles, but even enemy aircraft and space satellites would be at risk. But companies like Northrop and Boeing are still trying to produce ground and airborne lasers that can successfully operate under combat conditions. The big problem with anti-missile airborne lasers has always been the power supply. A lot of chemicals are needed to generate sufficient power for a laser that can reach out for hundreds of kilometers and do sufficient damage to a ballistic missile. To be effective the airborne laser needs sufficient power to get off several shots. So far, no one has been able to produce such a weapon. Shorter range solid-state lasers need lots of electricity. This is difficult for aircraft or ground troops but not for properly equipped ships. That's why these lasers remain "the weapon of the future" and will probably remain so for a while. LaWS seems to be going in the same direction as Laser Dome with similar but less effective tech. The Israeli laser system is light enough to be mounted in warplanes or large UAVs. Hopes are once more high that Laser Dome will prove that the long-awaited future tech has finally arrived. Believe it when you see it. Cuomo has said hes trying to keep his emotions in check these days, and he reserves his flashes of anger not for Trump, but for the federal government itself, calling its $2 trillion aid package reckless and irresponsible for not doing enough to help New Yorkers. So what does he do when the feds dont come through? Same thing he always does: turn to his own New York network. Early on, he called his fathers former health commissioner to try to expand testing for coronavirus in New York. He got very very involved to facilitate regulatory approval to make sure our lab got up and running in a very coordinated way with the state lab, said Michael Dowling, president and CEO of Northwell Health, the largest health system in the state. Cuomo visited Northwells lab in early March to inspect the facility. It is now conducting 1,700 hundred tests a day, according to Dowling. Andrew has been leadership in action, he said. The Metropolitan Police Federation wants parents to be fined if their teenage children breach coronavirus lockdown as other forces seek stronger powers to enforce government rules. Ken Marsh, the head of the Metropolitan Federation, which represents 30,000 officers in the capital, said police cannot currently enforce government advice for groups of teenagers who refused police instruction to go home and isolate. 'Weve got to take them home, but when we take them home, why cant we fine their parents? Otherwise, whats the deterrent?, Marsh said, according to the Observer. A police officer talks to a cyclist at Regents Park in London yesterday as he enforces the national coronavirus lockdown A police officer from North Yorkshire Police ensures that motorists comply with the Government's lockdown restrictions yesterday Metropolitan Police Federation Chairman Ken Marsh (pictured) said that parents should be fined if their teenagers are found outside during lockdown If police numbers reduce due to officers becoming infected by COVID-19, Marsh thinks it will take three to four days before London becomes difficult to police. Police powers were bolstered by the Home Office on Thursday, allowing officers to slap people with 60 on-the-spot fines if they're caught outside of the home for non-essential reasons. Isolation flouters can also be arrested and prosecuted for repeat offences, or knowingly spreading the coronavirus. Forces across the country see this weekend as an opportunity to observe whether citizens will follow lockdown rules. Marsh said that depending on the weather, this weekend 'will be the acid test'. A man wears a mask during a walk as Sussex Police patrol the promenade in Brighton during the coronavirus lockdown yesterday Today, 260 people in the UK who tested positive with the coronavirus have died in a record 24-hour spike, bringing the total number of people who have died with Covid-19 to 1,019. Yesterday, 181 people with Covid-19 died Home Office reveals new powers to tackle people flouting the coronavirus lockdown Up to two years in prison if you cough deliberately on someone after spate of attacks on emergency service workers; People who flout lockdown rules will be breaking the law and can be arrested as part of new enforcement powers; Officers can tell them to go home, leave or disperse an area and ensure parents are taking necessary steps to stop their children breaking the law. Those who refuse to comply could be issued with a fixed penalty notice of 60; Second-time offenders could be issued a fixed penalty notice of 120, doubling on each further repeat offence; Those who do not pay the penalty can be taken to court, with magistrates able to impose fines of 1,000 or more. Advertisement He added that the UK's policing by consent causes additional difficulties, as police can't threaten the public, relying on educating them of government advice to stay inside. The advised safe distance of two metres could also present challenges in coming days, Marsh said, as officers are supposed to follow the guidance, making arrests difficult. Marsh's comments come as Britain's coronavirus death toll rocketed by 260 to 1,019 today as the UK suffered its worst day yet and saw a huge spike in victims. Boris Johnson is to warn the nation in a letter that tougher measures to ensure lockdown is adhered could be on their way. Amid allegations of confusing messages on the lockdown, the leaflet will outline the Government's rules on leaving the house and advice on shielding vulnerable people. A clear explanation of the symptoms will also be included as will guidance on hand washing. Panic has gripped the nation as it was revealed that today's total number of deaths is 34 per cent higher than yesterday's and today has seen the largest daily increase since March 18, when the total shot up from 71 to 104. Blank Social Security checks are run through a printer at the U.S. Treasury printing facility in Philadelphia, Pa., on Feb. 11, 2005. (William Thomas Cain/Getty Images) Officials: Beware of Stimulus Check Scams While Americans wait for their stimulus checks to arrivethe FBI and other government agencies are warning people not to fall for scams. Government officials say scammers are already trying to steal peoples money by asking for personal or financial information through calls, texts, emails, or even websites. Americans are eligible for up to $1,200 per person and should expect to see that money within three weeks, according to Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin asks members of the media to practice social distancing as he departs a meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 16, 2020. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) However, others who filed their taxes electronically in the past may see a direct deposit in their bank sooner than that. Officials say scammers will likely try phishing scams by claiming to be from the government and asking for your personal information. Recipients will receive a notice by mailno later than 15 days after the payment was sent outwith information including a phone number to call the IRS if the funds failed to arrive. The-CNN-Wire & 2020 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. American actor Ben Affleck and Cuban-Spanish actor Ana de Armas are continuing to spend time together. According to People magazine, the pair were spotted walking de Armas' dog in Pacific Palisades, California on Saturday (local time). During the outing, the 47-year-old actor was seen sharing a kiss and packing on some PDA with de Armas. The 'Justice League' actor was dressed in a grey jacket, blue shirt and jeans with a hat representing his hometown Boston Red Sox. Meanwhile, the 'Knives Out' actress wore a velvet maroon jacket and jeans. De Armas was seen holding onto Affleck's arms as they both showed big smiles on their faces, during the romantic stroll. Previously, a source told People magazine that the duo had an instant connection while filming their upcoming flick 'Deep Water' this past winter. The source said of Affleck and de Armas, that they both had great chemistry right form the start. The 'Argo' actor always seemed very relaxed and happy around Ana, but at the time there was no signs of romance. Ben was very focused on making a fantastic movie and he arrived early and was one of the last people to leave from the sets. Earlier this month, de Armas and Affleck returned from their romantic trip to Costa Rica and since then they have been regularly spotted on walks together in Los Angeles. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (Newser) Did Harry and Meghan expect the US to foot their security bill? If so, President Trump isn't having it. "I am a great friend and admirer of the Queen & the United Kingdom," Trump tweeted Sunday, per USA Today. "It was reported that Harry and Meghan, who left the Kingdom, would reside permanently in Canada. Now they have left Canada for the US however, the US will not pay for their security protection. They must pay!" This follows reports that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were moving from Canada to Markle's hometown of Los Angeles with their son Archie. story continues below The quasi-royal couple's security on Vancouver Island was partly paid by the Canadian government, Deadline recallsbut that arrangement was due to expire with Harry and Meghan's HRH status on March 31. The New York Post estimates their security bill at $1 million per year, which the pair might pay themselves or ask Harry's dad, Prince Charles, to fork up. (He's currently quarantined with the coronavirus.) One slight surprise: The couple had said they wouldn't move to the US with Trump still in the White House. Now they're reportedly staying close to home in LA amid the pandemic. (Markle has her first post-royal job.) STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The U.S. Navy hospital ship expected to help support medical needs during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak will arrive in New York Harbor on Monday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. The USNS Comfort (T-AH-20), like other Naval hospital ships, contains 12 fully equipped operating rooms, 1,000 hospital beds, laboratory facilities and an oxygen-producing plant. This [ship] is staffed by federal medical professionals. It is not for COVID-19 patients, but it is to take the backfill from hospitals, Cuomo said Sunday during a press conference. *** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK *** Previously, the Comfort has been deployed around the world in response to wars and natural disasters. Most recently, the ship was deployed to Central America, South America and the Caribbean to assist nations healthcare systems, according to the Navy. President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Mark Esper arrive to speak during the departure ceremony for the hospital ship USNS Comfort at Naval Base Norfolk on Saturday, March 28, 2020, in Norfolk, Va. The Comfort is headed to New York to aid in the coronavirus outbreak. (Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images/TNS) TNSTNS HOSPITAL COMING TO CSI The federal government on Saturday approved the plan to turn portions of the College of Staten Islands Willowbrook campus into a 1,000-bed field hospital and use more than 200 beds at South Beach Psychiatric Center for infected patients as the strategy to fight coronavirus (COVID-19) intensifies. Cuomo previously said that it would take about 10 days for the CSI hospital to be completed. 53 Fighting the coronavirus: NYC on pause RELATED COVERAGE Relief for homeowners: 90-day mortgage extension and more Coronavirus: Senate passes paid-leave bill for all New Yorkers Staten Island sees 120% jump in confirmed coronavirus cases, with 165, as testing capacity expands Small business owner: Coronavirus is going to crush us Governor: 75% of non-essential employees must work at home Coronavirus: NYC travel industry in triage mode Latest on NYC school closures: Child care to be available for first responders FOLLOW TRACEY PORPORA ON FACEBOOK and TWITTER One of the leading pharmaceutical companies in West Africa, Tobinco Pharmaceuticals Limited, has donated medical supplies worth GHC251,000 to the Ministry of Health. The donation, which was made on Friday at the Premises of the Ministry, aims at complementing the government's effort to combat the Covid-19 pandemic in the country. The products donated included immune-boosting drugs such as Tofcee, and Zincvite manufactured by the Entrance Pharmaceuticals and Research Centre, also a member of the Tobinco Group. Boxes of Omal hand sanitizer, boxes of hand gloves. The company also donated a specially designed hand-washing device, which allows people to wash their hands without touching it. Chairman of Tobinco Group, the parent company of the Tobinco Pharmaceuticals Limited, Elder Samuel Nana Amo Tobbin I, called on fellow pharmaceutical companies to come out and support Ghanaians as the country battles the Covid-19 pandemic. Nana Amo Tobbin noted that the country is in crisis and that there is the need for philanthropists and other groups to support the citizenry particularly those in the rural areas to safeguard their safety against the disease. He further explained that gesture was in line with Tobinco Pharmaceuticals' Corporate Social Responsibility. 'As one of the top pharmaceutical companies in Africa, we see this as a responsibility to help combat this global pandemic,' the business mogul noted. The Tobinco boss urged the public to adhere to the safety guidelines provided by the health authorities to prevent the spread of the pandemic, which has so far infected 136 people in the country. The Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman Manu, who received the donation on behalf of the government expressed gratitude to Chairman Amo Tobbin for the kind gesture. According to him, the coronavirus situation has brought to the fore the need for Ghanaians to depend on products and services made in Ghana. President Donald Trump says the US will not pay for the security of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex after the couple decided to move from Canada to California. "I am a great friend and admirer of the Queen & the United Kingdom. It was reported that Harry and Meghan, who left the Kingdom, would reside permanently in Canada. Now they have left Canada for the US however, the US will not pay for their security protection. They must pay," Mr Trump wrote in a tweet on Sunday. According to reports, the royal couple recently left Vancouver Island for Los Angeles, where Meghan grew up. The US and UK have a longstanding agreement between the two countries to provide security protection to diplomats and members of the Royal Family when visiting the country. But sources said Harry might lose this benefit after he and his wife decided to step down as senior royals, making them no longer international protected persons. The president did not say if Harry or the British government asked for protection to be extended to the family after they decided to move to Los Angeles. The Independent contacted the Royal Family for a comment. Later on Sunday, the couple issued a statement saying they had no plans to ask the US for pay for their security and that privately-funded arrangements have already been made. The couple announced earlier this year they would be moving away from the UK and stepping away from their royal duties, an announcement that sent shockwaves through the Royal Family. Initially Harry and Meghan planned to settle down in Canada with their 10-month-old son, Archie. Canada reportedly paid for the their security starting in November, but officials said they would stop paying for the protection after March once their royal duties ended. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex choosing to relocate to Canada on a part-time basis presented our government with a unique and unprecedented set of circumstances, Canadas public safety minister Bill Blairs office wrote in a statement, according to CBC. The RCMP has been engaged with officials in the UK from the very beginning regarding security considerations. As the Duke and Duchess are currently recognised as internationally protected persons, Canada has an obligation to provide security assistance on an as-needed basis. At the request of the Metropolitan Police, the RCMP has been providing assistance to the Met since the arrival of the Duke and Duchess to Canada intermittently since November 2019. The assistance will cease in the coming weeks, in keeping with their change in status. Prime minister Justin Trudeau previously said discussions were ongoing with the UK about how security protection would be paid for while the family was in Canada. The US and Canada agreed earlier this month to close their borders to non-essential travel amid the coronavirus pandemic around the same time Harry and Meghan charted a private plane from Canada to California, The Sun reported last week. Harry and Meghan attended their last event under their titles earlier this month at the annual Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey before their royal status ends on 31 March. Salman Khan has come forward to provide financial aid to 25,000 daily wage earners from the film fraternity. The outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease and the nationwide 21-day lockdown has badly affected the livelihoods of the poorer sections of the society. According to FWICE (Federation of Western Indian Cine Employees) president B N Tiwari, Salman Khan has reached out to the film body via his Being Human Foundation to bail out the workers who are in the financial crisis. Tiwari told PTI, Salmans Being Human Foundation has come forward to help daily wage workers. They called us three days ago. We have about 5 lakh workers out of which 25,000 are in dire need of financial help. Being Human Foundation said they will take care of these workers on their own. They have asked for account details of these 25,000 workers as they want to ensure that money reaches them directly. In the meantime, many Bollywood celebrities including Karan Johar, Kiara Advani, Ayushmann Khurrana, Taapsee Pannu amongst others have pledged their support to 'I Stand With Humanity initiative. It has jointly been put forth by the International Association for Human Values, the Art of Living Foundation and the Indian Film and TV Industry. The noble cause is already providing 10 days-worth of food supplies and other essentials to the families of daily wage workers. The Producers Guild of India too announced on March 18 that they would be setting up a relief fund for daily earning crew members of film, television and web productions. The cause was strongly pushed forward by filmmakers such as Sudhir Mishra, Vikramaditya Motwane and Anurag Kashyap. ALSO READ: Akshay Kumar Pledges Rs. 25 Crore To PMs Coronavirus Relief Fund; PM Modi Calls It A Great Gesture ALSO READ: Rishi Kapoor Shares An Optimistic Message Amid COVID-19 Total Lockdown In India! - Elvis Francois is a young surgeon finishing his five-year residency as an orthopaedic surgeon - The doctor at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester has become a global sensation - He is using music to help people cope and heal amid the coronavirus pandemic - Francois believes despite collective efforts for solutions for the COVID-19, the world must come together to overcome the coronavirus As the anxiety of many continues to rise amid the soaring numbers of COVID-19 death-related cases, Dr Elvis Francois has found a way to breach the thick anxious walls of victims. Francois is finishing his five-year residency as an orthopaedic surgeon at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. READ ALSO: Good heart: Generous man hands KSh 10k to jobless workers Francois is finishing his five-year residency as an orthopaedic surgeon at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Photo: Francois Elvis Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Coronavirus wedding: Couples getting married in creative, socially distant elopements The medic has decided to use music along with prescriptions to help the pandemic victims cope and heal. In a video shared in the doctor's Facebook page, he is seen his soothing voice which is a natural gift from God to impact lives in these turbulent times of coronavirus. For the past two years, the young black doctor has been sharing videos of his songs on social media and he is reaching out to bring people together through music. READ ALSO: Coronavirus: 101-year-old man released from hospital after making full recovery The young doctor has been sharing videos of his songs on social media and he is reaching out to bring people together through music. Photo: Francois Elvis. Source: Facebook Francois noted that so many things divide us; religion, race, politics, social status and more but believes that the pandemic brings us all together. 'There are so many things that divide us. Religion, race, politics, social status and so much more.But today a global pandemic brings us all together as one,'' his post on Facebook said. Francois reiterated the opinions of many about how the COVID-19 will test the health systems of countries. READ ALSO: Man's gratitude note to hospital staff who saved wife goes viral ''Health care providers will be under an incredible amount of stress to save thousands of people. But when times are as dark as they are today, nothing shines brighter than the human spirit,'' he said. The United States took the grim title of the country with the most coronavirus infections and reported a record surge in unemployment. More than 500,000 people around the world have now contracted the new coronavirus, overwhelming healthcare systems even in wealthy nations. Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly Source: TUKO.co.ke Amidst the coronavirus pandemic, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay has built a platform called CORONTINE to track people escaping quarantine. These individuals could +ve asymptomatic carriers of COVID-19. In a statement, the institute said, this platform can help authorities to register and track the individuals to check if they confine to their quarantined zones. Individuals who had travelled abroad since February 2020 end had been advised home quarantine for a minimum of 14 days to see if they develop COVID-19 symptoms like fever, dry cough, sore throat and shortness of breath. The self-quarantine was not just for those who travelled abroad, but also for the people they came in contact with after returning including friends and relatives. Asymptomatic carriers of COVID-19 have been a cause of concern for the medical community globally. There have been several cases in India where such people escaped quarantine and mingled with the general public, increasing the potential risk of community transmission of COVID-19. CORONTINE allows to geo-fence and automatically generate alerts including text messages and emails if users move out of the quarantined zone. The CORONTINE platform provisions for organising zones into regions and several other such features. The institute said that it is customisable to the needs of the agencies. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show A team lead by professors Ganesh Ramakrishnan and Manjesh Hanawal of IIT Bombay has developed this application. Once this application is installed on the mobile phone of a suspected person by an authorised person (for example, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation), if he/she leaves the designated home and moves outside alerts are sent. Authorities can then track these individuals and take necessary action. IIT Bombay has invited both the city and state agencies across the country monitoring the COVID-19 outbreak to seek their help. Only an authorised person can log in as admin to access the full features of the CORONTINE platform. India has reported 979 positive COVID-19 cases and 25 deaths so far. A majority of the cases have been reported among people having travelled abroad. Lucknow, March 29 : Malls and markets are empty, roads are mostly barren but bus stations, railway stations and even railway tracks are brimming with activity in Uttar Pradesh. Thousands of workers and laborers- now in a reverse migration mode-are desperate to reach home amidst the COVID-19 scare. Since the past two days, people are flocking on the UP-Delhi-Haryana border and also on the UP-Bihar border to return to their homes in UP. With the railway also a part of the lockdown, people in other states, particularly Maharashtra, are climbing on to goods train, oil tankers and even milk tankers in an attempt to reach their destination. With limited options left for travel, many are walking the distance on foot. UPSRTC Managing Director Raj Shekhar said, "We have deployed 1,000 buses to bring stranded migrants from the border areas as well as railway stations and bus stations. The buses have taken the people to Kanpur, Ballia, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Azamgarh, Faizabad, Basti, Pratapgarh, Sultanpur, Amethi, Rae Bareli, Gonda, Etawah, Bahraich and Shravasti. We are also trying to provide food and water to them." Sunil Kumar, who has been waiting for 38 hours for a bus at the Kaiserbagh railway station in Lucknow to reach his home in Azamgarh, finally started walking on Saturday evening with his two cousins. All three of them work in a garment unit in Noida. "Baithe rahenge to mar jayenge (If we keep waiting, we will die)," he said and added that he had his cousins had run out of money because they travelled on a truck and had to pay the driver. He said that hundreds are waiting at the bus stations, waiting for their turn because buses are limited. What is adding to the panic among laborers and workers in reverse migration, are rumors that the lockdown could be extended to another month or so. Ikhlaq, who has returned from Bihar and is presently in Varanasi, trying to find a way to reach his home in Amroha, said, "I have been told by my friends and also my boss in Patna that the lockdown will continue till May. I want to reach my home and will not take a lift on the way or just walk back." Ikhlaq works in a travel agency and said that, in any case, there would be no work in the sector for months. Ikhlaq said that while four-wheelers did not stop on the highway to offer lifts to migrants, people on motorbikes were more generous. I took three lifts from Patna to Varanasi and did not even see the faces of the motorcyclists because they were wearing helmets but they brought me till here," he said. However, many of the migrants who are walking long distances to reach their homes, are also complaining of police atrocities. "Without even batting an eyelid or asking a question, the cops have rained lathis on us as we walked from Unnao to Barabanki," said a student from IIT, Kanpur. He and his four friends had managed to get a lift from Kanpur to Unnao but had to walk the remaining distance of about 98 kilometers. "We were beaten and then made to lie prostrate on the ground. When we showed our ID cards to the cops, we were allowed to move on," he said and added that it took the group three days to reach home on Saturday. Most of the migrants who are returning home on foot, are also the ones who are escaping thermal screening. A senior official said that laborers and workers are walking through the fields and it is near impossible to keep count. The Varanasi division has been most affected by reverse migration and people are heading to their homes in Jaunpur, Ghazipur, Chandauli and Varanasi. The government spokesman said that they have identified most of them and have now alerted gram pradhans, ASHA workers, ANMs (auxiliary nurse midwife) and local primary health centres to identify those who have returned and ask them to self-isolate themselves for the next 14 days. Over 30,000 people are said to have arrived from Maharashtra alone on at least 80 trains before the lockdown began. The Ogun State Government has announced the closure of its borders with neighbouring states and the Republic of Benin. Enforcement of the border closure order given by Governor Dapo Abiodun will be effected by 12 midnight on Sunday. In a statement released by Abioduns Chief Press Secretary Kunle Somorin, the Governor stated that the state is constrained to close its border in order to stem and flatten the curve of the spread of the dreaded coronavirus READ ALSO Former Ogun State Commissioner Tests Positive For Coronavirus (Video) It reads in part: The position of Ogun State is peculiar. It not only shares an international border with the Republic of Benin, it does so with all other states in the South West (except Ekiti), including Lagos State, which has understandably recorded the highest number of infections in the country, largely because it hosts the busiest air and seaports and its the nations economic capital. The border closure will not only be beneficial to Ogun State but the national efforts to curtail and contain the virus. Lessons from other climes strongly indicate that closure of borders has the potential to drastically flatten the curve of spread whilst unrestricted movement portends grave dangers. The only exceptions to the interstate restrictions are vehicles conveying personnel involved in essential services such as security agencies, health workers, food and medical items and petroleum products. Residents of the state were urged to work with security operatives in the state to curb the spread of coronavirus in the state and West Africa in general. For the third time this month, a Congress constantly at loggerheads came together to quickly address the impact of the coronavirus. By a 96-0 vote late Wednesday, the Senate approved a $2 trillion economic stimulus package patched together in a gargantuan 1,404-page bill early that morning following a day of contentious name-calling that better typified ideological differences. The House was expected to follow suit. Of note, the stimulus bill includes direct payments to most Americans; an extension and enhancement of unemployment benefits; aid for beleaguered small businesses, farmers, cities and states; reimbursement for overburdened hospitals fighting COVID-19, and even $17 billion in national security funds for an unnamed entity bearing an uncanny resemblance to Boeing. Some industries hotels, restaurants, retailers and grocers received permanent, long-sought tax code changes in return for retaining employees. The humanities and sexual education and abstinence programs got money as well. Previously, Congress passed a $8.3 billion bill (up from $2 billion proposed by the White House) aimed at developing a vaccine and other preventive measures. Another package emanating from the House mandated more sick leave and free COVID-19 testing. It following relatively harmonious negotiations between Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin. The latest bill warts and all wont be the last as states, notably New York, wrestle with an exponentially increasing disease without any immediate end in sight. President Trumps hope to be able to jump-start the economy by Easter is wishful thinking. In any event, it largely depends on acquiescence by governors who have been on the front lines. With a record 3.3 million filing for unemployment last week, the bill offers a much-need financial infusion: Beginning April 6, it includes $1,200 in direct payments to taxpayers with incomes up to $75,000 per year (families, $150,000), then gradually phasing out up to individual earnings of $99,000 (couples, $198,000), plus $500 per child. It applies even to Social Security recipients. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., prevailed in getting unemployment benefits for those furloughed, gig economy workers (Uber, Lyft drivers and the like) and freelancers. The payments are increased by $600 per week for four months in addition to what states offer as base unemployment compensation. After his own deliberations with Mnuchin, Schumer promised his Democratic colleagues President Donald Trumps real estate empire wouldnt benefit nor, as the bill states, would the spouse, child, son-in-law or daughter-in-law of the president and other officials. Yet the Trump Organization stands to gain from tax code changes and it wont affect Jared Kushners real estate holdings, because theyre less than the 25% threshold of his familys business ventures. Schumer was successful in getting oversight on $500 billion in aid fund for distressed businesses $425 billion for the Federal Reserve to administer and $75 billion for specific industries such as the airlines. The initial provisions lacked any oversight to scrutinize lending decisions; indeed, it didnt allow identifying recipients for six months. When Trump was asked about it Monday, he responded, Ill be the oversight. That may have sparked concessions. Harkening back to the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program during the 2008 financial crisis, Congress approved an independent inspector general and a five-person oversight panel. Nonetheless, it wasnt universally lauded. Liberal firebrand Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., tweeted, it seems to give a *HALF TRILLION DOLLARS* away to big corporations, w/ few worker protections. The bill also raises assistance from $30 billion to $50 billion for farmers who were collateral damage in Trumps trade wars. Businesses critical to maintaining national security aka Boeing got $17 billion, despite wallowing in financial woes following the grounding of its rushed-to-market 737 SuperMax involved in two fatal crashes. Nikki Haley, the former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. and governor of South Carolina, where Boeing has a large manufacturing presence, earlier resigned from its board, protesting its pursuit of public aid. Despite what borders on criminal negligence, Boeing employs 70,000 in Washington state and 150,000 globally and claims to support 2.5 million aerospace-industry jobs and 17,000 suppliers. Elsewhere, humanities grants, which may not have passed muster among many social conservatives, were handed out: $75 million each for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities to assist arts organizations, museums and libraries. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington got $25 million and the Smithsonian Institution, $7.5 million. Social conservatives received an additional six months of funding for abstinence-only sexual education programs; ditto for Democrats backing programs about birth control and safe sex. This legislation is far from perfect. More measures are inevitable. But it is a life preserver for millions of Americans whose businesses or jobs have been lost or are in jeopardy. Despite feuds preceding it, Congress deserves credit for coming together in a time of extraordinary need. Texas Governor Orders Self-Quarantine for Anyone Traveling Into State From Louisiana Gov. Greg Abbott Said the Measure Will Be Enforced at Texas-Louisiana Border Points Texas Governor Greg Abbott expanded an executive order that requires people traveling into Texas via road from Louisiana to self-quarantine as the CCP virus continues to spread. My prior executive order about travel from New Orleans covered air travel from New Orleans into the state of Texas. Now, I am updating that executive order to also include travel by road. Travel by road from any location in the state of Louisiana, he said in a statement on Sunday. Abbott said the executive order does not apply to travel related to commercial activity, military service, emergency response, health response, or critical infrastructure functions. Texas Governor Greg Abbott speaks at Dallass City Hall in Dallas, Texas, on July 8, 2016. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Abbott said the measures will be enforced by the Department of Public Safety at or near Louisiana entry points. The order had also included self-quarantines for travelers from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to prevent the spread of the virus, according to Fox4. Abbott also expanded the self-quarantine for airplane travelers from Miami, Atlanta, Detroit, Chicago, California, and Washington state. Any traveler who violates the quarantine will be subject to as much as $1,000 fine and as many as six months in jail, the order said. Abbott also said he will issue an executive order to stop the release of dangerous felons from prisons in jails in Texas. He offered few details. Louisiana has documented 3,315 cases in the state along with more than 130 deaths. A total of 927 people have been hospitalized with 336 on ventilators, the states health department says. EMS personnel bring a patient into the emergency center at Ochsner Baptist Medical Center amid the outbreak of the CCP virus in New Orleans, Louisiana, on March 25, 2020. (Jonathan Bachman/Reuters) Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards told ABC News on Sunday that the states health care system could become overwhelmed by early next month. We remain on a trajectory, really, to overwhelm our capacity to deliver health care, Edwards told the network. By the end of the first week in April, we think the first real issue is going to be ventilators, he said in describing the timeline. And we think its about the fourth or fifth of April before, down in the New Orleans area, were unable to put people on ventilators who need them. And then several days later, we will be out of beds. Top U.S. health officials have warned that New Orleans could become the next hot spot for the CCP virus. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China before it was transmitted worldwide. Shawn Marshall Myers (pictured) was arrested Friday for hosting 60 people at his home for a bonfire A Maryland man was arrested Friday after hosting 60 people at a bonfire, defying the state's emergency order that prohibits gatherings of 10 or more people during the coronavirus pandemic. It is the second time authorities caught Shawn Marshall Myers, 41, of Hughesville, throwing an unauthorized gathering in a week. Myers was charged with two counts of violating Gov. Larry Hogan's emergency order after deputies responded to his home at 10.53pm. He is the first person in the state to be arrested for such a crime, The Baltimore Sun reports. Deputies responded to Myers home in the 15000 block of Lukes Lane to find the large group enjoying a bonfire party at him home. Myers refused to disperse the crowd and was ultimately taken into police custody. He is being held without bond. He previously held a function with an undisclosed amount of people at his home on March 22. In that instance, Myers' agreed to disperse the crowd at authorities request. Authorities let him off with a warning. Fox News reports Myers' is a registered sex offender who was also indicted as a murder accomplice. In September 2012, Myers was sentenced to five years probation after he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit a robbery related to a 2004 Thanksgiving Day murder. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (center) issued an emergency order that prohibits gatherings of 10 or more people during the coronavirus pandemic Hogan addressed Myers' arrest on Twitter and lambasted the man for ignoring social distancing protocols. He wrote: 'A Charles County man has been arrested after repeatedly violating the executive order banning large gatherings and hosting a bonfire party with 60 guests. 'I cannot begin to express my disgust towards such irresponsible, reckless behavior. 'Let me repeat: if you are engaged in this kind of activity, you are breaking the law, and you are endangering the lives of your fellow Marylanders. 'State and local authorities will continue to take aggressive enforcement action as we work to prevent the spread of #Covid19.' Hogan called Myers' behavior 'irresponsible' and 'reckless' on Twitter after the 41-year-old was arrested Hogan: 'Let me repeat: if you are engaged in this kind of activity, you are breaking the law, and you are endangering the lives of your fellow Marylanders' Ten Marylanders have died of coronavirus and more than 1,200 have be infected by the disease thus far. In the US, there are 131,824 reported cases and at least 2,336. Epicenters like New York have totaled 59,513 cases and 965. At the recommendation of health expert, federal, state and local officials in the US have asked citizens to practice social distancing. However, President Trump stirred controversy after telling Americans during a press conference that the country's economy could reopen by Easter. Trump previously called his Easter deadline a 'beautiful time.' 'I thought it was a beautiful time. A beautiful timeline,' he said at his daily White House briefing on the coronavirus outbreak. It wasn't revealed what data the Trump administration decided on that particular timeline. 'It was based on a certain level of weeks from time we started and it happened to arrive, we were thinking of terms of sooner. I'd love to see it come sooner,' President Trump said. 'So were going to be talking, and it could be we'll do sections of our country,' Trump said Wednesday at the White House. President Trump (pictured) mentioned earlier this month that the American economy could reopen by Easter - despite pushback from health officials As of Sunday, 132,647 American citizens have been diagnose with Covid-19 and at least 2,355 have died 'There's big sections of our country that are very, you know, little affected by what's taking place, then there are other sections that are very heavily affected,' the president said. 'Then there are other sections that are very heavily affected, so theres a big difference,' Trump said. 'I would say by Easter we'll have a recommendation,' he said indicating he would be guided by health experts and other advisors. Trump has since appeared to soften his timeline after both Dr. Anthony Facui, the government's foremost infection disease expert, and the surgeon general pushed back on those claims. 'I think what the President was trying to do, he was making an aspirational projection to give people some hope,' Facui - who was briefly banished from coronavirus press briefings after contradicting Trump - told CNN. 'But he's listening to us when we say that we've really got to reevaluate it in real time, and any decision we make has to be based on the data.' Dr. Anthony Fauci (pictured) said Trump's Easter deadline may have been a 'aspirational projection' to give anxious citizens hope Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams said some states may be battling coronavirus until as late as Labor Day. 'Everyone's timeline is going to be different. Some places haven't hit their peak yet,' said Dr. Jerome Adams on Good Morning America. 'We're trying to give people the testing data to make informed choices. It doesn't matter if it's Easter, Memorial Day or Labor Day. More than 800,000 doctors across the United States also pushed back at Trump's tentative call to end social distancing in a letter sent Friday. They claim opening the economy by Easter could 'gravely jeopardize the health of all Americans.' More than 800,000 physicians across the United States sent a letter to The White House, asking that they use scientific data in discussions about reopening the country In the letter, they said medical staff is risking their lives to treat coronavirus patients and ask that the Trump administration support 'science-based recommendations' on social distancing. They wrote: 'A strong nationwide plan that supports and enforces social distancingand recognizes that our health and our economy are inextricably linkedshould remain in place until public health and medical experts indicate it can be lifted. 'Federal, state, and local governments should only set a date for lifting nationwide social distancing restrictions consistent with assessments by public health and medical experts. 'Lifting restrictions sooner will gravely jeopardize the health of all Americans and extend the devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic.' The White House has not announced an official deadline to reopen the economy or alter current social distancing protocols. In a frightening warning, the US will see 100,000 to 200,000 deaths from the coronavirus, the Trump administration's topmost infection disease expert forecast on Sunday as the pandemic infected nearly 125,000 people in the country. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci said in an interview on CNN that the US will certainly have millions of cases of COVID-19 and more than 100,000 deaths. Looking at what we are seeing now, I would say between 100,000-200,00 deaths from coronavirus. We're going to have millions of cases, he said. "But I don't want to be held to that because the pandemic is such a moving target, Fauci added. According to Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Centre, the US has 124,763 cases and witnessed 2,612 deaths as of Sunday morning. A total of 2,612 patients have recovered, it said. Globally, the number of COVID-19 cases stand at 684,652 and more than 32,000 people have died of the disease. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As the coronavirus infections in the country continue to spike, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro not only cast doubt on Sao Paulos death toll from the COVID-19 infections but also accused the state governor of manipulating the numbers for political ends, without giving evidence for his claims. Moreover, in a televised interview on March 27, Bolsonaro said: Im sorry, some people will die. Further acknowledging the increasing fatalities of the deadly coronavirus, he gave a reference to a car factory which can not stop its production due to the deaths due to car accidents. Im sorry, some people will die, they will die, thats life, Bolsonaro said, You cant stop a car factory because of traffic deaths. Meanwhile, Bolsonaros accusation on the governors were the latest broadside in an ugly battle with Brazils governors who have targetted the Brazilian Presidents approach towards the coronavirus outbreak and prioritising the economy over measures over social distancing to combat the unprecedented drastic spread of COVID-19. Following the advice the public health experts, the vast majority of Brazils 26 governors banned non-essential commercial activities and public services to contain the coronavirus in their respective states. Read - Brazilian President Questions His Own Govt's Statistics On COVID-19 Deaths Read - Brazilian President Says Religious Services Will Continue Despite COVID-19 Outbreak Sao Paulo death toll too large Brazilian President also said that state of Sao Paulo, the economic powerhouse of the country, the death toll seemed too large as the state has confirmed the greatest number of coronavirus cases and deaths so far. Out of the countrys total infections 3,904, at least 1,223 are from Sao Paulo while 68 people died in the state and nations death toll reached 114. We need to look at what is happening there, this cannot be a numbers game to favour political interests, Bolsonaro said. Earlier on that day, Sao Paulos governor Joao Doria, a former ally of Brazilian President, accused Bolsonaro of promoting disinformation by launching a television advertisement campaign criticising the restrictions and featuring the slogan #BrazilCannotStop. Moreover, the slogan used by Bolsonaro is similar to the campaign in Milan before Italy emerged as one of the new hotspots of coronavirus infections. Read - Brazil Legend Rivaldo Expresses Concern Over Ronaldinho's Imprisonment In Paraguay Read - Brazil President Makes Religious Places 'essential Services' Amid Covid-19; Court Blocks (With agency inputs) Kim Kardashian smoldered in nude shapewear from her line SKIMS this Saturday. The 39-year-old posted a sizzling Instagram snap in which she modeled some of her brand's clothing and stared pensively off into the distance. On Friday morning, the shapewear line announced a $1 million donation to families affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Pensive: Kim Kardashian smoldered in nude shapewear from her line SKIMS this Saturday SKIMS will restock the original collection they launched with on Monday, and in doing so, will help bring relief to those affected by the global pandemic. Kim said in the statement: To support Mothers and Children in need during this time, SKIMS is committed to donating $1M to families affected by COVID-19.' Adding: 'On Monday, were restocking the collection we first launched with, and in doing so, are able to help bring relief to those affected by this pandemic.' The mother of four continued: 'I am so grateful to all of you who have supported SKIMS since we first started 6 months ago. Its been a dream of mine for so long, and has only been possible because of your love for what we do.' Amazing: On Friday morning, the shapewear line announced a $1 million donation to families affected by COVID-19 Good heart: SKIMS will restock the original collection they launched with on Monday, and in doing so, will help be relief to those affected by the global pandemic 'Our six-month anniversary has fallen in the middle of a Global crisis so more than ever, its our responsibility to give back and do what we can to help others,' Kim said. Kim launched her new shapewear line - Skims Solutionwear - on September 10, 2019 on Skims.com. According to TMZ, Kim made $2 million in just the few minutes after the launch of Skims. In addition to Skims, Kim also has KKW Beauty and KKW Fragrance, as well as her hit reality show Keeping Up With The Kardashians. Incredible:: 'Our six-month anniversary has fallen in the middle of a Global crisis so more than ever, its our responsibility to give back and do what we can to help others' Businesswoman: Kim launched her new shapewear line - Skims Solutionwear - on September 10 on Skims.com She's been self-isolating at her mansion in Calabasas with her husband Kanye West and their four children amid the Coronavirus pandemic. Kim and Kanye are parents to: North, six, Saint, four, Chicago, two, and Psalm, 10 months. Kim's SKIMS donation announcement comes two days after her sister Kylie Jenner, 22, donated $1 million to help doctors get face masks, face shields and protective gear. Safety first: She's been self-isolating at her mansion in Calabasas with her husband Kanye West and their four children amid the Coronavirus pandemic Abortion laws have been relaxed to allow women to take pills at home to terminate a pregnancy. The measures put in place so women do not have to visit a hospital or clinic will last two years or until the coronavirus epidemic ends. Women can use the pills up to the 10th week of pregnancy. They must consult a doctor over the phone or video chat to get a prescription, with the pills sent by post. Medical abortions require two pills mifepristone and misoprostol. Abortion laws have been relaxed to allow women to take pills at home to terminate a pregnancy (stock image) Prior to the announcement, abortions in England could only be carried out in a hospital, by a specialist provider or by a licensed clinic and needed to be approved by two doctors to certify that it did not breach the terms of the Abortion Act 1967. Campaigners had warned 44,000 women in England and Wales would need to visit doctors to access early medical abortions in the next 13 weeks and such travel would severely harm the Government's social distancing strategy. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said last night: 'Public safety and continued access to key services is our priority during this difficult period. 'We are updating our guidance so women who need an abortion up to ten weeks and can't access a clinic can use abortion pills at home. This will be on a temporary basis and must follow a telephone or e-consultation with a doctor.' Pro-life groups have fiercely opposed the measures and accused the abortion lobby of taking 'advantage of this crisis' to lobby for the 'backdoor policy'. The measures put in place so women do not have to visit a hospital or clinic will last two years or until the coronavirus epidemic ends (stock image) But Dr Patricia Lohr, medical director at the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, said: 'Many women with unwanted pregnancies are currently unable to leave their homes or are having to travel across the country to access care as services buckle, putting themselves and those they come into contact with at needless risk. Every day of delay forces hundreds of women from their homes, including those with underlying health conditions. We are extremely grateful to the dozens of leaders in public health who made their voices heard on this crucial issue in women's health at a time of national crisis.' Latest coronavirus video news, views and expert advice at mailplus.co.uk/coronavirus Read The Stars live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic here. This story is no longer updating. 9:13 p.m.: Days after U.S. President Donald Trump said he hoped the country would be opened up and raring to go by Easter, he instead announced on Sunday evening an extension of federal guidance on social distancing until the end of April, in a continued effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. Calling his previous statements targeting Easter just an aspiration, Trump said he now expects the death rate to peak in two weeks. Nothing would be worse than declaring victory before the victory is won, Trump said at an evening news conference in the Rose Garden. Trump said that by June 1, he expects that the country will be well on our way to recovery. The U.S. has reached more than 136,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and more than 2,400 related deaths with numbers continuing to climb. 8 p.m.: Alberta has seen its third death from COVID-19 an 80-year-old woman in the Calgary area. Government spokesman John Muir says he doesnt have other details, including whether the woman had been a resident of one of three long-term care facilities in the city that have COVID-19 cases. The province says that 40 additional cases of COVID-19 were confirmed as of Sunday, bringing the total number of cases in the province to 661. 7:30 p.m.: Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics organizing committee president Yoshiro Mori said Saturday it is unlikely the rescheduled 2020 Summer Games will take place in the spring of 2021. 6:45 p.m.: Peter MacKay, presumptive front-runner in the Conservative leadership campaign, is in self-isolation from his family after they returned from a holiday in Mexico. 6:30 p.m.: Joe Diffie, a country music star who won Country Music Assocation and Grammy Awards, died Sunday from complications of COVID-19. He was 61. It has also been reported that country folk singer-songwriter John Prine is in hospital in critical condition after a sudden onset of COVID-19 symptoms. 5:41 p.m.: Two of Ontarios 1,355 COVID-19 cases have died, raising fatality total to 23, the provinces online tracker indicated Sunday afternoon. The new deaths were not lab confirmed, meaning that the province has not ascertained that the virus is to blame. More details were not immediately available, but this update would bring the national death toll to 65. 5:38 p.m.: More than 100,000 Ontario residents have been directed to seek immediate medical assistance due to COVID-19 symptoms in the past week, data from the provinces online assessment tool reveals. Another half-million visitors to the online site had symptoms serious enough to be instructed to self isolate another indication of how serious the situation in Ontario is, reports the Stars Kevin Donovan. 5:20 p.m.: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is promising federal health authorities will not cut any corners when it comes to making sure masks provided by China meet the necessary standards for protecting Canadian health-care workers from COVID-19. The comments follow the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa announcing that China is sending 30,000 medical masks along with thousands of gowns, gloves and goggles to Canada. There are reports the Dutch government is recalling around 600,000 defective masks that were recently shipped from China, some of which were distributed to hospitals. Spain has also raised concerns about Chinese-made COVID-19 testing kits that were faulty. I can assure people that Health Canada has very strong procedures for evaluating (and) ensuring what we get is up to the necessary standards, Trudeau said during his daily news conference outside his Ottawa home on Sunday. 4:22 p.m.: Saskatchewan is reporting 22 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the provincial total to 156 confirmed cases. It says at least seven COVID-19 cases are a result of local transmission, while the rest are travel-related or cluster-related due to exposure at mass gatherings, including a snowmobile rally dinner held two weeks ago. The province says approximately 130 people were present at the dinner, and as of Sunday 20 cases have been linked to the event. 4:02 p.m.: After a visit to a warehouse storing Personal Protective Equipment, Premier Doug Ford said the Ontario government is taking swift action to procure and manufacture these supplies as quickly as possible. 3:15 p.m.: Five Toronto firefighters have tested positive for COVID-19, according to a tweet from their professional association. 3:14 p.m.: The latest numbers of confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases in Canada as of 3:09 p.m.: There are 6,258 confirmed and presumptive cases in Canada; 47 presumptive, 6,211 confirmed including 63 deaths, 445 resolved. By province/territory: Quebec: 2,840 confirmed (including 22 deaths, 1 resolved). Ontario: 1,355 confirmed (including 21 deaths, 8 resolved). British Columbia: 884 confirmed (including 17 deaths, 396 resolved). Alberta: 621 confirmed (including 2 deaths, 33 resolved). Newfoundland and Labrador: 135 confirmed (including 4 resolved). Saskatchewan: 134 confirmed (including 3 resolved). Nova Scotia: 122 confirmed. Manitoba: 25 confirmed (including 1 death), 47 presumptive. New Brunswick: 66 confirmed. Repatriated Canadians: 13 confirmed. Prince Edward Island: 11 confirmed. Yukon: 4 confirmed. Northwest Territories: 1 confirmed. Nunavut: No confirmed cases 2:52 p.m.: Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin ordered residents to stay in their homes, warning that the spread of novel coronavirus in Europes largest capital city has entered a new phase. The Russian capitals 12.7 million people were ordered to stay home starting Monday, with limited exceptions, in the strictest measures yet imposed in a major Russian city. Confirmed infections in Moscow jumped overnight to 1,014 on Sunday and make up two-thirds of the countrys total. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced this week will be a non-working one, but didnt commit to any drastic measures during a national address March 25, instead promising benefits to get companies and individuals through the crisis. In a stark example of the mixed signals coming from the Kremlin, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday the week-long paid national holiday that Putin had publicly announced was really an order to work from home. 2:47 p.m.: Hundreds of people flouted Louisianas COVID-19 ban on gatherings, coming on buses and in personal vehicles to the first of three Sunday services at their church a day after New Orleans police broke up a funeral gathering on Saturday of about 100 people. An estimated 500 people of all ages filed into the Life Tabernacle church in Central, a city of nearly 29,000 outside Baton Rouge. More than 3,500 Louisiana residents have been diagnosed with the disease caused by a new coronavirus, and more than 150 of them have died the fourth-highest death total among U.S. states. Other congregations are using the Internet, Skype, and other safe ways to congregate. Why cant they? said Paul Quinn, a passer-by standing across the street from Life Tabernacle. He said state police should enforce the ban. 12:30 p.m.: Canadas chief public health officer Theresa Tam says 205,000 tests for COVID-19 have been conducted in the country, and about three per cent of them have been positive. She also says the number of people with the disease requiring hospitalization remains around six per cent, with two per cent in critical care and one per cent of cases fatal. Tam notes the government has the ages for only about 25 per cent of cases. Tam is also calling on religious leaders to tailor their celebrations for events such as Easter and Ramadan to account for COVID-19 and the need to self-isolate and practise social distancing. 12:27 p.m.: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says while planning is underway for a variety of different scenarios, there are no immediate plans to deploy the military in response to COVID-19. Defence chief Gen. Jonathan Vance on Friday put the Canadian Armed Forces on notice to stand ready should its assistance be required. Trudeau says the military will be ready, but the federal government has not received any specific requests for military help and there are no plans for the Forces to intervene. 12:25 p.m.: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he is remaining in self-isolation at his home in Ottawa for close to two more weeks to ensure he does not have COVID-19. 12:08 p.m.: Mississauga fire Chief Tim Beckett says a Mississauga firefighter tested positive for COVID-19. Tim Beckett says the station where the affected firefighter worked has been closed temporarily and its territory covered by nearby firehouses. 10:36 a.m.: Ontario reports 211 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the provincial total to 1,355. That includes 21 deaths (two more than Saturday) and eight resolved cases. On Saturday, the official case tally rose by 151 or 15 per cent to a total of 1,144 since the first COVID-19 patient was confirmed Jan. 25. 10:13 a.m.: Millions of Americans will be infected by the coronavirus and 100,000 to 200,000 will die, the U.S. governments top infectious-disease expert warned Sunday, as people in and around the countrys outbreak epicentre of New York were urged to limit their travel to contain the scourge. The dire prediction came from Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, speaking on CNNs State of the Union. As of Sunday morning, the U.S. had about 125,000 infections and 2,200 deaths. I would say between 100,000 and 200,000 deaths, he said. Were going to have millions of cases. But he added I dont want to be held to that because the pandemic is such a moving target. 10:05 a.m.: Spain moved to tighten its lockdown and ban all nonessential work Sunday as it hit another daily record of 838 dead. The countrys overall official toll was more than 6,500. Spains health emergencies chief, Fernando Simon, said the countrys infection rate fell Sunday to 9 per cent, down from 18 per cent three days before. But he said the number of people in intensive care units keeps rising and hospitals are at their limits in several regions. 10:03 a.m.: The confirmed global death toll surpassed 31,000 and new virus epicentres emerged in U.S. cities like Detroit, New Orleans and Chicago. Even rural America has not been immune, as virus hotspots erupt in Midwestern towns and Rocky Mountain ski havens. 8:51 a.m.: A second employee has tested positive for COVID-19 at the Real Canadian Superstore location on Gibb Street in Oshawa. The information was shared on social media Saturday night. The store has been closed, and a third-party crew will come in to thoroughly clean and disinfect this location, a notice reads, adding the store is expected to re-open Sunday at 10 a.m. The news comes several days after the first employee at the store to be diagnosed died. 8:12 a.m.: Irans president lashed out at criticism of its lagging response to the worst coronavirus outbreak in the Middle East, saying the government has to weigh economic concerns as it takes measures to contain the pandemic. Hassan Rouhani said authorities had to consider the effect of mass quarantine efforts on Irans beleaguered economy, which is under heavy U.S. sanctions. Health is a principle for us, but the production and security of society is also a principle for us,: Rouhani said at a cabinet meeting. We must put these principles together to reach a final decision. 8:04 a.m.: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologized to the public on Sunday for imposing a three-week national lockdown, calling it harsh but needed to win the battle against the coronavirus pandemic. I apologize for taking these harsh steps that have caused difficulties in your lives, especially the poor people, Modi said in his monthly address, broadcast by state radio. I know some of you will be angry with me. But these tough measures were needed to win this battle. The unprecedented lockdown order, which came into effect Wednesday to keep Indias 1.3 billion people at home for all but essential trips to places like markets or pharmacies, is meant to prevent the spread of the virus from surging and overwhelming Indias health-care system. Indian health officials have confirmed 867 cases of the coronavirus, including 25 deaths. 7:15 a.m.: As of Saturday night, Ontarios regional public health units are reporting 1,439 confirmed or presumptive cases of COVID-19, with 21 deaths. The total, the Stars count of the latest public tallies and news releases posted to the websites of Ontarios 34 public health units, is up 213 cases from Friday night, a 17.3 per cent single-day increase. The COVID-19 epidemic has grown rapidly in the province this week, and all 34 regions are now reporting confirmed cases. The Middlesex-London Health Unit reported its first COVID-19 death Saturday, a man in his 70s who had tested positive on March 17 after returning from a trip to Portugal. Elsewhere, the rural Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit, south of Hamilton, also reported its first death late Friday, a resident of a retirement home who died in hospital. The count of cases reported by the public health units is significantly higher than the total that was reported by the province earlier Saturday. The province has reported 1,144 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 19 deaths As of Saturday night, the five public health units in the GTA were reporting 966 cases of COVID-19, including 10 deaths 7:07 a.m. Late Saturday, Holland America released a statement saying they had received reports that the Panama Canal authority would allow its cruise ship Zaandam to transit the canal. Four people have died of COVID-19 and more than 100 others have flu-like symptoms. The Zaandam had a total of 1,243 passengers and 586 crew on board, though some passengers have begun transferring to another ship. The ship had 247 Canadian passengers. Zaandam has been at sea off the coast of Panama after it left Buenos Aires, Argentina, on March 7. This remains a dynamic situation, and we continue to work with the Panamanian authorities to finalize details, according to the statement from the cruise line. 7 a.m.: There are 5,655 confirmed and presumptive cases in Canada. Quebec: 2,498 confirmed (including 22 deaths, 1 resolved) Ontario: 1,144 confirmed (including 19 deaths, 8 resolved) British Columbia: 884 confirmed (including 17 deaths, 396 resolved) Alberta: 621 confirmed (including 2 deaths, 33 resolved) Saskatchewan: 134 confirmed (including 3 resolved) Newfoundland and Labrador: 120 confirmed (including 4 resolved) Nova Scotia: 110 confirmed Manitoba: 25 confirmed (including 1 death), 39 presumptive New Brunswick: 51 confirmed Repatriated Canadians: 13 confirmed Prince Edward Island: 11 confirmed Yukon: 4 confirmed Northwest Territories: 1 confirmed Nunavut: No confirmed cases Total: 5,655 (39 presumptive, 5,616 confirmed including 61 deaths, 445 resolved) With files from Canadian Press and USA Today Read more about: What is the response of the religious community to the coronavirus? From all indications the religious community seems to take the road of caution, make good practical health choices that relate to prevention, and adhere to the advice of the CDC. However, certain religious sects and individuals think that all we have to do is trust God and leave the results to Him. They totally neglect practical prevention measures and just pray. In contrast, some Christians believe we should take practical measures of prevention and put our trust in the recommendations of the CDC. Their trust is in a cure that will come from the CDC. Trusting God and prayer is only a religious act with no real expectation that God will heal people or stop the virus. Answer to prayer becomes no more than a hope, not an expectation of a solution. In the Old Testament of the Christian/Jewish text, there were incidents where God healed pestilences and various diseases that were life-threatening. In the New Testament Jesus healed all sorts of diseases and illnesses that were life-threatening. Some Christians and students of the Holy Text believe that all Christians need to do is trust God and everything will be all right. They dont pay much attention to practical measures of prevention and the advice of the CDC and health experts. They justify their beliefs by using various scriptures that validate their position. These scriptures are true, but they are within a certain context of religious history applying to certain people and circumstances. Additionally, there are incidents where Gods people prayed and still died or suffered severely. It is clear the Christian leadership in our country, and its members, are divided in what faith position to take with the coronavirus. During the 9/11 crisis Americans who never went to church started going. Now that the coronavirus has caused fear and death, people are looking for answers from the faith community a community that is divided itself on what to believe. Will God take care of the coronavirus? Most of us have enough religious sensitivity that when all seems to be failing, we seek God for help. However, what does the faith community consider the best position to take that provides practical health advice, hope and encouragement? Is it prayers trusting God only and not taking preventive measures and advice from the health community and the CDC? Or, is it religious prayers that sound good, but lack real faith. Prayers that are combined with practical preventive measures and expecting human effort to solve the problem? Jesus, the head of the Christian Church, said with God all things are possible. Have we become so religious that we are watering down what Jesus taught because we really dont believe? Jesus also said, All things are possible to those that believe. We must come to terms with what we really believe. Otherwise how can we provide hope to people during this crisis? Yes, we as the faith community should take practical measures of prevention and the advice of health experts, and the CDC. But faith in God is only seen when we take risk where we must depend on Him to bring us through. Do we really believe what we are saying? A couple whose 30,000 wedding was cancelled 18 hours before the big day because of the coronavirus outbreak have revealed how they ended up exchanging onion rings at a Burger King instead. Laura Acton, 25, and Adam Woods, 32, from Oldbury, West Midlands, planned their special day for two-and-a-half years, having saved up for nearly four years. But the pair's wedding dream was shattered when it was cancelled ten days ago because of the COVID-19 pandemic - less than 24 hours before they were supposed to say 'I do'. Instead of celebrating with their friends and family, the heartbroken couple decided to go on their 'honeymoon' in Liverpool, and exchanged a pair of onion rings in a nearby fast food joint to celebrate their love. Laura Acton, 25, and Adam Woods', 32, from Oldbury, West Midlands, (pictured) 30,000 wedding was cancelled 18 hours before the big day because of the coronavirus outbreak Laura (pictured left) was left heartbroken after planning the special day for two-and-a-half years, having saved up for nearly four years. But instead the couple were left exchanging onion rings (pictured right) Adam proposed in New York in September 2017 and within a week of returning to the UK, they decided on a date and 'instantly fell in love' with a 6,000 venue in Shropshire. The couple decided to tie the knot on their seven-year anniversary - March 22 - instead of putting a deposit on a house. But the bride and groom were at home when Adam's best friend gave them a ring last Friday and urged them to tune into the news, when Britain's social distancing began gathering pace. Laura, who is now home-schooling her daughters, said: 'I was trying for an hour to get through to the venue and nobody answered. Laura had to dish out her wedding cake (pictured) to her grandmother's nursing home to stop it going to waste 'Somebody then phoned me back at about half six and told me they were closing on Friday. I received an email stating that they were absolutely delighted by the government's stance and decided to close. 'I do understand why places need to close and how they need to hear from the government first. 'But I think their manner was quite insensitive to brides who have been planning their weddings for years and are due to be getting married in 18 hours' time. 'I know my partner's finding it hard behind closed doors, especially seeing the kids crying and saying it's not fair.' Laura and Adam's DIY wedding invites. Speaking about her next potential date, Laura claimed they would be 'waiting years' The pair's wedding dream was shattered when it was cancelled ten days ago because of the COVID-19 pandemic - less than 24 hours before they were supposed to say 'I do.' Pictured: 'Mr and Mrs' cookies were given to friends and family Devastated Laura said: 'It was one hell of a 24 hours. I am beyond heartbroken. I was supposed to be marrying my best friend but our venue cancelled on us.' The mother-of-two was left sobbing and got her parents to collect everything from the venue the following day, including their table plan, decorations and thousands of pounds worth of alcohol. Her 2,000 dress is hanging in her wardrobe untouched. Laura says the venue would not refund her but offered to postpone their date or give her a gift card for another venue. She says she was also told she could claim through insurance, but the couple never took any out. Adam proposed to Laura in New York in September 2017 (pictured) and within a week of returning to the UK, they decided on a date and 'instantly fell in love' with a 6,000 venue 'We obviously didn't take insurance out thinking our wedding is going to be cancelled, maybe just our photographer or videographer,' she said. She now says their house is 'covered in memories' and she has 'no idea' what she may be able to claim back. Laura had to dish out her wedding cake to her nan's nursing home to stop it going to waste and 'Mr and Mrs' cookies were given to friends and family. The pair also had about 30 cancellations from people self-isolating, including one of Adam's groomsmen who's stuck in Las Vegas and a godmother in Switzerland. The bride and groom (pictured in New York) started planning the wedding as soon as they got engaged, saving up for years to fund their big day The couple (pictured) decided to still go on their 'honeymoon' in Liverpool - and were then left stuck in their room with just a bottle of Champagne when the country began to head into lockdown The devastated couple decided to head on a mini-moon to Signature Living Hotel in Liverpool on Saturday, where they'd been planning to go anyway after their nuptials. But during their 'honeymoon', the pair still made sure to have a laugh and instead exchanged onion rings at Burger King. Laura went on: 'We hadn't eaten anything since Friday night because we were so sick, so we stopped off at Burger King on the way to Liverpool. 'Adam ordered some onion rings and when he came back to the car, he told me to put them on - and said we can still exchange rings. You just had to laugh. During their 'honeymoon', the pair (pictured) still made sure to have a laugh and instead exchanged onion rings at Burger King Laura explained: 'Seeing as we couldn't exchange wedding rings we exchanged onion rings.' She added: 'We can still laugh through this as we have each other. If you sit and cry the whole time, you're only going to make yourself feel worse.' The distraught couple were later bound to their room, as the country has enforced social distancing, and ordered a three-course meal through room service. They 'just chilled out, drank some prosecco, cried, laughed and cried some more' - but were happy they did this instead of surrounding themselves with wedding decorations at home. Laura pictured on her hen do, which involved a cocktail making class. The pair also had about 30 cancellations from guests self-isolating, including one of Adam's groomsmen who's stuck in Las Vegas and a godmother in Switzerland Speaking about her next potential date, Laura claimed they would be 'waiting years' and she might have to pick it by herself. She said: 'As the venue said I'm priority, because my wedding was one of the first cancelled, I have to pick a date when they call - otherwise they'll go to the next person. 'I could potentially lose the date I wanted, and with Adam back at work, I'm going to potentially be alone having to choose it.' Boris Johnson rallied Britain for a long battle against coronavirus last night - contradicting his predecessor Margaret Thatcher by insisting the country is showing 'there is such a thing as society'. The PM made the pointed remark as he announced that 20,000 former NHS staff have 'come back to the colours' to help combat the deadly disease. In the two and a half minute video - posted from his bunker in 11 Downing Street, where he is in quarantin after testing positive for COVID-19 - Mr Johnson thanked everyone who was contributing to the struggle. Sounding slightly croaky but defiant, the premier dropped in a reference to Mrs Thatcher's 1987 comment in which she said there was 'no such thing as society'. The ex-PM's line was widely taken as an endorsement of full-blown individualism - although she insisted she was merely criticising people who blamed 'society' for their own failings and lack of effort. Mr Johnson said: 'We are going to do it, we are going to do it together. 'One thing I think the coronavirus crisis has already proved is that there really is such a thing as society.' The intervention came as the UK coronavirus death toll rose by 209 in 24 hours from 1,019 to 1,228. Some 20,000 former NHS staff have returned to help in the fight against coronavirus, Boris Johnson announced in a video message The PM thanked the doctors, nurses and other former professionals for returning to duty, as well as the 750,000 members of the public who have volunteered to aid the health service. Mr Johnson has continued to command the response to the coronavirus pandemic while sealed behind closed doors in his flat above No. 11 Downing Street. In the video, Mr Johnson said the public appeared to be obeying the terms of the lockdown to slow the spread of the disease, saying train use is down 95 per cent and buses down 75 per cent. 'Thank you to everybody who's now coming back into the NHS in such huge numbers,' he continued. 'Just this evening I can tell you we have 20,000 NHS staff coming back to the colours. Some 20,000 former NHS staff have returned to help in the fight against coronavirus, Boris Johnson announced. Pictured: Medical staff with a patient at the back of an ambulance outside St Thomas's hospital The UK coronavirus death toll has risen by 209 in 24 hours from 1,019 to 1,228. Pictured today: Ambulances at Guy's at St Thomas's Hospital in central London Dr Jenny Harries told a Downing Street press conference that people should not be viewing the crisis as something that will blow over within weeks Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick took the briefing in Downing Street today with the PM in self-isolation Thatcher's 1987 swipe about people blaming society for failings Boris Johnson's words were a clear reference to Margaret Thatcher's famous comment about society in a 1987 interview. The remark has often been interpreted as backing unfettered individualism, although the former PM insisted she was in favour of people taking responsibility for themselves rather than blaming 'society' for everything that went wrong. Mrs Thatcher said in the interview: 'There is no such thing as society. 'There is living tapestry of men and women and people and the beauty of that tapestry and the quality of our lives will depend upon how much each of us is prepared to take responsibility for ourselves and each of us prepared to turn round and help by our own efforts those who are unfortunate.' Downing Street later issued a clarification of Mrs Thatcher's views, saying she believed that 'society is made up of people'. 'It is people who have duties and beliefs and resolve. It is people who get things done. 'She prefers to think in terms of the acts of individuals and families as the real sinews of society rather than of society as an abstract concept. 'Her approach to society reflects her fundamental belief in personal responsibility and choice. 'To leave things to 'society' is to run away from the real decisions, practical responsibility and effective action.' Advertisement 'It's a most amazing thing. And that's in addition to the 750,000 members of the public who have volunteered to help us get through this crisis.' Mr Johnson's words were a clear reference to Margaret Thatcher's famous comment in a 1987 interview. The remark has often been interpreted as backing unfettered individualism, although the former PM insisted she was in favour of people taking responsibility for themselves rather than blaming 'society' for everything that went wrong. Mrs Thatcher said in the interview: 'There is no such thing as society. 'There is living tapestry of men and women and people and the beauty of that tapestry and the quality of our lives will depend upon how much each of us is prepared to take responsibility for ourselves and each of us prepared to turn round and help by our own efforts those who are unfortunate.' Downing Street later issued a clarification of Mrs Thatcher's views, saying she believed that 'society is made up of people'. 'It is people who have duties and beliefs and resolve. It is people who get things done. 'She prefers to think in terms of the acts of individuals and families as the real sinews of society rather than of society as an abstract concept. 'Her approach to society reflects her fundamental belief in personal responsibility and choice. 'To leave things to 'society' is to run away from the real decisions, practical responsibility and effective action.' On Thursday, NHS national medical director Professor Stephen Powis said the figure of former professionals who had volunteered to come back stood at more than 15,000. Mr Johnson's message came after the nation was warned by deputy chief medical officer for England Dr Jenny Harries that normality may not resume for at least six months. This does not mean a 'complete lockdown' will last the entire time, she stressed, but social distancing measures will be gradually eased as the crisis wanes and the pressure on the NHS eases. It's nice to see the Technovator International Limited (HKG:1206) share price up 17% in a week. But will that repair the damage for the weary investors who have owned this stock as it declined over half a decade? Probably not. Indeed, the share price is down a whopping 91% in that time. It's true that the recent bounce could signal the company is turning over a new leaf, but we are not so sure. The important question is if the business itself justifies a higher share price in the long term. We really hope anyone holding through that price crash has a diversified portfolio. Even when you lose money, you don't have to lose the lesson. See our latest analysis for Technovator International While the efficient markets hypothesis continues to be taught by some, it has been proven that markets are over-reactive dynamic systems, and investors are not always rational. By comparing earnings per share (EPS) and share price changes over time, we can get a feel for how investor attitudes to a company have morphed over time. During the five years over which the share price declined, Technovator International's earnings per share (EPS) dropped by 11% each year. This reduction in EPS is less than the 39% annual reduction in the share price. So it seems the market was too confident about the business, in the past. The low P/E ratio of 2.89 further reflects this reticence. The graphic below depicts how EPS has changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image). SEHK:1206 Past and Future Earnings March 29th 2020 Dive deeper into Technovator International's key metrics by checking this interactive graph of Technovator International's earnings, revenue and cash flow. A Different Perspective While the broader market lost about 17% in the twelve months, Technovator International shareholders did even worse, losing 64%. Having said that, it's inevitable that some stocks will be oversold in a falling market. The key is to keep your eyes on the fundamental developments. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 38% over the last half decade. We realise that Baron Rothschild has said investors should "buy when there is blood on the streets", but we caution that investors should first be sure they are buying a high quality business. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. Even so, be aware that Technovator International is showing 3 warning signs in our investment analysis , you should know about... Story continues If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on HK exchanges. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. YEREVAN, MARCH 29, ARMENPRESS. Two coronavirus-infected patients, a 73-year old man and 55-year old woman, who suffered also other concomitant chronic diseases died on March 29 at 'Nork' infectious clinical hospital, ARMENPRESS reports Health Minister of Armenia Arsen Torosyan wrote on his Facebook page. ''I have to say with deep grief that we recorded two deaths within an hour at 'Nork' infectious clinical hospital, a 73-year old man and 55-year old woman, who were hospitalized because of coronavirus, but suffered other concomitant chronic diseases'', Torosyan wrote, adding that the doctors made all possible efforts to save their lives, but, unfortunately, were unable. The Health Minister offered condolences to the relatives of the deceased. By 21:00, March 28 the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Armenia has reached 407. 30 patients have recovered. One death case was recorded on March 26. On March 16 Armenia declared a 30-day state of emergency to fight against the spread of the novel coronavirus. The state of emergency is effective until April 14, at 17:00. Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan February inflows bring YTD 2020 flows to +$21.96 billion. However, performance losses for the first two months of the year brought overall hedge fund industry AUM down by -1.95% to $3.245 trillion. eVestment Global Head of Research Peter Laurelli said the dramatic disruptions in world economies as a result of the Coronavirus make it hard to discern real patterns or make predictions for the rest of the year - or even the rest of the quarter - given how much has changed in a few weeks. "Having written about flow themes for several years, it becomes second nature to recognize patterns and attempt to put them in perspective," he says. "When the world shifts so significantly as it has in March, there is little historical perspective to try and understand what happens next." As Laurelli noted earlier in the month, "This is a defining time for many managers. For some hedge fund managers this period will be a career maker." Most primary hedge fund strategies tracked by eVestment were in the green for flows in February. Big flows winners were Multi-Strategy funds, pulling in another +$6.42 billion, and Long/Short Equity funds, pulling in +$5.04 billion. Macro funds were the big asset losers among primary strategies in February, with investors pulling -$5.49 billion from these funds in February. In terms of investment focus, funds focused on Global and Americas investments saw inflows. Global-focused funds pulled in +$10.29 billion in new money and Americas-focused funds pulled in +$4.96 billion. Asia-domiciled funds were slightly in the red for flows, with investors pulling -$560 million from those funds. However, those redemptions were concentrated on a small number of funds and the majority of Asia-based funds were able to raise more money in February. A strange black rock found recently in eastern Mississippi turned out to be a tooth from a species of prehistoric creature occasionally referred to as giant killer pigs from hell. The fossil, about the size of a candy bar, belonged to an entelodont better known as a hell pig, according to a Facebook post from the Mississippi Archaeological Associations Delta Chapter. James Starnes of the chapter calls the tooth an incredible find in the post. If you think we are living in strange times now...imagine what it was like in Mississippi during the Oligocene some 26 million years ago, Starnes wrote, adding the fossil offers an important rare window into life on earth at that time. This fossil hell pig tooth was found in limestone in Wayne County, Mississippi, last fall. Hell pigs, also known as terminator pigs, were the size of a hippopotamus, weighing as much as 2,000 pounds with a three-foot-long skull, according to Livescience.com. The tooth was found by fossil collector Cody Beech in Wayne County, while he was poking around in a rock formation known as the Chickasawhay/Paynes Hammock Limestone, Starnes told McClatchy News. I was walking in a creek when I came upon a section where the bottom was like hard limestone with big chunks broken off, Beech told McClatchy News. At the waters edge there was one of the smaller chunks with the tooth sticking out, so I picked it up. When I did, the tooth fell out into the water. The formation is being studied by the states Office of Geology and Museum of Natural Science, the post said. Starnes, who runs a research program at the states Office of Geology, told McClatchy News the formation recently got the attention of researchers after it was found to host important vertebrate fossils. Though entelodonts are considered close kin to pigs, research in the past decade has revealed they are more closely related to hippos, according to ScientificAmerican.com. The same research found they had the ability to bite little camels in half, the site says. Large scars, up to 0.8 inches (2 centimeters) deep, found on the remains of hell pigs suggests that they fought with their own kind, LiveScience.com reports. Research also suggest that one hell pig would even put anothers head in its mouth during a fight. Liquid Telecom has released a statement explaining how it has mitigated network issues related to the WACS cable break. To help ensure continuity of service, Liquid Telecoms network traffic is automatically rerouted during such outages, said Liquid Telecom South Africa CEO Reshaad Sha. We are responding to new and increased demand from customers with additional capacity across alternative routes. Sha explained that Liquid Telecom operates a five-cable system for its international Internet capacity in South Africa. Our resilient architecture means the loss of the WACS capacity is unlikely to impact customers connectivity as demand surges, said Sha. WACS cable break The South African Nation Research and Education Network (SANREN) issued an alert this weekend informing South Africans there was a break on the West Africa Cable System (WACS). This compounds upon the fact that the SAT-3 cable is still down following a break on 9 March, and has resulted in many South Africans suffering slow international Internet speeds. TATA is making arrangements for a cable repair vessel to attend to the WACS fault. Afrihost has informed clients it is urgently working to secure capacity on alternative international Internet routes. Im sorry about the slow international Internet: Two undersea cables, WACS and SAT-3, have suffered major breaks, Afrihost CEO Gian Visser said in communications to customers. Were working together with our suppliers to secure an alternative international path ASAP. We understand that you need your Internet now more than ever and I promise you that this is our top priority. Thanks for your patience. Stay safe. Now read: MetroFibre free speed upgrades explained Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Twenty-one years old, the youngest sommelier in the country and the most foolish. Today my career will end, I thought. It was early 2012 during a Monday lunch, one of the shifts given to the newbie (in this case, me), as it is the slowest service of the week and typically safe from any real challenges. Only occasionally would I sell a bottle and get to make the magnificent journey through Aureoles extensive wine cellar. This collection climbed upwards and ran the length of the New York, Michelin-starred restaurant, holding more than 15,000 bottles. Usually, the bottles I sold during this shift werent particularly fascinating, as its not a typical American custom to drink well during a Monday lunch. But this Monday was different. A guest had ordered the 2009 Chevalier-Montrachet from Domaine Ramonet. Some sommeliers might nitpick that Domaine Ramonet is not their favourite producer in Burgundy (a bit overrated, theyll sneer), or perhaps a wine collector will argue that this wine was too young to drink (infanticide! at only three years old), but snobbery aside, it was a $US650 bottle of chardonnay! Who does that at a Monday lunch, no less? A sommelier must taste every single bottle before serving. One bottle in every two or three cases of wine is corked, and even more can be affected by a variety of other flaws. Credit:Louie Douvis I thought of how proud my wine director would be when he saw the sales from lunch and imagined all the wonders the guests would experience when they drank the grand cru white burgundy. I had never tasted the wine, only read about its notoriety and rarity. The guest who ordered the Ramonet was at table 100 (in restaurants, tables are numbered for practical purposes). It was one of the best tables in our dining room, surrounded by a plush banquette and pillows. Sometimes, this comfort led to loose wallets. The captain scurried to find me after receiving the order. With the wine list still carefully propped open to the correct page, he pointed to the $650 one. His eyes screamed Ka-ching! Advertisement I held my breath as his fingers scrolled from the price over to the left 2009 Domaine Ramonet Chevalier-Montrachet. At first, I was sure this was a practical joke. As the new girl, I had grown accustomed to all sorts of ruses. Let me just double-check, I added, hesitant. The captains face dropped as I took the wine list from his hands and walked over to the table, where four men lounged. They all had slicked-back grey hair and wore dark suits with thin stripes. I presented the list to the gentleman who had ordered. Pardon me, sir, I wanted to confirm your order of 2009 Domaine Ramonet Chevalier-Montrachet ... My finger ran along the name and to the price. He just stared at me with his beady eyes. Tiny droplets of sweat began to form under my cheap polyester suit. He closed the wine list abruptly with a clap. Yes, he said with an overt tinge of annoyance, and hurry, we are thirsty. I managed a nervous nod, rushing out of the dining room and upstairs. In the wine cellar, there was a corner I had yet to explore. This nook was where all of the high-end wine was hidden, away from light and dangerous swings in temperature. After a few moments of scanning, I found the Ramonets and thumbed my way through until I landed upon the right vintage and vineyard. I gently picked up the bottle and noticed that there were, in total, only two of them. I cradled the wine in my arms as if it were a small child, terrified of what a single misstep might bring. Back near the table of men in suits, their conversation quieted to whispers as I returned. Sir, 2009. I pointed to the vintage on the bottle. Domaine Ramonet. I pointed to the producer. Chevalier-Montrachet. I pointed to the vineyard. He gave a sharp nod. The eerie silence from the group crept onto my skin and sent a small shiver throughout my body. Advertisement Loading Outside the dining room, I placed the bottle steadily down on the gueridon, the sommelier station where wine is opened, prepped and tasted. To open the bottle, I whipped out my corkscrew and rendered two precise cuts to the foil capsule, removing the top portion that covered the cork. Just in case there was any unwanted residue, I wiped the top of the cork off with a serviette. Once it was cleaned, I dug the tip of my corkscrew in and, with a few twists plus one steady pull, extracted the cork quietly. To be sure, I followed the last step of the sommelier protocol here and wiped the lip again with a serviette. Then, the best part: I poured myself a one-ounce taste. Believe it or not, a sommelier must taste every single bottle before serving. One bottle in every two or three cases of wine is corked, and even more can be affected by a variety of other flaws. Just as a chef would never send out a rotten piece of fish, a sommelier should never serve a lousy bottle of wine. The chemical compound known as TCA (trichloroanisole) is what is responsible for this cork taint. It wont harm you, unlike a piece of rotten fish, but its a horrible taste. The tradition remains that even after the sommelier arguably the expert in this scenario approves the wine, she allows the guest to taste it as well. Here, the guest is merely rechecking to see if it is flawed; it is not a tasting to see if they like it. Preferences should be established with the sommelier well before the selection. So why even go through this rechecking process? I like to do it because I believe hospitality is about love, not logic. Of course, it would make more sense to skip this step. However, at this moment, the sommelier puts expertise on the back burner and humbly gives the guest the power. The sommelier respectfully bows down first, followed by the guests reciprocating in appreciation (ideally). Advertisement Loading Despite my lack of experience in the industry, I had already tasted thousands of wines and trained myself to commit all flawed flavours to memory. Still, I especially honoured the tradition of letting the guest approve the wine. Many of my guests were two to three times my age; it would have been disrespectful for me not to bow to them first. When I tasted the Ramonet Chevalier-Montrachet, there was nothing off about it. The wine was like slipping into a bed made up with silk sheets. In the glass, aromas and memories kept popping out: sour cream spread on toast with honey, butterscotch candies, clotted cream, movie-theatre popcorn, sour frozen yoghurt, a zing of lemon zest, freshly cracked creme brulee, warm butter with salt, and mouth-puckering acidity. I could see why people would spend so much money on this wine. The glasses are down, the captain remarked, pulling me out of my amorous reverie and back to Monday lunch service. He had placed white burgundy glasses, specifically made for this type of wine, on the table. The uneasiness I had felt before crept back. Although my restaurant training had taught me how to suppress nervousness, sometimes my body had a hard time listening. I approached the leader from the right again, pouring a taste quickly but with a calculated precision: label facing him, two ounces, a quick dip of the neck, twist, wipe with a serviette, cradle in both hands within view. He brought his lips to the glass, stuck out his tongue a tiny bit, letting the burgundy inch in. Moments passed; he looked up at me, scoffed, and turned back to his guests. I think she has too much perfume in her nose, this girl ... Advertisement His glare turned upwards and at me. The bottle is corked, take it back. Bring us another. With this swift blow, the colour drained from my face. Corked? It couldnt be! The wine was delicious, perfect. Corked? Is he testing me? What kind of sommelier would be caught dead wearing perfume? Corked!? I managed to stutter, Sir, respectfully, the wine has been tested, and it is sound. Perhaps youd like to try it again? His face turned the dark red colour of bordeaux. Listen, wine girl, I have bottles in my cellar older than you. I know when a wine is corked. Flecks of spit sprinkled from his lips. Our food is just about to arrive, and we still have nothing to drink. GET. US. ANOTHER. BOTTLE! Advertisement 29.03.2020 LISTEN A group of Ghanaian professionals have come together to launch the Stop Coronavirus Ghana Campaign, as a measure to support efforts at combating the spread of the COVID-19. The Stop Coronavirus Ghana Campaign is a private sector-led coalition formed by local and international Ghanaian professionals, seeking to bring on board the expertise, skills, finances and resources to support Governments interventions towards containing the COVID19 pandemic in Ghana. Briefing the Ghana News Agency on Sunday in Accra, Mr Stephen Gyasi-Kwaw, the Coordinator of the Campaign, said its objective was to promote education on prevention and management to reduce the spread, fear and panic amongst the populace. It is also to create a platform for the private sector to actively get involved in working with government to find innovative and sustainable solutions for fighting the disease. Mr Gyasi-Kwaw said a Stop Coronavirus Ghana Fund would be established to provide support for private and public sector activities and projects toward the fight of the virus. The fund would also assist needy private and public healthcare institutions with equipment and resources to manage the disease and prevent its spread. The fight against the COVID-19 pandemic can never be championed by the Government alone, but together with the collective efforts of the private sector we can achieve more in the shortest possible time in combating the spread of the disease in Ghana, Mr Kwaw said. The Campaign will embark on various activities in areas of education, advocacy, support, and fundraising to help complement governments efforts in fighting the pandemic. Mr Gyasi-Kwaw said currently, there were more than 30 Ghanaian professionals with expertise in technology, health care, fund management, project management, marketing and communications, entrepreneurship and business leadership, being members of the various working groups, and all were helping to mobilise resources and expertise to support the fight, both local and abroad. We take this opportunity to make a national appeal to Ghanaians in every part of the world, as well as friends of Ghana to join the Stop Coronavirus Ghana Campaign. United we can win the war against the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana, he said. He said in the next couple of days the fund would be launched, and the website would be up, adding; we are seeing this as pure emergency initiative to help in the prevention, education, advocacy and support programme to the COVID-19. People wearing masks and latex gloves have been escorted from the airport to a bus then to a hotel as Victoria enforces strict quarantine rules on international arrivals to stop the spread of COVID-19. A heavy police and security presence flanked the entry to the Crown Promenade hotel on Sunday morning following the introduction of the new restrictions that kicked in at midnight. All international arrivals were transported from Melbourne Airport directly to the city. Australians returning from overseas are being bussed from the airport to the Crown Promenade hotel in Southbank where they will spend 14 days of forced isolation in a bid to flatten the curve of COVID-19 cases. Credit:Penny Stephens After stepping off the bus with baggage in tow, check-in procedures began at the hotels front desk, with gloved staff taking details and distributing room keys. President, Union ministers, ministries, government-run organisations and individuals and private bodies contributed or made a pledge to donate to the newly created PM CARES Fund on Sunday and Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked them for contributing to India's fight against the new coronavirus. President Ram Nath Kovind pledged to donate a month's salary to the fund to "help the nation tide over the crisis of COVID-19" and appealed to countrymen to donate generously to it. The railways, the country's largest public sector employer, will donate Rs 151 crore to the fund, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said. "Following PM's call, I, Suresh Angadi will donate one month's salary, 13 lakh railway, PSU employees will donate one day's salary, equal to Rs 151 crore to PM-CARES fund," Goyal said. Angadi is his deputy. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also announced his decision to donate one month's salary, with Army, Navy and Air Force personnel and the ministry's employees deciding to donate a day's salary, amounting to a total of Rs 500 crore. "It is estimated that around Rs 500 crore will be collectively provided by the Defence Ministry to the fund from various wings, including Army, Navy, Air Force, defence PSUs and others," a spokesperson said. The Union government has set up the public charitable trust under the name Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund) in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Prime Minister Modi is the chairman of the trust and its members include defence minister, home minister and finance minister. Union ministers Nitin Gadkari, Dharmendra Pradhan and Prakash Javadekar were among others who have made a similar announcement. Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju, Labour Minister Santosh Gangwar and Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad too have donated their one month's salary towards fighting the pandemic. The ruling BJP has announced that all its MPs will contribute a month's salary to the cause. With Modi's decision to set up this fund, all donations from his party leaders will likely go towards it, a person familiar with the matter said. The party has also asked all its MPs, 303 in Lok Sabha and 83 in Rajya Sabha, to sanction Rs one crore from the annual Rs five-crore MP Local Area Development Scheme they receive towards combating the virus. Javadekar said he will give Rs one crore to the fund and a similar amount to Pune administration. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has donated Rs 21 lakh, collected from its employees who it said has volunteered to contribute, to PM-CARES Fund. The Group A employees have donated two-day salary and Group B and C employees one day's salary to the fund, the CBSE said in a statement. Home Minister Amit Shah said in a tweet that the Central Armed Police Forces contributed Rs 116 crore to the fund, a total of one day salary of its personnel. Various ministries have said employees' contribution is voluntary and those not keen on it may opt out. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Lok Sabha Speaker On Birla have also donated a month's salary. After President Kovind made his donation pledge, Modi hailed him, saying he is leading the way and inspiring the nation. The prime minister also tweeted his thanks and praise to people and organisations after they posted their decision to contribute to the fund. After the JSW said it will contribute Rs 100 crore to the fund, Modi said the poorest of the poor will benefit from their remarkable gesture. "I am extremely proud of our industrial leaders, who are rising to the occasion and contributing towards a healthy India..." Modi said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Syracuse, N.Y. -- Gov. Andrew Cuomo today said more than 2,000 people are in ICU beds in the New York state because of the coronavirus. The death toll has grown to 965, he said. The 237 deaths in the last day was the most yet in the crisis. A week ago, the overall death count was 76. New York has 59,513 confirmed cases. The 7,105 new cases since Saturday is typical for recent days. Last Sunday, the state had recorded 15,168 cases, meaning the number of people testing positive has quintupled in a week. As of midday today, 2,037 people are in the ICU related to coronavirus. Overall, 8,503 are hospitalized. And 3,572 have been discharged from hospitals. The governor did have some good news: the trend line for hospital discharges is up. And the rate of people being hospitalized is also slowing. At first, the number of hospitalizations was doubling every two days. Now its doubling every six days, he said. The doubling rate is slowing, and that is good news, he said. At the same time, the number of confirmed cases and deaths continue to grow. The governor said he thinks thousands will die in the state. I hope its wrong, he said of the estimated rising curve. Cuomo said hes extending the states PAUSE Act -- which keeps non-essential workers at home -- through April 15. That means it will extend past Easter and Passover. When asked about how this will affect peoples upcoming religious celebrations, Cuomo pointed to New Yorks first confirmed cases of COVID-19. A lawyer from New Rochelle tested positive. And it was religious events that fueled that spread in the states first hot spot of virus. That man has been released from the hospital. Westchester County has had more than 8,500 confirmed cases, second only to Queens County with 10,373 as of today. When can people go back to work? There is no answer, Cuomo said. Its about testing, he added. More than 76,000 healthcare workers are volunteering to help, he said. Just think about that," he said. Another 12,000 mental health workers have come forward to provide services through phone and streaming. Cuomo said he didnt have the words to thank those who are continuing to work in hospitals and in law enforcement through the pandemic. He highlighted a nurse and a New York City police detective who have died. Everyone is afraid, he said, mentioning police officers and nurses who are returning to work day after day. Their passion and belief in helping others -- and that overcomes their fear. Cuomo cautioned New Yorkers to expect the number of cases to grow in waves at different parts of the state in coming days. We expect a curve in Upstate New York also, Cuomo said of the expected rise of sick people. It may not be as high as New York City-Westchester-Long Island, but there will still be a curve. Thats why hospitals across the state must work together to treat patients from across the state. This is everybody helping everyone else, he said. No hospital is an island." Right now, the overwhelming majority of cases and need is Downstate. There will be a time when the Upstate hospitals will be struggling, he said. Then the Downstate hospitals can help. We are going to make it through, he said, adding New York specializes in strength and stability. We know what were doing. We have a plan. Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources Parties, celebrations now banned in Onondaga County over coronavirus; ignoring order is a crime Coronavirus: CDC urges NY residents to avoid non-essential travel for 14 days Domestic violence amid coronavirus: Stuck inside, victims get no reprieve from abuse Teachers are the glue helping to hold kids, community together (Editorial) Got a story idea or news tip youd like to share? Please contact me through email, Twitter, Facebook or at 315-470-2274. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 06:15:22|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Few passengers are seen in a subway train in Istanbul, Turkey, on March 28, 2020. (Xinhua/Yasin Akgul) Istanbul, Turkey's largest city, fights against COVID-19 behind closed doors as few people are seen in public places under strengthened measures against the pandemic. ISTANBUL, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's largest city Istanbul has fallen into silence on Saturday after the Turkish president announced new strengthened measures against COVID-19 the previous day. Picnic spots and coastal shores on the Marmara Sea and Bosphorus Strait were empty in line with the measures. Before the outbreak of the virus, the traffic density in the city on weekends could go up to 70 percent. But on Saturday, the density was around 15 percent. Press reports said that traffic accidents in Istanbul with a population of over 16 million have lately declined by nearly 35 percent as people have been mostly staying at home over fast-growing cases of COVID-19. Passengers wearing face masks are seen in a subway train in Istanbul, Turkey, on March 28, 2020. (Xinhua/Yasin Akgul) Meanwhile, people were also seen obeying the social distance rule in public transportation. In Istanbul's main inter-city bus station in the Esenler district on the European side of the city, officials posted notes on the seats, saying that "for your safety, leave an empty seat between each other." Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya said in a tweet that the departures from Istanbul by buses to other regions were banned as of 5:00 p.m. local time (1400 GMT) on Saturday. Those with a doctor's prescription and those whose first degree relatives are sick or pass away would be excluded from the ban. On Friday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for a "voluntary quarantine," urging people to stay at home except their basic needs to help contain the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. He also announced that inter-city travel across the country would be subject to the permission of governors in each province, and all international flights would be suspended. Additionally, pandemic councils would be established in 30 out of Turkey's total 81 provinces and could take additional precautions if necessary, Erdogan added. A flexible working system, social distancing, the closure of picnic spots, and a 14-day quarantine for newly recruited soldiers during admission and dismissal were among the new measures. The death toll from COVID-19 in Turkey has climbed to 108 and the number of confirmed cases has risen to 7,402 on Saturday, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday apologised twice for the 21-day national lockdown having inconvenienced people, but said tough decisions were needed to nip the disease in the bud. He appealed to the people to maintain social distancing and not violate the lockdown by coming out of their homes. In his Mann ki Baat address, Modi said people might wonder why the PM has put everyone in such trouble, but stressed that there was no option but a lockdown to fight the contagion in a country with a population of 1.3 billion. He said the battle was between life ... Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday urged migrant labourers not to leave the State owing to the nationwide lockdown and assured that the Maharashtra government will look after their interests. In a press statement, Thackeray stated that in view of the coronavirus situation, labourers and other workers should not migrate from the State, and that the Maharashtra government will make arrangements for their food, shelter and more. The Chief Minister further stated that the local authorities and the Revenue Department have already been instructed to take care of them and make required arrangements. "If the migrant labourers need any assistance, they can get in touch with the local administration authorities and the offices of District Collectors and tehsildars," he said. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), there are 918 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the country, out of which 79 people have been cured or discharged. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked the Federal Government to publish weekly details of exact funds and other resources allocated by the authorities and received from the private sector, as well as details of use and planned use of any such funds and resources to combat the spread of coronavirus (or COVID-19) in Nigeria. SERAP is also asking the Federal Government to: disclose information on the exact number of tests that have been carried out for high-ranking public officials and politicians, the number of any such high-ranking public officials and politicians now in self-isolation or quarantine, as well as the exact number of tests that have been carried out for the countrys poorest and most vulnerable people. In two Freedom of Information requests sent to Dr Osagie Ehanire, Minister of Health and Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Director General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), SERAP said: We are concerned about the lack of transparency in the use of the funds and resources being mobilised to combat coronavirus, amid problems accessing the NCDCs website, and reports that authorities are prioritising home testing of politicians, with some reportedly taking multiple tests. According to SERAP: politicians engaging in multiple tests for coronavirus have in turn slowed the number of tests for the countrys poorest and most vulnerable people. In the FoI requests dated 27 March, 2020 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization said: We are concerned that lack of transparency in the use of the funds and resources to combat COVID-19 would lead to diversion or mismanagement of resources, unnecessarily cost lives, and result in serious damage to public health in the country. SERAP said: We urge you to disclose the level of enforcement for home quarantine system for high-ranking public officials, politicians and the wealthy, and whether the Ministry of Health and NCDC are carrying out spot checks to ensure strict compliance by these people. The FoI requests read, in part: Transparency and openness in the use of funds and operations of the Ministry of Health and NCDC would help to reduce the risk of corruption or opportunism, build trust and engage Nigerians in the fight against coronavirus as well as safe lives. Transparency and accountability are important to implementing an effective response to COVID-19 and slowing the spread of the virus in the country. Given the importance of good hygiene like handwashing to any response to COVID-19, SERAP would like you to disclose details of measures being put in place by the Ministry of Health, the NCDC and any collaborative work with the Ministry of Water Resources to provide vulnerable Nigerians with safe water, sanitation, and hygienic conditions. We are concerned that millions of Nigerians lack access to an improved water source and to proper sanitation, thereby making them vulnerable to COVID-19 and other illnesses. Handwashing and social distancing will be very difficult to implement for the poorest and most vulnerable people in a country where water shortages are routine and millions continue to drink contaminated water. Limited availability of water in several public hospitals across the country will also make it difficult for medical workers and health professionals to wash their hands and will therefore make it difficult for them to properly respond to COVID-19 and safe lives. We would be grateful if the requested information is provided to us within 7 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions under the Freedom of Information Act to compel you to comply with our request. Any failure or refusal to provide the information requested will also be clearly inconsistent with the letter and spirit of the Freedom of Information Act. According to our information, the Nigerian government has approved a N10 billion (Naira) grant (about $27 million) to fight the spread of coronavirus in the country. The government has also reportedly released N5 billion (Naira) (about $13 million) special intervention fund to the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC). Also, banks, wealthy members of the private sector and foundations have also donated billions of Naira to help fund medical centers and provide essential materials necessary to curtail the spread of coronavirus in the country. By Section 1 (1) of the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act 2011, SERAP is entitled as of right to request for or gain access to information, including information on the exact amount of funds and resources meant to combat the spread of coronavirus in Nigeria. By Sections 2(3)(d)(V) & (4) of the FoI Act, there is a binding legal duty to ensure that documents containing information relating to the spending and operations to combat the spread of coronavirus in Nigeria are widely disseminated and made readily available to members of the public through various means. The information sought, apart from not being exempted from disclosure under the FoI Act, bothers on an issue of national interest, public concern, public health, interest of human rights, social justice, good governance, transparency and accountability. SERAP therefore urged the Minister and NCDC director to: Michael Gove had to stifle a cough during a live TV interview today after a number of his cabinet colleagues were struck down by coronavirus. The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster was speaking to Andrew Marr this morning after Boris Johnson and Matt Hancock revealed they had the virus. His coughs led to fears that Gove too had contracted the potentially deadly covid-19 which is ravaging through the world. Michael Gove had to stifle a cough during a live TV interview today with Andrew Marr But his aides have since insisted he does not have a cough and he was merely clearing his throat. One aide said: 'He does not have symptoms.' Many viewers took to social media to comment on his cough, with some saying Gove was trying to hide the illness. But other conspiracy theorists believe he was faking the cough and the Tories are claiming to have coronavirus to garner sympathy from the voters. Both the Prime Minister Mr Johnson and Health Secretary Matt Hancock revealed they had tested positive for covid-19 on Friday. His aides have since insisted he does not have a cough and he was merely clearing his throat Johnson said he would keep working but insisted: 'I'm self-isolating and that's entirely the right thing to do.' In his TV interviews today, Gove declined to be drawn on how long the tough measures restricting people's lives would be in place for, and that ministers would not hesitate to enforce tougher rules if necessary. 'There are different projections as to how long the lockdown might last,' he told Sky's Sophy Ridge on Sunday, when asked about one key expert's prediction of June. 'But it's not the case that the length of the lockdown is something that is absolutely fixed. 'It depends on all of our behaviour. If we follow the guidelines, we can deal more effectively with the spread of the disease.' The UK's coronavirus death toll rose by 209 in 24 hours from 1,019 to 1,228, as the infection rates dropped for the second day in a row. A Covid-19 patient died on late Saturday night in Mumbai, taking the death toll to seven in Maharashtra, officials said. The 40-year-old woman did not have any history of travelling abroad. Health officials said they are investigating whether she had direct contact with an infected person. The patient, a Malad resident, was admitted to the King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital, Parel, on Saturday morning. Follow coronavirus live updates here. She had complained of chest pain. The patient had severe respiratory distress at the time of admission. She had complaints of breathlessness and chest pain for the last 3-4 days, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said in a statement. The patient didnt travel anywhere domestically or internationally in the last 14 days. Around 15 people, including family members and those in direct contact with her, have been home quarantined and their medical samples have been sent for tests. The BMC said that her medical samples tested positive for the Covid-19. The body will be cremated following the guidelines of the Union Health Ministry near the hospital. The BMC has quarantined several of the family members including her husband and son. Their samples have been collected for testing. This takes the total death toll to seven in Maharashtra with five from Mumbai city and two from Navi Mumbai. Almost 200 people in Maharashtra, including 25 from a singly family have tested positive for coronavirus so far. A Blount County man is facing multiple charges following a deadly shooting in Walker County and a subsequent police chase that lasted 25 minutes, traveled 45 miles through three counties at speeds reaching 120 mph. Walker County Sheriff Nick Smith and District Attorney Bill Adair on Saturday announced formal charges against 31-year-old Dustin Paul Morgan of Hayden. He is charged in the Friday-morning slaying of Mark Simmons and the shooting of a woman, whose identity has not been released. The ordeal began about 6:45 a.m. Friday when Walker County dispatchers were alerted to a shooting in the 3800 block of Highway 69 in the Oakman area. When lawmen arrived on the scene, they found Simmons unresponsive and he was later pronounced dead. The wounded female was taken by private vehicle from the scene to a Walker County business to meet medics for better access and faster transport. She was taken to UAB Hospital with serious injuries. Lead Investigator Carl Carpenter first went to the location of the wounded female where he was able to get a general description of the suspect later identified as Morgan. More information obtained at the original crime scene gave detectives what they needed to issue a statewide lookout bulleting for Morgan, who was on a motorcycle. The last 34 hours have been a whirlwind of activity, Carpenter said. Alabama State Trooper Cpl. Shannon Elkins, on patrol in Blount County, spotted the suspect vehicle and tried to make a traffic stop. Morgan refused to stop, and the chase was on. The pursuit by the trooper and Blount County sheriffs deputies crossed Cullman County and traveled into Morgan County, through Hulaco up Highway 67 before turning west onto Highway 36. Morgan County deputies ended the pursuit and detained the individual at Cutoff Road on Highway 36. There were no injuries. Other agencies involved were the Blount County Sheriff's Office, the Blountsville Police Department, the Cullman County Sheriff's Office and Alabama State Troopers. Carpenter said Morgan was taken into custody without further incident. He declined to speak with investigators and was taken to Blount County where he was booked into jail there on charges of carrying a concealed weapon, attempting to elude and possession of a short-barreled shotgun. He was also in possession of two other guns, authorities said. The motorcycle was impounded in Morgan County, and then returned to Walker County. Evidence on the motorcycle linked the suspect to the scene, Carpenter said. He did not elaborate. I often use the analogy of a jigsaw puzzle when I try to explain a criminal investigation. A case like this is a puzzle box without a picture, Carpenter said. We open it up and start sorting out the pieces inside but instead of starting from scratch by breaking out the big pieces inside, we pull those out and see what our picture is going to look like. We then try to fill in the edge pieces that would equate to our timeline, he said. Right now, were pretty confident that our puzzle is strong enough that we had probable cause for warrants. We still have a lot of the pieces of the puzzle to put together. In Walker County, Morgan is charged with murder in the death of Simmons, attempted murder in the wounding of the female, and arson. Authorities have not released a motive in the shootings, nor said whether the suspect and the victims knew each other. It wasnt immediately clear why Morgan is charged with arson. As of Saturday afternoon, Morgan remained in the Blount County Jail on bonds totaling $24,000. He is expected to be returned to Walker County now that the murder warrant has been issued there. This story will be updated if more information becomes available. Dublin's streets were empty on Saturday as Ireland's government imposed lockdown measures to combat the spread of the new coronavirus. Ireland's Prime Minister Leo Varadkar has asked residents to stay in their homes until 12 April unless they are buying food, going to medical appointments and collecting medication, or getting exercise. In addition, all shops except for those providing essential services such as food or medical supplies have been told to close. Police were on the streets in Dublin on Saturday to check people were following the government regulations. Ireland's Health Minister Simon Harris told UK broadcaster Sky that he's hoping by 12th April the regulations will have eased pressure on Ireland's intensive care units which have been busy amid the crisis. According to Johns Hopkins University Ireland has more than 2,000 cases of the new virus, with 22 deaths. For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death. You may have heard about the heroes without capes, there are also those who come in different shapes and sizes - or as in this case is from an entirely different species. We are talking about a four-legged furry creature that is now bringing comfort and joy to those who are working on the frontline in a war against the pandemic. Wynn is a one-year-old Labrador who is a service dog in training. She is now showering her puppy love at Rose Medical Center in Denver to those who are facing the untold stress of an unprecedented health care challenge, daily. The little bundle of joy became acquainted with the Internet, after Dr. Susan Ryan, her trainer, shared her image. The picture, with its strong emotional tone, shows a medical worker sitting in the hallway of the medical facility with Wynn by their side. Eventually, the medical facility also shared another image of the pooch with her trainer who is also an emergency physician at the hospital. They also mentioned that the dog brings emotional support to providers and caregivers during this unique stressful time. The hospital has also set up a special room for Wynn, reports LadBible. Its far from the emergency room where the medical workers, after they get cleaned up, go to get free hugs of warmth. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The popular Netflix series Narcos spent its first two seasons following Drug Enforcement Administration agents Steve Murphy and Javier Pena as they worked tirelessly to track down Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar back in the 1980s and 1990s. The two spent countless days and nights following every possible lead until they finally took Escobar down on December 2, 1993 just a day after his 44th birthday. Viewers were cheering for the two throughout their entire journey on the show and yes, they were real people. Pedro Pascal, left, and Boyd Holbrook played Javier Pena and Steve Murphy in the Netflix series Narcos | Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images Narcos is based on a true story Most everyone these days has heard of Pablo Escobar, the infamous Colombian drug lord who ran one of the most powerful cartels the country has ever seen. During Escobars reign, thousands were killed as a result of the war between various cartels. Though its impossible to know exactly how many lives were lost at the height of Escobars power, Narcos did its best to portray just how violent the city had become. The shows first two seasons followed United States DEA agents Steve Murphy and Javier Pena as they did their best to track down Escobar and put an end to both the violence in Colombia and the influx of cocaine into the United States. The two followed lead after lead, but Escobar and his men were always one step ahead of them. Finally, on December 2, 1993, they got the information they needed and learned where Escobar was hiding. Police stormed the location and eventually shot and killed the billionaire drug lord. Escobar was worth an estimated $30 billion (more than $50 billion today) at the time of his death. Steve Murphy and Javier Pena actually worked together When the scene of taking down Escobar was filmed, the Narcos producers incorporated an actual photo of Murphy and Pena photographed next to Escobars body. The question is: Were these two real? Actually, yes Murphy and Pena were really the two men who worked to bring Escobar down nearly 30 years ago. The two men even spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about their thoughts on the shows second season, which ended with Escobars death. The real Steve Murphy and Javier Pena in 2016 | Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images The violence thats depicted is all true, Murphy said. Though his wife, Connie, did not actually leave her husband to go back to the U.S., despite what was portrayed on the show and she made it clear she would never leave my husband there. There were some minor changes, but Murphy stressed that the murders of thousands of people were as real as could be. Escobars kids dont want anything to do with their fathers past Though Narcos only portrayed Escobars kids when they were young children, they were both real and are both currently living completely different lives than their father did. Escobars son, who goes by Sebastian Marroquin, has since tried to pick up the pieces of what his father left behind, including doing his best to make amends with the children of his fathers victims. The documentary Sins of My Father followed Escobars son for five years as he apologized to the sons of many of the people assassinated under Escobars rule. Esobars daughter, Manuela, reportedly lives in North Carolina under an alias. Neither child wants to be associated with Escobars reign, and both moved outside of Colombia. The Haryana government has provided over 800 state roadways buses to Uttar Pradesh to ferry migrant workers stranded on the Delhi-Ghaziabad border to their villages, officials said on Sunday. The decision was taken in view of the current situation on the border with large number of migrant workers assembling near Anand Vihar bus terminus, Haryana Transport Minister Mool Chand Sharma told PTI over phone. "The UP government had made a request to us to provide nearly 1,000 buses," he said. According to a senior official of the Transport Department, 825 Haryana Roadways buses reached Ghaziabad on Saturday night and since then these have been at the disposal of the Uttar Pradesh government. "The buses have been sent from Karnal, Panipat, Sonipat, Rohtak, Jhajjar, Gurugram, Faridabad, Palwal and Nuh, the places in Haryana which are close to the national capital," he said. The buses have been sanitised, drivers and conductors provided masks and hand sanitisers and all other necessary precautions are being taken, he said. On Saturday evening, chaos, confusion and a stampede-like situation prevailed at the Delhi-Ghaziabad border as hundreds of migrant workers fought amongst themselves to get seats on the limited number of buses the Uttar Pradesh administration operated to ferry them to the hinterlands. Hundreds of migrant workers from Delhi, Haryana and even Punjab reached Anand Vihar, Ghazipur and Ghaziabad's Lal Kuan area after taking arduous treks of many kilometers on foot to take buses to their respective native places The imposition of a nationwide coronavirus lockdown has left migrant workers with no means to earn a living, forcing them to undertake long journeys on foot to their far-flung homes in the absence of any means of transport. Delhi as well as industrial towns in the neighbouring states of Haryana and Punjab employ thousands of workers from states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Thank you, community leaders, for your communication efforts during the past week. These have been less-than-ideal circumstances for people in Midland County, but the situation has been made easier because of what the leaders of the city of Midland, Midland Memorial Hospital, Midland ISD and Midland County are saying and doing. They arent required to give daily updates in the case of Midland Memorial Hospital, two daily updates but they have. Their messages and tone have been spot-on for a community that needs answers and is thirsting for information. We look at other communities, including Odessa, and see that what Midland leaders are doing isnt the norm. It is a concern to me that any city in the Permian Basin is not communicating as much as were trying to aggressively communicate, Midland Mayor Patrick Payton said. Hopefully they will see the example we are trying to set and they will jump on the train that we are trying to lead. Have there been instances when something could have done better? Perhaps. But isnt that the case when conditions are perfect? Of course, some people may say someone isnt doing enough or saying enough, but frankly, we havent seen that. Government is better when the lines of communications line are open, and leaders speak with a clear message. The most high-profile figures during this medical crisis -- Payton, MMH CEO Russell Meyers and MMH Chief Medical Officer Larry Wilson have left no doubt about what they want and expect from people in our community. We also give credit to Midland ISD Superintendent Orlando Riddick, who 36 hours before classes were to resume after spring break, reversed his course of action and went in a safer direction. We have enjoyed the daily updates from him and other MISD staff. This newspaper, a long time ago, had asked the district to set up regular video presentations with the superintendent, because we felt it would go a long with way with his connecting with the community. Riddick has been at his best in getting MISDs message out and showing himself to Midlanders, who might not otherwise have had a chance to see him. Eventually, the coronavirus pandemic will be in our rear-view mirror, but our community would continue to benefit from seeing the public school superintendent in a similar setting on a regular basis. We urge community leaders to continue what they are doing. If one of them wants to use the Reporter-Telegram or mrt.com to speak directly to our readers and viewers, we will work with you to make that happen. Either way, Midlanders like to be in the know. Thank you for making it happen. Flash Chinese billionaire Jack Ma on Saturday donated medical supplies including 20,000 test kits, 100,000 face masks and 1,000 protective gears and shields to The Gambia through the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation. Ma Jianchun, Chinese ambassador to The Gambia, said China decided to provide emergency medical assistance to support Africa due to the prevailing challenges confronting the continent. "China and The Gambia are friends and reliable partners. We are here to receive more medical supplies donated to The Gambia by two foundations in China. These supplies represent sincere friendship from the Chinese people to the Gambian people," he said. The Gambian Health Minister Amadou Samateh hailed the Chinese foundations for the timely supports. He said the availability of such equipment will strengthen their capacity to fight the virus. "With the donations of the equipment, these protective gears, the test kits, etc., we are going to deal with the cases we currently have in a better way," he said. The medical equipment from China is part of the continent-wide donations in support of actions toward the implementation of a joint continental strategy for COVID-19 led by the African Union through the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Gambia has so far confirmed three cases of COVID-19, with one death. Dr. Terry Gaff is a physician in northeast Indiana. Contact him at drgaff@kpcmedia.com or on Facebook. To read past columns and to post comments go to kpcnews.com/columnists/terry_gaff. - A jersey barrier was erected by the government to curb accidents along the Nakuru- Eldoret highway - China Railway Number 10 Engineering Group that was contracted to erect it has completed over 20km of the 40km barrier - The barrier is being built at the cost of KSh 500 Million on separates lanes - Its construction has seen a radical drop in the number of accidents PAY ATTENTION: Help us change more lives, join TUKO.co.kes Patreon programme- https://www.patreon.com/tuko The 21 kilometre stretch from Salgaa trading centre to Sachangwan, along the Nakuru-Eldoret Highway for decades, was the worst black spot that claimed many lives, living other Kenyans with life-changing injuries. The reduction of the deaths along the Nakuru-Eldoret road is as a result of a concrete barrier erected by the government in the year 2018. Photo: Ben Kerich. Source: Original It is along this route that lies the souls of over 70 people buried in a mass grave following a tanker tragedy in 2009. Hundreds of lives were also lost over the years and to many, a mention of the route rekindles worst memories of gruesome motor accidents. The screeching of brakes and bangs from colliding vehicles would never go unheard each day. Locals claim the cries of people trapped in vehicle wreckages was also an order of the day. Traffic police records indicate that in the year 2017, total accidents reported along the route were 50 with total victims being 284 and 138 people reported dead. In December 2017, over 40 people were killed in an accident that involved more than 13 vehicles including a Modern Coast bus that was headed to Kampala from Nairobi. The number, however, reduced in 2018 to only 23 accidents with a record of 22 deaths. PAY ATTENTION: Click 'See First' under 'Follow' Tab to see Tuko.co.ke news on your FB feed In the year 2019, between January and October, only 19 accidents were recorded with 16 deaths. National Transport And Safety Authority (NTSA) in their study indicated that major accidents along the route were as a result of reckless driving and speeding drivers. TUKO.co.ke has established that the reduction of the deaths is as a result of a jersey barrier erected by the government in the year 2018 to curb accidents. The wall was erected by the government at a cost of KSh 500 Million on separates lanes and its construction has seen a radical drop in the number of accidents. So far China Railway Number 10 Engineering Group that was contracted to do the work, has completed over 20km of the 40km barrier. The writings on the wall clearly indicate that tens of collisions would have been recorded as sections of the barrier have been scratched by trailers plying the route. READ ALSO: Caring employer praised for gifting employees food hampers amid coronavirus crisis The barrier was erected by the government at a cost of KSh 500 Million on separates lanes. Photo: Ben Kerich Source: Original Motorist and passengers using the route wish the jersey barrier had been erected years ago as lives would have been saved. If only we could converse I would have hugged and thanked the stones for their good job, lives have been saved, said Evans Amdany, a motorist. Kenya Red Cross Society and volunteers who used to wake up in the night to respond to accidents say they now afford to sleep. Police officers have also been relieved of the trauma of attending to bloody accident scenes. Rachael Maru, a nominated Member of County Assembly (MCA) and a first responder trained by the Kenya Red Cross said she can now afford to enjoy a meal with her family uninterrupted. Her phone, she said also has been relieved of the many calls she used to receive day and night for eight years. I would receive calls day and night, I had no time to attend to my own work, with the wall in place I now afford to attend to my work, she said. John Keter, a truck driver said the situation has never been as it is now. For six years he drove along the route, the bloody spot he said was a nightmare. Each time he reached the area fears he said, would engulf him. He, however, feels confident as with the wall things changed and the route is now safe. About two years now since the barrier was erected and the highway's stretch is no longer a nightmare to motorists plying the Nakuru-Eldoret road. Story by Ben Kerich, TUKO.co.ke correspondent Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly. I did not want to marry a Kenyan woman , my parents chose her for me | Tuko Talks | Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke KYODO NEWS - Mar 29, 2020 - 09:56 | All, World (Photo taken in Pyongyang on March 24, 2020, shows a signboard saying North Korea will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party of Korea on Oct. 10 by strengthening its labor power.) SEOUL - North Korea fired a pair of what are believed to be short-range ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan on Sunday, the Japanese government and South Korea's military said. The Japanese Defense Ministry said the two projectiles were launched in a northeastern direction from the east coast around 6:10 a.m. and flew some 250 kilometers before falling into the sea at a point outside Japan's exclusive economic zone. It was the latest in a series of suspected missile test-firings by North Korea since earlier this month in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions that ban any launches using ballistic missile technologies. North Korea launched projectiles Tokyo believes were short-range ballistic missiles toward the sea from eastern areas March 2 and March 9. It fired two suspected ballistic missiles of a type similar to the U.S. military's Army Tactical Missile System surface-to-surface missile from a western area March 21. "We will analyze more thoroughly why (North Korea) has challenged the international community" so often, Japanese Defense Minister Taro Kono told reporters Sunday morning. Related coverage: North Korea's Kim oversaw test-firing of weapons Sat.: KCNA North Korea fires 2 short-range ballistic missiles: South Korea military North Korea fires at least 3 unidentified projectiles: South Korea A bishop has criticised selfish parishioners for putting pressure on priests to hold mass amid the coronavirus lockdown. The Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference issued advice on March 13 stating that masses and other religious services are closed to the public for the duration of the pandemic. Masses have been conducted without a congregation and broadcasted in online streams for the public. Churches also remain open for personal prayers. Funerals, weddings and baptisms are also taking place, but with only immediate family present. However, some parishioners have been putting pressure on their local priests to hold private masses despite HSE warnings to stay at home. Bishop Kevin Doran from the Elphin Diocese issued a statement on Facebook, slamming selfish parishioners. Unfortunately, a very small minority are putting pressure on some of our priests to celebrate private Masses for them, he wrote on the dioceses social media page. This is selfish and it contradicts the very meaning of communion. The restrictions are for YOUR safety. Mass is being celebrated for you every day in all the Churches of the Diocese. He added that the diocese is committed fully to current lockdown measures. The Diocese of Elphin has committed fully to observing the restrictions imposed by the present pandemic. I know most parishioners respect and support this. GLASGOW In the Outer Hebrides, a remote island chain off the west coast of Scotland, there has yet to be a confirmed case of the coronavirus. But local leaders are worried. An image shared by lawmaker Angus MacNeil paints a bleak picture of preparedness there: a primitive row of camp beds, each with a thin red blanket and blue pillow, sitting empty in a village hall. No ventilators, no testing kits. MacNeils message, and that of officials across Scotlands typically tourist-friendly Highlands and Islands region, is clear: Do not come. But people have not been listening. Last weekend saw a spike in arrivals at northern Scotlands world-renowned sites of natural beauty. Mountain trails were bustling, campsites full, and mobile-home parks at capacity. Some were fleeing the boredom of self-isolation. Others seem to have been taking more permanent measures, traveling to secluded second homes or parking up motorhomes. Scotland now has at least 600 confirmed COVID-19 cases and, like the rest of the U.K., is now in near-total lockdown. All but essential travel is prohibited, with strict daily limits on outdoor exercise. Those who have hunkered down in the countryside have been told to head home. For many, that means returning to one of Scotlands major cities, where infection numbers are higher. In Edinburgh, the capital, has more than 70 cases. Glasgow, the countrys largest city, has more than 180. Leaving behind these densely populated areas, many in recent days have headed to Cairngorms National Park a sprawling area of wilderness in the nations northeast thats bigger than Rhode Island. This weekend [saw] an unprecedented surge in visitors ... in particular to beauty spots and communities, as people disregarded the government guidance on essential travel, said Grant Moir, the park authoritys chief executive. Outdoor exercise is as important as ever, he said, but only when conducted in accordance with government orders: within the vicinity of an individual's house and respecting social distancing rules. Coming to the Highlands doesnt make you isolated from COVID-19, Moir said. You cant get away from this. Story continues Its a sentiment shared by local inhabitants. In Ballater, a picturesque town on the park's eastern fringe, there are worries that scant supplies of food could become even scarcer if people who live elsewhere flood the area. We have limited resources in a small village like this, said Cheryl Barr, who owns an ice cream parlor. Not just us, in all small villages and small communities. Image: An ice cream parlor in Ballater, Scotland (Cheryll Barr) Concerned for Ballaters elderly and ill, Barr and a group of others have started delivering groceries and prescriptions to those unable to leave their homes. Dozens of volunteers have offered to help, Barr said, illustrating the community spirit that binds the town in times of hardship. But in a pandemic, goodwill can only go so far. The nearest hospital 11 miles away in Aboyne, a larger town is for minor injuries only. To reach an intensive care unit, locals would have to drive an hour to Aberdeen, Scotlands third-largest city. As a small village were not in the best position to be equipped for an outbreak like this, for the immediate people who live here let alone any outside characters contributing to that, Barr added. Her worries are echoed at the highest levels of Scotlands government. Let me be crystal clear, people should not be traveling to rural and island communities full stop. They are endangering lives, said lawmaker Fergus Ewing, who has responsibility for tourism and the rural economy. Image: An ambulance is driven on the A82, during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, near Buachaille Etive Mor, Scotland (Russell Cheyne / Reuters) Panic-buying will have a devastating impact on the livelihoods of rural shops and potentially puts unwanted pressure on NHS services in our rural communities, Ewing added, referring to the National Health Service. Back in the Outer Hebrides, there is some welcome news. Ferries connecting islands to the mainland will run only for local residents and to carry nonresidents off the islands. Flights to-and-from Scotlands major cities to the areas tiny airstrips remain open, however. Until all travel ceases, many people living in Scotlands remote and rural communities usually reliant on the lifeblood of tourism will not feel safe. Even as the Andhra Pradesh government is increasing the open timings of the vegetable markets, people in the Srikalahasti town in the state have started defying lockdown rules by not maintaining social distancing. According to reports, several people have been gathering in groups at the market. Reportedly, people in Andhra Pradesh have urged the police and other administrations to tighten the security in order to avoid the spread of the virus. Earlier, the markets were allowed from 6 am to 9 am. However, on March 26, the government extended the timing from 6 am to 1 pm in the view of reducing mass gatherings of people. Further, the government has also done markings at the markets to maintain social distance. Currently, 19 positive cases of the novel Coronavirus have been reported in Andhra Pradesh, while one person has been reported to have recovered. Meanwhile, as many as 235 people were detained by Amalapuram police on Thursday for entering Andhra Pradesh from Telangana and violating the lockdown orders. COVID-19 cases rise in India As of date, India has reported over 1,000 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19. Out of all the states, Kerala and Maharashtra have reported the most in the country. Meanwhile, 19 people have died so far due to the deadly virus. Due to the outbreak, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had put India under a national lockdown for 21 days. Further, India has also closed the India-Pakistan border and restricted passenger movement at the border with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Myanmar. Read: Motilal Oswal donates 5 crore to PM CARES fund to help fight Coronavirus; PM Modi applauds Read: Hyderabad police raids supermarkets selling essentials at a high price amid lockdown The Coronavirus crisis Presently, there are around 662,967 confirmed cases of COVID-19 which has led to the death of around 30,851 people. Meanwhile, around 141,953 people have reportedly recovered. The US is at the top of the charts with respect to Coronavirus cases, with over 1.2 lakh infected. Read: Andhra Pradesh police detains 235 people for violation of lockdown amid COVID-19 pandemic Read: ICC hails India's T20 World Cup hero-turned-policeman Joginder Sharma for COVID-19 fight (With ANI Inputs) President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence have joined a prayer meeting with a group of 700 pastors as they look to lead the United States through the Coronavirus crisis. They asked the huge group of Christian leaders to "pray for the strength of the United States" and "for those who are sick". The Trump administration is currently working on numerous fronts to tackle the Coronavirus outbreak engulfing not just America, but much of the world. The president and his team are working with scientists and advisors to coordinate the healthcare response to slow the spread of the Covid-19 disease, and at the same time formulating an economic response to try and help businesses and millions of workers whose incomes have been hit hard. However, despite being busier than ever, Trump has ensured that he has taken time out to pray. Family Research Council leader, Tony Perkins, helped to organize the prayer conference with hundreds of other pastors. He explained that when the president found out that he was holding the mass prayer gathering, he insisted to join. Perkins has described: "When I told the president I was going to be speaking to all of you he was in the midst of an extraordinarily busy day. [But] he looked at me and said, 'I have to find time. I need to find time'." Perkins also said that the prayers of the pastors meant everything to Trump. "So despite everything facing America, the two most important leaders of this nation stopped everything to pray with the people on the ground, who are ministering to their communities," Perkins said. The virus, Trump said during the prayer meeting, "came upon us so suddenly. And we were doing better than we've ever done before as a country in terms of the economy and then, all of the sudden, we got hit with this. So we had to close it down." Trump added, "We're actually paying a big price to close it down. Never happened before." But he insisted, "I think we're going to come back stronger than ever before." Perkins described that Trump asked the pastors to pray for the strength of the United States. The president said on the call, "I want to thank you for praying for our country and for those who are sick. You do such an incredible job." "You're very inspirational people. And I'm with you all the way. You know that you see what we've done for right to life and all of the things that we've been working so hard together. I've been working with many of the people on the call. Many, many of the people. We've had tremendous support. But we are going to get over this," Trump encouraged. Reposted with permission from Christian Today New Delhi: Digital payments company Paytm said it aims to contribute Rs 500 crore to Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES). For every contribution or any other payment made on Paytm using the wallet, UPI and Paytm Bank debit card, the company will contribute an extra up to Rs 10, Paytm said in a statement. We are honoured to do our duty to aid the government in all the relief measures being taken to fight the Corona pandemic. We hope our users wholeheartedly donate to PM CARES fund and help save lives," Paytm President Madhur Deora said. He added that the company will make a contribution for every payment transaction using the Paytm app and instruments, and this money would be directly sent to the PM-CARES fund. Previously, Paytm had created a Rs 5 crore fund for innovators who are developing medical instruments or medicines to combat the virus. The PM CARES Fund is exempt under the Income Tax Act, 1961 under Section 10 and 139 for return purposes. Contributions towards PM-CARES are notified for 100 per cent deduction from taxable income under section 80(G) of the Income Tax Act, 1961. New York's Times Square is almost deserted on Saturday, March 14, 2020, because of the coronavirus pandemic. Called the Crossroads of the World, Times Square is usually crowded with tourists from around the world and New Yorkers on a weekend. ( Image Source: Sandeep Mahankal/IANS Washington, March 29 : US President Donald Trump said that he has asked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to issue a new travel advisory for the states of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, scaling back from an earlier suggestion to quarantine those areas. "On the recommendation of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, and upon consultation with the Governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, I have asked the @CDCgov to issue a strong Travel Advisory, to be administered by the Governors, in consultation with the Federal Government," Xinhua news agency quoted Trump as saying in a tweet on Saturday night. "A quarantine will not be necessary," he added. "Full details will be released by CDC tonight." Of the 115,547 cases in the US, reported on Saturday afternoon, 53,216 are in New York state with 29,158 in the city and 15,199 in surrounding areas within the state. Neighbouring New Jersey had 11,124 cases and Connecticut 1,291. Of the overall 1,291 deaths in the US, New York state accounted for 672 fatalities. Following Trump's announcement on Twitter, the CDC later posted the travel advisory for on its website, urging residents of the three states "to refrain from non-essential domestic travel for 14 days effective immediately". "This Domestic Travel Advisory does not apply to employees of critical infrastructure industries, including but not limited to trucking, public health professionals, financial services, and food supply," it said. "These employees of critical infrastructure, as defined by the Department of Homeland Security have a special responsibility to maintain normal work schedule." Earlier in the day, Trump said he was considering a 14-day quarantine for New York, "probably New Jersey, certain parts of Connecticut", adding the measure might not have to be taken, but "there's a possibility". Meanwhile, states like Texas and Florida have imposed a 14-day quarantine on visitors flying in from the New York area. Rhode Island has gone further with state police troopers stopping cars with New York licence plates and having plans for National Guard and police to run house-to-house searches to ensure people who have come from New York were observing self-quarantine. Of the 50 US states, six sparsely populated states have reported less than 100 cases and six others less than 150. Victoria's famous beaches - from those on the Great Ocean Road in the west to Phillip Island in the east - have closed in an effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Surf Coast Shire was among about half a dozen councils to shut down its beaches after people flocked to Ocean Grove, Torquay and Point Addis, in defiance of stern warnings earlier issued by the premier. People also congregated in groups at Brighton and St Kilda beaches, with the state's chief health officer Brett Sutton branding the behaviour as 'crap'. After scores of beachgoers were seen across Victoria's famous coastline beaches have been closed in an attempt to limit the spread of COVID-19 People were pictures bunched together at St Kilda beach (pictured), Brighton and other iconic Victorian beaches 'Some of the behaviour today - when we're asking people to stay home - has been really crap,' he wrote in a tweet. 'It's hard to change habits and it's hard to see dangers that aren't apparent yet. But with 3,000 cases of COVID in Australia this week, we're headed to 100,000 in 2-3 weeks without change. 'That means thousands of deaths. Overwhelmed health services. Medical staff at unacceptable risk. Unstoppable spread. Do the right thing now and #StayAtHome. Today. Tomorrow. Until we're through this, please.' Premier Daniel Andrews on Saturday introduced on-the-spot fines for people who breach social distancing rules. Individuals face fines of up to $1652 for gathering in groups and businesses could cop penalties of $9913. The fines also apply to travellers found to be out-and-about within 14 days of returning from overseas. Victoria Police said the 'vast majority' of people heeded warnings to remain at home, releasing drone footage of quiet inner-city beaches. It comes after the total confirmed coronavirus cases in the state spiked by 111 to 685 on Saturday, the state's biggest single-day jump during the pandemic. Of the 685 cases across the state, 191 people have recovered and 21 are in hospital, including three in intensive care. Those ill with coronavirus range from eight to 88 years old, with the majority of new cases consisting of people who have travelled overseas or been in close contact of others who have travelled overseas. SEOUL North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast Sunday, a week after its leader received a letter from President Trump offering to help the country fight the coronavirus, the South Korean military said. The missiles were fired from the port city of Wonsan, flying about 140 miles to the northeast before landing in waters between North Korea and Japan. In retrospect, none of this should have come as a surprise. When the going gets tough Burr often seems to high-tail it for the nearest window. There was the time in 2008 when, after reports that Citigroup was taking over what was then called Wachovia Bank, a panicked Burr told his wife to run to an ATM and withdraw as much cash as she could. Publicly, however, Burr had told constituents not to worry. A news release from his office had read: Todays news of Citigroups acquisition of Wachovia might be unsettling to many in North Carolina. While these are difficult times in our economy, it is important to remember that this move provides for the protection of accounts and the soundness of savings for Wachovias customers. FDIC has said that all services for customers should continue uninterrupted. Incidentally, Burr admitted the ATM run in a speech to Henderson County business leaders in 2009. On Friday night, I called my wife and I said, Brooke, I am not coming home this weekend. I will call you on Monday. Tonight, I want you to go to the ATM machine, and I want you to draw out everything it will let you take. And I want you to go tomorrow, and I want you to go Sunday. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-30 06:00:47|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close DUBLIN, March 29 (Xinhua) -- A shipment of personal protective equipment (PPE) ordered by the Irish government from China to fight the epidemic of COVID-19 in Ireland arrived at Dublin Airport on Sunday afternoon, reported Irish national radio and television broadcaster RTE. The Chinese Embassy in Ireland said on its website on Sunday that the Irish government's purchase of these materials from China has received active assistance from the Chinese side. This is the first shipment of such materials ordered by the Irish government from China and more shipments will arrive in the coming days, said the report, adding that the Irish government has ordered a total of 208 million euros (231 million U.S. dollars) worth of PPE from China. The first shipment, which was flown in from Beijing by an A330 plane of Aer Lingus, a major carrier in Ireland, include surgical masks, gowns and eye shields, it said, adding that the much-needed equipment will be distributed to the front-line healthcare workers across the country from Sunday evening. The statistics released by the Irish Department of Health on Sunday night showed nearly 23 percent of all the patients infected with COVID-19 in the country are healthcare workers. To date, there have been 2,165 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 46 deaths related to the virus in Ireland, the department said in a Sunday statement. Of the ten new deaths reported on Sunday, eight are male and two are female, with the median age of the deceased standing at 77, said the statement. GENESEE COUNTY, MI -- Two men were hospitalized Saturday night after they were shot during the same incident that stretched from Flint into Burton. The incident began around 9 p.m. March 28 on Lynn Street in Flint. Officers responded to the location and discovered one man had been shot. The male shooter was then shot in the parking lot of Little Caesars, said Burton police Chief Brian Ross, of the restaurants location at Atherton and Shaw streets, approximately 2 miles southwest from the Lynn Street scene. Both men went to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and have been uncooperative with police, Ross said. The incident remains under investigation. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The city of Midland Health Department is conducting itsinvestigation on one new confirmed case of COVID-19 in Midland County, bringing the overall case count to 12. The 12th confirmed case is a male in his 20s, who was tested by Midland Health. The male is an outpatient and quarantined at home. The source of exposure is to a known case. The city of Midland Health Department will continue to monitor the individuals in accordance with the CDC. Spring break is usually a great time to visit the town of Wasagaming in Riding Mountain National Park. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 29/3/2020 (654 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Spring break is usually a great time to visit the town of Wasagaming in Riding Mountain National Park. The 15 rooms at the Lakehouse would be full and so would another 33 rooms at the Arrowhead. Karly McRae, who co-owns the two hotels with her husband Jason Potter and their partners, Mike and Julie Collyer, cant say that in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic is having a crippling effect on their small business empire, which also includes Danceland, a Wasagaming institution. McRae and her partners shuttered their buildings on March 19, six days before Parks Canada officially closed the park to all traffic. With no guests, McRae and her partners were forced to lay off their entire winter staff of 22. In summer, their workforce usually increases to more than 90. "Its been brutal to have to lay off that many people that we were close with and work with every day and care about a lot," said McRae via phone Saturday afternoon. "Thats been tough for sure... Its normally a really busy time. Were losing a ton of money, right now, as many other people are now." McRae isnt alone. READY TO SERVE Click to Expand In a bid to help restaurants, mom-and-pop shops and other local companies hurting during these trying times, the Free Press has launched a new service to help our community connect with companies still open for business. In partnership with Bold Commerce, the Free Press is hosting the listing service buylocal.ly on our site. This free directory enables businesses still operating to provide details on how to order and what pick-up and delivery options are available. We encourage businesses who are still operating in any capacity to use this new service to reach customers and we encourage our readers to use this directory to shop local, eat local and buy local. Visit wfp.to/buylocally to get started. In a survey conducted between March 20 and 25 by the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, 80 per cent of the provinces small- to medium-sized companies (those up to 50 employees) were reporting significant financial impact. A further three out of 10 small companies (those with between one and 10 employees) feel the pandemic could put them out of business. "The hospitality businesses are being hit so hard just simply because its impossible to operate safely with the physical distancing recommendations that are in place right now," said McRae. "Every business in Wasagaming would fall into that category because, in addition to how hard the entire tourism industry is being hit, were also controlled in a sense by what Parks Canada ends up doing. "So, when we have a complete closure of Parks Canada sites, we cant even (do) like other restaurants offer take-out service and take-home meals." Was chamber president and CEO Chuck Davidson surprised by the poll results? "No, not shocked at all because Ive been having these discussions with businesses for the past week about really that uncertainty thats out there," said Davidson. "And talking to so many small businesses that are fearful in terms of how they get through this. It is a huge challenge. Its not just a Winnipeg thing, this is throughout the province and thats what the survey results showed." Jen Zoratti | Next A weekly look towards a post-pandemic future delivered to your inbox every Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Recently unveiled federal subsidies should help, Davidson added. Breaks for businesses from provincial and municipal governments could be next. "Announcements like what happened yesterday with the federal government in regards to looking at a federal wage subsidy of almost 75 per cent will have a significant impact on a lot of these small business owners," he said. "Part of the challenge is they have zero revenues coming in. Theres no way you can pay your employees and so a lot of them have been forced to lay off their employees. So the reality with this subsidy and help them potentially do is to weather the storm." McRae is hopeful but has concerns. Parks Canada has suggested a May 1 reopening date but there are no guarantees. "If we start accessing the 75 per cent subsidy, well 75 per cent of zero payroll is zero it doesnt do much to help us," said McRae. "What Im hoping they announce we can start to access it as of May 1 or June 1 and that would have a real benefit if were able to open up at that time." mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @sawa14 As the calendar changes from March to April, fluctuating temperatures are expected for the eastern half of the country. Overall, average temperatures from the Plains to the Eastern Seaboard have been hovering well above normal during the month of March. Through March 30, the average temperatures reported in Minneapolis and Chicago were both around 5 degrees Fahrenheit above normal for the month. Nashville and Washington, D.C. have recorded temperatures that averaged about 6.5 degrees above normal, and temperatures for March so far were around 6 degrees above normal in New York City. The average temperature during that time in Buffalo, New York, and Atlanta were around 7.5 degrees above normal. "Behind severe weather that erupted in the Plains, Midwest and Ohio Valley on Saturday, cooler air is sweeping through these areas for the last day of the month," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Renee Duff. CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP Cool air will infiltrate from northwest to southeast across the Great Lakes and mid-Atlantic into the middle of the week and the start of April. "A cooler air mass moving in will bring afternoon temperatures down as much as 15-20 degrees in just a day," added Duff. The colder air arrived on Tuesday for cites from Philadelphia to Nashville and Atlanta. Here, temperatures dipped to below-normal levels for late March and early April. The temperature drop across the Tennessee Valley and the Southeast will come along with another round of heavy rain and thunderstorms. The coldest day in the mid-Atlantic and South is likely to be on Wednesday. All the while, much of Northeast, including New England and cities like Boston and Hartford, Connecticut, will notice very little in the way of temperature change. Highs will remain in the 40s and lower 50s through the first half of the week. As is normal in spring, temperature fluctuation is also in the future, and the temperature roller coaster will start to climb for the latter half of the week. Story continues High pressure building in the eastern U.S. will allow for a more southerly wind flow for many, bringing in warmer conditions. Afternoon high temperatures are forecast to rebound back into the upper 50s again around the Great Lakes on Thursday, with middle 60s expected to return to the mid-Atlantic by Friday. These temperatures are at or slightly above normal for early April. Across the Tennessee Valley and the Carolinas, temperatures will return to and hover in the 70s late in the week. "But, even though New England will remain close to average, relative to most other areas early this week, New England will be the last to warm up late this week," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski. "It may take until the weekend before some milder air works in from the west and south," he added. The warmup could be delayed in New York City for a bit as well. Exactly how long the warmth sticks around in the East, once it arrives, will be determined on if any storms cross the region and pull more cool air down from Canada. Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios. A group of furious locals blocked a Range Rover driver after he travelled 115 miles from Sheffield to Snowdonia despite the coronavirus lockdown. The man was spotted at around 10am on Saturday as he drove down country lanes near Bala in Gwynedd, Wales. Aled Wyn Williams recorded the confrontation before police were eventually called to the scene. Mr Williams stopped the vehicle, along with his friend Oswyn Roberts, after realising that the driver was not from the area. He said he was angered by the lack of respect shown by the visitor when the pair stopped him on the road. Mr Williams added: '[The driver] was heading away from Bala and the main road. 'I drove along the road and stopped him. My friend Oswyn Roberts came along behind, blocking him in. 'He told me he called the police because he felt threatened. 'I told him all we were doing was encouraging him to go home. If he hadn't called the police, I would have done.' The man was spotted at around 10am on Saturday as it drove down country lanes near Bala in Gwynedd, Wales Sheep can be heard in the background as Mr Williams walks towards the driver's side of the black Range Rover where the man behind the wheel also has a phone in his hand to take pictures The clip cuts to another angle of the confrontation recorded by an onlooker. Mr Williams throws his arms into the air before storming back towards his vehicle, which is where the video ends In the footage, a queue of vehicles can be seen in a standoff along a single-lane track surrounded by fields. Sheep can be heard in the background as Mr Williams walks towards the driver's side of the black Range Rover, which has a trailer in tow. He points the camera at the man behind the wheel who also has a phone in his hand to take pictures. Mr Williams then gestures down the road and says: 'Your friends have just arrived... 'What the hell are you doing here anyway? What the hell are you doing here? 'Haven't you got a television or radio?' The clip cuts to another angle of the confrontation recorded by an onlooker. Mr Williams throws his arms into the air before storming back towards his vehicle, which is where the video ends. The locals continued to block the route until police arrived at the scene. Signs have been erected across the country urging people to stay home and not travel, such as this one in Bala, north Wales A sign erected near Pembrokeshire reads 'non locals please go home #covid-19' A spokesperson for North Wales Police said: 'Police were called at 10.12am to a report of a man being blocked on a country lane in Bala. 'Officers attended and suitable words of advice were given.' The driver of the Range Rover, who had driven 115 miles from Sheffield in an attempt to visit Snowdonia, was eventually asked to return home. Britons taking the law into their own hands to enforce coronavirus lockdown measures are at risk of committing 'hate crimes', a police chief warned yesterday. A businessman who was self-isolating at his second home in Devon was targeted by locals who daubed 'go home' on his car. Tony Willis also found a leaflet on his doorstep in picturesque Bigbury-on-Sea saying: 'Second home owners... stop being selfish.' And signs with the slogan, 'If you do not live here, go home' were in the village's car park. A 'Go Home' is seen on the outskirts of Lulworth village in Dorset after many travelled down to the countryside But Devon and Cornwall Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer called for an end to this 'unacceptable' behaviour. Mr Willis said he arrived in Devon before the lockdown to be near an elderly relative and decided not to travel home for fear of breaching non-essential travel guidance. Speaking to the BBC, Mr Willis who has owned the second property for ten years added: 'This is harassment and in any other context would be considered a hate crime.' Farmers have also joined the backlash by closing hundreds of footpaths running through their land. Despite having no authority to stop walkers using the paths, farmers are concerned that older workers are at risk so path closures are necessary. Four people were reported to the police in Cumbria over the weekend for disregarding lockdown advice. One of these people a 24-year-old man from Whitehaven was 'repeatedly' seen in the town centre 'with no reason'. He was returned to his home by officers. Road blocks have also been set up to allow authorities to stop and quiz drivers on a whim. Pictured: Police officer directing traffic at a checkpoint in Plymouth But well-meaning locals in Liverpool were left red-faced on Saturday when they called police to investigate claims a comedy gig was in full flow only for officers to discover it was a rerun being broadcast online. Amid the country's limitations on socialising, neighbours are being encouraged to report incidents to the police. And forces in Humberside, West Midlands, Greater Manchester, and Avon and Somerset have created hotlines and online portals where tip-offs can be reported. But some locals have been criticised for deciding to take more direct action. It comes as hundreds of people have continued to flout strict government advice about social distancing and staying indoors. Those who defy the tough restrictions on movement could now be hit with a 60 fine initially and 120 for a second offence reaching 1,000-plus for repeat offenders, the Home Office warned. Derbyshire Police sent up their drone and filmed people on 'not essential' trips to the Peak District including people posing for an 'Instagram snap' The force says that people should not be heading to the Peak District to admire the sunset while Britain is in lockdown But police have recently been accused of an 'over the top' response to the UK's unprecedented coronavirus lockdown when officers were given sweeping new powers earlier this week to arrest people who go on 'non essential' journeys. Road blocks have also been set up to allow authorities to stop and quiz drivers on a whim. Derbyshire Police took the extraordinary step by using one of its drones to film dog walkers, ramblers and a group posing for Instagram pictures on a cliff top at sunset on Thursday night. And the same force also dumped black dye into a picturesque blue lagoon near Harpur Hill, Buxton, in the Peak District to stop Instagrammers posing for snaps for the remainder of the lockdown. The same force also dumped black dye into a picturesque blue lagoon near Harpur Hill, Buxton, in the Peak District to stop Instagrammers posing for snaps for the remainder of the lockdown As the world faces a grim reality with the Coronavirus outbreak, in Pakistan, a doctor was reprimanded by the Imran Khan-led government for protesting against the lack of protective medical gear. The deplorable development comes even as Pakistan confirms 1,500 cases of Coronavirus and 12 deaths. A doctor in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa protested against the non-availability of face masks and protective gloves, by wearing a plastic bag over his head and wrapping around his hands. As the photographs became viral on social media, Pakistan's Health Department reprimanded the doctor, moreover accused him of attempting to defame the authorities. The letter claimed that 300 gloves and 150 masks have already been supplied to the hospital. The letter further said that the doctor "performed his duty in the morning shift but he deliberately attended the hospital in the evening shift for recording and uploading of video on social media." READ| Pakistan reporter hands out 'anti-bacterial handwash' to fight Coronavirus; expects thanks Khyber Pakhtunkhwa doctor who protested against the nonavailability of masks and gloves by wearing a plastic bag over his head, is now being reprimanded by the health department. The report says the doctor put up an act to defame the authorities. pic.twitter.com/mAR3kbOFNl Naila Inayat (@nailainayat) March 28, 2020 Coronavirus in Pakistan In the thick of a global outbreak, Pakistan confirmed 1500 positive Coronavirus cases on Saturday morning with--469 cases in Sindh province, 39 in Islamabad, 188 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 557 in Punjab, 138 in Balochistan, 2 in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and 107 in Gilgit-Baltistan. Out of which, 11 have died while 23 have recovered. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on March 22 ruled out complete lockdown in the country, saying it will create chaos and urged people to self-quarantine to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Speculations of Pakistan PM Imran Khan testing positive for the Coronavirus began brimming on social media, after reports of British PM Boris Johnson contracting COVID-19 emerged. On Thursday evening, a London-based news media organisation broke a story claiming that the Pakistani Prime Minister has been infected by the novel virus. Subsequently, PTI Senator Faisal Javed Khan clearing the air, denied the claim, further asked the news network to correct the report. The Pakistani politician said, "News regarding PM Imran Khan tested positive for COVID-19 is NOT true. Please refrain from spreading fake news." WATCH: Pak PM Imran Khan inspects Coronavirus protective suits donated by Chinese company READ| BIG: Canada PM Justin Trudeau's wife Sophie has recovered from Coronavirus; statement here WASHINGTON - States have begun reshaping election policies to expand access to mail-in voting. Election officials in states with restrictive absentee requirements are looking for ways to allow as many voters as possible to use absentee ballots, a safer alternative to in-person voting in a global pandemic. If this crisis continues into November, however, some experts warn that a pivot to voting by mail could strain state resources and disenfranchise certain voters if not handled properly. U.S. elections have been in flux since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Ohio and Rhode Island all delayed their Democratic primaries. New York officials also are considering delaying that state's April 28 primary. But many states are taking their responses to COVID-19 further. Voting by mail looks different in each state. While most states allow all voters to cast a mail-in ballot, 17 states restrict absentee voting to people who have disabilities, who are ill or who would be out of town on Election Day. ADVERTISEMENT Several states have begun lifting restrictions on mail-in voting, opening the process to people who may have fears of exposure to the highly infectious virus. Among them is Alabama, which postponed until July 14 its March 31 runoff in the Republican election for U.S. Senate. The July date would give officials time to process absentee ballots, and it's the last day the state could hold an election without interrupting the November general election, according to Alabama Secretary of State John H. Merrill. "That spreads out the work for them," Merrill said in an interview, "enabling the voters more time to have their voices heard and votes counted." Alabama is one of the 17 with restrictions on absentee voting, normally requiring a voter be absent from their home county on Election Day, be ill or have a physical disability, have a job during voting hours or be a caregiver for a family member. But like his peers around the country, Merrill, a Republican, chose to allow any eligible voter in the state to vote absentee because of virus concerns. Elections officials have made similar accommodations in Delaware, Virginia and West Virginia, allowing all voters concerned about COVID-19 to request an absentee ballot. "In light of the situation, we want to make sure this election is as free, fair and safe for all voters as we can," said Jennifer Gardner, deputy press secretary of West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner, a Republican. "We understand the health risk here, and we're taking that very seriously." But not every state is lifting restrictions. Some are going in the opposite direction: Kentucky's GOP-dominated legislature last week passed a new voter ID law that goes into effect before the November election. Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, has not said whether he'll sign the bill, but he has said he doesn't want to make voting more difficult. Republicans have the numbers to override a veto. ADVERTISEMENT In Missouri, which allows only voters who meet specific criteria to vote by mail, officials last week pushed the state's municipal elections from April 7 to June 2. But Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft told Stateline that he is bound by state law and will not expand mail-in, absentee voting. "This is not something I can change," he said. "For certain election authorities, even if I could, which I cannot, they are not prepared and set up and able to do that well." Ashcroft will consult with local election officials and state lawmakers to determine whether to change state election laws before November. He said he's willing to consider changes but doesn't want to rush to solutions that could lead to unintended voting disruptions. In other states with restrictions, there is a strong push to open the absentee process amid this emergency, including in Connecticut, Indiana and Rhode Island. And it's not just states that have restrictions on mail-in voting. States such as Arizona, Idaho and Kansas, which don't require an excuse to vote absentee, also are encouraging voters to cast mail-in ballots. This renewed support for expanding absentee ballot access has encouraged officials at the Democratic National Committee, as the party continues to manage a presidential primary season that is slated to run through June. States need to take every precaution to make sure every voter can participate safely, said Ken Martin, vice chairman of the Democratic National Committee. That includes expanding mail-in voting. "That's a way that we can ensure that everyone can participate in the election without disenfranchising them or putting their personal safety in jeopardy," said Martin, who also serves as the chairman of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. "No one should have to put their own health at risk by participating in democracy." Further, he hopes states will expand early voting so people can vote while social distancing, while also instituting automatic voter registration. The party, he said, also will support local election officials who need to make the tough choice of postponing a primary for the health of their voters. After Ohio decided last Monday night to postpone its primary until June, election experts said states need a strong, worst-case-scenario contingency plan before November, and need to find the best way to transition to a voting system that more heavily relies on mail-in ballots. ADVERTISEMENT States have a long to-do list: Figure out how many voters now use mail-in or in-person ballots. Buy paper and envelopes even as vendors could be delayed because of the pandemic emergency. Decide how to get ballots to voters. And process absentee ballots even as election staffers are teleworking. "States are contemplating how they can realistically expand the options they provide voters in ways that maintain the infrastructure they have so they can process them appropriately," said Tammy Patrick, a senior advisor for the elections program at the Democracy Fund, a bipartisan foundation. "If you're going to expand it, go big and do it right." Even in states that are used to mail-in voting, a flood of absentee ballot requests can stress a voting system. In Wisconsin, nearly 400,000 voters have requested mail-in ballots for the April 7 presidential primary, more than each of the last four spring elections. The Democratic Party has sued the state to extend absentee voting. Luckily for states and counties around the country, Patrick said, there are best practices for registering voters, accommodating voters with disabilities, processing applications, and even designing envelopes. But fully integrating an elevated vote-by-mail system takes years and a large investment, said Neal Kelley, registrar of voters for Orange County, Calif., which transitioned to its new system in 2019. There were several lessons he learned along the way, including the need to double his ballot-scanning capacity and increase communication with voters about the changes. He also recently added "I Voted" stickers to mail-in ballots, which he said was one of the most popular things he's done as registrar. "(All of these elements) really changed the voters' perception of having trust in the system," Kelley said, "and having trust that the ballot is going to be handled and counted correctly." There are still some voters who don't trust the mail service with their ballots. To address those concerns, some states and counties offer ballot tracking services - following the ballot from drop-off to delivery and processing at the local election administrator's office. Pasco County, Fla., a jurisdiction of 369,000 voters just north of Tampa, was the first in the state to offer a ballot tracking service - a response to voters concerned with their ballots getting lost in the mail, said Brian Corley, the county's supervisor of elections. "You have to have that confidence with dealing with voters," he said. "It gives them that peace of mind." There are many elements of a mail-in ballot system that must be done carefully, said Whitney Quesenbery, director of the Center for Civic Design, which has worked with several election jurisdictions around the country. "It needs to be done early; it needs to be done in an open way," she said. "What comes out of that sausage-making process must be a system that protects voters and protects the system. We can't compromise integrity and we can't compromise access. "We can't leave our marginalized voters behind." A vote-by-mail system could disenfranchise certain groups, including those with lower incomes, residents of large apartment complexes with unreliable mail service and people on tribal reservations, said Jacqueline De Leon, a staff attorney at the Native American Rights Fund. Many Native Americans lack traditional addresses or home delivery, relying on a post office box that is rarely checked and often shared by several families. Further, several states, including Arizona and Montana, have criminalized mass ballot collecting, which voting rights groups often use during elections to help geographically isolated populations who might lack personal transportation. "We're very concerned that the virus is going to mean an increase in vote-by-mail," she said, "and that's going to disenfranchise Native Americans if accommodations are not made." Washington state, which runs its elections entirely by mail, sought to protect Native American voting rights by passing legislation last year that allows voters to use a tribally designated building as a residential pickup and drop-off location, De Leon said. Other experts argue there should be a strong in-person option for other voters who cannot vote by mail. But any expansion of voting by mail must be secure, said Marian Schneider, president of the election security nonprofit Verified Voting. "Remember," she said, "we're coming off the 2016 election, where we had an unprecedented attack on our election." Some members of Congress, meanwhile, have discussed legislation that would guarantee a mail-in ballot for every voter during a national emergency. Democratic Sens. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Ron Wyden of Oregon introduced a bill last week that would expand early voting and provide resources for access to the ballot for voters with disabilities and recruit younger poll workers. --- (c)2020 Stateline.org Visit Stateline.org at www.stateline.org Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Sydneysiders still aren't getting the message to stay indoors and help stop the spread of coronavirus, despite repeated warnings from authorities. Not even the closed beach could keep people away from Coogee, as crowds flocked to the promenade, nearby parks and streets on Sunday to soak up the sunshine, socialise with friends, sunbake, exercise, play footy and hit the shops. Many of those pictured in beach gatherings at the popular eastern suburbs hotspot ignored the social distancing rule to keep 1.5 metres away from each another. It comes a week after many popular beaches, including Coogee and Bondi were closed indefinitely due to social distancing breaches. Swimmers and surfers were also ordered to get out of the water on Sunday by council rangers at Mackenzies Bay, an inlet between Bondi and Tamarama. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has since banned public gatherings of more than two people across Australia in an desperate attempt to slow the spread of virus as it climbs towards 4,000 cases nationwide. These swimmers and surfers at Mackenzies Bay were given their marching orders by council rangers on Sunday after defying repeated pleas to stay at home Crowds at Coogee weren't getting the message either on Sunday with nearby grass areas packed with social gatherings A witness who filmed the concerning scenes at Coogee expressed his disgust at the continued belligerence of crowds. Despite the beach being off limits, the promenade and surrounding grassed areas were packed with joggers, dog walkers and social congregations. Coogee Bay Road and nearby other streets were also packed with crowds. 'After last week's gatherings it seems that people have obeyed the sand and surf restrictions but moved mass gathering on the grass above the beach, just on the other side of the barriers,' the witness told Daily Mail Australia. 'Old, young, kicking footys, close crows shopping as if the clock was wound back to 2019.' Coogee Bay Road, the main street of the Sydney seaside suburb, was packed with people on Sunday Waverley Council rangers were out in force at Mackenzies Bay on Saturday, where swimmers and surfers were ordered out of the water Randwick mayor Danny Said was already concerned about crowds at Coogee prior to this weekend. 'We are still seeing large numbers of people visiting Coogee Beach and surrounds,' he said in a statement on the council's website on Friday. 'It's likely the full closure of Bondi, Tamarama and Bronte beaches is contributing to the increased attendance at Coogee. 'These closures are designed to encourage people to stay at home. Nows not the time to be visiting public spaces, especially with children.' Locals were still flocking to Bondi on Saturday to work on their tans, despite the iconic beach closed indefinitely Public gatherings of more than two people are now banned. Pictured is a Bondi yoga class on Saturday before the new rules came into effect on Sunday night Similar scenes unfolded across Sydney's beachside suburbs on the weekend, from Rushcutters Bay and Bondi in Sydney's eastern suburbs, and Cronulla in the Sutherland Shire to Manly on the northern beaches, with scores of people getting together at the park going on walks and playing group sports. Bondi Beach closed indefinitely last weekend after thousands flocked to the beach and disobeyed social distancing rules, forcing an angry Mr Morrison to impose 'draconian measures', including the shutdown on non-essential services. Waverley Council also closed Tamarama and Bronte beaches indefinitely. The local government area has the highest number of coronavirus cases in NSW with more than 100. Waverley mayor Paula Masselos warned of further closures if people continue to ignore social distancing warnings. A deserted Coogee Beach on Sunday. The beach was closed indefinitely earlier this week Hundreds of people flocked to the streets of Coogee to shop and get takeaway food 'We also don't want to close any more of our public spaces but will have to if people don't obey social distancing, such as on the Bondi to Bronte Coastal Walk,' Cr Masselos wrote on Friday. 'COVID 19 is present in the Waverley LGA. In fact, the number of cases in COVID-19 in Waverley is increasing and we are not immune.' NSW Police have the powers to issue on the spot fines and prosecute individuals and corporations for breaching Public Health Order directions. The maximum penalty for individuals is a fine of up to $11,000 and or six months jail. Randwick Council announced on Friday it was closing Coogee Beach indefinitely but would monitor Maroubra and Clovelly on a daily basis. 'If the number of people at the beach exceeds or is expected to exceed 500, they will also be closed,' the council website states. The closure sparked huge crowds at Maroubra Beach on Saturday, which was later closed for the rest of the day and remained off limits on Sunday. Coogee Bay Road in the beachside suburb of Coogee was packed with locals on Sunday 'Unfortunately due to the inability to comply with social distancing policies, Maroubra Beach is completely lcosed for all activities,' a lifeguard notice on the council website read. Both Maroubra and Clovelly beaches will now remain closed indefinitely. 'All beaches and ocean pools in Randwick City are now closed until further notice. This includes Coogee Beach, Maroubra Beach, Clovelly Beach, Gordon's Bay, Little Bay Beach, Malabar Beach and the beaches at La Perouse,' Cr Said tweeted on Saturday. Sydneysiders aren't the only ones not getting the message. Melburnians also flocked to the beach on Saturday as temperatures reached the high 20s, forcing the closure of Victoria's famous beaches from those on the Great Ocean Road in the west to Phillip Island in the east. People also congregated in groups at Brighton and St Kilda beaches, with the state's chief health officer Brett Sutton branding the behaviour as 'crap'. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday appealed the people of the state who are located outside to stay in their respective states and not worry about the safety of their family and friends as the UP government is ensuring their complete safety. "PM Modi has announced a nation-wide lockdown and has requested them to indoors. It is our responsibility for the sake of our health to stay indoors. We all know that the daily wage earners and other's incomes will be affected. Keeping that in mind, PM Modi has announced a financial package of Rs. one lakh seventy-five thousand crores. The companies, which have been closed during the lockdown period, will have to pay their employees salary," he said. READ | Coronavirus LIVE Updates: MHA orders sealing all state borders, total cases at 979 CM Yogi also instructed the government officers to find daily wage labourers and poor people and give "each of them Rs 1000 from the government's pocket." "I request the house owners to not take rent from their tenants who are poor or are daily wage laborers," he said while adding that "electricity and water will not be disconnected even if people are not able to pay their bills". While giving assurance to people who have been living in the state, the Chief Minister said, "The government will ensure that everyone gets food, drinking water and medicine no matter where he or she is from. The officials need to take care of the daily and economic needs of the workers from other states so that they do not feel the need to flee to their respective states." READ | BIG: AIIMS launches teleconsultation facility to help Coronavirus suspects as numbers rise Coronavirus crisis in India As of date, India has reported over 950 cases of COVID-19. Out of all the states, Kerala and Maharashtra have reported the most in the country. Meanwhile, 25 people have died so far due to the deadly virus. Due to the outbreak, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had put India under a national lockdown for 21 days. Further, India has also closed the India-Pakistan border and restricted passenger movement at the border with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Myanmar. READ | Donald Trump says 'Don't be a cutie pie' to a reporter asking about Coronavirus ventilators READ | AAP slams Yogi govt's 'dirty politics' as thousands of migrant workers crowd Delhi border (With ANI inputs) Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 29/3/2020 (654 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. CP Manitoba chief public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin speaks during a provincial COVID-19 update at the Manitoba legislature in Winnipeg earlier this week. (Winnipeg Free Press files) Manitoba reported eight more cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, raising the total to 72, as the chief public health officer said most Manitobans are doing their part to reduce transmission of the virus. "The majority of Manitobans are taking this seriously," Dr. Brent Roussin said. "We are not helpless. Now is the time for action." He reiterated that people can drastically reduce transmission by staying at home. "We are not helpless. Now is the time for action." The province is "strengthening our messaging" about the need to practise social distancing ahead of stricter measures that will take effect at 12:01 a.m. Monday, he said. Public gatherings will be limited to 10 people, while retail stores and public transit must ensure there is space of one to two metres between people. The 10-person limit applies to places of worship and gatherings such as weddings and funerals. It does not apply to health-care facilities or social service providers, such as child-care centres and homeless shelters. These changes, along with Manitobans adherence to physical distancing, can help contain COVID-19, Roussin stressed. Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba's chief public health officer. John Woods / The Canadian Press files Roussin repeated Sunday that information would not be released about the only Manitoban to have died from the virus. The Winnipeg woman, who was in her 60s, died last week. Roussin wouldn't reveal how she may have contracted the virus. "We're not going to discuss specifics," he said. On Sunday, two people remained in hospital, with one of them in the intensive care unit. All other people who have contracted the virus are self-isolating in their homes, he said. Public health investigations are underway to determine additional details and to confirm the possible exposure of these cases. Case data, including possible events and locations where people may have come into contact with someone with a confirmed case of COVID-19, will be updated at www.manitoba.ca/covid19 when available, the province said. Two people are listed as having recovered from the virus. Roussin said more effort will be made in the coming days to report the number of people listed as recovered. As of Friday, 7,147 tests had been completed at the Cadham lab. Lanette Siragusa, spokeswoman for Shared Health, said officials are looking for sites that could be turned into pop-up health centres in the event hospitals are overwhelmed with patients. She said more information would be released at a later date. Shoppers at the Walmart on McPhillips Street line up outside the store on Sunday, to keep the number of shoppers inside at a level in which people can keep their distance from one another. John Woods / Winnipeg Free Press On Monday, a community testing site will open in Pine Falls at Powerview School. It will operate from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday. There are 15 community testing sites in Manitoba, including six drive-thru locations, with plans to open in more communities in the next week. The public is reminded that a referral to these sites is needed and they are not walk-in clinics. Information is available here. Any person concerned about their exposure to or risk of having COVID-19 should call Health Links at 204-788-8200 or toll-free at 1-888-315-9257 to be screened to see if a test is required. A federal court in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday banned the government from disseminating propaganda against confinement measures aimed at controlling the coronavirus pandemic. On Thursday night, President Jair Bolsonaro shared a video on Facebook showing a caravan of vehicles celebrating the reopening of businesses and schools in the southern state of Santa Catarina. His son and senator Flavio Bolsonaro also shared on Facebook a government campaign with the slogan: Brazil cannot stop. That provoked the attorney generals office to petition the federal court to stop that campaign. The campaign video encourages people not to stop their normal lives, despite health ministry figures claiming that COVID-19 has claimed almost 100 lives and affected close to 3,500 people in Brazil. The court also ordered people linked to the government to stop sharing or fomenting the spread of information that is not strictly founded on scientific evidence. Judge Laura Bastos Carvalho gave the government 24 hours to publish an official statement explaining that its Brazil cannot stop campaign does not adhere to scientific criteria and therefore cannot be followed. It was the second court blow for Bolsonaro in as many days. On Friday, Rios federal court blocked a decree by the president that exempted places of worship from coronavirus confinement orders. Churches and other places of worship lead to large crowds and the movement of people, wrote Judge Marcio Santoro Rocha of the Duque de Caxias court. Labourers reaching Lucknow from Delhi and other states had a similar tale to narrate that they had no money and food, forcing them to return to their homes. The state government has decided not to charge any ticket amount to any labourers, workers and families who are travelling in state-run buses, said Raj Shekhar, the managing director of the Uttar Pradesh State Roadways Transport Corporation. He added that the conductor need to maintain the way bill details for further necessary action, and the expenditure will be reimbursed by the government. "This will be implemented with immediate effect," he said. After covering several kilometres on foot along with their families, the labourers, who reached Charbagh bus station in Lucknow on Saturday and Sunday, said there was no point staying in Delhi as they have exhausted their funds and it would be better for them to return to their homes. Pankaj Chauhan, who returned to Lucknow from Hazrat Nizamuddin, had his face covered with a handkerchief as a precautionary measure. "I have to go to Kanpur and I am waiting for my bus," Chauhan said. Asked whether any arrangement had been made in Delhi for them or not, Chauhan said "our ration stock has exhausted, and funds too have been exhausted". A state government officer had on Saturday said transport officers, drivers and conductors were called in the night from their homes and around 1,000 buses were arranged. "UP chief minister himself monitored the situation and more than 1,000 buses were pressed into action to bring stranded people in Noida, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr, Aligarh and Hapur to their respective destinations," the officer said. Those arriving at Charbagh bus station in Lucknow were then sent to Kanpur, Ballia, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Azamgarh, Ayodhya, Basti, Pratapgarh, Sultanpur, Amethi, Rae Bareli, Gonda, Etawah, Bahraich and Shravasti. State police chief H C Awasthi and Lucknow police commissioner Sujit Pandey arranged food and water for the stranded people. In a statement, Lucknow District Magistrate Abhishek Prakash said: "Around 70,000 food packets have been prepared to cater to huge number of people coming from the National Capital Region." A large number of people from other states reached the expressway toll plaza in Lucknow. The district administration is providing them lunch and drinking water. At the toll plaza, Prakash instructed the people to sit at a distance of two metres and strictly follow social-distancing norms. In Aligarh, hundreds of stranded migrant workers from the NCR are desperately searching for means of transport to reach their native towns and villages. These migrants, including and children, are concentrated on the outskirts of the city. Most of these stranded people are heading to Agra, Etah and Kasganj. Some of the stranded are also from distant locations in eastern Uttar Pradesh. "The police is sparing no efforts in arranging transport for these stranded passengers. More than 65 buses of the UPSRTC were yesterday pressed into service for this task," Senior Superintendent of Police Muniraj G said. On the other hand, police have intensified stringent measures against residents in the city who are wilfully violating the lockdown. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 19:25:00|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close KAMPALA, March 29 (Xinhua) -- As COVID-19 continues to spread in Uganda, anxiety and fear are building up among the public, providing fertile ground for fake social media reports to go viral. Fake social media reports are another battlefield that Uganda is facing as it fights to contain the spread of COVID-19. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Saturday tweeted to dismiss a social media report that he had declared a total lockdown and that the military would enforce it. "I discourage the heartless people trying to alarm Ugandans with these falsifications. Whoever is behind such should desist from it henceforth," Museveni said. Police on Saturday evening swung into action by arresting a religious leader who claimed on social media that the country does not have COVID-19. Diana Atwine, permanent secretary of ministry of health, said such false utterances undermine the country's efforts to contain the outbreak. "We appeal to the public to desist from making false or alarming utterances concerning COVID-19 and disregard information not from authorized government structures," the police said in a statement after the arrest. The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), the state-owned communication regulatory body, vowed to crack down on individuals who circulate fake videos, news and advice on social media concerning COVID-19. The UCC issued the statement on March 22 following increased cases of fake information on social media platforms, saying that such behaviors could incite violence, cause financial turmoil and endanger people's lives. Suspects shall be prosecuted for offending the Computer Misuse Act 2011, the Data Protection and Privacy Act and other penal laws of Uganda, the statement added. Uganda registered its first case of COVID-19 on March 21 and now the cases have increased to 30 as of Saturday night, according to the ministry of health. The country has instituted a series of measures to curb the spread, including banning all public gatherings and suspending public transport. It also closed all its border entry points to incoming and outgoing passengers except cargo trucks and planes. The government warned that Uganda may register more cases as a result of some confirmed cases interacting with the public. Saudi air defences intercepted ballistic missiles over Riyadh and a city on the Yemen border late Saturday, leaving at least two civilians wounded in the capital that is under curfew in a bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Multiple explosions shook Riyadh in the attack, which the Saudi-led military coalition blamed on Yemen's Iran-aligned Huthi rebels who have previously targeted Saudi cities with missiles, rockets and drones. It was the first major assault on Saudi Arabia since the Huthis offered last September to halt attacks on the kingdom after devastating twin strikes on Saudi oil installations. "Two ballistic missiles were launched towards the cities of Riyadh and Jizan," the official Saudi Press Agency reported, citing the coalition fighting the rebels. Their interception sent shrapnel raining on residential neighbourhoods in the cities, leaving two civilians injured in Riyadh, a civil defence spokesman said in a separate statement released by SPA. There was no immediate comment from the rebels. At least three blasts rocked the capital, which is under a 15-hour coronavirus curfew, just before midnight, said AFP reporters. Jizan, like many other Saudi cities, faces a shorter dusk-to-dawn curfew. The assault comes despite a show of support on Thursday by all of Yemen's warring parties for a United Nations call for a ceasefire to protect civilians from the coronavirus pandemic. Saudi Arabia, the Yemeni government and the rebels all welcomed an appeal from UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres for an "immediate global ceasefire" to help avert disaster for vulnerable people in conflict zones. The call coincided with the fifth anniversary of Saudi Arabia's military intervention in Yemen's civil war, which was launched to shore up the internationally recognised government against the Huthi rebels. The Yemen government condemned the attack, which it said undermined efforts to scale down the conflict amid the coronavirus outbreak. Information Minister Moammer al-Eryani said in a tweet that the strikes also confirmed the "continued flow of Iranian weapons" to the Huthi militias. "This militia lives only on wars and doesn't understand peace language," he said. Yemen's broken healthcare system has so far recorded no case of the COVID-19 illness, but aid groups have warned that when it does hit, the impact will be catastrophic. The country is already gripped by what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Saudi Arabia is also scrambling to limit the spread of the disease at home. The kingdom's health ministry has reported 1,203 coronavirus infections and four deaths from the illness so far. Fighting has recently escalated again between the Huthis and Riyadh-backed Yemeni troops around the strategic northern districts of Al-Jouf and Marib, ending a months-long lull. The warring sides had earlier shown an interest in de-escalation, with a Saudi official saying in November that Riyadh had an "open channel" with the rebels with the goal of ending the war. The Huthis also offered to halt all missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia after strikes on its oil installations last September, which were claimed by the rebels but widely blamed on Iran, despite its denials. But those efforts seem to have unravelled. Observers say the rebels may have used the lull to bolster their military capabilities. Riyadh had expected a quick victory when it led a multi-billion dollar intervention in 2015 to oust Huthi rebels, under a newly assertive foreign policy led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. But the costly intervention has failed to uproot the rebels from their northern strongholds, while pushing the Arab world's poorest nation into a humanitarian crisis. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Students receive treatments at a local hospital in Zhijin County, Guizhou Province of China on March 29, 2012. (Getty Images) Some Chinese High Schools Reopen, as Public Worries About New Virus Outbreaks 209 senior students at a high school in the southwestern province of Guizhou have developed fever and diarrheatypical symptoms of the CCP virussince March 24. Government authorities later said that they fell ill after drinking contaminated water, but locals became worried that they may be infected with the virus. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. Since the Lunar New Year holidays, all schools in China, from preschool to college, remained closed and did not reopen for the spring semester. All students have been studying online since Feb. 10, the first day of the new semester in China. But in recent weeks, as the Chinese regime pushed the narrative that the virus has been contained within Chinas borders, some regions began easing restrictions. To allow seniors to study for the upcoming college entrance exam in June, some high schools in Qinghai province reopened on March 9. Then, on March 16, Guizhou province and Xinjiang reopened schools for seniors in high school and middle school. On March 23, Yunnan and Ningxia provinces also reopened schools for seniors. The majority of schools in China have remained closed. Beijings municipal Education Commission clarified on March 11 that they have not yet set a date for schools in the city to reopen. Jinping High School Jinping is a county within Qiandongnan prefecture of Guizhou. On March 27, the Jinping county government announced that some seniors at Jinping High School started to develop fever, stomach aches, and diarrhea beginning on March 24. As of 10 p.m. on March 26, 209 students were reported sick. 199 of them received hospital treatment. The other 10 stayed at the clinic inside the school. After treatment, those 10 students were released from the clinic. 196 students were discharged from the hospital, and 3 others were still being treated at the hospital as of March 27. Later in the day, the Jinping county government announced that the students were diagnosed with acute gastroenteritis (Escherichia Coli). The county government claimed that the local water supplier stopped service on March 23. The school then used its own water resources to supply the school building. But the water was infected with Escherichia Coli and E. Coli, making the students sick. However, Chinese netizens did not trust the governments explanation. High school students go through exam papers ahead of the annual Gaokao, or college entrance examinations, in Handan City, Hebei Province, China, on May 23, 2018. (AFP/Getty Images) Concerns On March 26, a document from the Qiandongnan prefecture command center, a newly set-up government department for responding to the CCP virus outbreak, was leaked online. Netizens then shared it widely. The command center said it reviewed the Jinping high school students cases and designated it a public safety and health incident. The center instructed all schools in the prefecture to monitor students health conditions for the next two days. The center also asked the director at each school to take responsibility should students get sick. A normal public health incident would typically be handled by local health bureaus. The center is only in charge of virus-related issues. This document further fueled netizens concerns that the students could be infected with the CCP virus. According to data from Chinas National Health Commission, there has been no new virus infections in Guizhou province since Feb. 16. On March 27, the Commission announced one new domestic infection in all of Chinaone case in Zhejiang province. For March 28, it announced one new domestic infection in Henan province. But there were hints that the epidemic was more severe than authorities would admit. On March 27, Chinas Film Administration notified all cinemas in China to keep their doors closed. Since March 17, some local governments have allowed cinemas to reopen. Chinese state-run newspaper The Paper reported on March 27 that 495 cinemas in the entire country had reopened by March 24, with Shanghai planning to reopen 205 cinemas on March 28. Now, all cinemas must close until central authorities notify them that they can reopen, according to the notice from the Film Administration. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (L) speaks with people at a supermarket in Wuhan in central Chinas Hubei province, on Jan. 27, 2020. (Li Tao/Xinhua via AP) Meanwhile, Chinese premier Li Keqiang gave a speech in Beijing on March 23, in which he warned against reporting false data. At a meeting for the central governments epidemic task force, Li said that he agreed with certain epidemiologists opinion that the virus would not disappear suddenly as SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) did in 2003. Most regions in China reported zero new domestic infections in recent days. Of course, this is what people want to see. But we must remember that statistics of the epidemic situation must be timely, true, and accurate. We cannot conceal cases in order to pursue zero infections, Li said. Actor Blair Underwood has revealed that he had initially rejected the opportunity to be a part of popular TV series "Sex and the City" as he found his role to be too stereotypical. The actor had essayed the role of Dr. Robert Leeds on the HBO show,which ran from 1998 to 2004. Discussing the show during Strong Black Lead podcast on Netflix, the actor said he was initially offered the role of the black record executive, who had a sister that didn't want him to date white women. "I said no first, two years prior, because there was an episode, if you know 'Sex and the City', the fast one, Kim Cattrell's character wanted to be with a Black man and it was all about the curiosity," Underwood, 55, said. "What's it like to be with a Black man? Are the rumours true? And I said, Thank you, but no thank you. I appreciate it and I'm honoured.' And I mean that, I don't take that lightly when people offer you a job. But I said, 'I'm not interested in being the Black curiosity, but thank you'," he added. The actor was referring to the fifth episode of the third season "No Ifs, Ands, or Butts". The network approached him again after two years with a new role but this time, Underwood couldn't say no to it because of his wife. "So two years later, they came back and had an offer to come join the show. And I said, Is it going to be about his race or is he going to be a human being?' They said, Naw, he's a doctor that's in her building who she meets in the elevator and they hit it off'. That was important," the actor said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Miguel Diazs JetBlue Airways Corp. flight from New York to Orlando cost just $79 with a checked bag and was nearly empty. The 11 passengers each had a row of seats to themselves, spaced at least six feet apart to maintain high-altitude social distancing. The entire experience was luxurious, the 30-year-old Queens librarian said. He was one of 279,018 people who passed through security at a U.S. airport on Tuesday -- compared with 2.2 million on the same day a year ago. With the coronavirus pandemic shrinking the number of passengers, now down more than 90%, some U.S. airlines have announced plans to cut as many as eight out of 10 flights in coming months. Thats got them and their employees anticipating a $61 billion aviation aid package in the $2 trillion economic rescue bill signed Friday by President Donald Trump. The bailout is designed to avert thousands of layoffs but it wont solve the industrys biggest problem: A lack of passengers. Carriers have cut food and drink service with only canned or bottled water available on request in some cases. And with passenger cabins flying almost empty, airlines are turning to freight operations. American Airlines Group Inc. has started parcels-only flights for the first time in 36 years and Delta Air Lines Inc. has expanded charter freight operations. Yet the potential for months-long disruptions far outweigh what the industry faced after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Carriers are losing money on almost every flight. You cant cut a plane in half, said Michael Ball, a professor at the University of Marylands Robert H. Smith School of Business who specialized in aviation issues. You cut your level of service, but you have to maintain your basic routes and your network. The rescue plan allocates $50 billion to passenger airlines, half in loans and half in cash assistance earmarked exclusively for payroll, benefits, healthcare and other employee costs. Cargo haulers, airline contractors and airports will also be eligible for aid. There are strings attached. Airlines may have to give the government options, preferred stock or other securities in exchange for support. The aid also prohibits stock buybacks and limits executive compensation among other restrictions tailored to avoid backlash over corporate largesse that followed previous government rescues of big companies in trouble. This is not an airline bailout. It is support to the airlines for national security reasons that the taxpayers will be compensated for, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Friday on Fox Business News. We need to make sure when we reopen the economy we have domestic travel. The bill calls for Mnuchin to publish application procedures for the payroll aid within five days. And the first payroll grants to airlines must go out within 10 days. The extraordinary assistance was necessary so the carriers could respond quickly after the virus and social distancing measures have run their course, American Airlines Chief Executive Officer Doug Parker told workers in a video message on Thursday. Our elected officials want us to continue to provide safe air travel through this crisis and they want us to be up and flying when demand for travel picks up again, and thats what were going to do, he said. In exchange for the grants, airlines must maintain employment levels through September and are barred from cutting worker pay and benefits. However, many airline employees are paid hourly and will be working fewer shifts, so their checks are expected to shrink significantly. Companies also are barred from paying dividends or buying back shares through September 2021, and must cap executive compensation and termination payouts for two years. A provision of the legislation gives Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao authority to force airlines accepting aid to continue flying to destinations they served as of March 1, but its unclear how she may wield that power.The language stops short of requiring airlines to continue their current schedules. It merely says they have to continue flying to airports they currently serve and doesnt say how frequently. The bill also gives Chao wide latitude, saying she can do what she deems necessary. This is an important issue and the department supports the intent of maintaining a national network of air service to communities across the country, the agency said in a statement. We will have further guidance about how this will be accomplished in the days to come. In addition to the cash infusion and loans contained in the bailout legislation, the bill contains an additional $56 million to supplement flights into small, rural airports to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus. The government does not want us to shut down because were essential, said Southwest Airlines Co. Chief Executive Officer Gary Kelly. It may not be at the same number of travelers we had before, but you will certainly shut the country down if we dont have a means to transport goods and people. So they want us to keep flying. Airlines already are rushing to slash other costs. Executives are taking pay cuts, freezing hiring and offering voluntary unpaid leave to employees -- more than 21,000 volunteered for such offers at Delta alone. Above all, with so few passengers flying, carriers are dramatically reducing their flight schedules -- American Airlines is planning an 80% cut in flying for May, while Delta is trimming 70%. The two carriers are parking more than 1,000 aircraft. United Airlines Holdings Inc. will reduce flying 60% next month, with more cuts likely in May. Such draconian cuts are new ground, said Ball, the University of Maryland professor. This cant be a real long-term situation or somethings got to give. The Federal Aviation Administration has taken steps to help, such as giving airlines a grace period for pilots and others to complete certain training and allowing carriers to stop flying into congested airports at which they would normally lose slots that went unused. Total shutdown? Those tools may only go so far and the scant passenger demand means more extreme measures cant be ruled out, according to Mike Boyd, president of aviation consultant Boyd Group International. The package will not provide the one thing that airlines need business, Boyd said in a report Thursday. Airlines are flying empty airplanes - load factors in the teens or lower -- and this relief program is only going to extend the amount of time before the industry has to ground itself. A total or nearly-total temporary shutdown is in the cards, regardless of what Congress wants. Airports should be preparing for a potential air service shutdown of unknown duration that could manifest in a number of days, he said. The industry will likely hit its low point in the second quarter before possibly beginning to rebound in the third quarter, Cowen analyst Helane Becker said via email. If airline traffic starts to come back in mid to late June or July, we suspect the airlines will be okay. If it takes longer, then when September 30 comes along, they will start to make difficult decisions about furloughing employees until there is a need for them again, she said. Practical considerations In the meantime, airlines will have to wrestle with difficult choices. We certainly do not believe they can continue to fly 5% load factors indefinitely, nor should they, but remember, pilots need to maintain a certain minimum level of flying every month or they cant fly until they re-qualify, she said. As a result, while a complete shutdown for a few weeks might be advisable, it is probably impractical. For people who continue to fly, theyll likely have plenty of room to move about the cabin. Jaydene Benjamin, a 26-year-old South African who moved to New York as part of an au pair program, stepped off a Southwest flight to the Los Angeles suburb of Burbank on Thursday with just a handful of passengers on board. There were people who had masks on. I didnt wear one. Ive heard that you shouldnt wear one unless you were already infected, Benjamin said. Everyone is stressing out over coronavirus, but I was worried because Im unemployed and have no money. I dont like being other peoples problem. She said she fled New York as a last resort to look for work and plans to self-quarantine for two weeks after the federal government recommended that step for everyone leaving the city earlier this week. She said there was no unusual screening when she landed. There were police officers nearby who were announcing that anyone who sees someone whos unwell should report it, but that was it, she said. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.) Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter The UT administration is trying to trace 19 people who returned to Chandigarh from abroad after March 14. Of the eight cases of coronavirus infection reported in the city so far, three are of people who recently travelled back from a foreign country and the remaining five are of those who came in contact with one of them. We initially received a list of 1,600 people who came to the city in March. On Saturday, this list was updated to 2,200, UT administrator VPS Badnore had disclosed in a press conference on Saturday. Out of the 2,200, the administrations focus was on identifying and tracing 675 people who had returned to the city after March 14. While 626 of them were already under home quarantine, 30 more were stamped on Sunday to be put in isolation at their respective houses. Nineteen people are yet to be traced. Some of them were not present at the address mentioned in their passport. We are hopeful of completing the exercise by Monday, said a senior official, who didnt want to be named. Significantly, the name of the eighth person who tested positive on Friday wasnt on the original list even as he had returned from Dubai. His 81 contacts have been quarantined, while reports of his mother and two friends are awaited. NRI held in Sector 10 for concealing travel history A 27-year-old man, who is a permanent resident of Canada, has been arrested for not informing the local administration about his travel history and for non-compliance of self-isolation guidelines, police said on Sunday. The accused, identified as Sidak Singh Sandhu of Sector 10, came from Canada on March 19. He was out on a walk at Leisure Valley on Saturday, when the police found him. Sidak was held under Section 188 (disobeying order of public servant) of the Indian Penal Code, but was later granted bail. The health department was informed and his samples were collected for testing. Sidak and his family were stamped. All of them have been asked to go into quarantine, said a police official, privy to the development. Two cops who arrested Sidak have also been asked to self-isolate. Police have already started tracing people who came in contact with the man. Panchkula man booked for fleeing home quarantine Police have booked a 28-year-old man for allegedly violating quarantine orders after he was found symptomatic for the coronavirus. On Sunday, an official checking attendance of the home-quarantined people found the shanty of the accused, Gajinder, at Gandhi Colony in Mansa Devi Complex (MDC) locked. Upon enquiring, the mans mother told police that Gajinder with his family had left the colony without telling anyone. A few days back, a team of doctors from the civil hospital, on the basis of suspicion, had tested the man and later advised him home quarantine. Police said the accused had reportedly left for his native village and will be traced soon. A case was registered under Sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the Indian Penal Code and under the Epidemic Diseases Act. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Hyderabad: Telanganas corona count touched 70, with three more people confirmed for Covid-19 infection on Sunday, but chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao chose to emphasize the positive. News from hereon would get better, he said at his press conference, with 11 persons who are currently undergoing treatment for coronavirus at Gandhi Hospital set to be discharged on Monday as their latest tests have come back negative. One case has already gone home having done his 14 days. In fact, said the chief minister, from March 30 until April 7, as more and more corona suspects complete their isolation periods, no less than 25,935 suspects would be free to leave confinement. He gave the following datewise breakdown of how many would be freed from isolation: March 30: 1,859 March 31: 1,440 April 1: 1,461 April 2: 1,887 April 3: 1,476 April 4: 1,453 April 5: 914 April 6: 454 April 7: 397 Chandrashekar Rao said the total number of positive cases in the state as of Sunday was 70, of which one patient had already been discharged; and the final report of 11 patients, who will be discharged on Monday, had come negative. This is good news for the state, he said. That leaves 58 patients undergoing treatment. Their condition was stable, except one patient in his seventies, who is critical and has other ailments too, the chief minister added. Chandrashekar Rao said the threat of Covid-19 coming in through foreign returnees has been minimised with the cancellation of international flights. Now the state machinery was concentrating on containing the spread of the virus among locals. The chief minister also reached out to migrant workers, promising to provide one with 12 kg rice of flour, Rs 500 cash assistance and shelter. Appealing to them not to leave the state during the coronavirus lockdown, he said, As chief minister of Telangana, I am telling you whatever money is needed to be spent we will arrange for the money. You stay comfortably. Nobody should starve in Telangana," he was quoted as saying by the news agency PTI. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 17:59:31|Editor: yhy Video Player Close CANBERRA, March 29 (Xinhua) -- More venues in Australia are to be closed to slow the spread of COVID-19 in the country, while more stringent restrictions are put to public gathering, said Australian Prime Minister (PM) Scott Morrison on Sunday evening. In addition to the institutions and businesses already closed last week, more public areas are to follow suit, including public playgrounds, outside gyms and skate parks. They are to be closed from Monday. Public gatherings are limited to two people, although it is up to states and territories to enforce the limit. As a result, group boot camps are no longer allowed, while one-on-one personal training sessions are still permitted, according to Morrison. People are again strongly advised to stay at home unless shopping for essentials, for medical care or compassionate needs, to exercise following the new rule and to go to work and education "if you cannot work or learn remotely," he said. Morrison also advised that those aged over 70, with a chronic illness aged over 60, and Indigenous Australians over the age of 50 should stay at home. "What we are encouraging elderly residents to do is to stay home as much as is practicable," said the PM. "Should they need support then I'm sure they can get support through their community or others and I'm sure they could even ring their local MP." According to the Health Department of the Australian government, as of 3 p.m. on Sunday, there have been 3,966 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country. Dhanbad, March 29 : In the time of social distancing to combat coronavirus, the Indian Railways has developed a wash basin in which the water tap and the soap dispenser are mechanically operated without touch. The East Central Railway (ECR) spokesperson said the modified wash basin had been developed by the Barwadih Wagon Care Centre of the Dhanbad Division. To use the modified basin, a person will have to press the lever by foot and water and soap will be dispensed. "An easy to make and easy to use system has been developed by our innovative staff," the ECR official said and added, it could help contain the Covid-19 spread. The railway has suspended the passenger, mail and express trains on March 24 after Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to the nation on Tuesday announced the 21-day nationwide lockdown. Only freight train services are being run to ensure supply of essential items across the country. The IR is also making masks, sanitisers, aprons, medical beds, IV stands, stools, modified wash basins and other medical equipment at its production centres. On Sunday, the number of Covid-19 patients in India reached 979 with 25 deaths across the country. Advertisement Holly Willoughby was spotted adhering to social distancing guidelines as she picked up supplies at a supermarket. The This Morning host, 39, donned leather gloves and stood the recommended two metres apart from the next person as she queued to get into her local Marks & Spencer store. And Holly certainly made the most of her opportunity to stock up on essentials as she later emerged with bags filled to the brim with groceries. Stocking up: Holly Willoughby was spotted adhering to social distancing guidelines as she picked up supplies at a supermarket amid the coronavirus lockdown The star was initially seen emerging from her car with empty bags, ready to pick up goods for her family - husband Dan Baldwin, 45, and children Harry, 10, Belle, eight, and Chester, five. Holly wrapped up warm in a black padded jacket emblazoned with the word 'LOVE' down the back. She teamed her jacket black leggings and trainers for a low-key look. While the TV star swept her blonde tresses into a bun and shielded her eyes with dark sunglasses. Sensible distance: The This Morning host, 39, donned leather gloves and stood the recommended two metres apart from the next person as she queued to get into her local Marks & Spencer store As she stood in the queue to enter the shop, Holly was careful to keep her distance from other shoppers, as per guidelines issued by the government in a bid to stem the spread of COVID-19. She later left the store with an armful of bags before presumably making her way home. Holly and her co-star Phillip Schofield have continued to host This Morning live from the studio amid the coronavirus pandemic. Supplies: And Holly certainly made the most of her opportunity to stock up on essentials as she later emerged with bags filled to the brim with groceries Ready to shop: The star was initially seen emerging from her car with empty bags, ready to pick up goods for her family - husband Dan Baldwin, 45, and children Harry, 10, Belle, eight, and Chester, five Let's go: The star left her luxury car with plastic bags ahead of her grocery shop During Tuesday's instalment, the hosts insisted they're still required to come into work as the government have classed them as 'essential workers', after UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson plunged the nation into a lockdown. In a bid to cheer the nation during the global crisis, presenters Holly and Phil, 57, took a trip down memory lane by looking back at their best bits on the show, leaving the duo in fits of giggles. Addressing their viewers following Boris' speech on Monday, media personality Phil said: 'Lets start off by explaining probably for the first time ever, why we are here today.' Casual look: Holly wrapped up warm in a black padded jacket emblazoned with the word 'LOVE' down the back All black everything: She teamed her jacket black leggings and trainers for a low-key look Chilled: While the TV star swept her blonde tresses into a bun and shielded her eyes with dark sunglasses Looking good: Holly cut a casual figure in her sporty ensemble as she headed to the shops His co-star - who practised social distancing by sitting a few feet away from him - added: 'The government has classed us as essential workers for the time being, as we are here to answer your questions and inform you on what is happening.' Phil highlighted that their studio crew has been scaled back, adding: 'We are running with a skeleton staff and for now on, with lots of people working from home. 'In fact, the mobile crew have brought the cameras through from GMB through a hole in the wall. There are millions of others quite rightly staying at home.' Staying safe: Holly took precautions by wearing gloves for the shopping trip Trendy: The Celebrity Juice favourite sported her trusted padded jacket for the shopping trip Ready to go: Holly looked prepared as she headed into her local supermarket On Monday night, the head of the government ordered the immediate closure of all non-essential shops and threatened people with fines or even arrest if they do not 'stay at home'. The shutdown will last for a minimum of three weeks and the UK's new state of emergency is unprecedented in modern history. Gatherings of more than two people will be banned in the most dramatic curbs on freedom ever seen in Britain in time of peace or war, as the government goes all out to stop the spread of the killer disease, which has claimed 1,019 so far. Safe: As she stood in the queue to enter the shop, Holly was careful to keep her distance from other shoppers Rules: She followed the guidelines issued by the government in a bid to stem the spread of COVID-19 Wait: Holly waited patiently to enter the store alongside other shoppers Apart: Other shoppers stood the designated two metres apart It comes as Holly and Phil's fellow This Morning presenters Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes defended sitting close together on Friday's episode of the show. Eamonn was quick to explain that as they are a married couple and live in the same household, they are allowed to sit in close proximity. As the show kicked off, he told viewers: 'In regards to social distancing, dont bother phoning in and asking "why are these two sitting close together?". Food run: Shoppers queued to enter the store, while a member of staff watched over proceedings 'We are together, we live together. A lot of people think how could she have pulled him? But we even share a bed when I dont fall asleep downstairs in the sofa.' Ruth then added: 'A lot of people think its a fake marriage they think Im punching!' Eamonn then explained: 'If it was me and Rochelle Humes we would be two metres apart.' Tough times: Citizens headed out to the supermarket amid the nationwide lockdown to stem the spread of the COVID-19 virus Got it! She later left the store with an armful of bags before presumably making her way home Loaded up: Holly's big haul will no doubt last her and her brood a while To which Ruth quipped: 'Much to your disappointment youre stuck with me.' As the couple later discussed the COVID-19, Eamonn then told how his wife has been feeling 'anxious' amid the pandemic. He said: 'A lot of people are very anxious. Im looking at my wife, shes a very anxious person. 'I visibly watch her getting more and more anxious. She is addicted.' Eamonn continued: 'She puts on Piers Morgan and he scares the life out of her from 6am. I watch her face so anxious.' Still working: Holly and her co-star Phillip Schofield have continued to host This Morning live from the studio amid the coronavirus pandemic The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked both the Minister of Health, Osagie Enahire, and the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to publish the details of their weekly spending of funds on the fight against coronavirus in Nigeria. The group said transparency in the use of funds would help build trust among Nigerians, as the nation grapples with the pandemic. SERAP, in a statement posted on its Twitter handle on Sunday, urged the health agencies to disclose the number of Covid-19 tests conducted for prominent Nigerians and the numbers of tests conducted for the ordinary Nigerians. BREAKING: Weve asked the Minister of Health & DG NCDC to publish weekly spending details of funds to combat coronavirus in Nigeria; disclose the nos of tests for politicians compared with tests for the poorest & the level of enforcement for home quarantine system for politicians SERAP (@SERAPNigeria) March 29, 2020 In our FoI requests, we said: "Disclose whether spot checks are carried out to ensure strict compliance by politicians in home quarantine." "Transparency in the use of funds & operations of the Ministry of Health & NCDC would help to build trust, engage Nigerians & safe lives." SERAP (@SERAPNigeria) March 29, 2020 SERAP on Sunday last week had urged President Muhammadu Muhammadu to instruct the anti-graft agencies, EFCC and ICPC, to track and monitor spending by federal agencies and state governments on fighting the pandemic in Nigeria. Many Nigerians have taken to social media to complain about how the Covid-19 tests are conducted for the general public; saying politicians were being given preferential treatment to test for the virus without being symptomatic while ordinary Nigerians were being advised to wait until they show a level of symptoms before tests are conducted. Weve asked the Minister of Health & DG NCDC to publish weekly spending details of funds to combat coronavirus in Nigeria; disclose the nos of tests for politicians compared with tests for the poorest & the level of enforcement for home quarantine system for politicians In our FoI requests, we said, disclose whether spot checks are carried out to ensure strict compliance by politicians in home quarantine. Transparency in the use of funds & operations of the Ministry of Health & NCDC would help to build trust, engage Nigerians & safe lives, SERAP tweeted. https://twitter.com/ToniNze/status/1244147633092005894?s=19 https://twitter.com/ms_nwizu/status/1244164093306642433?s=19 https://twitter.com/a__lonewolf/status/1243892042595434505?s=19 Please I want to know if to get tested is by having a travel history or anyone who shows any symptoms of the virus ? Because in Nigeria is only those with travel history,leaving the average Nigerian to his fate,they only carry out test on politicians Nith Dickson (@DicksonNith) March 28, 2020 Countries around the world are trying to stop the spread of coronavirus through testing. Social commentators have suggested that Nigerias index is still low because the countrys capacity for testing for the virus is still very low. A new report based on data from China finds that for every known case of infection, there could be up to 10 people with the virus that remain unidentified in the community. As at 10 p.m. on Saturday, there were 97 cases or coronavirus in Nigeria. CARROLLTON The raging COVID-19 pandemic is turning health experts into detectives. When a case of the novel coronavirus is confirmed in a county, it becomes the health departments job to find out with whom the infected person had contact. That way, anyone exposed to the carrier can be tested. Its our job to prevent the spread, said Molly Peters, public health administrator for Greene County. The county has not had a confirmed case of COVID-19 to date, but protocols and guidelines have been set in place from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as the Illinois Department of Public Health about what would happen. Peters and her staff are taking every measure to adhere to guidelines in preventing, or at least reducing the spread of, the coronavirus. Everyone here in the communities want to protect the community, she said. Should a positive case occur, its up to health administrations to investigate where the person went, whom they contacted, and what stores or public locations they visited. In addition, they will interview people with whom the patient came in contact and advise them what they need to do. If a person has been in contact, we tell them to quarantine themselves for 14 days, Peters said. They may not have symptoms, but they still could be exposed. All of this is done via phone and emails and their main goal is to reduce the spread, Peters does not want to expose more people and her staff. During the quarantine, health department workers will call twice daily to check on those notified. Most people are concerned that they have exposed others, she said. The Greene County Health Department has taken measures to protect its staff and the community. For example, parking is blocked off in front of the office for those taking part in the supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children, affording them the ability to not have to get out of their vehicle, decreasing the chance of exposure. Should people visit the office, they are interviewed about where they have been and any social activities in addition to having their temperature taken. Peters said it is crucial to limit contact with other people to no more than 10 minutes and at a distance of at least 6 feet. Steve Shireman, public health administrator for Scott County, said that in his 40-year career he has never seen anything like this, but is thankful he has actions ready should a positive COVID-19 case occur in the county. We follow all the guides from the CDC and the Illinois Department of Public Health, Shireman said. Should a case occur, Shireman, said his department would take every measure to ensure that the patient has quarantined themselves. We are contacting families that are suspect, he said of investigating places and people that could have been exposed. We contact them by phone and generally monitor their conditions. He said everyone has been cooperating. Shireman also stressed the importance of everyone adhering to the states stay-at-home order. I am pleading with the public to honor these restrictions the protocols are there to protect, he said. OKLAHOMA CITY>> Former U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn was stubborn as a mule and conservative to his core. But the Oklahoma family doctor, known for railing against federal earmarks, didnt let political differences dictate whom he called friends even if it didnt sit well with some of his supporters. Coburn, who died early Saturday at age 72, joined the U.S. Senate the same year as President Barack Obama, and the pair became fast friends despite their contrasting ideologies. In Oklahoma, where Obama failed to carry a single county in his 2008 presidential bid, voters took note. But the Republican senator shrugged off complaints in 2009, when the states largest newspaper, The Oklahoman, ran a front-page photograph that showed him hugging Obama after the Democratic president gave a speech to a joint session of Congress. Im not aligned with him politically. I dont know what people back home in Oklahoma would be worried about, Coburn, who was re-elected the following year, said at the time. But you need to separate the difference in political philosophy versus friendship. How better to influence somebody than love them? Coburns death was confirmed to The Associated Press by cousin Bob Coburn. He did not provide a cause of death, but Tom Coburn had been undergoing treatment for prostate cancer for years. Coburn earned a reputation as a conservative political maverick in Congress. He also delivered more than 4,000 babies while an obstetrician and family doctor in Muskogee, where he treated patients for free while in the Senate. Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford called Coburn an inspiration to many. He was unwavering in his conservative values, but he had deep and meaningful friendships with people from all political and personal backgrounds, Lankford said in a statement. Known for bluntly speaking his mind, Coburn frequently criticized the growth of the federal deficit and what he said was excessive government spending endorsed by politicians from both political parties. Ive got a flat forehead from beating my head against the wall, he told voters in July 2010. First elected to the U.S. House during the so-called Republican Revolution in 1994, Coburn fiercely criticized the use of federal money for special state projects and was among the few members of Congress who refused to seek such earmarks for their home states. He represented northeastern Oklahoma for three terms, keeping a pledge in 2000 not to seek re-election. He returned to his medical practice in Muskogee before asking voters to send him back to Washington in 2004, this time to the Senate, so he could fight big spenders and ensure that our children and grandchildren have a future. Coburn was re-elected in 2010, but left his second term early, in January 2015, after he was diagnosed with a recurrence of prostate cancer. He said he was convinced he could best serve my own children and grandchildren by shifting my focus elsewhere. In the Senate, Coburn released a series of oversight reports detailing what he described as wasteful government spending. A 37-page report in 2011, dubbed Subsidies of the Rich and Famous, detailed nearly $30 billion spent annually in government subsidies, tax breaks and federal grant programs to millionaires. From tax write-offs for gambling losses, vacation homes, and luxury yachts to subsidies for their ranches and estates, the government is subsidizing the lifestyles of the rich and famous, Coburn wrote in the report. A joint report issued in August 2010 by Coburn and Arizona Sen. John McCain, who died in 2018, criticized stimulus spending, including $1.9 million for international ant research and $39.7 million to upgrade the Statehouse and political offices in Topeka, Kansas. Coburns stubbornness and thwarting of legislation considered worthy by Democrats frustrated then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. You cannot negotiate with Coburn, Reid, a Democrat, declared in 2008. Its just something you learn over the years is a waste of time. During debate over the debt ceiling in the summer of 2011, Coburn was part of a bipartisan Gang of Six senators who supported an alternative plan to cut the deficit by almost $4 trillion over the next decade through budget cuts and increased revenue through changes to the tax code. After leaving the Senate, Coburn continued to crusade against taxes, criticizing the Oklahoma Legislature when it passed increases in 2018 to shore up the state budget. A group led by Coburn attempted to launch a petition drive to overturn the tax hikes, but was ultimately unsuccessful. Born in Casper, Wyoming, on March 14, 1948, Coburn grew up in Muskogee, Oklahoma. After graduating from Oklahoma State University, he went to work at his familys business in Virginia, Ophthalmic Division of Coburn Opticals, from 1970 to 1978. He later attended medical school at the University of Oklahoma. By the time he jumped into politics a decision he said was based on runaway government spending and his distaste for career politicians he was married to his wife, Carolyn, with three children and had established a successful medical practice. Coburn had several health scares during his time in office. He was treated for malignant melanoma in 1975, and in 2011, he underwent surgery for prostate cancer. Health woes didnt seem to damper his contentious attitude. After revealing in 2003 that he had been diagnosed with colon cancer and underwent surgery and chemotherapy, he told a Tulsa World reporter: You should be writing about Medicaid and Medicare instead of my health. Ready for your next home project? Heres how to plan and finance it Officers are scared out there: Coronavirus hits US police Where to stream: Best films celebrating 20th anniversary this year Local neurosurgeons take 45 percent pay cut to help pay staff during COVID-19 crisis Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) on Sunday announced that all vessels without thermal screening facilities have been banned from operating in Nigerian waters Trees were once used to watch out for elephants in this village. Now it is being used to monitor coronavirus. Villagers from Purulia West Bengal have come back from Chennai after the nation entered a lockdown for 21 days due to the outbreak. As per the rules, they needed to put themselves in isolation for 14 days, which is the gestation period of the disease according to scientists. ANI But these villagers from Vangidi in Balarampur area of Purulia don't have separate rooms. With no other option, they opted to live in the trees. They are staying in makeshift camps on trees. These trees were once used to warn people of elephant attacks, a common occurrence in the area. PTI Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier called West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to praise her efforts of combating the virus. Reuters Right now there are 15 confirmed cases in the state and one death has taken place. West Bengal: Villagers of Vangidi village in Balarampur area of Purulia, who have recently returned from Chennai, have quarantined themselves for 14 days on a tree since they do not have a separate room in their houses for isolation. #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/oHUq0j8RZ8 ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2020 All over the world, the tally of those affected has crossed 600,000 with more than 30,000 dead. It originated in China before spreading. With time and the kind of roles that she is being offered now, actor Manisha Koirala believes she has changed from being spontaneous to methodical in her approach towards acting. The actor, one of the most popular faces in the 1990s and 2000s films such as "Bombay", "Khamoshi", "Dil Se", says she is enjoying doing something new with the characters is playing today. "The roles that I used to do earlier didn't require me to have specific skills or way of doing the role. Today, the roles that I am doing require me to do that so I want to put in that extra hour, extra effort. "I feel when you are challenged, you push your boundaries and you try to excel in that direction. I love this whole thing of becoming a method actor from spontaneous actor. And if I can bring in the spontaneity and method together that will be great. I love harnessing my skills, I love pushing boundaries," Manisha told PTI in an interview here. Due to changing styles of storytelling, the 49-year-old actor believes artistes should always be open to any kind of challenge that is thrown at them. "There is a constant learning and unlearning that happens if you want to grow as an actor," she said. Having changed her process and style of acting, Manisha said, she feels happy when people appreciate the efforts an actor puts in building a character. "If people appreciate your work, it is a pat on your back. If I get appreciated, I feel happy and grateful. As artistes, be it a writer or director or painter or actor, our work depends on whether it has moved the audience or not, when it happens, you feel thrilled." The actor's role in 2018 Netflix anthology "Lust Stories" was critically lauded and now she stars in another film from the streamer, "Maska". She is reuniting with director Dibakar Banerjee for another Netflix project, "Freedom". "I am a hungry actor and I am constantly trying to become better. At some point, I am happy I am getting opportunities to do something that is helping me grow," she added. She said the jump from films to streaming wasn't a planned move. "I have never been a planning kind of person. From the 80 to 90 films that I have acted in, there are about 10 to 15, where I have worked with good directors where I have been given good roles but that is not always possible. Whatever came to me, I tried my best," she said. Asked about equal opportunities for women, the actor said the film industry has always been a male-dominated space as the heroes tend to bring in the money. "If you have a big hero, people are willing to put in money, this is a fact. When we talk about equality, I feel we have a long way to go, we haven't arrived yet. But the momentum has started." There are more women working in different departments of filmmaking, which was not the case in the past, she said. "So times are changing slowly. Women are taking centre stage. But to think we have arrived is also delusional. We have a long way to go. We have to strive to get equal standing and respect," she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Stay in your homes, we'll come to your aid: Arvind Kejriwal to migrant workers An ice rink has been has been turned into a morgue in Spain Om Prakash, mason working in Delhi, walked 800 kms to reach his loved ones Dr. Anthony Fauci, White House Coronavirus Task Force member, says more than 100,000 will die in United States UK official says lockdown could last six months More than 660,000 people have been infected and more than 30,000 have died due to the novel coronavirus around the world. In India, 1024 people have been infected by coronavirus and 25 people have died so far. India reported 106 new cases in the last 24-hours. PM Narendra Modi in his radio address asked people to follow lockdown measures to help curb the Covid-19 contagion. Italy and Spain continue to report surge in both death rates and cases. Spain reported 838 deaths in the last 24 hours. US CDC asked New York residents strictly to remain inside their homes. Here are the highlights of the day on the Covid-19 pandemic USD 300 mn in aid earmarked for seafood industry in US stimulus package by Steve Bittenbender March 29,2020 | Source: SeafoodSource The U.S. Senate late on Wednesday, 25 March, unanimously passed a USD 2 trillion (EUR 1.81 trillion) relief package for American businesses and individuals whose work has been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The bill now heads to the House, where passage is expected by the end of the week. President Trump has also indicated he would sign the bill into law. The bill, the third taken up by Congress in relatively short order to address the countrys needs as the COVID-19 outbreak forces states and communities to close restaurants and enact other measures to contain the spread of the virus, includes specific aid for the fishing industry. Among the relief the fishing industry is set to receive is USD 300 million (EUR 272 million) that will be available to tribal nations, fishermen, fishing communities, other fishery-related businesses and certain aquaculture businesses through the Commerce Department until 30 September, 2021. Under the bill, those entities can receive aid if their revenue losses due to COVID-19 causes any negative impacts to fisheries or a loss greater than 35 percent of their prior five-year average revenue. This helps protect our food supply chains, and this targeted relief will help ensure that the families and the coastal communities that depend on our fisheries can emerge from this crisis, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said on the Senate floor Wednesday night. It comes a day after Saving Seafoods National Coalition for Fishing Communities and fishing harvesters and processors sent letters to Congress and the Trump administration urging them to include the seafood industry in the package. The speed with which the domestic seafood industry has come together to speak with one voice is unprecedented, Saving Seafood Executive Director Bob Vanasse said in a statement issued shortly after the Senates 96-0 vote. There are many differences in our nations fisheries geography, species, gear types, and management but today our fisheries are simultaneously diverse and unified. We look forward to working together across traditional industry lines, and with elected officials and administrators, to ensure the aid the federal government is providing will flow fairly and equitably across regions and fisheries. Beyond the direct aid, the seafood industry and its workers can receive help through forgivable loans for businesses and expanded unemployment benefits. The Senates bill extends the period an individual can receive unemployment from 26 weeks to 39 weeks. In addition, the federal government is adding an extra USD 600 (EUR 544.10) weekly benefit for unemployed workers. However, the aid, which is to be added on top of each states unemployment benefit, is only available for four months. In addition, the unemployment benefit has been expanded to cover more than just hourly wage workers. I called for special protections for our gig workers and independent contractors, including self-employed fishermen, in this package, and now they will have a new Unemployment Insurance program to provide benefits, said U.S. Sen. Edward Markey (D-Massachusetts) in a statement heralding the vote. Markey joined U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) in requesting the expansion, since many fishermen are either self-employed or independent contractors. Moments after the vote, Sullivan went to the Senate floor and said this bill, which addressed immediate concerns, wont be the last one taken up by Congress. A phase four proposal, which Sullivan said he will help put together, needs to turbocharge the economy. There's probably Americans who weren't covered in some way, shape, or form by this legislation who need help, and we're going to need to cover them quickly, Sullivan said. There's likely new challenges in this pandemic that seems to be changing every day. New challenges with regard to this crisis that we're going to need to address. 2020 Diversified Communications. All rights reserved. Theme(s): Others. LONDON, Nov. 8, 2017 (Xinhua) -- Priti Patel delivers her keynote speech during the Conservative Party Annual Conference 2017 in Manchester, Britain on Oct. 3, 2017. Priti Patel resigned on Nov. 8, 2017 as UK international development secretary amid Image Source: IANS News London, March 29 : UK Home Secretary Priti Patel has said that domestic abuse victims were still allowed to leave their homes to seek help despite restrictions on people's movements imposed by the British government due to the coronavirus pandemic, it was reported on Sunday. Writing in the Mail on Sunday, Patel said the current restrictions asking people to stay indoors were even harder for the one's whose "home is not the safe haven it should be", the BBC reported. "I am acutely aware that the necessary guidelines about social distancing and self-isolation may leave the victims of hidden crime, such as domestic abuse and child sexual abuse, feeling especially isolated, vulnerable and exposed," said Patel in her newspaper column. "But my message to every potential victim is simple: we have not forgotten you and we will not let you down. "And my message to every perpetrator is equally as simple: you will not get away with your crimes." Patel said the government would protect victims, saying it has given 1.6 billion pounds to local councils to help those in need and was working with charities. The National Domestic Abuse Helpline was also continuing to operate, she said. "Whilst our advice is to stay at home, anyone who is at risk of, or experiencing, domestic abuse, is still able to leave and seek refuge. Refuges remain open, and the police will provide support to all individuals who are being abused - whether physically, emotionally, or otherwise," the BBC quoted the Home Secretary as saying in her column. Under the government's new restriction, everyone has been told to stay at home and only leave the house for four reasons: shopping for basic necessities, exercise, any medical need and travelling to work if you cannot work from home. But the "unprecedented" measures could lead to more people finding themselves being victims of domestic abuse, Leicestershire Police had warned last week, adding that health concerns and job losses may also add pressure, causing some people to experience abuse for the first time. An estimated 1.6 million women and 786,000 men experienced domestic abuse in England and Wales in the year ending March 2019, according to the Office for National Statistics. In 2018, 173 people were killed in domestic violence-related homicides, according to data obtained by the BBC from 43 police forces across the UK. The charity Refuge said staff were "working round the clock" to make sure its services remained open. DTEK-Energo is developing proposals for the introduction of a 'standstill' and debt restructuring. Ukraine's largest private power producer DTEK is suspending interest payings on loan participation notes and bank loans and will ask creditors to restructure some of its debt due to the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, it said on Saturday. "In order to minimize the negative economic consequences, DTEK-Energo is taking emergency measures and suspending payment of a coupon on eurobonds and interest on bank debt," the company said in a statement, Reuters said. Read alsoAkhmetov's DTEK Skhidenergo halts payments for gas withdrawn for Luhansk TPP "DTEK-Energo is developing proposals for the introduction of a 'standstill' and debt restructuring regarding the issue of eurobonds and asks the holders of eurobonds and bank debt to support the company in this difficult decision," it added. The company, owned by the country's richest man, Rinat Akhmetov, did not clarify how much debt might be restructured. The company was talking about loan participation notes maturing in 2024, a coupon for which is due on April 1. As of March 29, Ukraine reported 418 cases of coronavirus, including 9 deaths, and the government last week declared an emergency across the whole country for the next 30 days. Hyderabad, March 29 : Telangana on Sunday reported three new Covid-19 positive cases, taking the total to 70 while 11 of them will be discharged from hospitals after treatment on Monday. Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao told a news conference that 11 patients were tested negative for Covid-19 in the final screening. "They are fine and will be discharged from hospitals tomorrow," he said. The first positive case was reported on March 2 and he was discharged on March 13. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday spoke to the man and the latter told him that he was looked after well in Gandhi Hospital. With the discharge of 11 persons on Monday, 58 would remain under treatment in hospitals. The Chief Minister said barring a 76-year-old, all were stable. Rao said the number of people under surveillance stands at 26,937, but if no new suspected case is reported this number would become zero on April 7 as all of them would be completing their 14-day quarantine period. The Chief Minister said with no arrivals from abroad, restrictions and lockdown, there were fewer chances of new cases. Married At First Sight's Mishel Karen has made extraordinary - and questionable - allegations about Channel Nine's social experiment. The 49-year-old police worker bizarrely claimed she 'didn't have any human rights' while filming the show in Sydney last year. She told The Daily Telegraph on Saturday that prisoners have more freedom than MAFS participants - a claim that is demonstrably false. Are you sure about that? Married At First Sight's Mishel Karen (pictured) has made extraordinary - and questionable - allegations about Channel Nine's social experiment 'We were sleep deprived, we had everything we owned taken from us,' she alleged. Mishel also claimed producers had forced her to write stay during the commitment ceremonies when she actually wanted to leave her 'husband', Steve Burley. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Channel Nine for comment. Just sour grapes? The 49-year-old police worker bizarrely claimed she 'didn't have any human rights' while filming the show in Sydney last year Mishel's explosive claims should be taken with a large grain of salt, however. The MAFS participants did not live in prison-like conditions. In fact, they stayed at the five-star Skye Suites apartments in Sydney's CBD, where rooms cost $250 a night. Producers foot the bill during filming from September to December, and agreed to pay extra when couples demanded to have separate rooms. Locked up? Contrary to Mishel's claims, MAFS participants didn't live in prison-like conditions. In fact, they stayed at the Skye Suites apartments in Sydney, where rooms cost $250 a night The complex offers a 24-hour concierge service, five-star fitness centre and swimming pool, and plenty of local amenities. Contrary to what Mishel said about not being allowed to leave the experiment, the participants were permitted to leave at any time. Natasha Spencer and Mikey Pembroke, Ivan Sarakula and Aleks Markovic, and Chris Nicholls and Vanessa Romito all left early without being forced to wait until the commitment ceremony. Hmm! Mishel was also mistaken when she said participants weren't allowed leave. Natasha Spencer and Mikey Pembroke (pictured), Ivan Sarakula and Aleks Markovic, and Chris Nicholls and Vanessa Romito all left early without being forced to wait until the commitment ceremony Also, Mishel isn't the first person to claim she was 'forced' to write stay. Connie Crayden told NW earlier this month she had been coerced by producers even though it was clear she and Jonethen Musulin were 'nothing more than friends'. 'They tried to convince me for 12 hours to write stay again. Finally they convinced me to write stay [and] I felt awful holding him against his will,' she claimed. Previous comments: Also, Mishel isn't the first person to claim she was 'forced' to write stay. Connie Crayden (pictured) told NW earlier this month she had been coerced by producers even though it was clear she and Jonethen Musulin were 'nothing more than friends' But she later backtracked on these claims, telling Hit Mid North Coast's Krysti & Bodge on Wednesday that she was the one who chose to stay. 'I wasn't forced to write stay. I am the one who put the pen to paper. At the end of the day, the ball was in my court,' she said. 'No one held a gun to my head. No one blackmailed me or bribed me or anything like that.' Donald Trump has said the United States will not pay for the Duke and Duchess of Sussexs security protection after they reportedly moved to California. Harry and Meghan were said to have left their rented home in Vancouver, Canada, and took a private flight to the US before the border closed between the two countries last week. In response to the reports, the US president tweeted that he was a great admirer of the Queen and the United Kingdom as he said that the US would not pay the royal couples security bill, adding: They must pay! Mr Trump said on Twitter: I am a great friend and admirer of the Queen & the United Kingdom. It was reported that Harry and Meghan, who left the Kingdom, would reside permanently in Canada. Now they have left Canada for the U.S. however, the U.S. will not pay for their security protection. They must pay! Harry, Meghan and baby Archie are now said to be living in lockdown close to Hollywood in accordance with the sunshine states Covid-19 containment measures. The royal couple carried out final official engagements earlier this month (Steve Parsons/PA Wire) The tweet by Mr Trump comes just days before the couple are due to officially step down as senior royals dubbed Megxit. Sixth in line to the throne Harry and American former actress Meghan are walking away from the monarchy for a life of personal and financial freedom on March 31. Controversy over the cost of protecting the soon-to-be ex-senior royals in their new global life has continued to grow, as it remains unclear who will pay for their security. It is feared UK taxpayers will have to foot the bill for their close personal protection officers, but it could be the Sussexes themselves, the Queen or the Prince of Wales who may have to pay. Officials in Canada, the Commonwealth country the couple had planned to make their base, said they would not foot the bill for the familys security arrangements. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police previously confirmed it will stop providing protection for the Sussexes once they cease to be senior royals. Neither Buckingham Palace nor the Home Office will confirm details but the bill is estimated to be as much as 20 million a year. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani delivers a speech on the first day of the Republican National Convention on July 18, 2016 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. An estimated 50,000 people are expected in Cleveland, including hundreds of protesters and members of the media. Brooks Kraft/Getty Images Twitter removed a message by Rudy Giuliani and temporarily locked his account for sharing coronavirus misinformation. In the tweet, Giulaini quoted conspiracy theorist and conservative activist Charlie Kirk promoting anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a coronavirus cure. Tests have not established that hydroxychloroquine is a safe or effective cure for the virus. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Twitter removed a message by Rudy Giuliani, President Donald Trump's personal attorney, for spreading misinformation about the coronavirus and making groundless attacks on Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. In the tweet on Friday, Giuliani quoted conservative youth activist Charlie Kirk, who claimed that an unproven anti-malaria drug, hydroxychloroquine "in at least three international tests was found 100% effective in treating the coronavirus," according to screen shots of the message published by Mediate. In a tweet removed on Saturday, Giuliani promoted an unproven drug as a coronavirus cure Twitter He went on to quote Kirk claiming that Whitmer, who in recent days has been targeted in attacks by Trump, is "threatening" doctors who prescribe the drug. The drug has also been touted by Trump as a potential coronavirus cure but doctors have warned that it can cause cardiac arrhythmia, a condition that can be fatal for patients with heart conditions. Twitter confirmed to multiple news outlets that it had temporarily locked the account and removed the tweet. "The account was temporarily locked for violating the Twitter Rules regarding COVID-19 misinformation" a Twitter spokesman told Business Insider. Business Insider has attempted to reach Giuliani for comment. Under Twitter's policies, messages that contain content that "goes directly against guidance from authoritative sources of global and local public health information" are banned, including the "description of treatments or protective measures which ... are being shared with the intent to mislead others." Story continues Last week a man in Arizona died after consuming chloroquine phosphate a chemical commonly used to clean fish tanks. The man's wife, who also fell ill consuming the substance, told NBC News that they had taken the substance after seeing Trump promoting a form of chloroquine as a treatment for the novel coronavirus. It is not the first time Giuliani has shared misinformation and conspiracies, with the Daily Beast reporting last October that the former New York City mayor followed hundreds of accounts that promoted the far-right conspiracy theories. Read the original article on Business Insider 4.2k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has banned a reporter from his coronavirus briefings because she requested that the briefings practice social distancing. Via The Miami Herald: Mary Ellen Klas, the Heralds bureau chief for the Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee Bureau, said she was refused entry into the Capitol in Tallahassee to attend a press briefing by the governor, lieutenant governor, director of emergency management and state surgeon general regarding COVID-19 testing, access to medicine and efforts to prevent New Yorkers from flying into the state. .. Klas said later in an interview that Beatrice also told her the state was refusing her access into the Capitol because she had requested social distancing at the governors briefings. Days earlier, Klas asked that the governors staff help protect reporters by holding Zoom-style video conference press briefings so that questions could be asked without requiring reporters to gather in close proximity. The reporter was asking for the governor of Florida to follow the guidance of both the CDC and public health experts for the safety of reporters and everyone in attendance, which it should be noted also includes the governor, the response from the administration was to ban her. Reporters do vital work every single day. Without journalists and reporters on the scene, the news could become nothing more than unchallenged propaganda. Gov. DeSantis is partially responsible for the fact that coronavirus cases have surged to over 4,000 because he refused to cancel spring break and has been slow to put other restrictions in place. The governor is helping Trump to blame the spread of the virus in Florida on New Yorkers. Republicans are trying to downplay the virus, and the message being sent is that if anyone in the state of Florida asks for basic safety precautions, the governor will retaliate. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook Cafes, restaurants and businesses in the hospitality sector are expected to see the first slow green shoots of an economic recovery once Covid-19 restrictions are lifted, according to the ESRI. The think-tank predicts severe job losses brought on by the crisis mean unemployment next Christmas will still be double the figure from last December. ESRI research professor Kieran McQuinn said he expects the agriculture sector, in particular livestock farmers, to be among the worst hit as the economy deflates. Last week, the research body warned the country was heading for a recession. Prof McQuinn said the crisis has demonstrated a need for clear leadership. He said there was a need for European authorities to take up a greater leadership role and warned any Irish economic recovery would be hit hard by the fact the US and UK are struggling to deal with the coronavirus. The hospitality sector may receive an early boost when sanctions restricting the movement of people are eventually lifted. People will return to work in the sector, helping to lower unemployment numbers, and consumers will be keen to get out and enjoy a new sense of freedom. But any gains will be marginal at first. "A lot of people whose incomes won't change in the coming weeks, people in the public sector and other sectors of the economy, are not going to be spending, so when everything is all clear and we can go out, you could see a bounce in certain areas, such as societal consumptions - the hospitality sector. "In China, there is still some caution after sanctions were lifted and I think that will be the same here. There will be a lot of precautionary behaviour, even by employers in taking people on and by people undertaking investment decisions." The level of recovery depends on when sanctions are lifted. An ESRI forecast expects unemployment to reach at least 18pc because of the Covid-19 measures. This is predicted to fall to 16.5pc by September and 10.5pc by Christmas. Last Christmas, the unemployment rate was 4.8pc, according to the CSO. "Looking at the data over the past 25 years, the biggest percentage reduction for unemployment in the Irish economy is something like 2.5pc. Clearly we are saying this is a unique situation and you are going to see a much more dramatic fall in the unemployment rate after things resume than you would normally get. "It is hard to gauge how quickly the employment will come back." He said beef farmers will come under strain and European bodies could do more to assist economic pressures. "The beef sector has taken a hammering in recent times and producers' margins are very low. They rely heavily on subsidised payments from Europe to make up profit margins. This is going to compound their difficulties. "It is hugely important the European institutions stand up and contribute. Any recovery for the Irish economy unfortunately isn't just a function of how well we deal with this issue, but how well our major trading partners deal with it. Looking at the US and the UK, you wonder how they will cope." Australians who lose their jobs will be given a wage subsidy to cover a share of their income in a federal plan to protect workers suffering from the sweeping layoffs and shutdowns triggered by the coronavirus crisis. The federal government is planning to pay workers a proportion of their wages to them through the crisis, with a proposal to get employers to transfer the money to their staff as an alternative to using the welfare system. Prime Minister Scott Morrison called on employers to wait for the new scheme to be announced "soon" before they embarked on further layoffs or suspensions, adding the government would "enlist" business in the new process. "We will be ensuring also that those who have already gone into this very devastating situation, where they have had to stand down workers, that any measures we are announcing will be taking them on as well," he said. The Australian scheme is expected to have a cap on the total amount paid but the percentage of income is yet to be decided and will depend in part on the government's discussions with big employers about the number of workers who will need support. Amaravati, March 29 : With six people testing positive for coronavirus on Saturday, the number of COVID-19 cases in Andhra Pradesh has touched 19. The media bulletin issued, on March 28, by the state control room set up in the office of the director of medical health and family welfare states said that of the 74 samples tested, 68 proved negative. While two of the infected persons hail from Guntur district, two from Prakasam district, one from Krishna district and one is from Kurnool district. Patient 14 and 15 belong to Guntur and are contacts of Patient No. 10 who went to attend a religious meeting in Delhi. They got into contact with Patient No. 10 on March 19, and got admitted to hospital on March 26. They have been kept in isolation and are under observation. Patient 16 is a 60-year-old male from Prakasam district returned from Delhi while Patient 17 is a 50-year-old female, also from Prakasam district and a contact of Patient 15. Patient 18 is a 65-year-old male from Krishna district with a travel history to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Patient 19 is a 23-year-old male from Kurnool district with a travel history to Rajasthan. With no new foreign returnees to the state recorded on Saturday, the total number of foreign returnees under surveillance stands at 29,421. The number of people under home isolation as on date is 29,242, while the number of people admitted to hospital is 179. Meanwhile, the state government has intensified its monitoring mechanism and made arrangements for handing over rations and old-age pensions at the doorsteps of the beneficiaries. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in front of stacks of medical protective supplies during a news conference at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, which will be partially converted into a temporary hospital during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease in New York City, March 24, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Segar New York Gov. Cuomo said on Saturday he has not yet spoken to Trump regarding the president's suggestion to quarantine New York and the surrounding area to curb the spread of the coronavirus. "I don't know how that could be legally enforceable," Cuomo said. He added that the state will designate certain hospitals as "COVID-only" to keep patients separate. Also, New York's presidential primary will be moved to June 3 from April 28. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said on Saturday that he hadn't spoken to President Trump regarding the president's idea to quarantine the entire New York region to curb the spread of the coronavirus as the death toll continues to climb. "I spoke to the president about the ship coming up and the four sites; I didn't speak to him about any quarantine," Cuomo told reporters during his daily press briefing on Saturday. "I don't even know what that means." "I don't know how that could be legally enforceable. From a medical point of view, I don't know what you would be accomplishing. I don't even like the sound of it," he said. Trump floated the quarantine, which would extend to New York, New Jersey, and "certain parts" of Connecticut, to reporters on Saturday morning. Later on Twitter, Trump said he was "giving consideration" to the quarantine. "A decision will be made, one way or another, shortly," Trump said. The White House has already asked New Yorkers who plan on leaving the state to self-quarantine for 14 days. New York City has emerged as the global epicenter of the outbreak The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, continue to climb in New York, Cuomo said. Over the past 24 hours in New York state, 209 people have died as a result of the disease, accounting for the deadliest single-day period since the first case was recorded in the state on March 1. The death toll is now 728, with that number expected to increase. Story continues On top of that, New York recorded 7,681 new cases since Friday, bringing the total case count to 52,318, Cuomo said. Of those 52,318 cases, 29,766 cases are in New York City, with the city recording 4,368 cases since Friday. The state has tested a total of 155,934 people. COVID-only hospitals, presidential primary to June To help combat hospital overcrowding, Cuomo said the city will open "COVID-only" hospitals, with at least 600 beds, to cater solely to patients suffering from the virus. "It's smarter to keep the COVID patients separate. You don't want a person who goes into the hospital with one situation developing COVID because they happen to be exposed," he said. A temporary 1,000-person hospital operated by the National Guard and the Army Corps of Engineers will open in midtown Manhattan's cavernous Jacob K. Javits Conference Center on Monday. Four other temporary hospital sites in Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island have been approved by the federal government as well, Cuomo said. Last, Cuomo said New York will move the planned presidential primary from April 28 until June 3. "I don't think it's wise to be bringing a lot of people to one location to vote," Cuomo said. He also extended the state's deadline to file taxes to July 15. Read the original article on Business Insider The latest: CDC advises against travel for residents of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a travel advisory urging people in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut to "refrain from non-essential domestic travel" for the next two weeks. President Donald Trump had asked the CDC Saturday to issue the advisory after he had floated the idea of a quarantine earlier in the day. The CDC said this advisory does not apply to employees of critical infrastructure industries, including but not limited to trucking, public health professionals, financial services, and food supply. These employees of critical infrastructure, as defined by the United States Department of Homeland Security and have a special responsibility to maintain normal work schedules. Trump says quarantine of some states will not be necessary President Donald Trump, who earlier suggested quarantining New York state, New Jersey and Connecticut to contain the novel coronavirus, said on Twitter such measures will not be necessary. Earlier, Trump had floated the idea of quarantining the three states to counter the spread of COVID-19. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the possible order would lead to "total mayhem." He also said the quarantine would be a "federal declaration of war" on states. More than 2,000 coronavirus deaths in the U.S. More than 2,000 people have died from the coronavirus in the United States as of 7:45 p.m. EST Saturday, according to a CNN count compiled through data on state health department websites. There are 2,010 deaths reported as of Saturday. The U.S. reached 1,000 deaths Thursday. NY Gov. Cuomo says possible quarantine would be a "federal declaration of war" President Donald Trump said Saturday he's considering mandatory short-term (two-week) quarantine on New York, certain parts of New Jersey and Connecticut. Trump says itd be an enforceable quarantine. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo told CNN locking down states isn't legal and would lead to "total mayhem." He called Trump's suggestion a "federal declaration of war" on states. "I dont even believe its legal," Cuomo said. "Thats not a quarantine, thatd be a lockdown. If you said that were geographically confining people, thatd be a lockdown. Then we would be Wuhan, China, and that wouldnt make sense." First death of infant in connection with coronavirus reported in U.S. A Chicago baby is the first infant death in the U.S. associated with coronavirus, Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said Saturday. "There has never before been a death associated with COVID-19 in an infant. A full investigation is underway to determine the cause of death," Ezike said. "We must do everything we can to prevent the spread of this deadly virus. If not to protect ourselves, but to protect those around us." An investigation into the cause of death is underway, Ezike said. The death of a child younger than one year with coronavirus has previously been reported in China. That child had a pre-existing condition. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo moves state's presidential primary New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the state's presidential primary election will be postponed from April 28 until June 23 amid coronavirus fears, making it the 13th presidential primary contest date change due to the virus. "I don't think it's wise to be bringing a lot of people to one location to vote," Cuomo, a Democrat, said Saturday during a news conference. He also extended the state's tax filing deadline to July 15. As of Saturday morning, New York had at least 728 reported deaths due to coronavirus and at least 52,318 reported cases, making it the state with the most reported cases in the U.S., according to CNN Health's tally. Several states report spike in cases Several states are reporting a spike in coronavirus cases, raising fears more hotspots will emerge in the U.S. after New York as soon as next week. The U.S. surpassed Italy and China this week to become the country with the most coronavirus cases in the world with more than 101,240 known cases, according to CNN's tally. At least 1,588 Americans have died. At least 402 of those deaths were reported on Friday alone. More than a third of the country's cases are in New York which has been in a partial lockdown for a week as officials try to slow the spread of the virus and hospitals scramble to keep up with the patients streaming in. The state's healthcare system is already overwhelmed. One hospital was forced to create a makeshift morgue and another reported 13 patient deaths in 24 hours. New York and its National Guard are now assembling four 1,000-bed temporary, overflow hospitals in existing buildings. The rate of new cases may be slowing in New York, but the governor says it may take 21 days for the state to hit its peak the highest point of reported cases before that number begins going down. Meanwhile, officials in other states are warning they could be next. In Los Angeles County, cases more than tripled in six days, and one official said numbers will keep going up. Health Director Barbara Ferrer said she expects to see case counts in Los Angeles double every four days for the next two to three weeks. "No matter where you are, this is coming to you," Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Thursday. "Take all the measures you can now to make sure people are home." President Trump says he's considering short-term quarantine for some states President Donald Trump said Saturday that he's considering a short-term quarantine of New York state, New Jersey and parts of Connecticut, as cases of coronavirus continue to rise. "We're thinking about certain things. Some people would like to see New York quarantined because it's a hotspot. ... We might not have to do it, but there's a possibility that sometime today we'll do a quarantine, short-term, two weeks on New York. Probably New Jersey, certain parts of Connecticut," he told reporters as he departed the White House. "I'd rather not do it, but we may need it," the President said. Trump said that the possible quarantine would be "enforceable" and "restrict travel" from those parts of the tri-state area. "Restrict travel, because they're having problems down in Florida, a lot of New Yorkers going down. We don't want that," he said. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that he spoke with Trump on Saturday morning, but that the two had not discussed a quarantine for the state. Pandemic will hit these states hard, top US doctor says New hotspots emerged as the numbers escalate in other states, the country's top doctor said. Those include Detroit, Chicago and New Orleans, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams told CBS This Morning Friday. "The virus and the local community are going to determine the timeline. It's not going to be us from Washington, D.C. People need to follow their data, they need to make the right decisions based on what their data is telling them," he said. "Everyone's curve is going to be different," Adams said. Related video: Cities across the U.S. hope to slow coronavirus by 'flattening the curve' In Chicago, hospitals and health officials have begun preparing for a surge in patients after Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the city could see more than 40,000 hospitalizations in the next week, CNN affiliate WLS reported. "This morning, we spent time with folks from the state and my team and Army Corps of Engineers at McCormick Place. We were looking at what it takes, not in a theoretical way, to layout thousands of beds," Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady of the Chicago Department of Public Health told the news station. But there is a shortage of lab technicians able to analyze coronavirus tests, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said, adding that even if he was able to obtain more machines for testing analysis, they wouldn't have enough people to operate them. PGlmcmFtZSBpZD0iaHR2LWNvdmlkLW1hcCIgc3JjPSJodHRwczovL2NvdmlkLTE5LWFzc2V0cy5odHZ0b29scy51cy9pbmRleC5odG1sIiBzY3JvbGw9Im5vIiBzdHlsZT0iYm9yZGVyOm5vbmU7Ij48L2lmcmFtZT4= In Louisiana, where deaths surged by more than 40% in a single day this week and continue to jump daily, hospitals are already working under stress. One hospital employee told CNN ICU rooms had paper bags by the door that staff members used to store their N95 masks as they went in and out. They have to reuse the masks, which are supposed to be disposable, until they are soiled. New Orleans, already the epicenter in the state's cases, is already short on ventilators and equipment. "This is going to be the disaster that defines our generation," said Collin Arnold, director of the city's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. 100,000 ventilators in 100 days More than 196 million Americans are under orders to stay inside to help combat the virus. To support a struggling economy, as thousands of businesses have shut down amid the outbreak and workers are staying home, President Donald Trump on Friday signed the largest emergency aid package in the country's history. Some of the key elements of the package include sending checks directly to individuals and families, a major expansion of unemployment benefits, money for hard-hit hospitals and health care providers, financial assistance for small businesses and $500 billion in loans for distressed companies. State leaders have also urged him to respond to a looming shortage of medical supplies. The administration will facilitate the production or acquisition of "100,000 additional units" of ventilators through other means over a 100-day period, Trump said. "We are manufacturing a lot of them now, we are accumulating a lot. We are taking a lot through the act," Trump said, referring to the Defense Production Act which he invoked Friday. "Maybe we won't even need the full activation. We will find out, but we need the ventilators," he said. W2lmcmFtZSBzcmM9Imh0dHBzOi8vZDJjbXZicTdzeHgzM2ouY2xvdWRmcm9udC5uZXQvZW1haWwvcHJvZF9jb3JvbmF2aXJ1c19pZnJhbWVfYXJ0aWNsZS5odG1sIiBoZWlnaHQ9IjQxNCIgc3R5bGU9IndpZHRoOjEwMCU7Ym9yZGVyOm5vbmU7b3ZlcmZsb3c6aGlkZGVuIiBzY3JvbGxpbmc9Im5vIiBmcmFtZWJvcmRlcj0iMCIgYWxsb3dUcmFuc3BhcmVuY3k9InRydWUiXVsvaWZyYW1lXQ== Hospital leaders tell legislators about revenue challenges RALEIGH Hospital leaders are sharing concerns about protective equipment and lower revenue as lawmakers look for ways to help the health care system fight COVID-19. The health care working group of the House Select Committee on COVID-19 met for the first time virtually Thursday, March 26. Lawmakers said they would translate the committees findings into law during a possible special session or the short session in late April. It is the intention of this committee to produce concrete legislation to help move our state forward to combat COVID-19, said N.C. House Speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland. When Rep. Gale Adcock, D-Wake, asked about a statewide shelter-in-place order, hospital leaders stressed the importance of protecting hospitals from getting overwhelmed with sick patients. After the committee meeting, Wake County issued a shelter-in-place order effective Friday at 5 p.m., lasting until April 17. I believe we are at that point, maybe a couple days past it, said Donald Gintzig, president of WakeMed Health and Hospitals. Thats our primary defense against it, is to slow the spread. It buys us time. (One day later, Gov. Roy Cooper signed a statewide stay-at-home order.) There are nationwide and statewide shortages of personal protective equipment. Hospital advocates have gotten more calls in the past two weeks than in the course of their careers, as doctors scramble to get protective equipment, said Chip Baggett, N.C. Medical Society lobbyist. Those calls are desperate, saying they cant get PPE through the normal channels. So, Im deciding right now whether to potentially expose myself by [continuing to see] patients, or to close my doors, Baggett said. They can take the risk for themselves, but can they really afford to take the risk for their families? But providers risk isnt only personal and medical its also financial. COVID-19 has put both hospitals and independent providers under monetary stress, sapping their most lucrative services and adding additional burdens of care, hospital advocates say. Hospitals across the state have canceled or postponed elective surgeries to prepare for a surge of COVID-19 patients. The shortage in protective equipment has pressed health systems to postpone still more elective surgeries to conserve medical supplies. But canceling surgeries has cost hospitals. Thats created a real problem. Its a cash flow problem for many of our hospitals, because these surgeries tend to help our bottom line, said Leah Burns, North Carolina Healthcare Association lobbyist. Were talking about hundreds of thousands of surgeries that have been canceled. At the same time, hospitals and independent providers have both poured resources into expanding telehealth services. This has put a lot of burden on small and independent practices, said Dr. Eileen Raynor, board member of N.C. Medical Society. Theres such a drop in patient [visits] and a drastic reduction in the revenue flow. That affects those independent practices that are struggling to keep their doors open and provide care for patients who need it. Baggett has talked to physicians forced to lay off critical staff because of lost revenue. He also drew lawmakers attention to the threat of malpractice lawsuits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Theyre having to make critical medical decisions under the same potential for a lawsuit, Baggett said. You can just imagine the pressure that is building up. Several bills at the federal level would provide relief to the health care system. Hospital advocates are asking North Carolina to cover uninsured residents COVID-19 related illnesses and to increase the Medicaid rates during the emergency. They also want to see the creation of a fund to help financially distressed hospitals during the outbreak. The legislature created a $20 million fund for struggling rural hospitals in 2019. Hospitals also want temporary relief from regulatory burdens, namely scheduled, non-urgent inspections. Members of our House want to be doing something to help right now. We know many of the changes were going to have to make will require legislative action, said Moore. We know this is a game-changer. -30- New COVID-19 test can produce results in just minutes! India oi-Oneindia Staff By Anuj Cariappa New Delhi, Mar 29: As cases of COVID-19 continue to climb in India, there's a new urgency to make sure there are as many tests as possible to diagnose people who have symptoms of the disease. To know if people are positive is important for guiding their next steps- self-isolation, avoiding contact with others, and, if their symptoms get worse, seeking medical care. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), spearheading its coronavirus diagnosis efforts, has approved IgG/IgM Rapid Tests in the country. These tests can provide results on the spot in as little as 10 minutes. Sensing Self Ltd's test kit gets NIV Pune's approval: The bio-research body has given approval to 12 private entities to develop the antibody rapid test kits in the country. Of these, testing kits of only two entities including that of Sensing Self Ltd (Singapore), have been validated by the National Institute of Virology, Pune. The company manufactures COVID 19 Rapid Test Kit (IgM/IgG) (CE-IVD). How Sensing Self's kit works? Anybody showing symptoms can conduct the pre-screen test using the kit manufactured by Sensing Self Limited. The test is done using blood from a finger prick. Results can appear within 10 to 15 minutes. If the result turns out to be negative, then there is no need to worry but if the result turn out to be positive then the infected person need to undergo other lab tests. The rapid test kits make it easier and quicker for people to learn whether they have been infected or not. As the World Health Organisation (WHO) is repeating again and again that 'Testing, testing, testing' is the only way out to check the spread of novel coronavirus, faster and cheaper Rapid Testing Kits could play a crucial role in controlling the pandemic. Currently, the RT-PCR (real-time polymerase chain reaction) are being used by the government testing laboratories across the country for diagnosis of COVID-19. The RT-PCR method is comparatively time taking process wherein the person with symptoms needs to consult the doctor for advice following which his/her blood samples are sent for lab testing. In this method, getting a result can take 2 to 4 days. In that time, infected people may spread the virus to many others. 10 minutes of screening- Easy operation without requirement of any doctor or professional nurse Works with whole blood, serum and plasma Tests for 2 antibodies IgM and IgG simultaneously Exponentially faster No Queues, No wait time for results Exponentially more cost effective Effort less, and accessible to everyone nationwide, instantly Guidance on Rapid antibody kits for COVID-19 Can be done on blood/serum/plasma Test result is available within 30 minutes Test comes positive after 7-10 days of infection Not recommended for diagnosis of COVID-19 infection Positive test indicates exposure to SARS-CoV-2 Negative test does not rule out COVID-19 infection Following antibody based rapid kit are validated by ICMR-NIV, Pune: SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Test: Wondfo (+86-3032296083, sales@wondfo.com.cn,China) COVID 19 Rapid Test Kit (IgM/IgG) (CE-IVD) (Sensing Self Ltd, Singapore) Following antibody based rapid kits are approved by CE-IVD COVID-19 IgM-IgG Dual Antibody Rapid Test (CE-IVD): BioMedomics (+1-9198903070, info@biomedomics.com, USA) One Step Test for Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) IgM/IgG antibody (Colloidal Gold) (CE-IVD): Getein Biotech (+86-25-68568594, sales@getein.com, overseas@getein.com.cn, Nanjing, China) COVID-19 IgG/IgM Rapid Test Cassette (Whole Blood/Serum/Plasma) (CEIVD): Hangzhou Biotest Biotech Co.,Ltd. (info@alltests.com.cn, +86-57-158120625, China) COVID-19 IgM/IgG test kit (CE-IVD) (AmonMed Biotechnology Co. Ltd, info@amonmed.com) COVID-19 Antibody (IgG/IgM)Test Kit (CE-IVD) (Beijing Abace Biology Co.Ltd., huanyi.cheng@rd.abace-biology.com) Tigsun COVID-19 Combo IgM/IgG Rapid Test (CE-IVD) (Beijing Tigsun Diagnostics Co.,Ltd., hu.duan@tigsun.com) 2019-nCoV IgG/IgM Rapid Test Cassette (CE-IVD) (BIOMAXIMA S.A, Poland, export@biomaxima.com) OnSite COVID-19 IgG/IgM Rapid Test (CE-IVD) (CTK Biotech, Inc., USA, sparker@ctkbiotech.com) COVID-19 IgG/IgM Detection Kit (Colloidal Gold) (CE-IVD) (Hunan Lituo Biotechnology Co., Ltd.,) VivaDiag SARS-CoV-2 IgM/IgG rapid test. (CE-IVD) Vivacheck Lab (91-4448544811, info@vivacheck.com, vivachek.india@gmail.com India office: Tamil Nadu) http://www.sensingself.me GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Kent County on Sunday reported its biggest daily increase in new coronavirus cases. The number of reported cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus, spiked by 20 on Sunday, March 29, according to county health officials. The county now stands at 73 cases. On Saturday, the county had 53 cases. Some people, unfortunately, in our community are going to get hurt, and thats tragic and totally unacceptable to all of us, but its the reality, Adam London, Kent County Health Department director, said Sunday in his daily video update on Facebook. But I promise you that we are all fighting like hell to make sure that number is as small as possible and we're doing everything we can to get this entire community through this with as little suffering as possible. The number of coronavirus cases and deaths will likely continue to rise, potentially dramatically, in the coming days, London said, adding that most people who catch the virus will weather it without any severe symptoms. Only one person, a man in his 70s, has died in Kent County because of the virus. "We are all in this together, and theres no reason to fear - there really isnt, London said. Fear can only serve to weaken our immune systems, weaken our resolve and harm our mental health during this crisis. Were all in this together and we have to be supportive of one another through this. The county has 113 tests still pending results. Neighboring Ottawa County had 25 cases of COVID-19 as of Sunday, according to state health officials. The county had 23 cases a day before. No one in Ottawa County has died from the virus. On Friday, Kent County Health Department officials hosted a virtual town hall on Facebook to field questions and concerns residents have about the coronavirus pandemic. The hour-long town hall video can be found here. Statewide, there are now 5,486 coronavirus cases and 132 deaths in Michigan, state health officials said Sunday. Read all of MLives coverage on the coronavirus at mlive.com/coronavirus. Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus. CORONAVIRUS PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home ( door handles, faucets, countertops ) and when you go into places like stores. Read more: Michigan coronavirus cases soar past 5,000; 21 new deaths reported Sunday, March 29: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan Western Michigan University student dies of coronavirus Amidst the coronavirus pandemic, a Hindu Temple in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been holding a webcast of weekly 'Satsang sabha' on Friday evenings. According to reports, this decision was taken in an effort to help the faithful remain calm after religious services were suspended across the United Arab Emirates. To aid the government efforts As per reports, the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir of Abu Dhabi released a statement that said they were voluntarily suspending all assemblies in an effort to assist the governments efforts to contain the virus and support public health and safety. The temple further added that devotees could join them for their weekly prayers online at sabha.mandir.ae every Friday at 4. In another similar incidence, Rev Fr Ninan Philip, vicar and president of the St Thomas Indian Orthodox Church has reportedly said that while the doors of the church are closed, prayers and services were being held throughout the day by the priests who reside within the church. He also added that special prayers were being recited for the countless victims of the epidemic. As per reports, the church has opened up an online portal on our official website and Facebook page and are utilizing it to live stream the mass to devotees. These streams have reportedly been attended by 25,000 members from all across the world. The United Arab Emirates has reported 468 positive coronavirus cases and two deaths. In an effort to combat the deadly virus UAE has made an official announcement that all malls and markets across the region will remain closed for two weeks. Read: Are Religious Places- Temples, Mosques & Churches Open During 21-day Coronavirus Lockdown? Read: Jhandewalan Temple In Delhi To Remain Shut To Combat The Coronavirus Threat UAEs Ministry of Interior and the National Crisis and Disasters Management Authority urged people to stay indoors and allowed only the essential movements. It prohibited people from visiting hospitals, except when critical and in a state of emergency. It urged people to wear masks at all times when entering the hospital premises, as per state agency reports. Read: Sharp Decline in Devotees At Patna's Hanuman Mandir; Temple Touts 'online Darshan' Options Read: Tirupati Temple Shut Indefinitely Amid Coronavirus Spread; Devotees Told To Vacate A 21-year-old man was "abducted" by China's Peoples Liberation Army from Asapila sector near the McMahon line in Arunachal Pradesh's Upper Subansiri district, it was alleged in a memorandum to the governor. Togley Singkam and his two friends -- Gamshi Chadar and Ronya Nade -- had gone to collect traditional herbs from the land belonging to the Naa clan of the Tagin community, and also to do some fishing. "On the fateful morning of 19th March, the three friends were busy fishing when the Chinese security personnel ambushed them. While other two friends could successfully escape, Tongle Sinkam was abducted at the gunpoint by the Chinese security personnel," the Tagin Cultural Society said in the memorandum to Governor B D Mishra. The McMahon Line demarcates the boundary between the Tibet autonomous region of China and Arunachal Pradesh, which Beijing claims as its own. The McMahon line is not properly demarcated and small cement pillars erected on the Indian side often get covered under wild growth. His friends informed the Tagin Cultural Society (TCS) about the alleged incident on their return to district headquarters Daporijo, whose members then approached the authorities. A complaint was filed by Singkam's family at the Nacho police station on March 23, the memorandum said. Upper Subansiri's superintendent of police Taru Gusar told PTI that he has sent Nacho police station's officer in-charge to the spot for a detailed inquiry. The officer is likely to return from the scene of the alleged incident in a remote area by Monday and only then there will be greater clarity, Gusar said. The governor's office said that the memorandum has been received, while officials at the Army's Eastern Command headquarters in Kolkata said they are checking the details with its personnel posted in the area. The memorandum claimed that Singkam was picked up from a place which is part of the clan's land and well within the Indian territory. "He did not cross the LAC or any international border. On the contrary the Chinese security personnel who picked him up in inhuman way had rather transgressed into Indian territory thereby violating international norms/law that guides such matters," it said. Urging the governor to take up the matter with the Centre to secure Singkam's immediate release, it said that members of the Tagin community live in the border areas and such incidents, which keep happening from time to time, make their lives miserable. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Coronavirus: Political physicians prescriptions put patients in peril View(s): For many decades, Sri Lankans have displayed their ingenuity at historic moments even if what they said or did bordered on insanity. Some 65 years ago, an ayurvedic physician cum astrologer, came out with a recipe for a cocktail that would make dark women turn white. This was when the sun, moon and the earth aligned itself during a total eclipse that brought darkness during daytime. When sunlight arrived later, they were either in hospital or vomiting from the inebriating wild brew. Instead of changing into white, they had turned red. That health disaster is immortalised by the baila song Bivva Neyda Vadakaha Sudhiya. Over five decades agon, Neil Armstrong landed on the moon with a historic declaration that it was one small step for man but a giant leap for mankind. That giant leap, which then sparked visions of colonising the moon, was good news for them. There was no need to work, for every day would be a holiday due to full moon. One could say that was in jest. And now, even before China could contain the outbreak of coronavirus, Sri Lankans had invented their own cure. The price of Asafoetida (or perunkayam) which stood at a mere Rs. 10 for a small piece shot up to Rs 300. It was said to be a hygienic deterrent when worn in a part of the body. It is a plant that has a bad smell and tastes bitter, sometimes called devils dung. People use the plants resin, a gum-like material in solid form, as medicine. Some tied ginger, lime, garlic and medicinal plants in their waist or neck. Various other so-called cures were trotted out, but the Department of Ayurveda flatly denied that any ayurvedic remedy had been found. Just this week, Dr Sita Arambepola, till recently the Governor of Western Province, declared on a television channel that a state institution has invented a medicine to cure coronavirus or Covid 19. She said, it was now a top secret and will only be made known in the coming days. Dr Arambepola is now on the National List of the SLPP. Her announcement was after the World Health Organisation (WHO), the premier UN international health body, declared it would take more than a year to find a cure for the virus. Now comes a prescription from an unexpected quarter. It is from Sajith Premadasa, till recently the Leader of the Opposition and now Prime Ministerial aspirant at the upcoming parliamentary elections. In a video clip of a statement he made, now doing the rounds, he says, I suggest the people to use Platanol instead of Chloroquine because it will control the coronavirus. P latinol is a cancer medication that interferes with the growth of cancer cells and slows their growth and spread in the body. Mr. Premadasa is not a doctor; neither did he study medicine. His biography says that he studied at the London School of Economics. That was after attending Millhill College in London. An aide to Premadasa received a call from London from the brother of a Colombo district parliamentarian, once a State Minister. He asked that Mr. Premadasa be told not to let down those who were backing him by making such stupid remarks. His prescription was aired on a TV clip in the social media hours after US President Donald Trump told an internationally televised news conference that the cure for coronavirus was Chloroquine or Hydroxychloroquine. His remarks came in the presence of doctors and officials of the national health services in the US. Soon after the event, a coronavirus patient who took the drug was poisoned. A man in Phoenix, Arizona, died after self-administering the drug whilst his wife is seriously ill. In the video, Mr. Premadasa does not say on whose advice he made the recommendation. But a staunch Premadasa loyalist told another equally staunch supporter, both holding top positions, Anna eye ayith kata arala or there, he has opened his mouth again. The second man replied Eyata Kata vahagena inna kiyanna or tell him to keep his mouth shut. Mr. Premadasa later made a statement apologising for his remarks. Mr. Premadasa has won more space in the social media after his medical prescription. One account said he should be sent to Italy where the virus is wide spreading and greater medical attention is required for the victims. Another praised UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe for not ceding the UNP leadership. There were also caricatures of Mr. Premadasa with a stethoscope around his neck and the titles MD and FRCP (Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians) after his name. Retired officers head anti-poverty task force Retired Deputy Treasury Secretary S. B. Divarathne and retired Major General Sumedha Perera have been appointed as co-chairman of the Task Force for Poverty Eradication and Livelihood Development as established by the a Presidential Directive. Quarantined radio hosts make history One of the innovations triggered by the fast-spreading deadly coronavirus is the birth of a new concept: working from home. But how many are really equipped to do this? A hilarious anecdote recounts a waiter who tells a guest in a restaurant: Sorry Sir, your order will be delayed because our chef is working from home today. But despite the fact that our radio stations are not equipped to relay from homes, three hosts of the top-rated morning talk show on E FM, have continued to air their daily programmes remotely thanks to basic modern technology, including a smart phone and a laptop. The three hosts in Sri Lankas premier radio channel E FMs morning show Thoshan, Suzie and Deen decided to go into self-isolation after they attended a fortnight ago a sporting event at which two Covid-19 positive cases were identified. The three musketeers, as theyre fondly known by their fans, initiated the isolation as a self-imposed preventive measure. The Network COO, ChandanaThilakaratne, says the three have set an example to the entire country. Perhaps it was one of the first such remote radio programmes in the history of broadcasting in Sri Lanka. Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur has allowed Son Heung-min and Steven Bergwijn to return to their home countries amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis. "The Club has given permission for both Heung-Min Son and Steven Bergwijn to return to their home countries," Hotspur said in a statement. Son has flown back to South Korea citing personal reasons while Berwijn has travelled to the Netherlands ahead of the birth of his child. He is recovering well from his arm injury which he sustained during Tottenham's 3-2 victory against Aston Villa in Premier League. He had scored twice in the match. "Both players will continue their individual rehabilitation and training programmes during their time away," the club said. More than 1,000 people have died from coronavirus in the UK as of 27 March, and more than 17,000 have tested positive for the virus, according to figures from the Department of Health and Social Care. The World Health Organisation (WHO) had termed the coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic on March 11. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Vietnam ran a trade surplus of $2.8 billion in the first quarter of this year, higher than 1.5 billion USD recorded in the same period last year, despite the growing COVID-19 pandemic in the countrys major export markets. Illustrative image The domestic sector posted a trade deficit of 4.4 billion USD while the foreign direct investment sector, including crude oil, recorded a trade surplus of 7.2 billion USD. Accordingly, the export revenue of goods in the first quarter was estimated at 59.08 billion USD, up 0.5 percent year-on-year. Eight groups of commodities saw export turnover surpassing the 1 billion USD benchmark, accounting for 70.6 percent of the total. The US remained Vietnams largest importer with a total value of 15.5 billion USD, up 16.2 percent annually. It was followed by China with 8.4 billion USD, up 11.5 percent; the European Union 7.5 billion USD, down 14.9 percent; ASEAN 6 billion USD, down 5.2 percent; Japan 4.8 billion USD, up 3.5 percent; and the Republic of Korea (RoK) 4.5 billion USD, down 2.7 percent. Meanwhile, the countrys goods imports decreased by 1.9 percent to 56.26 billion USD. Up to 14 kinds of goods spent more than 1 billion USD each, or 72.9 percent of the total. Production materials were bought for an estimated 52.6 billion USD, down 1.2 percent annually and equivalent to 93.5 percent of the combined. Expenditure on consumer goods stood at 3.66 billion USD, down 10.6 percent, accounting for 6.5 percent of the total. China remained the largest exporter of commodities to Vietnam with a turnover of 13.3 billion USD, down 18 percent year-on-year. It was followed by the RoK with 11.7 billion USD, up 2.4 percent; ASEAN 7.2 billion USD, down 8.3 percent; Japan 4.9 billion USD, up 15.8 percent; the EU 3.4 billion USD, up 5.2 percent and the US 3.4 billion USD, up 13 percent. The GSO predicted that once the EU Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) takes effect, Vietnams exports to the EU will soar by over 20 percent this year and the growth will be on the rise in the following years. Aquatic products are expected to benefit most from the deal. The EU is now the second largest importer of Vietnamese aquatic products, behind the US. Vietnams shipment of farm produce to the EU is also forecast to hike by around 10 percent this year./.VNA Garth Brooks and his wife, Trisha Yearwood, will appear in the new prime-time special "Garth & Trisha Live!" on Wednesday on CBS. (Michele Crowe) With many cities across the nation adhering to either shelter-in-place or stay-at-home orders as the coronavirus pandemic rages on, Hollywood has had to get creative. Last week, Miguel, James Blake and the duo Chloe X Halle broadcast hour-long concerts from their homes on Instagram Live attracting tens of thousands of viewers. Sunday, Garth Brooks and his wife, Trisha Yearwood, announced an upcoming CBS live concert event, "Garth & Trisha Live!" to be held Wednesday evening from their home recording studio, Studio G. Last week, the couple hosted a home concert on Facebook Live that was "attended" by 5.2 million viewers, reportedly crashing the site. "After we saw [them] crash Facebook, we reached out to them about bringing Studio G to a larger audience," said CBS executive vice president of specials, music and live events Jack Sussman. "With Garth and Trisha coupled with the power of broadcast television, anything can happen." Brooks and Yearwood will be accepting song requests for the concert on their weekly Facebook Live show "Inside Studio G" on Monday. In conjunction with CBS, the couple will also donate $1 million to charities combating the COVID-19 illness caused by the coronavirus. "Garth & Trisha Live!" will air live Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET (and tape delayed for the Pacific time zone) with a minimal crew practicing social distancing. Mayank Singh By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Two Indian Army personnel have been tested COVID-19 positive on Sunday. Both are said to have got afflicted of the virus during travel. Army informed that both had a history of travel within the country in "first /second week when they had travelled to Delhi. One of them is a Doctor at the rank Colonel in the Army Medical Corps and is posted in the Command Hospital at Kolkata. He had returned back from Delhi on March 17 and had developed the symptoms after which he had undergone the necessary checks, as per sources. The other is a Junior Commissioned Officer currently in Dehradun, Uttarakhand. Informing of the necessary steps taken post confirmation of the virus Army informed, Necessary contact tracing has been done and identified persons also have been quarantined. As for the two affected personnel Army said both persons are keeping good health and are stable. Army also cleared that the news about another case of Army soldier from 106 Territorial Army Battalion testing positive was a rumour. The report of the said soldier was negative. On 18th March the first soldier from Ladakh had tested positive for novel coronavirus in the Indian Army. He had contracted the virus from his father who had returned from a pilgrimage in Iran on February 27. The Jawan is being treated for the infection while his family which includes sister and wife are under quarantined in Ladakh. A church in Baltimore nearing its bicentennial lost its steeple as it collapsed during an intense four-alarm fire - but luckily, no one was inside for the regularly scheduled men's prayer because it had been cancelled as a result of the coronavirus. Baltimore City firefighters responded to the Urban Bible Fellowship Church on the 1200 block of East Eager Street in East Baltimore at around 9.30am on Saturday. No injuries were reported at the scene but the steeple did eventually come crashing down in ablaze, the Baltimore Sun reports. Baltimore City firefighters responded to the Urban Bible Fellowship Church on the 1200 block of E Eager Street in East Baltimore at around 9.30am on Saturday No injuries were reported at the scene but the steeple did eventually come crashing down in ablaze The church is a former Roman Catholic parish that has been on the National Register of Historic Places for nearing on four decades. John Williams, the church's pastor, shared that the church was empty as a result of the coronavirus. 'I just praise God that no one was hurt, no one was in there,' Williams said. 'Normally, we meet on early Saturday mornings for men's prayer, but due to the coronavirus, we didn't meet today, so the building was empty. We just move forward and rebuild it, trust God to rebuild it.' The blaze was upgraded to four alarms at around 11.30am. Additional units were called to the scene once realized that the fire was contained in the church's 256ft steeple The blaze was upgraded to four alarms at around 11.30am. Additional units were called to the scene once realized that the fire was contained in the church's 256ft steeple, according to Blair Adams, public information officer for the Baltimore City Fire Department. Nearby residents were evacuated from the area. 'We're extremely fortunate that the church was not open at the time and we didn't have any reported injuries,' Adams said. The Archdiocese of Baltimore said that the building is the former cite of St. James the Less Roman Catholic Church, which closed in 1986 after being added to the register just four years prior. John Williams, the church's pastor, shared that the church was empty as a result of the coronavirus The church is a former Roman Catholic parish that has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1982 The Archdiocese of Baltimore said that the church's cornerstone was laid in May 1833 but Library of Congress records have the church built between 1865 and 1867. The church is now neighbor to the Institute of Notre Dame, a private all-girls high school operated under the Archdiocese. Head of School Christine Szala sent a message to the school's community sharing that the campus sustained damage. 'The steeple of the church, which has become an unofficial iconic symbol for IND did partially collapse and IND did sustain some minimal damage,' Szala wrote. 'The extent of that damage is still being determined. 'Our thoughts and prayers go out of the community as well as the first responders who are working tirelessly to contain the fire and keep IND's historic building safe.' The fire department is investigating the cause of the fire but it is believed that a lightning strike from a storm may have played a part The fire department is investigating the cause of the fire but it is believed that a lightning strike from a storm may have played a part. 'He said no sooner than there was lightning, then he heard the noise, heard the boom, and he looked out,' Williams said of a church custodian who lives nearby. 'The steeple was on fire.' Williams is confident that things will work out for the church. 'We're just gonna trust God for it,' Williams said. 'If we move on, we're going to move on. We're not going to let it depress us. We're not going to let it stop us. We have faith. 'I don't doubt God. I just trust that everything will work out. I know it will.' The Union Health Ministry said on Sunday that 106 new cases of the novel coronavirus pandemic and six deaths were reported from six states in the past 24 hours. Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal said there were 979 confirmed cases in the country, including 25 deaths, till now. The fresh deaths were reported from Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and Telengana each. Maharashtra has reporters six deaths so far, followed by Gujarat (4), Karnataka (3), Madhya Pradesh and Delhi (2 each), and one each from Kerala, Telengana, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, West Bengal, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. Acknowledging the repercussions of the lockdown on mental health, Agarwal said that the government was geared to deal with it. "We are under a lockdown and behavioural issues are very important under such situations. It is a new process," Agarwal said. "If there are any behavioural issues, lack of understanding for that we at the National institute of Mental Health in Bangalore in collaboration with all other institutes has been trying to provide guidance." National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS) has also launched a toll free number -- 08046110007, the official said. "I request everyone to fight unitedly against this disease so if we see any mental health issues, then all the institutes are equipped to provide you with necessary support." Asked to provide the number of patients who were presently on ventilator support, Agarwal said the data was being monitored at the state level. "High-risk cases, which include age/contact history as criteria and which are found serious, are monitored. Figures not available with me right now," he said. Ten empowered groups have been formed to give focussed guidance to deal the pandemic. The focus areas include medical emergency management, isolation beds and quarantine facilities, according to the official. Agarwal said over 10 domestic manufacturers in the country had been identified for producing personal protective equipment (PPE), which is designed to safeguard the health workers by minimising exposure to a biological agent. He added that additional manufacturers were also being identified. "In collaboration with the External Affairs Ministry, PPE, which are available in other countries, we are starting the process to import them too," he told reporters. Agarwal said the government was focussing on high-disease hotspots and working in tandem with states to implement rigorous contact tracing, community surveillance and containment strategies. Raman Gangakhedkar of the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) said 34,931 tests were conducted for the contagion so far. "Capacity utilisation in the ICMR network is around 30 per cent. We have increased the number of laboratories, 113 have been made functional and 47 private laboratories have been given the approval to conduct COVID-19 tests," he said. Punya Salila Srivastava, joint secretary in the Union Home Ministry, said employers must be instructed to give full wages to workers on the due date without any deduction for the closed-down period and landlords cannot charge rent for this period. She said the workers cannot be forced to vacate the premises. The superintendents of police and district magistrates will be held responsible for its strict implementation, Srivastava said, referring to the orders issued to stop the mass exodus of migrant workers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) So many little girls dream of becoming a princess, its hard to imagine one giving up a royal life. Thats exactly what Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and it shocked the whole world. She and her husband Prince Harry are giving up their royal titles and moved to North America to live a more normal life. Its one thing for Meghan to try and go back to the life she once knew, but Prince Harry has only ever known a royal lifestyle. From the outside it seemed like a charmed life. All filled with beautiful palaces, exotic travel, and intricate ceremonies. But it turns out it wasnt great at all, at least not for Prince Harry. He hated being a royal so much that he reportedly gave it all up to shield his new baby, Archie. Prince Harry has been dealing with negativity since birth Prince Harrys issue with being a royal seems to stem mostly from the British press. The tabloids are particularly vicious, and his mother was one of their favorite targets. Princess Diana seemed to draw more media attention than her predecessors. There are many reasons for why that was, and some of them may not even have to do with Princess Diana herself. It may have had to do with changing cultural values, or an evolving media landscape. Or maybe it was her. For whatever reason, Princess Diana was popular. And when she announced she would be getting divorced, the media attention only got worse. Princess Diana gave a lot to the press, in the form of exclusive interviews or photo ops. But for all that she gave, the tabloids couldnt help but take more. There were vicious rumors about her, including that Prince Harry wasnt Prince Charles son. She took it all in stride, but she didnt want her sons to go through the same thing. Prince Harry is giving his son the normal life Princess Diana wanted for him Princess Diana wanted to shield her sons from the media, and from the pressures of royal life. Although she died before they reached adulthood, she did a good job. Prince William famously didnt even know he was heir to the throne until he was school-aged. In fact, his mother and father didnt even want to tell him he was going to be king until he was older. Their plans were ruined when kids at his school spilled the beans. Despite all their hard work, Prince Harry felt the ill effects of being born a royal from a young age. His trials were amplified by the fact that his parents went through a public divorce, which involved an affair on the part of his father. Unfortunately, Prince Harry saw history repeating itself with his new wife, Meghan. Since they announced their engagement, the tabloids have been all over them. There have been more vicious rumors, but this time theyve been directed at Prince Harrys wife instead of his mother. He couldnt let Archie go through that. Prince Harry knows what its like to grow up in the spotlight, and he wants to give Archie the most normal upbringing possible. Prince Harry is doing all this for Archie Prince Harry | Chris Jackson Pool/Getty Images Now, Prince Harry has given up everything hes ever known. He has no reference for a normal life. That means he didnt really know what he was getting himself into when he left the royal family. For Prince Harry, it was worth the risk to protect his son. According to a source close to the formerly royal couple,:He wants to shield his son from the negativity and tension he wouldve been exposed to back in England. Prince Harry has been begging the press to lay off his wife since before they were married, and they havent listened. He has even gone so far as to accuse the tabloids of sexism and racism, and he has lawsuits pending against the Mirror and the Sun, two well-known gossip outlets. Instead of wait around for the tabloids to change their ways, hes decided to get out of England as quickly as possible, for the sake of Baby Archie. Europes virus toll surges, Wuhan cautiously reopens View(s): ROME March 28 (AFP) The death toll from the coronavirus epidemic in Europe surged past 20,000 on Saturday, even as the Chinese city where the outbreak began cautiously returned to life. Europe and the United States are facing a staggering increase in new cases of COVID-19 despite perhaps a third of humanity now living under lockdown. The grim new death numbers were reported after the IMF confirmed the world economy has plunged into a historic slump and the US invoked wartime procurement powers. On Monday, Russia will become the latest country to restrict traffic across its borders in an attempt to slow the pandemics spread, according to a decree on the government website. More than 600,000 cases of the novel coronavirus have been officially recorded around the world since the outbreak began, according to an AFP tally. Variations in testing regimes mean the true number is likely far higher, and confirmed deaths are mounting. Europe is now the worst-hit continent with 20,059 deaths from 337,632 reported cases. The COVID-19 disease has killed 9,134 in Italy and 5,690 in Spain. France has seen close to 2,000 fatalities while the British toll passed 1,000 on Saturday. Elsewhere, Iran announced 139 more deaths and India sealed off a dozen Punjab villages that had been visited by a guru now known to be infected and a possible super-spreader. And, in South Africa, Johannesburg police resorted to rubber bullets to enforce social distancing on a crowd queuing for supplies outside a downtown supermarket during a national lockdown. The United States now has the worlds highest number of COVID-19 cases but per capita European nations are still the worst hit, with emergency services across the world struggling to cope. However, two months of almost total isolation appear to have paid off in Chinas Wuhan, where the virus first emerged, which partially reopened. Since January, residents have been forbidden to leave, with roadblocks installed and millions subjected to dramatic restrictions on their daily life. But on Saturday people were allowed to enter the city, and most of the subway network restarted. Some shopping centres will open their doors next week. Meanwhile, on Friday, IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva said massive spending will be needed to help developing nations, warning: It is clear that we have entered a recession. In the US, which now has more than 104,000 COVID-19 patients, President Donald Trump invoked emergency powers on Friday to force a private company to make medical equipment. With 60 percent of the country in lockdown, and infections skyrocketing, Trump also signed the largest stimulus package in US history, worth $2 trillion. Enough, enough Italy recorded almost 1,000 deaths from the virus on Friday the worst one-day toll anywhere since the pandemic began. One coronavirus sufferer, a cardiologist from Rome who has since recovered, recalled his hellish experience at a hospital in the capital. The treatment for the oxygen therapy is painful, looking for the radial artery is difficult. Desperate other patients were crying out, enough, enough, he told AFP. Infection rates in Italy are on a downward trend, but the head of the national health institute Silvio Brusaferro said it was not out of the woods yet, predicting we could peak in the next few days. Spain has the worlds second-highest coronavirus death toll and its number of cases jumped to 72,248 on Saturday as the country moves to significantly increase testing. Smaller Belgium and Luxembourg also saw a steep climb in deaths, with 353 recorded in the former on Saturday up from 289 the day before and 15 in the grand duchy, up from nine. Europe has suffered the brunt of the coronavirus crisis in recent weeks, with millions across the continent on lockdown and the streets of Paris, Rome and Madrid eerily empty. Meanwhile, other countries across the world were bracing for the viruss full impact, with AFP tallies showing more than 26,000 deaths globally. The World Health Organisations regional director for Africa warned the continent faces a dramatic evolution of the pandemic. Younger patients In the United States, known infections jumped past 104,000, with 1,711 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. In New York City, the US epicentre of the crisis, health workers battled a surging toll including an increasing number of younger patients while struggling with a severe shortage of protective equipment. Now its 50-year-olds, 40-year-olds, 30-year-olds, said one respiratory therapist. To ease the strain on virus-swamped emergency rooms in Los Angeles, a giant US naval hospital ship docked there to take patients with other conditions. In New Orleans, famed for its nightlife, health experts believe the month-long Mardi Gras in February could be largely responsible for its severe outbreak. This is going to be the disaster that defines our generation, said Collin Arnold, director of the Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness for New Orleans. But as even rich countries struggle to contain the pandemic, aid groups warn the toll could be in the millions in low-income countries and war zones such as Syria and Yemen, where healthcare systems are in tatters. RIDGEFIELD Extreme measures are being taken at an assisted living facility where six people have now died from the coronavirus. First Selectman Rudy Marconi said Benchmark Senior Living at Ridgefield Crossings remains under lockdown after the latest two deaths this weekend. Marconi said extreme measures are being taken to protect those living and working there. Our health director remains in constant touch with Ridgefield Crossings and we continue to offer any assistance available, Marconi said in his daily press release. A person living at a second Benchmark Senior Living facility in the state has also tested positive for COVID-19, a spokeswoman said Sunday. The person is a resident of the Benchmark Senior Living at The Village at Buckland Court in South Windsor. The infected person in South Windsor will remain outside of the home until health officials determine the resident can return safely, the spokeswoman said. The news comes after Ridgefield officials said Saturday a fourth resident of Ridgefield Crossings had died. Ridgefield now has 64 active cases of COVID-19, according to Marconi, with ages ranging from 12 to 101 years old. One other person died at a private home in town, bringing the total number who have died from the disease in Ridgefield to seven. While town officials have said six Benchmark Senior Living residents have died from the coronavirus, the facility has only confirmed three deaths. A spokeswoman for the facility said 22 people 15 residents and seven employees have tested positive for the illness at the Ridgefield home. Residents who have tested negative for the disease and who are not showing symptoms will be transported to an offsite location to prevent the virus from spreading, the company said. We are also consulting with medical experts as to the best course of action for those who have tested positive, including exploring off-site locations equipped to provide higher levels of care, the spokeswoman said. Gov. Lamont has repeatedly drawn attention to the threat posed to nursing homes by the coronavirus, and has said he wants to prevent a situation similar to Kirkland, Washington. A single nursing home in that city saw 37 people die from the virus, and workers there may have brought the virus with them to other senior facilities where they also worked. On Saturday, health officials in Wilton said a resident of the Greens at Cannondale tested positive for the disease on Thursday. All staff who were in contact with that resident have been sent home, according to Ronald Bucci, executive director of the Greens, and Wilton Meadows Administrator Ellen Casey. They said the workers wore protective equipment when caring for the person after symptoms first appeared. At least three people who were residents of Evergreen Health Care Center, a nursing home in Stafford Springs, have died, The CT Mirror reported Friday. The outlet reported a spokesman for Athena Health Care Systems, which owns the facility, said the company would no longer provide updates on the number of people infected or the number who have died. According to its website, the Farmington-based company owns 26 facilities in Connecticut, including the Laurel Ridge nursing home on the same campus as Ridgefield Crossings. The two facilities shared some part-time nursing aides, according to Timothy Brown, a spokesman for Athena Health Care Systems. He said that practice has stopped since at least March 23. Athena and Benchmark Senior Living said they are taking precautions to prevent the spread of the disease at their facilities, including protective gear for workers. Benchmark Senior Living has hired Burson Cohn & Wolfe, a New York City-based public relations firm that has handled media inquiries since the outbreak at Ridgefield Crossings began. On March 18, an 88-year-old man who had been living at the facility became the first person to die of the coronavirus in Connecticut. just end the season now, things are bad enough already, i can bear another shitty musical from them rn Reply Thread Link Omg the little teeth on Camilas foster dog Reply Thread Link They seem to end a lot of their episodes on cliffhangers, so if they re-edit a finale with what they have, it would probably still work. Reply Thread Link Realistically, I think they could finish the season with the last episode they aired because they actually ended the whole Jughead is dead/Stonewall storyline with it, but I also wanna watch the musical already so I don't even know. Reply Parent Thread Link her close friend who tested positive is rachel matthews from happy death day (she's the mean sorority president) i follow her on instagram and she's really cute and luckily getting better! lili's poems are so bad... also is this confirmation that sprouts and lili are no longer? i haven't been keeping up but good tbh i like her Reply Thread Link Aww I like Rachel, glad shes getting better Reply Parent Thread Link Ive been keeping an eye on their IGs for further clues lol and Im just waiting for breakup confirmation! Even though hes a pretentious doof I still liked them together oop. Reply Parent Thread Link Cami isn't fostering Truffle; that's her dog. She's just talking about fostering because they place she adopted her from does fostering as well. Mads is still homeless and now living with Joey Graceffa and his boyfriend Daniel because she's friends with Daniel. I wonder why she isn't living with Lili anymore. They could end the season on the prom because I'm pretty sure they filmed most of it by the time they had to lock down, so it could work. Edited at 2020-03-29 03:39 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link Ive been loving Drew and Charless friendship haha theyre stupid and goofy. I wanted to do the text Casey thing but I was too nervous and I also felt like he would respond like once with something completely innocuous and it looks like thats what he did to most people lol. Ugh I miss the show I wish theyd just drop the Hedwig ep for funsies. Reply Thread Link I hope they release the season on streaming sooner than later, Ive been out of the loop this season! I was trying to be A Good Student last term and wait until winter break to watch and catch up but apart from the premiere they only had the previous like 3 eps and CW isnt offered on my cable providers VOD anymore for some reason Also love Vanessas cake, expertly made and looks delicious! Reply Thread Link lol @ that birthday cake, i love it Reply Thread Link that Charles guy is just so, so good-looking. Reply Thread Link I'd love to see him sweaty, swollen lips, exhausted. Reply Parent Thread Link Seventy-four episodes ... about 10 are worth watching. Reply Thread Link Megxit has left a huge gap in the market for a red-haired aristo called Harry with a glamorous US actress by his side So step forward Harry Roper-Curzon and his new fiancee, multi-millionairess Hanna Jaff, 33. And as my snaps show, the two couples bear more than a passing resemblance. A family friend tells me that Harry and Hanna met last summer at an art exhibition but he was so smitten that he popped the question just a few months later. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle pictured for their engagement announcement at Kensington Palace (left) and Harry Roper-Curzon and his new fiancee, multi-millionairess Hanna Jaff (right) Harry is a cousin of the Duchess of York, and his family own the magnificent 1,500-acre Pylewell Park in Hampshire, while San Diego-born Hanna, who starred in Netflix reality show Made In Mexico, is a descendant of a Kurdish king. Celebrity pots and kettles Francis Boulle has criticised reality show Made In Chelsea for being full of has-beens and ordinary people who no one recognises. Fair point, but it seems a bit rich coming from someone whos only claim to fame is starring in the first Made In Chelsea. Francis Boulle pictured attending the official opening gala of 'Tutankhamun: Treasures of the Golden Pharoah at Saatchi Gallery on November 1, 2019, in London The programme is now in its 19th series, with dozens of wannabes bumbling their way through its scripts since 2011. Boulle, who is heir to his fathers diamond fortune, said: It is like an after-party that should have ended a long time ago. My lips are sealed, but... Which very smartly dressed Tory MP is very particular about his clothes right down to his taste for particularly feminine silk underwear? WASHINGTON, March 27 (Reuters) - U.S. Representative Joe Cunningham, a Democrat from South Carolina, said Friday he had tested positive for the coronavirus, although his symptoms have already begun to improve. Cunningham said he had been tested a day ago at a local testing clinic. "Today, I learned that I had tested positive," he said in the statement. He said he had been in self-quarantine since March 19 after learning that he had been in contact with another member of Congress who had tested positive. Cunningham is the third member of the House of Representatives to test positive for the virus; one senator has also tested positive. (Reporting by Susan Cornwell, Editing by Franklin Paul) New Delhi, March 29 : With the country under a 21-day nationwide lockdown till April 14 due to coronavirus crisis, procurement of wheat in the new Rabi season will start only after the middle of next month. The Food Corporation of India (FCI) has till now not issued any new order on the procurement and storage of wheat this season in the country. "Wheat is normally purchased by state agencies. Normally, the procurement season start from April 1, with states deciding if they wish to prepone the date," a senior FCI officer pointed out. Haryana has decided to start procurement from April 20. Meanwhile, farmers in Punjab, Haryana and other states are facing problems in harvesting of standing wheat crops since no farm labour is available due to the coronavirus lockdown. Krishan Kumar, a farmer in Bundi district of Rajasthan, confirmed the situation. Madhya Pradesh's trader Amit Khandelwal said that agricultural produce markets were closed in the absence of labourers. He said that harvesting, transport and sale-purchase of wheat will remain shut till the lockdown is in force. Specialist nose and throat doctors have urged the Government to recognise a lost sense of taste or smell as a tell-tale coronavirus symptom. And on Sunday afternoon, Ore Oduba rejoiced as he regained his sense of smell after 10 days, and admitted that the first thing he smelt was his son Roman's 'first POO after 3 days of constipation.' The former Strictly champion, 34, took to Twitter to share his happy news and describe the moment involving the tot, 2, - who he shares with wife Portia - in hilarious detail. Celebrating! On Sunday afternoon, Ore Oduba, 34, rejoiced as he recovers from coronavirus symptoms, revealing that he has regained his sense of smell after 10 days Ore tweeted: 'I CAN SMELL!!! After 10 days I CAN SMELL!!!! And the first thing I smelt... my son's first POO after 3 days of constipation! 'How I rejoiced as he cried into my arms, I rubbed his belly and the weight was finally lifted...right up my nose. I will never forget this day HALLELUJAH.' Ore Oduba's representatives confirmed to MailOnline that they 'believe he had coronavirus.' Got his smell back! The former Strictly champ took to Twitter where he admitted that the first thing he smelt was his son Roman's 'first POO after 3 days of constipation' Hallelujah! Ore shared his happy news and described the moment involving the tot, 2, - who he shares with wife Portia - in hilarious detail On Thursday, specialist nose and throat doctors began urging the Government to recognise a lost sense of taste or smell as a tell-tale coronavirus symptom. ENT UK, which represents ear, nose and throat experts around the country, said there is evidence a 'significant' number of patients suffer these effects. Currently, the only symptoms the NHS lists as ones which make coronavirus likely are a recurring cough or a fever or high temperature. But ENT UK, formerly known as the British Association of Otorhinolaryngology, said at least two thirds of COVID-19 patients in Germany reported losing one or both senses, and it often happened to people with less obvious illness. Other less often reported symptoms include headaches, sickness, diarrhoea and a blocked nose, according to World Health Organization data. Doting dad: 'How I rejoiced as he cried into my arms, I rubbed his belly and the weight was finally lifted...right up my nose' wrote Ora Family goals: Ore and Portia, who married in November 2015, have considered expanding their family in the future ENT UK said medics across the world have reported rising numbers of people saying they have anosmia - the technical term for a lost sense of smell - in the past month. 'We believe this is related to COVID-19 infection,' the organisation said. 'At present, many affected patients do not have other symptoms, or only mild disease, and therefore do not meet the criteria for testing. WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF CORONAVIRUS? Like other coronaviruses, including those that cause the common cold and that triggered SARS, COVID-19 is a respiratory illness. The most common symptoms are: Fever Dry cough Shortness of breath Difficulty breathing Fatigue Although having a runny nose doesn't rule out coronavirus, it doesn't thus far appear to be a primary symptom. Most people only become mildly ill, but the infection can turn serious and even deadly, especially for those who are older or have underlying health conditions. In these cases, patients develop pneumonia, which can cause: Potentially with yellow, green or bloody mucus Fever, sweating and shaking chills Shortness of breath Rapid or shallow breathing Pain when breathing, especially when breathing deeply or coughing Low appetite, energy and fatigue Nausea and vomiting (more common in children) Confusion (more common in elderly people) Some patients have also reported diarrhea and kidney failure has occasionally been a complication. Avoid people with these symptoms. If you develop them, call your health care provider before going to the hospital or doctor, so they and you can prepare to minimize possible exposure if they suspect you have coronavirus. Advertisement 'While loss of smell may be caused by other viruses, we think that it is reasonable to assume that COVID-19 is the cause until tests prove negative. 'We therefore advise that patients follow current guidelines for self-isolating if they develop new onset anosmia. This will also apply to cohabiting friends or family.' At the time of writing, in the UK, both the NHS 111 coronavirus symptom checker and a new COVID-19 symptom checker app list high temperature, cough and breathlessness as symptoms, but carry no mention of loss of taste and sense of smell. Ore and his wife Portia are proud parents to son Roman who was born in January 2018. Speaking about their tot shortly after his birth, the TV presenter said: 'He's brilliant. He's coming into his own in such a short space of time. 'He's our world, we would do anything for him. His smile goes as wide as the world is round.' Should Roman ever hope to follow in his father's footsteps one day, Ore said he will be supportive, but make his son aware of the 'ruthless' nature of showbusiness. He said: 'We'll both be very supportive parents. TV is pretty cut throat. The path I've taken is not the normal path and I've had amazing people help me along the way. 'It's a ruthless business and I'd make him aware of that. There's people who will fall by the wayside and won't make it. 'But if you really put your mind to something, you can achieve anything. If I see potential in him, I will be on him like a rash.' Ore and Portia, who married in November 2015, have considered expanding their family in the future. He said: 'We've talked about it. One child is a lot, it's like a beautiful bomb going off in your life and you have to get a blinker. 'For the last five or six months, I'm like "alright, we are stable again". All in good time.' Ore's career has recently taken a new turn with his role in the stage production of Grease: The Musical where he appeared as a Teen Angel alongside Peter Andre. He said: 'Strictly made me realise how much I love being on stage and I thought musical theatre was the way to go.' (Photo : Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay ) Advertisement Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay Like Us on Facebook Advertisement Amazon chief executive officer Jeff Bezos and the director general of the World Health Organization are sharing knowledge about how to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, utilizing tools ranging from the arsenal of Amazon Web Services in cloud computing and artificial intelligence to the distribution platforms for test kits for the disease. Bezos posted on Instagram to disclose that he had held a video conference with WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. In his post, Bezos outlined a series of measures in which the online retail giant is mobilizing to support WHO in its ongoing battle against the pandemic. Bezos, who recently wrote a letter to his staff thanking them for their hard work and patience, added that he is "wholly focused" on the current global health crisis. He pointed out that the tech behemoth is supplying WHO with web resources, helping to map the pandemic and "supplying logistics support." Amazon said earlier this month that its Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) service will be partially suspending its shipments until April 5. Recently the company also revealed it would recruit an extra 100,000 employees and increase their hourly wage to cope with the latest pandemic-related surge in demand. Meanwhile, for the Seattle, Washington Coronavirus Assessment Network, which monitors the spread of the virus in the Seattle area, Amazon Care handles deliveries and pickups of at-home coronavirus test kits. As of Friday, from 3,700 reported cases, the Washington Department of Health reported 175 people have died from the coronavirus. King County has the highest death toll at 125. In King County alone 1,760 confirmed cases of the coronavirus have been documented. US President Donald Trump has signed into law an unprecedented $2.2 trillion economic stimulus plan, following Congress's swift and almost unanimous action this week. The package would benefit companies, rush money to overburdened health care facilities and aid families suffering through the worsening pandemic. In the United Kingdom, Amazon has agreed to distribute millions of COVID-19 at-home assessments, beginning with healthcare professionals and then disseminating to the public at large. Like many other Silicon Valley billionaires, Bezos has yet to make any public announcements regarding whether he is contributing any of his personal wealth to fight the sickness. Bezos remains the world's richest man, with a net worth of $120 billion. As of Friday morning, there were more than 542,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including at least 85,000 in the United States, having surpassed Italy and China to become the world's most affected region in the world. Advertisement TagsJeff Bezos, WHO, Coronavirus Flash Iran reported 139 new deaths from COVID-19 on Saturday, raising the total death toll to 2,517. Meanwhile, China delivered a batch of medical aid to Tunisia to help contain the disease. The total number of infections in Iran climbed to 35,408, up by 3,076 from Friday. So far, 11,679 coronavirus patients have recovered, up by 546. The Association of Iranian Airlines called for government support to the struggling Iranian airlines, which have suffered a loss of about 190 million U.S. dollars during the Nowruz, Iranian new year, holiday due to the raging pandemic. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the government has allocated 23.9 billion dollars to support the economy amid the virus' outbreak. In Turkey, 16 more people lost their lives due to COVID-19, raising the death toll to 108, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said. Turkey, which reported the first coronavirus case on March 11, has fastly become the second hardest-hit country in the Middle East, as the total number of confirmed cases rose to 7,402 on Saturday, up by 1,704 from Friday. In Israel, 584 people tested positive for the COVID-19 on Saturday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 3,619. So far 12 patients have died from the disease, while 89 have recovered. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) reported 63 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total of confirmed cases to 468. Farida Al Hosani, the spokesperson of UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention, said all the new cases were in a stable condition. Iraq confirmed two more deaths from COVID-19 and 48 new cases. So far, a total of 506 cases have been confirmed, of whom 42 have died and 131 have recovered. Algeria reported 45 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections to 454. Three new deaths were confirmed, bringing the death toll to 29. Egypt said that six more people died from COVID-19, bringing the death toll to 36. At the same time, 40 new cases, including 39 Egyptians and a Jordanian national, were confirmed, raising the total number of cases to 576. Morocco announced 26 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 359. The death toll from the coronavirus increased to 24, after three new deaths were reported. Qatar reported its first death from the novel coronavirus, and 28 more cases, raising the total number to 590, the health ministry said. Oman reported 21 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 152. Lebanon's total number of COVID-19 infections increased to 412, up by 21 from a day ago. The death toll rose to eight, after one more death was reported. Lebanon's House Speaker Nabih Berri warned Saturday that his party will quit the cabinet if the government does not take concrete measures by Tuesday to bring home the Lebanese nationals stranded in COVID-19-affected countries. Kuwait reported 10 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 235. Palestine recorded six new COVID-19 cases in the West Bank, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the Palestinian territories to 97. A massive march scheduled to be held in the Gaza Strip on March 30 to mark the Palestinian Land Day was canceled due to fears about the COVID-19 spread, announced its organizer, the Highest National Commission of the Great March of Return and Breaking the Israeli Siege. Libya's UN-backed government announced two new COVID-19 cases from the Al-Hikma Hospital in Misurata city. Libya on Tuesday announced the first COVID-19 case in the country, a 73-year-old man who returned from Saudi Arabia. The UN-backed Libyan government on Saturday released 466 prisoners due to the fears about the spread of COVID-19. Meanwhile, Tunisia on Saturday received a batch of medical supplies and equipment from China to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. "China has responded without hesitation to the presidency's request to protect the medical and paramedical staff, as well as all agents of various other sectors who are standing in the frontline of this war that all humanity is fighting," the Tunisian presidency said in a statement. The billions of tax dollars headed for hospitals and states as part of the $2.2 trillion coronavirus response bill won't fix the problem facing doctors and nurses: a critical shortage of protective gowns, gloves and masks. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 29/3/2020 (654 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. In this May 19, 2011 photo, robots weld a Chevrolet Sonic at the General Motors Orion Assembly plant in Orion Township, Mich. General Motors, Ford, jet engine maker Rolls-Royce and other companies are talking to their governments about repurposing idled factories to produce vital goods to fight the coronavirus such as ventilators and surgical masks. On Friday, March 20, 2020 President Donald Trump invoked the Korean War-era Defense Production Act, allowing the government to marshal the private sector to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Although it allows the government to steer factories to overcome shortages, makers of heavy goods such as cars and trucks can't just flip a switch and produce something else. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) The billions of tax dollars headed for hospitals and states as part of the $2.2 trillion coronavirus response bill won't fix the problem facing doctors and nurses: a critical shortage of protective gowns, gloves and masks. The problem isnt a lack of money, experts say. Its that theres not enough of those supplies available to buy. Whats more, the crisis has revealed a fragmented procurement system now descending into chaos just as demand soars, The Associated Press has found. Hospitals, state governments and the Federal Emergency Management Agency are left bidding against each other and driving up prices. For more than a week, governors have pushed back against administration assurances that supplies are available now, bitterly complaining to President Donald Trump that there's no co-ordination. Its pretty much every state for itself, said Virginia's secretary of finance, Aubrey Layne, who is deeply involved with his states effort to buy medical supplies. Masks that were priced at $2.50 a week ago are now being quoted as high as $9, he said, and suppliers make clear that there are plenty of people out here looking to buy, even at the high prices. There is a lot of opportunism going on, Layne said. Even if someone took some of this money and built the equipment to make masks, gowns and gloves, it would not solve the problem because none of the materials are made in the United States. That includes latex and rubber, largely from Southeast Asia, as well as textiles used in surgical gowns that can repel fluids but are easily disposable. The suppliers that provide the raw materials needed to make such items have to increase their capacity in order to deliver more materials to manufacturers, which could take time and may not be feasible if the suppliers are located in other parts of the world that are currently crippled by the coronavirus, said Kaitlin Wowak, an assistant professor at University of Notre Dame business school who specializes in analytics and operations. In this Nov. 11, 2014 photo, Ron Hudgins welds a 2015 Ford F-150 cab at the Dearborn Truck Plant in Dearborn, Mich. General Motors, Ford, jet engine maker Rolls-Royce and other companies are talking to their governments about repurposing idled factories to produce vital goods to fight the coronavirus such as ventilators and surgical masks. On Friday, March 20, 2020 President Donald Trump invoked the Korean War-era Defense Production Act, allowing the government to marshal the private sector to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Although it allows the government to steer factories to overcome shortages, makers of heavy goods such as cars and trucks can't just flip a switch and produce something else. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) The coronavirus is spreading at an unbelievable rate so you can only expect the demand for personal protective equipment and other medical supplies to follow the same trajectory, which is scary given that there is already a massive shortage of such items at hospitals, said Wowak. Doctors and nurses in hot spots like New York and New Orleans are caring for feverish, wheezing COVID-19 patients without adequate masks, gloves or gowns. Can the $100 billion carved out for hospitals in the stimulus package solve that? It is not about throwing money at this problem, said Lisa Ellram, a professor of supply chain management at Miami University of Ohio. Just like consumers who today wander past empty shelves in the toilet paper aisle, state governments and hospitals are finding their suppliers warehouses are bare. The AP reported last week that imports of critical medical supplies were plummeting due to factory closures in China, where manufacturers had been required to sell all or part of their goods internally rather than export to other countries. Now that bottleneck has tightened as the pandemic sweeps through the world, shuttering potential backup factories from one country to the next. Many manufacturers have been ordered to shut down or limit production throughout Southeast Asia and Latin America, including in India and Mexico. In Malaysia, where 75 per cent of the worlds medical gloves are made, AP found factories were shut down and only allowed to reopen with half staff, who are now locked in hostels at their workplaces. Shipments of medical gloves are down 23% so far this month compared with 2019, and medical gown imports are down 64% for the same period, according to trade data compiled by Panjiva and ImportGenius, services that track imports and exports. No medical-grade N95 masks, made almost entirely in China, have arrived at U.S. ports so far this month. An Oregon Nurses Association member who spoke on condition of anonymity out of concern for her job said shes allowed one N95 mask a day to protect against tiny particulates. In this March 28, 2020 photo provided by the United Nations, pallets containing 250,000 face masks rest on a landing dock at United Nations headquarters. On Saturday, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio accepted the masks from the U.N. for use in the city's battle against the coronavirus. (Eskinder Debebe/The United Nations via AP) Wearing the same mask from patient to patient to patient, what are you doing? Are we taking care of them or putting them at greater risk? she said. A colleague has already tested positive for COVID-19, she said. Her own test was lost so shes being retested. But she continues to work treating patients even though she has minor symptoms. Doctors and nurses working in hospitals have also told AP about shortages of saline flushes to clean intravenous catheters, disposable CaviWipe towelettes to clean hospital surfaces, defibrillator electrodes to shock hearts back into beating and oxygen concentrators, which help respiratory patients breathe. For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death. Six weeks ago, the Center for Global Development warned that the U.S. should get ready to rapidly scale-up medical supply manufacturing. Minnesotas 3M Co. was already ramping up, but only in the past week have many others followed. A frenzied push to increase domestic production is too little and too late, said Prashant Yadav, a visiting fellow at the centre. Trump on Friday announced that he was using his power under the Defence Production Act to order General Motors to begin manufacturing ventilators work that had already been underway, AP reported. Yadav said that in addition to more supplies, states and hospitals need a better way to allocate medical supplies to the places theyre needed most. The real challenge is not having a clear dashboard-like function that can help match demand and supply. Just infusing more cash doesnt create that, he said Friday. Before the crisis, hospitals typically bought masks, gloves and other equipment through independent purchasers that bargain with suppliers to keep costs down. But those groups havent been able to fill orders. Soumi Saha, director of advocacy at Premier, which purchases equipment for roughly 4,000 hospitals, said 56% of hospitals didn't receive their orders for N95 masks in February. She said traditional wholesale markets are depleted and hospitals are turning to the gray market, rife with scams and counterfeit products. In a 72-hour period last week, Premier fielded more than 130 requests from hospitals to evaluate unregulated suppliers, none of which were legitimate, Saha said. The short-term solutions are patchwork. We need to start implementing longer term solutions now or I don't know how much longer the Band Aid can hold on, she said. The new non-profit Project N95, launched by tech entrepreneurs, former government officials and supply chain experts, is one of many new impromptu clearinghouses for medical equipment trying to solve the crisis. Its website says it has requests from more than 2,000 institutions needing more than 100 million items of personal protection equipment in the next 30 days. The $100 billion earmarked for hospitals in the stimulus package will help quickly repurpose operating rooms into intensive care units, subsidize hospitals losing revenue due to cancelled procedures, and hire additional staff to replace infected workers, said Ashley Thompson, the American Hospital Associations senior vice-president for policy. Hospitals will also receive an additional 20 per cent Medicare reimbursement for COVID-19 patients, whose providers can use up to two weeks of personal protection equipment in a single day. Leaders of both parties promise the money will give doctors and nurses the resources they need. Lawmakers are "proud to have secured truly historic investment of hundreds of billions of dollars in hospitals, health systems, state and local governments, ensuring that they have the tools they need to combat the virus, said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., on Friday. Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. But even some in Congress are dubious. If the administration has a list of critical supplies it is providing, whats on that list?" said Rep, Norma Torres, D-Calif. "If theyve conducted a nationwide needs assessment, what did they find? If theyve met with industry to encourage new manufacturing, who did they meet with? ___ Associated Press writers Sarah Rankin and Alan Suderman in Richmond, Virginia, and Brian Witte in Annapolis, Maryland., contributed to this report. ___ Contact APs global investigative team at Investigative@ap.org. Tehran, March 30 : Iran's Judiciary on Sunday announced the extension of furloughs for 100,000 inmates amid the nationwide fight against COVID-19, state TV reported. Furloughs were extended until April 19 for the prisoners who had already been granted a leave until April 3, Iran's Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili said, reported Xinhua news agency. Such extension does not include the released prisoners who carried out an illegal or criminal act during their furloughs, he added. Iran's Judiciary has temporarily released around 100,000 prisoners in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in prisons. Iran is the worst-hit country by the virus in the Middle East. Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education on Sunday reported the total number of 38,309 cases of the novel coronavirus in the country, of whom 2,640 have died. New Delhi, March 29 : Pictures and videos of thousands of migrant labourers at Anand Vihar and Kaushambi bus terminals became a rage on the internet in no time. A Delhi Traffic policeman on Sunday composed a song on the plight of these migrant workers. Traffic Head Constable Sandeep Sahi (38) in the song has urged the government to provide employment opportunities in Bihar itself so that no such migration takes place in the future. Speaking to IANS, Sahi said: "I felt extremely sad. Being a Bihari myself, I could feel the pain of those migrant people who live hundreds of kilometres away from their families just for work. I want to request the government to create employment opportunities in Bihar and UP so that they do not need to stay away from their families." Sahi made headlines in 2019 also when he composed a rap song based on famous 'Gully Boy' song 'Apna time Ayega' to spread awareness about road safety. His video went viral on social media platforms. He is also popular with a moniker 'Helmet man' as he distributes free helmets to people who don't wear them during their journey. He saves money from his salary and buys at least two-three hundred helmets. Sahi distributes them and make people aware of the importance of wearing helmets. Sahi made spreading awareness about traffic rules as his passion after his wife met with an accident in 2008 which damaged her both legs. Since then he comes up with new ideas of doing some social work. (Sfoorti Mishra can be contacted at sfoorti.m@ians.in) Estimates of the economic and exchequer cost of the coronavirus outbreak are beginning to take shape. But they still look somewhat unrealistic and may well be revised further downward in the coming weeks. Only a couple of weeks ago, bizarrely optimistic forecasts were being produced which talked about minor drops in the performance of the economy, with an elusive V-shaped recovery on the horizon. It seems incredible that as recently as March 12, economists were talking about a 0.8pc drop in Italian GDP this year. The US economy was going to grow by 1.6pc instead of 1.9pc. Airlines were going to see their earnings drop by 40p-60pc. Now they are practically grounded. All of those forecasts have been well and truly torn up. The ESRI began to approach a more realistic assessment of Ireland's economic fortunes for 2020 this week. It now estimates economic activity could fall by 7pc and the exchequer could run up a deficit of 4.3pc in a recession. That is a 14bn swing on pre-crisis estimates. The ESRI also points out how this is predicated on a recovery in the second half. It is hard to see how that can happen. The ESRI estimate of unemployment peaking at 18pc by June (330,000 job losses) is terrifying. But it is well under way. The Government introduced emergency measures during the week and has put together a preliminary package of over 6bn, made up of income supports, new social protection measures, supports for business and higher spending on health. The US has put through a $2trn (1.8trn) fiscal stimulus package which will see most adults receive $1,200 straight from the state to their bank accounts. The US package amounts to around half the annual federal expenditure budget. A package of that scale for Ireland would end up costing around 38bn. By the time this is all over, it may well end up not too far short of that territory. If US president Donald Trump decides to pull back on isolation and lockdown measures next week, the human cost of the crisis in the US will be devastating. It will also become politically volatile, if individual states and cities stick to a lockdown policy. The alternative is to maintain the lockdown and social restrictions, albeit at huge economic cost. The longer that goes on, the greater the short-term and medium-term financial cost. However, that increases the chances of ensuring the health system is not overwhelmed, with huge loss of life. There is now a debate surfacing among some big industrialists about whether the economic cure is worse than the disease. This started when the phrase was used by former David Cameron adviser Steve Hilton on Fox News early last week. It was repeated by Trump the next day and has since been repeated by Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro. It was then used by Swedish industrialist Jacob Wallenberg. Here in Ireland, there is no such dissent from a common consensus that we must pull together to do everything possible to save as many people as we can. But, yes, the bill is going up and is likely to rise a lot more. The biggest challenge is ensuring that as many people as possible can prevent their businesses from simply disappearing. Equally as important is to maintain the contact between staff and their employers. In the ESRI modelling, a return to some normality in the second half of the year could see unemployment end the year at around 12.7pc. This is still very high and this forecast may even be too optimistic. The danger of a second surge in the virus brought in from abroad later in the year, if we do get a handle on it, remains very real. This would disrupt the economy for longer, and isolation measures might be eased and then tightened again until a vaccine is developed. Ireland should be able to look to the EU and ECB for maximum support. We are all in this one together. Climate change agenda could get left behind in cash crunch The Green Party is still somewhat divided on whether to form a coalition government with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. If it does decide to push the button, there could be some very tricky coalition talks on the money available during the next government term to tackle climate change. If the economic fallout of the virus drags on, which seems likely, the Government will have to massively increase borrowing, spend contingency reserves allocated for things like Brexit, and suffer a serious drop-off in tax receipts. Everybody acknowledges a proper plan to tackle climate change needs money. It also needs consumers and businesses to make the right choices. How hard would it be to sell higher carbon taxes to an electorate that has seen employment and incomes fall sharply? How much money can the State invest in retrofitting when its tax receipts have fallen? Regulation around agricultural emissions would be very hard to sell to a food/agri sector that may be decimated by the virus, given the impact on exports of Irish food to British and European restaurants, hotels and bars. How do you convince people to spend money on more environmentally-friendly windows or heating systems when their incomes have taken a hammering? In the short term, emissions from transport and industry are much reduced during this crisis, leading to feel-good satellite images. However, when countries want to rebuild, they will take as much short-term economic advantage as they can. In the long run, this would all be very short-sighted but it may be deemed necessary. VC deals for hot startups dry up Tourism and hospitality are not the only sectors to feel the chill of coronavirus. Even hot new startups are operating in a very different environment. Venture capital (VC) and private equity investing has stalled. Deals that are still going ahead are happening with lower valuations on rising tech stars. This is a real problem for startups with lots of potential but a rate of cash burn. Fewer deals are being done as investors become more risk-averse. One writer in Silicon Valley accused venture capitalists and private equity investors of "bad behaviour", which he said was unethical and short-sighted. He even accused some investors of abandoning valuations on deals already agreed in principle through term sheets. The coronavirus will add to a cash crunch for potentially high-growth startups, which in theory should not be affected by Covid-19 in any serious long-term way. Covid-19 is also pulling the rug from under IPO candidates by decimating markets. For those close to selling a firm, this has come as a real shock. Among those fortunate to have got deals away before the health disaster are Michael Smurfit, who sold the K-Club just last month for 70m. Stephen Vernon sold Green Reit for 1.3bn last autumn. Given the turbulence in the commercial property market ever since, that deal looks even smarter now. The Collison brothers' Stripe raised a further $250m in September at a price that valued the payments firm at $35bn. They may well be very pleased to have got that deal away. What about the State, Granahan McCourt and the National Broadband Plan? David McCourt should be happy the Government signed the licence agreement in November, committing the State to a 3bn spend. Yet convincing rural households to take up new fibre broadband in the wake of a recession may be a lot more difficult. COLUMBUS, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine uncharacteristically aired his frustration with the federal coronavirus response on Sunday, announcing an impromptu press conference and even calling the White House directly to share his concerns over a weekend decision from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that he said would prevent health care workers and first responders from safely re-using protective masks that are in short supply nationwide. But rather than directly criticize President Donald Trump himself, DeWine praised him later in the day for quickly responding to his concerns. He said after he called the White House operator Sunday morning, Trump responded hours later with a phone call to personally assure him Ohio officials concerns would be addressed. DeWines rebuke also prompted a personal call from U.S. Food and Drug Commissioner Stephen Hahn, who gave assurances the FDA would work to solve the problem that day, according to DeWine. Every time Ive called the president, the vice president, the White House and had specific asks, theyve gotten on it, DeWine said during Sundays coronavirus briefing at the Statehouse in Columbus. Its a lot of different moving parts. FDA does what it does. In defense of them, theyre trying to make sure things are safe. I get that. But sometimes you just have to rattle them. The episode was a deft show of political savvy from the normally mild-mannered Republican governor, whos sought to chart his own aggressive path in responding to COVID-19. Hes done so while not criticizing Trump, who at times has suggested widespread closures of businesses an approach spearheaded nationally by DeWine are an overreaction that could cause undue harm to the economy. Its also a case study show how a governor might manage to criticize aspects of the federal COVID-19 response while still getting a favorable response. Over the past week, Trump has clashed with Democratic governors who have criticized his administrations response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Trumps said their criticism is politically motivated, and suggested they might not get as much attention as a result. On Tuesday, Trump during a Fox News town hall said of governors: We are doing very well with, I think, almost all of the governors, for the most part. But you know, its a two-way street. They have to treat us well. On Friday, Trump said Democratic governors of Washington and Michigan should be more appreciative of the work of the myriad federal agencies involved with the response. Mike Pence, I dont think he sleeps anymore, Trump said. These are people who should be appreciated. He calls all the governors. I tell him, Im a different type of person, I tell him, dont call the governor of Washington [Gov. Jay Inslee], youre wasting your time with him. Dont call the woman in Michigan [Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer]. It doesnt make any difference what happens. If they dont treat you right. I dont call. Hes a different type of person. Hell call, quietly anyway, Trump said. The Washington Post reported Saturday that some governors had been left uneasy by Trumps transactional dynamic. DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, both Republicans, said Sunday they had become increasingly frustrated in recent days with the FDA as they negotiated behind the scenes. It boiled over publicly on Sunday after regulators granted only limited approval to the new mask sanitizing technology, saying it could only be used in Ohio, and only to clean 10,000 masks a day. Battelle, the Columbus firm behind the technology, had planned to ship their devices to New York immediately and soon elsewhere, saying they could clean as many as many as 160,000 masks a day in Ohio alone. DeWine had gone to bed the night before, thinking the technologies were approved. But his administration realized the approval was conditional. But the FDA only granted Battelle permission to clean masks at its Columbus headquarters, and only 10,000 per day. The FDAs limited approval allows for the masks to be sanitized and re-used up to 20 times. DeWine said he awoke angry on Sunday when he learned the news. Shortly after, he issued a statement Sunday morning, saying he was stunned with the FDAs decision reckless decision. We held this press conference to get everyones attention, DeWine told reporters Sunday afternoon. We tried going back and forth for a few days, and quite simply, I got sick of waiting. Ive known the governor for a long time, Husted said. I dont know that I ever have seen the governor more frustrated than he was at this. Husted said Ohio officials have been in touch with the FDA continuously over the past week, and were under the impression the technology would be approved. The respirator masks and other protective have been in short supply across the country, leading Ohio to consider an alternative path, Husted said. This is about escalating the concern to make sure that the people who are down in the bureaucracy are really hearing the importance of it, he said. Something were been trying to emphasize all week is, we have people who dont have access to these materials, and they need them. And if youre not going to give us that solution, you need to give us something else." DeWine said as a governor, he understands sometimes that things can get bogged down in the bureaucracy of government. I dont know everything thats going on. Bureaucracy is true in Washington. Bureaucracy is a problem in Columbus, too, he said. I have received calls from people and Ive had to go into our bureaucracy and try to get it done. So I sort of felt, the president felt the way I feel sometimes, and thats I gotta go do it. This is not supposed to happen this way. That just happens as much as you try for it not to happen. The impression I got from the presidents reaction, was Lets go fix it. And thats the right answer. Ohio health officials reported Sunday that positive COVID-19 cases had risen to 1,653, including 29 deaths and 403 COVID-19 related hospitalizations and 139 patients in intensive care. That represented a 13% increase in ICU cases and 17% increase in total hospitalizations from Saturday, when the totals were 123 and 344. Read recent Ohio coronavirus coverage: Ohio coronavirus cases climb to 1,653, 29 deaths : Gov. Mike DeWines Sunday, March 29 briefing Machines could sanitize 160,000 masks for reuse each day in Ohio, if approved by FDA So what is the potential peak of coronavirus cases in Ohio? Sorting out the various projections Mapping Ohios 1,137 coronavirus cases, plus daily trends Gov. Mike DeWines urgent call: Ohio must triple hospital capacity by mid-April for coronavirus peak Coping with coronavirus: Guide aims to ease fear of pandemic disease Powells Books, which laid off nearly 400 people this month as it shut down its five stores, said Friday that it has brought an unspecified number back to ship books sold online. Thanks to your orders on Powells.com, we now have over 100 folks working at Powells again all full time with benefits, CEO Emily Powell wrote in a memo posted on the stores website. Most importantly, were working hard to keep everyone safe and healthy. Doing that work means we have to move a little slower as a company than usual. Powells is a Portland landmark and its March 16 closure was among the most profound early symbols of the effect the coronavirus outbreak is having on Oregon. Dozens of other stores, restaurants, malls and other businesses have shut down as Oregonians isolate themselves and the state strives to constrain the virus. In the first week after Oregons mass closures began, 76,500 Oregonians filed for jobless claims an all-time high and 3.6 times more than any prior week on record. ILWU Local 5, which represents the bookstores workers, called Powells Friday statement misleading. The union said Sunday that the bookstore has only recalled 49 union workers, and said that the rest of the people now working are managers who are doing the frontline selling, shelving and shipping jobs that used to done by union workers. While we understand the difficult nature of the situation COVID-19 has created in our society, we remain incredibly disappointed in how Powells has dealt with this situation and treated workers, the union said in its statement. The union has set up a worker relief fund on its website and said it is issuing a formal challenge to the bookstores decision to assign work to nonunion employees while union workers are laid off. Shortly after the bookstores closed, Powell wrote a note to employees that suggested the companys future was in doubt and indicating the stores would be closed for at least eight weeks. The company declined additional comment on her statement, but Powell appeared more optimistic about the long-term outlook in Fridays note -- though she said the company still faces significant challenges during the outbreak. We dont know what the future holds none of us does, Powell wrote. Were going to keep the doors to Powells.com open as long as we can, and we will open the doors to all of our stores as soon as it is safe to do so. -- Mike Rogoway | mrogoway@oregonian.com | twitter: @rogoway | 503-294-7699 Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. New NHS Nightingale hospital is set to hold up to 4,000 COVID-19 patients and will initially have 500 beds from inside showed military staff erecting cubicles and carrying equipment inside the new hospital Advertisement Soldiers descended upon London's ExCel centre today to help complete the building's transformation into the capital's emergency coronavirus hospital. Officers in uniform took to the international convention centre in Newham, East London, to assist construction workers and NHS staff in the final touches of the new Nightingale hospital as the UK tries to control the spread of the deadly virus which has now claimed the lives of 1,228 in the country. Images from inside the new hospital showed military personnel help workers in erecting cubicles and carrying equipment into the transformed centre- which is set to hold up to 4,000 COVID-19 patients and will initially have 500 beds. Yesterday the nation was given their very first glimpse of the new field hospital as construction work began and and NHS staff helped unload medical equipment including oxygen tanks, heart monitors and defibrillators. Soldiers arrive at the new NHS Nightingale Hospital at the ExCeL centre in Newham, East London, today as the hospital gears up to receive its first patients next week Officers pull mats onto the floor and assist in the transformation of the new field hospital which will open to coronavirus patients on April 4 Ambulances line up outside the ExCel centre in London after construction work to transform the centre into the new NHS Nightingale hospital began yesterday As military planners continue to work with Health Service officials to help complete the project, ambulances were seen lining up outside the centre to give up their services to the effort and help prepare for the hospital's first patients who are set to arrive next week. The scenes from inside the new hospital, which will join two other hospital NHS Nightingale hospitals being built in Birmingham and Manchester, revealed the hundreds of cubicles that had been erected in an effort to facilitate for the thousands of patients due to arrive. The hospital, which is expected to open next Saturday, April 4, will comprise of two wards which will each be able to care for 2,000 sick patients. In addition to the construction work, members of staff were seen conducting test runs and wheeling a model of a fake patient on a trolley into the ExCel exhibition centre. Earlier this week, as the country saw the rate of infection continue to rise, NHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens announced that 33,000 beds had now become available for coronavirus patients. Soldiers roll out mats and assist in the final preparations for the new field hospital in London as the country continues to control the coronavirus outbreak A planning meeting is underway as staff from the Royal Anglian Regiment and the Queen's Gurkha Engineer Regiment arrive to the centre to help Soldiers help transform the exhibition centre into the new Nightingale Hospital as the nation tries to cope with the rising number of Covid-19 patients Soldiers help lay the flooring down as the new NHS Nightingale Hospital prepares for its first patients next week The latest images come after it was revealed that the new hospital in London would be offering prospective help desk staff an annual salary of 37,500 to work at the 68,750-capacity venue in the London Docklands. Meanwhile nurses at the site will only be offered a starting salary of 24,0000, according to the online recruitment adverts. Those taking on the admin role will also be entitled to claim 15 a day for travel expenses, 10 for food and would be provided with uniforms and full personal protective equipment (PPE)' On Friday Mayor Sadiq Khan warned Londoners that the situation could become 'a lot worse' over the next few weeks but 'we are going to do what we can'. He said: 'I need to warn people that it is going to a lot worse over the next few weeks. 'But we are going to do what we can for that eventuality. The number of people we are talking about are large and we need to be ready for that. Soldiers help put up cubicles inside the new field hospital as the exhibition centre prepares for its first patients on April 4 Pictured: A firefighter stands outside the new NHS Nightingale Hospital at ExCeL London, as the country tries to cope with the number of coronavirus patients Staff from the Metropolitan Police officers stand outside the new NHS Nightingale Hospital as final preparation are made The new hospital, which is set to open next Saturday, will initially contain 500 beds and will be able tohold up to 4,000 COVID-19 patients The new hospital in London will comprise of two wards which will each be able to house 2,000 sick patients 'You will have seen the amount of dead already in London, we are two or three weeks ahead of the rest of the country and we know the peak is coming soon, three to five weeks away.' Earlier today it was revealed that a petition to name Birmingham's temporary field hospital after Crimean War nurse Mary Seacole had reached 1,000 signatures. The NHS chief executive of the NHS Sir Simon Stevens confirmed the city's National Exhibition Centre (NEC) would be transformed into a site to treat coronavirus patients on Friday. The NEC is one of the latest proposals for a temporary field hospital after the ExCeL site in London, which has been equipped with 4,000 beds to cope with any patient surge in the capital. Speaking about the two new NHS Nightingale Hospitals due to open in Birmingham and Manchester, the NHS chief said: 'It will take a monumental effort from everyone across the country to beat this epidemic, but the NHS is mobilising like never before to deliver care in new ways, to thousands more people starting with the opening of the first NHS Nightingale in London later next week. 'These are extraordinary steps the NHS is taking, and clinicians, managers and military planners are working day and night to create, equip and staff these hospitals from scratch and prepare for the surge that is likely to be coming.' Oleh Mishchenko had form of diabetes and Covid-19, he fought for his life for a week Open source Oleh Mishchenko, member of the Board of Directors of the Confederation of Builders of Ukraine, former deputy head of the Kyiv Regional State Administration died after being infected with the coronavirus. President of the Confederation of Builders of Ukraine, former Deputy Minister of Regional Development, former First Deputy Head of the Kyiv Regional State Administration Lev Partskhaladze wrote this on Facebook. "Today Oleh Viktorovich Mishchenko, the member of the Board of Directors of the Confederation of Builders of Ukraine died. He fought for his life for a whole week. But the complex form of diabetes and Covid-19 did their job. Let's not underestimate this virus," Partskhaladze wrote. As we reported before, the second plane with protective equipment for doctors, police, and military arrived at the Boryspil airport. There are 300 thousand respirators, 35 thousand protective suits, 1.8 million ordinary medical masks and other protective equipment on board the aircraft. As of 10:00 on March 29, a total of 418 laboratory-confirmed cases of coronavirus disease were recorded in Ukraine. 109 new cases were recorded per day. A flight carrying almost 30m in personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers will arrive at Dublin Airport today. The Aer Lingus plane is en route from Beijing with masks, gowns and gloves among the items on board. The Department of Foreign Affairs last night posted a video of the shipment before it was loaded onto the plane. Amb Eoin OLeary thanking Mr MU Hong, GM of Resources Group as vital Personal Protection Equipment are crated up for our friends in @AerLingus for delivery to front line health service staff all over Ireland pic.twitter.com/6UjjFSMMLS Irish Foreign Ministry (@dfatirl) March 28, 2020 It is the first of a number of flights delivering more than 200m worth of PPE to the country. There will be 10 more flights delivering more equipment here from China over the coming days. Health Minister Simon Harris has said that the PPE will be distributed to frontline workers tonight. Meanwhile, the HSE will holding a media briefing at Citywest Hotel and Conference Centre in Dublin this morning. The hotel is to be turned into a Covid-19 isolation for people who cannot isolate anywhere else and the Conference Centre will become a step down facility for patients who no longer need critical care. [snippet1]987600[/snippet1] Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Sun, March 29, 2020 14:06 654 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206e21ae8 2 News travel,national-park,destination Free As households across the world remain holed up in self-isolation and quarantine, there's perhaps never been a bigger desire for wide open spaces and fresh air, particularly for those who may be cooped up in small apartments in urban areas. No better time to revisit Google's virtual mapping of America's national parks, which launched a few years ago and offers exclusive access to areas, like the ancient caves of New Mexico's Carlsbad Caverns, aerial views above the volcanoes of Hawaii and coral reefs of Dry Tortugas, Florida. Led by park rangers and shot in stunning 360-degree videos, the virtual tour also takes viewers kayaking through glaciers of the Kenai Fjords in Alaska, horseback riding through a canyon and shipwreck diving in Florida. Read also: Online tour sites for stay-at-home wanderlust Though the temptation may be strong to escape to a national park during the lockdown, many countries around the world have closed their gates in anticipation of too many households sharing the same idea and causing overcrowding. Other wild and open spaces you can visit via Google when you have cabin fever include the breathtaking falls of Parque Nacional Iguazu in Argentina, and Quttinirpaaq National Park, Canada's northernmost park. A man was killed in a one-vehicle crash on highway U.S. 43 Saturday morning Alabama Law Enforcement Agency troopers responded to the scene of the crash at approximately 5 a.m. A 2007 Mercury Grand Marquis was traveling south on U.S. 43 near mile-marker 47, in the Wagarville community, when it ran off the road and struck a tree on the northbound side. The Mercury caught fire and the driver was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities have yet to release the identity of the victim. No other information is available as troopers continue to investigate. WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump sought to seize control of the nation's medical supply crisis Friday after a week of failures to deliver needed equipment to hospitals overrun with coronavirus patients, even as he said he expects governors receiving federal help to praise his administration's job performance. Following days of sustained criticism for his administration's slow efforts to distribute ventilators, personal protective equipment and other materials, Trump used his power under the Defense Production Act to compel a ramp up in production. Trump issued an order to allow his government to force General Motors to manufacture ventilators, after a breakdown in negotiations with the auto giant caused in part by what aides said was White House indecision, and announced that eight existing ventilator manufacturers, including General Electric and Phillips, had agreed to speed up their production. The president vowed that the efforts would produce a combined 100,000 ventilators over the next 100 days. Trump's action - which came on the day the United States recorded more than 100,000 cases of the novel coronavirus, surpassing every other nation- represented an about-face after the president on Thursday largely dismissed the outcry for ventilators. Trump said he believed that governors whose states were experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases were inflating their needs. And the president said state leaders ought to be fending for themselves and effectively shamed them for seeking federal help, even though he declared a national emergency two weeks ago and has described himself as a "wartime president." This week's quarrel among leaders in Washington and besieged states over supplies and the federal government's willingness and ability to marshal emergency resources reached a fever pitch as Trump sought to politicize and personalize the fight for medical supplies, as he has with many other aspects of his management of the pandemic. Trump said he expects public praise from governors who receive federal help, when asked what more he wants from governors in states such as Washington and Michigan who have been publicly critical of the federal response. "Very simple, I want them to be appreciative," Trump said at a Friday evening news conference. "I don't want them to say things that aren't true. I want them to be appreciative. We've done a great job." The president criticized Democratic governors Jay Inslee of Washington and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, whom he called "the woman in Michigan," and said he had instructed Vice President Mike Pence not to call them because they were not sufficiently complimentary of him and his administration. "You know what I say? If they don't treat you right, I don't call," Trump said, allowing that Pence has a different standard of leadership and continues to communicate with Inslee and Whitmer. Trump sought to shirk blame for the shortage of ventilators, personal protective equipment and other supplies at hospitals. He has repeatedly targeted Inslee and Witmer, as well as New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, in recent days - all three of whom have criticized the federal response. And he derided GM's chief executive, Mary Barra, for her management of the company. Trump often reacts impulsively to his portrayal in the media, and he awoke Friday to a batch of tough headlines at the end of a week full of them. In New York, the epicenter of the outbreak in the United States, Cuomo's pleas for federal help grew louder this week by the day. On Thursday, the governor excoriated the Trump administration for its slow engagement to help address the supply shortage. Cuomo said New York needed 30,000 ventilators, while the Federal Emergency Management Agency had provided roughly 4,000. Calling into his friend Sean Hannity's show Thursday night on Fox News Channel, Trump cast doubt on New York's needs. "Governor Cuomo and others that say we want, you know, 30,000 of them - 30,000," Trump said. "All right. Think of this. You know, you go to hospitals, they'll have one in a hospital. And now all of a sudden everybody's asking for these vast numbers." The president added, "A lot of equipment's being asked for that I don't think they'll need." Cuomo said Friday that every credible projection shows New York needing between 30,000 and 40,000 ventilators once the outbreak reaches its peak. "I don't have a crystal ball," Cuomo said at a news conference. "Everybody's entitled to their own opinion. But I don't operate here on opinion. I operate on facts and on data and on numbers and on projections." He added: "I hope we don't need 30,000 ventilators. I hope some natural weather change happens overnight and kills the virus globally. . . . [But] the numbers say you may need 30,000." Still, Trump countered Friday evening, "I think their estimates are high." Trump claimed in a tweet Friday that ventilators sent by the federal government to New York had been discovered in storage. "N.Y. must distribute NOW!" the president wrote, apparently reacting to a report that morning on cable news. Trump later quipped, "They didn't know they got them." Cuomo addressed the report, saying the state has been purposefully stockpiling new ventilators so they can quickly be distributed to hospitals whenever needed. Leon Panetta, a former White House chief of staff, defense secretary and CIA director under Democratic presidents, said these governors are in a difficult position because of their disagreements with Trump about the severity of the pandemic and how to mitigate it. "Normally, if the president were a different commander in chief, they and the governors would all be speaking the same language," Panetta said. "Both governors and the president would be putting pressure on those who need to produce. But they aren't." At the White House, Trump announced Friday that trade adviser Peter Navarro would serve as national policy coordinator for the Defense Production Act, working with various companies on supply lines. Navarro, a fierce protectionist and China hawk, is a Trump loyalist dating to the 2016 campaign and has clashed sharply with administration officials who serve as conduits to the corporate world, including Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow. Administration officials this week negotiated with GM and other companies about transforming their manufacturing plants to produce ventilators on short order. As talks with GM advanced, there were concerns in the administration that the ventilators would take too long to build and may not be received by hospitals until after the peak of the outbreak had largely subsided, according to a White House official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to detail internal discussions. The first GM ventilators would not be finished until the end of April, and it would take until the summer to reach a pace of more than 10,000 a month, with the capability of building 20,000 a month later in the year, according to a person familiar with the plans who was not authorized to discuss the arrangement on the record. This person said it takes time to get a factory online because the company would have to buy parts, hire hundreds of employees and train them on the process of building complicated machines. "You're starting totally from scratch," this person said. Thinking the deal was done, GM had planned to announce earlier this week that, together with Ventec Life Systems, it would begin ventilator production in a GM plant in Kokomo, Indiana, but waited on the White House, this person said. The plan was announced Friday. "Ventec, GM and our supply base have been working around the clock for over a week to meet this urgent need," GM said in a statement. "Our commitment to build Ventec's high-quality critical care ventilator, VOCSN, has never wavered." Trump offered a different account of the breakdown in talks. He told reporters Friday that he has long had an unfavorable view of GM because of its outsourcing of some manufacturing operations over the years, as well as its closure last year of a plant in Lordstown, Ohio. Eventually, Trump said, ventilator talks with GM "got to be a debate over cost." He added, "We're not looking to be ripped off on price." "We didn't want to play games with them," Trump said. On Twitter, Trump was even harsher in his assessment. "General Motors MUST immediately open their stupidly abandoned Lordstown plant in Ohio, or some other plane, and START MAKING VENTILATORS, NOW!!!!!!" he tweeted. In another tweet, Trump wrote, "Always a mess with Mary B.," referring to Barra, GM's chief executive. - - - The Washington Post's Colby Itkowitz and John Wagner contributed to this report. Dr. Rachel Rubin, senior medical officer for the Cook County Department of Public Health, said runners and bikers should keep their distance from walkers, and that there should be no group walks except for immediate family members. Patrons should also wash their hands before and after visits, she said. Boris Johnson is warning every household he could impose even stricter lockdown measures to tackle the coronavirus outbreak as it inevitably worsens. The British Prime Minister, who is self-isolating with Covid-19, is writing to every address telling people the closer they adhere to the rules the sooner life can return to normal. Stressing the national emergency, the letters will land on doorsteps after the number of people to have died in UK hospitals surged past 1,000, increasing by 260 in 24 hours. PM @BorisJohnson is writing to every UK household to urge them to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives. #StayHomeSaveLives pic.twitter.com/GMNPqEl10d UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) March 28, 2020 NHS Englands national medical director warned that now was not the time for complacency after a study suggested social distancing could deliver a lower death toll than previously feared. Scottish Secretary Alister Jack became the latest Cabinet minister to enter self-isolation with Covid-19 symptoms after the British PM and Health Secretary Matt Hancock. In letters to 30 million households in the UK, Mr Johnson writes: We will not hesitate to go further if that is what the scientific and medical advice tells us we must do. We know things will get worse before they get better. (PA Graphics) Mr Johnson last week offered a glimmer of hope when he said he expects the UK can turn the tide within three months, but a lengthier estimate for the lockdown was offered by a scientist whose research has been key in the British Governments approach. Imperial College Londons Professor Neil Ferguson told the Sunday Times: Were going to have to keep these measures (the full lockdown) in place, in my view, for a significant period of time probably until the end of May, maybe even early June. NHS Englands national medical director Professor Stephen Powis appeared at the daily press conference as Mr Johnson worked behind closed doors in his Downing Street flat. Prof. Powis warned the public not to rest on their laurels after an Imperial College London study suggested the UK could be on course for 5,700 deaths if it follows the same trajectory as China. He said it would be a good result if the toll in the UK was less than 20,000, and stressed compliance with the strict rules, and not luck, would get the number down. But we shouldnt be complacent about that, although that would be a good result, it will only happen if we stop the transmission of the virus, he added. The nation learned that the number of coronavirus-related deaths in the UK had hit 1,019, as of 5pm on Friday. Meanwhile, work was rapidly going ahead converting Londons ExCel convention centre into a field hospital dubbed the NHS Nightingale Hospital. And to ensure hospitals can be sufficiently staffed, coronavirus tests were being trialled so frontline workers self-isolating with potential symptoms may be able to get the all clear and return to work. The current Coronavirus pandemic has hit the smartphone industry hard and no ones immune to it. Samsung, the worlds largest smartphone vendor, is struggling too. According to a report from South Korea, the companys Galaxy S20 lineup has only sold about 60-percent as much as the Galaxy S10 series did one year ago. Not only is Samsungs smartphone sales hurting but its market share value is declining as well. The South Korean conglomerate reportedly held a private conference call with some security analysts this week to address the current situation. However, things dont really look promising for the company. Samsung has already seen a 1.75-percent decrease in market share value and analysts expect its performance to continue declining. In fact, security analysts in South Korea have lowered their expectations regarding Samsungs performance throughout the year. They attribute this decline to a rapid slowdown in global smartphone, PC, display, and home appliance sales. Advertisement Poor Galaxy S20 sales hurting Samsung Samsungs Galaxy S20 lineup consists of three excellent devices: the Galaxy S20, S20 Plus, and S20 Ultra. However, the global economic fallout caused by the Coronavirus pandemic means the company is struggling to move units. Obviously, the Coronavirus situation is not in Samsungs control. In this time of financial uncertainty, most people probably dont want to splurge a huge amount of money on a new phone. Even if someone wants to, the world has come to a halt and stores are closed indefinitely in several parts of the world. But the reported 40-percent year-on-year (YoY) decline in sales numbers means the Galaxy S20 lineup is doing worse than the global average. According to a Strategy Analytics report earlier this week, global smartphone shipments fell by 38-percent YoY in February. Advertisement Its unclear how Samsungs other handsets are doing. Among the three Galaxy S20s, the most expensive S20 Ultra is reportedly the best-selling model. This device makes up roughly 50-percent of overall S20 sales. So its higher price tag may help matters a little bit for the company. On the bright side for Samsung, the companys semiconductor sales are expected to continue their current upward trend. Strong demand for data center solutions will help drive DRAM prices. Samsung will likely release the official sales figures as well as its total revenue and operating profit at the end of the quarter. With the world coming to a standstill because of the Coronavirus pandemic, those figures could get worse by that time. - Zimbabwe will take drastic measures to fight the spread of the coronavirus - The country will go into lockdown on Monday following an announcement by President Emmerson Mnangagwa - Zimbabwe's economy is said to be on life-support and the lockdown will worsen it Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa has announced that the country will go into lockdown on Monday, March 30, in an effort to slow the spread of Covid-19. In an emergency state of the nation address on Friday, Mnangagwa said all businesses barring non-essential services would be closed from Monday. READ ALSO: Coronavirus: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson tests positive Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa has announced that the country will go into lockdown on Monday, March 30. Photo: UGC. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Bungoma priests, nuns arrested for conducting secret night service Mirroring the decision made by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Mnangagwa opted to deploy Zimbabwes army to maintain law and order during the lockdown alongside police. The president noted that only those who work for the state and the medical sector, including all health workers would be exempt from the lockdown. Some of the measures will be drastic and are sure to upset the daily routines of our lives," said Mnangagwa. READ ALSO: Light at the end of Salgaa black spot after construction of life-saving wall "Should it become necessary, security forces will be deployed to assist in the enforcement of these measures, he added. Nelson Chamisa, one of Mnangagwa's fiercest critics and the opposition leader took the chance to show unity according to SABC. Politics aside, we must unite to save lives, Chamisa wrote on Twitter. READ ALSO: Coronavirus wedding: Couples getting married in creative, socially distant elopements So far Zimbabwe has confirmed 5 cases of the coronavirus and one death with the government facing criticism for not taking the necessary actions to fight the spread of the virus. The Zimbabwean economy is in dire straits as a result of a drought, shortages in foreign currency and 90% of the population being in informal employment. The lockdown will harm the economy which has already experienced two consecutive years of recession and a contraction of 6%. Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly Source: TUKO.co.ke Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau, the wife of Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, has recovered from the novel coronavirus, she said Saturday. "I am feeling so much better and have received the all clear from my physician and Ottawa Public Health," she wrote on her Facebook page. "From the bottom of my heart, I want to say thank you to everyone who reached out to me with their well wishes." She had tested positive for the virus on March 12 after returning from Britain, with her husband subsequently going into self-quarantine as a precautionary measure. He has since been giving daily press briefings from the porch of his residence. "I strongly believe that science AND compassion will get us through this crisis," Gregoire-Trudeau said. "That means listening and following the health protocols and staying at home for the time being." Earlier Saturday Trudeau told reporters he intended to remain with his family at his residence even though his 14-day isolation period had ended. "We are continuing to follow the advice of health experts. And as everyone should do, we must try to stay at home, to isolate ourselves as much as possible, not to go out if not absolutely necessary," he said. Sophie Gregoire Trudeau tested positive for the virus after returning from Britain, with her husband subsequently going into self-quarantine as a precautionary measure The U.S. ambassador to South Africa attended a dinner at President Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club with Brazilian officials who later tested positive for the novel coronavirus. But she told her State Department employees that she did not consider herself at risk because the dinner was outside and she believed the virus could not withstand the Florida heat, people familiar with the matter said Friday. Ambassador Lana Marks made the claim during a "town hall" meeting for hundreds of staff members at U.S. diplomatic facilities in South Africa on Thursday, which was held following several days of concern among staff members who knew of her exposure. Details of the session were provided to The Washington Post afterward by people familiar with the ambassador's remarks. Employees voiced concerns during the meeting about Marks' failure to self-quarantine or take other protective measures. The people provided descriptions of the meeting and Marks' actions on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. State Department employees at Thursday's meeting protested that they have been placed at risk, that Marks is not following the guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and that she is incorrect that the virus could not have been transmitted at the outdoor dinner. Marks, a fashion executive and Mar-a-Lago member, told staff at the meeting she would go into semi-seclusion but not cut out all meetings or contact with staff, these people said. She had previously told staff members who raised concerns that the incubation period has passed and that she does not believe she is at risk. During the meeting, Marks said she was not in close contact with an infected person and that the temperature at Mar-a-Lago that night was above 26 degrees Celsius, or about 79 degrees Fahrenheit, and that the virus would not be transmissible at that temperature. The virus is part of a family of viruses that generally spread quickest in cooler weather, but the properties and longevity of this new virus remain unclear. She had previously told staff members at the embassy that she does not believe the positive test result for a close member of President Jair Bolsonaro's staff, press secretary Fabio Wajngarten, people familiar with elements of that conversation said. Brazil's ambassador to the United States, who sat at President Trump's table at the dinner, has also tested positive, as has at least one other person who was at Mar-a-Lago that night. Bolsonaro said his own test was negative. It is not clear whether Marks has or will be tested. At least two other U.S. officials, White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham and Sen. Lindsey O. Graham, R-S.C., opted to enter self-quarantine after attending the same dinner. Trump said he had been tested for the virus a week ago and that the test was negative. He has not self-isolated or self-quarantined, and his chief White House doctor said last week that neither Trump nor Vice President Pence need to do so. Trump shook hands with the visiting Brazilian delegation and was photographed with Wajngarten, though he told reporters the interaction was fleeting. "I take pictures, and it lasts for literally seconds. I don't know the gentleman that we're talking about. I have no idea who he is," Trump said. "I take sometimes hundreds of pictures a day, and that night I was taking hundreds of pictures. So, I just don't know." Public health and medical experts have urged people to stop shaking hands, touching their faces, limit large gatherings and self-isolate if they have come into contact with a confirmed case of the coronavirus because the disease spreads easily. Shortly after the town hall meeting, Marks tweeted that she would enter self-quarantine, a shift from her stance before the employee session. "[I]t is essential that everyone stays both safe and healthy - on a personal level, I am strongly advocating self-quarantine and social distancing for those who may, even by the remotest possibility, have been exposed," she wrote. "Returning to Pretoria, I had to take a fairly full flight. While nobody on the plane was diagnosed with #Covid19, and neither I nor my family are experiencing symptoms, in order to err on the side of extreme caution, we will self-quarantine for the prescribed 14 Days." That would apparently only mean self-quarantine until Saturday, 14 days after the March 7 dinner, but Marks's plans were not immediately clear. "I hope my personal actions serve as a good example to everyone who has recently travelled," she wrote. South Africa banned travel from the United States earlier this week, after Marks and her family had returned. "At a time of pandemic, it is critical that professional medical advice be followed by every U.S. government employee, whether career or political appointee," said Eric Rubin, president of the American Foreign Service Association. "Our colleagues in the field are facing unprecedented threats and challenges. They need to know that their leaders have their welfare and well-being foremost in their minds, and that everything will be done to ensure the health and safety of our employees and their family members," the union president said. "There is no room for individual decisions and no excuse for putting people at risk. Leaders need to be held to the highest possible standard at this time of danger." Several employees have said they were uncomfortable with Marks' plans to hold flashy welcome festivities in Cape Town for the arrival of a U.S. Navy ship, the USS Carney, on March 15. She insisted that the events would go forward, requiring extensive work by embassy employees who interacted with both the ambassador and many South Africans despite public health guidance against unnecessary gatherings, people familiar with the complaints said. During the visit of the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, Marks posed with the ship's commanding officer, but many of the festivities were called off at the last minute. Marks is a friend and neighbor of Trump's in Palm Beach. The South African-born luxury handbag designer has no previous diplomatic experience but told senators at her 2019 confirmation hearing that her knowledge of the country and its languages qualifies her for The Post. Marks also said that her business experience would be a boon for the United States, adding that she started her business from the family kitchen table after she had settled in Miami. Marks was named as the incoming ambassador in the summer of 2018, but her Senate confirmation hearing was held up for about a year. She was confirmed in September and took up her post in January. Because my grandparents died in the Spanish Flu Epidemic of 1918-19, I decided to research how the country was affected while I also tell you the effects on my family in eastern Orangeburg county. Records from our family histories tell the story that my grandmother, Harriet Hattie Virginia Shuler, visited a friend in Cedar Springs, near Spartanburg, one summer. The friend, Carrie Littlejohn, gave a party for Hattie so that she might meet people there. A young man, Walter Clayton Lancaster, was among those who attended, and this was the beginning of the romance that led to this story and their short life together. From these same family records, there is a copy of the announcement of their marriage in the Orangeburg Times and Democrat. The bride and groom were married on Sept. 13, 1913, at the pretty home of the brides father, who is a prosperous and well-known farmer in that part of Orangeburg County. (The brides mother had died when Hattie was younger.) After the wedding, they returned to Spartanburg before moving to the Providence community near Holly Hill the following year. There they had a small farm. Sadly, just a little over five years later, they both died in what is also known as the 1918 Pandemic. By that time, they had a 4-year-old son, Palmer, and a 2-year-old daughter, Virginia. When Hatties father and stepmother, also in Providence, became ill with the flu, the couple took their children and went to take care of them. The older couple lived, but Hattie and Walter developed pneumonia, which affected many of the flu victims, and they died six days apart, at 28 years of age. His death was first, on Jan. 22, 1919, and hers followed on Jan. 28. Because she was extremely ill, to spare her the grief, they lowered his body out of a window of the house, and Hattie was never aware that her husband had died. Hatties brother, Frank, also died of the flu at the same time. While young Virginia did contract the flu, she survived. Amazingly, 4-year-old Palmer was the only one in that household who never fell victim to the flu. So here were two orphaned children in the midst of this pandemic. It was decided that Palmer would live with the family of his uncle, Grover Shuler, near Bowman. They had three children, and their son was near Palmers age. Virginias destiny was to live with her mothers stepsister and husband, Alma and Clinton Shuler, in the Providence community. This arrangement continued until Palmer was 8 years old. At that time, his Uncle Grover contracted tuberculosis, and the family decided to move to Hendersonville, North Carolina, where they believed the air would be better for his condition. Alma and Clinton thought it would be best that the two siblings, Palmer and Virginia, be kept near one another, so they also took him into their home. This loving couple were wonderful foster parents to the two children. Since they were never formally adopted, their names remained Lancaster. The fall after Palmer moved from Bowman, he was enrolled in Providence School, and he and Virginia, ages 9 and 7, walked to school with the other children who lived on Shuler Belt Road. They carried a lunch pail or bag each day, and it was not unusual to take a baked sweet potato or ham biscuit for their lunch. Often, on their walk home in the afternoon, the children would stop at other homes along the way and enjoy a jelly biscuit or some fruit offered to them. This continued until Palmer was old enough to drive a buggy. As a side note, some of the other children on Shuler Belt Road rode to school on a milk truck that was driven by one of the Shuler uncles as he hauled milk from dairies there to a processing plant in Charleston. With that background, while being at home to try to do my part to break the chain of contact that spreads the virus in the current COVID-19 pandemic, I decided to research the pandemic of 1918-19 to note how things were then. While there may be a few people still alive who lived through the Spanish Flu Epidemic of 1918-19, there are surely none who remember it, since they would have only been infants at that time. This virus was first identified in military personnel in the spring of 1918, during World War I. The first wave was generally mild. The number of deaths was low. However, a second highly contagious wave appeared in the fall of that year. Some victims died within days of developing symptoms. It became known as the Spanish Flu because Spain was hit very hard. Many previously healthy people were struck down, including World War I servicemen. More soldiers died from the 1918 flu than were killed in the battles during that war, a rather astonishing fact. Forty percent of the U.S. Navy was hit as the troops moved around the world. The high mortality rate in the 20-40 age group was a unique feature of this 1918 pandemic. There were no antibiotics to treat the secondary bacterial pneumonia infection. There were no ordered isolations, quarantines and limits on the number of persons per gathering to assist in stopping the spread. Truly, the people then did not know the importance of continually washing hands or disinfecting things that others touched. Research shows The New York Times reported that Boy Scouts in New York City approached people seen spitting on the street and gave them cards, which read, You are in violation of the Sanitary Code. In America, few locations were missed by this flu virus, from residents of major cities to remote Alaskan communities. Reportedly, President Woodrow Wilson contracted this flu in early 1919 while negotiating the Treaty of Versailles, which ended World War I. Records kept for Lowcountry South Carolina noted that the city of Charleston had 7,154 official cases of influenza in the 1918-19 epidemic, but a health officer at the time said the actual number was believed to be at least twice that, nearer 15,000-18,000 cases. Two hundred ninety-one deaths were reported in this city of about 60,000. This deadliest pandemic ever is estimated to have killed 50 million people worldwide. By contrast, the second most deadly flu pandemic, in 1957-1958, killed around two million. The author of American Pandemic: The Lost Worlds of the 1918 Influenza Epidemic was quoted in The Times and Democrat. She explained: Staying at home is an act of bravery ... if multiplied by millions of households, it can vanquish the enemy at our doorstep." Following up on my father, Palmer, he attended Wofford College after high school. He met his wife, Wynona Lee, at nearby Limestone College, since students from these two schools often associated. As children of Palmer, my sister Marilyn, brother Walter and I always knew and loved Alma and Clinton Shuler as our paternal grandparents. Though we would love to have known our grandparents, Hattie and Walter, we always appreciated the wonderful upbringing their foster parents furnished for our dad and Aunt Virginia. My thought for you is this: As you have extra time while waiting out the current pandemic, take time to make notes for your own descendants. One day, they might enjoy reading them as they deal with some house containment of their own. Crew members on the coronavirus-stricken Ruby Princess cruise ship stranded off the coast of Australia have been rescued in a painstaking overnight medical evacuation. The employees, who have been rushed to Sydney's Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, are all suffering from the virus - with one said to be in a critical condition. The 'several' affected crew members were brought ashore in the hours-long operation by a police vessel at Botany Bay, in Sydney's south, on Sunday night. Crew members on-board the coronavirus-stricken Ruby Princess cruise ship, who are believed to have COVID-19, have been brought to shore in an hours-long overnight rescue operation The employees have been rushed to Sydney's Royal Prince Alfred Hospital - with one of them believed to be in a critical condition The 'several' affected crew members were brought ashore in the hours-long operation by a police vessel at Botany Bay south of Sydney on Sunday night It comes after the ship docked in Sydney Harbour on March 19 and more than 100 infected travellers were allowed to disembark the ship without any checks - potentially exposing thousands. It was one of four ships to dock in Sydney in the space of a week with infected passengers aboard, with authorities fearing the thousands who disembarked may have contributed to a spike in the number of cases of COVID-19 in Australia. The cruise ship has been floating off Australia's east coast since docking in Sydney. On Sunday, a 75-year-old passenger died in Caboolture Hospital in Queensland on Sunday, 10 days after she stepped off the boat. There are nearly 4,000 confirmed coronavirus cases in Australia. The country recorded its biggest daily rise on Saturday of 460 cases, and 370 and 378 the two days before. Cruise ship arrivals have been connected to at least 496 coronavirus cases in Australia. On Sunday it emerged Australians will soon be fined for breaking tough new coronavirus rules that limit public gatherings to two people which come into effect on Monday. Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Sunday announced the two-person rule, while urging those over 70 to stay at home and ordering the closure of playgrounds, skate parks and outdoor gyms. Victorians who are caught outside with more than one other person will be slapped with a $1,652 on the spot fine from Tuesday. New South Wales is expected to follow suit and has warned punishments for flouting the new measures would most likely be in line with previous restrictions, which have been enforced under the Public Health Act. The ship docked in Sydney Harbour (pictured at Circular Quay on March 19) and more than 100 infected travellers were allowed to disembark the ship without any checks Breaches of the Act currently carry $11,000 fines, six months in jail or a $1,000 on-the-spot police fine. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Sunday night confirmed the state would enforce the new rules around social distancing. 'Following national cabinet, NSW will move quickly to enforce additional restrictions on gatherings to slow COVID-19,' the Premier tweeted on Sunday night. Mr Morrison said the states 'aren't mucking around' when it comes to enforcing the new rules. Tough new coronavirus restrictions explained Only two people should gather in public spaces and 'other areas of gathering: Households - no matter how large - can still go outside together, but individual people can only meet with one other person. The two-person limit doesn't apply to workplaces, schools or households. Moratorium on evictions from rental properties for the next six months: Scott Morrison said State and Territories will be moving to ban landlords from evicting tenants who are struggling to pay rent. Mr Morrison urged landlords to work with their tenants and banks on immediate solutions. Playgrounds, skate parks, and outdoor gyms will be closed from Monday: Boot camps will be reduced to one-on-one outdoor personal training sessions. Australians urged to only shop for the essentials and nothing more: Mr Morrison reminded people it isn't a time for browsing or catching up with friends. 'When you are going out for shopping, you should be going for just stuff you need and do it and get home,' he said. People aged over 70 or having chronic illnesses are discouraged from leaving their homes: Mr Morrison said elderly people should only go outside for doctor's appointments or medical reasons. He said vulnerable groups who need help with shopping should access 'support through their community or others'. WHAT CAN I LEAVE MY HOUSE FOR? Buying essential supplies: Scott Morrison said shopping should be done solo and not turned into impromptu gatherings. Going to work, if unable to work from home: Australians who have the ability to work from home are strongly advised to do so. Those who can't must follow social distancing measures when at their place of work. Exercise: People working out should still follow the two-person limit. All boot camps of 10 people or less have effectively been banned. To attend personal medical appointments, or for compassionate reasons: Elderly people in particular should only go outside for doctor's appointments or medical reasons. CAN I VISIT FAMILY MEMBERS? Yes, however social distancing measures should still be adhered to. A family split across two houses can meet in private, allowing people to visit their partner, siblings or parents. People who live can only invite one friend over, while households of two people or more can't have any visitors. WHAT ABOUT HOUSEHOLDS WITH MORE THAN TWO PEOPLE? Households - no matter how large - can still go outside together, but individual people can only meet with one other person. If four people live together in a house, all four of them can take their dog for a walk. The two-person limit doesn't apply to workplaces, schools or households. CAN OLDER PEOPLE GO OUT IN PUBLIC? Elderly people are allowed to go outside for the same reasons as young people, but Scott Morrison has urged those over the age of 70 to self-isolate unless going to a medical appointment. 'This does not mean they cannot go outside,' Mr Morrison said on Sunday. 'They can go outside and be accompanied by a support person for the purposes of getting fresh air and recreation, but should limit contact with others as much as possible.' CAN I GO TO A WEDDING OR A FUNERAL? Last week's rules pertaining to weddings and funerals haven't changed. Funerals are still limited to 10 people and weddings to five - including the officiator and the bride and groom. WHEN DO THE NEW MEASURES COME INTO EFFECT? The two-person rule will begin on Monday, while playgrounds, outdoor gyms and skate parks will be closed at midday. Advertisement 'They're very, very serious. And states like New South Wales and Victoria will move further down onto those two person rules, is my understanding,' he said. 'But states and territories will make their own announcements about those issues.' The two-person limit doesn't apply to workplaces, offices, schools and households. It applies to all indoor settings, including private properties and homes. Scott Morrison urged those over 70 or with chronic illnesses to stay home, and said state and territory governments are moving to ban landlords from evicting tenants People who live alone can only invite one friend over, while households of two people or more can't have any visitors. A family split across two houses can meet in private, allowing people to visit their partner, siblings or parents. CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement The prime minister urged all Australians to only leave their homes to buy essential supplies, to exercise, to attend personal medical appointments and to go to work or school - if unable to work or obtain an education from home. 'Every single Australian needs to take this seriously or community transmission could get out of control and we could have a situation as terrible as even they are seeing in the US at the moment,' he said. Mr Morrison also strongly advised that anyone over 70 stay home for their own safety, except for going for a daily walk in the fresh air. 'States and territories will term whether they proceed to make this an enforceable limit in the same way that the 10-person limit is already been enforced,' he said. Mr Morrison made it clear the advice about gatherings of more than two people was for all circumstances, not just for social occasions in homes. 'That provides, importantly, for those who may be getting daily exercise, particularly for women, that they wouldn't be required to walk on their own and they be able to be walk with another person,' he said. Manitoba workers who fear the spread of COVID-19 while on the job, including postal workers who are deemed essential, are bombarding unions and labour groups with their concerns. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 29/3/2020 (654 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Manitoba workers who fear the spread of COVID-19 while on the job, including postal workers who are deemed essential, are bombarding unions and labour groups with their concerns. On Sunday, the Manitoba Federation of Labour said unions have been flooded with calls about the pandemic from workers worried their workplaces aren't doing enough to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The province has released a number of public health orders that focus on public gatherings, the hospitality, retail and transportation sectors, but did not speak to other industries that depend daily on large workforces, said federation president Kevin Rebeck. Rules to reduce public gatherings are set to take effect Monday. Rebeck said that means Manitoba workplaces will have the largest congregations of people in our province, and ensuring they remain safe is critically important. He also called on the province to reverse its decision to cut funding for workplace inspections, describing it as an absurd move during a pandemic. The federation says the Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health budget is to be cut $500,000 in the 2020-21 fiscal year, which begins April 1. "We need our workplace safety and health officers to be well-equipped and fully resourced to be able to respond to workplace concerns about COVID-19, as well as to provide information to workers and employers to help them prevent the spread of the virus," federation president Kevin Rebeck said in a written statement. The officers should be equipped with personal protective equipment when physically responding to workplace investigations, he said. He said the funding cut to the branch will impair the ability of safety officers and staff to inspect workplaces. Jen Zoratti | Next A weekly look towards a post-pandemic future delivered to your inbox every Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "We know that Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health is receiving increased requests for information about how to keep workplaces safe during this pandemic, and workers are wondering about their right to refuse unsafe work," said Rebeck. "We hope that the Pallister government will do the right thing and increase funding for this important front-line service." Also on Sunday, the secretary-treasurer of Canadian Union of Postal Workers Local 856, which represents 1,500 workers in Winnipeg, raised concerns about working conditions faced by postal workers during the pandemic. Amanda Nicholls issued a letter saying Canada Post "has been slow to put into place safeguards" to ensure mail processing doesnt spread the virus. "In Winnipeg, there are roughly 300,000 unique points of call that approximately 600 letter carriers deliver to daily. That represents a great number of contact points and opportunities to spread the virus," she wrote. She issued a list of demands, including that cleaning and safety equipment be available for all employees at the start of their shift; and dedicated cleaning staff be directed to disinfect high-traffic work installations that process and distribute mail. She called for enhanced commitments for child care because workers are only guaranteed paid leave to April 10 and quarantine-leave coverage for temporary employees and on-call relief employees, who are not currently fully covered. She sent the letter to Manitobas chief public health officer, Dr. Brent Roussin, seeking his intervention to ensure Canada Post complies. The Spanish government has toughened its restrictions brought in to fight the spread of coronavirus. On Saturday prime minister Pedro Sanchez announced that as from Monday 30 March, all activity in non-essential sectors of the economy would be suspended. It later allowed a 24-hour grace period, however, giving businesses until Tuesday to prepare for the shutdown, where necessary. The new measure, approved at a Cabinet meeting on Sunday, states that all workers affected must stay at home at least for the next two weeks. This is a move that several regional presidents had called for in recent days. The new regulation will apply to construction workers, for example, and factory workers in non-essential industries. Their absence will be a form of paid leave, receiving salaries as usual from their employers, although the hours missed will have to be made up gradually when activity resumes up to the end of the year. How these hours are distributed will depend on the needs of the employers and agreements with unions, however, assuming the measure is in force for just two weeks and based on a five-day, 40-hour week, a worker would have to pay back an average of 20 minutes a day. The period, however, could well be extended as necessary, along with the state of alarm. Workers who can continue their normal activity from home will not be affected by the measure. Hundreds of thousands of ERTEs The announcement comes after hundreds of thousands of companies in Spain, from small firms to giant corporations such as El Corte Ingles, applied for an ERTE as their business ceased or fell dramatically with the coronavirus lockdown. The ERTE allows a firm to lay off workers temporarily until the end of the state of alarm. The government decreed this week that an ERTE triggered by the Covid-19 crisis must only last as long as the state of alarm is in place. Workers affected are entitled to benefits of 70% of their basic wage. The government has also banned companies from making workers permanently redundant due to the coronavirus crisis during the state of alarm period. Last Sunday, CareOne received an urgent plea from the New Jersey Department of Health to provide resources regarding a deteriorating situation at St. Josephs Nursing Home in Woodbridge. The facility desperately needed healthcare workers after several residents and members of its staff, primarily nuns, tested positive for coronavirus. Within hours, our nurses arrived to help. The state later declared St. Josephs a public health hazard, closing it temporarily and directing CareOne to transfer the residents to its facility in Whippany. On Wednesday, at the direction of the health department and under the direction of the state Office of Emergency Management, 78 residents were transferred from St.Josephs to CareOne at Hanover. CareOne stepped up to serve at a time when our state was in need. Our staff and nurses are among the best trained in the country. CareOne has developed an extensive set of protocols, workflows, and clinical decision-making-trees that allow us to respond quickly and effectively to COVID-19. They follow the CDC and health department guidelines to maintain a safe environment. Our main objective is and always has been to provide the best healthcare and protect our patients, staff and the community. The residents now at Hanover are our grandfathers, grandmothers, dads, moms, brothers, and sisters. They are our most vulnerable loved ones. We could not turn our backs on them. In this unprecedented moment in our history, we ask that you keep the residents, our staff and nurses in your prayers. We will do likewise for our community. Together, we will get through this. Toya Cornelious, chief clinical officer, CareOne Quit blaming Trump for virus outbreak Once again your March 18 editorial shows your bias (Americans finding leadership from mayors, governors not the president). Of President Donald Trump you say he isnt showing any leadership. Let me ask: What else do you want him to do? Maybe he should be like President Barack Obama in 2009 when 12,500 people died from swine flu in the United States. Harry Lynch, Toms River Dem governors deserve credit for action The editorial Americans finding leadership from mayors, governors not the president clearly detailed President Donald Trumps lies and misdeeds in the recent past, and his failed and trifling response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is uplifting to hear and see the implementation of new tri-state rules for combating the virus by Govs. Andrew Cuomo of New York, Phil Murphy of New Jersey and Ned Lamont of Connecticut all Democrats. This is the polar opposite of Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, who tweeted about eating with his kids in a packed restaurant, discrediting the plan of social distancing, before finally reversing his negligent statement. Sal R. Pauciello, Irvington Voters, not establishment, push Sanders out Contrary to Carl Goldens unsupported claims (Bernie learned an important lesson: The empire strikes back, guest opinion column), it was not the establishment that has doomed Sen. Bernie Sanders presidential campaign it was rank-and-file Democratic primary voters. Sanders did not carry a single county in any of Florida, Michigan, Minnesota or Missouri despite a huge advantage in fundraising, and his support never exceeded 35% of voters in any state. Former Vice President Joe Biden attracted virtually all the supporters of Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar, Kamala Harris and Cory Booker as well as former Mayor Pete Buttigieg. David Machlowitz, Westfield The Star-Ledger/NJ.com encourages submissions of opinion. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow us on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and on Facebook at NJ.com Opinion. Get the latest news updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. UPRx.com announces a new solution eliminating exorbitant costs associated with prescription medications. With the launch of its website, UPRx gives all Americans unprecedented access to the lowest available prices for prescription drugs regardless of their insurance status. The significant rise in drug prices, even for those insured, has forced many US citizens to travel as far as Canada to defray prescription costs. UPRx.com carries 1000s of drugs- some even priced at $10 or less, creating savings of up to 50% on prescriptions when filled via their partner pharmacy, Apogee BioPharm. With 62% of Americans rating healthcare as the most or second most important issue facing the future of America, reigning in drug prices is a potent issue ahead of the 2020 US election. Lack of health insurance and/or high out-of-pocket medical expenses are barriers to accessing health care, and with any barrier to care, the patient loses out, says UPRx COO Ethan Welwart. When patients are forced to make a choice between quality care or more affordable medication, care is often compromised. No one should have to make that choice. With our deeply discounted prices, FREE home delivery, and exceptional customer service, UPRx.com bridges this gap and ensures premium healthcare to ALL Americans, regardless of insurance plan. In tandem with their pharmacy website, UPRx has also just announced the launch of their new Telehealth app- Care by UPRx, created to support patients needing a prescription in addition to the medication itself. Care by UPRx is a HIPAA -compliant virtual health app, used to connect patients in need of prescription medication with US licensed providers in 48 States. Compatible with all devices, the app is available for download through The Apple App Store or Androids Google Play, by searching for Care by UPRX. While normally incurring a $5 fee per Telehealth visit, use of the app will be free for registered UPRx.com patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, in an effort to further prioritize the health of their customers. UPRx.com and Care by UPRx are available to all North America and are remarkably simple to use. With no membership fees or monthly premiums, it only takes seconds to sign up, even allowing multiple Patient Profiles for family members to store their information and order everyones medication seamlessly. Users visit UPRx.com, search for the prescribed medication, and can purchase it for cash after inputting their provider/pharmacys contact information to facilitate the prescription transfer. If there is no current prescription for the drug, the user can use UPRxs newly launched Telehealth app, Care by UPRx, and speak with an accredited, third-party physician to request a prescription. Once the prescription is submitted or transferred to the pharmacy, the medication is shipped to the patients door absolutely FREE. Currently available for cash only, UPRx is able to offer the best prices by cutting out the middleman and doing the negotiating themselves, much like an insurance company would- providing patients with the same drugs, for less pay. In fact, there are some instances where its significantly cheaper to pay cash for a medication rather than order it through an insurers pharmacy benefits program. UPRx capitalizes on this by purveying locally-sourced products, directly, for a fraction of the price. UPRx.com allows patients to: Access lower priced medications with or without insurance Bypass insurance limitations and high copays Avoid the hassle of going to the pharmacy to fill prescriptions. Consult with Doctors quickly and easily Receive medications delivered to their door with complete discretion. Get the Care they deserve from the comfort of their homes UPRx.com is fully registered and operates in multiple locations across the United States of America. Their partner pharmacy, Apogee BioPharm is licensed and operated in 49 states and Puerto Rico. Their Telehealth app, Care by UPRx is registered in 48 States. When UPRx obtains medical information while acting on a patients behalf, they maintain the privacy and security of that information in accordance with the standards of the HIPAA security regulations. SOURCE UPRx.com Related Links: https://uprx.com/ https://qrco.de/CareByUPRx After the Union Home Ministry issued an order to implement lockdown measures strictly across the country, the Uttarakhand government on Sunday revoked its decision to give relaxation in the nationwide curfew on March 31. The Union Home Ministry, under Section 10(2)(I) of the Disaster Management Act issued the order to implement lockdown measures for the containment of the spread of COVID-19 in the country. The Chief Minister's Office informed that the decision to grant relaxation in curfew on March 31 between 7 am and 8 pm now stands cancelled. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24 announced a 21-day lockdown in the entire country to deal with the spread of the coronavirus, saying that "social distancing" is the only option to deal with the disease, which spreads rapidly. A total of 1024 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported in India. 27 deaths have been caused due to COVID-19 in the country, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Sunday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chinas air force and navy are keeping a close watch on US freedom of navigation patrols in the South China Sea, and military experts expect sabre-rattling over the disputed waters to intensify. As both nations fight the coronavirus pandemic the United States has now overtaken China as the country with the most cases in the world the Peoples Liberation Army is expected to step up drills in the region to boost combat training. The latest were joint exercises by its air force and navy that simulated face-to-face encounters with invading foreign aircraft and warships in the South China Sea on March 10, according to the official PLA Daily. The drills included searches of unidentified foreign aircraft with the help of surface vessels, and driving enemy planes out of Chinas airspace even shooting them down with missiles to stop them from attacking Chinese warships, the report said. The USS McCampbell transits the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday. Photo: US Pacific Fleet Those exercises took place the same day guided-missile destroyer the USS McCampbell was conducting a freedom of navigation operation the second by the US Navy this year near the contested Paracel Islands, according to a statement from the US Seventh Fleet. The islands and reefs are controlled by China but also claimed by Vietnam. A photo taken by the US Navy showed a Type 054A PLA Navy frigate had been sent to track the American warship as it patrolled. The US Navy said the Chinese frigate had warned the destroyer to leave the area. Colonel Li Huamin, a spokesman for the PLAs Southern Theatre Command, later told the military newspaper that the US has repeatedly flexed its muscles, been provocative and stirred up trouble in the South China Sea. Beijing-based military expert Zhou Chenming said the increasing number of American freedom of navigation patrols carried out in the South China Sea had given the PLA more opportunities for combat training. So far, all the weapon systems deployed by China in the South China Sea have been defensive, Zhou said. They included the HQ-9 missile defence system the PLA has deployed to artificial islands in the contested Spratlys chain. Story continues But the US Navys intensified live-fire exercises in the region will be an incentive for the PLA to stage more drills of its own, he added. An aerial view of an uninhabited island in the Spratlys. China has deployed an HQ-9 missile defence system to artificial islands in the chain. Photo: Reuters Tensions between the two militaries have been building in recent months. In February, the US Navy said a Chinese destroyer pointed a laser at an American P-8A surveillance aircraft while it was on a routine operation over international waters about 610km (380 miles) west of Guam. China claimed the US had abused freedom of navigation rights according to international law. In the Philippine Sea, near the East and South China seas, warships from the US Pacific Fleet led by the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft strike group conducted a series of exercises in recent weeks, the US Seventh Fleet said on its Facebook page. That included a live-fire missile test on March 19, with guided-missile destroyer the USS Barry and guided-missile cruiser the USS Shiloh both launching a medium-range Standard Missile-2. Both the USS Barry and USS Shiloh were equipped with several types of missiles, such as the more aggressive Tomahawk cruise missile, but they didnt use them and instead tested the defensive SM-2 missile, Zhou said, adding that the Tomahawk cruise missiles would have been more of a threat to Chinas artificial island and military outposts in the South China Sea. Since Xi Jinping came to power in late 2012, Beijing has spent trillions of yuan to build eight artificial islands, as well as more than two dozen island outposts around disputed reefs and islets in the strategic waterway, where the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan all have competing territorial claims, allowing it to deploy missile batteries, radar systems and aircraft hundreds of miles from the Chinese mainland. Chi Le-yi, a military observer based in Taipei, said both China and the US had been trying to extend their military presence in the region. [They] are trying to move forward by testing the bottom line, but both have been very careful when they take a step because neither side wants to cause a real military conflict, Chi said. Thats why the US Navy chose to stay in the Philippine Sea, and it has been just transiting the Taiwan Strait in routine patrols because [Washington] realises that Beijing cant afford to lose [Taiwan]. Purchase the China AI Report 2020 brought to you by SCMP Research and enjoy a 20% discount (original price US$400). This 60-page all new intelligence report gives you first-hand insights and analysis into the latest industry developments and intelligence about China AI. Get exclusive access to our webinars for continuous learning, and interact with China AI executives in live Q&A. Offer valid until 31 March 2020. More from South China Morning Post: This article Beijing may step up drills in South China Sea amid rising tensions with US military, analysts say first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. Two siblings owning and operating a truck service were on Sunday booked for allegedly ferrying 64 labourers illegally to Uttar Pradesh, Saki Naka police in Mumbai said. The labourers were found crammed in the truck in the early hours of the day in Powai, an official said. "Amjad Ali Razzak Shah (32) who was driving the truck and his brother Mohammad Shah who owns the vehicle have been booked. They were charging Rs 2,500 per person to transport them to Uttar Pradesh," an official said. Zone X Deputy Commissioner of Police Ankit Goel said the labourers were let off while civic authorities were asked to provide them food and other basic amenities. "We registered a case under section 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the IPC. Both have been detained," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The source code of the infamous Dharma ransomware is now available for sale on two Russian-language hacking forums. The source code of one of the most profitable ransomware families, the Dharma ransomware, is up for sale on two Russian-language hacking forums. The Dharma ransomware first appeared on the threat landscape in February 2016, at the time experts dubbed it Crysis. The CrySis ransomware was first spotted in by experts at ESET, the malware has infected systems, mostly in Russia, Japan, South and North Korea, and Brazil. At the time, threat actors were spreading the ransomware via email attachments with double file extensions or via malicious links embedded in spam emails. In November 2016, the master decryption keys for Crysis were released online, victims of CrySis versions 2 and 3 were able to recover their files. The decryption keys for the CrySis ransomware were posted online on the BleepingComputer.com forum by a user known as crss7777 who shared a link to a C header file containing the actual master decryption keys and information on how to utilize them. The popular expert Lawrence Abrams speculates the user crss7777 could be a member of the development team. A few weeks later, the CrySiS RaaS was re-launched under the name of Dharma. The source is offered for a price as low as $2,000, as reported by ZDNet. Several ransomware experts who spoke with ZDNet today said the sale of the Dharma ransomware code would most likely result in its eventual leak on the public internet, and to a wider audience. reads the post published by This, in turn, would result in the broader proliferation among multiple cybercrime groups, and an eventual surge in attacks. The availability of the source code online will allow threat actors to create their own versions and start distributing them. Malware researchers consider the encryption scheme very sophisticated, but in March 2017 its alleged Master Keys have been released by a member using the online moniker gektar on BleepingComputer.com forums . The user published a post containing a Pastebin link to a header file in C programming languages that supposedly contains the master decryption keys. The Dharma ransomware received numerous updates over the years, in 2019 a new piece of ransomware subbed Phobos emerged online. According to Malwarebytes, the Phobos ransomware was quite identical to the Dharma ransomware, both ransomware families remained active over 2019. John Fokker, head of cyber investigations at McAfee, told ZDNet that the Dharma code had already been circulating in the hacker underground for quite some time and that its only now surfacing on more public forums. concluded ZDNet. Pierluigi Paganini Around the world, countries are closing their borders to stop the spread of COVID-19, leaving many families divided. Russia has banned all foreigners without a permanent residence permit from entering, leaving dozens of people trapped inside airports. KYODO NEWS - Mar 29, 2020 - 21:30 | All, Japan, Coronavirus At least 68 new coronavirus infections were confirmed in Tokyo on Sunday, its biggest daily increase, a metropolitan government official said, as the capital struggles with a recent surge in the number of cases. The figure followed 63 reported on Saturday and 40 on Friday, bringing the total number of cases in Tokyo to 430, the largest among Japan's 47 prefectures. Of the increase on Sunday, 27 cases were from Eiju General Hospital in Taito Ward, taking the total there to 96, with authorities suspecting in-hospital infections. (Eiju General Hospital) Domestic infections confirmed so far topped 2,500 on Sunday, including those from the quarantined cruise ship Diamond Princess, as well as people repatriated from China's Wuhan, where the outbreak began, with government-chartered planes, according to local governments. In Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, an additional 20 cases were reported in a group infection at a welfare facility, where 58 had been found infected by Saturday. Eight family members of its infected staff were also confirmed Sunday to have contracted the virus, the prefectural government said. At the facility, Hokuso Ikusei-en, in the town of Tonosho, people with disabilities engage in craftwork, horticulture and other activities. Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike has asked nearly 14 million residents in the city to stay indoors this weekend to prevent a spread of the virus while surrounding prefectures also responded by requesting that their residents refrain from traveling to the capital on Saturday and Sunday. Tokyo was facing an "important phase in preventing an explosive rise in the number of infections," Koike told a press conference on Friday. (Hokuso Ikusei-en) Related coverage: 63 new COVID-19 cases found in Tokyo, biggest for single day 58 people infected with COVID-19 at welfare facility in Chiba EUGENE, Ore. -- The Lane County Farmers Market, recognized as a grocery store by the City of Eugene, will remain open on Saturdays. Their highest priority is to keep the community safe, and they plan to operate in a way that allows attendees to shop locally. The market issued a safety plan for how they plan to proceed, after the Executive Order was issued by Governor Brown. The first hour of the farmers market is reserved for individuals over the age of 60 and those in high-risk groups. Patricia Rogers Garcia is the founder of Salsa Garcia, the owner of an authentic Mexican salsa brand. She has a booth at the Lane County Farmers Market every Saturday and said that serious precautions are being taken. Garcia said she brings gloves to the market, keeps her sanitizer close and even has a washing station. Everybody has to stay six feet apart from each other, and theyre not able to touch my products, Garcia said. I hand the product to them. Garcia said that while the Winter Market is slower, she has still seen a steady flow of community members who come out to shop. Its nice to be outside," Garcia said. "I know everybody is supposed to stay at home but I think that from what I hear its better to be outdoors than in a confined area when you go shopping. Vendors are spaced out to allow shoppers to keep their distance. The farmers market has provided a foot-activated handwashing station. For vendors who are ill, cancellation fees are waived. The community is highly advised to practice social distancing and to only touch what they plan to buy. They are also advised not to show up if they have any symptoms or have been exposed to someone with symptoms. Eugene resident Larry Null said that he and his wife have been doing their best to connect with friends and family over the phone. Todays market allowed them to get some fresh air. Weve been stuck at home for the last two weeks just dying to get out and get some fresh produce and be out with some people finally, Null said. The Lane County Farmers Market will remain open Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information on the steps the market is taking, click here. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle still cannot find the ideal residence to live in. Now, their indecisiveness could have just put baby Archie in danger. While every member of the royal family, most especially Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles, engaged themselves in strict quarantine, Prince Harry and Meghan packed their things up again and jetted to Los Angeles. Since the coronavirus outbreak in Canada is already getting out of hand, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex made another heartbreaking but aggressive move to relocate in order to protect their 10-month old son, Archie. "They have been living in a secluded compound and haven't ventured out amid the coronavirus pandemic," a source told People, confirming that they no longer reside in Vancouver Island. The news about the family-of-three moving to where Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland, lives came one day after the Clarence House revealed that Prince Charles has tested positive for COVID-19. In addition, the Duchess' friends divulged that Archie's mother has been taking precautionary steps to double the protection for her son. In fact, Meghan made her Canadian staff wear latex gloves to prevent the virus from reaching them. To recall, the Sussexes also tried to protect Archie last time when they left him in Canada while they returned to the U.K. However, that seems to be odd now since they decided to leave Canada and risk exposing their son to the infectious disease just to go to Los Angeles. It is also worth mentioning that the U.S. is now the worst-infected country in the world, so moving Archie to Los Angeles only increases the risk to him and to the family. The Telegraph's writer Briony Gordon said, "The decision to leave Archie behind in Canada came not out of petty spite, as reported in some areas, but out of concern for his health during the threat of a global pandemic." Aside from their goal to safeguard the family, royal photographer Arthur Edwards believed that Prince Harry and Meghan's move was "not a surprise" since they felt "cut off" from the outside world. "They tried palace life in Britain, but it didn't work out. So they have switched from Harry's home town to Meghan's," Edwards narrated about the ambitious couple's decision. "In a way it's exchanging one goldfish bowl for another but it's a city where Meghan has deep personal and professional connections." Prince Harry Stressed It is not only Archie who is having a hard time, though. Jetting back and forth from the U.K. and Canada then traveling to another country once again while his family members are suffering might have been so difficult for the Duke of Sussex. A close friend of the Duke told the Daily Mail that Harry is feeling "a bit helpless and isolated out in the middle of nowhere." To think that his 71-year-old father already caught the disease and his grandmother is doing self-quarantine alone must have been so draining for him. Despite that, he still receives support from the Prince of Wales as he has been in touch with his two sons after he confirmed his diagnosis. Harry, despite all these hassles, did his part to minimize the possible spread of the virus by postponing his long-awaited Invictus Games in May at The Hague. Even the royal family members took their own necessary extreme measures to fight against the pandemic while waiting for the things to get better. Brooklyn Beckham is reportedly moving in with his girlfriend Nicola Peltz in New York. A source claimed the aspiring photographer, 21, is planning to set up home in the States after ending his internship with iconic photographer Rankin. Brooklyn has been dating actress Nicola, 25, since November after he split from model Hana Cross in August. Getting serious: Brooklyn Beckham, 21, is reportedly moving in with his girlfriend Nicola Peltz, 25, in New York, just four months after they started dating An insider told The Sun On Sunday that Brooklyn and Nicola first decided to move in together in November, and the couple are currently self-isolating in her New York apartment. The move also reportedly has the backing of Brooklyn's famous parents David and Victoria, who seem to think they're the perfect match. The source said: '[Brooklyn] and Nicola are closer than ever and they are both excited to take their relationship to the next level by sharing the same home.' Setting up home: A source claimed the aspiring photographer, 21, is planning to set up home in the States as he and Nicola are currently in self-isolation in NYC (pictured February 2020) 'Nicola has been a big hit with the entire Beckham family - both David and Victoria have made it clear to Brooklyn how much they like her. So they completely support him in this move - though they will miss him a lot.' MailOnline has contacted representatives for Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz for comment. On Friday Victoria admitted that she was missing her son Brooklyn after he eas stranded in the US due to the coronavirus pandemic. Taking to Instagram to share Brooklyn's latest post about his Icon Magazine photoshoot, she declared: 'We are all missing @BrooklynBeckham so much as he remains in lockdown in the US. 'Seeing this self-portrait he did for @ico_n brought a smile to all our faces this morning!' Nicola's breakthrough role as an actress came in the 2010 film The Last Airbender and she is also known for starring as Bradley Martin in the series Bates Motel. Since they started dating in November, the pair have been heavily documenting their blossoming romance on social media, with Brooklyn previously calling Nicola the 'love of my life.' Distance: Brooklyn and Nicola have been documenting their time holed up in NYC, after his mum Victoria admitted on Instagram she missed him Brooklyn had been linked to a string of women over the past few months, before meeting Nicola, following his split from model Hana Cross, including Canadian actress Natalie Ganzhorn, 21, and brunette actress Phoebe Torrance, 25. Most recently it was claimed he and Lottie Moss had a 'secret fling' before he started dating his now ex-girlfriend Hana. Earlier this month, American actress Nicola declared that she and Brooklyn will be together 'forever' as she stressed the strength of their relationship alongside a steamy photograph shared to Instagram. By Express News Service If you or your loved ones are in Tamil Nadu during the lockdown, here are the numbers you can dial if you require any kind of assistance. 1. Control room for people who need to travel for emergencies: 75300 01100 (call/whatsapp)/ Email: gcpcorona2020@gmail.com 2. Health emergency - 104 3. Dialysis emergency - 102 4. Ambulance - 108 5. District emergency helpline - 1077 6. Health control room - 1800 120 555550 7. Helpline for persons with disabilities - 1800 425001 8. Institute of Mental Health tele-counselling main - 044-2642 5585 Additionally, the Tamil Nadu State Physiotherapy Council's State & District wise Coordinators contact Numbers for Tele-Counselling on physical therapy for aches and pains for persons with disabilities are also released: Below is the list of Contact Numbers of DMHP Tele-Counselling Team: Having triggered the migrant exodus, the Centre now works the levers to stop it Migrant workers walk on NH 24 near Akshardham in East Delhi to go to their villages in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. (PTI) New Delhi: As India entered Day 5 of a 21-day lockdown, eight more Covid-19 deaths were reported from six states, taking the toll to 27 on Sunday. On the positive side, of the 1,024 active cases, 95 patients have been cured and discharged. However, the spread of the highly contagious virus has more than doubled from 75 districts to 160 in the last six days. And 106 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours. In a bid to stop community transmission of the virus, the central government has ordered the sealing of state and district borders across India to discourage the movement of migrant workers, many thousands of whom have set out to return to their villages after the lockdown left them jobless. The Centre said Sunday that all those violating the lockdown restrictions will be sent to 14-day quarantine. States have been directed to allow only the movement of essential commodities and stop peoples movement on highways or across cities. The Prime Ministers Office (PMO) has constituted 11 high-level committees to suggest measures to ramp up healthcare, put the economy back on track, and minimize the pain of people as quickly as possible. So far, Maharashtra has reported six deaths, Gujarat five, Karnataka three, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Jammu & Kashmir two each; and Kerala, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Punjab, West Bengal and Himachal Pradesh have reported one each. With 203 cases, Maharashtra is the state worst hit by Covid-19, followed by Kerala with 182. In Telangana, the number rose to 66, including 10 foreigners, while Karnataka has reported 76 cases. In Tamil Nadu 50 people, including six foreigners, have tested positive. Here's the the statewise breakup of corona+ cases: Maharashtra: 203 Kerala: 182 Telangana: 66 (10 foreigners) Karnataka: 76 Tamil Nadu: 50 (six foreigners) Rajasthan: 55 (two foreigners) Uttar Pradesh: 65 (one foreigner) Gujarat: 58 (1 foreigner) Delhi: 72 Punjab: 38 Haryana: 33 (14 foreigners) Madhya Pradesh: 30 Jammu & Kashmir: 31 West Bengal: 18 Andhra Pradesh: 19 Ladakh: 13 Bihar: 11 Chandigarh: 8 Chhattisgarh: 7 Uttarakhand: 7 (one foreigner) Himachal Pradesh: 3 Odisha: 3 Andaman & Nicobar: 9 Goa: 5 Puducherry: 1 Mizoram: 1 Manipur: 1 On Sunday, the Centre issued fresh directions to all states and Union territories to strictly enforce the three-week lockdown. During a video conference with chief secretaries and DGPs, cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba and Union home secretary Ajay Bhalla directed that district magistrates and SPs should be made personally responsible for the implementation of the lockdown. The two top central officials told the chiefs of police and civil administrations of all states to make adequate arrangements for food and shelter for poor and needy people, including migrant workers at their place of work. The central government has already issued orders allowing the use of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) funds for this purpose. The states have been told to ensure the timely payment of wages to workers at their place of work during the lockdown without any cut. They have been directed to ensure that even house rent is not demanded from labourers for this period. They have also sought action against anyone who asks labourers or students to vacate their homes. Meanwhile, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said that cargo flights will be used exclusively for transporting medical equipment and emergency goods, besides other essential items to the northeastern states, in the wake of the countrywide lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak. "We are in various stages of discussions with our landlords regarding ongoing rent obligations, including the potential deferral, abatement and/or restructuring of rent otherwise payable during the period of the COVID-19 related closure," Cheesecake Factory said in an SEC filing. Notably, earlier this week, national restaurant chain The Cheesecake Factory said it will not be paying rent in April, as its shops remain shut to the public because of COVID-19. It has 294 locations across North America, many of which are in enclosed shopping malls. Cheesecake Factory also is furloughing roughly 41,000 hourly workers. "The rental income that we receive from tenants is essential in order to meet these obligations," Taubman said. "All tenants will be expected to meet their lease obligations." (See the full memo below.) In a memo dated March 25, which was obtained by CNBC, the real estate investment trust said it still has its own obligations to meet such as paying lenders on mortgages and paying for utilities. U.S. mall owner Taubman is telling its tenants that they must pay rent amid the coronavirus pandemic. A view of the Cheesecake Factory at the Short Hills Mall on March 18, 2020 in Millburn, New Jersey. Taubman has one Cheesecake Factory location, according to an analysis by RBC Capital Markets and Costar Realty. The biggest mall owner in the U.S., Simon Property Group, has 29 of them. Real estate analysts tell CNBC that Cheesecake Factory's decision to forego making rent payments will likely set a precedent for other restaurant operators and retailers to follow suit. Many have been in talks, CNBC previously reported, over what to do about paying these bills. The consequences of still having to pay rent on a location that is not in business could deal a huge blow to some retailers that are already strained for cash. But landlords, such as Taubman, are also still on the hook, even if their malls are entirely shut down for the time being. Many of them have properties backed by mortgages that must be paid on. "I have no idea where this is going to shake out," Vince Tibone, a lead retail analyst at commercial real estate services firm Green Street Advisors, said in an interview. But landlords and tenants will end up "sharing the burden," in some way, he said. Taubman announced earlier this month that all of its properties will be closed through at least the end of March, except for two centers, which are open-air. The announcement by Taubman came a day after its larger rival, Simon, said it was shutting all of its malls and outlet centers temporarily, to try to help halt the spread of COVID-19. Simon in February said it would be acquiring Taubman, in a deal valued at $3.6 billion. The transaction is still expected to close in 2020. "We are attempting to navigate through this situation in the best way we can, while being as flexible as we can with our tenants in light of our ongoing obligations," a Taubman spokeswoman told CNBC in an emailed statement on Sunday. "The tenant memo does not replace our willingness to talk to each tenant about their respective challenges and help them chart an appropriate course for the future," she said. "In fact, we've had numerous calls with our long-standing tenants and most fully understand our position as it is a challenging time for all involved. Naturally, the environment is much harder for smaller, less-established temporary occupants that may only be operating in one center." Here is the letter sent to Taubman's tenants, dated March 25, in full: Breweries in Assam which had closed operations due to the lockdown to check the spread of coronavirus, have now resumed work to supply 5 lakh litres of hand sanitizer free to the state government to fight the virus, the states excise minister said Sunday. The move was initiated after the supply of hand sanitizers failed to match the demand and those available in the market were sold at very high rates or were of dubious quality. The demand for sanitizers has gone through the roof following the coronavirus pandemic. No one has yet tested positive in Assam. Follow coronavirus live updates here. We have signed agreements with 11 private factories to supply hand sanitizers. They have already started working on it, Assam excise minister Parimal Suklabaidya said. Also read: India registers 979 Covid-19 cases, death toll rises to 25: Govt The move was initiated after talks with National Health Mission (NHM), Assam revealed hand sanitizers were being sold at exorbitant rates and there was suspicion about their content, he added. According to World Health Organization (WHO) standards, hand sanitizers should have at least 60% ethanol or isopropyl alcohol for them to be effective against coronavirus. As per the agreement, the factories will be able to produce hand sanitizers on a mass scale. While they will sell part of the content at a no-profit price of Rs 50 for a 200 ml bottle, rest of the production, i.e. 5 lakh litres, will be given free to government as part of corporate social responsibility (CSR) of the companies. Once the factories start supply in a phase-wise manner, there will be 25 lakh bottles of hand sanitizers available for free with the state government and NHM which they will be able to distribute in hospitals and to the public. They have already started giving us the sanitizers and we will soon start distribution. As of now we will supply across Assam. If we are able to meet our requirement, we might supply to other states too, said Suklabaidya. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The US government could take equity shares in airlines and other troubled but vital American corporations as it moves to stabilize an economy amid the new coronavirus pandemic, top US officials said Sunday. White House economics adviser Larry Kudlow said the government should get a stake in companies that receive direct cash grants from the federal government. "I think in return for direct cash grants, which is what the airlines have asked for, I see no reason why the American taxpayer shouldn't get a piece," he said on "Fox Sunday." Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, speaking on CBS's "Face the Nation" talk show, also said the government could take equity positions in return for infusions of taxpayer money. "As the president said, we'll look at each one of these situations," he said. "Some of them are very good companies that just need liquidity and will get loans. Some of these companies may need more significant help and we may be taking warrants or equity as well as that. "The president wants to make sure the American taxpayers are compensated. This is not a bailout." Mnuchin said any such transactions would take the form of warrants, a type of security that gives its holder the right to buy or sell an asset at a certain price up to a certain date determined when it is emitted. Warrants can thus be converted into shares. The massive financial rescue plan passed by the US Congress designates $50 billion for the airline industry. Half that sum would take the form of loan guarantees, and the rest direct cash payments. Invoking their importance to the economy and the social risks if they fail, Boeing and the US airlines have demanded an unprecedented government bailout. Air transportation has been one of the hardest hit sectors by the COVID-19 epidemic. Most transatlantic flights by US airlines have been suspended, as have 40 to 70 percent of domestic flights. Bailouts using taxpayer money in the form of direct financial infusions or loans guaranteed by the federal government would follow a decade of growth in which the airlines made billions of dollars. A number of voices have been raised, particularly among Democrats, insisting that certain conditions be met in extending public support to corporations, including equity participation in those companies. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) London: Hundreds of Indian students stranded in the UK have appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to organise a rescue flight amid the ongoing travel ban enforced by India to control the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. A group of at least 380 students from India has started a data chain with their passport details to create a collective voice to lobby the Indian government for action. Among them is a group of marine engineers from Kerala enrolled at the South Tyneside College in Tyne and Wear in north-east England, who were due to fly back to India after giving their management level exams this week. "Our exams were supposed to happen on 23rd and 24th of March, but got cancelled on the 23rd after getting the question paper at the exam centre, by which time India's travel ban was in place," said Akhil Dharmaraj, First Engineer with NYK Ship Management who would be promoted to Chief Engineer once he clears his UK exams. However, he and other mariners in a similar situation have no information about the rescheduling of their exams as they remain in self-isolation in shared apartments and hostels, stepping out only to buy essentials from supermarkets where they are faced with long queues and empty shelves. They have not been able to access any protective masks, gloves or sanitisers and are worried about contracting the deadly virus while miles away from their loved ones in India. "I have information directly from Cochin Airport that recently a flight with Indian nationals landed from Sydney. Indians have been evacuated from other countries around the world as well but we are not sure why we have been abandoned and how we can make our voice heard to Prime Minister Modi," said Dharmaraj, who is part of a WhatsApp group of fellow Indian students based in different parts of England and Scotland. "As we began the list, it just kept growing. Most of us came on short term student visas and are the supporting members of our family back in India," said the 32-year-old, who has a three-year-old daughter back home in Cochin. The UK Home Office has recently confirmed that any foreign students or professionals on visas that had expired or expiring would be given an extension at least until May 31. Many of the stranded students, who are from different parts of India, including Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Maharashtra and Uttarakhand, expressed their relief at the visa extension announcement but they remain concerned about the limited resources at their disposal in the face of mounting accommodation and essentials costs. Besides, many are exposed to greater risk of contracting COVID-19 due to being crammed into packed hostels with shared kitchen and bathroom facilities during the current lockdown imposed in the UK. "Sir please if you can look into this matter because like me many of my Indian friends who came to UK for studies are stuck," said Margesh Raj from Coventry University in his plea to Prime Minister Modi on Twitter. These students have also been creating videos to post on social media and appealing through the Indian High Commission in London, which has asked them to register their details. Indian students' representative groups such as the National Indian Students and Alumni Union UK (NISAU-UK) and the Indian National Students Association (INSA) have also been issuing advisories and providing assistance. The NISAU-UK has launched a new Home Away From Home virtual initiative targeted at this group of Indians, who find themselves stranded in the UK as a result of the lockdowns in both the countries. "These are testing times for all, and we understand just how difficult it is for students in particular to be away from their families right now, as most of our volunteers are going through the same," said a NISAU-UK spokesperson. "There are a series of activities planned, ranging from Netflix parties to webinars to career development and sessions from stand-up comics. We have extended this initiative to all Indians, no matter where in the world you are NISAU has got your back," the spokesperson said. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has appealed to all Members of Parliament to contribute at least Rs 1 crore from their MPLADS funds to the Centre in the fight against COVID-19. In a letter to all MPs, the Vice President stressed on the variety of measures being undertaken by the government, and other stakeholders, including the private sector to control and mitigate situation. Stressing on the need for the enormous amount of resources -- financial, material and human -- to successfully combat COVID-19, he said the government is pooling financial resources from various avenues to augment the availability of funds at the national, state and district levels. He observed that MPs' prompt action will greatly help India in its fight against COVID-19 and requested them to give their consent to centrally earmark an amount of at least Rs 1 crore initially from their MPLAD Scheme for the Financial Year 2020-21. The Vice President further pointed out that the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation has suitably amended the relevant guidelines to allow one-time dispensation under MPLADS for managing COVID-19. On Friday, Naidu had contributed a month's salary to the Prime Minister's Relief Fund (PMNRF) to strengthen the government's efforts in combating COVID-19 outbreak in the country.In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Vice President had described COVID-19 as a calamity of extremely severe nature, which has claimed a heavy toll of life across the globe.He said that India is fighting the pandemic by taking timely and emergent measures from time to time under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi. "This is my small contribution to the cause," Naidu said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Trend Azerbaijans Azermash OJSC will start exporting cars abroad this year, Emin Akhundov, Chairman of the OJSC, told Trend. "From October 2018 through February 2020, Azermash produced 4,000 cars. In April 2020, it is planned to begin the first export to Ukraine," Akhundov stressed. "The next stage will be export to Uzbekistan in 2020. But it's too early to talk about the timing," the chairman added. Talking about electric cars, he said the demand for these vehicles is low in the Azerbaijani market. Akhundov said that electric cars are not profitable in for Azerbaijan, as there is no corresponding infrastructure for them. "The price of the new electric car exceeds $20,000. These cars cannot work adequately in the winter so far. But Azerbaijan is able to create the necessary infrastructure so that these vehicles comprise 50 percent of all cars in the near future," he added. "The production of electric cars requires much less money than of cars with a gasoline engine. The transition to electric cars will be more profitable for car manufacturers, not only because they are environment-friendly, but also from an economic point of view," said Akhundov. Touching upon the issue of expansion of production, the chairman emphasized that the construction of a plant for the production of small trucks and vans in the Hajigabul industrial quarter of Azerbaijan is ongoing, and is expected to be completed by the summer of 2020. "According to our estimates, the construction of this facility will be completed by June 2020. The share of Azermash in the construction of a plant for the production of small-tonnage trucks will be 100 percent," the chairman said. Irish food producers are facing a major crisis with the closure of lucrative markets worth hundreds of millions to the sector, Bord Bia has warned. The meat industry alone has seen at least a third of its 1bn market in the UK wiped out overnight with the closure of restaurants and food service outlets, said Bord Bia CEO Tara McCarthy. She told the Sunday Independent that once these markets were gone, there was no guarantee they would come back. She appealed to Irish consumers to support smaller food producers in particular which are set to be worst hit from the shutdown. "It's been a sharp shock to the system over the last two weeks. For many companies, working capital is one of the key hits," said McCarthy. A loosening of EU state aid rules may become a key part of the fightback and negotiations are under way, she said. Just two months ago, Bord Bia announced that the sector's exports had reached an historic high of 13bn in 2019. McCarthy said it was impossible to say how big a dent the coronavirus would put in that figure, but important sectors such as meat, seafood and alcohol had all taken immediate and substantial hits. "The UK market took about 265,000 tonnes of beef in 2019, 47pc of our total exports," said McCarthy, adding that this had been worth 990m in total. About 45pc of that went into the retail sector, 30pc into food service and 25pc into manufacturing. "So we've lost that 30pc of the market that went into food service. Yes, you've had a boost in the retail segment from shoppers but they're shopping for different products. "Instead of the steak bought by food service they are buying the mince that many of us are more likely to cook at home. That is a different price proposition." McCarthy said the agency was already working to "figure out what the reset will look like and what behaviours that consumers are now adapting to will stick when all of this is over". She said: "Will there be a sentiment of looking at small businesses and wanting to support artisan or wanting to support buying your own local nationality? And, as an export-oriented country, how do we prepare for and be ahead of that?" McCarthy said Bord Bia was already examining how markets such as China, which is beginning to emerge from its Covid-19 shutdown, are adapting in the aftermath. She said: "We also have to start looking for inspiration at the big thinking that was done after other hits that the world has taken, for example in the legacy of the financial crisis." - Ruto noted the coronavirus pandemic was serious and require firm measures to curb it from spreading - He urged the police to act firmly but with restraint and civility while enforcing the presidential decree - Ruto's take on the elusive curfew comes barely hours after hundreds of Kenyans who were got on the wrong side of the law on Friday evening were treated to police brutality Deputy President William Ruto has asked Kenyan to respect President Uhuru Kenyatta's curfew directive that commenced on Friday, March 27. Ruto noted the coronavirus pandemic was serious and required firm measures to be overcome. READ ALSO: No mercy: Moses Kuria tells police to do everything to make Kenyans safe from coronavirus William Ruto has asked all Kenyans to respect the curfew directive issued by President Uhuru Kenyatta. Photo: William Ruto. Source: UGC READ ALSO: I'm sorry: Kilifi deputy governor Gideon Saburi apologises for refusing to self-quarantine Through his Twitter handle on Saturday, March 28, the DP urged the police to act firmly but with restraint and civility while enforcing the presidential decree. "Fellow citizens, the coronavirus pandemic is serious, very serious. The curfew (partial lockdown) is meant to curtail movement so as to reduce the spread of the virus. Us all must comply with the terms of curfew without exception. Law enforcers must act firmly but with restraint and civility," tweeted the DP. Ruto's take on the elusive curfew comes barely hours after hundreds of Kenyans who were caught on the wrong side of the law on Friday evening ended up on the receiving end of police officer's rungus. Ugly scenes characterised by running battles and teargas canisters were witnessed in Nairobi and Mombasa as police officers swung into action with full force to enforce the directive. The incidences rattled many Kenyans who trooped to social media sites to call out the officers for clobbering citizens. A section of leaders have came out to condemn the manner in which law enforcers handled Kenyans who were caught outside their homes during curfew hours. Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho and his Kilifi counterpart Amason Jeffa Kingi were on the front line to call for police sanity and application of reasonable force during enforcement of the "partial lockdown" Kandara MP Alice Wahome also castigated the police for applying excessive force that left innocent Kenyans in pain and with serious injuries. Kenyan lawyers under their umbrella, Law Society of Kenya (LSK), vowed to challenge the enforcement of the curfew in court on Monday, March 30. The Society's president Nelson Havi said, while the presidential directive was in itself an illegality, the enforcers had violated it further by clobbering innocent citizens. "Law Society of Kenya will move to Court on Monday to challenge the curfew which is not only unconstitutional but has been abused by the police. It is evident that Covid-19 will be spread more by actions of police than of those claimed to have contravened the curfew," Havi said in the statement. Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly Kenyans angry message to President Uhuru over curfew I Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke By Trend A 35-day-old baby has been infected with the coronavirus in the Gonabad county of Razavi Khorasan province in northeastern Iran, said Rector of Gonabad University of Medical Sciences Javad Bazeli, Trend reports citing Tasnim news agency. According to Bazeli, the parents brought the baby to the hospital with symptoms of respiratory infection. Due to the suspicious situation, a coronavirus test was performed, and the result was declared positive. Bazeli added that given the age of the child, the baby is in good condition. Iran is one of the countries heavily affected by the rapidly-spreading coronavirus. According to recent reports from the Iranian officials, over 35,400 people have been infected, 2,517 people have already died. Meanwhile, over 11,600 people have reportedly recovered from the disease. The country continues to apply strict measures to contain the coronavirus' further spread. Reportedly, the disease was brought to Iran by a businessman from Iran's Qom city, who went on a business trip to China, despite official warnings. The Islamic Republic only announced its first infections and deaths from the coronavirus on February 19. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Boris Johnson is still 'very firmly in charge' of the coronavirus response despite being in isolation suffering from the disease, Michael Gove said today. The Cabinet minister said the PM will be chairing meetings by video conference this afternoon from his quarantine bunker in 11 Downing Street. He played down the prospect of anyone else in government needing to take the reins, saying 'modern technology' meant Mr Johnson could stay across everything that is happening. Mr Johnson and Health Secretary Matt Hancock both tested positive for the virus on Friday, while Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty has also gone into self-isolation after displaying symptoms. There is frenzied speculation over what other senior figures might be struck down with the disease, which seems to have spread like wildfire through Westminster. Boris Johnson (pictured chairing a meeting by video conference yesterday) is still 'very firmly in charge' of the coronavirus response despite being in isolation, Michael Gove said today Mr Gove raised concerns today by repeatedly coughing during an interview on the BBC's Andrew Marr show (pictured). But aides insisted he was displaying 'no symptoms' and had merely been 'clearing his throat'. Scottish Secretary Alister Jack has gone into isolation after developing a mild temperature and a cough. Mr Gove raised concerns today by repeatedly coughing during an interview on the BBC's Andrew Marr show. But aides insisted he was displaying 'no symptoms' and had merely been 'clearing his throat'. Mr Gove said Boris Johnson was 'very firmly in charge' of the Government following his positive diagnosis. He told Sky News that the Prime Minister had chaired a meeting on Friday from his study using 'modern technology'. 'He is very firmly in charge and later this afternoon the Prime Minister will also be hosting another meeting by video conference with the relevant ministers and officials,' he said. On who will take over should Mr Johnson become unwell, Mr Gove said: 'The designated deputy to the Prime Minister is the first Secretary of State, Dominic Raab.' Mr Johnson has gone into isolation in his flat above 11 Downing Street, while his pregnant fiancee Carrie Symonds has moved elsewhere. The Chancellor has given up his office space downstairs to make way for the PM, with aides leaving work and meals outside the door. Since Tony Blair Prime Ministers have regularly used the residence above No11 as it is bigger than the one above Number 10. Mr Blair himself said today it was 'perfectly possible'' for the PM to be in charge remotely, depending on how ill he was. A Labour MP and doctor today said that Mr Johnson and Mr Hancock should be self-isolating for 14 days rather than the seven suggested so far, as they might still be infectious. Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said he has developed mild symptoms of coronavirus and is self-isolating Rosena Allin-Khan, who has been working in a hospital during the crisis, said: 'Some people have had the disease process that lasted 12-14 days so for senior politicians such as the Prime Minister and the Health Secretary to suggest that they will return to work after seven days is a real worry for people working in the health sector like myself, because we need to save lives and we need people to properly observe self-isolation processes.'. Dr Allin-Khan complained it was 'unfair' that Mr Johnson had a coronavirus test when NHS staff are not getting access. 'These are the people who are at the front line, these are people who need to know whether or not they have the virus or not,' she told Sky News. 'So, if they feel better, if they're feeling poorly, they can return to work and keep working.' Dr Allin-Khan said testing this group was important to 'keep their families and communities safe' - adding she would like to see mass testing rolled out as soon as possible. 'It is absolutely urgent that NHS and care staff are tested and they have access to testing immediately,' she said. 'I'm not sure it's entirely fair that senior politicians are having access to testing when frontline NHS staff, who are going in to work night shifts, day shifts, double shifts at the moment, can't get the tests that they need.' The Prime Minister has announced a six month moratorium on evicting residential tenants during the coronavirus shutdown. There were no specifics in the announcement. "Evictions will be put on hold for six months by the states and territories," the PM announced. "Landlords and renters are encouraged to talk about short term agreements. "More information was to come this week," the official update advised. States and Territories will be moving to put a moratorium on evictions of persons as a result of financial distress if they are unable to meet their commitments and so there would be a moratorium on evictions for the next six months under those rental arrangements, Scott Morrison said. The president of the REIA, Adrian Kelly said while he is very supportive of the Government's efforts, the REIA was disappointed with the simplistic approach of the Prime Ministers message. He suggested the PM's message "ignores the tenancy arrangement and thus raises more questions than it answers." Real estate agents are the middle persons who facilitate the agreement between landlords and tenants and manage it as well as the property. There are some 70,000 property managers, principals, real estate agents and representatives across Australia. "Tenants dont negotiate with landlords. Banks have already indicated that they are offering customers the option to defer home loan repayments for up to six months. We need to address the support of agents so that what the Prime Minister wants, in terms of landlords and tenants - finding a solution to get through the crisis, can be achieved. Estate agents will work very hard to facilitate the role between landlord and tenant, and to do this they need income. I note that National Cabinet is still to consider details, concluded Mr Kelly. Commercial landlords have been directed by the PM Scott Morrison to "sit down" with their commercial office, retail and industrial tenants to work out how to get through the coronavirus crisis. Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi closes its doors and is quarantined from March 28, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy. Deputy PM Vu Duc Dam has ordered mobilization of all forces to eliminate the novel coronavirus at Hanois Bach Mai Hospital, one of Vietnam's largest. Dam said told at an online meeting Saturday that this was "a very important task" in the coming days and called for all forces of the Ministry of Health, the Hanoi municipality and the Bach Mai Hospital to carry out the mission. "The elimination of Covid-19 outbreaks is crucial when it has spread to the community." Vietnam "has done a good job" with outbreaks in Son Loi Commune in northern Vinh Phuc Province with seven confirmed cases, central Binh Thuan Province with nine cases and the Vietnam Airlines flight VN54 that landed March 2 in Hanoi, getting at least 16 people infected. However, there are still two virus epicenters in the country the Buddha Bar in Saigons District 2 with 13 confirmed cases and the Bach Mai Hospital with 16, including the latest four confirmed early Sunday morning. Dam asked for a list to be made of all people whod been to the hospital since March 12. All localities whose residents had been to the hospital must take stronger measures and cooperate with relevant agencies to stamp out the Covid-19 outbreak completely, he said. Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son said Bach Mai Hospital was "a big, dangerous outbreak." He said the ministry has set up a special task force to carry out epidemiological investigations. Hanoi Chairman Nguyen Duc Chung had said at a meeting Wednesday that the Bach Mai Hospital was at high risk of becoming a new Covid-19 outbreak center like the Daegu Hospital in South Korea, given common factors like a heavy patient load and large crowds. The hospital has suspended admission of new patients and been isolated since Saturday morning. Nearly 5,000 staff and patients at Bach Mai had been ordered to take Covid-19 tests by this Sunday. Son said that the hospital is a large medical facility that sees 10,000-15,000 passers-by every day, so the infection can spread not only from patients and medical workers, but also from visitors. Therefore, the risk of infection in Bach Mai as well as other hospitals is enormous, he noted. Officers and medical staff quarantined at the Bach Mai Hospital continue to treat patients still stuck inside. The Health Ministry will provide medicines, equipment and other medical supplies and to ensure that the staff can provide complete treatment for patients, Son added. Associate Professor Tran Dac Phu, former director of the Health Ministry's Preventive Medicine Department, said that over the past two weeks, epidemiologists have been closely monitoring and analyzing day and night to find out the infection route at the Bach Mai Hospital. Initially, experts focused on the direction of infection from medical staff, but after testing, it was not convincing enough. The second route of transmission was signs of infection from patients and patients' relatives. "Our further epidemiological investigations find that a more dangerous source of infection could be the staff of food and logistics service providers and people who earn a living taking care of patients. The latter might move from one hospital to another," he added. Currently, seven people of Truong Sinh Company, which provides food and hot water to Bach Mai Hospital, have been confirmed infected with the virus. On Saturday night, the Vietnamese Army's Chemical Division disinfected the entire area of Bach Mai Hospital. Of Vietnam's 179 confirmed Covid-19 cases so far, 21 have been discharged after treatment, including three in Da Nang Friday and a British man in Hue on Saturday morning. Many of the currently active cases are Vietnamese nationals returning from Europe and the U.S. and foreigners coming from the same regions. The Covid-19 pandemic has killed more than 30,000 people in 199 countries and territories. World Health Organization's (WHO) former Director General Gro Harlem Brundtland has expressed concern over the global lack of "preparedness" for a worldwide pandemic despite a warning lst September, reports said on Sunday. "....Disease thrives in disorder and has taken advantage outbreaks have been on the rise for the past several decades and the spectre of a global health emergency looms large. If it is true to say 'what's past is prologue', then there is a very real threat of a rapidly moving, highly lethal pandemic of a respiratory pathogen killing 50 to 80 million people and wiping out nearly 5% of the world's economy. A global pandemic on that scale would be catastrophic, creating widespread havoc, instability and insecurity. The world is not prepared....," Brundtland, the first-ever woman Norwegian Prime Minister, said in the foreword of the September 2019 report of the WHO and World Bank's Global Preparedness Monitoring Board. "For its first report, the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board (GPMB) reviewed recommendations from previous high-level panels and commissions following the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic and the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak, along with its own commissioned reports and other data. The result is a snapshot of where the world stands in its ability to prevent and contain a global health threat. Many of the recommendations reviewed were poorly implemented, or not implemented at all, and serious gaps persist. For too long, we have allowed a cycle of panic and neglect when it comes to pandemics: we ramp up efforts when there is a serious threat, then quickly forget about them when the threat subsides. It is well past time to act...," it said. Brundtland is co-chair of the GPMB along with Alhadj Es Sy, the Co-Chair Secretary-General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Speaking to BBC's Radio 4, she said: "What we have now is a warned catastrophe. We saw big alarming gaps in the preparedness of the world and found compelling evidence of a very real threat." "It's not too late but we have to deal with the fact we are already in this now, which means putting emphasis on mobilising funding and (placing) attention on getting the equipment that is needed," she added. With the test reports of two persons, who died in Mumbai and Buldhana district of Maharashtra on Saturday, coming out positive for coronavirus, the death toll of COVID-19 patients in the state went up to eight on Sunday, officials said. A 40-year-old woman was admitted to a civic hospital in Mumbai on Saturday after she complained of severe respiratory distress, an official said. "She died on Saturday and her sample was sent for testing. The report came out positive for coronavirus," the official said. "The woman was complaining of breathlessness and chest pain since last three-four days. She was also suffering from hypertension," the official added. In Buldhana, a 45-year-old man died at a government hospital on Saturday. His test reports, which were received on Sunday, confirmed that he was coronavirus positive, Buldhana Collector Suman Chandra told PTI. "He was shifted from a private facility to the Buldhana civil hospital at 7 pm on Saturday and he died at 9 pm. His report, which arrived today, showed that he had tested positive for coronavirus. Contact tracing and isolation of kin and others in his case is underway," she said. Chandra said the deceased had a history of diabetes. With these two deaths, the state toll due to coronavirus has gone up to eight, a state health department official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In 2019, the countrys saved 492,000kWh of power equivalent to VND917 million (US$39,400). Focussing on the theme Loss of biodiversity, Earth Hour 2020 drew attention to the immediate need for halting nature and biodiversity loss for the sake of our health and well-being. This years campaign called on organisations and individuals to take action and contribute their initiatives to change consumer behaviour such as saving energy, limiting the use of plastic and saying no to wildlife consumption, thereafter realising the goals of adapting to climate change and protecting the green planet. As social gatherings are not allowed due to health crisis of COVID-19, this years Earth Hour campaign in Vietnam was held digitally and through posters, with limited events of large crowds. Launched by the World Wide Fund for Nature and partners as a symbolic lights-out event in Sydney in 2007, Earth Hour is now one of the world's largest grassroots movements for the environment, engaging millions of people in more than 180 countries and territories. It has become a catalyst for positive environmental impact, driving major legislative changes by harnessing the power of the people. Vietnam first joined the campaign in 2009. The event in Vietnam has been sponsored by the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. The Duchess of Sussex's father has once again spoken out against his daughter, claiming she should return to England to support the royal family amid the coronavirus outbreak. American lighting director Thomas Markle, 75, has not spoken to Meghan Markle, 38, since he missed her wedding after he was exposed for selling paparazzi pictures, before giving a stream of cruel interviews about his daughter. And now he has insisted that Prince Harry, 35, Meghan and 10-month-old Archie should return from their rumoured Malibu abode, to support the Queen and the rest of the royal family, who are currently in self isolation. Last year it emerged Meghan had reached out to her father and begged him to patch things up privately. The Duchess of Sussex's father has once again spoken out against his daughter, claiming she should return to England to support the royal family amid the coronavirus outbreak (seen together when Meghan was a child) Speaking to the Mirror, he said: 'I think Meghan and Harry should go back to the Royal family in the UK and be supportive of the Queen. 'I think they should be in England at this time and not in LA.' 'They can join the A-list and make lots of money, of course, when the problem with the virus is over.' Despite giving the interview, Thomas then went on to plead with Harry and Meghan to get in contact with him, revealing he is in the 'high risk' category due to his age and health issues amid the outbreak. He has insisted that Prince Harry, 35, Meghan (seen this month in London) and 10-month-old Archie should return from their rumoured Malibu abode, to support the Queen and the rest of the royal family, who are currently in self isolation Telling them to 'be careful' and that 'he loved them', he argued that Prince Harry had 'made a mistake' by recently being tricked into talking to Russian pranksters, and likened it to him 'mistakenly' selling pictures to the paparazi. He concluded that 'everyone has made mistakes' and 'it's time for Archie to say hello to grandpa'. Meghan has had to endure regular public outbursts from her half sister Samantha Markle, and her father Thomas. Meghan has maintained a dignified silence amid an array of public outbursts by both Samantha and her father. Last February it emerged the Duchess had reached out to her estranged father shortly after her wedding in May 2018. The Queen (seen last month) is currently in self isolation amid the pandemic, after Prince Charles was diagnosed with coronavirus The Duchess had said she was devastated by her her father's Thomas Markle's public attacks on her and begged him to patch up their differences privately. At the beginning of the month Prince Harry was duped into discussing a fictional island, smoking cannabis, and transporting penguins to the North Pole by Russian pranksters. Posing as Greta Thunberg and her father Svante, they fooled Harry into thinking that mining companies close to President Trump were exploiting 'Chunga-Chunga' - the name of a Russian children's song about a fictional island in the tropics. Kuznetsov and Stolyarov, who have also pranked Sir Elton John and Tayyip Erdogan, also poked fun at the Duke smoking 'weed' on the fake Greta's eco-catamaran Harry and Meghan have reportedly left Canada for LA and are believed to want to rent a place similar to what they potentially could live in long term - and they're eyeing up a Malibu mansion The Duke and Duchess of Sussex could be planning to stay at this sprawling Malibu mansion called Petra Manor to test out life in southern California Prince Harry is believed to have been tricked into conversation with Kuznetsov and Stolyarov on New Year's Eve and January 22 on Vancouver Island. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have reportedly left Canada for good to set up a permanent home in Los Angeles - and it's likely affluent Malibu is top of their list. Last week a royal insider claimed the Duke and Duchess of Sussex decided to leave Vancouver Island - where they have been staying since announcing they were stepping down as senior royals in January - amid fears the US-Canada border could close due to coronavirus. The Sussexes want to be close to Meghan's friends and mother Doria, the source told The Sun. They are now believed to be in lockdown in the Hollywood area with ten-month-old baby Archie. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A new less intrusive saliva and short nasal swab test for coronavirus (COVID-19) can start as soon as next week, said Gov. Andrew Cuomo during a press conference on Sunday. The state Department of Healths Wadsworth Center developed the tests, which can be self-administered in the presence of health care workers and requires less personal protective equipment (PPE). It also helps limit the exposure for health care workers and it should start as soon as next week, Cuomo said. WILL WILL IT BE OVER? Cuomo addressed a question about when the coronavirus pandemic will be over, which he said will be when someone comes up with an inexpensive home test or point-of-care test. I think thats probably when you see a real return to normalcy in the workforce, he said. In other words, were all talking about this curve, flatten the curve. At what point on the other side of the curve do you go back to work? There is no answer. I think the answers going to be in testing. As an example, Cuomo said if you can test millions of people today, you can send them to work tomorrow. Therefore, the development of these tests is very important and instructive, the governor said. *** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK *** ALL HANDS ON DECK When it comes to hospitals, Cuomo said that all public and private hospitals need to work together, as its an all hands on deck situation. He said under normal operating procedures, public and private hospitals operate as two systems with very little interaction. We have to change that mentality and we have to change that mentality quickly, Cuomo said. No hospital is an island. No hospital in this situation can exist unto themselves. We really have to have a new mentality, a new culture, of hospitals working with one another both within the public system, as well as the private system. And we need to think about the public system working with the private system in a way they never have before." Cuomo said theres an artificial wall between the private and public health systems right now, but that the wall has to come down. This is everybody helping everyone else. One hospital gets overwhelmed, the other hospitals have to flex to help that hospital and vice-versa, he said. The governor said the state is getting local health systems to work with one another. If New York City gets overwhelmed, the state will ask upstate health systems to be a valve for downstate systems, and vice-versa, he said. Normally, every individual hospital operates on its own, and there is a wall between public and private hospitals. We have to change that structure quickly. We need all our hospitals to work together. It's all hands on deck. Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 29, 2020 UPDATE ON TRAVEL ADVISORY President Donald Trump and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ordered a travel advisory for New York State, as well as New Jersey and Connecticut. Trump directed Saturday night that a strong travel advisory be issued to stem the spread of the outbreak. Residents in those areas are advised not to travel outside the state for the next two weeks. The President backed away from calling for a 14-day quarantine for coronavirus hotspots, including in those three states. Weve got to be mindful of families who at this crucial moment want to reunite, whether that means (people) coming back to New York, or leaving New York... said de Blasio in an interview with CNN on Sunday morning. Weve got to be really respectful in the middle of a crisis that families have the right to be together." Cuomo said Sunday that this isnt a lockdown. It is a travel advisory to be implemented by the states in essence," said Cuomo. "Its nothing that we havent been doing. Non-essential people should stay home, so its totally consistent with everything weve been doing. And I support what the president did because it affirms what weve been doing. It also affirms what New Jersey and Connecticut have been doing. PAUSE EXTENDED IN NY Cuomo also announced he has extended the pause for New York for at least two more weeks. Last week, the governor officially put the state on pause." As of 8 p.m. March 22, Cuomo mandated that 100% of the states non-essential businesses must close or their employees must work remotely. The executive order was extended until at least April 15, Cuomo said. He added that the order would be revisited in two-week intervals. The order has shuttered thousands of small businesses -- from hair and nail salons, to clothing and convenience stores. Any non-essential business that does not follow the executive order could be penalized. Under the executive order, however, essential businesses are not impacted. Cuomo shared that the U.S. Navy ship that will help hospitals during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, will arrive in New York Harbor tomorrow. The Navy is sending the hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH-20) to New York City to help support medical needs in the area. The USNS Comfort, like other Naval hospital ships, contains 12 fully-equipped operating rooms, 1,000 hospital beds, laboratory facilities and an oxygen-producing plant. UPDATED NY CASES Cuomo said as of Sunday, the state has 59,513 positive cases, which includes 7,195 new cases. There have been 965 deaths in state, up from 728. In New York City there are 33,768 positive cases, of which 4,002 are new cases, said the governor. 53 Fighting the coronavirus: NYC on pause Sign up for text message alerts from SILive.com on coronavirus: RELATED COVERAGE Cuomo: New York pause extended until at least April 15 Remote learning a juggling act for those teachers with kids at home Coronavirus: de Blasio, feds address NY travel advisory Coronavirus: 98 members of NYPD test positive, police commissioner says Coronavirus: Temporary hospital sites chosen; none on Staten Island Coronavirus: DMV shuts down all offices, auto bureaus Relief for homeowners: 90-day mortgage extension and more Coronavirus: Senate passes paid-leave bill for all New Yorkers Staten Island sees 120% jump in confirmed coronavirus cases, with 165, as testing capacity expands Small business owner: Coronavirus is going to crush us Governor: 75% of non-essential employees must work at home Coronavirus: NYC travel industry in triage mode FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. Six days after testing positive for coronavirus, the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Abba Kyari, has spoken up about his status. He disclosed this in a personal statement signed by him and made available to journalists on Sunday evening. Mr Kyari said he would be transferred from Abuja to Lagos on Sunday for further tests. I am writing to let you know that on medical advice, I will transfer to Lagos later today for additional tests and observation. This is a precautionary measure: I feel well, but last week, I tested positive for coronavirus, the pandemic that is sweeping the world. I have followed all the protocols government has announced to self-isolate and quarantine. I have made my own care arrangements to avoid further burdening the public health system, which faces so many pressures. Like many others that will test also positive, I have not experienced high fever or other symptoms associated with this new virus and have been working from home. I hope to be back at my desk very soon. I have a team of young, professional, knowledgeable and patriotic colleagues, whose dedication has been beyond the call of duty, who continue to work seven days a week, with no time of the day spared. We will continue to serve the President and people of Nigeria, as we have for the past five years. Mr Kyari also thanked health workers as he advised every Nigerian to be calm and diligent. We should be calm, measured and diligent be meticulous in your hygiene, especially with cleaning hands, if possible stay at home or keep your distance. Listen to good advice from the proper authorities: pay no heed to quack cures or fake news from social media. President Buhari will do whatever it takes to protect the health and safety of our people and get the country back on its feet as soon as possible. Like the whole world, we are dealing with a new disease. Our experts are learning more all the time about coronavirus, what it does and how we can combat it. What we do know is that while some may become very sick, many others who contract the virus will not, and may have no symptoms at all. This is a disease that recognises no difference between north and south, men or women, rich or poor. We are all in this together, he said. Nigeria has recorded 97 cases of COVID-19 including one death. Mr Kyari is among several top officials who have tested positive for the disease. Others include Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna and Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi. EDITOR S NOTE: The headline for this post has been adjusted to reflect the fact that Mr Kyari is not on sickbed but in self-isolation. In December 2002, a group of 350 Iraqi opposition politicians gathered for a conference titled To Save Iraq and Achieve Democracy in the Hilton Metropole Hotel on Edgware Road in London. Many of the attendees were Iraqi politicians who had lived in exile for most of their adult lives and who had spent much of that time supporting the plans of the United States for imperialist intervention in the country. It was during this conference, and under pressure from the US ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, that Iraqs political future was decided and the muhasasa taifia, the ethno-sectarian apportionment system that was imposed on Iraqis following the invasion, was decided on. Jalal al-Talabani, then leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) who would later become president of Iraq, defined the mission of the conference as restoring unity to Iraq as a people, territory and entity. Masoud Barzani, the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), who in 2005 would become president of the newly established Kurdistan Region of Iraq, emphasised the need for a spirit of reconciliation and preservation of the [national] interest. Ahmed al-Chalabi, who would later head the oil ministry, called for a new way of thinking and the consolidation of democratic principles. At the closing of the conference, the opposition published a 10-page political statement, which emphasised their desire to root out sectarianism, which was defined in terms of Saddam Husseins persecution of the Shia community, and to build a new Iraq based on human rights and equality for all its citizens. Today, more than 17 years later, it is quite clear that many of these pronouncements were no more than empty rhetoric. At the moment, Iraq is neck-deep in sectarian politics, which has led to an unprecedented political crisis and increasing failure of the state to provide for the basic needs of its citizens. The origins of the muhasasa The Iraqi opposition and its Western allies first came up with the idea of the muhasasa, which distributes political power and state resources between three main religious and ethnic groups Shia, Sunni and Kurds during a series of conferences that took place throughout the 1990s. The first of these gatherings was held in the Salah al-Din resort in the Kurdish-controlled region of northern Iraq in October 1992. There, a number of governing bodies were created with the idea that they would come to power when Saddam Hussein was overthrown. Positions on these bodies were allocated on the basis of the conferences perception of the percentage of Iraqis who were Shia, Sunni and Kurdish, therefore laying the groundwork for the muhasasa. Attendees presented this new political system as a means of uniting Iraqis and presenting a democratic alternative to Husseins dictatorship. During its opening session, Barzani announced that the future of Iraq was in the hands of those present, declaring we can save Iraq from dictatorship we must save the Iraqi people we must overthrow Saddam Hussein. He later went on to describe the gathering as a victory for all Iraqis. Shia leader Mohammed Baqir al-Nassari said the attendees wanted Iraqis to be free and to be able to express their opinions toward the government as they want, regardless of whether the leader is Sunni or Shia or Kurdish. The influence of the US and its allies on the rhetoric adopted during these conferences was quite clear from the way the opposition instrumentalised the language of unity and human rights, as well as imperialist calls to save the Iraqi people. John Major, British prime minister between 1990 and 1997, used this same language when he stated, a united opposition is the only one that can provide a real alternative to Saddam Hussein, referring to the opposition which came together at the Salah al-Din conference. Later on, in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq, George W Bush would repeatedly affirm Washingtons commitment to universal rights, claim that all people are entitled to hope and human rights and make promises that the war would allow Iraqis to live in dignity. Contrary to claims of democratisation and reconciliation, however, what the opposition was in fact doing was dividing Iraq along ethno-sectarian lines, as if this were the central and only organising factor of Iraqi society. This was already apparent during the 1992 conference when, for example, a representative of the Iran-backed party the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq, declared we do not want another Iraq where the minority rules. The divisiveness of the ethno-sectarian apportionment system did not go unnoticed by critics of the 2002 conference. The Iraqi Liberal Democratic Party, which boycotted the gathering, for example, announced that they stood against all attempts to spread sectarianism on a proportional basis and stressed that they had repeatedly warned the conference in London against building on the suggestions of the Salah Al Din conference. Similarly, Ihsan Abdelwazir, a spokesman for the Islamic Movement, a group of Kurdish and Arab Sunni Muslims based in northern Iraq, predicted that the decisions made at the conference would bring city-to-city fighting to Iraq. A dysfunctional system When the opposition was eventually put in power by the US-led coalition following the invasion of Iraq, much of what critics of the muhasasa had predicted came to pass. The system was largely responsible for fuelling the post-invasion civil war, when the very same politicians who had made endless speeches about reconciliation, unity and democracy, used violence to protect and increase their stake in a political system that was imposed without any consultation with ordinary Iraqis. What is more, the muhasasa has encouraged rampant corruption. Ministerial portfolios, civil service jobs and government contracts have been distributed along ethno-sectarian party lines. Since 2003, successive Iraqi governments have been paralysed due to the clash of sectarian and partisan interests. There has also been massive institutional dysfunction. As a result, the Iraqi state which would receive $6bn per month in oil revenue has not been able to provide its citizens with even the most basic public services. It has not taken long for ordinary Iraqis to see the dysfunction of the muhasasa system. In fact, in response to its many ills, a mass protest movement emerged in central and southern Iraq in October last year. Protesters have openly criticised the system and its failures and have called for systemic political change. At their demonstrations, they would often chant no to muhasasa, no to political sectarianism, draw anti-muhasasa graffiti and put up satirical banners mocking the superficial claims that the current political system includes all segments of Iraqi society. Despite the reassurances about freedom of speech and human rights which the architects of the muhasasa gave prior to the US invasion, the violent crackdown on the protests has once again demonstrated that those were just empty words. The killing of almost 700 demonstrators and injuring of 30,000 others in just six months laid bare the moral bankruptcy of those politicians who masterminded and implemented the muhasasa and their determination to preserve the political system at any cost. The mass protests have challenged the rhetoric that enabled the imposition of the muhasasa, allowing Iraqis to imagine a new Iraq for the first time. Ultimately, the solution to the Iraqi crisis will not come from those who designed the current political system, but from below, from the Iraqi people. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday ordered the "cessation of all movements" for two weeks in largest city Lagos and capital Abuja to stop the spread of coronavirus. "All citizens in these areas are to stay in their homes" starting from 2200 GMT on Monday, Buhari announced in a televised address to the nation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After Russia cut Crimea off from the rest of Ukraine by seizing control of the Black Sea peninsula in 2014, Kyiv cut off the water supply to Crimea with a grand-scale equivalent of a twist of the wrist: It shut down a 400-kilometer canal whose construction decades ago had been hailed as a Soviet feat of man mastering nature. Promising to care for the 2 million-plus Crimean residents his country was now claiming as its own, at the cost of international condemnation and Western sanctions imposed in response to the land grab, Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to fix the peninsulas water problem -- a flaw in the crown jewel of his campaign to portray himself as a gatherer of lands. But its not fixed, and Crimea -- six years after the Russian takeover -- faces severe water shortages. The dry-up has triggered migration from arid areas, largely in the north and east, that experts direly warn face the threat of desertification. Agriculture on the peninsula is in retreat as water-intense crops like rice are abandoned. A mysterious chemical-plant accident in the northern part of the peninsula in 2018 was blamed on the water crisis. As they scramble for alternative sources with few options at hand, Crimea and its Moscow overlords depend largely on two things they cannot control to meet the peninsulas fresh water needs: rain and snow. As is often the case, the struggle over fresh water for Crimea has a strong political current. For Kyiv, holding water back has become one of the few levers it wields in its standoff with mightier Moscow, which as it snatched Crimea also began to foment unrest in eastern Ukraine, where more than 13,000 people have died in an ongoing conflict pitting Russia-backed separatists against Ukrainian forces. The political resonance of the problem is not only bilateral: Like almost everything involving Russia, it is a highly sensitive issue in Kyiv. That was clear earlier this month when Denys Shmyhal, appointed prime minister just the day before by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, suggested that Kyiv could again supply Crimea with water. "It is a matter of humanitarian responsibility before people who live in Crimea. Failure to supply water would lead to humanitarian catastrophe. We dont want to be its authors," he said on the talk show Right To Power on March 5. Shmyhals comments prompted an outcry -- and a clarification from the new prime minister, whose appointment was part of a reshuffle that some Ukrainians fear will result in a placating stance toward Moscow on a range of issues including the conflict in the eastern region known as the Donbas. Talking Water "The talk show program format is not the best for discussing difficult issues -- for example, the issue of water supply to Crimea, Shmyhal said in a statement posted on the Ukrainian government website a day later. Once again, I want to emphasize that the government has not forgotten citizens living in temporarily occupied Ukrainian Crimea. We want them to feel that we care about them. In fact, for technical reasons, it is impossible to divide water that is being supplied to people and water that is supplied to military bases, he said, underscoring the dilemma faced by a government that has been accused of helping Russia when it argues that it is trying to help Ukrainians. This idea was lost in the noise of the studio. His comments came amid warnings that Crimeas water crisis is getting worse. A senior water-use official in the Russia-installed government on the peninsula said on February 5 that Simferopol, the regional capital and Crimeas second largest city with a population of over 300,000, had only enough drinking water to last 90-100 days. Due to the lack of rainfall, the three reservoirs that supply water to Simferopol have accumulated 25-28 million cubic meters of water less than last year, Ihor Vayl was quoted as saying. The situation is not critical, but it is tense, Vayl said, adding that city authorities must find a way to ensure the rational use of the available resources. Olena Protsenko, the Russia-installed head of Simferopol, told media outlets on February 5 that water rationing would begin soon, although to date no such measures have been announced. Protsenko said Crimea was suffering a severe water shortage, which she described as the most critical problem now. Although Moscow can scapegoat Kyiv for the crisis, it needs to appear to be taking action as well. Vladimir Ustinov, presidential envoy to Russias Southern Federal District, chaired a March 4 government meeting on improving the quality of the drinking-water supply in that region, without specifically mentioning Crimea. But Sergei Aksyonov, the Russia-installed head of Crimea, said in a Facebook post that the water supply issue on Crimea was discussed. Aksyonov said the Russian government plans to allocate about 3.6 billion rubles ($46 million), on projects to increase water access on Crimea from 77 percent to 86.2 percent of the population. He also mentioned plans to build water treatment plants in the cities of Krasnoperekopsk and Yevpatoria, giving a date of 2022 for their completion. No Rain Or Snow, No Water Mykhaylo Yatsyuk, deputy director of the Kyiv-based Institute of Water Problems and Land Reclamation, told the Crimea Desk of RFE/RLs Ukrainian Service that Crimea is now dependent on natural climatic conditions. If there is snow and other forms of precipitation, then there is water. If there is no snow or other precipitation, then there is no water. Yatsyuk said about two-thirds of Crimea severely lacks water resources. Crimea is divided into four zones. The south and west are best supplied with the highest number of natural reservoirs, rivers, and lakes. The northern and eastern areas, in contrast, are the driest parts of the peninsula, and were most dependent on the North Crimean Canal, which supplied the area with up to 85 percent of its fresh water. Opened in 1971, it is Europes longest canal, at 402 km, and farms and vineyards throve along its route through northern Crimea in its heyday. WATCH: Putin Inaugurates Crimea-Russia Rail Link But even in April 2014, when Ukraine shut off water flows to Crimea, the canal was living in the shadows of its glorious past as a Great Construction Project of Communism. When the Soviet Union collapsed, canal maintenance was neglected. By 2013, water flows were one-third of historic highs in the 1980s. Plus, more regions were drawing from it, including the drought-stricken Kherson region on the Ukrainian mainland. With the canal closed, Yatsyuk said the region is facing the real threat of desertification. The eastern cities of Feodosia, Kerch, and Sudak are among the hardest-hit, along with the Lenin District, but Simferopol, and Sevastopol are also facing problems. People in some affected areas are gradually leaving, selling property cheap to get out. The water shortage has hit agriculture hard. During the Soviet era, as many as 400,000 hectares of land on Crimea were being tilled. That number shrank to 140,000 in 2013 and plummeted to only 17,000 hectares in 2014, the year Moscow seized Crimea. Engineering Plans: Too Little Too Late? Those charged with agricultural affairs in the Moscow-installed government said in 2019 that the Crimean economy loses 14 billion rubles ($180 million) a year due to the lack of water. Rice cultivation has been abandoned and other crops, such as corn and soybeans, have been reduced. Some of the hardest-hit farmers have been Crimean Tatars, who are concentrated in the arid steppe in central Crimea. Reservoirs in the region are gradually drying up. But Russian officials have laid out ambitious plans to reroute four rivers into one of them, the Mizhhirne, by 2024 in a project whose cost is estimated at 25 billion rubles ($310 million). Vladimir Bazhenov, head of a Russia-controlled water company on Crimea, likened the project to the building of a bridge across the Kerch Strait from Russia, which was condemned by Kyiv and much of the international community. While Russia and Kremlin-backed leaders tout the project as the answer to Crimeas water woes, Bazhenov has said it would be no panacea, solving the problem only in some areas. Written by RFE/RL senior correspondent Tony Wesolowsky, with reporting by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Services Crimea Desk Government officials are now donating their one-day salary to Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency situation Fund (PM CARES Fund) amid the COVID-19 pandemic that has forced the world into a virtual lockdown. The latest donation to PM's relief fund came from the Central Bureau of Investigation and Indian Revenue Services (IRS) employees who have pledged their one-day salary in nations fight against the novel coronavirus. As per CBI's press release, "CBI officials have decided to donate their one-day salary to Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund) to help the Center in its efforts to fight coronavirus in the country." A senior official told Moneycontrol, "In our organisation, everyone from junior officials to director level employees are donating their one day salary. Currently, we have more than six thousand employees all over the country." The IRS, which has more than 4,000 employees in its Income Tax department alone, has also decided to answer PM's rescue call by donating their one-day salaries. While Lebanons government has enforced a public lockdown to slow the spread of the coronavirus, businesses are stepping in to assist hospitals already overwhelmed. While Lebanons government has enforced a public lockdown to slow the spread of the new coronavirus there. Businesses are stepping in to assist hospitals already overwhelmed by the pandemic. Al Jazeeras Raheela Mahomed has more. Amid talk of trying to expand the market for the water thats produced alongside crude oil and natural gas beyond the oil patch, one company is putting its words into action. Wyoming-based Encore Green Environmental had visited the Produced Water Society Permian Basins conference last August to promote its idea of pairing the oil and gas and agriculture industries, sparking the interest of Cody Wilson and his S&S Wilson Farms in Midkiff. Today, the two are moving forward with a project that will treat produced water for use in irrigating the cotton on Wilsons farm as well as producing electricity that can be sold back into the electric grid. Its all done by cleaning the produced water to match the surrounding soil, then using concentrated solar power to turn that water into steam, which drives a turbine to generate electricity to power the equipment. The steam is then turned back into water to irrigate the crops. Marvin Nash with Encore Green, said feasibility study is currently underway to determine the financing, what equipment is needed for the project and how that equipment should be configured. He said the project is proceeding despite the downturn in the oil and gas industry and in the global economy because of the coronavirus pandemic, which has prevented representatives of the engineering firm Aalborg CSP in Denmark from traveling to the U.S. to work on the project. The interesting thing going forward is, there will be a bigger demand as producers try to figure out what to do with their water, Nash said in a phone interview. Even if we used every barrel of water for drilling purposes, thats only using 12 percent. Now, Cody is stepping up and saying, Lets use that other part. Wilson said the need for water isnt going to go away because of an economic downturn. The oil industry and the U.S. market as a whole have taken a nosedive, but Im still excited about the project, Im still excited about the possibilities. Oil and gas will be back, Wilson said. Selling the electricity back into the grid, along with disposal fees charged to producers, will be the farms primary revenue stream out of the project, Wilson said in a phone interview. He said other revenues will come from selling to oil and gas companies or even municipalities the fresh water derived from treating the produced water. Using the water that is a byproduct of drilling activity sends a message to the environmental community to look at areas where activity has had a negative impact on water, said Nash. Oil and gas not only has to use the water but can use it cleanly. Nash and Wilson said the Danish engineering company working with the two parties on the project is the only one with the ability to merge desalination and production on a commercial scale. Nash said others will be watching how the project proceeds on Wilsons family farm in Midkiff. Already, he said, a major oilfield services company has been talking with his team about what they could provide to the effort. Agreed Wilson, When things calm down, and they will, there is a lot of money on the sidelines that people will want to invest. They like the idea of cleaning the world and making it better. This isnt just agriculture, this isnt just oil and gas. This has a real purpose, a real payback. Top Belfast lawyer Niall Murphy is fighting for his life after being diagnosed with Covid-19. The 43-year-old solicitor, who had recently been in New York, is in an induced coma and on a ventilator in a city hospital. A 28-year-old dad from north Belfast is also in a coma at the city's Mater Hospital as his family pray he can beat the coronavirus which is now wreaking havoc across Northern Ireland. Father-of-three Mr Murphy is a partner in the leading Belfast law firm KRW Law and a director of the Relatives For Justice victims' campaign group. He took ill after returning from a St Patrick's Day function in New York and was diagnosed with Covid-19. The 2002 All-Ireland winning Antrim junior hurler is understood to have told people before he took really ill that he thought he had picked up the virus on the plane or at the airport. Just two weeks ago he was acting for a family of a child recovering from severe illness which was challenging Stomont education minister Peter Weir's decision not to immediately close Northern Ireland's schools as the coronavirus crisis deepened. Kevin Winters, on behalf of KRW Law, last night urged people who know Niall to send him a message of support on Monday. He said: "His condition remains critical but stable. We have invited people to send him and his family messages of support on Monday. "All of us hope and pray that Niall's well-known battling qualities will see him through what is a very difficult time for him and his family. "He would want everyone to keep themselves and their families and NHS staff safe by following advice to stay home and avoid the spread of this awful virus. "In particular as a GAA mentor he would want young people to stay indoors and use social media to keep in touch with friends and family." Expand Close Niall Murphy has often represented victims of the Troubles (PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Niall Murphy has often represented victims of the Troubles (PA) Mr Murphy is a former player and current official with St Enda's GAA club in Glengormley and chairman of Club Aontroma which raises funds in support of gaelic games in Antrim. The club and Relatives for Justice last night posted a statement asking everyone who knows him to send a message of support to him and his family on Monday to his work office email account which is niallm@kevinrwinters.com. Mr Murphy is a high-profile legal figure who featured in the acclaimed fllm No Stone Unturned about the UVF's massacre at the Heights Bar in Loughinisland in 1994. In 2019 he represented the film's journalists Trevor Birney and Barry McCaffrey in a successful legal challenge against police search warrants. SDLP leader Colum Eastwood was among hundreds of people who posted messages of support last night, saying: "Solidarity with Niall Murphy and his family." North Belfast Sinn Fein MP John Finucane described him as "my good friend as well as a fellow Gael and solicitor". He added: "Can't think of anyone better to have a fight on their hands and looking forward to seeing him soon." Also fighting for his life is a young father with a baby from the Ardoyne area of the city. The 28-year-old is on a ventilator at the Mater Hospital after being put in an induced coma to help his lungs fight off the virus as well as viral pneumonia. His shell-shocked family took to social media to beg people to take Covid-19 seriously and pray for him. His sister said: "I don't think the severity of this virus will dawn on people until it comes knocking on their own doors. My big brother is now in ICU on a ventilator with it and our hearts are just absolutely broken. "Please, please, please for the love of God, stay at home unless it is an absolute necessity to go out, absolutely sickens me people going about like nothing is wrong and completely disregarding government guidelines that are there for a purpose." On Saturday it emerged that two further people with coronavirus have died in Northern Ireland, taking the region's death toll to 15. There were 49 new positive cases of Covid-19 reported on Saturday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in Northern Ireland to 324, according to the Public Health Agency. The Republic of Ireland recorded its highest daily death toll in the coronavirus outbreak, with 14 people having lost their lives in 24 hours, bringing the total number of victims to 36. Another 294 cases of coronavirus were reported on Saturday, bringing to 2,415 the number of confirmed cases in Ireland. The median age of the 14 people who died was 81. Meanwhile, Belfast pastor Lee McClelland, who was last weekend fighting for his life, was allowed to return home on Friday. "I'm home. What a joy it is to walk through the doors and see my family, to be able to give them a big hug and for them to be able to give me a big hug," he said on a video posted on the Ark Church's Facebook page. "There are things in life that are just so precious, and family is precious. "Thank God that I am home. I'm still weak, I'm still battling, I'm still fighting. I can still feel the battle wounds from Covid-19. I've a long road still ahead of me but praise God I'm alive." He also thanked God for the doctors, nursing staff, cleaners, porters and every person in the NHS who helped him and he prayed for them to be protected as they put themselves on the frontline. Earlier in the week, Pastor McClelland had described the disease as the "virus from hell", saying: "You can literally feel it trying to suck the life right out of you." Yesterday police here expressed concern about reports of people visiting popular beaches in Co Down amid the ongoing restrictions on movement. Police Service of Northern Ireland Assistant Chief Constable Alan Todd said officers had received reports of people visiting Tyrella and Murlough beaches in Co Down and the nearby town of Newcastle. "The public should be well aware of the advice from our public health partners and the Government about social distancing and movement and, on that basis, we would encourage people not to drive to local beauty spots for their daily exercise as others may have the same idea and social distancing may not be achievable," he said. On Friday, doctors appealed for a complete lockdown in Northern Ireland amid fears not enough is being done to limit the spread of coronavirus. Stormont has faced criticism over a delay in publishing a definitive list of essential businesses, amid claims it has created confusion around which can and cannot remain open. The list is expected at some point over the weekend. Economy Minister Diane Dodds said the agri-food and retail sectors were part of the "frontline response" to the crisis. "They deserve the thanks of the entire community for working around the clock to put food on our tables," she said. "While many in the community can work at home, they continue to clock-on at farms, factories and shops. Therefore these workers must be protected in the workplace, all employers have a duty to ensure that they are. Their safety is non-negotiable and each of us has a duty to protect ourselves and keep those around us safe." Eleven more persons were tested positive for coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday, taking the total number of corona-infected patients in the state to 72, said officials. Four persons were tested positive in Noida alone, which, with its total number of 31 corona-positive cases till now, accounted for nearly half of the total number of infected people in the state, they said. In a statement issued here, Joint Director-cum-State Surveillance Officer under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), Dr Vikasendu Agrawal said, "As many as 11 new patients have been confirmed as positive for Novel coronavirus. This includes four in Noida, two in Ghaziabad, four in Meerut and one in Bareilly." The total number of samples found positive in the state till now is 72, Dr Agarwal said, adding 31 of them are from Noida (Gautam Buddh Nagar). The break-up of the total 72 cases in the state till now is Noida - 31, Agra - 10, Lucknow - 8, Ghaziabad - 7, Meerut - 5, two each in Varanasi and Pilibhit, and one each in Lakhimpur-Kheri, Moradabad, Kanpur, Jaunpur, Shamli, Baghpat and Bareilly. As many as 14 patients have recovered and discharged till now in the state, including seven in Agra, two in Ghaziabad, four in Noida, and one in Lucknow, he said. Speaking to reporters earlier in Lucknow, Principal Secretary (Medical and Health) Amit Mohan Prasad had said, "A total of 68 coronavirus positive cases have been reported so far from UP of which 14 patients have been discharged so far. "The condition of patients in the state is such that they do not require intensive care or need to be put on ventilators. Most of the cases are mild. The condition of all the patients undergoing treatment is stable." Replying to a question on community transmission, Prasad categorically said there is no community spread (of COVID-19) in the state. "All patients in UP can be traced back to a person who returned from abroad. In Noida, where people of a factory have been infected, all the case could be traced back to the United Kingdom. All the cases of the state could be traced back to a foreign country," he said. Prasad said people coming to UP from other places will be screened in their districts. "If they are suspected of being a coronavirus carrier, they will be isolated in the hospitals, and asymptomatic people will be placed in quarantine facilities in schools, dharamshalas etc. DMs have been told about this. After they complete the quarantine facility term, they will be allowed to go to their villages," he said. Cautioning that there is no need to panic, the principal secretary said people just need to stay alert and adhere to the social distancing norms. He also said facilities are being continuously ramped up in the state. "We have already sent a proposal to purchase 200 additional ventilators," he said, adding, "We will also engage private sector hospitals in this treatment of COVID-19 cases." "We are preparing a package for them. A number of private sector hospitals have approached us to treat COVID-19 patients and make their hospitals a COVID hospital. They will also be turned into dedicated-COVID hospitals. The patients of such private hospital will either be shifted or discharged," said Prasad. Referring to the three-tier hospital system devised by the state government, Prasad said, "Every district will have L1 (level one) hospitals. This is ready, it will be located at the CHC, which has been made a dedicated COVID hospital. In some districts, the number of such hospitals is more than one." "The L3 hospitals are super speciality hospitals like the 200-bed SGPGI Lucknow, KGMU Meerut and BRD Gorakhpur spread across the state and will be five to seven in number. Critical cases will be attended to in these hospitals," he said. The L2 hospitals will be the rest of medical colleges and hospitals at the divisions' headquarter level. This will be done in the next 3-4 days, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) My wife has been staying home to avoid catching the corona virus. That means shes been watching cable news. And that in turn means shes been watching the networks compete to see who can come up with the worst horror stories and the most depressing predictions. The other day she decided she would go out for a walk someplace where shed be safe from the virus, the Point Pleasant Beach boardwalk. You cant, I said. They shut it down. Why? she asked. Beats me. Other towns such as Spring Lake have also shut boardwalks popular with walkers and joggers. But people need their daily exercise and theres no place better than a spot where theyre safe from traffic. Sure enough, when I drove over to Point Pleasant Beach I saw that many of the people who otherwise would have been on the boards were walking along the street, where they were in danger from another deadly menace: the SUV virus. In this regard I believe our governor was making far more sense than the officials in those Shore towns. Perhaps it was because he remembers what happened to the last governor who shut it down, but Phil Murphy declared that Island Beach State Park was staying open. Not only that, he waived the $5 entry fee. I decided Id take a drive down there to see how that was working out. On the way I stopped in Seaside Heights. Local officials there were more practical. They kept the boardwalk open but shut the gates to the beach, which is not much of an attraction anyway due to the 45-degree water temperature. Many beaches were closed because of the threat of coronavirus, but Gov. Phil Murphy was wise enough not to shut down Island Beach State Park. Perhaps he was thinking of what happened to Chris Christie after he shut the park in 2017. (Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media)NJAM That meant visitors could stroll the boards and even buy a slice from one of the pizzerias that remained open for takeout business. Back in the car, I was passed by a biker with his girlfriend on back of his Harley and then by a guy driving a Porsche convertible with the top down. Unless they were on the way to some essential activity they seemed to be violating that lockdown order Murphy issued last week, with its call for people to leave their homes only for essential services. (Another order precludes the issuance of mandates and restrictions by municipalities and counties at variance with the Governors order. If the governor is keeping state beaches open, the closure of local beaches would certainly qualify as a mandate at variance with the order.) But that order is on shaky legal grounds, said New Jerseys most prominent legal analyst. How can the government decide whats essential and whats not? Andrew Napolitano asked. How can a dry-cleaner be essential while a Catholic Church is not essential? Dry-cleaners are indeed on the list of essential services while churches arent. Thats a clear violation of the constitutional right to worship as well as the right to travel, he said. Even those orders shutting down restaurants are of dubious legal standing. If this drags on too long, we will see such challenges, the former Bergen County Superior Court judge predicted. Nobody has challenged anything, he said. Almost any judge would open a restaurant. Murphy wisely included a blanket exemption for outdoor exercise in his order. That exemption was being widely enjoyed by all the canoeists, kayakers and fishermen I saw when I got to the park. But in Chicago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot has threatened to arrest people for exercising outdoors. Shes out of her mind, Napolitano said. Theyre letting people out of jail for fear of contagion and shes threatening to put them in jail if theyre jogging. Napolitano said New York Gov, Andrew Cuomo is doing a much better job of responding to the real risks. In a press conference last week, Cuomo said that the citys strict quarantines might have backfired. I dont even know that that was the best public health policy. Young people then quarantined with older people, he said. The younger people could have been exposing the older people to an infection. Napolitano, who leans very much to the libertarian side of any argument, said Cuomo put his finger on the problem with sweeping government edicts. He used the example of one of those games on the Seaside boardwalk. Its like Whack-a-Mole, he said. You stop somebody from doing A and they start doing B. Exactly. You stop somebody from walking on the boardwalk and they go walk in traffic instead. That may make a politician feel good, but it just makes the situation more risky. As we move into warmer weather, people all over the state will be looking for outdoor areas where they can get some fresh air. Murphy has wisely kept the other state parks open as well. But if the governor is in the mood to issue executive orders, heres one Id suggest: Order local officials to stop closing outdoor areas where people exercise. And oh yeah, tell everyone to stop watching cable news. The paramilitary personnel of the country have donated Rs 116 crore from their one-day salary to the newly set up PM-CARES fund to fight COVID-19, Home Minister Amit Shah said on Sunday. In a Twitter message, the minister stated that the paramilitary personnel have always contributed for the security and unity of the country. "On the call of Prime Minister, all jawans of paramilitary have contributed their one day of salary (Total Rs 116 crore) in PM-CARES fund. I express gratitude to everyone," he said. India has a 10 lakh-strong paramilitary force guarding its borders as well as the internal security. The Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM-CARES Fund) is a public charitable trust with the prime minister as its chairman. Its members include the defence minister, home minister and finance minister. The trust has been set up keeping in mind the need for having a dedicated national fund with the primary objective of dealing with any kind of emergency or distress situation, like the one posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and to provide relief to the affected, a statement from the government had said. "The pandemic of COVID-19 has engulfed the entire world and has posed serious challenges for the health and economic security of millions of people worldwide. In India too, the spread of coronavirus has been alarming and is posing severe health and economic ramifications for our country," it had said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Crisis Management Company, LCB Worldwide Ghana Limited has joined the fight against the deadly COVID-19 virus in the country. The Company on Saturday, March 28, 2020 began the disinfection of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in Accra as part of effort aimed at helping to coil the spread of the virus. The company began the disinfection exercise at the premises of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, disinfecting all the offices one after the other, before moving to the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies, within the Ministries enclave. Even before the outbreak of COVID-19, LCB Worldwide Ghana Limited has been at the forefront of disinfecting various schools and market centres across the country. Chief Executive Officer of LCB Worldwide Ghana, Mr. Kareem Abu speaking to the media during the exercise posited that the gesture was part of the Companys Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to the country. According to him, the scourge of the virus which has been declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a pandemic, requires that pragmatic solutions be proffered to aid the nation to contain the situation. These are critical times in the life of our beloved country and we at LCB believe we must all put our hands to wheel and support government initiatives to bring relief to the people. We recognize efforts and measures being deployed by the government and we are here to show solidarity with the generality of the Ghanaian people in these difficult moments. Mr. Kareem Abu averred. He said the company has lined up an itinerary that will see it embark on the disinfection exercise at various strategic locations and installations across the country as its contribution to the fight against the pandemic which has seen some 136 persons testing positive for the virus. I must add that we took a cue also, from the Presidents call for private Businesses to support in the fight against this deadly pandemic and that is why we have come all out to lend our widows might in this regard. He noted further. He opined that these are not ordinary times on the global stage as far as issues relating to health are concerned, citing the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife, Prince Charles of the UK and other high profile personalities across the globe who have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, explaining that it was imperative to adopt stringent measures to save humanity. Mr. Kareem Abu explained that the company is reputed for using only organic chemicals for all of its disinfection, adding that no one will be required to vacate a particular vicinity or premises before they carry out the exercise. He said The good thing about our chemicals is that we use only organic chemicals and so we dont need to send people away before disinfecting the various places. So even as we go about this exercise, people who are busy around can go about their businesses without let or hindrance because they dont need to worry about the chemicals we are using. The Mayor of Accra, Nii Adjei Sowah who was with the LCB team all through the exercise on his part lauded LCB Worldwide Ghana Limited and Mr. Kareem Abu for including the Accra Metropolitan Assembly in the exercise. He averred that the gesture comes in handy as government rallies around the private sector to help both in kind and in cash to quell the spread of the virus. He called on the generality of the Ghanaian people to complement governments efforts by adhering strictly to the rules of engagement as announced by the president and to take precautionary measures to protect themselves and their families. He described the initiative as a laudable one that must be emulated by all public-spirited individuals and organizations in these critical times. Indeed, this is not the first time the company is embarking on its Corporate Social Responsibility to the Ghanaian people. Late last year, LCB Worldwide Ghana Limited embarked on disinfection exercises as part of its CSR in selected Senior High Schools and Markets in the Greater Accra and Eastern Regions. The Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) is on record to have lauded the company for embarking on the disinfection of market centres across the country, and Abbossey Okai which is predominantly occupied by used spare part dealers. LCB Worldwide Ghana Limited is the Ghanaian Company that has been contracted by Government through the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service to disinfect import and export cargo at the ports in the country. This is to ensure that all imports and exports are disinfected of all contaminations and rid of any form of infectious diseases. Industry players have observed that, but for the existence of the company at the ports and points of entry, the magnitude of the COVID-19 virus in the country would have been huge and catastrophic. Source: peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video How Books and Buckets program in Long Beach aims to keep kids away from gang violence Buhari during the meeting President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister of Health, Prof Osagie Ehanire, have just rounded off a meeting at the State House, Abuja, Punch Metro reports. In attendance was the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Dr Chikwe Ikekweazu. The photographs of the meeting, just uploaded online by the State House, showed Buhari and the other officials observing social distancing during the meeting. Findings indicated that the official came to give Buhari updates on the raging coronavirus pandemic. Nigeria now has 81 confirmed cases with three discharged and one death. The meeting came amid speculation that the President had been flown out of the country for COVID-19 treatment. He had earlier on Monday tested negative to the virus but Buhari was yet to address the nation since it recorded its first confirmed case in Lagos State. Saudi air defences intercepted Yemeni rebel missiles over Riyadh and a city on the Yemen border, leaving two civilians wounded in the curfew-locked capital amid efforts to combat coronavirus, state media said Sunday. Multiple explosions shook Riyadh late Saturday in the first major assault on Saudi Arabia since the Huthi rebels offered last September to halt attacks on the kingdom after devastating twin strikes on Saudi oil installations. The Iran-aligned insurgents claimed responsibility around 15 hours after the attacks, with a rebel spokesman calling it "the largest operation of its kind" as the Riyadh-led military intervention in Yemen enters its sixth year. "Two ballistic missiles were launched towards the cities of Riyadh and Jizan," the official Saudi Press Agency reported, citing the Saudi-led coalition that is fighting the rebels in Yemen. Their interception sent shrapnel raining on residential neighbourhoods in the cities, leaving two civilians injured in Riyadh, a civil defence spokesman said in a separate statement released by SPA. At least three blasts rocked the capital, which is under a 15-hour-per-day coronavirus curfew, just before midnight, said AFP reporters. Jizan, like many other Saudi cities, faces a shorter dusk-to-dawn curfew. The Huthi spokesman said the rebels struck "sensitive targets" in Riyadh with long-range Zolfaghar missiles and Sammad-3 drones. The rebels also claimed to have hit "economic and military targets" in the border regions of Jizan, Najran and Assir. The assault comes despite a show of support on Thursday by all of Yemen's warring parties for a United Nations call for a ceasefire to protect civilians from the coronavirus pandemic. Saudi Arabia, the Yemeni government and the Huthi rebels all welcomed an appeal from UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres for an "immediate global ceasefire" to help avert disaster for vulnerable people in conflict zones. The call coincided with the fifth anniversary of Saudi Arabia's military intervention in Yemen's civil war, which was launched to shore up the internationally recognised government against the Huthis. - Escalating conflict - Yemen's government condemned the attack, which it said undermined efforts to scale down the conflict amid the coronavirus outbreak. Information Minister Moammer al-Eryani said in a tweet that the strikes also confirmed the "continued flow of Iranian weapons" to the Huthi militias. "This militia lives only on wars and doesn't understand peace language," he said. Yemen's broken healthcare system has so far recorded no case of the COVID-19 illness, but aid groups have warned that when it does hit, the impact will be catastrophic. The country is already gripped by what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Saudi Arabia is also scrambling to limit the spread of the disease at home. The kingdom's health ministry has reported 1,203 coronavirus infections and four deaths from the illness so far. Fighting has recently escalated again between the Huthis and Riyadh-backed Yemeni troops around the strategic northern districts of Al-Jouf and Marib, ending a months-long lull. The warring sides had earlier shown an interest in de-escalation, with a Saudi official saying in November that Riyadh had an "open channel" with the rebels with the goal of ending the war. The Huthis also offered to halt all missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia after strikes on oil installations last September, which were claimed by the rebels but widely blamed on Iran, despite its denials. But those efforts seem to have unravelled. Observers say the rebels may have used the lull to bolster their military capabilities. Riyadh had expected a quick victory when it led a multi-billion dollar intervention in 2015 to oust the Huthi rebels, under a newly assertive foreign policy led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. But the costly intervention has failed to uproot the rebels from their northern strongholds, while pushing the Arab world's poorest nation into a humanitarian crisis. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday addressed the nation through his monthly radio programme Mann ki Baat. The Prime Minister talked about the ongoing Covid-19 lockdown. Disease must be dealt with at the very beginning and all of India is doing that, the Prime Minister said while talking about the coronavirus outbreak in the country. PM Modi said that he is aware that the citizens are going through a lot of difficulty and inconvenience due to the lockdown but it is an essential measure to fight the disease. The battle against COVID-19 is tough and it did require some tough decisions. It is important to keep the people of India safe. #IndiaFightsCorona pic.twitter.com/iYuj4PJNAr PMO India (@PMOIndia) March 29, 2020 I apologize for taking these harsh steps which have caused difficulties in your lives, especially the poor people. I know some of you would be angry with me also. But these tough measures were needed to win this battle, PM Modi said. Together, India will defeat COVID-19. The Lockdown will keep you as well as your families safe. #MannKiBaat pic.twitter.com/OoSIRtz05r PMO India (@PMOIndia) March 29, 2020 The Prime Minister said that no one wants to break rules deliberately, but there are some people who are doing so. To them, I will say that if they dont follow this lockdown, it will be difficult to protect ourselves from the danger of coronavirus, he said. PM Modi, on Saturday, announced the launch of a new fund to combat the coronavirus crisis. Bollywood star Akshay Kumar was among the first ones to pledge to the fund. Kumar has offered Rs 25 crore to the Prime Ministers Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES). Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday took to Twitter thanked people who have made their contribution to the PM CARES fund to battle the Covid-19 crisis. The number of coronavirus cases in the country crossed 1,000 on Saturday. However, as per the official figures released by the health ministry, the total number of Covid-19 cases in India stands at 979 which includes 867 active cases, 86 cases of recoveries and 25 deaths. Maharashtra and Kerala continue to struggle with Covid-19 as states with the maximum number of infected patients. On Sunday, India entered the fifth day of the 21-day Covid-19 lockdown. WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI The Washtenaw County Health Department recommended Saturday that all faith-based gatherings or in-person services of any kind should be canceled to help stop the spread of coronavirus. A message from Washtenaw County Health Officer Jimena Loveluck suggested people post sermons on social media, host group meetings via video chat or set up text or phone trees to connect with members of their religious groups. Our religious community and houses of worship provide critical support and comfort during these difficult times, Lovelucks statement said. Nevertheless, I am asking all of us to do our part to protect the publics health that means your health, the health of your family and loved ones, and the health of our most vulnerable community members. Lovelucks statement recommended people follow Gov. Gretchen Whitmers Stay Home, Stay Safe order and only leave their homes for essential trips, such as getting groceries or medicine. Loveluck also recommends that people stay 6 feet apart when they are out, wash their hands often and well for at least 20 seconds and avoid any social gatherings. As of 3 p.m. Saturday, there are 187 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus, in Washtenaw County, an increase of 30 cases from Friday, March 27. According to data from the health department, 45 people have been hospitalized and three have fully recovered. More than 180 coronavirus cases now reported in Washtenaw County Statewide, there are 993 new COVID-19 cases and 19 new deaths reported as of 3 p.m. Saturday. The number of cases in Michigan now stands at 4,650 with 111 deaths. Complete coverage of coronavirus in Michigan. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is expected to have updated totals with additional information at 3 p.m. daily. PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, counter tops) and when you go into places like stores. READ MORE: Washtenaw County seeks hotel space, additional emergency funds to fight coronavirus Order to screen essential workers during COVID-19 issued by Washtenaw County Health Department Plant shutdowns result in nearly 400 layoffs in Lenawee, Washtenaw counties amid coronavirus outbreak RIO DE JANEIRO - Every weekday morning for 14 years, housekeeper Bety Santos has left her Rio favela to take a crowded bus to the wealthy seaside district of Barra da Tijuca. But the family she serves there now frightens her. It's the rich - those who can afford to travel or study abroad - who brought the coronavirus to Latin America. But it's the poor, she believes, who will pay. Her employer, a 71-year-old physician, returned from Paris recently with a cold. Though she tested negative for the novel coronavirus, Santos, who cooks and cleans for the family, can't shake her anxiety - or her mounting annoyance. Governments are urging social isolation. Officials have asked the upper classes to put their maids on paid leave. But she's still working. "They cannot survive without me," said Santos, 48. "They depend on me for everything. 'I lost my glasses: Do you know where they are?' 'Next to the bed.' 'Where is the control for the TV?' 'Over there.' I am scared of catching it from [my boss], but it's not an option for me to be unemployed right now. I am a worker." As the novel coronavirus moves deeper into Latin America, analysts expect the region's everyday structural inequities to accelerate the spread of covid-19, the disease the virus causes. Imported by the wealthy, the virus is now reaching into impoverished communities, at times through domestic employment, infecting people with fewer resources to combat the disease, with sometimes deadly results. Rio's first death was a maid who is believed to have caught it from her employer. "You have a clear division in terms of class," said Joaze Bernardino-Costa, a sociologist at the University of Brasila. "It was not a disease that was spread by the poor, but now it is spreading through the whole population." In Mexico, some of the first clusters involved people returning from ski trips in Vail, Colorado, developing into what the Jalisco state governor described as "our main front" in combating the disease. In the Dominican Republic, a posh wedding in the resort town of Cap Cana - at which guests poked fun at the disease with fake nursing outfits -became a contamination cluster. In Brazil, with more than 3,900 confirmed cases, the most in Latin America by far, the virus came from Europe and is now tracking more broadly. One wealthy woman who contracted the coronavirus in Italy is believed to have infected her 63-year-old domestic employee, Cleonice Goncalves. Goncalves died at a small hospital in her hometown of Miguel Pereira, a remote mountain village a two-hour drive from the tony community where she worked. Her family blames the boss, whom they say withheld information of her illness. "She died because of her boss's lack of empathy," sister-in-law Ana Maria Trotta Goncalves wrote on Facebook. "Unforgivable, this attitude." The employer has not been named or spoken publicly. Analysts say Latin America's mutually dependent culture of domestic employment could become an impediment to stopping the spread of the virus. The poor rely on the wealthy for income. The wealthy depend on the poor for cleaning and cooking. In a region where 8% of women are domestic employees - the highest rate in the developing world - no one knows how long social distancing and isolation can last. "We don't know how this movie will play out," said Luis Alvarez, head of a civic group called "Hola Vecino" - Hello Neighbor - in San Pedro Garza Garcia, perhaps Mexico's richest town. Many homeowners, he said, "are people who don't know how to cook, clean the house, sweep - or they aren't ready for it. In this town - oof!" Wealthy Dominicans have begun exchanging tips on how to teach domestic employees proper hygiene in the time of coronavirus. "Use disposable napkins every time you sneeze or cough," the housekeeping-oriented Instagram page Casa al Diacounsels "house assistants." "Don't come to work if you have symptoms of fever." Some Mexican families aren't taking even that chance. They're sending their help home in what amounts to a "radical change of life," according to Mexican newspaper columnist Guadalupe Loaeza. The wealthy, she said, "are not going to wake up to breakfast, to be able to leave their bedrooms bathed and perfumed to find breakfast on the table." The day after Goncalves' death, the Brazilian labor ministry recommended that homeowners put their domestic workers on paid leave for all but "absolutely indispensable" services. Many families have followed that guidance. But others are demanding the "provision of services by the domestic worker, even in a period of social isolation," said Adriane Reis, the ministry's national coordinator of employment equality. Jurema Brites, a social scientist at the Federal University of Santa Maria, said domestic housework, rooted in the Latin American history of colonialism and slavery, has become so "naturalized" that doing without it is nearly unimaginable. "For the wealthy, this type of work is intolerable," she said. "It isn't dignified. It isn't something done by them." The virus has left many of Brazil's 6 million domestic workers with an impossible choice: your job or your health? For Josey Ana Paixao de Almeida, 59, it isn't a choice at all. She lives in the Rio favela of Muzema far from the wealthy seaside neighborhood where she works. All nine of her siblings are domestic workers, each getting by on a few hundred dollars per month. But her daughter, studying finance at a local university, has a chance to be something different. So Paixao de Almeida keeps working to pay for her education. She's hoping for the best, while risking the worst. "I'm 59 and I'm diabetic," she said on the phone in between chores. "I'm scared, but what can I do? If I were home, I wouldn't be making any money." She now wears a mask and gloves on her commute, but still hasn't found the courage to ask her boss, a 49-year-old woman, for paid leave. At least not while the woman is still working her job every day, too. So for now, Almeida is trying to focus on her tasks - get breakfast out, then lunch, then dinner - thankful that she hasn't been sent home without pay. That's a sting Edesia de Almeida Lage is having trouble getting past. Twenty-seven years she has worked for a family in Rio. She raised their children, cooked their food, scrubbed their floors - day after day, for decades. It was her life. But then coronavirus came, and Almeida Lage, 58 and diabetic, started to worry. She said she asked the family to pay for her taxi ride, to avoid the madness of the buses, but they refused. So rather than risk an infection on public transportation, she's now staying home without pay, supported by her husband, a doorman. "Twenty-seven years," she said, still stewing about it late last week. "And they didn't have a single consideration for me. . . . They simply did not care if I would be OK or not. I'm very depressed about it. I am thinking I won't work for them anymore." She declined to identify her employers. Maids and housekeepers work for so long in other people's homes that the relationships at times feel far more familial than transactional - the dynamic depicted in the 2018 Oscar-winning Mexican movie "Roma." Often the wealthy are the first people the poor call when they need help. And now, some maids, even amid the pandemic, feel an obligation to keep working for the families. That's how Jo Alvez feels about her boss, a lively 80-year-old woman, now staying home all day in isolation. The woman's own children are staying away, fearful of getting her sick. Her house is empty - except for Alvez. "I don't know why she hasn't let me go, but she'd be alone without me," she said. "She might be scared of being lonely." Bety Santos, too, keeps serving her boss's family - fearful, annoyed, yet somehow responsible. "She is like my family," she said. "I have an obligation to them." She paused. "I'd rather be at my house." Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 22:41:05|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Brunei reported six new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, bringing the country's total to 126. According to Brunei's Ministry of Health, nine more cases have recovered, bringing the total recovered cases to 34. Two patients are still in critical condition, requiring ventilator support, while three patients are under intensive care. The rest are in stable condition. The ministry said that statistics have shown 46 percent of positive cases in Brunei are asymptomatic. For those who show symptoms, the majority of the symptoms are coughing, fever, flu, headache, sore throat, chills, tiredness and body aches. The ministry also stated that so far, a total of 917 individuals are undergoing quarantine, 1,298 people have completed the quarantine period and 5,656 laboratory tests for COVID-19 have been conducted. A 53-year-old local man became the first confirmed case for COVID-19 in Brunei on March 9 after returning to the country from Kuala Lumpur, where he possibly contracted the virus during the religious mass gatherings from late February to early March, which were reportedly attended by about 16,000 people. A BSF officer, who was posted as a supervisory officer at a BSF quarantine centre in Madhya Pradesh's Tekanpur has tested positive for COVID-19. "He attended four meetings from March 15-19 where he met other ADG and IG rank officers. His wife returned from UK 15 days ago. All officers and his wife are under quarantine now," BSF said. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), there are 918 confirmed cases of coronavirus cases in the country and 19 fatalities have been reported. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The supplies will be dispatched to the regions. A plane with another batch of face masks, protective suits, and other anti-epidemic medical products has arrived in Ukraine from China. "A second plane from China, carrying the means of protection for doctors, police officers, and the military, is now in Boryspil," Deputy Head of the Office of the President, Secretary of the Coordinating Council for countering the spread of COVID-19 Kyrylo Tymoshenko said on Facebook on March 29. Read alsoCargo plane brings to Ukraine COVID-19 tests, protective gear from China According to him, these are 300,000 filtering facepiece (FFP) masks, 35,000 protective suits, 1.8 million medical face masks, and other protective means. "Now this cargo is en route to a logistics warehouse and will be dispatched to every region of Ukraine this afternoon," he said. "At night, the plane is going to China again for another cargo. From Tuesday, we'll have two additional aircraft. This will help pharmacy chains quickly fill the market with low-priced masks and other protective means. We're also expecting a separate delivery of 100,000 PCR [polymerase chain reaction] tests at night, "Tymoshenko added. As UNIAN reported, a first plane with medical supplies to fight COVID-19 arrived in Ukraine from China on March 23. A Ukrainian Il-76 military transport aircraft brought 250,000 rapid test kits, 521 PCR test systems, 80,000 FFP masks, 10,000 protective suits, artificial lung ventilation machines, 500,000 disposable three-layer face masks. Panama's government on Saturday gave permission to a cruise ship on which four passengers have died to travel through its canal, a day after blocking the liner over coronavirus fears. The government said it decided to allow the ship to pass "to provide humanitarian help" but stressed that "no passenger nor member of crew can disembark on Panamanian soil." The Zaandam cruise ship has been stranded at sea since March 14 after several South American ports refused to let it dock due to dozens of people aboard having shown flu-like symptoms. On Friday the ship's Dutch owner Holland America said four passengers had died and two more had tested positive for COVID-19. Earlier Saturday, Panama's maritime authority said healthy passengers were being evacuated from the Zaandam to another liner, the Rotterdam. More than 130 people, both passengers and crew, have been taken ill on the Zaandam, which had more than 1,800 people on board. "The transfer of asymptomatic passengers from the Zaandam cruise liner to the Rotterdam has begun," the maritime authority told AFP, without giving details about the numbers. Maritime Affairs Minister Noriel Arauz had told AFP that 401 passengers who had tested negative for COVID-19 would be allowed to leave the Zaandam. People who were ill and those who had been in contact with them will not be transferred. Arauz said he expects the Rotterdam to return to San Diego, where it left to come to the Zaandam's aid with food, medicine, testing kits and medical staff. The Zaandam is heading to Fort Lauderdale in Florida but must pass through the Panama Canal to reach it. Authorities had denied access to the canal on Friday due to the ill people aboard, leaving it stranded in Panama's Pacific territorial waters. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) TDT | Manama The Jafari Endowments Directorate praised the directives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the Prime Minister, and HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, to facilitate the return of Bahraini citizens stranded abroad, while taking into consideration all preventative measures to ensure their health and safety. Directorate chairman Yusef bin Saleh Al Saleh hailed the efforts of the government and the society to overcome the current health circumstance. He commended the efforts of the Health Ministry, the medical team, the National Taskforce to Combat COVID-19, the Bahrain Defence Force, the security bodies and the government and non-government authorities in supporting the community. The Jafari Endowments Directorate praised the keenness of the community to comply with the directives issued by the official parties, including suspending religious and social activities at mosques, community centres and condolences Majlises. It stressed that adhering to the instructions reflects a high level of awareness and responsibility which will help curb the outbreak of the virus and eliminate it. No one is exempt from the economic devastation hitting the region from the coronavirus pandemic. Not workers, businesses and, as a sobering announcement from Metro last week made clear, not government. Metro, the regional planning agency that runs the Oregon Zoo, Oregon Convention Center, Keller Auditorium and other venues, said last week it expects to cut up to 700 jobs about 40% of its work force as a result of closures and event cancellations amid COVID-19 restrictions. While Metro hopes the layoffs will be temporary, its hard to predict how long the novel coronavirus will wreak its havoc. It is a staggering blow both for those losing their jobs and for Metro, an agency whose responsibilities have greatly expanded and which now projects $11 million a month in lost revenue due to the closures and reduced solid-waste collection. While most of the laid-off employees work at the venues, the agency also plans to reduce schedules and enact furloughs for some of its remaining staff all of which adds up to fewer employees being asked to shoulder more work that may or may not be within their area of expertise. The turmoil comes as voters prepare to weigh in on Metros $250 million ballot measure for funding homeless services in May. The measure would tax higher-income earners individuals making $125,000 or more and couples making $200,000 or more as well as the profits of businesses with more than $5 million in gross sales. The proceeds would go to agencies providing support services, such as mental health and drug addiction counseling, to help people who are homeless. But there are few other details about the measure, which was rushed onto the May ballot instead of the November ballot as originally planned. Metro is still working out such critical components as who would receive the money, how it would be used, what outcomes the money would deliver or even who would collect the tax (although Metro is now in talks with the city of Portland to handle that job for the tri-county region, said Metro spokesman Nick Christensen). While Metro says administrative costs would be capped at 5%, theres no discussion in the ballot measure about an administrative cost cap for the nonprofit agencies that will be receiving the money. Oregonian editorials Editorials reflect the collective opinion of The Oregonian/OregonLive editorial board, which operates independently of the newsroom. Members of the editorial board are Therese Bottomly, Laura Gunderson, Helen Jung, John Maher and Amy Wang. Members of the board meet regularly to determine our institutional stance on issues of the day. We publish editorials when we believe our unique perspective can lend clarity and influence an upcoming decision of great public interest. Editorials are opinion pieces and therefore different from news articles. To respond to this editorial, submit an OpEd or a letter to the editor If you have questions about the opinion section, email Helen Jung , opinion editor, or call 503-294-7621. And now, theres an even more critical question: Will the ballot measure even raise the $250 million that Metro promised its homeless-services partners? In the past two weeks, tens of thousands of people have been laid off and businesses across the state have shut down. Longtime institutions like Powells Books and McMenamins restaurants are fighting for their survival. The projections of just a few months ago of how many individuals and businesses would be subject to the tax may no longer hold in todays upside-down economy. And with no clear sign of how long this pandemic or its economic consequences will persist, this measure may simply not deliver the amount of money that homeless services agencies have said is necessary. The deadline has passed for Metro to withdraw the measure. Even if it wanted to, the agency cannot pull it in favor of the November ballot when the economic picture will likely be clearer. Regardless, agency leaders have given no sign of second thoughts. In the short time before ballots go out, Metro should follow through on its obligation to provide better answers to the many unanswered questions about this measure. The utter lack of detail so far has reflected an unsettling disrespect for taxpayers, who are being asked to hand over $2.5 billion over 10 years with the barest of commitments from Metro. And Metro also owes its nonprofit partners a true assessment of what it will actually be able to raise. Its answers will help voters decide whether to approve this or ask the agency to submit an improved measure later this year. In an email, Christensen said Metros immediate financial focus has been on COVID-19s effects on daily operations. But agency officials understand the economy has changed dramatically, he said. What we dont know is how long these economic impacts will be felt in our region, or how quickly our economy will rebound once the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, he wrote. While no one could have foreseen this calamity, its unfortunate that the Metro Council didnt stick to the November timeline. Even with the May election, homeless services agencies will not receive a dime of this money before 2021 same as it would have been for a November measure. The rush to refer the measure also forced Metro staff to quickly deliver policy analyses that require methodical review. It is no wonder that they initially erred in estimating what a higher-earner tax would raise, necessitating Metros last-minute addition of a business tax to make up the shortfall. Ironically, the only apparent benefit of putting this before voters in May was that it wouldnt compete with Metros planned multibillion-dollar transportation measure on the November ballot a measure that may now be delayed past November. Few dispute the need for more tax revenue to help those who are homeless. Few dispute that addressing homelessness is one of the regions most pressing priorities, a priority brought into even sharper focus by the coronavirus pandemic. But this measure is full of unknowns that threaten to undercut both its appeal to voters and its effectiveness if passed. In taking this shot at the ballot, Metro should at least give voters and its nonprofit partners the honest information they deserve. -The Oregonian/OregonLive Editorial Board Sign up for The Oregonian/OregonLives opinion newsletter at oregonlive.com/newsletters. Hungary's parliament is expected to pass a law on Monday that will give Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government extended powers to manage the coronavirus pandemic. A government spokesman on Saturday said "extraordinary measures" were needed to effectively fight the pandemic. But opposition parties, civic groups and European institutions are concerned about the open-ended "blank cheque" sought by Orban. Without an end-date to the special powers, the new laws allow parliament to end the state of emergency or nullify any government decrees issued during the pandemic. The Orban government, however, has a tightly-controlled, two-thirds majority in the legislature. This allows the government to pass legislation at will, including constitutional amendments, without votes from the opposition. Some of the concerns are about an addition to the criminal code which could imprison for up to five years people convicted of spreading false information about the pandemic. Critics fear that the clause could be used to further clamp down on independent media, which the government has repeatedly charged with spreading "fake news". In 2018, the European Union launched still-ongoing proceedings against Hungary because of concerns about the rule of law and the Orban government's alleged undermining of EU values. Orban himself says the procedures are motivated by opposition to his strong anti-immigration policies. For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and could lead to death. The employees of Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Sunday collectively decided to contribute Rs 21 lakh to Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM-CARES) Fund to combat the spread of coronavirus. "The Central Board of Secondary Education as in past has decided to contribute 21,00,000 from all employees who have voluntarily come forward to donate their salary to the PM CARES Fund to aid the government's efforts to fight against the coronavirus," said Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) secretary Anurag Tripathi. Accordingly, Group- A employees have donated two-day salaries and Group- B and C employees, one day salary to PM-CARES Fund. PM Modi had created Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM-CARES) Fund and appealed all the countrymen to show their support for the cause. This came after Modi had on Tuesday announced a 21-day lockdown in the entire country to deal with spread of the coronavirus, saying that " social distancing" is the only option to deal with the disease, which spreads rapidly. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Grateful for leaders As I reflect on the long history of city and county government in the San Antonio area, I cannot identify another instance in which a mayor and county judge have had to set in motion actions as momentous as those that Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Judge Nelson Wolff have undertaken in recent weeks. Their decisions and judgments have touched the lives of millions of people. Though each of us is living with inconveniences and even hardships, each of us should be grateful that we are led at this critical time by people capable of sober judgment, public responsibility and decisive action. The people of our region in turn have responded with admirable understanding and goodwill. The way leaders and the public react in a crisis is reflective of the way they interact in ordinary times and indicative of the way they will work together to build the future when the crisis passes. We live in a good place! Henry Cisneros Mayor shines Its great that San Antonio is blessed with a mayor who is an adult and can preside at press conferences with a calm attitude, authority and clear answers, unlike what is coming out of the White House. Thank you, Mayor Ron Nirenberg, for your leadership. Pat Porter A lifelong lesson Re: Lockdown lesson: Live in the present, Another View, Thursday: Mark Stoeltje had me at the very first sentence. I especially like the part about how every person we come across and every circumstance we experience is a teacher. From our handicapped brother, I learned the power of a smile and a handshake; this made his day. From a former co-worker, I learned about the fragility of life. One day he was solemnly telling me about a great friend who had been given a dire diagnosis and was terminal. Then, upon reflection, he said, You know, were all terminal; we just dont know when. So, we should live each day as if its our last; it could well be. From a newfound relative in California, I learned the uplifting and inspiring element of his joie de vivre. From my parents, I learned that a second-grade education shouldnt keep you from devouring everything in the newspapers and teaching yourself to read. From Max Ehrmanns Desiderata, Speak your truth quietly and clearly, and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story. We especially need these types of articles in these trying times. Rachel V. Diaz-Kennon On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio, Bexar County residents ordered to stay home Team Biden-Trump? It has been difficult for former Vice President Joe Biden to get much air time due to the coronavirus coverage. I cant see this happening, but how great it would be to see Biden join President Donald Trump in trying to calm the American people and promote unity? Both candidates could encourage the American people to make the sacrifices and practice CDC guidelines. What a show of cooperation this would exhibit to the frightened citizens confused and concerned about their health and financial well-being. Biden has a stake in trying to promote the common goal of all Americans because if he wins in November, he will be the beneficiary of a stronger America. I may be naive, but both candidates can help bring the country together and show everyone this is an American and worldwide risk. Joe Caddel On ExpressNews.com: Flatter or fight? Governors seeking help must navigate Trump Few months not long I know these are difficult times, but our parents and grandparents endured the Great Depression and a world war. Can we not sacrifice by staying at home and keeping others safe? I suggest reading The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, streaming the movie Room or searching YouTube for astronauts who have lived in space for over a year. Most of us have access to decent food and housing, TV, internet and texting. There are still folks who are not taking this seriously and are jeopardizing others. Thanks, Mayor Ron Nirenberg, for your leadership, to medical personnel who are overwhelmed, first responders, city workers, grocery store workers, mail carriers, plumbers, electricians and teachers who are keeping things operating. A few months is not an eternity. Nancy Powlas Virus via VIA The mayor is saying not to gather in groups, as is the governor. Doctors are saying to stay away from poorly ventilated, closed spaces at all costs, not to make any unnecessary travel and stay at home. So, what does VIA Metropolitan Transit do? Make it free for anyone to ride its buses, all over town, potentially spreading this virus all over the city. This seems absolutely insane. Bus service should be limited to keep this disease from spreading. VIA isnt helping anyone by making it easier to crowd on a poorly ventilated bus. I have no idea what theyre thinking, because this seems extremely reckless. Who recommended this action? Shannon Deason Semicolon still useful Re: The reign of the semicolon, Another View, March 14: As a schoolboy in England 70-plus years ago, I learned that the semicolon is useful in sentences that are composed of several phrases, which themselves contain commas. For example, We were visited by our daughter from Austin, her husband, and her three children; our daughter from San Antonio, her husband, and her two stepdaughters; and our son from Austin, his wife, and his two children. I use the semicolon (judiciously) in the mathematics textbooks I write. I also use semicolon as a pun for what remains in a persons body after surgery on a certain part of the lower digestive tract. Paul A. Foerster HCMC has prepared to cope with different scenarios and targets limiting its Covid-19 cases to below 150, city Chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong said Sunday. All facilities are ready to meet quarantine and treatment requirements in the worst case Covid-19 scenario, Phong said at a meeting with the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control. He did not specify what the scenario was. Ho Chi Minh City currently has 36 quarantine camps with 12,000 beds and will add more areas to increase capacity to 24,000 beds. The city has four intensive care facilities for treating Covid-19 patients with 2,300 beds and 47 hospitals that can accept patients with more than 700 beds. The city had also equipped itself with 10,000 high-sensitivity test kits, seven million medical masks and 40 million cloth masks. Phong said that among 46 Covid-19 infections in the city, 32 cases were infected from abroad and the rest contracted the virus within the community. To deal with the possibility of infection from foreign tourists from other localities, Phong has proposed that Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc asks the Transport Ministry to minimize domestic flights to and from the Tan Son Nhat International Airport and only approve a few essential flights. He said flight crew of domestic and international carriers should not be allowed to stay in apartments but in temporary accommodations. During their stay, flight crew should not be allowed to leave the location and must inform local authorities of their presence for supervision. Earlier, a 43-year-old British pilot with Vietnam Airlines was confirmed positive for the coronavirus. He had attended a party at the Buddha Bar and Grill in Saigon's District 2 on the night of March 14. Of more than 200 that people attended the event, 13 have contracted the virus so far. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc praised HCMC for taking drastic actions to contain the pandemic and suggested that authorities in other provinces follow HCMC and Hanoi in sanctioning people who do not wear masks in public places. "The next 15 days will decide the success or defeat of the war against Covid-19," he said. Nine latest Covid-19 patients confirmed Sunday evening, including one reporter and two related to Hanoi's Bach Mai Hospital, have taken Vietnam's total to 188 infections. Of these, 25 have recovered and been discharged from hospitals. The Covid-19 pandemic has killed more than 31,700 people in 199 countries and territories. New Delhi, March 29 : Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Sunday expressed his party's solidarity with the government in the time of crisis and also suggested measures to overcome the panic and insulate the economy. "The number of poor, who are daily wagers, is simply too large to shut down all economic activities. The consequences of economic shutdown will only add the Covid-19 toll," said the former Congress chief. The shutdown could cause "catastrophic" loss of life, he added. He urged the government to consider a nuanced approach, taking the complex realities of the country into consideration, prioritise protection of the elderly and the vulnerable, and communicate clearly to the young about the dangers. Rushing of millions of people to their villages due to lockdown in cities would increase the risk of spread of coronavirus infection to their folk back home, he said. "This will lead to catastrophic loss of life," Gandhi said. "We must strengthen the social safety net and use every public resources to support and shelter the working poor," he said. The Congress leader also called for setting up of dedicated hospitals with thousands of beds and ventilators, and intensifying coronavirus tests to get an accurate picture of the spread of infection and to formulate suitable measures to contain it. Rahul said the sudden lockdown, announced by the government, created panic and confusion, and closure of factories, small industries and construction had rendered tens of thousands of migrants jobless forcing them to return to their villages. He urged the Prime Minister to help them find shelter and provide money directly into their bank accounts to let them tide over the crisis. Expressing his and millions of Congress workers' solidarity with the government in this immense humanitarian crisis, Gandhi suspected that the government might extend the lockdown. Amid the coronavirus pandemic that has spread like a wildfire across countries, actor Karan Kundra, who was planning to go on a vacation to Milan with his family, had to call off everything and is keeping himself in isolation at home. Concerned about his familys health, he says, My parents and sisters live in the US and some are in India. So we had thought of having a big family bash in Milan on my elder sisters 50th birthday and had planned this much in advance but we had to cancel everything. Its sad that we cant meet each other and I do feel very worried about my family staying in abroad, Kundra shares. At the work front, the 35-year-old shares that he had to discontinue the shooting for his next movie Unfair and Lovely in Karnal, Haryana after the Federation of Western Indian Cine Employees (FWICE) issued a notice of shooting to take place post March 19. To cover up as much shoot as they can, the team worked day in, day night and wrapped up everything in haste. Its a pretty scary issue situation everywhere. Everything is affected by COVID-19, not just mentally but there have been great losses financially too but what matters is peoples health. There is no need to panic. We all have to take the necessary steps and preventive measures, he continues, Thankfully, the Film City is shut and all the shoots are called off. I was worried about those who were travelling by trains, metros or buses to come to the sets. They are at the higher risk. The actor is planning to make the best use of this break time by catching up on the things that he couldnt do earlier. I was so exhausted shooting for two shows and film back to back so this break is a great relief. There are so many books that I had bought but couldnt read it, so Ill be reading all that and Im going to watch all the web shows that I missed out on, he signs off. Panaji, March 29 : Two battalions of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were deployed in Goa on Sunday, after three days of panic-buying across the state, which forced the police to use force against shoppers crowding outside grocery stores. "The CRPF will be given a free hand to enforce the lockdown," Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said, even as 240 personnel of the central paramilitary force were picketed in key populated areas in Goa. Videos of CRPF personnel beating up people on the streets on Sunday and instructing them to undergo corporal punishment like frog-jumping have already gone viral. Over the last two days, the state police had to resort to baton-charging people outside grocery stores in various parts of the state, some of which include Mapusa, Vasco, etc, for panic buying and not resorting to social distancing norms. Most grocery stores in Mapusa town and nearby areas were without stock, forcing local residents of the town as well as nearby areas, to flock to one grocery selling outlet after another in vain, which further fuelled panic. The RAF could be called in for a a massive coronavirus rescue mission to bring stranded Britons home this week, it was claimed today. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab is expected to announce a huge repatriation effort as early as tomorrow amid mounting fears over safety. RAF voyager transport planes could be deployed to bring UK citizens home from places such as India and Peru, where conditions are thought to be deteriorating. The government has been urging against all foreign travel and for people to make their own way back for more than a week, but many have found it difficult to get tickets. So far the government has only chartered a few British Airways flights to evacuate the most vulnerable Britons. It is not clear how many are abroad in total, as numbers are not routinely tracked. One government source told the Sunday Times that Mr Raab was not yet ready to launch a full-scale military evacuation, but said RAF Voyager transport could be involved. One said: 'Our priority is commercial flights but we do not rule out exceptional means if necessary.' The latest effort emerged as the UK's high commissioner in Australia, Vicky Treadell, warned there are at least 30,000 Britons in the country and a few planes 'won't do it'. She tweeted: 'Brits across Australia so no single point of departure. Keeping key airports and commercial airlines providing 1000s of seats between them is therefore our current priority.' British Nationals stuck in India said their plight is becoming 'desperate', with some claiming they have faced police brutality while attempting to get food and medical supplies. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab (pictured in Downing Street earlier this month) is expected to announce a huge repatriation effort as early as tomorrow amid mounting fears over safety Reece Hall, 24, from Cornwall, fell victim to a mugging and serious assault on February 26 in north Goa, leaving him with a fractured jaw, eye socket and leg injury, now severely infected RAF voyager transport planes like this one (file picture) could be deployed to bring UK citizens home from places such as India and Peru, where conditions are thought to be deteriorating Reece Hall, 24, a ground worker from Cornwall, fell victim to a mugging and serious assault on February 26 in Titos Lane, north Goa, leaving him with a fractured jaw, eye socket and a leg injury, which has now become severely infected. Unable to leave his accommodation for regular treatment due hostility towards tourists and strict government lock down measures, in place since Wednesday, Mr Hall's open leg wound, which was caused when three muggers pushed him from his bike, is now badly inflamed. Mr Hall said: 'I've been avoid going outside ever since seeing videos of people getting beaten up and hearing stories from foreigners who have been beaten, (...) my leg is not looking good at the moment'. 'I'm desperate to get a plane ticket home but it's gone past the point of trying to get one now as they are all cancelled, all we can do is contact government officials. I'm surviving off one meal of rice a day.' As all flights from the country have been grounded until April 12, thousands of British Nationals left stranded across India are now relying on the UK government to put in place repatriation flights - which have so far been limited and fully booked within minutes of being announced. British Nationals have been advised by the Foreign and Commonwealth office to comply with local rules during lock down, with talks of quarantine areas to be set up for foreign nationals. A 21-day lock down was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday causing the immediate closure of shops, restaurants and many hotels. Heidi Hawkins, 49, a carer from West Sussex stuck in south Goa, said: 'The supermarket was rumoured to be open and it was heaving, no social distancing, every man for himself. The police just came along and started smacking people with their sticks. So people are too scared to go out for food. When you hear of a shop that's open you're too scared to go there because of the police brutality. We just need food and water and we've been left with no information. 'I went to the police station in Colva to ask for information and the police threatened to put me behind bars. I was laughed at and ridiculed.' 'At home i've got my 22-year-old daughter who is highly anxious alone with her eight-week-old baby, her four-year-old daughter and my 19-year-old disabled daughter. She's been stuck inside without food. While my 19-year-son, who is severely disabled is in an assisted living house and he is desperately homesick and doesn't understand. I am desperate to get to him and take him home. I need to get home for my babies, they need their mum.' British National, Lyn Davis, 60, who is also stuck in Goa and has been visiting the region for almost 20 years, claims she was assaulted by police in the area with a bamboo baton for leaving her hotel to collect medication she had ordered the day before. Heidi Hawkins, 49, a carer from West Sussex (pictured with her grandchild) is stuck in south Goa and said she is afraid to go out for food due to police brutality Ms Hawkins in Goa before the lock down, she is now unable to source food and said she has had no contact from the Foreign Office Mrs Davis said: 'Went to the chemists in Candolim this morning (...) police were very aggressive at Calangute roundabout. We tried explaining that we had ordered medication but the police woman hit me hard on the bottom with her stick, had my phone in my hand and told her that was assault. 'They carried on shouting and waved us through, also as we were coming up to them you could see her getting ready swinging her stick around. I've been coming to India for nearly 20 years, do I want to come back? Not so sure now.' Jay Vernon a yoga teacher from Brighton is currently stuck in Varkala, Kerala. He said he is yet to hear back from the Foreign Office Jay Vernon a yoga teacher from Brighton is currently stuck in Varkala, Kerala, after having two flights he had booked cancelled and no response from the British Embassy. Mr Vernon said: 'My two flights have been cancelled and no one has yet to reply from the Embassy. Locals are not wanting to associate with me because I'm from Europe. I still can't understand why the Indian government doesn't allow us to leave and their own citizens back in the country.' Since the 21-day lock down was announced on Wednesday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi thousands of people, mostly young male day labourers but also families, fled their New Delhi homes as the measure effectively put millions of Indians who live off daily earnings out of work. Migrant workers and their family members lineup outsdie the Anand Vihar bus terminal, New Delhi, yesterday to leave for their villages during a government-imposed nationwide lockdown Indian migrant workers, daily wagers, laborers and homeless people wait for food outside a government-run shelter as a nationwide lockdown continues, March 28 Construction projects, taxi services, housekeeping and other informal sector employment came to a sudden halt. Mr Modi said the extreme measure was needed to halt the spread of Covid-19 in India, which has confirmed 775 cases and 19 deaths, and where millions live in cramped conditions without regular access to clean water. India's finance ministry announced a 1.7trillion (18billion) economic stimulus package that will include delivering grains and lentil rations for three months to 800 million people, around 60 per cent of the world's second-most populous country. But thousands of India's most vulnerable, who fear dying not of the disease caused by the new virus but rather of starvation, have decided not to wait. Mainly labourers who are stranded on the border districts travel in a bus at the Delhi, Uttar Pradesh boarder near New Delhi, 28 March Ghanas COVID-19 cases has increased to One Hundred and Fifty-two(152). The Ghana Health Service confirmed the Eleven(11)new cases today, Sunday, March 29, 2020. Ten (10) of the new cases were among persons who were under mandatory quarantine in Tamale under the direction of the Regional Security Committee of the Northern Region. The 10 cases involved Guinean residents who travelled through Burkina Faso and Togo to Ghana and were picked up following intelligence report. The eleventh case was recorded in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region. Accra, Greater Kumasi lockdown President Nana Akufo-Addo, on Friday, March 27, 2020 declared a partial lockdown of Accra and Kumasi effective 1 am on Monday, March 30, 2020. During the two-week partial lockdown of Accra and Kumasi from Monday, March 30, President Nana Akufo-Addo said Ghanaians should leave their homes in search of only essential items or activities. Among these essentials listed by the President are food, medicine and water. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A 14-year-old boy from Portugal is believed to have become the youngest person to die of coronavirus in Europe. Vitor Godinho, from Ovar, half an hour's drive south of Porto, died in the early hours of Sunday after being rushed to Sao Sebastiao Hospital in nearby Santa Maria da Feira. He is thought to have suffered from psoriasis, but had no major underlying health conditions. His death comes after 16-year-old French schoolgirl Julie Alliot died at a hospital in Paris on Wednesday. She had no underlying health conditions and was pronounced dead a week after developing 'a slight cough'. Vitor Godinho, 14, from Ovar, Portugal, is believed to have become the youngest person to die from coronavirus in Europe The boy, pictured holding an award, is thought to have suffered from psoriasis but to have had no underlying health conditions Medics are said to have decided against transferring the Portuguese boy to a hospital with a paediatric A&E unit in Porto, Portugal's second largest city, because of the severity of his condition. The Portuguese Football Federation paid tribute to the teenager today. He played futsal - which is similar to five a side football - for Maceda Cultural and Recreational Centre. Its president Fernando Gomes said in a heartbreaking statement: 'With profound consternation I am sending my condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Vitor Rafael Bastos Godinho. 'At this moment of deep pain for his loved ones, I am also sending words of comfort to the footballing family in the Aveiro region who share with us the disappearance of such a precocious talent.' Before today, Miss Alliot was the youngest reported COVID-19 death in Europe. Her sister Manon paid tribute to her, saying she was 'bright and much loved' and 'loved to dance, sing and make people laugh.' In the UK, the youngest healthy victim is 21-year-old Chloe Middleton, of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, who died earlier this week. An 18-year-old Briton also succumbed to the virus, but they had underlying health conditions. The 14-year-old boy, from Ovar, half an hour's drive south of Porto, died in the early hours of Sunday after being rushed to Sao Sebastiao Hospital in nearby Santa Maria da Feira (pictured) Tributes were today being paid to Julie Alliot, 16, (pictured) who succumbed to respiratory problems in a Paris hospital on Wednesday after first developing a 'slight cough' a week ago The number of COVID-19 deaths in Portugal stood at 119 at lunchtime on Sunday. Nearly 6,000 are infected with the virus and another 5,500 were awaiting the results of tests according to Ministry of Health figures. Earlier today it emerged a British man has died on the Algarve after falling ill with coronavirus. The OAP, who was in his seventies, lost his two-week fight for life yesterday at Faro Hospital. He lived in Benagil, a beach area near Lagoa which is known for its spectacular cave. Lagoa's mayor Luis Encarnacao confirmed the death, the town's second since the start of the coronavirus crisis. The first was a 60-year-old teacher who lived in Carvoeiro and has been named as Manuel Magalhaes. Mr Encarnacao said he had spoken to the families of both men to offer them his condolences. The British expat has not been named. BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 29 Trend: B.EST Solutions Company- a national operator of Asan Imza, and a partner of the Digital Trade Hub of Azerbaijan, is intensively working by reacting on inquiries from Asan Imza users and entrepreneurs willing to endure their business remotely in order to minimize the impact of the coronavirus epidemics ( COVID-19) on the business environment of the country. Guided by the instructions of the Operational Headquarters under the Cabinet of Ministers for working in a special mode to fight against the spread of coronavirus infection COVID-19, relevant changes were made for free automatic prolongation of Asan Imza certificates for citizens, business entities who are heads of companies, citizens engaged in entrepreneurial activities and governmental workers on managerial positions for the period from April 01 to May 31 and exempted from subscription fee for the abovementioned period. Other users of Asan Imza business certificates will be able to prolong their certificates through the online service on asxm.gov.az portal. During the specified time, the SMS-message will be sent from the Tax Service to these users by informing them that Asan Imza certificates have been updated until May 31. Given into the account the challenging situation for the Azerbaijani government, uninterrupted and coordinated work of all segments of the economy and government agencies offering digital solutions and platforms is critically important. Created by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan the sustainable platform of Digital Azerbaijan should be actively used for sustaining the country's economy. Asan Imza will provide safe and effective access to online services of electronic government, online banking, contract signing- without leaving home in a smooth transition to remote work. Should one have a necessity to sign a contract with foreign partner, there is a possibility of an offer to become m-Resident of Azerbaijan. Digital Azerbaijan has to support in overcoming the consequences of raging around the world coronavirus pandemics and summon all opportunities for preventing entrepreneurs and citizens suffering from damage. Call Center 1847 Asan Imza continues to operate in a regular mode. In case of any inquiry, please send an e-mail to [email protected] #stayhome #workremotelyWithAsanImza About Asan Imza: Due to the mobility solution and easiness to use, Asan Imza is gaining popularity among citizens and business, and is the key component of m-government. At the moment more than 600 Public and private electronic services use Asan Imza in their systems. Asan Imza has been integrated with the call-centers of various governmental and private organizations, it is used for submitting the electronic customs declarations, declaration of goods and vehicles in customs service, registration of labour agreement notifications, on-line application to the educational institutions etc. http://www.asanimza.az Ben Affleck received a surprise visit on Saturday afternoon. The 47-year-old actor's son, Samuel, eight, rode his bike over to his dad's house in Los Angeles to say hi amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Samuel was accompanied by his nanny who brought over some school work for Ben to look at, according to onlookers. Shocked! Ben Affleck was caught off guard on Saturday when he received a surprise visit from his son, Samuel, eight, when he arrived on his bike Ben was dressed casually in a light colored T-shirt and a pair of dark trousers. He appeared surprised as he made his way to his front yard where two Telsa's and one Range Rover was parked. Samuel also dressed casually fro the bike ride and completed his look with a dark helmet. Not alone: Samuel was accompanied by his nanny who brought over some school work for Ben to look at, according to onlookers Casual: Ben was dressed casually in a light colored T-shirt and a pair of dark trousers The father-son appearance comes after the Batman actor was photographed earlier in the day with his new girlfriend, Ana de Armas. The pair enjoyed a stroll around his Brentwood neighborhood to walk her dog. Their self-isolating break comes after a source told Us Weekly recently that they were very happy together. 'Ana is very happy with Ben. She loves spending time with him and they have great chemistry and a lot of fun together.' Ben and Ana first set sparks alight when they were seen vacationing in Cuba together earlier in the year. The actors first met in November 2019 on the set of their new movie, Deep River. New love: The Batman actor was photographed earlier in the day with his new girlfriend, Ana de Armas Officially a couple! Earlier in the month saw the beauty make things Instagram official with the father-of-three Earlier in the month saw the beauty make things Instagram official with the father-of-three. She shared a series of photos taken by Ben during their vacation, and while not tagging him, he left a cheeky comment: 'Photo credit pls.' Since then, the Argo and Knives Out stars have been inseparable. Ben has had quite a few relationships since his split from ex-wife Jennifer Garner in 2015. The pair wed ten years earlier and continue to amicably co-parent their children, Violet, 14, Seraphina, 11, and Samuel, eight. Unlike the second-home-owning class, many Europeans face the likelihood of spending weeks in quarantine in cramped spaces. Some have been laid off while others must continue to work, sometimes with limited protection, in low-paying jobs like supermarket cashier or delivery that require contact with people. At first, the French government urged citizens to work from home in order to slow the spread of the virus. But faced with the prospect of people refusing to work because of the health risks, Bruno Le Maire, the finance minister, urged all employees from activities that are essential to the functioning of the country to go to their workplaces. According to both locals and Parisians on the island, some urbanites arrived in Noirmoutier and headed straight to the beach. They were seen picnicking, kite surfing, jogging and biking. In retribution, tires of about half a dozen cars with Paris plates were slashed. Their behavior was unacceptable, said Frederic Boucard, 47, an oyster farmer. Its as if they were on vacation. Another local, Claude Gouraud, 55, said, We should have blocked the bridge weeks ago. In Italy, currently the European nation with the most infections and deaths, many fled south from the hard-hit north, the region first put in lockdown. Though hard figures are unavailable, some officials in the south have attributed new infections to the influx. Last week, Ruggero Razza, the Sicilian regional council member for health, said on television that many of the new infections in Sicily which totaled 846 as of Tuesday had been caused by an influx of nearly 40,000 people from other regions. In Spain, Jose Maria Aznar, the former prime minister, packed his bags for his holiday villa in Marbella, a celebrity resort on the Mediterranean, leaving Madrid on the very day that the capital shut all schools and universities. The move fueled anger across social media as well as calls to monitor Mr. Aznar and lock him inside his villa. New York transformed a grassy meadow in Central Park into a makeshift hospital and welcomed a Navy hospital ship as officials scrambled to bolster a medical system becoming overwhelmed by coronavirus. Central Park's East Meadow on the Upper East Side, normally a spot for picnickers and sunbathers, was converted Sunday into a 68-bed field hospital designed as a respiratory care unit. And on Monday morning, the USNS Comfort navigated past the Statue of Liberty into New York Harbor, where it will provide another 1,000 hospital beds. "This is like an additional hospital just floated right up to our shores, and now it's going to help to save lives," New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said. In addition, the Army Corps of Engineers transformed Manhattan's Javits Convention Center into a makeshift 1,000-bed field hospital. Gov. Andrew Cuomo set a goal of building a 1,000-plus patient temporary hospital in each of New York City's five boroughs as well as in nearby Westchester, Rockland, Nassau and Suffolk counties. The makeshift hospitals are a few examples of how New York is using every possible method to expand its capacity. More than 1,000 people have died of coronavirus in New York state, the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, as of Monday morning, a state official told CNN. And Cuomo has warned that the numbers of coronavirus patients, hospitalizations and deaths will continue to rise until they reach an expected peak in two to three weeks. Cuomo has emphasized a two-pronged solution to the coronavirus outbreak: increase the ability to care for those who get sick and cut down on the spread of new cases. Samaritan's Purse, a Christian humanitarian aid organization, set up the Central Park tents in cooperation with FEMA, state officials and local hospital authorities, the organization said. Mayor de Blasio said the tent hospital is expected to be operational by Tuesday. The USNS Comfort, staffed by federal medical professionals, will be used to treat non-coronavirus patients, thereby freeing city hospitals to expand for the surge in coronavirus cases. Hospitals are adding staff and equipment Cuomo's call for "all hands on deck" in the state has also turned out more medical staff and a surge in needed medical supplies. The city has received all of the 2,500 ventilators promised by the federal government. They are distributing the ventilators along with personal protective equipment including 8,918,000 face masks, 179,328 face shields, 1,570,300 surgical gloves and 476,565 N95 masks. Still, there are concerns about shortages. "There is not enough of anything," an attending physician in the anesthesiology department of a Long Island hospital told CNN. "There are just so many patients who are so sick it seems impossible to keep up with the demand." For medical professionals on the front lines, many of whom are reusing single-use equipment, the supplies are the best line of defense against contracting the virus themselves, spreading it to patients and being unable to continue providing care. NYC's emergency rooms are serving twice as many patients as usual and their ICUs are three times as large as usual, Dr. Mitchell Katz, CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals said Sunday. In response, 500 contract nurses were added to the NYC Health + Hospitals system this week and another 500 are expected next week, de Blasio said Sunday. And Queens' Elmhurst Hospital, which is among the hardest hit in the city, has received 169 clinicians to help in its fight against the virus. The city will continue to move personnel to help every hospital that needs it during this pandemic, de Blasio said. At Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center in Brooklyn, where CNN gained access Sunday, the ICU was working at capacity, patient beds lined the hallways of the emergency department and the morgue was full. "I can say that every corner every part of the hallway, every room, every space has been filled up to capacity with our patients," Dr. Arabia Mollette said. Enforcing social distancing In New York City, social distancing has gone from a moral responsibility to a legal requirement, as de Blasio announced Sunday that residents who violate policies will receive a summons and fines ranging from $250 to $500. People will be fined if they are told by officers to disperse, keep moving, or maintain distance, but they continue to violate policies anyway. "If you ignore that order ... we're going to have to fine you. We're going to give people every chance to listen and if anyone doesn't listen, then they deserve a fine at this point," de Blasio said. Beginning Monday, the New York Police Department is conducting spot checks on subway cars to ensure social distancing. Team sports are banned in the city. Tennis courts and soccer fields where people continue to gather will have their nets taken down, and 80 basketball hoops have already been removed. NYPD commissioner expects nearly 900 positive tests in department Five New York Police Department employees who had tested positive for coronavirus have died, including a police administrative aide and a school safety agent, according to a law enforcement official. As of Monday morning, 940 employees of the NYPD -- 834 uniformed members and 106 civilian members -- have coronavirus, the official said. Some 5,000 uniformed members of the NYPD are out sick. The NYPD has advised members with underlying conditions who want special accommodations to seek permission to work from home, the official said. The department is advising pregnant staff members to do the same. On Saturday, the department announced its first death of a detective due to coronavirus. Detective Cedric Dixon, a 23-year veteran, worked in the 32nd Precinct in Harlem, NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said. The detective was in his 40s and had underlying health conditions, multiple law enforcement officials said. Shea did not provide details on the officer's health history. On Friday, Giacomina Barr-Brown, a civilian worked in the 49th Precinct Roll Call Office, also died from coronavirus. Barr-Brown was a seven-year veteran of the NYPD. And on Thursday, Dennis C. Dickson, a custodian who worked at police headquarters, became the first member of the NYPD to lose his life to coronavirus. The police chief lauded Dickson's commitment to the department, noting the 14-year veteran "worked 17 days straight" during Hurricane Sandy in 2012. "May we never forget the sacrifice of those workers who put themselves in harm's way to keep you and your family safe," Shea said. President Trump is extending his administration's "15 days to slow the spread" shutdown guidelines for an additional month in the face of mounting coronavirus infections and deaths and pressure from public health officials and governors. Driving the news: With the original 15-day period that was announced March 16 about to end, officials around the country had been bracing for a premature call to return to normalcy from a president who's been venting lately that the prescription for containing the virus could be worse than the impacts of the virus itself. "We had an aspiration" of Easter, Trump said, but when he heard the numbers of potential deaths, he realized he couldn't push a reopening of the economy as soon as he previously had foreshadowed. Trump explained his turnaround by saying his government's modeling shows the peak death rate will likely come in two weeks. He said that 2.2 million people could die if the government did nothing and the public didn't do the social distancing. "Nothing would be worse than declaring victory before the victory is won," he said. The federal guidelines include directives for older people to stay home and for all Americans to avoid social gatherings of more than 10 people and to avoid bars, restaurants, shopping trips and nursing homes. Behind the scenes: Trump has been under mounting pressure to extend the guidelines after numerous public officials pushed back against his statement last week that the economy could be back and running by Easter. Maryland's Republican Gov. Larry Hogan told me in a blunt interview on Thursday that he was prepared to ignore President Trump if he reverted back to his "very harmful" message of reopening large sections of the economy by Easter. "It would be very harmful, because we would obviously not listen to that. We would listen to the scientists and the doctors and make the decision we thought was necessary to save the lives and protect the health of our citizens." "But the messaging would hurt because lots of people would listen to that and say, 'But they said it was OK. Why is the governor telling us we have to continue social distancing, why can't we go back to work? Why can't we open our business? Why can't the kids go back to school now?' "I just wish that we would have a consistent message from the federal government," Hogan said. Why it matters: Hogan, whose second and final term ends in 2022, is a Republican governor of a blue state. He also chairs the National Governors Association, leading the bipartisan coordination of governors' responses. "Many of the governors on both sides of the aisle have a lot of concerns about that messaging," Hogan told me. "Each governor's different, and different states are in different places in this crisis. Some states have not yet been affected . . . and some are dealing with unbelievable crises . . . but there aren't very many people that believe everything's going to be back to normal in a couple of weeks." Hogan said he understood where Trump was coming from even if he finds the messaging unhelpful. "I think the president, to his credit, I think he's trying to be hopeful," he said. "He's concerned about the economy, and he wants to say we would like to get things back on track by Easter. "He's been doing some good things and saying some good things and taking some good steps, but I think we have to try to stop the conflicting messages coming out of the administration." The other side: "President Trump has no higher priority than the health and safety of the American people, which is why as the nation continues to follow our guidelines to slow the spread, we are evaluating critical data to determine next steps," said deputy press secretary Judd Deere, responding to Hogan's comments. "This President has taken an unprecedented approach to communicating and working with our nations governors to guarantee they have the resources they need and the ability to make the best on-the-ground decisions." A White House official added: "White House staff talked to Governor Hogan Saturday about how mitigation decisions will be driven by data and ultimately be state and local decisions and that same message was delivered to his staff earlier in the week." Between the lines: On Sunday's "Meet the Press," White House coronavirus response coordinator Deborah Birx said, "No state, no metro area will be spared, and the sooner we react and the sooner the states and the metro areas react and ensure that they put in full mitigation . . . then we'll be able to move forward together and protect the most Americans. "We are asking every single governor and every single mayor to prepare like New York is preparing now," Birx added. The bottom line: Governors are in charge of their states, but Trump has immense sway over most Republicans, which leads some, like Hogan, to worry about the president undercutting their public health messages. As we reported last week, believing the worst is yet to come, some top advisers to President Trump have been struggling to steer him away from Easter as an arbitrary deadline for much of the nation to reopen. In recent days, Trump gave himself more flexibility. He previously said he'd consult with his public health experts on Monday and Tuesday and review the data before deciding how to update the federal guidelines for dealing with the coronavirus. By Flavio Lo Scalzo SERIATE, Italy (Reuters) - When he became a priest 40 years ago, Father Mario Carminati knew he would be dealing with death - but not on an industrial scale. By Flavio Lo Scalzo SERIATE, Italy (Reuters) - When he became a priest 40 years ago, Father Mario Carminati knew he would be dealing with death - but not on an industrial scale. Coffins bearing deceased parishioners no longer leave one at a time in a shiny hearse after a funeral every week or so. Now, because of the coronavirus outbreak, clusters of coffins arrive every day and are laid on the cold marble floor of St. Joseph's Church. "Authorities didn't know where to put the coffins," said Carminati, 64, the senior priest in Seriate, a tranquil, middle-class riverside town of 25,000 people in northern Italy. When enough have accumulated, he and others priests give them a hasty blessing and then a forklift loads them on to army trucks to cemeteries and crematoria. Gatherings have been banned throughout Italy because of a national lockdown so church funerals cannot be held. Seriate is in Bergamo province, the hardest hit in Italy's northern Lombardy region and the epicentre of the outbreak. With the national death toll topping 9,000 on Friday, Italy has suffered almost twice as many deaths as any other nation. The priest said the saddest thing for him was that many of his parishioners died alone, without loved ones, because restrictions in place to stem the spread of the virus do not allow family members into hospitals. "We often talk about the most needy and these are truly the most needy now," he said outside the church after blessing about 40 coffins along with a younger priest, Father Marcello Crotti. "They are the most needy even though they are no longer alive. No one has the time or opportunity to take care of them anymore so I decided to open the house of the Lord to them," Carminati said. It is a short stay. After Carminati and Crotti blessed the latest batch of coffins on Saturday, army troops in protective gear loaded them onto five trucks covered by camouflaged tarps. Bells tolled as the trucks left the church and residents looking down from windows and balconies made the sign of the cross. As the caravan crossed an intersection, a town policeman wearing a medical mask and white gloves stood at attention and saluted. (Writing by Philip Pullella; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Pacific Gas and Electric Co. tried to avoid the stain of a criminal conviction over its geriatric power line that sparked Californias deadliest and most destructive wildfire. Last year, attorneys for the company attempted to resolve the matter on lesser charges, according to the top prosecutor in Butte County, where century-old PG&E equipment caused the horrific 2018 Camp Fire that nearly destroyed the town of Paradise. The civil settlement sought by PG&E would have come with a far larger price tag than the $4 million the company will pay in connection to the felonious guilty plea agreement it revealed on Monday. But PG&Es proposal would have also allowed the company to avoid criminal liability from its role in the disaster that killed 85 people and incinerated nearly 19,000 buildings in the Sierra Nevada foothills east of Chico. Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey was uncomfortable with the companys idea. PG&E needed to be held responsible to the fullest extent allowed under the law, Ramsey told The Chronicle in a recent interview. Now, after being indicted by a grand jury, PG&E has accepted guilt for 84 felony counts of involuntary manslaughter and one count of unlawfully causing a fire, a charge that Ramsey said is akin to reckless arson. The company is scheduled to be arraigned next month. I felt it was very important to get the label upon PG&E ... to make sure that they were shown to be absolutely responsible for these deaths, he said of the total felony counts. As part of its plea agreement, PG&E will be fined about $3.5 million the maximum allowed by statute. The company will also pay $500,000 to reimburse costs incurred by the district attorneys office. The pleading marks a historic turn of events for PG&E, which is already a convicted felon because of crimes stemming from a 2010 gas pipeline explosion in San Bruno that killed eight people and destroyed 38 homes. And its not the end of the companys long-running legal challenges: PG&E is likely to face further judicial scrutiny because of the Camp Fire felonies, since one of the terms of its probation from the San Bruno case is that the company not commit any more crimes. PG&E spokeswoman Lynsey Paulo said in an email that the companys guilty plea for the Camp Fire is an important step in taking responsibility for the past and working to create a better future for all concerned. We want to do right by the victims and the communities, she said in the email. Still, some of PG&Es toughest critics are so far unsatisfied by the outcome of the Camp Fire criminal case. What shocks people is nobody went to jail and the fine is so tiny in comparison to the magnitude of the crime, said Mark Toney, the executive director of The Utility Reform Network watchdog group. Theres a mismatch. When people read the headline, theyre like, holy cow, really? They got away scot-free? Most relatives of deceased Camp Fire victims whom Ramsey spoke with were grateful to get a modicum of justice from the criminal case, he said. But Ramsey, a 71-year-old Butte County native, understands the complaints. Hes heard them before from families of victims in vehicular manslaughter cases only those often involve prison time for the offender. This is my community. I grew up in this community. Im sworn to protect this community, and we had an out-of-control company that killed 84 of my innocent citizens. So absolutely, we felt that the fact of a criminal conviction would be paramount, Ramsey said. The fact that the punishment does not fit the crime, unfortunately, is out of my hands. The Camp Fire case is not the first time that Ramsey, who has been Butte Countys district attorney for more than 30 years, has tangled with PG&E. Ramsey was ready to prosecute PG&E on misdemeanor charges for its role in a small 2017 wildfire, but he and the company agreed to a $1.5 million civil settlement instead of maximum $1,000 criminal fine. U.S. District Judge William Alsup later found PG&E in violation of its probation because it did not properly report the settlement with Ramseys office. In response, Alsup forced PG&E executives and board members to tour the burned remains of Paradise and witness the devastation firsthand. Now Alsup has the power to impose new restrictions because of the Camp Fire case. If I were PG&E, I would not want to be standing in front of Alsup the next time that I have to go into his courtroom, said Frank Pitre, an attorney who represents many victims of PG&E-caused fires. At the same time, the company and its parent PG&E Corp. are working feverishly to conclude their bankruptcy case in the coming months, even as some fire victims have voiced strong objections to how PG&E wants to compensate them for their losses. Last week, two members of the fire victims committee involved in the bankruptcy case resigned from their roles, saying they did not believe people who lost homes, businesses and loved ones were getting a good deal. The company intends to pay victims from a $13.5 billion trust provided by its bankruptcy exit plan. But that same trust would be used to pay a potential $200 million cash fine from the California Public Utilities Commission and the $4 million connected to the Camp Fire criminal case a fact that has drawn strong criticism from fire victims. PG&E is challenging the proposed $200 million cash regulatory fine over the 2017 and 2018 fires, hoping to stick with an earlier deal the company struck that would not detract from the victims fund. On Friday, one of the utility commissioners moved to reconsider the fine, which was included in an administrative law judges decision that would impose a record $2.14 billion penalty against the company (most of that amount would be paid by PG&E shareholders). Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes In terms of paying for the Butte County felony counts, PG&Es court-approved settlement agreements currently require that fire-related fines and penalties come from the $13.5 billion victims trust, and the company cant pay its criminal costs in another way without the necessary consents, said Paulo, the PG&E spokeswoman. If the company were to do that, it risks investors walking away from their commitments to provide the funding essential to the companys ability to make payments to victims, she said in the email. PG&Es overall wildfire claim commitments total $25.5 billion, due to the $13.5 billion victims trust, an $11 billion settlement with insurance companies and $1 billion for a group of local governments. According to a PG&E Corp. filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, investors who have agreed to help finance those payouts could walk away if the amount exceeds $25.5 billion. Ramsey, the Butte County district attorney, said he is sensitive to the funds PG&E secured to pay fire victims through its bankruptcy case. The amount of money prosecutors would have wanted to extract from PG&E through a civil settlement could have upended the delicate financing the company arranged, which would have been bad for victims and Ramseys office too, he said. Just like a person, if (the company is) dead, you have no one left to prosecute, Ramsey said. No one currently or formerly employed by PG&E was indicted, though Ramsey said the role of some individuals at the company was examined by the grand jury. Prosecutors would have had to show that a specific PG&E official made a conscious choice to let the Caribou-Palermo line deteriorate and allow the failure of the worn hook that led to the Camp Fire, Ramsey said. Asked whether he thought the outcome of the criminal case would make PG&E operate more safely, Ramsey said it has to, or they should die, referring to the company. Its my expectation that now, being tagged a killer company, that they have no wiggle room, he said. Their ability to say, Well, this is just kind of simple negligence or It is what it is or anything that they were using in the past is gone. ... They are mandated now to make their delivery of power safe. More details are expected to emerge when PG&E appears in Butte County Superior Court on April 24. J.D. Morris is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jd.morris@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @thejdmorris According to the World Health Organisation, the coronavirus pandemic has infected nearly 600,000 people across the globe while over 26,000 people succumbed to death. The virus has badly battered the United States, which is rising as the new epicentre of the infection in the world. European nations like Italy, Spain, France and Germany are also struggling to contain the rising number of new cases and fatalities. Here are key Covid-19 developments from across the globe. 1. The US leads with 121,478 Covid-19 cases followed by Italy, China and Spain. 2. The death toll in America has crossed 2,000, doubling in three days. President Trump said he might impose a quarantine on New York, parts of New Jersey and Connecticut to protect other states. 3. Italys death toll surges to 889 in 24 hours, highest since the beginning of the outbreak. 4. New York Citys 911 emergency call system overwhelmed by calls from suspected Covid-19 patients 5. Experts say lack of extensive testing and isolation may have led to exponentially high Covid 19 cases in NYC 6. Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro says Brazilians natural immunity will protect them against Covid-19. He said protecting economy more important than social distancing 7. Travel restrictions are being eased in Wuhan in China. 8. A prominent US hospital in Houston has infused the blood of a patient, who has recovered from Covid-19, into a critically ill patient, becoming the first medical facility in the country to try the experimental therapy. 9. The British government said it is very concerned following the latest figures which show more than 1,000 people had died after testing positive for coronavirus, senior minister Michael Gove said on Sunday. 10. Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau, the wife of Canadas Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, has recovered from novel coronavirus, she said Saturday. I am feeling so much better and have received the all-clear from my physician and Ottawa Public Health, she wrote on her Facebook page. The wife and two children of the lone COVID-19 patient from Mizoram were discharged from a state-run hospital here after they tested negative for the disease, a health official said on Sunday. The trio was admitted to the isolation ward of the Zoram Medical College (ZMC) after the pastor, who returned from the Netherlands, tested positive for COVID-19 on March 25, he said. The samples of the woman and the two children were sent to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital for tests and reports have come negative, the official said. They will be placed under home quarantine and the local task force on COVID-19 will monitor them, he said. The condition of the COVID-19 patient is improving and he is out of critical state, health officials said. The health department has traced other persons who came in contact with him, they said. One person was on Saturday admitted to the isolation ward of ZMC after he exhibited coronavirus-like symptoms, the officials said. Samples of 12 persons have been sent to Silchar for tests and results are awaited, they added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 13:43:15|Editor: zyl Video Player Close NEW DELHI, March 29 (Xinhua) -- The death toll due to COVID-19 in India Sunday rose to 25 as the number of confirmed cases in the country increased to 979, the federal health ministry said. "Death toll related to novel coronavirus has reached 25," reads the information released by the ministry at 10:00 a.m. (local time). "Total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases across India is 979," the ministry said. "Of these, 931 cases are Indian nationals and 48 foreign nationals." According to the ministry , 87 people have been discharged from hospitals after showing improvement. The number of active cases in the country right now is 867. So far, Maharashtra state has reported the highest number of cases in India, followed by Kerala. "The confirmed positive cases in Maharashtra is 186 (183 locals and three foreigners), while as in Kerala the number is 182 (174 locals and eight foreigners)," the ministry said. Maharashtra state has recorded six deaths (highest so far). Gujarat has recorded four deaths, the data reveals. On Saturday evening the number of COVID-19 cases in India was 918 and the death toll was 19. Indian government Wednesday began the 21-day lockdown across the country in a bid to contain the spread of novel coronavirus. Authorities have imposed strict curfew-like restrictions to prevent the movement of people. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced the setting up of an emergency relief fund to fight the outbreak of novel coronavirus in the country and urged people to contribute generously. Noida, March 29 : An FIR has been lodged against AAP MLA Raghav Chadha on charge of defaming Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. A cases was got registered by lawyer Prashant Umrao at the Sector 20 police station around 2.30 am on Sunday under Sections 500 and 505 (2) of the IPC and Information and Technology Act. The complainant claimed that Rajinder Nagar MLA Chadha, through a Twitter post, had defamed the Chief Minister by claiming that the latter was asking those returning from Delhi to their native places why they had gone there in the first place. Chadha had also allegedly said that Yogi Adityanath was getting these returnees beaten up by police. Though the AAP leader had deleted the post later on, but many had retweeted it or taken snapshots of the same by then. Umrao said that before getting the case registered, he had tweeted his complaint to the state DGP and emailed it to Gautam Budhh Nagar Commissioner of Police Alok Singh as well. The case was registered on the basis of the email. (Sanjiv Chauhan can be contacted at sanjiv.c@ians.in) As of Saturday night, Ontarios regional public health units are reporting 1,439 confirmed or presumptive cases of COVID-19, with 21 deaths. The total, the Stars count of the latest public tallies and news releases posted to the websites of Ontarios 34 public health units, is up 213 cases from Friday night, a 17.3 per cent single-day increase. The COVID-19 epidemic has grown rapidly in the province this past week, and all 34 regions are now reporting confirmed cases. The Middlesex-London Health Unit reported its first COVID-19 death Saturday, a man in his 70s who had tested positive on March 17 after returning from a trip to Portugal. Elsewhere, the rural Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit, south of Hamilton, also reported its first death late Friday, a resident of a retirement home who died in hospital. Also late Friday, the Thunder Bay District Health Unit became the last to report its first COVID-19 patient, a man in his 60s who tested positive after returning home from Florida with his wife, who is considered a probable case. The count of cases reported by the public health units is significantly higher than the total that was reported by the province earlier Saturday. The province has reported 1,144 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 19 deaths a single-day increase of 151 cases from the count it published the previous day. The province, which publishes an update each morning, also reported a significant decrease in the backlog of patients for whom COVID-19 tests had been taken but were not yet completed. That backlog fell by nearly 1,400 uncompleted tests, to 8,690. A Star analysis published Friday found Ontario may have missed one third or more COVID-19 cases as the testing backlog has grown. As of Saturday night, the five public health units in the GTA were reporting 966 cases of COVID-19, including 10 deaths. At the same time last week, they had reported 351 cases, three fatal. The Star is tallying the public health units case reports each night. This count was taken at 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 28: Toronto Public Health: 512 cases, including 4 deaths York Region Public Health: 193 cases, including 2 deaths Peel Public Health: 154 cases Ottawa Public Health: 106 cases, including 1 death Durham Region Health Department: 86 cases, including 3 deaths Region of Waterloo, Public Health: 69 cases City of Hamilton Public Health Services: 52 cases, including 1 death Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit: 33 cases, including 3 deaths Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit: 33 cases, including 3 deaths Middlesex-London Health Unit: 25 cases, including 1 death Halton Region Health Department: 21 cases, including 1 death Windsor-Essex County Health Unit: 15 cases Niagara Region Public Health: 14 cases, including 1 death Peterborough Public Health: 13 cases Lambton Public Health: 10 cases Porcupine Health Unit: 10 cases Eastern Ontario Health Unit: 9 cases Brant County Health Unit: 7 cases Public Health Sudbury & Districts: 7 cases Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health: 7 cases Chatham-Kent Public Health: 6 cases Hastings Prince Edward Public Health: 6 cases Southwestern Public Health: 6 cases Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit: 5 cases, including 1 death Huron Perth Public Health: 5 cases North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit: 4 cases Grey Bruce Health Unit: 3 cases Northwestern Health Unit: 3 cases Algoma Public Health: 2 cases Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit: 2 cases Thunder Bay District Health Unit: 2 cases Renfrew County & District Health Unit: 1 case Timiskaming Health Unit: 1 case (CNN) -- The US State Department has repatriated more than 18,000 Americans who had been stuck abroad amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. As of Saturday afternoon, the agency reported it had retrieved 18,406 US citizens aboard more than 178 flights. The announcement, which the agency detailed on its website, comes after State Department officials said Friday that about 33,000 Americans were still seeking assistance from the US government to get home. The department said it had planned more than 60 repatriation flights for this week and that it would add more as needed. The repatriation flights on Saturday included three flights to the US from Peru. The Peruvian government has extended its nationwide quarantine to April 12. A group of 14 Americans remain at a hostel in Cusco, Peru, where they have been told they must quarantine because some of the guests there tested positive for Covid-19. They were given a notice that the quarantine could last one to three months. One of those Americans, Richard Perks, told CNN that "as of right now, there is no end date on sight." "The other people in this hostel are not following the social distancing rules, and I'm afraid the quarantine will be extended indefinitely," he said. The US Embassy in Lima addressed stranded US citizens in a tweet, saying, "We understand that in some places hotels or local authorities are not letting U.S. citizens leave for their flights due to the quarantine. We are aware of this issue and working to resolve it." Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted Sunday morning that "our team won't stop until we get all #AmericansHome who wish to return," while also thanking the Peruvian military for its "assistance to Americans in remote parts of the country." Some 2,324 Americans have also been repatriated from Guatemala -- the country from which the highest number of Americans have been retrieved. Citizens and their families stuck abroad previously told CNN they have struggled to get clear answers from the the State Department -- the agency tasked with protecting their health and well-being overseas. Asked by CNN what message they want to send frightened Americans overseas trying to get home, State officials have essentially said "get out while you can" -- a foregone option for many stuck in countries where borders suddenly closed and flights were canceled. "If you are a US citizen, and you are abroad at the moment, take a look at your circumstances, determine whether this is a place where you'd be willing to hunker down for an indeterminate period of time, as airspace and borders, etc., close down," a senior official said. "If you are somewhere where you think, 'No, this is not where I would want to be over the long haul,' take advantage of existing commercial opportunities and get out now," they said. The official said they were "hesitant to give a guarantee" that they would be able to move every single person, noting "we're hearing about people who are in very remote locations in very remote parts of the world." Car and plane manufacturers are pitching in to curb the coronavirus pandemic by building ventilators for British hospitals. The NHS has 8,000 of the mechanical breathing devices to hand currently but tomorrow it is expected to announce an order 10,000 more. The devices, which are crucial to people with lung failure, will be built by a consortium of companies including Ford, Airbus, Rolls Royce and McLaren. Dick Elsy heads up Ventilator Challenge UK consortium, which is expected to be creating 10,000 ventilators for the British government to use in NHS hospitals. The government is expected to announce the order on Monday The CoVent ventilator is Dyson's design for a piece of medical kit that will help the NHS treat patients who have been diagnosed with Covid-19. The companies are part of the Ventilator Challenge UK consortium, speaking in the Sunday Telegraph today, it's leader Dick Elsy, said: 'This project is a testament to the fantastic people who, in a little over a fortnight, have come together to provide a solution to the challenge we are facing.' This order would be in addition to the 10,000 Dyson said it was making earlier this week, as the government tries to create 30,000 to treat Covid-19 patients. Speaking on Sunday, Michael Gove said: 'We've done a deal with Dyson, which means that - provided all the appropriate tests are passed - we can have an additional 10,000 ventilators. Sir James Dyson confirmed his company would make an initial order of 10,000 ventilators in the UK, subject to testing, the Government is expected to make an announcement on Monday on its 10,000 ventilator order with Ventilator Challenge UK 'There are other companies, from McLaren to Rolls-Royce and others, who are changing the way in which they manufacture in order to join in the national effort to increase the ventilator capacity available.' McLaren said its Formula One car-making, data and electronics operations are fulfilling a number of tasks to help with the crisis, including making components. It's understood McLaren Automotice is designing bespoke hospital trolleys which ventilators are fixed to in hospitals. Downing Street did not offer an immediate comment when approached. More COVID-19 infections were discovered tied to Bach Mai Hospital Three of the new COVID-19 patients were infected in Bach Mai Hospital. They include the family members of patients and a staff member working at the hospital kitchen. The 170th patient is a 27-year-old man in Kim Son district, Ninh Binh province. Since early March, he has been working at a new urban area of the conglomerate Vingroup in Gia Lam district. He shared accommodations with four men there, and often communicated with the supervisor of the project. At the moment, he was still feeling well, without any cough or fever. Around March 14 and 15, he returned to his hometown by Grab Bike (to Giap Bat bus station), and the Duc Long bus service travelling to Ninh Binh. On March 20, he and two of his uncles took his father from Ninh Binh General Hospital to Bach Mai Hospital. During March 20-23, most of the time he ate at the No.1 canteen of the hospital. Then he returned home via Giap Bat bus station and Duc Long bus. He came down with a fever in the evening of March 23 and was taken to Kim Son General Hospital. Two days later, his test came back positive for the epidemic. The 172th patient is the daughter-in-law who took care of Patient 133 for 23 days in Bach Mai Hospital. She has no cough, no fever, and no difficulty breathing. The 174th patient worked in Bach Mai Hospital's canteen and interacted with numerous people. She had contracted fever and cough for days before being taken to the hospital. As a result, there are 11 COVID-19 infections related to Bach Mai Hospital, including two nurses (the 133rd and 161st patients), two family members of patients in the hospital (162nd and 163rd), two service staff (168th and 169th), and three new cases. The hospital has strengthened measures to control the epidemic from spreading, like stopping receiving new patients and quarantining the entire hospital without anyone coming in or coming out. The Ministry of Health also requested that all patients and their families who visited Bach Mai Hospital over the last 14 days, should isolate themselves and inform health authorities. Additionally, the 171st patient is a 19-year-old student in Ward 10, District 11, Ho Chi Minh City. She returned from the US after transiting in the Philippines on March 13. She shows no symptoms and was told to quarantine at home. Ten days later, the health authority of the district took a sample from her and the test reported positive for the novel coronavirus on March 28. She is quarantined at home. The 173rd patient is a woman who lived in Moscow and came back on March 25. She was taken to the isolation area in FPT University in Thach That district, Hanoi. She has fever, along with a cough and tiredness, and has been undergoing treatment at the hospital. As of the end of March 28, there have been 174 cases pf COVID-19 infection in Vietnam, including 21 people already cured, and seven who are waiting to be discharged from the hospital in the next two days. 51 patients undergoing treatment have tested negative several times already. Hanoi reports the highest number of cases (61), followed by Ho Chi Minh City (45 cases). Private laboratories allowed by the government to test for Covid-19, a move prompted by the need to expand and accelerate testing, are having a hard time in procuring testing kits which are in short supply. As a result, some of the laboratories, even with all approvals in place, have not been able to start testing; others are conducting fewer tests than what they are capable of; and still others are contemplating stopping offering tests altogether. There is severe shortage of testing kits currently. The orders we placed earlier are not materialising. I procured about 30-40 kits that are about to run out, and fresh supply is going to take time. Even swab sticks are in short supply, said Dr Naveen Dang, founder, Dr Dangs Lab, which was one of the first labs in Delhi to have received government approval for testing. I am getting so many queries for testing. The phone doesnt stop ringing, and people are getting annoyed when I tell them they will have to wait to get tested. If this continues, I might have to stop offering Covid-19 tests, he added. Till March 28, 44 private laboratories across India received approval for testing by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the countrys apex biomedical research organisation that is responsible for providing approvals to laboratories for Covid-19 testing in India. As per the governments own admission on Saturday, merely 400 tests have been performed by the private labs since March 22 when the first batch of six private laboratories was approved for testing. All private laboratories together have about 20,000 collection sites that could actually double the daily capacity of testing. Currently, all 118 approved government testing labs can perform 12,000 tests in a day. The government laboratories have tested close to 28,000 sample tests so far. Testing kits are in short supply because there are not enough approved kit manufacturers, given the fact that China, the bulk exporter of raw material for drugs and diagnostic devices globally, is still trying to get back to business after the Covid-19 outbreak that originated in its city of Wuhan in December last year. We have received the approvals but where are the kits? The system is overburdened; we placed an order for kits a week ago but are being told that the kits cannot arrive before Tuesday; and that the order could even be delayed till Thursday. Unless we get the kits, we cant test, said Dr DS Rana, chairman, board of governors, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. One of the primary conditions for approvals to private laboratories was that the government would share only the gene sequence of the virus for testing purposes with the private laboratories. The laboratories needed to procure everything else on their own. A spokesperson for another private hospital in the city also said that the number of tests being conducted is restricted because of the short supply of kits. We have been doing tests for three days now, and on average 80 tests per day; however, we can do many more, if the supply of kits werent an issue. We have placed an order and have been assured supply by mid next week, said the spokesperson on condition of anonymity. There are only four ICMR approved kit manufactures, of which two are Indian companies. Of the four, one company sells kits that require special equipment for testing so it is not of any use to us. Another one is a Korean company but it hasnt begun shipping to India yet; so we are actually left with two Indian companies that are trying to meet the high demand, said Dr Dang. If the shortage of kits isnt t bad enough, the staff going for home collection is also being harassed by their landlords. Some of my home collection staff has been told by their landlords that they wouldnt like them to continue living in their property as they are collecting samples for Covid-19 testing, said Dr Dang. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Guwahati/Agartala, March 29 : Northeast India's topographical isolation, less congestion of people and fewer international migration, largely due to the mountainous region are the factors that have so far restricted the spread of COVID-19, experts said. But the experts hasten to add that less effective surveillance over domestic migrants also might be the other reason why detection of corona positive cases has been low in the region, comprising eight states and home to 45.58 million people (2011 census). The North East Region (NER), surrounded by China, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal, consists of 8 per cent of the country's total geographical area and 4 per cent of the country's population. Compared to around 1,000 positive cases in India so far, two positive cases have been found in two northeastern states -- one each in Manipur and Mizoram. Health officials in Imphal and Aizawl said conditions of both the patients is "stable". A 50-year-old Christian pastor from Mizoram tested positive for coronavirus after a 23-year-old Manipuri woman tested positive last week. The Mizo man had returned to Aizawl from Amsterdam, via Delhi and Guwahati on March 16 while the Manipuri girl returned from the United Kingdom on March 21 via Delhi, Kolkata and Agartala. Renowned physician of northeast India Pradip Bhomik said geographical isolation and lack of modern transportation are "blessings in disguise" for the people of the northeastern region. "Compared to metropolitan and important cities of India, the cities and urban localities in the northeastern states are less congested. Moreover, compared to the number of people in the region, the corona testing facilities and health infrastructure are not so bad, if not excellent," said Bhowmik, a pioneer in northeast India in controlling different types of Hepatitis. According to the experts, the northeast region has ten nCoV testing centres in Assam (6), Meghalaya (1), Tripura (1) and Manipur (2) including one by Indian Council of Medical Research's(ICMR's) Regional Medical Research Centre at Lahowal in Dibrugarh district. Assam's Director of Health Services, Ratindra Bhuyan said there has to be a certain number of requirements in hospitals to enable them to qualify for conducting corona tests, as ICMR. The 'Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR)' test is essential for detecting the genetic material (RNA) of coronavirus. Another Guwahati-based senior doctor Amrit Lal Saha said that less international migration and fewer international communication might be responsible for the limited spread of the COVID-19 in the northeast India. "I am not sure that how effective has been the surveillance over domestic migrant workers who returned to various states of the region mainly in Assam from different parts of India before the lockdown was enforced," Saha told IANS. Assam's Health and Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the positive cases of novel coronavirus have been so far low in northeast India, but huge challenges lie ahead in combat the spread of the dreaded disease. "The less number of positive cases currently in the region is no reason to be complacent. The Assam government is taking significant measures to build hospital-bed capacity in the state and numerous personal protections besides ventilators for the possible patients," said Sarma. He said a 700-bed quarantine facility has also been made ready in a stadium in Guwahati. "Besides dedicated COVID-19 treatment arrangements are being made for both quarantine facility and treatment of nCoV patients in four more medical college and hospitals, including Guwahati medical college," said Sarma. Sociologist Manash Baruah said that decades-old terrorism devastated the northeastern region taking the advantage of the tricky terrain, topography and isolation of people. "The same situation and locational position of the northeast turned into a positive against the spread of coronavirus," Baruah told IANS. The population density of India has gone up to 382 persons per square kilometre as per the 2011 census against 170 people per sq km in the North-East, 70 per cent of which is mountainous. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) By Trend The Azerbaijani Agency for Development of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) has supported the local production of hand sanitizers, Trend reports referring to the Agency. Hand sanitizers manufactured by the Laric Chemical local company have already been supplied to the consumers, organizations and enterprises in one and five-liter packs. Currently, the work is underway to produce hand sanitizers in 400-milligram and 500-milligram packages, as well as disinfectant gel. Laric Chemical company has been manufacturing detergents and cleaning products since 2017. The Agency supports the initiatives of business entities to meet the needs of the population for medical alcohol and hand sanitizers. Within its authority, the Agency renders support to the entrepreneurs who wish to produce such products. B oris Johnson has revealed that 20,000 former NHS staff have returned to help in the fight against coronavirus. It came as he addressed the nation in a selfie video while he self-isolates with the disease. The Prime Minister thanked the doctors, nurses and other former professionals for returning to duty. He also thanked the 750,000 members of the public who have volunteered to aid the health service. Mr Johnson has continued to command the response to the Covid-19 pandemic while sealed behind closed doors in his flat above No 11 Downing Street. In a video selfie, Mr Johnson said the public appeared to be obeying the terms of the lockdown to slow the spread of the disease, saying train use is down 95 per cent and buses down 75 per cent. Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures 1 /81 Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures A deserted Westminster Bridge PA A man wearing a face mask or covering due to the COVID-19 pandemic, walks past customers sat outside a restaurant AFP via Getty Images Boris Johnson addresses the nation on the Coronavirus lockdown Andrew Parsons Runners pass cardboard cutouts of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince William during the London Marathon in London AP An empty escalator at Charing Coss London Underground tube station Jeremy Selwyn Electronic bilboards displays a message warning people to stay home in Sheffield PA A sign is displayed in the window of a student accommodation building following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Mancheste Reuters People take part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions, in Londo AP People sing and dance in Leicester Square on the eve on the 10PM curfew Reuters Hearts painted by a team of artists from Upfest are seen in the grass at Queen Square, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Bristol Reuters Graffiti reads 'good luck and stay safe', as the number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases grow around the world, under a bridge in London Reuters A sign is pictured in Soho, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London Reuters Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures, during a coronavirus briefing in Downing Street, London AP A person runs past posters with a message of hope, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Manchester REUTERS Riot police face protesters who took part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions in London AP An image of The Queen eith quotes from her broadcast to the UK and the Commonwealth in relation to the Coronavirus epidemic are displayed on lights in London's Piccadilly Circus PA Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' hospital Getty Images Durdle Door in Dorset Reuters Captain Tom Moore via Reuters Mia, aged 8, and Jack, aged 5, take part in "PE with Joe" a daily live workout with Joe Wicks on Youtube to help kids stay fit who have to stay indoors due to the Coronavirus outbreak PA An NHS worker reacts at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital during the Clap for our Carers campaign in support of the NHS Reuters Goats which have taken over the deserted streets of Llandudno @AndrewStuart via PA Tobias Weller PA Novikov restaurant in London with its shutters pulled down while the restaurant is closed London Landscapes: Hyde Park and the Serpentine, central London. Matt Writtle A newspaper vendor in Manchester city centre giving away free toilet rolls with every paper bought as shops run low on supplies due to fears over the spread of the coronavirus PA Theo Clay looks out of his window next to his hand-drawn picture of a rainbow in Liverpool, as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continue Reuters A young man cuts another man's hair on top of a closed hairdresser in Oxford Reuters General view of the new NHS Nightingale Hospital, built to fight against the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London via Reuters Jason Baird is seen dressed as Spiderman during his daily exercise to cheer up local children in Stockport, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters A woman wearing a face mask walks past Buckingham Palace Getty Images A man holds mobile phone displaying a text message alert sent by the government warning that new rules are in force across the UK and people must stay at home PA Medical staff on the Covid-19 ward at the Neath Port Talbot Hospital, in Wales, as the health services continue their response to the coronavirus outbreak. PA Prime Minister Boris Johnson taking part in a virtual Cabinet meeting with his top team of ministers PA A shopper walks past empty shelves in a Lidl store on in Wallington. After spates of "panic buying" cleared supermarket shelves of items like toilet paper and cleaning products, stores across the UK have introduced limits on purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some have also created special time slots for the elderly and other shoppers vulnerable to the new coronavirus. Getty Images People on a busy tube train in London at rush hour PA Mia, aged 8 and her brother Jack, aged 5 from Essex, continue their school work at home, after being sent home due to the coronavirus PA Children are painting 'Chase the rainbows' artwork and springing up in windows across the country Reuters Social distancing in Primrose Hill Jeremy Selwyn A general view of a locked gate at Anfield, Liverpool as The Premier League has been suspended PA Homeless people in London AFP via Getty Images A piece of art by the artist, known as the Rebel Bear has appeared on a wall on Bank Street in Glasgow. The new addition to Glasgow's street art is capturing the global Coronavirus crisis. The piece features a woman and a man pulling back to give each other a kiss PA The Queen leaves Buckingham Palace, London, for Windsor Castle to socially distance herself amid the coronavirus pandemic PA A general view on Grey street, Newcastle as coronavirus cases grow around the world Reuters Matt Raw, a British national who returned from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, leaves quaratine at Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside PA Britain's Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty (L) and Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance look on as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures as he speaks during a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) news conference inside 10 Downing Street Reuters The ticket-validation terminals at the tram stop on Edinburgh's Princes Street are cleaned following the coronavirus outbreak. PA Locked school gates at Rockcliffe First School in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear PA A sign at a Sainsbury's supermarket informs customers that limits have been set on a small number of products as the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases grow around the world Reuters Jawad Javed delivers coronavirus protection kits that he and his wife have put together to the vulnerable people of their community of Stenhousemuir, between Glasgow and Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images A sign advertising a book titled "How Will We Survive On Earth?" Getty Images A man who appears to be homeless sleeping wearing a mask today in Victoria Jeremy Selwyn A pedestrian walks past graffiti that reads "Diseases are in the City" in Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images Staff from The Lyric Theatre, London inform patrons, as it shuts its doors PA A quiet looking George IV Bridge in Edinburgh PA A quieter than usual British Museum Getty Images A racegoer attends Cheltenham in a fashionable face mask SplashNews.com A commuter wears a face mask at London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn A empty restaurant in the Bull Ring Shopping Centre Getty Images A deserted Trafalgar Square in London PA Passengers determined to avoid the coronavirus before leaving the UK arrive at Gatwick Airport Getty Images "Thank you to everybody who's now coming back into the NHS in such huge numbers," he continued. "Just this evening I can tell you we have 20,000 NHS staff coming back to the colours. "It's a most amazing thing. And that's in addition to the 750,000 members of the public who have volunteered to help us get through this crisis." On Thursday, NHS national medical director Professor Stephen Powis said the figure of former professionals who had volunteered to come back stood at more than 15,000. Mr Johnson signed off his message with a contradiction of former Tory prime minister Margaret Thatcher's endorsement of pure individualism when she declared that "there is no such thing as society". Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's wife said Saturday that she has recovered from being ill from COVID-19 disease caused by the new coronavirus. I am feeling so much better, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau said in a statement on social media. She said she received the clearance from her doctor and Ottawa Public Health. Trudeau's office announced on March 12 that she had tested positive for the coronavirus after she fell ill upon returning from a trip to London. The prime minister and his family have been in self isolation at home since then. He and their three children didn't show symptoms. Justin Trudeau has been giving daily news conferences outside his residence. He said earlier Saturday that his wife was in in fine form. From the bottom of my heart, I want to say thank you to everyone who reached out to me with their well wishes. And to everyone who is suffering right now, I send you all my love, she said. The prime minister suggested Saturday that he would continue to work from home to set an example for Canadians who are being asked to stay at home. Canada has more than 5,616 confirmed cases, including 61 deaths. About 445 have recovered. The recent meltdown in valuations of some of the top names in the financial sector such as the HDFC twins (HDFC Limited and HDFC Bank), Bajaj Finance, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank and State Bank of India (SBI) has rekindled investor interest in the banking and financial services space. As most of these stocks now trade closer to their 2008 levels, when the world was hit by the global financial crisis, there seems to be a consensus among brokerages that they have become attractive. But, if investors look deeper, beyond valuations, multiple concerns cloud over these stocks. Analysts ... Minister of Defense Jalal Harutyunyan is pressuring voters. This is stated in the Facebook post of presidential candidate of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic) Vitali Balasanyan. Today, on the last day of the election campaign, during my personal meetings with citizens in Stepanakert, I met three servicemen near the entrance to K. Ivanyan School, talked to them and gave them booklets. Later, based on the information I received, I found out that Minister of Defense Jalal Harutyunyan had assigned to conduct an official investigation into this, and this is a violation of voters rights and is direct pressure on voters. During our phone conversation with me, Jalal Harutyunyan said he has made a decision that servicemen must not be entangled in electoral processes. Its very bad that the defense minister is unaware of voters rights and doesnt know that servicemen are also voters and that elections are also an electoral process. I recommend that he become familiar with the Electoral Code and urge him not to hinder the pre-election processes. I also warn that everyone will be held liable by law, he wrote. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 22:28:03|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close MOGADISHU, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Somali National Army said on Sunday that 142 al-Shabab militants had been killed, 29 injured and 18 arrested during an on-going operation in Janale town in southern Somalia. Osman Shabel, a commander from Somalia National Army, said that troops recaptured Janale town from the al-Qaeda linked militants in two weeks ago. He said there were no casualties from Somali National Army while troops facilitate displaced families to return home and gave them food rations. Charleston, SC (29403) Today A mix of clouds and sun in the morning followed by cloudy skies during the afternoon. High 61F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies early will become partly cloudy late. Low 41F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 21:44:37|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close The ground crew salute to medical workers supporting virus-hit Hubei Province as they arrive at Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport in southwest China's Chongqing, March 29, 2020. The last batch of medical assistance teams from Chongqing, which consists of 313 members, returned from Hubei as the epidemic outbreak in the hard-hit province has been subdued. (Photo by Huang Wei/Xinhua) Chandigarh, March 29 : Elderly Baldev Singh is no more, dollar rich Punjabs first coronavirus casualty. But the virus that travelled with him from Germany and Italy survives and now the 'search' for people who came in contact with him is virtually like looking for a needle in a haystack. So far approximately 70 per cent of state's COVID-19 positive cases have been traced to 'super spreader' Baldev Singh, a resident of Banga town in Nawanshahr district who died on March 18 owing to a heart attack but was diagnosed to be coronavirus positive after his death. Authorities suspect the count could go much higher as the 'granthi', who had the mass following in villages in the Doaba region, attended the spiritually significant Hola Mohalla celebrations, which coincides with the Holi festival where tens of thousands of devotees converge every year in the Sikh holy town Anandpur Sahib, located some 85 km from Chandigarh, between March 8 and 10. During his stay in Anandpur Sahib, he mingled freely with the people despite advisory on landing in Delhi's IGI Airport on March 7 for isolation at home. Ten days after his death, Baldev Singh is suspected to have infected 27 people, comprising 14 family members. Apprehending major outbreak, the state government has been closely monitoring through contact tracing Baldev Singh's acquaintance mainly in Nawanshahr, renamed Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar, Hoshiarpur and Jalandhar districts, the hotbed of NRIs. Contact tracing means finding out each individual who came in contact with a patient and then isolate them at their homes to prevent the further spread of infection. Now, local health authorities have self quarantined around 30,000 residents that were linked to the 'super spreader'. Health Minister Balbir Sidhu told IANS that 25-30 villages in Nawanshahr, Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur from where the patients suspected to be infected by Baldev Singh were sealed to prevent the further spread of the virus. "The social isolation in infected villages through sealing at micro-level and further imposition of 21-day statewide curfew will help to narrow detecting the asymptomatic patients as well as to halt the spread of the microbe," he said. Health officials are monitoring nearly 550 patients who came or believed to have come into contact with Baldev Singh by expanding random checks. Earlier, the focus was only those who have come from affected areas overseas or have been in contact with the positive cases. But Baldev Singh is not an isolated case in the state where almost 75 per cent of the non-resident Indians (NRIs) have their plush residential properties and landholdings especially in the Doaba region (the prosperous area between the Sutlej and Beas rivers) comprising the districts of Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Nawanshahr and Kapurthala. For a majority of NRIs visiting their natives places is the best way to escape the harsh winters of Europe, the US and Canada from November onwards. This season too was no exception, many of them landed in hordes, may be to escape coronavirus epidemic prevailing there, with a little attention to complying with the home quarantine advisory. As per re-assessment carried out by the health authorities, 55,669 international passengers came to Punjab from January 30 onwards. Earlier, the government said no less than whopping 90,000 landed in the state in March alone. Official sources told IANS Jalandhar district now tops the list with foreign arrivals with 13,723 out of the total 55,669. Nawanshahr, the hometown of the deceased coronavirus patient, has received 1,605 foreign travellers. Currently, 30,000 of them are placed in self isolation in the state. Acting on the alert of Union Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, Punjab has started a special drive to trace its 1,330 'missing' foreign travellers. Police officials said these NRIs were not found as their addresses on their travel declarations did not match with the actual addresses. "We believe that a majority of them who carry the infection have reported to some hospital by now or they are about to report," said a police official. Taking the coronavirus outbreak "seriously", the government on Saturday again asked the NRIs and foreign travellers who came in India after January 30 to furnish their details on helpline number 112 immediately. Issuing a warning, the government said if any NRI or foreign traveller deliberately concealed this information, authorities may contemplate stern action against him or her. Widening the testing, Medical Education and Research Principal Secretary D.K. Tiwari said the state has doubled the testing capacity at government medical colleges in Patiala and Amritsar. As per the government's latest medical bulletin, no new confirmed case of Covid-19 was reported in the state on Saturday, a sigh of relief for authorities. The number of confirmed cases was 38 with the report of 264 suspected patients is still awaited. Currently, the spread of the disease is limited to six out of 22 districts. Nawanshahr saw the highest number of 19 coronavirus patients, followed by Mohali and Hoshiarpur districts with six each, Jalandhar five and one each in Amritsar and Ludhiana districts. The silver lining is that the state's first case -- of an NRI belonging to Hoshiarpur -- was discharged after being cured on Saturday. (Vishal Gulati can be reached at vishal.g@ians.in) Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) STAMFORD The owner of Marco Jewelers was shot and killed during an afternoon robbery at his Sixth Street store on Saturday, police said. Mark Vuono, 69, was pronounced dead by responding paramedics, police said. At 2:45 p.m., a customer entered the store and called police after seeing evidence of a crime, according to a statement from Capt. Richard Conklin and Lt. Thomas Scanlon. Patrol officers and Stamford Emergency Medical Services responded to the scene and found Vuono, who police say received a gunshot wound. Investigators from the Stamford Police Department as well as the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner responded to the scene. An autopsy was being performed on Vuono. The city of Stamfords Crime Scene Unit was still on the scene of the shooting on Sunday, with police tape closing off the storefront of the jewelry store. Anyone who has any information or saw something suspicious in the area surrounding Summer and Sixth streets between 1:30 and 3 p.m. Saturday re asked to call investigators at 203 977-4417. jnickerson@stamfordadvocate.com President Donald Trumps suggestion that Americans could be returning to work in large numbers and even packing churches on Easter could charitably be described as aspirational. Easter, after all, is the most significant holy day for Christians as it represents rebirth and renewal. But wishful thinking might be a more appropriate descriptor given the continual rise in the COVID-19 infection rate, death totals and hospitalizations that threaten to overwhelm the nations health care system. Places like New York City are already near the breaking point, and we are bombarded with stories about shortages in medical protective gear, ventilators and intensive care beds. As of Friday, New Mexico had 191 cases and one death. But the president who does say he will listen to advisers like Dr. Deborah Birx and Dr. Anthony Fauci before deciding whether to extend the current 15 Days to Slow the Spread is on the right track when he says we need as a nation to assess how and when we can smartly bring people back to work while using strategies beyond shelter in place and business shutdowns to slow the virus. Trump says we cant let the cure be worse than the disease, but that cant mean throw caution to the winds and simply let the elderly and other at-risk populations die. The message has to be to find that sweet spot that protects people but doesnt lock down the economy for so long we fundamentally destroy it. There are serious people thinking along the same lines. Columnist Thomas L. Friedman in the New York Times reported on Dr. John P.A. Ioannidis, an epidemiologist and co-director of Stanfords Meta-Research Innovation Center. Ionnidis wrote in a March 17 essay that we still dont have a firm grasp of the population-wide fatality rate of coronavirus, but the best evidence suggests it may be 1% or lower. If that is the true rate, he wrote, locking down the world with potentially tremendous social and financial consequences may be totally irrational. Its like an elephant being attacked by a house cat. Frustrated and trying to avoid the cat, the elephant accidentally jumps off a cliff and dies. Dr. Steven Woolf, director emeritus of the Center on Society and Health at Virginia Commonwealth University, told Friedman that closing businesses and locking down companies may be necessary to curb community spread but could harm health in other ways. Income is one of the stronger predictors of health outcomes, he said. Lost wages and job layoffs are leaving many workers without health insurance and forcing many families to forego health care and medications to pay for food, housing and other basic needs. People of color and the poor will suffer the most. Dr. David L. Katz of Yale Universitys Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center is an expert in public health and preventive medicine. He said in an op-ed published in the New York Times that we have three goals now: save as many lives as we can, make sure our medical system does not get overwhelmed and make sure that in achieving the first two goals we dont destroy our economy, and as a result even more lives. Katz argues we need to pivot from horizontally restricting movement and commerce of the entire population without considering varying risks for severe infection to a more surgical, vertical strategy that would focus on protecting and sequestering those most likely to die or suffer long-term damage by exposure to coronavirus. We would basically treat the rest of society as we have done with familiar threats like the flu. Risk would not be zero, but the rejuvenating effect on spirits, and the economy, of knowing where theres light at the end of this tunnel would be hard to overstate, Katz told Friedman. Of course people would need to continue to practice social distancing and handwashing. Hopefully, we have learned some lessons. A vaccine would be wonderful, and effective medical treatments for the virus would be as well. Widespread, immediate testing capabilities so those coming up positive could isolate would help. But for now, we play the cards we have. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, at the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S., is giving serious thought to next steps. What we did is, we just closed everything down as quickly as we could. Shut all the doors and boarded all the windows. There was no art to what we did. No nuance. Cuomo said in his briefing on Thursday we will need a modified health strategy coupled with a get-back-to-work strategy that could see younger people and people who have already had the virus back on the front lines while targeting resources to the vulnerable and sheltering them. Its not right to do public health or economic development, he said. You have to do both. And be smart about it. Our leaders at the national, state and local levels are facing difficult situations where lives are at stake. There is no roadmap for how to do this. But even though we havent seen the worst of this pandemic, its time to start thinking how we reboot in a smart, surgical way. If we dont, the nation we leave for the 99% of people who survive COVID-19, and the next generations, will be a bleak and desolate place. Keep in mind, there is a limit to the number of multi-trillion-dollar bailouts we can expect from Uncle Sam. In fact, the one that cleared Congress on Friday is borrowed money. This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers. Some investors rely on dividends for growing their wealth, and if you're one of those dividend sleuths, you might be intrigued to know that Lindsay Australia Limited (ASX:LAU) is about to go ex-dividend in just 4 days. This means that investors who purchase shares on or after the 26th of March will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 9th of April. Lindsay Australia's next dividend payment will be AU$0.01 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of AU$0.021 to shareholders. Calculating the last year's worth of payments shows that Lindsay Australia has a trailing yield of 6.2% on the current share price of A$0.34. Dividends are a major contributor to investment returns for long term holders, but only if the dividend continues to be paid. That's why we should always check whether the dividend payments appear sustainable, and if the company is growing. See our latest analysis for Lindsay Australia Dividends are typically paid out of company income, so if a company pays out more than it earned, its dividend is usually at a higher risk of being cut. Lindsay Australia paid out more than half (67%) of its earnings last year, which is a regular payout ratio for most companies. That said, even highly profitable companies sometimes might not generate enough cash to pay the dividend, which is why we should always check if the dividend is covered by cash flow. Luckily it paid out just 17% of its free cash flow last year. It's positive to see that Lindsay Australia's dividend is covered by both profits and cash flow, since this is generally a sign that the dividend is sustainable, and a lower payout ratio usually suggests a greater margin of safety before the dividend gets cut. Click here to see how much of its profit Lindsay Australia paid out over the last 12 months. ASX:LAU Historical Dividend Yield, March 21st 2020 Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing? Companies with consistently growing earnings per share generally make the best dividend stocks, as they usually find it easier to grow dividends per share. Investors love dividends, so if earnings fall and the dividend is reduced, expect a stock to be sold off heavily at the same time. This is why it's a relief to see Lindsay Australia earnings per share are up 2.1% per annum over the last five years. Earnings per share growth has been slim, and the company is already paying out a majority of its earnings. While there is some room to both increase the payout ratio and reinvest in the business, generally the higher a payout ratio goes, the lower a company's prospects for future growth. Story continues The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. It looks like the Lindsay Australia dividends are largely the same as they were ten years ago. The Bottom Line Has Lindsay Australia got what it takes to maintain its dividend payments? While earnings per share growth has been modest, Lindsay Australia's dividend payouts are around an average level; without a sharp change in earnings we feel that the dividend is likely somewhat sustainable. Pleasingly the company paid out a conservatively low percentage of its free cash flow. It might be worth researching if the company is reinvesting in growth projects that could grow earnings and dividends in the future, but for now we're not all that optimistic on its dividend prospects. On that note, you'll want to research what risks Lindsay Australia is facing. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for Lindsay Australia you should know about. A common investment mistake is buying the first interesting stock you see. Here you can find a list of promising dividend stocks with a greater than 2% yield and an upcoming dividend. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. - Luis Suarez is doing his bit in the battle against coronavirus as he is feeding families in his native Uruguay - According to the Barcelona striker, it is the least he can do, as the world continue to battle the pandemic - Around 500 families in the deprived area of Casavalle in northern Montevideo, Uruguay, are benefiting from Suarez' generosity Barcelona striker Luis Suarez is feeding 500 families in his country Uruguay amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Daily Star reports. Suarez says it is the least he can do for his people after 304 coronavirus cases were reported in the country, with one confirmed death case. READ ALSO: Pedro Rodriguez: Chelsea star reveals 2019-20 season is his last at Stamford Bridge READ ALSO: Chris Smalling: Arsenal eye move for Man United defender It was gathered that thousands of children form the poorest families in Uruguay rely on free meals in their schools but with the government closing all schools in a bid to curb the spread of the virus, Suarez has stepped in to help those who struggle to feed. The 33-year-old is paying for supplies, including basic food and cleaning products, to be delivered to around 500 families in the deprived area of Casavalle in northern Montevideo. READ ALSO: Roma celebrate selfless Kenyan medic saving lives in Italy as coronavirus bites Suarez said: "It is the least I can do for the people who need it most." The striker is currently in self-isolation in Spain and, despite the nation having the fourth highest number of COVID-19 cases in the world after the US, Italy and China, Suarez claimed that he never contemplated returning home. PAY ATTENTION: Install Pitch Football app for FREE to easily access stats, news and live updates "It never crossed my mind to return to my country because the best way to care for Uruguayans is for me to stay at home," he noted. "If I have to, I will help from a distance. I will do it proudly, if and when it is needed," he added. Do you have an inspirational story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Tuko news. The agony of underage mothers in Nairobi slums | Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke Race Across The World is back for 2020 - here's all you need to know. The hit BBC Two show will return for a second series in March with eight episodes. Advertisements Race Across The World sees pairs of travellers will race from the start line in one part of the world to the finish thousands of miles away - without the use of air travel or any of the trappings of modern day life. They must navigate their way through the varied landscapes of countries at ground level, with only the cash equivalent (1,453) of the airfare to their final destination. Race Across The World 2020 route and episodes Race Across The World series 2 airs on Sunday nights at 8PM on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer. For 2020, Race Across The World sees the teams going from the top to bottom of Latin America - from Mexico City to the most southerly city in the world, Ushuaia in Argentina. Up for grabs is a cash prize of 20,000. Episode 1 - March 8 - watch online In the first episode, the teams set off from Mexico City a gargantuan metropolis and the largest Spanish speaking city in the world. Throughout the entire race, the teams must pass through seven checkpoints to reach their final destination. First up - Copan Ruinas in Honduras. [adbox_repeat] Episode 2 - March 15 - watch online The race to Ushuaia is underway and the five teams head out of Copan Ruinas in western Honduras to their next checkpoint Panama City - a journey that sees them travel across vast swathes of Central America, passing through Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. Episode 3 - March 22 - watch online Setting off from Panama City, they take to the Caribbean Sea, by-passing the most dangerous place in the Western Hemisphere - the Darien Gap. Added complications ensue when a state of emergency is declared in Quito, Ecuador the destination of their next checkpoint. Teams are forced to change their routes mid-race and head instead to Villavieja, in the remote Colombian desert. Episode 4 - March 29 - watch online As the 25,000-km race to Ushuaia approaches the half-way mark, the teams compete not just with each other but with the extreme altitudes of Peru. At the checkpoint in the Tatacoa Desert, leaders Emon and Jamiul are first to learn that the fourth checkpoint is Puno, a city in southern Peru sitting at 3,827m up on the edge of the highest and largest lake in South America, Lake Titicaca. Episode 5 - April 5 - watch online The teams have reached the halfway mark in the 25,000km race to Ushuaia, and with only eight and a half hours between them, the race is on. To reach the next checkpoint - Cafayate in Argentina - teams must choose to travel through either Bolivia or Chile, but an unstable political climate in both countries puts everyones journeys at risk. With half the race still to complete, emotions are pushed to breaking point. Episode 6 - April 12 - watch online The next checkpoint is the island of Ihla Grande, Brazil, positioned half way between Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo. Teams must travel 3,600km east across the continent, making it the longest leg of the race so far, all whilst dealing with an ever dwindling budget and a brand new language to contend with. Episode 7 - April 19 - watch online After 17,000 kilometres, there are just 24 hours separating the teams, but with two legs left and almost 8,000 km to the finish line in Ushuaia, depleted budgets come into sharp focus. The next checkpoint is Mendoza in western Argentina. Episode 8 - April 26 - watch online After 21,000 kilometres, two continents and 17 countries, the teams embark on the final leg of their epic journey. However, a mammoth 4,800km still stands between them and the finish line of Ushuaia, Argentina, the most southerly city in the world. Episode 9 - May 3 - watch online The five teams reunite for the first time to reveal fascinating insights into their different strategies and individual experiences - from their highest highs to their lowest lows. [adbox_repeat] Race Across The World 2020 contestants Five teams of pairs make up the Race Across The World 2020 cast. They are: - Married couple Rob and Jen, both 33, from Reading. - Dom, 22 and Lizzie, 21, a brother and sister pairing from Wetherby, West Yorkshire. - Couple Michael, 47, and Shuntelle, 40, from South London who have been together three years. - Mum and son pairing Jo, 54, and Sam, 19, from Manchester. - Uncle and nephew Emon, 35, and Jamiul, 25, from Oldham, Lancashire. Watch Race Across The World on Sunday nights at 8PM on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer. Advertisements Meanwhile a Celebrity Race Across the World spin-off has been confirmed to air on BBC One. Celebrity Race Across The World will air over six episodes with an air date and cast to be confirmed. A team of Chinese scientists have reportedly developed a novel way to combat the new coronavirus COVID-19 disease which has killed over 32,000 people globally. According to a report by Global Times, the new weapon is not a drug or a compound but some nanomaterial. "Chinese scientists have developed a new weapon to combat the #coronavirus," the news portal tweeted on Sunday. "They say they have found a nanomaterial that can absorb and deactivate the virus with 96.5-99.9 per cent efficiency," it added. In healthcare, Nanozymes are nanomaterials with enzyme-like characteristics. Nanomaterials are used in a variety of manufacturing processes, products and healthcare including paints, filters, insulation and lubricant additives. The coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic has infected more than 6,85,000 poeple globally while more than 32,000 have died, some 1,45,000 people have reportedly been cured. The United States continues to be the worst affected nation after Italy, Spain and China with the most infections, while Europe continues to report the most number of deaths. Published on 2020/03/29 | Source A banner with an encouraging message for students hangs at an elementary school in Busan on Wednesday. /Yonhap As the coronavirus epidemic drags on, there are still concerns over the school opening slated for early next month. Advertisement The Ministry of Education is now mulling whether to ask schools to replace their lessons with online classes depending on the severity of the epidemic by region. Elementary, middle and high schools nationwide were supposed to open on March 2 but amid the outbreak of COVID-19 they were ordered to put off the start of their new academic year until April 6. Yoon Tae-ho, who is in charge of a government taskforce for the epidemic, said Wednesday, "We have to monitor the overall situation of the outbreak and carefully make a decision over opening schools", suggesting that yet another postponement may be necessary. Education Minister Yoo Eun-hae said on Wednesday, "We are considering implementing both online and offline classes to avoid a situation where schools inevitably have to close". The ministry will support schools to be equipped with a system that enables distance learning. A 19-year-old man has appeared before a special sitting of Cork District Court charged in connection with allegedly spitting at a member of the gardai in the face having told him he had coronavirus. Adam Olden, of Leamlara Close in Togher, Cork city, appeared before Judge John King having been charged with assault and two breaches of the public order act. The charges include that Olden at Leamlara Close in Togher did engage in threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour to provoke a breach of the peace. He was also charged with whilst intoxicated engaging in behaviour which might have endangered himself or others. Inspector Pat Murphy told the court that Mr Olden this morning claimed that the Covid-19 remark was a big joke". His family also stated that he wasnt showing any symptoms of the virus. However, as a precautionary measure two members of An Garda Siochana have to go off duty for two weeks arising out of the incident. The court was told that gardai went to the scene of a domestic incident in Togher in the city at 2.30am today. Sgt Kevin Joyce said that the alleged accused, Adam Olden, was highly intoxicated and aggressive. The teenager was leaving his home and became aggressive with gardai and spat at a member of the force saying he had Covid-19. He was taken to the Bridewell Garda Station where he was charged. Gardai made no objection to bail but laid out a series of conditions. These included that Mr Olden obey a curfew from 8pm to 6am daily, that gardai have liberty to appear at his doorstep and that the defendant present at the window of his home when they called and that he be of good behaviour. They also asked that he follow Government Covid-19 guidelines and not venture further than 2 kilometres from his home. The court heard that Olden was employed as an essential service provider as he works at a grocery shop. Judge John King was told that gardai were awaiting directions from the DPP in relation to possible more serious charges. Judge King said that he was surprised that gardai were consenting to bail in the case given that the accused was allegedly taking two gardai off the streets arising out of his actions. He has taken two gardai off the streets, said Judge King. Adam Olden outside court today. Pic: Eddie O'Hare Eddie Burke, solicitor, who was representing Mr Olden said that gardai were cognisant of the fact that the alleged defendant had a lot of drink taken and had not come to the attention of gardai previously. Mr Burke said his client would voluntarily consent to having a Covid-19 test. However, Judge King said he didnt know if Olden would meet the criteria for the test. The State is looking for him to be tested which the judge said was perfectly understandable given that he had taken two gardai from their work. Mr Oldens mother was present in court. She took the stand to say that she would notify gardai if her son failed to comply with the conditions of his bail. Mr Olden vowed to keep the conditions of bail including abstaining from all intoxicants and staying at his home address. His mother agreed to provide an independent surety of 100. Mr Olden was remanded on bail until his next court appearance on April 1st. The case will be up for mention. Judge King warned Mr Olden that he would go straight in to custody if he breached the terms of his bail. Recently, Iowa and Nebraskas U.S. senators announced that they are backing legislation that would require the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to change its management of the Missouri River to reduce flooding risks. Everyone knows that the flooding along the "Big Muddy" has been wreaking havoc. Last year alone there was more than $3 billion in damage from inundated land along the river and scores of damaged levees. 2011 was even a worse nightmare. Obviously, there is something wrong with a river that once was considered flood-proof. The proposal offered by the Iowa and Nebraska senators (as well as senators from Kansas and Missouri) is disingenuous at best and distracts from the real problem related to flooding - the requirement to maintain a navigable barge channel for a largely defunct barge industry on the river. Flood control already is the number one priority for the Corps and has been since the inception of the Pick-Sloan Flood Control Act of 1944. Pick-Sloan transformed a wild, meandering river into a series of huge reservoirs upstream from Yankton, South Dakota, and into a narrow, navigable barge channel from Ponca, Nebraska, to St. Louis, Missouri. The Master Manual of the Corps clearly states two missions: 1. Flood control. 2. Maintenance of a nine-foot navigable barge channel. All other authorized purposes including hydropower, irrigation, recreation, fish and wildlife are secondary and in no order of preference. Obviously, the legislation introduced by these Republican senators changes absolutely nothing, but it gives the illusion that it does. Robert Criss, a professor at Washington University in St. Louis and one of the nations leading specialists in flooding, has identified the real problem - maintaining the nine-foot barge channel. The whole problem with flooding on the river, it has been narrowed too much for traffic, Criss said in an Associated Press article in the March 5 Journal. He explained that the Missouri used to be a wide waterway with wetlands and numerous channels running alongside each other. That allowed floodwaters to spread out and cause fewer problems that in turn has led to great degradation of the river bottom and a faster channel that increases damage. I might also add that the barge channel mandate requires the Corps to hold back 15 million-acre feet of water upstream to preserve for the barge season. Depending on the year, that can involve up to 20 percent of total reservoir impact, causing reservoirs to absorb higher water levels. Talk about narrowing a river. The environmental damage created by Pick-Sloan has been catastrophic: * 17,000 acres of wetland lost. * 18,000 acres of islands and sandbars lost. * 15,000 acres of river bottom timber lost. And, the Missouri River was shortened by 32 miles. These are the same lands that would have naturally flooded if the river was left to be a river. Now the river has nowhere to go except out of its narrow banks. Interesting to note that the only part of the river that has not been transformed by Pick-Sloan (i.e. still natural) is the 50-mile stretch between Yankton and Ponca. Not coincidentally, it is the only stretch of the river that did not experience serious flood damage in 2011. If those same Iowa and Nebraska senators really wanted to help alleviate flooding on the Missouri River, they would introduce legislation to remove the requirement of maintaining a navigable barge channel from the master manual. Its just downright foolish to keep throwing millions of dollars maintaining and repairing a channel that gets no use. Not only would this save taxpayers millions of wasted expenses, removing the requirement would open up a plethora of options for dealing with flood control that would actually help. By the way, do you know which senators have historically supported maintaining nine-foot barge traffic at the expense of everything else? You guessed it - the same Republican senators who proposed the recent legislation to help with flooding. As Professor Criss aptly stated: Empowering the guys that caused the problem is how you make things worse." Author's note: From 2008 to 2010, Al Sturgeon served on the Missouri River Recovery Implementation Committee, a multi-state organization mandated by the federal government to which stakeholders, tribes and other affected groups can make recommendations for river improvement. Next week: Linda Holub A Sioux City resident and local attorney, Al Sturgeon is a former Democratic state representative and senator. He is the father of six children. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson has written a letter to urge everyone to stay at home and warn that things will get worse before they get better. Johnson, who is currently self-isolating after testing positive for coronavirus, has reportedly spent an estimated 5.8 million pound on the letters which will be sent to almost 30 million households across UK starting from next week. In the letter, Johnson pleaded Britons to follow the rules and added that the authorities wont hesitate to go further with stricter lockdown measures. In the letter Johnson wrote, We know things will get worse before they get better. But we are making the right preparations, and the more we all follow the rules, the fewer lives will be lost and the sooner life can return to normal. READ: UK Woman Heads Out For Shopping In A Zorb Ball Amid COVID-19 Scare; Watch He further thanked the healthcare workers and wrote, It has been truly inspirational to see our doctors, nurses and other carers rise magnificently to the needs of the hour. Thousands of retired doctors and nurses are returning to the NHS and hundreds of thousands of citizens are volunteering to help the most vulnerable. That is why, at this moment of national emergency, I urge you, please, to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives. PM @BorisJohnson is writing to every UK household to urge them to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives. #StayHomeSaveLives pic.twitter.com/GMNPqEl10d UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) March 28, 2020 READ: UK Woman Jailed For 12 Weeks After She Coughed At Police Officer Death toll cross 1,000 Johnsons letter comes after the UK coronavirus death toll jumped to 1,019. The deadly virus has also infected more than 17,000 people in the country. In a bid to spread awareness, Johnson will be sending the letter to almost every resident in the country with a leaflet spelling out government advice. According to international media reports, the leaflet will be outlining the governments rules on leaving the house and advice on shielding vulnerable people. The leaflet also clearly explains the symptoms of coronavirus as well. Furthermore, it will also contain proper guidance on hand washing. Meanwhile, in a bid to support the economy, UK Finance Minister Rishi Sunak unveiled an unprecedented wage boost. As per reports, Sunak announced that the UK government will be paying 80 per cent of wages for employees who are not working. The new measure is the first time in the history that UK government will step in and pay peoples wages. READ: Trump Speaks With UK PM Johnson, Wishes Him Speedy Recovery READ: UK Follows India; Citizens Come Out In Unison To Applaud Efforts Of Healthcare Workers Opinion banner Business Insider White House trade advisor Peter Navarro speaks as Trump looks on Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images There are rumblings that the Trump administration may slap protectionist measures on medical supplies needed to fight the coronavirus. That is to say, in the midst of a pandemic, Trump might start a trade war. Anything that worsens relations between nations, makes medical supplies more expensive, or complicates supply chains is the last thing we need right now. This is an opinion column. The thoughts expressed are those of the author. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Listen and read between the lines of some of Trump's press conferences, and pay attention to what some of his friends and allies are saying, and you may notice that he's toying with the idea of starting a trade war in the middle of a global pandemic. More than once this week Trump has complained about European Union nations that have put export restrictions on vital coronavirus fighting supplies. His ally, GOP Rep. Doug Collins, wrote a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urging him to restrict the trade of US supplies. Related Video: 3.3 Million Americans File for Unemployment And earlier this week White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said Trump would sign an executive order requiring government agencies to "buy American" when building equipment to fight the coronavirus pandemic in a bid to bring parts of the medical supply chain back to the US. The move was largely panned. The US Chamber of Commerce and other business groups wrote a letter to Treasury Secretary Mnuchin urging him to oppose the measure as it would only exacerbate supply constraints and shortages of necessary goods. This is because we already have evidence that tariffs make the fight against coronavirus harder. Because of Trump's trade war with China, the US already started from a lower inventory of much-needed medical supplies, according to research from the Peterson Institute of International Economics (PIIE). About $5 billion worth of critical medical goods were caught up in the US-China trade war, which accounts for 26% of US imports of those items. Story continues Trade experts, like Chad Bown of PIIE, warn that the EU's decision to limit exports of medical goods will backfire. It will slow supply chains, seize up productions lines, and maybe inspire guys like Trump to do what Trump is thinking of doing retaliating. It all has to stop. What we, as a human race, are about to find out is that a global pandemic is an exercise in cooperation. Unfortunately cooperation is not the Trump administration's forte. China manufactures the world's PPE PIIE Be best Let me kick this off by saying, no we should not slap tariffs on the EU because they limited exports. I'm tired of the US being petty, and you should be too. PIIE found that over the time that they were tariffed between 2017 and 2019 US medical products imported from China fell by 16%. It's unclear if the US customers who used to buy those items from China simply made do with less decreasing our supply before the coronavirus. Or if they simply took the time to find other suppliers, or money to buy more expensive supplies. Either way, not ideal in hindsight. Every dollar and every minute counts now. That is why trade was top of mind at the meeting of G20 nations. After some initial arguments over name-calling and other semantics, the leaders were able to agree on a statement that included a promise to "minimize disruptions to trade and global supply chains." They understand what US leadership used to espouse. Since WWII our leaders have largely followed in the footsteps of Secretary of State Cordell Hull, who after experiencing a world in violent chaos, came to believe that "unhampered trade dovetailed with peace; high tariffs, trade barriers, and unfair economic competition, with war." In the absence of US leadership China's President Xi Jinping took up Hull's mantel at the G20 summit, encouraging free trade in the face of chaos of another form. "I want to call on all G20 members to take collective actions cutting tariffs, removing barriers, and facilitating the unfettered flow of trade," President Xi said via the video conference. "All must work together to build a strongest global network of control and treatment that the world has ever seen," he continued. Yes, the coronavirus came from China. And yes, had China's government acted more quickly instead of suppressing information about the virus, the world not be in the throes of a pandemic. But China has ramped up manufacturing of supplies the US desperately needs right now, so starting a fight with them or any other country in the supply chain through some "Buy American" effort would be counterproductive. At a press conference on Friday after the G20 meeting, Trump sounded more cooperative. He said he would instruct General Motors to make ventilators for the entire world, not just the US. He sounded like he wanted everyone to work together. But things change quickly with Trump. Also in Friday's press conference he said that media had done a good job covering the coronavirus, when days before he was excoriating them as "fake news." Nice Trump could easily leave the building one day and bring back Nasty Trump. We don't have time for ideological intransigence, or pettiness, or even pride. We can't let Trump start a trade war right now. Too many lives are at stake. Read the original article on Business Insider The coronavirus toll in Italy shot past 10,000 on Saturday and showed little sign of slowing despite a 16-day lockdown. The 889 new fatalities reported in the world's worst-hit nation came a day after it registered 969 deaths on Friday -- the highest single toll since the COVID-19 virus emerged late last year. Italy now looks certain to extend its economically debilitating -- and emotionally stressful -- business closures and the ban on public gatherings past their April 3 deadline. "Is it time to reopen the country? I think we have to think about it really carefully," civil protection service chief Angelo Borrelli told reporters. "The country is at a standstill and we must maintain the least amount of activity possible to ensure the survival of all." Italians had begun to hope that their worst disaster in generations was easing after the increase in daily death rates began to slow on March 22. But the new surge has changed the Mediterranean nation's mood. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte told Italians late Saturday to be ready to spend more time cooped up at home. "If one is being reasonable, one cannot envision a quick return to normal life," Conte said in his latest sombre television address. - Going into debt - The monumental economic toll of fighting the pandemic has triggered a huge row among European leaders about how best to respond. The southern European nations worst-hit by the virus are urging the EU to go abandon its budget rules. The bloc has already loosened its purse strings in ways not seen since the 2008-2009 global financial crisis. But Conte argues that this is not enough. France is backing a push by Italy and Spain for the EU to start issuing "corona bonds" -- a form of common debt that governments sell to raise money to address individual economic needs. More spendthrift nations such as Germany and the Netherlands are baulking at the idea of joint debt. Conte said he and German Chancellor Angela Merkel had "not just a disagreement but a hard a frank confrontation" this week about how to proceed. "If Europe does not rise to this unprecedented challenge, the whole European structure loses its raison d'etre to the people," Conte told Saturday's edition of the Il Sole 24 Ore financial newspaper. - 'Critical point in history' - The entire eurozone is expected to slip into a recession over the coming months. But Italy is facing the threat of a near economic collapse after being the first European country to shutter almost all its businesses on March 12. Some forecasts suggest that its economy -- the third-largest among nations that use the euro common currency -- could contract by as much as seven percent this year. It shrank by 5.3 percent of gross domestic product in 2009. Conte warned that EU leaders were in danger of making "tragic mistakes". "I represent a country that is suffering a lot and I cannot afford to procrastinate," Conte said. The energetic 55-year-old has seen his popularity shoot up thanks to a general sense that he has been doing all he could. A growing number of medics are warning that Italy's fatalities could be much higher because retirement homes often do not report all their COVID-19 deaths. The number of people who have died from the new disease at home is also unknown. "This is something very different from the 2008 crisis," Conte warned in the newspaper interview. "We are at a critical point in European history." Italy recorded nearly 900 deaths Saturday Medically qualified nuns have been carrying out home visots to those infected by the virus Giuseppe Conte taking part in the video conference Conte said he and German Chancellor Angela Merkel had 'not just a disagreement but a hard a frank confrontation' this week about how to proceed Coronavirus is bent on killing people therefore entire humanity must unite and resolve to eliminate it New Delhi: Affirming that India is in a war-like situation against the dreaded Coronavirus but that the country would win the battle, Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologised to all Indians for the difficulties they are facing due to the three-week national lockdown that began on March 25 but said there was no other way but to take this harsh decision that was necessary as it is a fight between life and death. He said the lockdown would keep the country safe. I apologise to all countrymen. I know you will forgive me. This decision has led to difficulties especially for the poor. They must have wondered how I could do it. Some people must be angry. I understand. But there was no other way. It is a fight between life and death, PM Modi said in his Mann ki baat address via radio. It was necessary to take such a harsh decision. It was the only way out. We must win the battle, he added. Referring to lockdowns throughout the world in various countries, PM Modi said, The Coronavirus has imprisoned the entire world. ... The virus threatens humanity. He said the virus cares for neither borders nor weather conditions when it strikes people. Sounding a word of caution to those defying the lockdown for frivolous reasons, PM Modi said, You have to save everyone by following the lockdown. Follow the lakshman rekha. Dont break the law. Unfortunately, some people are breaking it. They dont understand the gravity of the situation. Dont play with your lives. He further said, The decisions taken (by countries) have never been heard of before in the world. Indias steps will bring us victory. We have to adhere to the lockdown now but Indians in future will break all barriers and march ahead. We have to win. We will win. Striking a philosophical note, PM Modi said the duration of the lockdown was a time to look within ourselves and end emotional distances by communicating with others in various ways while maintaining social distance and remaining confined to their respective homes. Social distance does not mean emotional distance or ending social interaction. Renew your interactions, reduce emotional distances, he said. The Prime Minister also told people not to misbehave with those who had risked their lives to help the nation in the fight against the dreaded Coronavirus. He said those who had been abroad had been quarantined as per norms but that they should not be stigmatised. He also exhorted people to take care of the poor and hungry in these difficult times, saying it is part of our culture. PM Modi also praised the efforts of the frontline soldiers including doctors, nurses, health workers and sanitation workers in the war against the Coronavirus and also saluted the courage and resilience shown by survivors who had been infected but had recovered. In this context, the PM spoke to an IT professional from Hyderabad Ramgampa Teja who had been infected with the virus while on a work-related visit to Dubai but had been subsequently treated in a hospital in Hyderabad. I recovered after two weeks but it was scary, Mr. Teja told PM Modi. An Agra-based businessman Ashok Kapoor told PM Modi how his two sons and son-in-law had been infected while on a business trip to Italy leading to his entire family being infected on their return but that they had recovered. A Delhi-based doctor Nitish Gupta told PM Modi that doctors were upbeat and deployed in the fight against the Coronavirus like the Army on the border. PM Modi also spoke about the challenges before nurses and recalled that the year 2020 had been dedicated to this noble profession, even as he remembered the sacrifices made by Florence Nightingale, the 19th century founder of the modern profession of Nursing whose 200th birth anniversary is being commemorated globally. He also appreciated those providing essential services at this time including in e-commerce and the media. Amid fear of community spread of the coronavirus looming large following a man with no history of travelling abroad tested positive for COVID-19 in the state, the Odisha government has taken a series of measures including augmentation of hospitals' capacity to combat the crisis, officials said. With financial assistance from the Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL) and the Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC), an elaborate arrangement has been made to set up two dedicated hospitals for COVID-19 patients with a total of 950 beds in the state capital, he said. A similar facility with 700 beds will also be established at Tangi near Cuttack for people suspected to be infected with coronavirus. This apart, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhubaneswar, is all set to make available an exclusive unit with 206 beds in its campus for treatment of such patients. Around 20 ventilators are kept ready while orders have been placed for 40 more which will be delivered by next month, AIIMS-Bhubaneswar Director B Gitanjali said. "We have sufficient consumables and kits to deal with the emerging situation. We have also set up a dedicated COVID-19 screening OPD for suspected cases," she said. The institute will introduce tele-medicine programme for providing necessary information to people on the deadly virus, the official said. "AIIMS, Bhubaneswar has also been permitted to conduct tests for COVID-19, and the institute has already started examining samples free of cost," she said. Moreover, arrangements at the Ayush complex of AIIMS, Bhubaneswar for an isolation unit have been made as part of its measures to grapple with the emerging situation, she said. Similarly, the government has decided to temporarily reserve around 500 beds with ICU facilities, exclusively for COVID-19 patients, in Ganjam district, which witnessed influx of a large number of migrant workers from other states. The state government's drive to contain the outbreak gained momentum after detection of the third COVID-19 case in the state on Thursday, another official said. "During phase-1, the focus was on foreign returnees and later the surveillance has been shifted on people coming to Odisha from other states. Now, with the third confirmed case having no history of travelling abroad, we see a possibility of the outbreak moving into stage 3, which is community transmission," the state governments chief spokesperson on COVID-19, Subroto Bagchi said. What is "really alarming" is that the man visited three hospitals in Bhubaneswar. The Ganjam district administration has identified the Tata Memorial Hospital, Sitalapalli, Science College at Chhatrapur and Women's College at Bhanjanagar to convert these facilities as COVID-19 care units, a health department official said. In addition, a total of 274 beds has also been reserved exclusively for the Covid-19 patients in the government hospitals, chief district medical officer R.Jagadeesh Patnaik said. Steps are also being taken to put in place a large number of additional beds with proper facilities in other parts of the state for treatment of COVID-19 patients, the health department official said. The state government has set up 7,276 temporary medical camps in all the 6,798 gram panchayats with necessary facilities to tackle any emergent situation, he said. The government has also decided to engage microbiologists on a temporary basis to ensure the smooth functioning of the district public health laboratories and collection of blood and swab samples, the official said. The newly-appointed medical officers, who have not joined the services in their respective places of posting, have been directed to join immediately, he said adding that the state government has allowed one-time relaxation for promotion of medical officers under the Dynamic Assured Career Progression (DACP) scheme. Lauding the role being played by the doctors amid the COVID-19 threat, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said, "Their contribution is praiseworthy. Though the promotion of medical officers under the DACP scheme was announced a year ago, they could not get promotions under this programme due to want of required PARs (performance appraisal report)." In a bid to infuse professionalism to its efforts to contain the spread of the deadly virus, the Odisha government has invited expression of interest to engage healthcare experts for managing the crisis in the state. The evolving scenario presents dynamic challenges which call for high level of professionalism, Chief Secretary A K Tripathy said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) SEPTA will suspend overnight service on the Market-Frankford and Broad Street Lines between 1 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. to give crews additional time for cleaning of vehicles and stations amid the COVID-19 crisis beginning March 30. Service on the Market-Frankford and Broad Street Lines, as well as all buses, trolleys and the Norristown High Speed Line, remains on a Saturday schedule seven days a week. For schedule details, please visit septa.org/notice/modified-saturday-schedules.html. Service changes for Regional Rail will additionally go into effect today. SEPTA will move to a new Essential Service Schedule, which provides limited service on all lines. Based on sharp ridership reductions of 94 percent on Regional Rail this week, the Essential Service Schedule will allow SEPTA to continue to provide service for those who need to travel. It also allows SEPTA to follow stepped-up cleaning protocols aimed at providing a safe and healthy environment for customers and employees. Regional Rail has been operating on a Saturday schedule for the last two weeks. SEPTA will continue to closely monitor all services to try to ensure that there is enough space on-board vehicles for customers to practice social distancing. Regional Rail schedules effective today are posted on SEPTAs website at septa.org. We are pleading with our customers if you dont have to ride, please dont, said SEPTA General Manager Leslie S. Richards. We need to reserve space on our buses, trains and trolleys for those who need to get to essential jobs, or access life-sustaining services. Here is a summary of the changes: * Service on most lines will run every two hours * Airport Line service will run every hour * Twelve of the 13 Regional Rail lines will operate seven days a week; Cynwyd Line service will operate Monday through Friday. For customers who need to travel during this crisis, SEPTA has added an interactive Essential Services Map to its website. This interactive tool maps the locations of hospitals, grocery stores and other essential services, and shows the SEPTA services that connect to them. The map is available at septa.org/notice/essential-business-map.html. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has announced that enforcement for REAL ID has been extended one year, from Oct. 1, 2020, to Oct. 1, 2021, in response to COVID-19 and the national emergency declaration. REAL ID delay PennDOT closed all driver and photo license centers March 16 and paused REAL ID issuance in the state out of an abundance of caution and in the interest of public health. Centers will reopen no sooner than April 3. PennDOT also sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, requesting that the agency consider extending the Oct. 1, 2020 REAL ID enforcement deadline. We are very pleased that the Department of Homeland Security has listened to our concerns, as well as the concerns from our fellow states regarding the need for a postponement on REAL ID enforcement in the midst of this national emergency, said PennDOT Acting Secretary Yassmin Gramian in a statement. REAL ID is a federal law that affects how states issue drivers licenses and ID cards if they are going to be acceptable for federal purposes. A federally-acceptable form of identification (whether its a Pennsylvania REAL ID drivers license or ID card, a valid U.S. Passport/Passport Card, a military ID, etc.) must now be used on and after October 1, 2021, as identification to board a commercial flight or visit a secure federal building that requires a federally acceptable form of identification ID for access. * PennDOT has also announced that expiration dates for driver licenses, identification cards, learners permits, disability placards, vehicle registrations and safety and emission inspections will be extended for Pennsylvania residents in response to statewide COVID-19 mitigation efforts. Deadlines on the following products will be extended effective March 27, 2020: Driver licenses, photo ID cards and learners permits scheduled to expire from March 16, 2020 through April 30, 2020. The expiration date is now extended through May 31, 2020. Vehicle registrations, safety inspections and emissions inspections scheduled to expire from March 16 through April 30, 2020. The expiration date is now extended through May 31, 2020. Disabilities parking placards scheduled to expire from March 16 through April 30, 2020. The expiration date is now extended through May 31, 2020. Additionally, all Driver License Centers and Photo License Centers and the Harrisburg Riverfront Office Center in Pennsylvania remain closed for counter service until further notice. Customers may complete various transactions and access multiple resources via the Driver and Vehicle Services website at dmv.pa.gov. Driver and vehicle online services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and include drivers license, photo ID and vehicle registration renewals; driver-history services; changes of address; driver license and vehicle registration restoration letters; ability to pay driver license or vehicle insurance restoration fee; driver license and photo ID duplicates; and driver exam scheduling. There are no additional fees for using online services. Rest areas reopened PennDOT is reopening indoor facilities at five additional rest areas statewide. The systems 30 rest areas were temporarily closed statewide on March 17 in response to Governor Tom Wolfs mitigation guidance regarding COVID-19 to ensure that proper safety and sanitation protocols were in place. On March 24, 23 select rest areas across Pennsylvania were reopened to all motorists, including 13 facilities in critical locations that were reopened March 18 with portable restrooms and hand-washing facilities. Additional cleaning and maintenance will be performed at all reopened locations. The following five locations have reopened: * Interstate 79 northbound in Greene County, 5 miles north of Exit 1; * Interstate 80 eastbound in Luzerne County, 8.5 miles east of Exit 262; * Interstate 80 eastbound in Monroe County, 1 mile east of I-80/I-380; * Interstate 83 northbound in York County, 2.5 miles north of the Maryland state line; and * Interstate 90 eastbound in Erie County, 3 miles east of the Ohio state line. The below locations were previously reopened: * Interstate 79 northbound in Allegheny County, 8 miles north of Exit 45; * Interstate 79 northbound in Crawford County, 8 miles north of Exit 154; * Interstate 79 southbound in Crawford County, 3 miles south of Exit 166; * Interstate 79 northbound in Lawrence County, 3.5 miles north of Exit 105; * Interstate 79 southbound in Lawrence County, 3.5 miles south of Exit 113 * Interstate 79 northbound in Mercer County, 5 miles south of Exit 141; * Interstate 79 southbound in Mercer County, 6 miles north of Exit 130; * Interstate 80 eastbound in Centre County, 13 miles east of Exit 133; * Interstate 80 westbound in Centre County, .5 miles west of Exit 147; * Interstate 80 eastbound in Jefferson County, 1 mile east of Exit 86; * Interstate 80 westbound in Jefferson County, 10 miles west of Exit 97; * Interstate 80 eastbound in Montour County, 4.5 miles east of Exit 215; * Interstate 80 westbound in Montour County, 4.5 miles west of Exit 224; * Interstate 80 eastbound in Venango County, .5 miles east of Exit 29; * Interstate 80 westbound in Venango County, 4 miles west of Exit 35; * Interstate 81 northbound in Cumberland County, .5 miles north of Exit 37; * Interstate 81 southbound in Cumberland County, 5.5 miles south of Exit 44; * Interstate 81 northbound in Lackawanna County, .5 miles north of Exit 202; * Interstate 81 northbound in Luzerne County, 1.5 miles north of Exit 155; * Interstate 81 southbound in Luzerne County, 1.5 miles south of Exit 159; * Interstate 81 southbound in Susquehanna County, 4 miles south of Exit 211; * Interstate 84 eastbound in Pike County, 6 miles east of Exit 20; and * Interstate 84 westbound in Pike County, 1 mile west of Exit 26. The department will continue to evaluate and will determine whether additional rest areas can be reopened. SEPTA hearings delayed SEPTA is postponing all public hearings on its proposed operating and capital budgets for Fiscal Year 2021 due to the COVID-19 crisis. The hearings were scheduled for late April for both proposals. Dates and details of the new hearings will be announced at a later time. SEPTA originally planned to hold 10 public hearings throughout the region on the operating budget, which includes a fare restructuring plan. That was adjusted to four virtual hearings as the COVID-19 outbreak worsened. SEPTA also started to plan virtual hearings for the Fiscal Year 2021 capital budget, but SEPTA officials in consultation with the SEPTA Board decided to postpone the process by at least 30 days. Details on how the hearings will be conducted will be announced as soon as possible. If the hearings are able to take place in May, the SEPTA Board could consider a vote on the operating and capital budgets at its June meeting. Closures PECO Energy is planning a single lane closure on Lancaster Avenue at Airdale Road in Radnor between March 30 and April 10 for utility improvements. The closure is scheduled on eastbound and westbound lanes from 7 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. weeknights. * For information on projects occurring or being bid this year, those made possible by or accelerated by Act 89, or those on the departments Four and Twelve Year Plans, visit www.projects.penndot.gov Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 860 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website. For PennDOT information, visit www.penndot.gov. Follow local PennDOT information on Twitter at www.twitter.com/511PAPhilly, and follow the department on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pennsylvaniadepartmentoftransportation and Instagram at www.instagram.com/pennsylvaniadot Tom Ridge, former governor of Pennsylvania and U.S. secretary of homeland security, co-chairs the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense. A woman tested positive for COVID-19 in Bihar on Sunday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 11, an official said here. Among those who have tested positive, as many as six had come into contact with a deceased patient, hailing from Munger district, who died at AIIMS, Patna, on Saturday last week, a day before his test reports confirmed he had COVID 19. A female relative of his, who attended his funeral and then returned to her home in Lakhisarai district, has tested positive, state epidemiologist Ragini Mishra said, adding that she is currently admitted to the NMCH hospital here. Aged 38 years, the deceased had returned from Qatar where he worked as a welder and was hospitalised on account of renal failure. Altogether 11 people have tested positive for COVID 19 in Bihar till Sunday, the health department official said. According to the department, samples of 670 people have been collected for testing so far out of which 565 tested negative, three were rejected while results were awaited for 91. Earlier, a middle-aged woman and a 12-year-old boy, both residents of his neighborhood in Munger, had tested positive and were sent to a Bhagalpur hospital. Besides, three persons, including a woman, are said to have caught the infection at a private hospital here, where the deceased was admitted before being referred to the AIIMS, Patna. All of them are currently admitted at NMCH which has been converted into a dedicated medical facility for COVID-19 patients. In addition, a woman whose test results had come on Sunday last week, is undergoing treatment at AIIMS, Patna. Two residents of Patna, who had recently travelled to Scotland and Gujarat respectively, and another person from Siwan who returned from Dubai, have also tested positive and were admitted to the NMCH. Albuquerque will invest half a million dollars to promote businesses that line its stretch of historic Route 66. City officials said Friday theyre looking for a marketing firm to develop a plan to promote the corridor as a destination. The campaign would be aimed at bringing locals back to Central Avenue and attracting new visitors. Shop owners along the road had complained as years of construction related to Albuquerque Rapid Transit, or ART, hampered business and forced some stores to close. Several Albuquerque city councilors announced this initiative nearly a year ago and had hoped to have already begun the marketing. But Council President Pat Davis said the promotional effort takes on more urgency given the current situation. Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller said the coronavirus public health emergency is now hitting boutiques, restaurants, bars and other businesses along the route. Most are locally owned. The businesses on Central need our support more than ever, he said. We are going to use this time to make sure that when we get through this challenge, people come back to Route 66. With this investment now, we hope to help prime our community for a comeback all up and down Central. Albuquerque is home to the longest urban stretch of Route 66. City officials say its a critical driver of small business and job creation. It includes some of Albuquerques most prominent arts and culture attractions. Known as the Mother Road, Route 66 was created in 1926 after the Bureau of Public Roads launched the nations first federal highway system. Small towns opened shops, motels and gas stations to pump revenue into local economies just as the nations car culture took off. The marketing firm that will be charged with breathing new life into the corridor will be required to work closely with businesses, property owners, neighborhood associations and community groups in the area. Journal staff writer Jessica Dyer contributed to this report. Local historian and genealogist, Brian Mitchell, has written a book called 'Derry: A City Invincible'. In the coming weeks, Derry Now will be publishing extracts from the book. In this latest article, Brian writes about the arrival of Colum Cille in Derry. In 545 AD, according to the Annals of Ulster, the church of Doire Calgach, the oak wood of Calgach, was founded by Colum Cille (Columba). Whether Derry was more than an oak grove before this is a matter of conjecture. In 71 AD Agricola began his northern campaign to extend Roman control into Scotland. He was met by a confederation of Britons, Picts and Irish, led by Galgacus, who in a great battle defeated the Roman army, and thus prevented their penetration into the Scottish Highlands. Could Galgacus be an Irish king whose headquarters were on the island of Derry? There is no doubt that from the 1st century AD a wave of Celts, called Scots, went over from Ireland to Argyll and founded the first Celtic Kingdom of Scotland, Dal Riata. At first Dal Riata was an extension of a northern Irish kingdom of the same name on the north Antrim coast. With Irish kings claiming lordship over this Scottish kingdom it was only natural they would defend it in times of attack. Christianity had come to Ireland one hundred years before Colum Cille founded his first monastery in Derry. When St. Patrick landed in Ireland to convert her to Christianity in 432 AD it was to the royal fort, in each district, he approached. Having converted the king, the people followed his example. So in 442 AD St. Patrick arrived at the royal palace of Grianan of Aileach, a stone cashel within three concentric earth enclosures, 800 feet above sea level, on a hill commanding entry into and out of Inishowen, County Donegal. Here he converted Eoghan (Owen), son of Niall of the Nine Hostages, who had been High King of Ireland from 378 to 405 AD. By the time of St. Patricks death in 465 the whole of Ireland was Christian. The early organisation of the Irish church, introduced by Patrick, was diocesan, and each diocese was under the jurisdiction of a bishop. However, this system proved incapable of adaptation to Irelands tribal system. By the 6th century its place was taken by monasteries, each under the control of an abbot, and each acting as the religious centre for the area. Each clan now had its own church and clergy. Land was allotted to the clergy for their support, and the clergy lived together in communities clustered round a church. Colum Cille was in a favoured position to benefit from this tribal patronage. Born in 521 at Gartan, County Donegal, Colum Cille was of royal descent, his great-grandfather being Conall Gulbhan, son of Niall of the Nine Hostages. As kingship rested within the family group known as the derbfine (made up of all those males who had a great-grandfather in common), Colum Cille was entitled to be considered for chieftainship of the Cenell Conall, whose territory covered County Donegal west of Lough Swilly. Ainmere, King of Ireland at the time, was Colum Cilles cousin, and it was he who gave the island of Derry as a gift to Colum Cille on which to found a church and school. It was an ideal spot for a monastery, secluded yet convenient. Derry was then entirely surrounded by water. The Foyle divided south of the island, the main stream running on the east side, while a small volume flowed in a shallow river on the western side, rejoining the main stream to the north. A small self-sufficient monastic community was soon established. This first monastery at Derry would have been built within a perimeter earthwork which acted as a symbolic boundary between the monastery and the secular world rather than as a defensive structure. Inside, the principal building was a rectangular wooden church or oratory. The walls were either of wattle and daub, or of sawn oak planks. The roof was high-pitched, and it was either thatched or made of shingles, i.e. slates made of wood. The church would have been small, perhaps no longer than 15 feet internally. Around the church the monks would have lived in small beehive-shaped huts, made of wattle, which were located higgledy-piggledy amongst the oak forest. There would have been a variety of other simple buildings all made of wood or wattle with thatched roofs. In a scriptorium, or writing hut, Colum Cille and his monks would have made copies of psalters and the Bible. There was a school to prepare boys for the religious life. A library was essential for such a centre of learning in which Latin grammar and classical books would have been kept. The scriptorium, in copying books, preserved early classical and Christian writings for use in the school and library. The monks and pupils were fed in a common refectory. There would have been a guest house for the pilgrims who visited during major festivals. There would also have been a royal house where the rulers who patronised Colum Cille could stay when they visited. There were timber crosses, probably set in milling stones, which acted as focuses for prayer and meditation. A monastery controlled extensive lands and a large tenantry outside its earth enclosure. At the river shore there would have been a boat-house to facilitate the ferrying of visitors across the Foyle. From their coracles, made of animal skins stretched over wickerwork frames, the monks fished for salmon and trout. The monks day was divided into periods of labour and prayer. The fields near the monastery had to be tilled, with oats and barley to be sown and harvested. The herds of cattle which grazed on the open pastureland had to be watched, as did the pigs and sheep left to browse through the oak groves. In the wood, wattle for building purposes had to be gathered. The monks, as they went about their work, could be easily distinguished from the tenantry by their tonsure, in which the front of the head was shaven from ear to ear. Outside the monastic complex farmers lived in circular raths such as the one at Creggan. These farmsteads were formed by digging a ditch, the earth being thrown up to form a bank which was topped with a wooden palisade. Inside the circular enclosure, usually from 70 to 150 feet across, breached by a causeway which led through a gate, the farmer housed his family and animals. The enclosure had no real military significance, but it offered sufficient protection against small bands of marauders and wolves. In the small, one-room, circular wooden huts with thatched roofs the farmers families lived, cooked and slept. Beds were simply piles of straw. The common form of dress was a short linen tunic worn underneath a long woollen cloak, fastened by a brooch. During the day the farmers cattle and sheep were left to graze on the open pastures, while at night they were safely housed from wild animals and thieves in pens within the rath. Cereals, mainly oats and barley, were grown in small fields, no more than two acres in size, close to the dwelling. The corn was then ground in small rotary querns (an improvement on the earlier saddle querns) within the farmstead. Food was cooked on an open fire, with a spit being used for roasting and a big cauldron, made of sheet metal, for stewing. Within a short space of time Colum Cilles monastic foundation at Derry had become a centre of considerable wealth, learning and population. The island of Derry now supported a thriving religious and farming community amongst clearings in the oak forest which formerly clothed the whole island. A casino hostess at The Ritz has won a sex discrimination case after her boss called her 'a china doll' and mocked her for having a bottom 'like Kim Kardashian's'. Roger Marris, chief executive at the Ritz Club, was accused of making 'offensive, belittling and misogynistic' remarks about Ruth Taylor-Hamieh. An employment tribunal in London heard how he would refer to the privately educated hostess as a 'china doll' and tell staff she was only 'good to look at'. Ms Taylor-Hamieh, a former pupil of the 36,000- a-year St George's School in Ascot, and the London School of Fashion, told the hearing that Mr Marris had a 'bullying' management style Ms Taylor-Hamieh sued the casino owned by the billionaire Barclay brothers after she was turned down for another job and then made redundant when she told managers she was pregnant. The tribunal heard she began working as a customer relations hostess in 2016, socialising with gamblers to ensure 'they have a good time'. Mr Marris, a former British Army officer who had been chief executive since 2011, was described as 'a micro-manager' involved in overseeing everything down to the 'movement of a salt cellar'. Ms Taylor-Hamieh, a former pupil of the 36,000- a-year St George's School in Ascot, and the London School of Fashion, told the hearing that Mr Marris had a 'bullying' management style. On New Year's Eve in 2018, the hostess told her bosses she was pregnant. At the club's party, she 'overheard Mr Marris saying words to the effect of, 'Oh my God, look at her a***, do you think she's done something to it. It looks like Kim Kardashian's' '. Ms Taylor-Hamieh sued the casino owned by the billionaire Barclay brothers after she was turned down for another job and then made redundant when she told managers she was pregnant. The Ritz is pictured above In February last year, she was warned that due to falling business at the casino, her job was at risk. She was made redundant the following month. Several days later, Mr Marris wrote her a 'threatening and intimidating' letter. The tribunal found the casino had dismissed Ms Taylor-Hamieh unfairly, had discriminated against her for being a woman and pregnant, and had victimised her. Compensation will be determined later. Friday afternoon, the Ontario government jolted its citizens with an ear-piercing emergency alert to their mobile phones, warning that travellers returning to the province are required by law to self-isolate for 14 days. The alert also advised all Ontarians to self-isolate. Despite this sound advice, reactions were mixed and shared widely across social media. On Twitter, lots of folks thought it was a great use of the Amber Alert system. (Except it wasnt. It was an emergency alert, which a lot of people quickly pointed out with surprising passion) Great work Ontario government issuing an amber alert on Covid 19 and especially for recent travellers returning to Canada that are mandated to self isolate. https://t.co/0CyRJVBnMN Still Cranky (@StephenColley18) March 27, 2020 Meanwhile other Ontarians questioned why it wasnt used earlier on in the Coronavirus outbreak to help nip the virus in the bud: Let me be clear. I am totally okay with the Amber Alert notifications. But this kind of alert would've been great about 3 weeks ago. Sending it now just seems completely unnecessary. Aaron Reid (@aaronjreid) March 28, 2020 Good leveraging of the Amber Alert system, but I wish this kind of message had been sent weeks ago when families were coming home after Spring/March break. Regardless, better late than never! pic.twitter.com/M1xeIXRV25 Rishi Bansal (@rishibansal_) March 27, 2020 Some thoughtfully, decided to post pictures of the alert itself on their Instagram accounts, in case others missed the provincial governments warning the first time around. Emergency alert screenshot from Instagram on Friday March 26, 2020. Still, others seem to think theyre the only ones who got the emergency alert, and are now benevolently sharing the news with the rest of humanity. Story continues I just got an Ontario "Amber Alert" on my cell phone and television; CIVIL EMERGENCY ALERT. All people returning to Canada must be quarantined period, failure to do so results in a $750k fine and/or prison. In Canada, we DO NOT FOOL AROUND!!! L-J (@LauraJeanDawe) March 27, 2020 And, finally, this individual wants everyone to know that the alert totally ruined his beauty sleep. Ontario: please amber alert us every night, hourly from 1 am to 5 am, until everyone is too tired to even attempt to leave the house. Carpetbomb this province with annoying midnight noises to enforce wellness! pic.twitter.com/FE2v3C7rFZ matt b (@tederick) March 27, 2020 Do you think the emergency alert was effective? Should it have been used earlier? Vote and leave a comment below. The coronavirus outbreak has put a damper on birthday parties, family get-togethers and celebrations across New Jersey, thanks to all those lockdown orders and social distancing. However, one Hillsborough-based franchise is bringing a bit of happiness to those who have lost out on their special day. Card My Yard is a yard greeting company with two other New Jersey locations Chatham and Paramus and its main mission is to spread joy and create smiles in a unique and creative way. Here is how it works: Place your order online through the website. Choose your Happy Birthday (or any other greeting) color, name, age and two graphics. (You can even choose to leave a door tag with your name on it, so they know who surprised them.) The owner of the Hillsborough-based franchise, Tiziana Masi, will set up the greeting sign in the dark, the night before the big day. You can keep the sign up for the day you chose, and she will return to pick it up the following evening. We stake your card and you take the credit, said Masi, who has been with the company since November 2019. She services Hillsborough and its surrounding towns (zip codes are on website). The other two New Jersey locations serve towns in Morris and Bergen Counties. If you do not see your zip code on any of our sites, reach out to the closest location to see if they are available, Masi said. "We hate saying no. Card My Yard was founded in October 2014 by two moms with a simple goal to serve families and make a positive impact in the community as small business owners. The company now has more than 165 franchise locations across at least 30 states. The coronavirus outbreak has generated anxiety, disruption and heartbreak in many families, but Masi has been able to spread some joy on a daily basis. The last couple of weeks have been very busy for me. Parties have been cancelled and people want to find a way to celebrate their kids, parents, grandparents, friends, etc.," said Masi, who has been nicknamed The Sign Fairy. "This is a super easy way to show your loved ones you are wishing them the best on their birthday, she said. Parents are calling me just wanting to do something fun and special for their kids. I am trying my absolute best to service everyone who calls. Im a mom of two young kids and I know when you see your child sad, and you cant fix it, you will do anything to bring a smile to their face, Masi added. "The kids love it so much its such a surprise and usually parents get a big I love you and hug, which always makes anything worth it." The recipients of the signs cover all age groups. Even grandparents who are not able to see their newborn grandchildren are sending signs to greet them home, Masi said. "Sending a sign to a nursing home to be seen through a window to seniors is also popular right now. I cant tell you the smiles we are creating. It is truly rewarding. Lou Monaco may be reached at lmonaco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @loumonaco. Find NJ.com on Facebook. The traditional school year is over. Canceling the remainder was a formality under consideration in almost every state for weeks. Kansas and Virginia had already done it, and the remaining states will follow suit. It was not much of a choice; it is a vital measure to slow the spread of COVID-19. As school buildings close, however, student learning in New Mexico must reboot. The distance learning revolution must begin. It has gained momentum elsewhere over the past decade, but had several false starts here, from a mostly defunct statewide platform mandated by 2007 state law to a flailing virtual statewide public charter school. This global pandemic has changed everything though, and necessity is the mother of re-invention. The stakes are high for students particularly those from low-income backgrounds who already experience a summer slide loss of learning every year. Not only must school systems meet basic needs, prioritizing health and well-being, they must also propel a tectonic shift in how our students learn so that the summer slide is not elongated or cemented. Hopefully Albuquerque Public Schools is not amongst the laggards it serves one in four children statewide. Last week, the Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) in Seattle published a database www.crpe.org/content/covid-19-school-closures of how Americas largest districts are responding to COVID-19. APS is prominently featured, but only due to its position at the top of the alphabet. The districts initial posture from its website is troubling: Due to issues of equity and access, APS cannot provide digital learning opportunities in place of in-classroom instruction. The New Mexico Public Education Department has made it clear that instruction shouldnt be provided for just some students. But many school systems have already forged ahead with new approaches in the very name of equity and access. They recognized that families from higher socio-economic status will take advantage of optional resources being provided by districts, or available on the open-market, at greater rates. Inequity, exacerbated. They recognized that private schools will double-down on distance learning to ensure students have greater access to colleges and careers. Furthermore, they recognized that providing structure could have positive benefits on our childrens physical and emotional safety, also critical issues of equity and access. An accompanying article by CRPE aptly titled No Time To Lose details how three much-admired school networks in Indianapolis didnt skip a beat in going virtual. D.C. Public Schools began remote learning last week teachers are expected to hold remote office hours for at least four hours a day. Other systems, like the Permians Ector County, are seizing an hour a day of public television airwaves. KIPP and Success Academies, large school systems within New York City serving mostly low-income students, are doing whatever it takes to go virtual. Charlotte-Mecklenburg is providing students in grades four through 12 with Chromebooks; they quickly raised $1 million to provide hotspots and connectivity, tackling equity and access head-on. And Rocketship Public Schools, serving low-income students in Californias Bay Area and elsewhere, released an inspiring video summary, vimeo.com/399306482, of what has already occurred during their first week of distance learning. APS has put together a website chalk-full of resources. Lets trust it is updating it daily by scanning national education publications from EdWeek to The74Million and calling colleagues at respected resource hubs such as CRPE, Digital Promise and The Education Trust. But simple dissemination of a laundry list of links is no substitute for what great schools and teachers facilitate. School systems must exercise emergency clauses to adapt so that educators can assume new roles and responsibilities throughout the crisis. Publishing a hodgepodge or distributing worksheets, as Mondays ABQJournal article described, is a humble beginning. Who will now lead the distance learning revolution in New Mexico? Who is already? Stories of educational hope must also be told during this trying time. Our students, ready to learn in new ways and look beyond the horizon, are awaiting this revolution. Christopher N. Ruszkowski worked on President Barack Obamas signature education initiative under Gov. Jack Markell (D) in Delaware. He lives in Santa Fe. Current Print Subscribers will be prompted to either login to their current site user account or to create a new one. A confirmation email will be sent when a new user account is created, which must be confirmed within three days in order to provide uninterrupted online access through your Print Subscription. Once the email address is confirmed please provide your Account Number to activate your Print Subscription Service. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 13:55:35|Editor: zyl Video Player Close SINGAPORE, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Singapore's Ministry of Health (MOH) announced Sunday that a patient has passed away from complications due to COVID-19 infection Sunday, bringing the total deaths relating to the coronavirus in the city state to three. The third death involves a 70 year-old male Singapore citizen who had a history of hypertension and hyperlipidaemia with no recent travel history to affected countries and regions. He was admitted to Singapore General Hospital on Feb. 29, and was confirmed to have COVID-19 infection on March 2. He developed serious complications and died after 27 days of medical treatment in the intensive care unit. Singapore reported its first two COVID-19 deaths on March 21, which involve one Singaporean and one Indonesian who are both senior people. The first patient was a 75-year-old female Singapore citizen, who had a history of chronic heart disease and hypertension and developed serious complications. The other patient was a 64-year-old male Indonesian national. He arrived in Singapore from Indonesia on March 13 and was confirmed to have COVID-19 infection the next day. Singapore recorded its first COVID-19 case on Jan. 23. It had reported 70 new COVID-19 cases as of noon on March 28, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 802. Emily Leak takes a few steps outside of the barn before she stops, turns around and then, just like she always has, heads back to the horses. Im usually done around two in the afternoon, but I head home a little later than that, started the 26-year-old Standardbred caretaker. Even if the work is done, I want to spend as much time with the horses as I can. I might even dawdle a bit just so I can be with them a little longer. Its a connection that goes back as far as she can remember. Horses have kept me levelheaded my whole life, said Leak. I cant even express to anyone what they have meant to me. When I was young, I was that girl who only took out horse books at the library. Any project I had to do at school it was about horses. Its all Ive ever known. Growing up on a horse farm in Langley, a city of over 140,000 people that lies east of Surrey and about a half hours drive from Vancouver, Leaks association with the equine world began at a young age. The love of horses is in her DNA. Her father, Paul Megens, and grandfather, Bill Megens, are both accomplished Standardbred horsemen. When I was 14, I would start going to the racetrack on weekends because there were family friends of ours racing. I did rodeo, competitively, until I was 19, but I realized I could make more money working at the racetrack. My first job at the racetrack was at Fraser Downs (British Columbia) with Al Anderson when I was 16. He passed away and then Ty ONeill took over the stable and I worked for him. Two years later, at the age of 18, Leak travelled east, a fact-finding mission of sorts, to explore and learn more about the Ontario horse racing scene. It would be the start of a journey of self-discovery, creating a series of twist and turns that would include heading home to British Columbia, trying her hand at different careers, returning to the rodeo and barrel racing worlds, and putting in a few hours at Fraser Downs. I originally came out to Ontario to explore what horse racing was like, but I was torn between rodeo and horse racing. It was horse racing that has always stuck with me. There were a few times I went away from it its just so hard to get away from. I tried welding as a job for a few months and came back, and then I left for almost a year. I would paddock on weekends, but I missed it. I was a mortgage brokers assistant for a while, but I always ended up at the racetrack. I really loved horse racing in Ontario and it ended up drawing me back. It was a year ago when Leak and her boyfriend Preston Shaw, a farrier by trade, made the decision to come back to Ontario. The couple ended up at Shamrock Training Centre, near Cambridge, Ontario, the first stop in their search for work. And, as the name might suggest, luck happened to be on their side that day. Rod Boyd happened to be hiring, so Ive kept on with him ever since, said Leak of the trainer who has over 600 career wins, including a career-best 96 victories in 2019. We really lucked out. Hes a great guy. Rod introduced Preston to his brother, Jeff (also a farrier), who in turn introduced Preston to a lot of people who have now become his clients for shoeing horses. Recent times, however, havent been nearly as kind. Leak, like thousands of horsepeople in Ontario, is contending with live horse racing in the province being put on pause in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. A strain of the coronavirus, COVID-19 has spread around the world in recent months, halting sporting leagues and events across the globe. Horse racing has also been affected. Signature events, including the Kentucky Derby, have been moved to later dates on the calendar. Numerous racetracks around the world have temporarily ceased live racing. Woodbine Mohawk Park, home to some of the sports most prestigious Standardbred races, halted live racing after its March 19 card. When the announcement was made, a myriad of thoughts immediately came to mind for Leak. One thought, in particular, kept returning amid all of the uncertainties. I just wanted to see the horses, she said. The connection you make with them is something you could really never out into words. Throughout my life, the one thing that has got me through everything, good times and bad, is the horses. Its top of mind she wakes up and readies to head off to Shamrock. And its her last thought before she calls it a night. I find myself taking longer around the barn. There might be less to do, but Im definitely not in a rush to leave. We are very lucky that we get to go to the barn every day, to have that joy. Horses have kept me levelheaded my whole life. I cant even express to anyone what the horses have meant to me. They arent the only ones to have had that type of impact on Leak. Your whole world gets turned upside down when you find out youre not racing for a while. But the support is there and we all need that from one another. Its a really uneasy time for everyone. Rod has really tried his best. He talked to his owners, who have been very supportive, and this was the way we could all stay on until we start racing again. Im really grateful for that. We all have rent, we all have bills its tough for us and for so many others during all of this. At a time like this, when Im so far away from home and my family, the horses and the horsepeople here in Ontario have kept my head up. Im not as scared as I thought I would be. Its a comfort that brings a smile to Leaks face each time she heads in and out of the barn. And on this day, just like all the others, shes in no hurry to leave. Horses always find a way to bring me back. Ive never taken for granted what they have done for me, but now, during this tough time, they have never meant more to me. AFTER THE WIRE Leak won three consecutive editions of the Powder Puff (all-womens Standardbred race) event as part of Harness the Hope night Fraser Downs, an annual fundraiser for breast cancer research. The first year I did it, I was looking after a horse called K G Mattattack. I absolutely fell in love with him and the owner took recognition of that. He told me that I could buy him if I wanted to. I was about halfway done getting the money to buy him and the owner it was around Christmas called me and said, Merry Christmas. Hes all yours. Hes my heart horse. I still have him and Ive leased him out to a little girl who just loves him. Hes the coolest, classiest horse and he won that race twice for me. He did it all in those races. I cant take any credit for it. (Ontario Racing) From anonymous letters to blatant shunning, nurses and other health workers in France say they are becoming targets of suspicion and even harassment by neighbours and patients fearful of catching COVID-19. Some have been told to leave their homes or worse, even as the country turns out nightly at 8:00 pm to applaud those on the front lines of the coronavirus fight. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe denounced Sunday the "scandalous words" aimed at some caregivers, many of which have been posted on social media. For Lucille, a nurse in Vulaines-sur-Seine southeast of Paris, the message came in an unsigned letter found in her mailbox last week, telling her to do her shopping outside the town and stop walking her dog. "I'm furious," said Lucille, who like several others asked not to identified by her family name. "We're already putting our lives on hold to help others, and here we're being treated like lepers." "Whoever wrote this surely doesn't take all the precautions I do," she added, pointing out that her hands were being "destroyed" by constant washings. "I try not to let it get to me, but it's easier said than done." She turned the letter over to the mayor, who alerted prosecutors who have opened an inquiry. "Even if these types of incidents are still rare, it's shocking," said Patrick Chamboredon, president of the national council for France's 700,000 nurses. - 'Angry, and frightened' - Thomas Demonchaux, a nurse in northern France, noted "the suspicions of some of my neighbours," who try to figure out if they should be keeping their distance. "They ask if I've been in contact with COVID-19 patients, tested or not, or if I'm tired," he said. For Negete Bensaid, a nurse in Paris, contagion fears have prompted some patients to refuse her visits, and even some in her family have urged her to stop working. "People steer clear when they see me coming -- they don't stay just one metre away, but four metres!" she said. Beyond the weight of the wariness, whether justified or not, nurses who make house calls have also been targeted by thieves hoping to get their hands on face masks or sanitising hand gel. In the western coastal city of La Rochelle, Claire's nursing practice was robbed last week of around 30 surgical masks she had just received. "I was incredibly angry, but also frightened, it just seemed unreal," she said. Since then, "I take off my nursing badge and don't leave anything in the car, it's become a routine, just like I always put on a mask and wash my hands to protect my patients." Sophie, a nurse in Marseille, also said she "couldn't believe it" when her car was broken into, the thieves taking her badge as well as masks and other protective material. "We're going to end up being assaulted," she said, adding that some patients were even demanding that she buy groceries for them, so that their children avoid any virus exposure. "It just feels like there's a lack of respect. So I don't even go out at night any more to listen to the applause." Search Keywords: Short link: Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Christine Soares and Mike Dolan (Reuters) Sun, March 29, 2020 13:02 654 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206e1ab83 2 Health coronavirus,health,COVID-19 Free It has been only three months since reports first emerged from China of an unknown virus causing unusual cases of pneumonia, and scientists and public health experts already know more about it and how it works than at the same point in earlier outbreaks. But there's still a lot they don't know. As the new coronavirus continues to spread around the world, here are some of the most important questions researchers and doctors as well as policymakers and economists are still trying to answer: How contagious is the virus? The virus spreads from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth via coughing or sneezing, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). It can persist on most surfaces up to several days, so in addition to directly inhaling the virus, you can become infected by touching something that has been contaminated and then touching your own nose, mouth or eyes. There is some evidence that virus particles in the feces of an infected person can transmit the disease through contact, but that remains unconfirmed. How many people are infected, and how many do not show any symptoms? So far, more than 550,000 cases have been reported worldwide, of which more than 127,000 have recovered and more than 24,000 have died. Some researchers estimate that up to 80 percent of people who are infected show no or only mild symptoms and may not even know they are sick. That would put the number of people who might have been infected in the millions. But we need many more studies and much more testing to close in on a more accurate number. Are younger people less likely to die from the virus? Younger people, while less vulnerable, can still develop COVID-19 - the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus - severe enough to require hospitalization. Just how much safer they are is still unanswered. The WHO says older people with pre-existing conditions - such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma, high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease - appear to develop serious illness more often than others, while a US health official said the mortality rate in males appears to be twice that of women in every age group. Health officials have cautioned that anyone with those underlying conditions, as well as those with weakened immune systems, are at increased risk. Read also: What happens after the coronavirus peaks? Can people be re-infected? This is a key question and we don't yet know the answer. There are a handful of cases of possible "reinfection" in recovered patients. But most scientists believe those are more likely to have been relapses. A patient may feel better and test negative for the virus in their nose and throat, while the virus remains elsewhere in their body. Fully recovered patients have antibodies in their blood that should protect them from fresh infection, but we don't know how long those antibodies will last. With some viruses, antibodies fade faster. Even if they do persist, SARS-CoV-2 might undergo small changes over time, as flu viruses do each year, rendering the antibodies ineffective. Several academic laboratories and medical companies are looking to produce blood tests to figure out who has been exposed to the virus and whether some people have developed immunity. Serological testing will also give a better picture of the full extent of the pandemic. Do we know when there will be treatments or a vaccine? No. So far there are no vaccines or antiviral medicines specific to the new coronavirus. Treatment for now focuses on relieving symptoms such as breathing assistance. Companies around the world are racing to develop vaccines. A few have launched early safety testing in humans, but experts say it could take a year or more to develop and test a vaccine. Another complication: viruses can mutate quickly. Some scientists have already identified subtle changes since SARS-CoV-2 emerged in Wuhan, China, in December. But recent studies show the virus is relatively stable, which suggests vaccines should still be effective when they become available. Does the virus spread more slowly in hot places? Some experts had hoped that the onset of summer will naturally slow the virus. But the European Centre for Disease Control said on Wednesday that it is unlikely to diminish its spread. The WHO has also said that the virus can be transmitted in all areas, including hot and humid climates. How long will the pandemic last? We don't know. It will depend on a range of factors, from how long people continue to isolate and avoid group gatherings to when effective drugs or a vaccine become available. President Donald Trump said this week that he hopes to "reopen" the US economy by Easter Sunday on April 12. But he has faced criticism that such a timetable is too rushed and could lead to more people dying. In Hubei province, the epicenter of China's coronavirus outbreak, life has started to return to normal after two months of lockdown. It remains to be seen whether such a return to normal spurs another outbreak. Does the amount of exposure to the virus determine how sick someone gets? Viruses enter the body and infect cells, using them as factories to make many millions of copies of themselves, so the number of virus particles that first enter the body has little effect on the eventual amount of virus in the system. At the same time, more frequent exposure does increase the chance that the virus will enter the body in the first place. When will the economy return to normal? The International Monetary Fund expects the pandemic will cause a global recession in 2020 that could be worse than the one triggered by the 2008 financial crisis. The depth of a recession, how long it will last and the nature of the recovery are a matter of debate. Economists say it will largely depend on how long the lockdowns last around a quarter of all humanity is currently in lockdown and how far government support goes in helping individuals, businesses and markets survive the crisis. Are the trillions of dollars in emergency spending helping? Central bank measures have sought to keep financial markets functioning, including areas that keep the real economy humming, such as the markets where companies go to raise short term cash to pay staff and where cities go to raise money for roads and schools. Steps taken by governments, such as the $2 trillion US stimulus package, are expected to further help the economy by putting cash in the hands of individuals and providing additional funding to small businesses and companies. Such measures still need to work through the system, however, and it remains unclear whether they will be enough. Is it a good time to invest? Some investors and bank strategists are starting to look at whether people should buy back into the world's stock markets, which have plunged some 25 percent from their highs in February. US hedge fund manager Bill Ackman said this week he had turned increasingly positive on stocks and credit and was "redeploying our capital in companies we love at bargain prices that are built to withstand this crisis." But with all the uncertainties, many more analysts and investors remain shy about calling the bottom of the market. US health authorities have urged millions of residents of the New York City region to avoid non-essential travel due to surging coronavirus infections there as deaths in the United States and Europe rose dramatically and countries including Russia and Vietnam tightened travel and business restrictions. The advisory late on Saturday came after the number of confirmed American deaths passed 2000, more than double the level two days earlier. It applies to New York City, the hardest-hit US municipality, and the states of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. The advisory cited "extensive community transmission" in the area and urged residents to avoid travel for 14 days. Backdown: US President Donald Trump. Credit:Bloomberg Worldwide infections surpassed the 660,000 mark, with more than 30,000 deaths as new cases, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. The United States leads the world with more than 120,000 reported cases. Five other countries have higher death tolls: Italy, Spain, China, Iran and France. Italy has more than 10,000 deaths, the most of any country. A 108-year-old woman, who survived two world wars and the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, has become the UK's oldest coronavirus victim after she died within hours of testing positive for the deadly virus, according to a media report. Hilda Churchill, who was to celebrate her birthday on April 5, started showing mild symptoms of the virus on Tuesday, the Sun reported. She passed away on Saturday at her care home in Salford city - less than 24 hours after testing positive for COVID-19, the daily said. She is believed to be the oldest British victim of coronavirus, which has so far killed over 1,000 people in the UK and infected over 17,000. Her grandson Anthony Churchill said, "The most devastating thing is that we were not able to be there with her in her time of need, when she's been with us through all of ours." "It's heartbreaking for us. Her birthday was just weeks away and we were all so excited." Anthony said Hilda moved to Salford during the recession to find work as a seamstress after surviving the Spanish flu as a child. But the pandemic, which spread across the world in 1918 killing 50 million people, killed Hilda's 12-month-old sister. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ipswich could have its first non-Labor-aligned mayor in more than 50 years with businesswoman Teresa Harding continuing her lead over former councillor David Martin. With 62.2 per cent of the Ipswich mayoral vote counted, Ms Harding, who is a government contractor and a former RAAF Base Amberley defence consultant, has 40.9 per cent of the vote. Teresa Harding, a former Department of Defence manager from RAAF Base Amberley, is running for Ipswich mayor. Credit:Facebook. Ms Harding has been the LNPs unsuccessful candidate in several seats around Ipswich for the past decade but is well regarded in the Ipswich community, even among some Labor Party supporters. Ipswich has been run by Labor-linked mayors dating back before before Des Freeman, who won office in 1979. The government has launched a toll-free helpline number 08046110007 -- for people who may face any mental health issue due to the ongoing countrywide lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus. In its daily briefing on the coronavirus situation in the country, the health ministry said on Sunday the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, has launched the number. We are under a lockdown and behavioural issues are very important under such situations. It is a new process. If there are any behavioural issues, lack of understanding for that we at the National Institute of Mental Health in Bangalore in collaboration with all other institutes has been trying to provide guidance. National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS) has also launched a toll free number 08046110007. I request everyone to fight unitedly against this disease so if we see any mental health issues then all the institutes are equipped to provide you with necessary support, said Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, the Ministry of Health at the press briefing. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced a nationwide lockdown on March 24 for 21 days in order to arrest the spread of coronavirus. Earlier, WHO had warned that the coronavirus crisis and the restrictive measures that many countries are taking to contain the outbreak can have a negative impact on people's mental health and well-being. The number of confirmed cases in India as on Sunday stood at 979, including 25 deaths. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) ~Relative of Police Officers arrested. ~ PHILIPSBURG:--- On March 27th KPSM reported that five men dressed in black approached a young man that was sitting on the side of the road on Grapefruit Road St. Peters on his scooter when five unknown men approached him at gunpoint and robbed him of his scooter. In the release, the police did not mention who the victim was, however, it turned out that the victim is the son of Chief Commissioner of Police Carl John. SMN News learned that a police officer who is well known in the St. Peters community went to visit his mother when he noticed two scooters hidden in the bushes behind his mothers house. SMN News learned that police were called by the officer when the two scooters were found and both scooters that are stolen items were removed from the location. Ironically, the family where the stolen scooters were found is a family that has at least three police officers that all work at the Philipsburg Police Station with Chief Commissioner of Police Carl John while another family member has a top position at the Prison. Questions are now being raised as to whether these family members that form part of the police force have knowledge as to who these robbers are and how long those persons have been menacing society. Are these officers part of the Armen Robbery Team and have they been withholding information for their team members and or bosses. Credit must also be given to the no-nonsense officer that found the stolen scooters behind his mothers house and did not hesitate to call the police. Some residents are asking if the scooter thieves have also been committing armed robberies on residents and businesses that are doing their best to provide much-needed services to the community during the partial shutdown due to COVID 19. Inspector of Police Joe Josepha confirmed that the victim of the scooter robbery is the son of the Chief of Police and confirmed that two stolen scooters were found in South Reward. Inspector Josepha said one person was arrested by police and is currently being questioned by the detectives. Josepha also confirmed that the person that was arrested is related to several officers in KPSM. This is a breaking news update. Below is an earlier version of this story. U.S. President Donald Trump will extend national physical distancing guidelines to limit the spread of COVID-19 until April 30. The announcement at the White House on Sunday evening came as many health-care experts worried that Trump would relax restrictions too early after he said he was hoping for an economic resurrection, with the country "raring to go by Easter." But when asked by reporters about those statements on Sunday evening, Trump said the idea of restoring more normalcy by Easter "was just an aspiration." This is an earlier version of this story. It has been updated above: As Americans hunker down for another weekend, President Donald Trump faces a critical choice. The U.S. has topped 120,000 coronavirus cases, the most in the world and by late Monday, the White House campaign of "15 days to stop the spread" will end, leaving an unpredictable president with a critical decision to extend, tighten or loosen the mitigation measures. "Our country has to go back [to work]," he said Thursday. "Our country is based on that. And I think it's going to happen pretty quickly. A lot of progress has been made, but we've got to go back to work." His options are complicated. State governments have locked down 169 million Americans in varying stay-at-home orders. Every day, Vice-President Mike Pence, who heads the White House coronavirus task force, has brandished the one-page guidelines for the 15 days, urging compliance with hand washing and physical distancing. A new mail out to millions of Americans titled "President Trump's Coronavirus Guidelines for America," arrived in mailboxes just before the weekend. Trump hopes for economic resurrection Yet Trump has, for a week now, been peddling the idea of allowing more freedoms, hoping for an economic resurrection, with the country "raring to go by Easter." Story continues That statement set off red alarms among health care experts, who strongly urge strict adherence to the restrictions for a longer period. This weekend the White House's coronavirus task force will present the president with "a range of recommendations and guidance for going forward," said Dr. Deborah Birx, one of the team leaders. One strategy is to identify if areas in the U.S. that have fewer cases could open up first the theory being that America could be divided into low-, medium- and high-risk areas. John Mincillo/The Associated Press "We may take large sections of our country that aren't so seriously affected, and we may do it that way, but we've got to start the process pretty soon," Trump repeated at a briefing Thursday. States with fewer confirmed cases, such as North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana and New Mexico and pockets in the northeast, could be targeted as lower risk while places such as New York, with nearly half the reported cases, and other hot spots in urban areas would be higher risk. On Saturday, Trump said he was considering putting sections of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut under quarantine. It was not clear how he would be able to block road, air and sea travel out of a region that serves as the economic engine of the eastern United States, accounting for 12 per cent of GDP. By Saturday night, he'd retreated from that plan, saying the CDC would instead urge a strong travel advisory to hard-hit areas, and that "a quarantine will not be necessary." "I think we can start by opening up certain parts of the country, you know, the farm belt, certain parts of the Midwest, other places," Trump said. But the job of defending that decision, were it to happen, falls to his coronavirus response team working round the clock to get more data. "What we're trying to do is to utilize a laser-focused approach rather than a generic horizontal approach. And I think in the 21st century, we should be able to get to that," said Birx, who co-ordinates the White House's coronavirus response team. "The president's made it clear that, in his words, he wants to open up the country. But we're going to do that responsibly." Muddling the public health message After declaring himself a "wartime president," the president appeared impatient this week with the economic casualties, including 3.2 million unemployed, cratering growth and a kick to a stock market that was soaring just a month ago. Friday, he seemed to lean toward public health advice, telling a briefing, "life and safety and then the economy." But health professionals and state officials are deeply worried he will muddle the public health messaging. "I am quite concerned that we're considering these measures, especially when the science doesn't support it," says Nadia Abuelezam, an infectious disease epidemiologist and assistant professor at Boston College's Connell School of Nursing. "Even if we do see a reduction in the number of cases, that doesn't mean that it can't re-surge there or it can't be reintroduced to that particular area." Rebecca Cook/Reuters It's not at all clear how some states with fewer cases could open up while neighbouring states with a higher incidence remain locked down. Confusion over what's allowed where could prompt people to pay less heed to the restrictions, health experts fear. "Viruses do not respect borders. Viruses do not discriminate. Viruses just want to find another body where they can replicate. And I think that's something to really keep in mind," said Abuelezam. More data needed Infectious disease experts want more time to measure if the mitigation efforts across the country are working. They also want to better understand how many Americans have or had the virus, with few or no symptoms. That data would help more accurately define how much coronavirus is circulating in the community, but capturing that picture is still extremely complicated and will take time. "I understand the concept we're hearing of 'pockets' [of no coronavirus]. But the problem with those pockets is we don't know if those are places where the disease just hasn't spread or testing hasn't started," said William Jaquis, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians, in an interview with CBC News. "Look, we all had low cases at one time, right? And then Seattle started, then New York started, New Orleans, now Detroit, and California is ramping up." Gregory Bull/The Associated Press Modelling the new virus and predicting its effect on large populations is challenging, and changing, but data from more tests will ultimately produce a clearer picture. "It's really important to remember that the mathematical modelling results that are coming out about the United States, are all indicating that if we let up on the [physical] distancing now, we will see a large spike in the number of new cases," said Abuelezam. 40% of U.S. has low number of cases: Birx The coronavirus team at the White House is collecting as much data as fast as it can to provide concrete evidence to persuade an unpredictable president, who has a habit of freestyling from the podium. Birx's role at the daily briefings is to balance the bad news piling up as the cases mount and the slope of the virus goes straight up, with no levelling off. You know, it's one thing to have it. It's another thing to die - U.S. President Donald Trump "Nineteen out of 50 states that had early cases have persistently low level of cases, at this point less than 200 cases [on Thursday]," she said. "So, that's almost 40 per cent of the country with extraordinarily low numbers, and they are testing. "Models are models. We are adapting. There is enough data now of the real experience with the coronavirus on the ground to really make these predictions much more sound." Trump has seemed persuaded that the number of deaths does not justify shutting down the whole of the country for longer than a few weeks. Ted S. Warren/The Associated Press "In my opinion, the mortality rate, it's way, way down, and that takes a lot of fear out. You know, it's one thing to have it. It's another thing to die," he said. "When I first got involved, I was being told numbers that were much, much higher than the number seems to be. That's one of the reasons I say, look, we're going to beat this, and we're going to get back to work." States enforcing federal guidelines differently Practically, Trump does not have the powers to regulate whether businesses open or close. The U.S. states can independently decide which restrictions will apply under broader federal guidelines. On Friday, one of those lower-risk states, Wyoming, extended its closures of schools and some businesses to April 17. "It's clear how important it is for us to take sustained action," said Governor Mark Gordon. With the U.S. now eclipsing cases in all other countries, the experience on the ground changes by the hour and the health-care response in some hard-hit areas is severely strained. Kathleen Flynn/Reuters Nurses and doctors say they can't get enough personal protective equipment. Ventilators now being raced into production might not come soon enough. States are competing with each other to procure supplies. The number of cases is one marker, but the rate of growth is even more telling, said Jaquis. In New York, cases doubled in three days. Doctors say they need more time to allow them to respond to what's about to hit, without worrying about the second wave of spread. Jeenah Moon/Reuters "We're not quite ready to take care of what's coming," Jaquis said. "And we need to make sure that all of our patients and our communities and our health-care workers are protected. So right now, we need people to continue to stay home and we need to flatten that curve. They just need to continue with this for longer." Trump, calling himself a "wartime president," travelled Saturday to Norfolk, Va., to offer a "kiss goodbye" to the USNS Comfort, a naval hospital ship headed for New York harbour to help the city's health care workers deal with the pandemic. "It sends a great signal," Trump said, "when the president is able to go there and say thank you." Perhaps a confusing signal for the millions of Americans under orders to stay at home. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Dr Anthony Fauci has predicted the US could have 'millions' of Covid-19 cases and '100,000 to 200,000' deaths as the pandemic escalates across the country. Currently the US has reported more than 124,000 confirmed cases and over 2,100 deaths, a number that doubled in just two days. Dr Fauci appeared on CNN's State of the Union on Sunday to discuss the federal response to the coronavirus and whether restrictions would be lifted this week when the 15-day period would be up. While the expert said he currently anticipated the numbers he referred to, he said he did not want to be held down by them because the pandemic was "such a moving target". President Donald Trump and his administration has said it is considering opening up parts of the country not impacted as hard by the coronavirus to help the US economy and job market. Testing across the country would need to increase, though, to determine if an area is appropriate for reduced restrictions. Mr Fauci said he would support the rollbacks of regulations and social-distancing guidelines on parts of the US depending on what the testing looked like in those areas. As of right now, he acknowledged "it's a little iffy there". "It still is not a perfect situation," he said about testing. The expert, who is a member of the Trump administration's coronavirus task force, was also asked about the president's threat on Saturday to quarantine off hot-spot locations, such as New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. It was decided instead to issue a strict travel advisory for residents in those three states after officials "had very intensive discussions last night" with the president at the White House. "What was trying to be done is to get people, unless there's necessary travel, so all nonessential travel, just hold off, because what you don't want is people travelling from that area to other areas of the country and inadvertently and innocently infecting other individuals," Mr Fauci said. "We felt the better way to do this would be an advisory as opposed to a very strict quarantine. And the president agreed, and that's why he made that determination last night," he added. The travel advisory was issued by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Mr Fauci added about 56 per cent of confirmed cases in the US come from New York City. The total number of confirmed cases rose to 53,455 and 883 deaths. Of those cases, more than 30,765 come from New York City. States including Texas and Rhode Island issued travel advisories against people coming from New York last week. Anyone travelling from that area must enter into a 14-day self-quarantine. (UPDATE: Missing 15-year-old Davison girl found safe) FLINT, MI A reward of up to $2,500 is being offered for information leading to the whereabouts of a missing 15-year-old Davison girl. Kaylee Mathews went missing shortly after 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 24, from her familys home off West Second Street in Davison. The parents of Kaylee Mathews had a conversation of some online social media activity. That conversation was what any parent would have to any of their kids that they love, said Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson at a Saturday, March 28 press conference. Shortly thereafter Kaylee walked out of the house and that was the last (time) that shes been seen. Mathews left home on foot without a phone. She was last spotted headed west on Davison Road. Police looking for missing 15-year-old Davison girl Mathews is described as 5 feet, 10 inches tall, weighs 150 pounds and has green eyes and long strawberry-blond hair. She was last seen wearing a light blue hooded sweatshirt, navy pants and gray shoes. Davison police Chief Don Harris asked the sheriffs office to take over the investigation Saturday. The sheriffs office became involved in search efforts Thursday that have also included the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Flint Area Narcotics Group and Michigan State Police. Kaylee Mathews (Davison Police Department) Were throwing all the assets we have -- in light of everything thats going on -- this is our focus, said Swanson. The focus of finding and giving a safe return to Kaylee Mathews. Upon searching her phone for conversations, pictures, and videos, Swanson said nothing was found showing any contemplation by the teen in deciding to leave or interaction with anyone who may have coerced her to make the move. Investigators have conducted 30-plus interviews, utilized K-9 officers, checked spots Mathews frequented, used drones to search neighborhoods, and checked surveillance videos from homes and intersections but to no avail. We literally have no leads at this point, said Swanson, noting Mathews has not logged onto any of her social media accounts from a different location. Weve exhausted what we have. Were going to continue to work, but thats why we reach out to the public. Mathews parents stood behind Swanson but declined comment. Our prayer is that she is with somebody right now and even if shes scared, said Swanson. The parents (if they spoke) would say baby, we want you to come home. We want a safe return, even if there is a confrontation, an argument, we can get through that and we will work with you. He shared a message to anyone who may be keeping the teen. If somebody knows where she is and is housing her because you think that is the best option, you think that maybe shes scared and you wont come forward, said Swanson. Mark my words, there is no tolerance for that. This is the time to restore a family whose put their life on hold to find their precious daughter. Anyone with information may call 911 or report a tip anonymously to Crime Stoppers of Flint & Genesee County at 1-800-422-JAIL (5245), on the P3 Tips mobile app, or online at CrimeStoppersofFlint.com. Videos, photos, and audio can be submitted via the Crime Stoppers app or website. Karnataka recorded seven more positive cases of Sars-Cov-2 virus, taking the total to 83 infections on Sunday. Three people have died so far and five have been discharged ever since the outbreak. Five of the seven new cases were in Mysore and they have been isolated at designated hospitals in the district. The other two are from Udupi district-- a 35-year-old male with a travel history to Dubai and a 29-year-old male who had travelled to Kerala. Both of them have also been isolated at a designated hospital in Udupi district. At an all-party meeting convened by Chief Minister Yediyruappa in which leaders from across the aisle including the leader of opposition Siddaramiah participated, several key decisions were taken to further contain the spread of Covid-19 in the state. Former CM and senior Congress leader Siddaramiah appealed to the people to seriously follow the lockdown norms to prevent further spread of the virus. After the meeting, CM said all the suggestions given by the opposition have been duly noted. He assured that Kannadigas in other states like Goa would be taken care of, and if they desired, assistance would be provided for them to return. The government also clarified that there was no bar on agricultural activities in the state and adequate insurance cover would be provided to all cops and civil workers involved in combating the threat from the virus and providing essential services. The state government also said that extra precautions have been taken to maintain the supply of food grains. Assuring the opposition and people of the state that there was no shortage of testing kits, medicines or masks, Karnataka government said if necessary, more will be procured. Meanwhile, a case was registered against a manager and the two workers of a supermarket chain in Mysore which did not allow entry to two students from the northeast, thereby discriminating against them. The Commissioner of Police, Mysore, asked people to behave responsibly at the time of this crisis and warned action against offenders. All three staff members of the supermarket chain were taken into custody for interrogation after two Naga students studying at an engineering institute in the city were denied entry into the supermarket and a video of the same went viral. (Natural News) Ophthalmologists may be the first people to detect if a person is infected by the novel coronavirus. Reports have surfaced that the virus can cause pink eye or conjunctivitis, and that this may be a telltale sign of infection in people who otherwise show no coronavirus-related symptoms. Following a surge of reported cases, the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) has alerted ophthalmologists that the virus can cause mild follicular conjunctivitis, an eye disease associated with chlamydial and viral infections. One of the common symptoms of this disease is watery discharge, which can serve as a vehicle for transmission of the novel coronavirus. Besides body fluids, the AAO said that transmission by aerosol contact with the conjunctiva the tissue lining the insides of the eyelids is also possible and urged ophthalmologists to protect their mouths, noses and eyes when caring for potentially infected patients. Patients who present to ophthalmologists for conjunctivitis who also have fever and respiratory symptoms including cough and shortness of breath, and who have recently traveled internationally, particularly to areas with known outbreaks (China, Iran, Italy and South Korea, or to hotspots within the United States), or with family members recently back from one of these areas, could represent cases of COVID-19, warned the AAO, in an article posted on its website on March 24. Red eyes may be a symptom of coronavirus infection The first set of symptoms observed in patients infected by the novel coronavirus was related to respiratory illnesses. These include dry or persistent cough, breathing difficulties and abnormal chest scans, all of which are accompanied by a high fever. However, health officials began suspecting that the virus also causes viral pink eye when it was reported to develop in three percent of confirmed coronavirus cases. On March 10, the AAO released a bulletin informing ophthalmologists and patients alike of the possibility of pink eye being a symptom of COVID-19, although it labeled the occurrence as rare. The AAO said that the virus can be caught by touching fluid from an infected persons eyes, or from objects that carry the fluid. A study published in The Lancet last month also reported how a member of the Chinese expert panel on pneumonia was infected by the coronavirus due to unprotected exposure of the eyes, after conducting an inspection at the Wuhan Fever Clinic. Days prior to the onset of pneumonia, the expert, identified as Guangfa Wang, was said to complain of redness of the eyes. On March 24, CNN reported that red eyes is one of the symptoms nursing staff at the Life Care Center in Kirkland, Washington look for in their patients. According to Chelsey Earnest, a veteran registered nurse who worked there, the sickest patients all had this symptom. Its something that I witnessed in all of them (the patients). They have, like allergy eyes. The white part of the eye is not red. Its more like they have red eye shadow on the outside of their eyes, she said in an interview. She also described seeing patients who manifested only this symptom go to the hospital and pass away. Besides red eyes, Earnest said infected patients at the Life Care Center presented the same clinical features: high respiratory rates, low oxygen saturation levels and dry cough. As for asymptomatic cases, she and the other staff had learned to consider red eyes as a visual cue. Viral pink eye or any other eye issue is currently not listed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the World Health Organization (WHO) as a symptom of coronavirus infection. Ophthalmologists asked to restrict care and treatment to emergency situations On March 18, the AAO released its recommendations regarding urgent and non-urgent patient care, asking all ophthalmologists to cease providing any treatment other than urgent or emergent care immediately. This recommendation was endorsed not only by the Academy Board of Trustees, but also other organizations related to ophthalmology. The AAO cited the necessity to reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission and to conserve medical supplies as the main reason for its recommendation. Stemming the development of new cases, it said, is the only way to flatten the curve and not overwhelm the limited supply of hospital beds, ICU beds, ventilators, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machines in hospitals. (Related: Hospitals in NYC are nearly maxed out due to coronavirus infections and deaths.) Limiting care to time-sensitive and emergent problems can also help conserve much-needed supplies, which hospitals are close to running out of. Heavily hit metropolitan areas like New York are already reeling from a widespread shortage of key equipment, which includes disposable face masks and surgical gloves. These are invaluable supplies for stopping the spread of the infectious disease and for ensuring the safety of frontline healthcare workers. The AAO and other relevant organizations hope that by taking this critical measure, the number of ophthalmologists dying due to COVID-19 will also decrease. This disease is now in every state and the number of new cases is currently doubling every 1-2 days. Already, a handful of our ophthalmologist colleagues have died from COVID-19, said the AAO in a published statement. It is essential that we as physicians and as responsible human beings do what we can and must to reduce virus transmission and enhance our nations ability to care for those desperately ill from the disease. Sources include: MiamiHerald.com AAO.org 1 AAO.org 2 AAO.org 3 ColumbiaEye.org TheLancet.com Edition.CNN.com TheGuardian.com In response to the widespread COVID-19 pandemic, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has concentrated on switching mostly to remote work as the virus spreads fast. However, the agency said it is still assessing other approaches to address this unprecedented crisis in public health, including some new ways of contributing "to the larger US response." The said procedures include looking for ways to support the NASA employees who care for dependents and joining the other government agencies in helping health workers as they provide care for patients. Nevertheless, according to Jim Bridenstine during a digital town hall held last week, the agency head, the top priority of NASA during the COVID-19 pandemic is its employees' safety. He emphasized that the agency's number one and highest priority, is the safety and health of every employee, adding, "We don't want to ask you to do anything" that does not feel safe. In addition, the NASA official told the staff, as well, to anticipate missions that are already in flight to stay in their normal state by means of COVID-19, and pointed to the reality that many are operating, mostly independently as a matter of course. Steve Jurczyk explained they're will continue operating them. Maintaining All Missions in Space Citing the decision of the European Space Agency to switch four of its missions to a safe holding mode with fully independent operations, Jurczyk explained that, at least at present, NASA is not following suit. He added, they are looking into that possibility should things at that possibly if things deteriorate further, but we're going to maintain all our missions in space is mostly normal operations for now," he said. The majority of the town hall was focused on the NASA personnel's questions about the ongoing crisis, which the agency generously answered. Specifically, the staff asked the official about how NASA was carefully "evaluating ways it could put its resources to employ, whether it was considering donating personal protective equipment (PPE) or find ways to produce ventilators, for example. Bridenstine and NASA Chief Health and Medical Officer James Polk said, the agency was certainly evaluating probable contributions but admitted it was not yet ready to make an announcement about the measures. In part, according to Polk, the agency, curing that time awaited a cross-government meeting intended for the working out of the manner agency can most efficiently work in the alliance. NASA's Ames Research Center's Contribution As for the contribution of NASA's Ames Research Center based in California, it emphasized Bridenstine, its effort in searching for ways to help in this worsening pandemic. In addition, the center has also worked and donated "supercomputer resources" to researchers who are in search for vaccines and treatments for COVID-19. It has also worked with the National Guard of the state to space to make space available for the outposts of medical care. Moreover, other topics tackled during the town wall were how NASA is addressing the needs of the employees in these trying times. Questions answered were the ones concerning how the workers could take time caring for their dependents regardless of their employment status. Meaning, even the contractors would be paid during the entire crisis. More so, another topic discussed was about how the switch to working remotely could possibly impact NASA in the long run. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 29) The Chinese Embassy in Manila claims the faulty test kits mentioned by Department of Health (DOH) were not from China, pointing out the said items were not tested by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM). In a statement Sunday, the Chinese Embassy said they coordinated with the DOH immediately after hearing reports that the test kits from China were only partially accurate. "According to the clarification of the DOH, the two batches of 2,000 BGI PCR-type test kits and 100,000 Sansure PCR-type test kits donated by the Chinese government have been assessed by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) to be at par with World Health Organization-provided kits, and those test kits are of high quality and standards and have no accuracy problems, which are being used in Philippine test laboratories and have helped accelerate the testing process," the embassy's statement said. The embassy said further that the test kits mentioned by Health Undersecretary Ma. Rosario Vergeire during the press briefing on Saturday, were "neither tested by RITM which did not receive any kit sample for lab validation nor donated by the Chinese government." Vergeire said at that briefing, "Sa mga naunang pinadala sa amin na test kits from China, na nakapagpakita ng 40 percent accuracy, hindi po namin ito ginamit dahil nakita nga po na mababa po ang accuracy natin dito. Kaya ito na lang po ay ating itinago." [Translation: The test kits earlier sent to us by China and showed only 40 percent accuracy, we will not be using these because of the low accuracy. We have put these in storage instead.] The Chinese Embassy said in its Sunday statement that China has continuously provided support for the government's fight against COVID-19. "At this moment of crisis, we should fight in solidarity to overcome the epidemic at the earliest date. The Chinese Embassy firmly rejects any irresponsible remarks and any attempts to undermine our cooperation in this regard," the statement said. Gordon: We will return faulty equipment Senator Richard "Dick" Gordon, who is also Philippine Red Cross chairman, said on Sunday that should any COVID-19 testing equipment from China prove to be inaccurate, China would have to replace these or return the money it got as payment for the purchase. Speaking to CNN Phiippines, Gordon said, "We're working with the government. We have to work with the authorized entity and that is the government and if they say the tests are not accurate or are very poor, then we are in touch with the Chinese authorities. They will have to replace it or return our money." Gordon said he used money from donations to the Philippine Red Cross to purchase machines to be used in the fight against COVID-19, and that he was assisted by the Chinese Red Cross and the Chinese Embassy in identifying where to buy the machines. He added that on Saturday he was with WHO, DOH, and RITM representatives who inspected the facilities of the Philippine Red Cross where these machines would be housed. "They made adjustments so that when the machines arrive, we can do a final inspection. And they never said anything about the accuracy," Gordon said. He said the machines from China are automated and are also PCR, a technology for analyzing blood samples from patients, with extraction component that is automated. The machines supposedly work faster than other products in the market. "Now should there be any inaccuracy, I'm sure the Chinese would have to... as they did to Spain, they replaced the machines. But our machines are coming from the ones that supplied Wuhan that helped Wuhan rehabilitate and I'm hoping that they will be alright. Otherwise, DOH will not allow us to do that anyway.," Gordon said. By Trend Iran needs 50 million face masks per week to combat the coronavirus, said Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance and Director General of the country's Customs Administration (IRICA) Mehdi Mirashrafi, Trend reports with reference to Young Journalist Club (YJC). According to Mirashrafi, necessary equipment for the production of the masks has been imported to Iran in recent days. Mirashrafi added that negotiations are underway with startups company to produce more face masks in the country. The deputy minister noted that so far, 30 countries have helped Iran to fight the coronavirus. The official said that coronavirus-related medical supplies and equipment are released from customs within 24 hours. According to official reports, about 10 customs officers have been infected with the coronavirus so far. Iran is one of the countries heavily affected by the rapidly-spreading coronavirus. According to recent reports from the Iranian officials, over 35,400 people have been infected, 2,517 people have already died. Meanwhile, over 11,600 patients have reportedly recovered from the disease. The country continues to apply strict measures to contain further spread of the disease. Reportedly, the disease was brought to Iran by a businessman from Iran's Qom city, who went on a business trip to China, despite official warnings. The man died later from the disease. The Islamic Republic only announced its first infections and deaths from the coronavirus on February 19. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz A member of the faculty and a student attending the University of Texas at San Antonio separately have been diagnosed with the coronavirus, said President Taylor Eighmy on Saturday evening. RELATED: Stay up to date on the latest coronavirus news with mySA.com Both had been traveling internationally, developed symptoms while self-isolating at home and had been away from campus for weeks, Eighmy said in a statement posted to the universitys Facebook page. Both are still home and doing okay, he said, wishing them a speedy recovery. The unfortunate reality is, in the days ahead, we will all likely know colleagues or fellow students who are fighting the coronavirus, Eighmy said. Alia Malik covers several school districts and the University of Texas at San Antonio. To read more from Alia, become a subscriber. amalik@express-news.net | Twitter: @AliaAtSAEN New York, March 29 : The New York city-based India Abroad, the iconic ethnic Indian-American weekly newspaper with a 50-year-long legacy, has announced the shut down of its print edition. Founded by Indian-American publisher Gopal Raju in 1970, the oldest Indian newspaper in North America rose to great heights of popularity as it effectively filled the gap of a publication catering to the Indian diaspora in the US, said the American Bazaar in a report on Saturday. In 2001, Raju sold the publication to Rediff.com. In late 2016, Rediff.com sold its venture to 8kMiles Media Inc. Finally on Friday, the current chairman and publisher, Suresh Venkatachari announced the decision to cease the print edition. "For the thousands of readers for whom India Abroad has been an integral part of their Indian American journey, the close of the publication may be heart rending, but hardly surprising, given the reversal of fortunes of print publications in the US and across the world," the American Bazaar quoted Venkatachari as saying in a statement. "Compounding all of this, was the advent of the ominous coronavirus pandemic and the devastating repercussions in its wake, which led to several advertisers, cancelling their advertisements and hence the looming outlook for future revenue generation appearing even more bleak," he added. During its 50 year run, India Abroad a;sp published commentaries and opinion pieces by renowned economists, academics, social anthropologists and change makers. The news of its closure, along a volley of emotions for many Indian-origin Americans. New York-based Journalist and author S Mitra Kalita tweeted: "Sad news: India Abroad is shutting down. A lifeline for many of our parents when they first arrived, filled with the news of spelling bees and CEOs, holidays and matrimonial ads. It covered South Asia when no one else did and created real community." Los Angeles-based South Asian Network Director Shikha Bhatnagar tweeted: "Sad to hear that @indiaabroad is ceasing its publication. So many of our lives (including mine, 25 years ago) were changed by its founder Mr Raju. The paper has been such an important part of the #IndianAmerican story and landscape. Truly, the end of an era." The Washington Leadership Program (WLP) an organization that helps build leadership from within the South Asian community, also tweeted: "The WLP was originally part of @indiaabroad when the late Gopal Raju started the initiative in the mid 90's. The paper was an institution. We are thankful it helped start our program and captured our stories. #EndOfAnEra." A 'very healthy' Italian chef living in London has died from suspected coronavirus after doctors told him he had nothing to worry about, it has been reported. Luca Di Nicola, originally from Nereto in eastern Italy, worked in a family restaurant in Enfield, north London, as an assistant chef with his mother Clarissa and her partner Vincenzo. The 19-year-old died in the British capital on Tuesday evening, from apparent fulminant pneumonia. His heartbroken family have said that they are struggling to come to terms with their grief because 'he was very healthy'. They suspect that he had coronavirus. Luca Di Nicola (pictured), originally from Nereto in eastern Italy, worked in a family restaurant in Enfield, north London. He has died from suspected coronavirus Giada, Luca's aunt, from Abruzzo in Italy, told La Repubblica: 'For a week before his death Luca had a fever and a cough and my sister-in-law Clarissa and her partner Vincenzo who lived in the same house also had it. 'The London based doctor gave my nephew some paracetamol. But Luca got worse on March 23. The doctor visited him at home and told him that he was young, strong and that he didn't have to worry about that bad flu.' However the following day his situation deteriorated as he started to have chest pains and his mother noticed his lips were purple before he collapsed. His mother and her partner called an ambulance and paramedics revived him but his lungs - that were full of blood and water - collapsed. The 19-year-old (pictured left with his brother) died in the British capital on Tuesday evening, from apparent fulminant pneumonia He was intubated and immediately taken to the intensive care unit at London's North Middlesex Hospital. But after half an hour he died at around 7pm. Romina, Luca's aunt who lives in Glasgow, says a post-mortem will take place. She added that she is heartbroken, saying 'we don't know anything - not even where they will move his body'. There are also worries for his mother and partner who continue to have the same symptoms as Luca. After he died, doctors told them that they must self-isolate for two weeks. They were not tested and were given paracetamol, according to the Italian media. It comes as today it was revealed that at least 50 doctors have lost their lives to the coronavirus in Italy as the country continues to contain the spread of the deadly illness. Today the National Federation of Orders of Surgeons and Dentists (FNOMCeO) confirmed the names of the doctors who had died from the virus while trying to help fight the pandemic. The list of names, which is updated daily by the doctor's association, comes as Italy's coronavirus death toll rose to 10,023 following a rise in 889 deaths in just 24 hours. After Luca collapsed at home he was intubated and immediately taken to the intensive care unit at London's North Middlesex Hospital (pictured) According to the list of medical staff who have now lost their lives to Covid-19, 17 had been working in Italy's worst-affected region of Lombardy. On Saturday, the Italian Army was brought in to ferry coffins out of Bergamo, Northern Italy as its morgue and crematorium struggled to cope with the surge in fatalities from the pandemic. Italy's largest daily toll was registered on Friday, when 919 people died. Prior to that, there were 712 deaths on Thursday, 683 on Wednesday, 743 on Tuesday and 602 on Monday. Italy has the second highest number of cases, behind the United States. It surpassed China's tally on Friday. Several area universities are offering alternatives to the A-F grading system for the spring semester after moving all instruction online. Students at Texas A&M San Antonio have the option of receiving credit or no credit for each class this semester in lieu of an A-F grade due to the upheaval caused by the novel coronavirus, while St. Marys University and Trinity University are implementing a pass or no-pass option. UTSA adopted an optional credit/no credit grading system for undergraduate and graduate courses this semester, at the recommendation of the Faculty Senate and Academic Council. Eligible courses were still being determined and students were told to wait until this week to contact academic advisers for guidance. Upon completion of their classes, St. Marys students will have a chance to choose to keep the letter grade they earned or opt for the pass/no pass option, Aaron Tyler, provost and vice president for academic affairs, said in a video posted to the universitys social media accounts. On ExpressNews.com: Get the latest update on coronavirus and a tracking map of U.S. cases It encourages you to give your very best in the classroom, working hard to that good grade you hope to earn, while also knowing this more flexible option of a pass/no pass is available should you find it helpful, Tyler said. At A&M San Antonio, classes that are graded as receiving credit will satisfy degree requirements but will not be calculated in the students grade point averages, according an email to students Friday from the universitys president, Cynthia Teniente-Matson. We hope this amendment to the grading policy provides you with the flexibility you need in order to more comfortably proceed with your education during this challenging time, she wrote. Students at A&M San Antonio may choose to stick to the A-F grading system if they want, according to the email. Semester honors such as the deans list and presidents list are being suspended for the semester, it said. An explanation for the credit/no credit status will be included in students transcripts. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio-area school districts drop A-F grading system for coronavirus semester Trinity students had until Friday to opt into a pass/no pass option, but were told that it could impact academic honors such as making the deans list, graduate school applications, financial aid and NCAA athletic eligibility. A pass-fail system does not exist in A&M San Antonios academic policies, Teniente-Matson and Provost Michael OBrien said in the email. But the university does have a credit/no credit option. Universities and colleges in Texas have closed campuses and transitioned to online learning to adhere to social-distancing protocols and city or county orders to stay at home as much as possible to fight the spread of COVID-19. Required Reading: Get San Antonio education news sent directly to your inbox The flagships of the UT and A&M systems were among the first to announce changes to their grading policies. UT Austin will allow undergraduate students an option of pass/fail, and graduate students may choose credit/no credit. Texas A&M University students in College Station also can opt in for satisfactory or unsatisfactory grading for undergraduate and graduate students, although the option might not be applicable for students in their first professional degree programs. Staff writers Alia Malik and Brittany Britto contributed to this report. | Krista Torralva covers several school districts and public universities in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. To read more from Krista, become a subscriber. Krista.Torralva@express-news.net | Twitter: @KMTorralva Madalyn Mendoza is a breaking news reporter and general assignment writer. Read her on our breaking news site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | mmendoza@mysa.com | @MaddySkye Edmonds played 17 seasons in the majors, mostly with the Los Angeles Angels and St. Louis Cardinals. He won eight Gold Glove awards, and finished with a .284 career batting average with 393 home runs and 1,199 RBIs. Edmonds also helped the Cardinals win the World Series in 2006. He also played for the San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers and Cincinnati Reds late in his career before retiring in 2011. Rice farmers in the Mekong Delta are earning higher incomes from selling rice straw left over from the harvested 2019 20 winter-spring rice crop. The rice straw, which can be used to grow mushrooms, is in high demand. The delta, the countrys rice granary, is completing the harvest of the winter-spring rice and traders are buying rice straw bales that weigh 20 25 kilogrammes each at a price of 30,000 VND (1.3 USD), up 7,000 8,000 VND against the same period last year. The demand for rice straw to make cattle food, produce compost fertiliser, and cultivate rice straw mushrooms has caused the price to increase. Farmers in the delta have earned an average income of 700,000 900,000 VND (30 38 USD) from selling rice straw per hectare in the 2019 20 winter-spring crop, according to farmers. Nguyen Van Do, who has a 3ha rice field in Dong Thap provinces Thanh Binh district, said he earned 30 million VND (1,300 USD) from selling rice straw from two rice crops planted in one year. Besides earning additional income, he no longer has to burn rice straw on his field. Many farmers in the delta often burn rice straw after harvesting rice to clear the land for the next rice crop. The open-field burning method, however, causes air pollution. With higher demand for rice straw in recent years, traders are visiting harvested rice fields to buy rice straw. They rent baling machines and then sell the product to customers. A rice straw baling machine can process 500 600 bales a day. Each hectare of harvested rice field provides 120 150 bales. More farmers in the delta are using the straw because of the high demand for rice straw mushrooms, which is used in many dishes. In Can Tho city, farmers cultivate rice straw mushrooms and earn 30 40 million VND (1,300 1,700 USD) per 1,000 sq.m per one-month mushroom crop. Doan Van Suol, who grows rice straw mushrooms in Binh Thuy district in Can Tho, said: "Many households here have become well off from growing the mushrooms." Traders are buying rice straw mushrooms for 45,000 50,000 VND (2 2.1 USD) a kilogramme. Because local supply of rice straw cannot meet demand, mushroom farmers in the city have to buy rice straw from neighbouring provinces. After harvesting rice straw mushrooms, farmers sell the left-over straw to other farmers who use it as organic fertiliser to grow flowers, vegetables or fruits. Nguyen Thi Phuong, who grows flowers in Binh Thuys Long Tuyen ward, said most flower farmers use left-over straw to make organic fertiliser. Organic fertiliser is important to increase the quality of flowers, she said. VNA Many corporate headquarters feature expensive artwork on the walls, sweeping city views and plush furniture. But the office these days for Coca-Cola Amatil boss Alison Watkins is neither swanky, nor high-rise. Ms Watkins, one of Australia's top businesswomen, is now running the $6.1 billion drinks giant from the pool room in the "old rambling" farmhouse on her farm in south-west Victoria. Coca-Cola Amatil boss Alison Watkins is running the company during the COVID-19 crisis from the family farm in south-west Victoria, instead of the company's North Sydney HQ. Credit:Louie Douvis Her desk has been strategically positioned in the corner of the room, which she likens to the pool room in the famous 1990s Australian movie The Castle, after her tech-savvy 25-year-old son identified it as the best location for Internet reception. Across the pool table her daughter, a university student, often sits at her own desk. The farm, a cattle and cropping property near Camperdown, puts Ms Watkins about 1000 kilometres away from Coca-Cola Amatil's (now de-populated) headquarters in North Sydney. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Suherdjoko and Ghina Ghaliya (The Jakarta Post) Semarang/Jakarta Sun, March 29, 2020 07:37 655 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206e0dc4e 1 Politics COVID-19-in-Indonesia,coronavirus,virus-corona,virus-korona-indonesia,outbreak,PDI-P,house-of-representatives,lawmaker,Central-Java Free House of Representatives member Imam Suroso of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) passed away on Friday while being monitored for COVID-19. Imam, 56, died at Kariadi Hospital in Semarang, Central Java. He was immediately buried in his hometown of Pati, Central Java, on the same day. His cause of death was not reported, but Imam had been officially declared a "patient under surveillance" for COVID-19. Imam had had a fever since March 18, according to PDI-P secretary at the House Bambang Wuryanto. Imam participated in social activities, including gymnastics with residents of Saliyan village in Pati, and handed out masks and hand sanitizers at a local market on March 20. Read also: House postpones COVID-19 rapid testing for lawmakers He started having breathing troubles the next day and was taken to Kariadi Hospital. Imam had served in the House of Representatives since 2009 and was a member of the Commission IX overseeing health care and manpower. Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo, a senior PDI-P politician, heard the news on Friday while attending the funeral of President Joko Jokowi Widodos mother in Surakarta, also in Central Java. I ordered Central Java Health Office head Yulianto Prabowo to monitor Imams condition when I heard the news, Ganjar said, adding that he considered Imam to be generous and humorous. Another lawmaker, Imran of the Gerindra Party, also passed away on Friday at midnight. The 68-year-old politician died at Bahteramas General Hospital in Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi, as reported by Antara news agency. Like Imam, his cause of death was not clear. However, reports from local outlets said that Imran die not die of COVID-19. (mfp) The Bouygues Telecom company logo is seen on a shop in Paris PARIS (Reuters) - Bouygues Telecom has reversed a decision to put more than 800 of its client advisers into partial unemployment, allowing the employees instead to work from home during the coronavirus outbreak, the CFDT trade union said. The decision comes as some labour unions allege financially solid listed companies are seeking to take advantage of state aid meant to help smaller firms weather the sharp downturn in economic activity. The CFDT said the telecoms company had planned to put 822 customer advisers into partial unemployment, a move the union argued would have reduced salaries, hurt pension contributions and reduced holiday allowances. "Management announces that client advisers in our Internal Centers are being equipped to work remotely. This will avoid temporary layoffs for all these teams in April," the CFDT said in a statement late on Saturday. A Bouygues spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment. France has launched a package of crisis measures worth 45 billion euros ($49 billion), or 2% of its gross domestic product, to cushion the economic blow dealt by the coronavirus outbreak. These include payments to companies that keep workers on their payroll even if they are not working, state aid which the CFDT said Bouygues had planned to tap. The government measure is intended in particular to help small and mid-sized companies but is open to all. The CFDT had argued that the company's financial situation did not necessitate state help that was meant for companies in trouble. "Clients don't suddenly cancel the subscriptions. On the contrary, we're seeing internet connections skyrocket, and subscriptions with them," the CFDT said. Union officials told Reuters last week that the French telecoms business of Altice Europe, SFR, was planning to tap the partial unemployment scheme for up to 60% of its work force, accusing the company of opportunism. A spokesman for SFR declined at the time to comment on the proportion of employees who would fall under the scheme. Story continues A debate has also erupted over dividend payments by companies that seek tax relief or payroll charges to stay afloat during the crisis. Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Friday said any company making use of the financial support must scrap its dividends. (Reporting by Richard Lough; Editing by Frances Kerry) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 29) A human rights group calls for the release of the teacher detained over an allegedly seditious Facebook post, tagging the arrest a crackdown on dissent by the government. In a statement, Karapatan denounced the governments militarist response to the COVID-19 outbreak, which on Friday resulted in the warrantless arrest of 55-year-old public school teacher Juliet Espinosa and her son. Espinosa is now facing sedition charges after allegedly publishing a Facebook post urging residents without food to raid the gym in Brgy. Lagao, where relief goods are reportedly kept. The post was published under an account with a different name, Yet Rodriguez Enosencio. It contained criticism against the local governments lack of appropriate response to the health crisis, which the user said is resulting in the starvation of residents. Espinosas son was also arrested for reportedly resisting his mothers arrest. He will face charges for violating Article 151 of the Revised Penal Code or resistance or disobedience to a person of authority. Karapatan called the arrest overkill, arguing that the teacher was simply airing her legitimate grievances. It also maintained that the people have the right to criticize the governments incompetence and demand services. The lack or inadequacy of socio-economic measures in the imposition of quarantine measures in the country is driving people to unbearable degrees of mass hunger, Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay said. Yet, true to the Duterte governments militarist framework, instead of responding to the peoples legitimate demands, the government moved quickly to squash dissent." The group said that Espinosa is not alone in her sentiments, adding that "the poor, street vendors, tricycle and jeepney drivers, the homeless, workers, and farmers are grumbling at this regimes callousness to the peoples suffering." It also warned against the emergency powers recently given to President Rodrigo Duterte, which it said allows the State to arbitrarily define and penalize fake news. The new law, which grants the President additional powers to address the COVID-19 outbreak in the country, includes a provision punishing those who create or spread false information about the crisis. Under the law, violators may face a two-month jail sentence or a fine of 10,000 to 1 million. Earlier, a Cavite town mayor and two other people have been charged for allegedly spreading fake COVID-19 reports. It has happened in Cebu and in General Santos City it wont be long before arresting critics for online posts becomes a national policy that could throw us back to the dark days of Marcosian martial rule, Palabay said. However, if the government thinks that arresting the hungry and the poor will squash dissent, it is gravely mistaken. By continuing its militarist policy that neglects the peoples concerns and meeting them with violence and repression, the regime only exacerbates unrest, she added. V irgin Media has come under fire as concerns were raised about workers installing products inside customers' homes despite the coronavirus lockdown. The company has said it is taking all necessary precautions to protect staff as they carry out their work. Meanwhile, one engineer accused the telecommunications company of "putting its employees' lives in danger" after workers were sent out to install television boxes and broadband modems in people's homes. A total of 1,228 people have died in the UK after contracting Covid-19 and 19,522 people have tested positive. Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures 1 /81 Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures A deserted Westminster Bridge PA A man wearing a face mask or covering due to the COVID-19 pandemic, walks past customers sat outside a restaurant AFP via Getty Images Boris Johnson addresses the nation on the Coronavirus lockdown Andrew Parsons Runners pass cardboard cutouts of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince William during the London Marathon in London AP An empty escalator at Charing Coss London Underground tube station Jeremy Selwyn Electronic bilboards displays a message warning people to stay home in Sheffield PA A sign is displayed in the window of a student accommodation building following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Mancheste Reuters People take part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions, in Londo AP People sing and dance in Leicester Square on the eve on the 10PM curfew Reuters Hearts painted by a team of artists from Upfest are seen in the grass at Queen Square, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Bristol Reuters Graffiti reads 'good luck and stay safe', as the number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases grow around the world, under a bridge in London Reuters A sign is pictured in Soho, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London Reuters Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures, during a coronavirus briefing in Downing Street, London AP A person runs past posters with a message of hope, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Manchester REUTERS Riot police face protesters who took part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions in London AP An image of The Queen eith quotes from her broadcast to the UK and the Commonwealth in relation to the Coronavirus epidemic are displayed on lights in London's Piccadilly Circus PA Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' hospital Getty Images Durdle Door in Dorset Reuters Captain Tom Moore via Reuters Mia, aged 8, and Jack, aged 5, take part in "PE with Joe" a daily live workout with Joe Wicks on Youtube to help kids stay fit who have to stay indoors due to the Coronavirus outbreak PA An NHS worker reacts at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital during the Clap for our Carers campaign in support of the NHS Reuters Goats which have taken over the deserted streets of Llandudno @AndrewStuart via PA Tobias Weller PA Novikov restaurant in London with its shutters pulled down while the restaurant is closed London Landscapes: Hyde Park and the Serpentine, central London. Matt Writtle A newspaper vendor in Manchester city centre giving away free toilet rolls with every paper bought as shops run low on supplies due to fears over the spread of the coronavirus PA Theo Clay looks out of his window next to his hand-drawn picture of a rainbow in Liverpool, as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continue Reuters A young man cuts another man's hair on top of a closed hairdresser in Oxford Reuters General view of the new NHS Nightingale Hospital, built to fight against the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London via Reuters Jason Baird is seen dressed as Spiderman during his daily exercise to cheer up local children in Stockport, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters A woman wearing a face mask walks past Buckingham Palace Getty Images A man holds mobile phone displaying a text message alert sent by the government warning that new rules are in force across the UK and people must stay at home PA Medical staff on the Covid-19 ward at the Neath Port Talbot Hospital, in Wales, as the health services continue their response to the coronavirus outbreak. PA Prime Minister Boris Johnson taking part in a virtual Cabinet meeting with his top team of ministers PA A shopper walks past empty shelves in a Lidl store on in Wallington. After spates of "panic buying" cleared supermarket shelves of items like toilet paper and cleaning products, stores across the UK have introduced limits on purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some have also created special time slots for the elderly and other shoppers vulnerable to the new coronavirus. Getty Images People on a busy tube train in London at rush hour PA Mia, aged 8 and her brother Jack, aged 5 from Essex, continue their school work at home, after being sent home due to the coronavirus PA Children are painting 'Chase the rainbows' artwork and springing up in windows across the country Reuters Social distancing in Primrose Hill Jeremy Selwyn A general view of a locked gate at Anfield, Liverpool as The Premier League has been suspended PA Homeless people in London AFP via Getty Images A piece of art by the artist, known as the Rebel Bear has appeared on a wall on Bank Street in Glasgow. The new addition to Glasgow's street art is capturing the global Coronavirus crisis. The piece features a woman and a man pulling back to give each other a kiss PA The Queen leaves Buckingham Palace, London, for Windsor Castle to socially distance herself amid the coronavirus pandemic PA A general view on Grey street, Newcastle as coronavirus cases grow around the world Reuters Matt Raw, a British national who returned from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, leaves quaratine at Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside PA Britain's Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty (L) and Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance look on as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures as he speaks during a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) news conference inside 10 Downing Street Reuters The ticket-validation terminals at the tram stop on Edinburgh's Princes Street are cleaned following the coronavirus outbreak. PA Locked school gates at Rockcliffe First School in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear PA A sign at a Sainsbury's supermarket informs customers that limits have been set on a small number of products as the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases grow around the world Reuters Jawad Javed delivers coronavirus protection kits that he and his wife have put together to the vulnerable people of their community of Stenhousemuir, between Glasgow and Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images A sign advertising a book titled "How Will We Survive On Earth?" Getty Images A man who appears to be homeless sleeping wearing a mask today in Victoria Jeremy Selwyn A pedestrian walks past graffiti that reads "Diseases are in the City" in Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images Staff from The Lyric Theatre, London inform patrons, as it shuts its doors PA A quiet looking George IV Bridge in Edinburgh PA A quieter than usual British Museum Getty Images A racegoer attends Cheltenham in a fashionable face mask SplashNews.com A commuter wears a face mask at London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn A empty restaurant in the Bull Ring Shopping Centre Getty Images A deserted Trafalgar Square in London PA Passengers determined to avoid the coronavirus before leaving the UK arrive at Gatwick Airport Getty Images Last week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson - who has been self-isolating after testing positive for Covid-19 - said people should only leave their homes when it is "absolutely necessary" for food, work, exercise and to help vulnerable people. Under the Government guidelines, Virgin Media engineers have been classed as "key workers" as they carry out essential maintenance for internet and television services. But the company was accused of putting profit ahead of workers' health by asking some to complete eight to 10 installations a day. One worker, who did not want to be identified, said: "Virgin are still making us do brand new installs. Every engineer in the country is kicking off about it. "Their point of view is that they're following the Government guidelines but they're not. We're giving someone a new service when they've already got broadband or a TV box with someone else. Normally people are only changing because they're getting a better deal. "We're happy to do maintenance of course, as that's outside work so isn't a problem, we just don't want to go inside people's homes." Virgin said staff only go inside properties where necessary and self-installation packs are sent to other customers. It added that workers and customers are asked to adhere to social distancing guidelines during visits and workers who show Covid-19 symptoms or live with people who do are given two weeks off with full pay. The worker claimed some customers do not reveal in advance that they are self-isolating so they still get their installations. "I'm disgusted that we're actually doing it," the worker added. "We have a work forum and everyone's said the same thing. That we shouldn't be doing this. It's immoral." A spokesman for Virgin Media said engineers text customers three days before and then ring 30 minutes before arriving at properties to check if anyone is self-isolating inside. He added: "The safety of our people and customers is our absolute top priority as we do everything we can to keep the country connected in these difficult times. "We are already taking steps to minimise the amount of in-home work we need to carry out. Our engineers will only enter a home if they need to in order to fix or install core services and will adhere to social distancing guidelines when inside. "We are frequently checking the health of our engineers and also check with all customers before a visit takes place to see if they, or anyone in the household, is self-isolating or has flu-like symptoms. We will not enter a property if that is the case. "If a customer does not feel comfortable with an engineer entering their home then we will work to rearrange an appointment for a suitable time in the future or see if there's a way for services to be self-installed or fixed remotely." In the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak, Sky has suspended all new television installations. Meanwhile Openreach, a division of BT which provides network access services, has announced that no work will be carried out by engineers inside customer premises, unless they are part of the Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) of the UK. ABC News US President Donald Trump said there is no need to impose quarantine in New York State and neighboring areas. He announced this on his Twitter page. "On the recommendation of the White House CoronaVirus Task Force, and upon consultation with the Governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, I have asked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to issue a strong Travel Advisory, to be administered by the Governors, in consultation with the Federal Government. A quarantine will not be necessary. Full details will be released by the CDC tonight. Thank you," President of the USA wrote. To date, the number of people infected with Covid-19 has exceeded 600 thousand people worldwide. The largest number of infected is in the USA, Italy and China. At the moment, there are 104,837 confirmed cases in the U.S.; 86 498 cases are reported in Italy. China reprots 81,948 cases. As we reported, as of 22:00 on March 28, the number of people infected with coronavirus in Ukraine increased to 356. Due to coronavirus, the number of deaths has increased to nine. Five people have recovered. By Trend Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops 23 times, Trend reports referring to Azerbaijani Defense Ministry on March 29 The Armenian armed forces were using large-caliber machine guns. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. (Newser) Twitter has deleted a post by Rudy Giuliani, President Trump's personal attorney, that contained false information about a treatment for COVID-19 and the governor of Michigan. The tweet was replaced with the message, "This Tweet violated the Twitter Rules," Mediaite reports. Giuliani had quoted a post by Charlie Kirk, a Trump backer and activist, that said: "Hydroxychloroquine has been shown to have a 100% effective rate treating COVID-19. Yet Democrat Gretchen Whitmer is threatening doctors who prescribe it." Tests have not shown the anti-malaria drug to be effective against COVID-19, though Trump has promoted it as a possibility. Doctors have warned that hydroxychloroquine can cause cardiac arrhythmia, which can be fatal for heart patients, per Business Insider. story continues below The claim appears to have originated with Jim Hoft, a blogger for the Gateway Pundit. Twitter, which locked Giuliani's account for a time Friday, prohibits posting information in opposition to guidance from genuine health authorities, including "description of treatments." Hoft also wrote, "Michigan Democrat Governor Gretchen Whitmer is the latest Democrat to ban doctors from prescribing the lifesaving drugs hydroxychloroquine." Michigan and other states have told doctors not to hoard the medications for themselves and their families. The state said in a letter that it has received complaints of "inappropriately prescribing hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine ... without a legitimate medical purpose." An Arizona man died last week after taking chloroquine phosphate. Giuliani's tweet had said Democrats are "okay with people dying if it means opposing Trump." (Read more coronavirus stories.) Sundays ballistic missile tests mark the fourth such launch this month as the world battles the coronavirus pandemic. North Korea has fired two suspected ballistic missiles into the ocean off its east coast according to South Korea and Japan the latest in a flurry of weapon launches that Seoul decried as inappropriate amid the global coronavirus pandemic. Two short-range projectiles were launched from the coastal Wonsan area on Sunday, and flew 230 kilometres (143 miles) at a maximum altitude of 30 kilometres (19 miles), South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff reported. In a situation where the entire world is experiencing difficulties due to COVID-19, this kind of military act by North Korea is very inappropriate and we call for an immediate halt, the JCS said in a statement, according to Yonhap news agency. Japans Ministry of Defense said the projectiles appeared to be ballistic missiles, and they did not land in Japanese territory or its exclusive economic zone. Recent repeated firings of ballistic missiles by North Korea is a serious problem to the entire international community including Japan, a ministry statement said. Pyongyang is yet to issue a statement on Sundays weapons launches. They would be the eighth and ninth missiles launched in four rounds of tests this month, and the most missiles ever fired in a single month by North Korea, according to a tally by Shea Cotton, senior researcher at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. Coming this early in the year, the only time weve seen tests this frequently were in 2016 and 2017, both of which were huge years for North Koreas missile program, he said in a post on Twitter. All the missiles fired so far this year have been small, short-range weapons, such as the KN-24 fired during the last launch on March 21. Some experts say the latest launches were likely designed to shore up unity and show that leader Kim Jong Un is in control in the face of US-led sanctions and the global pandemic. Kim wants to show he rules in a normal way amid the coronavirus (pandemic) and his latest weapons tests were aimed at rallying unity internally, not launching a threat externally, Kim Dong-yub, an analyst at Seouls Institute for Far Eastern Studies, told The Associated Press. North Korea doesnt have time now to spare for staging (external threats). North Korea has been engaged in an intense campaign to prevent the spread of the virus that has infected more than 660,000 worldwide. It has called its campaign a matter of national existence but has steadfastly denied there has been a single confirmed case on its soil. Many foreign experts question that claim, warning that an outbreak in North Korea could be dire because of its chronic lack of medical supplies and poor healthcare infrastructure. A week ago, North Korea said US President Donald Trump sent a personal letter to Kim, seeking to maintain good relations and offering cooperation in fighting the pandemic. A North Korean state media dispatch did not say whether Trump mentioned any of the latest weapon tests by the North. UN Security Council resolutions bar North Korea from testing ballistic missiles, and the country has been heavily sanctioned over its missile and nuclear weapons programmes. In the past, North Korea has typically conducted military drills, including tests of its ballistic missiles, in March as the winter weather turns warmer. For the previous two years, however, it had avoided such springtime launches amid denuclearisation talks with the US. Those talks have since stalled after Trump turned down Kims calls for broad sanctions relief in exchange for a limited denuclearisation step during their second summit in Vietnam in early 2019. Pyongyang set a unilateral deadline for Washington to offer fresh concessions by the end of 2019, and in late December last year, Kim declared his country no longer considered itself bound by moratoriums on nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin has predicted that the economy will bounce back as early as July if the coronavirus pandemic is contained soon. Speaking to Fox News on Sunday, Mnuchin said he was unsure of just how devastating the virus will be on the US economy, but he remains confident that the problem is short-term and will be resolved in a matter of months. He suggested that production and employment levels will come back up by the third quarter of 2020, which runs from July to September. Mnuchin also confirmed eligible Americans will also see direct-deposit payments of $1,200 'within three weeks' as part of the $2 trillion rescue package signed by President Donald Trump on Friday. 'I don't know what the numbers are gonna be this quarter. What I do think is, we are gonna kill this virus,' Mnuchin said. A record 3.3 million unemployment claims - four times the previous record - were made last week as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. 'We're gonna re-open this economy. And in the third quarter of this year, you're gonna see this economy bounce back with very large GDP numbers and low unemployment back to where we were beforehand, Mnuchin added. Steve Mnuchin, pictured, said he was unsure of just how devastating the virus will be on the US economy, but he remains confident that the problem is short-term People wait in line at an unemployment center in Las Vegas on March 17. Millions have been forced out of work by the virus Asked if he thinks President Trump's aim to have the economy reopened by Easter Sunday on April 12 is realistic, Mnuchin said: 'I'm going to leave that decision to the medical professionals and the president.' There are now more than 130,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the United States; as of Sunday afternoon 2355 people have died. Mnuchin said he is directing all of his focus on supporting individuals and businesses reeling from the crisis. Mnuchin told CBS News: 'We expect that within three weeks, that people who have direct deposit with information with us will see those direct deposits into their bank accounts, and we will create a web-based system for people where we dont have their direct deposit, they can upload it so that they can get the money immediately as opposed to checks in the mail.' Taxpayers earning less than $75,000 a year will be handed $1,200 checks and $500 per dependent child. President Trump gives a pen to Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, who led negotiations for the administration President Trump joined by Republicans only at the signing ceremony for the coronavirus, including (from left): Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, Economic adviser Larry Kudlow, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, Vice President Mike Pence, Republican Rep. Kevin Brady, Dr. Deborah Birx, and Rep. Greg Walden 'We couldn't be more pleased that the Senate and House reacted very quickly, signed an enormous package to support US workers and the US economy,' he said, referencing the $2.2trillion coronavirus response stimulus. 'The president signed it into law, and my full-time focus is delivering on that. ' Mnuchin said the treasury department is working closely with the Small Business Administration (SBA) on a program that would provide forgivable loans to help 'half of the private workforce' as soon as this coming Friday. 'I encourage all small businesses to take out these loans because if you go and hire back your workers for eight weeks, you will have a forgivable loan, and the government will pay for that,' he said. 'It is very important for us that workers are protected, and this is a major part of the package.' Fox News host Chris Wallace also questioned Mnuchin about the risk of having Americans return to work too soon, further spreading the virus. Mnuchin said that there has not been a recommendation on when that might happen and insisted: 'The president wants to make sure that we kill this virus.' Mnuchin has been part of the team that devised the $2 trillion rescue package signed into law by President Trump on Friday. It will result in individual checks being sent to Americans, loans going to small businesses and aid for industries hard hit by the coronavirus. The funds include $1,200 per adult making up to $75,000 a year before phasing out and ending altogether for those earning more than $99,000. That would result in $2,400 to a married couple making up to $150,000, with $500 payments per child. On Thursday Mnuchin dismissed the shocking 3.3 million unemployment claims as 'not relevant' as he argued the rescue package being voted on in Congress will help alleviate joblessness. Unemployment claims surged to 3.28 million - four times the previous record - last week as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, which is crippling the world's economy and shattering President Trump's record-breaking unemployment lows. Three million people filed claims between March 14 and March 21, according to a report that was released by the Department of Labor on Thursday morning. Coffins from Bergamo, Northern Italy, are being moved to less affected regions National Federation of Orders of Surgeons and Dentists updated list of doctors At least 50 medics have died while trying to contain spread of Covid-19 in Italy The total number of confirmed cases in country rose to 97,689 from 92,472 Death toll in Italy alone accounts for third of all deaths from the bug world-wide Italy's coronavirus death toll has skyrocketed by 756 in one day, bringing the country's total fatalities to 10,779. The death toll in Italy alone - the highest in the world - accounts for a third of all fatalities from the bug world-wide. The total number of confirmed cases in the country rose to 97,689 from a previous 92,472 today, the lowest daily rise in new cases since Wednesday. Italy's coronavirus death toll has skyrocketed by 756 in one day, bringing the country's total fatalities to 10,779. Pictured: The nearly deserted streets of Milan The death toll in Italy alone - the highest in the world - accounts for a third of all fatalities from the bug world-wide. Pictured: Nurses put on protective gear in a hospital in Verduno, Italy Today's death toll is the second successive fall in daily rates. Italy's largest daily toll was registered on Friday, when 919 people died. There were 889 deaths on Saturday. Of those infected nationwide, 13,030 had fully recovered on Sunday, compared to 12,384 the day before. There were 3,906 people in intensive care, up from the previous 3,856. Lombardy, the hardest hit Italian region, reported a rise in deaths of around 416 on Sunday. The surge in deaths and cases today comes after reports that at least 50 doctors have lost their lives to the bug in Italy. Today the National Federation of Orders of Surgeons and Dentists (FNOMCeO) confirmed the names of the doctors who had died from the virus while trying to help fight the pandemic. The list of names, which is updated daily by the doctor's association, comes as Italy's coronavirus death toll rose to 10,023 following a rise in 889 deaths in just 24 hours. According to the list of medical staff who have now lost their lives to the bug - which is updated daily by the doctors association - 17 had been working in Lombardy. At least 50 doctors in Italy have died to the coronavirus, the National Federation of Orders of Surgeons and Dentists (FNOMCeO) confirmed. Pictured: The coffins of people are blessed inside the church of San Giuseppe in Seriate, Italy The list of names comes as Italy's coronavirus death toll rose to 10,023 following a rise in 889 deaths in just 24 hours. Pictured: A police water truck is sent to Genova, Italy, amid the coronavirus outbreak to clean the streets In a statement seen by The Independent Filippo Anelli, president of the National Federation of Orders of Surgeons and Dentists, said: 'It is reasonable to assume that these events would have been largely avoidable if health workers had been correctly informed and equipped with sufficient adequate PPE: masks, gloves, disposable gowns, protective visors which instead continue to be in short supply or to be supplied in an unacceptable way in the midst of an epidemic to which even Italy had declared itself ready only up to two months ago.' The association confirmed it would continue to report the names of doctors who had died to pay tribute to them. On Saturday, the Italian Army was brought in to ferry coffins out of Bergamo, Northern Italy as its morgue and crematorium struggled to cope with the surge in fatalities from the pandemic. Italy's largest daily toll was registered on Friday, when 919 people died. Prior to that, there were 712 deaths on Thursday, 683 on Wednesday, 743 on Tuesday and 602 on Monday. Italy has the second highest number of cases, behind the United States. It surpassed China's tally on Friday. Italy's coronavirus death toll skyrocketed by 899 in just 24 hours bringing the total number of deaths to 10,023. Pictured: Red Cross staff at work in Turin Pictured: Police officers in Italy perform checks at a road block in Rome as the country tries to contain the spread Pictured: Army medical staff disinfect coffins being kept in a church near Bergamo, Italy Harrowing photos from Bergamo showed officers wearing protective hazmat suits as they worked to store bodies in churches and halls. It came as Italy's Prime Minister warned the European Union could 'lose its purpose' if it failed to respond strongly to coronavirus - after the country saw its worst spike in deaths to date. Giuseppe Conte gave the stark statement as grim statistics revealed 969 more deaths yesterday. Conte aired his grievances after the 27 EU leaders could not agree on an action plan during an argumentative six-hour video conference on Thursday and gave their finance ministers two more weeks to forge a policy that could please Italy and Spain. The two countries hardest-hit by the pandemic blocked Thursday's statement because it did not go far enough. The crux of the argument is about the extent to which the EU - facing what Italy views as an existential threat - should abandon its policy of keeping within tight budget constraints. The bloc has already untied its purse strings in ways not seen since the 2008-2009 global financial crisis. The Italian Army has been brought in to ferry coffins out of Bergamo, Northern Italy, as its morgue and its crematorium struggle to cope with the surge in fatalities Harrowing photos from the town showed officers wearing protective hazmat suits as they work to store bodies in churches and halls A priest blesses the coffins of the deceased inside the church of San Giuseppe in Seriate, Italy Giuseppe Conte today warned the European Union could 'lose its purpose' if it fails to respond strongly to coronavirus - after the country saw its worst spike in deaths to date Conte aired his grievances after the 27 EU leaders could not agree on an action plan during an argumentative six-hour video conference Thursday (pictured while taking part in the conference) Conte argues that this is not enough. Rome and Madrid want the EU to start issuing 'corona bonds' - a form of common debt that governments sell on markets to raise money and address individual economic needs. More spendthrift nations such as Germany and the Netherlands are balking at the idea of joint debt. Conte said he and German Chancellor Angela Merkel had 'not just a disagreement but a hard a frank confrontation' Thursday about how to proceed. Pope Francis last night presided over a moment of prayer in a deserted colonnade in front of St Peter's Basilica The crux of the argument is about the extent to which the EU - facing what Italy views as an existential threat - should abandon its policy of keeping within tight budget constraints 'If Europe does not rise to this unprecedented challenge, the whole European structure loses its raison d'etre (reason for existing) to the people,' Conte told the Il Sole 24 Ore newspaper. The entire eurozone is expected to slip into a recession over the coming months. But Italy is facing the threat of a near economic collapse after being the first European country to shutter almost all its businesses on March 12. Some forecasts suggests that its economy - now the third-largest among nations that use the euro common currency - could contract by as much as seven percent this year. Carabinieri officers wearing protective suits have been pictured taking coffins out of Ponte San Pietro, near Bergamo, Northern Italy after the region's services became overstretched Conte warned that EU leaders were in danger of making 'tragic mistakes' that 'leave our children the immense burden of a devastated economy' It shrank by 5.3 percent of gross domestic product in 2009. Conte warned that EU leaders were in danger of making 'tragic mistakes' that 'leave our children the immense burden of a devastated economy.' 'I represent a country that is suffering a lot and I cannot afford to procrastinate,' Conte said. The energetic 55-year-old has seen his popularity shoot up thanks to a general sense that he was doing all he could to help the country through its worst crisis since World War II. Italy's world-leading death toll is on course to eclipse 10,000 this weekend and its painful shutdown of businesses and many factories could last for months Italy set a new global record by registering more than 900 deaths on Friday - and 1,600 in just two days Italy's world-leading death toll is on course to eclipse 10,000 this weekend and its painful shutdown of businesses and many factories could last for months. The country's COVID-19 contagion rates are slowing but deaths are still being recorded at frightening rates. Italy set a new global record by registering more than 900 deaths on Friday - and 1,600 in just two days. But a growing number of medics are warning that its fatalities could be much higher because retirement homes often do not report all their COVID-19 deaths. The number of people who have died from the new disease at home is unknown. 'This is something very different from the 2008 crisis,' Conte said. 'We are at a critical point in European history.' Spain has registered a new record number of coronavirus deaths in a single-day period. Pictured: Field hospital in Madrid And yesterday Spain also suffered record virus deaths as the country's infection rate soared past 72,248. The number of deaths from Covid-19 registered in the past 24 hours is 832, a record number for the country in a single-day period. It beats the previous Spanish record of 769 coronavirus deaths which was announced on Friday. The grim statistic means 5,690 people with the virus have now died in Spain. The number of new coronavirus cases registered in the past 24 hours is 8,000. Pictured: Medical staff in Madrid transfer a patient in a wheelchair The number of new coronavirus cases registered in the past 24 hours is 8,000. Spanish Ministry of Health figures show some 40,630 have needed to be hospitalised, 4,575 people have been admitted to intensive care and 12,285 people have been cured of the disease. On Monday a second makeshift morgue is due to start functioning in Madrid, Spain's worst affected area, after a retail centre ice rink where families paid six pounds a time to skate became its first stop-gap body drop because of the saturation funeral parlours were facing. The new temporary morgue, known locally as the Donut because of the way it looks from the sky, was built to be Madrid's Institute of Forensic Medicine but never opened. In a recent paper in the open-access journal Neotropical Biology and Conservation, a group of Brazilian scientists from the Federal University of Vicosa (Brazil) published ten different defensive behaviours for the False Coral Snake (Oxyrhopus rhombifer), seven of which are registered for the first time for the species. One of these is reported for the first time for Brazilian snakes. Evolution shaped anti-predator mechanisms in preys, which can be displayed either with avoidance or defensive behaviours. The current knowledge about such mechanisms are still scarce for many snake species, but it is constantly increasing over the last years. These data are helpful for better understanding of the species ecology, biology and evolution. The False Coral Snake (O. rhombifer) is a terrestrial snake species with a colouration like the true coral snake. The species has a wide geographic distribution, occurring in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia and all Brazilian biomes. Among its previously known anti-predator mechanisms, this species has already shown cloacal discharge, body flattening, struggling, erratic movements and hiding the head. However, these behaviours were only a small part of what this species is capable of doing to defend itself! In November 2017, a juvenile male captured in the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil was observed under laboratory settings, where the scientists would simulate a predation attempt with an increasing threat level. "We released the snake on to the laboratory bench and let it notice our presence. The animal remained motionless at first, then performed a pronounced dorsoventral flattening of the anterior part of the body, raised its tail, adopted an S-shaped posture, raised the first third of the body and performed brief body vibrations. Then we approached the snake, which remained with the same posture and body vibrations. When we touched the animal (not handling), it remained with the S-shaped posture, keeping the first third of the body elevated and the dorsoventral flattening (however, less accentuated) and started to display erratic movements, false strikes and locomotor escape. When handled, the snake only struggled," shares the lead scientist Mr. Clodoaldo Lopes de Assis. Amongst ten recorded behaviour types only three were among those already registered for this species. Since defensive responses in snakes decrease as body size increases, juveniles exhibit a broader set of defensive behaviour than adults. Because of that, some types of behaviour described in this study might be explained either by physical constraints or stage of development of the individual. Some types of behaviour resemble the ones of true coral snakes of the genus Micrurus, a group of extremely venomous snakes. Thus, this similarity may be linked with the mimicry hypothesis between these two groups, where harmless false coral snakes take advantage of their similar appearance to the true coral snakes to defend themselves. Another type of anti-predation mechanism shown -- body vibrations -- is yet an unknown behaviour for Brazilian snakes and has been recorded for the first time. This type of behaviour is difficult to interpret, but could represent a defensive signal against non-visually orientated predators. Finally, defensive strategies of the specimen differed according to the threat level imposed: starting from discouraging behaviour up to false bites, erratic movements and locomotor escape."O. rhombifer may be capable of recognising different threat levels imposed by predators and adjusting its defensive behaviour accordingly," highlights Mr. Clodoaldo Lopes de Assis. "Through such simple laboratory observations we can get a sense of how Brazilian snakes are yet poorly known regarding their natural history, where even common species like the false coral snake O. rhombifer can surprise us!" Mr. Clodoaldo Lopes de Assis adds in conclusion. KAMPALA Challenge in Uganda Like other countries, Uganda is not certain where this will end. The developed countries have organized residences and they dont have backyards where they grow bananas, potatoes, maize and vegetables. They buy all their foodstuffs from organized shops. Staying at home is easy and going to shop can be organized. A person may avoid talking to another for days and weeks other than on phone. Online purchases also minimize human contact. To the contrary most Ugandan, indeed Africans have no organized addresses where you will find them. This is of course possible in towns but not in slums. But even in towns there is no order not in slums. It is possible in the developed countries to lock yourself up in your home and have no contact with anybody. This is not the case in Uganda. In urban areas many people live in one room homes. It is possible that up 6 people may stay in such a room! They cook from outside and share latrines and bathrooms. Too much contact. We are simply vulnerable and indeed in large numbers. Rwanda gave instructions to its people not to leave their homes. I wonder how it is working. We may pick a lesson. But like Uganda and indeed many African countries if somebody comes from the urban areas or from abroad with the virus it will spread like a bush fire in the rural communities or slums. Without resources, African countries will really experience the hardest times they have even seen as people may die in thousands every day. How did China Manage We can pick lessons from China. China has been a success story in managing the pandemic. It took tough measures reported as draconian. China still has some few rural arears which are similar to Uganda and other African countries. But today China is mostly developed. But how did they do it. This is where the virus is reported to have started. It looked like a Chinese problem. China closed off towns and areas where the virus was reported. They built the marvel hospital. They indeed identified each case and treated it depending on the extent, they tested all who were associated with an identified case. They restricted movement of people and they won! China now reports no new incidents. They had the political will, they coercive power, they had science capabilities and money to control the virus and they did. Compare to Uganda or any other African country. The science and money are things we dont have, while we may the political will and coercive power, corruption can put holes in whatever policy we may evolve. Its now more than ever that we need God on our side (but remember few Europeans believe in God so they will not support us as we pray). But most important we need to be conscious of the problem. We must plan how to respond to defeat it. Waswa Balunywa is a scholar in management, leadership and entrepreneurship. Related A 69-year-old patient, previously infected with the CCP virus, underwent a lung transplant at Wuxi Peoples Hospital on Feb. 29. (screen shot of a report by southcn.com) Lung Transplants Cast Doubt on Chinas Organ Donation Program News Analysis In early March, Chinas state-run media reported on a series of worlds first lung transplants. The first lung transplant on a patient previously diagnosed with COVID-19 was performed by Dr. Chen Jingyu in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, on Feb. 29. Then, on March 1, March 8, and March 10, three similar procedures were performed on elderly patients. All recipients had been infected with the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus, but tested negative at the time of the transplants, according to the Chinese reports. Since their lungs had suffered irreversible damage, the patients were intubated and put on ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) prior to surgery. Meanwhile, the Chinese reports provided very little, though identical, information about the source of each pair of lungs: a brain-dead person in another province. The short wait times for those transplants very likely indicate the donors were killed for their organs, a conclusion thats strengthened by the number of such surgeries performed in the past month. Predetermining the availability of an organ for transplant is impossible in any system that depends on voluntary organ donation. In addition to highlighting the unusually short waiting time for suitable donors, allocating donor lungs to such patients at this time seems an unusual decision which might be medically challenged, Dr. Jacob Lavee, director of the heart transplant unit at Sheba Medical Center in Israel and a founding member of Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting, told The Epoch Times via email. However, it certainly hints towards an ample supply of such lungs, or else an irresistible urge to become scientifically world famous. Double Lung Transplant in Wuxi Take the procedure by Chen at Wuxi Peoples Hospital, for example, at which the wait time for a pair of lungs was less than a day. A 59-year-old patient tested positive for the CCP virus on Jan. 26. On Feb. 7, he was intubated, and on Feb. 22, put on ECMO. Two days later, he was transferred to Wuxi Infectious Disease Hospital, apparently still infected. Its unclear how this patient came to be in the care of Chen at the Wuxi Peoples Hospital. In an interview with Southern Metropolis Daily, Chen described how the decision to conduct the transplant was made. The patient lung started to bleed profusely on Feb. 28, Chen said. The entire lung was filled with blood and was stretched tight. He almost died. After discussing it with the provincial level experts, we decided to perform an emergency lung transplant. Coincidentally, there was a donor. A day later, the lungs from an allegedly brain-dead donor were transported 500 miles to Wuxi from Henan Province, via the green gateway for organsspecial regulations applied to railways and airlines to allow for the fastest possible transport of organs for transplant. In this case, the high-speed rail was used. Even under normal circumstances, it would be considered miraculous to find a pair of matching lungs within a day, especially amid the chaos of the CCP virus epidemic. Who was the donor? How did the donor come to be brain-dead? Who handled the organ donation procedures? How did the family members cope with it? Many questions remain unanswered. Reverse Matching to Find Donors? The only way to select individuals for transplantation prior to having an organ is through reverse tissue matchingfinding the donor after the recipient is selected. Yet there seems to be an abundance of brain-dead donors with perfect lungs. After that transplant, Chen told ThePaper.cn: We can select some severely infected patients in Wuhan who are suitable for lung transplant, those with high [transplant] success rate, those in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s. We want to save them via lung transplants. In most countries, its common practice to have a pool of recipients waiting for the unpredictable event of an eligible donor dying, making the wait time months, if not years. The complexity of a lung transplant often means longer wait times. However, in China, reverse matching has become a common practice since 2000. There is a pool of living people waiting for a recipient to check in to the hospital, and whoever matches the blood type and tissue type of this recipient becomes a brain-dead donor, according to evidence gathered by independent investigators. In the week following the Feb. 29 transplant, there were reports about three more transplants performed on even older patients. A 73-year-old patient, previously infected with the CCP virus, on his way to lung transplant at Wuxi Peoples Hospital on March 10. (screenshot of a Xinhua report) On March 10, Chen performed a lung transplant on a 73-year-old CCP virus-infected patient with diabetes and kidney-function issues. The lungs of an allegedly brain-dead donor were transported by air to Wuxi from Guangzhou, and again, there was no additional information provided about the donor. Meanwhile, in another hospital 100 miles from Wuxi, two lung transplants were performed. On March 1, a 66-year-old female, who had tested positive for CCP virus on Jan. 31, underwent a double lung transplant at Zhejiang University First Affiliated Hospital. The director of the lung transplant department, Dr. Han Weili, performed the procedure, which involved organs from Hunan Province. March 1, 2020, Zhejiang University First Affiliated Hospital conducted a lung transplant on a 66-year-old patient previously infected with the CCP virus (screenshot of a report by thepaper.cn) On March 8 in the same hospital, a 70-year-old patient who had been on ECMO since Feb. 26 received a pair of lungs from an allegedly brain-dead person in Jiangxi Province. Donation Numbers Lag Transplant Numbers For those who are familiar with Chinas illicit transplant practices, the recent procedures may recall the years prior to 2015, when healthy prisoners were known to be killed on demand. Under international pressure, China started a show organ donation program and announced that no prisoners organs would be used after Jan. 1, 2015. Armed with the brand new program, Chinas transplant industry kept producing world-record transplant operations. In 2017, the official numbers were 10,793 kidney transplants, 5,149 liver transplants, 299 lung transplants, and 446 heart transplants, raising questions about how the new organ donation program could supply organs for 16,687 transplant operations. A nine-year accumulative total number of organs donated in Hunan Province, according to Hunan-based Xiaoxiang Morning Post, showed that as of August 2019, 4,291 kidneys, 1,623 livers, 35 hearts, and 11 lungs were donated by 2,233 individuals. Hunan Province has a population of almost 70 million. In nine years, the donation program there saw an average of 1.2 lungs donated per year. Therefore, based on Chinas population of 1.4 billion, the country could be expected to see 24 lungs donated in a year. Yet the lung transplant numbers tell a different story. Wuxi Peoples Hospital, where Chen serves as the deputy director, manages Chinas lung transplant registry. While it isnt accessible by the public, Chinese media reports have provided glimpses of it. In an article published in 2017, Chen discussed developments in lung transplantation in China and provided a chart that showed the total lung procedure numbers up to 2016. Chinas annual lung transplant numbers reported by Dr. Chen Jingyu in 2017 (screen shot of report on 112seo.com) Wuxi Peoples Hospitals number is 70 percent of the national total, Chen said. There were two months in 2016, when we did 20 (lung transplants) in one month. We also have done six lung transplants in 24 hours. We have three lung extraction teams. At least for our hospital, lung transplant is very mature. It is an ordinary chest operation. Chinas total number of lung transplants in 2017 and 2018 were 299 and 403, respectively. As many independent investigative reports have previously stated, the donation numbers and the transplant numbers in China still dont add up. The International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) manages the International Thoracic Organ Transplant (TTX) Registry, which records the heart and lung transplant details from about 300 qualifying transplant centers from countries with mature organ-donation systems. No Chinese lung transplant center is reporting data to this registry. While the Chinese registry is considered a state secret, the TTX data is readily available for the public to examine. The data published on the ISHLT website shows the total number of lung transplants by 139 centers is 3,936 during the time period from July 1, 2017, to June 30, 2018. That is an annual average of 28 lung transplants per center. 154 Lung Transplants in First 18 Months The China-Japan Friendship Hospital lung transplant center was established in March 2017 in Beijing, with Chen as deputy director. By November 2018, the center had conducted 154 lung transplants. A comparison chart of its growth against the worlds top 10 lung-transplant centers shows that its the fastest-growing center in the world. Lung transplant volume of top 10 transplant centers in the world vs. that of China-Japan Friendship Hospital (screenshot of a report on jiankang.163.com) The red line in the chart is China-Japan Friendship Hospital. Just what is behind its unusual growth curve? Tribunal: Forced Organ Harvesting Continues On March 1, the Independent Tribunal Into Forced Organ Harvesting from Prisoners of Conscience in China issued its final judgment, after two years of reviewing evidence and multiple hearings. Hospitals in the PRC have had access to a population of donors whose organs could be extracted according to demand for them. In the long-term practice in the PRC of forced organ harvesting, it was indeed Falun Gong practitioners who were used as a sourceprobably the principal sourceof organs for forced organ harvesting, it stated. Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, which consists of meditative exercises and moral teachings centered around the tenets truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance, has been subjected to a brutal persecution by the Chinese communist regime for more than two decades. Hundreds of thousands of adherents have been thrown into prisons, labor camps, and brainwashing centers, where many have been tortured in an effort to force them to renounce their faith, according to the Falun Dafa Information Center. The tribunal concluded that Falun Gong practitioners have been the primary source of organs to fuel the Chinese regimes lucrative transplant industry and that the regimes forced organ harvesting has constituted crimes against humanity. Additionally, there is no evidence of the practice [of forced organ harvesting] having been stopped, and the Tribunal is satisfied that it is continuing, it stated. Chen, Chinas top lung-transplant surgeon, is an active user on WeChat with 985,000 followers. He frequently posts pictures of lung transplants and has offered live broadcasts of the procedures. Dr. Chen Jingyu (screenshot of a report on jiankang.163.com) As the world grapples with the spread of the CCP virus, Chen is busy traveling the country. On March 12, he went to Sichuan Province to perform lung transplants for two 66-year-old recipients in one day. Miraculously, two allegedly brain-dead donors had been found in the same hospital in Chongqing on March 11. The coronavirus pandemic continues to cause chaos around the UK and around the world. Heres your morning briefing of everything you may have missed over night. Boris Johnson will write a letter to every household in the UK to encourage people to stay at home, saying he might have to impose stricter lockdown measures unless the governments advice is followed. According to a statement from Downing Street, Mr Johnson, who is currently self-isolating after he tested positive for coronavirus earlier this week, will write: "We know things will get worse before they get better. "But we are making the right preparations, and the more we all follow the rules, the fewer lives will be lost and the sooner life can return to normal," he will add. The letter will be sent to the UKs 30 million households and will contain a leaflet listing the governments advice. Britain has so far reported 17,089 infections and 1,019 deaths from the disease. Food parcels have started to arrive at the homes of vulnerable people to help shield them from the coronavirus pandemic. The first 2,000 packages arrived over the weekend for those who are self-isolating because of the virus, but who have little support from family and friends. The parcels contain essential items such as pasta, fruit, tinned goods and toilet paper. The government has said it expects to deliver another 50,000 care packages this week. A total of 1.5 million people in the UK are classified as extremely vulnerable during the pandemic. President Donald Trump has announced he will not be ordering a quarantine for coronavirus hotspots like New York. Mr Trump, who had been considering the move, said a travel advisory would be issued instead. This advisory told residents in New York, Jersey and Connecticut to avoid non-essential travel for two weeks. Earlier, Andrew Cuomo, the mayor of New York, had said that roping off states would signify a federal declaration of war. On Saturday, Trump signed into law the $2.2 trillion aid package. Italian authorities have announced a further 889 coronavirus deaths, bringing the death toll in the country to 10,023. Officials also confirmed almost 6,000 new infections in the country, increasing the number of people who have tested positive for the disease to 92,742. Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Show all 12 1 /12 Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Agnetha Septimus, Matthew Septimus, and children Ezra and Nora Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Husband and wife filmmakers, Claire Ince and Ancil McKain pose for a portrait for the series by Shutterstock Staff Photographer, Stephen Lovekin, shot around the Ditmas Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Khadijah Silver and son Eliot Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Anna Beth Rousakis and daughter Mary Rousakis Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Mike Pergola and Denise Pergola with children Henry, Jack, and Will Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Artist Shirley Fuerst Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Jean Davis and Danny Rosenthal, with children Simone, Naomi, and Leah Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Robert E Clark Jr Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Lisa Draho and Josh Zuckerman, with children Ruby and Ava Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Professor and activist Dr Kristin Lawler Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Tom Smith and Laura Ross, with daughters Caroline, Elizabeth, and Abigail Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Callie Lovekin and Lucas Lovekin Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Earlier this week, the WHO expressed hope that the rate of infections might be slowing down in Italy. However, experts have said it is too early to tell for certain. Coronavirus-hit cruise ship allowed through Panama Canal A ship struck by coronavirus has been allowed to continue its journey through the Panama Canal, after being stranded off the coast of Panama. Four older guests have died on the ship, MS Zaandam, according to the operator Holland America Line. Their cause of death has not yet been made known. MS Zaandam, which has more than 200 British nationals on board, has been at sea since 14 March. Chile previously refused to allow it to dock in its territory. On Saturday, Panamas government announced they would give those on board humanitarian aid and allow the ship to pass through the canal. It added, however, that none of the 1,243 passengers or the 586 crew members could enter Panamanian soil. Actor Varun Dhawan on Saturday pledged to contribute Rs 30 lakh to PM-CARES Fund to help the battle against Covid-19. The 32-year-old star made the announcement on the Twitter handle where he assured that we will overcome this battle of coronavirus. I pledge to contribute 30 lakhs to the PM CARE fund. We will overcome this. Desh hai toh hum hain, the tweet reads. I pledge to contribute 30 lakhs to the PM CARE fund. We will over come this. Desh hai toh hum hain. https://t.co/E87IU22NaF Varun Dhawan (@Varun_dvn) March 28, 2020 Earlier in the day, the Central government created the Prime Ministers Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM-CARES) Fund and appealed all the countrymen to show their support for the cause. The Kalank actor is one among many stars who are using their social media platforms to raise awareness about the coronavirus. Earlier on Friday, the Dilwale actor had penned a lockdown-themed rap in an attempt to urge the people to take the lockdown seriously and practice social distancing to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Dhawan also created a quirky video to support the rap song, which featured him as the rap artist. Also read: Krishna Shroff works out with boyfriend Eban Besides Varun, the video featured excerpts from Prime Minister Narendra Modis televised address to the nation in which he announced a nationwide lockdown as a precautionary measure against COVID-19. The video also featured a scene from British television series Teletubbies, a scene from Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan starrer Devdas and most importantly, countrys deserted roads amid the lockdown. Earlier, actor Akshay Kumar too pledged to contribute Rs 25 crore from his savings to the PMs CARES Fund. Follow @htshowbiz for more The sordid tale of Joe Exotic as portrayed in the hit Netflix docuseries, Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness, keeps getting weirder (if thats even possible). The seven-part series showcased Oklahoma exotic zookeeper, Joseph Maldonado-Passage (born Joseph Schreibvogel), who refers to himself as the Tiger King, because he rules over his kingdom of big cats. Its impossible to sum up the synopsis of Tiger King without alluding the fact that Exotic is now serving a 22-year sentence. It all stems from a murder-for-hire plot against a longtime rival, Carole Baskin, plus multiple wildlife violations. Exotic threatened someone long before Baskin. Heres what we know. Who is Louis Theroux? Joe Exotic Tiger King | Netflix Singapore-born Louis Theroux and cousin of actor Justin Theroux is an award-winning documentarian whos been the face of British documentary films for over 25 years. His trajectory began in 1994 as a correspondent for Michael Moores satirical NBC news show TV Nation. Hes covered everything from Nazis to UFO investigators. In his 2019 memoir, Gotta Get Theroux This, Theroux admitted the spotlight isnt easy. Ive made it my habit to be slightly invisible in my programs. Although Im on camera, I dont really give that much of myself. I think thats whats needed, because of the nature of the programs. Im a straight man in a world that is somewhat weird, mysterious, dangerous or just emotionally charged in one way or another, he said. Some viewers of Tiger King might already be familiar with Exotics eccentric personality. He once appeared on Louis Theroux: Americas Most Dangerous Pets. The memory of it, however, is not exactly a pleasant one, according to Theroux. Heres what Exotic said to Theroux In 2011, Theroux toured the G.W. Zoo, owned and operated by Exotic for an episode of his documentary at the time, Louis Theroux: Americas Most Dangerous Pets. Theroux toured Exotics private collection of big cats and chimpanzees. The shows synopsis read: Travelling to Americas heartlands, Louis Theroux spends time with an Oklahoma man who has bred and collected over 150 tigers, visits the woman who privately owns one of Americas largest collections of chimpanzees, and finds himself in uncomfortably close contact with a number of big cats and dangerous primates. While it couldve been an ordinary visit (is there such a thing with Exotic?), one conversation between Theroux and Exotic eerily mirrors that of Exotics comments about Baskin. In one wild clip, Exotic tells Theroux what would happen if Theroux got in the cage with the tigers. If he was to get you and not kill you and eat you right away, hes going to torment you. So, if you were to get in there and I was out here trying to get you out he would be on top of you covering you up. Id just shoot you, it would be more humane, he said. You would shoot me? In the head? Theroux replied. Exotic responded with, yeah. The conversation may have felt uncomfortable at the time, but considering Exotics alleged murder-for-hire plot against Baskin in which hes in prison for the clip takes on a whole new meaning. How does Exotic feel about the docuseries? With Tiger King doing so well, how does Exotic feel about the way hes been portrayed? Co-directors Eric Goode and Rebecca Chaiklin told LadBible hes happy with the end result. He has lived his entire life just to be famous and so to finally realise this fame is just Hes tickled pink, Goode said. Even though hes behind bars its really interesting to see Joes response its incredible and very surprising. Hes absolutely thrilled. The director revealed he wasnt exactly Exptics biggest fan, adding he had mixed feelings because [Exotic] did horrific things. He was one of those people that would try to tell you what you wanted to hear, Goode said. Hes very manipulative and smart in many ways but in the end, you know all of these people, including Carole, created their own little world within a world. Most of them are living outside of mainstream America. Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness is available on Netflix now. Hollywood megastar Hugh Jackman has urged fans to take government guidelines and precautions seriously amid the rapid spread of coronavirus around the globe. On Saturday, he took a moment to ask his followers from all around the world to 'stay home and do the right thing'. The video, shared to his Instagram page, was posed as a friendly reminder for citizens to limit outside exposure and practice proper social-distancing. Scroll down for video 'Do the right thing!' Hugh Jackman (above) urged fans to 'follow guidelines' set by the government and stay home to help slow the spread of coronavirus on Saturday Hugh, dressed for comfort in a black cap and grey sweater, looked into the camera and said: 'Listen to our country's doctors and officials. If you have to be outside, limit exposure to others.' 'This is time for us to all come together. Follow the guidelines that all of our doctors and officials all over the world have said would help. Thanks for listening.' Hugh also used the caption to thank the 'real heroes' amid the COVID-19 crisis. The Wolverine star wrote: 'Thank you to all the first responders, doctors, nurses, sanitation workers, the truck drivers, etc ... all of you who take away from your own family to care for others. You are the real heroes.' 'You are the real heroes': The Wolverine star thanked first responders, doctors, nurses, sanitation workers, and truck drivers amid the crisis Leading by example, Hugh made the decision to close his New York cafes and relocate to his family's East Hamptons holiday house last week after the city went into coronavirus lockdown. Amid the surging cases of coronavirus, countless 'non-essential' businesses have been effectively shuttered in New York. Prior to his latest coronavirus-related video, Hugh also shared two video demonstrations on how to effectively wash your hands during the crisis. Helping hands: Prior to his latest coronavirus-related video, Hugh also shared two video demonstrations on how to effectively wash your hands during the crisis His first upload was slammed by fans who noticed the actor left his bathroom tap running for the duration of the clip. He captioned his second video: 'Take 2. You're ALL absolutely right. Turn off the tap whilst washing your hands. Smart, healthy practices for yourself... and the planet.' As of Saturday evening, there were 3,640 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Australia, which have resulted in 14 deaths. A global recession will lead to a reduction in trade, foreign direct investment, tourism flows, and remittances to countries in the region, the report added The Institute of International Finance (IIF) says it expects growth in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), particularly in oil-importing countries, to decline by 2.4pps to 0.8 percent in 2020, which would be the lowest point since the early 1990s, according its recent report about COVID-19s impacts on the regions economy. It added that a global recession will lead to a reduction in trade, foreign direct investment, tourism flows, and remittances to Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and Lebanon, adding that Egypt stands to see a significant drop in Suez Canal transit revenue. Non-resident capital flows to the MENA region are expected to decrease from $182 billion in 2019 to $101 billion in 2020, on the back of lower equity and debt flows, according the report. As in 2008 and 2009, resident outflows, mostly in the form of sovereign wealth funds (SWFs), will decline sharply from $215 in 2019 to $136 billion in 2020, reflecting the increasing need to tap SWFs to finance the large deficits. Nonetheless, official reserves are expected to drop by $120 billion, mostly in Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Iraq, and Iran. We also project a sharp decline in the cumulative SWFs of Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE, the report projected. Regarding global oil prices, the IIF expects that the nine MENA oil exporters will see a fall in hydrocarbon earnings in 2020 of $192 billion, which equals 11 percent of GDP. For oil exporters, the IIF says they are likely to record large fiscal deficits due to the collapse in oil revenue, leading to a rise in public debt. As a result, the cumulative current account balance would shift from a surplus of $65 billion in 2019 to a deficit of $67 billion in 2020, and the fiscal deficit would rise from 2.9 percent of GDP to 9.1 percent, the report projected. The service sector will be hit the hardest as a result of social distancing, the report said. According the report, COVID-19s impact includes quarantines, disruption in supply chains, travel restrictions, and business closings, in addition to the crash in oil prices in light of the breakdown of OPEC+ point to a recession in the MENA region, the first in three decades. Search Keywords: Short link: Today, the coronavirus growth curve in Detroit, Mich., is among the highest in the United States and as the city borders Windsor, Ont., new complexities in cross-border community and family care are occurring. For all of the focus on the impact on trade and supply chains between the U.S. and Canada, there has been far too little consideration of the realities of intricate cross-border family ties. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitman has been vocal in her advocacy: going toe to toe with President Donald Trump in an effort to secure necessary resources for state response efforts. In the words of German author Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, There is nothing more frightful than ignorance in action. Watching President Trumps confusing reactions during this pandemic has been frightful indeed. The Canada-U. S. border situation fluctuates at whiplash speeds this week alone we went from the possibility of a militarized border and back at the erratic whim of the 45th president. I found myself turning to DJ D-Nice and his Instagram Live #ClubQuarantine for comfort, as the soulful music brought back memories of happier times spent with family, now a closed border away. This public service provided by D-Nice broke Instagram records and drew in over 160,000 live participants last weekend. Former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders dropped in, and former First Lady Michelle Obama later partnered with D-Nice to register voters through the When We All Vote initiative. Their initial goal of reaching 50,000 potential voters was blown out of the water within hours last Wednesday as the couch party reached over 400,000 voters. Politics may have gone digital, but it is still personal. Club Quarantine provided a moment of reprieve and togetherness, and transformed into a catalyst for modern digital political organization. It gave me hope. As inequities in pandemic response arise, it is crucial that we keep advocacy efforts moving. When we centre the most vulnerable people in our response and long-term policy planning, we prepare our populations for the inevitable moment when the definition of vulnerability changes. For Detroit in particular, its important to consider the root causes of the exponential spread of COVID-19 poverty and systemic racism. Nelson Mandela said it best, Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice. It is the protection of a fundamental human right, the right to dignity and a decent life. Meanwhile, Canadian municipalities, provinces, and their federal counterparts are rallying valiantly to meet the needs of Canadians and front-line workers. The real test comes this week, as payment deadlines for bills loom and financial anxiety rises. Once this crisis passes, and it will, we rebuild one livelihood, one family support structure, and one community care network at a time. How do we rebuild? Who do we have in mind as we adapt and create our systems moving forward? How do we ensure the pain points brought on by this pandemic are transformed into points of growth? Intergenerational participation in the restructure of our communities and economic future will be necessary. We need to prepare and elect politicians who work to build our communities up proactively rather than dismantling workers protections, and destabilizing the flow of funding to organizations serving our most vulnerable communities (especially those serving women in crisis.) We should be at the stage where we are ready to implement basic income, rather than discontinuing pilot programs as weve seen from this government in Ontario. And there is much work to be done to bring desperately needed, lasting reforms to our justice systems, and ensure incarcerated Canadians are better protected both through this pandemic, and long after. Hopefully, we will emerge from isolation with a deeper appreciation for time spent with loved ones, the wisdom of our elders, and the future of work. In a city like Detroit, which time and time again found the strength in tragedy to rebuild, pain will be transformed into art and action. Once stretched by the challenges of COVID-19, our communities will never return to their original shapes. As institutions evolve to meet the needs of vulnerable communities, the great strides made in the process will remain. Amid the ongoing coronavirus lockdown, Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi stressed on problems faced by children of daily wage workers and said 'India' should not leave 'Bharat' behind in this fight against COVID-19. "Children of daily wage workers are facing serious problems. Even if one child dies due to starvation or lack of medicines, then it'll be a blot on all of us. India should not leave 'Bharat' behind in this fight against COVID-19," Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi told ANI on Saturday. The country is in a three-week lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus, which according to the Ministry of Health and Family Affairs, has claimed 19 lives and infected at least 918 others as of Saturday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Carissa Glende was arrested at 6:10 a.m. for throwing a rock at the window of a home in Honolulu, in violation of both the stay-at-home order and a previous protective order Three people in Hawaii have been arrested for violating the state's stay-at-home order, leading one municipality to start police checkpoints. Carissa Glende was picked up by the Hawaii Police Department at 6.10am Saturday for throwing a rock at the window of a home in Captain Cook. Then she began an argument with a person inside. Glende was arrested for not following the state's stay-at-home order and for violating a previous protective order related to a child custody case. She was placed into custody and given a $4,000 bail. The two other arrests took place in the towns of Waipahu and Kaneohe after people disobeyed orders to leave public parks. The crime is a misdemeanor offense that carries a penalty of up to $5,000 and a year in jail. In all, Honolulu Police passed out 70 citations for violating the stay-at-home order, mostly to people hanging out in public parks. 'It is urgent that our community respond to this pandemic and comply with these orders,' Kauai Police Chief Todd Raybuck wrote in a statement. 'If this isn't taken seriously, our small island's healthcare system will not be able to withstand community spread of the virus. Please, stay at home and do your part for the wellbeing of our community.' To help limit the movement of residents around to curb the spread of coronavirus, Kauai has instituted police checkpoints. So far, Kauai, a county with a population of more than 72,000, has had 11 confirmed cases of coronavirus. That's added to the 151 cases statewide. The town of Kauai has started police checkpoints to restrict peoples movements to control the spread of the coronavirus Two people were arrested after disobeying police orders to leave public parks in Waipahu and Kaneohe, subjecting them to a misdemeanor charge punishable up to one year in jail The town of Kauai has started police checkpoints to restrict peoples movements to control the spread of the coronavirus Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell says he wont use police checkpoints to limit the movement of residents, citing limited police resources to cover the size of his community Honolulu Police handed out 70 citations to people violating the stay-at-home orders put in place in Hawaii On Wednesday, Hawaii Governor David Ige issued a statewide stay-at home order to slow the spread of coronavirus 'Kauai is a small island, there's basically one road around the island, it's easy to do checkpoints because of that,' Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell told the Honolulu Star Advertiser. Caldwell says he wont commit to checkpoints in his community to enforce the stay-at-home order. He says, the measure isn't practical because it put too much pressure on his police force. 'Oahu has almost a million people, there are many different roads and we have a limited number of police officers who are out there every day making sure that laws are followed, and there are additional pressures on them now.' 'They are out there enforcing and warning people to comply, and what I hear from the chief is that they are complying, so to add this to their their responsibilities right now given the other challenges that they face is not something we're considering,' Caldwell said. 'We'll look at everything and anything to make sure that people are being safe, that they're making good judgment on where they should be and when, and that they're practicing social distancing. 'Everyone should be taking everything government is asking of them extremely seriously in order to really pound down the spread of this virus.' New Delhi Delhi reported a steep rise in the number of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases on Sunday, adding 23 new infections of SARS-CoV-2 that took the Capitals tally to 72 from 49 a day earlier, according to data released by the Delhi health department. Among the new cases, officials were not immediately able to established the source of the infection for six Covid-19 patients they did not appear to have a known history of foreign travel or direct contact with another confirmed patient. Experts have raised concerns over possible signs of the Covid-19 outbreak entering the community transmission phase, when the source of an infection cant be traced. Officials have, however, denied that the outbreak has entered the next stage. The reports of these people who tested positive have just come to us and our teams are right now in the field trying to trace their contacts. At the moment, we do not know the source of infection in six cases. Now we have many labs in the city testing people but they do not necessarily collect history, said an official from the state disease surveillance programme. Thirteen of the remaining fresh cases were traced to recent foreign travel history, while four others were linked to direct contact with another infected person. The six people whose infections could not be traced to their source recently came to Delhi from Andaman to attend a religious function. There are nine positive cases in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. They had come to Nizamuddin Dargah [Delhi]. They only had history of travel from Andaman, no history of foreign travel, an official said on condition of anonymity. Among the total cases in Delhi -- two patients died of the disease -- five have been discharged and one has migrated out of the country, the Delhi health department said. Some of the other patients who tested positive on Sunday were in Okhla, Kotla Mubarakpur, Gonda, Sangam Vihar, Nizamuddin West, Ghitorni, Shahpur , Vasant Kunj, and Khichripur. The total number of samples sent for testing from Delhi now stands at 2,049 and reports for 1,680 have been received, the department said. People will have increased access to a range of telehealth services, counselling, domestic violence support and official COVID-19 information under measures announced by the federal government. Ramping up its communications campaign as the crisis escalates, the government has announced an official information service on WhatsApp and a mobile app to provide advice and updates. The government is responding to concerns about health and safety during the COVID-19 crisis. Credit:The Age People can find the interactive WhatsApp service, developed with help from tech companies Atlassian and Facebook, by visiting australia.gov.au/whatsapp on their smartphone. If people have WhatsApp downloaded on their phone, the link will open the app and allow them to sign up to the official channel. The government's new "Coronavirus Australia" app can be downloaded on Apple and Android devices. Colombo: Sri Lanka's President has pardoned a soldier who was sentenced to death for killing eight civilians during the country's civil war, leading to accusations the government was taking advantage of the chaos from the coronavirus pandemic to free a wartime ally accused of atrocities. Former defence minister and now President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Credit:AP The pardon reverses one of the very few convictions from the 26-year civil war, during which dozens of militants and military officers were accused of war crimes. The pardoned soldier, former Staff Sgt Sunil Ratnayake, was sentenced in 2015 for blindfolding eight civilians from the Tamil ethnic group, slitting their throats and dumping their bodies into a sewer in 2000. Three of the victims were children. The pardon brought outrage from human rights activists and opposition politicians, but little obvious reaction from the broader Sri Lankan public, which is under a strict curfew to contain the spread of the coronavirus. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa instructed the Ministry of Justice to release Ratnayake from prison on Thursday. Rajapaksa, who was elected in November, is himself accused of having ordered war crimes during the civil war, when he served as defence secretary. Over the weekend, the image of a mustachioed man in an old-timey suit, with beady eyes and a bald head, appeared on the home page of Google pleading with us to wash our hands. It was a doodle of Ignaz Semmelweis, the 19th century Hungarian doctor known as the pioneer of handwashing. He discovered the wonders of the now-basic hygienic practice as a way to stop the spread of infection in 1847, during an experiment in a Vienna hospitals maternity ward. But if Semmelweis were alive today, he would likely be amazed to find that billions were now hearing his pleas amid a devastating pandemic. Thats because in his day, not even doctors cared to wash their hands. Many didnt care to heed Semmelweis warnings, either. Now, as wash your hands screams at us from the mouths of public officials, on highway billboards and from doctors all over the world, the story of Semmelweiss antiseptics breakthrough has found deeper resonance. He has been described as a martyr in life and a hero much later. His advice was finally put to good use only after he died. As Google put it in its tribute, Semmelweis has (informed) generations beyond his own that handwashing is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of diseases. Its unfortunate it takes a situation like the one were experiencing now for him to get his due, Jordan Perlow, a Phoenix-based obstetrician who teaches at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, told The Washington Post. Its the kind of thing where, from the perspective of the year 2020, you look back and think, how could something as fundamental and basic and primitive as washing ones hands be looked at in such a negative way? Semmelweis, born in Hungary in 1818, started working at Vienna General Hospitals maternity clinic in 1846 after graduating from medical school. Before long, he became deeply unsettled by the extraordinarily high maternal mortality rate in one of the wards. In the ward that was staffed by physicians and medical students, between 13 to 18 per cent of new mothers were dying of a mysterious illness known as the childbed fever, or puerperal fever, according to a BMJ article summarizing his research. By comparison, in the ward staffed by midwives, about 2 per cent of women died of the fever. No one knew what explained the extreme discrepancy. So Semmelweis started digging. He scrutinized everything from the climate to the crowds at each maternity clinic, trying to pinpoint factors that might cause a spike in fever cases at one. But the only obvious difference was the midwives. What were the doctors doing to the women that midwives werent? Everything was in question; everything seemed inexplicable; everything was doubtful, he wrote in his book in 1861, The Etiology, Concept and Prophylaxis of Childbed Fever. Only the large number of deaths was an unquestionable reality. Finally, he made a startling realization. A fellow doctor died of what appeared to be a case of childbed fever after cutting himself with a scalpel that had been used to dissect one of the dead womens bodies. The physicians, Semmelweis realized, had been dissecting infected cadavers during autopsies with their bare hands. Then, with those same contaminated hands, they were delivering babies. They were inoculating their patients with bacteria, Perlow said. They were basically immersed in pus for hours. Bacteria was not yet understood. But Semmelweis was getting close to his answer. He believed the autopsy physicians must be carrying around invisible particles of decaying animal-organic matter on their fingertips. So he required anyone examining a woman in the labour room to wash their hands in a chlorinated lime solution before entering, especially those who just touched dead bodies. Within a matter of months, the results of this simple hygienic change were apparent and astounding. The maternal mortality rate dropped to between 1 and 2 per cent, matching that of the women in the midwives ward. Could the simple act of washing hands really be responsible for saving all those lives? To some of Semmelweiss colleagues in the medical community, it sounded crazy. Dana Tulodziecki, a philosophy of science professor at Purdue University, told The Post that it sounded radical to some because of the prevailing ideas about how diseases spread. Back then, she said, people believed in the miasma theory, that wafting toxic odours were largely responsible for spreading diseases through the air. If people cared about washing their hands in earlier decades, she said, it was because they were trying to get rid of the smell, not the particles. Now Semmelweis was claiming that those invisible particles on the hands of doctors were to blame. Nobody was pleased to think that doctors were responsible for killing all these women, Tulodziecki said. Nobody liked that. Especially because the ward with the midwives had a lower mortality rate, but of course the doctors were supposed to know much more than them. Still, Tulodziecki stressed that Semmelweis was not alone, or first, in identifying the possible link between childbed fever and unsanitary practices by physicians. Most notably, Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. wrote a paper suggesting the link in 1843, and James Young Simpson in Great Britain also independently studied it around the same time as Semmelweis, Tulodziecki said. But in the broader medical community, Semmelweis had a messaging problem. He couldnt seem to communicate why handwashing solved the problem. Semmelweis, Perlow said, did not speak good German, so he largely shied away from speaking about his findings at medical conferences or writing about them in medical journals. He left spreading the handwashing gospel to his colleagues at the hospital who saw its benefits first hand. But his superiors despised and ridiculed him, writing off his research altogether as they clung to the miasma theory, and in 1849, he was let go. As the BMJ article noted in 2004, it didnt help that Semmelweis went around insulting those with differing viewpoints and accusing superiors of causing the deaths of mothers. He did not publish his findings at length until 1861, 14 years after his experiments, a book that critics including Tulodziecki have described as unfocused and lacking in rigorous scientific reasoning. By 1865, after suffering a mental breakdown, Semmelweis was admitted to an asylum. He died of sepsis shortly thereafter at the age of 47, after a wound on his hand became infected. Theories of what happened to the doctor toward the end of his life have varied, ranging from beliefs that the rejection he experienced within medical circles may have contributed to his mental decline, or that he suffered from early-onset dementia. Years after his death, after the development of the germ theory of disease, and after more advances in the field of antiseptics, Semmelweis research was finally accepted. Read more about: By Christine Flowers I got an email from the ACLU the other day. I have absolutely no idea how I got on their mailing list, since I've written column after column criticizing them for their positions on everything from representing accused terrorists to their problem with religion in the public square. I do not carry their card, I do not want their card and if someone offered me their card I would treat it like Abbie Hoffman treated his draft card back in the day. The email was a request to sign on to a petition that would urge President Trump and our nation's governors to empty the prisons. They wanted "communities that are the most vulnerable to COVID-19" to be protected. They wanted defendants released back onto the streets, or at the very least, out of custody. There are a few problems with this proposal, the first being the suggestion that detained prisoners make up the "most vulnerable" communities for infection. Uh, no. That would be the elderly, the immune-deficient or immune-compromised, and those who have no health coverage. Just because someone has committed a crime, has been arrested and is awaiting trial (or has already been convicted) does not make him or her a high risk for the coronavirus. So to the ACLU, I would say that being in prison does not make you a member of a vulnerable community. It makes you a member of a community that has to deal with the consequences of your actions, which in many cases involves preying upon actual vulnerable people. But even more off-putting than the suggestion that detainees are "vulnerable" is the idea we should give them a "Get Out Of Jail Free" card because of this public health crisis. It is almost laughable that we would respond to one crisis by creating another one: criminals released back into the streets. If you think about it, it's laughable. Instead of looking to sanitize and maximize the safety of the detention centers by implementing protocols that will segregate certain populations that have reduced immune systems (drug users, for example), the ACLU decides to just flood communities that are already struggling to keep law-abiding citizens healthy with people who have either committed crimes or have been arrested on suspicion of committing crimes. That is a special kind of crazy. And to be fair to the ACLU, it is not alone in having these delusional episodes. The Police Department of Philadelphia announced recently that it wasn't going to be arresting people for the vast majority of crimes that are committed in the city. Among the crimes included are narcotics offenses, burglary, vandalism, and prostitution. If the police encounter someone who is in the process of committing one of those crimes, they will simply confirm the identity of the offender (and you can absolutely trust that the criminal will tell them the truth, all the truth and nothing but the truth because they're all Boy Scouts,) will "prepare all relevant paperwork" and then "release the offender." At a later date, that paperwork will be submitted to a supervisor, and if the supervisor thinks an arrest warrant is appropriate, it will be issued. Then, if D.A. Larry Krasner thinks that there are grounds for a prosecution, he will prosecute. Realizing that perhaps initiating the Philadelphia version of "The Purge" might trouble some people, they added this provision: "If an officer believes that releasing the offender would pose a threat to public safety, the officer will notify a supervisor who will review the totality of the circumstances and utilize discretion in the interest of public safety, in determining the appropriate course of action." Translation: "What the public doesn't know won't hurt them, let him loose." When I read that directive a few days ago, I really did think it was someone playing a prank on the city. It was so incredibly fantastical and the stuff of apocalyptic fiction that I thought not even Krasner and his social justice warrior band of merry men and women would come up with a blanket "no arrest" plan. But it is legitimate, and taken together with the ACLU's demand that we release criminals because they are part of a "vulnerable community," I have come to the conclusion that no amount of social distancing will save us. We've already gone mad. Christine Flowers (cflowers1961@gmail.com) is an attorney and a columnist for the Delaware County Daily Times. Authorities in the Netherlands said they have recalled over half a million face masks imported from China after discovering they are substandard. The problem with the masks delivered by a Chinese manufacturer on March 21 was that they did not close over the face properly, or had defective filters, the Dutch health ministry said in a statement on Saturday, according to AFP. The recall concerned nearly half of the shipment of 1.3 million FFP2 medical face masks loose-fitting rectangles that cover the nose and mouth. It was mostly meant to prevent and protect patients and health caregivers from spreading and contracting Covid19, a strain of coronavirus that has kept over half a million people bedridden. The statement said about 600,000 of them already sent to hospitals were found defective and are being returned to China. The health ministry said it received a signal that, upon inspection, the quality of this shipment did not meet the required standards, the statement said. A second test also proved that the face masks did not meet the required quality standards. It has now been decided to stop the use of this entire shipment. Face masks are among most sought Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) against COVID-19. They were initially designed to protect the patient from coughed or exhaled secretions by health workers during sterile procedures but recently, it has become an essential protective for care givers. With the pneumonia-like COVID-19, which has surpassed the threshold of over half a million infections, claiming more than 30,000 lives, everybody now uses face masks. The Netherlands has so far reported 9,800 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus and 632 deaths. Health authorities in Nigeria where 97 people have been infected had advised that face masks are not for everybody. You see, the face mask that people are struggling to buy, I tell you its not very necessary where you dont have a candidate (I wont say a patient now) that is not manifesting symptoms sneezing, minister of state for health, Olorunnimbe Mamora, said. The face mask is really meant for a person who is sneezing, coughing, and wanting to protect others around him/her and for people who are in care-giving centres. PREMIUM TIMES reported how Nigeria recorded its 97th COVID-19 case late on Saturday, and how a review of official data shows that the number of confirmed cases rose by 340 per cent in a week. New Delhi, March 29 : The Health Ministry has issued guidelines and standard operating procedure to the health workers dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic in the country. The SOP says that all suspect cases must be admitted to isolation facilities, adding those in close contact are most vulnerable. It has also issued guidelines for ambulances transporting patients to "strict adhere" to cleaning and decontamination protocols. The fleet in-charge or person designated by CMO/CS will supervise its adherence. Call centres after receiving the call will try to triage the condition of the patient and accordingly dispatch either ALS, BLS or other registered ambulances. "However, ensure that 102 ambulances should not be used for corona patients and should only be used for transporting pregnant women and sick infants," the SOP said. The Ambulance staff should be trained and oriented about common signs and symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, cough and difficulty in breathing). The Ministry provided FAQ on the symptoms of the coronavirus and be aware about common infection, prevention and control practices including use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Both the EMT and driver of ambulance will wear PPE while handling, managing and transporting the COVID identified/ suspect patients. Similar use of PPE is to be ensured by the health personnel at receiving health facility. Patients and attendants should be provided with triple layer mask and gloves. Simple public health measures such as hand hygiene and respiratory etiquettes need to be adhered to by all. The SOP said that after getting the SOS call, the health worker will assess the situation on the phone and after instruction by the supervisor would proceed. The advisory also calls for weekly monitoring and supervision by the CMO to assess the situation and also logistics support of medicine and essential equipment. Britain is finally carrying out 10,000 tests per day to diagnose coronavirus, Michael Gove confirmed today. Amid mounting criticism about slow progress gearing up the response, the Cabinet minister insisted the government was 'very concerned' about the growing death toll and was doing 'all that we can' to 'accelerate' the numbers of tests. But he declined to give a timescale for when all frontline NHS staff will get access to checks - after small-scale trials were launched, with just 800 a day expected initially. And there is still no clear idea when the UK will be conducting the 25,000 tests a day promised by Boris Johnson. The comments came as former Tony Blair warned that nearly everyone in the UK will need to be tested - perhaps two or three times each. There are also claims that it is 'unfair' senior politicians such as Mr Johnson and health secretary Matt Hancock have been formally diagnosed with the disease, while NHS workers are left in limbo. On another day of countries scrambling to limit the damage from the deadly virus: The official UK coronavirus death toll has risen by 209 in 24 hours from 1,019 to 1,228; Boris Johnson is said to be 'very firmly in charge' of the government's response despite being isolated in No11 Downing Street; Tony Blair has warned that more than 180million tests might need to be carried out in Britain to defeat the disease; Forecasts suggest the UK jobless total could reach 2.75million within months and GDP fall by 10 per cent; Mr Gove has blamed Chinese secrecy for slowing down action against the coronavirus threat; An emergency effort to repatriate Britons stranded abroad could be launched as early as tomorrow; A former business adviser to the PM has complained about firms being 'shamed' into closing and suggested drive-through restaurants should still be operating. Britain is finally carrying out 10,000 tests per day to diagnose coronavirus, Michael Gove confirmed today Mr Gove said Boris Johnson (pictured taking a meeting by video conference yesterday) could still lead the government response despite being infected Labour MP and doctor says 'not fair' PM gets coronavirus test while NHS staff miss out A Labour MP and doctor has complained that Boris Johnson had a coronavirus test when NHS staff are not getting access. The PM and health secretary Matt Hancock both received a positive diagnosis of the disease last week after developing symptoms. Rosena Allin-Khan, who has been working in a hospital during the crisis, said she was 'really disappointed' health workers were not currently being routinely tested for the disease. 'These are the people who are at the front line, these are people who need to know whether or not they have the virus or not,' she told Sky News. 'So, if they feel better, if they're feeling poorly, they can return to work and keep working.' Dr Allin-Khan said testing this group was important to 'keep their families and communities safe' - adding she would like to see mass testing rolled out as soon as possible. 'It is absolutely urgent that NHS and care staff are tested and they have access to testing immediately,' she said. 'I'm not sure it's entirely fair that senior politicians are having access to testing when frontline NHS staff, who are going in to work night shifts, day shifts, double shifts at the moment, can't get the tests that they need.' Advertisement The World Health Organisation (WHO) and other experts have been warning that mass checks are crucial for keeping the spread of the killer disease under control. Countries like South Korea and China have been praised for their wide-scale testing regimes, which seem to have helped limit cases. However, the UK shelved efforts to test everyone with symptoms on March 12, when the response moved into a 'delay' phase. Instead people who thought they had the illness were urged to self-isolate unless their conditions became so severe they needed medical help. Amid criticism, Mr Johnson then declared just under a fortnight ago that there would be a big expansion of tests from under 5,000 a day to 25,000. Speaking on Sky News' Sophy Ridge programme, Mr Gove said he could confirm the number of tests per day had now hit 10,000.. 'We're going to move to get that up to 25,000 a day and we're doing all that we can to increase and to accelerate that, and I hope that we will be able to test as many frontline workers at the earliest possible stage,' he said. 'We've been working, as I say, with scientists, with the big players in providing medical supplies and drugs, like Boots, and others, in order to increase the number of tests that we have.' But asked when the checks would be available to all front line NHS staff he merely said: 'I hope that we will be able to test as many frontline workers at the earliest possible stage.' Mr Blair warned that a 'very large' proportion of the entire population will need to be tested for coronavirus - potentially two or three times. He said: 'Your risk, obviously, is as you start to ease the lockdown, how do you then deal with any resurgence of the disease? This, of course, is what they're now dealing with in China and South Korea, and elsewhere. 'Unless you have that testing capability that you can apply at scale, and by the way when I say mass testing I mean I actually think you will need to get to the point where you've got the capability, and I assume we're preparing for this now, of testing literally a very large proportion of the entire population. 'You may have to do those tests two or three different times because you need all the time to be able to track what's happening with the disease, to learn where, for example, there may be a surge or a hotspot of it, and take immediate action.' Labour MP Rosena Allin-Khan, a doctor who has been working in a hospital during the crisis, said she was 'really disappointed' that NHS staff were not currently being tested for the disease. Mass testing fastest way to end lockdown, says Jeremy Hunt Mass testing is the fastest way to end the coronavirus lockdown, according to former health secretary Jeremy Hunt. The success countries such as South Korea and Germany have had in using mass testing to curb the spread of the virus should serve as an example, Mr Hunt wrote in The Sunday Telegraph. 'The restaurants are open in South Korea,' he wrote. 'You can go shopping in Taiwan. Offices are open in Singapore. 'These countries learned the hard way how to deal with a pandemic after the deadly Sars virus. They now show us how we can emerge from lockdown.' Just weeks after it was the second hardest-hit country in Asia, widespread testing has seen South Korea dramatically slow its infection rate, recording just 105 new cases on Sunday. Meanwhile, Germany has carried out four times as many tests as the UK and recorded only 342 deaths from the virus. Mr Hunt says this is because mass testing gives authorities greater clarity when it comes to identifying and containing potential outbreaks. 'Where you find it, you can isolate and contain it,' he writes. 'And where you don't, vital services continue to function. 'With mass testing, accompanied by rigorous tracing of every person a Covid-19 patient has been in touch with, you can break the chain of transmission.' Advertisement 'These are the people who are at the front line, these are people who need to know whether or not they have the virus or not,' she told Sky News. 'So, if they feel better, if they're feeling poorly, they can return to work and keep working.' Dr Allin-Khan said testing this group was important to 'keep their families and communities safe' - adding she would like to see mass testing rolled out as soon as possible. 'It is absolutely urgent that NHS and care staff are tested and they have access to testing immediately,' she said. 'I'm not sure it's entirely fair that senior politicians are having access to testing when frontline NHS staff, who are going in to work night shifts, day shifts, double shifts at the moment, can't get the tests that they need.' Dr Allin-Khan also said Mr Johnson and Mr Hancock should be self-isolating for 14 days rather than the seven they have suggested so far, as they might still be infectious. 'Some people have had the disease process that lasted 12-14 days so for senior politicians such as the Prime Minister and the Health Secretary to suggest that they will return to work after seven days is a real worry for people working in the health sector like myself, because we need to save lives and we need people to properly observe self-isolation processes,' she said. Asked about hints from Mr Johnson that the government could be forced to escalate 'social distancing' measures, Mr Gove said: 'It's always the case that Government stands ready, if necessary, to do what it takes in order to reduce the spread of infection. 'At the moment, all the evidence is that people are observing the rules, if you look at the number of people on public transport that has fallen, if you look at footfall in supermarkets and other stores that has fallen as well.' Mr Gove added: 'We keep things under review in order to ensure that if there are further steps they can be implemented.' The minister said the Government is 'very concerned' by the increase in the number of deaths from coronavirus. Asked about a steepening in the curve of deaths, the Cabinet Office minister said it was important to maintain the social distancing rules set put by the Government. The comments came as Tony Blair warned that nearly everyone in the UK will need to be tests - perhaps two or three times each He said: 'Well naturally, we're very concerned and our thoughts and prayers are with the families of all those who've lost loved ones in the last few days. 'And today's figures remind us how important it is to maintain the social distancing rules that the Government have announced. 'It's absolutely critical that all of us stay at home, that we limit our trips away from home to just one a day for exercise, we limit the amount that we shop. If we do that, we can all play our part in helping the NHS.' Mr Gove said Mr Johnson was 'very firmly in charge' of the Government following his positive diagnosis. He said the Prime Minister had chaired a meeting on Friday from his study using 'modern technology'. 'He is very firmly in charge and later this afternoon the Prime Minister will also be hosting another meeting by video conference with the relevant ministers and officials,' he said. Pressed on who would take over should Mr Johnson's condition deteriorate, Mr Gove said: 'The designated deputy to the Prime Minister is the first Secretary of State, Dominic Raab.' Banks in Punjab will remain open across the stat on March 30 and 31 to facilitate the people in their financial transactions amid the curfew restrictions. However, from April 3 onwards, all bank branches shall remain open only on two days of the week on a rotation basis, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said in a press statement on Sunday. "On the directives of Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, the State Home Department has issued an advisory regarding the operation of banks branches during curfew amid COVID-19 in the State on March 30 and March 31, and beyond," the statement reads. The Deputy Commissioners (DCs) of the State and UT Chandigarh have been asked to extend necessary support and ensure other requisite items during relaxation to the banking staff. "On March 31, special clearing of all government cheques will be conducted. Though April 1 is a non-public dealing day for the banks, the DCs have been asked to provide requisite passes to the bank staff on that day too. From April 3 onwards, the operation of bank branches, ATMs, BCs, cash in transit/cash replenishment agencies, IT and engineering support vendors for banks shall be regulated, with a skeletal staff," the statement reads. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a 21-day lockdown to stem the spread of COVID-19, which has left thousands dead around the world. It has affected 979 people in India so far. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The widow of one of Britain's richest men has been ordered to pay thousands in compensation to a housekeeper who branded her 'evil and vicious'. Sigrid 'Sigi' Aiken, 76, was accused by Eveline Montrieux of 'nasty and humiliating' behaviour which left her shaking and in tears. Miss Montrieux told a tribunal she had a good relationship with Mrs Aiken's late husband, ferry tycoon Michael Aiken MBE, after being hired to work in their 2.5million mansion in 2012. Sigrid 'Sigi' Aiken (left), 76, who was married to ferry tycoon Michael Aiken MBE (right), has been ordered to pay thousands in compensation to a housekeeper But the 67-year-old said she had to endure seven years of daily unpleasantness and obstruction from Mrs Aiken before being sacked without warning days after his death aged 80 last March. The tribunal has now ruled in Miss Montrieux's favour and awarded her 4,000 for breach of contract and being dismissed without notice. After the case, the mother-of-three told how she still needed help for post-traumatic stress disorder, had been left unable to work and plans a civil claim for damages. 'I think she saw me as a threat,' said Miss Montrieux. 'She is very controlling. 'Many times she left me in tears and having to walk out. I only put up with it so long because I needed the money.' Miss Montrieux, whose ex-husband Evan Clements was a racing driver who came eighth at Le Mans in 1986, was hired by the Aikens to help run their mansion in Penshurst, Kent. It has five bedrooms, plus two more in a barn annexe, plus a swimming pool, pool room, gun room and library. Mr Aiken made The Sunday Times rich list after selling his Isle of Wight ferry business for 230million in 2005. He chaired the Mary Rose and Rochester Cathedral trusts, and was made an MBE for services to national heritage. Eveline Montrieux accused the widow of 'nasty and humiliating' behaviour which left her shaking and in tears He met his wife when she was a sixth former in her native Germany where he was serving as a British Army officer. Miss Montrieux lived locally and was interviewed by Mrs Aiken for the job paying 24,000 a year for 20 hours a week. Her tasks included cleaning the silver plus helping with the couple's dogs, horses and pool. But over seven years, her relationship with the lady of the house became increasingly difficult. Finally there was a 'total breakdown', the employment tribunal in Ashford, Kent, heard. Miss Montrieux claimed Mrs Aiken undermined her, humiliated her and obstructed her. Her boss was 'nasty, vicious' and caused 'emotional distress' affecting her mental and physical wellbeing. The housekeeper added that 'on a couple of occasions' Mr Aiken had intervened to tell his wife to treat her better. In text messages to him in January 2019, Miss Montrieux said she had to go home as Mrs Aiken had been 'awful' and 'my whole body is trembling'. Extracts from her diary shown to the tribunal referred to her boss as 'evil'. Father-of-three Mr Aiken died suddenly while out riding a year ago. The tribunal heard his son Alex then texted the housekeeper to say her employment was terminated. The family claimed she was made redundant as there was less work to do. But in his ruling issued last week, Employment Judge Mason ruled Miss Montrieux was unfairly dismissed and the relationship with Mrs Aiken was 'toxic'. Home Secretary Priti Patel has vowed to crack down on domestic abusers who are exploiting the lockdown to make their victims feel 'especially isolated, vulnerable and exposed'. Ms Patel told The Mail on Sunday she was aware that 'home is not the safe haven it should be' but abusers would be hunted down and punished. Her remarks come as a police chief revealed that cases of online child abuse have increased during the coronavirus crisis, as home-schooled pupils spend more time unsupervised on their computers. Katy Bourne, chairman of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC), said chief constables were closely monitoring the alarming side effect of school closures. The Home Secretary, pictured, has vowed to crack down on domestic abusers who are exploiting the lockdown Ms Patel said that while this 'extraordinary and emotional time' was hard for everyone, 'for some people it is even harder, because home is not the safe haven it should be'. She said the Government was aware that the strict isolation rules had left people trapped in domestic situations which they had been fighting to escape. 'I am acutely aware that the necessary guidelines about social distancing and self-isolation may leave the victims of hidden crime, such as domestic abuse and child sexual abuse, feeling especially isolated, vulnerable and exposed,' she said. 'And now schools are closed, millions of children are spending more time online than they otherwise would have and may be even more vulnerable to online predators.' 15 million has been pledged to tackle domestic abuse, pictured, as fears grow that the stay-at-home coronavirus guidelines may leave victims feeling especially isolated, vulnerable and exposed Ms Patel added: 'My message to every potential victim is simple: we have not forgotten you and we will not let you down. And my message to every perpetrator is equally simple: you will not get away with your crimes.' The APCC's Ms Bourne said police forces had seen an increase in online crime generally as well as online child abuse. 'Chief constables are monitoring this closely and issuing warrants where necessary. For us it's also about making people aware and guarding against these types of crime,' she said. It is understood the Home Office is planning to release figures this week on the shift in online child abuse cases since the onset of the crisis. The National Crime Agency (NCA) had already warned of the risk of increased online child abuse as people spend more time indoors and on the internet. Last week, Europol, the EU's law enforcement agency, said it had information that 'strongly indicates increased online activity by those seeking child abuse material'. It said that on internet forums and message boards, child abusers were 'welcoming opportunities to engage with children'. The NCA added that in 2019 about 140,000 UK internet users were registered on the most graphic child abuse sites on the dark web. The NSPCC children's charity said staff were also reporting an increase in calls to its child welfare helpline by concerned members of the public. The Government is working with charities, schools and law enforcement to ensure parents and children know how to stay safe online, pictured Donald Findlater, director of the child abuse helpline Stop it Now!, which works alongside law enforcement, said he expected a sharp rise in the use of its services. He said: 'We have seen an increase in the use of pornographic sites because of isolation measures and we know this can be a precursor for some men with addictions to move into illegal child abuse material. Parents can help in tackling this and think about what their children are doing when they are being quiet in their rooms, because that lack of supervision can make them more vulnerable online.' Meanwhile, police forces are reporting plummeting rates of crimes, such as violence, linked to the night-time economy, as well as burglaries and traffic offences. The closure of pubs, clubs and shops, and people remaining indoors, has led to significant falls in reports of crime. Police, pictured today speaking to a cyclist in London's Richmond Park, are at the heart of the Government's efforts to ensure social distancing works for everyone At the same time, domestic abuse cases are said to have increased, according to charities and police leaders. There are concerns that victims trapped in abusive relationships will be forced to spend more time at home with their partners. Lucy Hadley, of domestic abuse charity Women's Aid, said: 'On our online chat service, which is open for two hours, we see between 200 and 400 users a day and there has been an increased demand for the last couple of weeks.' Avon and Somerset Police reported a 20 per cent increase in domestic abuse incidents in the past two weeks, from 718 to 868. In some areas of China that are quarantined due to the coronavirus, domestic abuse cases trebled in February compared with the previous year. The novel pandemic has led to the country going into complete lockdown and small businesses and vendors are suffering to make ends meet. Farmers are also struggling to sell their produce which is making things very hard for them. A young farmer from Ingalakuppe of Pandavapura in Mandya district dumped several crates of his tomato produce into a lake as he failed to sell it due to the lockdown. According to a report in I, the farmer placed the produce in a mini-van and took it to Mysuru to sell. However, the police authorities were reportedly not behaving very well with the farmers which compelled him to return to his village. YouTube Angry and frustrated with his helpless situation, the farmer dumped at least three tonnes of tomato into the water body. In a video posted by TV9 Kannada, the farmer can be seen throwing away his produce into the lake and expressing his disapproval over how the authorities have failed to act in a proper manner. The farmer also mentions how he is unable to hold the produce for more than two days since it will get rotten and due to the unavailability of space to store it, he is left with no option but to dispose it off. TOI He recorded the whole incident on video so that he could pass on a message to Mandya MP Sumalatha and MLAs so that they are aware of the farmers' plight. Not just this, in Agartala's Goalabasti area, where most of the city's milkmen live, milk is being dumped down the drains since the prices are drastically down and there is no storage space available. There are about a hundred cows in Goalabasti owned by four hundred families. Reuters On one hand, thousands of people are starving to death and on the other, people are failing to sell food items due to poor administration and a lockdown that this nation was not prepared for. This irony is the saddest situation ever. Coronavirus restrictions make this an awkward time for someone in a leadership position to change agencies. After nearly 13 years as executive director of The Center for Individuals with Physical Challenges, Lori Long had to order its doors closed on what would have been her last day at work Wednesday. On Monday she will start as executive director of the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, unable to meet with her new staff, who are in the middle of a growing emergency situation because of the pandemic with so many people out of work and with kids out of school. Leaving her longtime staff was hard but they knew a closure might be coming so she had one-on-one goodbyes in recent days. They all know Im a hugger by nature so we joked around with some fist bumps and elbow bumps, she said. Saying goodbye to the many at-risk clients she has come to know was harder. She turned to Facebook Live, offered a list of community resources available during these hard times and said farewell. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A retired 73-year-old FDNY battalion chief from Staten Island, who lost his son on 9/11, has tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19), according to a report in the New York Post. Albert Petrocellis wife, Ginger, told the Post he went to his doctor March 17 after feeling fatigued. On March 24, Petrocelli tested positive for coronavirus. Hes now quarantined with his wife until April 4, the report said. Hes feeling terrible, extremely weak. He sleeps around the clock. I have to wake him up to make sure he eats, his wife told the Post. The Petrocellis lost their son, Mark, 28 -- who was to attend a meeting on the 92nd floor of the World Trade Centers Tower 1 -- on Sept. 11, 2001. *** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK *** *** Be the first to know: Sign up for our newsletters; and get breaking news and top stories pushed to your phone with the SILive.com mobile app. CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE: Source: Several coronavirus cases at S.I. Amazon facility These companies are hiring in wake of coronavirus Coronavirus: NY officially on pause; all non-essential businesses shuttered With restaurant dine-in option halted, Uber Eats waives delivery fees MTA continuing to monitor service levels as coronavirus spreads Amazon warns of slower deliveries, depleted stock amid coronavirus Rumor of a mandated national quarantine is untrue and unfounded, White House says S.I. to be first borough with drive-thru testing for coronavirus Fact vs. rumor: America is not quarantined for coronavirus, National Security Council says Coronavirus: NYC bars, restaurants limited to takeout and delivery FOLLOW TRACEY PORPORA ON FACEBOOK and TWITTER Ottawa, March 29 : Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that anyone showing any symptoms of the novel coronavirus won't be allowed to board domestic flights and trains from Monday. "As of Monday at noon, people showing any signs whatsoever of COVID-19 will be denied boarding at all domestic flights and intercity passenger trains," Trudeau said at his daily press conference on Saturday. "It will be important for operators of airlines and trains to ensure that people who are exhibiting symptoms do not board those trains. "It will be a Transport Canada rule that will be enforced," Xinhua news agency quoted Trudeau as saying. He said his government will provide airlines and rail companies with "further tools" to bar those showing symptoms from getting on planes and trains, but did not explain what those enhanced screening measures would look like. The ban, Trudeau said, does not apply to interprovincial bus travel, which does not fall under the jurisdiction of the federal government. "Some industries are not under federal jurisdiction but we do recommend and in fact we are putting rules in place to make sure people do not take any trips anywhere if they have COVID-19 symptoms," Trudeau said. The Prime Minister said that his government was not currently looking at closing the borders between the provinces and territories in the country. "We will make those decisions as they're needed." The government has already banned overseas Canadians and permanent residents who are exhibiting symptoms from boarding flights back home, but has been criticized for a lack of enforcement. As of Friday, there were 4,757 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 55 deaths in Canada. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New York City police lost its first detective to Covid-19, marking the third NYPD death to the disease that has afflicted the department.(Spencer Platt/Getty Images) 3rd NYPD Member Dies of Coronavirus After Hundreds of Officers Test Positive New York City police lost its first detective to CCP virus, marking the third NYPD death to the disease that has afflicted the department. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. Detective Cedric Dickson, a 23-year veteran, worked in the 32nd Precinct in Harlem, NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said. May we never forget the sacrifice of those workers who put themselves in harms way to keep you and your family safe, the police chief said. The detective was in his 40s and had underlying health conditions, multiple law enforcement officials said. Shea did not provide details on the officers health history. Two other members of the department have died from coronavirus, which has infected at least 512 NYPD employees. Dennis C. Dickson, a custodian who worked at police headquarters, died Thursday, Shea said. Shea lauded Dicksons commitment to the department, noting the 14-year veteran worked 17 days straight during Hurricane Sandy in 2012. On Friday, NYPD said Giacomina Barr-Brown, a civilian worked in the 49th Precinct Roll Call Office, was the second member of the force to die from coronavirus. Barr-Brown was a seven-year veteran of the NYPD. The growing numbers of first responders and health care workers falling sick with coronavirus is doubly worrisome because there are fewer people who can help members of the public. On Friday, 4,122 NYPD employees were out sick, a senior NYPD official said. Thats about 11% of the departments workforce. At least 442 uniformed NYPD members and 70 civilian members have tested positive for coronavirus, the official said. And given the nature of the virus, it is expected that this number will grow, NYPD said in a statement this week. The department says its been distributing gloves, masks, alcohol wipes and sanitizer to officers to help them work safely. But if any member feels sick, they should stay home, Shea said. NYPD officers have been out in their patrol cars and on foot since Sunday night, informing people about the states social distancing policies, a law enforcement official told CNN. Officers have been looking for groups of people congregating and telling them to disperse. Men and women of the New York Police Department are stepping up. Theyre here for you. Theyre out there putting themselves uniform and civilian at risk to keep you safe, Shea added. The United States now has more reported cases of coronavirus than any other country in the world. Because coronavirus is about twice as contagious as the flu and can spread between people without symptoms yet, health officials urge the public to stay at least 6 feet away from others and stop touching your face. The Epoch Times contributed to this report. The-CNN-Wire & 2020 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. An aspiring influencer who went viral for licking a toilet seat for the 'coronavirus challenge' revealed she pulled the abhorrent stunt on her 'sugar daddy's' private jet and the toilet seat was disinfected beforehand. Ava Louise, 21, revealed in a Thursday interview with Dr. Phil that she purposefully used the coronavirus pandemic - which has killed more than 30,000 people and infected nearly 700,000 - to gain publicity and 'clout.' Louise explained to Dr. Phil that the coordinated incident allegedly happened on her 'sugar daddy's' plane while she was flying to Miami, Florida, for spring break. 'What the hell were you thinking when youre licking a toilet seat on an airplane on the way to spring break when the countrys shut down,' Dr. Phil asked. 'I bleached that [seat],' said Louise, revealing she lied about the stunt. Ava Louise (pictured) revealed in an interview with Dr. Phil that she started the 'coronavirus challenge' because she was annoyed it was getting more publicity than her Louise made headlines last week after a Tik Tok video showed her licking a toilet seat while in an airplane bathroom. 'Please [retweet] this so people can know how to properly be sanitary on the airplane,' she captioned the six-second video. The video drew outrage from social media users and backlash from people like Meghan McCain. Louise initially shared a Tik Tok video of her licking an airplane toiler seat with the caption 'coronavirus challenge', but revealed to Dr. Phil that it was partially staged Louise told Dr. Phil that licking the toilet seat was low on the list of questionable things she'd done over spring break. 'One, I had way dirtier things in my mouth that whole spring break. Two, I bleached [the toilet]. Three, private plane. 'I flew down on my sugar daddys plane with my best friend. So really, it wasnt that dirty. I wasnt putting myself or anyone else at risk.' When Dr. Phil questioned her about deceiving viewers, Louise added that she thought the media was lying about the coronavirus pandemic because no one she knew had contracted the disease. 'Yeah, I think thats what the media is doing I think with this entire virus,' she said. Louise (pictured): 'Its funny because I created the fake news myself...I represent the whole Gen Z population in that Im not terrified of [coronavirus]' 'I was with thousands of people at Spring Break. I was kissing people, I was acting out, I was being promiscuous and nothing happened,' she said, attempting to rationalize her actions. 'Its funny because I created the fake news myself...I represent the whole Gen Z population in that Im not terrified of [coronavirus]. She also admitted that she created the 'coronavirus challenge' because she was upset over not getting attention. 'I was, like, really annoyed that corona was getting more publicity than me,' said Louise, who's admitted that she wants to be 'insta-famous.' Louise went on to call baby boomers 'selfish' because they're concerned about contracting coronavirus. 'Youre calling me selfish? But like youre the ones who are concerned because youre concerned about yourselves because youre the ones who could die,' she said. It was revealed that the airplane toilet seat Louise (pictured) licked was bleached beforehand and was on her 'sugar daddy's' plane Dr. Phil then asked if possibly infection and ultimately killing someone over the coronavirus was worth receiving attention. He asked: 'If you infect one person that loses their life, is it worth it for you to have this attention?' 'Yeah,' Louise responded. 'Im hearing you talk and youre like, "Oh, youre going to kill somebody," like you know what? Ill pull up and Ill cough on you. Like Im just tired of it! This is ridiculous!' 'You're blowing this pandemic to crazy proportions, instilling fear in the nation, because you feel like it affects boomers.' Dr. Phil then called out Louise for having a 'spoiled and entitled attitude' and questioned if she was truly so 'ignorant.' During the interview, Louise (pictured) said she would cough on Dr. Phil and that baby boomers were blowing the coronavirus pandemic out of proportion Louise: 'Youre calling me selfish? But like youre the ones who are concerned because youre concerned about yourselves because youre the ones who could die' 'What youre saying is infuriating the people who are losing loved ones,' Dr. Phil added. Louise's stunt has unfortunately inspired other young influencers, including a 21-year-old from Beverly Hills who went to the hospital after licking a toilet seat. Larz, of Beverly Hills, California, shared a video of him languishing in a hospital bed five days after licking the public toilet. 'RT (retweet) to spread awareness for the Coronavirus,' he captioned the video. Meanwhile, several measures have been taken to slow down the spread of coronavirus around the globe. In the United States, reached 131,824 and 2,336 deaths as of Saturday night. As of Sunday, 132,647 American citizens have been diagnose with Covid-19 and at least 2,355 have died In an epicenter like New York, there are an estimated 59,513 cases and at least 965 deaths. In New York City, there are a staggering 33,786 cases and 678 deaths. On Sunday, Dr Deborah Birx, the White House's coronavirus response coordinator, said that new coronavirus hotspots - including New Orleans and Detroit - could be worse than New York City. 'Every metro area should assume that they will have an outbreak equivalent to New York,' said Birx during a NBC News inverview. Birx has said that the White House task force anticipates challenges in areas that have not yet seen widespread outbreaks. She said the Trump administration is working hard to push supplies such as ventilators out to affected areas to prevent hospitals from becoming overwhelmed - as many across the country are already complaining of dangerous shortages. 'Hospitals are so busy taking care of the people who are ill, they can't be spending time doing inventory,' Birx said. 'We need to help and support that.' 'The sooner we react and the sooner the states and the metro areas react and ensure that they have put in full mitigation ... then we'll be able to move forward,' she added. Trump announced Saturday that he may place a quarantine on New York due to its place as a coronavirus hotspot, Within hours, Cuomo blasted the proposal in strong terms. 'If you start walling off areas all across the country it would just be totally bizarre, counter-productive, anti-American, anti-social,' said Cuomo in an interview with CNN on Saturday evening. 'This is a civil war kind of discussion,' Cuomo said of the proposal. 'I don't believe that any administration could be serious about physical lockdowns of states.' Cuomo said that it would probably be illegal to quarantine New York, as well as totally ineffective, given the rise of other virus hotspots in the country such as New Orleans. 'It makes absolutely no sense and I don't think any serious governmental personality or professional would support it,' Cuomo said. Trump later backpedaled and instead ordered a travel advisory. President Trump (pictured) said Saturday that New York could be quarantined, but later said a travel advisory would be issued instead In New York City alone, there are at least 30,765 confirmed coronavirus cases and around 672 On the recommendation of the White House CoronaVirus Task Force, and upon consultation with the Governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, I have asked the [CDC] to issue a strong Travel Advisory, to be administered by the Governors, in consultation with the Federal Government,' Trump tweeted on Saturday from the White House. 'A quarantine will not be necessary. Full details will be released by CDC tonight. Thank you!' he continued. On Saturday night, confirmed cases of coronavirus hit 123,788 and deaths surpassed 2,100 nationwide, with 672 deaths in New York City alone. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued the advisory late on Saturday, saying: 'Due to extensive community transmission of COVID -19 in the area, CDC urges residents of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to refrain from non-essential domestic travel for 14 days effective immediately.' The advisory does not apply to employees of critical infrastructure industries, 'including but not limited to trucking, public health professionals, financial services, and food supply,' the CDC said. The agency said that the governors of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut will have 'full discretion' to implement the advisory. Samples taken from an 81-year-old woman who recently died at a quarantine camp in Vietnams Mekong Delta have returned negative for the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), with police now working to identify the cause of her death. Officers in Chau Thanh District, Tien Giang Province confirmed on Saturday they were investigating a case where an elderly woman passed away at the quarantine area inside the provinces military school. According to preliminary information, Tr.A.T., 81, was among 239 Vietnamese citizens returning from Australia who were taken to the isolation zone on March 22. T. was on medication for hypertension and bronchial asthma. As of 8:00 pm on Thursday, the elderly woman said she had lost her appetite and suffered insomnia, chest pain, and fatigue. A doctor then measured her blood pressure at 140/90 mmHg and prescribed some medicines for the woman. Her condition worsened on the following morning with signs of breathing and heart problems, thus doctors agreed to transfer her to a local general hospital for further care and treatment. The 239 Vietnamese citizens returning from Australia were taken to the quarantine area on March 22, 2020. Photo: H.T. / Tuoi Tre While necessary paperwork was prepared for the transfer, a nurse could not find T. in her room and later discovered the elderly woman lying unconscious in the restroom. Doctors performed emergency procedures on the woman but she had already gone into cardiac arrest. They confirmed her death after 30 minutes of effort and believed the causes were acute myocardial infarction, hypertension, and a history of bronchial asthma. Her test sample was sent to the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City on Friday and the result later came back negative for COVID-19. The novel coronavirus, which first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019, has infected over 662,500 people and killed more than 30,800 globally as of Sunday morning, according to Ministry of Health statistics. Vietnam has announced 179 COVID-19 patients so far, with 21 having been discharged from the hospital by Saturday. No fatality related to the disease has been reported in the country to date. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A South African civil society group named the Hola Bon Renaissance (HBR) Foundation has taken President Cyril Ramaphosa to the Constitutional Court over the countrys 21-day lockdown. South Africas lockdown was implemented at midnight on Thursday 26 March and prohibits South Africans from leaving their homes for anything other than essential services in an attempt to control the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. According to a report by the Sunday Times, HBR argues this lockdown is unconstitutional and that the COVID-19 coronavirus poses no serious threat to the country and its people. HBR Foundation believes that COVID-19 cannot be harmful to Africans, the foundation said. HBRs argument is based on reports which incorrectly state that some people are resistant to COVID-19 based on non-medical criteria such as their country of origin. It is important to note that the COVID-19 coronavirus is potentially dangerous to all people regardless of age, gender, race, and many other factors it is a global pandemic which has spread to almost every country around the world. HBR previously lost a case in the Constitutional Court in 2011, where it argued that Soweto should have its own municipality. The report acknowledged a different case against the 21-day lockdown which did succeed US citizens were trapped in South Africa after system inefficiencies at Home Affairs resulted in their adoption of a child taking much longer than expected to resolve. These citizens were granted special leave to return to the United States during the period of the lockdown. Cases on the rise The number of confirmed COVID-19 coronavirus cases has continued to rise following the implementation of the lockdown in SA. South Africa now has 1,187 confirmed cases of the virus, with one confirmed death. Gauteng leads the number of confirmed coronavirus cases with 533, followed by the Western Cape on 271 and KwaZulu-Natal on 156. We must outrightly state that these numbers do not indicate a reduction in the number of infections, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said. He said it is merely a reflection of positive results that were received, verified and ready for reporting. The National Institute for Communicable Diseases explained it is actively cleaning COVID-19 patient data to ensure that the information is verified and accurate. As such, figures may not always add up sequentially due to the activities being performed with regard to data cleaning and quality assurance of the dataset. Lockdown arrests During the first day of the lockdown in SA, 55 people were arrested for breaking its rules. Police Minister Bheki Cele said 172 roadblocks had been put up around the country, with just under 24,000 SA police officers, metro police, and other enforcers manning them. It was also confirmed that SANDF soldiers have been deployed to all provinces in South Africa. While there were initially some cases where the requirements of the national lockdown were not observed, many South Africans are now adhering to the requirement to stay home. South Africans are only allowed to leave their homes to buy food and medicine, to seek medical attention, and to collect a social grant. [March 29, 2020] ICU Eyewear and Contour Optik Heed the Call and Expand Production Capacity to Hundreds of Millions of PPE and COVID-19 Test Kits ICU Eyewear (ICU), in partnership with Contour Optik, has pivoted its production resources to meet our country's urgent need for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and COVID-19 test kits. Nationwide demand for PPE has far exceeded supply, putting healthcare workers and other essential service providers at risk. ICU has significant capacity, resources and relationships in the medical supply industry, and protection for healthcare providers is ICU's top priority. Bottom Line: ICU has the ability to supply bulk quantities of PPE now. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200329005025/en/ "We are working with our partner companies in China to assist them in going through the FDA regulatory process. This ensures that our products meet U.S standards so they can be imported and placed into the hands of the providers who need them," says ICU CEO Kirk Hobbs. ICU is able to produce and ship the following in mass quantities: - N95 face masks - KN95 (Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA for the KN95 is underway) - ASTM Levels 1, 2, and 3 face masks - Goggles, face shields, gloves and other protective equipment For example, ICU can manufacture KN95's at a rate of 1 million per ay, and ASTM Levels 1 and 2 face masks at a rate of over 5 million per day. ICU is also North America's exclusive agent for Mole Bioscience. Together we are working to get COVID-19 test kits to market as quickly as possible. The FDA's requisite EUA process is underway and once that approval is granted, tests will be available immediately. "ICU and Contour are pleased to be donating a total of 100,000 masks and 50,000 face shields to medical organizations in underserved communities throughout the state of California in this time of great need," added David Chao, Contour Optik chief executive officer. About ICU/Contour Optik Partnership ICU Eyewear is a California-based company that has been in business for 20+ years. We are an FDA-certified supplier of eyewear focused on the retail channel with customers including Target (News - Alert), Whole Foods and Office Depot. Given the need for PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) due to the Covid-19 epidemic, we have focused significant resources on the production, importation and distribution of PPE and Covid-19 test kits. We are able to support the emergency demand for these materials in the United States because Contour has specialized knowledge and experience in the production of PPE. It was drafted by the Chinese government to produce surgical goggles and face shields during the peak of their own COVID-19 crisis. As a member of the consortium of companies called upon to produce PPE for the Chinese outbreak, Contour developed connections and relationships throughout the Chinese PPE supply-chain. Contour and ICU have developed supply relationships with key manufacturers for all of the PPE items, and are currently taking purchase orders and delivering. Contact information: Sales and bulk orders: [email protected] or [email protected] For product specific information visit www.icueyewear.com/ppe. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200329005025/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The movement of migrants will ensure that the coronavirus outbreak is distributed across the country. The ISBTs and inter-state border between economically well-off states and poor states have become the new hotspots The immediate problem that has overwhelmed India is the movement of millions of migrant labourers who are now crossing state borders to reach their villages. Specific inter-state transit bus terminals (ISBT) across the country are crumbling under the weight of the migrant daily wagers wanting to go home. This has created an unprecedented situation as the coronavirus pandemic is now on the move. So many people at one spot all clustered and crowded in a location is also creating new hotspots for the virus. To understand the enormity of the problem, the Economic Survey 2017 estimated that 90 lakh people moved between states annually for five years between 2011-2016. The total number of internal migrants in the country (accounting for inter- and intra-state movement) is a massive 13.9 crores (139 million). The inter-state movement has source states and destination states. Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are the biggest source of migrants, followed by Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir and West Bengal. The major destination for migrants - Delhi, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. Th media focuses on Delhi, but its happening in other destination states and cities too. What Delhi is witnessing is inter-state migration to Uttar Pradesh and adjoining border states. Delhi has the second largest migrant population after Maharashtra. The movement is to Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab. There is an intra-state migration from cities to village across all states also and its not being monitored or tested. Coronavirus is on the move. The reason for the migration is two-fold - first is the fear of coronavirus and second, a more pressing one, is the loss of jobs in the informal sector. The migrants cannot feed their families, pay their rent or survive in the city due to the lockdown hitting jobs in construction, manufacturing, restaurants, travel and house help. Losing jobs and economic crisis is not something that can be addressed immediately because of the lockdown. Hence, people will continue to leave the cities. The de-urbanisation because of the virus will happen even if the fear recedes. It can only be controlled, and testing and treatment needs to shift. The state governments cannot handle this situation on their own. The source states have neither capacity nor capability to address such a massive number of people. Hence, it is imperative that state and central bureaucracies hand over the ISBT to the Army Services Corp (ASC) - the only organisation in the country that has the capability to organise, move and support movement at a short time on a war footing. In parallel, the response for the management needs to be delegated to the district level, as the epidemic gets diffused and distributed from cities to the hinterland. Though the government has classified it as a national disaster, it still depends on the state department machinery to address its aftermath. The movement and distress of migrants changes this completely. Even if one crore or 10 million such migrants move from cities, it will create havoc within the health system. Every one of them is a potential carrier of the virus and is carrying it now to a distant, remote village where there is no health service. This means the epidemic just exploded geographically. The lockdown has failed to contain it in cities as the virus will travel to the villages. In these villages, there is no testing, no hospitals and no ventilators. This is a disaster which could have been averted if the district collectors were involved in the lockdown from day one instead of being engaged later after the decision was made centrally. The movement of migrants changes the scenario, the disaster is now distributed across the country. The ISBTs and inter-state border between economically well-off states and poor states have become the new hotspots for the virus. The state cannot address this distribution and dispersion process anymore. It needs to recognise, accept and respond immediately. The ASC provisions, buys and distributes supplies to Army, Air Force and when required, for Navy and other paramilitary forces. It is the logistics arm of the army capable of moving both people and goods in an orderly manner. The movement at the new hot spots has to follow a strict protocol. First is availability of transportation thats sanitised for an orderly dispersal. Second is food and temporary logistic at the hotspots. Third is hospitalisations and testing facilities at these hotspots. The hospitalisation and testing facilities need to be with the Army Medical Corps (AMC) in coordination with the district administration to prepare for the deluge and volume of tests and hospitalisation. The control and command from the central and state capital needs to diffuse to the district administration level, so that response is quick. The system cannot handle or address these issues on is own, it needs the support of the civil society and communication is the key here. The time to act was yesterday. The decision to delegate authority to district level has to happen now. The author works with a think tank in New Delhi. Views expressed here are his own. Christian artists perform free concerts from their homes during quarantine Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment As Americans nationwide self-quarantine and avoid gatherings of more than 10 people, as advised by the Trump administration to combat the coronavirus, Christian artists have been using their social media platforms to offer free concerts and share music. For King &Country Popular duo for King & Country, Joel and Luke Smallbone, went to Lukes cabin in Nashville, Tennessee, to host a full concert for their supporters amid the global coronavirus outbreak. The brothers used technology to their advantage and connected with their full band digitally to put on a virtual concert. They used a switchboard as each musician played from their respected areas. There are a lot of things that we can't do, a lot of things that we don't know, but there are also things that we do know and things that we can do. One is we can love in the face of fear, have hope and trust, we can reach out, Joel said at the start of their TOGETHER: A Night of Hope concert on Friday. I said to someone the other day, 'thank God that we're in this time in human history where we have Amazon Prime and Facebook and FaceTime and you're able to reach out to your grandparents or reach out to someone that's hurting,' which is one of the things we're going to do this evening, he said. Along with performing some of their inspiring hits, for King & Country FaceTimed some friends including Emmy award-winning host Kathie Lee Gifford and gospel pioneer Kirk Franklin. Stream the full concert below: Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal As in many other tourist destinations in the United States, a large portion of Santa Fes housing market is short-term rentals, where guests can stay in family-sized homes for a few nights instead of a hotel. Oftentimes, owners rent properties through such websites as Airbnb and HomeAway. But the demand for these vacation rentals, as in so many other sectors of the economy, has dropped off dramatically since Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham declared a public health emergency March 11 due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Shane Morris, a Houston-based machine learning engineer, tracks online traffic for short-term rentals across the country and said the market has evaporated in a short span of time. In Santa Fe, he said, internet searches for terms like places to stay in Santa Fe fell by 97%. When you lose 97% of your searches on a term, thats deadly, he said. Theyve all cratered in the past two weeks. A report from last year indicated that there were more than 1,600 active listings for short-term rentals in Santa Fe, ranking it 12th in the country on a per capita basis. Morris said those who own multiple short-term units will be affected most by the lack of demand. One of those people is Mary Ann Kaye, who owns 12 units, all in the same block of Park Avenue, through her company, Casas de Guadalupe. Kaye said she was planning for a busy season with spring break, but now nearly all her guests have canceled. We went from a sold-out situation to a ghost town situation, she said. Her company purchased all the units several years ago and converted them from apartments into short-term rentals. Now, she has to figure out how to pay for a dozen mortgages with few or no guests. We made all our payments for the month of March, but if this continues into April and May, its going to be really difficult, said Kaye, who is now applying for a small-business loan. In response to the crisis, many owners of short-term rentals are attempting to lease their units month to month to make up the difference, listing their properties on such websites as Craiglist. One of those owners is Brenda Wall, who has mortgages on two properties she used as short-term rentals. However, with most New Mexicans now ordered to stay home, she remains unsure she can rent them out for the long term. Wall said she took out the cash value on one of her life insurance policies around $16,000 to avoid foreclosure on her properties. Based on statistics from a study by Homewise Inc. last year, around 5% of homes in Santa Fe were listed on Airbnb last November alone, a large industry supported by various managers, cleaners and other employers. Will Risbourgs company manages 75 homes across the city that are used as short-term vacation rentals and employed 10 people. Now, he has had hundreds of cancellations and had to lay off at least two employees. Were trying to stop the bleeding with some long-term stuff, but its been pretty devastating, he said. Risbourg does not have mortgages on the properties he manages, but said the owners often rely on rental income to pay the mortgages themselves. Many of them have mortgages theyre trying to pay and thats being affected pretty seriously, he said. Mortgages have long been a part of Airbnbs model. Some lenders, such as Socotra Capital in Sacramento, California, advertise Airbnb-specific loans on their website. Despite the vast potential of vacation rentals, lenders still hesitate to make loans on these properties. But not Socotra! We appreciate people trying to earn a little extra money to help pay the bills and create steady sources of monthly income, Socotras website reads. Morris said the potential for so many closures is reminiscent of the Great Recession and that he expects a spike in foreclosures over the next few months. It feels like 2008, where banks did not understand the risks with lending money to people who owned so many properties, he said. Risbourg said he hopes the vacation rental market will eventually recover, but that he remains unsure when that will happen. Depends how quickly things go back to normal, if ever, he said. Stranded in Their Own Country: Hubei Residents Feel Abandoned Amid Virus Stigma While pandemic fears have triggered instances of discrimination against Chinese people around the world, inside China, its the people of Hubei Province who feel the sting of stigma. On March 27, workers from Hubei, Chinas outbreak ground zero that recently lifted lockdown measures, found themselves shunned at the border with neighboring Jiangxi Province. At a checkpoint on a bridge near the border, Jiangxi police barred entry to Hubei residents and clashed with their Hubei counterparts who tried to ask for clarification. Amid the scuffles, at least one Hubei officer was pinned to the ground and another was grabbed by the throat, according to a leaked police report. One video captured by locals showed police slamming ballistic shields on the heads of officers from the other side in the melee. The outraged crowd staged a mass protest from 8 a.m. to late afternoon, shouting Go Hubei! and stomping on police cars, with throngs of people filling almost the entire length of the bridge at one point. On the same day, Chinese media reported the resignation of two vice Jiangxi governors, without detailing the reasons. Hubei, home to around 60 million, removed travel restrictions in regions outside its capital Wuhan City on March 25, allowing cross-border traveling for anyone who possesses a green code to certify that they are in good health. But elsewhere in the country, hostility and discrimination toward Hubei residents fueled by fears over the virus have been on the rise. Migrant workers from Hubei have found it difficult to shake off this stigma as they return to work in other regions of China. We are quarantined and bullied once we go out, Xu, a worker from Hubeis Huangmei County who went to the protest, described their challenge to The Epoch Times. A dozen migrant workers that Xu knows had tried unsuccessfully to obtain work. Once the word Hubei was mentioned, they were immediately turned down, Xu said. Stuck and Unwanted Across the country, people with links to Hubei have found themselves no longer welcome at hotels, on buses, and at former workplaces, whether or not they have recently traveled to the virus epicenter. Zhang, a resident of Xian, capital of northwestern Shaanxi Province, was unable to board the shuttle bus to the airport because he carried a Hubei identification card, even though he has never been back to Hubei since settling in Xian over 20 years ago. What kind of rule is this? Zhang recalled asking the driver, who said he was not in charge of this matter and asked him to call the airport. After rounds of calls to no avail, the driver suggested that he hail a taxi. We received a heads up from the superiors, and I cant provide anything else to you, the driver told Zhang when he asked for justification. Zhang, who was accompanying his daughter to the airport, eventually gave up, fearing that the airport might quarantine him, and thus he might even be prevented from going back home. Its not a huge deal if we lose some money, he said, referring to the airline tickets for his daughter, who had planned to report back to work in a Guangzhou foreign trading firm but is now stuck at home. She studied here from primary school through high school and attended college here, she doesnt even know what Hubei is like, he said. The only time she went back to Hubei was six years ago for a college entrance examination. A passenger waits for the train in Wuhan Metro, Hubei Province, China, on March 28, 2020. (Getty Images) They Couldnt Care Less Shuai Renbing, a migrant worker from Hubei, is facing a similar situation in Beijing. No matter if its my boss or the police, when they see one of us, its like they saw a ghost, he said. Recently unemployed and facing surging food prices, he has struggled to make ends meet for his three-person family. Even napa cabbages, known as one of the cheapest vegetables in northern China, cost four times as before, he said. Except for maintaining social stability I really dont know what they [the regime] care about, he said. Later on Friday, a crowd of several hundred from Hubei gathered at Jiangxis Jiujiang bridge police station near the border bridge to demand a formal apology. To some Hubei natives, the Jiangxi governors resignation was a small victory, but for others, it didnt resolve the root issue. No one dared to acknowledge mistakes during this outbreak. [The Chinese regime] is indebted to the people of Hubei, Huang, from Hubei, told The Epoch Times. They couldnt care less about whether people live or die, and whether they have enough to eat and drink. Xu said that all they wanted was a bit more care and peace of mind. We commoners have no money now, Xu said. Every day we dont have work, we risk starving. Niall Murphy, one of Northern Irelands most well-known solicitors (Brian Lawless/PA) An outpouring of support for a well-known solicitor battling coronavirus has been overwhelming, his law firm has said. Niall Murphy, 43, has been involved in many high-profile criminal trials and civil court cases, often representing victims of the Troubles. The married father-of-three from Belfast is in a critical condition in hospital with Covid-19. On Saturday, his firm KRW Law asked for people to send it messages of support that would be passed to his family. The loyalty shown to him in his hour of need has been humbling and inspiringKRW Law Kevin Winters, on behalf of KRW Law, told the PA news agency the response had been humbling and inspiring. Nialls condition has not altered significantly at present, he said. His family and colleagues in KRW Law have been overwhelmed with the outpouring of support from the public, not just in Ireland but across the globe. The loyalty shown to him in his hour of need has been humbling and inspiring. The multitude of messages received from the legal profession, clients and so many other well-wishers will give much-needed comfort and support to his family at this very difficult time. A governor in Somalia's Puntland was seriously wounded Sunday in a suicide bomb attack, witnesses said, in an attack claimed by the al-Shabaab jihadist group. The attack on Abdisalan Hassan Hersi, governor of the Nugaal region, happened in Puntland capital Garowe, said officials. A former police commander and a civilian were also wounded in the blast, and all three were being treated in hospital, Puntland's interior minister, Mohamed Abdirahman, told reporters. Witnesses said the attacker ran at the vehicle in which he was travelling before detonating his explosive vest. "The governor and the former police commander were wounded seriously in the blast, the police sealed off the area after the blast", one witness, Adan Suleyman, said. Abdikarim Ahmed, another witness, said the bomber ran on to the vehicle of the governor as he was parking near a police station before detonating his device. The jihadist Shabaab group claimed responsibility in a statement. The al-Qaeda affiliated group was driven out of Mogadishu in 2011 and lost most of their strongholds, but still control vast swathes of the countryside. They have vowed to overthrow the internationally backed Somali government and have carried out any attacks in the Somali capital. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Newly developed vehicles wait to be shipped at the Hyundai Ulsan plant on March 15. Local car makers have been directly affected by the global pandemic among other major industries. Yonhap Auto, oil, ship industries bracing for steep downturn By Kim Hyun-bin The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a major toll on key local manufacturers forcing them to close overseas factories as it also drastically slashed consumption. The biggest fear is the uncertainty of the global economic downturn triggered by the coronavirus, as it is difficult to predict how long the pandemic will last. Many businesses are bracing for a bigger fallout as the situation is expected to get worse in the following months. Hyundai and Kia Motors have been directly affected by the virus. Last month, the companies lacked Chinese car components after the subcontracting factories came to a halt, which lead to a halt in domestic production. Their situation became worse still this month after production plants in the U.S., Europe and India were forced to shut down due to the pandemic. Sales in China plummeted 95 percent in February compared to the same month last year, while the global spread of the virus is expected to slash consumption in the months to come. "Shares have plummeted this month, and chain shutdowns of global factories have taken a toll on the industry. There are worries the situation could get even worse in April and May," an official at a major car manufacturer said. The country's leading automaker decided to halt operations of its plants in the U.S., Europe, India, Brazil, Russia and Turkey, Friday, and currently is only operating factories in China, Mexico and Korea. Its sister company Kia Motors halted work at its plants in Georgia, U.S. through April 10 and its plant in Slovakia will be closed through April 3, while the one in India is shut down due to the lockdown there. Moody's Investors Services expected sales to fall around 14 percent this year and a 30 percent reduction is expected in the second quarter for the global car industry. It also pointed out that demand for new releases will also decline and this is expected to continue through early summer. The shipbuilding industry is also bracing for the situation to get worse in the coming months, as there has been a postponement of orders. Hyundai Heavy Industries received shipbuilding contracts worth $600 million in January to February, down 33.3 percent from the same period last year, while Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering and Samsung Heavy Industry saw 73.6 percent and 72.7 percent declines in orders, respectively. "We do not know when the virus situation will ease. It is difficult even to establish a detailed management plan," an industry official said. The steel industry has been suffering from a lack of overseas production. POSCO, the world's fifth-biggest steelmaker by output, shuttered its coil service center in Italy last week, which will remain closed through April 3, and closed four plants in India and Southeast Asia through the end of the month. The rapid spread of COVID-19, a deteriorating economic outlook, falling oil prices and asset price declines are "creating a severe and extensive credit shock," Moody's said in its statement. "The combined credit effects of these developments are unprecedented." From the comfort and safety of your own home, you can now explore Walt Disney World all by yourself. Although all Disney parks worldwide are currently closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, aerial images of the empty parks at Walt Disney World in Florida offer a unique opportunity to explore their world-famous attractions like never before. Have you ever wanted to stroll solo down Main Street? Be the only citizen of tomorrow in Tomorrowland? Take a private, adrenaline-fueled tour of Space Mountain? Related: The best Disney Plus Star Wars, sci-fi and space movies and shows Updates: The coronavirus pandemic impacts on space exploration Want to try Disney Plus? Sign up for a 7-day free trial here Up until very recently, visitors at the parks endured incredibly long wait times for rides like "Rise of the Resistance" at the new "Star Wars" land Galaxy's Edge and the beloved "Flight of Passage" virtual-reality ride in the Pandora land at Animal Kingdom. So, it's almost shocking to see the parks without their usual crowds and lines. But, while the emptiness might be strange and stark at first glance, allow yourself to beam down into these images and explore the parks' hidden magic that is easy to overlook when crowds are present. Take a moment to enjoy the alien plants of Pandora, sharp views of the Millennium Falcon or an imagined future in Magic Kingdom. Tomorrowland A look at the empty entrance to Tomorrowland. (Image credit: @bioreconstruct on Twitter) Whether you're a hard-core Space Mountain fan or you have a soft spot for the steadfast favorites at Disney, Tomorrowland remains one of the most beloved fixtures of Disney history. This crystal-clear look at the entrance to Tomorrowland is so definitively Disney that it feels as if it could have been taken yesterday, last year, or even 20 years ago. It looks like some upgrades are under way. A sneak peek at the Tron coaster and Space Mountain. (Image credit: @bioreconstruct on Twitter) Here you can see the iconic, swirled peak of Space Mountain with the underrated, cult-favorite PeopleMover ride track leading into its layers. But, almost obscuring the iconic ride, is a construction site that offers you a sneak peek at Disney's upcoming Tron ride. You can even explore some of the track's curves that will soon transport adrenaline junkies on a journey into the digital world. That said, all construction at Walt Disney World is on hold to slow the spread of the new coronavirus. Galaxy's Edge An empty parking lot at Hollywood Studios. (Image credit: @bioreconstruct on Twitter) For those who have visited "Star Wars Galaxy's Edge," located at the Hollywood Studios park at Walt Disney World, you know that the crowds aren't just for the rides. Even the parking lot is notoriously jam-packed. So imagine, if you will, showing up to immerse yourself in the "Star Wars" universe and the stress of parking completely evaporates. Disney's "Star Wars Galaxy's Edge." (Image credit: @bioreconstruct on Twitter) In this image, you can see virtually all of Galaxy's Edge. The Millenium Falcon shines brightly, standing out as the landmark feature of the immersive region Hollywood Studios. For those of you already familiar with Batuu, the forested world that Galaxy's Edge is placed in, you might be able to spot your favorite eatery, the Back Spire Outpost and even the droid depot. However, it looks like even the stormtroopers are staying safe during this time by practicing social distancing from the usually bustling main roads that run through the land. An aerial view of Galaxy's Edge. (Image credit: @bioreconstruct on Twitter) This closer look at Batuu, as photographer @bioreconstruct pointed out on Twitter , really looks like the set of a "Star Wars" movie rather than an empty theme park. From the molded rock structures to the uniquely-shaped shops and stops, Galaxy's Edge looks rather inviting here. Looking down at Disney. (Image credit: @bioreconstruct on Twitter) Another look at Galaxy's Edge clearly shows Docking Bay 7 (to the left) and Black Spire Outpost in the center. In this close-up, you can see some of the finer details of the land. An early look at Disney's "Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser" hotel, which is still under construction. (Image credit: @bioreconstruct on Twitter) In addition to Galaxy's Edge, which has already soared in popularity for its immersive nature and realism to the films, Disney has been building the "Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser" hotel. This resort has yet to open, but promises guests an immersive experience aboard a "real" starship. While the hotel isn't open yet, this aerial view provides a very early look at what the resort will one day look like. Pandora An aerial view of Disney's Pandora land. (Image credit: @bioreconstruct on Twitter) Pandora, a land in Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom inspired by the movie "Avatar," might not have the word "space" or "star" in it, but it is a playground full of fantastical creatures and alien plants, certainly reminiscent of an otherworldly way of life. In this image, you can see the careful curves of Pandora's floating mountains, which seem to defy the laws of physics and reality. A densely forested image, this aerial photograph shows just how deeply immersed into this alien world you get when you are in this land. Pandora's floating mountains. (Image credit: @bioreconstruct on Twitter) Follow Chelsea Gohd on Twitter @chelsea_gohd . Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook . A 78-year-old woman on Sunday became the first person to die of the new coronavirus in Bolivia, which has reported 81 confirmed cases, the government announced. Health Minister Anibal Cruz told reporters the woman, who was hospitalized in the department of Santa Cruz, had been in stable condition. "During the night she grew worse, and was transferred to intensive care. She died this morning," he said. More than half the country's confirmed cases have been in Santa Cruz, an eastern province where authorities said stay-at-home appeals have not been heeded. The country was under a national shutdown over the weekend, for the first time. From Monday to Friday, only one person per family is permitted to circulate to buy groceries or other supplies. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi: More than 24000 deaths have occurred due to the virus, while millions of people have been infected with this virus. In such a situation, it is a bit difficult for scientists to say how long will be able to get rid of this disease. At the same time, today is the fourth day of lockdown and even after all efforts, the exodus of laborers continues. Although the police is preventing people from this. At the same time, in Delhi, another corona infected patient has been found within the last 24 hours. This patient has recently returned from the Philippines. From Delhi Airport, the young man was kept in the quarantine ward of AIIMS Cancer Institute, Jhajjar. Where the patient has started treatment after getting sample report positive. Five more patients were found corona positive in Noida: According to the information, five more corona patients have been confirmed in Noida. With this, the total number of infected in the city has increased to 23. Arvind Kejriwal's appeal should not go to his village: It has been learned that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has appealed to the migrating people that both UP and Delhi governments have arranged buses, but I still have Appeal to everyone that they stay where they are. We have made arrangements to stay, eat and drink in Delhi. Please stay at home Do not go to your village, otherwise the purpose of lockdown will end. UP Gate vacant after arrangement of buses at Kaushambi Bus Base: UP Gate is now empty. All the people have been sent to Kaushambi depot of Ghaziabad, as buses will be diverted from Kaushambi depot to various districts of Uttar Pradesh. Also Read: Upendra Kushwaha Slams Nitish Government over Bohar labours stranded in other states Punjab: Truth about Corona in state came to fore Chennai police spreading awareness wearing corona helmet Arjun Munda came forward to help in corona crisis, gives one crore to MP fund Adrian Schrinner has retained his position as Brisbane's lord mayor, his late-night declaration of victory being followed by Labor challenger Pat Condren's concession on Sunday afternoon. Early Sunday morning, Cr Schrinner posted on social media claiming victory in the hard-fought mayoral race against the former journalist. Brisbane lord mayor Adrian Schrinner at a dog park in The Gap. Credit:Lucy Stone Although there are a lot of votes still to be reported, our scrutineers are confirming I've been returned as lord mayor of our wonderful city, he wrote. I want to sincerely thank the residents of Brisbane for their support and trust during these challenging times. The COVID-19 pandemic has placed a harsh spotlight on the severe digital divide in our community. While many people have been busy working to improve scores on high stakes state testing and increasing graduation and college-going rates, the community has failed to address the inequities and consequences of a lack of internet and computer access in many Bexar County homes. This was an issue before the pandemic, but the closure of school campuses as a precautionary public health measure, which has led school districts to move instruction from the classroom to the internet, has raised the stakes. The sudden move left many families scrambling to secure computers and Wi-Fi access so their students could log into virtual classrooms. Schools are also providing traditional packets for parents, but even in these instances, crucial communication is taking place between teachers and parents digitally through email, apps and chats. In todays world, many households would consider a home computer a necessity in meeting the demands of daily life. But in a city with one of the nations biggest income gaps, ownership of a computer and an internet connection is far too often viewed as a luxury, especially among families facing food and housing insecurity issues. One in 4 Bexar County households lacks a computer and about 21 percent dont have internet access, according to 2017 U.S. Census Bureau numbers. About 27 percent of children in San Antonio live in poverty, according to the most recent census figures. In some school districts, the number of families without internet access is staggering. In Edgewood ISD, 51.3 percent of families lack internet service. In San Antonio ISD, its 42 percent. And in Harlandale ISD, the rate is 41.9 percent. The unconnected rate in the Alamo Heights, Northside and North East school districts ranged from 11.8 percent to 17.8 percent. As usual, the local response in a time of need has been tremendous. After the enormity of the computer problems facing some students became known, school districts, local nonprofits and philanthropists sprang into action, moving to quickly fund laptops for students. Several local internet service providers have graciously agreed to waive internet connection fees. Some schools are even offering students hot spot devices if they dont have Wi-Fi access. These are responses to a crisis, not policies to fix pervasive inequity. More than 2 million people call Bexar County home, but it still has rural school districts and families who live in areas were internet access remains a problem. Providing students that dont have Wi-Fi in their homes with hot spots wont solve access problems if they cant connect to cellular towers. In Southside ISD, a rural school district of 6,000 students south of Loop 1604, an estimated 15 percent of the student population lacks internet access, according to a recent district survey. The school encompasses approximately 100 square miles. It includes densely populated neighborhoods, secluded homes and wide-open spaces where cell service can get spotty. The school board recently authorized the purchase of laptops for its students. It also authorized free Wi-Fi access in the parking lot of the Menchaca Early Childhood Center so parents could drive to the building and children could do their homework in their vehicles. Unfortunately, those plans were canceled when local officials issued orders for people to stay home. But there are many exceptions to those orders, and we urge the school district to find a way to proceed, just as we urge city and county leaders to begin exploring how to bring internet access to all residents. The outpouring of support for students during this crisis has been phenomenal, but lets also remember this is not a new inequity. Its an old one the new crisis has exacerbated, and it must be addressed. Students need a level playing field. UPDATE: What does a CDC travel advisory mean for N.J.? Nothing new, dont go anywhere, Murphy says Note: The CDC issued a domestic travel advisory on Saturday evening that urged residents of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut to refrain from non-essential domestic travel for 14 days effective immediately. President Donald Trump announced a travel advisory for New York, New Jersey and Connecticut as the coronavirus pandemic continues to grip the region, but he backed off an earlier proposal to quarantine part of the Tri-State area. After speaking with the states governors, a quarantine will not be necessary, Trump tweeted Saturday night. More details were released soon after by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. On the recommendation of the White House CoronaVirus Task Force, and upon consultation with the Governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, I have asked the @CDCgov to issue a strong Travel Advisory, to be administered by the Governors, in consultation with the.... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 29, 2020 Gov. Phil Murphy said late Saturday that he was briefed on the advisory by Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. To be clear, this non-binding advisory guidance does not change the rules that have been established and in place for over a week now under Executive Order 107," Murphy said in a statement about the stay-at-home orders he instituted in New Jersey last Saturday. If you have been working as part of our frontline response effort, from healthcare workers to supermarket workers, we still need you on the job. I encourage all New Jerseyans to continue practicing aggressive social distancing and take personal responsibility to help us get through this public health emergency," the governor added. Murphy has ordered all New Jerseyans to stay at home except for necessary travel, banned social gatherings, and mandated that non-essential businesses in the state close until further notice to help curb the spread of the virus. Trump floated the idea of a quarantine in the region earlier in the day, and experts told NJ Advance Media that it would have been legal. Although the Public Health Service Act doesnt explicitly mention quarantines, that option was implied in the authority the law gave the government to protect the public from diseases, said Charles Stimson, a senior legal fellow with the Heritage Foundation. The governors dont have all the data that the federal government has, Stimson said, meaning presidents are often better suited to make that call. The trick would be enforcing a statewide quarantine, said Ron Chen, a Rutgers law professor and former New Jersey Public Advocate. The only practical way to enforce something like that, that I can think of, is to federalize the National Guard, Chen wrote in an email. While troops were recently given the green light to work in New Jersey, theyre planning to help run test centers and move supplies. Will Trump really pull them off tasks that the governors on the scene have already designated as important to combat the pandemic? Chen asked before Trumps evening announcement. Congress passed its first quarantine legislation in 1878, according to the CDC, but federal officials have generally focused on international travel. Local governments and states have the primary authority to control the spread of dangerous diseases, according to a 2014 report by the Congressional Research Service, a nonpartisan federal agency. However, the federal government has authority to quarantine and impose other health measures to prevent the spread of diseases from foreign countries and between states, researchers wrote, rooting that power in the U.S. Constitution. The federal government may also assist state efforts to prevent the spread of communicable diseases if requested by a state or if state efforts are inadequate to halt the spread of disease. The president introduced the quarantine proposal earlier Saturday. Some people would like to see New York quarantined because its a hotspot New York, New Jersey, Trump said. Im thinking about that right now. We might not have to do it, but theres a possibility that sometime today well do a quarantine short-term, two weeks on New York, probably New Jersey, certain parts of Connecticut. When asked about the presidents authority to shut down certain states, Trumps acting chief of staff said: Were evaluating all the options right now." Rumors of a national quarantine have spread along with coronavirus cases. The National Security Council Tweeted earlier in the month to say those rumors were false. Text message rumors of a national #quarantine are FAKE. There is no national lockdown. @CDCgov has and will continue to post the latest guidance on #COVID19. #coronavirus NSC (@WHNSC) March 16, 2020 New Jersey has at least 11,124 known cases of COVID-19, including 140 deaths. Thats the second most of any U.S. state, behind New York. NJ Advance Media staff writers Brent Johnson, Jonathan Salant, and Chris Sheldon contributed to this report. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. Sign up for text message alerts from NJ.com on coronavirus in New Jersey: Blake Nelson can be reached at bnelson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BCunninghamN. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 13:51:01|Editor: zyl Video Player Close WASHINGTON, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Up to 10,932,295 people have submitted their names to ride aboard NASA's Perseverance rover to Mars, according to a latest release of NASA. The names were stenciled by electron beam onto three fingernail-sized silicon chips, along with the essays of the 155 finalists in NASA's "Name the Rover" contest. The chips were attached to an anodized aluminum plate on NASA's Perseverance Mars rover at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 16. The plate is affixed to the center of the rover's aft crossbeam and will be visible to cameras on Perseverance's mast. Scheduled to launch this summer, Perseverance will land at Jezero Crater on Feb. 18, 2021. NASA said that the novel coronavirus has not yet impacted Perseverance' launch schedule. According to NASA, the Perseverance rover will search for signs of past microbial life, characterize Mars' climate and geology, collect samples for future return to Earth, and help pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet. Russia is not the only offender. The spokesman for Chinas foreign ministry, Zhao Lijian, has cast doubt on the fact that the virus originated in the Chinese province of Wuhan, suggesting baselessly that it had been introduced there by the U.S. Army. That was evidence-free blather, but lets be clear: Americas political class is not blameless in that regard. Witness Sen. Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican and confidant of President Trumps, who leaped gleefully into the propaganda wars by amplifying a fringe theory that a high-level lab in Wuhan, where dangerous pathogens are the subject of research, may have been the source of the coronavirus. Chinas respected ambassador in Washington, Cui Tiankai, dismissed Mr. Cottons dark imaginings as crazy and made it clear he regarded Mr. Zhaos as little better. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 30) A young doctor helping in the fight against the novel coronavirus was among eight people who died after a plane on a medical evacuation flight caught fire on Sunday while taking off at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. The 33-year-old Dr. Cenover Nicandro "Nicko" Bautista was one of the frontliners at the Mandaluyong City Medical Center. The Agusta WW24 aircraft carrying the group caught fire Sunday, just before 8 p.m. An American national, a Canadian national and six Filipinos including Bautista perished in the flight. The Filipinos also included a flight medic, a nurse, and three flight crew. Hours before the incident, Bautista posted on Facebook that he can't wait for the COVID-19 crisis to be over. The doctor said he is afraid but he knows he is needed in the fight. His sister, Ria, described him as a strong and determined man. During their last conversation, she said he was in high spirits and still found ways to make things light despite being at the forefront of the COVID-19 fight. "Kaya niyang magbiro kahit sobrang ang serious na ng mga nangyayari, nagagawa pa rin niyang tumawa. He's a source of strength to think he's my younger brother. Tapos siya ang nag-aalaga sa sister namin, pamangkin," she reporters. She said they had plans to gather again as a family once the Luzon-wide lockdown is lifted. Philippine Medical Association Vice President Dr. Benito Atienza on Monday said Bautista was assigned to accompany a patient on board the ill-fated flight. "He was assigned to one patient coming from the province. The patient wants to be transferred to Japan because there is a COVID patient in the previous hospital where the patient was admitted. Kapag nag-transfer tayo ng patient, dapat may isang doctor, nurse," he told CNN Philippines' The Source. Investigation on the incident is still ongoing, but an initial statement from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said the aircraft reportedly encountered a technical problem while rolling for takeoff on Runway 06/24. The Manila International Airport Authority said the accident happened at the end of the runway as the aircraft was taking off. The entire fleet of charter airline Lionair has been grounded after one of its medical evacuation aircraft caught fire while it was taking off at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines spokesperson Eric Apolonio on Monday said the order covers all seven of Lionair's planes and helicopters "while investigation is ongoing." CNN Philippines' Gerg Cahiles contributed to this report. Churches mourn as bishop, pastor and elder all die of coronavirus Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Michigans Genesee County is in mourning as a bishop, a pastor and an elder are among the four people who have died of the new coronavirus. Bishop Robert Earl Smith Sr., pastor Kevelin Jones of Bountiful Love Ministries, and elder Freddie Brown, all from Flint, have died over the past few days. Pastor Kevelin Jones and Bishop Robert Smith were both fathers to me. I had the chance to serve at Bountiful Love Church of God in Christ under pastor Kevelin Jones for years, ABC12 quoted pastor Chris Martin of Cathedral of Faith Ministries as saying. Martin remembered Brown as a servant and a family man and said the elder and Jones had underlying health conditions. Pastor Jones wife, Iola Jones, said she never wanted to know the earth without him. but Im going to make it because I have all these kids, according to NBC25. I would describe him as a hero to many ... a father to many, added Kevelin B. Jones Jr. I havent seen him since the Sunday he was sitting in the back with his mask on. I dont think I have fully accepted it because I havent seen my father, Jones oldest daughter, Sharee Hubbard, was quoted as saying. He taught all of us a lot about family and faith and a lot about having joy, Martin recalled. He was a man of hospitality. He was the guy that would give you anything that he had. He would often go to Genesee Valley with bull horns and preach repentance or the Bible or go door to door and preach. He loved this church and gave everything he was and is, to ensure that the doors of this church stayed open for this community, for the family, and so individuals would have a place to come and worship God freely, MLive quoted Joness 45-year-old son, Nic South, as saying. Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton wrote on Facebook that Jones introduced him to the Michigan Democratic Convention when he was nominated as Attorney General in 2010. Its not known how the three contracted the COVID-19 disease. The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Michigan rose from 3,657 on Friday to 4,658 as of Saturday, and the deaths from 92 on Friday to 111 on Saturday. Across the United States on Sunday, there were 135,000 confirmed cases with 2,612 recoveries and 2,381 deaths, according to John Hopkins University's Coronavirus Resource Center. The majority of the deaths from COVID-19 have occurred in New York, at 678. Around the world, as of Sunday afternoon, there were 710,918 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus with 33,597 deaths and 148,995 people recovered. South Dakota's chief justice seeks $5 million for courthouse security In Chief Justice Jensen's State of the Judiciary Address, he mentioned courthouse security, sexual harassment training and a lack of court reporters. A group of US-based Armenian students have addressed the Government of Armenia with the request to provide diplomatic and organizational assistance to help them travel to Armenia. The text of the request was written by three of the students and posted on the Facebook page of one of the students, and another ten students signed under the text. 8 reasons why we want to return to Armenia and right now 1. We all live in the US, the country with the most expensive medical care in the world, and most of us cant afford to pay that much for medical insurance. 2. Three days ago, the US recorded the most cases of COVID-19. 3. Most of us were told about the closure of universities three to four days ago, and so we didnt know what to do. 4. Universities are gradually depriving most of us of nutritious food and forcing us to live by ordering from stores that lack food. 5. Universities are forcing us to eat at public diners where we are at a high risk of being infected. 6. All the other students at universities are transported to a shared hostel. 7. Most of us relied on our jobs for income and financial assistance, but since jobs have closed, we dont have funds to earn a living. 8. This situation also has a serious psychological impact on us. We are far from our families and relatives, and we are concerned about each others health and safety. This stressful situation also has an impact on our physical health, weakening our immune system and making us even more vulnerable to the coronavirus. We understand that everyone is in a crisis and is facing a difficult situation and that there are people who are in much more critical conditions. We wouldnt like to cause our country financial difficulties since we know that there are more urgent expenses. Therefore, we are ready to cover our travel expenses and ask and hope the government to provide only diplomatic and organizational assistance. We also understand the risks of bringing the virus to Armenia with us and are ready to stay under quarantine for two weeks until we are safe so we can join our families. Authors: Tatev Gevorkyan Eliza Melkonyan Seda Bagiryan Signed by: Inna Sahakian Elina Sargsyan Manana Hakobyan Hovhannes Aleqyan Anush Mehrabyan Ofelya Baghdasaryan Kristina Aleksanyan Rob Ert Tamara Kocharyan Julieta Serobyan, the text reads. State governments have been asked to nominate doctors and nurses in their states to be trained on how to treat and care for victims of COVID-19. President Muhammadu Buhari made the announcement in his first national address on the disease, on Sunday evening. He said nominated health workers will be trained on tactical and operational response to the virus in case it spreads to other states. The training will be conducted by Nigerias disease control outfit, NCDC, and the Lagos State Government. This training will also include medical representatives from our armed forces, paramilitary and security and intelligence agencies, the president noted. Nigeria now has 111 cases of the disease while one person has died. A review of official data shows that the number of confirmed cases rose by 340 per cent in a week. Health minister Osagie Ehanire said on Tuesday that retired health workers could be reabsorbed in states if the spread escalates. READ ALSO: The president of the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, Francis Faduyile, however, said active health workers should be trained, equipped and utilised first as the treatment and handling of coronavirus is different from conventional treatments. So far, Lagos and Abuja are the worst-hit by COVID-19, caused by a strain of coronavirus. There are only a handful of cases in others states in Nigeria. The president also announced the cessation of all movements in Lagos, Ogun and the FCT for an initial period of 14 days with effect from 11 p.m. on Monday. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, March 30 2020 Race against time: Novita Rahayu Purwaningsih (left), a tailor for V-RA Collection, cuts materials she will use to make a hazmat suit in a showroom in Surabaya, East Java, on Sunday. The Surabaya Trade Agency has ordered 20 local micro, small and medium enterprises to create protective gear that will be distributed to hospitals treating COVID-19 patients. (Antara/Moch. Asim) Indonesian textile factories are making changes to their production line by producing protective gear for medical personnel and a local start-up is producing test kits to support the nations battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. However, producing medical-grade supplies comes with major challenges. Textile companies have been racing to mass-produce masks and protective suits for medical workers, said PT Pan Brothers deputy chief executive officer Anne Patricia Sutanto. The company agreed to produce 20 million washable masks and 100,000 suits by April, as ordered by the government and retailers to meet the skyrocketing demand for personal protective equipment (PPE). to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Shaheed Al-Hafed, 29 March 2020 (SPS) - The Sahrawi News Agency, Sahara Press Service (SPS), on Sunday celebrated its 21st anniversary, at a time when the Sahrawi people and the world are going through major challenges in confronting the emerging pandemic of Coronavirus. In addition to keeping up with these developments, the Sahrawi News Agency continues its war alongside the Sahrawi people, to confront the conspiracies of the Moroccan occupation and its frenzied war on the Sahrawi people. It is committed to "credibility, responsibility and professionalism" in order to communicate information to the recipient in a timely manner. It continues to expose the violations of the Moroccan regime of human rights in Western Sahara and its crimes against activists of the independence uprising. Like other Sahrawi media, the Sahrawi News Agency aims to promote the national media work to keep pace with all developments, especially the great cause of the Sahrawi people who are struggling to regain their inalienable right to self-determination and independence, which the Moroccan occupier, with the complicity of some major powers, still denies it, despite the recognition of this right by the international community and the African Union since the 1960s. The Sahrawi news agency was established on 29 March 1999 and its news is published in Arabic, Spanish, French, English and Russian. (SPS) 062/SPS/T Since an alarming situation has arisen in Pakistan after the coronavirus cases surpassed 15,00 mark on Saturday, the army establishment has decided to seal the country's borders with India, Iran, and Afghanistan for at least two weeks and more, if required. By breaking up the total figure provided by Islamabad, it has been stated that at least 12 patients have succumbed to the viral infection while 25 others have recovered so far. As many as 557 people are infected in Punjab, 469 in Sindh, 138 in Balochistan, 188 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 107 in Gilgit-Baltistan, 39 in Islamabad and two in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director-General Major General Babar Iftikhar, while addressing a press conference in Rawalpindi, said that the borders had been closed as "a preventive measure but the actual border is between the man and the coronavirus, which we have yet to take control of." Despite ensuring such stringent measures to curb the spread of the pandemic in the country, Pakistan, in view of its all-weather ties with China, has not closed the border between the two countries. Being the birthplace of the killer bug and reporting over 3,500 deaths maintaining friendly ties with China always has been Pakistan's priority. A team of Chinese doctors specialising in coronavirus also arrived in Pakistan on Saturday. According to the country's Foreign Office, the doctors will remain in Pakistan for two weeks and will advise the health care specialists in the country. Army helicopters flew special sorties through Khunjrab pass for transporting and distribution of medical equipment received from China including five ventilators, 2000 testing kits, 2000 medical suits, 2000 N-95 masks, and 0.2 million face masks on Friday. Meanwhile, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Javed Qamar Bajwa has directed that all available soldiers and the Army's medical resources be deployed to tackle the coronavirus. "The Government of Pakistan has summoned the Pakistan Army under Article 245 in aid of civil power," the spokesperson added. According to the notification issued by the federal and provincial governments, only hospitals, shops selling food items, medical stores, and food and medicine manufacturing industries would remain open, while schools shall remain closed. The petrol pumps and markets would remain open only according to the timings issued by the respective provincial governments. The spokesperson also mentioned that General Bajwa had decided to donate one month's salary to tackle the coronavirus pandemic, while personnel between the ranks of brigadier to lieutenant general would donate three days' worth of their salaries. The personnel below the colonel rank and soldiers would donate two and one days' salaries, respectively, he added. "Cooperation is the best defence at this time than isolation to fight coronavirus," Iftikhar stressed. The troops have been deployed in every province and region of Pakistan, from PoK to Sindh and Balochistan, as well as Punjab to the federally administered regions in the north. Contact tracking, tracing to identify and isolate suspected individuals are being done to ensure the containment of COVID-19 spread. Army troops are assisting in the management of quarantine facilities. A total of 182 quarantine facilities have been established across the country, including Taftan and Chaman, the spokesperson noted. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In 2004 Zhi Qiang Chai was appointed CEO of AKM Industrial Company Limited (HKG:1639). This analysis aims first to contrast CEO compensation with other companies that have similar market capitalization. Then we'll look at a snap shot of the business growth. And finally we will reflect on how common stockholders have fared in the last few years, as a secondary measure of performance. This method should give us information to assess how appropriately the company pays the CEO. View our latest analysis for AKM Industrial How Does Zhi Qiang Chai's Compensation Compare With Similar Sized Companies? At the time of writing, our data says that AKM Industrial Company Limited has a market cap of HK$1.5b, and reported total annual CEO compensation of HK$1.2m for the year to December 2018. While this analysis focuses on total compensation, it's worth noting the salary is lower, valued at HK$705k. As part of our analysis we looked at companies in the same jurisdiction, with market capitalizations of HK$775m to HK$3.1b. The median total CEO compensation was HK$2.3m. Pay mix tells us a lot about how a company functions versus the wider industry, and it's no different in the case of AKM Industrial. Talking in terms of the sector, salary represented approximately 77% of total compensation out of all the companies we analysed, while other remuneration made up 23% of the pie. AKM Industrial does not set aside a larger portion of remuneration in the form of salary, maintaining the same rate as the wider market. Most shareholders would consider it a positive that Zhi Qiang Chai takes less total compensation than the CEOs of most similar size companies, leaving more for shareholders. Though positive, it's important we delve into the performance of the actual business. You can see a visual representation of the CEO compensation at AKM Industrial, below. SEHK:1639 CEO Compensation March 29th 2020 Is AKM Industrial Company Limited Growing? On average over the last three years, AKM Industrial Company Limited has seen earnings per share (EPS) move in a favourable direction by 5.7% each year (using a line of best fit). It achieved revenue growth of 20% over the last year. Story continues I would argue that the modest growth in revenue is a notable positive. And, while modest, the earnings per share growth is noticeable. So while we'd stop just short of calling this a top performer, but we think it is well worth watching. We don't have analyst forecasts, but you could get a better understanding of its growth by checking out this more detailed historical graph of earnings, revenue and cash flow. Has AKM Industrial Company Limited Been A Good Investment? AKM Industrial Company Limited has served shareholders reasonably well, with a total return of 13% over three years. But they probably wouldn't be so happy as to think the CEO should be paid more than is normal, for companies around this size. In Summary... AKM Industrial Company Limited is currently paying its CEO below what is normal for companies of its size. Zhi Qiang Chai receives relatively low remuneration compared to similar sized companies. But the company isn't exactly firing on all cylinders, from my perspective. However I do not find the CEO compensation to be concerning. Shifting gears from CEO pay for a second, we've picked out 1 warning sign for AKM Industrial that investors should be aware of in a dynamic business environment. Important note: AKM Industrial may not be the best stock to buy. You might find something better in this list of interesting companies with high ROE and low debt. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. The group of Indonesians was on a preaching mission in Karimnagar town. They were brought to Hyderabad for screening and all of them tested positive. It was then the biggest jump was seen in the total number of coronavirus cases in the state. Alarmed over this, the health authorities rolled out cluster containment plan in Karimnagar, taking up door-to-door screening of people in a radius of 3 km around a mosque where the foreign preachers stayed for two days. Over 25,000 people were screened in the intensive operation undertaken by 100 teams of health personnel. The authorities heaved a sigh of relief as nobody among the locals showed any symptoms. The inquiry revealed that the Indonesians had boarded AP Sampark Kranti Express in Delhi Aand reached Ramagundam on March 14. From there they tavelled in a private vehicle to reach Karimnagar. Further inquiries by health officials revealed that some members of the group went to Hyderabad. Eight Indonesians were found in Mallepally mosque in Hyderabad. They were also shifted to a hospital and quarantined. They, however, showed no symptoms of cornonavirus. This was not the only group of foreign preachers. Twelve nationals from Kyrgyzstan were found staying in Mallepallay mosque, a centre of activities by Tablighi Jamaat. "We took them to a quarantine facility but none of them had any symptoms of coronavirus," an official of the health department, who did not want to be identified, told IANS. The presence of 12 preachers from Vietnam in Nalgonda town also sent the authorities into a tizzy. The group was staying in a mosque in the town since March 9 was also not found to have any symptoms of Covid-19. They had arrived in New Delhi from Vietnam on March 3, reached Hyderabad by train on March 8 and hired private cabs to reach Nalgonda. Officials said while passengers landing at Hyderabad airport were being thoroughly screened, the Tablighi preachers did not have to go through any such screening as they entered the state by trains from other parts of the country. The visit by Indonesians and other foreign preachers triggered a row with the right-wing groups demanding a probe. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) sought investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). "The visit to Karimnagar by Indonesians aged 50 to 60 years and infected with Coronavirus has raised lot of doubts. There should be a thorough probe into their visit and the organisations which helped them during their stay," said VHP Telangana unit Secretary B. Ramesh. There was no reaction from Tablighi Jamaat, which has no formal organisational structure and shuns media coverage. Its leaders could not be reached out for comment. Nobody from Jamaat has come forward to speak, but the manager of the mosques where the preachers were staying said they did not violate any law of the land and alleged that some forces were trying to malign the preachers. Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao also said the foreigners had done no wrong. "They came legally to India after obtaining valid visas. They are not infiltrators. The Central government gave them the permission," he said at a news conference. Tablighi preachers, both Indians and foreigners, visiting various towns in India for proselytization is not new. One finds such missionary groups staying in mosques even in remote areas, going around and meeting ordinary Muslims inviting them to come for 'namaz' and revive their faith. Tablighi Jamaat, means group of preachers, was floated by Islamic scholar Maulana Muhammad Ilyas in 1926 in then Mewat province. Unlike some other Muslim jamaats, it works only among Muslims. It is believed to have millions of active members in more than 150 countries. They invite Muslim community to adhere to the basic tenets of Islam. The Tablighi network is strong across the Indian sub-continent and people from various walks of life are associated with the organisation. Tablighi bands of preachers operate from mosques. Announcements that 'Jamaat' has come from other cities and countries are common in the mosques under the control of the organisation. They do 'gasht' or go around in the neighbourhood, interact with Muslims, invite them to 'namaz' and 'ijtema' at the mosque. The preachers, who usually venture out on 40-day mission, stay in mosques. With congregational prayers restricted in the wake of lockdown, the preachers have vacated the mosques. --IANS ms/prs Tamil Nadu Youth Congress workers came forward to help Jharkhand migrant labourers who were stuck here due to countrywide lockdown in view of coronavirus pandemic. They contacted Jharkhand MLA Irfan Ansari and requested him for the help. On the request of Ansari, Tamil Nadu Youth Congress president Hasan Aaron supported the workers. "I have been working here for the past six months and now due to the shutdown, we are faced with many problems related to food and essentials. However, now the government has helped us. We are getting proper food and shelter," said Hasnan Mirza, labourer. "We requested Jharkhand MLA Irfan Ansari and he requested Tamil Nadu Youth Congress president Hasan Aaron. They are helping us. The District Collector is also helping us but we request the government to send all of us home," he added. Abdul Mutalif, another labourer said: "We are stuck here in Chennai and all we want is to go home and meet our family. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 15:29:19|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LANZHOU, March 29 (Xinhua) -- A batch of medical supplies donated by Yongchang County in northwest China's Gansu Province is on its way to aid the city of Bra in Italy to fight the novel coronavirus, according to the Foreign Affairs Office of Gansu Province. The supplies, including 20,000 surgical masks, 2,000 pairs of surgical gloves and 200 protective suits, were the latest in a series of donations that Gansu made in March. The province has sent 2,000 protective suits and 20,000 face masks to Qom, Iran, and a batch of 20,000 protective suits, 20,000 KN95 respirator masks and 140,000 disposable masks to Navarre in Spain and Alba in Romania. "When we suffered from the epidemic outbreak, many foreign countries offered support to us. It's our turn to help them," said Zhang Baojun, director of the office in Gansu. The first three cases of coronavirus infections in India were reported in the month of February on three medical students who had returned to Kerala from Wuhan, China from where the outbreak began. A few weeks later the second set of cases surfaced, this time among people who had returned from Italy, in Delhi, Telangana and Kerala. Since then people returning from Germany, the UK, and the middle east have also tested positive in India for Covid-19 taking the number of cases in the country to over 800 on Saturday. BCCL/ FILE But till now UAE, and to be more specific as the biggest source of Covid-19 cases in India. According to data, more than 100 people who have tested positive for Covid-19 in India had returned from Dubai recently. This includes 15 people who were part of a 40-member group who had returned to Maharashtra this month, out of which 22 have been tested negative and three are asymptomatic and under home quarantine. This cluster alone accounts for nearly 40 percent of all the Covid-19 cases in the state. AFP People who returned from Dubai have tested positive for Covid-19 in other states like Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu. But what happened in Kerala is probably the worst. In the northern-most district of Kasargod, which has the highest number of cases in Kerala, out of the 34 people who tested positive on Friday, 25 had returned from Dubai while 13 cases were through contact tracing of patients who tested positive. BCCL This is an hour of crisis and we have to overcome this All precautions and safety measures have to be maintained The government alone cannot fight this crisis and we need the support of people, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Friday. Kasaragod which went to lockdown even before the nationwide-lockdown was announced is facing the real threat of community transitions after a man who had returned to Kasargod on March 12, defied quarantine norms and went around town, quite literally and is feared that has passed on the virus to many more people who had come in contact with him, before he tested positive on March 19. AFP Hundreds including two MLAs who he had met after the return as under observation at home. According to reports, he is an alleged gold smuggler and had initially refused to reveal the places he had gone and the people he met. Where next for the pound to dollar exchange rate? Barclays research team "expect only a partial reprieve for GBP (versus G10 safe havens)" according to a report released on Monday, March 30. "Both UK monetary and fiscal policies are likely to have reached their limits, with the BoE holding the bank rate unchanged last week and the pound reacting little to Chancellor Sunaks latest package for the self-employed worker." Exchange Rates UK Research team have compiled a roundup of expert FX views on the current GBP/USD outlook from 5 leading FX analysts. Robin Wilkin, Lloyds 30/3 "After accelerating higher from the 1.15/1.14 double-bottom, prices are finding some selling pressure in the 1.2475-1.2525 resistance region. Our intra-day studies are suggesting a pullback from this area (1.2710 is seen as further strong resistance above if we do run higher again) back towards the 1.2050-1.1950 area of support. If we can hold over that region we could see a further recovery towards the 1.30-1.35 previous range highs, before returning to a range process under there. A slide through 1.1950 would risk a re-test of the double-bottom support region. "Overall, while we have potentially developed a double-bottom at 1.15/1.14, it is still too early to tell if that was the end of the long-term cycle from 2007 and 2014, we are looking for." Erik Bregar, Exchange Bank of Canada 27/3 "Sterling bulls didnt waste any time yesterday either. It was up, up, and away as soon as soon chart resistance in the 1.1950-70s fell in early NY trade. While we saw some mild buyer hesitation at 1.2020-50 heading into the London close, that level quickly gave way too after US stocks continued their heythe US jobless claims werent as bad as we feared rally. GBPUSD is now trading just shy of its next major chart resistance level in the 1.2290s and weve seen some selling come in on the back of news that the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson tested positive for the conoravirus." Shaun Osborne, Chief FX Strategist at Scotiabank 27/3 "GBP/USD short-term technicals are bullish - While the GBP still has a long way to go to re-test the 1.32 mark it touched less about three weeks ago, its now four-day streak has left it just shy of the 50% retracement point off the slide from that recent high to below 1.15, where it still traded earlier this week. The GBP will face resistance at its intraday high of 1.2306 followed by its 21DMA at 1.2364 while support sits at 1.2130/50 followed by the vicinity of the 1.20 mark." Dr Jorg Kramer, Commerzbank "The Pound should remain volatile as long as the future trade relations between the UK and the EU remain unclear." Richard Perry, Hantec "The acceleration and dramatic nature of the previous sell-off left little real resistance for the recovery. Subsequently, with the bulls running hard, there is little to stand in their way for the recovery. The move has now added as much as +900 pips since the low of $1.1405 last week. Momentum is clearly strongly improving with this move and the bulls remain strong this morning. In fact having made the way quickly through the resistance at $1.2195 (the old October low), there is actually little real resistance until $1.2765 now. We look to buy into intraday weakness on Cable and given that volatility remains huge, there is still likely to be opportunities to play the move. The hourly chart shows initial support in the $1.2130/$1.2230 band above the breakout support area $1.1930/$1.2000. Hourly indicators show minor negative divergences this morning which could mean a near term pullback is threatening to temper the exuberance of this recovery, but we would look to buy into the weakness. Initial resistance at todays high of $1.2305, with $1.2430/$1.2500 the next realistic resistance." Weekly Recap The Pound Sterling to US Dollar (GBP/USD) exchange rate recovered to its best level in a fortnight during trade on Friday, benefitting from a weak US consumer confidence index reading. As the University of Michigan consumer sentiment index slumped from 92.1 to 79.7 on the month in March this limited the appeal of the US Dollar. Although Chinese factory orders showed a sharp drop in the first two months of the year, pointing towards a major drop in economic activity, this failed to spur any fresh safe-haven demand. Instead the US Dollar remained under pressure thanks to news that the number of Covid-19 infections in the US had overtaken China for the first time. With the US economy appearing set to lose further momentum over the coming weeks as the impact of the pandemic bites investors saw little reason to favour the US Dollar over its rivals. Drop in Non-Farm Payrolls Forecast to Fuel Further US Dollar Selloff After the major increase in initial jobless claims seen on Thursday markets are wary of the potential for a disappointing March non-farm payrolls report. Fresh evidence that the US labour market weakened significantly at the end of the first quarter could see USD exchange rates shedding further ground. Forecasts point towards a decline in the headline change in non-farm payrolls figure, a result which would highlight the extent of the disruption already caused by Covid-19. With the situation only looking set to worsen over the coming weeks anything short of a major upside surprise appears likely to drag the US Dollar down across the board. Although worries over the health of the global economy may linger for the foreseeable future, without a major deterioration in market sentiment the potential for a USD exchange rate rally appears limited. As long as the US economy appears on track for a poor first quarter performance, and doubts over the possibility of an imminent bounce back continue to grow, the US Dollar may struggle to find support. Fresh Signs of UK Slowdown to Limit GBP/USD Exchange Rate Upside Unless the finalised UK manufacturing and services PMIs for March show a positive revision the GBP/USD exchange rate could come under pressure on Wednesday. Confirmation that economic activity contracted sharply in the last month may prompt investors to sell out of the Pound once again. Even though a UK recession looks inevitable at this stage, given the shutdowns prompted by the Covid-19 crisis, any fresh signs of weakness could still weigh heavily on GBP exchange rates. Weaker UK consumer credit and mortgage approvals figures for February may also put a dampener on the Pound this week. President says US death rate is likely to peak in two weeks, extends social distancing guidelines through April 30. Italy reported 756 new coronavirus deaths on Sunday taking the total number of fatalities to 10,779 as it continues to pay the heaviest price in the world from the contagion. Spains health ministry announced 838 new coronavirus deaths, marking the countrys highest daily jump in fatalities and bringing its total to 6,528. In New York, the death toll surged by 237 in 24 hours, and the state announced 7,195 new cases. Worldwide, the number of cases has reached more than 710,000. Some 149,000 people have recovered, while more than 33,000 have died. Here are the latest updates: Sunday, March 29 23:20 GMT Trump extends US social distancing guidelines to April 30 Donald Trump extended federal guidelines on social distancing for another 30 days after a top public health expert warned deaths from the coronavirus could reach as many as 200,000 in the US. The modeling estimates that the peak in death rate is likely to hit in two weeks. So Ill say it again, the peak, the highest point of death rates, remember, this is likely to hit in two weeks. Therefore, the next two weeks and during this period its very important that every one strongly follow the guidelines, Trump told reporters. The better you do, the faster this whole nightmare will end. Therefore, we will be extending our guidelines to April 30th to slow the spread. The guidelines, which recommend people stay home and avoid social gatherings, had been set to expire on Monday. 20:48 GMT Country singer Diffie dies due to coronavirus-related complications Country singer Joe Diffie, who had a string of hits in the 1990s with chart-topping ballads and honky-tonk singles like Home and Pickup Man, has died after testing positive for COVID-19. He was 61. Diffie on Friday announced he had contracted the coronavirus, becoming the first country star to go public with such a diagnosis. Diffies publicist Scott Adkins said the singer died Sunday due to complications from the virus. 20:40 GMT Polls close in Mali amid coronavirus threat, security fears Polls have closed in Malis long-delayed parliamentary elections which were held despite concerns about security and the coronavirus pandemic. The vote came hours after the violence-hit West African country announced its first coronavirus death and days after main opposition leader Soumaila Cisse was kidnapped by unidentified gunmen. Read more here. 20:30 GMT Trump says hospitals not using ventilators will have to release them US President Donald Trump told reporters on Sunday that hospitals not using ventilators must release them and that there was hoarding of the devices. 20:07 GMT Dozens of S.Africans exit quarantine after China return President Cyril Ramaphosa oversaw the release of dozens of South Africans who had been in quarantine since returning from Wuhan in China earlier this month. South Africa, which has the highest number of infections of any African country, was observing the third day of its 21-day lockdown to halt the spread of the virus. Ramaphosa went to a remote resort near Polokwane city in the northern Limpopo province for the release of the 114 South Africans who had been isolated since March 14 when they were evacuated from China. The group had been working and studying in Wuhan, then the epicentre of the virus, which was placed under lockdown for more than two months after the novel coronavirus was first detected in December. 19:36 GMT Bernie Sanders calls on Trump to send medical relief to Gaza amid coronavirus pandemic United States senator and 2020 presidential candidate Bernie Sanders urged President Donald Trump to send medical relief to the Gaza Strip to help with the coronavirus pandemic. Palestinians in Gaza already faced hardship under a blockade. Now they're dealing with the coronavirus. My Senate colleagues and I call on Trump to send U.S. medical relief. And the Israeli government must also lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid. https://t.co/WeLRY72KLq Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) March 29, 2020 19:30 GMT Iraqi Shia pilgrims returning from Syria test positive for coronavirus: officials Some Shia pilgrims returning to Iraq from Syria have tested positive for coronavirus, raising concern that such pilgrim travel could be a source for a larger spread of the disease around the country, a senior Iraqi official and health officials said. Iraq has recorded 547 coronavirus cases and 42 deaths to date, most of them in the past week. Health authorities said there were at least 11 cases of coronavirus in the Shia holy city of Karbala among pilgrims who returned last week from Syria after visiting a Shia shrine there, according to the governor of Karbala. 19:05 GMT Brazils Bolsonaro tells citizens to confront coronavirus like a man, not a boy Since the beginning of the outbreak, Bolsonaro has downplayed the risks of COVID-19, calling it a little flu that largely threatens the elderly and most vulnerable. He has urged them to self-isolate, but otherwise has stressed the need to keep Brazils economy running. The virus is here, were going to have to confront it. Confront it like a man, not a boy! Bolsonaro told supporters outside his official residence on Sunday. Were all going to die one day. The Brazilian Health Ministry has reported 3,904 confirmed cases and 114 deaths linked to COVID-19. INTERACTIVE: Global epidemics March 29, 2020 [Al Jazeera] 18:32 GMT Global coronavirus cases surges past 700,000: Johns Hopkins University The total number of coronavirus cases in the world has gone past 700,00, according to Johns Hopkins University (JHU), with the total number of fatalities crossing 33,000. As per JHUs data, nearly 149,00 people have recovered globally. The virus known as COVID-19, which emerged in Wuhan, China last December, has spread to at least 177 countries and regions around the globe. 18:19 GMT Trump touts himself ratings hit amid coronavirus pandemic United States President Donald Trump has taken to Twitter to highlight the viewership ratings of his near daily coronavirus press briefings. Trump had abandoned the custom of having regular press briefings at the White House, but brought them back this month to update the public on his coronavirus task force. President Trump is a ratings hit. Since reviving the daily White House briefing Mr. Trump and his coronavirus updates have attracted an average audience of 8.5 million on cable news, roughly the viewership of the season finale of The Bachelor. Numbers are continuing to rise Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 29, 2020 18:17 GMT German state minister kills himself as coronavirus hits economy The finance minister of Germanys Hesse state has committed suicide apparently after becoming deeply worried over how to cope with the economic fallout from the coronavirus, state premier Volker Bouffier said. Thomas Schaefer, 54, was found dead near a railway track on Saturday. The Wiesbaden prosecutions office said they believe he died by suicide. Read more here. 18:15 GMT France reports 292 new coronavirus deaths, total now 2,606 France has announced 292 new coronavirus deaths, bringing the total number of fatalities to 2,606 since the first was reported in February, the countrys national health service director Jerome Salomon said. Among the nearly 19,000 patients now hospitalised, 4,632 are in intensive care, Salomon said. 17:58 GMT Hundreds at church flout COVID-19 gatherings ban Hundreds of people flouted Louisianas COVID-19 ban on gatherings, coming on buses and in personal vehicles to the first of three Sunday services at their church a day after New Orleans police broke up a funeral gathering of about 100 people. An estimated 500 people of all ages filed inside the mustard-yellow and beige Life Tabernacle church in Central, a city of nearly 29,000 outside Baton Rouge. More than 3,300 Louisiana residents have been diagnosed with the disease caused by a new coronavirus, and nearly 140 of them have died. Deaths include that of the first federal prison inmate a man with serious preexisting conditions who was being held in Oakdale, Lousiana, the US Bureau of Prisons said Saturday. Over 3,00 Louisiana residents have been diagnosed with the new coronavirus [Chris Graythen/Getty Images/AFP] 17:36 GMT UAE reports 102 new cases: local media The United Arab Emirates reported one new coronavirus death and 102 new positive cases, bringing the total number of cases to 570, local media outlet Gulf News reported. The gulf nation has so far reported a total of 17:26 GMT India railway carriages become isolation wards amid virus outbreak Indian authorities have been converting train coaches into isolation wards in preparation for a possible surge in new coronavirus cases. The Indian railways minister announced the initiative on Saturday, with local media reporting the government plans to convert 170 coaches into wards every week. The preparations come as the country continues its a 21-day lockdown to combat the spread of the new virus, which has infected at least 987 people and killed 25 in the country. 17:15 GMT Ireland reports 10 more coronavirus deaths to bring total to 46 Ten more patients have died from COVID-19 infections in Ireland to bring the total death toll to 46, the Department of Health said. It confirmed 200 new confirmed cases for a total of 2,615. 16:45 GMT New York state coronavirus deaths increase by 237 in past day The number of deaths from the coronavirus in New York state increased by 237 over the past 24 hours, reaching a total of 965 since the outbreak began, Governor Andrew Cuomo said. The state also reported 7,195 new confirmed coronavirus cases in the past day for a total of 59,513, Cuomo told a news conference. Another 1,175 people were hospitalised in the past day, increasing the total to more than 8,500 hospitalisations in the state, including more than 2,000 in intensive care. New York has been the most affected US state. 16:35 GMT UK life may not be normal for six months or longer: official Britains deputy chief medical officer warned life may not return to normal for six months or more, as the country battles the coronavirus outbreak. Jenny Harries said the current lockdown would be reviewed every three weeks, warning if the measures were lifted too quickly, the virus could surge once again. 16:23 GMT Turkeys coronavirus deaths up to 131 with 1,815 new cases Turkeys deaths from the coronavirus increased by 23 to 131 as the number of confirmed cases rose by 1,815 to 9,217, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said. Some 105 patients have recovered so far. The minister added on Twitter that 9,982 tests had been conducted in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of tests carried out in Turkey to 65,446 since the outbreak began. 16:20 GMT Saudi seizes 5 million hoarded masks as death toll doubles Saudi authorities seized more than five million medical masks that were illegally stockpiled amid the coronavirus outbreak.. The commerce ministry seized 1.17 million masks from a private store in Hail, northwest of the capital, after authorities Wednesday confiscated more than four million masks stored in a facility in the western city of Jeddah in violation of commercial regulations, the official Saudi Press Agency reported. The ministry said people behind such activities would be prosecuted, and the confiscated masks would be redistributed to the open market. 16:16 GMT Italy coronavirus deaths rise by 756, total death toll to 10,779 The death toll from an outbreak of coronavirus in Italy climbed by 756 to 10,779, the Civil Protection Agency said, the second successive fall in the daily rate. The number of fatalities, by far the highest of any country in the world, account for more than one-third of all deaths from the infectious virus worldwide. Italys largest daily toll was registered on Friday when 919 people died. There were 889 deaths on Saturday. 16:09 GMT Netherlands recalls defective masks imported from China Dutch officials have recalled tens of thousands of masks imported from China and distributed to hospitals battling the coronavirus outbreak because they do not meet quality standards. They received a delivery of masks from a Chinese manufacturer on March 21, the health ministry said in a statement. The masks did not meet their standards when they were inspected. Part of the shipment had already been distributed to health professionals, the statement said. Read more here. 15:44 GMT Four in 10 people worldwide confined in some form More than 3.38 billion people worldwide have been asked or ordered to follow confinement measures in the fight against COVID-19, according to an AFP news agency database. That represents around 43 percent of the total world population, which is 7.79 billion people according to a United Nations count in 2020. The Chinese province Hubei and its capital city Wuhan, the first epicentre of the novel coronavirus, were the first to introduce confinement measures at the end of January. Military Emergency Unit members disinfect Nuevos Ministerios metro station during a partial lockdown as part of a 15-day state of emergency to combat the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Madrid, Spain [Javier Barbancho/Reuters] 15:24 GMT Syria reports first death from coronavirus Syrias Health Ministry reported its first death due to Covid-19. A woman died soon after she was admitted to a hospital where a test confirmed she had been infected with the novel coronavirus, the ministry added in a statement. Meanwhile, the Syrian government banned movement between provinces, from late Tuesday until April 16, as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of the virus. 15:15 GMT Plane catches fire on takeoff at Philippine airport, eight dead A Japan-bound plane caught fire on takeoff at Manila airport in the Philippines, killing all eight people on board, airport authorities said. The Westwind aircraft was headed for Haneda airport on a medical evacuation mission carrying six Filipino crew members and two passengers, an American and a Canadian, authorities said without naming any of them. Firefighters rushed to the end of the runway where the aircraft was engulfed in flames, dousing it with chemical foam, an airport authority statement said. Most passenger aircraft at the airport have been grounded for weeks since the government put Manila and the rest of the main Philippine island of Luzon on quarantine to fight the spread of the novel coronavirus. UPDATE: Lion aircraft RPC 5880 was supposed to fly to Haneda, Japan for a 'medical evacuation' when it exploded at NAIA runway 24. On board are 3 pilots, 1 doctor, 1 nurse, 1 mechanic, and 1 patient and a relative of the patient, accdg to sources. | via @jacquemanabat ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) March 29, 2020 15:01 GMT Saudi Arabia expands lockdown as coronavirus death toll doubles Saudi Arabia halted entry and exit into Jeddah governorate, expanding lockdown rules as it reported four new deaths from a coronavirus outbreak that continues to spread in the region despite drastic measures to contain it. The Saudi health ministry said four more foreign residents, in Jeddah and Medina, had died from the virus, taking the total to eight. The kingdom confirmed 96 new infections to raise its tally to 1,299, the highest among Gulf Arab states. 14:47 GMT Modi seeks forgiveness from Indias poor over COVID-19 lockdown Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked the nations poor for forgiveness, as the economic and human toll from his 21-day nationwide lockdown deepens and criticism mounts over a lack of adequate planning ahead of the decision. I apologise for taking these harsh steps that have caused difficulties in your lives, especially the poor people, Modi said in his monthly address broadcast on state radio. Read more here 14:36 GMT Areas in Pakistan capital disinfected after coronavirus cases reported Officials sprayed disinfectant in a suburb of Pakistans capital Islamabad where some cases of the new coronavirus have been identified. All points of entry to the city have been cordoned off by police, and the military has been deployed to enforce checkpoints. Federal health authorities in Pakistan have reported that the number of people testing positive for the new virus is increasing. 14:22 GMT Fauci says coronavirus deaths in US could top 100,000 The United States governments foremost infection disease expert says the country could experience more than 100,000 deaths and millions of infections from the coronavirus pandemic. Dr Anthony Fauci, speaking on CNNs State of the Union on Sunday, offered his prognosis as the federal government weighs rolling back guidelines on social distancing in areas that have not been hard-hit by the outbreak at the conclusion of the nationwide 15-day effort to slow the spread of the virus. I would say between 100,000 and 200,000 cases, he said, correcting himself to say he meant deaths. Were going to have millions of cases. But he added, I dont want to be held to that because the pandemic is such a moving target. Read more here 14:05 GMT Italy to extend lockdown beyond April 3: minister Italys government will inevitably extend beyond April 3 the containment measures it had approved to stem the coronavirus outbreak in the country, the regional affairs minister said. Italy has suffered the most deaths from the virus epidemic and was the first Western country to introduce severe restrictions on movement after uncovering the outbreak just over five weeks ago. The government has since increasingly tightened them and these were initially expected to be softened from next Friday. The measures that were due on April 3 will inevitably be extended, Francesco Boccia said in an interview with SkyTG24. 13:48 GMT Over one hundred new coronavirus cases reported in Pakistan Pakistans coronavirus infections continued to increase with the addition of 121 new cases. The South Asian nation now has 1,526 cases of the coronavirus. Thirteen people have died so far of the Covid-19 disease it can cause, according to Health Minister Zafar Mirza. Mirza said that 71 per cent of coronavirus cases in Pakistan are imported, mainly pilgrims who returned from Iran. 13:29 GMT UK coronavirus death toll rises to 1,228 people The number of people who have died after testing positive for coronavirus in the United Kingdom rose to 1,228, according to figures released on Sunday, an increase of 209. The previous increase saw the death toll rise by 260 people. 13:12 GMT Swiss govt says 257 dead from coronavirus The Swiss death toll from coronavirus has reached 257, the countrys public health agency said, up from 235 people the previous day. The number of confirmed cases also increased to 14,336 from 13,213 on Saturday, it said. Hello, this is Usaid Siddiqui in Doha taking over from my colleague Ramy Allahoum. 12:50 GMT Saudi toll double to eight Saudi Arabias death toll from the coronavirus doubled to eight after four died overnight, according to a health ministry spokesman. The kingdom reported 96 new cases, bringing the total number of infections to 1,299, the highest among Arab Gulf countries. 12:30 GMT Dutch coronavirus cases surpass 10,000 The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the Netherlands surged past the 10,000 mark, health authorities said, adding that deaths and hospitalisations were waning. The Netherlands National Institute for Health (RIVM) said confirmed cases rose by 1,104 to 10,866, an 11% increase. There were 132 new deaths, bringing the total number of fatalities to 771. Just as in the preceding days, the number of hospitalized patients and the number of deaths are increasing less quickly than would have been expected without measures, the RIVM said. But because health authorities were mostly testing the very sick and healthcare workers for the virus, the real number of infections is likely to be far higher, the RIVM said. 11:50 GMT Coronavirus tests credibility, utility of EU: French minister The European Unions response to the coronavirus outbreak will determine the blocs credibility and utility, Amelie de Montchalin, Frances European Affairs minister, has warned. If Europe is just a single market when times are good, then it has no sense, de Montchalin told France Inter radio, warning that the continents far-right parties stand to gain the most if member states failed to coordinate efforts. 11:40 GMT Pope Francis backs UN chiefs call for global ceasefire Pope Francis has backed calls by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for a global ceasefire in order to better deal with the coronavirus pandemic. Speaking at his weekly blessing, Francis appealed to everyone to stop every form of bellicose hostility and to favour the creation of corridors for humanitarian help, diplomatic efforts and attention to those who find themselves in situations of great vulnerability. 11:30 GMT Switzerland reports 22 deaths, 1,123 new infections The Swiss death toll from coronavirus reached 257 up from 235 people the previous day, according to the countrys public health agency. It said infections rose by 1,123 to 14,336. 11:15 GMT Philippines reports 343 new cases, three deaths The Philippine health ministry announced 343 new coronavirus cases in what is the biggest overnight jump in infections to date. Three additional fatalities raised the death toll to 71. The country of some 104 million people registered 1,418 infections while 42 patients recovered. A soldier wearing a facemask stands guard in Las Pinas, south of Manila [Fracis R. Malasig/EPA-EFE] 10:55 GMT Malaysia announces 150 new cases, seven deaths Malaysia has confirmed 150 new coronavirus cases, making it the southeast Asian countries with the most infections at 2,470. Fatalities meanwhile rose by seven to 34, according to the health ministry. 10:50 GMT Qatar Airways to need state support Qatar Airways, one of the few airlines maintaining scheduled commercial passenger services, will continue to fly, Chief Executive Akbar al-Baker said in an interview, but warned that the carrier could soon run out of cash and seek state support. We will surely go to our government eventually, Baker told Reuters news agency, saying the company had enough cash to sustain operations for a very short period. Over the next two weeks, Qatar Airways expects to operate 1,800 flights. Some of flights have had 50 percent occupancy or less and if the company fills 45 percent of seats on flights over the next two weeks it will carry about 250,000 passengers. We have received many requests from governments all over the world, embassies in certain countries, requesting Qatar Airways not to stop flying, Baker said. We will fly as long as it is necessary and we have requests to get stranded people to their homes, provided the airspace is open and the airports are open. Watch the video below to find out more about the airline industrys woes amid the pandemic. 10:20 GMT Indonesia cases rise by 130 to 1,285 Indonesia has announced 130 new coronavirus cases, bringing to total number of infections to 1,285. The death toll meanwhile rose to 144 from 132 the previous day, according to Achmad Yurianto, a health ministry official. Yurianto added that more than 6,500 people had been tested across the country. 09:55 GMT Deadliest day for Spain Spains coronavirus death toll rose by 838 cases overnight to 6,528, according to the health ministry. On Saturday, the country had reported 832 new deaths. The total number of those infected rose to 78,797 from 72,248 on Saturday. 09:40 GMT UK govt very concerned after cases surge past 1,000 mark The British government is very concerned following the latest figures which show more than 1,000 people had died after testing positive for coronavirus, senior minister Michael Gove said on Sunday. Naturally we are very concerned and our thoughts and prayers are with the families of all those who have lost loved-ones in the last few days, he told Sky News. 09:35 GMT China worried imported cases could lead to second wave A spokesperson for the Chinese health authority has expressed concern about the possibility of imported cases leading to a second wave of infections. Chinese already has an accumulated total of 693 cases entering from overseas, which means the possibility of a new round of infections remains relatively big, said Mi Geng of the National Health Commission. The commission reported 45 new COVID-19 cases on the mainland, of which all but one were imported by travelers from overseas. 09:15 GMT German cases reach 52,547, total deaths 389 The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany has reached 52,547 after 3,965 people tested positive overnight, according to the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases latest tally. Meanwhile, the death toll rose to 389 from 325 the previous day. Germany has so far recorded more than 52,000 infections [David GANNON/AFP] 08:45 GMT Worry over COVID-19 spreading in African refugee camps Scary, distressing, catastrophic: A bleak assessment by experts, humanitarians and epidemiologists on what a severe coronavirus outbreak would look like in countries across Africa sheltering millions of refugees and other vulnerable people. As the rapidly spreading virus gains ground, aid groups warn of the potentially disastrous consequences of a major outbreak of COVID-19, the highly infectious respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus, in places where healthcare systems are already strained and not easily accessible to large segments of the population. Read more here. 08:30 GMT Things could get worse before they get better: UKs Johnson In a letter being sent out to households across the country, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the government was contemplating further measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus. We will not hesitate to go further if that is what the scientific and medical advice tells us we must do, wrote Johnson, who is working remotely after testing positive for the virus. Its important for me to level with you we know things will get worse before they get better, the letter reads. But we are making the right preparations, and the more we all follow the rules, the fewer lives will be lost and the sooner life can return to normal. Boris Johnson has been in isolation since he tested positive for the coronavirus last week [AP] 08:15 GMT Saudi shuts entry and exit into Jeddah Saudi Arabia has shut down entry and exit into the Jeddah governorate and brought forward a curfew there to begin at 3 pm local time, the official Saudi Press Agency said. The same measures were applied to Riyadh, Mecca and Medina last week. 08:00 GMT Mexico tells residents to stay home for a month Hugo Lopez-Gatell, Mexicos deputy health minister, asked all residents in the country to stay at home for a month to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. En la medida en que logremos la inmovilizacion masiva de personas en el espacio publico tendremos el beneficio de reducir la velocidad de transmision del virus. Esta es nuestra ultima oportunidad de hacerlo ya. A las y los habitantes del pais les decimos: #QuedateEnCasa. pic.twitter.com/DDTvJ4KKt0 Hugo Lopez-Gatell Ramirez (@HLGatell) March 29, 2020 This is our last chance. To the residents of Mexico, we say #StayHome, he wrote on Twitter. There are 848 confirmed cases in the country. Some 16 people have died so far. 07:40 GMT Kenyans brace for economic hardship Like many others in Kenyas capital, Nairobi, Gerrard Ogut has decided to send his family to his village in the countryside for the foreseeable future. Theyre safer there, says Ogut, a father of three. Besides, Life in the city just got unbearably tougher. Indeed, these are hard times for many Kenyans not least because of the fear of contracting the new coronavirus, for which there is no vaccine or known treatment regimen, but also due to the crushing blow the pandemic could deliver on East Africas largest economy. Read Pauline Mpungus story from Nairobi here. This is Ramy Allahoum in Doha, taking over the live blog from my colleague Zaheena Rasheed. 07:15 GMT Tokyo confirms 68 new cases in biggest jump yet The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Japan rose by 68 overnight, a record daily increase which brings the total number of infections to more than 1,700, public broadcaster NHK reported. Japan has reported 55 deaths, excluding those from a cruise ship quarantined last month, according to NHK. 07:00 GMT Myanmar temporarily suspends entry visas Myanmar suspended issuing entry visas starting on Sunday as part of efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The foreign ministry said diplomats, UN officials and ship and airline staff will be exempted from the measure which will go into effect on Sunday and last until late April. Health authorities have so far reported five cases of COVID-19 in Myanmar. 06:50 GMT Australia boosts funding to tackle domestic violence Australias Prime Minister Scott Morrison has allocated 150 million Australian dollars ($100m) in funding to support people experiencing domestic, family and sexual violence due to the fallout from the coronavirus. In a statement, Morrison said Google was seeing a 75 percent increase in searches for domestic violence help the highest in the past five years and the new funds would be spent on counselling support for both victims and abusers. The money is part of an AU$1.1bn ($700m) package to deal with the effects of the health and economic crisis caused by the coronavirus epidemic. It includes AU$669m ($413m) to be spent on expanding telehealth services and an initial AU$74m ($48m) will be spent on supporting the mental health of all Australians, the statement said. 06:20 GMT Venezuelas Guaido calls for emergency government Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido called for the creation of a national emergency government to fight the spread of the coronavirus in the crisis-wracked country. Given the situation in Venezuela, which is going to worsen with the pandemic, today I present to the country the need to form a national emergency government, said Guaido, who had declared himself interim president of the South American country last year following a disputed election in 2018. The unity government would include representatives from parties across the political divide, but for obvious reasons cannot be led by President Nicolas Maduro, Guaido said in a series of tweets. 05:15 GMT Thailand reports 143 new cases and one death Thailand recorded 143 new coronavirus infections and one death on Sunday, Reuters news agency said, citing a spokesman for the Thai government. The latest victim was a 68-year-old man from Nonthaburi province who had attended a crowded boxing match in Bangkok where there had been a cluster of infections, according to Taweesin Wisanuyothin. The new figures bring the total number of cases and deaths since the beginning of the outbreak in Thailand to 1,338 and seven, respectively. 04:00 GMT As cases continue to slow in China, Wuhan reopens rail stations Chinas National Health Commission reported 45 new COVID-19 cases on the mainland, of which all but one were imported by travellers from overseas. There were five new deaths in Wuhan, the city that was once at the epicentre of Chinas outbreak. Life is gradually returning to normal in the city, which has only reported one new case in the past 10 days, according to state media. Wuhans subway and railway stations reopened on Saturday after two months of suspension, and a China- Europe cargo train departed Wuhan for Germany, carrying medical supplies. Mainland China has recorded 81,439 confirmed cases and a total of 3,300 deaths throughout the outbreak. 03:40 GMT Canadian PMs wife recovers from COVID-19 Sophie Gregoire Trudeau said she has received a clear bill of health two weeks after testing positive for COVID-19. Its all good for me now, she said in a video posted on Instagram. We are going through some really rough times, and we are going to stick through it together. 03:25 GMT CDC issues travel advisory for New York area The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urged residents of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut states to refrain from non-essential domestic travel for 14 days effective immediately. The travel warning did not apply to employees of critical infrastructure industries, including trucking, public health professionals, financial services and food supply, the agency said on its website. 02:45 GMT New Zealand confirms first coronavirus death New Zealand reported its first death from COVID-19, prompting Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to renew calls on the public to stay at home, break the chain and save lives. The woman who died was a 70-year-old who had initially been diagnosed with influenza. Some 21 staff who were involved in the patients care were now in self-isolation, according to a statement by the health ministry. New Zealand recorded 60 new infections in the past 24 hours, bringing the number of confirmed cases to 476. 01:15 GMT South Korea reports 105 new cases, total at 9,583 Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 105 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections throughout the outbreak in the country to 9,583. A total of 5,033 people have fully recovered, while the death toll was 152, the public health agency said. 00:50 GMT Trump to issue strong travel advisory for New York region Trump said he will not impose a quarantine on the states of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, but would instead issue a strong travel advisory for the region. In a Twitter post, Trump said he made the decision after consulting with the White House taskforce leading the federal response and the governors of the three affected states. He wrote: I have asked the @CDCgov to issue a strong Travel Advisory, to be administered by the Governors, in consultation with the Federal Government. A quarantine will not be necessary. .Federal Government. A quarantine will not be necessary. Full details will be released by CDC tonight. Thank you! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 29, 2020 00:40 GMT Coronavirus deaths surge past 2,000 in US The death toll from coronavirus infections in the US doubled in two days, surging past 2,000, according to a tally by the Johns Hopkins University. The US now ranks sixth in deaths, after Italy, Spain, China, Iran and France. The state of Rhode Island announced its first two deaths from the coronavirus, leaving just three states with zero reported deaths: Hawaii, West Virginia and Wyoming. 00:33 GMT New York governor slams quarantine idea as anti-American Andrew Cuomo slammed Trumps suggestion of a quarantine in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, saying such a lockdown would amount to a federal declaration of war. If you start walling off areas all across the country, it would be totally bizarre, counterproductive, anti-American, anti-social, the governor of New York told CNN, calling the idea preposterous and illegal. Cuomo added that roping off the nations financial capital could paralyse the economy at a time Trump has called for measures to get the economy back on track. Hello, Im Zaheena Rasheed in Male, Maldives, with Al Jazeeras continuing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. Read all the updates from yesterday, March 28, here. Hyderabad: The state IT department has created an integrated platform that will help the general public and officials monitor the Covid-19 situation. It will allow citizens to trace possible contacts with known positive patients and perform self-assessment based in WHO guidelines. It will also give them all updates released by the state government on the subject. A demo of the application was made to health department officials and other top brass of the government. The IT department, according to officials, handed over the platform to the health department on Saturday. The committee which designed the platform was headed by the Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH). Other members included those from T-HUB and IIIT Hyderabad. As many as 25 IT solutions were considered before arriving at the final design. Through the platform, citizens location, contact and demographic data would be collected by the government. This data would, if the need arises, be used to restrict movement of citizens using e-license/e-passes within the state. It would give citizens information on red zones, government orders, a location-specific number of cases (confirmed, deaths and recovered cases). Apart from citizen-centric services, the platform will have two additional for officials. Using an application, they will be able to report Covid-19 cases, report people for quarantining and notify SOPs for hospitals. The platform will have special modules available only to senior officials. They will get an overview of occupancy of hospitals, quarantine centres for resource allocations. They will get a forecast of potential hot spots in the state. They will also have information on the availability of medical facilities such as ventilators, emergency wards. They will be able to monitor the work of rapid response teams (RRT) across the state. Berlin: The state finance minister of Germanys Hesse region, which includes Frankfurt, has been found dead. Authorities said he appears to have killed himself and the state's governor suggested Sunday that he was in despair over the fallout from the coronavirus crisis. The body of Thomas Schaefer, a 54-year-old member of Chancellor Angela Merkels Christian Democratic Union, was found Saturday on railway tracks at Hochheim, near Frankfurt. Police and prosecutors said that factors including questioning of witnesses and their own observations at the scene led them to conclude that Schaefer killed himself. State governor Volker Bouffier linked Schaefers death to the virus crisis on Sunday. Bouffier said Schaefer was worried about whether it would be possible to succeed in fulfilling the populations huge expectations, particularly of financial help." I have to assume that these worries overwhelmed him," Bouffier said. He apparently couldnt find a way out. He was in despair and left us." Germany's federal and state governments have drawn up huge aid packages to cushion the blow of largely shutting down public life to slow the spread of COVID-19. Schaefer had been Hesses state finance minister for a decade. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics ...is for readers who might have been slowing walking away from God because they have experienced rejection and intense hurt in their lives. Esther A. Cummingss book, BUT GOD!! A Personal Story Based On the Relentless And Unconditional Love of God ($12.49, paperback, 9781630508128; $5.99, e-book, 9781630508135), is available for purchase. BUT GOD!! A Personal Story Based On the Relentless And Unconditional Love of God is for readers who might have been slowing walking away from God because they have experienced rejection and intense hurt in their lives. It is also for anyone who has become simply tired of life and has been merely existing or feeling like God and everyone has abandoned them. The author, Esther Cummings, has experienced all of these instances. This 48-year-old mother and wife shares her life story with readers in this book. But God is an honest and transparent view into a life that has been ordained before birth. In these pages, readers will work through hurt, rejection, pain, questions of identity and self-esteem issues, but they will also experience the unconditional love of God the author has experienced. Reading this book will bring them face to face with Gods Grace, His Mercy, His Love, His restorative Power, and will let readers know that God still works miracles. Esther Cummings, a native-born Guyanese, migrated to the United States over 31 years ago. She is married to Minister/Youth Pastor Shaun Cummings (her childhood sweetheart) and has been blessed with one daughter, Princess Faith Destiny Abigail Cummings. Esther, along with her husband, are functioning as the Forerunners of Forerunner Ministry (Youth Ministry) at Restoration Temple AOG in Brooklyn. She currently holds a Bachelors Degree in Legal Studies and a Masters Degree in Forensic Psychology. Her hearts desire is to use her life story to allow the healing power of God to minister to millions, especially broken and hurt women. Xulon Press, a division of Salem Media Group, is the worlds largest Christian self-publisher, with more than 12,000 titles published to date BUT GOD!! A Personal Story Based On the Relentless And Unconditional Love of God is available online through xulonpress.com/bookstore, amazon.com, and barnesandnoble.com. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc says that the country now has 15 days or more than that to fight against the pandemic, striving to prevent its wide spread to protect health and lives of people. (Photo: VNA) Winning the pandemic in big cities will be the success of the whole nation, he said, adding that the centrally-run cities, particularly the capital city of Hanoi and the southern economic hub of Ho Chi Minh City, have drastically taken measures against COVID-19. He stressed that the next 15 days will be the crucial time to determine the success of the anti-coronavirus combat. Underlining the important role of localities in the fight, the PM said their proposals and reports have helped the Government and the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control put forth practical measures against the pandemic. He spoke highly of the health sector and localities for treating COVID-19 cases, especially critically ill ones. So far, Vietnam has recorded no death, he said. Seriously following the Prime Ministers directions, localities have carried out effectively quarantine, social distancing, and closure of unecessary services, while maintaining the supply of essential goods for people. Cities have also been paying more attention to the spiritual life of health workers and those who directly engage in the battle such as public security and military forces, Phuc said. The Government leader hailed the communication sector for handling false information, especially fake news on social media. He asked ministries, departments and localities to heighten vigilance in the spirit of fighting the pandemic is like fighting the enemy. The PM recalled the 12 day-and-night victory of Dien Bien Phu in the Air in 1972, stressing that the country now has 15 days or more than that to fight against the pandemic, striving to prevent its wide spread to protect health and lives of people. This is a heavy responsibility but honour of the whole political system, he said. He suggested building specific solutions for each city based on the developments of the disease, focusing on inspections of high-risk infection places such as buildings, offices, residential areas, markets, shopping centres, hospitals, and urban areas. The PM ordered strong and comprehensive measures to stem the outbreaks at Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi and Buddha Bar in Ho Chi Minh City. Praising the efforts of the health sector, the PM requested it to improve the on-the-spot testing capacity, deliver rapid diagnosis of suspected cases, and raise treatment capacity of medical facilities at all levels, provide training for doctors and nurses, even retired ones, as well as stand ready to cope with the worst situation. He agreed to suspend flights to Vietnam and minimise the number of flights to and from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City during the next two weeks, excluding special ones. The PM asked the Ministry of Transport to tighten medical control and limit the number of passengers on trains and cars. He also asked the health, military, public security and border guard sectors and localities to pay more attention to the safety of those who are on the frontlines of the COVID-19 fight. It is necessary to ensure social welfare for workers at industrial parks and remove difficulties for businesses, he said. Major cities should continue reducing business services, simplifying administrative procedures, and promoting the use of online public services during the next 15 days, he added. As of 6:30pm on March 29, Vietnam reported 188 cases positive for SARS-CoV-2, of whom 25 have recovered and left hospital. RACINE A year-round indoor farmers market, food-truck court and hydroponic growing operation are planned for Rapids Plaza, a north-side shopping center that has seen better days. Bob Gleason, owner of Gleason Redi-Mix, has purchased Rapids Plaza, 2210-2400 Rapids Drive, for $350,000. Tenants of the retail center, with 120,205 square feet of gross leasable space, are Flex Fitness Center, Yellow Ginger Chinese restaurant, WIC program, Family Furniture, Family Dollar and Tip On Nails. Noticeably absent is the former anchor tenant: A Pick n Save grocery store closed in 2015, creating a yawning, 70,000-square-foot hole in the plaza. Inside that space, Gleason plans to open Farmers Market @ 2210, pending city approvals. The market is to occupy about 25,000 square feet of that space and is to be open Saturdays and Sundays year-round, he said. Inside the market, vendors will be given 10-foot by 10-foot spaces where they will be able to build permanent exhibits, Gleason said. The space has not yet been laid out, so he does not yet know how many vendors could be accommodated. Gleason was asked if his farmers market will be able to compete with the outdoor summer farmers market in West Racine. You cant, he replied. But vendors will be able to build out their spaces as they wish and leave them there year round, he said. Why wouldnt you want to have your own store? Customers will know where to find you. Gleason also plans to establish a food truck court in front of the market: about a half-dozen food trucks that would be there seven days a week. The food court would not have to wait for the end of the coronavirus pandemic, he said, because it will only involve take-out food. Were going to blow some new life into the area, said Gleason, who is no newcomer to rehabilitating commercial spaces, having done a bunch of them in Racine. The approximately 1,500-square-foot hydroponic growing house, at the east end of the market, will be mainly used as a drawing card with a 5-foot by 5-foot window that will allow viewing by the public, Gleason said. Itll be cool to see, he said. Less certain but also on his mind, Gleason said, is the possibility at some point of a small cafe inside the Farmers Market @ 2210. Huge price drop Gleason bought Rapids Plaza from Oak Creek-based NDC LLC after it had been on the market for several years, he said. At $350,000, that purchase price was just 11% of the price the last time the plaza was sold, in 2000, for $3.2 million. It also is far below the assessed value last year of $2.775 million. Gleason said he thinks that assessment is ridiculous and hopes to get it slashed to something more realistic. The market has spoken, he said, with the price he paid after those years of no sale. Property and online listing records show that Rapids Plaza was built in about 1962, on 6.5 acres. In 1970 its commercial tenants included Zayres Department Store, Mister Furniture, Sentry Food Store, W.T. Grant department store and Red Cross Pharmacy. Early tenants, on two out-lots, also included Boy Blue Dari-Freeze and Foto Finish. Somewhat later tenants included The Goodwill Store and Video Mania. Gleasons purchase did not include the former two-screen Rapids Plaza Cinema, which became a church after closing in 1992. He estimated he may be ready to open the market in about four months. Gleason said he will also redo some of the plazas facade. Vendors who may be interested in selling from the future Farmers Market @ 2210 may call (262) 456-2705. A recording line will be set up at that number, Gleason said. Love 35 Funny 1 Wow 3 Sad 1 Angry 2 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Youre in a videoconference with your co-workers and suddenly everything freezes and you get the dreaded message: unstable internet connection. What's going on?! Stomping around the house, you realize your kid just started streaming a movie. Sound familiar? In these days of working from home during the coronavirus pandemic, the number of devices on your home network may be draining precious bandwidth and creating other issues. What I'm hearing from clients is bandwidth congestion due to having an entire family now at home, says Beth McCarty, owner of TeamLogic IT of Central Pinellas in Florida, which provides IT support for small- to medium-size companies. You're using a lot more [bandwidth] simultaneously than you normally would. Devices have multiplied As you sit at your kitchen table, survey the scene around you. How many devices are connected to your home network and internet right now? Most likely its at least a couple of computers, a few phones, a smart speaker or two, and a tablet. But perhaps you also have a smart TV, refrigerator, video doorbell, security camera, baby monitor, smart watch, smart speaker, programmable thermostat, or a host of other devices. A 2016 survey by global technology research firm Omdia found the average household has 14.7 connected devices. And four years ago is practically ancient history when it comes to the rapidly evolving world of internet-connected home devices. Could the 'internet of things' clog your pipes? It's "the 'internet of things.' Lots of people have devices that are connected to the internet that are just devices that make life easier, McCarty explains. It's nice to be able to change your light from your cellphone, but do you really need to, especially if you're home? Individually, these items dont take up much bandwidth, but collectively they can. Internet connection speed is measured in megabits per second, or Mbps. A really fast connection sits at 100 Mbps, and anything above 25 Mbps is considered high-speed internet. Video streaming takes up the most bandwidth at 3 to 4 Mbps, with high-definition streaming of your favorite shows hogging 5 to 8 Mbps. A videoconference will use up 1 to 4 Mbps, routine web surfing 1 Mbps, and online multiplayer gaming as much as 20 Mbps. Most [smart devices] don't take that much at all, but the ones that do are streaming devices for your door cam, security cameras, things like that, McCarty says. Most internet-connected devices mostly use bandwidth in bursts. If you send a signal to your [Amazon Echo]say, Alexa, do thisthat device receives the signal and then acts on it, and that's just a burst of use of that bandwidth," she adds. "But if you're streaming security cameras to the cloud all the time, that's constantly using some of your bandwidth. Devices open the door to security concerns But bandwidth isnt the only issue to fret over. Some of the devices actually have few security features at all, so that's another thing to consider when you're adding these things to your network: Can they be secured, and do they really need to be on the internet? McCarty warns. Those don't take up much bandwidth, so in terms of bandwidth it's not that big of an issue; but if they seem to be open to the network and you can't secure them, then you might want to just turn off their internet access. An unsecured smart device could allow a hacker access to not only your network and the connected devices, but also your companys information and network. The bad guys are using these devices to get access to your home network. They don't really want access to the security camera. They want access to your devices, your laptop, your employer's laptop, things like that, McCarty says. So, what should you do? McCarty shares these tips: Use a virtual private network, or VPN. Change the default password on any device to something personal. Update the firmware on any device. Disconnect any device you dont really need, especially if you are home all day. Enable two-factor authentication if possible. Setting up a secondary network could keep your connected devices off the same network as your laptop. This doesnt mean buying a separate internet connection; you just need to create a guest or other network on your router. Nothing will make your network hack-proof, but it will make things more difficult for a hacker. To folks looking for a way into your network, your router acts as the front door. It's like having a security system on your home. You want to be the least attractive target on the block, McCarty explains. So, if you secure your network to begin with, the hacker will likely move on to somebody with an open network. If they really want to get in, theyll get in, but youve just decreased the chances of that by securing that front door." The post Is Device Overload Draining Your Precious Bandwidth? How To Work From Home at Full Speed appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com. 1. Yes. The downtown area needs a good draw. Some quality taverns would be a plus. 2. Yes. Too many storefronts are vacant. Bars could help to bring in needed revenue. 3. No. Putting a number of bars downtown is just asking for trouble. Dont change things. 4.No. Several churches have located downtown. Putting bars close by would be a bad fit. 5. Unsure. It would depend on how the law is written and what standards are enacted. Vote View Results President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday said the federal government will provide relief materials for residents of Lagos and Abuja whom he ordered to stay-at-home as part of measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The president ordered a 14-day lockdown of Lagos, Ogun and Abuja from Monday in his first address to Nigerians on the pandemic. Based on the advice of the Federal Ministry of Health and the NCDC, I am directing the cessation of all movements in Lagos and the FCT for an initial period of 14 days with effect from 11 p.m. on Monday, 30th March 2020. This restriction will also apply to Ogun State due to its close proximity to Lagos and the high traffic between the two states, the president said. Lagos and Abuja are the hardest-hit with 59 and 16 confirmed cases of the virus which started spreading across Nigeria since February 18. Mr Buhari said the relief materials would be deployed to the affected states in the coming weeks though he did not mention the type. For residents of satellite and commuter towns and communities around Lagos and Abuja whose livelihoods will surely be affected by some of these restrictive measures, we shall deploy relief materials to ease their pains in the coming weeks, he said. As the human and economic toll of the lockdown against the coronavirus mounts on millions of Nigerians, many, including a former vice president , Atiku Abubakar, have been calling on the Nigerian government to provide palliatives for citizens. At an approximate 30 million households or thereabouts, the government should devise modalities to distribute N10,000 as a supplement for foodstuff to each household, among other palliative measures, with no one left behind, Mr Abubakar, an opposition leader whose son Mohammed, recently tested positive for Covid19, wrote on Facebook. Almost immediately, the call received support from many Nigerians urging the government to emulate western countries that have launched similar measures. In the U.S., the Senate finalised on Tuesday a $2.2 trillion economic stabilisation plan to help workers and businesses in the country as coronavirus bites harder. In Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unveiled an $82-billion aid package to help Canadians and businesses, including direct income support. The Nigerian government had last Wednesday announced the reduction of the pump price of petrol to N125. Nigeria now has 97 cases of the disease while one person has died According to the latest breakdown by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Lagos State leads with 59 cases, followed by 16 in Abuja, Ogun 3, Oyo 7, Edo 2, Bauchi 2, Enugu 2, Osun 2 while Ekiti, Kaduna, Rivers and Benue states have one case of the infection each. The European Union (EU) and the Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations Network (PNGO), a coalition of 135 local NGOs, are engaged in talks to clarify a perceived change in EU funding criteria to Palestinian civil society. Since the start of this year, the EU has been under fire by Palestinian civil society for an alleged anti-terror clause in their general grant contracts used to fund NGOs worldwide. The line in question relates to Article 1.5bis, under the title Role of the beneficiary(ies) in the General Conditions Annex II to the Special Conditions of the EU grant contract, which states that grant beneficiaries and contractors "must ensure that there is no detection of subcontractors, natural persons, including participants to workshops and/or trainings and recipients of financial support to third parties, in the lists of EU restrictive measures. The EU restrictive measures list indicates seven Palestinian groups under the category of terrorism and issues a restriction in the form of asset freeze and prohibition to make funds available. Some groups on the EU list are official political parties under the Palestinian Authority (PA), such as Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. The extension of European financing contracts did not come out of the blue, Ahlam Wahsh, president of the General Union of Palestinian Women of the PLO, told Al-Monitor. This has been a consistent policy of the EU to deem these Palestinian groups as terrorists since 2001, she said, adding, What is happening now is the result of American Zionist pressure on the EU. Shadi Othman, communications and information officer at the EU delegation in East Jerusalem, confirmed that the EU restrictive measures list has not changed since 2001. Article 1.5bis was part of the general conditions of the EUs universally applied grant contract since 2018, he told Al-Monitor, noting that the current issue is "a result of misinformation spread online," which the EU is currently trying to clear through talks with the PNGO. A rampant online campaign ensued after a December 2019 meeting between the EU and the PNGO, in which the PNGO apparently refused to sign pending contracts. In late January, the Palestinian National Campaign to Reject Conditional Funding was created, spearheading this online movement. This campaign and the PNGO which are separate entities not in coordination with one another but both coalitions of Palestinian NGOs claimed the EU targets Palestinian political parties with this added article, labeling them as terrorist organizations and asking NGOs not to work with individuals affiliated with the political parties listed. The PNGO coalition published a petition in January, which declared, We announce our categorical refusal of politically conditional funding, whatever its size, even if it leads to the collapse of our institutions and their failure to perform their vital work. Groups on the campaigns Facebook page pointed out the illegality to accept conditional funding under Palestinian law, citing Article 32 of Law No. 1 of 2000. It will affect our work of course, Khawla al-Azraq, director of the Psycho-Social Counseling Center For Women (PSCCW) based in Bethlehem, told Al-Monitor. PSCCW is a signatory of the PNGO petition and a co-applicant for an EU grant, in partnership with a Spanish organization. It will reduce our [operations] and our beneficiaries. But what can we do? We cant sign this declaration. Wahsh believes that potential EU grant beneficiaries were asked "to pledge that you are against terrorism and pledge that you will not deal with these organizations [on the restrictive measures list]." Azraq is under the same impression and stated the PSCCWs inability to sign a declaration. According to Othman, the EU never asked for such a declaration. We are not asking organizations to discriminate between people based on their political affiliation, said Othman. We tell them simply to not transfer money to those on the list. He added, Dont send 100 euros [$111] from your [NGO] bank account to Hamas bank account. Nothing more, nothing less." Othman noted that NGOs are already observing this rule, since it is illegal to channel money to political parties under Law No. 1 of 2000. There are no Palestinian individuals on the list now, Othman said, clarifying what is meant by natural persons in Article 1.5bis and that any individual no matter their political affiliation can be invited to workshops or participate in activities funded by the EU. But if they invited, lets say, the head of Hamas so you are inviting the movement then we have an issue, he added. Othman expressed how the addition of this line was not intended to target Palestinians specifically, but is a general clause adhering to European law in order to thwart the channeling of money to individuals and organizations on the EUs restrictive measures list. On this list, there are not only terrorist organizations but also governments, individuals and other entities involved in money laundering, trafficking, and so forth. Members of the PNGO were not able to give a comment until talks with the EU finished and an agreed-upon letter of clarification was published officially by the EU. The PNGO policy adviser and communications coordinator, Samer Daoudi, told Al-Monitor that they were "engaged in a positive dialogue with the EU, expecting that everything will be clear and agreed upon within one week [as of March 28]." The PNGO has a history of denouncing conditional funding by a variety of individual European countries and the United States dating back to 2007. Issues with anti-terrorist clauses in the Palestinian context lie with the notion that Palestinians and allies believe these terrorist groups or acts of terrorism to be nothing more than a decadeslong struggle for freedom from occupation; especially when juxtaposed with violence from the Israeli side. It is not fair to consider Palestinians who struggle for their identity, for their dignity as terrorists. Our struggle is legal, according to international law, Azraq said firmly, citing the protected right of occupied peoples to fight for liberation under the adoption of the Protocol Additional I to the Geneva Conventions of 1949. Each year, the EU allots nearly 350 million euros ($390 million) to Palestine, divided between the PA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East and civil society projects. Stopping the EU work in Area C or East Jerusalem is a disaster in itself because we do a lot of major things that help alleviate the situation, Othman pleaded, expressing his fear over what he labels as misinformation to affect EU partnerships with Palestinian civil society. Community spirit is alive and well in Longford and, while everyone is being mindful and keeping their distance from others, people are also banding together to ensure our front line workers are looked after. Midlands Regional Hospital Mullingar a few days ago put out a call for businesses and enterprises with access to a supply of Personal Protective Equipment to donate their supply to healthcare workers who were running low. Ballymahon Vocational School sprang into action to provide the hospital with almost 100 sets of goggles/glasses from their science rooms to ensure workers had essential eye protection while on the front line of the Covid-19 crisis. Read more here: Longford school answers Covid-19 call and supplies Mullingar hospital frontline staff with much needed protective equipment Also quick to jump to the aid of the HSE was Ardagh-based Jacinta Baxter. Jacinta runs her own Facebook business at Jacinta Baxter Designsand has been encouraging her followers to knit or crochet a square for every day in isolation, with the aim of putting them all together to make a quilt when all of this is over. But in the past week, she has taken up a new project and started to fashion face masks from cotton, which she will be donating to healthcare workers. "I have been asked by numerous people to make masks for heath care workers. I will make as many of these as I possibly can and donate them to people who need them," she said, adding that the masks are not for sale and will be donated only to those who need them. "These obviously will not protect in the same way as a surgical mask but I have been told they can be worn over surgical masks to prolong the life of them. They also stop you touching your face. In some cases they will be used because there simply is nothing else available. They can be boil washed. "I'm hoping to make a couple of hundred of these, I've had requests from, nurses, carers, paramedics.. ideally I would like to give as many as I am asked for. If you have a pack of new pillow cases or new sheets at home that you can donate to me to make more it would be greatly appreciated," she added. Also quick to answer the call was Longford Community Resources clg. LCRL staff members Garry Murtagh and Gerry Smyth were on hand yesterday to bring PPE items to the local HSE clinic where vital front line services "greatly require these items and more during these worrying times". "We were able to donate all our spare goggles, gloves, disposable aprons, hats and masks, which we had through our Tus and RSS schemes which we run. Our participants use these items through their work with local care and social service agencies, creches and other community groups all over the county. We hope it will go a small way in helping hard working health service employees to stay safe." A HSE briefing this morning revealed that the government has already spent more than twice its annual budget for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) since January. On any given year, 15m is spent for 500,000 masks, 200,000 eye protection sets, 100,000 gowns and four million gloves. Since January, the government has spent 30m to deliver 1.2million masks, 400,000 eye protection, 500,000 gowns and 6.3million gloves. A major delivery from China is due to arrive in Ireland today with the first ten flights to provide the country with 1.6million masks, 400,000 eye protection, 265,000 gowns and 253,000 gloves. Read also: Mullingar Regional Hospital puts a call out for protective equipment General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye has revealed those who will die from th... General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye has revealed those who will die from the deadly Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Nigeria. Pastor Adeboye, fondly referred to as Daddy GO, made the revelation on Sunday in his sermon titled peace be still, when he said only those whose appointed time has come will die from the virus in the country. When I spoke to my daddy about my pains on those who are dying of the virus around the world, He assured me that; only those whose appointed time has come will die, so when your appointed time has not come, relax and enjoy your holiday. God knows those who are His; so when He says the plague will not come upon His children, that does not include everyone. God will separate pretenders from those who are serving Him genuinely. I told you earlier that the whole world will be on compulsory holiday so that they will know that God is still in charge, Pastor Adeboye said. Recall that since COVID-19 broke out in Nigeria, only one death as a result of the virus has been recorded. The death recorded was Suleiman Achimugu, the former Managing Director of the Pipeline and Product Marketing Company. Please note: We had some feedback yesterday that the numbers reported in the evening round up were the same as the morning and different to what Worldometer was showing. Heres a quick reminder of how we are reporting the news throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Each morning we will bring you an update via Fethiye Times Facebook page- on the numbers; how many people in Turkey have been diagnosed with covid-19 and the death toll, along with any news that has broken overnight. Throughout the day we will bring you news updates as they happen, both nationally, locally and direct from the Municipality. Again this will be via the Fethiye Times Facebook page. Early evening, we will bring you a round up of the days news via www.fethiyetimes.com. This will be a brief summary of what has happened in the last 24 hours, with appropriate links. That way, you will have have everything you need to know (by day) in one place for easy reference. We will only report the updated numbers each morning, after they have been released by the Health Minister the previous evening. COVID-19 daily round up Sunday 29 March 2020 Around 1,704 new cases of coronavirus were confirmed in Turkey in the last 24 hours, and 16 more people have died, bringing the total number of deaths to 108, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said Saturday. The total number of cases of COVID-19 now stands at 7,402. 70 people have recovered, the minister added. READ: 1,704 new COVID-19 cases confirmed in Turkey as death toll hits 108 The Health Minister also confirmed on Friday that Turkey had tried some rapid antigen tests arrived from China, but authorities werent happy about them. The kits have been rejected. READ: Turkey rejects Chinese testing kits over inaccurate results A letter to the UK from Italy: this is what we know about your future A deserted Rome: We are but a few steps ahead of you in the path of time. Photograph: Stefano Montesi/Corbis via Getty Images An author in Rome describes what to expect based on her experiences of lockdown. READ: A letter to the UK from Italy: this is what we know about your future Naval patrol boats anchor in the Gulf of Fethiye There are four naval patrol boats, TCG Storm, TCG Ruzgar, TCG Gurbet, TCG Poyraz from Marmaris Aksaz Naval Base Command currently moored in the Gulf of Fethiye near Sovalye Island. This is nothing to worry about. They are here purely to keep the military personnel as isolated as possible to prevent them being infected by COVID-19. There are no positive cases on board any of the vessels and they will not be approaching the port. It was felt they were safer here than in Marmaris. They will stay in the Gulf until they receive further orders. Source: https://gercekfethiye.com/saglik-tedbirleri-kapsaminda-korfeze-demirlediler-/26217/?fbclid=IwAR1t6LHruWKUyoa4Pr_N7U0CQjKBdvFKQjkjY_isTs43ksK6QI4z6SSvMy8 Foreign Residents feel safe in Turkey During our day working with with Fethiye Municipality on Thursday, one of the things we were doing was talking to Foreign residents under curfew and fulfilling a shopping delivery by the Vefa Coordination Group. Members of Fethiye Zabita delivering the shopping Kate receives her shopping order Kate Topcu told local journalist, Ali Riza Akkr, I feel very safe in Turkey. Police are able to meet the needs of our streets and also help us here. She went on to say said that the coronavirus should be taken very seriously and people should be more careful. Kate Topcu talks to Ali Riza Akkr about COVID-19 in Turkey June Waddel Hall said. I have lived in the district for seven years and am very satisfied with the measures taken to protect those over 65, even though they take some getting used to. June Waddell Hall Germanys Wolfgang Roggendorfer (69) said We are very satisfied with this shopping to door service. We called by phone and our needs were met immediately. Turkey acted against the coronavirus really early and took the necessary steps. My daughter living in Germany said, I wish I had come with my children when there were flights. Turkey on this issue is very safe. Click here to watch the video Airlines failing to refund coronavirus cancellations British Airways, easyJet and Ryanair fail to provide a simple way to get money back, as passengers resort to claiming on debit or credit cards. READ: Airlines failing to refund coronavirus cancellations Global Death Toll The global death toll has surpassed 32,180, with 684,825 cases confirmed, according to Worldometer Follow Fethiye Times on social media for regular updates. Like us on Facebook Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Twitter Todays featured image: #togetherwearestrongerby Lyn Ward Massachusetts Senators Edward J. Markey and Elizabeth Warren released a joint statement after the Department of the Interior announced the disestablishment of the Mashpee Wampanoag reservation. The Mashpee Wampanoag have a right to their ancestral homeland no matter what craven political games the Trump administration tries to play," the senators said in the statement. "Disestablishment of the Mashpee Wampanoag reservation would re-open a shameful and painful chapter of American history of systematically ripping apart tribal lands and breaking the federal governments word. We will not allow the Mashpee Wampanoag to lose their homeland. We will fight this cruel injustice that promises to have ripple effects across Indian Country. The Mashpee Wampanoag have been involved in a prolonged legal battle over 321 acres of land in Taunton and a proposal to build a casino there. A bill, Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Reservation Reaffirmation Act (H.R. 312), sought to recognize and protect what was described as a tribal homeland. It was passed by the House on May 15, 2019, but failed to win passage in the Republican-controlled Senate. Related Content: At the Angelus, Pope Francis joins the UN secretary generals appeal because "in countries at war, health systems have collapsed and already reduced health personnel, have often been targeted". A renewed commitment to overcoming rivalries. Conflicts are not resolved through war!. Prayer for the sick in nursing homes, for barracks, for prisoners. The explosive problem of overcrowding in prisons. "God's answer to the problem of death is Jesus: 'I am the resurrection and the life'." The Christian is "a reflection of the love and tenderness of God, who frees from death and gifts the victory of life!" Vatican City (AsiaNews) The ongoing pandemic, "which knows no borders", demands an urgent "and immediate global ceasefire in all corners of the world," invoked Pope Francis today. He was speaking at the end of the Angelus reflection, once again delivered from his private library amid the ongoing coronavirus lockdown. The pontiff echoed the appeal first launched days ago by the UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres. The UN secretary general is concerned because "health systems have collapsed in countries at war and already reduced numbers of health workers, have often been targeted." Several personalities have expressed their fears of when the pandemic hits nations like Syria, Palestine and Yemen, or many African countries. "I join those who make this appeal and I invite everyone to follow it up by ceasing all forms of hostilities, encouraging the creation of corridors for humanitarian aid, openness to diplomacy, and attention to those who find themselves in situations of vulnerability. May our joint fight against the pandemic bring everyone to recognize the great need to reinforce brotherly and sisterly bonds as members of one human family. In particular, may it inspire a renewed commitment to overcome rivalries among leaders of nations and those parties involved. Conflicts are not resolved through war! Antagonisms and differences, must be overcome through dialogue and a constructive search for peace. At this moment my thoughts go to all the people who are forced to live in groups: nursing homes, barracks and above all prisons". Citing a study he read in recent days, the pontiff stressed the problem of overcrowding in places of punishment, harbingers of situations "that could become a tragedy". Before the Marian prayer, Francis commented on the gospel of today's mass (5th Sunday of Lent, A, John 11, 1-45), which narrates the resurrection of Lazarus. "In the Gospel - he explained - we see that man's faith and the omnipotence of God's love are sought and finally meet. We see it in the cry of Martha and Mary and all of us with them: 'If you had been here! ... '. And the answer of God is not a speech, the answer of God to the problem of death is Jesus: I am the resurrection and the life ... Have faith! In the midst of crying, you continue to have faith, even if death seems to have won. Remove the stone from your heart! Let the Word of God bring life back to where there is death. " Even today Jesus repeats to us: 'Remove the stone'. God did not create us for the grave, he created us for life, beautiful, good, joyful. But "death entered the world out of envy of the devil" (Wis 2,24), says the Book of Wisdom, and Jesus Christ came to free us from his snares". "Therefore, we are called to remove the stones of everything that tastes of death: the hypocrisy with which faith is often lived is death; destructive criticism of others is death; offense, slander, is death; the marginalization of the poor is death. The Lord asks us to remove these stones from our heart, and then life will still flourish around us. Christ lives, and whoever welcomes him and adheres to him comes into contact with life. Without Christ, or outside of Christ, not only is life not present, but one falls back into death. The resurrection of Lazarus - he concluded - is also a sign of the regeneration that takes place in the believer through Baptism, with full insertion into the Paschal Mystery of Christ. By the action and strength of the Holy Spirit, the Christian is a person who walks in life like a new creature: a creature for life, who goes towards life. May the Virgin Mary help us to be compassionate like her Son Jesus, who made our pain his own. May we each and everyone be close to those who are in the midst of trial, becoming for them a reflection of the love and tenderness of God, who frees us from death and makes life victorious". After the greetings, Francis went to the study window and made a gesture of blessing towards the empty square. This article originally appeared on the Across Maryland Patch MARYLAND The number of deaths from the new coronavirus has tripled over the weekend, according to the latest information from Maryland health officials. Saturday began with five fatalities, which doubled to 10 by that night, and another five deaths were reported Sunday afternoon. That brings the known death toll from the coronavirus to 15 people in Maryland. Maryland now has 1,239 confirmed cases of the virus, according to data released Sunday morning. Nearly 250 people tested positive for the new coronavirus in Maryland since the previous day. The number of cases was increasing at "frightening paces," Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace. "We think it's going to be worse in two weeks, not better," Hogan said. "Around Easter, were going to be looking a lot more like New York." About 56 percent of those who have been hospitalized in Maryland are under 60, Hogan said. "Its not exactly the way its been described," Hogan said of the virus on Fox News Sunday, referencing the initial guidance that those more prone to the effects of the virus were older adults. People in their 20s, 30s and 40s were getting diagnosed with COVID-19, as well as babies as young as 4 months and 10 months old, the governor reported. The Maryland Department of Health said Sunday evening that five deaths had been reported as a result of COVID-19: Carroll County man in his 90s with underlying medical conditions Howard County man in his 70s with underlying medical conditions Prince Georges County man in his 30s with underlying medical conditions Prince Georges County woman in her 50s with underlying medical conditions Prince Georges County man is his 70s with underlying medical conditions Howard County health officials reported Sunday afternoon two people in the county died from the virus a 75-year-old man and a 90-year-old man, both of whom had underlying health conditions which was inconsistent with the data released by the state. When asked about the discrepancy by Patch, a state health official said the Maryland Department of Health reports the cases that are confirmed by the agency's epidemiology team. Story continues In sum, 277 people in Maryland have been hospitalized with the coronavirus, according to state health data, which also show 39 have been released from isolation as of Sunday and 12,354 people have tested negative for COVID-19 statewide. Among the 1,239 cases of the virus confirmed by the state are 66 people from Pleasant View Nursing Home in Mt. Airy, of whom 11 have been hospitalized, officials reported Saturday night. A more specific breakdown of cases by age group was released Sunday morning. The Maryland Department of Health has separated confirmed cases of those with the virus into 10-year age brackets. For example, those age 50 to 59 years old have the most confirmed cases, with 243 of the state's 1,239, accounting for nearly 20 percent of cases. Those 40 to 49 account for about 19 percent, with 241 cases reported. In addition to the 247-case increase in one day, cases of coronavirus that were fatal doubled in Maryland. Coronavirus-related deaths jumped from five to 10 on Saturday, and five more deaths were reported Sunday afternoon, according to the Maryland Department of Health. These were the individuals whose deaths were reported Saturday night: Baltimore City woman in her 60s with underlying medical conditions Baltimore City woman in her 80s with underlying medical conditions Charles County man in his 50s Prince George's County man in his 50s Wicomico County woman in her 60s with underlying medical conditions The first confirmed death from the new coronavirus in the state was in Prince George's County, Hogan said March 18. Among the five previously reported coronavirus-related deaths in Maryland were three men in their 60s with underlying medical conditions two Prince George's County residents and one Baltimore County man; a woman in her 40s from Montgomery County with underlying medical conditions; and an Anne Arundel County man over 80. For updates on the coronavirus in Maryland, get Patch news alerts. These are the jurisdictions where state health officials say confirmed cases have been reported as of Sunday, March 29: Table from Maryland Department of Health. "Were going follow the doctors and the scientists," Hogan said on Fox Sunday Morning, as far as what to do to about the virus. "We don't see any way that were going to be opening up in a couple of weeks." Coronavirus Cases By Age 0-9 years: 4 1019 years: 21 2029 years: 165 30-39 years: 203 4049 years: 241 5059 years: 243 6069 years: 191 7079 years: 117 80-plus years: 54 Coronavirus Cases By Gender Female 634 Male 605 For more information, visit the Maryland Department of Health's coronavirus page. The CDC has put together a coronavirus disease situation summary for more about the illness. See Also: The simplest way to benefit from a rising market is to buy an index fund. But if you buy individual stocks, you can do both better or worse than that. That downside risk was realized by European Eltech Public Joint Stock Company (MCX:EELT) shareholders over the last year, as the share price declined 16%. That contrasts poorly with the market return of 0.5%. We wouldn't rush to judgement on European Eltech because we don't have a long term history to look at. There was little comfort for shareholders in the last week as the price declined a further 2.2%. View our latest analysis for European Eltech While the efficient markets hypothesis continues to be taught by some, it has been proven that markets are over-reactive dynamic systems, and investors are not always rational. One imperfect but simple way to consider how the market perception of a company has shifted is to compare the change in the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price movement. Even though the European Eltech share price is down over the year, its EPS actually improved. It's quite possible that growth expectations may have been unreasonable in the past. It's fair to say that the share price does not seem to be reflecting the EPS growth. So it's well worth checking out some other metrics, too. Revenue was pretty flat on last year, which isn't too bad. However, it is certainly possible the market was expecting an uptick in revenue, and that the share price fall reflects that disappointment. The image below shows how earnings and revenue have tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail). MISX:EELT Income Statement March 29th 2020 Balance sheet strength is crucial. It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on how its financial position has changed over time. A Different Perspective While European Eltech shareholders are down 15% for the year, the market itself is up 0.5%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. The share price decline has continued throughout the most recent three months, down 4.6%, suggesting an absence of enthusiasm from investors. Basically, most investors should be wary of buying into a poor-performing stock, unless the business itself has clearly improved. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. For instance, we've identified 4 warning signs for European Eltech (2 are significant) that you should be aware of. Story continues Of course European Eltech may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of growth stocks. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on RU exchanges. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. The Congress on Sunday asked party workers to step up efforts to mitigate the suffering of migrant labourers due to the nationwide lockdown and increase its presence at the grassroots level. During a meeting of Congress leaders from across the country held via videoconferencing, concerns were raised over the exodus of migrant workers, who have been rendered jobless and forced to return to their native villages. The meeting was attended by 82 party leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Ahmed Patel, Randeep Surjewala and K C Venugopal Venugopal, AICC general secretary, organisation, said it is necessary to ensure food and essential services are provided to migrant labourers and Congress workers will work towards it. It was decided that the exodus of migrant workers should be taken up seriously and a solution to this crisis be sought in coordination with the respective state governments, he said. Venugopal said Congress president Sonia Gandhi, former party chief Rahul Gandhi and the AICC Communication Department have been continuously urging the Centre to urgently intervene in this grave matter through letters, social media posts, press releases and statements. Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) presidents have been asked to step up efforts to speak to all MPs, MLAs and MLCs with instructions to reach out to the distressed sections and help the people in need, he said. In states like Maharashtra and Kerala, where maximum COVID-19 cases have been reported, the PCCs were asked to put in place a plan of action to resolve all hardships being faced by people, he added. Venugopal said PCC chiefs have been asked to exhort party workers to help as many distressed people as possible. In states like Kerala, community kitchens have also been set up by the party at district, panchayat and block levels, he said. As many trucks carrying supplies are not being allowed inside Kerala, state CLP leader requested the AICC to take up the issue to pressure the state and central governments to let them enter, he added. Venugopal also asked the PCCs to increase the ground-level presence of the Congress. They were advised to set up a strong monitoring system in the states and ensure the party's presence everywhere, he said. It was suggested that a control room should be set up in every state, besides having a central control room, he said, adding that Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi need to interact with party workers and general public on a regular basis. "As a lockdown has been imposed in states, the PCCs were advised to ask the state governments to issue passes for party workers for distribution of food and medicine kits," the senior Congress leader said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A TEENAGER charged with assault after allegedly spitting at a Garda and then claiming he had the Covid-19 virus has claimed the incident was only "a big joke." Adam Olden (19) appeared before a special sitting of Cork District Court arising out of an alleged incident in the early hours of Sunday morning (March 29). The matter occurred after gardai attended a reported incident in the Deanrock Estate in Togher at 2.30am on Sunday morning. It is alleged that Olden approached one of the responding officers, spat at him and then claimed that he had the coronavirus. The teenager was arrested and taken to the Bridewell Garda Station for questioning. Judge John King was told that Olden, with an address at Leamlara Close, Togher, Cork, was charged at the Bridewell Garda Station with assault and with two offences under the Public Order Act. The judge was informed by Inspector Pat Murphy that Olden has now insisted the incident was "a joke." Sergeant Kevin Joyce said that the defendant "is now claiming this morning that it was all a big joke." However, the court heard that gardai were taking the matter very seriously given the current public health emergency. Inspector Murphy said that, as a result of the incident, "he (Olden) has taken two gardai off the streets." The garda who was allegedly spat at is now in precautionary self-isolation. Because of the nature of the alleged incident, the officers involved have had to comply with precautionary protocols. Judge King queried whether the teenager had displayed any symptoms of Covid-19. Defence solicitor, Eddie Burke, said his client had none of the symptoms of the virus. Mr Burke said his client was a hard-working young man who had never come to garda attention before. He said his client would comply with any bail conditions required by gardai. Judge King queried whether the defendant should now be required to self isolate but his family had assured his legal counsel that he had shown no symptoms of ill health and would, if required, take any medical tests now required by the State. The teen works in a local grocery shop. The judge granted bail but imposed a number of conditions including that Olden abide by an 8pm-6am curfew, stay away from intoxicants and inform gardai with 24 hours notice if he intends to leave his nominated address. He was remanded to appear before Cork District Court on April 1 though his presence was excused. The case will be only listed for mention pending preparation of a case file by gardai. Olden's mother has agreed to serve as independent surety for his remand on bail. As the coronavirus crisis continues to widen in Europe, Spain said it was fighting a massive shortage of medical supplies to contain the rapidly increasing death toll. Second, only to Italy in fatalities, Spain also saw infections rise to 78,797 from 72,248 the day before. Ana Gimenez is an emergency room doctor at Spain's Infanta Leonor Hospital, told Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBS) that the hospital has run out of critical supplies including masks, gowns, beds and even medicine. "Spain has a fantastic health system. Our fantastic health system was overloaded. And now is absolutely destroyed." said Gimenez. The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide has reached 634,835, among them 29,957 fatalities, the Health Organization (WHO) said on Sunday. When asked whether doctors have the equipment to protect yourself from all these COVID-19 cases, she said, "When I arrived, they gave me a P3 mask and they told me, "This is for the week." And this mask is supposed to be used for just some hours." "We have to take a lot of care with the patients. I mean, if I am receiving patients, and when I have four, then I put equipment [on] in order to explore them because it's not possible to change the equipment in between each patient," she said. . (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Richland County Elections Commission is still working to land its new director of elections and voter registration. On March 5, the commission voted to select Tammy Smith, who is currently the the assistant administrator of elections in Wilson County, Tennessee, to head up elections in Richland County. Now, following a vote at a March 26 meeting, the commission has made a formal contract offer to Smith. County Election Commission Vice Chairman Craig Plank tells Free Times the negotiating and hiring process with Smith has been a bit slower than first imagined because of the COVID-19 global pandemic. However, he says the commission hopes to have an agreement with Smith approved in coming weeks. When you have negotiations, some back and forth, and working with a governing body, sometimes it can delay because you have to meet to officially go through things, Plank says. So, that can slow the process. But I feel optimistic that we will reach a conclusion, an offer that will be mutually agreed upon and beneficial for everybody. Plank declined to disclose the offer made to Smith, but noted the terms of the contract would be made public upon approval. We want to make sure we are able to provide something that makes sense for her to make the move and come into Richland County and improve some of the challenges we have had over past elections, Plank says. The election commission chose Smith over the other finalist for the position, Terry Graham, the former Chester County elections director who has served as Richland Countys interim elections director since July 2019. Graham initially came to work in the Richland elections office in August 2018 as a systems manager, and was named the interim director after a previous interim director, Thad Hall, left the position. Hall had been the interim since May 2019, following the firing of director Rokey Suleman. Graham has continued to work as the countys interim elections director since the election commission first indicated it intended to hire Smith. The election commissions selection of Smith came on the heels of an election night gaffe, the latest in a long line of them in Richland through the years. The latest issue came during the Feb. 29 Democratic presidential primary, when 74 absentee ballots were miscounted. It was eventually determined that the missing ballots in question had been accidentally left in a locked storage room. They were ultimately added to the countys tally and certified. Richland is trying to lock down its next elections leader during a time when the sweeping coronavirus crisis has cast uncertainty across nearly all parts of daily life, including elections. Republican and Democratic primaries for county posts, seats in the state Legislature and U.S. House of Representatives are set for June 9. However, as recently reported by The Post and Courier, there is a possibility those June primaries could be delayed because of COVID-19. Were concerned about the June primaries and the general election, and really all of the elections that are scheduled to occur for 2020, state Election Commission spokesman Chris Whitmire told the paper. In order for elections to be altered in South Carolina, it would require an executive order from Gov. Henry McMaster or action by the state Legislature. Plank says, even if the primaries were to stay on June 9, he could imagine that some people will change the way they choose to participate. I would suspect there will be people who, out of an abundance of caution, vote absentee, Plank says. Given that process, that is going to put a larger burden on election offices. ... But I think well get through it. Everybody will work hard. Thiruvananthapuram, March 29 : Kerala Health Minister K.K.Shailaja on Sunday said on Sunday, 20 new cases of coronavirus positive cases were registered in the state, taking the total number of positive cases under treatment in various districts to 181. "Of the 20, 18 came from abroad -- eight from Kannur, seven from Kasargode and one each from Thiruvanathapuram, Ernakulam and Thrissur. Two, who turned positive got it from primary positive patients," said Shailaja in a statement. "Currently 1,41,211 people are under observation which include 593 who are in hospitals. By now 21 people who were positive have now turned negative," added the Minister. Blu Smart Ride hailing startup agged $5,000,000 in latest round from investors. (Representative Image: Reuters) When the coronavirus swept into Scandinavian countries, Norway and Denmark scrambled to place extensive restrictions on their borders to stem the outbreak. Sweden, their neighbor, took a decidedly different path. While Denmark and Norway closed their borders, restaurants and ski slopes and told all students to stay home this month, Sweden shut only its high schools and colleges, kept its preschools, grade schools, pubs, restaurants and borders open and put no limits on the slopes. In fact, Sweden has stayed open for business while other nations beyond Scandinavia have attacked the outbreak with various measures ambitious in scope and reach. Swedens approach has raised questions about whether its gambling with a pandemic, COVID-19, that has no cure or vaccine, or if its tactic will be seen as a savvy strategy to fight a scourge that has laid waste to millions of jobs and prompted global lockdowns unprecedented in peacetime. By Saturday, Norway, population 5.3 million, had more than 3,770 coronavirus cases and 19 deaths; Denmark, population 5.6 million, reported 2,200 cases and 52 deaths; Sweden, with 10.12 million people, recorded more than 3,060 cases and 105 deaths. A recent headline in the Danish newspaper Politiken encapsulates the question ricocheting around Europe, Doesnt Sweden take the corona crisis seriously? COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show There is no evidence that Swedes are underplaying the enormity of the disease rampaging across the globe. The countrys leader and health officials have stressed hand washing, social distancing and protecting people older than 70 by limiting contact with them. But peer into any cafe in the capital, Stockholm, and groups of two or more people can be seen casually dining and enjoying cappuccinos. Playgrounds are full of running, screaming children. Restaurants, gyms, malls and ski slopes have thinned out but are still in use. The state epidemiologist, Anders Tegnell, said in an interview that Swedens strategy is based on science and boiled down to this: We are trying to slow the spread enough so that we can deal with the patients coming in. Swedens approach appeals to the publics self-restraint and sense of responsibility, Tegnell said. Thats the way we work in Sweden. Our whole system for communicable disease control is based on voluntary action. The immunization system is completely voluntary, and there is 98% coverage, he explained. You give them the option to do what is best in their lives, he added. That works very well, according to our experience. Swedens method flies in the face of most other nations stricter strategies. India is attempting a lockdown that affects 1.3 billion people. Germany has banned crowds of two or more people, except for families. In France, residents are asked to fill in a form stating the purpose of each errand when they leave their homes; each trip requires a new form. Britain has deployed police officers to remind residents to stay home. Still, while Sweden may appear to be an outlier in Scandinavia and in much of the wider world, it is too soon to say whether its approach will yield the same results as other countries. And Swedish authorities could still take stronger action as coronavirus hospitalizations rise. In explaining Swedens current strategy, experts point to other underlying factors: The country has high levels of trust, according to historian Lars Tragardh, and a strict law in the Constitution prohibits the government from meddling in the affairs of the administrative authorities, such as the public health agency. Therefore, you dont need to micromanage or control behavior at a detailed level through prohibitions or threat of sanctions or fines or imprisonment, Tragardh said in a phone interview. That is how Sweden stands apart, even from Denmark and Norway. The government has deferred to the agencys recommendations to fight the virus, which had infected more than 600,000 people and killed more than 27,000 worldwide by Saturday. If the health agency were to say that closing borders and shutting down all of society was the best way to go, the government would most likely listen. Tragardh said Swedes level of trust was manifested in other ways: Not only do citizens have confidence in public institutions and governmental agencies and vice versa, but high social trust exists among citizens, as well. That is evident in the countrys approach to the virus. Norway did not completely shut its 1,000-mile land border with Sweden, but most people returning from abroad must enter a two-week quarantine (Reindeer herders and daily commuters are exempt.) Finland closed the borders of its most populous region which has 1.7 million people and includes the capital, Helsinki for three weeks to fight the outbreak there. Norway limited groups outdoors to no more than five people, and those indoors must keep a distance of more than 6 feet (except relatives). Denmark closed its borders, sent public workers home with pay and encouraged all other employees to work from home. It shut nightclubs, bars, restaurants, cafes and shopping centers, and banned gatherings of more than 10 people outdoors. Sweden initially banned gatherings of 500. Early in the outbreak, some event organizers suggested they would try to get around the crowd limit by allowing precisely 499 ticket holders into their venues. (That stopped when cases of COVID-19 were confirmed among staff members.) Tegnell, the state epidemiologist, said that is why bans dont work: People find ways around the rules. He also said he did not believe Sweden was a maverick and did not understand neighbors strategy. Closing borders at this stage of the pandemic, when almost all countries have cases, to me does not really make sense, he said. This is not a disease that is going to go away in the short term or long term. We are not in the containment phase. We are in the mitigation phase. He also said that closing schools had not been ruled out. The Netherlands, which reported more than 9,700 cases of the virus and 639 deaths by Saturday, is taking a similar approach to Swedens. On March 16, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said his country of 17.1 million was opting for a controlled spread among groups at the least risk of getting seriously ill. He argued that it was too late to shut down the country completely. A majority of Swedes, 52%, support the measures to contain the virus, according to a survey conducted by the newspaper Svenska Dagbladet and published Tuesday. But 14% said that too little consideration was being given to public health in order to benefit the economy. There is growing concern as Swedes prepare to travel to their country houses and to the ski slopes for Easter, even though the public health agency has asked citizens to reconsider such trips. (Norway announced a cabin ban to prevent residents from going to their country homes.) Even Prime Minister Mette Fredriksen of Denmark issued a warning about its neighbor Monday: Dont go on a ski vacation in Sweden! Last week, a cluster of COVID-19 cases was traced to an apres-ski party at a Swedish alpine center, Are, prompting officials to close an aerial tram and gondola and shut bars and nightclubs. Hundreds of COVID-19 cases in Scandinavia have stemmed from vacationers returning from ski trips in Italy which has the most cases in Europe and in Austria. Now, there is a petition on social media to close the ski slopes. Some Swedes have suggested that their country is deviating from most other nations response to hasten herd immunity, risking lives unnecessarily. The public health agency denies this. In the meantime, the infection curve in Sweden has started to rise sharply, and Friday the government tightened the limit on crowds to no more than 50 people. Some residents like Elisabeth Hatlem, a hotelier, are of two minds about the Swedish approach. She is grateful that she can keep her business open. But she and her partner do not like sending their six children to school amid the pandemic. For us, a total lockdown is a disaster, she said. But I am worried Sweden will explode at some point. I feel like Im living in a huge experiment, and I was never asked if I wanted to sign up. c.2020 The New York Times Company The Director General of the Nigeria Governors Forum, Asishana Okauru, and his wife, Ifueko have both tested negative for COVID-19 tests. Mr Okaura had announced on Wednesday that he was embarking on self-isolation along with his family due to his exposure to Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, who tested positive to coronavirus. Both men attended some high-profile meetings, including those of the NGF and the National Economic Council. The DG, in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday, called on the public to pray for all those who tested positive to wish them full recovery. He said the NGF continues to encourage the public to observe all the NCDC rules of hand washing, social distancing and self-isolation in instances of exposure. That the NGF is working to address all issues relating to the CoviD19 pandemic including working with the NCDC and Presidential Committee to get testing reading available, he said. Ensuring timely and appropriate treatment of established cases, and reducing the inconvenience and losses arising from the necessary lockdown and restrictions to movement. Mr Okauru also expressed gratitude to everyone who either called him or his wife to express their goodwill, hopes and prayers for the entire family. He, therefore, called on everyone to act in the good interest of themselves and the nation as we all work together to eliminate CoviD19 from the world. SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) Gov. Kristi Noem on Friday signed 15 bills that allocate millions of dollars to South Dakota programs, including industrial hemp, but offered no guarantee on whether the funding would remain after the state reworks its budget in light of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Noem said the budget allocations likely depend on how much money the state gets from the federal government in a stimulus bill. The bills give millions of dollars to an industrial hemp program, repairing abandoned natural gas wells, a veteran's cemetery, a School of Health Sciences building at the University of South Dakota and expanding broadband services to rural communities. Im signing these 15 bills with one caveat we may need to come back in June and make drastic changes to both the current budget and next years fiscal year budget, Noem said in a statement. In the 15 days since the Legislature finalized the state budget, the state's economic outlook has changed drastically due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Lawmakers will meet via teleconference on Monday to consider action on the four bills the governor has vetoed. Noem is also asking them to act on a series of emergency bills to address the coronavirus crisis. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 1 Regarding Waiting to see if curve flattens (Page One, March 22): Ive read comments in recent articles like, Aside from a few reports of joggers crowding the Embarcadero in San Francisco, or of shoppers getting a little too close at busy grocery stores, people seem to be keeping their distance from one another, and I wholeheartedly disagree. After four full days of being inside, I decided the best way to get some air and keep distance is a bike ride on the streets to keep me away from sidewalks. But what I saw in Golden Gate Park and Ocean Beach had me fearful for humanity. With much trepidation, I rode out of the house. I altered my behavior by going up surface streets instead of a crowded Panhandle and took Martin Luther King Jr. Drive instead of crowded John F. Kennedy Drive in the park. I dont get to do what I normally want to do. These are not normal times, it takes collective sacrifice. Alas, the park was business as usual on the weekend, fun and sun in San Francisco. If everybody goes for a walk on sidewalks that are barely over 6 feet wide, then distancing is impossible. I saw much clustering and felt a lack of concern from people. The city led the nation but its residents are no better than the spring-breakers in Florida. This is exactly what happened in Italy. James Farinacci, San Francisco Thanks for the coverage While we rightly acknowledge the service and sacrifice of medical professionals, first responders, grocery store staff, post office workers, military, delivery services, public servants and myriad others who stand between society and COVID-19, I would like to not forget the often-criticized radio, TV and newspaper journalists who keep us both informed and free. And Id like to thank both the entire staff of The Chronicle who produce the newspaper and the often-unsung carrier personnel who deliver it to my doorstep daily, providing me with one moment of normalcy each day in an otherwise chaotic, confusing and unpredictable era in our history. Ellen Pelissero, San Leandro Irrational blame Concerning Rage, blame over jammed parks, roads (Main News, March 25): Many Bay Area residents who were alarmed by seeing their local beaches and parks crowded with people the previous weekend should not be placing blame on Tom Stienstra, The Chronicles outdoors writer. Even if Steinstra was encouraging people to get outdoors to exercise as a means of staying physically and mentally well during this coronavirus outbreak, he also already advised readers to limit their travel and to observe social distance advisories. Blaming this fine writer for the weekend outdoor Bay Area crowds, who are foolishly clogging roads and dangerously ignoring health directives, is as irrational as the recent behavior of shoppers who are hoarding toilet paper. Gloria Curazon, Daly City Build a new hospital Kaiser Permanente should seriously consider building a new hospital next to its medical center facility in east Dublin. The East Bay Area, with its huge population growth, desperately needs a new and convenient hospital. With Kaiser Permanentes plans scrapped for its headquarters, redirect funds and start work on a hospital. Jerry Barr, Dublin Keep the workers safe We send our military into conflicts/war with helmets, flak jackets, guns and ammunition, supported by tanks and fighter jets to protect them as best we can while they protect us. We are sending our health care workers and others on the front lines into battle with totally inadequate supplies of the most rudimentary personal protective equipment such as masks, gloves and gowns to protect themselves. And then they are in fear of putting their families in jeopardy at the end of shifts when they return home. All the time and effort spent by our representatives on financial bailouts/support will do no good if we dont first and urgently do enough to keep these brave front-line personnel, and their families, safe enough to care for those of us that are sick and dying. Jean Gengler, San Francisco Cut back on updates Despite good intentions, it would be more honest and productive if our government and mainstream media cut back on all the daily and sometimes hourly updates. This applies to both the virus and the financial situation. President Trumps false promises, which obviously cannot be fulfilled, are not helpful. Projections that a safe vaccine are just around the corner are nonsense. Equally, speculation that the financial situation, which has been running on smoke and mirrors (especially derivatives) for years, is going to jump back is more nonsense. In an obscure corner of the American physical oil market, crude prices have turned negative -- producers are actually paying consumers to take away the black stuff. As Bloomberg writes, the first crude stream to turn upside down was Wyoming Asphalt Sour, a dense oil used mostly to produce paving bitumen. Mercuria Energy Group Ltd., a trading house, bid negative 19 cents per barrel in mid-March for the crude, effectively asking producers to pay for the luxury of getting rid of their output. These are landlocked crude with just no buyers, said Elisabeth Murphy, an analyst at consultant ESAI Energy. In areas where storage is filling up quickly, prices could go negative. Shut-ins are likely to happen by then. Brent and West Texas Intermediate, the benchmarks closely followed in Wall Street, are hovering above $20 a barrel. But in the world of physical oil -- where actual barrels change hands -- producers are getting much less as demand plunges due to the lockdown to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Oil traders believe other crude streams are likely to see negative prices soon at the well-head as refiners reduce the amount of crude they process, leaving some landlocked crude without easy access to pipeline trapped. Several crude grades in North American are already trading inside the single digit territory as the market tries to force some output to shut-in. Canadian Western Select, the benchmark price for the giant oil-sands industry in Canada, fell to $5.06 a barrel on Friday. Southern Green Canyon in the Gulf of Mexico is worth $11.51 a barrel, Oklahoma Sour is changing hands at $5.75, Nebraska Intermediate at $8, while Wyoming Sweet prices at $3 a barrel. Bengaluru: Lockdown violaters being made to hold their ears and perform sit-ups as a punishment on Day 5 of the 21-day countrywide lockdown imposed to contain the spread of novel coronavirus, in Bengaluru on March 29, 2020. (Photo: IANS) Image Source: IANS News Bengaluru, March 29 : The Karnataka government confirmed seven more positive corona cases, raising the total cases to 83, an official said on Sunday. "To date, 83 Covid-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state," said a health official. Currently, 75 people are undergoing treatment at designated hospitals across the state and are described to be stable. Karnataka's 77th coronavirus positive case is a 39-year-old male and a pharmaceutical company employee from Nanjangud, Mysuru. On Sunday, five employees of the pharmaceutical company tested positive for the virus from the same place. The other four include a 38-year-old man who tested positive as the 78th case. He was a contact of the 52nd case. The 52nd case was a 35-year-ol Mysuru resident with no travel or positive case contact history. "He was with quality assurance section of a pharmaceutical company and has been in contact with many healthcare professionals," said an earlier official statement. The 79th case in the state is a 21-year-old man from the same place and company. Similarly, the 80th and 81st cases also emerged from the same place, a 31-year-old man and another 42-year-old man respectively. The state's 82nd case is a 35-year-old man from Udupi with travel history to Dubai. He returned to Mangaluru on March March 17. Karnataka's 83rd case and the last case for Sunday is a 29-year-old man from the same place who travelled to Thiruvananthapuram. Meanwhile, city civic body Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has identified 17 hotels to quarantine high-risk asymptomatic primary contacts of positive cases. "BBMP has identified 17 hotels across the city to be used as quarantine centres," tweeted the civic body commissioner B.H. Anil Kumar. The 17 hotels will offer 1,272 rooms to quarantine susceptible people. Similarly, the health department will be operationalising 31 fever clinics at 28 constituencies. Aiming to fortify the medical force in the state to deal with the virus, Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa has appealed to doctors to advise people on phone. Oregon State University announced Saturday that a student has tested positive for the coronavirus. The university moved to online classes and exams on March 11 and has been out of session since March 20. Oregon State said the unidentified student isolated himself or herself after testing during the week of March 16. The student is not currently living in Corvallis and is doing well and asymptomatic, according to the university. Oregon State said it is working with the Benton Countys communicable disease authorities to examine whether the student could have exposed others at the school. Oregon State said it didnt learn of the positive coronavirus test until Saturday. Oregon health officials reported 65 new coronavirus cases Saturday, so the number of confirmed cases in the state now stands at 479. It wasnt clear if the case Oregon State announced Saturday is among those newly announced; the state has identified eight cases in Benton county altogether. The state reported one additional death Saturday, a 93-year-old man in Yamhill County with no underlying medical conditions. Oregon has linked 13 deaths in the state to COVID-19, the disease associated with the coronavirus. -- Mike Rogoway | mrogoway@oregonian.com | twitter: @rogoway | Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. An Algerian journalist was Sunday ordered to be held in pre-trial detention, press freedom group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and rights organisations said. "Our correspondent in Algeria, Khaled Drareni, has been incarcerated,"F secretary-general Christophe Deloire wrote on Twitter. "We will fight against this unfair and arbitrary decision," he added. Drareni was arrested on March 7 while covering an anti-government protest, accused of "inciting an unarmed gathering and damaging national integrity". He was released three days later but re-arrested on Friday evening. RSF has condemned what it called the "shameless use" of the coronavirus epidemic "by the Algerian regime to settle scores with free and independent journalism". Prisoners' rights group CNLD said on Facebook that Drareni appeared Sunday before a prosecutor in an Algiers court in the presence of defence lawyers, adding that he was in good health. Souhaieb Khayati,F's North Africa chief, told AFP that Drareni was being held in the capital's El Harrach prison under "preventive detention until a trial date has been set". Drareni is also the founder of the Casbah Tribune website and Algeria correspondent for international French-language channel TV5 Monde. He has been arrested several times for covering "Hirak" anti-government protests that had been held in the capital Algiers every Friday since February 2019. The demonstrations were suspended this month over the coronavirus, which has killed 29 people and infected 454 in Algeria, according to official figures. Despite the pandemic, Algeria's courts have carried on work, with Karim Tabbou -- a key figure in the anti-government protests -- sentenced to a year in prison last Tuesday. Two other journalists, Sofiane Merakchi and Belkacem Djir, are currently in jail in Algeria. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Midland County recorded no new positive coronavirus cases on Sunday, according to an afternoon report released by the state. Isabella County recorded a fatality related to the coronavirus but no new cases, the state reported. Gladwin and Bay counties each recorded one new positive case. The Isabella fatality was a man in his 80s with underlying health conditions, according to the Morning Sun newspaper in Mount Pleasant. He was admitted to McLaren-Central Michigan with severe symptoms on March 21, the newspaper reported. In all, Midland County has eight cases, Gladwin County (three), Bay County (five) and Isabella County (four). The state on Sunday reported 836 new positive cases and 21 deaths. Saturday saw 993 new positive cases and 19 deaths. Sunday's numbers brings Michigan totals to 5,486 positive cases and 132 deaths. On Saturday, President Donald Trump approved a major disaster declaration for Michigan, providing additional money to address the coronavirus pandemic as a top health official warned the situation in Detroit, a national hot spot for new cases of the coronavirus, will worsen, The Associated Press is reporting. A convention center in Detroit will be turned into a 900-bed medical site in response to the coronavirus, the federal government said Sunday, AP has reported. Construction at TCF Center, formerly known as Cobo Center, will begin after contracts are wrapped up in 24 to 36 hours, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said, the AP reported. The June auto show has been canceled. Midland County Department of Public Health continues to encourage residents to take precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19: Continue to practice social distancing as recommended by federal, state and local Officials Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash Disinfect commonly touched surfaces Stay home when you are sick Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. If you think you've been exposed to COVID-19 and develop a fever and symptoms such as cough or difficulty breathing, call your health care provider for medical advice. If he/she isn't available call Mid Michigan Urgent Care in Midland at 989- 633-1350 or Mid Michigan Medical Center's Emergency Department in Midland at 989-839-3100. MidMichigan Health has a COVID-19 informational hotline with a reminder of CDC guidelines and recommendations. The hotline can be reached toll-free at 800-445-7356 or 989-794-7600. Michigan Department of Health and Human Services also has a hotline number for Michigan residents for questions about COVID-19. The number is 1-888-535-6136 and is available seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Residents can also send an e-mail to: COVID19@michigan.gov. E-mails will be answered seven days a week between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. If you are feeling anxious, stressed, depressed and feel you need to talk to someone, reach out to Community Mental Health for Central Michigan by calling 800-317-0708. Weather Alert ...Winter Storm System to Impact the Region this Weekend... A strong winter storm system will push east through the Quad State Saturday into Sunday. Wintry precipitation will spread eastward into southern Illinois and southeast Missouri late Friday night, and then southeast over the remainder of the region Saturday morning. The evolution of the storm for the remainder of the weekend is quite uncertain at this time. The ultimate path and intensity of the storm system, along with the temperature forecast, will determine how impactful it will be across the Quad State. For now you are encouraged to monitor the latest forecasts and follow your winter weather preparedness plans ahead of this potentially impactful winter storm. India needs at least 38 million masks and 6.2 million pieces of personal protective equipment as it confronts the spread of coronavirus, according to a report by the countrys investment agency seen by Reuters New Delhi: India needs at least 38 million masks and 6.2 million pieces of personal protective equipment as it confronts the spread of coronavirus, and has approached hundreds of companies to secure supplies quickly, according to a report by the countrys investment agency seen by Reuters. As cases of the illness have risen, so has demand for protective equipment and masks, as well as complaints from healthcare workers about shortages. In a four-page internal document dated 27 March, the Invest India agency detailed efforts to find companies that can supply critical supplies. Invest India said it had contacted 730 companies for ventilators, ICU monitors, protective equipment, masks and testing kits, of which 319 firms had responded so far. India, with 873 recorded cases of coronavirus and 19 deaths, took strong steps this week to curb the spread of the illness, with authorities concerned the healthcare system could be overwhelmed if the disease becomes rampant in the country of 1.3 billion. Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered everyone on Tuesday to stay at home for three weeks. The quantity of masks available for supply from the companies was 9.1 million, the Invest India document said, adding that available supplies of personal protective equipment such as body coveralls stood at almost 800,000. But Invest India estimated the country needed 38 million masks - 14 million needed by state governments and the rest by the central government - and 6.2 million pieces of protective gear. It did not give any time frame for the demand. The document said the data covered seven of Indias 36 states and centrally-controlled territories, meaning the total demand for such equipment required could be much higher. Invest India, which works with companies, as well as central and state governments, declined to comment. The health ministry did not respond to Reuters queries. On Wednesday, health official Lav Agarwal told reporters the government was trying its best to ensure supplies of healthcare protective gear, but gave no numbers. Invest India is also working with a private Indian company to import test kits from five companies in South Korea, the document said. Some doctors have said they are concerned about shortages of healthcare equipment. At the main facility for COVID-19 treatment in Bihar, doctors do not have proper protective gear and some are wary of entering the wards where five coronavirus patients are being treated, said Ravi RK Raman, president of a doctors association there. We are not running away from the crisis. It is our duty to help people. But we ask the government to give us adequate supplies of personal protective equipment, said Raman. (Natural News) The death of a 17-year-old California boy made headlines for being the first U.S. minor death from coronavirus, but now health officials are saying that whether he died from the disease or another cause is not yet clear. However, one thing is for certain: Both he and his father tested positive for the virus, and his father is now worried he might have passed the virus to others who greeted him at the service as their coronavirus status wasnt known until after the ceremony. According to a friend of the boy, no one at his funeral knew that he had coronavirus when they were at the service. Although the case was widely reported as being the nations first minor to die of the illness, it now appears that health authorities believe something else could have ultimately been responsible for his death. When he became ill, his parents first brought him to an urgent care center, but they were turned away because the young man did not have any health insurance. He was then brought to the emergency room of a local hospital a few days later, where he ultimately succumbed to septic shock. Its not known how he may have contracted the virus, but his father works as an Uber driver. The CDC is now reviewing his case while county officials try to determine an official cause of death. The mayor of Lancaster, R. Rex Parris, was unhappy about the way the boy was treated. He said that at the first hospital he visited, the staffs first priority should have been to stabilize him rather than asking for insurance. He added that the boy was not believed to have any underlying health issues, and he warned people to keep their children at home. A friend who attended the teens school, Lancaster High School, and the friends father have also both tested positive for the disease. A statement issued by L.A. County Public Health Department read: The juvenile fatality that the Los Angeles County Department Public Health reported earlier today will require further evaluation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Though early tests indicated a positive result for COVID-19, the case is complex and there may be an alternate explanation for this fatality. Patient privacy prevents our offering further details at this time. California coronavirus cases adding up A stay-at-home order went into effect last week for the states 40 million residents, who are only allowed to leave for essentials such as food, medication, health care, and critical jobs. The states number of coronavirus cases has been doubling every three or four days, which is faster than the six to seven days they predicted. So far, the state has seen more than 2,500 cases and 53 deaths. Among the 600-plus cases of coronavirus registered in L.A. County so far, just 10 involve children under the age of 17. Officials have said that young children have a lesser risk overall than older people when it comes to contracting the virus, and its believed that their undeveloped immune systems may be preventing their bodies for triggering inflammation that is strong enough to cause pneumonia, organ failure or septic shock. But while their risk may be lower, it is important to note that they are far from immune to coronavirus, with a 10-month-old and 14-year-old in China believed to have died from it. Another problem is that because children are often asymptomatic, they can carry the illness and pass it to more vulnerable family members if extreme caution isnt used. Whether this young man died from coronavirus or not, his case serves as a reminder that its a disease that can affect all of us, and getting early care and taking steps to prevent spreading COVID-19 it is essential. Sources for this article include: The-Sun.com CNN.com LATimes.com Yet another major 2020 auto show has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, although now it's less about timing and more about supporting the current fight. Organizers have canceled the Detroit Auto Show (officially the North American International Auto Show) as its venue, the TCF Center, is being turned into a field hospital for coronavirus patients. The next show now won't take place until June 2021, or over two and a half years after the last event. Producers had moved the show from January to June to avoid clashing with other events. This was also supposed to enable outdoor events and even test drives that weren't practical during a Michigan winter. The Detroit gathering has long been an important show for American automakers, not to mention foreign brands hoping to make a splash in the region. More recently, though, it has served as a showcase for brands of all kinds as they venture into electric cars and connected tech. Companies will still introduce new vehicles, including at later auto shows if all goes well -- it's just going to be much harder to see these introductions in person, and there might not be as much fanfare. Farmers are calling on the government to shore up the nation's food security and back agriculture with urgent cash injections. For many farmers, the drought has broken, but cashflow problems mean they still can't plant crops and existing stimulus measures are a "waste of time". Tracy Blackburn and her son, Will, check sheep on their farm near Dubbo. Credit:Janie Barrett Tracy Blackburn, a crop and sheep farmer near Dubbo, said stimulus measures that provide a tax deduction at the end of the financial year were useless for farmers who needed working capital now. "If you're like most of us who've been living in drought, you haven't actually had an income, so you haven't got the cash to spend on big-ticket items anyway, so having any form of tax deduction is pretty much a waste of time," Ms Blackburn said. Billionaire Gautam Adani on Sunday announced a Rs 100 crore contribution by his group's philanthropy arm to the Prime Minister's Fund to fight coronavirus outbreak. Adani joins Tata Group, Reliance Industries and other corporates who have come forward to make contribution to fight the unprecedented crisis. "Adani Foundation is humbled to contribute Rs 100 crore to the #PMcaresfund in this hour of India's battle against #COVID19," Adani tweeted. Infrastructure conglomerate Adani Group, he said, "will further contribute additional resources to support the government and fellow citizens in these testing times". On Saturday, Tata Sons and Tata Trusts had contributed Rs 1,500 crore for the same cause. Previously, Reliance Industries had made an initial contribution of Rs 5 crore besides opening India's first Covid-19 hospital in Mumbai as also giving free meals through NGOs to the needy and fuel to emergency vehicles transporting infected patients. JSW Group on Sunday donated Rs 100 crore to the PM Fund. "Ongoing #COVID19 crisis calls for the entire nation to fight as one collective force. We hope that our contribution to the #PMCaresFund will ably support the govt & the heroes on the frontlines. We're with you all the way! #GoodnessNeverStops," Adani Group said retweeting its founder chairman's tweet. Mankind Pharma has pledged Rs 51 crore to the Delhi CM Relief Fund. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Border Security Force (BSF)s interim director general, S S Deswal, on Sunday urged his personnel to follow the protocol devised to prevent the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic while warning them of strict disciplinary action in case of any negligence, according to officials aware of the matter. Deswals appeal came a day after a BSF officer was tested positive for Covid-19 and 50 personnel, including two top officers who had attended meetings with him, were put under home quarantine. The officers wife had travelled to the United Kingdom, but she has tested negative for Covid-19, an official said. In an a message sent to all the formations, Deswal called the pandemic a tough time for the country and an unprecedented situation. He underlined the force is trained to be at the service of the nation in all eventualities at the borders and within. All the formations have been directed to follow the guidelines related to safety measures to be taken including reporting to the authorities if any family members of the personnel have recently returned from a foreign country. Deswal, who heads the Indo-Tibet Border Police (ITBP), said all the forces are in the state of complete readiness. We have already arranged several facilities for Covid-19 patients and equipments have been kept ready. More facilities like our barracks, training centres and other buildings are being identified for more isolation beds. Although we are on the border, this [pandemic] is another dangerous enemy which we have to fight and we are prepared. Deswal praised ITBPs team at Delhis Chhawla quarantine facility, where many have been treated since February, The central paramilitary forces have, separately, also asked around 450 doctors recruited recently to join immediately as the forces are ramping up their healthcare facilities to deal with the pandemic. They have also reached out to retired medical officers and modalities are being worked out to hire doctors on contractual basis to man hospitals and quarantine centres across the country with a strength of around 7,500 beds. All the paramilitary forces currently have a combined strength of over 2,000 doctors apart from other paramedical staff. ALBANY Rhode Island has repealed its quarantine order that applied only to those who traveled from the state of New York, broadening it to apply to all out-of-state travelers a day after New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo threatened to sue. The updated order late Saturday came after Cuomo and the American Civil Liberties Union publicly criticized Rhode Island authorities for stopping cars with New York license plates and going door to door searching for New York travelers, who were told to self-quarantine for 14 days in an effort to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. New York is the epicenter of the coronavirus crisis in the United States with more than 52,000 confirmed cases and 728 deaths as of Saturday morning But on Saturday evening, Cuomo argued Rhode Island's actions violated the Constitution and vowed to sue the state. More: Cuomo rips attempts to ban New Yorkers' travel to other states, vowing to sue Rhode Island By the end of the day, Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo repealed her New York-specific order, which she first issued Thursday. Instead, she issued a new order requiring a 14-day self-quarantine for any person traveling to Rhode Island from any other state. "Any person coming to Rhode Island from another state for a non-work-related purpose must immediately self-quarantine for 14 days," according to Raimondo's updated order. "This quarantine restriction shall not apply to public health, public safety or health care workers." On Sunday, Cuomo thanked Raimondo for reversing the policy of stopping New York cars as they travel through Rhode Island. "We thank them for their cooperation," Cuomo said. More: Coronavirus in New York: Check our interactive map of cases by county Targeting New Yorkers in the spread against coronavirus Members of the 1207th Rhode Island National Guard unit stand at the Westerly, R.I., Amtrak station Friday, March 27, 2020, to inform passengers from New York of the 14-day quarantine restrictions if disembarking in Rhode Island ordered by Gov. Gina Raimondo. At the time of the photo, no passengers had disembarked at the station. New York residents have been the target of several attempts to restrict travel as New York City continues to deal with the country's worst coronavirus outbreak. Story continues A similar executive order remains in effect in Florida, where Gov. Ron DeSantis has directed anybody traveling to the state from an "area with substantial community spread" to isolate or quarantine for two weeks. DeSantis' order, which he issued Tuesday, specifically points to the Tri-State area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut as an area with significant community spread. "Florida is experiencing an increase in individuals fleeing to Florida from states where 'shelter-in-place' orders are being implemented, including from the New York Tri-State Area," DeSantis wrote in his order. Trump backs off quarantine order for NY, NJ and Connecticut Rhode Island Air National Guard Tsgt. William Randall, left, and Westerly police officer Howard Mills approach a home while looking for New York license plates in driveways to inform them of self quarantine orders, Saturday, March 28, 2020, in Westerly, R.I. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump on Saturday floated the idea of implementing an "enforceable quarantine" for the Tri-State area, immediately drawing the ire of Cuomo and other governors. By the end of the day, Trump backed off the threat, instead having the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issue a "strong travel advisory" that suggests residents of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut avoid unnecessary, nonessential domestic travel for the next two weeks. New York has had a stay-in-place policy since last week that shuttered all nonessential businesses and closed all schools. But Cuomo argued that banning interstate travel was untenable and likely illegal, comparing it to something not seen since the Civil War. "If you start walling off areas all across the country, you would just be totally bizarre, counterproductive, anti-American, anti-social," he said on CNN. "It wouldn't even be productive." Jon Campbell is a New York state government reporter for the USA TODAY Network. He can be reached at JCAMPBELL1@Gannett.com or on Twitter at @JonCampbellGAN. This article originally appeared on New York State Team: Coronavirus: Rhode Island forces outside travelers into self-quarantine New Delhi: The Central government in a statement issued on Sunday (March 29, 2020) listed out the several measures taken by them in their fight against the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. It stated Prime Minister Narendra Modi's daily interactions with various stakeholders, which includes phone calls to various State Governors, Chief Ministers, and Health Ministers to get a first-hand feedback on Indias fight against COVID-19 menace. The statement mentions PM Modi's outreach out to doctors, nurses, health workers, and sanitation staff members from various corners of the country in order to encourage them and to express his gratitude to their services to the nation and society. Modi has held discussions through video conferences with the heads of various Electronic Media groups, Print Media Groups and various Radio Jockeys and Announcers of All India Radio making an appeal to counter pessimism and panic through positive communication. Need to constantly celebrate the contribution of the local heroes at national level and boost their morale, he said. Some of the initiatives taken by PM Modi in his fight against coronavirus: * Regular meetings with Cabinet Secretary and the Principal Secretary to the Prime Ministers Office. * Announcement of the 14-hour long Janta Curfew and three week nation-wide Lockdown * Preparing the nation successfully to maintain Social Distancing as the only known effective measure in controlling the spread of the coronavirus * Giving the mantra of Resolve and Restraint in order to fight the Corona Virus. * Requesting people against panic buying of rations and assuring them of constant supply of essential goods. * The announcment of the creation of COVID-19 Economic Response Task Force under the Union Finance Minister to ensure implementation of the decisions taken to meet challenges arising out of coronavirus outbreak. * The announcement of PM-CARES (Prime Ministers Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund) Fund to provide relief to the affected in emergency or distress situations * The announcement of Rs 1.7 Lakh Crore financial package which focuses on emergency cash transfers of the poor. * The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana which provides 3 months' free supply of foodgrains, pulses and gas Apart from this he has been in constant meetings with doctors, nurses and health workers. The Prime Minister met with the pharma sector, AYUSH practitioners and requested them to utilise the sectors network, while working according to WHO guidelines, to spread the message of good practises which need to be adopted to control the spread of the virus. During the G-20 meet, PM Modi called on several world leaders to come together in support to usher in a new globalisation, for the collective well-being of humankind and have multilateral focus on promoting the shared interests of humanity. India also managed to evacuate over 2,000 of its citizens struck in coronavirus-hit nations like China, Italy, Iran and other parts of the world. Meanwhile, the total number of coronavirus cases in India has risen to 1024 with 27 deaths. New Delhi, March 29 : After the first case of a soldier testing positive from Ladakh Scouts in Leh, the Indian Army recorded two more COVID-19 positive cases on Sunday. It said the two persons belonging to the Army had a travel history. The Army has started contact tracing and has identified persons who were in touch with them. They have been quarantined, it said. The Army said, "The two persons are keeping good health and are stable." The two incude a Colonel, who is a doctor in Kolkota, and a Junior Commissioned Officer in Dehradun. "A Colonel-rank doctor was tested positive for COVID19 at Army Command Hospital in Kolkata. The officer was in New Delhi recently. The officer has been put under quarantine and all precautions are being taken for his colleagues as well," the Army stated. Further, a Territorial Army soldier from Srinagar was suspected to be positive COVID -19. The test confirmed he was corona negative. Earlier in the day, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approved a proposal for contributing staff's one-day salary to the Prime Minister-CARES Fund. It is estimated that around Rs 500 crore will be collectively provided by the Defence Ministry to the fund from various wings, including Army, Navy, Air Force, Defence PSUs and others. The employees' contribution is voluntary and those desirous of opting out will be exempted. Amid coronavirus scare, the Indian Army headquarters at South Block has remained closed since last Wednesday after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for a complete lockdown in fight against COVID-19. The Army headquarters has started functioning with the bare minimum staff of around 15 per cent from last Thursday. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) The coronavirus death toll shot past 20,000 in Europe on Saturday, with Italy and Spain each reporting more than 800 dead in one day, as US President Donald Trump said he is considering putting hard-hit New York and parts of two other states under quarantine. Up to one-third of the worlds population is now under lockdown as the virus leaves its devastating imprint on nearly every aspect of society: wiping out millions of jobs, straining healthcare services and weighing heavily on national treasuries for years to come. Globally, the death toll has surged past 30,000 two-thirds of those in Europe and officials in some countries say the worst still lies ahead. But the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the outbreak began, has begun to return to normality, with partial train service restored.- Trumps announcement that he was considering a quarantine for New York state, as well as neighboring New Jersey and part of Connecticut, was met with some surprise. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said he knew nothing about it. Health officials say they fear New York may follow the deadly path charted by Italy, with health professionals exhausted and hospitals desperately short of protective equipment and the ventilators that keep the sickest alive. New York alone has more than 50,000 confirmed cases. Nurses at one New York hospital staged a protest, saying they had been forced to wear a single protective mask for an entire week. CNN reported that an infant in Chicago had died of COVID-19, the youngest known victim in the US. The United States now has the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the world, at 115,547, with 1,891 deaths, including a record 453 in the last 24 hours, according to a tally from Johns Hopkins University. Italy and Spain But European nations are even harder hit on a per capita basis, with 20,059 deaths. Italy issued dire new data Saturday, announcing 889 new deaths, pushing it just past the 10,000 mark. Spain, which has the worlds second-highest death toll, added 832 deaths for a total 5,812. Madrid toughened a nationwide lockdown, halting all non-essential activities, though officials said the epidemic in the country seemed to be nearing a peak. Russia, which has reported relatively low levels of the virus, said it would close its borders Monday in an attempt to slow the pandemics spread. More than 640,770 cases of the novel coronavirus have been officially recorded around the world since the outbreak began late last year, according to an AFP tally. Variations in testing regimes and delays in providing sufficient tests in some countries mean the true number is likely far higher. In France, which has seen close to 2,000 deaths, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe warned the battle was just beginning. The first two weeks in April would be even tougher than the past fortnight, he said. The British toll passed 1,000 on Saturday. Elsewhere, Iran announced 139 more deaths and India sealed off a dozen Punjab villages that had been visited by a guru now known to be infected and a possible super-spreader. Sri Lanka and Qatar recorded their first deaths and Turkey hit 100 fatalities. South African police resorted to rubber bullets in Johannesburg to enforce social distancing on a crowd queuing for supplies outside a supermarket during a national lockdown. Wuhan partially reopens However, two months of almost total isolation appear to have paid off in Wuhan, the Chinese city where the virus first emerged. Residents have been subject to dramatic restrictions on daily life and forbidden to leave the city since January, but on Saturday, people were allowed to enter Wuhan and most of the subway network restarted. Some shops were set to reopen. In the US, Trump invoked emergency powers on Friday to force automaker General Motors to produce medical equipment. With 60 percent of the US in lockdown, the president signed the largest relief package in US history, worth $2 trillion with more seen as likely in coming months. His announcement Saturday on quarantines prompted considerable confusion, however. Theres a possibility that sometime today well do a quarantine short-term, two weeks on New York, probably New Jersey, certain parts of Connecticut, he said. Without fully explaining the idea, Trump said the move would aim partly to stem a large flow of people fleeing New York for Florida in recent weeks. He said a quarantine would be enforceable, but did not say how. But Cuomo, asked during a news briefing about such restrictions, said, I havent had those conversations (with Trump). I dont even know what that means. Enough, enough In Italy, one coronavirus sufferer, a cardiologist from Rome who has since recovered, recalled his hellish experience. The treatment for the oxygen therapy is painful, looking for the radial artery is difficult. Desperate other patients were crying out, Enough, enough, he told AFP. Infection rates in Italy are on a downward trend, with the head of the national health institute Silvio Brusaferro predicting a peak in the next few days. Belgium and Luxembourg saw a steep climb in deaths, with 353 recorded in the former on Saturday up from 289 the day before and 15 in the grand duchy, up from nine. Europe has suffered the brunt of the coronavirus crisis in recent weeks, with millions across the continent on lockdown and the streets of Paris, Rome and Madrid eerily empty. Meanwhile, other countries across the world were bracing for the viruss full impact. As even rich countries struggle, aid groups warn the toll could be in the millions in low-income countries and war zones such as Syria and Yemen, where healthcare systems are in tatters. SOURCE: AFP Spain and Turkey also complain of defective rapid testing kits ordered from Chinese companies. Dutch officials have recalled tens of thousands of masks imported from China and distributed to hospitals battling the coronavirus outbreak because they do not meet quality standards. They received a delivery of masks from a Chinese manufacturer on March 21, the health ministry said in a statement. The masks did not meet their standards when they were inspected. Part of the shipment had already been distributed to health professionals, the statement said. The rest of the shipment was immediately put on hold and has not been distributed. A second test also revealed that the masks did not meet the quality norms. Now it has been decided not to use any of this shipment, it said. Future shipments would undergo extra testing. The recall concerned nearly half of the shipment of 1.3 million masks, known as FFP2, the public television channel NOS reported. The problem with the masks was they did not close over the face properly, or had defective filters, the station added. Other complaints The Netherlands was not the only country to raise concerns over faulty supplies from China. Spain announced last week that it would return more than 600,000 rapid testing kits it had purchased from a Chinese company after testing on an imported batch revealed they had a 30 percent detection rate, reported Euronews. Turkeys health minister raised similar issues during a news conference on Friday, saying rapid testing kit samples from a Chinese company did not meet the countrys effectiveness standards. He added another Chinese firm had instead been selected to provide the kits. Frances Health Minister Olivier Veran also announced he ordered more than a billion masks, notably from China, to help the country fight the coronavirus pandemic. It remains unclear if France will cancel its order. Just because a business does not make any money, does not mean that the stock will go down. For example, although Amazon.com made losses for many years after listing, if you had bought and held the shares since 1999, you would have made a fortune. Nonetheless, only a fool would ignore the risk that a loss making company burns through its cash too quickly. So should Blue Energy (ASX:BLU) shareholders be worried about its cash burn? For the purposes of this article, cash burn is the annual rate at which an unprofitable company spends cash to fund its growth; its negative free cash flow. Let's start with an examination of the business's cash, relative to its cash burn. View our latest analysis for Blue Energy When Might Blue Energy Run Out Of Money? You can calculate a company's cash runway by dividing the amount of cash it has by the rate at which it is spending that cash. When Blue Energy last reported its balance sheet in December 2019, it had zero debt and cash worth AU$5.4m. Importantly, its cash burn was AU$1.9m over the trailing twelve months. That means it had a cash runway of about 2.9 years as of December 2019. That's decent, giving the company a couple years to develop its business. You can see how its cash balance has changed over time in the image below. ASX:BLU Historical Debt March 28th 2020 How Is Blue Energy's Cash Burn Changing Over Time? While Blue Energy did record statutory revenue of AU$18k over the last year, it didn't have any revenue from operations. To us, that makes it a pre-revenue company, so we'll look to its cash burn trajectory as an assessment of its cash burn situation. With the cash burn rate up 9.2% in the last year, it seems that the company is ratcheting up investment in the business over time. However, the company's true cash runway will therefore be shorter than suggested above, if spending continues to increase. Blue Energy makes us a little nervous due to its lack of substantial operating revenue. So we'd generally prefer stocks from this list of stocks that have analysts forecasting growth. Story continues How Hard Would It Be For Blue Energy To Raise More Cash For Growth? While its cash burn is only increasing slightly, Blue Energy shareholders should still consider the potential need for further cash, down the track. Issuing new shares, or taking on debt, are the most common ways for a listed company to raise more money for its business. Commonly, a business will sell new shares in itself to raise cash to drive growth. We can compare a company's cash burn to its market capitalisation to get a sense for how many new shares a company would have to issue to fund one year's operations. Blue Energy's cash burn of AU$1.9m is about 7.4% of its AU$25m market capitalisation. That's a low proportion, so we figure the company would be able to raise more cash to fund growth, with a little dilution, or even to simply borrow some money. Is Blue Energy's Cash Burn A Worry? As you can probably tell by now, we're not too worried about Blue Energy's cash burn. In particular, we think its cash runway stands out as evidence that the company is well on top of its spending. Although its increasing cash burn does give us reason for pause, the other metrics we discussed in this article form a positive picture overall. Looking at all the measures in this article, together, we're not worried about its rate of cash burn; the company seems well on top of its medium-term spending needs. On another note, we conducted an in-depth investigation of the company, and identified 6 warning signs for Blue Energy (2 are significant!) that you should be aware of before investing here. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies, and this list of stocks growth stocks (according to analyst forecasts) If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. PR-Inside.com: 2020-03-29 06:31:02 Additional medical supplies to be donated to Azerbaijan, Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam Total recipient countries in Asia increased to 23 Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation Donate to Seven More Countries in Asia to Fight COVID-19 Rico Ngai Alibaba Group +852 9725 9600 rico.ngai@alibaba-inc.com Adam Najberg Alibaba Group +852 5474 3262 adam.najberg@alibaba-inc.com The Jack Ma Foundation and the Alibaba Foundation today announced donations of essential medical supplies to seven more countries, namely Azerbaijan, Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200328005 An India bound flight loaded with the first batch of medical supplies donated by the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation departed Shanghai, China yesterday. The donations arrived at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport last night and were received by the Indian Red Cross Society which would help distribute the supplies across the country. The supplies are part of the donation pledged to seven more countries announced today by the two foundations, namely Azerbaijan, Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. (Photo: Business Wire) Collectively, these seven countries will receive a total of 1.7 million face masks, 165,000 test kits as well as protective clothing and medical equipment such as ventilators and forehead thermometers. With this announcement, the two Foundations have now donated essential medical supplies to 23 Asian countries totalling 7.4 million masks; 485,000 test kits; 100,000 sets of protective clothing along with other medical equipment. The first batch of medical supplies for India arrived in Delhi last night and were received by the Indian Red Cross Society. Similar to the arrangement with the Italian Red Cross Society, the Indian charity will facilitate the distribution of these supplies in the country. The donations are expected to reach other countries in the coming days. Mr. Neel Kamal Singh, Deputy Secretary, Indian Red Cross Society took receipt of the donations from Mr. Vivek Sehgal, Manager, Alibaba Cloud India, acting on behalf of the Jack Ma Foundation and the Alibaba Foundation. Ms. Ma Jia, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of China in India, was also present to show the embassys support towards this humanitarian initiative. Government of India has taken extensive steps to manage the COVID-19 situation. To supplement the efforts of government, Indian Red Cross has mobilised first tranche of supplies consisting of facemasks, protective body suits and essential medical equipment. This consignment, which was received yesterday, has been donated by Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation. Indian Red Cross appreciates their magnanimity at this difficult juncture, said Mr. R.K Jain, IAS (Rtd), Secretary General, Indian Red Cross. We are one with the global community in the intense battle to protect all families against Covid-19. We are committed to doing everything we can to make a difference, most importantly by sourcing these supplies and overcoming logistical challenges to get the medical supplies to where they are needed as fast as we can, said the Jack Ma Foundation. These donations are among a number of aid initiatives from the Alibaba Foundation and Jack Ma Foundation to support the areas of the world affected by the Covid-19 crisis, sourcing and delivering various types of medical supplies to countries across Asia, North America, Latin America, Europe and Africa. The donation by the two foundations to Vietnam is in addition to the recent donation by Lazada Group, Alibaba Groups local e-commerce business unit in Southeast Asia. More initiatives and donations may be announced in the coming days and weeks. The Jack Ma Foundation and the Alibaba Foundation also supported the publication of a handbook with key lessons and experience from doctors, healthcare workers, and hospital administrators at the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine (FAHZU), who were on the frontline of COVID-19 treatment in China and crucial to slowing its spread. The handbook is available for global medical health professionals at https://covid-19.alibabacloud.com/. Follow @JackMa and @foundation_ma on Twitter for the latest efforts of Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation to support the global fight against COVID-19. About Jack Ma Foundation Established by Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba Group, the Jack Ma Foundation was founded on 15 December 2014 and has been focusing on education, entrepreneurship, womens leadership, and the environment. The Foundation aspires to be a reliable, participative, and sustainable philanthropic organization. The Jack Ma Foundation has so far supported projects worldwide including the Jack Ma Rural Education Program, the Africa Netpreneur Prize Initiative, the Ma & Morley Scholarship Program, and Jordan's Queen Rania Foundation. Additionally, the Foundation has also funded a number of projects in its priority areas. The Jack Ma Foundation is committed to empowering rural educators, entrepreneurs, rural children, young start-ups, and women to equip them for the future and to help build a happier, healthier, more sustainable and more inclusive society. About Alibaba Foundation The Alibaba Foundation, established in December 2011, aims to create a culture that encourages people to get involved in philanthropy, make it sustainable and genuinely contribute to civil society and nature. Its key funding aspects include water protection, environmental awareness promotion and development of green organizations. Alibaba Group is committed to devoting a percentage of its annual income to the Alibaba Foundation to ensure stable long-term funding that will allow for timely response in the event of natural disasters or expansion of philanthropic projects. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200328005 Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 29) Hundreds of Filipino crew members aboard Italy-docked cruise ships have arrived back in the Philippines on Saturday evening, the Foreign Affairs Department said. In a statement Sunday, DFA said it welcomed 370 Filipino crew evacuees from three different cruise ships in Italy, the most COVID-hit nation in Europe. Of this number, 248 came from MV Costa Luminosa docked in Milan, while 122 were crew members of MV Grandiosa and MV Opera both docked in Rome. All crew members were asymptomatic prior to boarding their Manila flight, DFA added. However, they will still undergo the mandatory 14-day quarantine, in line with the health protocol against the infectious disease. Foreign Affairs Chief Teodoro "Teddy Boy" Locsin Jr. earlier said around 4,000 Filipino crew members are expected to come home in the next three weeks amid the global pandemic. Worldwide, over 665,000 people have been infected by COVID-19 in 177 different countries including China, where the mysterious virus first spread. More than 30,800 deaths have also been recorded. Tehran, March 29 : Iran reported 123 additional fatalities due to the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) on Sunday, taking the death toll in the country to 2,640, the country's Health Ministry said on Sunday. Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said 2,901 new cases have tested positive for COVID-19 since Saturday, bringing the total infections to 38,309, according to the semi-official Mehr news agency. He said 12,391 patients infected with the virus have so far recovered and been discharged from hospitals, Anadolu Agency reported citing Mehr. According to the spokesman, 3,467 patients are in critical condition. After first appearing in Wuhan, China, last December, the novel coronavirus has spread to at least 177 countries and territories, according to data compiled by US-based Johns Hopkins University. The data shows over 669,300 cases have been reported worldwide since last December, with the death toll above 30,900 and over 142,000 recoveries. Deal: Wizz Air boss Jozsef Varadi bought 643,000 of the airlines shares No-one knows where share prices are going to go from here, though some smart hedge fund managers may think they do. Markets in Britain and the US rallied a little last week, but there were sharp corrections along the way. Volatility, it seems, is with us for the foreseeable future. The understandable lack of clarity in investment thinking can be seen in the response from various investment houses. Invesco said on Thursday that in a 'worst case' scenario the S&P500 Index a measure of the stock market performance of big listed companies in the US could drop to as low as 1,400 in the next 12 months. A frightening fall in equity prices from here of 40 per cent plus. But its best case scenario points to a 20 per cent advance in share prices. Talk about hedging your bets. Meanwhile Janus Henderson believes the anticipated dip in corporate earnings across Europe of 25 per cent has already been factored into European equity prices. And fund manager John Bennett says European stock looks oversold and ready for a 'bounce' on better coronavirus news. But indicators suggested this previously only for them to fall another 10 per cent. Schroders talks of a 'flicker of light' at the end of what is still set to be a 'very long tunnel'. So, few words of comfort for investors from the investment experts. Few signals. So, hang on? Yes, don't sell? Yes, buy? Maybe. Why it pays to watch directors For investors, one of the few indicators of a firm's share price prospects lies in whether their directors put their money where their mouths are that is, buy shares in the companies they oversee, even when all the news is doom and gloom and the shares are sliding in price. In buying shares in their own firms, they are signalling they have confidence in the company's future and that the share price they are buying at represents good value. According to stockbroker Liberum, the ratio of share purchases to sales by directors of FTSE All-Share Index listed companies is running at ten to one. This is far higher than its five-year average of just above two-to-one. Although some of this buying may be an attempt by bosses to instil confidence in their firm's shares, it can also be read as a signal that share prices are close to bottoming out and represent a buying opportunity for brave investors. So, although it seems an odd time to invest in airlines, when Wizz Air chairman William Franke spent 700,000 on shares in the Hungarian carrier, he was making a 41 per cent saving on the price he would have paid had he bought at the peak of the market on January 2. His chief executive Jozsef Varadi, the airline's co-founder, did likewise. Laura Suter is personal finance analyst at wealth manager AJ Bell. She has been tracking the growing number of directors buying shares in their firms in the past month. She says: 'As the Wall Street adage goes, there are many reasons why 'insiders' sell, but only one reason why they buy. It's a signal that directors think shares in their businesses are under-valued.' She adds: 'Any buying by a company's chief executive or its finance director is considered a powerful indicator of a company's prospects as they are the individuals who are most likely to know the outlook and underlying performance of their business.' Lee Wild, head of equity strategy at wealth manager Interactive Investor, says the spike in director purchases offers 'some reassurance to investors who may be encouraged to see that management think all is not lost despite the economic and stock market turmoil'. Panic sells... but who's buying AJ Bell has compiled a table of some of the most significant share purchases made by company directors in recent days as well as those made by directors of stock market-listed investment trusts that provide investors with exposure to a spread of shares. They include big share buys by the bosses of FTSE 250 companies Plus500 (a financial firm) and IWG (an office group) and by directors of investment trusts RIT Capital and Personal Assets. Gal Haber and Alon Gonen, co-founders of Plus500, have just bought multi-million pound tranches of shares in their business, at a combined cost of more than 8.75million. The purchases, made at 8.04 and 8.35 per share respectively, so far seem shrewd given the share price has risen to more than 10. It means paper profits for Haber and Gonen of more than 500,000 and 900,000 respectively. Philippe Costeletos, a director of 2.5billion trust RIT Capital. Its investment remit is on preserving the capital of shareholders, but his recent 504,000 purchase a 9 per cent saving on the January 2 price has since fallen in value by 10 per cent. As AJ Bell's Suter says: 'It is very hard for even well-informed executives to take a view on what will happen next.' Over 1.7 million students in HCMC have seen their prolonged school break extended to April 19 over the coronavirus crisis under a city decision issued Sunday. More than 135,000 students taking vocational training classes in secondary schools and colleges will stay home until May 3, according to the municipal People's Committee. Local authorities have been tasked with ensuring that monitoring and tutoring schools, foreign language academies and life skills teaching facilities do not function during this time. The municipal departments of Health, Education and Training, and Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs will assess the situation and make recommendations on the reopening of educational institutions based on developments in the Covid-19 crisis. Ho Chi Minh City Chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong said that the city has been implementing a television teaching program for students in grades 9-12, helping them prepare for the upcoming national high school exams. The city has also introduced digital resources for other students to access online. In the ongoing 2019-2020 school year, there are more than 22 million students nationwide from preschool to high school. Vietnamese students are often given a two-week spring holiday and a three-month summer break. This is the first time that more than 22 million students nationwide have had such a long spring break, forcing several schools to switch to online teaching to help students keep up to date. Under HCMC administration's previous decision, the city's over 1.7 million students would stay home until April 5. Students in other cities and provinces have remained on school break until further notice. Vietnam's Covid-19 infection tally has risen to 179, with 21 cases having recovered and been discharged from hospitals. The Covid-19 pandemic has killed more than 30,800 people in 199 countries and territories. Transnational research team wants to create a system that will allow more people in rural areas be tested for COVID-19. Montreal, Canada Dr Keith Pardee knows time is of the essence, as front-line healthcare workers are still scrambling to diagnose the novel coronavirus and contain its spread around the globe. The lack of diagnostics has been a real problem leading to quarantines and restricted travel, said Pardee, an assistant professor at the University of Torontos faculty of pharmacy. He said he saw a similar pattern of delayed testing during outbreaks of Ebola in West Africa and Zika in Brazil and thats where he hopes his research teams lab-in-a-box system will eventually come in. You could ship it anywhere, and it would have the hardware and the tests needed to do thousands of patient samples fairly quickly, said Pardee. His team, which includes research scientists in Brazil and Vietnam, received funding this month from the Canadian federal government to develop a low-cost, portable system to test for COVID-19. The project is one of several innovations that research scientists, doctors, and other medical experts are racing to test and hope to roll out amid a surge of coronavirus cases worldwide. More than 713,000 cases were reported in more than 160 countries as of Sunday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. A man has his temperature taken at a makeshift camp for the homeless in Las Vegas, Nevada [John Locher/AP Photo] The size of a toaster, each lab-in-a-box would be able to read 384 patient samples at once and provide a surge capacity for testing in smaller, more remote communities, said Pardee. The second component will be a paper-based test that could be used at airports or in seniors centres. As small as a credit card, the paper would change colours, turning bright fuchsia or purple when the virus is present in a sample. What were doing is working towards building a technology that is highly distributed, inexpensive and quick to develop, Pardee said. Other projects Since the coronavirus, known as SARS-CoV-2, was first detected in Chinas Wuhan province late last year, scientists have sought to both implement early containment measures and widespread, accurate diagnostic tests and work towards a potential vaccine to protect people from getting sick. The Chinese authorities shared the viruss genome sequence in January, allowing scientists to try to create it in their own controlled facilities a critical first step in the development of diagnostics and vaccines. On January 29, researchers in Australia said they had successfully grown the coronavirus from a patient sample. Having the real virus means we now have the ability to actually validate and verify all test methods, and compare their sensitivities and specificities it will be a game-changer for diagnosis, said Dr Julian Druce, head of the virus identification lab at the Doherty Institute, a joint research facility run by the University of Melbourne and the Royal Melbourne Hospital. A technician assembles coronavirus test kits at Evolve manufacturing facility, where they will be manufacturing ventilators, in Fremont, California [Shannon Stapleton/Reuters] In early March, UK healthcare firm Mologic Ltd announced it secured British government funding to develop a rapid, hand-held diagnostics test for COVID-19 in partnership with the Institut Pasteur lab in Dakar, Senegal. The system will build on a similar test developed to diagnose Ebola, the company said. The Kaizer Permanente Washington Health Research Institute in Seattle administered the first injection of an experimental vaccine for the novel coronavirus to human test subjects on March 16. The first phase of the trial will involve 45 adult volunteers and last six weeks. Finding a safe and effective vaccine to prevent infection with SARS-CoV-2 is an urgent public health priority, Anthony Fauci, who heads the US response to COVID-19, said in a statement. This Phase 1 study, launched in record speed, is an important first step toward achieving that goal. Other research teams around the world continue to seek a vaccine, better and more expansive testing options and more therapies for those who are infected with COVID-19. The US Food and Drug Administration recently gave approval to a similar lab in a box effort by Abbott, a healthcare technology maker. According to Abbott, the technology could give a positive test result in about five minutes, and a negative result in about 15. Down the road Several other labs have been able to isolate the virus and are working on their own vaccines, including the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization International Vaccine Centre (VIDO-InterVac) at the University of Saskatchewan in central Canada, which also received federal funding this month. Dr Darryl Falzarano, the lead research scientist on the project, said experimental vaccines were administered to ferrets in mid-March and within the next six to seven weeks, the team will be able to see whether the animals get some level of protection from the virus. He said the research builds on the labs expertise in developing animal models for other diseases and viruses, but it will take up to 12 months before clinical trials can be carried out, and even longer for a product to be widely available. INTERACTIVE: Global epidemics March 29, 2020 [Al Jazeera] While researchers will be checking whether the vaccines are effective at fighting off COVID-19, their main concern will be whether they are safe. Theres no point in releasing a vaccine early thats not safe, Falzarano told Al Jazeera. While estimates vary, most experts say a vaccine for COVID-19 will only be ready in 18 months. That is because any vaccine needs to undergo a rigorous testing process and meet regulatory agency requirements for safety before it can be mass produced. A vaccine is going to be down the road, said Falzarano. Containment and quarantine measures are going to be necessary to control spread now. We dont know if that is going to eliminate spread or if this virus is going to persist. Maybe [it does], and in that case maybe a vaccine is not necessary and thats OK. But if this virus does persist, it may be the case that that vaccination will be absolutely necessary. Accessible, low cost Dr Lindomar Jose Pena is a principal investigator at Fundacao Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), a Brazilian scientific research institute, who is based in the northeastern city of Recife. The country recently declared a state of emergency over the pandemic, with 4,065 cases reported as of Sunday, and Brazilian Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta said the national healthcare network could enter a state of collapse by the end of next month as a result of the virus. Pena said the diagnostic capacity in Brazil is very limited as only centralised labs can administer tests for the coronavirus. That means that only the most severe cases are being tested. People that live in small towns and far away from big centres, larger cities, they cannot get the proper diagnosis, he told Al Jazeera in a phone interview. A local volunteer carries a package with soap and detergent to be distributed in an effort to stop the spread of the new coronavirus in the Rocinha slum of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil [Leo Correa/AP Photo] Pena is a member of Pardees lab-in-a-box research team. He said that the proposed system aims to solve accessibility issues that arise with the current gold standard diagnostics test for the coronavirus. Known as real-time polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, that standardised test is costly, time consuming, and involves the use of expensive lab equipment that requires medical staff that have advanced expertise, Pena said. With asymptomatic people driving the spread of the coronavirus, Pena stressed that addressing the cost of testing is critical: How can you test the asymptomatic people if the test is so expensive? Its impossible. And if you have a quick test, you can detect more people to stop the spread of disease. The lab-in-a-box test for the coronavirus is a version of one that was built for Zika, the mosquito-borne virus that was first detected in Brazil in 2015 and later spread across South America. Right now, he said his lab in Recife has collected 20 positive samples of the coronavirus. But Pardee in Toronto acknowledged that it could be years before the technology will be in the hands of front-line workers that need it. He said the team is still figuring out how to get patient samples into the system, though a nasal swab is a likely option. Any test also would need to undergo patient trials and get approval from public health regulators before it could be used widely. We now have data that shows our technology worked as well as the gold standard for Zika, he said. This will be another trial that will hopefully show the same for COVID-19. Joe Baltake, a son of Camden and a longtime movie critic for the Philadelphia Daily News and later the Sacramento Bee, died as he lived much of his life, in a darkened room, which is exactly how he would have wanted it. It was just after midnight Thursday morning at his Haddonfield home. Susan, his wife of 35 years, and their four cats were nearby. The cause was multiple myeloma. He was 74, both a gentleman and a gentle man. He would have wanted you to know that the last movie he saw in its entirety was Parasite, Bong Joon-hos Oscar-winning social satire about income inequality, and that he loved loved loved it. Appropriately for the author of a biography of actor Jack Lemmon, one of the last movies he saw on TV was Some Like It Hot, the Billy Wilder farce starring Lemmon and Tony Curtis as musicians who witness a mob hit and dress as women to avoid being killed themselves. Like his felines, Mr. Baltake himself was catlike and observant. Barbara Beck, who was his editor at the Daily News from 1981 to 1987, remembered that they had seen the Lemmon comedy The Apartment together about 100 times, and each time Joe showed me something I had never seen before. That was a service he regularly performed for people. Before social media existed, Joe was a genius at branding and connecting with his readers, former Daily News features editor Debi Licklider recalled. He copyrighted The Passionate Moviegoer column name. He would host movie screenings that drew massive crowds at a time when to enter a contest you had to clip a coupon, fill it out, and mail it to the paper. Then wait to get a phone call invitation. Mr. Baltake estimated that he had reviewed more than 10,000 films and seen countless more. One of the lifelong friends he made at those screenings was Phil Checchia, a Philadelphia police homicide detective. Memorably, Mr. Baltake arranged for Checchia and his coworkers to attend a screening of Sidney Lumets Prince of the City, starring Treat Williams as an NYPD cop investigating fellow officers for corruption. He was born in Camden, where his parents owned Baltakes Bakery. Because they worked long hours and the Liberty movie theater was nearby, the Baltakes arranged a deal with the theater manager: He got free baked goods in exchange for their sons getting into the theater free anytime. First the movies became his caregiver, then his vocation. After he got a bachelors degree from Rutgers University, he started writing about movies and never stopped. Apart from his reviewing positions and his Lemmon books The Films of Jack Lemmon and Jack Lemmon, His Films and Career he was an associate editor of Screen World Anthology from 1973 to 1993 and wrote an afterword for The Films of Burt Reynolds. He contributed commentaries for many DVD sets, including one for the collectors edition of The Apartment. In Mr. Baltakes final post on his blog also called The Passionate Moviegoer he wrote Feb. 3 about the movies in general and The Apartment in particular: In my case, movies are more than a profession or avocation. I will be frank: They have been my life, I dream about them, the way I do about people. Irv Slifkin, author of Filmadelphia: A Celebration of a Citys Movies, who teaches a course at Temple University in how movies portray journalism, wrote that Mr. Baltakes persistent championing of neglected movies had been an education for him. In fact, Mr. Baltake was a rescuer both of neglected films and felines. Once on the beach in Cape Ann [Mass.] with his niece they found a kitten on the rocks, took it back to their hotel, and then put it in a duffel bag to the movies and fed it popcorn, his wife recalled. Many of his rescues had movie-related names, including Brubaker, Sweeney, Woody, Pyewacket. Let Pete Dexter, the novelist and columnist who worked with Mr. Baltake at the Daily News and lured him to the Bee with promises of better weather have the last word on his colleague. In a 1987 column introducing Baltake to Bee readers, Dexter wrote, He is, first of all, dead honest. He is also as knowledgeable about movies as anyone who does this for a living anywhere. In addition to his wife, a retired marketing consultant, Mr. Baltake is survived by a sister, Rose Brazier; niece Cindi Frese; and his beloved rescue cats Plouf, Trixie, Pixie, and Peanut. Contributions in his memory may be made to Samaritan Hospice, 5 Eves Drive, Marlton, N.J. 08053, www.samaritannj.org, or to a no-kill animal shelter of your choice. Editors note: Carrie Rickey, producer of the film Before Hollywood: Philadelphia and the Birth of the Movies, was The Inquirers movie critic from 1986 to 2011. 1. An updated report of infected people: 10,896 samples were processed, An updated report of infected people: 10,896 samples were processed, 671 of which tested positive and 10,225 negative. The number of infected people rose to just over 6% of the total. 84 of the confirmed cases involved hospitalized patients, 33 of which are in the Intensive Care Unit and 30 receive mechanical ventilation. On the other hand, 31 patients are showing improvement. 2. An updated report of those detained for not respecting the state of emergency: 2,646 people were arrested nationwide in the last day the highest number reported so far. 934 were arrested in La Libertad, 664 in Lima and 345 in Piura. 3. The Head of State asked Defense and Interior Ministries for a report on the level of compliance in each region of the country. On the basis of this information, they will evaluate over this weekend whether to impose more restrictive measures. He affirmed the Government will not hesitate to take the corresponding measures. 4. President Vizcarra announced that the bonus for vulnerable families will be increased to S/760 (about US$214) during the period of national emergency declared due to COVID-19. President Vizcarra announced that the bonus for vulnerable families will be increased to S/760 (about US$214) during the period of national emergency declared due to COVID-19. The initial bonus was S/380 (about US$107) as it was intended for a period of 15 days, but it will be doubled because of the emergency extension 5. He highlighted the publication in El Peruano official gazette of the supreme decree approving the establishment of a Computer Registry of those who do not comply with social and mandatory isolation measures, which will help identify offenders by name or ID number. Said list will be sent to the Prosecutor's Office. 6. Mr. Vizcarra reported that the emergency decree establishing the Mr. Vizcarra reported that the emergency decree establishing the extension of the state of emergency for an additional 13 days official was published in El Peruano official gazette, which means it has already entered into force. 7. In the same way, the transfer of S/213 million (US$62.22 million) to municipal governments was officially authorized so that they can deliver foodstuffs of the basic consumption basket to inhabitants within their jurisdictions. The sum of money will be proportional to the size and needs of each vulnerable population. 8. Likewise, he highlighted the decree formalizing the withdrawal of up to S/2,400 (about US$701) from the Service Time Compensation (CTS). 9. He announced that He announced that one million vulnerable Peruvian families have already received the S/380 (about US$107) bonus . In addition, he called on mayors across the country to transparently get and deliver foodstuffs to the people. 10. The President of the Council of Ministers, Vicente Zeballos, reported that 1,075 Peruvian citizens, who returned after the border closure, are in quarantine at 10 hotels as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of coronavirus. (END) SRE/RMCH/RMB Loading... Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra reported on the new measures implemented under the state of emergency imposed to face the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Below is a brief outlook of the actions announced on day 13 of the quarantine.Publicado: 29/3/2020 Saudi Arabia is extending the suspension of all domestic and international flights and workplace attendance until further notice, said a report in Saudi Press Agency (SPA) quoting an official source in the Ministry of Interior. The kingdom will be extending the suspension of workplace attendance in all government agencies, except for those under the exempted sectors, the report said. Across the private sector, all workplace attendance has been suspended until further notice as well. Internal travel within the kingdom, including flights, bus, taxi and train activity, has also been suspended until further notice, in a drive against the spread of the coronavirus, the report said. The HSE says it is looking to introduce a contract tracing phone app to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. But what would that look like? Would it work? And what would the downsides be? Heres a basic explainer: What is a contact tracing app? Its a phone app that could help authorities trace people and locations that have intersected with a Covid-19 patient or an outbreak. How does it work, exactly? The basic idea is that the app would signal to other phones (also carrying the app), using wireless technology such as Bluetooth. What good would that do? If an app user was tested positive for Covid-19, it could feed back a clearer geographical and societal snapshot to authorities of where the virus is spreading, whos most at risk and who is interacting with whom. How would it do this? The Government hasnt yet gone into detail about the specific system its looking at. There are varying approaches from other countries, ranging from the extreme -- such as South Koreas public disclosures of where infected citizens have been -- to softer, more voluntary opt-in methods. One significant suggestion from Oxford University is that once you download the app, it would be the primary means for anyone to apply for a Covid-19 test, or enquire about related information about Covid-19 (for example, from the HSE). So if you tested positive, that might be recorded and associated with your app (and therefore your phone). The central HSE database would take note and then might consider further action, up to and including recording any physical proximity that you subsequently have with others (presuming they also have the app installed). Arent they doing something to this with apps in Asia? Yes, with generally successful results although with less protection for privacy. Singapore has offered to make its TraceTogether app -- which is also available in Irish app stores -- available to any other country that wants it. That app records when two phones are close to one another and measures the time spent. If one of the app users tests positive for Covid-19, authorities work to contact all those who have been in significant proximity to the infected persons phone. The Singaporeans say that the data collected on the app is only held for 21 days and then deleted. Its government also says that location data is not automatically collected through the app. Chinas implementation is stricter and more radical. It operates a colour-coded app status, the colour of which says whether or not you can travel between districts. What about my privacy? If I downloaded an app like this, would it mean Id somehow marked out as a Covid-19 carrier? Or that others would get some sort of warning from their phone if they were approaching me? Under Irish and European privacy law, any public type of identification is almost impossible. However, this is one of the most sensitive aspects of this contact-tracing app rollout that the government and the HSE faces. The government is under very strict data protection rules (from GDPR and other statutes). Although it says that anything it introduces would be compliant with GDPR and that the data may be anonymised, true anonymisation of such data is technically challenging. The office of the Irish Data Protection Commissioner has said that GDPR does allow for some flexibility in times of crisis, but its unlikely to extend to a public map of Covid-19 carriers. The UK equivalent of the Irish DPC has just said that authorities there can legally monitor personal data from citizens smartphones to monitor public behaviour in the fight against coronoavirus. The UK government has been in talks with mobile operators to this effect. Wouldnt an app like this need to be downloaded by everyone right away? Or would it just appear on your phone automatically? The government hasnt yet outlined the specifics of this yet, other than to suggest that this would all be voluntary, or opt in. This suggests it might come through the normal app store on your phone -- this is the case with Singapores TraceTogether app, for example. It also suggests that it wouldnt be legally mandatory. Authorities might be hoping that a sense of community solidarity would persuade citizens to widely use the app. Would it be available to all phones? All modern smartphones, yes. But not Nokia button phones (of which there are hardly any in the Irish market, anyway). Why cant they just use information already on peoples phones, like Google location history? Its seen as being too tricky to set up and agree a safe, limited information exchange between authorities and the big tech companies. There is nothing to stop individuals from volunteering their own Google location history to authorities, if they test positive. By Dave Collins HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) A Connecticut state representative from Windsor has tested positive for COVID-19, in the first known case of a lawmaker in the state coming down with the disease. Democratic Rep. Jane Garibay, 64, announced the positive test in a message to fellow lawmakers. I wanted to let you know that I am self quarantining and resting comfortably at home, she wrote Thursday. Garibay did not say if she had any idea where she may have come in contact with the virus. The Legislature was last in session on March 11, and she developed symptoms four days later, House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz said. For most people, the coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, or death. The vast majority of people recover. ____ MEDICAL SUPPLIES Connecticuts congressional delegation is asking the federal government to provide urgently needed medical supplies as soon as possible to hospitals and health care workers to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Some hospitals are only days away from running out of some personal protective equipment, the lawmakers said Friday. The seven legislators sent a letter to officials at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday. They requested 250,000 each of respirator face masks, surgical masks, surgical gowns, non-sterile gloves and disposable face shields from the national stockpile. State health officials had requested supplies from the stockpile last week. ____ LAST RITES BY PHONE A 91-year-old Connecticut man with the coronavirus who died this week was given last rites by an Episcopal pastor over the phone. The Rev. Peter Walsh of St. Marks Episcopal Church in New Canaan told Hearst Connecticut Media that he made the unusual call on Wednesday to William Pike, who was being treated at Norwalk Hospital. Of the three state residents who have died from COVID-19, two were from New Canaan including Pike. I have done many creative pastoral things, but that was a first, Walsh said. I did last rites, then the family all had a moment to say they loved him. Pike died about 15 minutes after his family said their farewells as a nurse held a phone to his ear, his son, Daniel Pike, said. ____ The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. (Photo : Image by Orna Wachman from Pixabay ) Advertisement According to the latest citywide figures, New Yorkers have been dying at a rate of one every 17 minutes for the past two days. Further, 84 people have died from the coronavirus in the city on Thursday and Friday, as the number of positive cases and of seriously ill patients also rose. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement Democrat New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Friday that the death toll for coronavirus in the state has reached 519, up from 385 fatalities recorded the previous day. "It is going to keep increasing, and that is the worst thing I could possibly tell the New York state's people," said the governor. COVID-19 reports are almost doubling, and "that's still bad news," he said at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City, where the US Army Corps of Engineers are temporarily building a hospital. New York state, which is the epicenter of the U.S. pandemic, reported 7,377 new cases overnight, raising the state total to 44,635. In New Orleans, Chicago, Philadelphia and Detroit, hotspots have also emerged, and early-hit states like California and Washington continue to combat the virus. Mayor Bill de Blasio warned that vital resources could run out by Sunday, April 5 to battle the outbreak at the country's epicenter, as medical facilities remain totally overwhelmed. The coronavirus has infected 5,250 people in the highly populated city, and in the past 24 hours alone, the number of patients seeking intensive care has risen considerably. A total of 1,175 patients are in ICU treatment, a rise of 37.6 percent from the 850 who received such care as of Thursday evening. The number of coronavirus cases in the state has risen over 40,000, the highest in the world by far. Cuomo cited the number of people hospitalized 20 or 25 days ago, who have since been on a ventilator to justify the rising death figures. On Friday Cuomo extended school closures in the state by two weeks to April 15 as the number of cases of coronavirus continues to increase. The state currently has 53,000 hospital beds, but will need 140,000 of them in the next three weeks as the epidemic is expected to peak in New York, he said. Mayor Blasio said on Friday morning that healthcare workers are "going through hell" at several New York City hospitals, and again pleaded with the federal government for more ventilators. De Blasio has warned New Yorkers that before things get better, the situation will deteriorate further. Advertisement TagsNew York Virus, Coronavirus, Death Toll A New York State dad is refusing to let his son come back home after the 21-year-old refused to cut short his spring break trip to Texas, despite rising coronavirus fears sweeping the country. Matt Levine, 21, of Nanuet, New York, traveled to South Padre Island, Texas, for spring break with his friends from their Massachusetts' Springfield College, in mid-March. 'I spoke with him every day and told him that maybe they should come home,' dad Peter Levine, 52, told the New York Post. 'I was aggravated. The news here was getting worse and worse.' Dad Peter Levine, 52 (pictured), has banned his son, Matt Levine, 21, from entering the family home, over coronavirus fears as Matt returned from partying in Texas during spring break Dad Peter stopped son Matt (pictured in Massachusetts) and his friends from entering the home when they arrived off their flight from Texas. They were planning to stay the night Rather than return home, Peter said Matt sent him pictures of himself and his friends, hanging around outside and listening to live music. 'Its the scene you would not want to be in,' Peter said. KRGV reported on March 9, at the start of spring break season, that it was business as usual as spring breakers said that they were not worried about coronavirus and that officials hadn't made any decisions to change the way spring breakers partied. Instead, local businesses were told to stock hand sanitizer and remind kids to wash their hands. Peter eventually told Matt that he and his friends would not be able to stay at their Nanuet home on their way back to college, as they had originally planned to do. Peter said that Matt's grandparents also live in the house and that 'there is no need to expose them to god knows what he had been exposed to!' Matt, meanwhile, quickly realized that his spring break trip wasn't panning out the way he anticipated. 'We were only allowed to go to the beach in small groups and couldnt have speakers; by then, there was basically no one on the island,' Matt told the newspaper, adding that 'The police seemed like they were trying to ruin our good time.' Peter (pictured) said that he didn't want Matt to stay at the home because he didn't want Matt's grandparents, who also live in the home, to be exposed to anything Matt might have caught Matt (pictured) was made to drive back to Massachusetts, where he attends college, with a trunk full of groceries and $300 cash - both prepared for him by his father Spring break crowds were out in full force on South Padre Island, Texas, in early March (pictured), as officials had no plans to limit gatherings despite the coronavirus outbreak South Padre Island beaches were pictured still full of crowds of college kids on March 9 Crowds of spring breakers are shown here on South Padre Island, getting up close and personal while listening to a DJ playing on a stage By March 21, beaches were shown closed in an effort to limit gatherings of large groups When it was time to return home last weekend, Matt said that their airplane was rerouted to Tennessee because there had been a confirmed coronavirus diagnosis at LaGuardia Airport in New York City. 'The passengers were freaking out and trying to stay away from each other. But we made it home,' Matt said. After landing, Peter said there was 'No chance!' he would pick them up from the airport, leaving Matt and his friends to find a car service to drive them to the family home. When the driver dropped them off near the driveway, Peter told them they couldn't go inside the home. 'I said, "Stay right there! Do not go any further!"' Peter said, adding that he wouldn't even let them inside to use the bathroom, telling the college kids to use the bushes instead. He said two of them did exactly that. 'I love my son, but they were not sleeping here,' Peter said. Instead, Peter sent Matt and his friends off on their two-and-a-half hour drive back to their college town, having already filled his son's car trunk with groceries and put $300 in cash in an envelope on the front seat. Matt was left with no choice but to return to the off-campus apartment he shares with roommates in Massachusetts, despite his college classes having been canceled. Matt had originally planned to move back home after the semester ended, but Peter said that Matt's apartment lease ends in June, but that 'none of the parents want them home' because 'Its too risky.' Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sun, March 29, 2020 13:40 654 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206e1e284 1 National coronavirus,medical-workers,COVID-19,Hotel,COVID-19-in-Indonesia,Tourism-Ministry,Wishnutama,Accor-Hotels Free The government has teamed up with several hotels to accommodate doctors and other medical workers on the frontline in the battle against COVID-19. Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Wishnutama said the ministry had cooperated with Accor Group, a French multinational hospitality company with hotel brands such as Fairmont, Raffles and Pullman, for the first phase of the program, which is set to accommodate 1,100 medical workers in Jakarta. As medical workers are at a high risk of contracting the disease, putting them up in dedicated accommodation can reduce the risk of infection for their family members or housemates. Accor Group [will] provide facilities for hospitals in Jakarta, namely Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital (RSCM), the Gatot Subroto Army Hospital [RSPAD], the Sulianti Saroso Infectious Diseases Hospital and Persahabatan Hospital, Wishnutama said at a press conference on Thursday. All of the mentioned hospitals, except for RSCM, are designated referral hospitals for COVID-19. While he did not specify which hotels would be used, Wishnutama said the ministry would pay the hotels at rates below the market price. He said the partnering hotels would be routinely disinfected and sanitized, adding that social distancing rules would also be applied in places such as elevators. The hotels would also ensure minimal direct interaction between their staff and the medical workers in the provision of food, housekeeping, laundry and other services. Medical workers staying at the hotels would also be required to wear protective gear, be sprayed down with disinfectant and have their body temperature monitored. Wishnutama urged other hotels and hotel chains to participate in the program if they met the ministrys requirements. The hotels have to be in the vicinity of the referral hospitals and must not have terminated their employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. This collaboration is not only an effort to handle [the COVID-19 crisis] but also helps maintain the hospitality and transportation industry, which is an important part of the tourism sector, he said. The government urges all elements, including tourist industry players, to help [] Indonesia stop the spread of COVID-19 together. Previously, the Jakarta administration had prepared four city-owned hotels with a total of 481 rooms and 773 beds as accommodation for medical workers. As of Saturday, Indonesia has confirmed 1,155 COVID-19 cases, with 102 deaths. (mfp) The new cases are four women, three men and one 11-year-old girl. Kyiv Mayor Klitschko has informed that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the city has risen to 82. "This morning, we've received eight more laboratory-confirmed cases from state-controlled Kyiv City Laboratory Center of Ukraine's Health Ministry," he said on Telegram on March 29. Read alsoUkraine's confirmed coronavirus cases increase to 418 on March 29 According to Klitschko, the new cases are four women aged 20 to 40, one 11-year-old girl, and three men aged 33 to 40. "Among them is a doctor from a private clinic who examined an infected female patient after her arrival from abroad," he said. Six infected residents of Kyiv are self-isolating, undergoing treatment at home under the supervision of doctors. One patient was hospitalized to Kyiv's Oleksandrivska Clinical Hospital and one to Kyiv Clinical Hospital No. 4 each. "Positive news is that two Kyiv residents who had COVID-19 have been recovered and discharged from Oleksandrivska Hospital," the mayor added. As UNIAN reported earlier, Ukraine's Health Ministry reported 418 confirmed COVID-19 cases and nine deaths as of Sunday morning. Five patients have already recovered. Member of Parliament for Bimbila and Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul has slammed the Minority for boycotting sitting today Saturday March 28. According to the Majority Leader, he was not informed today by the Minority why they failed to show up. The Minority leader last week argued that his side of the house will not be able to attend sitting on Saturdays as working overtime amid the COVID-19 scare can weaken their immune system. He, however, noted that should the Finance Minister present any emergency budget to fight the pandemic his side of the house will avail themselves. Speaking on the floor today [Saturday], Dominic Nitiwul described the boycott of the Minority as unpatriotic. Mr. Speaker, as a house and as a country, if the absence of my colleagues really comes to pass, that this very important national exercise we do not come and we do not make a single comment on this floor then Mr. Speaker, we as a Parliament are letting the nation down. Mr. Speaker everywhere around the world, nations are coming together to fight this Coronavirus. People are putting politics aside. In fact politics can wait. Mr. Speaker, nothing is more important than putting politics aside and fighting Coronavirus which is an invisible enemy. Mr. Speaker for the NDC to boycott Parliament at this time is uncalled for, unpatriotic and a stab on the back of Ghanaians. Meanwhile the only Minority member who showed up, MP for Kumbungu, Ras Mubarak, did not catch the eye of the Speaker when he stood up. He has since left the chamber Speaker of Parliament rebukes Minority over handling of COVID-19 memo. This development comes days after the Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye rebuked the Minority over its handling of a memo recommending to Parliament the adoption of a bipartisan national response plan to the Coronavirus pandemic. Although the memo was addressed to the Speaker, Oquaye insisted that, at the time the document was circulating on social media, his office had not been served. After rebuking the Minority Leader, the statement further insisted that the issues contained in the said memo are issues that have to be dealt with using due process. The interest of the citizens and the nation should remain paramount. But in a response, Haruna Iddrisu insisted that the said memorandum was delivered on Friday, 20th March 2020 and duly received in the Speaker's Office. I do not control the administrative arrangements in the Office of the Speaker and cannot, therefore, determine when a document delivered in the Office is brought to the attention of the Speaker. citinewsroom It is the first known case of an infant dying of COVID-19. A full investigation is now underway to determine the actual cause of death. (Stock photo via CC0) Infant in Illinois Dies After Testing Positive For COVID-19 An infant in Illinois who tested positive for the CCP virus has died, Governor JB Pritzker announced on March 28, marking the first known infant death from the disease in the state and the country. Pritzker told reporters at a news conference on Saturday that the infants death was among the fatalities linked to the new coronavirus over the previous 24 hours, adding, I know how difficult this news can be, especially about this very young child. Upon hearing it, I admit I was immediately shaken, and its appropriate for any of us to grieve today. He did not give the exact age or medical history of the infant. The Governor said that he has learnt from the experts, that the disease is rarely fatal in children, and that sending home state workers who are non-essential has kept many from contracting COVID-19. The Governor added that the drastic and necessary measures Illinois has taken to slow the spread of the disease, were the right course of action. Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, also told reporters that there has never before been a death associated with COVID-19 in an infant, and that a full investigation is now underway to determine the actual cause of death. We must continue to do everything we can to prevent the spread of this deadly virus. If not to protect ourselves, but to protect those around us, Ezike said, adding that older adults are at a higher risk of severe illness, with more than 85 per cent of deaths in Illinois being among individuals aged 60 or over. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), preexisting health conditions put people at additional risk of contracting CCP virus. These preexisting health conditions include diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, liver disease, and being on hemodialysis. Pregnant women should also be monitored as they are known to be at risk with severe viral illness. To date, data on COVID-19 has not shown increased risk. However, Dr. Ezike noted that people of all ages and people, even healthy, will and have contracted the virus and can develop severe illness including death. Governor J.B. Pritzker said he was deeply concerned about what is currently happening in New Jersey and New York, which has become the official epicenter of the global pandemic in recent days, and expects Illinois to reach a peak, at some point. Pritzker said he wants to know what the state can expect from the federal government because frankly, so far we havent received enough support for what we think were going to reach as a height of ICU admissions and hospitalizations. As of March 29, Illinois has confirmed 3,491 COVID-19 cases and 47 related deaths. The coronavirus pandemic continued to torment the US and Europe as the number of Covid-19 infections globally crossed 700,000 on Sunday. At least 33,000 people have died from the disease, with the US continuing to be the worst-hit country, followed by Italy, China, Spain and Germany. Struggling to cope with the outbreak, the Trump administration issued a travel advisory urging people of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, the worst-hit US states, to refrain from non-essential domestic travel for 14 days as the nationwide death toll crossed 2,000 - doubling in just two days. The travel advisory issued late on Saturday night by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was not the quarantine that US President Donald Trump had threatened earlier in the day, drawing furious response from governors, one of whom had called it a declaration of war on states. Due to extensive community transmission of Covid-19 in the area, the CDC urges residents of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut to refrain from non-essential domestic travel for 14 days effective immediately, the CDC said in a statement, adding that governors of the states will have full discretion in enforcing the advisory. Essential services are exempted. Stay-at-home orders are already in force in all the three states with all non-essential services shut down and their workers sent home, with exemptions for trips to grocery stores, pharmacies and pick-up food orders. US cases climbed by well more than 21,000 over the previous day to at least 133,000 on Sunday. The death toll crossed 2,300. New York state remained the worst hit with the total number of cases crossing 59,000 and deaths going past 950. 838 die in Spain in a day Spain moved to tighten its lockdown and ban all non-essential work on Sunday as it hit another daily record of 838 dead. The countrys overall official toll was more than 6,500. Spains health emergencies chief, Fernando Simon, said the countrys infection rate fell on Sunday to 9%, down from 18% three days before. The death toll in Italy climbed by 756 to 10,779, the civil protection agency said on Sunday, the second successive fall in the daily rate. The number of fatalities, by far the highest of any country in the world, account for more than a third of all deaths from the infectious virus worldwide. The total number of confirmed cases in Italy rose on Sunday to 97,689 from a previous 92,472, the lowest daily rise in new cases since Wednesday. Lombardy, the hardest hit Italian region, reported a rise in deaths of around 416 on Sunday. Egypt shut its beaches as cases in the Mideast surpassed 50,000. Police in the Philippines stepped up arrests of quarantine violators, and more tourists were evacuated from Mount Everest and the Indonesian island of Bali. Poland is considering delaying its May 10 election, and Russia ordered borders to close on Monday. French politician Patrick Devedjian, 75, died from Covid-19, becoming Frances first death of a senior official. US deaths may reach 200,000, predicts Fauci US deaths from the coronavirus could reach 200,000 with millions of cases, the governments top infectious diseases expert warned on Sunday. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, estimated in an interview with CNN that the pandemic could cause between 100,000 and 200,000 deaths in the US. Since 2010, the flu has killed between 12,000 and 61,000 Americans a year, according to the website of the CDC. The 1918-19 flu pandemic had killed 675,000 in America, according to the CDC website. Kolkata/Pune: A 29-year-old woman, who was asked to stay in quarantine at home but violated the instructions and travelled by two trains from New Delhi to reach West Bengals Tehatta, has tested positive for Covid-19 along with her four family members and mounted concerns about super-spreaders of the infection. What has complicated matters is that the people who came in contact with the family are refusing to admit they did so. The district administration has appealed to the local residents to voluntarily disclose whether they came in contact with the family so that it could put in place measures to prevent the spread of the disease. A health official said the 29-year-old had on March 16 met a cousin in New Delhi, who had returned from the UK, following which she was advised to stay in-home quarantine. The five were at their relatives place in Tehatta between March 20 and 24 until being hospitalised after reporting symptoms of Covid-19. A number of the familys relatives living in Tehatta have been isolated and their blood samples sent for tests. The results are awaited. Ajay Chakraborty, director of health services, said the Delhi police should have informed them about the 29-year-olds violation of the quarantine instructions. In Maharashtras Sangli, four members of a family, who have tested Covid-19 positive, had returned from Saudi Arabia on March 14 and mingled with other people for the four days in absence of instructions for home quarantine. Sangli district collector Abhijeet Chaudhari said the four were not on the list of people shared with them with foreign travel history. We got to know about the foreign visit of this family locally following which we collected their swabs for testing even as none of the four showed any symptoms, said Chaudhari. On March 22, the four tested positive and prompted the administration to put at least 47 people under home quarantine. Of the 47 samples collected, 24 tested positive and rest negative. Considering that the positive cases who did not go to Mecca [Saudi Arabia] may have also come in contact with other relatives, we home quarantined around 300 and are monitoring them, said Chaudhari. Maharashtra minister Jayant Patil said they have put in place a containment programme under which only one person from one family is being allowed to step out for buying essentials. Around 500 families have been notified to stay at home and the city administration has to ensure supply of essentials for them. The entry and exit points to the city have been sealed. KYODO NEWS - Mar 29, 2020 - 18:25 | World, All, Coronavirus South Korea announced Sunday that all people arriving in the country from overseas will from April have to spend two weeks in self-isolation, in a bid to curtail the influx of travelers carrying the novel coronavirus. Prime Minister Chung Sye Kyun said the measure, which goes into effect Wednesday, will apply to all entrants to the country, regardless of nationality. (A huge screen displays "COVID -19 OUT and Cheer up Korea" on March 27, 2020 in Seoul.)[Getty/Kyodo] Speaking at a government meeting on COVID-19, Chung said the move was required due to the increasing burden on the community stemming from the rising number of imported cases. "In order to effectively prevent entry to the country for unimportant purposes, such as travel, we are expanding the compulsory quarantine measure to all foreigners coming in for short stays too," he said. Visitors without lodging arrangements will be required to stay in government-designated facilities at their own expense, he added. A mandatory two-week quarantine is already in place for visitors from Europe on long-term visas and visitors from Japan. The local health authorities on Sunday reported 105 new cases of the novel coronavirus in the 24 hours to the end of Saturday, bringing the national tally to 9,583. Of the new cases, 41 involved travelers from overseas, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As for the locally transmitted cases, the southeastern city of Daegu and surrounding North Gyeongsang Province -- the nation's two worst-affected regions -- accounted for 25 of them. It also reported eight more deaths from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, raising the death toll to 152. Jinger Duggar has proved time and time again that she is far different from her siblings these days. Duggar married Jeremy Vuolo back in 2016, and since then, shes branched out quite a bit from her extremely conservative upbringing. Duggar recently posted a quick survey on her Instagram story detailing a few of her favorite things, and she revealed that her favorite show was CBS Madam Secretary. But some Counting On fans were completely shocked by the revelation. Jinger Duggar and Jeremy Vuolo | Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images Jinger Duggar is much more mainstream than most of her siblings When Duggar and Vuolo wed, they almost immediately moved to Vuolos home in Laredo Texas, where he worked as a pastor. The two stayed there for nearly two years before uprooting their lives and planting new roots in Los Angeles, California. Since then, theyve taken in everything L.A. has to offer. L.A. is a very liberal town, but fans were confident that if anyone in the Duggar family could fit in there, it was those two. Since marrying Vuolo, Duggar has started wearing pants, dying her hair, and branching out from her religion to find new hobbies. She listens to some mainstream music and watches television, too, which she wasnt allowed to do growing up. Duggar and Vuolo have still remained very conservative Despite moving to a more liberal area and becoming more mainstream, Duggar and Vuolo would hardly be considered liberal people. Vuolo still preaches against gay marriage, and Duggar still seems closely tied to her parents conservative roots. The Duggar family outwardly opposes homosexuality and abortion. Vuolos siblings are more liberal than he is; his brother is a filmmaker who directed a film about an immigrant struggling with coming out as transgender. Interestingly, Duggar once commented on her brothers Instagram post about the film, writing Wow. So amazing, bro, seemingly in support of what he was expressing in the movie. Fans were shocked to learn that Duggars favorite show was Madam Secretary Duggar recently filled out a quick survey thats been trending on Instagram, which asks people easy questions, such as their favorite color and favorite show. Duggar, who grew up without television, wrote that her favorite show is Madam Secretary she published the survey to her Instagram story on March 24. But the shows liberal and political undertones had some fans surprised and users took to Reddit to express that. Madam Secretary [definitely] has a liberal slant to it. Im shook, one user wrote. Is she trying to tell us shes secretly become a socialist, one person commented. I hope shes having fun exploring pop culture, now that shes allowed to. Maybe a few of the shows she watches will broaden her horizons ever so slightly, another user added. Some think Duggar might be more accepting than she seems A while back, fans discussed whether Duggar might be hiding how liberal she is from her parents. The Instagram comment, plus Duggar trying her hardest to remain mainstream on social media, had some thinking she might be putting up a front whenever she goes and visits her parents. Others, however, thought she might actually be even more conservative than she seems and could be trying to hide it for the sake of her reputation out in L.A. Its clear that Duggar has broadened her horizons since she moved out, though it still remains unclear exactly what her views are on certain issues. After a relatively manageable first wave of influenza in 1918 thought of as a mild summer grippe began to taper off, the Capital Region was lulled into a false sense of security, and normal rhythms of urban life began to re-emerge. But in the fall, a second wave of the illness dubbed the "Spanish flu" struck with the force of a tsunami and terrifying lethality. While it has been said that the study of history can offer comfort by showing how past generations overcame catastrophe, the example of the 1918 pandemic offers the hardest lessons imaginable as the Capital Region confronts the COVID-19 crisis: history as a worst-case scenario of what can happen when a virus overwhelms medical capacity and political will. Though medical science especially epidemiology has taken unimaginable strides in a century, the story of what the region endured remains compelling and cautionary. It was a swift, unseen killer that attacked the lungs of young and old alike, causing the infected to cough up blood and leaving a victim's eyes and ears oozing with bloody discharge. Victims were attacked by their own immune systems. Their once-healthy bodies produced an overabundance of cytokines, extremely toxic molecules that, in normal circumstances, fight off infection and disease. Scientists called it a "cytokine storm." The death toll was unfathomable. By the time the third wave passed and the outbreak subsided in the summer of 1919, it ranked as the deadliest pandemic in history. A third of the world's population had been infected and more than 50 million people died though some estimate the death toll at closer to 100 million. Influenza killed more than the total number of military and civilian deaths during World War I, which ended in November 1918 as the second wave of the illness passed through upstate New York. Across the United States, an estimated 675,000 died. In New York City, 30,000 perished, two-thirds of them in the second and third waves. At least 450 died in Albany, but that estimate is considered very low. Schenectady suffered 364 deaths in October 1918 alone, when the flu raced like wildfire through the tightly packed ranks of 30,000 factory workers at General Electric and American Locomotive. There were reports of workers leaving for work healthy in the morning, coming home in the evening and dropping dead. It left staggering heartbreak in its wake. In Albany, 17-year-old Helen Davis served as the bridesmaid at the afternoon wedding of her older sister, Josephine. That evening, she spiked a fever; by Wednesday morning, she was dead. That same day, Oct. 9, 1918, the reported cases of the flu epidemic it had not yet been declared a global pandemic topped 1,200 in Albany in a 24-hour period and the number of those stricken rose exponentially. Two soldiers died that day at an Army training camp at the State College for Teachers across from Washington Park in Albany. A majority of the fatalities were healthy people cut down in their 20s, 30s and 40s. The second wave October was the cruelest month. Hospitals and medical personnel across the region were overwhelmed, their staffs already depleted by the large number of doctors and nurses sent overseas to assist the war's wounded. There was a shortage of hospital beds, medical facilities were overstretched and the situation became dire when doctors and nurses began to fall ill and die. Armories, warehouses and college fraternity houses were crammed with cots for the sick. Morgues exceeded capacity, and there was a shortage of coffins. Dr. E.J. Senn told the Schenectady Gazette on Oct. 11 that he had gone on 62 sick calls that day alone. He conceded to the reporter he was bone-tired and famished from tending to "the weary round of sick, sicker and sickest." New patients were outpacing the ability of doctors to triage them. On Oct. 23, Dr. Walter Clark, Schenectady's city health officer, reported 17 deaths and 346 new cases in the prior two days across the city. Dozens of destitute children were orphaned by the pandemic, and orphanages in Schenectady and Albany were strained to their limits. On Nov. 1, Dr. William Conway, 31, an Albany physician, died at his Madison Avenue home of complications from pneumonia after being sickened with influenza a week earlier. He was an ear, nose and throat specialist who answered a desperate call for medical assistance to treat large numbers of flu patients at the Homeopathic Hospital downtown. He left the comfort of his uptown office and worked on the front lines of the outbreak. Conway likely contracted the fatal strain when he insisted on performing surgery on a young girl suffering in the throes of the illness. He had served as a staff physician at the Brady Maternity Hospital and volunteered to treat sick children at the St. Vincent Female Orphan Asylum. Conway was called "a martyr to his duties" in a published volume titled "Albany Medical Annals." One of the curious outcomes of one of the most lethal pandemics in human history was the unsettling silence that followed. It was a hushed abyss ringed with survivor's guilt and abject terror. In her 2012 book, "American Pandemic: The Lost Worlds of the 1918 Influenza Pandemic," author Nancy Bristow takes up that theme of a kind of collective amnesia. "The public memory of what had taken place during the pandemic disappears," said Bristow, professor and chair of the history department at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Wash. "We lost 675,000 Americans and almost nobody speaks of it. I found a blues record and a couple novels that touched upon it. There was almost no cultural record of that memory, not even in history textbooks, until fairly recently." Looking away Bristow stumbled upon the topic that became her book when she tried to track down family lore that suggested her great-grandparents died in the 1918 pandemic. She knew her grandfather was orphaned, but it was never explained why. She began the research by crisscrossing the country and poring over archives in local historical societies and newspaper morgues, and patched together a portrait of a cataclysmic national nightmare willfully buried in America's consciousness. The pandemic "did not fit the American narrative of a nation on the rise, fresh off intervening in the Great War where they showed off their military might and won the war," Bristow said. "It was American hubris, and I fear it may repeat itself once again in this coronavirus pandemic." (Bristow eventually learned that her great-grandparents died in 1920 in Pittsburgh, not during the pandemic.) Another outcome of the 1918 influenza pandemic also in play during the current coronavirus pandemic is the impulse in the American psyche to give in to xenophobia, stigmatization and scapegoating of vulnerable populations during health crises, according to Trevor Hoppe, professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a former University at Albany professor. "Blame and shame haunts the history of infectious diseases," said Hoppe, author of "Punishing Disease," which examines the stigmatization and punishment of patients during the HIV/AIDS epidemic, which was referred to as "junkie pneumonia" and "gay-related immune deficiency" in the early stages of that epidemic. Similarly, fingers were pointed during the 1918 influenza pandemic. "It became widely known as the 'Spanish flu,' but it did not originate in Spain. That was just another example of wanting to blame a foreign country instead of assuming your own complicity for the spread," Hoppe said. "I was struck by seeing the recent photo of President Trump crossing out the word 'corona' (in notes for a White House briefing) and replacing it with 'Chinese' and how he referred to COVID-19 as the 'Chinese virus,'" he said. "It reminded me of my research into syphilis when the French called it 'the Italian disease' and the Italians called it 'the French disease.'" Family lore Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Although the 1918 influenza pandemic left only a faint trace in the public memory, it was sometimes whispered about obliquely through the generations in family lore, and some local historians took it upon themselves to flesh out the story. Albany author Tom Schreck, who has published several mystery novels, only recently learned that his grandfather died in July 1919 during the third wave of influenza fatalities. Cornelius Schreck, 24, lived in Albany's South End and left behind a wife and 2-year-old son. "We never knew much about his history because he died young, and my father was only 2 and had no memory of it," Schreck said. "There's very little record of Cornelius. I intend to find out where my grandfather is buried." Julie O'Connor, an Albany historian who runs the Albany Muskrat Twitter feed and edits the Friends of Albany History blog, has researched the death of her great-grandfather, Edgar Anderson, who ran a barbershop in Arbor Hill and lived at 239 Livingston Ave. He died there in December 1918 at age 65 due to influenza and tuberculosis. Albany historian and former state Assemblyman John J. "Jack" McEneny's father, John H. McEneny, was 19 years old when he enlisted in the Army during World War I. He was on a troop ship headed to the front in Europe, but became ill and was diverted to a hospital in Liverpool, England. He was put in a ward filled to capacity with 20 soldiers, Brits and Americans, stricken with influenza. "My Dad told a story about seeing a guy sitting up in bed telling a joke, and in mid-sentence he tipped over and died on the spot," McEneny said. There was a piano at one end of the ward, and a patient began playing it to try to lift spirits. McEneny's father's condition had deteriorated and he was sinking fast. "Damn it shut up!" a British soldier barked. "The (expletive) Yank is dying." "The hell I am," McEneny's father replied, according to family lore. "I have more people praying for me than all the kings in Ireland." When McEneny awoke the next morning, the ward was empty. He was the sole survivor. Doctors drained his lungs and removed one of them in what was still a relatively new surgery. It likely saved his life. McEneny was transferred to a medical facility in Virginia for rehabilitation. He returned to Albany, but left his job as a D&H Railroad clerk on doctor's orders to limit his exposure to flu. He got hired by a surveying crew in the Adirondacks, where the fresh mountain air rejuvenated him. On the home front, McEneny's mother, Margaret Gaffie McEneny, recalled attending many wakes during the pandemic. "She remembered the sound of drip-drip-drip because they had huge blocks of ice underneath the casket to keep the body cold, and water kept melting off them," McEneny said. The World War I veteran's grandson, John P. McEneny, is a playwright who wrote a drama, "The Grippe of October," about the influenza pandemic that drew upon his family's stories. "When we were little, our dad let us stick our fingers in the pocket under his ribs where they had removed his lung," Jack McEneny recalled. His father died in 1964 at age 64. The McEnenys are a family of storytellers, and their repeated probing of the wound of the 1918 pandemic is unusual. "Nobody discussed the Irish Famine for a very long time it hurt too much," said McEneny, who has done extensive research into that facet of Irish history. "The pandemic was that way, too. Everybody lost a loved one or somebody they knew. It was too painful to talk about." Paul Grondahl is director of the New York State Writers Institute at the University at Albany and a former Times Union reporter. He can be reached at grondahlpaul@gmail.com. Your browser does not support the audio element. Editor's note: Following a request by Tuoi Tre News, American Janine Miller, an expat living in the central city of Hoi An, expressed her opinion on foreigners complying with a new regulation to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Vietnam. The Vietnamese government has repeatedly said that people wear face masks whenever outdoors. A number of cities and provinces in Vietnam such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Binh Thuan Province have even started penalizing those not wearing face masks in public, with fines amounting up to VND300,000 (US$13). Tourists are seen with their face masks on while visiting the central city of Hoi An on March 17, 2020. Photo: B.D. / Tuoi Tre Millers comments were made as her personal observations. The following comments have been edited by Tuoi Tre News for clarity, consistency, and coherence. Ive got to know about the requirement of wearing face masks in public places from the Internet, and some Facebook groups for expats. They usually have a translation of the most current news. However, for first-time travelers, it should be required that hotel, hostel, homestay owners and tour guides educate the temporary traveler on local regulations either by providing the masks or having them available for purchase, with a public poster on how to wear them and dispose of them. (Wearing a mask around your neck isn't effective. Placing your used mask on a table for others to clean up creates another set of problems.) I personally think wearing a mask is not unreasonable, its just an inconvenience. People are not in the habit of being so vigilant about their health. Wearing a mask seems like a simple task to support the community as well as protect ourselves. We are guests in this beautiful country and we need to follow the rules. I came to the Old Town in Hoi An to hand out masks and remind them to wear, as I think people new to the country have an information and access problem. For me this started about a month and a half ago while living in Da Nang, it was just right after Tet and they had just announcement that the coronavirus had entered Vietnam. This placed everybody in a panic. It was really hard for me to find a place to buy masks. Luckily, when the owners of my apartment came back from their vacation, they provided all the tenants with masks and hand sanitizers. They did this because they realized that everybodys health was connected. Something as simple as touching the buttons of an elevator could impact everybody within the same building. Recently, I moved to Hoi An. When the first case of the coronavirus was announced in Hoi An, it was the same panic. Luckily, I still had my face mask stock. One day, while passing the marketplace and Old Town, I noticed many people were still not wearing face masks. This was when I decided to go out and hand out face masks by the market because maybe they didnt know about the new policy or have access to them. This was also the first day when tourists were required to wear face masks so the public announcement might not have been fully understood yet. However, since this time, I have noticed a greater number of tour groups in compliance by wearing face masks. When I asked a group of tourists who were not wearing a face mask if they knew that the government had created a new policy stating that masks should be worn in busy public spaces. Most said they did not. Some of the patrons of the Old Town gave the following responses such as Where do I get them?, Where do I wear them? Is a local market in the old town regulated the same as a supermarket?, Why arent the locals wearing them?, Why am I wearing them if they dont work?, "My tour guide said I didnt need them, I have one, I just forgot, and Who are you? Why do you care? I will ask my hotel. It is my understanding that it refers to places where large groups of people gather at supermarkets, airports, and train stations. But how is this effective? For example, if I have the virus, and leave the airport in my taxi to my hotel, then touch the door handle of the taxi, the fabric on the seat of the car, the pen I used at the reception desk, and the mask the maid picked up, all could be contaminated. If the people I have interacted with also wore a face mask, it would reduce the number of times they touched their face. Also washing their hands with soap and water would help neutralize the virus. People often complain that the mask isnt an effective way of protecting yourself from the virus, but it will greatly help contain the spread. I guess wearing a mask part-time is still flattening the curve of transmission. There is a period of time during which people may have the virus but they are asymptomatic. So anytime time Im out of my house I wear a mask. I would hate to unintentionally transfer germs to another person. Those of us who are not just traveling through, we make connections with people and we care deeply about them. My diligence could save the life of my elderly com rice vendor or the daughter of my homestay owner. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Viral Video: People forced to quarantine in metal boxes as China enforces zero Covid policy India Covid cases up by massive 2,47,417 infections, positivity rate at 13 per cent COVID-19: Medicines should be given rationally says Centre Lata Mangeshkar health update: Veteran singer still in ICU, but there has been a slight improvement TN man breaks quarantine, runs naked, bites woman to death India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Chennai, Mar 29: A young man under home quarantine for coronavirus after return from Sri Lanka suddenly ran out of his house and fatally bit a 80-year old woman in his neighbourhood in a village near here, police said on Saturday. The woman with injuries in her neck was hospitalised late Friday after the incident but died on Saturday without responding to treatment, they said. The man, a resident of Jakkamanayakanpatti and engaged in seasonal business in clothing, was overpowered and handed over to police, who arrested him and investigations were on. #Stayathome and send us your selfie He had recently returned from Sri Lanka and directed to remain under quarantine by health authorities as per the protocol for foreign returnees to check coronavirus spread. He came out of his house on Friday evening and all of a sudden, denuded himself and began running through the street. Shocked family members including his father gave a chase even as he caught hold of Nachiyammal, seated on her house's front yard and bit hard her neck. Coronavirus lockdown: Delhi govt distributes ration for next month; Liquor shop shut in MP The man's kin overpowered him and admitted the woman to nearby Bodi Government Hospital where doctors on Saturday said she succumbed to her injuries, not responding to treatment. Health authorities were unavailable for comments immediately. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, March 29, 2020, 8:18 [IST] THE University of Limerick (UL) is set to close public access due to the outbreak of coronavirus. Access to the vast campus in Castletroy will be locked, with barriers put in place across all entrance paths and roads. Entrance to the facility will be by the main gate only, which will be controlled. The only people allowed on site will be residents of the student village and college personnel carrying out essential business. A letter from the colleges Critical Operations Team and Executive Committee, published at www.ul.ie, said: We are implementing this measure in line with government directives and to keep the Limerick community safe during this time of crisis. Stay safe and stay home everyone, the letter added. Academic activity at the campus had already moved online earlier this month due to the pandemic, which has claimed 36 lives in Ireland so far. In a letter to students yesterday, college president Dr Des Fitzgerald wrote: We are undoubtedly facing into a more difficult phase of this battle against Covid-19. But as an institution we are prepared. We vacated our lovely campus on the day we were asked. However we remain fully operational and with all our programmes online, we continue to serve and support our students. We are preparing on multiple fronts to assist the HSE in the battle against this virus and will offer the might of our innovative technology and research expertise along with our physical laboratory and accommodation facilities to serve the national good, he added, UL will prevail because of the commitment, dedication and passion of our community. The ubiquitous rosogolla, sondesh, misti doi are all off the platters of the sweet- toothed Bengalis during the unprecedented lockdown over the coronavirus threat. But they are not the only ones feeling bitter. The sweet shop owners, who are staring at huge losses, have urged the state authorities to grant them permission to run their businesses, even if not at full throttle. They say the milk procured by them is getting wasted and their employees being rendered jobless. Milkmen, who have signed annual contracts with shop owners, are at a loss trying to figure out what to do with the produce in the absence of proper distribution channels, a member of a sweet makers' association said. "A few have been able to supply milk to the shops, while others have been citing transport curbs as the reason for not being able to deliver. Either way, shop owners are paying up, but the milk is going down the drain for lack of any plan to put them to good use, Dhiman Chandra Das, a member of Paschim Bango Mistanna Byabosayee Samity (sweet makers body), said. Chandra assured that if they are allowed to run shops, the owners would abide by all safety precautions. "We are aware of the dangers of the pandemic. We understand the necessity of the lockdown. But we have been urging the authorities to find a solution so that the huge quantity of milk bought by sweet shops doesnt go waste. We had requested the food processing department, too, to look at the matter, but there has been no response," Das complained. Arun Dey, the owner of a popular shop in Hooghly district, said sweet makers account for more than 60 per cent of the milk that is bought in a day. "As of now, we have asked our milkman not to deliver. We can only hope that once the lockdown is lifted, we will be able to run our business as usual," he said. Another shop owner in Ballygunge area said sweets and other dairy products worth Rs 90,000 got wasted in her store after the lockdown was imposed. "We want the government to open a window for us. We know there is a major crisis. But we hope things will get better," she said. Das said at least one lakh sweet shops across Bengal were reeling under losses. "I am not saying that we should be allowed to make and sell our regular products. But if curd and certain other dairy items could be added to the list of essentials, it would be of immense help to the shop owners, their employees as well as the milkmen," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Health workers in Madrid have spoken of the challenges they face in dealing with the coronavirus outbreak - as the country's Health Ministry confirmed over 800 deaths. Speaking from Hospital 12 de Octubre, one of the most overwhelmed hospitals in the country's capital city, a porter who works there said staff simply cannot cope. "The equipment is arriving and that's good but we need even more staff," said 36-year-old Juan. Spain's health ministry on Saturday confirmed 832 deaths, bringing the total number of fatalities to 5,690. Spain, along with Italy, has seen the highest death toll in the world, with more than 15,000 between them. Video released earlier this week showed COVID-19 patients flooding the hospital's corridors and even laying on the floor. The hospital said the patients have since been accommodated elsewhere. "The hospital is adapting for more sick people to arrive," said Agustin Munoz, an anatomical pathology technician working at 12 de Octubre. Cleaning and sanitising the hospital effectively has never been more vital than now. "We are giving our 100%, no, our 200%," said Paqui, one of the hospital cleaners. Health authorities in Spain said Friday they were getting closer to the peak of the virus outbreak, but that even after having reached it, it would take many weeks for hospitals to feel any relief. For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death. EDWARDSVILLE Its consistently clear that nurses play a huge societal role as educated, compassionate medical professionals and abundantly so in the midst of the current world health crisis. Whether on the frontlines, as administrators, educators or aspiring healthcare workers, nurses continuously seek new knowledge and skill sets that will add value for their patients. One of the latest examples of this dedication is the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Nursings (SON) innovative Advanced Nursing Education Workforce (ANEW) program. Despite the suspension of on-campus activities at SIUE as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the ANEW program held its first continuing education conference March 21-22 in a virtual format. Almost 300 attendees, made up of regional advanced practice registered nurses (APRN) and students, participated remotely in the regional conference as nationally-renowned speakers presented about topics of opioid crisis, non-opioid pain treatment options, recognizing addictive behavior, rehabilitation of the opioid dependent patient and long-term follow-up strategies. The ability of healthcare providers, and in particular, nurse practitioners to appropriately serve a patient population struggling with opioid use disorders within rural areas of Illinois is of critical importance, said SIUE School of Nursings Melissa Bogle, family nurse practitioner clinical site coordinator and instructor. I was incredibly impressed with the level of participation, engagement and best practice sharing from attendees, she said. Despite the virtual environment, you could sense the collegiality of the group. We received so much interest from healthcare providers in the bi-state area for this conference, so it meant a lot to us to be able to deliver on our commitment to provide educational credits to this group, despite current COVID-19 challenges, Bogle said. The majority of attendees are required to have this type of opioid-focused education to renew their licenses within the state of Illinois. SIUE School of Nursing Instructional Designer Jodie Nehrt helped with the successful transition to a virtual format, primarily through the use of Zoom and Mursion. We were fortunate to have a collection of speakers who were motivated to share their content, despite the last-minute change in venue, and attendees who were eager to engage and participate from the comfort and safety of their homes, Nehrt said. Zoom was the technology that saved the day for us, she explained. We were able to schedule the sessions and offer virtual attendance to this free conference using a free communication tool. We coordinated with our presenters to fulfill their needs for attendee participation and question-and-answer management. Additionally, one of the sessions was a dynamic demonstration of a software we use on campus, called Mursion, which offers mixed reality for the practicing of professional skills. ANEW Program Director Valerie Griffin said Bogle worked nonstop on developing the conference from the beginning and Nehrt came in to work last week when the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. We knew that our live campus event would likely be canceled, said Griffin, assistant clinical professor and director of nurse practitioner specializations in the School of Nursing. These incredible, dedicated women were able to transition this large event to a virtual format without exhibiting worry or stress over the process. They remained positive that we could pull this off, and we did. Attendees expressed their appreciation to the School of Nursing for its creative online management and successful execution of the ANEW Conference. During a time when faculty are stressed to get their classes online, I am amazed at your commitment to those who registered for this meeting, said Margaret Faut Callahan, senior vice president of strategy and innovation at Loyola University Chicago, in a post-conference email. The skills required to make this happen so quickly, in just a week, are remarkable. Further, the lectures were of high-quality, both from a content perspective and the technology used to bring this to us virtually. It was clear to those of us who participated that your faculty and support staff worked long and hard to provide this excellent conference. Forward-looking: In a bid to create a sustainable presence on the moon, NASA has commenced development of the Lunar Gateway, an orbital platform that will act as a home for astronauts studying the moon. SpaceX has been charged with getting the supplies for each mission from Earth to the Lunar Gateway. SpaceX will deliver critical pressurized and unpressurized cargo, science experiments and supplies to the Gateway, such as sample collection materials and other items the crew may need on the Gateway and during their expeditions on the lunar surface, reads NASAs press release. The expeditions are tentatively scheduled for as early as 2024. NASA has begun awarding commercial contracts under the Artemis Program, the plan to get back to the moon. SpaceX has won the first contract, guaranteeing them two delivery trips to the Lunar Gateway and giving NASA the option to order more over a 12-year period. In total, NASA has allocated $7 billion in funds for these deliveries, so even if NASA awards contracts to other rocket companies, SpaceX will make quite the fortune. NASA originally put out a call for companies to plan deliveries seven months ago; in that time, SpaceX reconceptualized their supply platform for long-distance. The base of the delivery system is the Falcon Heavy (above), the worlds most powerful operational rocket. It was designed with a mission to the moon or Mars in mind, and because it is semi-reusable, it does so affordably. Contained within the Falcon Heavy will be the new Dragon XL spacecraft. SpaceX has not revealed how the Dragon XL differs from the Dragon (pictured top), but the latter is already humanitys most capable spacecraft in several areas. It can seat seven and launch with 6,000 kg of payload mass and land safely with 3,000 kg. Returning to the moon and supporting future space exploration requires affordable delivery of significant amounts of cargo, said SpaceX President and Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell. Through our partnership with NASA, SpaceX has been delivering scientific research and critical supplies to the International Space Station since 2012, and we are honored to continue the work beyond Earths orbit and carry Artemis cargo to Gateway. Old Man Beaten by Guard at QR Checkpoint In a community in Wudalianchi City, Heilongjiang Province, a new lockdown rule requires /that everyone scan their QR code at a checkpoint before entering or leaving the area. An old man who wanted to leave did not have the QR app on his phone. Instead of helping him install the app, a guard quarreled with him and shoved him back, starting a fight that drew blood from the old mans left cheek. Old Man: I need to go out Guard: You cannot. You must scan the QR code. Scan now. Old Man: It does not have this function. Guard: Go back. Guard: You are not allowed to go out if you dont scan. Guard: You cant leave without scanning it. Go back. Old Man: I want to go to Guard: What are you doing? Guard: Are you taking your seniority as an advantage? Old Man: Where do you want me to go? Guard: Over there. Old Man: I simply dont have it, I cannot scan. Guard: Where are you going? Old Man: I told you I dont have it. Guard: You cannot leave if you dont have it. Pedro Diaz is a warm, radiant person. Per his Latino culture, the Puerto Rican-bred, New York-raised man often greets people with a hug and kiss on the cheek, or a handshake at the bare minimum. But at the end of last month, Diaz noticed people reacting with discomfort to his greeting, instead offering him their elbows. People were spooked, Diaz recalled. As coronavirus rapidly spreads across New York, infecting at least tens of thousands so far, health officials are urging people to prevent the spread of the disease through social distancing standing 6 feet apart, subbing elbow taps for handshakes, avoiding large gatherings and taking hugs and kisses completely off the table. But for some cultures that are defined by displays of affection, social distancing is a more difficult and unnatural feat. Personal space in the U.S. culturally is very different than personal space in many countries, said Ladan Alomar, who grew up in Iran and was the executive director of the Latino nonprofit Centro Civico for decades. We are close, we touch each other a lot, as a part of the culture we cannot say hello and greet each other without hugging and kissing. People of other cultures have similar takes. Upstate counties push for quarantine for New York City travelers Latest coronavirus-related cancellations, postponements The latest coronavirus numbers in NY Sign up for the Times Union coronavirus newsletter Full coronavirus coverage Rachelle Pean noted some of her Afro-Latin friends were socially distancing with their large families, nuclear and extended, in a single house. Jamel Mosely, who is black, went to a party at the beginning of the month where people were hugging and dapping, which is a form of handshaking. Aliya Saeed noted greetings and affection in her home country of Pakistan range from handshakes to hugs depending on socioeconomic status and region, put personal space between strangers standing in lines or sitting in public is nearly nonexistent. In Lebanon and Syria, people greet each other with three or two kisses on the cheek, respectively, said Syrian-American Ilham Almahamid. Such affectionate customs are staples of various cultures, a way of showing acceptance, respect, love and even equality. Despite understanding the importance of social distancing, foregoing those customs can feel akin to stripping people of their cultural identities, community members and experts say. For a while its going to be confusing and people are going to be uncomfortable, said Richard Lachmann, a sociology professor at University at Albany. If you suddenly cant do that it undermines your sense of who you are and how you act around people. Almahamid, a research scientist at the state Department of Health and founder of the nonprofit New York for Syrian Refugees, said she had to stress to the over 40 Syrian refugee families resettled in Albany to refrain from being physically close to each other. It wasnt until Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued a directive more than a week ago for all non-essential workers to work remotely that the families stopped hugging and kissing each other, and began self-quarantining, she said. Instead, they've been staying in contact through social media apps such as WhatsApp. You feel divided, Almahamid said. In our culture, when you see someone, you want to kiss them, hug them, because you want to show them love. And youre also worried that if you dont, they will think that youre distant. Dan Irizarry, chairman of Capital District Latinos, was supposed to take a trip to Providence, Rhode Island soon to deliver a care package to his 24-year-old daughter. Now, hes having second thoughts about whether he should go and be with her. (Affection) is deeply felt and a customary thing to do within our culture, and it almost seems like youre giving in to the fear by not doing that, Irizarry said. But it is a responsibility we have to the larger society to really think about these things and what the ramifications might be. Regardless, Irizarry is worried about how his daughter will feel if her dad doesnt want to hug her when he sees her. When Alomar visited her niece in Schenectady last week, the two of them had to take separate cars to a nature trail. Upon arrival, they kept their distance while walking and talking. It was just not natural, she said. We knew it was the right thing to do so psychologically, intellectually, you understand. But your heart and need as a human says something else. A pity that television cameras were not on to record the elegance with which the protesters at Shaheen Bagh pulled the reins, paused and recast their movement to harmonise with the requirements of public health in view of the pandemic and the rule of law, in order not to be foul of Section 144 and the curfew. The banners, graffiti and flags are now on the walls and balconies facing the protest site. Even the wayside library that had sprouted nearby has moved to a balcony. The Shaheen Bagh protests against the CAA had, in any case, transformed themselves into a nationwide debate on the Idea of India. The latest to grapple on that theme have been two senior members of the Indian Foreign Service, a story I have dwelt on recently. Deb Mukharji, of the 1964 batch, a former high commissioner to Bangladesh, in an article in a leading newspaper, applies the image of the falcon, which is what Shaheen means, to the Shaheen Bagh movement. The bird that soared is his preferred simile. This invites a riposte from Kanwal Sibal, 1966 batch, and a former foreign secretary. Incidentally, falcons are predators, says Sibals riposte on the IFS blog. So unabashed is he on the secularism-nationalism debate that Mukharji feels constrained to challenge him, rapier in hand, on the very same blog. What should a discerning non-Hindus stance be towards conversations of this nature which are taking place at numerous levels with a frequency gathering in momentum? First, consider the evidence. Justice S Muralidhar of the Delhi High Court is transferred within hours of his criticising the Delhi police over continuous violence for three days, its failure to register FIRs against hate speeches by the BJPs Kapil Mishra and others. Arbitrarily transferred he might have been, but the farewell to him by Delhis lawyers shows record attendance, with men and women in black gowns leaning over the railings. The optics proved who won. UP chief minister Yogi Adityanaths government plasters city walls in Lucknow with poster-size photographs of activists in the anti-CAA protests. The Yogi is determined to name and shame the protesters. The entire operation is on the basis of allegations no proof. The chief justice of the Allahabad High Court, Govind Mathur, takes suo motu notice of the outrage and raps the UP government on the knuckles. The intra-Hindu tussle is at its fiercest in UP. Little wonder then that retired High Court judge Rakesh Sharma brings out his arsenal and takes aim at the sitting chief justice. The competent revenue authority collector DM Lucknow has several powers, including coercive action of attachment sale of property. As I have always maintained, in this orchestra the first violin was played in 1947. That musical score is now approaching the loud clashing of cymbals reminiscent of Wagner who, incidentally, was Hitlers favourite composer. The Mukharji-Sibal exchange is a summing up of the epic debate which has the nation in thrall. Since both are eloquent on their respective positions, let them speak. Mukharji sees three distinct takeaways from Shaheen Bagh. First, the Muslims as a community have emerged from a state of withdrawal and firmly demanded their rights as citizens of India, without seeking any crutches of political support. Second, Muslim women have liberated themselves from the taboos that kept them confined to their homes in large parts of India. Veiled women have been able to look their interlocutor in the eye and firmly claim that neither mard nor maulvi would stand in the way of their demanding a just future. Whatever the eventual political outcome of their demands, the liberation of the spirit of the community, and its women in particular, is here to stay. Third, the women of Shaheen Bagh have reclaimed what others had ceded to an aggressive nationalism of violence, hatred and divisiveness -- our flag and our national anthem. And the nation has been reminded that the ultimate guarantor of our freedom is the Constitution of India. Enter Kanwal Sibal. Sambit Patra on the Arnab Goswami show could not have been better. You have completely overlooked the hatred and poison injected into the people by the so-called tukde tukde gang, the adulation of terrorists, Owaisis rants, those of the leader of the Bhim Sena, recent statements about emulating Shaheen Bagh and cutting off our Northeast by Muslims who form a majority in the Chickens Neck area, the attempt to block the Jaffrabad Metro area in the light of the seeming success of the Shaheen Bagh that you extol, and, of course, Mamata Banerjees ravings. Mukharji is determined not to let this go unchallenged. I am disturbed by your comment about cutting off our Northeast by Muslims who form a majority in the Chickens Neck area. Having been posted in Bangladesh, Mr Mukharji knows the vulnerability of Chickens Neck. He therefore asks with authority: But what is the Muslim connection? On Sibals tukde-tukde swipe, he is hard-hitting. When approached under RTI, the home ministry said they had no knowledge of any such entity. He agrees with Sibal that India is not yet a fascist state, but I think we are showing disturbing signs of a pre-fascist one. This war within has had its share of martyrs too rationalists like M.M. Kalburgi, Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare and Gauri Lankesh, to name just a few. Participation in this epic Kurukshetra by Muslims like the personal law boards have in the past helped exactly the forces which menace the nation today. Keep an equal distance from the Hindu, who by himself is better situated to let a hundred flowers bloom. Even more important is to keep the venerable maulanas away, busy with matters of faith. Emulate the women of Shaheen Bagh who, guided by an intuitive and robust common sense, have been extraordinarily focused on the Constitution, the national anthem and the flag. The larger society is still sorting itself out. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 04:39:19|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Few cars are on road in Houston, Texas, the United States, March 24, 2020. (Photo by Lao Chengyue/Xinhua) Shanghai will help Houston, its sister city, in the fight against COVID-19. HOUSTON, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Consul General in Houston Cai Wei made a phone call to Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner on Friday, saying the Chinese city of Shanghai will help Houston combat COVID-19, according to a statement posted Saturday on the consulate's website. During the call, Cai expressed support to the mayor and the citizens of Houston. He said Shanghai and the Consulate General in Houston will support Houston to fight COVID-19 within the ability. Emphasizing that the virus knows no borders, Cai hoped the safety and rights of the Chinese citizens, students in particular, and Chinese enterprises in Houston are protected. Turner thanked Shanghai, a Houston sister city, for the support, and expressed his willingness to strengthen the friendly relations between the two cities. He said the safety of the Houston residents, regardless of their nationality or race, will be the priority of the city. Dont call it the Spanish flu. Thats what Spain said in 1918 at the start of what would become the deadliest pandemic in history, killing more than 50 million people worldwide. The Spanish got tagged with the killer name during the end of the First World War because Spain was the first country to publicly report the disease, not because it originated there. Spaniards called the highly contagious disease The Soldier of Naples after a catchy song that was popular at the time. But when the deadly virus exploded across the world and became known as Spanish influenza, Spain protested that its people were being falsely stigmatized. U.S. President Donald Trump is sparking similar complaints by referring to the coronavirus as the Chinese virus because it probably started in Wuhan, China. He did it again during a nationally televised news briefing Sunday night. Critics say the president is unfairly stigmatizing all Chinese people, while the president contends he is just stating facts. In 2015, the World Health Organization issued new guidelines for naming diseases to minimize unnecessary negative impact of disease names and avoid causing offense to any cultural, social, national, regional, professional or ethnic groups. The WHO specifically counselled against referring to countries in disease names. That guidance came much too late to help Spain. As the First World War was winding down, a deadly pandemic had erupted in several countries, but under wartime censorship, the news was kept secret. Spain was neutral in the war, and Spanish officials made the mistake of cabling London to say that a strange form of disease of epidemic character has appeared in Madrid. London newspapers jumped on the story, calling the illness the Spanish influenza or the Spanish grip, because the symptoms resembled the French grippe. At first, the news was not taken seriously. When flu bowled over the good senors and senoritas of Madrid, there was a panic, wrote one London journalist. Before long, flu had its run in Spain and was soon found to be a gentle, jolly little disease almost sporty. As flu casualties skyrocketed in Europe and the United States, a Spanish medical official protested the Spanish name connection in an Oct 1, 1919, Letter from Madrid published in the Bulletin of the American Medical Association. The disease in Spain was sudden in its appearance, brief in its course and subsiding without leaving a trace, the official wrote. When the epidemic began ravaging other countries, he wrote, we were surprised to learn that people were calling it the Spanish grip. . . . The germ may have increased its virulences and its power of diffusion in Spain, but it is evident that this epidemic was not born in Spain. By then, nations were pointing fingers at one another. Spain also called the virus the French flu, claiming that French visitors to Madrid had brought it. Germans called it the Russian Pest, wrote Kenneth Davis in his book, More Deadly Than War. In a precursor to todays crisis, The Russians called it the Chinese Flu. Many people leaped to the conclusion that this new evil, like early evils, must be traced to Germany, one newspaper reported. The New York Times quoted a U.S. army official who speculated that germs might have been planted by enemy agents put ashore from German submarines off the East Coast: It would be quite easy for one of these German agents to turn loose Spanish influenza germs in a theatre or some other place where large numbers of persons are assembled. There were even rumours that the germ was being put in Bayer aspirin. Spains protest was overwhelmed by the media reports and the public culture. The disease also became known as The Spanish Lady. A popular poster showed a skeletonlike woman, clad in a veil and a long, dark dress, holding a handkerchief and a Flamenco fan. One implication was that she was a prostitute, spreading her infection worldwide. Medical advertising also ran with the Spanish theme. One ad declared that medical authorities said the disease is simply the old fashioned grip. . . . This time it comes by way of Spain. The best way to stay safe? Above all, avoid colds. Use Vicks VapoRub at the very first sign of a cold. The clincher was the announcement in early October that Spains King Alfonso VIII had come down with the flu, along with several members of his cabinet. Spanish officials repudiated any claims that the illness was a Spanish disease, adding that if Americans didnt take care, the epidemic will become so widespread throughout the United States that soon we shall hear the disease called American influenza. Many prominent people in the United States and other countries caught the disease. In September 1918, Secretary of the Navy Franklin D. Roosevelt was taken by ambulance from the USS Leviathan, which had just docked in New York City, after getting the pneumonia that often followed the flu. Others who caught it included President Woodrow Wilson, British Prime Minister David Lloyd George, Mohandas Gandhi, author John Steinbeck, actress Lillian Gish, comedian Groucho Marx and Walt Disney. The pandemic lasted until the end of 1920. In the United States, the flu killed more than 675,000 people. Speculation about the diseases origin continued. In 1920, after war censorship was lifted, reports suggested that the U.S. outbreak began among Army soldiers training at Camp Funston on Fort Riley in Kansas, where 46 people had died of resulting pneumonia. In 2014, National Geographic reported new findings by historian Mark Humphries tracing the disease to Chinese labourers transported to France and England during the First World War. After 100 years, the name Spanish flu still remains a source of aggravation in Spain. Recently, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced a nationwide lockdown to fight the current coronavirus crisis. Sanchez, whose wife has since tested positive for the disease, used the name coronavirus, adding: I am the prime minister, and I assume all responsibility. Read more about: I had a little bird And its name was Enza I opened the window And in-flu-enza. 1918 limerick No one would dispute that we are living in uncertain times, but this is not the first pandemic of the modern era. The Asian flu of 1957-58 took the lives of more than 1 million people worldwide. Since 1981, AIDS has claimed more than 35 million lives. In the past 100-plus years, other pandemics have surfaced including polio, the swine flu, Ebola and the Zika virus. The world is again faced with a pandemic, and just like the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918-20, the fear of the unknown seems to have taken center stage. For the worlds inhabitants in 1918, first came defiance, quickly followed by disbelief. Imagine waking up feeling like a million bucks but by nightfall finding yourself at deaths door. In the waning months of 1918, that was the reality. The world was still at war, but unfortunately, another war was rearing its ugly head in the form of a deadly virus. The Spanish flu spread like wildfire through Butte and across the globe. It would infect nearly 40 percent of the worlds population. While the majority of its victims survived, millions did not, and it would become known as the purple death. To say the death count was catastrophic would be an understatement. The pandemic killed more U.S. soldiers than died on the battlefields of Europe. In Butte, more than 1,000 people perished. Worldwide, it has been estimated that more than 50 million people died in the pandemic. Some experts have even put the death count closer to 100 million. More than 100 years later, scientists still debate the flus origin. In the United States, it is believed the virus was first diagnosed on March 11, 1918, at a Kansas military training camp for World War I soldiers. At the time it was not considered too aggressive. But by August, a stronger strain had emerged. The number of deaths began to mount. Soon, the mortality rates in major U.S. cities such as Philadelphia and San Francisco soared to astronomical numbers. Mining City officials, however, were not worried. In fact, as late as Oct. 5 it was reported that the city, so far, had escaped the ravages of Spanish flu. Buttes luck would soon run out. The flu was pretty devastating, said Ellen Crain, director the Butte Archives. It took them awhile to realize that what they were dealing with was not normal respiratory issues. The Butte Health Board met for the first time on Oct. 9 and made some much needed but quick decisions. Spanish flu is epidemic in Butte, said Dr. Dan Donohue, and drastic measures must be taken to prevent the spread of the disease. Crain noted the health department was unbelievably thorough. They took their job seriously, she said. The board passed several unpopular measures, including the closing of schools, churches, theaters, and dance halls. A halt was put to all businesses such as Hennessys and Symons advertising any kind of sales. Officials did not want crowds of people anywhere. Opposition to the school closures had come swiftly, but the Butte Health Board stood firm. Next, sporting events were also canceled, as well as any Halloween activities. The health department met nearly on a daily basis, explained Crain, but it was still overwhelming for them. Local taverns remained open, but could only sell packaged liquor. That rule did not go over too well with Buttes ministers, including the Rev. Charles Chapman, who wanted to give his sermons in the Atlantic Saloon. The reverends request was denied, but to placate the clerics, signs were placed in all Butte saloons stating Please do not congregate in this place. Transact your business and keep moving. As the death toll rose, lengthy obituaries had become almost non-existent in Buttes three daily newspapers. They simply did not have room. Instead, they were replaced with brief death notices, which numbered some days in the dozens. As an example, in the Butte Miner of Oct. 22, 1918, there were no obituaries. There were, however, three-to-four line death notices reporting on the deaths of 56 residents. Enforcing the new rules proved difficult as well. People were lax in following the new set of guidelines and police were reluctant to step in. That did not surprise Crain, especially following the aftermath of the Granite Mountain-Speculator disaster. The June 8, 1917 fire took the lives of approximately 167 miners. Trauma after trauma after trauma had an impact on the community, she said. Some would find humor in the ongoing epidemic. Before its doors were shut, the Rialto Theatre management tucked away their fears and brought Mother Goose to the stage to entertain the audience with this little tune: Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet The tuffet was covered with dew; Along came a spider and sat down besider And they both caught the Spanish flu The theater also took a well-aimed potshot at the Butte Health Board: Hark, hark, the dogs do bark, The flu is coming to town; Well close the shows Until it goes Said the hell-th board. The laughs would soon become few and far between. To illustrate how quickly this epidemic spread, between Oct. 16 and the morning of Oct. 19, 1918, 370 new cases of Spanish flu had been reported. The flu hit every age group young and old, male and female. Hardest hit though were men between the ages of 18 and 30. Butte doctors reported that often the heartiest people were the worst sufferers. Therefore, medical personnel urged those afflicted to wrap themselves in heavy blankets, stop eating large meals, leave meat off the menu, take laxatives, and leave windows opened so those suffering could get some fresh air. That didnt help the Mueller brothers, Arthur, 39, and Walter, 36, owners of the Centennial Brewing Co., both of whom succumbed to the flu, along with Arthurs wife, Kathryn, and her sister, Mary Herzig. To show how it continually spread, John OMeara, who was the Muellers general manager at the Centennial Brewing Co., died, along with his wife, Sarah and daughter, Sadie. Later, his son John Jr.s bout with the Spanish flu would also prove fatal. Lastly, the priest, Father Patrick Brosnan, who gave the last rites to most of the people mentioned above, died as well. Large funerals were not allowed. Instead, only family and close friends could attend services. Influenza victims had to be buried within 24 hours with the head and face wrapped. Other stringent rules were set in place: Street car windows must all remain open and every car had to be fumigated each night. While working, store clerks and food servers were ordered to wear masks. All old city directories had to be destroyed. Morticians were ordered not to bring rugs from the mortuaries to private homes. Tickets would be issued to any person caught spitting on the streets or sweeping dust onto the sidewalks. In the waning days of October, the virus had killed more than 300 Butte people, and help was needed to accommodate those recovering from the virus. In addition, more nurses were needed and numerous newspaper advertisements were placed. Stepping up to the plate was James Finlen, proprietor of the Hotel Finlen. The businessman offered to turn over his establishment to accommodate the sick. Finlens gesture was more than generous, but officials opted to turn the Washington School into a makeshift hospital. While death from the Spanish flu remained a daily occurrence, officials felt that by Nov. 8, it had just about run its course and lifted most of the bans. To be on the safe side, schools would remain closed for another 10 days. Residents again became complacent. Three days later, World War I had come to an end and Butte residents were in a celebratory mood. They took to the streets in droves and for many, it would be a fatal mistake. The flu came back with a vengeance and every establishment that was given the green light to open had to again shut its doors. Throughout November, the death count climbed. More than 325 Spanish flu deaths were reported. December saw a small decline in additional new cases and deaths. In the first couple months of 1919, Spanish flu deaths had dropped dramatically. The world was not quite out of the woods, but its inhabitants were getting there. As March was coming to a close, the Butte Health Board reported only a few cases. By the time the flu had run its course, approximately 5,200 Montanans had died, with more than 1,000 of those deaths occurring in Butte. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 2 Sad 18 Angry 1 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Following consultations and discussions, and having taken into account the various restrictions that have been imposed throughout Ireland over recent days, the Bishop of Clogher, Bishop Larry Duffy, has put in place a series of further guidelines for clergy and parish communities across the diocese, with immediate effect. Bishop Duffy says that he is saddened to have to take this course of action, but in the prevailing circumstances and to protect the lives, health and wellbeing of all, he had no other option but to put these measures in place. He adds that that they highlight once again the commitment of the Church in playing its part in fighting the Coronavirus while at the same time showing solidarity with those who are suffering from it. He continues, When I was appointed bishop just over a year ago, I could never have imagined I would have to take such radical actions and to have to take them so swiftly. But we all have to make sacrifices for the common good because we have a responsibility to each other. Truthfully, our fate and the fate of others is in our own hands. While I fully understand the impact of these measures on the life of local parishes and on parishioners, by taking these measures now, we will ensure that we can return to sacramental life as soon as possible. Among the guidelines issued to clergy and parishes are the following * For all funerals, the Funeral Mass will be celebrated at a later date, when this crisis has passed. Consequently, for now, the body of the deceased will be brought directly to the place of burial. The Rite of Committal or Burial will be led by a priest, deacon or, if necessary, a layperson. * All priests who are aged 70 years or older and those who have underlying health conditions are not expected to take part in frontline pastoral ministry and are therefore excused from doing so. Clergy in each Pastoral Area will make arrangements for pastoral provision. * Pastoral support to families of the deceased will be provided but via telephone or other forms of electronic communications only. Clergy will not attend wakes if one is held. * Hospital visits will be conducted by fulltime trained hospital chaplains and subject to the regulation of hospital management. * There will be no house calls (including First Friday calls) at this time. Clergy may call by phone or similar mode of communications and pray with the sick or housebound. * Prayer Moments in Churches, such as Eucharistic Adoration, Holy Hour, Rosary or Stations of the Cross, must only be held via online means. * Individual Confessions are not now possible. People are reminded of the longstanding pastoral practice, when penitents access to the Sacrament of Reconciliation is restricted, that they can be assured that their sins are forgiven if they make an act of contrition with a firm resolve to approach the Sacrament of Reconciliation after the stay at home orders are lifted. Pope Francis has spoken on this in recent days and it is in line with the Catechism of the Catholic Church. * Baptisms and Marriages are no longer to be celebrated until further notice. Where parents are anxious about the health of a child, they should be advised to bless the child with a crucifix or their own hand and the priest may pray with them over the phone or via Skype or some similar communications mode. * The liturgies of Holy Week, including the Easter Triduum, are to be celebrated without a congregation being present and made available online in those churches that have livestreaming or other forms of social media available. A list of these will be made available next week on www.clogherdiocese.ie * Both the Diocesan Office and Parish Offices across the diocese are to close until further notice, with staff working from home, by local arrangement. * Sunday and Weekday Masses and other moments of prayer in our parishes continue to be accessible via livestreaming. A schedule of these is available on the homepage of www.clogherdiocese.ie Bishop Duffy continued, I want to assure you all of my closeness to you through prayer at this stressful time. I too share your fears, your unease, your worries and the sense of loss in these days. This is a very strange and challenging time for us as a Church, as a country and as a world family. But we are not abandoned. God does not do social distancing. God is with us, accompanying us and healing us, because God love us. I am especially conscious of families grieving the loss of loved ones. I assure you that, despite the necessary restrictions, the Church accompanies you in a particular way through our prayers. I am deeply conscious too of the burdens these times place on our priests and deacon and on our staff and volunteers across the diocese. I am also very aware of how creative many are in accompanying people everywhere to bear this cross and embrace hope. Let us continue to do so with courage, with hope and in faith. Through the intercession of Mary our Mother, health of the sick and comforter of the afflicted, may the Lord bless us, heal us and comfort us. Do not be afraid (Matthew 28:5). Two top IAS officers in the Delhi government have been suspended and two more officials face action for charges that failed to enforce the Covid-19 lockdown in national capital Delhi over the last few days. Renu Sharma, a 1988 batch IAS officer who was posted as Additional Chief Secretary (Transport) and Rajeev Verma, a 1992 batch IAS officer who was Principal Secretary, Finance, in the city government have been suspended. Their suspension orders, seen by Hindustan Times, said the Union home ministrys competent authority was satisfied that the two officers had prima facie violated the lockdown orders to contain Covid-19. The two officers, the home ministry said in identical orders, had failed to maintain absolute integrity and devotion to duty. It added that the government intended to initiate action for imposing major penalties against them. Home Ministry officials said action is also being taken against the city governments Additional Chief Secretary, Home and Land Building, and the Sub Divisional Magistrate Seelampur. Home Ministry officials did not elaborate on the precise nature of the allegations against the four officials. But there were indications it was linked to the arrangements by the Delhi Transport Corporation to ferry migrant labour from different parts of the capital to the Delhi-UP border over the last two days. Just hours earlier, Delhi Police had filed FIRs over 44 DTC buses headed to the UP border with migrant workers. The first FIR registered by the police had indicated that the buses had been deployed on orders of government officials. According to the FIR accessed by HT, when the police asked the bus staffer why are they carrying migrant passengers, that too without issuing any ticket to them, all them told that they had orders from superiors. The FIR listed registration numbers of 44 buses. At meetings with states over video conference with Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba and Home Secretary AK Bhalla, the Centre had already made it clear that it was upset with the tens of thousands of migrant workers landing up on the UP-Delhi border to go home. This is a violation of the lockdown measures on maintaining social distance, the home ministry said in its order issued earlier in the day that sent a clear warning to states. In this order, the Centre reminded states to effectively seal state and district borders to stop the movement of the migrant workers. For those who have already reached their destinations, the Centre has prescribed a 14-day quarantine to make sure they havent contracted the infection. Coronavirus lockdown: In his Mann Ki Baat address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today apologised for taking harsh steps like imposing a countrywide lockdown. He said that the fight against COVID-19 is a tough one and requires harsh measures to ensure the safety of everyone. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Mann Ki Baat radio address on Sunday, apologised for taking harsh steps to counter the spread of novel coronavirus-COVID-19 in India. Referring the nationwide lockdown imposed by the Indian government, PM Modi said that the decision has caused difficulties, especially in the lives of poor people. Some of the people would also be angry with him. But, the fight against COVID-19 is a tough one and tough measures are required to ensure the safety of everyone. Expressing that people must be wondering what kind of Prime Minister he is, PM Modi said that lockdown is the only solution to combat COVID-19. Speaking to the people who have been not taking the lockdown seriously, PM Modi said that he understands people dont break the rules deliberately but it is happening. If the lockdown is not followed seriously, it will get tougher to protect ourselves from the virus. Shedding light on the incidents of misbehaviour of authorities against those stepping outside their house despite a lockdown, PM Modi said that one needs to be sensitive and understanding. It is time that we increase social distancing and reduce emotional distancing. I apologize for taking these harsh steps which have caused difficulties in your lives, especially the poor people. I know some of you would be angry with me also. But these tough measures were needed to win this battle: PM Narendra Modi #MannKiBaat (file pic) pic.twitter.com/fwGlUk5ubz ANI (@ANI) March 29, 2020 I understand that no one wants to break rules deliberately, but there are some people who are doing so. To them, I will say that if they dont follow this #lockdown, it will be difficult to protect ourselves from the danger of #Coronavirus: PM Modi #MannKiBaat (file pic) pic.twitter.com/okLY9OUEAh ANI (@ANI) March 29, 2020 I was extremely hurt when I came to know that some people are misbehaving with those who are being advised home quarantine. We need to be sensitive and understanding. Increase social distancing but reduce emotional distancing: PM Narendra Modi #Mannkibaat #Coronavirus pic.twitter.com/tRNfS5gMKI ANI (@ANI) March 29, 2020 PM Modis apology to introduce harsh steps, including a nationwide lockdown, against COVID-19 has come after hundreds and thousands of migrants workers working in North India, especially the National Capital, decided to head back to their hometowns due to lack of work and food. In the absence of public transport, the migrant workers started walking towards their homes barefoot. Delhi: Migrant workers in very large numbers at Delhi's Anand Vihar bus terminal, to board buses to their respective home towns and villages. They have walked to the bus terminal on foot from different parts of the city. pic.twitter.com/IeToP3hX7H ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2020 Ghaziabad: Huge number of migrant workers continue to walk along the national highway 9 in Indirapuram, in absence of transport services due to #CoronavirusLockdown. pic.twitter.com/8S1Itr6UXQ ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 28, 2020 A 38-year-old migrant worker, who had set his journey from Delhi to reach Madhya Pradesh, died of a heart attack mid-way after walking for about 200 km. Looking at the gravity of situation at hand, state governments of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh arranged for buses, community kitchens and night shelters. ?#DelhiFightsCorona pic.twitter.com/wt8C0YwNxq Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) March 29, 2020 Arrangement of 1000 buses have been done to take the migrant workers to their respective hometowns amid #CoronavirusLockdown. Transportation Officers, bus drivers and conductors were called by the CM last night to make all the arrangements: Government of Uttar Pradesh pic.twitter.com/Vr2Dnkw6ID ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 28, 2020 For all the latest National News, download NewsX App The coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic is still wreaking havoc across the globe killing thousands and infecting lakhs of people, the total number of positive cases across the globe reached 662,073 and 30,780 people died according to figures by Johns Hopkins University at 06:30 am IST on Sunday. The last 36 hours have been the worst in terms of the number of positive cases recorded and the death toll since the outbreak in December 2019 in China as over one lakh people have tested positive in this time period. In Italy, over 10,000 people have died due to the deadly virus, the highest in any country. Coronavirus took 67 days to infect the first 1 lakh people after the outbreak in December 2019. The next 1 lakh were infected in 11 days while the virus took four days to reach the 3 lakh-mark. From 3 to 4 lakh took just three days and the next 1 lakh took only two days. And the virus is only gaining momentum in its scale and speed of infecting people as it took only 36 hours to infect to infect one lakh more people. The latest figures show that the global community must come together to slow the virus' spread. The US now leads the world in reported infections with more than 110,000 cases followed by other worst-hit five other nations - Italy, Spain, Germany, Iran and France. Italy has recorded the maximum deaths which have exceeded 10,000 while Spain has over 5,000 deaths and Iran 2,500 fatalities. "We cannot completely prevent infections at this stage, but we can and must in the immediate future achieve fewer new infections per day, a slower spread," German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is in quarantine at home after her doctor tested positive for the virus, told her compatriots in an audio message. Merkel appealed to Germans to be patient. Her chief of staff said Germany, where authorities closed nonessential shops and banned gatherings of more than two in public, won't relax its restrictions before April 20. The virus has already has put health systems in Italy, Spain and France under extreme strain. Lockdowns of varying severity have been introduced across Europe, nearly emptying streets in normally bustling cities, including Paris where drone photos showed the city's landmarks eerily deserted. In Spain, where stay-at-home restrictions have been in place for nearly two weeks, reported 832 more deaths on Saturday, its highest daily count yet. Another 8,000 confirmed infections pushed that count above 72,000. But Spain's director of emergencies, Fernando Simon, saw a ray of hope, noting that the rate of infection is slowing and figures indicate that the outbreak is stabilizing and may be reaching its peak in some areas. Homeless people consume meals, distributed by RPF personnel, during a nationwide lockdown in the wake of coronavirus pandemic, in Patna on Sunday. PTI image Patna: A woman tested positive for COVID-19 in Bihar on Sunday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 11, an official said here. Among those who have tested positive, as many as six had come into contact with a deceased patient, hailing from Munger district, who died at AIIMS, Patna, on Saturday last week, a day before his test reports confirmed he had COVID 19. A female relative of his, who attended his funeral and then returned to her home in Lakhisarai district, has tested positive, state epidemiologist Ragini Mishra said, adding that she is currently admitted to the NMCH hospital here. Aged 38 years, the deceased had returned from Qatar where he worked as a welder and was hospitalised on account of renal failure. Altogether 11 people have tested positive for COVID 19 in Bihar till Sunday, the health department official said. According to the department, samples of 670 people have been collected for testing so far out of which 565 tested negative, three were rejected while results were awaited for 91. Earlier, a middle-aged woman and a 12-year-old boy, both residents of his neighborhood in Munger, had tested positive and were sent to a Bhagalpur hospital. Besides, three persons, including a woman, are said to have caught the infection at a private hospital here, where the deceased was admitted before being referred to the AIIMS, Patna. All of them are currently admitted at NMCH which has been converted into a dedicated medical facility for COVID-19 patients. In addition, a woman whose test results had come on Sunday last week, is undergoing treatment at AIIMS, Patna. Two residents of Patna, who had recently travelled to Scotland and Gujarat respectively, and another person from Siwan who returned from Dubai, have also tested positive and were admitted to the NMCH. Lata Mangeshkar health update: Veteran singer still in ICU, but there has been a slight improvement Spicejet pilot tests positive for coronavirus India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Mar 29: A Spice jet pilot tested positive for coronavirus, becoming the first at the carrier to be diagnosed with the disease that killed 30,000 people, two-thirds of them in Europe. The airlines said that the pilot had not flown any international flights in March and had quarantined himself at home after operating Delhi-Chennai on March 21. "One of our colleagues, a first officer with SpiceJet, has tested positive for COVID-19. The test report came on March 28. He did not operate any international flight in March 2020," the airline's spokesperson told PTI. "The last domestic flight that he operated was on March 21 from Chennai to Delhi and since then he had quarantined himself at home," he added. As a precautionary measure, the spokesperson said, all crew and staff who had been in direct contact with him have been asked to self-quarantine by staying at home for the next 14 days. Recently, in its bid to help the government to fight the Novel Coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic, SpiceJet had flew a special flight from Delhi to Coimbatore with nothing but just a hazmat suit on it. After successfully delivering the suit, the airlines issued a statement saying it is willing to do as much as it can to help the citizens amid the 21-day lockdown. Airlines are reeling from the pandemic, which has spurred mass cancellations by worried passengers. WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump on Saturday raised the prospect of ordering a mandated quarantine on the New York metro region later in the day, placing "enforceable" travel restrictions on people planning to leave the New York tri-state area because of the coronavirus outbreak. But governors from New York and New Jersey said they had not spoken to Trump about a potential federal quarantine. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, D, was giving a news briefing when Trump announced the possible quarantine measures. "I haven't had those conversations," Cuomo said when asked about Trump's comments. "I don't even know what that means." New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, D, said he saw the news "as I was walking into this room" to hold a news conference. Though he had spoken with the president as recently as Friday, Murphy said, "nothing like a quarantine came up." Speaking to reporters early Saturday afternoon, Trump said he was considering the measure because New York had become a viral hot spot. He spoke to reporters again about an hour later and said governors from other states had asked him to consider it. "Some people would like to see New York quarantined because it's a hot spot," Trump told reporters outside the White House before departing for an event. He added: "I'm thinking about that right now, we might not have to do it, but there's a possibility that sometime today we'll do a quarantine, short-term, two weeks, on New York. Probably New Jersey, certain parts of Connecticut." The quarantine pertains only to people leaving those areas, Trump clarified during a brief second meeting with reporters before he boarded Air Force One to Norfolk, Virginia, to see off a hospital ship headed for New York. "We're looking at it, and we'll be making a decision," Trump said. "A lot of the states that aren't infected that don't have a big problem, they've asked me if I'd look at it so we're going to look at it. It'll be for a short period of time if we do it at all." He said he planned to discuss it with Cuomo "later." Trump gave no indication of how this might be enforced. The president has the power under the Constitution's Commerce Clause to issue a quarantine by executive order to protect the public from communicable diseases, according to the Centers for Disease Control website. During remarks ahead of the USNS Comfort's departure for New York, Trump again teased that he'd be making a decision "very quickly" on whether to order the quarantine. He added that it would not apply to truck drivers "making deliveries or simply transiting through," and that it wouldn't "affect trade in any way." Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, R, said the president raised the idea of imposing a travel ban on residents of the New York metropolitan area Saturday morning during a phone call about rapid testing for covid-19. DeSantis said he supported the idea, noting Florida had already begun to intercept travelers from "hot zones," including New York and New Orleans, upon their entry into the Sunshine State. Travelers have been instructed to self-quarantine for 14 days after arrival. "The president mentioned to me in the call the possibility of doing a quarantine around the New York City area, and my issue is whatever works I think we need to do," DeSantis said at a news briefing Saturday afternoon. "How is it fair for them to just be air-dropping in people from the hot zones? ... It's not fair to the people of Florida." DeSantis said a man who had tested positive for covid-19 was picked up Friday after he got off a plane in Jacksonville, Florida. The man had temporarily stopped showing symptoms and believed it was safe to fly, DeSantis said. Florida officials escorted him to a hospital. The state has set up checkpoints at airports and along interstates, including Interstate 10, which runs through Louisiana, and will be adding more to Interstate 95, which runs up the East Coast to New York. "We're either trying to fight this virus or we're not. All these people shuttled around the country, I just think it makes it more difficult," DeSantis said. "You could have some super-spreader on one of these planes sneezing and coughing for two hours." During remarks ahead of the USNS Comfort's departure for New York, Trump again teased that he'd be making a decision "very quickly" on whether to order the quarantine. He added that it would not apply to truck drivers "making deliveries or simply transiting through" and that it wouldn't "affect trade in any way." Trump also offered an ode to his former hometown, which will receive the 1,000-bed Navy medical ship on Monday and begin treating patients on Tuesday. "This great ship behind me is a 70,000-ton message of hope and solidarity to the incredible people of New York, a place I know very well, a place I love," he said. "You have the unwavering support of the entire nation." Zenzi Ferrell-Lewis donned a face mask and gloves before she entered her mothers room at a Northeast Side nursing home. Sitting next to the bed, she looked at her 83-year-old mother everyone knew Leola Wallace by her middle name, Doris and wondered whether this would be the last time she would hold her mothers hands or stroke her white, close-cropped hair. For the past 12 years, Doris had lived with a type of dementia, but was stricken in recent days with pneumonia and a slight fever. Knowing that the novel coronavirus was circulating in San Antonio, Ferrell-Lewis took a disinfectant wipe and carefully cleaned her mothers hands and dabbed her forehead. She took off her mask and gloves and placed her hands around her mothers. She leaned over and kissed her forehead. Her mother, who had lost her ability to speak some time ago, didnt respond. Ferrell-Lewis mind flooded with memories, like the time her mother, a well-known local clothes designer, had sewn a three-piece, buttercup gold suit for her daughter to wear on picture day at school. After taking a photo with her mother, Ferrell-Lewis said her goodbyes. She needed to check on her 85-year-old father, Allee Wallace, an Army veteran and photographer, who was having trouble breathing and had to be hospitalized. More Information Do you have a friend or family member affected by the coronavirus? We want to hear from you. Contact staff writers Emilie Eaton at eeaton@express-news.net or 210-250-3275; or Lauren Caruba at lcaruba@express-news.net or at 210-250-3310. See More Collapse The next day, March 20, Ferrell-Lewis would learn that her father had contracted COVID-19 and that her mother likely had it, too. Doris Wallace died a day later. The highly contagious virus had taken its toll in less than a week. Authorities confirmed she was the first person in Bexar County known to have died of complications from the virus. Four others, all women, have died in the county in the last week. As of Saturday, 140 people had tested positive for COVID-19, and about a quarter of them needed hospital care. Wallace had Lewy body dementia, which causes significant memory loss and damage to motor functions. Over the years, Ferrell-Lewis said, her mothers condition had slowly declined to the point she no longer could remember her grandchildrens names or how to chew food. Ive been preparing myself for 12 or 13 years, Ferrell-Lewis said. She was already transitioning to leave this realm. The coronavirus helped her transition into another life. Friends and family remembered Wallace as a sassy, creative person, who had a close circle of girlfriends. Wallace loved African-inspired fabrics and traveling with her husband, a retired Army master sergeant and renowned civil rights photographer. She was bright colors, in life and in flesh, Ferrell-Lewis said. Im blessed. Im not sad. Im going to miss her, but its such a relief that shes no longer confused. She knows who she is. Shes celebrating with her family and friends right now, Im sure of it. Country girl Leola Doris Gails was a country girl, born and raised in Hempstead, in Waller County, one of eight children. She attended Prairie View A&M University, where she met her future husband, Allee Wallace, in a dancing seminar. But there was one hitch: Wallace was her teacher. After some time, the pair began dating. One day, Allee Wallace gathered up the courage to ask Mr. Gails for his daughters hand in marriage. Mr. Gails was a slight man, about 100 pounds. He was sitting on the porch, smoking a cigar. Wallace, who at 6 feet towered above him, got on one knee. Mr. Gails, I really want to marry your daughter, Allee Wallace recalled saying. OK, boy, Gails responded. You better take care of my daughter. In the late 1950s, Allee Wallace joined the Army and was a lab technician at Fort Sam Houston before becoming a photographer. The pair traveled all over, and eight years later, while stationed in Germany, their first child, Zenzi, was born. Their second child, Allee Jr., was born a couple of years later. Eventually, the pair returned to San Antonio, and Allee Wallace retired. He worked for years as a staff photographer at UTSAs Institute of Texan Cultures and briefly for former Mayor Phil Hardberger. Doris Wallace returned to school at what then was Incarnate Word College, where she earned a degree in fashion design. She started her own business, Designs by Doris, and specialized in wedding gowns and prom dresses. She later focused on African-inspired clothing, featuring colorful, bold fabrics. Ferrell-Lewis said her mothers talent for sewing and design allowed her to look at a person and make a dress that fit to the curve, without ever consulting a pattern. She also spent days redecorating their house to match a piece of new furniture, leaving a trail of glue and other craft supplies in her wake. Once Ferrell-Lewis had children of her own, her mother sewed blankets and bumper pads for her grandchildren. She was such a creative person, Ferrell-Lewis said. A colorful, creative person. Over the past 12 years, as his wifes condition deteriorated, Allee Wallace insisted on taking care of his wife, refusing any offer by his two children to hire a home health aide. Until the end, Wallace tried to maintain some degree of normalcy, taking his wife to the movies or to Lubys, where they would share a large plate of food, usually covered in gravy. Occasionally, when he had errands to run, he would take his wife to visit with her two best friends, Penny McCutchen-Gardner, and Erma Meeks. When he came to pick her up, all three would be cackling just like old times. Wallace isnt sure how he and his wife contracted the novel coronavirus, but he suspects it was at some public place, perhaps a movie theater or at church. On March 16, he noticed Doris looked ill and took her to Brooke Army Medical Center, where doctors said she had pneumonia, likely from holding food in her mouth and causing her to aspirate. She also had a slight fever. Doctors said there wasnt much they could do. They suggested giving her some fluids and for her family to arrange hospice care. That same day, Allee Wallace started feeling ill, too. He looked like a train wreck, his daughter recalled. He was admitted to BAMC and released the next day. On March 18, Allee began to have difficulty breathing. Ferrell-Lewis drove him to BAMC again. This time, she said, doctors decided to test him for the coronavirus. Two days later, the result came back positive. By that time, Ferrell-Lewis already had visited the nursing home and said goodbye to her mother. She called the nursing home in a panic about the result, and her mother was tested for the coronavirus. The first test, according to Ferrell-Lewis, came back positive, but a second was inconclusive, she later was told. Her mother died the next day. Allee Wallace said his brief stay at BAMC was nerve-wracking. Theres all kinds of things going through your head, he said. The medical staff is conducting all types of tests. You begin to wonder, why are they doing this? Why are they doing that? Then, all your relatives begin hollering, and you hear whats transpiring on the news. Allee Wallace said he remains hopeful about his recovery. He was transferred to a rehabilitative facility, and his latest test for COVID-19 was negative. He said he feels much better and wants to return home soon. Ferrell-Lewis said she is not feeling any symptoms. On March 21, when his daughter called to say Doris had died, he was quiet at first. Are you alright Dad? Ferrell-Lewis asked. Yeah, Im OK, he responded. Im sorry you couldnt be there, she told him. Its OK, he said. I was there for 63 years. In that moment, a song came to mind. It was a hymn he had written after they had a scare while driving on a long, country road years ago. Suddenly, as the tune filled his head, he knew everything would be OK. He began to hum the song to himself. God has his angels watching over us. Theyre watching over us early in the morning, and in the evening, too. God has his angels watching over us. In the morning, and the early evening, too. Emilie Eaton is a criminal justice reporter in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. To read more from Emilie, become a subscriber. eeaton@express-news.net | Twitter: @emilieeaton The criminal justice system is going into meltdown because of coronavirus and a huge backlog of cases caused by government cuts, lawyers have said. Thousands of hearings have been delayed indefinitely because of the outbreak, which has also sparked the collapse of several high-profile trials, as courts restrict operations to urgent matters. But official figures show that a backlog of cases waiting to be heard was growing rapidly before coronavirus had an impact. The number of outstanding cases increased by 13 per cent year-on-year in the last quarter of 2019 to 37,434. Legal associations blame the rise on reductions to court sitting days to make financial savings. A spokesperson for the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) told The Independent: We are really at the point of meltdown and paying the price of years of cuts that began under Chris Grayling and have continued largely unabated since. Appearing before the Justice Committee last week, the current justice secretary said he planned to increase sitting days significantly. Robert Buckland admitted that coronavirus was a different order of magnitude, adding: It is my aim to work very closely with the judiciary to make sure we have a recovery plan it is important that we will be able to return with gusto to making sure we can list cases for trial and deal with what would be quite an alarming backlog if no work was done between now and then. The CBA said the original increase of 4,700 crown court sitting days was derisory after the government cut 15,100 in the last financial year. Chair Caroline Goodwin QC accused the Ministry of Justice of making a shambolic miscalculation of court capacity even before the coronavirus outbreak. More than half of the court buildings in England and Wales have been shut (Getty) The CBA will be holding the justice secretary to his commitment made to parliament this week to fully reopen the courts once the pandemic is over, she added. Justice delayed is justice denied and we all pay the price for unjustifiable delays defendants, suspects, witnesses, victims of crime and their families alike, let alone the entire criminal legal profession. The Law Society said the whole system is slowing down with new criminal trials stopped and magistrates only handling the most urgent cases, such as terror charges and overnight custody hearings. Richard Atkinson, co-chair of the Criminal Law Committee, said confusion about what could go ahead was seeing witnesses and defendants crowd into magistrates courts for scheduled hearings, only to be turned away. Recommended Number of people punished for crimes hits new record low The capacity of the courts is physically limited even if you man every court when this is over youre still going to have an extended backlog, plus the new stuff coming through, he told The Independent. Full capacity will need to be maintained for a significant period of time in order to get on top of everything. We need a government commitment to an extended period of full resourcing. Both the Law Society and CBA raised concern that the lack of current court hearings would put solicitors firms and barristers out of business, meaning there will not be enough lawyers to take on the case backlog after the coronavirus outbreak. More than half of all court and tribunal buildings have been closed, with 157 remaining open for priority hearings and others open only to staff to support video and telephone hearings. The closures are having a knock-on effect on overcrowding in prisons, where there are calls to release vulnerable inmates as the virus spreads. As of 1pm on Thursday, two inmates with coronavirus had died and 27 had tested positive in 14 jails, as well as five prison staff in five jails and four prisoner escort and custody staff. The government has so far resisted calls to release vulnerable inmates, and on Wednesday a judge dismissed an application to bail out Julian Assange over the virus. Officials have paused the normal regime in prisons, meaning that inmates are locked up for longer without education, work or rehabilitation programmes. Six dead in Italian jail amid nationwide prison riots over coronavirus measures To avoid the risk of riots, which caused several deaths in Italy, 900 secure mobile phones are being given to prisoners across 55 prisons so they can contact loved ones. Delays to trials mean that inmates may be held on remand for a longer period than they would serve if convicted of their alleged offence. Around 3,500 prison staff are in isolation and unable to work, forcing inmates to be locked in their cells for much of the day to maintain control and enforce social distancing. Terrorists are no longer meeting with ideological mentors who work to decrease the risk they will pose to the public, and group therapy for paedophiles has stopped. Recommended Prison visits cancelled amid coronavirus outbreak HM Prisons and Probation Service has banned visits and paused the normal regime, meaning exercise, education, training and rehabilitative activity has ground to a halt. And when prisoners are freed, they will not be supervised to the normal standard because of social distancing and staff shortages. The National Probation Service has around 800 staff in isolation and is switching to doorstep visits and video calls rather than face-to-face meetings for all but the most dangerous offenders. Terrorists and offenders who cannot access a phone will still be met in person, as will all freed prisoners having their initial probation appointment. Doorstep visits, seeing probation officers stand outside homes and speak to offenders from a distance or on the phone, will be the default option for around 16,000 other high-risk offenders and those with domestic abuse or other safeguarding issues. Recommended All jury trials suspended in England and Wales amid coronavirus crisis Other freed prisoners will be supervised using video and voice calls, which will be conducted more frequently than face-to-face meetings were, and daily calls between probation, police and councils are being held to share intelligence on risk management. Unpaid work and other programmes imposed as part of community sentences have been stopped. Mr Buckland has suggested that the lockdown measures imposed over coronavirus would aid risk management. Those who dont observe those constraints will be more noticeable and obvious within our community, he told MPs. I do think that to some degree that will assist us with management of some of the cohort were dealing with. Coronavirus has forced the Parole Board to stop hearings while it tries to find an alternative to meeting in person, but automatic release from jail continues. A HM Prison and Probation Service spokesperson said: Probation officers will continue supervising in person those who pose the highest risk ensuring the monitoring of high-risk offenders remains as tough as it always is. If staff believe it is the right thing to do, offenders can always be recalled to prison. At the same time, we will use technology more to supervise lower-risk offenders to reduce the spread of the virus. These measures will be regularly reviewed. A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: The figures show that waiting times for crown court cases were the lowest ever. The lord chancellor recently increased the number of sitting days to tackle the rise in outstanding cases. American lawyer Bradley Edwards made it his life's mission on behalf of countless young female victims to put Jeffrey Epstein behind bars. Following the billionaire paedophile's death, he has written a book, Relentless Pursuit, stories from which we are summarising. Last week, we told how teenager Virginia Roberts's life was devastated after Epstein introduced her to Prince Andrew. Here, we recount the book's shocking claims about the complicity of Ghislaine Maxwell Hidden inside the bags of rubbish seized by police from Jeffrey Epstein's mansion in the billionaire area of Palm Beach Island, not far from Donald Trump's Mara-Lago Club, was a set of old-style telephone message pads. For detectives investigating troubling reports of sexual abuse involving local teenagers, they were gold-dust. Handwritten messages revealed the names of everybody who had phoned Epstein's home over a period of months in 2005. Regular callers included Trump, the magician David Copperfield and the former US national security adviser Sandy Berger. There were also numerous messages from girls. Ghislaine Maxwell was a well-known and well-liked socialite. Seen here attending the Alzheimer's Association Rita Hayworth Gala at the Waldorf Astoria on October 26th, 2010 Young women with names like Courtney, Lynn, Molly, Holly and Rebecca would call with messages such as 'Has girl for tonight' or, 'Wondering if she can work tomorrow.' At least three girls a day were scheduled to go to the house, sometimes with little time between appointments. 'Samantha hadn't confirmed Veronica for 11am yet, so she is keeping Becki on hold in case Veronica doesn't call back', read one message. 'Becki is available on Tuesday. No one for tomorrow', said another. And so it went on. The need for a constant flow of girls was clear. All were, shockingly, later identified as underage girls being paid to 'work' as sexual masseuses inside Epstein's mansion. Logically, one adult had to be at the top of the pyramid of recruiters. Most messages were taken by the butler and other members of staff. But another name cropped up frequently: Ghislaine Maxwell. Although once well known as the daughter of the disgraced, deceased media tycoon Robert Maxwell, her name meant little to US detectives at the time. Only as their investigations continued would the crucial role in the Epstein story played by this privileged, public-school and Oxford-educated British socialite finally emerge. Despite her strenuous and consistent denials, Maxwell would eventually stand accused by numerous of Epstein's alleged victims of not only recruiting underage girls to feed his voracious and depraved sexual appetite, but of instructing them in ways to please him and even, according to some, being involved in the abuse herself. Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell were described as being 'Bonnie and Clyde' She would also reveal a talent for making herself invisible that continues to this day. In 2008, lawyer Bradley Edwards was preparing to represent a group of alleged victims as part of an 11-year investigation which became his personal life's mission, and during which the more he learned, the more determined he was to bring Epstein's manipulation and abuse to an end. The Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office passed Edwards phone messages from Epstein's house. It soon became clear that Ghislaine Maxwell was the witness that he most needed to speak to. Who was she, and what was her role in Jeffrey Epstein's life? An elegant woman with a distinctive British accent, Ghislaine had short dark hair and captivating, warm facial features. Those Edwards spoke to described her as fun, funny and a social chameleon, as open-minded as she was intelligent able to blend in with high and low society as it suited her. It is Ghislaine (right), a well-connected socialite, who introduced Prince Andrew to Jeffrey Epstein. Prince Andrew is seen here with accuser Virgina Roberts (centre) Her circle in London included the highest-powered businessmen and members of the Royal Family. She could sit at a dinner table having the most sophisticated conversation with a brilliant scientist and an hour later attend a burlesque show and make the raunchiest joke. As Edwards researched her background, there was a wealth of publicly available information regarding the mysterious death of her father, who had drowned aged 68 after 'falling' from his megayacht, the Lady Ghislaine, in 1991. The most popularly reported theories were that he committed suicide or that his involvement as a super-spy for Israel's elite intelligence agency Mossad got him murdered. Ultimately, his death was ruled an accident. These suspicions are strikingly similar to those surrounding Epstein's death in a prison cell last August. Maxwell's daughter was crucial to understanding Epstein's sexual deviancy. She was the one woman who, by all appearances, he treated as his equal. Virginia Roberts claims that she was forced to have sex with both Jeffrey Epstein and Andrew Sometimes she even referred to him privately as her husband. After losing her father, Ghislaine, his favourite child, had been heartbroken. She was also virtually penniless after it emerged that he had stolen nearly 500million from employee pension funds. Humiliated and distraught, she fled Britain for the United States. Shortly afterwards, she met Epstein, and so began one of the most extraordinary relationships ever documented. For the best part of two decades, the pair were inseparable, sleeping in the same bed and travelling together on private planes all over the world. She knew his secrets and could not credibly deny all of them. At the height of their relationship, Maxwell, with her high-society connections, had everything that Epstein needed while in material terms he had everything she could possibly ever want, and more. One of Epstein's former butlers said Maxwell kept typed lists on her computer her little black book of the names of girls, who she called 'my children' and who gave massages. Ghislaine Maxwell has successfully evaded prosecution for her part in the Epstein scandal But here was the interesting part. As soon as the Palm Beach criminal investigation began, Maxwell became a ghost. She completely distanced herself from Epstein, later claiming that she had no longer been a part of his life between 2001 and 2005, when sex crimes against dozens of underage girls had been committed. This looked like someone with a guilty conscience even more reason to track her down. But she had her connections and Epstein's financial resources, and was able to make herself extremely difficult to locate. This would prove to be her modus operandi for many years to come. Edwards needed her testimony in the form of a deposition a statement given outside the court system, but under oath. But how was he to serve the subpoena, or summons, forcing her to give the evidence he needed, when she was so elusive? Through contacts, it was established that she was a close friend of Bill Clinton. Last year, Prince Andrew gave an extraordinary interview on the Epstein scandal If that were true, then surely she would attend the prestigious 2009 Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting at New York hotel? This hunch was correct. Investigators were hired to get into the event and serve her with a subpoena for her deposition, which they duly did. To say she was upset about this being done at such a public event is an understatement, and over the following years she employed a range of tactics to get out of speaking to the lawyers. The first time this happened was in July 2010, when a date for her deposition had finally been agreed. As Edwards was preparing to board a plane to New York to take her evidence, he received a call from her lawyer explaining that Maxwell's mother was very ill in Europe, so she was leaving the country, with no plans ever to return to the United States. Edwards's expenses were to be paid in full. Eptein's photo provided by the New York State Sex Offender Registry after he was arrested for sex trafficking. Prosecutors and the FBI have contacted Prince Andrew for an interview Shortly afterwards, Edwards was in his kitchen and saw a copy of the August 2010 issue of People magazine. Inside was a large spread featuring Bill Clinton walking his daughter Chelsea down the aisle at her wedding on July 31. Who else was in the photographs, at the centre of it all? Ghislaine Maxwell. She hadn't left the US for ever. Perhaps she hadn't left at all. Clinton had been on Epstein's private plane many times and Epstein had subsequently been arrested for sexual contact with minors and gone to jail. Yet still his former lover and closest adviser was invited to Clinton's daughter's wedding? How odd. THAT was just the start of the cat-and-mouse game with Ghislaine Maxwell. Over the subsequent years, Edwards spent inordinate amounts of time trying to build a convincing and provable case against her, as well as against Epstein himself. Gradually, bit by bit, witness by witness, a story emerged. In 2016, Edwards tracked down Maria Farmer, who he had been told had been abused by both Maxwell and Epstein. Maria explained how Epstein had been intrigued when he discovered that she had a younger sister, Annie, then in her early teens, and insisted on seeing pictures of her. Virginia Roberts gave an interview to BBC Panorama about her alleged sex sessions with Prince Andrew which were allegedly orchestrated by Ghislaine Maxwell He asked about her sister's future plans. Maria said Annie wanted to go to an Ivy League college but didn't have the money. Epstein told Maria he could make that happen, but first Annie had to go to New York so that he could meet her and vouch for her qualifications. Annie was just 15. In New York, Epstein was his charming self, explaining again that he was willing to make all of her dreams come true. After Annie returned home, her mother was contacted by Maxwell and told that all students being sponsored by Epstein through college were invited to his ranch in New Mexico to discuss their future courses. But when Annie, by then 16, arrived at the 7,500-acre compound, she was surprised to find she was the only student there. Before she could question why, Maxwell and Epstein took her shopping and bought her a pair of cowboy boots she had admired. Later, back at Epstein's home, Maxwell told Annie to model them for Epstein. He told her they looked really good and that she deserved a massage. Maxwell massaged Annie herself, at one point pulling the covers off the teenager and exposing her breasts before beginning to massage them. When the massage was over, Annie stood up and realised that Epstein had been watching them the entire time. Annie went to sleep in her own bed and woke up to find Epstein lying next to her under the covers, cuddling her. Before she left later that day, Epstein and Maxwell, who she described as 'Bonnie and Clyde', told her that they couldn't wait to see her again. Maria described how there was nothing that Epstein did without Maxwell knowing about it; in fact, she personally facilitated almost every aspect of his life. It was a horrific story, but it was just one of many. One weekend in 2016, Edwards's office got a call from a woman aged nearly 40, whom we will call Fantasia. She described how in 1994, when she was 17, she had been recruited by Maxwell to provide Epstein with a massage in Europe. She had also been flown to his private island in the Caribbean and his other fancy homes, and introduced to powerful billionaires. She ended up spending time with them, sporadically, for more than a decade, and had tremendous insight into the relationship between Maxwell and Epstein. Fantasia believed that Maxwell felt eternally indebted to Epstein for taking her in so soon after her father's death. Fantasia explained that Maxwell's role in life was basically to please Epstein, a job that included telling Fantasia which sex outfit to wear to make him happy. A schoolgirl costume was his favourite. Once, while in London, Fantasia and Maxwell encountered a very young-looking girl who Fantasia thought looked innocent and should be left alone. She remembered Maxwell disagreeing and telling her that someone had to perform a sex act on Epstein, and if this new girl didn't do it, then Maxwell herself would have to, and clearly she did not want to. Fantasia explained that when underage girls were around, Epstein's desire to have sex with them was so overwhelming that he would physically shake. He couldn't survive without a constant supply of new girls. She even went so far as to say she had seen enough of his 'evil' side that she believed he wasn't beyond killing someone, especially if it was necessary to keep his sex addiction alive. It had taken years, but Edwards was finally piecing together a picture of how Epstein and Maxwell's bizarre relationship worked. The lawyer turned his attention to one of the people who had seen it all at first hand: Epstein's former housekeeper at Palm Beach, Juan Alessi. He told Edwards's team that Maxwell had been deeply controlling and did things Juan did not like. When Epstein's former girlfriend Eva was in charge, Juan said, there were no other females around the house. But as soon as Maxwell took over the house, there were female visitors who were referred to as 'masseuses', but who did not look professional and appeared to him to be too young. Juan also recalled that Maxwell loved to take nude photographs of girls, which she stored in a big album on her desk. This tied in with information from other witnesses about the photos of naked girls that covered the walls of Epstein's homes in New York City, Palm Beach, New Mexico, and the Virgin Islands, many of which were, by all accounts, also taken by Maxwell. Juan testified that after the novice 'masseuses' had performed their duties, he would go upstairs to clean up the massage room. While there, he found sex aids which he returned to a laundry basket filled with similar sex toys Maxwell kept in her closet. Juan had connected more dots. The attack on Maxwell was tightening. The chessboard was looking pretty good. By the start of 2017, Edwards and his team were ready for action. On January 26 that year, they filed a lawsuit against Epstein for his violation of the sex-trafficking statute and Ghislaine Maxwell for her role in his activities. Having done that, they turned back to a case against Maxwell brought by Virginia Roberts [the 17-yearold who says she was hired by Maxwell and was forced to sleep with Prince Andrew]. Virginia was claiming defamation against Maxwell for calling her a liar over her sex abuse claims. The case was heating up for a trial set to begin in May 2017. Witnesses were lined up, exhibits were ready, and the lawyers had a large war room set up at the hotel across the street from the court. There was one last deposition to take: Maxwell's. Because she had refused to answer certain questions during previous depositions she had finally and reluctantly given, this deposition was set to take place in the courtroom with a judge. It was set for the week before the trial. To this day, Edwards says it pains him to think about what happened next. Just days away from the hearing, he got a surprising late-night call. The case had been settled. Once again, she had eluded them. Just like 12 years earlier, at the start of the investigation into Epstein's activities, Maxwell had become a ghost. She simply disappeared. And now she seems to have done the same again. Today, more than six months after Epstein's death, there is no sign of an arrest, or of any charges being brought. Like so many questions relating to Jeffrey Epstein, the answers Ghislaine Maxwell can undoubtedly provide may be many years away if indeed they are ever given at all. Bradley J. Edwards, 2020 lBy The Mail on Sunday, based on Relentless Pursuit: My Fight For The Victims Of Jeffrey Epstein, by Bradley J. Edwards, published by S&S on March 31, priced 20. Offer price 16 (20 per cent discount) until April 30. To preorder, go to mailshop.co.uk or call 01603 648155. Free delivery on all orders no minimum spend. A terrified Brisbane woman has lost all contact with her elderly mother, who is one of 135 Australians stranded on a coronavirus-stricken cruise ship in Central America that is being refused permission to dock. Shirley Maclaren is a passenger on the Holland America Line Zaandam ship stranded in the Pacific Ocean off the Central America coast after it was repeatedly refused permission to dock because four passengers on board have died from coronavirus, two more have tested positive and around 100 board are reportedly unwell. Some passengers were transferred to another ship on Saturday, after the vessel was given permission to pass through the Panama Canal and head toward the U.S. east coast in the hope of being given harbour. Ms Maclaren, who has pre-existing health conditions, hasn't been in contact with her worried daughter Jodie McNamara, 30, for at least 22 hours. Jodie McNamara (left) is worried about her mother Shirley Maclaren (right), who is stuck on board the virus-stricken Zaandam 'She is trapped in her room and now I think they have been cut off from communicating,' the Brisbane woman told the Daily Telegraph. 'My mum is not a risk-taker or a daredevil. She started this cruise on the last day of February, before things were this bad. She would never want to put herself or anyone at risk. 'I'm angry, they're not being allowed off the ship, these people are humans and they are not being treated that way.' The last Ms McNamara heard from her mother was in a series of heartbreaking text messages as she tried to update her family on the situation. 'I love all you more than you ever understand,' one text from Ms Maclaren read. Another indicated she was still stranded on the ship. 'They haven't said when, just not today,' the text read. Holland America Line cruise ship MS Zaandam has been stranded in the Pacific Ocean, unable to dock. Pictured is passengers boarding a lifeboat to be transported to her sister ship Rotterdam (pictured right) Australian retirees David and Fiona Grant are also on board, isolated in their 'cell-like' windowless room for the last 12 days. The only fresh air they're allowed to have is a daily 30 minute walk on the deck. 'It was meant to be our holiday to end all holidays, but the rest has been cancelled now, it's a nightmare,' Mr Grant said. A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesman told the Daily Telegraph passengers still on board the Zaandam were expected to be removed over the next two days. The Zaandam had been stuck in the Pacific Ocean since March 14 after several South American ports refused to let it dock as illness spread among the 1,800 people on board. The ship's Dutch owner Holland America confirmed on Friday four passengers had died and two more had tested positive for the deadly virus. More than 100 passengers and crew have flu-like symptoms. 'Holland America Line can confirm that four older guests have passed away on Zaandam,' the statement said. 'Our thoughts and prayers are with their families and we are doing everything we can to support them during this difficult time.' It did not identify the cause of death. The company confirmed reported permission for both Zaandam and Rotterdam to transit the Panama Canal 'in the near future' in a later post. 'We greatly appreciate this consideration in the humanitarian interest of our guests and crew. This remains a dynamic situation, and we continue to work with the Panamanian authorities to finalise details,' a Facebook post on Saturday night read. Panama had initially refused the ship permission to go through the canal, but later reversed that 'to provide humanitarian help.' Another ship, the Rotterdam, has since arrived off the coast of Panama from San Diego carrying food, medical staff, testing kits and medicine for the beleaguered vessel. Holland America Line has confirmed four passengers on board the Zaandam (pictured) have died from coronavirus CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement Passengers showing no signs of the virus were ferried from the Zaandam to the Rotterdam on Saturday, a French tourist told AFP by telephone. 'It's like emptying a bathtub with a teaspoon,' she said. 'The (life) boats can hold about 100 people, and they are putting about half in at a time. That's why it's going slowly.' The Zaandam cruise liner left Buenos Aires in Argentina on South America's east coast on March 7 and was supposed to arrive two weeks later at San Antonio, near Santiago in Chile on the continent's west coast. Since a brief stop in Punta Arenas in Chilean Patagonia on March 14, it has been turned away from several ports after reporting the illness on board. People who were ill and those who had been in contact with them will not be transferred to the Rotterdam. After passing through the canal, the Zaandam will head to Fort Lauderdale in Florida, where the remaining passengers were hoping to get clearance to disembark, according to Holland America and Panamanian officials. The Bihar police on Sunday lodged FIRs against guest house owners in Bodh Gaya alleging they had hidden details of foreign tourists lodged in their facilities. Bodh Gaya police station SHO Mohan Prasad Singh said guest houses named Rama, Monika, Beauty, Gauri and New Laxmi had been found flouting the rules, as their owners did not file the necessary information. Gaya police officials said there were still many tourists from China, Vietnam, Korea, Taiwan and Italy staying in different hotels, guest houses and mutts in Gaya. The administration has been directed to inform the chief medical officer about the inmates from abroad, so that they could be screened for coronavirus infection. In a related development, 39 people were arrested for violating the lockdown orders. Gaya SSP Rajiv Mishra confirmed the arrests and registration of 29 criminal cases. SSP Rajiv Mishra, however, said that in some densely populated localities with narrow lanes and bylanes, compliance deficit had been observed. Some people who consider themselves privileged are also violating the lockdown, but they should refrain from such actions, said the SSP. Giving details of the punitive action taken against the lockdown violators, the SSP said that 97 motor vehicles had been seized till Sunday and a penalty of Rs 20.83 lakh realised under various sections of the Motor Vehicle Act. At least 20 coronavirus suspects have been admitted to the Anugrah Narain Magadh Medical College and Hospital (ANMCH) and the samples of those with apparent symptoms have been sent to virological lab for testing, said Gaya DM Abhishek Singh. The DM said that besides ANMMCH, facility for isolation of suspects had also been created at the railway and military hospitals apart from sub-divisional hospitals located in Tekari, Sherghati and the Mahkar Primary Health centre. Facility to quarantine about 50 persons in each block headquarters has also been created in the 24 blocks of the district. Two Thai Smile Airways passengers have been sent to isolation ward after the crew alerted. Their samples have been sent for testing too, he said. Click Here for Latest Reports on Coronavirus Following reports of large scale violation of lockdown orders, the Gaya administration tightened the noose and issued a revised order banning all movements between 7 pm to 6 am, except in case of acute medical emergency. The DM also ordered the closure of provision selling shops after 6.30 pm. Only medicine stores will remain open after 6.30 pm. Coronavirus live updates Another important measure notified by the District Magistrate asked people to procure provisions and medicine from within a radius of three kms, leaving no room for excuses to move around the city. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday talked to several people who had contracted Covid-19 and were later cured over the phone during his Mann ki Baat. Modi said he spoke to several such people in the last few days to lift their morale and in the process, he learnt a lot about the respiratory disease, which has affected nearly 1,000 and killed at least 25 in the country. Ramagampa Teja, an IT professional, was the first person to speak to the Prime Minister. Teja told Modi he was scared after he tested positive for coronavirus disease but felt reassured because of the doctors and hospital staff. I work in the IT sector and had gone to Dubai in connection with a job-related meeting. On my return I got a fever and after five to six days, the doctors conducted a test and I was found positive, Teja said. Also read: Please forgive me, bear a little longer, PM Modi says on Mann ki Baat He added that he was admitted to Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad and was discharged after 14 days. All this was very scary, he said. When the Prime Minister asked about his steps after getting cured, Teja said he has followed the doctors instructions and kept himself under self-quarantine. He also had a request for Teja. Also read: Increase social distancing not emotional gaps, says PM I would like you to make an audio of your experience and share it on social media. It will remove fear from peoples minds and at the same time make them aware of the necessary precautions to protect themselves, the Prime Minister said. Watch: Social distance does not mean emotional distance: PM Modi on Mann ki Baat Agra resident Ashok Kapoor, who along with his five family members was infected by coronavirus and got cured, also spoke with the Prime Minister. The shoe manufacturer told Modi PM his two sons and other family member contracted the coronavirus disease in Italy and infected after he came back. The 73-year-old Kapoor gave details about how his family members cooperated with doctors and got cured. Kapoor talked about the treatment he got and agreed to share his story on social media as suggested by Modi during his phone call. Arunkumar Huralimath By Years ago, Karnataka villager Venkat Nayak used to curse the saline water gushing into his fields from the Arabian Sea. He was unable to farm his one-acre plot on the banks of the Aghanashini river which passes by Sanikatta village near Gokarna. And then he decided to follow an old practice, which revived the fortunes of farmers like him. He decided to turn the unusable water to his advantage. And struck salt. I now have little reason to complain about my land, says Nayak. He is not alone in having found a fortune in the river waters, which fill nearby fields with a mineral-rich decoction. The farmers of Sanikatta are now a flourishing community, having found a thriving market for the natural, brown salt, which carries the name of their eponymous village. Sanikatta salt may not be as popular as polished white salt, but continues to have a large dedicated customer base comprising people who realise its benefits due to the presence of natural minerals, including iodine. We produce salt from the Aghanashini river water using a natural process, which is why its colour is brown, says Arun Nadakarni, chairman of Nagarbail Salt Owners Cooperative Society. This salt is a medicinal product, containing nearly 96 per cent minerals, with 4 per cent of them being rare minerals. We only add potassium iodide, he adds, pointing out the huge demand for brown salt in Ayurveda and naturopathy treatment. Even doctors often ask patients to consume the salt. Since 1720, the brown salt business has operated in Sanikatta, one of the oldest places engaged in this business in the country. However, it became an organised sector only after the cooperative society was formed. The extraction of salt is done by the villagers, who work in pans spread over 564 acres on the bank of the Aghanashini. While they would market it individually earlier, they came together in 1952 to form the cooperative society. Since then, they have been making 10,000-12,000 metric tonnes of salt every year, which is sold mainly to Ayurveda and naturopathy centres, direct customers at the production unit, and e-commerce platforms. The society does not spend any money on advertising and marketing. Nadakarni says the total net profit is shared by the salt field owners, who pay the society for its functioning. The salt fields and the production unit employ around 200 labourers from Sanikatta and neighbouring villages. They are all covered under various government schemes for wages, healthcare and other welfare measures. The salt field owners, who have land measuring from 10 guntas to 50 acres, earn up to Rs 50,000 profit per acre per year. For land, which does not support crop cultivation, salt is their sweet deal. Nearly one lakh people, who have arrived in the state over the last few days owing to the countrywide lockdown, have been asked by the Uttar Pradesh government to remain in home quarantine while instructions in this regard have been conveyed to the village pradhans, a senior official said here on Sunday. Principal Secretary, Medical and Health, Amit Mohan Prasad told PTI, "Through community surveillance and our departmental officers, they (people arriving in the state) have been told to be in homes. They will be in home quarantine for a period of 14 days." On Saturday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had issued directions to officials to keep the approximately one lakh people, who have arrived in the state in the last three days from other parts of the country, in home quarantine. According to a state government spokesperson, Adityanath said one lakh people have come to UP from other states in the last three days. Their names, addresses and phone numbers have been made available to the district magistrates and are being monitored, the spokesperson added. Adityanath also issued directives for all these people to be kept in quarantine and arrangements for their food and other daily needs be fulfilled, a statement issued by the state government said. "No one in the state should remain hungry during the lockdown," the chief minister was quoted as saying. While chairing a review meeting at his residence, Adityanath on Saturday also issued directions to officials to strengthen the supply chain of essential goods, the statement said. While nodal officers of UP were deployed in 12 states on Friday, the CM deployed nodal officers in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Odisha, Ladakh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh and the northeastern states on Saturday. People from UP who are in other states, doing business and pursuing jobs there, can get all kinds of facilities by contacting the nodal officers. Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi said that 58,752 pradhans and 11,631 councilors have been contacted through the CM helpline and 11,912 complaints were also resolved. Principal Secretary Prasad said anyone who has any kind of problem or symptom of the disease can call the CM helpline at 1076 and immediately get advice. "Advice and medical facility can also be obtained at the helpline of the health department. The department is monitoring around 60,000 people who have returned from abroad," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pune, March 29 (IANS) The CEO of National Institute for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) Amitabh Kant has lauded the efforts of a molecular diagnostics company, Mylab Discovery Solutions Pvt. Ltd for developing the country's first indigenous COVID-19 test kits within six weeks. Kant said in a tweet: "Inspirational! Delivered test kit before delivering her baby. Meet Minal Dakhave Bhosale, the R&D Chief of Mylab. She led the team that designed India's first indigenous COID-19 testing kit. Who said women can't do well in STEM." The reference was to Bhosale's feat of successfully delivering the test kit hours before delivering a baby girl after leading a 10-member team which worked on the kit, 'Patho Detect' from February. Mylab's Managing Director Hasmukh Rawal said that the kit is the first one to receive commercial approvals from Indian FDA/Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) and called 'Mylab Patho Detect COVID-19 Qualitative PCR Kit'. "Mylab is the only Indian company to have achieved 100 percent sensitivity and 100 percent specificity in the ICMR evaluation. It was developed and evaluated in a record time. It has been made as per WHO/CDC guidelines," said Rawal. He commended the support and action from regulator bodies (CDSCO/FDA) ICMR evaluation centre, National Institute of Virology, Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council, the centre and state governments during this national emergency. The kit, described as "a blessing" in medical circles in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, costs around Rs 1,200 for 100 tests, barely one-fourth the cost of the imported kits, besides reducing the testing time significantly by nearly half to around 150 minutes. "Since this test is based on the sensitive PCR technology, even early stage infection can be detected, with the highest accuracy as was seen during the ICMR tests, and makes the detection faster," said Mylab Executive Director Shailendra Kawade. India currently ranks lowest in terms of testing done per million populations - 6.8 - compared to other countries such as South Korea and Singapore which manage more and more testing. So far, India has been importing millions of testing kits from Germany but supplies have been hit following the grounding of flights amid the national lockdown. The company said it can manufacture upto 100,000 kits per week and scale it up further if required at its Pune facilities, and an average lab with automated PCR can test more than 1000 patients daily. With the time reduction from seven-plus hours to barely 150 minutes, laboratories would be able to do twice the number of tests in the same time on a single machine. --IANS qn/prs Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dian Septiari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, March 30 2020 Amid global calls for a multilateral presence and response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Indonesia and a handful of other countries drafted a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution on Friday calling for global solidarity in the fight against the outbreak. Indonesian representative to the UN Dian Triansyah Djani said the draft resolution by Indonesia, Ghana, Liechtenstein, Norway, Singapore and Switzerland had gained support from almost 150 UN countries. It is time for all of us to hold hands and address this global pandemic. Together. No one is immune, he said on Twitter on Saturday. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Several inmates escape after setting fire to canteen in prison over coronavirus fear, according to officials. Dozens of prisoners broke furniture and smashed windows in a jail in northeastern Thailand during a riot sparked by rumours of a coronavirus outbreak in the facility. During Sundays violence, some convicts escaped from the Buriram prison, which holds about 2,000 inmates, both male and female. Seven were arrested, the justice ministry said. News reports showed large plumes of smoke rising above the prison in Buriram province. A small group of prisoners received lifetime sentences earlier this week so they spread the rumour that the facility is unsafe for COVID-19, a senior justice ministry official told Reuters news agency, referring to the disease caused by the new coronavirus. A hundred prisoners joined them in staging the riot, added the official, who asked not to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the media. Smoke rises from Buriram prison during a riot that was sparked by rumours [Ministry of Justice/Handout via Reuters] The Thai government has stopped all prison visits since March 18 in a bid to stop the coronavirus spreading across the countrys overcrowded correctional facilities. Police officers were deployed to contain the situation, including pursuing prisoners who escaped in the chaos, police deputy spokesman Krisana Pattanacharoen told Reuters. Restrictions on movement have been imposed in several Thai provinces as the total number of coronavirus cases reached 1,388, with 143 new cases reported on Sunday. The country also reported one new coronavirus death, bringing its total to seven. New Delhi, March 29 : Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Harsh Vardhan on Sunday announced to contribute 1 crore rupees from his MPLADS budget and his one month salary to PM relief fund 'PMCARES' to combat coronavirus disease in the country. Taking it to Twitter, Harshvardhan said: "I pledge Rs 1 crore from my #MPLADS budget towardsA PM's Citizen Assistance & Relief in Emergency Situations Fund' to strengthen govt's battle against #COVID2019 . I'm also contributing one month's salary towards #PMCARES to help those who need it the most." The total tally of Coronavirus cases in India climbed up to 1,024 on Sunday, said the Health Ministry. Of this 901 are active COVID 19 cases, 95 people have recovered from the disease and 27 have died. One coronavirus patient migrated abroad. South Korea was one of the first countries to impose draconian measures of lockdown which has eventually helped the country in handling the coronavirus crisis which has claimed the lives of nearly 30,000 people globally. Meanwhile, South Korea has comparatively fewer cases than several countries hit by coronavirus infection. It gas reported 9,538 cases and 152 casualties. The outbreak in South Korea has been gradually slowing after it recorded hundreds of new infections each day and once became the second hardest-hit country in the earlier this month. According to The Travel, the reason for this downfall of cases in South Korea is the actions taken by the government. The government spurned into action immediately. South Korea was able to heal at a much faster rate than other countries by setting up testing centers immediately, evaluating passengers flying to the airports, ordering residents to self-isolate right away, and tracking those with confirmed cases of the virus. South Korea has instilled pop-up testing centers and drive-thru clinics, where they were able to test up to twenty thousand citizens per day. Proudly, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considered the country to have acted "like an Army." They also isolated patients at a much faster rate. South Korea initiated a central tracking app called the "Corona 100m" that would inform the general public of a confirmed case that was 100 meters away from where they currently were. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) One billion Indians curfewed themselves on March 22 to heed Prime Minister Narendra Modis call and demonstrate unity in the fight against Covid-19. The days finale, which had the whole populace resonating in a metallic harmony of gratitude towards our medical workers, was touching. However, the moment was vitiated by claims, even by educated citizens, that the cumulative reverberations boosted blood circulation in the body and rendered the virus ineffective. Some super-obedient ones, including the Pilibhit district magistrate, led clanging and conch-blowing processions while being dangerously undistanced. A story snowballed on social media that the virus had indeed receded as per satellite data gathered by NASA, prompting this government to ask social media companies to control the spread of misinformation. This was just the latest in a series of such superstitious acts. The minister of state for social justice and empowerment thought it appropriate to lead a tight cluster of people to chant Go Corona Go. This inspired replication by even larger gatherings in the unlikeliest of places such as IT-city Bengalurus airport. People drank cow urine as a preventive against the virus (even as they held their noses), egged on and applauded by people holding public office. Needless to say, such actions get an indirect boost when the department of science and technology earmarks funding for research on Products from Indigenous Cows: SUTRA-PIC India Program. To make matters worse, reports of stigmatisation, ostracisation and eviction of not just those suspected of infection, but of airline staff who ferried them, and worse, of medical workers, are trickling in daily. Coming right after the public applause for medical doctors, this is a sad reflection on our values. But it also shows a basic lack of understanding of how flu-like infections work. Are we then the modern and forward-looking, knowledge-based society we claim to be? This is hardly the first time that the science deficit in our society has raised its ugly head and highlighted the paradox embedded in us. On the one hand, Indians have embraced modern technologies in daily living, with mobile phones and foetal diagnosis equipment penetrating deep into the rural hinterland. Chandrayaan-2 caught the public imagination. On the other hand, among the same people, there appears to be little recognition of the science that underlies these technologies. Indeed, the use of scientific thinking to understand even simple natural phenomena is absent. Solar and lunar eclipses witness countrywide shut-downs, with pregnant women caged in, food thrown away, and science graduates, engineers and even PhDs watching eclipses on TV instead of experiencing, learning from, and teaching about the beauty of the real spectacle. Claiming cow urine to be a treatment for Covid-19 is part and parcel of a deep-rooted deficit of scientific temper even in our educated populace. While reinventing India as a Republic, our leaders had actually articulated the cultivation of scientific thinking as a priority for its people. As early as 1958, the Science Policy Resolution adopted by Parliament acknowledged that .the intense cultivation of science on a large scale has radically altered mans material environment, provided new tools of thought and has extended mans mental horizon influenced the basic values of life, and given civilisation a new vitality and dynamism The Government decided to foster, promote and sustain the cultivation of science and scientific researchpure, applied and educational. Indeed scientific temper as a fundamental duty is enshrined in the Constitution. These have not been mere words. Large funding agencies were created specifically for science. The country was dotted with generously-funded science institutes of excellence that now claim to be on par with global standards. Science courses are funded in almost all universities. Moreover, science has been a mandatory subject in school education. Why then this wide and deep-rooted presence of unscientific mindsets? Clearly our early science education is hugely culpable. It values information load over understanding, has sidelined learning-by-doing, and built a culture of unquestioning obedience. There is also a lack of clarity as to why we are teaching science and not just how. Science is thought of as a subject and not as a way of life. We also need to look at the culture within scientific institutions. Science research in laboratories is driven a bit by curiosity, but mostly for personal livelihood and glory. There is no demand to subscribe to the scientific method as a way of life. Furthermore, scientists are typically quite disengaged from early science education, and appear to be content to skim the cream that willy-nilly floats to the top, with no regard to the scientifically illiterate sea below. Finally, surprisingly few scientists engage with lay audiences, mass media or the government. And the State, while not demanding that public engagement be an imperative in our taxpayer-funded science institutions, is not even, for example, enforcing the Cable Television Networks law which prohibits content that encourages superstition or blind belief. While some may argue that huddling at home during an eclipse does not hurt anybody, a lack of scientific understanding as to how the Covid-19 virus behaves and propagates, why physical distancing is needed, and that public poojas and the like could actually be harmful are only accentuating the crisis. With the Covid-19 pandemic, the chickens are coming home to roost. Prajval Shastri is an astrophysicist from Bengaluru, and Sharachchandra Lele is an environmental scientist from Bengaluru The views expressed are personal Hundreds of migrant workers gathered on the roads and demanded that authorities should immediately arrange vehicles for them to go home. (PTI) Kochi: Hundreds of migrant labourers blocked the road in Paippad village near Changanassery in Kottayam district demanding transportation facility to return to their native place. The migrant workers also alleged that they are not provided enough food and water. Violating the national lockdown guidelines, hundreds of migrant workers gathered in the junction and demanded that authorities should immediately arrange vehicles for them. Health department and panchayat authorities reached the spot and held negotiation talks following which most of the labourers left. More police personnel have been deployed to disperse the crowd. Kottayam district collector P K Sudheer Babu also reached the spot. Meanwhile, minister for food and civil supplies P Thilothaman said that food and accommodation facilities have been arranged for the migrants. Tourism minister Kadakampally Surendran urged the Union government to intervene in the issue as Kerala government alone cant arrange travel facility for them. If a special train is arranged, the state government can facilitate the workers travel, he said. Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala urged the state government to provide food, accommodation and other necessary facilities for the labourers. Images of hundreds of thousands of migrant workers, walking for miles and miles on highways, with bags on their shoulders, holding children or elderly alongside, and congregating in hundreds of thousands, waiting for modes for transport to return home, will define Indias three-week lockdown. The images bring together all of Indias underlying, systemic, political economy issues the destitution that drives people to work in the cities; the hand-to-mouth existence as they depend on minimal wages to sustain themselves; the impermanence of their working arrangements; and the absence of any permanent social safety net. This newspaper has supported Prime Minister Narendra Modis call for a national lockdown. But it was incumbent on the government to take into account precisely these distinctive economic and social features while planning it. This would have entailed not just telling people to stay home, but knowing that there are millions of people who do not have homes where they can stay without incomes. This would have entailed not just directing factories to close down, but ensuring that those who worked in those factories having some level of income support to see them through the period when they would have no wages. This would have entailed not just announcing that there would be no rail or bus services, but taking into account the fact that economic and emotional factors would push people back to where they came from. To be sure, the Indian State is overwhelmed at the moment and there are genuine capacity issues. But the inability to provide workers means of livelihood, and assure them of shelter and food in their place of work, triggered an exodus. This exodus, in turns, is dangerous it puts enormous physical strain on workers, has caused suffering and deaths, and it undermines every principle of social distancing. Those returning home can take the infection to rural India, where it will be far more difficult for Indias health care system to screen, test, isolate, and treat the more severe cases. That is why it is important that the government identifies high-risk locations a little over 50 districts send half the male migrant population and makes adequate preparations to test. A great human tragedy is underway; the central and state governments need to remedy this by being sensitive to the needs of migrant workers, while preventing a health crisis. Your Excellency, I salute you for the efforts and strategies rolled out to help Ghana fight this existential pandemic called COVID-19. It has an incubation period of 14 days and any strategy that can be effective in two periods (28 days) should kick out the virus from Ghana. In this era, long write-ups are unattractive to the tensed minds particularly people in leadership positions who must show the way and move all of us along. I can't therefore afford but to go straight into the details. It's important to note that a single confirmed case in a country if unchecked can lead to about 3500 cases within a week. Your Excellency, in this scenario of fighting the pandemic in our own way respecting WHO protocols you opted for a *Partial Lockdown*(PL) This step is very much appreciated and should be appreciated by all. You went for *PL* after recording 137 confirmed cases with 97% of these cases being imported. The compulsory quarantine of 1030 passengers who arrived on 22nd March 2020 has so far given us 78 confirmed cases. Those who arrived in Ghana before 22nd March are all in the system unknown and/or unmonitored and that's where we have the real danger. Your earlier directive/advisory on self-isolation had no effective monitoring mechanism and arriving passengers were left to their own conscience to either stay strictly to the protocols or do otherwise. I have followed a little on the Juaso incident and won't want to make any further comments on it but to say, that case has raised the red flag. May the soul of the departed rest in perfect peace. Also, the single confirmed case in Wa, UWR and its serious replica effect cannot be overemphasized. The 48-hour notice given before the PL created a sense of uneasiness and many at the markets and various shopping centres did not seem to be aware of the need for Social Distancing. There was a mass rush to stock stuff in preparation for the PL. This mass rush in our markets, in particular, is a fertile ground for the virus to spread. Many were shopping to relocate to other towns and villages outside the lockdown area. What it simply means is that people are shifting away from PL so as to continue to enjoy their freedoms in unlocked areas which is not illegal and cannot be stopped. If we need to arrest the spread, people must be made to stay put. Your Excellency, I want to believe the PL is to test the waters and prepare the nation for a Total Lockdown (TL). Analysing the potential effect of PL, it makes a lot of sense to follow it up with a TL within 72 hours from the beginning of PL. This will ensure that all those who moved to other areas in the country stay put. Let's fight the virus and not the people. The following are recommended should you agree on an addendum to stretch the PL to a TL; 1. All sick persons within the TL period must receive free and compulsory medical care. All the sick must be taken through COVID-19 Test. This is an option for stratified mass testing. 2. The Security Services expected to be at their professional best will collaborate and coordinate with the Chiefs as well as Regional&District Medical Teams to pick out the sick for free medical attention. All government workers be paid a month salary advance. 3. After PL or TL period, if the number of suspected/confirmed cases will permit, they should be centralised for concentrated attention with all our national might. 4. Office of the National Chief Imam, Catholic Bishops Conference & Office of the Chairman of the Pentecostal & Charismatic Council should be encouraged to design temporary social intervention strategies to support the physical needs of their members at least for the TL period. COVID-19 will unite Denominations and reduce doctrinal tensions. United national prayers recommended. 5. Engage the Herbal & Traditional Healers Association. The solution to the world's deadliest pandemic could come from Ghana. 6. COVID-19 Fund proposed is a good move but be careful Your Excellency not to create a perception of a Family COROBUSINESS. 7. A TL should be customized to prevent inter but not an intra-community movement. All Ambulances and government vehicles should be put in regional pools to help manage the essential movements of citizens. There is a divine reason limiting me to these 7 recommendations. May God continue to make our country great and strong. Together, we shall overcome. This one too shall pass. I'm humbled for the opportunity to have your attention, Your Excellency. Ghana first. ...SIGNED... Supt (Rtd) Peter L Toobu Wechiau, Wa West District, UWR Adnec and ExCeL London are co-operating with the National Health Service of the UK and all relevant parties with the aim to provide all available necessary capabilities to facilitate medical teams, reported state news agency Wam. In addition, Adnec and ExCeL London will provide all necessary technical and logistical support to sustain the functionality of the venues facilities in accordance with the highest global standards. This co-operation is aligned with Adnecs strategy, which aims to support all national and international initiatives that will mitigate the impact of the COVID-19, by providing the capabilities, facilities and infrastructure to the concerned authorities on all local and international levels. NHS Nightingale Hospital will have a capacity of 4,000 beds and will be able to provide a comprehensive range of medical support facilities for those infected with COVID-19. The hospital shall contain two wards, each of which can hold 2,000 people. ExCeL London is Londons largest international exhibition and convention centre and was acquired by Adnec is 2008. The venue includes Londons only International Convention Centre, ICC London which was opened in 2010 with funding by Adnec. The NHS Nightingale Hospital is expected to open to patients next week, and will be immediately used to provide care to those suffering with severe symptoms of COVID-19. Both Adnec Group and ExCeL London are co-ordinating closely with the British health authorities to ensure the smooth establishment of the medical facility, alongside ensuring that medical practitioners are provided with as much support as required to facilitate the provision of care to patients. Based in the London Docklands of the capital city of the UK, ExCeL London holds capacity for 70,000 people. The exhibition centre is one of Adnecs portfolio of conference venues, alongside the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Centre in Abu Dhabi, and the Al Ain Convention Centre in Al Ain. TradeArabia News Service As migrant workers his roads in the state violating lockdown, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday said there was a conspiracy behind it and lashed out at "forces" which were trying to create unrest in the society by provoking the working class during the coronavirus pandemic. Hundreds of migrant workers in Chenganassery in Kottayam district came out on the street, violating the 21-day lockdown restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of COVID-19, demanding that arrangements be made for their travel to native villages in northern states. Vijayan said all arrangements have been made for medical assistance to them and the government was constantly engaging with the "guest workers", as he calls them, to ensure their well-being. "Yet there were attempts to stir up misunderstandings among them and it's a move against the state," Vijayan said adding that there "are clear indications about those forces" which had "misled and provoked" the working class. He requested such people to "stay away from the heinous acts challenging people during the period of crisis". The chief minister said such an incident should have never happened in the state which has "extra care and concern" for the guest workers. He also said a senior IAS official has been assigned to coordinate the efforts and the state has opened 4,603 camps where 1,44,145 guest workers are lodged. "In one place, some workers have expressed a desire to travel to their home states. Unfortunately, this is not possible since we are in a nationwide lockdown. Traveling at this juncture will be dangerous and counter-productive to our efforts against Covid-19," Vijayan said in a tweet. In a statement issued later, he said those who conspired to gather the guest workers in the street will be brought before justice. "The Prime Minister had declared that none should travel and asked everyone to stay wherever they are. We cannot allow them to travel back and everyone knows it. We need to identify those who stirred up hopes, among the guest workers, that they could go home," Vijayan said. He said it was the responsibility of the contractors to provide food and accommodation to the labourers, but still the state has been taking care of it for many in this period of crisis. "Kerala, a state which performs well in health support, cannot accept such acts by which a group of people taking it to the streets and that too without the mandatory social distancing during this Covid-19 scare. We will take steps to ensure that such incidents would not be repeated," he said. Vijayan said the state hosts a large number of workers from other states and "considers them as guest workers". "Kerala has opened 4603 camps for the state's guest workers. 1,44,145 guest workers are in these facilities. Masks, soaps and sanitisers have been made available in these Covid-19 camps," he said. Community kitchens were providing free cooked meals in locations across the state and in other places the authorities have delivered provisions to the workers. He also said that in order to create awareness among the guest workers, brochures and short videos in Hindi, Odia and Bengali languages are being circulated. "Health workers who can speak Hindi have also been deployed to improve the engagement," Vijayan said. Kerala reported 20 positive cases of coronavirus on Sunday, taking the total number of those undergoing treatment for the deadly infection to 181 with over 1.41 lakh people under observation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) More than 2000 renewable energy facilities are built in areas of environmental significance and threaten the natural habitats of plant and animal species across the globe. A University of Queensland research team mapped the location of solar, wind and hydropower facilities in wilderness, protected areas and key biodiversity areas. UQ School of Earth and Environmental Sciences lead author Mr Jose Rehbein said he was alarmed by the findings. "Aside from the more than 2200 renewable energy facilities already operating inside important biodiversity areas, another 900 are currently being built," Mr Rehbein said. "Energy facilities and the infrastructure around them, such as roads and increased human activity, can be incredibly damaging to the natural environment. "These developments are not compatible with biodiversity conservation efforts." The majority of renewable energy facilities in western Europe and developed nations are located in biodiverse areas. Mr Rehbein said there is still time for developers to reconsider facilities under construction in Asia and Africa. University of Amsterdam senior author Dr James Allan said effective conservation efforts and a rapid transition to renewable energy was essential to prevent species extinctions and avoid catastrophic climate change. "The entire team agree that this work should not be interpreted as anti-renewables because renewable energy is crucial for reducing carbon emissions," Dr Allan said. "The key is ensuring that renewable energy facilities are built in places where they do not damage biodiversity. "Renewable energy developments must consider biodiversity as well as carbon, and avoid any negative impacts on biodiversity to be truly sustainable." The team urge governments, industry and development organisations to avoid expanding renewable energy facilities into conservation areas and plan for alternative locations. German doctor Michael Grosse takes a sample at a drive-thru testing point in Halle, Germany. Photo by Ronny Hartmann / AFP via Getty Germany's death rate from the coronavirus is substantially lower than that seen in Italy, Spain, and the UK. 53,340 Germans had tested positive for the coronavirus as of March 28, with 397 deaths. That gives a death rate of 0.74%. Spain's rate is 7.6% and Italy's is 10.2%. This is because Germany is testing as many as 120,000 people a week, identifying many milder cases that don't end in death. Germany is also in an early stage of its outbreak, has excellent intensive care facilities, a young average age of infection, and a severe lockdown in place. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. The coronavirus is ravaging large parts of Europe, with Italy and Spain now the worst-hit countries in the world. But to the north, Germany appears to be bucking the trend. 53,340 Germans had tested positive for the coronavirus as of midday Berlin time on March 28, with 397 deaths, according to the German newspaper Die Zeit. That means Germany has a death rate of 0.74%. (Die Zeit's count pulls local data faster than the German central government, and is seen as a more accurate picture). That rate is far below that of Spain, which at 7.82%, China at 4.02%, and Italy, which is at 10.56%. It suggests that Germany is doing something right that the others aren't. Here's why Germany seems to be on top of its coronavirus outbreak, and why its able to do things like take in coronavirus patients from its struggling neighbors. Test, test, test The most important factor contributing to the low death rate is that Germany appears to be that it is testing far more people than any other European country. Scientists agree that a large number probably a big majority of all coronavirus cases never make it into the official figures because they are not severe enough for hospital treatment. The more widely a country tests, the more of these milder cases it will find. Story continues Since the most severe cases are almost always tested, the number of coronavirus deaths will likely stay the same. The net effect is that more testing leads to a lower-looking death rate. Christian Drosten, director of the institute of virology at Berlin's Charite hospital estimates that Germany is testing 120,000 people a week. The German doctors' association says at least 200,000 coronavirus tests were carried out in recent weeks, The Independent reported. Employees in protective clothing do testings for the corona virus at a laboratory in Berlin, Germany, March 26, 2020. REUTERS/Axel Schmidt "I believe that we are just testing much more than in other countries, and we are detecting our outbreak early," Drosten told NPR. "We have a culture here in Germany that is actually not supporting a centralized diagnostic system," Drosten said. "So Germany does not have a public health laboratory that would restrict other labs from doing the tests. So we had an open market from the beginning." As of March 28, the UK had tested 113,777 people. Spain and Italy are also not testing anywhere near as much. The US had tested 626,667 people by March 28, according to the COVID Tracking Project. The figure has ramped up significantly in recent days, but still lags Germany's rate given that the US outbreak is now the biggest in the world. A doctor holds aloft a coronavirus test. Claudio Furlan/LaPresse via AP Spain distributed 650,000 testing kits, but sent back a batch bought from China on Thursday after they discovered they were only identifying 30% of positive cases. It is not yet known how many tests have been carried out there overall. The town of Vo in northern Italy quashed an outbreak after relentless testing, but the country as a whole has not been able to replicate the phenomenon. On Friday, the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper reported that Germany's Interior Ministry wanted to increase the number of daily tests to 200,000. A sturdy healthcare system Germany is in good shape to fight its outbreak because it has a well-developed and comprehensive healthcare system, with both public and private options. Germany spends $4,714.26 per person each year on healthcare, according to World Bank data from 2016. The figure is higher than most other nations. Germany has the second-most critical care beds per capita in Europe, according to data from European Health for All. The beds are essential when trying to battle severe cases of the coronavirus. Germany has 621 beds per 100,000 people. Italy has 275, and Spain 293. German chancellor Angela Merkel REUTERS/Michele Tantussi "In general, we have a rather good intensive care situation in Germany," German virologist Martin Sturmer told Vox. "We have highly specialized doctors and facilities, and maybe that's part of the reason why our severely ill patients survive compared to those in other countries." Old people have by and large avoided infection. The average age of a German infected with coronavirus is 46, whereas in Italy it is 63, according to Wired. Older people are far more likely to die from the coronavirus, and most deaths occur in those with preexisting health conditions, which are more common in older people. 80% of all people infected in Germany are younger than 60, the Robert Koch Institute said on Monday, indicating that the outbreak hasn't yet taken hold in older people, where the risk of death is much higher. In Spain the number of affected over-60s is around 50%. It's early in the cycle Compared to countries like Spain and Italy, Germany is at an earlier stage of the outbreak. "Germany's also a little bit earlier on in the process than Italy," Martin Hibberd, professor of emerging infectious diseases at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told Wired. "It takes two or three weeks of intensive care before people often succumb to the disease." March 26 was Germany's worst day so far with 6,615 new cases reported. It seems likely that the daily number of cases will continue to rise. A worker sanitizes the Piazza dei Miracoli near to the Tower of Pisa in Pisa, Italy, on March 17 2020. Laura Lezza/Getty Images Angela Merkel said on Thursday that it was too early to ease a lockdown that was put in place on Tuesday, according to German broadcaster Deutsche Welle. The infection rate was still increasing, Merkel said, but was likely to subside in the first week of April. "The death rate in Germany is likely to increase as more older people become infected", Keith Neal, emeritus professor of epidemiology of infectious diseases at the University of Nottingham, told Sky News. "The true death rate is probably going to be in the order of 1%." It enforced a tough lockdown Germany, like many other countries, enforced severe lockdown regulations, which began on March 24. Gatherings were limited to two people, unless they are all members of the same family isolating together. The fine for breaking the rules can be as much as 25,000 ($26,909.) Future tactics? On Friday, Germany's Interior Ministry floated the idea of tracking its citizens via their smartphones to see who came into contact with someone infected with the coronavirus, according to Reuters. It's easy to speculate on Germany's success, but some scientists have said that, because the outbreak is unprecedented, the answer may not be clear for some time. Even some experts in German are arguing for caution. "We don't know the reason for the lower death rate," Marieke Degen, deputy spokeswoman of the Robert Koch Institute told Vox. Read the original article on Business Insider The number of coronavirus cases in Pakistan reached 1,526 on Sunday, amid officials stepping up efforts to contain the fast spreading deadly viral infection. According to the Ministry of Health, Punjab -- the emerging hotspot of COVID-19 in Pakistan -- recorded 558 cases, followed by 481 in Sindh, 188 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 138 in Balochistan, 116 in Gilgit-Baltistan, 43 in Islamabad and 2 in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). So far 13 people have died, 25 recovered and 11 are in a critical conditions. Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar tweeted that the provincial government has increased the pace of testing to identify more coronavirus patients. "So far 13,380 people have been tested for #COVID19 in Punjab," he tweeted. Earlier in the day, a Pakistan Air Force (PAF) aircraft carrying relief goods from China landed at the Islamabad airport. On Saturday, a special plane from China carrying a team of eight medical experts and relief assistance landed here to help Pakistan to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus. Advisor on health to the government Zafar Mirza said, "There is not a single case (in Pakistan) with a travel history of China. This is remarkable if you think about it." "This could happen only because of the coordination between the Pakistani and the Chinese governments," he said, adding that the decision to keep Pakistani students in Wuhan despite domestic pressure "proved right". The Pakistan government also decided to keep its western borders with Iran and Afghanistan and eastern border with India closed for two more weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Security Moeed Yusuf on Saturday said the move was taken in the wake of increasing COVID-19 cases in the country. He also announced that all flights will remain suspended in the country till April 4. However, there will be exceptions if a country makes a special request to repatriate its citizens. On Sunday, a special flight carrying stranded Pakistanis from Bangkok was allowed to land in Islamabad. All passengers were taken to an isolation centre where they will tested before being allowed to go home. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan posted a message of encouragement for his British counterpart Boris Johnson and UK Prince Charles, both of whom were tested positive for COVID-19. "I wish HRH Prince Charles @ClarenceHouse and PM @BorisJohnson speedy recovery, good health and long life. This deadly virus #COVID19 has hit people beyond borders," he tweeted. Khan said there is a need for "an internationally coordinated response" to counter the virus. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China on Sunday resumed domestic flights in the coronavirus epicentre Hubei province, except for its capital Wuhan, as part of a plan to ease lockdown in the region amid a decline in the number of confirmed cases. Hubei's capital Wuhan, which bore the brunt of the vicious virus for over two months, would begin its air services from April 8. China began to ease its lockdown of Hubei province, home for over 56 million people, from March 25 by resuming local transport services followed by relaxation of travel for people tested negative for coronavirus. Chinese National Health Commission (NHC) on Sunday said that 45 new coronavirus cases, including one locally transmitted, were reported in the country on Saturday while the death toll due to the pandemic reached 3,300 with five new fatalities. The new domestically transmitted case was reported in Henan province on Saturday, the NHC said. The five new fatalities were all reported from the epicentre Hubei province, taking the death toll to 3,300, it said. With 44 new imported cases, their number has gone up to 693, the NHS said. The overall confirmed cases on the mainland has reached 81,439 by the end of Saturday. This included 3,300 people who have died, 2,691 patients still undergoing treatment and 75,448 others discharged after treatment, the NHC said. A Fuzhou Airlines flight departed Yichang city on Sunday morning marking the resumption of flights from the province. Flight FU6779 with 64 passengers left the Three Gorges Airport in Yichang for Fuzhou, capital of east China's Fujian Province, state-run Xinhua agency reported. According to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), except for the Tianhe International Airport in Wuhan, the provincial capital of Hubei, all passenger and cargo flights on domestic air routes via airports in Hubei were resumed from Sunday. The province hard hit by the COVID-19 outbreak lifted outbound travel restrictions on highway traffic in all areas except Wuhan on March 25, with all checkpoints at expressway exits, national and provincial-level highways reopened within two days. Xu Zuoqiang, chairman and general manager of the Three Gorges Airport, said that before the resumption of flights, the airport had carried out comprehensive disinfection and organised staff training for epidemic control and prevention. The airport has newly installed thermal imaging equipment for mass body temperature checks on people in the departure and arrival halls. Isolation areas have also been prepared to quarantine people tested with fever. The CAAC's central and southern regional subsidiary said that on Sunday, airports in Hubei will have a total of 98 departing flights. Hubei is a central China air traffic hub. All air traffic control units in the central and southern regions have cooperated to fully ensure the safe and orderly resumption of Hubei civil aviation, the CAAC said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 29.03.2020 LISTEN Prof. Kola Kazeem, Provost, Osun State College of Education, Ilesa. My Dear KK, Compliments of this season. I hope this letter of mine meets you well and in your usual joyful mood. I am writing this letter to you on this occasion of the 42nd Anniversary of the Osun State College of Education, (OSCOE), Ilesa, our own Ilesa, the most beautiful city, on the surface of the Earth. To us, the Ijesa, there is no basis to compare our Ilesa, "The Place Where God Lives," with any other. Others may not be able to understand our joy and pride in our land; our obsession, or is it an addiction, to our beautiful City. It is understandable if they don't. This is because, they have not experienced what we have and they don't know what we know. So, they could be pardoned for not understanding our obsession with our Ilesa, and by extension, our Ijesa land. My dear Professor, when I read your public statement on the 42nd Anniversary of OSCOE and how the Coronavirus had disrupted your plan for the planned celebration, my first instinct was to join others to congratulate you, publicly. But I had taken another moment to tarry and think about your dream for that College which we have had discussions about, especially during my last visit to your home at Ilesa, before I returned to my Osomaalo farm in the US. But before I go on, I must now congratulate you on this Anniversary. It is an anniversary that is worth celebrating. Your plan to celebrate all those who have contributed to the creation and sustenance of this school is a worthy one. It is the only way we could show them that we are a grateful people. It is a way to show them that their efforts are appreciated. It is also a way to encourage others that if they ever did something for our Ilesa, our Ijesa land, they would not be forgotten. I remember the last convocation of the school that I attended in 2018. I remember the pride of place that you gave to Mama, Professor Bolanle Awe, who was the Commissioner of Education that spearheaded the creation of that school. I remember my chat with her and my personal expression of gratitude to her. I remember my discussion with her on the recalibration of Ijesa History and what late Professor J. D. Y. Peel had told me at a meeting we had at University of London, about her efforts in this regard. I saw her face lit up for what you did, recognizing her efforts. I saw her joy and happiness at how far the institution had come. I saw a sense of pride in her that her vision has been vindicated. I also, personally felt a sense of joy that she was celebrated in her lifetime and that this was not posthumous. I also remember expressing my personal gratitude to you for what you did and its ramifications. I am gladdened by your promise that you still plan to celebrate and honour those who have contributed to the creation and sustenance of the institution after the recession of the Coronavirus. It is the right thing to do. It is an inspirational thing to do. It is a tool of encouragement to others. It is a message to those who foolishly luxuriate only in personal comfort without thinking of giving back to their society. My appreciations to you in advance for this. Now back to your DREAM for that school. I know how hard you're working to achieve that dream. I am aware that you are leaving no stone unturned. I know you are making the necessary contacts and mobilizing all the good will you can towards the achievement of that dream. It is not just that I know your passion for that dream, I could feel it myself. I know how driven you are towards the attainment of that dream. Your passion, your commitment and your vision are very contagious. I am praying very fervently, that what the former Governor Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola did not do or failed to do for whatever reasons, God Almighty would use the incumbent Governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola to do it. What you're trying to get accomplished is not just a chase of mirage. It is a realistic vision grounded in statistics and incontestable figures that are verifiable. It is a vision that has a concrete plan for attainment and sustainability. It is a vision that is being driven with the passion of a people. Your vision, your dream, which I am convinced would be accomplished by the good grace of God, would gladden the hearts of all Ijesa sons and daughters, all the Ijesa mothers and fathers. Your vision speaks to the aspirations of the Ijesa people. As I am praying for you, I know that every Ijesa man and woman are also praying for you, that you succeed. The effects of what you are trying to do are better imagined. We know, given experience, the ramifications of your vision. Given our trajectory which was retouched several days ago during the birthday celebration of one of our own, gentleman Gboyega Oyewumi, I have absolute confidence in you and trust in God that your vision shall be accomplished. Your leadership qualities which I have witnessed since our days in FISU, yes the Federation of Ijesa Students Union at Great Ife; and your tenure as the world President of the "kariable" Keggites Club; your management of the school so far, especially during crisis periods, have shown that you're more than capable of the task at hand. I am seizing this opportunity to making a special appeal to the Governor of Osun State, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, who has shown that he is a listening leader to please work with us in Ijesa land on our aspirations. His surging image as being cool, calm, controlled, considerate, chilvarous, charitable and circumspect is very much noted and applauded. His level headedness glows without much ado. Oyetola is now believed by many, including his hitherto detractors, to share the age-long concept that the measure of a leader is the wellness and happiness of the people. In furtherance of this image, he should please help to realise our aspiration in Ijesa land. He should count on it that we would be grateful for his support. And we would never forget it. My dear Prof. Kazeem, the only "Ara ke" of the Universe, as I move to conclude this letter, I do acknowledge your spirit. A spirit of endless joy and happiness. Your amarathinely rapturous, ecstatic, effervescent, expansive and jocund spirit, that lights up gatherings and wherever you have showed up, is now a trademark. It is a trait that has placed you on a special pedestal in Ijesa milieu. It is a spirit that is joyous, exciting and enthusing. This spirit that you have always exuded at every opportunity, is a spirit that is unhindered, unpretentious and unperturbed. It is a spirit that is unbounded, unchained and unencumbered. It is a spirit that is unscripted, undoured, unsoured and uninhibited. No dreariness. No moroseness. It is a genuine spirit, and for real. I like it. Ive got no complaints about it. The beautiful thing about this spirit of yours, is that it is rooted in your Ijesaness. It is a spirit that swims in the pool of passion for everything that is Ijesa. A spirit that oozes Ijesa patriotism in all ramifications. It is a spirit that gives laughter to all and help many forget their worries for the moment you hold the microphone. It is a divine gift that you have put at the table for your people to savour. We appreciate it. Once again, I congratulate you on this occasion of the 42nd Anniversary of OSCOE, an institution, the fortune of which you have considerably improved through your administrative and leadership skills. I am not the only one who is proud of you. All Ijesa are very proud of you. Please keep up the good work. Keep the dream alive. Be more relentless in the pursuit of your vision. The origun merindinlogun of Ijesa land are in your support. The spirits of our forefathers are praying for you. The God of our forefathers, Eledumare, would continue to guard, guide and glitter your path. Ase. Obokun a gbe o. Ase. Best regards. Your friend and brother, Remi Oyeyemi. 1 of 11 Coronavirus update: Cases in India inch closer to 1,000, 25 dead, worldwide toll passes 30,000 More than 30,000 people have died worldwide in the coronavirus pandemic, two-thirds of them in Europe, according to an AFP tally on Saturday. In total, 30,003 lives have been lost with 21,334 of those in Europe where Italy has the highest number of fatalities with 10,023 deaths, followed by Spain with 5,690, the tally based on official information sources found. According to data from State governments the number of deaths due to COVID-19 stands at 28 deaths, with 1,032 positive cases. Of this, as many as 918 cases are active ones. A 40-year-old woman died in Maharashtra today,taking the death toll in the state due to the novel coronavirus to 7. Here we have a look at today's update. -As the disease spreads, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the country via his Mann ki Baat radio address, apologising to the people for the 21-day lockdown to arrest the spread of coronavirus. -India, the world's third largest energy consumer, has enough petrol, diesel and cooking gas (LPG) in stocks to last way beyond the three-week nationwide lockdown as all plants and supply locations are fully operational, Indian Oil Corp (IOC) Chairman Sanjiv Singh said. -A 45-year-old coronavirus patient died in Ahmedabad on Sunday morning, taking the total number of deaths due to coronavirus in the Gujarat to five, reported quoting state's health department. Health department also informed that the man was also suffering from diabetes. With this, the number of deaths due to coronavirus in Ahmedabad has gone up to three. Earlier, one death each was reported from Bhavnagar and Surat. Till Saturday evening,the number of coronavirus cases in the state stood at 55. - Five more corornavirus patients from twin cities of Pimpri-Chinchwad near Pune are set to be discharged from hospital today after they tested negative twice in latest tests. Read More... Update - Wednesday, April 1, 7pm: Abigail has been found safe and well. Earlier: Gardai appeal for help finding missing Meath teen Gardai are appealing for information over a teenager missing from Co Meath. Fourteen-year-old Abigail Gillick was last seen in the Trim area on Wednesday. Abigail Gillick She is described as five-foot-two, of slim build with brown hair and brown eyes. When last seen, she was wearing a grey hoodie and black shorts. Anyone who has seen Abigail is being asked to contact Trim gardai. North Korea has fired what appeared to be two short-range ballistic missiles into the ocean off its east coast, officials in Japan and South Korea said Sunday morning local time. The big picture: North Korea has launched a series of missiles since March 2. "In a situation where the entire world is experiencing difficulties due to COVID-19, this kind of military act by North Korea is very inappropriate and we call for an immediate halt," South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement, per Yonhap news agency. Go deeper: Kim Jong-un announces end to moratorium on nuclear weapon tests International Resettlement of Afghan Sikhs and Hindus May Be the Only Viable Option New York, New York, March 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- UNITED SIKHS is deeply saddened in the wake of Wednesdays cowardly attack on Gurdwara Guru Har Rai in Shor Bazar, Kabul, Afghanistan which left 24 Sikhs dead and scores injured. The Sikh worshippers had gathered to pray for the world in response to the Covid-19 pandemic that has gripped the globe. Sadly their prayers were shattered by the bullets of terror. UNITED SIKHS is in touch with the families on the ground and has setup a GoFundMe page along with Facebook campaign for urgent assistance to the Afghani Sikhs impacted by this horrific act of violence. The assistance will be two-folds Advocacy to rehabilitate and Humanitarian Aid for urgent and emergency needs. UNITED SIKHS urges the United States, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, France, Germany, India, Pakistan and other countries to answer the plea of the Sikhs and give them Special Protected Status. Special entry into their countries via protected asylum, relocation, security and/or rebuilding efforts must be undertaken on an urgent basis. UNITED SIKHS is working with the United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres to speed up the migration of the Afghan Sikhs with UNHCR. We realize that the only plausible option is international resettlement along with a process where the Sikh heritage in Afghanistan can be preserved. In the past 48 hours UNITED SIKHS has contacted the Afghan Sikh community in Afghanistan to assess their immediate needs through our chapter in Peshawar, Pakistan. Our legal wing has contacted the Afghanistan Ambassadors in the USA, Canada, UK, Australia and Kenya to seek security and safety of all remaining Sikhs in Afghanistan. We have reached out to the UN Rapporteurs to familiarize them with the issue at hand while seeking migration assistance for the Afghan families. We have urged the global community on social media to write to their congressmen, members of parliament and relevant law makers asking them to condemn this terrorist attack. UNITED SIKHS has been advocating for the Afghan Sikhs since 2015 when refugee status was sought in Canada with the leadership of Alberta MLA Manmeet Singh Bhullar before his tragic passing. In 2018 after the Jalalabad bombing left 12 Sikh leaders dead, UNITED SIKHS presented before the 39th session of the Human Rights Council the plight of the Hindus and Sikhs in Afghanistan. Later that year a petition was filed in the Canadian Parliament seeking safe passage. In the USA, over the past few years, the State Department has been approached as well as direct meetings taken place with Ambassador Brownback of the Office of International Religious Freedom. Story continues Alarmingly, a second attack occurred when an explosion jolted the grieving families while performing the final rites of the deceased. Afghanistan has historically been home to hundreds of thousands of Sikhs for centuries. However due to the constant targeted violence the Sikh population has dwindled to barely one thousand, made up of less than 300 families, with only a few gurdwaras (houses of worship and learning) functioning in the country. One of the reasons some have been hesitant to leave Afghanistan has been to safeguard and protect their historical institutions. However with the constant carnage and devastation there remains very little in an alternative. Globally, all UNITED SIKHS chapters stand unified in its condemning of the violence against the Sikh community in Afghanistan. The Sikh faith believes in bringing out the mutual understanding, respect and dignity of ALL people. Together, we join the world in supporting the families of those lost to this terrorist and senseless attack on our community. About UNITED SIKHS: UNITED SIKHS is a U.N. affiliated, international non-profit, non-governmental, humanitarian relief, human development and advocacy organization, aimed at empowering those in need, especially disadvantaged and minority communities across the world. UNITED SIKHS is registered: as a non-profit tax-exempt organization pursuant to Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code in the USA; as a Registered Charity in England and Wales under the Charities Act 1993, Charity Number 111 2055; registered in Australia as a not for profit NGO (ABN 24 317 847 103); and is a registered NGO in Belgium; as a non-profit organization in Canada; under the Societies Registration Act 1860 in Panjab and as a tax-exempt organisation under section 80G of the Income Tax Act 1961; under the French Association Law 1901; under the Societies Registration Act 1860 in Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa, Pakistan; as a registered society under the Registrar of Societies in Malaysia (registered as UNITED SIKHS Malaysia Humanitarian Aid Organisation- Regn No: PPM-015-14-06042015); and an NGO pending registration in the Rep of Ireland. Attachment Gurvinder Singh UNITED SIKHS 1.469.222.6288 gurvinder.singh@unitedsikhs.org As the coronavirus pandemic increases in severity all over the world, many people are looking back to the movie Contagion for some answers. Contagion tells the story of a contagious virus that one woman catches and spreads all over the globe. Contagion has many things in common with the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. However, one doctor recently wrote about the differences between the fictional virus from the 2011 movie and coronavirus. He says the qualities of coronavirus make it even more dangerous than the disease in Contagion. Marion Cotillard attends the Contagion premiere in Paris on October 23, 2011 | Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Doctor says COVID-19 is even worse than the infectious disease in Contagion A doctor from Pittsburgh recently wrote an opinion piece for the site TribeLIVE.com titled: Dr. Paul Carson: Why coronavirus pandemic is worse than the film Contagion. I rewatched Steven Soderberghs 2011 film Contagion last night, he wrote. Dr. Carson called the movie a cautionary tale considering what we are facing today. While the film is fiction and along with that comes dramatic cinematic effect, I think its worth taking a closer look at the pandemic depicted in the film, the physician continued. Dr. Carson pointed out the obvious similarities between Contagions virus and COVID-19: In the film, the virus depicted was determined to be highly contagious, transmitted easily through surface contact to where it was widely spread on public transport and through casual urban contact. It had the common respiratory droplet transmission as well. They determined the virus to have a very high . average number of people who will catch the disease from a single infected person. All of this so far is very consistent with what we know about covid-19. A man wears gloves and a bandanna while riding a scooter past a shuttered movie theater in Beverly Hills, California | Mario Tama/Getty Images However, there are quite a few differences from Contagion, too. Of course, the main one being that the virus depicted in the film is quite a bit more deadly. While this is, on the surface, positive, Dr. Carson points out why this actually makes COVID-19 more dangerous in some ways. He wrote: In the film people died quickly. Paltrow was dead by the first 10 minutes of the film. By dying, she stopped her own transmission of the virus to others. The host died, the virus died with that transmission the high death rate helped contain the virus. The incubation period for coronavirus is also much longer than the disease in Contagion Carson clarified that while hes not wishing death on anyone, the virus killing the person more quickly is actually a built-in containment mechanism. The coronavirus does not have that benefit.' Also, the disease that spreads in Contagion had a very short incubation period that is, hours. He explained why COVID-19s longer incubation period is so dangerous. Its able to spread like wildfire. Dr. Carson wrote: The trailer for Contagion | YouTube With covid-19 infection, most will walk around for near a week without feeling any symptoms, unknowingly spreading the virus. When we do finally feel sick, if you are lucky enough to get a test, then and only then are you asked to quarantine. By then, if you were not already sheltering in place prior to the testing, you probably spread it to a whole bunch of people. Dr. Carson is optimistic that if we spread this information, more people will quarantine, and stop the spread of coronavirus The doctor acknowledged in the article that this information is very doom-and-gloom. However, he hopes that his piece gets shared with the people who are not taking this seriously. That way, the people who have decided not to self-quarantine realize the severity of the coronavirus pandemic. Hopefully, that way the United States wont end up in a situation like the characters do in Contagion. What you do now will affect the world, your country, your family and loved ones, Dr. Carson concluded. Be smart. Be safe. Share. The honor guards of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy stand in formation before a naval parade staged to mark the 70th founding anniversary of the PLA Navy at a pier in Qingdao, East China's Shandong province, on April 23, 2019. [Photo/Xinhua] The People's Liberation Army condemned recent "provocative actions" taken by the United States against the navy, warning such activities have undermined Chinese sovereignty, poisoned bilateral relations and disrupted regional peace and security. China urged the US to strengthen strategic dialogue based on mutual respect, properly handle differences, facilitate practical cooperation and help steer military-to-military development in a positive direction, Senior Colonel Ren Guoqiang, spokesman of the Ministry of National Defense, said on Thursday. On Feb 27, while the PLA naval fleet was conducting a routine drill in international waters, a US P-8A surveillance plane ignored numerous warnings from the Chinese and closely spied on the Chinese fleet for over four hours, Ren said. "The closest distance between the Chinese ship and plane was only 400 meters," he said. "The dangerous maneuvers by the US plane were extremely inappropriate, unprofessional and unsafe." For years, the US has been spying in China's marine and air space as well as near PLA ships and aircraft, which has led to many close encounters and tense moments, he said. "The provocative actions by the US has damaged China's security interests and has endangered the lives of front-line soldiers and their equipment," he said. "They constitute a serious violation of international laws on freedom of navigation and are the root cause of problems between China and the US on maritime security. "Yet the US not only ignores their wrongdoings but has also launched complaints and baseless accusations. We resolutely oppose these actions," he added. "We urge the US to stop such dangerous provocations, to stop smearing China and to avoid damaging military relations and bilateral ties." Earlier this month, both foreign and domestic media reported US ships and naval planes had conducted numerous exercises and operations in the South China Sea, drawing condemnation from Ren and the Chinese military. "It uses freedom of navigation as an excuse to barge recklessly into the region, threaten national security of nearby countries and disrupt regional peace and stability." When commenting on recent reports that hacker group APT-C-39 from the US Central Intelligence Agency has been infiltrating Chinese companies and research institutions for 11 years, Ren said the US must stop conducting such activities against China. "For years, the US has violated international laws and basic principles of international relations to carry out massive, organized, indiscriminate operations of online theft, as well as surveillance and attacks on foreign governments, companies and individuals," he said. Ren also discussed the relationship between the US and Taiwan, saying recent actions by the US have seriously interfered with China's domestic affairs, damaged cross-Straits peace and stability and "seriously poisoned the two nations' military relations and bilateral ties". On March 25, the destroyer USS McCampbell sailed through the Taiwan Straits. Ren deemed the action very dangerous and said it sent the wrong message to Taiwan secessionists. The US also passed the TAIPEI Act this month, which promises more official interactions and diplomatic support for the island's international presence. "We will absolutely not allow any foreign forces to play the Taiwan card, and will not tolerate any attempts of secession," Ren said. "The PLA has the will, confidence and capability to thwart all secession efforts and safeguard the nation's sovereignty and territorial integrity." Getting physical activity during the ongoing self-isolation becomes trickier every day. New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on March 23 issued a stay at home order and closed all non-essential businesses, meaning people should only go out when necessary. Gymnasiums had been closed by that time for almost a week. The outdoors is still open but people are being encouraged to keep their distance at parks, on walking trails and while hiking. This can be difficult if popular spots are crowded. Despite this, people are still being encouraged to exercise to ward off depression, keep up their health and battle boredom. The New Mexican founders of the online exercise company Group HIIT, Marlena Shirley and Amelia Guzman, are hoping to help with that. They are offering free 60-day subscriptions (grouphiit.com/stayhome) to New Mexicans in response to the restrictions brought on by COVID-19. Since the pandemic began, Shirley said they have seen a spike in visitors to their website and YouTube channel. Their website traffic increased six times and their YouTube channel, where they offer some free workouts, has seen 10 times the amount of visitors. We wanted to offer something to help people out, Shirley said. Its mental gymnastics to stay inside. Subscribers have access to multi-week programs, challenges, a trainer, a nutrition guide and recipes. Shirley said they add six workouts every month. Normally they charge $7.99 a month or $87.89 for an entire year. Shirley and Guzman both grew up in New Mexico and were working together at a local software development company in 2014, when the idea for their business started to form. Guzman had just received her personal trainer certification and started organizing workouts for people at the office. Shirley said working in an office meant she spent most of her day sitting, getting very little exercise. It was pretty successful, Shirley said. We met three times a week after work. It was only 30 minutes but people were pretty consistent about coming. The two used their knowledge of software and fitness to launch the company in 2015. Their YouTube channel has 171,000 subscribers and they have thousands of monthly clients across the world including Australia, Spain and Saudi Arabia. They were recently featured in an exercise at home article in Vogue Spain. We wanted to show people that you dont have to be a member of a gym or run to get exercise, Shirley said. We hope by offering this, people see how easy it is to incorporate exercise into your daily life They have created more than 300 full-body and targeted area HIIT workout routines that are a mix of cardio and strength training. They require very little equipment like dumbbells and bands, and can be done in a small space. HIIT stands for high-intensity interval training and consists of workouts that have exercisers cycle through periods of accelerated heart rate and rest periods. The videos feature models that look like everyone else, and have little to no sound allowing users to play their own music or watch television. Shirley said they purposely designed them that way to provide a more calming environment. Were not really your typical fitness videos, Shirley said. The videos are quiet, our models are fully dressed, so its family friendly, and theres no yelling. Its more relaxed. Guzman now lives in Portland, Oregon, as a registered nurse but Shirley still lives in Albuquerque, working on their business full time. We are pleased to see our local governments taking action and community members taking social distancing recommendations seriously, Guzman said in a company news release. This period of social distancing and isolation presents an opportunity for individuals to establish a new exercise routine and has the potential to spark motivation for sustained exercise habits in the future. Visit grouphiit.com/stayhome to access the free membership or visit their YouTube channel to see a sample of their workouts. Your browser does not support the audio element. This month marks the 55th anniversary of Vietnams Ha Giang Loop,' a 185-kilometer road through the countrys mountainous north responsible for connecting ethnic minority communities with the modern world. The Ha Giang Loop, a rugged stretch of road connecting Ha Giang City with Meo Vac District in the nation's northernmost province of Ha Giang, is the sole lifeline for many of the northern regions ethnic minority communities. In the fifty-five years since it was inaugurated in March 1965, thousands of workers, including 14 young volunteers who died building the road, poured blood, sweat, and tears into the construction and maintenance of this vital artery in the rural north. Terraced paddy fields, a common sight along the Ha Giang Loop in Ha Giang Province, Vietnam Happiness Road Workers first broke ground on the Ha Giang Loop on September 9, 1959. Two years later, President Ho Chi Minh named it Happiness Road, hoping it would live up to the lofty expectations the people of Ha Giang had that the road would bring vast improvements to their lives. Six years later, on March 15, 1965, the road was completed and it was time to turn those expectations into a reality. The Ha Giang Loop in Ha Giang Province, Vietnam. Video: Nam Tran - Ngoc Quang / Tuoi Tre To mark the 50th anniversary of the loop in 2015, thousands of former volunteers who helped build the road gathered in Ha Giang to share memories from their teenage years spent working on the historic project. Those in attendance also took time to mourn the 14 volunteers who lost their lives during the construction of Happiness Road, all of whom are now considered martyrs by the state. Vietnamese volunteers work on the construction site for the Ha Giang Loop in Ha Giang Province, Vietnam in these file photos. Waiting coffins The final 20 kilometers, traversing the magnificent Ma Pi Leng Peak, took an additional 24 months. Thirty young volunteers were assembled to complete the pass over Ma Pi Leng, all of whom risked their lives to make the initial carvings into the mountain so that other workers could later pave a functional road over the peak. These volunteers built the 20-kilometer pass suspended by ropes attached to rocky cliffs, chipping into the mountainside piece by piece using handheld tools. Youth volunteers work on the construction site for the Ha Giang Loop in Ha Giang Province, Vietnam in this file photo. It took them 11 months, from September 1963 until August 1964, to chisel away a 0.4-meter wide path. From there, explosives and mines were used to expand the tiny walkway into a road. Nguyen Manh Thuy, vice-chairman of the provincial Former Youth Volunteers Association, recalled that each volunteer had been asked to take an oath at the beginning of each working day to pronounce their willingness to sacrifice their lives for the sake of their country a risk so real that those in charge of the project had prepared eleven coffins just two kilometers from the construction site in case the cobweb of ropes strung along the cliffs as a safety net failed to do their job. An ethnic woman views a milestone marking 'kilometer zero' of the Ha Giang Loop in Meo Vac District, Ha Giang Province, Vietnam. Dao Ngoc Pham was one of the unfortunate souls whose life was sacrificed for Happiness Road. On March 4, 1965, just one week before the roads inauguration, Pham lost his balance and fell off Ma Pi Leng while saving two Mong ethnic locals, a father and son, from being crushed by a boulder. A monument to Pham and the other martyrs now stands solemnly along the stretch of road that runs past Pai Lung Commune in Meo Vac. A bit further down the road sits a museum that offers insight into the construction of the road. The monument, a towering sculpture made by volunteers holding hammers and wearing indigenous outfits, is a homage to those that sacrificed their lives, their youth, or both to transform Vietnams far-north. A monument dedicated to volunteers who died during the construction of the Ha Giang Loop in Ha Giang Province, Vietnam The allure of buckwheat flowers The winding route between Ha Giang and Meo Vac is lined with sacred temples and cultural and historical sites, most of which sit against the backdrop of the stunning UNESCO-recognized Dong Van Karst Plateau. Those who have traveled the length of Happiness Road describe the feeling of snaking a motorbike past the routes wonders Twin Mountains in Quan Ba District, the bamboo and evergreen forests of Yen Minh District, the Vuong Family Palace in Dong Van District, the Ma Pi Leng Pass, the Nho Que River, and the Tu San Canyon as incomparable. Nho Que River as seen from atop Ma Pi Leng Peak in Ha Giang Province, Vietnam Though Vietnams northernmost point of Long Cu in Dong Van District is not technically part of the road, the Ha Giang Loop is one of the only access points for the stunning, sacred location. The rocky landscape is all but chiseled into the blood of the people who live along the Ha Giang Loop. As the saying goes, They live on rocks and die buried in rocks. The Lung Cu flagpole in Dong Van District, Ha Giang Province, Vietnam In recent years, as the area has become more popular amongst tourists, the gold-hearted nature of the local people has begun to pose significant challenges for the provinces development. Simply put, a clash between natural purity and infrastructural development is taking place in the region. Present-day Dong Van District (left) and local people on the Ma Pi Leng Pass (right) in Ha Giang Province, Vietnam Foreign tourists are seen in Ha Giang Province, Vietnam. Traffic congestion in Ha Giang Province, Vietnam Headlines of the illegally built Ma Pi Leng Panorama hotel along the Ma Pi Leng Pass in Dong Van and the leveling of a mountain to build a religious complex in Lung Cu have broken the hearts of many and inspired a push to develop more sustainable forms of tourism. Tours focused around the provinces irresistibly beautiful buckwheat flower fields are combating the destruction of the areas beauty by allowing locals to flock in the thousands to Ha Giang to catch a glimpse of the flowers magnificent bloom. The Ma Pi Leng Panorama building on the Ma Pi Leng Pass in Ha Giang Province, Vietnam is seen in this photo. For a [buckwheat] flower festival, we have to tend to a few hundred hectares of flower fields. Buckwheat is not only grown for its flowers, which go to waste after each festival, but also for food. Its a strategic winter crop in Dong Van, said Hoang Van Thinh, chairman of Dong Van District, adding that the crop is often used to make buckwheat cookies and wine. In a win-win agreement, local authorities have pledged to purchase harvested buckwheat crops from local farmers. In return, those farmers can collect entrance fees from visitors hoping to snap photos in the buckwheat fields during flowering seasons, Thinh explained. Ethnic women are seen in a field of blooming buckwheat flowers in Ha Giang Province, Vietnam. A dream village Only a few kilometers away from the Ma Pi Leng Panorama hotel lies a fairytale Mong village designed to introduce tourists to the lifestyle of the local ethnic minority. The 20 houses in the village, located in Meo Vacs Pa Vi Ha Commune, are built according to the architectural styles of the Mong people and each owner must agree to various terms and conditions in order to be allowed to participate in the village's tourism community, such as incorporating modern amenities like kitchens, toilets, and bedrooms into their traditional houses. A cultural-tourism Mong village in Ha Giang Province, Vietnam The village is a sign that the area is taking a real shot at returning to its routes and escaping from the ugly shadow of commercially built facilities. Hong Mi Sinh, the owner of one of the houses who now offers homestay service to visitors, said that his homestay is often booked by guests well in advance of their trip. His goal is to offer each visitor a realistic experience of the region's indigenous cultures. A cultural-tourism Mong village in Ha Giang Province, Vietnam Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! As positive cases of COVID-19 continue to rise in Southeast Texas, complications with supplies and an influx of demand have frustrated public health officials and clinics, some of which face a wait as long as 14 days for test results. Legacy Community Health on March 18 was one of the first private clinics in Beaumont to create a mobile testing center in its parking lot and had been collecting test samples in the 11th Street clinic since at least two days prior. Rachel Adams, a nurse practitioner and site lead at Legacys Beaumont clinic, said results, tested by an out-of-state lab, initially were coming in within at least four days, but now the company advised Legacy to expect up to a 14-day wait. Every testing site around the city is sending to the same private labs and some are taking longer than others, she said. They do have a backlog of tests and it has been growing as more people are getting tested everywhere. System-wide, Adams said Legacy has tested more than 1,000 patients in its clinics from Houston to Beaumont and around 150 in Southeast Texas. She said the demand has slightly decreased as the CDC amended its criteria for testing to include people in immunosuppressive categories such as the elderly or someone with a severe chronic condition. The countys own mobile sample collection point has also helped take some of the pressure off clinics such as Legacy. Jefferson County already has gotten back results from test kits gathered Tuesday the first day its drive-thru clinic at the Jack Brooks Regional Airport in Nederland was open. Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick said the test kits are taken to George Bush Intercontinental Airport, from which they are flown to a testing center in New Jersey that has capacity to test some 40,000 kits a day. As manufacturers of tests ramped up their production at the beginning of March and more private and public health providers joined the push for distributing the sample collection kits, supplies at Legacy have stabilized, but just submitting a test doesnt help a care provider aid a patient. Jessica Michan, communication director for Legacy, said the long wait for results decreases the value of testing for a patient, at least from a clinical standpoint, and may mean the patient must rely on a physicians advice to know how to react to symptoms. If we arent getting results back until well after the recommended quarantine period, it may not make sense for people looking for answers, she said. At that point, its just helping to keep track of numbers. Adams said testing can still be an important option for people among the high-risk categories of infection, but any patients feeling severe symptoms such as problems breathing should probably be seen by their doctor or even seek treatment at a hospital if their issues worsen. Legacy isnt the only area clinic balancing the demand for testing and the reality of long backlogs. The Ibn Sina Foundation, a nonprofit that runs community clinics in Houston and Port Arthur geared toward the insured and uninsured alike, has been testing more than a dozen samples a day at their internal labs in Houston but havent been collecting samples in Port Arthur despite having around 15 testing kits at the site. Liaquat Khowaja, general manager with Ibn Sina Foundation, said the Port Arthur clinic has adapted to telehealth appointments to keep serving patients during social distancing but is holding off on collecting samples because of a lack of resources and lab space. Right now, we are trying to secure rapid test kits and are waiting for them to be approved by the (U.S. Federal Drug Administration), he said. When that happens, we could have them here within a week and start getting results in 45 minutes instead of days. Port Arthur Mayor Thurman Bill Bartie said the citys public health department is responsible for conducting the epidemiological investigation for all cases in the southern part of the county, including Groves, Nederland, Port Neches and Port Arthur. The countys health department also is running the drive-thru testing area in Nederland. The FDA gave emergency authorization to a rapid molecule blood test developed by California-based Cepheid last week, but its use so far has been approved only in hospitals and emergency rooms. Other rapid tests used across the globe have received scrutiny after Spain announced Thursday that it would be returning a large stock of faulty tests to a Chinese manufacturer. Sources told Spanish newspaper El Pais that tests from a company called Bioeasy recorded accurate results only about 30% of the time. Dr. Stephen Spann, founding dean of the University of Houston College of Medicine, said most doctors probably would like to hold out hope for a quicker way to test for positive COVID-19 cases, but a false negative a person with the virus who has been told they are clear after a failed test is a hefty risk to bear. Until more resources or improved technology becomes available, Spann said the medical community will likely be split between those who think testing is useless without results a patient can quickly access and physicians who believe the process is too vital for public health to ignore. Some people are saying its out there in the community and we can diagnose it clinically with experience, so why wait for a test that may take forever, he said. The other line of thought is if we are going to get our hands around this as a public health crisis, we need to get the data from the test and quarantine the person. In an ideal world, he said, physicians would have enough resources to make calls for their patients while also helping further the public health response, but reality is still far from the ideal. In Beaumont, the citys public health department has been receiving results for both positive and negative tests conducted on residents and following up with investigations. Instead of conducting the tests themselves, the department is deferring to the county and private collection centers and focusing on making sure positive patients quarantine while it tracks their possible contacts with others. When testing first started in earnest, Public Health Director Sherry Ulmer said results came back within 24 hours, but now demand has backed up some results to eight days out, further extending the departments timeline to track possible contacts with the infected. Ulmer said testing is vital to collecting data on the crisis and helping to prevent further spread of the virus. Thats why she said adhering to the CDCs guidelines for testing and staunching the demand on labs across the country is the only way at the moment to protect those most vulnerable to infection. We want the public to understand that even with a mild case of COVID, they are infectious and need to stay home, she said. Sometimes they can recover without being tested or will be treated at the hospital if it becomes severe enough. We just really need the tests available for patients that are symptomatic in the 65 or older age category or with a compromised immune system. jacob.dick@beaumontenterprise.com twitter.com/jdickjournalism Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Strategic (adjective): Carefully designed or planned to serve a particular purpose or advantage. The world is currently in the grip of an unprecedented crisis caused by the spread of the COVID-19 disease (unprecedented, at least, within our lifetime). Beyond the ruinous health and mortality implications, the contagion is beginning to tear at the very economic foundations of our society, threatening widespread socioeconomic turmoil and plunging potentially millions of vulnerable people into financial peril. Despite the potential for fear, this is not the time for the Church to retreat. It is the time for the Church to rise in faith and rise in action. As your church leadership prepares to guide the spiritual well-being of your church community, lets also plan for their economic well-being: lets strategically ensure that the most vulnerable in our church communities are cared for (and through) these difficult times. Here are 5 fundamental actions church leaders must take: 1) PRAY. Yes, it is obvious. Yes, we're all praying already. But it's too important to not be our foundation. In our prayers, let's thank God that He is still sovereign (Ps. 135:6) and that His purposes will still be achieved (Is 46: 9-10). Let's thank Him for His love and compassion for the sick and vulnerable (Ps. 147:3), and ask that His compassion becomes our compassion. Let's also ask for His unmatchable wisdom and insight (Job 12:13) to become ours as we serve and care for His people (James 1:5). 2) START WITH YOUR TEAM. While it might be natural to first think about the impact of this challenge on our congregation, we should initially care for our staff and team. Our staff all have families to lead, the practicalities of life to navigate, and personal concerns weighing on their mind. Take the time to meet with them personally, answer questions they may have about their roles, and offer to include them in the network of support if they need. While this is primarily an expression of our duty of care to those who faithfully minister alongside us, it also ensures that we have a strong team ready to care for our greater congregation. 3) LEAD BY DIALOGUE. One of the most frightening thoughts during a difficult time is the belief that we are alone. It is the dreaded fear that in our time of need social, practical, emotional, financial we will find no one willing to come to our side. We fear we will be alone. We fear we will be vulnerable. And we fear we will have to face the fight by ourselves. As church leaders, let's be proactive in opening this dialogue to let our people know that they are not alone, that help is available without shame or embarrassment, and that our church community will not allow anyone to be left behind during this challenging season. 4) CHECK IN WITH ALL, FOCUS ON FEW. Take the time to check in with your whole church community to build a picture of where individuals are positioned, and where the community sits as a whole. A State of our Church survey will gather powerful data to help you plan. For people in certain demographics, a more personalized, focused approach is helpful. Check in on a weekly basis (if the individual allows) with senior citizens, healthcare workers, families with children (especially solo-parent families), and workers in economically-vulnerable fields (ie service, hospitality, travel). 5) PLAN TO PREVENT, NOT JUST TO CURE. The medical adage that 'prevention is better than cure' is also economically applicable. Helping people maintain financial viability during a crisis is crucial, and is a far better option than rescuing them once the cycle of poverty takes it grip. Through the resources of your church (those resources that belong to the church as an organization) and the resources of those in your church (those resources that belong to people within your church community), plan specifically to ensure that people can still access: 1) Appropriate living conditions 2) Groceries 3) Healthcare 4) Childcare (if necessary) 5) Transport Preventing a slide into poverty is cheaper, easier and more dignifying than pulling someone out of poverty. In most situations, short-term support that allows someone to carry on business-as-usual during a crisis will typically see them return to self-sufficiency quickly as the crisis abates. For a real life example, please read Miranda's story. The times ahead may be unprecedented, but they need not be unendurable. With Gods provision and care, and church leadership being strategically compassionate, it is possible to see no unmet need among them realized today in our church communities. Dr Phillip Barnardis committed to helping more people engage practically, intelligently and compassionately with the issue of poverty in our world. For training, speaking and other support, please enquire here. Joseph S. Pete Business Reporter Joseph S. Pete is a Lisagor Award-winning business reporter who covers steel, industry, unions, the ports, retail, banking and more. The Indiana University grad has been with The Times since 2013 and blogs about craft beer, culture and the military. Follow Joseph S. Pete Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today Many businesses are closing temporarily or remain closed as the coronavirus sweeps across the Calumet Region and the nation. Following the Southlake Mall in Hobart and Lighthouse Place Premium Outlets in Michigan City, the River Oaks Center mall in Calumet City temporarily closed on Wednesday after Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued a shelter-in-place order. "We have been closely tracking developments related to COVID-19 and have been following the guidance of authorities, ensuring that above all else, our patrons, merchants, and employees are safe and healthy," Mason Asset Management and Namdar Realty Group spokeswoman Taylor Falls said in a statement. "The situation has indeed evolved, and in accordance with the state mandate and with our community in mind, we have temporarily closed all Illinois malls until further notice. We sincerely appreciate our diligent team's work in maintaining a safe and clean environment over the last few weeks, and we hope to reopen as soon as possible." While many restaurants around the Region have tried to make a go with just carryout and delivery, that's harder for fine dining establishments. Lighthouse Restaurant on the lakefront in Cedar Lake closed until further notice, as did Gamba Ristorante in Merrillville. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer delivers her State of the State address Feb. 19 in Lansing. (Al Goldis / AP) Wary of President Trumps criticism that they were ungrateful for his management of the coronavirus crisis, governors of several of the hardest-hit states sought gingerly Sunday to avoid provoking him anew and risk losing desperately needed federal aid. Despite the drastic shutdown of much of the country, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government's top infectious-disease specialist, warned Sunday that 100,000 to 200,000 Americans might die before the pandemic eases. More than 2,400 had died as of Sunday. Several governors made clear they fear inadvertently harming their own citizens if they are too strident in demands for desperately needed medical supplies, or if they clash too publicly with Trump over pandemic policy as the contagion spreads. So they took a new tack, articulating their states needs while ignoring Trump's insults and demands. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer who Trump has derided on Twitter as half-Whit touted her cooperative relationship with Vice President Mike Pence, who heads the White House coronavirus task force, and with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Its gotta be all hands on deck we shouldnt be fighting one another; we need to be fighting COVID-19 together, Whitmer said on CNNs State of the Union, referring to the disease caused by the coronavirus. I dont have the energy to respond to every slight, she added. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, also the object of Trump's withering remarks, sought to turn the other cheek and focus on his state's needs and his good partnership with federal authorities. Were not distracted by some of the noise out of the White House, he said on CNN. With cities and states pleading for federal help to obtain critically needed medical supplies and complaining that Trump has moved too slowly, tensions have grown between the White House and the governors. On Friday, Trump openly criticized governors who were reluctant to praise his leadership and suggested their states could suffer as a result. Story continues "When theyre not appreciative to me, theyre not appreciative to the Army Corps, theyre not appreciative to FEMA, its not right, Trump told a White House briefing on Friday. He said he had advised Pence not to call the governors of Washington, which saw the first major outbreak of COVID-19, and Michigan. I say, Mike, dont call the governor of Washington. Youre wasting your time with him,' Trump said, referring to Inslee. 'Dont call the woman in Michigan,' the president added, referring to Whitmer. The White House nonetheless on Saturday approved Michigan's request for an emergency declaration, freeing up federal aid. Another case study in Trumps tense dealings with governors emerged Saturday, when the president said he was considering putting parts of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut under enforced quarantine. New York City is the nation's infection epicenter, at least for now. None of the three Democratic governors involved was consulted beforehand; not even New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who had spoken with Trump earlier in the day. After hearing of the proposed tri-state quarantine, Cuomo warned it would amount to a federal declaration of war on the states and would paralyze the region's already battered economy. Trump then dropped the idea, and a travel advisory was issued instead, telling people in the area to stay home. Fauci, who directs the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and is a member of the White House coronavirus task force, made plain Sunday that Trump who frequently cites his hunches over scientific advice had to be talked out of the proposed quarantine. We made it clear, and he agreed, it would be much better to do whats called a 'strong advisory,' Fauci said on CNN. Trump's enforced quarantine would have created a bigger difficulty," he said. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, interviewed on ABCs This Week, did not mention being blindsided by Trumps proposal, merely observing that the travel advisory that was ultimately announced would serve the same purpose. Then he pivoted to his states top priority: obtaining ventilators and respirators to help overwhelmed hospitals deal with critically ill patients. Among the governors, not all praise or criticism of Trump breaks down along party lines. Many governors from both parties have urged him to use the Defense Production Act to order private companies to turn their manufacturing ability to making medical supplies. There have also been bipartisan calls for Trump to order federal authorities to find and distribute existing medical supplies for states. Earlier this month, the president batted aside such calls, saying the federal government is not a shipping clerk. Another confrontation between governors and the White House is likely looming over how quickly to ease isolation measures in order to get the economy up and running again by Easter, as Trump has said he wants. GOP governors are unlikely to act as a bloc in supporting an accelerated timetable. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, said Sunday he didn't "see any way that we're going to be opening back up in a couple weeks." Hogan said the outbreak was likely to get much worse in his state before it gets better. "I think in two weeks, around Easter, we're going to be looking a lot more like New York," he said on "Fox News Sunday." To the presidents defenders, highly personal attacks on governors amount to little more than Trumps customary pugilistic style, however jarring it may be in the midst of illness and death. Others around the president suggest that states interests are not at serious risk, even when the president angrily vents at governors he dislikes. Fauci, asked about Trumps implied threats against governors who are not appreciative enough, said it was important to distinguish between inflammatory language and actions. Theres the reality, and the rhetoric, he said. I think the reality is that the people who need things will get what they need. For his part, Trump appeared focused on other concerns Sunday, at least on Twitter. In tweets, he praised his televised coronavirus briefings as a "ratings hit" and said the United States would not pay for security for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Harry and Meghan, who have reportedly moved from Canada to Southern California. Later Sunday, the couple issued a statement saying they had no plans to ask the U.S. for pay for their security detail and that privately funded arrangements had already been made. GULFPORT, Miss. - Model Railroad Museum in Gulfport. Founded more than 20 years ago and initially housed in the now-defunct Singing River Mall, the museum has grown from that single mall outlet space to a facility which now boasts three buildings full of trains and intricate displays and outdoor area which includes a small working train that kids and adults alike can ride. Now the museums already impressive collection is about to unveil its most massive expansion to date. Just down the street from the museums current facility, the membership has acquired a small shopping centre which will provide some 40,000 additional square feet of display space. Inside the structure, members and volunteers have been working diligently to get the new addition ready for the public. The original plan was to open it in conjunction with the museums fifth anniversary at the Pass Road facility on March 22, but due to the COVID-19 outbreak that celebration has been delayed. When the expansion does open, it will feature some of the most impressive model train displays found anywhere in the U.S., including an almost unbelievable set built by a Miami train enthusiast for $250,000. He got older and was looking for a museum to house his layout, said museum president Richard Mueller. Most clubs didnt have the space, because its such a big layout. So our club moved it in two semi trucks. Its an incredible display. Also on display in the new building will be the former Orange Grove Hobby Shop layout. Built by five men over a 15-year-period, it was the show piece of the hobby shop, Muller said. The hobby shop had new owners come in and they ended up donating the layout to us and were restoring it, Mueller said. That is by far the piece Im proudest of across the street. (Layouts) are never really completely finished, but it will be essentially complete a year from now. But make no mistake, while the new facility will be remarkable, there is plenty to entertain young and old alike inside the three current buildings. Club members say they lost track long ago of exactly how many trains are in the museum, but there are 87 different trains running inside displays at any given moment. There is also a collection of antique model trains, ranging from the oldest, built in 1865, to the latest models, according to club member Jon Gray. The model trains run the gamut of sizes, from standard (largest) down to the 1:450 T scale, smaller than a finger. The museum also houses what Mueller said is likely the largest collection of Lego train displays in a 500-mile radius -- with another 2.5 million-piece Lego set under construction in the new facility. Also inside the new facility will be one of the largest American Flyer train collections in the country, courtesy of member Rob Mooney. The American Flyers are primarily pre-World War II collections, Mueller said. Mueller himself is working on a pre-war Lionel set. The museum has about 51 active members, said member Michael Hesser, with another 150 non-active members, who pay the membership dues to help keep the museum operating. We have a lot to offer the public, Hesser said, but we are still a club. We rely on donations and memberships to keep going. We receive no public money. Mueller likely spoke for the entire museum membership when he was asked about his obvious love-affair with model trains. My brother and I played with with trains when we were young boys, he said. I got my first set when I was 10 years old in 1959. We had space in the attic, which didnt have air conditioning or heat, so in the winter we had to wear coats and in the summer we perspired a lot, but we eventually had a monstrous layout in our attic. My brother would do the scenery and I would put the track down and we would run trains and have a great time. Mueller, who has been a member for seven years and the museum president for the past three, also said many model train enthusiasts may have gotten away from it during years they were raising families, but returned to it during their empty-nest or retirement years. Its amazing how every one of our members has some part of this they just love doing, Mueller said. We love model making. Ive enjoyed every part of this. Good evening. Here are the most important national and international stories of the day concerning the coronavirus pandemic. In Luxembourg: Confirmed cases of coronavirus rose by 119 to 1,950, as the number of deaths increased to 21. A first COVID-19 scanner is ready for use at the Centre Hospitalier du Nord. Diesel and petrol sales have fallen by around 70%, leading to a noticeable improvement in air quality in the Grand Duchy. A Facebook group in Luxembourg has helped to produce around 3,500 masks for healthcare workers. The Independent Luxembourg Trade Union Confederation (OGBL) is opposed to proposals to extend the working week to 60 hours. In the latest feature from our series on Luxembourg's everyday heroes during this crisis, we spoke to Elisabeth, a pharmacist in Bel Air. In Sunday's international developments: Global coronavirus cases stand at 685,623, with 32,137 deaths and 145,706 recoveries. You can find more detailed statistics here. Experts warned that the situation in German hospitals would soon resemble that in Italy, as a German finance minister from Hesse committed suicide after 'virus crisis worries'. A senior US scientist warned that up to 200,000 Americans could die from the new disease, but President Trump was forced to back down on plans to put New York state in quarantine. France is transporting patients in intensive care on TGVs, as a controversial French doctor claimed that a new study confirmed the effectiveness of using chloroquine to treat coronavirus victims. Germany is repatriating hundreds of its citizens stuck on a cruise ship in Australia, while stranded Britons in New Zealand face bills of up to 40,000 to get home. A Brazilian court ordered Jair Bolsonaro's government to stop advising against isolation, as Spain recorded another 838 deaths on Sunday. That's all for today's evening roundup. You can find the rest of today's stories in our live ticker. We hope you're staying safe, and that you've had an enjoyable weekend indoors. To end it the right way we've got another social distancing session on the RTL Today Facebook page for you - this time a more gentle set of acoustic covers by Ross Steele from 7pm - and in case you missed it, our editor Gerry Erang researched the dark history of pandemics in Luxembourg. Thanks for tuning in, - The RTL Today team. Many experts concur that the South Korean model of tracing and tracking the coronavirus emergency is a model to be emulated. The bishop of Daejeon praises the actions of the authorities and praises the citizens' response. "They showed great love of neighbor. It was deeply moving to see so many volunteers go to Daegu." The Church expects to resume public masses on April 6, Monday of Holy Week. Seoul (AsiaNews) - South Korea is wrapped in an "atmosphere of unity and determination to overcome the coronavirus emergency together," says Msgr. Lazarus You Heung-sik, bishop of Daejeon and president of the Commission for Social Affairs of the Episcopal Conference of Korea (CBCK). He was commenting on Seoul's success in the fight against Covid-19, which many experts see as a model to follow. The prelate notes that from the beginning our government acted transparently and hid nothing from ordinary people, doctors and the sick. Unlike other countries, the South Korean government has shown great credibility. The administration asked for and obtained loyalty and help from the people. If we have become a symbol of hope for the world, it is because almost no one thought only of themselves". According to Msgr. You, this is the main reason why the country has managed to contain the spread of the virus, taking the right path to return to normal. "Now I can move freely again, attend meetings and carry out my daily activities as a bishop," he says. But we must not let our guard down. Last week, a young priest of mine returned from Latin America. For seven days and for as many to come, he will remain in solitary confinement in his room. It is important to avoid any possibility of virus transmission." The South Korean people, continues Msgr. You, has been able to demonstrate "great love for others. It is moving to see how many doctors and nurses left for Daegu, the epicenter of the crisis here. The city has also received numerous donations in cash and basic necessities. I want to underline the initiative "of the president and other government officials, who have decided to donate 30-50% of their pay to the victims of the coronavirus. Many, even priests, have also decided to take part in this charity drive." The coronavirus emergency shows that the world is now called to solve problems through collaboration between countries. "The pope stresses this, as a good parish priest of humanity, with the concept of our 'common house'. It is important to live for others. The Gospel has given us a new commandment, the only law on Earth and in Heaven: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.' (Jn 13:34). The virus gives us the opportunity to reflect on our past life; creates a community moment for an examination of conscience. In Lent it is time to return to the Father; but it is not possible to find a right relationship with the Father without first having done so with our brothers and sisters. The Church, just like humanity, will be different after the coronavirus. Covid-19 reaffirmed that there are no boundaries and that ways forward have to be found together." The Church of Korea has followed the authorities' measures to counter the spread of the virus. At the moment, the churches remain open to individual prayer but the masses with the people are still suspended. However, the improvement of the situation of contagions at national level seems to open new scenarios. "Last week - said Msgr. You - we Korean bishops met. We thought we could ease the restrictions in early April. My diocese would thus have commemorated the anniversary of the death of Saint John Paul II (April 2). However, it is very likely that we will resume public Eucharistic celebrations on Holy Week Monday (April 6), when all the schools in the country will also reopen. In any case, I invited the People of God of my Diocese to pray the Novena starting from April 2, remembering the victims of Covid-19, the poor and marginalized of the world every day. The Novena will end on Good Friday. Thus the Catholics of Daejeon will prepare to celebrate the Lord's Passion and Resurrection, spiritually uniting themselves with humanity's suffering in prayer. For Palm Sunday, we will find a solution. At the moment, the provisions on social distancing make personal confessions problematic; but we plan to start again within the solemnity of Corpus Domini (June 14). The important thing is that we will be able to celebrate Easter in community in our churches, always respecting some preventive measures against the virus. Following the path indicated by Pope Francis, we continue together as a synodal Church, all together. It is a desire, a challenge; but that's how we will overcome." (PF) As of Saturdays positive test count, Virginia had between two and three ICU beds for every diagnosed case of COVID-19. But in Northern Virginia, the 392 confirmed cases already slightly outnumber ICU beds in the region. Most people who test positive for COVID-19 do not require hospitalization, and even fewer require an ICU bed. The state health department reported that, as of Saturday, there had been 99 cumulative hospitalizations related to COVID-19 out of 739 confirmed cases. But Dr. Laurie Forlano, deputy commissioner for population health for the VDH, said in an interview that the department relies on hospitals to report hospitalizations. She said there tends to be a lag in reporting and because its cumulative the number does not represent current hospitalizations. *** The state has also shirked repeated questions about how it will approach offering guidance to hospitals on criteria for rationing health care should the need outstrip the supply, as it did in Italy and as it threatens to in New York. Donald Trumps belittling rant against Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer prompted an angry op-ed from Tuesdays With Morrie author Mitch Albom in the Detroit Free-Press, who told the president to show some respect. Albom, who lives in Detroit, was responding specifically to complaints made by the president against Whitmer in a Fox News interview on Thursday, accusing her of not doing enough to combat the coronavirus pandemic in her state without mentioning her name. His comments came after Whitmer requested more federal support for Michigan medical centers in the form of additional supplies. The governor of Michigan, shes not stepping up, Trump said. I dont know if she knows whats going on, but all she does is sit there and blame the federal government. She doesnt get it done and we send her a lot. Albom urged the president to stop complaining about her complaining. Gretchen Whitmer hasnt done anything that every Michigander doesnt want her to do ask the federal government for masks, ventilators, test kits and other aid to fight the COVID-19 virus that is infecting and killing us. Shes not speaking for herself. Shes speaking for the people. Also Read: What Gateway Pundit (and Trump) Got 'Wrong' About NY Gov Andrew Cuomo and Ventilators And, on March 28, the president tweeted: I love Michigan, one of the reasons we are doing such a GREAT job for them during this horrible Pandemic. Yet your Governor, Gretchen Half Whitmer is way in over her ahead, she doesnt have a clue. Likes blaming everyone for her own ineptitude! #MAGA First of all, she has a name. Gretchen Whitmer. She is not the woman or all she does is sit there or you know who Im talking about all phrases President Donald Trump has used besides saying the actual name of the person Michigan voters elected to govern us, Albom wrote. Its Gretchen Whitmer. Show some respect. At a time when Americans must adjust to a world without hugs, kisses or handshakes, the least a president of the United States can do is call our governor by her name. Story continues You can be Whitmers biggest critic, but you must admit she knows whats going on, Albom continued. She jumped into action early on this virus, dialing down crowd sizes, closing the schools, going after gougers, then shutting the state down altogether, long before most states took similar steps. Albom accused Trump of lashing out against Whitmer and other governors like Washingtons Jay Inslee out of a sense that they were not showing enough gratitude for his administrations support and criticizing Trumps early response to the growing pandemic, which he repeatedly downplayed before multiple U.S. states began closing businesses and ordering citizens to stay home to prevent further spread of the disease. Also Read: Trump, John Kerry Call GOP Rep Thomas Massie a 'Grandstander' and 'A-hole' for Blocking Stimulus Bill Trumps attacks on governors threaten to pull apart the country precisely when it needs to come together, Albom wrote. And you can trace them directly to his hurt feelings. If Trump perceives someone to be critical of him or even his policies, he uses a flamethrower in response. Lets be honest. We have come to tolerate an infantile person in a grown mans job, a baby in a suit. [] Now is not the time to be a child, Mr. President. Now is the time to put away childish things. To be a man. You can begin by respecting a woman. Her name is Gretchen Whitmer. She is our governor. And like her or not, she represents us to you. She counts. We count. Please, at least act like you understand that. As of Sunday, the United States has reached over 125,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus. That is the most of any nation in the world, though the actual number of infected Americans is believed to be far greater due to the lack of testing resources. Over 2,000 Americans and over 30,000 people worldwide have died from the disease. Read original story Mitch Albom Calls on Baby in a Suit Trump to Stop Name-Calling of Governors Amid Coronavirus Crisis At TheWrap New Delhi: The schemes for the merger of ten state-run banks into four lenders are coming into force from April 1, according to the Reserve Bank of India. The banking regulator in separate releases announced that the branches of merging banks will operate as of the banks in which these have been amalgamated. The government on March 4 had notified the amalgamation schemes for 10 state owned banks into four as part of its consolidation plan to create bigger size stronger banks in the public sector. Bank officers' unions, however, earlier this week wrote to the prime minister seeking to defer the merger schemes of lenders due to the lockdown triggered by coronavirus outbreak. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday had clarified that the mega bank consolidation plan was very much on track and would take effect from April 1 despite the onslaught of coronavirus pandemic throwing the country out of gear. As per the scheme, Oriental Bank of Commerce and United Bank of India will be merged into Punjab National Bank; Syndicate Bank into Canara Bank; Allahabad Bank into Indian Bank; and Andhra and Corporation banks into Union Bank of India. Under this, the branches of Oriental Bank of Commerce and United Bank of India will operate as branches of Punjab National Bank from April 1, 2020, and branches of Syndicate Bank as that of Canara Bank, the RBI said in a separate releases. Allahabad Bank branches will operate as those of Indian Bank while the branches of Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank will function as the branches of Union Bank of India from the beginning of next fiscal year 2020-21, the RBI said. "The Amalgamation of Oriental Bank of Commerce and United Bank of India into Punjab National Bank Scheme, 2020 dated March 4, 2020, issued by the Government of India... The scheme comes into force on the 1st day of April 2020," RBI said. In a letter written to the Prime Minister on March 25, the All India Bank Officers'' Confederation (AIBOC) said, "The finance minister yesterday announced a slew of measures in view of the deleterious effect of the contagion. We are also expecting an extension of closing related activities and the revision of the closing date itself from March 31 to June 30, which is the need of the hour." London, March 29 : World Health Organisation's (WHO) former Director General Gro Harlem Brundtland has expressed concern over the global lack of "preparedness" for a worldwide pandemic despite a warning being made in September last year, reports said on Sunday. "....Disease thrives in disorder and has taken advantage--outbreaks have been on the rise for the past several decades and the spectre of a global health emergency looms large. If it is true to say 'what's past is prologue", then there is a very real threat of a rapidly moving, highly lethal pandemic of a respiratory pathogen killing 50 to 80 million people and wiping out nearly 5 per cent of the world's economy. A global pandemic on that scale would be catastrophic, creating widespread havoc, instability and insecurity. The world is not prepared....," Brundtland, the first-ever woman Norwegian Prime Minister, said in the foreword of the September 2019 report of the WHO and World Bank's Global Preparedness Monitoring Board. "For its first report, the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board (GPMB) reviewed recommendations from previous high-level panels and commissions following the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic and the 2014--2016 Ebola outbreak, along with its own commissioned reports and other data. The result is a snapshot of where the world stands in its ability to prevent and contain a global health threat. Many of the recommendations reviewed were poorly implemented, or not implemented at all, and serious gaps persist. For too long, we have allowed a cycle of panic and neglect when it comes to pandemics: we ramp up efforts when there is a serious threat, then quickly forget about them when the threat subsides. It is well past time to act...," it said. Brundtland is co-chair of the GPMB along with Alhadj Es Sy, the Co-Chair Secretary-General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Speaking to BBC's Radio 4, she said: "What we have now is a warned catastrophe. "We saw big alarming gaps in the preparedness of the world and found compelling evidence of a very real threat." "It's not too late but we have to deal with the fact we are already in this now, which means putting emphasis on mobilising funding and (placing) attention on getting the equipment that is needed," she added. I hear socialite Evie Henderson was left distraught last week when her plans to self-isolate in the lap of luxury with her posh influencer pals went awry. The group, which included models Bella Tilbury and Jordan Barrett, headed to a flash pad in Panama after a 13-hour flight only to be told 36 hours into the jolly that they would have to turn around and head home thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. Still, at least they found the time to post a few racy pics on social media, such as this one of Evie. Evie posted the picture, above, onto Instagram, after heading to a flash pad in Panama with her pals only to be told 36 hours into the jolly that they would have to head home Evie Henderson pictured attending the Wildsmith Skin launch dinner co-hosted by Skye Gyngell and Kathleen Baird-Murray at Somerset House on April 18, 2018, in London Performing on stage at Glastonbury would be a dream come true for many stars but not for Sophie Dahl, who tells me she turned the idea down flat. The former model says she was unimpressed when her musician husband Jamie Cullum once offered her the chance to come on stage at the festival as he and eric Idle sang Fat Bottomed Girls. Perhaps Jamie might want to choose a different song next time if he has any hopes of getting Sophie to change her mind. Vogue model Lady Jean Campbell, the daughter of the Earl of Cawdor, is dating Old Etonian army hunk Harry Brockbank, I can reveal. Lady Jean Campbell pictured attending the re-opening of the Louis Vuitton New Bond Street Maison on October 23, 2019 in London, England Chums tell me that the 22-year-old society beauty and Harry, who is currently training at Sandhurst, have been keeping their romance low-key. A close friend says: They are such a cute couple but extremely private Harry is in the army and wants to keep his social media presence to the minimum. In contrast, lady Jean is no stranger to risque snaps. She once posed for Italian brand Bottega Veneta wearing nothing but a large gold chain. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said all migrant workers coming to Uttar Pradesh and those already in the state are his government's responsibility in this hour of crisis and they will be taken care of. He also directed officials to provide all facilities to migrant workers so that they don't have to return to their native places, a statement issued by the Uttar Pradesh government here said. Since the nationwide lockdown was announced on March 24 to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, all business and economic activity has come to a virtual standstill, leaving migrant workers jobless. With no money to pay rent or buy food, thousands have set out on long journeys to their far-flung native villages, defying lockdown orders. "All those who are coming to Uttar Pradesh, or are staying here are our responsibility in this hour of crisis. We will take complete care of them. They are being provided food, water and medicines," the chief minister said. Adityanath interacted with migrant workers during an inspection near the Mohan Toll Plaza on the Lucknow-Agra Expressway and Alambagh intersection, the statement said. He asked the officials to ensure the comfort of all people and get their health check-ups done, it said. He also asked them to quarantine everyone coming from outside the state for 14 days and immediately hospitalise those sick, it added. Meanwhile, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Kumar Awasthi said at a press conference that no landlord will charge next month's rent from a worker or labourer. He warned of strict police action against any landlord found who violates the order. Awasthi said the chief minister has instructed private enterprises and organisations to give full salaries to their employees for the month of March. Salaries should be credited to employees' bank accounts by opening offices on March 30 and 31, he added. Adityanath has appealed to people in the state to follow the lockdown, the chief secretary said. He added that the chief minister has directed that extra food packets be prepared in police lines, so that they can be distributed if people need food. Awasthi said a committee constituted under the chairmanship of agriculture production commissioner has so far allocated 4,935 metric tonnes of wheat through the Food Corporation of India (FCI). A total of 19,941 mobile vans and 21,376 handcarts have been arranged for doorstep delivery of fruits and vegetables, he said. He added that 21.28 lakh litres of milk has been purchased through government dairies, of which 17.13 lakh litres has been distributed. As many as 850 community kitchens have been opened to provide free food and the maximum price of essential commodities is being determined, the statement said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In an open letter, 100 Iranian political and civic activists have accused the Islamic Republic Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei of turning the outbreak of Covid-19 into a national disaster across the country. Furthermore, they have also slammed the Islamic Republic President Hassan Rouhani for aligning himsels with Khamenei in covering up the facts and attributing the novel coronavirus outbreak in Iran to an "enemy plot". All the signatories of the letter, including former consultant at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Behrouz Bayat, Physical Chemistry expert Mehran Mostafavi, and Radio Zamaneh's former Managing-Director Mehdi Jami are based outside Iran. The activists argue that Islamic Republic leaders covered up the outbreak of the deadly virus, lest it discouraged people from participating in the celebration of the Islamic Revolution in February followed by national elections, adding, "Thus, a golden opportunity to contain the dangerous virus was wasted." The Head of the Epidemiology Committee of Iran's Coronavirus Combat Taskforce on Saturday admitted coronavirus (SARS-2-CoV) was spreading in Iran without being noticed since around January 20. In a video conference with reporters, Dr. Ali-Akbar Haqdoust said there was a delay in the detection of the virus in Iran. Iranian Health Ministry officials have until now insisted that the virus arrived in the country about two weeks later, in February. Earlier in March, Khamenei had maintained that the country's coronavirus outbreak could be part of a "biological attack on the Islamic Republic." Speaking on the occasion of the new Iranian year (beginning March 20), Khamenei grabbed the chance to expand on his favorite topic, the "enemy." There are two groups of enemies, humans and the "invisible" Jinns (djins). The jinn, in his belief, are invisible supernatural creatures with extraordinary powers of destruction now working hand in hand with a host of other enemies. Blasting Khamenei for such comments, as well as the Islamic Republic authorities' decision to expel the Paris-based Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) or Doctors Without Borders from Iran, the signatories of the letter state that the life and existence of every individual in the country is taken hostage by the Islamic Republic Supreme Leader, his advisors, and close allies. Moreover, they have harshly criticized Khamenei for his reluctance to allocate one billion dollars from the National Development Fund to fight the spread of coronavirus. President Hassan Rouhani last week asked Khamenei to allocate the money for medical needs. However, Khamenei had earlier endorsed allocating $222 million to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps' (IRGC) extraterritorial arm, the Qods Force. The signatories have also lambasted the Islamic Republic leaders for not granting furlough to all political prisoners whose lives are endangered by the Covid-19 outbreak behind bars. According to the letter, the Islamic establishment is able to suppress widespread anti-regime protests within days, but unable to stop unnecessary inter-city travels to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus. Based on the official data provided by the Islamic Republic Ministry of Health on Sunday, 2,640 have fallen victim to the Covid-19 in Iran. Nevertheless, the data collected by Radio Farda shows that at least 4,298 people in Iran have died from the virus as of March 28. The government is currently preparing a list of relevant locations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says that all the Ukrainians who will return home after March 28 will be kept under two-week mandatory observation. "We are also solving the issue of Ukrainians who did not manage to return home by March 28. Their return by plane, train, bus, car or on foot should be as safe as possible for the others, and therefore it requires a mandatory two-week observation," he said in a video address on Sunday evening. Read alsoNumber of confirmed coronavirus cases in Ukraine rises to 475 by Sunday evening "We are currently preparing a list of relevant locations. In particular, it can be Ukrainian hotels, with which we have already reached an agreement in advance. Each premises for mandatory observation will be prepared in strict accordance with the requirements of the Ministry of Health," he added. The coronavirus-related quarantine in Ukraine is in effect until April 24. The Ukrainian border was closed and all regular services of passenger transportation by plane or by train were halted on March 28. Ukrainians are now able to cross the Ukrainian border on foot or by car via specially designated checkpoints. Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have developed mobile applications for monitoring people under quarantine and inform their contacts about the same to check the spread of coronavirus. The central government and other state governments are also leveraging technology to control the pandemic. "We have developed the app and it will be available on Google Playstore within a couple of days. It is a must for those people in the home quarantine to download this app and keep it active all the time. If they don't follow it then they will be brought to mass quarantine," Munish Moudgil, secretary of Covid-19 War Room, Karnataka told PTI. According to Corona Watch App details submitted on Google Playstore, it will show locations of corona affected patients and their movement history of 14 days that can be used by the public to keep a check on their movement also. If other people on the app find rule violation by a quarantined person, then they can call numbers provided by state government for action. Moudgil said the person cannot delete or manipulate the app during the quarantine period as the state government will monitor it continuously. "The person will also need to click his photo everyday and submit. We have details of all the people in the quarantine list. A message will be sent out to them once the app is live for download. We also have a dedicated team in place to verify photos as well," he said. The Karnataka government is asking primary and secondary contact of the person testing positive to go for home quarantine. "The number keeps changing everyday. As on date, we have around 20,000 people in home quarantine across the state," Moudgil said. The Tamil Nadu government has also developed the covid-19 Quarantine Monitor Tamil Nadu app on similar lines. Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba on Friday asked all the states to effectively monitor 15 lakh international air passengers who came from January 18 to March 23. He said that there appears to be a gap between the actual monitoring for covid-19 and the total arrivals. In a letter to chief secretaries of all states and Union territories, Gauba said such a gap in monitoring of international passengers may seriously jeopardise the efforts to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, given that many amongst the persons who have tested positive for the virus so far in India have a history of international travel. Some other state governments like Kerala and Punjab have developed app for people to get access to services being provided to coronavirus victims, advisories and precautions. The Ministry of Electronics and IT is also testing an app to monitor coronavirus patients but it is more about feedback on their treatment and status thereafter. A ministry official said details will be shared once the app is formally launched. Meity's MyGov department has started information sharing on social media platforms like Facebook and Whatsapp. It has also launched a channel on instant messaging app Telegram which can be accessed by an unlimited number of people. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) So Halloran could consider stopping mammograms, or at least having them less often. But her doctor has never discussed that prospect. She says, These are the things you need to do, Halloran said. Besides, she added, its an easy test: Go once a year, hold your breath and youre done for another year. Its just routine. Bakersfield, CA (93308) Today Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low near 45F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low near 45F. Winds light and variable. When historians tally up the many missteps policymakers have made in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the senseless and unscientific push for the general public to avoid wearing masks should be near the top. The evidence not only fails to support the push, it also contradicts it. It can take a while for official recommendations to catch up with scientific thinking. In this case, such delays might be deadly and economically disastrous. It's time to make masks a key part of our fight to contain, then defeat, this pandemic. Masks effective at "flattening the curve" can be made at home with nothing more than a T-shirt and a pair of scissors. We should all wear masks - store-bought or homemade - whenever we're out in public. At the height of the HIV crisis, authorities did not tell people to put away condoms. As fatalities from car crashes mounted, no one recommended avoiding seat belts. Yet in a global respiratory pandemic, people who should know better are discouraging Americans from using respiratory protection. Facing shortages of the N95 masks needed by health-care workers, the U.S. surgeon general announced on Feb. 29 that masks "are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus," despite significant scientific evidence to the contrary. This is not just a problem in the United States: Even the World Health Organization says, "you only need to wear a mask if you are taking care of a person with suspected 2019-nCoV infection." There are good reasons to believe DIY masks would help a lot. Look at Hong Kong, Mongolia, South Korea and Taiwan, all of which have covid-19 largely under control. They are all near the original epicenter of the pandemic in mainland China, and they have economic ties to China. Yet none has resorted to a lockdown, such as in China's Wuhan province. In all of these countries, all of which were hit hard by the SARS respiratory virus outbreak in 2002 and 2003, everyone is wearing masks in public. George Gao, director general of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, stated, "Many people have asymptomatic or presymptomatic infections. If they are wearing face masks, it can prevent droplets that carry the virus from escaping and infecting others." My data-focused research institute, fast.ai, has found 34 scientific papers indicating basic masks can be effective in reducing virus transmission in public - and not a single paper that shows clear evidence that they cannot. Studies have documented definitively that in controlled environments like airplanes, people with masks rarely infect others and rarely become infected themselves, while those without masks more easily infect others or become infected themselves. Masks don't have to be complex to be effective. A 2013 paper tested a variety of household materials and found that something as simple as two layers of a cotton T-shirt is highly effective at blocking virus particles of a wide range of sizes. Oxford University found evidence this month for the effectiveness of simple fabric mouth and nose covers to be so compelling they now are officially acceptable for use in a hospital in many situations. Hospitals running short of N95-rated masks are turning to homemade cloth masks themselves; if it's good enough to use in a hospital, it's good enough for a walk to the store. The reasons the WHO cites for its anti-mask advice are based not on science but on three spurious policy arguments. First, there are not enough masks for hospital workers. Second, masks may themselves become contaminated and pass on an infection to the people wearing them. Third, masks could encourage people to engage in more risky behavior. None of these is a good reason to avoid wearing a mask in public. Yes, there is a shortage of manufactured masks, and these should go to hospital workers. But anyone can make a mask at home by cutting up a cotton T-shirt, tying it back together and then washing it at the end of the day. Another approach, recommended by the Hong Kong Consumer Council, involves rigging a simple mask with a paper towel and rubber bands that can be thrown in the trash at the end of each day. It's true that masks can become contaminated. But better a mask gets contaminated than the person who is wearing it. It is not hard to wash or dispose of a mask at the end of the day and then wash hands thoroughly to prevent a contaminated mask from spreading infection. Finally, the idea that masks encourage risky behavior is nonsensical. We give cars anti-lock brakes and seat belts despite the possibility that people might drive more riskily knowing the safety equipment is there. Construction workers wear hard hats even though the hats presumably could encourage less attention to safety. If any risky behavior does occur, societies have the power to make laws against it. Many authorities still advise only people with symptoms to wear masks. But this doesn't help with a disease like covid-19, since a person who does not yet show symptoms can still be contagious. A study in Iceland, where there has been unprecedented levels of testing, found that "about half of those who tested positive (for covid-19) are nonsymptomatic," according to Iceland's chief epidemiologist, Thorolfur Gudnason. In fact, in early February, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci warned there was strong evidence that covid-19 spreads even among people without symptoms. If we all wear masks, people unknowingly infected with the coronavirus would be less likely to spread it. I also have heard suggestions that widespread usage of masks in the West will be culturally impossible. The story of the Czech Republic debunks this notion. Social media influencers campaigning to encourage DIY mask creation catalyzed an extraordinary mobilization by nearly the whole population. Within three days, there were enough masks for everyone in the country, and most people were wearing them. This was an entirely grass-roots community effort. When social distancing requirements forced a small bar in Prague to close, its owner, Stefan Olejar, converted Bar Behind the Curtain into a mask manufacturing facility. He procured sewing machines from the community and makes about 400 cotton masks per day. The bar employs 10 people, including a driver who distributes the masks directly to people who are not able to leave their homes. There are "mask trees" on street corners around the country, where people hang up masks they have made so others can take them. The most important message shared in the Czech Republic has been this: "My mask protects you; your mask protects me." Wearing a mask there is now considered a prosocial behavior. Going outside without one is frowned on as an antisocial action that puts your community at risk. In fact, the community reaction has been so strong that the government has responded by making it illegal to go out in public without a mask. When I first started wearing a mask in public, I felt a bit odd. But I reminded myself I'm helping my community, and I'm sure in the coming weeks people who don't wear masks will be the ones who feel out of place. Now I'm trying to encourage everyone to join me - and to get their friends to wear masks, too - with a social media campaign around #masks4all. Community use of masks alone is not enough to stop the spread. Restrictions on movement and commerce need to stay in place until hospital systems clearly are able to handle the patient load. Then, we need a rigorous system of contact tracing, testing and quarantine of those potentially infected. Given the weight of evidence, it seems likely that universal mask wearing should be a part of the solution. Every single one of us can make it happen - starting today. - - - Howard is a distinguished research scientist at the University of San Francisco, founding researcher at fast.ai and a member of the World Economic Forum's Global AI Council. - The man identified as Laban Kimungu had been undergoing treatment for cancer - He was from Molo, Nakuru county and was living with his family in the US - His death comes after Kenya announced the first death from the virus - Thirty eight cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Kenya as of Saturday, March 28 A Kenyan man has succumbed to the deadly COVID-19 disease in Massachusetts, United States of America (USA). The man identified as Laban Kimungu had been undergoing treatment for an underlying condition when he succumbed to the pandemic on Wednesday, March 25. READ ALSO: Covid-19: Zimbabwe to go into lockdown for 21 days Laban Kimungu was also suffering from cancer. Photo: Samrack. Source: UGC READ ALSO: I'm sorry I didn't do this on purpose: Kilifi deputy governor Saburi apologises for skipping self-quarantine His family from Molo, Nakuru county said the deceased who lived in the US with his children was being treated for cancer before he contracted the virus. It is with humble acceptance of Gods will that we announce the promotion to glory of Laban Kimungu Njoroge of Molo. He had been undergoing treatment for an underlying condition when he succumbed to COVID-19 on March 25," the family in a statement according to Samrack, a Kenyan diaspora website. The novel coronavirus. Photo: WGBH. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Bungoma: Polisi wavamia ibada ya kesha na kumpa kichapo padre The family said it was holding e-virtual memorial services every night from 8pm, Eastern Standard Time (EST). On Tuesday, March 31, we will have a celebration of life, service from 7pm with cremation to follow on Wednesday, April 1, 2020, the statement added. Kimungu's death comes after Kenya announced the first death from the virus in the country. In a statement on Thursday, March 26, Health CS Mutahi Kagwe said the 66-year-old man was suffering from diabetes and had arrived in the country on March 13 from South Africa via Swaziland. Health CS Mutahi Kagwe has confirmed new seven cases of COVID-19 bringing the total number of infections to 38. Photo: MoH. Source: Facebook "We have received the sad news of the death patient who had tested positive for coronavirus. The man who was suffering from diabetes arrived on the country on March 13," the CS said in a statement. Kenya has so far confirmed 38 cases of coronavirus as of Saturday, March 28, after Kagwe confirmed seven more cases of the disease. "In the last 24 hours, a total of 81 samples from suspected cases have been analysed. We have received confirmation of seven people who have tested positive for coronavirus. 4 are Kenyans, 2 Congolese nationals and 1 Chinese national. This now brings the number to 38," he said. Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news. Heri tupate Corona kushinda teargas: Kenyans tell Government over Curfew and fare hikes | Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke T he UK could face another six months of lockdown measures before life gets back to normal amid the coronavirus pandemic, deputy chief medical officer Dr Jenny Harries has said. Speaking at the daily Covid-19 press conference at Downing Street, Dr Harries said the lockdown measures will be reviewed in three weeks after Easter but they may be in place for much longer. She said that even if the UK is successful at quashing the rising curve of new cases, the country must not "suddenly revert to our normal way of living" straight away. It comes after the Government introduced stringent lockdown measures, ordering Brits to stay at home while the death toll soared and case numbers skyrocketed. Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures 1 /81 Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures A deserted Westminster Bridge PA A man wearing a face mask or covering due to the COVID-19 pandemic, walks past customers sat outside a restaurant AFP via Getty Images Boris Johnson addresses the nation on the Coronavirus lockdown Andrew Parsons Runners pass cardboard cutouts of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince William during the London Marathon in London AP An empty escalator at Charing Coss London Underground tube station Jeremy Selwyn Electronic bilboards displays a message warning people to stay home in Sheffield PA A sign is displayed in the window of a student accommodation building following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Mancheste Reuters People take part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions, in Londo AP People sing and dance in Leicester Square on the eve on the 10PM curfew Reuters Hearts painted by a team of artists from Upfest are seen in the grass at Queen Square, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Bristol Reuters Graffiti reads 'good luck and stay safe', as the number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases grow around the world, under a bridge in London Reuters A sign is pictured in Soho, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London Reuters Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures, during a coronavirus briefing in Downing Street, London AP A person runs past posters with a message of hope, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Manchester REUTERS Riot police face protesters who took part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions in London AP An image of The Queen eith quotes from her broadcast to the UK and the Commonwealth in relation to the Coronavirus epidemic are displayed on lights in London's Piccadilly Circus PA Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' hospital Getty Images Durdle Door in Dorset Reuters Captain Tom Moore via Reuters Mia, aged 8, and Jack, aged 5, take part in "PE with Joe" a daily live workout with Joe Wicks on Youtube to help kids stay fit who have to stay indoors due to the Coronavirus outbreak PA An NHS worker reacts at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital during the Clap for our Carers campaign in support of the NHS Reuters Goats which have taken over the deserted streets of Llandudno @AndrewStuart via PA Tobias Weller PA Novikov restaurant in London with its shutters pulled down while the restaurant is closed London Landscapes: Hyde Park and the Serpentine, central London. Matt Writtle A newspaper vendor in Manchester city centre giving away free toilet rolls with every paper bought as shops run low on supplies due to fears over the spread of the coronavirus PA Theo Clay looks out of his window next to his hand-drawn picture of a rainbow in Liverpool, as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continue Reuters A young man cuts another man's hair on top of a closed hairdresser in Oxford Reuters General view of the new NHS Nightingale Hospital, built to fight against the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London via Reuters Jason Baird is seen dressed as Spiderman during his daily exercise to cheer up local children in Stockport, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters A woman wearing a face mask walks past Buckingham Palace Getty Images A man holds mobile phone displaying a text message alert sent by the government warning that new rules are in force across the UK and people must stay at home PA Medical staff on the Covid-19 ward at the Neath Port Talbot Hospital, in Wales, as the health services continue their response to the coronavirus outbreak. PA Prime Minister Boris Johnson taking part in a virtual Cabinet meeting with his top team of ministers PA A shopper walks past empty shelves in a Lidl store on in Wallington. After spates of "panic buying" cleared supermarket shelves of items like toilet paper and cleaning products, stores across the UK have introduced limits on purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some have also created special time slots for the elderly and other shoppers vulnerable to the new coronavirus. Getty Images People on a busy tube train in London at rush hour PA Mia, aged 8 and her brother Jack, aged 5 from Essex, continue their school work at home, after being sent home due to the coronavirus PA Children are painting 'Chase the rainbows' artwork and springing up in windows across the country Reuters Social distancing in Primrose Hill Jeremy Selwyn A general view of a locked gate at Anfield, Liverpool as The Premier League has been suspended PA Homeless people in London AFP via Getty Images A piece of art by the artist, known as the Rebel Bear has appeared on a wall on Bank Street in Glasgow. The new addition to Glasgow's street art is capturing the global Coronavirus crisis. The piece features a woman and a man pulling back to give each other a kiss PA The Queen leaves Buckingham Palace, London, for Windsor Castle to socially distance herself amid the coronavirus pandemic PA A general view on Grey street, Newcastle as coronavirus cases grow around the world Reuters Matt Raw, a British national who returned from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, leaves quaratine at Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside PA Britain's Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty (L) and Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance look on as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures as he speaks during a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) news conference inside 10 Downing Street Reuters The ticket-validation terminals at the tram stop on Edinburgh's Princes Street are cleaned following the coronavirus outbreak. PA Locked school gates at Rockcliffe First School in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear PA A sign at a Sainsbury's supermarket informs customers that limits have been set on a small number of products as the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases grow around the world Reuters Jawad Javed delivers coronavirus protection kits that he and his wife have put together to the vulnerable people of their community of Stenhousemuir, between Glasgow and Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images A sign advertising a book titled "How Will We Survive On Earth?" Getty Images A man who appears to be homeless sleeping wearing a mask today in Victoria Jeremy Selwyn A pedestrian walks past graffiti that reads "Diseases are in the City" in Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images Staff from The Lyric Theatre, London inform patrons, as it shuts its doors PA A quiet looking George IV Bridge in Edinburgh PA A quieter than usual British Museum Getty Images A racegoer attends Cheltenham in a fashionable face mask SplashNews.com A commuter wears a face mask at London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn A empty restaurant in the Bull Ring Shopping Centre Getty Images A deserted Trafalgar Square in London PA Passengers determined to avoid the coronavirus before leaving the UK arrive at Gatwick Airport Getty Images Dr Harris said: The issue of the three weeks is for us to review where we are and see if weve had an impact jointly on the slope of that curve. But I think to make it clear to the public if we are successful we will have squashed the top of that curve, which is brilliant, but we must not then suddenly revert to our normal way of living that would be quite dangerous. If we stop then all of our efforts will be wasted and we could potentially see a second peak. So over time, probably over the next six months, we will have a three-week review. Robert Jenrick: all parts of the country on 'emergency footing' as PPE delivered to NHS staff She also said that people had taken quite some time to get used to this new way of living, but there was evidence the country was getting better at social distancing. When asked to clarify whether the country would be on lockdown for the next six months, she said: We actually anticipate our numbers will get worse over the next week, possibly two, and then we are looking to see whether we have managed to push that curve down and we start to see a decline. She added: This is not to say we would be in complete lockdown for six months, but as a nation we have to be really, really responsible and keep doing what were all doing until were sure we can gradually start lifting various interventions which are likely to be spaced based on the science and our data until we gradually come back to a normal way of living. Dr Harries also said she expected the coronavirus death toll to increase for the next week or two. She added: But then we anticipate that if we keep doing what were doing we do anticipate that those numbers will start to drop. Asked about death figures she said it lags behind our impressions on the rate of increase of infections. So, we just need to watch it carefully, hold tight for a week or two, keep doing what were doing and then come back and ask me the question again and I think hopefully we will be on the way down a little bit. Dr Harries appeared alongside Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick who said that the Government has now put every part of the UK on an "emergency footing". He said that the new measure was unlike anything implemented by a British administration "since the Second World War". "This means that we are establishing strategic coordination centres across the whole country," he said. A Malayali youth who was reportedly a suicide bomber in a gurdwara in Afghanistan was suspected to have spent some time in Bengaluru as well. Kerala police sources confirmed that Kasargod native Mohsin, 29, was the one said to be involved in the Kabul incident on Wednesday. However, he was not much in the radar of security agencies in Kerala as he joined the IS from Dubai in 2018. According to sources in Kerala police, after completing twelfth-standard education at Thrikarippur in Kasargod, he spent about a year in Bengaluru. Later he worked in an oil firm in Dubai, went to Malaysia where his parents were working and worked in a hotel there and returned to India in 2016. Afterwards he also worked in Saudi Arabia for some time and returned to Kerala. After spending around four months here he went to Dubai in 2018. "We had no information of any extremist activities or connection of the Mohsin while in Kerala," said a senior official. The police have so far obtained details of around 100 Malayali joining IS and over a dozen being killed in encounters. Two Malayali women who accompanied their husbands to cross borders and join IS had recently expressed their regrets and wished to return to India. HARTFORD, Conn. - Connecticut political leaders had mixed views and lots of questions after President Donald Trump said Saturday a coronavirus quarantine might be needed for residents of their state, as well as New York and New Jersey. But the president backed away from the idea late Saturday and tweeted that a travel advisory would be issued. It urges residents of the three states to avoid any nonessential travel for two weeks. Meanwhile, New Haven worked with local universities to set up temporary housing for first responders and Yale reversed an initial answer that it couldnt do so for weeks. Here are the latest coronavirus developments in Connecticut: A TRI-STATE QUARANTINE? Trump told reporters at the White House he was weighing the idea of a quarantine to prevent people in the tri-state area from travelling for a short time, but he later said a travel advisory would be issued. Taken by surprise, some Connecticut officials wondered what such a quarantine would mean and how it would work. Others said they were open to any ideas on preventing the virus spread. Gov. Ned Lamont said Trumps comments created some confusion, and that he hoped the White House would clarify what it wants by the end of Saturday evening. He got his wish. Trump tweeted late in the day that hed spoken to all three governors and at the recommendation of his task force was asking the Centers for Disease Control to issue a travel advisory for the area. The CDC said it was urging residents of all three states to avoid any nonessential travel for two weeks. Confusion can lead to panic, Lamont, a Democrat, told a news conference. He said such a quarantine order would be impossible to enforce, given the spiderweb of roads. In broaching the idea, the president cited requests from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a fellow Republican and outspoken Trump supporter. DeSantis has complained that people have come to his state from New York, the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak, and ordered them to isolate themselves on arrival for 14 days. All 50 U.S. states have reported some cases of the virus that causes COVID-19. The federal government has the power to take measures to prevent the spread of communicable diseases among states, but its not clear whether that means Trump can order people not to leave their states. U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. said the idea raises very significant questions, calling it unclear how such a quarantine would be enforced and whether it would have any meaning. The specifics and impact are completely unclear and uncertain, he said, noting that Lamont has already directed the states residents to self-quarantine. Since Trump has said he wants the country opened up and just raring to go by Easter, Blumenthal suggested the quarantine idea just adds to the confusion. In Bridgeport, Connecticuts largest city, Mayor Joe Ganim said he wouldnt dismiss anybodys ideas for stronger measures to contain the outbreak. Bridgeport is 50 miles (80 km) from New York City and is within Fairfield County, which counts over 750 of the more than 1,200 coronavirus cases reported statewide. Im open to doing whatever it takes to stay ahead of this, said Ganim, a Democrat. We are evaluating and deliberating and open to ideas from the president, our governor, and other mayors. New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker also said officials need to look at all kinds of ways to make sure that people stop interacting with each other. But he cautioned that a forced quarantine could have unintended consequences. Does that cover health care workers? Does that cover someone that works at a gas station that a health care worker may need to get gas to get to the hospital? the Democrat asked. If the president does end up implementing this, I think we have to be cautious about how we implement it. For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death. ___ CAMPUS HOUSING FOR FIRST RESPONDERS Police and firefighters who are awaiting coronavirus test results or have relatives who have been exposed to the virus will be able to move into a University of New Haven dormitory in the coming days, Elicker said. But Yale University initially declined his request to make rooms available promptly, though the Ivy League school changed course Saturday. The number of cases in New Haven has doubled to more than 50 in recent days, and Yale New Haven Hospital physicians have warned that the city may be at the beginning of a surge of new cases. Dr. Rick Martinello said Friday the peak could be two to four weeks out. Yale said Friday that it couldnt make dorm rooms available for weeks because students belongings were still there. Elicker, who has a Yale masters degree in business and environmental management, noted that UNH had managed to clear space quickly. Generally, in times of crisis, were looking for everyone not to find ways to say no but to find ways to say yes, the mayor said at an online news conference Saturday. Yale President Peter Salovey said Saturday that the university would make 300 beds available for first responders and hospital personnel by the end of this coming week. We are eager to help New Haven with this need, Salovey said in a statement, noting that Yale is also working to provide swift testing for first responders in its labs and is raising a $5 million fund to help the city deal with the virus outbreak. The university is contributing $1 million. Town-gown relations have hit rocky points many times over their centuries-long history. But now more than ever, Yale and City Hall need to be on the same page, Salovey said. Elicker said hed also discussed the temporary housing need with Southern Connecticut State University. ___ MEDICAL TENTS The Connecticut National Guard has deployed two climate-controlled tents at the VA Medical Center in Newington to deal with possible patient overflow in the future, similar to tents put up on grounds of the VA hospital in West Haven, Lamont said Friday. Mobile field hospitals have also been set up on the grounds of Saint Francis Hospital in Hartford and Danbury Hospital and another one was expected to be set up at Middlesex Hospital in Middletown in the coming days, he said. A n outsourcing firm running NHS 111 services is facing allegations of breaching the coronavirus social distancing rules. Staff are being made to work "desk to desk", it is said. Labour has written to Health Secretary Matt Hancock with "urgent concerns" about a call centre operated by Sitel in Plymouth. MP Luke Pollard said numerous workers at the site told him that up to 200 staff are working "desk to desk" in close proximity on one floor of the building. Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures 1 /81 Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures A deserted Westminster Bridge PA A man wearing a face mask or covering due to the COVID-19 pandemic, walks past customers sat outside a restaurant AFP via Getty Images Boris Johnson addresses the nation on the Coronavirus lockdown Andrew Parsons Runners pass cardboard cutouts of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince William during the London Marathon in London AP An empty escalator at Charing Coss London Underground tube station Jeremy Selwyn Electronic bilboards displays a message warning people to stay home in Sheffield PA A sign is displayed in the window of a student accommodation building following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Mancheste Reuters People take part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions, in Londo AP People sing and dance in Leicester Square on the eve on the 10PM curfew Reuters Hearts painted by a team of artists from Upfest are seen in the grass at Queen Square, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Bristol Reuters Graffiti reads 'good luck and stay safe', as the number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases grow around the world, under a bridge in London Reuters A sign is pictured in Soho, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London Reuters Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures, during a coronavirus briefing in Downing Street, London AP A person runs past posters with a message of hope, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Manchester REUTERS Riot police face protesters who took part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions in London AP An image of The Queen eith quotes from her broadcast to the UK and the Commonwealth in relation to the Coronavirus epidemic are displayed on lights in London's Piccadilly Circus PA Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' hospital Getty Images Durdle Door in Dorset Reuters Captain Tom Moore via Reuters Mia, aged 8, and Jack, aged 5, take part in "PE with Joe" a daily live workout with Joe Wicks on Youtube to help kids stay fit who have to stay indoors due to the Coronavirus outbreak PA An NHS worker reacts at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital during the Clap for our Carers campaign in support of the NHS Reuters Goats which have taken over the deserted streets of Llandudno @AndrewStuart via PA Tobias Weller PA Novikov restaurant in London with its shutters pulled down while the restaurant is closed London Landscapes: Hyde Park and the Serpentine, central London. Matt Writtle A newspaper vendor in Manchester city centre giving away free toilet rolls with every paper bought as shops run low on supplies due to fears over the spread of the coronavirus PA Theo Clay looks out of his window next to his hand-drawn picture of a rainbow in Liverpool, as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continue Reuters A young man cuts another man's hair on top of a closed hairdresser in Oxford Reuters General view of the new NHS Nightingale Hospital, built to fight against the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London via Reuters Jason Baird is seen dressed as Spiderman during his daily exercise to cheer up local children in Stockport, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters A woman wearing a face mask walks past Buckingham Palace Getty Images A man holds mobile phone displaying a text message alert sent by the government warning that new rules are in force across the UK and people must stay at home PA Medical staff on the Covid-19 ward at the Neath Port Talbot Hospital, in Wales, as the health services continue their response to the coronavirus outbreak. PA Prime Minister Boris Johnson taking part in a virtual Cabinet meeting with his top team of ministers PA A shopper walks past empty shelves in a Lidl store on in Wallington. After spates of "panic buying" cleared supermarket shelves of items like toilet paper and cleaning products, stores across the UK have introduced limits on purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some have also created special time slots for the elderly and other shoppers vulnerable to the new coronavirus. Getty Images People on a busy tube train in London at rush hour PA Mia, aged 8 and her brother Jack, aged 5 from Essex, continue their school work at home, after being sent home due to the coronavirus PA Children are painting 'Chase the rainbows' artwork and springing up in windows across the country Reuters Social distancing in Primrose Hill Jeremy Selwyn A general view of a locked gate at Anfield, Liverpool as The Premier League has been suspended PA Homeless people in London AFP via Getty Images A piece of art by the artist, known as the Rebel Bear has appeared on a wall on Bank Street in Glasgow. The new addition to Glasgow's street art is capturing the global Coronavirus crisis. The piece features a woman and a man pulling back to give each other a kiss PA The Queen leaves Buckingham Palace, London, for Windsor Castle to socially distance herself amid the coronavirus pandemic PA A general view on Grey street, Newcastle as coronavirus cases grow around the world Reuters Matt Raw, a British national who returned from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, leaves quaratine at Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside PA Britain's Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty (L) and Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance look on as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures as he speaks during a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) news conference inside 10 Downing Street Reuters The ticket-validation terminals at the tram stop on Edinburgh's Princes Street are cleaned following the coronavirus outbreak. PA Locked school gates at Rockcliffe First School in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear PA A sign at a Sainsbury's supermarket informs customers that limits have been set on a small number of products as the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases grow around the world Reuters Jawad Javed delivers coronavirus protection kits that he and his wife have put together to the vulnerable people of their community of Stenhousemuir, between Glasgow and Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images A sign advertising a book titled "How Will We Survive On Earth?" Getty Images A man who appears to be homeless sleeping wearing a mask today in Victoria Jeremy Selwyn A pedestrian walks past graffiti that reads "Diseases are in the City" in Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images Staff from The Lyric Theatre, London inform patrons, as it shuts its doors PA A quiet looking George IV Bridge in Edinburgh PA A quieter than usual British Museum Getty Images A racegoer attends Cheltenham in a fashionable face mask SplashNews.com A commuter wears a face mask at London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn A empty restaurant in the Bull Ring Shopping Centre Getty Images A deserted Trafalgar Square in London PA Passengers determined to avoid the coronavirus before leaving the UK arrive at Gatwick Airport Getty Images Mr Pollard said he had been told people are required to go to work or risk their employment even if they are closely associated with people who are self-isolating. With one worker saying they are "just terrified to go to work", Mr Pollard also said he was told there is no deep cleaning of working spaces. "From the conversations I have had with people who work on this service I believe that these practices go against your advice on social distancing and increase the chance for the virus to spread in this environment," he wrote to Mr Hancock. "A coronavirus outbreak at this call centre would be devastating for the UK's response to the pandemic and could result in more deaths in the long term." He urged the Cabinet minister to clarify the rules, which the Government says should keep staff two metres apart wherever possible. Earlier this week, Sitel Group directed staff to follow stricter social distancing after the PA news agency reported a claim that space at one of its offices had been "maxed out" due to new recruits. Speaking on condition of anonymity, an employee at one of Sitel's two sites in Stratford-on-Avon in Warwickshire said break rooms had been crowded and some staff recruited to the helpline had been given only around an hour's training on guiding documents. The group is yet to comment on the latest allegations. But an earlier statement said: "We have directed all sites to follow stricter social distancing practices in line with recent Government directives and increased cleaning measures to ensure our teams, including those with key and essential workers status, have every resource available to continue serving communities in the safest manner possible. COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Gov. Mike DeWine on Sunday sharply criticized the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for approving only limited use of a new mask-cleaning technology developed by an Ohio research firm, saying the decision would harm the nations fight to protect front-line medical workers and first responders against the coronavirus. DeWines uncharacteristic rebuke of the federal COVID-19 response spurred a quick response, prompting President Donald Trump and U.S. Food and Drug Commissioner Stephen Hahn to call him directly within hours, according to DeWine. DeWine told reporters Sunday that Hahn had called him just before his impromptu press conference was to have begun. He told me this would be cleared up today, he thought we would be able to have what we want, DeWine said. "And what we want is help for our first responders, what we want is help for our medical personnel who definitely need this. DeWine had touted the new technology, developed by Battelle, at a Saturday news conference, saying his administration was pushing the FDA to approve its use in Ohio and three areas hit hard by COVID-19 -- Seattle, New York and Washington D.C. Battelle leaders said their technology could sterilize up to 160,000 respirator masks for re-use per day in Ohio alone. The firm said Saturday the first completed system is in transit and will be placed at an undisclosed location in the New York metropolitan area to address that citys critical shortage of PPE [personal protective equipment] needed by healthcare workers and first responders. But the FDA only granted Battelle permission to clean masks at its Columbus headquarters, and only 10,000 per day. The FDAs limited approval allows for the masks to be sanitized and re-used up to 20 times. DeWine issued a scathing statement on Sunday morning, calling the decision "nothing short of reckless." Battelles innovative technology has the capability to protect healthcare professionals and first responders in Ohio and across the country, but in this time of crisis, the FDA has decided not to support those who are risking their lives to save others," he said. "This is a matter of life and death. I am not only disappointed by this development, but Im also stunned that the FDA would decline to do all it can to protect this countrys frontline workers in this serious time of need. In a Saturday letter to Battelle officials, FDA Chief Scientist Denise Hinton outlines protocols for instructing employees how to use the device and reporting the results to the FDA. But she did not explicitly spell out the case for initially limiting its use. I have concluded ... that it is reasonable to believe that the known and potential benefits of the authorized Battelle Decontamination System, when used and labeled consistently with the Scope of Authorization of this letter ... outweigh the known and potential risks of such products, the letter states. (Scroll down to read the letter, or click here for a PDF) In a Saturday blog post about its COVID-19 response, the agency said it was taking every possible action and providing maximum regulatory flexibility to try to address the national shortage of protective equipment for medical workers. Later Sunday morning, DeWine tweeted that he had spoken with Trump about the issue. Trump said he will do everything he can to get this approved today," DeWine said on Twitter. I have just talked with @realDonaldTrump about this issue, and we had a good conversation. He understands the problem and says he will do everything he can to get this approved today. Thank you, @POTUS. https://t.co/iha2F2AXgv Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) March 29, 2020 Trump in a tweet early Sunday afternoon urged the FDA to approve Battelles devices. Hope the FDA can approve Mask Sterilization equipment ASAP. As per Governor @MikeDeWine, there is a company in Ohio, @Battelle, which has equipment that can sterilize masks quickly. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 29, 2020 Battelle for decades has developed technology used by the military to protect against biological and chemical hazards. It said the new mask-cleaning technology builds off research conducted for the FDA in 2015 that assessed the feasibility of cleaning N95 respirator masks in the event of a PPE shortage resulting from a pandemic. The technology uses hydrogen peroxide in a cleaning process that takes several hours, according to Battelle officials. They believe it could be used to safely address a shortage of PPE, and have been making plans to distribute the devices nationally, including immediately deploying them in New York City. DeWine said he had gone to bed Saturday night thinking the technology had been approved for widespread use. But he said he awoke Sunday morning to learn it was only limited approval. Needless to say, I was quite angry, DeWine said I picked up the phone and called President Trump. The president called me back. We had a great conversation. He told me that he would do everything he could to make sure this got done today. Battelle CEO Lou Von Treer said his staff had been in contact with FDA regulators, explaining to them how the technology works and sharing their internal testing data. He said their concerns were more about how the technology would be used and scaled up, rather than with the underlying technology itself. Weve been back and forth in dialogue. I think theyre very comfortable with the technology, and its just the logistics and making sure they understand exactly how were going to use these systems and parsing through those final details," he said. After his briefing, DeWine tweeted that hed spoken with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, about his conversations with the president and the FDA. I talked with @NYGovCuomo a short time ago to update him on @Battelle's sterilization technology and our progress with @US_FDA. He was happy to hear that this critical N95 sterilization could soon be happening for frontline workers in NY. We'll update everyone when we hear more. Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) March 29, 2020 Read recent Ohio coronavirus coverage: Machines could sanitize 160,000 masks for reuse each day in Ohio, if approved by FDA Ohio coronavirus cases surpass 1,000 mark with 19 deaths: Gov. Mike DeWines Friday, March 27 briefing So what is the potential peak of coronavirus cases in Ohio? Sorting out the various projections Mapping Ohios 1,137 coronavirus cases, plus daily trends Gov. Mike DeWines urgent call: Ohio must triple hospital capacity by mid-April for coronavirus peak Coping with coronavirus: Guide aims to ease fear of pandemic disease As travellers across the world practice staying at home and social distancing, Monaco has launched an upgraded virtual tour of the entire principality that will keep them engaged. With so much to explore, now is the best time to immerse yourselves in a virtual tour of the renowned city and start planning a future trip. The Visit Monaco team has worked painstakingly to develop a virtual travel experience called Monaco 360, which allows a 360-degree virtual visit to the principality. The tour allows viewers to get a panoramic view of Monacos stunning French Riviera coastline and skyline while zooming in to see the citys main destinations in spectacular detail. From the glistening yacht-lined shores of the Port Hercule to the soothing tree-lined walkways of the Jardin of Saint-Martin, and the storied marine-inspired hallways of Oceanographic Museum of Monaco, viewers can take a deep dive into Monacos greatest attractions and learn about the principalitys rich history and culture. The virtual tour also includes some of Monacos well-known hotels like the iconic Hotel de Paris and the five-star Metropole Monte-Carlo. Viewers can get a first-hand look at their exquisite architecture and decor and experience their sophisticated rooms which have set the standard for hotels across the world. The virual platform can be accessed at http://monaco360.visitmonaco.com/ - TradeArabia News Service By Curt Prendergast and Vianney Cardenas Merchants in downtown Nogales, Arizona, put padlocks on their doors and lowered metal gates over their storefronts last week, one of the only options left to them now that most of their customers cant get to their stores. The vast majority of their customers are Mexican shoppers who buy jeans, dresses, shirts, toys and numerous other items. Last weekend, U.S. officials started blocking non-essential travel from Mexico as a precaution against the coronavirus. Now, those shoppers are no longer allowed to cross the border and browse the stores that run along Morley Avenue right up to the border. Within days of the travel restrictions taking effect on March 21, the lines of cars crossing the border into the United States all but vanished. The flow of pedestrians slowed to a trickle, leaving the once vibrant Morley Avenue with the air of a ghost town. Tourists and shoppers from Mexico must wait to cross the border until at least April 20, when U.S. officials decide whether to cancel or extend the travel restrictions. Similar measures are in place on the U.S.-Canada border. The travel restrictions came after stores in downtown Nogales already were seeing fewer shoppers due to concerns over the coronavirus, said Bruce Bracker, former owner of a department store on Morley Avenue and a Santa Cruz County supervisor. But the prospect of losing Mexican shoppers, who account for more than 80% of the business on Morley Avenue, forced store owners to close their doors, Bracker said. The whole of the UK is in lockdown as coronavirus continues to sweep the globe. And, Kym Marsh freaked out on Saturday morning after an 'intruder' opened her gate, after she dreamed it would happen the night before. The soap star, 43, took to Twitter to reveal that she had been warned about the 'intrusion' during a precognitiv (psychic) dream just hours earlier. Freaked out! Kym Marsh, 43, freaked out on Saturday morning after an 'intruder' opened her gate, after she dreamed it would happen the night before She tweeted: 'So..something is freaking me out! 'I had a dream last night that someone told me that an intruder had come through the gate at the front of my house, the gate which is always shut. 'When I came down this morning...the gate was open!!! It's never just open! I'm freaked.' Psychic? The soap star, 43, took to Twitter to reveal that she had been warned about the 'intrusion' during a precognitiv (psychic) dream just hours earlier Freaked! The actress told her Twitter followers of her 'freaky' experience Kym's revelation came just four days after she was forced off Twitter after receiving a barrage of 'hate' when she asked for clarification on who can work during the lockdown. The actress had taken to social media after Boris Johnson addressed the nation on Monday and ordered a lockdown, saying she didn't understand whether or not her self-employed tiler son David, 24, could work or not under the new rules. The soap favourite asked: 'What does he mean by travelling to and from work unless absolutely necessary? 'What is considered absolutely necessary?? My son is a tiler going into other people's homes? Can't work from home so is this necessary?? I can't do my job from home so is that ok?? I'm confused? Are you?' 'I'm SICK of the abuse': Kym was forced off Twitter on Monday after receiving a barrage of hate when she asked if her son could work during the lockdown (pictured in November) Questions: Kym clarified that her son, David, 24, was not going to be going to work, but was using him as an example in order to understand who can and can't work (pictured in 2017) But she was left stunned by the level of abuse she received from keyboard warriors and even stipulated that her son wasn't working and that her family was staying home, but said she was using him as an example. Kym posted: 'Again the amount of ABUSE I've had tonight because I've asked a simple question, which by the look of it LOTS of people are asking! I'm SICK of the abuse on here! 'To all the selfish idiots we're ALL going through the same terrifying s***! For once take your nasty heads off. 'I'm gonna sign off now before I start telling people exactly what I think of them! Too many have opinions when they know nothing! Self employed people are going to go UNDER!!! How many care about that!!! Goodnight.' Sad: Kym was very upset by some of the hate she received after asking her questions Sad: Kym was very upset by some of the hate she received after asking her questions She continued: 'Anyway goodnight twitter I'm done with the hate on here! I'm off for a break from the absolute poison here! At times like this you would expect help and support, instead you get hatred spite and nastiness. I'm off! Enjoy.' Kym did return to Twitter on Tuesday morning after Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham posted a little update to provide clarity on the matter. He wrote: 'OK, final tweet tonight everyone. Have now spoken to No10 & had it confirmed that people CAN leave home to work - as long as they fully observe the 2m distancing rule. 'Seems to me to be in conflict with the big #StayAtHome message. But thats the official policy. Over & out!' Confused: Kym returned to Twitter on Tuesday and emphasised how confusing she had found Boris's speech Kym added: 'So THIS is what I was trying to point out last night and got abused for it! I asked for clarity over the work thing and there it is! 'Personally I think it goes against the message. Surely if we are staying home then we should be staying home full stop? 'These are scary times. For everyone. Hopefully this lock down will work and people make the right choices. 'There is a lot of uncertainty and also anger right now from lots of people I just hope people can unite rather than attack one another. Stay safe all x.' Kym departed her role as Michelle Connor in December 2019, after almost 14 years of playing the popular character on long-running ITV soap Coronation Street. - Beatrice Quaynor, an ambitious Ghanaian businesswoman and graduate of Law has reportedly gone missing - She was last spotted in a black long dress when she boarded a taxi with registration number AS 7104 S from Weija Barrier to East Legon - Beatrice is tall and light-skinned with a small mark on her forehead Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in Beatrice Quaynor, the Director of Communications and Public Relations of Apex Plus Solutions Limited has reportedly gone missing around East Legon in Accra. Reports indicate that the ambitious woman was last spotted in a black long dress when she boarded a taxi with registration number AS 7104 S from Weija Barrier to East Legon. Beatrice is tall and light-skinned with a small mark on her forehead as some of the photos sighted by YEN.com.gh have shown. Anyone has seen her or know her whereabouts could report to the nearest police station or contact: 0267600001/0592889986. READ ALSO: COVID-19: Total recoveries in Ghana double in 1 day -Ghana Health Service report See photos of the talented Ghanaian woman below: Beatrice Quaynor has vast knowledge and experience in the areas of Public Relations, Journalism and Hospitality. This she acquired from her work experiences with various media houses and hospitality outfits. She also holds an LLB from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration, has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Public Relations from the Ghana Institute of Journalism, a degree in French from the Universite Lumiere Lyon2 in France and a Diploma in Journalism from the Ghana Institute of Journalism. READ ALSO: Top 7 important facts from Nana Addo's 4th address in simple language In other news, the president of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has assured Ghanaians in his address to the nation on March 27, 2020, that importation of COVID-19 has stopped. Indeed, after the spike in coronavirus cases in Ghana that were recorded among new persons who returned to Ghana from different countries and were put in quarantine, no other imported case of COVID-19 has been reported. It would be recalled that by the morning of March 26, 2020, the total number of cases of the deadly coronavirus increased drastically to 132 as 78 cases in total were confirmed among people in mandatory quarantine after returning to Ghana. Enjoy reading our stories? Download YEN's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Ghana news! Only God can save Ghana from the Coronavirus outbreak - Pastor declares | #Yencomgh Get interactive via our Facebook page. Source: YEN.com.gh Nora Escalante celebrates becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen on March 26, 2019 (Cortesia) For relatives of Nora Escalante, the last few days have been difficult. The Salvadoran immigrant was admitted to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center with symptoms of coronavirus and is struggling to survive. Now no one can be with her. "She went through wars, raised her children she is a strong woman, we have faith that she will recover," said her daughter Noemi Ayala, breathing deeply. Escalante has been hospitalized since March 19. Escalante, 58, is originally from Cabanas, El Salvador. In the mid-1980s, while machine guns and rifles thundered, she immigrated to the United States. She settled in Los Angeles, and most of her life has been devoted to sewing. "She designs, cuts and does everything," her daughter said. Throughout the past 10 years, Escalante frequently visited a doctor for problems with her tonsils. When she developed tonsil pain two weeks ago, her oldest son took her in. She was prescribed antibiotics and sent home on March 13. But the problem persisted. The next day, her son took her back to the doctor. She had a high fever. She was given two injections and given acetaminophen, which is used to manage pain and fever. Later, Ayala called her mother to find out how she was doing. "Here with a little fever still," she replied. Due to work and distance, mother and daughter have been unable to see each other. Ayala lives in Pomona and her mother in South Los Angeles. "She took care of herself well," said Ayala, 38, who was also born in El Salvador. She exercised, ate well. She would get up at 5 in the morning to get ready and put on makeup. On Thursday, Escalante celebrated her one-year anniversary of becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen. That same day marked a week since Ayala had last spoken with her mother. "I love you very much," Escalante told her daughter a few hours after she entered the hospital, while leaving her as the only person authorized to make medical decisions on her behalf. Story continues Ayala, a nurse's assistant, remembers thinking it was strange for her mother to have tonsil pain and fever for three days in a row. She became more suspicious when on March 15, Escalante received a call from a hospital where her boss was being treated. Her boss had tested positive for coronavirus and had given Escalantes name as someone with whom she had had contact in recent days. The next morning, Ayala said, her mother woke up with a high fever. They took her to the hospital, but doctors did not test her for the coronavirus or admit her. They told her to isolate at home for two weeks. Meanwhile, her symptoms began to worsen. By March 17, her blood pressure increased. Two days later, a family member went to visit Escalante and found her with breathing problems. "We called the paramedics. They are going to take her to the hospital," Ayala's brother wrote to her. The way the family sees it, four critical days were lost. Ayala regrets that she was originally unable to accompany her mother to the hospital to have insisted that she be admitted that day. "She had fevers that were uncontrolled, more than 102 degrees," she said. Ayala has been calling the hospital two or three times a day to ask about her mothers condition. Escalante is currently connected to a ventilator. At first she depended completely on the ventilator to breathe, then only about 40%. However, two days ago doctors said her lungs were getting worse. Before entering the hospital, Escalante told her daughter: "If I die, I want to be taken to El Salvador." Escalante has a house in Sensuntepeque, Cabanas, the last place she lived before immigrating to Los Angeles. Her grandmother is also buried there. The family has not lost faith in her recovery. But the most painful thing is that no one can be with her in the hospital. "We can't see her, touch her, talk to her," Ayala said, her voice cracking. Escalante's son and partner, the two people who had the most contact with her, are in isolation. Relatives have joined in prayer and others have called to find out how Escalante is doing. As for funeral matters, they have not made any plans and arent sure if they will be able to carry out Escalante's last wishes. "If she can be cremated, we will cremate her and take her there to be with my great-grandmother," Ayala said. But for now, she said, We are in the hands of God and the doctors. Daniel Dae Kim has been pictured for the first time since revealing he has been diagnosed with coronavirus. The 51-year-old Lost actor appeared in good spirits as she he stepped out to walk his dog near his home on the island of Oahu, Hawaii with his wife Mia Kim on Sunday. For his outing, he paired a casual green t-shirt and wide-brimmed hat with baggy yellow shorts. Staying active: Daniel Dae Kim stepped out to walk his dog near his home on the island of Oahu, Hawaii with his wife Mia Kim on Sunday On March 19, he shared his diagnosis on an Instagram video, which decried the 'inexcusable' racism being exhibited across the country toward Asians and Asian-Americans. As Daniel shared he was personally battling the outbreak, he implored people to stop being prejudiced. Since the disease, which originated in a region of China, began rapidly spreading across the US, so have instances of anti-Asian hate crimes. Advocate: On March 19, he shared his diagnosis on an Instagram video, which decried the 'inexcusable' racism being exhibited across the country toward Asians and Asian-Americans Speaking from his home in Hawaii where he is isolating he said: 'Please, please stop the prejudiced and senseless violence against Asian people.' 'Randomly beating elderly, sometimes homeless Asian Americans is cowardly, heartbreaking, and it's inexcusable,' he continued. 'When people are ill, what matters most is how best to take care of ourselves, and one another.' 'Yes, I'm Asian and, yes, I have coronavirus, but I did not get it from China. I got it in America in New York City. And despite what certain political leaders want to call it, I don't consider the place where it is from as important as the people who are sick and dying.' 'Yes, I'm Asian and, yes, I have coronavirus, but I did not get it from China. I got it in America in New York City. And despite what certain political leaders want to call it, I don't consider the place where it is from as important as the people who are sick and dying' he said on an Instagram video Healing: In the 10 minute long video, Kim explained that he had contracted the virus in New York City where he was filming the show New Amsterdam Adding: 'If I did I would call this thing the New York virus, but that would be silly, right?' Kim's mention of 'political leaders' was in apparent reference to President Trump who publicly referred to COVID-19 as the 'China virus.' In the 10 minute long video, Kim explained that he had contracted the virus in New York City where he was filming the show New Amsterdam. He noted, ironically, that he was playing a doctor in the series who was recruited to help with - of all things - a flu pandemic. You are here: World Flash The U.S. embassy to Libya said on March 28 that the United States will provide Libya with 6 million U.S. dollars to fight against COVID-19. "The U.S. will provide 6 million dollars in addition to humanitarian assistance to Libya in response to the COVID-19 pandemic," the embassy said in a statement. "The fund will help health officials to prevent the spread of the disease and respond to those in need," it added. Libya's National Center for Disease Control of the UN-backed government on Saturday announced two new COVID-19 cases. On Tuesday, Libya announced the first COVID-19 case in the country, a 73-year-old man who returned from Saudi Arabia. The UN-backed Prime Minister Fayez Serraj recently declared a state of emergency and mobilization against the virus. The government also took measures such as closing airports, border crossings, education institutions and mosques, banning large gatherings, and imposing a curfew. Gilead Sciences Inc. will expand access to its experimental anti-coronavirus drug remdesivir to accelerate its emergency use for multiple severely ill patients. The drugmaker said its switching to expanded access from a compassionate use program under which remdesivir was given to more than 1,000 COVID-19 patients. With expanded access, hospitals or physicians can apply for emergency use of remdesivir for multiple severely ill patients at a time, Daniel ODay, Gileads chairman and chief executive officer, said in an open letter sent by email Saturday. While it will take some time to build a network of active sites, this approach will ultimately accelerate emergency access for more people. A World Health Organization panel said in January that remdesivir was considered to be the most promising therapeutic candidate based on its broad antiviral spectrum, and existing data based on human and animal studies. The medication was developed initially for Ebola and studied in patients in Eastern Congo. Multiple clinical trials are investigating the drugs effects in COVID-19 patients in China and elsewhere. Initial results may be reported in the coming weeks, ODay said. If it is approved, the Foster City, Calif.-based company will work to ensure affordability and access so that remdesivir is available to patients with the greatest need, he said. The urgency comes from knowing the desperate need among patients and the lack of any approved treatment, ODay said. The responsibility is to ensure that remdesivir, an investigational medicine, is effective and safe before it is distributed for use worldwide. The shared hell of the war changed Britain for the better, and so will the current coronavirus crisis, writes RABBI LORD JONATHAN SACKS, pictured When this bleak time is over, when schools and pubs and theatres reopen, when we no longer need fear the warmth of a handshake or the closeness of friends, will life simply return to normal or will something within us have changed? Will we look at community, society and humanity differently? Will something good emerge from all this anxiety and pain? I think it will. When people go through tough times together, a profound bonding takes place. That is what happened after the Second World War. While the war was on, people for the most part lived from day to day. There was little time and tranquillity to think about the distant future. Yet it was precisely then that the seeds were sown for a different kind of society. There was a deep sense that much needed to be changed. There were too many inequalities. There was too much poverty. The economic crash of 1929 and the depression of the 1930s had left scars that had to be healed. Britain had to become a more caring, cohesive and compassionate society. The architects of this vision in the early 1940s were figures such as the Archbishop of Canterbury William Temple, the political theorist and historian R. H. Tawney, and the economist William Beveridge, people of widely different orientations yet united in their belief that something positive should emerge from the fog of war. The result was the creation of the welfare state, a system of social insurance for everyone regardless of income or age. The 1944 Education Act provided compulsory free secondary education for all. In 1948 the National Health Service was born. These were revolutionary changes that reshaped Britain from then to today, and almost certainly they would not have taken place without the collective experience of war. Something very similar took place in the USA. There were the benefits, financial and educational, for ex-service men and women, known as the GI Bill of 1944. There was new legislation governing labour relations, a minimum wage, social security, disability and unemployment insurance. These too were the result of the intense social solidarity that emerges whenever a group experiences threat and collective danger. During the Second World War, a mobile canteen, pictured, was set up, which visited anti-aircraft units which were stationed in remote places where they could not get refreshments What happened in both countries is what I describe in my new book, Morality: Restoring The Common Good In Divided Times. There was a shift in emphasis in society from I to we. One of the greatest challenges in free societies is to maintain a balance between the I of self-interest and the we of the common good. We must be able to compete but also to co-operate. There is within each of us an I that asks: Whats in it for me? But there is also a we that knows that we are all in this together. The longer any nation has known uninterrupted peace and prosperity, the more likely it is that the I will prevail. This generates much liberty and creativity, but it also leads to huge inequalities, an emphasis on rights not responsibilities, a breakdown of trust and a feeling that society is unfair. When a nation encounters adversity, on the other hand, the sense of we grows stronger. At such times people are acutely conscious of how much they depend on one another. Dame Vera Lynn, who recently celebrated her 103rd birthday, recalled her time during the Second World War when we all pulled together and looked after each other and urged us to summon the same spirit to weather the storm of the coronavirus. People remember the tough times more vividly than the easy ones, precisely because they do bring us together. We have seen striking examples of both in recent weeks. There has been the I behaviour of people stockpiling and hoarding goods, focusing relentlessly on themselves and their families at the cost of other people. Heaven alone knows why someone feels they need 600 rolls of toilet paper. People have been flouting isolation and insulation guidelines. A Russian woman escaped a coronavirus quarantine and posted her story on Instagram, explaining that I have a right to my freedom. Well, no actually. We do not have a right to our own freedom if exercising it harms or seriously endangers others. That is why you cant have rights without responsibilities. Dame Vera Lynn, pictured, who recently celebrated her 103rd birthday, recalled her time during the Second World War when we all pulled together and looked after each other and urged us to summon the same spirit to weather the storm of the coronavirus But weve also seen some amazing we behaviour. Following a call from the Health Secretary for an army of volunteers to support health professionals, we now have more than half a million people who have signed up to do a variety of tasks from transporting medicines and shopping for those who cant, to speaking to the lonely and isolated on the phone. Millions took to the streets, to their balconies and their windows on Thursday night to applaud the bravery of our brilliant NHS workers. It was an extraordinary sight that none of us could ever have imagined only weeks ago. That is a Britain of which we should feel proud. Throughout the country, individuals and groups have been establishing contact with their neighbours, the elderly, the vulnerable and the lonely, offering help. Virtually all the synagogues I know have established such groups, and I am almost certain that the same is true of churches, mosques, gurdwaras, temples and other religious congregations. Faith is one of the great seedbeds of altruism. Theres also been an almost non-stop stream of videos and messages on social media, packed with music and humour, lifting peoples spirits and teaching them how to avoid catching or communicating the virus in a gentle and smiling way. Humour heals. It preserves our humanity. We feel better when we exercise the we rather than the I. We are social animals, hardwired for altruism. There is compelling research evidence that, above a certain income level, we gain more pleasure from giving than from getting. Volunteering has been shown to strengthen the immune system. Making someone elses life better floods our own with meaning, and this itself has huge health benefits. Shoppers have been panic buying huge quantities of toilet roll, pictured, in preparation for lockdown I would hope that we emerge from this long dark night with an enhanced sense of we in five dimensions. There is the we of global human solidarity. Never in my lifetime have we lived through a period in which people in every country throughout the world are suffering the same fears, the same dangers, the same risks. The poet John Donnes famous words could have been written for now: Any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind. There is the we of national identity. The divisions over Brexit that once seemed to overshadow all else can now be put in perspective. When it comes to real fundamentals like life and health, what unites us is greater than what divides us. There is the we of humility. Despite all our affluence and technological powers, one tiny virus has brought humanity to its knees. From here on, we should never underestimate our vulnerability. There is the we in acts of kindness. Reaching out with help to others should make us permanently aware of other peoples problems, not just our own. And there is the we of hope. Just as Christians are getting ready for Easter, their great moment of renewal, so Jews around the world are beginning to prepare for Passover, our festival of freedom. Passover contains a message of hope for all of us. Each year we tell the story of the exodus, that begins in suffering and ends in liberation and joy. That is the shape of the human story. Out of the bad, comes good, out of the curse comes blessing. Out of the coronavirus pandemic will come a new sense of collective responsibility, and we will all feel renewed. lRabbi Lord Sackss new book Morality: Restoring The Common Good In Divided Times is published by Hodder Faith. Florida has been an exception in its dealings with the stockpile: The state submitted a request on March 11 for 430,000 surgical masks, 180,000 N95 respirators, 82,000 face shields and 238,000 gloves, among other supplies and received a shipment with everything three days later, according to figures from the states Division of Emergency Management. It received an identical shipment on March 23, according to the division, and is awaiting a third. The governor has spoken to the president daily, and the entire congressional delegation has been working as one for the betterment of the state of Florida, said Jared Moskowitz, the emergency management divisions director. We are leaving no stone unturned. President Trump repeatedly has warned states not to complain about how much they are receiving, including Friday during a White House briefing, where he advised Vice President Pence not to call governors who are critical of the administrations response. I want them to be appreciative, he said. Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday sought urgent intervention by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to mitigate the crisis caused by COVID-19 outbreak in Punjab, including immediate release of Goods and Services Tax (GST) compensation arrears of Rs 2,088 crore, specific only to the state till March 2020. The Chief Minister has asked Sitharaman that Commercial Banks should defer loan instalments for agriculture/crop loans, which the Punjab Government had already done for the State Cooperative Banks. He has also sought a waiver of three months' interest on agricultural/ crop loans by commercial banks. In addition to the Punjab-specific GST compensation arrears, the Chief Minister proposed that the balance GST compensation due may be released with other States. "The Chief Minister conveyed to Sitharaman that for opening the banks, he had asked the State Finance Department to issue necessary guidelines to facilitate the common man in meeting his banking requirements," an official release said. In a letter to Sitharaman, Singh further proposed that the Centre should ask the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to raise the ways and means advances for all states to tide over the shortfall in receipts. He also suggested that the Government of India may raise the borrowing limit of States under the FRBM Act from 3 per cent to 4 per cent. "Referring to the special insurance already announced by the Union Finance Minister for Health Workers, the Chief Minister has asked for one-time special insurance on similar lines also for sanitary workers and police personnel, as they too are frontline warriors in the fight against COVID-19. He has also sought Grant of Rs. 300 crore for health infrastructure and personnel for fighting COVID-19," the release said. Under the MGNREGS, Singh has proposed payment of 15 days unemployment allowance per month for three months to mitigate rural distress on account of lockdown on 90:10 sharing pattern. In addition, he has suggested allowing 10-day wages under MGNREGS to small and marginal farmers to defray labour costs. Given the delay in the harvesting of Wheat already announced by the state government, the Chief Minister has asked for the bonus to farmers for delayed procurement of wheat to incentivise social distancing and prevent over-crowding in Mandis. "Line Ministries may be asked to take a pragmatic view of expenditures incurred by States under various Centrally-Sponsored Schemes (CSS), and also to avoid imposing any cuts in the next year's allocations due to the situation of force majeure declared by Government of India, suggested Captain Amarinder," read the release. "The Chief Minister has also proposed doubling of the component of 25 per cent funds under Centrally-Sponsored Schemes that can be used as flexi funds for State-specific needs, including for mitigation/restoration activities in case of natural calamities as per Ministry of Finance O.M. of 6th September 2016," it said. The Punjab CM proposed that the component of 25 per cent flexi funds may be raised to 50 per cent and also be fully funded by the Government of India as a one-time measure in 2020-21. The Chief Minister requested the Finance Minister to consider these proposals favourably in the overall interest to help mitigate the crisis caused by the unforeseen and exceptional situation. Meanwhile, Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu has written a letter to Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan saying that the state requires additional funds of minimum Rs 150 crores from the Government of India. "Punjab has the maximum number of NRIs (Non-resident Indians) in the country & 90,000 of them landed in the state this month... Number of COVID-19 patients are going to increase alarmingly. To combat this, Punjab requires additional funds of minimum Rs 150 crores from Government of India," the letter said. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), there are 918 confirmed cases of coronavirus cases in the country and 19 fatalities have been reported. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Serbias Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, Zorana Mihajlovic, has said the countrys air transport industry has so far been hit by tens of millions of euros in losses as a result of the coronavirus Covid-19 outbreak. Commercial flights have been halted to and from the country since last Thursday. At this point, we estimate the transportation industry has lost some 120 million euros, of which the majority is in the aviation sector. We stipulate the total loss will amount to some 800 million euros, Ms Mihajlovic said. The Minister noted that on March 22, 2019, Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport handled 14.500 passengers during the day, whereas on the same date this year there were 79 travellers processed at the airport (although it was closed for commercial traffic). However, Ms Mihajlovic said the Serbian government was planning a stimulus package to help both the aviation and other industries. We will do everything to weather this crisis as best we can and help industries in need, she noted. The Serbian President, Aleksandar Vucic, added, We will outline a package of significant economic measures within ten days and see what can be done. I can guarantee that all stakeholders in the economy will receive significant state assistance. Air Serbia suspended all commercial operations on March 20. It has since run a number of rescue and humanitarian flights for stranded passengers, as well as to transport medical aid and equipment. So far, the airline has flown rescue flights to Istanbul, Amsterdam, Moscow, Paris, Thessaloniki, Larnaca and Doha. The carrier will today deploy an aircraft to London Heathrow. It is currently operating an average of two rescue flights per day. The airline has also been flying almost daily flights to China, predominantly to Shanghai, in order to transport medical supplies. At a time when our fleet is grounded, we have actually soared to our greatest heights, the company said, commenting on the humanitarian nature of its operations over the past week. AS the world battles the deadly coronavirus, Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of apex body of private sector associations and corporates in the East African Community (EAC) region have come up with a stimulus package proposal. At their online meeting held under the umbrella of the East African Business Council (EABC) to deliberate on the fate of business and prosperity in the six-member countries bloc, the CEOs noted the need for preparedness and re sponse measures against the outbreak of Covid-19 in the region. In their unanimous resolution delivered in a joint statement yesterday from Arusha, the CEOs called for the EAC governments to come up with a common post Covid-19 recovery and rebound strategy for the region, with a focus on intra-EAC trade and investments. Governments of Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan have been asked to reduce port and transport fees, levies and charges affecting the competitiveness of the EAC bloc. The CEOs further urged development partners to support the EAC and private sector initiatives of combating the Covid-19 outbreak in the region and initiate donor round tables to support priority areas. The CEOs said they remain optimistic that together, the countries will overcome the global pandemic, calling for the partner states to replicate and learn best practices from each other towards compacting the pandemic. They ask the governments to ensure borders remain fully operational and facilitate the free movement of goods and services across the EAC partner states. The EAC member-countries should come up with practical measures aimed at enhancing regional value chains to reduce over-reliance on imports. Private sector associations collaborate and share information on the short term and long-term impact of Covid-19 to inform the business post Covid-19 recovery strategy. The EAC ensures food security, promote agro-processing and urban farming to cater for food provision in our urban setups. Fast track and enhance EAC framework for e-commerce to ensure ease and access to essential goods within the region and facilitate easier access to inputs and intermediate products for industries, the CEOs said in their remarks. As a prosperity measure, the EAC partner states have been asked to regulate recurrent expenditures and focus on increasing budgetary allocation on health, social services and food security. They pleaded with the EAC Council of Ministers to hold meetings more frequently for information sharing and collaboration, and their countries to ensure food security, promote agro-processing and urban farming to cater for food provision in urban setups. They also noted the paramount importance of protecting health and safety of the East African people, as the regional private sector is committed and join hands with the governments to ensure that the business community complies with the measures to protect the lives of fellow citizens. The ongoing Covid-19 presents a significant challenge to EAC economies, disrupting global and regional value chains, hence impacting business operations from supplies, production capacity, distribution channels and utilisation of resources. The CEOs appreciated the recent efforts by the EAC Council of Ministers geared towards facilitating free movement of goods and services across the EAC partner states on Covid-19 preparedness and response in the EAC region. They also appreciated the EAC for incorporating the private sector in the National Coordination Committee on Covid-19 in the partner states. The statement was signed by Mr Stephen Ruzibiza - Chief Executive Officer, Private Sector Federation- Rwanda; Mr Godfrey Simbeye the Executive Director, Tanzania Private Sector Foundation, and Mr Gideon Badagawa - Executive Director, Private Sector Foundation Uganda. Others are Dr Peter Mathuki the CEO and Executive Director of EABC; Mr Denis Nshimirimana - Secretary General, Federal Chamber of Commerce Industries and Agriculture Burundi; Ms Carole Kariuki - Chief Executive Officer, Kenya Private Sector Alliance; Mr Hamad Hamad Executive Director, Zanzibar Chamber of Commerce, and Mr Simon Deng - Secretary General, South Sudan Chamber of Commerce Industries and Agriculture. The coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic has infected over 700,000 people globally while more than 33,500 have died, some 1,48,000 people have reportedly been cured, as per Johns Hopkins University at 11.30 on Sunday (March 29,2020). The United States continues to be the worst affected nation after Italy, Spain and China with the most infections, while Europe continues to report the most number of deaths. In US, the number of COVID-19 cases are 1,32,637 making it the new epicentre of the disease. New York has been the most affected state in the US saw an increase of 237 deaths in the past day, reaching a total of 965 since the outbreak began, the governor of New York state Andrew Cuomo said on Sunday. The state has also reported 7,195 new confirmed coronavirus cases in the past day for a total of 59,513, Cuomo told a news conference, as per a report by Reuters. Another 1,175 people were hospitalised in the past day, increasing the total to more than 8,500 hospitalisations in the state, including more than 2,000 in intensive care, Cuomo said. While, in Italy's Lombardy, the epicentre of Italy`s contagion, the death toll has risen by around 416 in a day to some 6,360, a source familiar with the data said on Sunday, reported Reuters. Italy has suffered the most deaths from the virus epidemic and was the first Western country to introduce severe restrictions on movement after uncovering the outbreak just over five weeks ago. The government will "inevitably" extend the containment measures it had approved to stem the coronavirus outbreak in the country beyond April 3, the regional affairs minister said. The nationwide tally stood at 10,779, the highest in the world with 97,689 infections. Second only to Italy in fatalities, Spain also saw infections rise to 78,799 from 72,248 the day before. The Mediterranean country of Spain prepares to enter its third week under near-total lockdown on Sunday, as the government met to approve a strengthening of measures and the coronavirus death toll rose by a record 838 cases overnight to 6,528. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, in a televised address to the nation on Saturday night, announced that all non-essential workers must stay at home for two weeks, the latest government measure in the fight against coronavirus. Schools, bars, restaurants and shops selling non-essential items have been shut since March 14 and most of the population is house-bound as Spain tries to curb the virus. Meanwhile, in China a growing number of imported coronavirus cases risks fanning a second wave of infections when domestic transmissions had "basically been stopped", a senior health official said on Sunday, while eased travel curbs may also add to domestic risks. China has so far reported 82,122 cases of infections and 3,182 deaths. China, where the disease first emerged in the central city of Wuhan, had an accumulated total of 693 cases entering from overseas, which meant "the possibility of a new round of infections remains relatively big", Mi Feng, spokesman for the National Health Commission (NHC), said. Most of those imported cases involve Chinese nationals returning home from abroad. The Beach Boys Kokomo was their final big hit and its pretty divisive. Some fans see it as a classic. Others see it as a step backwards from the bands experimental 1960s songs and an insult to band leader Brian Wilsons artistry. Regardless, it introduced the band to a younger generation and remains a staple of oldies stations. Interestingly, Wilson had nothing to do with its creation. He never even heard the song until it came on his radio. Mike Love, David Marks, Brian Wilson, Dennis Wilson, and Carl Wilson of the Beach Boys posing for a 1962 photo shoot | Michael Ochs Archive/Getty Images Why Brian Wilson was disconnected from the other Beach Boys First things first: Wilson is the Beach Boys. His brother and fellow band member Dennis Wilson said as much. Brian Wilson is the Beach Boys. He is the band. Were his fucking messengers. He is all of it. Period. Were nothing. Hes everything. The 1980s were a hard time for Wilson. Wilson has schizoaffective disorder and, in the 1980s, he was under the tutelage of Dr. Eugene Landy. Landy charged very high fees, inspiring Wilson to sell the publishing rights to some of his song to pay him. Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys circa 1970 | Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Landy also had an incredible amount of control over Wilson. He decided who got to see Wilson. Landy said Wilson could only work with the other Beach Boys if Landy got a co-writing credit on the songs Wilson wrote. Mike Love, another Beach Boy, didnt like that proposal. Because of this, Wilson had no involvement in the creation of Kokomo. Instead, Love decided to collaborate with producer Terrence Melcher as well as John Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas. How Kokomo was written Together Love, Melcher, and Phillips wrote Kokomo. The song is about vacationing in a tropical paradise called Kokomo. Some Beach Boys fans believe the song is about the small community of Kokomo, Hawaii. However, a closer reading of the song reveals this isnt the case. The song says Kokomo is off the Florida Keys. There is no place called Kokomo off the Florida Keys. Kokomo is about a fictional place. In some ways, this helps the song. No real place could possibly live up to the beautiful tableau painted by the song. The official video for Kokomo by the Beach Boys According to The Wall Street Journal, Wilson didnt hear the song until it came on his radio. He didnt even know it was a Beach Boys song. When someone told him it was a Beach Boys song, he didnt believe them. Despite his surprise, Wilson did enjoy Kokomo. He loved the vocal harmonies on the song. He also found the tracks lyrics relaxing. When he heard the song, he asked a friend if he could go to Kokomo, not knowing if it was a real place. The fact that Wilson liked Kokomo goes against the narrative the song is an insult to his legacy. Also see: Why You Can Hear Paul McCartney Eating Celery on a Beach Boys Song PSKOV, Russia -- The general public in this northwestern Russian city about 750 kilometers from Moscow first found out that something was strange about a construction site in the neighborhood of Zavelichye back in 2006 -- when kids went out to play and brought back human bones. During World War II, a horrific Nazi prisoner-of-war camp, or stalag, was located there. City residents learned about the mass burials on the grounds of the former stalag when children playing at the construction site started bringing home the skulls and bones of prisoners of war that they found in the foundation pits, Lev Alekseyev, head of a local NGO called Reliable History, wrote in a March 5 application to city authorities requesting that the area be granted state protection as a unique historical site. Construction proceeded on the site, which was controlled by the Russian Defense Ministry, until 2011. By the time a public campaign succeeded in freezing the building of housing for officers and their families, 12 high-rise apartment blocks and a kindergarten had been built over about half of the site of Stalag 372. The activists rejoiced in early 2014 when municipal lawmakers published a development road map that envisioned the creation of a memorial complex at the site, although the initiative never went far. To the present day, only a modest granite marker indicates the dark significance of the site. Recently, however, the Russian Defense Ministry applied to the city to change the sites status and allow construction to resume, arguing that a single unit on the national Land Cadastre cannot be partially a residential zone and partially a protected memorial site. That development prompted the local activists to seek national protected status for the remaining undisturbed portion of the site. We understood the obvious, historian Andrei Ivanov, who has researched the history of Stalag 372, told RFE/RL. The military doesnt care at all what bones are buried there or what POW camp was there. We are afraid well see the same situation that we saw in 2010, when the bones were dug up and dumped God knows where. In order to prevent any work on this land, we want the zone to be protected with federal status. Then the military wont have to deal just with city regulations, but with federal law. The matter has particular urgency, the activists say, because in May the country will mark the 75th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany and commemorate the estimated 25 million or more Soviet citizens who were killed during the conflict. Stalag 372 is a chilling, forgotten page in the history of that conflict. When Hitlers forces invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941, they expected a swift victory. They were not prepared to handle the millions of Soviet prisoners who were captured in the early months of the war and held for years. 'Hunger Was Rampant' From autumn 1941 until December 1943, the Germans ran the POW camp in Pskov in the stables of the 5th Omsk Infantry Regiment. Thirty buildings -- each 84 meters by 23 meters -- housed around 2,000 prisoners apiece. Horrific hunger was rampant, wrote researcher Marina Safronova in an article on the camp. The daily bread ration was 75 to 100 grams. (A stack of 10 one-euro coins weighs 75 grams; During the darkest days of the siege of Leningrad, the bread ration was 125 grams.) In late 1943 and early 1944, the Nazis used the camp as a transit point for shipping Soviet civilians to work in Germany and the occupied countries. Galina Ivanova, a Pskov resident who was 13 when she found herself interned in the camp, says she will never forget what she endured there. They didnt feed us in the camp, she told RFE/RL. There was a faucet there and you can imagine the line of people trying to get some water. And the lice! It was horrible. The rats and the lice and all those hungry people. A military commission investigated the camp in April 1945, establishing the location of 10 mass-burial sites as well as several facilities the Germans used to destroy corpses to cover up their crimes. The commission found that at times the population of the camp exceeded 100,000 people and that an estimated 75,000 people were buried there. They died of hunger, execution, and blunt-force injuries, the commissions report found. In 1945, about 650 bodies were exhumed and reburied. President Vladimir Putin and his government have used the sacrifice of Soviet soldiers who died in World War II as a lever to seek unity on the basis of patriotic sentiment in Russia, where few families were left untouched by the conflict, and often stressed that their memory is inviolable. But on the whole, the story of Soviet POWs is a blank spot in the wars history, in part due to the stigma placed on prisoners by Josef Stalin. Stalins government gave a general do not surrender order at the beginning of the war and paid little attention to its captured forces. The Soviet Union was not a party to the Geneva Conventions, so its prisoners did not receive protection and assistance from the Red Cross. In all, about 5.3 million Soviet soldiers were captured during the war and about half of them died in German captivity. Many who returned to the Soviet Union after the war were dispatched to Stalins gulag camps, branded traitors and cowards. The Pskov site was largely undisturbed until the early 2000s, when the citys growth brought it into attractive commuting distance from the city center. When the remains of the prisoners began surfacing in 2006, activists were able to conduct some research at the site. An additional 243 bodies were reinterred. We discovered trenches with bodies running from [one high rise] to a new playground, historian Aleksei Starkov, who participated in the 2006 excavations, said. The bodies are still there. The Germans set them on fire and buried them -- now childrens playground equipment is there. Oblivion, historian Ivanov says, is an injustice to those who died there. These prisoners were treated inhumanly, but they did not lose their honor. They were constantly invited to join the Russian Liberation Army, he said, referring to a military formation led by General Andrei Vlasov that was largely recruited from Soviet prisoners to fight alongside the Germans against the Soviet Union. Or to work in Germany. But the ones who are lying here made the conscious decision to die rather than to submit, Ivanov noted. Written by RFE/RL senior correspondent Robert Coalson and based on reporting from Pskov by correspondent Pavel Dmitriyev of the North Desk of RFE/RLs Russian Service WASHINGTON March 16 was supposed to be a normal Monday for the more than 7,000 Peace Corps volunteers stationed across more than 60 countries. But that morning, one email changed everything: For the first time in its nearly 60-year history, the Peace Corps was suspending all operations and evacuating volunteers as the coronavirus pandemic spread around the globe. Eight days later, by March 24, all Peace Corps volunteers had left their posts. The original plan had been to stagger departures over several days, but due to the ever-changing situation at borders around the world, volunteers ultimately had 48 to 72 hours from receiving the email before they were on flights home. A Peace Corps spokesman, Matthew Sheehey, said that the organization took action when it did out of an abundance of caution to avoid a situation where volunteers would have been stranded overseas as borders and air space were shutting down. Now, the returning volunteers find themselves in limbo, back in an America that they dont recognize. Katie Fiorillo a volunteer from Pennsylvania had settled into her life working with a Ugandan nongovernment organization for almost two years, forming a farmers cooperative and helping residents with things like irrigation. Shed adopted a dog and was celebrating being newly engaged. Three days later, she was waking up in Pennsylvania again without her dog or any feeling of finality after leaving her temporary home, and her work, behind. I just feel split, Fiorillo said. Theres a Ugandan version of myself that feels like she's still there, because I had a huge project thats just completely left unfinished. Katie Fiorillo volunteered in Uganda for just under two years, working with an NGO to form a farmers' cooperative. On returning home so suddenly, Fiorillo told NBC News, After an expedited Close of Service ritual, volunteers were informed about their readjustment allowances (allocated by how much time theyd served) and an additional $5,000 evacuation allowance, as well as a second month of health insurance. The Peace Corps is also inviting volunteers to apply for another 27-month term of service with expedited processing, if they desire, once the organization is cleared from concerns about the virus. Meanwhile, the State Department continues its efforts to repatriate 50,000 stranded Americans abroad. Story continues NBC News spoke with a dozen Peace Corps volunteers whove returned home about their experience. All said they were grateful to the organization for acting quickly to get them home but many are finding the readjustment amid a pandemic especially difficult. Katherine Davis had to quickly leave her village in Benin, the West African country where shed served nine months as a rural community health volunteer. She barely had time to give her cat, Pipo, to a neighbor, much less say goodbye to her community, before flying home to Maryland. Today she is self-quarantining with three fellow volunteers; the only two Americans she has seen in person are her mom and a Taco Bell drive-through worker. She has not seen her father, siblings, or dogs. I was very numb at the time. she said of leaving, expressing concern about how Benin, without a strong health care structure, will handle the virus as it spreads. Now, we're in this weird isolation bubble physical isolation, because we can't see anybody and also mental bubble where it's like we're not really sure what's next. In normal times, returning volunteers are typically told to expect reverse culture shock and sadness as they figure out their next steps. Re-entry is doubly difficult now: Those who were evacuated are now self-quarantining for 14 days and practicing social distancing as a precaution. Its the opposite of the cultural norms of close proximity in many of their service countries, after coming home to nearly empty airports described by volunteers as eerie and apocalyptic. You expect hugs and balloons when you come home, but thats not what happened, Willow Pastard said, describing her situation as ambiguous. Pastard is now back from Senegal, where she volunteered at a health clinic for almost two years. Shes living temporarily at an Airbnb in her hometown, St. Louis, but has not made it home or seen her family yet because of the self-quarantine. Another volunteer, Khaina Cole, served in Madagascar in education for nearly 20 months, and has returned home to Arizona. Like many other young, financially limited volunteers, Cole plans to move back home and live with her father. Because hes over 50 with health issues, making him more vulnerable to coronavirus infection, shes in temporary quarantine lodging, found through a volunteer alumni group on Facebook. The volunteers said that while some were tested for fever and asked to fill out coronavirus questionnaires when traveling through Africa, they didnt receive any additional temperature checks or medical testing upon arriving in the U.S., much to their surprise. Several volunteers expressed frustration about the level of medical and financial support they are receiving from the organization, and many have signed a petition calling for more aid. While the Peace Corps extended the length of the typical health insurance coverage, the organization has not expanded the allotment of three sessions with a psychologist to address mental health. When Emily Goff found out she had to evacuate from Zambia, where she had been doing aquaculture work for 11 months, she was advised not to go home to New York because of the extensive spread of coronavirus there. But she had no other option, so she returned to the COVID-19 hotspot. The Peace Corps typically offers medical and dental exams to volunteers before they leave their assigned countries, but wasnt able to prescribe necessary medications or complete these exams because of the emergency nature of the evacuations. Now, there's no way we can do it in the United States now, either, Goff said, citing the overwhelmed health system and closure of dentist offices due to the pandemic. Given the situation, I feel like [our health coverage] should be extended. Maybe even six months. Karina Osorio worked in economic development in Senegal, and was about to extend her time there for a third year as a training coordinator. As so much of the country has halted business operations, the job search for volunteers has essentially halted as well. A lot of us get this experience with the Peace Corps and expect to come back with not only a strong resume but also a really strong job market, Karina Osorio said, who said she wanted to return to Senegal, where she had been preparing to complete a third year as a training coordinator after volunteering in economic development for two years. A week ago I was ready to just pour myself into Senegal, I still want to be back there, Osorio said. Im happy Im home and to be safe and sound. But Senegal opened my heart and mind to different ways of living, and Id personally prefer to be over there. Making matters more difficult are Department of Labor rules saying individuals enrolled in the Peace Corps are volunteers, not employees. That means evacuated volunteers cannot apply for unemployment benefits. Others were pessimistic about job opportunities in the U.S., even as some are hoping for a return to normalcy and the Peace Corps soon enough. If there's a chance that we can go back to Madagascar in three to five months, I don't want to commit to a job right now and end up leaving it in such a short notice, Cole said. Vietnam has decided to ban the sale and consumption of wild animals. The deadly coronavirus pandemic that is currently plaguing the world began late last year in an illegal wet market in Wuhan, China. A wet market is a place where wild and exotic animals like bats and anteaters are sold for human consumption, and given the fact that that the deadly coronavirus originates from here, China and Vietnam have decided to ban the consumption of wild animals. In order to prevent any future outbreaks As per reports, China and Vietnam are believed by several wildlife organisations to be behind the skyrocketing death rates for exotic animals like rhinoceros, elephant and the heavily trafficked pangolin which are used as food or for medicinal purposes. These animals are generally sold in illegal wet markets and these wet markets have not just been responsible for the recent outbreak of COVID-19 but also the very similar Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) that witnessed a less deadly outbreak in 2002. According to reports, several conservationist organizations recently sent a letter to Vietnams Prime Minister and suggested that action should be taken against wildlife trade so as to prevent future outbreaks of disease. The letter was signed by Pan Nature, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Animals Asia Foundation, TRAFFIC, Save Vietnam Wildlife, and Wildlife Conservation Society and was sent to Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. Read: Spanish Princess Maria Teresa Becomes First Royal To Die From Coronavirus Read: Mann Ki Baat: PM Modi Appeals To People To Help Poor & Hungry During Coronavirus Lockdown While Vietnam only has 179 coronavirus cases and no deaths, the economic impact from the virus has been devastating. After receiving the letter from the organisations, Vietnams Prime Minister tasked the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) with the task of formulating a step by step plan to ban the trade and consumption of wildlife. The Ministry has been given until April 1 to submit its plan. Back in January of this year, China had imposed a ban on the consumption of terrestrial wildlife of important ecological, scientific and social value. This move is expected to be ratified into law later this year. Read: Coronavirus: 93-year-old Queen Elizabeth's Royal Footman Tests Positive Read: Coronavirus Outbreak Pushes Ambulance Services In New York Close To Breaking Point (Photo : Reuters) FILE PHOTO: Private ambulance paramedic puts on protective gear during a training in the town of Thika World Health Organization calls on Africa to 'wake up' as it is classified to be a "ticking time bomb," experts say. A few weeks ago, it seemed that Africa was spared from the COVID-19 health crisis, but it was never meant to last. The lag in the number of cases is just a temporary reality. Ethiopian Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the first African head of the World Health Organization, calls for his continent to wake up and do something to avoid the increase in the number of cases they have. Scientists are greatly concerned that Africa might be staring down the barrel of disaster even though the continent has lesser casualties than other countries which have fewer than 1,000 cases. Africa could easily become the new coronavirus epicenter with its strained medical systems and oftentimes, its lack of necessary infrastructure. Simply saying, the continent is not prepared for COVID-19. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa declared COVID-19 a "national disaster" to South Africa on March 15. The declaration allowed Ramaphosa to access the government's special funding and initiate harsh regulations to combat the virus. This includes school closures, travel restrictions, and bans on large gatherings. The numbers of infected people in South Africa are relatively low compared to other countries. However, the virus has slowly begun spreading to Rwanda, Equatorial Guinea, and Namibia, bringing the number of affected countries to 23. Experts are worried about how COVID-19 will behave in countries with weak health systems and a population disproportionately affected by other diseases such as HIV, and tuberculosis. In the continent's overcrowded cities and slums, "social distancing" is most likely hard to do. Screening Passengers A lack of testing in Africa is not the problem. In fact, from only two countries in the early stage of the outbreak in China, there are now 40 countries who have the ability to screen test for COVID-19. Their main focus is entry points and testing people with travel history. However, since it does not catch people that are still in the incubation phase of up to 14 days, screening passengers for fever has shown to be largely ineffective. Additionally, it also does not detect an infection that happened in Africa. Francine Ntoumi, a parasitologist and public health expert at Marien Ngouabi University in the Republic of Congo, strongly advised to investigate and address the reason for the non-detection of possible positive cases of COVID-19. One way to find out whether the virus is spreading in the communities of Africa is through looking for patients presenting flu-like symptoms at clinics and hospitals. Most likely, wealthy people who can afford to travel could have the virus and possibly trickle down Africa's most vulnerable communities. Another method is to scour surveillance systems that track flu-like illnesses for spikes. Africa CDC is now collaborating with countries to make sure that samples sent to national surveillance sites are screened for COVID-19 to help provide further clarity of the possible undetected cases. Africa's high temperatures are believed to make the life of the virus harder which explains why it has the lowest number of cases among the other continents in the world. Although that's plausible, it is still very much an open question whether it is a seasonal disease. The methods used by China and South Korea to combat the virus is hard to replicate in Africa because social distancing may be impossible in crowded townships, and it is not clear how African households will react to confinement. Most importantly, African countries simply don't have the health care capacity to care for severely ill coronavirus patients. 545 Shares Share We are at war with an invisible enemy: COVID-19. This enemy is only 0.125 microns in size but has infected more than 463,000 people and killed more than 20,000 people worldwide. Physicians, nurses, and allied health care providers are all on the front lines of battle every day to care for and treat patients infected with COVID-19. We do not yet have the data on how many health care workers have been infected in the U.S., but we do know that physicians around the world have been significantly affected. China reports more than 3,300 Chinese physicians who have been infected and more than 1,700 Chinese physicians who have died due to COVID-19. More than 4,800 health care workers have been infected in Italy by the virus. Physicians, health care professionals, and nurses have not asked for a raise, recognition, or special treatment. It is our job, as physicians and nurses, to care for your parents, your spouses, your children, your siblings, your friends, your employees, your colleagues, and our communities. Many retired physicians are coming out of retirement to help battle our invisible enemy. Senior year medical students are graduating three months early to join the front lines and help our national attack on COVID-19. Resident and fellow physicians are in training and are not being or asking to be compensated for the extra time spent during this national crisis. Physicians and health care professionals are not immune to this threatening virus. Every day when we step into the hospital or medical office, we face the real danger of contracting COVID-19: our new public enemy #1. We face shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE), which includes face shields, masks, gloves, glasses, gowns, and headcovers. Many of us are forced to reuse PPE due to this shortage as to offer some level of protection against the virus. It is in our nature to jump in the front lines to heal and to treat our communities regardless of imminent risks of contracting or spreading COVID-19 to our families when we return home at night. After all, we all took a sacred Hippocratic Oath in medical school to benefit the sick, avoiding any voluntary act of impropriety or corruption. During this time of international crisis, some who have not been personally afflicted by COVID-19 have used this as an opportunity to spread misinformation, disinformation, and fear. Physicians, nurses, and health care professionals bridge communities. Unfortunately, ProPublica and the New York Times would rather spend their time denigrating the hard work and sacrifice of thousands of physicians worldwide by publishing articles the week of March 22nd that are not based on facts but based on fear and misguided commentary. Their recent articles have accused some physicians of hoarding medications for themselves during our international medical crisis. Authors such as these should be ashamed of their coverage and wasted ability on sensationalism when they could be spending their time informing the public about the dangers of COVID-19 and the actions communities, hospitals, physicians, businesses, and public servants are taking on a daily basis to protect our great nation and the world from the perils of this invisible enemy. As a physician, I urge my colleagues to keep fighting to help restore order and health in our nation and to remember the promise we made in our Hippocratic Oath: So long as I maintain this Oath faithfully and without corruption, may it be granted to me to partake of life fully and the practice of my art, gaining the respect of all men for all time. There is hope we will defeat this invisible enemy and return to the normal way of American life: travel, commerce, vacation, celebrations, and sports. I ask that we help each other and not spread fear and disinformation during this period. Many people are in need, so reach out to your local hospital or medical school and ask how you can help by donating food or funds to help medical students, physician trainees, and other health care workers. This is a time of national unity and to rise as one and to share resources with each other, help the elderly, and listen to the advice of medical experts. Shady Henien is an interventional cardiology fellow and CEO, Physician Promise. Image credit: Shutterstock.com With a view to spreading awareness about the Coronavirus crisis, a police inspector in Chennai wore a 'Corona Helmet' to dissuade commuters from coming out on the streets amid the national lockdown. According to reports, the helmet was made by a local artist-- Gowtham, in collaboration with the police official. Speaking to the news agency, ANI, the artist said, "The public at large is not treating the COVID-19 situation seriously, whereas, the police personnel are working round the clock to ensure people stay at home and do not venture out so that further spread of the disease can be stopped." Speaking about the helmet, he further stated that he used a broken helmet and paper to make it. "I have also prepared many placards displaying slogans and handed them over to the police," he added. Currently, there are 42 confirmed Coronavirus cases in Tamil Nadu, while one has been reported dead. Meanwhile, two people have been reported to have recovered from the deadly virus. 'Positive Effect' According to the Police Inspector Rajesh Babu, the helmet has had a positive effect so far. Speaking to ANI, he said, "We take all the steps but still people come out on the streets. Therefore, this corona helmet is one of the steps we are taking to ensure that people are aware of the seriousness of the police." Read: Nirmala Sitharaman directs banks to maintain liquidity amid coronavirus pandemic He further added, The helmet is an attempt to do something different when I wear this the thought of coronavirus comes into the minds of the commuters. Especially, the children react strongly after seeing this and want to be taken home." Read: Coronavirus outbreak: Punjab distilleries supply free sanitiser to hospitals Coronavirus crisis in India As of date, India has reported over 1,000 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19. Out of all the states, Kerala and Maharashtra have reported the most in the country. Meanwhile, 19 people have died so far due to the deadly virus. Due to the outbreak, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had put India under a national lockdown for 21 days. Further, India has also closed the India-Pakistan border and restricted passenger movement at the border with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Myanmar. Read: Tihar Jail releases over 400 prisoners to decongest jails amid coronavirus pandemic Read: Noida to provide 28-day paid leave for COVID-19 patients; daily lockdown wage for workers (With ANI Inputs) County councils are to lead Covid-19 Community Response Forums around Ireland to deliver essential services to vulnerable and elderly people in the community as part of the cocooning initiative during the coronavirus lockdown. In daily briefing on the government's response on Saturday Elizabeth Canavan, Assistant Secretary, Department of the Taoiseach, outlined what would happen. "Chaired and coordinated by each local authority chief executive, the Forum will consist of the HSE, the council, county champions, An Post, Community Welfare Service, An Garda Siochana, other State organisations, charities and other stakeholders. It will lead the coordination of COVID-19 community supports and resilience in each area. She said the forums will provide the following services: - Collection and delivery of food, essential household items, fuel, medication in line with guidance - Transport to community testing centres, clinical Assessment Hubs, GP and hospital appointments - Social isolation, supports, engagement - Meals and their delivery - Other medical/health needs - There will be a community support helpline/call centre operating from early morning to late evening, 7 days per week, in every local authority. It will be cross-referenced by the Alone National Helpline. Ms Canavan explained how the forums have come to be set up. "In light of the further Covid-19 measure announced by an Taoiseach, particularly around cocooning requirements for certain vulnerable members of the community, Minister Murphy, wrote to all local authority chief executives last night, requesting that they immediately operationalise the Framework for Local Authority Community Support and put the helplines and support structures in place over the weekend. "Arising from this, the City and County Management Association met early this morning and the Local Authority Community Response Forum will meet in every local authority area to coordinate and ramp up work to help ensure all vulnerable members of our communities affected by these new arrangements are appropriately supported," she said. Residents of Goa continue to face an acute shortage of supplies, including groceries like bread and milk, fresh vegetables as well as medicines,three days after chief minister Pramod Sawant said that shops selling essential items would remain open 24X7. Speaking to the press on Sunday, Sawant said that the food shortage was on account of wholesale dealers and suppliers being afraid to move their goods on account of police action. Hoarding is not the (reason). We are ensuring these hurdles are eased, he said. All grocery stores should stay open as long as possible. The godowns which are closed will have to open else we will send civil supplies inspectors to their doorstep. Stock has run out because the suppliers were afraid to move their vehicles and supply. We have asked them to keep the food chain running, Sawant said. The CM also requested restaurants to keep their kitchens running so as to maintain the food supply chain. Several residents across the state, and particularly North Goas Pilerne, Porvorim and Socorro, complained that they were unable to buy supplies even after grocery shops re-opened on Friday. People are scrambling for food wherever they can find and the administration is completely overwhelmed and cannot cope. Others are exchanging and sharing the last of the vegetables among themselves while trying to help each other out and set up their own networks, Sapna Sahani, a resident of Alto-Pilerne area of Porvorim in North Goa, said. We are working with suppliers who complain that they are facing issues in other states and hence are not willing to risk bringing fresh stock into the state, A Potekar, deputy collector of North Goa, said. He was unable to provide a timeline of when the issue would be resolved. In South Goa too, local body representatives complained that the government had passed the buck onto them without the means to help out. The government has asked to home deliver, but what will be delivered when there is no stock. Several grocery stores are willing to open but what will they sell when everything has run out, Allwyn Jorge the sarpanch of the Carmona, a coastal village in South Goa, said. On Saturday, the CM tweeted that online delivery of food via delivery services Swiggy and Zomato would be permitted, and that food buses providing meals to the needy had started running in the state. Goa, which reported its first positive case 24 days after the first case of local transmission was reported in the country on March 2 has been reeling under a supply shortage of essentials and a clampdown on movement, ever since the state observed the Janta Curfew on March 22, based on prime minister Narendra Modis televised appeal asking people to stay indoors voluntarily. The state extended the curfew by three days. Following the announcement of a 21-day national lockdown on Tuesday, the CM insisted on a 100% lockdown and a 100% curfew shutting down grocery shops, chemists and other such shops. The state also called Central Reserve Police Force personnel to ensure that people do not break lockdown in the state where on last count five persons have tested positive. Sawant said that essentials would be supplied by the district to peoples doorsteps, and helpline numbers would be circulated among residents, but neither materialised. I got in touch with the local panch and the sarpanch, who they said would be responsible for the home delivery of groceries, but they have told me that they themselves have not received stock of supplies to be distributed among the people, Sahni said. The problem is not only in Goa but from across the border in Karnataka where the supplies come in from. We cannot open our store because we have no stock of groceries and neither do we have staff who do not have the means to come to work. At least the buses should have been operational, Prakash Pereira, owner of popular supermarket store Definos, said. Last week, a resident approached the Goa bench of the Bombay High Court asking that the state make essentials available to the residents. The complete closure grocery shops without any proper system to effect home deliveries or to account for people who have no means to even avail home deliveries might possibly make it extremely difficult for people to access essentials, which, as the term implies, are essential to life and essential to endure the unprecedented, but necessary lock-down. However, at the same time, any blanket relaxations might have the tendency to frustrate the very purpose of having a lock-down of such proportions, the High Court observed. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The government's policy of ensuring national food security by temporarily halting the export of rice has been given consent from the majority of businesses and people in the Mekong Delta. The move came following a decision issued by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on March 24 that saw local customs agencies temporarily halt registering, handling receipts, and dealing with customs clearance procedures for rice exports in any form. Despite this, enterprises say that relevant ministries and authorities based in the Mekong Delta need to find a "common voice" in order to give a proper assessment of the actual situation, thereby providing the government with good advice regarding the temporary suspension of rice exports. This must be done by finding a suitable implementation timescale in order to avoid disadvantages that rice firms and farmers could face. Since the beginning of the year, Viet Hung Co., Ltd. of Cai Be district in Tien Giang province has signed a contract to export 55,000 tonnes of rice, under which the company purchased 35,000 tonnes, shipped 20,000 tonnes, and continued to purchase another 20,000 tonnes. Nguyen Van Don, director of Viet Hung Co., Ltd., says that in the face of an ongoing drought and the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, he highly agrees with the government policy of temporarily halting rice exports and revaluating rice paddy inventories throughout the Mekong Delta before making a proper decision on the issue. Traders in the Mekong Delta buy rice from farmers Amid the temporary halt of rice exports, the Ministry of Industry and Trade in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Finance has set up an inspection team who will work alongside key localities and major rice exporters to re-evaluate supply sources, reserves, and the implementation of contracts. They will then report their findings to PM Phuc before March 28 so he can make an informed decision on the matter. Rice businesses operating in the Mekong Delta will continue to purchase rice to be placed into temporary storage under contracts and to deal with "output" for farmers. The price of rice has seen falls of VND100 to VND200 per kg in recent days, although paddy prices remain stable. Most notably, farmers are able to earn a profit of 40% after harvest as a result of the high yield of the Winter-Spring rice crop which decreases production costs. Rice traders believe that central ministries should follow the actual output figures and rice stockpiling of farmers and businesses before offering advice to the government regarding the issuance of an order that allows the temporary suspension of rice exports. Moreover, a timescale to evaluate the re-export of rice should be considered amid the ongoing drought and increasingly complicated COVID-19 epidemic. Vietnam's rice price is chasing Thailands closely, which is a good thing. The policy on food security is reasonable, says Vo Quoc Hung, deputy director of Phuoc Dat Co., Ltd. in Chau Thanh district of Tien Giang province. Despite rice trading enterprises suffering minimal effects of the order, overall the policy is seen as sensible and also serves to gain common consent from businesses, he adds. It is worth noting that the domestic rice market has undergone no major fluctuations since the temporary halt of rice exports came into force on March 24. VOV The rush to what is essentially a new wartime footing began consciously and urgently in the first quarter of 2020 between some of the most powerful geopolitical players of the modern era: the United States of America, the Peoples Republic of China (PRC), and the United Kingdom. It was not about the battle to cope with the COVID-19 (coronavirus) epidemic, or the global fear pandemic which it engendered, but those contagions broke the cycle of globalism and the belief in the indissoluble nature of interdependence. It allowed what was already emerging as a fundamental move toward a new, bipolar global competition to come out into the open. By the end of March 2020, the global framework had changed sufficiently to become behind the headlines about COVID-19 about which system and ideology would triumph in the decades after the watershed. That meant a race by each of the major antagonists to determine how quickly national productivity could be resumed. Even so, the failure of most major societies, including the PRC, to prepare for health pandemics, natural disasters, and associated contagions of fear was a significant function of the transformed realities of the globalist-dominated political structures over the earlier lessons of national self-reliance. I made this point in a report in Defense & Foreign Affairs Special Analysis on November 24, 2008: The unintended, or unforeseen, consequences of economic dislocation as this writer has repeatedly noted can be expected to lead to a rise in globalized (or at least regionalized) pandemic health challenges at a time when societies are weakened. These will lead to wealthier societies becoming more nationalistic and isolated, in some respects, merely to protect themselves. Pandemics will be matched by similar anomic social responses, including rising crime, of which the new era of maritime piracy is merely one aspect Indeed, it is clear that the best avenue which nation-states can take is one marked by gaining as much control over their own destinies as possible. That requires a growing focus on domestic food self-sufficiency, and domestic market bases for manufactured goods and services. In other words: a return to a sense of the nation. The age of globalization is ending; it was a brief window in which the technologies which were created to fight the Cold War became the technologies of global social integration. Now, again, the luxury of internationalism is ending, and survival is based around the extended clan: the nation. It was a year later that the global H1N1 pandemic emerged, fortunately without triggering the associated fear pandemic which acted as a force multiplier to the impact of the 2019-20 COVID-19 epidemic. By 2020, a dozen years later, the transformed strategic landscape meant that information dominance (ID) warfare was far more enabled, particularly as social media evolved as a conduit for mass mobilization to force government actions in Western societies. So there was a general transformation in the social and technological context which prevailed when the panic arose around COVID-19. Related: A Wave Of Downgrades Has Hit The U.S. Oil Patch But, in order to gain the post-epidemic political high ground, the PRC was first to declare victory in managing the COVID-19 epidemic and to send its population back to work, despite the reality of evidence which defied the national statistics on the continuing levels of contagion in the PRC. However, it was clear that the epidemic, having its origins in Wuhan in the PRC, would peak first and begin to recover first. Still, it was the degree of top-down control which PRC Pres. Xi Jinping enjoyed in contrast to Western heads of government which enabled the PRC to declare victory, and to resume his offensive against the West in a now fairly blatant fashion. Even so, it was clear that the overall nature of the restructured strategic balance would be less affected by a few weeks (or even months) in the battle to restart economic activity than by underlying fundamentals in systems. Meanwhile, as the information dominance (ID) wars between the PRC and (particularly) the US ramped up, both sides were careful to ensure that the risk of actual physical challenge was minimized. What were some of the fundamental immediate outcomes and questions raised by the 2020 Fear Pandemic? 1. The global economy and the economies of most states have been dramatically weakened, and they will remain relatively weakened and transformed for some years; in many cases for decades. This means that economic deprivation will reach more pervasively down into the mass of society, reversing the trend of the past seven decades. It will exacerbate the polarization of societies, but seems likely to push the trend toward forms of nationalism more than it will reinforce the ideology of globalism; 2. The power of central governments has been dramatically increased, and the rights and freedoms of individuals constrained. By late March 2020, the situation in most Western societies had approached a quasi-martial law environment, with little social resistance; 3. Funding for R&D, national security, and consumer spending will decline, further exacerbated by the reduction in core size/wealth of most populations in advanced economies. The question is whether the limitation in wealth will exacerbate or constrain inflammatory populism and social action; 4. The role of global bodies has been weakened, as have alliances. This will lead to a rethinking of alliance structures and how to manage them. It will, even if only for reasons of fiscal constraints, lead to an increasing momentum toward the bilateralization of trade, even to the point, once again of thinking in terms of structured barter or counter-trade dealings; 5. The reach of formal military structures will be inhibited by funding, and will this open seams in the global power framework? Will it allow space for more independent, regional actions?; 6. While the Communist Party of China (CPC) probably has the strength to enforce control over the People's Republic of China (PRC), will the European Union (EU) have sufficient cohesion to enforce control over its member states? If the EU cannot "hold it together", would this create a space for Turkey to revive its neo-Ottomanist expansions in the Eastern Mediterranean and Balkans? Did the United Kingdom escape from the EU just in time to preserve its economic base? Did the EUs poor handling of the crisis end forever the chance of bringing Serbia into the Union? And what will this new dynamic do for the encouragement of separate geopolitical alignments, such as the creation of the Three Seas Initiative as a potentially viable successor to part of the EU? Can Three Seas gain traction if Serbia is excluded, given its regional hub importance for the north-south infrastructural needs of the Alliance?; 7. What skills will be necessary in the post-2020 environment? Has the economy sobered enough to embrace the restoration of practical skills training instead of ideological education which has no market, while an impetus toward revived domestic manufacturing (rather than foreign-sourced manufacturing) will see significant demand for trained personnel?; 8. There was a widespread belief that the crisis had caused a collapse in petroleum and gas prices to the point where the US domestic shale industry would be forced from the marketplace, re-opening the US to the need for imported energy. But this is likely both untrue and irrelevant, and the US would remain considerably less vulnerable to energy exposure than the PRC; 9. The PRC would continue to see extreme vulnerability to food and water shortages, which can only be ameliorated by (a) dependence on imported food and agricultural products, most of which would need to come from the United States (given that other suppliers cannot meet the demand), and (b) reduction in the lifestyles and numbers of the PRC population, a factor which could have significant social-political ramifications; 10. The longer the constraints on societies imposed by the crisis, the more pro-found were the likely post-crisis attitude changes likely to be. In other words, if the crisis lingered in various forms through 2020, it was likely that the year would be seen by society and historians as a breakpoint equivalent to the world wars of the 20th Century; 11. Nowhere in the world have we seen the development of economic theories or approaches to managing societies in decline in terms of economics as well as in terms of the downward transformation of market size and demand. Studies of recent-term lessons from Japan, Russia, and Germany would be helpful, even though these examples all predicated their economic thinking despite market size decline on growth in economic opportunity, but with notable shortcomings; 12. Africa, which had moved from a Continent gradually modernizing within the framework of a Western model to one dependent almost solely on the PRC, was likely to be left in an almost ruinous situation by late 2020 and beyond. African societies would themselves be forced to evolve new economic models. There was a likelihood that the US would strongly move, in the post-crisis period, to strengthening its dominance in the Americas (where the PRC, in particular, had built a strong presence), and also in Central Asia, as a means of providing an alternate path in the Eurasian Silk Road complex. The COVID-19 pandemic will do little to impact the demographic trends in global population numbers. The trend toward population decline was set in place in the second half of the 20th Century and is only now becoming evident. Similarly, the disruption to the global economy also began before the COVID-19 crisis, largely as a result of the global demographic transformation, but the 2020 crisis became an iconic breakpoint. The post-COVID-19 world would thus be markedly different, structurally, than the world which preceded it. But most significantly, the perception of that "new" world would have changed, ensuring that a linear extrapolation of older remedies or progressions of earlier thinking would no longer be acceptable. It is important to stress that the two underlying strategic trends impacting the US-PRC competition had begun well before the 2020 pandemic scares. The PRC economy had been essentially in decline for several years, disguised by ongoing state-sponsored investments in infrastructure projects, which boosted the appearance of growth in the gross domestic product (GDP). Moreover, the PRCs water shortage and quality problems had reached almost panic levels over that same timeframe. In a talk in Perth, Western Australia, on October 23, 2019, I noted: [The PRC] has almost 20 percent (18.4 percent) of the worlds population, and yet only seven percent of its water, and of that water some 25 percent, at least [as the PRC Government acknowledges], is polluted, along with much of its agricultural water table [to a far greater degree than the PRC Govt. acknowledges]. And the problem is getting worse. The great water source, the aquifers flowing from the melting snows of the Tien Shan Mountain range in Central Asia, is reducing for the moment. The result of this, and the fact that Chinese agriculture has not modernized to any great degree, is that the Peoples Republic of China is perhaps more strategically dependent on imported food than any great power since Rome. And Rome, arguably, collapsed, finally, for that very reason: its foreign sources of food became less dependable. The PRC Bureau of Statistics in the 1980s recorded that there were some 50,000 rivers in mainland China. But by 2017, there were only some 23,000. Beijing, serviced by the so-called Three Gorges Dam, recorded in 2017 that 39.9 percent of its water was so polluted as to be unusable. Tianjin, a principal port city of the north (and with a population of 15-million), had only 4.9 percent of its water in a potable state. The growing urbanization of the constituent populations of the PRC have made the food and water crises more and more urgent. Urban populations use far more water than rural societies. They also demand more water-intensive food, such as pork and beef, especially as the city-dwellers become more prosperous. And the PRCs urbanization rate continues apace: by the end of 2017, some 58.52 percent of its population was urbanized, compared with only 17.92 percent in 1978. You can see where this is going. And we have not even touched on the impact of air quality on health in the PRC, or the fact that urban-related diseases, such as diabetes, are rising at a higher rate than in other industrial economies; or the fact that a rapidly-aging population is transforming the economic viability of the state. And by late 2019, it became clear that the PRC was unable to continue the pursuit of military equivalence with the US. Minnie Chan, writing in The South China Morning Post on November 28, 2019, noted that the PRC Government had canceled plans for the Peoples Liberation Army-Navy (PLAN) to build two nuclear-power very large aircraft carriers to compare with the capability of US carriers. The PLAN has two carriers afloat with two more abuilding; all conventionally-powered. The reasons for the cancelations of the prestige super-carrier program were cited as technical challenges and high costs. The PRC has significant technologies which had briefly leapfrogged the US, particularly in the areas of hypersonic weapons and space, but belatedly a more resilient US economy was beginning to redress the years of neglect by all US presidents between Pres. Ronald Reagan (1981-89) and Pres. Donald Trump (2017- ). The US was slowly beginning to compensate for the sense of smugness and hubris which pervaded its global thinking after the end of the Cold War in 1990. But the US had, along with most European powers, subcontracted most of its manufacturing to the PRC in the post-Cold War era, and the COVID-19 epidemic and the US-PRC trade war which immediately preceded it (and which was likely to resume significantly in late 2020) saw the extent of global dependence on mainland China factories. Beijing was counting on this dependence to restart its economic push in the second quarter of 2020. But will that manufacturing/export revival be sufficient to restart the PRC economy, which was essentially already hollowed out? And was the US (and Western) dependence on the PRC manufacturing sector likely to be the same as pre-COVID-19? Unlikely, given the reality that global demand would have declined substantially for at least the remainder of 2020 because of the economic impact of the crisis, and because a number of efforts to restore domestic manufacturing of key products had already begun in the US, Canada, Australia, the UK, and the like. Moreover, the weakness of the PRC position, economically, seems to be borne out by the understanding that it had made dramatic cuts in the first quarter of 2020 to its investment in its Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) global supply chain. BRI had, in its origins, been conceived merely as a material and transactional form of maoist globalist ideology; a way to bind foreign states to the PRC as tributary states and to provide the PRC with its resource needs and markets. But most of the BRI contracts and loans to foreign states had not been calculated on a realistic market basis. Related: The Cheapest Way For Trump To Save U.S. Oil Reports from Beijing indicated that funding for BRI projects had dropped in early 2020 by some 80 percent over the same period a year earlier. But some of these cuts were already well underway by the time the COVID-19 crisis struck. The Hong Kong-based newspaper, The South China Morning Post, reported on October 10, 2019, that investment in BRI had begun to drop in 2018. It noted: "The value of new projects across 61 countries fell 13 percent to US$126-billion in 2018 [compared with the previous year], with the figure falling further in 2019." In fact, it said that investment had fallen a further 6.7 percent in the seven months leading up to August 2019, and existing contracts were reduced by 4.2 percent in the first eight months of 2019. The Post article continued: [I]n the first half of 2019, Chinas investment and construction activity around the world plunged by over 50 percent compared to the first half of 2018, while new projects under the belt and road plan dropped sharply, according to a report published in July by Derek Scissors, resident scholar at the China Global Investment Tracker from the American Enterprise Institute. Scissors said Chinese SOEs were still moving car and steel capacity overseas and building new motorways and cement plants in developing economies, but that is now on a smaller scale compared to the 2016 investment peak. The cutbacks were not only caused by Beijing. By late 2019 and early 2020, a significant number of major programs in the BRI which had received commitments from foreign countries were canceled or scaled-back. These were particularly evident in Pakistan (which has a major strategic need to depend on Beijing), Malaysia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Sierra Leone. The arrival of the new Government in Ethiopia in April 2018 had already seen that country sour on involvement with new BRI projects. To a degree, all this decline in the PRCs economic reach was likely to see the PRC attempt to regain global market share by dumping of goods onto the global marketplace in a bid to ensure that nationalistically-oriented commitments in the US, Europe, Australia, and the like did not attempt to rebuild their own manufacturing sectors. So the response by client states to PRC attempts to recapture markets and prevent the rise of national or sovereign independence would be a measure as to how much Western leaders learned from the crisis period of early 2020. For this reason, strategically, it was critical for the Communist Party of China (CPC) to ensure that US Pres. Donald Trump was not re-elected to the US Presidency on November 3, 2020, and that the Democratic Party in the US would strengthen its position in the US Congress. As a result, the CPCs information dominance warfare against the US was geared specifically toward the downfall of Pres. Trump, and in this it sought to enlist the support of the anti-Trump sections of the US polity. There were clearly some elements of the US political community which were prepared to align with Beijing albeit not overtly in order to ensure the removal of Donald Trump and the ascendance of Democratic Party presumed candidate Joe Biden. So the US elections would become the next major breakpoint in the now overt US-PRC war. By Gregory R. Copley, Editor, GIS/Defense & Foreign Affairs More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: London: Prime Minister Boris Johnson has posted letters to 30 million households across the UK, cautioning people: We know things will get worse before they get better, as he continued to isolate himself in Downing Street after testing positive for coronavirus. Alongside the letter, residents will receive a leaflet outlining official advice, with clear explanations of symptoms, hand washing guidance, rules on leaving the house, self-isolating with symptoms and shielding vulnerable people. The UK death toll has reached 1,019. The Prime Minister is continuing to lead the governments response to coronavirus as he self isolates after testing positive for the virus, a spokesperson said. Health secretary Matt Hancock and Scotland secretary Alister Jack are among senior figures afflicted by the virus. Johnson says in the letter that the more Britons follow the rules, the fewer lives will be lost and the sooner life can return to normal. But health officials have not ruled out further restrictions during the ongoing three-week lockdown that may last until September. Johnson says: It has been truly inspirational to see our doctors, nurses and other carers rise magnificently to the needs of the hour. Thousands of retired doctors and nurses are returning to the NHSand hundreds of thousands of citizens are volunteering to help the most vulnerable. That is why, at this moment of national emergency, I urge you, please, to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives. Former health secretary Jeremy Hunt called on Sunday for mass testing on the lines of that conducted in South Korea and Germany, so that the lockdown period could be shortened. His call was supported by former prime minister Tony Blair. Hunt wrote in The Sunday Telegraph that mass testing gave authorities greater clarity in identifying and containing potential outbreaks: Where you find it, you can isolate and contain it. And where you dont, vital services continue to function. With mass testing, accompanied by rigorous tracing of every person a Covid-19 patient has been in touch with, you can break the chain of transmission. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON For churches, there is no day more important than Easter. Sermons, Scripture readings and other liturgy read throughout the year are culminated on Resurrection Sunday, when Christians celebrate the biblical story of Jesus' rise from death. Churches big and small, spend months preparing for the day when their sanctuaries will see peak attendance as parishioners, decked in brightly colored suits and dresses, pack the pews. Massive choirs practice songs of hope and inspiration, guest speakers are secured for sunrise services, Easter lilies honoring the deceased are prepped to be laid around altars, and children rehearse speeches that they'll recite in front of family and friends. This year, the hustle and bustle is missing in South Carolina. President Donald Trump previously said he wanted the country "opened up" by Easter, which falls on April 12 this year, though few health experts felt the date offered enough time to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. The president later backed off that hope, stating federal guidance urging social distance would remain through April 30. Several congregations had already suspended in-person gatherings through April due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Instead of getting ready for grand celebrations, houses of worship are preparing for scaled-down Easter services that'll be streamed online, featuring just a handful of musicians and a preacher. Faith leaders are struggling to visualize Resurrection Sunday services minus the usual pageantry and, most importantly, the throngs of people. "Honestly, I am still trying to comprehend what that looks like," said the Rev. Eric Childers, pastor of St. Matthew's Lutheran in downtown Charleston. Pastors and parishioners are trying to look on the bright side, saying they have an opportunity this year to be creative in worship and reach wider audiences. The message of Jesus' victory over death offers hope in these bleak circumstances, they said. 'A real special time' "And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain" 1 Corinthians 15:14 The significance of Easter to believers is hard to overstate. Paul, one of the most influential leaders of early Christianity, notes in the New Testament how the entire faith hinges upon the single belief that Jesus Christ rose from death. Without the Resurrection, there's no Christianity. St. Matthew's spends all year preparing for the special Sunday, but, months out, the anticipation builds at the start of the Lent season, a six-week period of spiritual preparation. During that period, the term "hallelujah," which translates to "praise the Lord," isn't uttered during services to offer a more somber tone that coincides with repentance. To illustrate the idea, children write the word on pieces of paper and place them in the church's "hallelujah box." It remains closed until Easter, when the box is reopened with a live animal inside. Last year, the box revealed pigs. One year, it was puppies. The idea is to represent new life," Childers said. For some individuals, the holiday marks moments of personal transformation. The Rev. George Crow, pastor of Northeast Presbyterian Church in Columbia, said it was a week or two before Easter when he recommitted to God while enrolled in the Air Force Academy in 1971. His passion for ministry grew when he later served in the Panama Canal Zone. He'd get up early each Easter at sunrise, a practice done by many congregations commemorating New Testament accounts of believers gathering at Jesus' tomb "while it was still dark." Its always been a real special time," Crow said. This year's celebration will have a deeper meaning for Crow as he nears the end of his pastoral career. He'll step down in May as senior pastor, concluding a 40-year tenure at the church. Instead of standing before a thousand worshippers in a packed sanctuary in his last Easter service as pastor, Crow will preach in front of a camera for a pre-recorded sermon that'll be featured online. His massive choir will be limited to just a few members. They'll sing as they keep space between each other, practicing social distancing. Exiting pastoral ministry with a scaled-down version of his favorite Sunday worship service was not what he had in mind, Crow said. Thats not the way I wanted to end it, but I hope to be around for a number of Easters," Crow said. Family traditions will also likely be broken. Each year, Mount Pleasant resident Cindy Ferrell hosts at her home an Easter dinner after church services at Seacoast. Loved ones gather for food and fellowship, and children participate in an Easter egg hunt. Those festivities won't happen this Resurrection Sunday if restrictions remain on in-person gatherings. Im really sad about that," Ferrell said. Ferrell, who has family members in the medical field, views this as an opportunity to help those on the front lines fighting the virus. She thinks of her sister, a health care worker in California. The nation's most populated state has been hit hard by COVID-19. "We all have to band together right now," Ferrell said. "We have to think about others." Doing church differently "Behold, I will do a new thing" Isaiah 43:19 Within the past week, many pastors have been live-streaming sermons from their sanctuaries, giving parishioners some sense of regularity. But preaching to empty pews continues to be an adjustment. The Rev. Charlie Murray Jr. pastors First Baptist Church of James Island, where he offers high-energy sermons that engage in call-in-response. But last Sunday, most of the pews in the sanctuary that seats 1,300 were empty, save for a few occupied by members of a small praise team. Preaching without hearing the usual "amens" from the large congregation was a unique struggle. It challenges us to come out of our comfort zones," Murray said. Focusing efforts online could help the church expand its reach. Sunday's online service gained 3,500 views, Murray said, whereas a typical Sunday sees about 1,000 members. While thinking about an Easter apart from members "tears him apart," an online experience could reach people who otherwise may never visit the James Island church, Murray said. Smaller churches in rural areas are finding ways to connect with members, as well, despite limited resources. Irving Chapel AME Church, located in the tiny Cordesville community, lacks internet access. The congregation, which consists of roughly 20 parishioners, will likely spend Easter meeting via a conference call to discuss the Scriptures, said Pastor Debra Smalls-Gardner. "That would be more feasible for our people," she said. Youth ministries remain vital in an age when small, traditional-style churches are seeking new ways to connect with children. This Resurrection Sunday, Irving Chapel will have to forgo its children's Easter egg hunt, which has historically been an opportunity for the tiny congregation to engage younger generations. That will be missed," Smalls-Gardner said. Some hope to have a grand, Easter-like celebration once the virus subsides and things get back to normal. "When we do come back, were going to have one hell of a party for God," Childers said. Keeping the music "Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord" Ephesians 5:19 A significant component of Easter worship is the music. While sermons get the message across, lyrics telling the Resurrection story over sounds from a wide array of instruments heightens the level of joy and excitement. Crow said the music is his favorite part of services. It doesn't matter what he preaches, it's the music that people mostly remember, he said. I don't know if anyone remembers what I say, but they leave inspired," he said, giving accolades to Northeast Presbyterian's orchestra. This year, churches will replace large ensembles with praise teams of fewer than 10 persons. Murray said, it's likely the church won't have in-person worship for Easter, but he hopes to have an online sunrise service for those wanting a taste of normalcy. While he won't have his usual massive choir this Resurrection Sunday, an organist, keyboardist, drummer and base guitarist will give parishioners a taste of their usual Sunday morning Lowcountry sounds. I want to be able to give people that same church feel," he said. Defeating death O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" 1 Corinthians 15:55 When loved ones die, Christians find comfort not only in shared memories, but also in their faith of life after death. But one doesn't have to be a Christian to find hope in the Easter message. The Resurrection story is one of triumph and victory. It's a message that goodness can come from bad situations. This year, as the coronavirus leaves many dead and thousands sick in its path, people can draw hope from the Easter story. Hope that things will get better. Hope that there's light at the end of this dark tunnel. : The outbreak of COVID-19 across the country has brought out several latent humanitarianqualities and concern of people hit by the infection. A two-and-a-half-year-old child Spoorthy in Villupuram in neighbouring Tamil Nadu, along with her parents S J Ragunathan, an auditor, and Shalini, a home-maker, was listening to the Prime Minister's recent address to the nation on the deadly virus. The child was so moved by the current situation caused by the spread of the virus that she made an instant announcement to contribute her savings to the Prime Minister's fund. Pleasantly surprised by the girl's resolve, her father asked her what was the source of her contributions. Without hesitation, Spoorthy now in a play schoolsaid she had been saving the money given to her by her parents for the last two-and-a-half years in a small 'hundi' (an earthen piggy bank). She got her father's permission to break the 'hundi' and the parents counted the amount saved by the tiny-tot, which was around Rs 4,400. The child felt that the amount be divided equally and contributed to the Relief Funds of Prime Minister and the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E Palaniswami. Ragunathan told PTI over phone on Sunday that the girl made her announcement without hesitation that the fund be contributed to the relief works in the state and at the national-level. The child developed the habit to save since she was one years old out of the small amount she was getting regularly from him. "The amount may be small but the intention is big," the parents said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had, in his recent address to the nation focussing on the serious nature of the spread of the coronavirus, announced establishment of a fund to which people can make their contribution. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 24-year-old man is allegedly accused of spreading coronavirus in Argentina and now he could face up to 15 years in prison if found guilty. According to international media reports, Eric Torales is currently under house arrest as he refused to obey self-isolation rules in Argentina and went to a friends birthday party despite recently returning from the United States. So far, Argentina has reported approximately 745 coronavirus cases, with 19 deaths. As per reports, Torales attended the part in the town of Moreno and 11 people have been infected after attending the party. The government of Argentina imposed a law which stated that those returning from other countries are required to self-isolate for 14-days, however, Torales defied the quarantine. Currently, the authorities are seeking anyone who met with the 24-year-old after his return to the country and they have also put 15 other guests under study to determine if they have the disease. READ: Argentine Coronavirus Crisis Energizes Volunteers Earlier this month, when the laws regarding enforced quarantine were passed, Argentina President Alberto Fernandez reportedly said that he is going to be inflexible on this. He further added that anyone who has to be in quarantine is going to follow it, and if they dont then the authorities are going to pursue them criminally. If found guilty under article 202, Torales could face a jail sentence between three and 15 years. READ: Argentinian Musicians Unite To Lift Spirits Bans foreigners Meanwhile, authorities in Argentina have also announced that they will be closing their borders to all foreign nationals in an effort to control the coronavirus pandemic. According to reports, Argentina already had restrictions in place for air transportation but will now be extending restrictions to land and sea transportation also. Argentine President Alberto Fernandez announced on March 20 that the country would go into full lockdown, starting March 20 at midnight local time until midnight March 31, to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Mexico reported its first death on March 18 as a 41-year-old man with diabetes who died in Mexico City. According to reports, A Mexican federal judge ordered President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to take all preventative measures and necessary actions in order to detect infected persons in the country. Peru, which has a total of 671 confirmed cases, reported its 16th coronavirus related death. Meanwhile, the deadly Coronavirus has gripped 199 countries infecting 6,64,731 people and killing 20,892. READ: Argentina Closes Borders To Foreign Nationals To Curb Coronavirus Pandemic READ: Coronavirus Paralyses Latin America, Argentina Announces Lockdown Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation on Sunday announced donation of essential medical supplies, including face masks and COVID-19 test kits, to India and six other nations to help combat the spread of coronavirus. "Collectively, these seven countries will receive a total of 1.7 million face masks, 1,65,000 test kits as well as protective clothing and medical equipment such as ventilators and forehead thermometers," the two foundations said in a statement. Chinese billionaire Jack Ma is the co-founder of multinational technology behemoth Alibaba Group. Besides India, the medical supplies will be donated to Azerbaijan, Bhutan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. The first batch of medical supplies for India arrived in Delhi last night and were received by the Indian Red Cross Society. Similar to the arrangement with the Italian Red Cross Society in Italy, the Indian charity will facilitate the distribution of these supplies in the country, the statement said, adding that the remainder of the donation is expected to reach the country in the coming days. With this, the two foundations have now donated essential medical supplies to 23 Asian countries totalling 7.4 million masks, 4,85,000 test kits, 1,00,000 sets of protective clothing along with other medical equipment. Indian Red Cross Society Deputy Secretary Neel Kamal Singh took receipt of the deliveries from Vivek Sehgal, Manager, Alibaba Cloud India, acting on behalf of Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation in the presence of Ma Jia, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of China in India. "We are one with the global community in the intense battle to protect all families against COVID-19. We are committed to doing everything we can to make a difference, most importantly by sourcing these supplies and overcoming logistical challenges to get the medical supplies to where they are needed as fast as we can," the statement said. The move is among a slew of aid initiatives from the two foundations to support the areas of the world affected by the COVID-19 crisis, sourcing and delivering various types of medical supplies to countries across Asia, North America, Latin America, Europe and Africa, the statement said, adding that more initiatives and donations may be announced in the coming days and weeks. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a complete lockdown of the entire country for 21 days in an unprecedented move to halt the spread of the pandemic shortly after which the Centre said all road, rail and air services will remain suspended during this period. The pandemic has claimed 25 lives in the country and number of COVID-19 cases have touched 979 in India. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Aer Lingus is flying in personal protective equipment from China (PA) A flight from China carrying millions of euro of protective equipment for healthcare workers battling coronavirus has landed in Ireland. The Aer Lingus Airbus A330 touched down at Dublin Airport just before 3pm on Sunday. It was the first of dozens of flights the Irish carrier will make to bring consignments of personal protective equipment (PPE) from Beijing. The Irish Government has a struck a deal with Chinese PPE suppliers worth almost 210 million euro. Amb Eoin OLeary thanking Mr MU Hong, GM of Resources Group as vital Personal Protection Equipment are crated up for our friends in @AerLingus for delivery to front line health service staff all over Ireland pic.twitter.com/6UjjFSMMLS Irish Foreign Ministry (@dfatirl) March 28, 2020 The first batch of the order, worth 28 million euro, is being transported on 10 Aer Lingus flights, the last of which will fly on Wednesday. It contains 11 million protective masks, 2.3 million eye protectors, 2.4 million gowns and nine million gloves. The second batch is anticipated to be ready for collection later in the week, with planes expected to fly back and forth to Beijing on a regular basis until mid summer. The first crew, which was not allowed to disembark in China, volunteered to take part in the PPE collection mission. Ireland has increased its normal 15 million euro annual outlay on PPE to 225 million to cope with the demand due to Covid-19. Aer Lingus EI9019 has landed safely from Beijing, guided in by Dublin Air Traffic Control #safelanding #covid19ireland pic.twitter.com/e0zfAXdaKX IAA (@IAApress) March 29, 2020 Paul Reid, CEO of the HSE, outlined the scale-up involved. We would normally procure 500,000 masks a year, he said on Sunday. This year, up to the the end of May with our delivery were planning to procure over 36 million masks. On eye protections, we normally procure 200,000 a year; well be procuring 24.4 million. On gowns, we will normally procure 100,000 gallons per year; were procuring over 24 million this year by May. And gloves, we normally procure four million and our plan is to procure 56 million. Obviously were as anxious as everybody, including our staff, to see every one of those flights come in with that delivery. Mr Reid said the first batch had been expected by Irish government officials and deemed to meet World Health Organisation (WHO) standards. Thank you so much to @AerLingus & crew of E19019 for collecting personal protective equipment for Ireland & flying it back. Huge team work to secure this equipment & to sort logistics. @HSELive will start distributing it tonight. More flights with PPE in coming days #coronavirus Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) March 29, 2020 The Northern Ireland Executive is also securing PPE from China as part of a joint order with the HSE. The first flight attracted much public attention, with officials from both China and Ireland providing regular Twitter updates on its progress. Health Minister Simon Harris said: We are doing everything that is humanly possible to secure as much personal protective equipment as we can. I want to thank the crew, I want to thank the airline, I want to thank the HSE, the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Chinese authorities everyone who has worked so hard to get this. There is a shortage of personal protective equipment right throughout the world. On Sunday, it also emerged that the mayor of the Chinese city of Shenyang, Jiang Youwei, has donated 10,000 medical masks and 500 sets of protective clothing to Belfast. The gesture was welcomed by Belfast City Mayor Daniel Baker. Today we received correspondence from Mayor Jiang Youwei and the Consul General of China in Belfast Zhang Meifang extending solidarity from the people of Shenyang to the people of Belfast and Ireland as we fight back against Covid-19, he said The Mayor of Shenyang has also very kindly made a donation of 10,000 disposable medical masks and 500 sets of protective clothing. I will be making arrangements for this equipment to be distributed urgently to our frontline healthcare workers upon arriving in Belfast. Out-of-work staff in areas such as childcare have responded to a call to upskill in infection prevention and control to help out in hospitals and other healthcare settings during the Covid-19 crisis. A rapidly-developed online course goes live tomorrow with two separate classes of 18 students each - but that's only the start. The five-day skills-development module has been developed by Laois Offaly Education and Training Board (LOETB) and other ETBs around the country are following suit to create a corps of appropriately-qualified healthcare assistants. It is a direct response to the HSE Be on call for Ireland appeal and an example of how the further and higher education sectors are harnessing their expertise to turnaround solutions to the coronavirus emergency. LOETB Director of Further Education and Training, Tony Dalton, said the course was devised after consultations with hospitals in the midlands about what practical support they could offer the healthcare system. When the surge comes, they are going to need multi-task attendants who will have a key role in infection prevention and control, which is critical in the battle against Covid-19, he said. While there is no guarantee of a job, the newly-trained staff will have a State-recognised qualification in skills that will be in high demand in the weeks and months ahead, in either on a paid-for or voluntary basis. Mr Dalton said that within days of announcing the programme last Tuesday, there were 100 applicants, from all over the country, 36 of whom are starting tomorrow. The LOETB expects to start more class groups later in the week and other ETBs are also getting involved in course delivery. He said the classes were being kept at 16-18 to ensure that there was adequate tutor support for participants and, while it was designed as a five-day programme, there was flexibility to extend that, if necessary, to allow students complete assessments. The course will involve twice-daily lectures and the delivery of other materials, via webinar, with online assessment, including a skills demonstration by individual students, using a video conferencing platform such as Zoom. It is aimed primarily at people with a minimum Level 5 qualification - equivalent of a post-Leaving Cert course in fields such as healthcare, nursing studies, childcare and beauty and physical therapy who have already studied related modules. While initially intended for holders of qualifications in healthcare and nursing studies, they cast the net wider when workers, such as in childcare, lost their jobs, Mr Dalton said they saw the possibility of providing something that would allow those workers to move across to the healthcare system. Governor Cuomo updated the media on Sunday with the latest COVID-19 numbers in the state. Albany, N.Y. - Governor Andrew Cuomo announced new COVID-19 confirmed cases are now up to 59,513 throughout the state, with the majority of those in New York City. The number of coronavirus-related deaths in New York State now stands at 965, up from 728 on Saturday. New York City has 33,768 cases, with 4,002 new cases. Westchester County has 8,519 cases, with 644 new cases. Nassau County has 6,445 cases, with 908 news cases. Suffolk County has 5,023 cases, with 885 new cases. Also in the top ten are two upstate counties, Monroe County with 219 cases, 27 of them are new cases and Albany County with 205 cases, 10 of them are new cases. Cuomo says the USNS Comfort should be in New York City on Monday, bringing 2,000 beds and will be used to treat non COVID-19 cases, basically used to backfill from the hospitals, as the hospitals will be used primarily to treat the confirmed COVID-19 cases. The governor says the current number of deaths in the state stands at 965 he expects 'thousands' of people to pass away, "You have to look at what it affects, it affects the elderly, I hope it's wrong." Cuomo says right now people in nursing homes are about a fourth of the coronavirus deaths across the country, "Coronavirus in a nursing home is a toxic mix. We saw that in Washington State. This virus prays on the vulnerable, it prays on the sick, it prays on people with compromised immune systems and underlying health conditions and the virus in a nursing home can be like fire in a drag race. Coronavirus in a nursing home is lethal, the only question is how many people die." Cuomo says the first patient in New York State to be diagnosed with coronavirus in new Rochelle who has been sick for a long time has now been released from the hospital." The governor announced an additional two weeks, through April 15th, directing non-essential state workforce members to work from home. Cuomo said that many people are asking when this is going to be over. He says, "When we have faster testing", and pointed to the state lab in Wadsworth which has developed a less intrusive saliva and short nasal swab test that may soon be used. Regarding the CDC's order late Saturday night of a travel advisory for the people of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut to have no domestic travel, the governor says this is NOT a lockdown, "It's nothing that we haven't been doing, non-essential people should stay home. Which is consistent with everything we're doing." Cuomo says this time in our lives is disorienting, frightening and disturbing and has turned everyone life upside down, but he is urging people to find things to smile about and to make others smile, "You do the best you can you, find a way to create some joy, you try to find a silver lining in all of this to break up all the monotony, what are you do to bring a smile to peoples' face." Russia has assured Armenia that the coronavirus-related closure of its borders will not apply to cargo shipments between the two countries which are vital for Yerevan. Moscow announced on Saturday that it will close all Russian border crossings on Monday as part of its efforts to slow the spread of coronavirus. The decision raised concerns in Armenia whose economy is heavily dependent on trade with Russia. I want to say that such worries are misplaced because that decision will not affect Armenian cargoes in any way, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said after speaking with his Russian counterpart Mikhail Mishustin by phone later on Saturday. This fact was confirmed during my phone conversation with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, added in a live Facebook broadcast. Cargo will continue to shipped from Armenia to Russia and from Russia to Armenia just like it has until now. A readout of the phone call released by the Russian government likewise said that Mishustin and Pashinian stressed the importance of maintaining the flow of goods between Armenia and Russia in full. It said the two men also discussed measures against the coronavirus pandemic taken by their governments. Russia is Armenias main trading partner and export market, with bilateral trade exceeding $2.2billion last year. Armenian exports to Russia rose by 10 percent to almost $735 million, according official Armenian statistics. The bulk of Armenian-Russian trade is carried out via Georgia and its sole land border crossing with Russia in particular. Commercial traffic through the Upper Lars crossing has reportedly been halted in recent days, leaving hundreds of trucks stranded at the Armenian-Georgian border. Pashinian blamed the disruption on heavy snowfalls and said the Georgian-Russian border is now gradually reopened for freight shipping thanks to improving weather conditions. Pashinian and Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia discussed the matter in a phone call on Friday. In recent days we have been actively working with our Russian and Georgian partners to normalize the movement of trucks, the Armenian premier said on Saturday. Our conversations on this subject are quite productive, and I want to thank our Georgian and Russian partners for the constructive dialogue. In a separate decision, the Russian government also suspended all regular and charter flights to and from Russia from March 27. It said Russian airlines will still be allowed to fly to other countries to bring Russian citizens back or if they are authorized by special government decisions. According to Armenias Civil Aviation Committee, three Russian airlines were due to carry out Moscow-Yerevan flights on Sunday. It was not clear if Armenian citizens were allowed to board their planes. : In fresh cases of person-to- person transmission, two people tested positive for coronavirus in Andhra Pradesh on Sunday, taking the total to 21 in the state. The cases were from Visakhapatnam and both were contacts of the person who had returned from Birmingham in England and tested positive for coronavirus on March 17, the Medical and Health Departments latest bulletin said. It said that of the total 85 samples tested in the state on Sunday, all except the two turned negative. Meanwhile, the 65-year-old person in Visakhapatnam, who returned from Medina and tested positive for Covid-19 on March 17, responded well to the treatment and was stable now. The patient (number 3 in the state) was tested negative for Covid-19 yesterday and today, the bulletin added. With two new cases on Sunday, Visakhapatnam topped the list in the state with six cases in all. Guntur and Vijayawada cities had four coronavirus positive cases each and Prakasam district three. Chittoor, East Godavari, Kurnool and Nellore accounted for one case each. The state's first patient has already recovered and been discharged from hospital in Nellore. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Daley Ranch in the northern part of Escondido is a 3,058-acre habitat preserve that is popular with hikers, horseback riders and history buffs. It also doubles as a land mitigation bank that could bring in more than $140 million to the citys general fund. Recently, the Escondido City Council approved steep increases to the cost of the land credits it sells at the ranch after an analysis showed the city was charging far less than other banks in the region. A land mitigation bank allows developers who destroy or alter sensitive natural areas with their projects to offset the damage by purchasing land credits elsewhere in the region. Escondido is the only municipality that owns a land bank in the county. However, several others in the region that are owned by private enterprises have become available in the past decade. Advertisement In 1996, the city purchased the ranch for $21 million to thwart development plans. It happened to be one of those opportunities, said Jerry Harmon, who was mayor of Escondido at the time. The economy was such that developers were looking to unload properties that werent going to make as much money as other properties were for them ...There were a lot of us in the community as a whole who felt that, wow, this is one of those rare opportunities that doesnt come along every day to purchase a large parcel of land. The year after the purchase, state and federal Fish & Wildlife agencies approved the ranch as a conservation bank with 2,842 habitat credits, of which all but 200 were controlled by the city. There could be a tremendous amount of return to the city as a result of that mitigation bank, Harmon said. On Jan. 24, the council agreed to raise the prices so that the credits would still be 10 percent cheaper than competing land banks but much higher than what the city has been charging. For instance, the average regional cost for a Chaparral and Coastal Sage Scrub credit is $80,000. Escondido was charging only $15,000 but will now charge $72,000. Chaparral and Coastal Sage Scrub credits account for the vast majority of ones available at the ranch. The city still has 2,137 credits for sale. Under the old pricing structure, that would bring in more than $33 million. Under the new pricing structure, sale of the same credits could bring in $143,466,900. At the rate the credits have been sold the last two decades, however, it would likely take 50 years or more to sell all that are available. I think Daley Ranch is one of our biggest assets, Mayor Sam Abed said Friday. We are very fortunate to have this acreage available to improve our environment. In the past 20 years, the city has sold just over 500 credits (one credit equals one acre), which have brought in $4.7 million. A small portion of each credit sale ($500) goes toward maintaining the ranch, but most goes straight into the citys general fund. Often, its governmental agencies seeking credits, like Caltrans for highway widening projects, or cities needing to build on land in sensitive areas. For instance, Assistant City Manager Jay Petrek told the council, San Marcos and Vista have purchased Daley Ranch credits in the past. Of the 2,137 habitat credits available for sale, 1,828 are chaparral and sage. The city also has 121 credits of coast live oak woodland and 75 credits for Englemann Oak Woodland. Both types of those credits have been selling for $20,000 but will now sell for $54,000. Daley Ranch also has 11 acres of highly valuable water-dependent habitat that could be sold for $450,000; however, that acreage is reserved for city municipal project mitigation. The same goes for 101 credits of non-native grasslands; however, the city may decide to offer some of those credits for sale in the future. The council also changed a policy having to do with developers who have purchased credits but havent followed through with projects. There have been examples in recent years of those developers then reselling the credits at much higher rates and reaping a big profit, Petrek said. From now on, the council unanimously decided, if that happens, 75 percent of the profit made from such sales will go to the city. Escondido will also require purchasers to pay within 90 days of agreeing to buy credits. In the past, there were instances where developers waited years to make payments until their projects were off the ground. jharry.jones@sduniontribune.com; 760/529-4931; Twitter: @jharryjones Senior HSE officials have outlined a massive operation to increase the amount of equipment and facilities it has available to respond to the Covid-19 crisis. It includes some 15 years worth of personal protection equipment (PPE), the first batch of which arrived in Dublin this afternoon; a contact-tracing app; and additional capacity and staffing from private hos1pitals. HSE CEO Paul Reid, HSE chief operations officer Anne OConnor, and public health medicine consultant Sarah Doyle gave a briefing to outline its plans as it steps up the fight against the spread of the Covid-19 virus. They stressed the importance of following Government requirements on physical distancing and cocooning, adding that this is the most important step in slowing the spread of the virus. They are still engaged in substantial planning for the medical efforts against the virus. These include a major international operation to source additional PPE for Irish hospitals and other medical and care facilities in the country. Mr Reid outlined the scale of this operation. The first batch arrived on an Aer Lingus flight from Beijing to Dublin this afternoon, with the equipment on board being distributed nationwide last night and throughout today. Mr Reid said the HSE has secured 15 years worth of PPE in a very competitive market. Typically, the HSE would spend 15m per annum on PPE. This year, it will spend more than 200m. There will be 10 flights initially, delivering more equipment from China in the coming days. The first 10 flights will bring in 1.6m masks, 400,000 eye protectors, 265,000 gowns, and 254,000 pairs of gloves. The total order from China, which the HSE hopes will be delivered between now and the end of May, includes 36.2m masks, 24.4m eye protectors, 24m gowns, and 56m pairs of gloves. Mr Reid said the equipment is certified to World Health Organisation (WHO) standards. An additional key tool to be added to the HSEs arsenal in the next 10 days is a smartphone app to facilitate contact tracing. It is understood the app will use bluetooth technology to detect when devices are in close contact with each other and this information could be used to speed up the contact-tracing process. The HSE is working with the Data Protection Commissioner and other agencies to refine the technology, which will be available on an opt-in basis. Currently, there are some 1,400 people trained in contact tracing, with this to increase to around 4,000 in the next few weeks. Nursing homes will be a particular focus for contact tracing. Testing is also due to increase in the coming weeks. There are currently 46 testing centres, with six more due to come on stream in the next week. More than 33,000 people have been tested since March 16, HSE officials confirmed. There are approximately 5,000 people being tested every day and there are now 10,700 people waiting for a test, as well as 4,000 people waiting for an appointment for one. The HSE has secured 60,000 test kits and is expecting another 100,000 each week going forward. Meanwhile, Mr Reid said the On Call for Ireland recruitment process resulted in some 66,500 people applying to help. Already, contracts for 263 nurses and 63 doctors are being finalised, and some 5,000 student nurses and 1,100 medical interns will have their placements brought forward to include them in hospitals in the coming weeks, instead of late in the year. An agreement with private hospitals to utilise their facilities in the fight against the virus will result in some 2,000 beds, 100 critical care beds, significant nursing and other staff, 200 ventilators, and 500 consultants, operating in a public capacity. [snippet1]987277[/snippet1] AIRPORT CITY, Israel, March 29, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Shikun & Binui Ltd. (TASE: SKBN.TA), a global construction and infrastructure company headquartered in Israel, today reported its financial results for 2019. FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2019 Total income reached NIS 6.5 billion, a 2.5% year-on-year increase. Gross profit for the period totaled approx. NIS 891 million (gross profit margin was 13.7%), compared with approximately NIS 960 million last year. In 2019, EBITDA totaled NIS 1.1 billion, similarly to 2018. Net income reached NIS 344 million, compared to NIS 559 million in 2018. Cashflow from operating activities (net of investment in land) was NIS 367 million, compared with NIS 84 million in 2018. The positive cashflow stems mainly from residential real estate development in Israel. The NIS 13.7 billion order backlog as at December 31 2019 does not include additional contracting projects in Israel and abroad totaling NIS 1.2 billion. REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT In 2019, apartment sales totaled 1,823 apartments (in 100% terms), amounting to NIS 1.9 billion Deliveries totaled 1,796 units (in 100% terms) More Information on Company's Housing Unit Sale Transactions (signed contracts) in 2019: Company's share In Israel Total transactions in NIS million 1,267 No. of housing unit sales contracts signed 862 Average price per housing unit (in NIS thousands) 1,470 In Europe Total transactions in NIS million 399 No. of housing unit sales contracts signed 718 Average price per housing unit (in NIS thousands) 556 Real estate development Israel: Significant increase in the volume of transactions signed in the Or Yam project During 2019, transactions for the sale of 929 housing units (in 100% terms) were signed, amounting to NIS 1.4 billion , following the success of the Or Yam project. , following the success of the Or Yam project. In December 2019 , the Company won a tender of the Israel Land Authority for the acquisition of land in the Savyon Intersection for NIS 206 million (50% - Shikun & Binui and 50% Shikun & Binui Real Estate). The land plot has approved building rights for approx. 146,000 m (gross) of office space. It is estimated that the building rights can be extended by an additional 100,000 m. , the Company won a tender of the Israel Land Authority for the acquisition of land in the Savyon Intersection for (50% - Shikun & Binui and 50% Shikun & Binui Real Estate). The land plot has approved building rights for approx. 146,000 m (gross) of office space. It is estimated that the building rights can be extended by an additional 100,000 m. In December 2019 , the Company won a tender of the Israel Land Authority for the acquisition of land plots on which 504 housing units will be built in the Ramat Pinkas neighborhood, close to the Ramat Efal project in Or Yehuda, and 530 housing units in the Ben Shemen neighborhood in Lod. Total consideration: NIS 472 million . , the Company won a tender of the Israel Land Authority for the acquisition of land plots on which 504 housing units will be built in the Ramat Pinkas neighborhood, close to the Ramat Efal project in Or Yehuda, and 530 housing units in the Ben Shemen neighborhood in Lod. Total consideration: . In addition, following are the main developments in the planning and development of the Group's land plots: - Old Central Station - urban building plan has been approved - Ramat Efal - approval for submission to the district committee - Science Park, Netanya - recommendation for submission to the local committee - Yoseftal Ramla (urban renewal project) - recommendation for submission to local committee SBE real estate development abroad: Sale of 894 housing units and delivery of 1,100 housing units Revenues totaled NIS 457 million , compared to NIS 599 million in 2018. Gross profit totaled NIS 103 million compared with NIS 130 million in 2018. , compared to in 2018. Gross profit totaled compared with in 2018. In November, a transaction for the acquisition of land in Warsaw - with building rights for 1,965 housing units - was completed (the company's share - 75%). Sale of the Company's shares in ADO The Company has completed the sale of its entire holdings in ADO Group for a total of NIS 900 million, recording a pre-tax net income (in the capital gain and revaluation gain) of NIS 610 million in its financial statements. REAL ESTATE CONTRACTING IN ISRAEL Solel Boneh: Net income of NIS 119 million in 2019 and a record backlog of NIS 7 billion as at the end of February Gross profit of NIS 228 million EBITDA of NIS 194 million Solel Boneh reached a record backlog of NIS 7 billion as at the end of February 2020 - including a backlog of projects under construction and new projects for which contracts have been signed, as well as projects in which the Company was declared a winner but for which formal agreements have yet to be signed ("backlog not included in the backlog"). SBI Infrastructure and Construction Abroad (excluding USA): Significant Improvement in Net Income Steady gross profitability of 16.4% in 2019 over 2018. Net income in this segment reached NIS 46 million , compared to a NIS 120 million loss in 2018. of 16.4% in 2019 over 2018. Toll Road Project in Colombia : On February 1 2019, a delivery document for Section 1 was signed; on October 17 2019, a delivery document of Section 2 was signed; and on November 7 2019, a delivery document for Section 3 was signed. Following the delivery, the operating period began, during which the franchisee started receiving revenues from availability charges and tolls, and 180-day rectification period of the segments began. On 2019, a delivery document for Section 1 was signed; on 2019, a delivery document of Section 2 was signed; and on 2019, a delivery document for Section 3 was signed. Following the delivery, the operating period began, during which the franchisee started receiving revenues from availability charges and tolls, and 180-day rectification period of the segments began. Project win in Nigeria : In October 2019 , the Nigerian government announced that SBI had won a tender for the construction of a road in southeastern Nigeria ; the project involves the paving of roads approx.18 km-long, as well as construction of several bridges and intersections. Work is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2020 and expected to last approx. 48 months. Total expected proceeds from the project: approx. USD 310 million . It should be clarified that as of this date, a binding contract for the execution of the work in the project has yet to be signed between the foreign company and the Nigerian government and there is no certainty as to the date on which a binding contract shall be signed, if any. SBA Infrastructure and Construction Contracting Company, USA: Activity Increases and US Expansion Strategy is Realized Acquisition of US-based infrastructure and construction contracting company is completed : On April 16 2019, the transaction for the acquisition of I+ICON was completed as part of the company's US expansion strategy. The company is engaged in civil infrastructure contracting with emphasis on bridges, transport infrastructure and marine works. This constitutes a significant step towards entering into mega infrastructure projects in the US, as well as for achieving significant synergies with SBA's operations. : On 2019, the transaction for the acquisition of I+ICON was completed as part of the company's US expansion strategy. The company is engaged in civil infrastructure contracting with emphasis on bridges, transport infrastructure and marine works. This constitutes a significant step towards entering into mega infrastructure projects in the US, as well as for achieving significant synergies with SBA's operations. Project SH-288: Delay of project for the construction of toll roads in Texas , following which the completion date was revised, led to a NIS 205 million loss for the contracting company. PROJECTS AND INCOME-GENERATING ASSETS Activation of the Ashalim Mega-Project In April 2019, all required approvals for the activation of the Ashalim thermo-solar power plant project were received. The 121 MW project has an operation period ending in 2043. The Company's share in the franchisee and operator is 50%. It is estimated that in a representative year in which the power plant will operate at full capacity, it will generate proceeds of approx. NIS 350 million per annum.[1] Activation of the Tze'elim Mega-Project In October 2019, all required approvals for the activation of the Tze'elim project were received. Tze'elim is a photovoltaic power plant with an installed capacity of 120 MW. Following are projected results for the entire year - proceeds: NIS 80 million; NOI: NIS 65 million; FFO: NIS 40 million.1 Financial closing of the Etgal Project On December 17 2019, the Electricity Authority approved the financial closing of the Etgal project by (financial closing by equity). The Etgal project is a project for the construction of an open cycle, readily available natural gas-fired power plant, with a 186 MW capacity in the Ashdod industrial area. The company is close to securing financing for the project from financing entities. Following are projected results for the entire year - proceeds: NIS 120-130 million; NOI: NIS 37-47 million; FFO: NIS 30-40 million.1 Completion of the increasing holding in the Operating Companies - Derech Eretz Transaction In May 2019, Keystone REIT (Ltd.) entered into an agreement to acquire Road 6 operating company Derech Eretz from third parties, with a portion of the holdings to be transferred to Shikun & Binui. In February 2020, the transaction was completed, with the Company holding 46% of the equity of the operating companies and 51% of the voting rights thereof. As a result, the Company is expected to consolidate the operating companies' financial statements and to record a gain of NIS 90-100 million in Q1 2020 following reclassification from an associate to a consolidated company (the gain was recorded as a result of adjusting the carrying amount to the transaction price). Sale of Generi 2 Project In June 2019, the sale of the Generi 2 project was completed; Generi 2 is a BOT project with a construction cost of NIS 515 million for the planning, construction, maintenance and financing of the new Jerusalem Government Campus. Net proceeds from the transaction amounted to NIS 79 million and a post-tax profit of NIS 34 million was recorded. Improving Efficiency The Company continues to take measures to reduce costs across the entire Group. ABOUT THE SHIKUN & BINUI GROUP Shikun & Binui is Israel's leading infrastructure and real estate company a global corporation that operates through its subsidiaries in Israel and across the world. Active in more than 20 countries on four continents, Shikun & Binui is involved in various fields, including infrastructure, real estate development, water, energy, and concessions. SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT This summary announcement was prepared solely for the convenience of the reader and does not replace Shikun & Binui Ltd.'s (hereafter "the Company") full report. The information contained in this announcement is, by its nature, incomplete. All of its contents are provided as a supplement to the Company's report, and are subject to the declarations therein stated. This announcement includes forecasts, assessments, estimates and other information relating to the Company or its subsidiaries, or to other parties or to future events and matters, the extent of whose realization is not certain and is not under the sole control of the Company (forward-looking information, as defined in the Securities Law-1968). The key facts and data serving as the basis for this information are facts and data, among others, related to the current status of the Company and its businesses, facts and data relating to the current status of the operating segments in which the Company engages in its areas of operation, and other macroeconomic facts and data known to the Company on the preparation date of this presentation. It is understood that forward-looking information does not constitute a fact and is based solely on subjective assessments. Forward-looking information is uncertain and for the most part, is not under the Company's control. The realization or non-realization of the forward-looking information will be influenced, among others, by the risk factors that characterize the Company's operations, as well as developments in the general environment and external factors that impact the Company's operations. The Company's future results and achievements could differ significantly from those presented in this presentation. The Company is not obligated to update or modify the said forecast or assessment, and is not obligated to update this announcement. This announcement does not constitute an offer to purchase the Company's securities or an invitation to receive such offers. An investment in securities in general, and in the Company in particular, carries risk. One must take into account that past data do not necessarily indicate future performance. [1] The expected results for Ashalim and Tze'elim constitute forward-looking information which is based on the Group's data, assessments and estimates close to the publication date. These data, assessments and estimates may not materialize or may change during the execution of the projects due to a range of circumstances, including existing or potential delays in schedule, demand and availability, change in operating costs, existing or potential delays by authorities as well as extensions of projects underway, wages or other factors which do not depend on the Group and there is no certainty they will materialize if the projections and assessments on which the plans are based do not materialize. Consolidated Financial Statements Consolidated Statements of Financial Position as at As of December 31 2019 2018 Thousands of NIS Thousands of NIS Assets Cash and cash equivalents 2,163,959 2,491,867 Deposits in banking corporations 730,207 781,879 Short-term loans and investments 200,576 129,150 Short-term loans to investees 21,626 25,001 Customers income receivable 2,698,876 2,830,251 Inventory of buildings for sale 1,425,855 1,587,147 Receivables and others 497,822 497,394 Other investments including derivatives 136,690 376,642 Current tax assets 51,488 39,287 Inventory 179,460 160,518 Assets held for sale 1,000 716,062 Total Current Assets 8,107,559 9,635,198 Receivables and contract assets due to concession arrangements 1,359,972 1,065,753 Non-current inventory of owned land 982,649 938,127 Non-current inventory of leased land 700,184 705,172 Investment property, net 1,540,212 862,282 Land rights 13,435 13,422 Receivables, loans and deposits 160,833 211,766 Investments in investees accounted for using the equity method 506,802 403,773 Loans to investees 1,033,465 1,099,937 Deferred tax assets 200,153 299,144 Fixed assets and right-of-use assets 1,373,559 1,076,317 Intangible assets, net 471,773 364,911 Total non-current assets 8,343,037 7,040,604 Total Assets 16,450,596 16,675,802 Consolidated Financial Statements Consolidated Statements of Financial Position as at As of December 31 2019 2018 Thousands of NIS Thousands of NIS Liabilities Short-term credit from banking corporations and others 2,143,536 1,529,542 Subcontractors, suppliers and service providers 1,487,203 1,657,591 Short-term employee benefits 170,427 160,792 Accounts payable and credit balances including derivatives 583,300 638,652 Current tax liabilities 112,181 84,623 Provisions 175,892 172,364 Liabilities to customers 1,278,889 1,483,675 Advance payments from customers 430,135 323,684 Liabilities held for sale 1,455 360,954 Total Current Liabilities 6,383,018 6,411,877 Liabilities to banking corporations and others 3,182,451 3,200,074 Bonds 3,440,059 3,680,283 Employee benefits 43,084 46,130 Deferred tax liabilities 82,715 119,665 Provisions 150,409 260,418 Excess of losses accumulated over the cost of the investment and deferred credit balance in investees 259,369 97,408 Total Non-Current Liabilities 7,158,087 7,403,978 Total Liabilities 13,541,105 13,815,855 Capital Total equity attributable to company shareholders 2,600,103 2,531,765 Non-controlling interests 309,388 328,182 Total Equity 2,909,491 2,859,947 Total Liabilities and Equity Liabilities 16,450,596 16,675,802 Consolidated Statement of Income For the Year Ending December 31 2019 2018 2017 Thousands of NIS Thousands of NIS Thousands of NIS Revenues from work performed and sales 6,490,567 6,331,518 6,437,307 Cost of work performed and sales (5,599,292) (5,371,928) (5,586,065) Gross Profits 891,275 959,590 851,242 Profit from the sale of investment property (440) 125,949 3,217 Sales and marketing expenses (43,887) (40,089) (40,049) Administrative and general expenses (471,230) (415,472) (380,824) Share of the profits (losses) of associates treated according to the (262,397) 19,141 59,816 equity method (net of tax) Other operating income 757,891 389,504 219,622 Other operating expenses (50,550) (135,578) (130,028) Operating Profit 820,662 903,045 582,996 Financing revenues 353,963 261,136 199,436 Financing expenses (517,507) (530,652) (422,471) Financing costs, net (163,544) (269,516) (223,035) Profit before taxes on income 657,118 633,529 359,961 Taxes on income (313,177) (74,233) (61,655) Profit for the year 343,941 559,296 298,306 Attributed to: Company shareholders 314,029 494,995 230,927 Non-controlling interests 29,912 64,301 67,379 343,941 559,296 298,306 Basic profit per share in NIS 0.78 1.24 0.58 Diluted profit per share in NIS 0.77 1.22 0.57 Consolidated Financial Statements Operating Segments For the Year Ending December 31 2019 Infrastructures and Construction (International) (Without the U.S.) Infrastructures and Construction Contracting in Israel Infrastructures and Construction (International) (U.S.) Real Estate Development (Israel) Real Estate Development (International) Concessions Energy Others Adjustments Total Thousands of NIS Revenues from outside customers 1,287,676 2,713,942 776,990 1,151,472 456,729 30,939 181,982 42,777 (151,940) 6,490,567 Inter-segment revenues 405,715 76 (405,791) - Total Revenues from Works Performed and Sales 1,287,676 3,119,657 776,990 1,151,548 456,729 30,939 181,982 42,777 (557,731) 6,490,567 Segment costs, net 1,173,540 2,988,228 1,028,536 948,069 387,398 -88,751 221,623 (505,271) (700,500) 5,452,872 Segment Results 114,136 131,429 -251,546 203,479 69,331 119,690 -39,641 548,048 142,769 1,037,695 Operating expenses, net, for all segments (217,033) Operating Income 820,662 Finance revenues (expenses), net assigned to segments 49,230 (22,911) (4,689) (50,404) 451 28,763 2,376 19,412 (384) 21,844 Net financing expenses not assigned to segments (185,388) Segment Profit (Loss) Before Tax 163,366 108,518 (256,235) 153,075 69,782 148,453 (37,265) 567,460 (260,036) 657,118 Additional information: Segment assets 3,799,912 2,899,989 471,183 4,563,584 1,547,351 384,033 1,350,907 193,584 (1,073,236) 14,137,307 Investments and loans to associates 9 16,937 7,258 63,042 171,643 938,042 350,289 2,532 12,141 1,561,893 Assets not allocated to segments 751,396 Total Assets in the Consolidated Report 16,450,596 Segment liabilities 1,351,296 2,282,916 461,659 2,877,722 1,295,363 701,813 1,565,037 338,132 (1,906,830) 8,967,108 Excess of losses over investment in investees 24,114 - 217,330 294 - 10,411 7,220 - - 259,369 Liabilities not allocated to segments 4,314,628 Total Liabilities in Consolidated Report 13,541,105 Long-term investments in assets 29,287 158,014 1,443 239,330 - 180,954 35,213 16,905 - 661,146 General long-term investments in assets 10,930 Total Investments in Consolidated Long-Term Assets 672,076 Depreciation and amortization 114,277 61,551 13,461 17,684 1,331 (3,792) 15,867 28,218 (358) 248,239 General Depreciation 20,952 Total Depreciation in the Consolidated Report 269,191 Consolidated Financial Statements Operating Segments Infrastructures and Construction (International) (Without the U.S.) Infrastructures and Construction Contracting in Israel Infrastructures and Construction (International) (U.S.) Real Estate Development (Israel) Real Estate Development (International) Concessions Energy Others Adjustments Total Thousands of NIS Revenues from outside customers 1,355,063 2,850,687 485,278 987,301 499,354 55,910 503,563 45,184 (450,822) 6,331,518 Inter-segment revenues - 433,445 - 76 - - - - (433,521) - Total Revenues from Works Performed and Sales 1,355,063 3,284,132 485,278 987,377 499,354 55,910 503,563 45,184 (884,343) 6,331,518 Segment costs, net 1,326,005 3,190,853 470,342 630,585 409,067 (299,584) 471,490 68,221 (988,097) 5,278,882 Segment Results 29,058 93,279 14,936 356,792 90,287 355,494 32,073 (23,037) 103,754 1,052,636 Operating expenses, net, for all segments (149,591) Operating Income 903,045 Finance revenues (expenses), net assigned to segments (70,437) (6,114) 316 (41,659) (1,856) 24,839 7,988 (7,674) 21,408 (73,189) Net financing expenses not assigned to segments (196,327) Segment Profit (Loss) Before Tax (41,379) 87,165 15,252 315,133 88,431 380,333 40,061 (30,711) (220,756) 633,529 Additional information : Segment assets 4,180,720 2,956,046 124,160 4,096,704 1,559,434 620,612 1,083,260 496,265 (811,183) 14,306,018 Investments and loans to associates 9 28,267 - 74,013 182,906 800,141 430,284 1,759 11,332 1,528,711 Assets not allocated to segments 841,073 Total Assets in the Consolidated Report 16,675,802 Segment liabilities 1,506,032 2,429,300 26,738 2,644,396 1,327,415 792,653 1,330,134 307,380 (1,353,497) 9,010,551 Excess of losses over investment in investees 22,428 - 48,001 10,900 - - 16,079 - - 97,408 Liabilities not allocated to segments 4,707,896 Total Liabilities in Consolidated Report 13,815,855 Long-term investments in assets 107,215 62,552 - 52,774 4 103,784 171,157 12,366 - 509,852 General long-term investments in assets 12,735 Total Investments in Consolidated Long-Term Assets 522,587 Depreciation and amortization 121,029 50,697 1,568 20,192 1,097 3,221 16,285 12,447 (2,031) 224,505 General Depreciation 12,474 Total Depreciation in the Consolidated Report 236,979 Consolidated Financial Statements Operating Segments For the Year Ending December 31 2018 Infrastructures and Construction (International) (Without the U.S.) Infrastructures and Construction Contracting in Israel Infrastructures and Construction (International) (U.S.) Real Estate Development (Israel) Real Estate Development (International) Concessions Energy Others Adjustments Total Thousands of NIS Revenues from outside customers 1,355,063 2,850,687 485,278 987,301 499,354 55,910 503,563 45,184 (450,822) 6,331,518 Inter-segment revenues - 433,445 - 76 - - - - (433,521) - Total Revenues from Works Performed and Sales 1,355,063 3,284,132 485,278 987,377 499,354 55,910 503,563 45,184 (884,343) 6,331,518 Segment costs, net 1,326,005 3,190,853 470,342 630,585 409,067 (299,584) 471,490 68,221 (988,097) 5,278,882 Segment Results 29,058 93,279 14,936 356,792 90,287 355,494 32,073 (23,037) 103,754 1,052,636 Operating expenses, net, for all segments (149,591) Operating Income 903,045 Finance revenues (expenses), net assigned to segments (70,437) (6,114) 316 (41,659) (1,856) 24,839 7,988 (7,674) 21,408 (73,189) Net financing expenses not assigned to segments (196,327) Segment Profit (Loss) Before Tax (41,379) 87,165 15,252 315,133 88,431 380,333 40,061 (30,711) (220,756) 633,529 Additional information : Segment assets 4,180,720 2,956,046 124,160 4,096,704 1,559,434 620,612 1,083,260 496,265 (811,183) 14,306,018 Investments and loans to associates 9 28,267 - 74,013 182,906 800,141 430,284 1,759 11,332 1,528,711 Assets not allocated to segments 841,073 Total Assets in the Consolidated Report 16,675,802 Segment liabilities 1,506,032 2,429,300 26,738 2,644,396 1,327,415 792,653 1,330,134 307,380 (1,353,497) 9,010,551 Excess of losses over investment in investees 22,428 - 48,001 10,900 - - 16,079 - - 97,408 Liabilities not allocated to segments 4,707,896 Total Liabilities in Consolidated Report 13,815,855 Long-term investments in assets 107,215 62,552 - 52,774 4 103,784 171,157 12,366 - 509,852 General long-term investments in assets 12,735 Total Investments in Consolidated Long-Term Assets 522,587 Depreciation and amortization 121,029 50,697 1,568 20,192 1,097 3,221 16,285 12,447 (2,031) 224,505 General Depreciation 12,474 Total Depreciation in the Consolidated Report 236,979 CONTACTS Shikun & Binui Leon Vasilnitzky +972 (3) 630 5894 [email protected] SOURCE Shikun & Binui Ltd. The central government has issued directives to state governments and union territories to put returning migrants in nearest shelter by the State/Union Territory government quarantine facilities after proper screening for a period of 14 days as per standard health protocol. The development comes after hundreds of migrants, including daily wage workers, started to walk all the way to their hometowns from several cities, after the country was under a 21-day lockdown to contain COVID-19. "The migrant people who have moved out to reach their home states/home town must be kept in the nearest shelter by state/UTs government quarantine facilities after proper screening for a minimum period of 14 days," as per the instructions issued by the MHA. The Union Home Ministry has asked state/Union Territory governments to make all arrangements for migrant labourers who have been stranded due to nationwide lockdown. "The Centre has asked all state/UTs to ensure adequate arrangements of temporary shelters, and provision of food, etc. for the poor and needy people, including migrant labourers, stranded due to lockdown measures in their respective areas, according to an official statement. "All employers, be it in the industry or in the shops and commercial establishments shall make payment of wages of their workers, at their workplaces, on the due date without any deduction, for the period their establishments are under closure during the lockdown,"the directive sent to states reads. The government has also said the landlords of the properties where the workers, including the migrants, shall not demand payment of rent for a period of one month. And the state/UT governments are directed to take necessary action in case of the violation of the orders District Magistrates/Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police have also been made "personally responsible" for the implementation of the above-metioned orders. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Despite the state governments order on March 28 allowing hotels and restaurants to restart their kitchens and home delivery service, hoteliers and restaurateurs said that they may not be able to do so as their staff went back to their hometowns, thus leaving many of the kitchens bereft of employees. Pune Restaurant and Hoteliers Association (Praha) has appealed to its members to keep their kitchens open for deliveries (there are a total of 850 hoteliers). The centre and the state government have notified home delivery/takeaway from restaurants, as part of essential services, with conditions like social distancing, regular sanitation of the premises, maintaining health and hygiene standards of the staff, and acquiring essential service providers pass from the local authorities for the purpose of staff mobility, said Ganesh Shetty, president, Praha. However, some restaurant staff left the city due to panic among the residents and even quit their jobs, despite us telling them not to. Also, we are in talks with the collector and commissioner of police to help get passes for our staff who narrate bad experiences of being beaten by police while on delivery, added Shetty. Collector Naval Kishore Ram, however, said that they will help run the essential service smoothly. We are always there to deal with any problem that they are facing. This is one of the essential services and if more hotels could come to help feed people, it would be great. We deal with more than 8,000 permissions for deliveries of different commodities daily, so we will gladly help if more kitchens could be kept open, he said. Paying heed to the help provided by the authorities, chef Ratan Baroi, who hails from Anadinagar in West Bengal, preferred being in Pune at work. My family wanted me back at the earliest. However, our management assured us about our safety and made us understand that being here, would limit us from contracting the virus as a lot of people were over-crowding the trains. The last thing I want to do was to harm my family. At the end of the day, Im really happy with my decision of staying back. With the advancement in technology today, I can keep in touch with them through video conferencing and also keep them updated about my daily activities. Whats more important, Im here and helping the community by cooking meals for people who dont have the means or resources at the moment. Zomato, too, has kept its deliveries open, according to their spokesperson, each of their delivery personnel has been provided with a police-approved pass, besides, mask and gloves to ensure help to those in need of getting food delivered. In Salunkhe Vihar, Circle of Crust, a pizza cafe has its central kitchen in Wadgaon Sheri open for deliveries. Kartik Ganesh, marketing manager, said, We have retained a very skeletal staff in the kitchen of six, as opposed to the usual 15. On an average, we get 22-34 delivery orders per day and we are using Zomato for it. Our staff has been provided with accommodation and food, sanitizers, among others. Sandy Singh, owner of Prems in Koregaon Park, said, We have a kitchen running on very minimal staff of five while the usual is 30. Some of my staff wanted to go home to their families, so I didnt stop them. I have all the necessary police permissions for allowing deliveries and we get 20 delivery orders on an average daily. Zoravar Sachdev, owner, 11, East Street Camp, said, I am managing my kitchen with three people, while the rest of the staff is on paid leave. Some hotels like Mr Rabbits Bar and Burrow, Baner, have discontinued the home deliveries by their staff and prefer to do it over online service apps like Zomato and Swiggy. There are people who are still ordering food online. We get an average six to nine calls a day which we are delivering via Swiggy. We are operational during the evening between 6.30pm to 11:30pm, and are working with limited staff in the kitchen and a person to manage the cash counter. We were doing home deliveries but that had to stop as the police did not allow it, said Nupur Chaudhari, the owner. As more and more U.S. schools and businesses shutter their doors, the rapidly evolving coronavirus pandemic is helping to expose societys dependence -- good and bad -- on the digital world. Entire swaths of society, including classes we teach at American University, have moved online until the coast is clear. As vast segments of society are temporarily forced into isolation to achieve social distancing, the internet is their window into the world. Online social events like virtual happy hours foster a sense of connectedness amid social distancing. While the online world is often portrayed as a societal ill, this pandemic is a reminder of how much the digital world has to offer. The pandemic also lays bare the many vulnerabilities created by societys dependence on the internet. These include the dangerous consequences of censorship, the constantly morphing spread of disinformation, supply chain vulnerabilities and the risks of weak cybersecurity. Chinas censorship affects us all The global pandemic reminds us that even local censorship can have global ramifications. Chinas early suppression of coronavirus information likely contributed to what is now a worldwide pandemic. Had the doctor in Wuhan who spotted the outbreak been able to speak freely, public health authorities might have been able to do more to contain it early. China is not alone. Much of the world lives in countries that impose controls on what can and cannot be said about their governments online. Such censorship is not just a free speech issue, but a public health issue as well. Technologies that circumvent censorship are increasingly a matter of life and death. Disinformation online isnt just speech its also a matter of health and safety During a public health emergency, sharing accurate information rapidly is critical. Social media can be an effective tool for doing just that. But its also a source of disinformation and manipulation in ways that can threaten global health and personal safety something tech companies are desperately, yet imperfectly, trying to combat. Facebook, for example, has banned ads selling face masks or promising false preventions or cures, while giving the World Health Organization unlimited ad space. Twitter is placing links to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other reliable information sources atop search returns. Meanwhile, Russia and others reportedly are spreading rumors about the coronaviruss origins. Others are using the coronavirus to spread racist vitriol, in ways that put individuals at risk. Not only does COVID-19 warn us of the costs -- and geopolitics -- of disinformation, it highlights the roles and responsibilities of the private sector in confronting these risks. Figuring out how to do so effectively, without suppressing legitimate critics, is one of the greatest challenges for the next decade. Cyber resiliency and security matter more than ever Our university has moved our work online. We are holding meetings by video chat and conducting virtual courses. While many dont have this luxury, including those on the front lines of health and public safety or newly unemployed, thousands of other universities, businesses and other institutions also moved online -- a testament to the benefits of technological innovation. At the same time, these moves remind us of the importance of strong encryption, reliable networks and effective cyber defenses. Today network outages are not just about losing access to Netflix but about losing livelihoods. Cyber insecurity is also a threat to public health, such as when ransomware attacks disrupt entire medical facilities. Smart technologies as a lifeline The virus also exposes the promise and risks of the internet of things, the globe-spanning web of always-on, always-connected cameras, thermostats, alarm systems and other physical objects. Smart thermometers, blood pressure monitors and other medical devices are increasingly connected to the web. This makes it easier for people with pre-existing conditions to manage their health at home, rather than having to seek treatment in a medical facility where they are at much greater risk of exposure to the disease. Yet this reliance on the internet of things carries risks. Insecure smart devices can be co-opted to disrupt democracy and society, such as when the Mirai botnet hijacked home appliances to disrupt critical news and information sites in the fall of 2016. When digitally interconnected devices are attacked, their benefits suddenly disappear adding to the sense of crisis and sending those dependent on connected home diagnostic tools into already overcrowded hospitals. Tech supply chain is a point of vulnerability The shutdown of Chinese factories in the wake of the pandemic interrupted the supply of critical parts to many industries, including the U.S. tech sector. Even Apple had to temporarily halt production of the iPhone. Had China not begun to recover, the toll on the global economy could have been even greater than it is now. This interdependence of our supply chain is neither new nor tech-specific. Manufacturing medical and otherwise has long depended on parts from all over the world. The crisis serves as a reminder of the global, complex interactions of the many companies that produce gadgets, phones, computers and many other products on which the economy and society as a whole depend. Even if the virus had never traveled outside of China, the effects would have reverberated highlighting ways in which even local crises have global ramifications. Cyber policy in everything As the next phase of the pandemic response unfolds, society will be grappling with more and more difficult questions. Among the many challenges are complex choices about how to curb the spread of the disease while preserving core freedoms. How much tracking and surveillance are people willing to accept as a means of protecting public health? As Laura explains in The Internet in Everything, cyber policy is now entangled with everything, including health, the environment and consumer safety. Choices that we make now, about cybersecurity, speech online, encryption policies and product design will have dramatic ramifications for health, security and basic human flourishing. This article was first posted on The Conversation. Hours after the $2.2 trillion economic relief package was signed Friday evening, allocating millions for the Kennedy Center, musicians who work there were informed they would no longer be paid. 'The Covid-19 Advisory Committee was broadsided today during our conversation with [Kennedy Center President] Deborah Rutter,' an email obtained by the Washington Free Beacon from the orchestra's Covid-19 Advisory Committee reads. 'Ms. Rutter abruptly informed us today that the last paycheck for all musicians and librarians will be April 3 and that we will not be paid again until the Center reopens,' it continued. The email went out Friday shortly after the CARES Act was signed by Donald Trump to provide relief to people left unemployed or out of work due to the coronavirus pandemic. It means that nearly 100 musicians will no longer receive paychecks after April 3, even though the stimulus bill passed includes a measure for $25 million to fund the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The Kennedy Center will stop paying 100 of its musicians, it revealed it an email Friday, which was obtained by the Washington Free Beacon. The center is in Washington, D.C. and is adjacent to the Potomac River. It hosts performances including opera, ballet, theater and large-scale events The move came just hours after Donald Trump signed the $2.2 trillion coronavirus economic stimulus package, which includes $25 million for funding for the Kennedy Center The provision initially raised eyebrows from both Democrats and Republicans, but ultimately made its way in the bill with about less than $10 million than originally allocated. The bailout for the center was designed to 'cover operating expenses required to ensure the continuity of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and its affiliates, including for employee compensation and benefits, grants, contracts, payments for rent or utilities, fees for artists or performers.' That relief, the organization decided, did not extend to members of its house orchestra. 'Everyone should proceed as if their last paycheck will be April 3,' the email says. 'We understand this will come [as a] shock to all of you, as it did to us. Donald Trump said Wednesday he had no problem with the Senate stimulus bill, including the $25 million measure for the Kennedy Center. 'Well, I approved that,' he answered when a reporter asked him about the sum, pointing out that the original number Democrats pitched was $35 million. 'But the Kennedy Center has suffered greatly because nobody can go there, it's essentially closed.' On the right, the Kennedy Center example was used as a talking point by Republican lawmakers and conservative pundits as they criticized Democrats for packing the legislation with goodies, and stalling on getting valuable need to the American people. Trump said Wednesday he was perfectly fine with Congress giving $25 million to help the Kennedy Center, which is closed due to the coronavirus outbreak Before President Trump defended the funding conservatives like Turning Point USA's Charlie Kirk were using it to blast Democrats for wasteful spending in the stimulus package Even Donald Trump Jr. got into the action retweeting this message from Todd Starnes, a conservative radio show host and columnist 'Democrats believe #coronavirus can be cured by providing $35 million in funding to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts,' tweeted Todd Starnes, a conservative columnist and radio host, highlighting the appropriate section of the legislation. His quip was retweeted by Donald Trump Jr. Charlie Kirk, another conservative talking head who runs the youth group Turning Point USA also fumed about the Kennedy Center funding calling it 'government at its worst.' 'How many ventilators could that money buy? How many masks could that buy? How many lives could that save?' he tweeted. Trump, however, threw water on that political attack, by telling reporters in the press briefing room that he loved the place. 'I'm a fan of that,' he said of the arts center, located adjacent to the Potomac River. 'Although we haven't spent time there because I'm far too busy, I'd love to go there evenings, but I'm too busy doing things, because that's more important to me than going there.' He did note that the Kennedy Center funding 'was a Democrat request.' 'That was not my request,' he said. 'But you've got to give them something, it's something that they wanted, you know it works that way,' he said, speaking of how bills are cobbled together in the House and Senate. Trump also told the press that he believed the Democrats treated the White House and Republicans 'fairly.' 'I really believe we've had a really good back and forth,' he said, praising Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, by name. Trump indicated he was also aware that he was ruining conservatives' fun. Trump told reporters in the briefing room Wednesday that he loved the Kennedy Center and wouldn't mind going to see a production of Romeo and Juliet there Former Gov. Mike Huckabee, a Trump ally, said the funding for the Kennedy Center was legitimate, but was mad that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi listed it among other 'political' items in the stimulus bill 'That's a lousy soundbite, that's not a good soundvite, but that's the way life works,' he said after praising Congressional Democrats. Trump had the backing of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, the father of his ex-press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who had tweeted in defense of the Kennedy Center funding. 'Unlike absurd stuff in her list, [Kennedy Center] closure is covid related federal issue,' the former governor tweeted. Huckabee was still enraged with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, however, for grouping the Kennedy Center with those other items on her 'political' wishlist. The president also praised David Rubenstein, a D.C.-based billionaire who has thrown money at large-scale projects like the Kennedy Center and fixing the Washington Monument. 'The Kennedy Center they do a beautiful job, an incredible job, David Rubenstein does a fantastic job,' he said. 'But they've essentially closed.' 'If I wanted to go there tonight to look at Romeo and Juliet, I'd love to see Romeo and Juliet tonight - you know what would happen? They'd say sorry 250 people or 50 people, or whatever it might be down to,' the president said, trailing off. To which a reporter pointed out that Trump's coronavirus guidance said it's gatherings fewer than 10. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 22:33:28|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Beijing Benz will recall 77,607 vehicles due to potential power steering problems, China's top quality watchdog has said. The recall involves its C-class, E-class, and GLC SUV models domestically manufactured between Oct. 18, 2016 and April 13, 2018, according to the State Administration for Market Regulation. The steering aids and power steering systems may malfunction due to possible errors in previous replacement of steering racks, thus increasing the risk of car crash and posing potential safety hazards, the statement said. The recall will start from March 31. The carmaker promised to examine and repair the defective parts free of charge. Beijing Benz will notify affected owners, while car owners can also call the company's customer service line 400-800-1188 for more information. SYRACUSE, N.Y. Syracuse police officials called in the departments SWAT team as part of an investigation into gunshots fired earlier this morning, according to a spokesman. Police were called to the 100 block of Frisbee Court around 7:47 a.m. today regarding shots fired and found shell casings outside of a home. Officers also got reports of people inside the home who may have been involved in the shooting. Police activated the departments SWAT team and set a perimeter for much of the block, said spokesman Sgt. Matthew Malinowski. Eventually, police were able to make contact with the residents, though its not immediately clear what officers learned. Police are still interviewing and investigating to see what occurred. No one was reported injured, Malinowski said. Police are asking anyone with information to call the department at (315)442-5222. The ongoing pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus has forced governments to implement nationwide lockdowns. COVID-19 has raised a lot of questions about our preparedness to deal with such a pandemic and our abilities to trace it back to its source. Now, it seems as though we finally know who patient zero was. According to a PTI report, Wei Guixian, as identified by The Wall Street Journal, is a shrimp-seller in the city of Wuhan - the place where the coronavirus originated - and is one of the first patients of the virus. The 57-year-old woman apparently caught a cold while selling shrimps at the Huanan Seafood Market on December 10. Twitter (Image for representational purposes only) Since her symptoms were the same as a flu, she consulted a local clinic where she was given an injection in order to treat her. However, the quinquagenarian (a person who is between 50 and 59 years old) still felt weak and visited a hospital in Wuhan after one day of consulting the clinic. On December 16, lethargy took over her body and Wei visited Wuhan Union Hospital which is one of the biggest medical facilities in the area. While at the hospital, Wei was informed that many from the Huanan Seafood Market had showed up with the same illness and by the end of December, she was placed in quarantine. By then, the doctors had made the connection between the coronavirus and the seafood market. AFP The 'live-market' has been shut down for the time being with people from all over the world hoping and demanding that it stays that way. Wei recovered from the virus in January and she believes that she got infected from a toilet which all the meat sellers shared in the market. Apparently, several vendors working next to her also got infected with the virus. Wei also believes that the global death count could have been lower if the government had acted a little sooner. However, even though Wei has been termed as 'patient zero'. that still does not imply that she was the first person to be infected. Reuters The virus death toll is over 30K as of today and over 664,192 cases have been recorded all around the world. Facebook and website images for representational purposes only. The NHS has begun suspending home births as the healthcare service urges women with coronavirus symptoms to have their babies in hospital. Home births can require additional medical resources and are not an ideal option for expectant mothers who may have COVID-19, experts said. The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS foundation trust in London and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde are among those which have suspended home births, the Guardian reported. 'This is to allow us to concentrate our maternity staff in our hospitals to cover those who are absent from work because they are either self-isolating or symptomatic,' a spokesperson for the Glasgow and Clyde trust said. The NHS has begun suspending home births as the healthcare service urges women with coronavirus symptoms to have their babies in hospital (stock image) In a tweet, the Hillingdon Hospitals NHS foundation trust added: 'Due to #COVID-19 will be temporarily suspending our homebirth services so we can provide safe care to all women having a baby with us. 'Your midwife will have discussed this with you, we appreciate your co-operation and apologise for the inconvenience.' Birte Harley-Lam, executive director for professional leadership at the Royal College of Midwives, said home births could still be an option for healthy women who are showing no symptoms of the deadly virus. She added, however, that this would likely depend on staffing levels in nearby hospitals. 'Maternity services are working around the clock to support choices about where [women] give birth, including at home,' she said. 'However, safety is always the paramount consideration for maternity services, so there may be situations where, due to staffing or other concerns, home births may not be possible.' Ms Harley-Lam added that home births could put pressure on the ambulance service should hospital transfers be required for the mother. Home births can require additional medical resources and are not an ideal option for expectant mothers who may have COVID-19, experts said (stock image) But women who have symptoms of coronavirus should avoid having a home birth because of the 'extra monitoring and medical backup that might be needed to keep her and her baby safe', she said. Private Midwives, a service registered with the Care Quality Commission, has reported a 'doubling in the number of enquiries' about home births 'in the last few weeks'. ARE PREGNANT WOMEN MORE VULNERABLE TO COVID-19? There is no evidence that pregnant women become more severely unwell if they develop coronavirus than the general population. It is expected the large majority of pregnant women will experience only mild or moderate symptoms because more severe symptoms such as pneumonia appear to be more common in older people, those with weakened immune systems or long-term conditions. There are no reported deaths of pregnant women from coronavirus at the moment. If you are pregnant you are more vulnerable to getting infections than a woman who is not pregnant, according to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. If you have an underlying condition, such as asthma or diabetes, you may be more unwell if you have coronavirus because is poses a higher risk to those with underlying health conditions. In terms of risk to the baby, there is no evidence right now to suggest an increased risk of miscarriage or transmission to the unborn baby via the womb or breast milk. Some babies born to women with symptoms of coronavirus in China have been born prematurely. It is unclear whether coronavirus caused this or the doctors made the decision for the baby to be born early because the woman was unwell. Advertisement Edward Sparks, chief executive for the service, said this was either because women wanted to avoid putting more pressure on hospitals, or they were looking for a way to continue their previous plan to give birth at home despite NHS services being suspended. 'Quite a few areas around the country are struggling to provide the community services that they were previously,' added Mr Sparks. But not all NHS trusts across the UK have halted home births with a spokesperson for Oxford University Hospitals NHS foundation trust confirming 'we are providing a normal service at present'. It added the trust hasn't seen a 'noticeable increase in demand' for home births at present. It comes as the UK coronavirus death toll today jumped by 209 in 24 hours from 1,019 to 1,228, as the infection rate dropped for the second day in a row. There are now 19,522 confirmed cases nationwide, up from 17,089 yesterday. Today's increase in fatalities is the second biggest Britain has seen so far, but with 51 fewer deaths than yesterday, offering some hope that the figures are beginning to plateau. Medical experts say pregnant women who are otherwise healthy are not believed to have an increased risk of infection. There is also no evidence to suggest expectant mothers would become more severely unwell should they develop coronavirus than the general population. It is expected the large majority of pregnant women will experience only mild or moderate symptoms because more severe symptoms such as pneumonia appear to be more common in older people, those with weakened immune systems or long-term conditions. In terms of risk to the baby, there is also no evidence right now to suggest an increased risk of miscarriage or transmission to the unborn baby via the womb or breast milk. Some babies born to women with symptoms of coronavirus in China have been born prematurely. It is unclear whether coronavirus caused this or the doctors made the decision for the baby to be born early because the woman was unwell. With increasing cases of COVID-19 in the country, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has urged the federal government to allow other laboratories test for the virus. This, the association said, is necessary to avoid losing probable cases to the community. This was part of the resolutions contained in a communique issued at the end of the associations emergency executive council meeting held in Abuja on Friday. According to the communique signed by the NMA FCT chairman, Philip Ekpe, there was an urgent need for the government to decentralize testing and turnaround time for the test of the virus. The NCDC should be unbundled with regards to laboratory testing and approval granted by the Ministry of Health for facilities with Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) machine to conduct the testing. This is to decentralize testing in order not to lose probable cases to the community and reduced waiting time for confirmation, It said. Nigeria currently has seven laboratories that can test for Covid-19. Of these, six are fully functional while the last one is still being set up. The six functional laboratories are located in Lagos (2), Osun, Edo, FCT and Oyo. As of the time of reporting, Nigeria has recorded 97 cases and more are expected to be recorded as the government intensifies contact tracing and more testing for suspected cases. Resolutions In the communique, the doctors association said it observed that a majority of the confirmed cases were returning travellers to the country. The turn around time for laboratory testing is high due to the overburdening of NCDC and scarce human resources. There is poor awareness/sensitization in the FCT suburbs/rural areas about the Covid-19 infection. There is poor adherence to social distancing in the FCT especially the suburbs and rural communities, it said. It also said there is a paucity of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for medical workers. The association urged the government to provide free and subsidised facemasks, hand sanitizers and PPEs to health workers and the public respectively. It also called for immediate provision of life insurance to all medical volunteers. Forced lockdown The association said FCT lacks adequate designated isolation centres for a probable explosion of the Covid-19 infection. It urged the authorities to lock down the FCT for two to four weeks which must be enforced in the suburbs and rural areas. The federal government earlier said the national stadiums in Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan, and Kaduna will be used as isolation centres for the treatment of coronavirus patients. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 20:39:48|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KUNMING, March 29 (Xinhua) -- A forest fire broke out at noon Sunday in southwest China's Yunnan Province, the county government of Yulong under Lijiang City said. An emergency response was initiated, which has sent 79 professional firefighters and over 300 local officials and residents to put out the fire. The government said the fire was caused by a villager during tomb-sweeping, which usually involved burning joss sticks and paper. The villager has been controled for further investigation. A batch of 275 Indians, who were recently evacuated from coronavirus-hit Iran, arrived in Rajasthan's Jodhpur from Delhi for quarantine on Sunday morning, an official said. He said a preliminary screening of the passengers was conducted at the airport and thereafter, they were shifted to the Army Wellness Facility set up at the Jodhpur Military Station. Additional Chief Secretary (Health) of Rajasthan Rohit Kumar Singh said of the 275 passengers, 133 were female and 142 male, including two infants and four children. Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri tweeted, saying the Iran-returned Indians were taken from Delhi to Jodhpur on SpiceJet and IndiGo aircraft. "Operation Namaste! Efforts to safeguard Indian citizens against Covid19 continue," he wrote on Twitter. "The 275 Indians who were evacuated from Iran have been screened & shifted by IndiGo and SpiceJet aircraft to Army Wellness Centre at Jodhpur for quarantine," the minister added. India is currently under a 21-day lockdown till April 14 to curb the spread of the coronavirus and consequently, all international and domestic commercial passenger flights have been suspended for this period. According to the Union Health Ministry, 979 people have tested positive for the virus in India so far and 25 deaths due to COVID-19 have been reported. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Airports will collapse within weeks without emergency funding for the firms that supply baggage handlers and refuel planes, the Government has been warned. Ground handling firms, which supply 25,000 staff in the UK to manage the most vital airport operations, last week told Transport Minister Kelly Tolhurst they are 'perilously close to collapse' and are likely to run out of cash within six weeks. The UK's four biggest such companies Swissport, Menzies Aviation, WFS and Dnata are understood to have already laid off thousands of staff after suffering a 95 per cent drop in revenues due to 11 partial or full airport closures including Gatwick, Manchester, London City and Teesside International. Going nowhere: Ground handling firms supply 25,000 staff in the UK to manage the most vital airport operations Sources said unless the Treasury steps in with a rescue package the firms will be forced to furlough their entire workforce, meaning they will be categorised as being on temporary absence. This will leave no ground staff to handle cargo including crucial ventilator components and other critical medical supplies for the NHS. Menzies, which is listed on the FTSE 250, last week laid off half its global workforce. In a joint letter sent to Tolhurst last week, the bosses of the four big ground handling firms called for emergency support to cover business rates as well as the provision of VAT relief and access to shortterm loans. The letter, seen by The Mail on Sunday, said: 'We survive ... on a pay-as-you-go model generating revenue on the number of aeroplane turns we support, tons [of goods] we warehouse, and litres of fuel we pump. 'As 95 per cent of these flights are not arriving, and 70 per cent of our costs are staff, the resultant fall in revenue has driven us into a crisis.' The correspondence added: 'If one of us ceases to operate, the impact will be devastating for all of us, leaving the entire UK aviation system unable to function.' The four firms held talks with the Department for Transport last Friday. It is understood that the department is lobbying the Treasury for help. The Airport Operators Association, which represents more than 50 airports, also called on the Government for support last week. In a letter to Chancellor Rishi Sunak and the DfT, the AOA said airports are not eligible for schemes that benefit the retail and hospitality sector and cannot apply for loans from the Bank of England. The organisation called for six aid measures to help airports stay open including a holiday from taxes such as business rates and corporation tax, and access to Bank of England loans. Last week, the Treasury rejected pleas for a bailout from airlines, saying it would consider aid only once all other avenues had been exhausted. It is thought that the major airlines' failure to put on a united front was a factor in the Government's decision, with a source describing 'squabbling' between rivals Virgin Atlantic and British Airways owner IAG. The AOA said it was 'extremely disappointed' by the Government's decision to 'row back' on its previous commitment to stand by the aviation industry. One airline insider said the Covid19 travel restrictions will last until at least September. He added: 'Airlines must be planning for an extended period of disruption before getting back to some sort of new normal.' BAKU, Azerbaijan, Mar. 29 Trend: Azerbaijan's Management Union of Medical Territorial Units (TABIB) is preparing various plans for the resources of the hospitals to be sufficient to treat those infected with coronavirus, Chairman of the board of TABIB Ramin Bayramli said, Trend reports referring to TABIB. He pointed out that the epidemiological situation in Azerbaijan is under control thanks to targeted quarantine measures. "If these measures were not taken in a timely manner, the situation could be critical. The detection of coronavirus cases in the country is a very serious alarm for us. TABIB is already preparing various plans so as not to run into problems and resources of institutions would be enough to treat those infected, Bayramli said. Other than a prescient sage, who couldve imagined a heretofore unfamiliar word, like COVID-19 would bring our economy to a grinding halt in less than one month with its paralyzing scepter of death. The stench of fear of the unknown outcome is now thicker than a London fog. Some circumstances are momentary or temporary, subject to change. Others are permanent, lifelong, unalterable. It appears most of us learn lessons from circumstances that would not otherwise wake us from our existential slumber. St. Augustine beckoned us, Since you cannot do good to all, you are to pay special attention to those who, by the accidents of time, or place, or circumstances, are brought into closer connection with you. We discover that nexus in encounters wed never otherwise imagined, desired or pursued. Just count the random acts of kindness that are on the increase if the face of this menacing virus. Predictably, insouciant lifestyles invite circumstances that would otherwise not occur. One who fails to pay the electric bill will be without lights - a preventable negative circumstance.The most cautious drivers can get t-boned by another careless driver, through no fault of their own. Booker T. Washington was brief, Character, not circumstances, makes the man. Initially jealous brothers cast their younger sibling into a pit, leaving him to die. Temporarily assuaging their guilt, they recanted, rather selling him into slavery. Years later, in Egypt, Joseph said to his brothers, But as for you, you meant it for evil against me; God meant it for good, in order to bring about as it is this day, to save many people. The ruler of circumstances still reigns. When one equates happiness with circumstances ones doomed to disappointment. After eons, surely mankind should acknowledge that one whos joyful, is not one with a set of preconceived circumstances, but rather one with a certain set of attitudes. Many are still reeling from the devastating 2017 hurricanes of Harvey and Irma. Yet, out of these disasters, we heard compelling reports of bravery, generosity, and thankfulness despite circumstances, even with death nipping at their heels, some found a ray of hope, insisting circumstances wouldnt define them. Whatever the ambit of ones existence, at first glance circumstances appear to have its way. Its clear that circumstances often take us to a place we never intended to venture. A hospital emergency room, or funeral parlor. In that often circuitous route, we also visit places of inexplicable beauty, and others of pain, destruction and desolation in this earthly pilgrimage. In the political realm, the terrible conflict between the North and South, President Lincoln took a rather narrow, but gracious perspective, on the two sides, To the best of my judgment, I have labored for, and not against, the Union. As I have not felt, so I have not expressed any harsh sentiments towards our Southern brethren. I have constantly declared, as I really believed, the only difference between them and us is the difference of circumstance. Some historians and naysayer characterized Lincolns statement as naive or disingenuous. Any cursory examination of Lincolns writings, one knows he wasnt naive. Few conclude he was deceitful or naive. Lincoln found hope as a powerful force, in spite of the compelling circumstances. In recent days the mainstream media has unrelentingly attacked President Trump for being hopeful in the face of dismal, deadly conditions. G.K. Chesterton, the Catholic theological gadfly, observed, Hope is the power of being cheerful in circumstances that we know to be desperate. His way, like Lincoln before him, said that we dare not blame circumstance outside our our control, for our internal chaos, as we foist it on these vicissitudes of life, making our circumstances worse. By Christs very nature, He operates in the realm of perfection. Scripture confirms that, by comforting us, in the Pauline Epistle of Romans, And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, and are called to according to His purpose. All things. No accidents. No errors. No faults. Christians find solace in this immutable principle-God, unlike mortals, doesnt make mistakes. What of the unbeliever? Without wading too deep into a theological quagmire, God isnt dependent on the feeble actions of men, that randomly flip a coin, vacillating between belief and unbelief. If Gods actions hinge on the sentiments of men, then Hes not God at all. The orthodox Christian view is that God can change the circumstance in ones life, or change us in the process. His overarching purpose is to conform us to the image of His Son. Inward qualities He attempts to extricate from our recalcitrant selves. Circumstances which weve resisted. Situations which weve found desperately difficult, and honestly repugnant, yet were the means and methods in Gods hands, causing us to exchange, albeit slowly, our own self interest, for His. Someone observed, The heart of every problem is the problem of every heart. The impulse of circumstances are perilous to the soul, because unredeemed mans compass has lost its True North. Too often, even the redeemed ignore it, and flee the wrong direction. Our American experience is rife with those whove risen above circumstances. Yet they, as we, were mere mortals. None more illustrative example of one defying circumstances, than Abraham Lincoln. From 1832, he experienced victory and defeat nearly every year of his life. He failed in four major pursuits. The Illinois legislature. Failed in business. Lost speakership of the Illinois house. Failed to get an appointment to the U.S.Land Office. In1855, was defeated for the U.S. Senate, and again in 1858. Wouldnt that be sufficient to throw in the political towel? As we know, in1860, he was elected to the highest office in the Land. Consider a kid from Georgia poverty, permanently blind by age seven, discovered his love for music. Brother Ray Charles, the Genius of soul music, controlled his musical destiny and circumstances, with his own mainstream record company for nearly four decades. The palpable danger, then and now, about misunderstanding circumstances is that one may adopt an impoverished view of the benefits of those unexpected events, falsely concluding such are random, dreadful, or unfairly deserved. When we deem it as a capricious act, absent purpose, we miss the fact that Gods ultimately behind all things-whether we understand or not. Relegating circumstances to the graveyard of happenstance, renders one impotent to Gods intervention and intent. Mysteriously, circumstances drive many to excel, others to resign-or worse. Circumstances are the adumbration of that which has yet to be revealed at the precise moment in space, time and history. Whos the arbiter of those enigmas? What do you think? Mike Pyatt is a Ravalli County resident. His emails roderickstj@yahoo.com Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Iran's death toll from the coronavirus has risen to 2,640 and the number of infected people has reached 38,309, a health ministry official tweeted on Sunday, as the Middle East's worst-hit country grapples with the fast-spreading outbreak. "In the past 24 hours we had 123 deaths and 2,901 people have been infected, bringing the total number of infected people to 38,309," tweeted Alireza Vahabzadeh, an adviser to Iran's health minister. "12,391 people infected from the virus have recovered." Iran's Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur told state TV that "some 3,467 of those infected are in critical condition". "I am happy to announce that also 12,391 people who had been infected across the country have recovered ... The average age of those who have died of the disease is 69," said Jahanpur. Search Keywords: Short link: Possible delay of Grade five scholarship exams View(s): Doubts had been cast over the conduct of the grade five scholarship examinations on schedule due to the current situation. Educational authorities had to seek advice from the health authorities, an Education Ministry official said. Examinations Commissioner General SanathPoojitha said they feared the exams would not be held as scheduled previously. He said the Examinations Department will depend on the advice of the Health Ministry and the Task Forces, in their decision to hold or postpone exams. Mr Poojitha also said processing the scholarship applications this year was easier due to the online application system. He said the exams might be delayed until the August holiday period. Mr Poojitha also said the department will seek advice from health authorities with regard to spacing and desk and chair arrangements in the exam halls. (DW) The Coronavirus cases in Pakistan have reached up to 1,500 on Saturday, revealed reports, while the death toll of the country due to the virus stands at 12. According to reports, Pakistan has recorded the highest number of Coronavirus cases in South Asia till now. Further, the highest number of cases in the country have been reported in Punjab, while over 460 people have been tested positive in Sindh. The first case was reported on February 26 in Pakistan. Meanwhile, the country reportedly has 12,000 suspected cases of the virus, as per its own government. China sends medical supplies to Pak On Friday, China sent a truck-load of medical supplies to Pakistan through the Khunjerab Pass in order to curb the deadly virus. As per reports, China's Xinjiang province which borders Pakistan occupied Kashmir dispatched the truck containing five ventilators, 2,000 safety apparels, 20,000 medical masks, and 24,000 nucleic acid testing kits from Khunjerab Pass to the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan. Read: Meghalaya forms medical expert team to provide advice, guidance on dealing with COVID-19 Read: Pakistan PM Imran Khan tests positive for Coronavirus? The Coronavirus crisis Presently, there are around 662,967 confirmed cases of COVID-19 which has led to the death of around 30,851 people. Meanwhile, around 141,953 people have reportedly recovered. Currently, the hardest-hit region is the United States of America, followed by China, and then Italy, Iran and South Korea. Read: Coronavirus cases in Pakistan rise to over 1,320 as Punjab emerges as new epicentre Read: China rushes COVID-19 medical supplies to Pakistan through PoK border (With Agency Inputs) Karofsky wouldnt weigh in, citing how quickly conditions are changing. Kelly said he would be loathe to see the date of the election changed, fearing its implications on election integrity. If you change the rules on how you vote after voting starts, youre risking the integrity of the whole election, Kelly said. If there are folks who are interested in changing that, then I suggest they need to account for the damage they would do to the integrity of the process. He said changing the date of the election or how its run would upend peoples plans, such as if someone tried to show up at a polling place on election day only to find it closed and it being too late to cast an absentee ballot. He said the election can still be conducted safely by having at-risk people stay away from the polls, as well as those who may pose a risk to others. And in a new world where emergency orders from the state and federal government are being handed down each day, both candidates said constitutional considerations are top of mind. RICHMOND At Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg, instead of cars, geriatric recliners and IV poles fill parking spots in the garage next to the emergency department a makeshift field hospital for a possible overflow of patients. VCU Medical Center hurriedly packed up students belongings last week to convert dorm rooms into a hospital for patients who do not have COVID-19 and free up beds in the main hospital for those who do. The medical center has asked the state for emergency permission to add 460 beds on various campuses. And on Wednesday, Gov. Ralph Northam ordered hospitals to cease non-urgent surgeries and made a call out to all medical professionals from students to retirees to volunteer for the states Medical Reserve Corps to relieve anticipated medical staffing shortages. The state is also working with the Army Corps of Engineers to identify sites for building up hospital capacity. Its all part of an effort to keep Virginias health care system from being overrun by COVID-19 patients like New York City and Italy before it. And while state officials say they are planning and encouraging social distancing to prevent the worst-case scenario, they have kept those plans mostly under wraps as some projections anticipate a shortage of intensive care beds, tens of thousands of sickened Virginians needing hospitalization and a climbing death toll in the coming months. v v v In Italy, doctors without enough ventilators the machines that keep people with respiratory failure breathing have decided who would live and who would die, often opting to save younger patients, according to news reports. In New York City, one hospital was using one ventilator for two patients, the New York Times reported Thursday, and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has tweeted that the states 11,000 ventilators will fall far short of the 30,000 it expects to need. COVID-19 tests, masks and other protective equipment are also in short supply globally, putting health care workers in danger and making containing the virus especially difficult. On Friday, President Donald Trump invoked the Defense Production Act to compel General Motors to manufacture ventilators. The company said in a release that it is ramping up production and plans to work up to producing 10,000 per month. Still, experts who have projected how COVID-19 is likely to spread say the U.S. health care system will be strained in the coming days and weeks. Virginia, a state of more than 8.5 million people, has 2,000 ventilators on hand, according to Cotton Puryear, spokesman for the Virginia COVID-19 Unified Command Joint Information Center. The Virginia Department of Health referred questions from the Richmond Times-Dispatch on March 16 and March 24 to the joint information center, which is run by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and includes spokespeople from different state agencies, which responded Friday. A middle-of-the-road projection that assumes 40% of the U.S. population will become infected with the coronavirus over the next six months predicts that hospital emergency rooms and critical care units would be overwhelmed, according to Dr. Ashish Jha, director of the Harvard Global Health Institute. Even when you have a lot of capacity creation, we would not be anywhere near where we need to be, Jha said on a webcast Thursday, referring to hospitals actions like at VCU Health to free up space by canceling elective procedures and adding bed space. The state has requested an additional 350 ventilators from the national stockpile, but has not received an answer, Puryear said. In addition to those assets, the regional health care coalitions that function as part of the Virginia Healthcare Emergency Management Program (VHEMP) have ventilators that can be deployed to hospitals, said Julian Walker, spokesman for the Virginia Hospitals and Healthcare Association, in a statement. While ventilator usage varies by region, at this point only a fraction of the ventilators in Virginia are in use to support patient care. While other state officials, like those in New York, have publicly discussed projections of how many intensive care beds and ventilators will be needed depending on how many people are infected by the virus, Virginia has not released that information. In news briefings, Northam and Health Secretary Daniel Carey have stopped short of giving specific numbers on current available resources or projections, instead saying that state officials are in the process of planning and urging the public to stay home and away from other people to slow the spread of the virus. You need to stay at home, Northam said at a briefing Friday. That is the only way that we can slow the spread of this virus to give our medical system time to build its capacity to save lives. If we dont stay home we will see our hospitals overwhelmed. State epidemiologist Dr. Lilian Peake said in an interview Friday that state officials are looking to different entities, such as the University of Virginia and individual hospital systems, that are doing scientific modeling to project possible numbers of infected people and needed resources, but that the state does not have one model its relying on. Projections from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington in Seattle, which has done a state-by-state data analysis factoring in strict adherence to social distancing and public health measures, predict that Virginia will reach its peak in outbreak severity on May 2 and, on that day, will need 512 intensive care unit beds 183 more than the 329 they predict to be open according to the data used by IHME. The projections also say Virginia will need 276 ventilators and can anticipate 1,543 COVID-19 deaths by Aug. 4. Loudoun Countys Pandemic Response Plan, which was updated this month, says previous severe pandemic modeling used by the VDH estimated that Virginia could see 2,700 to 6,300 deaths, 12,000 to 28,500 hospitalizations and 1.08 million to 2.52 million people become sick. v v v At Fridays briefing, Carey addressed questions from reporters about bed capacity and projections, saying that state officials are aware of different projections and are involved in helping health systems implement their emergency plans and working to call in backup from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Army Corps of Engineers and the Virginia National Guard. Our first and foremost goal is to encourage how to bend that curve so that those statistics and those potential realities dont come to pass, said Carey, reiterating the importance of social distancing. Kaiser Health News analyzed hospital bed data from fiscal years 2018 and 2019 throughout the U.S. and found that millions of Americans and 7 million people over age 60 live in counties or cities with no ICU beds. In Virginia, 76 of 133 localities reported having no ICU beds, but Kaiser noted the states situation is more difficult to analyze because of its independent cities with hospitals that likely serve neighboring counties. KHN focused on older people because experts believe they along with people who have chronic health conditions are more susceptible to the severe and fatal cases of COVID-19, although the CDC has reported that nearly 40% of COVID-19 hospitalizations in the U.S. have been younger than 55. A Richmond Times-Dispatch analysis of KHNs data, dividing the state into eight regions instead of cities and counties, found that in Virginia, there were about 1,000 people who are 60 or older for every ICU bed in the state as of 2019. The Richmond area, which has the most beds, had about 770 seniors for every ICU bed. In Northern Virginia, which had the most reported coronavirus cases in the state as of Friday, there were about 1,250 seniors per ICU bed. Northern Virginia, the Richmond area and Hampton Roads accounted for more than 90% of confirmed coronavirus cases as of Friday. They skew younger than all other regions of the state and are home to about 70% of the states ICU beds. About 1 in 5 people living in those three regions are 60 or older. Across the rest of the state, where a lower number of beds means a smaller outbreak could overwhelm the system, its between 1 in 4 and 1 in 3. In James City County, which has the highest rate of infection in the state, 1 in 3 residents are 60 or older. The county is home to 26 ICU beds, according to the Kaiser data. As of Saturdays positive test count, Virginia had between two and three ICU beds for every diagnosed case of COVID-19. But in Northern Virginia, the 392 confirmed cases already slightly outnumber ICU beds in the region. Most people who test positive for COVID-19 do not require hospitalization, and even fewer require an ICU bed. The state health department reported that, as of Saturday, there had been 99 cumulative hospitalizations related to COVID-19 out of 739 confirmed cases. But Dr. Laurie Forlano, deputy commissioner for population health for the VDH, said in an interview that the department relies on hospitals to report hospitalizations. She said there tends to be a lag in reporting and because its cumulative the number does not represent current hospitalizations. v v v The state also has shirked repeated questions about how it will approach offering guidance to hospitals on criteria for rationing health care should the need outstrip the supply, as it did in Italy and as it threatens to in New York. Part of the pandemic flu plan from years ago did anticipate the possibility of [the need for rationing]. We have taken that plan and we are in the midst of evaluating that, Carey said at the Friday briefing in response to a question about statewide rationing criteria. I would really focus on the most important thing we can do is make sure were doing everything we can to at least slow the spread of this disease. Thats where our focus needs to be. At the same time, we are doing our contingency planning, and we are in the midst of that. Having a predetermined set of standards and state-level planning is vital when it comes to pandemic preparation, according to Mary Faith Marshall, director of the Program in Biomedical Ethics at UVas School of Medicine and an expert in ethical issues during a pandemic. When youre doing pandemic planning, you always want to use the worst-case scenario, said Marshall, who helped the Minnesota Department of Health craft its resource scarcity plan a decade ago. Marshall said any rationing decisions should be made by multidisciplinary teams not bedside health care practitioners and those decisions should be free from discrimination and focused on the likelihood of the patient surviving at least a year. When you think about this criteria, you dont discriminate based on age, based on citizenship, for example, or necessarily disability, Marshall said. We dont want to know who the patient is. A National Academy of Medicine discussion paper published earlier this month laid out the steps health care providers should take before considering rationing equipment such as a ventilator including substituting, adapting or reusing equipment. The paper said that, if no other alternative exists, the equipment can be removed from one patient and given to another patient who is believed to have a higher chance of benefiting from the care. Marshall believes the leaders of Virginias hospitals have been on top of preparing for the worst. People are just working around the clock, Marshall said. Theyre putting their all into it. Another important part of the equation is transparency and accountability, according to Marshall and papers on the issue. There is fear, there is anxiety and there is misinformation, Marshall said. Good communication is really important. Two more persons tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, taking the total number of such cases in the state to 20, an official said. One of them, a 52-year-old doctor at a city hospital, had recently returned from Delhi, while the travel history of the other person, a 66-year-old man, was yet to be ascertained, he said. "Both of them complained of severe respiratory distress. They are undergoing treatment at separate hospitals in the city," the official added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Elida Moreno PANAMA CITY, March 28 (Reuters) - Hundreds of passengers on a cruise ship, where four people have died and over 130 others have influenza-like symptoms, including at least two with the coronavirus, will be transferred to a sister ship, Panamanian authorities said on Saturday. "The ship which could not dock at any port in South America will remain in Panamanian waters 8 nautical miles from the coast, since it did not receive approval from Panamanian health authorities to cross the (Panama) Canal," Panama's maritime authority said. It said 401 asymptomatic passengers will be transferred from cruise operator Holland America Line's 238-meter (781-foot) MS Zaandam vessel to the Rotterdam, a sister ship. There are 1,243 guests and 586 crew on board the Zaandam, as well as four doctors and four nurses, the cruise operator has said. Holland America, which is owned by Carnival Corp, said on Friday the Zaandam, previously on a South American cruise, was trying to transit the Panama Canal and make its way to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. But Panama's government denied it access to the canal for sanitary reasons, leaving passengers and crew wondering when they would get home. "Panamanian authorities have not officially confirmed whether the cruise will be quarantined after it was confirmed that two passengers tested positive for coronavirus, and the cause of death of four older adults is being investigated," the maritime authority added. About 70 healthy passengers on the Zaandam have already been boarded onto tenders pulled up on the port side of the ship for transfer to the Rotterdam, according to a passenger. "I understand that about 70 'healthy' passengers have transferred so far ... People transferring to tender as we speak. I have a full view," said Ian Rae, a London-based Scotsman on the Zaandam with his wife. Rae said guests who are exhibiting symptoms are being asked to remain on the Zaandam, which has passengers from a host of nations including Britain, the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany, Italy, France, Spain and New Zealand. "It would seem that the transfer is based on a temperature test and answering no to four questions," including whether passengers have suffered from cough, fatigue or fever in the past 10 days, Rae said. He and his wife passed the temperature test but answered that they, like many fellow passengers, have suffered from a cough. "As a result we shall not be transferring to Rotterdam." (Reporting by Elida Morena in Panama City and Dave Graham and Adriana Barrera in Mexico City; Writing by Anthony Esposito Editing by Paul Simao) Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 23:16:25|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HONG KONG, March 29 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government will take a series of measures including launching a second round of anti-epidemic fund to support businesses and residents impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak, HKSAR government Chief Secretary for Administration Matthew Cheung said Sunday. In light of the rapid growth of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong, the HKSAR government has introduced new measures to limit public gatherings and shut down some venues, Cheung said in his blog. These measures, which inevitably affected certain sectors, were necessary to prevent the disease from spreading. "The government will provide financial subsidy to protect workers and those affected sectors," he said. The HKSAR government announced an anti-epidemic fund in February, which provided 24 aid measures to help hard-hit businesses and residents. As a number of sectors are still experiencing impact from the COVID-19 outbreak, the government will launch the second round of anti-epidemic fund, and propose to the Legislative Council for financial allocation after arranging proper plans, he said. Cheung appealed to the whole society to support the government's epidemic-prevention arrangements. It is the duty of all members of the public to fight the virus, and only when all residents stay united in the fight can the risk of community transmission be reduced, he stressed. Financial Secretary of the HKSAR government Paul Chan on Sunday also emphasized in his blog that preventing the epidemic is the primary task for Hong Kong at the current time, which needs support from all Hong Kong residents. Chan stressed that reducing social contacts would help stop the spread of the disease, although it may lead to business stagnation. He added that if the epidemic is not effectively checked, it may not only endanger the health and life security of Hong Kong residents, but will also deal a heavier blow to economic and business activities. Chan said that the faster Hong Kong can keep the epidemic under control, the earlier Hong Kong residents' daily life and business activities will return to normal, and the earlier Hong Kong's business confidence, economy and employment will improve. The HKSAR government will fulfil its commitment to continue support for sectors impacted by the epidemic and epidemic-prevention measures, and those affected workers in particular, and encourage employers and employees to tide over difficulties together, Chan said. Some hotels in Hong Kong are offering long-stay packages at half the normal rate to attract bookings from guests who need to be quarantined upon arrival from abroad. Hotel occupancy rates have plummeted across Asia as confirmed cases of Covid-19 infections have spread across the world, leading to widespread shutdowns and travel restrictions. In Hong Kong, hotel occupancy dropped from 56.2 per cent in January to 22.8 per cent in the first three weeks of March, according to data analytics firm STR. From March 19, travellers arriving in Hong Kong from any foreign country had to be put under 14-day home quarantine or medical surveillance. Confirmed cases in the city surged to 582 on Saturday. Dorsett Hospitality International has recently started offering long-stay packages at their nine hotels in Hong Kong, targeting business travellers as well as students returning from overseas who need to be quarantined. The 4.5-star Dorsett Wanchais 14-day package starts from HK$6,888 (US$889), or HK$492 per night. That is less than half the price of their normal rate of HK$1,030 per night on March 27 as found on travel booking platform Expedia. The hotel has received many calls and enquiries about the package, especially from families and parents looking for a place to accommodate their children returning from overseas, said Anita Chan, senior vice-president of global brand marketing at Dorsett Hospitality International. However, not all hoteliers believe in the need for providing special packages. William Cheng, chairman and chief executive of Magnificent Hotel Investments, said there was no need for special promotional tactics to attract guests, as there were tens of thousands of Hong Kong residents flocking back to the city from overseas. Many students coming back from overseas will choose to stay in hotels, to prevent the whole family from getting infected, said Cheng, chairman and chief executive of the company, which owns 10 hotels including Best Western in Hong Kong. Story continues Most hotels in Hong Kong currently accept those who arrive from overseas and are required to quarantine for 14 days. He said many hotels in Hong Kong had seen a rise in occupancy of up to 30 per cent from the beginning of the month, as residents chose to stay in hotels on their return from overseas. However, he expected this wave of visitors to gradually tail off. Now that overseas visitors are banned and no mainland Chinese will come, besides these students coming back from foreign studies, there arent any more travellers. When these students are gone, there will be nothing. We cant treat this short-term hike as an annual recovery, said Cheng. He believes Hong Kongs hotel industry will see a very good recovery when quarantine and immigration measures are lifted for mainland Chinese, who account for around 80 per cent of overnight visitors to Hong Kong. Other upscale hotels in the city were also offering discounted packages. The 5-star Park Lane Hong Kong was offering long-stay packages starting from HK$800 (US$103) per night, according to a spokesperson. That was less than half the normal rate for a room, which was HK$1,527 on March 27 according to the hotels website. Hotels in Singapore have also offered two-week packages for those who needed to be quarantined. The Park Hotel Group, which owns six hotels in the country, are offering 14-day stays for an average of S$100 (US$70) for a standard room per night across all hotels, with the option of adding three meals for S$40. The normal rate for a room at the 4-star Park Hotel Clarke Quay was S$140 on March 31, according to its website. Tan Shin Hui, executive director of Park Hotel Group, said they have received a lot of enquiries for these packages, especially after the mandatory 14-day Stay Home Notice for all returning travellers to Singapore was announced earlier last week. In Australia, the Novotel Sydney Brighton Beach has also launched a 14-day Home Away from Home deal for guests required to self-isolate due to the Covid-19 outbreak, according to a post on its Facebook page. A 40 per cent discount will be offered for bookings of 14 nights or more. Purchase the China AI Report 2020 brought to you by SCMP Research and enjoy a 20% discount (original price US$400). This 60-page all new intelligence report gives you first-hand insights and analysis into the latest industry developments and intelligence about China AI. Get exclusive access to our webinars for continuous learning, and interact with China AI executives in live Q&A. Offer valid until 31 March 2020. More from South China Morning Post: This article Park Lane, Dorsett among Hong Kong hotels offering half-price, long-stay packages to attract guests who need to quarantine first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. A flu pandemic was ravaging the world, killing indiscriminately in almost every country, including more than 600,000 deaths in the United States. The states were in a panic, but there was almost no call for broad federal assistance - at least, not one heeded by the president. Woodrow Wilson did not address the nation on the subject of the pandemic of 1918-19 a single time. He did not call for Congress to act, and he did not summon the nation to unite. He had another battle to fight in trying to bring World War I to a close, even though the flu killed far more people. While his posture on the flu seems passive, even reckless, in a modern light, Wilson's approach to war demonstrated an entirely different view of federal power than President Donald Trump's approach to the current pandemic. Wilson fully exploited the authority of the federal government, compelling rationing, propaganda and nationalizing the railroads, all directed at defeating Germany, not the virus. Donald Trump has framed his fight against the pandemic as a war, and himself as a wartime president. Rather than use the power of the federal government, he has increasingly put responsibility on the states. It is the same kind of tension the nation's founders wrestled with more than two centuries ago. While the flu pandemic panicked America, then-President Woodrow Wilson did not address the nation a single time. Instead, he focused on bringing World War I to a close, even though the flu would kill more than 600,000 - more than the war. He used the authority of the federal government to compel rationing, propaganda and nationalizing railroads to defeat Germany, not the virus Trump attends a teleconference with governors at the Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters in Washington. Trump has framed his fight against the pandemic as a war, and himself a wartime president. But rather than fully lever the power of the federal government, he has increasingly put responsibility on the states The country, after all, was already accustomed to 100,000 deaths a year from the flu. There was a limited public health infrastructure. Use of vaccines remained uncommon, and therapies were often primitive. It wasn't that Wilson was restrained about using federal power; he simply had less precedent to lean on, and a much higher priority in the war effort. Trump has framed his fight against the pandemic as a war, and himself as a wartime president. But rather than fully lever the power of the federal government, he has increasingly put responsibility on the states, reigniting the kind of tension the nation's founders wrestled with more than two centuries ago. The feud with states boiled over Thursday when Trump got into a contentious exchange with several governors. States are demanding more sweeping help from the federal government to battle an insidious challenge the founders never knew existed - a global public health crisis. It calls into question how well a system of federalism - where power is legally shared between a national government and the states - can work when the needs are so urgent and the politics so polarized. The virus has seeped into states blue and red, hitting Louisiana as hard as it's hitting California, and there are stark warnings coming from swing states like Michigan, Florida and Pennsylvania, too. Most presidents before Trump have stipulated to 'dealing with problems on a national level with national coordination,' said Jeffrey Engel, director of presidential studies at Southern Methodist University. Trump, he said, 'for philosophical and political reasons,' is 'taking a narrow view of what is his responsibility.' 'So even though Trumps sense of federalism has historic precedent, and could be said to be closer to what the founders considered the proper division between states and the federal government - with the former having the lead responsibility for citizens' health and immediate well being - it is entirely out of step with almost every response weve seen from presidents facing crises in anyones living memory.' Still, Trump has in other contexts threatened to use federal power, as he did when he proposed intervention to stem homicides in Chicago, an improvisational foray on which he did not follow through. When the country was founded, no one could have envisioned the speed and smallness of the world today. Yellow fever could be contained by isolating a city. It would have required nearly half a year to travel from Philadelphia to Wuhan, China, in 1787 instead of the single, air-carried, globalized day that it does now, Engel said. 'Given the speed and danger involved in issues large and small the founders never could have considered, I think the current pandemic requires a unified federal response,' Engel said. In this 1918 file photo made available by the Library of Congress, volunteer nurses from the American Red Cross tend to influenza patients in the Oakland Municipal Auditorium, used as a temporary hospital. Woodrow Wilson did not address the nation on the subject of the pandemic of 1918-19 a single time, he did not call for Congress to act and he did not summon the nation to come together In this November 1918 photo made available by the Library of Congress, a nurse takes the pulse of a patient in the influenza ward of the Walter Reed hospital in Washington. For President Woodrow Wilson, the pandemic was a case of first impression. The country was accustomed to 100,000 deaths a year from the flu. Widespread use of vaccines were not common. It wasn't that Wilson was restrained about using federal power, he simply had far less precedent to lean on, and a much higher priority in the war effort One of the clearest measures of that would be Trump putting the Defense Production Act in full force to compel production of critical supplies. Wilson (during World War I) and Franklin D. Roosevelt (during World War II) did so without a law as the foundation for their action. On Friday, after repeatedly saying that he would spur private production through persuasion, Trump in effect ordered General Motors to make ventilators. 'GM,' Trump said, 'was wasting time.' But the company was already on that path. No historical comparison is precise, but Trump and Wilson are the only American presidents to face serious national pandemics. The men were opposites in almost every way. Wilson, a Southerner, was an intellectual, president of Princeton; Trump, a New Yorker, became president as a novice politician who said he relied on gold-plated instincts. Wilson wrote a book about constitutional government; Trump wrote 'The Art of the Deal.' Wilson believed in deploying federal power, and he was also an avowed internationalist; Trump, who arrived in the presidency with limited ideological mooring, has renewed his call for stronger borders and immigration restrictions. But Trump has also made clear that he believes states should shoulder responsibility. There is no mistaking his approach with Harry S. Truman's 'the buck stops here' view of accountability. 'Governor Inslee, that's the state of Washington ... And you know, he's always complaining,' Trump told Fox host Sean Hannity on Thursday. 'And your governor of Michigan, I mean, she's not stepping up.I don't know if she knows what's going on. But all she does is sit there and blame the federal government. She doesn't get it done. And we send her a lot.' Wilson used another approach. 'He definitely took a national viewpoint that the federal government was supreme to the states,' said Thomas Knock, a Wilson biographer and scholar. 'He and Theodore Roosevelt reinvented the presidency that way.' Wilson pushed for the Federal Reserve, the Federal Trade commission, child labor laws and an eight-hour work day for railroad workers. During the war, he nationalized the railroads. The federal government had never played such an enormous role in the economy. 'He knew the federal government really was supreme over the states and that was the best way to transform American in light of the new industrial age,' Knock said. In his book, Constitutional Government in the United States, Wilson said, 'The question of the relation of the states to the federal government is the cardinal question of our constitutional system. At every turn of our national development we have been brought face to face with it, and no definition either of statesmen or of judges has ever quieted or decided it.' 'It cannot, indeed, be settled by the opinion of any one generation, because it is a question of growth, and every successive stage of our political and economic development gives it a new aspect, makes it a new question.' But when the flu started to sweep through the country in 1918, Wilson - a wartime commander-in-chief - did not see it for the threat it was. In that time, Knock said, there was a common expectation that the flu would kill Americans into the six figures and the pandemic came in waves. 'I dont think it was much of a priority,' Knock said. 'There was no precedent for that kind of public health role at the time.' There is now. And it is testing the notion of federalism in ways not seen for more than half a century, with conflicts on open display almost daily - and, sometimes, evolutions in real time. On Friday, Trump, through his seeming directive to GM and his signing of the government's largest relief effort, took a step toward an evolving view - perhaps even a Wilsonian one. The Oregon Health Authority reported 84 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, and the death toll from the illness now stands at 18 in the state. The HSE has confirmed there are 88 people in intensive care due to coronavirus, but no hospital has reached capacity in its intensive care units. More than 2,400 cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in Ireland but up to 80% of cases do not need hospitalisation. Thirty-six people with the virus have also died since the outbreak began. Chief Operations Officer with the HSE, Anne O'Connor, said new clinical hubs will also be set up this week to help those with Covid-19 symptoms. Ms O'Connor said: "We are aiming this week to have one in each of our nine community health organisations. These will be clinical centres for people who are unwell who feel that they are becoming sicker. "They will be staffed with nurses, GPs and other health professionals. So the idea is that people will be able to go there by referral, they are not centres for people to turn up to. They will be referred there by a GP or elsewhere to attend for a clinical assessment." She said they believe the coronavirus will peak here between April 10 and 14, and the HSE are planning for those dates although they are not totally certain. She added that they will continue to have a high number of people looking for treatment once that peak has come and gone. It has also been confirmed that 2,000 extra beds will be made available to the health service from private hospitals. They will be operating as public facilities for the duration of the Covid-19 pandemic. Ms O'Connor said there are more than 2,100 acute beds available in the public system and 267 critical care beds, that is without including private hospitals. She added that they are securing more ventilators. The HSE are currently testing around 5,000 people a day, but "that will scale up". Almost 11,000 people are waiting for Covid-19 tests, with more than 4,000 waiting for a test appointment. The press conference heard that the average wait time for results is now a matter of days, but with the change to testing criteria and scaling up of labs, that will improve. [snippet1]987600[/snippet1] A medical worker in protective gear (R) tends to a patient at the new COVID 3 level intensive care unit for COVID-19 cases at the Casal Palocco hospital near Rome, Italy, on March 24, 2020. (Alberto Pizzoli/ AFP via Getty Images) Italy Reports Second Straight Daily Drop in CCP Virus Deaths Italian health officials reported a second daily drop in CCP virus deaths, hoping that strict measures implemented by the government will help curb the spread of the disease. Italys Civil Protection agency said on Sunday that 756 people died from the virus in the past 24 hours, compared to 889 on Saturday as well as 919 deaths on Friday, according to ANSA. The total number of those who have succumbed to the virus is now 10,779 in the country. New infections in the past 24 hours totaled 5,217, compared with 5,974 during the previous day, officials said in an update, bringing the number of cases to above 97,000. Medical workers in overalls stretch a patient under intensive care into the newly built Columbus Covid 2 temporary hospital at the Gemelli hospital in Rome, Italy, on March 16, 2020. (Andreas Solaro/AFP via Getty Images) The drop in numbers shows that Italians must continue to adhere to national lockdown measures, said officials. Politicians in the country have been quick to seize on drops in cases and deaths as proof that the lockdown is working. We must be even more convinced in respecting such measures, said pulmonologist and government committee member Luca Richeldi during the conference. The battle is very long, we must not let our guard down. In particular, the drop in deaths and ICU admissions gives solid and concrete data. Today (March 28th) the daily percentage growth of confirmed #COVID19 cases in Italy is 6.91%, from 86,498 to 92,472. The absolute increase amounts to 5974 cases. See the graph on daily % growth.#coronavirus pic.twitter.com/GjDdzHJMt6 Riccardo Puglisi (@ricpuglisi) March 28, 2020 Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced the stringent lockdown in early March. Its not clear when officials will lift it. Spain, another hard-hit European country, moved to tighten its lockdown and ban all nonessential work on Sunday after more than 840 people died. Over 6,500 people have died so far from the CCP virus. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China before it was transmitted worldwide. Spains health emergency chief, Fernando Simon, stated the countrys infection rate fell Sunday to 9 percent, down from 18 percent three days before. The number of people in hospital beds and receiving intensive care is rising, he said, reported The Associated Press. It is the most difficult moment for the EU since its foundation and it has to be ready to rise to the challenge, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. Two women and a man have died after a fire at a house in Hemel Hempstead during Britain's coronavirus lockdown. Officers were called to Stuarts Close shortly after 12.30pm today and the three people were pronounced dead at the scene. Today marks the sixth day of Britain's unprecedented lockdown to slow the spread of deadly coronavirus - with residents told to only leave their homes for one daily exercise session, vital goods or medical attention. Two women and a man have died after a fire at a house in Hemel Hempstead during Britain's coronavirus lockdown. Pictured: Fire fighters at the scene A forensic officer puts on a protective suit before entering the property in Hemel Hempstead Detective Inspector Iain MacPherson, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, said: 'Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the three people who have sadly died. 'Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service were already in attendance as there was a fire at the address. 'Officers and paramedics attended but sadly two women and a man were pronounced dead at the scene. 'Detectives are investigating the circumstances and forensic officers and the fire investigation team are at the location as part of this.' Officers were called to the Stuarts Close property (pictured) shortly after 12.30pm today and the three people were pronounced dead at the scene A forensic officer wearing a protective suit, hair net and face mask was seen by a police vehicle at the scene President Donald Trump listens as Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci, a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, answers a question about the virus and the current U.S. outbreak during a news briefing at the White House on March 16, 2020. (Leah Millis/Reuters) Fauci Predicts Up to 200,000 Americans Could Die From CCP Virus The U.S. governments foremost infection disease expert warned March 29 that the United States could experience more than 100,000 deaths and millions of infections as a result of the CCP virus pandemic. Dr. Anthony Fauci, in an interview on CNNs State of the Union on March 29, said that he would say between 100,000 and 200,000 Americans will succumb to the virus. Were going to have millions of cases, he said, adding, I dont want to be held to that, as the pandemic is such a moving target. As of March 29, more than 138,000 cases of the virus have been reported so far in the United States. More than 2,400 people have died, according to researchers with Johns Hopkins University. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mishandling allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. Dr. Deborah Birx, head of the White House coronavirus task force, said the entire country will be affected. No state, no metro area, will be spared, she told NBCs Meet the Press on March 29. Experts have said that most of the people who suffer from COVID-19 have mild or moderate symptoms that dont require hospitalizations or intensive care. The fatality rate is higher among elderly people and individuals with underlying health problems. The pandemic has upended everyday life around the world, causing closures of businesses and schools as federal and state officials seek to enforce measures to curb the spread of the disease. Times Square stands mostly empty as much of the city is void of cars and pedestrians over fears of spreading the CCP virus in New York City on March 22, 2020. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Fauci, also speaking to CNN, said he doesnt believe the White House will lift its social distancing guidelines after 15 days. The Trump administration issued a 15-day federal guidance that called on Americans to stay at home. My own opinion, looking at the way things are, I doubt if that would be the case, he said. Well look at it. And if we need to push the date forward, we will push the date forward. Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and who is a member of President Donald Trumps coronavirus task force, told the network that social distancing measures are likely to continue for some time. Its going to be a matter of weeks. Its not going to be tomorrow, and its certainly not going to be next week, he said. Its going to be a little bit more than that. Metropolitan areas such as New York City have been hit particularly hard, prompting worries about a surge in patients overwhelming hospitals and fears that the U.S. medical supply chain wont hold up. Surgeon General Jerome Adams warned last week that several other states and cities will start to see an uptick in cases. Three citiesDetroit, Chicago, and New Orleanswere singled out as potential hot spots for the virus. These cities will have a worse week next week than what they had this week, Adams said on March 27. The virus and the local community are going to determine the timeline. Its not going to be us from Washington, D.C. People need to follow their data, they need to make the right decisions based on what their data is telling them, Adams said. As India goes into lockdown for 21 days to battle the new novel coronavirus, the government and authorities are urging everyone to stay at home. Indians are largely restricted to staying in their own homes and practicing social-distancing whenever they go outside, but some people are still flouting rules. People in cars and bikes are often seen zooming on main roads, without being essential or emergency services. To stop people from flouting rules, a cop in Chennai, Tamil Nadu came up with an innovative way to show how severe the disease is, and how important staying at home is. In collaboration with a local artist, the policeman has made an unique 'Corona helmet' to dissuade commuters from stepping during the lockdown. Designed loosely based on a close up of what a singular representation of the virus looks like, the helmet has an uncanny, and somewhat scary appearance. The artist, Gowtham, who designed the helmet, told ANI in Chennai that, "The public at large is not treating the Covid-19 situation seriously. The police personnel, on the other hand, are working round the clock to ensure people stay at home and do not venture out so that further spread of the disease can be stopped." "I came up with the idea and used a broken helmet and papers to prepare this. I have also prepared many placards displaying slogans and handed them over to the police," he added. An Indian traffic policeman has taken coronavirus awareness to new levels by hitting the streets clad in a newly-devised accessory: the 'coronahelmet' pic.twitter.com/Wh8loNzTfu Reuters (@Reuters) March 28, 2020 The cop wearing the helmet, police Inspector Rajesh Babu, said that the approach has been positive so far. "We take all the steps but still people come out on the streets. Therefore, this corona helmet is one of the steps we are taking to ensure that people are aware of the seriousness of the police. The helmet is an attempt to do something different. When I wear this, the thought of coronavirus comes into the minds of the commuters. Especially, the children react strongly after seeing this and want to be taken home," Rajesh Babu told ANI in Chennai. Gov. Gavin Newsom in front of the Navy hospital ship Mercy, which arrived at the Port of Los Angeles on Friday. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) The number of coronavirus patients in California's intensive care unit beds doubled overnight, rising from 200 on Friday to 410 on Saturday, Gov. Gavin Newsom said. The number of hospitalized patients testing positive for the coronavirus that causes the respiratory disease known as COVID-19 rose by 38.6% from 746 on Friday to 1,034 on Saturday, Newsom said. Were blessed that were just at 410, devastating for the individuals there and their family members and loved ones," Newsom said at a press conference in Sunnyvale on Saturday. "But by comparison and contrast to other parts of this country, that number seems relatively modest. California has reported more than 115 deaths and more than 5,500 cases of coronavirus around the state as of Saturday. Los Angeles County has seen 32 deaths and more than 1,818 cases; Santa Clara County, the second hardest-hit county in the state, has reported 25 deaths and 591 cases. A Los Angeles Times data analysis found that California has 7,200 intensive-care beds across more than 365 hospitals. In total, the state has more than 70,000 beds. The Times data analysis shows roughly one intensive-care bed for every 5,500 people in California. About half of Californias total intensive-care beds 3,700 are in the five-county area around Los Angeles, according to data from 2018, the most recent available. In the nine-county Bay Area, there are roughly 1,400 ICU beds for a population of 7.6 million people. Intensive-care beds allow for a higher level of treatment than regular beds, a level of care serious COVID-19 patients require. Those unable to breathe properly may need a breathing tube inserted into the throat and to be hooked up to a ventilator, which physically pushes oxygen into the lungs. State officials are working on adding more hospital and intensive care unit beds to handle the surge in coronavirus patients. There is concern that without action, the state could be short tens of thousands of hospital beds needed on the epidemic's worst day. Story continues Newsom on Saturday said the federal government sent Los Angeles County 170 ventilators that arrived not working, and now a Silicon Valley company is fixing the equipment. California and other states have been stocking up on ventilators in anticipation of a shortage at hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic. The first-term Democrat said he learned about the problem with the federal governments ventilators when he visited Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti on Friday. Rather than lamenting about it, rather than complaining about it, rather than pointing fingers, rather than generating headlines in order to generate more stress and anxiety, we got a car and a truck, Newsom said. And we had those 170 brought here to this facility at 8 a.m. this morning, and they are quite literally working on those ventilators right now." Mechanical ventilators are essential to treating patients critically ill with COVID-19. The virus officially called SARS-CoV-2 can infect the lungs and cause people to be unable to breathe properly; it can also cause inflammation in the lungs. Fluid can leak into lung tissues and can drown some of the lung's tiny air sacs, preventing them from delivering oxygen to the blood. Those who are critically ill from the coronavirus can suffer from respiratory failure, sepsis and multiple organ failure. The governor said the ventilators came from the national stockpile, a supply of life-saving pharmaceuticals and medical supplies maintained by the Department of Health and Human Services. He spoke about the ventilators at a press conference at a Bloom Energy refurbishing site in Sunnyvale on Saturday with San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo. Blooms core business is in repairing and refurbishing fuel-cell power generators sold to large companies and nonprofits. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Newsom said the company is refurbishing more than 500 older ventilators owned by the state. The governor said the company will also fix and return the 170 ventilators the federal government sent to Los Angeles by Monday. Thats the spirit of California, Newsom said. Thats the spirit of this moment. In total, the state has procured and identified 4,252 ventilators toward a goal of securing 10,000 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Newsom said. Newsom said the Trump administration has not yet fulfilled the states request for ventilators and separately sent the 170 ventilators to L.A. County. Luna reported from Sacramento, Lin from Millbrae, Calif., Greene from Thousand Oaks. A medical evacuation plane has killed eight people after it exploded in a ball of flames during take off. The Lion Air flight was heading from Manila, Philippines, to Haneda, Japan, at 8pm on Sunday. But as it reached the end of the runway for takeoff it burst into flames, killing all passengers and crew on board. A medical evacuation plane (pictured) has killed eight people after it exploded in a ball of flames during take off. Pictured: Fire rescue services at the scene The Lion Air flight (pictured) was heading from Manila, Philippines, to Haneda, Japan, at 8pm on Sunday The twin-jet West Wind 24 was carrying three medical personnel, three flight crew, a patient and a companion, according to Richard Gordon, a senator and head of the Philippine Red Cross. It is thought that six of those on board were Filipino with one from America and another from Canada, according to Manila Airport's general manager. Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) confirmed in a statement that: 'Unfortunately, no passenger survived the accident.' It added that an investigation by the Civil Aeronautics Authority of the Philippines is now underway but a technical problem is believed to be the cause of the explosion. The twin-jet West Wind 24 was carrying three medical personnel, three flight crew, a patient and a companion. Pictured: Wreckage of the plane It is thought that six of those on board were Filipino with one from America and another from Canada, according to Manila Airport's general manager. Pictured: Charred cock pit The plane was being used by the Philippine health department to help fight the coronavirus outbreak. Pictured: Police and fire crews examine the wreckage The runway will remain temporarily closed. The aftermath was caught on camera as footage emerged showing a huge plume of smoke rising into the night sky as fire crews doused the fuselage with foam. The plane was being used by the Philippine health department to help fight the coronavirus outbreak. The Philippines have so far reported 1,418 confirmed cases of Covid-19 which have led to 71 deaths. Airport aviation security personnel inspect the tail of a Lion Air plane that crashed on the runway of the international airport in Manila, Philippines the day after the accident took place Sporting an Everybody vs COVID-19 shirt, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer made the rounds of political talk shows Sunday morning, using the time to downplay recent tensions with the Trump administration. Whitmer was pressed on her earlier statements that the White House was interfering with the distribution of personal protective equipment during interviews with Todd Chuck on Meet the Press and Jake Tapper on State of the Union." Whitmers appearances came on the heels of a Friday night tweet from Trump who hurled personal insults at her. I dont have energy to respond to every slight, she said to Tapper. What Im trying to do is work well with the federal government. In tweets and during press conferences Trump has made reference to the woman in Michigan and expressed that Whitmer and other governors were not showing enough gratitude to the federal government. Tensions rose during a Friday radio interview with WWJ Newsradio, when Whitmer said Michigan has had a difficult time obtaining important medical gear. What Ive gotten back is that vendors with whom weve procured contracts -- Theyre being told not to send stuff to Michigan, Whitmer said. Its really concerning, I reached out to the White House last night and asked for a phone call with the president, ironically at the time this stuff was going on. Whitmer defended her comments on Meet the Press saying that she was making the observation that she is bidding against other states but she did not directly address if she felt Trump was punishing Michigan. Weve got to keep working to get all of these other pieces of equipment and when were bidding against one another its creating a lot of frustration and concern, Whitmer said. Thats exactly what I was trying to convey. Same thing thats been conveyed by both sides of the aisle. Whitmers shirt is from the Detroit vs Everybody" brand, which rolled out the new saying as the disease began to spike. WATCH: Michigan's @GovWhitmer says "we are grateful we got a shipment from FEMA yesterday for a 112,000 N95 masks." #MTP Gov. Whitmer: "This is not something we should be fighting each other on." pic.twitter.com/uQgSuqK8MC Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) March 29, 2020 Michigan House Republicans on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Health & Human Services questioned Whitmers claims about vendors not fulfilling orders. Subcommittee chair Rep. Mary Whiteford and member Rep. Annette Glenn asked for Whitmer to back up that claim in a letter Saturday morning ahead of the governors appearances on NBC and CNN. The governor said the story was getting distorted during her interview with Tapper after he asked her to name the vendors who were delaying or canceling the orders. My role is not to out vendors because I think that theyre concerned about retribution and you know potential problems for them later, Whitmer said. My role is to get every personal protective equipment, every piece I can get, into the state of Michigan. On Saturday, Trump granted Michigans request for a major disaster declaration. That morning, Whitmer announced that more federal medical supplies already have arrived in the state at the same time the request was granted. More than 112,000 N-95 masks arrived from the strategic national stockpile. Whitmer told Tapper, were going to make it through the weekend." There are people from the White House on down who are working 24/7, she said. We are all stressed because we have people dying right now. I need assistance and any partnership and thats what were starting to see on the feds and were grateful for it, but theres so much more work to do. It was the second week in a row that Whitmer appeared on the Sunday morning political talk shows. A week ago, she criticized the federal government and called for more tests and supplies. Meanwhile, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan sounded optimistic during a press conference Saturday after a call with the Vice President Mike Pence, saying it sounds like theyre developing a good working relationship with the governor, and thats what we need. The city of Detroit continues to be the epicenter of the virus with 1,377 of the 4,650 total cases in Michigan, as of 3 p.m. Saturday. March 28. On Sunday morning, Whitmer issued a statement following the news that the Federal Emergency Management Agency plans to use the TCF Center as an alternate care facility. Whitmer said it would have about 900 bed spaces. The State of Michigan is working around the clock and doing everything we can to slow the spread of the coronavirus, Whitmer said in the statement. We are proud to partner with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, FEMA, and the TCF Center to expand capacity in Detroit. By mobilizing quickly to construct a large alternate care facility in Detroit, we can help save lives. Late on Saturday night Whitmer signed an executive order approving a $2 million grant to help reconnect residents to water services that were shut off due to unpaid bills. CORONAVIRUS PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home ( door handles, faucets, countertops ) and when you go into places like stores. Reported coronavirus cases: Sorry, but your browser does not support frames. More coronavirus coverage on MLive: Trump takes another dig at Gov. Whitmer as coronavirus crisis deepens Trump approves Michigan disaster declaration; Whitmer says more supplies on the way in coronavirus fight Trump says Whitmer isnt stepping up as governors plead for coronavirus supplies Gov. Whitmer signs executive order requiring water reconnection during coronavirus Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan: Federal procurement process headed in the right direction Detroit-area hospitals seeing tsunami of coronavirus cases in national hot spot 2020 Detroit auto show canceled after FEMA picks TCF Center as field hospital site Former SI Swimsuit stunner Molly Sims went for a stroll in Los Angeles' Brentwood neighborhood on Saturday, which marked her 12th day of quarantine amid the coronavirus pandemic. The 46-year-old mother-of-three wore her heart on her sleeve in a grey heart-print sweatshirt, black Spandex leggings, and matching sneakers for her sunny outing. As of Saturday, there have been 1,465 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles with 26 deaths, and California Governor Gavin Newsom issued a stay-at-home order on March 19 to slow the spread. '12th day of quarantine!' Former SI Swimsuit stunner Molly Sims went for a stroll in Los Angeles' Brentwood neighborhood on Saturday amid the coronavirus pandemic Sunny outing: The 46-year-old mother-of-three wore her heart on her sleeve in a grey heart-print sweatshirt, black Spandex leggings, and matching sneakers Due to social distancing, Molly dressed up like a mermaid to help her 'sweet and sassy' daughter Scarlett May celebrate her mermaid-themed 5th birthday bash while poolside at home on Thursday. 'Watch out Ariel - we have a new mermaid in town!' Sims - who boasts 736K social media followers - gushed. 'Even in the midst of chaos, these are the days that make life so precious and meaningful. Scar's big smiles all day warmed my heart.' 'Watch out Ariel - we have a new mermaid in town!' Due to social distancing, Molly dressed up like a mermaid to help her 'sweet and sassy' daughter Scarlett May celebrate her mermaid-themed 5th birthday bash while poolside at home on Thursday Sims gushed: 'Even in the midst of chaos, these are the days that make life so precious and meaningful. Scar's big smiles all day warmed my heart' On Saturday, the model-turned-socialite gave an Instastory shout-out to her seven-year-old son Brooks Alan, who received a certificate from his two teachers for his 'independent work on Zoom this week.' Molly and her husband of eight years - Netflix film chief Scott Stuber - have been making the most of their family bonding time with Scarlett, Brooks, and three-year-old son Grey Douglas. Sims has been penning post-coronavirus articles on her blog including exercise tutorials and at-home activities for children - including a 'Covid Science Project' involving bowls of pepper water and soapy water. 'Proud mama moment!' On Saturday, the model-turned-socialite gave an Instastory shout-out to her seven-year-old son Brooks Alan, who received a certificate from his two teachers for his 'independent work on Zoom this week' 'We look like a circus but anything to make our Scar happy!' Molly and her husband of eight years - Netflix film chief Scott Stuber - have been making the most of their family bonding time with Scarlett, Brooks, and three-year-old son Grey Douglas (pictured Monday) 'First the kids will place their hands into the soap bowl and then transfer their hands to the bowl of pepper,' the Kentucky-born blonde wrote. 'Once hands are in the pepper, they will notice that the pepper will run away. (The pepper is supposed to represent germs).' It's been a year since Molly wrapped her role as 'dream girl' Missy on the Honolulu set of Tyler Spindel's comedy The Wrong Missy produced by Adam Sandler and co-starring David Spade, which will stream (where else?) on Netflix. Graduates listen as they are addressed during the graduation for the college of letters, arts, and sciences and school of education of Metropolitan State University of Denver on Friday, May 11, 2018 AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post via Getty Images With the coronavirus shutting down the U.S. economy and no reasonable way to know when the public health crisis will relent and the business world will get back to full speed, this could quickly become the worst hiring season for new college graduates since the 20072008 financial crisis. Claire Bradshaw, a graduating senior at the University of Missouri-Columbia studying journalism, was confident just one month ago about nailing an anchor or reporting position at a local station before or soon after graduation. But two weeks ago newsroom recruiters started canceling their visits to the university. The following week, news directors sent emails to students confirming that hiring had been put on hold until everything settles. "So many Mizzou seniors get jobs from the weekly recruiter interviews," Bradshaw said. "This is how we start to build up our network and start our careers." Publishers, specifically, are facing advertising declines and tighter budgets. Earlier this week, BuzzFeed announced salary cuts across its operations, including its CEO. And other small publishers are warning about financial trouble. "I am worried about not finding a job, because we've never experienced an event like this," said Leo Rocha, another senior at the University of Missouri-Columbia studying journalism. JOIN @Work: Join CEOs and experts including Arianna Huffington, Lazlo Bock and John Chambers for an interactive discussion on leadership and management amid this unprecedented crisis at the CNBC @Work Virtual Summit on April 2 at 12pm ET. For a full agenda and details, visit CNBCevents.com. The beginning of the year was off to a strong start for the economy and job market, with employers adding 273,000 jobs in February and the unemployment rate remaining low, according to the Labor Department. This week the largest jobless claims ever was recorded in the U.S., with more than 3 million workers filing for unemployment. After the 2008 financial crisis, hiring had been steady for the past decade, including for college graduates. Between 2017 and 2019, jobs for new graduates posted on the Handshake platform which is like a "LinkedIn for colleges" connecting campuses to companies increased by 11% per year, indicating steady growth in entry-level recruiting, according to Handshake. "The job search for 2020 graduates is going to be different," said Christine Cruzvergara, vice president of higher education and student success at Handshake. "It's not going to be what their peers had experienced even just a year ago or five years ago." How schools are responding Universities and colleges' career center services are remaining cautiously optimistic. Christian Garcia, executive director at Toppel Career Center at the University of Miami, said it will be a different and possibly challenging hiring season for graduates, similar to 2008, but he is confident that career counselors like him learned from the 2008 experience. "We saw a lot of students just gave up in 2008. Now I am preparing my staff to get ahead of that," he said. "Yes, it might be tough, but there are a lot of tools students have on their side, especially technology, freelance and gig jobs." The University of Miami and Santa Clara University are creating virtual alternatives to their spring career fairs for students and employers. Santa Clara University still had all of their employers in the queue, so they are taking this opportunity to organize a virtual resume drop, said Rose Nakamoto, director of the school's career center. Students can drop their resumes with employers and still have the chance to interview and connect virtually. Our greatest challenge right now, beyond just the initial panic and anxiety about college students getting jobs, is really the mismatch between talent and where the sudden industry needs are. Dr. Farouk Dey vice provost for integrative learning and life design at John Hopkins University The University of Miami usually pairs with a few other universities in the area to host a spring career fair, where more than 150 companies attend. Instead of canceling the career fair, it will be held virtually. Students will preregister and be able to set up online appointments with recruiters or go to each booth virtually and learn about the companies. For the first time, the university will also host a summer career fair. "Our greatest challenge right now, beyond just the initial panic and anxiety about college students getting jobs, is really the mismatch between talent and where the sudden industry needs are," said Dr. Farouk Dey, vice provost for integrative learning and life design at Johns Hopkins University. Where the jobs are Amazon is hiring an additional 100,000 warehouse and delivery employees to meet the demand of online shopping as many Americans are forced to stay at home, and Walmart and other essential needs providers are also seeing need for a new, massive influx of workers to meet online order and delivery demand. Walmart and Kroger have already hired tens of thousands of new workers, with Walmart bringing on 25,000 in one week and plans for 150,000 total. According to Challenger, Gray & Christmas, the oldest outplacement services firm in the U.S., there have been 129,000 hiring announcements from individual companies so far in March, mainly from grocery stores and retailers racing to keep up with demand. In addition to retailers, Pepsi is hiring 6,000 people and Domino's is hiring 1,000 new delivery drivers. Meanwhile, GE and 3M, which manufacture much needed health-care products, are ramping up production and will likely need to increase shifts and workers. "Companies are definitely still hiring right now. The methods may be a bit unusual, as companies are prioritizing speed during the hiring process," said Challenger in a release on Friday. But other sectors have come to a halt. "There's been a big decline in the trend of job posting in hospitality, tourism and aviation, but we have seen a big increase in job postings in warehouse and grocery workers," said Jed Kolko, chief economist at Indeed. The problem, as Kolko noted, is that these new jobs are ones "college graduates are not necessarily looking for." Kolko said big and booming tech companies are probably still hiring, though Indeed is still collecting data on what is occurring across the economy. The rise in telecommuting and remote work likely means opportunities for college graduates with the right set of skills. "Companies like Zoom, Microsoft and Slack are thriving right now, so they will probably continue hiring engineers, programmers and customer service support," said Johns Hopkins' Dey. "But those aren't every graduate's interests." "I think after graduation when I move back home, I will probably have to nanny while job hunting," said Natalie Pecora, a senior at Miami University in Ohio. Pecora is a strategic communications and health marketing major who has been looking for jobs in public relations or social media management. She was communicating with three companies seriously, but they recently told her they are putting their hiring on hold indefinitely. She hasn't heard from these companies in nearly four weeks. Three persons, including two senior citizens, who attended a marriage party in East Midnapore district of West Bengal on March 15 have tested positive for Covid-19, even as more than 500 people who attend the reception have been asked to stay in home quarantine. Senior health officials of the district have tagged the incident as worrisome because of the large number of people involved. Among those who attended the marriage were four of the grooms fathers friends who came from the UK and Singapore. There were guests from Odisha, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand too. Follow coronavirus live updates here. The first one to be detected with the disease was a 66-year-old man. He tested positive on March 25 and is presently admitted in a private hospital in east Kolkata in a critical condition. Following this, at least 13 people, from three families, who had come in touch with him, were kept in the governments isolation facilities. Of them, two persons, the 56-year-old mother of the groom and a 76-year-old aunt of her, tested positive for Covid-19 on March 28. The 76-year-old woman is a resident of Narendrapur in South 24 Parganas. Health officials are worried about how the 66-year-old man contracted coronavirus. Its worrisome because the grooms father, a homoeopathy doctor at Egra town in West Midnapore district, has categorically told us that the 66-year-old who was the first to be tested positive did not come in contact with his friends who came from abroad, said a health official of East Midnapore district. Also read: Coronavirus update: Has Covid-19 entered Stage 3? Experts, government disagree Health officials are yet to track down the source of the spread of the virus. The grooms father is also in isolation. We had sent swab samples of 13 people to government laboratories. Two have tested positive while others have tested negative. We will send more samples for tests if other show any kind of symptoms, said a government official. District chief medical officer of health Nitai Chandra Mandal said that a list of invitees was collected from the host family on March 26 and people are being tracked down. A special health camp was set up and more than 500 people who attended the reception have been screened in the camp and in other hospitals. As of now they have not shown any symptoms. But they have been asked to stay in home isolation as a precautionary measure, said a senior district official. After attending the reception, the 66-year-old man had spent two nights at a hotel in the coastal town of Digha. The hotel has been sealed and its staff sent on home isolation. It was at this hotel that he fell ill on March 18. There were at least 34 people in that hotel on that day. All of them have been contacted and asked to quarantine themselves at home. More than 35,000 people are presently in home quarantine across the state till now. The 66-year-old man spent another four days during his illness at the home of his relative, the homeopathy doctor, in Egra town before being hospitalised in Kolkata. A second hotel at Egra town where the 66-year-old man and his family had stayed from March 12 to 16 has also been sealed and sanitized. CLEVELAND, Ohio While high waters slowly began subsiding Sunday afternoon, Northeast Ohio saw widespread flooding as a result of heavy overnight storms. The rain, which began Saturday night and continued into early Sunday morning, caused the Cuyahoga River to hit a near-historic high crest level 21.62 feet at 9:30 a.m. That level is considered to be a major flood by National Weather Service standards. The rivers water levels decreased Sunday afternoon, coming down to about 20.25 feet at the Independence river gauge, as of 2:30 p.m. That number still puts the river in the moderate flood stage bracket. Cuyahoga River flooding was ultimately the cause for the National Park Service to close the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park on Sunday. The popular trail closed between Botzum Trailhead in Cuyahoga Falls to Lock 39 Trailhead in Valley View, according to a news release from CVNP. Flooding was also spotted in the Cleveland Metroparks Rocky River Reservation, with rushing waters from the Rocky River coming over the banks and causing road blocks for travelers. On Clevelands East Side, the University Circle area was particularly hit hard by flooding. Thoroughfares like Cedar Avenue and Stokes Boulevard, plus several other streets and intersections, were closed due to high waters Sunday morning. Two Cleveland police officers and one Cleveland firefighter suffered minor injuries Sunday morning while working to rescue residents whose basement-level apartments on Stearns Road had flooded. The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District also advised potential beachgoers at Edgewater Park that the heavy storms caused a combined sewage overflow raw stewage and stormwater to spill into Lake Erie. While the region continues to see overcast skies, there is a less than 15 percent chance of rain across the area through early Monday, the National Weather Service forecasts. Five tipplers committed suicide on Saturday in Kerala and four in Karnataka apparently due to non-availability of liquor. After the three-week lockdown was announced on March 24, all commercial establishments including liquor shops have been shut down. The state governments have been flooded with reports of people threatening with suicides, violent bouts and withdrawal symptoms from many areas. For instance, a 40-year old hotel employee in Bhalki town of Bidar district in Karnataka committed suicide by jumping into a well in the early hours of Sunday as he could not get his regular supply of alcohol over the last one week. Originally from Kundapur taluk of Udupi, Bhaskar worked as a cook in a hotel and apparently had been showing withdrawal symptoms since the lockdown began. A case has been registered in the matter. Similarly in Kadaba taluk of Dakshina Kannada district, two labourers who worked as rubber tappers, Tommy and Thomas, also killed themselves as they couldnt get their regular supply of liqour. Speaking to HT on phone, the SHO of Kadaba police station said They had been working in rubber estates as tappers and both originally hailed from Kollam of Kerala. While one has committed suicide in a nearby pond, the other one hung himself in his room on Saturday morning. We have registered cases in both instances. Both had been apparently agitated over the non-availability of liquor. In another similar case, a watchman called Umesh Hadpad committed suicide by hanging himself in Hosur taluk of Hubli district, again due to non-availability of liqour on Saturday. Another 60-year-old person called Hanumantharayappa of Madhugiri taluk, Tumkur district, slit his throat on Sunday as he was disappointed with the non-availability of alcohol. He has been admitted to a hospital and is said to be recovering. Meanwhile, a Bangalore resident V Manjunath has written a letter to the CM of Karnataka B S Yediyurappa seeking the reopening of liqour stores and promising to maintain social distance while making purchases. Meanwhile, Kerala Government hinted that it might supply liquor to addicted residents if they can produce a doctors prescription proving their addiction. Worried about the suicides, the Kerala government has opened more de-addiction counters but this has failed to address tipplers woes. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had said the government was planning to provide minimum liquor to heavy drinkers if they produce prescriptions to avert suicides and other incidents of tipplers hurting themselves. But his suggestion hasnt gone down well with the medical fraternity. Both the government doctors and Indian Medical Association (Kerala chapter) on Sunday came down heavily on the governments proposed move. It is a dangerous situation. Tipplers will soon flood the government hospitals for certificates. We cant prescribe liquor for any ills and it is against our medical ethics. Already hospitals are in the thick of Covid threat. We cant invite more trouble at this juncture, said Kerala Government Medical Officers (KGMOA) state president Joseph Chacko. The KGMOA has written a letter to Chief Minister requesting him not to take such a decision. The IMA Kerala unit has also criticised the governments move saying it will create more troubles than solve any. How can doctors prescribe liquor? We have all along been discouraging people not to take it. Instead of treating them, the government is pushing them towards addiction, said a senior IMA functionary. It is estimated that Kerala alone has 10 lakh regular drinkers, 2 lakh occasional ones and 50,000 addicted to the brew. Sensing trouble, earlier the government had exempted liquor from the lockdown and pushed it to the list of essentials inviting much criticism from the opposition and prohibition activists. While announcing the opening of outlets, run by the state beverages corporation, the government had set guidelines - no winding queues, customers will have to cover their faces properly, only five people in the queue at a time and they will have to keep a distance of one metre between them. But these instructions had gone for a toss when shutters opened. When chorus for closure strengthened, the Kerala government caved in. But after the closure the government explored many other options like online supply and restricted supply but all fell flat in view of the strict lockdown restrictions. In Karnataka, the ruling BJPs MLC Ayyanur Manjunath empathised with the tipplers saying that he had heard of the hardships that they were facing because of the lack of availability of their favourite drink. On Saturday, speaking to the media in Shivamoga, Manjunath said, Without availability of liqour, I am told that several of those habituated to it are behaving in all kinds of manner at their homes. It is unfortunate. In the early hours of Saturday, miscreants had broken into a liqour shop near RTO office at Gabbur Cross in old Hubballi and made away with liqour worth more than Rs 60,000. Bendigeri police have registered a case and are said to be investigating. STOCKHOLMWhen the coronavirus swept into Scandinavian countries, Norway and Denmark scrambled to place extensive restrictions on their borders to stem the outbreak. Sweden, their neighbour, took a decidedly different path. While Denmark and Norway closed their borders, restaurants and ski slopes and told all students to stay home this month, Sweden shut only its high schools and colleges, kept its preschools, grade schools, pubs, restaurants and borders open and put no limits on the slopes. In fact, Sweden has stayed open for business while other countries beyond Scandinavia have attacked the outbreak with various measures ambitious in scope and reach. Swedens approach has raised questions about whether its gambling with a pandemic, COVID-19, that has no cure or vaccine, or if its tactic will be seen as a savvy strategy to fight a scourge that has laid waste to millions of jobs and prompted global lockdowns unprecedented in peacetime. By Saturday, Norway, population 5.3 million, had more than 3,770 coronavirus cases and 19 deaths; Denmark, population 5.6 million, reported 2,200 cases and 52 deaths; Sweden, with 10.12 million people, recorded more than 3,060 cases and 105 deaths. A recent headline in the Danish newspaper Politiken encapsulates the question ricocheting around Europe, Doesnt Sweden take the corona crisis seriously? There is no evidence that Swedes are underplaying the enormity of the disease rampaging across the globe. The countrys leader and health officials have stressed handwashing, social distancing and protecting people older than 70 by limiting contact with them. But peer into any cafe in the capital, Stockholm, and groups of two or more people can be seen casually dining and enjoying cappuccinos. Playgrounds are full of running, screaming children. Restaurants, gyms, malls and ski slopes have thinned out, but are still in use. The state epidemiologist, Anders Tegnell, said in an interview that Swedens strategy is based on science and boiled down to this: We are trying to slow the spread enough so that we can deal with the patients coming in. Swedens approach appeals to the publics self-restraint and sense of responsibility, Tegnell said. Thats the way we work in Sweden. Our whole system for communicable-disease control is based on voluntary action. The immunization system is completely voluntary, and there is 98 per cent coverage, he said. You give them the option to do what is best in their lives, he added. That works very well, according to our experience. Swedens method flies in the face of most other countries stricter strategies. India is attempting a lockdown that affects 1.3 billion people. Germany has banned crowds of two or more people, except for families. In France, residents are asked to fill in a form stating the purpose of each errand when they leave their homes; each trip requires a new form. Britain has deployed police officers to remind residents to stay home. Still, while Sweden may appear to be an outlier in Scandinavia and in much of the wider world, it is too soon to say whether its approach will yield the same results. And Swedish authorities could still take stronger action as coronavirus hospitalizations rise. In explaining Swedens current strategy, experts point to other underlying factors: the country has high levels of trust, according to historian Lars Tragardh, and a strict law in its constitution prohibits the government from meddling in the affairs of the administrative authorities, such as the public health agency. Therefore, you dont need to micromanage or control behaviour at a detailed level through prohibitions or threat of sanctions or fines or imprisonment, Tragardh said in a phone interview. That is how Sweden stands apart, even from Denmark and Norway. The government has deferred to the agencys recommendations to fight the virus, which had infected more than 600,000 people and killed more than 27,000 worldwide by Saturday. If the health agency were to say that closing borders and shutting down all of society was the best way to go, the government would most likely listen. Tragardh said Swedes level of trust was manifested in other ways: not only do citizens have confidence in public institutions and governmental agencies and vice versa, but high social trust exists among citizens, as well. That is evident in the countrys approach to the virus. Norway did not completely shut its 1,600-kilometre land border with Sweden, but most people returning from abroad must enter a two-week quarantine (Reindeer herders and daily commuters are exempt.) Finland closed the borders of its most populous region which has 1.7 million people and includes the capital, Helsinki for three weeks to fight the outbreak there. Norway limited groups outdoors to no more than five people, and those indoors must keep a distance of more than two metres (except relatives). Denmark closed its borders, sent public workers home with pay and encouraged all other employees to work from home. It shut nightclubs, bars, restaurants, cafes and shopping centres, and banned gatherings of more than 10 people outdoors. Sweden initially banned gatherings of 500. Early in the outbreak, some event organizers suggested they would try to get around the crowd limit by allowing precisely 499 ticket holders into their venues. (That stopped when cases of COVID-19 were confirmed among staff members.) Tegnell, the state epidemiologist, said that is why bans dont work. People find ways around the rules. He also said he did not believe Sweden was a maverick and did not understand neighbours strategy. Closing borders at this stage of the pandemic, when almost all countries have cases, to me does not really make sense, he said. This is not a disease that is going to go away in the short term or long term. We are not in the containment phase. We are in the mitigation phase. He also said that closing schools had not been ruled out. The Netherlands, which reported more than 9,700 cases of the virus and 639 deaths by Saturday, is taking a similar approach to Swedens. On March 16, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said his country of 17.1 million was opting for a controlled spread among groups at the least risk of getting seriously ill. He said it was too late to shut down the country completely. A majority of Swedes, 52 per cent, support the measures to contain the virus, according to a survey conducted by the newspaper Svenska Dagbladet and published Tuesday. But 14 per cent said too little consideration was being given to public health in order to benefit the economy. There is growing concern as Swedes prepare to travel to their country houses and to the ski slopes for Easter, even though the public health agency has asked citizens to reconsider such trips. (Norway announced a cabin ban to prevent residents from going to their country homes.) Even Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen of Denmark issued a warning about its neighbour Monday: Dont go on a ski vacation in Sweden! Last week, a cluster of COVID-19 cases was traced to an apres-ski party at a Swedish alpine centre, Are, prompting officials to close an aerial tram and gondola and shut bars and nightclubs. Hundreds of COVID-19 cases in Scandinavia have stemmed from vacationers returning from ski trips in Italy which has the most cases in Europe and in Austria. Now, there is a petition on social media to close the ski slopes. Some Swedes have suggested that their country is deviating from most other countries responses to hasten herd immunity, risking lives unnecessarily. The public health agency denies this. In the meantime, the infection curve in Sweden has started to rise sharply, and the government on Friday tightened the limit on crowds to no more than 50 people. Some residents, like Elisabeth Hatlem, a hotelier, are of two minds about the Swedish approach. She is grateful she can keep her business open. But she and her partner do not like sending their six children to school amid the pandemic. For us, a total lockdown is a disaster, she said. But I am worried Sweden will explode at some point. I feel like Im living in a huge experiment, and I was never asked if I wanted to sign up. CAMEROUN :: WILDLIFE TRAFFICKER AT THE BANDJOUN COURT OF FIRST INSTANCE :: CAMEROON On April 1, 2020, will be held at at the Bandjoun Court of First Instance, the second court hearing of the case against a man arrested last February, in possession of 5 leopard skins. The operation was carried out by wildlife officials of the Koung-Khi Divisional Delegation in collaboration with Bandjoun Gendarmerie Brigade and was technically assisted by the Last Great Ape Organisation - LAGA, a non- governmental organisation. The case opened earlier this month at the court and was adjourned because the accused requested for witnesses to appear in court The case comes on the heels of other wildlife cases held this month in the Courts of First Instance at Djoum and Mfou. Three people are facing trails for illegal trading in protected wildlife species including ivory and African grey parrots. The illegal trade in wildlife is sustained by huge demand for wildlife products in Asia. In 2016, more than 4 tons of pangolin scales exported from Cameroon was seized in Hong Kong. A year later, two Chinese were arrested in Douala with 5 tons of pangolin scales prepared to be exported from Cameroon. Recently, on the 5 of March 2020, Chinese customs arrested 12 suspects for smuggling 20.3 tons of products derived from wildlife including geckos. According to Xinhua, a Chinese online news site, the seized wildlife products were trafficked from overseas and then sold to medicinal material markets in the province of Guangdong, Anhui, and Sichuan. Likewise early this year, Tah Eric, the Deputy Director of LAGA during the celebrations of the Pangolin Day in February declared that Within the framework of the collaboration with the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife, we have close to 10.000 tons of pangolin scales seized over a period of 6 years in this country. At a more international level over 1.237.6 tons of endangered species were seized in 2019 according to the data of the General Administration of Customs (GAC) as reported in the Xinhua news site. These are disturbing figures leading conservationists to call for improved law enforcement and court proceedings against wildlife traffickers. They say if we protect our wildlife we are protecting our ecosystems and averting the dangers of deadly new diseases spring up as with case with the current COVID-19 that is spiraling out of control. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 19:18:21|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, March 29 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in the African continent has reached 134 as confirmed positives cases surpassed 4,282 as of Sunday, the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) revealed. The Africa CDC, specialized agency of the 55-member African Union (AU), in its latest situation update said the cases were spread across 46 African countries. The continental disease control and prevention agency also disclosed that among the highly COVID-19 affected countries include South Africa with 1,170 confirmed cases, Egypt with 576 confirmed cases, Algeria with 454 confirmed cases, as well as Morocco with 402 confirmed cases. The Africa CDC also disclosed that some 302 people who have been infected with the COVID-19 have recovered across the continent. Amid the rapid spread of the virus across the African continent, figures from the Africa CDC also show that more than 358 new confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported across the continent since the center's recent report on Friday, in which the confirmed cases have increased from 3,924 on Saturday to 4,282 as of Sunday. The continental disease control and prevention agency also disclosed that the Northern African region is the most affected area across the continent both in terms of positive COVID-19 cases, as well as the number of deaths, in which Northern African countries have so far registered 1,716 positive COVID-19 cases as well as 98 deaths due to the pandemic. : Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy on Sunday expressed concern over what he called large-scale violation of lockdown being enforced to stem the spread of COVID-19. Addressing reporters here, he said during his surprise visit to some of the market areas in and around the union territory, he could see what he said teeming numbers of people thronging the mutton stalls and vegetable shops. He said this should not be permitted as worldwide reports of the occurrence of the coronavirus show there was an alarming spread of the disease claiming several hundreds of lives. "Puducherry is now COVID-19 free, but this should not mean we can take the situation for granted," he said. The Chief Minister announced the closure of the Big Market in the heart of the town and decentralisation of retail sale of the fish and mutton and vegetables in nine new centres from Monday. "Social distancing is the only solution to prevent the spread of the infection. But people of Puducherry are not aware of this, and are moving about and swarming around shops posing a threat to society and also to themselves," he said. Narayanasamy said around 1,125 people had been kept in home quarantine in Puducherry. There were reports of some of them having fled the homes and roaming about. "Steps are being taken to trace such people and cases will be registered against them," he said. Police cases have been registered against 280 people for allegedly breaching lockdown. Around 240 vehicles have been impounded as they were found zooming around for no valid reason. "I am really shocked to see youth moving about on their two-wheelers unnecessarily," he said and appealed to the people to remain indoors as isolation is only effective strategy to protect oneself against the infection. In the meanwhile, the territorial Assembly was convened to adopt vote on Account Bill on Monday. The opposition AIADMK had given notice to table a call attention motion to discuss the situation arising out of the COVID-19. Leader of the legislature wing of the AIADMK A Anbalagan said he had submitted the call attention motion to the Secretary to the Assembly seeking permission to allow a detailed discussion on the steps the government had taken and should have taken to prevent spread of the infection. Director General of Police Balaji Shrivastava, in a message to the people, asked them to ensure no violation of rules relating to the current lockdown. He said the police would handle sternly any case of artificial scarcity created by merchants by hoarding of essential commodities. Also, he warned those spreading rumours through social media against strict penal action. The Cyber Cell in the police was keeping close vigil on the situation. Senior citizens and those living alone were being taken care of by the police, he pointed out. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As the great Titanic continued to sink in the frigid waters of the North Atlantic, bringing certain death to the men remaining on board, some safety boat survivors remembered hearing the big ships string quartet playing the hymn Nearer My God to Thee. In that last dark hour, there was no one left to turn to. The title words from that moving hymn were most fitting, as James, the half-brother of Jesus had already reassured the passengers: Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. James 4:8 (NAS). This lesson, having been well taught and understood in 1912, remains equally true for all generations everywhere. For that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. Romans 1:19-20. The current risk of infection and the risk of mortality and morbidity is tiny compared to being on a sinking ship, but on March 14, 2020, President Trump boldly called for focus on the spiritual, seeking Gods help in his message to the nation, and calling for a National Day of Prayer on the COVID-19 threat. It was disappointing that President Trump made no call to national repentance for the sins of the nation, but that was likely a bridge too far for large segments of the people. Indeed, in response to his call for prayer, the President received mocking from many, and there have been few references to an Almighty God since then. Instead, the rest of his Administrations efforts have been earthly -- what we the American people, and our state and federal governments, can do in our own power. Foremost among the concrete steps urged, if not enforced, upon the general public is to practice social distancing, that is, stay home and wash your hands. But distancing is no solution to a spiritual problem. And it certainly does not work for everyone. Distancing does not protect persons who must work for a living in close proximity with others, who cannot risk losing a job, a car, or a house. It is not on option for those who provide necessary assisted living for the elderly or infirm. Nor is it available to first-responders, much less for those living and working inside our woefully over-populated prisons. And, although long-distance learning alleviates the burden of supervision, teachers are not yet robots-in-waiting, eliminating all need of actual classrooms for human interchange. At best, distancing modulates the behavior of those who enjoy the best of health, and those who would otherwise act presumptuously. But on the other hand, isolation and loneliness is said to deplete the immune system and increase susceptibility to illness. While there are no doubt benefits from the nations current distancing containment policy and practices, they fall short of attaining one necessary objective: the defeat of paralyzing and mind-clouding fear of falling prey of the influenza. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7. Fear produces a confused mind, rather than a sound, sober one. Fear will cause us to pull up the covers and hide in bed. Fear will result in accepting, even welcoming, sometimes demanding, assertions of government power which exceed constitutional limits. The virus will pass, but fear of it could destroy the foundations of our constitutional republic. Defeating fear is possible, but only if the American people draw near to God. As Moses wrote: And [God] said, if you will give ear to the voice of the Lord, and do what is right in his sight, and give ear to his commandments, and keep all of His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I put on the Egyptians for I, the Lord, am your healer. Exodus 15:16. Many would dismiss this Biblical admonition on the ground that it is limited to its specific context, applicable only to Israel and her people. Ontologically, they are mistaken. There is not one disease, not one people, not one nation outside the healing power of God. As The Gospel of Matthew attests: [J]esus healed all who were ill. This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: HE, HIMSELF TOOK OUR INFIRMITIES AND CARRIED AWAY OUR DISEASES. Matthew 8:16(b)-17. "God's Light of Hope," licensed in the public domain by Robert Knacke Rather than focusing exclusively on running away one from another, distancing ourselves from friends and family in fear of COVID-19, we also ought to be running to Jesus, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by his wounds [we] were healed. 1 Peter 2:24. We know from Daniel 2:17 that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men. But we must come to the Lord on His terms, not ours. He has the power to remove temporal judgments from the people, but repeatedly in Scripture we see His precondition of repentance -- a change of mind, and a change of behavior. See 2 Peter 3. There is no repentance inherent in simply asking God to remove the current plague. Where are the calls from the Ministers of God to both believers and nonbelievers to repent? If repentance is ignored, why should we expect a righteous God to end the plague? How should we expect Him to respond to executive orders issued by some Governors to shut down all elective surgeries, except for the one procedure which is murderous? To the Lord, we sound like the people who cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done. Revelation 16:11 (NIV). Not long after the nation saw Gods hand move as this nation was given its independence from a British Empire wielding the greatest military power on earth, our first President showed no reluctance to declare Americas utter dependence on our Creator God, as he entreated the Hebrew Congregations of Savanah, Georgia: May the same wonder-working Deity, who long since delivering the Hebrews from their Egyptian Oppressors planted them in the promised land, whose providential agency has lately been conspicuous in establishing these United States as an independent Nation, still continue to water them with the dews of Heaven and to make the inhabitants of every denomination participate in the temporal and spiritual blessings of that people whose God is Jehovah. May we Americans, individually and collectively, draw near to God in this time of crisis, for He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:6. Herbert W. Titus taught constitutional law for 26 years, concluding his academic career as founding dean of Regent Law School. William J. Olson held three positions in the Reagan Administration. They now practices constitutional law together, defending against government excess, at William J. Olson, P.C., Vienna, Virginia. E-mail wjo@mindspring.com, visit www.lawandfreedom.com, or follow www.Twitter.com/OlsonLaw. He reportedly got engaged to girlfriend Michelle Penticost earlier this month, proposing during their Maldives holiday. And now, Kieran Hayler has revealed that his divorce from estranged wife Katie Price is just 'weeks away,' after popping the question to his girlfriend of almost two years. The father-of-two confirmed that the legal paperwork has been submitted, and it's now just a waiting game. Almost! Kieran Hayler has revealed that his divorce from estranged wife Katie Price is just 'weeks away,' confirming that the legal paperwork has been submitted Speaking of his desire to marry Michelle, in the latest edition of New! Magazine, Kieran said: 'I have to wait for the divorce to come through, which could still take up to 16 weeks. 'But the paperwork's in, so hopefully it won't be much longer,' he added. The update comes after Katie's estranged husband Kieran appeared to have got down on one knee during his recent romantic trip to the Maldives with his girlfriend. Michelle lives with Kieran and his children Jett, six, and Bunny, five, who he shares with ex Katie, as well as Michelle's son from a past relationship. Good news! The father-of-two reportedly got down on one knee during a romantic trip to the Maldives earlier this month, popping the question to his girlfriend Michelle Penticost Bling: Michelle took to her Facebook account to share a snap of her ring alongside the caption 'So today at sunset I became a fiance (sic)' Michelle took to her Facebook account to share a snap of her ring alongside the caption: 'So today at sunset I became a fiance (sic)'. She also posted a number of snaps of the proposal itself, showing the couple kissing on a deserted beach. Kieran appears to have kept the moment off his socials, simply uploading a picture of two glasses of champagne sitting on a table. He wrote, 'Love this place', before adding another image of the beach at night. The former stripper and girlfriend Michelle have been inseparable since going public with their relationship in July 2018. Keeping it quiet: Kieran - whose divorce from Katie Price is set to be finalised any day now - kept the moment off his socials, simply uploading a picture of two glasses of champagne He wrote: 'Love this place', before adding another image of the beach at night. In love: Kieran recently paid tribute to Michelle, saying, 'My best friend, my rock and my soul mate. You have completed me and I am the happiest I have ever been' He recently paid tribute to his 'best friend, my rock and my soul mate' in a sweet Valentine's Day post, saying he's the happiest he's ever been with her. Kieran enthused: 'My valentine!!!! My best friend, my rock and my soul mate. You have completed me and I am the happiest I have ever been. 'I Love our little family and I love creating memories every day. People dont even see half of what you do for me and the kids, but that doesnt matter because everything you do, means everything to me. I love you '. MailOnline contacted Kieran's representatives for comment at the time. Last month, Kieran sparked rumours he could be set to wed again after he was pictured trying on and buying a suit in a wedding shop, but it later transpired to have been for a special event. Meanwhile, Katie recently declared she was finally getting divorced with their paperwork set to be finalised in 'the next few days'. Katie and third husband Kieran wed in January 2013 following a whirlwind romance, but they split for good in May 2018. Over the course of their very tumultuous marriage, Katie accused Kieran of cheating with her best friend of 20 years, Jane Pountney, as well as sleeping with her friend Chrissy Thomas. Over: Katie and third husband Kieran wed in January 2013 following a whirlwind romance, but they split for good in May 2018 (pictured in February 2017) In August 2017, she famously claimed Kieran had cheated on her for a third time with their nanny Nikki Brown, resulting in the breakdown of their union. The former glamour model spilled the beans in an Instagram post in which she wished her ex a 'happy future' and admitted that she'll never give up on her 'fairtytale ending'. In a heartfelt post to her 2.1 million followers, the star praised her ex for 'not wanting anything' from their divorce as she explained their split has been 'amicable'. She penned: 'Finally me and Kieran will be divorved in next few days and how amicable it has been and respect he is the first man not wanting anything from our divorce and wish him a happy future with Michell and now Im free and will never give up that happy fairytale ending of one day getting married and having my family unit I desire (sic)' She is also mum to Harvey, 17, from her relationship with Dwight Yorke, and Junior, 14 and Princess, 11 from her marriage to Peter Andre. The Loose Women star's well wishes to Kieran and his Michelle comes just months after she reportedly refused to divorce him in an attempt to 'spite' Michelle following their court battle. It was claimed that Katie was declining to move forward with divorce proceedings as a way of 'keeping control' following their school ground spat. It's over: Last month, Katie said she is finally getting divorced with their paperwork finalised in 'the next few days' Katie was served with a restraining order in June last year following a dramatic row with Michelle in the playground of the school their kids attend. The source told The Sun Online: 'Katie is doing this to exercise her control over Kieran and it is a vendetta against Michelle for her taking her to court and winning. 'Katie needs to let go of the past and move on with Kris, or whoever. Kieran wants to be Katie's ex. He isn't Mr Price and hates being referred to as that. Naturally he wants his own identity back.' Los Angeles, March 28 (IANS) Comic Kathy Griffin is out of hospital after suffering symptoms she feared were related to COVID-19. The comedian had earlier shared on Instagram from her hospital bed that she had been transferred to a "COVID19 isolation ward", reportsaceshowbiz.com. Speaking to the Los Angeles Times, the 59-year-old has since confirmed she is back home, after seeking medical care on the recommendation of her doctor, after suffering with an apparent stomach bug for almost a week upon her return from a trip to Mexico. "We'd been hearing about a 14-day incubation period (for the coronavirus). So for me to get what felt like food poisoning after six days, I thought, 'OK, is this a coincidence or what?' " Her husband, Randy Bick, noted her symptoms included "incredibly intense pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, every 20 minutes." While Griffin praised the "heroes" who helped treat her, she noted the hospital set-up wasn't ideal. "Frankly, when they said the corona ward, I thought I would be walking into the white suits with blue-taped ceilings, everything. I kind of expected them to put me in a shower room and all that -- but as recently as (Tuesday), there's no cavalry that's coming in handing out millions of (test) swabs. The doctor was going through the boxes and going through the boxes (on a form) and she kept saying, like, 'Ugh, because of the lungs, the fever and the kind of cough... you don'tmeet the CDC requirements', " she said. The star's comments come after she slammed US President Donald Trump's claims that America is leading the world in coronavirus testing. --IANS dc/vnc The younger man told police that he and his sister were walking his dog when they heard multiple shots from behind, police said. When police arrived, they found the postal worker lying on the sidewalk and bleeding from the face. According to an ongoing Department of Labor (DOL) employment discrimination lawsuit claiming $400 million damages, software leader Oracle had allegedly discriminated against and in favor of Asians. This potentially ruinous absurdity flows from a complaint filed by DOLs Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), a noted administrative tyranny that President Donald Trumps administration should abolish. As a 2017 U.S. Chamber of Commerce report noted, OFCCPs reviews of federal contractors often claim that the same employer discriminated against both men and women or against and in favor of Asians in different capacities. OFCCP relies on a disparate impact theory, which can find discrimination even in the absence of intent, a strictly numbers-based game of gotcha, which former Associate Deputy Attorney General Bruce Fein has also analyzed. OFCCP uses simplistic, undigested pay disparities that ignore many relevant factors, including education, experience, choice of industry and occupation, hours worked, and flexible work schedules. In the Oracle case, OFCCP treats employees with the same job title as similarly situated, notes conservative activist Seton Motley, yet a software engineer working on databases does very different work than one who develops artificial intelligence. OFCCP also found suspicious that 82 percent of Oracle technical hires were Asian compared to 75 percent of applicants. No one should be shocked, responded legal analyst Paul Mirengoff, for Harvard Universitys acceptance rate of Asian applicants, based on objective criteria, would vastly exceed the Asian applicant rate. He added: In cases of extreme statistical disparities courts will infer discrimination from numbers alone. Normally, though, anecdotal evidence is needed to buttress a statistical case. Oracle executives and spokespersons replied that OFCCPs politically motivated and meritless lawsuit is based on false allegations while countersuing the federal government on November 27, 2019. The Oracle complaint documented how a group of unelected, unaccountable, and unconfirmed administrative officials have cut from whole cloth OFCCPs adjudicative agency-enforcement scheme. This violates fundamental constitutional principles. OFCCP discrimination complaints go before a DOL Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) for adjudication and a party may appeal to a DOL Administrative Review Board (ARB). It is only after a contractor defends itself before an ALJ and the ARB, and has a final order entered against it, that it can seek review in federal courts. As an Oracle press release noted, OFCCP has a broad and unfettered authority that the Department of Labor has assumed for itself to investigate, prosecute and adjudicate lawsuits entirely in-house. OFCCP unilaterally promulgated this authority after 1977, even though Congress had refused to give such powers to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which prosecutes private employment discrimination in federal courts. When proposals rose in 1972 to grant EEOC such powers, Senator Peter Dominick warned against recreating 16th-century Englands notorious Star Chamber. The EEOC would, in effect, become investigator, prosecutor, trial judge and judicial review board -- all before you ever got to the Court of Appeals! Companies typically negotiate some type of consent decree with OFCCP to avoid the staggering costs of litigation and the prospect of bankruptcy, Fein has noted. Moreover, the Chamber of Commerce has observed, OFCCP investigations bring attendant negative publicity as well as the possibility of debarment, or suspension from federal contracts, a penalty that can occur even during an audit. For companies in industries where the federal government is the only or main customer, debarment can mean extinction, conservative writer Brian McNicoll has noted. Unsurprisingly, power has corrupted OFCCP, which the Chamber of Commerce has described as having lost its way, increasingly relying on abusive enforcement tactics. OFCCP investigators have told contractors that the judge works for us and we can ask for anything we want. OFCCP therefore engages in overly broad and unreasonable fishing expeditions for employment data, such that OFCCP in discovery demanded more than 85 million data sets from Oracle. Mirengoff also decried OFCCPs lack of transparency. Not only does the OFCCP refuse to show its statistical findings to contractors it accuses of discriminating, it often refuses even to disclose its methodology. Fein has found particularly dumbfounding that OFCCPs pursuit of Oracle has continued under Trump, for OFCCP lawyers originally filed the lawsuit on January 18, 2017, President Barack Obamas waning hours in office. Obamas cabal of partisan lawyers drew up a series of midnight regulations to sabotage the incoming administration: bogus last-minute lawsuits they knew would serve as political time bombs, according to political operative Jared Whitleys analysis. Data can always be massaged for political purposes, the Wall Street Journal editorialized, and the Obama administration had had similar paint-by-numbers attacks. Activists would rewrite civil-rights and labor law according to the lefts identity politics. Yet, as disappointed leftists have already complained, the Trump Administration has undertaken to tame DOL, with proposals to transfer OFCCP functions to EEOC and the September 30, 2019, appointment of Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia. Institute for Liberty President Andrew Langer has praised Scalias reputation for being an advocate for pro-growth policies and thus Fein has called for Scalia to concede Oracles claims. The time finally has come for Trump to drain OFCCPs swamp. Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has pledged to financially support 25,000 daily wage workers from the film industry in the wake of the national lockdown, according to Federation of Western Indian Cine Employees (FWICE). The country is witnessing a 21-day lockdown, as announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to contain the spread of the virus. The daily wage workers across different avenues are badly hit by the lockdown. According to FWICE president B N Tiwari, Salman via his Being Human Foundation reached out to their organisation to help the workers. "Salman's Being Human Foundation has come forward to help daily wage workers. They called us three days ago. We have about 5 lakh workers out of which 25,000 are in dire need of financial help. Being Human Foundation said they will take care of these workers on their own. They have asked for account details of these 25,000 workers as they want to ensure that money reaches them directly," Tiwari told PTI. "The remaining 4,75,000 workers can survive for about a month. We already have huge ration packets for all the workers but unfortunately due to lockdown they are not able to come here to collect it. We are thinking of ways how to reach out to them," he added. Tiwari said FWICE has reached out to several actors and filmmakers to make a contribution. "We have written letters and also sent messages to various people in the film industry to come forward and help the workers but we haven't received any response from them. Producer Mahaveer Jain has offered to provide help in terms of food and essential items," he added. Earlier in the week, filmmakers and actors, including Karan Johar, Taapsee Pannu, Ayushmann Khurrana, Kiara Advani, Rakul Preet Singh, Sidharth Malhotra, and Nitesh Tiwari pledged their support to a new initiative aimed at supporting the daily wage earners. The initiative, I Stand With Humanity, started by organisations -- the International Association for Human Values, the Art of Living Foundation and the Indian Film and TV Industry, will provide families of daily wage workers with 10 days of essential food supplies. On March 18, the Producers Guild of India announced that they have set up a relief fund for daily wage earners impacted by the shutdown of film, television and web productions amid the coronavirus pandemic. Their decision came after many filmmakers, including Sudhir Mishra, Vikramaditya Motwane and Anurag Kashyap, raised concerns over the impact of shutdown on the daily wage workers. According to the Health Ministry, the total number of COVID-19 cases rose to 979 on Sunday, with death toll climbing to 25. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (Natural News) Social distancing has been one of the buzzwords that has been going around ever since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out. Now, data collected from over a million smart thermometers shows it does play a crucial part in slowing down the spread of the disease. Kinsa Health has been tracking fevers recorded with their thermometers in certain areas of the country where strict stay-in-place orders have been implemented. Their data shows decreasing rates of fever cases in these areas, while those areas that dont have them are seeing increasing rates. Fever is one of the most important signs that someone has the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of the White House coronavirus task force, also stated that he has his temperature checked constantly. Every time I go into a different room, I get my temperature taken, Fauci told reporters at the White House over the weekend. From monitoring seasonal flu to COVID-19 Kinsa Health originally developed their tool as a way to track where season flu outbreaks are taking place. To create their fever map, Kinsa downloads temperature readings from more than one million thermometers in the United States. Back then, the company worked with Professor Ben Dalziel of Oregon State University to develop the map. For the coronavirus, Kinsa had added a new tool to their map, which the company calls atypical illnesses, looking for fevers that dont fit in with the pattern of seasonal flu. Were taking our real-time illness signal, and were subtracting out the expectation, explained Kinsa founder and CEO Inder Singh. So what youre left with is atypical illness. In other words, a cluster of fevers that you would not expect from normal cold and flu time. So, presumably, that is COVID-19; I cannot definitively say its COVID-19, but what I can say is that its an unusual outbreak. It could be an anomalous flu, a strain thats totally unexpected. It could be something else, but at least a portion of that is almost certainly going to be COVID-19. Using this, the company has found evidence that shows that closing spaces where people tend to gather, such as restaurants and bars, helps decrease the rate of infections for such illnesses. Given that people arent interacting as much, now that Im staying home, for example, if Im sick, then people Im usually around wont be infected and then theyre not infecting other people, stated Nita Nehru, head of communications at Kinsa Health, in an interview with the Daily Mail. Thats what we mean by breaking the chain of infections, Nehru continued. The less people are around one another, the more those illnesses drop. One particular example of this is in Santa Clara County in California. The map shows that the incidence of flu-related illness in that county has dropped by 13 percent over the last seven days with the number of observed illnesses listed as low. Perhaps not coincidentally, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a shelter-in-place order over a week ago on Mark 17. In Florida, where the measures that have been taken are not as strict, the rates of widespread atypical illness have been increasing. Singh highlighted a spike in the rate of infections in Miami-Dade County, FL. While its impossible to know exactly what disease caused the fevers from the thermometers alone, he pointed out that this spike coincided with reports of Miami residents and tourists ignoring guidance recommending social distancing. When the data from Miami-Dade did finally show a steep drop off, Singh then pointed out that it also coincided with more extreme measures and isolation tactics being adopted in the county. Still some questions about the data Kinsa Healths map has one major drawback when it comes to tracking. Their data only covers fever-range temperatures and not actual cases of COVID-19. The smart thermometers cant identify if the fever is caused by the disease. The other concern lies with the smart thermometers themselves. As these are connected to Kinsas servers via an app on the users phones, theres the fear that the data being sent from these can be used for purposes other than tracking fevers. Similar issues have already cropped up with fitness trackers, which have been shown to be sending data to healthcare providers, possibly bumping up insurance premiums. That said, Kinsas existing work on predicting fevers related to seasonal flu and cold shows promise in tracking the spread of fevers possibly related to the coronavirus. At the very least, they show that the strict social distancing measures being implemented around the country, and indeed the rest of the world, are helping stop the virus spread. Sources include: DailyMail.co.uk TechCrunch.com DETROIT, March 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) today announced it will cancel its June 2020 show in Detroit in light of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic sweeping across the world and the Federal Emergency Management Agency's expected plans to repurpose TCF Center into a temporary field hospital. "Although we are disappointed, there is nothing more important to us than the health, safety and well-being of the citizens of Detroit and Michigan, and we will do what we can to support our community's fight against the coronavirus outbreak," said NAIAS Executive Director Rod Alberts. "With the more than 100 convention centers and facilities around the country being considered to potentially serve as temporary hospitals, it became clear to us that TCF Center would be an inevitable option to serve as a care facility to satisfy our community's urgent health needs," he said. "One of the hallmarks of NAIAS since the very beginning has been our commitment to being socially responsible," Alberts said. "Our thoughts continue to be with those whose lives have been impacted by this devastating virus. And, we support the city and state's mission to help preserve life in the face of this challenging situation." NAIAS will hold its next annual show in June 2021. 2020 NAIAS Chairman Doug North said show officials are also discussing plans for a fundraising activity later this year to benefit the children's charities that were designated as beneficiaries of the 2020 Charity Preview event. "We know these organizations rely on the money raised at Charity Preview to fund many wonderful support services for the most vulnerable in our community," North said. "With this in mind, we will be in touch with the charities in the near future to present some ideas." North, who will act as Chairman of the 2021 NAIAS, expressed the show's gratitude to all of its stakeholders. "The level of excitement for the 2020 show was extraordinary, and we deeply appreciate all of the support from our OEM partners and our more than 200 valued sponsors, as well as the city of Detroit and the state of Michigan," North said. "We will be ready to unleash this energy and enthusiasm when June 2021 rolls around to produce the absolute best show and experience ever. We look forward to literally redefining the auto show landscape with fresh ideas and innovative opportunities for mobility activations and partnerships," North said. All tickets purchased for the 2020 NAIAS show, including tickets for the Public Show, Industry Preview and Charity Preview will be fully refunded. Charity Preview ticket holders will be given the option of a refund, or the opportunity to donate the proceeds of their refund to one of the nine designated Charity Preview beneficiaries. The NAIAS ticket office will be in contact with all ticket holders. The NAIAS sponsorship team will also be in contact with each sponsor directly to answer questions regarding refunds and their contracts. The 2021 show dates are: Motor Bella: Friday, June 11 Monday, June 14 The Gallery: Monday, June 14 Press Preview: Tuesday, June 15 Wednesday, June 16 AutoMobili-D Powered by PlanetM: Tuesday, June 15 Thursday, June 17 Industry Preview: Wednesday, June 16 Thursday, June 17 Charity Preview: Friday, June 18 Public Show: Saturday, June 19 Saturday, June 26 SOURCE North American International Auto Show Related Links www.dada.org Delhi High Court judges on Sunday decided to donate Rs 10,000 each to the relief fund announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to help fight the coronavirus outbreak in the country. The decision was taken by Chief Justice D N Patel and other judges of the high court, a statement issued by the Registrar General's office said. "It is the need of the hour that this court and the courts subordinate to this court make voluntary donations in the said account (fund). It is, therefore, proposed that judges of this court donate Rs 10,000 each towards the PM-CARES Fund," the statement said. The high court has also suggested that it would be "desirable" that its officials and the judicial officers of the district courts "may also contribute one day's salary to the fund", it said. "The contributions can be more than what is suggested," the statement said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nepal reported its fifth coronavirus case on Saturday after a 19-year-old student, who returned to the country from Belgium via Qatar, tested positive for COVID-19, officials said. All five coronavirus cases in Nepal are imported. Four patients are currently in isolation while one has recovered. The country's first coronavirus infection was reported on January 24. So far, 875 COVID-19 tests have been conducted in the country. The government mandated week-long nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the virus entered its fifth day on Saturday. Markets remained closed and roads wore a deserted look barring the vehicles of security personnel. The government has already closed its borders with India and China. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. The global clinical chemistry analyzers market size is expected to reach USD 16.0 billion by 2025, according to a new study by Grand View Research, Inc. The growing prevalence of chronic diseases is anticipated to be responsible for the high urgency to adopt clinical chemistry analyzers, which thereby widens the scope for growth during the forecast period. In addition, growing base of geriatric and bariatric population, which is highly susceptible to chronic diseases, is presumed to impel the demand further. Consequently, the resultant high sample volume requiring high capability analyzing devices is driving the market growth. Moreover, increasing awareness pertaining to benefits associated with these devices is also a high impact rendering driver for clinical chemistry analyzers market. Advent of advanced chemistry analyzers has resulted in improved point-of-care testing capabilities, and thus created high potential growth opportunities for the market. In addition, technological advancements in preanalytical, analytical, and post analytical stages due to analyzing devices & reagents improved their diagnostic capabilities and overall efficiency, which is predicted to propel the growth further. These advancements include advent of microchips, sensors, chemometrics, and robotics. Furthermore, consistent efforts by public as well private healthcare organizations to increase the reliability of data have rapidly engendered the integration of automated chemistry analyzers and immunoassay systems, thereby resulting in overall reduction of workload in laboratories, thus propelling the demand. Further key findings from the study suggest: Reagents held a substantial share in product segment in 2015. The substantial share can be attributed to increasing reagent rental agreements and availability resulting in quick global access Lipid panel is anticipated to exhibit lucrative CAGR during the forecast period owing to increasing adoption, as the demand for screening tests for cholesterol and triglyceride levels in case of cardiovascular disorders and diabetes has increased In 2016, North America accounted for substantial share in the global clinical chemistry analyzers market, as a consequence of local presence of prominent companies involved in high R&D investments Asia Pacific is anticipated to grow at an exponential CAGR due to unmet patient needs, continuous technological & infrastructural upgradation, and growing healthcare expenditure Some key participants such as Mindray Medical International Ltd.; Johnson & Johnson; and F.Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. are undertaking various sustainability strategies, such as new product development & frequent product approvals, to gain competitive advantage For instance, in August 2016, Mindray announced the premarket FDA clearance for Mindray BA-800M clinical chemistry analyzer allowing it to distribute its product Request a Sample Copy of the Global Clinical Chemistry Analyzers Market Research Report @ www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/clinical-chemistry-analyzer-market/request/rs1 Grand View Research has segmented the global clinical chemistry analyzers market on the basis of product, test, end use, and region: Clinical Chemistry Analyzers Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025) Analyzers Small Medium Large Others Reagents Calibrators Controls Standards Others Others Clinical Chemistry Analyzers Test Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025) Basic Metabolic Panel(BMP) Electrolyte Panel Liver Panel Lipid Profile Renal Profile Thyroid Function Panel Specialty Chemical Tests Clinical Chemistry Analyzers End-Use Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025) Hospitals Academic Research Centers Diagnostic Laboratories Others Clinical Chemistry Analyzers Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025) North America U.S. Canada Europe UK Germany Asia Pacific Japan China India Latin America Mexico Brazil MEA South Africa Access full research report on global clinical chemistry analyzers market: www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/clinical-chemistry-analyzer-market The Environmental Health office in the Ho West District of the Volta Region has asked residents to quarantine persons trooping in from Accra and Kumasi ahead of Mondays lockdown in a bid to contain coronavirus disease in the country. Mrs Stella Kumedzro, District Officer, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that a mandatory quarantine remained the surest way of safeguarding close relations, households, and community members of returnees from coronavirus-hit areas. She asked them to provide isolation rooms for the returnees, who must also be closely monitored for symptoms of the viral infection. Mrs Kumedzro said households must take up the responsibility, and ensure that persons who exhibited such symptoms, which included; coughs, fever, and breathing difficulties were immediately reported to health authorities. She also stressed on regular handwashing with soap under running water and practice social distancing. Mrs Kumedzro made an appeal to persons from regions with coronavirus record to remain in those regions not to spread the disease to other parts of the country. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo Friday night announced a lockdown of the Greater Accra, Tema, and the Ashanti Regions to halt the spread of COVID 19 in the country. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Aviation regulator DGCA on Sunday said it was suspending breathalyser tests, which is done to detect alcohol, for all aviation personnel, including pilots, hours after an Air India union had requested it to do so citing that these tests could spread coronavirus. The decision comes after SpiceJet said one of its pilots who did not fly any international flight in March had tested positive for the novel coronavirus pandemic. Due to the "extraordinary" circumstances over COVID-19, and directions issued by high courts in Delhi and Kerala, the DGCA said in an order that breath-analyser tests for "all aviation personnel" was temporarily suspended "at all airports till further orders". "Every aviation personnel, who is reporting for duty, is required to submit an undertaking in respect of the fact that he or she is not under the influence of alcohol and that he or she has not consumed alcohol/psychoactive substance in last 12 hours from the time of reporting for duty," the DGCA stated. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Businesses and homes suffered damage and a citywide curfew was announced in northeastern Arkansas after a tornado ripped through the area on Saturday afternoon, injuring at least three people. The twister caused considerable damage in Jonesboro, where the Mayor announced a curfew for 7pm. Dramatic video posted to social media shows how the tornado's fierce winds sent debris flying. Unreal up close footage from Said Said in Jonesboro. He owns the Triple S Phones shop and stated the tornado came VERY quick. Scary footage. I cant imagine. @ReedTimmerAccu @JimCantore #arwx pic.twitter.com/KFWqpdKbEx Zachary Hall (@WxZachary) March 28, 2020 The image above shows a tornado touching down in Jonesboro, Arkansas, on Saturday afternoon The powerful tornado destroyed homes and businesses, leaving fields of debris in Jonesboro, Arkansas, on Saturday Arkansas officials told KAIT-TV that first responders were trying to rescue possible victims trapped under the debris of a mall. The force of the tornado was so great that it sent debris some four miles high, according to experts who analyzed the data. Cars were overturned, the roofs of houses were torn off, and shards of mangled metal were seen strewn across roadways, according to KNWA-TV. Jonesboro E-911 Director Jeff Presley tells TV station KAIT that most stores in the Mall at Turtle Creek were closed Saturday to help in fight against spreading coronavirus pandemic. The National Weather Service tweeted a video from the Arkansas Department of Transportation that showed a large tornado dropping from storm clouds in Jonesboro. Dramatic video posted to social media shows the powerful tornado send debris flying into the air in Jonesboro on Saturday Authorities said that they were searching for possible victims under the debris of a shopping mall At least three people were injured as a result of the tornado in northeastern Arkansas on Saturday US House Rep. Rick Crawford, who represents much of eastern Arkansas, said on Twitter that a tornado tore through 'the heart of town' and asked for prayers for first responders. Crawford said his staff and family were safe. Forecasters with the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, warned that a severe weather outbreak was possible later Saturday for much of the central US Forecasters said tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds are possible, particularly in parts of Illinois and Iowa. Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson said on Saturday that he was 'paying close attention to the report of a tornado hit in Jonesboro. 'I know there is property damage. Just praying all is safe.' From Matt Teal in Jonesboro, AR. Large tornado doing damage with debris in the air. #arwx #Tornado pic.twitter.com/SNYDFxcBjR Rick Katzfey (@WeatherRick) March 28, 2020 The roofs of several homes were torn off by the force of the tornado in Jonesboro on Saturday In the distance, a train appears to have been derailed by the force of the tornado The windows of an SUV were shattered and debris was strewn across the lawns of several homes in Jonesboro on Saturday @ryanvaughan @ZachHolderWx this was from my friend who lives in Jonesboro pic.twitter.com/iygkLLcvWb Madison Wilson (@MadisonBlaire22) March 28, 2020 Paul Dellegatto, a meteorologist for Fox 13 TV, played dramatic video of the tornado as it was bearing down on Jonesboro. 'This is a very life threatening situation right now,' he said. 'Get in your tornado safe spot immediately. This is businesses, this is homes. This is a major tornado. 'Look at the size of that debris being wafted. This is as dire of a situation that we could have.' Arkansas battles coronavirus outbreak as two more die on Saturday The severe weather came as the state, like the rest of the country, was grappling with the coronavirus pandemic. Hutchinson signed legislation early Saturday creating a $173million fund that he can use to respond to the coronavirus outbreak, and health officials said two more people have died from the virus in the state. The governor's signature moves the state's surplus into a new 'COVID-19 Rainy Day Fund' that he can access with the approval of legislative leaders. Hutchinson signed identical bills creating the fund shortly after they were unanimously approved by the House and Senate in a midnight session. 'This is a historic moment in this rotunda in which the General Assembly, both House and Senate, has come together in quick fashion to meet the emergency needs of our state,' Hutchinson said before signing the bills. Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson (above) on Saturday signed legislation creating a $173million fund to combat the coronavirus outbreak Hutchinson announced later Saturday that the number of people with COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, had increased to at least 404 from 386 the previous day. The number of people who have died from the illness increased to five. Dr. Nathaniel Smith, the state health secretary, said both deaths were from central Arkansas. One was in their 70s and the other in their 40s, Smith said. For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. State Commerce Secretary said Arkansas processed 30,000 new applications for unemployment this past week, a record number and an increase over the 9,400 the state saw the previous week. Preston said the department is expanding its capability, including making the website for applications available seven days a week. 'This is a health crisis we're facing in Arkansas, but it is also a financial crisis for many Arkansans,' Hutchinson said. The creation of the fund to respond to the outbreak capped a marathon session that began Thursday. Hutchinson called the session in response to a $353million shortfall he said the state faced because of the coronavirus. Concerns about the coronavirus moved the House from its chamber in the Capitol to a basketball arena, with representatives spaced at least 6 feet from one another in the stands. The Senate met at the Capitol, but restricted the number of members allowed on the floor. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 20:42:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KUWAIT CITY, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Kuwait reported 20 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 255, the Health Ministry announced in a statement on Sunday. Among 20 cases, six cases are Kuwaiti nationals who returned from Britain and one case is a resident who returned from Saudi Arabia, it said. The other 13 cases have history of contact with infected patients, it said. Out of the 255 cases, 67 of them have recovered and 188 are still receiving treatment, it said. The Kuwaiti government has decided to impose a nationwide curfew to contain the spread of the coronavirus. On March 13, Kuwait suspended all commercial flights. The government has also closed stores, malls and barbershops. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 19:12:46|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Multiple Chinese foundations have donated medical supplies to support countries in the fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic. The Jack Ma Foundation and the Alibaba Foundation announced Sunday donations of essential medical supplies to seven more countries, namely Azerbaijan, Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. The donation includes a total of 1.7 million face masks, 165,000 test kits as well as protective clothing and medical equipment such as ventilators and forehead thermometers. With this announcement, the two foundations have now donated essential medical supplies to 23 Asian countries totaling 7.4 million masks, 485,000 test kits, and 100,000 sets of protective clothing along with other medical equipment. "We are one with the global community in the intense battle to protect all families against COVID-19," according to a statement from the Jack Ma Foundation. The Fosun Foundation, based in Shanghai, also donated a batch of face masks to two hospitals in Sardegna, Italy this week, in response to a local doctor's call for support in mid-March. So far, Fosun has donated over 70,000 pieces of medical supplies to Italy. As of Saturday, it had coordinated with other companies the supply of over 10 batches of medical supplies to countries including Italy, Japan, Britain and France. By David Tizzard The recent revelations of a series of privately operated digital chat rooms in which teenagers and young women were operated as "slaves" for the pleasure of more than 250,000 men have rightly incensed the South Korean public. But worryingly this latest scandal seems to be the continuation of a long-standing trend rather than a sudden new development. The Korean National Police Agency reported an average of 18 cases of spy cam porn per day in 2015. More than 16,000 people were arrested between 2012 and 2017 for being involved in such activities. The cases of Goo Hara and many others still ring in society's ears. Soranet was the country's largest pornography website and ran from 1999 to 2016, host to more than one million users at various stages. The female co-founder was sentenced to four years in prison last year for aiding and abetting the distribution of obscene material. The Nth room is a continuation of such trends well-known and very visible to most lawmakers and the public. Ultimately, there seems to have been some degree of social normalization of this deviance. That is most worrying. In 2018, SBS cited the Ministry of Gender and Equality's statistics regarding cases of sexually exploitative videos against South Korean teenagers and children. Perhaps the most shocking thing was not the frequency of which such things occurred, but rather the punishments. For those found guilty of committing such acts, 7.9 percent were fined, 35.5 percent were sent to prison, and 56.6 percent were given probation. Considering the nature of these crimes, one wonders why most of the perpetrators do not receive any jail time. For those convicted, Article 14 Section 2 of the law that covers the punishment of sex crimes of a digital nature states that the offenders will face a maximum fine of up to 30 million won or a jail sentence of five years or less. An important question thus presents itself: are we dealing with a broader systemic societal issue, or just a few despicable individuals? Distressingly, in a 2018 Macromill Embrain survey, a quarter of male respondents claimed to have personally watched a molka video. Considering the very low likelihood of people admitting to engaging in such criminal behavior, one can only assume the actual total is much greater. A special team has been formed for the latest revelations to shock the nation, to seek to verify and identify the 260,000 men who labeled as accomplices of Cho Joo-bin for paying and watching the horrendous exploitation of young women. By naming, shaming, and venting public anger at the heinous actions of those involved are we doing enough? Or are we simply making a public sacrifice of blood while the real problems continue and will require yet more in the future? What solutions is the country seeking to address this deep-rooted problem? For if there is not deeper and more fundamental change, there will be more victims. Certainly one has to question the enforcement of the law. That has been brought into stark relief once more with many angered that Judge Oh Duh-shik will preside over the case for one of the Nth room operators. Judge Oh has previously caused controversy over the seemingly lenient sentences he has handed down to men found guilty (or acquitted) of a variety of crimes. A Blue House petition asking he be removed from the latest case has nearly 300,000 signatures already. And some of the men that have frequented the Telegram operated Nth rooms have already decided to forgo legal process and seek to take their own lives. On Friday a man in his 40s jumped off a bridge in Seoul, leaving a note claiming he did not realize the severity of what would unfold. Another man in his 20s drank poison in an attempt to escape punishment. Many things need change in society and while Covid-19 and economic issues dominate the political landscape more attention needs to be paid to the lenient punishments given out by men to men. If Park Guen-hy and Choi Soon-sil deserve 25 years and 20 years respectively, what do those guilty of these latest crimes deserve? That deserves serious consideration. South Korea has to establish stronger laws that are in accordance with modern society, technology, and the crimes taking place. Then, importantly, it has to apply those laws consistently and equally without consideration of a person's status, fame, level of intoxication, or family potential. The gusts of popular feeling have often proven to be the country's judge, jury, and executioner, but for true genuine change to take place, to protect future victims, South Korea needs institutional change. It needs lawmakers and politicians to start taking these issues seriously. If by law prostitution is illegal in South Korea, then it should be illegal and seen as such by the law enforcement. Having police stations close to known areas of sexual services simply serves to reinforce the idea that the law is applied according to the situation as it unfolds and not with any uniform standard. Considering that some victims involved in the Nth room scandal were underage, society should also consider the continued images it presents of women (and men) in their 20s and 30s dressed as high-school girls and adopting personas of innocence and subservience. The Lolita complex here is strong and often reinforced by mainstream media, creating fantasy relationships with manufactured idols to be possessed and objectified. For as much as we like to consider that the users of this Nth room are innately evil and have deep-seated problems that should be removed, it is more troubling to consider that they are a product of this society. Society creates individuals. And individuals create society. South Korea must reform across many levels from the top to the bottom. This is not to advocate a puritan society where chastity is paramount, however. It is to suggest that what remains of upmost importance is justice, order, and equality. And there is hope. Because while many might look upon society with a skeptical eye as a result of this case, do not forget that it came to light. And do not forget that it was young students rather than the police who investigated this and brought it to the public's attention. Free-thinking citizens of South Korea have demonstrated many times that they are capable of demanding the reforms so desperately required in society. May they continue to do so and have their voices heard. They are the future. And the future should be now. David Tizzard (datizzard@swu.ac.kr) is an assistant professor at Seoul Women's University and lectures in politics and history and Hanyang University. He presents economic and cultural issues on "Business Now" on TBS eFM (101.3FM) live every Wednesday from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. CHEYENNE Ive been reading the appropriate book for this wild COVID-19 outbreak coupled with worry and relentless hoarding in high gear. It is titled The Body subtitled a guide for occupants and authored by Bill Bryson. Bryson is a bestselling author, very readable. He is a humorist, but not the laugh-out-loud type. His humor is subtle and dry. He entertains as he educates. For a human being, this book is humbling. On one hand, the body is a marvel in some areas, like the work of red and white blood cells; on the other, the body is a feeble structure prone to breakage and filled with organs that stutter and fail. The frailties are to be expected given that our genes came from ancestors who often werent even human. Some of them were fish, Bryson wrote. Lots more were tiny and furry and lived in burrows. These are the beings from whom you have inherited your body plan. We began our journey through history as unicellular blobs floating about in warm shallow seas that got tweaked over three billion years. What is surprising is the absence of knowledge among the experts of so many human attributes. Like skin. Medical researchers, Bryson wrote, cannot explain such things as why we have fingerprints or why some people are born with no fingerprints. These people with smooth fingertips also have fewer sweat glands than normal. Those sweat glands are considered to be partially responsible for the larger brains of humans. The brain is the organ most sensitive to temperatures. So keeping it cool through sweating helped to grow it large and make people brainy compared to chimpanzees who have only half as many sweat glands as humans and are only as smart as four-year-olds. Then there is the mouth a dank, moist place teeming with bacteria. It is moist because of 12 busy salivary glands. An average adult secretes an estimated 31,700 quarts of saliva in a lifetime. Of particular interest is a recent discovery that saliva also contains a powerful painkiller called opiorphin, which is six times more potent than morphine. But humans have it only in very small doses which is why you are not perennially high or indeed notable pain-free when you bite your cheek or burn your tongue, Bryson wrote. Because it is so dilute, no one is sure why it is there at all. Medical science also has yet to find a cure for asthma, a serious illness, or hiccups, a less serious but annoying condition. Nor do the scientists know for sure why the sinus cavity in humans takes an enormous amount of space proportionately or the purpose of the uvula, the bulbous appendage that hangs down in the back of the throat. Bryson suggested the uvula is the mud flap of the mouth and its job is to direct food down the throat and away from the nasal passage. With the current pandemic, considerable attention has been directed at the human immune system. Bryson describes system as big and kind of messy and all over the place. It includes earwax, skin and tears. If an invader gets past these outer defenses, it will encounter swarms of immune cells which come swarming out of lymph nodes, bone marrow, the spleen, the thymus and other parts of the body. The immune cells must attack the invaders selectively and spare benign microbes. They also must be super-smart and not be fooled by microbes that trick the immune system into attacking the wrong organisms. Infectious agents like E. coli and salmonella are good at this. Given the constant onslaught of invaders its a wonder humans arent sick more often, Bryson wrote. Bryson was born in 1951 in Des Moines, Iowa (my home state), but moved to England more than 40 years ago where he worked as a journalist before becoming a full-time writer. His book is laden with delightful anecdotes. However, it has no tips on how to deal with the novel coronavirus. Joan Barron is a former longtime capitol bureau reporter. Contact her at 307-632-2534 or jmbarron@bresnan.net. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 By Suzanne Barlyn March 27 (Reuters) - U.S. commercial insurers face mounting political pressure to cover claims from businesses that are losing revenue because of coronavirus shutdowns ordered by state and local governments. Insurers have begun rejecting claims from restaurants and other businesses affected by the coronavirus crisis as more lawmakers consider forcing them to pay out for the losses. Such a move cannot come too soon for California innkeeper Nick Kite, who says he issued more than $30,000 in credits and refunds to customers after California ordered shutdowns to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. "We were absolutely relying on our business insurance to cover us," Kite told Reuters. Many insurance policies for revenue lost due to "business interruption" exclude pandemics and require physical damage on the premises. This week Ohio and Massachusetts lawmakers introduced bills similar to one in New Jersey which would require insurers to pay the claims, mainly to small businesses, despite exclusions. Insurers could then seek reimbursement from states, which would recoup the funds by assessing industry fees. Although other U.S. lawmakers are also mulling the idea, they face resistance from lobbyists, an industry source said. California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara on Thursday ordered insurers to send data for a state review of business interruption policies, which would inform policymakers. The trend is an emerging risk for insurers, Piper Sandler analyst Paul Newsome said, adding: "It's desired by lawmakers to eliminate exclusions and create coverage where it isn't." "And that's a political risk," he said. Losses for businesses with 100 or fewer employees could cost between $220 billion and $383 billion per month, the American Property Casualty Insurance Association estimated. U.S. home, auto and business insurers have an $800 billion surplus to pay all future losses. Story continues Kite, who pays $11,000 a year for a policy that includes business interruption coverage for two inns that cater to Napa Valley winery tourists, said he was not offered the option of buying cover that covered pandemics or the impact of viruses. Philadelphia Insurance Companies, a unit of Tokio Marine Group, denied Kite's claim on Tuesday, saying there was no property damage and that his insurance policy excludes viruses, a letter seen by Reuters showed. Philadelphia Insurance did not respond to a request for comment from Reuters. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners, a state securities regulators group, said on Wednesday it would oppose proposals to require that insurers retroactively pay the losses, citing "substantial solvency risks" for insurers. (Reporting by Suzanne Barlyn in Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania; Editing by Alexander Smith) Click here to search our database for earlier earthquakes in the same area since 1900! Please wait while we search through millions of records.This can take up to 20-30 seconds. Based on its magnitude, the fault that was active during the quake ruptured along a surface of approx. 10 km(=4 sqare miles) as a first-order estimate. The length of the rupture zone thus was probably around 5 km (3 mi).Aftershocks typically occur during the days and weeks following the quake at or near the same fault, at distances of up to approx. two times the length of the rupture zone.The often broadly linear arrangement of aftershock epicenters encompasses the rupture zone of the main shock (check on the map below to verify). : Just felt that here in Town Mt. Hagen mild strong. Mt. Hagen / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : Just felt that here in Town Mt. Hagen mild strong. Contribute: Leave a comment if you find a particular report interesting or want to add to it. Flag as inappropriate. Mark as helpful or interesting. Send your own user report! User reports estimate the perceived ground shaking intensity according to the MMI (Modified Mercalli Intensity) scale Info: The more agencies report about the same quake and post similar data, the more confidence you can have in the data. It takes normally up to a few hours until earthquake parameters are calculated with near-optimum precision. If you felt this quake (or if you were near the epicenter),Other users would love to hear about it!although you were in the area,! Your contribution is valuable to earthquake science, seismic hazard analysis and mitigation efforts. You can use your device location or the map to indicate where you were during the earthquake. Thank you! 29 Mar 03:00 UTC : First to report: GFZ after 14 minutes. Hypocenter depth recalculated from 10.0 to 101.0 km. 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Improved multilanguage support Tsunami alerts Faster responsiveness Earthquake archive from 1900 onwards Detailed quake stats Additional seismic data sources Download and Upgrade the Volcanoes & Earthquakes app to get one of the fastest seismic and volcano alerts online: Android | IOS to get one of the fastest seismic and volcano alerts online: We truly love working to bring you the latest volcano and earthquake data from around the world.We need financing to increase hard- and software capacity as well as support our editor team.If you find the information useful and would like to support our team in integrating further features, write great content, and in upgrading our soft- and hardware, please PayPal or Online credit card payment )., these features have been added recently: DARIEN If there is anything the community can do for Kristina Gregory, who has been battling COVID-19 for two weeks, it is listen to her advice. As the number of confirmed cases and fatalities continue to surge in Connecticut, Gregory says everyone needs to take this pandemic seriously. Stay home, she says, and above all practice social distancing. I cant implore people enough to wake up. This is not funny. Everyone is suffering, she said Sunday in an interview with Hearst Connecticut Media. The longer you mess around, the longer this will go on. You think this cant happen to you youre wrong. Gregory is a healthy, physically fit 51-year-old woman, but she said, the virus leveled me. The wife and mother of two Darien middle schoolers has been an active volunteer in town she served as a communications liaison parent for Royle School, and worked with Opus for Person-to-Person, and the YWCA Darien/Norwalk. She now works for Brown Thayer Shedd Insurance Agency. The beginning Gregorys experience began shortly after Darien schools were closed on March 12 and her agencys office also shut down with employees working remotely. On the morning of March 14, Gregory said her chest began to feel tight but she had been doing heavy bench pressing and assumed it was muscular. Related: Town-by-town breakdown: Coronavirus cases in CT The following morning, Gregory woke up feeling symptoms similar to the flu. I had body aches, chills, a headache, she said. Gregory said, in particular, the headache was one of the more painful symptoms. Being aware of the coronavirus pandemic, Gregorys husband moved into the guest bedroom and she quarantined herself in the master bedroom that had its own bathroom. Testing On March 16, Gregory felt worse. She developed a low-grade fever and felt chills and sweats. She reached out to her primary doctor, who advised her to go to the Stamford Hospital emergency department. Gregory waited in the car while her husband signed her in and brought her a mask and gloves. The hospital brought her to a separate isolation area where she was first tested for flu to rule it out. The flu test came back quickly and she was tested for COVID-19 that test included swabs in both nostrils and the back of the throat. She did not register a fever at Stamford Hospital, but Gregory said that was likely because she had taken an Advil for her excruciating headache. Gregory was told the test results would be back in three to five days. Despite no results, she assumed she had the coronavirus. She returned home and informed anyone she had been in contact with in the previous two weeks. Waiting for results Gregory said she had no known exposure. I dont know where I got it or how I caught it, she said. For several days, her symptoms remained similar. I slept a lot 18 hours a day, she said. She, along with her family, forced herself to eat to consume needed calories for strength. Gregorys symptoms still included tightness in her chest but she who has no history of respiratory issues was not plagued by the bad cough others have experienced. Related: Coronavirus in Darien: The latest Saturday, March 28 On March 21, Gregory lost her senses of smell and taste and as of Sunday, they have not returned. Gregory said she was told her test results would be back within three to five days. But Gregory said she waited 11 days and found out Friday she tested positive for COVID-19. Gregory said her family was told the delay was due to a backlog in test results. Gregory has already registered with Mt. Sinai and the Red Cross to donate antibodies to help others suffering from the virus. Mt. Sinai has announced it plans to initiate a procedure known as plasmapheresis, where antibodies from recovered patients will be transferred into critically ill patients, with the expectation that the antibodies will neutralize it. Gregory said she was aware of three other people she had come in contact with who tested positive or had shown symptoms. In terms of how the virus travels, she said her mother visited before schools and the town shut most operations down. She returned to her small town, and visited my sister and now my sisters boyfriend has tested positive. Did he get it from me? I dont know, she said. Another impact of the virus was on Gregorys family, who are not showing symptoms but have been separated from her for most of the last two weeks. Gregory credits her husband for actively cleaning and sterilizing surfaces throughout their home. She has also kept her quarantined area clean. My younger son, Nathan, is very attached. He really missed physical contact, Gregory said. Though she is no longer keeping herself quarantined from her immediate family members in the home, she is still keeping physical contact to a minimum. Still, there was some positives. Nathan, 11, has learned how to make the proper cup of tea. She also walked her older son, Peter, 13, an eighth-grader, through making dinner on FaceTime. Everyone learned a little bit, Gregory said. She is also back to having meals with her family in person versus on FaceTime, albeit at the far end from them at a long table. Each day gets a little better, Gregory said. Im a pretty physical, active person I do hardcore workouts and Im not there yet. I dont have that kind of strength. I do low-impact stuff and just recently left the house with our family to walk the dog. Gregory also said her Darien friends and neighbors have offered support through her ordeal. The warning But as much as she loves the community, Gregory is seeing and hearing behavior that leaves her frustrated that this pandemic is not being taken seriously. Gregory referred to an acquaintance she learned of who had flown to Miami with the airfare cheapened by a coronavirus discount. Im a very very healthy person and I got absolutely leveled by this disease, she said. Playing in your neighborhood, with your friends. You cant do that right now. You have to stick to your own family, as hard as that is. I was in absolute agony for days and I couldnt get relief from anything, she said. She said it is disappointing to hear that people are hanging out and not taking this seriously. This is no joke, she said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday sought the nation's forgiveness for imposing a monumental lockdown on the country, saying it was a question of life and death and expressed confidence that "we will definitely win the battle" against the coronavirus menace that has claimed 25 lives in India so far. In his monthly Mann ki Baat radio address to the nation, Modi also praised the front-line workers in the fight against the virus as well as countless workers in the essential services who are ensuring the country doesn't come to a complete standstill in the 21-day lockdown announced on March 24. "I seek forgiveness ... I strongly feel, you will forgive me. When I see my poor brothers and sisters, then I definitely feel that they would say what kind of prime minister is this who has put us in this trouble. I specially seek their forgiveness. You had to undergo problems. I understand but there is no othhr way out to fight the coronavirus for a country with a population of 130 crore," he said. "But this is a battle for life and death." According to the Health Ministry Update released an hour before Modi's address, India has recorded a total of 979 cases and 25 deaths so far. The prime minister said looking at what the world is going through, this (lockdown) was the "only way left." "After all, the safety of you and your families has to be ensured. Once again, I apologise for any inconvenience, any hardship caused to you," he said. To drive home his point, Modi referred to an ancient Indian adage that means an illness and its scourge should be nipped in the bud because when it becomes incurable with passage of time its treatment is very difficult. He also described as "unfortunate" incidents where some of those suspected coronavirus carriers under home quarantine are being ill-treated or ostracised by others. "I am greatly pained to learn of these instances. This is very unfortunate. We need to understand that in the current circumstances, we need to ensure social distance, not human or emotional distance. These people are not criminals, " he said. He pointed out that these people are merely suspected to be infected with the virus. "These people have isolated and quarantined themselves to protect other people from getting infected," he said. "Coronavirus is bent on killing people therefore entire humanity must unite and resolve to eliminate it," he said in the address that lasted more than 30 minutes and featured his interaction with two former coronavirus patients and two doctors. He said while talks on a variety of issues in the programme, this month, he will restrict himself to coronavirus as it would not be appropriate to talk of other things. The lockdown is a means to protect yourself, he said. "You have to protect yourself and your family. For the next many days, you have to continue displaying this patience; abide by the 'Lakshman Rekha'," he stressed. In a stern warning to those not following rules during the 21-day lockdown, the prime minister said no one wants to overstep the law and break rules wilfully. "But there are some who are doing so, since they are not trying to understand the gravity of the matter. To them I will say that if they don't comply with the lockdown rule, it will be difficult to save ourselves from the scourge of coronavirus," he said. Also read: Coronavirus in India Live Updates: Maharashtra reports 7th death; nationwide tally 979 "The world over, many people nursed this delusion (that they will not be affected by coronavirus) All of them are regretting now ... those breaking the rules are playing with their lives," he said. Modi also referred to "daily life heroes" who are helping people run their daily lives smoothly. These include plumbers, electricians, grocery shop owners, e commerce delivery personnel and those maintaining telecom and internet services. He said India has been able to fight a battle on such a massive scale, only due to the zeal and grit of front-line warriors such as doctor, nurses, para-medic personnel, Aasha and Anganwadi workers and sanitation staff. "The country is also concerned about your health. Keeping that in mind , for around 20 lakhs colleagues from these fields, the government has announced a health insurance cover of up to Rs 50 lakh, so that in this battle, you can lead the country with greater self confidence," he said. The prime minister also urged people to utilise the time spent at home in re-engaging themselves in old hobbies an reconnecting with old friends. During the programme, Modi invited coronavirus victim Ramagampa Teja to share his experience on Mann ki Baat. Teja said he was initially frightened but felt reassured because of doctors and hospital staff. PM also spoke with Agra's Ashok Kapoor who along with entire family including young grandson was infected by coronavirus. Kapoor, a shoes manufacturer, said his two sons, family member caught the virus in Italy where they had attended a footwear trade fare and infected others upon returning. The prime minister told Kapoor to spread awareness about anti-coronavirus measures in Agra and use social media for the purpose. During the interaction, Dr Nitish Gupta said many hospitalised people are scared after seeing news of massive deaths in other countries, and require counselling. Dr Borse from Pune told Modi that all patients in his hospital are recovering well. Scores of Britain's best-known high street food and drink chains will go bust by the end of April unless banks provide immediate finance, the head of the hospitality industry has warned. Kate Nicholls, chief executive of the UK Hospitality trade body, said further failures are 'inevitable' after 80- strong restaurant chain Chiquitos owned by The Restaurant Group, whose chief executive is ex-HBOS bank boss Andy Hornby and the 73-outlet Carluccio's lined up administrators. Nicholls said short-term loans from banks are vital to cover costs pending the arrival of Government grant packages. Struggling: Analysts said Casual Dining Group, which owns high street chains such as Bella Italia and Cafe Rouge, is also among the most vulnerable She added: 'Banks are not moving fast enough to get the money to businesses in dire straits. If companies have to wait two to three weeks for loans, jobs and livelihoods will be lost.' Analysts said Casual Dining Group, which owns high street chains such as Bella Italia and Cafe Rouge, is also among the most vulnerable. The company has renegotiated rents, closed sites and cut debt over the past 18 months. But last week it revealed a 65.6million pretax loss for the year to May 2019. Chief executive James Spragg told The Mail on Sunday: 'We had seen better performance recently, but this is an unprecedented situation and over the coming weeks we'll be working closely with our investors as we review our next steps.' Yo, the Asian fast food chain, is in discussions with its staff to see how it can safeguard jobs after closing all its 70 UK sites following the lockdown order by Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Mark Brumby, an analyst at Langton Capital, said the casual dining sector is in 'acute distress' and 'busts are likely'. Carluccio's, which restructured in 2018, last week said the coronavirus crisis had 'exhausted the company's cash resources' and it had been struggling to pay staff for March. Chief executive Mark Jones said the firm's backer Emirati billionaire Micky Jagtiani, who is said to have invested more than 100million in the business over the years had 'agreed an additional cash injection' to fund the company long enough to access the Government scheme to pay 80 per cent of wage costs. But the chain still called in FRP Advisory to handle an insolvency process and could file for administration within days. Authorities in Hanoi are ramping up efforts to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus from Bach Mai Hospital. In his urgent message issued on late March 28, Chairman of the municipal Peoples Committee Nguyen Duc Chung requested district-level localities in the city to promptly set up working groups to review and quarantine all inpatients discharged from Bach Mai, outpatients coming to the hospital for check-up and treatment, those visiting or caring for patients, hemodialysis patients of the hospital staying in nearby areas, and other people related to this hospital since March 10. Local administrations were also ordered to coordinate with their medical centres to take specimens from persons subject to testing. In particular, people who are caring for their relatives under treatment there will be sent to the citys concentrated quarantine facilities under Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dams direction at a meeting earlier on the same day. At this meeting, the Deputy PM said the Peoples Committee of Hanoi has been working closely with the Ministry of Health to direct Bach Mai Hospital carry out necessary measures. However, not only Hanoi but all relevant provinces and cities need to take more drastic actions, he said, stressing that all forces must coordinate together closely and synchronously to stamp out this hotbed. Other participants in the meeting shared the view that Bach Mai Hospital is currently the biggest and most complex hotbed of COVID-19 in the country at present. Therefore, it is necessary to promptly review and quarantine all people coming to and leaving this hospital to prevent the coronavirus from spreading to the community. Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son said all medical workers, other employees and patients at the hospital have been quarantined and have specimens taken for testing. However, as Bach Mai is a major hospital with the flow of people reaching 10,000 15,000 each day, infection risks may come from visitors and outpatients, aside from inpatients and medical staff. Meanwhile, Tran Dac Phu, adviser to Vietnams public health emergency operations centre, pointed out that staff of companies supplying services for Bach Mai Hospital could also be a source of virus transmission, noting several employees of such a company have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Experts are also investigating professional caregivers who could be another potential source, he added. Phu warned about high risks of virus transmission from workers of service providing companies and professional caregivers since they move to many medical establishments, asking not only Bach Mai but also other hospitals to pay special attention to these groups. In efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19, the Defence Ministrys arm of chemical warfare sent soldiers to disinfect the whole Bach Mai Hospital on late March 28. VNA Pakistan's top health official claimed on Sunday that the situation was under control as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases was still limited to 1,560, even as the army was deployed across the country to enforce strict lockdown to contain the fast spreading viral infection. Prime Minister's Adviser on Health Dr Zafar Mirza told the media at the daily press briefing that due to the effective measures by the government, the virus outbreak was under control in Pakistan. However, he said that 1,106 suspected cases were added during the last 24 hours, taking the total number of such cases to 13,324. On Sunday, Pakistan's coronavirus cases reached 1,560 after more people were tested positive. According to the Ministry of National Health Services, there were now 571 cases in Punjab, 502 in Sindh, 188 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 138 in Balochistan, 116 in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), 43 in Islamabad and 2 in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. It said further reported that 14 people had died, 28 recovered and 11 in critical condition. In a statement, the Pakistan Army said on Saturday that it has deployed troops across the country in aid of civil power under article 245. "Army troops are assisting Federal & Provincial administrations in ensuring enforcement measures for containment of COVID-19 with focus on Public Safety. All points of entries (POE) being manned & monitored, establishment of joint Check Posts and joint patrolling with other Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) being carried out effectively," it said. The troops were also deployed in various parts of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir including Kotli, Bhimber, Mirpur, Barnala, Muzafarabbad, Bagh, Kel and Rawalakot. Meanwhile, Mirza said that 857 COVID-19 patients were the pilgrims who came from virus-hit Iran, while 191 patients came back from other countries and the rest were local transmissions. Mirza said that 8,066 people were living in quarantine centres and already 4,365 had undergone mandatory test. Out of them, 869 have been tested positive, he said. He said that out of confirmed patients, only 756 were in hospitals and the rest of them were recuperating at home. He said that out of those hospital, overwhelming 745 were stable and recovering, while 11 were critical and some on them on ventilators. As the confirmed cases remained low, experts fear that the actual infected number might be higher than those so far tested positive. I think the actual number should be higher, said Dr Att ur Rehman, a renowned Pakistan scientist. Earlier, Mirza said that there is not a single case [in Pakistan] with a travel history of China. This is remarkable if you think about it. "This could happen only because of the coordination between Pakistan and China's government and as a result of which it was decided not to let Chinese citizens travel before a 14-day period," he said in a statement. He said the decision to keep Pakistani students in Wuhan despite domestic pressure proved right. As the number rose, Prime Minister Imran Khan chaired the National Core Committee on the coronavirus and decided to reopen all highways in the country to facilitate movement of goods. Separately, Prime Minister Khan sent messages to British Prince Charles and Prime Minister Boris Jonson wishing them speedy recovery. The two were tested coronavirus positive recently. I wish HRH Prince Charles @ClarenceHouse and PM @BorisJohnson speedy recovery, good health and long life. This deadly virus #COVID19 has hit people beyond borders, he said. Khan also said that we need an internationally coordinated response to counter it. Radio Pakistan reported that another special plane of China carrying medical supplies arrived in Islamabad this morning. National Disaster Management Authority Chairman Lt Ge Muhammad Afzal received the supplies from Ambassador of China to Pakistan at the airport. On Saturday, a special plane from China carrying a team of eight medical experts and relief assistance landed here to help Pakistan to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus. A special flight bringing stranded Pakistani from Bangkok was allowed to land in Islamabad. All passengers were taken to an isolation center where they will be tested. Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar said that the provincial government has increased the pace of testing to identify more coronavirus patients. "So far 13,380 people have been tested for #COVID19 in Punjab," he tweeted. The Pakistan government also decided to keep its western borders with Iran and Afghanistan and eastern border with India closed for two more weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Security Moeed Yusuf on Saturday said the move was taken in the wake of increasing COVID-19 cases in the country. He also announced that all flights will remain suspended in the country till April 4. However, there will be exceptions if a country makes a special request to repatriate its citizens. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A viral picture taken by PTI photographer Atul Yadav showed a migrant worker sitting on the roadside and crying on his phone. Identified as Bihar's Ram Pukar Pandit, his one-year-old son passed away and he was unable to see him. Ram Pukar used to work in Delhi and he tried to return home but was stopped at the UP Gate. (Image: PTI) T he Duke and Duchess of Sussex have revealed that they are paying for their own security costs following their move to California. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had been living in Vancouver after leaving the UK and stepping back from their roles as senior members of the royal family. But confirming their relocation from Canada to the US, the royal couple said on Sunday that they have not asked the US Government for "security resources" after Donald Trump said the country would not support them. Tweeting on Sunday evening, Mr Trump called himself a "friend" of the Queen and the UK but that the Sussexes must pay for their own security. Harry and Meghan's Relationship In Pictures 1 /60 Harry and Meghan's Relationship In Pictures The kiss Reuters Prince Harry and Meghan Markle embrace following the polo at Cowarth Park Audi Polo Challenge at Coworth in Berkshire on May 7, 2017 Rex Features Rex Features Meghan Markle watches Prince Harry speak during the opening ceremony of the 2017 Invictus Games at Air Canada Centre in Toronto on September 23, 2017 Getty Images At the Invictus Games together on September 25, 2017 Tim Rooke/REX/Shutterstock At the Invictus Games PA At the Invictus Games Applauding athletes at the wheelchair tennis at the Invictus Games AP At the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games, September 30, 2017 The couple were joined for the closing ceremony by Meghan's mother Doria Posing after announcing their engagement on November 27, 2017 AP EPA The couple revealed how Harry proposed during a TV interview when their engagement was announced pixel8000 Harry and Meghan arrive at Nottingham Station ahead of their first official engagement together, December 1, 2017 PA Harry and Meghan arrive at the Terrence Higgins Trust World AIDS Day charity fair, in Nottingham AP Meghan Markle and Prince Harry attend Christmas Day Church service at on December 25, 2017 in King's Lynn Getty Images Prince Harry and Meghan Markle speak with patrons at the Social Bite in Edinburgh, Scotland AP Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive to Edinburgh Castle on February 13, 2018 Chris Jackson/Getty Images Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend the first annual Royal Foundation Forum held at Aviva Getty Images The couple at the University of Bath Sports Training Village, Bath, to attend the UK team trials for the Invictus Games Sydney 2018 on April 6, 2018 PA At Bath University EPA Meghan and Harry at the memorial service to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the murder of Stephen Lawrence in St Martins in the Field,on April 23, 2018 EPA Prince Harry and Meghan leave St George's Chapel PA The Duke and Duchess wave at the crowds during their wedding procession on May 19, 2018 Reuters The couple arrive for a visit to the Nelson Mandela Centenary Exhibition at the Southbank Centre's Queen Elizabeth Hall on July 17, 2018 AFP/Getty Images At Royal Ascot, June 19, 2018 Action Images via Reuters Prince Harry and Meghan stand as they attend the 'Your Commonwealth' Youth Challenge reception AP Harry and Meghan arriving in Dublin for their visit to Ireland in July 2018 Getty Images At Aras an Uachtarain on July 11, 2018 in Dublin Getty Images Meghan kisses Harry during the presentation ceremony for the Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup, at the Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club in Windsor on July 26, 2018 AP The Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the annual WellChild Awards PA At the Coach Core Awards at Loughborough University in Loughborough on September 24, 2018 AFP/Getty Images The couple with Meghan's mother Doria Ragland at the launch of a cookbook with recipes from a group of women affected by the Grenfell Tower fire at Kensington Palace in London on September 20, 2018 AFP/Getty Images The Duke and Duchess of Sussex leave after visiting the University of Chichester, Bognor Regis on October 3, 2018 PA Visiting the University of Chichester's Engineering and Digital Technology Park Sussexes In Sussex Getty Images Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex make an official visit to the Joff Youth Centre Duke and Duchess of Sussex take their seats ahead of the wedding of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank Getty Images The Duchess arriving at Princess Eugenie's wedding on October 12, 2018 PA Harry and Meghan at Princess Eugenie's wedding AFP/Getty Images Prince Harry and Meghan arrive in Australia for their royal tour of the South Pacific on October 15, 2018 Media-Mode / SplashNews.com Just hours later it was announced Meghan was pregnant Media-Mode / SplashNews.com AP PA Wire/PA Images Samir Hussein/WireImage Mr Trump wrote: "I am a great friend and admirer of the Queen & the United Kingdom. "It was reported that Harry and Meghan, who left the Kingdom, would reside permanently in Canada." "Now they have left Canada for the U.S. however, the U.S. will not pay for their security protection. They must pay!" Harry and Meghan are now living in lockdown near Hollywood with their 10-month-old son Archie, in line with California rules on coronavirus, after taking a private jet to the US, according to reports. A spokeswoman for the pair responded to Mr Trump's tweets saying: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have no plans to ask the US government for security resources." Privately funded security arrangements have been made. It comes after the royal couple prompted an intense backlash over who was footing the bill for their security arrangements while they were living in Canada. Their statement also comes just days before the Sussexes are due to officially step down as senior royals. Nepal: Pastor faces 6 years in prison for Facebook comments on prayer, COVID-19 Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A Christian pastor in Nepal could face six years in prison after he suggested on social media that prayer could bring healing from COVID-19. Morning Star News reports that pastor Keshab Acharya, 32, was taken into custody on Monday from his home in Pokhara, Gandaki Pradesh Province, after a video appeared on social media of him rebuking the coronavirus as he preached at his church. The pastors wife, Junu Acharya, told the news outlet that her husband received a phone call from a man requesting prayer for his sick wife at about 8 p.m., she said. The person wanted to come to our home for prayer, and my husband agreed, provided him the address and asked him to come over so we can pray for his wife, she recalled. As they waited, three male police officers and a female police officer arrived at their door. They told us that they were also Christian and needed prayers, and that they had called pastor Acharya and came for prayer, she said. After the officers went inside the pastor's house, they surrounded him and said they were arresting him over a video circulating on social media in which he prayed against and rebuked the novel coronavirus. My husband said, If there was any charge against me, you could have let me know directly, and I would have come to the police station all by myself, because our 2-year-old son and I were panicked, Junu Acharya said. I immediately called two of the brothers from our church who can drive and followed the polices vehicle. I was afraid that he would be beaten up by police or would be taken to somewhere else. I wanted to ensure that they were taking him to the police station. The Nepal police website states that Kaski police officers arrested pastor Acharya for misleading the public by posting false information on social media about the novel coronavirus. Police cited a video showing pastor Acharya calling the coronavirus an evil spirit and rebuking it in the name of Christ. According to the Himalayan Times, the pastor allegedly said in the video that COVID-19 could do nothing to followers of Jesus Christ and told them the virus could not even touch the followers of Jesus. The Himalayan Times said pastor Acharya preached in a highly-populated squatters area, but the police report only cites his comments on social media, according to Morning Star News. Pastor Mukunda Sharma, executive secretary of the Nepal Christian Society, said he had urged the District Superintendent of Police, Dan Bahadur Karki, to act fairly and not implicate pastor Acharya in any criminal charges. I told Mr. Kargi that the police cannot prosecute the pastor for exercising his faith, and that it is a gross violation of human rights, and he had assured me that the pastor was taken into custody only for an inquiry, Sharma told Morning Star News. Karki told the Himalayan Times that pastor Acharya was in police custody and that preparations were underway to take action against him. Police reportedly said the pastor could be sent to prison for six months. C.B. Gahatraj, president of the Federation of National Christians in Nepal, said the arrest of the Nepali Christian leader is unacceptable and against Nepals Constitution, as nothing in the video indicates any violation of law. The entire world is under attack by the COVID-19, and during this time people from across all religions are praying for it to stop, Gahatraj told Morning Star News. By this act, religious harmony is in danger during a time when people are already in chaos. It is clear that it was a sermon preached by pastor Acharya within his respective congregation, and our federation asserts that this practice of praying is not in conflict with the laws of Nepal, Gahatraj said. On Tuesday, Nepal began a weeklong lockdown to stem the spread of the new coronavirus after health officials reported a second case of coronavirus in the country of 30 million. The country reported its first case in January a Nepali man who had been studying in Wuhan, at the center of the virus outbreak in China, according to the Jakarta Post. Nepal is ranked No. 32 on Open Doors USAs 2020 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian. Christians make up just 3 percent of the predominantly Hindu countrys population. In September, Hindu extremists threatened to kill a pastor in Nepal following a social media post showing of a restricted audience-interview he gave on his journey to Christ. It is the first time a Christian [in Nepal] has been targeted for sharing [on social and other media] about his past religion and introduction into Christianity, legal advocacy group Alliance Defending Freedoms allied attorney in Nepal, Ganesh Sreshta, told Morning Star News. It is turning out to be a high-profile issue, with Hindu fundamentalist groups linked to prominent political leaders taking interest in this video. Two more elderly coronavirus patients have died, including one from the infamous Ruby Princess cruise ship, taking Australia's death toll to 16. The 75-year-old passenger died in Caboolture Hospital in Queensland on Sunday, 10 days after she stepped off the boat in Sydney Harbour. More than 100 infected travellers were allowed to disembark the ship without any checks and travelled to their home states - exposing thousands along the way. The other victim was a man in his 80s who died in a Melbourne hospital. Two more elderly coronavirus patients have died, including one from the infamous Ruby Princess cruise ship (pictured), taking Australia's death toll to 16 Australia has 3,929 cases, rising by the hour, but only a handful in intensive care units or on ventilators and 242 patients have recovered. Victoria recorded a big jump in cases overnight taking the state total to 769. NSW rose to 1,791 - well over double any other state. The pair succumed to the deadly virus just a day after a 91-year-old woman died at the Dorothy Henderson Lodge aged-care home in Sydney. She was the fourth person in the nursing home to die after the infection ran through staff and residents early in Australia's outbreak Almost 300 more people tested positive for COVID-19, marking the largest overnight increase since the outbreak. In a press conference on Saturday, Premier Daniel Andrews said the state is also preparing to forcibly quarantine between 1,000 and 1,500 international travellers in city hotels. More than 26,000 hotel rooms had been offered to house people returning from overseas, and 5,000 are immediately available for the hundreds that will be flying into Melbourne tonight. The woman was a resident at the Dorothy Henderson Lodge (pictured) aged-care home in Macquarie Park A number of residents at Dorothy Henderson Lodge (pictured) have tested positive for COVID-19 'It will ensure that we have 100 per cent compliance in terms of that 14-day quarantine period from midnight tonight for all of those coming into Victoria from overseas,' he said. CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement The state government has arranged for 85 buses, provided by Skybus, to transport people from the airport to the various hotels reserved for them in the city. The Premier said non-Victorian residents will still be required to quarantine in Melbourne. 'Some Victorians, if they were flying home via Sydney or via another state, they will be quarantined in that state. That, I think, is the only appropriate way to do this,' he added. Mr Andrews also warned authorities are committed to enforcing strict social distancing and self-isolation rules, and will be issuing one-the-spot fines of up to $10,000 to anyone found to be in violation of those measures. 'We are going beyond simply an infringement notice and court-based process for the enforcement of these very important orders made by the chief health officer,' he said. 'We're moving to an on-the- spot fine system if people are doing the wrong thing. 'If you can stay home, you must stay home. If you don't, you will do nothing but spread the virus. And that will kill people. That is the simple message. 'Unless we work together and be responsible, do the smart and decent thing and the lawful thing, then we will finish up with our health system over run and people dying.' The state is preparing to forcibly quarantine up to 1,500 travellers returning to Victoria on Saturday night in city hotels NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian reiterated the importance of social distancing as NSW sees a spike in positive COVID-19 cases. 'I am noticing most people have shifted their behaviour, have shifted the way they are moving around, have really adjusted their lives,' she said in a press conference. 'We are deeply grateful to everyone who has listened to our messages, 'But there are still a proportion of the community who are not doing the right thing, and that is heartbreaking.' She warned that she didn't want to place further restrictions because a minority have chosen to disregard the rules. 'We don't want to have to make further decisions based on the irresponsible actions of a minority,' Ms Berejiklian continued. 'It only takes a handful of people to disregard the health and safety of others, for this to really spread.' NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian reiterated the importance of social distancing as NSW sees a spike in positive COVID-19 cases People congregate in large groups and ignore social distancing laws put in place by the government due to the coronavirus outbreak (pictured: Rushcutters Park, Bondi) As young people continue to flaunt the self-isolation and distancing rules, Ms Berejiklian said they are not immune to the killer disease. 'All of us have to act as though we have the disease ourselves,' she said. 'So make sure you keep distance from people unless it is your immediate family that you are always in contact with. 'All of us have to assume that we have it, so we make sure we exercise precaution at every turn. This is the best way we can contain the spread and the best way we can have some comfort that there won't be stricter conditions that people will find very difficult to live with.' Police patrol nth Cronulla as the 500 person max gathering law takes place in Sydney, Saturday, March 28, 2020 Police from Thursday have had the power to hand out fines of $1,000 to individuals and $5,000 to businesses that breach public health orders or ministerial directions. NSW Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott said the rules could not be clearer and they apply to everyone. 'No one is above the law. If you decide to ignore a direction, you will be caught, and you may very well find yourself slapped with a hefty fine,' the Minister said. 'The fact that people are still not complying is the reason why we have police out in full force enforcing these directions. 'This behaviour is not only reckless and stupid, but potentially deadly.' A group ignores social distancing rules and play touch footy at Rushcutters Park in Bondi on March 27 A group ignore social distancing rules and sit close to each other amid the coronavirus outbreak (Pictured: Rushcutters Park in Bondi on March 27) On Friday, Scott Morrison announced all returning overseas travellers will face a mandatory two-week stay in a city hotel to make sure 'self-isolation' is enforced. The extraordinary quarantine measure will come into force for overseas arrivals from 11.59pm on Saturday night. The clampdown is aimed at slowing the insidious spread of coronavirus as new data shows two-thirds of the 3,180 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Australia are from people returning from international trips. Mr Morrison said state and territory police would be supported by the Australian Defence Force to ensure the new arrivals stayed put in dedicated hotels in major cities. New arrivals in Australia will be forced into quarantine in hotels at their point of arrival in Australia Greg Drew Greg Drew, who owns Drews Grocery in Toutle, threw on his bathrobe and ran into the backyard when he felt the final earthquake that uncorked the immense pressure building inside Mount St. Helens 40 years ago. He watched in horror as the ash plume blotted out the sun. He heard trees snapping in the distance. Fire trucks parked at the intersection near his store and turned on their sirens. Then came the warnings, which ended up being false, of a 200 foot wall of water coming down the canyon. And then it was like, run for your life, he said. Drew and his family, including his elderly grandma riding in a wheelbarrow, ran up the hill behind their house. Drew, now 69, said the eruption also wiped out a large part of Toutles economy: recreation and tourism. He and others have worked to restore some recreation in the area for nearly four decades, but havent had much success. He envisions snow parks, campgrounds, restaurants, RV parks and fishing. But that might take a new generation of activism. A lot of us like me, who started this out shortly after 1980, were burning out, he said. Having an advocate with an interest in our area and some enthusiasm could do wonders. Lindsey Cope Lindsey Cope said whenever she drives by a grove of Weyerhaeuser Co. trees replanted in the blast zone the year she was born 1986 shes amazed at how much theyve grown in her lifetime. You look at these massive gigantic trees that have grown over the course of my 30 plus years on this earth, she said. Now here we are so many years later and theres a regrown forest and then you compare that to your human growth and development. Perhaps, over time, enough research will be gathered at Mount St. Helens that the area can transition into a larger focus on recreation, said Cope, who now is the community engagement director for the Cowlitz Economic Development Council. But its difficult to predict when that may be. Whos to say who decides when that line is drawn in the sand (that) youve learned everything you need to learn and we preserved enough? Cope said. I dont even know that I could speculate. It likely wont be during her lifetime, Cope said. But it might be during her sons, who is 3. People have a lifetime of memories tied into Mount St. Helens, Cope said. It is ingrained, maybe consciously or subconsciously, for people whether its recreation or research or family memories or just points along the way in life that they can tie into a very large piece of molten rock. John Steppert Retired pastor John Steppert was preparing to give the sermon at Kelso First Presbyterian Church when his wife told him she heard on the radio that the volcano blew. He announced the news to the congregation. Steppert, now 83, said the eruption had a leveling effect. Suddenly, everyone was going through the same challenge together, which made people realize their common humanity, he said. I dont see (the eruption) as a God-precipitated event. No. Natural things happen, he said. But I think one thing that it did do is bring people together. We had to come together to help each other clean up our properties. Steppert said older generations sometimes get too tied to the way things used to be. Thank God for newer generations, he said, because they help people let go of old norms and embrace whats new. However, it still is important to remember those who came before, he said. When an anniversary comes around like this that kind of brings it to our attention again, he said. Its sort of like those old cameras where you put a slide in. When the heat first hit the slide, it was blurry, but after a while the slide came into focus. I think thats what anniversaries do. Cathy Zimmerman The Mount St. Helens eruption prompted Cathy Zimmerman to get her masters degree in journalism so she could become a reporter at The Daily News. She was seven months pregnant when the mountain blew. The eruption also changed her community, said Zimmerman, who ended up working at TDN for 29 years. It probably strengthened the communitys resolve and made them realize how much ingenuity and resilience they have, she said. We learned a lot about what we could do on our own. The eruption also inspired a deeper interest in science, Zimmerman said. Locals became more engaged with the natural forces in their backyard. But it also was a tragic event, she said, which forced people to think about what they still had and how they could protect it. Those things are almost biblical in the way they affect people, and you figure out whats important, she said. People sometimes get pushed to do that by nature. Seth Moran Seth Moran, who is now the scientist-in-charge of the U.S. Geological Surveys Cascade Volcano Observatory in Vancouver, said he watched Mount St. Helens erupt as an absolutely riveted 13-year-old in Massachusetts. When he read library books about volcanoes, It always felt like it would never happen here. Then it did, and it was just kind of shocking to see a geologic reality come into something that happened in ones lifetime. Moran, now 53, said the eruption served as an ice-breaker; a way for other communities to talk about their own potential volcanic hazards. When he was a graduate student at the CVO, Moran said he noticed a palpable sense of loss from those who had lived in the community before the eruption. And a photo of David Johnston hanging in the CVO hallway reminds researchers daily of the USGS volcanologist who lost his life in the eruption. But when it comes to the landscape, scientists are used to viewing the world as constantly changing, he said. They have a dual relationship with the the excitement of scientific discovery along with the devastation of major natural disasters. Thats why its important to have agencies like the USGS monitoring the volcano, he said. I think about us as like a fire department that is ready to respond to a call that happens once every 50 years, Moran said. Its reasonable to expect it to happen at some point, but its a long time. The challenge is to maintain readiness until that time. Dennis Weber Cowlitz County Commissioner Dennis Weber, now 68, was a high school government teacher and first-year Longview city councilman when Mount St. Helens erupted. There wasnt this dread or fear, Weber said of the days after the eruption. There wasnt mass hysteria at all. Still, the feeling in the community was eerie, he said, almost Wizard of Oz-ish, as pieces of houses flowed down the river after they were scooped up by the eruptions massive mud flows on the afternoon of May 18. He and his students spent a lot of time the first few years afterwards talking about the role of the federal government in disaster relief, he said. But then that slowly trailed off. After a few years, you have kids that were too young to realize it, Weber said. It wasnt that much of a topic of discussion for most of the time I was teaching. Weber, who retired from teaching in 2010, said he is concerned that the number of people visiting the Mount St. Helens area is dwindling. Even his now grown daughters, when they were about 12, asked him and his wife to stop recalling their fond memories at Spirit Lake before the eruption because they would never have those experiences. Our memories are of a totally different lake, Weber said. Most people have come to terms with that. You wouldnt go back to Spirit Lake because of the way it used to look. Van Youngquist Van Youngquist, who was a county commissioner 40 years ago, said the eruption taught the community about preparedness. And because the event was well-documented, other people will be able to learn from it. The local community wrote its own destiny in the aftermath, he said, by forming committees, analyzing the problems, collecting petition signatures and repeatedly bringing that information before lawmakers in Washington D.C. to get federal funding. However, the effects of the eruption are long-lasting and recovery efforts are ongoing, said Youngquist, who now is 82. The timber industry was shot all of a sudden. And officials still are grappling with how to maintain the sediment retention structure. I think its something that should be watched for generations, Youngquist said of the volcano. It can erupt again. And you never know when its going to erupt. It has a history of it. So I think you have to treat everything with a little bit of kindness and understanding that the problem is potentially still there. Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 : The coronavirus scare has taken a toll on the poultry industry in Karnataka with many poultry farm owners culling the birds, insiders in the poultry industry said. At least one lakh birds have been culled in the last one week, the sources said. Ever since the spread about novel coronavirus spreading rapidly, the poultry industry started feeling the heat. The lockdown spelt further trouble for the industry with reduced business compelling farm owners to go in for the culling. According to Muddukrishna of C N Nischchith Enterprises, a live chicken dealer in Bengaluru, the culling had taken place in Shivamogga, Kolar and other places. "There is a drastic decline in business. There are neither customers nor enough supply of birds for sale. We are badly hit. There are many poultry farm owners who have incurred tremendous loss due to the lockdown," Muddukrishna told PTI. Another major poultry industry owner, having his farms in Channapatna, Ramanagar, Anekal and surrounding places, said he had to get rid of at least 4,000 birds in each of these farms. "This is not restricted to me alone. There are about 64 major poultry industries who have gone for the drastic measure of culling," said the farm owner. He said in the last one week, at least one lakh birds have been culled as it was hard for them to maintain them. "Each bird needs at least a kilogram of grains in three days to eat whereas each kg of poultry food costs about Rs 32. We have about two lakh birds in our farm. How can we maintain if there is no business," rued the poultry farm owner. The industry has suffered a double whammy. People gave up eating chicken following rumours that the novel coronavirus COVID-19 is similar to SARS, another virus. Further, the lockdown has blocked the transportation of these birds, he added. According to the farm owner, in the last one month, he had suffered a loss of around Rs 15 lakh and if the situation continues for the next three months, his condition would be beyond imagination. Muddukrishna said the poultry farm association had given a memorandum to the animal husbandry and fisheries department seeking direction on the transportation of these birds. Accordingly, the secretary in the department of Animal Husbandry and Fisheries A B Ibrahim issued a circular to all the city police commissioners, deputy commissioners of the district, superintendent of police and the CEO of Zilla Panchayath on Friday that the animal husbandry services have been declared as essential services. Ibrahim said in his circular that the production of chicken birds, sheep, goat, pigs, etc in the farm and their transportation, manufacturing feed, liquid nitrogen meant for veterinary use and other items related to the Animal Husbandry should be permitted. "Despite the order, our vehicles are stopped and drivers are harassed," alleged Muddukrishna. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The central government on March 29 asked states to ensure there is no movement of people across cities or on highways as part of measures to prevent movement of migrant workers in several parts of the country. "Only movement of goods should be allowed," the government said in a statement on March 29, adding that it issued direction that district and state borders should be "effectively sealed". "Those who have violated the lockdown and traveled during the period of lockdown will be subject to minimum 14 days of quarantine in government quarantine facilities," the government said. After the government imposed a 21-day nationwide lockdown on March 24 to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, thousands of labourers who began a long walk home said after they were left with little choice as work and public transport vanished. The government has been roundly criticised for the delay in providing transport for these workers. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show According to the Union Health Ministry, the number of COVID-19 cases climbed to 979 in India on March 29, with the death toll rising to 25. The backers of one of Irelands largest planned offshore windfarms off the coast of Cork and Waterford are targeting a 2026 start. Public consultation opened recently on the foreshore application for the Inis Ealga windfarm. The proposed site is approximately 54 km in width stretching from Dungarvan to Cork Harbour and occupies an area of 925 km2. The backers of the 700MW project, DP Energy Ireland (DPEI) are headquartered in Cork. The company develops, builds, and manages renewable energy projects such as wind, tidal, and solar energy, as well as provides operation and maintenance services. The current application is for a foreshore licence to examine the potential cable routes, windfarm layout and landfall areas. If granted, it will see a multitude of separate surveys undertaken including: geotechnical, geophysical, archaeological, bird, mammal, and wind in the area DPEI told the Irish Examiner that their aim, subject to approval for Inis Ealga was to secure a partner to develop the project and were targeting a 2026 in-the-water start date which they hope to achieve given the demand for renewable energy. The site lies partly within the 12 nautical miles limit for a foreshore application and partly outside of the 12nm limit. Depths within the Inis Ealga site range from 50m to 80m. DP Energy said three cable routes have been identified with 38 potential landfall sites between Dungarvan in Waterford and Roberts Cove beach in Cork. DP Energy has already developed 14 separate windfarms in Ireland, Scotland and Canada. They are also planning to develop solar energy utilities in Australia and Canada along with tidal generation plants in Antrim and in Scotland. The public consultation period for the foreshore application closes on April 10. Inisa Ealga is one of a number of offshore windfarms being proposed around the Irish coast. The Irish Examiner reported in February of plans by Norwegian renewable utility Statkraft for a 40-turbine windfarm, located in the Irish Sea. North Irish Sea Array Windfarm Ltd (NISA), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Statkraft, applied for a foreshore licence to carry out a marine survey of a 229 square-kilometre site located between 7km and 17km off the coasts of Dublin, Louth, and Meath. If developed, the windfarm has the potential to provide 500MW of power. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 29) San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora said Sunday he will go on self-quarantine after one of his staff members tested positive for the coronavirus disease. Zamora made the announcement himself via his Instagram account. "In the interest of public safety, I will be going on self-quarantine starting today March 29 up to April 11, 2020," he said. "This morning at around 10am, I was informed by our city health officer that one of my staff in the Mayor's Office tested positive for COVID-19. I have spoken to him personally and he said that he is not experiencing any symptoms such as fever, cough or colds," Zamora added. The mayor said he already asked the employee to avail of the necessary treatment and go on quarantine immediately. Zamora added that he will still continue managing the city's day-to-day operations to contain the spread of the virus. He noted that a COVID-19 ward with 25 rooms in San Juan Medical Center is slated to open within the day, on top of their existing 17 isolation rooms for patients. San Juan Science High School will also serve as their "COVID-19 overflow quarantine facility" which will be processed within the week. "I am in perfect physical condition and I have no COVID-19 symptoms at all. But because I have been exposed to a positive patient, I have decided to go on self-quarantine as a safety precaution for everyone," Zamora said. Meanwhile, Mandaluyong City Mayor Menchie Abalos was also told to go on home quarantine after being exposed to COVID-19 patients. According to the Mandaluyong City Health Department, Abalos is currently asymtomatic and will be monitored by the city health personnel. San Juan City has so far recorded 69 COVID-19 cases, with 10 deaths, while Mandaluyong City has 39 confirmed cases, with 3 deaths. The Houston Chronicle has lifted the paywall on this developing coverage to provide critical information to our community. To support our journalists work, consider a digital subscription. UPDATE: Follow along here for our live coronavirus coverage of Monday, March 30. 10:41 p.m. Metro is changing its bus and rail schedules starting tomorrow. Bus routes will continue to operate on a modified Saturday schedule seven days a week. Red and blue routes will be reduced to service every 30 minutes. Green routes will follow their normal Saturday schedule, and Community Connector routes will continue to operate. For MetroRail services, the Red Line will continue operating on a modified Sunday schedule, every 12 minutes. The Purple Line also will operate on a modified Sunday schedule, every 18 minutes. The Green Line will run bus shuttles between Eado/Stadium and Magnolia Park Transit Center Station, every 20 minutes. Park and Ride services are suspended except for routes to the Texas Medical Center. See all the modifications on the Metro website. 10:01 p.m. Two Metro employees tested positive for COVID-19, the agency announced. Metro received the positive results for both employees Sunday. The first employee works in the MetroLift dispatch area and was last on the job March 26. The employee does not interact with the public, the agency said. The second employee is a bus operator and was last on the job March 25. The bus operator drove the 412 Greenlink Circulator route from 6 a.m. until 2:17 p.m. on the following days: March 9,10, 11,12, 13, 16, 17,18,19, 20 and 23. The operator also drove the 247 Fuqua Park & Ride from 6:18 a.m. to 9:17 a.m. on March 24 and 25. The agency waned anyone riding those routes in the last 14 days to monitor themselves for possible symptoms. They should also contact a healthcare provider and self-isolate to avoid possibly exposing others, including refraining from using public transportation. 9:54 p.m. The Chronicle's Todd Ackerman documented how Houston Methodist Hospital became the first in the nation to try coronavirus blood transfusion therapy. When the FDA approved the practice Saturday, the Methodist team sprang into action, using just-donated blood from a Houston-area individual whose symptoms had gone away weeks ago but whose antibodies to the coronavirus were now at optimal levels. By Saturday night, the blood was coursing through not just one but two COVID-19 patients in intensive care at Methodist. 9:02 p.m. Since 6 p.m., the statewide COVID-19 case total rose from 2,808 to 2,833. The Houston region's count stayed the same at 851. Out of 254 Texas counties, 121 now have at least one case. 7:50 p.m. Houston-area veterinary clinics are switching to curbside service, postponing elective surgeries and preserving medical supplies, as recommended by the American Veterinary Medical Association, reports the Chronicle's Rebecca Hennes. Houston-based veterinarian Dr. Lori Teller said these precautions are essential to keeping Houston pet owners and veterinary staff across the region safe from COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus. Read more. 6:45 p.m. Since noon, the statewide COVID-19 case total rose from 2,640 to 2,808, according to a Houston Chronicle analysis. One additional death now makes 38 total in Texas. 6:39 p.m. President Donald Trump on Sunday extended the voluntary national shutdown for a month, as the initial 15-day social distancing period ends Monday, reports the Associated Press. Days ago, Trump mused about the country reopening in a few weeks, but he said from the Rose Garden that his Easter revival hopes had only been aspirational. 6:14 p.m. United Memorial Medical Center announced a new COVID-19 testing site at the Smart Financial Center in Sugar Land, according to a news release from U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee's office. The new site will be open Tuesday at 18111 Lexington Blvd. The goal will be to test "as many Houstonians as possible," the release said. UMMC Tidwell also will launch its 46-bed annex designed to treat COVID-1 patients, and it will start mobile testing efforts to reach seniors who can't leave their home. 5:49 p.m. The Galveston County Health District announced 10 additional positive COVID-19 cases. That makes 70 cases in the county. Of the 10 new cases, at least seven originated from community spread, officials said. 5:42 p.m. Fort Bend County announced 14 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the county's total to 119. The total includes nine recoveries and one death. 5:35 p.m. There are 27 new COVID-19 cases in Harris County, including one new death, officials said. Another 54 patients tested positive in the city. There are now 526 confirmed cases within Harris County, the most in Texas right now. There have been four deaths in the county. The Houston region has 851 cases and five deaths total. 5:31 p.m. Harris County is reporting its second death related to COVID-19. The woman, a 50-60 year old Harris County resident, was exposed to another confirmed case and has underlying health issues. The positive test result was received after she died, officials said. Our sincere condolences go out to the patients family & friends,said Dr. Umair Shah, Harris County Public Health Executive Director. We must do everything we can to protect ourselves & loved ones around us. Stay home as much as possible, practice social distancing & every day precautionary measures. 5:21 p.m. Mayor Sylvester Turner said Sunday that a new facility with nearly 100 beds would be available for COVID-19 patients if hospitals hit capacity. During a news conference Sunday afternoon, Turner said the facility that until recently housed Kindred Hospital at 1800 W. 26th St. has 68 beds, 21 ICU beds and a commercial cafeteria. "It's ready to go even as of today," he said, adding that the city has been looking at additional facilities to house patents in the even of a major surge. 4:28 p.m. The city of Galveston closed beaches to the public and banned vehicles from the beach on the West End until April 5, according to a news release. As of Saturday afternoon, The Galveston County Health District reported 60 positive COVID-19 cases in the county. Despite stay home orders issued by local leaders that prohibit crowds, people have continued to gather on the island beaches, the release said. The new measure also impacts residents. 4:16 p.m. Country singer Joe Diffie, whose No. 1 hits included "Third Rock from the Sun" and "Bigger than The Beatles," died Sunday from complications of COVID-19, according to his publicist. He was 61 years old. A brief statement only said that, "His family respects their privacy at this time," reports the Chronicle's Joey Guerra. Diffie released a statement Friday afternoon to fans saying he was "under the care of medical professionals and currently receiving treatment." It's unclear if he had underlying medical conditions. 4:06 p.m. An 11th Houston police officer tested positive for COVID-19, along with a fifth Houston firefighter, authorities said during a Sunday afternoon press conference. Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said 10 of the officers are doing well in quarantine at home. One male officer in his 40s remains hospitalized. Acevedo added that call volumes have been decreasing across the city, and violent crime is down. Domestic violence and assault calls are up slightly, he said without providing exact numbers. Houston Fire Chief Sam Pena said the most recent firefighter to test positive was part of a group of 91 who had been quarantined. Pena added that firefighters have been asked to perform a "distance assessment" on patients from six feet away before calling more personnel. That policy does not include people who need assistance immediately, he said. "We're making the assumption that every person we meet is now infected," Pena said. 3:58 p.m. Montgomery County public health officials on Sunday confirmed two new cases of COVID-19 in the county, reports the Chronicle's Jamie Swinnerton. With the two new cases, both in the city of Montgomery, the county is up to a total of 65 confirmed cases. The county also announced that it has 376 negative results and 135 pending tests, according to a release from the Montgomery County Public Health District. 3:41 p.m. As the first Harris County inmate tested positive for COVID-19 Sunday, Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order blocking any release of inmates from jails and prisons accused or convicted of violent crime, reports the Chronicle's Gabrielle Banks. Releasing dangerous criminals from jails into the streets is not the right solution and doing so is now prohibited by law by this declaration, Abbott said at an afternoon briefing. The news comes as federal, state and local government officials continued to squabble over details of what a jail release would look like as they attempted to prevent a catastrophic outbreak among the 8,0000 people incarcerated at the downtown facility. 3:00 p.m.: State officials are staffing roads between Houston and New Orleans, and issuing a sweeping expansion to self-quarantine orders for travelers flying into the state from Miami, Atlanta, Detroit and Chicago, along with California and Washington. Texas Department of Public Safety troopers will staff roads coming into Texas from Louisiana to monitor any travel between the states, with an exception for emergency and medical personnel, and ask travelers to self-quarantine during their stay in Texas for the duration of their visit, or two weeks -- whichever is shorter. Previously, state officials have said travelers traveling by plane into Texas from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and New Orleans will be forced to self-quarantine for 14 days or for the duration of their visit. The Texas Department of Public Safety will enforce the executive order, which asks travelers to designate a quarantine location -- a hotel, home or other residential location -- and provide other information. Troopers will visit those designated locations to verify compliance. "Failure to comply will be considered a criminal offense," Abbott said previously. Texas DPS troopers have also begun screening airplane passengers landing in the state from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and New Orleans. 2:50 p.m.: Up to 16,000 hospital beds are available statewide to care for COVID-19 patients, Gov. Greg Abbott announced at a Sunday afternoon news conference. That's roughly double the amount available just two weeks ago, he said. Bed availability will differ from county to county, but as of Sunday, less than two percent of beds are occupied by COVID-19 patients. State officials are opening up the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center in Dallas as a makeshift medical facility to accommodate for 250 beds if needed. It can be expanded, Abbott said. Officials are looking at convention centers, hotels and other facilities to bolster the state's capacity. "As of today, we have plenty of hospital capacity to respond to the needs of our communities for COVID-19," Abbott said. 2:40 p.m.: Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a motion to prevent Harris County from releasing 4,000 inmates in support of a federal court dispute. The county has previously said it would consider releasing inmates detained on bonds of $10,000 or less to prevent a possible COVID-19 outbreak. At a federal hearing Sunday, Chief U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal asked lawyers to create a plan for certain inmates accused on nonviolent offenses who could soon be released. Paxton accused the county of refusing "to defend its citizens" by releasing incarcerated people. The release of thousands of arrestees justly held for felony crimes would directly endanger the public, and my office will not stand for any action that threatens the health and safety of law-abiding citizens," Paxton said in a statement. 2:00 p.m.: The number of firefighters quarantined for possible coronavirus exposure has jumped up slightly to 91, Fire Chief Sam Pena tweeted. Four firefighters have tested positive for the virus. "Please understand extra (personal protective equipment) is meant to minimize the possibility of exposures for all," he said. 1:30 p.m.: The Harris County Jail inmate who was diagnosed with COVID-19 is a 39-year-old man who was booked into the jail on March 17 for a parole violation, Chronicle reporters Gabrielle Banks and Nicole Hensley write. He was quarantined on Thursday after showing symptoms of a fever and high pulse rate and is in stable condition. Approximately 30 inmates in the county jail system have shown symptoms, and another 500 may have been exposed and are now in quarantine. Of 20 tests administered, five have come back negative for the virus, 1:20 p.m.: An additional 110 people statewide have tested positive for COVID-19 in Texas, according to new figures. Deaths have been reported in Dallas County, Brazos County and Lubbock, bringing Texas' death toll to 37. The number of people tested increased from 25,260 to 25,483, or an increase of 223. There were no new private lab tests reported and 223 new public tests, the Chronicle's Stephanie Lamm reports. Houston and Harris County have not yet updated their numbers. And a Houston police officer hospitalized for complications related to COVID-19 appears to be on the mend after being put on a ventilator to help feed oxygen into his lungs, reporter Nicole Hensley writes. Police Chief Art Acevedo is waiting for the results of more than 40 other sworn officers, some who also have flu-like symptoms. Most of them lined up for testing at the city-operated Butler Stadium facility, before sending them back to work. 12:01 p.m. A Harris County Jail inmate has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, officials said Sunday morning in federal court. Murray Fogler, a lawyer for Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, revealed the diagnosis to U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal. Details on who the inmate is, their condition and access to other inmates was not known. There are more than 7,800 people in the lock-up. Last week, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo had been working on an executive order that would allow broad-scale compassionate releases of medically vulnerable, nonviolent inmates. The order is aimed at preventing a large scale outbreak in the jail. 10:10 a.m.: An estimated 100,000 to 200,000 people in the U.S. could die from COVID-19, and "millions" of Americans could be infected with the new virus, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Fauci's comments on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday morning come as the U.S. leads the world in the number of reported COVID-19 cases with 124,000 cases. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a travel advisory for New York, New Jersey and Connecticut this weekend, federal officials stopped short of a strict quarantine. "You don't want to get to the point that you're enforcing things that would create a bigger difficulty, morale and otherwise, when you could probably accomplish the same goal," Fauci told CNN's Jake Tapper. 9:25 a.m.: A $237 million federal grant is coming to Texas to help the state tackle COVID-19, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn's office announced Sunday. The money will come from the Department of Homeland Securitys Federal Emergency Management Agency. 8:45 a.m.: The city's testing site is now available to anyone who shows COVID-19 symptoms, according to the Houston Health Department. People who show signs of fever, a cough and difficulty breathing can call 832-393-4220 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. to be evaluated for access to the test center. Increased testing has led to a spike in cases in the area, but Mayor Sylvester Turner said efforts to test more people have been limited by the federal government's refusal to send enough personal protective equipment to conduct more than 250 tests daily. Houston's test site has conducted more than 1,500 tests, according to city health officials. 8:20 a.m.: Within the Houston Police Department ranks, 10 officers had tested positive for COVID-19 as of Saturday night. One officer has been hospitalized, Police Chief Art Acevedo tweeted. Of 220 police officers quarantined, 71 had been tested and 44 test results were pending. The Houston Fire Department has 83 firefighters quarantined due to exposure, but only one has been diagnosed with COVID-19, according to Fire Chief Sam Pena. On Saturday, Pena said 15 firefighters had been quarantined and tested, although none had tested positive so far in the results the department had received. 8:10 a.m.: On the eve of the Sabbath, Liberty County Judge Jay Knight had a change of heart, Liberty County News Advocate reporter David Taylor writes. Starting Sunday, gun shops, gun dealers and church services will be allowed to remain open in the county, following a statement from Attorney General Ken Paxton stating that local and county authorities may not use emergency powers to regulate or restrict the sale of firearms. Churches will be allowed to proceed as long as they follow local guidance on social distancing. We had lengthy conversations with pastors in the rural areas of the county and those areas depend greatly on the church and the services," Knight said. "We didnt want to be a burden to them or their faith." 7:50 a.m.: As of Sunday morning, there are 2,521 cases of COVID-19 in the state of Texas and 34 people have died, according to local, state and federal data. In the greater Houston area, which comprises eight counties, 744 cases have been reported. There are over 575,000 confirmed cases reported globally, according to the World Health Organization. The Houston Chronicle is tracking the rise in cases and testing here. For up-to-date tracking of the spread of the novel coronavirus in Texas, visit houstonchronicle.com/coronavirus. The number of coronavirus cases in the country, as reported by various states, crossed over 1,000 on Saturday. However, as per the latest official figures released by the health ministry, the total number of Covid-19 cases in India stands at 979 which includes 867 active cases, 86 cases of recoveries and 25 deaths. Maharashtra and Kerala continue to sit at the top of the Covid-19 tally with the most number of Covid-19 cases. Heres a statewise breakup of coronavirus active cases, deaths and recoveries across the country as per the ministry of health. Maharashtra With 186 Covid-19 cases, Maharashtra is the worst-hit state by Covid-19 infection. The state has registered 6 coronavirus deaths so far while 25 patients have been recovered and released. Kerala The southern state has 182 positive cases of coronavirus as per the latest data by the Ministry of Health. The state has witnessed one Covid-19 death. 15 people have successfully recovered. Karnataka The state has recorded 76 Covid-19 cases and 3 deaths. 5 people have been cured and discharged. Telangana 66 positive cases of coronavirus have been reported here so far. One person has made a recovery from the virus while one person has died of Covid-19 in the state. Gujarat Prime Minister Narendra Modis home state has registered 53 coronavirus cases and no recoveries so far. As many as 4 people have died from the infection in the state. Rajasthan The state has 54 positive cases of coronavirus with no reported cases of fatalities. Three patients have recovered from the infection. Uttar Pradesh 55 people have been infected from Covid-19 in the state. While 11 people have recovered from Covid-19 in Uttar Pradesh, no one had died from the infection here. Delhi As many as 39 people have been tested positive of coronavirus in the national capital. Two people have died from the infection while 6 people have made a recovery. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has urged citizens not to step out of their homes and has assured that no one will go to sleep on an empty stomach. He also assured a smooth supply of all essential commodities across the National Capital Territory and said that the administration is prepared to handle 100 Covid-19 cases in a day. Haryana and Punjab The neighbouring states have 33 and 38 Covid-19 cases respectively. While one person has died of coronavirus in Punjab, Haryana has seen no deaths. 12 people have been recovered from coronavirus in Haryana, one in Punjab. Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh The southern state has registered 42 Covid-19 cases and seen two recoveries. Madhya Pradesh closely follows with 30 positive cases of coronavirus in the state. While Tamil Nadu has seen one patient die from Covid-19, two people have died in Madhya Pradesh. Besides this, Jammu and Kashmir has 31 positive cases of coronavirus. One person has died from the infection while one was cured. Andhra Pradesh has 14 positive Covid-19 patients and one case of recovery. West Bengal has 17 people who tested positive for the infection with one death. In Chandigarh, 8 people were found infected from Covid-19. Chhattisgarh has recorded 6 cases of coronavirus. In Bihar, 9 people have tested positive for coronavirus, one has died. Uttarakhand has 6 coronavirus patients, one person has recovered from the virus. Goa and Himachal Pradesh have recorded 3 cases each, one patient has died in Himachal. Odisha also has three Covid-19 positive patients. Andaman has recorded 9 coronavirus cases. States and Union territories with just one positive Covid-19 case include Manipur, Mizoram and Pondicherry. On Sunday, India entered the fifth day of the 21-day long nationwide coronavirus lockdown announced by PM Modi to break the chain of Covid-19 infections in the country. Coronavirus Outbreak LIVE Updates: Telangana chief minister KC Rao said, 'There will be a 75 percent cut on the salaries of the chief minister, state cabinet, MLCs, MLAs, state corporation chairpersons, and local bodies representatives in view of the financial state of Telangana, due to COVID-19 pandemic.' Auto refresh feeds According to the Union health ministry, Maharashtra has the biggest share of cases at 186 while Kerala has 182. The total number of novel coronavirus cases in India on Sunday crossed the 1,000 mark even as the country continued to be under lockdown. The number of deaths rose to 27, with two persons who had died in Maharashtra on Saturday testing positive for the disease. The Centre also asked the states to make adequate arrangements for providing food and shelter to the workers. On Sunday, the Centre directed states and Union Territories to seal all state and district borders in order to stop the exodus of migrant workers across the country. A 40-year old woman who was admitted to a hospital in Mumbai with complaints of respiratory distress had died on Saturday and her test results came back positive on Sunday, PTI quoted officials as saying. The woman also suffered from hypertension, they said. The toll in Maharashtra due to the novel coronavirus has reached eight, with the test reports of two persons, who died in Mumbai and Buldhana district on Saturday, coming out positive. "States have been also told to ensure timely payment of wages to labourers at their place of work during the period of lockdown without any cut," said a statement released by the Ministry for Information and Broadcasting adding that house rent should not be demanded from the labourers for the period of the lockdown. It directed that action should be taken against those who are asking labourers or students to vacate the premises. During a video conference with Chief Secretaries and DGPs, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba and Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla also directed state to ensure that adequate arrangements for food and shelter of poor and needy people including migrant labourers were made at the place of their work. The Centre also issued directives to deal with the exodus of migrant workers across the country. It asked state governments and Union Territory administrations to effectively seal state and district borders to stop movements of migrant workers during lockdown. Hubei province, where the coronavirus outbreak first emerged in late 2019, reported no new cases for the sixth consecutive day on Sunday after the province of 60 million people lifted its traffic restrictions and resumed some domestic flights to other parts of China. Mainland China reported 31 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, including one locally transmitted infection, the country's National Health Commission said, dropping from 45 cases a day earlier. Movement of only those availing or providing essential services is being allowed. Visuals from Kurla-Chembur highway. In Mumbai, police checked the passes and identity cards of individuals seen driving on Monday during the 21-day nationwide lockdown declared by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "It has been brought to the notice of the competent authority that the officers, who were responsible to ensure strict compliance to the instructions issued by Chairperson, National Executive Committee, formed under Disaster Managment Act 2005 regarding containment of spread of COVID-19, have prima facie failed to do so," the ministry said. The Union home ministry suspended with immediate effect Additional Chief Secretary of the Transport Department, and Principal Secretary, Finance and Divisional Commissioner (GNCTD), while also issuing a showcase notice to Additional Chief Secretary, Home and Land Buildings Departments, GNCTD and the Sub divisional magistrate of Seelampur SDM Seelampur. The Centre on on Sunday initiated disciplinary proceedings against four senior officers of the Delhi government after scores of migrant labourers had gathered in large numbers at Delhi's Anand Vihar over Saturday and Sunday. West Bengal reported its first case of coronovirus death in Kolkata on 23 March. A 57-year-old resident of Dum Dum was admitted to a private hospital in Kolkata on 16 March. The patient tested positive for the disease on 21 March. Another COVID-19 patient died in West Bengal on Monday, taking the state's toll up to two, PTI reported. Out of the 12 new patients, five have been reported from Pune, three from Mumbai, two from Nagpur and one each from Kolhapur and Nashik, Maharashtra Health Department. The total number of COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra has gone up to 215 with 12 more people testing positive for coronavirus, a health official said on Sunday. Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba on Monday said he was 'surprised' at reports suggestive of an extension in the 21-day nationwide lockdown period. The top bureaucrat dismissed the speculation, saying that there were no such plans to do the same. She had recently returned from Chennai, where she had gone for the treatment of her daughter. Her daughter and the doctor, who was treating the woman, have been quarantined at a centre, a health department official said. The 54-year-old woman from Kalimpong in Darjeeling district breathed her last around 2 am at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital, where she was admitted. A woman infected with the coronavirus died at a state-run hospital in north Bengal on Monday, taking the total number of COVID-19 deaths in West Bengal to two, hospital sources said. Eight new cases of the novel coronavirus were recorded in Madhya Pradesh, seven from Indore and one in Ujjain on Monday. The total of confirmed cases in Indore has risen to 32, said Dean, Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College, Indore. The Chief Minister has said the government is also considering the option of online sale of liquor as the sudden unavailability of alcohol may lead to social problems. The Kerala government asked the Excise Department to provide free treatment and admit people with withdrawal symptoms from alcohol consumption to the de-addiction centres. He asked them to co-ordinate with their respective state governments and local administrations, and ensure availability of food and lodging facilities for the people of UP, who are stranded in various states. "Lockdown means a person stays wherever he/she is, and it should be implemented in everyone's interest. This will ensure health safety," an official statement, quoting the chief minister, said. The chief minister on Sunday held a meeting with 12 nodal officers of the state who have been appointed in different states and asked them to ensure that no one sleeps hungry during the 21-day lockdown imposed across the country in view of coronavirus outbreak. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday made direct transfer of Rs 611 crore to the bank accounts of 27.5 lakh workers of the state, under MNREGA scheme, in view of the novel coronavirus. He also talked to them through video-conference and informed them about the scheme. Total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in India rose to 1,071, including 942 active cases, said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Monday. So far, 29 deaths due to the infection has been reported while 99 individuals have recovered and discharged. Their travel details were being traced, it said. With the fresh two cases, the number of confirems cases in East East Godavari district touched three. The total number of coronavirus cases in Andhra Pradesh rose to 23 with two more persons testing positive since last night. A 72-year old man in Rajamahendravaram and a 49-year old from Kakinada tested positive for the infection, the Medical and Health Department said in its latest bulletin. The elderly man, whose travel history is yet to be ascertained, is on ventilator support at an isolation unit of the hospital, the official said. The septuagenarian was admitted to a private medical facility on Sunday evening with fever, cough and severe respiratory issues, he said. A 77-year-old man from Kolkata tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday, taking the total number of people afflicted with the novel coronavirus to 22, a senior health official said. The Health Ministry generally requires 14-day self-isolation and possible coronavirus testing for anyone deemed to have been in proximity with an infected person. "We will take action in accordance with Health Ministry directives," an official said, announcing the diagnosis of the parliamentary aide, whom Israeli media described as being in good condition. An aide to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has tested positive for coronavirus, officials said on Monday, but it was not immediately clear if the 70-year-old leader had been exposed or his work affected. "Happy to announce that our Virology lab has been certified by the ICMR. The testing facility has started full fledged at GMCH, we are also parallely using the testing kits from MyLab. All facilities are now up to date," he tweeted. The Goa government on Monday commissioned a virology lab at a state-run facility to test samples for coronavirus infection. Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said they received a certification from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to start the virology laboratory at the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH). "We had received a total of 16 samples from the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College at Bhagalpur of which four tested positive," Head of the Microbiology department at IGIMS S K Shahi said. These four samples were tested at the IGIMS Hospital, run by the state government, where testing facilities became functional recently. Four more people tested positive for COVID-19 in Bihar's Bhagalpur on Sunday, taking the number of coronavirus cases in the state to 15, an official said. "Another frightening picture of the government's efforts to save people from the corona infection. This arrangement of Nitish Kumar for social distancing and quarantine of the poor people reaching Bihar from many parts of the country after facing heavy difficulties is heart-rending. Nitish must quit," Kishor said in a tweet. Poll strategist Prashant Kishor, once a key aide of Nitish Kumar and now a vocal critic, demanded the resignation of the Bihar chief minister on Monday, hitting out at the "heart-rending" treatment being meted out to people arriving in the state from outside. "It's natural they will get wet. It was out attempt to get the clothes wet as it would be better so that whatever signs of virus possibly on it (clothes) will get destroyed," he said. "We tried to keep them safe, asked them to shut their eyes," The Hindu quoted Gautam as saying. The nodal officer in-charge of COVID-19 in Bareilly, Ashok Gautam, confirmed that the administration did bathe the migrants with sanitiser, chlorine mixed with water, but clarified it was not a chemical solution. One of the officials can be heard asking the migrants to keep their eyes closed. In the video footage of the incident, a group of migrants can be seen squatting on the road near a checkpoint in Bareilly as officials in full protection gear spray a solution on them. Apart from being fully clothed, the migrants can be seen holding their luggages to their bodies as they get drenched. "This video has been investigated, the affected people are being treated under the direction of the CMO. The team of Bareilly Municipal Corporation and Fire Brigade were instructed to sanitize the buses, but they did so due to hyperactivity. Instructions have been given to take action against the concerned," Kumar tweeted . Bareilly district magistrate Nitish Kumar said on Monday he will look into allegations and ordered action against officials who forced migrants to take bath in the open,. Migrant labourers returning to their homes in Uttar Pradesh were forced by the administration in Bareilly to take an open bath in groups with sanitiser solution before they were allowed entry. The man was on ventilator support at the Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital. He died of multiple organ failure on Monday, Pune Mayor Murlidhar Mohol said. "His samples turned out positive for coronavirus on 22 March. He died on Monday at a hospital in Pune," the official said. A 52-year-old COVID-19 patient died in Pune on Monday, taking the toll due to the viral infection in Maharashtra to nine. The man was suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure, an official said. "All banks are ensuring that their branches are kept open, ATMs filled up & are working. Banking correspondents are active," Nirmala Sitharaman tweeted. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Monday said that all banks are ensuring that their branches are open, ATMs filed up and working. She also lauded the efforts of the bankers who are doing their best during the 21-day lockdown to contain the spread of novel coronavirus in our country. The Mumbai University on Monday appealed to all its teaching and non-teaching staff, and the staff of all affiliated colleges to donate the salary worth one day to the Chief Minister's Coronavirus Relief Fund. The report also quoted the PMO as saying, "PM said that entire nation is displaying immense resilience, grit and patience in facing COVID-19. Recalling that Mahatma Gandhi used to say that serving poor is the best way to serve nation, he praised the dedication of participating organization towards serving humanity." Iran, one of the worst-hit countries by the coronavirus pandemic, reported 117 new deaths due to the infection on Monday, raising the total toll to 2,757, AFP reported. Spain on Monday announced 812 new virus deaths in 24 hours, AFP reported. The total toll due to coronavirus is now 7,340 in the country. The Union health ministry on Monday said that 92 new cases of coronavirus and four new deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of cases to 1071 and the number of deaths due to the pandemic to 29 in India. "To ensure we do not go back to square one, please adhere to government guidelines 100 percent. Even if it is 99 percent it will put us back on square one," he added. "One person is infecting more than a 100 other people. This has been seen globally. Hence one person's carelessness can lead to this," Aggarwal said, reiterating the need to observe social distancing and adhering to the lockdown. Lav Agrawal, Joint Secretary, health ministry said that despite the large population in India, the spread of coronavirus has been "limited". "We took 12 days to go from 100 to 1,000 cases, in developed countries with less population, this has been 3,000, 5,000 or 8,000. This is because of early measures of isolation, lockdown," the joint secretary added. The Union health ministry, in its daily briefing, on Monday said that institutes such as AIIMS and NIMHANS are to organising the training of medical professionals in dealth with coronavirus patients. He also said that the Ministry of Skill Development is also stepping in. He also said that if the community transmission stage is reached, the Health Ministry will admit it but country is not there yet. "It is not like that we are in that stage. We presently have local transmissions. Maximum patients in the country have travel history and other cases had their contact history," he said. "We should avoid the words 'community transmission'." When asked whether India had entered the third stage of the coronavirus pandemic, which is community transmission, Union health ministry joint secretary Lav Aggarwal said that the word 'community' could be used in a government document but in a "particular context". "The Ministry of Development of Northeastern Region has given its nod to run exclusive cargo flights to supply medical equipment and emergency goods in Northeast region of the country," said Lav Aggrawal, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The public appeal said that people who are in Goa and have travelled on the same flight must call the helpline 104, and report to the nearest health centre. The Goa government on Monday informed that one of the coronavirus patients in the state had travelled from New York to Mumbai and then to Goa from Mumbai by Vistara domestic flight number UK861 on 2 March. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has pledged Rs 20 crore from its CSR fund to the 'PM-CARES' fund for those affected by the coronavirus pandemic. In addition to it, HAL employees have pledged their one-day salary amounting to Rs 6.25 crores. Cumulatively it works out to Rs. 26.25 crores, a statement by the company said. The Ola Cabs company has agrees to give 500 vehicles to the Karnataka government for COVID-19 related activities, the state government said on Monday. Former Union minister and Rajya Sabha MP from Maharashtra P Chidambaram on Monday donated Rs 1 crore from the MPLADS fund to the Maharashtra Chief Minister's COVID-19 Relief Fund for the fight against the coronavirus pandemic in the state, reports said. Kerala government has been repeatedly alleging a conspiracy to instigate the migrant labourers, the report said. Migrant labourers in Perumbavoor in Kerala's Ernakulam district are protesting, alleging that they are not getting enough food via community kitchens, News18 Kerala reported. The Ernakulam district collector has visited the area to evaluate arrangements. State agriculture minister VS Sunil Kumar also said that ample arrangements have been made. The Tokyo Olympics have been scheduled to be held from 23 July 2021 to 8 August 2021, reports said. The event, scheduled for 2020, was cancelled in view of the coronavirus pandemic. The Paralympic Games are to be held from 24 August 2021 till 5 September 2021. "Anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine has been approved by the national task force of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) as a prophylaxis a treatment to prevent a disease for people at high risk of contracting COVID-19," the report said. An Assam doctor died due to a heart attack after taking an anti-malaria drug, Hindustan Times reported on Monday, adding that it is not clear whether the use of the drug hydroxychloroquine is connected to the death fo the 44-year-old. "Insurance coverage has been increased from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh for all those who are helping in this health crisis, including staff at private/government/transportation centres such as doctors/nurses/police/courier services," she added. She also said that every block in every district to have quarantine centres on "war footing". West Bengal chief minister Mamta Banerjee on Friday said that all 22 districts in the state will have at least one dedicated coronavirus nodal hospital. Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Steel Dharmendra Pradhan has welcomed the initiative of the oil companies. In a tweet, he said, Welcome the humanitarian decision taken by Indian Oil, BPCL and HPCL. This gesture of goodwill is a recognition of the services rendered by our personnel in these trying times. Well-being of our workers is of paramount importance, this compassionate move will strengthen the safety nets of our workforce aiding Indias fight against corona. Oil marketing companies IOCL, BPCL, and HPCL on Friday announced an ex-gratia amount of Rs 5 lakh each, as a one-time special measure, in the case of demise of personnel like show-room staff, godown-keepers, mechanics and delivery boys who are attending duty in the LPG distributorship chain, due to the infection and impact of COVID-19, News18 Delhi reported. The Karnataka government on Friday said that five new cases of coronavirus have been reported in the state, taking the total positive cases to 88. "Of the five, one is a close contact of an earlier confirmed patient and four others are workers of a pharmaceutical company in Mysuru, from where a person had tested positive," the statement said. NEWS18 Delhi reported that the Indian Railways board is planning to convert 5,000 coaches into isolation wards for coronavirus patients. Five zonal railways have prepared prototypes so far, the report said. The report added that a team of the Delhi Police, including Joint CP DC Srivastava, also visited the area after there were reports that some people, who had attended a religious gathering at Markaz in Nizamuddin, tested positive for COVID-19. Batches of people are being taken to hospital in buses for checkup. The Delhi Police are using drones to monitor the movement of people in the Nizamuddin area of the National Capital, to ensure adherence to the nationwide complete lockdown over coronavirus, ANI reported. The health ministry on Friday said that 3.34 lakh PPE coveralls have been made available with hospitals in the country. Another 3 lakh donated coveralls being received from abroad by 4 April. 11 domestic producers of PPE coveralls have qualified so far and orders for 21 lakh have been placed on them. They are supplying 6-7,000 pieces per day and are expected to go up to 15,000 per day by mid-April. Earlier on Friday, ICMR head scientist Dr Raman R Gangakhedkar said, "38,442 tests have been conducted till now out of which 3,501 were done yesterday, it means we are still at less than 30% of our testing capacity. In the last 3 days, 13,034 tests have been done in private labs." The Srinagar Municipal Corporation on Monday understook sanitisation efforts in different areas of the city, in view of coronavirus pandemic. Reportedly, the patient had acute respiratory distress and was admitted in a private hospital on 27 March adn expired on 28 March in the evening. "He was a known case of Hypertension and Ischemic heart disease," reports said. An 80-year-old man who tested positive for coronavirus passed away on Friday at a private hospital in Mumbai, ANI reported. Total number of positive cases is 216 in the state, of which 39 people have been discharged. 10 people have died due to COVID-19 till now in Maharashtra. A bulletin by the BMC on Monday said that a total of 1,889 suspected patients of coronavirus have been admitted in hospitals in Mumbai since 25 march and a total of 8,134 have been admitted in the OPD wards of various hospitals. Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh on Friday ordered the sealing of state borders and extended the curfew in the state till 14 April. He also assured insurance for state police personnel and sanitisation workers engaged in efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus. He said that the services of retiring sanitation workers for three more months. He also said that mobile testing vans will be brought in to boost testing and volunteers will be trained to man isolation beds. Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh said that he has asked the state finance ministry to come up with an anti-COVID-19 contingency plan and added that 10 lakh dry food packets will be distributed to migrants and other underprivileged sections soon. A man walked with the dead body of his five-year-old son on his shoulder walked for around 88 kilometres to the crematorium, due to the lockdown over coronavirus in Andhra Pradesh's Gorantla town in the Anantapur district. Telangana reported six new cases of coronavirus along with one death due to the virus on Monday, the state health department said. In addition to this, 13 people have been discharged. The total positive cases of COVID-19 rises to 77 in the state. Around 300-400 people had attended a religious gathering at Markaz and 163 people from Nizamuddin, likely to be infected with COVID-19, have been admitted to Lok Nayak Hospital, Delhi. Delhi government is likely to ask teh police to register an FIR against Maulana of Markaz, Nizamuddin, ANI quoted a statement as saying. "Test reports of the one possibly infected COVID-19 patient from Nizamuddin who died on Sunday, are awaited. We have 500 beds at Lok Nayak Hospital at present, adding 500 more beds now. We've about 64 ventilators at Lok Nayak Hospital and 80 ventilators at GB Pant Hospital. As of now, all COVID-19 patients do not require ICU and ventilator facility," the ofiicial said. A senior official of the Lok Nayak hospital said that a total of 174 possibly infected COVID-19 patients have been admitted at the hospital, of which 163 patients are from Nizamuddin. 85 patients came yesterday while 34 were admitted on Monday. We have made all arrangements for them. Airtel on Friday announced measures to shield over 80 million low-income mobile customers from the impact of COVID-19 crisis, reports said. Aritel will provide unrestricted incoming services till 17 April and Rs 10 talk time for all low income users. The Delhi government on Friday requisited the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium at Lodhi Road in the National Capital to use it as a quarantine facility for COVID-19 patients. "There will be 60 percent salary cut for IAS, IPS, IFS and other such central services officers. For all other categories of employees, there will be a 50 percent salary cut. For Class-IV, outsourcing & contract employees, there will be a 10 percent salary cut," he added. Telangana chief minister KC Rao said, "There will be a 75 percent cut on the salaries of the chief minister, state cabinet, MLCs, MLAs, state corporation chairpersons, and local bodies representatives in view of the financial state of Telangana, due to COVID-19 pandemic." Personnel from Naval Dockyard Visakhapatnam have designed an innovative portable 'Multi-feed Oxygen Manifold' (MOM) using a six-way radial header fitted to a single cylinder. This innovation would enable one oxygen bottle to supply oxygen to six patients concurrently, the Navy said. Highly appreciate the action of #ABVP_Karnataka_Unit filing FIR against employees of More Shop, Mysore who didn't allow students of NE to enter the shop leading to the arrest of culprits. Also appreciate ABVP Karyakartas helping stranded NE students. @PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/WvPdAl6gRK Manipur chief minister Biren Singh said, "Highly appreciate the action of ABVP Karnataka filing FIR against employees of More Shop, Mysore who didn't allow students of NE to enter the shop leading to the arrest of culprits. Also appreciate ABVP Karyakartas helping stranded NE students. " "During our recent rescue flights, the protective equipment being provided to the flight crew has been failing with an alarming frequency or has been plagued with other issues," another letter by the Indian Pilots' Guild (IPG) to the Chairperson of Air India said. The Air India Executive Pilots Association on Friday wrote to the Ministry of Civil Aviation saying, "Our pilots and cabin crew are given substandard ill-fitting PPE that tear easily on rescue flights. Sanitizers aren't given in sufficient quantities and disinfection processes are short of industry best practices." According to data shared by the police, 145 FIRs were registered under Section 188 (for disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code till 5 pm. Over 140 FIRs were registered and 3,750 people were detained in the national capital on Monday for violating lockdown norms, PTI reported. Coronavirus Outbreak LATEST Updates: Telangana chief minister KC Rao said, "There will be a 75 percent cut on the salaries of the chief minister, state cabinet, MLCs, MLAs, state corporation chairpersons, and local bodies representatives in view of the financial state of Telangana, due to COVID-19 pandemic." "There will be 60 percent salary cut for IAS, IPS, IFS and other such central services officers. For all other categories of employees, there will be a 50 percent salary cut. For Class-IV, outsourcing & contract employees, there will be a 10 percent salary cut," he added. Delhi government is likely to ask teh police to register an FIR against Maulana of Markaz, Nizamuddin, ANI quoted a statement as saying. Around 300-400 people had attended a religious gathering at Markaz and 163 people from Nizamuddin, likely to be infected with COVID-19, have been admitted to Lok Nayak Hospital, Delhi. The Karnataka government has asked people under home quarantine to send 14 selfies everyday to the state government. India Today reported that the selfie has to be send a selfie one every hour, from 7 am to 9 pm. The Reliance Industries on Monday announced a donation of Rs 500 crore to the PM-CARES fund for those affected by the lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of coronavirus.Additionally, Rs 5 crores each were also donated to the Maharashtra and Gujarat chief ministers' funds. A press release also said that 50 lakh free meals will be distributed to the underprivileged section across the country in the next 10 days. Noida district magistrate BN Singh was removed from his post on Friday and Suhas Alwai was appointed to the post, reports said, adding that a departmental inquiry has been ordered against them. India Today reported that Singh had written to Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath asking to be transferred amid the spread of coronavirus. Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh on Friday ordered the sealing of state borders and extended the curfew in the state till 14 April. He also assured insurance for state police personnel and sanitisation workers engaged in efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus. West Bengal chief minister Mamta Banerjee on Friday said that all 22 districts in the state will have at least one dedicated coronavirus nodal hospital. She also said that every block in every district to have quarantine centres on "war footing". "Insurance coverage has been increased from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh for all those who are helping in this health crisis, including staff at private/government/transportation centres such as doctors/nurses/police/courier services," she added. An 80-year-old person who tested positive for coronavirus passed away on Friday at a private hospital in Mumbai, ANI reported. Total number of positive cases is 216 in the state, of which 39 people have been discharged. 10 people have died due to COVID-19 till now in Maharashtra. Five more COVID-19 cases reported in Karnataka taking positive cases in the state to 88. Of the five, one is a close contact of an earlier confirmed patient and four others are workers of a pharmaceutical company in Mysuru, from where a person had tested positive:Karnataka Health Department Bareilly District Magistrate has clarified that some employees took an overzealous step due to ignorance. Required action has been taken against those employees: Lav Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry on viral video of disinfectant being sprayed on migrant workers. When asked whether India had entered the third stage of the coronavirus pandemic, which is community transmission, Union health ministry joint secretary Lav Aggarwal said that the word 'community' could be used in a government document but in a "particular context". "It is not like that we are in that stage. We presently have local transmissions. Maximum patients in the country have travel history and other cases had their contact history," he said. "We should avoid the words 'community transmission'." He also said that if the community transmission stage is reached, the Health Ministry will admit it but country is not there yet. Migrant labourers returning to their homes in Uttar Pradesh were forced by the administration in Bareilly to take an open bath in groups with sanitiser solution before they were allowed entry. Bareilly district magistrate Nitish Kumar said on Monday he will look into allegations and ordered action against officials who forced migrants to take bath in the open. "This video has been investigated, the affected people are being treated under the direction of the CMO. The team of Bareilly Municipal Corporation and Fire Brigade were instructed to sanitize the buses, but they did so due to hyperactivity. Instructions have been given to take action against the concerned," Kumar tweeted. Poll strategist Prashant Kishor, once a key aide of Nitish Kumar and now a vocal critic, demanded the resignation of the Bihar chief minister on Monday, hitting out at the "heart-rending" treatment being meted out to people arriving in the state from outside. "Another frightening picture of the government's efforts to save people from the corona infection. This arrangement of Nitish Kumar for social distancing and quarantine of the poor people reaching Bihar from many parts of the country after facing heavy difficulties is heart-rending. Nitish must quit," Kishor said in a tweet. Congress MP from Kerala's Kasaragod, Rajmohan Unnithan moved the Supreme Court on Monday seeking directions to the Karnataka government to immediately open the Karnataka-Kerala border to allow movement of ambulances, other emergency vehicles and passage of essential and non-essential items to Kerala. The MP also sought direction for the Karnataka government to register a complaint and constitute a Supreme Court-monitored SIT probe to inquire against the concerned authorities "whose action led to the death of a woman who was denied entry into Karnataka for an urgent medical treatment". An 80-year-old woman died after the ambulance carrying her was blocked by the Karnataka police on the Kasargod- Thalappady border. Four more people tested positive for COVID-19 in Bihar's Bhagalpur on Sunday, taking the number of coronavirus cases in the state to 15, an official said. These four samples were tested at the IGIMS Hospital, run by the state government, where testing facilities became functional recently. "We had received a total of 16 samples from the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College at Bhagalpur of which four tested positive," Head of the Microbiology department at IGIMS S K Shahi said. Total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in India rose to 1,071, including 942 active cases. Meanwhile, AIIMS Delhi will be converting its Apex Trauma Centre into a COVID-19 hospital. With suicide cases being reported from various parts of the state after liquor sales were stopped in Kerala following the lockdown, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has directed the Excise Department to provide liquor to those with a prescription from a doctor. The move comes after many reportedly showed acute withdrawal symptoms and suicide cases were reported in the state. On Saturday, in Kodungaloor in Thrissur district, a youth committed suicide by jumping into the river after suffering from withdrawal symptoms. Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba on Monday said he was 'surprised' at reports suggestive of an extension in the 21-day nationwide lockdown period. The top bureaucrat dismissed the speculation, saying that there were no such plans to do the same. The total number of COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra has gone up to 215 with 12 more people testing positive for coronavirus, a health official said on Sunday. Out of the 12 new patients, five have been reported from Pune, three from Mumbai, two from Nagpur and one each from Kolhapur and Nashik, Maharashtra Health Department. The total number of novel coronavirus cases in India on Sunday crossed the 1,000 mark even as the country continued to be under lockdown. The number of deaths rose to 27, with two persons who had died in Maharashtra on Saturday testing positive for the disease. According to the Union health ministry, Maharashtra has the biggest share of cases (186) while Kerala has 182. A group of Union ministers held a comprehensive review meeting at defence minister Rajnath Singhs residence where they discussed various issues, including treatment of affected people and supplies of petroleum products and essential commodities across the country. Earlier in the day, the Centre directed states and Union Territories to seal all state and district borders in order to stop the exodus of migrant workers across the country. The Centre also asked the states to make adequate arrangements for providing food and shelter to the workers. Meanwhile, the Centre has suspended two Delhi government officers, and has issued show cause notices to two others for dereliction of duty during the coronavirus outbreak, PTI reported. The two officers who have been suspended are Additional Chief Secy (Transport), Principal Secy (Finance). The two officers who have been issued a show cause notice are Additional Chief Secy (Home), SDM Seelampur. Cases in India cross 1,000 mark In an update posted at 7.30 pm, the Union health ministry said the number of COVID-19 cases in the country had risen to 1,024, including 48 foreign nationals and 96 people who have been cured or discharged. The death count reached 27, said the ministry. Meanwhile, the toll in Maharashtra reached eight, with the test reports of two persons, who died in Mumbai and Buldhana district on Saturday, coming out positive. A 40-year old woman who was admitted to a hospital in Mumbai with complaints of respiratory distress had died on Saturday and her test results came back positive on Sunday, PTI quoted officials as saying. The woman also suffered from hypertension, they said. In Buldhana, a 45-year-old man died at a government hospital on Saturday. His test reports, which were received on Sunday, confirmed that he was coronavirus positive, Buldhana Collector Suman Chandra told PTI, adding that the deceased also suffered from diabetes. The total number of cases in the state rose to 203, with 22 new cases reported on Sunday, of which the highest number of 10 are from Mumbai, an official from the state health department told PTI. Five others are from Pune, three from Nagpur, two from Ahmednagar and one each from Sangli, Buldhana and Jalgaon, he said. Delhi recorded the highest one day increase in case with 23 persons testing positive for the disease, taking the tally in the National Capital to 72. Karnataka recorded seven new cases taking the state count to 73. This included three deaths and discharge of five patients, the state health department said in statement. Jammu and Kashmir and Goa each reported five new cases while four people tested positive in Bihars Bhagalpur. Eight new positive COVID19 cases were reported from Erode in Tamil Nadu, said health minister C Viajayabaskar. All were in contact with the Thai nationals who are undergoing treatment at IRT Perundurai, he said adding that the patients were receiving treatment in isolation wards. Eleven persons tested positive in Uttar Pradesh while Kerala reported twenty new cases. A doctor and a junior commissioned officer in the Indian Army also tested positive, official sources told PTI. The Colonel-rank doctor is serving at the Command Hospital in Kolkata while the JCO is posted to an Army base in Dehradun. Both the doctor and the JCO are understood to have visited an army facility near the National Capital earlier this month and were keeping good health, said sources. Group of ministers reviews situation Even as the number of cases continued to surge, a Group of Ministers chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday carried out a comprehensive review of the situation arising out of coronavirus pandemic. Home Minister Amit Shah, Consumer Affairs and Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Rural Development Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar were among those who attended the meeting. Sources told PTI that the ministers were informed that petroleum products are available in adequate quantities across the country and that transportation of essential commodities by train, air and road is going on without any difficulty. The meeting also deliberated on the issue of a vast numbers of migrant workers taking journeys on foot for hundreds of kilometres in various parts of the country to reach home from urban centres after the 21-day nation-wide lockdown came into force. According to ANI, the Central government also constituted 11 empowered groups for ensuring a comprehensive and integrated response to coronavirus. These groups have been set up under Disaster Management Act. Each group has a senior representative from Prime Ministers Office and the Cabinet Secretariat to ensure seamless coordination, said the report. Centres, states take measure to halt movement of migrant workers The Centre also issued directives to deal with the exodus of migrant workers across the country. It asked state governments and Union Territory administrations to effectively seal state and district borders to stop movements of migrant workers during lockdown. During a video conference with Chief Secretaries and DGPs, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba and Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla also directed state to ensure that adequate arrangements for food and shelter of poor and needy people including migrant labourers were made at the place of their work. "States have been also told to ensure timely payment of wages to labourers at their place of work during the period of lockdown without any cut," said a statement released by the Ministry for Information and Broadcasting adding that house rent should not be demanded from the labourers for the period of the lockdown. It directed that action should be taken against those who are asking labourers or students to vacate the premises. The officials also issued directives to the state for the quarantine of those who had violated lockdown and asked them to ensure that those who have travelled are subjected to minimum 14 days of quarantine in government facilities. State governments too announced relief measures for migrant workers. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said that schools and stadiums in the National Capital were being converted into shelters for migrant workers and the government was providing lunch and dinner to four lakh workers each day. He also asked small business owners, contractors and industrialists to ensure that no worker went hungry and appealed to landlords not to force tenants to pay rent for two to three months. The government would pay the rent if the tenants failed to do so, he said. Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray said the state has already set up 163 centres across the state to provide food and water to the migrant labourers and announced that meals under the Shiv Bhojan scheme would be made available at a lowered cost of Rs 5 from 1 April. Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh ordered industries, brick kilns to resume operations and told them to house migrant workers within their premises if adequate and safe arrangements were available. Narendra Modi seeks nation's forgiveness Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought the nation's forgiveness for imposing a monumental lockdown on the country, but said "we have to win ... and we will definitely win the battle" against the unprecedented menace of coronavirus which has claimed over 30,000 lives across the world. In his first Mann ki Baat radio address after the lockdown, Modi also praised the front-line workers in the fight against the virus as well as countless workers in the essential services who are ensuring the country doesn't come to a complete standstill. Modi also reminded people that "we have to maintain social distance, not emotional and human distance" as he urged people to utilise the time spent at home in re-engaging themselves in old hobbies and reconnecting with old friends. Meanwhile the Union Home ministry issued a clarification regarding the transportation of goods and services and about the exemptions of goods and services in its earlier orders. Transportation of all goods, without distinction of essential and non-essential, have been allowed during lockdown, it said. In a letter to chief secretaries, Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla also clarified that groceries included hygiene products such as sanitary pads, shampoos, surface cleaners as well as battery cells and chargers. The letter stated that entire supply chain of milk collection and distribution was also permitted. The ministry also said that the supply of newspapers was allowed during the lockdown. With inputs from agencies A military-style operation has removed 800 passengers from a German cruise ship floating off the coast of Western Australia. Nineteen passengers on the MV Artania who are infected with coronavirus will be treated at Perth's Joondalup Health Campus hospital as part of a last-minute deal with the federal health department. Another 800 passengers have been flown back to Germany overnight, but those on-board suspected to have COVID-19 still don't know if they can leave Australia. Scroll down for video Pictured: Passengers leaving the coronavirus-infected MV Artania and boarding waiting buses. A military-style operation has removed 800 passengers from the German cruise ship floating off the coast of Western Australia Initial estimates had indicated only seven people on the ship were infected (pictured docked in Fremantle in Perth on March 27) Around 800 passengers on-board the ship have been flown back to Germany overnight, while 19 infected with the coronavirus have been transferred to Perth's Joondalup Health Campus hospital Passengers from MV Artania arriving at Perth International airport on TransPerth buses on Sunday, before boarding a charter flight back to Germany TranPerth buses pictured moving passengers from the coronavirus-afflicted MV Artania Aerial footage showed passengers disembarking the ship and being ushered onto waiting buses. Initial estimates had indicated only seven people on the ship were infected. Around 500 crew members remain on board the vessel and it is not known if they will disembark or sail home to Germany. Health minister Greg Hunt said a humanitarian agreement was reached to treat those on-board, describing Joondalup as one of the state's 'premier facilities'. On Saturday, banners and Australian flags were seen adorning the cruise liner, in a message of thanks from the passengers and crews stuck on board. The decorations are thought to refer to the government's decision to allow the ship to dock after originally turning it away. Health Minister Roger Cook confirmed as of Saturday two of the passengers who were originally taken off board for 'non-coronavirus related medical emergencies' tested positive for the disease. Mr Cook said the third passenger taking up a bed in the ICU is still waiting for their test result. Passengers from the MS Artania pictured boarding the first Condor Airlines charter aircraft heading to Frankfurt in Germany Masked passengers from the cruise liner pictured arriving at Perth International Airport on Sunday Pictured: A fleet of buses moving passengers to Perth International Airport. None of the travellers are Australian, with the majority coming from central Europe including Germany, Austria and Switzerland On Saturday banners and Australian flags were seen adorning the cruise ship, in a message of thanks from the passengers and crews stuck on board Thank you messages are seen hanging from the MV Artania docked at Fremantle, Western Australia on Saturday as crew wearing face masks look over the side of the vessel Passengers trapped aboard the MV Artania look out over the deck in front of handmade thank you posters on the cruise ship's railing Paramedics wait a the Fremantle Passenger terminal where the MV Artania was berthed in Fremantle, Western Australia on Saturday 'We all know the score, it is highly likely that will be a positive,' he said. They are being treated at Fiona Stanley and Sir Charles Gairdner hospitals. CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement WA Premier Mark McGowan told ABC news it is unlikely the foreign cruise ship passengers will put a strain on the state's healthcare system. 'I have sought Commonwealth assistance to ensure WA public hospital beds are free and ready for Western Australians,' he said. 'This morning I spoke with the Prime Minister and we agreed on an approach that minimises the impact on the West Australian health system and our wider community.' The sentiment was echoed by Health Minister Roger Cook, who said health authorities were prepared to deal with the cases after the cancellation of elective surgeries. 'Obviously they'll need to take extra care, but they have the capacity to deal with anyone with an infectious disease,' he said. The remaining 800 passengers were being arranged transport out of the country via chartered flights around by the German cruise ship company Phoenix. None of the travellers are Australian, with the majority coming from central Europe including Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The announcement sick passengers would be allowed into the state has raised concerns they will use healthcare resources which could be needed by WA residents. Paramedics wait on the wharf at the Fremantle Passenger Terminal to attend to passengers of the MV Artania on March 27, 2020 in Fremantle, Australia Phoenix issued a statement to ABC News confirming they'd be providing transport for passengers, stating they needed confirmation non German nationals had subsequent travel arranged on arrival in Germany. 'In order to be able to organise this, we are in contact with the respective embassies or consulates,' the statement said. WA Premier Mark McGowan previously said he would not be allowing any infected passengers to be let off in the state, after what happened in New South Wales with the Ruby Princess. 'No one will be disembarking unless they are in a life-threatening emergency,' Premier Mark McGowan said. The Artania and Vasco Da Gama were pictured side-by-side in the Western Australian dock as they await orders from the WA government Premier Mark McGowan had been reluctant to allow passengers to be treated in the city's hospitals and suggested anyone requiring medical attention be taken to a defence base 'Our position is clear. We are not going to have a Sydney Harbour fiasco on our watch.' Federal Senator Matthias Cormann told The Sunday Times they have been working with the WA government to find the best solution for all parties. Minister Cormann said it was vital to show compassion to the sick while ensuring infected passengers didn't pose a risk to the community. 'In relation to those passengers who have shown symptoms of having contracted COVID-19 we have to treat them with compassion and care as fellow human beings and in the same way as we would want Australians in the same circumstance to be treated by foreign governments around the world,' he saod. 'Our mission is to get all passengers who can travel back to Europe as soon as possible so that the ship can leave as soon as possible too,' he said. Lawrence County Coroner Scott Norwood is already thinking about what he may have to do if COVID-19 has a severe impact on people in his neck of the woods. He says he has only had to handle the body of one person in recent days who had flu-like symptoms at the time of death. Lawrence wore personal protection equipment when he did a swab of the persons nose for coronavirus testing. Im just doing it case-by-case right now, he said. "Im erring on the side of caution. Hes also concerned about the fact that he has little space available to store corpses. Ive only got the capacity of storing five decedents in my morgue in the hospital, so if we have more than that, I would either have to call the [State Mortuary Operations Response Team] up or get a refrigerated trailer, he said. Thats the reality of being coroner of a rural Alabama county during the early days of the diseases spread across the state. In New York City, hospitals are resorting to creative methods for handling all the dead bodies. On Tuesday, the New York Post reported that a makeshift morgue had been set up outside Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan as the city battles the COVID-19 pandemic. On Wednesday, the New York Times reported on what Elmhurst Hospital in Queens is doing to handle its coronavirus dead. We had to get a refrigerated truck to store the bodies of patients who are dying, Colleen Smith, an emergency room doctor at the hospital, told the newspaper. For many in Alabama today, stories like these may seem like dispatches from an alternate reality or a post-apocalyptic film. But similar scenes may be coming to Alabama. On Wednesday, Gov. Kay Ivey confirmed that the state recorded its first coronavirus death. Since then, the virus has killed at least three more people in three different counties. Many more deaths are expected. Alabama has been planning for a severe pandemic for years. The Alabama Department of Public Health has published a series of documents over the past 15 years that address how Alabama might handle a surge in dead bodies. Alabama will continue to follow its disaster and pandemic planning documents, according each individual respect and dignity, Dana H. Billingsley, general counsel for the ADPH, wrote in response to an inquiry about what the state plans to do if the number of bodies overwhelms hospitals, coroners offices and morgues. It's a scenario that the department takes seriously enough to include it in the documentation for an "Individual and Family Discussion Exercise" to inform ordinary people about "Personal Pandemic Preparedness" that is posted on its public-facing website. The document describes a worst-case statewide pandemic in which Alabama hospitals and governments are overtaxed, commerce has ground to a halt and bodies are piling up. The state exercise then poses questions for people to consider before a real-life pandemic strikes. "If you have family members sick at home and one of them suddenly dies, do you have a plan?" the document asks. Grim considerations Public health experts say that Alabama has yet to experience the peak of its COVID-19 outbreak. But since 2006, the state has been planning for the worst, offering guidance on a wide range of grim considerations that may become necessary during a widespread outbreak. The documents are still posted on the ADPHs online portals for educating health professionals and members of the public about pandemic preparation and fatality management. They address the potential that officials and agencies could have to conduct mass burials or mass cremations, temporarily inter bodies to preserve them while cold storage is unavailable, and safely process the corpses of people killed by a deadly communicable virus. In 2009, the department put on a satellite conference called Fatality Management During A Pandemic. A flier for the conference described the importance of planning ahead. During a pandemic with mass fatalities, resources that would normally be used to aid in the response will not be available," the flier said. "The usual process of handling the dead could be significantly altered. That same year, an ADPH training led by Bill Harris, president of the Alabama Coroners Association, cited the "need for each Coroner to seriously consider how a pandemic will affect their county and how they will respond." Harris called on coroners to consider how they would handle a situation in which decedent [corpse] pick up may not be timely, according to his presentation materials. Who will be available to pick up decedents? Where will decedents be taken if funeral homes are at capacity? Coroners need to think about how to manage "cold storage or lack there of (sic), decedent identification, decedent tracking, personal effects" and other tasks during a pandemic, the training materials state. And they even need to consider mass burial planning logistics including trigger, location, security, interment and disinterment, decedent tracking and identification, according to Harris presentation. Also available on the ADPH website is a "Fatality Management Toolkit" that was compiled by the ADPH, Alabama Center for Emergency Preparedness, Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences, and the Alabama Coroners Association and distributed to coroners and medical examiners in 2009. It includes a 2006 white paper by the Cremation Association of North America about what state and local officials should expect during a deadly nationwide pandemic. Coroners should anticipate having insufficient cold storage, which could require them to use non-traditional methods of temporary storage, such as temporary internment of dead bodies, according to the paper. Another document in the state toolkit, the "Medical Examiner/Coroners Guide For Contaminated Deceased Body Management," was published in 2006 by the National Association of Medical Examiners. It advises coroners that "[i]t may be necessary to inter bodies temporarily to preserve them In other instances, it may be necessary to have a mass interment (or cremation) that is essentially permanent." County coroners Norwood, the coroner of Lawrence County in north Alabama, says he is coordinating with the countys Emergency Management Agency and local officials to ensure that he is as prepared as possible for whats yet to come. Ive been in three briefings with the county EMA and county officials about COVID-19, he said. That type of community planning is essential, according to the ADPH's 2009 "Fatality Management During A Pandemic" training flier: "Local, comprehensive fatality management plans are needed in order to deal with the large number of decedents that could occur as a result of a pandemic." In Colbert County, Coroner Justin Gasque says he hopes the virus won't take too heavy a toll on the more than 50,000 residents of his county. Hopefully it wont get that bad. Everyones staying in, doing what theyre supposed to, he said. I feel like we can handle it, unless theres a lot of deaths coming that we cant foresee. If his office does get overwhelmed with bodies, Gasque says he is confident that he will be able to get enough outside support to deal with the surge. "If we get in a position that it's something we can't handle at the coroner's office, we can go to the EMA and then there's the SMORT team," he said. "If I have several deaths here, whether it's pandemic-related or something like tornadoes, we can call them in to assist." SMORT team Doug Williams, commander of Alabamas State Mortuary Operations Response Team, often referred to as the SMORT team, is a funeral director and embalmer who owns a handful of funeral homes and cemeteries and a crematorium in Cullman County. He is not as bullish about the concept that his team will be able to effectively fill the gap if county coroners offices become inundated with the bodies of people killed by COVID-19. "Our team is mostly made up of funeral directors, embalmers and coroners from across the state, and if we have a statewide incident where people are dead across the state because of this virus, we are all going to be [in our home counties] working," he said. He explained that the team is more of a strike force that is called in for assistance when a localized mass casualty incident takes place in Alabama. For instance, last March, the team was instrumental in helping to handle the dead following a tornado in Lee County that killed 23 people and overwhelmed the four-person county coroner's office. "The SMORT team is not really set up for something statewide like that. In the coronavirus situation, where there's just going to be deaths sporadically everywhere, I dont see us responding," Williams said. The ADPH included a similar assessment in a 2011 hazard assessment report that states that "outside resources would not be available" to counties during a severe statewide pandemic. But Williams said his squad has the ability to provide limited additional resources as needed. The team can deploy three mortuary units Williams described them as mobile autopsy suites as well as eleven refrigerated trailers that can each store between 18 and 28 bodies on morgue-style racks. "If a morgue was to get overwhelmed, we'd be able to help them do cold storage until they can get the bodies processed. But as far as the team itself, I dont see us going to one place in particular unless someplace like Jefferson County has just a massive amount of bodies at one time," he said. "But I think it's going to be people dying slowly, unfortunately, and it should be able to be handled at the county level." Emergency Management Agencies County Emergency Management Agencies are the other key stopgaps coroner's offices can turn to for assistance during major health crises. As of 2017, only 63 percent of hospitals were "planning with the local EMA and coroner for Mass Fatality Management," according to an ADPH study published in March 2018. But coroners and officials said in interviews that coordination and preparation efforts have quickly ramped up since the coronavirus threat has emerged. The ADPH detailed what county EMAs should include in their mass casualty plans in a template published in 2008 that is still featured on the portion of the department's website dedicated to "Fatality Management During A Pandemic and Other Emergency Events." The template calls on county EMAs to identify local partners who will play a role in mass casualty incident response, compile information about available cold and non-cold temporary storage facilities, "[i]dentify potential local transportation to pick up [corpses] from home[s] and other collection points," and more. In Jefferson County home to Birmingham which is currently under a shelter-in-place order to help slow the spread of COVID-19 the county EMA is working with other agencies to ensure that coroners and other public health officials have the resources they need to handle large numbers of casualties, according to Melissa Sizemore, emergency management officer for the Jefferson County EMA. She pointed to the efforts of the Jefferson County Healthcare Coalition, comprised of the county's EMA, its department of health and its coroner/medical examiner's office. "The Jefferson County Healthcare Coalition regularly prepares to coordinate the response to mass fatality events," Sizemore said in an email. "In response to COVID-19, the responsible agencies have contingency plans in place and are prepared to respond as required." In Etowah County, the county EMA has been interfacing with the countys sheriffs office, coroners office and other relevant agencies over coronavirus preparations for weeks, according to Sheriff Jonathon Horton. Ive had emails and things of that nature every day or every other day with our EMA. Weve had meetings among elected officials, Horton said earlier this month. Weve come up with a continuous operation plan: if this person gets sick, who takes over, who takes over, who takes over, three deep. The current world-wide technological revolution, also known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, will not escape Africa. According to a recent briefing by the World Economic Forum (1),Sub-Saharan Africa has yet to optimise its use of human capital in this regard. One of the WEFs recommendations is that of investing in digital fluency and ICT literacy skills (1). At our SCAP vocational training project in Ghana, we are committed to giving students this opportunity. In partnership with the Sefax Computer Training Centre, we are able to offer a software/ networking course, as well as a software/ graphic design course. One of our graphic design graduates, Prince Praise Gbeku, who now runs a successful photography business from home, describes how my knowledge in ICT has helped me in using the new technology in photography. Another graduate, Bright Dagadu, previously struggled to fend for himself as a casual labourer. With the aid of AE supporters, however, Bright has been able to complete his ICT training and has now secured permanent employment with a company in Tema. He expressed that I am very happy and very grateful to God for the opportunity offered me to learn ICT. This has helped me tremendously to acquire a job because I was ICT literate. Find out more about African Enterprise at https://africanenterprise.com.au Open source Air traffic resumed in the Chinese province of Hubei after two months of restrictions due to coronavirus. This is reported by Xinhua. Passenger and cargo flights were restored through airports in Hubei. The airports in Wuhan are still closed. Xu Zuoqiang, chairman and general manager of the Three Gorges Airport, said that before the resumption of flights, the airport had carried out comprehensive disinfection and organized staff training for epidemic control and prevention. The airport has newly installed thermal imaging equipment for mass body temperature checks on people in the departure and arrival halls. Isolation areas have also been prepared to quarantine people tested with fever. Note that the city of Wuhan since January 23 this year has been actually isolated from the outside world due to an outbreak of coronavirus. For the first time, coronavirus infection was recorded in the Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of 2019. March 11, WHO announced a pandemic. As of 18:00 on March 29, 684,652 cases of coronavirus were recorded in the world. Of these, more than 32 000 people died, and 145 706 people recovered. Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish has allegedly crashed his 70,000 car after being at a party in the early hours over the weekend - shortly after warning people to 'stay at home' during the coronavirus crisis. Mystery surrounds the midfielder as police investigated reports of a Range Rover crashing into parked cars in a Birmingham suburb. Images emerged on social media on Sunday of a white Range Rover, as well as a separate picture of a man resembling Grealish apparently in conversation with another person. The person in question is wearing odd footwear - with one slipper and one slider. It is not clear when the pictures were taken. A spokesman for West Midlands Police said the vehicle crashed into two stationary cars, adding that they would like to speak to the driver. The incident happened just hours after Grealish, who has almost 290,000 Twitter followers, posted a video urging them to 'Protect the NHS. Stay home. Save lives,' during the coronavirus that has placed the country in lockdown. The white Range Rover was pictured damaged after reports of a crash with parked cars An image of a man resembling Jack Grealish, wearing odd footwear, circulated on social media, claiming he was near the incident A witness has told Sportsmail that Grealish was the man at the scene, accompanied by retired footballer Tony Capaldi, adding that he was seen leaving a building where former Villa team-mate Ross McCormack owns a luxury flat. Midfielder Grealish has previously been seen arriving at the Aston Villa training ground in a similar white Range Rover. The 4x4 is claimed to have reversed from a designated parking bay, across a road and hit a parked silver van. The van reportedly has a dented bumper and smashed rear lights. Witnesses claimed to The Sun that the car then drove 200 yards, veering on to the pavement and hitting a 30,000 silver C-Class Mercedes, as well as a 20,000 blue Mercedes. The Range Rover also crashed into iron railings in front of an estate agency. It was parked on double yellows in front of apartments with pictures showing damage to the rear of the vehicle. Grealish is said to have boasted to motorists he would pay for the damage before leaving details with a resident and walking away before police arrived. A neighbour said: 'The party had been going on all night. It was unbearable. The noise had only stopped a short while when, just after 8am, there were a series of almighty collisions which reverberated through the flats. 'Outside, Jack Grealish was stood next to his car rowing with a security guard. It was strange to see an England ace looking so unkempt and dishevelled. He looked unsteady and confused.' Grealish and McCormack were both unavailable for comment. West Midlands Police said: 'We were called to Waterside, Dickens Heath, just before 10am to reports that a Range Rover had crashed into two parked cars in the street,' the statement read. Grealish is the club captain of Aston Villa and has been with his boyhood club since 2001 'The driver left his details with a member of the public at the scene before leaving on foot, and will be spoken to by police in due course. 'Minor damage was caused to the parked vehicles. Officers are investigating the circumstances and anyone with information has been asked to get in touch.' Current government advice during the coronavirus crisis states that citizens should leave their homes only to shop for basic necessities, to exercise once a day, for any medical need, or travelling to work if they cannot work from home. On Saturday, Grealish appeared to echo that advice as he posted a video for his Twitter followers pleading with them to stay at home. 'To help save lives, you must stay at home,' he said. The 24-year-old has established himself as a key man for Villa and is currently club captain 'Only leave your house to buy food, buy medicine or for exercise and always remember to stay at least two metres apart. This is urgent. Protect the NHS. Stay home. Save lives.' As with the rest of the Premier League, Villa's players are currently following fitness programmes at home, with their Bodymoor Heath training ground closed. Grealish, who earns around 45,000 a week at Villa Park, joined his boyhood club at the age of six and has worked his way up the ranks to become a key player for the Midlands outfit. The 24-year-old has heavily been linked with a move away from the club in recent season due to his impressive performances in midfield - coming close to joining Tottenham last season, although the move failed to come to fruition. Since making his breakthrough in the 2013-14 season, he has gone on to play 176 times, scoring 24 goals and providing 22 assists. Grealish has never featured for the England senior side but has played seven times for the U21 team. He has played in two cup finals for Villa, starting in both the FA Cup final in 2014-15 and the Carabao Cup final this season. The Bureau of Prisons says the first federal inmate in the US has died after contracting coronavirus. Officials tell The Associated Press that the man died Saturday. He had been housed at FCI Oakdale I, a low-security prison in Louisiana. The Bureau of Prisons has said five inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 at the Louisiana prison complex. Attorney General William Barr said earlier this week that one of the inmates had been hospitalized after showing coronavirus symptoms, including having a fever. He said on Thursday that the man had "significant pre-existing conditions" and was in critical condition. Advocates and correction officers have been calling for reforms to head off a potential outbreak in the federal prison system. So far, 14 inmates and 13 staff members have tested positive. Health officials have been warning for more than a decade about the dangers of epidemics in jails and prisons. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Crime (Photo : Image by Klaus Hausmann from Pixabay ) Image by Klaus Hausmann from Pixabay Advertisement Amid massive shutdowns, the global outbreak of COVID-19 continues to have accidentally positive impacts.In recent days, major American cities like New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles have reported significant drops in crime rates. Following an initial spike the previous week, New York City, one of the hardest-hit cities in the world, reported a 17% drop in all crime from March 16-22. This included double-digit falls in major offenses likes rape and grand larceny. Strikingly, only one homicide was reported. In Chicago, the crime rate had increased throughout January, February and March. Now, as coronavirus takes its toll, the Chicago Tribune recently reported a 17% drop in major crimes between March 16-22 compared to the previous week and a 19% drop from the same period last year. The city also reported only two homicides since March 18. However, Chicago officials would not confirm the drop was due to the pandemic. "We've had a difficult first two months of the year, January and February, with gun violence, homicide and shootings," interim police Superintendent Charlie Beck said in a statement. "This month we have seen that decline, and I think it's way too soon to ascribe it to any one particular thing, but we have seen a declination." Similarly, Los Angeles has seen a steep month-to-month drop in major crimes. The Los Angeles Police Department reported that crimes like theft and burglary, in particular, had dropped 18% between Feb. 23 to March 21. Violent offenses are down 14% as of March 25 compared to the same time last year. "Suspects for the most part are opportunists and they are looking at those locations, looking for that activity and looking for that victim," said LAPD Assistant Chief Robert Arcos. "When you remove those things from that equation, it's not surprising to start to see these types of decreases." Shutdowns from the coronavirus have also had a positive impact on climate change, with drastic reductions in the use of fossil fuels. According to reports, carbon emissions have dropped by an estimated 25% in China. KERALA Holy Week celebrations to be livestreamed in view of lockdown Kochi: The liturgical celebrations of the Holy Week from April 5 would be low-key and held without the presence of the faithful and would be livestreamed in view of the lockdown as part of measures to prevent spread of coronavirus, the Syro-Malabar Church has said. Women's panel to offer tele-counselling in the time of coronavirus Thiruvananthapuram: Women, suffering from mental stress and strain in the time of coronavirus outbreak and lockdown, now have an indoor remedy to get relief, thanks to the tele-counselling initiative of the Kerala Women's Commission (KWC). NRI under home quarantine in Kannur dies of heart attack Kannur: A non-resident Keralite (NRK) under home quarantine here since he returned from Sharjah recently died on Sunday, officials said. Hundreds of migrant workers hit streets in Kerala seeking transportation to native places Kottayam: Seeking transportation to travel to their native places, hundreds of migrant workers on Sunday hit the streets near Changanassery violating the 21-day lockdown announced by the government to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus. Two men in Kerala commit suicide for not getting liquor Thrissur/Alappuzha: Frustrated at not being able to get liquor due to the lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus, two men ended their lives in different parts of Kerala, police said on Sunday. KARNATAKA Karnataka CM apprises Oppn leaders about steps to contain coronavirus in state Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Sunday convened an all-party meeting and apprised the Opposition leaders about the measures taken by the government to contain the coronavirus in the state. Bengaluru municipal corporation opens 31 fever clinics Bengaluru: The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, the metropolitan municipal corporation of Bengaluru on Sunday started 31 fever clinics in Bengaluru. Working on a war-footing, the BBMP set up these clinics a day after announcing the launch of these hospitals. TELANGANA Telangana records first Covid death Hyderabad: The government on Saturday reported the states first death related to the coronavirus, that of a 74-year-old man who passed away late last week. Tests on samples collected from his body showed him to have been coronavirus Covid-19 positive. ANDHRA PRADESH Andhra's Chittoor defy lockdown as market timings extend to avoid mass gathering Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh: People of Srikalahasti town have started defying lockdown rules after the government increased the timings of vegetable markets till 1 PM. At first, the markets were allowed from 6 AM to 9 AM only. But from March 26, timings were extended and markers are decentralised with a view to reduce the mass gatherings of people. TAMIL NADU Over 15000 people booked in Tamil Nadu for violating lockdown rules Chennai: The Tamil Nadu police on Sunday said it has booked 15,610 cases for violations relating to the Section 144 Cr Pc in force in the state as part of the 21-day lockdown to contain spread of coronavirus.According to police, total number of cases for violations of lockdown rules was 15,610 and the total First Information Reports registered was 14,815. Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts has cancelled IHGF-Delhi Fair, which was scheduled to be held in April, in view of the coronavirus outbreak, Textiles Ministry said on Sunday. Director General of EPCH, Rakesh Kumar said as the nation is in a state of lockdown, it has become unviable to organise a show of such magnitude in near future. The fair, which was slated to be held from 15-19 April, was postponed on expectations that the situation would improve and it could be organised sometime in June or July. Over 10,000 visitors, including 7,000 overseas buyers and their representatives, were expected to turn up for the show, which was to host over 3,200 exhibitors, displaying handicrafts from across the country. "Handicraft being a cluster based activity, the exports from major craft clusters like Moradabad, Saharanpur, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Agra, Narsapur, Firozabad, North-eastern region and many others is going to be affected with the cancellation of this fair," the ministry said. However, the next edition of the IHGF-Delhi Fair to be held in Autumn will be organised as per schedule from 14-18 October 2020 in Greater Noida. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As the Coronavirus pandemic has gripped the entire world with over 30,800 deaths reported across the globe, Spain's Princess Maria Teresa of Bourbon-Parma has become the first royal to succumb from the novel coronavirus. 86-year-old Teresa was a cousin of Spains King Felipe VI and died after contracting COVID-19. Taking to social media platform Facebook, her brother, Prince Sixto Enrique de Borbon, the Duke of Aranjuez, posted about Teresa's passing away. On this afternoon our sister Maria Teresa de Borbon Parma and Borbon Busset, victim of the coronavirus COVID-19, died in Paris at the age of eighty-six, the post reads. READ | Prince Charles Did Not Jump Queue For Coronavirus Test, Clarifies UK READ | COVID-19 Positive Prince Charles Met Queen Elizabeth On March 12: Reports That the deadly virus doesn't differentiate between the rich and poor or on the basis of political affiliation or religion was thrown into sharp relief on March 25 as the Clarence House in a statement confirmed that the 71-year-old UK royal Prince Charles had been diagnosed with the COVID-19 disease. "The Prince of Wales has tested positive for coronavirus. He has been displaying mild symptoms but otherwise remains in good health and has been working from home throughout the last few days, as usual," said the statement. "The Duchess of Cornwall has also been tested but does not have the virus. In accordance with government and medical advice, the Prince and the Duchess are now self-isolating at home in Scotland," it added. Besides the royal prince of Britain, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday that he has tested positive for Coronavirus after experiencing mild symptoms and is now self-isolating at 10 Downing Street in line with the medical advice. READ | UK's Coronavirus Cases Spike Again, Even As PM Boris Johnson Tests Positive READ | UK PM Boris Johnson Tests Positive For COVID-19, B-Town Celebs Wish Him Speedy Recovery World stares puzzled at Coronavirus The spread of the pandemic across the world has sent a majority of the countries to jitters with countries such as the US, China, Italy, France, South Korea, among other developed nations have been badly hit by the virus. The infected cases and the death toll in these countries is maximum as compared to others despite having advanced health care systems. The US has become the epicentre of the deadly Covid-19 virus surpassing Italy with over 1,20,000 Covid-19 positive cases and total deaths in the country surging over 2,000. The deadly Coronavirus that originated from China in December 2019 has spread across 197 countries in the world. Presently, there are nearly 6,60,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 which has led to the death of over 30,600 people globally. As there is no vaccine or specific antiviral medicine to treat COVID-19, countries have been grappling with all possible mechanisms to contain its scope. A power struggle between South Jersey Democratic Party leaders and progressives disrupted the virtual Ocean County Democratic Convention on Sunday, when county Chairman Wyatt Earp decided delegates would not vote on whom to back to run against U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-2nd. The decision has led some Democrats to call for the resignation of Earp, who did not immediately respond Monday to a request for comment. In CD2, due to issues raised by the Kennedy campaign and several committee members and to avoid potential litigation and division with our organization, the party line will not be awarded to any congressional candidate in Congressional District 2, said Ocean County Democratic Vice Chair Kathy Russell in an email to all candidates about how the online convention would be handled. The party line gives the winner of the convention the right to have his/her name on the ballot under the official Democratic logo with incumbents like U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, officials said. Rajiv Parikh, the attorney for candidate Amy Kennedy, of Brigantine, had objected to how the county organization had added last-minute voters by creating new committees that never met and had no members other than voting chairpeople. United Democratic Front (UDF) MP Adoor Prakash has urged Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to provide insurance coverage to police personnel and revenue employees in the country who are also in the highest risk of illness in wake of coronavirus pandemic. In a letter to Sitharaman, Prakash appreciated the Centre's decision to allocate Rs 1.75 lakh crore financial package and insurance cover of Rs 50 lakh per person for frontline health workers to fight coronavirus pandemic. He then appealed the government to provide insurance cover to police personnel and revenue employees as they are also exposed to the risk of COVID-19."The police personnel and revenue employees in the country who are also in the highest risk of illness in the present situation definitely deserve insurance coverage," he said. "The police personnel deployed to enforce shutdown have to be on the street throughout their duty. They are exposed to a large number of people everyday without adequate protective equipment. Similar is the case of employees of the revenue department engaged in COVID-19 preventive and relief measures," the MP added. He urged Sitaraman to consider his demand for inclusion of police personnel and revenue employees under risk insurance against coronavirus pandemic. "I request you to kindly consider this demand and extend the insurance coverage for those working in the police force and revenue department," Prakash said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Employees are being temperature scanned as they enter the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Read more Philadelphians lives continue to be disrupted and upended due to the coronavirus and will be for who knows how long. In particular, local restaurants and bars are fighting tooth and nail to remain in operation and stay afloat during these troubling times. We spoke with Inquirer food reporter Jenn Ladd to learn how restaurants are pivoting their businesses to still serve hungry families, and how you can help support a major staple of Phillys culture. Tauhid Chappell (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com) The week ahead This weeks most popular stories Behind the story with Jenn Ladd Each week we go behind the scenes with one of our reporters or editors to discuss their work and the challenges they face along the way. This week we chat with Jenn Ladd, who has been covering how food workers and restaurants have been handling the coronavirus pandemic. Could you provide a brief timeline of events of how the Philly food community has been responding to COVID-19? It didnt begin with a sudden shutdown, but a slowing of foot traffic and visitors, correct? The last weekend I recall feeling normal was March 6, which was in fact when the first presumed positive cases were announced in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Business started to taper off the following week, but it changed day-to-day. At the start of the week, some restaurants reported traffic as usual, but it grew increasingly clear that social distancing was setting in without governmental enforcement. (Real-life example: I only had to wait 45 minutes for a table at Palizzi Social Club on a Saturday night.) Of course, there were still some packed bars and clubs that mid-March weekend, which effectively served as St. Patricks Day. The city and state shutdown orders came on Monday, March 16 only two weeks ago, if you can believe it. Thats when restaurants and bars had to decide whether to close completely or try to eke it out with pickup and delivery services. Whats been the biggest need from the Philly food community? It would depend on how you define Phillys food community. Restaurants profit margins are notoriously thin, so business owners will need leniency and cash (and possibly good insurance policies), and if theyre doing takeout and delivery, regular customer support to cover reduced operating costs. Mike Klein lays a lot of this out here. Then there are all the workers in the industry many laid off, a few working reduced hours who need to pay for rent, health care, their kids, etc. Theyll also need leniency and cash, and hopefully a job to come back to. But its hard to say what the restaurant landscape will look like when we emerge from lockdown. Looking beyond that, restaurant suppliers from big East Coast distributors to Lancaster farms are hurting because their clients arent ordering in the same quantities. Many are starting to offer their services to the general public, which is kind of interesting to me as a home cook. And besides money and consumer support, probably everyone could use some mental health services right now. How have restaurants and organizations shifted their outreach and distribution amid a shutdown? I cant think of a time when social media was more important in communicating the basic functionality of a restaurant its a lot easier to update your Instagram than your website. From what Ive found, Instagram and Facebook are the best ways to check on what your favorite places are doing, whether theyre offering takeout, asking for your signature on a petition, or donating meals to others. One of your stories mentioned an abundance of food thats at risk of going to waste. What are restaurants doing to address this? A lot of the restaurants and other organizations that shut down donated (and continue to donate) to food banks like Philabundance and Share Food Program. That has its own logistical hurdle, as volunteers are needed to collect, consolidate, and distribute the food. Besides that, there are also some restaurants that offered to take food from their colleagues to give out to service industry workers or anyone in need. Other restaurants are cooking meals for health-care workers. And then there are some places that decided to cook and deliver meals for their neighbors in need. What are some ways residents can continue to support restaurants? Ill assume that most of our astute readers have heard that gift cards act as micro-loans for restaurants, and most places that are closed completely are offering them. Theres also the option of buying merchandise if you dont feel comfortable buying a gift card for a place that might not reopen. There are a ton of GoFundMes (some sanctioned, some not) and other fund-raisers going on right now, and there are also a lot of petitions and calls to action circulating. It can be hard to know where to put your time and your money, to know who its going to and how it will be spent. Personally, Im ordering takeout and other locally produced goods (bread, pastries, booze) at least a few times a week. What do you foresee being the biggest need from the food community as the shutdown continues? Legislators and the government will need to step in. Well also see if the interruptions in business are covered by restaurants insurance policies, especially if theres an end to the allowance of takeout and delivery (though theres still no evidence that food has contributed to the spread of coronavirus). What useful links or organizations can you recommend that can help community members support local restaurants? This Google spreadsheet thats been circulating is one of the most robust listings of restaurants doing takeout and delivery (thanks to the reader who sent it my way). A lot of the official fund-raisers are corralled on Philly Restaurant Relief. Theres the Philly Restaurant Server Relief Fund, which my colleagues Katie Park and Juliana Feliciano Reyes wrote about last week. Theres also a GoFundMe thats buying lunches for local hospital workers (and thereby supporting local restaurants in the process). Of course, I encourage everyone to vet whatever organization theyre considering donating to so you can make sure its credible. You can stay in touch with Jenn on Twitter at @jrladd or by email at jladd@inquirer.com. Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly Were looking for your recipes while were staying indoors. Let us know what youre cooking by tagging @phillyinquirer on Instagram! Tag your Instagram posts or tweets with #OurPhilly and well pick our favorite each day to feature in this newsletter and give you a shout-out! #CuriousPhilly: Have a question about your community? Ask us! Have you submitted a question to Curious Philly yet? Try us. Were listening to our readers and doing our best to find answers to the things youre curious about. What were Comment of the week Coronavirus doesnt discriminate on the basis of race, sex, political affiliation or social status. But minorities historically have been underserved in the medical field. Its very important that everyone have access to quality healthcare during this difficult time. So I appreciate Jenice Armstrongs column. It reminds folks to listen to health officials & access healthcare if need be. tim smith on I need people to see this is real: N.J. hair salon owner cautions public after testing positive for coronavirus | Jenice Armstrong Your Daily Dose of | The UpSide From the archives: When art brightened the day for some pediatric patients in New Jersey. Maksym Stepanov is being considered as a nominee for the health minister's post. Member of Parliament from the European Solidarity parliamentary faction Iryna Gerashchenko has announced the resignation of Health Minister Illia Yemets and Finance Minister Ihor Umansky. "[Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky's second government has set a minister reshuffle speed record. The ministers of finance and health have worked for a month and have already resigned amid the coronavirus [crisis]," she said on Facebook on Sunday evening. Read alsoNames of new Ukraine ministers to be approved by Rada next week leaked to the press According to her, parliament leaders were then meeting with Olha Buslavets, who is seeking the energy minister's post; Serhiy Marchenko, a would-be finance minister; and possible healthcare minister Maksym Stepanov. As UNIAN reported earlier, lawmakers are scheduled to gather for a special meeting next week to decide on the appointment of the ministers of energy, finance, and healthcare. Sunday, March 29th, 2020 (9:39 am) - Score 3,441 The British-registered space company OneWeb, which had been in the process of launching a mega constellation of compact Low Earth Orbit (LEO) ultrafast broadband satellites, has officially filed for voluntary relief under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in the USA. But finding a buyer in this climate may present some challenges. OneWeb, much like SpaceX, was in the process of building a mega-constellation of 648 satellites (74 have already launched) in order to achieve full global coverage by the end of 2021. The low altitude of these LEO platforms offered significantly lower latency, while fibre-line broadband ISP speeds were anticipated for end-users (last years test hit speeds of 400Mbps and an average latency of 32ms). Naturally a company like this tends to suck up a massive amount of money during the execution phase of their system deployment (theyve already had c.$3bn from SoftBank alone), which is something that OneWeb have been grappling with since long before COVID-19 (Coronavirus) grew to become a global issue. As a result of the above, and the worsening COVID-19 situation, OneWeb only recently confirmed that they had been forced to dynamically adjust our workforce (i.e. sacked about 10% of it) and that unfortunately, we think it is inevitable that there will be delays to our launch schedule and satellite manufacturing due to increasing travel restrictions and the disruption of supply chains. The expectation was that the company may now be left with no good options, which would force it to file for bankruptcy protection as a way of dealing with the current pressure on its funding. As expected, OneWeb has now done this (here), which means theyll need to find a buyer. Adrian Steckel, CEO of OneWeb, said: OneWeb has been building a truly global communications network to provide high-speed low latency broadband everywhere. Our current situation is a consequence of the economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis. We remain convinced of the social and economic value of our mission to connect everyone everywhere. Today is a difficult day for us at OneWeb. So many people have dedicated so much energy, effort, and passion to this company and our mission. Our hope is that this process will allow us to carve a path forward that leads to the completion of our mission, building on the years of effort and the billions of invested capital. It is with a very heavy heart that we have been forced to reduce our workforce and enter the Chapter 11 process while the Companys remaining employees are focused on responsibly managing our nascent constellation and working with the Court and investors. Naturally now is not the best time for a company like OneWeb to be hunting for a buyer, although it might not yet be a totally lost cause, particularly if their claims of having attracted significant early global demand from governments and leaders in the automotive, maritime, enterprise, and aviation industries are more than just overly inflated words. On top of that a number of rivals, excluding SpaceX (theyre already well into the deployment phase), have said they plan to launch similar constellations in the near future (Amazon, Facebook etc.). As a result the acquisition of OneWeb could potentially offer one of their rivals a fast-track toward an earlier than expected commercial network deployment, provided any compatibility issues between different plans and platforms can be resolved (not easy but not impossible). At the same time its possible that OneWeb may be unable to find a buyer and would go out of business, which raises a question about what to do with the 74 satellites theyve already launched (as well as quite a few ground stations). All of their satellites are designed with a short lifespan and after that they will de-orbit (either automatically or, if that fails, then gravity will pull them down within 1-5 years). In the event of a total collapse then the UK Government holds ultimate responsibility for their satellites, as well as liability should they be involved in a collision. The attraction may thus gravitate towards ordering de-orbit. Profit Soars in Four Major Segments, with Double Profit in Institutional Services and Trading Segment HONG KONG, Mar 28, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - Shenwan Hongyuan Group Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Shenwan Hongyuan" or the "Company"; stock code: 6806.HK; 000166.SZ) announced its annual results for the 12 months ended 31 December 2019 (the "Reporting Period"). During the Reporting Period, the Company achieved total revenue and other income of RMB24.593 billion, up 60.98% YOY; profit before income tax of RMB6.927 billion, increasing 33.54% YOY; profit attributable to the shareholders of the Company for the period of RMB5.735 billion, a YOY increase of 37.86%; basic earnings per share of RMB 0.24, 26.32% higher than in 2018; 7.41% in its weighted average return on net assets ratio, rising by 1.22 percentage points YOY. Benefiting from a market rebound and accurate strategy transformation, the Company's four major business segments including enterprise finance, personal finance, institutional services and trading, and investment management all recorded steady growth and further increased market shares. Among them, revenue from the Company's enterprise finance segment increased 24.93% YOY to RMB2.293 billion; personal finance grew 11.70% to RMB7.234 billion; institutional services and trading surged by 142.65% to RMB13.399 billion; and investment management rose by 15.46% to RMB1.667 billion. Enterprise finance business: Seize market opportunities, participate in the STAR Market, and steadily expand the scope of business In 2019, the Company's investment banking arm fully participated in the construction of the STAR Market, developed a full range of fixed income financing businesses and continued to increased efforts in the development of new projects to increase project reserves. During the Reporting Period, the Company completed 13 equity financing projects (including 3 IPOs and 10 refinancing projects) with a financing amount of RMB13.879 billion. In particular, "Anji Technology", was responsible for sponsoring and undertaking, was one of the first batch of enterprises listed in the STAR Market; six M&A and restructuring transactions were approved by the M&A and restructuring committee of the CSRC, ranking fifth in the industry, up by 13 in ranking as compared with the last year; 79 enterprise and corporate bond projects, and 493 local government bond projects with an underwriting amount of RMB87 billion, the Company was rated as an outstanding lead underwriter of corporate bonds by the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. Personal finance business: Actively capture market opportunities, introduce the assets of major clients, and promote institutional transformation for clients In 2019, the overall capital market rebounded and saw vigorous trading. As of the end of the Reporting Period, client securities under the custody of the Company amounted to RMB3.20 trillion, representing a year-on-year increase of 33.67% and a market share of 7.18%, ranking among the top in the industry. At the end of the period, the brokerage business had nearly 7.271 million retail customers, representing an increase of 11.04% as compared with the end of the previous year. The new securities accounts opened by companies reached approximately 710,800, representing an increase of 118.71% over the same period of last year. The monthly active users of Big Winner APP reaching 1,120,000. The Company's future business line, daily average customer equity and total customer equity peaked at record highs. Shenwan Futures had been awarded the highest Class A Grade AA rating in the classified evaluation of futures companies by the CSRC for six consecutive years, and it had also been granted approximately 40 awards and honours by the financial industry, government authorities, exchanges, mainstream media, etc.; Hongyuan Futures further strengthened its business layout, further developed its new business, and applied for qualifications for fund sales business. Breakthroughs to varying degrees were achieved in terms of basis trading business, market making business, and options business. During the Reporting Period, by fully leveraging on the position as one of the first batch of qualified brokers for securities refinancing business in the STAR Market, the Company accelerated institutional transformation of clients through capturing market trends and expanding the source of securities, with RMB51.71 billion in ending balance and a market share rate of 5.05% at the end of 2019. The Company's stock-backed lending business actively responded to change in the market environment, and further strengthened its project risk management. As of the end of the Reporting Period, the Company's stock-backed lending business has had a balance of RMB24.488 billion, decreasing by 43.94% over the end of the previous year. The collateral coverage ratio of stock-backed lending contracts was 243.63% on average. The sales of financial product business line of the Company devoted great efforts to both the mutual funds and private equity funds. During the Reporting Period, the Company's total sales of its own financial products and third-party products reached RMB63.899 billion and RMB46.594 billion respectively. Institutional services and trading business: Strengthen research input and the building of sales and service capabilities, as well as continuously enriching product portfolio During the Reporting Period, the Company's institutional services and trading business recorded total revenue and other income of RMB13,399 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 142.65%. Among them, revenue generated from units leasing amounted to RMB422 million, representing an increase of 3.97% over the end of the previous year" and the market share of income from units leasing was 4.2034%, maintaining in the top rank in the industry; as for the PB System business, the Company standardised the development of PB trading system to achieve full-market and full-variety coverage. As of the end of 2019, there were 487 PB System customers with a total scale of RMB114.1 billion; the fund operation outsourcing service of the Company had passed the ISAE3402 international certification for two consecutive years; the Company obtained the qualification for custody of securities investment funds. The Company's research and consultation business line continuously improved in research quality and market influence. In 2019, SWS Research held more than 40 quality conferences and won the first place of "Local Gold Medal Research Team", 23 individual research awards in the" 13th Crystal Ball Awards For Chinese Sell-Side Analysts", the 4th place of the "The Most Influential Research Institutions", and individual awards in 10 research fields in the "17th Best Analyst". The Company's FICC business line closely followed the development of the market, with the investment return far exceeding the average return of the open bond fund, and profit contribution once again reaching a record high; with its gradually improving business layout, the Company acquired the qualifications for treasury bonds futures market-making business and main market maker for listed funds, as well as qualifications to quote in the "Bond Connect". The Company continued to promote its equity sales and trading business, resulting in steady increase in its overall profitability. Furthermore, the Company vigorously developed market-making business and obtained a number of important business qualifications including the main market maker of the Shanghai and Shenzhen 300ETF options from the Shanghai Stock Exchange, the main market maker of the Shanghai and Shenzhen 300ETF options from the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, the market maker of stock index options of the Shanghai and Shenzhen 300 index from China Financial Futures Exchange and the market maker of commodity options (PTA, methanol) from Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange. The Company continuously enriched the product lines of its derivatives business and strengthen its customer stickiness. According to the Securities Association of China, during the Reporting Period, the Company's market share of OTC derivatives business stood at 12.3%, ranking among the top five in the industry in respect of cumulative scale. Investment management business: Combine internal and external resources to provide diverse asset allocation plans The investment management business of the Company consists of asset management, mutual fund management and private equity fund management. During the Reporting Period, the Company's investment management business segment recorded total revenue and other income of RMB1,667 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 15.46%. Net income from the Company's asset management business showed relatively rapid growth in spite of adversity, ranked 5th in the industry, climbing one place from previous year; income structure was further optimised, with revenue from the active management business constituting 86% of total revenue, up 11 percentage points YOY. The Company carries out the mutual fund management business principally through its controlled subsidiary SWS MU and its invested company Fullgoal Fund. As of the end of the Reporting Period, the scale of assets under its management was RMB76.2 billion, representing an increase of 46% from the end of the previous year. The scale of mutual funds under Fullgoal Fund's management was RMB339.059 billion, representing an increase of over 70% over the end of the last year. The Company maintained excellent overall investment performance in various major categories of products such as active equity, quantitative index and fixed income. The Company carries out the private equity fund management business principally through Shenwan Hongyuan Industrial Investment, Hongyuan Huifu and Shenyin & Wanguo Investment. Relying on the capital market, the Company vigorously developed the private equity fund business and strengthened cooperation with key provinces and relevant listed groups, large state-owned enterprises, etc., to comprehensively serve the development of the real economy and industrial transformation and upgrades. Outlook: Implement the "principal investment + investment banking" strategy to ensure the Company's healthy and continuous development As the multi-layered capital system gradually improves and various measures to open the financial industry are continuously launched, the securities sector faces new development opportunities from increasing industry consolidation. Shenwan Hongyuan will follow the trend and has set a strategic goal to "become a financial service provider which relies on the capital market, focuses on securities businesses, and is featured by "principal investment + investment banking", serving the general public, supporting solid economic development and optimising resources allocation. In respect of the tasks for fully implementing the strategy of "principal investment + investment banking", the Company will expedite its resource layouts, continuously improve its competitiveness and profitability, enhance its team and capability building, and perfect its internal control and risk management system, so as to ensure the Company's continuous, healthy development. Meanwhile, the Company will also actively respond to the negative impact of the novel coronavirus epidemic on its various businesses, adhere to "strong efforts on both aspects" of epidemic prevention and operation, and join hands with the Chinese to win this people's war, general war and blockade against the pandemic in a determined way. About Shenwan Hongyuan Group Co., Ltd. Shenwan Hongyuan Group Co., Ltd. is a leading investment holding group focused on securities businesses in China. Shenwan Hongyuan Group is committed to providing diverse financial products and services to clients. In January 2015, Shenwan Hongyuan Group emerged from the merger between Shenyin & Wanguo Securities and Hong Yuan Securities, which was the largest merger in the PRC securities industry at that time according to Dealogic, forming the corporate structure by "an investment parent company, Shenwan Hongyuan Group, and a subsidiary securities firm, Shenwan Hongyuan Securities", and it listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. In April 2019, Shenwan Hongyuan Group issued H shares and was successfully listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de Counterintuitively, these shutdowns also help the economy. A fascinating new study, from researchers at the Fed and M.I.T., has analyzed the social-distancing policies that various American cities enacted during the 1918 flu pandemic. Some cities, like Los Angeles, Seattle, Minneapolis and Cleveland, closed schools and banned public gatherings earlier and for longer periods. Others, like San Francisco, Philadelphia and St. Paul, Minn., were less aggressive. The first group of cities suffered fewer deaths and also enjoyed higher average employment and manufacturing output, as well as stronger bank balance sheets, in the following year. The title of the paper by Sergio Correia, Stephan Luck and Emil Verner says it all: Pandemics Depress the Economy, Public Health Interventions Do Not. The economic costs are still severe. Today, the most effective response would probably be a two-month national shutdown, accompanied by a modestly larger stimulus bill than Congress just passed, both to pay many Americans salaries and to bolster the health care system. When the two months were over, healthy people could go back to work, and any new cases could be quickly isolated. That second phase would be similar to the strategy in Singapore and Taiwan. Had Trump taken this approach in late February, a full month after the first American fell ill, he could have vastly reduced the human and economic toll. Even if he took it now, he could probably get the country functioning close to normally by early summer. Instead, he is talking about normalcy by April and making it likely that things will still be abnormal in July. What explains his response? Trump lives in the moment. He is impetuous. He is like a day trader, not a long-term investor. A shutdown sounds miserable to him. He doesnt have much respect for scientists and their data, but he does pay close attention to his poll numbers. And theyre rising (along with, its worth noting, the approval rating of other world leaders). Trumps approach seems to be working, for now. I cant tell you exactly what the future will bring, especially during a crisis unlike any the world has confronted in a century. Its possible that Trump could somehow luck out and the virus will end up being less gruesome for all of us. But thats not the likely outcome. And nobody should forget that he is choosing a path that endangers lives and jobs mostly because it feels better to him in the moment. (Bloomberg) -- Russian oil giant Rosneft PJSC sold its assets in Venezuela to the Russian government, in what may be a maneuver to avoid any U.S. sanctions in an escalating fight between Caracas, Washington and Moscow. Rosneft is selling local production, service and trading assets to a state-owned company, it said in a statement. The move is to protect shareholders interests, according to company spokesman Mikhail Leontyev. The U.S. slapped sanctions on two units of Rosneft earlier this year for operating in Venezuela, stopping short of sanctioning the listed parent company. President Donald Trump is trying to oust Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who is clinging to power in the oil-rich but increasingly impoverished nation. The fight over Venezuela fits into a much larger geopolitical battle between Trump and Vladimir Putin, with both turning to oil as the weapon of choice. Russias decision to all but abandon the OPEC+ alliance earlier this month was seen as part of its strategy to weaken the U.S. shale industry. That move in turn prompted Saudi Arabia to launch a price war, which has pushed crude to about $20 a barrel, threatening U.S. shale producers, as well as the budgets of oil-producing states. It was unclear from Rosnefts statement what will happen to the business in Venezuela. Rosnefts Leontyev said the company has left the country and declined to comment on whether Rosneft may offer its expertise to the new owner. The Kremlin didnt respond to a request for comment. But Russias ambassador to Venezuela, Sergey Melik-Magdasarov, indicated on Twitter that the new owners would continue business as usual. Dont worry! This is about Rosnefts assets being transferred to Russias government directly. We keep moving forward together! he said, in a message that also posted on the embassy website. The move also prompted speculation that it could herald a shift in the various power plays, particularly in the context of the oil-price war. The U.S. has tried to get Saudi Arabia to show restraint -- so far without success. Even as the oil market breaks under the twin pressures of a massive demand slump and glut of extra production, both Saudi Arabia and Russia are digging in. Story continues Assets for Shares The sale may serve two goals for Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin, according to Konstantin Simonov, head of the National Energy Security Fund think tank in Moscow: To avoid further U.S. sanctions and to cut costs, as Rosneft leaves Venezuela. Russia leaves Venezuela and Sechin transfers his losses to the Russian state, he said. A company representative said that after its exit from Venezuela, Rosneft has the right to expect the U.S. to fulfill its promises. The U.S. has said sanctions need not be permanent and are intended to change behavior. The U. S. will consider lifting sanctions for those who take concrete, meaningful, and verifiable actions to support democratic order in Venezuela. Russia controls Rosneft with just over 50% of its shares. BP Plc is the second-largest shareholder with 19.8%, and Qatars QH Oil Investments owns 18.9%. As part of the transaction, Rosneft will receive a 9.6% share of its own equity capital. Those shares will be held by a 100% subsidiary of Rosneft as treasury stock. Rosneft shareholders will decide what to do with the shares, Leontyev said. Its not yet clear if Russias control is materially affected. Debt Deals In addition to joint ventures with Rosneft, Venezuelas oil producer PDVSA was supplying crude to the Russian company under prepayment deals. By the end of third quarter PDVSA reduced its debt principal to Rosneft to $800 million. Rosneft didnt disclose the remaining debt in its fourth-quarter report, but earlier this year Otabek Karimov, vice president for commerce and logistics in Rosneft, told investors that PDVSA was making payments as agreed. The assets sold include Rosnefts stakes in local upstream companies Petromonagas, Petroperija, Boqueron, Petromiranda and Petrovictoria, as well as oil-service, commercial and trading units. Rosneft has said its oil trading operations in Venezuela are linked to the oil supply deals it reached with PDVSA before the U.S. introduced wide-scale penalties for companies and individuals operating in Venezuelas oil sector in early 2019. It has said the sanctions are illegal. (adds background and detail throughout) For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. If November conforms to recent elections, Democratic support for Trump is likely to shrink a bit from where it is today. The rise in support among white women without college degrees, if it holds, could be especially significant for the president, as there has been erosion among that group over the past two years. Meanwhile, the president is counting on big turnout in rural areas and this poll underscores the value of that to his standing. An inmate housed at the State Correctional Institution Phoenix has become the first in Pennsylvnaia to test positive for COVID-19, the Department of Corrections announced. The inmate has underlying health conditions, DOC Secretary John Wetzel said in a news release. The inmate is in the prisons infirmary and is isolated from other inmates, Wetzel said. SCI Phoenix, located in Montgomery County, has special isolation rooms in its infirmary to handle cases such as this, according to the DOC statement. All inmates that shared a housing unit with the infected inmate are now under quarantine, according to the DOC. Staff and inmates were given appropriate personal protective equipment and are being instructed to wear them in the affected housing unit. Officials did not identify the inmate with coronavirus. They have traced the inmates interactions with other inmates and employees, and all the affected inmates have been isolated to a specific housing unit. Employees who had contact with the inmate are being monitored for symptoms. DOC spokeswoman Maria Finn said the agency was limited in what information it could release because of the Disease Control and Prevention Act. The DOC is in contact with state health officials, and Wetzel said increased cleaning continues throughout common areas and inmate cells. Inmate advocates have expressed concerns with how the DOC is handling the pandemic, particularly concerning the almost 10 percent of the states inmates that are considered geriatric. While advocates have called for medical furloughs or release of elderly inmates, Wetzel has said needed re-entry procedures and policies would need to be in place first. Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. Read more on PennLive: Canberra, March 29 (IANS) The Australian government on Sunday announced an A$1.1 billion ($678 million) funding package to support the country's most vulnerable amid the coronavirus pandemic. Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Health Minister Greg Hunt announced the package, which includes funding for mental health and domestic violence support, emergency food services and Medicare, Australia's universal healthcare system, reports Xinhua news agency. A total of A$150 million will be spent on domestic, family and sexual violence initiatives after data from Google revealed a 75 per cent uptick in searches related to domestic violence since the government introduced social distancing measures. Telehealth services, which are subsidized by Medicare, will receive a A$669 million funding boost. "We are asking Australians to stay home, particularly older Australians," Morrison said on Sunday morning. "We want to ensure that they can continue to get access to healthcare and health advice and support from General Practitioners, which is why this measure is being put in place." The number of confirmed cases in Australia was 3,809 as of Sunday morning. Health authorities in Queensland and Victoria on Sunday confirmed two more deaths overnight, both of whom were over the age of 75, bringing the national tally to 16. Hunt said on Sunday that the rate of infection has slowed in recent days on account of stricter social distancing rules. The government has also ramped-up its public communications about the virus, launching a smartphone application and official WhatsApp messaging service, which Morrison said would enable it "to talk to Australians in terms of basic health advice". Morrison and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg are expected to announce a third stage of economic stimulus measures, which will include income support measures, in the coming days. --IANS ksk/ Given that Rosneft and the Russian government are effectively the same beast, it seems likely that it was a move to skirt sanctions. The state-linked company said as much, declaring it a move to "defend" the interests of its investors. If true, the idea would be to fob the losses from sanctions -- and the collapse in Venezuelan oil production itself -- and the low global price of oil at $25 a barrel -- and Venezuela's really low $10 price per barrel of its particular crude -- onto the Russian government, socializing the losses, while keeping any profits private. Private, of course, means Russian cronies, such as Putin ally (albeit a cranky one) Igor Sechin, and all his pals and investors eager to get out from under the tough boot of U.S. sanctions. Rosneft is a real working company that tries to make profits. Whatever it was that "bought" the stake has no need to turn profits, it's a no-name government operation, and Russia hasn't told anyone what this state company's name is, which might be helpful for avoiding additional sanctions declarations, too. It's hard to sanction a specific company if you don't know its name. According to Reuters: The change of ownership announced on Saturday means any future U.S. sanctions on Russian-controlled oil operations in Venezuela would target the Russian government directly. Which on the surface, suggests that Vladimir Putin is playing chicken with President Trump. "Come 'n' get me," his move seems to be saying. Which is nonsense, given that Russia in a de facto way controls everything the cash cow Rosneft does, and presumably continues to profit (or at least hold above water in these low-oil-price days). This ought to go over real well back home. Does Putin really think Trump is not going to sanction the entire Russian government? He must. So the sale is a move to defend his position. But if so, he might be making a mistake. Trump's harsh move on Maduro comes right at the time when the global international community was calling upon Trump to lighten sanctions on Venezuela, given the ravages of the coronavirus. Instead of lighten them, Trump surprised them all and turned the screws on Maduro instead, as noted by Venezuelan dissident journalist Germania Rodriguez Poleo (who comes from a long line of journalists detested by Venezuela's dictatorship): Interesting timing given the regime & some factions in the opposition and international community have been using the pandemic to lobby for relaxing of sanctions. This is the US response to that. https://t.co/brzA6hEXKy Germania Rodriguez Poleo (@iamGermania) March 26, 2020 Germania's an entertaining Twitterer to watch, given her scorn for Western "experts" on Venezuela, who always seek to make characters like Putin, Castro and Maduro look reasonable. Yes, of course. Trump, not the regime thats been in power for +20 years, is kneecapping a transition in Venezuela. #FirstWorldLatinAmericanExperts https://t.co/AoMi72GU9K Germania Rodriguez Poleo (@iamGermania) March 27, 2020 The First-World Latin American Experts on their way to defend the Cartel de los Soles. pic.twitter.com/gX4qW8MZKn Germania Rodriguez Poleo (@iamGermania) March 26, 2020 There may well be something very desperate going on here, because Russia is seeking to assure the Maduro regime. According to the Financial Times: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has trumpeted renewed Russian backing for his embattled government, suggesting that the exit of Moscows state-controlled oil company Rosneft to avoid US sanctions will not affect his most important overseas ally. Rosneft said on Saturday it had passed all its assets in Venezuela to a new state-controlled Russian entity after the US Treasury sanctioned its trading arm as part of Washingtons campaign of maximum pressure to oust Mr Maduro and force fresh elections. I received a message from brother president Vladimir Putin, who ratified his integral strategic support for all areas of our [relationship], the Venezuelan president wrote on Twitter. Russias ambassador in Caracas was more direct: Dont worry! Its a transfer of Russian assets in Venezuela to the Russian government directly. We will continue together going forward. Russia has provided a vital lifeline for Mr Maduros government, allowing it to resist US sanctions despite a collapsing economy. The Kremlin has provided political support and weapons sales, while Rosneft has supplied most of the countrys gasoline and helped market Venezuelan crude overseas after regular buyers dried up when US sanctions were imposed. Is this no-name Russia company going to have the same quality of expertise as the Rosneft operation? Probably unlikely. Which means the Russian lifeline to Venezuela is unlikely, too, even as Russia seeks to keep its strategic footprint in Venezuela and officially defend the Venezuelan regime. Putin may well have just been getting out, and trying to keep Rosneft as well as Venezuela afloat, something that can only invite another harsh Trump move. To ascertain how fatal a virus is, we need an accurate picture of how many people have it (the denominator) and how many have died as a result (the numerator), we have neither, but the data is improving and with it some substantial shifts away from the original model, which predicted far more deaths as a result of the Wuhan virus than we are seeing. (Rather like the Zika scare where the claim that virus resulted in natal microcephaly was proven upon examination to be anecdotal and not scientific -- but only after the WHO declared it a pandemic and we spent $1 billion to deal with it.) Early models also could not accurately predict how quickly the virus would spread and what tools could be brought in to limit mortality. As the data comes in, we have reason to be more optimistic that the death rate will be lower, the extreme efforts to control its spread should soon be relaxed, and that efficacious treatments are already underway. (Unfortunately, I can be far less sanguine about the end of Democratic rapaciousness in the face of national emergencies or media disingenuousness.) Early Models: Flaws and Shortcomings Neil Ferguson at Imperial College was the lead author of the first study, which predicted a high mortality rate. He warned that the UK could suffer 500,000 deaths and the U.S. 2.2 million from Wuhan and fanned fears it would overwhelm ICU capacity. This week he said the virus was more quickly transmitted than his first calculations, that the denominator (the number of those who already had it) was far larger and the number seriously affected lower (therefore, less dangerous). He originally indicated the UK would need an 18-month quarantine. This week he says the epidemic there will peak in a couple of weeks. His original model, often exaggerated by the media here with a push from certain Democratic activists, ignored community testing and contact tracing because when it was done, insufficient tests were available. (They are more available here now and as of the end of this week over a half million tests have been conducted in the U.S.) The Imperial study was heavily relied upon in shaping our own strategies to deal with the epidemic. Oxford released a different model, which indicates up to half the UK population could already have been infected, and that model assumes that most people who contract the virus dont show symptoms and very few need to go to the hospital. What about those charts showing such a huge trajectory of cases here? Daniel Horowitz explains: You see an insanely dangerous trajectory of cases taking off in March. But what exactly happened in March? The virus was introduced in Wuhan in November. And even without testing, we did detect a handful of cases here, the first known case being on January 21. So why would we suddenly experience the outbreak in March? Its quite evident that the culprit for the spike in the chart is simply because that is when the testing began because Trump dropped the FDA regulation barring private testing after the government testing didnt work. Thus, we know with certainty that people were clearly contracting coronavirus and were likely dying some time before March, but were still not sure how long before or how many people. Given the overlap with the general flu and pneumonia season, we really have no way of knowing that the January 21 case of the individual flying from Wuhan to Spokane, Washington, was the first active case -- patient zero. [snip] [I]ts still a statistical improbability that the virus wasnt brought in earlier and in greater numbers than CDC has thus far detected and documented. Moreover, Chinese students in particular, including those from Wuhan, traveled back in mid-January for the new semester. As Dr. Deborah Birx, the coordinator of Trumps coronavirus response task force, said yesterday of the spread in New York City, Clearly the virus had to have been circulating for a number of weeks in order to have this level of penetrance in the community. If some of the pneumonia cases and deaths earlier this year were from coronavirus, that would mean that the death rate is much lower than predicted. Even the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which was the ultimate petri dish of recycled air circulating an infection, with an elderly population, experienced a 1.25% fatality rate. New York, which seems to be, by far, the worst hot spot now, has a mortality rate hovering between 0.75% and 0.80%, and it is going down as they test more cases. That compares to 1.2% nationwide, which helps show that wherever we test and identify the virus, the numbers go way up, but the mortality goes down. The Real Numbers Dr. Fauci has now written, If one assumes that the number of asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic cases is several times as high as the number of reported cases, the case fatality rate may be considerably less than 1%. This suggests that the overall clinical consequences of Covid-19 may ultimately be more akin to those of a severe seasonal influenza (which has a case fatality rate of approximately 0.1%) or a pandemic influenza (similar to those in 1957 and 1968), rather than a disease similar to SARS or MERS which have had case fatality rates of 9 to 10% and 36% respectively. Dr. Birx, the White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator, said this week as well that our experience is not matching the models: The predictions of the models dont match the reality on the ground in either China, South Korea or Italy. Were about five times the size of Italy, and if you did those divisions, Italy should have close to 400 thousand deaths. Theyre not close to achieving that. The regular press briefings by the White House are transparent and informative, and if you want to know where we are in this pandemic, I urge you to watch them and not heed the filtered news from the press, some of whom are working to cut the briefings off out of fear that they may boost the presidents chances at re-election, in which case you can find videos of them online. What about the reportedly high death rates in Italy? Daniel Horowitz, cited above, explains: What about Italy? Why is its mortality rate so high? Some have suggested that its due to the high elderly population, but that doesnt explain why the Diamond Princess had elderly mortality rates in line with the rest of the world. I dont have the answer to that, but a plausible theory has been offered by Prof. Walter Ricciardi, scientific adviser to Italys minister of health, that Italy is overcounting deaths. On re-evaluation by the National Institute of Health, only 12 per cent of death certificates have shown a direct causality from coronavirus, while 88 per cent of patients who have died have at least one pre-morbidity -- many had two or three, said Ricciardi, according to the U.K. Telegraph. Remember, Germany has just a 0.3% fatality rate, and Israel has just 1 death out of nearly 1,700 cases. Germanys demographic is almost as old as Italys, while Israels demographic is young. Thus, other factors are at play here. Clearly, we need answers before we destroy our way of life and our economy indefinitely. Yet these are the only answers the bipartisan cabal in Washington is uninterested in discovering. Heres the ultimate question they need to answer: What would be the value added for locking down all Americans rather than allowing most healthy Americans in most parts of the country to go back to work by next week with proper precautionary measures? Where is their evidence that, given the virus has already been in the country for months, further lockdown will save more lives and that the economic depression wont cost more lives? In order to answer those questions, we need more information on how we got here. As is the case in Italy, our numerators here may be off, since there are reports that in some states -- Louisiana comes to mind -- all the dead are tested for the virus and that is the indication given on the death certificate, even though death was caused by completely unrelated reasons. Medical Intervention Although the president was criticized, even scoffed at, when he suggested we try hydroxychloroquine, it is proving an effective treatment in France and now New York. Reportedly, it was also used successfully in China and South Korea. The President has hinted that he is considering a county-by-county response to minimizing the viruss spread. In most of the country outside of New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington State, the amount of transmission remains small. There seems little sound basis for a countrywide lockdown as better data becomes available. Yes, special protection must still be in place for the elderly and immune suppressed, and we must continue to practice good hygiene, and yes, all available personnel and supplies must go to those areas hardest hit, but Im not shoving my Amazon boxes into the autoclave any longer and I firmly believe we need to get back to more normal commercial activity in most of the country as soon as possible, and no later than Easter, or the consequences to the nations health and well-being will be worse than that of the virus. New Delhi, March 29 (IANS) Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Sunday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not giving enough time to the people to prepare before a nationwide lockdown was imposed. (File Photo: IANS) Image Source: IANS New Delhi: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor at Parliament during the Budget Session, in New Delhi on Feb 10, 2020. (Photo: IANS) Image Source: IANS New Delhi, March 29 : Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Sunday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not giving enough time to the people to prepare before a nationwide lockdown was imposed. Taking to Twitter, Tharoor said in Hindi "na hee tab taiyari thee na hee ab taiyari hai, tab bhi janata haari thi, ab bhi janata haari hai" which roughly translates as "Neither there was a preparation then (referring to demonetization), nor now. That time also the common man was at the receiving end, so is today." The Congress MP compared the ongoing situation with the demonetisation days by sharing two pictures jointly on the micro-blogging site. He compared the huge crowd of migrants standing in long queues to catch a bus to return to their native place at Delhi's Anand Vihar and Ghaziabad's Kaushambi bus terminals with the one seen outside banks during demonetisation. On one picture he wrote Notebandi (Demonetisation) and on the other it was written,'Lockdown'. Hours earlier, Congress leader Kapil Sibal also attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for allegedly making no preparations before announcing the 21-day nationwide lockdown due to novel coronavirus spread. A 21-day lockdown in the country was announced by the Prime Minister as a containment measure taken by the government to break the chain of transmission of the highly contagious COVID-19, after which thousands of migrant labourers started leaving Delhi by walking in the absence of any mode of transport. Two soldiers, including an army doctor, tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday at a time the force is taking aggressive measures to tackle the spread of the disease within its ranks, two army officers said on condition of anonymity. While the doctor is a colonel posted at the Kolkata-based Eastern Command hospital, the other soldier is a junior commissioned officer in Dehradun, said the first officer cited above. Both had history of domestic travel in the first/second week of March. Necessary contact tracing is being done and identified persons have been quarantined. The two affected persons are keeping good health and are stable, said the second officer cited above. The colonel, 52, travelled from New Delhi to Kolkata by flight on March 17 and showed symptoms of Covid-19 a few days ago after which he was tested and found to be positive. The JCO, who is 47, travelled from Delhi to Jhunjhunu on February 25 and from Jhunjhunu to Chakrata near Dehradun on March 10. He was admitted to a hospital in Chakrata on March 25 after he showed symptoms and shifted to the military hospital in Dehradun on March 26. The two new cases come days after a 34-year-old soldier tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Leh on March 18, becoming the first case in the army. The soldier from Ladakh Scouts has recovered. The army, which is at the forefront of the countrys fight against the pandemic, has taken a raft of preventive measures to stop the spread of the infection within its ranks. These measures include cancellation of all non-essential training, conferences and travel, a freeze on postings and foreign assignments, avoiding any assembly that involves more than 50 personnel, postponing all courses for officers and encouraging personnel to work from home wherever possible. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON No virus was about to keep Natalie Reese from her high school prom, even if she had to hold it in her living room all alone. Thats what happened on Saturday in Danville. Actually, Natalie wasnt exactly alone. She has more than 655,000 online followers on the video-sharing service TikTok, thanks in part to a strange fate that thrust her into the role of de facto prom queen of planet Earth. Im not really the prom queen, she said. Everybody is the prom queen. And king. This is about everybody. Natalie, a junior at San Ramon Valley High School, said she had been dreaming about her prom since she was in elementary school. A few months ago, she sealed the deal by doing endless household chores to finance the purchase of a pink embroidered mesh dress, the kind Disney princesses traffic in. Then her prom, along with practically everything else in the world involving more than two people, got called off. Natalie spent a few seconds being disappointed, then she decided to do something about it. Last week she shot a video of herself putting on her prom makeup and pink dress and then stepping into her living room to dance with her father, Bryan, the only male dance partner readily available. It got 11 million views and charmed the world more profoundly than any cat video. Michael Short / Special to The Chronicle So Natalie decided to keep the thing going, and she invited all her new online friends around the world to join her on Saturday in getting dolled up, made up and decked out. It was eerie to don evening finery not long after sunrise but, she said, plenty of her followers are overseas, where it was already late in the day. More Information Online: To watch Natalie Reese's online prom videos, go to www.tiktok.com/@nataliereesie See More Collapse She spent a solid hour curling her hair, dabbing concealer onto her chin and dousing herself with foundation, powder, eyeliner, eye shadow, lipstick, gloss, and various other potions and goops. Then she propped her cell phone video camera on a window ledge, turned it on and dragooned her entire decked-out family parents and two sisters and her small white dog Boo Bear in a series of fast and slow dance steps that involved hand claps, shoulder shakes, waltzes and wiggles. Her father was game. Natalie, he said, can talk him into anything. He is handling his newfound notoriety as best he can. As the parent of a 17-year-old girl soon to go off to college, he said, I take advantage of every opportunity to do something with her. My dad is my role model, Natalie said, a phrase that does not always pass the lips of 17-year-old girls. In minutes, Natalie had edited a half dozen brief dance videos, punching the video screen expertly with two lacquered thumbs. Then she posted them for her followers. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Michael Short / Special to The Chronicle The first video went up at 12:12 p.m. Within half a minute, 243 viewers had seen it. Within two minutes, more than 1,000 people had seen it and 400 of them had liked it. One of them was from Germany. This is a good idea, the person from Germany said, after Natalie ran the comment through a translator program. There were heart icons and thumbs-up icons and scores of people who wanted to know where to get the pink dress, all in the first five minutes. Natalies prom went viral faster than the virus went viral. How great it was, Natalie said, to give the world a break and to give shut-out prom-goers a way to take part. This whole thing is sort of insane, she said. But its part of history. Its what we have now. And everyone is looking for a reason to smile. Im glad if I could give that to people. Steve Rubenstein is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: srubenstein@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SteveRubeSF Valentin Skurlov, Ph. D., who is an Honorary Academician of the Russian Academy of Arts, professor, scientific secretary of the Faberge Memorial Foundation, consulting researcher studying the Faberge heritage at the Russian department of the Christie's auction house selling antiques, and the evaluator of the art treasures belonging to the RF Ministry of Culture, answers the questions put by the industry information agency Rough&Polished. You were an authorized person, a friend and co-author of recently deceased Tatiana Fedorovna, a great-granddaughter of Peter Carl Faberge (also known as Karl Gustavovich Faberge in Russia), who lived in Switzerland. Tell us about the last years of her activity. In 2017, Tatiana Fedorovna Faberge became a co-author of the book Vasily Zuev. The Courts miniaturist. A painter of the Faberge firm. Soon, a new book will be completed and titled almost the same Vasily Zuev and his successors. On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the miniaturist of the Faberge firm. It will be published at the end of April. Unlike the 2017 version, 215 pages, this publication is full, it will have 520 pages, including 165 biographies of the holders of the Faberge Memorial Foundation awards we founded in 1996. What is now with her private archive - is it fully studied? The private Faberge archive has not been fully studied. In March last year, Tatiana Fedorovna handed me part of the materials for writing a book devoted to the emigration period (1920-1960) of the Faberge brothers, Eugene and Alexander, in Paris, she was their niece. This book will, certainly, be completed. However, this is a hard work. It took us seven years to write a book about Agathon Karlovich (1876-1951), the grandfather of Karl Gustavovich Faberge. It was published in 2012 titled Agathon Faberge in the Red Petrograd. The book had four authors, including Tatiana Fedorovna. For example, such line of their activities as polished diamonds and precious stones in general has not been studied at all. Meanwhile, Tatiana Faberge told me that her grandfather Agathon Faberge and his brother Alexander were outstanding gemologists, for example, they could determine by color from which South Africas kimberlite pipe the diamond was mined. Agathon was the owner of a unique blue polished diamond he offered Empress Alexandra Fedorovna to purchase on the 10th anniversary of Tsarevich (crown prince of Russian Empire) Alexei in 1914. The queen refused as the polished diamond seemed expensive to her. Then, Varvara Kelch-Bazanova, the daughter of an Irkutsk millionaire, was happy to buy it as she collected jewels. She had a 30-carat stone cut and polished by Faberge. She was actually known as the diamond merchant and not as the owner of seven Faberge Easter eggs that were as high quality as the Faberge Imperial Easter Eggs. Franz Birbaum, Faberge head workmaster, acknowledged in his memoirs (1919) that Russian diamonds were inferior to French ones in their artistic merit, but the setting of Russian diamonds was beyond all praise, which was also recognized by foreign competitors. The Russian jewellers were the first to set diamonds in platinum, and this is delicate workmanship. You once said that diamonds and diamond jewellery reached at least one third of the Faberges works. Yes, at least 33 percent. Now, it is represented in antiques by less than 2-3 percent. Such is the fate of all, especially diamond companies, Faberge contemporaries - courts jewellers and purveyors to the royal household - such as Bolin, Gan, Kohli, Zeftigen ... At present, we can admire their jewellery with precious stones on the pieces of art by great painters only. Agathon Faberge was responsible for two departments in the firm - the precious stones department and the foreign trade department. The firms partner was a British national, Allan Bowe, a native of South Africa, who contributed to obtaining top-quality rough diamonds. The best cutters were in Belgium, by the way, most of them were from tsarist Poland. One of them, Tolkowsky who once lived in Warsaw wrote a manual on diamond cutting in 1919. Can you give some examples of a Faberges diamond jewellery piece? Well, for example, the Winter jewellery egg is one of 50 imperial Easter eggs made by Carl Faberge. It was created in 1913 at the request of Emperor Nikolai II as a gift to his mother, Empress Maria Fedorovna, and at that time, it costed 24,600 gold roubles. The egg is on a rock crystal - pure quartz - base in the form of melting ice, with platinum streams and is set with 1,508 rose-cut diamonds. The egg itself, also from rock crystal, with a moonstone cabochon on top, is divided into two transparent halves, the rim of each is made of platinum studded with 360 polished diamonds. Each half is decorated with the finest engraving looking like ice crystals. The surprise is a platinum latticework basket with two handles decorated with 1,378 rose-cut diamonds. There is an elegant bunch of snowdrops made of white quartz with jade leaves in the basket. The Faberge 1913 inscription is engraved on the basket bottom. By the way, this egg was bought in 2002 at the Christies New York auction by the Emir of Qatar. What will now happen to the Memorial Foundation that was headed by Tatiana Fedorovna, will there be changes after she departed this life? The work of the Foundation continues. Tatiana Fedorovna, the founder of the Foundation launched in April 1996, was its Honorary Chairman until her last day. Nowadays, the Foundation has more than 720 members from 22 countries. I cannot say the exact numbers, because, alas, people pass away - just like Tatiana Fedorovna left us on February 12, three weeks before her 90th birthday. Now, Sergey Ivanovich Kvashnin, a full member of the Russian Academy of Arts, honored artist of the RF, founder of the Volga-Vyatka Mint, and the engraving artist whose name is now widely known both in Russia and in the world, has been elected chairman of the Foundation. Next year, we will celebrate the 25th anniversary of founding the Memorial Foundation of Carl Faberge. I remain the academic secretary of the Foundation. What has happened in the Foundation in recent years, what have you been doing? The Foundation continued to implement its four main tasks: 1. Memorialization, care of graves and monuments. In 2014, a monument was fixed up at the cemetery in Dresden on the grave of Carl Faberges mother; in January 2015, a bronze monument was unveiled to Gustav Faberge in his homeland in Parnu (Estonia). We maintain the graves of Agathon Gustavovich, the brother of Carl Faberge, and the grave of jeweller Mikhail Perkhin at the cemeteries in St. Petersburg. Next year, we commemorate the 25th anniversary of the monument to Carl Faberge in the nameless square near the Russkiye samotsvety (Russian Gems) company in 1996. Two years later, in 1998, the square was named the Carl Faberge Square. This was the first case in the world. 2. Search for the best jewellers who continue Carl Faberges traditions, and they are awarded the order and Foundation plaque of honour. Although, it would seem, by 2016, all those worthy were awarded and mentioned in two monographs dedicated to Franz Birbaum, the head workmaster of the Faberge firm, and published the same year, but at the same time, a new Vasily Zuev order was established to award the miniaturists. In 2017, there were 18 miniature painters awarded this special award, now there are already 80. These are mainly the miniaturists from Rostov-the-Great, the centre of the Russian art of enamelling on metal, as well as those from St. Petersburg and Moscow. 3. The release of books including the ones I have already mentioned and dedicated to Vasily Zuev. I would like to note that in December 2017, my autobiographical book, In Search of the Faberge Archive, was published. In 2018, my book The Imperial Empire Egg of 1902 was published in Russian and English. The members of the Foundation participate in numerous conferences dedicated to the Russian history. Ill mention the conferences held at the St. Petersburg Faberge Museum (by the way, this is now the largest and best Faberge museum in the world as for the number of exhibit items), as well as the conference on the Historical Psychology held twice a year by Professor S. N. Poltorak. In recent years, we have been focusing our efforts on researching the historical context, that is, studying the Faberge epoch, the biographies of the painters of the Faberge circle, the history of jewellery companies, both the Faberges partners and competitors. This allows us to more deeply and accurately estimate the role of the leader - Carl Faberge. This year, September 24 is a significant memorial date, it is 100 years from the date of his death. The memorial Conference at the Faberge Museum in St. Petersburg will be held to mark this anniversary. In April, an exhibition dedicated to Faberge will start at the Armoury Chamber in the Kremlin. Since November last year, the Faberge and the Courts Jewellers exhibition has been successfully held at the State Historical Museum. Last year and this year, fundraising continued among the Russian jewellers to create a monument to the great jeweller Mikhail Yevlampievich Perkhin on the embankment of Onega Lake in Petrozavodsk. 4. The task of replenishing the inventory numbers database is also being successfully solved, because new numbers regularly appear at the world antique auctions. The database materials are used by antique houses for historical information in their catalogues. What's new in the study of the Faberges heritage - any historical facts, lines of activity? In the book Vasily Zuev and His Successors, there will be a section called the new Information on the History of the Faberge Firm. A big group of talented historians joined a team of researchers studying the Faberge heritage: associate professors of the Stieglitz Academy A. V. Karpov and N. N. Mutia, an independent researcher from Moscow Dmitry Krivoshey, writer from St. Petersburg Irina Klimovitskaya, historian of the Imperial Porcelain Factory Alexander Kucherov, and a historian from Ulyanovsk Alexander Kozhevin. For five years now, we, a group of members of the Foundation, have been developing the Museum of Vasily Ivanovich Zuev (1870-1941) founded five years ago at the Centre for supplementary Education of Children in the district centre of Cherdakly, 25 km from Ulyanovsk. Vasily Zuev was a son of a Simbirsk tradesman, he lived the last 24 years here. The exhibits of the museum are the miniatures performed by the contemporary painters, as well as genuine sketches by Eugene Faberge made in the 1930s that were donated by Tatiana Faberge and also, the portraits dedicated to the Faberge theme. There are already over 160 exhibits, the museum is highly appreciated by its visitors - first of all, the museum is intended for children and contributes to their patriotic education. S. I. Morozov, the Governor of the Ulyanovsk Region decided to build a separate building for the Vasily Zuev Museum. This is the first museum of the Faberges painter in the world. Does the Foundations line of activities keep on discovering the best jewellers who would continue the traditions? We continue awarding, mainly in connection with various anniversaries. In the last three years, we have awarded full-fledged members of the Russian Academy of Arts, including Zurab Konstantinovich Tsereteli, the President of the Russian Academy of Arts, People's Artist of the USSR. What do you think about the current state of the jewellery craft in Russia and its prospects? This question about the current state of the jewellery craft is not simple, given the difficult economic situation not only in Russia but also in the world. However, jewellery exhibitions and fairs continue to be held. Many jewellers have self-isolated to become freelancers, as it is said now, and they are creating something at home. The most successful of them have a certain group of customers. Fortunately, festivals and anniversaries are still celebrated. What are the modern workmasters lacking today? Can you tell us about any achievements, changes? Unfortunately, unlike the pre-revolutionary practice, there are no state-guaranteed orders for things of high artistic merit in our country. Although, increasingly more jewellers work on devotional paintings now, which is a growing tendency. The stonecutters have almost disappeared from the field of view; I do not see them at exhibitions. But this does not mean that they have quit stonecutting. Just because of the low demand within our country, they began to work on the foreign markets - they can now be seen in Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates, and Germany. In Yekaterinburg, there works an outstanding stone-cutting artist Alexei Antonov, who is very famous in the world. He opened a new museum in his city where he displays stone-cut masterpieces continuing the traditions brought in by Faberge and Denisov-Uralsky. Working with gold and precious stones is hard, and taking into account the crisis, many jewellery firms are successfully working with silver now - and there are achievements. What modern jewellers are lacking is the state support. However, there are achievements, there are many of them, and these are landmark achievements. We just need to be patient and survive the difficult times. Galina Semyonova for Rough&Polished Netherlands government has ordered a retraction of around 600,000 China-made masks from the Dutch hospitals as they are "defective" and do not provide any protection against coronavirus infection. The country had ordered a batch of 1.3 billion so-called FFP2 masks from China. The Ministry of Health has ordered a recall of around 600,000 pieces of them as they have already been distributed to hospitals, Dutch's NOS reported., The masks have been rejected by TNO (Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research) because they do not meet the safety requirements. The masks are already distributed among the hospitals. "The mouth masks that are not satisfactory are being retrieved," the Ministry of Health told the NOS. "We have no overview of whether defective mouth masks have also been used in hospitals." Dutch public health agency RIVM said there were 9,762 people who tested positive for coronavirus in the Netherlands on Saturday, an increase of 1,159 over Friday's total. The agency added that 93 more people who tested positive later died, bringing the total number of Dutch fatal cases to 639. This comes as Spain and the Czech Republic reported that China has delivered faulty coronavirus test kits to these countries. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) War against an unseen enemy 120nm in diameter View(s): It was unbecoming of the Presidential Media Unit to put the blame on the general public for what happened last Tuesday morning when the locked-down or locked-up citizenry besieged supermarkets, wholesale markets, grocery stores and pharmacies. It was not a pleasant exercise to spring on the public. What happened, and not for the first time after the coronavirus or COVID-19 crisis broke out was the absolute antithesis of what health experts had advised day and night all week to maintain social distancing and avoid large gatherings. As the saying goes, one does not have to be a rocket scientist to have anticipated the natural anxiety among the general public spilling onto the streets in search of food and medicine when the curfew was lifted for a few hours. After all, no-one knew when it would be lifted next. The end result of that bloomer on the part of the authorities has been a further prolonged curfew for an indefinite period. Little purpose is served in playing the blame game. But for a Government that was initially too slow to lock the gates at the entry points to the country for persons coming from infected countries, it must have observed the public maintaining a disciplined self-quarantine prior to the declaration of a curfew. A few miscreant trip-goers and anti-social elements types you find in every country had to be taken to task. It was only when a curfew was to be imposed that there was a rush to the railway stations and bus terminals people going home in crowded public transport. Very few countries have imposed a full-blown curfew as opposed to a lockdown which Sri Lankans were capable of responsibly adhering to. That would have avoided the mayhem we saw last Tuesday and are likely to see again when the curfew is lifted unless measures are taken to rectify the shortcomings that occurred on that day. The only decision implemented was the 2-3 metre social distancing outside some supermarkets but it was something else in the wholesale markets. In many other countries, supermarkets operated with staggered shopping hours, priority being given to frontline health workers and senior citizens. Critics complained that the Task Force was greatly influenced by the GMOA and the military with less importance shown to the everyday needs of the common folk. In the circumstances, it is best that someone like Basil Rajapaksa has been inducted into service. Acclaimed by friend and foe as a political strategist with a feel of the grassroots pulse, he knows more on how the civilian administration that was otherwise left out, works. Even the GMOA admits that the three-pronged model that Singapore and other countries in the region have followed is best here, i.e. utilising not only the medical capacity and Government action, but also social capacity. Prolonged curfews are not new for a country that has faced two insurgencies. In both instances, it was the civil administration that was called upon to deliver the goods to the people who were asked to remain indoors. In 1971, the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands under Minister Hector Kobbekaduwa and in 1983, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Cooperatives under Minister Gamani Jayasuriya and the Ministry of Trade and Shipping under Minister Lalith Athulathmudali ensured the ordinary people were looked after in times of crisis. In 1983, there were refugee camps that had to be set up within 48 hours for those whose homes were attacked by mobs. The wholesale market in Pettah had been set alight. Schools were evacuated and mobilised as camps as rioting continued. Hundreds of thousands of refugees around the country had to be fed. Passenger ships taking refugees from Colombo to Kankesanthurai were fed by the Port kitchen. The Chamber of Commerce was set in motion to ensure large private sector institutions had supplies while welfare centres in state institutions prepared pre-packed hampers for their workers so there was no panic created. All this was done under the purview of a civilian administration with renowned public servant Bradman Weerakoon as Commissioner General of Essential Services. And, no food riots took place. In fact, Minister Jayasuriya was famously quoted as telling his officials the only shortage I want to see is red tape. Where is the civil administration apparatus today and the caretaker ministers in charge of food distribution? In modern times, the private sector and the big boys have taken over the food and consumer needs supply chain. Gone are most of the corner shops and neighbourhood grocery stores that have crumbled under the weight of the supermarkets. The state co-operatives are a pitiful pack riddled with corruption and inefficiency which few would patronise. How China tackled the complete lockdown of the entire Wuhan province for weeks in terms of how people were fed is worthy of study even for the future. Once people know that the bellies of their families are looked after, and those who need vital medicines have the confidence that they can access them, long lockdowns or curfews are only an inconvenience. Early announcements of the timings of these curfews can ease the anxiety and stress. All that said, the rest is impressive. A country with the same population as Australia but with so much greater density, Sri Lanka has done exceptionally well so far in spite of the early failings to arrest the spread of the deadly virus to unmanageable proportions. The spread has been contained to the cluster stage (small groups) without it jumping to the community stage, which is when alarm bells will ring. Military Intelligence and the Police are working 24/7 on Mission Contact Tracing to identify persons who were associated with the virus carriers, especially those from Italy. These Italy returnees were mostly people who had entered and worked in Italy illegally and are accustomed to living on the fringes of the law. They must be vigorously pursued. In a small country like Sri Lanka its difficult to hide too long unless you have the protection of the VVIPs. Till then it may still be too premature to declare victory. Theres more ahead. The Government will have to think of financial stimulus packages even if it is broke, for industry big and small and the daily wage-earner. There is dengue waiting in the wings; Agricultural production to feed the people and export earnings to be seen to. Ensuring that the people do not face a food crisis, meanwhile, must also be addressed but for now, the priority is to keep people safe: the urgency is to flatten the curve and win the war against an unseen enemy, approximately 120 nm (nm is a nanometre and one nm is one billionth of a metre) in diameter that is terrorising the world. In a shocking development, sources have reported on Sunday that Karachi-based NGO Saylani Welfare Trust, has allegedly refused to offer food packets to Christians and Hindus amid the Coronavirus lockdown imposed in parts of Pakistan. Sources state that while several NGOs have been entrusted to distribute food to stranded daily wage workers in parts of Pakistan, the Saylani Welfare trust had allegedly refused to give food to minority workers. They were then allegedly provided food by Edhi people. Pakistan currently has reported 1526 cases with 16 deaths. Coronavirus LIVE Updates: MHA orders sealing all state borders, total cases at 1024 Pakistani NGOs to provide food to labourers On March 21, Saylani Welfare Trust chairman Maulana Bashir Farooqi had announced that they would provide ration to 1.2 million poor persons in Pakistan, as per reports. Farooqi added that the Trust is arranging the 'Dastarkhan' on a daily basis which would reportedly function as roti banks to provide take away food packets to poor families. Sindh Governor Imran Ismail, who reportedly reviewed the distribution process on Thursday, lauded the initiatives of the Saylani Welfare Trust to aid the needy. Pakistan says coronavirus outbreak under control as cases rise to 1,526 Pakistan claims 'Coronavirus under control' Earlier in the day, Pakistan Prime Minister's Adviser on Health Dr. Zafar Mirza claimed that the situation was under control as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country was still limited to 1,526 with 121 testing positive in past 24 hours. He said that 1,106 suspected cases were added during the last 24 hours, taking the total number of such cases to 13,324. Mirza said that 857 out of 1,526 COVID-19 patients were the pilgrims who came from virus-hit Iran, while 191 patients came back from other countries and the rest were local transmissions. Imran Khan's ex-wife Reham slams Pak PM's Coronavirus measures; backs Delhi CM Kejriwal Imran Khan rules out lockdown Pakistan PM Imran Khan said that Pakistan cannot afford to implement the type of large-scale urban lockdowns the West is undertaking as it tries to slow the spread of coronavirus. Khan had said locking down megacities such as Karachi with millions of people living in close proximity would devastate the country's fragile economy. Pakistan has suspended all international flights, curtailed train services for two weeks and banned public gatherings, shut schools, shops (apart from groceries and pharmacies) in several parts of Pakistan - including its capital Islamabad. Provinces like Balochistan and Sindh are already under lockdown due to the high number of cases. Imran Khan weighs Coronavirus severity with Pak's poverty rate; decides against lockdown New Delhi, March 29 : A fresh Home Ministry guideline on Sunday gave relaxation in interstate movement of grocery items such as hygine products like hand washes, soaps, disinfectants and body wash shampoo; and supply of newspaper during lockdown to contain COVID-19 pandemic. Surface cleaners, detergents, tissue papers, toothpaste or oral care, sanitary pads and diapers, battery cells and chargers have also been in the list of grocery items for their inter-state transportation during the 21-day nationwide lockdown. Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla in a letter to all Chief Secretaries of states requested them to lay down additional categories of essential goods and services exempted under the Disaster Management Act 2005. Ministry sources said the relaxation is for interstate movement of goods and not for e-commerce and non-essential goods. As per the first addendum in the guideline, transportation of all goods, without distinction of essential and non-essential goods have been allowed. Pension under exemptions include pension and provident fund services provided by Employees Provdent Fund Organisation (EPFO), it said. Services of Indian Red Cross Society are also included in the guideline which mentions that the entire supply chain of milk collection and distribution, including its packaging material is allowed. "The newspaper delivery supply chain is also allowed under print media," the order said. In the order letter, Bhalla said: "I would also like to inform that the Central Government has also allowed use of SDRF (State Disaster Relief Funds) for homeless people, including migrant labourers, stranded due to lockdown measures, and sheltered in the relief camps and other places for providing them food for the containment of Covid-19." Earlier on Sunday, the Home Ministry issued another order for strict implementation of additional measures to stop movement of migrants and providing them with quarantine facilities, shelter, food, and ensuring payment of wages and non-eviction by their landlords. "District authorities and field agencies may be informed accordingly so as to avoid any ambiguity at the ground level," the oder stated. The Home Ministry has issued various guidelines since Tuesday when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a complete lockdown in the country to exempt the supply of essential items. Meanwhile, the Ministry has advised the state governments and Union Territories (UTs) to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the country and follow the lockdown measures. The fresh guideline is followed by two addendum orders dated March 25 an March 27 to the guidelines on lockdown measure. India has gone into a 21-day nationwide shutdown to arrest the spread of coronavirus. But since many in the supply chain are apprehensive and a few have complained of harassment, the MHA came out with a granular clarifications so that the essentials reach the people at this hour of need. A lockdown designed to curb contagion has shut almost everything across the country since March 12, depriving millions of steady incomes Police with batons and guns have moved in to protect supermarkets on the Italian island of Sicily after reports of looting by locals who could no longer afford food. The novel coronavirus has claimed more than 10,000 lives across the Mediterranean country, about a third of the world's total, creating the worst emergency Italians have known since World War II. Simultaneously, it has eroded the economy, which had been the third-largest in the European Union before the new illness reached Italian shores from China last month. A lockdown designed to curb contagion has shut almost everything across the country since March 12, depriving millions of steady incomes. The building sense of desperation reportedly boiled over on Thursday in Sicily, long one of Italy's least developed regions. According to La Repubblica daily, a group of locals ran out of one of Palermo's supermarkets without paying. "We have no money to pay, we have to eat," someone reportedly shouted at the cashiers. In other Sicilian towns, small shops owners that are still allowed to stay open have been pressured by the locals to give them free food, Il Corriere della Sera said. The paper wrote of a ticking "social time bomb" in the region, which is home to around five million people, and which has officially recorded 57 deaths from COVID-19. "I am afraid that concerns shared by much of the population -- about health, income, the future -- will turn into anger and hatred if this crisis continues," Giuseppe Provenzano, Italy's minister overseeing southern regions, told La Repubblica. An AFP reporter saw four armed policemen guarding one of Palermo's supermarket entrances on a rainy Saturday afternoon. They stood silently, hands behind their backs or tucked into the straps of their bulletproof vests, their faces partially hidden by green masks. They did not speak or interact with the shoppers, a silent presence seemingly aimed at showing a government still in control. "People who attacked the supermarket are ignorant," said Carmelo Badalamenti, a local who like others stuffed his red cart with groceries before everything shut down for the day Sunday. "Plundering the supermarket will not solve anything." In Rome, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte appears aware of the building sense of anxiety, stress and fear gripping the nation. Making one of his increasingly regular evening television appeals to the nation Saturday evening, Conte promised to send food vouchers to those who cannot afford groceries. "We know that many suffer but the state is there," Conte said. His government is earmarking 400 million euros ($445 million) for the emergency food relief programme. Search Keywords: Short link: Love Island star Maura Higgins revealed her split from Curtis Pritchard happened because of the struggles of maintaining a long distance relationship. Speaking to The Sun on Sunday, the Irish beauty, 29, admitted that the pair 'never got to see each other' after their time in the villa, and they had such busy schedules that they barely kept track of what the other was doing. Calling the period after the show came to an end 'the worst time of [her] life', Maura explained that she worked so much that she became ill from the exhaustion and stress that she was put under. End of the road: Love Island's Maura Higgins revealed she split from Curtis Pritchard because they 'never saw each other', as she discussed their relationship on Sunday Of how this impacted her relationship, Maura said: 'Curtis and I barely saw each other. At the beginning it was very, very hard because I was so besotted with him, and we never got to see each other. 'When we did, it was really nice because you got the time to miss somebody. But sometimes it would be two weeks.' Maura went on to admit that even though they 'were doing really well' when she began her stint on Dancing On Ice their busy schedules ended up taking 'a toll on the relationship.' Denial: Maura hit out at romance rumours with her married Dancing On Ice patner Alexander Demetriou, as she said they are just 'very close friends' Struggle: Maura admitted that the pair 'barely saw each other' after their time in the villa, and they were had such busy work schedules that it 'took a toll' on their relationship Maura was partnered with married professional skater Alexander Demetriou during her time on the competition show, and she hit out at claims they had been romantically involved. Explaining that they have remained 'close', and will do so regardless of rumours, she said: 'Obviously, were going to be close, exactly like every other partner on the show. But thats it. Were very close friends and we get on well.' The Love Island starlet added that she wouldn't 'be afraid to hang out' with Alexander because of the claims, as she's keen to continue her ice-skating training. Difficult: Of how this impacted her relationship, Maura said: 'At the beginning it was very, very hard because I was so besotted with him, and we never got to see each other' She also went on to talk about Caroline Flack's tragic death, and Maura admitted she 'was speechless' when she heard news that the star took her own life in February. Detailing one of the interactions that moved her the most during her time on Love Island, Maura reminisced about how Caroline took her aside to tell her how much the public loved her, and informed her that she was seen as a 'feminist icon.' Calling Caroline an 'amazing' person, Maura added that she felt 'really sad' after her death, but was particularly concerned about the star's family and close friends, and how they might have been dealing with their grief. Apart: Maura went on to admit that even though they 'were doing really well' when she began her stint on Dancing On Ice their busy schedules made it too difficult Moving: Maura also went on to talk about Caroline Flack's tragic death, and Maura admitted she 'was speechless' when she heard news of the presenter's passing in February The candid chat comes as it was claimed Curtis is not interested in romance anytime soon A source close to the 24-year-old pro dancer told MailOnline: 'Curtis isnt looking for a relationship right now - hes focusing on his career and hes spending his time with his family.' This comes after his older brother AJ, 25, announced on Thursday that he's quitting his role as a pro on Strictly Come Dancing, and that he hopes to pursue opportunities with Curtis instead. Single: The candid chat comes amid claims Curtis is not interested in romance anytime soon Strictly business: This comes after a source told The Sun that Curtis had already moved on with a new flame - Bethany Hall - a performer from AJ's recent dance tour This comes after a source told The Sun that Curtis had already moved on with a new flame - Bethany Hall - a performer from AJ's recent dance tour. Yet reps for Curtis insisted there was absolutely no truth in this, and that romance is very much off the cards for the reality star for now - stressing that there has been nothing but a professional realationship between Curtis and Bethany. Things did not end well for Curtis and Maura, who was seen cleaning her toilet with her former flame's toothbrush as she kept herself busy during the coronavirus lockdown. If you're struggling and need to talk, you can contact the Samaritans for free at any time on 116 123, or email Jo@samaritans.org. Brutal: Maura was seen cleaning her toilet with her ex Curtis' toothbrush as she kept herself busy during the coronavirus lockdown African countries have so far recorded over 4,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19), more than double the figure as of Monday. Despite the rising cases of the disease on the continent, however, it still has fewer cases when compared to Europe, Asia, or North America where thousands have died from the disease. As at early Sunday morning, African countries have recorded a total of 4234 confirmed cases, 131 deaths, and 236 recoveries, according to Worldometer. Also, 46 of the 54 countries on the continent have recorded at least a case of COVID-19. The eight countries that are yet to record any confirmed case of the disease are Botswana, Burundi, Comoros, Malawi, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, and South Sudan. In a bid to contain the pandemic, diverse prevention and containment measure have been put in place in many African countries. These measures range from lockdown, movement restrictions, border closures, international airport closures and school shutdowns. An Increase The number of confirmed cases on the continent doubled over the past week. As at Monday, African countries had confirmed 1998 COVID-19 cases, less than half of the new figure. South Africa recorded its first case on March 4. In less than a month, it now has over one thousand cases. The figure was 554 confirmed cases as at Monday. Egypt, Algeria, and Morocco each have more than 400 confirmed cases, Tunisia and Burkina Faso each have more than 200 cases, while Mauritius and Cote DIvoire each have more than 100 cases. READ ALSO: The remaining countries have cases that are less than 100. Nigeria on Saturday night confirmed 97 cases, nearing the 100 mark. Nigeria has recorded one death from its cases while at least three have fully recovered and have been discharged. Many top Nigerian politicians have also tested positive to the disease. These include President Muhammadu Buharis Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, and Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai. Many African countries have been receiving donations from businesses, other countries and billionaires to help fight the disease. The African Union on Monday received a donation of 2000 test kits from the Chinese government and is expecting another 10,000 of them, alongside crucial medical supplies needed to fight the spread of the virus across the continent. Chinese billionaire, Jack Ma, has also donated test kits and other materials to many African countries. In Nigeria, the Central Bank is leading an effort by private businesses to donate towards tackling the disease. Some of the billionaires and businesses that have donated include Abdulsamad Rabiu of BUA Group, UBA and Oando. The Arkansas doctor whose touching photo of him greeting his one-year-old son at a window went viral amid the coronavirus pandemic has now had his home destroyed in a tornado. A picture of Dr. Jared Burks meeting with little Zeke behind glass was shared more than 50,000 times after being posted to Facebook by the medic's wife Alyssa last week. She said Dr Burks had been away from his family for two weeks as he worked in a hospital and was seeing his son crawl for the first time through the door when the image was taken. On Sunday Alyssa told her friends the family home, where her husband had been staying, was destroyed in a tornado which ripped through Jonesboro Saturday. Alyssa wrote: 'We are all safe. Our house is gone. Jared was inside, but he survived by the grace of God. Zeke and I were at my mom's house. Please pray for us as we begin to pick up the pieces.' A GoFundMe for the young family has since raised more than $30,000 as of Sunday morning. It states: 'They are going to need help picking up the pieces so that they can find another place to live, collect their items, rebuild, all while Jared is working and fighting for those who health may be compromised.' A picture of Dr. Jared Burks meeting with little Zeke behind glass was shared more than 50,000 times after being posted to Facebook by the medic's wife Alyssa last week The family home, where her husband had been staying, was destroyed in a tornado, pictured, which ripped through Jonesboro on Saturday Alyssa share the touching image of her son and husband on March 25, writing: 'Look who we finally got to see today! Not going to pretend that I didn't bawl like a baby when he left to go back to work. 'We miss him, but we are doing what we have to do. Count your blessings. That's what's getting us through this!' She told ABC7: 'He is working right now in a rotation that has him all over the hospital, including the ER, and he just felt like it would be responsible for us to quarantine from each other. 'As soon as he saw his dad he just raced to the door. He got up on the glass because I think he wanted him to hold him, so it was sad, it was cute, but it was really heartbreaking because it's hard.' The tornado ripped through northeast Arkansas on Saturday, leaving six people hurt after hitting commercial and residential areas in the college town of Jonesboro. The six people reported injured were taken to a local hospital with minor juries, Jonesboro E-911 Director Jeff Presley said. The tornado did major damage at the Mall at Turtle Creek and Jonesboro Municipal Airport. Alyssa said Dr Burks had been away from his family for two weeks and was seeing his son crawl for the first time through the door when the image was taken. The family is pictured together Like much of the rest of the world, Jonesboro is working to fight the spread of COVID-19. Because of that, most stores in the Mall at Turtle Creek were closed Saturday to fight the coronavirus pandemic. Severe weather could have been much worse if not for that, Presley said. 'At 5 o'clock on a Saturday afternoon that place would've been packed, and at this point there was hardly anyone in there,' Presley said. 'It's a blessing in disguise.' Power was out in sections of the city, which affects the city's traffic lights. Wreckage tossed about by the twister also blocked roads. They mayor issued a 7 p.m. curfew, and authorities asked people not to drive around. The storm also derailed a train, Presley said. Crews were examining damage and trying to determine whether there it had been hauling anything hazardous. The National Weather Service tweeted a video from the Arkansas Department of Transportation that showed a large tornado dropping from storm clouds in Jonesboro. U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford, who represents much of eastern Arkansas, said on Twitter that a tornado tore through 'the heart of town' and asked for prayers for first responders. Crawford said his staff and family were safe. A group of people help clear debris and salvage items from Pawn Depot after a tornado touched down Saturday in Jonesboro, Arkansas A vehicle lies upside down after a tornado Saturday at Jonesboro Municipal Airport Jonesboro is home to Arkansas State University. The university tweeted that campus was not damaged. Forecasters with the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, warned that a severe weather outbreak was possible later Saturday for much of the central U.S. The National Weather Service reported other possible tornadoes Saturday in Illinois and Iowa. The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on Sunday constituted 10 different high-level committees to suggest measures to ramp up healthcare, put the economy back on track, reduce pain and misery of people as quickly as possible post 21-day lockdown imposed to contain the coronavirus pandemic. These committees looking after various aspects will work under the overall guidance of P K Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, sources said. The initiative is being viewed as pro-active step by the government to deal with multiple challenges, which the outbreak of pandemic COVID-19 has posed and made the country to deal with emergency situation, they said, adding these groups will also work on strategy for restoring normalcy in their respective sectors, including healthcare, in the shortest possible time frame. The panel on the 'Economy and Welfare' headed by Economic Affairs Secretary Atanu Chakraborty has been tasked to address the concerns of various sectors, including both formal and informal segments of the economy - hit hard by coronavirus outbreak and subsequent lockdown. The panel is expected to suggest various relief measures to put economy back on track as soon as possible, the sources said. Special emphasis will have to be welfare schemes for the poor who have suffered a lot on account of the lockdown, they said, adding poor and vulnerable section of the society has been the key focus of the government and top priority will be given to deal with the challenges before them in the coming days. Besides, two other working groups under the leadership of NITI Aayog memeber V K Paul and Enviornment Secretary C K Mishra will work on preparedness for medical emergency, seamless supply of medicine, medical equipment and hospital availability. They have been entrusted with the task of mapping of hospitals across the country and medical facility of public sector undertakings and other government agencies, including police forces and army are roped in to deal with emergency situation post lockdown. Already many agencies, including government school, universities and Railways have committed for setting up isolation ward. In addition to this, the sources said, the panel would also focus on augmentation of trained medical professionals and capacity building. Suggestions are also solicited on increasing capacity for manufacturing of ventilators and other medical equipment. Research and Development in the medical field is another focus area for the panel, they added. Committee under V K Paul and C K Mishra are expected to ease out burden of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, which is currently doing heavy lifting in dealing with the COVID-19 crisis. At the same time, they will do in-depth study on protective gear to be used by public to ensure infection is contained post April 14. Logistics will be another critical area which would be looked by a working group for ensuring movement of goods, medicine and medical equipment, doctors and other services, source said. Each group will have about 6 members with one officer from the PMO and Cabinet Secretariat, so that there is a full coordination and suggestions accepted are implemented without any delay. In all about 20 secretaries of various departments and ministries and 40 other officials have started working on various issues and come up with measures at the earliest, the sources said. Each group has been given upper time limit of a week to come out with measures on the specified sector. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24 announced a complete lockdown across the country for 21 days, asserting that social distancing is the only way out for the country in its decisive battle against coronavirus. In his second address to the nation on the pandemic, Modi made a fervent appeal to the countrymen not to cross the ''lakshman rekha'' of their homes in the next three weeks. The lockdown lead to large scale exodus of migrant labours from cities to their native places as they were left to fend for themselves. The Prime Minister on Sunday sought the nation's forgiveness for imposing a monumental lockdown on the country, saying it was a question of life and death and expressed confidence that "we will definitely win the battle" against coronavirus menace that has claimed 25 lives in India so far. According to the Health Ministry update released an hour before Modi's address, India has recorded a total of 979 cases and 25 deaths so far. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Advertisement A senior consultant has said that only patients with a 'reasonable certainty' of survival are to be put on the machines at a London hospital. The UK coronavirus death toll has risen by 209 in 24 hours from 1,019 to 1,228, as infections jumped by 2,483 to 19,522. Machines used to keep patients breathing are being restricted on medical grounds, not because of a lack of capacity, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust told the Daily Telegraph. The trust said that 'very poorly patients with coronavirus may need to be on a ventilator for extended periods', adding that 'for some patients this would not be in their best interests'. A senior consultant told the paper: 'As we learn more about the disease, we are being much more careful about which patients are being considered for critical care. In normal times we will give most people the benefit of the doubt. That has changed.' 'With this infection you need a couple of weeks on a ventilator, so with resources being used for such a long time, you have to be reasonably certain the person is going to get better. Delaying their death for two or three weeks is not the right thing for them or for society.' But the medical director of the trust said 'clinicians at our trust are not making decisions about ventilating patients based on capacity considerations. Our trust currently has good capacity for patients requiring ventilation and already has plans in place to increase that capacity.' An NHS spokesperson said: 'There are hundreds of critical care beds available in London and thousands in the rest of the country so any patient that would benefit can get the care they need.' Pictured: Medical staff with a patient at the back of an ambulance outside St Thomas's hospital as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in central London Pictured: St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, which is run by Imperial College NHS Trust, which is reportedly only giving ventilators to patients who have a 'reasonable certainty' of surviving The UK coronavirus death toll has risen by 209 in 24 hours from 1,019 to 1,228. Pictured today: Ambulances at Guy's at St Thomas's Hospital in central London The normally busy streets in Chinatown are completely deserted on Sunday as people choose to stay at home Pictured: Breakspear crematorium in Ruislip, West London, has had 12 emergency mortuaries built on its site in preparation for the number of increasing deaths from the coronavirus There are now 19,522 confirmed cases nationwide, up from 17,089 yesterday. Today's increase in fatalities is the second biggest Britain has seen so far, but with 51 fewer deaths than yesterday, offering some hope that the figures are beginning to plateau. The vast majority of cases and deaths were in England, with 190 dead aged between 39 and 105. All but four of them, aged between 57 and 87, had underlying health conditions. In Scotland, one more person has died of the virus, bringing their total to 41. In Northern Ireland there were six more COVID-19 deaths, making 21 in total and in Wales there were 10 further reported deaths, taking their total to 48. Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter, who chairs the Winton Centre for Risk and Evidence Communication, University of Cambridge, said: 'It may seem callous to say that 209 deaths is reassuring, but it breaks the run of 30% daily increases we have seen recently. 'But it is still too early to claim that the curve is beginning to flatten off. It is also important not to over-interpret counts for single days: delays in reporting can lead to the numbers varying far more than one would expect by chance alone. For example, one of the deaths reported today actually occurred 13 days ago.' Eleanor Riley, Professor of Immunology and Infectious Disease, University of Edinburgh, said: 'It would be most unwise to infer any trend from a single day's data. 'Only when the epidemic has peaked - which is some time away - and we get sustained daily reductions in new cases and then sustained daily reductions in deaths, will we know that are beginning to get on top of the epidemic.' The Republic of Ireland, meanwhile, saw a fatality rise of 10 today, bringing its total to 46. It recorded 200 new confirmed cases for a total of 2,615. It comes after a senior health chief warned that Britain must stay in total lockdown until June to properly prevent the full extent of the deadly coronavirus. Professor Neil Ferguson, the government's leading epidemiology adviser, said Britons would have to remain in their homes for nearly three months, and continue social distancing until October. To try and ensure the effectiveness of the lockdown, the Government is spending approximately 5.8million on letters that will land on 30 million doorsteps along with a leaflet spelling out the Government's advice following much public confusion. The letters and leaflets are the latest in a public information campaign from No 10 to convince people to stay at home, wash their hands and shield the most vulnerable from the disease. Today's figures, recorded between 5pm on Friday and 5pm on Saturday, come after a healthcare data company predicted more than 1.6million people in the UK could already have coronavirus. The total number of deaths recorded today is 21 per cent higher than the equivalent figure yesterday. The day-on-day percentage increase yesterday was 34 per cent. It took 16 days for the number of deaths in the UK to go from one to just over 200. It has taken a further eight days for the total to go from just over 200 to just over 1,200. Meanwhile, the number of people in the UK who have been tested for coronavirus has now passed 125,000. The total as of 9am on March 29 was 127,737. On average, around 7,000 new tests a day were carried out in the seven days to 9am March 29. In the previous seven days the daily average was around 5,400. The total number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK now stands at 19,522, as of 9am March 29. One week ago, on March 22, the total stood at 5,683. In other coronavirus developments today: Britain's coronavirus death toll rocketed by 260 to 1,019 as the UK suffered its worst day yet and saw a huge spike in victims, 13 of which were found to have no underlying health conditions Ministers and senior Downing Street officials have said China now faces a 'reckoning' over its handling of the outbreak and risks becoming a 'pariah state'. The true number of people infected with coronavirus in the UK could be as high as 1.6 million, with over half of those cases outside of London, analysis by health care data experts suggests. Chancellor Rishi Sunak is the choice of voters to run the country if Boris Johnson becomes too ill, an exclusive poll for The Mail on Sunday has found. The British Red Cross said evictions of asylum seekers from Government accommodation are to be halted amid fears about the disease Humberside, West Midlands, Greater Manchester, and Avon and Somerset have created a mixture of 'hotlines' and 'online portals' where people can submit tip-offs if lockdown infractions occur National director of the NHS, Stephen Powis, yesterday revealed that 170million masks, 25million gloves and 30million aprons have been delivered to medical staff fighting virus across the country Michael Gove hinted at looming austerity today amid grim warnings of a 10 per cent hit to GDP and the jobless total hitting 2.75million by June. A man has been arrested after deliberately coughing in the face of a paramedic, just a day after a thug who spat at police was jailed for a year. Today's figures, recorded between 5pm on Friday and 5pm on Saturday, come after a healthcare data company predicted more than 1.6million people in the UK could already have coronavirus. Edge Health revealed that while the official figure of coronavirus cases stood at 10,000 on March 26, they believe the true figure for infections in the UK was 1,614,505 at that point. With widespread testing not yet available in Britain and swabs only being given to those in hospital and some NHS critical care staff, there could be tens of thousands who have COVID-19 and are not aware of it, the study suggests. Those with milder symptoms who are not admitted to hospital are also not accounted for in official figures. Actor Idris Elba, 47, only got tested for the virus after coming into contact with Justin Trudeau's wife Sophie at Wembley on March 4. The Cambridge family are self isolating at Anmer Hall on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk amid the Coronavirus pandemic, and shared a glimpse at their home office yesterday. Kate posed in her dusky pink trouser suit as she spoke on the phone. A row of books including an extensive set of Coralie Bickford-Smith for Penguin books can be seen on her wooden desk, along with her Aspinal notebook, while a sofa and and a window seat looking out onto the grounds can be seen in the background A group of furious locals blocked a Range Rover driver after he travelled 115 miles from Sheffield to Snowdonia despite the coronavirus lockdown The Edge Health analysis predicted that London had 760,590 cases, the most in the UK, a fact grounded in official figures. Locked down until JUNE? Health chief says UK could be made to remain at home for nearly three months to avoid worst effects of coronavirus and practice social distancing until October Britain must stay in total lockdown until June to properly prevent the full extent of the deadly coronavirus and social distancing could last for months, a senior health chief has warned. Professor Neil Ferguson, the government's leading epidemiology adviser, said Britons would have to remain in their homes for nearly three months. Senior government figures have been more optimistic and have suggested that coronavirus could peak in April with approximately 5,700 deaths. But Professor Ferguson said Britons will need to stay indoors for a full three months. He told The Sunday Times: 'We're going to have to keep these measures [the full lockdown] in place, in my view, for a significant period of time - probably until the end of May, maybe even early June. May is optimistic.' Professor Ferguson added that even if the lockdown is lifted, people will still need to abide by social distancing measures for months to come. It came as Michael Gove today declined to be drawn on how long the tough measures restricting people's lives would be in place for, and that ministers would not hesitate to enforce tougher rules if necessary. 'There are different projections as to how long the lockdown might last,' he told Sky's Sophy Ridge on Sunday, when asked about one key expert's prediction of June. 'But it's not the case that the length of the lockdown is something that is absolutely fixed. 'It depends on all of our behaviour. If we follow the guidelines, we can deal more effectively with the spread of the disease.' Advertisement While the Midlands was seen as the next most infected area with an estimated 282,954, with one in every 15 people infected with the virus in Wolverhampton. One in ten people in London's worst hit boroughs now carries the virus, according to the modelling, in areas such as Southwark, Kensington, Lambeth, Brent, Chelsea, Harrow, Wandsworth and Westminster. Southwark was the most infected London borough according to official figures which confirmed 253 cases as of Thursday - researchers believe the true number is around 49,139. While one in every 23 people in Birmingham are predicted to be infected with Covid-19 according to the modelling which placed 50,004 infections in the city, reports The Sunday Telegraph. George Bachelor, co-founder and director of Edge Health, told the publication that he believes the virus will continue to spread rapidly over the next two weeks. People who caught the virus before the country was placed on lock down by Boris Johnson on Wednesday will see a peak of critical care patients form around mid April, predicts Edge Health. Speaking about the company's infection predictions he said: 'Critically, these projections are based on unproven assumptions, although, hopefully, they make clear the need for social distancing whether you are in Southwark or Hartlepool.' He added that more testing would unveil the actual number of people with the virus and 'speed up the eventual return to normality'. Figures were estimated by Edge Health by assuming the death rate of 0.7 per cent of people with the virus in London and 0.9 elsewhere in the country where elderly populations are higher. The epicentre of the virus, currently London, could change to areas with a high population of older people and fewer NHS beds available, such as Essex where a daily growth rate of 48 per cent was recorded from Wednesday to Thursday - with 213 cases currently. Yesterday, a man has been arrested after deliberately coughing in the face of a paramedic, just a day after a thug who spat at police was jailed for a year. The ambulance service was called just before 11pm on Saturday to a man in Stroud, Gloucestershire, who was feeling unwell. While there, another man who was self-isolating allegedly deliberately coughed in the face of one of the paramedics, a spokeswoman for Gloucestershire Police said. 'The man, a 43-year-old, was arrested, charged and remanded for assaulting an emergency worker by way of coughing and threatening GBH by infecting with Covid-19,' they added. The arrest came after the jailing of Paul Leivers, 48, for spitting at officers while claiming to have coronavirus. Leivers admitted two counts of assault on an emergency worker after being arrested in Mansfield on Thursday. A man has been arrested after coughing in the face of a paramedic, just a day after thug Paul Leivers (pictured), who spat at police, was jailed for a year Nottinghamshire Police said Leivers, of Tideswell Court, Mansfield, spat at custody officers. He appeared at Nottingham Magistrates' Court on Saturday in front of District Judge Leo Pyle. The court heard Leivers did not have coronavirus or any symptoms of the disease. Sentencing the defendant, District Judge Pyle said: 'It was in the public interest to deal with the matter sooner rather than later. 'These are two distinct acts and it was appalling behaviour, these offences were deliberate and pre-mediated. 'Emergency workers have a difficult job at the best of time, even more so at the minute and the court will not flinch to protect officers.' Assistant Chief Constable Steve Cooper, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: 'This sentence sends out a very powerful and clear message that this behaviour will not be tolerated in any shape or form and especially not now in the current climate. 'In these worrying times for us all, having someone spitting at front line officers threatening them with coronavirus is both despicable and appalling. 'Our officers are putting their duty to the public ahead of their own welfare at this current time. They put themselves at risk every single to day in order to protect our communities - they should not and will not have to put up with this. 'I want to thank the judge for making an example of this situation which I know will send a message loud and clear not just here in Nottinghamshire but across the country.' Chief Constable Craig Guildford added: 'This is the exact reassurance our officers need - that this will not be tolerated and new powers we now have means swift action will be taken to deal with those that choose to offend in this way. 'Despicable, thoughtless and disgraceful acts such as this will not go unpunished.' The force said the officers who were spat at are safe and well. Chancellor Rishi Sunak is the choice of voters to run the country if Boris Johnson becomes too ill, an exclusive poll for The Mail on Sunday has found. The endorsement comes after the Prime Minister revealed on Friday that he had tested positive for coronavirus. While Downing Street has indicated that Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab will take the reins if Mr Johnson is incapacitated, the Deltapoll survey shows that Mr Sunak dubbed 'dishy Rishi' by his Treasury colleagues is backed as a stand-in premier by more than three times as many voters. Mr Johnson's approach to the crisis receives overwhelming backing, with 78 per cent saying that he is handling it well. However, that does not mean voters agree with the pace of implementation of Mr Johnson's lockdown measures. A total of 63 per cent think that the social distancing rules were introduced too late. On the controversial issue of testing, 83 per cent believe that doctors and nurses should be given priority but just 19 per cent think that senior politicians should be prioritised and only 15 per cent think the Royal Family should. Most people also think that Britain is in for a long haul, with half of those questioned expecting restrictions to be in place for three months. The normally bustling streets of central London are once again deserted today as people choose to stay home amid the coronavirus threat And a majority think that tackling the outbreak is worth curtailing civil liberties, with 61 per cent agreeing that it is a necessary price. The latest figures come after Scottish Secretary Alister Jack revealed he had developed mild symptoms of coronavirus and was self-isolating. Government advisers said stricter social distancing policies may have to be rolled out next month if the grim figures continued to rise. The measures would be introduced in three weeks as the outbreak reached its peak to further reduce 'person-to-person interaction'. This week France announced that individuals could only exercise alone unless with children for a maximum of an hour and within 1,000 yards of their homes. Spain and Italy have banned exercise altogether, and there are concerns that Britons are deliberately misinterpreting the guidance by travelling to beauty spots miles from their homes. Taking no chances! Shoppers dress in full coronavirus protective gear and STILL queue round the block to get into supermarkets as Tesco limits milk, bread and toilet roll to one purchase each by Raven Saunt for MailOnline Shoppers were pictured in full protective gear as they ventured out to get essentials amid the coronavirus lockdown today. Britons donned gloves and facemasks on trips to supermarkets nationwide today, after the death toll from the virus reached 1,228 today. One cautious shopper was even pictured with a respiratory unit covering his entire face in east London. It comes as Tesco Express limited purchases of a number of essential items such as milk, bread, eggs and toilet roll to one item per person. Shoppers were pictured in full protective gear (Ladbroke Gove, west London today) as they ventured out to get essentials amid the coronavirus lockdown today Britons have hoarded food worth 1billion during the past fortnight as a result of panic buying. Pictured: Queue outside Lidl supermarket in Streatham, London, earlier today All supermarkets are now making customers queue six feet apart from one another, in line with the Government's social distancing policy. Lines are spiralling down High Streets and around supermarket car parks in light of the new rules. Tesco shoppers in Walthamstow, London, were notified about the new limit via signs on their shelves. According to The Sunday Times, it read: 'To help give everyone access to essential items this product is limited to only 1 per customer.' The measures are being enforced at the discretion of individual stores based on their ability to cope with local demand and supply. A spokeswoman for Tesco said: 'To ensure more people have access to everyday essentials, we have introduced a store-wide restriction of three items per customer on every product line. 'In a small number of stores where demand is particularly high, our colleagues may need to place further restrictions on some products on a local basis, to ensure everyone can get the things they need.' Tesco is limiting customers to just one item of essential goods each across many of its Express stores. Pictured: One shopper wore a full respiratory protection unit with helmet at a Tesco store in Barkingside, East London, earlier today The chain announced earlier this weekend that online customers would only be allowed to buy a maximum of 80 items for home delivery. It follows a whole host of other supermarkets introducing similar capping schemes in response to coronavirus stockpiling. Sainsbury's has a three-item limit on most products apart from long-life milk, toilet roll and soap which all have a restriction of two. And Aldi has a four-item cap. The introduction of the new limit comes after young and healthy people were urged to stay away from supermarkets and make meals from food in their cupboards as demand for groceries and household goods surged during the coronavirus lockdown. Britons have hoarded food worth 1billion during the past fortnight as a result of panic buying - despite assurances from the government and industry that there is still plenty in the supply chain. The CEO of Tesco has recently been encouraging shoppers who are able to use stores in order to free-up delivery slots for online orders to the elderly and vulnerable. The new measures are being enforced at the discretion of individual stores based on their ability to cope with local demand and supply. Pictured: Member of staff waiting for a delivery in London on Sunday Tesco also announced earlier this weekend that online customers would only be allowed to buy a maximum of 80 items for home delivery. Pictured: People wearing protective face masks as they queued outside Sainsbury's supermarket in Streatham, London But the move has meant that there continue to be lengthy queues outside supermarkets up and down the country as shoppers are forced to maintain their distance as they wait to enter the stores. NHS England national medical director Stephen Powis accused panic buyers of depriving healthcare staff of the food supplies they need, adding: 'Frankly we should all be ashamed.' Ocado has been operating at full capacity during the crisis and said yesterday it had around ten times more demand for its services than it did before the outbreak began. Online orders are now limited to one per week per customer, while some items have also been limited to just two per person. Chief executive of the online delivery service, Lord Stuart Rose, urged consumers to act rationally as he revealed Britons had hoarded an extra 1billion worth of food over the past couple of weeks. The boss of the UK's biggest retailer Tesco, Dave Lewis, has written to customers to reassure them there is still plenty of food, but asking the young and the healthy to venture out to their local store. Users of the retail giant's online service have complained they are unable to secure a home delivery slot. In his letter, he has asked those who can venture out to shop in-store - while taking appropriate precautions. Supermarkets have recently moved to enforce more stringent precautions for the safety of staff and customers including limiting the number of shoppers allowed into their stores at any given time. Tesco boss Dave Lewis recently wrote to customers saying staff will draw new floor markings in the checkout areas, install protective screens on checkouts, and introduce one-way aisles. 'Our social distancing plans aim to protect customers from the moment they enter our car parks, to browsing products, to paying and finally exiting our stores,' he wrote. And in a letter to customers, Sainsbury's chief executive Mike Coupe said the number of people allowed in stores and at ATMs at any one time will be limited. He said queuing systems will be put in place outside stores and people are urged to arrive throughout the day to avoid long queues forming in the morning, and encouraged people to pay by card. Supermarkets have recently moved to enforce more stringent precautions for the safety of staff and customers including limiting the number of shoppers allowed into their stores at any given time. Pictured: Shoppers waiting to enter Sainsbury's at Ladbroke Grove, London 'We will be reminding people in stores to keep a safe distance from other customers and from our colleagues,' he said. Mr Coupe said the number of checkouts will be reduced and screens will be introduced. He said many customers have written to him to say they are elderly or vulnerable and are struggling to book online delivery slots. 'We are doing our absolute best to offer online delivery slots to elderly, disabled and vulnerable customers. 'These customers have priority over all slots. 'Our customer Careline has been inundated with requests from elderly and vulnerable customers - we have had one year's worth of contacts in two weeks. 'We have proactively contacted 270,000 customers who had already given us information that meant we could identify them as being in these groups,' he said. Mr Coupe, who apologised to regular online customers, and said they have already booked in slots for 115,000 elderly, disabled and vulnerable customers this week. Similarly Ocado chairman Lord Stuart Rose issued his own guidance to Brits earlier this week amid the ongoing crisis. Lord Rose, 71, who is also a former chairman and chief executive of clothing and food retailer Marks & Spencer, has been in self-isolation after suspecting he had contracted the virus. Rose also called on people in the country to 'make your meals work'. 'If you buy a chicken, roast the chicken, have the roast chicken dinner, the following day turn it into a stir fry, the following day make it into soup,' he said. 'You can make a relatively small amount of food go a long way and I think we live in a very profligate society today - we buy too much, we eat too much, we consume too much and we have to learn new ways.' 'There is a billion pounds more food in people's larders than there was a couple of weeks ago - what are they doing with it? How much food do you need to eat? How much do you need to store away? Please show some restraint,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. 'There is no shortage of food... Nobody will starve.' Coronavirus is continuing to spread across the country at an exponential rate. New York, March 29 : US President Donald Trump has backed off his threat to quarantine Covid-19's epicentre, New York City area, but the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an advisory asking people from there to not to travel. Earlier on Saturday, Trump had that he was looking at a quarantine of parts of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut at the request of other states that don't have much coronavirus infection. But later on Saturday night he tweeted: "On the recommendation of the White House CoronaVirus Task Force, and upon consultation with the Governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, I have asked the @CDCgov to issue a strong Travel Advisory." The advisory will be administered by the governors of those states in consultation with the federal government, he added. The CDC issued the advisory urging people from the area "to refrain from non-essential domestic travel for 14 days effective immediately" because of the "extensive community transmission of COVID -19 in the area". It added that "The Governors of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut will have full discretion to implement this Domestic Travel Advisory." New York Governor Andre Cuomo, who has been issuing dire warnings about the spread of coronavirus in the state, said he did not think a quarantine could be legally enforced. "I don't even like the sound of it (quarantine)," he said. But Florida Governor Ron DeSantis expressed support for a quarantine. He said: "I just think it's bad policy to have people dispersing from there, and then seeding in other parts of the country, including the state of Florida." The Trump administration had already asked people travelling from the New York area to self-isolate themselves for 14 days. Of the 124,686 confirmed cases reported on Sunday morning in the US, 53,520 were in New York State with 30,765 in the city and 17,550 in surrounding areas in the state. Neighbouring New Jersey had 11,124 cases and Connecticut 1,524. The spread of Covid-19 is uneven in the US. Of the 50 US states, six sparsely populated states have reported less than 100 cases and six others less than 150. States like Texas and Florida have imposed a 14-day quarantine on visitors flying in from the New York area. Rhode Island has gone further with state police troopers stopping cars with New York licence plates and having plans for National Guard and police doing house-to-house searches to ensure people who have come from New York are observing self-quarantine. Trump floated the idea of quarantining the New York area when speaking to reporters before leaving for a Navy base in Norfolk to see off a hospital ship with 1,000 beds that he was sending to New York to augment its medical facilities. He also said that it may not be necessary. He also ordered the Army Corps of Engineers to build field hospitals in the state with a capacity of 4,000 beds, in addition to the four he had sanctioned earlier with 4,000 beds. (Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter @arulouis) Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) The Ohio General Assembly earns and gets a lot of criticism. But the Republican-run legislature responded quickly, decisively and clearly last week, and with bipartisan unanimity, to address the coronavirus pandemic. So three cheers for House Speaker Larry Householder, of Perry Countys Glenford, and Senate President Larry Obhof, of Medina, both Republicans and for their Democratic counterparts, House Minority Leader Emilia Sykes, of Akron, and Senate Minority Leader Kenny Yuko, of Richmond Heights. The contrast between their focus and congressional antics is stark. Thats especially laudable because, unlike the U.S. Senates Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer, and the U.S. Houses Nancy Pelosi, the General Assemblys leaders cant print money. Among key items in Amended Substitute House Bill 197, which passed Wednesday: * Setting July 15 as Ohios tax-filing deadline, same as the newly set federal deadline. * Letting Ohioans, on or by April 28, vote by U.S. mail in the states primary election. The primary, originally set for March 17, was postponed because of the pandemic. * Meshing Ohio unemployment compensation law with Gov. Mike DeWines orders eliminating the one-week waiting period for benefits and work-search requirement. Those are especially timely moves: For the week that ended March 21, almost 188,000 Ohioans filed for unemployment compensation a record. (The week before, roughly 7,000 filed.) * Ending, for now, state-required tests of school pupils and the widely derided grading of school buildings academics (school building report cards). That means HB 197 should slim the looming bloat in the number of EdChoice school vouchers vouchers that school boards must pay for attributable to misgraded school buildings. * Permits DeWine, if necessary, to ask the seven-member Controlling Board (four Republican legislators, two Democratic legislators, a DeWine appointee) to draw on Ohios $2.7 billion Rainy Day Fund to balance the state budget. Meanwhile, DeWine, Householder and Obhof announced that DeWines State of the State speech to the legislature, scheduled for Tuesday, is being postponed. A new date hasnt been set. The Ohio Constitution requires governors to communicate at every session to the General Assembly, the condition of the state. Governors arent required to deliver State of the State messages in person, in a speech, but since 1917, when Gov. James M. Cox, a Democrat, is believed to have been the first to do so, thats the Statehouse custom. At this writing, theres no telling when the coronavirus pandemic will recede, and how much damage it will do to Ohios budget. But it likely will do plenty. While its too soon to know, the pandemic may mean that passing anything besides a bare-bones (if any) capital improvements (state construction) bill this year may not be financially or politically feasible. The capital improvements bill, usually passed in election years, funds state building projects and, in some instances, local marquee (community) construction projects that arts-and-culture fans want. Yes, President Donald Trump did say Wednesday, for example, he supports the $25 million grant the congressional coronavirus (CARES) bill gives the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. But, one can imagine the kind of brickbats a General Assembly challenger might fashion against a Statehouse incumbent for a 2020 cap bills arts, etc., projects. As for Ohios operating budget, a keen observer pointed out that moving Ohios tax filing deadline to July 15 (from April 15) may create challenges in balancing the states operating budget. Ohio fiscal years are from July 1 through June 30. The legislature writes Ohios two-year budgets (current one: HB 166) based on estimates of revenue collections and their timing. But the pandemic fuels two problems. First, high unemployment will hammer down Ohios state income tax collections. Second, what income tax the state does collect will crest in July, during Ohios next fiscal year, not during the current fiscal year, in April, as budget-writers had assumed when they crafted the budget last year. At a minimum, Ohio may be facing a big cash-flow problem and in an election year. Neither of two textbook remedies cutting state services (during a pandemic?) or raising taxes (amid widespread unemployment?) is feasible. So, for the rest of 2020, Ohios going to need the same kind of mature Statehouse leadership that Ohioans saw last week. Thomas Suddes, a member of the editorial board, writes from Athens. To reach Thomas Suddes: tsuddes@cleveland.com, 216-408-9474 Have something to say about this topic? * Send a letter to the editor, which will be considered for print publication. * Email comments or corrections on this opinion column to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, at esullivan@cleveland.com. Jammu and Kashmir reported its second Covid-19 casualty after a 67-year-old man, hailing from Tangmarg area of Baramulla district, died at Srinagars Chest Disease Hospital on Sunday morning. He had no travel history, but had met a couple from Saudi Arabia recently. The death came as the newly-created UT recorded five more cases on Sunday, adding to Saturdays 13, the highest in a single day so far, taking the count to 38. Sad start to the day. Unfortunate demise of a coronavirus patient in Srinagar this morning, Rohit Kansal, principal secretary, JK government, tweeted, adding minutes later in another tweet that five more patients had tested positive. Of these, two are from Srinagar, two are from Budgam and one from Baramulla. A 65-year-old religious preacher from Srinagar had died of the disease on Thursday. Most patients are contacts of the preacher and another infected person who tested positive last week, after returning from abroad. J&K chief secretary BVR Subrahmanyam said the administration had undertaken an aggressive testing campaign, as a result of which there was an increase in the number. The five new cases were all contacts of existing patients and were asymptomatic. If not tested, it would have never been known for up to two weeks that they were infected. Subsequently, they would have infected 100s of others, he added, claiming that the testing rate in J-K was above 10% of those kept under surveillance, which was higher than states like Kerala. He said medical capacities, response mechanism and other requirements were being ramped up. Subrahmanyam complimented frontline health workers, field administration and volunteers for resolutely fighting on the ground to defeat the pandemic. Srinagars deputy commissioner Shahid Choudhary said more needed to be done to break the chain. Former J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah, released recently after nearly eight months in detention, also expressed concern over the growing number of cases. The number of positive #COVID19 cases in J&K is going up but its not too late to #FlattenTheCurve. All we have to do is follow the guidelines to maintain #SocialDistancing & #StayAtHomeAndStaySafe. Please disclose your travel history & contacts to the authorities (sic), Omar tweeted. So far, 5,763 travelers and people in contact with suspected cases have been put under surveillance. Of 38 positive patients, 29 are admitted in Kashmir hospitals and nine across Jammu, IANS reported. The number of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients traced to a major hospital in Hanoi mounted to 18 on Sunday, when Vietnams Ministry of Health confirmed 14 new infections in total. The 18 patients include health workers, patients, patients visitors, and catering staff linked to Bach Mai Hospital in the capital city, the ministry said. The hospital has been locked down since Saturday. About 7,000 health workers, patients, patients relatives, and service providers staff have been tested for the virus, with over 5,000 returning negative at the time of writing. Hanoi authorities are leaving no stone unturned to suppress the outbreak at the hospital, tracking the infected patients close contacts and those having been there since March 12 for monitoring, isolation, testing. Bach Mai is a special-grade hospital and the largest general hospital in Vietnam. It treats a daily average of 6,000 outpatients and 4,000 inpatients, while receiving 4,000 visitors of the sick in addition to having thousands of health workers. In Ho Chi Minh City, authorities have announced 13 people sickened by the virus after visiting Buddha Bar&Grill at No. 7 Thao Dien Street in Thao Dien Ward, District 2. Hundreds have been traced after they were found to come to the bar on the same day as a British pilot, who was confirmed as the primary spreader at the bar. Vietnam has confirmed a total of 188 COVID-19 patients so far, with 25 having been discharged from the hospital. Hanoi is treating 67 patients while there are 38 actives cases in Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnam is ramping up its battle against the novel coronavirus, saying it must keep the patient count under 1,000 from now until April 5. It has banned mass gatherings and required citizens to avoid going out if not necessary and to wear face masks whenever outdoors. The country has closed non-essential services like bars, pubs, clubs, massage parlors, kaorake lounges, cinemas, tourist sites, and online game centers, among others. The central government has ordered restaurants in major cities like Hanoi, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City, and Can Tho City to offer takeaways and deliveries while telling diners in the other provinces to serve no more than 10 customers at a time. Vietnam is isolating and monitoring 3,215 suspected cases, according to the Ministry of Health. The country has quarantined 75,085 people in close contact with infected patients and returning from COVID-19-hit regions. A total of 35,808 people have been tested, 35,620 results coming out negative. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! About 1700 staff employed by retail group Brand Collective that manages labels including Shoes and Sox, Clarks and Mossimo will be stood down at the end of the week as the government scrambles to assemble a wage-support package and the retail body predicts more store closures. The head of the Australian Retailers Association supports the government's package but called for greater clarity on rent support, predicting more closures in clothing, footwear and accessory stores as businesses struggle with falling foot traffic resulting from stay-at-home advice designed to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Russell Zimmerman, executive director of the Australian Retailers Association, says the industry is "staring down the barrel of sales that have gone down 75 per cent." Credit: Russell Zimmerman, executive director of the ARA, said technology related outlets and book stores appeared safe, for now, as demand for products assisting in the transition to work-from-home arrangements was on the rise. "Where it comes to people trying on clothing as a consumer, they might be very concerned about trying a jumper on that might have wiped across someone's face that might have had coronavirus," Mr Zimmerman said. "Immediately clothing and footwear comes to a standstill." Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, and the Peoples Democratic Party in the South West, have raised concerns over the bomb explosion which occurred in the early hours of Saturday at Ilu Abo, in Akure North Local Government Area of State. No death has been attributed to the explosion which officials have confirmed resulted from a fire from a vehicle carrying explosives. But 13 people are still in a hospital as a result of injuries sustained from the blast. The blast, which occurred around 1a.m. also caused a deep crater in the middle of the Akure-Owo expressway, keeping travellers stranded for several hours on the highway. Several houses, including a school and a church were badly damaged. While expressing its sympathy with Ondo State as a result of the blast, Afenifere, in a statement on Saturday by its publicity secretary, Yinka Odumakin, demanded an inquiry into the incident. Accounts from the Police Commissioner, Undie Adie, said the explosion occurred from a fire incident from a vehicle that was carrying explosives through the state. Though the identities of the movers have not yet been known, the police said they were escorting the ordinances (bombs) when they noticed some challenge. According to Mr Adie, the police escort made efforts to help put out a fire in the engine of the truck, but it grew into a flame and they had to abandon the vehicle to escape from the blast. Afenifere said it had nothing to contradict the statement of the police, but would demand an inquiry into the disaster in accordance with the Ordinance and Firearm Acts to determine the type of ordinances that exploded. The inquiry should be able to ascertain the following: 1. The identities of those transporting the ordinances; 2. The origin of the ordinances; 3. Who assigned the escorting policemen and under what circumstance; 4. Where was the destination of the Improvised Explosive Devices, the group demanded. The group also expressed its displeasure with the rate of explosions in Yorubaland in recent time. First was the blast in Ekiti State in early February with investigation blaming it on human error, the group noted. This was followed by the massive explosion in Abule Ado in Lagos which was attributed to some spurious pipeline explosion which we rejected because the long-range impacts of that explosion could not have come from pipeline explosion. Till date we dont know the owners of the articulated vehicles found on the scene of the Lagos explosion while the number of casualties and level of suggested damage done to Catholic-owned Bethlehem School suggested deliberate targeting. While we wait to know the level of casualties in the latest incident in Ondo, we appeal to our people to be very careful in these perilous times. Speaking in the same vein, the PDP in the South-west noted with displeasure, what it described as yet another explosion within the South-west. This development again adds up to a number of previously unexplained and inadequately investigated explosions that had occurred in our recent past, South West PDP Publicity Secretary, Ayo Fadaka, said in a statement on Saturday. These kinds of development continue to dot our landscape since the inauguration of the Buhari administration in 2015 and we feel enough, indeed, should be enough now. We recall that about three weeks ago, there was another explosion in Lagos that claimed over seventy lives and till this moment the Federal Government has taken no concrete action to identify the factors responsible for it. It is sad to note that another South Western State of Nigeria has been subjected to another unjustifiable explosion that inexplicably terrorized scores of people. Advertisements The PDP condemns this recent development outright and is forced to demand that the Federal Government must do a proper investigation of this matter, bring the facts bare for all to see and develop strategies that will forestall the reoccurrence of such developments again across our nation. We find it curious that explosives are carelessly transported across the nation by all sorts of people, thereby continuously exposing Nigerians to untoward harm unnecessarily, this we condemn outright. The party also demanded that the government should do an assessment of the losses and pay due compensations for negligence. Nigerians must be safe in their homes and nation and if President Buhari cannot guarantee that, he has no business to remain in power for a minute longer, the party noted We loathe and condemn this continuing clueless management of our nation and thus declare our frustration about it. Nigeria is not a nation at war and nothing must compromise our peace and security. The Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, had earlier visited the site and described it as an accidental discharge. He had also promised that the security agencies would do an investigation and unravel the cause of the explosion. Four girl friends withdrawing money from credit card at ATM It looks like Canadians may actually have some good news coming their way after well-over a month of uncertainty. While the S&P/TSX Composite may still be down more than 25%, in just the past week its managed to gain almost 20% its largest drop in over a decade. Bank stocks have also seen a lift lately, so lets look at what you should be doing with them as an investor. Why now? The Canadian federal government and Bank of Canada have both put forward plans to put cash back into the pockets of Canadians. The Bank of Canada is footing the bill to purchase $500 million a week in mortgage bonds and acquiring $50 billion in government-insured mortgages. Meanwhile, the Canadian government announced a number of measures that include up to $2,000 for self-employed persons whose income is affected by COVID-19, and an increase in the Child Care Benefit by $300 per child. These and other measures have put Canadians on the path to profits again, with some thinking they might actually have some cash on hand to invest. What now for bank stocks? Its still a volatile situation for Canadian bank stocks, however. Toronto-Dominion Bank (TSX:TD)(NYSE:TD), for example, fell 35% since February to its lowest point. However, this and other bank stocks have since rebounded with the recent news. In fact, analysts believe the massive selloff was overdone, as Canadians feared what was coming. In fact, Canadian banks have fared the best in the world during times of crisis, such as the last recession back in 2008. Canadian banks have strong cash flow, and diversified sources of revenue, meaning that Canadian bank stocks should bounce back a lot quicker than some other peers. Take TD, which has become one of the top 10 banks in America, and is still in the expansion phase. It has since also expanded into the wealth and commercial management sectors, a lucrative area for banks. The bank also has long-term contracts that should keep cash flowing in for investors looking for stability in both stock price and dividend yield for decades to come. Story continues The bad news The main issue right now is oil for bank stocks. Canadian bank stocks are all heavily invested in the energy sector, and its unclear when this area will bounce back. Its going to take a lot more than a vaccine to heal this industry, especially now that Russia and Saudi Arabia have said the countries wont be pulling back production. The other problematic area: real estate. The Bank of Canada supporting mortgages is great news, but its not going to convince Canadians that now is the time to buy or sell their home. Even worse, its definitely not the time to invest in grand real estate projects hoping the economy heals quickly. This could be seriously troublesome for Canadian bank stocks that are heavily invested in real estate. Bottom line If youre looking to make a long-term investment, Canadian bank stocks are always a good buy. Sticking to a stock like TD is a great option, as its Canadas second-largest bank by market capitalization, so it has plenty of cash on hand to work through this crisis. It also has a strong history of dividend yield increases, so you can still look forward to cash coming in even when the stock is down. But if youre looking for a quick rebound for short-term gains, Id hold off on bank stocks. There could be a lot more volatility ahead, so its best to lay low and wait until the storm passes if youre looking to invest for only a couple of years. The post Canadian Bank Stocks: What Now? appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada. More reading Fool contributor Amy Legate-Wolfe owns shares of TORONTO-DOMINION BANK. The Motley Fools purpose is to help the world invest, better. Click here now for your free subscription to Take Stock, The Motley Fool Canadas free investing newsletter. Packed with stock ideas and investing advice, it is essential reading for anyone looking to build and grow their wealth in the years ahead. Motley Fool Canada 2020 SeaWorld is furloughing 90 per cent of its 15,000 employees as it closes its parks during the coronavirus epidemic. The company made the announcement in an SEC filing on March 27 which did not set a timetable for when staff would return. Workers will not receive payment beyond March 31. The news follows an announcement from the company earlier this month that it would be temporarily closing its 12 amusement parks in Florida, California, and Texas due to the coronavirus pandemic. An SEC filing from last month showed Seaworld had roughly 4,300 full-time employees and close to 11,000 part-time employees at the end of 2019. Scroll down for video SeaWorld announced earlier this month that it would be temporarily closing its 12 amusement parks in Florida, California, and Texas due to the coronavirus pandemic Matthew Schroder was prepared to begin work as a host at SeaWorld Orlando in March when he got word the company was pushing back his start date through the end of this month A 2013 documentary shined spotlight on the dangers of whale captivity. The film explored the deaths of three people who were killed at SeaWorld by a whale named Tilikum 'Government orders prohibiting large gatherings, restricting travel, and mandating business closures have caused many companies to scale back or cease operations,' a letter sent to furloughed employees read. 'They have caused significant disruption to our communities and are anticipated to do so for the foreseeable future.' Disney World also announced on Friday it would remain closed indefinitely. Earlier this week, Universal Orlando said it would be closed until at least April 19. SeaWorld has faced a dip in attendance prior to the coronavirus outbreak. A 2013 documentary shined spotlight on the dangers of whale captivity. The film explored the deaths of three people who were killed at SeaWorld by a whale named Tilikum. Bad publicity from the film soured people on the practice of whale captivity, which contributed to slumping attendance at the park. In 2017, SeaWorld laid off 475 workers, followed by more cuts the next year. The company has had multiple rounds of layoffs in the past, but this is the first time its had to furlough workers. 'The furloughed employees will not receive compensation from the company during the furlough period after March 31, 2020; however, subject to local regulations, these employees will be eligible for unemployment benefits,' a SeaWorld SEC filing reads. As of 6pm on March 28, Florida has confirmed more than 4,000 cases of coronavirus, including 56 deaths, according to the state's health department. 'The company looks forward to welcoming back its ambassadors and guests when it is safe to open again.' The show will go on as scheduled for now at this summers Country Thunder Music Festival in Twin Lakes. But the situation remains extremely fluid. Two events on the 2020 schedule, one in Kissimee, Fla., and the other in Florence, Ariz., have been postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic, with decisions pending on the remaining tour, according to Gerry Krochak, director of marketing and media relations for the festival. Country Thunder is set to arrive in Twin Lakes from July 16-19. The show in Florida has been moved to mid-October, Krochak said, while the Arizona event will be held in late October. From there, decisions on the rest of the slate are pending. A show in Iowa is set for June 12-14, followed by Saskatchewan, Canada, July 9-12, then Twin Lakes. The tour ends in Alberta, Canada, Aug. 21-23. There are a lot of moving parts going into decisions, Krochak said. We dont know whats happening in five minutes, let alone four months, he said. We havent made any decision on Wisconsin yet. ... As of right now, our next show is scheduled for mid-June in Iowa, so that will be the next one well have to deal with depending on how things happen the next few months. And Krochak fully expects things to keep changing at a rapid pace. The first time I heard the term, COVID-19, I was talking to some newspaper folks in Florida, and I said, Whatever we say on Monday is irrelevant by Tuesday, and we all look like idiots by Wednesday, he said. Any place where people gather, no matter if its sports, movie theaters, concerts or gatherings of any kind, its all up in the air right now. The four-day Twin Lakes event annually draws around 100,000 people. Headliners scheduled to appear this year are Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert, Kane Brown and Dustin Lynch. New Delhi, March 29 : A batch of 275 people evacuated from the coronavirus-hit Iran on Sunday, were taken to the Army Wellness Facility set up at the Jodhpur Military Station in Rajasthan, a defence official said. Prior to this, a batch of 277 Iran evacuees had arrived in Jodhpur on March 25. "As per the procedure, preliminary screening of the evacuees was conducted at the Airport upon arrival by the Medical teams from Civil Administration and Army. Thereafter, they were moved to the Army Wellness Facility at Jodhpur" said an Army official. The Army authorities as part of Operation Namaste, have created Army Wellness Facilities which comprises of all amenities and are fully geared up to accommodate all evacuees and provide them with requisite medical and administrative support during their quarantine period. "The first batch of 277 evacuees at Jodhpur, have since then settled down comfortably and are being regularly being monitored by the army medical teams," the official added. Iran is one of the severely coronavirus affected countries where the total death toll has been recorded as over two thousand. 44 Pilgrims from Iran were also evacuated on March 13. Rachel Byrne and Stevie Sutton were on the adventure of a lifetime in South America when COVID-19 was declared a pandemic Rachel Byrne and her boyfriend Stevie Sutton spent three years living their dream in Sydney, working hard from Monday to Friday and enjoying surf lessons, boat parties and the best of what Australia has to offer in their spare time. The Irish nurse, 26, and British builder, 25, said goodbye to their life Down Under in November to spend six months on the adventure of a lifetime across South America, a journey which would take them to the desolate desert of Bolivia, the elegant streets of Argentina and the pristine beaches of Brazil. But with less than half their adventure behind them, coronavirus was declared a pandemic on March 11 prompting dozens of countries to close their borders to overseas visitors while dozens more ordered their citizens home without delay. National borders slammed shut while Ms Byrne, Mr Sutton and 14 others were aboard a catamaran sailing from Colombia to Panama, leaving the boat and all its passengers stranded in the Caribbean Sea just a few short kilometres from shore. With the sands of Panama's San Blas Islands in clear view, they were forced to turn back for Colombia, a notoriously challenging route infamous for strong winds, unpredictable currents and waves as high as four metres - the same height as an adult giraffe. With a thrilling story line straight from a movie, the couple have shared their remarkable ordeal with Daily Mail Australia, which saw them endure eight days of dwindling food supplies, ripped sails, broken engines and an unforgettable amount of sea sickness before their eventual rescue by the Colombian coast guard. Rachel and Stevie enjoyed a few short hours on Panama's San Blas Islands before being ordered to return to Colombia by the Panamanian authorities (pictured together in the waters off the San Blas on March 14) Panama's federal police (pictured boarding the vessel) were forced to turn the boat around as international borders slammed shut to slow the spread of COVID-19 in mid-March Ms Byrne and Mr Sutton had visited many of South America's most iconic attractions between November and early March, including Peru's Rainbow Mountain, the Christ the Redeemer statue overlooking Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and the Patagonian mountains in Argentina. But it was the San Blas Islands, with their turquoise waters and unspoiled sands still untouched by commercialisation, which were to be the highlight of their trip. They booked two seats on the 'Ti-Vaou' catamaran to sail 28 hours from Cartagena, on Colombia's Caribbean coast, to the San Blas off the north coast of Panama, keeping an eye on the unfolding COVID-19 crisis as their departure date drew nearer. With the virus casting mounting uncertainty over international travel, the couple contacted their travel agent the day before the trip and were repeatedly assured the Panamanian authorities would allow them to enter from the sea. They set sail on Thursday, March 12. But almost 28 hours and 374km into their voyage, with the sands of the San Blas in clear view, the captain announced they had been refused permission to dock -leaving them with no choice but to sail immediately back to Colombia. The San Blas Islands were to be the highlight of their South American experience (Rachel is pictured at a pool in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in December 2019) Ms Byrne and Mr Sutton had visited many of South America's most iconic attractions between November and early March, including Peru's Rainbow Mountain (right) and Machu Picchu (left) Negotiations in rapid Spanish between the captain and coastguard gave the boat clearance to moor on the San Blas for three days, provided the passengers booked flights from Panama City to their home countries during that time. They were mere hours into their three day window when the authorities returned to escort them from Panamanian waters after the government issued new instructions which forced them out of their jurisdiction. 'We had heard real nightmarish stories about the route back to Colombia, so we were all dreading it,' Ms Byrne told Daily Mail Australia. After a treacherous voyage of more than 60 hours, twice as long as their journey to Panama, the Ti-Vaou reached the outskirts of Colombian waters - only for the engine to sputter and fail while ferocious wind tore holes in both of the boat's two sails. 'It went from messed up to comical to absolutely terrifying,' said Ms Byrne. 'People were crying and the waves were relentless.' The Ti-Vaou spent hours sailing round in circles before the Colombian coastguard toed it closer - but not in to - the port of Cartagena, leaving the damaged vessel at anchor in the bay while the authorities debated its fate. Rachel and Stevie were stuck on the Ti-Vaou for eight days without electricity, running water or WiFi while food supplies dwindled and phone batteries died Ms Byrne and Mr Sutton's catamaran was just one of many boats stranded after being refused permission to dock by South American officials earlier this month as their countries went into lockdown to slow the spread of coronavirus. Ships carrying Australians and a host of other nationalities were prevented from docking in Chile, Peru, Brazil and Ecuador leaving thousands of tourists in limbo. The coastguard arrived the following morning with fresh water, beer and news that none of the passengers - who were from an array of countries including Australia, Ireland, Switzerland, the Netherlands and the UK - would not be allowed back into Colombia. A bureaucratic spat had erupted between Cartagena's port authority and the Colombian immigration department, with the former in support of the beleaguered travellers and the latter refusing to grant them access. 'We had no electricity, no running water, no WiFi and no data, so we were trying to hotspot off the captain's phone the whole time to contact our embassies - 16 people trying to use one hotspot is mental, it doesn't work,' Ms Byrne said. The group spent three days pleading for help from their respective embassies while supplies ran critically, phones died and morale reached an all time low. The couple were helped from the boat, taken for medical checks and immediately escorted to the airport by federal police to begin their long journeys home (Rachel is pictured awaiting her medical clearance in the port of Cartagena, Colombia after eight days at sea) The couple said they were fortunate to have spent the ordeal with 'the most positive people' from all over the world who made 'the best out of a very bad situation' (the group is pictured before setting sail from Cartagena) After diplomatic negotiation and eight torturous days on board, Colombian officials allowed the Ti-Vaou to dock on condition that all passengers take flights from Cartagena to their home countries that same day. Ms Byrne, Mr Sutton and the rest of the group were helped from the boat, taken for medical checks and immediately escorted to the airport by federal police to begin their long journeys home. The couple said they were fortunate to have spent the ordeal with 'the most positive people' who made 'the best out of a very bad situation'. They are currently self-isolating at Ms Byrne's home in Dublin, Ireland, where they will remain for the duration of the country's two-week lockdown aimed at flattening the curve of COVID-19. By PTI ITANAGAR/KOLKATA: A 21-year-old man was "abducted" by China's Peoples Liberation Army from Asapila sector near the McMahon line in Arunachal Pradesh's Upper Subansiri district, it was alleged in a memorandum to the governor. Togley Singkam and his two friends -- Gamshi Chadar and Ronya Nade -- had gone to collect traditional herbs from the land belonging to the Naa clan of the Tagin community, and also to do some fishing. "On the fateful morning of 19th March, the three friends were busy fishing when the Chinese security personnel ambushed them. While other two friends could successfully escape, Tongle Sinkam was abducted at the gunpoint by the Chinese security personnel," the Tagin Cultural Society said in the memorandum to Governor B D Mishra. The McMahon Line demarcates the boundary between the Tibet autonomous region of China and Arunachal Pradesh, which Beijing claims as its own. The McMahon line is not properly demarcated and small cement pillars erected on the Indian side often get covered under wild growth. His friends informed the Tagin Cultural Society (TCS) about the alleged incident on their return to district headquarters Daporijo, whose members then approached the authorities. A complaint was filed by Singkam's family at the Nacho police station on March 23, the memorandum said. Upper Subansiri's superintendent of police Taru Gusar told PTI that he has sent Nacho police station's officer-in-charge to the spot for a detailed inquiry. The officer is likely to return from the scene of the alleged incident in a remote area by Monday and only then there will be greater clarity, Gusar said. The governor's office said that the memorandum has been received, while officials at the Army's Eastern Command headquarters in Kolkata said they are checking the details with its personnel posted in the area. The memorandum claimed that Singkam was picked up from a place which is part of the clan's land and well within the Indian territory. "He did not cross the LAC or any international border. On the contrary, the Chinese security personnel who picked him up in an inhuman way had rather transgressed into Indian territory thereby violating international norms/law that guides such matters," it said. Urging the governor to take up the matter with the Centre to secure Singkam's immediate release, it said that members of the Tagin community live in the border areas and such incidents, which keep happening from time to time, make their lives miserable. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 29) The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) announced March 29 would be a "Day of Prayer" dedicated to frontliners in the fight against COVID-19. In a circular sent out on Friday, CBCP President Archbishop Romulo Valles invited dioceses to offer prayers for health workers on Sunday. Valles said the prayers would be in all masses, rosaries, and even during "moments of personal prayer." Of course we continue praying our Oratio Imperata, Valles added. Valles also appealed to dioceses to open churches as temporary shelters for hospital workers who may not want to go home for fear of possible transmission. May our prayer move us to action, he said. Hand washing facilities, sanitizer mandatory at all education institutions View(s): All education institutions ranging from the Examinations Department to training colleges and schools were requested to install handwashing facilities or provide alcohol rub at the entranceto control the spread of Covid-19, the Education Ministry said. The Ministry informed the Examinations Department Commissioner, the National Institute of Education Director General, the Education Publications Department Commissioner General, provincial and zonal education directors, heads of pirivenas and teacher training colleges and school principals to follow strict hygiene practices in their respective institutions. The institutionswere also told to place waste paper paddle bins for the disposing of used tissues. They were also requested to avoid holding training programmes and seminars and discourage group gatherings until the pandemic is under control. If an employee, student or guest suffers from severe respiratory illness, they should not be allowed to enter the premises. All officials are instructed to make sure students, parents and employees who have returned from overseas go through proper quarantine restrictions, EducationMinistry Secretary H.N.M. Chitrananda said. Meanwhile area Medical Officers of Health and Public Health Inspectors are expected to educate officials, teachers, non-academic staff, students and their families on preventive measures and good hygiene practices,before government institutions and schools re-open. Though it is not compulsory for a healthy person to wear a face mask. If someone has symptoms of a cold or flu, then they should wear a mask, Mr Chitrananda advised. Students and parents were requested to avoid non-essential trips in the coming weeks, avoid touching wild animals, dead or sick animals, avoid handshakes and embraces, avoid shopping in crowded places, maintain a one metre social distance as much as possible, avoid close contact with those suffering from severe respiratory illnesses and wash hands frequently. Education institutions were also requested to display posters published by Health Ministry on good hygiene practices, preventive measures etc. Love Island star Amy Hart has reportedly begged Strictly Come Dancing to let her join the show. It's been said that the former air hostess, 27, spotted show bosses at the National Television Awards in January and approached them to ask if she could have a spot on the show. It comes amid reports that the next series of Strictly could be jeopardy thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. Strictly keen: Love Island star Amy Hart has reportedly begged Strictly Come Dancing to let her join the show Amy previously dated professional dancer Curtis Pritchard, whose brother AJ sensationally quit the dance show just days ago. And amid the furore, it's been revealed that blonde beauty Amy would jump at the chance to don her sequins and showcase her moves on the dance-floor. A source told The Sun on Sunday: 'She told them how it would mean everything to her. 'It was very heartfelt', the insider added. Jeopardy? It comes amid reports that the next series of Strictly could be jeopardy thanks to the coronavirus pandemic Amy recently admitted that she is still having therapy nine months after her ex half-boyfriend Curtis dumped her on Love Island, so no doubt a stint on Strictly would be a welcome distraction. However, she may not get the chance as it's been said that the next series is up in the air amid the coronavirus outbreak. Preparation for the dance show usually kicks off in June ahead of the launch in September. But with the nation on lockdown for several weeks, it's said that show makers fear that time will run out to prepare. Opportunity: It's been said that the former air hostess, 27, spotted show bosses at the National Television Awards in January and approached them to ask if she could have a spot on the show According to The Sun On Sunday, bosses are discussing how the team will cope should the situation not change, with another adding that they may scrap the series all together. A source said: 'We are taking things one day at a time at the moment. The situation is not yet urgent as we still have - for now - time. But there are talks ongoing about how we would cope with different scenarios' They added that casting and choreography could potentially be done 'virtually' while they haven't ruled out filming without a studio audience, in a similar way Let's Dance are doing in Germany. She wants to move: A source told The Sun on Sunday : 'She told them how it would mean everything to her. 'It was very heartfelt', the insider added A second source added to the publication that producers worry they'll struggle to sign up celebrity participants amid the Covid-19 pandemic. They said: 'By this stage, we would normally expect to be starting to cast stars for the show. But so far no one is on board for 2020. The hope is that the casting team have more success in the weeks to come.' However, with Amy reportedly keen, at least they'll have one willing recruit. Drama: with the nation on lockdown for several weeks, it's said that show makers fear that time will run out to prepare for the series in September MailOnline have contacted a representative of Strictly for comment. While a BBC spokesman told The Sun On Sunday: 'We will continue to review all productions on a case by case basis and will continue to follow the latest news and advice from the Foreign Office, World Health Organisation and Public Health England.' Meanwhile, Strictly bosses have reportedly been left furious following AJ Pritchard's decision to quit the show. Recruits: 'By this stage, we would normally expect to be starting to cast stars for the show. But so far no one is on board for 2020' (pictured: The cast of the Strictly Come Dancing Tour 2019) A source claimed producers were blindsided by the dancer's surprise departure, especially as they have struggled to sign any big celebrities due to the coronavirus pandemic. AJ's exit was also described as a 'double blow' for Strictly bosses as it came just weeks after Kevin Clifton confirmed his exit. A source told The Sun that production for the new series of Strictly has been placed on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, and AJ's exit is just another blow. They said: 'It's terrible timing, AJ was a big part of the show's future and nobody saw this coming at all. He's left? Strictly bosses have reportedly been left furious after being 'blindsided 'by AJ Pritchard's decision to quit the show Upsetting: The exit comes just weeks after Kevin Clifton also announced that he had quit the show, leaving producers worried as they are yet to sign any big stars for the new series 'Things are really tough at the moment. The show doesn't come back until the Autumn but, by now, the programme would have liked to have one or two big celeb names signed up. 'So far there is nobody on the books. Everything has been put on hold because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, as well as facing a search for big names, the bosses need to replace one of their top male dancers.' The insider also claimed that ITV could try to snap up AJ and his brother Curtis for a presenting job, after the pair revealed their ambitions to become the next Ant and Dec. Representatives for Strictly Come Dancing and AJ Pritchard declined to comment to MailOnline. A representatives for Kevin Clifton has been contacted for comment. Iran's president on Sunday lashed out at criticism of its lagging response to the worst coronavirus outbreak in the Middle East as a "political war," saying he had to weigh protecting the economy while tackling the pandemic. Hassan Rouhani said the government had to consider the effect of mass quarantine efforts on Iran's beleaguered economy, which is under heavy U.S. sanctions. It's a dilemma playing out across the globe, as leaders struggle to strike a balance between containing the pandemic and preventing their economies from crashing. Health is a principle for us, but the production and security of society is also a principle for us," Rouhani said at a Cabinet meeting. We must put these principles together to reach a final decision." This is not the time to gather followers, he added. This is not a time for political war. Even before the pandemic, Rouhani was under fire for the unraveling of the 2015 nuclear deal he concluded with the United States and other world powers. President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the agreement and has imposed crippling sanctions on Iran that prevent it from selling oil on international markets. Iran reported another 139 deaths on Saturday, pushing the total number of fatalities to 2,517 amid 35,408 confirmed cases. Most people suffer only minor symptoms, such as fever and coughing, and recover within a few weeks. But the virus can cause severe illness and death, especially in elderly patients or those with underlying health problems. It is highly contagious, and can be spread by those showing no symptoms. In recent days, Iran has ordered the closure of nonessential businesses and banned travel between cities. But those measures came long after other countries in the region imposed more sweeping lockdowns. Many Iranians are still flouting orders to stay home in what could reflect widespread distrust of authorities. Iran has urged the international community to lift sanctions and is seeking a USD 5 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund. Elsewhere in the region, Qatar reported its first death from the new coronavirus late Saturday, saying the total number of reported cases there was at least 590. The tiny, energy-rich nation said it flew 31 Bahrainis stranded in Iran into Doha on a state-run Qatar Airways flight. But since Bahrain is one of four Arab countries that has been boycotting Qatar in a political dispute since 2017, Doha said it could not fly the 31 onward to the island kingdom. Bahraini officials have said they will send a flight for them at some undefined point in the future, the Qatari government said in a statement. Bahrain said it planned a flight Sunday to pick up the stranded passengers. The kingdom said it had its own repatriation flights scheduled for those still stuck in Iran and warned Qatar that it should stop interfering with these flights. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) When historians mark the start of this nation's coronavirus nightmare, they will cite Jan. 21, 2020, the date a Washington state man in his 30s who had visited Wuhan, China, was confirmed as the United States' first COVID-19 case. Since then, this global crisis has mushroomed into a national defining moment with as yet untallied cultural and economic repercussions. No one questions whether we will be talking about this for generations. If there is debate, it is over the proper historical comparison. Is this like the 2008 financial crisis, 9/11, World War II? Or perhaps, as some economists predict and news that 3.3 million people applied for unemployment last week suggests, will this be remembered as a period of deep loss and poverty, something like the grim 1930s when unemployment hit 25%? This will be very economically disruptive, and an analogy to the Great Depression is the closest to what we may face, says Stanford University economics professor Matthew Jackson. These huge events can have profound changes on the views and beliefs people have. That we are in for difficult months and perhaps years ahead seems commonly accepted, as virus deaths mount, hospitals are overwhelmed and a decimated service-based economy spurs a $2.2 trillion wartime-scale bailout package in Washington, D.C. But if there is cause for optimism in these bleak times, historians, economists and writers say, it is born out of the fact that we as a nation can choose to seize this moment to create an even greater society better poised to protect its citizens from future crises. In this Nov. 24, 1933 file photo, unemployed men wait outside the State Labor Bureau in New York. The epic hardship of the 1930s is the best-known depression in American history, and some economists are concerned the repercussions of the COVID-19 crisis could send the U.S. reeling back to those difficult times. There are precedents for bold responses to watershed American events. The Depression gave rise to the Social Security Act, which promised citizens financial safety in their later years. World War II drew women into the workforce and minorities into the military, leading to the equal and civil rights movements. And the 2008 financial meltdown gave rise to banking regulations and renewed scrutiny of illicit financial tools. Story continues The possible positive national reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic which as of this writing has infected more than 120,000 Americans and killed more than 2,000, out of a global tally of 680,000 sickened and more than 30,000 dead are myriad. They could include a renewed appreciation of governments role in grappling with unprecedented crises, a remaking of manufacturing pipelines so they rely less on foreign suppliers, and a rekindled appreciation for friends and neighbors, experts say. As tough as things look now, I do see us possibly demonstrating a sense that were all in this together, says Joseph Margulies, a law professor at Cornell University in New York and author of What Changed When Everything Changed: 9/11 and the Making of National Identity. Margulies notes that in contrast to WWII, when Japanese-Americans were rounded up and interned, and the Red Scare, when those suspected of Communist leanings were blacklisted, this debacle has governors from New York to California saying the same thing, 'stay home,' and they mean everyone, not one group. 'Life may change for us all' At the moment, most cultural observers note that the sharp political divide that existed before the virus arrived still persists. Thats evident in everything from the squabbles that erupted as Congress debated the size and scope of the bailout, to the tension between President Donald Trumps desire to see the nation reopen for business next month and a range of health officials countering that the worst is yet to come if life is allowed to resume prematurely. A mask-wearing man in the Philippines walks by an iconic poster from WWII America that depicts Rosie the Riveter, a fictional factory worker meant to inspired Americans of both sexes to pitch in to the war effort during the 1940s. Our coronavirus crisis could inspire the same kind of unified national effort at recovering from the epidemic, historians say. But some semblance of a unified national direction will be crucial to rebounding from this historic moment, given the as yet unknown shifts in the way we shop, work, travel and learn, says Matthew Continetti, resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank. Clearly, the cost of the virus in lives and resources will pale in comparison to the way life may change for us all, he says. Just like terrorism before it, this pandemic may present real challenges to civil liberties that well have to grapple with. Continetti points out that at the core of the American ethos is freedom, which also can translate into a rejection of government-issued rules meant to ensure public safety. That could create problems if, say, the government were to echo moves by some Asian nations and track virus carriers via their cellphones and closed-circuit TV cameras. I dont think most Americans are ready to embrace that, he says. The coronavirus has robbed us all: Let yourself mourn the loss, experts say. As this emergency eventually turns into a state of persistent vigilance, what could be on the horizon for us is in fact is a difficult push and pull. On the one side, a desire to return to our pre-virus lives at all costs; on the other, an acknowledgement that nothing will ever truly be the same. Continetti says that what is coming next will represent a true paradigm shift, one in which a society long driven by the pursuit of happiness at all costs may have to rearrange its social and moral priorities. Its a noble and frightening future were facing, he says. But it may also give us a newfound sense of national solidarity. Volunteer Art Ponce is handed a box of sterile swabs and gloves from a donor at a Sacramento County collection site in Sacramento, California this week. The state was among the first to declare local and state-wide self-quarantining for residents in an effort to stem the tide of COVID-19 cases. A few things should happen rather quickly as a result of this seminal moment in our history, one that undeniably has parallels to the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918, says Rice University historian Douglas Brinkley. Among them are a renewed appreciation for science, a rekindled admiration for doctors, and a funding bonanza for government health institutions such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a once mighty and now underfunded institution that by most accounts has been caught flat-footed by this pandemic. In U.S. history, whatever rises to a level of national concern gets funding, and health should rise sky-high, says Brinkley, noting that, in contrast, the impact of 9/11 was felt mostly in the Northeast and Hurricane Katrina in the Deep South. Coronavirus is touching everyone, so what officials wont want to be prepared for the next outbreak? Brinkley, who is working on a book about the environmental movement of the 1960s and 70s, is hopeful that another reaction to this historical turning point will be a more urgent focus on curbing climate change. Many scientists believe that new viruses are bound to spread as global temperature rises lead to the migration of animals. There are suspicions that the new coronavirus may have jumped species from pangolins, an exotic scale-covered mammal that is illegally hunted in parts of Asia. You cant wipe out rainforests in Brazil and not expect to have a health care payback, Brinkley says. When will coronavirus end? What wartime and human kindness can tell us about what happens next Coronavirus shows global connections Another sober realization bound to hit Americans across the economic spectrum is how globally interconnected the economies of all nations have become. That phone youre holding or the car youre driving may be designed or built in the U.S., but countless such products invariably have many parts made in countries whose manufacturing plants are now at risk as employees get sick as governments order shutdowns. The virus will end, well have a vaccine in 12 to 18 months, but what will the world economy look like after 12 to 18 months of stagnation, let alone if the virus comes back? says Jerald Combs, professor emeritus of history at San Francisco State University and author of The History of American Foreign Policy from 1895. Join USA TODAY's Facebook group, 'Coronavirus Watch,' dedicated to sharing accurate information, asking experts questions and building community as COVID-19 spreads around the world. Visit the group Combs says that as the virus cripples supplier countries such as India and China, U.S. manufacturing ultimately will have to find new ways to make products or face economic hardships. Such adjustments could be required of American companies for years, given it remains unknown whether today's viral threat is an aberration or a preview of whats to come. World War II had a huge impact on American society in so many ways, but they had one advantage over what were dealing with, Combs says. They knew at some point the war would end. We, on the other hand, are still not sure. A tourist passes the statue of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in Parliament Square in London, where Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently announced he has tested positive for COVID-19. To get a sense of just how much this Defining Moment has us concerned, consider that author Erik Larson has received what he calls a surprising amount of messages from readers who have found a sense of solace in the pages of his new book, The Splendid and the Vile, which chronicles how Winston Churchill led British resistance to the relentless Nazi onslaught of 1940. People must simply be getting lost in a time when you had this catastrophic threat to a nation and a charismatic leader pulling them through it, Larson says. Theres this heroic clarity to that time, Churchill defying Hitler and rallying the public, saying 'Were all in this together.' I guess maybe people would like that now. After years of research that brought him close to heart and mind of the legendary British prime minister, Larson is convinced Churchills message today for any nation facing the defining challenge that is the coronavirus threat would be inspirationally simple. Says Larson: Hed have been quick to say that this is not the apocalypse, all our institutions will survive, our world will endure, and we will go forth when this is over. Follow USA TODAY national correspondent Marco della Cava: @marcodellacava This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coronavirus is a new defining moment for America, historians say Rome, March 29 : The COVID-19 pandemic continued to claim victims in Italy as the deadline for the end of the government's national lockdown drew closer and experts warned it is too soon to lift restrictions. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced that the entire country of some 60 million people would remain under lockdown until April 3 in a bid to contain the spread of the coronavirus, Xinhua news agency reported. As of Saturday the total number of infections, fatalities and recoveries rose to 92,472, according to the latest data released by the Civil Protection Department. The death toll was 889 on Saturday, pushing the total to 10,023 fatalities since the pandemic first broke out in northern Italy on Feb. 21. Speaking during a nightly televised press conference, Civil Protection Department Chief Angelo Borrelli also confirmed that there are 3,651 new coronavirus infections compared to Friday, bringing the nationwide total to 70,065 cases. Of those infected, 26,676 are hospitalized and 3,856 are in intensive care. He added that there were 1,434 recoveries, bringing the total to 12,384. On Saturday, leading Italian virologist Roberto Burioni wrote on Facebook that "at this time the situation remains so serious that any idea of relaxing the restrictions any time soon is unrealistic... We must stay home, or the sacrifices we have made so far will have been in vain." He was echoed by Fabrizio Pregliasco, a research fellow at Milan University's Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, who told ANSA Italian news agency in an interview that "realistically, we will have to wait at least until the end of April" to lift the restrictions. "There won't be one single peak in the cases but... various peaks occurring throughout the national territory, at different times," Pregliasco added. "Therefore, the most effective weapons (against the virus) for now are isolation (of infected people) and restrictive measures." As well, Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese told Sky Tg24 private broadcaster in an interview that "if we look at yesterday's data, I think April 3 is too soon" to relax the lockdown. Economic Development Minister Stefano Patuanelli told RAI News 24 the same thing: "There are some elements that lead us to say that the April 3 deadline will probably have to be extended." "We are watching the situation as it unfolds, so decisions will be made when the situation with regard to the numbers of deaths and infections calms down," she said. Meanwhile, Italy continued to purchase supplies for hospitals and emergency personnel who are on the frontlines of the fight against the virus. The Public Informational Services Dealer (CONSIP), a procurement company that is wholly owned by the Ministry of Finance, said on Saturday that it has obtained the delivery from various parts of the world of almost 100,000 endotracheal tubes, over 870,000 surgical masks, 12 million items of protective gear for medical and civil protection staff (including gloves, visors, and suits), and almost 170,000 swabs to test for the virus. CONSIP added that 370 intensive and sub-intensive care ventilators arrived from Hong Kong earlier in the day. The effort is being undertaken in cooperation with the Foreign Ministry, the Finance Guard, and the Customs Agency, CONSIP said. "These are significant results, given the known issues with logistics, the closure of flights and borders, and domestic transportation difficulties," it said. Also on Saturday, the National Confederation of Farmers (Coldiretti) warned that the prices of basic foods such as grain and rice are on the rise as "governments are concentrating on feeding their own populations while the virus interrupts supply chains worldwide amid fears of a global food crisis". The "tendency to stockpile has been confirmed in Italy as well," with marked rises in consumer purchases of flour (99.5 per cent), rice (47.3 per cent), and semolina pasta (41.9 per cent) "during the five weeks ending on March 22," Coldiretti wrote. Jenny LaFond was spending her Sunday morning much like she has most of her recent days, ever since the COVID-19 pandemic locked down New Canaan and much of the region in mid-March. I just happened to be watching the Today show this morning since I have nothing else to do, LaFond said. There was a story about a community welcoming home a little girl with cancer and I immediately thought of Riley coming home today. An eighth grader at Saxe, Riley Grise underwent open-heart surgery 11 days ago. The 14-year old was returning home Sunday afternoon from New York Presbyterian Hospital to continue to recover. LaFond, a close friend of the Grise family, immediately called Rileys dad, Mike Grise, and fellow friend Helen Sparks to see if they could do something similar to what she had seen on TV to make Rileys homecoming special. We immediately started making all kinds of group texts, Sparks said. Then we reached out to Jake Granito and he told us he could get the police, fire department and EMTs at Mead Park at 1p.m., so we started getting the word out to everyone to get there at 1 to welcome her home. It all happened within a 20-minute period. Dozens of families lined the Mead Park driveway, many with posters and balloons awaiting the Grises arrival. Mike was the only one in the car who knew what was awaiting them for Riley and her mom, Stefanie, the homecoming celebration was a complete surprise. They were curious why I was going into Mead Park and asked why all these cars were here, Mike said. They quickly realized when people started yelling that it was for Riley. It was just such an unbelievable homecoming with just a great group of people. She literally just started crying. The Grises slowly made their way through the park as the crowd appropriately spaced, with many leaning out of car windows and sunroofs honked horns, rattled cowbells and cheered for Riley, who was taking it all in from the passenger seat. You could see her spirit lift immediately, Mike Grise said. They were tears of joy and I think its really going to propel her forward in her recovery. Its amazing, LaFond said. To have the support of the police, fire and EMS people just wanting to get involved. We have a friend down in the Bahamas who heard about it and texted us to tell us how great of an idea this was. Its just amazing how this has traveled and everyone was so excited to come together, honk their horns to welcome this little fighter home. For the Grise family, longtime residents of New Canaan, it was another reminder of how the community even under the dark cloud of the Coronavirus crisis always figures out a way to rise to the occasion and support one of its own. Weve lived here since 1996 and have been fortunate enough to make a lot of good friends along the way, Mike Grise said. It was just amazing. Thank you to everyone who showed up and to the amazing doctors and nurses at New York Presbyterian, who were amazing in the face of adversity out there. Our deepest gratitude for everyones thoughts. Three people have been arrested and 70 people have been cited in Hawaii for ignoring a stay-at-home order issued by the governor in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19, the disease the CCP virus causes. NTD refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. Two people were arrested in a park, one in Waipahu and another in Kaneohe on Ohau, after refusing orders by police officers to leave. Another woman from Kailua Kona was arrested after she violated a protective order concerning a child custody dispute and for throwing a rock at a residence, in addition to ignoring the stay-at-home order. Its not that we went out looking for it, but because this person was arrested for another crime and theyre out where theyre not supposed to be, we added that as a second charge, Hawaii island Police Chief Paul Ferreira said, reported the Star Advertiser. Meanwhile, police in Honolulu issued 70 citations over violations of the order, a misdemeanor punishable by fines of up to $5,000 and a year in jail. It is urgent that our community respond to this pandemic and comply with these orders, said Kauai Police Chief Todd Raybuck. If this isnt taken seriously, our small islands healthcare system will not be able to withstand community spread of the virus. Please, stay at home and do your part for the wellbeing of our community. Hawaii Gov. David Ige issued a stay-at-home order effective from 12:01 a.m. on March 25. Iges order affects all Hawaii residents but makes exceptions for workers in essential industries and residents who need to leave their homes for various needs, including getting healthcare, purchasing food, and getting exercise. Essential industries include media, financial institutions, and gas stations. The threat of COVID-19 is unprecedented and it requires even more aggressive actions, Ige said at a press conference last week, after previously announcing that everyone entering Hawaii, including residents returning from other places, would have to enter a two-week quarantine. The new order (pdf) has more exceptions than similar orders from other governors. Residents can leave their homes for various needs, including healthcare, purchasing food, medicine, and gasoline, taking care of the elderly, minors, and those with disabilities, returning to a place of residence outside of Hawaii, picking up educational materials for distance learning, receiving meals and any other related services, and outdoor exerciseincluding surfing, swimming, and walking pets, Iges office said in a statement. Epoch Times reporter Zachary Stieber contributed to this report. THE Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar has restricted foreign nationals and citizens returning home from entering the isles as it records a third case of coronavirus. The latest case involves a Tanzanian national who returned home recently from abroad. "As from tomorrow (today), we will not allow visitors and returning citizens from entering Zanzibar, including those returning home from Kenya using illegal entry points. We are taking these actions to prevent COVID-19 from spreading to local population, Minister for Health, Hamad Rashid Mohamed said yesterday. He said the third patient is a woman, 57, who returned from abroad, "To-date, all cases are imported, and we ask foreigners and our fellow Tanzanians abroad not to come back home until the disease is contained. We are at high risk of our population contracting the disease because those who return interact with other people." Tanzania has so far recoded a total of 14 cases of the novel virus. Minister Mohamed informed journalists that about 600 Zanzibaris from Kenya (Mombasa) returned home (Pemba) using Micheweni illegal entry points, and that unknown number of people has also returned using unofficial entry points. Mohamed directed local government authorities with the help of security personnel to monitor all illegal entry points to Zanzibar, and asked people with relatives abroad to discourage them from returning home as part of preventive measures against the viral disease. All the three people including the two who were diagnosed positive when they landed from Germany through France and Kenya, are undergoing treatment at Kidimni COVID-19 centre, but he emphasized on self-isolation for people who have recently returned from abroad. The Minister said Tanzania has the possibility of preventing the spread of coronavirus if every adult takes precautions, including social distancing in market places, Mosques, funerals, and in sports, Let us pray to God but also take health precautions seriously, including cleanliness and spending most of the time at home. He said many people, particularly those who returned home, are being monitored, as he asked religious leaders to seriously discourage gatherings in mosques, and conduct short prayers for now. The press conference was also attended by officers from the World Health Organisation (WHO)- Zanzibar liaison office, Dr Jamala Taib- General Director, Ministry of Health, senior officers from the Ministry, and Dr Juma Mohamed- Director of Information (Maelezo), who warned journalists against reporting false information. The Mufti (leader) Sheikh Omar Kaabi and other Muslim leaders last Friday night led people here through a live broadcast to conduct prayers, and called for solidarity to win the war against Coronavirus which has already claimed lives of thousands of people globally. Last week Zanzibar government banned all tourist flights from entering the Isles as yet another precautionary measure over COVID-19. The bold decision in preventing the spread of the deadly virus came despite the fact that tourism sector is the main contributor to the economy of the Isles. Tourism is Zanzibars largest economic sector and essential for the islands socioeconomic stability. It accounts for 27 per cent of the GDP, 80 per cent of foreign revenue and provides the highest private sector employment. However, due to the global health crisis following the outbreak of the COVID- 19, Zanzibars Acting Health Minister, Mahmoud Thabit Kombo announced the ban of all tourist flights, except tourist charter flights, with condition that tourists onboard should be quarantined for 14 days on their own expense. Updated: Director-General of Health Ashely Bloomfield says one person has died from COVID-19 in New Zealand. The woman, who was in her 70s, was initially diagnosed with influenza. She died this morning and was from the West Coast. There is now a total of 514 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 in New Zealand. He says there are 63 new cases as of 9am this morning. 60 of those cases are confirmed, and three are probable. We currently have nine people in hospital with Covid-19. One of those people is in ICU on a ventilator, he says. Ashley says 56 people have now recovered from Covid-19. We are still seeing a strong link to overseas travel, he says. Earlier: The All of Government COVID-19 National Response will provide an update at 1pm today. Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield will deliver a health update. Yesterday officials reported 83 new cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand, made up of 78 new confirmed cases and five probable cases. This brings the total number of cases in New Zealand to 451. Director of Civil Defence Emergency Management Sarah Stuart-Black said yesterday that two people are in intensive care units and one is on a ventilator Fifty individuals have recovered, and 12 people are in hospital with Covid-19. Three people are in Wellington Regional Hospital, two in Nelson Hospital, two in Whangarei Hospital and one each in Auckland, Waikato, Taranaki, Dunedin and Greymouth hospitals. Laboratories are working to process and report test results as quickly as possible, says Sarah. The average daily test number over a seven day period is 1613. Connecticuts COVID-19 infections shot up by 31 percent on Sunday, with 469 confirmed in the hours after President Donald Trump approved the states request for a disaster declaration that will help pay for some of the effort at slowing the spread of the coronavirus. As of late Sunday afternoon, 1,993 people in the state had been diagnosed with COVID-19 and there are now 34 fatalities, On Saturday there were 1,524 infected and 33 fatalities. In Ridgefield, town officials said two more residents at Ridgefield Crossings, an assisted living facility run by Benchmark Senior Living off of Route 7, have died. The additional deaths brings the death toll from the disease at that single facility to six, and at least 22 other residents and employees there have tested positive for coronavirus. The declaration from Washington, D.C. came soon after Trump spoke with Gov. Ned Lamont for about 10 minutes Saturday night, amid the regional fallout over an apparently offhand remark the president made in the afternoon to Washington reporters about possibly ordering massive restrictions for interstate travel from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Lamont blamed the controversy on the presidents musings, which were cleared up during the evening on Saturday, first with White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, then with Vice President Mike Pence and the president himself. Following that phone call, Trump also said there would be no further consideration of a mandatory quarantine for the tri-state area. Yesterday was a day marked by a little confusion, so I might as well tell you, when the president said he was thinking about a mandatory quarantine for New York City including Jersey City and including Fairfield County, the three governors got together to say what does this mean? Lamont said to a pool reporter after a Sunday morning tour of Bio-Med Devices, Inc., a Guilford manufacturer of medical equipment including . Are you thinking about a lockdown? Lamont said. What do you mean? Words matter. This is the commercial and financial hub of the United States, global capital of the world. Be careful when you talk words like that. And by the end of the day yesterday, with good interface with the White House, talked to the president, talked to the vice president, we ended up reaching an agreement, which I greatly appreciate, which is surely what we call a transit alert, slowing things down, making sure that anybody who crosses the border has to have that 14-day quarantine. Lamont called it a collaboration among the three governors and Trump. So the only thing I appreciated about his musings out loud the other day, was he was thinking about this as a region, the governor said. Lamont said he was disappointed that a shipment of 1,500 ventilators that he had expected to be delivered very soon, ended up being shipped elsewhere. We had our order within a strategic stockpile down in Washington D.C., Lamont said. We had 1,000 ventilators, 1,500 ventilations on order, ready to go. We have about 950 in the state right now. Agreed, shipped, ready to go. And guess what? We found out today, they said, sorry, we rerouted your shipment. Your case is not as urgent as other places right now.Were still down there, were pushing hard, making sure that Connecticut gets what was promised, what we need. Lamont and Dean Bennett, president and CEO of Bio-Med Devices in Guilford, said that a supply chain problem, including residual effects of the virus pandemic in China, where some plastic-molded products originate, seem close to being solved. Theyve been talking about as many as 500, even 1,000 ventilators if we can get the parts, and if we can put together the manpower, Lamont said. Colin Cooper, chief manufacturing officer for the state Department of Economic and Community Development who was on the tour with Lamont, said the state wants to assist. Weve offered our services to help them in anyway we can, whether its machine product, fabricated product, plastic-injection product,Cooper said. We have a lot of capabilities in this state and a lot of capacity right now, and a lot of folks who want to help out. So theyre going through, looking to see what their demand is, where they might have some hard spots in supply and were available to help wherever we can. Cooper told Bennett on the shop floor that the state can help identify potential employees, particularly with the recent explosion in unemployment claims. Its unfortunate that theyre out of work, but we can be looking to take some of them, Bennett replied. During the tour, Bennett mentioned to Lamont that his office gets flooded with phone messages on the company answering machine. With a grin, Lamont said Delete them. He turned serious. We really need your help. We can definitely expand our production, Bennett replied to Lamont, with the sourcing of some of these other companies we are talking to, big sourcing divisions that can help us pull things in quicker. The presidents emergency action makes federal funding available to state, tribal and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations for emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance, for all areas of Connecticut impacted by COVID-19. The impacted agencies and towns will be reimbursed for 75 percent of the costs associated with their response and emergency protective measures. This funding is imperative to protecting the health and safety of the people of our state and further limiting the spread of this disease, Lamont said in a statment. I am grateful to our entire Congressional delegation who vigorously advocated for this declaration on our behalf. We will continue doing everything in our power to minimize both the health threat and the economic threat of this virus. Trump had already approved the disaster declaration for a handful of other states, including New York, California and the state of Washington. At the Bio-Med Devices event, Lamont said the presidents pronouncement is important because the state can get financial support for items including the construction of Connecticut National Guard field hospitals already erected at multiple sites including Danbury and Hartford. After a 45-minute tour of the companys manufacturing facility, the governor announced a deal for at least 100 ventilators over the next 10 weeks, and likely more as the 80 employees ramp up for more production. They are currently working seven-day weeks. Lamont noted that Connecticut will get a smaller percentage of federal reimbursement under the delcaration, compared to New York. You know, theyre funded at 100 percent, Lamont said. Were funded at 75 percent, but Ive got to tell you Mr. President the COVID virus is just as pandemic on our side of the border as it is on the Westchester County (NY) side of the border. So I hope that you treat us all the same. Andrew Cuomo cant put out the fire in New York if we cant put it out here in Fairfield County and then going up the coast. Lamont has also requested disaster assistance, including individual assistance such as expanded unemployment assistance, food benefits and child care assistance. That request remains under review by the White House. Lamont formally submitted both requests Thursday. Thousands of workers and families are badly hurting, Lamont said in the earlier statement. Unlocking this assistance would mean expanded unemployment benefits for those who are out of work because of the emergency, needed food benefits, child care assistance, and a host of other critically important aid. Officials in Wilton said Sunday a resident tested positive at The Greens at Cannondale, an assisted living facility. Staff who provided aide to that resident have been removed from the schedule until they are cleared to return to work by state health officials, Ronald Bucci, The Greens senior executive director, and Wilton Meadows Administrator Ellen Casey said in a letter. In South Windsor, a resident tested positive for the disease at The Village at Buckland Court, another Benchmark Senior Living facility, a spokesperson for the company said. The patient has been separated from the community and will not return until cleared by public health officials, the spokesperson said. Also Sunday, Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim Mayor Ganim announced a plan with the state officials to plan for the use of the Webster Bank Arena, home of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers minor league hockey team, as a location for 128 beds of hospital overflow, if needed. Staff writer Peter Yankowski contributed to this report. Bach Mai Hospital is isolated starting Saturday after more infections linked to it were confirmed. Photo by VnExpress. Five new infections, four of them related to Hanois Bach Mai Hospital, have taken the national Covid-19 tally to 179. Sixteen infections linked to the hospital, which was isolated starting Saturday, have been detected to date. This is one of the largest sources of Covid-19 infection in the country, the Health Ministry confirmed Sunday morning. Four of the new patients, numbering 175 to 178, are employees of the Truong Sinh Company, which provides food and other logistic services to the hospital. Patients 175 to 178, a 57 year-old man and three women aged 38, 49 and 44 respectively, have come into contact with many people at the Bach Mai Hospital on Giai Phong Street, Dong Da District. So far seven Covid-19 patients have been linked to both the Truong Sinh Company and the Bach Mai Hospital. Tran Dac Phu, senior advisor at the Vietnam Public Health Emergency Operations Center, said experts had initially believed health workers were the only source of infection at the hospital, but test results showed otherwise. There are signs of a second line of infection from patients and their relatives who take care of them at the hospital, Phu said at a Saturday meeting of the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control. "Our further epidemiological investigations find that a more dangerous source of infection could be the staff of food and logistics service providers and people who earn a living taking care of patients. The latter might move from one hospital to another," he added. Earlier Saturday, the Bach Mai Hospital suspended admitting new patients and has been isolated. Nearly 5,000 staff and patients at the hospital have been ordered to take Covid-19 tests. "Patient 179" is a 62-year-old resident of Hanois Ha Dong District who returned to Vietnam March 18 on Emirates flight EK394. The person, whose gender has not been revealed, was quarantined in the central province of Thanh Hoa on arrival. Tests by the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology in Hanoi have showed the passenger has contracted the virus, but is in stable health. Of Vietnam's 179 confirmed Covid-19 cases, 21 have been discharged after treatment, including three in Da Nang Friday and a British man in Hue on Saturday. Many of the currently active cases are Vietnamese nationals returning from Europe and the U.S. and foreigners coming from the same regions. Starting March 22, Vietnam has suspended entry for all foreign nationals, including those of Vietnamese origin and family members with visa waivers and halted all international flights from March 25. Only Vietnamese nationals and foreigners having diplomatic and official passports such as business managers, experts and high-skilled workers will be allowed to enter the country at this time, and all entrants will be quarantined for 14 days. The Covid-19 pandemic has killed more than 30,000 people in 199 countries and territories. Ola and James Jordan introduced their newborn baby girl and revealed her adorable name in a stunning shoot and interview with this week's HELLO! magazine. The former Strictly professionals revealed they've called their one-month-old daughter Ella after struggling to come up with a moniker within the first week of her arrival. Polish dancer Ola, 37, and 2014 CBB contestant James, 41, hailed parenthood as 'the best role of our lives', following their three-year infertility battle. It's Ella! Ola and James Jordan introduced their newborn baby girl and revealed her adorable name in a stunning shoot and interview with this week's HELLO! magazine In the stunning first photo of the new family, baby Ella looks angelic as she sleeps in her proud mother's arms while clad in a frilly white onesie. A radiant Ola looks chic in a white vest top and snakeskin print top while James put on a dapper display in a pastel pink shirt in honour of his daughter. The couple, who have been together for 20 years, announced they were set to become parents for the first time in September 2019, after undergoing IVF (in vitro fertilisation). On their bundle of joy, Ola enthused: 'Its been amazing and overwhelming at the same time. Weve wanted this for so long. We had a lovely life, but this is making us feel so much happier than anything else we have done. Nothing in our careers measures up to this.' One month old: Polish dancer Ola, 37, and 2014 CBB contestant James, 41, hailed parenthood as 'the best role of our lives', following their three-year infertility battle Despite having a number of dance accolades under their belt, the couple insisted their achievements have 'faded into the background' as they adjust to life as a mother and father. Choreographer James explained: 'It is all the more special because its something we never thought would happen. This is the best moment of our lives, without a shadow of a doubt. Ola has given me the most precious gift. Its totally changed the way I see the world.' 'We didn't have a name for the first week': The former Strictly pros revealed they've finally called their daughter Ella after struggling to come up with a moniker (pictured in 2019) Ella's arrival came just two weeks before his father was admitted to hospital after suffering a stroke. James recently admitted he's battling with 'the most stressful time of my life' as he claimed juggling a newborn baby with his critically-ill father and the coronavirus pandemic was taking its toll. The reality star has expressed his gratitude towards NHS staff after Alan was discharged from hospital earlier this month. 'Nothing compares': Polish dancer Ola, 37, and CBB star James, 41, hailed parenthood as 'the best role of our lives', after a three-year infertility battle (pictured in January) Out now: The full interview with Ola and James can be found in this week's Hello! Magazine He told the publication: 'We have seen all that is great about the NHS. They brought my beautiful daughter into the world and then two weeks later they saved my dads life. He is my hero. We nearly lost him but hes home now, although we cant visit him.' Ola and James previously admitted the stress of going through three years of trying to have a baby has made them 'stronger' than ever. Speaking during an appearance on Loose Women in January, the new dad said: 'My parents didn't even know it took us three years [to conceive], it made them teary. 'You don't want to worry them.' Ola added: 'We used to laugh it off, but after a while, you think, "How much can you practice?" 'People guessed [that there was an issue] it was our fault because we kept saying that we wanted to have babies, so people kept asking.' 'This is the most stressful time of my life': Ella's arrival came just two weeks before his father Alan was admitted to hospital after suffering a stroke James continued: 'We've been with each other for 20 years. We have a strong relationship. It was upsetting. I broke down in front of everyone when I was on Dancing On Ice when they brought it up.' The pair first met at a dance competition in Blackpool in 1999 and married four years later. They were initially dance partners before their professional relationship developed into romance, James proposed two years later and the couple tied the knot in October 2003. The TV stars shot to fame as professionals on BBC One celebrity competition Strictly Come Dancing, which they both joined in series four back in 2006. James bowed out of the show after season 11 in 2013, while Ola left at the end of series 13 in 2015. Mumbai: A 65-year-old woman who recently recovered from coronavirus COVID-19 infections assures that there is nothing to be afraid and urged people to avoid crowded places. While speaking exclusively to Zee News, Anjanabai Pawar who worked as a maid in Mumbai's Ghatkopar said, "We don't have to be afraid of coronavirus, I have recovered from the infection. All of you need to support the government, police and doctors," she said adding, "Stay at home, do not go to crowded places." Recounting her stay at the hospital she said, "Doctors and people of the hospital were constantly encouraging me that I would be fine. My treatment in the hospital was given special attention, so I recovered." Though she laments that she was not allowed to meet her family. Pawar said that coronavirus can be cured if people showed courage just like she came out fighting the virus. "If you follow the rules of the government, the coronavirus will not come close," she said. Pawar was found to be coronavirus positive after the owners of the place she worked in returned from the US with the infection. Following which she was tested for the infection on March 17 and declared coronavirus positive the next day. According to her family, her disease was discovered in the initial stage and so she did not suffer much. Pawar suffers from high blood pressure and after check up they found she has high sugar as well. A few days later her swab test was conducted, and the report came back as negative. On March 22, she was shifted to Bhabha Hospital in Mumbai where she was kept for two days. Pawar returned home on March 24 and doctors advised her to undergo a 14-day quarantine and even her family has been advised to take precautions for the next two weeks. In Maharashtra, the number of people infected with coronavirus has risen to 203. As many as 22 new cases were reported on Sunday which includes 10 from Mumbai, 5 from Pune. Todays Headlines The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning. Email address By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy UPDATE (3/30): 10 more COVID-19 deaths in Pa. as 693 new coronavirus cases reported Bucks and Lawrence counties have reported their first deaths from the coronavirus, Pennsylvania officials said on Sunday as they reported four additional deaths and 643 new positive cases statewide. The Lehigh Valley reported 74 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours and no new deaths with a total of seven to date, according to the latest figures from the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Pennsylvania now has 3,394 positive cases of COVID-19 in 58 of the states 67 counties and 38 deaths. All people are either isolating at home or being treated at a hospital. Lancaster County reported its second death. The Valleys neighbor to the north, Monroe County recorded its third death Sunday as St. Lukes University Health Network held a noon press conference to declare the county a hot zone due to its proximity to New York City, the epicenter of the U.S. coronavirus outbreak. Monroe had 135 cases as of midnight Sunday and St. Lukes infectious disease specialists have confirmed community spread is occurring in the Poconos, which means the virus is being transmitted among members of the community, according to a news release. This indicates the region will experience a rapid surge of cases, which has already begun and is starting to strain the regions health care resources, St. Lukes said. At St. Lukes Monroe Campus more than half our inpatient admissions are related to COVID-19," said Don Seiple, president of the networks Monroe campus. The vast majority of the patients seeking services in our emergency department are COVID-19 related. Residents of Monroe County need to take social distancing seriously. At her daily health briefing, State Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine again emphasized how crucial social distancing will be to managing the states COVID-19 cases. The key to the integrity of our health care system is to limit the size of that surge, she said. Thus far, 316 Pennsylvanians have been hospitalized due to the novel coronavirus -- sticking with the trend of about 10% requiring hospitalization -- since the state had its first confirmed case March 6, Levine said. About 110 of the hospitalized required treatment in the intensive care unit and about 64 have needed ventilators, Levine said. All of the states 38 deaths have been adults. It is heartening the number of hospitalized patients remains fairly level, she said, but it is far too early to say if Gov. Tom Wolfs mitigation efforts are working to flatten the curve, she said. It takes weeks for social distancing to work. Pennsylvanias current case tally is an undercount because many people with mild cases wont be tested and theres a five day or more lag in test results from commercial labs, Levine said. State labs can deliver results for priority patients -- like healthcare and nursing home workers -- in 24 hours. About 41% of those who have tested positive for COVID-19 are ages 25 to 49, while the majority of the hospitalizations and deaths have been those 65 and over. Generally, that is because the majority of the elderly have other complicating health conditions, like lung or heart disease or kidney failure, Levine said. She urged younger adults and middle aged adults to not be complacent, because they are just as susceptible to the disease as anyone. Levine noted many in the 25 to 49 age range have been hospitalized. About 40% of the states 3,400 ICU beds are currently occupied and there are more than 4,000 ventilators within the healthcare system as well as a state store to deal with a patient surge, Levine said. Levine urged Pennsylvanians to not visit loved ones in nursing homes to protect them from the virus. She knows how hard this advice is to follow her own mother in in a care facility and they talk by phone twice a day but it is the best way to keep them safe. The states seen cases in about 5% of its nursing homes resulting in 64 cases, Levine said. Locally, workers at both Gracedale and Cedar Brook Cedarbrook Senior Care and Rehabilitation have tested positive as well as someone connected to a Palmer Township ManorCare Health Services. Editors Note: This story incorrectly stated that Lancaster County reported its first death Sunday. It was its second. For more information on the coronavirus, consult your state health department at health.pa.gov or covid19.nj.gov and the website of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com. If theres anything about this story that needs attention, please email her. Follow her on Twitter @sarasatullo and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. As Trenton Public Schools geared up for the unprecedented task of educating its 12,600 students from home amid a pandemic, school officials came upon a troubling reality. Just 7,600 students had logged on to the online platform where the districts teachers and students could keep track of assignments and complete coursework digitally, said interim Superintendent Ronald Lee. Five thousand students 40% had never accessed the site, leaving their progress a question mark. That discovery speaks to the hard reality Trenton and other economically disadvantaged communities are facing as they brace for a long-term shutdown of New Jerseys schools to halt the spread of the coronavirus. Even as classes move online, many families in poverty lack computers or reliable internet connections, seemingly basic requirements as Gov. Phil Murphy vows schools will be closed until at least April 17. Advocates worry those vulnerable students could fall even further behind. Barriers to technology are just another obstacle for many impoverished families, who might also face hunger, fears they cant make ends meet and lack quiet places to study. Even families with laptops and internet access may have to share such tools among multiple siblings. On Monday, Trenton schools ordered 5,000 notebook computers, aiming to get them into the hands of students who lack them as soon as possible, Lee said. Across the state, some districts are scrambling to purchase laptops and tablets, or to loan existing computers to students. Theyre also highlighting the free internet services that some providers are offering low-income families during the outbreak. Were trying to level the playing field for everybody, Lee said. Thats why we decided to purchase the devices and distribute them to those who dont have anything. When New Jerseys schools closed two weeks ago, students across the state brought home paper packets of coursework that were expected to help bridge the gap until classes resumed. But with schools now shuttered until further notice, those packets Trentons covered three weeks worth of assignments are beginning to run low. Many schools are transitioning to computer-based instruction in which teachers interact directly with their pupils. None of us were prepared for this, and its forcing us to think outside the box, Lee said. The speed of developments is forcing schools to be quick on their feet, said Katherine Gallagher, deputy assistant commissioner for field services for the state Department of Education. Some districts have purchased internet hotspots for their students. Others are creating hotspots for entire neighborhoods. Some are buying computers in bulk, and others are repurposing existing technology, she said. They are being really creative to meet the needs as best as they can, Gallagher said. I really cant say enough about how innovative our districts are being. Before schools closed March 16 in Newark, school officials had estimated that 7,000 of the districts about 38,000 students were in need of computers at home, said Superintendent Roger Leon. But that underestimated the demand by thousands. Newark now anticipates distributing nearly 11,000 of its Chromebooks. A principal, she did a drop off at 10:30, 11 oclock at night a couple days ago, Leon said. There are still 2,600 computers that need to be disbursed, Leon said Friday evening. Despite the challenges, the district intends to move its instruction fully online on April 6, he said. Digital divide Gallagher estimated more than half of New Jerseys 584 public school districts are providing computers to their students. But in some communities, the technology just isnt there. Although 90% of New Jersey households have computers and 84% have broadband connections, many working-class municipalities lag behind, according to Census data. In Newark, 18 percent of households lack a computer, and 31% lack broadband. In Trenton, more than one in five households dont have a computer, and 40% dont have broadband. In economically distressed Paterson in Passaic County, the rates are similar 22% of households lack computers, and more than a third dont have broadband. Paterson Superintendent Eileen Shafer said the district cannot afford to offer computers to all its students. She hopes to provide computers for its roughly 5,000 high schoolers by mid- to late-April, tapping laptops they were already using in the classroom. But the district lacks the resources to provide them to the citys 25,000 other students, she said. On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, the Paterson school system will be distributing a second packet of instructional paperwork to students. Parents are being directed to 22 pickup sites across the city, many of them the same locations where the district disburses thousands of free meals to low-income students who need them. Until school resumes, Shafer anticipates that homework packets will remain the basis of learning though she wishes that wasnt the case. While the worksheets allow students to review concepts theyve already learned, they offer little new instruction, she said. Shafer fears a part of the school year will simply be lost for many of her students. Only being two-thirds through the year keeps me up at night, students losing out on instruction," Shafer said. Education is all about the instruction in the classroom, and thats from the teachers, not the packets." Already, education advocates are warning that coronavirus threatens to widen the gap between the haves and have-nots in the educational system. We are very concerned about a huge learning loss among vulnerable social groups, and what sort of capabilities and resources will be needed to make up for that loss when kids return to school, said Elizabeth Athos, senior attorney for the Education Law Center, which promotes school equity. She is hardly alone. There is a very real possibility of so many kids being left so much more behind, said Matthew Feinstein, the executive director of NJ LEEP, a nonprofit that helps low-income students in the Newark area graduate and go on to college. 3 sons, 1 computer Kevin Soza, a 15-year-old sophomore at Science Park High School in Newark, shares a cramped, two-bedroom apartment with his parents and two younger brothers. On Tuesday, the family was able to get two Chromebooks from the district. Soza and his siblings, who are 14 and 12, had been sharing a single computer. Theyd take shifts one having it from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., another from 1 to 5 p.m. and the third from 5 to 8 p.m. It was kind of difficult," Soza said. Other students served by NJ LEEP reported additional hurdles, particularly in securing a viable internet connection, despite free promotions offered by some providers. Cheryl Crentsil, 15, lives in Irvington and is a sophomore at St. Vincent Academy, a Catholic school in Newark. Crentsil said she called six internet companies and spent hours and hours on hold before she was able to sign up for a connection. Cielo Marrero, a 16-year-old junior at North Star Academy, a Newark charter school, said her home has three computers two provided by the school that she and her three school-age siblings share. In the first week, she had to rely on a smartphone hotspot for the internet. She missed a day of instruction after it crashed, and she was locked out of her online classes, she said. Signing up for the internet for the home proved to be a chore, though her family ultimately was able to get two free months of service from a provider, she said. My mom, she had to sit on a call for like four hours to be able to get it together, Marrero said. And economic realities remain. Evelyn Maza, a 15-year-old sophomore at Cristo Rey Newark High School, a Catholic school, said her mother owns a beauty shop that is closed and her father, a construction worker, is out of work. The family is trying to save money where it can, and they even cut back on the amount of food they eat, she said. She continues to rely on her phone to access the internet and complete her coursework, though sometimes the Wi-Fi fails and it is hard to log in, she said. It has been very stressful, but were going through it day by day, Maza said. State Sen. Teresa Ruiz heads the Senate Education Committee. (Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media Students most at risk Victor Gilson understands facing challenges day by day. The interim superintendent of the Bridgeton Public Schools in Cumberland County calls his district the most disadvantaged in the state. But the school system is biting the bullet and purchasing 1,330 iPads and 325 laptops at a cost of more than $700,000. While the computers wont cover all of its 6,400 students, it aims to ensure that every household with students has access to one, though siblings may have to share, Gilson said. The purchase is expected to be delivered in early May. In the meantime, the district hopes to marshal computers it already has to get them into homes more quickly. In the interim, Bridgeton continues to rely on instructional packets to educate students. More than a quarter of the citys households lack computers and 39% do not have broadband, according to Census data. Gilson worries his students are falling behind amid those realities. When youre talking about the challenges of disadvantaged communities, the research is really clear: Those students are the most at risk, and they will lose the most as this shutdown continues, Gilson said. This month, the state Legislature approved a package of emergency bills in response to the coronavirus outbreak. One of them established a grant program for schools to purchase laptops, tablets and mobile hot spots for students, with the aim of closing the digital divide. State Sen. Teresa Ruiz, an Essex County Democrat who heads the Senate Education Committee, said the outbreak underscores the need to ensure that every student in the state has access to technology. Thats the direction New Jersey must move in, even after the contagion is contained, she said. While were in the midst of all of this, out of every crisis arises tremendous opportunity, Ruiz said. Riley Yates may be reached at ryates@njadvancemedia.com. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. ISABELLA COUNTY, MI -- The Central Michigan District Health Department is reporting the first COVID-19 death in Isabella County. The health department issued a statement March 29 that it received notification late Saturday night of the first local death attributed to the virus. He was an elderly man admitted March 21 to McLaren Central Michigan in Mount Pleasant with severe symptoms. "We wish to express our heartfelt sympathies to the family who have lost their loved one, said Steve Hall, Health Officer at CMDHD. This is a tragic reminder of how serious a threat COVID-19 is to our community. The health department covers multiple counties including Arenac, Clare, Gladwin, Isabella, Osceola, and Roscommon. As of Saturday, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services reports that Isabella County had four confirmed cases of coronavirus. Recommendations provided by the health department for people to mitigate spread and preventative tips include: Stay at home. Do not leave home except for essential tasks such as getting groceries or seeking medical care. If you must go out, stay at least 6 feet away from others and avoid any gatherings. Wash your hands frequently for at least twenty seconds. Avoid touching your face. Disinfect commonly touched surfaces. Check on others. Call your loved ones and neighbors who are most at risk and see how they are doing. If they require something essential, see how you can help. Read all of MLives coverage on the coronavirus at mlive.com/coronavirus. Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus. CORONAVIRUS PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home ( door handles, faucets, countertops) and when you go into places like stores. Can spraying alcohol or chlorine all over your body kill the new coronavirus? The World Health Organization released answers to questions to try to debunk some myths around the virus that causes COVID-19. Matt Smith/Express-Times The World Health Organization has answers to many questions about the new coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Don't Edit Garlic is a healthy food that may have some antimicrobial properties. However, there is no evidence from the current outbreak that eating garlic has protected people from the new coronavirus. Don't Edit Taking a hot bath will not prevent you from catching COVID-19. Your normal body temperature remains around 36.5C to 37C, regardless of the temperature of your bath or shower. Actually, taking a hot bath with extremely hot water can be harmful, as it can burn you. The best way to protect yourself against COVID-19 is by frequently cleaning your hands. By doing this you eliminate viruses that may be on your hands and avoid infection that could occur by then touching your eyes, mouth, and nose. Don't Edit To date there has been no information nor evidence to suggest that the new coronavirus could be transmitted by mosquitoes. The new coronavirus is a respiratory virus which spreads primarily through droplets generated when an infected person coughs or sneezes, or through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose. To protect yourself, clean your hands frequently with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water. Also, avoid close contact with anyone who is coughing and sneezing. Don't Edit From the evidence so far, the COVID-19 virus can be transmitted in ALL AREAS, including areas with hot and humid weather. Regardless of climate, adopt protective measures if you live in, or travel to an area reporting COVID-19. The best way to protect yourself against COVID-19 is by frequently cleaning your hands. By doing this you eliminate viruses that may be on your hands and avoid infection that could occur by then touching your eyes, mouth, and nose. Don't Edit Don't Edit No. Vaccines against pneumonia, such as pneumococcal vaccine and Haemophilus influenza type B (Hib) vaccine, do not provide protection against the new coronavirus. The virus is so new and different that it needs its own vaccine. Researchers are trying to develop a vaccine against 2019-nCoV, and WHO is supporting their efforts. Although these vaccines are not effective against 2019-nCoV, vaccination against respiratory illnesses is highly recommended to protect your health. Don't Edit To date, there is no specific medicine recommended to prevent or treat the new coronavirus (2019-nCoV). However, those infected with the virus should receive appropriate care to relieve and treat symptoms, and those with severe illness should receive optimized supportive care. Some specific treatments are under investigation, and will be tested through clinical trials. WHO is helping to accelerate research and development efforts with a range or partners. Don't Edit UV lamps should not be used to sterilize hands or other areas of skin as UV radiation can cause skin irritation. Don't Edit There is no reason to believe that cold weather can kill the new coronavirus or other diseases. The normal human body temperature remains around 36.5C to 37C, regardless of the external temperature or weather. The most effective way to protect yourself against the new coronavirus is by frequently cleaning your hands with alcohol-based hand rub or washing them with soap and water. Don't Edit No. Hand dryers are not effective in killing the 2019-nCoV. To protect yourself against the new coronavirus, you should frequently clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water. Once your hands are cleaned, you should dry them thoroughly by using paper towels or a warm air dryer. Don't Edit Don't Edit No. There is no evidence that regularly rinsing the nose with saline has protected people from infection with the new coronavirus. There is some limited evidence that regularly rinsing nose with saline can help people recover more quickly from the common cold. However, regularly rinsing the nose has not been shown to prevent respiratory infections. Don't Edit People of all ages can be infected by the new coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Older people, and people with pre-existing medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease) appear to be more vulnerable to becoming severely ill with the virus. WHO advises people of all ages to take steps to protect themselves from the virus, for example by following good hand hygiene and good respiratory hygiene. Don't Edit Thermal scanners are effective in detecting people who have developed a fever (i.e. have a higher than normal body temperature) because of infection with the new coronavirus. However, they cannot detect people who are infected but are not yet sick with fever. This is because it takes between 2 and 10 days before people who are infected become sick and develop a fever. Don't Edit No, antibiotics do not work against viruses, only bacteria. The new coronavirus (2019-nCoV) is a virus and, therefore, antibiotics should not be used as a means of prevention or treatment. However, if you are hospitalized for the 2019-nCoV, you may receive antibiotics because bacterial co-infection is possible. Don't Edit No. Spraying alcohol or chlorine all over your body will not kill viruses that have already entered your body. Spraying such substances can be harmful to clothes or mucous membranes (i.e. eyes, mouth). Be aware that both alcohol and chlorine can be useful to disinfect surfaces, but they need to be used under appropriate recommendations. Don't Edit With the coronavirus pandemic gripping the nation, Bollywood celebrities are doing everything in their capacity to help the government fight it, from urging their fans to stay indoors and practice social distancing to making large donations to relief funds. After Akshay Kumar contributed Rs 25 crore to the Prime Ministers Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM CARES) fund, author Shefali Vaidya questioned how much the Khans - Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan - had donated. Producer Nikhil Dwivedi jumped to their defence. Nikhil responded to Shefalis tweet and said that Salman, Shah Rukh and even Amitabh Bachchan are extremely generous. He wrote, SalmanKhans BeingHuman foundation works round the year. Once, I myself was sceptical of it. In recent years I hd the opportunity of observing it closely& was pleasantly shockd at the kind of monies it spent. Its a sincere charity. SRK spends substantially too. So does MrBachchan. SalmanKhan's BeingHuman foundation works round the year. Once, I myself was sceptical of it. In recent years I hd the opportunity of observing it closely& was pleasantly shockd at the kind of monies it spent. Its a sincere charity. SRK spends substantially too. So does MrBachchan https://t.co/369lOmb4EQ Nikhil Dwivedi (@Nikhil_Dwivedi) March 28, 2020 Salman has pledged to support 25,000 daily wage workers from the film industry through his charitable organisation Being Human Foundation. Federation of Western Indian Cine Employees (FWICE) president B N Tiwari told PTI that the foundation reached out to him a few days ago. We have about 5 lakh workers out of which 25,000 are in dire need of financial help. Being Human Foundation said they will take care of these workers on their own. They have asked for account details of these 25,000 workers as they want to ensure that money reaches them directly, he said. Also read: Shaktimaan to return with sequel, Mukesh Khanna says it will be contemporary but rooted in our values Shah Rukh had earlier said in an interview that he likes to keep his contributions under the radar. I dont like talking about it [charity]. A lot of people and my friends always tell me I should do photographs and stuff when I meet some people. But I dont believe in it. It is a true thing that if I believe in a cause, I should do it silently and not use my persona as an actor to advocate that, he had said. Aamir, meanwhile, is the co-founder of a non-profit called Paani Foundation, which works towards solving the issue of water scarcity in the villages of Maharashtra. Follow @htshowbiz for more Thomas Schaefer, 54, found dead on railway tracks at Hochhein, near Frankfurt A German state finance minister has been found dead in an apparent suicide which has been linked to the coronavirus crisis, officials said Sunday. Thomas Schaefer, 54, minister for the Hesse region, was found dead on railway tracks at Hochhein, near Frankfurt, on Saturday. Authorities said the married father-of-two appeared to have killed himself, with state governor Volker Bouffier suggesting on Sunday he was in despair over the coronavirus crisis. Thomas Schaefer, 54, finance minister for the Hesse region, was found dead on railway tracks at Hochhein, near Frankfurt, on Saturday Police and prosecutors said witness statements and observations at the scene had led them to believe the minister, who was a member of Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union, had killed himself. He leaves behind his wife and two children, aged nine and 12. State governor Volker Bouffier linked Schaefer's death to the virus crisis on Sunday. 'We are in shock, we are in disbelief and above all we are immensely sad,' Bouffier said in a recorded statement. A visibly shaken Bouffier said Schaefer had been working 'day and night' to help companies and workers deal with the economic impact of the pandemic. Bouffier added that Mr Schaefer was worried about 'whether it would be possible to succeed in fulfilling the population's huge expectations, particularly of financial help' amid the coronavirus crisis. 'I have to assume that these worries overwhelmed him,' Bouffier said. 'He apparently couldn't find a way out. He was in despair and left us.' Empty streets near Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin yesterday as the nation battles coronavirus Thomas Schaefer was in the same CDU party as Angela Merkel, pictured. The chancellor has been working from home but has tested negative for coronavirus Popular and well-respected, Schaefer had long been touted as a possible successor to Bouffier. The CDU's outgoing leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said Schaefer's death was a 'shock' to everyone in the party. 'This news leaves us sad and bewildered. All our thoughts and prayers are with his family,' she said. Merkel herself has been working from home after coming into contact with an infected doctor, although the chancellor herself has tested negative. Germany's federal and state governments have drawn up huge aid packages to cushion the blow of the economic standstill. The country's latest figures today show 57,298 cases and 455 deaths, with the states nearest Italy taking a larger hit than most of Germany. The world is filled with many sad faces, Because of daily COVID 19 cases. A global pandemic dangerous than the racists, And causing pain more than the rapists. Pain that never fades away, Deaths that come in a harsh way. The virus has had its chilling sway, Tormenting Lives in a heartless way. Formerly, you see a brother and show respect, Now, you see someone and begin to suspect. But hey COVID 19, it's time to introspect And treat Life with some respect. You don't care who's dark or fair, The way you're taking thousands from the living is unfair. You've given us a test from this lesson and it has come to bare; That we need to collaborate and care. Time to burry Race, Color, Pride but begin to Share. Interestingly, the superpower and underpower need the same cure, This means COVID 19 is no respecter of person for sure. At this moment, we strength to endure, Stay home, practice distancing and stay pure. Dear World, we need to keep this virus restrained. Cos the pandemic makes life so constrained. Let's stick to the preventive measures to be contained. Else, we will be drowned. We're in serious times and it's forcing us to retaliate. With agents of health specialists to collaborate. Let's fight stronger in order not to be death's next candidate, As a Wordsmith, the awareness campaign will I propagate. I know this will one day be history, a memory distant, As we all seek to win in a manner that's instant. We'll rise again like the Phoenix and it's constant. The world needs us to survive especially the infants. See, ideas are not in one head, So I deeply agree with Bob Moorehead Cos in his 'Paradox of our time in History', he said; We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. These are the times of fancier houses, but broken homes. We have pills that do everything, from cheer, to quiet, to kill. Honestly, there're countries with money but not the cure. Eventually, as we practice the safety measures Let's pray to God not the smaller gods, Individually visit the Church and the Mosque, Because this seems more like a Paradox, Cos our mere efforts look like we're opening the Pandora's Box. When I ponder, we just need to be safer, stronger, kinder, and more kinder. God is our Healer. (Isaiah 53:5) CONTACT: [email protected] Working from home? EasyClocking has just made it easier for all the companies in the Mena region. EasyClocking, a leading edge developer of next generation time and attendance and workforce management systems, has announced that it will be offering two months free services in the Mena region for its time and attendance mobile application. The app offers employees the ability to manage projects in an easy way by specifying the job activity when clocking in/out from their phone. A representative from EasyClocking Mena office informed: "Today, the world is facing an unprecedented epidemic which has forced many employees to work from home. We are committed to supporting companies in the Mena to adapt and overcome current challenges. We have recently received a tremendous increase from companies requesting our mobile attendance and job tracking application. These features offer the ability to manage jobs and projects from your home or anywhere around the world, allowing to identify labor costs attributed to projects or jobs by employee, department, and task-type." "The Research & Development team at EasyClocking is at all times concentrating on improving our existing solutions and innovating new ones. Matched by business-focused, technical support, our response to your objectives has led to the highest levels of customer satisfaction in the industry. At the heart of the company is a team of skilled product developers, programmers and technical support staff. Along with sales, marketing and administration staff, they are committed to providing our customers with an unrivaled expertise, service and support." Ten years of experience has labeled EasyClocking as a reliable name in the Time & Attendance industry. EasyClockings global presence has reached over 30 countries. It is a trusted name in over 50,000 time & attendance systems installed in the world today, to a variety of markets including government agencies, law enforcement, financial services, healthcare, education, commercial enterprises, industrial, construction, hospitality and the retail industry. - TradeArabia News Service The Hyderabad police on Saturday conducted raids at supermarkets that were selling essential goods at a high price amid the national lockdown due to the Coronavirus crisis. According to reports, the officials raided several places in the city including Tolichowki, Mehdipatnam, and Vijay Nagar Colony areas. Further, two cases have been registered - one at Mehdipatnam and the other at a supermarket. Speaking to news agency ANI, Assistant Civil Supplies Officer, Telangana Civil Supplies Department, Tanuja, said, "We are monitoring wherever wholesale and the retail shops are selling in black or at a higher cost or holding the stock. We warned them not to sell items above MRP rates." The officer further added, "We request people if they have any complaints regarding the purchase of vegetables, fruits, grains, pulses and sugar they can call on the toll-free number 04023447770 and give a complaint. We will privately observe and register cases." India under lockdown Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-day lockdown in the entire country effective from midnight of March 25 to deal with the spread of coronavirus, saying that "social distancing" is the only option to deal with the disease, which spreads rapidly. The 21-day curfew is applicable to all states, districts, and villages - irrespective of whether they were earlier under curfew or not. Read: Sangli to get 1st COVID-19 hospital under Dr. Pallavi Saple's charge as 24 cases crop up COVID-19 cases rise in India As of date, India has reported over 1,000 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19. Out of all the states, Kerala and Maharashtra have reported the most in the country. Meanwhile, 19 people have died so far due to the deadly virus. Due to the outbreak, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had put India under a national lockdown for 21 days. Further, India has also closed the India-Pakistan border and restricted passenger movement at the border with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Myanmar. Read: Meghalaya forms medical expert team to provide advice, guidance on dealing with COVID-19 Presently, there are around 662,967 confirmed cases of COVID-19 which has led to the death of around 30,851 people. Meanwhile, around 141,953 people have reportedly recovered. Currently, as per reports, the hardest-hit region is the United States of America, followed by China, and then Italy, Iran and South Korea, where the number of cases is rising by the hour. Read: 28-day paid leave for COVID-19 patients; factory, shop workers to get daily wage for lockdown period: Noida admin Read: Nirmala Sitharaman directs banks to maintain liquidity amid coronavirus pandemic (With ANI Inputs) Peter Dario, who had diabetes and was on dialysis, started to look sick at the beginning of March, said his daughter Marsha Dario, 32, a nurse. His 86-year-old mother-in-law, who also lives in the household, was already sick with Covid-like symptoms. When Marsha Dario picked her father up from dialysis on March 7, he was weak, dizzy and vomiting. She told him he needed to go to the hospital. But he refused. His condition worsened. Struggling to breathe a few days later, he finally agreed to go to the hospital but only if his wife, Luzviminda Dario, 63, came too. Although his wife was sick by then as well, she went. They were inseparable, said Peter John Dario, his son, who is 23. The day after he was admitted to John F. Kennedy Medical Center, Peter Dario lay unconscious, intubated and on a ventilator. Three days later, on the night of March 19, the hospital called the family to say his fever had spiked and he was unstable. Finally, a nurse said one family member would be allowed in. The previous day, Luzviminda and Marsha Dario had received positive test results for the coronavirus and were in quarantine at home, so Peter John Dario rushed to the hospital. While he was being screened at the entrance for the symptoms of coronavirus infection, his father died. Just as difficult is the prohibition of visits with patients who have other grave illnesses or are undergoing risky surgery. This month, Brittany Sanchez, 32, was at home in Las Vegas getting her two small children ready for bed when she had a seizure and collapsed. Yet another week of working from home because of the social distancing requirements in an attempt to flatten the curve of the Coronavirus, or COVID-19 spread. But that didnt mean there wasnt enough happening in the world of tech to keep everyone busy. Or at least remotely interested. A large chunk of the focus was on Coronavirus as tech companies did their best to rework policies and more in an attempt to make life easier for the public at largechatbots, virtual screening tools, the fight against fake news on social media and donations to healthcare systems around the world kept them busy. At the same time, smartphone companies were unrelenting with new smartphone launches (you can read about Huawei P40 series here) or confirmations about upcoming features (Read about OxygenOS Always On Display here) and leaks about phones that may be launched in the near future (read about the OnePlus 8 series here). Nevertheless, amidst all the information overload, here are some of the top tech stories of the week. Abbott has a new COVID-19 test Abbott Laboratories said on Friday that it had gotten approvals for a diagnostic test for the coronavirus that can deliver results to patients within minutes and be used in physicians offices and urgent care clinics, as well as hospitals. Abbott said in a statement that it plans to begin distributing the test next week and will ramp up manufacturing to 50,000 tests per day in the US. "This is a significant leap forward," John Frels, vice president of research and development at Abbott said. There are no plans for a global launch yet. Read more here: Abbott's New COVID-19 Test Can be Used Anywhere, Produces Results in 5 Minutes Social Media and the war against fake news Be it the good times or the bad, fake news and misinformation on social media and instant messaging apps is never too far away. Right now, the likes of Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and WhatsApp are taking multiple steps to take down misinformation about Coronavirus, including treatments and cures which are absolutely fake (and may be incredibly harmful too) and myths about how to protect yourself from COVID-19 (there is no secret, wash your hands and sanitize yourself). Read more here: Fighting Fake News on COVID-19: What Indias Social Media Companies are Doing Windows 10 and botched updates, again! Microsoft has really messed up big time, particularly when millions around the world are working from home. The latest set of updates for Windows 10 can break the ability of the software and apps to connect to the internet, particularly if you are using a VPN. It also breaks the ability to reset the PC, and Microsoft says a patch will only be available early next month. Read more here: DO NOT Update Your Windows 10 PC if You Are Working From Home: It May Break The Internet Apple releases iOS and iPadOS updates Apple released the new iOS 13.4 and the iPadOS 13.4 updates for the, yes you guessed it, the iPhone and the iPad line-ups respectively. The headline changes for iOS 13.4 and the iPadOS 13.4 include the iCloud Drive Folder sharing option, trackpad support for the iPad line-up when you connect the new Magic keyboard or any trackpad accessory, as well as universal purchases between iOS and macOS that will allow developers to sell both set of apps as a single purchase. Read more here: Apple Releases iOS 13.4 And iPadOS 13.4 For iPhone And iPad: Here Are The Release Notes NASA Curiosity Rover sends another cool photo from Mars NASA's Curiosity rover has sent us yet another epic photograph from the Martian surface, this time a selfie that is more than worthy of featuring in trendy Instagram Stories. On February 26, the Curiosity rover drilled a hole near the Greenheugh Pediment, a rocky highland area on Mars, and proceeded to use its medium-angle 'left eye' camera to take a surround photograph that includes the Martian land, the Hutton drill hole in front of the rover's wheels, Curiosity itself, and the Greenheugh Pediment in the background. Read more here: Selfie from Mars: NASA Curiosity Rover Sends Home New Photo as it Climbs Martian Slope There is an asteroid heading towards Earth, but dont worry Last weekend, the Centre for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS), operated by NASA to detect potentially hazardous space bodies that may collide with our planet, revealed the fly-bys of not one but four asteroids from within the identified potentially hazardous belt around Earth. Now, multiple reports have stated that yet another asteroid, the gigantic 1998 OR2, is making an approach towards Earth next month. Given NASA's labelling of its trajectory as potentially hazardous, does the world seem like it would have yet another thing to worry about, beyond the ongoing coronavirus pandemic? Read more here: Massive Asteroid 1998 OR2, Labelled Potentially Hazardous, to Approach Earth in April Apple makes Pro video and audio editing software free As everyone is stuck working from home, Apple has extended the free usage period for the Final Cut Pro X from 30 days to 90 days while the Logic Pro X is also being offered for a free trial for the first time. The Final Cut Pro X costs $300 while Logic Pro X is priced around $200. Even those who may already be in the midst of the 30-day free trial of the FCP X will get an additional 90 days of free usage. Hopefully by then, things will blow over and the world will be a better place. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 19:24:19|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, March 29 (Xinhua) -- The Ethiopia Ministry of Health on Sunday reported three more confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the total cases in the East African country to 19. "The Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) conducted 87 tests in the past 24 hours from which three additional COVID-19 cases have been confirmed, making the total cases nineteen," the Ethiopian Minister of Health, Lia Tadesse, disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday. The first of the three latest cases is said to be a 28-years-old female Ethiopian with travel history to Brussels, Belgium and Cameroon on March 17 and 19, respectively. The other two cases are a 14-years-old and a 48-years-old female who are members of a family who resides in Adama town, some 100-km from the capital Addis Ababa. The two patients, who were under medical follow up since the confirmation of the close contact, had "history of close contact with a previously confirmed case," it was noted. Currently there are 16 active COVID-19 cases in isolation and treatment center in the East African country with one of the patient receiving intensive care, in addition to the two cases that have been transferred to their country as well as one case that has recently recovered and kept in isolation as a precautionary measure, according to the ministry. (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. became the first country to reach 100,000 coronavirus cases. Italy had its deadliest day with almost 1,000 fatalities. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his health secretary tested positive. President Donald Trump ordered General Motors to start making ventilators by invoking a Cold War-era law. Toyotas idled U.S. manufacturing facilities will make much-needed face shields and masks. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said new infections will be astronomical. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti warned his city may see a New York-like surge in less than a week. Key Developments: Cases top 585,000; 26,800 dead, 130,000 recovered: Johns HopkinsU.S. cases top 100,000, more than Italy, ChinaU.S. ramps up virus testing, but demand still outpaces supplyWorkers critical to worlds food supply falling illU.K. orders unprecedented shutdown of housing marketTokyo braces for critical weekendFrom Spain to Germany, farmers warn of fresh food shortages Subscribe to a daily update on the virus from Bloombergs Prognosis team here. Click VRUS on the terminal for news and data on the coronavirus and here for maps and charts. For analysis of the impact from Bloomberg Economics, click here. To see the impact on oil and commodities demand, click here. U.S. Becomes First Nation With 100,000 Cases (5:27 p.m. NY) The U.S. became the first country to surpass 100,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus on Friday, a day after it overtook China to become the largest outbreak in the world. Americas most prominent hot spots are New York and New Jersey, which together account for half the countrys total cases. California has more than 4,000. L.A. Warns of New York-Level Surge in Five Days (5:06 p.m. NY) Los Angeles could see a coronavirus surge similar to New York Citys in five days if the spread continues at the rate its been going, Mayor Eric Garcetti said. We will have doctors making excruciating decisions, Garcetti said at a press briefing alongside Governor Gavin Newsom. They spoke in front of the U.S. Navy hospital ship Mercy, which docked in Los Angeles to lend extra medical space for non-coronavirus needs. It will be the largest hospital in the city, Garcetti said. Story continues Rhode Island Stops Cars With N.Y. Plates (5 p.m. NY) Rhode Island police, aided by the National Guard, on Saturday will conduct house-to-house searches to find people who traveled from New York to demand they begin 14 days of self-quarantine. State police are already stopping cars with New York license plates. Right now we have a pin-pointed risk, Governor Gina Raimondo said. And that risk is called New York City. Raimondo, a Democrat, said she consulted lawyers and while she couldnt close the border, she felt confident she could enforce a quarantine. Many New Yorkers have summer houses in the state, especially in tony Newport, and the governor said authorities would be checking there. Trump Signs $2 Trillion Stimulus Bill (4:47 p.m. NY) President Donald Trump signed the largest stimulus package in U.S. history, a $2 trillion aid bill intended to rescue the economy. The plan will provide a massive injection of loans, tax breaks and direct payments to large corporations, small businesses and individuals whose revenue and income have plummeted under social distancing restrictions. Read full story here Four Die on Holland America Cruise Ship (4:30 p.m. NY) Carnival Corp.s Holland America line said four passengers died on its Zaandam ship, which has had an outbreak of flu-like symptoms on board, including at least two confirmed cases of Covid-19. The cruise line said the passengers were older but didnt say how they died. The Zaandam, currently near Panama, was still at sea when cruise companies halted new voyages earlier this month. Trump Orders GM to Make Ventilators (4 p.m. NY) President Donald Trump ordered General Motors Co. to immediately begin making ventilators, invoking a Cold War-era defense act amid productive talks with the automaker. Our negotiations with GM regarding its ability to supply ventilators have been productive, but our fight against the virus is too urgent to allow the give-and-take of the contracting process to continue to run its normal course. GM was wasting time, Trump said in a statement. Todays action will help ensure the quick production of ventilators that will save American lives. GM and ventilator maker Ventec Life Systems Inc. had much of what they needed in place to ramp up production of the breathing machines. They were just waiting on the Trump administration to place orders and cut checks. Belgium May Keep Limits Until May 2 (3 p.m. NY) Belgium extended restrictions on citizens and businesses, which took effect March 14, by two weeks until April 19, and Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes signaled a further extension to May 3, saying its too early to declare the epidemic under control. Belgians must stay at home except for essential activities such as grocery shopping. Gatherings by more than two people are banned and stores selling non-essential goods remain closed. N.Y. Seeks Aid for Four New Hospitals (2:45 p.m. NY) New York is seeking federal assistance for four new emergency hospitals, Governor Andrew Cuomo said, as the number of state deaths spiked 35% in a day to more than 500. The new sites would join four centers the U.S. is setting up in the city, he said. The state wants more beds for Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester counties. Cuomo spoke from the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on Manhattans west side, which is being converted into a 1,000-bed emergency hospital that will open Monday. Cuomo said current demand for medical equipment is adequately covered and that the state is stockpiling additional supplies for a potential peak of infections three weeks from now. We dont need them yet, he said. We need them for the apex. The governor said he would keep the states schools closed for an additional two weeks, at which time the situation will be reassessed. Luxembourg Plans to Test for Herd Immunity (1:30 p.m. NY) Luxembourg is in an intensive planing phase to be among the first nations to research so-called herd immunity based on new blood tests the country is expecting to get, Health Minister Paulette Lenert said Friday. The new tests wouldnt check for Covid-19 infections but whether people have developed immunity against the new virus. Luxembourg, due to its small population of just over 600,000 people, is in a fortunate position to do this, the minister said. Scientists would be able to test samples that would be representative of the entire population, the minister said. Italys Daily Toll Nears 1,000 (12:35 pm. NY) Italy had its highest daily death toll even as the number of new cases declined on Friday. Fatalities shot up to 969, the most in a 24-hour period since the start of the outbreak. New infections totaled 5,959, compared with 6,153 the previous day, civil protection authorities said at their daily news conference in Rome. Italy now has 86,498 total cases, roughly the same number as the U.S. and more than China, where the diseases first outbreak occurred. U.S. Buys More Ventilators (12:30 p.m. NY) President Donald Trump said the federal government bought many ventilators from several companies he didnt identify. Trump in a tweet said the names will be announced later. State and local officials have been pleading with the federal government for more ventilators as cases of the coronavirus mount. France Extends Restrictions (12:20 p.m. NY) French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said public confinement is being extended to April 15. The restrictions could be further extended if needed, he said in a press conference after a cabinet meeting on Friday. A scientific committee consulted by the government recommends at least six weeks of confinement, he said. Portugals Cases Rise 20% (12:14 p.m. NY) Portugals cases rose 20% to 4,268 from 3,544 a day earlier, the governments Directorate-General of Health said. That compares with a daily increase of 18% reported Thursday and a 27% rise on Wednesday. The total number of deaths increased to 76 on Friday from 60 reported through Thursday morning. Director-General of Health Graca Freitas said the data suggest the peak wont be a moment in time but rather a plateau, and may not occur before May. Libya, Syria Face Catastrophe: WHO (11:35 a.m. NY) Libya reported its first case this week, meaning 21 of 22 Eastern Mediterranean nations have infections. The World Health Organization said Libyas capacity to respond is extremely limited in some areas and non-existent in others, with a large movement of people from neighboring countries. The outbreak also threatens to cause a catastrophe in Syria, the WHO said. Half of the nations hospitals are not functioning after nine years of war and thousands of health workers having fled the country. Millions of displaced people live in overcrowded camps in the countrys northwest, but after two days of tests using 300 WHO kits, no cases so far have been detected, the agency said. Toyota Shifts Factories to Face Shields (11:07 a.m. NY) Toyota Motor Corp.s idled manufacturing facilities in the U.S. will make much-needed face shields and masks, and the Japanese automaker is closing in on deals with medical-device makers to help them boost production. The carmaker said Friday it will start mass production of face shields early next week to supply hospitals near its plants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Texas. Toyota also said it is finalizing pacts with at least two companies to make breathing ventilators and respirator hoods, and its looking for partners to make protective masks. The company on Thursday extended its shutdown of North American factories for two weeks. U.K. Virus Deaths Jump 30% (10:29 a.m. NY) The number of people in the U.K. who have died from coronavirus increased by 31% to 759 as of Thursday, the Department of Health said. Thats higher than the five-day average of 20%. Some 14,579 have tested positive for the disease as of Friday, an increase of about 25%, above the five-day average of 20%. Two Fed Bankers Confident of Rebound (10:29 a.m. NY) Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic and Dallas Fed President Robert Kaplan expressed confidence the U.S. economy will rebound when restrictions on activity are lifted. This is a public health crisis and different from a typical recession, Bostic said on Bloomberg Television Friday. Kaplan offered a similar view a few minutes earlier. We were strong before we went into this, and we believe that weve got a great chance to come out of this very strong, he said. Kaplan said unemployment would peak in the low to mid teens before recovering to around 7%-to-8% by year-end. Coronavirus Response Leaves U.K. Vulnerable: Lancet (9:29 a.m. NY) A delayed response by the U.K. government to the coronavirus pandemic has left the health system wholly unprepared for an expected surge of critically ill patients, according to the editor of the medical journal The Lancet. In a letter posted on the journals website, Richard Horton described chaos and panic across the National Health Service, basing his comments on messages he received from workers. The government last month should have expanded testing capacity, ensured the distribution of protective equipment and stepped up training, he said. U.K. Prime Minister, Health Secretary Have Virus (9:17 a.m. NY) British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will self-isolate in Downing Street for seven days after a test found he had the coronavirus, spokesman James Slack told reporters on Friday. Health Secretary Matt Hancock has also contracted the illness, in a double blow to the U.K. governments response to the crisis. Both men have reported mild symptoms. Meals will be left at Johnsons door while he continues to work by video-conference, Slack said. Hancock is self-isolating and working from home. These are the latest high-profile individuals to contract the virus in Britain after Prince Charles, the heir to the throne, tested positive. U.K. Sees No Change to Brexit Timetable (8:29 a.m. NY) In terms of the timetable theres no change from our point of view, the U.K. prime ministers spokesman James Slack told reporters in a conference call. Slack was asked if there would be an extension to the Brexit transition period beyond December. NYC Mayor Says Trump Needs to Face Reality on Ventilators (8:20 a.m. NY) New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said cases of the new coronavirus are going to become astronomical, putting unprecedented strain on the hospital system. Trump said in an interview on Fox News that he didnt think New York state needed the 30,000 ventilators that Governor Andrew Cuomo has asked for to treat Covid-19 patents with respiratory conditions. When the president says the state of New York doesnt need 30,000 ventilators, with all due respect to him, hes not looking at the facts of this astronomical growth of this crisis, de Blasio said. If they dont have a ventilator, a lot of people are just not going to make it. Rolls-Royce Pauses U.K. Civil-Engine Output (8:07 a.m. NY) Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc will wind down jetliner-engine production in the U.K. as it spends a week implementing cleanup and safety measures to cope with the coronavirus outbreak. The company, which makes turbines for wide-body planes, will significantly reduce all but essential activities within its U.K. civil aerospace facilities from midnight, it said in a statement Friday. Rolls-Royce is taking a break from manufacturing after customer Airbus SE also paused production to check on measures to protect employees from Covid-19. Boeing Co. has gone a step further, winding down planemaking in the Seattle area for two weeks after a worker died of virus-related complications. China Ramps Up Stimulus Measures (8 a.m. NY) China will appropriately raise its fiscal deficit as a share of gross domestic product, issue special sovereign debt and allow local governments to sell more infrastructure bonds as part of a stimulus package to stabilize the economy, according to a politburo meeting on Wednesday, central China television reported late on Friday. Italy Virus Curve Seen Flattening Slightly (7:49 a.m. NY) The curve of new coronavirus cases in Italy appears to have started flattening slightly since March 20, Silvio Brusaferro, head of the countrys National Health Institute, said at a press conference on Friday. The mortality rate in the country is proportional to patients age, Brusaferro said. The National Health Institute said the country wasnt at the peak of the contagion yet, but the head of the Superior Health Council Franco Locatelli said there were clear signs that the containment measures are efficient, so people must respect them. Italy reported its biggest rise in coronavirus infections in the last five days on Thursday, as the disease spread further in the northern Lombardy region, even after weeks of rigid lockdown rules. For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday expressed his gratitude towards two youngsters who donated their savings to the Prime Ministers Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund). Taking to Twitter, he thanked the two-- Kavya Khandelwal (15) and Chaitanya Khandelwal (8), and stated that it was 'deeply touching'. He also added that the youngsters are at the forefront fo fighting the deadly Coronavirus. On Saturday, the two kids' father Vishal Khandelwal took to Twitter and stated that his children have donated their entire savings to the PM CARES Fund in order to fight COVID-19. Youngsters are at the forefront of fighting COVID-19. Gratitude to Kavya and Chaitanya. Their gesture is deeply touching. #IndiaFightsCorona https://t.co/cT9hkb6NKv Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 29, 2020 The PM CARES Fund On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Prime Ministers Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund), where citizens can contribute to aide the government's efforts in supporting those affected by disasters. This fund will provide relief to the affected from any walk of life dealing with any kind of emergency or distress situation. PM Modi also urged Indians to donate generously. The fund is chaired by PM Modi and includes Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Read: Motilal Oswal donates 5 crore to PM CARES fund to help fight Coronavirus; PM Modi applauds The Coronavirus crisis As of date, India has reported over 1,000 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19. Out of all the states, Kerala and Maharashtra have reported the most in the country. Meanwhile, 19 people have died so far due to the deadly virus. Due to the outbreak, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had put India under a national lockdown for 21 days. Further, India has also closed the India-Pakistan border and restricted passenger movement at the border with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Myanmar. Read: Indian students stranded in UK due to COVID-19 travel ban urge PM Modi for rescue flight Presently, there are around 662,967 confirmed cases of COVID-19 which has led to the death of around 30,851 people. Meanwhile, around 141,953 people have reportedly recovered. Currently, as per reports, the hardest-hit region is the United States of America, followed by China, and then Italy, Iran and South Korea, where the number of cases is rising by the hour. Read: Pakistan's Coronavirus cases rise to 1,500 & death toll to 12; suspected cases very high Read: Here's what the maker of the Chennai police's viral 'Coronavirus helmet' has to say Mumbai: Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has decided to extend help to 25,000-odd daily wage workers of the film industry whose lives have been affected by the ongoing national lockdown that has brought all filming activity in Bollywood to a grinding halt. Salman's contribution will aid the artistes of Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), said the body's president BN Tiwari. "After we approached Salman Khan, he asked us to give him a count of the most affected workers from our association and we told him there were 25,000 such artistes. He has decided to contribute for them. We will be sending him the list in the evening," said Tiwari, according to a report in indianexpress.com. "It's only going to get worse. People are preparing only for 21-day lockdown but we have five lakh workers. If this extends for a month or two, we will need help from everyone," added Tiwari, adding Salman has asked for a complete list of daily wage workers with their account numbers because he wishes to directly transfer funds to each worker. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 20:02:03|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close TOKYO, March 29 (Xinhua) -- "The current COVID-19 pandemic reminded us of the fact that, like it or not, Asia and the world have become a whole today. All countries in the world should work together to tackle this major crisis in human history," said Takakage Fujita, director general of a Japanese civil group dedicated to upholding and developing the well-known Murayama Statement. In an exclusive interview with Xinhua, the political analyst spoke highly of China's efforts to combat COVID-19. He said that under the leadership of Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Chinese people mobilized and responded calmly. Through hard efforts and great sacrifices, China has effectively suppressed the spread of the novel coronavirus and the situation of epidemic prevention and control continued to improve, he said. In addition, China not only timely shared its experience and knowledge in fighting against the virus with other countries struggling with the epidemic, but also sent medical teams to the worst-affected countries, Fujita said. These measures are of great significance, he said. At the recent Group of 20 special summit on COVID-19, Xi called for comprehensive international cooperation to consolidate strong synergy in the fight against COVID-19 and jointly win the battle against such a major infectious disease. Fujita said he totally agrees. "As Xi has said, the world must unite to overcome the plague. China's vision of a community of a shared future for humanity will play an important role in the global development in the 21st century," he said. Fujita said he also agrees with Xi's call for supporting the World Health Organization (WHO). Fujita said the WHO played an important role in directing the global fight against COVID-19, and he hopes it will "continue to aim at protecting the health of people around the world, take it as its mission to lead and adjust the global health care system, and continue to exercise its vision and leadership to protect the lives and health of people living together as a community with a shared future for humanity." Speaking of the prospect of the global economy sliding into recession as a result of the impact of the outbreak, Fujita praised the G20's announcement that it would quickly take strong measures including injecting more than five trillion U.S. dollars into the global economy and uniting efforts to restore world economic growth. He also suggested that Japan should seek "a more suitable way to survive" on the Eurasian continent in the process of Asian economic integration, such as deepening its relations with China through the Belt and Road Initiative. Pedro Diaz is a warm, radiant person. Per his Latino culture, the Puerto Rican-bred, New York-raised man often greets people with a hug and kiss on the cheek, or a handshake at the bare minimum. But at the end of last month, Diaz noticed people reacting with discomfort to his greeting, instead offering him their elbows. People were spooked, Diaz recalled. As coronavirus rapidly spreads across New York, infecting at least tens of thousands so far, health officials are urging people to prevent the spread of the disease through social distancing standing 6 feet apart, subbing elbow taps for handshakes, avoiding large gatherings and taking hugs and kisses completely off the table. But for some cultures that are defined by displays of affection, social distancing is a more difficult and unnatural feat. Personal space in the U.S. culturally is very different than personal space in many countries, said Ladan Alomar, who grew up in Iran and was the executive director of the Latino nonprofit Centro Civico for decades. We are close, we touch each other a lot, as a part of the culture we cannot say hello and greet each other without hugging and kissing. People of other cultures have similar takes. Upstate counties push for quarantine for New York City travelers Latest coronavirus-related cancellations, postponements The latest coronavirus numbers in NY Sign up for the Times Union coronavirus newsletter Full coronavirus coverage Rachelle Pean noted some of her Afro-Latin friends were socially distancing with their large families, nuclear and extended, in a single house. Jamel Mosely, who is black, went to a party at the beginning of the month where people were hugging and dapping, which is a form of handshaking. Aliya Saeed noted greetings and affection in her home country of Pakistan range from handshakes to hugs depending on socioeconomic status and region, put personal space between strangers standing in lines or sitting in public is nearly nonexistent. In Lebanon and Syria, people greet each other with three or two kisses on the cheek, respectively, said Syrian-American Ilham Almahamid. Such affectionate customs are staples of various cultures, a way of showing acceptance, respect, love and even equality. Despite understanding the importance of social distancing, foregoing those customs can feel akin to stripping people of their cultural identities, community members and experts say. For a while its going to be confusing and people are going to be uncomfortable, said Richard Lachmann, a sociology professor at University at Albany. If you suddenly cant do that it undermines your sense of who you are and how you act around people. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Almahamid, a research scientist at the state Department of Health and founder of the nonprofit New York for Syrian Refugees, said she had to stress to the over 40 Syrian refugee families resettled in Albany to refrain from being physically close to each other. It wasnt until Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued a directive more than a week ago for all non-essential workers to work remotely that the families stopped hugging and kissing each other, and began self-quarantining, she said. Instead, they've been staying in contact through social media apps such as WhatsApp. You feel divided, Almahamid said. In our culture, when you see someone, you want to kiss them, hug them, because you want to show them love. And youre also worried that if you dont, they will think that youre distant. Dan Irizarry, chairman of Capital District Latinos, was supposed to take a trip to Providence, Rhode Island soon to deliver a care package to his 24-year-old daughter. Now, hes having second thoughts about whether he should go and be with her. (Affection) is deeply felt and a customary thing to do within our culture, and it almost seems like youre giving in to the fear by not doing that, Irizarry said. But it is a responsibility we have to the larger society to really think about these things and what the ramifications might be. Regardless, Irizarry is worried about how his daughter will feel if her dad doesnt want to hug her when he sees her. When Alomar visited her niece in Schenectady last week, the two of them had to take separate cars to a nature trail. Upon arrival, they kept their distance while walking and talking. It was just not natural, she said. We knew it was the right thing to do so psychologically, intellectually, you understand. But your heart and need as a human says something else. That's it for the Brisbane Times live coronavirus blog for today. And what a day it was, from the federal government's unprecedented $130 billion wage assistance for affected Australians to the new social realities Queenslanders now face. Reporter Stuart Layt has prepared a wrap of today's Queensland developments. Our live coverage will resume tomorrow morning. I'll leave you now with this scene from my apartment complex last night; dozens of strangers in a moment of unity designed to thank those health workers on the front line. Until tomorrow, stay safe. An anonymous business owner has donated 150 protective suits for staff at the Clinico hospital in Malaga, to help in the fight against coronavirus. The donor made contact with the Local Police to make the offer, and repeatedly insisted that he or she didn't want their identity to be known, saying "it's the health workers who are visible, not me". The protective clothing was delivered to the hospital on Wednesday in a fleet of police vehicles, shortly before 8pm, the time at which people all over Spain go out onto their balconies or stand at their windows to cheer and applaud the country's health workers. It was a moment which will be remembered forever by many of those present: the police officers applauded and sounded the sirens of their cars as hospital staff came out to collect the donated items and transport them inside on trolleys. These suits are vitally important in protecting medical staff, and are worn with special masks. The whole country is suffering a shortage of these items, especially Intensive Care Units, waiting for further deliveries from the ministry of Health. This donation is one of many demonstrations of appreciation and support for doctors in Malaga during the coronavirus lockdown. It is a clear and positive sign that everyone is working together to bring an end to the battle against this new illness as soon as possible. Curfew and commotion: Ad-hocism adds chaos to growing fears By Anthony David and Chris Kamalendran View(s): View(s): Scenes of unprecedented long queues at grocery shops, supermarkets, pharmacies, ATM machines and fuel stations were witnessed throughout out the country this week no sooner the curfew was lifted in the respective districts, as the government struggled to get the food, medicine and banking sector operations right. Last Monday, well before the curfew imposed to control the spread of Covid-19 was lifted in the Colombo and Gampaha districts, people had started queuing up to purchases food items, medicines or withdraw cash from ATM machines, as they had just six hours to get back to their homes before the curfew was reimposed at noon. The government later announced a two-hour grace period. Later in the day, supermarkets, grocery shops were told to serve all customers who had called over. We wouldnt have rushed to the markets early in the day if we knew that we could purchase goods until late in the evening, Sunil Gamage, a resident of Maligawatte said. The people would have spaced themselves out to get to the markets at different times if they only knew the curfew was to be reimposed at 2 pm, he said. At ATMs, several people stayed in the queues for more than 45 minutes to withdraw cash and then head to supermarkets to join longer queues. After I waited in the queue for more than an hour and by the time I got to the supermarket, most essential items were over, Mallika Jayamali from Kerwalapitiya, Hendala said. She said she noticed that ATM machines were also slow on that day with many people using the system at the same time. Reports from several parts of the country said people had issues in withdrawing money from ATMs. One bank restricted withdrawals to a maximum of Rs 5,000. Over the week with repeated government announcements that preparations were underway to organise a network to distribute food and medicines to the public, the scheme was hardly to be seen in operation even by Friday evening. I was expecting that I could obtain the services through the Sathosa, as widely publicised, but I got a message saying all goods were sold out, Ashan Ranjith, a resident from Colombo said. He said that one of his colleagues had tried to obtain the Sathosa service from the Vauxhall Street around 5.30 p.m. on Friday and received a message that the store was closed. Since it is an emergency situation where people have been left without food supplies, we dont expect a state institution such as Sathosa to close shop. They should be working round the clock to serve the people, he said. The Keells supermarket had the following message on their website on Friday; We are sorry, the Keels website is currently inactive until further notice. Due to the unprecedented demand at our stores and the website, we are unable to fulfill any further online orders. For orders that have been placed until now, we will get in touch with you shortly and inform the status of your order. Where we are unable to fulfill your order, a refund will be made. Thank you for your understanding. Many people in Colombo and suburbs banked on the vendors who arrived in small lorries or tuks for vegetables, coconuts, eggs and even dry rations. Some of the smaller groceries issued limited stocks to area residents despite the curfew, but with the strict implementation of the curfew from Friday evening, whatever the little window the people had was closed. During the week the Police permitted people carrying a valid prescription to go to a pharmacy despite the curfew. However, Police on Friday ordered all supermarkets and pharmacies to close down. It said, however, medicines will be supplied only through the state run Osu Salas. We have made arrangements to distribute medicines through postmen. Once the order is placed by phone to the Osusala the medicines will be delivered to the house in terms of a plan worked out by the government, Minister Bandula Gunawardena told the Sunday Times. A State Pharmaceutical Corporation senior official said they hoped to make use of some 800 private pharmacies as well for the distribution system. He said that 5,000 Mt of medicines have arrived this week and they had sufficient stock. But the peoples biggest worry is to get the medicine on time. A private pharmacist in Maradana said that there could be a shortage of certain medicines in the coming weeks. One of the issues we may face in the coming weeks is that we may not get the same quantities of medicines from countries like India and Pakistan, a pharmacist in Maradana said, adding that some suppliers had informed him that stocks were not available. Thousands of poor people get their medicine from state hospital clinics. With the curfew on, they are unable to visit the clinics and get medicine. Some of them could not find transport to reach the hospital or visit a doctor. Meanwhile, some of the traders arbitrarily increased the prices of vegetables, despite the farmers selling stocks at low prices due to the lack of demand. Our Puttalam correspondent Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe found that in Kalpitiya, farmers were selling most vegetables including capsicum at less than Rs 80 per kilogram (see separate story). The price hike led to arguments on Thursday at Colombos Manning Market where most small-scale wholesale traders purchase their stocks from large wholesale traders bringing down supplies from the outstations including Dambulla. The buyers complained that the wholesale traders were selling a kilo of vegetables at exorbitant prices. Some vegetables were sold at Rs 300 and above. The crisis prompted Consumer Affairs Authority Chairman Shantha Dissanayake, a retired army officer, to personally visit the market and severely reprimand the traders not to make obscene profits at times of crisis. As a result, the traders were ordered to keep a maximum profit of Rs 40 per kilogram. Mr Dissanayake himself was present again on Friday to make sure that the traders followed his directive. A similar situation was experienced on Friday at the Dambulla Economic Centre where wholesale prices were much lower than the previous days. Army Commander Shavendra Silva on Friday visited the Economic centre to inspect the vegetable distribution. However, in some outstation areas, the situation was not the same, with traders selling even price controlled items such as dhal and canned fish at higher prices. Amid fears that the curfew would be continued, particularly in districts such as Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara and Jaffna, these are some of the key issues of public concern. Their fears have not been allayed or adequately addressed by the mechanisms the government says it has set in motion. Bare shelves greet desperate people rushing for groceries By Nadia Fazlulhaq Standing in long queues, under the hot sun, drenched in sweat, uncomfortable face masks, empty stomachs, dizzy spells, achy feet became a part of the harrowing experience that hundreds of thousands went through on Tuesday, when the police curfew that continued through the weekend was lifted for six hours. Tuesdays public exposure and panic buying led to the appointing of a Presidential Task Force to combat the coronavirus in Sri Lanka with powers to monitor continuous food supply and declaring delivery of food as an essential service. While supermarkets maintained the recommended one metre distance between people at the entrances, inside them people witnessed episodes of supermarket sweep, a rush to grab whatever was on the shelves. Queues started forming at 6:00 a.m. with 500-600 people early in the morning. The threat of spreading a deadly virus was the last thing in mind especially in public markets of all places, as heated arguments arose amid the desperation for daily needs in densely populated Colombo and Gampaha districts. I was standing from 7:00 a.m. till 3:00 p.m. in a queue of a supermarket in Colombo, at the end I was barely able to stand. All I wanted was to grab some soft drinks and go. Unfortunately, all that standing was a waste as there were no essential dry rations, flour, dhal, canned fish and sugar but only cornflakes, instant noodles and non-essential food. I had to then go in search of important dry rations, said Sahan Perera, from Colombo. His sense of hopelessness was echoed by many who had similar experiences in supermarkets. Some complained of a shortage of vegetables and other essentials like potatoes, onions and garlic in supermarkets. Tuesdays mad rush was a disappointment for many with fish, both fresh and dried, vegetables and meat in short supply. While people were rushing as the curfew was to be re-imposed at noon (it was later extended to 2:00p.m.), shops remained closed, with limited supplies and stocks arriving after 10:00 a.m. Many people were in queues at automatic teller machines (ATMs). Despite the curfew being re-imposed, people were seen in queues till 4:00 p.m. Shyamalie Premaratne, had been standing in a queue from 6:00 a.m. and almost fainted due to hunger and after enduring the sun for long. Im a 62 year old diabetic patient. I had no way of asking people to buy for me. I felt dizzy in the queue but stayed till I got the needed food items, she said while holding a 5kg rice bag, and two heavy bags containing milk powder, tea leaves, dhal, and other essential goods as she left the local grocery store at 1:30 p.m. Despite the elderly being vulnerable during virus pandemic, many were seen standing in queues, and some were seen even in Manning and other public markets in search of vegetables. Tom Cruises behind the scenes photo from the sets of Mission Impossible 7 is breaking the internet these days. The actor, who is known for doing his stunts by himself, can be seen riding and pulling wheelies on a made-in-India BMW G 310 GS. As per media reports quoted by Visordown, the picture is from the Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey, United Kingdom. If reports are to be believed, then the shooting of Mission Impossible 7 was earlier moved from Italy to the United Kingdom. However, the same has now been stalled due to the spread of the deadly coronavirus. In the pictures, one can see him in a black jacket and full-face adventure helmet, with the front wheel, pointed up. The major question that arises is if Tom Cruise is the person in the photograph or is it someone else who is performing the stunt for him? In a previous interview, Tom had himself revealed that he has spent a lot of time training for motorcycle stunts. He is also known to do a major part of his stunts himself and has done so in the previous Mission Impossible films. In one of the photos, he can be seen without a helmet on a stationary bike. The safety rig seen in the pictures could just be to prevent any unfortunate incident while filming. The movie is slated to hit the theatres in July next year. Overland Park man charged in child sex case KANSAS CITY, Mo. - An Overland Park man faces child rape and other child sex charges in Johnson County District Court. Carl Reed, 39, of Overland Park, is accused of rape of a child under 14, two counts of aggravated criminal sodomy and one count of misdemeanor obscenity to a minor. We've noticed a slide in crime over the past week but that doesn't mean that the metro is without danger . . . Here's a troubling story that deserves a look from one of the nicer suburban enclaves: The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Sunday assured full support as the country battled the COVID-19 pandemic and stressed on self-isolation under the current circumstances. IOA President Narinder Batra on Saturday said the Tokyo Olympics qualification events, postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic, will be held once the health crisis is resolved. "In past few days we got suggestions that IOA should also contribute towards humanity in these times of global crisis because of the coronavirus pandemic," IOA secretary general Rajeev Mehta said in a release. "Your esteemed federations/state Olympic associations are following closely the norms and instructions issued by Government of India, WHO and other world organisations involved in managing this crisis. The pandemic has so far claimed over 30000 lives across the world while infecting more than 6.5 lakh people, and the country's top Olympic body said they are always there to assist. "This is just the beginning of our war against the pandemic, we aren't aware how things will shape up in future, what all new challenges we all have to face. "We assure you all, IOA will come forward and reach out to you and will work as per protocols and norms set by government, WHO, Unicef and concerned bodies. In the meantime we have to follow self isolation," the IOA said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Nigerian government has airlifted staff of the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) who were stranded in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, following the shutdown of airports in the Central African country. The stranded health workers had been sent to the country to take capacity-building course put in place by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Nigerias Ambassador to the Republic of the Congo, Deborah Iliya, who revealed this in a statement shared with reporters, said the training was organised as part of global efforts to empower health workers in the battle against Coronavirus (Covid-19). The envoy said, This message of support is at the instance of the prompt action taken by the Presidency and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in deploying a special flight of the Nigerian Air force, to convey back to the country a team of public health officials of the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC), who had been drafted to Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, to undergo a special capacity building course with the World Health Organisation (WHO), a training to expand their knowledge as regards the management of coronavirus and for their prompt deployment. She commended President Muhammadu Buhari for what she described as his administrations systemic, practical and sincere efforts to end the scourge of the virus in the country. The ambassador also thanked the government of the Republic of Congo for the solidarity enjoyed through the temporary opening of the airport to facilitate the departure of the stranded workers. This act has in no small measure further strengthened the bilateral harmony that exists between the two countries. Furthermore, the President of the Republic of Congo, Denis Sassou Nguesso, has put in stringent measures aimed at ending the spread of the virus as it has actively embarked on sensitisation campaigns, while the public has also been mobilized for strict observation and compliance to all clinical advisory and lock down directives, the statement added. Vietnams number of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients climbed to 179 on Sunday morning after the Ministry of Health reported five new cases, four of which are linked to Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi. Patients No. 175 to 178 are all employees of Truong Sinh Company, a catering service provider contracted by Bach Mai Hospital. They include a 57-year-old man and three women, aged 38, 49, and 44. The 44-year-old woman is being treated in the northern province of Thai Nguyen, while the other three receive treatment in Hanoi. Bach Mai, a special-grade and largest general hospital in Vietnam, has so far recorded 16 COVID-19 patients, including health workers, patients, patients visitors, and catering staff. The hospital has stopped receiving new patients from Saturday and isolated about 1,300 health workers together with 800 patients. The military has disinfected the entire premises of the infirmary. The Ministry of Health has advised all people who came to Bach Mai Hospital from March 10 to 27 to contact local authorities and fill out online health declaration forms. Patient No. 179 is a 62-year-old Hanoi resident who returned to Vietnam from abroad on March 18. Upon his arrival, he was brought to a quarantine camp in the north-central province of Thanh Hoa. The novel coronavirus, which first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019, has infected over 662,500 people and killed more than 30,800 globally as of Sunday morning, according to Ministry of Health statistics. Vietnam has announced 174 COVID-19 patients so far, with 21 having been discharged from the hospital by Saturday. No fatality related to the disease has been reported in the country to date. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Image Familiar Face Dear Diary: I stepped off the express train at the Union Square Station one day some time ago and crossed over to the local side of the platform. As I looked toward the tunnel hoping to see the lights of an approaching No. 6, I saw a woman step onto the platform. She had short, light-blond hair and she was wearing tights, boots and a long sweater. She looked vaguely familiar, but lots of people begin to look familiar if, like me, you take the same train to work every day. I saw another woman on the platform do an obvious double take and stare at the familiar-looking woman. That made me wonder who she was. Disinfecting Van Don airport (Source: VNA) Four medical workers and six policemen involved in the experts' quarantine process and 53 staff members at the hotel where they were quarantined also tested negative for the coronavirus. After the experts on March 27 moved out to other accommodations, the hotel was disinfected before welcoming other experts of the Samsung Display. As schedule, 179 more experts of Samsung will travel to Vietnam to work on March 28. After receiving them at Quang Ninh provinces Van Don airport, Vietnams relevant agencies will update their personal information and travel history during the 14 days before their arrival, and check the SARS-CoV-2 test document given by the Kangbuk Samsung Hospital. The experts will then be taken to the hotel in Bac Ninhs Yen Phong district for concentrated quarantine. As of March 28 morning, Vietnam recorded 169 confirmed infections and no fatality. The candidate of ex-president Evo Morales' socialist party, Luis Arce, has taken a commanding lead in opinion polls ahead of the May 3 presidential election in Bolivia, a poll published Monday showed. Arce, handpicked by Morales as candidate for the Movement for Socialism (MAS) party, has 33.3 percent of voter intentions, with former president Carlos Mesa a distant second on 18.3 percent. Right-wing interim President Jeanine Anez is running in third place on 16.9 percent, according to pollsters Ciesmori. Bolivia returns to the polls after voting monitors for the Organization of American States dismissed Morales' first-round victory in October 20 elections as fraudulent. Morales resigned the presidency in November and fled the country after losing the support of the army amid violent protests. A previous opinion poll released in late February showed Arce with 32 percent, Mesa on 23 percent and Anez on 21 percent. However, the latest poll is the first to show that Morales' candidate would triumph in a second round. The poll showed powerful regional leader Luis Fernando Camacho back in fourth position on 7.1 percent. The May 3 election will go to a second round if no candidate reaches 50 percent, or 40 percent with a margin of 10 percentage points over the nearest candidate. The poll showed Arce would narrowly beat Anez in a June 14 second round runoff -- 43.2 to 42 percent -- while he would beat Mesa by a slightly greater margin, 42.9 percent to 41 percent. The pollsters canvassed 2,243 people for the survey between March 5 and 11, with a margin of error of 2 percent. After Morales fled, Anez, a former deputy Senate speaker, stepped into a power vacuum to declare herself interim president and set a new election date for May 3. Bolivia's supreme electoral court has disqualified Morales from running for a Senate seat, saying he did not meet residency requirements as he is currently living in Argentina. South African police fired rubber bullets towards hundreds of shoppers queueing outside a supermarket in Johannesburg as authorities battled to keep people at home in a bid to halt the spread of the coronavirus. With 1,187 confirmed infections and one death, the country has the highest numbers of confirmed infections on the continent. President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered a 21-day lockdown for the country's 57 million inhabitants, deploying police and the military to enforce the restrictions. But on day two of the nationwide lockdown, the government was struggling to get people to observe the restrictions. Many in working-class neighbourhoods ventured out to buy food, standing close to each other in lines while waiting for turns to get into grocery stores. Between 200 and 300 people gathered outside a popular grocery store, early Saturday in Yeoville, a crime-prone area in Johannesburg's gritty central business district. Scrambling to secure their spots, many did not observe the recommended safe distance between each other. Police arrived in 10 patrol vehicles and started firing rubber bullets towards the shoppers. Startled shoppers trampled on each other and a woman with a baby on her back fell to the ground. Later the police used whips to get the shoppers to observe social distancing rules. In Johannesburg's Alexandra township, shopping trolleys helped keep the rules respected. "So for today, what we have adopted is to do the 1.5 metre distance using the trolleys," said Lilly Bophela, Alexandra shopping mall manager. "So as you can see now we are just making sure that people are one meter away using the trolleys". While jogging and dog-walking are banned, shopping for food and other basics, but not alcohol, is permitted. - Police whip shoppers - South African billionaire businessman Patrice Motsepe on Saturday pledged one billion rand (US$57 million) to help fight the pandemic. "Our number one concern is to save lives and ... to make sure that we slow down ... the spread of coronavirus pandemic," he told a new conference. Africa's confirmed cases were Saturday creeping towards 4,000 cases with at least 117 deaths - and governments are scrambling to slow the spread. Zimbabwe starts a three-week lockdown on Monday, while on the same day Lesotho will also go on a 25-day lockdown. Elsewhere on the continent, Ghana has announced a two-week lockdown in the country's two main regions of Accra and Kumasi starting Monday. The move came as the authorities reported 137 confirmed cases, including four deaths. President Nana Akufo-Ado said residents would only be allowed to go out to buy food, water and medicines and to use public toilets. On Saturday the Democratic Republic of Congo sprawling capital, Kinshasa, was meant to go into lockdown for four days, but local officials delayed the measure after the announcement caused a spike in the price of basic goods and worries about unrest. And in neighbouring Congo-Brazzaville, President Denis Sassou Nguesso declared a health emergency and announced a lockdown in the country, combined with a night curfew, from Tuesday. He set the length of the lockdown at 30 days, adding in a televised address that the security forces would be mobilised to enforce it. In the Sahel, Burkina Faso, which last week recorded sub-Saharan Africa's first death, announced that eight towns, including the capital Ouagadougou, would be quarantined for two weeks from Friday. In Mali, the government has imposed some anti-coronavirus measures, including a night-time curfew, but said a long-delayed parliamentary election would go ahead on Sunday. Antonov An-124 Ruslan, a Ruslan heavyweight airlifter attached to the Russian military, landed at Chinas Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport on the evening of March 24 to transport medical supplies donated by China to Russia.Photo: Haiwainet.cn By Zhang Qi Antonov An-124 Ruslan, a Ruslan heavyweight airlifter attached to the Russian military, landed at Chinas Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport on the evening of March 24 to transport medical supplies donated by China to Russia. The poetic lines printed on the packages of the donation are words of famous Russian poet Alexander Pushkin: "In a moment, passes sorrow". The poetic lines printed on the packages of the donation are words of famous Russian poet Alexander Pushkin: "In a moment, passes sorrow".Photo: Haiwainet.cn The Russian Sputnik News reported on March 25 that the medical supplies are donated by Chinas Alibaba Foundation and Jack Ma Foundation to help Russia fight the COVID-19. The military cargo charter flight has arrived in Moscow with the medical supplies including medical masks, COVID-19 detection reagents and protective gears. Just two days ago, Russia sent another An-124 aircraft to transport 25.5 million medical masks from China and the military cargo transport aircraft had arrived at the Chkalovsky Airport, Moscow Oblast, on the same day. Russian media reported that the masks will be distributed to the elderly and some government agencies through Russian volunteer organizations. Some Chinese netizens said that the verse "In a moment, passes sorrow" struck a chord in their hearts, because they believe, we are sure to pull through the coronavirus epidemic as long as everyone works hard together. Quoting the latest data, Sputnik News reported that there are 658 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Russia, increasing by 163 on a daily basis, and 29 people are cured as of March 25. CBS News Journalist Maria Mercader Dies From COVID-19 Maria Mercader, a longtime CBS News journalist, died of COVID-19, the network confirmed in a statement on Sunday. Mercader, 54, succumbed to the CCP virus in a New York hospital that was not disclosed. She had been on medical leave for an unrelated issue since February, the network said, adding that she had battled against cancer and related health problems for decades. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China before it was transmitted worldwide. Even more than her talents as a journalist, we will miss her indomitable spirit, said Susan Zirinsky, CBS News president, in a statement. Maria was part of all of our lives. Even when she was hospitalizedand she knew something was going on at CBS, she would call with counsel, encouragement, and would say you can do this. I called Maria a warrior, she was. Maria was a gift we cherished. Maria was a friend to all, added Laurie Orlando, with CBS Newss talent department. Its nearly impossible to be someone EVERYONE loves, but Maria was. She always had a warm hug, a word of advice or support and a big smile for everyone in her life. She was a bright light and will be sorely missed. Maria Mercader, our beloved CBS News colleague, died from COVID-19 on Sunday at 54. Even more than her talents as a journalist, we will miss her indomitable spirit, @szirinsky says. Maria was part of all of our lives. pic.twitter.com/4NuS81Rf0l CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) March 29, 2020 About two weeks ago, CBS News confirmed that it shut down its headquarters in New York City after two unnamed employees tested positive for the virus. Other employees were told to work at home or in other offices until the New York offices are cleaned and disinfected, reported The Associated Press. The CBS obituary noted that Mercader started working with CBS News in 1987 and worked on a number of big stories. The Maria we are privileged to call family and friend knew better than most the power of relationships, loyalty, faith, kindness, perseverance and a smile, even when a smile defied the darkness of the moment, said Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews, the CBS News vice-president of Strategic Professional Development. Her notable professional contributions are part of the CBS Archives, but it is her magnificent human spirit that touched so many of us, that will stay with us forever. Several other New York-based news outlets, including AP, said they would allow employees to work from home if they are able to do so. Meanwhile, NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell confirmed in a statement last week that he tested positive for the CCP virus earlier this month. I recently have been feeling under the weather and just learned that I have tested positive for COVID-19, Shell wrote to his staff members. Although the virus has been tough to cope with, I have managed to work remotely in LA and am improving every day. And around two weeks ago, NBC News employee Larry Edgeworth, who worked at the flagship 30 Rock studio in Manhattan, died from the virus, according to the company. COVID-19 patients and possibly infected people who are in quarantine will get 28-day paid leaves from their employers, District Magistrate BN Singh said. Employees of shops and factories which are shut due to orders from the state government or district magistrate will get paid for the period they are closed, an order from the District Magistrate read. "In Gautam Buddh Nagar district, salaries under certain circumstances must be paid to the labours/employees during the lockdown. Else law will take its own course under the Disaster Management Act 2005," Singh tweeted. "COVID-19 positive persons or possibly infected persons who are in isolation will be given 28-day paid leave after they produce medical certificates. Those employed at shops, factories and other units closed due to lockdown will also be paid," read the order from the District Magistrate. Singh on Saturday informed that 5 new coronavirus positive cases have been found in Noida. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) KUNMING, March 28 (Xinhua) -- The 91st Mekong River joint patrol led by China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand concluded Friday as two Chinese law enforcement boats returned to Guanlei Port in the southwestern province of Yunnan. A total of 111 law enforcement officers from the four countries participated in the mission in five vessels and covered 605 km in four days, according to the provincial public security department. Joint visits, inspections and an anti-drug publicity campaign were launched in key waters, with a Burmese merchant ship rescued, 19 vehicles, 35 people and 21.7 tonnes of cargo inspected during the mission. Affected by the coronavirus epidemic, law enforcement authorities of the four countries jointly directed the operation with a remote video command system for the first time. The law enforcement also sent a publicity team to promote knowledge about the epidemic prevention and control. One of the Chinese law enforcement boats involved in the patrol will continue to conduct a one-week combat drill in Laos. The joint patrol program started in December 2011 after a gang hijacked two cargo ships and killed 13 Chinese sailors in Thai waters on Oct. 5 that year. The Mekong River, known as the Lancang River in China, is a vital waterway for cross-border shipping among China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. As most of us watched the spread of the coronavirus from the safety of our homes, stories of real heroism began to emerge. Across our state and nation, health providers, first responders, and caregivers put themselves directly in the contagion zone to make sure that their patients our neighbors would be protected. There is a real and present danger for doctors, nurses, or food pantry workers. But given the choice between fighting for others or protecting themselves they consistently chose to fight. Americans and citizens throughout the world continue to display compassion and creativity in their random acts of kindness. Podcasts of community sing-alongs go viral, young people bring groceries to shut-ins, teachers reach students on-line, and media outlets provide essential information around the clock. In terms of governmental leadership, it must be noted that the quality of crisis management seems to depend on the individual at the microphone. President Donald Trump established a crisis response team headed by Vice President Mike Pence and some notable health care professionals and scientists. It was soon clear that he wanted to dominate the daily briefings and his demeanor was predictable. After his prepared remarks, the president could not stop himself from attacking the media, blaming others for a slow response to the crisis, and patting himself on the back for whatever small victories he could claim. At several briefings, it was downright embarrassing to watch Dr. Tony Fauci wince at some of the presidents pronouncements. We have some drugs that will be available soon. Not exactly. Clinical trials and safety protocols mean that vaccines will not be available for at least a year. We want to be back to work by Easter. Impossible. Fauci and others know that lifting the isolation requirements and sacrificing social distancing too soon would make things exponentially worse. To their credit, Vice President Pence, Fauci, and other administration officials have been steady, forthright, and helpful throughout the crisis. They all seem to understand the first rule for leaders in a crisis management situation: Tell the truth. Governors across the country have also risen to the challenge. Andrew Cuomo in New York stands at the new epicenter of the disease and methodically presses for equipment and safeguards to fight the coming war. States like California, Washington and Louisiana have worked in a bipartisan basis with the feds to mitigate suffering and economic fallout. In Pennsylvania, Governor Wolf has received high marks for his calm and decisive approach to the darkening clouds. His directives have been timely, and his steady hand has made a horrible situation a little better. Kudos to Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine as well for sharing unvarnished information daily. Bipartisanship seems to be prevailing in both Washington and at the state level. The U.S. Congress and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin hammered out an unprecedented response bill to speed relief to families and the American economy. The $2.2 Trillion package will get about $3,400 to an average family of four and provide additional unemployment benefits. It will also provide grants and loans for small business to get back up on their feet. Yes, there is about $500 billion for large corporations but Republicans and Democrats came together to assure that these companies will have to pay the government back and will be subject to oversight by an independent council and inspector general. Bill Gates summed up the costly support package by saying that when bodies are piling up, GDP growth becomes less and less important. In Pennsylvania, help is on the way in the form of a $60 million COVID-19 Working Capital Access Program for small businesses and another $50 million restricted account to support front-line medical workers and to provide vital equipment. The Governor and Republican leaders made sure these items moved forward even if it meant voting by teleconference. Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman said: In Pennsylvania, we worked together to dedicate this money to help those who are waging this extraordinary battle. One of the most important comments came from Cuomo who said there was no need to choose between a smart health strategy and smart economic strategy. We can do both and we must do both. The United States now has about 100,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19; Pennsylvania has about 2,000. The flattening of the curve seems to be a long way off but leaders and citizens are proving that we can weather the storm if we work in harmony and good faith. Mark S. Singel is a former Democratic Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania. He and Republican Charlie Gerow can be seen at 8:30 a.m. each Sunday on CBS21s Face the State. Call for a rethink of the relationship with China is growing loud in the United Kingdom after reports surfaced that the Communist country may have downplayed the official statistics. According to reports, allies of Prime Minister Boris Johnson have asked for an urgent reckoning of relationship with China over misinformation surrounding the pandemic. China is facing a lot of heat from the global community over the lack of transparency in data related to the coronavirus outbreak. Read: Germany Reports 6,294 New Coronavirus Cases Within 24 Hours, Total Toll At 53,340 China facing criticism The United States had also alleged that China may have misreported the number of coronavirus cases in the country and also accused the World Health Organisation (WHO) of favoritism and siding with Beijing over the crisis. The United Kingdom is the latest country to join the bandwagon against China. According to reports, a senior minister in the Boris Johnson government has said that if China does not clamp down on its 'wet' seafood markets, it risks becoming a pariah state. Read: US Accuses China Of Withholding Critical Coronavirus-related Information Media reports suggest that the virus originated from a seafood market in Wuhan city of the Hubei province, which was the hotspot for the disease for a very long time before shifting its base to Europe. As per reports, the senior minister said that China's wildlife markets have always been viewed as a hub for pandemics and it needs to close immediately. Read: China Provided Assistance To 83 Countries, Organisations To Battle COVID-19 Pandemic The shortage of medical equipment in the United Kingdom is also being blamed on China as reports suggest that the leaders of the Communist country bulk-bought face masks and other protective units that were kept for export. According to reports, JSP, a UK safety equipment firm's factories were taken over by the Chinese government to make respiratory protection equipment. Read: Coronavirus Outbreak Likely To Be Contained In Summer, May Reappear In Winter: Reports Boris Johnson is most likely to face pressure from groups to reverse plans to allow Huawei, a Chinese telecommunication giant, to build UK's 5G network. If official data from the Chinese government is to be believed, the country has contained the COVID-19 outbreak as it recorded just 45 cases on March 28, down from 54 the previous day. Hentairpg.com scored 40 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 2/5.0 Stars by Social Team This CoolSocial report was updated on 12 Jan 2013, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. The total number of people who shared the hentairpg homepage on StumbleUpon. 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Domain and Server DOCTYPE HTML 5.0 CHARSET AND LANGUAGE ISO-8859-1 SERVER Apache (CDN/1.2.1) OPERATIVE SYSTEM Linux Linux Character set and language of the site. Operative System running on the server. Type of server and offered services. Represents HTML declared type (e.g.: XHTML 1.1, HTML 4.0, the new HTML 5.0) The language of hentairpg.com as detected by CoolSocial algorithms. Site Traffic trend during the last year. Only available for sites ranked <= 100000 in the world. Referring domains for hentairpg.com by MajesticSeo. High values are a sign of site importance over the web and on web engines. Facebook link FACEBOOK PAGE LINK NOT FOUND The description of the Facebook page describes website and its services to the social media users. The total number of people who tagged or talked about website Facebook page in the last 7-10 days. The total number of people who like website Facebook page. The URL of the found Facebook page. The type of Facebook page. A Facebook page link can be found in the homepage or in the robots.txt file. Facebook Timeline is the new layout of Facebook pages. Twitter account link TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND Joining the others in the battle against coronavirus, actor Bhumi Pednekar on Sunday pledged to contribute to the PM-CARES Fund. The 30-year-old actor shared the news of her willingness to support on Twitter and also urged everybody to contribute in whatever capacity one can "for those that are more vulnerable & in distress". "I pledge to contribute to the PM-CARES Fund. Be it supplies, food, essentials or the research that humanity needs right now, our support matters. We need to stand up, In whatever capacity we can, for those that are more vulnerable & in distress@narendramodi#jaiho #IndiaFightsCorona," the tweet read. Many big names from the Bollywood industry have chipped in their support to help the country in its fight against the coronavirus. Among them is actor Akshay Kumar, who on Saturday announced an amount of Rs 25 crore from his savings to the PM-CARES Fund. Following the 'Kesari' actor was Varun Dhawan who also took to Twitter to pledge his support by contributing Rs 30 lakh to the PM-CARES Fund. Further Karan Johar, Ayushmann Khurrana, designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee have also contributed their bit for the cause. Earlier on Sunday, Shilpa Shetty too pledged to donate a sum of Rs 21 lakh to the relief fund. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 3 pastors killed by coronavirus; one thought God allowed infection so he could get a little rest Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment At least three separate pastors have died in recent days after testing positive for the new coronavirus, including two who raised concern that the virus was being used as a tool of the devil to manipulate the masses or silence Christians. One thought God would use His infection to spread the Gospel or give him a little rest. Pastor Ronnie Hampton of New Vision Community Church, a Free Methodist Church Planting Project targeting the communities of Shreveport, Louisiana, and Washington, D.C., died Wednesday evening, a day after he tested positive for the new coronavirus also known as COVID-19, close family members told KSLA12 News. Days before his death, he told supporters in at least two videos on social media, including one from his hospital bed, that Christians should not be afraid of the coronavirus and perhaps God was just using his infection to help him get a little rest or would use it to spread the Gospel. This virus that is out now, look at what its doing. Its shutting down everything, which means that the physical connection of Christians is being ripped apart. Were not able to fellowship. Were not able to love each other. Were not able to greet each other with a handshake or a hug. Were not able to be in close proximity of each other, Hampton said in a Facebook Live broadcast exactly one week before his death. Were not able to break bread, sit down and eat with each other because Caesar is mandating how we conduct ourselves using the pretext of this virus to be able to conduct our lives and run our lives for us, he continued. He then began listing various discussions and conspiracy theories that have been circulating online and in discussion groups about the virus. Now, heres a theory. It was brought to my attention that this virus thing, people die from the flu more than theyve died from this virus. In my opinion, death is death. I dont care what its by. But I listened and they say well, its something thats come up. And now everything is being shut down, borders are being closed, and theyre gonna come up with a vaccine because they are keeping everybody away from each other just so that they can install martial law, Hampton said. Theyre gonna come up with a vaccine and in that vaccine everybody is gonna have to take it and inside of that vaccine theres going to be some type of electronic computer device thats gonna put some type of chip in you and maybe even have some mood, mind-altering circumstances and theyre saying that the chip would be the mark of the beast, he continued. He then noted that some people have even been saying that the coronavirus is a sign of the last days before urging Christians not to get caught up in the paranoia surrounding the virus. My theory is that weve been living in the last days ever since Jesus died on the cross and ascended in Heaven. What Im saying is basically, keep your spiritual lives in order. Be truthful in your relationship with Jesus. Jesus is not meant for us to be in bondage. He is meant for us to be free and he said he that who the Son set free is free indeed. He continued: "God didnt make no cowards. God didnt make people to be scared of any kind of circumstance that comes along thatll shake your very foundation, but He will allow you to be able to come to yourself about it just like He did with that prodigal son, he said. Dont let no coronavirus steal your praise. Dont let no coronavirus steal your worship. Dont let coronavirus steal your spirit. In another broadcast on Sunday, this time from his hospital bed between spells of dry coughing just three days before his death, Hampton revealed to his audience that he was suspected of having the deadly virus. Im being treated. Im in isolation, Im being treated as a precaution to the coronavirus. And I just couldnt let it get me down, he said. I presented to the emergency room Friday afternoon because I had some abdominal pain and I had a chronic cough that caused me some abdominal pain that made me feel like my abdominal wall was being compromised. So I came here for that and they gave me X-rays and found out I had pneumonia in both my lungs, Hampton revealed. He insisted that despite his infection his faith remained strong and was confident that he would overcome the virus. I want you to know that my faith has never wavered as far as Gods intended purpose for me and for New Vision Community Church, he said. Im optimistic about the outcome of all of this. The paranoia thats based around all of this is so profound that when people hear coronavirus they cant do testing on anything else, they just figure you got it. ... I havent tested positive for the coronavirus and if I do test positive, we do what we gotta do to take care of it, he said. I want you to know that the Lord said not to let your heart be troubled. So Im not trying to worry about this. Im just gonna continue to be prayerful, be faithful, this may be His way of sitting me down so I can get a little rest, he continued. Were gonna be fine. Were gonna be all right. And Im believing that. So I want you all to pray with me that the Lord uses this to be able to continue to spread His message about the Good News about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, he added. The Rev. Isaac Graham, the longtime pastor of Macedonia Baptist Church in Harlem, New York City, also died from the coronavirus on Sunday, just six days after he was diagnosed with the virus and hospitalized, according to a PIX11 report. He was 66. His wife of 45 years, Cheryl, said he was stuck on a ventilator until his last breath and she was quarantined away from him. His last words to me were, I love you, she said. But those words could not be delivered in person because of the virus. I couldnt even go to the morgue after he passed to see him because of the effects of the coronavirus, the widow said. New York Democratic Rep. Adriano Espaillat, who believes America should be completely shut down for a time to stem the spread of the virus, said in a statement on Facebook Friday that Graham was an invaluable part of the fabric of Harlem. Our hearts and deepest sympathies extend to the congregation and family of Reverend Isaac Graham, pastor of Harlems Macedonia Baptist Church, who passed away Sunday due to the coronavirus. Rev. Graham was an invaluable part of the fabric of Harlem and his presence will be missed throughout our community. May God comfort his wife, Cheryl, their family and friends during this time of bereavement, he said. We are facing unprecedented times and it will take unprecedented strength, faith and action. We are strong and our communities are strong, and we will overcome. Pastor Johnnie Green of Mount Neboh Baptist Church in Harlem told PIX11 that Grahams sudden passing came as a shock to those who knew him. He was doing good and expecting a full recovery then the word came that he passed away and it has sent shockwaves, Green said. He further noted that the virus has also been ravaging members on his congregation as well, already claiming two lives. Weve had 11 of our parishioners test positive. Weve had two to transition, he said. Landon Spradlin, another 66-year-old preacher and accomplished musician from Virginia, also died Wednesday morning from the virus. According to the Register & Bee, Spradlin was in New Orleans with Jean, his wife of 35 years, when he suddenly started getting sick and decided to head back home to Gretna, Virginia. While they were heading back on March 17, Jean said her husbands condition got worse and he could barely breathe so she took him to a hospital in Concord, North Carolina, where he was tested and diagnosed with the new coronavirus a day later. Jean Spradlin tested negative but was still in quarantine Wednesday when her husband died due to complications from the virus and double pneumonia after being on a ventilator for more than a week. We express our sincere condolences to this persons family. Unfortunately those over 65 and those with underlying health conditions are at greater risk of serious complications from COVID-19, Scott Spillmann, director of the Pittsylvania-Danville Health District, wrote in a statement on Spradlins death. Judah Strickland, one of Spradlins five children, remembered her father as a man who loved Jesus. My father was a very big bunch of people-loving, Jesus-loving dynamite in a small package, Strickland said. Spradlin was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2016, the Register & Bee reported. He has also led a number of non-traditional churches, including one in the 1990s that was located between two strip clubs in New Orleans and another for bikers in Texas that met at a bar. Jesse Spradlin, another daughter, called her father a modern-day Apostle Paul. David Cameron's motley list of recipients of gongs, lordships and baubles still haunts his premiership. Few are more controversial than the Right Honorable Dr Denzil Douglas, the former Prime Minister of the tiny Caribbean paradise of St Kitts and Nevis. He was appointed by Mr Cameron to the Queens elite Privy Council in 2011 for his loyal service to the Queen. Mail on Sunday readers will know Dr Douglas tried to leave the UK last year with wads of cash stuffed in his jacket and luggage. The National Crime Agency is investigating the case, but Dr Douglas continues to use his hallowed Rt Hon title while denying any wrongdoing. Meanwhile, his chances of a political comeback as opposition leader have been hampered after he was booted out of his seat in the St Kitts and Nevis parliament in another scandal. The former Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Denzil Douglas, arrives for a lunch during the Commonwealth Heads of Government's meeting in Port of Spain, in 2009 The Court of Appeal of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court the highest arbitrator in the region ruled that the good doctor breached his countrys constitution by mysteriously accepting a no-questions-asked diplomatic passport from neighbouring Dominica. Which all sounds very right and honourable for a former Prime Minister, doesn't it? Lucrative times for the ex-leaders club, with both Theresa May and Ed Miliband cashing in. Alongside tasty after-dinner speech earnings, Mrs May has declared 25,200 worth of freebie access to Heathrows ultra-plush VIP Windsor Suite in just a month. And almost as baffling as to why anyone would pay to hear Mrs May tell jokes, publisher Random House has handed Mr Miliband a 38,950 advance for a book. Never the smartest maths brain, Red Ed told the Commons sleaze watchdog it was impossible to calculate how long it will take him to write the tedious tome. Fears of a Notre Damestyle inferno hitting Parliament are not abated by data Ive seen showing 22 fires in the past three years. As MPs debate yet more delays to the restoration of the creaking Palace of Westminster, incidents include burnt food at John Bercows house and unauthorised smoking. Global tech giants Amazon and Microsoft are working with the NHS by using big data to help fight coronavirus. In reporting their help, the BBC added that London-based Faculty AI had joined them. What glorious publicity for a comparatively unheard-of company. So what is Faculty AI? Its website lists Dr Marc Warner as CEO and Co-Founder. And, by coincidence, Marcs brother Ben, above, was sitting alongside Boris Johnson at the Cabinet table during a key Covid-19 meeting last week. Ben is currently serving as a No10 adviser. Britain's Labour MP Chris Bryant leaving the Houses of Parliament after a debate in 2019 Labour's Chris Bryant put a pledge to ban clapping in the Commons as a keystone of his tilt at the Speakership last year. But what a difference a pandemic makes. The Rhondda MP not only joined, but led, a round of applause for A&E staff. He got away with it as it was deemed an exceptional situation. There is a new pecking order in Downing Street as special advisers and spinners get to grips with endless video-conferencing now that the PM is laid up and colleagues are dropping like flies. Those at the top of the food chain get their faces beamed into the room while lesser mortals have to settle for a name on the big screen and no microphone. And as more sickly aides work from home, sartorial standards are slipping. Everyones dressing like Cummings, says one, referring to No10s notorious scruff-pot. I helped get him elected, he once told The Post. I felt if he ever actually made it, certain levels of his insecurity might disappear. That was an unrealistic expectation. None of us changes that much. Seoul The worldwide coronavirus epidemic has wreaked havoc, but North Korea is also engaged in missile testing in the meantime. North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles towards the East Sea on Sunday. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) of South Korea has given information in this regard. This test has been done at a time when the country is on high alert due to the Coronavirus epidemic. Seoul-based news agency Yonhap quoted JCS as saying that both missiles were fired from the eastern coastal city of Wonsan at 6.10 am to the northeast at an interval of 20 seconds. JCS further explained that South Korean and US intelligence officials are studying other specifics and special things. JCS reported that, "In a situation where the whole world is facing difficulties due to the Coronavirus, North Korea doing such military work is absolutely wrong and we call for an immediate halt." JCS said that the army is closely monitoring the situation. For information, let us tell you that North Korea has tested many weapons this year. Also Read: Did China mislead the whole world? Surprising evidence revealed Corona became America's problem, epidemic may increase Spain Princess Maria Theresa dies from coronavirus Corona Live: Death toll crosses 30,000, over 6.5 million infec The co-director of controversial documentary series Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness has revealed that star Joey King is absolutely thrilled about the show. The Netflix series follows the extraordinary events involving Exotic, a tiger trader, and his rivalry with Big Cat Rescue sanctuary owner Carole Baskin, who accused him of breeding big cats unethically. Exotic is currently serving a 22-year sentence for crimes including trying to hire someone to murder Baskin, and for various crimes related to endangered species and conservation. Eric Goode, who co-directed Tiger King with Rebecca Chaiklin, told LadBible that Exotic had been in touch from jail since the documentary first aired. He has lived his entire life just to be famous and so to finally realise this fame is just... Hes tickled pink, he said. Even though hes behind bars its really interesting to see Joes response its incredible, and very surprising. Hes absolutely thrilled. Goode admitted he had mixed feelings about the shows star, and said he did horrific things. He was one of those people that would try to tell you what you wanted to hear, Goode said. Hes very manipulative and smart in many ways but in the end you know all of these people, including Carole, created their own little world within a world. Most of them are living outside of mainstream America. Goode also responded to Baskins complaints that the show misrepresented her, arguing that he let the people involved in the documentary speak for themselves. His comments follow the news that Kate McKinnon has been cast to star in a feature film adaptation of the documentary. Tiger King is available on Netflix now. A former French minister today (SUN) became the most senior politician in Europe to die of coronavirus. Patrick Devedjian, the 75-year-old President of the Hauts-de-Seine departmental council, succumbed to the virus early on Sunday morning, three days after tweeting that he was tired but stable. Mr Devedjian, a married father of four, was in the private Antony hospital, south of Paris, after being treated there since Wednesday. He was not known to have any underlying medical condition. His condition deteriorated on Saturday, said a family source. Doctors decided to place him in an artificial coma, but he didnt survive. Patrick Devedjian delivers a speech during the session of questions to the government at the National Assembly in Paris in October 2009 Mr Devedjian was still sending messages on Thursday, when he wrote: I am affected by the epidemic, therefore to bear witness directly to the exceptional work of the doctors and all the nursing staff. Tired but stable thanks to them, I go up the slope and send them a very big thank you for their constant help to all the patients. Mr Devedjian, a conservative Republican who held a number of ministerial positions under former President Nicolas Sarkozy, was one of a number of politicians across Europe who have contracted Covid-19. They include a number in Britain, including Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and Health Secretary Matt Hancock. The Hauts de Seine council one of the largest in France and based in the Paris suburb of Nanterre confirmed Mr Devedjians death on Sunday, with a spokesman saying it had come as a huge shock. Patrick Devedjian (pictured right) speaks with the son of then French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Jean Sarkozy during a political meeting in Royan He was the best of us, said Philippe Juvin, head of the Republicans in the Hauts de Seine. He was one of those people who are believed to be invincible and eternal, said Mr Juvin, as he paid tribute to this free, intelligent and very funny man one who was an intellectual non-conformist. Mr Devedjian came from a family who had escaped the Armenian genocide the mass murder and expulsion of 1.5million ethnic Armenians carried out by the Ottoman government in Turkey between 1914 and 1924. He was born in Fontainebleau, also south of Paris, on August 26 1944 just as Nazis occupiers were being defeated during the Second World War. Among his most high profile ministerial jobs was as chief of the Recovery Plan following the 2008 global financial crash. On Saturday night, French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said there had been a total 2314 deaths from Coronavirus so far in France a jump of 319 in 24 hours. Colombo: Sri Lanka has recorded its first death due to coronavirus, a 65-year-old diabetic man. The man, who was being treated for the deadly viral infection at Colombo's Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH), died on Saturday, said Anil Jasinghe, Director General of the Health Services. The patient had a history of high blood pressure and blood sugar, he said. According to Health Ministry officials, the man had contracted the virus from Lanka's second coronavirus patient who was in contact with a group of Italian tourists. As of Saturday, there were 115 confirmed COVID-19 cases and one death in the island nation. Nine persons have been cured of the disease, while 199 were under observation at designated hospitals across the country. Meanwhile, the country continues to remain under curfew and a restriction remained imposed on foreign arrivals. U.S. soldiers stand guard during the hand over ceremony of Qayyarah Airfield, Iraqi Security Forces, in the south of Mosul, Iraq early on March 27, 2020. (Ali Abdul Hassan/AP Photo) US-led Coalition Pulls out of 3rd Iraqi Base This Month BAGHDADThe U.S.-led coalition withdrew on Sunday from a military base in northern Iraq that nearly launched Washington into an open war with neighboring Iran. The K1 Air Base is the third site coalition forces have left this month in line with U.S. plans to consolidate its troops in two locations in Iraq. A rocket attack on the base in late December killed one American contractor and led to a series of tit-for-tat attacks between the United States and Iran-backed Iraqi militia groups. The attacks culminated in the U.S.-directed killing of top Iranian general Qassim Soleimani and senior Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. Coalition forces handed over the K1 air base in the northern Iraqi province of Kirkuk to Iraqs military, according to a coalition statement. At least $1.1 million of equipment was transferred to the Iraqis as 300 coalition personnel departed. K1 has hosted coalition forces since 2017 to launch operations against the ISIS terrorist group in the nearby mountainous areas. Areas south of Kirkuk, and north of neighboring provinces of Diyala, Salahaddin, and Nineveh remain hot beds of ISIS activity. The stretch of territory is also disputed between the federal Iraqi government and the autonomous Kurdish region, which has created security gaps benefiting ISIS. The coalitions presence had at times been a mediating presence between the two competing authorities. U.S.-led forces have already withdrawn this month from Qaim, near the border with Syria and Qayara base, in Nineveh. All were in line with plans to pullout from bases across Iraq and consolidate coalition forces in Baghdad and at Ain al-Asad Air Base in the countrys western desert. By Samya Kullab Armoured vehicles in the streets, hundreds arrested, smartphone surveillance -- sweeping measures to fight the coronavirus have raised concerns in the Middle East over the erosion of already threatened human rights. As the world battles the COVID-19 pandemic, more than three billion people are now living under lockdown and, in some cases, strict surveillance. While there is widespread acceptance that robust measures are needed to slow the infection rate, critics have voiced fears that authoritarian states will overreach and, once the public health threat has passed, keep some of the tough new emergency measures in their toolkits. This concern is amplified in the Middle East and North Africa, with poorly ranked human rights records, a cast of authoritarian regimes able to bulk up security apparatuses largely unopposed and many states already reeling from political turmoil and economic hardship. The sight of military vehicles patrolling otherwise empty roads to enforce curfews or lockdowns in countries such as Morocco and Jordan stands in stark contrast to mass protests which last year brought down leaders in Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon and Sudan. The region had as of Saturday recorded 2,291 COVID-19 deaths out of 35,618 confirmed cases, according to figures collated from states and the World Health Organization, which has urged "concrete action" from governments to contain the virus. Authorities have curtailed movement, clamped down on gatherings and arrested those who disobey the confinement orders. In Jordan, where King Abdallah II signed a decree giving the government exceptional powers, hundreds of people have been arrested for breaking a curfew. While the government said the powers would be used to the "narrowest extent", Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged Amman not to abuse fundamental rights for the cause of combatting the virus. In Morocco, known for its muscular security policy, the arrests of offenders -- who risk heavy fines and jail time -- have generated little protest and are even praised on social media. Like many countries, Morocco has bolstered a campaign against misinformation, but the adoption without debate of a law on social media controls has elicited concern. - 'Accelerate the repression' - Many are crying foul over surveillance in Israel, where domestic security agency Shin Bet, usually focused on "anti-terrorist activities", is now authorised to collect data on citizens as part of the fight against COVID-19. Embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu drew criticism for imposing the measure with an emergency decree as a parliamentary committee didn't have enough time to rule on it. In an editorial published by the Financial Times, Israeli historian and best-selling author Yuval Noah Harari warned that, "if we are not careful, the epidemic might ... mark an important watershed in the history of surveillance. "A big battle has been raging in recent years over our privacy. The coronavirus crisis could be the battle's tipping point," he said. In Algeria, more than a year into an unprecedented popular movement known as "Hirak", it took the emergence of the pandemic to pause weekly protests. But rights groups have accused Algerian authorities of using the health crisis to crack down on dissent via the courts. "The Hirak has suspended its marches but the #Algeria government has not suspended its repression," HRW's Eric Goldstein wrote on Twitter after journalist Khaled Drareni, who had been arrested several times for covering the protests, was put in pre-trial detention on Thursday. Lebanon faced similar accusations as police on Friday night dismantled tents in the heart of the capital Beirut where protesters had maintained a sit-in to keep up pressure on authorities. The authorities "are taking advantage of the fact that people are preoccupied with their health and confined to repress any dissenting voices," activist and film director Lucien Bourjeily tweeted. In the fledgling democracy of Tunisia -- a former police state where security apparatuses have seen little reform -- many have denounced heavy-handed police enforcement of pandemic-related movement restrictions. The Tunisian League for Human Rights has requested clarifications on social distancing measures after people expressed frustration online over apparently arbitrary police interventions. - Prisoners of conscience - In Egypt, authorities have targeted media questioning low official virus infection figures. British newspaper The Guardian said its correspondent was forced out of the country over an article that suggested authorities were underreporting cases. With the number of cases rising, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's government imposed movement restrictions and threatened heavy fines and prison sentences for non-compliance. In a country lacking an independent media or judiciary, families of prisoners of conscience sounded the alarm over the possibility of a coronavirus outbreak in overcrowded and unsanitary prisons. Amnesty International has called for the "immediate and unconditional" release of political prisoners, estimated by rights groups to number around 60,000, only 15 of whom have so far been let out by Egyptian authorities. Jordan, Tunisia and Sudan have ordered thousands of inmates to be freed to limit the risk of contagion. Activists in the Gulf too have called for the release of political prisoners held in what HRW researcher Hiba Zayadin said are often overcrowded and unsanitary conditions with limited access to health care. Kuwaiti activist Anwar al-Rasheed asked on Twitter, "In the midst of this pandemic, is it not yet the time to release prisoners of conscience?" Morocco deployed armoured vehicles in the capital Rabat to ensure compliance with emergency measures imposed due to the coronavirus Hundreds of people have been arrested for breaking a curfew in Jordan As the coronavirus spread around the world and people everywhere were ordered to stay home, phone calls over Facebooks apps more than doubled. In many countries, messaging on Instagram and Facebook soared by more than 50%, while group calls in Italy jumped by more than 1,000%. And hungry for information, people clicked repeatedly on virus news stories shown by the social network. Inside Facebook, that meant the pressure was on. Were just trying to keep the lights on over here, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a recent interview. As airlines, hotels, restaurants and other companies struggle to stay afloat during the pandemic, Facebook is also laboring to cope with the fallout. But unlike those other businesses, the tech giant is being strained by the coronavirus in a different way: Use of its services is going through the roof. Skyrocketing traffic and a crush of new users are now stressing Facebooks systems just as its 45,000 employees are dealing with working remotely for the first time. The company is also trying to keep its users data secure while employees who sift through posts to moderate content do so from home. At the same time, Facebook has added to its workload by promising to do more to limit virus misinformation. It is a test for Facebook, which has for years grappled with a backlash over privacy and toxic content, but now has a chance to change that image and be seen as an essential communications and information tool during the outbreak. The usage growth from COVID-19 is unprecedented across the industry, and we are experiencing new records in usage almost every day, Alex Schultz and Jay Parikh, two Facebook vice presidents working on infrastructure, said in a blog post. Maintaining stability throughout these spikes in usage is more challenging than usual now that most of our employees are working from home. What has saved Facebooks network from crashing altogether, Zuckerberg said, is that the virus and the quarantines have had the largest impact in just a few areas where Facebook operates. Facebook is banned in China, where the virus first appeared, for instance. Those areas that have the highest concentration of people using Facebooks services during peak hours from home are also spread out by time zone, Zuckerberg said, which staggers the swell of traffic. It really is a big technical challenge, he said. Were basically trying to ready everything we can. He said Facebook had mobilized its engineers to make sure the company has enough computing capacity and adequate support to handle the surges. The strain has been compounded by Facebooks workforce adapting to working from home, which had been discouraged in the past. Executives have long preached internally that face-to-face meetings and in-person collaboration were central to Facebooks success. The importance of in-person conversation was so great that employees at offices from Singapore to New York were frequently asked to travel to the companys Menlo Park headquarters for quarterly meetings. That has made the transition to working from home especially difficult, said four Facebook employees who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. To communicate, Facebook employees were told to use BlueJeans, which provides technology for videoconferencing calls, they said. But they quickly found that calls were frozen, or the video quality so bad that it was hard to make out who was speaking. Many employees instead turned to Apples FaceTime feature, Google video hangouts or Zoom conference calls. Some even built their own version of a video conference call, according to two employees. Problems quickly piled up. Two days into working from home, some Facebook managers sent the engineering teams a message: limit idle chat on work message boards. Facebook employees had been posting on those boards at a record rate, according to one employee. While some workers were sharing tips and best practices of setting up a home office, others were sharing links to buy heirloom seeds for at-home farming, and instructions on how to sew their own face masks, one employee said. Other snafus surfaced. A bug within Facebooks system began marking thousands of posts by major news outlets like Politico and the Sydney Morning Herald as spam, which resulted in the removal of the posts. It took Facebook a day to correct the mistake, as engineers struggled to communicate remotely with one another over how the bug had been introduced and what it would take to fix it. While they scrambled, rumors spread among Facebooks users over the source of the bug, with many accusing the company of censoring speech. Internally, Facebook managers said that while the bug was routine, the amount of time it took to fix it was not. This was just a technical error, and were still doing the post-mortem to understand what happened so we can operationalize any learnings from that, Zuckerberg said. Working from home has also made moderating Facebooks posts more difficult. This month, Facebook put its army of global contractors from outside agencies on paid leave. Those contractors, who number more than 15,000, are responsible for sorting through the posts, images and videos that flow through Facebooks services on a daily basis to weed out sensitive, explicit or hateful material. As the outbreak spread, contractors were ordered not to come into the office, where they worked on protected networks behind virtual firewalls to maintain user privacy. Many of those contractors do not have the same technology setup at home. Facebook is still trying to figure out how to let the contractors continue working. For now, it is relying on full-time employees, who do not have the training or the time, to moderate the posts themselves. Given that, Facebook employees have been asked to remove only the most sensitive, fringe posts, said one employee. The company also told employees that it would rely more heavily on artificial intelligence systems to flag and remove posts. I do think its reasonable to expect that for some of the other categories where the severity might not be as imminent or extreme, that we may be a little less effective in the near term while were adjusting to this, Zuckerberg said. While Facebooks use is soaring, that may not translate into financial gains. Most of the increase in traffic has occurred on messaging services like WhatsApp and Messenger which bring in relatively little revenue. And the company said it isnt immune to a wider pullback in advertising. Zuckerberg said Facebook is doing what it could to prepare for the weeks ahead, as it doesnt anticipate the issues to abate anytime soon. Ive never seen anything like this before, he said. Mike Isaac and Sheera Frenkel are New York Times writers. A total of 100,000 inmates have been temporarily freed from Iranian prisons as of Sunday to contain the spread of the new coronavirus, a judiciary spokesman has said. "As of now, around 100,000 have been released," Gholamhossein Esmaili said in a televised announcement. President Hassan Rouhani ordered on Tuesday to extend the leave from prison until April 20. The number of those freed has doubled from 54,000 released in early March. Iran is one of the world's worst-hit countries, with more that 38,300 infection cases and 2,640 deaths. Over 12,300 COVID-19 patients have recovered since the country reported its first case on February 19. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The United Nations has urged warring parties to stop fighting so the overstretched health system can prepare. Artillery blasts shook Libyas capital Tripoli on Sunday as fighting raged and the nation confirmed five more cases of the coronavirus for a total of eight. The National Centre for Disease Control said the new cases were in the northwestern city of Misrata, held by the Government of National Accord (GNA), which is at war with the Libyan National Army (LNA) of eastern-based commander Khalifa Haftar. In chaos and without central authority since 2011, Western-backed uprising that overthrew strongman Muammar Gaddafi, Libya is poorly placed to withstand any pandemic. The United Nations has urged warring parties to stop fighting so the overstretched health system can prepare. Cycles of conflict have destroyed much of Libyas infrastructure, and a financial crisis has stopped salaries to many medics. The current phase of warfare began last year when Haftars LNA began an offensive to capture Tripoli, the seat of the UN-recognised GNA. The conflict escalated last week when pro-GNA fighters mounted assaults on several fronts with clashes, bombardment and air raids. The LNA had earlier been shelling Tripoli. Loud blasts could be heard in central Tripoli on Sunday from fighting in the south of the city, one of the fiercest front lines, witnesses said. Prisoners freed Libyas justice ministry announced that more than 450 prisoners were being freed in a bid to protect against the spread of coronavirus. Judicial officials decided to free 466 detainees from correctional facilities in Tripoli, according to a GNA statement. The detainees were in pretrial detention or had qualified for conditional release, it added. Other measures aimed at reducing the overpopulation of prisons will follow, including amnesty for elderly or ill prisoners and those who have served more than half their sentences. Human Rights Watch applauded the justice ministrys move as a positive first step, but said, authorities should do more to mitigate the risks of a major COVID-19 outbreak. Libyan authorities need to be prepared to limit the spread of the virus in overcrowded detention facilities and shelters for displaced people, HRW said in a statement. Since April 2019, forces loyal to Haftar have been fighting to seize the capital in an offensive that has killed hundreds and displaced 150,000 people. If the COVID-19 pandemic spreads in Libya, the countrys healthcare system wont be able to cope with large numbers of patients, said HRW Libya researcher Hanan Salah. Both the UN-recognised GNA and a rival eastern-based government under the control of Haftar have taken preventive measures against the spread of the virus, including closing schools, some businesses, markets and even private clinics. The GNA announced an extended curfew on Sunday from 2pm local time (12:00 GMT) until 7am, starting from Monday. MIAMI - Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido called Saturday night for the creation of a national emergency government of diverse political leanings to fight the spread of the coronavirus with the assistance of $1.2 billion in international loans. Speaking in a video released on Twitter, Guaido said the unity government would not be headed by Nicolas Maduro, Venezuelas socialist leader who was indicted this week in the U.S. on narcoterrorism charges. Those who surround Maduro need to understand the gravity of the accusations, Guaido said. Its absolutely impossible under his usurpation to have any type of solution for the country or our families. But in a show of reconciliation, Guaido, who is recognized as Venezuelas lawful leader by the U.S. and almost other 60 countries, said opponents of Maduro need to be realistic and be prepared to share power. As an incentive to members of the military and Venezuelans who still support Maduro, he said international financial institutions are prepared to support such a power-sharing arrangement with $1.2 billion in loans so Venezuela can fight the pandemic. He said the loans would be used to directly assist Venezuelan families who are expected to be harmed not only by the spread of the disease but also the economic shock from a collapse in oil prices, virtually the countrys only source of hard currency. The consultations weve already made allow us to affirm that this is absolutely possible if we form an emergency government, Guaido said. The International Monetary Fund recently rejected a similar $5 billion request from Maduro, saying there was a lack of clarity among its 189 members on whether Maduro or Guaido is the legitimate leader of Venezuela. Guaido last September made a similar gesture, proposing a transitional government headed by neither him nor Maduro. The proposal went nowhere. But with the already bankrupt country running out of gasoline and seeing bouts of looting amid the coronavirus, calls have been growing for both the opposition and Maduro to set aside their bitter differences to head off a nightmare scenario. There was no immediate comment from Maduro about the video. But in recent days he has said he is willing to work with the opposition, if not Guaido specifically, to address the coronavirus emergency. You say you dont recognize me, Maduro said. I dont care that you dont recognize me. What matters to me is that we work for Venezuela toward reaching an agreement for the benefit of Venezuela. The United Nations said Venezuela could be one of the nations hit hardest by the spread of the coronavirus, designating it a country for priority attention due to a health system marked by widespread shortages of medical supplies and lack of water and electricity. The coronavirus has so far claimed two victims and left another 119 people infected in the South American country. BEIJING, March 26 (Xinhua) -- China will further enhance international military cooperation with other countries in face of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, a Chinese spokesman told a press conference on Thursday. Noting the rapidly spreading of the epidemic in multiple places and countries, Ren Guoqiang, spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense, said China, who is still fighting against the outbreak within borders, is willing to help countries and organizations as much as it can. Medical supplies including nucleic acid testing kits, protective clothing and masks were sent by Chinese military to Iran for epidemic control on March 19, said Ren. On March 24, medical professionals dispatched by Chinese military, carrying supplies and equipment, arrived in Cambodia to offer a hand against the outbreak. "We will never forget the foreign militaries and international organizations who helped out China at our most difficult times," said Ren. The sudden exodus of migrant labourers, especially from Delhi after the announcement of the 21-day lockdown sparked a blame game among politicians in Bihar which faces a serious challenge of stopping a potential community transmission of coronavirus While some attribute the sudden rush to lack of any source of sustenance for a huge population of daily-wage labourers, others blame it on rumour mongering by vested interests while there are still others view it as part of a conspiracy to attack Bihar in this hour of crisis. This is a kind of coronavirus attack on Bihar. When the Prime Minister has been consistently appealing to the people to stay where they are, it was the responsibility of the state governments concerned to make necessary arrangements for them at camps or whatever they deemed fit to anyhow prevent movement, as even two infected persons could unleash serious trouble for thousands, said Janata Dal (United) national spokesman KC Tyagi. Follow coronavirus live updates here. On Saturday, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had expressed concern about the danger of community transmission at a time when social distancing is the only option to deal with coronavirus. The Bihar government has decided to set up camps in bordering areas to accommodate home-bound migrants for the isolation period. Nitish kumar who is also the JD (U) president said the flow of migrants at this critical time would defeat the very purpose of lockdown, Tyagi said it was unfortunate that despite lockdown and curfew in Delhi, thousands of people were allowed to assemble at Anand Vihar bus station, which should not have been allowed at the first place. How did they manage to assemble? Why were arrangements not made? The same applies to other states like Haryana, Maharashttra, Gujarat and UP from where trainloads of migrant labourers, left in the lurch, rushed back home. This raises a question mark on human values, he added. The Aam Admi Party (AAP), on the other hand, blamed it on Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. It was Yogijis announcement that buses would be made available, which created the commotion. We have been requesting migrants with folded that all arrangements would be made for them. The wife of Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh is herself running a kitchen for over 4000 migrants, said Ajit Tyagi, OSD of Sanjay Singh who is presently under quarantine. Bihar AAP president Sushil Singh also blamed Adityanath for announcing on March 26 that buses would be made available for stranded migrants on humanitarian ground and their health condition would also be examined. Bihar BJP president Dr Sanjay Jaiswal launched a scathing attack on Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in a Facebook post, comparing him with a demon. Yogiji tried to ensure as a human gesture that migrants stranded on road reached their homes in the absence of any facility in Delhi. In any case, they were on road in thousands. Rumours were spreads that 1000 buses would run from Anand Vihar to Uttar Pradesh and AAP workers fanned it in jhuggi-jhopdis, he added. Jaiswal said the conspiracy had been hatched just to escape from the responsibility of feeding migrants in this critical situation when any gathering could prove disastrous. While most people are following the call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, some vested interests are still trying to fish in troubled waters. God will never spare them for this act against humanity, he said. RJD Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha said that the lockdown simply did not factor in the concerns of the poor. As the images of migrant workers on roads reveal, this lockdown did not take into consideration the concerns and priorities of the poor. The blame game on the chilling images only underline that our policies and priorities are dictated by the elite, which abhors the worldview on subalterns, he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Following the coronavirus outbreak in India, PM Narendra Modi came up with 'PMCares Fund' where one can make their contribution by donating any amount of money which will be used for coronavirus pandemic. Ever since PM had made this announcement on Twitter, many celebrities like Akshay Kumar, Varun Dhawan stepped forward and made their contributions. Southern stars like Allu Arjun, Ram Charan and Rajinikanth also chipped and extended their support for the cause. However, social media has been buzzing with questions of has superstar Shah Rukh Khan made any contributions yet? The actor was being brutally trolled on social media and that's when his fans came for his defence. Knowing Shah Rukh Khan for all these years, you won't expect him to be vocal about whether he donated any kind of amount on social media. The actor has time and again mentioned in many of his interviews that he would like to do his charity in silence and not talk about. Like during the terrible floods that happened in Kerala in 2019, it was acclaimed sound editor Resul Pookutty who tweeted about SRK's contribution to the relief fund. Similarly, you might have heard of Meer Foundation, a Mumbai-based NGO affiliated with SRK, which is known for rehabilitation of burn and acid attack survivors, as well as women empowerment. For its work, Shah Rukh Khan had received World Economic Forum's Crystal Award in 2018 for his work in championing women's and children's rights in India. Similarly, in 2011, he was awarded UNESCO's Pyramide con Marni award for his charity work, the first Indian to get this award. Many of his fans came forward on social media and shared about the charity the actor has been doing over all these years. They even made #StopnegativityagainstSRK trend on social media. The city of Midland Health Department is currently conducting their investigation on one new confirmed case of COVID-19 in Midland County, bringing the overall case count to 13. The 13th confirmed case is a male in his 20s, who was tested by a private provider. The male is self-isolating at home. The source of exposure is related to travel within the United States. Political parties in Maharashtra have swung into action to assist the state government in its effort to control the spread of coronavirus. The BJP, NCP and Shiv Sena have announced that one month's salary of their legislators and MPs will be donated to the relief fund to tackle coronavirus. Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Devendra Fadnavis has asked the state BJP unit leaders and workers to assist the poor and needy in their respective areas. The former chief minister, who held discussions with Maharashtra BJP leaders through audio conference on Saturday, said the party will reach out to 10 lakh poor and needy persons and provide them food and medicines. For latest updates on coronavirus outbreak, click here The Congress has said it will set uphelplines in every Assembly constituency of Maharashtra. State Congress chief Balasaheb Thorat interacted with party MLAs, ministers, district unit presidents and other office-bearers through audio conference on Saturday and asked them to extend all help to those stranded,daily wagers and labourers during these difficult times. He said 50 volunteers from the Seva Dal in each district are being trained to help the administration in an emergency situation. Also Read: COVID-19: State-wise total confirmed cases on March 29 The Youth Congress is organising blood donation camps with a target of collecting 10,000 bottles of blood. "People are not being able to leave their homes due to the lockdown, so we should help them by delivering essential items like food and medicines at their doorsteps. All these works should be done keeping in mind the social distancing norms prescribed by the government and taking help of the local administration," Thorat told the Congress workers. The party needs to reach out to people who have no food at their homes and are out of work, and ration or cooked food should be provided to them. Attempts should be made to ensure that not a single person goes hungry, he said. State Public Works Department Minister Ashok Chavan, who attended the audio conference, said the situation is grave. "We have to plan in order to help maximum number of people and for this, the party workers should be in touch with the district collectors." Social distancing should be compulsorily followed and construction site workers should be given cash by the welfare board set up for them, he said. Former chief minister Prithiviraj Chavan, who also took part in the audio conference, said this is the biggest crisis of the century. Since January 1, more than 12 lakh people came to India from foreign visits till the time airports were closed, he said. People who are asked to be in self-quarantine need to follow the rules. "We should ensure that migrant labourers stay where they are and all the basic necessities are provided to them," the Congress leader said. State Medical Education Minister Amit Deshmukh said flu OPDs have been started in all government medical hospitals. The next eight days are very crucial and care must be taken that community transmission of the coronavirus does not take place, he said. Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) MLA Hitendra Thakur in a statement on Saturday said all ration card holders in Vasai- Virar taluka of Palghar district will get daily essentials free of cost from rationing stores. "This is a challenging time for all human beings. During such a time, not having food on their plates is the last thing people would want. Making these things available is an MLAs responsibility. We realise the cost would be too big, but it is secondary in comparison to peoples lives," BVA MLA Kshitij Thakur said. The BVA is also thinking of delivering ration at every doorstep so that people need not step out of their homes. The party, along with the help of the Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation, has been involved in various steps to contain the spread of coronavirus, including fumigation of all public transport buses after each trip on a daily basis. It has also teamed up with the railways to disinfect platforms on suburban stations. A history-sheeter was booked by Ambazari police in Nagpur for allegedly raping a 21-year-old woman for the past three years, an official said on Sunday. The woman, who was being exploited by Satish Channe since 2017, lodged a police complaint recently, he said. "Channe has been charged with rape. He is in jail in connection with an attack on a policeman," the official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistani authorities said that more than 120 more coronavirus cases were recorded in the country over the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 1,566 cases, including 15 deaths. Health Minister Zafar Mirza said on March 29 that 71 percent of coronavirus cases in Pakistan were imported, mainly pilgrims who returned from neighboring Iran, which has seen the Mideast's worst outbreak. Cases in Pakistan have been gradually increasing despite the imposition of a lockdown in the country of 220 million. Lawmakers and experts have voiced fears of an exponential increase in the coming days and urged the government to conduct more testing. The data coming in of patients across the country is not indicative of the true picture. The real number of patients is much higher, Attaur Rehman, the head of Prime Minister Imran Khans task force on science and technology, told reporters. The Health Ministry said that there were 13,324 suspected cases of the new coronavirus. More than 8,000 were in quarantine across the country. -- With Reporting by Dawn.com In an apparent effort to stop the movement of migrant workers from Delhi, Maharashtra and other parts of India to their villages due to the 21-day nationwide lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24 to curb the spread of coronavirus, the Centre on Sunday (March 29) directed all the state governments to enforce the lockdown strictly and seal the borders. Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba told the states that the migrant workers who are already heading towards their villages must be placed under government-run quarantine facilities for 14 days in order to fight coronavirus COVID-19. District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police would be held personally responsible for enforcement of directions issued to them under the Disaster Management Act, a central government statement said. Cabinet Secretary Gauba passed the order after holding a meeting with top bureaucrats of states. The statement issued by the Centre sends a clear message that the Centre wants the District Magistrates and Superindentent of Police to pull their socks up to place the migrant workers in mandatory quarantine facilities. Detailed instructions on monitoring of such persons during quarantine have been issued to states, the statement said. Earlier on Sunday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday appealed to migrant workers who are leaving Delhi for their native villages due to the 21-day nationwide lockdown announced by PM Modi. In his appeal posted on Twitter, CM Kejriwal has assured the migrant workers that his government will arrange food and shelter for all of them and requested them to stay where they are and not head back to their villages because it could lead to transmission of the coronavirus COVID-19 to villages in various parts of the country. The number of deaths due to coronavirus COVID-19 in India jumped to 25 on Sunday (March 29), according to Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The total number of coronavirus cases in India climbed to 979 on Sunday. This includes 86 recovered/discharged and 25 deaths. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Mar. 29 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: Car exports from Turkey to Kyrgyzstan increased by 117.30 percent from January through February 2020, compared to the same period in 2019, amounting to $ 2.116 million, Turkish Trade Ministry told Trend. The ministry said that the supply of cars from Turkey to Kyrgyzstan increased by 85.04 percent in February 2020, compared to February 2019, amounting to $ 1.504 million. Car exports from Turkey to world markets grew by 1 percent from January through February 2020, compared to the same period last year, amounting to $4.923 billion. Car exports from Turkey accounted for 16.7 percent of the country's total exports from January through February 2020. Turkey exported $2.522 billion worth of automobiles to world markets in February 2020, which is 0.9 percent less than the same period in 2019. Car exports from Turkey in February 2020 amounted to 17.2 percent of the country's total exports. Turkey exported cars worth $ 30.638 billion from February 2019 through February 2020. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu "Boris Johnson gets coronavirus after initially ruling out lockdown," screamed a headline in one of Spain' s national newspapers yesterday. The view in Spain is that Britain has been rather "relaxed" when it comes to the coronavirus; introducing a lockdown much later than other European countries and allowing commuters to get on to crowded tube trains. One cab driver told me that as a result of Britain's attitude, British tourists should be asked to show a clean bill of health before they enter Spain at the end of the lockdown. The fact that Boris Johnson is still Prime Minister even though he is in self-isolation has also been a talking point in Spain over the last 24 hours. Johnson should step down temporarily. It is obvious that he is not in a fit state to run Britain at a time of the biggest crisis in recent history. Yes, he can run Britain from his office in Downing Street but at the moment it is more a question of reassuring the public that everything is being done and I suspect the Great British public want to know that the government has got everything under control and Johnson is leading from the front. This is not the case; the Prime Minister's ability to function as a team leader has been reduced whatever he says. Johnson should step down at once and return to the top job when he recovers. Britain, in this hour of need, deserves a leader similar to the man that Johnson tries to model himself on, the great Winston Churchill. A leader, despite all the restrictions which have been introduced, needs to be visible and in charge and Johnson is not. Hyderabad: In a heart warming gesture, a judge at Sangareddy town of Telangana has opened court premises to feed those migrants who are walking their way towards their respective villages in and around Medak, Sangareddy and Zaheerabad districts of Telangana, due to the nation-wide lockdown. Many workers from organised and unorganised sectors belonging to surrounding districts of Hyderabad come to the city for employment. Though their villages are at a distance of an hour or two via a vehicle, many are forced to walk due to the non availability of government transport. Though they have been told to stay back, they feel they will be happy in their respective villages till the lockdown period continues. Since Saturday, Judge K Sai Rama Devi, Principal District Judge and Chairman and under the aegis of District Legal Services Authority opened the District Court in Sangareddy to feed lunch to all the poor and hungry migrant workers who were passing by the highway. "I got to know the plight of people walking all the way from Hyderabad and surrounding places on their way to their homes to nearby villages. I was told a man fainted as he was walking all the way from Hyderabad along with his children. Immediately I decided to do something. I took permission from Telangana state legal services authority Executive Chairman Justice MS Ramachandra Rao to use court premises to provide free lunch for all these poor people," says Judge K.Sai Rama Devi speaking exclusively to Zee Media. On both the days, Saturday and Sunday the food was prepared by the Sangareddy Prison deparment. As the word spread around, lots of people came forward to contribute their bit towards meeting the expenses of the food being served. "I am humbled by the response I got. Justice Dr Shameem Akhtar of Telangana High Court has promised to take care of food expenses for three days while my husband and I will fund for the food from April 1 to 7. Even my sister who is a paediatrician in USA has promised me her contribution apart from my bother and my in-laws. Then Judicial Officers, my court staff contributions will ensure we can feed any needy till the lockdown period is over," adds Judge K.Sai Rama Devi. "In these unprecedented times everyone has to do their bit because we all are human beings first. The governments are doing their best but I feel we all should also contribute in whichever way we can to save humanity,'' opines Judge K.Sai Rama Devi. The Sangareddy district collector too has requested the local rice millers to provide rice on cost-to-cost basis while the local police is helping to provide transport the people to their destinations. The total number of COVID-19 cases in India on Sunday reached 979 out of which 867 are active cases, 86 recovered, 25 deaths and 1 migrated patient, as per Ministry of Health. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 17:48:43|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A man enters the main gate of the Al-Qashla Castle in Saada province, Yemen, March 19, 2020. (Photo by Mohammed Mohammed/Xinhua) SAADA, Yemen, March 29 (Xinhua) -- It stands tall for more than 600 years. Al-Qashla Castle in Yemen's northern historic city of Saada has withstood conflicts through hundreds of years, and today is again trying to survive the war. The castle stands on a hill at the heart of the city, one of the oldest medieval cities in Yemen. Many of the mudbrick high-rises houses of the historic city have been razed to the ground by the bombing raids. Now the castle stands as testimony to the tragedy and the war's massive human loss. The castle has still closed to visitors since the war erupted five years ago between the internationally-recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and the Houthi militia. The castle was the top popular destination for local visitors and tourists from all over the world before the civil war erupted. "This is al-Qashla castle, one of the historic Saada city's most famous landmarks. We forced to close it as a precautionary movement in order not to be targeted... because they strike everything inside the city," Abdo Hassan Gatum, a local resident and general manager of the Antiquities Office of Saada, told Xinhua. "The castle was the first destination for visitors and tourists wishing to explore the city of Saada, because it overlooks the city. From there, the entire historical city can be seen," he added. The historic city lies on a wide area and was surrounded by a high wall with four gates. The bombing destroyed many houses in the city, and caused severe damage to others that are not yet repaired. The city requires some maintenance and restoration work, including the castle. The city is still controlled by the Houthi group, which also controls large parts of the province's namesake Saada. The city is loved by the residents and all Yemeni people, and also loved by children who know little about its history. "I am one of the sons of the historic Saada city and this great building of the al-Qashla Castle needs care. I call on the concerned authorities to take good care of the castle and the whole historic city," Sadiq Ahsan, a local resident, told Xinhua. The war erupted in late 2014, when the Iran-backed Houthi group seized control of much of the country's north and forced the Saudi-backed government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of the capital Sanaa. The Houthis triggered the intervention of the Saudi-led military coalition in the Yemeni conflict on March 26, 2015, to support Hadi's government. The grinding war has entered its sixth year with no end in sight yet. The United Nations is trying to end the Yemeni war that has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced 3 million, destroyed infrastructure, triggered deadly epidemics and pushed over 20 million to the brink of starvation. Dan Mason Mason is a community manager with MG Properties. He also serves as president of the board of Multifamily NW, an association representing rental property owners, managers and vendors. An economic storm is prepared to hit Oregons housing market when rent payments for many become due on April 1. Tens of thousands of Oregonians have been laid off or have seen their hours cut, and many of them will not be able to pay rent. Without those cash inflows, landlords will begin to default on their mortgage payments and other financial obligations. Many Oregonians have never witnessed this kind of massive economic disruption and social upheaval. Hourly workers are first to feel its effects, but they will not alone bear them. The basic stability of our housing supply is at stake. Without a comprehensive plan in place for housing assistance, we are days away from watching our entire social framework begin to unravel and irreparable damage will be done to our communities. For the thousands of Oregonians who have lost their jobs or are unable to work because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Oregon must quickly establish a program to provide emergency rental assistance vouchers. This would provide housing stability through our present crisis and ensure short-term liquidity while preventing a wave of rental property foreclosures. For the sake of keeping people in their homes, this should be the Oregon Joint Special Committee on Coronavirus Responses top economic priority. Share your opinion Submit your essay of 500-700 words on a highly topical issue or a theme of particular relevance to the Pacific Northwest, Oregon and the Portland area to commentary@oregonian.com. Please include your email and phone number for verification. This is not a time to reinvent the wheel. We know that rental assistance voucher programs work. They allow tenants to apply for and access voucher funds that meet rent obligations, while at the same time ensuring landlords are able to meet debt service requirements demanded by their lenders. Through one payment, the state is able to meet the needs of tenants, landlords and the broader financial system. Because of the nature of this crisis, assistance should not face typical means tests. We know that earners across the spectrum are impacted, and while it may be politically attractive to assist only low-income families, that approach would be shortsighted. Many households at the median-income range and above will struggle to stay afloat in the coming months. This is likely to be a protracted crisis, and housing stability will be jeopardized for most renters. This aid should be available statewide, as the problem could be even more acute in smaller cities and towns throughout Oregon where there are fewer employers and limited opportunities for residents to find other employment, even after the spread of the virus has been contained. At the same time, we should not forget the needs of residential and rental property owners. Its likely that the state wont be able to provide enough rental assistance for all renters who are financially impacted by COVID-19. As a result, rental property owners may themselves need extended deferral of mortgage payments and debt relief. One such plan would be for state-chartered lenders to grant, on request of the borrower, a 120-day moratorium on debt service payments with a review in 90 days at which time an extension can be considered if the crisis has not eased. Finally, these are difficult times for every single person in Oregon. It isnt surprising, but it is disappointing, that some political groups are using this moment to push for back rent to simply be forgiven a cost that someone else will have to bear. The media and government agencies have an obligation to ensure that residents know that the eviction moratorium does not mean that rent does not have to be paid. Lets respond smartly to the crisis, without creating new problems that will make it last longer than it should. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hailed frontline soldiers, including doctors, nurses and paramedical staff, who are battling against the COVID-19 pandemic and said that all should take inspiration from them. Thanking the "foot soldiers" fighting the battle against coronavirus from the frontlines during his Mann Ki Baat address, the Prime Minister said: "There are many soldiers who are fighting coronavirus, not from their homes but from outside their homes. These are our front line soldiers, especially our brothers and sisters on duty as nurses, doctors and paramedical staff." "We have to take inspiration from our frontline soldiers, our nurses and doctors who are battling coronavirus," he said. Recalling touching words of Acharya Charak referring to doctors, Prime Minister said: "Today when I witness the sacrifice, perseverance and dedication of our doctors, the words by Acharya Charak are very much visible in doctor's lives today." Quoting Charak Modi said: "The best doctor is one who serves the patient with benevolence and not for money and selfish desire." He also stressed that battle against coronavirus is a tough one and required harsh decisions to keep India safe. It was the first Mann Ki Baat after the 21-day nationwide lockdown was imposed in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the immediate redeployment of all Port Health Authority employees at the Lagos and Abuja airports to key roads that serve as entry routes into the country. He also said movement of passenger aircraft, both commercial and private jets, are suspended until further notice. Nigeria had earlier banned all international flights while some local airlines still continued operations. The new directive by the president, however, bans all passenger aircraft. The president gave this directive on Sunday while addressing Nigerians on the COVID-19 crisis. The directive is part of measures taken to curb further spread of COVID-19 in the country. Sundays address is the Nigerian presidents first since the coronavirus pandemic broke. The decision to finally address the nation comes amidst criticisms by many Nigerians over the presidents refusal to address them since Nigeria recorded its first case of COVID-19 on February 27. Directives Mr Buhari said all seaports in Lagos shall remain operational during these periods. He also said vehicles and drivers conveying essential cargoes from these ports will be thoroughly screened before departure. He, therefore, ordered the redeployment of the airport health officials to key roads that serve as entry and exit points to these restricted zones. All seaports in Lagos shall remain operational in accordance with the guidelines I issued earlier. Vehicles and drivers conveying essential cargoes from these Ports to other parts of the country will be screened thoroughly before departure by the Ports Health Authority. Furthermore, all vehicles conveying food and other essential humanitarian items into these locations from other parts of the country will also be screened thoroughly before they are allowed to enter these restricted areas. Accordingly, the Hon. Minister of Health is hereby directed to redeploy all Port Health Authority employees previously stationed in the Lagos and Abuja Airports to key roads that serve as entry and exit points to these restricted zones, the president said. Nigeria has recorded 97 cases of the disease while one person has died. Three premier state-run medical college hospitals in different parts of Assam have been dedicated exclusively for COVID-19 patients while the government signed agreements with 85 private hospitals where other patients would be treated and the expenses would be reimbursed by the government. The state government has also floated tenders to set up five pre-fabricated hospitals with 300 beds each to treat only coronavirus cases, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Sunday. Assam has not reported any COVID-19 case so far but the state health department has taken these initiatives to combat the disease in case there is an outbreak. Sarma on Sunday signed an MoU with 22 private hospitals in Silchar and announced that the Silchar Medical College and Hospital shall be reserved for COVID-19 patients, other than maternity and emergency cases. A 300-bed pre-fabricated hospital with ICU and ventilation facilities will be constructed in Silchar as a facility for treatment of coronavirus patients and Sarma inspected its site. The minister had signed a similar MoU with 27 private hospitals in Dibrugarh on Saturday, dedicating the Assam Medical College and Hospital for COVID-19 patients, barring cardiology, maternity and burn patients. Such an MoU was first signed with 36 hospitals in Guwahati on Friday and the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital was reserved only coronavirus patients, except cancer, maternity and emergency patients. "All other patients can avail of the facilities of these private nursing homes and the treatment there shall be free and cashless with all private hospitals reimbursed as per Ayushman Bharat rates," the minister said. The state government has also floated tenders to set up five pre-fabricated hospitals with 300 beds each and full ICU and ventilation facilities which will remain functional for five years, he said. The cost of each hospital is expected to be around Rs 40 to 50 crores and these were expected to be completed within two months. "We expect to build four of these hospitals with donations while the government will build one," he said. The minister said work for setting up Covid-19 quarantine facilities at the Sarusajai Stadium in Guwahati is going on a and would be completed soon. The other four medical colleges and hospitals at Jorhat, Tezpur, Barpeta and Diphu are also being prepared to meet any eventuality. Authorities at Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital in Guwahati have also set up a 12-bed fully-equipped ICU unit. "We are in difficult times, yet committed to continue to offer best services to people", Sarma said. The total number of isolation beds identified in the state as on date is around 2,625 for treating critically ill patients. Health and Family Welfare department with the help of district administration has identified mass quarantine facilities across the state for approximately 7,475 suspected cases. Altogether 428 ICU beds are available in government and private hospitals while 182 ventilators are available in government and private hospitals. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) '90 per cent of the food and grocery business is still with the kiranas.' 'If kiranas are not allowed to operate, it becomes a serious issue.' Photograph: PTI Photo Metro Cash & Carry, one of the country's biggest business-to-business wholesaler, has shut down eight of its 27 stores temporarily because of the lockdown. It caters to three million kirana stores and HoReCa (hotels, restaurants and catering) clients. Arvind Mediratta, bottom, CEO of the firm, tells Samreen Ahmad that employees were being threatened by the police and the situation was grim, with stores carrying just 5-7 days's inventory. How is Metro Cash & Carry running the show during the lockdown? What challenges are you facing? We understand the situation and support the Centre's decision to impose a 21-day lockdown. A critical requirement during such times is access to food, groceries, and other essentials. As of now, the situation is grim as 8 of our 27 stores are shut. In addition, there is much confusion about what the central government's notification said and how states have perceived it. The advisory said retail and wholesale food stores would be open, but in states like Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Gujarat, our stores have been shut down. Even kirana stores have run out of stock. We are in the business of servicing the kiranas, but if the stores are shut and we cannot deliver, it could lead to major shortage. Our staff is being harassed and beaten up by the police. We are in discussions with state-level police commissioners. The attendance in our stores has gone down to 15 per cent. As state borders close down, what issues are you facing related to logistics? Supplies have been interrupted at borders. Our delivery vehicles with essential supplies are not being allowed to reach the kirana stores. The entire supply chain has been disrupted. We are carrying inventory for only 5 to 7 days for essentials, which otherwise used to be 15 to 20 days. If the situation doesn't improve, we will have a shortage throughout the country. We are also getting requests to supply to the army and government offices, but cannot cater to them if stores are shut. We seek support from the authorities to allow uninterrupted and smooth operations. What role can e-commerce play? In this country, 90 per cent of the food and grocery business is still with the kiranas. Modern retail is only 8 per cent, while e-commerce contributes to a mere 2 per cent. E-commerce cannot scale up overnight to cater to the entire population. It mostly has a greater share in apparel and electronic goods. Hence, if kiranas are not allowed to operate and cannot buy from us, it becomes a serious issue. What provision is the company keeping for the safety of employees and customers? We have stopped selling loose items and pre-packaging commodities, so there is no chance of infection through hands. We are controlling the number of people getting into the stores through a token system. At any given point, not more than 25 people are allowed, that too after checking the body temperature using IR thermometers. Customers and employees are being given masks. Hand sanitisers have been placed at about 80 to 100 locations inside the stores and trolleys are being sanitised. Has the company stopped selling non-essentials in the stores? Where is most of the demand coming from? Yes, we have stopped selling all non-essentials such as apparel and electronic goods since 10 days. We have seen an increase in sale of rice, pulses, and cooking oil. Cleaning products have seen a 70 to 80 per cent surge in demand. Another category that has seen a jump in demand is storage containers, at 50 per cent. Nobody had expected a 21-day lockdown, else sales growth would have been higher. Are you already witnessing an increase in prices of commodities? Right now we are not seeing any increase in wholesale prices but prices of edible oils and pulses are rising by up to 6 per cent. If we are allowed to open, we can control the prices immediately. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday thanked the "courage and dedication" of nurses who are fighting a war against COVID-19. "I salute every nurse today. You all work with incomparable dedication. This is a coincidence that the year 2020 is being observed as the International Year of Nurses and Midwives by the whole world," said PM Modi in his radio show 'Mann ki Baat'. The day is associated with Florence Nightingale,200 years ago "who gave nursing a new identity". "This year has been a test for the whole nursing community. I am sure that not only will you emerge as winners but also save many lives as well. It is due to the courage and dedication of friends like you that we are able to fight such a war," he added. The Prime Minister said that the country is worried about the health of all health workers equally as much as they are concerned about the patients. He further announced health insurance worth Rs 50 lakh for over 20 lakh health workers "so that you can lead the nation in this fight with more confidence". During the programme, the Prime Minister asked for the forgiveness of all countrymen, and especially the poor, for the nationwide lockdown in the country in the view of the novel coronavirus. He also said that the battle against coronavirus is a tough one and it required harsh decisions to keep India safe. During his address to the nation on March 24, the Prime Minister had announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of the deadly virus. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Rev. Joseph Lowery, a leader in America's civil rights movement, died Friday. He was 98. Lowery's death was confirmed by family representative Imara Canady, who said he died of natural causes. Often called the "dean" of the civil rights movement, he worked hand in hand in the movement's formative years with the Revs. Martin Luther King Jr. and Jesse Jackson. He once said he missed "Martin" and other civil rights activists who had died before him. But he felt that God was keeping him for a single cause: To address the injustices of the criminal justice system, particularly toward poor black men. "It's the last facet here of racial oppression," Lowery once said of the American criminal justice system. Police encounter led to a career in civil rights Joseph Echols Lowery was born in Huntsville, Alabama, on October 6, 1921. His father owned a small business, and his mother was a part-time schoolteacher. He married Evelyn Gibson in 1950. The couple had three daughters, and Lowery had two sons from a previous marriage. His hometown was typical of Southern mill villages of the 1920s, where racial lines were well-defined and the Ku Klux Klan used cross burnings and other scare tactics against African-Americans. Lowery said it was an encounter with a policeman at his father's sweets shop when he was 12 or 13 years old that triggered his desire to work as a civil rights activist. "A big white policeman was coming in, and he punched me in the stomach with his nightstick," Lowery told the Atlanta Tribune magazine in 2004. "He said, 'Get back n-----. Don't you see a white man coming in the door?'" After graduating from college, Lowery became an ordained Methodist minister who served congregations in Alabama and Georgia. He later became a peace activist, joining the fight against segregation and organizing marches in Selma and Birmingham, Alabama. He served nearly half a century as a pastor, spending much of that time with Central United Methodist and Cascade United Methodist in Atlanta, Georgia. Lowery was a co-founder of the SCLC In 1957, as racial tensions rose across the United States, Lowery helped start the Southern Christian Leadership Conference civil rights organization with King. Their work helped lead to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which President Lyndon Johnson signed. "We had been through sit-ins and kneel-ins where we had been beat up and locked up and cussed out and locked out," Lowery said in a 1994 interview. "It was a milestone, a watershed. It helped America take off the cloak of official segregation." Lowery later served as the SCLC's president for more than two decades, leading protests for civil rights in South Africa and peace in the Middle East. He remained an activist even after retiring in 1992, fighting for gay rights and election reform, and against capital punishment. "We had to remain ever vigilant ... and energetic to protect those rights, lest the clock be turned back," Lowery said. He vowed never to seek political office, like some of his fellow activists, because he said he could achieve more for the civil rights movement from among the people. "He was a champion for civil rights, a challenger of injustice, a dear friend to the King family. Thank you, sir," the King Center tweeted Friday night. Bernice King also tweeted Friday saying it's hard to imagine a world without Lowery. "I'm grateful for a life well-lived and for its influence on mine. I'll miss you, Uncle Joe," she said. Lowery was a recipient of the Medal of Freedom Lowery started the Coalition for the People's Agenda in 1998 to educate and register new voters, and he continued to be involved in the cause until his passing. In 2006, he was criticized for playing politics at the funeral of Coretta Scott King, the widow of Martin Luther King Jr., for railing against the Bush administration and the war in Iraq. "We know now there were no weapons of mass destruction over there, but Coretta knew, and we know that there are weapons of misdirection right down here," Lowery said. "Millions without health insurance. Poverty abounds. For war, billions more, but no more for the poor." Supporters said he merely echoed King's sentiments against the bloodshed in Iraq. Lowery received numerous honors late in life. He delivered the benediction at President Obama's inauguration in January 2009, and Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom six months later. With all the accolades and honors he received during his lifetime, Lowery never stopped working to empower people to unite to fight for their rights. "As one, we can poke you in the eye," he told the Atlanta Tribune, holding up one finger, then shaping his hand into a fist. "But if we come together, we can knock you out." On the instructions of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, a team of officials headed by Principal Secretary, Medical Education, Rajneesh Dubey visited Noida on Sunday to review the situation. The team will also go to Ghaziabad on Monday after which a report will be submitted to Chief Minister Adityanath. Ghaziabad has reported seven positive cases. Earlier on Sunday, four more COVID-19 cases were reported in Gautam Budh Nagar, taking the number of confirmed positive cases in the district to 31, according to the District Information Officer Rakesh Kumar. According to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the total number of positive cases in the state are 54. The total number of coronavirus cases in the country has climbed to 979. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Classrooms in the Tomah Area School District are empty, but the district remains in the school lunch business. The district distributed meals to roughly 450 students last week, and food service director Jesse Bender expects the number to keep rising. Theyve been increasing every time weve served, Bender said. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers ordered all public and private K-12 schools in Wisconsin to close effective March 18 to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The closure meant over 3,500 students in the district no longer would be eating lunch on school grounds. Superintendent Cindy Zahrte said it was critical to keep the lunch program going. The continuation of food service to children and their families is extremely important, Zahrte said. While feeding children is not the mission of the school district, it is a critical component for student success. Basic human needs must be met before a person can focus on self-improvement. A child who is hungry will not be able to focus on learning to the same degree that a child who is well-fed. Bender wasnt surprised by the response. He said parents see the meals to stretch what they have at home during a time when theyre limiting trips outside the house. The district was distributing meals on a daily basis at nine different locations but has modified the schedule to distribute five meals over three days. Two meals are distributed Mondays and Wednesdays and one on Friday. Bender said 900 grab-and-go meals were issued Wednesday to cover Wednesday and Thursday lunches. Since the meals consist of pre-packaged items, including milk, they have a shelf life of multiple days. He said it was neither safe nor practical to maintain a hot lunch program. Bender said the distribution schedule was consolidated to limit as much human contact as possible during pickup. Employees work in seven-person teams, remain six feet apart and wear masks at all times. Everybody has adapted well, Bender said. Im proud of them. Theyre doing an awesome job in a unique situation. The district had a head start on the process. Bender said the pre-packaged meals are the same ones distributed during the districts summer school lunch program, which has been in place for 14 years. He said the district could roll it out right away after schools were ordered closed. Unlike the hot lunch program, the grab-and-go meals are the same for elementary, middle school and high school students. Everybody gets the same thing regardless of their age, Bender said. The meals are available to any student in the school district 18 years or younger free of charge. Students dont need to be eligible for free or reduced lunch to participate. The coronavirus has created a significant amount of stress and anxiety for children and parents, Zahrte said. The Tomah Area School District will do whatever we can to ease that stress and anxiety. Providing free grab-and-go lunches for children ... is one way we can help. Tomah Journal editor Steve Rundio can be reached at steve.rundio@lee.net. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Sovereign wealth funds from oil-producing countries mainly in the Middle East and Africa are on course to dump up to $225 billion in equities, a senior banker estimates, as plummeting oil prices and the coronavirus pandemic hit state finances. The rapid spread of the virus has ravaged the global economy, sending markets into a tailspin and costing both oil and non-oil based sovereign wealth funds around $1 trillion in equity losses, according to JPMorgan strategist Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou. His estimates are based on data from sovereign wealth funds and figures from the Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute, a research group. Sticking with equity investments and risking more losses is not an option for some funds from oil producing nations. Their governments are facing a financial double-whammy falling revenues due to the spiraling oil price and rocketing spending as administrations rush out emergency budgets. Around $100-$150 billion in stocks have likely been offloaded by oil-producer sovereign wealth funds, excluding Norway's fund, in recent weeks, Panigirtzoglou said, and a further $50-$75 billion will likely be sold in the coming months. "It makes sense for sovereign funds to frontload their selling, as you don't want to be selling your assets at a later stage when it is more likely to have distressed valuations," he said. Most oil-based funds are required to keep substantial cash-buffers in place in case a collapse in oil prices triggers a request from the government for funding. A source at an oil-based sovereign fund said it had been gradually raising its liquidity position since oil prices began drifting lower from their most recent peak above $70 a barrel in October 2018. BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 29 Trend: Azerbaijan has confirmed 27 more coronavirus cases, the Operational Headquarters under the Cabinet of Ministers told Trend. The health condition of eight of them is moderate severe, while the others health is stable. Currently, 190 patients with active coronavirus are in special regime hospitals under doctors control. The necessary measures for their treatment are underway. Citizens are required to observe the self-isolation measures and strictly follow the special quarantine regime. In order to prevent coronavirus infection spread in the country and possible consequences caused as a result of the infection, Azerbaijan announced a special quarantine regime from 00:00 (GMT+4) March 24 through April 20. The special quarantine regime envisages restriction of entry and exit to/from Baku, Sumgayit and Absheron, except for special-purpose vehicles, banning those above the age of 65 from leaving home, gathering in groups of more than 10 people in public places, including on the streets, boulevards, parks, etc. Azerbaijan has tightened the special quarantine regime since 00:00, March 29. Coalition forces handed over the K1 base in the northern Iraqi province of Kirkuk to Iraqs military. The United States-led coalition forces in Iraq withdrew on Sunday from a military base in the countrys north that nearly launched Washington into an open war with neighbouring Iran. The K1 airbase is the third site coalition forces have left this month, in line with the US plans to consolidate its troops in two locations in Iraq. A rocket attack on the base in late December had killed an American contractor and led to a series of tit-for-tat attacks between the US and Iran-backed Iraqi militia groups. The attacks culminated in the US-directed killing of top Iranian General Qassem Soleimani and a senior Iraqi militia leader, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. Coalition forces handed over the K1 base in the northern Iraqi province of Kirkuk to Iraqs military, according to a coalition statement. At least $1.1m of equipment was transferred to the Iraqis as 300 coalition personnel departed. K1 has hosted coalition forces since 2017 to launch operations against the ISIL (ISIS) armed group in nearby mountainous areas. Areas south of Kirkuk, and north of neighbouring provinces of Diyala, Salahuddin and Nineveh remain hotbeds of ISIL activities. The stretch of the territory is also disputed between the federal Iraqi government and the autonomous Kurdish region, which has created security gaps benefitting ISIL fighters. The coalitions presence had at times been a mediating force between the two competing authorities. Pretty constrained A senior coalition official earlier this month claimed ISIL forces were not as able to exploit the security gap between Iraqi and Kurdish forces as they did in the past. That doesnt necessarily mean that Daesh is free to operate in the way that they wish, said the official, using the Arabic acronym for the group. Theyre still pretty constrained. The coalition official was speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. The US-led forces have already withdrawn this month from the Qayyarah base in Nineveh province followed by the Qaim base near the border with Syria. All were in line with plans to pull out from bases across Iraq and consolidate coalition forces in Baghdad and at the Ain al-Assad airbase in the countrys western desert. The plan has been in the works since late last year, the senior coalition military official said, and accelerated when Iraqi forces proved they were capable of facing the ISIL threat with limited coalition assistance. Coalition officials said they would still assist Iraqi forces with air support and surveillance, but significantly cut back on training and ground operations, as the limited withdrawal continues. Until last month, there were some 7,500 coalition troops based in Iraq, including 5,000 US forces. Alex Salmond's own lawyer has been caught on camera calling the former SNP leader a 'bully and an a******e' and identifying two of his sexual assault accusers. Gordon Jackson QC, 71, Scotland's most senior QC, has now reported himself to the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission after seemingly calling his client a 'sex pest' and has released a statement saying he does not think this. He was filmed on an Edinburgh-Glasgow train while publicly discussing the high-profile sexual assault case. Salmond, 65, was cleared on Monday of the 13 charges he had been facing including an allegation of attempted rape by a jury at the High Court in Edinburgh. Gordon Jackson QC, 71, (pictured with Alex Salmond after his not-guilty verdict) Scotland's most senior QC, was filmed on an Edinburgh-Glasgow train while publicly discussing the high-profile sexual assault case Alex Salmond's own lawyer has been caught on camera calling the former SNP leader a 'bully and an a******e' and identifying two of his sexual assault accusers In the video, allegedly filmed during the first week of Salmond's trial and leaked to the Sunday Times, Jackson was heard talking about his client and saying: 'I don't know much about senior politicians, but he was quite a...bully to work with.' He went on to say Salmond was: 'Inappropriate, a******e, stupid... but sexual? Sex offender register? Not for you.' The leaked video was released on the same day Salmond's nine accusers published a statement revealing they are 'devastated' with his not-guilty verdict. In the video, Jackson goes on to identify two of Salmond's accusers, despite strict court orders in place to protect the anonymity of people in reported sex offence cases. In the video, allegedly filmed during the first week of Salmond's trial, Jackson was heard talking about his client and saying: 'I don't know much about senior politicians, but he was quite a...bully to work with He continued to speak of one of the women in disparaging terms, saying he wanted to 'put a smell on her' - implying he wanted to tarnish her reputation so the jury wouldn't believe her testimony. What did Gordon Jackson QC say in the leaked video? Gordon Jackson QC was filmed on an Edinburgh-Glasgow train while discussing the high-profile Alex Salmond case. He said: 'It's not right but it's not war crimes. 'That is hardly sexual. Inappropriate, a******e, stupid but not sexual. 'Sex offender register? Not for you.' Jackson went on to identify two women who accused Salmond of sexual assault, despite strict court orders in place to protect the anonymity of people in reported sex offence cases. He is heard saying: 'Unfortunately X and X said it is sexual. 'We thought eventually people might think she's a flake and not like her.' Jackson went on to discuss his tactics for discrediting the women who had accused Salmond of assault. He said: 'All I need to do is put a smell on her, a smell on her.' Jackson then discussed his opinions on Salmond in general. He said: 'He certainly was, I don't know much about senior politicians, but he was quite a...bully to work with. 'In a way I don't think Nicola [Sturgeon] is. 'I think he was a nasty person to work for. 'Historically, that has been the case with some politicians. A nightmare to work for.' Jackson is then heard possibly saying the words 'sex pest', possibly followed by, 'but he's not charged with that'. Advertisement In a statement released today, Jackson said: 'I have decided that the proper course of action is to self-refer this matter to the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission, and that has been done. It will be for the Commission to consider this matter. 'To be clear, however, I do not regard Alex Salmond as a sex pest, and any contrary impression is wrong. I also deeply regret the distress and difficulties which have been caused, but given the reference to the SLCC it would not be appropriate to comment further.' Jackson's actions seem to go against the code of conduct for the Faculty of Advocates that he has led since 2016. It says actions must not 'impair the trust and confidence which others place in him and his profession', and that an advocate must 'respect the confidentiality of all information that becomes known to him in the course of his professional activity'. The nine women insisted they will not let the former first minister being acquitted define them saying they hope their experience can lead to improved understanding of sexual harassment and assault. They also said that while the experience of taking the case to court had been 'traumatic', it had been the 'right thing to do'. In a joint statement, the nine women said: 'While we are devastated by the verdict, we will not let it define us. Their statement, issued by the charity Rape Crisis Scotland today, said: 'Today we want to send a strong and indisputable message that such behaviours should not be tolerated by any person, in any position, under any circumstances.' The complainants, who were identified in the trial only as Woman A, Woman B, Woman C, Woman D, Woman F, Woman G, Woman H, Woman J, and Woman K, said: 'The jury has delivered a majority verdict on the charges brought against the former first minister. Salmond, 65, was cleared on Monday of the 13 charges he had been facing including an allegation of attempted rape by a jury at the High Court in Edinburgh 'We are devastated by the verdict. However it is our fervent hope that as a society we can move forward in our understanding of sexual harassment and sexual assault.' Jackson's actions seem to go against the code of conduct for the Faculty of Advocates that he has led since 2016 They recalled that Jackson had quoted Woman H and said 'his client should have been a ''better man''.' In her evidence to the court, Woman H said: 'I wish for my life the first minister was a better man and I was not here.' And Mr Jackson told the jury: 'If in some ways the former first minister had been a better man, I wouldn't be here, you wouldn't be here, none of us would be here.' In his closing speech, the lawyer claimed the case against the former first minister 'stinks' saying it comes from 'this political bubble with no real independent support'. A Rape Crisis Scotland spokesman commented on the leaked video today, saying: 'Protecting the anonymity of all people who report sexual crimes is of critical importance and is one of few reassurances that can be offered as part of an otherwise daunting and intimidating process. 'For this to be undermined by such a senior lawyer in a public place in such a high-profile trial is horrifying and completely unacceptable. Who is Gordon Jackson QC? Gordon Jackson, 71, is a senior Scottish lawyer who has served as Dean of the Faculty of Advocates since 2016. From 1999 to 2007 he was a Scottish Labour Party member for Glasgow Govan. He studied law at St Andrews before being admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1979. He was also called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1979, and appointed Queen's Counsel in Scotland in 1990. Jackson was reputedly nicknamed Crackerjack, for repeatedly arriving at Parliament just before the 5pm vote, the name was a reference to the children's programme of the same title which started at 4.55pm. He was defeated in the 2007 election by Nicola Sturgeon. He is an Honorary Vice-President of English-Speaking Union Scotland - a Scottish charity whose purpose is to promote international understanding and human achievements through the widening use of the English language throughout the world. Advertisement 'Jackson is Dean of the Faculty of Advocates and we cannot see how this behaviour caught on film is in keeping with the Faculty of Advocate's own guidance on conduct. 'There should be an immediate investigation. 'One of the most chilling aspects of this is Jackson's statement about his strategy for the cross examination of one of the women in the trial: ''All I need to do is put a smell on her.'' 'This statement alone confirms the fears of many, many survivors who do not report for fear of what would be done to them in court. Trials should be based on evidence, not on smears and attacks on character. We need an urgent overhaul of how these cases are dealt with.' Salmond and Jackson have been contacted for comment. In some neighborhoods, the police are enforcing $80 fines for anyone who tries to sell goods on the sidewalk far more than most of them could make in a day. How long such tremendous economic pain can be borne is hard to say, but it is especially difficult in the absence of political leadership, Iraqis said. Iraq was already facing its worst political crisis in years before the virus hit and oil prices dropped. Hundreds of thousands of protesters have taken to the streets since October, demanding a new government, an end to corruption and a curb on Iranian influence. While the numbers had dwindled with the colder and wetter winter weather, curfew has not been rigorously enforced at the protest sites and a few hundred protesters remain in the major squares in Baghdad and other cities. As they continue to keep pressure on the government, they also now pose a potential health risk for spreading the virus. This crisis is more difficult because, to be honest, we do not have a government, said Hassan Ali, 20, who was making a pilgrimage to a Shiite shrine in Baghdad despite being urged to stay home, a warning he discounted because he has no faith in the governments advice. The government is very weak, its very tired, they have no solution for the crises, no solution for the youth who have no jobs. With corona it is very difficult because no one can rely on the government. In many ways he is right. In mid-March, the health minister, Mr. Allawi, said he would need $150 million a month to purchase the equipment he needs to fight the virus. The donor fund has only collected a fraction of what the ministry believes will be required to protect health care workers, house and treat patients. Nearly 200 final-year Rutgers New Jersey Medical School students will graduate early and be eligible to begin their residencies to help out state hospitals that are rapidly filling up as they treat patients afflicted with coronavirus, the university announced Saturday evening. Students of the school, located in Newark, would normally have completed their required courses in April and graduated in May, but now the 192 students will graduate between April 10 and 21. I have total confidence that our students are ready to help the cause, said Rutgers New Jersey Medical School Dean Robert Johnson said in a statement. They have learned and trained at Rutgers and will be much-needed support in our nations health care system. The school is planning virtual graduation ceremonies, during which the newly-minted doctors will participate in the recitation of the Hippocratic oath, a centuries-old tradition for doctors beginning their careers. The students were matched to their residency locations March 20 and most of them will begin on July 1, school officials said. It will be up to the residency locations to determine if the students can begin early. Rutgers other medical school, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, is expected to follow suit in the coming days, according to the statement. Several other schools at Rutgers that train health care professionals are considering similar measures. Rutgers, along with other universities across the state, moved classes online for the rest of the semester as the number of COVID-19 cases in the state continued to climb. The university announced earlier this week that it would issue refunds toward a portion of what students spent on room and board for the spring 2020 semester. If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. Sign up for text message alerts from NJ.com on coronavirus in New Jersey: Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrisrsheldon Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Rome -- The coronavirus toll in Italy shot past 10,000 on Saturday and showed little sign of slowing despite a 16-day lockdown. The 889 new fatalities reported in the world's worst-hit nation came a day after it registered 969 deaths on Friday -- the highest single toll since the COVID-19 virus emerged late last year. Italy now looks certain to extend its economically debilitating -- and emotionally stressful -- business closures and the ban on public gatherings past their April 3 deadline. "Is it time to reopen the country? I think we have to think about it really carefully," civil protection service chief Angelo Borrelli told reporters. "The country is at a standstill and we must maintain the least amount of activity possible to ensure the survival of all." Italians had begun to hope that their worst disaster in generations was easing after the increase in daily death rates began to slow on March 22. But the new surge has changed the Mediterranean nation's mood. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte told Italians late Saturday to be ready to spend more time cooped up at home. "If one is being reasonable, one cannot envision a quick return to normal life," Conte said in his latest sombre television address. Going into debt The monumental economic toll of fighting the pandemic has triggered a huge row among European leaders about how best to respond. The southern European nations worst-hit by the virus are urging the EU to go abandon its budget rules. The bloc has already loosened its purse strings in ways not seen since the 2008-2009 global financial crisis. But Conte argues that this is not enough. France is backing a push by Italy and Spain for the EU to start issuing "corona bonds" -- a form of common debt that governments sell to raise money to address individual economic needs. More spendthrift nations such as Germany and the Netherlands are baulking at the idea of joint debt. Conte said he and German Chancellor Angela Merkel had "not just a disagreement but a hard a frank confrontation" this week about how to proceed. "If Europe does not rise to this unprecedented challenge, the whole European structure loses its raison d'etre to the people," Conte told Saturday's edition of the Il Sole 24 Ore financial newspaper. 'Critical point in history' The entire eurozone is expected to slip into a recession over the coming months. But Italy is facing the threat of a near economic collapse after being the first European country to shutter almost all its businesses on March 12. Some forecasts suggest that its economy -- the third-largest among nations that use the euro common currency -- could contract by as much as seven percent this year. It shrank by 5.3 percent of gross domestic product in 2009. Conte warned that EU leaders were in danger of making "tragic mistakes". "I represent a country that is suffering a lot and I cannot afford to procrastinate," Conte said. The energetic 55-year-old has seen his popularity shoot up thanks to a general sense that he has been doing all he could. A growing number of medics are warning that Italy's fatalities could be much higher because retirement homes often do not report all their COVID-19 deaths. The number of people who have died from the new disease at home is also unknown. "This is something very different from the 2008 crisis," Conte warned in the newspaper interview. "We are at a critical point in European history." Yale to Provide 300 Beds, COVID-19 Testing to Police Officers, Firefighters After Criticism Yale University said that it would provide 300 beds and expedite COVID-19 testing to its home citys first responders who may have been exposed to the virus. The move came after New Haven, Connecticut, Mayor Justin Elicker criticized Yale for declining to make a residence hall available to the citys police officers and firefighters. Elicker said during a Friday online press conference that the Ivy League school turned down the mayors request because all of the residence hall rooms on campus are filled with student belongings. Our student rooms still contain their belongings, but we have teams planning the feasibility of packing and storing all the student belongings so that the rooms could be utilized, Yale responded in a statement, reported New Haven Register. We are pursuing schemes that involve professional movers and packers, and using temporary storage. The process will take weeks, as all of the residence hall rooms on campus are filled with student belongings. Elicker then called on the University of New Haven (UNH) to support the city in those efforts. Steve Kaplan, president of the university, quickly accepted the request. UNH has rolled out the red carpet for us. They have worked to quickly get students belongings out of the dorms, and they are working with us to address other logistical and liability hurdles, Elicker said. We are quite close to finalizing an agreement with them so that our police officers and firefighters can begin moving into the space in the coming days. Yale president Peter Salovey announced Saturday afternoon that the residence hall and expedited testing are now ready for New Havens first responders. Yesterday, New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker expressed frustration with Yale Universitys lack of a swift positive response to his request for the university to provide housing for first responders to COVID-19, Salovey said in a statement. We are eager to help New Haven with this need. We have been working to make this possibleand we agree that we should move as quickly as we can. He also emphasized that Yale is raising a $5 million fund to help address the fallout of the pandemic in New Haven. Now more than ever, Yale and City Hall need to be on the same page, he said. I know how committed all of us across the city and the university are to implementing an effective response to COVID-19, and I will do all I can to support this shared work. As of Saturday, Connecticuts health department reported over 1,500 confirmed COVID-19 cases across the state. New Haven county, where Yale University is located, has 236 cases and 6 deaths. EDITORS NOTE: NJ Cannabis Insider produces exclusive content and events for those getting in or expanding their operations in the billion-dollar medical marijuana, hemp and legal weed industries. The state Health Department this week amended the medicinal marijuana program to serve patients and inhibit the spread of the coronavirus by letting dispensaries make curbside sales and cutting the registration fee for caregivers to $20. These accommodations will help. More changes are on the way. In a webinar hosted by NJ Cannabis Insider Tuesday, three of the states most well-known cannabis industry leaders discussed how much patients would appreciate a law allowing them to grow their own medicine right about now. The coronavirus pandemic has made it increasingly difficult for medical cannabis patients to buy medicine. If home grow were in place, patients would be less likely to be exposed to COVID-19. A provision letting patients grow up to six plants was included in the original draft of the medicinal marijuana law in 2009 but it was removed to improve the controversial legislations chances of passing. It worked. But for as long as New Jersey has operated a medicinal marijuana program, patients have complained about how difficult it is to afford their medicine. Attorney Bill Caruso, a founding member of New Jersey United for Marijuana Reform, expressed optimism that support for home cultivation would grow. I talk to a lot of folks in the industry. A lot of people think that the industry is fighting this. I have not heard one credible source in the cannabis industry that is opposed, Caruso said. Caruso acknowledged the broad concerns elected officials have about home cultivation, such as the prospect of rogue growers feeding the black market with an unregulated product. But if were talking about allowing a patient to grow their own strain or something of that effect, I do think that there is an appetite for that, Caruso said. I dont see that as an opportunity right now and in the next month. It might be something though were talking about this summer, and I do think there's merit to it, he added. Scott Rudder, president of the New Jersey CannaBusiness Association, said he sympathizes with families who fear they might not be able to get the right strain of cannabis to manage their childs seizures. If you have a child with Dravet syndrome and you dont have access to your medicine, thats a big freaking deal. And that should make people angry, right? People should not have to worry about where theyre going to get medicines for themselves or for their child, Rudder said. Jackie Cornell, chief of policy and health innovation for the edibles company, 1906, said she thought home grow was worth fighting for but she couldnt imagine how the idea would gain traction with the state Legislature. Perhaps Im being a little too pessimistic, Cornell said. Rudder suggested advocates for home grow needed to keep the constant drumbeat of the patients needs and patients rights. With everybody stuck at home right now, Its a great opportunity for reaching out to your Senator, to your Assemblymember, to your mayors to your federal elected officials. Caruso acknowledged there is no appetite for a home grow market. Advocating for a patients ability to grow their medicine is different than advocating for everyone to grow at home, he said. Were talking about patient medicine right now. If you want to get on that bandwagon, Caruso said. Theres a movement that is online right now to do that. I think that has merit. Perhaps Cornell is justified in feeling pessimistic. Meanwhile, state Sen. Nicholas Scutari, D-Union, the sponsor of the legalization bill, believes its not the right time to have this discussion. At some point in time in the future, you will see home grow. But not in the near future, Scutari told NJ Cannabis Insider. His research into legalization laws tells him it would create a problem for law enforcement because in other states, some people grow far more than they would need and that just feeds the black market. His focus, he said, is on getting the Nov. 3 ballot question passed that would amend the state constitution to allow the sale of weed for adult use. There doesnt seem to be an appetite among leadership for home grow, he said. A version of this story first appeared in NJ Cannabis Insider. NJ Cannabis Insider is a weekly subscriber-based newsletter produced by NJ Advance Media, which also publishes NJ.com, The Star-Ledger and other affiliated papers. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. A retired Venezuelan general who was charged by the United States with "narco-terrorism" along with President Nicolas Maduro and other officials has surrendered in Colombia to US authorities, prosecutors said Saturday. "The national Attorney General learned that Mr Cliver Alcala surrendered to US authorities," the Colombian prosecutor said in a statement, adding there was no arrest warrant when he gave himself up. Alcala turned himself in on Friday to the Colombians, who in turn handed him over to US authorities, the El Tiempo de Bogota newspaper said. He is among several current and former top Venezuelan government officials, along with Maduro, indicted by Washington on Thursday for "narco-terrorism." The US offered a $15 million reward for information leading to Maduro's capture. As part of the US Justice Department indictment, up to $10 million was offered for the capture of Alcala, who has been living in the northern Colombian city of Barranquilla for the last two years. He was sent to New York on a flight that was granted special permission to break the total lockdown imposed by Colombia's President Ivan Duque as part of measures to restrict the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, El Tiempo said. Former Venezuelan security chief Ivan Simonovis, who was welcomed by US authorities last year after escaping Venezuela following 15 years of detention under the leftist regime, told AFP he had information that Alcala was either en route to or already in New York. "Family, I say goodbye for a while. I'm facing my responsibilities for my actions with the truth," Alcala, 58, said in a video message published on his Instagram account on Friday. The US embassy in Bogota did not respond to AFP's request for comment. The US Justice Department and Drug Enforcement Administration also declined to comment. Along with Maduro, 14 top serving and former Venezuelan officials were charged with drug-trafficking by the US, among them Alcala who was a close collaborator of Maduro's predecessor, the late socialist firebrand Hugo Chavez. Alcala retired in 2013 after Chavez died of cancer and Maduro took over. The former general became an opponent of Maduro's and fled to Colombia, joining forces with Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido in his challenge to the socialist leader's authority. Guaido is recognized as Venezuela's leader by the US and more than 50 other countries. The series of indictments against top Venezuelan officials is the latest attempt by President Donald Trump's administration to force Maduro from power. Like Guaido, the National Assembly speaker and self-proclaimed acting president, the US considers Maduro illegitimate due to his controversial 2018 re-election in a poll widely viewed as rigged. Maduro hit back at Trump over the indictment, describing him as a "wretched" man who "will go down in history as the most harmful and most irrational of American presidents." When he returned to Houston in 1971, Kammerman joined his father in the table skirt business after oil tycoon John W. Mecom Sr. asked the pair to cover and dress the tables at a hotel event where they were supplying uniforms. The idea for table skirts was born that day. Kammerman later wanted something of his own and went into the gift shop business during Big Oils boom times. But it would all soon go bust when oil prices cratered in the 1980s. New Delhi, March 29 : Industry body PHD Chamber has urged the Central government to issue certain number of necessary passes to all organisations, irrespective of essential or non-essential manufacturing and services units, to process the salaries of their employees. In a letter to Union Home Secretary, PHD Chamber's President D.K. Aggarwal said that such passes are also essential for bank work for processing the monthly salaries. "In many instances, the offices of many of our Member companies ha ve been closed forcibly by the Police despite working under the essential go ods and services provision," Aggarwal said in the letter. The PHD Chamber's President further said that trucks carrying essentials goods are being stopped at various State borders for hours thereby affecting the timely supply of essentials goods. "It the trucks are carrying Curfew Passes or any Declaration for Essential Goods, they need to be immediately allowed to go ahead." "Supply of raw materials for production of essential goods is affected as the Police is unnecessary harassing them even if they have proof regarding the same." The employees working in these units are also not allowed to go to their factories, which is again affecting the production. "We also urge the Government to allow them if they have the necessary document/proof. There are other numerous cases to prove our point of concern," the letter dated March 27th read. "We would most humbly request you to issue necessary Directive to the Police Departments across the States & UT to cooperate and allow the production and supply of essential goods and services to happen seamlessly under the laid guidelines and that no employee of any organisation suffer due to non-payment of salaries." The NGA is not alone. The National Gallery of Victoria has confirmed its Keith Haring/Jean-Michel Basquiat: Crossing Lines exhibition is still in Australia. The Art Gallery of New South Wales has declined to reveal whether or not it currently holds any major works from abroad, citing security concerns. This is not the first time major artworks have been held hostage to fortune in this country. It's not even the first time Picasso and Matisse have found themselves in such a predicament. In 1939, Sir Keith Murdoch father of Rupert sponsored an exhibition of contemporary artwork from Europe through his Herald Newspaper Group. Known as The Herald Exhibition of French and British Contemporary Art, the show was curated by Basil Burdett co-founder of Sydney's Macquarie Galleries and a sometime art critic for Murdoch's Melbourne Herald and consisted of 217 works: 189 paintings, 16 works on paper, and 12 pieces of sculpture. There were four works by Georges Braques, six by Pierre Bonnard, seven by Paul Cezanne, eight by Henri Matisse and Vincent Van Gogh, and nine by Paul Gauguin and Pablo Picasso. Some of the artists whose work was on display at the AGNSW: (l-r) Maurice Utrillo, unknown, Georges Rouault (top), Paul Gauguin (bottom), Charles Camoin (the fake Gauguin), Paul Cezanne, Kees Van Dongen (top), Andre Derain (bottom). Credit:Art Gallery of New South Wales The entire exhibition was insured for 200,000 approximately $17.9 million in today's money. For that sum, you would now be lucky to pick up a single painting from the NGA's Matisse & Picasso show. The Herald exhibition opened in Adelaide in August 1939, at the National Art Gallery of South Australia. In October, it moved to Melbourne Town Hall because the National Gallery of Victoria could find no room on its walls. Then it travelled to Sydney where the insult was even greater. The Art Gallery of New South Wales declined to hang the show, ostensibly because people had to pay to see it, which was against the gallery's rules, but more likely because the gallery's trustees didn't much rate it. Instead, it hung on the top floor of David Jones' George Street store. According to art historian Steven Miller, head of library services at the AGNSW and co-author (with Eileen Chanin) of the book Degenerates and Perverts, the works had been sourced by Burdett from "80 or 90 different places". When war broke out in September 1939, returning them became impossible. These days there is no chance a public institution would fail to see the worth of a painting such as Pablo Picasso's portrait of Lee Miller. Credit:Elesa Kurtz Legend has it that once the exhibition had finished its tour the works languished in storage for the rest of the war. Robert Hughes wrote in his 1966 book The Art of Australia that the paintings were "kept in their crates until 1946 and not shown at all, half in the basement of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the other half in the National Gallery of Victoria". In fact, according to Miller and Chanin, it was not these cutting-edge European works that were packed away for safekeeping (in case of bombing) in what was known as Operation Hush Hush, but the local permanent collections of the state galleries. "Bare gallery walls were then periodically hung with paintings from the Herald exhibition," they wrote in their 2005 book. "Minor paintings from Australian collections were carefully protected, whilst works by Picasso, Braque and Van Gogh were left to their fate." Loading Selections from the exhibition in fact toured Australia continuously throughout the war, making it as far as Launceston and Hobart in May 1945 before finishing up in Brisbane in October. Some 70,000 people saw the pictures, many of which were for sale, as they travelled the country but the collecting institutions remained largely immune to their charms. "None of the galleries bought major works, though they were there, absolutely, and they would now be worth a fortune," says Miller. "There were some very significant works that would have been really major acquisitions." The AGNSW did purchase eight works for a total of around 2500, including what it believed was a painting by Gauguin (for 1500); it later turned out to be by another artist, Charles Camoin. "Camoin is a recognised artist, he does have value, but it's in the thousands," says Miller. "If it really was a Gauguin it would be in the millions." The NGV, though, was especially unimpressed. Despite having the greatest acquisition fund in the country through its Felton Bequest, it bought just two works Felix Vallotton's Le Point du Jour for 108 and Vincent Van Gogh's Portrait of a Man for 2196. The latter was declared a fake by the gallery in 2007, effectively reducing its then value from $5 million to almost nothing. Among the works that could have been purchased at the time were Cezanne's nature painting Sous-Bois (c 1885) for 5522; Bonnard's Prairie Aux Chevaux (1919) for 552; Georges Braque's La Table De Marbre (1925) for 850; and a Marc Chagall painting of flowers for just 165. Of course, it's easy to be wise in retrospect, and in purchasing what they thought were works by Van Gogh and Gauguin the major galleries showed they at least had half a clue. As for the works now stuck in Canberra, it's highly unlikely any will be offered for sale, and almost certain that none will suddenly become available at a bargain price. They're merely enjoying an extended holiday abroad. "I describe this as a bit of pause and a bit of postponement, that's all," says Mitzevich. "The show still goes on, it just doesn't go on exactly as we had planned." By Josh Smith SEOUL (Reuters) - Every person arriving in South Korea from overseas will soon be required to undergo two weeks of quarantine to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, the country's prime minister said on Sunday. South Korea confirmed 105 new coronavirus cases as of Saturday, bringing the country's total to 9,583, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Sunday. Of the new cases, 41 were travellers arriving from overseas, including 40 South Korean citizens and one foreigner, the KCDC said. The new mandatory isolation for all arrivals will go into effect on April 1, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said at a government meeting. "In order to effectively block entry for non-important purposes such as tourism, we will expand the compulsory quarantine measure to all foreigners coming in for short stays too," he said. The policy will also apply to South Korean citizens. If foreigners do not have a residence in the country, they will be quarantined in government-designated facilities at their own expense, Chung added. Currently, people arriving from the United States have to spend two weeks in quarantine and those showing symptoms, like fever, are required to be tested for the coronavirus. Tighter rules, including a mandatory test and quarantine took effect on Thursday for visitors from Europe on long-term visas. South Korea has installed "walk-through" testing stations at Incheon airport, the country's biggest, to meet the need for checks. The government said on Friday it would require all inbound flights to check passengers' temperatures starting from Monday and anyone with a temperature over 37.5 degrees Celsius (99.5 Fahrenheit) would be denied entry. (Reporting by Josh Smith; editing by Simon Cameron-Moore and Christian Schmollinger) Virologist Minal Dakhave Bhosale led from the front to create India's first coronavirus testing kit even when she was in the last stage of her pregnancy. Bhosale's efforts paid the price with her team delivering the testing kit in a record time of six weeks. Bhosale gave birth to a baby girl just a day before submitting the kit to the authorities for evaluation. "It was like giving birth to two babies," Bhosale told PTI over the phone. The virologist said both the journeys - that happened in parallel - were not without challenges. "There were complications in the pregnancy while work on the test kit was on. The baby was delivered through cesarean," she said. Bhosale said she felt that it was the right time to serve the people to help them in combating the coronavirus threat. "I had been working for five years in this field and if I don't work in emergency situations when my services are needed the most, then what is the use?" she said. Though Bhosale was not able to visit the office due to the pregnancy, she was guiding a team of 10 persons working on the project at Mylab Discovery in Pune. The strong bonds forged with the team over the years and their support made it possible, she said. Company's co-founder Shrikant Patole said just like drug discovery, test kits too go through a lot of quality checks to improve the precision. He credited Bhosale for the success of the project. The COVID-19 testing kit delivered by Bhosale's team will reduce the time taken for delivering a result to 2.5 hours from the prevalent practice of eight hours. A pioneering approach to testing without compromising on the results was adopted, Bhosale said. The Maylab test kit will cost Rs 1,200, a quarter of Rs 4,500 per kit that the government has been spending on testing so far. "I'm happy that I could do something for the country," Bhosale said. As of Friday, only 27,000 of the 130 crore people were tested for the virus in the country. According to experts, high scale testing is essential because it alone can ensure an early diagnosis of COVID-19 and lower down the fatalities. The company is confident of ramping up the capacity at its plant in Lonavala to deliver one lakh kits a week, Patole said. He said the authorities are helping the company, including giving priority for shipping of the raw materials. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rajesh Kumar Thakur By Express News Service PATNA: The Bihar police in a bid to enforce complete lockdown, arrested 127 defiers and seized more than 4524 vehicles in the past five days in the state. Sharing details of steps taken against the violations of lockdown, ADG(HQ)Jitendra Kumar said that fines of Rs 86,91,650 were imposed between March 24 and 28. He added further," a total number of 265 FIRs have been lodged against the violations of lockdown till date and 4,524 vehicles have been seized from across the state by police". The highest number of FIRs (93) were lodged on March 25 in Bihar against the lockdown violators followed by 73 on March 26, 27 on March 27 and 21 on March 28. Kumar said that the police personnel are working round the clock for enforcing the complete lockdown besides offering help to the needy people whenever they come across during the duty. "The police seized the highest number of 1536 vehicles on March 26 after making seizures of 1305 vehicles on the first day of lockdown on March 24. New Delhi, March 29 : Uttar Pradesh on Sunday reported four new coronavirus cases in the Gautam Buddh Nagar district and one in Bareilly. Thus, the number of Covid-19 cases in the Gautam Buddh Nagar increased to 31, according to District Magistrate B.N. Singh. It was 27 on Saturday. All the four new patients were being monitored by doctors, he added. Singh said one Covid-19 case was found in Vishnauli village of Dadri. The entire area had been locked down for three days from March 28 to contain the infection, he added. According to the District Chief Medical Officer's statement, which is available with IANS, information about four new patients was revealed on Saturday. Of the Gautam Buddh Nagar district cases, two-three people had returned from abroad and the rest got infected by coming in contact with them. According to the CMO, 13 people from one company were found to be Covid-19 positive. As per the Friday order, which stated that first information report should be registered against any company that hid the coronavirus cases, FIR has been lodged against the company management. The managing director of the company himself had returned from abroad recently, but did not inform the authorities about it. In Bareilly, a man, identified as Mahesh, of the Subhash Nagar locality, who had returned from Noida three days ago, tested positive for coronavirus on Sunday. The district administration has sent the samples of all the 7 members of his family for testing. While the suspect is bing kept in isolation, the district administration has been asked to make the list of people who came in his contact. When IANS spoke to Bareilly Commissioner Ranveer Prasad, he reluctently accepted finding of coronavirus case and said "the name of patient is Mahesh." (Sanjeev Kumar Singh Chauhan can be contacted at sanjeev.c@ians.in) Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Lucknow, March 29 : The COVID-19 tally in Uttar Pradesh touched 61 on Saturday night with 11 new cases reported from different districts -- the maximum number of cases reported in a single day so far. According to the official sources, nine cases were reported in Gautam Buddha Nagar alone while one case each came in from Varanasi and Meerut. The tally for Gautam Buddha Nagar has reached 27. In an official statement, the government spokesman said, "Two of the new cases belong to the Accheja village in Dadri." The district administration has ordered sealing of the affected village and housing societies that reported COVID-19 cases. The official order said, "The sealing has been imposed to undertake sanitisation activities as per the WHO and union health ministry's protocols. In this 48-hour long period, no entry or exit from the society or the sector would be allowed, except in cases of emergency." Chief Medical Officer Meerut, Raj Kumar, said that the patient from Meerut is a 50-year-old man who lives in Shastri Nagar. He has been quarantined and his family has also been isolated. Samples of the immediate relatives have also been sent for testing. Health officials said that tracking the contacts of this patient was tough. "He had travelled from Amravati to Meerut in two trains -- Amravati-Jabalpur Superfast Express and Chhattisgarh Express -- to reach Meerut. In the city, he visited market area near the Sohrab Gate besides attending a wedding in the city. When he developed flu like symptoms, he went to several private doctors before finally getting admitted to the LLRM Medical College in Meerut," said the officer. Another coronavirus positive case was reported by the Institute of Medical Sciences Banaras Hindu University. District Magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma said, "The patient is a youth who returned from Sharjah on March 20 and was serving home isolation. He contacted district hospital on March 27 and has now tested positive." The list of man's contacts includes his wife who had delivered a baby three days ago besides others. "Samples of all his contacts will be collected on Sunday," the district magistrate said. Meanwhile, Principal Secretary Health Amit Mohan Prasad said: "Of the total patients admitted so far, 14 have recovered completely and have been discharged from hospital. The others are undergoing treatment at different government hospital or medical colleges." He also informed that coronavirus testing facility will be started at the State Medical College, Jhansi in a day or two. This will be the ninth lab in the state to be having the COVID-19 testing facility. However, there was a relief for the state capital as all the samples that had gone for testing have been negative and no new cases of coronavirus were reported in the past 24 hours. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Last Friday night, shortly after appearing on The Late Late Show to urge the public to row behind one last almighty push to contain the coronavirus, Dr Catherine Motherway said the surge had started. "We are under pressure now," said the intensive-care consultant with University Hospital Limerick. "Certain [intensive care] units are now surging. The extra spaces they created are full and hospitals are now activating their surge plans. These are hospitals predominantly in the east, but we expect that surge to move across the country now." From the spread of cases, she thought it might hit Limerick before Cork. The unprecedented and far-reaching restrictions to keep people in their homes for two weeks, announced by the Government last Friday, are intrinsically linked to the marked increase in recent days of critically ill Covid-19 patients who need ventilators to help them breathe. Last Monday, 25 critically ill patients were being treated in intensive-care units. By Friday, that figure had almost trebled to 71, and the numbers hospitalised rose from 237 to more than 400 and 22 deaths, one of the victims a nurse. Experts believe the country won't see the 15,000 tally of confirmed cases the Taoiseach predicted by March 31. The bad news is that half that number could overwhelm the health system, given one in five patients who contract the virus are likely to need hospital care, and 5pc will need a ventilator to help them breathe. "The Taoiseach said there are 71 people in ICU. That rise will continue unless public measures work. If people don't do what the Taoiseach asks them to do, people will die," she said. They will die because just being on a ventilator "doesn't mean you stay alive". It gives you a shot - mortality rates can be 30pc and increase with age and underlying issues such as diabetes or hypertension. Then there is the issue of resources. Hospitals are preparing for inevitable deaths and doctors are contemplating hard choices: who should live and who should die when there isn't enough potentially life-saving equipment to go around? The Government yesterday published a guidance document, 'Ethical framework for decision-making in a pandemic'. The guidance it offers is general but stark: pandemics place a considerable strain on health systems; once the healthcare system reaches capacity, everybody will be cared for but they may not have the same access to different levels of medical intervention. And decisions will have to be made on who should be prioritised to receive that intervention. Jack Lambert, an infectious diseases consultant, has been in this position before - but in Africa during the Ebola outbreak rather than north inner-city Dublin at the Mater Hospital. "We make decisions every day in partnership with the ICU team and the family about the appropriateness of ICU care - are they going to survive," he said. "If criteria will have to be taken into consideration, then age, underlying immuno-suppressive conditions and other comorbid factors - they could be people who are chronic smokers with bad lungs to people who are alcoholics with liver damage and cirrhosis. It's going to more become complicated. "We will continue to practice medicine in a transparent way, to make decisions on the best interests of the patient, regardless of age, based on the resources we have available." Ultimately, decisions will be taken by senior hospital consultants. The assessment begins in the emergency department, where the very sick will be referred on to an intensive-care team. It is ultimately intensive-care teams who will assess whether the patient is a "candidate for advanced respiratory measures" should their condition deteriorate. According to advice circulated to doctors in one hospital, those who are not candidates are to be made "comfortable", the advice goes, and palliative treatment starts. Dr Chris Luke, emergency department consultant at Cork University Hospital, said: "We have to be thinking about all of this. If we don't try to think our way through the forthcoming battles we will find it even harder to cope because the greatest difficulty facing us is that we are going to get an awful lot of deaths that will traumatise staff and traumatise the population and we need to rehearse a lot of this stuff in our heads." For Dr Tom Ryan, an intensive-care consultant and former president of the Irish Hospital Consultants Association, the issue is one of resources. "We are short of beds, we are short of nurses, we are short of ventilators, we are short of monitors, we are short of PPE equipment and we are short of time. Most of all we are short of time," he said. "I think the HSE just needs to get us the equipment so we can look after as many patients as possible." The HSE says there are 255 intensive care beds, being scaled up to 355, and a further 42 critical care beds are coming on stream. There are currently 2,019 vacant beds across the entire system. Meanwhile, there are 1,229 ventilators in the country, with another 300 soon due for delivery and a further 600 on order. What is critical is whether the number of confirmed cases continues to climb, which is why the next two-week period is critical in stemming the growth. There are grounds for cautious optimism. Professor Sam McConkey, head of international health and tropical medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons, has been monitoring the virus since January. "On Friday, the rate of growth was doubling every two to three days, and now it is doubling every five to seven days and this shows the rate of growth in our outbreak is less," he said. "If we really want to control this, we want to get it reversed to negative growth." To achieve that, we need to follow advice. Dr Motherway warned: "This is an unpleasant disease that you really do not want to get and the only way you will do that is by staying at home, washing your hands, not seeing other people, doing whatever you need to do." : The Tamil Nadu police on Sunday said it has booked 15,610 cases for violations relating to the Section 144 Cr Pc in force in the state as part of the 21-day lockdown tp contain spread of coronavirus. According to police, total number of cases for violations of lockdown rules was 15,610 and the total First Information Reports registered was 14,815. Encouraging people to stay indoors to follow the government order, police department continue to patrol roads and have deployed barricades in major arterial roads and urged violators of the government order to stay indoors. The Cr PC Section 144 order prohibits assembly of more than five individuals. Police said it has seized 11,565 vehicles from the violators and the total fines imposed on them was Rs 4.80 lakh. The Tamil Nadu government on March 26 extended the lockdown in the State in its measures to control the spread of coronavirus till April 14 in line with the Centre's 21-day national lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The lockdown announced by Chief Minister K Palaniswami was part of the government's measures to contain COVID19 and it was originally scheduled to be in force till March 31. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hugo Swan Jr., an 81-year-old passenger aboard the MS Zaandam cruise ship, in his and his wife's cabin, March 28, 2020. Courtesy of Elberta Swan Four passengers aboard the MS Zaandam, a Holland America Line cruise ship stricken with coronavirus, have died; the ship has two more confirmed COVID-19 cases. The remaining passengers are being divided into groups designated for those who are sick and healthy, as the latter are being evacuated to a nearby sister ship, the MS Rotterdam. An elderly couple, Elberta and Hugo Swan Jr., from Victoria, Texas, spoke with Business Insider about their experiences on board the MS Zaandam. Ms. Swan said, "My big fear is being carried off this ship in a box instead of walking off." The couple isn't sure when they will be allowed to disembark from the Zaandam, after being told they couldn't be evacuated because Swan Jr. previously exhibited a cough and running nose symptoms. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Elberta and Hugo Swan Jr. have been married since 1973. They decided to celebrate an early 50th wedding anniversary in March, planning back-to-back cruises starting in Argentina and ending in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. But the 73-year-old Elberta and 81-year-old Hugo, of Victoria, Texas, had no idea what was in store when they boarded the MS Zaandam on March 7 in Buenos Aires. Three weeks later, the ship and its passengers had gotten caught in the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the world. At least 177 countries and more than 30 ships have reported cases of the COVID-19 virus. The Zaandam, a Holland America Line cruise ship currently anchored off the coast of Panama after being stopped from docking there, became the latest. "It is a very scary situation knowing you are on a ship with the virus even though there are lots of precautions. We were given masks," Elberta Swan told Business Insider via emails from the couple's cabin on Saturday. "However, I can't help but feel that we are destined to get the virus based on horror stories from other cruise ships. We feel like we are sitting ducks." Story continues A picture of the MS Zaandam, a Holland America Line cruise ship. Andy Clark/Reuters Business Insider's Aine Cain broke the news of four deaths on board the Zaandam on Friday after hearing leaked audio from a sister ship sent to rescue stranded passengers. Holland America later confirmed the report, adding that there are at least two confirmed cases of COVID-19 on board and that 138 passengers are sick. "We have no way of knowing when or how many passengers or crew we may have been in contact with without any protection," Swan said, adding: "My big fear is being carried off this ship in a box instead of walking off." A 'fluid' situation on board There were originally 1,243 guests and 586 crew members on the Zaandam. The Swans have only been allowed out of their cabin once since March 22, for a supervised 30-minute visit to the deck a couple of days ago: "We're told not to touch anything," Elberta Swan said. Crew members have been delivering meals and collecting trash from passengers' cabins. The crew gives updates via the sound system, and they also distribute printed communications, according to Swan. "The ship's captain made an announcement about the deaths, but only after several deaths," she said. "He cautions that this is a 'fluid' situation, meaning things can change." The resilient couple is used to challenging situations: Both are US Army veterans. Elberta served between 1962 and 1964, and Hugo between 1961 and 1964. Elberta Swan, a 73-year-old passenger from Victoria, Texas, in her and her husband's cabin aboard the MS Zaandam cruise chip, March 28, 2020. Courtesy of Elberta and Hugo Swan Though the couple both feel fine right now, the Swans are undoubtedly aware that they're among those at higher risk of contracting the COVID-19 virus, which disproportionately affects people older than 65. And they want to get off the Zaandam, but can't. Only healthy passengers can evacuate the ship The Zaandam's last visit to port was March 14, in Puntas Arenas, Chile before being scheduled to dock March 21 in San Antonio, Chile. Amid the global coronavirus outbreak, the cruise ship then adjusted its time table turning around and heading back to Puntas Arenas so guests could get home. Elberta and Hugo were scheduled to leave Punta Arenas and even had their flights booked back to Texas. Then, the approval to dock did not come through. "Despite previous confirmations that guests could disembark in Punta Arenas, Chile, for flights, we were not permitted to do so," Holland America said in a statement on its website. On Friday, a leaked Holland Line memo revealed ports and airports in South America and Central America had been closed off to the Zaandam and that "colleagues, fleet family members, and guests" on board "are in dire need." The MS Rotterdam and Zaandam anchored side-by-side. LUIS ACOSTA / Contributor / Getty Images So the cruise line has elected to evacuate passengers from the Zaandam to its sister ship, the MS Rotterdam, anchored nearby. But there's a catch: only healthy Zaandam guests will be transferred. "Only those who have not been ill will be moved, and health screenings will be conducted before transferring. Priority for the first guests to transfer will be given to those on Zaandam with inside staterooms and who are over 70," the company's statement said, adding that the Rotterdam would then sail to San Diego where guests could disembark. But Elberta and Hugo will not be among them. Hugo previously had a cough and runny nose, which Elberta thinks were a result of allergies. The couple reported those symptoms to the ship's health screening personnel, and have now been told they cannot leave. "Today healthy people are being evacuated to the other ship," Elberta Swan said. "We can hear them moving down the corridors and watch the little boats taking them to the 'healthy ship.'" Holland America MS Zaandam in 2012. Andy Clark/Reuters "We must remain on the 'sick ship,'" she said, adding: "We have no idea how long we have to stay on Zaandam or what will happen to us." Holland America Line is currently working with Panamanian authorities to get approval to pass eastward through the Panama Canal in order to sail to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. 'We think our country should offer some assistance' Elberta Swan said the Zaandam crew has been trying to keep passengers comfortable, but that the burden of dealing with the COVID-19 cases onboard and managing the evacuation shouldn't fall solely on the crew's shoulders: "I think some pressure needs to be applied asking for help," she said. "My first follow up email from the [US] state department said this was ultimately the cruise ship's responsibility, she said, adding: "In my response, I reminded them that this is a very complicated problem for the cruise ship to deal with as there are many governments and a lot of politics. Also that we are US citizens and veterans who served our country with very little pay." "We think our country should offer some assistance," the couple said. Zaandam passengers from other nations are similarly frustrated. Chris Joiner, a 59-year-old from Canada, and his wife Anna spoke to Reuters on Friday, sending the outlet a selfie of the pair of them wearing masks and holding a sign saying "HELP US." "We're isolated. We're stuck on this ship. We can't go anywhere because we're not healthy, I guess," Chris Joiner said. He added that the trip had turned into a "nightmare." Chris Joiner, a 59-year-old from Canada, and his wife Anna. Chris Joiner/Handout via Reuters As they wait in their cabin to be told what's next, Elberta said she is grateful for technology, and that she loaded lots of books onto her iPad. The couple currently does not have cell service. "Thank goodness Hugo brought a book," she added. He's reading Rick Atkinson's "An Army at Dawn," and loves it. Read the original article on Business Insider Security staff at Hongyuan Park in eastern Chinas Hangzhou city have been given artificial intelligence (AI) enabled glasses that can detect the body temperature of visitors, South China Morning Post reported. It has been only days since China lifted its two-month lockdown. Several public spaces are also being opened one after the other. The ease in movement is being allowed in phases but the country, where the deadly coronavirus originated, remains vigilant. Security staff at Hongyuan Park in eastern Chinas Hangzhou city have been given artificial intelligence (AI) enabled glasses that can detect the body temperature of visitors, South China Morning Post reported. Fever is one of the leading symptoms of COVID-19 patients. People visiting the Hongyuan Park, which is a part of the Xixi Wetland preserve, would not have to stand in queues or come in close contact of each other at the entrance now. The guards will be able to check if any tourist has fever or not from as far as one metre. The smart glasses have been made by a Hangzhou-based startup called Rokid Corp. The glasses work on non-contact thermal augmented reality. The company told South China Morning Post that upon wearing the regular-looking glasses, the body temperature of several hundred people could be checked within minutes. The startup has been supplying the glasses to various security personnel across Hangzhou since January. Weighing about 100 grams, the glasses are fitted with a camera and cable. As soon as it detects anybody with a fever, it immediately sends an alert and makes a digital record. Real-time facial technology is also possible with the AI-powered glasses. An ambulance driver wearing a protective suit prepares to exit the special isolation ward where coronavirus-suspected patients are being quarantined at the Kochi Medical college in Kerala. (PTI) A 65 year old non resident Keralite and an ambulance driver who were under home quarantine for coronavirus died in Kerala. Abdul Khader, a native of Cheleri in Kannur district and 30 year old Vishnu from Kattakkada in Thiruvananthapuram district passed away. As per reports, the deceased did not exhibit any symptoms of the virus. However, to rule out the possibility, their swab samples have been collected for virus test. Abdul Khader arrived from Sharjah on March 21 and was staying in isolation. His body has been shifted to Government Medical College Kannur. The ambulance driver was quarantined after bringing the body of a person who had passed away from Mumbai to Thiruvananthapuram. On Saturday, Vishnu complained of severe abdominal pain and vomiting following which he collapsed. Though he was rushed to the government medical college, he could not be saved. His swab samples too were collected and will be sent for testing. British boxer Anthony Yarde urged the public to stay at home after revealing his father has died of the coronavirus. Yarde, who fought Sergey Kovalev for the Russian's cruiserweight world title last year, said his father had been "fit with no health issues". Like many parts of the world, Britain is under a lockdown in a bid to stop the spread of the pandemic. There have been over 17,000 confirmed cases in Britain and Yarde, 28, called on people to respect the situation and stay at home. "I'm a very private person and tbh I'm still in shock but maybe this can help people stay at home," Yarde wrote on Instagram. "My dad passed away from this virus yesterday and he was fit with no health issues. The more people go out and mingle the longer this isolation will last and the more it will spread. "I'm not a doctor but I do know if you stay home you are less likely to catch it or pass it on. It's seriously not worth the risk." A statement from Yarde's promoter Frank Warren said: "Frank Warren and everyone at Queensberry Promotions would like to express sincere condolences to Anthony Yarde and his family after the untimely passing of his father. "Coronavirus is an issue affecting all of us, but that doesn't make the individual casualties any less tragic. "We hope that his fans listen to Anthony's heartfelt plea for people to take the government's advice seriously so we can try and minimise the suffering of others. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) CLEVELAND, Ohio The Cuyahoga River is at nearly a record-high level Sunday after overnight storms rolled through Northeast Ohio. The river gauge in Independence shows the river crest level at 21.62 feet as of 9:30 a.m., according to the National Weather Service. Flood level is considered anything above 17 feet, and anything above 21 feet is considered a major flood. The record high crest level at the river gauge is 23.2 feet, according to the NWS website. Earlier Sunday, the National Weather Service in Cleveland tweeted a photo of the river in The Flats, including info that the river was at the seventh-highest historical level ever recorded at the Independence gauge. The National Weather Service is calling it a 100-year flood, a term used to describe flooding that has a 1 percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Here is a snapshot of the #CuyahogaRiver in downtown #Cleveland as of 730 am. It is currently #7 highest historical river level recorded at the gauge near Independence. It is considered a #FEMA 1% flood or commonly known as a 100 year #flood.#OHwx #NWS #Weather #CLEwx pic.twitter.com/gjhAgfSmob NWS Cleveland (@NWSCLE) March 29, 2020 The NWS Cleveland office issued a flash flood warning for Cuyahoga County that is in effect until 11:45 a.m. Sunday. Portions of the county have reported 2 to 3 inches of rainfall in the last 24 hours, the NWS alert states. Most small streams and creeks came out of banks, notably the Big Creek, Mill Creek, and Tinkers Creek. While clouds will linger in Northeast Ohio Sunday, the chance of more rain in the area dips below 20 percent after about 1 p.m. Sunday. National carrier Vietnam Airlines has reduced the number of domestic routes to eight from 35 in compliance with the prime ministers directive to fight the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic. From March 28 to April 15, the airline will only operate eight routes across the Southeast Asian country. Crew members on all of its flights will be equipped with specialized protective clothing and tested for COVID-19. The carrier will help affected passengers change their flight and itinerary or have their fares refunded in line with regulations. Earlier on March 19, the national carrier suspended all international flights till April 30. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the carrier has sprayed disinfectant on all international flights and services carrying suspected cases following landing. From 0:00 on March 25, all domestic flights have been fumigated after landing in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and all aircraft are sterilized once again at the end of each day. All passengers are required to fill out health declaration forms, be screened for their body temperature before boarding, and wear face masks aboard. Other airlines in Vietnam, namely Vietjet Air, Jetstar Pacific, and Bamboo Airways have also suspended all international flights and lowered the number of domestic services because of the epidemic. The novel coronavirus, which first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019, has infected over 664,200 people and killed more than 30,800 globally as of Sunday afternoon, according to Ministry of Health statistics. Vietnam has announced 179 COVID-19 patients so far, with 21 having been discharged from the hospital by Saturday. No fatality related to the disease has been reported in the country to date. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Students have flooded social media to organise donations for Chinese doctors battling the coronavirus epidemic. Workers have marched in the streets to demand compensation for weeks of unemployment during citywide lockdowns. Young citizen journalists have taken to YouTube to call for free speech. The coronavirus outbreak has mobilised young people in China, sounding a call to action for a generation that had shown little resistance to the ruling Communist Partys agenda. For much of their lives, many young Chinese have been content to relinquish political freedoms as long as the party upheld its end of an unspoken authoritarian bargain by providing jobs, stability and upward mobility. Now the virus has exposed the limits of that trade-off. Angry and agitated, many young Chinese are pushing back on the governments efforts to conceal its missteps and its resistance to allowing civil society to help. Some have spoken out about the cost of secrecy, taking aim at censorship and the muzzling of whistleblowers. Others, by organising volunteers and protests, have tested the partys hostility to independent groups. Still others have sought to hold opaque state-backed charities to account by exposing how public donations were funnelled first to government offices instead of hospitals. The outbreak has prompted a generational awakening that could match the defining effects of the Second World War or the 2008 financial crisis and disrupt the social stability on which the Communist Party depends. These recent events have made some people see more clearly that criticising their country does not mean they dont love their country, said Hannah Yang, a Beijing resident who created a channel on Telegram, an encrypted messaging app, to share screenshots of censored articles and social media posts. More than 14,000 people have joined. One day, there will definitely be a narrative about the recent events in China, she said. And at the very least, we can let other people know exactly what happened here. As the virus continues to spread globally, similar questions - about trust in government, economic security, a way of life - are sure to face young people in many countries. But they have special resonance in China for a generation that is largely unfamiliar with the poverty and turmoil that came to characterise the country in the decades after the Communist Revolution. Unlike the college students whose pro-democracy protests prompted the governments Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989, this generation - brought up in a roaring economy, saturated with official propaganda has shown little opposition to the status quo. If the pandemic sets off a global recession that saps demand for Chinese goods and ends decades of economic growth in the country, resentment towards the party in young people could build (Reuters) (REUTERS) The coming months will test whether the party can assuage young peoples newfound concerns or if the pressure will build into broader discontent that chips away at the governments legitimacy. Chinas recent success in reducing coronavirus infections has helped renew nationalist fervour, despite the severe lockdowns and travel restrictions put in place by the government. If the party is able to restart the economy quickly and restore daily life while countries like Italy and the United States struggle to do so, its promotion of a strong, centralized state could gain even more traction. But if the pandemic sets off a global recession that saps demand for Chinese goods and ends decades of economic growth in the country, resentment towards the party could build. Already, many young people are concerned about their job prospects as the fallout from the governments containment efforts threatens to cause the first contraction in Chinas economy since 1976. This episode has been traumatic and disruptive to many young people and led them to reflect on their experience and future prospects, said Xueguang Zhou, a sociologist at Stanford University who has written about the Chinese government. Chinas leader, Xi Jinping, has vowed to protect workers and get factories back on track. His government is ramping up nationalistic propaganda, portraying its handling of the virus as a model for other countries. And it is squelching dissent, targeting citizen journalists who sought to share unfiltered accounts of the crisis in Wuhan as well as critics like Ren Zhiqiang, an outspoken property tycoon who called Xi a power-hungry clown. Still, the scars of the pandemic, which has killed more than 3,000 people in China, will not easily fade. Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Show all 20 1 /20 Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Top: Nabi Younes market, Mosul Bottom: Charles Bridge, Prague Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Grand Mosque, Mecca Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Sagrada Familia, Barcelona Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Nabi Younes market, Mosul Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Basra Grand Mosque, Iraq Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Charles Bridge, Prague Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Taj Mahal hotel, India Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Dubai Mall, UAE Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Beirut March, Lebanon Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Gateway of India, Mumbai Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Cairo University, Egypt Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Amman Citadel, Jordan Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Beirut March, Lebanon Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Cairo, Egypt Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Cairo University, Egypt Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Victoria Memorial, India Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Amman Citadel, Jordan Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Amman Citadel, Jordan Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Sidon, Lebanon Reuters Carol Huang was once largely indifferent to politics, accepting that most people seemed supportive of the party and Xi. But recently, Huang, who is from Wuhan, the central Chinese city where the outbreak began, has taken to battling supporters of the party on social media and defending Chinese journalists who have criticised the governments response to the outbreak. The government thinks, Either you listen to me, or you go to hell, she said. Theres no neutral ground. This is what Im trying to change on social media. Other Chinese internet users - nearly half of whom are under 30, according to official statistics - have chipped at the partys narrative in less direct ways. Some, like Yang in Beijing, have set up cybergraveyards to compile news and commentary related to the virus that have been scrubbed off the internet by government censors. At several universities, students organised mass campaigns on social media to solicit donations for hospitals in Wuhan, posting testimonials from doctors and nurses describing a lack of supplies. Several tech-savvy volunteers analysed data from the Wuhan Red Cross and the Wuhan Charity General Association, two government-backed charities that controlled donations meant to help fight the outbreak. They found that the organisations had funnelled more money and masks to government offices than to hospitals, and they publicized the details on social media. As the outbreak worsened in January and officials in Wuhan imposed a lockdown, Lin Wenhua, a freelance videographer in the city, pivoted from producing advertisements to using his camera to document the crisis. Lin posted videos of his conversations with doctors and nurses who described not having time to rest, and with homeless workers displaced by the epidemic. He attracted a following of more than 5 million people on Weibo, one of Chinas most popular social media sites, even as several of his videos were deleted by government censors. Human nature has been magnified in this crisis, he said. You see warm and kind characters, but you also see especially ugly ones. A few young people have channelled their experiences on the ground into explicitly political appeals. Li Zehua, a former host on China Central Television, the state broadcast agency, travelled to Wuhan to cover the outbreak as a citizen journalist, interviewing stranded migrant workers and crematory workers. In his last video, Mr Zehua urged his peers to learn more about Chinas history. Im not willing to disguise my voice, nor am I willing to shut my eyes and close my ears, he said before two men in plainclothes entered his apartment and the video was cut off. I hope more young people can stand up! Mr Zehua has not been heard from since, nor has Chen Qiushi, another young citizen journalist in Wuhan. Still, despite widespread criticism of authorities early mishandling of the virus, those calling for less censorship and centralized control still probably represent a minority in a country where strident patriotism is fostered at a young age. Far wider reaching is the anxiety over the outbreaks economic toll. In recent weeks, some young people have joined protests to demand compensation for the disruption caused by the virus and the ensuing government lockdowns. Peng Lun, a clothing seller in the southern city of Guangzhou, joined hundreds of people recently as they marched in the streets demanding reductions in rent for shop owners. He said he and his wife were running out of money for food and shelter. Nobody is buying anything anymore, he said. How are we supposed to survive? Experts said Chinas economy is likely to be the deciding factor in whether young peoples social and political engagement would last. While social media activity can be fleeting or censored, unemployment is harder to paper over, said Fengshu Liu, a professor at the University of Oslo who has studied Chinese youth. New York Times A mother with no underlying health conditions has died from coronavirus after attending a funeral where 17 mourners suspect they caught the disease. Sheila Brooks, 86, from Halesowen, in the West Midlands, passed away last month and nearly all her extended family attended the service two weeks ago. But within days her niece Susan Nelson, 65, who had no underlying health conditions, became ill, and died of suspected Covid-19. Now 16 further family members all suspect they have the virus after catching it at the funeral - including Susan's husband, daughter, a niece and a great-uncle. Susan Nelson, 65, (pictured) who had no underlying health conditions, became ill, and died of suspected Covid-19, after attending the family funeral Susan Nelson with her granddaughter Ellie and grandson Edward. 17 family members are now showing symptoms of Covid-19 after going to the funeral in Yardley Wood Retired sandwich shop owner Susan even died on the same hospital ward as her aunt Shiela. Susan's daughter Amanda, 34, is just one of a suspected 17 family members who are showing symptoms of Covid-19 after going to the funeral in Yardley Wood. The NHS business support manager, currently isolating at home with her father, Robert, also suffers from Addison's Disease. She has had two life-threatening 'adrenal crises' - episodes related to her condition brought on by the coronavirus. Amanda, from Halesowen said: 'It was my great aunt's funeral so a lot of the wider family were there. 'She died back in February, but we have just had so many people contract the virus that I can only think it was from then. 'We now have someone else in our family in hospital that's probably not going to survive it. Susan Nelson (middle) with her family. Now 16 further family members all suspect they have the virus after catching it at the funeral - including Susan's husband, daughter, a niece and a great-uncle Susan Nelson and daughter Amanda. Amanda, who is currently isolating at home with her father, Robert, also suffers from Addison's Disease and has also become very unwell 'My 21-year-old cousin has it, right the way up to a great uncle that is 88 and is showing some symptoms. 'Its a whole section of us, none of us seems to have been missed out of it just yet. It's a bit strange. 'I would say around 17 family members have been displaying symptoms since going to that funeral. It's hit young and old in our family. 'Our beautiful, caring mum was the centre of the family - we are a very close, large family and this has destroyed us.' Sheila Brooks, was 86 when she passed away on February 9, with the majority of the extended family attending the service on March 13. Susan got notably worse the following week, with the family forced into calling an ambulance. She died at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham with her husband Robert, 67, at her side. Her son Carl, 42, who now lives in Cleckheaton, Yorkshire, said: 'She was coughing a lot, very breathless and showing all the traditional symptoms. Susan Nelson (far left) with her family. Her daughter Amanda and father Robert, a retired electrical engineer, are still battling the killer bug but are 'showing improvement' 'She was admitted to hospital on Monday March 16 and I spoke to the hospital staff the following day. 'They said the next 48 hours were critical before they called me back a few hours later to say it was very close to the end and one member of the family could be with her. 'Because I had none of the symptoms, I couldn't go and my sister was too unwell battling the illness herself. 'People can end up dying on their own. Fortunately, my dad Robert was able to go and be with her when she died. 'She started showing serious symptoms on Thursday and being dead the early hours of the Tuesday morning shows how quickly this can escalate. 'I managed to speak to her on the phone when my dad got there and all she wanted was for me to come down. 'I had my suitcase packed ready to head down, but the hospital were telling me I wasn't allowed. Susan Nelson (far left) is pictured with member of her family. Everyone but Carl (on the far right) are showing symptoms 'I had to tell her they wouldn't let me and I weren't allowed to see her. I didn't want her to die thinking that I didn't want to come. 'We have got to beat it and we can't have any other families to go through what we are going through at the moment. 'It's about getting the message out. It's about seeing the faces of loved ones and thinking this is real.' The family are unable to make funeral arrangements due to the government clampdown on mass gatherings. Carl, one of the only members of the family without symptoms, said: 'We have been told it may have to be limited to six people, but that could change. 'It's the practical things as well. All of my family are isolated, so I may have to drive down to pick up the relevant forms from the hospital to register her death. Susan Nelson with her nephew Wayne. In recognition for the NHS workers who tried to save their mother, the family have set up a Just Giving page with proceeds going to Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham Charity 'While I am doing all that, I won't be able to see my family, I will just have to drive back up north. 'It's not good and it's not right. I don't blame anyone, I totally understand the reasons why it has to be this way.' Amanda and father Robert, a retired electrical engineer, are still battling the killer bug but are 'showing improvement'. She said: 'I still can't quite shake it off though. It's very up and down. For me, I feel okay in the mornings but by the afternoon you feel like it's come back again. 'The cough is still lingering and other symptoms, but hopefully we can keep improving. Fortunately, my dad seems to be getting better but my mum obviously didn't make it. 'The last person I thought it would take would be my mum. I was worried about my dad, who has underlying health conditions.' The family are adamant that the wider public should follow the social distancing guidelines and to not do so is 'madness' 'The speed it acts at is phenomenal and how vicious it is can't be underestimated,' her son Carl said 'don't be stupid and don't risk it. 'Everyone, please follow the advice. Stay home, stay safe. Anyone who thinks they are fit and healthy, that it's just like the cold or flu, don't risk it.' In recognition for the NHS workers who tried to save their mother, the family have set up a Just Giving page with proceeds going to Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham Charity. Carl explained: 'In the conditions, they are working under, it's phenomenal.. My dad described it as a living hell. 'What they are facing on a day to day basis, no one truly understands or appreciates what they put into their job. 'If we can all just do something little that goes to them, that they can benefit from and just to say thank you, it would be great. My family are all grateful for the work they did. 'They couldn't save mum but they gave everything to do so and made her comfortable in the end. 'Even the follow-up conversations that I have had, despite how much pressure they are under, the doctor took the time to call me back and explain things to me. 'I couldn't ask for anymore. The fundraising page has exceeded our expectations already. The generosity of people has been staggering, even in these tough times.' Amanda also echoed this, adding: 'The ward that my mum died on was the same one that my aunt died on and the nursing staff instantly recognised my mum. 'I spoke to one of the nurses on the ward and it felt like her heart was broken. She was really, really upset. 'I just can't imagine what they were feeling as well, it will have been awful for them too. 'Mum would always see the best in people and take people under her wing. She became a second mother to my cousin Wayne. 'She was the centre of everything. All that went on in the family was communicated through my mum. 'She would pull everyone together, loved having a house full and seeing everyone. She was always laughing and joking. She will be sorely missed.' WOOD RIVER The citys upcoming city council meeting will be held via teleconference, the Wood River mayor said Saturday. The COVID-19 virus has thrust this country into an unprecedented time in our history and the city of Wood River is operating within these truncated governmental guidelines, Mayor Cheryl Maguire said in a prepared statement. Like other cities, we are conducting meetings in such a way as to safeguard the public, our council members and city employees. For this reason, the Monday, March 30, city council meeting will being conducted by teleconference as outlined by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzkers novel coronavirus executive order issued earlier this month. The citys fiscal year starts May 1. So its imperative that the budget is passed and bills be approved, Maguire said. Any budget is a financial plan and must be fluid, so changes can be made when necessary. This budget is no exception. Essential expenditures are the citys top priority, non-essential projects have been placed on hold as of March 15, she said. Revenues are being closely scrutinized, she explained. To that end, myself and department heads have been in contact with our federal and state government representatives to check whether grants and other revenues that the city is receiving, may receive or are on target to receive, are being postponed, given this precarious time. Many citywide employees are working off-site at home, and city departments are rotating its workforce whenever possible. Both fire and police departments are fully staffed and altering service methods to the public in order to contribute to the safety of the public and Wood Rivers first responders. Even with these adaptations during this emergency, citizens are currently receiving city services as we can best provide, Maguire said. The City Council and administration appreciates the patience and understanding of the public as well as their cooperation in conducting their business with the city. Cities are here solely to serve the needs of its residents and thats what Wood River is doing in the modified ways we are able. Everyone please stay safe and stay well. Citizens can call Wood River City Hall at 618-251-3100 for more information. As COVID-19 terrifyingly escalates in the United States, another deadly contagion -- economic eugenics -- is spreading rampantly. Unlike the novel coronavirus, this brain-wasting scourge is self-inflicted by the political right. The malignancy of economic eugenics has manifested itself globally for centuries. One of its most virulent strains occurred in Nazi Germany during World War II. The latest infestation values the economy over human life and advocates sacrificing senior citizens for economic ends. Ironically, some of its advocates, like Fox News Glenn Beck, falsely accused Obamacare of devaluing life" by promoting elderly "death panels. Are these eugenicists volunteering at or donating to hospitals, food banks, police, or fire departments? Today, seniors are expendable, tomorrow its the physically handicapped, the developmentally disabled, and others deemed to be drains on the economy. Connie Kline, Willoughby Hills Five Pakistan nationals, who were stuck in India following closure of border crossings due to coronavirus cases, returned home on Sunday via the Attari-Wagah border point. The Pakistani citizens, Chaudhary Muhammad Ashfaq, Nighat Mukhtar, Yasir Mukhtar, Muhammad Khalid and Chaudhry Muhammad Asif, came to India on medical visas and were stranded in Delhi and Noida following imposition of travel restrictions, a spokesperson in the Pakistan High Commission said. He said the five persons successfully returned to Pakistan via Attari-Wagah border. India closed the border crossing points and restricted operation of international passenger flights earlier this month as part of efforts to check the spread of coronavirus. Earlier, four stranded Pakistan nationals, including a 12-year-old boy, Sabeeh Sheeraz, and his parents and grandfather, were repatriated via the Attari-Wagah border on March 20. The official said Pakistan High Commission has been in close contact with the Indian side as well as authorities in Islamabad to ensure expeditious and safe return of stranded Pakistanis. "In close coordination with both Indian and Pakistan sides, the Mission is making all-out efforts for early return of the remaining Pakistan nationals stranded in India," the spokesperson said. He said the High Commission continues to monitor the safety and well-being of stranded Pakistani citizens and is providing them all possible assistance. The number of Pakistani citizens stranded in India is not immediately known. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tyra Banks' four-year-old son has already mastered her signature modeling move. The 46-year-old stopped by Good Morning America today to promote her new 'ultimate modeling fantasy' experience, ModelLand, and said that her son York is already a pro at smizing. 'Oh he knows how to smize,' she said, referring to the term she coined to describe smiling with one's eyes. Learning from the best: Tyra Banks said her four-year-old son York already knows how to smize Learning well: She's also teaching him to love all body types, including bigger booties like his mom's 'Smize' was one of the first words that Tyra famously introduced to the lexicon during the early seasons of America's Next Top Model. Tyra was constantly encouraging the models to get better at smiling with their eyes, and in 2012 she even introduced an app called Smize Yourself, which taught fans how to do it at home. But Tyra's son York doesn't need an app he has the real thing, and has mastered his smizing before even starting kindergarten. Tyra is teaching him other things, too. She told GMA that another big lesson in their house is that all body types are created equal. 'I'm teaching my son to love all body types' she said, noting that he already knows her catchphrase, 'X out booty standards.' 'He's like, "Mommy x out booty standards, mommy your booty is bigger and it's OK,"' she said. Ex: York is Tyra's son with her ex-boyfriend Erik Asla. She and the Norwegian photographer welcomed him via gestational surrogate in January 2016 (pictured Feb. 2014) York is Tyra's son with her ex-boyfriend Erik Asla. She and the Norwegian photographer welcomed him via gestational surrogate in January 2016. The supermodel talked about the little smizer while decked out in a black-and-white checked suit with fingerless gloves, white pumps, and a hat for her GMA appearance on Monday. She was there to promote ModeLand in Los Angeles, which will launch this spring. Tickets for entry beginning in May went on sale this morning, with the priciest ones costing a staggering $1,495. Glam goddess: Tyra appeared on Good Morning America today to promote ModelLand Supermodel: She posed in a checked suit, which she accessorized with white pumps and fingerless gloves Promo tour: Tyra tucked her hair under a black ModelLand beret General access tickets to the 21,000-square-foot space are somewhat reasonably priced at $59 apiece (all prices listed on her website excluded fees). 'Runway walk into the universe of ModelLand where you will live the ultimate modeling fantasy,' the ModelLand site says of the GA tickets. 'Tailored to your unique beauty, your story-driven fashion journey will change with each visit.' The general ticket gets a visitor his or her own digital lookbook 'customized with phierce photos of you,' access to an immersive theater and 'experiential closets,' and custom lighting and posing tips. Tickets on sale now: General access tickets to the 21,000-square-foot ModelLand experience are $59 Pricey! But the most VIP option will set fans back $1,495 Then there's the $549 Fantascene Photoshoot package, which promises that the ticket holder will 'be the star of your very own custom high fashion photo shoot in ModelLand's luxurious grand lounge.' 'Your extravagant photo journey is comprised of: An ultimate high fashion photoshoot conceived by Tyra Banks. Phierce magazine quality photos of YOU A dream-worthy makeup look from a professional artist Couture hair styling.' Visitors in the Fantascene Photoshoot also get a styled ModelLand X Kim Kimble wig, a custom drink and snacks. The most expensive ticket is for Fantascene Dream, package which costs an eye-popping $1,495. This option is a first class 'elevated experience' that features concierge service and a pre-consulation with a beauty and style expert to curate Instagrammable looks for the photoshoot. The Fantascene Dream also comes with veiled VIP seating, hand-crafted ModelLand elixir, an assortment of artisanal truffles, a model goodies gift bag curated by Tyra, and a luxury robe with ModelLand insignia, among other things. Rio Tinto chief executive J-S Jacques said "Covid-19 is a human tragedy and we all have to play our part as the pandemic spreads. Rio Tinto's first priority remains the health and safety of all of our employees and communities. During these uncertain times, we continue to deliver products to our customers supported by our global sales and marketing teams. "We have taken extensive measures across the business to help protect our people and communities, and have increased these as the pandemic spreads, in line with guidance or directives from governments and advice from international health organisations on best practice. "At this point in time, most of our assets continue to operate, with health and safety as a first priority, and I am proud of the way our employees have risen to the challenge to keep themselves, their colleagues and communities safe. There are many examples of our operational teams continuing to run their businesses as they provide support to local communities, from manufacturing hand sanitiser, to giving protective equipment to hospitals and funding local community response initiatives. In order to support global grassroots community Covid-19 preparedness and recovery, we are pledging a further $25 million. This takes our total estimated voluntary global community contributions to around $60 million for 2020. "For us the focus is to maintain a business as usual approach with many safeguards, at a very unusual time. We are not at all complacent. Safety and health comes first as we keep delivering for our customers, our host governments and communities". Working with our customers and business continuity Rio Tinto continues to work with its customers to fulfil orders and meet their requirements while complying with government directives. The company's commercial teams in their key locations are focussing on business continuity and customer support. In most of these locations the teams are running rotating work arrangements or working from home, with the Shanghai team returning to the office today as China recovers from the pandemic. Rio Tinto has business resilience teams (BRTs) at each site and region, including a global BRT under the leadership of its chief executive, J-S Jacques. The aim of these teams is to keep operations running safely, to enable commercial supply chain continuity and plan for future eventualities under various scenarios. Critical infrastructure at each of the operations has been assessed with a continuity plan in place, should it be required. Many functional leadership teams across Rio Tinto have also been split into red and blue teams to maintain resilience and continuity, with a priority to protect critical operations support teams such as employees running the operational centres in Perth, Brisbane and Bagotville and our information technology and cyber security teams. Protecting employees Rio Tinto has put strict protocols in place globally, in line with government guidance and directives, and advice from leading medical experts to keep employees, contractors and partners safe. The majority of Rio Tinto's employees work at operations and cannot work from home, so the company has implemented a number of controls to support them which include but are not limited to: Introducing travel restrictions: restricting the amount of Fly-In Fly-Out (FIFO) people at sites and implementing changes to rosters where possible; implementing temperature and other rapid screening tests of workforce at airports, in alignment with local regulation and guidance; reducing the number of flights to FIFO assets due to roster changes; and implementing screening questionnaires and hotlines which provide employees with health assessments by medical advisors on fitness for work, including fatigue management. Implementing social distancing protocols: reducing the number of people attending pre-start meetings; keeping at least six feet apart; closure of all bars, gyms and pools at mining camp sites to limit social interaction; bus, light vehicle and flight configurations changed to extend the distance between passengers; and site meeting rooms marked with a maximum number of participants. Increasing personal hygiene at our assets: implementing controls for personal hygiene including hand washing prior to entering dining rooms; buffet-style food services in some operations have been eliminated or modified; increased frequency of cleaning at high touch areas; and providing extra hand sanitiser and work station cleaning areas. Increasing support for our employees at our sites: providing an on-call service for employees to return home for health or family emergencies; supporting employees' mental health with the provision of our employee assistance programme; isolation areas identified and site protocols established; and medical teams in place with temporary clinics prepared. Increased leadership presence on site: visible local leadership across our assets, with increased communications. A number of Rio Tinto regional and corporate offices have been shut and employees have been instructed to work from home, as per government protocols in each jurisdiction. In recognition that schools and day cares are closing, or have closed, Rio Tinto is providing flexible work arrangements to support affected employees and their families. The company is also offering mental health services for all of its teams working across the world. Across the company, engagement with employees has been increased. A number of new communication channels utilising technology have been implemented. Protecting host communities Rio Tinto aims to keep communities safe by doing what it can to not put them at risk. Rio Tinto employees and contractors cannot visit vulnerable communities those in which underlying health challenges are prevalent, or those in remote areas where health care infrastructure is not strong without the express approval of appropriate community and Rio Tinto leadership. Employees from such communities have been provided with support to return to their community. Feedback received from communities is being actively incorporated into local planning and approach guidelines, and Rio Tinto is offering support to those who need help preparing or communicating emergency plans. Rio Tinto invested around $197 million1 in traditional landowner agreements and community contributions in 2019, including $36 million in voluntary community programs. The company will maintain a similar level of investment in 2020, recently announcing an extension of its $15 million Royal Flying Doctors partnership to support health for remote communities in Western Australia, as one example. In order to support global grassroots community Covid-19 preparedness and recovery, we are pledging a further $25 million. This takes our total estimated voluntary global community contributions to around $60 million for 2020. This additional investment will predominantly focus on value-in-kind opportunities. Some of these measures are well progressed, and include: The supply of masks and protective equipment to support emergency and health professionals Donations to national and local communities, hospitals and international agencies Provision of ventilation units and temporary medical units in communities Further investment in education and financial literacy programs, as remote learning becomes the global norm for children. The Future Minds accelerator partnership Rio Tinto announced is a good example of this. The manufacturing of hand sanitiser at certain Rio Tinto sites Working across the industry and with governments Rio Tinto continues to look for opportunities to share knowledge of response activities and to partner with others in the industry to find joint solutions to address and aid in the recovery from this global pandemic. The company is actively contributing to Covid-19 related best practice forums in health, safety and communities, as established by the International Council of Mining and Metals (ICMM). Rio Tinto is working closely with governments around the world to ensure its operations can continue to contribute to society at this challenging time. In 2019, Rio Tinto's global direct economic contribution was around $45 billion which includes salaries, payables to governments, payments to suppliers, non-government royalties and other, reinvestments and dividends and finance items. For further information on our Covid-19 approach visit riotinto.com, where a number of other Covid-19 market disclosures are available. Rio Tinto will continue to provide further market updates as required. 1 This includes landowners, including indigenous peoples with whom we make agreements, development contributions and voluntary community investments. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200329005031/en/ Contacts: media.enquiries@riotinto.com riotinto.com Follow @RioTinto on Twitter Media Relations, United Kingdom Illtud Harri M +44 7920 503 600 David Outhwaite T +44 20 7781 1623 M +44 7787 597 493 Media Relations, Americas Matthew Klar T +1 514 608 4429 Media Relations, Asia Grant Donald T +65 6679 9290 M +65 9722 6028 Media Relations, Australia Jonathan Rose T +61 3 9283 3088 M +61 447 028 913 Matt Chambers T +61 3 9283 3087 M +61 433 525 739 Jesse Riseborough T +61 8 6211 6013 M +61 436 653 412 Investor Relations, United Kingdom Menno Sanderse T: +44 20 7781 1517 M: +44 7825 195 178 David Ovington T +44 20 7781 2051 M +44 7920 010 978 Investor Relations, Australia Natalie Worley T +61 3 9283 3063 M +61 409 210 462 Amar Jambaa T +61 3 9283 3627 M +61 472 865 948 Rio Tinto plc 6 St James's Square London SW1Y 4AD United Kingdom T +44 20 7781 2000 Registered in England No. 719885 Rio Tinto Limited Level 7, 360 Collins Street Melbourne 3000 Australia T +61 3 9283 3333 Registered in Australia ABN 96 004 458 404 Category: general From trafficking dodgy surgical masks to peddling counterfeit medicines and running internet scams, criminals are finding ways to profit from the coronavirus crisis, European police warn. With billions of people under lockdown in their homes and borders shut, police chiefs say criminals are finding it hard to make money out of "traditional" activities like burglary and drug smuggling. Instead they are preying on people's fears of the COVID-19 pandemic to sell them substandard protective goods or trick people out of their cash online, warned Europe's police agency Europol. "Criminals are just interested in one question: 'how can I make more money?'," Europol director Catherine De Bolle told AFP in an interview. "This is why they are now abusing the pandemic to change their way of working." Police around the world seized 34,000 counterfeit surgical masks in one major operation targeting so-called "corona criminals" earlier this month, Europol said in a report Friday. "Fraudsters have been very quick to adapt well-known fraud schemes to capitalise on the anxieties and fears of victims throughout the crisis," the report added. - 'Decrease in break-ins' - In many European countries, police have reported a dramatic drop in common criminal behaviour. Spanish police said there had been a roughly 50 percent drop in criminal offences compared to a year earlier since the country was put on a near total lockdown on March 14. "There is no doubt that confinement makes crime more difficult," said the deputy director of Spain's Guardia Civil police force, Laurentino Cena. Sweden too said it had seen burglaries drop since people were asked to work at home. Sales of street drugs have also dropped sharply in many countries since the outbreak as authorities shut borders and restrict the movement of people. But the flip side of the coin is a rise in other forms of crime trying to profit on the back of the disease. Austria's Interior Minister Karl Nehammer said this week that "we see a decrease in breaks-ins, burglaries, but at the same time cybercrime is on the rise". Online fraud was exploding across Europe, several agencies and police forces said. The World Health Organization, at the forefront of the fight against the pandemic, has warned of a sharp increase in email phishing and scams using its name to try to steal money and sensitive information. Britain's National Crime Agency said criminals "target people who seek to buy medical supplies on the internet, sending emails offering fake medical support and defrauding people who may be vulnerable or increasingly isolated at home". - 'Worst in humanity' - In Germany too, "cybercriminals are exploiting people's current concerns about COVID-19 to send phishing emails with malicious content or use this fear with fraudulent intent", police said. Fears were growing in Italy, the country worst hit by the virus, that small businesses short of money due to the crisis will turn to the mafia to save them. In Denmark, the government has promised high sentences for people who steal hydro-alcoholic gel and burglars posing as health workers of paramedics. Police have also warned people to be on the lookout for burglars wearing protective masks who claim to be carrying out coronavirus tests in order to steal from homes, particularly those of the elderly. There was also a rising threat of sexual predators who prey on young people who are spending more time in front of screens at home, officials warned. "We've had tips of webpages where perpetrators are discussing how the situation we are in now can be exploited," Anna Karin Hildingson Boqvist, head of the child rights group ECPAT in Sweden, told AFP. With families confined to their homes, there are also fears of a surge in domestic violence. Some French police stations have seen a more than 30 percent increase in such reports since the country's lockdown began on March 17, according to Interior Minister Christophe Castaner. The coronavirus outbreak is also behind a rise in anti-social behaviour. The pandemic "could bring out the worst in humanity", Britain's National Police Chiefs Council warned, citing the theft of oxygen cylinders at a Manchester hospital. Police in Britain and Austria have recently arrested people for coughing or spitting on people while claiming to be infected. burs-jhe/dk/dl/je Poland's liberal opposition on Sunday urged voters to boycott the May 10 presidential election, which the right-wing government has controversially refused to postpone despite the risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) government came under heavy pressure this week over its decision to continue with the election, as an opinion poll showed that 72 percent of respondents wanted the ballot postponed. Surveys also show a surge in the popularity of PiS-allied incumbent President Andrzej Duda amid the crisis, giving him a shot at a first-round victory. "Let's boycott these elections -- your lives are the most important," Malgorzata Kidawa-Blonska, Duda's main liberal rival, told reporters in Warsaw on Sunday, adding that she would suspend her campaign to focus on fighting the pandemic. She also issued a separate statement insisting that "organising presidential elections could even be criminal" under the current conditions. "How can you ask for people's trust and at the same time persuade them to risk their lives?" she asked. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and powerful PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski, a close Duda ally, have said they see no reason to postpone the election. Duda himself admitted on Saturday that the current "election date may turn out to be unsustainable" should the pandemic "still be raging" in mid-May. Poland's PiS-dominated parliament on Saturday adopted rules allowing people over 60, in quarantine or self-isolation to vote via postal ballot, a move the opposition slammed as being unconstitutional. While the Senate, where the opposition has a majority, could reject the measures within the next 30 days, the PiS-dominated lower house would likely adopt them again before sending them for final approval to Duda. Critics including constitutional experts claim the new measures violate Constitutional Court rulings stating that changes to the election code must be adopted at least six months before voting day. An EU member of 38 million people, Poland has recorded 1771 confirmed cases of coronavirus, including 20 deaths. It shut borders and schools earlier this month and has since limited public gatherings to two people and restricted freedom of movement in line with EU-wide measures to stem the spread of COVID-19. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Coronavirus: COVID-19 aka Coronavirus positive cases climbed to 1024 on Sunday and 27 deaths were reported. Off 1024 active cases, 95 been cured, while 27 lost their lives. Further, Indian railways have now come up with parcel vans to ensure an uninterrupted flow of commodities. Coronavirus India lockdown Day 5, Coronavirus cases & deaths in India: The Ministry of Health and Welfare on Sunday confirmed 1024 positive cases, including 48 foreign nationals. So far, 95 patients have been cured, while 27 died. Taking the scenario state wise, the worst affected state is Maharashtra where 186 positive cases have been reported with 6 deaths, then Kerala which has reported 182 cases with 1 death and then Karnataka with 76 cases and three deaths. Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, and Punjab have reported less than 40 cases. Talking about the global scenario, Italy has crossed 30,000 cases with more than 1000 deaths followed by other countries like Spain, France, Iran and Italy with over 8.000 new cases. Further, China has now confirmed 45 new cases with five more deaths in the last 24 hours. Further, the Centre has now directed all the states to ensure no movement by making all the necessary measures for the migrants at their place of work that will include food and their daily wages. Not just this, Indian railways have also come up with a new plan to ensure uninterrupted flow of essential commodities by introducing run parcel vans in the entire country. Also Read: Coronavirus lockdown: PM Narendra Modi apologises for harsh steps in Mann Ki Baat speech Center directs States to ensure no movement of people across cities. All arrangements be made for migrant labourers at their place of work including timely payment of wages. Action should be taken against those asking students/labourers to vacate: Govt of India. #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/8sXiiHvfIo ANI (@ANI) March 29, 2020 Officials revealed that special parcel trains will be running from Moga- Chhangsari, Chandigarh-Jaipur, New Delhi-Kalyan, New Delhi- Gauhati, New Delhi-Mumbai routes. The official reveals that due to lack of traffic on tracks this, the run of these trains will be easy and now the transportation of all the essential commodities will also become uninterrupted. These parcel services will mainly include medical equipment, food, dairy products, and medical supplies. For all the latest National News, download NewsX App Teachers have been engrossed in the world of remote learning for the better part of the last two weeks amid the coronavirus pandemic and while the kinks are still being worked out, one may wonder: What about paraprofessionals? Truth is, theyre still working too. City Department of Education paras rarely, if ever, have to spend their day on a computer. However, many are now logging in at home via DOE-issued computer, PCs or phones to interact with students. Jaime Miranda is a Pre-K classroom para who has been working at the city DOE for the last year. Although she doesnt doubt all paras are adjusting to virtual learning, her situation can be a bit more difficult since the students she works with -- 4-year-olds -- arent manning the keyboard. Nonetheless, she goes about her job with a business-as-usual mentality. "Were supposed to log in every day and be as active as possible with the kids,'' said the 39-year-old Miranda, who works at a DOE school on the East Shore after 10-plus years of being a Pre-K para elsewhere, including the Jewish Community Center. "We werent given concrete instruction on what to do, but I give good morning posts each day and we know that when theyre assigned work, we have to communicate with them and acknowledge (the work theyve done).' According to Miranda, social interaction is a pivotal part of her job. Unfortunately, its a difficult task when youre working with kids under 5 on a computer. *** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK *** "You want to teach them things like, how to be kind and how to take turns, and those are really things you cant teach on a computer,'' the Bulls Head resident said. "Its obviously better to be hands on, but were doing the best we can under the circumstances. We have no choice.'' Among Mirandas jobs on-line is recording herself reading a story, then posting it for her students to watch. She brought home books from each unit of study that will last several months, if it goes that far. Her students, like others, have been also working on the Rainbow Project on Staten Island. "They make their pictures and we comment,'' said Miranda, a Brooklyn native who graduated from Bishop Kearney HS before attending Kingsborough Community College and the College of Staten Island. "The kids will write I miss you, and Ill write back I miss you too.' "And I do miss them. I rather be there, with them. Ive been so lucky (to be with them).'' Miranda, who has a daughter thats a junior at St. Joseph by-the-Sea, is taken aback by the pandemic, just like everyone else, but knows that working from home is something that needs to happen at the current time. She said during her free time shes been cleaning her house and watching her favorite shows, like Homeland and Ozark. "(The pandemic) is something weve never experienced before, but necessary,'' she said. "Everyone really has to follow through and stay put, stay in their homes and keep their distance so we can get through this.'' In the meantime, Miranda is gearing up for something new this week: A class meeting by computer using Google Classroom. Needless to say with 4-year-olds comprising the majority of the windows, it should be fun. RELATED COVERAGE: Staten Island school principal tests positive for coronavirus New York Public Library: Free virtual tutoring, read-alouds and more College of Staten Island vacates dorms; may be used as medical facilities DoorDash will deliver meals to medically fragile NYC kids Will first responder child care centers offer special ed services? Staten Island parents on remote learning: Teacher, school support amazing' First responder child care centers open with a lot of precautions Mayor: NYC schools may be closed for rest of 2019-2020 academic year Coronavirus: AP exams will be online, shortened to 45 minutes Schools closed: Heres where NYC students can get free meals Coronavirus: Several Staten Island schools announce confirmed cases On the Frontline Against China, the US Coast Guard Is Taking on Missions the US Navy Can't Do Competition with China has drawn more Pentagon resources to the Pacific, but the most visible U.S. military presence there... As coronavirus spread across the United States during the past few weeks, denomination after denomination announced that they were shutting the doors of their houses of worship and moving services online. Then President Donald Trump expressed hope that churches would reopen by Easter, April 12, dealing a blow to some pastors who had struggled to help congregants adjust to virtual services. CORONAVIRUS UPDATES: Houston coronavirus cases have tripled, a 2nd death reported Most pastors said this week that they are not planning to open in time for the holiday, generally considered the holiest day on the Christian calendar. They are bracing for huge financial problems as they face empty pews on what is normally one of the biggest collection days of the year. "The messaging that's coming out from the president is confusing for many people," said Jamie Aten, executive director of the Humanitarian Disaster Institute at Wheaton College in Illinois. "I appreciate the fact that he's encouraging hopefulness, but we have to approach this with a dose of humility." Just before pastor Chris Beard shut the doors on Christ Covenant Church in Beaumont, Texas, a congregant told him that coronavirus "was 'just the flu,' and that the media needs to shut up." Stopping in-person services, Beard said, seemed like the best way to protect his congregation, which has fewer than 100 members. Beard watched in disbelief this week as Trump suggested that the economy would be "opened up and raring to go" by Easter. "I was kind of gobsmacked," he said. "We finally have people paying attention and taking this seriously." Other churches across the United States are already trying to cut their expenses by trimming programs, putting employees on furlough or laying them off. The stimulus bill, passed by the House on Friday, could offer some relief to all houses of worship, nonprofits and their employees, according to Nathan Diament, Orthodox Union's executive director for public policy, who worked with legislators to help craft the bill. The legislation expands the availability of unemployment benefits to laid-off employees and provides a loan program for nonprofits with fewer than 500 employees, which would be forgiven if used for purposes such as paying salaries, rent and utilities. And it creates a charitable deduction of $300 for every taxpayer. Meanwhile, most pastors are trying to plan for a different kind of Easter. Locally, Washington Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde has suspended public worship through May 16. Public Mass for the Washington Archdiocese has been suspended until further notice. Easter services are among the most highly attended of the year. It is when many adults are received into the Catholic Church and celebrate their first Communion. Churches across the country usually raise $9 million to $10 million for refugee services, said Patrick Markey, who runs a national group of diocesan finance officers. But with churches closed, no one can pass the plate - at least not in person. LIFE-SAVING THERAPY: Houston Methodist first in the nation to try coronavirus blood transfusion therapy Even though Pope Francis set an example for Catholic leaders by streaming services several weeks ago, Markey said U.S. Catholic leaders are getting some pushback over decisions to stop public Mass, especially in areas where no coronavirus cases had been confirmed. "Bishops are getting nasty letters, saying, 'Why did you cancel church? There's nobody sick,' " Markey said. As Catholic dioceses were already facing financial challenges amid the sexual abuse crisis, these next few weeks could be especially difficult for local parishes. The Knights of Columbus fraternal organization announced this week that it has established a $100 million fund to offer a $1 million line of credit for each Catholic diocese to help with short-term financing. Johnnie Moore, who does consulting and public relations for several of Trump's evangelical supporters, said that religious advisers to the president are not pressuring him to enable them to reopen their churches by Easter. Moore said that Trump is trying to address not only the pandemic of the virus but the "pandemic of fear." "This was him speaking aspirationally, not irrationally. But no one is holding him to it," Moore said. "People need hope. They need to know that this isn't indefinite." The number of churches shifting to online giving has skyrocketed, according to David Rogers, senior vice president of marketing of Ministry Brands, which hosts several platforms for online giving. On Sunday, twice as many people donated on those platforms than gave on the same Sunday the previous year. On average, people who contribute online give 33% more than people who give money in person, according to Rick Dunham, chair of the Board for the Giving USA Foundation. Churches have already been moving quickly toward online platforms where people give automatically, but the bigger, more urban churches have been faster to adopt the platforms. Most Americans attend smaller churches of less than 100, where online giving is much less common. Jim Winkler, president of the ecumenical organization National Council of Churches, said his organization is recommending that people celebrate Easter by taking steps at home. He suggests blowing out a candle on Good Friday, putting up Christmas lights in their window and writing "Christ is Risen" in chalk on the driveway. Even as most church doors are closed, the demand for the kinds of services churches offer has skyrocketed, said Winkler, who attends Fairlington United Methodist Church in Alexandria. "I haven't seen church life slow down," he said. "I'm seeing it as busier than ever." Walter Kim, president of the National Association of Evangelicals, said Christian leaders in European and Asian countries are telling him that the fight against the spread of coronavirus is long-term, not something that will lift around Easter. "Some may believe this is a short-term battle," he said. "If the wisdom of the global church is to be received, it's possible it's a prolonged shift in the ways we think about worship and mission. It requires broad and sustained efforts." Most historically black churches are adapting to virtual worship for the first time and are still making sure parishioners can join them online, said Suzan Johnson Cook, who has served as a pastor for the past 30 years. "Easter's our high holy day, but there's nothing worth the human life," said Cook, who was the ambassador for international religious freedom under President Barack Obama. "We have a Pentecostal experience. Whether that's virtually, we can experience that spirit." Many of the thousands of jobless workers, marching from their workplaces to their native villages in states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh hundreds of kilometres away amid the coronavirus lockdown, are not being welcomed back home. In many places in Bihar and elsewhere, those returning back home from states and even from neighbouring countries like Nepal and Bhutan were reported to the police, who, in turn, handed them over to medical authorities for tests and subsequent measures. Some villages in Bihar have gone into lockdown, refusing entry of people even from neighbouring areas, to curb the spread of infection. "Four of my co-villagers working in Nepal returned home two days ago. But villagers informed police about them following which they swooped on the village with ambulances and handed them over to the medical team," Abhishek Singh told PTI over phone from Alawalpur village on the outskirts of Bihar's capital Patna. "In neighbouring Fatehpur village, six people returned home from Bhutan yesterday, undertaking part of their journey on foot in Bihar and West Bengal, but were handed over to police by neighbours," said Singh. In a similar case, nine people returning to their village Jamalpur, near Alawalpur, from Mumbai were handed over to police and medical authorities, said Luv Singh of Jamalpur village, though they had been examined earlier in Mumbai by medical authorities. They too were asked to stay at home, he added. Station House Officer Nagmani Kumar of Guari Chack police station, having jurisdiction over these villages, confirmed this trend to PTI over phone. "Yes, it's true. Initially over 15 people coming from outside the state were reported to us by villagers and we handed them over to medical teams," said Inspector Kumar. Later the medical teams have begun picking them up on their own after getting information about such cases, he said, adding at least 40 people, belonging to various villages like Alwalpur, Fatehpur, Kamarjee, Kandap and Masadhi in the jurisdiction of Gaurichack police station were reported to the police. In fact, Piariya village near Alawalpur has locked itself down, refusing entry to even people from neighbouring areas, he said. "Good for us," he quipped. In other instances, some youths, who had recently jumped quarantine in Karnataka and reached their village in West Champaran in north Bihar, were handed over to the police. The imposition of 21-day nationwide lockdown to break the coronavirus transmission chain has triggered large-scale migration of jobless daily wagers, undertaking marches from cities outside their states to their native places, braving days of hunger and fatigue and breaking down on slightest gesture of sympathy. But the villagers' stance of reporting them back to the police is not in variance with the stands of various governments, which have been urging workers to stay put at places where they are, assuring them of food and other essentials. Many have also panicked over rumours that the lockdown would be extended further. A group of four construction labourers, marching from Gurgaon in Haryana to Badaun in Uttar Pradesh, met this reporter on National Highway 9 in Delhi leading to Ghaziabad on Saturday night. They said they are returning back home on foot itself because "experts say the lockdown period would be further extended by at least three months", referring to some WhatsApp forward messages they received. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump considered then abandoned ordering a quarantine for the coronavirus hotspots of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Mr Trump announced in a tweet that the quarantine, which it was unclear if he had the power to order, would not go ahead and a travel advisory would be issued instead. The advisory urged residents of the three states to avoid all but essential travel for two weeks. New York governor Andrew Cuomo had said earlier that roping off states would amount to "a federal declaration of war". Meanwhile, Mr Cuomo postponed his state's presidential primary from April to June as nurses made anguished pleas for more protective equipment and rebuffed officials' claims that supplies are adequate. The governors of Florida, Maryland, South Carolina and Texas have ordered people arriving from the New York area to self-quarantine for at least 14 days upon arrival. In a more dramatic step, Rhode Island police have begun pulling over drivers with New York plates so that the National Guard can collect contact information and inform them of a mandatory, 14-day quarantine. The US leads the world in reported cases with more than 115,000. There were roughly 1,900 deaths recorded by Saturday. All 50 states have reported some cases of the virus but New York has the most, with over 52,000 positive tests for the illness and more than 700 deaths. About 7,300 people were in New York hospitals on Saturday night, including about 1,800 in intensive care. Meanwhile, a gun rights group has welcomed the Trump administration's designation of the firearms industry, including retailers, as part of the nation's critical infrastructure during the coronavirus emergency. The designation by the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is advisory. The agency notes that the designation does not override determinations by individual jurisdictions of what they consider critical infrastructure sectors. The firearms industry was not part of the federal agency's original list of critical infrastructure issued just over a week ago. The designation came in an update following a brewing legal battle between gun rights groups and California officials. The group Gun Owners of America said in a statement that it is encouraged that the Trump administration is not ignoring what it calls "the ability to protect yourself" during the emergency stemming from the pandemic. Gun rights groups initiated a lawsuit last week after the Los Angeles County sheriff closed gun shops in the wake of California governor Gavin Newsom saying that each of the state's 58 counties could decide for themselves whether to list firearms dealers as non-essential businesses that should be subject to closure while the state seeks to limit the spread of the virus. The lawsuit claims that the designation violates the second amendment, the right to keep and bear arms, but officials said it was a public health issue. During these unprecedented times, many people are missing their usual Sunday and weekday masses and services. However, the priests of the county are continuing to celebrate Sunday and weekday Masses in churches. People can tune in on the parish webcams to participate. Last weekend over 500 people availed of the Tullamore parish webcam while around 150 are tuning in every day, said Parish coordinator Tom Whelan. Similar numbers are tuning in to masses in the likes of Edenderry where a webcam was only introduced last year. Webcams allow the user to tune into mass or service at any church that has the facility. Meanwhile, the Rev William Hayes of Tullamore Presbyterian Church has taken to YouTube to broadcast his services which includes him singing the hymns. These are also proving popular with many. Their Bible study takes place on Thursday morning and will be broadcast using an app called Zoom. The Church of Ireland too is posting up prayers, hymns and reflections on its Facebook page. RTE are broadcasting Mass every day at 10.30am from St Eunans and St Columbas Cathedral Letterkenny on RTE News Now. This is followed by a short religious message from representatives of Irelands other Christian denominations and faith communities. Corporates have spent Rs 52,000 crore towards social welfare activities in the last five financial years and now making contributions to the Prime Minister's relief fund will further help them meet their obligations under the companies law, according to a senior government official. As the country fights the outbreak of coronavirus, which has so far infected nearly 1,000 people, the government has initiated a slew of measures to deal with the situation. The corporate affairs ministry has said contributions to the PM-CARES Fund would qualify as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) spending under the companies law. Under the Companies Act, 2013 -- which is implemented by the ministry -- certain classes of profitable corporates are required to shell out at least two per cent of their three-year annual average net profit towards CSR activities in a financial year. This provision came into force on April 1, 2014. "The macro picture is that over the last 5 years, CSR contributions amounting to around Rs 52,000 have been made against total demand of around Rs 77,000 crore. "In other words, some are not spending and some underspending whilst a few are spending beyond their obligation. More than 50 per cent of the companies are fulfilling their CSR obligations in full," Corporate Affairs Secretary Injeti Srinivas told PTI on Sunday. Now that PM-CARES Fund has been set up, those who have not discharged their obligation towards CSR or have underspent, can utilise this opportunity to contribute to PM-CARES Fund to make good the deficiency, he said. The government has set up the Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM-CARES Fund) which would be utilised to deal with any emergency or distress situation such as the coronavirus outbreak. It is clarified that any kind of contribution made to the PM-CARES Fund shall qualify as CSR expenditure under the Companies Act, the ministry said in a memorandum issued on Saturday. "It would help the government rapidly scale up the capacity of the public health system to meet the current public health emergency," Srinivas said. The corporate sector through CSR spending can play an important role in supplementing and complementing government efforts to scale up the capacity of the public health system in terms of isolation wards, personal protection equipment, ventilators, testing and other requirements, he noted. Earlier this week, the ministry said spending by corporates to deal with the coronavirus outbreak would be considered as a CSR activity. CSR funds could be utilised for various activities related to COVID-19, including those relating to preventive healthcare and sanitation. Under Section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013, every company having net worth of at least Rs 500 crore, turnover of Rs 1,000 crore or more, or a minimum net profit of Rs 5 crore during the immediately preceding financial year, has to make CSR expenditure. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) T he Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are set to launch a 5m programme to boost the nations mental health amid the coronavirus crisis. William and Kate have backed the Public Health England initiative urging Brits to keep their spirits up during the lockdown. Due to be launched on Sunday, it will pump 5m into wellbeing charities and support services to help reduce anxiety levels. The last few weeks have been anxious and unsettling for everyone, the Cambridges said. Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures 1 /81 Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures A deserted Westminster Bridge PA A man wearing a face mask or covering due to the COVID-19 pandemic, walks past customers sat outside a restaurant AFP via Getty Images Boris Johnson addresses the nation on the Coronavirus lockdown Andrew Parsons Runners pass cardboard cutouts of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince William during the London Marathon in London AP An empty escalator at Charing Coss London Underground tube station Jeremy Selwyn Electronic bilboards displays a message warning people to stay home in Sheffield PA A sign is displayed in the window of a student accommodation building following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Mancheste Reuters People take part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions, in Londo AP People sing and dance in Leicester Square on the eve on the 10PM curfew Reuters Hearts painted by a team of artists from Upfest are seen in the grass at Queen Square, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Bristol Reuters Graffiti reads 'good luck and stay safe', as the number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases grow around the world, under a bridge in London Reuters A sign is pictured in Soho, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London Reuters Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures, during a coronavirus briefing in Downing Street, London AP A person runs past posters with a message of hope, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Manchester REUTERS Riot police face protesters who took part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions in London AP An image of The Queen eith quotes from her broadcast to the UK and the Commonwealth in relation to the Coronavirus epidemic are displayed on lights in London's Piccadilly Circus PA Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' hospital Getty Images Durdle Door in Dorset Reuters Captain Tom Moore via Reuters Mia, aged 8, and Jack, aged 5, take part in "PE with Joe" a daily live workout with Joe Wicks on Youtube to help kids stay fit who have to stay indoors due to the Coronavirus outbreak PA An NHS worker reacts at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital during the Clap for our Carers campaign in support of the NHS Reuters Goats which have taken over the deserted streets of Llandudno @AndrewStuart via PA Tobias Weller PA Novikov restaurant in London with its shutters pulled down while the restaurant is closed London Landscapes: Hyde Park and the Serpentine, central London. Matt Writtle A newspaper vendor in Manchester city centre giving away free toilet rolls with every paper bought as shops run low on supplies due to fears over the spread of the coronavirus PA Theo Clay looks out of his window next to his hand-drawn picture of a rainbow in Liverpool, as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continue Reuters A young man cuts another man's hair on top of a closed hairdresser in Oxford Reuters General view of the new NHS Nightingale Hospital, built to fight against the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London via Reuters Jason Baird is seen dressed as Spiderman during his daily exercise to cheer up local children in Stockport, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters A woman wearing a face mask walks past Buckingham Palace Getty Images A man holds mobile phone displaying a text message alert sent by the government warning that new rules are in force across the UK and people must stay at home PA Medical staff on the Covid-19 ward at the Neath Port Talbot Hospital, in Wales, as the health services continue their response to the coronavirus outbreak. PA Prime Minister Boris Johnson taking part in a virtual Cabinet meeting with his top team of ministers PA A shopper walks past empty shelves in a Lidl store on in Wallington. After spates of "panic buying" cleared supermarket shelves of items like toilet paper and cleaning products, stores across the UK have introduced limits on purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some have also created special time slots for the elderly and other shoppers vulnerable to the new coronavirus. Getty Images People on a busy tube train in London at rush hour PA Mia, aged 8 and her brother Jack, aged 5 from Essex, continue their school work at home, after being sent home due to the coronavirus PA Children are painting 'Chase the rainbows' artwork and springing up in windows across the country Reuters Social distancing in Primrose Hill Jeremy Selwyn A general view of a locked gate at Anfield, Liverpool as The Premier League has been suspended PA Homeless people in London AFP via Getty Images A piece of art by the artist, known as the Rebel Bear has appeared on a wall on Bank Street in Glasgow. The new addition to Glasgow's street art is capturing the global Coronavirus crisis. The piece features a woman and a man pulling back to give each other a kiss PA The Queen leaves Buckingham Palace, London, for Windsor Castle to socially distance herself amid the coronavirus pandemic PA A general view on Grey street, Newcastle as coronavirus cases grow around the world Reuters Matt Raw, a British national who returned from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, leaves quaratine at Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside PA Britain's Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty (L) and Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance look on as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures as he speaks during a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) news conference inside 10 Downing Street Reuters The ticket-validation terminals at the tram stop on Edinburgh's Princes Street are cleaned following the coronavirus outbreak. PA Locked school gates at Rockcliffe First School in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear PA A sign at a Sainsbury's supermarket informs customers that limits have been set on a small number of products as the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases grow around the world Reuters Jawad Javed delivers coronavirus protection kits that he and his wife have put together to the vulnerable people of their community of Stenhousemuir, between Glasgow and Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images A sign advertising a book titled "How Will We Survive On Earth?" Getty Images A man who appears to be homeless sleeping wearing a mask today in Victoria Jeremy Selwyn A pedestrian walks past graffiti that reads "Diseases are in the City" in Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images Staff from The Lyric Theatre, London inform patrons, as it shuts its doors PA A quiet looking George IV Bridge in Edinburgh PA A quieter than usual British Museum Getty Images A racegoer attends Cheltenham in a fashionable face mask SplashNews.com A commuter wears a face mask at London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn A empty restaurant in the Bull Ring Shopping Centre Getty Images A deserted Trafalgar Square in London PA Passengers determined to avoid the coronavirus before leaving the UK arrive at Gatwick Airport Getty Images We have to take time to support each other and find ways to look after our mental health. The 5m initiative will help mental health charities and support services / PA It is great to see the mental health sector working together with the NHS to help people keep on top of their mental wellbeing. Coronavirus in numbers: UK deaths pass 1,000 By pulling together and taking simple steps each day, we can all be better prepared for the times ahead. The guidance, which can be found on the PHE website, offers tips on staying in touch with loved ones using video calls and social media, how to seek help as well as establishing a healthy sleep pattern or starting a new hobby. The Cambridges said supporting each other during lockdown is essential / PA Developed with the input of mental health charities such as Mind and clinically assured by the NHS, it also has tips on how to help children manage stress, including being aware of reactions around them and setting up a new routine. PHE said it is also issuing advice to NHS trusts on prioritisation of services and how to maximise use of digital and virtual channels to keep delivering support to patients, including 24 hour helplines. Listen to The Leader: Coronavirus Daily podcast Mental health minister Nadine Dorries, who was the first MP to test positive, said: When I discovered I had coronavirus I felt anxious and scared. For those who already suffer with anxiety or other mental health issues this may present new and difficult challenges. Its imperative that we stay home if we are to beat coronavirus and save lives. Orders from retailers to one of the country's biggest fresh food growers and suppliers, Country Crest, are currently as much as 30pc ahead of normal. The north Co Dublin food producer is in a race against time to get seed in the ground due to a planting season greatly shortened by bad weather and now the threat of sickness to workers, said owner Michael Hoey, who runs the company with his brother Gabriel. The agri-food business has major supply contracts for fresh produce with Irish retailers, as well as the largest chilled ready meals business in the country. The family-owned company has a more than 20-year relationship with Tesco worth 60m and has invested heavily in expanding its operation in recent years, making it a key part of the supply chain for fresh vegetables and other produce in Ireland. Hoey said that the big uptick in orders from suppliers was largely due to the fact that restaurants are shut and people are now eating at home. "People want basic staples, it's as simple as that. It is uncharted waters though and we don't know what way this will develop," he said. The coronavirus has arrived at a difficult time for the business and any illness among staff would be problematic. But shutting down the business would not be possible given the importance of keeping retailers supplied. "The whole thing about the virus is frightening for all of us. But so far, so good; none of our people have gotten sick and we are being extremely careful about how we do things right now. But we can't take anything for granted," he said. "At least the weather has picked up and we are able to get the seed into the ground. "We're planting onions and potatoes and that is going to take six weeks. We are drilling for spring wheat. We're really busy on every side of the business, with a lot of packing to do as well. "The biggest risk for us is that people will get sick but thankfully, for now, that hasn't happened. "We are putting in our crops at the moment and we have a very short window to plant them. Those crops will not be harvested until the autumn but if they don't go in now, that would lead to a scarcity in October." The firm is also keeping a close eye on supply lines to ensure it has the fertilisers and other supplies that it needs in the coming months, as well as for any sign that food imports from the UK are being hit by issues with the virus in that country. There have been no problems to date but Hoey said he is confident that even if there was some interruption, the food sector in Ireland would be well capable of filling the gap. "I think the supply industry here is in good shape. Over the last few years, we have worked very closely with the supermarkets, putting protocols in place because we were getting ready for Brexit," he said. But Hoey does believe that there are lessons to learn from the current experience. "I don't think things need to be as complicated as they were. It's amazing what we can do without when we have to, for example the way different recipes are made up. At the minute, it is very much back to basics. It's good enough and we are able to keep the costs down that way." Hoey said that the crisis was showing that it was not always necessary to bring in produce from as far away as west Africa and that a less complex food supply system could emerge. "People have got very discerning in the last number of years but when the chips are down, maybe we don't need those complications. "We as suppliers maybe have tended to try to outdo each other when it comes to getting the next big thing. But now that has all been left to one side and we have taken some of the complication out of it, and we can concentrate on making it cheaper for customers." Hoey, whose company is well-known in its local area of Lusk in Co Dublin for its generosity to older people in the community, takes a philosophical view of the current difficulties. "It's a good time to examine the way we do things. I remember my dad talking about the war and about how tough things were and how hard they had it. You don't know whether we are back in that same position again or not. I was looking at our people coming in to work this morning and I would hate to ever find myself in a position where you are telling them their jobs are gone. If we can pay our bills through this, that is what we can hope for," he said. Every industry needs to play its part to beat the coronavirus. Superannuation is no exception. Yet there is some disagreement over the governments decision to help people in need by expanding early access of super. APRAs Prudential Standard for Investment Governance requires a superannuation fund to have in place a sound investment governance framework for the selection, management and monitoring of investments. Credit:Patrick Cummins The Parliament has passed laws to enable Australians access to up to $20,000 of their superannuation tax free, including up to $10,000 in the current financial year to 30 June, and another $10,000 after July 1. For most funds, this is a small change. Rice Warner Actuaries estimate that the most significant impact will be limited to one quarter of the super funds, where just 10 per cent of members will take some of their money. Britain should stay in total lockdown until June to properly prevent the full extent of the deadly coronavirus, a senior health chief warned. Britain's coronavirus death toll rocketed by 260 to 1,019 yesterday in the worst day the country faced yet. A total of 17,089 people tested positive for the bug. The Prime Minister will today warn Britons that: 'Things will get worse before they get better'. Britain should stay in total lockdown until June to properly prevent the full extent of the deadly coronavirus, a senior health adviser warned. Pictured: People walk through Battersea Park for their permitted one outdoor exercise per day Professor Neil Ferguson said Britons will need to stay indoors for a full three months Some senior government figures have suggested that coronavirus could peak in April with approximately 5,700 deaths. But Professor Neil Ferguson said Britons will need to stay indoors for a full three months. The leading epidemiology adviser to the government told The Sunday Times: 'Were going to have to keep these measures [the full lockdown] in place, in my view, for a significant period of time - probably until the end of May, maybe even early June. May is optimistic.' His stark warning comes as Boris Johnson writes to every household in the UK to urge the public to obey the lockdown and stay home during the 'national emergency'. The Prime Minister, who is self-isolating after testing positive for the bug, will stress the need to stay indoors to support the NHS by slowing the spread. Britain's coronavirus death toll rocketed by 260 to 1,019 yesterday in the worst day the country faced yet. A total of 17,089 people tested positive for the bug. Pictured: People in Hyde Park London yesterday At an anticipated cost of 5.8 million, the letters will land on 30 million doorsteps along with a leaflet spelling out the Government's advice following much public confusion. The letters and leaflets are the latest in a public information campaign from No 10 to convince people to stay at home, wash their hands and shield the most vulnerable from the disease. 'We know things will get worse before they get better,' the PM's letter will read. Boris Johnson is writing to every household in the UK to urge the public to obey the lockdown and stay home during the coronavirus 'national emergency' The letters and leaflets are the latest in a public information campaign from No 10 to convince people to stay at home, wash their hands and shield the most vulnerable from the disease A police officer talks to a cyclist at Regents Park in London, during a lockdown over the spread of coronavirus 'But we are making the right preparations, and the more we all follow the rules, the fewer lives will be lost and the sooner life can return to normal. 'It has been truly inspirational to see our doctors, nurses and other carers rise magnificently to the needs of the hour. 'Thousands of retired doctors and nurses are returning to the NHS and hundreds of thousands of citizens are volunteering to help the most vulnerable. A police van drives past people taking their daily exercise allowance in Hyde Park in London on today, as life in Britain continues during the nationwide lockdown 'That is why, at this moment of national emergency, I urge you, please, to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives.' Amid allegations of confusing messages on the lockdown, the leaflet will outline the Government's rules on leaving the house and advice on shielding vulnerable people. A clear explanation of the symptoms will also be included as well guidance on hand washing. In a recent interview that Priyanka Chopra gave to a UK magazine, the global icon talked in detail about her plans of having a child with husband Nick Jonas. "Having a family is very important to me and it always has been. It is something that I definitely want to do and Im hoping that whenever God wills it, at the right, opportune time, itll happen, she said, according to reports. The Quantico star further talked about her family and how her grandmother used to criticize her because she couldn't cook. All my mothers sisters were academics and my dad was a free-thinking creative, a musician and an artist, as well as a surgeon. My grandmother my dads mum always used to say, about me, Whos going to marry her? She cant cook. And my dad would say, Ill send a cook with her. She never needs to go into the kitchen. My mum didnt know how to cook when she got married. My dad taught her how. And he taught her everything he liked to eat. Clever man, the actress shared. Six more persons, including two women, tested positive for coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddh Nagar on Sunday, taking the total number of cases in the district to 32, officials said. A 31-year-old man from Dadri's Bishnoli village, a 19-year-old girl from Noida Sector-27, and two men aged 34 and 35 and a 35-year-old woman from a housing society in Noida's Sector-137 are among those who tested positive for coronavirus on Sunday, the district administration here said in a statement. Later in the evening, the health department added one more positive case in its daily statement on coronavirus cases in the district. The patient is a man from Wajidpur village, official sources said. His age and other details were not immediately available. "A total 492 samples have been sent for COVID-19 testing so far, of which 32 have tested positive, 379 negative and results for 84 are awaited," the health department stated. Currently 1,850 people are under surveillance across Noida and Greater Noida, while another 241 are quarantined 45 of them at a Gautam Buddh University hostel and rest at special isolation facilities in hospitals, it added. "The villages, sectors and society concerned have been temporarily sealed for a period of 48 hours so that sanitisation work can be carried out there. No entry into or exit from the villages would be allowed during this period except for emergencies," District Magistrate B N Singh said in an order. All of Sunday's six cases had directly or indirectly come in contact with a London-based man, who had come to a private firm in Noida's Sector-135 for audit work, according to officials. At least 19 people, including females, in Gautam Buddh Nagar got infected directly or indirectly because of the company (by coming in contact with their employees), the officials said. An FIR was lodged against the firm on Sunday for hiding information about the British citizen's arrival and stay here from March 14-16 on the basis of a complaint from district Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Anurag Bhargava. The contact of infection of all patients in Gautam Buddh Nagar has been traced, the CMO said in a statement and appealed to people to practise social distancing and wash hands frequently to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Uttar Pradesh has so far recorded 72 COVID-19 cases, state government officials said in Lucknow, while the Centre put the all-India figure at 1,024, including 27 deaths, on Sunday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) You can't make this up. Well, truth is stranger than fiction, as someone said. Let's check out what Rhode Island is up to: On Saturday, the National Guard will help them conduct house-to-house searches to find people who traveled from New York and demand 14 days of self-quarantine. "Right now we have a pinpointed risk," Governor Gina Raimondo said. "That risk is called New York City." New York is the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S., on Friday reporting a total of 44,000 cases. Rhode Island has just over 200, and it has begun an aggressive campaign to keep the virus out and New Yorkers contained, over objections from civil liberties advocates. Raimondo, a Democrat, said she had consulted lawyers and said while she couldn't close the border, she felt confident she could enforce a quarantine. Honestly, I understand what they are doing. They don't want New Yorkers to bring the coronavirus to what some call "Little Rhody" and others "The Ocean West." I wonder what Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and MSNBC will say about all of this! On a more serious note, it is a sign of the times and how suddenly borders, and who comes into your state, are a major concern. I wonder if Governor Raimondo will turn over any illegal aliens to ICE... PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter. Getty Images This article, Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson return home to US after coronavirus isolation in Australia, originally appeared on CNET.com. Tom Hanks and wife Rita Wilson have returned to their home in the US, following a period of self-isolation in Australia after being diagnosed with COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus. Napa growers and other sectors of California agriculture could face a significant labor shortage due to pandemic-prompted disruptions in processing of H2-A visas, which normally allow thousands of seasonal agricultural workers into the state from abroad. Nationwide, H2-A workers account for 10 percent of American agricultural labor, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In California, the state with the fifth-most available H2-A positions, use of the program has ticked sharply upward in recent years, according to Michael Marsh, president of the Nation Council of Agricultural Employers (NCAE). But even H2-A workers part of an industry deemed critical infrastructure by the Department of Homeland Security have not been immune to havoc wreaked by the pandemic. American embassies in Mexico, where more than 90 percent of H2-A workers in the United States come from, are operating at extremely limited capacities, Marsh said, unable to conduct necessary interviews with program participants. The U.S. Department of State last week announced that visas would be processed only for workers with interview waivers and applicants who had been in the United States on an H2-A visa within the last 12 months. All other processing at the border has been halted, according to Wilson Purves, an attorney with KPB Immigration Law Firm in San Francisco. The change has thrown agricultural employers nationwide into turmoil, Marsh said. More than 200,000 H2-A workers came to the United States last year, and the program has grown steadily year-to-year in the past five years in states like North Carolina, Georgia and California. Last year, his first using the program, Mike Wolf brought 28 workers on H2-A visas from Mexico to work for his eponymous vineyard management company. Having dealt with what he called a revolving door of unreliable domestic labor before turning to H2-A, he was delighted with the consistency and quality of the work done by H2-A crews. This year, he arranged to have 75 workers brought to Napa. The men were scheduled to arrive in mid-March, Wolf said, but encountered what he called normal delays in their travel and processing. Then, Mexico and the United States closed their border to non-essential travel, which made Wolf nervous. Movement of H2-A workers was declared essential travel by the Department of Homeland Security. But without any new visas being processed, Wolf would likely get just his original 28-member crew, leaving him 47 men short. His labor contractor was attempting to arrange an alternative through an immigration lawyer. Im hopeful that something will sort itself out, because the problem is much, much bigger than my little company, Wolf said in an interview March 18th. His contractor had been in discussions with an immigration attorney, Wolf said, and sounded confident arrangements could be made for the full group. Youre talking about California agriculture here. Youre talking about fruits and vegetables and packing houses and processing plants, he added, nodding to H2-B visas for agricultural processing labor. Over the past few years, big food producers have become pretty reliant on this program, so the implications could be huge. Wolfs concern is a shared one. NCAE, alongside 12 other industry trade groups that encompass the Agricultural Workforce Commission, wrote in a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that workers eligible for (interview) waivers may only comprise a portion of the necessary labor force. An interruption to the processing of agricultural worker visas will undoubtedly cause a significant disruption to the U.S. food supply, the letter read. It spoke of the dangerous consequences that could then follow. Several variables have contributed to what NCAEs Marsh calls an endemic labor shortage for the American agricultural sector. American workers are increasingly less inclined to take jobs on farms and in fields; tightened border security under the Obama and Trump administrations has thinned the stream of undocumented seasonal farmworkers, upon whom states like California have historically relied heavily; and the existing domestic agricultural workforce has begun to age out of the labor-intensive work involved with harvests and growing seasons. But the arrival of H2-A workers could complicate things for the agricultural sector, according to Bruce Goldstein, president of Farmworker Justice, a national advocacy group for migrant and seasonal farmworkers. When these workers come into the United States, they often travel on crowded buses and theyre put in crowded housing, Goldstein said. We dont see evidence that the administration has required any health and safety precautions of the employers, even though theyve granted the special (interview) waiver to H2-A workers. H2-A workers are entitled to workers compensation for work-related illnesses and injuries, Goldstein added, but employers are not required to provide health insurance. Farmworker Justice and almost 40 other farmworker advocacy groups late last week sent a letter to the federal government urging increased protections for H2-A workers, a group Goldstein described as especially vulnerable given that workers may not feel comfortable advocating for their own safety for fear of being fired or deported. Additional protections included requiring separate living arrangements for workers that are older than 60 or have underlying health conditions and ensuring workers had access to COVID-19 testing and medical care. Growers in Napa Valley might find themselves with more access to domestic labor because higher profit margins translate into higher hourly wages for workers, according to Beckstoffer Napa Valley General Manager Dave Michul. We have seen an influx of people willing to travel to come here just because (of that), Michul said. But thats not necessarily the case elsewhere in California, and the pull to Napa, which brings workers from as far away as Sacramento, could harm other nearby agricultural counties. This is Michuls third year using H2-A workers in Beckstoffers vineyards throughout Mendocino, Lake and Napa counties. More than 80 workers, dispersed between those sites, arrived two months ago, but Michul is awaiting the arrival of additional workers, including 30 more for Beckstoffers vineyards in Napa. Hes hopeful theyll see at least a portion of those inbound crews, but has put out a backup call for local labor. When I began anticipating hey, the crews may not make it in, (I thought), we better revert back to what we used to do, Michul added, speaking of attempting to hire locally. (H2-A employers must prove that theyve been unable to find adequate domestic help before bringing workers in on visas). Weve been honest with our local contractors, and they understand that labor is scarce, Michul said. Producers in counties with more agricultural diversity and lower profit margins may not have that kind of flexibility. Sonoma Countys Dutton Ranch, which produces organic apples and wine grapes, has been using H2-A workers for 13 years, according to president and co-owner Steve Dutton. Duttons 92-man crew is due to arrive April 6. Seventy should qualify for interview waivers; the fate of the remaining 22 is up in the air. Im very concerned, but I am expecting that things are going to happen (normally for the 70), Dutton, who works with an immigration lawyer, said. He plans to drive to the consulate in Tijuana to arrange for their crossing. No one has alerted us to say were not going to get our guys. And Im optimistic that the other 22 will come in the next four to six weeks. If all goes as planned, Dutton expects the 70 men will be enough to handle the 1,200 acres of wine grapes and 180 acres of apples smattered across Duttons Sonoma County properties. But the sector as a whole may not fare as well, he said. Lookthese guys do a job that no one else wants to do here in the United States. Theres not a transient workforce that goes around and does farm labor like there used to be, Dutton said. Without the H2-A program, agriculture would be in real trouble here in Sonoma, in Napa, and in California, truthfully. Editors note: Because of the health implications of the COVID-19 virus, this article is being made available free to all online readers. If youd like to join us in supporting the mission of local journalism, please visit napavalleyregister.com/members/join/. You can reach Sarah Klearman at (707) 256-2213 or sklearman@napanews.com. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. China News on Women Sorry, the page you requested was not found. If you're having trouble locating a destination on Womenofchina.cn, try visiting the Womenofchina Home page Call for businesses to help develop rapid sanitising solutions for Welsh Ambulance Service This article is old - Published: Sunday, Mar 29th, 2020 The Welsh Government is calling on businesses to help develop rapid sanitising solutions for emergency vehicles as part of the response to the coronavirus pandemic. It currently takes up to 45 minutes to clean ambulances once they have transported someone with suspected coronavirus. Now businesses are being urged to work with NHS Wales, in partnership with the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory and the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA), to develop new ways to speed up the time it takes to clean ambulances and other vehicles. The Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) will see businesses work with NHS Wales to develop innovative solutions. All the development costs will be covered. It is expected that any new solutions will have wider use than the NHS they could be used on the buses, trains, other blue-light services and in hospitals. The challenge will be managed by the Welsh SBRI Centre of Excellence, which is based at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, with support from Welsh Government, DASA and Innovate UK. Minister for Economy, Transport, and North Wales Ken Skates, said: The coronavirus pandemic is the biggest public health emergency facing this country. We are working very hard to slow down the spread but we need people with expertise, entrepreneurship and innovative thinking to work with us to respond to it. We are calling on the business community to play its part and contribute important innovative solutions that can help us control the spread of the virus. Education Minister Kirsty Williams said: In recent days weve seen examples of our universities and businesses in Wales finding solutions to the current challenge. This is another example of how collaboration across sectors can help us respond to the coronavirus pandemic. The Welsh Government has also launched Covid-19 resilience innovation project support for businesses with other ideas or products, which could strengthen resilience against coronavirus. Businesses will need to submit their ideas by April 1. You can apply online here. For more information, email SBRI.COE@wales.nhs.uk Meghan Markle has 'heaps of projects in the works' after stepping back from her royal duties, a source has told Us Weekly. The Duchess of Sussex, 38, is said to be interested in writing another recipe book following her successful 2018 Grenfell charity work with Together: Our Community Cookbook. According to the source, she also wants to restart her popular lifestyle blog, The Tig, which she shut down shortly before her engagement to Prince Harry, 35, was announced. The former actress' first gig after quitting the royal family was revealed on Thursday - with Meghan voicing a Disney documentary on elephants. Meghan Markle (pictured in London on March 9, 2020) has 'heaps of projects in the works' after stepping back from her royal duties, a source has told Us Weekly The Duchess of Sussex (pictured left), 38, is said to be interested in writing another recipe book following her successful 2018 Grenfell charity work with Together: Our Community Cookbook (pictured right) Speaking to the American publication, the source said: 'Meghan has heaps of projects in the works.' Meghan's first step into the world of recipe books was The Together cookbook, which contains 50 kitchen favourites from women from the Grenfell community. It was launched in September 2018 as the Duchess's first major solo endeavour as a member of the royal family. The recipes proved popular and 38,811 copies of the 9.99 book were sold in the first two months. The Tig (pictured), which was launched in 2014, was the Duchess of Sussex's personal blog in which she shared some of her favourite things Meghan abruptly shut down The Tig in April 2017, deleting all the posts made over three years. Meghan and Prince Harry's engagement was announced six months later Meanwhile, The Tig, which was launched in 2014, was the Duchess of Sussex's personal blog in which she shared some of her favourite things - ranging from food and travel to fashion, beauty, politics and inspirational women - with her fans. She abruptly shut down the site in April 2017, taking down all the posts she had shared over the previous three years, with she and Harry announcing their engagement six months later. Her first job since stepping back from royal duty was revealed on Thursday, with the royal set to voice a documentary about elephants. The former actress' first gig after quitting the royal family was revealed on Thursday - with Meghan voicing a Disney documentary on elephants (pictured with Prince Harry) Her fee for the project is going entirely to the Elephants Without Borders charity - an organisation dedicated to conserving wildlife and helps protect the animals from poaching. Meghan agreed to do the voiceover after a direct request from filmmakers, and it is understood that she recorded it in London this autumn after seeing footage of the documentary. A trailer for Elephant failed to give fans a glimpse of Meghan's narration - but it did reveal that the story follows a 'family's extraordinary 1,000 mile journey across Africa on an adventure that will change their lives'. Meghan's collaboration (pictured) with Disney is set to benefit the Elephants Without Borders charity - an organisation dedicated to conserving wildlife and helps protect the animals from poaching In the last few weeks, Meghan and Prince Harry have moved from their bolthole in Vancouver, Canada, to base themselves and their ten-month-old son Archie permanently in the duchess' home city of Los Angeles. From Wednesday, with the agreement of the Queen, the pair will cease to be working Royals and will not be able to use their HRH titles as they seek to become financially independent. This week, the couple are expected to announce details of a new non-profit organisation which will see them abandon the Royal Foundation model they set up when they first got married. LAGOS, Nigeria, March 29, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) has commended Safety and Protection Management Solutions Limited, the authorised 3M distributor in Nigeria, for supporting the efforts to curb the spread of Coronavirus in the state. Speaking at the launch of the distribution of 3M nose masks to Lagos residents at the weekend, LAMATA Managing Director, Mrs Abimbola Akinajo said the gesture is a corporate social responsibility by the company, which is distributing thousands of the products at no cost to public transport users. She said the initiative is in line with the state government's strategy of protecting the citizens from the virus. The nose masks, a protective equipment, is useful for the people in the event that they find themselves in the same environment with a Covid-19 patient who is still in incubation period. Earlier, the Managing Director of Safety and Protection Management Solutions Limited, Mr Tunji Olaniyi had said that the Lagos State government should be supported as it is doing its best to prevent a pandemic. Olaniyi further said: "Having seen the commitment of the Lagos State government, we decided to roll out our CSR project by giving out these 3M nose masks at no cost to passengers because we believe that it is not every time you focus on return on investment." He emphasised that while some others were taking undue advantage of the demand for nose masks due to Covid-19 outbreak, his company rather chose to give the product free to users instead of making quick returns. In his remarks, the Managing Director of Primero Transport Services Limited, Mr Fola Tinubu described the campaign as a wonderful initiative. "With these 3M nose masks, LAMATA and Safety and Protection Management Solutions Limited have taken serious measures to check the spread of Covid-19 and save the lives of Lagos commuters," he further said. Some of the commuters at the launch said that the free distribution of 3M nose masks is a clear demonstration that Safety and Protection Management Solutions Limited really cares about Nigerians and residents of Lagos particularly. Also present at the event were LAMATA's Director of Bus Services, Dr Desmond Amiegbebhor; and the Head of Operations at Primero Transport Services Limited, Mr Abiodun Apata. SOURCE Safety and Protection Management Solutions Limited The constellation of Gemini, the twins is visible from the Northern Hemisphere from November to April, and the Southern Hemisphere can see it from December through March. (Image credit: SkySafari Although spring has officially been with us now for just over a week, we can still partake of many of the bright stars of the wintertime season. At around 9 p.m. local time, over toward the west and south our early evening sky is still strewn with brilliant constellations and outstanding deep-sky objects. Interestingly two of these star patterns, mighty Orion, the hunter and Gemini, the twins rise together. Both are oblong in shape, though Gemini is somewhat longer and thinner; it contains far fewer bright stars compared to neighboring Orion, and Gemini does not contain a distinctive line of stars in the middle to match Orion's three-star belt. Both figures are tilted as they ascend in the eastern sky, elevated at the ends toward the Milky Way that lies between them. Gemini is positioned farther to the north than most of the other winter constellations and seems to drop behind the rest as they climb high into the sky, passing more or less overhead when at their highest, bringing up the rear of the westward march across the sky along with Orion's two dogs. In fact, even though they are generally considered to be a wintertime star pattern, we might consider Gemini to belong more to early spring. Related: Constellations of the night sky: famous star patterns explained (images) There they are, standing upright, high up in the western evening sky: the Gemini twins. The heads of the twins are the bright stars Pollux (yellowish; 17th-brightest star in the sky) and Castor (white; a bit dimmer than Pollux). Castor is famous in the annals of binary stars as the pair whose mutual revolution was first made known. It was the British astronomer William Herschel who provided in the year 1803 that the two stars of Castor are united by the bond of their attraction. And in fact, Castor is actually a system of six stars, forming one of the most remarkable examples of a multiple-star system in the heavens. With the naked eye we see only one star, but just imagine, in that one speck of light we actually have six stars for the price of one! This sextuple star can be seen only as a double through a small telescope. Yellowish Pollux, too, has a companion though not a star, but a planet. It was discovered in June 2006 and was originally known as "Pollux b," but is now called Thestias. It's a gas giant about twice as large as Jupiter and orbits Pollux at a distance of 1.65 astronomical units a little farther from its star than Mars is from the sun. The stars that compose the twins' arms and bodies are fainter than those in their heads and feet. A second-magnitude star known as Alhena marks one of Pollux's feet. In places where light pollution hides many of the fainter stars, only Pollux, Castor and Alhena may be visible, forming a long wedge with its point aimed straight at Orion. According to legend, Pollux and Castor hatched from an egg from their mother Leda, following her seduction by Zeus. The twins were among the heroes who sailed with Jason in the quest for the Golden Fleece. They helped save the great ship Argo from sinking during a major storm, and for this reason ancient mariners regarded Pollux and Castor as the patrons of seafarers. In Elizabethan times they were also considered the protectors of all at sea. The expression "by Jiminy" was a popular corruption of the swearing by the ancients by these patrons, as in "by Gemini." The brothers have figured in scores of ancient folk tales. They were adventurers, warriors, and famous navigators. A new planet! If I were to venture a guess, I would think that Gemini was William Herschel's favorite constellation. Not only did he make the discovery revealing Castor to be a binary star, but this musician (an organist), who made telescopes for diversion and spent much of his spare time observing the heavens, discovered a new planet in Gemini. Herschel was observing stars in Gemini on the night of March 13, 1781, when he ran across a star that "appeared visibly larger than the rest ... I suspected it to be a comet," he wrote in his notes . By the end of August, with Gemini rising in the morning sky, the new object was visible once more. But the more astronomers studied it, the more they began to wonder if it really was a comet. For one thing, it seemed to be following a nearly circular orbit out beyond Saturn, whereas comets have highly elliptical orbits that carry them far away into the outskirts of the solar system in between each close pass by the sun. It was Finnish mathematician Anders Lexell (1740-1784) who first confirmed that Herschel had found a new planet in the solar system; another wanderer barely visible to the naked eye and twice as remote from the sun compared to Saturn. It was the first planet to be discovered with a telescope. Following this discovery, which won him international acclaim, Herschel accepted an offer from King George III to give up his music career and to become Sir William Herschel, England's Astronomer Royal. Many people thought that the planet should be named Herschel as an additional honor to its discoverer. Herschel himself named it Georgium Sidus, or "George's Star," after the King. But astronomers ultimately decided to call it Uranus to match the classical names of the other planets. Certainly, that made more sense, otherwise our list of the planets going outbound from the sun would read this way: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and ... George? One of the "greatest sights" Located just off the trailing foot of Castor, is the 35th deep-sky object that was cataloged by French astronomer, Charles Messier (1730-1817). Called Messier 35 (M35), it can just be seen with the unaided eye on dark transparent nights. In low-power binoculars it may look like a dim, fairly large unresolved interstellar cloud, but look again. Even through light-polluted suburban skies, glasses with 7X magnification reveal at least a half dozen of the cluster's brightest stars against the whitish glow of about 200 fainter ones. M35 has been described as a "splendid specimen" whose stars appear in curving rows, reminding one of the bursting of a skyrocket. Walter Scott Houston (1912-1993) who wrote the Deep-Sky Wonders column in Sky & Telescope magazine for nearly half a century called M35: "one of the greatest objects in the heavens; a superb object that appears as big as the Moon and fills the eyepiece with a glitter of bright stars from center to edge." Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner passes by the open star cluster Messier 35 on Sept. 16, 2018. (Image credit: John Chumack/ Galactic Images Comet masquerader Located less than half a degree southwest from M35 is an unusual object that brought me a brief surge of excitement, as well as to countless numbers of other amateurs over the years. In September 1985, while camping in the Adirondacks of northern New York, I was scanning the Orion-Gemini region with my 10.1" Dobsonian telescope, looking for two famous periodic comets, Halley and Giacobini-Zinner. It was then that I stumbled across a faint, circular cloud of light, which initially appeared as a possible new comet. The object, in fact, is the faint open star cluster NGC 2158. Indeed, if you get a chance to train a telescope on M35 and come across this small, faint patch of nebulosity a short distance away at least you won't be making the "comet mistake" that so many others have made. On that September night back in 1985, for not a few minutes I thought I was looking at "Rao's Comet" but after composing myself and checking a celestial handbook, I came back down to Earth. "Scotty" Houston himself fell into this trap, later calling NGC 2158 his "lasting monument to my early, somewhat careless, years of observing." Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for Natural History magazine, the Farmers' Almanac and other publications. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook By Chang Se-moon Rightly or wrongly, numerous lawsuits will be filed in many countries affected severely by COVID-19, once the health issues from the virus are under control. In principle, force majeure, a popular term in major commercial contracts, should keep many lawsuits from moving forward. Force majeure refers to a natural and unavoidable catastrophe that interrupts the expected course of events, or prevents a party from completing a contractual obligation. Some may call it an act of God that no ordinary person can foresee and thus is not responsible for the unintended outcome. Reality can be complicated. Consider a patient with flu symptoms. Medical personnel at a hospital, already overflowing with COVID-19 patients diagnose the patient as having the flu and send the patient home who later dies there. Surviving family members may file a wrongful death lawsuit against the hospital and the medical personnel who did their best under the given circumstances. Consider exporters of a popular product under contract with buyers in other countries. Either because of a breakdown in the supply chain or because of a hectic schedule all caused by COVID-19 products were not shipped on time. Potential buyers may claim that the delay led to a loss of millions of dollars in profits. The buyers then file a negligence lawsuit against the exporters. Consider also that a potential investor asked the financial adviser to sell shares one day before the virus led to the collapse of the stock market. Shares are sold but at a significantly lower price than one the investor expected. The investor files a lawsuit against both the financial adviser and the firm for breach of fiduciary duties. Life in our money-driven world is not meant to be simple. Even if both sides agree that force majeure should be a reasonable guide in many potential lawsuits arising from the virus, human ingenuity will create many instances where the other side appears to have made an avoidable error that goes beyond force majeure and led to financial losses. Possibilities of post COVID-19 lawsuits are endless. Manufacturers against suppliers of intermediate goods for loss of profit; passengers against cruise ship operators for loss of time and possibly loss of income; employees against employers for wrongful termination of employment; churchgoers against church leaders for the wrongful death of family members; property owners against tenants for unpaid rents; students against schools for refund of tuition; investors against investment management firms for untimely advice in fund management; victims against insurance companies for refusing to compensate; and possibly some countries against China for not limiting the spread of the virus. When we have a pandemic such as COVID-19, virtually everybody loses with the possible exception of a few companies in, for example, face mask manufacture, vaccine research, and online order firms. Besides, not everybody loses an equal amount. Many small businesses may not survive the results of the virus spread. Their owners may suffer not only financial losses but mental depression as well. To minimize the loss to society and the compensation as fair as humanely possible, I would suggest the government in each country affected by the virus establish a Civic Mediation Board. Members of the board should all be volunteers with impeccable reputations. The board may charge a nominal fee to discourage frivolous complaints. The board hears the complaints and makes suggestions for resolution. Mediation is different from arbitration. Parties who choose mediation are not required to accept the recommendation of the Mediation Board, whereas parties who choose arbitration are required to accept its findings. In other words, parties who participate in mediation can file a lawsuit even after the ruling by the Mediation Board. Practically speaking, however, the party who is not happy with the ruling by the board and files a lawsuit will have difficulty winning the lawsuit. The potential expenses of the plaintiff that can follow the litigation loss may be enough deterrent to filing a lawsuit after the ruling. Life after COVID-19 will not be smooth and for many, it will be filled with long-term disruptions. Some who lived paycheck to paycheck will now have to resort to government welfare, if available. Small businesses that barely survived before the virus attack now find themselves unable to pay the rent, unless property owners act reasonably and agree to compromise. Others who are scheduled to retire may now have no choice but to accept a significantly reduced amount in their retirement benefits. The list is endless. Hopefully, those who have better resources will make concessions to those who are not so fortunate. The suggested Civic Mediation Board will go a long way to settle differing claims in an amicable way, without resorting to lawsuits in which one of the two parties, if not both, will lose. Chang Se-moon (changsemoon@yahoo.com) is the director of the Gulf Coast Center for Impact Studies. Dongfang Electric Corporation Limited (HKG:1072), which is in the electrical business, and is based in China, saw significant share price movement during recent months on the SEHK, rising to highs of HK$4.89 and falling to the lows of HK$3.62. Some share price movements can give investors a better opportunity to enter into the stock, and potentially buy at a lower price. A question to answer is whether Dongfang Electric's current trading price of HK$3.84 reflective of the actual value of the mid-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Lets take a look at Dongfang Electrics outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change. Check out our latest analysis for Dongfang Electric Is Dongfang Electric still cheap? Good news, investors! Dongfang Electric is still a bargain right now. According to my valuation, the intrinsic value for the stock is HK$7.37, which is above what the market is valuing the company at the moment. This indicates a potential opportunity to buy low. Whats more interesting is that, Dongfang Electrics share price is quite volatile, which gives us more chances to buy since the share price could sink lower (or rise higher) in the future. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for how much the stock moves relative to the rest of the market. What kind of growth will Dongfang Electric generate? SEHK:1072 Past and Future Earnings March 29th 2020 Future outlook is an important aspect when youre looking at buying a stock, especially if you are an investor looking for growth in your portfolio. Buying a great company with a robust outlook at a cheap price is always a good investment, so lets also take a look at the company's future expectations. Dongfang Electrics earnings over the next few years are expected to increase by 38%, indicating a highly optimistic future ahead. This should lead to more robust cash flows, feeding into a higher share value. Story continues What this means for you: Are you a shareholder? Since 1072 is currently undervalued, it may be a great time to accumulate more of your holdings in the stock. With an optimistic outlook on the horizon, it seems like this growth has not yet been fully factored into the share price. However, there are also other factors such as capital structure to consider, which could explain the current undervaluation. Are you a potential investor? If youve been keeping an eye on 1072 for a while, now might be the time to make a leap. Its buoyant future outlook isnt fully reflected in the current share price yet, which means its not too late to buy 1072. But before you make any investment decisions, consider other factors such as the strength of its balance sheet, in order to make a well-informed investment decision. Price is just the tip of the iceberg. Dig deeper into what truly matters the fundamentals before you make a decision on Dongfang Electric. You can find everything you need to know about Dongfang Electric in the latest infographic research report. If you are no longer interested in Dongfang Electric, you can use our free platform to see my list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. The British Prime Minister, who has been working from home with mild symptoms, warned that things are set to get worse London: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is self-isolating after testing positive for the coronavirus, has written to every UK household to ask people to stay at home and follow the social distancing rules to fight the pandemic, warning them things will get worse before they get better. In letters which will arrive through the post for nearly 30 million homes along with a leaflet outlining the UK government's advice, at an estimated cost of 5.8 million pound, Johnson says he will not hesitate to impose stricter measures. The British Prime Minister, who has been working from home with mild symptoms, warned that things are set to get worse before they start getting better as the UK's death toll from the outbreak crossed the 1,000 mark to hit 1,019, with a further 260 deaths and 17,089 confirmed cases logged on Saturday. "It's important for me to level with you we know things will get worse before they get better. But we are making the right preparations, and the more we all follow the rules, the fewer lives will be lost and the sooner life can return to normal, Johnson says in his letter to the nation. "From the start, we have sought to put in the right measures at the right time. We will not hesitate to go further if that is what the scientific and medical advice tells us we must do," his letter reads. The 55-year-old Conservative Party leader goes on to express his gratitude to everyone who is working flat out to beat the virus, including the truly inspirational doctors, nurses and other carers. Thousands of retired doctors and nurses are returning to the NHS and hundreds of thousands of citizens are volunteering to help the most vulnerable. That is why, at this moment of national emergency, I urge you, please, to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives, he adds. In Great Britain, extraordinary measures are being taken to ensure compliance with a nationwide shutdown order. From Breitbart: Humberside Police in northern England has built a website for citizens to inform on their neighbours for violating the governments rules on daily exercise and social distancing. You can only go for one walk a day. If you go out twice, you can be reported to the police. Peoples worst instincts are coming to the fore. This is what amazed me: the Derbyshire police have sent drones out, to catch citizens going for unauthorized walks: Despite posts yesterday highlighting issues of people still visiting the #PeakDistrict despite government guidance, the message is still not getting through. @DerPolDroneUnit have been out at beauty spots across the county, and this footage was captured at #CurbarEdge last night. pic.twitter.com/soxWvMl0ls Derbyshire Police (@DerbysPolice) March 26, 2020 When the current madness is behind us, we will need to reflect on how easily governments, via orders that may or may not have any legal basis, have done away with our basic liberties, and on how few have objected. AN IRRELEVANT PERSONAL NOTE: The Derbyshire story is especially painful for me, as we vacationed in the Peak District a few years ago. We stayed in a 17th century house at a place called Monsal Dale, not far from Chatsworth. This photo is of one of my daughters, overlooking Monsal Dale: That would be illegal today, apparently. The Centre on Sunday directed the states to strictly follow the nationwide lockdown norms and stop the movement of people across the cities, advising them to arrange shelter, food and other facilities for migrant labourers at their workplace. The direction came amid migration of labourers from cities to their villages in different states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced nationwide lockdown to break the chain of COVID-19 transmission. Noting that there has been movement of migrant workers in some parts of the country, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba through video conferencing with officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs, state Chief Secretaries and Directors General of Police on Sunday morning decided to "seal" the district and state borders. The Ministry of Home Affairs later today wrote to states and Union Territories (UTs) to take measures to prevent large-scale migration of workers. In a five-point guideline, Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla directed the states and UTs to ensure adequate arrangements like "temporary shelters and provision for food to poor and needy people, incuding migrant labourers, stranded due to lockdown measures in their respective areas". In a five-point guideline, Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla directed the states and UTs to ensure adequate arrangements like "temporary shelters and provision for food to poor and needy people, incuding migrant labourers, stranded due to lockdown measures in their respective areas". As per the direction, the migrant labourers who have moved out to reach their home states must be kept in the nearest shelter by the state and UT government quarantine facilities after proper "screening for a minimum of 14 days" as per standard health protocol. "All the employers, be it in the industry or in the shops and commercial establishments, shall make payment or wages of their workers, at their work places, on the due date, without any deduction, for the period their establishments are under closure during the lockdown," the order said. The order mentions that the landlords of properties where migrant labourers are living in rented accommodations shall not demand payments or rents for a period or one month. On sealing the borders, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba said during video conferencing: "Directions were issued that district and state borders should be effectively sealed and states were directed to ensure there is no movement of people across cities or on highways," said a government statement. "Only movement of goods should be allowed. District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police should be made personally responsible for implementation of these directions which have been issued under the Disaster Management Act". Saying that "sufficient funds are available with states in the SDRF head, the Cabinet Secretary advised states to ensure timely payment of wages to labourers at their place of work during the 21-day "period of lockdown without any cut". It was ordered that house rent should not be demanded from the labourers for this period and action should be taken against those who are asking labourers or students to vacate the premises. "Those who have violated the lockdown and travelled during the period of lockdown will be subject to a minimum of 14 days of quarantine in government quarantine facilities. Detailed instructions on monitoring of such persons during quarantine have been issued to states," Cabinet Secretary instructed. "It was impressed upon all the states that three weeks of strict enforcement is essential to contain the spread of coronavirus. This is in the interest of everyone." It was noted that, by and large, there has been effective implementation of guidelines across all states and Union Territories (UTs). "Essential supplies have also been maintained. Situation is being monitored round the clock and necessary measures are being taken as required." Panama City, March 29 : Panama's health authorities announced that they had authorized the Zaandam cruise liner, which reported four coronavirus deaths and two positive cases amonf the people on aboard, to pass through the Panama Canal. On Friday, Panama's health ministry had denied the ship, which was sailing in the Pacific Ocean with 1,243 passengers and 586 crew members aboard, passage through the canal on health grounds, reports Efe news. "The ship will be allowed to transit through the inter-oceanic channel to continue its journey towards the US," the ministry said in its latest statement on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Panama Canal Authority said in a statement on Saturday that it was "preparing to facilitate the transit of the Zaandam through the waterway, after receiving authorization from Panama's Ministry of Health". "The ship will be scheduled for transit after entering Canal waters, which has not occurred to date. According to the Zaandam's itinerary, the vessel was originally scheduled to transit on April 1," the Canal authority said. "Travelling through the Panama Canal will allow the Zaandam to save two days in their journey back to Florida," it added. The Zaandam departed from Buenos Aires, Argentina, on March 7 and sailed through the Pacific towards Port Everglades in Florida with all passengers held in isolation and unable to dock after a group of people on board - 53 passengers and 85 crew members, according to the owner, Holland America - showed flu-like symptoms. On Friday, Holland America said that four people aboard had died and two people had tested positive for COVID-19 and announced that passengers who were not sick would be transferred to another of its ships, the Rotterdam, which arrived in Panamanian waters on Saturday. The 401 asymptomatic passengers on the Zaandam began being moved to the on Saturday, Panama's Maritime Authority said. Sick guests and those who had been in close contact with those with symptoms, as well as all crew members, would remain aboard the Zaandam, the shipping company said. This operation began on Friday with the transfer of medical supplies and other requested materials, as well as fuel. The deceased aboard the Zandaam were of American, Swedish, English and Dutch nationalities. They will be kept aboard until arrival at their destination, the Maritime Authority said. In its statement on Saturday, the Panamanian health ministry said that "taking into account the health situation being presented by the passengers of the Zaandam vessel" it had considered re-evaluating the measure, "in accordance with the health regulations and the new context of the risk faced by people on board and the need to provide them with humanitarian aid in order to reach their country of origin". Zaandam's passage through the canal, which will take place on an unspecified date, "will be carried out in coordination with the entities involved and taking into account all biosafety protocols, a measure that has been considered in a comprehensive analysis with the COVID-19 advisors of and the Ministry of Health", it added. "We are aware of reported permission for Zaandam and Rotterdam to transit the Panama Canal. We appreciate this consideration in the humanitarian interest of our guests and crew. We continue to work with the Panamanian authorities to finalize details," Holland America Line said on Twitter on Saturday. The navigation of ships through the canal can only be carried out by Panama Canal officials, who will go aboard and take command of the ship throughout the process. The shipping company had said they hoped the Zandaam would arrive at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale on March 30. Rachel Ann Schone and Michael William Douin were united in marriage on Oct. 26, 2019. The bride is the daughter of Greg and Lori Schone of Arenzville and the granddaughter of Ruth Blette, the late Paul Blette, and the late June and Glenn Schone. The groom is the son of Beth and David Douin of Chatham and the grandson of Geraldine Mindrup, the late William Mindrup and the late Gerard and Elouis Douin. The sunset ceremony on Sugarloaf Key, Florida, took place at the oceanfront home of the couples friends Shelley and Aaron Nichols. The wedding itself was held under a flower-draped pergola, with a waterfront reception following. Music was by Rusty Lemon on guitar and DJ Aaron Moore. Standing up with the couple were their 10 nieces and nephews. The bride wore a floor-length ivory tulle skirt with a lace top designed and made by her mother, who also assembled her bouquet of fresh roses, eucalyptus and snapdragon. Braided into the bouquet and representing more than 225 years of marriage were wedding rings belonging to the brides mother, both of her grandmothers and one of her great-grandmothers. A Movable Feast provided the reception food, which was accompanied by a hog roasted by Aaron Nichols and Mike Krengle. The Florida celebration was attended by the bride and grooms immediate family, a few close friends and their Keys friends. The couple also had a sunset reception Nov. 9 at Hamiltons on the Lake in Jacksonville. Many of the couples extended family and friends attended. The bride wore her tulle wedding skirt and an ivory lace top designed by her mother from her mothers wedding gown from 1981. The band Skyline Ridge and DJ Tony Boston provided music. A special toast was given by the brides dear friend Kate Welch Brockhouse. The couple lives on Cudjoe Key, Florida. Rachel is a registered nurse at Lower Keys Medical Center on Key West, Florida. Michael is owner and captain for Tackle Busters Charter Fishing Co. on Cudjoe Key. The big picture: With any luck, communications networks will hold up under the added stress as this pandemic continues to play out. For many, the Internet is serving as a last vestige of sanity in these uncertain times and a way to keep paychecks coming in. If the Internet starts to fail under load, this whole thing could go from very bad to outright scary in no time. Microsoft on Sunday said it has observed a staggering 775 percent increase in the usage of its cloud services over the past week in regions that have enforced social distancing or shelter in place orders. Usage of Microsofts collaboration software, Teams, has spiked as well as the service now has more than 44 million daily users. Redmond said Teams users generated over 900 million meeting and calling minutes daily in a single week. Usage of Windows Virtual Desktop, meanwhile, has grown more than 3x, were told. Microsoft said it is expediting the addition of significant new capacity thatll be available in the coming weeks and is taking some proactive measures to reduce capacity strain. For example, with Teams, theyve adjusted video resolution and how often they show when the other party is typing. On the Xbox front, Microsoft said it is working with publishing partners to deliver higher-bandwidth activities like game updates during off-peak hours. Theyve also temporarily disabled the ability to upload custom gamerpics, club pics and club backgrounds to help streamline moderation and ensure the best experience for the community. Despite usage increases, Microsoft said they have not experienced any significant service disruptions. Masthead credit: Emilija Miljkovic, GaudilLab The government has been forced to step in at an unprecedented scale during the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, resolving glaring issues as people across the country are forced to stay at home. But those groups who have always been in need in our communities remain just that in need. People who previously struggled with universal credit continue to do so. Rough sleepers and sofa surfers continue to live without shelter. Services that once offered support have shuttered to protect workers, while people are burning through their kitchen cupboards faster than usual because they are stuck inside. In short, many of those who have needed to use food banks in the past, those who are not among the governments 1.5 million most at-risk people and will not be able to call on its swelling volunteer service for support, still need help. The Independents Help The Hungry campaign aims to help give these people the support they need. Click here for ways you can help. And here are five things you might not have considered to help you to support your communitys food bank. Dignity first A common misconception is that food banks exist to offer the bare minimum but to do so would be to completely undermine what food can give us in our day to day lives. We dont only eat for sustenance we do it for pleasure, to access our cultures, to engage in tradition. Food is central to the human experience, and for millennia has been key to how we experience love and affection. Recommended How to support our campaign So ultimately think about what is going to taste good. Of course you can pick up staples that will be warmly received, but you can also donate things that get you excited, and share that excitement with someone else. Take, for example, Easter eggs. They may not be a matter of life or death, but by donating them you can give a parent the chance to treat their child, and a child the ability to engage in a communal tradition they might have been left out of. You are not just handing out subsistence, but a moment of dignity and joy for a family and all it took was a bit of chocolate. Its not just food Food banks have never been just about food. Poverty is about choices do you buy something to eat, or put money on the meter to keep the electricity running? Do you really need the heating on, or can you hold out? Will you be hungry now, or hungry later? At their most fundamental level, food banks are about a community pulling together and trying to resolve those conflicts so when you think of donating, empathy is key. On one side of the spectrum, this means not just dredging mystery tins from the back of your cupboard if you didnt want to eat it over the last two years, chances are no one else will either. On the other, its about thinking of the groceries you couldnt live without be that food or something else. In the early days of the UK epidemic, among the first things to be stockpiled were hygiene products sanitary towels, hand wash, toilet roll. If you didnt have the ability to bulk buy, or the spare funds to travel from shop to shop by car or public transport, you were stuck. Donating bathroom products means people who use the service dont have to choose between hunger and hygiene. Different people, different needs The range of reasons people visit food banks is vast, reflecting many of the social issues seen across the country, from universal credit delays to limited post-prison rehabilitation systems, rising rents and jobs that simply do not pay enough to allow for survival. But helping rough sleepers and sofa surfers out represents a unique challenge for food banks particularly those who do not have access to kitchens and so are less likely to feel the benefit of, say, the bag of dry pasta many would receive. While volunteers will build a parcel that helps as much as possible, you can go a step further by putting together boxes of much-needed items that can be handed straight over as is. Ask if your local service is interested, then get a few shoeboxes and add things that might prove useful like socks and underwear, first aid kits, compact waterproofs, or toothbrushes and paste. Once again as much as you are donating a small box of odds and ends, you are also handing over dignity, and the tools people need to look after themselves. Bags of bags Food banks across the country have had to make drastic changes to how they operate due to the virus while volunteers may have a few contingency plans up their sleeves to keep services running, readying for a global pandemic was not among them. What has followed has been a herculean effort to organise outright change in a matter of days. Entire delivery systems have been dreamt up out of thin air, while the elderly and at risk who make up much of the volunteer base have been sent home. Operations have also been streamlined to feed as many people as possible, as hygienically as can be achieved. And as every service users food is bagged up and handed over, a small mountain of plastic bags are being deployed. So, bizarrely enough, in this time of national crisis, that bag of shopping bags that you and every other UK resident has been keeping in the corner of their kitchen or under their sink for years might finally serve a purpose. After all that time of being stored and neglected after trips to the supermarket, they could be put to use in ensuring social distancing. Ask your local food bank if they could use them but if you can go a step further and also feel a little apprehensive about contributing to the impact of plastic on the planet, consider handing over canvas bags instead. There are so many feelings wrapped into asking for help and when youve been let down by the world around you time and time again, one thats likely to come up is shame. Volunteers work hard to try to mitigate that and make the experience about support and community, but its easy to feel self-conscious walking away from a food bank and onto the high street with an array of clearly worn and mismatched carrier bags in your hands. A canvas bag, while sturdier, is also more discreet. Reach out Possibly the most useful thing you can do for your local food bank is among the easiest ask what they need. While the Trussell Trust, the nations largest food bank charity, helps to set up and support sites, the individual operation in your region sets its own rules and runs its own show. Others run via other charities or completely independently. So check out their tweets to see what they are appealing for, or send them an email to check what they are after, or give them a call and offer up a few hours a week to stack some tins (particularly if you are young, physically fit and dont mind lugging around crates of produce). Reaching out, at every level, is fundamental to what food banks are. In reaching out you will get the satisfaction that comes from rallying around your community at a time where weve perhaps never been more isolated. What the person who comes to ask for food will get, from your contribution combined with others in your area coming together, is help when its possible no one else can. While under coronavirus quarantine with her children at her home, Kourtney Kardashian has been reminiscing on better days. The 40-year-old reality star posted another throwback bikini picture from a family vacation in Corsica, France with her three kids with ex Scott Disick, 36. In the sexy snap, the Poosh proprietor could be sitting between her little ones Mason, 10, and Penelope, 7, on an expansive yacht, as they all stare into the cobalt-blue sea. Sweet life: Kourtney Kardashian posted another bikini picture from a family vacation in Corsica, France with her three kids with ex Scott Disick, 36 'Corsica, France summer 2019,' she captioned the series of unseen photographs, which also included some stunning snaps of the scenery and a delicious cone of gelato. The proud mom looked exceptionally happy next to her eldest, as they posed in front of the rugged topography, off the coast of France and Italy, as she flaunted her curves. As Mason looked out to the distance in a white t-shirt and orange shorts, his mom sizzled in a burgundy red, one-shoulder bikini top and short form-fitted skirt. Family trip: The proud mom looked exceptionally happy next to her eldest, as they posed in front of the rugged topography, off the coast of France and Italy Views: Ahead of this dreamy trip, Kardashian revealed on season 16 of her hit reality show, she considered moving to Europe after the Woolsey wildfires in 2018 Ahead of this dreamy trip, Kardashian revealed on season 16 of her hit reality show, she considered moving to Europe after the Woolsey wildfires in 2018. 'We can go anywhere. Let's go to Italy. We can move to Italy. We can eat focaccia for the rest of our lives,' she told her daughter Penelope, who asked, 'What are we going to do if the house burns down?' On Wednesday, she also spiced up her Instagram feed with a throwback in a barley-there blue two-piece, which showed off her incredible figure. 'Corsica, France summer 2019,' captioned the series of unseen photographs, which also included some stunning snaps of the scenery and some delicious gelato Hot mama: On Wednesday, she also spiced up her Instagram feed with a throwback in a barley-there blue two-piece, which showed off her incredible figure As she posed at Kris Jenner's Palm Spring's home, before having to hunker down and homeschool her children due to the coronavirus, she sported a sly smirk. In the picture she styled her tresses in a laid-back bun and held a straw hat in her hand. The light-hearted Instagram pictures follows an explosive premiere of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, which included a physical fight with her younger sister Kim, 39, hitting and slapping her across the face. A homemade bomb killed three paramilitary gendarmes and wounded three more Sunday in northwest Burkina Faso, security sources said. The attack on the patrol happened at Gomboro, in the Boucle du Mouhoun region, a security source told AFP. The injured had been evacuated for treatment and the area was being searched, the source added. Another security source, confirming the attack, said two gendarmes had been killed outright, and one of four others wounded had subsequently died of his wounds. Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) have been the weapon of choice for rebels in the region, and since 2018 they have killed 150 people, according to an AFP tally. Such attacks are often followed by ambushes. Four Burkinabe soldiers were killed and eight wounded early in March by two IEDs that exploded as their vehicles passed them. The attack took place in the north of the country. Burkina Faso's northwest border is with Mali, and to northeast is Niger, and all three countries are fighting a long-running jihadist insurgency. According to UN figures, jihadist attacks in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger left nearly 4,000 people dead last year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Saturday said that the state government is making arrangements for lodging and food for people from other states who are stranded in the state amid nationwide lockdown. "COVID-19 cases in Chhattisgarh are not increasing. District Magistrates have been directed to ensure the availability of vegetables and food items in the state. We are making stay and food arrangements for people from other states who are stranded in Chhattisgarh," Baghel told ANI. "For Chhattisgarh citizens who are stranded in different states in the country, we are speaking to District Magistrates of the concerned districts. In some cases, we are even transferring money into the accounts of our citizens to help them during this time of lockdown. We have directed to provide ration to those people who did not have ration cards," he said. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), there are 918 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the country and 19 fatalities have been reported. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India has shifted all personnel at its consulates in Herat and Jalalabad to the Afghanistan capital of Kabul because of concerns related to the Covid-19 pandemic, people familiar with developments said on Sunday. The people cited above said on condition of anonymity the decision to move the diplomats and other staff was made because the consulate at Herat is located very close to the border with Iran and the region has seen a massive influx of Afghan refugees and workers from the neighbouring country that has been hit hard by the Coronavirus. It was also felt that the medical facilities in both Herat and Jalalabad were not as good as those available in Kabul, the people said. This is probably the first step taken by the Indian government to relocate its diplomatic staff due to Covid-19-related concerns. It also came in the wake of reports that Islamic State terrorists targeted a Sikh place of worship in Kabul due to the strong security measures at the Indian mission in the Afghan capital. There was no official word on the development from the external affairs ministry. The exact number of personnel involved couldnt immediately be ascertained. India has four consulates in Afghanistan at Herat, Jalalabad, Kandahar and Mazar-e-Sharif. Herat, the third largest city in Afghanistan, is located a little more than 100km from the border crossing to Iran at Islam Qala. According to the WHO, Iran has so far recorded 32,332 infections and 2,378 deaths while Afghanistan has reported 106 infections and two deaths. Herat has been described as the epicentre of the virus in Afghanistan and experts believe the reported figures for the country do no present an accurate picture. We fear that Herat will turn into another Wuhan, Afghan public health minister Ferozuddin Feroz has been quoted as saying by The New York Times. Provincial authorities imposed a lockdown in Herat from Wednesday. The Afghan health ministry has estimated that half of the countrys estimated 34 million people will contract the virus and more than 110,000 could probably die. Experts believe the worst-affected areas will include cities such as Herat and regions along the 921-km border with Iran. The International Organisation for Migration (IMO) has said more than 115,000 Afghans returned from Iran between March 8 and 21. The death toll from alcohol poisoning in Iran has risen to 300 after people started to consume methanol because of a rumour that high proof alcohol could cure the coronavirus. Iranian media reports that more than 1,000 have been sickened so far by ingesting methanol across the Islamic Republic, where drinking alcohol is banned and where those who do rely on bootleggers. It comes as Tehran announced 144 new deaths from coronavirus on Friday, bringing its death toll to 2,378, and another 2,926 new confirmed cases, with a total of more than 32,300 infected. There have been a spate of fake remedies spreading across social media in Iran, where people remain deeply suspicious of the government after it downplayed the crisis for days before it overwhelmed the country. A person in protective clothing walks through a temporary 2,000-bed hospital set up by the Iranian army at the international exhibition center in northern Tehran, Iran, on Thursday Dr. Knut Erik Hovda, a clinical toxicologist in Oslo who studies methanol poisoning and fears Iran's outbreak could be even worse than reported, said: 'The virus is spreading and people are just dying off, and I think they are even less aware of the fact that there are other dangers around.' 'When they keep drinking this, there's going to be more people poisoned.' Iran as been particularly badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic, which is home to 80 million people. As of now, there is no known cure for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. Scientists and doctors continue to study the virus and search for effective medicines and a vaccine. But in messages forwarded and forwarded again, Iranian social media accounts in Farsi falsely suggested a British school teacher and others cured themselves of the coronavirus with whiskey and honey, based on a tabloid story from early February. Mixed with messages about the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers, some wrongly believed drinking high-proof alcohol would kill the virus in their bodies. The Islamic Republic has reported over 29,000 confirmed cases and more than 2,200 deaths from the virus, the highest toll of any country in the Middle East. International experts also fear Iran may be under-reporting its cases, as officials for days played down the virus ahead of a parliamentary election. That fear of the virus, coupled with poor education and internet rumors, saw dozens sickened by drinking bootleg alcohol containing methanol in Iran's southwestern Khuzestan province and its southern city of Shiraz. Videos aired by Iranian media showed patients with IVs stuck in their arms, laying on beds otherwise needed for the fight against the coronavirus, including an intubated 5-year-old boy who had been turned blind from the alcohol poisoning. Firefighters disinfect a square against the new coronavirus, in western Tehran, Iran Iranian media also reported cases in the cities of Karaj and Yazd. The government mandates that manufacturers of toxic methanol add an artificial color to their products so the public can tell it apart from ethanol, the kind of alcohol that can be used in cleaning wounds. Ethanol is also the kind of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, though its production is illegal in Iran. Some bootleggers in Iran use methanol, adding a splash of bleach to mask the added color before selling it as drinkable. Sometimes it is mixed with consumable alcohol to stretch supply, other times it comes as methanol, falsely advertised as drinkable. Methanol also can contaminate traditionally fermented alcohol. Methanol cannot be smelled or tasted in drinks. It causes delayed organ and brain damage. Symptoms include chest pain, nausea, hyperventilation, blindness and even coma. Dr. Javad Amini Saman said: 'It is rumored that alcohol can wash and sanitize the digestive system.' 'That is very wrong.' A member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard disinfects a taxi to help prevent the spread of the new coronavirus in downtown Tehran Even before the outbreak, methanol poisoning had taken a toll in Iran. One academic study found methanol poisoning sickened 768 people in Iran between September and October 2018 alone, killing 76. Other Muslim nations that ban their citizens from drinking also see such methanol poisoning, although Iran appears to be the only one in the pandemic so far to turn toward it as a fake cure. In Buddhist Cambodia, police said they seized 4,200 liters (1,100 gallons) of methanol from a man who unwittingly planned to make toxic hand sanitizer because of the virus outbreak. Muslim drinkers in Iran can be punished with cash fines and 80 lashes. However, minority Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians can drink alcoholic beverages in private. While police occasionally announce alcohol busts, the trade in nontoxic alcohol also continues. Locally made Iranian arak from fermented raisins, known as Aragh sagi, sells for $10 for a 1.5-liter bottle. Imported vodka sells for $40 a bottle. Rafik, an Iranian-Armenian who makes vodka in the basement of his Tehran home said: 'Every year during Nowruz, or the Persian New Year holidays that begin March 21, my customers double.' He spoke on the condition that only his first name be used for fear of arrest. 'This year, because of corona, it jumped up by four- or five-fold.' Farhad, a self-described heavy drinker who lives in central Tehran, said alcohol remains easy to find for those looking for it. 'Even you can find it offered when you are walking down the street, ' he said. Since 1979, Iran's 40 alcohol factories have seen their production changed to pharmaceutical needs and sanitizers. Others had been left idle, like the abandoned Shams alcohol factory east of Tehran. But now, in a time when even some mosques in Iran hand out high-proof alcohol as a sanitizer, officials plan to start work again at Shams to produce 22,000 liters of 99 per cent alcohol a day. Two Bangladeshi nationals were arrested from Teliamura, around 40 km from here, on Saturday evening for entering India without valid documents, police said. They were arrested as they were moving around suspiciously in the town, the Officer-in-charge of Teliamura police station, Swapan Debbarma, said. They were identified as 22-year-old Rubel Das and 20- year-old Kripa, and both are the residents of the Brahmanbaria district in Bangladesh, Debbarma said. They entered India about three months ago and were staying at Jirania sub-division in West Tripura district, the police officer said. They will be produced before a local court on Monday, he said, adding that an investigation has been initiated. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dr. Jonna Quinn knew when she had her second child earlier this month itd be her last. Thats because months prior to her delivery, she decided to have a tubal ligation during her cesarean section. I have risk factors, she said. Im advanced maternal age, plus I dont want more children. A tubal ligation also known as getting ones tubes tied or tubal sterilization is a permanent form of birth control in which a womans fallopian tubes are cut, tied or blocked, preventing the fertilization of eggs. OB-GYNs commonly perform tubal ligations after C-sections to avoid the health risks associated with having a second invasive procedure after recovering from childbirth. Quinns tubal ligation is among 90 the MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center OB-GYN department performs annually, but it is also among its last. The departments providers, including Quinn, were notified last fall by administration that tubal ligations during C-sections would no longer be allowed at the hospital after March 31. Administration cited the hospitals affiliation with the Roman Catholic Church and its teachings for the elimination of such services. As a Catholic health care organization, MercyOne North Iowa follows the Ethical and Religious Directives (ERDs) for Catholic Health Care Services, the hospital said in a statement. We are working with our providers and colleagues to ensure the medical services we provide respect these guidelines. We remain committed to caring for the patients and communities we serve in the spirit of our Catholic values. The hospitals statement didnt elaborate on when the change takes effect, why its being made or how women are supposed to receive the service in North Iowa. MercyOne hasnt publicly announced the change in reproductive health care services, and there is no mention of it on its website. Quinn and longtime OB-GYN Drs. Charles Debrah, Michael Faust, Thoo Tan and Roberto Velez said the administrations handling of the situation has caused widespread confusion and frustration among their patients, co-workers and the community. Not once have any of us been called to the room to defend ourselves (and) our position with the bishop, she said. "Weve really had no voice in the fight. The OB-GYN department providers say they are against the administrations decision, but because they are employed by a Catholic hospital, they have no other choice but to follow the directives. They said leaving MercyOne for a health care facility that allows tubal ligations doesnt change the situation in North Iowa, and could, in fact, hurt their patients many of whom have delivered multiple children in their care by reducing access to services with fewer providers. "None of us want to abandon our patients to this situation," Quinn said. The Churchs directives for health care The elimination of tubal ligations during C-sections at MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center comes nearly a year after birth control measures, such as tubals, vasectomies and contraceptive implants like IUDs, were no longer offered at MercyOne's sister hospital in Waterloo. As a result, the doctors said, MercyOne Waterloo Medical Center experienced an exodus of personnel and patients within months of the decision. But unlike Waterloo, North Iowans don't have many options outside of the MercyOne system for such services without traveling more than 30 miles. The providers said vasectomies, which are performed by the Mason City Clinic, and other contraception will still be offered in North Iowa for now. Were not only worried about what theyre doing to us today but whats going to follow with their history, Faust said. The best predictor of the future is your past, and the best predictor of what theyre going to do in the future is what theyve already done, and it frightens us, who provide womens health care, what theyve done before is going to happen here. MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center, which spans 14 counties across northern Iowa, is part of a connected system of more than 400 health care facilities and services formed in 1998 and operated by Catholic Health Initiatives, now CommonSpirit Health, and Trinity Health. It also holds management agreements with eight rural primary care hospitals in North Iowa, including Hancock County Health System, Kossuth Regional Health Center and Mitchell County Regional Health Center. Catholic hospitals, like MercyOne, are supposed to follow the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services that prohibit reproductive health services, like abortion, sterilization and all contraception except for natural family planning; however, some have continued to provide them through arrangements with non-religious affiliates and partners. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops approved new and revised directives for Catholic hospitals in June 2018 that crack down on such arrangements. According to the revised directives, Catholic facilities now must ensure neither its administrators nor its employees manage, carry out, assist in carrying out, make its facilities available for, make referrals for, or benefit from the revenue generated by immoral procedures" or affiliated with such practices. The directives state that the local diocesan bishop must be immediately informed if any Catholic hospital is suspected of wrongly cooperating with immoral procedures, and the institutions leaders should resolve the situation as soon as reasonably possible. The Archdiocese of Dubuque, which includes MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center, had no comment related to the changes at the hospital. OB-GYNs at MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center still offer tubal ligations during C-sections for their highest risk patients but only if they receive prior approval from a board. A medical ethical issue All patients who wish to have a tubal ligation in North Iowa will have three options: deliver elsewhere, endure two separate surgeries or forget the procedure altogether. Debrah, Faust, Tan, Quinn and Velez said the latter two are extremely dangerous, expensive and inconvenient for their patients. It becomes a medical ethical issue for us because by denying tubal ligations, were actually increasing that patients risk of future medical care, Faust said. That goes against everything that were supposed to do. Were supposed to attend to their medical risk, not increase it. The providers said theyve already had conversations with several of their patients about the change, and most are shocked that the service is being discontinued. Velez said he feels like hes violating his ethical obligation to his patients by denying their desire to have a tubal ligation during their C-section surgery. Its a no-brainer to do it at that time and again medical ethics say dont put a patient through unreasonable risk, he said. Debrah said a patient who decides to undergo a tubal ligation after recovering from their C-section will need more time to recover and more time off work, which means no income while incurring another medical expense. Maybe for the hospital and us its easy, but for someone who has a new baby, financially and socially, its a burden, he said. Some women may choose to forego a second procedure altogether to avoid time off work, time away from their families and time in recovery and put themselves at risk for an unintended pregnancy and another C-section, Debrah said. Debrah, Faust, Tan, Quinn and Velez said many of their patients who consent to a tubal ligation they are required to submit signed documentation 30 days prior to the procedure are at-risk because theyre older and have had multiple C-sections. They said there are still more vaginal births than cesarean births in their department, but the number of C-sections is increasing. Were going to see more and more of those patients who are higher risk due to multiple C-sections because thats the trend of delivery of care, Faust said. So a higher percentage of our patients are getting C-sections, which means a higher percentage are repeat, which means a higher percent are at increased risk. The logic behind (the churchs decision) mystifies me. It just does." The doctors estimate about 90% of the patients who request to have their tubes tied have had multiple C-sections. Quinn said she requested a tubal ligation during her C-section before she was informed that the hospital wouldnt be allowed to do perform them after March. I am so happy to have been able to have it done, she said. I am not sure what decision I would have made if I was unable to. The OB-GYN providers said MercyOne North Iowa Medical Centers elimination of tubal ligations during C-sections has cost its department two doctors. Dr. Mark LaDucs last day was March 27, and an OB-GYN recruit who wanted to practice in Mason City declined when he heard the hospital wasnt allowing tubal ligations, according to the doctors. Both, they said, affect the departments practice and the care provided to women in North Iowa. None of us have been in the position yet where we cant do it, where were standing in the operating room, were looking at their tubes and we know that the patient wants us to do it, we want to do it and we cant, Quinn said. I feel like its going to be hard from an ethical and emotional standpoint to not be able to treat our patients appropriately and how they want to be treated. Reach Reporter Ashley Stewart at 641-421-0533. Follow her on Twitter at GGastewart. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 8 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Kalyan Jewellers has said it will set aside Rs 10 crore towards fighting the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. The company will partner with local and government bodies to ensure that the funds are allocated in a meaningful and efficient manner, ensuring availability of supplies and providing food and other essentials to the vulnerable sections of society, Kalyan Jewellers said in a statement on Saturday. "The situation created by COVID-19, and the tremendous impact that the pandemic has had on humanity globally, is unprecedented. These have proved to be very challenging times, and our Central and state governments are doing everything they can to combat this," Kalyan Jewellers Chairman and Managing Director T S Kalyanaraman said. "We understand the magnitude of this crisis, and would like to extend our humble contribution of Rs 10 crore towards the fight against COVID-19," he said. Early last week, Kalyanaraman, in a letter addressed to employees of Kalyan Jewellers, had said that there would be no salary cuts in non-operational showrooms. The company also committed to pay full salaries for March and April to all of its over 8,000 employees, regardless of the impact on Kalyan Jewellers' overall business. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tony Blair thinks the Jeremy Corbyn experiment is over, and that it is time for Labour to reclaim its record in government and learn from his time in power so that it can win again. Just before universities were shut down, he answered questions from students at Kings College London in classes I teach with Jon Davis, Michelle Clement and Jack Brown. The questions covered a wide range of subjects the students had essays to write, after all but taken together his answers amounted to a call for Labour to return to the mentality of government. Inevitably, he was asked about the Iraq War, which many in the party see as the biggest reason for the eclipse of his brand of centrist politics. He was less defiant about the case for intervening than he has been in the past. Whereas previously he accepted some responsibility for the failure to prepare adequately for the aftermath of the invasion, now he made a more fundamental admission: I have been very critical of what was the single biggest mistake we made during that period, which is the failure to understand sufficiently the nature of the societies that we were getting into. That seems almost to accept that the invasion was a bad idea, because of the risk of Iraq descending into sectarian chaos, and that no amount of planning would have made it work. All the same, he explained that there was no compromise option: the decision was binary, and of huge moment, and it was his job to do what he thought was right. He said: The time you should trust the politicians most is when theyre telling you what you least want to hear. However, that is not how it worked out for him, or for the Labour Party, which has spent most of the past 13 years repudiating everything he stood for. He said the party could have avoided doing what it did, but that it took a fundamental decision in 2010, which was the decision to elect Ed rather than David Miliband. He pointed out that the party members and MPs voted for David, but were outvoted by the trade unions: At the time, the Labour Party membership was still, essentially, centre left, and then after it, it went on a journey where it ended up in the far left. He said the party had to get back to one piece of reality, which is that the MPs are the best judge of who should be leader. No one wants to hear that, but they actually are, because they see the people, day in, day out. The truth of the matter is no one can become prime minister unless, for example, theyre able to handle themselves in debate, and at the despatch box. I asked if he thought the party should go back to rules used before 1981, when the leader was elected by MPs alone. I dont think it would be acceptable to do that today. But I do think you should go back to a high threshold of MPs. I think that was a bad mistake to shift that. Under Ed Miliband, MPs, who had one third of the votes in an electoral college, were reduced to having the right merely to nominate candidates, with the threshold for nomination set at just 15 per cent of Labour MPs and MEPs, which was what allowed Corbyn on to the ballot paper. Since then, the threshold has been reduced to 10 per cent, with additional nominations required from either trade unions or local parties. There was a case for saying that leaders should be elected by just the MPs and the members of the party, Blair said. How you deal with this union thing is also difficult, because it can be subject to manipulation. The bigger question, however, is whether it is possible for whoever is leader to win again. Or, as Blair put it, would it be possible to reassemble the coalition that brought me to power in 1997? He said he privately called his approach the gay rights and strong on law and order programme it was a description of what I thought, culturally, could keep my liberal people and my traditional working-class people in the same room. In his view, that coalition hasnt shifted a great deal in the last 100 years. Some might argue that it had been broken up by Brexit or by Corbyns new politics, but Im not sure it really has. He said he thought Corbyn did so well in the 2017 election mainly because the people thought he had no chance of winning. Although there were other reasons: There were a whole lot of people who voted because they were passionate about Brexit and thought that was the best way to stop Brexit. And then frankly, Theresa May and the Tories ran a disastrous campaign and, to be fair to Jeremy Corbyn, he ran a pretty good campaign in terms of his personality. But what happened between 2017 and 2019 is that each of these factors fell away, and people came to a very concluded view that they did not want him. Last month marked 120 years since the founding of the Labour Party, and in that time he said weve had essentially three Labour governments (presumably not counting Ramsay MacDonald and counting Harold Wilsons two terms as one). Which one didnt win from the centre? And when people give the Attlee government as an example, I mean, Attlee had been deputy to Churchill throughout the war years. Virtually all the policies of that Labour government grew out of an intrawar consensus that then became a postwar consensus. He rejected the charge that New Labour was a form of moderate conservatism: There are values and philosophy that the Labour Party has that dont change: the belief in social justice, the belief that our job is essentially to help the people without the opportunity to get opportunity, to put it in very crude terms. That always was for me the difference with the Conservatives. (Andy Lane/Strand Group/Kings College London) (Andy Lane/Strand Group/King's College London) He argued that the hostility his government faced from much of the media was proof that New Labour kept to those values even though it sought different ways of fulfilling them: We were always going to face a time when the right-wing media realised that we actually werent a Tory government, a Red Tory government. Thats the irony of the criticism made from the left today because when I was in power, I was very well aware that the attack was coming from the right the whole time. And it was coming precisely on policies of social change, redistribution. He gave the example of setting up the Department for International Development and the progress towards an aid budget of 0.7 per cent of national income. You know, they hated all of those policies, he said. As a result, he didnt think it was ever possible to have maintained a better relationship with what he called at the end of his time as prime minister the feral beast of the media. I constantly reassess this one. Probably we had no option but to establish a relationship, and probably there was no outcome other than eventually a falling out. In the end, he fell out not just with the right-wing media, but with his own party. Now, as Corbyn leaves the stage, and as the party comes to terms with an election defeat even worse than the 1983 disaster that (eventually) gave rise to New Labour, it may be that the ideas of what Blair calls the centre left gain a hearing again. A full transcript of Tony Blairs session will be published shortly. Previous articles about the Blair Years course are here. India's commercial real estate, which has been performing well for last few years despite slowdown in the property market, is likely to be impacted due to nationwide lockdown as market experts see short-term affect on demand-supply of office and retail spaces, besides pressure on rentals values. Corporates and retailers, both global and domestic, are expected to delay their decisions on fresh leasing of commercial spaces by at least a quarter. The commercial real estate market is already witnessing re-negotiations of existing rentals and rent waivers from landlords as businesses have been affected due to the ongoing nationwide lockdown to check spread of coronavirus disease, according to property consultants and developers. "The impact of COVID-19 in India is likely to be short-lived providing the virus remains relatively contained," said Anshuman Magazine, Chairman & CEO - India, South East Asia, Middle East & Africa, CBRE. "Office leasing demand as of now has been unaffected due to a sustained appetite amongst US and EU based corporates for India as an outsourcing destination. The evolving global situation could only potentially result into delayed decision-making in the short term," he told PTI. Office space leasing was at an all time high during 2019 at around 50-60 million sq ft in seven major cities. JLL India MD (Retail Services) Shubhranshu Pani said leasing of retail space in shopping malls is at a standstill because of the lockdown. "Retailers have already started communicating to mall developers about their inability to pay rentals," he said. Samantak Das, Executive Director and Head of Research, REIS, JLL India, said, "In the current lockdown scenario, occupiers have suspended decision making on lease acquisitions. However, it is temporary in nature." Das, however, said the market fundamentals continue to remain strong low vacancy and low supply - and therefore a drop in demand for a short-term is sustainable. "Few large occupiers have begun re-negotiating their lease contracts for lower rents," he added. Embassy group COO Aditya Virwani said, "Leasing decisions are on hold or will be re-evaluated and supply will take a big hit as construction is not happening. The cost of labour remobilisation, interest etc will all build up." However, Salarpuria Sattva MD Bijay Agarwal said it is too early to comment on the impact on demand-supply and rentals in commercial segment. "India has so far been able to manage the threat of coronavirus. If we are able to contain the spread of coronavirus over the next 15-20 days, then India will emerge as superpower. I am very optimistic," he said. Agarwal said there could be demand for deferment or waiver of rentals on commercial properties. Embassy and Salarpuria Sattva, both based out of Bengaluru, are leading developers of commercial real estate in India. Cushman and Wakefield India Country Head and MD Anshul Jain expects office leasing to pick up in second half of the year on the back of stimulus from governments globally. "The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated office market cycles, with most key markets becoming more occupier-friendly. As seen in all major territories, governments and central banks around the region have been responding to the situation with policy measures and financial aid to mitigate the economic impact. "Assuming this scenario holds, and the global economy experiences a stimulus-fuelled rebound and business activity gradually resumes, we can expect office leasing activity to pick up in H2," Jain said. Anurag Mathur, CEO, Savills India, said, "Fresh office supply could see significant delay as construction gets impacted due to the nationwide lockdown." "Similarly, as businesses move at a slow pace, we see commitments on fresh leasing getting deferred by at least a quarter, if not more. However, these are temporary disruptions and demand for grade A office will remain strong when things get back to normal as the growth fundamentals of this country still remain intact," he added. Anarock Head - Research Prashant Thakur said, "Commercial and retail leases are under considerable pressure and we are likely to see a lot of re-strategizing on the ground. This pressure will persist over the short-to-mid term, until commercial and retail activity regain normalcy". Arpit Mehrotra, MD, Office Services (South India) at Colliers International, said: "We believe that leasing principles do not fluctuate customarily, however, at some point it will exhibit the sum of the accumulated market trends as a new benchmark price which in current scenario looks on the downward side." The impact of the pandemic will slow down the decision making in both US/European and Indian corporates which could retrench capital expenditures, he added. "For retailers, renegotiations of rentals is definitely on the cards as we foresee retailers seeking a deferment of rents from landlords during this closedown period," Mehrotra said. Shrinivas Rao, CEO-APAC-Vestian Global Workplace Solutions, said there has been a tremendous impact on leasing of commercial properties due to the Covid-19 impact. "Most clients have deferred their space take up by a quarter and even the firms that had signed the leases are now asking for an extension of the rent-free periods. This is definitely bound to impact the landlord revenues," he said. Abhishek Bansal, ED, Pacific Group, said: "Malls offer safe and hygienic ambience and hence, the pandemic may end up boosting it at the end of the crisis, but there will be some temporary pain for the time being." Bhutani Infra CEO Ashish Bhutani said there would not be much impact on Grade-A office space. Bhumika group MD Uddhav Poddar said the market dynamic is unlikely to undergo a massive change in tier II & III cities that require organised retail and office assets. Khetsi Barot, ED, The Guardians Real Estate Advisory, said the lockdown would lead to deferment of investment decisions, impacting outright sales of commercial real estate. However, he said the leasing of office space might not be affected. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Comedian Sunil Grover seems to believe an artist can keep his fans entertained no matter what. On Sunday, the actor took to social media to share a picture of himself in his many avatars on the popular show, The Kapil Sharma Show with an important message. Sharing the picture, he simply wrote: Times have changed, while tagging ace photographer Avinash Gowariker. In the picture, Sunil is dressed in his popular avatars -- Dr Mashoor Gulati and Gutthi (girl in red ribbons) among others -- but with masks on. What is universally accepted is that Sunil is a hit playing female characters on television. The actor has himself accepted that he does so. In January this year, speaking at an event organised by FICCI Ladies Organisation, he had told IANS, It is way easier (connecting with women) for me than connecting with men. Thats why I become a lady on TV. I have played so many characters of women. I just love becoming a woman. He had added how many other actors such as Krushna Abhishek, Gaurav Gera and Ali Asgar were also playing female characters and doing a good job of it. He was asked that television now has a number female comedians and hence wasnt it time for the funnymen to stop playing women? In reply, he said, I think female actors should also play male characters. As long as people are laughing, doing it gracefully and nicely.... For me, its not about a male or female. For me, its a character and it happens to be a female. I think I love playing that character. So I think I should do more of it, said the comedian. Sunil starred in 2019 film Bharat with Salman Khan. Speaking about the experience, he had told DNA, I had the pressure of sharing the screen space with Salman sir. So, I had to gel with the story and character. Its a Salman Khan film. All those people coming to watch him should feel that I belong to the world that hes created. And now, I feel the attempt was successful. Also, I completely followed director Ali Abbas Zafars vision. He was clear about the script. Sometimes, Salman sir would provide suggestions to improvise and he would give cues, so he also helped me with various things. (With IANS inputs) Follow @htshowbiz for more LIMERICK Green Party TD Brian Leddin has urged Communications Minister Richard Bruton to find ways to support local newspapers through the coronavirus crisis. Many titles are struggling with falling advertising revenue, due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Mr Leddin said: Many local newspapers around the country are in danger of closure due to the dramatic decline in advertising revenue since the crisis. We have already seen the worrying reports of fake news being spread online and through messaging platforms like WhatsApp. Unlike these platforms, Mr Leddin said local newspapers are trusted in this country. There is a public health need for there to be trusted local news outlets to ensure that people receive information that is accurate, fair and accountable, he said, However we must make sure that any support given improves security for journalists. We are living in unprecedented times. There will be a public health impact, especially in rural areas, if local newspapers are allowed to close. In the immediate term I would encourage everyone to buy a copy of their local paper, either with their essential shop or online, to support a trusted source of local news, he concluded. Meanwhile, the Sinn Fein spokesperson on communications, climate action and the environment David Cullinane also added his voice to calls on government to step up supports for local print and broadcasting media. An air ambulance operated by Philippines health officials crashed shortly after departure from Manila International Airport on Sunday, local media reported. The crash killed all eight people on board, including crew and medical professionals, news website Rappler said. The website cited airport officials as stating that the plane burst into flames after it approached the end of a runway and was about to take off around 8:00 p.m. local time. The fire has since been put out. The medical team, which has reportedly been attending to COVID-19 patients, was heading to Haneda Airport in Japan when the incident occurred. It was unclear whether coronavirus patients were on board. Unfortunately, no passenger survived the accident, Manila airport authorities said in a Twitter update of the crash. Those killed included six Filipino and two foreigners, whom social media accounts said included one American and one Canadian. The Philippines has about 1,500 cases of coronavirus and 71 deaths as of Sunday night. Swiss pharmaceutical major Roche, which received the Emergency Use Authorisation for its novel coronavirus diagnostic test - Cobas SARS-CoV-2 Test - from US Food and Drug Administration on March 12, will soon make it available in India. The test detects the genetic signature (RNA) of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, also known as novel coronavirus or COVID-19, in swab samples that a healthcare provider collects from the back of the patient's throat or nose, states Roche's website. It also says that the company expects to supply about 400,000 tests per week in the US, making it one of the sought after tests in that country. Roche's Indian subsidiary - Roche Diagnostics India Pvt Ltd - has received conditional import licence from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) and is in the process of importing the test kits, a company spokesperson said. Also read: Coronavirus in India Live Updates: Maharashtra reports 7th death; nationwide tally 979 The Cobas SARS CoV-2 assay, a real-time PCR molecular offering, is also CE-IVD certified, the requisite approved needed to market the product in Europe. Given the increasing need to make more COVID-19 diagnostic kits available in the country, the central government had fast-tracked the regulatory approval process by allowing US FDA EUA/CE IVD approved kits to be used directly after due approval from DCGI and intimation to ICMR without any further validation within India. The Roche India spokesperson said the Cobas SARS CoV-2 test is likely to be made available for patient testing in India over the next few weeks. Meanwhile, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has established a fast-track mechanism for validation of non-US FDA EUA/CE IVD approved kits at four of its constituent laboratories. Pune-based National Institute of Virology (NIV) and National Aids Research Institute, National Institute of Pathology, New Delhi, and National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (NICED), Kolkata, can thus evaluate test kits for 100 per cent concordance among true positive and true negative samples and recommend it for commercial use in India. As on March 28, four kit makers, including an Indian firm, got marketing approval for their COVID-19 PCR based molecular diagnostic testing. Roche's three Research Use Only (RUO) kits test kits were also submitted for evaluation under ICMR's fast track window. However, the kits - LightMix Modular SARS and Wuhan CoV E gene, LightMix Modular SARS and Wuhan CoV N gene and LightMix Modular Wuhan RdRp gene - are yet to be approved. The spokesperson said the "the three COVID-19 tests mentioned under Roche in the ICMR list are Research Use Only (RUO) kits that respectively provide screening and confirmatory tests. They have yet not been approved for patient testing". IOA President Narinder Batra on Saturday said the Tokyo Olympics qualification events, postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic, will be held once the health crisis is resolved New Delhi: The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Sunday assured full support as the country battled the COVID-19 pandemic and stressed on self-isolation under the current circumstances. IOA President Narinder Batra on Saturday said the Tokyo Olympics qualification events, postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic, will be held once the health crisis is resolved. "In past few days we got suggestions that IOA should also contribute towards humanity in these times of global crisis because of the coronavirus pandemic," IOA secretary general Rajeev Mehta said in a release. "Your esteemed federations/state Olympic associations are following closely the norms and instructions issued by the Government of India, WHO and other world organisations involved in managing this crisis." The pandemic has so far claimed over 30,000 lives across the world while infecting more than 6.5 lakh people, and the country's top Olympic body said they are always there to assist. "This is just the beginning of our war against the pandemic, we aren't aware of how things will shape up in future, what all new challenges we all have to face." "We assure you all, IOA will come forward and reach out to you and will work as per protocols and norms set by the government, WHO, Unicef and concerned bodies. In the meantime we have to follow self-isolation," the IOA said. Click here to follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak From being duped into taking poisonous "cures", to watching businesses crumble and avoiding life-saving medication, people are suffering devastating real-world impacts of a deluge of online virus misinformation. As the new coronavirus that has killed more than 20,000 people causes markets to crash and sets scientists scrambling for a solution, rumours and false claims are fuelling confusion and deepening the economic misery. The effects can be tragic -- in Iran, one of the hardest-hit countries, more than 210 people died from drinking toxic alcohol after claims circulated online that it could treat or ward off COVID-19, the official Irna news agency reported. Dangerous fake cures debunked by AFP include consuming volcanic ash and fighting infection with UV lamps or chlorine disinfectants, which health authorities say can harm the body if used incorrectly. Another remedy that "kills the coronavirus", according to misleading social media posts, is drinking silver particles in liquid, known as colloidal silver. "I am making colloidal silver now. I have asthma and does it really work... worried/stressed over virus. Does this help if I take a teaspoon a day. New to this..." said a post by a user named Michelle in a public Facebook group, alongside a photo of a jar of water with a metal rod in it. The side effects of taking colloidal silver can include a bluish-grey skin discoloration and poor absorption of some medicines including antibiotics, according to the US National Institutes of Health. But this has not put some people off. An Australian man who said he regularly buys the concoction told AFP it had "sold out in my town ... but before the virus, I could always get some". Cocaine and bleach-like solutions are also among the risky fake cures touted online. "No, cocaine does NOT protect against #COVID-19," the French government tweeted in response. As panic buying leaves supermarket shelves empty around the world, some Indian traders and farmers have had the opposite problem -- people shunning their products due to false information. Retailers in Delhi told AFP they had stocked up on Chinese-made goods such as toy guns, wigs and other colourful accessories ahead of Holi festival earlier this month. But "misinformation about Chinese products -- that they might transmit coronavirus -- caused a downfall in the sales of Holi goods. We witnessed a reduction in sales of around 40 percent compared to previous year", said Vipin Nijhawan from the Toy Association of India. The World Health Organization has said the virus does not last long on inanimate surfaces, so it is unlikely imported goods would remain infectious even if contaminated. The rapid spread of information online means that when scientists discuss as-yet unproven theories, anxious patients can take unnecessary risks. Confusion has been sparked by letters and theoretical papers published in scientific journals about whether some types of heart medication can raise the chance of developing a serious form of COVID-19. This has prompted health authorities across Europe and America to advise heart patients -- already more at-risk for the disease -- to continue taking their drugs. Carolyn Thomas, who runs a blog for women living with heart disease, said dozens of her readers had contacted her for advice after seeing tweets warning about ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers. "Until I get in to see my own cardiologist, I'm still taking my own drugs, even as I wonder if they are increasing my own vulnerability to catching the virus," Thomas, who is self-isolating at home in Canada, told AFP. "I'm afraid to take them, yet I'm afraid to stop," she said. Professor Garry Jennings, chief medical advisor for Australia's Heart Foundation, said the theoretical papers were "based on a number of factors which are all disputed" and warned that if patients stopped taking their medication there could be an upshot in heart attacks and deaths. "In the absence of any other evidence that it's actually happening, and with the knowledge that these drugs are beneficial... it's not a good idea to stop," he said. And a man died in the US from taking a form of chloroquine -- hailed by President Donald Trump as a potential "gift from God" remedy" -- after he took a form of the drug his wife had used to treat her pet fish. The woman told NBC News: "I saw it sitting on the back shelf and thought, 'Hey, isn't that the stuff they're talking about on TV?'" Banner Health, a non-profit health care provider based in Phoenix, said on its website that "a man has died and his wife is under critical care after the couple, both in their 60s, ingested chloroquine phosphate, an additive commonly used at aquariums to clean fish tanks." Actor Dan Fogler has teased that the upcoming third installment of the "Fantastic Beasts" series will feature a "massive war" sequence. The actor, who will be reprising his character of No-Maj Jacob Kowalski, told Syfy Wire that he liked the script and the character development of the new movie. "I can say I read the script and the character development is really lovely and it's very similar to the feel of the first movie, which I think is great," Fogler said. "It's leading toward this massive war with the backdrop of World War II, so you can just imagine epic battle scenes are coming," he added. Fogler said the film was supposed to start shooting early this year but due to coronavirus pandemic, it has been temporarily put on hold. "We're just waiting. I guess when everybody else starts (back up), when the mechanism starts to move again and everybody starts to get back to work, that's when we'll get back to work. Hopefully, sooner than later," he added. The "Fantastic Beasts" series is a spin-off of critically-acclaimed "Harry Potter" franchise. It is inspired by the textbook by Newt Scamander, played by Eddie Redmayne in the films, that Harry Potter carries at Hogwarts. The series follow Newt during the early 20th century in New York and London as he navigates the world's secret community of witches and wizards. The second film in the franchise, "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald", featured Jude Law as younger Albus Dumbledore and Johnny Depp as younger version of dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald. "Fantastic Beasts 3" has a release date of November 12, 2021. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The central Chinese city of Wuhan where COVID-19 first emerged in the later part of 2019 partly reopened on Saturday after more than two months of near-total isolation. People are now permitted to enter Wuhan but not leave. Crowds of passengers were milling around at the Wuhan train station on Saturday after the city of 11 million people was Ground Zero for two months of isolation. A lockdown was imposed on Wuhan in January with citizens prohibited to leave, rigid restrictions on daily life, and roadblocks ring-fencing the outskirts of the city. Wuhan, where the coronavirus is believed to have been rooted in a seafood market and had undertaken lockdown for more than two months, was now open to incoming traffic late on Friday. Hubei province, of which the city of Wuhan is the capital, removed border restrictions on Wednesday for all excluding Wuhan. This will allow people to leave the city beginning on April 8. Railways stations and airports started resuming operations across the Hubei province, except for Wuhan. Families separated by the coronavirus in Wuhan are being reunited after the reopening of the borders and allowing metro services to run. The conclusion of a draconian two-month lockdown has allowed a semblance of normalcy to return to the city, where the epidemic first emerged in late December. Also Read: Hantavirus Kills One in China, May Be Next Outbreak After Coronavirus? Several controls are still in place with the vast majority of shops still closed with roadblocks in place. On April 8, the airport is also set to re-open to internal flights. After being cut off from the rest of China for two months, the reopening of Wuhan marks a turning point in the country's battle against the virus. The capital of Hubei province recorded more than 50,000 coronavirus cases. There were at least 3,000 fatalities in Hubei due to the illness. Imported new cases recorded But China's figures have fallen dramatically. 54 new cases emerged the previous day but were all imported. The major transport and industrial hub have now marked the end of its long isolation. State media showed the first officially sanctioned passenger train transported back into the city just after midnight. "It almost feels like returning to an alien land, because I haven't been back for more than two months. So I really want to take a look," according to Gao Xuesong, an auto industry worker in Wuhan. China is now trying to contain a series of imported cases as infections soar abroad. At a checkpoint entering Wuhan on Friday night, three lanes were open to traffic with a few cars. A lone figure was in military fatigues standing at each lane inspecting the mobile phone health codes of arriving passengers. Along the highway into the city of Wuhan, blue and white signs guided traffic to the now-closed Huoshenshan Hospital, which was under construction for eight days and opened in early February. This building came to epitomize China's aggressive containment of the pandemic after fumbled early attempts. Related Article: Coronavirus Symptoms Day-By-Day: How to Check If You Are Sick With COVID-19 @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) An Upstate New York doughnut shop is featuring the likeness of the doctor leading the countrys battle with coronavirus on its sweet treats. Donuts Delite in Rochester began selling hundreds of doughnuts with Dr. Anthony Fauci's face, surrounded by white frosting and topped off with patriotic sprinkles. The exclusive treats have been selling like crazy" since the store put them on display Monday, according to Nick Semeraro, franchisee of the cafe. The shop's decision was inspired by the 79-year-old doctor's straightforward communication style and calm demeanor while he's been advising millions of Americans amid a pandemic. The infectious disease expert has served as an adviser to every president since Ronald Reagan and President Donald Trump has coined him as a star on his administration's coronavirus task force. Therefore, putting Fauci's face smack down in the middle of a doughnut felt like an obvious choice for Semeraro. Were watching the news like everyone else, Semeraro told the Democrat & Chronicle on Thursday. Hes on TV giving us the facts; youve got to respect that. Were bipartisan, we stay neutral, but youve got to give credit where credits due. In addition, the shop hopes this new addition to their menu brings light to a humbling experience, Semeraro said, and some cheer to customers, even if its just while youre wolfing down that doughnut. More than 60 million members of the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) can now withdraw non-refundable advance from their account in view of the lockdown to fight the coronavirus disease. The Union ministry of labour has said in a statement that it has issued a notification on March 28 to amend the Employees Provident Fund Scheme, 1952, to allow members to withdraw an amount not exceeding their three months basic pay and dearness allowance (DA). The notification permitted non-refundable withdrawal not exceeding the basic wages and dearness allowance for three months or up to 75% of the amount standing to the credit of their EPF account, whichever is less. COVID-19 has been declared a pandemic by appropriate authorities for the entire country and, therefore, employees working in establishments and factories across entire India, who are members of the EPF Scheme, 1952, are eligible for the benefits of non-refundable advance, it said. A sub-para(3) under para 68L has been inserted in the EPF scheme, 1952. The amended scheme Employees Provident Fund (Amendment) scheme, 2020, has come into force from March 28, 2020, it said. The retirement fund body has directed its offices to promptly process any application for withdrawal by EPF subscribers so that relief reaches the workers and their family. Mumbai/New Delhi, March 29 : As several senior Congress leaders including Shashi Tharoor and Kapil Sibal attacked the Centre for its inept handling of the COVID-19 threat and the exodus of the migrant labourers, party leader Milind Deora said that this is no time for politics. "Now it's not time for petty and partisan politicking about which government responded when and how effectively. We should work unitedly with laser focus to contain the spread of the COVID-19 and treat the infected regardless of their economic background," Deora wrote on Twitter. "There will be time for politics and rebuilding. At that time, hopefully, we will direct our outrage at those who misled and lied to the world. Without accountability, nothing changes," Deora wrote. He compared the current crisis with the 14th century plague, which originated from China and travelled through silk route to Europe and killed millions of people. Titling it as Sunday musings, he said, "In 14th century black death or the great bubonic plague killed half of Europe's population -- the virus originated in China and central Asia and travelled to Europe through the silk route. About 700 years later with advance medical science and stricter border controls coronovirus threatens millions in the world. The plague reduced the world population by almost 350 million as per reports." Deora said that social distancing was cruel luxury and nationwide lockdown was imperative. The Congress leader slammed the government for exodus of the migrant labourers, "our collective and shameful inability to foresee and assist migrants fleeing metros by foot has cost us precious time and lives." Deora expressed apprehension that after the lockdown was lifted and until mirgrants return, "cities like Mumbai and Delhi will be without unorganised labour adding to our economic woes." He said that a plan in advance was needed. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday during his monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat' apologised for taking harsh steps to fight COVID-19 outbreak, and asked people to maintain social distancing. Five percent of the nursing homes in Pennsylvania have at least one positive case of the coronavirus. In her daily update Sunday on the status of the spread of the coronavirus, Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said the majority of coronavirus cases found in nursing homes have been reported in the southeastern part of the state, where the vast majority of overall cases have been reported. The number of confirmed cases across the state increased by 643 Sunday, reaching a total of 3,394 with 38 deaths. Of those confirmed cases, 64 have been reported in nursing homes, which accounts for less than 0.1 percent of the states nursing-home population, Levine said. Many Pennsylvanians have loved ones in nursing homes and are very concerned, she said in Sundays press briefing. I have a loved one in a personal care home. My mother. Since those living in nursing homes are among the most vulnerable to the coronavirus due to their age and underlying medical conditions, she said people should refrain from visiting them in person, even though its a very difficult thing to do. At the beginning of March, to help curb the spread of the coronavirus, the state enacted strict guidelines for nursing homes, particularly with visitor restrictions. If you have a loved one in a nursing home, please do not visit them, Levine said. We are seeing community spread in most areas of Pennsylvania. While in-person visits are restricted, she said people can keep in touch through phone calls, letters and video chat. Levine said she calls her own mother two times per day, and it is important to stay in touch, particularly during these difficult times. If it is an end-of-life situation, though, she recommends calling the nursing home to make arrangements. Asymptomatic employees of nursing homes are not being tested, she said. A negative test does not mean much if the subject is showing no symptoms since they could be exposed the next day. But employees who are sick or have a fever, cough or other respiratory symptoms are asked to stay home. There have been 36 facilities in the state with at least one positive case, making up 5 percent of the nursing homes in Pennsylvania, most of which are in the southeast, she said. At least one has been reported in western Pennsylvania in Beaver County. That home, the Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center, has seen 14 cases as of Sunday, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. Gov. Tom Wolf has ordered all non-life-sustaining businesses to close and schools are closed statewide at least through April 6. Currently 22 counties are under stay-at-home orders. Levine said Sunday stay-at-home orders are being examined and rolled out on a daily basis. While Dauphin and Cumberland counties, which are not under a stay-at-home order, have more or the same amount of cases than Centre County, which is, a number of factors come into play when deciding where to issue those orders. One of those factors is the per capita amount of cases. The state also consults with county officials to make that determination. As of Sunday, Dauphin County had 35 cases, Cumberland County had 22 and Centre County had 22. Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. New Delhi: Author Twinkle Khanna recently revealed the conversation she had with her superstar husband Akshay Kumar when he decided to donate Rs 25 crore to PM-CARES Fund to fight against coronavirus pandemic. Twinkle mentioned that she asked him if he was sure as it is a huge amount and he simply said, I had nothing when I started and now that I am in this position, how can I hold back from doing whatever I can for those who have nothing. Akshay Kumar on Saturday said in a tweet that he pledges to donate Rs 25 crore fight the deadly virus and urged others to make contributions too. This is that time when all that matters is the lives of our people. And we need to do anything and everything it takes. I pledge to contribute Rs 25 crores from my savings to Narendra Modi jis PM CARES Fund. Lets save lives, Jaan hai toh jahaan hai, he tweeted. This is that time when all that matters is the lives of our people. And we need to do anything and everything it takes. I pledge to contribute Rs 25 crores from my savings to @narendramodi jis PM-CARES Fund. Lets save lives, Jaan hai toh jahaan hai. https://t.co/dKbxiLXFLS Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) March 28, 2020 Soon after which, his wife Twinkle said, The man makes me proud. When I asked him if he was sure as it was such a massive amount and we needed to liquidate funds, he just said, I had nothing when I started and now that I am in this position, how can I hold back from doing whatever I can for those who have nothing. The man makes me proud. When I asked him if he was sure as it was such a massive amount and we needed to liquidate funds, he just said, I had nothing when I started and now that I am in this position, how can I hold back from doing whatever I can for those who have nothing. https://t.co/R9hEin8KF1 Twinkle Khanna (@mrsfunnybones) March 28, 2020 Meanwhile, in his reply to Akshay, PM Modi said, Great gesture. Lets keep donating for a healthier India. Great gesture @akshaykumar. Lets keep donating for a healthier India. https://t.co/3KAqzgRFOW Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 28, 2020 In order to provide relief to those affected with the coronavirus outbreak, a public charitable trust under the name of Prime Ministers Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund) was set up on Saturday. After Akshay, actor Varun Dhawan also came forward to donate Rs 30 lakh to the PM CARES Fund. The coronavirus pandemic, which first originated in Chinas Wuhan, has engulfed the entire world and has posed serious challenges for the health and economic security of millions of people. In India too, the spread of coronavirus has been alarming. The total number of COVID-19 cases in India on Sunday morning reached 918, with 19 deaths. Bosses who have squeezed cash out of their companies and now want taxpayer help should be forced to give up a chunk of their pay, a senior member of the Rothschild banking dynasty has said. In a damning intervention, Nat Rothschild told The Mail on Sunday there 'has to be a price' for being caught out by the crisis and 'a reward for conservatism' if firms had put money aside for lean times. The eldest son of Baron Rothschild and heir to his father's title and business interests said bosses and owners who have profited from risk-taking must be forced to sacrifice their share awards and 'a percentage of pay' if they tap into state support schemes. Strong words: Nat Rothschild said there 'has to be a price' for being caught out by the crisis and 'a reward for conservatism' if firms had put money aside for lean times His call for reckless executives to dip into their own pockets is today backed by a major poll by The Mail on Sunday. An overwhelming 61 per cent of the public believes owners and bosses of companies that have been making a profit should be 'forced to contribute money to any Government bailout'. Just under half 49 per cent said they were otherwise broadly supportive of using taxpayer money to save companies from collapse. Only 25 per cent did not support bailouts. Rothschild, who is also chairman of London-listed manufacturer Volex which makes charging cables for electric cars, said: 'What is going to irritate people is that some of these firms, despite the risks they have taken and the rich rewards that would have followed, will now be given a get-out-of-jail-free card while laying off workers. This is a re-run of the financial crisis.' His comments come after public fury was directed at the likes of JD Wetherspoon founder Tim Martin, who sent staff home on no pay a week ago expecting the taxpayer to foot his company's wage bill. There are fears that some firms, such as heavily indebted shopping centre owner Intu with an eye-watering 4.5 billion debt and facing a standoff with retailers, may struggle to survive. Dozens of restaurant chains are struggling just days after a Government lockdown and high street retailer casualties are likely to mount rapidly within weeks. The airline industry has been criticised for years of massive payouts after companies, including Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic, were plunged into an immediate crisis after planes were grounded. Last week, The Mail on Sunday revealed that airline bosses had handed out 12 billion in dividends in the past five years. Research for The Mail on Sunday by stockbroker AJ Bell this weekend shows that FTSE 100 debt has risen rapidly over the past three years while dividends have soared. That period has seen debt among FTSE 100 firms soar to a record 75 billion twice the level of 2009 after the financial crash. But that has coincided with a record run of dividend payments at those firms, hitting 78.3 billion last year. Russ Mould at AJ Bell, which excluded banks from the analysis because they have massively reduced debts since 2009, said the figures would 'suggest debt was used to fund dividends as the economy slowed a bit and cover got tighter'. Rothschild's firm Volex has a turnover of $400 million and $30 million cash on its balance sheet. It also has a $40 million undrawn bank facility. The board calculates it would make a profit even if annual revenue dipped by $100 million. Rothschild contrasted the balance sheet with ailing car manufacturer Aston Martin, which has borrowed seven times its earnings. He said many firms, particularly those run by private equity, had just eight weeks of cash in reserve. He said: 'It's absolutely extraordinary that such companies should be placed in a financial position that they cannot survive for even a matter of weeks with little or no revenue without going bust.' Rothschild strongly urged the Government to avoid a repeat of the 2008 crisis when bankers kept all of their share options and 'essentially got bailed out too'. He suggested each private equity firm should be asked to hold back a 'dry powder' fund to 'meet its social commitments' if their firms ran into trouble. He added: 'It would make sense to demand that access to [Bank of England emergency coronavirus funding] should be conditional on senior managers forgoing stock options and a percentage of pay. 'There has to be a price for using too much leverage and a reward for conservatism during these times.' He said the Government currently in talks over a bailout of Virgin Atlantic and Britain's banks should consider carefully who gets assistance and what penalties should be paid, 'so that the Michael O'Leary's of the corporate world' who have sensibly put money aside for tougher times are treated fairly. Rothschild said: '[Ryanair] has 4 billion of cash and marketable securities on its balance sheet and doesn't need a bailout or at least can survive this for many months. It is essentially being penalised for other people's risk taking or incompetence.' The Mail on Sunday's survey was conducted by Deltapoll, which interviewed 1,545 British adults online between March 26 and 27. The data were weighted to be representative of the British adult population as a whole. Washington When it came time to heave the largest aid package in U.S. history over the finish line, Republican Rep. Mark Meadows was the closer, working with Democrats to get it done. He wasn't just any member of Congress. In a highly unusual arrangement, Meadows has been pulling off a balancing act, maintaining his seat representing North Carolina in the House while also acting as the de facto White House chief of staff during one of the biggest crises faced by any president in modern history. Meadows is expected to resign from Congress soon, after which he will formally take over the chief of staff role still technically held by Mick Mulvaney, who never shook his "acting" title. In truth, it was nearly two weeks ago that aides to Mulvaney helped pack up his office and move out of the West Wing, raising questions about who, exactly, has been in charge. "I'm still a member of Congress; Mick Mulvaney's still the acting chief, officially," Meadows told reporters Tuesday on Capitol Hill. He said he would "end up resigning as a member of Congress" toward the end of the month. But Meadows' efforts over last week shine a light on his likely role going forward. While Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and White House legislative affairs director Eric Ueland did much of the heavy lifting for the White House in talks about the aid package, Democrats and Republicans said Meadows played a key role in the late stages. The co-founder of the conservative House Freedom Caucus shuttled between Capitol Hill leadership offices and meetings with top Democratic negotiator Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. Meadows' role as a compromise-seeker on a bipartisan package marked an unlikely change of roles for a lawmaker who made his name in Congress as the man who toppled Republican former House Speaker John Boehner in 2015. The Freedom Caucus declined to back the $2 trillion stimulus bill, but it didn't oppose it either, a testament to Meadows' ability to soothe GOP objections to the big-spending bill. In the view of one top Democrat, he was "the closer" who knew what was needed to get the bill past the finish line and deliver on the most important variable: ensuring the deal was something Trump would agree to sign into law. Schumer gave a shout-out to Meadows by name on the Senate floor along with Mnuchin and Ueland ahead of Wednesday's late-night vote on the $2.2 trillion bill. Reviled by Democrats and a thorn to Republican leadership on Capitol Hill, the Freedom Caucus has a reputation for attention-grabbing moves that often backfire spectacularly for the party. The GOP's 2017 Obamacare repeal effort was bedeviled in the House by the caucus' stubborn demands. But lawmakers recognize that Meadows has Trump's ear, and have grown to respect his feel for the House GOP conference. He and GOP leader Kevin McCarthy have also worked to move beyond past differences, although a distrust of Meadows lingers among many Republicans who've clashed with him over the years. One Republican close to the talks said that during the negotiations, Meadows worked to push the president's priorities as the package moved through Congress. His involvement also helped temper concerns from some conservatives who remain wary of Mnuchin a former Democrat and Goldman Sachs banker and see him as too eager to sign onto Democratic proposals. "Mark is respected by everyone in the House and certainly respected by conservatives in the House. I think he's respected by everyone in the Senate, by conservatives in the Senate as well," said Republican Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, one of Meadows' best friends in Congress. Trump announced March 6 just as the country was beginning to recognize the dire threat posed by the coronavirus that he had decided to shake up his senior staff and would be replacing Mulvaney as chief of staff. He had been hankering to make the move for months as part of a larger effort to surround himself with loyalists, but waited until the impeachment saga ended to act. Mulvaney and Meadows, longtime friends, had intended to spend the interim period together at the White House to ensure a smooth transition, but those plans were partially scuttled when both men were forced into self-isolation after potential exposure to the virus. Both tested negative. Some White House staffers have described confusion over who was supposed to be running the West Wing over the past several weeks. Some of the murkiness of Meadows' status is deliberate, as his dual status tests the Constitution's prohibition on a sitting member of Congress holding an "office under the United States." White House aides have pointed out that Meadows is not drawing a salary. But in practice, they have acknowledged that his "in-waiting" status is a technicality until he formally resigns his seat. Regardless of when the official hand-off happens, Meadows inherits a job that has been dramatically reduced in influence. Trump spurned efforts by his previous chiefs of staff Meadows will be his fourth to create clear chains of command and streamline the flow of information and access to the president. What Trump needs now more than ever, critics say, is a chief of staff who can tell him things he doesn't want to hear. 29.03.2020 LISTEN Whiles growing up, you may have listened to the story of the Shea tree, the wild cherry and the grass. Once these three were neighbours and friends. One day, the Shea tree fell extremely ill and called out to his friends for help. The wild cherry and the grass turned a deaf ear to the numerous pleas of their friend. The Shea tree eventually died as a result of the sickness. One day, wood cutters chanced on the dead Shea tree and immediately axed it into pieces to be carried home for firewood. But then, they realised the need to tie the wood but had no ropes. They looked around and the wild cherry was there. They immediately cut it and used it as ropes to tie the wood. Then again, they needed a headpad. The grass was also not far. They cut the grass and used it as headpads to carry their booty home. The cherry tree and the grass had forgotten that the demise of their neighbour and friend could cause them their lives too, and so left the Shea tree to fight its own battle. The end was sad. This is what I'm trying to say. China was bleeding and the whole world was looking unconcerned. China was left to fight it's own battle. In those trying times of China, the whole world mocked, chastised, cursed etc. the Chinese when they were supposed to support, empathise and sympathise with them. Funny videos and memes were created about the unfortunate happening. People asserted the Chinese are being punished for their sins and so it served them right. The whole world was comfortable because they were free from the virus after all. And that was the stumbling point of the World. The world perhaps wouldn't be in this crisis if it had extenteded a helping hand to it's brother China. The collective strength of the world could kill the virus before it gained grounds. So those who felt China was suffering because of it's sins, I ask. Are you better than China now? And who is the sinner now if we should go by the assertion. You must have seen a joke about the virus on the walls of some of your friends. Visit their walls today. They are those screaming at the top of their lungs "LOCKDOWN...LOCKDOWN...LOCKDOWN...." Quite funny! Dagombas have an old adage that, "the wound of another person is not painful". It's only the fool who laughs at the news that the market is on fire. I feel this is Allah's own way of healing us from our "YOUR MATTER IS NOT MY CONCERN" attitude. In all things, remember HUMANITY comes first before any other relationship. In this trying times, I will urge everyone to PRAY and STAY SAFE. WE MUST LIVE TO TELL THE TALES OF HOW WE SURVIVED THE WW III. Bawa Sulemana Wunpini National Service Person Ghana Broadcasting Corporation - Tamale. Religious leaders are suddenly relying on YouTube, Facebook and even the parking lot of a Dirt Cheap bargain store to reach worshippers amid the spread of the coronavirus. They are holding conference calls for Bible study, hearing confessions by appointment and erecting a virtual synagogue on the fly. Despite a global pandemic that has rocked Louisiana, churches and synagogues are taking unprecedented steps to stay connected to their congregations. Louisiana issues statewide stay-at-home order to combat coronavirus spread; see details here Gov. John Bel Edwards issued Sunday a statewide "stay at home" order until April 12, requiring Louisiana residents to shelter in place unless Our parishioners look at the church as the rock in the middle of the storm, and it is comforting to them to hear the voices of our clergy, to see we're doing well and to connect with a community that they already miss, said the Rev. Jamin David, pastor of St. Margaret Queen of Scotland Catholic church in Albany and St. Thomas Chapel in Springfield. Traditional religious gatherings, like schools, colleges and many workplaces, are on hold just ahead of Easter amid state orders to limit groups to 10 or less. +3 Why some Louisiana early learning centers prepped to stay open amid coronavirus threat, school closures Despite the closing of public schools statewide because of coronavirus, operators of some early learning centers said Friday they plan to rema Louisiana has one of the highest per capita rates of the virus in the world, and the New Orleans area accounts for most of them. But denominations across the board say they are still able to deliver traditional religious rites even if the methods are unorthodox. The website of the Archdiocese of New Orleans lists nearly three dozen churches offering a virtual Mass and prayer opportunities. Immaculate Conception Church in Scotlandville is livestreaming Sunday and daily masses and employing conference calls to say the Rosary. "I am just using a laptop and a smartphone and streaming on YouTube and Facebook," the Rev. Tom Clark said in an email. "I think it all helps us feel less isolated." At Mary, Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Mandeville, the 9 a.m. daily mass, 3 p.m. special devotion and Stations of the Cross on Fridays are all being livestreamed. In the past week the number of YouTube subscribers has risen from 29 to more than 500, said the Rev. Jared Rodrigue. "The main struggle, I think, is the initial connection, getting word out to those who are not so tech savvy or who simply have not heard of the exciting things going on," Rodrigue said. Michael Duca, bishop of the Diocese of Baton Rouge, said he is encouraging people to "raise your head up and be an instrument of hope for someone else." "If you can reach out and help someone it can be like a medicine," Duca said. On March 22 St. Alban's Chapel, which is across from the Parade Ground at LSU, used Facebook to livestream its Episcopal service led by the Rev. Andrew Rollins, chaplain, and seven others, with doors locked and social distancing rules in place. The congregation was invited online to say a "Prayer for Spiritual Communion." "I know that's not perfect," Rollins said. "The clergy are all figuring this out as we go." Members of Westside Emmanuel Baptist Church in Bogalusa last weekend held a "drive-in" service, with people in cars and trucks in the church parking lot tuning into an FM transmitter to hear the service and a band playing from a gooseneck trailer. "We have an online presence, but there is just something about gathering together that provides a sense of normalcy and hope," said Pastor Marcus Rosa. Future services will be held in the more spacious Dirt Cheap parking lot, the former site of a Walmart. Vaccine news in your inbox Once a week we'll update you on the progress of COVID-19 vaccinations. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up As funeral attendance is limited due to coronavirus, some funeral homes turn to livestreams With 104 first cousins, Jacqueline "Jackie" Kessler Wood knew there was going to be a problem when a beloved relative died last week. In addition to changing regular services, the virus has affected ministries. St. Margaret Queen of Scotland has suspended its weekly delivery of communion to the homebound and parishioners in nursing homes. Healing Place Church stopped its after-school outreach at several schools and at its Dream Center in North Baton Rouge, but the church plans to reach some of the individuals by phone, email and internet, said the Rev. Johnny Green, an associate pastor. This is obviously a fearful and confusing time, but we believe it didnt surprise God, Green said. We believe God is in control. We believe God wants to be a part of peoples lives, and were looking for ways to be a part of that process. First Baptist Church in Baton Rouge has suspended its homeless ministry because the volunteers are senior adults and more vulnerable to the coronavirus. "The greatest ministry we can provide is to stay healthy and keep other people out of the way of this illness," said the Rev. Oren Conner, pastor of First Baptist. "I know a lot of the steps being taken seem to be overkill, but the reality is, if we don't do this now, it may be too late later. That's one of the things we have to encourage one another to do." The Rev. S.C. Dixon, pastor of Greater Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church, is fearful that the shutdown of churches, and weekly collections, will especially hurt black congregations. "When people don't come to church they're not so prone to want to make that financial contribution," Dixon said. "It's hard when you're at church, let alone not being at church. Most of us are not as financially sound." Rabbi Natan Trief of Beth Shalom Synagogue in Baton Rouge said members are erecting a "virtual synagogue" using Zoom and other platforms that allows for the delivery of Friday evening and Saturday morning services. Trief said he senses "a lot of anxiety, a lot of uncertainty" but no panic amid the pandemic. "A lot of our people, the Jewish people especially, are used to periods of uncertainty and periods of anxiety," he said in an email. At First Presbyterian in Baton Rouge, the normal three Sunday services have been trimmed to one at 10:30 a.m. that is livestreamed through multiple platforms. On Sunday the broadcast on Facebook will include an interactive chat, said Pastor Gerrit Dawson. The Rev. Trey Nelson, pastor of St. Jude the Apostle in Baton Rouge, said aside from livestreaming and other steps, he records a two-minute night prayer for children available on YouTube. "We have just received so many thank-yous and prayers," Nelson said. "They are just grateful for us staying connected." The bishop's Sunday Mass at 10:30 a.m. at St. Joseph Cathedral and his weekday 8 a.m. masses are aired on CatholicLife TV, Facebook and other social media platforms and re-aired several times daily. Duca said he has been calling priests individually and is allowing them to keep churches open for personal prayer as long as they can ensure that only a few people are in the church and meet other rules. He said livestreaming services and other innovations fill a vital need. "It keeps the parish together," he said. James Lee Burkes fictional detective Dave Roicheaux is back in The New Iberia Blues (2019). Once again, as in all Robicheaux tales, there is trouble on the Louisiana bayou, specifically in the Iberia Parish, where the detective works. This time the trouble involves two recent residents: one, a condemned murderer, Hugo Tillinger, who has escaped from a Texas prison and is now hiding in the parish; the other, a Hollywood director, Desmond Cormier, who has returned to his hometown of Iberia to make a movie. Either, or perhaps neither, may be responsible for several brutal murders, including the crucifixion of a young black woman. This crucifixion launches the plot of The New Iberia Blues. The woman, the daughter of a local minister, was a volunteer for the Innocence Project, working to free Tillinger. Does that connection give Tillinger a motive to kill her? Or does it give Cormier a motive? Or maybe someone else. Maybe actor Antione Butterworth, hitman Smiley Wimple or love interest and newly assigned detective Bailey Ribbons. As the story unfolds, several other murders occur, each more brutal and puzzling than the first. Who, of all the characters, has the motivation to kill so many? Figuring out a killers identity is what keeps mystery fans reading, and on this level, the book excels. However, the Robicheaux series, which began in 1987 with The Neon Rain, has never been focused solely on identifying a killer or unraveling a mystery. Robicheaux is a recovering alcoholic and a Vietnam vet, plagued by the ghosts of his past, the people hes killed, the people hes lost. The series, similar to the Lew Archer series by Ross Macdonald, consistently delves into the past to explain the present. Characters actions from 10, 20 or 30 years ago motivate their current actions. Unlike Macdonald, Burke explores the history of the region, as well as his characters pasts. The New Iberia Blues is no exception. The book references the areas Civil War history, slavery and segregation. Burke exposes his reader to more than just a mystery well-told. He includes the vernacular of the area Jambalaya, pirogue and noble mon multiple literary references, as well as engaging prose. I got lost in the Iberia parish as I caught up on the recurring characters lives, that of his former partner Clete Purcell, his boss Helen Soileau and his daughter Alifair. I reveled in sentences, such as Robicheaux telling one of the movie people: Louisiana is Americas answer to Guatemala. Our legal system is a joke. Our legislature is a mental asylum. Howd you like to spend a few days in our parish prison? I loved this book. Ive been reading Burkes work for years, and The New Iberia Blues pulled me right back into Robicheauxs world. I cant recommend Burkes work, including The New Iberia Blues, to everyone. His topics are brutal, and his prose is graphic; not everyone enjoys that kind of reading. But for those who may be fans of, say, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, His work is not to be missed. (Maureen Cooke has been writing, editing and teaching others to write for the past 30 years. Currently, shes working on a mystery novel and a memoir. Shes a member of the Corrales Writers Group) Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 22:24:50|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, March 29 (Xinhua) -- China's Central Military Commission has released a set of revised regulations on the work related to social organizations for military personnel. The revised regulations aim to provide more specific requirements for military personnel to participate in social organizations, including the number of organizations they were allowed to join and the posts allowed to hold in these organizations. The regulations also stressed that in-service military personnel should join organizations that are directly related to their jobs. The revised version went into effect starting March 24. The Delhi High Court on Friday directed the AAP government to ensure victims of the recent northeast Delhi riots, who may be homeless at the moment, are provided with food and accommodation either at the community centres or night shelters. A bench of justices Siddharth Mridul and Talwant Singh, which conducted the proceedings through video-conferencing, also asked the government to ensure the provision of food, water and medical aid to such individuals. The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi and East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) shall furthermore, individually and jointly, ensure that sanitation, cleanliness and hygiene is properly and regularly maintained at the locations/centres/shelters, where the riot victims are to be housed, the bench said, in its order. The court passed the order while issuing notices to the Centre, represented by advocate Amit Mahajan, Delhi government, represented by counsel Rahul Mehra, and the EDMC, represented by lawyer Abhinav S Aggarwal. It sought their responses on a plea by Shaikh Mujtaba Farooq seeking direction to authorities to re-open the relief camp at Idgah in Mustafabad and provide proper food supplies, adequate water, sanitation and security to the victims. The petitioner, represented through senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, sought direction for EDMC to clean the area and drains twice a day on a war-footing basis. In the meantime, the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi is directed to ensure that all the riot victims, who may be shelterless at the moment, are provided with accommodation, either at the community centres or at the night shelters operated by the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) in the Northeast District, Delhi, the court said. The bench asked the authorities to file short replies to the plea and in view of the urgency expressed by the petitioner, list the matter for further hearing on March 30. The plea also sought direction to the authorities to publicly announce on television and in the newspapers that the Idgah camp is open and all those who want to seek refuge there are welcome to return. In February, communal riots broke out in parts of northeast Delhi over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. The UK death toll from coronavirus breaks through the 1,000 mark. We all gawp at the zig-zags of Trump's White House as it seeks to steer a path between controlling the disease and keeping America open for business. And Italy and Spain have become the models for where Britain may be fast heading. Early readings on the UK economic impact are far from encouraging, in spite of the safety nets. Output to decline by up to 15 per cent in the second quarter, the budget deficit to zip up to 200 billion (more than the 155 billion peak after the financial crisis) and the jobless rate more than doubling to 8 per cent. Experience suggests when faced with economic mountains to climb, Britain does well. An open economy and flexible labour and product markets work to our advantage. Standing in line: However bad the impact of coronavirus on Western economies, it is going to be infinitely worse for emerging markets and poorer frontier economies That cannot be the case if the rest of the world is stricken too. The emerging market crisis of 1998 immediately came back to haunt a Blair/Brown-led Labour government with missed growth forecasts and a rising deficit. However bad the impact of coronavirus on Western economies, it is going to be infinitely worse for emerging markets and poorer frontier economies. A key instruction for all of us living in Britain is regular 20-second hand-washing. But imagine trying that on the Greek island of Lesbos, where a camp for Syrian refugees has swelled to more than 20,000 following recent assaults by President Bashar Assad's forces. The camp is reliant on just one water stand pipe. Amid Britain's toilet paper traumas, the regular misery in the rest of the world, compounded by the export of Covid19, receives little public attention. Abiy Ahmed, the Nobel Prize-winning prime minister of Ethiopia, warns that fragile African economies at the best of times are staring into an abyss. Washing hands, he notes, is an 'unaffordable luxury' for half his own population. Already the International Monetary Fund and World Bank are overwhelmed by the virus fallout. A paper by JP Morgan, a bank with a history of lending in the underdeveloped world, notes that 80 countries already have approached the IMF for emergency funding. In emerging markets, the current turmoil is exacerbated by capital flows. Sterling has been hurt by the 'kindness of strangers' wearing thin. Credit ratings agency Fitch has cut the UK's rating from AA to AA-, reflecting fears that the debt-to-GDP ratio could rise to 100 per cent. If that is what is happening for the UK, which never defaulted on its debt, imagine the flood of capital outflows from less-trusted economies. JP Morgan cites Argentina and Turkey as countries with funding needs, and South Africa and Malaysia not far behind. It also warns of funds leaving Peru, the Czech Republic and Russia. The IMF has geared up for the onslaught by building a $1 trillion war chest of emergency loans the first $80.6m going to Kyrgyz Republic last week. The World Bank, where the UK has a big say through its foreign aid budget, is promising to fast-track $14 billion to health needs in coronavirus-affected countries. It already has 60 nations knocking on it door. Debt relief, rightly, will be high on the agenda when the IMF/World Bank hold a virtual spring meeting next month. (Bloomberg Opinion) -- As recently as a few weeks ago, it seemed as though U.K. politics could not possibly talk about anything besides Brexit, even after the countrys formal departure from the EU. Business as usual was expected to return at some unspecified point in the future. As elsewhere, the coronavirus has turned British politics on its head. Unlike Brexit, which continues to divide opinion fairly evenly, the coronavirus crisis has prompted an outbreak of recently unfamiliar unity. Number Cruncher polling (excusive to Bloomberg) finds personal ratings for Boris Johnson -- himself now diagnosed with coronavirus -- that have not been seen for a British Prime Minister since the early days of Tony Blairs premiership in 1997. Fully 72% of eligible voters are satisfied with Johnsons performance as Prime Minister, with 25% dissatisfied. Ninety-one per cent of those currently supporting the Conservatives count themselves as satisfied, along with about half of Labour voters and those voting for other parties and a large majority of undecided voters. Johnsons government gets similar approval ratings, both overall (73% to 24%) and on its handling of the Coronavirus outbreak (72% to 25%). The 1,010 interviews were conducted Tuesday through Thursday, following Johnsons televised address on Monday, but completed before Johnson himself revealed that he had tested positive for the virus. There is some evidence in our data to suggest that these figures were higher in the immediate aftermath of the pre-recorded broadcast, which was watched by around half of the adult population. The strongest numbers of all are for the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak (77% satisfaction). Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, whose successor will be named on April 4, remains in negative territory (with 54% dissatisfied). While wartime metaphors are now commonplace, this pandemic is not, of course, a war in literal sense -- people are being killed by a disease, not each other. But it does share many of the same characteristics and a similar rally around the flag sense. The most obvious of these is the unity against a common enemy, with a lot of agreement across parties and across the public. There is also clear sense of national effort, and some extremely large government spending on its way. Story continues Thats not to say that there have been no controversies there have been debates over strategy and the policy response though these can easily be drowned out by the enormity of the wider situation. This is not unique to the U.K. Polling elsewhere has shown that the crisis has helped incumbents in other countries too. Emmanuel Macron in France, Italys Giuseppe Conte and Canadas Justin Trudeau have also seen their ratings improve. Even in the strongly polarized U.S., Donald Trumps approval ratings have seen gains. But what is specific to the U.K. is the perfect storm providing the tailwind to the Conservatives. The post-election bounce for Johnson and his party was still very much in evidence when the coronavirus became the dominant story, and was likely boosted by Brexit on Jan. 31st. Labour has been less visible than it might normally be, and when it is visible its via its unpopular leader, who remains in place more than three months after his election defeat. Coupled with the rally-round-the-flag effect, it is not hard to see why records are being broken. Of likely voters, 54% would choose Conservatives, up nine points from the December election (excluding Northern Ireland). No Conservative government has ever had such a strong poll rating, according to records compiled by author Mark Pack beginning in 1943. Labour has dropped five points to 28%, giving the Tories their biggest lead while in office since Margaret Thatchers peak during the Falklands war in 1982. The Liberal Democrats who this week postponed their leadership election until 2021 also fall five points to 7%. Of course, no U.K. election is imminent, with even the local elections scheduled for May having been postponed until next year. Whats more, being hugely popular in a war or war-like situation can still end in electoral defeat, as it did for Winston Churchill and George H.W. Bush. And thats before we consider likely economic damage of the coronavirus, which is in the very early stages of being felt. But these numbers are significant for another reason. The immediate task for Johnson and other leaders is to convince their citizens to comply with personal restrictions that would be unthinkable in normal times. Irrespective of the wider politics, having the public united behind him can only help. For now, the U.K. feels strangely united. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners. Matt Singh runs Number Cruncher Politics, a nonpartisan polling and elections site that predicted the 2015 U.K. election polling failure. For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. LONDON, Ontario - For Ron Posno, the signs were piling up that something wasn't quite right. He had graduated with a degree in aeronautical engineering but suddenly struggled with simple arithmetic. The retired special-education teacher's handwriting had become a scribble. The "homing pigeon" instinct that served him as a pilot was beginning to deteriorate. His sophisticated vocabulary was vanishing. Then the 80-year-old got his diagnosis: mild cognitive impairment - sometimes a precursor to dementia. "Everything I took 75 years to learn, I'm unlearning," Posno said. He had watched as the spouses of friends struggled with dementia. He thought about the end stages - and decided he didn't want to put Sandy, his wife of 58 years, or himself through that "turmoil." So he put to paper eight scenarios that - were they to occur after he lost his mental capacity - would signal to caregivers that it was time for a physician-assisted death: When I am unable to recognize family members, care providers or friends . . . When I become persistently abusive . . . When I am unable to eat, clean or dress myself without assistance . . . "It's not living anymore," Posno said. "It is existing." Posno figured Canada, which in 2016 passed a federal law on what people here call medical assistance in dying, would be a place where he could set out his wishes to die on his own terms while he was still competent. As it turns out, "advance requests" like the one he tried to make are not allowed. Now the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has introduced a bill that would change the process. Polls show widespread support in Canada for broadening access. But much like the law it is intended to replace, the bill has faced criticism - for being too restrictive or too expansive or too confusing. For Posno, "it failed dementia patients again completely." Some 13,000 people in Canada have received a medically assisted death since 2016, according to government figures. The law allows such assistance for adults suffering from a "grievous and irremediable" medical condition and whose natural death is "reasonably foreseeable." Patients must provide informed consent twice: when they first ask for assistance, and immediately before the cocktail of life-ending drugs is administered. Canada's law is more liberal than those of the U.S. jurisdictions where the practice is legal. In those jurisdictions, which include California, New Jersey and the District of Columbia, only mentally capable, terminally ill patients with a prognosis of six months or less who can self-ingest the drugs are eligible. But implementing the law in Canada has not been without challenges. Doctors puzzled over the definition of a "reasonably foreseeable" natural death. Ellen Wiebe, a physician based in Vancouver and one of the first in Canada to provide medical assistance in dying, remembers hashing out policies in email discussion groups. Criticism exploded in 2018 over the case of Audrey Parker, a 57-year-old woman with terminal breast cancer that had spread to her brain. Fearful that the disease might rob her of the mental cognition to consent a second time, she scheduled her death earlier than she otherwise would have wished. Doctors reported that patients were forgoing pain medication, even though it increased their suffering, so they could provide that second consent. In September, a Quebec court struck down provisions that restrict medically assisted death to those with "reasonably foreseeable" natural deaths. Rather than appeal the ruling, the federal government decided to change its law. Lawmakers asked the public to weigh in; more than 300,000 Canadians completed an online survey, overwhelming the site. The bill before Parliament would create two tracks. The first, for patients whose death is "reasonably foreseeable," would remove a 10-day waiting period and allow patients who are approved to pick a date for their death and waive the requirement of a need for final consent. The second would allow those with "grievous and irremediable" medical conditions that are not terminal to apply. Among other safeguards, they would be required to consent twice. Patients whose sole condition is a mental illness would be ineligible. The proposal has received mixed reviews. Wiebe said it would make a positive difference for her patients. Trudo Lemmens, a law and bioethics professor at the University of Toronto, said the decision not to appeal the ruling was a mistake. Medically assisted suicide should be an "exceptional" procedure to "facilitate the dying process" at the end of life, he said, not a "tool to relieve the suffering associated with life" for those who are not terminal. The Council of Canadians with Disabilities has warned that allowing physician-assisted suicide for non-terminal patients sends the message that "having a disability is a fate worse than death." Jocelyn Downie, a professor of health and ethics law at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, cheered the waiver of final consent, but she called the exclusion of mental illness "stigmatizing." Rob Moore, Canada's Conservative shadow minister for justice, said that the bill goes "far beyond the scope" of the Quebec ruling and that some proposed provisions "reduce protections for vulnerable members of our society." David Lametti, Canada's justice minister, said he voted against the 2016 law because it was too restrictive. He said the new bill strikes the right balance between allowing people "to make a decision based on their own autonomous free will, but making sure as well that all the choices are there in front of them and that people who feel vulnerable won't be afraid of having been unduly influenced." Justine Noel suffers from fibromyalgia, an incurable but not terminal condition that causes pain throughout her body. The 29-year-old is bedridden, and standing - even for a shower - is painful. Treatments have not helped. The Niagara, Ontario, woman has applied for medical assistance in dying several times but has been turned down because her death is not "reasonably foreseeable." She hopes to qualify under the new legislation. "There have been people in my family that live up to 90," Noel said through tears. "I don't have 60 more years of this in me." Determining the eligibility of patients such as Noel will be one of the challenges of the proposed bill. Tanja Daws, a doctor in British Columbia, said providing medical aid in dying is the "most meaningful" work she's done. "A lot of people have fibromyalgia but can have a very meaningful life and be extremely functional, and some people can be fairly debilitated by it," she said. "It has a fairly high co-occurrence with mood disorders, such as depression. It will be one of those cases that we will have difficulty with." Jonathan Reggler, another provider in British Columbia, said cases such as Noel's could be "quite stressful" for assessors. "I know a number of my colleagues are concerned there will be certain patient groups . . . who will now recognize that they have some possibilities to be found eligible and they will be very difficult to assess," he said. Lametti said he understands the concerns. He said one of the doctors approving patients in the second track would need to be an expert in the condition. The bill would deny access to mature minors, patients whose sole reason for requesting medically assisted suicide is mental illness and advance requests for those with illnesses such as dementia. Lametti said that there's insufficient consensus on these topics and that Parliament will study them this summer when a mandatory review of the law begins. Of those subjects, Reggler said, advance requests are the most popular but are the "trickiest" to legislate. Some dementia patients have been administered a medically assisted death, doctors told The Washington Post. The number is small because they must be sick enough to be eligible, but not so unwell that they are unable to give final consent. Saskia Sivananthan, chief science officer of the Alzheimer Society of Canada, said that the progression of diseases such as mild cognitive impairment and dementia are unpredictable, and that patients' conditions can change rapidly without warning. They might lose their ability to give informed consent long before their deaths become "reasonably foreseeable." The organization was initially opposed to advance requests, but it is now neutral. Two government committees recommended allowing advance requests before the 2016 law was passed. Trudeau's government declined. A government-commissioned report in 2018 laid bare the challenges. Dementia patients may change as their condition progresses, the report said. They may overestimate how intolerable a future scenario is and then be unable to articulate if their desires change - creating uncertainty for the third party who has to decide whether to end their life. "I've watched a number of people [with dementia] change their minds," Wiebe said, "because they lost capacity and they no longer cared that they're going to be in a care home for the rest of their lives." Ron and Sandy Posno met when they were in high school and married on a humid afternoon in August 1961. He remembers zooming off with his new wife in a convertible when it started to rain. She remembers their mothers meddling behind the scenes. Sandy supports her husband's wishes for assistance in death. She said his diagnosis has made them both more determined "to live life to the fullest." "When you look at what it's like near the end," she said, "I think it must be hell." Posno's next assessment is in April. He's bracing himself for news that his condition has deteriorated. He sees the advance request as a "beacon of hope." "I want to be remembered as a person who cared about living," he said. "And who helped other people care about themselves and the life they could live." DETROIT - Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued an executive order Saturday requiring communities statewide to restore water service, effectively ending water shutoffs for the duration of the coronavirus pandemic. The state has also established a $2 million fund through the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy to help provide funding to local communities to help reconnect homes to their water supplies. Water shutoffs have been a hot-button issue in the state and especially in its largest city, Detroit, where more than 127,000 have been performed since 2014. This is a critical step both for the health of families living without a reliable water source, and for slowing the spread of the coronavirus, Whitmer said. We continue to work to provide all Michiganders regardless of their geography or income level the tools they need to keep themselves and their communities protected. The order is effective for the duration of the COVID-19 emergency. The order comes one day after The Associated Press reported water shutoffs across the nation were back in the spotlight amid the outbreak. Water advocates and elected officials have long argued that its impossible for families to follow the hygienic coronavirus standards outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization when they dont have water in their homes. Michigan had its largest daily jump yet in COVID-19 cases after nearly 1,000 new incidents were reported Saturday, bringing the states total to 4,650 illnesses and 111 deaths. White House officials have previously identified Detroit as one of the next potential hot spots for the coronavirus. The number of infections surged to 1,381, with 31 deaths Saturday. For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death. ___ Kat Stafford is a member of the APs Race and Ethnicity team. Follow Stafford on Twitter at http://twitter.com/kat__stafford. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Budi Sutrisno (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sun, March 29, 2020 16:34 654 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206e2a4f6 1 National coronavirus,#coronavirus,COVID-19,#COVID19,COVID-19-in-Indonesia,stigma,#stigma Free The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has created tension and panic in a number of communities in Indonesia as residents scramble to distance themselves from perceived risks of infection. This week in Medan, North Sumatra, residents attempted to prevent the burial a suspected COVID-19 victim in a Muslim cemetery even though the family had followed the safety procedures set by health authorities. The late patient was a civil servant who was previously admitted to Haji Adam Malik General Hospital in Medan. He died on Wednesday afternoon after two days of medical treatment. We, the residents, will not accept a coronavirus body being buried here. We do not want ambulances passing through the streets [of our neighborhoods], said a resident in a video posted on YouTube on Wednesday, with other locals shouting nearby. The neighborhood head, identified only as Budi, said the body had arrived at the cemetery at about 9 p.m. on Wednesday, with several medical officers in full protective equipment. [The residents] just refused it. They knew it was [a coronavirus victim] and they objected to him being buried there, Budi said as quoted by kompas.com on Thursday. Budi said he noticed that the officers in charge of burying the body were so overwhelmed by the rejection that one of them almost passed out. They eventually succeeded in burying the body at about midnight. Read also: Palang Hitam runs 24/7 to care for Jakarta's dead during COVID-19 outbreak In Persahabatan General Hospital in East Jakarta, medical workers, including nurses and doctors who treat COVID-19 patients, have reportedly been kicked out of boarding houses near the hospital. During a recent Kompas TV interview, Indonesian Nurses Association (PPNI) chair Harif Fadhillah said people feared that medical workers could be at risk of transmitting the virus. Unable to find other places to stay, some medical workers had to stay at the hospital. The hospital management eventually found a new place for them to live and provided a shuttle service to and from the residence. In Bogor, West Java, a 26-year-old resident was surprised to discover that his personal medical records, which designated him as a patient under monitoring for COVID-19, had been leaked to the public. It is unclear who was responsible for the leak. More surprisingly, a widely circulated screenshot of an Excel document listed him as a confirmed case of COVID-19. This was news to the patient. He was confused about what to do and where to report, and his neighbors pressured him to give some clarification. Do you know what hurt me the most? When my nephews could not socialize with others because people said their uncle at home had the coronavirus, the patient wrote on his Twitter account on Monday, which then went viral. Read also: Govt partners with hotels to house medical workers People thought to have COVID-19 and their close contacts have experienced social rejection since the countrys first cases were detected. Numerous failures to protect personal data have exacerbated the situation. After President Joko Jokowi Widodo announced Indonesias first two confirmed cases on March 2, a leaked report showing their complete identities and misinformation about their private lives circulated on social media. Residents who lived in the same housing complex faced immediate rejections including from their employers, who prohibited them from coming to work until they provided a coronavirus-free letter from the authorities, the patients neighbor said. Stigma is more dangerous than the disease itself, World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in early March, just when the disease appeared to be spreading more rapidly outside China than inside it. "Stigma, to be honest, is more dangerous than the virus itself. Let's really underline that. Stigma is the most dangerous enemy," he told a news briefing in Geneva at that time, Reuters reported. He said the fight against the coronavirus should become a bridge for peace, adding, "I think we have a common enemy now. If there are two individuals who have emerged as sentinels of sanity over the course of the past three weeks, they are Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Dr. Anthony Fauci. On the former: Just a few days ago, I received a phone call from my father that I could not immediately pick up because I was on one of the conference calls that have come to dominate my attic-bound workday. Terrified that my father was calling to say he was being rushed to the hospital, I dropped out of the conference call and rang him back. "I'm just watching Cuomo's briefing he's making a lot of good points," said the 85-year-old lifelong Republican, a Kentucky resident who has over the course of the past decade-plus listened to me tell all manner of stories all of them scrupulously accurate about covering our governor during my tenure at the state Capitol. Then I went downstairs to get lunch, and encountered my son stretched out in the living room. "Cuomo's briefing was pretty interesting," he said. Cuomo himself took the opportunity last week to offer similar praise for Fauci. "I call him late at night; I call him in the middle of the night; I call him in the morning," Cuomo said, immediately raising questions about why he seemed resistant to calling Fauci in the afternoon. "And he's been really a friend to me personally and the state of New York." So here's a question: What do these two men have in common, other than their status as outer-borough natives Queens for the governor, Brooklyn for Fauci and the grandsons of Italian immigrants? The answer, of course, is that they're both experts in their respective fields specialists who have for decades studied complex systems and looked for ways to put the resulting knowledge into practice. Say what you will about the governor, no one has ever accused him of not knowing how to work the gears and levers of politics to get things done. While he began that education in his father's service, he subsequently served as HUD secretary and state attorney general. When he has drawn criticism, it's not for being a doofus about state government. The same goes for Fauci, who began working for the National Institutes of Health in 1968, and went on to play lead roles in the battles against a rogue's gallery of killer contagions HIV, MERS, swine flu, Ebola, H1N1 and more. This is not his first epidemiological rodeo. If there is any scrap of positive change to emerge from the expanding COVID-19 pandemic, it will be the tardy realization that the world needs to be better prepared to respond with lightning speed to these diseases as they emerge. But if there's a more general lesson that we as a society should be learning, it's to place our faith in elected officials who in turn place responsibility in the hands of people who actually know their stuff. This should not be a stunning breakthrough. And yet we are now led by a man who selected as his own HUD secretary someone who has never had experience in public housing administration, and chose as his energy secretary someone who not only did not know the scope of the agency's mission, but had in fact called for it to be eliminated as a federal agency. Donald Trump chose Ben Carson and Rick Perry, respectively, for those posts not because they had any skills in these complex areas of public policy, but because they had virtually none claiming that what was needed at these supposedly hidebound agencies were outsiders, disrupters who would shake up the bureaucracy. It turns out that the people best equipped to overhaul such agencies are people who understand them down to the ground after years of experience in what works and what doesn't. Remember: In "Airport 1975," Karen Black's scrappy flight attendant isn't selected to fly a jumbo jet because the head of the airline thought it would be cool to shake up deep-state aeronautical culture. She is flying the plane because everyone else in the cockpit is dead or injured. It isn't an optimal situation. How did we come to this pass? Primarily by electing a president previously best known for skills, such as playing a rich jerk on TV, that are not readily transferable to his current job or at least not transferable in a way that benefits the country. Trump regularly derides experts, who are perhaps in his personal demonology second only to journalists another professional category that has come in for a fresh load of his invective this month. In recent days, he has taken to sharing his feelings or hunches about the efficacy of a given drug, or whether or not our medical system will actually need the number of ventilators that Cuomo and other state officials are calling for. No one can argue against a feeling or hunch, because those things exist beyond the realms of evidence in the netherworld of faith. Often, he has done this with Fauci standing alongside him in White House briefings that have not served as models of social distancing. There is much attention paid to Fauci's expressions as the president serves up another dubious claim, and much speculation that the scientist is being hustled to the chute like so many other members of Trump's court who failed to show proper fealty experts and dingbats alike. seiler@timesunion.com 518-454-5619 With the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases rising despite worldwide lockdowns and social distancing efforts, the biotech industry is taking action. In just two months since the first infection was reported in the U.S., the countrys total number of cases has surpassed both that of Italy and China, and the Trump administration is calling on names in the space to step in. The sectors response? Challenge accepted. As the U.S. government pumped $8.3 billion into research as well as prevention efforts, several biotech companies have joined the fight against COVID-19. Among those battling the virus, one of TipRanks top five rated investing firms, Oppenheimer, recently highlighted two biotech heavyweights that have made notable strides in developing COVID-19 drugs. Bearing this in mind, we used TipRanks database to learn more about Oppenheimers picks. It turns out that each Buy-rated ticker has also received substantial support from other Wall Street analysts. Heres the full rundown. Gilead Sciences (GILD) First up we have healthcare giant Gilead Sciences. After hosting key opinion leaders (KOLs), Dr. Mitchell Weinstein and Dr. Kashif Memon, Oppenheimer has come away more confident in the companys long-term growth prospects. Weighing in on GILD for the firm, analyst Hartaj Singh points out that both of the KOLs believe the first obstacle to overcome is the lack of rapid diagnostics, followed by a paucity of treatment options and lastly vaccines to prevent future outbreaks. Additionally, the analyst argues that while current off-label treatments for COVID-19 such as chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine appear to be effective and well-tolerated, there is very little clinical evidence when it comes to this combination. As a result, the KOLs are open to all possible treatment options. Story continues Enter Gilead. The biotech names remdesivir (IV) drug was originally developed as an antiviral against Ebola, but is now being evaluated as a possible COVID-19 treatment. Even though it will be challenging to gear the therapy towards COVID-19, its mechanism of action (MOA) is promising, with the analyst eagerly awaiting Ebola NHP data and the data readout from the Phase 3 studies for mild/moderate and severe COVID-19 patients. It should also be noted that the KOLs stated statistical significance in the Phase 3 trials isnt necessarily required to support the drugs approval. If neither Phase 3 trial hit statistical significance on primary measures, our KOLs indicated they would like to see improvements in various secondary measures and perhaps a trend improvement in the primary measure. Coupled with a benign safety profile, our KOLs still see a place for remdesivir in the current bare treatment armamentarium, Singh explained. On top of this, GILD shifted remdesivir to an expanded access program. We believe that the company's explanation is in line with Good Clinical Practice guidelines which recommend robust data collection and structured datasets, which one-off compassionate usage does not allow. We also believe GILD continues its manufacturing campaign for remdesivir (IV, lyophilized) and that 3-6 months should be enough to get to commercial scale manufacturing (from current clinical scale), Singh commented. To this end, the Oppenheimer analyst stayed with the bulls. Along with his Outperform rating, Singh left the $80 price target as is, implying 10% upside potential. (To watch Singhs track record, click here) Looking at the consensus breakdown, 10 Buys, 8 Holds and a single Sell add up to a Moderate Buy consensus rating. At $77.67, the average price target indicates modest upside potential of 7%. (See Gilead stock analysis on TipRanks) Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN) As for Oppenheimers second pick, biotech colossus Regeneron has earned significant praise from the firm for its drugs ability to be used as a possible defense against COVID-19. Notching a 19% year-to-date gain, the rest of the Street is also keeping an eye on REGN. Singh, who covers Gilead as well, highlights the potential of its anti-IL-6 agent Kevzara, which came as part of a collaboration with Sanofi, to be used as a last line COVID-19 treatment. The drug could reduce levels of IL-6, which are connected to higher mortality rates in pneumonia patients. This is encouraging as pneumonia symptoms are similar to the lung complications that occur in some severe COVID-19 patients. Sanofi and Regeneron are already initiating a Phase 2/3 trial evaluating Kevzara, and the implications could be monumental. If successful in clinical trials, the therapy could be used in about 15% patients. Treatments such as anti-IL-6 agents (REGN/Sanofi's Kevzara and Roche's Actemra), could be a last line of therapy given that both are very powerful immunodulatory drugs, expensive and have non-trivial side effects themselves. Anti-IL-6 drugs might be prescribed to the sickest patients; experiencing multiple organ failure or acute respiratory disease syndrome (ARDS), Singh noted. As a result, Singh kept an Outperform call and $525 price target on the stock. Meanwhile, Canaccord Genuity analyst John Newman notes that REGN is working on a two-antibody cocktail as a weapon against COVID-19, with initial clinical testing slated to start this summer. As Regeneron was able to successfully design a therapy for Ebola (REGN-EB3) that features the same technology, the future looks even brighter for the biotech, in the five-star analysts opinion. It also doesnt hurt that its Dupixent, Libtayo and EYLEA products for patients with diabetes could drive some serious upside. In line with his optimistic take, Newman maintained a Buy recommendation and $550 price target. Should the target be met, a 22% twelve-month gain could be in the cards. (To watch Newmans track record, click here) What does the rest of the Street have to say? Out of 15 analysts that have published a recent review, 9 rate the biotech as a Buy and 6 as a Hold, making the Street consensus a Moderate Buy. The $465 average price target brings the upside potential to 3%. (See Regeneron stock analysis on TipRanks) POLICE have impounded 130 stolen vehicles for the past two months in an ongoing countrywide special operation on stolen vehicles following growing cases of theft in the country. Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Robert Boaz made the disclosure here yesterday, pointing out that the force has also impounded 753 stolen motorcycles for the past two months. "We are holding 128 suspects in connection with stolen vehicles and motorcycles. We are questioning them on the crime. After the investigations, legal action will follow its course," said the DCI. DCI Boaz explained that thieves stole the vehicles while parked at house compounds at night and dismantled them in order to sell spare parts or sell the vehicles. He said those wishing to purchase reconditioned vehicles should check with the Tanzania Police Force to confirm if a seller is the genuine owner of the vehicle, saying the details on a vehicles log book should match with those in the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) database. Vehicle proprietors wishing to change vehicle engine and color should inform TRA before carrying out the change, he said. DCI Boaz said used spare parts business operators should observe regulations requiring them to have a valid license, saying the business operators should keep records of where they obtained the used spare parts. The police force will enhance operations to inspect spare part businesses to establish legality of the spare parts sold in the shops. The business owners should keep good records of the used spare parts they sell, he said. Meanwhile, the DCI has reminded members of the public to report to the police when pick pockets snatch their mobile phones, saying the force has a unit responsible for cybercrime. The force is able to trace stolen mobile phones when switched on and arrest the thief, he said while responding to questions from the media. Islamabad: Pakistan has made the lives of millions more difficult by allowing a program of 250,000 people in Lahore. Where people from different parts of the world will gather in this program. At a time when countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia are banning religious ceremonies, Pakistan has not taken any such action and has issued permission for an event organized by the local Tabligi Jamaat Tabligi Ijtima. It is being said that the number of infected people in Pakistan has increased to 1408, out of which the condition of 7 is serious. So far 11 people have died due to infection in Pakistan. WHO's big statement says, 'People dying of coronavirus due to lack of rescue equipment' According to the information received, on Sunday, Gaza Strip has released information about its first two cases of coronavirus. Both Palestinian people had recently returned from Pakistan by participating in this program. Both were among the 2.5 lakh people who had gathered in Lahore on 10-15 March. But Pakistan has reported more than 1300 cases and is unaware of the increasing number of people infected with Corona. Journalist Kunwar Khuldun Shahid has written in Haritz that Pakistan can become the super spreader of COVID-19 in the world. Cruise ship, football ground and five-star hotels turned into hospitals Shahid wrote that the number of corona infected people in Pakistan has been clearly underestimated. Where sources say that one can only imagine the seriousness of the situation which has arisen due to the gathering of millions in the prayers of the Jumme. While Iran has canceled the prayers of the weekly jumme, Saudi Arabia suspended Umrah by the end of February. The Pakistani government could not stop the gathering of 2.5 lakh people in the second most populous city of the country. America will help India to fight disease like corona There is no doubt Boris Johnson badly botched his response to the coronavirus outbreak, refusing for crucial weeks to impose the unpopular restrictions necessary to save lives. Incredibly, ministers and scientists flirted with not suppressing its spread too much, in order to create herd immunity among the public a theory hastily abandoned as the death toll threatened to explode. But what about long before anyone had even heard of this strange new illness wreaking havoc in China? Is the government guilty of failings stretching back many years? By Trend Around 1,704 new cases of coronavirus were confirmed in Turkey in the last 24 hours, while 16 more people died, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said Saturday, Trend reports citing Daily Sabah. The country's total caseload of COVID-19 reached 7,402 and the death toll now stands at 108, while 70 people recovered, the minister added. He added on Twitter that 7,641 tests had been conducted in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of tests carried out in Turkey to 55,464 since the outbreak has begun. In recent weeks, Turkey has closed most public spaces, schools and universities, and restricted public transport. It also imposed a 24-hour curfew over the weekend for people aged 65 or over as well as for those with chronic illnesses. In Istanbul, people aged 65 or over with no financial means will receive food packages at their homes, Gov. Ali Yerlikaya said Friday. The campaign, starting on Monday, covers nearly 50,000 people and will last for six weeks. Stalls at local bazaars and marketplaces have to keep at least 3 meters of distance and are not allowed to sell non-essential items, including clothing, the Interior Ministry announced, late Thursday. Food can only be sold in packages. In some cities and towns, police officers at checkpoints have started the thermal screening of people arriving from out of town. In a bid to raise awareness, traffic lights in most cities now flash messages urging people to stay home. The COVID-19 disease that originated in Wuhan, China has infected more than 570,000 people worldwide, killing 26,000. Nearly 126,000 have recovered so far. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Yesterday one witnessed an unprecedented situation at Anand Vihar bus station in Delhi where lakhs of people gathered, waiting for buses to take them to their home amid a national lockdown. Tens of thousands of people were seen walking on foot from Delhi towards Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddha Nagar districts of Uttar Pradesh. A huge crowd, in thousands, thronged the Delhi-UP border throughout the day when the whole country was under a lockdown. Some media reports allege that false public announcements were made in some parts of Delhi urging people to reach the Delhi-UP border where transportation, organised by the Uttar Pradesh government was awaiting them to take them to their hometowns. This episode raises two very important questions. Firstly, when clear orders were there to ensure that people stay wherever they are, then why no action was taken to ensure compliance of the instructions to prevent the spread of the deadly coronavirus. And secondly, who is responsible for the mess created due to the mass migration of labour from Delhi. Clearly it was the duty of the Government of Delhi headed by Arvind Kejriwal not to just make statements in print and electronic media requesting people to stay but also to take the consequent necessary steps and actions to ensure that people belonging to other states, working in Delhi, are assured that they will get all the necessary support in this regard. People involved in the day-to-day working of the Delhi Government clearly point out that nothing much was done on the ground to stop the migration of people from Delhi. These are the days when Kejriwal needed to show his administrative skill and leadership. He failed miserably to do so and that became evidently clear from the migration of lakhs of people from Delhi. The mass of humanity walking the Delhi roads to reach their home districts had a very sad story to tell about the government - whom they had very recently voted back to power with a massive majority. Delhi is a city state which is far easy to govern as people are more aware, is well-connected by all weather roads and more connected through modern communication systems . The issue is - if we fail to implement the health advisories in Delhi , can we hope to achieve this in other more disadvantaged states. The government in Delhi is led by Arvind Kejriwal that spent most of its last tenure fighting with the central government for more powers. To tackle the present situation, they had every power they needed. They had the money to provide support to migrant workers, to provide food for them. What the Delhi government needed to do was to get in touch with all the factory owners, contractors, service providers, shop owners, household manufacturing units etc and convey to them that they have to ensure that all the workforce engaged with them has to remain in Delhi and they will be provided the requisite money, food etc . Naturally, these employers will need to be reimbursed the amount they spend on their workers during the period of lockdown. Let us not forget that such a small step would not only have prevented the mass migration of the labour force from Delhi, but would have ensured that after the lockdown gets lifted, it would make it absolutely easy to re-start the economic activity without any delay. It seems we have forgotten that it is a matter of time when every economic activity, factories, shops, construction activities, offices will reopen and then we will be scrambling to bring back the same workforce. The idea isnt to criticise a particular government or a chief minister but to drive home the point that leadership is judged during the time of crisis. Fighting media wars, approaching courts to get more powers is one thing but showing leadership at the time of crisis, is totally different. And here Kejriwal failed by his inability to control the migration of lakhs and lakhs of people from Delhi and nullifying efforts to check the contagion that causes coronavirus disease. It was a task which was easy to achieve but it seems the city government did not make any effort and created a massive problem for the state of Uttar Pradesh. The district administration of Ghaziabad and Gautam Budha Nagar, who with the help of UP Government, swiftly went into action and made requisite arrangements for the safe journey of these migrant labourers to their homes. (VS Pandey is a retired Uttar Pradesh cadre IAS officer and retired as secretary to the Government of India) Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 19:21:57|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close As the spread of COVID-19 is posing an especially severe challenge to the Middle East, Chinese experts are fighting alongside their Middle Eastern counterparts, and China's sharing of experience and donation of supplies have been boosting confidence and capability for the region in the fight against coronavirus. by Xinhua writers Wang Jian, Zhang Miao, Chen Lin CAIRO, March 29 (Xinhua) -- The spread of COVID-19 is now posing an especially severe challenge to the Middle East, where chronic wars, sanctions, famine, financial collapse and political unrest have wrecked the preventive efforts against the ferocious virus. Tens of thousands of coronavirus cases have been registered in the region so far, with the figure in Iran alone exceeding 35,000. Cases were also reported in Syria and Libya, where wars are still raging and vast multitudes of displaced people are acutely vulnerable to diseases. At such a critical moment, some Chinese medics are fighting alongside their Middle Eastern counterparts, and China's sharing of experience and donation of supplies have been boosting confidence and capability for the region in the fight against the pandemic. A plane carrying medical supplies donated by a Chinese company arrives in Algiers, Algeria, on March 27, 2020.(Xinhua) TIMELY HELP In Iraq's capital Baghdad, a new PCR (polymerase chain reaction) laboratory is ready to be put into use. The lab, recently established with the help of Chinese experts, is expected to greatly improve the war-torn country's capacity to confirm cases from suspected ones. "The testing ability in Iraq is far from enough," said Yang Honghui, who arrived in Baghdad on March 7 as part of a seven-member Chinese medical team sent by the Red Cross Society of China (RCSC). Previously, the Central Public Health Laboratory in Baghdad was the only place for PCR test in Iraq, with a capacity to do 200-400 tests per day, said Yang, with the DAAN Gene Co., Ltd. of Sun Yat-sen University. A Chinese team of health experts sent to provide assistance to contain the COVID-19 outbreak in Iraq pose for a group photo outside the new PCR laboratory in Baghdad, Iraq, March 25, 2020. (Xinhua/Khalil Dawood) The new lab, with the Chinese donation of nucleic acid test kits and other equipment, will be able to conduct some 1,000 tests per day, he added. "This new laboratory will enhance our capability to deal with this pandemic for the residents of Baghdad who make up to about 20 percent of Iraq's population," said Asaad Mahdi, deputy director general of the Iraqi Ministry of Health. Besides helping build the test lab, the Chinese medical team also brought medical screening equipment such as mobile X-ray and CT. They trained health workers and shared clinical guidelines and experience in case management as well as infection prevention and control. Chinese experts conduct video epidemic prevention guidance in Baghdad, Iraq, March 11, 2020.(Xinhua/Khalil Dawood) Iran, the worst-hit country in the Middle East, also benefited from the on-spot help of the Chinese experts with the RCSC, who arrived at Tehran on Feb. 29, ten days after Iran reported its first confirmed case. On Thursday, the Chinese medics returned to China after concluding their mission there. "During the 27 days in Iran, we fully felt the friendship between the two peoples, and our work was widely appreciated," said team leader Zhou Xiaohang. A Chinese team of experts with the Red Cross Society of China (RCSC) sent to provide assistance to contain the COVID-19 outbreak in Iran returns to Shanghai, east China, March 27, 2020.(Xinhua) According to Zhou, head of the Disaster Relief and Health Department of the Shanghai Branch of the RCSC, the Chinese experience, including nationwide mobilization, home quarantine, and full screening and testing of suspected cases, and centralized treatment of the patients, has been applied in Iran. Besides, as early as March 9, officials of the Beijing municipal government has delivered donation to Tehran at the Iranian Embassy in China to support its fight against COVID-19, and handed over a letter from Mayor Chen Jining to his Tehran counterpart Pirouz Hanachi via Iranian Ambassador to China Mohammad Keshavarz-Zadeh. Chinese medical team members meet with Iranian medical experts in Tehran, Iran, March 7, 2020. (Xinhua) It was the first batch of epidemic prevention materials donated by Beijing to its international friend. Elsewhere in the region, China's aid has also been continuously delivered to different countries. A batch of medical supplies and equipment from China arrived in Tunisia on Saturday; Algeria on Friday received medical supplies donated by a Chinese company; Also on Friday, a Chinese bank announced the donation of medical supplies and cash to Turkey. FRIENDS IN ADVERSITY Besides sending medical teams and medical supplies overseas, China has also been dedicated in sharing its experience in fighting COVID-19 with all countries in need. Abdulaziz Alshaabani, a Saudi journalist and researcher in Chinese affairs, said that China "has achieved a great deal in containing the epidemic at home." A recovered patient leaves a hotel under quarantine in Beit Jala, near the West Bank city of Bethlehem, on March 20, 2020.(Photo by Luay Sababa/Xinhua) China has the technology and knowledge that can contribute to the global fight against this crisis, he said. Following China's experience, two mobile cabin hospitals were established in Iran to meet the surging demand of COVID-19 treatment, said Wu Huanyu, a member of the expert team and professor with Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention. "And more mobile hospitals will be constructed in the future," Wu said. Chinese medical expert Yang Honghui (back L) instructs an Iraqi medical worker on operating a nucleic acid detection machine at a new Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) lab in Baghdad, Iraq, March 26, 2020. (Xinhua) Through a video-meeting on Thursday, Chinese medical experts shared their expertise in combating coronavirus with their counterparts from several Middle Eastern countries including Libya, Turkey, Lebanon and Syria. "We discussed during the meeting the excellent Chinese plan in dealing with the coronavirus and the way to treat the infected people and suspected cases," said Samir Nairat, director of Jenin Government Hospital in the West Bank. The conference came in time, especially as the virus is spreading widely in the world, Nairat added. Mustafa al-Qawasmi, director general of emergency of the Palestinian Ministry of Health, said that Palestine has copied China's model after the country reported the first COVID-19 case. The Turkish branch of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) announces that it will donate medical supplies and cash to support Turkey in its combat against COVID-19 on March 27, 2020.(Xinhua) "We followed Chinese people on how they dealt with the condition by separating the provinces from each other, imposing home quarantine on thousands of people, and raising awareness among people to adhere to all preventive measures," al-Qawasmi added. Walid Ammar, director general of the Public Health Ministry and head of the National Infectious Disease Committee in Lebanon, said that China's measures to stem the spread of the coronavirus has proven effective, and his country is ready to learn from it. Mazen Qusaibati, head of the internal diseases department at the Ibn Al-Nafees Hospital in Syria, said that the video-conference helped the country "save time" and "avoid mistakes" in dealing with the virus. (Xinhua writers Xu Xiaoqing, Qiu Yi, Yang Shuxin, Liu Xi, Xiong Sihao, Ji Xiaobo, Luo Xin also contributed to this story) (Video reporters: Zhang Miao, Chen Lin, Tang Jiefeng; Video editor: Lin Lin) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday paid homage to Air Vice Marshal (Retd) Chandan Singh Rathore who was the commanding officer of the Eastern Air Force Station. During the war with Pakistan, he was in the forefront of the air operations conducted for the liberation of Bangladesh. Group Captain Chandan Singh was also responsible for the planning and execution of the special helicopter operations to airlift two companies of troops of the Sylhet area.The leadership, drive and determination coupled with the bravery shown by Group Captain Chandan Singh over an extended period of time, are in the highest traditions of the Air Force. Taking to Twitter, PM Modi remembered the 'valorous Air Warrior' who contributed towards the 'stronger and safer India'. He also expressed his condolences towrads the family. India will always remember the impeccable service of Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Chandan Singh Rathore. He was a valorous Air Warrior who contributed towards a stronger and safer India. Pained by his demise. Condolences to his family. Om Shanti. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 29, 2020 READ: Ex-NDA minister Yashwant Sinha slams PM Modi's 21-day lockdown call; terms it 'Jail Hind' READ: In Himachal PM Modi is worshipped, his words like Gita,' says Rangoli on COVID lockdown Rajnath Singh expresses grief Pained by the demise, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also expressed grief as he saluted the outstanding service of AVM Chandan Singh. Pained by the demise of Maha Vir Chakra( MVC) Recipient, Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Chandan Singh Rathore. His contribution as Air Warrior in 1962 and 1971 war will never be forgotten. I salute his outstanding service and express my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family. Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) March 29, 2020 READ: PM Modi lauds frontliners; 400 Delhi airport staff lead by example amid 21-day lockdown READ: Sudden lockout has created immense panic and confusion: Rahul Gandhi to PM Modi Positive spin The Congress leaderships in the states it runs held meetings on Saturday on what kind of relief it should organise for migrants heading home. Some said the party should be more visible in organising relief for people in view of the coronavirus lockdown. There was also a consensus that all Congress governments should come up with a common relief plan. Sources said Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra would lead the relief measures. The Congress Working Committee is also set to meet in the next couple of days. The party believes that while it has criticised ... New Delhi: On Wednesday, state-owned India Post got an urgent request. A Covid-19 automated testing machine on its way to Pune was stranded in Chennai. Confronted with logistical issues like lack of train services and commercial flights following the 21-day lockdown, the postal service had to be innovative. It turned to the express delivery service Blue Dart, which has its own cargo aircraft, to ferry the package.The flight took off from Chennai at 10.30pm on Friday; the package reached Sasson General Hospital in Pune 12 hours later via Mumbai. We were supposed to deliver the machine on Tuesday, Vishnu Raja, owner of Techbio Solutions that supplied the machine, told Hindustan Times. We reached out to many providers after the lockdown, but it was only thanks to India Post that we could manage the delivery. Postal services, classified under the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA), have remained functional despite the lockdown although it has been hamstrung by the lack of transport services following the shutdown. The postal service is still doing its bit. With 1,55,531 post offices, India Post is the largest postal network across the world. According to the Department of Posts annual report 2018-19, it employs 4,18,818. Of these, around 39,000 are postmen in urban areas and 1,25,000 are gramin dak sevaks (or mail deliverers in rural areas). We are concentrating on essential commodities, director general (post) Arundhaty Ghosh said. We are facing problems due to railways and passenger flights being curtailed, but our arrangement with Blue Dart helped us streamline the process to deliver the Covid-19 testing machine. India Post personnel collected the consignment in Chennai after taking precautions like using masks and gloves, chief postmaster general (Tamil Nadu) Selva Kumar said. India Post made several exceptions like putting aside the bureaucratic procedure of sorting mail, picked up the package in Mumbai, cleaned and sanitised it and sent it directly to Pune. We faced a half-an-hour delay since we didnt know the size of the package, postmaster general (Mumbai) Swati Pandey said. We had arranged for a Tata Sumo, but then called for a van. The machine, which was imported at the end of February from the US, will help the Pune hospital increase the number of samples it can test and reduce the risk of error. Automation makes the process simpler and quicker, Raja said. Spain, US, Germany and Italy are doing it in a big way. India is not even testing those without a travel history yet, but eventually we will have to so that we can identify clusters and prevent the spread of the virus. India, at present, has one of the lowest testing rates across the world. We are also in the process of supplying another model to AIIMS {All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi} which should reach early next week, Raja added. But the delivery of the machine is not the only thing India Post is doing to ease lockdown troubles. We are also delivering medicines, Pandey said. Day before yesterday, I shipped medicines to an old woman who lives in Andheri East. We are also in the process of tying up with Welcome Pharmaceuticals to supply medicines to various metro cities. The Mumbai unit of India Post is also aiming to deliver old-age pensions at the doorstep so people dont have to visit the post office to collect them, Pandey added. The post banks are open, she said. Even during lockdown, people have come to open accounts. We just want to ensure that they can access their money. A similar approach is being taken in Uttar Pradesh. The priority is keeping India Post Payment Bank (IPPB) functional. Mail being delivered a day or two late isnt really a problem, said Rajeev Umrao, director of postal Services. Our priority is to ensure that people from less privileged background are able to access their money, so we are working to ensure the IPPBs are functional. Pew: Most white evangelicals don't think COVID-19 poses a major threat to Americans' health Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment White evangelicals are less likely than most other groups to say COVID-19 poses a major threat to the health of the U.S. population, according to a new study released by the Pew Research Center. According to the Pew survey gathered as part of the Election News Pathways project, only about a third of white evangelical Protestants (32%) say the virus poses a major threat to the health of the U.S. population. Additionally, white evangelical Protestants (76%) are the most likely to think the media has made a bigger deal of the coronavirus crisis than is warranted. While most white evangelicals (64%) believe COVID-19 poses a major threat to the U.S. economy, they are less likely than most other groups to say the virus poses a major threat to day-to-day life in their local communities. Just over a quarter of white evangelicals (26%) see a major danger to day-to-day life in their community, on par with white Protestants who are not evangelical (27%) and white Catholics (31%), but lower than other religiously affiliated groups. The Pew survey of 8,914 U.S. adults was conducted March 10-16, after the U.S. recorded its first coronavirus death. On March 13, President Donald Trump declared a national state of emergency due to the rapid spread of the virus. Pew also found that around three-quarters of white evangelicals (77%) say they are at least somewhat confident that Trump is doing a good job responding to the outbreak, including roughly half who say they are very confident. Majorities of white evangelicals also say Trump has assessed the risks of the situation correctly (64%). Notably, a majority of U.S. adults overall say the news media exaggerated the risks posed by COVID-19, including 67% of white Protestants who are not evangelical, 63% of white Catholics and 60% of the religiously unaffiliated. There are now more than 85,000 cases of the coronavirus across the U.S., and fatalities have reached 1,296. Wednesday marked the deadliest day for reporting of U.S. coronavirus cases of coronavirus, with 223 deaths reported that day alone. A number of pastors and Christian leaders have weighed in on how believers should respond to the pandemic. David Jeremiah, pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon, California, stressed the importance of being informed but advised listening to only one, condensed COVID-19 report a day instead of inundating oneself with negativity. This is not the end of the world. Step back, take a deep breath, and get into the Word of God and be reminded that God is in control, he said. I want to encourage everybody to not let fear become a greater problem than the coronavirus, but trust God. The coronavirus is not a big deal to God. Hes able to control this and take in, and were going to come through this better than we were when we came in. In the meantime, we have to be calm and ask Him to give us peace. Popular pastor and author Max Lucado of Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas, told The Christian Post that every Christian would do well to ask, Lord, what are you saying to me during this crisis? God is talking to the world through the global pandemic, he said. I believe His message is both personal and global. ... It could be that some of us need to hear the Lord saying, Quit making an idol out of these sources of pleasure. Come to me for fulfillment. Go to the Lord, ask what Hes saying, and then say, How can we be used by you? How can we serve others?" he advised. "Its not easy because of social distancing. But we can text and call people, drop gifts off for someone, we can get creative, especially with the vulnerable. Southern Baptist Convention President J.D. Greear advised Christians to care for the elderly, vulnerable, and hourly workers; buy gift cards from service places; support healthcare workers; and participate in church ministries during this time. Proclaim hope, he stressed. This is a time where God is shaking the foundations and we have a unique moment to step in and show Gospel hope, that when everything else around us turns into shifting sands, we are able to say, Christ is the solid rock and all other ground is sinking sand. Greear suggested using this season to develop good habits, encouraging listeners to view it as an extended Sabbath. Dont just make it through this time. Redeem this time. Dont waste your quarantine, he said. We know that God does a lot of His greatest works in times when there isnt a lot of activity. After sharing several, skin-baring lingerie snaps on Saturday, Emily Ratajkowski posed nude behind some semi-sheer curtains at her NYC apartment. The 28-year-old bombshell, who is under quarantine with husband Sebastian Bear-McClard, 32, and pup Colombo, tastefully showed off her curves in the early hours on Instagram. 'Sun coming through our curtains first thing in the morning last week,' the Inamorata founder captioned the artful image of her silhouette in front of high-rise window on Sunday. Good morning: Emily Ratajkowski shared nude shot of herself posing behind some semi-sheer curtains at her NYC apartment on Sunday While the curtain prevented the actress from exposing herself entirely, the outline of her impressive figure and remarkably tiny waist was on full display. In the intimate snap, she appeared completely at ease, covering her breasts with one hand and looking forward with her tousled hair. On her Instagram Story, the I Feel Pretty actress held a red coffee mug and cheers herself in the mirror, before twerking in a cropped grey long sleeve and low-waisted sweats to Cookiee Kawaii's track Vibe. Coffee time: On her Instagram Story, the I Feel Pretty actress held a red coffee mug and cheers herself in the mirror The supermodel danced in a cropped grey long sleeve and low-waisted sweats to Cookiee Kawaii's track Vibe, which has blown up on TikTok During her self-isolation, the supermodel has sent pulses racing with a number of racy pictures, including modeling her own brand of underwear. 'Home in lace sets,' the brunette beauty captioned her latest lingerie snaps, taken at her home on Saturday. Amid the deadly coronavirus pandemic, she flaunted her phenomenal physique in a tiny black thong and lacy bra. 'Home in lace sets,' the brunette beauty captioned her latest lingerie snaps, taken at her home on Saturday Behind-the-scenes: Despite her glossy gram and perpetually sensual pout, she recently dubbed 2019 'one of the hardest years' of her life Despite her glossy gram and perpetually sensual pout, she recently dubbed 2019 'one of the hardest years' and shared some of her inner turmoil. 'This pic was taken toward the end of last year. 2019 was one of the hardest years of my life. My mom was really sick, I was battling a serious depression and everything felt very uncertain. 2020 is definitely giving last year a run for its money but I'm happy to say that I've have learned how to take better care of myself,' she wrote. 'I don't generally like to get too personal on here and I'm far from having shit figured out but these were some of the notes I scribbled down on New Year's Eve. I wanted to share them and a little piece of my story in case they might make any of you feel less alone in the anxiety or confusion or fear you could be experiencing right now... (& yes quite was meant to be quiet!).' 'I don't generally like to get too personal on here and I'm far from having shit figured out but these were some of the notes I scribbled down on New Year's Eve,' she captioned a picture from her notebook The Blurred Lines model, who was recently named on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, is currently a dog mom-of-one to her beloved 80 lbs Husky-German Shepard. Emily and Sebastian celebrated their two-year wedding anniversary in February. The pair married after only a few weeks of dating, at the end of February 2018, in a New York City courthouse. Lessons learned: Despite amassing 25.8 million Instagram followers and her happy marriage, Emily recently opened up about some of the inner turmoil she had experienced last year She recently told Ashley Graham on her Pretty Big Deal podcast that she knew her actor/producer husband was 'the one' as he 'scares' her. 'I love him so much and he scares me a lot, which I think is also a way that you know,' she said. 'Because if you're scared of someone and also love them, that means the love is real big because you're putting away your own fears to be with someone.' She added: 'And we just knew. There was sort of a moment of, 'We're gonna make a family,' just us two, I'm not talking about kids. A partnership.' Polls have closed in Malis long-delayed parliamentary elections which were held despite concerns about security and the coronavirus pandemic. Sundays vote came hours after the violence-hit West African country announced its first coronavirus death and days after main opposition leader Soumaila Cisse was kidnapped by unidentified gunmen. The vote was expected to see new MPs elected to the 147-seat National Assembly for the first time since 2013, when President Ibrahim Boubacar Keitas Rally for Mali party won a substantial majority. Parliamentary elections were meant to take place again in late 2018 following Keitas re-election, but the poll was postponed several times, largely due to security concerns. After Sundays first-round vote, a second round is scheduled for April 19. Late on Saturday, just hours before polls were scheduled to open at 08:00 GMT on Sunday, the countrys first coronavirus death was announced, with the number of infections rising to 18. Some 200,000 people displaced by the near-daily violence in Malis centre and north will not be able to vote, because no mechanism has been established for them to do so, a government official said. There were security fears about the vote even before the African country recorded its first coronavirus infection on Wednesday amid concerns that the impoverished state of some 19 million people where large swaths of territory lie outside state control is particularly exposed to a COVID-19 outbreak. Theres a state of emergency both because of the threat of armed groups and the threat of coronavirus, Al Jazeeras Nicolas Haque, who has reported extensively on Mali, said. Still, Keita on Wednesday said these elections need to go ahead, that they were essential for Mali to head towards peace and national dialogue. The governments election spokesman, Amini Belko Maiga, has admitted that voting conditions were not ideal. Its true that we cannot say that everything is perfect, but were doing the maximum, he said, referring to the threat of coronavirus. He added that hand-washing kits had been distributed in the countryside, while in the capital, Bamako, authorities would make masks and hand sanitisers available. Sundays vote came hours after the violence-hit West African country announced its first coronavirus death [Souleymane Ag Anara/AFP] Difficult times Casting a shadow over the vote is the fate of Cisse, who was kidnapped on Wednesday while campaigning in the centre of the country. The 70-year-old, who has been runner-up in three presidential elections, and several members of his team were abducted in an attack in which his bodyguard was killed. They were kidnapped by an armed group, whose identity we do not know, Cisses Union for the Republic and Democracy (URD) party spokesman, Demba Traore, said. He was likely being held by a group loyal to Fulani preacher Amadou Koufa, who leads a branch of the al-Qaeda-aligned Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (GSIM), which is active in the Sahel, according to a security source and a local official. Cisse and his entourage were probably now far from where they were abducted, the security source told AFP news agency. The URD on Saturday urged its supporters to turn out in even greater numbers. In these difficult times our country is going through, more than ever, the partys activists are resolutely urged to redouble their efforts for a massive participation in the March 29, 2020 elections, the countrys main opposition party said. However several other opposition parties called for the vote to be postponed due to coronavirus fears. What is at stake in this parliamentary election are ordinary matters such as education, healthcare, access to water and electricity, Haque said. But given the circumstances, its very difficult to tell whether people will come out and vote. A woman casts her ballot at a polling station in Gao [Souleymane Ag Anara/AFP] Hopes for peace The country has been plagued by conflict since 2012, when rebels captured much of the countrys arid north. Armed groups overtook the rebels in the north and swept into the countrys centre, accelerating a conflict which has killed thousands of soldiers and civilians. Despite the numerous difficulties, experts nonetheless hope that Sundays election will lead to reforms that may drag Mali out of its cycle of violence. In particular, the hope is that the new parliament will implement reforms from a peace agreement brokered between the Bamako government and several armed groups in Algiers in 2015. Implementation has been painfully slow, although this year saw the Malian army deploy units made up of both former rebels and regulars, one the provisions of the Algiers agreement. The pact also provides for the decentralisation of governance in Mali, a demand of some of the rebel groups. Supermarkets in New Zealand have erected fences around checkouts to protect staff from coronavirus, while Australian shops barely have any barriers. Photos of a New World outlet in Onerahi, north of Auckland, showed temporary fences separating checkouts from each other the the aisles. Plastic barriers also blocked almost the entire checkout except the area where customers paid for their groceries. By contrast, most shops in Australia have nothing protecting staff except some smaller screens Woolworths installed in the past few days. Photos of a New World outlet in Onerahi, north of Auckland, showed temporary fences separating checkouts from each other the the aisles Plastic screens like this were installed last week and now cover even more of the counter - everything except the area where customers pay New World, along with bigger competitors Countdown and Pak 'n Save, also has a long list of coronavirus procedures to make shopping safer. They include only taking cash at one checkout and not giving cash out, and limiting the number of people in store on a one in, one out procedure. Strictly only one person is allowed for each trolley and the store is clamping down on shoppers who come in every day or multiple times a day. 'Every time you come in, you put yourselves and our staff at risk. Please try and do a big shop and come as little as possible,' the rules state. Countdown also has plastic screens and customers limits as well as closing every second checkout and making shoppers pack their own groceries. Only Aldi and Woolworths are known to have installed any plastic screens in the past few days to protect staff and customers Woolworths have launched new trading hours for emergency and healthcare workers and further protective measures for staff during the coronavirus period Pak 'n Save has similar measures and asked that only one person per household does the shopping. Coles, Wooloworths, and Aldi have far fewer measures in place and only Aldi and Woolworths are known to have installed any plastic screens. All three have placed markers on checkout floors at least 1.5m apart for customers to stand on to enforce social distancing, and are disinfecting stores constantly. Aldi has customers limits, Coles and Woolworths make shoppers pack their own bags, and most checkout staff are wearing gloves. Australian shoppers flooded supermarket Facebook pages or called them out on social media demanding they improve their coronavirus safety measures. 'Coles, Woolworths, Aldi, IGA all need to catch up with what other countries are doing,' one shopper wrote. 'Look at the checkouts in NZ and the measures the supermarkets are going to to keep their frontline workers safe. Perspex and barriers between the checkouts.' All three Australian supermarkets (Woolworths pictured) have placed markers on checkout floors at least 1.5m apart for customers to stand on to enforce social distancing Coles announced it will install signs around stores and checkout areas to enforce social distancing guidelines (Coles customers pictured queuing up during virus crisis) New Zealand entered a near-total lockdown more than a week ago with grocery shopping one of few things Kiwis are still allowed to do. They are otherwise confined to their homes unless they are essential workers who have to leave the house to do their jobs. Australia is still in stage 2 restrictions with many businesses like pubs, restaurants, cafes, gyms and nail salons closed but most shops open. Prime Minister Scott Morrison, state premiers, and health chiefs have pleaded that Australians do everything they can to stay 1.5m away from each other. A labourer allegedly bludgeoned his wife to death with a wooden cot leg at Gahi Bhaini village here on Sunday morning. The Koomkalan police have arrested the accused, identified as Sukhbir Singh, 25, and a murder case has been registered against him. Sukhbir was married to the victim, Kamaljit Kaur, 22, three years ago and had a one-year-old son. Kaurs brother Beant Singh of Bhagpur village of Machhiwara said Sukhbir was a drunkard and used to thrash her in an inebriated condition. They had intervened and also warned Sukhbir, but in vain, he said. On Sunday, Kamaljit telephoned me saying Sukhbir was thrashing her. My mother Balwinder Kaur and I rushed to her home to find their neighbours and other villagers had already gathered there, he said, adding that Sukhbirs brother Jagtar Singh told them that his brother had murdered Kamaljit. When I confronted Sukhbir, he also tried to assault me, following which I informed the police, said Beant. Koomkalan station house officer (SHO) sub-inspector Paramjit Singh said, The accused used to suspect his wife of infidelity. On Sunday morning, he had a spat with her and bludgeoned her to death with a wooden cot leg in an inebriated condition. It is the second murder in Ludhiana ever since a lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak came into force. On March 23, a courier company employee had bludgeoned his colleague to death with a bamboo stick and iron rod during curfew at the companys Gill Road office. The accused and the victim had consumed liquor together before the incident. Three more persons in West Bengal tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, taking the total number of such cases in the state to 21, an official said. One of them, a 52-year-old doctor at a city-based Army hospital, had recently returned from Delhi, while the travel history of a 66-year-old man was yet to be ascertained. The third, a 59-year-old-man from Hooghly's Sheoraphuli, had recently travelled to Durgapur, according to the official. "The doctor and the 66-year-old man had complained of severe respiratory distress. They are undergoing treatment at separate hospitals in the city," he said. The man from Sheoraphuli has been admitted to a private hospital in the city since Saturday with fever, cough and a mild respiratory trouble, the official said. "He is a diabetic and hypertensive patient and had travelled to Durgapur before March 16," a hospital official said. "He is currently admitted in the ICCU isolation ward with respiratory distress." According to the health department official, the doctor, an anaesthetist, might be infected with the virus during his travel to Delhi. "We need to enquire his activities after returning from Delhi... on whether he had visited any patients or not. But this does not seem to be a case of community transmission. He is currently admitted at an isolation ward of the command hospital here," the official said. The other elderly person, a resident of Baranagar, who had severe breathing problem along with fever and cough, is undergoing treatment at the isolation ward of a private hospital, the official added. "He has no history of travelling abroad or to any other state in the country. But as per the information received, his brother had recently returned from Madhya Pradesh," the official said. "We need to find out whether that person has any infection or not." Meanwhile, another elderly COVID-19 patient from Nayabad is undergoing treatment at a separate private hospital and his condition is stated to be critical, he said. His daughter-in-law and granddaughter, however, tested negative, though results of swab tests of his wife and son were awaited. The condition of the first COVID-19 patient in the state has improved, the health department official said. Meanwhile, the state health department along with the district administration has identified 49 people who came in contact with the five members of the family from Tehatta, who tested positive for coronavirus, an official said. A 26-year-old woman, on Sunday morning called up senior officials of the state health administration and said she had travelled with the five in a train. "We have quarantined all 50 people who came in contact with the members of the family from Tehatta. All of them will be kept under observation. Like the woman, we want others to come out," another health department official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) So what gets parents in trouble with the courts and what doesnt? Nobody really knows, Owens said. Courts are going to have a hard time helping now, and maybe even after things get back to normal. Were seeing lots of judges taking a hands-off approach. Youre going to hear that these were not willful violations. Vague terms like the best interest of the child are sort of a no-win situation, he continued. Either its vague and defers to a judges preconceptions of family and home and whats best, or its specific and defers to lawmakers preconceptions. The reality of home and family life is far more complicated. Even legally, its county by county, not just state by state. Although Owens did offer one bit of practical advice: Parents should expect that their texts and emails during all of this could be submitted to a judge later. He also cited the legal concept of force majeure essentially unforeseeable, act-of-God-level events that overwhelm extenuating circumstances. Usually, such scenarios are rare. In the developing pandemic, however, they might become fairly common. If courts arent functioning, lots of people will use that as an excuse to defy court orders, Owens said. The mechanisms of courts and government are becoming hollow. And this is just the beginning. Were all adrift in a really jagged legal landscape. Claudia Ribet, a Los Angeles-based trial and appellate lawyer in family law with the California Appellate Law Group, agreed. She noted that after the 1994 Northridge earthquake, which injured thousands and caused widespread damage throughout Los Angeles, courts closed for only one day. Since the week of March 16, she said, they were closed Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and open Friday for emergencies only. (Although even in closure, courts are scrambling to offer virtual options like phone calls and video conferencing.) And some people, Ribet said, might try to take advantage of the chaos. There are lots of ruses that are going to be operative, she said. I have a client where his ex-wife claims she might be positive for the virus and wants to keep their child which, look, doesnt even make sense. Parents may weaponize the specter of contagion for petty or short-term goals, Ribet said, but, she added, most reasonable parents accommodate, because what goes around comes around. Of course, not everyone is reasonable. Thats why I have a job. The Delhi Government on Sunday ordered FIRs against Delhi Transport Corporation staffers who carry unauthorised passengers during the lockdown. Chief Secretary Vijay Dev ordered the police to crack the whip hours after the central government pulled up states for allowing tens of thousands of migrant workers to travel in and out of their states despite the national lockdown. The first FIR was filed minutes later by a police team in east Delhi that had turned back 44 buses between 7 am and 5 pm. All of them had a sticker Essential Services, but were carrying migrant voters to locations near the Delhi-UP border. According to a copy of the FIR accessed by Hindustan Times, the conductors had not issued any tickets to the passengers either. When drivers were asked why are they carrying migrant passengers, that too without issuing any ticket to them, all them told that they had orders from superiors, the FIR said. It listed registration numbers of 44 buses. Government officials familiar with the development said a second FIR was being filed on the complaint of another set of police officers. In his order issued minutes earlier, Chief Secretary Vijay Dev ordered FIRs to be filed against officials of the Delhi Transport Corporation if buses are found to be carrying people without government ID cards or other special passes. The city government has been running a skeletal service to ferry people required to maintain essential services. No bus, whether run by DTC or under cluster operations shall ferry any passenger who does not have any Govt ID card/authorised pass In case any unauthorised passenger is found to be ferried by any DTC/cluster bus, FIR shall be filed against the DTC employees concerned (conductor, driver, depot manager), Vijay Dev said in his 11-point directive to district officials. Marmite and Dove soap maker Unilever is facing allegations that it underpaid hundreds of millions of pounds in tax. Bosses at the Anglo-Dutch giant are challenging the claim, but admit that it could cost the firm up to 600 million (550million). The dispute with Revenue & Customs comes after FTSE100-listed Unilever which makes a huge range of consumer goods including Hellmann's mayonnaise and Magnum ice creams abandoned a plan to ditch its UK headquarters. A bad taste: Marmite maker Unilever is thought to be confident it can bat away the allegations It is alleged that Unilever owes the taxman money because its Dutch arm had a 'permanent establishment' in the UK, meaning it should have paid more tax here. Unilever 'strongly disagrees with the positions taken by the UK tax authorities'. The company is thought to be confident it can bat away the allegations because its tax arrangements have been unchallenged by the UK for many years. As well as having listings in London and Amsterdam, Unilever has one headquarters in the UK capital and another in Rotterdam. The structure has existed since 1930 when Dutch margarine company Unie merged with British soap maker Lever Brothers. In 2018, it attempted to make Rotterdam its sole HQ and Euronext Amsterdam its primary stock market listing. But it abandoned the move amid opposition from politicians, the media and investors. Unilever declined to comment. HMRC did not comment on the case. To beat the Covid-19 pandemic, India has imposed a tight curfew on its 1.3 billion people. Lockdowns elsewhere seem unprecedented. Yet quarantine as a medical strategy is centuries old. Evidence shows it works, but imposes long-term costs, according to a wide variety of literature reviewed by HT. From the time of the Black Death in the mid-1300s and the first outbreaks of cholera in recorded history to the 1918 influenza pandemic, quarantines have always been a form of public-health response to pandemics as far back in history as one could go (The Black Death, D Cohen 13471351; https://amzn.to/2xtKIxW). Theres evidence that quarantine helped to shorten the first influenza pandemic of the 21st century: the 2009 influenza H1N1 outbreak (https://bit.ly/3buYTS4), mainly by preventing more people from getting it. Italy had, at the time of going to print, 9,134 Covid-19 deaths. Italians have historically paid a high price to pandemics. Earliest forms of quarantine were, not surprisingly, born in Italy. Quarantine comes from the Italian quaranta, denoting obligatory means of separating persons, according to the US Centres for Disease Control. The Back Death or the Great Bubonic Plague emerged first in Italy. It was the most devastating plague in history, decimating nearly 200 million, according to medical historian Cohens book mentioned above. The plague was thought to have broken out first among sailors arriving in Sicily (Mafart B, Perret JL. History of the Concept of Quarantine; https://bit.ly/33TMIM7). The contagion spread like wildfire in Florence, Venice and Genoa. Thats when organised quarantine first took shape. The epidemic had abated but not disappeared; outbreaks of pneumonic and septicemic plague occurred in different cities during the next 350 years, according to a research article, Lessons from the History of Quarantine, by Eugenia Tognotti, professor of the history of medicine in Italys University of Sassari. According to the author, the first instance of an organised quarantine as a state-led strategy was first introduced in 1377 in Dubrovnik on Croatias Dalmatian Coast. City-states prevented strangers from entering their cities, particularly, merchants and minority groups, such as Jews and persons with leprosy. At the time, 40 days of isolation was thought necessary. Yellow fever in ports of France, Spain and Italy by the turn of the 18th century forced governments to use quarantine again. The initial response to the first waves of cholera outbreaks was essentially physical separation (Cholera 1832: The Social Response to an Epidemic by RJ Morris, https://bit.ly/39rTB8o). With medical advances, some believed that quarantines would no longer be necessary until the catastrophic 1918 influenza pandemic struck the human race in three waves between 1918 and 1919. Quarantine was back. The emergence of the SARS in 2003 brought massive lockdowns in the early 21st century. SARS set off in Guangdong Province, China. Likewise, MERS too necessitated quarantine measures. Theres strong evidence to show quarantine works to stop the spread of communicable diseases. Hubei is proof enough, experts say. Mass quarantine resulted in a sharp fall in Covid-19 cases there from an average 1,693 cases a day in early February to 36 cases on March 8 (https://bit.ly/2JiVOsn). The social and economic costs can be devastating. Lockdowns hurt livelihood, push nations into deep poverty and can leave governments under massive piles of debt. It can also have lasting psychological impacts. The Lancet published evidence from five studies that compared psychological outcomes for people quarantined with those not quarantined. Those quarantined were found likely to report exhaustion, detachment from others, insomnia, poor concentration, etc., (https://bit.ly/3dErcPN). WHO recommends that the extent of quarantine should not exceed the level of threat to public health. As technologies keep us virtually connected, home quarantines are no longer the dreary confinement they historically used to be. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/19/2/12-0312_article#r40) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A YOUNG MAN who is facing multiple charges in connection with an incident which resulted in two gardai being hospitalised has accused the State of trying to pin this one on me. Evan Toomey made his comments during a contested bail application which was heard before Limerick District Court. His assertion has been rejected by gardai who say the evidence against him is strong and that there is no agenda. It is alleged the 23-year-old defendant, who has an address at Oak Park, Watery Road, Ennis, drove in a reckless and dangerous manner and that there could have been loss of life. He is charged with nine offences including endangerment, three counts of dangerous driving and with causing criminal damage to a toll barrier at the Limerick Tunnel toll plaza. He is also accused of possession of cannabis herb and heroin for the purpose of sale of supply. The drugs have an estimated value of around 2,100. The Director of Public Prosecutions has directed that Mr Toomey should face trial on indictment and work to complete the book of evidence is now underway. The charges all relate to a managed pursuit which began shortly before midnight on November 19, last. It is alleged that Mr Toomey was the driver of a Hyundai Tuscon SUV which was pursued from the Crescent Shopping Centre in Dooradoyle to the Clonmacken Roundabout. Opposing bail, Garda Richard Collins said gardai initially encountered the SUV in the car park of the shopping centre and that when they signalled for it it to stop it reversed onto a kerb and exited the car park. He said it will be alleged the vehicle was driven by the defendant on the wrong side of the road during the pursuit and that it overtook an ambulance and drove at speed through a toll barrier at the Limerick Tunnel. He said it is the prosecution case that a garda vehicle was deliberately rammed and that Mr Toomey and a passenger fled from the scene on foot following the impact. They were arrested a short time later and the two gardai who are attached to the Roads Policing Unit were hospitalised with serious but non life-threatening injuries. While both were subsequently discharged from hospital neither have returned to duty. The Tuscon was seized by gardai and a quantity of drugs and a knife recovered during follow-up searches. Garda Collins told Judge Marian OLeary he was concerned the defendant would engage in further criminality if released and he said he did not believe he would appear in court if granted bail. In his evidence, Mr Toomey said he was seeking bail as he wants to be with his family during the current Covid-19 crisis. I have a young child, I want to be there for him. He also denied he was the driver of the car as is alleged. You are trying to pin this one on me, he said. We are not trying to pin anything on you. the evidence is strong, said Sergeant Sean Murray who commented that everyone is in difficulty during these challenging times. Having considered the garda objection, Judge Marian OLeary said she was refusing bail based on the evidence tendered. Mr Toomey was remanded in custody to appear before the court again, via video link, next week. A second man Karl Haugh, 24, of Oakwood Drive, Ennis has also been charged in connection with the same incident. He was previously granted bail. Roughly 80 percent of people in Massachusetts support Gov. Charlie Bakers handling of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a poll conducted by the Boston Globe and Suffolk University. Five hundred people living in Massachusetts were surveyed by landline or cellphone from March 24 to March 27, according to the Globe and results of the poll posted on the newspapers website. People were asked, Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the way Governor Charlie Baker is handling the coronavirus outbreak in Massachusetts? A total of 399 people surveyed agreed with how Baker is handling the pandemic which equaled 79.80%. Sixty-five people disagreed (13%) and another 40 people were either undecided or refused to answer. According to the poll, 65% of those surveyed approved of the way Boston Mayor Martin Walsh is handling the outbreak in Boston. Only 8% disapproved while 127 people (25.40%) were undecided. Of the people who were questioned in the poll, 28% percent approved President Donald Trumps handling of the COVID-19 outbreak, the Globe reported. People felt they were getting information they needed more from their community government and state government rather than from the federal government, according to the results. The poll also showed 91% of people who responded supported Bakers decision to close non-essential businesses. A total of 96% of people supported the closing of schools and 93% of people supported the closing of bars and restaurants except for takeout and delivery. People questioned in the poll were asked if they were worried that they or someone in their family will get COVID-19. Seventy-five percent of respondents said they were very worried or somewhat worried. Another 94% said they were very strict or pretty strict about social distancing. The survey also asked people about what they missed the most while being confined, their food supply and how long they could endure their current situation. Nearly 50% of people surveyed missed seeing friends and family members in person while another 11% missed eating out at restaurants. Another 50% of respondents said they have enough food for about two to three weeks. The poll showed roughly 33% of people questioned could endure the current situation they are in either for a few more weeks or indefinitely. Twenty-four percent of people said they could last a few more months while nearly 8% said they could not last much longer or could last for another few days or a week. Sign up for free text messages about important updates on coronavirus in Massachusetts Related Content: Monroe County is becoming a coronavirus hot zone with more than half of admissions to the St. Lukes University Health Networks Monroe campus being treated for COVID-19, a hospital official said in a news conference Sunday afternoon. Sam Kennedy, network spokesman, said the news conference was called by Don Seiple, campus president, amid an increase in figures released Sunday afternoon by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Monroe County recorded its third death and had 135 cases as of midnight Sunday. St. Lukes infectious disease specialists have confirmed community spread is occurring in the Poconos, which means the virus is being transmitted among members of the community. Pennsylvania now has 3,394 positive cases of COVID-19 in 58 of the states 67 counties and 38 deaths. All people are either isolating at home or being treated at a hospital. Seiple, however, stated at the news conference he didnt believe the states daily count accurately reflects actual numbers because not enough testing supplies have been allocated to the region. Seiple believes the Poconos is more like New York City than other parts of the state because so many residents are commuters and so many New York CIty-area residents have left the city to their vacation homes, Kennedy said. Patients with COVID-19 symptoms make up most of the emergency room at St. Lukes Monroe Campus, Seiple said, noting most of those hospitalized with the virus need critical care. A tent stationed outside the Monroe Emergency Department is a proactive step in providing additional capacity in the event it is needed, Kennedy said. We know that we have COVID-19 community spread in Monroe County. We have learned from other areas hard hit by COVID-19, such as Seattle and New York, that expanded capacity in the emergency department can be vital to providing care to the community, Kennedy said. At this point in time the additional space is not needed. Tests take about a week to be returned, Seiple noted. At a separate news conference Sunday, Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said the state would be talking to hospital and health system officials in the Poconos to assist them with the influx of cases. Commercial labs in the state are reporting waiting periods of five days or more, she said. State officials have contacted Quest and LabCorp in hopes of cutting that waiting times. Thats a significant issue, Levine said. The state lab is able to deliver results for high priority cases like health care and nursing home workers in 24 hours. The delay in test results and the fact that many with the virus will never be tested means Pennsylvanias 3,394 positive cases are an undercount, Levine said. Trends are more important than exact numbers, she said. We are looking at trends over time in terms of the rise in case. Pennsylvania has enough tests to meet its current testing protocols of testing high priority cases and urging those with mild cases of COVID-19 to stay home and recuperate in isolation. The state does not have enough supplies for mass population testing, like whats been done in Singapore and Hong Kong. No state has those supplies at this time, Levine said. There have been two federally-funded mass testing sites in the states hardest hit counties -- Philadelphia and Montgomery. It is up to federal officials if they wish to set up another mass testing site in the state, Levine said. Lehigh Valley Health Network spokesman Brian Downs said the network is seeing a similar percentage of admitted patients being treated for COVID-19 at its Lehigh Valley Hospital-Pocono location in East Stroudsburg, Monroe County. The public was alerted more than a week ago by the network to avoid traveling to and from New York City due to an observed heightened risk for contracting COVID-19. It appears fewer people in Monroe County and the Poconos seem to be heeding the warnings about staying home and social distancing, Downs said. He noted the health network is urging the same measures as St. Lukes in terms of social distancing and staying home. Gov. Tom Wolf ordered several counties across the state, including the Lehigh Valley on March 25, to stay home. We continue to monitor the number of patients as well as staffing and have a plan in place that would include all of our sites, Downs said. He added surge tents, used in the past for bad flu seasons, would be part of that strategy, but the network has not reached that level at this time. Reporter Sara K. Satullo contributed to this report. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. If theres anything about this story that needs attention, please email her. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Bill Ackman is the founder and CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management and a pretty smart guy. The product of Harvard's Business School shrewdly turned an impressive profit on a $27M in investment into a $2.6B profit during the coronavirus pandemic by purchasing "credit default swaps" (think of it as catastrophic insurance for corporate debt) because he anticipated the effect of the virus on business in early March. While many Democrats might be tempted to argue that Ackman's approximately 10,000-percent profit was excessive and greedy, my own opinion is that he merely took advantage of our capitalist economic system. In essence, Ackman gambled the $27 million on his anticipation that things that were already getting bad were about to get a lot worse. Being prescient and financially astute is not a crime. However, Bill Ackman might be a little too smart for his own good. Why? On March 18, while President Trump was giving a press conference, Ackman went on the air at CNBC and literally warned that "hell is coming" to the economy, fueling panic among investors. He said Boeing airplane-manufacturers would be put out of business unless a massive stimulus bill bailed them out. Ackman specifically predicted that the stock price of Hilton hotels could drop to zero, mentioning the company by name. The problem is, while Ackman is on the air driving down the price of Hilton hotel stock, what is he also doing? Buying Hilton hotel stock at bargain basement prices. Apparently, I'm not the only one troubled by the implications of Ackman turning a tidy profit after yelling "fire" in a crowded theater, although the hedge fund manager claims he profited from only the credit default swaps, not any stock purchases he's made since. It makes sense that he hasn't made that money yet because he's still holding the stock that he bought dirt cheap. The profit won't get realized until he sells that stock. However, his potential profits from buying Starbucks, Lowes, Hilton, Agilent Technologies, and Berkshire Hathaway are considerable, even astronomical. Normally, one might expect that the media, led by liberal Democrats such as Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, would be screaming for the blood of Bill Ackman, but Bill Ackman certainly isn't stupid. No one turns $27 million into $2.6 billion while being stupid. As George Soros, Tom Steyer, Mike Bloomberg, Eric Schmidt, and a number of other billionaires have done, he bought insurance against being pursued for any criminal liability for shady business practices through his political contributions to key Democrat politicians and Democratic Party fundraising organizations. If you take a look at Ackman's political donations, you'll note that they are almost exclusively to Democrats: he's a Friend of Chuck Schumer and also gave money to ActBlue. Ackman gave money to Cory Booker, Jon Tester, Robert Menendez, and Jerry Nadler. His donations over the past four elections are skewed at least 90 percent to Democrats. The other 10 percent was given mostly to RINOs such as Mitt Romney and John McCain. There might have been one donation to a real Republican, but I don't know much about Steve Stivers except that he opposed Trump on the issue of immigration. Here's the sad truth: if the CEO of Hilton hotels had tried to do what Ackman has done, he'd have been raked over the coals and probably prosecuted for insider trading. Remember that Senators Burr, Feinstein, and Loeffler face ethics charges for dumping stock after a briefing by the coronavirus task force. Yet Ackman can apparently help incite an economic meltdown by saying, "Hell is coming!" on national television, and not only did he avoid facing any consequences, but he got handsomely rewarded for his incendiary rhetoric. If what Ackman did on CNBC on March 18 wasn't illegal, it certainly ought to be. John Leonard is a freelance writer and most recently editor of the Rootstock series of epic fantasy novels. You may find him on Facebook or contact him through his website at southernprose.com. Robert Olshansky, emeritus professor of urban and regional planning at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, sees a paradox in the term social distancing. The paradox is that we are being very collaborative and social by mutually agreeing to stay six feet away from each other, he said. The term social distancing implies that we have to become a more separate and individual society, but there is no way we are going to survive this problem and emotionally support ourselves through this if that is what we do. New Delhi, March 28 : Over half a dozen officers, including the District Magistrate and SSP of Ghaziabad, had to camp for hours at the Kaushambi bus station in Uttar Pradesh on the Delhi border to handle the surging crowd of migrant labourers rushing home. It was then that an intrepid IAS officer from Lucknow showed his management skills. The management capabilities of IAS officers often become troublesome for governments in times of crisis. For the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh, the 2004-batch firebrand IAS officer Rajasekhar's skills came in handy. If thousands of labourers trapped in Ghaziabad from Delhi could leave for homes on Saturday, it was all due to Rajasekhar's efficient management. When Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath decided to send buses late on Friday to bring the crowds trapped in the NCR, Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) Managing Director Rajasekhar worked the phone lines across the state. Each driver was called back from his home. Buses from every district left for Ghaziabad so that thousands of the poor labourers from Delhi could leave for home. Thousands of people gathered at Kaushambi bus station in Ghaziabad on the border of Delhi, mostly poor labourers. Regional Manager A.K. Singh was involved in arranging buses. Meanwhile, he got a call from MD Rajasekhar. Rajasekhar asked about the number of buses and passengers available for each district. A.K. Singh told IANS, "MD sahab is handling the situation very well. We are constantly taking the most updates. MD sahab is interested in solving problems immediately." In fact, after the announcement of 21 days of lockdown on the night of 24 March, the mass migration of labourers living in Delhi started. A huge crowd from Delhi descended on the UP border. People started leaving for various districts of Uttar Pradesh on foot. The crowd became difficult to control. The UP government had thought that the crowd should be controlled by organising camps with food, however the situation worsened due to the increasing migration of workers from Delhi. Eventually, the state government decided to shift 1,000 buses to Ghaziabad late on Friday. Operating the buses was a difficult task in this situation as most of the transport officials and employees were sitting at home due to the lockdown. Then Rajasekhar took command. First, he wrote a letter to the DMs and SPs of all districts, saying no one should stop the buses sent to bring the trapped labourers along the border of Delhi. After this, Rajasekhar asked all the Regional Managers and Assistant Regional Managers of the state to send a thousand buses to Ghaziabad. The buses started operating from Ghaziabad to different districts of UP from Friday at 8 in the morning. The transport department estimates that in two days the crowds at the UP border will reach their homes. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said Friday manufacturers were told 'not to send her supplies' after Donald Trump's 'that woman' outburst in his daily briefing. Speaking with WWJ News Radio Whitmer said: 'What I've gotten back is that vendors with whom we've procured contracts they're being told not to send stuff to Michigan. 'It's really concerning, I reached out to the White House last night and asked for a phone call with the president.' By Saturday Trump had approved a major disaster declaration for Michigan, providing additional money to address the coronavirus pandemic there. The move followed a bitter war of words between the president and Whitmer, who he had labeled 'that woman' in a press conference Friday. Whitmer, a Democrat, has repeatedly criticized the Trump administration for being slow to respond to the pandemic. Trump said in an interview this week that 'we've had a big problem with the young, a woman governor from, you know who I'm talking about, from Michigan.' He later said: 'We don't like to see the complaints.' Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said Friday manufacturers were told 'not to send her supplies' after Donald Trump's 'that woman' outburst in his daily briefing By Saturday Donald Trump had approved a major disaster declaration for Michigan, providing additional money to address the coronavirus pandemic there 'I think they should be appreciative,' he said during his daily White House briefing Friday. 'When they're not appreciative to me. They are not appreciative to the army corps. They are not appreciative to FEMA. It's not right.' He added that: 'If they don't treat you right, I don't call.' Whitmer tweeted in response that she had 'asked repeatedly and respectfully for help,' adding, 'You said you stand with Michigan prove it.' On Friday night Trump tweeted again, referring to the governor as 'Gretchen 'Half' Whitmer' and saying she 'Likes blaming everyone for her own ineptitude!' The White House announced the disaster declaration Saturday, making money available for crisis counseling and other emergency measures. Gov. Whitmer had sought funds to set up field hospitals and help provide food and housing to people affected by the virus. She wrote on Twitter Saturday: 'Had a good call with @VP this morning. We'll keep working around the clock with FEMA and the White House to get more of the personal protective equipment we need to keep Michiganders safe.' Whitmer said in the tweet that the state had received more than 112,000 protective masks from the national strategic stockpile, with 8,000 more on the way. On Friday night Trump tweeted again, referring to the governor as 'Gretchen 'Half' Whitmer' and saying she 'Likes blaming everyone for her own ineptitude!' The White House announced the disaster declaration Saturday, making money available for crisis counseling and other emergency measures. Gov. Whitmer had sought funds to set up field hospitals and help provide food and housing to people affected by the virus Michigan officials on Saturday reported 993 additional COVID-19 illnesses, the largest daily spike so far, to reach 4,650 cases. At least 111 people have died from the virus around the state A top health official has warned the situation in Detroit, a national 'hot spot' for new cases of the coronavirus, will worsen. Michigan officials also reported 19 additional virus-related deaths and nearly 1,000 new confirmed cases Saturday. Surgeon General Jerome Adams said on 'CBS This Morning on Friday that Detroit, Chicago and New Orleans 'will have a worse week next week.' Michigan officials on Saturday reported 993 additional COVID-19 illnesses, the largest daily spike so far, to reach 4,650 cases. At least 111 people have died from the virus around the state. Three counties in the Detroit area Wayne, Oakland and Macomb account for 87 per cent of the state's deaths and 82 per cent of the illnesses. Whitmer issued an executive order Saturday requiring communities statewide to restore water service. 'This is a critical step both for the health of families living without a reliable water source, and for slowing the spread of the coronavirus,' Whitmer said. The state also established a $2 million fund through the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy to help provide funding to local communities to help reconnect homes to their water supplies. The order is effective for the duration of the COVID-19 emergency. In May 1945, Lieutenant Dan Phelan parachuted into Tan Trao base camp and joined Viet Minh forces to prepare all work, including the construction of a small field runway to receive Allied aircraft. After that, on July 16, 1945, the Deer Team organised the first parachute jump to Kim Lung Village, within the Tan Trao war zone (Tuyen Quang Province). The teams leader, Major Allison Thomas, joined the first mission along with Sergeant William Zielski and Sergeant Henry Prunier. On July 30, 1945, the second parachute completed the whole Deer Team personnel, with Lieutenant Rene Defourneux, Sergeants Lawrence Vogt and Aaron Squires, and first class Private Paul Hoagland in charge of a medic. Uncle Ho instructed his forces to select staff in the Liberation Army to form with the Deer Team mission a company called "Vietnam-US joint military" unit. The unit was led by Dam Quang Trung, the commander of an army of about 200 men. Major Thomas was considered the Company Chief of Staff. During their stay at Tan Trao battlefield, the Deer Team members focused on training the Vietnamese - American company to use weapons and guerrilla tactics. At the same time, three Dakota C-47 transport planes dropped some weapons. Up until now, the volumes and types of weapons and equipment provided by the US to the joint company and the Viet Minh resistance forces have not been counted exactly. However, based on the number of weapons that the Vietnam-US company used in the battle to liberate Thai Nguyen on August 20, 1945, there were a machine gun, two 60 mm mortars, four Bazooka anti-tank rocket launchers and eight Brno rifles, 20 Thompson submachine guns, 60 carbines, 20 Colt revolvers, some binoculars and weapons brought in by road with Frankie Tan and Mac Shin (the first two Allied agents accompanying Uncle Ho to the Tan Trao war zone, in which Mac Shin provided the forces with 45 Thomson submachine guns, 30 carbines and 45 automatic pistols). To surmise, the numbers of American weapons supplied to the Viet Minh were probably about, or a little more than, those listed above. On August 14, 1945, Japanese fascists declared unconditional surrender to Allied forces. A day later, the Uprising Commission ordered the Liberation Army units to attack the enemy bases. On August 16, 1945, the Party Central Committee, the Viet Minh General Committee and President Ho Chi Minh ordered a general uprising to regain power nationwide. At 14:00 on August 16, 1945, the Liberation Army came from Tan Trao to attack the Japanese in Thai Nguyen Town. The Vietnamese-American company and the Deer Team also participated in this battle. The Vietnam-US company was tasked with besieging and destroying the most difficult target, that was the Japanese barrack in the town. On August 20, 1945, the Japanese army in the station still resisted, forcing the Liberation Army Command sent an ultimatum to the major who was the commander of the Japanese troops there to call for surrender. In order to increase the prestige of the Vietnamese Liberation Army and the Allies forces in that combat, there was an ultimatum in English signed by Major Thomas, sending to the Japanese troops to call for surrender. These two ultimatums were archived at the Vietnam Institute for Military History. At the Department of Japanese Gendarmerie (stationed at Gauchie House), the Japanese troops leaned on solid fences and stubbornly resisted. The Vietnamese army sent a Bazooka gun team led by Squad leader Sung Hai to burst a wall of the house. The revolution troops used pistols and grenades to destroy the enemy and capture the target. The Liberation Army commanders, including Vo Nguyen Giap and Dam Quang Trung, accompanied by Major Thomas, went to the field to inspect the location captured from the Japanese troops. After that, the Deer Team and the newly formed Fourth Liberation Army Unit marched to Hanoi. On September 9, 1945, Major Thomas and the Deer Team members completed their missions in Hanoi and were ordered to return home. The presence of the Deer Team in Vietnam was short-lived, about 80 days. In October 1995, after half a decade, they had the opportunity to return to Vietnam at the invitation and arrangement of the Vietnam - US Society, at a time when the two countries had officially normalised diplomatic relations. For members of the Deer Team and intelligence officers like Frankie Tan and Mac Shin, it was a one-time return to Vietnam, because after that, none of them had the chance to come back again. The days they visited Vietnam were filled with memories of "a time far away". The Deer Team members showed Vietnamese friends their old souvenirs they still cherished to remember their days at Tan Trao battlefield. Henry Prunier wore the suit sewed in Hanoi before he was ordered to return to his home country, which he kept carefully for many years. At a party held in Hanoi to welcome the delegation, General Vo Nguyen Giap attended. Upon seeing and recognising Henry Prunier, the General took an orange on the plate and made a swinging motion like throwing a grenade so that Henry Prunier could see that the General had not forgotten his military adviser after so many years. During the visit to Tan Trao war zone, the members of the Deer Team returned to where they lived in the past. When arriving at Tan Trao Banyan, Major Thomas recounted the original plan that the team would travel by road, but because the Japanese troops were scouring so hard, they had to use air route. Due to the bad weather, the pilot could not recognise the signs of the parachute landing on the ground, so the team had to jump with closed eyes and Major Thomas's parachute was caught in Tan Trao Banyan. Afterwards, the Deer Team was given a meal of beef, and when he recalled that memory, Major Thomas laughed and praised "the beef that day was delicious". When visiting the town of Thai Nguyen (now Thai Nguyen City, the capital of Thai Nguyen Province) to recall the battle to liberate the town with the Vietnamese-American company, Major Thomas showed a photo of a house. He said the house was home to the liberation army command headquarters during the battle and said he wanted to revisit the house. A quick search was organised, and eventually the organisers found a local senior teacher. He recognised the gate of the house in the picture and took everyone there. It is now the office of Thai Nguyen Power Company but, fortunately, the gate from the French colonial era still exists. Major Thomas said at that time, despite receiving the radio order not to participate in battles against the Japanese with the Viet Minh forces, he decided not to comply with this order. Looking back at the memories of members of the Deer Team, the initial military advisers of the Vietnamese revolutionary armed forces during their pre-uprising days, as well as their return to Vietnam after 50 years, is to be able to see the mutual understanding between the Vietnamese people and people in other countries, including the Americans. Such relations need to be promoted and cherished so that the two nations can work together towards a common peace and prosperity in the world. PRIME Minister Kassim Majaliwa yesterday received contributions in cash and equipment worth 1.185bn/- from entities and individuals to support government efforts in the fight against COVID -19, asking each individual to take precautionary measures. We are now in a state of war. We must jointly fight it by doing whatever is within our ability to prevent the spread of the virus in our country. We must stick to the advice provided by President John Magufuli, that requires every Tanzanian to take part in this war, Prime Minister Majaliwa said after receiving the contributions at his office in Dar es Salaam. He said the government was doing everything in its power, including instituting all the necessary measures to ensure the deadly virus was not spreading in the country. He thanked health workers, including doctors and nurses and other health experts for devoting their life to serve others. Speaking on the contributions he received, Prime Minister Majaliwa said the cash and equipment will be judiciously used in the fight against the disease that is now ravaging the world. He asked the public to continue according the government the necessary support in the war against the dreadful virus. In the list of stakeholders who turned up at the PMs office to offer their contributions include UBA bank that contributed 230mn/-, CRDB Bank that dished out 1500mn/-, NMB Bank that offered 100mn/- while Tanzania Oxygen Limited offered to rehabilitate an oxygen production plant at a cost of 158mn/-. Others are Karimjee Jivanjee Ltd and its associate companies that dished out 200mn/-, including volunteering to carry out seven-day free maintenance on all Toyota vehicles used in the campaign against COVID-19, and Karimjee family that offered a 180 KVA generator worth 75mn/-. Also in the list of contributors was the Association of Tanzania Oil & Gas Service Providers (ATOGS) that contributed equipment, including vehicles with Public Address system that will be used in sensitising the public for four consecutive months through Advent Construction firm, drinking water from Bakhressa Group and Billboard (Ashton Media), all worth 150mn/-. Others are the Confederation of Tanzania Industries (CTI) that contributed 1,000 water tanks for washing hands, each with a capacity of 250 litres worth 25mn/-, GSI Tanzania Limited which offered 1,600 bottles of hand sanitizers worth 4mn/-, Mount Meru who contributed sanitizers worth 2mn/-, Aga Khan Hospital which contributed drugs, sanitizer soap and other medical equipment worth 10.22 mn/-. Oryx Gas has volunteered to supply gas to hospitals and the government designated isolation centres worth 25 mn/-, while Tredea Cosmetics has contributed sanitizers worth 1.6 mn/-. Several mama lishe from Ilala Manicipality and machingas from Kariakoo contributed soap and sanitizers worth 2mn/-, while the Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (TCCIA) contributed 50 sets of bedsheets, 10 mattresses, 400 bottles of sanitizers, and 170 bottles of detergents worth 5mn/-. On behalf of President Magufuli, Prime Minister Majaliwa thanked the contributors, asking others wishing to offer contributions to visit his office or the health ministry. Those living outside the country could offer their contributions via National Relief Fund Electronic Account No: 9921159801. Lack of social distancing causing spread, says government THAILAND: The government yesterday (Mar 28) warned that people are not practising social distancing which is resulting in a steady spread of COVID-19, which by yesterday amounted to a total of 1,388 infections and six deaths. CoronavirusCOVID-19healthSafety By Bangkok Post Sunday 29 March 2020, 12:28PM Just to be sure: A member of the Emergency Services Unit of Thailand sprays disinfectant at stretchers used by rescuers and ambulance staff to protect them against exposure to COVID-19 while transporting patients. Photo: Wichan Charoenkiatpakul Despite invocation of the emergency decree, people have not complied with measures to control the spread of the virus as the number of new infections continues to soar, COVID-19 Administration Centre spokesman Taweesin Visanuyothin said. Dr Taweesin made the remarks yesterday after a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. He said it was agreed the efficiency of disease control is assessed by a reduction in new infections. But the rising figures show that people still are not cooperating enough, and they have to do more to help with control measures, Dr Taweesin said. Citing figures, he said that if only 70% of the people cooperate, new infection cases will continue to surge. With 80% cooperating, figures will go down gradually, and if 90% of people cooperate, a marked decrease will follow. He also said it was agreed that state procurement regulations will be relaxed to allow three agencies - the Food and Drugs Administration, the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation, and the Comptroller-General Department - to fast-track the purchase and import of medical equipment and personal protective gear for medical personnel. Meanwhile, 22 revellers at a drug party in Chiang Rai yesterday were arrested yesterday for gathering in defiance of the nationwide Emergency Decree. Comprising 10 men and 12 women between the ages of 20 and 30, they were nabbed at a hotel in Muang district. They were attending a pool party where alcohol and drugs such as ecstasy and ketamine were being served. Police also confiscated 237,000 baht in cash found in a bag. An initial investigation showed that a 24-year-old from Trat had been holding parties at the hotel since Thursday (Mar 26). It is not known if he started holding the parties there because most public venues are unavailable during the virus scare. Chiang Rai governor Prajon Prachsakul said police raided the hotel in tambon Tha Sut after receiving a tip-off. Apart from drug-related charges, the detainees will also be penalised for defying the Emergency Decree, which bans gatherings. The penalty is two years in prison and/or a fine of up to 40,000 baht. Chiang Rai has five COVID-19 cases. NORCROSS, Ga. They came to metro Atlanta with hopes of a new life, renting a house in Duluth and enrolling their two children in school while they looked for jobs she in medical administration, he selling cars. It took longer than they expected to find work. Long enough that Maria and Tony Fernandez had trouble paying their rent and were evicted. Looking for a stopgap, they checked in to an extended-stay hotel in Norcross, paying $200 a week. They were like many low-wage workers who have had spotty credit or a patch of bad luck, who cant get a decent apartment. We thought, well, 90 days and we are out of here, Tony said. But the job situation didnt get better. Six years later, they have jobs, their son is working and living on his own, their daughter is a senior in high school and the three of them still live in a motel room. If you are alone, this is a good place, but if you have a family, there is just no privacy, Maria said. New Delhi, March 29 : Thousands of labourers were left stranded at several places in Delhi and neighbouring Ghaziabad and Greater Noida on Sunday as the Central government asked states to strictly follow the 21-day nationwide lockdown and stop the movement of people across the cities. Those who had already come out of their homes to take any transport to return to their native places are now clueless as the border of Delhi with the Uttar Pradesh were sealed at 2 p.m. on Sunday. However, the number of people willing to return to their homes was less than on Saturday, but with the lack of announcement from the state government, the people were left stranded either at the Anand Vihar bus stand or at the Ghaziabad border or at the Noida-Agra Expressway. Many stranded people told IANS that they were not being allowed to go towards the Anand Vihar bus terminal and were asked to travel towards Ghaziabad, from where they will get a bus. Many of them, then, had no option but to walk back to their homes. Some groups wanted to travel to their home in Jhansi, Amethi, Gonda and Bahraich. Speaking to IANS, Pradip Singh, a resident of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh said, "I was a labourer and now I want to go back to my home as I have nothing to eat." "Look at my baby," Singh said, pointing at his one year-old daughter. "We don't have food, and even if the landlord does not ask for rent, how will I pay for food for my family," he said, adding "we don't want to die here without food". He is walking home along with 20 others from the district. Phula, a resident of Jhansi, holding her kid in one arm and luggage on the other, near the Mayur Vihar metro station told IANS, "There is no bus available now." Jhula is travelling along with other 15 members of her village from Anand Vihar to Jhansi via Mayur Vihar. "In our village, we can have bread and salt, but here or in other cities, we would not get any help," she said. There are others with family members, including small children, who who are walking along the highway with no water and food. Jhula said she, like others, had carried some eatables. "But in this heat, the eatables too have gone waste. Passers-by have given us some biscuits and water bottles," she said. Abhimanyu Dubey, a resident of Gonda in Uttar Pradesh, has a similar problem. "We heard yesterday that Yogi-ji (Chief Minister Yogi Aditynath) has promised a bus service to ferry people from Delhi to respective towns. So our kids and family members told us to take the bus and come back home, and so I set out from my Khureji Khas room in Delhi to Anand Vihar, but no one has informed us from where the bus will go," he said. He said he was not allowed to even go to the Anand Vihar bus stand. He said he will have to now walk it to his home district. Earlier in the day, the Centre directed states to strictly follow the nationwide lockdown and stop the movement of people across cities, advising them to arrange shelter, food and other facilities for migrant labourers at their workplace. The direction came amid mass migration of labourers from cities to their villages in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown to break the chain of transmission from coronavirus pandemic. Noting that there has been movement of migrant workers in some parts of the country, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba through video conferencing with officials of Ministry of Home Affairs, state Chief Secretaries and Directors General of Police on Sunday morning decided to "seal" the district and state borders. "Directions were issued that district and state borders should be effectively sealed and states were directed to ensure there is no movement of people across cities or on highways," said a government statement. Following directions from the Centre, state borders were sealed to stop the mass migration. Salim, a resident of Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh, said the truck in which over 70 people were travelling has ben stopped by the police at the Ghaziabad border. "We are stuck here and we don't know if we would be able to go towards our home district," said Salim. Many like Salim have little faith in government claims that their food and shelter would be arranged in Delhi. "We want to go back to our homes. We don't want to die in a foreign land. If something happens to us, our family would not be able to know our whereabouts," said one of them. Hundreds of them -- women and children included -- are ready for a journey of hundreds of kilometres -- on foot. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced a Rs 1.7 lakh-crore relief package on Thursday to aid those who live on the margins, but panicked labourers remain unconvinced. (Anand Singh can be contacted at anand.s@ians.in) President Trump's unprecedented push of his powers as commander in chief has been plagued by growing confusion about how far his authorities actually extend, and how truly willing he is to use them. Read more WASHINGTON Eager to demonstrate that he is in control of a viral outbreak that is spreading rapidly across the country, President Donald Trump has ramped up efforts to show he is using some of his broadest powers as commander in chief. But the unprecedented push has been plagued by growing confusion about how far his authorities actually extend and how much he is willing to use them. He blindsided New York's governor Saturday by publicly announcing a potential quarantine order on the state's residents, only to retreat from the idea hours later. This came a day after he authorized his government to use the Defense Production Act, a move on which he'd been taking an on-again, off-again stance, but it remains unclear whether that power will be used. And he is due to issue new guidelines this next week about whether the country should continue social distancing practices but he's vacillated between all but declaring victory against the coronavirus and acceding to experts who say the national slowdown may have to continue for several more weeks. On Saturday, Trump flew on Air Force One to Norfolk, Virginia, where he delivered remarks before the departure of a naval hospital ship bound for New York. "As we gather today, our country is at war with an invisible enemy," he said. "We are marshaling the full power of the American nation economic, scientific, medical and military to vanquish the virus. And we will do that." After Defense Secretary Mark Esper introduced him as "the president of the United States and our commander in chief," Trump spoke against a backdrop of a dozen waving American flags and the massive hull of the USNS Comfort. It was the latest example of Trump presenting himself as a "wartime president," a phrase he has used regularly even as his efforts to marshal his presidential powers have at times been unsteady and infused with partisan politics. Trump signed an executive order Friday to invoke the Defense Production Act and compel General Motors to manufacture ventilators to help handle the surge of coronavirus patients. While the president had originally signed an order on March 18 to activate the broad powers under the 1950 wartime legislation, he repeatedly said he did not need to use its powers to force the private sector to provide critical equipment. His initial reluctance to use the DPA came as several governors and hospital officials were publicly pleading with his administration to provide more personal protective equipment and ventilators before health systems became overwhelmed. Trump's decision to finally pull the trigger Friday on invoking the act earned him some plaudits from Democrats, who also chided him for not acting earlier. "The only thing we know in these crises of pandemics is, the only thing that you really make a mistake is going too slow," former vice president Joe Biden said Friday during a CNN town hall. "Going too fast, meaning providing the kind of help that is needed is and planning for it is not a problem." But it's not clear how the order will impact GM, which said it was already working on making ventilators with Ventec Life Systems. Trump suggested Friday it may not be necessary to use the law to get GM to do what he wants despite authorizing its use. "We'll see. Maybe they'll change their tune," he told reporters. "But we didn't want to play games with them." Trump has increasingly invoked his presidential powers in recent days as the United States has seen its number of confirmed coronavirus cases soar to more than 100,000, the most in the world. He signed a wave of major disaster declarations and issued an order activating additional National Guard troops to help states such as New York and New Jersey, where the outbreak has had the largest impact. Trump could next use his presidential authority to effectively seal off those and other highly affected states. He said Saturday that he was considering a forced quarantine for New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, announcing the potential move publicly without consulting the states' governors. "And I am now considering we'll make a decision very quickly, very shortly a quarantine, because it's such a hot area, of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut," Trump said. "We'll be announcing that, one way or the other, fairly soon." He also took to Twitter to float the idea. "I am giving consideration to a QUARANTINE of developing 'hot spots', New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. A decision will be made, one way or another, shortly," he wrote. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, said the topic had not come up during his phone call with Trump on Saturday morning just minutes before the president announced the idea publicly. "I haven't had those conversations," Cuomo said when asked about Trump's comments. "I don't even know what that means." Cuomo said later on CNN that such a move would be an illegal "declaration of war" against states. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, said he saw the news "as I was walking into this room" to hold a news conference. Though he had spoken with the president as recently as Friday, Murphy said, "nothing like a quarantine came up." Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, a Democrat, said he had been in touch with Cuomo and Murphy. "I look forward to speaking to the President directly about his comments and any further enforcement actions, because confusion leads to panic," he wrote on Twitter. For several hours after the president floated the idea publicly, the White House did not provide any details or guidance about what such a quarantine would look like and what authorities the president would draw from. Some residents of New York opted to flee the city before an order that might trap them in the coronavirus epicenter. "We're evaluating all the options right now," acting chief of staff Mark Meadows said in response to a question about Trump's authority to quarantine certain states. On Saturday night, Trump said he had decided against a quarantine and had asked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to issue a "strong Travel Advisory" for the New York metro area in consultation with the region's governors. "A quarantine will not be necessary," Trump tweeted. "Thank you!" The idea for the quarantine came about after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) complained to Trump that people from the New York metro area were pouring into his state, according to two White House officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the private deliberations. Administration aides spent time Saturday explaining to Trump the quarantine would be impossible to enforce and could cause more problems, the officials said. He agreed and spoke with Cuomo on Saturday night after making the decision. Trumps flurry of activity could also have a political impact as he attempts to show that he is not aloof as the country faces a national crisis, said Barbara Perry, a presidential historian at the University of Virginias Miller Center. It's a lesson that President George W. Bush learned after Hurricane Katrina, when he was photographed surveying the damage from a helicopter and was accused of not showing enough interest in the fate of New Orleans residents. "Trump is following that lesson, and just digging right in," she said. "He's making up for lost time by saying, 'But here I am today.' " The president's efforts to showcase his actions in response to the crisis have been more forceful and consistent than his attempts to provide Americans with information about what they should be doing to protect themselves. He is scheduled to release new guidelines this next week after the White House's "15 Days to Slow the Spread" a social distancing and pandemic mitigation effort comes to an end. While Trump has appeared eager to end the nationwide slowdown he called for an April 12 "reopening" last this week and began speaking about the coronavirus crisis in the past tense many of his public health experts have cautioned against prematurely abandoning social distancing practices. On Friday, Trump appeared to move away from embracing Easter as a preferred date for reopening the country, saying his decision would be guided by the need to prioritize protecting "life and safety, and then the economy." Trump sent a letter to governors on March 26 informing them that his administration would soon be publishing new guidelines for state and local officials about whether to relax, maintain or enhance social distancing measures such as business closures and bans on large gatherings. He said his administration would provide guidelines for counties categorized as high-risk, medium-risk and low-risk. Despite Trump's broad powers as president, he may have trouble persuading state and local officials to follow his lead, said Michael Strain, an economist at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute. "The president can say, 'Everybody go back to work,' but the governors and the mayors who have instituted these temporary shutdowns and these shelter-in-place orders are the ones that would have to lift those orders," he said. "It's very much an open question whether these mayors and governors would reverse their positions because of what the president has said." Trump has occasionally tried to appeal to a sense of national unity and pride in an effort to marshal a wartime footing. During his speech in Norfolk on Saturday, he described the world as "under attack by this horrible, invisible enemy." And when we achieve our victory this victory, your victory we will emerge stronger and more united than ever before, he added. But he has also lashed out against his perceived political enemies, abandoning the bipartisanship that typically emerges during times of crisis. On Friday, Trump attacked Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, and said he was inclined not to take phone calls from governors who were not sufficiently "appreciative." The Washington Posts Derek Hawkins and Colby Itkowitz contributed to this report. MANISTEE COUNTY Some do it for solace in nature or the thrill of a treasure hunt while others use it as a way to stay fit. Many continue to take advantage of the diverse rock hunting opportunities in Manistee County, even while keeping a healthy distance from others during the coronavirus, COVID-19 pandemic. Arielle Sheffield, said she typically solo hunts for beach glass and rocks, like Petoskey stones. Its kind of my alone time and it just works well for me, Sheffield said. When I go with other people, I start talking and we dont actually search so then its just a distraction. For beach glass, she said she looks for any color she can find. She said the light blue beach glass seems to be the most prevalent with purples, amber yellow and reds being more rare. Sheffield collects the rocks and displays them in glass jars at home as well as creating some art pieces for fun from her finds. She even had a few of her Petoskey stones turned into rings by a Traverse City artist. I think it became a healthy obsession for me, she said. Its a hunt. Its like what am I going to find today? Some days I go out and I dont find anything, but I still enjoy being out there. But there are other days when I can find handfuls, pockets full. She said part of the intrigue is wondering what will wash onshore next. Sheffield said she usually searches along Michigans west coast in places like the Magoon Creek beach area in Manistee as well as farther north along M-22. You just got to look and I think its a bit of perseverance. You got to keep looking, Sheffield said. You kind of gain (the eye) when you practice. Practice makes perfect. Its just a fun thing to do. Sheffield said she has honed her rock-finding skills. Over the last five years of really enjoying just going out as a hobby, you kind of know what to look for, she said. I had grown up here, so I spend a lot of my days going out to the beach and just walking. I think when I was younger, I just wanted to go to the beach (because) it had that calmness, that serenity and then it became (that) there was a treasure hunt on top of this that I could do. So, that made it into more of an exercise and a hobby. But lately, she has been staying close to home and avoiding areas that have more people. Actually, right now, I havent been to the beaches. Im just walking the roads out by my parents house, she said. I wasnt really looking. I just was out for a walk, and I kind of keep my head down when I see gravel areas because typically where theres a lot of gravel, theres a lot of stones and there could be potential Petoskey stones. Sheffield decided to stay home with her parents rather than be alone during the coronavirus, COVID-19 pandemic. I just knew during this quarantine I didnt want to be by myself in my apartment so I (told my parents) Im coming up to you guys so that I feel a little bit more energized with people and safe and just feeling better here than being alone in my apartment, she said. Sheffield and others have noticed an influx of others visiting local beaches and trails. She saw a video last week from Magoon Creek area that showed the roadway lined with vehicles parked on both sides. I like to do it when there arent a lot of people, she said. Right now, I know a lot of people are getting out and going, and I just dont want to see a lot of people. ... With this big COVID-19 happening, Im kind of nervous to be around more people, so Im like no, not right now. Im going to take this isolation time to spend it with myself and my parents. ROCK HUNTING DUO Erin LaMont, of Bear Lake, uses the hobby as a way to collect rocks with her husband, James. The pair started about five years ago. We just started walking the beaches to get healthy, LaMont said. And then we went to Magoon one day and we saw people picking stuff up and we werent sure what they were picking up. It just so happened that that beach has a ton of (beach) glass. She said Magoon Creek area beach tends to have more of the greens and frosted white beach glass with the occasional blue glass. Magoon is a great hike as far as nature and the trails go back where you can do the woodline so far before you even come up to the beach, LaMont said. So, theres a lot of hiking that is there as well. Magoon is really good that way. She said they also go to beaches in Arcadia off of Chamberlain Road. From Memorial Day through Labor Day, the couple sticks to the more private beaches, and she said they let the tourists do their thing. LaMont said the adventure aspect of rock hunting keeps her coming back. Its kind of the thrill of the hunt, finding something new, different, she said. Every once in a while, youll find a plate with a pattern or a pottery (piece) from an old bowl or something with some sort of print on it. Then you have to start doing detective work and figure out what it came from or possibly what they used it for. One unique piece LaMont and her husband found was an old ink bottle used to ship inks; it came from Paris. She advised would-be hunters that finding rocks is all about the location. For Petoskey stones, she said to look where the water break washes up as a wet Petoskey stone is easier to identify. For glass, she said it is best to look past the water break line in the dry areas of the beach. LaMont said when the ice heaves are present, she and her husband will sometimes find beach glass shining through the ice and the two will chisel out the specimen. Everybody likes different rocks, they like (different) colors and of course everybody is on the hunt for the elusive Petoskey stone. But when we walk the beach, we stop and we chat with people and well give the tourists some Petoskey stones, because we have an abundance of them but everybodys collecting something different. Everybody sees something different in the rocks. Theres a memory there, theres heart-shaped rocks, theres funky shapes that apply in their life somehow. LaMont said one thing to keep in mind is anyone travelling to Ohio in the future should be aware of the rock and beach glass collection rules that differ from Michigan. She said in Michigan, people are allowed to look for beach glass and rocks between the water and high water mark areas but she learned this was not the same as some other places. My husband and I had decided to take a spur of the moment day trip to Ohio to go to Lake Erie. I follow a lot of beach glass hunters on Instagram, and they find a lot of cool stuff, she said. Up here, were lucky because were a high water mark (law) and we make that assumption everywhere we go and we actually got yelled at by so many residents in Ohio because their law is feet in the water and its not high water mark. The homeowners actually own right to where the water kisses (land) and your feet actually have to be right in the water. She said anything found on the beach also belongs to the landowners in Ohio. LaMont said when she goes rock hunting, she brings two backpacks. One backpack will hold all our treasures and the other backpack we use to pick up trash on the beach just grabbing the things that we see as were out there since were already on the beach checking things out, she said. I want it to be there for my kids and my future grandkids and for them to enjoy the same thing as I do. And if I decide to go out to watch a sunset, I want to sit on the beach and enjoy my surroundings. I dont want to look around and see someone elses trash or whats washed in, the things that arent treasures. Another important thing to remember is that there is a 25 pound limit per year for collecting from certain lands in Michigan. There are also areas, such as along National Lakeshore areas where rock collecting is not allowed. See the individual park, beach or land's website for more details as there are varying rules and policies about collection from state and federal lands as well. LaMont said part of the appeal to her about rock hunting is that Every wave brings a new treasure. Lake Michigans waves are always there and every wave brings up something different, she said. 1 of 2 OMG! Quarantined man runs nude, bites old woman to death in Tamil Nadu A 35-year-old man who was placed under home quarantine amid the COVID-19 pandemic after he returned from Sri Lanka has been charged with killing a woman at a village in Tamil Nadu. The man ran out of his house naked and bit an 80-year-old woman in her neck, the police said on Friday. She was admitted to hospital on Friday, and died today after her condition worsened during treatment, the police said. The man, a resident of Jakkamanayakanpatti and engaged in seasonal business in clothing, was overpowered and handed over to police, who arrested him and investigations were on. He had recently returned from Sri Lanka and directed to remain under quarantine by health authorities as per the protocol for foreign returnees to check coronavirus spread. "The accused, Manikandan, has a history of mental illness for which he was treated in Madurai back in 2010. On Friday, he disrobed himself and ran from his home. He tripped and fell a hundred metres from his home and targeted the elderly woman, who was sitting outside her house," a police officer told. Read More... Travellers returning to Australia and being forced to quarantine in luxury hotels have been told they need a reality check after complaining of inadequate conditions. Thousands of Australians arriving into the country by plane and ship are being transported to makeshift quarantine facilities under the escort of police and military personnel. The government is using the country's vacant hotels to isolate new arrivals, with about two-thirds of the country's COVID-19 cases traced to people who had travelled overseas. The guests have been complaining of sub-standard food, small room sizes, and being locked indoors with no fresh-air. Travellers returning to Australia are being quarantined under guard at luxury hotels amid the coronavirus pandemic Some of the hundreds of Australians stuck in quarantine have complained about the free three meals they are being given every day. Thousands of people flying into Australia have been shuttled to makeshift quarantine facilities as the government turns to law-and-order to fight coronavirus. Pictured return travellers in Brisbane getting onto shuttle buses to go to hotels for quarantine Passengers inside the Swissotel in Sydney have reportedly become increasingly frustrated with one resident attempting to leave and another seen banging her head against a wall, according to The Daily Telegraph. Nearly 300 people aboard the Norwegian Jewel cruise ship who were put into quarantine on Thursday have also complained of inadequate medicine and have been heard 'yelling and banging' on walls. In Sydney, travellers are being sent to the InterContinental, Swissotel and the Novotel on Darling Harbour. All three hotels are upmarket with starting prices of over $200 a night for standard rooms. In Melbourne people are being accommodated in the Crown Promenade, where guests typically pay a minimum price of $233 per night. Police Commissioner Mick Fuller, who has been tasked with handling the New South Wales coronavirus response, said those being required to isolate should stop complaining about the accommodation. Returning overseas travellers are ushered into Sydney's InterContinental Hotel for the beginning of their 14-day imposed quarantine on Sunday The Novotel in Sydney is being used to quarantine Australians returning from overseas 'I understand that maybe the sheets do not get changed daily but you are coming back into 5-star hotels. They are not going that badly. There are people after the bushfires still living in tents and caravans. People are going okay,' he said. 'The reality is they are in a hotel room, and yes, they will be isolated for 14 days. That is for their own protection, the protection of their family members and the protection of the NSW community.' In one Facebook group for those quarantined in the Swissotel, members complained about everything from the quality of their free food to the size of their rooms and the fact they couldn't access Deliveroo or Uber Eats. One person even said those in the luxury hotel were being treated like 'prisoners and refugees.' He said an operation such as this would normally take six months to plan but was pulled together in 24 hours in a deal struck with the hotels. Kev and Libby Moorse said they felt like test dummies for the scheme and when they were put into quarantine they heard of one elderly woman missing food deliveries and another diabetic man unable to access insulin. Some hotel guests under quarantine were sent care packages including junk food and alcohol after complaining the food they were given was not nutritious A standard room in the Swissotel Sydney that retalis for more than $200 a night where travellers are being held for quarantine 'There have been people yelling and banging on the walls. Really we have not been told anything,' Mr Moorse told The Daily Telegraph. Another person in quarantine, Dianne Griffiths, said a traveller who had an anxiety attack in her room wasn't even allowed to open her door. Another man claimed the quarantine was not helping anyone and was harming people at the hotel. 'I'm not sure the government are even aware of the conditions and the fact the hotel and medical group assigned to look after as are clearly unprepared and incapable of fulfilling their duty of care to anywhere near a satisfactory standard,' he wrote. 'We are still not being fed nutritious food. Or have any choice in what food we eat.' 'To make matters worse we have now been BANNED from ordering food from outside the hotel. The medic team has deemed this a health risk. What a joke!' 'Mothers have been separated from their kids with no access to even see each other. One mother has her five kids split into three rooms.' As part of the scheme police and security guards patrol the halls and cleaning staff are required to wear protective gear to clean rooms. Some guests labelled their hotel isolation a knee-jerk reaction to NSW Health's failure to stop passengers on the Ruby Princess cruise ship which was last week allowed to disembark without adequate checks. Pictured is a breakfast served to those under quarantine in hotels after returning to Australia The Crown Promenade in Melbourne is also being used as a makeshift quarantine facility Returning overseas travellers are ushered into the InterContinental Hotel for the beginning of their 14-day imposed quarantine in Sydney More than 170 Ruby Princess passengers now have COVID-19. In a letter to guests on Saturday, Swissotel management promised everyone could access three meals per day, some shopping requests, medical services and rubbish and linen collection. All arrivals must wear masks and gloves when interacting with hotel staff and room doors must be left closed. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Saturday admitted hotel-quarantined arrivals would likely experience a frustrating fortnight but made no apologies for government policy. Swissotel for the next three months has been deemed a 'human health response zone' with heavy restrictions on entry. 'It will not be perfect and foolproof,' Ms Berejiklian told reporters. 'We understand some people have had a very stressful time trying to get back home and we want to consider their position, but we also need to consider the health and safety of eight million residents in NSW and also more broadly, 25million people in Australia.' It is not suggested that any of the travellers shown in photographs in this article have complained about staying in the hotels. Travellers still continue to trickle in through Australia's airports with about 3,000 arriving through Sydney airport on Saturday. Commissioner Fuller said by midday Sunday 30 returned citizens had been isolated at a 'high-level' because they were not feeling well or displaying coronavirus type symptoms. Recently arrived overseas travellers get off their bus and wait to check in at the Crown Promenade Hotel in Melbourne on Sunday A meal including fruit, pasta salad, bread and hot food served to Australians under quarantine in luxury hotels in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane In a late story, it has been revealed that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's chief adviser, Dominic Cummings, is the latest senior government figure to show symptoms of the new coronavirus. Johnson's office says Cummings developed symptoms at the weekend and is self- isolating at home. Boris Johnson's special adviser and former Leave campaigner Dominic Cummings. Credit:AP Johnson announced Friday that he has tested positive for COVID-19 and has mild symptoms. Health Secretary Matt Hancock has also tested positive, while the chief medical officer of England, Chris Whitty, says he is self-isolating after showing symptoms. Senior UK officials have been criticized for continuing to hold face-to-face meetings until recently, even while urging the rest of the country to stay home and avoid all but essential contact with others. Cummings is a controversial figure - a self-styled political disruptor who helped lead Britain's pro-Brexit referendum campaign in 2016. He has been blamed for briefing journalists that the U.K. was seeking "herd immunity" against the coronavirus by letting most of the population get it. The government and its scientific advisers deny that was ever their strategy. AAP Iranians are humans like the rest of us. Easing the sanctions on Iran for 120 days in order to get food and medical aid is the way you turn an enemy into a friend. Iran has been devastated by the fallout of coronavirus infections, which have now surpassed 23,000 with a death toll of over 1,800, Reuters reports, citing a health ministry spokesman. Meanwhile, the United States continues to impose brutal economic sanctions against Iran, which make it harder for 80 million Iranians to combat the coronavirus pandemic. Currently, President Donald Trump is trying to turn Russia and North Korea into friends, but he goes out of his way to treat Iran as a mortal enemy. Iranians are peaceful people and tech-savvy people. They are not anti-American by any proper definition. They just simply oppose our foreign policy. I, for example, love the United States, but I hate our foreign policy. Does that make me anti-American? Not really! If I was, I would not have worn a U.S. military uniform for 20 years and been willing to die for America, if need be. The Iranian people need our solidarity, not sanctions. For the love of God, lift the sanctions on Iran. Mahmoud El-Yousseph, Westerville Mahmoud El-Yousseph is a retired veteran of the U.S. Air Force. Also on Saturday, several Northwest Indiana businesses helped out Franciscan Hospitals with masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE). According to a press release, among those donating was local air compressor manufacturer Sullair, which provided 1,280 N95 masks to Franciscan Health Michigan City earlier this week. Additional donations of have come from Napa Auto Parts, the A.K. Smith Career Center, Blue Chip Casino, the Michiana Humane Society and the LaPorte County Health Department. Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Harsh Vardhan on Sunday announced to contribute 1 crore rupees from his MPLADS budget and his one month salary to PM relief fund 'PMCARES' to combat coronavirus disease in the country. Taking it to Twitter, Harshvardhan said: "I pledge Rs 1 crore from my #MPLADS budget towardsA PM's Citizen Assistance & Relief in Emergency Situations Fund' to strengthen govt's battle against #COVID2019 . I'm also contributing one month's salary towards #PMCARES to help those who need it the most." The total tally of Coronavirus cases in India climbed up to 1,024 on Sunday, said the Health Ministry. Of this 901 are active COVID 19 cases, 95 people have recovered from the disease and 27 have died. One coronavirus patient migrated abroad. (Bloomberg Opinion) -- The coronavirus pandemic is a test. Its a test of medical capacity and political will. Its a test of endurance and forbearance, for believers a test of religious faith. Its a test, too, of a different kind of faith, in the strength of the ideas humans choose to help them form moral judgments and guide personal and social behavior. The epidemic forces everyone to confront deep questions of human existence, questions so profound that they have previously been answered, in many different ways, by the greatest philosophers. Its a test of where all humans stand. What is right and what is wrong? What can individuals expect from society, and what can society expect of them? Should others make sacrifices for me, and vice versa? Is it just to set economic limits to fighting a deadly disease? The lieutenant governor of Texas thinks that those over 70 shouldnt sacrifice the country by shutting down economic activity, but should instead be ready to sacrifice themselves. A 22-year-old partying on Spring break in Florida becomes a social media sensation with a different critique of social distancing, saying, If I get corona, I get corona. Consciously or not, both men are placing themselves in distinct moral traditions. Several philosophies of social justice have claimed wide adherence in the modern world. They do not line up neatly with party political labels, and most people have sympathy for more than one. Here is a guide to some of the leading idea systems undergirding competing conceptions of right and wrong. Each is being put to the test. As you are put to the test, which do you choose? Rawlsians Many westerners are Rawlsians without knowing it. Fifty years ago, the Harvard philosopher John Rawls tried to work out how people would construct their society if the choice had to be made behind what he called a veil of ignorance about whether they will be rich, poor or somewhere in-between. Faced with the risk of being the worst off, Rawls posited, humans would not demand total equality, but would need to be assured of the trappings of a modern welfare state. The assurance of basic necessities and the opportunity to do better would form the foundation for social and political justice and provide the ability for people to assert themselves. Story continues Rawlss monumental 1971 book, A Theory of Justice, is now regarded as the clearest moral and intellectual justification for modern center-left mixed economies. But the idea comes from somewhere deeper. Rawls was not religious, but his philosophy is essentially in line with the golden rule handed down by the Old Testament prophets and by Jesus, that we should do as we would want to be done by. Some religious leaders have approached the awful dilemmas presented by the coronavirus just as Rawls would, by taking treatment of the worst off as the criterion for social action. I hope the lessons we take from our countrys experience with Covid-19 arent about food or avoiding the spread of germs, wrote Russell Moore, the president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention in the New York Times, but about how we treat the most vulnerable among us. A pandemic is no time to turn our eyes away from the sanctity of human life. Pope Francis also invoked sympathy for the most afflicted as he addressed a prayer to an empty St. Peters Square. "We have realized that we are on the same boat, all of us fragile and disoriented, but at the same time important and needed, all of us called to row together, each of us in need of comforting the other," he said. Perhaps because of their religious resonance, Rawlsian ideas have guided the approach to the pandemic chosen by authorities in the western world. Societies are mobilizing, and governments are taking extra powers to mandate claustrophobic lockdowns in a bid to minimize the death and suffering of the weakest. Even those who arent religious tend to accept the logic of the veil of ignorance. If a person is unwilling to be abandoned, governments are not entitled to give up on them; they must do their best to protect everyone, particularly the weakest. Utilitarians Other philosophies produce very different ways of dealing with the epidemic. Under utilitarianism, most associated with the 19th-century British philosopher John Stuart Mill, rulers must be guided to the total happiness, or utility, of all the people, and should aim to secure the greatest good for the greatest number. In Victorian Britain, this was a radical creed, and the first utilitarians were passionate liberal reformers. But the utilitarian calculus opens up a new possibility that in situations such as a pandemic, some people might justly be sacrificed for the greater good. It would benefit society to accept casualties, the argument goes, to minimize disruption. Explicit utilitarian thinking still seems beyond the pale. Last weekend, Britains Sunday Times reported that Dominic Cummings, chief adviser to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, had advocated in private meetings a policy of letting enough people get sick to establish nationwide herd immunity, protect the economy, and if that means some pensioners die, too bad. It caused an outcry and met with an immediate and impassioned denial by Downing Street. Even Cummings, an iconoclast, refused to be attached to such brutally utilitarian ideas. Mill himself would not have advocated putting money ahead of peoples lives, but a utilitarian calculus is not about balancing money and life. If a recession could lead to shorter lives and widespread misery, it is possible that making less of an attempt to save every last life from the pandemic now could lead to greater total happiness. In the U.K., a paper by an academic at the University of Bristol used mathematical techniques developed to measure the cost-efficiency of safety measures in the nuclear power industry to calculate the likely savings of human life by different approaches to the virus, and found that a 12-month lockdown followed by vaccinations would be best. But it cautioned that this would only create a net saving of life if the reduction in gross domestic product could be kept to 6.4% or less. That paper, broadcast on the BBC, provoked a fiery response from economists, and some research suggests counterintuitively that recessions lengthen lives. Most people find the mere attempt at such an exercise callous, but its difficult to dismiss it. Governments and insurers do indeed put a notional price on a human life when setting policy. Must every last patient be given the utmost care if this plan of action causes greater suffering in the long run? Or, as President Donald Trump put it: We cant have the cure be worse than the problem. Its intuitive to view moral problems through a utilitarian lens and then to find outcomes like this distasteful, and to reject them because they conflict with the golden rule. If the lockdowns drag on for months, utilitarian ideas may bubble back to the surface. Libertarians The libertarian place in American thought is long and distinguished. Its lineage goes back at least to the Enlightenment philosopher John Locke and the founding fathers, and in its modern incarnation gains inspiration from the author Ayn Rand, who outlined her ideas in novels and essays. For her, man had a right to live for himself and an individuals happiness cannot be prescribed by another man or any number of other men. The most famous libertarian thought experiment was conducted by another Harvard philosopher, Robert Nozick, in a riposte to Rawls. He imagined what kind of political state would be built, and how much personal liberty citizens would surrender, if everyone were dropped into a utopian landscape with no social structures. The novelist William Golding gave one answer in The Lord of the Flies. To avoid the descent into violence that the schoolboys of Goldings novel endure, Nozick, in Anarchy, State and Utopia, reckoned that people would set up a very limited state dedicated to self-defense and the protection of individual rights but nothing more. The western coronavirus response has hugely expanded state powers and limited individual rights with little debate, and to date populations have consented to privations that Rand and Nozick argued they should never accept. But wait. There have been objections to lockdowns on the libertarian basis that they infringe on rights. Critiques are appearing saying that politicians havent proven that such drastic measures are necessary. Before the coronavirus, the U.S. suffered a measles epidemic as the result of anti-vaccination activism, a libertarian cause that put parents right to choose not to vaccinate their children above the states attempt to defend other parents right to expect that their own children wouldnt have to mix with unvaccinated peers. Panic buying, and hoarding of medical equipment also show that many people are following Rands idea of self-determination and putting themselves first. Such ideas may grow more appealing after a few more weeks of self-isolation. In public spaces around the world, libertarians are in conflict with the state. Social media is full of images of big social gatherings, often in luxurious social settings. If I get corona, I get corona, as the 22-year-old said on video in Florida. At the end of the day, Im not gonna let it stop me from partying. Oklahomas governor even felt the need to tweet that he was at a packed restaurant. Libertarians are not only found on the political right. As the crisis began to unfold, the American Civil Liberties Union made a statement accepting that civil liberties must sometimes give way when it comes to fighting a communicable disease but only in ways that are scientifically justified. It said, The evidence is clear that travel bans and quarantines are not the solution.The right to walk in a park looks like a flash point. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo was furious to see crowds expressing libertarian sympathies whether they saw it that way or not by gathering in parks. Its arrogant, Cuomo said. Its self-destructive. Its disrespectful to other people. And it has to stop and it has to stop now!New Yorkers are organizing to keep the parks open. In these conditions, individual choices become freighted with moral significance. How, for example, will society eventually judge behavior like that of Kentucky Senator Rand Paul? Arguably the most prominent libertarian in the U.S., he continued to socialize as normal for a week after being told that he had had contact with someone who tested positive for the coronavirus. He had no symptoms. Recall that there are many elderly members of the Senate. Last weekend, after a workout in the Senate gym, he discovered that he had himself tested positive. Communitarians Yet another approach is based on the notion that everyone derives their identify from the broader community. Individual rights count, but not more than community norms. These notions go back to the Greeks, but in modern times, the philosophy is most widely connected to the sociologist Amitai Etzioni and philosopher Michael Sandel. Sandels Liberalism and the Limits of Justice is another riposte to Rawls, arguing that justice cannot be determined in a vacuum or behind a veil of ignorance, but must be rooted in society. He sets out a theory of justice based on the common good. Speaking last week to Thomas Friedman of the New York Times, Sandel said: The common good is about how we live together in community. Its about the ethical ideals we strive for together, the benefits and burdens we share, the sacrifices we make for one another. Its about the lessons we learn from one another about how to live a good and decent life. The virus has attacked in exactly this place, depriving everyone of life in a community. And communitarian ideas are showing themselves. Across Europe, people on lockdown have arranged to go to their windows and balconies to applaud their national health services. These are seen as bedrocks of society. At Londons Olympic opening ceremony in 2012, a pageant of Britishness, the organizers celebrated the National Health Service with dancing nurses wheeling hospital beds. For many countries with a modern welfare state, celebrating and supporting the workers of their public-health service is seen as a communitarian duty. This is a critical point of difference with the U.S., where the expansion of medical care is a hugely contentious issue. Communitarians like Professor Michael Walzer of the Institute for Advanced Study argue that any system of medical provision requires the constraint of the guild of physicians. The coronavirus promises to bring this debate to a head. Communitarianism also underlies much social conservative thought. When the very conservative Republican Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick said on Fox News that the rest of the country should not sacrifice itself for the elderly, he was making a communitarian argument, not a utilitarian one. No one reached out to me and said, As a senior citizen, are you willing to take a chance on your survival in exchange for keeping the America that all America loves for your children and grandchildren? Patrick, who is 63, told the host Tucker Carlson. And if thats the exchange, Im all in. In this telling, it is the patriotic duty of the elderly not to force privations on their country, and make life worse for their grandchildren. Such a communitarian ethic has always resonated within the U.S. (just read Alexis de Tocqueville), and it provoked an outcry on social media. China practiced another kind of communitarianism after the coronavirus first appeared in Wuhan in January. The people of that city were told to lock themselves in, and often forcibly quarantined, for the good of the community and the state, largely identified with the Communist Party. Under Xi Jinping, the Party has rehabilitated the Confucian thought that long justified obedience to a hierarchical and authoritarian but benevolent state. That the notion of social solidarity remains strong showed in the spectacular discipline with which China and other Asian nations dealt with the problem. We Are All Rawlsians Now For now, the approach being adopted across the West is Rawlsian. Politicians are working on the assumption that they have a duty to protect everyone as they themselves would wish to be protected, while people are also applying the golden rule as they decide that they should self-isolate for the sake of others. We are all Rawlsians now. How long will we stay that way? All the other theories of justice have an appeal, and may test the resolve to follow the golden rule. But I suspect that Rawls and the golden rule will win out. That is partly because religion even if it is in decline in the West has hard-wired it into our consciousness. And as the epidemic grows worse and brings the disease within fewer degrees of separation for everyone, we may well find that the notion of loving thy neighbor as thyself becomes far more potent. (Corrects academic affiliation of Professor Michael Walzer in 31st paragraph.) This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners. John Authers is a senior editor for markets. Before Bloomberg, he spent 29 years with the Financial Times, where he was head of the Lex Column and chief markets commentator. He is the author of The Fearful Rise of Markets and other books. For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Over 10 domestic manufacturers in India have been asked to produce Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), designed to safeguard the health of medical professionals treating coronavirus patients, the Health Ministry said on Sunday. Components of PPE are goggles, face-shield, mask, gloves, coverall/gowns (with or without aprons), head cover and shoe cover. Joint Secretary of the Health Ministry Lav Agarwal said officials of the Ministry of Textiles held a series of meetings with the technical experts and the manufacturers in India. "WHO guidelines were understood and taking into account details of this virus, the PPE guidelines were suitably amended. Over 10 domestic manufacturers in India were identified for the purpose. They have started production also," he told reporters. Apart from this, the government has decided to import the Personal Protective Equipment from other countries. "In collaboration with the External Affairs Ministry, we are starting the process of importing PPE from other countries," Agarwal added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Amid the rising coronavirus cases in the country, India Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Saturday (March 28) reiterated that there is no community transmission of COVID-19 in India so far but the ICMR said that around 10 per cent of those who have been tested positive so far due to severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) have been found positive for the deadly virus. Talking to ANI, ICMR scientist R Gangakhedkar said that out of 110 people, who were tested due to SARI hospitalisation, about 11 have tested positive for coornavirus. "Also, three of these patients, who belong from Chennai, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra do not have any travel history nor any contact with an infected patient. These few cropped up cases are not the base of solid evidence for community transmission. So, it has not started in India and there is nothing to panic. People should maintain social distancing to avoid any crisis," Gangakhedkar added. "We have strengthened our capacity of testing and tracing of cases across India. So far more than 150 (government and private laboratories) are doing diagnostic tests for covid19," he added. The ICMR scientist also said that in the absence of proper guidelines, if self-testing kits are made available in public, then it could lead to chaos and leave people confused. "It is because the behaviour of the people cannot be anticipated and they can avoid contacting the authorities," he said. In India, the number of coronavirus crossed 900-mark on Sunday and at least 19 people have lost their lives due to the deadly virus. Globally, the total number of positive cases reached 640,589 and 29,848 people died according to figures by Johns Hopkins University at 11:45 pm IST on Saturday. The last 24 hours have been a major spurt in the number of positive cases and deaths. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced the Prime Ministers Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund), a public charitable trust. The fund has been set up so that the people who want to contribute can do so by following a few simple steps which will help the government tide over the major COVID-19 hurdle. Migrant workers line up outside the Anand Vihar bus terminal in New Delhi to leave for their villages in the wake of the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown announced by prime minister Narendra Modi. On March 28, tens of thousands of migrant workers fought and shoved their way onto buses organised by Uttar Pradesh to go to their home towns. (AFP) As the nation grapples with the terrible problem of migrant workers walking from Delhi to villages in UP or Bihar, not to mention workers from Telangana packed like sardines in container trucks, one harks back to the extraordinary measures taken by Odisha, one of the poorest states in the country, during the humanitarian crisis triggered by cyclone Fani in May 2019. It was a textbook case of how the might of the state can be used to mitigate the suffering of common people: The state government built storm shelters, sent over 2 million text messages, used over 40,000 voluntary workers, public address systems, the police, public transport to warn people to move quickly to the shelters as a cyclone with windspeeds of 175-185 kmph was going to hit the coast. And it worked! The evacuation was meticulously planned and the government, which had learnt hard lessons from past tragedies, moved a million people to safety with great speed. Contrast that with what the central government has done: the coronavirus lockdown was announced -- rather dramatically, without taking stock of the scale of human suffering it would cause to the poor and marginalised -- to begin at the stroke of midnight on March 23. How could a small and poor state manage to evacuate a million to safety with less than 20 deaths whereas the prime minister of the nation with all the resources of the country available to him has not been able to evacuate a similar number of migrant workers to safety before the lockdown was announced? What is the lesson there? Does he care? As India watches thousands of migrants walking back home without food, water and money, the only conclusion anyone can come to is that the prime minister cares little about the people he governs. What prevented him from calling in the army and ordering the use of their transport to take the migrants back home? Even the 'corona package' of Rs 1.7 lakh crore was announced after the lockdown and not before. He also found time to call a video-conference meeting of SAARC nations to fight the virus and even announced a corpus fund to this end. It is only now, after the migrant labour crisis, that the Union home secretary has written to all the states and union territories to take immediate steps to provide adequate support, including food and shelter, to migrant agricultural labour, industrial and other unorganised sector workers during the 21-day national lockdown. One may say better late than never, but the damage has already been done. The strategy of isolation and social distancing to contain the coronavirus outbreak has been completely knocked off course. Perhaps the prime minister should have consulted the able chief minister of Odisha, who came in for praise from the UN for his governments efforts to prevent loss of lives and prevent human suffering. The Odisha government had drafted lists of vulnerable people, employed hundreds of power boats, and truckloads of food and bottled water was delivered to the shelters. That is how a caring government responds to an emergency. The central government does not have to look abroad for an example to follow, it exists right here within our shores. The writer is a former Business Editor of Deccan Chronicle. A U.S. naval base outside Tokyo has been locked down through the weekend after an aircraft carrier using the base as its home port reported coronavirus infection cases on board, Fox News said Friday, citing U.S. officials. Two sailors aboard the carrier Ronald Reagan have tested positive. Everyone on the Yokosuka naval base in Kanagawa Prefecture has been told to stay indoors for the next 48 hours. Ronald Reagan is the only American aircraft carrier to be homeported abroad. The U.S. Navy has also confirmed positive cases of the COVID-19 disease on aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, which was sailing in the Indo-Pacific region. The carrier has arrived in Guam, according to a statement released by the Navy on Thursday. Fox News said the number of infection cases aboard Theodore Roosevelt has surged to more than 30, compared with only three known cases three days ago, and that U.S. officials are expecting the number to rise in the coming days. Image: Pixabay Tanvi Kulkarni While the entire nation is facing a complete lockdown amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, it is challenging for runners to be confined to their homes. Runners feel antsy when they are unable to achieve their weekly targets, but humans are creative and always come up with an alternative solution. In this case, these are home workouts. Restaurants, malls, gyms and offices are all shut and the roads are completely deserted. After the prime minister announced a nationwide lockdown on March 24, the atmosphere was filled with anxiety. Few had foreseen this kind of a situation and there is no question of people being prepared for this. In India summers have almost started and majority of the runners are either running short distances or strengthening for next season. This is an unofficial off season for running and is merely limited to socializing and meeting fellow runners says Deepak Oberoi, co-founder of Bombay Running, a group of runners. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show One common question which everyone had in their mind was this: what are they going to do for the next 21 days? Mumbai, a city which never sleeps, now had 21 days to sleep. As we enter into complete lockdown for the next three weeks, we have come up with innovate 21-day body transformation challenge, he said. Bombay Running has a strong connection with fitness enthusiasts. Once the 21-day lockdown was announced, nearly 700 people wanted to know what they had in store the next morning. Even I was looking forward to it since day 1 as this was the only certainty during self-isolation. We decided to go live every day for 90 minutes in the morning at 7.30 am through our Instagram handle. On the first day there were close to 100-120 fitness enthusiasts doing it along with us virtually from their own homes. My plan is to have interactive live sessions for 21 days and reach out to maximum people. So when I say interactive, I start my session with a short introduction about the workout and I have also given them a tool to keep themselves occupied though out the day. The tool is basically maintaining a small journal for the next three weeks, Oberoi said. In this digital age, people have lost connect with pen and paper. So this is a good opportunity for everyone to maintain a hard copy of their daily workout. They can plan and follow their schedule, note down how they feel about their moods and energies, what they like and dislike. By doing this they can make a conscious effort towards their goals and this way the 21-day challenge is not just limited to the morning 90 minutes. Pen and paper gets everyone nostalgic and writing down things makes them aware of what they are doing. In this conscious effort they realize what keeps them going and that is when they come back the next day for more intense sessions. In every session I target particular muscle groups and even explain how to overcome soreness, so there is a lesson to be learned after every workout. I have not planned a workout for all 21 days as I plan to go with the flow but theres something new to be learnt for all age groups, Oberoi added. The isolation and quarantine life is not just limited to Mumbai. There are runners from Bangalore and Delhi who are locked up in their homes but yet not compromising on their fitness and nailing it every single day. Karandeep Singh, 45 from Delhi who is the head Director of IT for PepsiCo has been running since the past six years. He has been working from home as advised by the government of India and his own organization. I have to work 24x7 in different time zones as IT/technology plays a strong part in supporting users to work from home, he said. So, how does he keep himself active throughout the day as running is out of the question? My wife and I make it a point to complete 10,000 steps throughout the day and ensure that we walk for minimum 10 minutes after every hour. We have also been motivating other runners to take up this 10 km walk challenge through social media. Social media is playing a major role during the lockdown and we have virtual fitness classes where the instructors are putting up videos about home workouts which we follow religiously. Being a runner I cannot be away from running, so I run on my home terrace and I advise my fellow runners to either run on terrace or inside their homes. We have created virtual runs for our running groups to follow, but strictly from home and it could be anywhere between 2-10 km. I am doing 2-5 km daily run on terrace. He also advises to meditate for 10 minutes each day, help your family members with the daily chores and stay away from the news right now as much as possible. Chandrasmita Hazarika (26) from Bengaluru, Karnataka is an analytics consultant and is an active runner for the past two years. She has rarely missed a training run and is always surrounded by running buddies. Now, the inability to step out has been bothering her. Being in lockdown constantly draws us to social media and seeing all alternate home workouts and cardio sessions had not been giving me a good time. I do not have access to any gym equipment, no stairs at home and not even a jump rope. The best I can do now is body weight workouts, jumping jacks or burpees in the name of cardio, which is very demotivating for a regular gym goer like me. What is keeping me intact is the fact that I am not alone, there are runners who are crazier (in good sense) than me and they are handling themselves pretty well, she said. She believes patience is a crucial characteristic to be a long distance runner and this is the test of this patience. Like several others, Hazarika stays by herself away from her family which further increases the challenges. The other day I found two bricks and that opened up a whole world of workouts I can do with them. We got to cherish these little things in such tough times, think logically how to sustain long with the limited food resources. Cherish the moments you are getting to spend with family and to all those who are alone in lock-down like me, you are not the only one, she added. Igor Pinto (40) a marketing consultant at KPMG in Mumbai, Maharashtra has been hitting up the streets of Mumbai for the past eight years. He considers himself lucky that he is getting time to spend with his family members and at the same time following live workouts with Bombay Running. I mix whole lot of workouts including jump rope, staircase climbing and weight training with the available dumbbells at home. I keep myself busy by indulging in a hobby, cooking and doing the household chores. I also make it a point to involve my kids in some physical activity every day to channelize their energies as kids have very limited options right now at home, Pinto said. Personally, I advise everyone to follow home workouts but at the same time know your body and do not overdo anything after watching it on social media. This is a tough time for everyone and only solidarity will help overcome this situation. (Tanvi Kulkarni is a sales professional working with an insurance company and part of Bombay Running crew) Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston were photographed together at the SAG Awards and since then the rumors of their reunion are going strong. Recently, a tabloid suggested that Pitt and Aniston are expecting twins via surrogacy. However, this was a false claim. The tabloid asserted that Michelle Ross, the surrogate parent who carried Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker's twin girls over a decade ago, is doing the same job for Pitt and Aniston. The publication noted that Hollywood is alive with speculation though not one other outlet has picked up the story including other unreliable supermarket tabloids. The tabloid claimed that the former spouses back together again. Aniston posted a photo of herself on Instagram lying down in the back of her car before the SAG Awards to avoid creasing her dress. They wrote, "Those close to her suspect the innocent snap had hidden meaning - confirming rumors she's pregnant with twins!" It is not clear how the actress' picture connotes a pregnancy in any way. The outlet maintained that Aniston was "sporting a baby bump" at the SAG Awards which seemingly confirmed rumors that she had her eggs frozen in the early 2000s. Gossip Cop debunked the rumors, indicating that they are not in a relationship yet. A source asserted that "they are friends and happy for each other... She is happy to have Brad back in her life as a friend, but that's it." Also Read: Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie Feud Continues Following SAG Reunion with Ex-Wife Jennifer Aniston Since reports of Brad Pitt attending the "Friends" star's Christmas party have surfaced online, gossip mongers are crossing their fingers that they have revived their romance. Then came their reuniting moment when they bumped into each other on the red carpet of the SAG Awards which was eye candy to many fans. The ludicrous claim is based on the theory that the pair have been spending "lots of time together" during this year's awards season. Aniston also casually mentioned that she could picture kids in her future in an interview with fellow actress Sandra Bullock for "Interview Magazine" in February. "It's believed Jen's talk-show host pal Jimmy Fallon could have influenced her decision to consider using a gestational carrier," the article noted, providing separate photos of both Aniston and Parker posing with talk show host Jimmy Kimmel (not Fallon) as mere evidence. The tabloid seemingly did not double-check to make sure they had the right Jimmy. News about Pitt and Aniston planning a secret wedding bash were advised to be taken with a grain of salt. The pair's representatives have shrugged off rumors of them getting back together. Much of the article on the expected twins through surrogacy focused mainly on Ross' 2009 surrogacy for Broderick and Parker instead of Pitt and Aniston. The brief interaction during the awards night has led to an enormous amount of gossip and speculation about a supposed reignited relationship between the two actors. Related Article: Jennifer Aniston Net Worth 2020: 'Friends' Star Turned $100 to $200 Million @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. NEW YORK, March 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Paysign, Inc. (Paysign or the Company) (PAYS) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in United States District Court for the District of Nevada, and indexed under 20-cv-00585, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities other than Defendants who purchased or otherwise acquired Paysign securities between March 12, 2019, and March 15, 2020, both dates inclusive (the Class Period), seeking to recover damages caused by Defendants violations of the federal securities laws and to pursue remedies under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the Exchange Act) and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, against the Company and certain of its top officials. If you are a shareholder who purchased Paysign securities during the class period, you have until May 18, 2020, to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com . To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at rswilloughby@pomlaw.com or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased. [Click here for information about joining the class action] Paysign provides prepaid card programs and processing services under the PaySign brand to corporations, government agencies, universities, and other organizations. The Company changed its name from 3PEA International Inc. to Paysign, Inc. on April 23, 2019. The complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about Tupperwares business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (i) Paysigns internal control over financial reporting was not effective; (ii) Paysigns information technology (IT) general controls were not effective; and (iii) as a result, the Companys public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. Story continues On March 16, 2020, during pre-market hours, Paysign announced that it would be unable to file its annual financial report with the SEC in a timely fashion because of an ongoing audit, advising investors that management identified material weaknesses related to (i) assessment of internal controls over financial reporting and (ii) [IT] general controls. On this news, Paysigns stock price fell $0.93 per share, or 16.85%, to close at $4.59 per share on March 16, 2020. The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com CONTACT: Robert S. Willoughby Pomerantz LLP rswilloughby@pomlaw.com Drug major Sun Pharmaceutical on Sunday said the US health regulator has classified its Halol facility in Gujarat as Official Action Indicated (OAI). The United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) had inspected the facility from December 03-13, 2019 and had issued eight observations, the company had earlier said in a regulatory filing in December. "The company has received a communication from the USFDA indicating that the Halol facility has been classified as OAI," Sun Pharma said in a BSE filing. The OAI classification implies inter-alia that the USFDA may withhold approval of any pending product applications or supplements filed from this facility till the outstanding observations are resolved, it added. Sun Pharma continues to manufacture and distribute existing products for the US market, thereby not likely to have any adverse impact on current business from the facility, the drug major said. "Sun Pharma continues to cooperate with the USFDA and will undertake all necessary steps to resolve these issues and to ensure that the regulator is completely satisfied with the company's remedial action," it added. The company remains committed to being cGMP compliant and in supplying high-quality products to its customers and patients globally, Sun Pharma said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Photo: The Canadian Press The B.C. government announced more funding on Sunday to help food banks across the province. A $3-million emergency grant from the Community Gaming Grants program is being distributed to Food Banks British Columbia. Food Banks British Columbia will distribute the money among food banks province-wide to support their immediate needs to buy and distribute food, pay employees and cover other costs essential to the delivery of their food programs, said a news release. Food Banks BC was selected to distribute the funding because of its expertise in management of food distribution. Food Banks BC will assess the needs and requirements of food banks to determine the amount and timing of the distribution. Funds will be distributed quickly and equitably to food banks across all regions of the province. "Using funds from the gaming grants program is an example of how government and non-profit partners are working together to respond to the evolving nature of the pandemic, easing the burden on B.C.'s food banks and helping people who are feeling the strain of the COVID-19 crisis," said Mable Elmore, Parliamentary Secretary for Poverty Reduction. The $3-million grant uses funding that remained in the Community Gaming Grant's 2019-20 budget of $140 million after all 2019 community gaming grants had been awarded to or approved for eligible organizations. "This grant will make a tremendous impact in communities all over B.C. and ensure that food banks can keep their doors open and continue to meet the needs of the vulnerable, who particularly need their assistance at this time," said Laura Lansink, executive director, Food Banks BC. "We sincerely thank the Province for this encouraging and vital assistance to Food Banks BC. For more information on the food banks in your area, check out their websites: Central Okanagan Food Bank, Penticton Salvation Army or Kamloops Food Bank. Railway Protection Force personnel on Sunday distributed food to needy in Patna amid lockdown due to COVID-19. Senior Commandant, RPF SKS Rathore, said, "Food is being prepared at IRCTC kitchens and our personnel are distributing it to poor." "We are following social distancing norms and also guiding them to do the same," he said. Bihar Health Department on Sunday said that the total number of positive coronavirus cases reached 11 in the state. "Number of COVID-19 positive cases in Bihar rises to 11. A total of 5 new cases were reported from Patna and 1 each in Nalanda, Siwan and Lakhisarai", Bihar Health Department said. The total confirmed coronavirus cases in India rose to 979, including 48 foreigners, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Sunday. The number of deaths due to the infection rose to 25. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dozens of nursing home residents have tested positive for coronavirus, as the sector worries about "grave consequences" that staff shortages and limited supply of protective equipment will have on elderly people. Health watchdog Hiqa has been told of staffing challenges at one nursing home, where staff presented for work with Covid-19 symptoms because nobody else was available to provide care. In a complaint to Hiqa, a healthcare worker at the home claimed there were also limited supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE), such as face masks, goggles and gowns, for staff to use. Sage Advocacy, a group supporting vulnerable adults, warned "the consequences of understaffed nursing homes facing outbreaks of Covid-19 are grave". More than 32 nursing home residents across the country have tested positive for coronavirus, with the outbreaks largely confined to clusters. Hiqa confirmed it wrote to care centres last week requesting they review Covid-19 contingencies. "Providers were asked, for example, to consider staffing, governance and management arrangements, and infection prevention and control procedures. Providers must also ensure that all centres have adequate supplies of anti-bacterial products and personal protective equipment," a spokeswoman said. Demand for front-line workers to address the Covid-19 emergency has seen staff diverted from the nursing home sector. "There is an urgent need to look at the levels of nursing staff with relevant skills to help nursing homes meet the challenges of this public health emergency," Sage Advocacy executive director Mervyn Taylor told the Sunday Independent. "The consequences of understaffed nursing homes facing outbreaks of Covid-19 are grave. "We are also seeing shortfalls in home care arising from increased hospital discharges to the community and the closure of day centres, reports of home support services being withdrawn in worrying situations, as well as home supports being refused by older people for fear of becoming infected with Covid-19." The incentive for some people to work in the sector has diminished as an unintended consequence of the pay and social welfare measures introduced by the Government to address Covid-19. Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI) chief executive Tadhg Daly conceded the sector is struggling to address "staff challenges". He will meet with Health Minister Simon Harris tomorrow to seek millions of euro in funding to respond to the crisis. He will also appeal that homes be given access to a national pool of healthcare staff. NHI wants to see an embargo put in place to prevent nursing home staff being recruited to other parts of the health system during the emergency. Mr Daly said PPE is an issue, but where possible nursing homes are working to ensure they have a three-day emergency supply at all times. "We are struggling. The sector and staff are going above and beyond. There are staff challenges there, not staff shortages, and they need to be addressed as part of the national response," he added. Speaking about the public nursing homes sector consultant geriatrician Professor Des O'Neill said pressures that existed in the sector for the past 10 years would be exacerbated now, adding: "The chickens are coming home to roost here. "I think there will be particular challenges in those nursing homes where there are still shared rooms." A HSE spokeswoman said the health service is "providing clinical guidance, PPE supports and other additional measures that may be required as necessary in the event of significant or large outbreaks of Covid-19 in individual nursing homes". WEST FRANKFORT Centerstone, a national leader in behavioral health care, has instructed most of its staff of thousands of therapists, counselors and other professionals to provide services to clients and communities through virtual care the use of video and telephone during this coronavirus pandemic. We are going to use all of the technology at our disposal including telehealth, video and telephone services to ensure that everyone we serve gets the best access to the best care, said David Guth, Centerstone chief executive officer. Centerstones mission is delivering care that changes peoples lives, and we take that very seriously. Current and new clients in Illinois are encouraged to call 1-855-608-3560 to schedule an appointment. At that time, they can request an in-person session or one delivered via telephone or video. In recent days, we have added resources so that we can provide care in the safest and most successful way possible, Guth said. We will provide most outpatient services virtually through telephone and tele-video whenever possible for our clients benefit and in consideration of their health and safety. While most Centerstone residential, inpatient and outpatient facilities remain fully operational and open, Centerstones Crisis Stabilization Unit, 403 Municipal Drive in Carterville, has suspended services until further notice and Centerstones Marion location, 1307 W. Main, will not admit clients in person; instead, the Marion staff will be treating clients virtually. We are very concerned for the safety of our clients and our staff, so we have limited clinic hours at many of our outpatient facilities, said John Markley, Centerstone Regional chief executive officer. At Centerstone outpatient facilities, the following precautions have been implemented: Screening clients, staff and vendors by asking questions about health and recent travel Conducting the same screenings during client phone intake interviews Increasing the frequency of facility sanitization and posting additional information about handwashing and virus symptoms Increasing the amount of hand sanitizer and cleaning supplies available in-house and encouraging increased hygiene protocols, including handwashing Prohibiting all visitors until further notice We know that the work that we do provides life-changing and life-saving care to people who are in crisis, Guth said. During this challenging time and for all of the days ahead, Centerstone is here to help. Illinois Centerstone locations: Outpatient services: 2615 W. Edwards St., Alton 2311 S. Illinois Ave., Carbondale 403 Municipal Drive, Carterville 202 S. Bentley, Marion 1307 W. Main St., Marion (clients only seen via telehealth/telephone) 902 W. Main St., West Frankfort Administration: 200 North Emerald Lane, Carbondale Fellowship House Campus: 800 N. Main, Anna Medication Assisted Treatment: 2615 W. Edwards, Alton 202 South Bentley, Marion Crisis Stabilization Unit: 403 Municipal Drive, Carterville (operations suspended until further notice) The Indian high commission on Sunday refuted claims in several social media groups that Air India will evacuate stranded Indians in the UK in early April, reiterating that the travel ban imposed by New Delhi will last at least until April 14. Many Indians on business and other categories of UK visa are unable to return home. The Boris Johnson government has extended until May 31 the visa period of Indians whose visa has expired or is due to expire due to the situation created by the coronavirus pandemic. Click here for the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic The mission tweeted: High Commission notes with dismay that some rumours are being spread even in such trying times. We request all not to pay attention to rumours. Stay connected with us for updates. The mission and officials received a large number of calls on its emergency number and personal numbers in recent days about the purported evacuation. Officials insisted that there is no such plan, and urged journalists and others to dispel such rumours. Click here for a complete coverage of the coronavirus pandemic Some of those stranded pointed out that New Delhi had evacuated Indians from Rome and other places, and appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to arrange similar flights from the UK. They would rather be in India and face the virus situation than in the UK, they said. The mission referred inquiring Indians to a list of frequently asked questions it uploaded on March 27, asking those affected to remain in touch for updates. It has also provided assistance to those needing accommodation and food. These are trying times. The world is in uncharted waters. We can come out of this challenge only if we act responsibly and help each otherIndians citizens in the UK should adhere to the advice of the NHS and Public Health England for their safety and well-being, the mission said. Besides the mission, diaspora and student groups such as the National Indian Students and Alumni Union UK and the Indian National Students Association have been providing assistance to the stranded Indians. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Prasun Sonwalkar Prasun Sonwalkar was Editor (UK & Europe), Hindustan Times. During more than three decades, he held senior positions on the Desk, besides reporting from Indias north-east and other states, including a decade covering politics from New Delhi. He has been reporting from UK and Europe since 1999. ...view detail National Conference president and Lok Sabha member Farooq Abdullah Sunday released an amount of Rs 1.5 crore from his MPLADS fund to three hospitals here to combat the spread of coronavirus in Kashmir. "Continuing our commitment to fight COVID-19, the party president and MP Srinagar today released an additional amount of Rs 1.5 crore to Srinagar based hospitals," a NC spokesperson said. The amount is to be equally distributed among SMHS Hospital, CD Hospital and G B Pant Hospital in the city. Abdullah, who represents the Srinagar parliamentary constituency in the Lok Sabha, on March 21 released Rs 1 crore from his MPLADS funds for the cause. The Srinagar parliamentary seat is spread over Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal districts. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A round half of coronavirus patients in intensive care are dying, a report has found. The Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre (ICNARC) analysed the outcomes for 165 people confirmed to have the virus treated across 285 critical care units in England, Wales and Northern Ireland since February 29. The data, from an audit of 775 people who have been or are in critical care for Covid-19, found 79 died, while 86 survived. The remaining 610 are still in intensive care. It comes as the Government drafts in the military to build NHS Nightingale, a 4,000-capacity field hospital at the ExCel Centre in Londons Docklands, due to open next week. Three others are also planned in Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff and Scotland. Coronavirus in numbers: UK deaths pass 1,000 Health officials are scrambling to increase critical care beds, with an NHS England boss warning in a conference call on Tuesday that London would run out in four days without urgent measures. London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, the worst affected in the country, has seen 21 fatalities since Friday among patients diagnosed with coronavirus. One doctor told The Observer: The truth is that quite a lot of these individuals [in critical care] are going to die anyway and there is a fear that we are just ventilating them for the sake of it, for the sake of doing something for them, even though it wont be effective. Thats a worry." NHS Nightingale Hospital - In pictures 1 /33 NHS Nightingale Hospital - In pictures Work being carried out at the ExCel Centre, where the new temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital PA General view of the new NHS Nightingale Hospital via Reuters Work being carried out at the ExCel Centre, where the new temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital PA Work being carried out at the ExCel Centre, where the new temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital will be PA Medical equipment is labelled and prepared for use by NHS staff at the ExCel centre PA Work being carried out at the ExCel Centre, where the new temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital PA Work being carried out at the ExCel Centre, where the new temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital PA Medical equipment is labelled and prepared for use by NHS staff at the ExCel centre in London PA Natalie Forrest, Chief Operating Officer of the Nightingale Hospital at the ExCel centre PA Work being carried out at the ExCel Centre, where the new temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital PA Work being carried out at the ExCel Centre, where the new temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital PA Work being carried out at the ExCel Centre, where the new temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital will be PA Work being carried out at the ExCel Centre, where the new temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital will be PA Work being carried out at the ExCel Centre, where the new temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital will be PA Work being carried out at the ExCel Centre, where the new temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital will be PA Work being carried out at the ExCel Centre, where the new temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital will be PA Work being carried out at the ExCel Centre, where the new temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital will be PA The new NHS Nightgale Hospital at London's ExCel Centre PA AP The new NHS Nightgale Hospital at London's ExCel Centre PA The new NHS Nightgale Hospital at London's ExCel Centre PA The new NHS Nightgale Hospital at London's ExCel Centre PA Work being carried out at the new NHS Nightgale Hospital at London's ExCel Centre PA Work being carried out at the new NHS Nightgale Hospital at London's ExCel Centre PA Worker at the new NHS Nightgale Hospital at London's ExCel Centre PA The report also found that nine of the 79 who died in critical care this month were between 16 and 49, with this age group accounting for 28 of the 86 who survived. While most were aged over 70, it brings into question earlier claims that the young were much less likely to become infected. The analysis also put men most at risk - seven in ten critical care patients were male - and over 70 per cent were overweight, obese or clinically obese. Meanwhile there are growing calls for the Government to extend its roll out of tests for frontline NHS workers to those without symptoms. The Balrampur district administration has started quarantining more than 6,600 people who have arrived from abroad and other states here amid the nationwide lockdown, an official said on Sunday. District Magistrate Karuna Karunesh said, "To stop the spread of coronavirus, as many as 6,137 people coming from other states have been identified and sent to quarantine centres. Apart from this, 513 people who arrived from foreign countries including 125 people who arrived from Saudi Arabia and 99 from Oman have been quarantined." Symptoms of coronavirus have not been detected in any of them, he added. The DM appealed to the people to stay indoors and not venture out of their homes. People have been told to adhere to social distancing, he said, adding that two control rooms have been set up in the district in light of the virus outbreak. The beleaguered restaurant industry has requested landlords in the food and beverage (F&B) sector for their help and support including a complete waiver of rentals and common area maintenance for three months up to June 2020 or till such time that the business lockdown on account of COVID-19 outbreak continues. "Due to the outbreak of COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdown announced by the govt, our industry is going through an unprecedented crisis that threatens our very existence. We are fighting a very grim battle for our survival and we seek your immediate support," the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) said in an open letter to the landlords in F&B business. As long standing business partners, the restaurant industry seeks your urgent help and support in these troubled times, it added. "While this shutdown may continue for a month or two, we will take many more months post that to get back on our feet and we will not be able to sail through this period smoothly without your support," the letter said. The restaurant industry truly appreciates the fact that some of the landlords have already offered suo-moto interim support. It sincerely requests all others to join in as well in this time of need, it added. NRAI proposed interim measures to the landlords such as "a complete waiver of rentals and CAM for a period starting 15th March-2020 up to June-2020 or till such time that the business lockdown continues, whichever is later". It requested them to waive off minimum guaranteed rents for a period of six months post resumption so that businesses can eke a survival to fight another day. "We instead propose working on a pure revenue share model for a period of six months post resumption. We further propose revenue share equivalent to 50 per cent of the agreed terms with possibly a maximum cap at 10 per cent. We also request rationalising CAM during this period and levy charges at 50 per cent of the agreed rate," the letter said. The restaurant industry is seeking these reliefs just for ensuring that businesses don't die an instant death, leaving behind a trail of unfulfilled dreams, millions of lost jobs and massive unwanted litigation, it added. "..., we assure you that we are willing to walk together with you through these unprecedented challenging times with all resources at our command and we request a similar support from you," the letter said. As an industry, "our business model is such that the proportion of fixed operating expenses is very high, which is very high-risk model. Now, with the prospect of zero revenues staring at us for a substantial period of time, our fight is now a battle to retain our mere existence as commercial entities that provides jobs to millions", NRAI said in the statement. While thanking the government and RBI for their recent measures aimed at mitigating some of the woes of the industry, NRAI again requested the government to restore input tax credit on GST as it will also help significantly in bringing down the fixed operating costs. "The recent measures partially resolve our immediate concern of keeping the kitchen fires in the homes of our employees burning, which looked very difficult earlier with our negligible to limited cash reserves. Moratorium on EMI will also help millions of employees in the sector, who all have availed some loan or the other and have an EMI to honour every month. "These are very brave and laudable measures in the immediate term and we welcome them wholeheartedly. We will need a much bigger stimulus package from the govt whenever we get back to the stage of rebooting our business," NRAI President Anurag Katriar said. The National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) represents the interests of over 5,00,000 restaurants. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Washington: President Donald Trump said the United States would not pay for security protection for Britain's Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, who, according to media reports, have settled in Los Angeles. Trump wrote on Twitter that "now they have left Canada for the US however, the US will not pay for their security protection. They must pay!" Heading for Los Angeles: Harry and Meghan. Credit:Getty Images In January, the couple said they would step away from their royal duties. However, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said they had no plans to ask the US government for help with security costs. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal For weeks, public health professionals have repeated an important message: wash your hands to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. But for the 30% of Navajo who do not have running water in their homes, coronavirus poses a bigger threat. The Navajo Nation, which sprawls across three states, had reported 92 COVID-19 cases Friday, with 17 in New Mexico, 73 in Arizona and two in Utah. There were also two reported deaths from COVID-19. A stay-at-home order issued by Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez went into effect March 21. We know some may need food, medicine, or other essential items, but beyond that we shouldnt have anyone traveling or going out into the public, Nez said in a statement. In response to the virus, the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority has delayed water and power disconnections. The Navajo Times reported that in the small community of Chilchinbeto, first responders were delivering bottled water and other supplies to residents. But buying water bottles becomes an issue when the few grocery stores have been forced to limit purchases, said Cindy Howe, a project manager for DigDeep, which installs water systems in Navajo homes. Howe lives on the Navajo Nation about 18 miles from Grants. We are seeing the shelves here have shortages of cough medicine, hand sanitizer, Clorox wipes and, yes, water bottles, Howe said. But Navajo people are very resilient. Our elders are smart and careful about what they buy. Everybody is really coming together, so I see that as a positive even as were experiencing this very hard thing. A recent report by DigDeep and the U.S. Water Alliance shows nearly 2 million Americans including 30% of Navajo people dont have access to running water. Native Americans are 19 times more likely than a white household to not have clean, running water. DigDeep is working with St. Bonaventure Indian Mission and School in Thoreau and the Navajo chapter houses to ensure water deliveries continue. We deliver water to 220 homes and have two water spigots here at the mission that serve about 500 families, said Chris Halter, executive director of St. Bonaventure. We know good hygiene and washing hands is important to combat this disease, so these water deliveries quickly become lifesaving. The Mission has instructed workers and volunteers to fill water tanks quickly and practice social distancing. A lot of individuals we deliver water to are elderly, and our people have always been good to check on the elderly, Halter said. Sometimes families give the drivers food, so weve had to tell them not to take that at this time. But our water truck drivers do take blankets and food boxes to those who may not be able to get to town. In addition to water, the Mission is delivering 120 meals twice a day to schoolchildren in the region, airing a public service announcement on a local Navajo radio station with Council Delegate Edmund Yazzie, and working on a donation of masks and gloves for the local chapter houses. The federal government has allocated about $8 billion for tribal governments in the new $2 trillion coronavirus spending package. Last week, President Nez approved $4 million for the Navajo Department of Health to combat the illness and provide medical supplies and water. The lack of connected water infrastructure in many remote parts of the Navajo Nation is not new. Hauling water from a well or windmill or having water trucked in for drinking, cooking and bathing is often a part of life. Emma Robbins, director of DigDeeps Navajo Water Project, grew up on the reservation in Tuba City, Arizona. During the weekends, I stayed with my grandparents in Cameron, and for handwashing, we had two bowls, one of soapy water and one with water to rinse, Robbins said. The Navajo Department of Health and Navajo chapter houses have flyers in Navajo and English outlining the symptoms of COVID-19 and how to prevent spreading the disease. On a cultural level, we are figuring out how to distribute information about prevention in a safe way, Robbins said. It is a challenge to do that without traveling or coming into contact with elders, who are especially vulnerable. For people not on the reservation, its important to educate yourself about your neighbors, and respect when a sovereign nation requests that people not visit. Theresa Davis is a Report for America corps member covering water and the environment for the Albuquerque Journal. Looking into the details of the chain of events that have played out over the last three months globally, often raise some doubts and concerns, even as much is written and discovered about coronavirus everyday.Consider this -- there are nearly 40,000 coronavirus cases in New York City in the US, located at around 15,000 km from Wuhan, the Chinese province which was the epicenter of the outbreak.Similarly, Italy, which came into the tidal wave of infections, and which is located at over 8600 km from Wuhan has reported more than 80,000 cases and over 9,000 deaths.By contrast, Shanghai, one of the global business hub and Beijing, two Chinese cities located at 839 and 1152 km respectively from Wuhan, have been almost untouched by the epidemic.It remains a mystery that when almost the entire world, as far as the US, Italy or even Iran have been infected by the virus, then how did the Chinese capital so close to Wuhan, remain untouched by it.That the US leaders have resorted to blaming China should come as no surprise. The US President has repeatedly referred to the pathogen as the - Chinese virus.Even though in early January, the Chinese authorities had reportedly accused the whistleblower doctor who tried to warn others of the possible outbreak of illness that resembled SARS, the WHO in late January congratulated the Chinese government for taking "extraordinary measures" to contain the outbreak.A statement from the DG on WHO website dated January 30, reads: "The Chinese government is to be congratulated for the extraordinary measures it has taken to contain the outbreak, despite the severe social and economic impact those measures are having on the Chinese people."The defence for China and flowering praises for the dictatorial regime did not end there."...The speed with which China detected the outbreak, isolated the virus, sequenced the genome and shared it with WHO and the world are very impressive, and beyond words. So is China's commitment to transparency and to supporting other countries. In many ways, China is actually setting a new standard for outbreak response. It's not an exaggeration."In return, the Chinese diplomats have often referred to praise heaped by the WHO to defend their government.In early February, the Chinese Ambassador to India, Sun Weidong in an interview to ANI referred to this praise and said: "As the Director-General of WHO Dr. Tedros said, the speed with which China detected the outbreak, isolated the virus, sequenced the genome and shared it with WHO and the world are very impressive, and beyond words."Not just this, when the countries announced travel restriction in view of the coronavirus outbreak, the UN health body stressed that it does not recommend limiting trade and travel.The entire sequence of events has left people wondering about the role of WHO and the role of its DG.Nearly six weeks after the first evidence of human-to-human transmission was found, the World Health Organisation in its January 14 statement, echoed China's assessment, "Preliminary investigations conducted by the Chinese authorities have found no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) identified in Wuhan, China."Here in South Asia, when the outbreak happened, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a video conference with leaders from SAARC nations to share ideas on combating it.PM Modi also announced an emergency fund to tackle the outbreak. Several SAARC nations have contributed to this fund.Days later, PM Modi held talks with Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman where the two leaders discussed the global situation regarding the COVID-19 pandemic."Prime Minister emphasised the need for coordinated efforts to adequately address this global challenge, which has impacted not only the health and well-being of several hundred thousand people but also threatens to adversely affect the economy in many parts of the world. In this context, the Prime Minister mentioned India's recent initiative to organise a video conference among SAARC countries," said an official statement.According to the official statement, the two leaders agreed that a similar exercise at the level of G20 leaders, under the aegis of Saudi Arabia as the Chair of G20, would be useful at a global scale, both for discussing specific measures to address the challenges posed by the global outbreak of COVID-19 and also to instil confidence in the global populace. This extraordinary virtual summit took place recently.China wants India to remove its untouchability in the international community after the leadership demonstrated by India in these summits.WHO too praised the India government's commitment to combat the deadly virus."I think the commitment of the Indian government from the top level -- the Prime Minister's office himself -- has been enormous, very impressive. This is one of the reasons why India is doing very well. I am very impressed that everyone has been mobilised," Henk Bekedam, the WHO Representative to India had said. (ANI) Hyderabad: A 74-year old man became Telangana's first coronavirus fatality as samples of him taken after his death two days ago tested positive for the infection on Saturday. With this, the total number of COVID-19 cases mounted to 67, state Health Minister E Rajender said. The city-based man had a travel history to Delhi and been suffering from breathing problems since March 20 and collapsed in his house on March 26. He was declared brought dead at a corporate hospital here the same day. "It was only after his death we came to know that he was positive for coronavirus," he added. The minister said the man had initially taken treatment locally and was rushed to the corporate hospital. "The hospital authorities have informed us about his death as mandated by the government (for suspected cases). After tests, he was coronavirus positive case," Rajender told reporters. He said the family members of the deceased are currently under quarantine. The total COVID-19 cases in the state stood at 67, including one death and one discharge, he added. The minister said the number of cases in the state have gone up during the past two days with more people from two families, including that of the deceased, testing positive. Sources in the corporate hospital said the man had been to Delhi and came back on March 17 by air and was having left eye infection since then and taking treatment for it at a local hospital. Later, he developed cough and shortness of breath and had taken some antibiotics in the house before collapsing on March 26 past 10 pm. After he was declared dead on arrival by the emergency response physician, on suspicion that he might be affected by coronavirus, they took swab samples adopting all precautions as mandated, the sources said. Five staff who were in close contact with patient have been quarantined and are doing well, they added. Rajender said out of those under treatment, ten have tested negative in fresh tests and after one more test they will be discharged. He appealed to people not to attend congregated religious prayers to avoid large gatherings and ensure social distancing. The minister said additional medical infrastructure was being created as part of precautionary measures for tackling COVID-19 in case of requirement. The government has already declared state-run Gandhi Hospital as full-fledged hospital and another two medical facilities partially for coronavirus treatment, he said. According to him, the number of persons under quarantine is reducing day by day. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have officially stepped down from their roles in the royal family to embark on a new life split between the UK and North America. The couple will no longer be entitled to a range of privileges granted exclusively to members of the monarchy. From no more royal tours to a complete change in media strategy, read on to find out some of the royal perks Meghan and Harry will no longer have access to. 1. They will not be allowed to travel around the globe on behalf of the Queen Now that Meghan and Harry will no longer be working members of the royal family, they will no longer be able to undertake duties on behalf of the Queen, including royal tours. Since marrying, the couple have done two royal tours, first to Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga and then to South Africa. The latter was the subject of an ITV documentary that aired in October 2019. 2. They will no longer receive money from the Sovereign Grant The couple have made it clear they wish to become financially independent, meaning they will no longer receive funding from the Sovereign Grant, which previously covered five per cent of costs for the couples official office expense. The Sovereign Grant is the annual funding mechanism for the monarchy that allows members of the royal family to maintain their official residences and workspaces. World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down Show all 24 1 /24 World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down US World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down Canada World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down Italy World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down UK World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down UK World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down US World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down Canada World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down UK World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down Argentina World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down US World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down UK World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down Belgiam World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down UK World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down US World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down Brazil World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down UK World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down Chile World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down UK World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down UK World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down Belgiam World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down UK World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down Canada World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down UK It is understood, however, that Meghan and Harry will continue to receive some money from Prince Charles, whose income from the Duchy of Cornwall accounted for 95 per cent of their expenditure when they were working members of the royal family. 3. They will have to repay the 2.4m cost of renovating Frogmore Cottage The couple will have to repay the millions of pounds spent renovating their Berkshire home, Frogmore Cottage. The renovations on the home nestled on the Queens Windsor Estate were carried out in 2018 and cost the taxpayer 2.4m. 4. They will no longer have an official office at Buckingham Palace In January, it was decided that Meghan and Harrys Institutional Office at Buckingham Palace would have to be closed, resulting in the loss of jobs for members of staff working there. On the Sussex Royal website, the couple said of the office closure: The Duke and Duchess shared this news with their team personally in January once they knew of the decision, and have worked closely with their staff to ensure a smooth transition for each of them. Meghan and Harry are back for final flurry of royal duties Over the last month and a half, The Duke and Duchess have remained actively involved in this process, which has understandably been saddening for The Duke and Duchess and their loyal staff, given the closeness of Their Royal Highnesses and their dedicated team. 5. Their security will no longer be funded by the Canadian government From November 2019, Meghan and Harry had been residing in Vancouver Island, Canada, where the Canadian government had funded security for the couple. However, the country intends to stop paying for their security when they relinquish their roles in the royal family. The assistance will cease in the coming weeks, in keeping with their change in status, a Canadian government representative said in a statement to CBC News. 6. They will no longer be protected from paparazzi photographs appearing online Now that the couple are no longer working members of the royal family, they are also no longer a part of the royal rota system. The system provides the UK media with lawfully obtained imagery of members of the British monarchy. Now, however, the couple will be effectively treated as celebrities by the press and paparazzi photographs of them, such as those taken of Meghan in January, are more likely to appear online without their consent. Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday expressed his gratitude to paramilitary forces personnel for contributing their one-day salary totaling Rs 116 crore to PM- CARES fund to combat COVID-19. "Our paramilitary forces have always contributed to the safety and unity of the country. On the appeal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to combat COVID19, all paramilitary forces personnel have contributed their one day salary (total Rs 116 crores) to PM-CARES fund. I express my gratitude to all," Shah said in a tweet. The Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM-CARES Fund) is a dedicated fund with the primary objective of dealing with any kind of emergency or distress situation. PM Modi further said, "The PM-CARES Fund accepts micro-donations too. It will strengthen disaster management capacities and encourage research on protecting citizens." PM Modi had called for Indians to heartily contribute to the fund after announcing a 21-day lockdown in the entire country to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), there are 979 confirmed cases of coronavirus cases in the country, out of which 86 people have been cured or discharged. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) More than 100 people have died from the novel coronavirus in Turkey, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced Saturday, as 1,704 new cases were recorded. Koca shared the latest figures on Twitter, which showed 16 more people had died in the last 24 hours, pushing the total death toll to 108. With the new cases of COVID-19, Turkey has officially recorded 7,402 people with the virus. Turkish officials have to date not provided details on where the cases have been recorded in the country. But they say 70 people have recovered while 445 individuals remain in intensive care. More than 55,000 tests have been carried out in the 83-million strong country, according to the latest figures from the health ministry. The Turkish government has stepped up measures to try to prevent the spread of the virus including cancelling international flights. The interior ministry said that from 0300 GMT on Sunday, passengers wishing to travel by plane would need a document to prove they had been granted permission to do so. Those documents will be issued by an official body that will include police and airport officials. Residents will also need permission from the governor's office where they live to travel to another city by bus. Turkish Airlines CEO Bilal Eksi earlier tweeted that from Sunday 00:01am (2101 GMT) there would only be domestic flights to 14 cities including Ankara, Istanbul, and Izmir in the west. (AFP) RS RS Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Saturday urged foreign affairs minister S Jaishankar to bring stranded Sikh families back from war-ravaged Afghanistan to India. The chief minister tweeted: Dear @DrSJaishankar, there are a large number of Sikh families who want to be flown out of Afghanistan. Request you to get them airlifted at the earliest. In this moment of crisis, its our bounden duty to help them. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on Saturday offered to rehabilitate Afghan Sikhs if they migrate to India and also announced financial aid to the families of those killed and injured in the March 25 terrorist attack in Kabul. Terrorists had stormed a crowded Gurudwara and housing complex in Kabul killing at least 27 Sikhs. The terrorists belonged to Islamic State, reports said. The foreign affairs minister had condemned the attack. Deeply concerned at the blasts reported near the cremation site of those killed during the attack on Gurudwara Sahib in Kabul, Jaishankar had said. The minister had said that the Indian embassy in Kabul was in touch with Kabul security authorities. He said that he has asked them to ensure adequate security on-site as well as the safe return of families to their homes thereafter. The same day, Amarinder Singh and Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal had also condemned the attack. Singh described the attack as extremely tragic and unfortunate. Horrific news coming from Kabul where a barbaric terror attack happened in the Gurudwara Guru Har Rai. Its extremely tragic and unfortunate. Request (Afghanistan) President @Ashraf Ghani Ji to find out the perpetrators and look after our people, Singh had tweeted. Meanwhile, amid media reports that Sikhs in Afghanistan are receiving threats from the Islamic State (IS) following the attack, the SGPC on Saturday offered to rehabilitate Afghan Sikhs if they migrate to India. As per media reports, the IS took the responsibility for the terror attack in Kabul and asked the Sikhs to leave Afghanistan within ten days or get ready to be killed. SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal said, Looking at the threat received by Afghan Sikhs, the government of India should make efforts to help them. The Centre should approach the Afghanistan government to ensure their security and bring them to India, where the SGPC will bear the responsibility of their overall settlement. He also announced aid of 1 lakh each to families of those killed and 50,000 each to those injured in the attack. The Sikhs in Afghanistan are in grave crisis as they are being targeted repeatedly. The Indian government should take up this matter on the international front, he added. In case the Afghan Sikhs come to India, the SGPC will rehabilitate them here and take up the responsibility of the education and employment of their children, apart from other kinds of help, he said. (With agency inputs) PORT ANGELES, Wash. (AP)-- A 29-year-old western Washington man has been sentenced to more than three years in prison for hunting violations in one of the largest poaching cases in state history. The Peninsula Daily News reports Jason Hutt of Sequim was sentenced this week in Clallam County Superior Court after entering an Alford plea to five counts of unlawful hunting of big game and single counts of waste of wildlife, unlawful hunting of wild birds, hunting of wild animals and other charges. State Department of Fish and Wildlife investigators say Hutt and Wyatt Beck illegally killed bears, deer, and elk in Clallam and Jefferson counties in the summer of 2018. Beck previously pleaded guilty to four counts of unlawful hunting of big game with accomplice liability. By AFP CAIRO: Armoured vehicles in the streets, hundreds arrested, smartphone surveillance -- sweeping measures to fight the coronavirus have raised concerns in the Middle East over the erosion of already threatened human rights. As the world battles the COVID-19 pandemic, more than three billion people are now living under lockdown and, in some cases, strict surveillance. While there is widespread acceptance that robust measures are needed to slow the infection rate, critics have voiced fears that authoritarian states will overreach and, once the public health threat has passed, keep some of the tough new emergency measures in their toolkits. This concern is amplified in the Middle East and North Africa, with poorly ranked human rights records, a cast of authoritarian regimes able to bulk up security apparatuses largely unopposed and many states already reeling from political turmoil and economic hardship. The sight of military vehicles patrolling otherwise empty roads to enforce curfews or lockdowns in countries such as Morocco and Jordan stands in stark contrast to mass protests which last year brought down leaders in Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon and Sudan. The region had as of Saturday recorded 2,291 COVID-19 deaths out of 35,618 confirmed cases, according to figures collated from states and the World Health Organisation, which has urged "concrete action" from governments to contain the virus. Authorities have curtailed movement, clamped down on gatherings and arrested those who disobey the confinement orders. In Jordan, where King Abdallah II signed a decree giving the government exceptional powers, hundreds of people have been arrested for breaking a curfew. While the government said the powers would be used to the "narrowest extent", Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged Amman not to abuse fundamental rights for the cause of combatting the virus. In Morocco, known for its muscular security policy, the arrests of offenders -- who risk heavy fines and jail time -- have generated little protest and are even praised on social media. Like many countries, Rabat has bolstered a campaign against misinformation, but the adoption without debate of a law on social media controls has elicited concern. Many are crying foul over surveillance in Israel, where domestic security agency Shin Bet, usually focused on "anti-terrorist activities", is now authorised to collect data on citizens as part of the fight against COVID-19. Embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu drew criticism for imposing the measure with an emergency decree after a parliamentary committee rejected it. In an editorial published by the Financial Times, Israeli historian and best-selling author Yuval Noah Harari warned that, "If we are not careful, the epidemic might nevertheless mark an important watershed in the history of surveillance. "A big battle has been raging in recent years over our privacy. The coronavirus crisis could be the battle's tipping point," he said. In Algeria, more than a year into an unprecedented popular movement known as "Hirak", it took the emergence of the pandemic to pause weekly protests. ALSO READ | Dubai is top source of imported COVID-19 cases in India: Study But rights groups have accused Algerian authorities of using the health crisis to crack down on dissent via the courts. "The Hirak has suspended its marches but the #Algeria government has not suspended its repression," HRW's Eric Goldstein wrote on Twitter after journalist Khaled Drareni, who had been arrested several times for covering the protests, was put in pre-trial detention on Thursday. Lebanon faced similar accusations as police on Friday night dismantled tents in the heart of the capital Beirut where protesters had maintained a sit-in to keep up pressure on authorities. The authorities "are taking advantage of the fact that people are preoccupied with their health and confined to repress any dissenting voices," activist and film director Lucien Bourjeily tweeted. In the fledgling democracy of Tunisia -- a former police state where security apparatuses have seen little reform -- many have denounced heavy-handed police enforcement of pandemic-related movement restrictions. The Tunisian League for Human Rights has requested clarifications on social distancing measures after people expressed frustration online over apparently arbitrary police interventions. In Egypt, authorities have targeted media questioning low official virus infection figures. British newspaper The Guardian said its correspondent was forced out of the country over an article that suggested authorities were underreporting cases. WATCH With the number of cases rising, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's government imposed movement restrictions and threatened heavy fines and prison sentences for non-compliance. In a country lacking an independent media or judiciary, families of prisoners of conscience sounded the alarm over the possibility of a coronavirus outbreak in overcrowded and unsanitary prisons. Amnesty International has called for the "immediate and unconditional" release of political prisoners, estimated by rights groups to number around 60,000, only 15 of which have so far been let out by Egyptian authorities. Jordan, Tunisia and Sudan have ordered thousands of inmates to be freed to limit the risk of contagion. Activists in the Gulf too have called for the release of political prisoners held in what HRW researcher Hiba Zayadin said are often overcrowded and unsanitary conditions with limited access to health care. Kuwaiti activist Anwar al-Rasheed asked on Twitter, "In the midst of this pandemic, is it not yet the time to release prisoners of conscience?" Shoppers were pictured in full protective gear as they ventured out to get essentials amid the coronavirus lockdown today. Britons donned gloves and facemasks on trips to supermarkets nationwide today, after the death toll from the virus reached 1,228 today. One cautious shopper was even pictured with a respiratory unit covering his entire face in east London. It comes as Tesco Express limited purchases of a number of essential items such as milk, bread, eggs and toilet roll to one item per person. And Waitrose stores across the country also banned couple's from shopping together as they implement a 'one person per household' policy. All supermarkets are now making customers queue six feet apart from one another, in line with the Government's social distancing policy. Shoppers were pictured in full protective gear (Ladbroke Gove, west London today) as they ventured out to get essentials amid the coronavirus lockdown today Sainsbury's stores have installed protective screens on checkouts and introduced one-way aisles The protective screens will shield staff at the checkout at Sainsbury's stores Britons have hoarded food worth 1billion during the past fortnight as a result of panic buying. Pictured: Queue outside Lidl supermarket in Streatham, London, earlier today Tesco is limiting customers to just one item of essential goods each across many of its Express stores. Pictured: One shopper wore a full respiratory protection unit with helmet at a Tesco store in Barkingside, East London, earlier today Tesco shoppers in Walthamstow, London, were notified about the new limit via signs on their shelves. According to The Sunday Times, it read: 'To help give everyone access to essential items this product is limited to only 1 per customer.' The measures are being enforced at the discretion of individual stores based on their ability to cope with local demand and supply. A spokeswoman for Tesco said: 'To ensure more people have access to everyday essentials, we have introduced a store-wide restriction of three items per customer on every product line. 'In a small number of stores where demand is particularly high, our colleagues may need to place further restrictions on some products on a local basis, to ensure everyone can get the things they need.' The new measures are being enforced at the discretion of individual stores based on their ability to cope with local demand and supply. Pictured: Member of staff waiting for a delivery in London on Sunday Farmers warn of food shortages as travel bans restrict the number of workers available to pick crops British workers have been urged to fill the gap of seasonal foreign workers by picking fruit and vegetables this summer. George Eustice, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said it was 'critically important' there was a supply of seasonal workers for the British agricultural industry. According to the British Growers Association, there was a need for around 70,000 seasonal staff a year. They said that due to the new post-Brexit points-based immigration system being introduced, there was just 10,000 permits available under a seasonal workers' pilot scheme for non-UK nationals - a shortfall of around 60,000. The Government announcement comes as the travel and movement restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic have caused labour shortages as the picking season starts. While supermarkets have introduced restrictions on certain products, having become overwhelmed by panic buying as shoppers rush to stock up. 'Our farmers are doing a fantastic job of feeding the nation during this immensely challenging time,' Mr Eustice said. 'I have been speaking with industry today and in the last week about the critically important issue of seasonal workers, who usually come from Europe to pick fruit and vegetables. 'We need to mobilise the British workforce to fill that gap and make sure our excellent fruit and vegetables are on people's plates over the summer months. 'There are already brilliant recruitment efforts under way by industry and I would encourage as many people as possible to sign up. 'We will also be looking at other ways to make sure farmers have support they need ahead of the busy harvest months, while also keeping workers safe and protected.' Meanwhile Conservative MP Ian Liddell-Grainger called for the creation of a new Land Army to help alleviate the current problems. He said some of the thousands of people who are temporarily without work because of the Covid-19 epidemic could harvest vegetables and fruit. And he has called for the creation of a simplified, web-based scheme to match agricultural employers with potential staff. In World War Two, 80,000 women joined the Land Army to help cover labour shortages in agriculture. French government officials have launched an appeal for temporary farm workers to come forward after farming unions warned producers would be short of 200,000 staff this spring because of a ban on bringing in foreign labour. Mr Liddell-Grainger, MP for Bridgwater and West Somerset, said the creation of a similar workforce this side of the Channel would help farmers head off the threat of tons of fruit and vegetables going unpicked over the next few months. 'The NFU president has been warning of the problems farmers are facing because of a foreign labour shortage but I would have thought that here, surely, is a simple solution which the NFU itself could adopt,' he said. 'But it has to be a no-frills operation. We cannot load farmers up with more onerous paperwork because they have more than enough on their plates at the moment. 'These are desperate times and the Government is tearing up the rules on a daily basis to get us through them, so a few more torn ones aren't going to make a heap of difference. 'The difference this scheme could make, however, is that between the nation continuing to be fed and some serious and prolonged food shortages. 'I am certain there will be thousands of people dreading the tedium of having to stay at home for weeks and who would welcome the chance of a temporary job in the fresh air, particularly since social distancing is generally far easier to achieve when people are working outdoors.' Advertisement The chain announced earlier this weekend that online customers would only be allowed to buy a maximum of 80 items for home delivery. It follows a whole host of other supermarkets introducing similar capping schemes in response to coronavirus stockpiling. Sainsbury's has a three-item limit on most products apart from long-life milk, toilet roll and soap which all have a restriction of two. And Aldi has a four-item cap. Waitrose also announced that couples can no longer shop together in its stores as it insists only one member of a household can buy groceries at a time. The regulation was introduced across all 338 of its stores earlier this week. The introduction of the new limit comes after young and healthy people were urged to stay away from supermarkets and make meals from food in their cupboards as demand for groceries and household goods surged during the coronavirus lockdown. Britons have hoarded food worth 1billion during the past fortnight as a result of panic buying - despite assurances from the government and industry that there is still plenty in the supply chain. The CEO of Tesco has recently been encouraging shoppers who are able to use stores in order to free-up delivery slots for online orders to the elderly and vulnerable. But the move has meant that there continue to be lengthy queues outside supermarkets up and down the country as shoppers are forced to maintain their distance as they wait to enter the stores. NHS England national medical director Stephen Powis accused panic buyers of depriving healthcare staff of the food supplies they need, adding: 'Frankly we should all be ashamed.' Ocado has been operating at full capacity during the crisis and said yesterday it had around ten times more demand for its services than it did before the outbreak began. Online orders are now limited to one per week per customer, while some items have also been limited to just two per person. Chief executive of the online delivery service, Lord Stuart Rose, urged consumers to act rationally as he revealed Britons had hoarded an extra 1billion worth of food over the past couple of weeks. The boss of the UK's biggest retailer Tesco, Dave Lewis, has written to customers to reassure them there is still plenty of food, but asking the young and the healthy to venture out to their local store. Users of the retail giant's online service have complained they are unable to secure a home delivery slot. In his letter, he has asked those who can venture out to shop in-store - while taking appropriate precautions. Supermarkets have recently moved to enforce more stringent precautions for the safety of staff and customers including limiting the number of shoppers allowed into their stores at any given time. Tesco boss Dave Lewis recently wrote to customers saying staff will draw new floor markings in the checkout areas, install protective screens on checkouts, and introduce one-way aisles. 'Our social distancing plans aim to protect customers from the moment they enter our car parks, to browsing products, to paying and finally exiting our stores,' he wrote. And in a letter to customers, Sainsbury's chief executive Mike Coupe said the number of people allowed in stores and at ATMs at any one time will be limited. He said queuing systems will be put in place outside stores and people are urged to arrive throughout the day to avoid long queues forming in the morning, and encouraged people to pay by card. 'We will be reminding people in stores to keep a safe distance from other customers and from our colleagues,' he said. Mr Coupe said the number of checkouts will be reduced and screens will be introduced. He said many customers have written to him to say they are elderly or vulnerable and are struggling to book online delivery slots. 'We are doing our absolute best to offer online delivery slots to elderly, disabled and vulnerable customers. 'These customers have priority over all slots. 'Our customer Careline has been inundated with requests from elderly and vulnerable customers - we have had one year's worth of contacts in two weeks. 'We have proactively contacted 270,000 customers who had already given us information that meant we could identify them as being in these groups,' he said. Mr Coupe, who apologised to regular online customers, and said they have already booked in slots for 115,000 elderly, disabled and vulnerable customers this week. Tesco also announced earlier this weekend that online customers would only be allowed to buy a maximum of 80 items for home delivery. Pictured: People wearing protective face masks as they queued outside Sainsbury's supermarket in Streatham, London Similarly Ocado chairman Lord Stuart Rose issued his own guidance to Brits earlier this week amid the ongoing crisis. Lord Rose, 71, who is also a former chairman and chief executive of clothing and food retailer Marks & Spencer, has been in self-isolation after suspecting he had contracted the virus. Rose also called on people in the country to 'make your meals work'. 'If you buy a chicken, roast the chicken, have the roast chicken dinner, the following day turn it into a stir fry, the following day make it into soup,' he said. 'You can make a relatively small amount of food go a long way and I think we live in a very profligate society today - we buy too much, we eat too much, we consume too much and we have to learn new ways.' 'There is a billion pounds more food in people's larders than there was a couple of weeks ago - what are they doing with it? How much food do you need to eat? How much do you need to store away? Please show some restraint,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. 'There is no shortage of food... Nobody will starve.' Coronavirus is continuing to spread across the country at an exponential rate. Supermarkets have recently moved to enforce more stringent precautions for the safety of staff and customers including limiting the number of shoppers allowed into their stores at any given time. Pictured: Shoppers waiting to enter Sainsbury's at Ladbroke Grove, London Country's gone to seed! Grow your own veg sales soaring From toilet paper to dried pasta, the outbreak has caused a number of shortages of previously plentiful products. But now shops are experiencing frantic buying of rather more green-fingered items grow-your-own fruit and vegetable seeds. With many supermarkets running low on fresh produce, garden centres have reported an unprecedented spike in orders for seeds as well as herb pots. Some online shops have even had to limit the number of seed packets sold and urged customers 'not to panic'. Dobbies Garden Centre, which has dozens of stores across the UK, confirmed sales of their seed range have rocketed. Compared to last year, potato seeds are up 60 per cent, soft fruit seeds by almost 50 per cent and fruit tree sales nearly a third. Herb pots have also been popular, with sales up 22 per cent. A spokesman said: 'Customers are telling us that they are using the extra time at home to get stuck into their garden.' Real Seeds, an online shop, have placed restrictions on purchases. Their website states: 'Seeds do not keep so there is no point in stockpiling them.' Jan Broady, senior horticultural therapist at Thrive, a charity that promotes gardening for health, said: 'It's not surprising at all that people will want to get closer to nature at a time like this.' Advertisement The World Health Organisations Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has commended President Akufo-Addo for his address to the nation announcing a partial lockdown in Accra and Kumasi. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the part of President Akufo-Addos speech talking about his government being able to revive the countrys economy and not lives lost to COVID-19 as a powerful message to the world. President Akufo-Addo in his fourth address announcing a partial lockdown to the nation on Friday 27th March said We know how to bring the economy back to life. What we do not know is how to bring people back to life. The WHO Director-General who also described the President as his brother explained that President Nana Akufo-Addos powerful address will enure towards a healthier, safer, fairer world. Thank you for sending such a powerful message to the world, my brother @NAkufoAddo , President of #Ghana. Together, for a healthier, safer, fairer world! Together against #COVID19! Dr. Ghebreyesus tweeted. Other international media personalities such as UKs Piers Morgan also commended the President for his speech which seemingly went down well with Ghanaians. Akufo-Addo announces partial lockdown of Accra, Kumasi, Tema to curb COVID-19 spread President Nana Akufo-Addo on Friday declared a partial lockdown of Accra and Kumasi effective 1 am on Monday, March 30, 2020. The lockdown which affects Accra, Tema and Kumasi will last for two weeks. The decision, according to the President is to help curb the spread of COVID-19 which has led to four deaths and infected some 137 people. President Nana Akufo-Addo made the declaration in a national address delivered on Friday, March 27, 2020. Prevailing circumstances mean that stricter measures have to be put in place to contain and halt the spread of the virus within our country, especially in Accra, Tema, Kasoa and Kumasi, which have been identified by the Ghana Health Service as the 'hotspots' of the infections. In doing this, we cannot afford to copy blindly, and do all the things some other well-developed countries are doing. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to this pandemic. We have a unique situation in our country, and we must take it into account in dealing with the disease, whilst meeting all the six (6) key WHO guidelines on the most effective ways of combating the pandemic. Even though it may be said that the number of our infections is still, relatively, low, if we act now purposefully, we have a chance of preventing an escalation of our numbers. citinewsroom Uttar Pradesh has reported a total of 68 coronavirus cases so far with around half of them from Gautam Buddh Nagar district which includes Noida, officials said on Sunday. Earlier in the day, the Gautam Buddh Nagar district administration said five new cases were reported taking the total cases to 31. Speaking to reporters in Lucknow, Principal Secretary, Medical and Health, Amit Mohan Prasad said, "A total of 68 coronavirus positive cases have been reported so far from UP of which 14 patients have been discharged so far. The condition of the patients in the state is that they do not require intensive care or be kept on ventilators. Most of the cases are mild. The condition of the rest of the patients undergoing treatment is stable." Replying to a question on community transmission, Prasad categorically stated that there is no community spread (of COVID-19) in the state. He said, "All the patients of UP can be traced back to a person who returned from abroad. The Noida example where in which people of a factory have been infected, their case could be traced back to United Kingdom. All the cases of the state could be traced back to a foreign country." On expanding the ambit of medical testing and screening of people who are coming to the state from outside, Prasad said, "It is not that we are testing only those who have come back from a foreign country or contact of a positive case. As per ICMR protocol, anyone suffering from respiratory problems and is hospitalised should be tested. We are now taking samples as well and testing the samples. We will expand the ambit of testing. No case of community spread has emerged before us so far."He added that people coming to UP from other places will be screened in their districts. "If they are found to suspected, they will be isolated in the hospitals, and asymptomatic people will be placed in quarantine facilities in schools, dharamshalas, etc. District magistrates have been informed about this. After they complete the quarantine process, they will be allowed to go to their villages," he added. The principal secretary also stated that there is no need to panic and urged the public to stay alert and adhere to social distancing. He also said that facilities to tackle the pandemic are being continuously ramped up in the state. "We have already sent a proposal to purchase 200 additional ventilators," he said. "We will also engage private hospitals in the treatment of COVID-19. We are making a package for them. A number of private hospitals have approached us to treat COVID-19 patients and make their hospitals as quarantine centres. They will also be converted as a dedicated COVID-19 hospital. The rest of the patients of the said private hospital will either be shifted or discharged." Referring to the three-tier hospital system devised by the state government, Prasad said, "Every district will have a L-1 (level 1) hospital. This is already in place and located at the community health centres, which have been made dedicated COVID-19 hospital. In some districts, the number of such hospitals is more than one. L-3 (level 3) hospitals are 5 to 7 super speciality hospitals like the 200-bed SGPGI, KGMU, BRD Gorakhpur spread across the state. Critical cases will be attended to in these hospitals." L-2 (level 2) hospitals will comprise the rest of the medical colleges and hospitals at the divisional headquarters level. This will be done in the next 3 to 4 days, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Donald Trump offered a preview of his re-election campaign playbook last year when he visited the building site of a multi-billion-dollar cracking unit in western Pennsylvania, hailed as one of the largest construction projects in the country. To Trump, it was a pitch-perfect example of a booming economy. Except today, the site sits largely empty, after the coronavirus outbreak forced oil company Royal Dutch Shell to halt construction. The project's thousands of workers are now unemployed, adding to the nearly 3.6 million Americans who filed for jobless benefits in the last two weeks. The tension between wanting to keep workers safe from infection and trying to get back to business as soon as possible illustrates the fine line Trump must walk as he floats the idea of reopening the U.S. economy in defiance of the advice of public health experts. Seven months before he faces re-election, Trump must find a balance between trying to stop the economy from spiraling into a severe recession while appearing to act decisively to contain a still-expanding health catastrophe. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show Trump has been under increasing pressure to ease back economic restrictions from his Republican base, who consistently have been less alarmed than Democrats about the virus, which has infected more than 85,000 Americans and killed more than 1,200. A March 18-24 Reuters/Ipsos poll shows 76 percent of Democrats agreed that the coronavirus is a "serious threat to me and my family" compared with 63% of Republicans. Many workers at the Shell site in Potter Township, 40 miles (65 km) east of Pittsburgh, live paycheck-to-paycheck and are eager to work. But some are concerned about Trump's suggestions that the U.S. economy could be re-opened by Easter on April 12. "If they called me and said come back to work Monday, I would not go. Not until I feel it's safe for me and the other workers," said Jonathan Sailers, a 34-year-old union insulator who wraps pipes at the site. BOTTOM LINE Prior to the outbreak, a soaring stock market and strong employment stood at the heart of Trump's message that he should be re-elected in November, with the president even suggesting that even if voters didn't like him, he helped their bottom line. For the moment, that argument has evaporated. Trump's campaign says he is focused both on safeguarding the health and safety of Americans and getting the economy humming again. "The president is correct that our nation was not built to be completely turned off for long periods of time and that such dormancy would cause a great many long-lasting problems," said Trump spokesman Tim Murtaugh. Chris Wilson, a Republican pollster, said the coronavirus crisis is actually an opportunity for Trump but he must handle it correctly. "If we wind up coming through this relatively intact, I think Trump will get a huge amount of credit from voters," Wilson said. Trump has already seen a bump in his approval ratings, by 4 percent to 44 percent since the health crisis, according to the Reuters/Ipsos poll. But the rise is modest for a president confronting a national crisis: Former President George W. Bush's approval rating shot up by 39 points to 90 percent in the days following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, according to Gallup polling service. The numbers have also climbed as Trump took the outbreak increasingly seriously, appearing on television and warning people to stay home, after at first playing down the threat. If he flips that message, strategists and experts say, he runs the risk of losing supporters, particularly if the death toll continues to grow. "There's normally a rallying effect around the president in the early days of the crisis, and Trump's clearly benefiting from that," said Alex Conant, a former top aide to Republican Senator Marco Rubio, a 2016 presidential candidate. "As days turn into weeks and months, the president's polling position could weaken if people think the country is losing the fight." Shell says it has no timeline for restarting construction at the Potter Township site. In the meantime, workers are struggling to pay their bills, said Ken Broadbent, business manager for a Pittsburgh-based steamfitters union that supplied the project with hundreds of workers. "It's still way too early," he said. "We just don't know how long this will last. The longer it lasts, the more it's going to hurt." Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 29) COVID-19 cases in the Philippines surged for the second-straight day, with the country reporting Sunday an additional 343 new cases of the viral disease, bringing the total of those who have contracted it to 1,418. This is the largest single-day increase in COVID-19 cases in the country, breaking the record set on Saturday, when the total number of cases surpassed 1,000. The Health Department reiterated that the recent spike in cases after the government imposed a so-called enhanced community quarantine essentially a lockdown in Luzon is due to the expanded capacity for testing for COVID-19. Hindi po nangangahulugang maging kampante na tayo, Health Spokesperson Ma. Rosario Vergeire said. Kung hindi po tayo susunod sa ating mga pamantayan katulad ng self-isolation, maaring patuloy lang tataas ang ating mga numero. [Translation: This doesnt mean that we should be complacente If we wont follow guidelines, like self-isolation, our numbers may just continue to rise.] Three more patients died due to COVID-19, bringing the diseases death toll in the country to 71, according to the Health Department. All of the new fatalities did not travel abroad, are at least 70-years-old, have other underlying conditions and died even before they got their COVID-19 test results. Among them are a 70-year-old Filipino man from Quezon City who had hypertension, diabetes mellitus and bronchial asthma. Also among the new fatalities is a 71-year-old man from Iloilo who has hypertension, cardiac disease and dengue. A 78-year-old man from Manila who had hypertension and chronic kidney disease is also among the COVID-19 patients who have just died. The Health Department also reported seven new recoveries, all of whom are below 45-years-old, including a 13-year-old girl from Quezon City. Worldwide, COVID-19 has killed more than 30,000 people, mostly in Italy, although the outbreak began in Wuhan, China in December 2019. Over 669,000 people have gotten sick, according to the Johns Hopkins University's COVID-19 global tracker. To prevent the spread of the virus, authorities are urging people to practice regular hand washing with soap and water, cover their mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, and avoid close contact with those who exhibit symptoms of the virus. In the Philippines, the northern region of Luzon has been placed under enhanced community quarantine, restricting people's movement, to contain the spread of the virus. Other local government units in the country have also shut their borders. CNN Philippines Paolo Barcelon contributed to this report. While it might be impossible to figure out who is going to become sick with novel coronavirus, some public health experts believe the more critical question may be who has already been exposed. In Telluride, Colorado, last week, one biotech company put that idea to work. MORE: What we know about coronavirus' long-term effects United Biomedical is now working with San Miguel County, which includes the famous Rocky Mountain ski destination, to test all 8,000 residents for COVID-19 antibodies -- making it the first community in the country to do widespread antibody testing. The idea, officials said, is to learn from an individuals blood whether there is evidence the person has already been exposed. With that information, officials can then make decisions about whether quarantines and restrictions would need to continue and whether they need to be as widespread as they are in states and cities across the country right now. "The goal of this is to show you can predictably get an entire county back to its new normal as quickly as possible by using testing," said Lou Reese, co-CEO of United Biomedical and its COVAXX subsidiary. Reese stressed that, if successful, the testing program could be expanded, "starting at the hot-spot areas right now to solve this problem, stop the panic and get people to their lives and back to work." PHOTO: United Biomedical is now working with San Miguel County, which includes the famous Rocky Mountain ski destination Telluride, to test all 8,000 residents for COVID-19 antibodies. (Courtesy United Biomedical) The science behind the testing concept is not complicated. Every person who contracts the coronavirus will develop antibodies in their blood, usually within 10 days, even if the individual has such a mild case that there are no symptoms. Antibodies are proteins that help the body fight off an intruding virus -- but theyre also unmistakable forensic evidence of where the virus has been. Because it is generally believed that someone whos had an infection has at least a temporary immunity, a person who already had COVID-19 may not need to remain locked down the way millions of Americans -- in New York, California, Washington state and other places around the country -- are this weekend. What remains unknown is whether the immunity is long-lasting or whether someone who has coronavirus antibodies can continue carrying the virus, potentially posing a threat to others. For instance, people with a MERS infection -- a virus from the same family -- are unlikely to be reinfected shortly after recovery, but according to the CDC, "It is not yet known whether similar immune protection will be observed for patients with COVID-19." Story continues As the coronavirus pandemic rages, killing thousands of its victims and tearing apart families, some political and health care leaders view antibody testing as a way to start reopening cities and allow people to return to work and play. "This could be a big breakthrough," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said of antibody testing during a briefing Saturday. Reese said it could be a silver bullet. "Antibody testing specifically is the fastest path of scientifically and mathematically getting to a new normal," Reese said. Since the Food and Drug Administration announced an Emergency Use Authorization policy for antibody testing last week, laboratories across the U.S. have been rushing to develop their own antibody tests. PHOTO: United Biomedical is now working with San Miguel County, which includes the famous Rocky Mountain ski destination Telluride, to test all 8,000 residents for COVID-19 antibodies. (Courtesy United Biomedical) United Biomedical initially validated the accuracy of its COVID-19 antibody diagnostic test in China, where the coronavirus pandemic originated late last year. "We found it was a very clean profile, there was no cross reactivity," said United Biomedical co-CEO Mei Mei Hu. "So when we saw COVID-19, it was COVID-19, and could differentiate between other coronaviruses circulating in the U.S." Having developed diagnostic tools and vaccines for SARS, another type of coronavirus, Reese and Hu said their team was ready to move fast on coronavirus. They said their company has already deployed approximately 100,000 tests globally, mostly to China and Taiwan. "Now we are on the front lines," Reese said. Reese and Hu said they decided to pilot the program in Telluride because its home. But they insist that the test can be just as useful in places like New York City, New Orleans and Los Angeles, where officials fear hospitals could be overrun with COVID-19 patients. MORE: Website allows people to report coronavirus symptoms, track spread San Miguel County, currently under a shelter-at-home order, is not the usual site for a drug trial. But it is the type of place that could be hit extremely hard in a viral outbreak. "We are a rural community in southwest Colorado with no hospital of our own," said county spokeswoman Susan Lilly. The largest local medical facility, Telluride Medical Center, is not an overnight hospital and would be unable to treat a surge of COVID-19 patients. And, with the county sitting 9,000 feet above sea level, any respiratory contagion could have even more deadly results among residents because humans have a harder time breathing in higher altitudes. United Biomedicals testing program began last week, starting with first responders, health care workers, teachers, essential workers and their families. So far, no one has tested positive. Records show one San Miguel resident, who has not yet taken the new antibody test, was confirmed to have COVID-19 by a test that looks for the virus' genetic material, not bloodborne antibodies. What to know about coronavirus: How it started and how to protect yourself: Coronavirus explained What to do if you have symptoms: Coronavirus symptoms Tracking the spread in the US and Worldwide: Coronavirus map From Telluride, United Biomedical plans to work with officials to expand testing to as many as five states with virus hot spots, like New York and California, on the priority list. "These are the places that are most likely to have the community spread so it's important to detect, know what the actual outbreak prevalence is and then to categorize the people that have developed some immunity back out," Hu said, adding that the company expects to be producing 1 million tests a day by the end of April. Officials said theyre optimistic, but caution that an antibody test is only one piece of an overall strategy of dealing with a disease as resilient as COVID-19. "This blood test is a tool that alone wont work," Lilly said. "It is a tool that will only work in combination with the stay-at-home model and the social distancing. One without the other doesnt give us the full capacity to employ a strategy that we think will work." Why coronavirus antibody testing in one Colorado town could provide a way forward originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Hyderabad, March 29 : At a time when migrant workers from several states were returning home due to nation-wide Coronavirus lockdown, Telangana has urged Bihar to send back the latter's workers employed in rice mills in Telangana. Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao told reporters on Sunday night that Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar will speak to his Bihar counterpart to request him to send back the workers. Rao said if necessary he would talk to the Centre to arrange few special trains to bring back the Bihari migrant workers. With Telangana gearing up to procure record 1.05 crore tonnes of paddy from farmers at designated procurement centres in villages in view of the lockdown, the authorities believe the task can't be completed without labourers from Bihar who do the work. The Chief Minister said 95 per cent of the workers in rice mills were Bihari migrants. These workers, who load and unload the rice trucks, had gone to Bihar for 'Holi' and are now stranded there due to lockdown. KCR, as the ChiefMinister is popularly known, said the state was also facing a tough task in arranging 70 lakh gunny bags required for procuring the paddy. The state has only 35 lakh bags and with the gunny bag manufacturers in Kolkata shutting their operations due to lockdown, the state is facing a challenge in meeting the requirement. The Chief Minister reiterated that his government would buy the entire paddy and maize grown in the state and appealed to farmers to have patience and wait in their villages for the procurement. He also assured that the entire stock would be purchased at Minimum Support Price (MSP). KCR said despite the crisis, the government had made available Rs 30,000 crore for procurement of paddy and maize. He claimed that no other state has taken such a step. He said Rabi crops were grown over 50 lakh acres. The paddy cultivation was taken up on 40 lakh acres which is a record. The procurement of paddy will begin in the first week of April and will continue till May 15-20. He said every farmer would be issued a coupon, mentioning the date on which he will have to bring his produce to procurement centre. After the procurement, the money will be transferred online into the farmer's bank account. KCR said the markets in towns would remain shut and entire procurement will happen in villages by following all the social distancing guidelines and other precautions. As harvesting of paddy is a problem faced by farmers, the Chief Minister directed officials to mobilise tractor mounted harvesters from towns and take them to fields for harvesting. Two sexagenarian men have been arrested in Mizoram for spreading fake on social media claiming that a person travelling with the lone COVID-19 patient from the state has tested positive for the disease, a senior police officer said on Sunday. With the fresh arrests on Saturday, the total number of persons arrested in the state for spreading fake on novel coronavirus has risen to 18, he said. "The fake was posted on a WhatsApp group by a 62 -year-old man from South Chawngtui village in Hnahthial district and was widely circulated," Mizoram Inspector General of Police (Headquarters) John Neihlaia said. He is a leader of a local task force on COVID-19 and a member of the Young Mizo Association, the officer said. Another 60-year-old man from the same village has also been arrested for spreading the fake news, he said. They have been booked under sections of IPC and CrPC, Neihlaia said. Fifteen people were earlier arrested for spreading fake news on coronavirus. One person was arrested for circulating a fake circular issued in the name of Chief Secretary Lalnunmawia Chuaungo asking Mizos residing outside the state to return home, failing which they will be "declared" non-Mizo. A 33- year-old woman was arrested on March 24 for hiding her travel history. The woman, after returning from Macau on March 10, lied to officials at Lengpui airport, claiming that she was coming from Kolkata. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The UAE government has detected 63 new Covid-19 cases belonging to various nationalities, taking to 468 the total tally of infections in the UAE, a top official was quoted as saying in a media report. Dr Farida Al Hosani, the official spokesperson for the UAE health sector, added that the National Disinfection Programme has been extended until April 4, reported state news agency Wam. The sterilisation will be carried out daily from 8pm until 6am the following morning and restrictions will continue to cover public and private facilities, streets, public transportation, metro trains and trams. The new cases, who are receiving all necessary medical treatment in UAE medical facilities, belong to various nationalities, including one from each of Kyrgyzstan, Somalia, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Syria; two from each of Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Nepal; three from each of Egypt; four from Britain; six from Pakistan; eight from UAE, and 30 people from India. "Hundreds of personnel, supervisors and administrative staff from various federal and local government departments are participating in the National Disinfection Programme. Several regions and utilities have already been sterilized using state-of-the-art technology nationwide over several stages in collaboration with various relevant authorities," she added. "The decision to extend the sterilisation drive until April 5 aims to ensure coverage of the largest possible number of utilities and establishments nationwide. It will be carried out daily from 8pm until 6am the following morning, and restrictions in the movement of traffic will continue during this period and resume as normal in daylight." Al Hosani hailed the concerted efforts and synergy witnessed across the country over the past two days toward the National Disinfection Programme. "More than 70 percent of the UAE people, including Emiratis, residents and visitors, have remarkably committed themselves to the programme in a way that facilitated the efforts of the sterilization teams," she added, thanking all UAE people, police and security departments, civil defence teams and municipalities for their efforts to ensure the success of the programme, she added. 95 Shares Share Maybe this sounds dramatic, but the coronavirus is like a war. The soldiers are health care workers. The enemy is the virus. The battlefield is the hospitals. We are finding out that life can turn on a dime. I found that out 30 years ago in August 1990. Iraq invaded Kuwait. I knew as soon as they started deploying troops to Saudi Arabia that I would be going. By the end of August, I was in Saudi. I was a flight nurse in an aeromedical evacuation unit in the Air National Guard. I spent the next six months there. This reminds me so much of that. The sudden change in life circumstances. The waiting. Thats probably the biggest reminder. The daily pins and needles wondering if this was the day the war was going to start. Then it started, the feeling of complete powerlessness and helplessness. The dire warnings about casualty counts. In this case, critical patients. The eyes of the people we evacuated. How young they all were. This time they are vulnerable adults. The chemical warfare gear. Carrying the mask around all the time attached to your body. Wishing you had paid more attention to training. This time the gear is PPE. The tremendous responsibility felt for the enlisted (techs, nursing assistants, med students), who would be looking to you for leadership. The worry about how young some of them were. You face your own mortality. Accepting that this could be it for you. In this war, you could catch it and die. The waiting. Then it starts, and you are thrown in the middle. You cant believe its coming true. You feel you dont have what you need. You are in charge of up to 60 patients on a plane. You have one other nurse and three med techs to help you. As you do your job, you feel very vulnerable. The plane could be shot down. You could get the virus. You do your job because you have to. You said you would. The wounded (patients) are counting on you. Everyone, particularly health care workers, is going through this right now. Most are waiting, and that is torture. They are preparing. They feel powerless. Its like their lives are not their own anymore. No one shows the fear they feel. Its not talked about. They will become closer to each other than they already were. They will get through it. They have to. They dont have a choice. When it is over, because everything eventually ends, there will be joy. You feel so lucky. Once that wears off, you return to normal life. You feel like an alien. There are few people who had the same experience. It is confusing because you are supposed to go on with your life. You feel lonely in the experience. Some will have PTSD out of this. Others will cope with memories in unhealthy ways. Most will put it in a box and close the lid tight, choosing to leave the experience there. It will not be talked about. Even with it in the box, the majority of the time, events will trigger memories. People will ask you what it was like. They really dont want to know, so you say little. Eventually, the experience will fade, but the memories will never go away completely. The similarities to war are uncanny. The war changed my life forever. This will change health care workers lives forever. It makes you realize what is important. You find out life really can turn on a dime. Susan Shannon is a retired nurse who blogs at madness: tales of a retired emergency room nurse. Image credit: Shutterstock.com For many Christian churches, this Sundays Gospel is the account of the raising of Lazarus. According to the story, Lazarus lived in the town of Bethany outside of Jerusalem with his two sisters, Martha and Mary. These three were not only among the first disciples of Jesus, but they were three of the five people the Christian scripture expressly says that Jesus loved. St Johns Gospel records that on one occasion Lazarus became seriously ill. His sisters send word to Jesus to come quickly. But Jesus delayed and Lazarus died. In fact, by the time Jesus finally arrived in their village, Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days. So when Martha went out to meet Jesus, her greeting reflected both her sorrow and her faith: Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. For many of us, Marthas words take on a new and personal significance. As we hear about those across the world - and now in our own community - ill and dying from COVID-19, her words are becoming increasingly ours: Lord, if you were here, my sibling, parent, grandparent, friend, neighbor, co-worker would not have died ... In other words: where are you, loving God, in the midst of this moment of human suffering and death? The Jesuit priest and author James Martin recently published an op-ed piece in the New York Times in which he challenged Christians to examine whether they could follow a God they could not understand. And though it makes some Christians uncomfortable, its a fair question. Like Martin, for me, part of the answer is found in the classical Christian belief that Jesus was true God and true man. As Christians, we believe that God understands and empathizes with the fullness of the human condition - including illness, loss and death - because He became one of us. But, at the same time, I recognize and respect in all honesty that for some this will not be an acceptable answer. To be frank, I dont have an intellectually satisfying answer to the problem of evil in the world. But what I have is this: in the life and teachings of Jesus I see how to respond to this current situation. During his earthly ministry, Jesus constantly encountered people who were ill or disabled. He showed them compassion; he affirmed their dignity; he called them back into community; he healed them. Through his example, Christians believe that Jesus demonstrates to us how God chooses to be in the world. We are now called in the midst of this current crisis to do the same. On the practical level, this means for me: Take what I need. Share what I have. Dont panic. Reach out to my neighbor. Be smart and dont put others at risk by my actions. Practice social distancing. Speak up for those who cant. Exercise. Take medical and public health advice only from physicians and scientists. Breathe. Tell the people I love that I love them. Pray. In the end, I may not understand where God is in the midst of this crisis, but I believe that God does understand our situation. To paraphrase Thomas Merton: in Jesus, God chose to love us with a human heart. I need simply to look to the life of Jesus and emulate His example. The story of the raising of Lazarus ends with Jesus calling for him to come out of the tomb. And he came out. He was healed, and restored to his family and community. The grave could not hold him. And with the full assurance of Christian hope, we believe it cannot hold us, either. Darkness will become light. Sickness will give way to health. Evil will be conquered by Good. And, in the final tally, death will be transformed into Life. It is this faith, like the faith of Martha, which sustains me in this moment. I pray it sustains you, as well. May God, who healed Lazarus and restored him to life, watch over, protect us, and keep us safe now and always. Amen. The Rev. Jordan Lenaghan, O.P., is executive director of University Religious Life at Quinnipiac University. The HCM City real estate market provides more housing projects and subsidises rentals to boost the market amid the COVID-19 pandemic. An announcement by the city Department of Construction in the first quarter said there were 3,137 housing products comprising apartments and townhouses in nine projects in the market. Notably, a six-star hotel and office project opposite Ben Thanh Market in District 1 is now putting for sale 214 apartments after years of delay because it is the first project in Vietnam with six basements, which caused some unique difficulties. Beside luxury properties, investors are also providing social housing on a large scale: 352 units at the Nam Phan project in Phu Huu ward, District 9, are available for sale. This is unique because normally social housing units rarely exceed 100 in any sale, according to the investors. Another project is in Thu Thiem ward -- Metropole Thu Thiem -- with 465 housing units. Besides providing more housing products, developers are also offering more support policies in the context of the pandemic, according to the investors. Hung Thinh Corporation JSC, for instance, will reduce rents by 20 - 40 percent at commercial centres at its Moonlight Plaza in Thu Duc district, Saigon Mia in Binh Chanh district and Vung Tau Melody in Vung Tau city. Vingroup said it would spend 300 billion VND to subsidise lessees at all its 79 commercial centres with fixed-price leases. It would also extend the payment periods for people buying houses. VNA IndiaNivesh has shut its Portfolio Management Services (PMS) business citing ongoing market volatility amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. The firms Managing Director Sandeep Jain, in an email to PMS investors on March 29 said: "In view of the current market volatility pursuant to the global outbreak of COVID-19 and its long term impact on our business, we have decided to close our operation at IndiaNivesh Investment Managers Pvt. Ltd., a SEBI registered portfolio manager. Thus our sole strategy of Sprout Portfolio will be wound up". Jain added that "consequently, all assets in our custody (securities, bank balance, etc.) shall be handed over to clients. Jain added that clients had two options under which we could transfer assets to your designated bank account/demat account. In the email to clients, Jain said that the first option would be liquidation of all shares held in the strategy and transferring of proceeds along with cash balance to the bank account. The second option will be to transfer shares to a demat account (other than the one opened for PMS with IL&FS) and cash/liquid funds to client's bank account. However, the Client Master List (CMR) of the respective demat account will be required for the transfer of shares. Jain also said that clients may have to face delay in the process of handing over of shares and cash, and closure of their PMS account due to the ongoing nationwide lockdown. A sub-broker of IndiaNivesh told Moneycontrol, "We are facing pay in-pay out problem on retail fronts also. But the company is assuring us, that there would not be problem except this PMS segment". As per market sources, the firm incurred losses in its investment in shares of a large retail firm, which is said to be close to defaulting on its loan repayments. Last week, when Moneycontrol approached the company, it had said: "Jaipur and Chennai are main markets for us and both are in lockdown. So we are not able to get cheques from clients, which will settle down by Monday". Another sub-broker told Moneycontrol: "They have not defaulted on exchange pay-in-pay out. But they might be managing pay in-pay out with clients money. As they are not paying us, let us see when situation will settle down. We have our finger crossed". In a statement, the firm however said: "As regards, broking operations, we are regular in meeting all the exchange obligations, however there have been some delays in releasing the pay outs due to current lockdown (although broking operations are exempted from the lockdown, the critical staff are not able to reach the office for carrying out the smooth operations). We also deny all the rumours/speculations about our associations with any group whatsoever." The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) is also monitoring the situation regarding brokers and especially those who have probability of defaulting. Last year, Karvy and IL&FS Securities, two large brokerages and clearing firms had defaulted. However, more than 90 percent of Karvys investors had managed to receive their money back due to Sebis prompt action. In February, China reported that chloroquine could fight coronavirus, which led to a burst of media optimism. However, when President Trump said he hoped that chloroquine might cure coronavirus, the media instantly turned on the drug. Unsurprisingly, the media were wrong. The lead doctor of the latest study on the drug says chloroquine is so helpful it would be unethical to deny it to control groups. We first learned about chloroquine in mid-February, when Sun Yanrong, the deputy head of the China National Center for Biotechnology Development, announced that it was one of three drugs that the Chinese had successfully used to treat coronavirus. For a month, the media thought chloroquine could be the answer. For example, in early March, UPI reported favorably that South Korean experts recommended anti-malarial drugs to treat coronavirus. On March 17, NBC News reported that chloroquine was one of the options being explored because it was useful in blunting the effects of coronavirus. Everything changed, though, on March 20 when, in a press conference, President Trump said he was optimistic that chloroquine would be a magic bullet against coronavirus: But I will say that I am a man that comes from a very positive school when it comes to, in particular, one of these drugs. And we'll see how it works out, Peter. I'm not saying it will, but I think that people may be surprised. By the way, that would be a game-changer. But we're going to know very soon. [snip] It may work and it may not work. I feel good about it. It's all it is. It's just a feeling, you know, I'm a smart guy. I feel good about it. President Trump tweeted out the same message the next day: HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE & AZITHROMYCIN, taken together, have a real chance to be one of the biggest game changers in the history of medicine. The FDA has moved mountains - Thank You! Hopefully they will BOTH (H works better with A, International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents)..... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 21, 2020 Almost instantly, the media stopped touting chloroquines potential and, instead, threw shade on the medicine. The media reported on Dr. Faucis more cautious view as if he had said Trump was lying, instead of merely saying that there were still studies to be done. One Arizona outlet even called Trumps optimism bizarre, even delusional. Science Magazine published an article proclaiming, This is insane! Many scientists lament Trumps embrace of risky malaria drugs for coronavirus. The media now described chloroquine as deadly (as all drugs are if misused). The best known of these stories was the claim that a man died and his wife took ill after following Trumps advice. What really happened was that the couple ate fish tank cleaner because they were stupid. (In an Agatha Christie mystery, the truth would have been that the woman cleverly figured out how to kill her husband.) The media even went as far afield as Nigeria to report that two people overdosed after self-medicating with chloroquine following Trumps press conference. In fact, the Nigerian press had already reported in February that chloroquine could be a potential coronavirus treatment. As always, when it comes to the medias obsessive need to contradict Trump, the media were wrong. It was the hopeful Trump who was correct. A new study from the French doctor on the forefront of coronavirus treatment shows that 97.5% of patients who received hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin improved (emphasis added): Today, Prof. Didier Raoult and his team published results of their new study. The study was supported by the Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire (IHU) Mediterranee Infection. Unlike the previous small study trial, the new observation study has a larger sample size of 80 COVID-19 patients. The objective of the study was to find an effective treatment to cure COVID-19 patients and to decrease the virus carriage duration. In 80 in-patients receiving a combination of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, the team found a clinical improvement in all but one 86 year-old patient who died, and one 74-year old patient still in intensive care unit. The team also found that, by administering hydroxychloroquine combined with azithromycin, they were able to observe an improvement in all cases, except in one patient who arrived with an advanced form, who was over the age of 86, and in whom the evolution was irreversible, according to a new paper published today in IHU Mediterranee Infection. Indeed, the chloroquine and azithromycin treatment was so successful that Dr. Raoult refused to use a control group. He believed that doing so would be unethical insofar as it would deny people a proven life-saving treatment. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan today had a meeting with the heads of large importing and exporting companies, as reported the Department of Information and Public Relations of the Office of the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister stated the following: First, I would like to thank you for continuing to work as regularly as possible in spite of all the difficulties. I can say that over the past couple of days, Armenia has worked with Georgia and Russia and reached agreement according to which both Georgia and Russia will secure a so-called green zone for cargo transportation from the Eurasian Economic Union, that is, there will be a separate zone for Armenian cargo to pass through Georgia and Upper Lars checkpoint. Of course, this is an agreement that has yet to be implemented. Since Russia is rapidly making decisions on various restrictions and this may cause some panic in Armenia, particularly among consumers, it is very important to state that Armenia has reached an agreement according to which the restrictions wont concern the Eurasian Economic Union or at least Armenia. The Prime Minister emphasized that the mentioned agreement is specific and final and added that, taking into consideration the problem with supply of products, Russia is also interested in the regular supply of products to stores and consumer markets. Nikol Pashinyan stated that he receives the statistics on imports on a daily basis and added that Armenia has sufficient resources. Afterwards, the representatives of the importing and exporting companies presented the problems and difficulties caused by the coronavirus situation and made proposals. In their turn, Minister of Economy Tigran Khachatryan and Chairman of the State Revenue Committee Davit Ananyan provided clarifications. The Prime Minister assigned the Minister of Economy to present a mechanism for staying in contact with businessmen that will allow to respond to the businessmens problems and find operative solutions as soon as possible. Nikol Pashinyan emphasized that, taking into consideration the foreign currency and logistics issues, the government has approved a number of anti-epidemic action plans for neutralization of the consequences of the coronavirus. Numerous renders of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite appeared online earlier today, revealing a device looking to punch above its weight. The images that can be seen below confirm at least two colors are in the works black and a grayish hue of blue. Samsungs unsurprisingly sticking to the bezel-less design language its been perfecting for many years now. The Galaxy Tab S6 Lite will hence have a more premium aesthetic than many of its rivals, in addition to sporting some unique selling points. Advertisement One of those are AKG-tuned speakers, as suggested by the product renders believed to have leaked from a company source. Regarding other specifications, expect Samsungs own Exynos 9611 paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage space. The Galaxy Tab S6 Lite will be a 10.4-inch affair running Android 10 with One UI out of the box. According to previous reports, Samsung is also preparing a variant with 128GB of internal memory. LTE-enabled models are also in the plans and are expected to launch globally. The 128GB version of the tablet, on the other hand, may only release in select regions. Advertisement Much like the Galaxy Tab S6, its more modest brother will ship with Samsungs latest S Pen. The device will likely be able to charge the stylus wirelessly, thus becoming the first mid-range Samsung tablet to do so. Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite to punch well above its weight The newly emerged leaks are in line with the first Galaxy Tab S6 Lite renders AndroidHeadlines exclusively uncovered last month. Its obvious Samsung is looking to emulate the overall aesthetic of its 2019 flagship, which is arguably the best Android tablet money can currently buy. That isnt to say the two lines will be truly comparable in performance, of course. However, the quality gap between the two price ranges should continue shrinking. Advertisement Samsung already obtained Bluetooth certification for the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite just over a month ago. Based on the companys track record, its likely the tablets official launch happens at some point next month. Adding further credibility to that scenario is the fact Samsung introduced the Galaxy Tab S5e in April of 2019. The South Korean company rarely breaks regular product release patterns, even during uncertain times such as these. While yes, the global markets are currently unstable, Samsung has little to gain from postponing the Galaxy Tab S6 Lites release. If anything, the companys budget-conscious products are better-positioned to succeed in 2020 than their flagship counterparts. AWAGATE FOREST, MALI For two days, dozens of armored vehicles carrying 180 elite soldiers with the French Foreign Legion lumbered over West Africas scrubby savanna to reach a suspected hide-out for Islamist militants. Finally, by a thicket of acacia trees, the legionnaires spotted a turbaned suspect in flip-flops, carrying an AK-47, who set off at a sprint and melted away in the distance. The soldiers found only his gun, boots, and ammunition holster under a thorny fence, and presented the findings to their officer. A bit of a modest result, said Col. Nicolas Meunier, commanding officer of the French desert battle group. When France sent its forces into Mali, a former French colony, after armed Islamists took control of the West African countrys northern cities, their mission was supposed to last only a few weeks. That was seven years ago. Since then, the terrorist threat has spread across a vast sweep of land south of the Sahara known as the Sahel, and Frances counter-terrorism fight has spread with it. As a result, more than 10,000 West Africans have died, over a million have fled their homes and military forces from West Africa and France have suffered many losses. And still, the battle is hardly finished. The Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, a potent armed group with loose ties to the Islamic State, has been conducting sophisticated attacks in the border regions of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. In the past four months, militants have raided four major military outposts in Mali and Niger, killing 300 soldiers. France now finds itself stuck in the Sahel, much like the United States found itself in Afghanistan and Iraq spending years and billions of dollars on fighting highly mobile Islamist groups in difficult, unfamiliar terrain, with no end in sight. French President Emmanuel Macron threatened, ahead of an emergency summit meeting with West African presidents in January, to pull his troops out. Later, he doubled down on the mission, promising to deploy additional 600 soldiers to join the 4,500 already there. He also committed to work more closely with the militaries of African countries to get them better prepared to stave off attacks. Ruth Maclean is a New York Times writer. It is increasingly clear that the Irish economy is undergoing the sharpest and most sudden downturn it has ever experienced. The need to slow the spread of the coronavirus has meant tens of thousands of businesses closing their doors. A Kantar poll taken in recent days shows consumers are not optimistic about a quick recovery. Because the shutdown of the economy is costing hundreds of millions of euro every day, the appropriate Government response is to flood resources into all possible means of taking on the virus and its effects. That means more healthcare workers, more hospital capacity, more intensive care beds, more hotels and similar buildings converted into field hospitals, more ventilators, more protective clothing for healthcare workers, more relevant pharmaceuticals, more learning on best practice in treatment. It also means more contact tracing, more testing, faster testing, better and easier-to-use testing kits, testing not only to find whether a person has the virus but also to test whether they have had it and have acquired the antibodies which may make them immune from getting it again. In a health emergency, the appropriate response for the Government is to spend big on all possible means of combating the virus and the effects, even if some of the measures prove ineffective. The costs of doing too much - in terms of lives and the economy - pale when compared to the costs of doing too little. We are currently in the emergency phase of the health response, in which expanding healthcare capacities is the main priority. But it is also necessary to think ahead. Italy is the worst affected peer country. We can only hope that we do not follow their rate of fatalities, but we can follow their thinking. Last week six Italian economists published a paper on the next phase of the emergency. They begin with an assertion: "The world economy cannot survive the current social distancing for more than a few weeks." There is a question of how long the economy can survive in these circumstances, but the laws of economic gravity cannot be frozen, no matter how much money governments flood into their economies. Governments around the world, including the Irish Government, are rightly taking massive actions to cushion the effects of the sudden and massive contraction in demand. But they cannot stop all businesses going under. As companies go bankrupt, their suppliers and creditors face additional losses. Some will also go under. Those failed businesses will unleash another wave of bankruptcies as their suppliers and creditors are hit. And so on it will go. The longer the disruption lasts, the more waves of bankruptcies and defaults there will be. At some point, parts of the economic system will start to collapse. The Italian authors write "starting with Italy, if the improvements we begin to see are confirmed and the health system is again able to cope with the demand for intensive care, we must implement a transition strategy to avoid entering into a long-term deep recession while we wait for a vaccine". Central to their proposed strategy is allowing the young, who are at least risk from the virus, to return to work if they wish. Those who return to their jobs voluntarily would be frequently tested, guaranteed healthcare if they fell ill and offered housing in currently empty hotels if they live in close proximity to those who are most vulnerable. In Ireland, the coming days will likely bring the deadliest phase of the emergency. Increasing the capacity of the healthcare system will be the main priority. Even after this phase, it will remain one of the highest priorities, most probably for months if not years. But attention will have to be turned to how priorities will change in the next phase. We in Ireland will have the benefit of learning from countries such as Italy. The abysmal failure of EU leaders to get their priorities right was much in evidence last week. Eurozone prime ministers, presidents and finance ministers wasted many hours having a fight about something that was never going to happen. Getting into an avoidable conflict with each other when so many other pressing issues require their attention does not augur well for the future of Europe. What happened? Nine governments of 19 in the eurozone, including the Irish Government, backed a far-reaching initiative that would see them collectively issue "corona bonds" - a common IOU written collectively by the 19 member countries of the currency bloc. The borrowed money would be divvied out among all the members. It would mean that each country would need to borrow less individually (and they will all need to borrow huge amounts as tax revenues fall and spending soars). Since the euro crisis in 2010-12 exposed structural flaws in the entire euro construct, the idea of a Eurobond (now called a ''coronabond'') has been on the table. There are sound reasons for it, but these need not delay us here as far too many eurozone countries are vehemently opposed to the idea and simply will not go along with it, for the moment at least. These opposing countries are mostly in northern Europe where voters want their governments to run a tight fiscal ship. In these countries, keeping the public finances in the black is rewarded at election time. As a result, these countries have low public debt levels. Governments in northern Europe believe that borrowing money collectively with countries which have different views on managing their public finances would damage them. The countries supporting coronabonds, mostly in southern Europe, include Italy, Spain, Greece, and Portugal. They all went into this health emergency with public debts close to or in excessive of one year's economic output (Ireland is the fourth most indebted eurozone country if our economic output is measured when the flattering effects of globalisation are stripped out, known as GNI). They believe that in a union such as the EU and the eurozone, the burden of dealing with the coronavirus should be shared among European citizens. While both sides have valid points, putting the euro/coronabond idea on the table last week was a serious mistake. One of the first rules of politics is never to fight a battle you cannot win. It was abundantly evident before the proposal was put on the table that the low-debt countries would not accept joint bond issuance and the proposal would go nowhere. In normal times, it might have be worthwhile for the pro-Eurobond countries to put down a marker. But these are clearly far from normal times. Not only did their proposal go nowhere, it caused one of the most acrimonious rows in the history of the European integration project. For political leaders to hurl insults and accusations at each other during a pandemic is not a good look. Another mistaken reason putting the Eurobond proposal on the table was the waste of time involved. Leaders and finance ministers are inventing massive policy interventions right now. There are not enough hours in the day to do this. Yet they wasted hours last week in videoconferences discussing something that was not going to happen. To prioritise the issue was even more mistaken because all eurozone governments can borrow the money they need, and they can borrow it cheaply. The only EU institution which really matters in the emergency is the European Central Bank. Central banks are the lenders of last resort in an economy. Despite a few initial wobbles, discussed at length in this column in recent weeks, the ECB has fulfilled this role. It is effectively printing money to tide governments over during the emergency. That is not ideal, but we are not in ideal times. As long as it continues, governments can get on with fighting the health emergency. There will be plenty of time to deal with the bill when it has ended. Now the imperative is to save as many lives and livelihoods as possible. Pranab Mondal By KOLKATA: While at least two IAS officers have recently flouted minimum guidelines to combat Covid-19, seven migrant labourers who travelled thousands of kilometers on a train from Chennai to return to their village in West Bengal, have self-quarantined themselves on trees, all because their families own only a one-room mud hut and fear they could be virus carriers. The tribal migrants, who returned to Purulia district around 300 km from Kolkata quarantined themselves on three trees, one banyan and two mango. All the seven labourers are from Bhangidih village of the district. They understood that their presence might pose a health risk not only to their families and but the entire village. Fearing attacks by elephants, the seven migrants have tied charpoys on the tree branches and even put up mosquito nets. They have been living there since last Monday. COVID-19 LIVE | India records highest single-day jump, fresh cases in UP, Bengal, Tamil Nadu We boarded a train from Chennai on Saturday last week. We arrived at Kharagpur the next day and underwent a medical check-up. The doctors found no symptoms of coronavirus but advised self-quarantine for 14 days so we did not enter our village, said Bijay Singh, one of the labourers. Bijay and others contacted their friends, who helped them with the charpoys and mosquito nets. Their meals are supplied by their families. They keep the cooked food under the tree, we climb down and eat. We are not even allowing our family members to wash the utensils. We wash it with soap and keep it on the ground before climbing up again, said Ranjit Singh Sardar. Balarampur block development officer Dhrubapada Shandilya said no praise was enough for the seven. We are thinking how the local administration can help them out, he said. Their conduct is in sharp contrast to that of two IAS officers. One West Bengal IAS officer attended meetings in the state secretariat even though her son had just returned from the UK and did not quarantine himself. Her son later became the first confirmed coronavirus case in the state. Another Kerala cadre IAS officer has been suspended after he also flouted the guidelines and did not self-quarantine after returning from Singapore. KAMPALA Outgoing Commissioner General of the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) Doris Akol has thanked her subordinates for supporting her during her five-year term in office. In an email sent to staff on Sunday, March 29, Ms Akol also asked her colleagues to support her successor, Mr John Musinguzi. Dear Team, His Excellency has just appointed Mr John Musinguzi as the new Commissioner-General with immediate effect. Lets welcome Mr Musingizi to the URA family and render him utmost support, she wrote. It has been an absolute honour and privilege to be your team leader for 5 years and 5 months. Thank you for loving me, for supporting me and for being loyal to me. May God bless you all. The struggle to liberate our country continues, she added. This came minutes after Mr Museveni appointed John Musinguzi Rujoki as the Uganda Revenue Authority Commissioner-General. By virtue of powers granted to me by the Constitution, I have appointed John Musinguzi Rujoki as the new Commissioner General of URA. This appointment takes immediate effect, Museveni posted on his social media pages on Sunday, March 29. Mr. Musinguzi holds a Masters degree in Computing and Information systems of the University of Greenwich and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics of Makerere University. He is the Senior Presidential Advisor on ICT and Investment. Following her graduation from the Law Development Centre in 1994, Akol spent one year at PricewaterhouseCoopers, at their Kampala offices. In 1995, she joined URA, as a Legal Officer. From 2012 until 2014, Doris Akol was the Commissioner for Legal Affairs and Board Matters at the Uganda Revenue Authority. In that capacity, she also served as the Companys Legal Secretary. In October 2014, she was appointed Commissioner general at URA.She assumed her new office on 30 October 2014. Related File photo A 102-year-old Italian woman, Italica Grondona, has survived the coronavirus disease or COVID-19 after spending more than 20 days in hospital. Although the aged are said to be among those highly vulnerable to COVID-19, Grondona recovered from coronavirus in the northern Italian city of Genoa. We nicknamed her Highlander the immortal, said Vera Sicbaldi, the doctor who treated Grondona told CNN. Italica represents a hope for all the elderly facing this pandemic. However, Sicbaldi said the doctors did very little and that Grondona recovered on her own. The average age of those who have tested positive for coronavirus and subsequently died in Italy is 78, according to the countrys National Health Institute. Grondona was hospitalised at the beginning of March for mild heart failure when it was discovered she had mild coronavirus symptoms. Doctors said her case impressed them so much that they decided to study it deeper. We got serological samples, she is the first patient we know that might have gone through the Spanish flu since she was born in 1917, Sicbaldi explained, referring to the 1918/1919 flu pandemic that killed at least 50 million people worldwide, according to the United States-based Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Sicbaldi said Grondona left hospital on March 26 and was now in a care home. Meanwhile, Grondona wouldnt be the first centenarian to have overcome the coronavirus. Saudi authorities have seized more than five million medical masks that were illegally stockpiled amid the coronavirus outbreak, state media reported on Sunday. The commerce ministry seized 1.17 million masks from a private store in Hail, northwest of the capital, after authorities on Wednesday confiscated more than four million masks stored in a facility in the western city of Jeddah in violation of commercial regulations, the official Saudi Press Agency reported. The ministry said people behind such activities would be prosecuted, and that the confiscated masks would be redistributed to the open market. Pharmacies in the oil-rich kingdom have reported shortages of masks amid panic buying, as authorities warned against prices hikes. Saudi Arabia is scrambling to limit the spread of the deadly disease at home. The kingdom's health ministry has reported more than 1,200 COVID-19 infections and four deaths so far, the highest number of cases in the Gulf region. It has imposed a nationwide partial curfew, barred entry and exit from Riyadh as well as Islam's two holiest cities Mecca and Medina and prohibited movement between all provinces. King Salman warned last week of a "more difficult" fight ahead against the virus, as the kingdom faces the economic double blow of virus-led shutdowns and crashing oil prices. EU calls for cease-fire in Syria amid the outbreak The EU joined the UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen's call to stop violence and limit the spread of the coronavirus. The EU on Sunday called for an immediate and nationwide cease-fire in Syria to deal with the novel coronavirus. AREA IS IN HIGH RISK In a statement, EU External Action spokesman Peter Stano stressed the dangers of the virus in war-zones, reiterating the importance of ending hostilities which he said "is important in itself." The cease-fire "is also a precondition for halting the spread of the coronavirus and protecting an already struggling population from its potentially devastating consequences," he added. The situation is particularly critical in the northwestern province of Idlib because of the high number of displaced people, he said. On March 5, Turkey and Russia agreed on a cease-fire to halt fighting in northeastern Syria. Despite the continues diplomatic efforts, the Russian-backed Syrian regime continues with military operations. The HSE is holding a Covid-19 media briefing at Citywest Hotel and Conference Centre in Dublin this morning. At today's briefing are the CEO of the HSE, Paul Reid, HSE Chief Operations Officer, Anne O'Connor, and Dr Colm Henry, Chief Clinical Officer with the HSE. Ms O'Connor said there are 88 people in intensive care units (ICU), mostly in Dublin, and they are increasing their capacity around the country. Ms O'Connor said the ICU units have NOT reached capacity in any hospital in the country. However, Mr Reid said the hospital system will be "under significant pressure" in the coming weeks. Mr Reid said that normally they would spend around 15m on personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare staff, but this year they will spend around 208m on the equipment. It comes as the first flight carrying PPE for healthcare workers here is due to arrive at Dublin Airport today. There will be 10 flights initially delivering more equipment here from China over the coming days. The first 10 flights will bring in 1.6 million masks, 400,000 eye protectors, 265,000 gowns and 254,000 pairs of gloves. The almost 30m shipment of masks, gowns and gloves due in Ireland today will be distributed to frontline workers tonight. He confirmed the delivery of PPE has been a priority and that very shortly the Aer Lingus flight will return from China with the first significant consignment. He said we are competing with every country around the world for the equipment. Mr Reid revealed that 66,500 people have responded to the 'OnCall for Ireland' initiative, while around 1,400 people have been trained for contract tracing with 4,000 hoping to be trained in the coming weeks. The CityWest Hotel is to be turned into a Covid-19 isolation for people who cannot isolate anywhere else and the Conference Centre will become a step down facility for patients who no longer need critical care. Mr Reid said the hotel is the first such facility planned for the country and it will have 750 bedrooms available to support people who are asymptomatic; those who have mild symptoms but have not been tested; and those who have tested positive but who cannot self-isolate at home. Ms O'Connor said there are more than 2,100 acute beds available in the public system and 267 critical care beds, that is without including private hospitals. She added that they are securing more ventilators. She also that the 750 bedrooms in the CityWest facilities are not for acute care patients, but purely for people who cannot self-isolate at home while there are 450 people can be accommodated in the overflow system. Ms O'Connor added that they are expecting the peak number of cases between April 10 and 14. Last night, Health Minister Simon Harris has said extra staff have been hired in the health service to tackle the Covid-19 crisis. It comes as the latest update last night revealed 14 new patients in the east of the country have died from coronavirus. The Health Protection Surveillance Team said last night there are also 294 new cases of Covid-19 in the Republic. The latest deaths bring to 36 the number of people who've died here, while the number of people with coronavirus has reached 2,415. [snippet1]987600[/snippet1] By Archana Chaudhary and Lisa Du Its something that has never been tried before: 1.3 billion people -- a fifth of the globes population -- locked down in one place for 21 straight days. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered the unprecedented move this week in a bid to replicate Chinas relative success containing the coronavirus outbreak. But he faces perhaps more obstacles than his neighbor President Xi Jinping, who leveraged the Communist Partys centralized control to isolate some 60 million people in the province of Hubei, where Covid-19 first emerged. For latest updates on coronavirus outbreak, click here Indias biggest advantage over China right now has been taking action before the health system became overwhelmed and makeshift hospitals have to be constructed, according to Paul Ananth Tambyah, the Singapore-based president of the Asia Pacific Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infection. If the Indian effort works, the impact on the world will be tremendous, Tambyah said by email. It is bold and unprecedented. It is also risky in that unintended consequences may result with people missing out on care for other illnesses. Although Modi won the biggest political mandate in decades, Indias federalist system means he must work with powerful state leaders to implement his orders -- some of whom have recently sparred with him over a law discriminating against the Muslim minority that spawned nationwide protests. The countrys vibrant democracy, with a diverse ethnic makeup, also has few of the advanced technologies that the Communist Party deploys to keep troublemakers in line. Escalation Feared While India has 834 confirmed cases of Covid-19, experts fear that number could increase dramatically over the next few weeks, presenting an unprecedented test for its health system. China, which has seen more than 80,000 cases, is getting back to work while seeking to prevent a second wave by blocking almost all foreigners from entering the country. Read: Coronavirus: State-wise total number of confirmed cases, deaths If by the social isolation that India has gone ahead with, the infection is slowed, all credit has to go to the government, said T. Jacob John, a senior virologist and former government adviser, who warned that a 10% infection rate -- conservative in some countries -- means 130 million people could catch the virus. But if people die, the entire blame is also the central governments. There was no need to take this gamble. Although China started relatively later than India, partly because it punished doctors who initially sounded the alarm about the disease, it was able to quickly mobilize all levels of government once it acknowledged the threat. More than 2,000 migrant workers built two new hospitals, with 2,600 beds in total, in just 10 days. Stadiums, offices and hotels were converted into isolation units. China then flew in thousands of doctors into Hubei to treat the sick, while barricading residents indoors to prevent the spread. Mobile-phone carriers complied with government requests to track movements of people who had been in Wuhan -- the capital of Hubei Province and the original epicenter of the disease -- and office buildings used facial recognition and automatic temperature gauges to monitor suspected cases. All of that could prove much harder in India. And the need is even greater: Whereas China has 4.3 hospital beds for every 1,000 people, Indias ratio is just 0.5, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. Its population is also poorer, lives in closer proximity and suffers worse air pollution that makes people more prone to lung disease. Public Fears With more than a decade of experience running the state of Gujarat, Modi would appear to be ideally placed to work with state governments. Yet even during his television address on Tuesday imposing the three-week lockdown, he failed to emphasize that people could continue to buy essential groceries and medicines. That left leaders of state governments like Maharashtra, whose capital is the financial center of Mumbai, to try and assuage public fears. And no matter how well the states cooperate with Modis emergency directives, the situation can unravel very quickly on the ground. Already there have been reports of police beating to death a man who left his house to buy groceries, while Indias efforts to scale up the availability of vital medical equipment -- including virus testing kits and personal protective equipment for health-care workers -- has been hampered by local authorities implementing strict curbs on movements. Modis government announced a 1.7 trillion rupee ($22.6 billion) spending plan on Thursday that includes cash support benefiting farmers and migrant workers, as well as free cooking gas for the poor. Migrant workers, the homeless and slum-dwellers are among the most likely to move about during the lockdown to find income, according to Prachi Singh, a Delhi-based associate fellow at Brookings India. Some states have taken matters into their own hands. In Kerala, a coastal state on the Arabian Sea, the local government has followed its own experience of dealing with a 2018 outbreak of the Nipah virus, which originates from fruit bats and can lead to brain swelling. The states chief minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, has won praise for a 200 billion rupee ($2.7 billion) relief package that is separate from the federal government. Signs of Strain In the capital New Delhi, meanwhile, local media reported landlords were kicking out critical staff like doctors, nurses and paramedics over infection fears. That led to an intervention from Home Minister Amit Shah and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who called for an end to the evictions. When dealing with a major health crisis like this, you still need New Delhi leading from the front to coordinate responses, said Michael Kugelman, senior associate for South Asia at the Wilson Center in Washington. The fact its a messy democracy undercuts Indias ability to act as forcefully as China did in compelling its population to observe social distancing, said Kugelman. There are signs of strain. Unlike in China, where so-called green corridors ensured online grocery services and supermarkets were able to feed the countrys 1.4 billion people, Indian authorities have been stopping food trucks on highways, and shutting down warehouses and rice mills. The countrys largest online retailers -- including Amazon Inc., Walmart Inc.-owned Flipkart and BigBasket, a fresh grocery delivery service backed by Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. -- are also struggling to navigate the now-closed borders between Indias 29 states and territories. Modis federal government has so far looked good with decisive measures to shut borders and restrict peoples movements, but theres a long way to go, according to Akhil Bery, a Washington-based analyst with Eurasia Group. It will require an all-hands-on-deck approach to save the situation -- and he will have to cooperate with regional leaders, Bery said of Modi. Frankly how it will pan out will depend on how many people die in India because of coronavirus. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Walter Sim (The Straits Times/Asia News Network) Tokyo Sun, March 29, 2020 21:08 654 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206e31437 2 News haneda-airport,Japan,Airport,travel Free Tokyo's Haneda Airport is expanding its flight routes from today, in a scheduled move intended to meet travel demand which has now evaporated in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. But the new flight paths, which will bring large passenger aircraft over heavily populated residential districts in Tokyo, were controversial even before now. Pilots have raised safety concerns about the new routes, and residents have complained about noise pollution. With the expansion, Haneda Airport's Terminal 2, which has served only domestic flights, will now also handle international traffic. And Haneda Airport International Terminal will now be renamed Terminal 3. The new routes will raise the airport's capacity for international departures and arrivals by 50 flights a day. This will increase the total annual number of flights by 39,000 from 447,000 now to 486,000, bringing an estimated yearly economic benefit of 650 billion yen (US$6.023 billion). The expansion was timed to cater to an expected surge in visitors for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, but these events have now been put off to next year. Japan's goal of attracting 40 million visitors this year also appears out of reach, with tourist arrivals in free fall. And worse is yet to come after a 58.3 percent plunge in tourist arrivals last month, because of the worldwide travel curbs in place. About 70 percent of international flights at Haneda Airport have been cancelled, according to figures from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Read also: All we have left is to hope and pray: Travellers stranded in airport by coronavirus The new flight paths will take large jets directly above central Tokyo districts such as Shibuya, Shinjuku and Shinagawa between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., at least initially. There could be as many as 40 an hour, depending on the routes. At least 24 grassroots groups have petitioned the Transport Ministry - some as early as two years ago - to call off the plan because of the noise pollution and the risk of accidents. But on Friday, Transport Minister Kazuyoshi Akaba said: "This period of reduced flights can serve as a runway towards the full operation of the new flight routes. We will continue to gather data, thoroughly re-examine noise and safety measures during this period." A trial run between Jan. 30 and March 11 showed sound levels hitting 87 decibels to 94 decibels over the city of Kawasaki, which is about 18 km from Tokyo. This, local media said, would be "louder than inside a pachinko (slot machine) parlor". The trial also showed that one in five flights exceeded the government's noise estimates. Shinagawa resident Kiwami Omura, who leads one of the citizens' groups, said the noise was "unbearable" and would be stressful to the elderly as well as disruptive to students. To reduce noise levels, the Transport Ministry has recommended that planes fly at a higher altitude and descend at an angle of 3.45 degrees. But Hokkaido University's Professor Toshihito Matsui, who studies noise pollution, told the Nikkei newspaper that this would reduce sound levels by only an "imperceptible" two decibels. The angle of descent is also steeper than the three-degree angle recommended by the International Civil Aviation Organisation. During the trial run, an Air Canada plane was forced to abort its landing at Haneda Airport as it could not land at 3.45 degrees, and instead landed at Narita International Airport, about 63 km away. The International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations said in a statement that the steeper angle could "potentially lead to increased occurrences of hard landings and long landings". Hiroshi Sugie, an aviation expert who was a Japan Airlines pilot for 40 years, said a steep approach is typically used only for airports surrounded by major obstacles such as mountains, and that Haneda would be the only major airport in the world to have such a steep angle. "From a pilot's perspective, even 0.1 degree makes a big difference," he said. "A gentler angle will mean an easier and smoother landing." Topics : This article appeared on The Straits Times newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post Not long after New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Sunday that Rhode Island will no longer be stopping New Yorkers at the border, the governor of Rhode Island said the order was instead expanded for all out-of-state drivers. Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo issued an executive order a few days ago that said everyone traveling from New York to Rhode Island would be stopped and ordered to self-quarantine for 14 days. On Friday, Rhode Island State Police troopers and members of the National Guard were stopping vehicles with New York license plates at the border. The measure was put in place after Raimondos order. The order did not include commercial business or people driving through Rhode Island. The order applies for anyone planning to stay in Rhode Island. On Sunday, Cuomo said on Twitter that New Yorkers would no longer be stopped. We will not let New Yorkers be discriminated against, Cuomo said on Twitter. Rhode Island will no longer be stopping New Yorkers at their border. We thank Rhode Island for their cooperation in repealing this executive order. Cuomo threatened to sue the state of Rhode Island over the order calling it unconstitutional, according to Fox News. Raimondo, on Sunday, said Cuomo could sue but believes she stands on solid legal ground. If he feels its important for him to take credit go ahead, Raimondo said in response to the New York governors tweet. Im going to keep working here to keep Rhode Islanders safe. Raimondo said she found it odd that Cuomo was focusing on her order during the COVID-19 pandemic. Raimondo expanded the order to all out-of-state travelers on Saturday. National Guard members are at airports, bus stops, train stations and bus terminals and collecting information from people. The Rhode Island governor spoke with Cuomo on Saturday. The order specifically for New York was repealed then expanded. Rhode Island State Police Col. James Manni said during a press conference Sunday that there are two checkpoints on Interstate 95 and on two other highways. Drivers with out-of-state plates will be directed to stop at information centers. National Guard members will collect information and destination locations for drivers and travelers and send the information to state health officials. The out-of-state drivers and travelers will be ordered to quarantine for 14 days. Manni said drivers who do not stop will be pulled over by troopers and directed to the next informational center. The procedure we have in place does not violate anyones constitutional rights, he said. Highway signs on the southern border near Connecticut will direct people to the centers. Most of the traffic is coming from that area, Rhode Island officials said. The Rhode Island State Police will make sure that anyone planning to stay here in Rhode Island, for non-work purposes, knows that they are required, they are ordered into quarantine for 14 days, the Rhode Island governor said. Sign up for free text messages about important updates on coronavirus in Massachusetts Related Content: Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dino Patti Djalal (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sun, March 29, 2020 14:53 654 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206e21d26 3 Opinion opinions,COVID-19,coronavirus,#coronavirus,cooperation Free The preferred policy response of every country threatened by COVID-19 seems to be a lockdown, or severely restricting movement (of people, goods and services) into and out of cities or countries. For now, this is undoubtedly the best way to slow down, contain and hopefully roll back the spread of the novel coronavirus within and between nations. But beating COVID-19 will require much more than a lockdowns, social distancing and travel bans. Even if China, South Korea and Japan succeed in scaling back the virus, that does not mean much if the rest of the world catches it. Indeed, the World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed serious concern over the "alarming level of inaction" in many countries. Some countries were in denial; some responding slowly or inadequately, and many simply lack the resources to beat the virus. The peak of this pandemic is still nowhere in sight. To survive this crisis, the world community will need a heavy dose of international cooperation and leadership. Herein lies the problem. Despite the very compelling need for it, we are still not seeing the intense international cooperation needed to solve the crisis at hand. One apparent reason is an atmosphere of "every nation for itself". The COVID-19 threat is still so new (only 11 weeks old) with so many unknowns. Terrified by the potential human and economic consequences, affected countries tend to be directing most of their energy inward. In some cases, cooperation has also been hampered by strategic rivalry, particularly between the United States and China, meaning suspicion and zero-sum thinking continue to guide policy perspectives. You would expect the pandemic threat is so great that strategic rivals would be persuaded to temporarily shelve their competition; however, this does not seem to be the case. Worse, in some countries COVID-19 is also feeding narrow-minded nationalism, conspiracy theories, xenophobia and even Sinophobia. The most important area for international cooperation -- one that would be a definitive game changer -- would be efforts to find a vaccine for the virus. The challenge here is how to foster the right kind of international cooperation where scientists and researchers from around the world could work together freely and effectively to develop a vaccine, free from political interference and mistrust. But even when the right vaccine is found someday, it will take some time for it to pass the human testing phase, more time to be legally approved and more time yet to be produced for the billions of world citizens. The common educated guess for the time needed to get a vaccine ready for distribution is 12 to 18 months. This is where things would get tricky, particularly if the pandemic remains acute by then. Countries would be lining up in intense competition to access those vaccines, potentially leading to new disputes. Who would decide which countries get them first? What would be the basis of those decisions? Who would set the price? Presently, China, Japan, the US, Germany, the United Kingdom, Russia, Singapore and perhaps a few others are racing to produce vaccines. There must be a fair international arrangement to ensure all the affected countries are looked after, with the WHO at the center of this process. International cooperation would be incomplete without leadership. As diplomatic history has shown, global challenges usually become more manageable when a country or a small group of countries decides to be at the forefront of the crisis -- taking the lead, applying pressure and persuasion on others, spending resources, pushing boundaries. Some examples: > After the 9/11 attacks, the US took charge by leading a global campaign against terrorism. > Europe in recent decades led global diplomacy on climate change. > A small group of countries pushed hard for the G-20 Summit as a response to the 2008 global financial crisis. > Indonesia and Australia led on problems of people-smuggling and irregular migration in the Indo-Pacific region. As for COVID-19, along with the shortage of international cooperation, we are still not seeing any strong leadership at the international level. The US, with all her immense diplomatic, economic and scientific resources, is typically suited to take up this leadership role. The problem here is that, in order to lead the world, you have to want to lead, and all signs indicate that President Donald Trump is simply not interested in playing this role. This is not surprising, as the US is deep into an intense election year; Trump will thus need to amplify his "America First" mantra -- not "save the world". President Trump's biggest challenge is that the US may well become the next epicenter of COVID-19. The US, in just a very short time, has already passed China and Italy in the number of confirmed cases. Governor Gavin Newsom has warned Trump that California alone was in danger of 25 million COVID-19 cases in the next eight weeks. This means the feel-good factor (the historically low 3.5 percent unemployment) that Trump was counting on to win a second term could fast dissipate. His approach to the pandemic will therefore be very US-centric and inward-looking -- despite the US$100 million COVID-19 international aid package recently announced. Trump's political mind will be overwhelmingly consumed on how to impress his local base, not global citizens. The next obvious leader candidate is Europe. But presently Europe lacks a coherent plan for herself, let alone for the world. European countries are busy enforcing export bans of medical supplies to plug shortages at home. Different European countries seem to have different policy responses to COVID-19; critics say Europe has not shown much solidarity with its own member Italy. For now, the country that comes closest to exercising international leadership is China. Despite initial mistakes, China has earned the rare twin credentials not just as the country with one of the world's highest COVID-19 case number (around 80,000) but also for effectively getting the pandemic under control. Wuhan, where it all started, is no longer under lockdown. China, more than any other country, has the experience, resources and will to come to the aid of other countries affected by COVID-19. For instance, China has proactively joined a special ASEAN - China foreign ministers meeting in Laos, held video calls with 17 Central and Eastern European countries, offered assistance to other countries and is helping Indonesia with information, advice and equipment. Undoubtedly, China wants to prove a long-standing point, that China is a (more) reliable partner, especially in times of crisis. Somehow, this has irked the political establishment in Washington, DC. Nonetheless, the US should welcome and appreciate China's goodwill COVID-19 diplomacy. Jeering China for helping other countries at this desperate hour would only make the US look selfish and petty in the eyes of the world community. Indeed, this pandemic has become a test for global solidarity. Can the crisis force countries to cross their geopolitical fault lines and help one another? Can countries show more compassion, currently an undervalued currency in international affairs? The US, in this spirit, should heed the calls by the United Nations secretary-general to ease sanctions on Iran, which has the sixth-largest COVID-19 case number, where one person reportedly dies every 10 minutes due to a lack of resources to deal with the virus. That would be a powerful message to the world that humanity and foreign policy are not mutually exclusive. There are certainly some hopeful signs. Japan's government, companies and citizens sent masks and other protective supplies to Wuhan, a move that has been reciprocated by China. Russia, China and Cuba have sent military medics and supplies to help Italy. But globally, such outreach is still the exception rather than the rule. It would be good to see this cross-border cooperation emulated and scaled up. The recent G-20 special summit on COVID-19, held by way of video call, was a good place to start, especially the plan to inject some $5 trillion of economic stimulus globally. Unfortunately, however, underlying tension and mistrust, especially between the US and China, remain, and we can expect to see more of this competitive power play ahead at the expense of global cooperation. We may be about to face the perfect storm: Humanitarian disaster, global recession, severe de-globalization, crash of healthcare systems, social breakdown and conflicting nationalism. Neither China nor the US, Iran, Indonesia or any country can insulate themselves from what is to come. COVID-19 should be the exception to -- not the extension of --geopolitical rivalry. It should be an opportunity to recover trust rather than advance mistrust. In these extraordinary times, I am sure I speak for world citizens that we count on our leaders to bring out their statesmanship and have the courage and imagination to think and work together to fight this pandemic in equally extraordinary ways. This is a war we should all win. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. A SpiceJet pilot, who has not flown a single international flight in March has tested positive for coronavirus, the company revealed. The last time he operated a domestic flight was on March 21 from Chennai to Delhi and since then he has quarantined himself at home. As a precaution, all the crew and staff who have been in direct contact with him have been asked to quarantine themselves for the next 14 days. ANI All international and domestic flights as of now have been suspended till April 14 due to the 21-day lockdown which started on March 25. Earlier, SpiceJet had offered to operate flights from Delhi and Mumbai to Patna to rescue migrant workers. It also said it was available for any humanitarian mission during the 21-day lockdown. ANI But the big question that emerges as far as the pilot is concerned, is that how did he get infected? Was it at the airport? Or through a contact with a passenger or crew member? The revelation of his infection raises more questions than answers. The mystery that needs to be solved is how a person who had not been abroad in the last month or so, got infected by a virus that came from abroad. If it spread to him through somebody else, how did it happen? His whereabouts need to be traced in order to determine that. ANI In India, the number of confirmed cases is close to 1000 though almost 10 per cent of them have recovered. Worldwide over 30,000 have died and more than 650,000 are affected by the disease which originated in China. It's a tough time to be well, almost anyone right now. But without a doubt it was small business owners who first felt the effects of the coronavirus preventative measures in full force. Overnight, previously busy streets went quiet, restaurants, cafes and bars shut and stores quickly followed. If you can, it's now more important than ever to support your local, independent interiors stores - and there are a surprising number of creative ways you can do that while staying home. Grand designs, done remotely In recent weeks, we've all had to get on board with doing any number of things remotely, and interior design is no different. "We're all stuck at home for the foreseeable future, so people are trying to make their spaces ones they're happy being stuck in," says Lisa Marconi, co-founder of interior design consultancy Dust (dust.ie). The design studio is currently offering all of its services remotely - from full-scale renovations to quick two-hour consultations. "This came about quite organically for us last year. Someone from London wanted us to design their home but the budget didn't stretch to flying us back and forth for all the meetings. So we trialled designing remotely for this client and it worked so well we decided to put it on our website this year, which has turned out to be very timely." Lisa and her team have found ways of adapting their normal design processes to work remotely and are able to offer a very similar experience without having to step through anyone's front door. "It's been a really enjoyable process for everyone," says Lisa. "The technology out there is so great that clients don't feel like they're missing out not having us physically there with them." The benefits of virtual consultations extend far beyond our current situation and could well outlast it. If you like a studio's style, you are able to get its design expertise no matter where you are. Expand Close A recent project from Dust design studio, who are offering all of their design consultations remotely. Photo: Ruth Maria Murphy / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A recent project from Dust design studio, who are offering all of their design consultations remotely. Photo: Ruth Maria Murphy Dust isn't the only design house going remote. Dublin's CA Design (cadesign.ie) is another business offering virtual design consultancy. "So instead of us going out to someone's house we're doing it through Zoom (the video conferencing app) and it's working really well," says director Carol-Anne Leyden. "We are finding that people are confined to their houses and have more time to focus on their homes. The silver lining!" When Arthur and Grainne Cassidy had suddenly to close their furniture store, Pieces (pieces.ie), on Dublin's George's Street, they too looked for new ways to stay connected to their customers. "We had a couple of clients who had just gotten the keys to their new home and were very worried about bringing lots of different people in, so we did video consultations to help them pick everything from the paint colours to the floors and even help them figure out whether furniture was going to fit," says Arthur. The couple has also noticed an increase in people looking for creative direction for existing spaces. "People have a bit more time now and are looking at Pinterest and magazines - and they're getting a bit lost and overwhelmed. So we've been helping them by creating moodboards - partly because we have a little more time to be doing that ourselves," says Grainne. Up the walls Expand Close A recent project from Dust design studio, who are offering all of their design consultations remotely. Photo: Ruth Maria Murphy / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A recent project from Dust design studio, who are offering all of their design consultations remotely. Photo: Ruth Maria Murphy One of the biggest areas of interest in recent weeks for interiors lovers (other than hastily assembled home offices) has been in paint and wallpaper. Not only are we spending more time than ever looking at our own four walls, but projects like painting and wallpapering can be one of the quickest ways to transform a space. "Painting is huge," confirms Grainne. "If you have a lot of time, which a lot of people do now, you can just do it the way you want instead of rushing through it on a Saturday morning because you have something to do on a Saturday evening and you just want to get it done." Siobhan Lam, owner of Dublin homewares store April and the Bear (aprilandthebear.com), agrees. "People have been ordering more wallpaper and more wallpaper samples than before," she says. "We've also seen a huge increase in our locker orders - they arrive flat-packed, so you have to put them together. People are going, 'You know what? I've wanted it for ages, and I actually have the time to build it now.'" Signed, sealed and (contact-free) delivered Many independent interiors stores are continuing to operate online, while keeping the delivery pipeline as pared down as possible. "I'm going into the store twice a week, wrapping up all the orders that come in and leaving them in a secure place for our drivers, so there's no contact," Siobhan explains. "And at the other end, there's no longer any physical contact on delivery, and no signature is needed, though there are protocols in place to make sure things are delivered securely." The future is now Even though the isolation period may be temporary, it could mark the beginning of a big shift in the way we work so this would be a good time to invest in making necessary adjustments. "Things could change for the long-term, with more people working from home than ever before, either permanently or much more frequently," says Lisa. "So think about adapting your home so that you have a less makeshift set-up. Two of the jobs we're currently working on have changed their remit in the last week to ask us to incorporate a hidden office area into our design. This is definitely a sign of things to come." Ways to support local businesses 1 Shop online Most Irish interiors stores are still operating online so if you can afford it, carry on shopping (locally ideally) where you can. Delivery companies have put procedures in place to eliminate contact with delivery personnel at both ends of the order process. 2 Give and spend vouchers Vouchers make excellent gifts for friends and families stuck at home. And if you happen to have any One4All vouchers, try to spend them with independent retailers. 3 Share the love Have an online store you love? Tag them on social media. Now that people can't visit showrooms, seeing products in a real space is the next best thing and helps boost sales significantly. Virginia Beach-based mattress company Leesa is pivoting its business to donate bed kits to hospitals as the World Health Organization reports the number of coronavirus cases now exceeds 650,000 globally. These are unprecedented times, Leesa CEO John Replogle said on Yahoo Finances The Ticker. The demand for hospital equipment is going through the roof, and as a mattress company, we decided we can do something about this. Coronavirus cases are still on the rise. (David Foster/Yahoo Finance) The direct-to-consumer online luxury mattress company has temporarily shut down its business to retail partners nationwide due to the virus risk. Instead, it designed a new 7-inch mattress with a simplified frame, mattress protector, and pillow specifically for hospital use. We're now shipping these direct to hospitals, Replogle explained. We have been able to secure a connection to provide 1,000 hospitals beds. We believe we're able to ship up to 1,000 different units per day all turnkey to whatever's needed, be it a field hospital or a hospital that's already in place. Coronavirus cases are still on the rise. (David Foster/Yahoo Finance) Replogle said that the company is communicating with various officials to try to supply the kits where they are needed. We've done outreach to governors, mayors, and hospitals across New York, California, North Carolina really across the nation, he said. And it is really difficult to navigate to put that supply and demand connection together. So we're hoping to get the word out and to make some of those stronger connections. A Leesa mattress. (Leesa) Leesa was deemed an essential business, enabling the company to stay in operation, but keeping the companys employees safe is a concern. It's been a little tenuous, to be honest, Replogle said. We work with a network of different manufacturers. And different states have taken different regulations, but we still have a strong enough network up and running. Find live stock market quotes and the latest business and finance news Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, LinkedIn, and reddit. When Resilinc CEO Bindiya Vakil first got word of coronavirus cases out of Wuhan in January, she mobilized her clients, Fortune 500 companies, to seek back-up suppliers right away. They scoured the radius around the epicenter of Hubei Province, identified all the parts that were sourced from there, and mapped out possible alternatives. Early action by the supply chain risk management firm allowed Resilincs customers, which include IBM (IBM) and Micron (MU), to continue with fewer disruptions out of China. But with the virus since spreading well beyond Asia and crippling critical factories, firms are finding it increasingly challenging to find workarounds to keep their businesses operating as usual. They had already begun discussions by mid-January with those suppliers to get capacity at the backup site. Wuhan didnt even get knocked down until the 22nd, so our customers had a real head start, Vakil said in an interview with Yahoo Finance. Factory closures are limiting access to key components, while airline groundings are delaying shipments, and border closures are forcing companies to reroute their cargo, reducing margins. China was the first one to be disrupted but then Malaysia shut down, Thailand shut down, most of Europe shut down, Vakil said. Many of our customers took advantage of backup sites, but obviously in the coming weeks, the backup sites went down too. Graph by David Foster Disruptions and diversification Nick Vyas, executive director of the Center for Global Supply Chain Management at the University of Southern California, said the effects of the contagion are far-reaching. I would call this a once-in-a-century disruption that were facing, he said. What makes it even more unique is that the disruptions arent happening all at the same time. Its moving from country to country, continent to continent. The disruptions have hit nearly every sector. Closures in Chinese factories prompted Apple (AAPL) to warn investors the company would fall short of its revenue target. Major carmakers in North America and Europe suspended operations to halt the spread of the virus, and order cancellations from European fashion brands have reverberated to manufacturers in Bangladesh, leading to significant job losses. Story continues In a recent survey by S&P Global Market Intelligence, 79% of companies said the coronavirus had a negative impact on business, citing disruptions to organizational supply chains as a key concern. The economic shock stemming from virus-related closures are likely to accelerate the localization of supply chains that began with U.S.-China trade war, according to Vyas. While tariffs forced some companies to shift hardcore manufacturing out of China, component manufacturing and raw materials still remain largely reliant on the country. Instead of low costs, Vyas sees a shift to regional supply chain networks tied to customer demand leading to decentralization and a decoupling out of traditional manufacturing hubs. So, if I'm catering for example to the Latin American population and North America, my supply chain network would be heavily focused out of Mexico, Vyas said. It may be a little bit more expensive in some regions, but we will then become much more diversified. Still, data from Resilinc suggests an over reliance on China in the short-term, especially as it relates to critical medical supplies. An overview of supply chains attached to the worlds 1,000 largest companies or their suppliers, shows more than 1,500 facilities tied to Chinas most heavily quarantined areas, compared to just 230 in Italy, and 3 in South Korea. In fact, Vyas argues the surge in demand for these medical supplies globally has already started to fuel Chinas bounce-back. From the Chinese government standpoint, I think theyre using this as an opportunity to create this superiority status symbol to assure the world that China is back on its feet, Vyas said. Akiko Fujita is an anchor and reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @AkikoFujita New Delhi, March 29 : As various nurses unions across India were preparing to celebrate 2020 as the "Year of the Nurse and Midwife" declared by World Health Organisation (WHO), the 12 lakh nurse fraternity in the country had to abruptly encounter one of the worst medical crisis of history, the spread of pandemic COVID-19. "We were busy chalking out programmes for this special year, to be celebrated in the honour of Florence Nightingale's 200th birth anniversary, when we were suddenly alerted by the Health Ministry officials about this new virus entering into India," said Dr Roy K. George, President of the Trained Nurses Association of India (TNAI), founded in 1908 and having one of the largest membership of nurses in the world. For the frontline of the medical and paramedical staff, the spread of dreaded virus poses a very high risk to their health. Taking note of the warning, the TNAI and its state units are geared up to ensure that 12 lakh nurses working in government and private hospitals were equipped with adequate safety kits and suits. "I was informed by the Union Health Ministry that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be meeting us urgently through a video conferencing on 24th (March). TNAI charted out certain important suggestions. I was self-quarantined during that period and therefore designated one of our senior associates, Thankam Gomez to communicate our demands to the Government," Dr George told IANS. According to TNAI President, the nurses involved in a high risk duty cannot practice social distancing like others. On the contrary, nurses, once they return from the hospital, have to practice social distancing at home to protect their immediate family members. "During the meeting with PM, we suggested that the government should look into shortage of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) kit. Besides personal care, transport, should be ensured for the nursing staff. Suggestion for life insurance cover was also given. We informed the PM that evicting nurses form rented accommodation was also a serious problem," said Dr George, while adding: "We are happy to note that PM agreed to most of our suggestions and later announced a major insurance cover for the health workers." On poor conditions of safety and sanitation standards in hospitals, particularly in smaller towns, Dr George, who trains nurses at a prestigious institute in Kerala said: "In northern states, especially in towns in Bihar, UP, MP and its neighbouring states, adequate measures should be taken on a war footing. We cannot compromise on safety of nursing staff and doctors amid outbreak of such dreaded virus. At least personal protective kits should be procured and distributed quickly. "In other parts of the country, the government should ensure proper protection of health workers who are taking care of virus infected patients. Latest report from Spain, where more than 6,500 people have died and around 79,000 have tested positive for COVID-19, hint that around 15 percent of infected persons include health workers who were treating patients suffering from this new kind of virus." "It is true that this infection is very dangerous. But for the nation, we have to work and serve people," assured Dr George. The TNAI has postponed all its engagements including the grand celebration on May 12 on eve of 200th birth anniversary of the 'Lady with the Lamp', Florence Nightingale, founder of modern nursing. "It's an important year for the nurses fraternity. But we are presently faced with the toughest task of our lifetime. At the moment, we are coordinating online with state units and they are subsequently passing on important messages to the members. Emerging problems faced by nurses are also being addressed. Though we know about the high risk to our lives, we still hope the prayers of the whole nation are with as we battle the pandemic," Dr Roy George said on behalf of TNAI, which has 5 lakh trained nurses as active members. The 112-year-old Association has maximum of 70,000 nurses as members in Kerala followed by 60,000 in Tamil Nadu while Delhi has 20,000 members. The association influences over 20 lakh Indian nurses which include 12 lakh trained nurses working in the country. Out of 20 lakh nurses, around 2 lakh are males, a majority of them working abroad. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 19:08:32|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KATHMANDU, March 29 (Xinhua) -- The emergency epidemic prevention materials donated by the Chinese side arrived here on Sunday to help Nepal fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The supplies that arrived at Tribhuvan International Airport in Nepali capital city Kathmandu in the wee hours of Sunday were formally handed over to the Nepali Health Minister Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal by the Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Hou Yanqi. Dhakal welcomed the Chinese support and expressed gratitude to the northern neighbor for helping the Himalayan country overcome the epidemic. "I would like to thank the Chinese people and the Chinese government for supporting Nepal in this difficult time to fight the COVID-19," the minister said during the handover ceremony. At a time when many countries are fighting against this battle, China keeping Nepal in the priority list and sending supplies immediately is really commendable, the minister expressed, adding that Nepal expects China's support in the coming days as well. The donations from China's Sichuan Province and the Chinese Embassy include different kinds of masks, thermometers, Chloroquine phosphate tablets, protective clothing and portable ventilators weighing 1.1 tons. Similarly, the donation from Alibaba Foundation, Jack Ma Foundation includes 100,200 N95 masks and 20,064 PCR test kits weighing 1.4 tons. "We will try our best to send other necessary supplies as soon as possible. In case of any emergency, we can send a medical expert team or arrange a video conference meeting as well to help the health workers here," the Chinese ambassador said. She also welcomed the national lockdown enforced by the Nepal government, stating that it has received encouraging support from the general public. Nepal is reportedly in dire need for medical supplies as the entire situation escalates in the country. Nepal, facing the shortage of test kits and personal protective equipment for health workers, has recorded five confirmed cases of the COVID-19 so far. But there is a growing concern over a possible spike in the cases due to the relatively low number of tests. Nepal has enforced a week-long nationwide lockdown since March 24 to prevent the spread of infection. The health ministry said that the received support materials will be distributed to federal and provincial levels hospitals immediately and will be useful for the prevention and management of the COVID-19 in Nepal. Mahendra Shrestha, director general at the Department of Health Services under the Health Ministry, told Xinhua on Saturday, "The procured test kits from China will help us in the situation of spike in positive cases of the COVID-19." The Jammu and Kashmir administration should find a balance between the necessary lockdown imposed to combat coronavirus and the vital need to allow people access to essential supplies, National Conference (NC) vice-president Omar Abdullah said on Sunday. Abdullah made the remarks over reports of people having difficulty accessing essential supplies like vegetables, milk and medicines in various parts of Srinagar and other areas because of the lockdown. "Hearing from various parts of Srinagar, probably true for other parts of J&K as well. People are struggling to access essential supplies like vegetables, milk & medicines because of the way the lockdown is being enforced," the NC leader wrote on Twitter. "I would urge the administration to urgently intervene & find a balance between the necessary lockdown & the vital need to allow people to access essential supplies," he said. In another tweet, Abdullah said the central government should have ordered a complete moratorium on any evictions from residential properties. "While announcing the lockdown the government should have ordered a complete moratorium on any evictions from residential properties. A lot of the people being forced to walk to their villages are doing so because their landlords are forcibly evicting them," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) UPPER DARBY Sunday, March 29 marked National Vietnam War Veterans Day, and in Upper Darby, some residents want to be sure those local residents who gave their lives in the line of duty are remembered. Over the past year, an effort has been underway to remember and honor those Upper Darby High School graduates who gave their lives serving in the war. The Upper Darby Historical Commission is looking to honor these Upper Darby graduates who were killed in action, said Nicholas Hoyt, a member of the Upper Darby Historical Commission. These were Upper Darby kids that made the ultimate sacrifice. In recent years, other communities such as Haverford, Brookhaven, and Radnor have hung hometown hero banners around their towns. Hoyt said they have been working on a similar program in Upper Darby. Last year, a list was compiled of the known Upper Darby High School students that were killed serving in Vietnam. The 14 names were put together with the help of Hoyts high school history teacher, Dave Tatum. The Upper Darby students killed in the war were: John D. Bowman, Glenn F. Bullock, Michael J. Callahan, Victor J. Ford, Louis V. Herman, Robert D. Higbee, Ronald J. Humm, Dennis Paul Isom, Michael J. Kerl, Donald B Mancill, Robert W. Matthews, Edward J. Millison III, Richard C. Nelson and William A. Rees. Last September, they unveiled the first two banners for Drexel Hill natives Army 1st Lt. Donald Mancill and Army Capt. Michael Kerl. Kerl was killed in action on Feb. 6, 1971, when his helicopter went down in South Vietnam at the age of 24. Mancill sustained injuries from hostile fire, but returned home from the war and died from his injuries on Sept. 6, 1969. Hoyt hopes that one day the banners of all 14 Upper Darby students will be lined along Lansdowne Avenue in the area of the high school. If we could have it along Lansdowne Avenue, by the high school, it would just be an amazing experience, especially around Fourth of July, Hoyt said. Imagine if you go to the high school to watch the fireworks and your standing underneath the banner Lt. Mancill, one of the first men we honored. Its a powerful experience that youre standing on Lansdowne Avenue looking at the fireworks, and you see an actual face and an actual name of someone that walked those same streets just 40, 50 or 60 years ago. : Tamil Nadu government on Sunday said two patients who had tested positive for COVID19 with overseas travel history, have reported negative for the virus and have been discharged. Tamil Nadu has reported 42 cases of coronavirus with two of them already being discharged and are currently under 'home quarantine.' State Health Minister C Vijaya Baskar said two patients after returning from the United States were admitted at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital for COVID19 positive. The duo hailing from Porur were discharged on Sunday, he said adding they have recovered from illness and tested negative "twice". He said the duo would be in home quarantine for the next 14 days. #update: 2 Pts US return admitted at #RGGH for #Covid_19 +ve, from Porur is discharged from hospital today. They have recovered from d illness & tested negative wice.They will be home quarantined for next 14 days. I appreciate the Dean & team who took care of d Pts. @MoHFW_INDIA," he said in a tweet. The first COVID19 positive case in Tamil Nadu, a 45- year old engineer with a travel history to Oman has been discharged from Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital after he recovered. Another 20-year old individual hailing from Uttar Pradesh who had travelled from New Delhi by train and tested positive for coronavirus. He was later discharged from RGGH after test results returned negative following treatment. A 54-year old man died in Madurai on Wednesday, making it the first coronavirus death in Tamil Nadu. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China reports only 45 more coronavirus cases Chinese health commission said that 44 cases imported, domestic infection case reported in Henan province. China has confirmed 45 more coronavirus cases, of which 44 were imported, local media announced on Sunday. DEATH TOLL STANDS AT 3,304 A new domestic case was reported in Henan province, the state-run Xinhua news agency quoted the National Health Commission as saying. On Saturday, five deaths and 28 new suspected cases were reported on the mainland, with all the deaths being in Hubei province. The death toll in China now stands at 3,304, while 75,576 people have recovered. Data compiled by the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University shows worldwide infections over 665,600 mark with over 30,800 deaths. More than 140,700 have recovered from infections. Fifteen years ago, Xavier University professor and jazz clarinetist Michael White absorbed the full force of Hurricane Katrinas destruction. He returned from his Houston evacuation to discover that breaches in the London Avenue Canals retaining wall had flooded his Gentilly home, ruining his vast archive of early jazz history and memorabilia. I thought," White said this week, "that Katrina would be the worst disaster Id see in my lifetime." And yet he, like many thousands of fellow New Orleanians who lived through Katrina, now finds himself in the throes of the coronavirus pandemic, its silent and largely unseen havoc contrasting with the obscene physical toll of the storm. When you go outside, its empty like Katrina, but you dont see the destruction, you dont smell that smell, you dont feel that dead stillness, that absence of rhythm and music," White said. "Im having a hard time grasping the reality. It seems like the Twilight Zone. As with Katrina, the pandemic has radically altered daily life and raised the prospect of an uncertain future. The school year is disrupted. Businesses and barrooms are closed, some with boarded-up windows. The national media has again been slow to catch on to the scope of the disaster in Louisiana. Hospital staffers and health care professionals are again on the front lines, desperately trying to stem the tide of an unfolding catastrophe. Even the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, scene of so much misery in those terrible days after Katrina, is once again being pressed into emergency service. On Friday, members of the Louisiana National Guard were in the process of setting up two 250-bed field hospitals in the building to handle overflow coronavirus patients. And the community is once again mourning an ever-growing number of victims. Approximately 1,500 Louisianans died in Katrina. The state's death toll so far from coronavirus is 119, but many more patients are expected to succumb. Still, the coronavirus pandemic is a very different kind of disaster. It isnt illustrated by dramatic images of water rescues, citizens stranded on rooftops, houses torn from their foundations or high-rise hotels with shattered windows. Instead, for most people, the largely invisible pandemic's parameters play out as numbers and curves on a graph. As New Orleans was resurrected after Katrina, going to bars and restaurants felt like acts of defiance and resolve, signs that the storm had not whipped the city or its spirit. This time around, going out or gathering in groups can be lethal. Early returnees after Katrina relied on MREs, ice chests and candles. This time, the power is on, refrigerators, air-conditioners, TVs and internet connections are functioning, and grocery stores are open. Unlike Katrina, physically attacking the pandemic is not possible. There is no mess to clean up, no flooded homes to muck out. Outside, everything looks normal, if deserted. Vaccine news in your inbox Once a week we'll update you on the progress of COVID-19 vaccinations. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up During the long Katrina recovery, residents could temporarily escape the disaster by traveling to where life was unaffected by the storm. This time, there is no such escape. And Katrina, for all its destruction, was a finite event. The pandemics duration and extent are unknown. With Katrina, you knew what happened, good, bad and ugly, White said. With this, we dont know how its going to end." Prior experience with a traumatic event may or may not be an advantage this time around, says Loyola University assistant professor of psychology Kate Yurgil. Individuals respond in many different ways to disasters, she said. Theres a whole spectrum of ways that we cope. Yurgil teaches a class called The Psychology of Trauma and Disaster. Its a subject she knows first-hand: she was buying books to start her doctoral program at Tulane University just before she evacuated for Katrina. Some research suggests that exposure to prior adverse events may bolster your adaptability, Yurgil said. Weve been here before, we have some familiar behaviors that have done well for us in the past. Even though this is a different type of disaster, we know we can handle it. But conversely, some people who suffer chronic symptoms from Katrina may have more difficulty. Familiar feelings of uncertainty, foreboding, dread and fear can be triggering and bring up unresolved symptoms, Yurgil said. She's encouraged by research showing that the "most common trajectory following a disaster is one of resilience. Its important to remember that, coming out on the other side, most of us will find a new normal. Most of us will be okay. Still, uncertainty necessitates adaptability, said Yurgil. Our ways of coping arent static. They change from event to event, and they can change through the current crisis. They might be different tomorrow, or next week." Chef and restaurant owner Susan Spicer knows all about improvising in the face of disaster. After Katrina flooded her house in Lakeview, she worked from Jackson, Mississippi, to remediate, repair and reopen her restaurants. With New Orleans in the grip of the coronavirus, her French Quarter flagship restaurant, Bayona, is closed, as is her Mondo outlet at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. Shes kept another restaurant, Rosedale, open for take-out, but is adjusting the days and menu on the fly. That sort of scrambling is very familiar, Spicer said. Every day it changes. In the months after Katrina, there was always the underlying stress. There were constant decisions to be made and things to think about. You knew it would be a while, but you had an idea of how soon you could get back at it," Spicer said. "Now, fifty percent of the people you know may get sick. Its like, Whos next? Once New Orleans restaurants can fully reopen, she predicts "an outpouring of support" similar to what happened after Katrina. But well all have COVID-19 stories instead of hurricane stories," she said. Britain has been braced to expect a partial lockdown of society for six months or longer, following another sharp rise in the number of coronavirus deaths. Only some of the harsh restrictions will be lifted in the weeks to come, the deputy chief medical officer warned even if a review after Easter judged they are working. Three weeks for review, two or three months to see if weve really squashed it, Dr Jenny Harries told a Downing Street press conference. But three to six months, ideally but lots of uncertainty in that to see at which point we can actually get back to normal. And it is plausible it could go further than that. In a bleak message on the day a further 209 deaths were announced, taking the UK total to 1,228 the deputy chief medical officer warned it would be dangerous to revert to normal too quickly. If we stop, then all of our efforts will be wasted and we could potentially see a second peak, she urged the public to recognise. The comments came as Robert Jenrick, the communities secretary, said all parts of the UK were now on an emergency footing, a status unprecedented in peacetime. The likely turning on and off of restrictions not a complete lockdown for six months, Dr Harries stressed was set out as: * Scotlands chief medical officer, Dr Catherine Calderwood, suggested the current lockdown would be needed for at least 13 weeks to stop the spread. Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Show all 12 1 /12 Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Agnetha Septimus, Matthew Septimus, and children Ezra and Nora Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Husband and wife filmmakers, Claire Ince and Ancil McKain pose for a portrait for the series by Shutterstock Staff Photographer, Stephen Lovekin, shot around the Ditmas Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Khadijah Silver and son Eliot Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Anna Beth Rousakis and daughter Mary Rousakis Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Mike Pergola and Denise Pergola with children Henry, Jack, and Will Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Artist Shirley Fuerst Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Jean Davis and Danny Rosenthal, with children Simone, Naomi, and Leah Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Robert E Clark Jr Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Lisa Draho and Josh Zuckerman, with children Ruby and Ava Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Professor and activist Dr Kristin Lawler Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Tom Smith and Laura Ross, with daughters Caroline, Elizabeth, and Abigail Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Callie Lovekin and Lucas Lovekin Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock * Amged El-Hawrani, a consultant at University Hospitals of Derby and Burton, became the first frontline NHS worker to die in the fight against coronavirus. * The government agreed to investigate a blunder that may have seen the UK miss out on an offer of 25,000 life-saving ventilators. * Michael Gove was accused of feeble excuses and of putting Chinese people in the UK at risk after blaming Beijing for the failure to curb the spread of the disease. * Clothes makers said the government had dragged its heels in ordering desperately needed personal protective equipment for NHS staff. * Nothing was heard from the self-isolating Boris Johnson although Mr Gove insisted he was still fully in charge. * Tony Blair called for a very large proportion of the entire population to be tested, in order to truly conquer coronavirus. When Mr Johnson announced the lockdown last Monday, he said it would last for three weeks before a review was carried out. Ms Harries said that, although the review would take place after Easter, it would then be two to three months before it was possible to judge if the NHS had squashed the peak of coronavirus cases. We anticipate our numbers will get worse over the next week, possibly two, and then we are looking to see whether we have managed to push that curve down and we start to see a decline, she told the press conference. This is not to say we would be in complete lockdown for six months, but, as a nation, we have to be really, really responsible and keep doing what were all doing until were sure we can gradually start lifting various interventions. That lifting would be spaced, based on the science and our data, until we gradually come back to a normal way of living. Earlier, Mr Gove admitted the lockdown was poised to last longer than three weeks, saying: I wish I could predict when this will end. The cabinet office minister also swerved a question about a top scientists new prediction that the peak of the outbreak will be in mid-April, rather than late May or early June as originally expected. The date of the peak depends on all of our behaviour its not a fixed date in the calendar like Easter, he told the BBCs Andrew Marr programme. The ground-zero city of Wuhan is cautiously reopening after a two-month quarantine, but the birthplace of the global coronavirus pandemic is now on guard against a potential new threat: imported cases. Travel restrictions have been loosened, with Wuhan's busy train station officially resuming inbound services on Saturday and highways reopened as the unprecedented lockdown that kept more than 50 million people across Hubei province housebound is lifted. That has unleashed a reverse tide of local residents who were stranded elsewhere in China -- where many reported facing ostracism or restrictions on their movements -- and are now flocking back to homes they have not seen for at least 10 weeks. The returnees -- many arriving by train wearing two face masks, latex gloves and protective suits -- bring with them the potential for a new round of infections, and authorities are taking few chances. Before leaving Wuhan's station, all passengers are required to register their personal details and travel history before proceeding through temperature checks. They also must show either a certificate of good health or a "green" rating -- for "safe" -- on a mobile phone app system that has been adopted nationwide and uses big data to track whether a person visited any high-risk areas in China. Without that, travellers must submit to a nucleic acid test for the virus, an official in Wuhan's Jiangan district told AFP. Those who report or who are suspected of having travelled abroad recently are sent to a separate registration area, where workers in hazmat suits check their details. - 'Safer in China' - "Initially we were more scared and maybe thought it was safer overseas," said Han Li, who is involved in processing returnees to the city. "But now it doesn't seem this way. It seems it might be safer within China." China claims success in suppressing the virus, with official figures now routinely showing no new domestic infections. In Wuhan, which at the peak of the crisis recorded thousands of fresh cases daily, that has dropped to zero. But with the United States, Europe and other regions now struggling with their own outbreaks, China is reporting dozens of imported cases each day, and has shifted the focus of its prevention effort to the external threat. China took the dramatic step of announcing Thursday a cut in the number of international flights to just one route per week to and from each country, limiting the passenger capacity of flights to 75 percent, and imposing a ban on most foreigners entering China, even those with valid residence visas. Underlining the risks to Wuhan, huge numbers of passengers have crowded onto trains and buses to return home, threatening to swamp the traumatised city's containment measures. In the nearby city of Huanggang, several hotels remain closed, diners are still forbidden to eat inside restaurants, with only take-out offered, while signs hanging in the streets warn of the continued threat. "Gathering to play cards is suicide," said one roadside banner. - No vacancy - On Saturday, a district health worker in Wuhan pried open the glass doors of a shuttered hotel that was previously used to quarantine suspected COVID-19 patients, in order to set up a virus-testing site. AFP reporters who arrived recently in the city were among those told they must take the test, conducted in a make-shift manner while seated on a plastic stool outside the hotel entrance as a health worker took throat swabs. The test subjects included a local woman whom the health worker said was a recovered COVID-19 patient. Staff at multiple international hotels in the city told AFP that no foreigners were allowed to book rooms due to the ongoing pandemic. At least one hotel said foreign guests must have proof that they had completed a two-week quarantine, even if they had stayed in China since before the outbreak. "Things are more tightly controlled now," a hotel receptionist told AFP. Wuhan's measures are similar to those imposed by local governments elsewhere in China, with many provinces requiring international arrivals to isolate themselves at home or in designated quarantine facilities for 14 days. Restrictions on residents heading out of Wuhan will not be lifted until April 8, when the airport will also reopen for domestic flights. A study this week found the lockdown in Wuhan had succeeded in containing the virus, but cautioned against opening up the city too soon. Travel restrictions have been loosened, with Wuhan's busy train station officially resuming inbound services on Saturday China claims success in suppressing the coronavirus, with official figures now routinely showing no new domestic infections Staff at multiple international hotels in Wuhan told AFP that no foreigners were allowed to book rooms due to the ongoing pandemic A study this week found the lockdown in Wuhan had succeeded in containing the virus, but cautioned against opening up the city too soon On Feb. 5, with fewer than a dozen confirmed novel coronavirus cases in the United States but tens of thousands around the globe, a shouting match broke out in the White House Situation Room between Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and an Office of Management and Budget official, according to three people aware of the outburst. Azar had asked OMB that morning for $2 billion to buy respirator masks and other supplies for a depleted federal stockpile of emergency medical equipment, according to individuals familiar with the request, who spoke on the condition of anonymity about internal discussions. The previously unreported argument turned on the request and on the budget official's accusation that Azar had improperly lobbied Capitol Hill for money for the repository, which Azar denied, the individuals said. The $2 billion request from HHS was cut to $500 million when the White House eventually sent Congress a supplemental budget request weeks later. White House budget officials now say the relief package enacted Friday secured $16 billion for the Strategic National Stockpile, more money than HHS had asked for. The dispute over funding highlights tensions over a repository straining under demands from state officials. States desperate for materials from the stockpile are encountering a beleaguered system beset by years of underfunding, changing lines of authority, confusion over the allocation of supplies and a lack of transparency from the administration, according to interviews with state and federal officials and public health experts. The stockpile holds masks, drugs, ventilators and other items in secret sites around the country. It has become a source of growing frustration for many state and hospital officials who are having trouble buying - or even locating - crucial equipment on their own to cope with the illness battering the nation. Despite its name, it was never intended for an emergency that spans the entire nation. "The response contains enough for multiple emergencies," said Richard Besser, a former acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Now president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, he previously led the CDC's Coordinating Office for Terrorism Preparedness and Emergency Response that oversaw the stockpile during Hurricane Katrina. "Multiple does not mean 50 states plus territories and, within every state, every locality." The federal cache has been overwhelmed by urgent requests for masks, respirators, goggles, gloves and gowns in the two months since the first U.S. case of covid-19 was confirmed. Many state officials say they do not understand the standards that determine how much they will receive. Anecdotally, there are wide differences, and they do not appear to follow discernible political or geographic lines. Democratic-leaning Massachusetts, which has had a serious outbreak in Boston, has received 17 percent of the protective gear it requested, according to state leaders. Maine requested a half-million N95 specialized protective masks and received 25,558 - about 5 percent of what it sought. The shipment delivered to Colorado - 49,000 N95 masks, 115,000 surgical masks and other supplies - would be "enough for only one full day of statewide operations," Rep. Scott Tipton, R-Colo., told the White House in a letter several days ago. The Federal Emergency Management Agency inherited control of the stockpile barely a week ago from HHS. Lizzie Litzow, a FEMA spokeswoman, acknowledged the agency maintains a spreadsheet tracking each state's request and shipments. Litzow declined repeated requests to release the details, saying the numbers are in flux. Florida has been an exception in its dealings with the stockpile: The state submitted a request on March 11 for 430,00 surgical masks, 180,000 N95 respirators, 82,000 face shields and 238,000 gloves, among other supplies - and received a shipment with everything three days later, according to figures from the state's Division of Emergency Management. It received an identical shipment on March 23, according to the division, and is awaiting a third."The governor has spoken to the president daily, and the entire congressional delegation has been working as one for the betterment of the state of Florida," said Jared Moskowitz, the emergency management division's director. "We are leaving no stone unturned." President Donald Trump repeatedly has warned states not to complain about how much they are receiving, including Friday during a White House briefing, where he advised Vice President Mike Pence not to call governors who are critical of the administration's response. "I want them to be appreciative," he said. At briefings, Trump and Pence routinely say material is being purchased for the stockpile, supplies are being shipped out and manufacturers under federal contract are ramping up supplies. On Thursday, Pence said the stockpile had shipped 9 million N95 masks and 20 million surgical masks, as well as "millions" of gloves, gowns and face shields. But Trump and Pence also urge states to buy supplies on their own. During the March 19 briefing, Trump said governors "are supposed to be doing a lot of this work. . . . You know, we're not a shipping clerk." State officials say the advice is unrealistic. "Allowing the free market to determine availability and pricing is not the way we should be dealing with this national crisis at this time," said Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat. "This is why we need a nationally led response." Leaders in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia say their requests for aid from the stockpile have come up short. They have been competing with their counterparts to try to buy gear on the open market. "The federal government has the keys to the front door," said Nirav Shah, Maine's state health officer and director of its own Center for Disease Control and Prevention. He said the state has been scouring the country and overseas for companies that can supply protective masks. The stockpile, he said, is a critical "leg of the stool." Hospital industry executives agree. "There is no [protective gear] to be bought on the private market through vendors," said Kevin Donovan, president of Lakes Regional HealthCare, which has two hospitals in central New Hampshire. "We order but don't have any money to pay for it," because companies manufacturing masks and other emergency gear are demanding cash payments on delivery. Donovan said his hospitals, like others, are low on cash because they have canceled the elective procedures that are their moneymakers. "Unless we start getting material from the national stockpile," Donovan said, "I don't know where we are going to get it." - - - Severe organizational and financial challenges left the national stockpile unprepared when coronavirus arrived in the United States. The stockpile program was created at the end of the 1990s in response to terrorist events. The original goal was to be prepared for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats. The reserve, for example, was stocked with nerve agent antidotes, stored and maintained at more than 1,300 locations around the country, where they could be accessed quickly. In the decades since, its mission has widened to include responses to natural disasters and infectious disease threats. Even with its expanded mission and supplies, the stockpile's "original design and its current funding do not support responding to a nationwide pandemic disease of this severity," said Greg Burel, who was the stockpile's director for a dozen years before he retired in January. The last time it was deployed on a national basis was during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic, when the stockpile distributed 85 million N95 respirators, along with millions of other masks, gowns and gloves. Afterward, trade groups and public health agencies called for the stock of masks to be replenished, but the supplies were not significantly restored, according to health-care industry and public health experts. Officials at the CDC, which previously oversaw the stockpile, focused their annual budget of roughly $600 million over the past decade purchasing lifesaving drugs and equipment for bioterror and other attacks, rather than equipment vital in a viral pandemic. In late 2018, the Trump administration transferred responsibility for managing the stockpile from the CDC to a different part of HHS - a controversial move resisted by the CDC that placed the stockpile under the assistant secretary for preparedness and response (ASPR). According to current and former state and federal officials, the handover was bumpy. The CDC still oversees clinical guidance to state health departments responding to public health threats, including infectious diseases. But the stockpile's resources are now under ASPR. "The transition has been difficult because the left hand is not talking to the right hand," said one state health official with more than a decade of experience in emergency preparedness, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he needs to maintain relations with ASPR. HHS officials have sparred for more than a year with White House budget officials over money to buy more stockpile supplies. In February 2019, the White House was planning for a presidential executive order on preparing for a potential flu pandemic. HHS requested a more than $11 billion investment over 10 years for ASPR, including $2.7 billion for "treatment and control," according to a document read by a Washington Post reporter that said some of those funds would go toward "better protective devices, manufactured faster." But the executive order issued by Trump in September 2019 did not include that money. In late January, Azar began telling OMB about the need for a supplemental budget request for stockpile supplies - and was rebuffed at a time when the White House did not yet acknowledge any supplemental money would be needed, according to several individuals familiar with the situation who spoke anonymously to discuss internal conversations. Then came the Feb. 5 argument. The White House official said that beyond the $500 million, money was reprogrammed by HHS that significantly boosted funds for the stockpile. The White House official also said that, before the massive relief bill that Trump signed Friday, OMB had urged HHS to ask for more money for the emergency medical supplies. An OMB spokesperson said Saturday, "Funding has never been a constraint on agency action in coronavirus response. . . . The president has made it clear that the federal government will throw everything we have at this." - - - In mid-March, Trump declared the coronavirus outbreak a national emergency. As a result, control of the stockpile shifted again -from HHS to FEMA. Since then, FEMA's administrator, Peter Gaynor, has been asked frequently how many supplies have been shipped to statesand how allocation decisions are being made. To a question about masks from ABC News on March 22, Gaynor replied, "Well, I mean, there's hundreds of, thousands of, millions of things that we're shipping from the stockpile. I mean, I can't give you the details about what every single state, of what every single city's doing." State officials and federal lawmakers are demanding to know. "We don't know how the federal government is making those decisions," said Casey Katims, the federal liaison for Washington state, the site of the nation's first confirmed case on Jan. 21 and of an early deadly cluster at a nursing home. Since the state made the first of several requests - 233,000 respirators and 200,000 surgical masks - the supplies have been arriving piecemeal and without any explanation of the numbers. The state is now awaiting more, including a plea for 1,000 ventilators, and has been told 500 are en route, Katims said. The Minnesota congressional delegation wrote on March 22 to Azar, also perplexed: "How is HHS determining which states receive certain medical supplies? When will Minnesota receive the full order of medical supplies that state officials have requested?" The next day, the chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., sent a letter to HHS and the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees FEMA. The letter demanded to know the stockpile's inventory of protective gear and ventilators, how much has been distributed, how the allocations are being made and how much is on order from manufacturers. Explanations of the decision-making process have been inconsistent. Gaynor told the homeland security committee during a conference call, according to Thompson's letter, that states would be receiving protective gear based on each state's population and that state needs would be factored in. The letter did not provide further detail. While the stockpile still was under HHS as the virus began spreading in the United States, the department for the first time used a formula, according to individuals familiar with the system. Under that formula, 25 percent of a state's requests were fulfilled based on its population and 25 percent on its number of covid-19 cases. The remaining supplies were held back so the stockpile would not be depleted. These individuals said that, even before FEMA took over, the formula had changed again to put more emphasis on need. Asked to explain the current process, a statement from FEMA on Wednesday said, "The allocation process of PPE (personal protective equipment) to states is now focused on meeting future demand models where patient levels are expected to strain state and local medical conditions in coming weeks." Asked which models FEMA is relying on, Litzow said Thursday, "future modeling is mostly based off of data from HHS and CDC that is continually updated as more information about this emerging disease becomes available." For the coronavirus outbreak, California has asked for 20 million N95 respirators - more than the stockpile's entire inventory, estimated at about 12 million. California has received 358,381 N95 masks and about 1 million surgical masks and face shields, according to the governor's office. The state is now scouting the global market. Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, has noted that California is in a better position because its size gives it purchasing leverage. California officials said they welcomed FEMA's involvement because they already had a strong working relationship with the agency after months of fighting the state's catastrophic wildfires. Minnesota's manager of public health emergency preparedness, Deborah Radi, said FEMA has been clearer about stockpile deliveries than HHS. She said her state's first shipment from the stockpile had arrived one night at 1 a.m., when the state's warehouse to receive it was closed. When FEMA handled a more recent delivery of protective gear, she said, it alerted the state about a delay and then again when the truck was one hour away. States continue to press their cases with federal officials. They point outthe severity of the outbreak in their state, or the vulnerability of their population. As of mid-March, West Virginia had not reported a confirmed case, but it has one of the nation's oldest populations. It received an initial shipment of slightly more than 1 percent of its request for 160,000 masks - 2,220 N95s. Trump's warnings for states not to complain have not subdued Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, who has been particularly outspoken during the crisis. Illinois has received 10 percent of the N95s and surgical masks it has requested from the stockpile. "I will continue to pound the table to get the federal government to acquire the supplies our states so critically need and allocate them accordingly," Pritzker tweeted on Tuesday. "Lives depend upon it." - - - The Washington Post's Aaron C. Davis, Alice Crites, Gregory S. Schneider, Ovetta Wiggins, Darran Simon, Emma Brown and Jeff Stein contributed to this report. The Union government on Sunday firmly reminded state governments that the onus to ensure that their boundaries are sealed was theirs and they should not allow the migrant workforce to cross borders and break the protocol for the nationwide lockdown across the country. The Centre also decided to isolate the tens of thousands of people who travelled during the lockdown imposed from Tuesday midnight and place them in state-run government quarantine facilities for the next 14 days. Follow Live Updates The Centres efforts to stop the coronavirus disease from spreading, which appeared to be blindsided by the heavy rush of migrant workforce wanting to reach home on foot, has now made it incumbent on the local administration and the states to ensure wages and food for them at their place of residence. ALSO WATCH | Amid lockdown, Delhi CM invokes patriotism as migrant workers leave capital Thousands of people, men, women and children have been making their way home on foot across several states, despite government orders to stay indoors to break the chain of coronavirus spread. Centres new lockdown orders to state govts DMs, SPs will be held personally liable for implementing lockdown orders State governments to arrange for shelters, food for people stranded due to lockdown Migrant workers headed home to be screened, in nearest shelter by state for 14 days Employers to pay wages to workers without any deduction on account of lockdown Landlords barred from demanding rent for rented accommodation for one month Prosecute landlords who force labourers, students to vacate premises Following an uproar over the humanitarian crisis that has emerged and led to the death of one worker who was travelling on foot to his hometown in Madhya Pradesh; the Centre has now moved in quickly to halt the movement of people. Following meetings led by Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba and Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla with chief secretaries and state police chiefs on Saturday evening and on Sunday morning, the government reminded states that there were instructions against allowing movement of people across cities or on highways. Only movement of goods will be allowed. Also Read: Quarantines go back thousands of years; work but leave scars In a statement after the meetings, the Centre warned state officials that District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police will now be held personally responsible for implementation of the directions under the Disaster Management Act. To meet the financial and food security needs of this large workforce, states have been asked to make adequate arrangements for food and shelter of poor and needy people including migrant labourers at the place of their work. States have also been ordered to release wages during the period of the lockdown. In light of reports that many migrants had cited their inability to pay the rent for their accommodation in and around Delhi for their decision to go back home, the Centre also instructed states to take action against those forcing labourers or students to vacate premises; and not demand house rent from the labourers for the lockdown period. Yesterday, the Noida administration had issued a similar order to bar landlords from arm twisting their poor tenants to pay the rent or evict them for non-payment. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Theyve built defenses for past battles, but are they prepared for the next front in the war? Laura Rosenberger, the director of the Alliance for Securing Democracy, a think tank that works to counter foreign interference campaigns, said of the tech companies. Anytime youre dealing with a sophisticated actor, theyre going to evolve their tactics as you evolve your defenses. By most accounts, the big tech companies have gotten better at stopping certain types of election meddling, such as foreign trolling operations and posts containing inaccurate voting information. But they are reluctant to referee other kinds of social media electioneering for fear of appearing to tip the scales. And their policies, often created hastily while under pressure, have proved confusing and inadequate. Adding to the companies troubles is the coronavirus pandemic, which is straining their technical infrastructure, unleashing a new misinformation wave and forcing their employees to coordinate a vast election effort spanning multiple teams and government agencies from their homes. In interviews with two dozen executives and employees at Facebook, Google and Twitter over the past few months, many described a tense atmosphere of careening from crisis to crisis to handle the newest tactics being used to sow discord and influence votes. Many spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss sensitive internal issues. Some Facebook and Google employees said they feared being blamed by Democrats for a Trump re-election, while others said they did not want to be seen as acting in Democrats favor. Privately, some said, the best-case scenario for them in November would be a landslide victory by either party, with a margin too large to be pinned on any one tech platform. Google declined to speak publicly for this article. Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebooks head of cybersecurity policy, said the threats of 2016 were less effective now but weve seen threat actors evolving and getting better. Twitter also said the threats were a game of cat and mouse. Were constantly trying to stay one step ahead, said Carlos Monje Jr., Twitters director of public policy. Michael Gove has suggested China was to blame for the Government's slow response and the lack of mass testing for coronavirus in the UK. Chinese secrecy slowed the UK's response to the coronavirus crisis, Michael Gove swiped today. The Cabinet minister said although the first case was identified before Christmas, the communist state had not been 'clear about the scale, the nature, the infectiousness'. The dig came amid mounting criticism of the government's approach, including delays in ramping up testing. The Mail on Sunday revealed today that ministers and officials are furious about Chinas campaign of misinformation, attempts to exploit the pandemic for economic gain and animal rights record. There are even Cabinet calls to reverse the decision to let Huawei build large parts of the new 5G telecoms network. Told on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show that ministers had known about the coronavirus threat since before Christmas, Mr Gove said: 'We have been increasingly the number of tests over the last month. 'It was the case that the first case of coronavirus was established in December last year. 'But it was also the case that some of the reporting from China was not clear about the scale, the nature, the infectiousness of this.' Mr Gove said the government had 'always followed the scientific advice', pointing out it had published much of the information it been given by experts. He announced that the UK tested 10,000 people for coronavirus yesterday for the first time. But he declined to give a timescale for when all frontline NHS staff will get access to checks - after small-scale trials were launched, with just 800 a day expected initially. There is also still no clear idea when the UK will be conducting the 25,000 tests a day promised by Boris Johnson. Ministers and senior Downing Street officials has warned there will be a reckoning with China over its handling of the coronavirus outbreak. PIctured is a Wuhan railway station as inbound train services resumed yesterday Michael Gove swiped that China had not been 'clear about the scale, the nature, the infectiousness' of coronavirus UK might need 180m coronavirus tests Britain might have to carry out 180million coronavirus tests to defeat the deadly disease, Tony Blair suggested today. The former PM said 'mass testing' is vital and it will need to carry on for a long time, as even if the lockdown can be eased there is a threat of 'resurgence'. He said 'virtually everyone' will need to be tested for whether they have coronavirus. And Mr Blair warned that might need to happen two or three times to combat any return of the outbreak. That could potentially mean in the region of 180million individual tests. Cabinet minister Michael Gove confirmed this morning that the number of UK tests per day has reached 10,000. At that rate it could take more than 50 years to check the whole 66million-strong population three times - although Mr Gove stressed that the numbers are being urgently increased. Advertisement The comments came as former Tony Blair warned that nearly everyone in the UK will need to be tested - perhaps two or three times each. At the current rate of checks that could take 50 years. There are also claims that it is 'unfair' senior politicians such as Mr Johnson and health secretary Matt Hancock have been formally diagnosed with the disease, while NHS workers are left in limbo. The UK's coronavirus death toll rocketed by 260 to 1,019 yesterday, the biggest increase yet. One senior Government source said: Of course, the only priority now is to deal with the crisis, but everybody knows that there has to be a reckoning when all this is over. Writing for The Mail on Sunday, former Tory Party leader Iain Duncan Smith says: For too long, nations have lamely kow-towed to China in the desperate hope of wining trade deals. But once we get clear of this terrible pandemic, it is imperative that we all rethink that relationship and put it on a much more balanced and honest basis. The World Health Organisation (WHO) and other experts have been warning that mass checks are crucial for keeping the spread of the killer disease under control. Countries like South Korea and China have been praised for their wide-scale testing regimes, which seem to have helped limit cases. However, the UK shelved efforts to test everyone with symptoms on March 12, when the response moved into a 'delay' phase. Instead people who thought they had the illness were urged to self-isolate unless their conditions became so severe they needed medical help. Amid criticism, Mr Johnson then declared just under a fortnight ago that there would be a big expansion of tests from under 5,000 a day to 25,000. Speaking on Sky News' Sophy Ridge programme, Mr Gove said he could confirm the number of tests per day had now hit 10,000.. 'We're going to move to get that up to 25,000 a day and we're doing all that we can to increase and to accelerate that, and I hope that we will be able to test as many frontline workers at the earliest possible stage,' he said. 'We've been working, as I say, with scientists, with the big players in providing medical supplies and drugs, like Boots, and others, in order to increase the number of tests that we have.' But asked when the checks would be available to all front line NHS staff he merely said: 'I hope that we will be able to test as many frontline workers at the earliest possible stage.' Mr Blair warned that a 'very large' proportion of the entire population will need to be tested for coronavirus - potentially two or three times. He said: 'Your risk, obviously, is as you start to ease the lockdown, how do you then deal with any resurgence of the disease? This, of course, is what they're now dealing with in China and South Korea, and elsewhere. 'Unless you have that testing capability that you can apply at scale, and by the way when I say mass testing I mean I actually think you will need to get to the point where you've got the capability, and I assume we're preparing for this now, of testing literally a very large proportion of the entire population. 'You may have to do those tests two or three different times because you need all the time to be able to track what's happening with the disease, to learn where, for example, there may be a surge or a hotspot of it, and take immediate action.' Labour MP Rosena Allin-Khan, a doctor who has been working in a hospital during the crisis, said she was 'really disappointed' that NHS staff were not currently being tested for the disease. Boris Johnson (pictured taking a meeting by video conference yesterday) now faces Cabinet calls to reverse his decision to let controversial Chinese firm Huawei build large parts of Britains new 5G telecoms network Will they ever learn? Chinese markets are still selling bats and slaughtering rabbits on blood-soaked floors as Beijing celebrates 'victory' over the coronavirus By George Knowles For The Mail On Sunday Terrified dogs and cats crammed into rusty cages. Bats and scorpions offered for sale as traditional medicine. Rabbits and ducks slaughtered and skinned side by side on a stone floor covered with blood, filth, and animal remains. Those were the deeply troubling scenes yesterday as China celebrated its 'victory' over the coronavirus by reopening squalid meat markets of the type that started the pandemic three months ago, with no apparent attempt to raise hygiene standards to prevent a future outbreak. As the pandemic that began in Wuhan forced countries worldwide to go into lockdown, a Mail on Sunday correspondent yesterday watched as thousands of customers flocked to a sprawling indoor market in Guilin, south-west China. Cats waiting to be slaughtered for their meat in a market in Guilin, Southwest China Here cages of different species were piled on top of each other. In another meat market in Dongguan, southern China, another correspondent photographed a medicine seller returning to business on Thursday with a billboard advertising bats thought to be the cause of the initial Wuhan outbreak along with scorpions and other creatures. The shocking scenes came as China finally lifted a weekslong nationwide lockdown and encouraged people to go back to normal daily life to boost the flagging economy. Official statistics indicated there were virtually no new infections. The market in Guilin was packed with shoppers yesterday, with fresh dog and cat meat on offer, a traditional 'warming' winter dish. 'Everyone here believes the outbreak is over and there's nothing to worry about any more. It's just a foreign problem now as far as they are concerned,' said one of the China-based correspondents who captured these images for The Mail on Sunday. The correspondent who visited Dongguan said: 'The markets have gone back to operating in exactly the same way as they did before coronavirus. 'The only difference is that security guards try to stop anyone taking pictures which would never have happened before.' The first coronavirus cases were traced to a market in Wuhan but the outbreak was kept silent by officials for weeks and whistleblowers were silenced, including 33-yearold Dr Li Wenliang, who later died of coronavirus. Dogs and rabbits are butchered and sold at a meat market in Guilin, southwest China, on Saturday, 28 March 2020 despite infection concerns about this type of market Now, after a dramatic fall in infection rates within China, the Beijing government is promoting conspiracy theories that the outbreak did not begin in China at all. A discredited story, shared widely on China's Weibo social media platform, claims coronavirus was first detected in Italy in November. Meanwhile, Chinese officials have promoted groundless conspiracy theories that the US Army brought the virus to its shores. The only Chinese city still under lockdown yesterday was Wuhan, but yesterday even the restrictions there began to be lifted, with high-speed trains allowed to operate. Details added (first version posted on 14:40) BAKU, Azerbaijan, Mar. 29 Trend: The first videoconference was held in the Azerbaijani parliament, Trend reports on Mach 29 referring to the Azerbaijani parliament. The videoconference was held between the leadership of the Azerbaijani parliament and the chairpersons of the parliamentary committees. The targeted work is being carried out in the parliament as part of the measures against the spread of coronavirus in the country at the initiative of speaker of the Azerbaijani parliament. The governance in the Azerbaijani parliament is carried out via landline and mobile communications or via the internet. The leadership of the parliament, the heads of commissions and committees, leaders of political parties that are represented in the parliament and the officials of the Office of the Parliament and the Department of Affairs of the Parliament exchange information via the internet. The agenda of the plenary meeting scheduled for March 30 and current issues were discussed, and the views were exchanged during the videoconference. A dog in Colorado has been helping its owners neighbour get through self-isolation by delivering food supplies to her home. Renee Hellman has underlying respiratory issues and has been advised to quarantine herself completely due to the coronavirus outbreak, making her unable to go food shopping. In a bid to support Ms Hellman, her neighbour of 10 years, Karen Evelth, enlisted the help of her golden retriever, Sunny, to ensure she has everything she needs. She got the list, she gave it to Sunny, Sunny brought it to me, Ms Evelth told KKTV. I went to the store, got her groceries, and he delivered them all to her. Ms Hellman has said the visits from Sunny have not only helped her immensely, not just from a practical perspective, but from a companionship one too given that she is home alone. Its been fun, she said. Its been a real treat. Little things like Sunny coming over to visit is nice and it makes you feel good. Its a way of communicating. Sunny has also been collecting the post for Ms Evelth, who hopes her story will inspire similar acts of kindness. Anybody can do something small, that can be so helpful, she said. By William Schwartz | Published on 2020/03/28 It's a little known fact that South Korea fought on the side of the United States in the Vietnam War. Actually, on a per-capita basis, they contributed even more to the war effort than the United States did. South Korean soldiers were cheaper than American ones, and dictator Park Chung-hee exploited this fact to secure critical development funds. "Untold" assumes that you're already familiar with this basic background as director Lee-kil Bo-ra begins "Untold" by showing the Vietnamese victims of South Korean war criminals still mourning their fallen family members. Advertisement The political undertones of "Untold" are stark and foreboding, particularly in the relative optimism of the current South Korean political environment. Part of this is just because "Untold" is a project a long time in the making. Much of the footage actually predates the candlelight rallies that ousted Park Geun-hye, Park Chung-hee's daughter. So there's a definite sense of quiet horror, particularly during the middle portions where director depicts veterans' groups that recount with pride how they murdered people for blood money. Even more incredibly, we get scenes featuring Kim Bok-dong, the departed comfort woman featured in "My name is KIM Bok-dong". She is unmistakably present at a rally wherein Vietnamese victims of South Korean war crimes are depicted as just as deserving of dignity, respect, and justice as Korean victims of Japanese imperialism. This dark yet hopeful subtext appears in relation to an impressive sequence wherein the difficulty of getting Vietnamese victims on the plane at all is documented. How can they let themselves trust the same people who brutalized them? That's more of an end-point though. Framing device notwithstanding of "Untold" really is just a superb documentation of the experience of Vietnamese war crime victims, in their own words. The late transition to depicting the conflict from the South Korean view, or what little of it exists, is also shown largely in the context of Vietnamese museums dealing with the war. The Vietnamese museums show no honor in killing. They depict abstract wartime horror. It's a startlingly accurate depiction of the atrocities we had until that point only seen described verbally. Or, in one memorable case, via sign language. Director Lee-kil Bo-ra first came to fame for her work in "Glittering Hands" depicting her deaf parents. While "Untold" is a very different kind of documentary, Lee-kil Bo-ra shows the same distinctive, brilliant touch here. She neither infantilizes nor revictimizes her ptoagonists. They grieve, they have wounds. But they recovered. They survived. They freely tell their story yet are skeptical as to the purpose of it. I can't say I blame them. Goodness knows in the United States the Vietnam War is depicted, at best, as a loss of honor for the Americans because they couldn't win. The senseless, horrific death of innocents is at best an afterthought that continues to remain so in foreign policy to this day. But in South Korea at least, director Lee-kil Bo-ra documents a glimmer of hope that evil can be acknowledged and made restitution for by the perpetrators. It's not much, but it's something. Review by William Schwartz ___________ "Untold" is directed by Lee-kil Bo-ra. Release date in Korea: 2020/02/27. When the number of coronavirus deaths reached 54 in Florida on Saturday, Gov. Ron DeSantis told the state's surgeon general, Dr. Scott Rivkees, to get on the phone and send a public health alert to every Florida resident. The message Rivkees texted Saturday afternoon was a repeat of the advisory he issued Wednesday, that people 65 and older, and those with underlying medical conditions, should stay home and avoid crowds, and everyone should practice "social distancing." By Saturday evening, the number of coronavirus cases in Florida stood at 4,038, more than a fivefold increase from a week ago, when the state reported 706 infections. The death count creeped up to 56. The virus has been particularly fatal for those over the age of 65, with that group making up 89% of statewide deaths. Another 35% were between the ages of 55 and 74, while people younger made up 4% of the fatalities and those over 85 were 19% of deaths. Protect yourself. Now is not the time to go outside. Dont get involved in any big crowds, use this time to protect yourself, DeSantis said in a briefing live-streamed from his conference room in the Capitol. FYI: To provide our community with important public safety information, the Tallahassee Democrat is making stories related to the coronavirus free to read. To support important local journalism like this, please consider becoming a digital subscriber. DeSantis and public health officials are in a race to control the spread of the virus before it overwhelms the ability of hospitals and health care professionals to deliver care. On Friday, he issued an executive order expanding a previous directive that airline travelers from the New York City area self-quarantine for 14 days to include people from Louisiana who enter the state on Interstate 10. The order would not apply to commercial transportation. New Orleans is experiencing a coronavirus surge of more than 1,000 infections linked to the Mardi Gras celebration in February, sending Louisiana's total number of cases past 3,300 as of Saturday. DeSantis wants to intercept any Louisiana travelers from seeding the virus in Florida. Story continues It's about a three-hour drive from New Orleans to Pensacola, Florida, and panhandle officials had expressed concerns to him about travelers fleeing the Bayou State and carrying the virus into Florida. Look, were either trying to fight this virus or we are not, DeSantis said of his plan that includes a checkpoint on Interstate 10 at the Alabama line and National Guard members greeting travelers from the New York City area at airports. Weve done what we could with New York City and were also doing the same with the New Orleans hot spot, DeSantis said. Bourbon Street is empty on March 16 as Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards orders bars, gyms and casinos to close until April 13th due to the spread of the coronavirus. His executive orders defined the greater New York City area and Louisiana as areas with substantial community spread. Individuals traveling from those regions must "self-declare" they came from a hot spot and agree to quarantine themselves for 14 days upon arrival in Florida. A violation could mean a 60-day jail sentence and fines of up to $500. Signs were erected along I-10 to direct eastbound drivers to a checkpoint where they were notified about the requirement. DeSantis said he was also looking at establishing one on I-95 to catch New York travelers. But while the Georgia Public Health Department has called Albany, 88 miles north of Tallahassee, a region with "sustained community spread of the coronavirus, DeSantis shrugged about establishing a checkpoint on I-75. And his office did not respond to questions about U.S. 319. Both thoroughfares connect north Florida to Albany. Having the 10 and 95 (checkpoints) is good and I think that provides the protection, DeSantis said when asked about other routes into the state. The governor also called on local airport authorities and airlines to help identify travelers from hotspots. The National Guard and public health officials are stationed at major airports and DeSantis called on local airport authorities to help to screen arrivals at smaller airports like Tallahassee's for contact with hot zones. I think it is in everybodys interest that we deal with the spread we have now, try to blunt it, flatten the curve, but we dont allow importing new infections, DeSantis said. On Friday, he said the state would suspend vacation rentals for two weeks, telling visitors, "If you're in one now, finish and go home." Gov. Ron DeSantis holds a press conference to address the latest updates on how COVID-19 is impacting Florida and what steps his team is taking to prevent the spread of the virus, Friday, March 20, 2020. Despite a growing support among lawmakers to do so, DeSantis has refused to issue a statewide lockdown limiting residents' movements like 22 other states have done in some fashion. Instead, he has preferred to let local governments decide. At least 10 counties have imposed some form of restriction, closing non-essential businesses and advising residents to stay home. Local restrictions are tight in South Florida with orders in place in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, which report nearly half of the states infections. Hillsborough and Pinellas counties have also issued directives as have Orange and Osceola counties in Central Florida. Some communities, including Leon County, have also imposed curfews, and many have threatened to enforce with arrests or fines as high as $500. Want to stay informed about what's happening in our community? Download our Tallahassee Democrat app. James Call is a member of the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at jcall@tallahassee.com and follow him on Twitter @CallTallahassee. Never miss a story: Subscribe to the Tallahassee Democrat. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida cases pass 4,000; governor advises, 'Don't come here' US-based Abbott Laboratories has unveiled a coronavirus test that can tell if someone is infected in as little as five minutes and is so small and portable it can be used in almost any health care setting. The medical-device maker plans to supply 50,000 tests a day starting April 1, said John Frels, vice president of research and development at Abbott Diagnostics. The molecular test looks for fragments of the coronavirus genome, which can quickly be detected when present at high levels. A thorough search to definitively rule out an infection can take up to 13 minutes, he said. Colorado National Guard medical personnel perform a coronavirus test on a motorist at a drive-through testing site outside the Denver Coliseum in Colorado. Credit:AP Abbott has received emergency use authorisation from the US Food and Drug Administration "for use by authorised laboratories and patient care settings," the company said on Friday. The US has struggled to supply enough tests to detect the virus, even as the outbreak threatens to overwhelm hospitals in New York, California, Washington and other regions. After initially restricting testing to high-risk people, and problems with a test designed by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, US regulators have rushed out diagnostics made by the world's leading commercial-testing companies. IN NORMAL times, Mike ODonoghues yard would be choc-a-bloc with cars this Friday. Inside his house in Pallasgreen, men, women and children would be eating chocolate cake and drinking tea and coffee. But these are not normal times. His sixth coffee morning has been postponed until September, all going well. It is the longest event of its kind in the country. Last year, the first person came in just after 7am and Mike didnt close his door until 12.35am. Mikes motto is: Well keep going until the last person leaves! All monies raised go to the Irish Cancer Society. To date 23,345 has been raised. Mike puts the coffee morning on with the help of Saoirse Corbett, aged 20, Tara Campbell, 19, Aine Looby and Ellie Phelan, both 16, and Sarah Dillon, 14. The minute you walk in the door you are warmly greeted by one of them and asked for your preference of tea or coffee, and the choice of an array of cakes, scones, buns and tarts. The girls are absolutely gutted. It is part of their calendar. They put their hearts and souls into it, said Mike. A total of 431 attended last year and they had a new idea for this year. We got a remembrance board. You can write the name of your loved one who has died from cancer or has cancer and then our parish priest Fr Pat Burns will say a Mass for them, explained Mike. While everybody knew that everything was cancelled, Mike said he still got phone calls asking him was it going ahead this Friday. But obviously with the social gathering rules it was a non-runner and Mike says health is number one. We are ready to go in September if the whole thing cools down. God willing, all going well, we will get a right crowd. We might not get the money for the Irish Cancer Society because we will be in very changed times but money isnt everything. It is about the day and the chat and relaxation and craic. That is what about the coffee morning is about. It is not about the money. What we make, we make, said Mike. Very important words from Mike that we can all take on board at these unprecedented times. Srinagar, March 29 : Director, Shere-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura, Dr A.G. Ahanger on Sunday appealed to people not to pay heed to unverified reports attributed to him on social media about the spread of coronavirus in Jammu and Kashmir. A message, which is being circulated on social networking sites attributing Director SKIMS to have said that corona cases in Kashmir would increase and then decline. The Director SKIMS in an official statement issued here said that this message is sheer imagination and has not been communicated by the Director himself or his office. The National Association of Scholars (NAS) has produced a report titled "Social Justice Education in America." Written by David Randall, it defines, describes, and delineates many of the destructive and deceptive ideas behind the innocent-sounding social justice programs that have mushroomed in American institutions of higher learning. According to this December 2019 report, "in the last twenty years, a generation of academics and administrators has transformed higher education into an engine of progressive political advocacy." Identity politics plays a major role in how social justice will be administered. Social justice activists work to increase the "state's coercive power" to decide who will get his fair share concerning employment, housing, income, health care, leisure, political power, property, social recognition, and wealth. Consequently, social justice buzzwords such as food justice, educational poverty, and health equity aim to increase state power "to tax the citizenry to fund progressive spending priorities." If social justice warriors deem it, then any alleged privilege must be eliminated so that "identity groups defined by categories such as class, race, and gender" will not be oppressed. To achieve their aims, universities are watering down requirements in order to attract more women and minorities. This portends "disastrous [repercussions] for scientific innovation and American competitiveness," not to mention the care of sick people. Consequently, the NAS report asserts that the "social justice movement's political goals include increased federal and state taxation; increased minimum wage; increased environmental regulation; increased government health care spending and regulation; restrictions on free speech; restrictions on due process protections; maximizing the number of legislative districts that will elect racial minorities; support for the Black Lives Matter movement; mass release of criminals from prison; decriminalizing drugs; ending enforcement of our immigration laws; amnesty for illegal aliens; open borders; [and] race and sex preferences in education and employment," to name only a few. Support for the anti-Israeli Boycott, Divest, and Sanction movement is also part of their movement, and mob violence is advocated to enforce any and all of these objectives. The traditional mode of teaching students how to think has been replaced with teaching them what to think. Thus, "social justice education rejects the idea that classes should aim at teaching a subject matter for its own sake, or seek to foster students' ability to think, judge, and write as independent goods." Social justice education aims at creating activists because ultimately, "[t]he ideal of social justice does not complement the ideal of education. The ideal of social justice replaces the ideal of education." Sustainability and diversity are lynchpins of social justice activism. Social justice theories "encourage teachers and students to be actively involved in ... ameliorating discriminatory policies and practices." On the surface, this does not appear misguided, but beware the euphemistic overlay. In fact, Heather Mac Donald asks: Why shouldn't an academic aspire to correcting perceived social ills? The nineteenth-century American land-grant universities and the European research universities were founded, after all, on the premise that knowledge helps society progress. But social justice is a different beast entirely. The definition of social justice ... is deeply political, entailing a large number of contestable claims about the causes of socioeconomic inequality. Social-justice proponents believe that those claims are settled, and woe to anyone who challenges them on a college campus. There are, however, alternative explanations besides oppression and illegitimate power for ongoing inequalities, taboo though they may be in academia. Mac Donald asserts that "social-justice education is merely a symptom of an even deeper perversion of academic values: the cult of race and gender victimology, otherwise known as 'diversity.'" How do social justice warriors operate? They maintain that "[a]ny act of self-discipline or deferred gratification that contributes to individual and generational success is now simply a manifestation of white supremacy." In fact, Mac Donald explains that "[d]ue to the diversity imperative, medical schools admit black students with MCAT scores that would be automatically disqualifying if presented by a white or Asian student. Their academic performance is just what one would expect. Time to lower standards further. An oncology professor at an Ivy League medical school was berated by a supervisor for giving an exam in pharmacology that was too 'fact-based.'" Racial preferences were de rigueur under the Obama administration. Trump has revoked many of Obama's admissions guidance to colleges, much to the fury of activists. Mac Donald goes on to explain: The ultimate social-justice solution to the skills and behavior gap is to remove the competition entirely. From the moment children enter school, they are berated for their white heteronormative patriarchal privilege if they fall outside a favored victim group. Any success that they enjoy is not due to their own efforts, they are told; it is due, rather, to the unfair advantages of a system deliberately designed to handicap minorities. Teachers are now advised to ignore white male students[.] History continually shows that "[t]he distortion of language by any means is to obfuscate, deny, and sometimes to create blind worship of fallen idols." Yet social justice warriors have created an entire jargon that includes experiential learning, civic engagement, and community engagement. As David Randall explains, "[e]xperiential learning is both a camouflaging euphemism and a marker of social justice education." In fact, "[e]xperiential learning, as service-learning, was founded in the 1960s by radical activists who wanted to commit participants to progressive activism by 'consciousness raising' propaganda, and to divert university resources to support progressive nonprofit organizations. Experiential learning's models include agricultural extension schools; internships; education theorist John Dewey's emphasis on learning by doing; 'civil rights schools' formed in the Civil Rights struggle of the 1950s and 1960s; the revolutionary pedagogy of Paolo Freire; and Maoist China's Open Door Schooling." But, as Randall asserts, "experiential learning courses, dedicated outright to progressive activism, drop all pretenses that teachers and students are engaged in the search for knowledge." At Arizona State University, for example, "students can meet their 'diversity' requirement by taking the course 'Transborder Queer Performativity.'" Moreover, "social justice mathematics" is part of the expansion of the social justice curriculum. In addition, Michael Walsh highlights how social justice warriors demand reparations and climate justice. It is now commonplace that academic job advertisements stipulate a commitment to social justice. Thus, diversity statements that ask "job applicants [to] address how they can contribute to a culture of inclusion and equity within the campus community have become so common that colleges now provide standardized advice on how to compose them." But as "Jeffrey Flier, the former dean of Harvard Medical School, politely notes, terms such as diversity and equity are 'ambiguous,' and ... these statements could be interpreted as requiring affirmation of critical race theory, along with corollaries such as 'structural racism', white privilege and supremacy, microaggressions, economically driven power relationships, and intersectionality." As the National Association of Scholars' report asserts, "[t]he more alarming truth is that these statements will be interpreted as requiring an affirmation of all these aspects of social justice theory." Hence, "[c]ommitments to social justice, diversity, and equity are rapidly becoming an explicit prerequisite for all university employment." The report concludes that "American colleges and universities should dedicate themselves to a complex of linked goals: vocational training, the transmission of Western Civilization, character training, fostering virtuous citizenship, and the untrammeled search for truth. Universities devoted to social justice (a) hobble vocational training; (b) cripple the transmission of Western Civilization; (c) redefine character training as social justice propaganda; (d) redefine fostering virtuous citizenship as social justice activism; and (e) replace the academic's search for truth with the activist's search for power." Eileen can be reached at middlemarch18@gmail.com. News and commentary on organized crime, street crime, white collar crime, cyber crime, sex crime, crime fiction, crime prevention, espionage and terrorism. A woman whose body was found in the grounds of a Baptist church in east London, suffered fatal head injuries, police have said. Kelly Stewart, 41, was declared dead at the scene in Barking Road, Plaistow, on Thursday. Officers were called to the Memorial Community Church at around 3.10pm, and police believe she was attacked between 12.45am and 1.45am that day. Ms Stewart had suffered multiple injuries. A manhunt has now been launched to find her killer. Metropolitan Police Detective Inspector Darren Jones, who is leading the investigation, said they are keeping an open mind as to any motive. DI Jones appealed for witnesses, adding: "I also want to hear from anyone who knew Kelly, who was in contact with her in the weeks before her death and who may know the people with whom she was associating." He said a dedicated team of officers are now "exploring every single avenue to track down the person or persons responsible". Ms Stewart was of no fixed abode at the time of her death but came from the Newham area. A post-mortem gave the cause of death as impact injuries to the head. Anyone with information is asked to call the police incident room on 020 8345 1570 or call charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111. At the moment, there effectively is no campaign of any consequence to voters who are consumed with their familys safety and well-being. Every issue in my district is impacted by this, said Representative Elise Stefanik, a Republican who represents much of New Yorks vast North Country. This is going to be an economic issue, its going to be a higher ed issue, its going to be a border issue. The long sweep of American history is filled with presidential elections that took place during times of war and upheaval, but there is little modern precedent for a campaign unfolding against a backdrop of such widespread national fear. The closest comparison may be the New York mayoral race in 2001, when the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks loomed over the citys general election. In presidential politics, the Vietnam War, assassinations and civil rights struggles shaped the 1968 campaign and seemed to reveal a country coming apart. But some historians believe the closest comparison to this year, the last time the entire nation was consumed by a single issue, may be 1944, when the threat of Nazi Germany and imperial Japan fully mobilized American citizens behind the war effort. That was the last time there was this sort of disruption in our daily lives and change in rituals, said Doris Kearns Goodwin, the presidential scholar, noting that millions were deployed in arms and those who remained home lived with rationed goods. But at least people then could go to work, be part of the effort to win the war. Sensing opportunity, Mr. Trump has sought to portray himself as a wartime leader in daily televised news briefings. It has given him a bump in the polls, with his approval ratings creeping up toward 50 percent as independents and some Democrats rally behind him, while Mr. Biden, the likely Democratic nominee, is largely drowned out by the president and even Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York. T he UK must ready itself to remain in lockdown for a "significant period" of time as the death toll from the Covid-19 pandemic continues to soar, Michael Gove has warned. Speaking on Sunday on the BBC's Andrew Marr programme via video link, the Cabinet Office minister said the peak of the coronavirus outbreak is dependent on peoples actions and refused to be drawn on an exact date for the lifting of current restrictions. The Government had previously said it was committed to reviewing the lockdown in three weeks and relaxing it if possible. Meanwhile, the number of people who have died with the virus in the UK has now reached 1,228 - an increase of 209 since Saturday. "Everyone is making a sacrifice and I appreciate the scale of that sacrifice," Mr Gove said. "But the reason all of us are making these sacrifices is because all of us will have people whom we love who are at risk from this virus. "I cant make an accurate prediction, but everyone does have to prepare for a significant period when these measures are still in place." Boris Johnson writes to every home in the UK warning 'things will get worse before they get better' Mr Gove also admitted the Government was "very concerned" by the spiralling rise in coronavirus deaths. The Cabinet Office minister said there had been "communication confusion" amid the crisis after the Government missed the deadline to join an EU scheme to get extra ventilators - a critical piece of equipment in the fight to prevent Covid-19 deaths. Downing Street earlier this week said the UK had decided to pursue its own scheme rather than joining the EUs procurement scheme. However, a No 10 spokesman explained that officials did not get emails inviting the UK to join and it could join future schemes. Commenting on the developments, Mr Gove said he had spoken to senior NHS figures who had reassured him "there is nothing that we cant do as an independent nation that being part of that scheme would have allowed us to do". There are currently more than 8,000 ventilators available to NHS patients. The government has ordered an additional 8,000 units to boost existing stocks, which are expected to be delivered in the coming weeks. In other key developments: Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned in a letter to UK households that "things will get worse before they get better" and reiterated people must stay at home in order to "protect the NHS and save lives" Mr Gove said Covid-19 testing for NHS staff and those working in social care was the "absolute top priority" for the Government He added that supermarket staff, prison officers and workers in other areas of the public sector will also be tested Former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair said that a point will need to be reached where a "very large" proportion of the entire UK population is tested for coronavirus More than 750,000 people have now volunteered to help the NHS combat Covid-19 Mr Gove's comments came after the Government announced that Boris Johnson had written to every UK household urging them to comply with the lockdown rolled out by the Prime Minister on Monday. The Prime Minister, who is self-isolating after testing positive for coronavirus, wrote in his letter that stricter restrictions could be put in place if required. Under the current measures, people are permitted to leave their homes to exercise, buy basic necessities such as food and medicine "as infrequently as possible" and access medical help or provide care to a vulnerable person - provided they keep at least two metres apart from anyone they do not live with. "We will not hesitate to go further if that is what the scientific and medical advice tells us we must do," Mr Johnson wrote. "It's important for me to level with you - we know things will get worse before they get better," he added. "But we are making the right preparations, and the more we all follow the rules, the fewer lives will be lost and the sooner life can return to normal." As part of the Government's efforts, Covid-19 tests for frontline NHS staff have been trialled over the weekend ahead of a wider roll-out. A batch of 10,000 tests was carried out on Saturday, which Health Secretary Matt Hancock said put the UK "ahead of schedule" to reach its target of 25,000 tests a day. Calls have grown in recent days for much more extensive testing, however, with practising medic and Labour MP Dr Rosena Allin-Khan saying it was "absolutely urgent" that health workers had access to testing "immediately". "These are the people who are at the frontline, these are people who need to know whether or not they have the virus or not," she told Sky News's Sophy Ridge on Sunday via video link. By PTI SRINAGAR: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah, who was released Tuesday after 232 days in detention, has been sharing 'tips' on surviving quarantine or a lockdown, drawing on his 'months of experience'. His advises have been coming in the form of a tweet thread which he started on March 24. "Fresh air really helped - deep breaths near an open window," Abdullah wrote in one of his tweets, as the country remained under a 21-day lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24 to check the spread of COVID-19. Abdullah was detained on the intervening night of August 4 and August 5 last year just before the government abrogated provisions of Article 370. He was released on March 24. "On a lighter note if anyone wants tips on surviving quarantine or a lock down I have months of experience at my disposal, perhaps a blog is in order," he said in the first tweet on the matter on March 24. Encouraged by the response to this tweet, the former chief minister started sharing his experience. He asked people to establish a routine and try to stick to it. "In all the months I was in HNSJ (Hari Niwas Sub-Jail) I stuck to a routine as though it were carved in stone. The routine gave me a sense of purpose and stopped me feeling aimless or lost," he said. "Exercise, exercise, exercise. I can't emphasise this point enough. Walking in the corridor, up and down the stairs or just endless burpees," he said, The former chief minister said there were a couple of mobile applications to help deal with anxiety. "Otherwise just some soft music and deep breathing will help enormously." "Day 5 by now anxiety is a major problem. I never thought I'd feel claustrophobic or trapped in an open room but there were times I felt the same way as I remember feeling while being inserted in to a MRI machine," the National Conference vice president tweeted on Sunday. Meanwhile, he also urged the administration to "urgently intervene and find a balance between the necessary lockdown and the vital need to allow people to access essential supplies". "Hearing from various parts of Srinagar, probably true for other parts of JK as well." People are struggling to access essential supplies like vegetables, milk and medicines because of the way the lockdown is being enforced. He also said that while "announcing the lockdown the government should have ordered a complete moratorium on any evictions from residential properties. A lot of the people being forced to walk to their villages are doing so because their landlords are forcibly evicting them." 136.5k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Trump is blaming Obama for lack of Personal Protective Equipment to combat the coronavirus, but his administration sent tons of vital US supplies to China. Trump said during the March 20 coronavirus briefing, We inherited an obsolete broken old system that wasnt meant for this. We discarded that system and we now have a new system that can do millions of people as you need them, but we had to get rid of a broken old system that didnt work. The truth is that Trump didnt take the coronavirus seriously and gave away critical US supplies to China. According to a press release from the State Department, the US gave 17.8 tons of supplies including ventilators and masks to China: This week the State Department has facilitated the transportation of nearly 17.8 tons of donated medical supplies to the Chinese people, including masks, gowns, gauze, respirators, and other vital materials. These donations are a testament to the generosity of the American people. Today, the United States government is announcing it is prepared to spend up to $100 million in existing funds to assist China and other impacted countries, both directly and through multilateral organizations, to contain and combat the novel coronavirus. This commitment along with the hundreds of millions generously donated by the American private sector demonstrates strong U.S. leadership in response to the outbreak. Sec. of State Mike Pompeo bragged about the federal government acting like a shipping clerk for China: We have coordinated with U.S. organizations to transport more humanitarian relief to people in Wuhan. Personal protective equipment and other medical supplies donated by these organizations can help save lives in #China and help protect people from the #coronavirus. pic.twitter.com/57SN2TXfLP Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) February 7, 2020 It is true that the national stockpile was not designed to handle a simultaneous crisis in all 50 states, but those tons of supplies that Trump gave away could be saving American lives right now. The first responders on the front lines of the epidemic would love to have tons of masks coming their way. Every single ventilator that Trump sent to China could be used to save American lives now and in the future. It isnt Obamas fault that Trump shut down the White House Pandemic Office and gave away US supplies. Those were all bad decisions by this president. The reason why the US is the epicenter of the global coronavirus epidemic and the domestic economy is collapsed is Donald Trump. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook Denise Van Outen's brother has avoided prison after being convicted of assaulting his wife during a violent rage. The brother of the Loose Women star, Terence Outen, 47, is believed to have punched his partner Tanja, 40, and thrown her against a kitchen wall leaving her with a swollen head and ongoing headaches, The Daily Star reported. During the violent attack, which occurred last April, Outen was also said to have taken a broom to the back of Tanja's head, leaving his partner fearing for her life. Terence Outen (pictured with his sister Denise Van Outen) who admitted assault, has been banned from going near his wife and was issued with a two-year community order A friend of Tanja's told The Daily Star that Outen's partner was thrown to the kitchen wall last year during the attack. The couple, who met in 2005, relocated to the Spanish island of Ibiza before Tanja decided to leave him in 2018 and move back to Britain with their daughter. On the day of the attack, Tanja had invited Outen to visit their child when their conversation touched on Tanja meeting another man for a coffee and Outen became infuriated. Tanja allegedly told her friend that she was hit and punched in the face and head during the incident and also had a broom put to the back of her head Following the attack, Tanja was rushed to hospital to receive treatment for her head injuries and Outen was later arrested. After his trial last month, Outen, from Corringham, Essex, who admitted assault, was banned from going near his wife. The brother of Denise Van Outen met his wife Tanja in 2005 before the pair relocated to the Spanish island of Ibiza. Pictured: Denise Van Outen The older brother of Denise Van Outen was also issued with a two-year community order. In 2016, Outen's sister Denise starred in the British independent film Indifferent in which she played a woman subject to domestic violence. Speaking about her role she told The Mirror: 'Reading and watching documentaries about domestic violence really opened my eyes to it I wasn't aware of the extent it goes on. 'It made me go home and appreciate my life all the more. And it made me want to do something about it.' The Loose Women star has also helped raise funds for the domestic violence charity Refuge and in 2016 took part in a 4.5 mile Bold is Beautiful campaign march through London which helped raise money for the charity. According to the anonymous friend, Outen's former partner claimed that Denise has not been in contact with her since her brother's conviction. The friend continued that Tanja now wished to use her ordeal to help others who have been affected by domestic violence. MailOnline has contacted a representative of Denise Van Outen for comment. Keeping in line with various business leaders pledging funds to the various Central and State relief funds to fight the coronavirus pandemic, the JSW Group, a part of the OP Jindal Group, has also decided to commit Rs 100 crore to the PM-CARES Fund. "As the Central and State governments continue with their heroic efforts to provide relief, the JSW Group is committing Rs 100 crore as a direct contribution towards the PM CARES Fund," a release by the company read. The release added that to complement the Rs 100 crore contribution, "Each JSW Group employee has pledged a minimum of a single day's salary to the PM CARES Fund and conversion of various facilities of the group into isolation wards limiting stress on community hospitals." Apart from this, the component of the funds will be used towards "sourcing ventilators, testing kits and PPR for health workers and communities around the group's facilities will be provided with food and essential staples." The Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM-CARES) fund is a dedicated fund with the primary objective of dealing with any kind of emergency or distress situation. PM Modi had called for Indians to heartily contribute to the fund after announcing a 21-day lockdown in the entire country to deal with the spread of the coronavirus, saying that " social distancing" is the only option to fight the disease which spreads rapidly. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) SPRINGFIELD The social distancing guidelines that led Illinois county fairs to cancel off-season events at fairgrounds through the end of April is one part of a financial impact double-whammy, a trade official said. Many local fairs use revenue from off-season events and activities to pay the bills, said Ken Tyrrell, president of the states Association of Agricultural Fairs. Guidelines from Gov. J.B. Pritzkers office regulating the number of people allowed to congregate shrank over the past few weeks from 1,000 to 50 to 10. County fairs canceled expositions, contests and other events back when that number was 250. The other problem, Tyrrell said, is a delay in reimbursements from the comptrollers office for costs incurred last year. Under statute, the state is responsible for paying county fairs 66.67% of what organizers spent on agricultural premiums. That includes activities related to horticulture, poultry, livestock, horse races and rodeos. Tyrrell said fair organizers have never received that in recent years, they were reimbursed 25% of eligible costs. Thats beginning to hurt a lot of fairs in the state of Illinois, he said. Were told its been at the comptrollers office since December. Possibly if the state would pay their bills, it would really help fairs. A spokesperson from Comptroller Susana Mendozas office did not return a request for comment. County fairs in Illinois begin hosting their main events in June. If the novel coronavirus pandemic continues into the summer, forcing fairs to begin cancelling, Tyrrell said it would be devastating. For example, if a fair is canceled, expected revenue needed to pay laborers to maintain the grounds is lost, said International Association of Fairs & Expositions (IAFE) President Marla Calico. She explained that fairs additionally would lose vendor deposits and pre-sale ticket money. Many downstate fairs struggle getting along as it is, Tyrrell noted. They dont have money put away or deep pockets. All of them struggle. Any time you lose revenue, its going to affect the fair. According to IAFE data, most county fairs across the country are scheduled for July, but events largely begin in June, extend strongly into August and wind down in September. Member county fairs told Calico, They are taking a wait-and-see attitude, choosing not to close unless forced to do so by public health authorities because many times, they are the single largest economic driver in the community. She said county fair cancellations would cause an entire ripple effect. Its not just the funds that not-for-profit organizations may gain and do good within the community when they give out scholarships to young people, Calico said. Its the small businesses all around them the gas station benefits, the hotels benefit, the cafes and restaurants benefit. According to a study commissioned by the IAFE, fairs in the U.S. are estimated to generate $4.67 billion in economic activity annually. A survey of the associations members found that amount is already down $66 million due to 320 fairs forced to shut down 10,578 events so far this year. Events at the Illinois State Fairgrounds have been canceled through April. Illinois State Fair manager Kevin Gordon said while that will have a financial impact, Our priority, first and foremost, is the health and safety of those individuals holding, and attending these events, along with our department support staff. He said the fairgrounds Coliseums renovation and reopening over the past few years means more events than typical were scheduled and then called off. Our staff is working diligently to reschedule any shows that have been canceled by this temporary closure, Gordon said. Once we get through this uncertainty that we are all facing, we are anticipating another great spring and summer of events on the Illinois State Fairgrounds. Tyrrell is the vice president of the Sandwich Fairs board in northern DeKalb County, one of the largest in the state in terms of fair entrants. He said county organizers of summer events have not yet discussed fair cancellations, and also are taking a wait-and-see attitude. Im being optimistic, Tyrrell said. Im thinking this will take care of itself by the first of June. The main concern, right now, is that weve lost revenue from cancelling off-season events and lost revenue, and the state of Illinois not paying us what were entitled to. Fairs have been around since before the founding of the country, so its something I believe is really a part of America, he explained. As I said, I think we need to calm down, and I have all the faith in the world well have a fair season this year. Fairgrounds across the country that cleared their spring calendar are being repurposed to assist in the COVID-19 effort, Calico noted. Grounds in Ohio, Missouri and Washington are operating drive-through testing facilities and one in West Virginia is using its indoor facilities to house community partners to package meals for school children. The Illinois State Fairgrounds, and many other locations throughout the state, have been identified as possible future community based drive-through testing sites, said a spokesperson for the Illinois Emergency Management Agency via email. However, further evaluation is needed before any decisions can be made. Amid the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent nationwide lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved a proposal for the contribution of one days salary by employees of the Defence Ministry to the PM-CARES Fund. The PM-CARES Fund was set up a day earlier on Saturday and contributions from corporate houses, industrialists and Bollywood actors started pouring in immediately in an all out effort to fight the deadly Covid-19 disease. The prime minister is the chairman of the new public charitable trust and its members include Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. According to a ministry estimate, around Rs 500 crore will be collectively given by the Defence Ministry to the relief fund from various wings, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, a number of defence PSUs and others. The contribution of the employees, however, will be voluntary and if any ministry employee wants to opt out, he or she will be exempted. The countrys largest paramilitary force, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has also decided to donate one days salary to the Prime Ministers Relief Fund in order to help the Centre fight the Covid-19 outbreak. Over 3.5 lakh personnel have contributed to the relief fund by donating their salary. According to a CRPF statement, It is submitted that CRPF personnel have decided to make a humble contribution of one days salary to the Prime Ministers National Relief Fund. We are dutifully committed to stand firmly with our nation in this challenging time of Covid-19 pandemic. Earlier this week, defence public sector undertaking Bharat Electronics Limited was given the task of manufacturing ventilators while premier defence research laboratory DRDO is producing protective gears for medical staff and supplying hand sanitizers and face masks to various agencies involved in the care of Covid-19 patients. Community Development through Polytechnics (CDTP) wing of Government Polytechnic College for Girls in Patiala prepared 1500 face masks and handed over to District Administration of Patiala, said Public Relations, Punjab Government on Saturday. Meanwhile, amid the growing threat of COVID-19, Punjab government led by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has pressed hard to combat this global pandemic and increased the testing capacity in double-fold at the Government Medical College (GMC) in Patiala and Amritsar. Disclosing this DK Tiwari, Principal Secretary, Medical Education and Research, said the government is combating with this threat on a war footing and Additional Real-Time PCR machines have been installed at GMC, Patiala, and Amritsar to double the testing capacity. The Meridian Group of Companies have presented sanitary items worth GH400,000.00 to the Ministry of Transport to assist it in the fight against the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The gesture, according to company officials, forms part of the Groups corporate social responsibility, especially, at a time when the world, including Ghana, is battling the COVID-19 which has so far affected 617,084 people and claimed 28, 376 lives. Among the items are Veronica buckets, hand sanitizers, nose masks, hand gloves, Dettol, tissue paper, liquid soaps, and plastic bowls among others. The Chief Executive Officer of Meridian Group of Companies, Charles Addo, who presented the sanitary items to the Ministry of Transport, at a short ceremony in Accra on Saturday, March 28, 2020, said he was touched by the challenges the country was going through as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. He appealed to corporate bodies, churches, and like-minded Ghanaians to also make some donations no matter how small or big it is to help the government to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in the country. What is happening in the world has affected everybody. If you look at America and how much they are worth, they are even suffering; go to Europe, they are suffering; if you go to China, they are suffering; all the rich nations are suffering. Then you come to think about Ghana which is a developing nation. So, you could clearly see that we are also suffering. Most of the time, when disaster befalls on us, we all turn to government believing that it has all the resources to solve it. But what is happening to us now is greater than any government in the world, including our own Ghanaian government. The President has told us that he has earmarked US$100,000.00 to help fight this virus. I am representing the private sector and making this appeal to all like-mined people to also contribute our widows mite to assist the President in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, he noted. He added If you are a rich man, and you have made a lot of savings at the Bank and you cannot even enjoy the money or do business with the money or even travel outside the country and trade with it or invest it in some business but rather go about roaming in your balcony or room everyday then what is the essence of making that money? If you dont contribute towards a worthy course like this, then what is the essence or use of that money? If you dont change your attitude, a time will come when there will be no water to even drink because no one will be able to go to work to turn on the taps for us to enjoy potable drinking water. This is the time for us to contribute towards a worthy course. The Minister of Transport, Hon. Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, receiving the items on behalf of the Ministry, appealed to commercial transport operators to ensure social distancing during the two weeks lockdown of Accra, Tema and Kumasi. He also called on Ghanaians who have nothing to do in town to stay at home, stressing that all the protocols outlined in the Presidents address to the nation must strictly be adhered to. When we adhere to the preventive measures outlined in President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addos address to the nation on Friday, we will all stay without contracting the disease. Our destiny is in our own hands. We need everybody alive, he posited. Source: Peacefmonline Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video News surrounding DCs The Flash movie cast is swirling, with some stars confirmed, while others are simply rumored. Ezra Miller is a sure thing as the actor who has portrayed the Scarlet Speedster in several other films. But what other heroes can moviegoers expect to see alongside The Flash? Fans seem to believe that fellow Justice League champion, Cyborg, will show up. Heres what some enthusiasts have uncovered about a possible Cyborg appearance in The Flash. Ray Fisher as Cyborg in Justice League | Warner Bros. Twitter is buzzing about The Flash movie cast There is a camp of film buffs who suspect that Cyborg will again team up with The Flash, as he did in Justice League alongside Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Batman, and Superman. But what are the chances that Ray Fisher will appear as the teen cybernetic organism in The Flash movie? Fans think it is very likely. Heres why. Miller recently made a cameo on The CW opposite televisions The Flash in Crisis on Infinite Earths. In the story, Millers film version of the hero discovered the existence of the multiverse when he came face-to-face with Grant Gustins TV Flash. In the scene, he mused, I told Victor this was possible. Fans believe that the reference to Victor, aka Cyborg, could be an indication that the filmmakers may work the character into The Flash movie. One astute viewer tweeted, Ezra [Miller] referencing Victor in Crisis is exciting even if it doesnt even lead to anything. I want Ray Fisher in The Flash movie though. Another user wrote, Could The Flash movie feature Cyborg? Looks like it might. And the chatter around Cyborg and The Flash continues to build. The Flash solo movie may team Ray Fishers Cyborg up with Ezra Millers Speedy Hero, another tweet read. Does Ezra Miller want Ray Fisher to be a part of The Flash movie cast? Heads up! The Justice League panel with Ezra Miller and Ray Fisher has been moved to 4:45pm in Ballroom AB! #WizardWorldCLE pic.twitter.com/1kUvmY5gNB Wizard World (@WizardWorld) March 3, 2018 Aside from the camaraderie that The Flash and Cyborg shared in Justice League, Miller and Fisher seem to have a chummy relationship if their interactions captured on video over the years are any indication. With that in mind, an anonymous source told We Got This Covered that Miller would like for Fisher to be a part of The Flash movie cast. Based on fan responses, it seems that a Cyborg appearance in The Flash film would be welcome. A fan tweeted, I hope the star power of Ezra Miller brings Ray Fisher back in full force as Cyborg [in] The Flash movie, as was originally planned. Another user echoed that sentiment with this, I hope Ray Fisher winds up in The Flash movie as Cyborg. There was a good rapport with Barry and Victor that should be further explored. The Flash movie cast could include other familiar faces DC fanatics are convinced that several other familiar faces will show up in The Flash movie cast. Some feel it is a safe bet that Billy Crudup and Kiersey Clemons will reprise their Justice League roles. In the film, Crudup played Barrys father, and Clemons portrayed Barrys love interest, Iris West, although the filmmakers deleted her scenes. Other sleuths believe that Gustin of The Flash series will make a cameo, just as Miller did in his recent crossover on The CW. Many are speculating that Gustins appearance would coincide with the Flashpoint narrative from the comics, in which different versions of the speedster exist in alternate realities. Warner Bros. plans to release The Flash movie in theaters during the summer of 2022. Until then, fans can catch The Flash series on The CW on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. For serious binge-watchers, previous seasons of The Flash are available on Netflix. Read more: The Flash Movie: Why Fans Think Grant Gustin Could Have a Cameo Restaurants in Japan are navigating rough waters amid the COVID-19 pandemic, inspiring new ideas as they try to come up with ways to remain afloat. As the virus spreads, more people are refraining from dining out, especially in big gatherings. This has led to cancellations of both welcome and farewell parties that are commonly held this time of year. According to a report released on Thursday by TableCheck Inc., the average daily number of reservations this month at 4,347 establishments it surveyed plummeted 40 percent on the year. The bigger the group of diners, the more likely they were to drop their reservations. The percentage of reservations being cancelled was up about 3.6 times for groups of 10 or more, compared with early January before the outbreak, according to the restaurant reservation service provider. This weekend was likely even harder for the industry after Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike urged residents to stay home amid a sharp rise in cases. A potential lockdown of the capital also threatens to cut off their customers. To shore up flagging revenues, some businesses are already branching out into takeout, while others are seeing unusual kinds of support from their patrons. A French restaurant and bar named Scene near Hachioji Station on the Keio Line earlier this month launched takeout and delivery services. Due to reduced traffic and numerous cancellations, the restaurant suffered about a 70 percent year-on-year sales drop this month. It is selling A1,000 boxed lunches, or bentos, and more luxurious A19,800 platters containing ise-ebi Japanese spiny lobster. Manager Naotaka Yoshimi said one aim is to acontribute to sales,a which is actually working out to some extent. He envisions the luxury platter being served to celebrate school graduations and other big events for customers who are stuck at home. Through Wednesday, it sold 220 of the A1,000 bento boxes and five platters, Yoshimi said. Dave Slades debut novel, The Christ Virus, is about a viral pandemic that erupts in 2019 and threatens to decimate the world population. It has all the runs on the supermarkets we have been seeing, all of the hysteria, the teeter-tottering of the government, said Slade, 63, an Albuquerque resident who works in real estate. Slade said it also has a wealthy Republican from New York who is elected president of the United States on Page 12, who withdraws troops from the Middle East on Page 13. But The Christ Virus (Zebulun Publishing) did not come out just last week amid the COVID-19 outbreak, which has turned some of us into hoarders of canned soups and toilet paper. It was published in 2012, several years after Slade started writing it. Im not by any means calling myself a prophet, Slade said in a recent phone interview. It is almost like a revelation from God. I would never have thought this up on my own. Way out there Slade is a man of faith. He teaches a Bible study class for men at Calvary Church in Albuquerque. He grew up in John Steinbeck country, Salinas, California; attended New Mexico State University for a few years in the 1970s; and graduated from San Jose State University with a degree in journalism in 1981. He worked for a time as a newspaper reporter, writing mostly features for the Millbrae (California) Sun and covering primarily politics for the Rio Rancho (New Mexico) Roadrunner. He taught journalism and English at Albuquerques Menaul School, and he and his wife, Holly, share their home with a Aussiedoodle named Steinbeck. What Slade wasnt, when he started working on The Christ Virus 10 years ago, was a writer of fiction. When I was 52, I had this creative opening, he said. I had been painting at the time, and I had about 20 books sketched out. When I started writing (The Christ Virus), it was way out there. I was a pretty horrible writer. What if? What turned things around, he said, was forming a writing group with two more experienced writers and slowly learning from them as his earliest drafts went into the trash. But to complete The Christ Virus, Slade needed to know more than how to write a novel. The plot of The Christ Virus revolves around terrorists who steal a deadly bioweapon developed by the U.S. military. The terrorists intend to use the weapon to unleash a holy war aimed at ridding the United States of infidels. It started as a what-if scenario, Slade said. What if terrorists blackmailed the government? The terrorists see that a little bug (the bioweapons virus) can reduce the world to hysteria or collapse. We dont need a bomb. We just need a bug. But when I started (the novel), I knew nothing about virology. So while learning to write fiction, Slade also went deep into reading nonfiction about the study of viruses and related subjects such as weapons designed to spread infectious diseases. He learned some disturbing things. How does a Level 4 pathogen (infectious agent) get out of a heavily secured laboratory? Slade said. These labs are not as secure as we think they are. A pastor with punch In The Christ Virus, the bioweapon is stolen from a U.S. Army installation on the east coast. But much of the book is set in Albuquerque and other parts of New Mexico. Dr. Jenny George of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention comes to New Mexico looking for Hank Jackson, a newspaper reporter who appears to be immune to the virus. The hope is that the reporter might be the key to developing a vaccine. Jackson is supposed to be at a relocation camp at Holloman Air Force Base, near Alamogordo. In Slades novel, Holloman has been closed as an air base and is being used as a sanctuary for Christians who have rejected the governments radical method of protecting people from the virus. Considering Slades background in newspapers, it is not difficult to understand why a reporter plays a prominent role in The Christ Virus. But Slades Christian faith and the fact he was a light-heavyweight Golden Gloves boxer in his younger days are also important factors in the development of the story. Luke Chavez, a pivotal character in the novel, is the pastor of a small church in Bernalillo Countys South Valley, a former heavyweight boxer and no man to mess with. Luke is a good guy, Slade said. He is zealous and uncompromising, much like his adversary, (terrorist leader) Sulaiman Hadid. Unique perspective Slade said the virus in his novel is more deadly than the coronavirus. The whole world is changed by the (Christ) virus, he said. Society shuts down. People wont go out. Reed Hamilton, the president in The Christ Virus, says that things will forever be dated before the virus or after the virus. But that world does survive, which is why Dark Sun Rising, Slades sequel to The Christ Virus, was published in 2018 and the third book in the series Enter Now Darkness, is due out next year. His experience researching and writing The Christ Virus and its sequels has given Slade a unique perspective on the coronavirus situation, and he takes it seriously. We will be lucky if we dont go into a worldwide depression, he said. But, he says, Im not by any means calling myself a prophet. Spain reported a national daily record of 838 coronavirus deaths on Sunday in a fresh warning to the world that long-term lockdowns may be needed to halt the deadly march of a disease that has claimed more than 31,000 lives. A deluge of patients are overwhelming hospitals in Europe and the United States, now the focal points of a pandemic that is upending the global economy in unprecedented ways. In the US, an about-face by President Donald Trump on quarantining New York highlighted the panic and confusion unfurling across many parts of the world trying to contain the virus. In Spain, where the 24-hour death toll rose for the third consecutive day, lockdown measures have been tightened as officials cling to hope that slowing growth rates mean they are nearing the peak of the crisis. COVID-19's relentless spread has infected nearly every sphere of life, from wiping out millions of jobs to postponing elections and putting a pause on the world's sporting scene. It has also spurred a worldwide scramble for medical gear as exhausted doctors and nurses in some of the world's wealthiest cities struggle to dole out limited stocks of face masks and life-saving respirators. From snorkel masks to 3D-printed face shields, creative solutions have popped up around the globe in efforts to plug the gap as factories rush to keep up with international demand. But frontline medical workers in places like Italy, Spain and New York, where the crisis is already-biting hard, don't have time to spare. "Everybody is scared," said Diana Torres, a mother of three who works in a rehabilitation centre at New York's Mount Sinai hospital group, where a 48-year-old nurse manager recently died from COVID-19. "I have nothing for my head, nothing for my shoes," she said, explaining how it took significant effort to acquire one face shield, one N-95 respirator mask and one gown -- all of which she said she must reuse. Cities around the world have fallen eerily quiet as a third of humanity adjusts to life confined within the walls of their own homes. Some leaders warn the worst is yet to come as governments roll out new containment measures and rescue packages aimed a staunching the bloodletting of economies everywhere. In Britain, deaths have now topped 1,000 as Prime Minister Boris Johnson -- who tested positive for the virus last week -- warned that dark days were on the horizon. "We know things will get worse before they get better," Johnson, who said he has only mild symptoms, wrote in a leaflet sent to all UK households explaining how to help limit the spread. While Johnson initially said the shutdown would last three weeks, a leading expert warned it could be in place until June. "We're going to have to keep these measures in place, in my view, for a significant period of time -- probably until the end of May, maybe even early June," Professor Neil Ferguson of Imperial College London, one of the epidemiologists advising the government, told the Sunday Times. The carnage in worst-hit Italy and Spain suggests quarantine measures are unlikely to be lifted anytime soon, despite their devastating impacts on the vulnerable. On the Italian island of Sicily, police with batons and guns moved to protect supermarkets after reports of looting by locals who could no longer afford food. "We have no money to pay, we have to eat," someone reportedly shouted at the cashiers in a Palermo supermarket, according to La Repubblica newspaper. Spain has toughened an already tight nationwide lockdown by halting all non-essential activities. Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said the country must prepare to adjust to "the new way of life" for a long time, after 123 more deaths were recorded. In the ground zero-city of Wuhan, however, life is creeping back to normal. Officials say the biggest threat to public health is now imported cases. "Initially we were more scared and maybe thought it was safer overseas," said Han Li, who is helping process the flood of locals returning to Wuhan after having been were stranded elsewhere during the more than two-month lockdown. "But now it doesn't seem this way. It seems it might be safer within China." Beijing, which is revising its role in the coronavirus saga by coming to the aid of countries now on the frontlines, claims success in suppressing the virus at home. Official figures now routinely showing no new domestic infections but dozens of imported cases each day, shifting the country's prevention effort to the external threat. With the pandemic sweeping westward, the United States is home to the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 infections globally with more than 124,000 cases, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally. As states impose a patchwork of measures, President Trump sowed confusion over the weekend by back-peddling on a proposal to impose a broad lockdown on New York and its neighbours. "A quarantine will not be necessary," Trump tweeted eight hours after he stunned the New York metropolitan region -- the epicentre of the US outbreak -- with a proposal to place it under quarantine. Trump's reversal came on the same day the US death toll topped 2,100, more than doubling in just three days. More than a quarter of the fatalities were in New York City. In Chicago, a less than one-year-old infant succumbed to the respiratory disease on Saturday, an extremely rare case of juvenile death. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) COVID-19 is a time of physical distancing, but it's also a time of coming together as a community to support and help one another. And it's not all bad news out there. Across the province, stories are surfacing about neighbourhoods banding together and individuals going the extra mile. Anita Dudisa and her family, who live in the Comox Valley, recently cut their trip to France short and returned home. They are self-isolating for 14 days. "Our fridge was empty we were meant to be away for a month," she told Michelle Eliot, host of CBC's B.C. Today. "We had nothing when we got home." Friends, family and neighbours leapt into action to bring over food and "keep us going," Dudisa said. "It's times like these when the closest people to us, our local community connections and relationships, matter the most," she said. "I've been so touched by the amount of people that have reached out to say 'Happy that you're back, do you need anything?'" 'I was quite teary' Robin Stevenson, an author based on Vancouver Island, is having a similar experience. She was also traveling earlier in March and had to self-isolate upon return to Canada. "A couple days ago, I got a call from a friend saying 'I'm at your front door,'" Stevenson said. "I looked out the window she had backed up to the sidewalk and had left seven bags of groceries on the front steps." That friend is part of a family of refugees from Syria that Stevenson and her family had helped sponsor to come to Canada in 2016. They now run a local grocery business. "They wanted to make sure we had enough to eat," she said. "It was incredibly kind and generous and I was quite teary." Ben Nelms/CBC Kevin McCort, CEO of the Vancouver Foundation, says delivering items to someone who is stuck at home is one of the most common ways he's seeing people helping each other. Story continues "It's actually going to be more and more important that we identify our neighbours and help them out to make that self isolation durable," he said. Along with reinforcing social connections online through video chats and other not-in-person contacts, McCort says community shows of support are crucial for combating a feeling of isolation. "We've been identifying isolation as an issue in Vancouver well before the current crisis and there's a lot of research that shows how loneliness is damaging to your health," he said. "We really need to put an extra effort to make sure people can get through this." New Delhi, March 29 (IANS) The Centre on Sunday directed the states to strictly follow the nationwide lockdown norms and stop the movement of people across the cities, advising them to arrange shelter, food and other facilities for migrant labourers Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, March 29 (IANS) The Centre on Sunday directed the states to strictly follow the nationwide lockdown norms and stop the movement of people across the cities, advising them to arrange shelter, food and other facilities for migrant labourers Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, March 29 : The Centre on Sunday directed the states to strictly follow the nationwide lockdown norms and stop the movement of people across the cities, advising them to arrange shelter, food and other facilities for migrant labourers at their workplace. The direction came amid mass exodus of migrant labourers from cities to their villages in different states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced nationwide lockdown to break the chain of COVID-19 transmission. Noting that there has been movement of migrant workers in some parts of the country, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba through video conferencing with officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs, state Chief Secretaries and Directors General of Police on Sunday morning decided to "seal" the district and state borders. "Directions were issued that district and state borders should be effectively sealed and states were directed to ensure there is no movement of people across cities or on highways," said a government statement. "Only movement of goods should be allowed. District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police should be made personally responsible for implementation of these directions which have been issued under the Disaster Management Act. It has been advised that adequate arrangements for food and shelter of poor and needy people, including migrant labourers be made at the place of their work. The Centre had on Saturday issued orders for use of "SDRF (State Disaster Relief Funds) for the purpose". Referring that "sufficient funds are available with states in the SDRF head, the Cabinet Secretary advised states to ensure timely payment of wages to labourers at their place of work during the 21-day "period of lockdown without any cut". It was ordered that house rent should not be demanded from the labourers for this period and action should be taken against those who are asking labourers or students to vacate the premises. "Those who have violated the lockdown and travelled during the period of lockdown will be subject to a minimum of 14 days of quarantine in government quarantine facilities. Detailed instructions on monitoring of such persons during quarantine have been issued to states," Cabinet Secretary instructed. "It was impressed upon all the States that three weeks of strict enforcement is essential to contain the spread of coronavirus. This is in the interest of everyone." It was noted that, by and large, there has been effective implementation of guidelines across all states and Union Territories (UTs). "Essential supplies have also been maintained. Situation is being monitored round the clock and necessary measures are being taken as required." A leader of Janata Dal (Secular), headed by former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, on Sunday requested the government to deploy defence personnel along with vehicles to evacuate stranded persons from the cities to their villages. B M Farookh, also a member of the Karnataka Legislative Council, said people returning to their villages from cities along the highways would end up in human suffering and disaster, "much dangerous than the impact of coronavirus." He said people from lower strata of society have started walking down long distances to their villages as the public transportation stands suspended. "Most of them do not have much resources to support themselves and may end up in collapsing on the way back without food or drinking water," he said in a letter to the Prime Minister, Defence Minister and Finance Minister. "This situation could be averted by deploying defence personnel with vehicle to reach them safely to their destination and since the defence is well equipped with the logistics and trained personnel in war-like situation, safety could be ensured for them as well as to the commuters," Farookh added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 29) Talisay City in Cebu is no longer COVID-19 free after recording its first confirmed case of the viral disease on Sunday. The patient was admitted in a hospital in Cebu City last March 25 and is currently still confined, Talisay City Mayor Samsam Gullas said. He added that they are now in the process of contract tracing to ensure that all those who have been in contact with the said patient will be quarantined. According to the mayor, authorities will also close off the patient's area of residence, which is located in Seaview Heights Subdivision in Brgy. Lawaan 1. Those inside the house will be closely monitored and will not be allowed the leave, he added. To be honest, Im deeply concerned, especially [now] that the confirmed case [was] never reported to concerned offices for monitoring and profiling. He was never a PUM or a PUI in the city, Gullas said. He urged all residents to stay home and remain calm amid this development. This is a tough time for all us, especially for the people of Talisay City. But we can conquer this if we remain prayerful, strictly observe health precautions and avoid leaving our houses unless to buy food and basic necessities, he said. As of Saturday, Cebu province has a total of 23 confirmed COVID-19 cases. Nationwide, the Department of Health has recorded 1,418 cases, with 71 deaths and 42 recoveries, as of March 29. 1new Delhi, March 29 : Two Indian-origin researchers from the University of Cambridge in the UK have come up with a new mathematical model that predicts a flat 49-day nationwide lockdown -- or sustained lockdown with periodic relaxation extending over two months -- may be necessary to prevent COVID-19 resurgence in India. The paper by Ronojoy Adhikari in collaboration with Rajesh Singh from the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics at the university shows that the 21-day lockdown that the India government has imposed is unlikely to be effective and "there will be a resurgence of COVID-19 at the end of it". The model is possibly the first to include "age and social contact structure of the Indian population" when assessing the impact of social distancing on the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. The paper titled 'Age-structured impact of social distancing on the COVID-19 epidemic in India' has been published on open-access preprint repository ArXiv and is yet to be peer-reviewed. The impact of social distancing measures -- workplace non-attendance, school closure, lockdown -- and their efficacy with duration has been investigated in the study. The researchers used an age-structured SIR model with social contact matrices obtained from surveys and Bayesian imputation to study the progress of the COVID-19 pandemic in India. "The structures of social contact critically determine the spread of the infection and, in the absence of vaccines, the control of these structures through large-scale social distancing measures appears to be the most effective means of mitigation," the authors wrote. The country's total corona-affected patient count, including those who have been cured, has crossed 900 in India. The country which went in to the 21-day lockdown from March 24 midnight had 909 active cases of coronavirus as of Saturday evening. Out of them, 862 are Indians and 47 foreign nationals. The mathematical model contains both asymptomatic and symptomatic infectives. "Due to the paucity of data on the number of asymptomatic cases we have chosen to set these to zero. This provides a lower bound on the number of morbidities and mortalities and the intensity and duration of the social distancing measures that are required for mitigation,' the authors mentioned. According to the authors, extensive testing of the population can provide data on the number of asymptomatic cases and this, when incorporated into the model, will provide more accurate estimates of the progress of the epidemic and the impact of mitigatory social distancing. "More generally, there are uncertainties in all parameters of our model and these would translate into uncertainties in forecasts and estimates. These uncertainties can be reduced with better availability of case data and uncertainties can be quantified through Bayesian error propagation analysis," explained the duo. A three-week lockdown, however, is found insufficient to prevent a resurgence and, instead, protocols of sustained lockdown with periodic relaxation are suggested. "Our principal conclusion is that the three-week lockdown will be insufficient. Our model suggests sustained periods of lockdown with periodic relaxation will reduce the num- ber of cases to levels where individualised social contact tracing and quarantine may become feasible,: the paper elaborated. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Pakistan has over 12,000 suspected COVID-19 cases, a top health official said on Saturday as the confirmed infections reached 1,495 with the Punjab province emerging as the new epicentre of the deadly disease in the country. Advisor on health to the government Zafar Mirza was addressing a daily briefing to inform the magnitude of infection and measures taken to combat coronavirus pandemic. There are currently 12,218 suspected COVID-19 patients in the country, he said. Most of the infected people had returned from Iran, where the confirmed cases are over 30,000 with more than 2,300 deaths. The confirmed coronavirus cases include 557 in Punjab, 469 in Sindh, 188 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 133 in Balochistan, 107 in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), 39 in Islamabad and 2 in Pakistan occupied Kashmir, the Ministry of Health said. So far 12 people have died of the disease, 25 recovered and 7 were in critical condition. Punjab is emerging as the new epicentre of the deadly viral infection in the country. Of the 490 cases in the province, the highest number of 207 were reported from Dera Ghazi Khan district. Punjab chief minister Usman Buzdar tweeted that a 22-year-old COVID-19 patient died in Faisalabad, taking the total number of deaths due to the disease in the province to five. In Islamabad, at least 30 doctors of the Polyclinic Hospital were quarantined after one of them was tested positive. Mirza also said that everyone having minor symptoms of virus were needed to undergo the coronavirus test. PCR (Polymerase Chain Traction) test is considered the most authentic in the world and there are 14 Labs in the country authorised to carry out this test, he said. Mirza said that the ratio of death in Pakistan was 0.78 per cent which was far below than many other countries. Moeed Yusuf, advisor on security, said that the country's air traffic would remain suspended until April 4. We have also suspended the outgoing flight from tomorrow until April 4, he said. He said with the arrival of a flight tonight bringing passengers from Bangkok, the process of repatriation of all stranded Pakistanis would be complete. Yusuf said that air traffic will be gradually reopened after April 4 after putting in place on ground the necessary infrastructure to screen and check every incoming passenger. He also said that the eastern (with India) and western borders (with Iran and Afghanistan) will remain closed for two more weeks. Chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Lt. Gen. Muhammad Afzal said that number of testing laboratories would be increased gradually to 50 in coming weeks. He said that more testing kits and protective gear was being imported from China and the deficiency of ventilators would also be met soon. Police sealed the headquarters of the Tableeghi Jamaat in Hyderabad city of Sindh after one of its members was tested positive. Senior Superintendent of Police, Hyderabad, Adeel Chandio confirmed that the entire mosque had been placed under quarantine and that no one is allowed to come out. Mirza also said that a team of eight Chinese doctors will arrive in Pakistan to review the steps taken by the government to fight the coronavirus outbreak and they will share their experience with local doctors. The government will fully benefit from the experience of Chinese doctors, he said. Meanwhile, Senator Faisal Javed Khan, who is very close to Prime Minister Imran Khan, denied news reports surrounding the premier's health. News regarding PM Imran Khan tested positive for #Covid19 is NOT True. Please refrain from spreading Fake News, he tweeted. As government urged clerics to stop congregation in mosques, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman asked people to follow guidelines of medical experts. When doctors recommend that people should take maximum precautionary measures and not go near affected people, then people are bound to abide by these guidelines and follow instructions of the district administration in this regard, he told media. Police on Saturday arrested four clerics and booked 15 others in Punjab and Sindh provinces for violating lockdown rules and holding Friday congregations despite a fatwa issued by a top global Islamic body to suspend them to contain the spread of the deadly novel coronavirus. Also, the interior ministry announced an easy procedure for the already registered international non-governmental organisations if they wanted to help the government in the fight against the deadly virus. They will get permission by following the guidelines. Earlier, Pakistan had made a tough law for the international non-governmental organisations to operate in Pakistan. Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund said it would consider Islamabad's request for financial assistance to control the adverse impact of the coronavirus on its economy. Our team is working expeditiously to respond to this request so that a proposal can be considered by the IMF's executive board as soon as possible, said IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva in a statement. According to officials, cash-strapped Pakistan is looking to get new loans from the international agencies to support its economy hit badly by the coronavirus pandemic. NEW HAVEN Police say a man was shot in the West Rock neighborhood early Sunday afternoon. The victim, a 47-year-old man, was shot in the arm, according to Captain Anthony Duff. He said the man sustained non-life threatening injuries. Duff said police were called to the area of Level and Lodge streets after reports of gunfire at approximately 1:30 p.m.. He said police located the injured man on Wayfarer Street. According to Duff, an ambulance transported the victim to the hospital. He said investigators continue to canvass the area. Anyone with information is asked to contact the New Haven Police Department at 203-946-6304. Callers may remain anonymous. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 15:55:20|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close "We have stood by you and you are standing with us." Eight Chinese medical experts arrived in Pakistan on Saturday to aid the country's fight against #COVID19. Follow Xinhua correspondents Jiang Chao and Liu Tian to meet them. #FightVirus The medical team also brought medical assistance including over 110,000 face masks, 5,000 protection suits, 12 ventilators and other medicines to Pakistan. NORWALK The city continues to lead the state in the number of confirmed COVID-19 patients and has recorded another death, officials said Saturday. As of 6 p.m. Saturday, there are 139 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Norwalk, followed closely behind by the 123 reported in Danbury and the 101 in Westport. Norwalk reported 34 new positive cases since Friday. Fairfield County saw a jump in the number of confirmed cases from 752 Friday night to 908 Saturday night. Also reported in Norwalk was another death from the virus. This is someone who by all accounts, if not for this pandemic, would still be alive today, said a statement from Mayor Harry Rilling. I offer my heartfelt condolences to their family and friends. With this additional death, the city has now recorded four deaths linked to the coronavirus. Statewide, there have been 33 deaths linked to the virus. There have been 1,524 people in Connecticut to test positive, with 205 people hospitalized. Rilling said he continues to work with his staff and local stores and retail establishments on enforcement of physical distancing guidelines. The mayor said the citys police force continues to get calls of reports of groups of people gathering particularly young people at fields and playgrounds even though they are closed. Rilling urged parents and guardians to ensure children remain home. We know this virus is highly contagious and is spreading across our community, Rilling said. We cannot defeat this virus if we all do not take our actions and behaviors seriously. Residents are encouraged to sign up for the citys CodeRED emergency alert notification system at norwalkct.org/codered. (Natural News) President Donald Trump said as recently as last week that he did not think a national lockdown was necessary to battle the continuing spread of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). But he didnt say anything about regional lockdowns. As coronavirus infections nearly overwhelm New York Citys medical capabilities, the president on Saturday attended the launch of USNS Comfort, one of the Navys two hospital ships, which is headed to New York City. At 1,000 beds, the vessel also has several operating rooms, a pharmacy, and fully functional laboratory, staffed by more than 600 skilled military medical personnel. Our country is at war with an invisible enemy, the president said, referring to COVID-19. We are marshaling the full power of the American nation to vanquish the virus, and we will do that. Trump and Esper watch the USNS Comfort leave the pier pic.twitter.com/5YmqZFnREc Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) March 28, 2020 Meanwhile, the president has authorized the Pentagon via executive order to call up 1 million reserve and retired medical military personnel to be deployed to the hardest-hit regions of the country as more than 110,000 Americans (as of this writing) and counting are infected with the disease. He may yet have to take more drastic action, however. As reported by The Wall Street Journal on Saturday, Trump is seriously considering placing a quarantine on New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, all hard-hit by virus, to prevent its spread: The president didnt specify what a quarantine would entail, but said it could include restrictions on travel from New York and New Jersey. New York City alone has more than 23,000 cases, nearly a quarter of all the cases in the country. The largest number of cases continues to be in the state of New York, where 52,318 people are infected and 728 had died from the virus as of Saturday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said during a morning briefing. I dont even know what that means We might not have to do it, but theres a possibility that sometime today well do a quarantine, he told reporters aboard Air Force One enroute to seeing off the USNS Comfort as it began its journey north. As for New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, he told reporters he hadnt had any discussions with the president about a quarantine. I havent had those conversations. I dont even know what that means, Cuomo said at a Saturday press briefing. I dont know how that could be legally enforceable, and from a medical point of view I dont know what you would be accomplishing. (Related: Dear clueless America: You are now living under the tyranny you deserve, for you said nothing when the Big Tech censors came for the truth-tellers who warned you this would happen.) As for why the quarantine might be necessary, Trump referenced an executive action taken by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who, on Monday, ordered travelers from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut to self-isolate for 14 days, the infection cycle for the virus. And also earlier last week, Trump administration officials issued the same recommendation to anyone leaving New York. Some people would like to see New York quarantined because its a hotspot New York, New Jersey, maybe one or two other places, certain parts of Connecticut quarantined, the president told reporters outside the White House earlier in the day, according to Fox News. Im thinking about that right now. We might not have to do it but theres a possibility that sometime today well do a quarantine short term, two weeks for New York, probably New Jersey and certain parts of Connecticut, he added. I am giving consideration to a QUARANTINE of developing hot spots, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. A decision will be made, one way or another, shortly. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 28, 2020 Trump explained that if he did put a quarantine in place, it would most likely consist of restrictions on residents of those states traveling to other parts of the country. It would not affect truckers or trade, however. This will be an enforceable quarantine, but hopefully we wont need it, the president added. Sources include: FoxNews.com WSJ.com NaturalNews.com Bollywood actor Rajkummar Rao is doing his bit to fight the coronavirus pandemic. He has contributed to Prime Minister Narendra Modis relief fund, chief ministers (Maharashtra) relief fund and Zomato Feeding India to help feed families in need. Rajkummar doesnt want to reveal the amount, but tweeted on Sunday: Its time to stand together and to help our administration in this fight against Coronavirus. Ive done my bit..Donated to #PMReliefFund #CMReliefFund and to #ZomatoFeedingIndia to help feed families in need. Please support in whatever way you can. Our Nation Needs Us. Jai Hind. Some of his followers even praised him for not revealing the amount. This is ideal example of charity. Reason behind this charity is pure care. no show off at all....Showing charity amount for publicity is nt good. Feeling proud of you @RajkummarRao for your charity work, one Twitter user wrote. Also read: When Angad Bedi broke the news of Neha Dhupias pregnancy to her parents before marriage Another wrote: Well done rajkumar for not showing how amount u donated hatsoff man. Many Bollywood celebrities have come forward to support Modis PM CAREs fund. Actor Akshay Kumar has announced that he will donate 25 crore to the fund. Follow @htshowbiz for more London, March 29 : British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned the coronavirus crisis "will get worse before it gets better", in a letter being sent to every UK household. Boris Johnson, who is self-isolating after testing positive for Covid-19, says stricter restrictions could be put in place if necessary, the BBC reported. Britons will also get a leaflet detailing government rules on leaving the house and health information. It follows criticism over the clarity of government advice to date. The number of people who have died with coronavirus in the UK has now reached 1,019, with a further 260 deaths announced on Saturday. There are now 17,089 confirmed cases in the UK. In the letter being sent to 30 million households at an anticipated cost of euros 5.8m, Johnson writes: "From the start, we have sought to put in the right measures at the right time. "We will not hesitate to go further if that is what the scientific and medical advice tells us we must do." "It's important for me to level with you - we know things will get worse before they get better," the letter reads. "But we are making the right preparations, and the more we all follow the rules, the fewer lives will be lost and the sooner life can return to normal." Experts have said they expect the number of coronavirus cases and deaths to continue to rise for the next two to three weeks, before the effects of social distancing measures and restrictions on everyday life begin to have an impact. In his letter, Johnson describes the pandemic as a "moment of national emergency", urging the public to stay at home to protect the NHS and save lives. He also praises the work of doctors, nurses and other carers as well as well as the hundreds of thousands of people who have volunteered to help the most vulnerable. The leaflet sent alongside the letter includes guidance on handwashing, an explanation of coronavirus symptoms, the government rules on leaving the house and advice on shielding vulnerable people. Meanwhile, new powers, including fines of up to euros 5,000, to enforce guidelines on people staying at home and businesses staying closed came into force in Northern Ireland on Saturday evening. The maximum fine will be reserved for businesses but individuals could face a fine of up to euros 960 if they do not comply. One thing you can be sure of: As the novel coronavirus continues to spread, Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives, socialists and libertarians, atheists and believers, young and old, are likely to get sick, and many people will die. Viruses exist to replicate. They dont pick a host body based on the politics of the person that body belongs to. And, yet, across our country, there are people who are letting their political beliefs guide their response to the virus and the potentially fatal disease it causes. Speaking of coronavirus and Democrats at a Feb. 28 campaign rally in North Carolina, President Donald Trump said, This is their new hoax, and many other Republicans took their cues from him, downplaying the threat and dismissing concern about the virus spread as a media fantasy and a nefarious plot to crash the stock market. Consequently, national polls reveal that Republicans are far less concerned about the virus and are, therefore, taking fewer precautions to halt its spread. Even those who are concerned about it are more inclined to believe that Trump and his administration have handled the crisis well. But theres no way to reconcile that belief with Trumps dismissal of the coming surge of illness as a hoax, nor is there any way to square that belief with his assertion, made on Feb. 26, that the 15 known cases in the United States at the time would soon peter out to zero. Exactly a month later, the number of cases in the U.S. had exceeded 86,000 and almost 1,300 people in the country had died. There are 4.3 times more people in China, where the virus is believed to have originated, but its the United States that now has the most confirmed cases in the world. And the worst is yet to come. We shouldnt minimize Trumps minimization of the threat. Those repeated assertions that everything was OK, that he had everything under control, that his enemies were conspiring to make him look bad, certainly encouraged his fans who should have been vigilant to cavalierly attend restaurants, bars and parties and go about their normal business if only to own the libs. We all are entitled to our political beliefs, but our political beliefs should be compatible with reality and not a replacement for reality. If your politics requires you to say that the wolf at the door is neither a wolf nor at the door, then you need a new politics. One of the reasons Gov. Mike DeWine has received such high praise from across the country and from people across the political spectrum is that he hasnt succumbed to the recent trend among fellow Republicans of denying reality to tell his supporters what they most want to hear. Nobody wants to hear that theres a virus spreading that can kill them or members of their family. Nobody wants to be told to stay inside their homes or to shut down their nonessential businesses. DeWine has told Ohioans just that. Not only that, but he demonstrated leadership even at the risk of looking hysterical. On March 12, when there were only five confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the entire state, DeWine decided that all Ohios K-12 schools would be shut down for at least three weeks. He led the nation in that regard. Now most of the schools in the country are shut down. But DeWines clear-eyed acknowledgment of the dangers that exist isnt the only reason hes been garnering praise. He has communicated the dangers that exist much like a doctor with excellent bedside manners. You might not like the news that the doctor is giving you, but you can appreciate the way the scary news is delivered. He seems genuinely more concerned about the well-being of Ohioans than what this crisis might mean for his chances at re-election. His seeming lack of concern about a future re-election campaign probably makes him a shoo-in to win it. Whether its climate change or the size of inauguration crowds, the content of a White House phone call with Ukraine or the details of Special Counsel Robert Muellers report, theres been a tendency among Republicans to deny any and every fact that doesnt suit them. But, as DeWines exemplary leadership demonstrates, it doesnt have to be that way. Facts need not be anathema to Republicans. During this current crisis, an embrace of the facts is our only hope. The virus isnt going to care if you believe its real or not. It will infect you (and maybe kill you) just the same. Jarvis DeBerry is a columnist at Cleveland.com and a member of the editorial board. Reach him at jdeberry@cleveland.com or on Twitter at @jarvisdeberry. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is self-isolating after testing positive for the coronavirus, will send a letter to every UK household, warning them the pandemic crisis will get worse before it gets better and seeking their full cooperation in saving lives during the national emergency. The letter will land on the doorsteps of 30 million households this week. It is expected that the letter, which also warns that lockdown restrictions could get even tougher, will cost 5.8 million pounds to print and distribute across the UK. In the letter, Johnson outlines the guidance that everyone should follow and the measures the government has put in place to fight coronavirus and to support businesses and workers. His letter follows criticism over the clarity of government advice to date, BBC reported. The number of people who have died with coronavirus in the UK has now reached 1,019, with a further 260 deaths announced on Saturday. There are now 17,089 confirmed cases in the UK. "From the start, we have sought to put in the right measures at the right time. We will not hesitate to go further if that is what the scientific and medical advice tells us we must do," he writes in the letter. Tough measures to tackle the spread of coronavirus, including a ban on public gatherings of more than two people and the closure of shops selling non-essential goods, were introduced last week. "But we are making the right preparations, and the more we all follow the rules, the fewer lives will be lost and the sooner life can return to normal." We must slow the spread of the disease, and reduce the number of people needing hospital treatment in order to save as many lives as possible. This is why we are giving one simple instruction you must stay at home. Johnson says it is vital that nobody cheats by meeting friends or relatives who do not live under the same roof. He repeats the only reason to venture outdoors must be to buy food, take exercise once a day or seek medical attention. Experts have said they expect the number of coronavirus cases and deaths to continue to rise for the next two to three weeks, before the effects of social distancing measures and restrictions on everyday life begin to have an impact. In his letter, Johnson describes the pandemic as a "moment of national emergency". The prime minister acknowledges the restrictions will have a financial impact on families. "The government will do whatever it takes to help you make ends meet and put food on the table," he says. Johnson also praises the work of doctors, nurses and other carers as well as well as the hundreds of thousands of people who have volunteered to help the most vulnerable. The leaflet sent alongside the letter includes guidance on handwashing, an explanation of coronavirus symptoms, the government rules on leaving the house and advice on shielding vulnerable people. Home Secretary Priti Patel has pledged to protect victims of domestic abuse, who she says are particularly at risk during the pandemic because of the need to stay at home. The Foreign Office said it was working "around the clock" to support British travellers stranded in India amid a government lockdown. Business Secretary Alok Sharma also announced insolvency rules would be changed to allow firms greater flexibility as they faced the coronavirus crisis. Secretary of State for Scotland, Alister Jack, is also self-isolating after he developed coronavirus symptoms. He is said to be experiencing mild symptoms but has not been tested for Covid-19. Health Secretary Matt Hancock is also self-isolating after testing positive for the virus. The UK's chief medical officer, Prof Chris Whitty, is also self-isolating, but has not tested positive. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) P olice are clamping down on non-essential travel, like motorcycle rides, driving lessons and caravan trips, which are not permitted as part of daily exercise sessions during the coronavirus lockdown. Officers are urging motorcyclists to stay out of the countryside and told them they cannot claim it is part of their permitted daily exercise. The crackdown came as it emerged Derbyshire Police had dyed the water at a local beauty spot black to deter visitors. The force had already come under fire from some quarters for using drone footage to shame people travelling into the Peak District to walk the hills. Derbyshire Police said they used water dye to spoil the sight for tourists / Buxton Police SNT/Facebook And in North Wales, officers criticised a driver who took their child out for a driving lesson because they wanted to make the most of the quiet roads, saying this was not an essential journey. On the weekend when the clocks go forward, heralding better weather and lighter nights, police kept up the strict message that the countryside was not open to visitors. Inspector Mark Gee, manning a vehicle check point in Richmondshire, North Yorkshire, said: "We have had motorcyclists coming into the Dales claiming they are exercising. "We have to remind people, exercise should be done from your home address, on foot unless you're on a bike. Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures 1 /81 Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures A deserted Westminster Bridge PA A man wearing a face mask or covering due to the COVID-19 pandemic, walks past customers sat outside a restaurant AFP via Getty Images Boris Johnson addresses the nation on the Coronavirus lockdown Andrew Parsons Runners pass cardboard cutouts of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince William during the London Marathon in London AP An empty escalator at Charing Coss London Underground tube station Jeremy Selwyn Electronic bilboards displays a message warning people to stay home in Sheffield PA A sign is displayed in the window of a student accommodation building following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Mancheste Reuters People take part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions, in Londo AP People sing and dance in Leicester Square on the eve on the 10PM curfew Reuters Hearts painted by a team of artists from Upfest are seen in the grass at Queen Square, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Bristol Reuters Graffiti reads 'good luck and stay safe', as the number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases grow around the world, under a bridge in London Reuters A sign is pictured in Soho, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London Reuters Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures, during a coronavirus briefing in Downing Street, London AP A person runs past posters with a message of hope, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Manchester REUTERS Riot police face protesters who took part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions in London AP An image of The Queen eith quotes from her broadcast to the UK and the Commonwealth in relation to the Coronavirus epidemic are displayed on lights in London's Piccadilly Circus PA Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' hospital Getty Images Durdle Door in Dorset Reuters Captain Tom Moore via Reuters Mia, aged 8, and Jack, aged 5, take part in "PE with Joe" a daily live workout with Joe Wicks on Youtube to help kids stay fit who have to stay indoors due to the Coronavirus outbreak PA An NHS worker reacts at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital during the Clap for our Carers campaign in support of the NHS Reuters Goats which have taken over the deserted streets of Llandudno @AndrewStuart via PA Tobias Weller PA Novikov restaurant in London with its shutters pulled down while the restaurant is closed London Landscapes: Hyde Park and the Serpentine, central London. Matt Writtle A newspaper vendor in Manchester city centre giving away free toilet rolls with every paper bought as shops run low on supplies due to fears over the spread of the coronavirus PA Theo Clay looks out of his window next to his hand-drawn picture of a rainbow in Liverpool, as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continue Reuters A young man cuts another man's hair on top of a closed hairdresser in Oxford Reuters General view of the new NHS Nightingale Hospital, built to fight against the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London via Reuters Jason Baird is seen dressed as Spiderman during his daily exercise to cheer up local children in Stockport, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters A woman wearing a face mask walks past Buckingham Palace Getty Images A man holds mobile phone displaying a text message alert sent by the government warning that new rules are in force across the UK and people must stay at home PA Medical staff on the Covid-19 ward at the Neath Port Talbot Hospital, in Wales, as the health services continue their response to the coronavirus outbreak. PA Prime Minister Boris Johnson taking part in a virtual Cabinet meeting with his top team of ministers PA A shopper walks past empty shelves in a Lidl store on in Wallington. After spates of "panic buying" cleared supermarket shelves of items like toilet paper and cleaning products, stores across the UK have introduced limits on purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some have also created special time slots for the elderly and other shoppers vulnerable to the new coronavirus. Getty Images People on a busy tube train in London at rush hour PA Mia, aged 8 and her brother Jack, aged 5 from Essex, continue their school work at home, after being sent home due to the coronavirus PA Children are painting 'Chase the rainbows' artwork and springing up in windows across the country Reuters Social distancing in Primrose Hill Jeremy Selwyn A general view of a locked gate at Anfield, Liverpool as The Premier League has been suspended PA Homeless people in London AFP via Getty Images A piece of art by the artist, known as the Rebel Bear has appeared on a wall on Bank Street in Glasgow. The new addition to Glasgow's street art is capturing the global Coronavirus crisis. The piece features a woman and a man pulling back to give each other a kiss PA The Queen leaves Buckingham Palace, London, for Windsor Castle to socially distance herself amid the coronavirus pandemic PA A general view on Grey street, Newcastle as coronavirus cases grow around the world Reuters Matt Raw, a British national who returned from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, leaves quaratine at Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside PA Britain's Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty (L) and Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance look on as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures as he speaks during a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) news conference inside 10 Downing Street Reuters The ticket-validation terminals at the tram stop on Edinburgh's Princes Street are cleaned following the coronavirus outbreak. PA Locked school gates at Rockcliffe First School in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear PA A sign at a Sainsbury's supermarket informs customers that limits have been set on a small number of products as the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases grow around the world Reuters Jawad Javed delivers coronavirus protection kits that he and his wife have put together to the vulnerable people of their community of Stenhousemuir, between Glasgow and Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images A sign advertising a book titled "How Will We Survive On Earth?" Getty Images A man who appears to be homeless sleeping wearing a mask today in Victoria Jeremy Selwyn A pedestrian walks past graffiti that reads "Diseases are in the City" in Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images Staff from The Lyric Theatre, London inform patrons, as it shuts its doors PA A quiet looking George IV Bridge in Edinburgh PA A quieter than usual British Museum Getty Images A racegoer attends Cheltenham in a fashionable face mask SplashNews.com A commuter wears a face mask at London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn A empty restaurant in the Bull Ring Shopping Centre Getty Images A deserted Trafalgar Square in London PA Passengers determined to avoid the coronavirus before leaving the UK arrive at Gatwick Airport Getty Images "Every time you are on a road there's an increased chance of a collision and if that happens, it is putting a strain on our local NHS resources which are limited in any case, even without us facing a worldwide crisis." He said the quieter traffic could encourage bikers to speed up on open roads, leaving them more at risk of crashing. Mr Gee said the checkpoint near the Catterick Garrison was being supported with officers from Royal Military Police. He felt the message was getting through to most people that the countryside was not open, and noted roads were less busy than previous days. A UK road sign advising drivers to stay home protect NHS saves lives / PA Meanwhile, Derbyshire Police introduced further measures to prevent gatherings in the county by dyeing a "blue lagoon" in Buxton black. In a Facebook post earlier this week, the Buxton safer neighbourhood policing team said officers had been told people were congregating beside the water in Harpur Hill. The post said: "No doubt this is due to the picturesque location and the lovely weather (for once) in Buxton. PA "However, the location is dangerous and this type of gathering is in contravention of the current instruction of the UK Government. "With this in mind, we have attended the location this morning and used water dye to make the water look less appealing." Police also shared incidents where officers stopped camper vans and turned them around to go home. Royal Military Police with North Yorkshire Police at a vehicle check point near Catterick Barracks / PA A motor patrols officer in Devon stopped one camper that had been driven down from Birmingham, saying in a social media post: "This gentleman is now on his way back to the Midlands!" And in North Wales, an officer tweeted about stopping a camper van and speaking to the driver, commenting: "A quiet word and an apology and he is headed out of North Wales." In Swansea, police stopped a 15-year-old who was caught driving in the early hours because he was "bored of being stuck indoors". Officers said the vehicle has been seized and the boy was facing numerous offences. Meanwhile, Cumbria Police praised bikers for staying away from an area where last weekend hundreds congregated. April will most likely be a "wait and watch" period. It can close in positive since the markets are deep in the oversold zone, but for the time being, 7,511 can be taken as a bottom in the intermediate-term, Umesh Mehta, Head of Research, Samco Securities, said in an interview with Moneycontrols Kshitij Anand. edited excerpts: Q) It was a volatile week for Indian markets, but the good part is we managed to bounce back from 7,511 thanks to the various fiscal measures taken by the government and authorities around the world. What is your take on the market action? A) In October 2008 when the US Fed had announced a stimulus package, markets rebounded for some time, but thereafter the slide continued. Price destruction was lesser post the stimulus package. Time-wise it took another 5 months for the market to really begin the bull run. The current actions across the world including lockdowns, stimulus packages, fiscal & monetary incentives will help markets stabilise, but it will take time for markets to enter a new bull orbit. Substantial price correction may not happen, but time correction may happen. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show Q) After registering a series on series fall of more than 25 percent in March, what is the sense you are getting for the April series. Do you think we could hopefully close in the positive what does the data suggest and any stocks which investors should watch/avoid? Have we made a bottom around 7511? A) April series will be positive given that markets will try and bounce back from oversold levels. As such the lockdown effect will be felt in months to come. April will most likely be a "wait and watch" period. It can close in positive since the markets are deep in the oversold zone, but for the time being, 7,511 can be taken as a bottom in the intermediate-term. A) The package announced by the government addressed the bottom of the pyramid i.e. 20 percent economic interest; however, 80 percent of the economic interest has not been touched upon. It is here where the slowdown will have an impact, least to say RBI has only allowed postponement of interest/ loan repayment by 3 months, nonetheless, they will have to be paid. Therefore, as such government in the name of welfare policies has helped the weaker economic population, but MSMEs, entrepreneurs, businessmen - large & small, organized workforce are left on their own. A) April may turn out to be a suckers rally where the fence-sitters will be pulled in. We will see some amount of price stabilizing but a major rally to go past 10,000 on the Nifty is less likely. A) As such announcements will not have a direct impact on companies, but the Financials sector will get respite. The RBI has in a way relaxed conditions for NPAs, therefore financials space will stabilize going forward. We would wait for some more time to assess the actual impact of Coronavirus on businesses before suggesting particular stocks for long term investment. The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts on Moneycontrol.com are their own and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 12:18:20|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo taken on March 27, 2020 shows the White House in Washington D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) Taiwan separatists ought to quit relying on foreign intervention to keep China permanently divided and understand that Washington is merely using the island as a pawn in its strategic containment of China. They also need to stop daydreaming about Taiwan's value in Washington's calculations. by Xinhua writer Gao Wencheng BEIJING, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Washington's recent signing of the so-called "Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative (TAIPEI) Act of 2019" into law has flagrantly violated China's sovereignty. Since Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) came into power four years ago, cross-Strait relations have witnessed major setbacks as the administration has refused to acknowledge the 1992 Consensus and fanned separatist sentiments on the island. In the meantime, by selling weapons to Taiwan and passing bills supporting the island, Washington has been trying to leverage Taiwan to disrupt China's reunification efforts and retard the country's development. The latest act, taking a carrot and stick approach, asks the U.S. government to enhance engagement with countries that strengthen "relations" with Taiwan, while altering engagement with those whose actions "undermine" the island. It also calls on the U.S. government to help Taiwan gain participation in international organizations in which statehood is not a requirement, either as a member or an observer. For starters, a major factor deciding Taiwan's so-called "international space" lies not in the support of the United States but in the state of cross-Strait relations. U.S. President Donald Trump (C) attends a news conference at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, on March 13, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) Taiwan used to participate in the World Health Assembly with an observer status as "Chinese Taipei," a special arrangement made through cross-Strait consultations on the basis of both sides' adherence to the 1992 Consensus. Because the DPP refuses to recognize the consensus, the prerequisite for Taiwan's participation in the assembly has vanished. Washington's drive to thwart the pursuit by sovereign nations for normalized relations with China is faltering. Since the DPP took power in Taiwan in 2016, seven countries, some against strong pressure from the United States, have cut "ties" with Taiwan and established or restored diplomatic relations with China. Today, 180 countries have formed diplomatic relations with Beijing, with the one-China principle enjoying universal consensus. As Kiribati's President Taneti Mamau said during his Beijing trip in January, trust and confidence in China are the reasons why his country made the important decision to resume diplomatic ties. The Capitol Hill is shrouded in fog in Washington D.C., the United States, on Dec. 17, 2019. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) Taiwan separatists ought to quit relying on foreign intervention to keep China permanently divided and understand that Washington is merely using the island as a pawn in its strategic containment of China. They also need to stop daydreaming about Taiwan's value in Washington's calculations. Washington should also respect the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques, the political foundation of the two countries' diplomatic relations. China hawks in the United States should not underestimate Beijing's rock solid determination to safeguard its national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Fifteen years ago, China adopted the Anti-Secession Law, a clear demonstration of Beijing's utmost sincerity for peaceful reunification across the Taiwan Strait and resolute opposition to so-called "Taiwan independence." As China continues on its path of peaceful development and national rejuvenation, it is only a matter of time before the country achieves reunification, a historic trend that cannot be stopped. Those who seek to stonewall it, both in the United States and Taiwan, should wake up. Nassau County police lead a donation drive to collect medical equipment such as N95 surgical masks, nitrile gloves, tyvex suits, antibacterial and disinfecting wipes to battle the coronavirus pandemic at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow, N.Y., on March 24, 2020. (Al Bello/Getty Images) Non-Profits Campaign to Provide Masks for NYC Health Workers As the COVID-19 outbreak surges in New York city, non-profits and citizens around the country have come forward to collect and supply personal protection equipment for the citys health care workers. The country witnessed 402 outbreak-related deaths on Friday, with 84 of them from New York City alone. Out of the total 1,841 deaths in the country, 517 have come from the city. While the nation fights the CCP virus pandemic, the most at risk daily are health care workers. On Friday, The New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) said in a statement that there is a need for more PPE (personal protective equipment) and their nurses have limited access to it. Nurses at the Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx alleged in the press release that they are being asked to reuse N95 masks for an entire week. A group of citizens has started a popular campaign on GoFundMe raising money for N95 masks for New York City health workers. Since March 19, it has been able to raise over $410,000 and has donated masks to hospitals at the forefront of fighting COVID-19, including the Bellevue and Elmhurst hospitals that recently saw a lot of fatal cases. 7,200 masks have arrived! Our team is spending all day dropping them off to the hospitals that have been hit the hardest Montefiore New Rochelle, Elmhurst, Mt Sinai, NYP & NYU, said Million Masks founder Ben Wei in a message on Twitter on Tuesday. @nytimes @nickkristof @rachel_dry We just donated ~1,000 KN95 masks to the ER & ICU at Elmhurst hospital on Tuesday! We are planning on donating even more and helping as much as we can from our @a_million_masks Coronavirus Relief Fund https://t.co/blNYI1rmDx pic.twitter.com/ZtQSTFKfoq Ben Wei (@mrbenwei) March 26, 2020 Project C.U.R.E., an international charity that supplies life-saving medical supplies and equipment to clinics and hospitals in the under-resourced world, started supporting local health care systems in the United States in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. While Project C.U.R.E.s mission is to strengthen health systems in under-resourced countries, our first priority is to our own country, the organizations CEO and President said in a statement. The organization is conducting PPE drives across many cities and is most actively supporting hospitals near its distribution centers in Denver, Cheyenne, Chicago (metro area), Munster, Nashville, Houston (metro area), Phoenix (metro area), Philadelphia, and Wilmington. Micah McDonough, the Director of Marketing and Communications for the organization, told The Epoch Times over the phone that the organization is willing to support hospitals in NYC and those in need can request supplies and equipment if they are facing an imminent shortage by filling out a form online. NASHVILLE PPE DRIVE SUNDAY @Titans along w/ Project C.U.R.E. Nashville will host a Personal Protection Equipment #PPEsupplies drive Sun, Mar 29, 12 4PM at @NissanStadium to send aide to local #healthcareheroes serving on frontlines! #projectcurenashville @visitmusiccity pic.twitter.com/43dC4cJAdQ project C.U.R.E. (@projectcure) March 28, 2020 Another national charity raising donations and resources around the country and sending them to outbreak hotbeds is the CDC Foundation. Amy Tolchinsky, the foundations spokesperson, told The Epoch Times in an email that the organization activated its emergency relief fund in late January. Until a few weeks ago, the donations and commitments that had been received had already been committed to address identified needs, said Tolchinsky. The organization has been providing support to health departments around the country including the pandemic hotbeds, New York, California, and Washington state. The support includes, among other things, funding for the purchase of PPEs. Currently, the CDC Foundation team is having discussions with CDC and public health departments about priority needs and deploying funds, said Tolchinsky. As the United States surpassed Italy this week to become the country with the most coronavirus cases outside of China, with more than 115,000 known cases as of Saturday afternoon, according to Johns Hopkins, charities have also started to build contingencies for their partner organizations. The $75 million NYC COVID-19 Response & Impact Fund will offer grants and loans to #arts and culture #nonprofits @playbill #Covid19ResponseNYC https://t.co/7kMvLMnn2v The New York Community Trust (@NYCommTrust) March 25, 2020 Non-profit service providers in New York City have come together and created a fund called the NYC COVID-19 Response & Impact Fund thats exclusively providing funding, among other things, for PPEs to charities working with communities during the pandemic. Many nonprofits around the city provide essential services such as food and medical care to vulnerable populations, such as homebound older adults, homeless, and people with disabilities, Lorie Slutsky, the President of the New York Community Trust, told The Epoch Times in a statement. In order to continue to do so, many are unexpectedly having to purchase protective gear so staff and clients do not become infected. That is why that has been included among the possible uses of the grants and loans, said Slutsky. CNN Newswire contributed to this report. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 22:21:47|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, March 29 (Xinhua) -- The Djibouti Ministry of Health on Sunday disclosed the number of COVID-19 cases in the horn of Africa country has reached 18. The Djibouti Ministry of Health said it had in recent days performed 195 tests, out of which four were confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infected people to 18. "The clinical status of the 18 COVID-19 infected people remains stable and satisfactory," according to a statement issued by the ministry. "In addition, 41 people are under medical surveillance, pending the results of their COVID-19 tests," said the statement from the Djibouti Ministry of Health. The ministry urged all those who live in Djibouti to follow the World Health Organization mandated health measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. "Wash your hands with soap very regularly, respect a social distance of at least one meter and disinfect the surfaces of regular contact," said the statement from the Djibouti Ministry of Health. Djibouti confirmed its first case of COVID-19 on March 18. Djibouti, which lies on a key location connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, hosts a number of foreign military bases and is the main sea outlet for landlocked Ethiopia. A farmer from Nashik (Maharashtra) has donated wheat that he harvested from one of his three acres of land to people who are suffering due to the 21-day lockdown in the country. Datta Ram Patil, who has around 3-acre land decided to help poor and needy people who are facing major food-crisis due to the nation-wide lockdown that has been placed to prevent coronavirus pandemic from spreading in the country. Datta Ram has committed to donate the wheat he has produced from his 1-acre land. "I am a small farmer. We're not financially stable but if we have 1 chapatti then we can give half to others who are in dire need," Datta Ram Patil was quoted as saying to ANI. The Office of the Chief Minister of Maharashtra also praised the act. CMO Maharashtra tweeted, "Only Humanity can help us win the war! Thank you Datta Ram Patil Ji for this." Only Humanity can help us win the war! Thank you Datta Ram Patil ji for this CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) March 29, 2020 Maharashtra has been the worst-hit state in the country with 6 deaths and over 200 COVID-19 confirmed cases reported as on Sunday (March 29, 2020) 07:30 PM IST. Whereas, the total number of coronavirus cases in India has jumped to 1024 with 27 deaths. Earlier on March 24, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a countrywide lockdown for 21-days, restricting a population of over 130 crore people to stay at their homes to avoid social-distancing during the COVID-19 outbreak in the country. By The Associated Press Mar. 27, 2020 | 08:49 AM | WASHINGTON The House kicked off debate on a $2.2 trillion package to ease the coronavirus pandemic's devastating toll on the U.S. economy and health care system on Friday, even as a maverick conservative threatened to delay passage until most lawmakers return to Washington for a vote. That left many angry lawmakers scrambling to return to the nation's capital amid a pandemic in which Americans have been urged to self-quarantine or keep their distance from one another. As the House gaveled into session Friday morning, there was no doubt that, one way or the other, the chamber would eventually give final congressional approval to the largest economic relief package in U.S. history. While no one will agree with every part of this rescue bill, we face a challenge rarely seen in Americas history. We must act now, or the toll on lives and livelihoods will be far greater, said Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas. But Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who's opposed to the massive bill, set the House on edge by threatening to try to force a roll call vote. Party leaders had hoped to pass the measure by voice vote without lawmakers having to take the risk of traveling to Washington. Massie took to Twitter to suggest he'd require a quorum of lawmakers some 216 lawmakers to be present and voting. Massie didn't respond to a reporter's requests for comment. Numerous high-ranking Republicans have called Massie in an attempt to persuade him to let the voice vote proceed, according to a top House GOP aide. They included House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., whom President Donald Trump has chosen as his new chief of staff. If those efforts fail and a roll call is needed, Republicans believe they will have more than 100 of their members back at the Capitol, according to the aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe private conversations. Democratic leaders urged lawmakers who are willing and able to come to the Capitol to do so. Massie's move infuriated lawmakers, forcing many to trek to Washington for a vote they're not even sure will occur. If a quorum can't assemble Friday, more members would have to travel for a Saturday session. Heading to Washington to vote on pandemic legislation. Because of one Member of Congress refusing to allow emergency action entire Congress must be called back to vote in House, Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., wrote on Twitter. Risk of infection and risk of legislation being delayed. Disgraceful. Irresponsible. South Dakota GOP Rep. Dusty Johnson posted a selfie photograph of himself and three other lawmakers from the upper Midwest traveling to Washington on an otherwise empty plane. Friday's House session comes after an extraordinary 96-0 Senate vote late Wednesday. President Donald Trump marveled at the unanimity Thursday and is eager to sign the package into law. The relief can hardly come soon enough. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said Thursday the economy may well be in recession already, and the government reported a shocking 3.3 million burst of weekly jobless claims, more than four times the previous record. The U.S. death toll from the virus rose to 1,300. House leaders in both parties had hoped to pass the measure with a sparsely attended voice vote remarkable for a bill of such magnitude so scattered lawmakers didnt have to risk exposure by travelling back to Washington. Originally scheduled as a non-working pro forma meeting, the session was extended to a three-hour debate on the bill all conducted under social distancing rules to minimize the risk of transmitting the virus. "If that's the method used to get this to the American people, to get this passed, then I think lots of members are probably OK with that," said Rep. Jim Jordan Thursday as he drove back to Washington. "I know the plan is for it to be a voice vote, and that's what the leadership has said they're for, and I think that's fine. It is unlikely to be the end of the federal response. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said issues like more generous food stamp payments, aid to state and local governments and family leave may be revisited in subsequent legislation. There's so many things we didn't get in ... that we need to," Pelosi told reporters Thursday. The legislation will pour $1,200 direct payments to individuals and a flood of subsidized loans, grants and tax breaks to businesses facing extinction in an economic shutdown caused as Americans self-isolate by the tens of millions. It dwarfs prior Washington efforts to take on economic crises and natural disasters, such as the 2008 Wall Street bailout and President Barack Obamas first-year economic recovery act. But key elements are untested, such as grants to small businesses to keep workers on payroll and complex lending programs to larger businesses. Millions of rebate payments will go to people who have retained their jobs. Policymakers worry that bureaucracies like the Small Business Administration may become overwhelmed, and conservatives fear that a new, generous unemployment benefit will dissuade jobless people from returning to the workforce. A new $500 billion subsidized lending program for larger businesses is unproven as well. The bill finances a response with a price tag that equals half the size of the entire $4 trillion-plus annual federal budget. The $2.2 trillion estimate is the White House's best guess of the spending it contains. The legislation would provide one-time direct payments to Americans of $1,200 per adult making up to $75,000 a year and $2,400 to a married couple making up to $150,000, with $500 payments per child. Unemployment insurance would be made far more generous, with $600 per week tacked onto regular state jobless payments through the end of July. States and local governments would receive $150 billion in supplemental funding to help them provide basic and emergency services during the crisis. The legislation also establishes a $454 billion program for guaranteed, subsidized loans to larger industries in hopes of leveraging up to $4.5 trillion in lending to distressed businesses, states, and municipalities. All would be up to the Treasury Departments discretion, though businesses controlled by Trump or immediate family members and by members of Congress would be ineligible. There was also $150 billion devoted to the health care system, including $100 billion for grants to hospitals and other health care providers buckling under the strain of COVID-19 caseloads. Republicans successfully pressed for an employee retention tax credit that's estimated to provide $50 billion to companies that retain employees on payroll and cover 50% of workers' paycheck up to $10,000. Companies would also be able to defer payment of the 6.2% Social Security payroll tax. A huge tax break for interest costs and operating losses limited by the 2017 tax overhaul was restored at a $200 billion cost in a boon for the real estate sector. An additional $45 billion would fund additional relief through the Federal Emergency Management Agency for local response efforts and community services. Amaravati, March 28 : The Andhra Pradesh government has identified key areas during the 21-day lockdown imposed to tackle the coronavirus crisis. At a review meeting conducted by Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy on Saturday, the government decided to maintain supply chain of essential commodities, ensure that harvesting takes place on schedule, and provide food security for economically weaker sections of society. Briefing the media after the review meeting, the Group of Ministers (GoM) who participated in the review meeting, said the monitoring mechanism would be further strengthened in addition to keeping the focus on social distancing. The GoM includes Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas (Nani), Botsa Satyanarayana, Buggana Rajendranath Reddy, M. Sucharitha, and Kurasala Kannababu. Health Minister Alla Nani said, "It has been decided that one doctor should be appointed for every 10 foreign returnees and a specialist should be appointed above them. Moreover, the video conference facility should be available between the doctors and specialists". "Necessary protection suits and tools shall be supplied to doctors, volunteers, Asha workers to ensure their safety from coronavirus. For the same, the order has been placed to purchase about 1.35 lakh PPEs, 5 lakh N-95 masks, and 400 ventilators". The minister said that in the course of the review meeting, the Chief Minister sought details on the second survey results conducted by village volunteers and instructed the officials that this process should be continued where every volunteer records the condition of 50 households, said the Minister. The services of doctors who voluntarily come forward in fighting against COVID-19 should be utilized, he added. Those who were identified in the survey conducted by ANMs, Asha workers, and volunteers should be sent for treatment as per the protocol. Apart from the stress on maintaining social distancing in the state, the government will intensify efforts to help people stranded in other states. "The Chief Minister has also directed the officials to coordinate with district collectors on the state borders and make use of marriage halls and hotels to accommodate people only after sanitizing those places," the minister said in the media briefing. Minister for Municipal Administration Botsa Satyanarayana stressed that there is no shortage of food and essential goods in the state. The government plans to use village volunteers to deliver old age pensions and food rations to the people at their doorsteps. Agriculture Minister Kurasala Kannababu said that apart from banana crop in the Rayalaseema region, the second paddy crop will be ready for harvest. "The government would seek permission from other states to transport agricultural produce", he said. Bihar government on Sunday ordered the release of more than eight hundred migrant labourers who had arrived from Delhi and Lucknow, from eleven isolation centers, after they unleashed mayhem which proved too much for the administration to handle, including threatening with mass suicide if prevented from continuing their journey to their towns and villages. The migrant workers arriving from Delhi and Lucknow had been stopped near states border with Uttar Pradesh in Kaimur district and kept in isolation centers, readied at the last minute following a directive from the state to quarantine them upon their arrival. Earlier on Friday, the government had directed officials to let the migrant workers proceed to their respective places after screening them and providing them with food, water and treatment if necessary. But later, a new directive said they should be isolated at the border and not allowed to proceed further. The new order to isolate the migrants led to widespread panic in the absence of testing facilities for Covid-19 and the government was slammed on social media for facilitating conditions for mass community transmission of the deadly virus and thereby endangering the life of denizens. The new order also confused the officials who spent the night arranging for food, housing and isolation facilities for over 3000 migrants. More than 2000 migrants fled the centers after scaling the boundary walls when the policemen standing guard fell asleep in the wee hours. Further chaos and mayhem were witnessed on Sunday morning after the remaining migrants raised a din demanding to be released to go home and hurled abuses at even senior officers. They violated the isolation norms and assembled in groups and complained of a shortage of food and water and threatened to en-masse commit suicide if not released. Situation got out of hand and some migrants vandalized the isolation centres and forced several officials and employees to flee while the remaining surrendered to the situation. The district magistrate (DM) Nawal Kishor Chaudhary and superintendent of police Dilnawaz Ahmad, who had stayed late night at centers making the arrangements, rushed to the spot to pacify the group, but it was in vain. The state government was informed about the dangerous situation following which directions to release them and their safe departure for their respective home district headquarters, was received from Patna, said the DM. It is not a cliche and these are not just suggestions. If we want to have a variety of options to eat out, secure restaurant industry jobs, and have a strong, vibrant community, we need to demonstrate our support by purchasing local. Before we ever heard of COVID-19 or social distancing, our community supported well over 230 food and beverage establishments which employed 4,400 people. With the recent option of dining in at our favorite restaurants eliminated, we can still support our restaurants (and other local small businesses) by getting creative. Purchase a gift card for future use, order takeout and use the new curbside pick-up spots, have it delivered, or for some, you can still walk in and purchase at the counter, you just cant stay. Another idea would be to book a party, a special birthday, retirement, or work event. Ask about purchasing a bottle of wine to go with your meal. Load up on the takeout items and freeze for future lunch and dinner options. Splurge and order dessert. Take pictures of your takeout/delivery and post on social media. Help advertise theyre still open and better yet, write a positive review. With our continued support and purchasing power, we help to employ many in the food and beverage industry. Its not just the owner or our favorite wait staff we are so used to seeing and many we call our friends. Its the cook behind the scenes, the company and person on the other end of the phone they order the food from, the truck driver who delivered the produce, the dispatcher and clerk who created the order, its the printer who makes the menus and order pads. The trickle-down effect goes on and on. Our community is blessed to have so many different options to dine out, we sometimes take it for granted. Our restaurants and small businesses create a sense of place, interaction, and community. They give us the opportunity to get to know one another, they bring us together. Lets pull together and support our restaurants. Members helping members. Rally for our restaurants. Save our favs. Shop Local. Dine Local. Play Local. Mirinda Rothrock is president of the Decatur Regional Chamber of Commerce. Blog Archive Apr 2010 (22) May 2010 (25) Jun 2010 (8) Jul 2010 (12) Aug 2010 (18) Sep 2010 (19) Oct 2010 (29) Nov 2010 (30) Dec 2010 (18) Jan 2011 (13) Feb 2011 (21) Mar 2011 (23) Apr 2011 (19) May 2011 (31) Jun 2011 (36) Jul 2011 (46) Aug 2011 (26) Sep 2011 (12) Oct 2011 (15) Nov 2011 (17) Dec 2011 (7) Jan 2012 (18) Feb 2012 (4) Mar 2012 (12) Apr 2012 (18) May 2012 (10) Jun 2012 (21) Jul 2012 (8) Aug 2012 (15) Sep 2012 (7) Oct 2012 (17) Nov 2012 (20) Dec 2012 (10) Jan 2013 (58) Feb 2013 (59) Mar 2013 (60) Apr 2013 (98) May 2013 (135) Jun 2013 (204) Jul 2013 (293) Aug 2013 (351) Sep 2013 (363) Oct 2013 (348) Nov 2013 (374) Dec 2013 (442) Jan 2014 (547) Feb 2014 (476) Mar 2014 (526) Apr 2014 (527) May 2014 (469) Jun 2014 (408) Jul 2014 (472) Aug 2014 (522) Sep 2014 (443) Oct 2014 (472) Nov 2014 (497) Dec 2014 (536) Jan 2015 (539) Feb 2015 (520) Mar 2015 (582) Apr 2015 (658) May 2015 (679) Jun 2015 (673) Jul 2015 (728) Aug 2015 (803) Sep 2015 (923) Oct 2015 (924) Nov 2015 (802) Dec 2015 (791) Jan 2016 (782) Feb 2016 (835) Mar 2016 (929) Apr 2016 (866) May 2016 (947) Jun 2016 (1044) Jul 2016 (882) Aug 2016 (1035) Sep 2016 (967) Oct 2016 (918) Nov 2016 (854) Dec 2016 (885) Jan 2017 (879) Feb 2017 (777) Mar 2017 (896) Apr 2017 (872) May 2017 (850) Jun 2017 (851) Jul 2017 (971) Aug 2017 (1040) Sep 2017 (998) Oct 2017 (1144) Nov 2017 (1046) Dec 2017 (838) Jan 2018 (873) Feb 2018 (769) Mar 2018 (885) Apr 2018 (809) May 2018 (827) Jun 2018 (820) Jul 2018 (840) Aug 2018 (854) Sep 2018 (844) Oct 2018 (851) Nov 2018 (870) Dec 2018 (912) Jan 2019 (919) Feb 2019 (827) Mar 2019 (957) Apr 2019 (913) May 2019 (1007) Jun 2019 (935) Jul 2019 (950) Aug 2019 (936) Sep 2019 (910) Oct 2019 (920) Nov 2019 (874) Dec 2019 (908) Jan 2020 (941) Feb 2020 (849) Mar 2020 (898) Apr 2020 (848) May 2020 (822) Jun 2020 (789) Jul 2020 (819) Aug 2020 (858) Sep 2020 (841) Oct 2020 (873) Nov 2020 (812) Dec 2020 (780) Jan 2021 (765) Feb 2021 (716) Mar 2021 (819) Apr 2021 (805) May 2021 (815) Jun 2021 (824) Jul 2021 (830) Aug 2021 (832) Sep 2021 (791) Oct 2021 (754) Nov 2021 (683) Dec 2021 (693) Jan 2022 (282) A million years ago, we were worried about who was going to win the Iowa Caucuses, and then Super Tuesday, and then when Bernie Sanders was finally going to pack it in. Now, despite what the most die-hard political operatives might believe, we dont care. We really dont give a flying fig (if this were not a family paper Id use language that would make a longshoreman blush.) What we care about now is that our families, friends and other loved ones come through this dark time safely, whole and with as little damage to their bodies and their psyches as possible. At least, thats what we tell ourselves. But then travel over to social media or the traditional Jurassic media, and its quite a revelation. Politics are still very much involved in how we navigate this new landscape, a different planet in the same galaxy. Actually, to be more accurate, we live on two separate planets. There is the one where the atmosphere is filled with pestilence, and the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse are called Trump, Pence, Falwell and Fox. And there is the one where the only thing that matters is the economy tanking, people are making too much of this flu on steroids and its all a leftist plot to turn America into Sweden (without all the pickled herring and sexy blondes.) To be fair, there is a third planet, but its caught in the interplanetary crossfire between the other two, with their extreme populations that want to annihilate the enemy. I happen to live on that middle planet, and it gives me a bit of perspective on clear nights when the stars are out. The people who absolutely hate Donald Trump are using this tragic health crisis to make sure that he does not win a second term in November (assuming we still have elections then.) They are people like Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and Rashida Tlaib, who rail against the GOP every day and pretend that conservatives want people to die from lack of water, food and face masks. They are not alone in blaming the administration for putting out false information, and pointing the finger at the White House for the rising body count. Certain media outlets, mostly televised but also in print, are accusing the president of telling people to buy pool-cleaner chemicals and ingest them as a preventative measure against COVID-19. When some poor fool actually did do that, his death was placed at the presidents doorstep by both innuendo (NBC News) and direct accusation (many of the people on Twitter important enough to have blue-check, verified accounts.) Really? I suppose I shouldnt be surprised that weve come to this, since Ive seen the hysteria whipped up in opponents of this president, even among lawyers I know who youd think were intelligent enough not to let their insanity be seen in professional circles. But that is so Pollyanna of me. On the other hand, there are other sorts of crazy out there, comprised of those who think that this pandemic that has killed thousands around the world and decimated my beautiful ancestral Italy is no big deal. Worse, I have seen some of them spouting about how George Soros orchestrated this, how its all a hoax to tank the economy and how we should just go out about our business and smell the roses (and sneeze on them, too, since theres no actual threat.) This, too, is a particular madness caused by the exact opposite of what has infected the Left: a desire to defend and protect this president at all costs, against all criticism. This is as political an act as the shallow and hateful accusations of Democrats and their lackeys in other professions, because it sees this very real pandemic as some partisan fabrication. To use an unavoidable pun, a plague on both their houses. This middle planet that I inhabit with a large and comforting number of Americans (some of us with face masks, some without and all of us breathing the rich air of common sense and fairness) does not care about scoring political points just now. I frankly have no interest in thinking about who will be the Non-Hillary of 2020. Im not even particularly interested in the woman that Joe Biden has promised to pick for his vice presidential candidate (although I suspect this time around I will not bear a striking resemblance to her.) I am not interested in the fact that the Olympics were canceled, that mommies are doing Corona Blogs from their bedrooms and that some news agencies are actually using this crisis to get subscribers. I am interested in making sure sick people get better, and healthy people stay that way. Thats it. The team that President Trump has gathered together, with the magnificent Doctors Tony Fauci and Deborah Birx, gives me comfort that the right people are at the helm, even if they dont always have a tight grip on the wheel. I am troubled when the president says things that contradict his scientific advisers, but equally troubled by the shenanigans of Democrats who want to use a rescue bill for the economy to pad it with lots of precious pork. Both political sides have performed horribly in this mess. Thats why I disregard the noise from both sides, but which seems to be coming most loudly and stridently from the side trying to get rid of this president in the Fall. The time will come to deal with that honestly, and politically. Just not now, in the midst of a life-and-death struggle. FGN45 VIRUS-LD CHINA China's coronavirus hit Hubei province begins domestic flightsBeijing/Wuhan: China on Sunday resumed domestic flights in the coronavirus epicentre Hubei province, except for its capital Wuhan, as part of a plan to ease the lockdown in the region following a steep decline in the number of confirmed cases. FGN49 PAK-LD VIRUS Pakistan says coronavirus outbreak under control as cases rise to 1,526 Islamabad: Pakistan's top health official claimed on Sunday that the situation was under control as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country was still limited to 1,526, even as authorities stepped up efforts to contain the fast spreading deadly viral infection. FGN26 VIRUS-BANGLA-LD ARMY COVID-19: Bangladesh Army says troops will be on streets until govt recalls Dhaka: The Bangladesh Army on Sunday said some 3,500 soldiers would maintain their presence on the streets to strictly enforce social distancing to combat the coronavirus threat and would return to their barracks only on the orders of the government. FGN22 VIRUS-US-2NDLD NY Trump's NY quarantine suggestion would be 'federal declaration of war': NY Gov Cuomo New York: New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has said that US President Donald Trump's suggestion of a quarantine for the tri-state area would be a "federal declaration of war", resulting in "chaos and mayhem", even as the coronavirus cases continue to rise in the country. FGN18 VIRUS-SAFRICA-INDIANS Indian-origin S Africans join hands to provide relief assistance as country grapples with COVID-19 Johannesburg: Indian-origin community members in South Africa have joined hands to provide relief to the needy citizens as the country, which went into a 21-day lockdown, grapples with the fast spread of the coronavirus that has infected over 4,100 people and caused one death. FGN12 VIRUS-UK-INDIA-STUDENTS Indian students stranded in UK due to COVID-19 travel ban urge PM Modi for rescue flight London: Hundreds of Indian students stranded in the UK have appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to organise a rescue flight amid the ongoing travel ban enforced by India to control the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. By Aditi Khanna FGN19 VIRUS-US-MEDICAL SCHOOLS Medical schools in US mull early graduation to meet growing demand for medicos in COVID-19 fight New York: Several medical schools across the US are considering early graduation for senior students to enable them to enter the healthcare system that is coming under strain and meet the growing demand for medical personnel as coronavirus cases in the country increase rapidly. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As the global Covid-19 pandemic continues to disrupt life, India's $191-billion information technology (IT) services industry and tech start-ups have reworked their business models siginificantly. Debjani Ghosh, president of industry body (National Association of Software and Service Companies), discusses the way forward, in a conversation with Neha Alawadhi. Edited excerpts: How are IT-BPM coping with the situation? For IT/ITeS (information technology enabled services) and BPM (business process management) the biggest priority is shifting almost 90 per cent of its 4.36 million workforce to a work-from-home model. In a big country like India, everything is not going to work properly from day one, but things have been moving fast. Mission critical services like banking, hospitals, which require a lot of on-ground support, and a lot of security cannot take data out and work from home, even though these are less than 5 per cent of the work force. We are ensuring we take right care of these people with social distancing and sanitisation in the campuses, which is critical. What are some of the main issues as more and more firms The critical piece we now have to think about is connectivity, as most will fully in the coming weeks. How much will our networks withstand? Will they allow the kind of work we do, which in most cases cannot afford latency. Also, power supply is going to become a critical issue. The extension of a lot of schemes is also a priority, like the SEZ scheme ending on March 30. We had a meeting with Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal to bring that up. We will need extension of these schemes for at least six months, so business doesn't stop and get impacted. My biggest request to the government is to reassure the world that our IT industry is very resilient, very adaptive, we're changing fast and will not let our customers down. What are the key issues facing start-ups and small and medium enterprises (SMEs)? With start-ups and SMEs, its really about liquidity. We have to ensure that the government or large companies, everyone who owes money to SMEs pay up. This is the time when start-ups can become really useful. They're innovative and can find solutions quickly. Now is the time to buy from start-ups. Please don't ask them to do trials, buy from them, invest in them. One of the things we have asked the government for now is dongles, laptops, chargers. These have to be classified as essentials for to happen. We need these to get delivered to ensure business continuity. What is the Taskforce that is being planned for Covid-19? Weve been hearing of so many companies working on different solutions like ventilators, working on something that will help track quarantine patients, etc, but all these efforts have been disjointed. So, there are two things we are doing. One, creating a directory of people and companies working on Covid-19 solutions, which will be accessible to anyone who may need it resident welfare associations, government, anyone. Two, Nivruti (Rai, Intel India country head) is leading a taskforce and members will now vote on what areas to take up containment, tracking, testing, recovery. Once we identify the topics, we will maybe break it up into smaller groups. The members are more than 30-35 companies including Intel, TCS, Accenture, Wipro, SAP, AWS, Tech Mahindra and a lot of more big and small companies. How are clients looking at the situation? They are also in the same boat, having to figure out how to work from home and the impact on businesses. They know that the one thing that will take them through this is the use of technology. So, the expectations from us are only going up in terms of our ability to continue our services as we work from home. As an industry, we got together and said that first priority has to be safety of our people. We have to figure out how do we keep our client's businesses up and running while keeping our people safe. We attempted to send a notification to your email address but we were unable to verify that you provided a valid email address. Please click here to update your email address if you wish to receive notifications. Otherwise, you may click here to disable notifications and hide this message. Hadiza Isma, the wife of the Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has appealed to Nigerians to offer prayers for the quick recovery of her husband who tested positive for coronavirus. She made the appeal a few minutes after her husband disclosed that he tested positive for the virus on Twitter. Recall that El-Rufai had on Saturday announced that he had been infected with the virus but had no symptoms. Dear Tweeps, my husband, the Governor of Kaduna State has tested positive for COVID-19. Please keep us in your prayers, she tweeted. El-Rufai, however, emerged as the first COVID-19 case in Kaduna State and the second known governor to test positive for the virus in Nigeria. Bauchis Bala Mohammed is the first. Apart from Mohammed, the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, had also tested positive. Though the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control was yet to officially announce his test, his status brings the number of COVID-19 cases in Nigeria to at least 90. Post Views: 6 Expressing solidarity with the governments efforts to tackle the coronavirus pandemic, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, apprehending that the lockdown might have to be extended and cautioning against complete economic shutdowns disastrous consequences. The world has been forced to take urgent, immediate measures to contain the rapid spread of the Covid-19 virus and India is currently in the midst of a three-week lockdown. I suspect that the government will eventually extend this even further, read Rahul Gandhis letter. It is critical for us to understand that Indias conditions are unique. We will be required to take different steps than other large countries, who are following a total lockdown strategy, he said. The number of poor people in India who are dependent on a daily income is simply too large for us to unilaterally shut down all economic activity. The consequences of a complete economic shut down will disastrously amplify the death toll arising from the Covid-19 virus. Gandhi, who has been critical of the governments handling of the migrant workers exodus from different states, reiterated his partys support to the government on the measures it was taking to tackle the pandemic. I would like to express to you my solidarity and the solidarity of millions of workers of the Congress party at this time, when our nation is facing an immense humanitarian crisis. We are all doing our utmost to cooperate with the steps, the government is taking to fight the Coronavirus outbreak in India, he said. The Congress leader called for a nuanced approach by the government to deal with the complex realities of the people across the country. Our priority must be to protect and isolate the elderly and the vulnerable from the virus and to clearly and strongly communicate to the young, the dangers of proximity to older people, he said. Rahul Gandhi said a complete lockdown and the resulting shutdown of the economic engine will almost certainly ensure that millions of unemployed youth rush back to their villages, increasing the risk of infecting their parents and the elderly population living there. This will result in a catastrophic loss of life. We must immediately strengthen the social safety net and use every public resource we have to support and shelter the working poor. Large population centres will require big dedicated hospitals with thousands of beds and ventilators, he said. It is critical that we start setting up these structures and manufacturing the equipment that would be required, as fast as is humanly possible. At the same time, we need to dramatically increase the number of tests that we are carrying out to get an accurate picture of the spread of the virus and to contain it, added Rahul Gandhi. Rahul Gandhis letter comes days after his mother and Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, wrote to the Prime Minister pledging her partys support to contain the spread of coronavirus and its economic fallout. Sonia Gandhi has so far shot off three letters to the Prime Minister one on daily wage workers, second requesting him to implement her partys 2019 Lok Sabha poll proposal of Nyay or minimum income guarantee scheme and the third seeking transport services for the migrant workers on foot to their homes. Rahul Gandhi had on Saturday criticised the government, alleging that it didnt have a contingency plan for the migrants who were left without jobs or money and had to leave cities after the announcement of the 21-day nationwide lockdown. The sudden lockdown has created immense panic and confusion. Factories, small industries and construction sites have closed, tens of thousands of migrant labourers are trying to walk home to their villages and are stranded at various state borders, the former Congress chief reiterated this in his letter to the Prime Minister. They are rendered totally vulnerable without their daily wages or access to nutrition and basic services. They are struggling to reach faraway homes and seek refuge. It is important that we help them find shelter and provide them with money directly into their bank accounts to help them tide over the next few months, he said. Rahul Gandhi also sought a mechanism to help the financial and strategic institutions absorb the impact of the pandemic. WUHAN, March 28 (Xinhua) -- A China-Europe freight train carrying medical supplies, among others, departed Wuhan, capital city of central China's Hubei Province on Saturday. The train left Wujiashan railway container center station in Wuhan at 10 a.m. on Saturday, heading for Germany, which marked the service resumption of China-Europe freight trains in Wuhan, the once epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak. The total value of goods transported by the train is about 22 million yuan (3.1 million U.S. dollars), including medical supplies, auto parts, electronic products, optical communication fibers, said Tu Shanfeng, board chairman of Wuhan Port and Shipping Development Group Co., Ltd. Among the goods, a total of 166.4 tonnes of medical non-woven fabrics, surgical towels, medical tablecloths and plastic bags were made in the cities of Yichang, Wuhan and Xishui County under the city of Huanggang in the province, Tu said. The train will arrive in the German city of Duisburg in about 15 days. The goods will then be transported to Germany, France, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Poland. Last year, Wuhan witnessed a total of 408 China-Europe freight train trips, among which 195 were outbound trips and 213 inbound trips. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday urged the migrants to stay back in the city during the lockdown and said his government is serving lunch and dinner to over four lakh people at more than 800 locations. Speaking to the media through a digital press conference, he said the government has operationalised 568 Hunger Relief Centres in schools, apart from 238 night shelters. "We have the capacity to feed lunch and dinner to approximately 4 lakh persons daily," Kejriwal said. He also said that apart from this, mobile vans are also deployed to arrange food for those who cannot reach the locations. "Although there is some issue, I am expecting that these will be streamlined in a day or so." Kejriwal said the Aam Aadmi Party MLAs and party workers are reaching out to the migrants, and have been successful to stop a number of migrants. "Lockdown should be implemented seriously. If we keep moving, the purpose of lockdown will be wasted. I urged the migrants at the border to come back to Delhi. We even opened night shelters in some of the schools around the border areas," Kejriwal said. He also said that the ration from April in around 1,000 ration shops has reached and will soon be distributed. "Coronavirus is spreading very fast. In the countries which we thought were highly developed are facing a serious crisis. We should learn from different nations." The nationwide lockdown has started from Tuesday midnight, following which migrant labourers have started moving to their homes in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Odisha. Advertisement A picturesque blue lagoon in the lake district that drew tourists to the Peak District has turned completely black after police dumped dye into it to stop Instagrammers posing for snaps amid the coronavirus lockdown. Photos show the once idyllic pool in a former quarry at Harpur Hill, Buxton, has changed to a miserable black. Derbyshire Police, who last week tracked dog walkers and ramblers through the hillsides with drones, said it took the action after being told people had continued to congregate near the lake's edge. In a Facebook post Buxton safer neighbourhood policing team said: 'No doubt this is due to the picturesque location and the lovely weather (for once) in Buxton. However, the location is dangerous and this type of gathering is in contravention of the current instruction of the UK Government. 'With this in mind, we have attended the location this morning and used water dye to make the water look less appealing.' There are fears that officers decision may backfire and make the location even more appealing for Instagrammers who are keen to capture unusual snaps. It comes after the same police force was accused of going over the top in their enforcement of the government's new 'stay indoors' rules to protect against the deadly coronavirus. The COVID-19 death toll in the UK soared to 1,228 on Sunday, after a further 206 deaths were recorded in the past 24 hours. More than 19,500 people have been infected in the UK. The blue lagoon at Harpur Hill, Buxton, has turned a miserable black after police dropped dye into it to stop Instagrammers Police officers in Derbyshire have put black dye into the blue lagoon in Hupur Hill, Buxton in order to deter visitors to the area Police received reports that visitors were flocking to the lagoon in Buxton to have photographs taken with the dramatic blue backdrop. Officers warned: 'No doubt this is due to the picturesque location and the lovely weather (for once) in Buxton. However, the location is dangerous and this type of gathering is in contravention of the current instruction of the UK Government. With this in mind, we have attended the location this morning and used water dye to make the water look less appealing' The post drew ire from nearby residents who accused the local police force of using an over-aggressive strategy since the outbreak. Local resident Alex John Desmond wrote on Facebook: 'This is a joke, the way this force is acting is not representative of policing by consent which is the way the UK is meant to be governed. You should be ashamed of yourselves. You have taken something beautiful and damaged it.' He added that the force was promoting a culture of 'shaming' individuals found outside, claiming that he was shouted at while on his first trip out since lockdown began. Officers have been given powers to arrest people who are out of their homes on 'non essential' journeys, with a three-strike fine policy which starts at 60 for a first offence, rises to 120 for the second and reaches 1,000. Two members of the Buxton Safer Neighbourhood Policing Team wore protective equipment while dumping the dye into the lagoon at Harpur Hill in Derbyshire Using the unmanned aircraft they also gathered number plates from parked cars and traced their owners to their homes in Sheffield saying: 'Walking your dog in the Peak District: Not essential.' Who is the chief of the eager coronavirus cops? Chief Constable Peter Goodman (right), the son of a clergyman and a nurse, was appointed to lead Derbyshire Constabulary in 2017 after 29 years serving the public. CC Goodman, 54, graduated from Leeds University with a degree in English Language and Literature and worked in insurance for a brief time before signing up to become a police officer with the Nottinghamshire Constabulary in 1988. In the 1990s he was made a detective and leading investigations in the city of Nottingham. In those days it was 'very tangible crime' and he's gather 'physical evidence,' he told the local paper four years ago. But nowadays, CC Goodman said: 'Never in the history of policing have there been so many fantastic tools to help us catch criminals and solve crimes. I believe this pace of change will continue into the future.' Last week CC Goodman's force indeed used the very latest technology - deploying drones to catch lockdown rule breakers, in tactics similar to those of the Chinese. In 2013, CC Goodman was awarded the Queens Police Medal in recognition of his service. In his spare time, CC Goodman told the local paper he enjoys watching the BBC's Line of Duty series. CC Goodman is the father of three children, all of whom have now completed secondary school. Advertisement Yesterday Derbyshire Police posted a picture on their Facebook page of a notice they had slipped under a car's window wiper, asking, 'Why are you here today?' Derbyshire Police argue that taking a drive to the countryside to walk the dog is not essential travel. However, some of those commenting on the post did not agree and argued that driving to a remote location to exercise out of an urban centre could, in fact, be more conducive to public health. Claire Whitaker wrote: 'Why would you discourage people from driving to emptier spaces to walk - as long as they are observing distancing? That leaves local green spaces less crowded for those who can't drive. I don't understand this at all. I can't see any guidance on the Govt website that says we can't do this - in fact it just says "You can also go for a walk or exercise outdoors if you stay more than 2 metres from others" - which is often easier to do in less urban places.' And Dave Armstrong said: 'The Police need to get a grip and use common sense. If people are using social distance then there is no harm. 'If you are Driving in your car (any distance) you are not coming in to contact with anyone again no harm. This is not a Police state.' The government has said those in self-isolation are allowed to leave the house for one form of exercise a day - a walk, run or cycle alone or with other members of your household. Dog owners are allowed to walk their pets, but groups of more than two people are not allowed. The advice has proven problematic for those in built-up areas whose only nearby green-space is a park shared by thousands of others looking to exercise at the same time. But some believe the force is going too far. One senior Tory MP told MailOnline: 'Probably what will happen is a quiet word from the policing minister to the Chief Constable of Derbyshire saying: 'can you ease off here, we don't want to give you a haranguing, but we have got enough to worry about without you telling off people who are just taking their dog for a walk.' Yesterday Derbyshire Police posted a picture on their Facebook page of a notice they had slipped under a car's window wiper, asking, 'Why are you here today?' Derbyshire Police argue that taking a drive to the countryside to walk the dog is not essential travel' The MP added the government was in a difficult position where looser advice saying people could be 'reasonable' would risk being exploited by 'idiots'. A spokesman for the Big Brother Watch civil liberties group said it's understandable why police are dispersing parties and barbecues but demanding drivers give journey details at road checkpoints is over-the-top. 'It's not at all clear what police powers are being used to do this. It's critical we protect public health and critical we protect basic democratic norms too. Arbitrary policing will not help the country to fight this pandemic.' This weekend, with the clocks going forward, heralding better weather and lighter nights, police around the country were keeping up the strict message that the countryside was not open to visitors. Police across Britain are enforcing the strict coronavirus lockdown as the Covid-19 death toll pushed past 1,000 Inspector Mark Gee, manning a vehicle check point in Richmondshire, North Yorkshire, said: 'We have had motorcyclists coming into the Dales claiming they are exercising. 'We have to remind people, exercise should be done from your home address, on foot unless you're on a bike. 'Every time you are on a road there's an increased chance of a collision and if that happens, it is putting a strain on our local NHS resources which are limited in any case, even without us facing a worldwide crisis.' The force says that people should not be heading to the Peak District to admire the sunset while Britain is in lockdown Police in Devon have started to check whether drivers are on essential journeys or if they are flouting the government's plea to stay at home He said the quieter traffic could encourage bikers to speed up on open roads, leaving them more at risk of crashing. Mr Gee said the checkpoint near the Catterick Garrison was being supported with officers from Royal Military Police. He felt the message was getting through to most people that the countryside was not open, and noted roads were less busy than previous days. The South Carolina Medicaid agency is now allowing psychologists and other counselors to give therapy online, amid concerns that many are unable to access their usual mental health care during the coronavirus pandemic. As the threat of COVID-19 keeps people away from their regular, in-person counseling sessions, insurance companies and Medicare agreed to cover phone and web-based visits. Medicaid, the state-run health insurance program for low-income adults and many children, did not. But late Saturday, the S.C. Department of Health and Human Services updated its rulebook to expand coverage. Now, the program will pay psychologists, counselors, family therapists and social workers to talk with their clients via the phone or video conference. It still won't offer the same coverage for counselors who work under a supervisor. At least 200 of these associates work in the Charleston area, according to state licensing records. Coronavirus presents extra risk for people struggling with mental illness, according to NAMI. Isolation and anxiety about the disease can exacerbate people's symptoms. A petition asking Gov. Henry McMaster to extend coverage for people who see one of these associates was approaching 1,000 signatures Sunday morning. Jeremy Henderson-Teelucksingh, a local masters-level counselor with 30 to 40 clients, said he will continue to have to choose between seeing his clients in-person or not at all. "In essence, they solved half the problem," he said. "It is a risk that could be mitigated." A spokesman said the state Medicaid agency is reviewing comments "and may issue additional guidance." Rules also block counselors from taking on new clients remotely during the pandemic. Many commuters found it difficult getting to their destinations as transport activities came to a virtual halt in the Kumasi metropolis on Friday, March 27. This was as a result of the National Disinfection Exercise, a programme spearheaded by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) and National Disaster Management Organization, to disinfect the city. It focused on the Central Business District (CBD), local markets and transport terminals, Suame Magazine, Kumasi Abattoir and other public places on convergence. The exercise, spearheaded by the Zoomlion Ghana Limited and National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) comes in the wake of precautionary measures instituted by the government recently to combat the spread of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) disease. Ghana since March 12 recorded more than 100 confirmed cases and three deaths. Drivers of the various transport unions plying major road network, including; the Kumasi-Accra Highway, Kumasi-Sunyani Highway, Old Tafo-Adum, Obuasi-Adum, Suame-Roundabout-Offinso, Atonsu-Agogo-Central Market, amongst others, laid down their working tools in support of the exercise. Some commercial tricycles and motorbikes took advantage of the situation, making good sales as they worked busily in carrying desperate passengers and other commuters to their destination. A visit by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) to the Kejetia, VVIP, Adum, Tech-Junction and Anloga-Junction lorry terminals saw empty spaces with the usual brisk activities characterizing those areas missing. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video People who gather in groups bigger than two in New South Wales face a $1,000 fine from midnight. Repeat offenders can even face six months in jail under the Public Health Act. NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said on Monday morning that he was prepared to be lenient over the new laws. 'We don't want to have to enforce these laws. We want to work with you,' he said. He also announced that 1,200 Australians arriving from overseas today will be quarantined in hotels for two weeks to slow the spread of the virus. On Sunday, 1,400 Australians arrived and were taken to hotels by the Army. People who break social distancing rules face a $1,000 fine in New South Wales from midnight, Premier Gladys Berejiklian (pictured) announced today Recently arrived overseas travellers get off their bus and wait to check in at the Crown Promenade Hotel in Melbourne on Sunday. Travellers who arrive into the country today from overseas are being sent straight to makeshift quarantine facilities across Australia CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement Victorians who are caught with more than one other person except immediate family will be slapped with a $1,652 on the spot fine from Tuesday. It comes as the number of cases in Australia soars past 4,000. New South Wales saw 127 new cases in the past 24 hours. In the 24 hours to Saturday morning there were 212 new cases and on Sunday morning 174 new cases were announced, meaning the rate of infection appears to be declining due to the restrictions. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian urged Australians over 70 to stay at home. She said: 'If you are over 70 you shouldn't leave home at all. I know this is difficult and I appreciate that for some parts of the day, people might want to get out and exercise. 'That is OK, so long as you don't come into contact with anybody else. 'This disease, this virus is particularly - has a horrible impact on those who are older and vulnerable and it is time for us to protect the most vulnerable in the community. 'Can I stress please take care of each other and make sure people over 70 are not leaving their homes and make sure they have support.' Travellers will spend 14 days of quarantine in state-funded hotel rooms, with doors guarded by state police, defence personnel or private security guards. The travellers pictured above are among them Los Angeles City Council, pictured before the coronavirus emergency, will conduct meetings by teleconference to protect members, city staff and the public. (Los Angeles Times) When the Los Angeles City Council began canceling its meetings, there was understandable anger and frustration. Social distancing rules adopted because of the novel coronavirus emergency kept the council from convening in person and, therefore, kept it from adopting crucial measures to respond to the emergency. Why was City Hall stuck with 20th century meeting rules and technologies? Private businesses were teleconferencing, so why not the council? Had it never heard of Zoom or Skype? And then the council did schedule a special, first-ever Zoom meeting for Friday, and that revealed the flip side of the issue. In part because of the previously canceled meetings and the resulting delays in getting its business done, the council rushed some items onto a special meeting agenda, leaving little time for the public to review the items. There were also questions about just how effectively the public could voice comments or objections in a citywide Zoom meeting. The county Board of Supervisors also canceled a couple of meetings to give officials time to figure out how to proceed remotely. When the board conducts its first all-electronic meeting Tuesday, the public will have no opportunity to weigh in live. Comments must be submitted by letter or email the day before. Thats a strikingly lower level of public participation than was contemplated by the Ralph M. Brown Act, the 1953 legislation that properly recognizes that the publics business is to be done in public, with ample opportunity for constituents to testify as decisions are being made. Gov. Gavin Newsom acted properly in issuing his March 12 order that (among other things) suspended the portions of the Brown Act that require members of government decision-making bodies to be physically present in the same meeting room, and requiring physical public access to those meetings. City councils, boards of supervisors, school boards, police commissions and all manner of other government agencies have to act to address the emergency while keeping pace with their regular business. And they have to do it without jeopardizing their safety or that of the public. Story continues But as they move forward, theyd better err on the side of transparency, participation and disclosure. That means they should give timely advance public notice of matters to be considered, and they should seek every opportunity through technology or creativity to permit more fulsome public input. A time of crisis like this one is exactly when citizens need to hear most from their elected representatives and when they must absolutely be able to register their concerns. But government will do that only if the public demands it. Many public officials are contemptuous of open-meeting laws. The Los Angeles City Council long had a practice of barring the public from weighing in at special meetings, such as Fridays, convened on 24 hours notice instead of the usual 72. The council argued that it had already given the public the opportunity to testify at committee meetings where actions have less impact, only a few council members are present to hear the input and decisions are lower profile. That practice aced the public out of meaningful opportunities to present their objections and opinions to the full council on important issues, including proposed real estate developments. In a ruling last year, an appeals court struck down the no-testimony rule as contrary to the Brown Act. The Board of Supervisors, especially, has a long record of violating the law in order to discuss matters of public importance away from public eyes and ears. One clever tactic has been to schedule performance reviews of department chiefs, which can legally be conducted in closed session, but to then use those occasions to discuss all manner of issues that concern those departments and that the law requires to be taken up in public. Local government agencies so routinely violated the Brown Act that voters in 2004 elevated the protections from the statute books to the state Constitution. The COVID-19 pandemic is a true emergency, one that requires swift and decisive government action, and some decisions may have to be made without the publics actual presence. But the solution, or part of it anyway, is to move more decisively into the 21st century, whether it be with Zoom or the substantial technological resources collected, for example, through contracts with cable television providers or through the largesse of private companies like Facebook. When the emergency is over, it may be appropriate to modernize the Brown Act to take into account lessons learned. Perhaps technology can broaden public access even in the best of times. But be wary of government bodies learning the wrong lessons, and getting too used to short notice and limited opportunities for members of the public to testify before their elected leaders. Things were less cozy in London. Quarantining was invented during the first wave of bubonic plague in the 14th century, but it was deployed more systematically during the Great Plague. Public servants called searchers ferreted out new cases of plague, and quarantined sick people along with everyone who shared their homes. People called warders painted a red cross on the doors of quarantined homes, alongside a paper notice that read LORD HAVE MERCY UPON US. (Yes, the all-caps was mandatory.) The government supplied food to the housebound. After 40 days, warders painted over the red crosses with white crosses, ordering residents to sterilize their homes with lime. Doctors believed that the bubonic plague was caused by smells in the air, so cleaning was always recommended. They had no idea that it was also a good way to get rid of the ticks and fleas that actually spread the contagion. Of course, not everyone was compliant. Legal documents at the U.K. National Archives show that in April 1665, Charles II ordered severe punishment for a group of people who took the cross and paper off their door in a riotious manner, so they could goe abroad into the street promiscuously, with others. Its reminiscent of all those modern Americans who went to the beaches in Florida over spring break, despite what public health experts told them. Pepys was a believer in science, and he tried to follow the most cutting-edge advice from his doctor friends. This included smoking tobacco as a precautionary measure, because smoke and fire would purify the bad air. In June of 1665, as the plague began, Pepys described seeing red crosses on doors for the first time. It put me into an ill conception of myself and my smell, he writes, so that I was forced to buy some roll-tobacco to smell and chaw, which took away the apprehension. Quack medicine will always be with us. But there was some good advice, too. During the Great Plague, shopkeepers asked customers to drop their coins in dishes of vinegar to sterilize them, using the 1600s version of hand sanitizer. Just as some American politicians blame the Chinese for the coronavirus, there were 17th century Brits who blamed the Dutch for spreading the plague. Others blamed Londoners. Mr. Pepys had relocated his family to a country home in Woolwich, and writes in his diary that the locals are afeard of London, being doubtfull of anything that comes from thence, or that hath lately been there I was forced to say that I lived wholly at Woolwich. By late 1666, the plague had begun its retreat from England, but one disaster led to another. In autumn, the Great Fire of London destroyed the citys downtown in a weeklong conflagration. The damage was so extensive in part because city officials were slow to respond, having already spent over a year dealing with plague. The fire left 70,000 Londoners homeless and angry, threatening to riot. Mr. Fordjours position is quite different, both in small matters he says he turned over 15 works, not 13 and large: He says he never promised to sell 20 works to the gallery, only that he offered the gallery the opportunity to sell them, and share in the profits. As the suit once again makes clear, for all the grace and elegance of its product, the art world can be a bare-knuckled place, one filled with all sorts of disputes born of its hefty price tags, unwritten codes and handshake agreements. On its face, this dispute centers on a technical legal question about whether a 2014 email from Mr. Fordjour to Mr. Blumenthal that outlined the terms of their arrangement constituted a strict sales contract or a different kind of deal, called a consignment agreement. But its also a fight that extends beyond money to touch on the undercurrents of pride, friendship and hurt feelings that can arise over the question of who deserves to take credit for and profit from an artists success. In his lawsuit and public statements, Mr. Blumenthal has portrayed Mr. Fordjour as an ungrateful man, one who is now tasting the fruits of recognition and betraying a mentor who took a risk on an aspiring talent. In anxious times, it is only natural to look for light at the end of the tunnel. As Ireland moves to a more comprehensive lockdown this weekend, that includes Leo Varadkar's oft-repeated assertion that the country's response to the coronavirus is following "very much what they've done in South Korea". It would be hugely reassuring if that was indeed the case. South Korea remains the country where, in the words of Channel 4 News foreign affairs correspondent Jonathan Miller, "per capita testing is the highest in the world, and mortality the lowest". Is it really true, though, that Ireland is copying the South Korean model? The question took on added urgency in a week when Ireland, preparing for further restrictions on movement, work and leisure to contain the spread of Covid-19, also decided to exclude from testing those who are now deemed "not appropriate" for it, urging anyone with symptoms to self-isolate for 14 days instead. That is not meant as a criticism of the Government's change of tack, which will have been taken, as usual, on the advice of the Chief Medical Officer and National Public Health Emergency Team, bearing in mind the need to stay within capacity. Ministers need to be able to constantly refine responses when it is scientifically necessary, without being accused each time of a U-turn by smart alec journalists. But cutting back on the number of tests is certainly not following the South Korean model - so why say it is? As Miller made clear on Channel 4, South Korean society did not go into lockdown as Covid-19 spread. Instead, "its manufacturers went into overdrive". More than 600 drive-through and walk-in test centres opened across the country, where people could be tested in minutes and get their results within hours by text message. Positive results were then followed up by forensic contact tracing. Can we claim to be following the "South Korean model" if this vital part of the jigsaw is being left out. As of midnight last Monday, Ireland had tested only 17,992 people; since then it has been around 2,000 a day. There is a backlog of 40,000 who wish to be tested, and who now probably never will be. Reclassifying their request for testing as no longer a priority may reduce pressure on resources, but it doesn't make those people go away. The acute shortage of personal protective equipment, which has led to desperate appeals by hospitals for gloves, gowns, goggles and face masks for frontline medical staff, is another big difference between the two countries. Again, it is important to stress it is not because of a lack of caring on the part of government ministers, who have been doing their best from the start. The system has simply struggled to cope with the demands being placed upon it. And it still needs to be acknowledged that the number of healthcare workers who have the virus would probably not be as worryingly high if Ireland had followed, or was now following, South Korea's lead. In Spain, 14.7pc of infected people are healthcare workers. In Italy, it is 7.5pc. In both countries, the figure is considered a national emergency. Here, the equivalent percentage is already 23pc - but the media continues to praise the Government uncritically, as if there are no questions to answer about this at all. There is another essential part of the South Korean approach which is not being replicated either. "Aggressive tracing is intrusive," as Miller acknowledged. In South Korea, "quite draconian" laws are in place which allow authorities to digitally trace people through the harvesting of data from mobile phones and debit cards, and are willingly accepted by people as a trade-off for public health. Any suggestion that this is the model which Ireland is following is patently absurd - but the Taoiseach's words to that effect have been widely echoed without question. When he was asked last week about ministers who may or may not be self-isolating after showing symptoms of Covid-19, Leo actually replied: "I think that anything that relates to any individual's medical history or condition should be a private matter." This is as far from the South Korean model as it is possible to get. Here, information about the spread of the virus continues to be limited to vague geographical locations. One can only hope that contact tracing is as aggressive as the Government claims, because there is no verifiable evidence for that either. Ireland may come to regret taking a laissez-faire approach to allowing Italian rugby fans to fly into the capital a few weeks ago, or racegoers to go off to Cheltenham without being more rigorous about ensuring they self-isolated on their return - not least because community transmission in small groups seems to be the most important driver of infection. Even relatively minor movements of people have proved disastrous in other countries. Estonia, for example, has more cases than neighbours Latvia and Lithuania - a difference attributed to the presence of a single Italian volleyball team at a tournament on one island in the country earlier this month. Even Sweden - which initially tried to keep schools, bars and restaurants open as long as possible - has now banned non-essential, non-EU travel. Meanwhile, flights are still landing in Dublin from New York - where half of all Covid-19 cases in the United States are centred. Passengers will be asked to self-isolate but it is wholly unenforceable. As of this weekend, Irish people are being ordered to stay at home - and they will no doubt be publicly shamed in the coming days if they don't do so - while the Government's attitude to virus-proofing the borders remains half-hearted. It may perhaps be that the measures which people in South Korea willingly accept as a price for their safety would not work in Ireland, where intrusions on privacy cause more angst, and where we prefer to keep the State at arm's length. Though even that may no longer be the case if the eagerness with which people here now appear willing to support harsher punishments for those who breach social distancing guidelines is anything to go by. Either way, for the Taoiseach to keep asserting that the country is adhering to the South Korean model, when integral elements of that model are missing, should not be sustainable without a rigorous challenge to its veracity. Opposition for its own sake to what the Government is doing would be irresponsible, but uncritical support risks being equally corrosive. The Taoiseach did not pluck South Korea out of the air. The claim to be following that model was deliberately chosen because it has become a byword internationally for the best way to handle the spread of coronavirus. As such, it is part of a political narrative, and the answer cannot be to lay politics aside for the duration of the crisis. Politics, like life, must go on. (Newser) A group of armed Maine vigilantes is apparently here to help a couple of out-of-towners make the decision to self-quarantine: As the Portland Press Herald reports, several armed men cut down a tree on Friday on the island of Vinalhaven and dragged it across the driveway of the rental home of two construction workers from New Jersey. Rep. Genevieve McDonald, who represents the area, tells the Bangor Daily News that the menwho had lived in the area since Septemberwent to the mainland and were targeted by locals over their license plates upon their return. story continues below "There were words between them and some locals, and the conversation apparently didnt go very well. A group of local vigilantes decided to take matters into their own hands, and barricade these guys into their rental property. Marine Patrol and the USCG responded, along with Knox Co Sheriffs Dept. THIS IS A TREMENDOUS WASTE OF RESOURCES." The group had vanished by the time authorities responded. McDonald continues: "Now is not the time to develop or encourage an 'us vs. them' mentality. Targeting people because of their license plates will not serve any of us well." (Read more strange stuff stories.) The second person to be cured of HIV has revealed how he was more fearful of dying from cancer than Aids and considered ending his life at Dignitas. Adam Castillejo, 40, was known only as the 'London Patient' when doctors revealed his success story last March after a stem cell transplant to treat his cancer. He remained anonymous until he decided he wanted to be seen as an 'ambassador of hope' after struggling with his health for almost two decades. Mr Castillejo, who was born in Venezuela and moved to London in 2002, was diagnosed with blood cancer in 2012, having already lived with HIV since 2003. His last hope of cancer survival was a bone marrow transplant from a donor with HIV-resistant genes that could wipe out his cancer and virus in one fell swoop. But in a powerful interview with The Sunday Times, Mr Castillejo admitted that he was more fearful of dying from stage 4 Hodgkin's lymphoma than Aids. Calling the second diagnosis 'another death sentence', the sou-chef revealed that he panicked because cancer 'can kill you faster' than HIV. Adam Castillejo, 40, was known only as the 'London Patient' when doctors revealed his success story last March after a stem cell transplant to treat his cancer Mr Castillejo embarked upon a gruelling treatment regime that left him physically emaciated and pushed the Venezuelan to the mental edge. 'Both illnesses became one because you had to deal with the anti-retroviral medications not interfering with the chemotherapy regime and vice versa,' he said. By the end of 2014, he said that he had 'given up' on battling the two illnesses, and had made up his mind to end it all at Dignitas in Switzerland. Around this time, Mr Castillejo disappeared, and was found four days later outside London psychologically broken. He does not remember this period. Doctors gave him six months to live, before a switch flicked. 'At that time I accepted straight away, because what choice have I got? I would rather die fighting,' he explained. Within days, he met with Dr Ian Gabriel at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, who advised that he could attempt a bone marrow transplant. The procedure in May 2016 meant Mr Castillejo was cleared of both cancer and HIV. But he lost five stone and took 60 pills a day, revealing: 'I told my doctors there weren't enough hours in the day to take all the medication I needed'. Mr Castillejo, who was born in Venezuela and moved to London in 2002, was diagnosed with blood cancer in 2012, having already lived with HIV since 2003 His last hope of cancer survival was a bone marrow transplant from a donor with HIV-resistant genes that could wipe out his cancer and virus in one fell swoop An American man treated in Germany 12 years ago called Timothy Ray Brown (pictured) - the so-called 'Berlin Patient' - also survived the transplant He also developed mouth ulcers which inhibited his ability to eat, and his anti-retroviral medication had to be crushed and washed down. Mr Castillejo also claimed that he felt 'victimised' and 'guilty' when he told people that he was suffering from HIV, saying: 'This is a punishment for you'. The Venezuelan chef is the second person to have survived the life-threatening technique and come out the other side HIV-free. An American man treated in Germany 12 years ago called Timothy Ray Brown - the so-called 'Berlin Patient' - also survived the transplant. He was put into an induced coma for six months, however. Experts have hailed the treatment as a 'milestone' in the fight against HIV, but are urging caution when calling it a 'cure' so early on. In the context of HIV infection, the term 'cure' means there are no virus-carrying cells left.Anti-retroviral therapy is very effective at reducing the viral load in the blood of infected individuals so that it cannot be transmitted to others. Unfortunately, the Berlin and London Patients' cases do not change the reality much for 37 million HIV patients. The treatment is unlikely to have potential on a wider scale because both Mr Castillejo and Mr Ray Brown were given stem cells to treat cancer, not HIV. Stem cell and bone marrow transplants are life-threatening operations with huge risks. Patients can suffer a fatal reaction if substitute immune cells don't take. In his private life, Mr Castillejo likes to walk the streets of Shoreditch and travel. Kat Smithson, director of policy at National AIDS Trust, said: 'We applaud the London Patient Adam Castillejo for sharing his unique experience of having his HIV cured following a bone-marrow transplant to treat cancer. Mr Castillejo has been through a long and extremely challenging journey with his health, within which HIV is just one part. 'His decision to speak about his experience without anonymity can only enrich our understanding of his experience on a human level, and we thank him for this. 'There's still a great deal of stigma around HIV which can make it harder for people to access the services and support they need and for people to talk openly about HIV. 'His story helps raise much-needed awareness of HIV, but broader than that it's a story about incredible resilience, determination and hope.' One of the keys to successful farming is having the right implements. Many of those have been produced in Illinois. John Deere, McCormick and Case IH are just a few of the conglomerates which have operated in the state, building some of the worlds best farm machinery while pumping hundreds of millions of dollars into the Illinois economy. Starting in 1890, Illinois was the national leader in implement production, and the states farmers were among the best customers. From 1890-1910, the value of implements on Illinois farms doubled, from nearly $34.5 million to over $73.7 million, even though prices of individual pieces of machinery continued to fall. The state ranked third in the nation in the value of farm implements in 1890. Deere was a Vermont blacksmith who moved to Grand Detour, in Ogle County, in 1837 and observed the struggles of farmers with old methods. Inspired, he created a steel plow from a large, broken circular sawblade. There is debate whether Deeres invention was the first of its kind, but it was certainly the most successful. He tried his new product on a field across the Rock River from Grand Detour and, as one historian wrote in 1972, the plow cut cleanly, scoured brightly, and required less animal power. The new plow boosted yields, and made it possible to cultivate more land. Deere produced three steel plows in 1838 and ten in 1839, a number that spiked to two a week in 1842. With business booming, he moved to Moline in 1848 to be near the Mississippi River, a power and water source, and have better access to steel. The following year, his 16-man workforce rolled out 2,136 plows, and the mighty John Deere Company was on its way. As Deere was gaining momentum, Virginia-born Cyrus McCormick was marketing a mechanical grain reaper, continuing a dream of his father, who had tried for 28 years to perfect such a product, without success. McCormick himself had developed a horse-drawn reaper that cut grain to one side of the team, but the product was not reliable in various conditions. He sold one reaper in 1840, and none the following year. But McCormick persevered and enhanced the design well enough to sell seven reapers in 1842. That number jumped to fifty two years later. He received his second patent in 1845 and, two years later, moved west to Chicago, to take advantage of water transportation, raw materials, and rail connections. There, he founded the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company in a four-story, red brick factory that was one of the citys first large-scale manufacturing centers. McCormick weathered several challenges to his patent, including a fierce lawsuit from John Manny of Rockford, who had his own reaper design. Legal counsel for the trial included such luminaries as Abraham Lincoln and Edwin Stanton. Another ongoing rival of McCormick was Obed Hussey, a top Chicago-based implement manufacturer. But by 1856, McCormick was producing over 4,000 reapers a year. That technology required a mere hour and a half to cut an acre of wheat. Though the McCormck reaper cost $120, a hefty sum in that era, the product paid for itself in more ways than one. From 1849-57, the eleven top wheat-producing counties in Illinois bought 25 percent of McCormicks reapers. Illinois was the nations leader in grain production in 1860, largely due to the McCormick reaper. In 1870, two-thirds of all corn planters in the nation were manufactured in Illinois, along with one-fifth of all plows. Though the McCormick Reaper Works were wiped out in the Chicago Fire of 1871, the company rebounded quickly as the city swiftly resumed its worldwide leadership in agribusiness. By the end of the century, Chicago led the nation in implement production, and manufactured just under half of all output in Illinois. That year, McCormick sold 150,000 reapers worldwide. Across the state, Moline, bolstered by John Deere, ranked a strong second. Along with adjacent Rock Island, Moline was an agricultural powerhouse of its own, with smaller implement companies springing up while the Deere Company continued to rake in cash. There were plenty of other implement producers statewide, including the Parlin and Orendorff plow factory in Canton, which was incorporated in 1880. Co-founder William Parlin is recognized for developments in stalk cutters, disc plows, and double plows. In 1902, the McCormick company was merged with another Chicago implement manufacturer, Deering Harvester, and three smaller equipment companies to create International Harvester. In 1919, IH purchased Parlin and Orendorff and renamed it the Canton Works, a local mainstay for decades. Back in Rock Island, IH opened a new plant in 1926 for the sole purpose of producing Farmall tractors. In nearby East Moline, IH began production of combines in 1929. In 1930, the 100,000th Farmall was produced. IH remained a leader in tractor sales for much of the 1940s and 1950s. In 1974, the five millionth IH tractor rolled off the line but by then, the company was in decline. Case Equipment bought out IH in 1985, closing the Rock Island plant as part of the deal that May. The company merged with New Holland in 1999 and closed the East Moline plant in August 2004. Prior to that, Moline had also been the home of the Moline Plow Company, which, at one time, was the fifth-largest producer of implements in the world. Moline Plow dated to the early 1850s, and added tractors to its line in the 1910s. The company eventually built a facility in Rock Island that was the largest tractor factory in the world. In 1929, Moline Plow merged with Minneapolis Steel & Machinery to become Minneapolis-Moline, and continued operating a factory in the Quad Cities. Known for its familiar gold-colored tractors, the company was bought out by White Motor Company in 1963. The Minneapolis-Moline name was discontinued in 1974. Elsewhere in town, the Moline Wagon Company was the largest company on the globe exclusively devoted to wagon production. The firm was started by James Smith, a former blacksmith for John Deere, in the 1850s. By 1908, the company was cranking out 30,000 wagons a year. Deere purchased the firm in 1911 and renamed it the John Deere Wagon Company. Nearby, there was the Rock Island Plow Company, whose co-founder, Robert Tate, had been Deeres business partner until 1852. The company was one of the few nationwide to manufacture a full line of implements besides plows, with as many as 50 products in their line. It, too, was one of the biggest farm machinery firms of the day, and the largest manufacturer of disc harrows in the world. The company was purchased by Case in 1937. On a lesser scale, Peoria was also known for farm machinery production, and top companies were found in Rockford, Galesburg, Belleville, Alton, Peru and others in the 1880s and beyond. BAGHDADThe U.S.-led coalition withdrew on Sunday from a military base in northern Iraq that nearly launched Washington into an open war with neighboring Iran. The K1 Air Base is the third site coalition forces have left this month in line with U.S. plans to consolidate its troops in two locations in Iraq. A rocket attack on the base in late December killed one American contractor and led to a series of tit-for-tat attacks between the United States and Iran-backed Iraqi militia groups. The attacks culminated in the U.S.-directed killing of top Iranian general Qassim Soleimani and senior Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. Coalition forces handed over the K1 air base in the northern Iraqi province of Kirkuk to Iraqs military, according to a coalition statement. At least $1.1 million of equipment was transferred to the Iraqis as 300 coalition personnel departed. K1 has hosted coalition forces since 2017 to launch operations against the ISIS terrorist group in the nearby mountainous areas. Areas south of Kirkuk, and north of neighboring provinces of Diyala, Salahaddin, and Nineveh remain hot beds of ISIS activity. The stretch of territory is also disputed between the federal Iraqi government and the autonomous Kurdish region, which has created security gaps benefiting ISIS. The coalitions presence had at times been a mediating presence between the two competing authorities. U.S.-led forces have already withdrawn this month from Qaim, near the border with Syria and Qayara base, in Nineveh. All were in line with plans to pullout from bases across Iraq and consolidate coalition forces in Baghdad and at Ain al-Asad Air Base in the countrys western desert. By Samya Kullab An Aussie fashion retailer normally know for selling gowns and jumpsuits has come under fire after turning its hand to designer face masks instead. Natalie Rolt, an evening wear brand from Western Australia, shared photos of the handmade face masks on the brands Instagram page, however revealed the product was not medically graded. Aussie label Natalie Rolt is selling $30 face masks. Photo: Instagram/Natalie Rolt In the caption the brand explained it wanted to contribute in some way by freeing up medically graded masks for those on the front line. During such a helpless time as a small business, we are trying to put our skills to best use in producing a 100% cotton, reusable mask, assisting in reducing hand-to-face contact, the caption read. We want to be transparent in declaring that our mask is not medically graded. We recognise that the product isnt directly relieving those on the front line however in these times, our team want to contribute in some way. However people were quick to slam the label for seeming to profit from the coronavirus pandemic, especially as the masks offered no protection. This is not going to protect you whatsoever, one person commented. And youre not even donating the profit? another outraged person questioned the brand. Even fans of the label werent happy with the decision. I love your brand but this has to be said - I really feel ill about anyone trying to make a profit off this sh** show... people are legit dying and youre selling $30 face masks to help. It just doesnt sit right with me Im sorry, was one response. The label has since turned off comments on its posts. Amal Clooney's sister under fire for selling 'luxury' face masks The outcry comes after Amal Clooneys sister Tala Alamuddin also came under fire for her own version of a luxury face mask. Tala, who runs the online fashion retailer TALA, is selling face masks in different colours and patterns for $33USD face mask ($57) called Le Masque. Story continues But people were not happy. You should be ashamed of yourself for selling these. Trying to profit of the coronavirus, that's literally killing thousands of people, one angry person commented on the companys Instagram account. Totally insensitive, another wrote. Tala did speak out against the criticism, also highlighting the fact that a portion of the proceeds will go to the Singapore Red Cross, as she lives in Singapore, to aid those affected by coronavirus. Got a story tip or just want to get in touch? Email us at lifestyle.tips@verizonmedia.com. COLUMBIA South Carolina health officials have doubled down on their decision to shield from first responders detailed information on the location of coronavirus cases, even though a leading federal official urged those disclosures and governments in other states have already enacted them. The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control has also lagged behind other states in reporting several key factors used to track the outbreak, like the number of people sick enough to go to the hospital. Those numbers are especially important here because South Carolina has reported relatively few test results compared to the rest of the country. The states outbreak had swelled to 660 known cases as of Saturday evening, but tests often take a week to complete. The contagion has killed 15 residents. The state health agency insists its doing all it can to alert the public of the virus risks. Officials said a low supply of key materials has delayed testing results. And their decisions to share information must fall within federal health privacy laws, they contend. Yet county officials slammed the states decision to withhold information from the people who local government leaders say need it the most paramedics and other first responders. Chief among their requests, the counties want DHEC to share addresses of individuals who have tested positive for the virus, The Post and Courier reported Wednesday. Then, new guidelines surfaced from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that counties thought would bolster their case. The guidelines written last week stressed that federal law allows health authorities to share with first responders the names and addresses of individuals known to be carrying the virus. A director with the federal agency said such disclosures are critical so first responders have greater access to real time infection information. But DHEC officials agreed only to share a breakdown of cases by ZIP code. The agency did grant another request to offer priority status to first responders who seek testing for the virus. By the end of the week, DHEC announced nine of those testing sites statewide. The measures havent satisfied local emergency directors, who continue to decry the lack of information being shared. In interviews with The Post and Courier over the week, they voiced their concerns from every corner of the state. In Lee County, officials insist they need the information to help triage their limited supply of special protective gear. Rural areas stressed they must avoid sidelining sick paramedics because theyre only capable of deploying a few to begin with. And in Oconee County, where many commute to North Carolina for work, officials say they've gotten more information about the outbreak in their county from that neighboring state than they have from South Carolina officials. We are searching out other ways to get it and we shouldnt have to, said Scott Krein, Oconees emergency manager. We work off whatever we have. No information is always a guess. 'Hospitalizations don't lie' In recent days, South Carolina did take some steps toward improving transparency. In addition to publishing case information by ZIP code, the state is now reporting basic demographics for patients, like their age and gender. DHEC also gives occasional updates on how many people were tested after becoming sick enough to be hospitalized. But it only updates that figure once a week, an eternity in a fast-moving outbreak. Hospitalizations are an especially key measure in South Carolina, because the state has reported relatively few test results a rate of about 57 people per every 100,000 residents, as of Friday. The national average is roughly three times higher, according to data compiled by the COVID Tracking Project. Hospital admissions are seen as a clearer measure for tracking the virus because the metric isnt swayed by differences in how states approach testing. Hospitalizations dont lie, an Oregon scientist told lawmakers in that state, according to The Oregonian newspaper. Other states have heeded that call. No fewer than 25 states update the public on COVID-related hospitalizations every day, according to a Post and Courier review of health department data. South Carolinas most recent numbers were published last Wednesday. They showed about a quarter of confirmed cases were tested in the hospital. Some other states, like Colorado, Connecticut and Mississippi, break down the ages of their hospital patients. Iowa, Minnesota and Rhode Island even keep track of when patients are discharged. The Palmetto State does not. State health officials have stressed that their primary duty is to prevent the outbreak's spread, despite staffing demands. For Dr. Linda Bell, the state epidemiologist, that means tracking test results, not the outcomes of every patient who may or may not be hospitalized. The health department does not follow individuals throughout their hospital course, Bell said. We do disease surveillance and we report positive test results. No step forward DHEC faced other criticisms last week when the South Carolina Association of Counties published a letter the group wrote to Gov. Henry McMaster on Tuesday, pleading for assistance. To protect first responders from infection, the counties requested that the state share with local governments the addresses of those infected with the virus within their communities. The association also asked that first responders get priority access to testing to avoid lengthy quarantines that may be unnecessary. State health officials did move quickly to address the concerns about testing. The day after the association sent its letter, DHEC announced four sites for expedited testing. By the end of the week, that list had grown to nine sites. It is growing every day and thats our intent, said Nick Davidson, who is heading the agencys COVID-19 response. But DHEC stopped short of releasing the more detailed locations of cases the counties requested. It wasnt even a step forward, Abbeville County Director David Garner said. The county of roughly 25,000 has just five ambulances and one other emergency response vehicle. Garner's concerns echoed in rural communities across the state: What if some or all of his paramedics become sick? Thats what makes it so critical that state health officials share all the information they can, he and others contend. Last week, the federal government published guidelines intended to address those concerns directly. Under federal health privacy laws, health authorities may disclose identifying information to first responders who are at risk of infection, according to the guidelines. The disclosures are permitted to prevent or control spread of a disease. This guidance helps ensure first responders will have greater access to real time infection information to help keep them and the public safe, said Roger Severino, director of the Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Florence County Emergency Management Director Dusty Owens said he sent the published guidelines to DHEC last Wednesday. He didn't hear back. 'It all goes back to information' Some health agencies in other states have heeded the federal governments go-ahead to release the information. New York authorities cleared the way for first responders in the hard-hit town of Rockland to get patient addresses, according to The Journal News. And in southwest Ohio, officials went a step further, loading addresses into police dispatch software, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported. In North Carolina, state officials issued a missive that cleared the way for local health departments to share identifying information of confirmed cases. That was welcome news to first responders in Beaufort County, N.C., said Emergency Director Carnie Hedgepeth. We certainly appreciate any heads up we can have, he said. Krein, the Oconee emergency manager, said hes had more luck getting information from North Carolina than his own state health department. Some Oconee residents work in North Carolina and have been tested for the virus in that state. Krein said out-of-state officials have flagged him to the results of those tests, a measure beyond what DHEC has been willing to offer. Access to that kind of information is critical so counties can update their emergency dispatches, flagging first responders to any potential risks, Krein and others contend. Bell, the South Carolina epidemiologist, has suggested those steps arent necessary. She noted that county dispatchers had already begun screening emergency callers for coronavirus risks. That gives first responders the information they need, she said. We feel thats the best way for first responders to protect themselves, Bell said. But first responders cant always rely on patients to relay that information, Marlboro County Administrator Ron Munnerlyn said, especially in cases when they may be under medical duress. Its depending on people who may not be straightforward, he said. Or, people who are ill and not clearly communicating. DHEC has also urged first responders to take necessary precautions to avoid contracting the virus on every call, no matter the known risk. But that doesnt square with the practical challenges facing some smaller counties, said Alan Watkins, administrator of Lee County, population 17,000. His and other counties face a shortage in supply of special gear known as personal protective equipment that first responders need to fully cloak themselves from contact with the virus. The county cant afford to equip every first responder with the gear on every call. Thats why its critical they are flagged to calls with a known risk of the virus, he contends. It all goes back to information, Watkins said. The more we have, the better we can protect our people, and protect the community. Seanna Adcox contributed to this story. KAMPALA, Uganda - Ugandan pop star and opposition leader Bobi Wine, who released a song urging Africas people to wash their hands to stop the spread of the new coronavirus, is criticizing African governments for not maintaining better health care systems for the continents 1.3 billion people. In his new song, Corona Virus Alert, Wine and collaborator Nubian Li highlight prevention measures against the virus, which now has been reported in at least 46 of Africas 54 countries. Speaking to The Associated Press about the song, Wine a popular musician, legislator and presidential aspirant whose real name is Kyagulanyi Ssentamu said it is time for Africas leaders to channel more resources toward building functional health care systems that serve both the rich and the poor. For a long time we have been calling out the government of Uganda, like many governments on the African continent that have neglected the health care systems, said Wine. They have invested heavily in weapons and invested heavily in curtailing the voices of the people. As the coronavirus spreads across Africa, he said, this is the time for them (the continents leaders) to remember that a functional health care system is not only a benefit for the poor but also the rich, because right now, as we stand, they cannot travel abroad for medical care. They have to face the same ailing medical care to deal with them. And this should be a message to them. Wines criticism of Ugandas government has made him a leader of those opposing long-time president, Yoweri Museveni, who has ruled the East African country since 1986. Museveni is expected to seek reelection next year and Wine has said he will challenge the president. Since becoming a potent government critic, Wines attempts to perform and hold rallies have been blocked by authorities. He has complained of harassment and beatings by security forces when they block his public appearances. Authorities accuse him of trying to lure young people into rioting and have charged him with multiple criminal offences, including treason, which he denies. Many Ugandans are angered by newspaper reports of high-ranking officials seeking medical treatment abroad at the expense of taxpayers while government-run health centres in remote areas routinely run out of basic supplies such as gloves and painkillers. The government spends less than 15% of its budget on health and local media frequently cite corruption in health-related procurement deals. The World Health Organization also has urged African Union members to fulfil a 2001 pledge to allocate at least 15% of their annual budgets toward the health sector. The U.N. agency reported in 2011 that nearly all African countries failed to meet that target. The WHO chief has warned Africa to prepare for the worst as the coronavirus begins to spread locally, amid worries that the continents fragile health systems are not prepared to handle the challenge. The new virus has been slow to reach Africa, but its spread across the continent is picking up pace. Africa has registered more than 3,500 cases, with South Africa registering the largest number at more than 1,000. Uganda has reported 30 cases of COVID-19, mostly people who recently travelled through the United Arab Emirates city of Dubai. In recent days Museveni has led the governments efforts to combat the virus, giving broadcasts in which he explains how the virus infects the human body as government health experts sitting nearby back him up. Museveni has closed schools and temporarily banned religious and cultural gatherings to curb the spread of the virus. Ugandas only international airport has been shut down and public transport restricted. For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death. Australia's first 'virtual hospital' for COVID-19 patients will be established within two weeks to treat coronavirus patients from their homes. Hundreds of coronavirus patients who present at the Armidale Hospital emergency department in the far north of NSW - and who otherwise would have needed a hospital bed - will soon be allowed to go home with sophisticated machines to monitor their vital signs. A team of doctors, supported by an artificial intelligence program, will check up on them and bring them into hospital if their conditions worsen. Hospitals could be overwhelmed by the pandemic. Credit:Glenn Hunt Should the pilot go well, virtual hospitals could be rolled out across Australia. Saudi authorities have seized more than five million medical masks that were illegally stockpiled amid the coronavirus outbreak, state media reported Sunday, as the death toll in the kingdom doubled. The commerce ministry seized 1.17 million masks from a private store in Hail, northwest of the capital, after authorities Wednesday confiscated more than four million masks stored in a facility in the western city of Jeddah in violation of commercial regulations, the official Saudi Press Agency reported. The ministry said people behind such activities would be prosecuted, and that the confiscated masks would be redistributed to the open market. Pharmacies in the oil-rich kingdom have reported shortages of masks amid panic buying, as authorities warned against hoarding and price hikes. Saudi Arabia is scrambling to limit the spread of the deadly disease at home. The kingdom's health ministry on Sunday said the death toll from the COVID-19 disease had doubled to eight as cumulative infections rose from 1,203 to 1,299 -- the highest in the Gulf region. Riyadh has imposed a nationwide partial curfew, barred entry and exit from the capital as well as Islam's two holiest cities Mecca and Medina and prohibited movement between all provinces. King Salman warned last week of a "more difficult" fight ahead against the virus, as the kingdom faces the economic double blow of virus-led shutdowns and crashing oil prices. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A couple have been reunited with photos from a camera they lost in a river in Wales almost six years ago thanks to one mans social media search. Alice Woods and Rob Davison lost their waterproof Fuji FinePix camera while canyoning with their daughters at Fairy Glen, in Betws-y-Coed, during a holiday in July 2014. The pair believed the images had been lost forever until their phones began pinging with messages from friends who had recognised them in photos on the internet. Llion Gerallt had shared the images on social media after discovering the camera surrounded by pebbles near the River Conwy in Llanrwst on Saturday about eight miles away from where it disappeared. After taking the camera home and cleaning and drying the memory card, he was amazed to find 194 pictures still intact. Photos from 10-year-old camera found in river reunited with owners Show all 5 1 /5 Photos from 10-year-old camera found in river reunited with owners Photos from 10-year-old camera found in river reunited with owners Rob Davison and Alice Woods have been reunited with images from a camera they lost in a river during a family holiday to Wales in July 2014 after Llion Gerallt discovered them eight miles away on 28 March 2020. Rob Davison/Alice Woods Photos from 10-year-old camera found in river reunited with owners Rob Davison/Alice Woods Photos from 10-year-old camera found in river reunited with owners Rob Davison/Alice Woods Photos from 10-year-old camera found in river reunited with owners Llion Gerallt Photos from 10-year-old camera found in river reunited with owners Llion Gerallt Within hours of posting the photos on Facebook and Twitter on Sunday, Mr Gerallt received replies from users who recognised the people in the images. Ms Woods, a speech and language therapist living in Sheffield with her two children, said she first heard the camera had been found after someone saw the post and contacted her daughter. I cant believe it, she told The Independent. Its a long time for the photos to have survived at the bottom of the river and a random thing for some guy in Wales to recover. I remember that day because one of the children was having a strop. I think Rob had given them the camera to cheer them up and they had lost it. A lot of people saw the post online and contacted Rob and a friend of mine from work contacted me. Neither Rob nor I have social media at all so it makes me laugh. The 49-year-old said her daughters Grace and Niamh, who would have been 13 and 11 at the time, have been freaking out saying there better not be any photos of them on there. Its really nice news because we are all in our own little worlds at the moment, she added. Mr Davison, who lives in Hathersage, Derbyshire, with his daughter Anna, said he remembered the camera going missing after it became detached from one of the girls wetsuits. The 52-year-old builder said he had only downloaded a few photos from the holiday and was now looking forward to seeing the rest. Its slightly bizarre, he said. But it was a really nice surprise; something exciting in these times. Moves to track down those who attended Swiss pastors prayer service in Jaffna By S. Rubatheesan View(s): View(s): Despite strict regulations of two week mandatory self-isolation for those who come from abroad, a Switzerland-based pastor who tested positive for the novel coronavirus recently arrived in the country, conducted prayers at a missionary church in Jaffna and left the country with a questionable medical certificate issued at the airport. On March 9, the Ministry of Health announced that those who were arriving from countries other than Italy, South Korea and Iran should go into two weeks of self-quarantine in their residences. This directive came before the government on March 13 stopped all the passengers from European countries. The pastor arrived in the country on March 11 with mild fever and went straight to Jaffna in a private vehicle arranged from the airport. In Jaffna, he took part in many social engagements including a ceremony of laying the foundation for a Montessori school before conducting prayers at the Philadelphia Missionary Church in Jaffna on March 15 with more than 200 devotees taking part. The next day (March 16), he flew back to Zurich after a three -hour long transit in Dubai. He had a medical certificate issued by the Bandaranaike International Airport Medical Centre. It cleared him as fit to fly though he was suffering from mild fever. The medical certificate seen by the Sunday Times indicated that though the pastor had fever, there were no complaints of any other mild symptoms that would suggest him being infected with COVID-19. The 61-year-old pastor, who is also an ailing diabetic patient was hospitalised with coronavirus symptoms shortly after he returned to Switzerland. He was tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday and is now under medical care in a Zurich hospital. Pastor Selvarajah Rameswaran John, who administers the Philadelphia Missionary Church in Jaffna and associated closely with the Switzerland based pastor during his stay in Jaffna told the Sunday Times that even though authorities instructed not to conduct common prayers in churches, his church organised a prayer with a limited congregation, while proper precautionary measures were put in place. We instructed our devotees to keep the social distance during prayers and even we made seating arrangements accordingly. I conducted the prayers and the Swiss pastor joined at the end. He led prayers for over thirty minutes and left. There were no personal interactions with him, said Pastor John, who is now in quarantine along with some 20 Church staff at the Army run Thalsevana Holiday Resort in Kankesanthurai (KKS). With fake news and misinformation coupled with distorted facts used to criticise the conduct of the Missionary church in social media over the incident, Pastor John regretted that many of his churchgoers were subjected to humiliation and facing the danger of being outcast in society. Im not sure how I will be treated in society after I return from the quarantine process, he said. As the Northern Province is under total lockdown for days after a local tested positive for COVID-19 last week, provincial healthcare officials are trying to trace people who interacted with the pastor and those who attended a church prayers. About 1500 people are in quarantine at their houses or military-run centres. The Northern Province Governors Office launched an investigation this week into how the Swiss pastor arrived in the country on March 13, took part in church prayers and social engagements before he returned to his home country after two days without being subjected to any police probe or medical inspection by health authorities. I dont know what happened exactly as I came to knowabout this incident through the media. We have launched an investigation. Ill submit the report to the Presidential Secretariat soon, Governor P. S. M. Charles told reporters. The Governors Office probe came in the wake of reports that Provincial Health Services Director Dr. A. Ketheeswaran, who issued a public notice immediately urging those who took part in prayers to register with his office, had a dispute with a senior police officer in Jaffna. The police officer told the health officer that his announcement caused panic among the public. Dr. Ketheeswaran declined to comment. Meanwhile, a local contractor who interacted with the Swiss Pastor was tested positive on Monday at Jaffna Teaching Hospital and was transferred to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (IDH) for further treatment. On Wednesday, security forces personnel and Public Health Inspectors (PHI) carried out a disinfection process and an awareness campaign in Thavadi where the contractor lives. Local Government authorities are distributing relief food through cooperative societies since many families are under a self-quarantine process in this village. Jaffna District Secretary Kanapathipillai Mahesan told The Sunday Times that the healthcare staff in the region had been mobilised to do the contact tracing of those who took part in the prayers and had engagements with the pastor immediately with the assistance of the security forces. We have been able to track a Manipay pastor from coordinated the prayers to obtain information regarding the devotees who took part. With him being under self-quarantine, we have also been able to track other families and instructed them to undergo the quarantine processes. We are closely monitoring the situation, the District Secretary Mahesan said while stressing the need for people to cooperate with the authorities. The Centre on Sunday asked the state governments and Union Territory administrations to effectively seal state and district borders to stop the movement of migrant workers, who will be put in 14-day quarantine at destinations. IMAGE: Migrant workers along with their family members wait to board buses to their respective villages, amid a nationwide lockdown in wake of coronavirus pandemic, at Lal Quarter Bus Stand in New Delhi. Photograph: Arun Sharma/PTI Photo During a video conference with the state chief secretaries and DGPs, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba and Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla asked them to ensure that there is no movement of people across cities or on highways as the lockdown continues. "There has been movement of migrant workers in some parts of the country. Directions were issued that district and state borders should be effectively sealed," an official statement said. Later, at a press conference, Joint Secretary in the ministry of home affairs Punya Salila Srivastava said those migrant workers who have violated the lockdown and travelled during the curb will be put in 14 days quarantine at their destinations. The Union home ministry issued an order in this regard on Sunday afternoon, saying "the migrant people, who have moved out to reach their home states/ home towns, must be kept in the nearest shelter by the respective state/Union Territory government quarantine facilities after proper screening for a minimum period of 14 days as per standard health protocol". The government said district magistrates and SPs should be made personally responsible for the implementation of these directions. The two top central government officials told the chiefs of police and civil administrations of all states to make adequate arrangements for food and shelter for the poor and needy people, including migrant labourers, be made at the place of their work. The cabinet secretary and Home Ministry officials are in constant touch with the state chief secretaries and the DGPs. Video conferences were held by the cabinet secretary and the home secretary on Saturday evening as well as on Sunday morning with the chief secretaries and the DGPs. "It was noted that, by and large, there has been effective implementation of the lockdown guidelines across all States and UTs. Essential supplies have also been maintained. Situation is being monitored round the clock and necessary measures are being taken as required," the statement said. The central government on Saturday had issued orders for the use of State Disaster Response Force funds for this purpose. Sufficient funds are available with states in this head, it said. States have been also told to ensure timely payment of wages to labourers at their place of work during the period of lockdown without any cut. House rent should not be demanded from the labourers for this period. Action should be taken against those who are asking labourers or students to vacate the premises, the statement said. Detailed instructions on monitoring of such persons during quarantine have been issued to the states. "It was impressed upon all the states that three weeks of strict enforcement is essential to contain the spread of coronavirus. This is in the interest of everyone, the statement said. A large number of migrant workers have left their work places in different parts of the country in the last few days and walking down to their native places, hundreds of kilometres away facing hardships on the way. The migrant workers have no option but to walk as there is no transport available after the announcement of the nationwide lockdown by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday in a bid to combat the coronavirus outbreak. Seeing their plight, some state governments have made arrangements for their transport, accommodation and food of late. By PTI LUCKNOW: Following the outbreak of COVID-19, the Uttar Pradesh government has decided that people who are returning to the state from other states will be quarantined at hostels and dharamshalas instead of them reuniting with families. In a statement issued here on Sunday, Chief Secretary R K Tiwari said, "To stop the possible spread of the pandemic, people who are returning to the state from other states will be quarantined at hostels and dharamshalas instead of them reuniting with families. They should be allowed to go to their homes only after they complete the quarantine period." The quarantine period will be for 14 days. He added that adequate arrangement of food and water should be made at the hostels and dharamshalas. Earlier in the day, nearly one lakh people who have already arrived in the state over the last few days have been asked by the government to remain in home quarantine with instructions conveyed to the village pradhans. Principal Secretary, Medical and Health, Amit Mohan Prasad had told PTI, "Through community surveillance and our departmental officers, they (people arriving in the state) have been told to be in homes. They will be in home quarantine for a period of 14 days." On Saturday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had issued directions to officials to keep the approximately one lakh people, who have arrived in the state in the last three days from other parts of the country, in home quarantine. Their names, addresses and phone numbers have been made available to the district magistrates and are being monitored, the spokesperson added. Meanwhile, in Gorakhpur, people who entered the district on Sunday were stamped on their arms at two places with more than 5,000 people sent to home quarantine. However, district officials later decided to paste notices outside the home of the person who has symptoms stating that he/she is in quarantine instead of the stamping. "The people arriving from outside are being screened and stamped at Nausad crossing, railway station, bus station before allowing them to move towards their destinations. They were directed to live in home quarantine for 14 days. If anyone is found with high temperature or any other sign, he/she will be sent to the district hospital," Gorakhpur Chief Medical Officer Srikant Tiwari said. "Till now more than 5,000 people have been home quarantined. As many as 10 samples of coronavirus suspects were sent for test but all of them were found to be negative," he added. Later that night the Hanoi High Command dispatched more than 30 vehicles to transport nearly 700 relatives of patients to a quarantine camp. Vietnam's Covid-19 tally has risen to 179, with 21 cases having recovered and been discharged from hospitals. Sixteen infections have been linked to the Bach Mai Hospital. The hospital has stopped admitting new patients and permitting visitors, and been isolated since Saturday morning. Nearly 1,000 patients currently being treated there will not be discharged until they test negative for the novel coronavirus. Chinese medical team arrives in Islamabad, Pakistan, March 28, 2020. [Photo via Chinese embassy in Pakistan] ISLAMABAD - An 8-member medical expert team organized by the Chinese government arrived here on Saturday to help Pakistan fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi welcomed the Chinese medical team at the Islamabad International Airport and thanked them for coming to Pakistan to help the country overcome the disease. "I would like to thank the Chinese people, and the Chinese government...for going out of the way to support Pakistan and our effort to fight the COVID-19," he said. "We have learned from you. We have stood by you, and you're standing with us. So this (COVID-19) challenge has brought the peoples of China and Pakistan even closer. In this challenging time, the (Pakistani) people expected China to come forth and China has lived up to their expectations," the foreign minister told Xinhua. The team, organized by China's National Health Commission, consists of experts selected by the health commission of Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and aims to provide consultations of pandemic control, patients treatment and laboratory works and guide and train Pakistani medical staff. Head of the medical team Ma Minghui told Xinhua that the team will also share the Chinese experiences on coronavirus control with their Pakistani counterparts. The medical team also brought medical assistance including over 110,000 face masks, 5,000 protection suits, 12 ventilators and other medicines to Pakistan. The team will stay in Pakistan for around two weeks and will also visit Punjab and Sindh provinces. In a bid to spread awareness about the severity of the coronavirus pandemic, a local artist in collaboration with a police official in Chennai made a unique 'corona' helmet to dissuade commuters from coming out on the streets during the nationwide lockdown. "The public at large is not treating the COVID-19 situation seriously. Whereas, the police personnel are working round the clock to ensure people stay at home and do not venture out so that further spread of the disease can be stopped," artiest Gowtham, who designed the helmet, said. "I came up with the idea and used a broken helmet and papers to prepare this. I have also prepared many placards displaying slogans and handed them over to the police," he added. The police personnel, who are serving 24X7 on the streets, said that the helmet was proving to be useful in making people aware. Police inspector Rajesh Babu, who wears the gear while speaking to commuters on the street, said that the approach has had a positive effect so far. "We take all the steps but still people come out on the streets. Therefore, this corona helmet is one of the steps we are taking to ensure that people are aware of the seriousness of the police. The helmet is an attempt to do something different. When I wear this the thought of coronavirus comes into the minds of the commuters. Especially, the children react strongly after seeing this and want to be taken home," Babu said. Tamil Nadu as of March 28 had 42 confirmed cases of the disease, including 6 foreigners. While the state has reported one death due to the infection two confirmed cases have also been cured and discharged, as per the ministry of health and family welfare. Experts fear that food supplies to some care homes and hospitals could fail within weeks. Many care homes rely on wholesalers to deliver ingredients and drinks, but the food industry says that without urgent financial support from the Government, many companies could go under. Coral Rose, managing director of County Range Group, which supplies more than 100,000 people at 5,000 care homes as well as hospitals, police and fire stations, warned supply chains were just weeks away from collapsing. Many care homes rely on wholesalers to deliver ingredients and drinks, but the food industry says that without urgent financial support from the Government, many companies could go under [File photo] Wholesalers rely on restaurants and pubs for around 70 per cent of their business but with these now closed, food and drink suppliers have a funding gap of six to eight weeks of unpaid debts and may not survive without that income. Care home bosses are also concerned about a shortage of personal protection equipment (PPE), with hospitals getting priority for masks, goggles and aprons. Professor Martin Green, chief executive of Care England, which represents independent care providers, said: We need proper equipment. We need proper sanitisers so we can enable people to nurse Covid-19 patients safely away from other residents. Paula Hoggarth, operations director of care services firm Radis, said her staff had been forced to approach tattoo parlours, garages and hairdressers for protective kit. Wholesalers rely on restaurants and pubs for around 70 per cent of their business but with these now closed, food and drink suppliers have a funding gap of six to eight weeks of unpaid debts and may not survive without that income Vic Rayner, Executive Director of the National Care Forum, said a lack of testing meant care workers were pretty much working in the dark. Last week, it emerged that three-quarters of the residents at a care home in Hove, East Sussex, had become infected with coronavirus. Pleas for protective equipment went unanswered and several staff fell ill. Local Labour MP Peter Kyle said: This has highlighted the urgent need for more testing and quicker testing. There are also calls for the right equipment to be provided to those treating Covid-19 patients recovering from the virus after they are discharged from hospitals into care homes. Sir David Beehan, chairman of care home provider HC-One, said: Staff have the skills to deal with this but it is essential they have the right levels of equipment. Nearly 900 people died from the coronavirus pandemic in Italy on Saturday, propelling the death toll to more than 10,000, prompting the government to consider an extension of the countrys lockdown, media report said. The number of confirmed cases rose by about 6,000 to 92,472, the second-highest number of cases in the world behind the US, reported The Hill, noting that the countrys lockdown has been active for over three weeks and was set to expire next Friday. The Lombardy region, which has seen more cases than the rest of the country, recorded 542 new deaths, bringing the total there to 5,944, the report said. "If one is being reasonable, one cannot envision a quick return to normal life," Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said television address. "I represent a country that is suffering a lot and I cannot afford to procrastinate," Conte added. Without these measures, we would be seeing far worse numbers and our health service would be in a far more dramatic state. We would have been in an unsustainable situation, Angelo Borelli, the head of Italys Civil Protection, told reporters on Saturday, according to Reuters. Officials noted that the toll could have been much worse without the lockdown. Meanwhile, the US saw the number of coronavirus-related deaths in the country pass 2,000 on Saturday, reflecting the doubling of the death toll in two days. By Joel Slattery and Kevin O'Neill This evening the Health Protection Surveillance Centre announced that 10 more people had died after contracting coronavirus - bringing the total number of deaths to 46 since the outbreak began, in addition to the 21 deaths in Northern Ireland. In total, there are over 3,000 confirmed cases of the virus on the island of Ireland. However, this afternoon a flight from China carrying millions of euro of protective equipment for healthcare workers battling coronavirus landed in Ireland. The Aer Lingus Airbus A330 touched down at Dublin Airport just before 3pm on Sunday. This is just part of what is being done in Ireland as the country, despite being on lockdown, fights back against Covid-19 Facts and figures of the fightback Ten flights delivering personal protection equipment (PPE) in the coming days. The first landed this afternoon; These will bring 1.6m masks, 400,000 eye protections, 256,000 gowns, and 254,000 gloves; The HSE has secured 34m masks, 24m eye protections, 24m gowns and 50m gloves, the equivalent of 15 years purchasing. 5,000 people being tested every day; More than 33,000 people tested since March 16; 10,700 people waiting for a test; More than 4,000 waiting for a test appointment; 60,000 more test kits secured by HSE, expecting another 100,000 each week; 46 testing centres now operational, with six more coming on stream next week; Private hospitals will bring 2,000 beds, 100 critical care beds, significant nursing and other staff, 200 ventilators, 500 consultants; 66,500 people applied to the On Call for Ireland process. Already, 263 nurses and 63 doctors contracts being finalised, and 5,000 student nurses and 1,100 medical interns are being brought forward; 1,400 people trained in contact tracing; 4,000 people will be tracing inthe next few weeks. - Additional reporting Press Association [snippet1]987277[/snippet1] Hundreds of thousands of migrant laborers have begun long journeys on foot to get home, having been rendered homeless and jobless by the lockdown measures. More than a dozen have died in the process. With businesses shut down, many of the millions of migrants who had moved to cities to find work, and often lived in their workplaces, were trying to return home. They planned, in some cases, to walk hundreds of miles until they were beaten back by the police. There are no clear plans by the government to bring migrants home. And the countrys homeless population one of the largest in the world is deeply struggling, with many people not knowing about the coronavirus until they are ordered off the streets by the police; some said they had been beaten by officers for being out in public during the nationwide lockdown. Shelters and soup kitchens are overwhelmed; religious institutions that normally feed the homeless are closed; and aid workers warn that the situation may deteriorate into violence if people continue to go without food. Quotable: You fear the disease, living on the streets but I fear hunger more, not corona, said one migrant working in Delhi who was trying to return home, which was 125 miles away. NORFOLK, Va. President Donald Trump backed away from calling for a quarantine for coronavirus hotspots in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, instead directing Saturday night that a strong Travel Advisory be issued to stem the spread of the outbreak. After consulting with the White House task force leading the federal response and the governors of the three affected states, Trump said: "I have asked the @CDCgov to issue a strong Travel Advisory, to be administered by the Governors, in consultation with the Federal Government. A quarantine will not be necessary." Trump had told reporters earlier that he had spoken with Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, among others who wanted the federal government to restrict travel from the New York metropolitan area to their states. The notion of a quarantine had been sharply criticized by the governors of New York and Connecticut. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has criticized the federal governments response as his state became the countrys virus epicenter, said roping off states would amount to a federal declaration of war. Cuomo said the prospect of a quarantine didnt come up when he spoke with Trump earlier Saturday, adding that he believed it would be illegal, economically catastrophic, preposterous and shortsighted when other parts of the U.S. are seeing cases rise, too. Trump made his remarks while on a trip to Norfolk, Virginia, to see off a U.S. Navy hospital ship heading to New York City to help with the pandemic. At the event, he spoke to a sparse crowd at the naval base and cautioned Americans to take virus protections, even though he himself, at 73, is in a high-risk category and among those who have been advised to refrain from all non-essential travel. The federal government is empowered to take measures to prevent the spread of communicable diseases between states, but it's not clear that means Trump can ban people from leaving their state. It has never been tested in the modern era and in rare cases when any quarantine was challenged, the courts generally sided with public health officials. Courts have ruled consistently for years that the authority to order quarantines inside states rests almost entirely with the states, under provisions in the Constitution ceding power not explicitly delegated to the federal government to states. The federal government, though, would have power under constitutional clauses regulating commerce to quarantine international travelers or those traveling state to state who might be carriers of deadly diseases. As Trump traveled to Norfolk, he tweeted: I am giving consideration to a QUARANTINE of developing hot spots, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. A decision will be made, one way or another, shortly. The governors of Florida, Maryland, South Carolina and Texas already have ordered people arriving from the New York area to self-quarantine for at least 14 days upon arrival. In a more dramatic step, Rhode Island police have begun pulling over drivers with New York plates so that the National Guard can collect contact information and inform them of a mandatory, 14-day quarantine. Trump said the idea of isolating many in the trio of Democratic strongholds in the Northeast was pushed by DeSantis, one of the president's most outspoken supporters. It came a day after Trump made clear he wanted governors to be grateful when asking for federal support for the pandemic. Trump said people "go to Florida and a lot of people don't want that. So we'll see what happens." He later clarified it would not affect truckers or people transiting through, and would not affect trade. Florida is a perennial swing state, and one Trump must win come November plus he recently moved his residence from New York to Florida. It also has a population of 21 million with a large percentage of old people, who are particularly vulnerable to the virus. DeSantis confirmed he had spoken with the president about the possibility of a quarantine for the New York City area. Speaking Saturday to reporters, DeSantis said Florida will soon set up a checkpoint along Interstate 95 to screen travelers from that area, similar to one already in place along Interstate 10 to screen people from Louisiana. Many airports in Florida also are screening travelers from certain areas, requiring them to self-isolate for 14 days. The U.S. leads the world in reported cases with more than 121,000. There were roughly 2,000 deaths recorded by Saturday night, according to John Hopkins University. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, said he did not talk about quarantining the tri-state area in his recent conversation with Trump, and learned of the president's comments as he walked into Saturday's daily briefing. "Until further notified we're going to keep doing exactly what we're doing, because we believe the data and the facts are on our side in terms of this aggressive, as aggressive as any American state right now, in terms of social distancing and flattening the curve," he said. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, also a Democrat, said at a news conference that Trump's words about a quarantine have created a "certain amount of confusion" and that "confusion can lead to panic." He said such a quarantine order would be "impossible to enforce given the spider web of roads" and that he hoped the White House would clarify what it wants. After speaking in Norfolk, Trump watched as the USS Comfort slowly made its way out of port. The 1,000-bed hospital ship had been undergoing planned maintenance, but was rushed back into service to aid the city. It is scheduled to arrive Monday at a Manhattan pier days after its sister ship, the USNS Mercy, arrived in Los Angeles to perform a similar duty on the West Coast. For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, or death. The vast majority of people recover. ___ Long reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Jennifer Peltz in New York City, Matt Perrone, Jill Colvin and Michael Balsamo in Washington, Michael Tarm in Chicago, Ben Finley in Norfolk, Virginia, Curt Anderson in Miami and Andrew Welsh-Huggins in Columbus, Ohio, contributed to this report. Wynn Resorts is donating more than $2.5 million worth of goods this week to local medical facilities and nonprofits. Wynn Resorts was able to procure and will donate this week 240,000 N95 equivalent CDC approved respirator masks, 600,000 surgical masks, 500,000 pairs of medical gloves and thousands of medical gowns to our hospitals throughout Las Vegas. The Company has also given thousands of protective gloves and surgical masks to local nursing homes and law enforcement facilities that are battling supply shortages related to the pandemic. Wynn will continue to work with community leaders and the newly appointed task force to assist our communities during these challenging times. Additionally, Wynn donated 175 pallets of food valued at $750,000 to 15 food banks in Las Vegas and three in Boston. The Wynn Employee Foundation, a charitable giving foundation funded and managed by employees of Wynn, also donated $100,000 in funds to the Three Square food bank in Las Vegas, and $25,000 in funds to the Bread of Life food bank in Boston. Our support will only continue to rise as we identify new ways to fill financial and supply chain gaps in our home communities, said Wynn Resorts CEO Matt Maddox. We are working together with the medical community and charitable partners to ensure we are providing meaningful help where it matters the most. For more information on Wynns health and safety measures, please visit www.WynnInfo.com. On March 29, border guards and doctors met the Kyiv-Moscow-Kyiv train, which went to Russia a few days ago to pick up Ukrainian citizens. Another train left Ukraine, carrying citizens who had the right to return to Russia. The press service of the State Border Service of Ukraine reported that. The train arrived at the capital's central railway station around 8 a.m. today. Border guards with employees of the National Police blocked the perimeter of the territory with a limited access regime. Employees of the State Border Service, together with employees of the sanitary quarantine station, got in the train to carry out all the necessary measures aimed at preventing the spread of the acute respiratory disease Covid-19. In particular, temperature screening was performed on all passengers, and everyone was interested in his state of health. In addition, citizens received leaflets and filled in the informed consent for self-isolation. At the time of registration, ambulances were also on duty at the station. Border guards were in personal protective equipment, while border guards who checked documents were additionally in protective suits. In total, more than 700 of our citizens returned to Ukraine on this flight. As we reported, the second plane with protective equipment for doctors, police and military arrived at the Boryspil airport. Colleges and universities in Bihar have taken recourse to the facilities of virtual classrooms and e-content platforms to help students prepare for the impending examinations, as academic institutions have been shut due to nationwide lockdown to contain coronavirus. While many colleges have already shifted from conventional to digital mode of teaching, some are in transition process to pool up resources required for resorting to virtual classes. Development Management Institute (DMI) has started using online platforms like Google Meet and Google Classrooms for conducting virtual classes to compensate the academic loss and ensure timely completion of the syllabus. Dean of DMI, Neeraj Kumar, said, The classes are being conducted as per schedule using virtual platforms. Our faculty members are using Google Meet to conduct live sessions to deliver lectures through video conferencing. Students are able to interact and discuss using inbuilt facility of this platform. The live sessions are also recorded for the students to see them later. Kumar said that the mode of digital learning had been evoking good response from the students as well and more than 80% of them were attending the virtual classes regularly. Apart from this, Google classrooms are used to provide e-contents like learning materials and assignment submission, added the DMI director. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Patna has also subscribed to e-learning platforms like SWAYAM, NPTEL, Udacity, Coursera to conduct seamless teaching. Director Pushpak Bhattacharyya said, The institute has managed to continue the academic activities easily by using virtual teaching tools. The faculty members are preparing video lessons for personalised teaching methodology. Amity University has also initiated the process to launch virtual classes for its students remaining indoors to complete the unfinished syllabus on time. Pro-vice-chancellor (VC) of the university Vivekanand Pandey said, We are using Amitys Amizone software for carrying out academic activities digitally. This interactive software helps the students connect with the faculty members, and clarify their doubts. Patna University (PU)is preparing e-contents to impart digital learning to the students of different streams so as to minimize the loss of their study due to the lockdown. We will start conducting virtual classes once the contents are ready, said a senior professor of the university. All the university teachers are already instructed to prepare least one research project each and develop e-content on five relevant topics which would be uploaded on PUs website for the benefit of students. The Central University of South Bihar (CUSB), Gaya, is also finalising the digital study modules to help the students complete their respective course by using online mode of study. The Royal Mint is set to produce thousands of medical visors to protect NHS workers on the frontline of the coronavirus outbreak. While the organisation typically produces coins, its engineers are to manufacture up to 4,000 visors a day to help protect health workers from contracting Covid-19. The engineers decided to produce the visors after searching online to see what medical equipment could be easily created on its site. After settling on visors, their high specification prototype was approved in two days. The Royal Mint has announced plans to post the exact specifications for its design online so other engineers can replicate it. The first batch of the visors are already being used by medical staff at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in South Wales. The Royal Mints director of operations, Leighton John, said: My sister works for the NHS and it really focuses your mind on the challenges they are facing, and the opportunity we have to support them. On Wednesday at 9am we knew nothing about medical visors, but we set our engineers the task of developing essential medical equipment which could be easily made on site within seven hours theyd created a medical visor, and within 48 hours it was approved for mass manufacture. A spokeswoman for the Royal Mint added it had received requests from NHS trusts and hospitals across the UK since news of its medical visors was announced. We have increased production as a result to help as many as possible, she added, explaining it should be fairly straightforward for other engineers to produce its visors. We are already a fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) manufacturer so a lot of the techniques could be easily transferred. Huw Davies, clinical director for anaesthetics at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital, has said his staff were really grateful to the Royal Mint. It was actually quite emotional for our teams when they came in and offered their support and expertise to us to help keep us safe, he added. Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Show all 12 1 /12 Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Agnetha Septimus, Matthew Septimus, and children Ezra and Nora Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Husband and wife filmmakers, Claire Ince and Ancil McKain pose for a portrait for the series by Shutterstock Staff Photographer, Stephen Lovekin, shot around the Ditmas Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Khadijah Silver and son Eliot Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Anna Beth Rousakis and daughter Mary Rousakis Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Mike Pergola and Denise Pergola with children Henry, Jack, and Will Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Artist Shirley Fuerst Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Jean Davis and Danny Rosenthal, with children Simone, Naomi, and Leah Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Robert E Clark Jr Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Lisa Draho and Josh Zuckerman, with children Ruby and Ava Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Professor and activist Dr Kristin Lawler Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Tom Smith and Laura Ross, with daughters Caroline, Elizabeth, and Abigail Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Callie Lovekin and Lucas Lovekin Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Dr Sharon Hopkins, chief executive of Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, also expressed gratitude. "This equipment will be vitally important for our frontline staff to protect themselves and others as they work to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic," she said. The Royal Mint is appealing for manufacturers across the UK to help it source 1mm clear plastic, which is necessary for its visor design and is currently in short supply. An entertainer on board the cruise liner MS Artania which is docked in Fremantle after an outbreak of COVID-19 has told German publication The Tagesspiegel how he fell sick with a sore throat and kept mingling on the 1300-passenger ship. Adax Doersam fell sick with a sore throat and fever on the MS Artania which is docked in Fremantle. Credit:Facebook Since the article was published on Tuesday, seven people on board the German cruise ship were diagnosed with coronavirus and a further 46 are showing symptoms, sparking a medical nightmare for Western Australia. Premier Mark McGowan announced yesterday that Artania passengers sick with the virus were going to be treated in two private hospitals in Perth, a decision which was met with severe criticism by the WA branch of the Australian Medical Association and the Australian Nurses Federation. Adax Doersam, a 64-year-old entertainer, told the German publication he boarded a plane to Singapore on March 13 to take up an engagement to play music on the cruise ship. TUNIS (Reuters) - Two new cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed in Libya, authorities said on Saturday, after the first was detected earlier this week, with international aid agencies warning of a disaster if it spreads. The two cases were discovered in Tripoli and Misrata, the National Centre for Disease Control said, without giving any further details. The first, confirmed on Monday, was a man who had recently returned to Libya from overseas TUNIS (Reuters) - Two new cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed in Libya, authorities said on Saturday, after the first was detected earlier this week, with international aid agencies warning of a disaster if it spreads. The two cases were discovered in Tripoli and Misrata, the National Centre for Disease Control said, without giving any further details. The first, confirmed on Monday, was a man who had recently returned to Libya from overseas. Libya has been in turmoil since the toppling of strongman Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 and is split between two warring administrations. The conflict has wrecked the economy, fuelled migrant smuggling and militancy, and disrupted oil supplies. This week, fighting flared again as battles erupted on several fronts after months of suspected imports of weapons and foreign fighters in breach of an arms embargo. The World Health Organisation and other agencies have warned that the fighting will make it far harder to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in Libya, and the United Nations has called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. In Friday's battles, focused in the southern suburbs of Tripoli and in the area between the coastal cities of Misrata and Sirte, dozens of fighters were reported killed on both sides. (Reporting By Angus McDowall; Editing by Ros Russell) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. The first batch of personal protective equipment (PPE) from China has been delivered to Dublin. Airbus A330-302 landed at Dublin Airport from China via an Aer Lingus shortly before 3pm this afternoon. It is the first of ten flights which will arrive in Ireland with additional PPE which will help tackle the coronavirus crisis. Between now and next Wednesday, 26m worth of PPE will be delivered, totalling 1.6m masks, 400,000 eye protections, 265,000 gowns and 254,000 gloves will be delivered. The government is set to spend 225m on PPE this year, which is 15 times the amount spent on a normal year, 15m. The PPE will be dispersed to frontline healthcare workers across the country in the coming days. It includes protective gloves, masks, eyewear and gowns. In an interview with Virgin Media News, health minister Simon Harris said that he was "really pleased" that Ireland, through the HSE, had secured the equipment haul during the global shortage of supplies. He said that the additional PPE supply, which is due to start arriving by the end of the week, is "probably what would normally do you for about 13 years." Three Indian nationals were among the 42 new coronavirus cases reported in Singapore on Sunday, taking the total number of infections in the country to 844, according to the Ministry of Health. Of the new cases, 24 are imported and have a travel history to Europe, North America, Middle East, ASEAN and other parts of Asia, the ministry said in a press release. The fresh cases take the total number of people infected with the deadly disease in the city-state to 844, it said. The three Indians include a 35-year-old female with a long-term pass, a 34-year-old male holding Singapore work pass and both of them have a travel history to India. A 34-year-old Indian holding Singapore work pass was infected locally. Another 43-year old male Singapore permanent resident, nationality not listed, is an imported case with travel history to India. Also, among the latest cases is a 42-year-old Singapore permanent resident who is a nurse at Sengkang General Hospital and has no travel history to the affected countries. She reported the onset of symptoms on Mar 24, and subsequent test results confirmed COVID-19 infection on March 27 afternoon. She is currently in an isolation room at the hospital, according to a Channel News Asia report. Contact tracing is under way for a total of 71 locally transmitted cases to establish any links to previous cases or travel history to affected countries or regions, the ministry said. Of the 423 confirmed COVID-19 cases who are in hospitals, 19 are in critical condition. The others are stable or improving, it said. Fourteen patients have been discharged from hospitals or community isolation facilities, the ministry said in its Sunday update. In total, 212 people in Singapore have fully recovered from the deadly disease. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics Tracy Lingchen Meng and Kyle Andrew Matson were married March 28 at their home in San Francisco. James W. Carson, a friend of the couple who was deputized as a temporary officiant by Marin County, Calif., officiated. The couple originally planned to marry March 28 at the Beach House in Koloa, Hawaii, before the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that events with 50 or more people be postponed. On Dec. 5, the couple are to have a celebratory ceremony at the Beach House in Koloa. Joseph W. Verno, a friend of the couple who received permission from the State of Hawaii to officiate, is to lead the ceremony. The bride, 32, is the vice president for commercial partnerships at Checkout.com in San Francisco, a London-based payments service provider. She graduated from Harvard. Panaji, March 29 : Amid growing unease over inability of food and essential items in Goa and the state government's decision to give central paramilitary forces a "free hand" to punish curfew violators, several voices on Twitter have attempted to highlight the plight of a population which has been facing a lockdown as a food shortage for as many as eight days in a row. In a tweet, actor Richa Chadda urged users of the social media platform to draw attention to the situation in Goa. "Goa needs food supply. Please draw attention to his, tweeple," Chaddha tweeted on Sunday. Authors Richa Kaul Padte and Mihir Sharma also highlighted the lack of food and underlined the sense of chaos in the coastal state, which has witnessed panic over lack of supply of essential goods including rice, wheat flour, and cooking oil. "Journalists, twitter folks, etc: pls.. pls... can you draw attention to what is happening in Goa? We have been on COMPLETE (surprise) lockdown all week. No groceries, no markets, no provisions. cops are patrolling the streets. People have no way to access food. It is getting bad," Padte said. "All worrying news out of Goa is odd. It is India's most developed state, it's geographically compact, has a solid welfare system - why is it breaking under lockdown? Why are there no groceries, and why is the CM asking for central paramilitary forces?" Mihir Sharma said. Local resident Lyndon JP, a working professional, paints a grim summary of life in Goa on the eight consecutive day of the lockdown. "Current situation in Goa: Increase my chances of contracting #COVID_19 or go mad at home due to hunger or go out to get supplies & get beaten by the cops! So many helplines, but no one answers or there's no stock. Thanks for the brilliant organization @goacm #COVID2019india," Lyndon says. While smaller 'mom and pop' grocery stores are virtually out of stock in most places, the Chief Minister's decision to shut down major grocery stores super markets and instead bank on a network of politicians and their volunteers to home deliver essentials has further added to the chaos, with allegations of hoarding by ruling politicians creeping in. "Sir Chairman NDMA, @PMOINdia. Giving control to MLAs in Goa over groceries distribution isnot mitigating but leading to bigger disaster. Pl get @goacm to go by Disaster mgt Act, instead of unleashing CRPF on people," Goa Aam Aadmi Party convenor Elvis Gomes tweeted. Both, the state Bharatiya Janata Party president Sadanand Shet Tanavade and the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant have urged calm amid the increasing chaos and said that efforts were being made to strengthen the home distribution network. On Sunday morning, the Sawant-led administration also authorized food delivery apps like Zomato and Swiggy to deliver food and groceries to people. (Bloomberg Opinion) -- At the point were now at, postponing the oil-price war wont make a lot of difference for an industry thats already breaking down under the weight of demand destruction. With prices hitting a 17-year low on Monday, its too late to use diplomacy and artful negotiations to share the burden of output cuts that are now inevitable. The pumping free-for-all unleashed by Saudi Arabia and Russia is important for the long-term shape of the oil industry, but, as my colleague Javier Blas pointed out here, its a sideshow to the havoc being wrought by the lockdowns crippling economies worldwide in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Forecasts of a catastrophic drop in oil demand abound, with estimates of a whopping 20% year-on-year reduction in global consumption in April becoming more common. Thats 20 million barrels a day, equivalent to the entire consumption of the United States. And even those gloomy views may be too optimistic, according to Goldman Sachs. It would be impossible for any small group of producers to mitigate that kind of impact by reducing output, unless Saudi Arabia and Russia were both to slash their production to almost zero. And thats not going to happen. On Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called on Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to take the lead as his country prepared to host a meeting of the Group of 20 nations. Pompeo urged the kingdom to rise to the occasion and reassure global energy and financial markets. Thats a reasonable request. Somebody has to show leadership and it doesnt look like its going to be President Donald Trump. The trouble is that I suspect what Pompeo meant is for Saudi Arabia to cut its production unilaterally, rather than trying to bring together a short-term coalition of the willing, including the U.S., to work together to confront a global problem. After all, thats always whats happened in the past. Take for example the response to the Asian financial crisis. In February 1999, then President Bill Clintons energy secretary, Bill Richardson, expressed U.S. concerns over oil prices that had fallen below $10 a barrel. Two months later the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries agreed to its third successive output cut and by the end of the year Brent crude had recovered to $25 a barrel. Story continues Its no surprise that Saudi Arabia was willing to take the lead back then, and to bear the bulk of the output cuts. It, too, wanted higher oil prices. Those were the days when oil was regarded as a depleting asset whose value would only rise in the future, as demand outstripped available supply. Cutting production would leave oil in the ground that would appreciate in value. But that was a long time ago. That view no longer holds sway battered both by the tsunami of crude extracted from shale rocks and the growing awareness of the need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions that has seen concerns about peak oil production replaced with worries (for producers) of peak oil demand. Oil left in the ground now is at risk of never being produced at all. Of course back in 1999, it would have been unreasonable to expect America to join in the output reduction effort. The U.S. was pumping a little over 6 million barrels a day less than half its current production and the gas-guzzling nation imported about 10 million barrels a day more crude and refined products than it exported. But 2020 is not 1999. The U.S. is now the worlds biggest crude producer, pumping 13 million barrels a day more even than Saudi Arabia can supply if it opens its taps fully. And so far this year it has exported more oil than it has imported. Yet a lack of leadership from Riyadh and Washington means that its now too late to make a coordinated response to the collapse in demand. As it stands at the moment, OPEC is not due to meet until early June, and whether the cartels external allies including Russia join them in an enlarged OPEC+ shindig remains to be seen. No matter, any action agreed then wouldnt have an impact until July, at the earliest. Even an agreement reached tomorrow would have little impact until May, with April crude sales now largely completed. By then storage tanks around the globe will be close to capacity; ships full of unwanted oil will be floating in safe anchorages; and producers will be forced to shut wells because they have simply run out places to put any crude they pump out of the ground. Without output cuts, production shut-ins are inevitable. Consultants IHS Markit see a surplus of 1.8 billion barrels of crude building up during the first half of 2020, and yet theres only 1.6 billion barrels of storage capacity available. The window to distribute those cuts in an orderly manner between producers has closed. OPEC had its last chance in March and Americas leaders subsequently squandered their chance at leadership. As it now stands, production cuts will be distributed by the market on the basis of who has access to storage tanks and who is losing money by pumping. Welcome to the free market. (Adds oil price decline and new Goldman Sachs outlook in first two paragraphs.) This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners. Julian Lee is an oil strategist for Bloomberg. Previously he worked as a senior analyst at the Centre for Global Energy Studies. For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. For more coverage, visit our complete coronavirus section here. A new map from the Center for Geospatial Science and Technology at CSU Northridge shows neighborhoods that have been hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic in Los Angeles. The interactive map, which uses data from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, shows clusters in Brentwood, Hollywood, Melrose and Beverly Hills. Although affluent communities are reporting some of the highest numbers of COVID-19-positive individuals, this could be because rich and privileged Americans have easier access to testing. As testing rolls out to more Californians, those early neighborhood trends could change. Blue dots representing outbreaks are not street-specific; they are placed in the geographic middle of each neighborhood. As of Sunday morning, Los Angeles County is reporting 1,804 cases of COVID-19 and 32 deaths. Los Angeles differs from the Bay Area in its decision to release coronavirus cases by neighborhood. Bay Area health officials have largely decided to leave numbers as broad as possible, generally only releasing top-level numbers of infections and deaths. 3 1 of 3 Jeff Gritchen/Associated Press Show More Show Less 2 of 3 David McNew/Getty Images Show More Show Less 3 of 3 "Health departments in the Bay Area make the case that releasing more granular data could heighten discrimination against certain communities where there might be clusters," the New York Times reports. "The first cases in the Bay Area were among ethnic Chinese residents returning from trips to China." "Pandemics increase paranoia and stigma," Dr. Rohan Radhakrishna, the deputy health officer of Contra Costa County, told The Times. "We must be extra cautious in protecting individuals and the community." Some health departments have cited HIPAA privacy restrictions as the reason for vague information but, as The Times notes, the law does have exceptions for times of medical emergency. MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE: Sign up for 'The Daily' newsletter for the latest on coronavirus here. Uncertain times amid the state-wide shutdown because of the coronavirus has made New Jersey businesses uneasy about what may be coming. Even with that uncertainty, Anthony Reis and his partners knew, in some way or another, he needed to step up for his employees at Food Architects. And with the Piscataway-based catering company suffering the same ill effects that most food businesses are feeling, Reis made a promise to his 30 employees. Whatever it takes to stay open is what well do. And well help out those in need of a meal while we do it. Theyre part of our family, so their issues are our issues," Reis said. "Were not laying them off. It is what it is. Instead Food Architects is asking for help not only to keep their employees paid on a full-time basis but to help feed local food banks, healthcare providers, the elderly and anyone else in need. Reis said that, if he raised $150,000 dollars, he would be able to pay his employees while making 25,000 meals. Currently the company has raised over $5,000 through a GoFundMe page. Any food establishment can prepare a solid hot or cold meal for two dollars, maybe a little under," Reis said. "If were going to take care of people that need it - whether it be the elderly or homeless or child services or first responders - how about we try to make it a little healthier for everyone. In an attempt to be transparent, Reis wants everyone who has helped out know who is benefitting from those meals and how many meals were supplied. Reis said a daily email or Facebook announcement will update anyone that wants to know about what was made and how many meals went to a certain establishment. I want people to see what were doing. You can see where its going, Reis said. "This is where people need the help. And I want to help. That decision to stay open, while countless other businesses close their doors and lay off employees in the hopes of saving money, will certainly cost a lot. Reis said on operational costs alone (and with no steady business), the company will lose about $4,000 a day. The monetary losses are less of a concern to Reis, he said, when he sees what his employees and their families are experiencing during the difficult times. "I put a lot of thought into that for about a week now. But one of my drivers wife is battling with cancer and hes the only provider for his family. What do you do? My office manager, her husband got laid off at his job. What am I going to do? None of this is okay on any level. Its one of those things where you have to weigh whether we close up and lose money and s*** on the people that got us here today. Thats the main thing. Ive been in this business for fifteen years. I have employees that have been with me for fourteen, thirteen years and multiple people for seven, eight years. What do you do? This article is part of NJ Is Open*, an important initiative designed to help essential businesses that are still open get the word out and connect with customers. Business owners can become part of our comprehensive resource by filling out this simple Google form. Have several locations? Fill out a new form for each one. The resource page will be launching in the coming days. If you want to further connect with our team of journalists, send photos and stories to njisopen@njadvancemedia.com. A Bombardier Inc. Learjet 40 XR aircraft, right, sits parked at Million Air in White Plains, New York, U.S. Private-jet companies could receive billions of dollars in loans, aid and tax relief from the federal government as part of the $2 trillion coronavirus aid package. Under the bill, private-jet charter companies and jet-card companies will receive several types of help from the federal government. First, private-jet companies will no longer have to pay a 7.5% tax. The tax, known as Federal Excise Tax, is charged to customers of private-jet charters and jet-card users. The tax won't be charged for the rest of the year. Jet companies also won't have to pay any fuel taxes. In addition, private-jet companies will be eligible to receive funding from the $25 billion in loans and loan guarantees available to the aviation industry. They are also included in the $25 billion in grant payments for the continuation of wage payments to workers. Private-jet airports and smaller airports will also receive more than $100 million in federal funding under the bill. It's shaping up to be a tough period for Guangzhou R&F Properties Co., Ltd. (HKG:2777), which a week ago released some disappointing full-year results that could have a notable impact on how the market views the stock. It wasn't a great result overall - while revenue fell marginally short of analyst estimates at CN91b, statutory earnings missed forecasts by 16%, coming in at just CN3.00 per share. This is an important time for investors, as they can track a company's performance in its report, look at what experts are forecasting for next year, and see if there has been any change to expectations for the business. So we gathered the latest post-earnings forecasts to see what estimates suggest is in store for next year. View our latest analysis for Guangzhou R&F Properties SEHK:2777 Past and Future Earnings March 29th 2020 Taking into account the latest results, the most recent consensus for Guangzhou R&F Properties from 14 analysts is for revenues of CN107.1b in 2020 which, if met, would be a meaningful 18% increase on its sales over the past 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are predicted to expand 12% to CN3.37. Yet prior to the latest earnings, the analysts had been anticipated revenues of CN118.9b and earnings per share (EPS) of CN4.17 in 2020. From this we can that sentiment has definitely become more bearish after the latest results, leading to lower revenue forecasts and a real cut to earnings per share estimates. The consensus price target fell 11% to CN14.23, with the weaker earnings outlook clearly leading valuation estimates. That's not the only conclusion we can draw from this data however, as some investors also like to consider the spread in estimates when evaluating analyst price targets. The most optimistic Guangzhou R&F Properties analyst has a price target of CN22.17 per share, while the most pessimistic values it at CN8.21. Note the wide gap in analyst price targets? This implies to us that there is a fairly broad range of possible scenarios for the underlying business. Story continues Of course, another way to look at these forecasts is to place them into context against the industry itself. Next year brings more of the same, according to the analysts, with revenue forecast to grow 18%, in line with its 18% annual growth over the past five years. Compare this with the wider industry, which analyst estimates (in aggregate) suggest will see revenues grow 15% next year. So although Guangzhou R&F Properties is expected to maintain its revenue growth rate, it's only growing at about the rate of the wider industry. The Bottom Line The biggest concern is that the analysts reduced their earnings per share estimates, suggesting business headwinds could lay ahead for Guangzhou R&F Properties. They also downgraded their revenue estimates, although as we saw earlier, forecast growth is only expected to be about the same as the wider industry. Furthermore, the analysts also cut their price targets, suggesting that the latest news has led to greater pessimism about the intrinsic value of the business. With that in mind, we wouldn't be too quick to come to a conclusion on Guangzhou R&F Properties. Long-term earnings power is much more important than next year's profits. We have estimates - from multiple Guangzhou R&F Properties analysts - going out to 2022, and you can see them free on our platform here. We don't want to rain on the parade too much, but we did also find 3 warning signs for Guangzhou R&F Properties (1 can't be ignored!) that you need to be mindful of. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. By Trend It is necessary to prepare for living with coronavirus (COVID-19) in Iran, said Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Trend reports citing IRINN. According to Rouhani, it may take a year or two to find a cure or vaccine for the virus. Rouhani added that the level of coronavirus' spread in Iran will be known after the Nowruz holiday. The president said that while the situation is good in some provinces, the situation is still dire in others. Iran is one of the countries heavily affected by the rapidly-spreading coronavirus. According to recent reports from the Iranian officials, over 35,400 people have been infected, 2,517 persons have already died. Meanwhile, over 11,600 patients have reportedly recovered from the disease. The country continues to apply strict measures to contain further spread of the disease. Reportedly, the disease was brought to Iran by a businessman from Iran's Qom city, who went on a business trip to China, despite official warnings. The man died later from the disease. The Islamic Republic only announced its first infections and deaths from the coronavirus on February 19. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz The Brown family has been through a lot in the decade since they first appeared on TLCs Sister Wives. First, Kody Brown added a fourth wife, Robyn Brown, to the mix. Her sister wivesMeri, Janelle, and Christine Brownwelcomed her with open arms (for the most part), but it was still a huge adjustment for the large family. Kody and Robyn have had two biological children since she joined the family, enlarging the Brown family to a grand total of 23 (including five adults and 18 children). Several of the adult kids have headed off to college and gotten married. Meanwhile, the Browns endured two massive movesfirst from Lehi, Utah, to Las Vegas, and then from Las Vegas to Flagstaff, Arizona. Whats more, Kody and his first wife, Meri, legally divorced in 2014, so Kody could adopt Robyns three children from her previous marriage. Although the Browns dont recognize legal marriage as valid, the change was still painful for Meri. In a TLC sneak peek of the upcoming Mar. 29 episode of Sister Wives, The Heat Is On, Meri and Robyn talk candidly about their feelings when it comes to the shift in their marital status and the familys relationship dynamics. Robyn, Meri, Kody, Christine, and Janelle Brown | Ethan Miller/Getty Images Meri and Robyn joke about burning their marriage certificates to Kody together In the TLC preview for the upcoming Sister Wives episode, Meri pulls out her marriage certificate and calls Robyn over to look at it. Should I keep it? she laughs to Robyn, as they pack up Meris belongings for yet another move. Aww, let it burn, Robyn jokes. Ill burn mine, you burn yoursWell burn them with our bras, how about that? Meri packs up the marriage certificate as she says good-naturedly, Im actually keeping mine, Robyn, sorry. Im only teasing, Robyn retorts as the two women laugh it off. To Sister Wives producers, Meri explains thatalthough legal marriage isnt recognized by the Browns fundamentalist Mormonist sect, the Apostolic United Brethren (AUB)the marriage certificate still means something to her. Its valid in my heart. Thats why Im keeping it, she says with tears in her eyes. Robyn calls legal marriage destructive in plural families As the preview continues, Kodys first wife reflects on her decision to legally divorce her husband. About four years ago, I legally divorced Kody so that Robyn could legally marry him, so that we could adopt Dayton, Aurora, and Breanna, Meri explains, looking heartbroken but resigned to the situation. Robyn also looks pained as she shares her own feelings about being legally married to Kody, while Meri, Janelle, and Christine only have spiritual (non-legal) marriages to him. In a plural family, there is only one legal marriage allowed, because thats what the state allows, Robyn laments. Right now, in this world, plural marriages arent legal. And so theres only one of us that can have a legal marriage. The Sister Wives star reveals that she wishes she (and all her sister wives) didnt have to be legally married to Kody at all. I feel like that theyre destructive as far as a plural family is concerned, she says. Kodys fourth wife explains that watching what her mom went through affected how she views legal marriage Robyn goes on to say that she has personal, intimate knowledge of the ways in which the inherent inequality of a single legal marriage can affect a plural (polygamous) wife. The 41-year-old mom of five grew up in the AUB herself, and her mother was a sister wife who was not legally married to her father. Since we all cant have legal marriage, if there was a way for just not any of us to have a legal marriage, I think that would actually be the best way to do it, Kodys youngest wife explains. The Sister Wives star opens up emotionally about her moms pain, saying, One of the reasons Im so passionate about this is because my mom is the second wife, and I know what kind of pain that caused her, always being the one thats not, you know, quite recognized as a wife. Robyn adds meaningfully at the end of the sneak peek: Its very personal to me. So burn them all. The numbers of those tested so far are minuscule, but among those tested, the danger is growing sharply just over several days. Russian health officials on Saturday reported 228 new cases of coronavirus overnight, bringing the total to 1,264, with four deaths attributed to the illness. Vladimir Putin is very much like President Trump in denial over the danger of the coronavirus epidemic. Just two weeks ago, the Russian dictator was gloating over how few infections his country was dealing with. Putin even failed to commit to any drastic measures during a national address this week. He was instead ordered a week of paid holiday from March 28 and promising benefits to getting companies and individuals through the crisis. Like Trump, the pandemic will not bend to Putins will. The epidemic is accelerating, and the Russian government is putting in place increasingly harsh restrictions of movements around the country. The mayor of Moscow shut all non-essential business yesterday and is recommending the citys citizens to shelter in place to reduce the spread of the virus. On Friday, the national government halted all international flights by order of Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, who has now called most of the countrys regions to close none essential businesses, while stopping short of issuing an order. A city north of Moscow with a population of 300,000 named Cherepovets has already decided to declare a state of emergency after seven new cases were diagnosed in the last 24 hours. On Friday, the Kremlin amid reports that some Russians planned to travel to the countrys vacation spots or visit relatives ordered all Russian parks and resorts to shut down. Interfax is reporting the Russian government is considering a temporary halt of domestic flights and trains. Health experts familiar with Russias medical system and economic condition are warning that if Russia becomes an epicenter for the pandemic, its economy could literally collapse as it did following the collapse of the Soviet Union. It just doesnt have the infrastructure to care for millions of coronavirus infected. Oil revenues represent the vast majority of the countrys revenues, and it has collapsed in price and may yet fall to as low as $10 a barrel. Russia implements stay at home 'holiday' during COVID-19 crisis Earlier Zelensky stated that within 15 days after the parliament votes on laws on banking and launching the land market, Ukraine will receive the first fast tranche of $ 2 billion from the Fund President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky president.gov.ua President Zelensky warned of the threat of default if on March 30 Verkhovna Rada does not vote on the laws necessary to receive the next tranche from the International Monetary Fund. He stated this in his video address on March 29. Because of the coronavirus, our country has actually come to a crossroads and has two paths. The first is the adoption of two vital laws, after which we would receive support from our international financial partners in the amount of at least 10 $ billion dollars. This is necessary to stabilize the country's economy and overcoming the crisis. Otherwise, the second way, is the failure of these laws, after this - the decline of the economy and even the threat of default," the head of state said. Earlier, Zelensky stated that within 15 days after the parliament votes on laws on banking and launching the land market, Ukraine will receive the first fast tranche of $ 2 billion from the IMF. Related: People aged 31 to 40 years most affected by Covid-19 in Ukraine, - Ministry of Health Ukraine has agreed with the IMF to increase programs to $ 8 billion. President Zelensky stated this during a briefing, which was broadcasted on 112 Ukraine TV channel. Now we can get a minimum increase in the program up to $ 8 billion - if we continue to receive a minimum of $ 10 billion together with the World Bank and the EBRD. Were talking further and we are definitely supported by Azerbaijan, I dont want to distribute this information yet. I also agreed with Mr. Aliyev, thankful to him. We also talked and are waiting for an answer from the Prime Minister of Canada Trudeau," Zelensky said. He added that the IMF's condition is the adoption of two laws on bank system and land ownership. As we reported, an extraordinary meeting of the Verkhovna Rada will be held on Monday; MPs will pass a law on the sale of land. Freeway traffic flows lighter than usual on the 110 and 101 freeways before the new restrictions went into effect at midnight as the the coronavirus pandemic spreads in Los Angeles, Calif., on March 19, 2020. (David McNew/Getty Images) Liberty: The Last Casualty of the Pandemic Commentary In December, the outbreak in the City of Wuhan, located in Chinas Hubei province, was officially detected. On Jan. 31, Health and Human Services declared a public health emergency. On March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus a pandemic. On March 13, President Trump declared a national emergency. In the span of that following week, gatherings of 250 or more were discouraged and then banned by numerous states. That number immediately dropped to 50, and now it has dropped to 10. Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, banned all gatherings for the largest state in the Union. It was unprecedented. No matter. Eleven other states quickly followed suit. More are to follow, as 17 other states have banned gatherings of 10 or more. The rapidly escalated reactions prove that the threat to our national health is very high. The threat to our individual freedoms? Higher. From the Declaration of Independence to the Amendments, recent government action flies directly in the face of the nations founding documents. The Declaration of Independence The founding document of our nation stated that we are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The biological threat against the former has ushered in an existential threat to the latter two. One may argue that without the first, the other two cannot exist. True. But without the latter two, what is the point of the first? Unless Americans merely perceive this moment in our history as light and transient, then there should be no need to clamor. Americans have grown accustomed to the subtle threats to our freedoms since John Adams and the Fifth Congress; and as long as citizens are still free to determine the course of the country every two, four, or six years, then these evils are sufferable. This is unless, of course, we perceive those threats to be a long train of abuses and usurpations. The federal government has rarely felt a restriction on its massive powers, like the constant wars in far off places, spying on citizens, dislodging citizens without habeas corpus, or creating unelected government agencies armed with the three branches of power. State governments now have become fearless in exercising their might by forcing people into their homes under the threat of penalty of law. It is for this reason the Founding Fathers created our extended republic so instead of overthrowing a king, voters would be able to throw off such government every two, four, or six years. Citizens need not look solely at the federal government, but at their local and state governments as well. The Constitution of the United States of America There are 50 States and 50 Constitutions, which all fall under the supreme law of the land: the Constitution of the United States of America. Our national Constitution was ordained and established to provide six services to the People. One of those is to secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity. With state governments seamlessly conducting the aforementioned gathering bans; the shutting down of non-essential businesses in 18 states, along with three other states shutting down non-essential retail; the mandatory quarantines of 13 states; and the forced closure of bars and restaurants, except for take-out and delivery, in nearly every state in the Union, it may prove difficult for the blessings of liberty to reach our posterity. In a state of national emergency and pandemic, however, there are no solutionsthere are only trade-offs. The trade-off for a dramatically decreased risk of contracting the coronavirus and having it spread further is the surrender of several rights listed in the Constitution. The Amendments The right that has been most obviously violated is the right to peacefully assemble. Of course that ends with to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Some may argue that people are not conducting a redress of grievances against the government; therefore, the First Amendment doesnt apply. But a redress of grievances is not truly possible without the threat of assembly. Petitions on Change.org are easy ways to obtain signatures, but they dont assume the power of a physical redress. This violation of the right to assembly causes a direct violation of the free exercise of religion. Churches have been forced to close, and groups have been dispelled throughout the nation due to their size. Congregating is the most common form of Americans ability to exercise their religion; its the tradition of religious practitioners going back millennia. In fact, as a majority of religious people in the United States practice Christianity, Hebrews 10:25 states to not forsake assembling together. Some government officials have taken the opportunity to target religious groups. In Indiana, Allen County Health Commissioner Dr. Deborah McMahan issued a recommendation against gatherings of more than 10, but prohibited churches from gathering together, even in non-church venues. The states attorney general, Curtis Hill, contested McMahans order as unconstitutional religious discrimination. The order was rescinded. In Houston, bars and restaurants are under threat of a $1,000 fine or 180 days in jail for not maintaining social distancing in their place of business. This penalty is on par with a first-time drug offense. Houstons Harris County, one of the nations largest counties, has even gone so far as to create a hotline for people to report businesses not in compliance. In this economic crisis, business owners have more to worry about than the precise spacing between customers, which has created a possible violation of the Fourth Amendment of being secure in their person. Comparable to the case in Indiana, businesses are not treated equally, as places such as WalMart, Target, and grocery chains are free of these threats. Considering the dire economic situation the country is in, this could qualify as a violation of the Eighth Amendment, as a $1,000 fine in many cases would be excessive. These two examples definitely do not exemplify equal protection, a violation of the 14th Amendment. The nation, in this time of crisis, does feel on fire. Alarmingly, our founding documents are being used to put out the flames. When this crisis passes, and it will as all do, the search will inevitably begin for what remains among the ashes. Dustin Bass is the co-founder of The Sons of History, a YouTube series and weekly podcast about all things history. He is a former-journalist-turned-entrepreneur. He is also an author. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Australians will be even further restricted from Monday, as the government announces new tough measures to curb the spread of COVID-19. Australians will be prohibited from gathering in groups larger than two outside, with only families and households excepted. Meanwhile, public playgrounds, and skate parks will be closed while bootcamps will end, with only one-on-one training sessions allowed. Visit Business Insider Australia's homepage for more stories. The federal government appears to be tightening its rules almost by the day in a desperate effort to stop the spread of COVID-19. Under the latest iteration, announced on Sunday evening, Australians will not be allowed to gather in any grouping larger than two, with only families or households excepted, as the toll of the coronavirus continues to rise. "Hundred of thousands of people have left the labour face, left the workforce, thousands upon thousands of businesses have had to shut their doors. Sixteen people [in Australia] in total now have lost their lives, including two today. It is a very difficult time," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in his second media conference of the day." To help enforce social distance, Morrison also announced public playgrounds and skateparks will be closed from Monday, while boot camps which were operating with up to 10 people can only involve two people. Weddings will continue to be restricted to five people, and funerals to ten. The most vulnerable demographics have been advised to self-isolate as much as practical, including those aged over 70 years, those with chronic conditions over 60, and Indigenous Australians 50 years and older. All others have been advised to stay home for all reasons other than exercise, grocery shopping, medical care, compassionate needs, exercise, and work or employment if it absolutely cannot be done remotely. It comes as "the rate of increase" of the virus' spread continues to slow, with growth falling from around 25-30% a day, to 9% on Sunday, according to the federal government. Despite that, 1600 people went into quarantine on Sunday. Story continues Leaving to attend a Treasury meeting, Morrison said his government was finalising further economic measures to be announced in the coming days, to support businesses and jobs so "we can return to life as we knew it at some point in the future". He revealed that at the meeting of the National Cabinet, state and territory leaders agreed to a set of principles that will put a moratorium on evictions for the next six months for both residential and commercial tenants "if unable to meet their commitments" While asking banks to support this measure, Morrison also emphasised the fact that commercial tenants and landlords alike will be expected to come to their arrangements. If not, Morrison suggested government support may be withheld. Australians were also encouraged to sign up to the Government's WhatsApp messaging service to receive directs updates going forward. Theres a saying that whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it. And, a recent tweet by Prime Minister Narenda Modi reinforces the notion that even the smallest effort, especially in the time of crisis, matters. Theres nothing big or little, PM Modi wrote while replying to a post by a Twitter user who had shared a screenshot of his contribution of Rs 501 to PM-CARES. PM Modi announced the creation of the fund and invited people from all sections of society to donate. Praising the mans contribution, the PM further wrote that his donation shows Indias collective resolve to defeat COVID-19. Theres nothing big or little. Every single contribution matters. It shows our collective resolve to defeat COVID-19. #IndiaFightsCorona https://t.co/ibCnvGNIyo Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 28, 2020 Since being shared the post has collected over 42,000 likes. Additionally, it has also garnered close to 5,600 retweets. Anyone can go to the website pmindia.gov.in to donate to PM-CARES. From cards to net banking, a person or organization can choose any mode of payment. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Sunday that President Donald Trump approved a major disaster declaration for Oregon, freeing federal emergency aid to supplement Oregons fight against the coronavirus. As of Sunday, the virus had killed 13 people in the state. Gov. Kate Brown issued a state of emergency for the state on March 8 and a stay-at-home order on Monday. According to FEMA, federal funding is now available to help state and tribal governments, as well as local governments and nonprofits for emergency protective measures as the coronavirus continues to spread. The order is back-dated to Jan. 20. CORONAVIRUS IN OREGON: THE LATEST NEWS Michael F. OHare has been named as the federal coordinating officer for Oregons federal recovery operations. Hes the FEMA regional administrator for Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington and resides in Alaska. FEMA and the White House have been rolling out these disaster declarations to assist multiple states. Trump issued a disaster declaration for Washington last Sunday, and Oregons order brings the number of states with disaster declarations due to the coronavirus to 18. Sign up for free text messages about coronavirus in Oregon: -- Lizzy Acker 503-221-8052, lacker@oregonian.com, @lizzzyacker Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Claire Jerry came for the posters. And the buttons. And the bumper stickers. And the speeches. And especially for the homemade sign at a Joe Biden event in Sumter that declared "Jill's husband 4 President." As a political history curator for the Smithsonian Institution, Jerry traveled to South Carolina not once but twice this year to fulfill a quest fit for Indiana Jones. Her task? Find those just-right objects that embody a political moment. Find that thing that captures a candidate's message. Seek out those items that one day whether it's 50 years or 500 years from now could help tell the story of the 2020 presidential election. "I'm always trying to think at least 100 years down the road," Jerry said of her work that combines a love of history with the thrill of a treasure hunt. Jerry is one of three curators from the Smithsonians National Museum of American History who have been traveling the country in search of 2020 campaign materials and political memorabilia. The museum's political campaign collection contains more than 130,000 objects, making it the largest collection of its kind. Its artifacts date as far back as the inauguration of George Washington. "By actively collecting new materials at the primaries and the party conventions every four years, the museum documents the political campaign process and can share the spirit and complexity of the presidential campaigns with the American public, both now and in the future," said Anthea M. Hartig, the director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. To do this work, curators have attended town halls, rallies, protests and debates, and paid visits to campaign headquarters. Later this year, they plan to hit the road yet again to attend both the Republican and the Democratic national conventions, where handmade hats have become the iconic items du jour. Over the years, the collection process has changed. The Smithsonian first sent one of its curators to the Democratic National Convention in 1976. Before that time, curators would write to delegates and ask them for their political ribbons, posters, buttons and hats. Like 1976, this year marks a new chapter in how the Smithsonian is hoping to document the campaign on the ground. It was the first time the museum sent one of its political history curators to a Southern presidential primary state. It was also the first time a curator visited the same early primary state twice. Jerry's first visit came during the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend in January, which allowed her to witness Columbia's annual King Day at the Dome celebration. She returned the Thursday before the state's Feb. 29 primary and stayed until March 1. On the morning of Feb. 29, Jerry ended up at Elizabeth Warrens final South Carolina campaign stop: a canvassing kickoff in Columbia that doubled as a small campaign rally. Jerry watched as Warren called for "big structural change." She listened as Warren supporters honed their door-knocking pitches on the day of the states Democratic presidential primary election. When a volunteer noticed Jerrys silence, they asked her, point-blank, "What are you doing here?" Sign up for updates! Get the latest political news from The Post and Courier in your inbox. Email Sign Up! "I guess in some ways what Im doing is Im canvassing for history," Jerry replied. After visiting both Iowa and New Hampshire, Jerry said her South Carolina trip exceeded her expectations. At a Tom Steyer event at Allen University, a private historically black university in Columbia, Jerry collected a series of "Invest in HBCUs" signs that had been taped on to the wall so that together they spelled out the year "2020." The day after the primary election, Jerry went to the state campaign headquarters for Pete Buttigieg as they were winding down. "They had given everybody their own piece of paper to put on the wall to write why they were supporting him," she said. "I was so excited about them because it represented what I had seen in almost every single headquarters, but some of them wrote directly on the wall. I cant take back a whole wall." She did, however, get permission to collect a few pieces of paper from the South Carolina campaign headquarters of the first openly gay man to run as a major presidential candidate. Any items Jerry finds are either mailed back to the museum or travel back with her to the museum in her carry-on bag, whichever makes the most sense based on size, material and logistics. At conventions, for example, curators walk around carrying around an architecture portfolio. Once targeted items come into Jerrys possession, they arent automatically in the Smithsonians collection. Curators must consider size, material and whether an item was mass-produced, unique to a state or entirely handmade. Often, tough choices about what to bring and what to leave behind are made in the field. And then theres the unexpected. The novel coronavirus will leave its mark on the campaign trail this year. Already, at least 10 states and territories have delayed their presidential primaries due to concerns about COVID-19, fundamentally altering the election calendar. The candidates have also taken their usual stumps from stage to online. Documenting that virtual space poses a unique challenge for curators, who typically work with physical objects. Jerry said a digital archivist is working with curators to determine how to capture this snapshot moment for future generations. Even after the 2020 election ends, the search for pieces of it and other elections will continue. "Everybody should go home and open their junk door and go through that box in grandpa's attic because they probably have some really great campaign stuff in there," Jerry said. "And then tell me what you found," she added. If you believe you have an item of interest, please send a detailed description with photos, if possible, to inquiry@si.edu. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday assured that his government will take care of all migrant labourers and provide them basic necessities like food and water. The 'Shiv Bhojan' scheme offering meal at Rs 10 will now be available at Rs 5 from April 1, he said in a webcast. Thackeray said the state has already set up 163 centres across the state to provide food and water to the migrant labourers. "The state will protect them and provide food, but they should not leave their place. I understand that they are anxious but they should not leave. They should avoid increasing the risk of infection, he said. In view of the nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus, several migrant labourers are left with no work and hence, they are leaving the state to return to their native places. A number of them have been marching on foot, while some tried to make their way out of the state in goods trucks and tempos, but were caught during police checking. The total number of COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra has gone up to 193 with 12 more people testing positive for coronavirus, a health official said on Sunday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Advertisement New York state surpassed a grim milestone Sunday as its death toll from the coronavirus outbreak climbed above 1,000, less than a month after the first case was detected in the state and as tents were being set up around the city to ease the impact of incoming patients. New York City reported in the evening that its toll had risen to 776. The total number of statewide deaths won't be released until Monday, but with at least 250 additional deaths recorded outside the city as of Sunday morning, the state's total fatalities was at least 1,026. It was a devastating reality after the virus has torn through the city and state with frightening speed. The first known infection in New York was discovered on March 1. A second case was confirmed two days later. The first fatality in the state came on March 10. The state now has 59,662 confirmed cases of the deadly, flu-like virus, also known as COVID-19. Meanwhile, triage tents were set up outside several Mount Sinai system hospitals in the city to take on patients as the facilities have already been overwhelmed by coronavirus victims. Tents were set up outside five hospitals in the city, as well as one on Long Island. Tents sprouting up in Central Park were to back up Mount Sinai West were erected with help from Samaritan's Purse, an evangelical Christian relief organization headed by Franklin Graham, son of the late televangelist Billy Graham, reports the New York Post. 'The tents will be critical in helping us limit the spread of the disease between patients and staff,' hospital officials said in a statement last week, adding that they will expand the emergency room 'footprint'. Graham's group on Sunday set up a massive field hospital in Central Park, which is in the heart of Manhattan. Samaritan's purse trucked in four trailers of equipment and gear, including tents, beds, personal protective equipment and 10 ventilators to treat the sickest patients. A 70-member team of healthcare workers from around the US will be on scene under the leadership of Elliott Tenpenny, a physician who's previously tended to Ebola patients in West Africa, Syrian refugees in Iraq and earthquake victims in Ecuador. 'This is honestly the most improbable place we've ever been,' he told The Post. A jogger in New York's Central Park runs past several triage tents that were erected to ease the impact of coronavirus patients at Mount Sinai West (pictured behind trees) Tents sprouting up in Central Park were to back up Mount Sinai West were erected with help from Samaritan's Purse, an evangelical Christian relief organization headed by Franklin Graham, son of the late televangelist Billy Graham Crews are seen assembling one of the triage tents for coronavirus patients from Mount Sinai West Hospital in Central Park Crews erect the frame for a triage tent that will house coronavirus patients from Mount Sinai West Hospital in Central Park The temporary triage site is one of six being set up outside Mount Sinai hospitals in New York City and Long Island Workers are seen unfolding tents and spacing them out on a grassy field as dozens of boxes of supplies waited to be unpacked Tents sprouting up in Central Park were to back up Mount Sinai West were erected with help from Samaritan's Purse, an evangelical Christian relief organization headed by Franklin Graham (pictured), son of the late televangelist Billy Graham 'I never would have guessed we'd come to New York City with something like this. But New York never thought it would be dealing with a pandemic, either.' The Central Park tents will handle up to 68 patients. The site will have 10 makeshift intensive care that come equipped with a ventilator for each patient. Work on the tents is will continue around the clock and is expected to last up to two days. The site is located near Columbus Circle, a few hundred yards from the Mount Sinai West emergency room on W 59th Street. Mount Sinai West made headlines earlier this month after a photo emerged of three of its nurses wearing black garbage bags as makeshift gowns amid a dire shortage of personal protective equipment. The toll of the coronavirus in New York State On Tuesday, one of its nurses, 48-year-old Kious Kelly, died at the hospital after contracting coronavirus. There are also plans in place to put up tents outside Mount Sinai Beth Israel in Lower Manhattan, The Mount Sinai Hospital on the Upper East Side, Mount Sinai Morningside on the Upper West Side, Mount Sinai Brooklyn, and Mount Sinai South Nassau on Long Island. Hospital staff did not say how many patients each site will be able to treat at a time. New York City remains the epicenter of the US coronavirus outbreak with close to 34,000 confirmed cases and 776 deaths. The virus has been confirmed in more than 142,000 cases and more than 2,400 deaths across the country. Queens, the largest borough, has been the hardest-hit by the virus, with close to 11,000 confirmed cases of the virus. Brooklyn follows with 8,887 cases. The Bronx has 6,250, while the number in Manhattan was 5,582. Staten Island has just under 2,000. A patient is seen arriving at Mount Sinai West Hospital on Thursday Con Edison workers are seen in front of Mount Sinai West Hospital as triage tents were erected in Central Park to take on coroanvirus patients The Central Park site is located near Columbus Circle, yards from the Mount Sinai West emergency room on W 59th Street There are also plans in place to put up tents outside Mount Sinai Beth Israel in Lower Manhattan, The Mount Sinai Hospital on the Upper East Side, Mount Sinai Morningside on the Upper West Side, Mount Sinai Brooklyn, and Mount Sinai South Nassau on Long Island Hospital staff did not say how many patients each site will be able to treat at a time Pedestrians walk through Central Park on Sunday morning as construction at the triage site got underway There have been more than 142,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the US, which has been blamed for more than 2,500 deaths Deaths related to the coroanvirus in the US Deaths related to the coroanvirus in the New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on Sunday said the city 'will go through a really tough, tough journey,' as he predicted April, which starts on Wednesday, will be 'worse than March.' 'And I fear that May could even be worse than April,' he said. 'We're going to be in for weeks of this.' Governor Andrew Cuomo in a press conference also on Sunday ordered New York's non-essential workers to stay in place for another two weeks and insisted that President Donald Trump's new travel restrictions change nothing for the Empire State. Cuomo said that he supports the president's decision to issue a travel advisory for New York but assured residents that: 'This is not a lockdown.' Gov Andrew Cuomo ordered New York's non-essential workers to stay in place for another two weeks during a press conference on Sunday (pictured) Trump had initially considered ordering a quarantine for the coronavirus hotspots of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, but abandoned that idea Saturday night. The president announced in a tweet that the quarantine would not go ahead and a travel advisory would be issued instead. The travel advisory urges residents of the tri-state area to immediately avoid any nonessential travel for two weeks. 'I know we feel under attack. Yes, New York is the epicenter and these are different times and many people are frightened,' Cuomo said, referring to the travel advisory and Rhode Island's dramatic tactics of pulling over drivers with New York plates. 'But look this is New York, we have made it through far greater things. We are going to be okay. We specialize in stamina in strength and instability. We are strong, we have endurance and we have stability. 'We know what we're doing. We have a plan and any obstacle that we come across we will handle it,' Cuomo said, adding that 'there is no state in the nation that is better prepared' than New York. 'New York is going to have what it needs and no one is going to attack New York unfairly and no one is going to deprive New York of what it needs.' The governor then gave a run-down of the state's number of confirmed cases. He said health officials conducted 16,000 tests Saturday night, bringing the total tests to 172,000, the most in the US. The governor said the state now has more than 59,000 confirmed coronavirus cases with 8,000 hospitalized and 2,000 people in ICUs. 'I don't think you look at those numbers and conclude that nothing less than thousands of people will pass away,' Cuomo said. Cuomo said the US Navy hospital ship, the Comfort, will be in New York on Monday. The ship will provide an additional 1,000 hospital beds as hospitals are predicted to become overwhelmed within the next week. New York currently has nearly half of the nation's 132,647 cases. She made her name as one-half of the winning couple of Love Island in 2018. But Dani Dyer revealed that before finding fame on the reality show she tried out for Our Girl, but lost out to Michelle Keegan following a car-crash audition. Speaking to The Mirror on Saturday about the ordeal, the TV personality, 24, said her audition went so poorly she ended up breaking down in tears. All went wrong: Dani Dyer revealed on Saturday that she auditioned for Michelle Keegan's role in Our Girl but admitted it went so poorly she broke down in tears (pictured on Love Island) Dani explained: 'I cried in the room. I was like, "I don't know what I'm doing"' 'I was running an hour late and sweating. The nerves get on top of you. It is just this authority looking at you and you want this role so bad.' 'The speech we had to prepare was deep but she wanted it quite comical. I tried and I just cried.' Michelle is currently set to end her stint after the show's fourth season, after taking the role of Georgie Lane in 2015 when EastEnders star Lacey Turner left the show. Lead star: Michelle is currently set to end her stint after the show's fourth season, after taking the role of Georgie Lane in 2015 when EastEnders star Lacey Turner left the show Upset: Dani said her audition went so poorly she ended up in tears, as she said: 'The speech we had to prepare was deep but she wanted it quite comical. I tried and I just cried' The actress recently revealed that viewers will see Georgie battle with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in the wake of fiance Elvis Harte's death. The first episode saw the introduction of several new recruits, who Georgia has to train up before they head to the front line in Afganistan. It remains to be seen whether Georgia will be able to overcome her demons, and come to terms with her grief surrounding Elvis' death. Difficult: The actress recently revealed that viewers will see Georgie battle with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in the wake of fiance Elvis Harte's death in the new season In heartbreaking scenes, Georgie saw visions of her late husband-to-be as she attended her beloved sister's wedding elsewhere in the show. The series' opening scenes saw Georgie continue to battle with visions of her late fiance Elvis (played by Luke Pasqualino) as she tried to enjoy her sister's wedding. Holding her engagement ring which she now wore around her neck, viewers saw flashbacks to the moment Georgie accepted Elvis' proposal. Fans were devastated when Elvis was dramatically killed by a bomb back in 2017, and it seems clear that Georgie still hasn't dealt with her grief around his death. 1. Margaritas This delicious drink is largely synonymous with Mexico. Sadly, that's not very accurate at all. Stories surrounding its origins are not definitively Mexican, even though some of them actually take place in the country. One of the most famous stories involves the owner of Tijuana restaurant, Rancho La Gloria, Carlos "Danny" Herrera. He claimed he invented the drink in 1938 after a patron said she was allergic to all spirits except tequila. Except she didn't want tequila. Herrera decided to work around the typical tequila shot and created the widely-popular cocktail margarita. No matter the origins, you'll surely find a margarita in touristy areas of Mexico. You can also make some in your own home. Follow this 5-star recipe for the best glass of margarita. 2. Fajitas Fajita is a delicious and savory sizzling creation that's famous in many parts of Mexico. The dish, however, was not a product of Mexican minds. In 1984, Homero Recio began a serious study of the dish's history as part of his graduate work. He found evidence of a recipe dating back to the 1930s. The dish was found to have been made in the ranchlands of South and West Texas. A cookbook author named Melissa Guerra also found the same story while researching her first cookbook. The fajita's popularity surged when fast-food chains Jack in the Box and Taco Bell featured the dish in their menus. The increase in demand led to other fajita variations such as chicken, shrimp, and vegetables. 3. Tacos Al Pastor While tacos are 100% Mexican, the way tacos al pastor are cooked are not from the country. The method of cooking the meat actually comes from Lebanese immigrants who moved to the country in the early 1900s. The immigrants brought with them the famous technique of spit-roasting meat, a cooking style adapted by Mexican shepherds later on. Tacos al Pastor is commonly made from strips of meat that is stacked onto a long spit. The spit helps make the outside layer of the meat crispy while keeping the inside later tender and juicy. Taco-makers often top these flavorful cuts of meat with pineapple, onion, and salsa. Hungry? Make some at home using this recipe. 4. Churros These sweet pastries are available almost anywhere in Mexico. Their popularity led to a wide variety of fillings, with some cafes offering Nutella Churros and Strawberry Jelly Churros. This sweet pastry's history is widely contested. Some say nomadic Spanish shepherds invented churros as they were easy to cook in frying pans. Other stories claim Portuguese soldiers discovered the food in China and brought it back with them. Though the origin of these filled-pastries is still debated, its fame has reached far and wide. In Cuba, churros are filled with a guava mixture. People in Uruguay fill their versions of this pastry with cheese. 5. Burrito Burrito is one of the most popular items on any Tex-Mex menu. This wrap can be filled with just about anything---rice, beans, meat, vegetables, among others. Burrito, which means 'little donkey' in Spanish, has quite a lot of stories surrounding its name. Some stories say a street vendor named Juan Mendez sold tacos on a donkey. He would allegedly wrap his food products in a homemade tortilla to keep it warm until he realized it could also be served that way. The story may, however, be false. The word was traced back to 1895, a decade before Juan Mendez began selling his food item. An entry in a Mexican dictionary said burrito was widely popular in areas like Yucatan and Guanajuato. The dish grew in popularity in the United States after a restaurant called El Faro made double-sized burritos for firefighters in the 1930s. Since then, the wrap has been offered by multiple food chains such as Taco Bell and Chipotle. Make your own using this recipe. ALBANY New York and other states are not tracking the number of people who have fully recovered from COVID-19 and are posting daily updates on the cumulative number of people who have tested positive for the infectious disease, which now numbers more than 59,000 confirmed cases. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Sunday said that while deaths from the infectious disease reached 965 statewide up from 728 reported on Saturday he expects the number of fatalities to reach into the thousands in New York. "I dont see how you look at those numbers and conclude how anything less than thousands of people (will die)," the governor said, adding that New York City and other hard-hit areas in southern New York, including Long Island, have not reached their apex of cases. But he showed data Sunday indicating the rate of hospitalizations of COVID-19 patients has declined, doubling every six days rather than every two days, as had been the case two weeks ago. The state's total number of positive cases, which was listed as 59,513 on Sunday, may also include thousands of cases in which individuals have recovered and are no longer contagious. "The doubling rate is slowing and that is good news, but the number of cases is still going up," Cuomo said. "And now, youre seeing the discharge number trend way up because thats whats going to happen." The number of COVID-19 patients being discharged from hospitals increased steadily in recent days, with 846 discharged from medical facilities overnight Saturday. There were 8,503 people hospitalized on Sunday, including 2,037 in intensive care units. State Health Department Commissioner Howard Zucker last week acknowledged that "hundreds and hundreds" of individuals had been released from New York hospitals after being treated for COVID-19. But officials in the governor's administration have acknowledged they are not tracking cases of people who have recovered. Latest coronavirus-related cancellations, postponements The latest coronavirus numbers in NY Sign up for the Times Union coronavirus newsletter Full coronavirus coverage Some counties have been gathering that information and others are not. Albany County, for instance, has more than 22 people who have recovered from the illness. Yet those individuals are still included in the 195 cases that were listed on the state Department of Health's website on Saturday. The county on Sunday said they have had 187 people test positive. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also is not releasing estimates on recovered cases. That agency has not responded to requests for comment. The apex has still not been reached in New York City, and Cuomo said that he expects areas of upstate New York to reach their peaks after the number of cases have started to trend downward in New York City, Long Island and Westchester County, which emerged as the state's first hotspot. Cuomo on Sunday said he believes the state took action appropriately and he does not regret ordering businesses to shut down and workers to stay home sooner. "People are so on edge, I mean, it really panicked people," he said. "You need to manage that fear and the panic and you also need to deal with the virus." The governor said that non-essential state workers will continue to telecommute from home for at least another two weeks. His order shutting down non-essential businesses remains in effect through April 19. Overnight Saturday, Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo walked back a directive to have cars with New York license plates stopped at the border following discussions on Saturday with Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's office, officials said. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. It's unclear whether Raimondo is retreating on her call for National Guard troops to search Rhode Island residences to verify that anyone who traveled there from New York is self-quarantining for 14 days. The roadblocks were set up Saturday and police took the destination information of anyone traveling into the state from New York, informing them they would need to self-quarantine. The travelers were not stopped from entering the state. I want to be crystal clear about this: If you're coming to Rhode Island from New York you are ordered into quarantine," Raimondo had said. "The reason for that is because more than half of the cases of coronavirus in America are in New York." Late Saturday, Raimondo adjusted the order to require someone traveling to Rhode Island from any state, not just New York, to self-quarantine for 14 days. Cuomo had threatened to sue Rhode Island or other states if they restricted the travel of New York residents, calling it unconstitutional. "That executive order has been repealed by the state of Rhode Island and we thank them for their cooperation," Cuomo said Sunday. Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody last week announced similar measures, saying officials would confront travelers flying into that state from New York and New Jersey airports to gather information on their destinations and potentially follow up to ensure they are self-quarantining for 14 days. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had issued an executive order on March 23 requiring airline passengers traveling from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut to quarantine in isolation for 14 days. But that has not stopped a flood of New Yorkers from heading to Florida from the New York City region, and private jets have been piling up at many Florida airports, according to published reports. President Donald Trump had said Saturday he was considering issuing a "quarantine" for areas of New York, Connecticut and New Jersey. But later in the day he instead asked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to issue a travel advisory instructing people to refrain from non-essential domestic travel for the next two weeks. On Sunday, the president said that social distancing nationwide should continue until the end of April. It's unclear what would have been required under a quarantine, or whether that would have applied only to the hard-hit downstate region or all of New York. Cuomo said the president's initial remarks about a quarantine had panicked many New Yorkers. The hydropower giant NHPC Limited on Saturday airlifted 2.6 metric tonnes of medical materials from Delhi to Imphal in the view of the Coronavirus crisis. According to reports, the airlifting was carried out at the request of the Manipur government. Further, the medical materials included sanitizers, thermal scanners, and masks. An official release quoted AK Singh, NHPC's Chairman and Managing Director, that stated, "NHPC is fully committed to stand with the nation in this moment of crisis and has already earmarked Rs 4.5 crore to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. The timely supply of medical material is most crucial and therefore we have aided the airlifting of medical material to Imphal which is remotely located and difficult to reach by road." The first positive case of Coronavirus from the northeast region was reported on Monday in Manipur of a 23-year-old woman with a recent travel history to the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, another case in the northeast region has been reported in Mizoram. The Coronavirus crisis As of date, India has reported over 1,000 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19. Out of all the states, Kerala and Maharashtra have reported the most in the country. Meanwhile, 19 people have died so far due to the deadly virus. Due to the outbreak, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had put India under a national lockdown for 21 days. Further, India has also closed the India-Pakistan border and restricted passenger movement at the border with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Myanmar. Read: TDP Chief Naidu appeals to AP CM Reddy to give Rs 5,000 each to poor amid COVID lockdown Read: COVID-19: School counsellors in Delhi-NCR bombarded with queries from distressed students, parents Presently, there are around 664,926 confirmed cases of COVID-19 which has led to the death of around 30,894 people. Meanwhile, around 142,449 people have reportedly recovered. The US is at the top of the charts with respect to Coronavirus cases, with over 1.2 lakh infected. Read: COVID-19: Villagers in West Bengal quarantine themselves on tree after return from Chennai Read: Mann Ki Baat: PM Modi appeals to people to help poor & hungry during coronavirus lockdown Image for representation The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, the philanthropic arm of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan, has announced plans to team up with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to donate USD 25 million to a research fund exploring possible COVID-19 treatments. "I'm really proud to share that (The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative is) going to be joining Gates and others to put together something they're calling the therapeutics accelerator to fight coronavirus," Chan told "CBS This Morning" co-host Gayle King. Chan told King that their goal is "to fund a group to screen all the drugs that we know have potential effects against coronavirus." Zuckerberg said one drug can often be used to treat multiple diseases. "You can basically take all those drugs that have already been screened as safe and test them to see if they might also have a positive impact for either preventing the coronavirus or reducing the symptoms and making it less damaging," he said. The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) is sinking the cash into an effort, run by Zuckerberg's mentor Bill Gates, that is exploring new possible antiviral drugs that could protect people from the disease. The donation is among the biggest single grants to an outside organization ever given by CZI, established in 2015. CZI's gift is the second biggest tech philanthropy donation for the coronavirus that has been publicly unveiled, falling short of only the Gates Foundation's donation to the same therapeutics fund. The contribution from Zuckerberg and his wife comes after the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation launched the COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator earlier in March. Mastercard and charity foundation Wellcome are also partnering with Bill & Melinda Gates as part of the initiative, which started with USD 125 million in seed funding at its launch. The goal of the project is to develop affordable treatments to COVID-19 that can be distributed at scale. The accelerator will evaluate new and repurpose existing drugs to for the treatment of COVID-19 patients, and hopes to use its research to fight other viral pathogens in the long term as well. The COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator will also be working with the World Health Organization on the project. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 19:20:54|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close Workers unload medical supplies from the Jack Ma Foundation and the Alibaba Foundation which arrive on a special Chinese flight at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, Bangladesh on March 29, 2020. The Jack Ma Foundation and the Alibaba Foundation, with the coordination and help of the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka on Sunday donated medical supplies to the Bangladeshi Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to assist the Bangladeshi government in containing the COVID-19 spread. The donated medical supplies includes 30,000 COVID-19 testing reagents and 300,000 masks. (Xinhua/Liu Chuntao) DHAKA, March 29 (Xinhua) -- The Jack Ma Foundation and the Alibaba Foundation, with the coordination and help of the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka on Sunday donated medical supplies to the Bangladeshi Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to assist the Bangladeshi government in containing the COVID-19 spread. The donated medical supplies includes 30,000 COVID-19 testing reagents and 300,000 masks. The dedicated flight with the 300,000 masks arrived at the Hazrat Shahjalal International airport in capital Dhaka on a special Chinese flight. Earlier on Friday, the Jack Ma Foundation and the Alibaba Foundation have officially donated the first batch of 30,000 COVID-19 testing reagents to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of Bangladesh. AVON LAKE, Ohio -- Transport Canada, the federal agency responsible for school bus safety in that country, has initiated a yearlong program for lap-shoulder seat belts to be installed in a limited number of new school buses in two school districts, according to Dr. Rudy Breglia of Avon Lake. Breglia provided the impetus behind the Avon Lake City Schools agreement to a pilot program to install seat belts in its new school buses. He said a 2010 Canadian report that wasnt released until 2018 indicated that the compartmentalization theory in school buses was incomplete and would fail to prevent childrens ejections and serious injuries in the event of side impacts, rollovers and vertical-lift crashes. The compartmentalization theory is a major flaw, according to Breglia, that keeps seat belts from being widely installed in school buses across the United States. The theory states that using tall seat backs padded with energy-absorbing construction, as well as seat spacing that is closer than that in passenger vehicles, is enough to protect students. Breglia has been protesting the theory in his work to gain support for the lap-shoulder seat belts. The Canadian report resulted in a task force being assembled that issued a report in February concluding that lap-shoulder seat belts provide an additional layer of safety in rare, but severe school bus collisions. The Canadian pilot programs were eventually initiated, Breglia said. In addition, a Canadian school bus driver collected 132,000 signatures on a petition to have the seat belts installed. Breglia said the movement for school bus safety belts is gaining momentum. Three city councils -- Vermilion, Sandusky and Lorain -- have demonstrated support for their school districts to now conduct pilot programs like Avon Lakes, with lap-shoulder seat belts in at least one new school bus. Breglias organization, School Bus Safety Alliance, has proposed a state grant program to Ohio legislators that would provide $10,000 for the installation of lap-shoulder seat belts in one new school bus for each of 10 volunteer school districts. He also visits school boards and city councils to assure them that funds would be solicited on their behalf for a seat belt installation pilot program for their first school bus. Now is the time, said Breglia, for Ohio to follow the lead from Canada, supporting the courageous action by Avon Lake and Beachwood school districts and the three forward-thinking Ohio city councils. "(The actions would) avoid senseless litigation and stop gambling with our childrens lives. Ohio needs to accept the evidence of lap-shoulder seat belt effectiveness and start meaningful pilot programs. For more information, visit the School Bus Safety Alliance website at http://schoolbusseatbeltsafety.com. Read more from the Sun Sentinel. (Natural News) South Africa began a nationwide military-patrolled lockdown on Friday, joining the growing number of African countries that have implemented stringent measures to prevent further spread of the coronavirus a global pandemic currently taking the world by storm. During the three-week total lockdown, there will be no loitering around the streets, jogging or even alcohol sales all across the country as government officials ordered most of the 59 million people in the population to stay at home. The New York Times reported that this lockdown occurred after a sudden influx of confirmed coronavirus cases across the nations nine regions. South Africa considered to be Africas most industrialized nation is now the epicenter of the outbreak on the continent, surpassing Egypt with more than 1,000 confirmed cases. according to the countrys National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD). When we report the latest confirmed COVID-19 cases, which increased from yesterday's number and tipped the 1000 mark, we will provide further information. #21daysLockdownSA #COVID19SouthAfrica NICD (@nicd_sa) March 27, 2020 While the number of cases in Africa is far lower than the number reported in the United States, Europe and the Middle East, experts claim that the poorest continent in the world is especially vulnerable to this pandemic and is likely to see many more cases in the near future. (Related: Coronavirus would have killed 40 million if the world didnt go on lockdown, say experts.) A report by Yahoo News claimed that South African President Cyril Ramaphosa saw off droves of soldiers before they deployed from a military base in the Soweto township just outside the countrys largest city, Johannesburg. These troops were tasked to enforce the lockdown to lessen the impact of the pandemic. I send you out to go and defend our people against coronavirus, Ramaphosa said. This is unprecedented, not only in our democracy but also in the history of our country, that we will have a lockdown for 21 days to go out and wage war against an invisible enemy coronavirus. As of this writing, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported a total of 3,426 positive cases across 46 African states. Besides South Africa and Egypt the two nations hit the hardest by the virus the countries of Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Ghana, Senegal and Burkina Faso have also reported more than a hundred cases in their borders, most of which were imported by visitors from Europe. South Africa struggles with lockdown South Africas efforts to prevent the spread of coronavirus has not been as successful as previously thought as the streets and supermarkets continue to be populated by panicked civilians looking to resupply any essentials they need. Many South Africans have been ignoring the lockdown protocols established by the countrys officials. BBC reported that they observed heavy traffic on the main roads leading out of Johannesburg despite the governments call to refrain from going on long journeys. Furthermore, thousands of people flocked to bus stations aiming to escape the congested capital to stay with their families in rural areas. However, this only raised fears that they could carry the virus with them to their older relatives who are retired on their farms and in small villages. In the township of Alexandra, located close to Johannesburgs financial district, a group of men were openly drinking out in public before being asked by police to follow lockdown protocol. The police also ordered all the supermarkets to close down, according to a report by Reuters. How can you stay home without food? The reason we are here is because we are hungry. We are here to get groceries so we can be able to stay indoors, you cant stay indoors without food, said Linda Songelwa, an Alexandra resident. On Friday, South Africa recorded its first coronavirus-related deaths. According to the countrys health minister, both deaths occurred in the southern province of Western Cape, home to the city of Cape Town. This morning, we South Africans wake up with sad news that we now have our first deaths resulting from Covid-19, the health ministry said in a statement. Sources include: News.Yahoo.com NYTimes.com Twitter.com AlJazeera.com AF.Reuters.com BBC.com Boston Mayor Marty Walsh announced Suffolk University and a former hospital owned by the Davis Companies will add an additional 240 beds for the homeless population in reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 240 beds that I just mentioned are in addition to the 55 beds we already created [at] the rear of the Southampton street shelter, Walsh said Sunday. Were also working closely with the state to repurpose the Newton Pavilion and Boston Medical center and we will temporarily reopen it to meet the medical needs of homeless residents affected by coronavirus. The total of 240 beds will be provided by Suffolk University who will repurpose a dormitory to provide at least 172 beds and a former long-term acute care hospital at 1515 Commonwealth St. that will provide 70 beds. Walsh recently announced that Boston was awarded $2.5 million from the Boston Resiliency Fund to strengthen the health care system for the citys homeless population and its most vulnerable residents. Gov. Charlie Baker also announced on Thursday that the state will provide additional services to the Boston homeless population by re-opening the former Newton Pavilion health care center. The pavilion will be ready to serve the community by Monday and has a capacity of 250 beds, according to Walsh. We are fully committed to protecting all of our residents, including those experiencing homelessness, because every life is worth protecting, Walsh said. We will continue to ramp up resources as necessary to serve everyone in our city with the care and equity they deserve. I sincerely thank everyone who is doing their part in helping us increase our ability to help those in need." All of Bostons shelters have remained open during the crisis and will do in the future. Walsh told reporters on Sunday that every facility in Boston has been deep cleaned and sanitized to combat the spread of the virus. "We at Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program appreciate the Mayor's leadership in this time of crisis and are grateful for the joint partnership to combat the pandemic, said Chief Executive Officer at Boston Health Care For the Homeless Program Barry Bock Cities across Massachusetts have been opening up centers to accommodate the homeless during the COVID-19 pandemic. Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno announced on Friday the citys contingency plan to assist the citys homeless population during the COVID-19 pandemic by erecting three tents across from the Friends of the Homeless Center on Worthington St. Worcester has also been opening several new satellite shelters for homeless populations. North High School opened to house 25 people on Friday and on Saturday, another satellite shelter to house 25 more people opened at the Worcester Technical High School. The city is also looking at preparing spaces for members of the homeless population who need to quarantine as well as those who may test positive for coronavirus. Related Content: Sign up for free text messages about important updates on coronavirus in Massachusetts Advertisement A CBS News producer died from COVID-19 on Sunday as New York City's death toll climbed to 678. CBS announced the loss of their 'beloved' CBS News colleague Maria Mercader, in a statement shared on Twitter. The 54-year-old Emmy winner died from COVID-19 while being treated at a New York hospital. Mercader, who worked for CBS for nearly three decades, had been on medical leave for an unrelated matter since the last week in February. There are more than 123,000 confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States with more than 2,100 deaths. In New York City, where one New Yorker dies nearly every nine minutes, there are more than 33,000 confirmed coronavirus cases with 678 deaths. On Sunday, Gov Andrew Cuomo ordered New York's non-essential workers to stay in place for another two weeks as cases climbed by more than 7,000 overnight and the death toll hit 965. Scroll down for video CBS announced the loss of their 'beloved' CBS News colleague Maria Mercader (pictured), in a statement. According to the network, Mercader, 54, died from COVID-19 on Sunday in a New York hospital Mercader, who worked for CBS for nearly three decades, had been on medical leave for an unrelated matter since February. Mercader (second from left) with Gertie Quitangon (left), Judith Benitez (second from right) and Sergey Gordeev (right) in New York City in 2018 The governor said the state now has more than 59,000 confirmed coronavirus cases with 8,000 hospitalized and 2,000 people in ICUs. 'I don't think you look at those numbers and conclude that nothing less than thousands of people will pass away,' Cuomo said. Cuomo said the US Navy hospital ship, the Comfort, will be in New York on Monday. The ship will provide an additional 1,000 hospital beds as hospitals are expected to become overwhelmed within the next week. As the city awaits the ship, New Yorkers also were mourning the loss of the first Catholic priest in the US to succumb to the virus. COVID-19 claimed the Rev. Jorge Ortiz-Garay, 49, who served as a pastor of St. Brigid's Church in Brooklyn. COVID-19 also claimed the Rev. Jorge Ortiz-Garay, 49, who served as a pastor of St. Brigid's Church in Brooklyn Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, the head of the diocese in Brooklyn, called the passing of Ortiz-Garay 'a tremendous loss for the Diocese of Brooklyn,' reports Fox News. 'Father Jorge was a great priest, beloved by the Mexican people and a tireless worker for all of the faithful in Brooklyn and Queens,' DiMarzio said. 'It is unfortunate that he was overcome by the coronavirus because of underlying health issues.' Ortiz-Garay was born in Mexico City and became a priest in the U.S. after working as a lawyer. The US leads the world in reported cases with more than 125,000. There were more than 2,100 deaths recorded by Sunday afternoon. All 50 states have reported some cases of the virus but New York has the most, with more than 59,000 positive tests for the illness. The governor also said that he supports the president's decision to issue a travel advisory for New York but assured New Yorkers that: 'This is not a lockdown.' On Sunday, Gov Andrew Cuomo ordered New York's non-essential workers to stay in place for another two weeks as cases climbed by more than 7,000 overnight and the death toll hit 965 The governor then gave a run-down of the state's number of confirmed cases. Cuomo said the state now has more than 59,000 confirmed coronavirus cases with 8,000 hospitalized and 2,000 people in ICUs This graphic shows the deaths per day in New York state, which saw 308 deaths on Saturday New York's coronavirus cases have increased significantly in the last 11 days. There are now more than 33,000 cases in New York City Trump had initially considered ordering a quarantine for the coronavirus hotspots of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, but abandoned that idea Saturday night. The president announced in a tweet that the quarantine would not go ahead and a travel advisory would be issued instead. The travel advisory urges residents of the tri-state area to immediately avoid any nonessential travel for two weeks. 'I know we feel under attack. Yes, New York is the epicenter and these are different times and many people are frightened,' Cuomo said, referring to the travel advisory and Rhode Island's dramatic tactics of pulling over drivers with New York plates. 'But look this is New York, we have made it through far greater things. We are going to be okay. We specialize in stamina in strength and instability. We are strong, we have endurance and we have stability,' Cuomo said. 'We know what we're doing. We have a plan and any obstacle that we come across we will handle it,' Cuomo said, adding that 'there is no state in the nation that is better prepared' than New York. 'New York is going to have what it needs and no one is going to attack New York unfairly and no one is going to deprive New York of what it needs.' Crews started assembling triage tents outside New York City hospitals that are already overwhelmed by coronavirus victims on Sunday. The Mount Sinai system is setting up the temporary treatment facilities outside six of its hospitals - five in New York City and one in Long Island - as it prepares for a projected influx of COVID-19 patients. 'The tents will be critical in helping us limit the spread of the disease between patients and staff,' hospital officials said in a statement last week, adding that they will expand the emergency room 'footprint'. On Sunday workers began erecting tents in Central Park that will service overflow patients at Mount Sinai West Hospital. Crews are seen assembling a triage site for coronavirus patients from Mount Sinai West Hospital in Central Park on Sunday The temporary triage site is one of six being set up outside Mount Sinai hospitals in New York City and Long Island The Central Park site is located near Columbus Circle, a few hundred yards from the Mount Sinai West emergency room on W 59th Street. Workers were seen unfolding massive tents and spacing them out on a grassy field where dozens of boxes of supplies waited to be unpacked. Experts have warned that New York is not the only metro area that could see such high cases of the coronavirus. 'Every metro area should assume that they will have an outbreak equivalent to New York,' Dr Deborah Birx, the White House's coronavirus response coordinator, told NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday morning. While the Big Apple leads the nation in cases by a significant margin - several other cities including Detroit, Chicago, Los Angeles, New Orleans and Boston are now being monitored as potential hotspots. Dr Fauci predicts America's coronavirus death toll will reach 100,000 to 200,000 and millions will be infected Dr Anthony Fauci, the government's foremost infection disease expert, says the United States could experience more than 100,000 deaths and millions of infections from the coronavirus pandemic. Fauci offered his prognosis in an interview with CNN's State of the Union on Sunday morning, as the federal government weighs rolling back guidelines on social distancing. 'I would say between 100,000 and 200,000 cases,' he said, correcting himself to say he meant deaths. 'We're going to have millions of cases.' But he added 'I don't want to be held to that' because the pandemic is 'such a moving target'. The government is particularly looking at easing restrictions in areas that have not been hard-hit by the outbreak at the conclusion of the nationwide 15-day effort to slow the spread of the virus. Dr Anthony Fauci, the government's foremost infection disease expert, says the United States could experience more than 100,000 deaths and millions of infections from the coronavirus pandemic The US currently leads the world in coronavirus infections with 132,647 reported as of Sunday afternoon When asked about whether supported the move, Fauci said he would only support the rollback of social distancing guidelines in lesser impacted areas if there is enhanced testing in place. Fauci also addressed President Donald Trump's decision not to impose a strict quarantine on parts of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut after saying he was considering such restrictions on Saturday. Fauci said it was important not to enforce something that would create 'a bigger difficulty', and instead issue a travel advisory for the New York metro area. 'After discussions with the President we made it clear and he agreed, it would be much better to do what's called a strong advisory,' he said. 'The reason for that is you don't want to get to the point that you're enforcing things that would create a bigger difficulty, morale and otherwise, when you could probably accomplish the same goal.' The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued its travel advisory late Saturday, urging residents of the three states to 'refrain from nonessential domestic travel for 14 days effective immediately'. 'What you don't want is people traveling from that area to other areas of the country and inadvertently and innocently infecting other individuals,' Fauci said. 'We felt the better way to do this would be an advisory as opposed to a very strict quarantine. And the President agreed, and that's why he made that determination last night.' Fauci noted that about 56 per cent of the country's new infections are coming from the New York City area, where 33,786 cases and 678 deaths have been reported. Tributes pour in for CBS News producer Maria Mercader, 54, who died from COVID-19 on Sunday In a statement, CBS said Mercader had fought cancer and other related illnesses for more than 20 years. Mercader covered foreign and domestic breaking news and most recently began helping CBS shape its strategy for the network's correspondents and reporters. 'Even more than her talents as a journalist, we will miss her indomitable spirit,' CBS president, Susan Zirinsky, said in the statement. 'Maria was part of all of our lives. Even when she was hospitalized and she knew something was going on at CBS, she would call with counsel, encouragement, and would say 'you can do this.' I called Maria a 'warrior,' she was. Maria was a gift we cherished.' Her colleagues soon followed Zirinsky by sharing heartfelt tributes and memories of her on social media. 'We would joke that I'd survived one type of cancer and she'd survived all the others. And now we've lost her to this hideous virus. Maria Mercader, CBS News Talent Executive and Producer, was as inspiring and lovely as any human being could be. Deepest condolences to her family,' Miami-based correspondent, Manuel Bojorquez, tweeted. Dan Rather wrote: 'A hard hit to the heart, news longtime colleague and friend Maria Mercader died from coronavirus. A paragon of grit and grace, she embodied the best of the @CBSNews mission. Millions of Americans learned of the world through her efforts. Now our world is less with her loss. RIP.' Her colleagues shared heartfelt tributes and memories on social media Politics correspondent, DJ Judd, shared: 'Sending love to my CBS family today. Maria Mercader was one of the first people I met there, and when my mother was fighting cancer she was one of our fiercest friends. She was a tenacious journalist who never stopped mentoring young journos, and her loss is a loss for all of us.' CBS This Morning correspondent, Vladimir Duthiers wrote: 'The sound you hear is that of my heart breaking into tiny pieces over the loss of our dear colleague Maria Mercader who died today from the Covid-19 coronavirus. She was a phenomenal journalist & across the news division we were blessed to be in the presence of her light.' Aside from her work at CBS, Mercader helped coordinate CBS News' participation in the Asian American Journalists Association, the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association and the National Association of Black Journalists. Mercader is survived by her father, Manuel and brother, Manuel. A total of six CBS News employees tested positive for the coronavirus, including a correspondent stationed in Italy. Five employees with the virus work in CBS' New York offices, where most of its journalists were ordered to stay away as a result two weeks ago. 'Everyone works remotely unless specifically requested to come in,' Zirinsky said in a memo to her staff at the time. The cases in CBS' New York studios has had cascading impacts. New York's WCBS-TV broadcasts from there, so New York's local news was delivered by anchors in a Los Angeles studio. The syndicated 'Inside Edition' also airs from there, and at one point Deborah Norville did the show from her kitchen at home. Akshay Hailed As 'Khiladi Who Plays Straight From The Heart' For His 25 Cr. Donation, PM Modi, Bollywood Lauds His Efforts An eight-month pregnant woman and her husband were offered monetary help and an ambulance in Meerut to cover the rest of their journey from Saharanpur to Bulandshahr after they were forced to walk over 100 kms on their way home without food when the latters employer turned them out without any money. Local residents Naveen Kumar and Ravindra spotted the exhausted couple, Vakil and Yasmeen, when they arrived at Meeruts Sohrab gate bus stand on Saturday and informed Prempal Singh, a sub inspector at Nauchandi police station, about their problem. Ashutosh Kumar, the Nauchandi police station in charge, said Singh and the residents gave the couple food and some cash besides arranging for the ambulance to drop them to their village--Amargarh in Bulandshahrs Syana. Also Watch | Coronavirus: Can Centres 7 steps control migrant crisis amidst lockdown? Kumar said Vakil was employed at a factory and covered the 100 km distance with his wife over two days. Yasmeen told police they lived in a room the factor owner had offered them. But he asked us to vacate it after the lockdown was announced and refused to give us any money to go our village, she said. With no alternative, the couple started walking on Thursday from Saharanpur to reach their village. Yasmeen said that they had no food for the past two days because of complete closure of restaurants along the highway. The three-week lockdown announced on Tuesday to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic has left millions of migrant labourers jobless and forced them to walk hundreds of kilometres to their villages in absence of any means to sustain themselves. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday apologised to the countrys poor over the hardships they have been facing because of the lockdown even as the government on Thursday announced an economic stimulus plan to provide direct cash transfers and food to them. Thane municipal commissioner Vijay Singhal on Sunday asked real estate developers and construction firms to ensure migrant labourers working at their building sites adhere to lockdown norms and are provided food and shelter. He said builders not providing basic amenities to their labourers during the 21-day lockdown for the novel coronavirus outbreak will be prosecuted. He also asked them to ensure the workforce under them does not get infected with the coronavirus. State authorities also announced that the CIDCO Exhibition Centre in Vashi in neighbouring Navi Mumbai would be used as temporary shelter for the homeless and migrant labourers. Konkan Divisional Commissioner Shivajirao Daund asked Thane Collector Rajesh Narvekar to make arrangements for food and other amenities there. Meanwhile, Maharashtra minister Jitendra Awhad said he would distribute one lakh food packets to those affected by the lockdown. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) UNSC member countries shared the concern about escalating clashes in Libya. Addressing the meeting, Head of Vietnams permanent mission to the UN, Ambassador Dang Dinh Quyreiterated Vietnams support of the political solution led and owned by the Libyans. He also called for pushing forward political, economic and military dialogue channels in accordance with the UNSCs Resolution 2510 that endorsed the conclusions of the Berlin Conference on Libya, and for the UNSMIL and regional organisations to consider assisting concerned parties in conducting dialogue via online channel. Following the meeting, the UNSC released a press statement, expressing concern about the possible impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Libya and calling on concerned parties in Libya immediately end clashes and abide to the arms embargo. The situation in Libya continues to worsen recently despite the UN Secretary Generals call for ceasing fire. Furthermore, the first COVID-19 case was recorded in the country on March 24. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 29) The Health Department unveiled additional benefits for health professionals who would volunteer to serve at COVID-19 referral hospitals a day after apologizing for only giving them a 500 daily allowance. The Health Department announced Sunday that on top of their daily allowance, volunteer health professionals are also entitled to the same benefits given to all health workers under the Bayanihan to Heal as One law. This includes a special risk allowance, hazard pay and compensation in case they contract and die of the disease. The Health Department said the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation will shoulder the medical expenses of volunteer health professionals if they contract the disease. They would also be compensated 100,000 if their condition becomes critical, and their families will receive 1-million in case of their death. Volunteers will also receive transportation allowance, food and lodging for the duration of their service. Health professionals would also still be given their daily allowance even when they go on quarantine for two weeks after a two-week duty at hospitals, the Health Department said. Labor group Defend Jobs Philippines earlier slammed the 500 allowance for the volunteer health professionals, describing it as nothing but an insult to our COVID-19 frontliners. The Department of Health apologized on Saturday for only giving health professionals a P500 daily allowance, saying that they based this on allowances given to volunteers during previous outbreaks. Volunteer health professionals will be deployed at the Lung Center of the Philippines in Quezon City, the Philippine General Hospital in Manila City and Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital in Caloocan City for 28 days. COVID-19 cases in the Philippines surged for the second-straight day, with the country reporting an additional 343 new cases of the viral disease on Sunday, bringing the total of those who have contracted it to 1,418. The death toll due to the disease is now at 71, while recoveries stand at 42. Bob Owen /San Antonio Express-News A member of the faculty and a student attending the University of Texas at San Antonio separately have been diagnosed with the coronavirus, said President Taylor Eighmy on Saturday evening. Both had been traveling internationally, developed symptoms while self-isolating at home and had been away from campus for weeks, Eighmy said in a statement posted to the universitys Facebook page. Both are still home and doing okay, he said, wishing them a speedy recovery. And yet I can shut down the computer and forget all about it right away, if I want to. Residents cant. In 2019, according to a report by the nonprofit group Redes da Mare, there were 39 police operations in the complex one every 9.4 days that lasted almost 300 hours and left 34 people dead. (None of them were white.) Twenty-four school days have been lost. (School is canceled when theres a police raid.) The raids are part of a disastrous policy to combat drug trafficking in Rio de Janeiro. The states security forces have always been violent and unaccountable for their actions in the favelas, but things have gotten even worse under the countrys far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, and an ally, Rio de Janeiros governor Wilson Witzel. Mr. Witzel has promised to slaughter criminals in the communities, saying that the military police should aim at their little heads. This is at the core of his public security policy, which consists of tough-on-crime rhetoric, giving carte blanche to the police and nothing else. Last year, he claimed he should have the right to send a missile into a favela in order to blow up these people. He encourages incessant and deadly police invasions into poor communities in pursuit of drug gangs, failing to recognize that most of the residents are law-abiding, working citizens. As a result, police killings in the state of Rio de Janeiro reached a 20-year high last year, with 1,810 people murdered by security forces almost five deaths per day. (Twenty-two police officers were killed in the same period.) Police forces are now responsible for 43 percent of all the violent deaths in the state, an astonishingly high number even by Brazilian standards. While the authorities claim that most of the victims are gang members who engaged in confrontations with the police, many cases show signs of being extrajudicial killings. Other times, victims are innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire: Six children died last year during police raids in Rio de Janeiros poorest communities. (Most of these murders are still unsolved.) Other victims were wrongfully targeted; if you are black and live in a favela, anything can be mistaken for a gun. People have been killed for carrying an umbrella, an hydraulic jack, a cellphone, a backpack. Four years ago, a 16-year-old boy was killed when his bag of popcorn was mistaken for drugs. Special constables or volunteer officers who hold other jobs have joined frontline policing to help deal with the coronavirus pandemic in the UK, including software expert Gautambir Singh Soin in the east Midlands town of Leicester. Soin is among special constables and recently retired police officials who have answered the call to join the fight against the virus that has claimed over 1,000 lives in the UK, including some of Indian origin in Birmingham and London, among other areas. The Leicestershire police highlighted Soins new role on the frontline after the Boris Johnson government gave the police new powers to ensure social distancing. They deploy what is called the Four Es approach: engage, explain, encourage and enforce. Soin joined following a request from the National Police Chiefs Council to employers to provide paid leave to special constables, who hold the same powers and responsibilities of a full-time officer and manage the role alongside their normal employment. Soin, who works for communications major Vodafone, said: I signed up to be a special constable to give a little bit back to my community and to do my part by helping the people of Leicestershire and Rutland. This global pandemic is a test for us all. Im proud and honoured to be able to stand alongside Leicestershire Polices frontline officers to ensure everyone stays safe. I work full-time developing software for Vodafone. They support me with my policing duties where they can. Superintendent Adam Slonecki, who oversees the role of the special constables, added: Our special constables are stepping up to provide vital support at a time when our regular workforce numbers are compromised by the virus. Im grateful to those people and those businesses who employ special constables across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland for supporting their staff and allowing them to help us at such an unprecedented time. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 14:23:06|Editor: zyl Video Player Close WASHINGTON, March 28 (Xinhua) -- As the death toll of COVID-19 in the United States doubled within a week to top 2,000 on Saturday, U.S. authorities have taken measures to curb the spread of the pandemic. As of Saturday evening, more than 124,000 people across the country have tested positive for the virus, with at leat 2,100 deaths, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE). New York state's cases have topped 53,000, followed by states of New Jersey and California, with 11,124 and 5,564 cases respectively, according to the update. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said Saturday that the state's death toll from COVID-19 had risen to 728. U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday he asked the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to issue travel advisory for the states of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Earlier in the day, Trump said he was considering a 14-day quarantine for New York, "probably New Jersey, certain parts of Connecticut," adding the measure might not have to be taken, but "there's a possibility." Cuomo said in an interview with CNN on Saturday that he did not believe a possible New York quarantine was legal and that it would be a "federal declaration of war." "It would be chaos and mayhem," said Cuomo, who has required New York residents to stay at home as much as possible. In a pair of tweets on Saturday night, Trump said "a quarantine will not be necessary." Trump said that he has asked the CDC to issue "a strong Travel Advisory, to be administered by the Governors, in consultation with the Federal Government." The CDC later posted the travel advisory for New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut on its website, urging residents of the three states "to refrain from non-essential domestic travel for 14 days effective immediately." "This Domestic Travel Advisory does not apply to employees of critical infrastructure industries, including but not limited to trucking, public health professionals, financial services, and food supply," it said. "These employees of critical infrastructure, as defined by the Department of Homeland Security, have a special responsibility to maintain normal work schedule." The governors of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut will have full discretion to implement the advisory, it added. "This is now a national epidemic with multiple epicenters," tweeted Scott Gottlieb, a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration. "April will be hard month but we'll get through it. This will end. We need to stick with current strategies. We can look toward May as month when we carefully transition to new posture. For now focus must be on supporting healthcare systems, preserving life, ending epidemic spread," Gottlieb said. Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker announced on Friday that all travelers entering the state will be instructed to self-quarantine for 14 days, while Florida Governor Ron DeSantis earlier issued an order mandating a two-week self-isolation for travelers from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. The pandemic has swept more than 200 countries and regions. As of Saturday eventing, there were more than 664,000 confirmed cases globally, with 30,800 deaths, an interactive map maintained by the CSSE showed. In decades to come, what we will remember most are the whites of his eyes. And toilet paper And Tony Holohan, for I am informed, at home, that he is unreal. The whites of your eyes betray a subconscious truth, a social cue, essential to bonding and survival. Even babies can read it. On St Patrick's Day, Leo Varadkar spoke to the nation. What I will remember most are the whites of his eyes. In a decade of looking at him, I had never noticed that before. The following morning, the polling firm Kantar went to work in Ireland and in 19 other countries, China, Italy, Spain, Brazil and the USA among them, countries that were or were about to be crawling with Covid-19. The intention was to survey how concerned was the world. Around the same time, the bars and restaurants of the UK were heaving with revellers, their good-time prime minister, Boris Johnson, pulled betwixt and between by scientists and social and political ideologues, and newspaper columnists. Then Leo spoke. And where 61pc of the Irish were hugely concerned, that hangover morning, only a quarter of our neighbours in the UK were. That is some difference. The results of the survey may reveal Ireland is the second most concerned nation in the world, but context is everything. As the survey was taken, the people of Italy were reeling, but had not yet witnessed army trucks transporting corpses 100 miles or more to the nearest crematorium, one of the more disturbing images of this moment. Sometimes I see alone coffins under sail, embarking with the pale dead, with women that have dead hair, with bakers who are as white as angels, and pensive young girls married to notary publics, caskets sailing up the vertical river of the dead, the river of dark purple, moving upstream with sails filled out by the sound of death, filled by the sound of death which is silence. After Leo's speech, and after China, Ireland is the most fearful nation on God's good earth right now, according to this poll, more fearful even than Italy, about whom Pablo Neruda might have written those words. This is a good thing. "The situation concerns me hugely," is the question Kantar asked, in language that can be understood everywhere from Slovakia to the United Arab Emirates. For concern, we can substitute fear. There is not one among us who did not contemplate their own mortality last week. There is a limitless to nature and to one's own frightening insecurity. At essence, it is what makes us governable and peace possible. You could see it in their eyes, sense it in their movement, as you walked tentatively up and down the suburban boulevard of Griffith Avenue in Drumcondra last week, you could smell it in the air, and sense it in dogs who stayed close to heel. This is what Leo has softly, sensitively unleashed - fear. And it is what we needed, and it may be the making of him, and us. As Bertrand Russell said: "To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom." So, at last, after years of waiting, do we have Leo the Wise, and can our children begin to man and woman-up behind him? A new generation is born. As for the toilet paper, well I have a theory on that, too. People rely on it to clean themselves. Therefore, the lack threatens their humanity. Let me explain: the lack challenges the illusory boundary between human and animal, and Covid-19 is nothing if not a breach of that boundary; nothing if not a breach of the artificial line between culture and nature. The loss of toilet paper points toward the dissolution of all boundaries, and we will not be having that for it threatens our humanity. After that, take it as you read it. There is one other interesting finding in the poll. Are you worried about yourself and your loved one? Well, yes you are. Or a fifth (20pc) of you are. But asked which statement best described their current feelings, 39pc of you said: "Being prepared and well informed is fundamental in this moment." Fundamental, you say. That's a form of stoicism to stare down the fear. And you take your information from government agency websites, international advisory body websites and the mainstream national media, too, in that order, followed a little behind by your doctor and your pharmacist, good people that they are. Truly then, we are all in this together - you and us - and the people we applauded on Thursday night, who must be protected. Once more unto the breach, dear friends PM Phuc told his guest about his recent talk over the phone with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, and Vietnams decision to provide aid in the form of medical supplies worth US$100,000 to Cambodia. He added that the Vietnamese Health Ministry will present Cambodia with SARS-CoV-2 test kits worth VND5 billion (over US$211,400). PM Phuc stressed that the biggest outcome of bilateral cooperation last year was the signing of legal documents recognising the achievements in land border delimitation and border marker planting. He asked the Cambodian side to tighten border control for epidemic prevention while still facilitating the flow of goods across the border. The Vietnamese Government leader also urged that the two countries increase cooperation in finance and transport, and pledged to assist Cambodia in training in the field of security-national defence. Ambassador Chay Navuth said he was impressed by Vietnams development in many fields, particularly an economic growth of over 7% in 2019. He thanked the Vietnamese Government for its provision of medical supplies for Cambodia to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The diplomat expressed thanks to Vietnam for helping the Cambodian people escape the Pol Pot genocidal regime and for providing Cambodian students with scholarships. He pledged to work as a bridge to further strengthen and develop the good neighbourliness, traditional friendship and sustainable, long-term comprehensive cooperation between the two countries. Tony Hetherington is Financial Mail on Sunday's ace investigator, fighting readers corners, revealing the truth that lies behind closed doors and winning victories for those who have been left out-of-pocket. Find out how to contact him below. Ms K.P. writes: I fell for a sales pitch from Easytrade.biz, and now am unable to withdraw any money. I have filled in several withdrawal forms and received acknowledgements saying I will hear from them in two to four working days, but it never happened. Cross-border fraud: This scam originated in Tallinn, Estonia and the authorities there warned it was trading illegally Tony Hetherington replies: If anyone has a sense of deja vu, this is because we originally printed your letter as long ago as last August, with a warning that Easytrade.biz is a scam, based in Tallinn in Estonia. The authorities there warned it was trading illegally, and while it offered to deal in shares, currencies and commodities, it had no permission to do so. The man behind the scam is Dutch citizen Floris Waals, and I reported that he was also the director of TRSystem, which had been the target for a public warning issued by our own Financial Conduct Authority. So, an internationally recognised cross-border fraud was taking place, and you had fallen victim to the tune of 1,250. But my report last August ended with a cliffhanger. After sending an initial 250 to the crooks by bank transfer, you paid them 1,000 on your Nationwide Visa card. And mysteriously, that 1,000 was not collected by Easytrade.biz, but by a firm called Fxplace, based in Nicosia in Cyprus. To me, this looked simple. You had never authorised any such payment to Fxplace. And when I investigated, I found that Fxplace was also pocketing payments that investors thought were going to Instafx24 and Trade Capital Investments, both crooked firms that the FCA also warned against. The whole arrangement reeked of money laundering, so I asked Nationwide to snatch back your 1,000 under Visas chargeback rules. Everything since then has been a huge letdown. It has exposed the thin veneer of investor protection that we all take for granted until we have to try to use it. Fxplace rejected Nationwides chargeback bid, and Nationwide surrendered. Nationwides bottom line was that the chargeback had missed the 120-day deadline for making claims under rules covering misrepresentation. I pressed Nationwide. It could forget the lies, false claims, and misrepresentations from Easytrade.biz. The blunt fact was that your payment to Fxplace was unauthorised. Not so, Nationwide told me. In its eyes, the fact that you had authorised a payment of 1,000 meant that it was fine for a completely different company, in a completely different country, to pocket that amount and benefit from those lies and false claims. So, I went over Nationwides head, to Visa itself. Fxplace is allowed by Visa to accept card payments, but did this make it all right, I asked, for Fxplace to rake in the proceeds of scams on behalf of firms that have never been authorised by Visa? I thought Visa took this seriously. I was asked to take part in a conference call with its officials, including a top investigator, and when this ended I was asked to give Visa a report of what I knew about Easytrade.biz, its boss, Fxplace, and other evidence of this huge scam. Well, I gave Visa my report. And I asked: is it acceptable under Visa rules for a cardholder to find that a payment to a firm that falsely poses as a Visa merchant, ends up with a completely different firm elsewhere in the world, with completely different terms and conditions? The closest I got to a straight answer was that Visa allows travel agents to book tickets with airlines using the customers card. Other than that, Visa clammed up, claiming that, This is now a criminal investigation, but we have been requested not to make this public. Fine, I replied, I am happy to go along with any such request from the police, so which police force is tackling this? Visa refused to say. So, cardholders beware. Payments to one company can end up with another. Payments to one country can end up in another. Payments to a firm not allowed to use Visa can be claimed by a totally different firm that is approved by Visa. Easytrade.biz has vanished, and so has your money. But your card debt to Nationwide remains Easytrade.biz has vanished, and so has your money. But your card debt to Nationwide remains. Nationwide has knocked 85 off the bill as a gesture of goodwill, and it charged no interest for three months, during which you have paid off some of the balance, leaving about 700 due. Nationwide is now expecting this, along with 18.90 per cent interest. A few days ago you told me: My tears and pleading came to nothing. I will beg, borrow or steal the 700 and clear the remaining debt on the next payment. Nationwide should be ashamed. Visa should be ashamed. And when society returns to normal, it is surely time to review the law and ask how companies like Nationwide and Visa can profit from the scams of others and still hold their heads high. If you believe you are the victim of financial wrongdoing, write to Tony Hetherington at Financial Mail, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TS or email tony.hetherington@mailonsunday.co.uk. Because of the high volume of enquiries, personal replies cannot be given. Please send only copies of original documents, which we regret cannot be returned. A convenience store worker has described how she is 'bombarded' by 'abusive' shoppers who demand she retrieves their essentials from the back as soon as deliveries arrive. The worker, known only as Michelle, said she has witnessed some of the 'worst behaviour' in her 19 years at the store since the outbreak of coronavirus. Speaking to Paddy O'Connell on BBC Radio 4's Broadcasting House programme, she said: 'It has been horrific, absolutely terrible and shocking I can't believe this has happened. 'I can't believe we are one of the frontrunners who are just inundated with abusive people day in, day out.' People wearing protective face masks queue outside a Sainsbury's supermarket in Streatham, London on Sunday (stock image) She explained how some shoppers will even descend upon the store as soon as lorries arrive outside with deliveries during opening hours. 'Because it is convenience, the lorry pulls up any time of the day when we're open,' Michelle said. 'We never stock up at night - it's during the day when we're open, so when [people] see the lorry outside they are bombarding the shop, demanding that we go in the back and get them the necessities they need. 'Bear in mind we've probably had a delivery of 12 cages with everything on, and you just haven't got the time to sift through for a specific item for somebody.' Asked what happens when she requests customers keep two metres apart, Michelle said she has heard 'don't you dare call me a leper' and 'who do you think you are' in response. Shoppers observe social distancing measures as Sainsbury's supermarket introduce protective screens at checkouts due the the coronavirus outbreak on Sunday (stock image) Pictured: Stock image of shoppers visiting a Waitrose supermarket in Frimley, south west of London on Sunday 'I haven't got any diseases,' she added, recalling more replies. 'The government are blowing this all out of proportion, they don't know what they're talking about so don't you dare talk to me like that. 'I will stand where I like.' Britons have flocked to supermarkets and convenience stores since coronavirus began to gather speed in the UK earlier this month, with shortages of toilet paper, pasta, bread and milk reported across the country. The government last week ordered all non-essential shops to close to customers alongside bars, clubs and restaurants as politicians attempt to slow the spread of the deadly virus. Supermarkets, corner shops and pharmacies are among those which have been permitted to remain open. A police officer from the Hampshire Constabulary looks on as shoppers observe social distancing as they wait in a queue outside a supermarket in Fleet, Hampshire (stock image) Pictured: Stock image of shoppers outside a supermarket in Fleet, Hampshire on Saturday Michelle said that, despite the 'abusive' customers she has dealt with on a daily basis, she will continue to go to work for the sake of her colleagues. 'I have had enough, but I am going to work on Monday because it's not just for me is it - it's for my work colleagues,' she said. 'I've been here nearly 19 years, it's your work family, isn't it. 'There's no way you'd leave them to struggle and suffer.' She added that staff at the convenience store have been 'provided with plastic gloves' and hand sanitiser this week. 'I think we might be getting some plastic to put behind the tills so that the staff are protected from people,' she added. The UK coronavirus death toll today jumped by 209 in 24 hours from 1,019 to 1,228, as the infection rate dropped for the second day in a row. There are now 19,522 confirmed cases nationwide, up from 17,089 yesterday. Today's increase in fatalities is the second biggest Britain has seen so far, but with 51 fewer deaths than yesterday, it could offer some hope that the figures are beginning to plateau. Authorities in China have started to relax their quarantine in the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, Wuhan, two-months after the city went on lockdown. Wuhan has a population of 11 million people who were forced into a lockdown on Jan. 23 after the outbreak of the new strain of coronavirus and the disease it causes, now known as COVID-19. The major transport and industrial hub has now signaled the end of its long isolation, with state media showing the first officially sanctioned passenger train arriving back into the city just after midnight on Saturday. Six metro lines also reopened to the public as part of the city's efforts to resume normal life and Wuhan officials have declared the transmission of the virus in the city under control. However, as the lockdown is lifted Bloomberg reports that dozens of citizens clash on the border in an effort to enter the province which shows the challenges the Chinese Government could have in containing the disease. People are now allowed to enter the city but cannot leave until April 8, with many trains being booked several days in advance. Five Starbucks have reopened in the city since Tuesday, according to the Wall Street Journal, and Chinese authorities have been scaling back restrictions on businesses for the last couple of weeks to aid economic activity in the area. The WSJ also reported that Chinas economic planning agency said that more than 90% of major industrial companies have resumed production, over 60% of businesses in Chinas hospitality and food-and-beverage service industries have resumed operations and some cities have been distributing vouchers to encourage residents to dine out and shop to boost the economy. Over the last week, China hasnt reported any new infections among its domestic population. There are more than 4,000 people still sick with coronavirus and most of those are in Wuhan. In the U.S., President Donald J. Trump announced Saturday that he will be considering the quarantining of states and cities to try and control the spread. Some people would like to see New York quarantined because its a hotspot, New York, New Jersey, Trump said before departing for Norfolk, Va., to see the hospital ship USNS Comfort set off for New York, according to a White House transcript. More than 1,000 new cases of coronavirus have been reported among Massachusetts residents, the state Department of Public Health reported Saturday, the largest single-day rise in cases to date. More than 35,000 people have now been tested. The U.S. surpassed all other countries in COVID-19 cases on Thursday and according to the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention now has 103,321 confirmed cases and 1,668 deaths. Related Content: Sign up for free text messages about important updates on coronavirus in Massachusetts Ambulances are pictured parked at the ExCeL London which has been transformed into a field hospital (Getty) The government was warned three years ago that the NHS would struggle to cope in the event of a pandemic like coronavirus, it has been revealed. A major cross-government test called Exercise Cygnus was carried out in October 2016 to examine how well the NHS would handle a severe outbreak. After the damning test results were collected, ministers were reportedly warned that Britains health service would be quickly overwhelmed - but the government failed to act on the reports recommendations. According to The Sunday Telegraph, Exercise Cygnus showed the NHS lacked adequate surge capacity and would require thousands more critical care beds. People have been told to stay at home to stop the virus spreading. (Getty) It also found mortuaries would be quickly overwhelmed and there would be a lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for doctors and nurses. After the reports findings were heard by ministers, they were reportedly barred from publication over fears the results would scare the general public. There has been a reluctance to put Cygnus out in the public domain because frankly it would terrify people, a former senior government source told The Sunday Telegraph. Latest coronavirus news, updates and advice Its right to say that the NHS was stretched beyond breaking point [by Cygnus]. People might say we have blood on our hands, but the fact is that its always easier to manage the last outbreak than the one coming down the track. Hindsight is a beautiful thing. Despite the failings exposed by Cygnus, the government reportedly never changed its strategic roadmap for a future pandemic, with the last update carried out in 2014. More than 1,000 people have died after contracting the virus, the Department of Health revealed on Saturday. Covid-19 related deaths in the UK jumped from 759 to 1,019 an increase of 260 and by far the biggest day-on-day rise since the outbreak began. Story continues On Saturday the editor of a British medical journal said NHS bosses could have prevented chaos and panic in a system left wholly unprepared for this pandemic. Richard Horton wrote in The Lancet that numerous warnings were issued to the NHS but these were not heeded, but his claims were branded inaccurate by the NHS. A sign by Wembley Park Tube Station in London that thanks hardworking NHS staff. (PA) He cited an example from his journal on January 20, pointing to a global epidemic: Preparedness plans should be readied for deployment at short notice, including securing supply chains of pharmaceuticals, personal protective equipment, hospital supplies and the necessary human resources to deal with the consequences of a global outbreak of this magnitude. Dr Horton said the Governments Contain-Delay-Mitigate-Research plan had failed. He said: It failed, in part, because ministers didnt follow WHOs advice to test, test, test every suspected case. They didnt isolate and quarantine. They didnt contact trace. These basic principles of public health and infectious disease control were ignored, for reasons that remain opaque. He added that The result has been chaos and panic across the NHS. She's been self-isolating with her family during the coronavirus pandemic. But Elizabeth Hurley found time to share a racy lingerie snap on Saturday as she urged fans to keep themselves safe on her 11th day in lockdown. The actress, 54, sported a lacy black negligee for the post as she told fans she was holed up in her Herefordshire home with eight others, including her elderly mother and aunt. Sizzling: Elizabeth Hurley shared a racy lingerie snap on Saturday as she urged fans to stay at home on her 11th day in self-isolation during the coronavirus pandemic In her post, Elizabeth admitted that after days of going makeup free in her home she decided to get dressed up in her best lingerie for her latest post. The star explained that she'd been self-isolating with her son Damian, 17, her mum Angela, 79, and her elderly aunt, as well as a close friend who was considered high risk. As Elizabeth urged her followers to self-isolate to try and prevent the spread of the virus, she said she felt 'incredibly lucky' to be in her country home during this time of social distancing. Candid: The actress told fans she was 'incredibly lucky' to isolating in her countryside home, and revealed she had been isolating with eight other people She penned: 'Day 11 of my family's lockdown in Herefordshire and I finally washed my hair, put on some make up and found time to post. 'In these scary times I feel incredibly lucky to live in the countryside and have lots of outside space. 'As well as my son, I have seven other people living with me including my 79 year old mother and her sister- also in her late 70's- and one of my best friends who is in the highest risk group with severe respiratory problems. 'Keeping everyone as safe as possible (and fed) is a full time job. We all are full of the highest admiration for our wonderful NHS staff and are doing everything we can to not add to their burden. 'Thank God it's Sat night and we can r-e-l-a-x and take a break from being glued to the news #stayhome #staysafe #nhsheroes.' Open: Among those joining Elizabeth in isolation were her son Damian, 17, along with her elderly mother and aunt Much of the UK has been placed in lockdown by the government and Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in a desperate attempt to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Restrictions mean members of the public can only leave their homes for essential food shopping or daily exercise, and all pubs, theatres and other social areas have been closed. As of Saturday, 1,019 people have died of the virus in the UK, with 17,089 confirmed cases. Two troopers of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) in Bihar have been tested for the coronavirus disease after they came in contact with the states first Covid-19 patient, who later died, officials said on Sunday. They were sent to Bhagalpurs Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital (JLNMCH). On the basis of the letter received from a top official of SSB, Purnea district hospital sent both the jawans to JLNMCH, Bhagalpur for the Covid-19 test, Dr SK Verma, additional chief medical officer (ACMO) said. The matter is serious and we have sent them for the test, Dr Verma, who is also holding the charge of the civil surgeons post of the district, said. He said one of the troopers had shaken hands with the 38-year-old Munger resident, who died on March 21 after contracting the coronavirus in the first known fatality in the state linked to the Covid-19, as both are from the same village. He added that another trooper, who shared a room with him, was also sent for the test. Dr Verma, however, said they had no symptoms but only a test could rule out whether they have the Covid-19 disease. Also read: You have sufficient funds for this, ensure no movement of migrant workers, Centre tells States He informed that the retest of foreigners is being carried on in the hospital to rule out any possibility of Covid-19. The Purnea chapter of Indian Medical Association (IMA) has extended its hand to the health services to give free health advice over the phone in two shifts from 10am to 2pm and again from 4pm to 6pm daily. We are happy to serve the ailing community Well offer health tips to the ailing people round the clock on phone till April 14, Dr KS Anand, the former secretary of IMA Purina, said. According to the Union health ministry, there are nine Covid-19 patients in the eastern state on Sunday. The ministry has said 979 people have contracted Covid-19 and 25 people have died due to the highly contagious disease. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Chandigarh, March 29 : Union Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Sunday said bodies of three Sikhs killed in the Kabul gurdwara attack, whose families were based in India, would be brought back to the country on Monday. She appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take steps to facilitate the relocation of all Sikhs who wanted to leave Afghanistan and settle in India. In a statement here, Harsimrat said the families of the two slain Sikhs belonged to Ludhiana in Punjab, while the third one is from Delhi. "Sikhs in Afghanistan are undergoing a trauma. They are facing threats on a day-to-day basis. Earlier also there have been gruesome attacks on its members, including a terrorist attack in 2018. Many want to leave Afghanistan and relocate to India. This relocation should be facilitated at the earliest," she said. This latest book by the internationally acclaimed investigative journalism team is their most intriguing work to date. Best-selling books by Gorny and Rosikon have been translated into eight languages, including five richly illustrated investigative works published by Ignatius Press. For this new work they had access to one of the most guarded institutions in the world - the Vatican Secret Archives.The authors tell of its turbulent history and its unique documents, familiarizing us with the real stories behind the most controversial events in the Churchs history including: the Knights Templar trial, the Crusades, the Inquisition, the Galileo Galilei trial, Pius XII's atti- tude towards the Holocaust, and much more. In addition to preliminary archival research, they travelled to several countries, visiting places described in the documents, and met with numerous historians and experts. This brilliantly written book, illustrated with stunning photographs, is the result of several years' work. It is highly recommended reading for all those interested in historical riddles concerning events of major importance. Based on extensive factual material, the book debunks numerous unjust stereotypes, black legends and distortions that have accumulated over the centuries about Catholicism. (Natural News) As France experiences its largest daily death toll from COVID-19 to date, health officials are warning that Paris hospitals could become overwhelmed by patients within the next 48 hours. This dire warning was announced by Frederic Valletoux, president of the French Hospital Federation, the union that represents over 2,500 health institutions all over France. We will clearly need help in the Ile-de-France region because what happened in the east is coming here, Valletoux said in an interview. The Ile-de-France is the administrative region that governs Paris and its surrounding areas. We will be at the limit of our capacities in 24 to 48 hours, continued Valletoux. If we let every hospital cope by itself and let every territory that has been taken by the epidemic cope alone, then we shall head towards catastrophe. (Related: WHO: Europe now the EPICENTER of the coronavirus pandemic.) Valletoux and other doctors like him are bracing for a new wave of confirmed cases next week after the government, led by President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, decided to press ahead with nationwide municipal elections, which were held on Sunday. Millions of voters would have mingled in parks and streets to line up to vote, possibly exposing them to the coronavirus. Paris officials have been scrambling to meet the demand of the coronavirus patients. Theyve spent days and weeks locating more intensive care beds, ventilators, frontline medical workers and spreading out patients across the French capital and its surrounding cities in order to avoid overloading the metropolis hospitals. In response, French health officials have already increased the number of intensive care units (ICU) in hospitals all over the country from an initial 5,000 to about 8,000. However, doctors in Ile-de-France are saying that theyre close to filling all of these units. Paris alone is trying to increase its current ICU capacity from 800 to 1,200 units. One nurse in a Paris hospital said that while doctors, nurses and other hospital staff were working longer hours under increasingly difficult conditions, the situation was not yet out of control and they still had a small amount of time to rally. Everybody in the hospital is doing what they can to make sure nobody is lost, the nurse said, but goodwill is not always enough and I fear that in the coming days we will put ourselves in situations that are morally and physically difficult to cope with. As of press time, the Ile-de-France region accounts for over a quarter of the countrys 29,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases in French hospitals, with nearly 1,300 of those patients in ICU. All sectors of France being mobilized for anti-coronavirus effort The French government has drafted the army to help lighten the load of medical workers. So far, theyve been assigned to transportation tasks, moving some critically ill patients from the eastern regions of Strasbourg, Mulhouse and Colmar to other cities in western France with fewer patients. The first transfers began on Thursday via high-speed TGV trains. Bruno Riou, medical director at the AP-HP hospital group in Paris, hoped that transfers from Paris to other regions would begin soon. This would allow Paris to have some breathing room. The hope, Riou said, was that once those regions reached their peak capacities, Paris would be able to handle the extra load. Isolation centers all over Paris are also being set up to allow people with mild COVID-19 symptoms to be assessed without overburdening hospitals. Other such isolation centers will be opened to cater specifically to Paris homeless population that tests positive for COVID-19. Two homeless shelters with 150 beds each have already been opened. Over 80 other sites across Paris and the rest of France have been chosen to become shelters, with a total of 2,875 beds. Meanwhile, Frances other regions are starting to worry about the lack of protective equipment for medical staff, especially face masks. They are letting us enter the lions cage without anything to protect ourselves and our patients, said Michelle Drouin, a nurse and union official working in the Aude department (county) of southwestern France. In her region, medical workers have resorted to covering their uniforms with plastic bags. They are turning us into serial killers. They are putting at risk health professionals and, because they are a vector of the virus, their patients too. Sources include: Reuters.com Federation.FHF.fr TheLocal.fr EuroNews.com Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) during a speech on the first day of the Republican National Convention at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, on July 18, 2016. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) US Lawmaker Calls for Global Effort to Counter Chinas Virus Disinformation, Coverup U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) is urging the U.S. State Department to work with allies to counter Chinas disinformation campaign regarding the CCP virus. The CCP (Chinese Communist Party) is carrying out a disinformation campaign in an attempt to transfer blame to the United States and that is exacerbating this dire situation, McCaul wrote in a March 26 letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. To refute the CCPs dangerous disinformation campaign, the United States should work with like-minded democracies, including Taiwan, to produce a definitive account of the origins of the virus, the CCPs culpability, and how their undue influence undermined the legitimacy of the WHO [World Health Organization] at this critical time. He also called for a multilateral investigation into the CCPs coronavirus coverup. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus as the CCP virus because the Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. The escalating global outbreak started in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province, in December 2019. Now, the virus has spread to almost 200 countries and territories, and killed over 25,000 people outside of mainland China. The Chinese regime initially covered up the outbreak when it silenced eight doctors, among them ophthalmologist Li Wenliang, after they posted on Chinese social media about an unknown pneumonia spreading in Wuhan. Li was subsequently summoned to a local police station and was reprimanded for rumor-mongering. The WHO also initially repeated Beijings claim that there was no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission for the virus. Since early March, Beijing began aggressively pushing a global propaganda campaign to deflect attention from its mishandling of the outbreak. Chinese state-run media began peddling false conspiracy theories about the CCP virus, such as accusing the U.S. military of bringing the virus to Wuhan. A number of Chinese officials also spread that narrative on their Twitter accounts. In recent days, Chinese state media has also targeted U.S. President Donald Trump, promoting hashtags such as #Trump Pandemic and Trump Virus on social media. McCaul urged cooperation with Taiwan, which has received international acclaim for its success in containing the outbreak, with a relatively low number of 298 confirmed cases and three deaths as of March 29despite being just 80 miles from mainland China. However, Taiwan is also facing a growing threat from Chinas disinformation efforts. On March 25, local lawmaker Chao Tien-lin, a member of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), stated that local authorities detected 96,000 items of false information being spread online and in the mediaof which 23,000 were related to the virusfrom Jan. 1 to March 22. Chao cited data from Taiwans National Security Bureau. In one example, police officials in Taiwans Taoyuan city informed the public in early March about a fake city government document being circulated online. The document claimed that local authorities had imposed a lockdown on the city in order to prevent the virus from spreading, according to government-run Central News Agency. The Taoyuan police traced the document to an IP address in China, where somebody was pretending to be a Facebook user named Zhang Xiang in Taiwan. McCaul called for international allies to investigate the Chinese regimes coverup that led to an eventual global pandemic. The tragic CCP coronavirus coverup is a call to action and a call for fairness, he wrote in the letter. McCaul also asked the State Department to consider sending a formal legislative proposal to Congress for any new authorities you may need to most effectively address the CCPs disinformation campaign. On March 24, he sent a letter to the CEOs of Amazon, Facebook, Google, and Twitter, calling on the U.S. tech giants to ban from their platforms all Chinese state-run media outlets and CCP officials who were disseminating disinformation about the CCP virus. Amazon no longer operates in China, while the other three companies are banned in China. It is disappointing that CCP officials can block your platforms access in China, yet can register verified accounts and spread lies, which apparently do not violate some companys terms of service, McCaul wrote. By Steve Holland WASHINGTON, March 29 (Reuters) - A planeload of desperately needed medical supplies arrived in New York from China on Sunday, the first in a series of flights over the next 30 days organized by the White House to help fight the coronavirus, a White House official said. A commercial carrier landed at John F. Kennedy airport carrying gloves, gowns and masks for distribution in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, three hard-hit states battling to care for a crush of coronavirus patients. The airlift is a product of a team led by White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, which formed "Project Airbridge," a partnership between large U.S. healthcare distributors such as McKesson Corp, Cardinal, Owens & Minor, Medline and Henry Schein Inc, and the federal government. The goal is to expedite the arrival of critical medical supplies purchased by the companies over the next 30 days, using planes instead of ships to reduce the shipping time. At President Trumps direction we formed an unprecedented public-private partnership to ensure that massive amounts of masks, gear and other PPE will be brought to the United States immediately to better equip our health care workers on the front lines and to better serve the American people," Kushner said in a statement. President Donald Trump, who initially played down the threat from the virus, has been searching for supplies to fill the mounting need for equipment to protect healthcare workers caring for COVID-19 patients. Medical workers across the country are for clamoring for equipment to protect themselves from infection as they deal with the flood of virus victims. The first plane, funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, carried 130,000 N-95 masks; nearly 1.8 million surgical masks and gowns, more than 10.3 million gloves; and more than 70,000 thermometers. FEMA will distribute most of the supplies to New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut with the rest going to nursing homes in the area and other high-risk areas across the country. The flight from Shanghai, China, was the first of about 20 flights to arrive between now and early April, the official said. Additional flights will carry similar gear from China, Malaysia and Vietnam, the official said. "It will be allocated based on need," the White House official said. Involved in the effort are the FEMA transportation task force as well as officials at both the U.S. embassy in China as well as the State Departments East-Asia Pacific team, the official said. (Reporting by Steve Holland; Editing by Lisa Shumaker) Governor Akeredolu at the scene of explosion According to a report by The PUNCH, the Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, has said a vehicle moving improvised explosive devices to a nearby state caused the explosion that rocked Akure, the state capital. The explosion which occurred in the early hours of Saturday split the Akure-Owo Road into two, destroying over 50 buildings. Akeredolu, who inspected the scene of the explosion on Saturday, said he was briefed by security chiefs. He explained that the vehicle was in a convoy heading to a storage facility in a neighbouring state when it broke down along the Akure-Owo Road, some 2km to the Akure Airport. The governor said the explosion, which destroyed over 50 buildings, happened in the process of fixing the vehicle. He said the state would commence work on creating an alternative route for commuters due to the importance of the split Akure-Owo road. He said, I have been briefed by the security chiefs that in the early hours of Saturday, March 28th, a vehicle in a convoy transporting explosives to a storage facility in a neighbouring state developed a fault while in transit along the Akure Owo Road about 2km from the Akure Airport. Security personnel and other individuals transporting the ordinances noticed smoke from the vehicle. After several attempts to extinguish the resulting fire failed, the vehicle and its consignment ignited causing a massive explosion that was felt in Akure and its environs. Presently, efforts are being made to ascertain if there are casualties. I have directed that the area be cordoned off to allow the explosive ordinance department/bomb squad to extricate the vehicle buried underground because it is unclear if there are still explosives that are yet to be detonated. I have instructed the State Ministry for Works to commence the rehabilitation of the alternate route, a rural road through Iluabo, due to the importance of the Akure-Owo Road. We will also engage the Federal Government on how to fast track the repair of the damaged portion. Everything is under control and I will be updating the public on any new developments. He warned the people of the state to stay away from the spot where the vehicle exploded, advising them to maintain a respectable distance to avert another disaster should another explosion recur. Do not also forget that coronavirus is in the country. I thank God that there has not been any recorded case in Ondo State, he added. Chandigarh, March 29 : Coming as a big succour for the local authorities, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Sunday stamped relaxations granted by the Chandigarh administration daily for eight hours amidst the curfew to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Dismissing a public interest litigation (PIL) against the decision to open shops in the city for some duration, the court through video conference observed it was a policy matter. At the same time, a bench of Justices Rajiv Sharma and R.K. Jain asked the authorities to observe a physical distance and its parameters while providing essential items. Also, the administration was asked to monitor and regulate the process by taking stringent action against the violators. The administration's order of March 27 to relax curfew was valid and issued in larger public interest and the scope of judicial interference in a policy matter was very limited, the court observed. "The Chandigarh administration has weighed all the pros and cons before taking the decision. We will not substitute our wisdom for the wisdom of the administration during this crisis. "Maintaining social distance is a sine qua non to control the disease. The administration may also solicit opinion of the specialists of infectious or communicable diseases, while taking a decision," the bench added. Hearing the PIL by Adityajit Singh Chadha, the bench in its first hearing a day earlier issued a notice of motion to the administration and others. The decision to daily open all essential item shops from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. was decided at a meeting held under the chairmanship of V.P. Singh Badnore, Governor, Punjab and Administrator, Chandigarh, on March 27. Jerusalem, March 29 : Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his main rival Benny Gantz wrapped up an all-night meeting on Sunday in terms of a unity government, which they were hoping to finalize later in the day, a media report said here. A joint statement said they to reached "understandings and significant progress" during the talks at the Prime Minister's Residence in Jerusalem, without elaborating, The Times of Israel said in the report. Further talks will be held later Sunday with the aim of reaching a signed deal, according to the statement. The unity talks came after Gantz in a shock move was elected Parliament or Knesset Speaker on Thursday, leading to the dissolution of his Blue and White alliance, which had campaigned during the three elections over the past year on not joining a government led by Netanyahu due to his indictment on graft charges, said The Times of Israel report. Meanwhile, members of the Gantz-led Israel Resilience patyu have said the only alternative to joining a Netanyahu-led coalition was a fourth round of elections and that a government was needed to deal with the coronavirus pandemic in the country. As part of the negotiations, Netanyahu is seeking legislation saying that an acting Prime Minister under indictment can continue to serve, in order to ensure he can fill that role when his prime ministerial rotation with Gantz is slated to go into effect, the report further said. Currently, Ministers must resign if they face criminal charges, but the law does not explicitly refer to a Prime Minister. Israel is currently facing a parliamentary crisis as the elections on March 2, the third within a year, once again failed to produce a clear majority by either Netanyahu or Gantz. Netanyahu, the country's longest serving Prime Minister, had been due in court last week to face corruption charges in connection with three separate cases, a BBC report said. But the hearing has now been postponed until at least May 24 because of the coronavirus outbreak that has so far infected 3,865 people across Israel nad killed 12 others. Since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis, the message from Western public health authorities has been pretty uniform in stating that the public at large shouldnt be wearing face masks to protect against COVID-19. Surgeon General Jerome Adams even sent an all-caps message to all Americans in late February imploring them to STOP BUYING MASKS! because they are NOT effective for the general public. Experts, however, arent so sure thats the case, particularly considering that health authorities in some Asian countries have been calling on everyone to wear face masks to prevent the virus from spreading. Advertisement The best way to protect yourself and your community is with everyday preventive actions, like staying home when you are sick and washing hands with soap and water, to help slow the spread of respiratory illness. Get your #FluShot- fewer flu patients = more resources for#COVID19 U.S. Surgeon General (@Surgeon_General) February 29, 2020 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These experts insist that while its true that face masks are hardly a cure-all and dont replace more important measures such as social distancing, they could still help. Thats particularly the case for essential workers who cant avoid crowded areas like public transportation. Although regular surgical masks are hardly ideal for protection, they do seem to be better than nothing. The New York Times cites a study of strategies used during the 2003 SARS outbreak that found washing hands 10 times a day was 55 percent effective in stopping transmission. But wearing a mask was more effective, at around 68 percent. Advertisement Advertisement One key point is that health authorities have long recommended masks for those who are sick in order to prevent them from infecting others. And considering COVID-19 has a lot of asymptomatic cases, widespread use of masks could help prevent those who do not know they are carrying the virus from spreading it to others. Its really a perfectly good public health intervention thats not used, KK Cheng, a public health expert at the University of Birmingham, tells Science. Its not to protect yourself. Its to protect people against the droplets coming out of your respiratory tract. Plus, if everyone is wearing them, it reduces any stigma attached to the face masks themselves. Advertisement Another side benefit of wearing masks, some experts say, is that it can help people avoid touching their faces (although, to be fair, some have said the exact opposite, that wearing a face mask actually encourages people to touch their faces). But in order to be most effective, the general public needs to receive some training on how to properly wear protective equipment. I think the average person, if they were taught how to wear a mask properly would have some protection against infection in the community, Benjamin Cowling, an epidemiologist at the University of Hong Kong, said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The key problem, though, is supply. As surely everyone knows by now, masks are really difficult to obtain, and calling on the general public to wear them would decrease those available for health care workers and other emergency workers. After all, its difficult to call for a widespread use of masks when hospital workers are being told to reuse their protective gear because there is a shortage. Still, Matt McCarthy, an assistant professor of medicine at Weill Cornell, tweeted that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would be changing its guidelines on masks over the next 10 days to advise Americans to wear them. The CDC replied to the tweet saying there is no schedule to update its guidance on the issue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Open source As of 22:00 of March 28, the number of people infected with coronavirus in Ukraine increased to 356. The Ministry of Health of Ukraine reported that. The number of deaths has increased to nine. Five people have recovered. It is worth noting that the Ministry of Health reports 45 new patients. As of the morning in Ukraine, 311 cases of coronavirus were recorded. As of 22:00 on March 28, 649,904 cases of coronavirus were recorded in the world. Of these, 30 thousand 313 cases were fatal. Since the outbreak of coronavirus, 137,319 people have recovered in the world. As we reported before, a shortage of gold bars and coins on the US market has arisen due to the coronavirus pandemic. Gold shortages arose as a result of the collapse on exchange markets. Dealers sold all stocks of gold, and some of them were temporarily closed. The large Swiss financial conglomerate Credit Suisse Group AG, which casts gold bullions, asked buyers to "not bother it with calls. Also, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva predicts the onset of a deeper recession than the world saw in 2008; the reason is the coronavirus pandemic. A leading Ugandan presidential aspirant and member of parliament has condemned African countries that focus their spending on weapons while neglecting healthcare services and leaving citizens exposed during pandemics such as the ongoing COVID-19. "For a very long time, we've had African leaders neglecting the healthcare system and investing so much in the security because, that's what keeps them in power," said Robert Kyagulanyi, a.k.a. Bobi Wine, in an interview on BBC this week. "Somehow coronavirus has made us all equal. So, we must very quickly reinforce our healthcare system, to make sure its able to cater for our people, because at the end of the day we're faced the same. "Well I am very aware that unlike countries like Italy where coronavirus is ravaging their population, even with their superb healthcare system, it freaks me out to imagine what it can do to us here in Africa," Bobi Wine, continued. "Particularly, here in Uganda with our ailing health care system." He added: "In Uganda, politicians never take medical health care from their own country, they always fly abroad for treatment." This week Bobi Wine, who is also an Afro-beat star, released a song to mobilize people around the world in the fight to contain the coronavirus pandemic. "I hope this song communicates to the world that we have the ability to play a fundamental role in stopping the spread of this virus." The song itself starts of with the words, "The bad news is that everyone is a potential victim. But the good news is that everyone is a potential solution." Ugandas military dictator Gen. Museveni, who has been in power for 35-years, has a reputation of resorting to militarism to dealing with political opponents and socio-economic challenges. The regime issued an order for self-confinement to contain the pandemic, a procedure being followed in most countries. However, this presents a challenge in Uganda since the regime has no mechanism or unwilling to provide economic relief for its people who lose their incomes. Most Ugandans, as is the case in most African countries, rely on the informal sector for their livelihoods. Gen. Museveni this week ordered his security forces to physically assault Ugandan vendors who came to sell their foods in open markets, in order to provide a living for their families. Photographs of Ugandan soldiers chasing and caning women food vendors in the middle of the streets of Kampala, the capital have gone viral. Several women were seen openly weeping as the soldiers caned them mercilessly. Bobi Wine himself has been a victim of Gen. Musevenis militarism. While campaigning for an opposition candidate for an open parliamentary seat in August 2018, he and his supporters were brutally attacked by security forces. They were later detained and tortured. Bobi Wine's driver Yasin Kawuma was killed in the process. Following an International outcry he was able to travel to the United States for treatment. Since then he has emerged as a formidable challenge to the Ugandan dictator. More than 80% of Ugandas population is under the age of 35. At age 38, Bobi Wine has the support of the vast majority of Ugandans and many analysts believe will defeat Gen. Museveni if next years elections are conducted in a free and fair manner. The Ugandan dictator is so concerned that he banned all musical concerts by Bobi Wine and also barred radio stations from interviewing or hosting him. Soldiers attacked his supporters in January when he tried to meet them to outline plans for his campaign. Uganda has one of the best armed military in East Africa. On the other hand the countrys roads, schools, and hospitals have crumbled. A hospital in the city of Moroto reported that bodies of patients that die remained for several days on hospital beds. While neglecting the countrys hospitals and other social services, Gen. Museveni himself travels in a $50 million jet that he purchased with foreign aid money. The healthcare system is also undermined by the rampant corruption. In 2006, senior officials stole millions of dollars from the money sent to Uganda from the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria. In recent years, the U.K. and the U.S., Gen. Musevenis two major supporters, have started to distance themselves from the military ruler. A U.S. federal court trial in December 2018 ended in the conviction of a Chinese national, Patrick Ho, for bribing Gen. Museveni and his foreign minister Sam Kutesa $1 million, which they split evenly, for concessions in Ugandas oil industry. Since Hos arrest in the U.S. in November 2017, both Museveni and Kutesa have not traveled to the U.S. Source: (https://www.blackstarnews.com/global-politics/africa/covid-19-bobi-wine-uganda-presidential-hopeful-says-africa). The Uttar Pradesh Congress on Sunday demanded that schools in the state should not charge fees from their students for three months owing to the nationwide lockdown announced to combat coronavirus. Convenor of UP Congress (media department) Lalan Kumar issued a statement here in this regard. "Similarly, strict instructions should be given to all the landlords in the state not to charge rent from their tenants for three months, and it may be adjusted later. This will provide relief to people from the middle income group, and the labourers," he said. Kumar also demanded that three months' electricity bills of farmers be waived off. Addressing a press conference earlier in the day, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Kumar Awasthi said no landlord should charge next month's rent from workers or labourers. He warned of strict police action against any landlord found violating the order. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi, March 28 (IANS) The Chinese Communist Party regime headed by President Xi Jinping, which drew flak for its cover up of the coronavirus outbreak, is now being called out for sending and selling faulty medical equipment as "humanitarian aid" to several countries around the world. Many governments in the last week have complained that China had secretly purchased massive quantities of medical equipment from Europe and is now re-selling the same to European countries as assistance. A researcher, Filip Jirous at Sinopsis, a project implemented by AcaMedia, in collaboration with the Department of Sinology at Charles University in Prague, revealed that last week the Czech authorities confiscated a shipment of medical supplies from a warehouse because a Czech reseller had tried to sell it to the Czech government for an excessive price in the coronavirus pandemic crisis. The boxes at the warehouse were labelled as Chinese Red Cross humanitarian aid to Italy. The contents included 680,000 face masks, 28,000 respirators and around 100,000 masks. During the investigation, the police found that the storage unit belonged to an influential Chinese in Prague, Zhou Lingjian. Jirous said Zhou who co-owns the company CTE CARGO Sped linked to CTE International which sold 580,000 masks to the Czech "shell" company, is in charge of the Czech Qingtian Hometown Association, and runs the most prominent Chinese diaspora media Prague Chinese Times. "His group has been at the forefront of a collection for Qingtian back in February, buying up 780,000 face masks and 30,000 respirators from Czech drug stores. This created suspicion that the material is actually from the local Chinese collection." The researcher tweeted that this incident leaves much doubt about the "aid" that is now coming from China to Europe. Especially since much of what is labelled as "aid" is either sales or directed at the overseas Chinese. Marion Smith, who runs a think-tank in Washington DC tweeted that the "Czech counter espionage agency had reported during January and February that Chinese embassy in Prague organised Chinese interests in the country to purchase massive quantities of Czech medical materials which were immediately sent to China." "It is now discovered that China's humanitarian medical supplies to Czech Republic this month are faulty. 80 per cent of the coronavirus test kits provide false results, mostly false negatives. This deadly aid is a huge element of CCP statecraft right now," he said. Not just Czech Republic, but Turkey has also said that the Chinese test kits are substandard and have a 65 to 70 per cent failure rate. Spain has also complained that 80 per cent of medical supplies from China were faulty. According to China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it is providing "assistance" to 82 countries, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the African Union. Among the countries it has sent supplies to are Italy, France, Greece, Serbia, Spain, Pakistan, Laos, Thailand, Iran, South Korea, Japan, Cambodia, the Philippines, Egypt, South Africa, Iraq, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Cuba and Chile. --IANS aat/kr Older people are being warned to beware of fraudsters during the Covid-19 restrictions. It was reported earlier this week that people in Co. Kerry wearing boiler suits were calling to homes pretending to be from the HSE and offering fumigation services. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra called upon telecom companies to make their services free for a month to enable the poor migrant labourers reach out to their near and dear ones. In separate letters to Airtel chief Sunil Bharti Mittal, Reliance chief Mukesh Ambani, and heads of BSNL and Vodafone, she highlighted the plight of lakhs of migrant labourers walking down to their native places, without food, medicines and shelter. Gandhi said telecom companies can make a constructive change in the current circumstances, as a large number of such people walking down several hundreds of kilometres to reach their towns, have no money to recharge their phones and cannot talk or reach out to their relatives. The Congress general secretary said she is writing to them to highlight the human rights of lakhs of migrant labourers who are fighting odds to reach home while being hungry and thirsty and fighting out disease. "I feel it is our national duty to help the people of the country in this hour of crisis," she said. "I urge you to make your mobile services free for one month so that those men and women reach out to their near and dear ones easily and not face hardships in talking to them in this difficult phase in their life," she said. The Congress leader said such an initiative would help reduce fear and uncertainty in their lives. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Goose Creek Councilwoman Gayla McSwain (from left), Mayor Pro Tem Kevin Condon and Mayor Greg Habib during the council meeting on May 14. McSwain dropped her lawsuit against the mayor after receiving copies of more than 30 resumes for the city administrator position. File/Staff The coronavirus shutdown in Pennsylvania means people are spending more time with their families in close quarters, a nightmare situation for survivors of domestic violence. Turning Point of the Lehigh Valley and other victim assistance programs across the state are all seeing a decrease in phone calls right now, Turning Point Executive Director Lori Sywensky said. Experience in places where COVID-19 hit earlier this year, however, has shown the lack of calls now is the calm before the storm. Programs in Italy and South Korea, and California and Washington state, saw the same thing, Sywensky said. It got very quiet and then the floodgates opened, she said, either when restrictions were removed, or when situations became so untenable the victim had to leave. This is brand new territory and nobody has ever dealt with this before." The concern right from the start has been trauma and violence experienced while being stuck in a house with an abusive partner, Sywensky said. But programs have heard of abusers using fear of the virus to limit victims access to friends and family, or to keep them from leaving the house. The National Domestic Violence Hotline had a call where a woman reported her husband threatened to throw her out if she coughed, and wouldnt let her leave the house for fear of bringing COVID-19 into their home, Time magazine reported. We need to continue to be here, Sywensky said. Domestic violence hotlines are recommending victims concerned about being able to call the police should decide on a code word that can be said or texted to someone, so they can call the authorities on the victims behalf. Emergency protection from abuse orders are handled by police officers and district judges, but temporary and permanent PFAs are handled in county courts. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court, in an order closing state courts, has allowed exceptions including protection from abuse orders. Turning Point counselors are still attending those hearings. Sywensky said for now, the law was changed to extend the time allowed for emergency PFAs. Temporary PFAs are being extended, with court dates in April. Turning Point is still providing shelter services, although new clients are being placed in alternate locations, to protect the health of existing clients. We have been lucky we dont have anybody who has exhibited symptoms or tested positive, she said. Turning Point is working with local hotels, Sywensky said, but worry as national chains and local hotels lay off staff that they may close. The shelter is also looking at other safe options, like clients staying with other family members or friends. Its not just romantic relationships seeking help. We see an awful lot of grandparents with adult children or adult grandchildren living with them, who are victims of domestic violence, Sywensky said. A college student in Georgia wrote a guest column for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about her campus closing down and coming home to an abusive parent. While social distancing and quarantining are essential steps to mitigate this pandemic, it puts survivors at great risk of abuse simply by isolating many of us with our abusers, she wrote. Sywensky said it has been all hands on deck for Turning Points staff. I have the best staff in the world, everybody has been coming in and trying to figure out ways to best help people," she said. One staffer in Monroe County was stopped by police on her way into work. After learning she worked for Turning Point, the officer apologized and thanked her for her service, Sywensky said. We are all feeling the rallying, she said. The rallying is coming from the community as well. Kremers Community Kitchen committed to supplying Turning Point meals every day for three weeks. The nonprofit is still looking for supplies, including individual sanitizers for shelter clients, and individual drinks, like bottled water, soda and iced tea, for the remote clients. Turning Point accepts monetary donations and also has an Amazon wish list here. If you need help, Turning Points 24/7 Helpline can be reached at 610-437-3369, toll-free at 877-438-4957 and TTY at 610-419-4594. ***Immediate Need for new member Turning Point Lehigh Valley who contacted us for 30 meals kits a day for domestic abuse survivors. Kits are $5 and provide a breakfast, an lunch/dinner entree with sides, fresh fruit, and a garden salad. To purchase kits visit www.kremmerscommunitykitchen.com/turning_point.html ***We are over half way to our goal of 200 pans for Bethlehem Area School District for Friday drop off to families of children receiving free and reduced lunch. Keep up the great work!!! To purchase kits visit www.kremmerscommunitykitchen.com/bethlehem_area_school_district.html Posted by Kremmer's Community Kitchen on Wednesday, March 25, 2020 Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. If theres anything about this story that needs attention, please email her. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. WASHINGTON A commercial aircraft carrying 80 tons of gloves, masks, gowns and other medical supplies from Shanghai touched down in New York on Sunday, the first of 22 scheduled flights that White House officials say will funnel much-needed goods to the United States by early April as it battles the worlds largest coronavirus outbreak. The plane delivered 130,000 N95 masks, 1.8 million face masks and gowns, 10 million gloves and thousands of thermometers for distribution to New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, said Lizzie Litzow, a spokeswoman for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Ms. Litzow said that flights would be arriving in Chicago on Monday and in Ohio on Tuesday, and that supplies would be sent from there to other states using private-sector distribution networks. While the goods that arrived in New York on Sunday will be welcomed by hospitals and health care workers some of whom have resorted to rationing protective gear or using homemade supplies they represent just a tiny portion of what American hospitals need. The Department of Health and Human Services has estimated that the United States will require 3.5 billion masks if the pandemic lasts a year. That overwhelming demand has set off a race among foreign countries, American officials at all levels of government and private individuals to acquire protective gear, ventilators and other much-needed goods from China, where newly built factories are churning out supplies even as Chinas own epidemic wanes. Coronavirus death toll in India rises to 25, confirmed cases 979 now India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Mar 28: The total number of coronavirus cases in the country increased to to 979, including 86 cured/discharged and the death toll at 25, according to the Union Health Ministry on Sunday, 29 March. Deaths have so far been reported from Maharashtra (5), Gujarat (3), Karnataka (2), Madhya Pradesh (2) and one each from Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Punjab, Delhi, West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. In its updated data at 5.45 PM, the ministry stated that the number of active COVID-19 cases in the country was 819, which is an increases of 179 since Friday when it was 640. The total number of 918 cases in the country included 47 foreigners, the data stated. Reports claiming India has entered Stage 3 of coronavirus is misleading says Govt As many as 79 people were either cured or discharged and one had migrated. Maharashtra has reported the highest number of COVID-19 cases so far at 180 (including three foreign nationals), followed by Kerala at 176, including eight foreign nationals, according to the ministry data. In Telangana, the number of cases has gone up to 56, including 10 foreigners while Karnataka has reported 55 cases till now. The number of cases in Rajasthan has climbed to 54, including two foreigners. Uttar Pradesh has reported 55 cases, including a foreigner while in Gujarat, it has gone up to 45, including one foreign national. In Tamil Nadu 40 people, including six foreigners, have tested positive, while the number of positive cases in Delhi has gone up to 39, including a foreigner. Punjab has reported 38 cases, while 33 COVID-19 cases have so far been detected in Haryana, including 14 foreigners. Madhya Pradesh has recorded 30 cases, Jammu and Kashmir 20, West Bengal 15, Andhra Pradesh 14 and Ladakh has reported 13 COVID-19 cases. Bihar has nine cases, Chandigarh eight and Chhattisgarh has reported six cases so far. Uttarakhand has five cases, including a foreigner. #Stayathome and send us your selfie Himachal Pradesh and Odisha have reported three cases each. Six cases have been reported from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Goa has reported three coronavirus cases. Puducherry, Mizoram and Manipur have reported one case each. The ministry on its website stated, "Remaining nine cases are being assigned to states to initiate contact tracing." For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, March 29, 2020, 10:52 [IST] Coconino County's next positive case of the COIVD-19 disease is treated the same as its hundreds of negative tests, starting as a nasal swab and confirmed in a biosecurity lab a few days later. As of Saturday night, the county reported 60 confirmed cases with 21 cases in Flagstaff and 14 in Page. The county is currently reporting positive cases at a rate of 11.5%, meaning about 60 of 520 total samples, including pending tests, taken from people who are symptomatic test positive for COVID-19. But how does the testing process work? Every day, the county submits an average 40 nasal swab samples collected at a drive-thru site now located at Fort Tuthill, not including samples submitted by local health care organizations. The samples are packaged, frozen and then sent to either the state laboratory or commercial labs such as Flagstaffs TGen North, a collaboration between the Translational Genomics Research Institute in Phoenix and Northern Arizona University. This is a virus that didnt even really exist until early December and certainly nobody knew about it until late December. And in that period of time, between then and now, the world has stood up the capacity to test for it in an amazing way, said microbial geneticist Paul Keim, co-director of TGen North and executive director of NAUs Pathogen and Microbiome Institute (PMI), I know that we dont have enough testing, but on the other hand, considering we went from zero to 100 miles an hour in three months is an amazing testament to the state of the research and development field for pathogens. Both TGen and PMI have the high-level biosecurity labs needed to handle the live virus. Because the virus is inactive before being handled, testing occurs in a lab with less security. But if the two organizations ever plan to join national efforts to test developing vaccines, they will use high-security labs that can handle microbes that can cause serious or potentially lethal diseases. Between the two facilities there are currently 150 people each trained in biomolecular and biosafety methods now working on COVID-19 testing and research, Keim said. Although Keim is not personally conducting COVID-19 testing, the process is a standard one for pathogen research, he said. Samples are tested inside biosafety cabinets in batches of about 100 at a time. First, each sample is purified, Keim explained, removing genetic material from the boogers" that protect lab workers. Its like ripping the guts out of the middle of the virus, Keim said. The genetic material of the virus is packaged inside of those structures that have the crowns on them, the spikes. So we have to rip that all away to get the genetic material out, and in the process of ripping that away, you kill the virus. The genetic material is then placed in a specialized machine that can take anywhere from 90 minutes to several hours to pinpoint the microscopic viruses. Supply shortages Limited resources have affected health official's ability to collect and test. With fewer specimen collection kits, also called testing kits, available nationwide, fewer people can be tested. Despite their similarity to cotton swabs, these kits cannot be homemade: They are made of synthetic fibers and must be prepared in areas meeting specific quality standards. Keim said labs have been hit by the shortage of needed lab materials because many of their materials typically come from China, where the virus originated. Coconino County has only received about a quarter of the total supplies it has requested from the national stockpile, including both testing kits and personal protective equipment (PPE), said Dr. Marie Peoples, Deputy County Manager and Incident Commander for the local COVID-19 situation. On Friday, Peoples said the county had 163 test kits physically in stock and expected to use 40 per day until more shipments arrive. Despite the stockpile, Peoples stressed the importance of continued testing to understand how the disease is being transmitted through the community. She expressed concerns for the overall lack of available federal supplies, but was thankful for the limited amounts that have been delivered, including a rush order that arrived Thursday. Its one thing to suspect someone has COVID-19, but without testing, we cant confirm, Peoples said. For other health care organizations, the supply situation has been similar. North Country HealthCare had less than five available testing kits when testing began two weeks ago, said Brandon Abbott, an physician who helped the county operate its drive-up specimen collection site on Fourth Street. Were looking at this kind of ebb and flow of tests where we might get really lucky and get a shipment of 20 tests in a week and then we try to order tests and are told we can only get two tests per clinic. Its really hit or miss, Abbott said. Abbott said the drive-up testing site has helped to ration the communitys resources, especially the PPE needed to conduct specimen collection and testing. Weve got those eight to 10 people doing the testing all day long as opposed to almost every medical office in the area using their PPE several times a day for a test, Abbott said. We would have gone through exponentially more PPE had we not had that testing site. Now, following guidelines from the Arizona Department of Health Services issued Monday, local testing by the county and organizations such as North Country are being prioritized for health care workers, first responders and vulnerable individuals like those living in shared spaces who have symptoms and people hospitalized with respiratory symptoms. The countys drive-up specimen collection site at Fort Tuthill has stopped Friday and Saturday and will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. from Sunday through Thursday, as supplies last. People need to have a referral from a medical provider to be tested for COVID-19. For more information about COVID-19 in Coconino County, call (928) 679-7300, visit www.coconino.az.gov/covid19 or email COVID19Information@coconino.az.gov. Kaitlin Olson can be reached at the office at kolson@azdailysun.com or by phone at (928) 556-2253. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. New Delhi, March 29 : The All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), Delhi has issued a preparedness document to address the cases of novel Coronavirus in the country. The document called COVID-19 Preparedness Document', which was issued on March 27, is meant for circulation within the hospital. The document, however is dynamic and may be modified as per the progression of the disease in India and when more data was available regarding epidemiology, transmission, and treatment. The preparedness document is a comprehensive compilation of guidelines to provide the health workers information of various aspects of the disease and its Clinical management. It deals with issues like Case definition, Clinical features, Laboratory diagnosis, Infection control measures, Clinical management and other matters like isolation, quarantine, etc. According to the document, all symptomatic individuals, who have undertaken international travel in the last 14 days, all symptomatic contacts of laboratory confirmed cases, all symptomatic healthcare personnel, asymptomatic direct and high risk contacts of a confirmed case fall in the category of suspected novel coronavirus case and should be tested once between day 5 and day 14 after contact. While a person with laboratory confirmation of COVID-19 infection, irrespective of clinical signs and symptoms is considered as confirmed COVID-19 case. The document showed clinical features of the disease that has been adopted from Report of the WHO-China Joint Mission on Coronavirus Disease 2019 based on 55,924 cases and a study on 1,099 cases by Guan in which symptoms like fever, dry cough, fatigue, sore throat, headache, shortness of breath, nausea or vomiting, nasal congestion, diarrhea and many others have been considered. The document stressed upon proper doffing of PPE material by the health care personnel. Doffing to be performed only in the designated area, check for any leak or soiling in PPE before doffing. If any, disinfect the area before doffing. Doffing room should have two chairs, one labelled 'dirty' and the other 'clean'. All PPE must be discarded in the yellow bin. Hand hygiene must be performed after every step," said the document. According to the document the disinfection of high touch surfaces like doorknobs, telephone, call bells, bed rails, stair rails, light switches, wall areas around the toilet should be done every 3-4 hours while at low-touch surfaces such as walls, mirrors, etc. mopping should be done at least once daily. "In case of onset of danger signs like shortness of breath, hemoptysis, altered mental status, patient should immediately inform the nearest health centre or call 011-23978046," said the document. The document also advised precautions to be taken by the hostel residents at the AIIMS, according to which, the residents are to stay alone in separate rooms till 14 days after their duties in corona unit are over, not to travel outside or within country unless absolutely indicated, food should be ordered from canteen to their room, daily clothes used by the residents to be washed themselves and not to be given to laundry and proper hygiene of the toilets. It also advised for the doctors not to go to public places and to report to the hospital authority if any of their friends, hostel staff develop fever or othe respiratory symptoms. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) COLUMBUS, Ohio - Hours after blasting the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for only granting limited approval for a mask-cleaning technology developed by an Ohio research firm, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has scheduled a previously unplanned 2 p.m. coronavirus update for Sunday. The normally mild-mannered DeWine called the FDAs limited approval of Battelles technology reckless in a blistering Sunday statement. Battelle leaders said their technology could sterilize up to 160,000 respirator masks for re-use per day in Ohio alone. The firm said Saturday the first completed system is in transit and will be placed at an undisclosed location in the New York metropolitan area to address that citys critical shortage of PPE (personal protective equipment) needed by healthcare workers and first responders. But the FDA only granted Battelle permission to clean masks at its Columbus headquarters, and only 10,000 per day. The FDAs limited approval allows for the masks to be sanitized and re-used up to 20 times. Responding to DeWines concerns, President Donald Trump in a Sunday afternoon tweet encouraged the FDA to grant the cleaning system full approval. Watch The Ohio Channel live-cast of DeWines 2 p.m. press conference below. Joining DeWine will be Lt. Gov. Jon Husted. For more background on the situation with the FDA, read here: Read recent Ohio coronavirus coverage: Gov. Mike DeWine: FDA reckless in limiting use of new mask-cleaning technology Machines could sanitize 160,000 masks for reuse each day in Ohio, if approved by FDA Ohio coronavirus cases surpass 1,000 mark with 19 deaths: Gov. Mike DeWines Friday, March 27 briefing So what is the potential peak of coronavirus cases in Ohio? Sorting out the various projections Mapping Ohios 1,137 coronavirus cases, plus daily trends Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. Jack Taylor / Getty The Netherlands has asked hospitals to give back around 600,000 face masks it imported from China. It found that the masks were failing to meet safety requirements, Dutch media reported. The masks were failing to stop coronavirus particles pass through, the report said. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. The Dutch government has recalled over half a million face masks it imported from China after discovering that they were faulty. The Netherlands said on Saturday that it had asked its hospitals to return around 600,000 face masks which health professionals are using to treat patients of the coronavirus. Related Video: Can the Novel Coronavirus Be Stopped? "The mouth masks that are not satisfactory have been retrieved," Holland's Ministry of Health told Dutch broadcaster NOS. The NOS reported that the faulty masks fail to meet safety requirements because they did not fit on the faces of doctors and nurses and were failing to prevent particles of the COVID-19 virus passing through. One hospital worker quoted by the NOS said: "When they were delivered to our hospital, I immediately rejected those masks... If those masks do not close properly, the virus particles can simply pass. We do not use them. "That is unsafe for our people." The Netherlands, like its European neighbours, has introduced strict social distancing measures to combat the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Mark Rutte moved to close all bars, restaurants, and schools. It had reported 9,762 confirmed cases of the virus and 639 deaths linked to it at the time of writing. It is not the only European country to report receiving faulty equipment from China. Microbiology experts in Spain this week said that rapid coronavirus tests that the country bought from the Chinese state are not consistently detecting positive cases. Studies on these tests found that they had only 30% sensitivity, meaning they correctly identified people with the virus only 30% of the time, according to the Spanish newspaper El Pais. Story continues Medical professionals in the Czech Republic have also said that rapid tests from China were not working properly. Follow the latest news in the UK as Johnson's government combats the coronavirus. Business Insider NEW YORK, March 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. insurers are covering employees and employers facing exposure to COVID-19 while easing the financial burdens of its customers and communities during an extraordinary time in the nation's history, according to the Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I). "These are challenging times for insurance customers, and the industry is doing all that it can to be a financial first responder. Workers compensation insurers are providing coverage to health care workers and first responders in multiple states. Business insurers are protecting financially the restaurants who now offer take-out and delivery services," said Sean Kevelighan, CEO, Triple-I. "Beyond that, insurers are extending coverage and payment relief to customers who are struggling financially." The Triple-I today released a Fact Sheet, Insurers Are Engaged In the COVID-19 Crisis. It outlines how the industry's financial stability allows insurers to keep the promises made to its policyholders in the event of a tornado, hurricane, or wildfire. The Fact Sheet also notes how insurers are contributing to COVID-19 related charities, such as food banks and medical supplies. "Pandemics are an extraordinary catastrophe that can impact nearly every economy in the world, so it is hard to predict and manage the risk," Kevelighan stated. "Pandemic-caused losses are excluded from standard business interruption policies because they impact all businesses, all at the same time." Moreover, the exclusion for pandemic-caused losses have been incorporated into standard business interruption policies for years. A standard business interruption policy typically covers a business when it incurs direct physical damage due to a covered loss, such as a windstorm or a fire. Covered business interruption policy losseseven from a hurricane or a terrorist attackimpact only a portion of the U.S. rather than the entire nation. RELATED LINKS : THE I.I.I. IS A NONPROFIT, COMMUNICATIONS ORGANIZATION SUPPORTED BY THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY. Insurance Information Institute, 110 William Street, New York, NY 10038; (917) 923-8245; www.iii.org, [email protected] SOURCE Insurance Information Institute Related Links http://www.iii.org Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Gemma Holliani Cahya and Arya Dipa (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta/Bandung Sun, March 29, 2020 15:44 654 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206e2551b 1 National COVID-19,coronavirus,COVID-19-in-Indonesia,#COVID19,#coronavirus,super-spreader,#super-spreader,surakarta,#Surakarta,Batam,#Batam,West-Java Free That coronavirus is a highly infectious disease is a well-known fact. However, many people still choose to ignore calls from experts and the government to practice physical distancing and cancel big events. Indonesia has seen several large gatherings around early March, and now many are worried that such ignorance has helped the virus spread massively to many parts of the country. At the end of February, a week before President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo announced the first two cases of COVID-19, and while other countries were busy fighting against COVID-19, thousands of people from various cities in Indonesia gathered for two different seminars for several days in Bogor, West Java. One was a seminar on economic empowerment and the other a religious seminar held by the Protestant Churches of Western Indonesia (GPIB). Fast forward a couple of weeks after the seminars ended, and the first death of one of the participants of the financial seminar was reported. The patient, a resident of Surakarta, Central Java, was positive for COVID-19. A friend of hers, who had not attended the seminar, died from the disease a week later. In Batam, Riau Islands, some 900 kilometers from Bogor, a female priest who had joined the religious seminar died of the same disease on March 19. Other participants of the two seminars have been diagnosed as COVID-19 positive. They live in various cities, like Balikpapan, Samarinda and Kutai Kartanegara in East Kalimantan, as well as Lampung and Yogyakarta. West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil said the two public events were among four big clusters of COVID-19 cases in West Java. They were a regional conference of the Association of Young Indonesian Business People (Hipmi) in Karawang regency on March 9 and a religious conference in Lembang, Bandung, from March 3 to 5. Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggles (PDI-P) West Java chapter member Gatot Tjahyono, who attended the business forum in Karawang, died on Friday. A preliminary diagnosis indicated he might have contracted the disease. He was initially diagnosed with dengue, according to a family representative. Now, with the help of the police, we are tracing the participants addresses so we can test them, Ridwan said. Read also: Greater Jakarta failing as floodgate to nationwide COVID-19 epidemic People are now worried that the thousands of seminar participants have helped spread the coronavirus across the archipelago. Some even started to wonder whether the participants in the seminars constituted so-called super-spreaders. Detecting a super-spreader is important to prevent the individual from infecting others. Experts, however, say it will be difficult to identify super-spreaders in Indonesia because of the lack of access to government health data and lack of details on COVID-19 cases. Disease surveillance and biostatistics researcher Iqbal Ridzi Fahdri Elyazar from the Eijkman-Oxford Clinical Research Unit (EOCRU) said tracking down possible super-spreaders was pivotal. It is not an easy thing to know who is a super-spreader. [] The sooner we investigate the infection chain, the easier for us to identify super-spreaders, Iqbal told The Jakarta Post on Friday. A super-spreader, according to Iqbal, is someone who is infected and has contacts in one transmission chain and infected many people. In South Korea, a woman identified as Patient 31 appears to have infected dozens of others. There are, however, still no global standards and set quantity of transmissions that would define someone as a coronavirus super-spreader. Super-spreading was a common phenomenon in the transmission of infectious diseases, Iqbal said. It is usually triggered by the virus virulence, the environment and the persons immunity. As long as there is no serious and drastic effort from the authorities to stop any gatherings that allow many people to gather in one place this phenomenon will keep happening, he said. The persistent attitude of people who want to keep on doing events must be seen as an act of violating public safety and order. Read also: Some 70,000 Indonesians could be infected with COVID-19 before Ramadan, scientists say Whether Indonesia already has cases of super-spreading or not, the government and experts have urged people to stay at home, practice physical distancing and avoid public events. National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) spokesman Agus Wibowo said the most dangerous people were the ones who were asymptomatic but carried the virus, as well as people under surveillance (ODP) who still walked around outside their homes as if nothing had happened and infected more people. The ones who are confirmed positive are not dangerous, because they are in hospitals. [] Thats why now the policy we took is to prohibit anyone from gathering in crowds, he said. Although the devastating news about the highly contagious coronavirus has been circulating since January, it was only on March 15 that the government through Jokowi officially advised people to practice physical distancing, work and study from home and avoid public events. Berry Juliandi, a neuroscientist from the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB) and a member of Indonesia Young Scientists, said such a policy alone was not enough to slow down contagion. What we must do now is to quarantine and lock down several areas that have shown high infection spread. We must impose restrictions or sanctions on people who still want to go out of their houses for certain purposes. [] Until now there is still no sanctions and assertiveness, no law enforcement, he said on Friday. Indonesian health authorities have confirmed 1,155 COVID-19 positive cases and 102 fatalities as of Saturday afternoon. Meanwhile, the number of people having recovered from COVID-19 has increased to 59. Sri Lankas apparel industry shut owing to the crisis By Sunimalee Dias View(s): View(s): With cancellations on the order books, Sri Lankas apparel industry is facing a crisis as most of its factories have shut down operations following the curfew imposed to battle the coronavirus pandemic. We are completely shut down. The industry is going through cancellations and payments not coming in from customers as well as most of their offices have closed in Europe and the US, Sri Lanka Apparel Exporters Association (SLAEA) President Rehan Lakhany told the Business Times. However the Board of Investment (BOI) in a statement on Thursday said that there was no requirement for BOI companies to stop work. Mr. Lakhany noted that recently at least one exporter had to face cancellation of a million dollar order just prior to being shipped out of the country. Moreover, with retail stores in Europe and the US closing due a lack of demand from customers, money is not coming in and most of the customers have requested to stop production and not to ship anything. Following the clampdown of the economy on Friday with curfew imposed, the factories have remained closed. We dont know how we will start after the curfew as in the next two to three months there wont be any work, Mr. Lakhany explained. Most factory owners are concerned how workers will be paid their salaries as they have no orders coming in from their markets. The loss is colossal for three months, the SLAEA head said adding that it would cost up to US$5 million to the industry to pay salaries to staff. Medical suits, face masks by the apparel industry Sri Lankas apparel industry has come forward to assist the government in the combat against COVID 19 with free protective medical suits and face masks. The Joint Apparel Association Forum has committed to producing one million pieces of protective medical suits in line with government recommendations and a further two million face masks, Sri Lanka Apparel Exporters Association President Rehan Lakhany said. He noted that these medical suits and face masks will be made available to the government as part of a CSR initiative of the industry and will provide them free to the health sector. The US$ 500,000 worth of two million face masks will be manufactured by 10 factories that have volunteered to do so. This requirement is currently under discussion between the apparel industry and the relevant authorities. They would have to face certain issues of transporting staff to the factories during the curfew while working with a skeletal staff, some of whom have already left the city, as per the current requirements at workplaces around the country. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 12:52:36|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HAVANA, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Havana Distillery, which used to produce alcohol for pharmaceutical and liquor industries, has turned into the only manual maker and distributor of hand sanitizers in Cuba amid a rising COVID-19 caseload nationwide. "Antibacterial gels are very useful to tackle the epidemic outbreak on the island. We are producing 1,020 liters of hand sanitizers a day," said Margarita La Guardia, a senior specialist at the company. "The country needs us." Cuba's Ministry of Public Health reported the first death from the novel coronavirus on Saturday, and raised the total to 119 cases in the country. Amid U.S. economic, commercial and financial blockade against the Carribean nation, hand sanitizer is manually made at the factory by only five workers who have gained expertise over the last years, after the production first started in the country in 2010. "Production of hand sanitizers in Cuba is mainly supplying hospitals and polyclinics during the health emergency provoked by the virus," said Mercedes Delgado, head of the company. "We are working restlessly." The distillery is projected to deliver 145,000 liters of hand sanitizers by the end of this year, so that they can also reach schools and workplaces across the country. "We start working very early in the morning and come back home by sunset," said Reinaldo Joglar, a worker at the company. Pedro Martinez, a senior official at Tecnoazucar, the parent company of the distillery, said the hand sanitizers manufactured in Cuba are in line with the standard of the World Health Organization. "The brigades of doctors Cuba has sent overseas to help fight COVID-19 are taking our hand sanitizers as part of their medical kits. We feel very proud of that," he said. U.S. blockade on the island for nearly six decades has severely affected the development of the island's industrial sector, hindering access of Cuban companies to the state-of-the-art technologies. ISTANBUL - Sweeping U.S. sanctions are hampering Iranian efforts to import medicine and other medical supplies to confront one of the largest coronavirus outbreaks in the world, health workers and sanctions experts say. The broad U.S. restrictions on Iran's banking system and the embargo on its oil exports have limited Tehran's ability to finance and purchase essential items from abroad, including drugs as well as the raw materials and equipment needed to manufacture medicines domestically. The Trump administration has also reduced the number of licenses it grants to companies for certain medical exports to Iran, according to quarterly reports from the Office of Foreign Assets Control, or OFAC, the enforcement agency of the U.S. Treasury Department. The list of items requiring special authorization includes oxygen generators, full-face mask respirators and thermal imaging equipment, all of which are needed to treat patients and keep medical workers safe, doctors say. The tough measures are part of a U.S. "maximum pressure campaign" against Iran, adopted by the Trump administration after it unilaterally withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal Iran had signed with world powers. Iranian medical workers and global public health experts say it is not possible to determine exactly how much U.S. sanctions have impacted Iran's capacity to fight the virus - which has infected more than 35,000 Iranians, killed at least 2,500 and spawned outbreaks in other countries. But they say it is clear that the Iranian health care system is being deprived of equipment necessary to save lives and prevent wider infection. "There are a lot of shortages now. ... (Hospitals) do not have enough diagnostic kits or good quality scanners, and there is also a shortage of masks," said Nouradin Pirmoazen, a thoracic surgeon and former lawmaker in Iran. Pirmoazen, who now lives in Los Angeles, said that he is in regular contact with former colleagues and students at the Masih Daneshvari Hospital in Tehran, which is part of Iran's National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases. "Medical staff who want a specific type of medicine or equipment are having difficulty transferring money outside of Iran due to the sanctions," he said, adding that doctors and nurses at Masih Daneshvari have been overwhelmed by the crisis. An employee of a major pharmaceutical company in Iran who spoke on the condition of anonymity said that "the sanctions have definitely made the import and production processes longer and more expensive." "Some suppliers are afraid and not willing to work with us anymore," she said. "The sanctions have reduced Iran's capacity to control the outbreak." According to the World Health Organization, the toll from the novel coronavirus in Iran is likely five times higher than official figures show. Earlier this month, The Washington Post obtained reporting data from a network of hospitals in Tehran, including Masih Daneshvari, that suggested the epidemic was far more widespread than the government had acknowledged. Iranian leaders have come under fire for what critics say was a botched response to the outbreak, including initially refusing to quarantine affected areas or close religious shrines, measures that likely allowed the deadly pathogen to spread. On Thursday, the Interior Ministry announced new restrictions on travel between provinces and ordered all nonessential shops to close. "The reality is that the government refused to admit that it had a problem," said Amir Afkhami, an associate professor and global health expert at George Washington University. "There was a lack of transparency and officials took what were clearly inadequate precautionary measures." This month, countries such as Britain, France, Germany and China, as well as the European Union, donated cash and emergency aid to Iran, including lab equipment, protective suits, face masks and gloves. But economic analysts warn that emergency aid is not sustainable during a pandemic, especially as donor countries begin to face their own crises. "In the medium-term, relying on political channels to arrange aid is going to be cumbersome," said Esfandyar Batmanghelidj, founder and publisher of Bourse & Bazaar, a media company supporting business diplomacy between Europe and Iran. The United Nations Human Rights Commissioner also called this past week for the "urgent" re-evaluation of sanctions against countries grappling with the global pandemic. In a statement, Michelle Bachelet highlighted the impact of the Iran sanctions "on access to essential medicines and medical equipment - including respirators and protective equipment for health-care workers." There should be "prompt, flexible authorization for essential medical equipment and supplies," she said. The United States reimposed sanctions on Iran after President Donald Trump pulled out of the nuclear deal, citing concerns with the agreement as well as Iran's ballistic missile development and continued support for proxy forces in the region. The agreement had curbed Iran's atomic energy activities in exchange for widespread sanctions relief, including opening the country up to foreign investment, allowing sales of oil on the global market, removing restrictions on its banking, insurance and shipbuilding sectors, and expanding permitted exports. The Trump administration, like its predecessors, has technically maintained an exemption from sanctions on the sale of humanitarian items to Iran. The Treasury Department recently approved a Swiss-sponsored mechanism allowing for the trade of food, medicine and other supplies with Tehran, without triggering U.S. sanctions. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo touted the move at a March 20 news conference. "The whole world should know that humanitarian assistance to Iran is wide open. It's not sanctioned," he said. "We're doing everything we can to facilitate both the humanitarian assistance moving in and to make sure the financial transactions connected to that can take place as well." In practice, however, the U.S. restrictions - including penalties for conducting business with a range of Iranian banks and companies, including the Central Bank of Iran - have discouraged Western counterparts from trading with Tehran. To use the Swiss humanitarian channel, for example, companies must provide extensive information to the Treasury Department every month about the Iranian beneficiaries of the goods. The documents must include, among other things, the Iranian companies' business relationships, financial details and a written commitment from distributors that they will not allow the goods to be sold or resold to sanctioned individuals or entities in Iran. European officials have likened the reporting requirements "to a 'fishing expedition' for information about the commercial relationships with European and Iranian firms," Batmanghelidj said. According to Mohsen Zarkesh, an OFAC sanctions attorney at the Price Benowitz law firm in Washington, the sanctions exemptions don't guarantee an unimpeded flow of humanitarian goods to Iran. He said that the United States has created "a legal and business environment equivalent to walking through a compliance mine field." "My experience shows that as the compliance burden of exports to Iran increases ... companies of all sizes abstain from engaging in any form of trade with Iran," Zarkesh said. The U.S. embargo on Iran's oil exports has also cut off a key source of foreign currency, which the government needs to pay for imports. Pharmaceutical companies in Iran say the government has limited the foreign currency made available to purchase foreign drugs and to obtain materials required by Iran's robust manufacturing industry to produce medicine. The bottlenecks created by the sanctions have contributed to recent shortages of certain medications and supplements, according to employees of Iranian pharmaceutical companies. Due to the sanctions, "banking transactions are carried out through very limited channels ... and the government's currency shortage means it is unable to allocate state funds for a lot of essential goods, including medical items," said Ayat, a general practitioner who works for Bayer Parsian AG, the Iranian subsidiary of the German pharmaceutical giant. He declined to give his full name so that he could freely discuss his company's business and the government's lack of foreign exchange reserves. Sanctions experts also point to a decline in the number of special OFAC licenses issued under the Trump administration for the export of specific medicine and medical devices to Iran. According to the agency's quarterly reports, more than half of the companies applying for authorization received licenses in the first quarter of 2016. But in the period after Trump announced his decision to abandon the nuclear deal, from July to September 2018, fewer companies applied for authorization and the rate of approval dropped to 15 percent. In the first quarter of 2019, only 10 percent of applicants received licenses to export. "What these reports show is a significant decline in license applications to OFAC and, accordingly, licenses issued by OFAC with regards to humanitarian goods," Zarkesh said. The Treasury Department did not respond to a request for comment. While the sanctions have limited Iran's access to some medical supplies, it can still obtain others, including diagnostic imaging equipment from GE Healthcare, a General Electric subsidiary. OFAC does not publish a list of companies with special licenses to export to Iran. GE Healthcare, however, is one of the companies that continues to sell medical devices through a local distributor. A recent photo published by Iran's semiofficial ISNA news agency showed an Iranian medical worker using a GE Healthcare imaging scanner to check the lungs of coronavirus patients at a hospital in Arak, about 170 miles southwest of Tehran. "We continue to operate in compliance with U.S. and local laws and regulations," a GE spokesperson said. Published on 2020/03/29 | Source A worker puts up barricade tape to block access to a cherry blossom spot in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province on Monday. Advertisement The city government of Changwon in South Gyeongsang Province on Monday closed access to all the famous cherry blossom spots in the city. The city is home to Korea's biggest annual cherry blossom festival in Jinhae, which used to be a separate city before they merged in 2017. The decision came because visitors still crowded the spots even though the city canceled this year's festival due to the coronavirus epidemic and pleaded with people to stay away. The alert has been heightened since four tourists from Haman, South Gyeongsang Province tested positive for coronavirus after visiting Gurye in South Jeolla Province, another area famous for a flower festival, last week. The city will also temporarily close nearby parking spaces and crack down on illegally parked cars. The city asked people nationwide to refrain from visiting Jinhae to prevent the spread of coronavirus. One of the things I love doing as an Inc.com columnist is being able to share compelling stories. Especially stories of extraordinary leaders who overcame unthinkable challenges to now teach us lessons of resilience, hope, and a new way forward. Kevin Hancock, sixth generation family CEO of Hancock Lumber, is one such person. Hancock was diagnosed with spasmodic dysphonia, a rare neurological disorder that makes speaking difficult. Two years later, he began traveling from his home in Maine to the remote Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. There, he encountered an entire community that did not feel fully heard. While Hancock initially saw the partial loss of his own voice as a hindrance, he began to think of it as a gift--an invitation to lead differently and give others a bigger voice. Hancock envisioned an employee-centric company where the primary focus of the organization would be the creation of a vibrant employee experience. Historically, leaders have collected and centralized power and decision-making control, while employees existed to serve the company. In the model of shared leadership Hancock describes in his new book, The Seventh Power: One CEO's Journey into the Business of Shared Leadership, power is dispersed and everyone is invited to lead. The purpose of the company is to add value to the lives of the people who work there. "Having found a piece of my own authentic voice, I wanted to help others do the same," said Hancock. He has since identified seven lessons for the age of shared leadership: 1. Find answers from within your tribe. For centuries, leadership has been marketed as something to be done by the few. But in reality, great people are everywhere. Don't think you need to look externally for solutions to questions that can be answered from within. The best resources are likely already within your organization. 2. Invert the pyramid to serve. Organizations are ultimately defined by their culture, and leaders have the most power to create it, consciously or otherwise. To achieve shared leadership, the top-down organizational pyramid of most companies must be inverted to first serve, strengthen, and honor the individual. This, in turn, vitalizes the organization. 3. Become the change you want to see. Leaders need to work first on themselves and become the change. Then leaders must create the cultural conditions that encourage others to do the same. We don't change others; we change ourselves, from the inside out. 4. Localize and shrink the center. In the age of shared leadership, the individual, not the corporate center, is the focus of attention. If a company sets its employees free, its customers will be thrilled in return. It's time to shrink the power of the corporate headquarters and the C-suite and embrace the individual employee. 5. Listen for understanding, not judgment. In an environment of shared leadership, everyone must feel that it is safe to express their feelings honestly. The objective is to allow every person to feel heard and accepted where they are, as they are. Understanding is contagious--when others feel respected and heard, they enter a new zone of comfort and security. 6. Practice restraint. Restraint, not force, is the new path to building consensus, alignment, and engagement. Restraint is the opposite of overreaching; it's having the power but not using it. 7. Broaden the mission. We are entering a new age of localism in which each business must become an engine of social change. But for this to happen, businesses must learn to think more broadly about their roles and potential for creating change. Businesses must understand that we are all connected and related. There is no future in the strategy of isolation. In his first Mann ki Baat address to the nation after the announcement of 21-day nationwide lockdown on March 24, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (March 29) apologised to the people of the country for the imposition of lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus COVID-19. The prime minister said that he was aware of the fact that poor were angry with him, but he had no choice other than calling for the lockdown in order to defeat coronavirus. I had no choice but to make these decisions to fight the coronavirus... no one wants to take these decisions but if you look at the world, you need to take these decisions, he said. "Many people must be angry at me for imposing the lockdown, I understand your problems. The fight with corona is a fight between life and death and we have to win it," added the prime minister. PM Modi also urged the people of the country to show courage and resolve and follow "Lakshman Rekha" for several days more. The prime minister noted that the fight against the deadly virus is tough and it required tough actions to keep millions of Indians safe. "The battle against COVID-19 is tough and it did require some tough decisions. It is important to keep the people of India safe. Coronavirus is bent on killing people therefore entire humanity must unite and resolve to eliminate it," said PM Modi. The prime minister once again lauded doctos, nurses and paramedics for working tirelessly to contain the spread of coronavirus. "We should take inspiration from all front-line soldiers in the fight against coronavirus, especially nurses, doctors, paramedics," said PM Modi in his address. The prime minister also warned that those not following quarantine measures across the world are now repenting and it will be better for us to not repeat their mistakes. During his address, the prime minister also interacted with a man identified as Ram who has recovered from COVID-19. Ram told PM Modi that he initially frightened after being tested positive but felt reassured because of doctors and hospital staff. The prime minister also talked to Ashok Kapoor of Uttar Pradesh's Agra who along with five other members of his family was infected by coronavirus and all of them have now recovered from the deadly virus. New York, March 29 : US President Donald Trump has said that he is considering ordering a quarantine of the New York City area, which is the epicentre of the COVID-19 epidemic. He said on Sunday that at the request of other states that don't have much coronavirus infection, he was looking at a quarantine of parts of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut states. "And it will be for a short period of time, if we do it at all," he said. He said, "We're talking about (people) leaving New York. Leaving New York. They go to Florida, and a lot of people don't want that. So we'll see what happens. We're going to make a decision." He ruled out the use of military to enforce the quarantine, if it is imposed. "The people of New York, they understand it better than anybody, and they'll be great," Trump said. Trump spoke to reporters before leaving for Norfolk Navy base to see off a hospital ship with 1,000 beds that he was sending to New York to augment its medical facilities. He also ordered the Army Corps of Engineers to build field hospitals in the state with a capacity of 4,000 beds, in addition to the four he had sanctioned earlier with 4,000 beds. New York Governor Andre Cuomo, who has been issuing dire warnings about the spread of coronavirus in the state, said he did not think a quarantine could be legally enforced. "I don't even like the sound of it," he said. The Trump administration has already asked people travelling from New York area to self-isolate themselves for 14 days. Of the 115,547 cases in the US, reported on Saturday afternoon, 53,216 are in New York State with 29,158 in the city and 15,199 in surrounding areas within the state. Neighbouring New Jersey had 11,124 cases and Connecticut 1,291. States like Texas and Florida have imposed 14-day quarantine on visitors flying in from the New York area. Rhode Island has gone further with state police troopers stopping cars with New York licence plates and having plans for National Guard and police to run house-to-house searches to ensure people who have come from New York were observing self-quarantine. If Trump imposes a quarantine on New York area, it could be a prelude to his plans to open the less hard-hit parts of the country for business. He has said that some parts of the US could ease the 15-day guideline he had suggested, which ends on Monday, and restart the economy bruised by the social distancing precautions that closed most businesses across the country. His proposal has met with criticism from some doctors, scientists and politicians, and parts of the media. A selective easing of restrictions on less affected areas, while tightening them on the most affected areas to prevent transmission from them may be part of his strategy. He and doctors on his Coronavirus Task Force have emphasised the uneven spread of COVID-19. Of the 50 US states, six sparsely populated states have reported less than 100 cases and six others less than 150. Even if Trump loosens his guidelines, it will be up to the state governors and local authorities to follow them or impose their own restrictions. (Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter @arulouis) Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) With eight new coronavirus positive cases reported in Gujarat on Sunday, the number of infected persons in the state climbed to 63, a senior health department official said. The death toll due to coronavirus went up to five in the state after a 45-year-old man died in a hospital in Ahmedabad on Sunday, the official said. In Ahmedabad, one COVID-19 patient was discharged from the hospital, making him the first person in the state to fully recover from the infection and sent back home, Principal Secretary (Health) Jayanti Ravi told reporters. "Eight new COVID-19 cases were reported on Sunday- four in Ahmedabad, and one each in Rajkot, Surat, Porbandar and Gir Somnath, taking the total number of COVID-19 positive patients to 63," she said. Of these eight new cases, four were infected due to local transmission, three with history of travel to Dubai and Germany, while another with history of inter-state travel, she said. With Porbandar district reporting its first COVID-19 positive case on Sunday, as many as ten districts in the state are now affected by coronavirus. While Ahmedabad has so far reported 22 cases, Vadodara, Gandhinagar and Rajkot have reported nine each, Surat eights, Gir Somnath two, and Kutch, Bhavnagar, Porbandar and Mehsana one case each, Ravi said. "Out of the active cases, only two are on ventilator. Health condition of 55 others is stable," she said. According to her, a patient was discharged from Ahmedabad hospital on Sunday, but will stay in home quarantine for another 14 days. "He is the first COVID-19 patient in the state who was discharged," she said. Of the positive cases reported so far in the state, 28 are locally transmitted, 31 are of patients with history of travel abroad, and four with inter-state travel history. The 48-year-old woman who tested positive of coronavirus in Porbandar was infected by her daughter who recently returned from Dubai, she said. Besides, the woman who tested positive in Gir Somnath was infected by her husband, Ravi said. Of the other four patients who tested positive in Ahmedabad on Sunday, one 45-year-old man died at Ahmedabad hospital on Sunday morning, as he was also suffering from diabetes, she added. A 26-year-old patient from Surat has travel history to Dubai, while another 37-year-old patient in Rajkot had travelled to Germany, she said. "With one death of a coronavirus patient reported Sunday, the state has so far reported five deaths, three in Ahmedabad, and one each in Surat and Bhavnagar," Ravi said. The state health department has surveyed and tracked 5.65 crore people in the state in the wake of coronavirus, with 209 patients with symptoms of coronavirus being quarantined, she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BYRON CENTER, MI SpartanNash on April 1 will begin offering free, same-day home delivery of prescription medications at 88 of its company-owned pharmacies in seven states. Customers must live within a 10-mile radius of a location to qualify for the offer. The Byron Township-based chain said the offer applies to pharmacies within Family Fare, D&W Fresh Market, VGs Grocery, Family Fresh Market, Forest Hills Foods and Econofoods stores in Michigan, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin. We are waiving any and all delivery fees on prescriptions as a way to help our store guests comply with the shelter in place orders in effect across the country, especially those with higher-risk conditions, Lori Raya, SpartanNashs executive vice president and chief merchandising and marketing officer. As health care providers, we want the best outcome for our patients. This change helps us ensure that store guests of all ages have every option available to them at no extra charge when it comes to filling their prescriptions during these uncertain times. The free delivery also extends to three Martins Super Markets locations in St. Joseph, Stevensville, and Niles. In a press release, SpartanNash said the deliveries will comply with social distancing guidelines. Prescriptions will be placed on a customers porch or doorstep, after which the delivery driver will call the customer. The delivery driver will leave once he or she has confirmed the prescription has been picked up. Delivery times will vary by location. Related: Stores, apps that will deliver groceries to your home during coronavirus pandemic PREVENTION TIPS Read more: Western Michigan University student dies of coronavirus TCF Center alternate care facility to include 2 floors, 900 beds once completed, officials say Gov. Whitmer downplays tensions with Trump on CNN, Meet the Press appearances Madrid: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has said the future of the European Union is at stake if it fails to make a vigorous, united response to the coronavirus outbreak devastating the blocs southern flank. Sanchez has announced stricter lockdown measures that will force all non-essential workers to stay at home for the next two weeks, as the government reported 832 new coronavirus deaths overnight. Meanwhile, France has ordered more than one billion face masks, the vast majority from China, and Italy has had a rare bit of slightly positive news, with the death toll starting to fall. An undertaker prepares a grave for the burial of a victim of the COVID-19 at the Almudena cemetery in Madrid on Saturday. Credit:AP The latest moves to combat the virus in Spain, the second-worst affected country in Europe after Italy, will be approved at a cabinet meeting on Sunday and will last from March 30 until April 9. Volodymyr Zelensky Facebook At the Boryspil airport, Ukrainians evacuated from Vietnam, tried to escape from the observation and nearly broke the door. This was stated in the Telegram channel by journalist Vitaliy Glagola. It is reported that citizens should have gone on a mandatory observation. They had two hotels to choose from, depending on the choice of which it was decided whether the observation would be free or paid. Ukrainians with bags tried to escape from the airport even though the door was locked. In order to ensure law and order, law enforcement officers and the National Guard came to Boryspil. Related: Apps against infections: solutions help fighting coronavirus Earlier 12 Ukrainians evacuated from Poland ran away before the test for Covid-19. 600 Ukrainians arrived in Kyiv by Przemysl-Kyiv train. 12 passengers, the residents of the Dnipropetrovsk region did not use the transfer, which had to take them for examination as Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council reported on Facebook. 600 citizens of Ukraine arrived in the capital by Przemysl-Kyiv train. 22 of them are the citizens of the Dnipropetrovsk region; 10 people were transferred to the region12 people did not use the provided transfer for no apparent reason, the message said. Besides, people, who arrived in the region by minibusses, pass the examination at Tsarychansky central district hospital. On the results of the tests, they will be sent for self-isolation or they will be hospitalized. The citizens are asked to appeal to the hotline if they know information about citizens who returned from abroad and violate the self-isolation regime. Uttar Pradesh has reported a total of 68 coronavirus cases with around half of them from Gautam Buddh Nagar district which includes Noida, officials said on Sunday. Earlier in the day, the Gautam Buddh Nagar district administration said five new cases were reported taking the total cases to 31. Speaking to reporters in Lucknow, Principal Secretary, Medical and Health, Amit Mohan Prasad said, "A total of 68 coronavirus positive cases have been reported so far from UP of which 14 patients have been discharged so far. The condition of the patients in the state is that they do not require intensive care or be kept on ventilators. Most of the cases are mild. The condition of the rest of the patients undergoing treatment is stable." Replying to a question on community transmission, Prasad categorically stated that there is no community spread (of COVID-19) in the state. He said, "All the patients of UP can be traced back to a person who returned from abroad. The Noida example where in which people of a factory have been infected, their case could be traced back to United Kingdom. All the cases of the state could be traced back to a foreign country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Six further people with coronavirus have died in Northern Ireland, taking the death toll in the region to 21. With 86 new cases of the infection reported on Sunday, the number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 stands at 410. By the end of the lockdown, they will be sent to other regions of Turkey The threat of a pandemic of a new type of coronavirus infection forced tens of thousands of refugees to leave Turkeys border areas with Greece, where they had been staying for more than a month in the hope of admission to the European Union, as Anadolu news agency reports. "Recognizing the unwillingness of the Greek authorities to open checkpoints for applicants, to apply for asylum and the high risk of coronavirus infection if quarantine measures are ignored, refugees turned to the Office for Migration in the province of Edirne with a request to help them leave the border area. With the support of the administration of the governor of Edirne, the buses with refugees were assigned to temporary locations and placed under a quarantine," the report said. At the end of quarantine, they will be sent to the relevant regions of Turkey. On February 29, Turkey opened the borders with the EU for migrants. Hundreds of people went to the border on foot. Turkey decided to open the borders after the escalation of hostilities in the Syrian province of Idlib, where 33 Turkish soldiers died as a result of attacks by troops of Bashar al-Assad and the Russian Federation. As we reported, 430 Ukrainian citizens have been evacuated from Turkey. These are the people who could not return home from the moment of shutting the border down on March 16. Cult actor Matthew Faber has been found dead aged 47, it has been reported. According to TMZ, family members said they found Faber at his home in California on Saturday 28 March after he had not been heard from in some days. Fabers brother Mark is quoted as saying he asked the landlord of the building he lived in, in Van Nuys, to let him in to check on him. The US actor was best-known for his role as Mark Wiener in the 1996 film Welcome to the Dollhouse, and its 2004 sequel, Palindromes. He also appeared in 1994s Natural Born Killers, which starred Woody Harrelson, and had a minor role as Harry in 2013 thriller The Devil You Know, starring Rosamund Pike and Jennifer Lawrence. Fabers cause of death has not been confirmed. A beautiful man. Incredibly talented. Wise beyond his years, quick-witted, his brother said in a tribute. Abundantly aware. He could really pay attention more than most. He had such incredible focus and ability to sustain concentration brilliant man, very aware, very smart. People stand in long lines to buy alcohol at Argonaut Wine and Liquor on March 23, 2020 in Denver, Colorado. Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images Substance use disorder researchers told Business Insider that the trauma of a pandemic may cause a spike in addiction. A 2008 analysis published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the hospitalization rate for alcohol use disorders rose 35% in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. "9/11 and Katrina were still kind of geographically limited," Dr. Lorenzo Leggio, of the National Institutes of Health, told Business Insider. But with COVID-19, "it's everywhere pretty much at the same time." Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Runs on liquor stores and a surge in alcohol deliveries demonstrate that many are turning to an old form of over-the-counter anxiety relief amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Who hasn't at least considered reaching for a bottle? And that, experts tell Business Insider, could lead to a sharp rise in substance abuse. Past crises suggest that the trauma of this moment will be with us for years, the ways we cope with it potentially serving as another source of grief and another stressor on a tottering health care system. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, "survivors were smoking cigarettes, consuming alcohol, and experiencing alcohol consumption-related problems at a substantially higher rate," according to a 2006 study by researchers at the University of South Carolina. "People are dealing with trauma and stress," Dr. Adam Leventhal, the founding director of the Health, Emotion, & Addiction Laboratory at the University of Southern California, told Business Insider, "and we know that other stressors and traumatic incidents other types of disasters have led people to increase their substance use,." A spokesperson for Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services, which operates a free 24/7 hotline offering information and treatment referrals for those struggling with drugs and alcohol, told Business Insider that, "anecdotally," call volume "hasn't seen changes from the norm in recent weeks." Story continues But, if past is prologue, the impact of what happens today, when a dependency begins, will not be fully visible for some time. By 2008, three years after Hurricane Katrina made landfall, the hospitalization rate for substance use disorders in Louisiana had shot up by more than 35% compared to the year before the storm, per an analysis published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Experts fear that could happen again this time on a national scale. "The signal factor, which is to me very worrisome, is the idea that this is really a pandemic," Dr. Lorenzo Leggio, a researcher at the National Institutes of Health, said in an interview. Hurricane Katrina was "still kind of geographically limited," he told Business Insider, but with COVID-19, "it's everywhere pretty much at the same time." He likened the impact of surviving a disaster losing friends, family, and other loved ones to "patients who come back from a war and develop post-traumatic stress disorder." Many, in addition to PTSD, "will also develop, some of them, but a significant amount of them, addiction, including alcohol use disorder," Leggio said. But trauma won't just cause abuse down the line; it will also cause some to relapse, today, and others to maintain a dependency they no longer have the willingness or ability to kick. And now is a particularly unfortunate time to suppress the immune system. One dependency, also, can encourage another. "Roughly 50% of people with alcohol-use disorder, they also smoke," Leggio said. "So they also have chronic pulmonary problems, and so they're even more prone to develop the more complicated medical symptoms of COVID-19, including respiratory failure." It's "a vicious cycle," he said. Have a news tip? Email this reporter: cdavis@insider.com Read the original article on Business Insider Lady Gaga is using her star power in the fight to stamp out coronavirus. The pop superstar has signed-on to take part in Elton John's star-studded benefit concert to raise money for pandemic relief on Sunday, March 29. She has also reached out to the World Health Organization to discuss ways she can help people who are struggling with the pandemic all around the world. Lady Gaga has signed-on to take part in Elton John's star-studded benefit concert to raise money for coronavirus pandemic relief on Sunday Gaga joins Ellen DeGeneres, Melissa McCarthy and Ken Jeong for the Fox Presents the iHeart Living Room Concert For America concert. The list of performers includes Alicia Keys, Dave Grohl, Billie Eilish, Billy Joe Armstrong of Green Day, Mariah Carey, Sam Smith, Tim McGraw, Backstreet Boys, H.E.R., and Camila Cabello. All the artists will adhere to social distancing and perform from their homes during the one-hour special, which aims to fight the spread of the COVID-19 virus and encourage viewers to support the non-profits, Feeding America and First Responders Children's Foundation. Pandemic relief: The Fox Presents the iHeart Living Room Concert For America concert airs on Sunday, March 29 at 9 p.m. ET,/6 p.m. PT on Fox and will be streamed on iHeartMedia radio stations and the iHeartRadio app The event will also celebrate the resilience and strength of the nation's citizens during the growing pandemic. Demi Lovato, Liz, Ciara and Russell Wilson are also expected to make appearance to pay tribute to healthcare workers and first responders who have been battling the spread of the virus. The concert airs on Sunday, March 29 at 9 p.m. ET,/6 p.m. PT on Fox and will be streamed on iHeartMedia radio stations and the iHeartRadio app. Lending her star power: Gaga, who turned 34 on Saturday, reached out to the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, about other ways she can help in the relief effort Gaga, who turned 34 on Saturday, reached out to the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, about other ways she can help in the relief effort. 'A very good call with @ladygaga. I thanked her for her continuing efforts to show compassion & kindness to the world. She is ready to support @WHO in any way possible in the fight against #COVID19. Together!' he revealed on Twitter. 'And happy birthday @ladygaga! I am so touched that youre spending this moment on finding ways to support the world during #COVID19. I send you my best wishes! Thank you for spreading kindness at such an important moment for all of us! Together!' SHENZHEN, China, March 29, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, BYD officially announced the launch of the Blade Battery, a development set to mitigate concerns about battery safety in electric vehicles. At an online launch event themed "The Blade Battery - Unsheathed to Safeguard the World", Wang Chuanfu, BYD Chairman and President, said that the Blade Battery reflects BYD's determination to resolve issues in battery safety while also redefining safety standards for the entire industry. BYD highlighted a video of the Blade Battery successfully passing a nail penetration test, which is seen as the most rigorous way to test the thermal runaway of batteries due to its sheer difficulty. "In terms of battery safety and energy density, BYD's Blade Battery has obvious advantages," said Professor Ouyang Minggao, Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Professor at Tsinghua University. The Blade Battery has been developed by BYD over the past several years. The singular cells are arranged together in an array and then inserted into a battery pack. Due to its optimized battery pack structure, the space utilization of the battery pack is increased by over 50% compared to conventional lithium iron phosphate block batteries. While undergoing nail penetration tests, the Blade Battery emitted neither smoke nor fire after being penetrated, and its surface temperature only reached 30 to 60C. Under the same conditions, a ternary lithium battery exceeded 500C and violently burned, and while a conventional lithium iron phosphate block battery did not openly emit flames or smoke, its surface temperature reached dangerous temperatures of 200 to 400C. This implies that EVs equipped with the Blade Battery would be far less susceptible to catching fire - even when they are severely damaged. The Blade Battery also passed other extreme test conditions, such as being crushed, bent, being heated in a furnace to 300C and overcharged by 260%. None of these resulted in a fire or explosion. He Long, Vice President of BYD and Chairman of FinDreams Battery Co., Ltd., covered four distinct advantages of the Blade Battery including a high starting temperature for exothermic reactions, slow heat release and low heat generation, as well as its ability to not release oxygen during breakdowns or easily catch fire. In the past few years, many EV manufacturers have fallen into a competition for ever-greater cruising range. When the range becomes the prime factor to consider, this focus is then transferred to power battery makers, leading to unreasonable pursuits of "energy density" in the battery industry. It is due to this unpractical focus on "energy density" that safety has been sidelined from power battery development. BYD's Blade Battery aims to bring battery safety back to the forefront, a redirection from the industry's tenuous focus on this crucial aspect. "Today, many vehicle brands are in discussion with us about partnerships based on the technology of the Blade Battery," said He Long. He added that BYD will gladly share and work with global partners to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes for all industry players. The Han EV, BYD's flagship sedan model slated for launch this June, will come equipped with the Blade Battery. The new model will lead the brand's Dynasty Family, boasting a cruising range of 605 kilometers and an acceleration of 0 to 100km/h in just 3.9 seconds. About BYD BYD Company Ltd. is one of China's largest privately-owned enterprises. Since its inception in 1995, the company quickly developed solid expertise in rechargeable batteries and became a relentless advocate of sustainable development, successfully expanding its renewable energy solutions globally with operations in over 50 countries and regions. Its creation of a Zero Emissions Energy Ecosystem - comprising affordable solar power generation, reliable energy storage, and cutting-edge electrified transportation - has made it an industry leader in the energy and transportation sectors. BYD is listed on the Hong Kong and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges. More information on the company can be found at http://www.byd.com Contacts In Asia-Pacific: Richard Li Pr@byd.com; tel:+86-755-8988-8888-61777 In North America: Frank Girardot frank.girardot@byd.com; tel: +1 213 245 6503 In Europe: Penny Peng penny.peng@byd.com; tel: +31-102070888 Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1138820/Wang_Chuanfu_at_the_launch_event.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1138821/BYD_Blade_Battery_Pack.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1138822/BYD_Han_EV.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1138823/Test_results_for_three_types_of_EV_power_batteries_after_nail_penetration__with.jpg Purulia: In a strange incident, seven migrant workers who had returned to their village in Vangid, Balarampur, West Bengal from Chennai, quarantined themselves under the branches of tree in order to avoid the risk of spreading coronavirus among their family members. The workers made this decision as they had no separate rooms at their homes for isolation as their families live in a single-room mud-hut. On realising that their presence at home might invite danger to their family members the workers made this decision. The seven youths from Bhangidigram worked in a factory in Chennai which was closed due to the lockdown called by the Indian government. Immediately after the closure of the factory, the workers boarded train for Kharagpur and got their medical check up done after which doctors had advised them to stay in Quarantine for 14 days though none of them were tested positive. The food is supplied to them by their families and they have tied cot bamboo using ropes in the branches to take rest. These makeshift camps on tree are otherwise, used by villagers in Purulia to observe elephant movement and to safeguard themselves from elephant attacks. The migrant workers are setting an example for the entire village to stay safe and alert during the coronavirus outbreak. They are staying in the branches since Monday (March 23,2020). Meanwhile, in India the coronavirus cases has gone up to 918 out of which 819 are active cases, 79 recovered, 19 deaths and 1 migrated patient. Two start-ups incubated at the Nasscom Centre of Excellence IoT and AI -- DronaMaps and BlinkIn -- are working with governments and administrative bodies to combat challenges posed by the deadly coronavirus that has claimed thousands of lives globally. DronaMaps has developed a live dashboard to track COVID-19 patients and their activities, and is working with Haryana and Punjab governments. The start-up from CoE Gurugram also offers an administrative dashboard with advanced features like location tracking, geofencing and predictive analytics. BlinkIn from CoE Bengaluru has provided remote tech support to install air handling units at the COVID-19 field hospital in Wuhan at a time when the city was locked down. "When these young start-ups help fight a pandemic by using the latest technologies, we realise that the efforts of Nasscom CoE towards Digital India are moving in the right direction. I would like to congratulate the team of DronaMaps and BlinkIn for their products that are helping in tracking the cases," Dr Ajai Kumar Garg, Senior Director at Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) said in a statement. Utkarsh Singh, co-founder of DronaMaps, said to flatten the curve of the number of cases with the disease, it is important to track the positive cases, suspected cases, quarantined individuals, hospitalised cases, among others. He said all suspected cases are constantly monitored through social media or VLR (call records). "This ensures officials are aware of the places they could have visited and by detecting the mobile phones close to the patient's phone, the people who have been in close physical proximity with the patient. "In addition, predictive spatial analysis based on granular spatial and temporal data can be used to estimate which areas would need additional resources," he added. BlinkIn's remote technology helped the Huoshenshan Field Hospital in Wuhan fight coronavirus. Its technology XCare was used to remotely monitor and manage air handling units in Huoshenshan Hospital, an emergency field hospital constructed to specifically cater to patients. The industrial province of Wuhan was the first major city to report a massive outbreak in cases earlier this year. Since then, coronavirus has spread across the world and claimed thousands of lives. The number of COVID-19 cases climbed to 979 in India on Sunday, with the death toll rising to 25, according to the Union Health Ministry. "BlinkIn's intelligent visual-assistance company played a key role by providing its tech support to address the crisis. It helped service engineers of Huber-Ranner to install air ventilation systems in two hospitals in Wuhan, remotely," Harshwardhan Kumar, co-founder of BlinkIn, said. Nasscom Center of Excellence IoT and AI is part of the Digital India Initiative to jumpstart and drive the emerging technologies ecosystem in India. The main objective of the CoE is to help Indian deep-tech start-ups and companies leverage cutting-edge technologies to build market-ready products. Nasscom CoE was set up in July 2016 as part of the Digital India initiative of MeitY, and has centres in Bengaluru, Gurugram and Gandhinagar. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Singapore a very popular work destination for foreign talent, and considering that 38 per cent of the population in Singapore are foreigners, it is little wonder if some of them are searching for expatriate loans. By: Hitesh Khan/ A relatively high standard of living coupled with a vibrant economy, provided by political stability and a favorable investment environment are all factors which have contributed to more expats arriving and settling in the country. Like Singapore residents, expats too experience financial constraints from time to time. expatriate loans image credit: YouTube Most local banks in Singapore offer foreigners expatriate loans, but only after being with the same bank for several years and in good standing. Even then, the banks may give you lesser than the advertised credit line of 4-times your monthly salary. Most foreigners dont leave Singapore after comparing the quality of life on the island with their home country. But what happens when you have to leave the country for one reason or another? Can you leave Singapore without paying your expatriate loans and never set foot on the island again? If you do that, you face the prospect of being made a bankrupt in Singapore. Being made a bankrupt in Singapore, is different than being made a bankrupt in the U.S. For example, in Singapore, you can be made bankrupt by a creditor, while in the U.S., although it seems like you are being forced into bankruptcy, you still have to make the decision to file for bankruptcy. And you can be made a bankrupt if you owe your lender just $10,000 in expatriate loans. The problem however isnt just being declared bankrupt. With bankruptcy, the Official Assignee (OA) has almost complete control over your life. The OA can seize your belongings which can include, property, tools of your trade, property held in trust for someone else, and even clothing and furniture. In fact, the any property can be seized, including future property that the bankrupt person may come into possession in the future. You will need the OAs permission even to go on a holiday, and if you dont comply, you may be fined up to $10,000 and/or be jailed for up to 2 years. With bankruptcy, you also risk losing your job and it will certainly make things difficult if you are trying to find a job. Story continues This means that if you leave Singapore without paying off your expatriate loans, the road will not be smooth sailing if you want to come back to live in the island again. One foreigner explains her problem in an online expat forum: Have not been living or working in Singapore now over 5 years but held on to credit cardstotal probably 30k. Now the banks decided since i no longer live or work in Singapore, they want full payment which I cannot do. They are threatening to take legal action, so far do not know if it has been done. So if they did a court case and I am not there to represent myself, they can win the case in my absence? My concern is I may have a job offer in Singapore and this will affect if I can get a work permit. Also if I managed to get a work permit, it looks like most of the salary will go into paying off the debts. Another forumer responding to the query said: That is quite a large amount of debt and that does not include interest accrue on top of the original debt. If the banks in Singapore has already located your overseas address, rest assured they will come after you by getting a court order at your resident country. Once the court accepts the claims of the lawyer representing Singapore Banks, you are done for. I have seen it happened time and time again. Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) only deals with the immigration part. Ministry of Manpower deals with the employment part but if a court judgement has been ruled against you, finding a job will be hard and you cannot get any credit card nor banks wanting to do anything with you. fF I am not wrong it will be sent to the police database too. To enter Singapore as a visitor personally I do not see an issue as you are a foreigner, not local nor Permanent Residents but I could be wrong here. It is not altogether clear what may actually happen to you upon entering and leaving the country if you have bad debt you have left behind. But even if you dont care about being declared bankrupt and are not planning on ever returning to Singapore, you may have to consider your guarantors especially if they are family or close friends who are still in Singapore as they will be held responsible for your debt. How to Secure a Expatriate Loans Quickly Are you a foreigner and searching for expatriate loans? If you are, you should speak to loan specialists can set you up on a path that can get you the best personal loans in a quick and seamless manner. They can also can arrange for the Best Home Loans in Singapore as they have close links with the best lenders in town and can help you compare Singapore home loans and settle for a package that best suits your home purchase needs. Whether you are looking for a new home loan or to refinance, loan consultants can help you get everything right from calculating mortgage repayment, comparing interest rates all through to securing the loan. And the good thing is that all their services are free of charge. So its all worth it to secure a loan through them. The post Expatriate loans how do you deal with them when you need to go? appeared first on iCompareLoan Resources. Dr. Kathy Lofy, the health officer of Washington State, said in an email, We are very concerned that people believe our scarce resource guidance might discriminate against people with disabilities so we are in the process of setting up time to meet with disability advocacy groups to discuss their concerns. The guidance in Washington around managing scarce resources during emergencies was largely designed to avoid discrimination during the allocation of scarce resource and involves a regional team to ensure resources are being allocated in a fair way, Dr. Lofy said. An emailed statement from the Alabama health department said that the states ventilator triage guidelines had been greatly misunderstood and were solely intended as a tool for providers making difficult choices. The statement said the document, which remained on its website on Saturday, was over a decade old and had since been replaced by a more comprehensive set of guidelines for health care emergencies. Those newer guidelines did not address ventilator triage, but said that the allocation of care should not be discriminatory. Dr. Doug White, who published a proposed framework for rationing critical care in the Journal of the American Medical Association on Friday, said in a webinar that it was important to have triage guidelines that dont exclude groups of patients. He said a score-based approach, endorsed by Pennsylvania, would allow as many patients to be treated as possible, so that if suddenly 1,000 new ventilators become available, nobodys sitting without a ventilator. Still, some citizen groups who have looked at draft protocols expressed fears that even using predicted survival to determine who would get access to resources the most common strategy might be inherently discriminatory. In a report of a community exercise held in Seattle, some participants said they were concerned that using the likelihood of survival as a rationing criterion was problematic because some groups, such as African-Americans and immigrants, might have poorer health as a result of institutional racism in the health care system. The plans typically include protocols for removing ventilators from people after a certain time period if they do not appear to be improving. In some states, including New York, people who required ventilators long-term, such as those who have certain spinal cord injuries, could be subject to having their ventilators reassigned under the protocol if they were admitted to hospitals during the crisis. Trevor is working from home for the first time. He loves the freedom and flexibility, but doesnt read his companys new BYOD policy . Sadly, he misses the fact that his home PC is not protected with updated security software nor the latest operating system patches.Kelcies home PC is faster than the old work laptop that shes been issued to use during the pandemic. She decides to use a USB stick to transfer large files back and forth between her PCs to speed things up. After a few days, she does all her work on her home PC, using a safe virtual desktop app. But unbeknownst to her, there is a keylogger on her home PC.Emma is really worried about her mothers health. She is constantly searching the Internet for the latest guidance and tips on how to get a covide-19 test quickly. To her surprise, she is finding the best information on new Asian and European websites. The URL links seem secure , all starting with https://, so shes not worried.Liam doesnt like the applications hes been given by his local government to work from home. His friends have much better web conferencing tools and other productivity apps. Even though its against policy, he decides to take advantage of several free offers that software companies have made, so he downloads new apps. He tells himself, Its just temporary during the pandemic.Ben is a student who suddenly has all his classes online. He was also just laid-off at the coffee shop, and has no extra money. He decides to use his neighbors WiFi to save cash, which he knows is unsecure but is pretty fast. Along the way, he discovers that he can also snoop on his neighbors files.Question: Whats common across all of these situations? If you think each of them has potentially serious security concerns, you are correct.And these situations are just the tip of a virtual iceberg of security incidents that are being created right now as the global pandemic changes the way America (and much of the world) now works. We are facing a virtual tsunami of cyber problems related to these massive changes currently happening to people, processes and technology.Most of these security issues are not intentional nor performed with malicious intent. Nevertheless, inadequate or dated training contributes the problems. Each of the well-meaning employees mentioned at the beginning of this piece are increasing the likelihood of a data breach with their online actions.Most experts believe that public and private sector organizations will need to address numerous data breaches as a result of the extraordinary move to almost ubiquitous working from home within a few days and without much time for planning. I will try to address some of these concerns in this blog, and point to early examples to watch and resources available to help.No doubt, contrarians will say that all this potential data breach fuss is way overblown. This coronavirus, specifically the Covid-19 virus, has no ability to hack anything. This is a health emergency, and trying to scare people, with extra FUD , while we face an international pandemic is just plain wrong. Cant we just drop all this cyber-mumbo-jumbo and help their grandmother get connected to Zoom or perhaps speed up client WiFi networks a bit?Better yet, send over some rolls of toilet paper and some canned soup.But that line of thinking, though perhaps well-intentioned, is seriously flawed. Just like March Madness , or the Olympics (by the way the 2020 version just got delayed a year ) or Hurricane response , major events are often catalysts for cybercrime.In our current global pandemic situation, this 21century reality is not just true regarding phishing scams or fake news , most people are dramatically changing their daily routine, and online life is becoming even more important as we try to communicate while implementing social distancing. The domino-effect of this emergency has led to massive changes that are leading to security vulnerabilities for people, processes and technologies. As NBC News says in this article about our way of life: It may never return. (I actually think it will return to a major extent, but not to exactly the same place we left in February, 2020.)This CNBC video from Mad Money shows some of the necessary steps that are needed now for securing remote work.To show that I am not alone in my views regarding a coming wave of data breaches during our current coronavirus emergency and after the pandemic subsides and staff head back to offices, here are some additional articles worth exploring, including some brief excerpts:Another trend that will emerge is for companies to announce data breaches that do occur at the same time that other headline news is more urgent and grabbing the publics attention. This happened with the Equifax data breach and hurricanes a few years back. Watch out for stories such as these:A technical error resulted in a small number of users being able to access the details of another user, Samsung said in a statement reported by The Register . As soon as we became aware of the incident, we removed the ability to log in to the store on our website until the issue was fixed.How many users were affected remains a mystery. Small number, at least as described by Samsung, could mean millions of users given the company is the worlds largest seller of smartphones.What is clear, however, is that those affected could see details of other Samsung users when logged into the Samsung shop.There are some great resources available to help during these difficult times that can help with telework and other technology and security issues during the pandemic. These resources on working remotely can help prevent data breaches and other cybersecurity incidents.Three of these top resources include: Five more persons, including two women, tested positive for the coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddh Nagar on Sunday, taking the total number of cases in the district to 31, officials said. Those who tested positive for coronavirus on Sunday were a 31-year-old man from Dadri's Bishnoli village, a 19-year-old girl from Noida Sector 27 and two men aged 34 and 35 years and a 35-year-old woman from a housing society in Noida Sector 137, the administration here said in a statement. "The village, sector and society concerned have been temporarily sealed for a period of 48 hours so that sanitisation work could be carried out there. No entry into or exit from the village would be allowed during this period except for emergencies," District Magistrate B N Singh said in an order. All the five latest cases had directly or indirectly come in contact with a London-based man, who had come for audit work in a private firm in Noida's Sector 135, according to officials. An FIR was lodged against the firm on Saturday for hiding information about the British citizen's arrival and stay here from March 14-16 on the basis of a complaint from the district's Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Anurag Bhargava. The contact of infection of all patients in Gautam Buddh Nagar has been traced, the CMO said in a statement and appealed to people to practise social distancing and wash hands frequently to prevent the coronavirus from spreading. Uttar Pradesh has so far recorded 55 COVID-19 cases, while the all-India figure stood at 979, including 25 deaths, on Sunday, according to the Union Health Ministry. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Crowded trains are frustrating at the best of times, but in the midst of a pandemic they could well prove fatal. Despite Boris Johnsons announcement of a nationwide lockdown, images of packed Tube carriages in London have been circulating on social media this week. As the number of coronavirus cases in the UK continues to rise sharply, such pictures must be especially worrying for NHS workers, many of whom rely on public transport to get to and from work. Bike companies in the capital and elsewhere have started to respond to this public health issue by offering free bikes to NHS staff over the coming months. Buzzbike, a bike-rental company founded in 2017, is one of the organisations doing what it can to help. After announcing its willingness last Thursday to provide bikes free of charge to nurses and doctors in London, the company has so far received more than 100 requests from healthcare staff. Tom Hares, the companys CEO and co-founder, told The Independent: We decided even if we could help one doctor or nurse to safely get to work, it would be worth it. We could not have imagined the huge response we would get or the humbling messages of thanks we have received from the NHS heroes on the front line, he added. On Monday, Buzzbike began to drop off its bikes and locks minus the usual delivery and subscription charges. Its bike professors are also on hand to offer on-demand maintenance services. The company is receiving delivery support from a London-based flower company called Elizabeth Marsh Floral Design, which is also giving away posies with every order. Liz Marsh, the owner of the floristry business, said: Giving flowers, with their inherent sense of healing and atonement, seems highly appropriate here where NHS workers are risking their lives to help the current crisis. One doctor, who works in the intensive care unit at Kings College Hospital in Camberwell, London, received his bike from Buzzbike on Tuesday after an overnight shift. He said: I thought itd be a good idea. I usually get public transport to work, but obviously because of coronavirus Im trying to avoid public transport as much as possible. Another doctor, who is part of the A&E team at Croydon University Hospital and usually takes two buses as part of her commute, told The Independent: Im apprehensive about getting on a bus after Ive been seeing coronavirus patients. It doesnt really seem fair. Lots of people on the buses are elderly and frail even now. I did feel uncomfortable using them, she added. Aside from her new mode of transport, she also mentioned other heartwarming acts of kindness she has witnessed over the last week. Over the weekend, shops and restaurants gave pizzas, pastries and flowers to her hospital department. Private individuals also pitched in with donations. One couple provided gingerbread to her and her colleagues, which had been left untouched after their wedding was cancelled at the last minute because of the coronavirus. Laura Gullien Salto, an NHS worker, received her free Buzzbike last week (Sebastiano Ragusa Photography) Referring to these kind gestures, the doctor said: When youre faced with a crisis, it tends to be that people come together and look after each other. Among all the bad news, its nice to be appreciated in small acts of kindness. Its really helped to boost morale. Other bike companies have also laid on their services free of charge, including Brompton Bicycle Ltd, which has so far distributed 200 bikes to allow NHS workers to commute more safely. Beryl Bikes, which operates in Bournemouth and Poole and other areas in the UK, is likewise lending a hand. Citing safe distancing health measures, Phil Ellis, the CEO of Beryl Bikes, said: Weve taken the decision to make Beryl Bikes temporarily free for NHS staff in our operating areas, to help them get around and to say thanks for the important work theyre doing. NHS staff will be able to use the bikes for free for periods of up to one hour. In a statement last week, Transport for London (TfL) announced a similar offer, allowing healthcare professionals free access to its Santander Cycles for rides of up to half an hour. The codes needed to activate TfLs offer have been distributed internally though the NHS. Elsewhere, Mango Bikes, based in Ballyclare, Northern Ireland, has promised to give away 10 bikes to nurses and care workers based on peoples recommendations. The company said in a statement on its website: Maybe itll help them avoid public transport, ensure they get lots of fresh air on the way to or home from work or just bring a smile to their face. Returning to the NHS staff themselves, the intensive care doctor from Kings College Hospital said: Were really grateful that there are a lot of people doing things for us at the moment. Iran on Sunday introduced a 21.3 billion euro relief package to help the vulnerable families and the private sector hit by the coronavirus pandemic, according to Government spokesperson Ali Rabiei. This package was approved in a meeting of country's National Headquarters tasked to fight coronavirus pandemic chaired by President Hassan Rouhani, reported IRNA Part of the allocation will be paid to the Iranian households, workers, and vulnerable classes of society, Rabiei said on his personal Twitter account. He said that almost 16 billion euros of this amount will be given as loans to damaged businesses that have refused to fire their workers. Rabiei also said that "providing medical supplies and medicines as well as increasing ICU beds for COVID-19 patients are also on the agenda," He said that part of the allocated sum will be used as an unemployment insurance fund. President Rouhani said in the meeting of the National Headquarters fighting coronavirus that the patients suffering from COVID-19 will undergo medical treatment free of charge. The Government has undertaken to pay 90 per cent of the cost of medical treatment, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tetrapak billionaire Hans Rausing and his wife Julia are donating 16.5million to aid the fight against coroanvirus in the UK. The money from the Swedish businessman, 56, whose grandfather founded the 9.8billion packaging firm, will go towards supporting NHS staff and volunteers. 5million of the fund will go towards wellbeing packs and the cost of travel, parking and accommodation. Tetrapak billionaire Hans Rausing and his wife Julia are donating 16.5million to aid the fight against coroanvirus This follows a 2.5million grant last week which Mr Rausing and his wife, who he married after the death of his first wife Eva in 2012, pledged for bodies including the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. And over the next six months, the couple have said they will provide a further 9million in donations for causes related to tackling Covid-19. Mr and Mrs Rausing said: 'The Covid-19 Appeals launched by organisations such as NHS Charities Together provides immediate support to the well-being of the NHS staff who are at the forefront of this national emergency. 'All its staff and volunteers within the NHS are making huge sacrifices every day to care for those unwell and this is a rallying cry to inspire others to support these national heroes and provide vital support for those in need.' The money from the Swedish businessman, 56, will go towards supporting NHS staff and volunteers. Mr Rausing, whose father died in August last year, married Julia Delves Broughton in 2014. Pictured: The couple in 2016 Ellie Orton, Chief Executive of NHS Charities Together, said:'This 5 million grant from the philanthropists Julia and Hans Rausing is an incredible gift and marks the single biggest donation from a family or individual in our appeal. 'We have increased our target to 100 million and we hope others join the appeal to support the awe-inspiring work being carried out by NHS staff and volunteers up and down the country to fight this pandemic.' Mr Rausing, whose father died in August last year, married Julia Delves Broughton in 2014. She is the granddaughter of Sir Jock Delves Broughton, who was a member of the Happy Valley set of Kenya in the Thirties and Forties, and was tried but not convicted for the murder of Josslyn Hay, the Earl of Erroll, in 1941. Mr Rausing fell under the spotlight in 2012 after his first wife Ms Rausing's drug-induced death. He had convinced his servants that Ms Rausing was in bed with a fever before her body was found eight weeks later. Mr Rausing, whose father died in August last year, fell under the spotlight in 2012 after his wife Eva Rausing's drug induced death. Pictured: The couple in 2003 Mr Rausing had banned staff from entering the couple's squalid 'crack den' bedroom in their otherwise-immaculate 70million London mansion. Ms Rausing's rotting body was found covered with 12 layers of clothes, blankets and plastic, with deodorant used to mask the smell. Mr Rausing was arrested and charged with preventing the lawful and decent burial of a body an offence that can carry a limitless penalty. He pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to ten months imprisonment, suspended for two years. He was also sentenced to two months imprisonment, suspended for two years, for driving when unfit through drugs. Deliveroo will serve 500,000 free meals including pizzas, salads and pasta to NHS workers on the frontlines of Britain's battle against coronavirus. Pizza Hut has offered 350,000 meals to the initiative while Itsu and Lewis Hamilton's Neat Burger have said they will offer a 'sizeable' number to the health service. Deliveroo customers ordering food will also be able to donate through the app, contributing funds to buy meals for nurses and doctors. Hospitals and NHS staff have been working long hours and in difficult conditions as they treat patients suffering from the virus. Deliveroo will send 500,000 free meals to the NHS during Britain's coronavirus outbreak The Secretary of State for Health Matt Hancock has thanked the delivery giant and restaurants for their donations. He has tested positive for coronavirus Deliveroo said it would start deliveries next week after talking to hospitals to identify 'where need is greatest'. The company's CEO and founder, Will Shu, said NHS staff are the 'real heroes of this crisis'. 'We want to do our small part to support them,' he said. 'Thanks to our dedicated riders the generosity of our restaurant partners and their teams who are keeping kitchens open to serve those most in need, we hope to be able to make a difference. 'Deliveroo is a British business and, as the founder, nothing would make me more proud than to use the network we have built to support the NHS, and I know the restaurant sector wants to play its part too.' The Secretary of State for Health Matt Hancock, who has tested positive for coronavirus, thanked the delivery giant and the restaurants, saying he was 'delighted' that the NHS would receive the donations. 'The nation needs the NHS like never before, and we must support every single colleague in the NHS,' he said in a statement. 'I'm delighted that Deliveroo and partners are playing their part in this great national effort with half-a-million meals for the NHS. We can best come through this if we pull together.' The UK has recorded almost 20,000 cases of coronavirus so far and more than 1,000 deaths Competitor Just Eat has said it will offer 33 per cent off all orders for NHS staff during the crisis. Uber Eats is also offering 25 per cent off for NHS staff through its app. The UK's coronavirus death toll leapt by 209 today to 1,228, while infections rose by 2,483 to 19,522. NHS hospitals across the country are reportedly struggling to cope with the influx of patients, and having to turn away those seeking treatment for other conditions. The government has started building overflow hospitals. The NHS Nightingale has been set up at London's ExCel centre to help them deal with an influx of patients. A campaign to provide hospital staff with hot meals backed by actors Matt Lucas, Damian Lewis and Helen McCrory has surpassed 400,000 in donations. A partnership between restaurant chain Leon, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and UCLH Healthcare NHS Trust, the FeedNHS campaign is aiming to raise 1 million to provide 6,000 meals a day for hospitals in the capital. The government has built the NHS Nightingale hospital at London's ExCel centre due to the coronavirus outbreak A similar campaign called Meals for the NHS has raised more than 250,000 to help provide free hot meals for frontline staff - less than seven days after it was launched by a small group of friends. It has since provided 4,000 meals to hospitals with tens of thousands more expected soon. Andrew Muir Wood, one of the founders, told the PA news agency: 'It's hard for anyone to operate on an empty stomach let alone people trying to save lives, so we got together trying to work out how we could solve that.' Thai AirAsia cancels all domestic flights next month THAILAND: Thai AirAsia will suspend operations on all domestic routes from April 1-30, the airline announced on Friday (Mar 27). CoronavirusCOVID-19healthtransporttourism By Bangkok Post Sunday 29 March 2020, 11:53AM A Thai AirAsia plane sits on the tarmac at Don Mueang airport on Friday (Mar 27). Photo: Pattarapong Chatpattarasill The budget airline said it will temporarily suspend the flights during the period as part of the cooperation with the goverment to stem the spread of the coronavirus. All airlines around the world are suffering from reduced demand due to travel restrictions in bids to fight COVID-19. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Sunday that he would remain in self-imposed isolation even though his wife, who had contracted the coronavirus, has recovered. Although Sophie Gregoire Trudeau received the all-clear from her physicians on Saturday, the prime minister said, and he himself has no symptoms, he had been "sharing a roof with someone who tested positive for COVID-19." "I have to continue in isolation in order to be sure that weare following all the protocols and the recommendations by Health Canada," Trudeau said. Since doctors did not know exactly when Sophie Trudeau became virus-free, the prime minister said he would observe another 14 full days of confinement. Addressing reporters from the porch of his Rideau Cottage residence in Ottawa, Trudeau noted that workers across Canada had discovered that they can do an "awful lot of work via telephone, via video conferences -- and that's exactly what I am doing." The prime minister has been in self-isolation since his wife tested positive for the coronavirus on March 12 following a trip to London. She announced Saturday that her physicians had pronounced her cured, giving her a green light to return to normal life. Justin Trudeau said his wife had taken their children to Harrington Lake, just northwest of Ottawa, the site of a summer residence and official retreat for Canadian prime ministers. Trudeau also announced new financial measures to help vulnerable Canadians -- particularly children and the aged -- hard hit by the side-effects of the coronavirus. Asked at the news conference whether he might call on Canada's armed forces to help enforce officially imposed travel curbs, Trudeau said he had no plans to do so for now. Separately, Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, called on Canadians returning to their country to strictly respect the 14 days of confinement imposed by the government. She referred in particular to "snowbirds" -- the Canadians who pass much of the winter in Florida and other warmer locales, many of whom have recently been returning home. As of Sunday, 6,243 Canadians had tested positive for the coronavirus, and 64 have died, according to a tally from Johns Hopkins University. Advertisement By West Kentucky Star Staff Mar. 29, 2020 | MARSHALL COUNTY By West Kentucky Star Staff Mar. 29, 2020 | 10:02 AM | MARSHALL COUNTY The Marshall County Health Department has received notification of the countys first confirmed case of coronavirus (COVID19). Marshall County Health Department Public Information Officer, Jennifer Brown, says the patient is a 31 year old male in stable condition. She says while the risk to the general public is low, they are working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Kentucky Department for Public Health (DPH) to identify and contact all those who may have been exposed. These individuals will be monitored for fever and respiratory symptoms. The department is working closely to ensure that any close contacts of the patient are identified and monitored, and that all infections control protocols are being followed. Privacy protection laws only permit the release of limited patient information. The health department is unable to release any additional patient information. With the help of our federal, state, and local partners, Marshall County Health Department is responding to this case as we have planned and prepared for weeks. said Joanna Colson, Clinical Director for the Marshall County Health Department. The State and Local Health Department has been preparing for weeks to ensure that we have the resources and systems in place to limit or prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Kentucky. Given the global spread of this illness, the question was never if Marshall County would have a case, but when it would arrive. Said Billy Pitts, Public Health Director for the Marshall County Health Department. The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus. However, there are simple preventative actions you can do to help prevent the spread of this virus. The Marshall County Health Department offers these tips: Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Stay home when you are sick. Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe. Human coronaviruses most commonly spread from an infected person to others through: Respiratory droplets released into the air by coughing and sneezing; Close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands; Touching an object or surface with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes before washing your hands. Individuals experiencing symptoms should first contact the Marshall County Health Department or health their care provider. Additional help can be found at kycovid19.ky.gov, or by calling the state hotline (1-800-722-5725), your medical provider, or the Marshall County Health Department (270-527-1496). Please see our Facebook page for the latest information. This is an ongoing situation and is evolving rapidly and Marshall County Health Department will provide more information as it becomes available. President Patrice Talon announced Sunday that Benin could not enforce public confinement because it lacks the "means of rich countries" who are fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. "Rich countries are putting up huge amounts of money and some are even resorting to barely disguised monetary solutions, or printing notes to prevent what would otherwise be unavoidable socio-economic chaos," he said in a televised address. "Benin (...) does not have such means," Talon said. "If we take measures which starve everybody, they will quickly end up being defied and violated." The president did announce from Monday a 'cordon sanitaire' around eight major urban areas, including the business capital Cotonou where public transport will be halted. But questions have been asked about the lack of protective measures in the West African country where officially just six cases of novel coronavirus have been recorded. A student demonstration at Cotonou's Abomey-Calvi university last week calling for classes to be halted ended with one protester dead. Schools, churches and mosques were ordered to close on March 22-23. Neighbouring Togo has reported 28 cases and Ghana 141. Both have imposed confinement or restrictions on movement. Across Africa 4,267 cases have been declared with 134 deaths, although testing has been limited in many countries where large numbers of people live in poverty. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) We have been warning of the costs and dangers of imbalanced trade for decades. With the election of Donald Trump, U.S. voters showed they got it. But our country's elites in Congress and the bureaucracy have dragged their feet. Perhaps with COVID-19, U.S. elites will recognize that imbalanced trade is killing the U.S. and finally get behind President Trump to fix it. When a country configures its policies so that it consistently buys almost a trillion dollars more in goods from abroad than it sells, several things happen. First, it stops making stuff. Second, it goes deep in debt to foreigners. Third, it becomes less resilient in the face of disasters and threats. The consequences of imbalanced trade are dramatically apparent in the manifold weaknesses revealed by the current pandemic. When China fought the virus, its medical workers had available top-quality respirators and full-body protective suits. Millions of face masks were sent to the people of Wuhan, allowing each person to play a role in reducing transmission of the virus. When American companies produce abroad, their factories may be taken over by the countries where the factories reside. In fact, that is exactly what happened in China during the COVID-19 epidemic, as President Trump's economic adviser Peter Navarro pointed out in an interview with Maria Bartiromo on February 23 (see the 2:15 mark): In terms of the immediate issue, face masks the N-95 face masks, China put export restrictions on those masks and then nationalized an American factory that produces them there. As the U.S. attempts to fight the pandemic that spread from China, our hospitals have dwindling supplies of the most basic protective gear and no possibility of providing our medical workers with the kind of protection China's doctors and nurses had available. The U.S. faces this crisis underprepared in large part because the stuff needed to fight the virus isn't made here. As our test kits run short of basic components, like swabs, and advanced components, like chemical reactants, the effort to ramp up testing continues to falter with ridiculously strict criteria that keep even people with classic symptoms and known exposure from getting tested. In the face of shortages, public health officials have chosen to lie in order to conserve vital stocks of the face masks that have played a critical role in reduced public transmission in China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, the Czech Republic, and Singapore. The absence of industry because of deindustrialization reduces the range of firms that could repurpose production to meet the shortfalls. Many in the elite are still trying to undermine Trump on trade, just as they did on border security. Many in the bureaucracy even dragged their feet at implementing the measures that were needed to keep those with the COVID-19 virus out of the country. The authors have developed proposals that would balance trade, including the single country import certificate (our 2008 book) and the scaled tariff (our 2014 book). Congress could enact one of our proposals or enact the United States Reciprocal Trade Act, proposed by the Trump administration. Such a law would provide investors and companies with the sure knowledge that U.S. trade will be moving toward balance. It would accelerate their building of new factories and R&D facilities in the U.S., which would reindustrialize the U.S. and, more importantly, go a long way towards restoring our ability to survive shocks, such as COVID-19. COVID-19 is just one of many crises to come that will reveal how imbalanced trade is killing U.S. jobs, power, and people. Comprehensive action to fix the problem is decades overdue. The Richmans co-authored the 2014 book Balanced Trade, published by Lexington Books, and the 2008 book Trading Away Our Future, published by Ideal Taxes Association. Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr. Iran's president on Sunday lashed out at criticism of authorities' lagging response to the worst coronavirus outbreak in the Middle East, saying the government has to weigh economic concerns as it takes measures to contain the pandemic. Syria meanwhile reported the first fatality from the virus in the war-torn country, which has five confirmed infections. State agency SANA said a woman died upon reaching an emergency room and tested positive for the virus, without saying where it happened. Syria has closed schools, restaurants and nightclubs, and imposed a nighttime curfew last week aimed at preventing the virus' spread. Its health care system has been battered by nearly a decade of civil war, leaving the country particularly vulnerable. Libya, which has also been mired in chaos since 2011, reported another five cases, bringing its total to eight. The country is split by rival governments, each backed by an array of militias, that have been battling over the capital, Tripoli, for nearly a year. Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said authorities had to consider the effect of mass quarantine efforts on Iran's beleaguered economy, which is under heavy US sanctions. It's a dilemma playing out across the globe, as leaders struggle to strike a balance between restricting human contact and keeping their economies from crashing. Health is a principle for us, but the production and security of society is also a principle for us," Rouhani said at a Cabinet meeting. We must put these principles together to reach a final decision." This is not the time to gather followers, he added. This is not a time for political war. Even before the pandemic, Rouhani was under fire for the unraveling of the 2015 nuclear deal he concluded with the United States and other world powers. President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the agreement and has imposed crippling sanctions on Iran that prevent it from selling oil on international markets. Iran has rejected U.S. offers of humanitarian aid. State TV on Sunday reported another 123 deaths, pushing Iran's overall toll to 2,640 amid 38,309 confirmed cases. Most people suffer only minor symptoms, such as fever and coughing, and recover within a few weeks. But the virus can cause severe illness and death, especially in elderly patients or those with underlying health problems. It is highly contagious, and can be spread by those showing no symptoms. In recent days, Iran has ordered the closure of nonessential businesses and banned travel between cities. But those measures came long after other countries in the region imposed more sweeping lockdowns. Many Iranians are still flouting orders to stay home in what could reflect widespread distrust of authorities. Iran has urged the international community to lift sanctions and is seeking a USD 5 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund. Elsewhere in the region, Qatar reported its first death from the new coronavirus late Saturday, saying the total number of reported cases there was at least 590. The tiny, energy-rich nation said it flew 31 Bahrainis stranded in Iran into Doha on a state-run Qatar Airways flight. But since Bahrain is one of four Arab countries that have been boycotting Qatar in a political dispute since 2017, Doha said it could not fly the 31 onward to the island kingdom. Bahraini officials have said they will send a flight for them at some undefined point in the future, the Qatari government said in a statement. Bahrain said it planned a flight Sunday to pick up the stranded passengers. The kingdom said it had its own repatriation flights scheduled for those still stuck in Iran and warned Qatar that it should stop interfering with these flights. In Egypt, at least 1,200 Sudanese are stranded at the border after Sudan closed all its crossings, according to Egyptian officials at one of the crossings. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media. Sudan, which is still reeling from the uprising that toppled President Omar al-Bashir last year, has five confirmed cases, including one fatality. It's one of several countries in the region where the health care system has been degraded by years of war and sanctions. Authorities closed the borders to prevent any further spread. Sudan's Information Minister Faisal Saleh said Sudanese authorities are looking for lodging in Egypt for the stranded passengers. He said authorities have quarantined at least 160 undocumented migrants who were sent into Sudan from war-torn Libya earlier this month. Residents in Egypt's southern city of Luxor say they are providing shelter to the stranded Sudanese. We have provided food and medicine to the Sudanese brothers," said Mahmoud Abdel-Rahim, a local farmer. People hosted women, children and elders in their homes. Egypt, which has reported 576 cases and 36 fatalities, imposed restrictions on cash deposits and withdrawals to prevent crowding at banks as payrolls and pensions are disbursed. Authorities began imposing a nighttime curfew last week. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Millions of people around the world will turn off their lights on Saturday for Earth Hour, an international event which encourages everyone to protect the planet. Started in Australia in 2007, the environmental movement Earth Hour asks households and landmarks across the globe to switch off their lights. The event, organised by the conservation charity WWF, takes place throughout Saturday, with buildings going dark between 8.30pm and 9.30pm local time in each country. The WWF is not promoting public gatherings because of the coronavirus pandemic, but wants supporters to join in at home through online events. Earth Hour wrote on its official Twitter page last week: At its core #EarthHour has always been about the power of the people. Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Show all 12 1 /12 Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions NO2-concentrations-us-NEW-YORK-1.jpg Weighted mean NO2 concentrations in cities across US. They are weighted using quality information provided by the satellite data provider. Descartes Labs Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions New York Descartes Labs Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Denver Descartes Labs Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Denver Descartes Labs Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Chicago Descartes Labs Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Chicago Descartes Labs Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Detroit Descartes Labs Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Detroit Descartes Labs Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Houston Descartes Labs Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Houston Descartes Labs Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Los Angeles Descartes Labs Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Los Angeles Descartes Labs During these times, whilst we may not be able to get together in person, we can still symbolically stand in solidarity with millions of others across the world from the comfort of our own homes, the post added. It is thought that more than 7,000 cities in 170 countries took part last year. The Shard in London, Blackpool Tower and Old Trafford in Manchester are among the buildings expected to turn off their lights in the UK to mark this years event. Katie White, executive director of advocacy and campaigns at WWF-UK, said: "These are really unprecedented times, and I know a lot of people are looking for ways to connect and feel connected. "In this global health crisis, now is a pivotal time for us to work together to safeguard our future and the future of our planet, she added. Additional reporting from PA China reported 45 new cases of confirmed infections including 44 imported cases and one indigenous case in the mainland on Saturday, down from 54 the previous say, said the countrys National Health Commission (NHC). The NHC has so far received 81,439 reports of confirmed cases and 3,300 deaths in 31 provincial-level regions on the Chinese mainland and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps and in all 75,448 patients had been cured and discharged from hospital. So far, the Chinese mainland has reported 693 imported confirmed cases from overseas. There still remained 2,691 confirmed cases (including 742 in serious condition) and 174 suspected cases. So far, 701,884 people have been identified as having had close contact with infected patients. A total of 18,581 are now under medical observation, said NHC. On March 28, Hubei reported no new cases of confirmed infections, no new cases of suspected infections, and 5 deaths (all in Wuhan). 467 patients (all in Wuhan) were released from hospital after being cured. TradeArabia News Service As several countries have imposed a lockdown in a bid to contain the spread of coronavirus, this has left many people contemplating what really is essential. While healthcare workers, law enforcement, utility workers, food and communications are exempted from lockdowns, some lists of activities are also exempted that reflect national identity or the efforts of lobbyists. From alcohol to guns, countries have included them on the list of essentials as cultural identity is believed to be really important touchstones material markers of certainty and comfort. List of essentials around the world According to international media reports, in some US states, gold, guns, and marijuana have been ruled essential. Several US states have deemed pot shops and workers in the markets supply chain essential as the authorities have emphasised on its medical uses. The officials have reportedly said that it is the very definition of essential as individuals can still access their medicine at this time. Read: Coronavirus: Following In China's Footsteps, Vietnam Bans Wildlife Trade Gun shops, on the other hand, is included in the list. As per reports, Pennsylvania Governor reportedly allowed gun shops to reopen, but only by appointment during limited hours if customers and employees comply with social distancing and other protective measures. There is a lot of variation across US as a national stay-at-home order has not been issued as of yet. In Britain, alcohol is on the list of essential as soon after the lockdown, supermarkets were running out of beer, wine and spirits. Britain has also issued to close non-essential operations, however, Britons can still get fish and chips and other meals as long as they are carry-out. Similarly, in France, shops specialising in pastry, wine and cheese have been declared essential business. Read: Test Of Man Who Ended Life Fearing Having Contracted Coronavirus Returns Negative Meanwhile, in India, the information technology sector has been considered as essential. The whole world is dependent on the internet and due to the lockdown, countless people have been confined to their homes. People need the internet for communication, streaming movies and to play video games online in a bid to keep themselves entertained. Italy, which has the most stringent rules, have only allowed essential businesses such as food shops and pharmacies to remain open amid the crisis. Israel, on the other hand, has allowed people to gather for outdoor prayers, however, only maximum 10 worshippers standing two feet apart are only allowed. China also allowed the truck drivers delivering food, disinfectant and medical supplies as essential workers. (Image source: Representative/Unsplash) Read: Pope Francis Prays Alone In Saint Peter's Square During Coronavirus Pandemic Read: Coronavirus Claims More Than 30,000 Lives, Over 6,00,000 Infected Globally Nigel Farage has admitted breaking coronavirus lockdown rules by leaving the house eight times in the past five days. The rules imposed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson last week stated that people should only be leaving the house for exercise once a day or to buy essentials. The measures are part of a drive to limit the spread of coronavirus, which has now infected more than 17,000 people in the UK, killing 1,019. But Mr Farage said on his LBC radio show on Sunday that he has been out for exercise on multiple occasions in recent days. Nigel Farage has admitted breaking coronavirus lockdown rules by leaving the house eight times in the past five days In an exchange with a listener, Mr Farage said: 'I am going to be honest with you, in the last five days I have been out walking eight times. 'So there are three days this week [where] I went out walking early in the morning, and I went out again in the afternoon. 'I didn't see a single person, I wasn't putting anybody else at risk including myself, and I think we just need to apply common sense here.' He added that if the lockdown continues as expected until June, 'people are going to need to get out for their own mental health'. Reacting on Twitter, some listeners criticised the former UKIP leader for flouting the rules. One wrote: 'encouraging people live on air to flout govt guidelines is a low point, even for him. This could literally cost lives, how does he still get airtime?' Another wrote: 'Generally I have time for @Nigel_Farage but not this morning. 'We have to minimise #risk and think about #actions that could be avoided & that could add to the stretched #EmergencyServices & everyone else who are complying to the national #rules.' A third just said: 'Nigel farage [sic] just admitted he went walking more than once a day.' The rules imposed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson last week stated that people should only be leaving the house once a day for exercise or to buy essentials. Pictured: Empty streets outside St Paul's Cathedral on Sunday Reacting on Twitter, some listeners criticised the former UKIP leader for flouting the rules Mr Farage's comments come despite a plea from Mr Johnson for the public to obey the lockdown and stay home during the coronavirus 'national emergency'. The Prime Minister, who is self-isolating after testing positive for Covid-19, is writing to every household in the UK. Mr Johnson will warn 'things will get worse before they get better' as he stresses the need to stay indoors to support the NHS by slowing the spread. At an anticipated cost of 5.8 million, the letters will land on 30 million doorsteps along with a leaflet spelling out the Government's advice following much public confusion. It comes as Britain's coronavirus death toll rocketed by 260 to 1,019 today as the UK suffered its worst day yet and saw a huge spike in victims. Across the country a total of 120,776 coronavirus tests have taken place, and a whopping 17,089 have come back positive for Covid-19. The letters and leaflets are the latest in a public information campaign from No 10 to convince people to stay at home, wash their hands and shield the most vulnerable from the disease. 'We know things will get worse before they get better,' the PM's letter will read. 'But we are making the right preparations, and the more we all follow the rules, the fewer lives will be lost and the sooner life can return to normal. 'It has been truly inspirational to see our doctors, nurses and other carers rise magnificently to the needs of the hour. 'Thousands of retired doctors and nurses are returning to the NHS and hundreds of thousands of citizens are volunteering to help the most vulnerable. 'That is why, at this moment of national emergency, I urge you, please, to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives.' Mr Farage's comments come despite a plea from Mr Johnson for the public to obey the lockdown and stay home during the coronavirus 'national emergency' The Prime Minister, who is self-isolating after testing positive for Covid-19, is writing to every household in the UK Amid allegations of confusing messages on the lockdown, the leaflet will outline the Government's rules on leaving the house and advice on shielding vulnerable people. A clear explanation of the symptoms will also be included as will guidance on hand washing. Panic has gripped the nation as it was revealed that today's total number of deaths is 34 per cent higher than yesterday's and today has seen the largest daily increase since March 18, when the total shot up from 71 to 104. michael barbaro Jiayang, do you remember the first time that you started thinking about the backlash in this country against Asian-Americans in response to the coronavirus? jiayang fan Yeah, I mean, around, I guess, this is the beginning of March. I had seen on Instagram a friend and a fellow writer documenting an incident in Manhattan, where I think he is Korean-American, and he was told by a stranger to get away. But I remember reading about that incident and thinking, yeah, I mean, thats really terrible that this has happened, but wondering, is this a singular incident, or is there a trend? As a journalist and perhaps by my own personal temperament, Im pretty cautious. I dont like to make sensational generalizations that go well on a headline. I feel like I need very convincing proof that something is happening before I call it. And especially as a Chinese-American, I wanted to make sure that I was not crying racism before I had the full evidence. I wonder if its because if I dont make too big a deal out of it, it wont be fully real. michael barbaro From The New York Times, Im Michael Barbaro. This is The Daily. woman I get to the gate at LAX. man Home Depot. woman In an Uber Pool. man A grocery store, Wegmans. child We were walking from the gym to get in our classrooms. man I got some milk, a little pasta. Most everythings gone. woman And at that moment, there was this guy, looked like a regular guy. He was staring at me. michael barbaro As the death toll from the coronavirus rises in the U.S., so do reports of verbal and physical attacks against Asian-Americans woman And a couple of seats away from me, a man was seated. And presumably his wife comes back to sit down and says out loud man You people you, brought it. Youre sick. woman Fuck China. child China is stupid. man I ought to kill you. I ought to shoot you. woman This girl looks Chinese. She must have the virus. I cant sit next to her. michael barbaro Who say that they are being blamed for the pandemic. archived recording (journalist) A person at the White House used the term kung-flu. My question is, do you think thats wrong? archived recording (donald trump) Kung-flu? archived recording (journalist) Kung-flu. And do you think using the term Chinese virus, that puts Asian-Americans at risk, that people might target them? archived recording (donald trump) No, not at all. No, not at all. I think they probably would agree with it 100%. It comes from China. Theres nothing not to agree with. Ill have the last question. michael barbaro Today man When the president asked, I dont think they would mind it being called the Chinese virus, I mind! child It did make me feel different, and didnt really want to be Chinese because of the coronavirus. michael barbaro Jiayang Fan, a writer for The New Yorker magazine, shares her story. Its Friday, April 10th. Jiayang, can you tell me a little bit about your childhood? Where did you grow up? jiayang fan I was born in 1984 in Chongqing, China. My mom was a doctor. My dad was a researcher. And he was one of the first batch of scholars sent to the U.S. to bring Western knowledge and technology back to China. So he leaves when Im about two, so I have very little memory of him. But for my mom and I, life in China feels very serene and comfortable. [speaking chinese] Whatever sense I have of the outside world, the world beyond China, is very, very vague and incredibly hazy, like Im not quite sure it exists. But I think if one place were to stand out, it would be the United States. I remember my mom and her friends talking about the show Dynasty, which did telegraph the glamor of the U.S. archived recording I like that one. Its a rather expensive fur. I like the mink. That is mink? jiayang fan The sense that this is what an everyday Joe would inhabit. michael barbaro And this of course, is a soap opera about an incredibly wealthy oil family living in a crazy gorgeous home, and driving along oil fields. So its actually quite exceptional. archived recording My name happens to be Mrs. Steven Carrington. Im not used to haggling over what suits me, or what it costs. jiayang fan Well, it was the show, and it was also at the time in China what was very popular were these calendars of American families, where every member had golden hair, sparkling blue eyes and perfect bone structure, and they were always smiling with their perfect white teeth. They always were sitting by a perfect colonial house, or just out in nature, but in front of a park that they looked like they owned. [laughter] And I remember the food that really encapsulated America to me were Cheerios. michael barbaro Cheerios? archived recording Its the big yellow box that everyone knows. jiayang fan Yes, Cheerios. I had no idea what they tasted like, but the company did fantastic branding in China. archived recording Cheerios number one. We love it! Toasty oat goodness. jiayang fan I remember the picture of the perfect baby on these ads for Cheerios. You know, the round cheeks, the blue eyes. That baby got to have this superior breakfast food that I, in all likelihood, would never get to taste. archived recording Cheerios number one! jiayang fan So theres me, drinking my Chinese porridge, and eating my pickled vegetables, and having fantasies about Cheerios, which I learned years later to not be very tasty at all there. Theyre actually tasteless. michael barbaro To be like the definition of blandness, but in your mind, they are this superior food for this blond haired, perfect group of people. jiayang fan Yeah, for superior people, to put it bluntly. I mean, I still remember actually the first time I heard English. I think it might have been my fifth or sixth birthday, and my mom might have come back pretty recently from English language training sessions. And she just said the words happy birthday. That was astounding to me. It was like my mom was superwoman, that she knew how to say this language that did not sound like a language to me. Happy birthday. I still remember the way the syllables came out of her mouth, and the image, which was of a tsunami. There was this tidal wave of one syllable consuming the next one that, to me, was very incomprehensible. And I remember at the time thinking, I will never learn this language. I have no hopes of ever learning this language. Which is probably OK, because I only need one language, right? And its Chinese. michael barbaro Oh. [speaking chinese] jiayang fan But essentially something happens in the June of 89 that changes my fathers fate as well as that of my mom and I forever. archived recording (journalist) The noise of gunfire rose from all over the center of Peking. jiayang fan The Tiananmen massacre. archived recording (journalist) Theres a mood of terror in the center of the city and quiet jiayang fan So the U.S. government immediately makes provisions for Chinese scholars, who might need to flee from China. archived recording (journalist) The demonstrators in Tiananmen Square jiayang fan And that was when my mother and I joined my father in the U.S. [speaking chinese] michael barbaro What do you remember about first arriving in the U.S.? jiayang fan We land in J.F.K., and my father is living at the time in New Haven, Connecticut. And that drive from J.F.K. to New Haven, it is gray and drab, like tones that are not at all what I had imagined. So I keep waiting for the real America to reveal itself to me. So it is a rude awakening when my dad leads us to his second floor studio. Theres just a mattress on the floor, and I think it takes me a good minute to realize that this is my new home. And the loss of a language is pretty traumatic for me. michael barbaro How so? jiayang fan School started a few months later, and I could not understand my teachers, my classmates. And repeatedly my new American teachers ask me, why arent you talking more? Why arent you engaging? And those expectations, I think, are hard for me to fully understand. And I feel like Im walking blind into a game, where I dont know the rules. michael barbaro Mm-hm. jiayang fan I mean, not only do I not speak the language, Im bringing pickled fish and rice, and thats not sitting well with the other kids at a lunch table. All I feel is defeat. michael barbaro Hm. It sounds very lonely. jiayang fan Yeah, retrospectively, I think what made me feel most lonely was that I couldnt share those feelings with my mother. And I think for my mother, who worked very low paying menial labor jobs in the U.S., a drastic step down from her position as a doctor in China, she must have felt as marginalized and as embarrassed by her immigrant status as I do, but in an adult way, but similarly lacking in an emotional vocabulary to express those feelings. michael barbaro What do you mean? jiayang fan Like, I remember going to the mall for the first time with my mother. And my moms favorite pastime was window shopping, just looking at things that she couldnt afford. And I remember one time someone trying to hand her maybe a flyer for some store, and she said, no, thanks. But she couldnt pronounce it correctly, so this young man said No sex? Did you say no sex? No sex? And I think I was like 11 or 12 at the time. I remember that my mother actually just in this embarrassed way laughed, like out of anxiety, like she wanted it to be OK. She wanted to respond in a way to indicate that she was not offended. But I remember the way that my cheek just felt hot and red, they grew, and how I felt so humiliated on my mothers behalf. And that experience feels seared into my brain, not just because of the insult, but because my mother had to swallow her own humiliation. michael barbaro Did you understand, given your age, that this was racism? I mean, how did you process it in that moment? jiayang fan I think I turned over the incident in my mind for a long time after that. I dont think I would have coded it as racism. I think I almost only understood racism as something that white people inflicted on black people. I had no idea or I had very little idea of how Asians fit into the landscape of race in the U.S. And I didnt know how to understand incidents in which you were not called a very specific racial slur. Like that no thanks, no sex? Like michael barbaro What was that? jiayang fan What was that? Exactly. I think as an 11-year-old, in my head, I didnt want to be different. I didnt want to be the one lashing out at others for being racist because inevitably that would make me seem even more different. And I think my mother, my mother was the closest person in my life. But if she had a religion, it would be survival. I learned from my mother not to rock the boat, not to shake the existing system, to basically understand how the existing system works, and then to ascend it in some way, to climb the ladder. As long as you fit in better, you will live a more comfortable life here. And that should be the goal. michael barbaro And did things start to get a little bit better, eventually? jiayang fan I start speaking better English. I start really enjoying and then falling in love with the English language, something that I thought would never happen. Thats really important for me, I have to admit. When that language, English, came to feel like a part of my body, I have to say that felt like a homecoming to me. michael barbaro Hm. And how old are you at this point, where youre starting to fall in love with the language? jiayang fan I think around maybe 12 or 13. michael barbaro Mm-hm. jiayang fan And Ill never forget the first time in sixth grade, when I said the phrase come on. Like, this sounds silly, but it was only sixth grade when I could comfortably say come on to a schoolmate, and I felt very triumphant. michael barbaro As if to say, enough of that, come on. jiayang fan Exactly. When I could say that, I was so aware of myself saying it, and I was saying it the way that a normal American speaker would say it. And Ill never forget the sense of pride that coursed through me. And there was no one I could celebrate it with, right? Because imagine if then I turned to the classmate who I said come on with and said, did you hear me? I just said come on! [laughter] That would have totally defeated its purpose, but I remember it, because it felt like a real Americanism. And it just rolled off my tongue. michael barbaro So in that moment, you finally feel like you belong. jiayang fan Exactly. But I still see myself predominantly as a visitor, and that my existence is pretty probational on good behavior. And if I behave well, I will be able to minimize the number of times that I stick out as someone who doesnt belong. But then I started to realize, thats not exactly how it works. michael barbaro Well be right back. So, Jiayang, I wonder if you can tell me about what happened to you recently. jiayang fan So this was in mid-March, when there were rumors that New York City would be put under lockdown because of coronavirus. And I wanted to make sure I had enough food in the house, if I had to stay in for an indefinite period of time. michael barbaro Mm-hm. jiayang fan And I was also really worried about my mother, who has a neurodegenerative disease and lives in a nursing home close by. I knew that I wouldnt be able to see her for a while, and I had several errands lined up. One was to take out the trash. One was to mail my rent check. And one was to go a few blocks away to my neighbors house, to pick up a sack of rice. It was around evening time, and I had just left my apartment building, and I was on the phone, talking to my mothers health aide in Chinese. And as I was turning around after putting the trash in the trash bin this is right in front of my apartment. I heard Chinese, Chinese, Chinese bitch. Fucking Chinese. But it all I dont think I fully believed what I was hearing. And when I made eye contact with him, he kept speaking. Youre fucking Chinese. And I realized that that I was comprehending that what he was saying did not stop him. michael barbaro Mm-hm. jiayang fan That was when in my ear, my moms aide paused and said, Are you OK? Is something happening? And I couldnt really speak. I found myself walking down the street. I think I was still really set on, I need to get rice, but then I found it really hard to continue walking, because my legs just felt leaden. Like, I really, really wanted to continue walking. It would have only been a 10 minute walk away for me to fetch that rice, but I found myself coming to a halt. And even, I thought, if I just kept talking on the phone with my aide, but then I thought, Im talking in Chinese. Who else am I going to offend? And then I just got off the phone. And once I got off the phone, I felt even more scared, because I was so aware of being alone. michael barbaro So this is not embarrassment or even shame in this moment. This is just terror. jiayang fan This is a very real sense of fright that Im not going to make it to my friends house to get my sack of rice. michael barbaro Jiayang, we started this conversation with you saying that your instinct, and maybe its because youre a journalist, maybe its as an Asian-American, maybe its both, is to minimize these incidents, and to be slow to see them as part of a larger phenomenon. But it sounds like this was different for you. Am I right to think that? jiayang fan Yeah, I mean, this is not the first time Ive been called a Chinese bitch. But what was different about this incident was that this man seemed to really mean it. And I wondered. I mean, in retrospect, right, I wondered at the relationship between the sense of conviction in the mans voice, his certainty that he was in the right to point out my Chineseness and to call me a Chinese bitch. michael barbaro Mm-hm. jiayang fan And I think about the things that were going on in his day, like did he lose his job earlier in the day because of this virus? I mean, does he work in the service industry? Does he have a loved one who has also become a prisoner in a nursing home or hospital? And I think about the way that all those anxieties, and rage and sadness, might have hardened into something like an instrument, almost a weapon. michael barbaro Hm. jiayang fan And I think about me being a surface onto which he could use that weapon and lash out. michael barbaro Hm. jiayang fan And I think about the probational nature of my Chinese-American existence, in a sense that, in better times, in normal times, there are certain stereotypes that are cast upon me when I walk down the street. But in a moment of crisis, when it seems plausible that the country where I was born could be responsible for an unprecedented pandemic, that I become a person of suspicion, and I become someone who is quite easy perhaps to target all your ire and anxieties, and that maybe it gave him temporary relief to be able to identify someone or something as the cause for his hurt and for his anxieties. michael barbaro So what do you do? jiayang fan So I go home, double lock my door, pull out my phone and get on Twitter. [tutting] OK, yes. I describe what happened, and I tweet. I wasnt offended. I was afraid. I was worried he knew where I lived. For the longest time, Ive been telling friends in China that although racism against Chinese exists in this country, thats not what I feel in a pandemic. Ive never felt like this in my 27 years in this country. Ive never felt afraid to leave my home to take out the trash because of my face. I want to believe what happened is anomalous, and that were living in extraordinary times, and fear can deform us. I wonder now if I should have taken his picture. michael barbaro I wonder what your mother would make of this incident. And I wonder what she would think of the fact that you decided to share what happened to you so publicly. jiayang fan I think if I were to tell her about the experience, she might not fully understand the import of it. She would say, Well, were you hurt? And I would say, No. And she would say, Well, did you lose anything? And I would say, No. And she would say, Do you feel like this man is going to cut you down and kill you now? And I would say, Probably not, no. And she would say, Well, why are you even telling me this? What is the big deal here? michael barbaro Hm. jiayang fan Or if I were to tell her that I was having this conversation with you, she would say Why make something out of nothing? Right? She would say, Why are you crying victim here? Why are you making this into a bigger deal than it really is? Do you want this to be how youre remembered, for being that woman who was the victim of a non-incident? michael barbaro And what would you say in this imaginary conversation with your mother? jiayang fan I think I would try in English, because I think it would be hard for me to find the words in Chinese to explain the significance of it, not on my physical well-being. michael barbaro Help me understand what you mean. jiayang fan Because for the longest I mean, I think my mom and I both lived with this fiction that if we could be perfect versions of ourselves, for example, if my mother could pronounce thanks the way that its supposed to be pronounced, and for me, if I could say come on naturally, that had always been the goal of our American existence, was to somehow bend ourselves to a shape that America could accept. I never dared to believe that I could actually help to make America better. That was something I never dared to think was possible. But in experiencing this, it made me rethink my role as an American and how even me, even someone who is probationary, that I was in some very, very small way contributing to this country by pointing out the ways that its failing itself, making clear the way in which this country still makes me feel ashamed, is possibly one way in which I can make it better. michael barbaro Hm. jiayang fan And also, thats the best version of America. Like in all the conceptions of America that exist in my head, I actually think this ability to call out the worst parts of America to itself, my freedom to do so, this feels to me the most miraculous part of America. But I think all of that would be, frankly, a bit too abstract to my mother. I think her quest for survival has been so concrete and lived, Ill never be able to repay her for the way that her very concrete existence has paved the way for my more luxuriantly abstract one, but that maybe thats a boundary between us that Ive been able to cross, and that no matter how many ways I try to explain it in what language, if shell fully understand. But I really needed to make sure that, for my own sake, I could know that this did happen, that this was not a figment of my imagination, or that in an hours time, or in 12 hours time, I would try to minimize it in my own mind. michael barbaro Thank you very much for your time. We really appreciate it, Jiayang. jiayang fan Thank you so much for having me. michael barbaro Im so sorry that you had the experience you had. jiayang fan I am, too. But Im sure it will be a small experience in what is hopefully a very long and a much bigger one of living in America and being American. [speaking chinese] michael barbaro Well be right back. Heres what else you need to know today. man Majority leader. archived recording (mitch mcconnell) Our nation continues to battle the coronavirus pandemic. More than 400,000 Americans have tested positive. Nearly 15,000 have lost their lives. And important public health measures are creating an economic catastrophe. michael barbaro On Thursday, the Labor Department said that another 6.6 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits in the past week. archived recording (mitch mcconnell) That means. Mr. President, more than 16 million Americans have lost their jobs in only the last three weeks, a tragedy that is hard to even comprehend. michael barbaro Economists now believe that the U.S. unemployment rate is the worst since the Great Depression. The latest figures put even deeper pressure on Congress to adopt a new round of economic relief for workers. But on Thursday, that legislation hit a roadblock in the Senate. Democrats want to double the size of the bill by adding hundreds of billions of dollars for hospitals and local governments, which are facing major financial shortfalls. archived recording (mitch mcconnell) We dont have to divide along the usual lines so soon after we came together for the country. To my Democratic colleagues, please, please do not block emergency aid you do not even oppose just because you want something more. michael barbaro But Republicans, led by Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell, say that money can wait. archived recording (mitch mcconnell) Lets continue to work together with speed and bipartisanship. We will get through this crisis together. michael barbaro The first royal has died from the novel coronavirus. Spain's Princess Maria Teresa of Bourbon-Parma, the cousin of King Felipe IV, passed away on Thursday (March 26) from complications of the virus, according to her family. She was 86 years old. "On this afternoon....our sister Maria Teresa de Borbon Parma and Borbon Busset, victim of the coronavirus COVID-19, died in Paris at the age of eighty-six," her brother wrote on Facebook per People. A mass was reportedly held in her honor in Madrid a day after her death. Miquel Benitez/Getty Images Dubbed the "Red Princess" because of her outspoken views on women's rights and socialist ideas, Maria Teresa never married and was a professor at Sorbonne University in Paris and Madrid's Complutense University, where she taught sociology. The news of King Felipe's cousin's passing comes just weeks after he and his wife, Queen Letizia, were tested for coronavirus after coming in contact with a government official who was diagnosed with the deadly virus. Thankfully, both Spanish royals tested negative, but not all monarchies have been spared amid the pandemic. This week, the British royal family's Prince Charles was diagnosed with coronavirus, displaying "mild symptoms." He's working from home with his wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, who remains COVID-19 negative. RELATED: Prince Albert Addressed Rumors That He May Have Infected Prince Charles with Coronavirus "The Prince of Wales has tested positive for Coronavirus. He has been displaying mild symptoms but otherwise remains in good health and has been working from home throughout the last few days as usual," a statement reads from the Prince's Clarence House. "The Duchess of Cornwall has also been tested but does not have the virus. In accordance with Government and medical advice, the Prince and the Duchess are now self-isolating at home in Scotland. The tests were carried out by the NHS in Aberdeenshire where they met the criteria required for testing." Prince Albert of Monaco has also tested positive for COVID-19, while Karl von Habsburg, the Archduke of Austria, was the first royal to contract the virus. Armoured vehicles in the streets, hundreds arrested, smartphone surveillance -- sweeping measures to fight the coronavirus have raised concerns in the Middle East over the erosion of already threatened human rights. As the world battles the COVID-19 pandemic, more than three billion people are now living under lockdown and, in some cases, strict surveillance. While there is widespread acceptance that robust measures are needed to slow the infection rate, critics have voiced fears that authoritarian states will overreach and, once the public health threat has passed, keep some of the tough new emergency measures in their toolkits. This concern is amplified in the Middle East and North Africa, with poorly ranked human rights records, a cast of authoritarian regimes able to bulk up security apparatuses largely unopposed and many states already reeling from political turmoil and economic hardship. The sight of military vehicles patrolling otherwise empty roads to enforce curfews or lockdowns in countries such as Morocco and Jordan stands in stark contrast to mass protests which last year brought down leaders in Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon and Sudan. The region had as of Saturday recorded 2,291 COVID-19 deaths out of 35,618 confirmed cases, according to figures collated from states and the World Health Organisation, which has urged "concrete action" from governments to contain the virus. Authorities have curtailed movement, clamped down on gatherings and arrested those who disobey the confinement orders. In Jordan, where King Abdallah II signed a decree giving the government exceptional powers, hundreds of people have been arrested for breaking a curfew. While the government said the powers would be used to the "narrowest extent", Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged Amman not to abuse fundamental rights for the cause of combatting the virus. In Morocco, known for its muscular security policy, the arrests of offenders -- who risk heavy fines and jail time -- have generated little protest and are even praised on social media. Like many countries, Rabat has bolstered a campaign against misinformation, but the adoption without debate of a law on social media controls has elicited concern. Many are crying foul over surveillance in Israel, where domestic security agency Shin Bet, usually focused on "anti-terrorist activities", is now authorised to collect data on citizens as part of the fight against COVID-19. Embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu drew criticism for imposing the measure with an emergency decree after a parliamentary committee rejected it. In an editorial published by the Financial Times, Israeli historian and best-selling author Yuval Noah Harari warned that, "If we are not careful, the epidemic might nevertheless mark an important watershed in the history of surveillance. "A big battle has been raging in recent years over our privacy. The coronavirus crisis could be the battle's tipping point," he said. In Algeria, more than a year into an unprecedented popular movement known as "Hirak", it took the emergence of the pandemic to pause weekly protests. But rights groups have accused Algerian authorities of using the health crisis to crack down on dissent via the courts. "The Hirak has suspended its marches but the #Algeria government has not suspended its repression," HRW's Eric Goldstein wrote on Twitter after journalist Khaled Drareni, who had been arrested several times for covering the protests, was put in pre-trial detention on Thursday. Lebanon faced similar accusations as police on Friday night dismantled tents in the heart of the capital Beirut where protesters had maintained a sit-in to keep up pressure on authorities. The authorities "are taking advantage of the fact that people are preoccupied with their health and confined to repress any dissenting voices," activist and film director Lucien Bourjeily tweeted. In the fledgling democracy of Tunisia -- a former police state where security apparatuses have seen little reform -- many have denounced heavy-handed police enforcement of pandemic-related movement restrictions. The Tunisian League for Human Rights has requested clarifications on social distancing measures after people expressed frustration online over apparently arbitrary police interventions. In Egypt, authorities have targeted media questioning low official virus infection figures. British newspaper The Guardian said its correspondent was forced out of the country over an article that suggested authorities were underreporting cases. With the number of cases rising, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's government imposed movement restrictions and threatened heavy fines and prison sentences for non-compliance. In a country lacking an independent media or judiciary, families of prisoners of conscience sounded the alarm over the possibility of a coronavirus outbreak in overcrowded and unsanitary prisons. Amnesty International has called for the "immediate and unconditional" release of political prisoners, estimated by rights groups to number around 60,000, only 15 of which have so far been let out by Egyptian authorities. Jordan, Tunisia and Sudan have ordered thousands of inmates to be freed to limit the risk of contagion. Activists in the Gulf too have called for the release of political prisoners held in what HRW researcher Hiba Zayadin said are often overcrowded and unsanitary conditions with limited access to health care. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The impact to his 2005 Peterbilt tractor trailer was so powerful that Dennis Gilbert thought he had hit another car and possibly killed someone on the New Jersey Turnpike on Thursday night. As it turned, he was the one who was almost killed by a cinderblock tossed from an overpass. He ended up with a smashed windshield and a face full of glass, but no life-threatening injuries. The incident is similar to one three years ago in the same area in which a man died after a 50-pound dumbbell tore through his windshield. Gilbert, the owner of Greenview Landsculpting in Piscataway, was hauling a load of trees back home around 10:30 p.m. Thursday and had just come off the Delaware Memorial Bridge as he headed north. Around milepost 5, he saw something unusual at an overpass about a quarter mile ahead. He saw a pickup truck stopped on the Penns Grove Auburn Road overpass, but no signs of a traffic backup. As he drew closer, he saw at least two young man standing near the pickup. Gilbert was going around 70 mph when he passed under the overpass. Boom! I thought I hit a car in the slow lane, because I was looking up at the people on the overpass, he recalled. I got a face full of glass. I couldnt see anything. My whole face was bleeding. Gilbert was able to maneuver his truck to a safe stop. After the block hit his truck, it bounced off and smashed another truckers windshield. That driver, who was not injured, pulled over to help Gilbert, who was disoriented. He blocked traffic so that I didnt get hit. A view of the damage to Dennis Gilbert's truck after it was struck by a cinderblock apparently tossed from an overpass. Thankfully, traffic was light that night. Gilbert tried to understand what had just happened. I asked, Did I kill somebody? The other driver explained that he saw a cinderblock hanging from the overpass by an orange and black rope just before the impact. It didnt even register in my mind that these kids threw something off the overpass, Gilbert said. The impact felt like I hit a car. He figures the exterior metal sun visor that hangs over the top portion of his windshield like two giant eyebrows saved his life. If I didnt have that visor on the front of my truck, I could be dead, Gilbert said. As he waited for help, the pain from the glass was excruciating. I was trying not to blink, he said. It felt like there were razor blades between my eyelids and my eyes. It was very painful. The Good Samaritan he didnt get the drivers name in all of the confusion stayed with him until EMTs arrived. Emergency responders told him they could see the glass in his eyes. They took him to Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland, Pennsylvania. While no one likes going to the hospital, Gilbert was extra apprehensive that night, given the ongoing pandemic. I was worried about getting coronavirus, he said. He praised the EMTs who helped him that night. They were short on protective supplies because someone had stolen their bag of masks and gloves, they told him. He also had kind words for the hospital staff, who had set up a separate treatment area for non-coronavirus patients. They were able to remove most of the glass. An ophthalmologist later removed a few more pieces. He has five scrapes to the surface of his eyes and was prescribed antibiotics to prevent infection. It still feels like he has grains of sand in his eyes, he said, but he was told the feeling will diminish and he shouldnt have any permanent damage. Gilbert wants to see his assailants face charges. I feel like they should man up for their actions, he said. New Jersey State Police are investigating and had made no arrests as of Sunday afternoon. Carneys Point Township Police responded to assist at the scene. Expressing outrage over the incident in a Facebook post, Ralph Padilla, retired Salem County Prosecutors Office chief of detectives, pledged to help support efforts to find those responsible. Salem County residents, we are better than this, he wrote. Our family will be the first to put up $500 for the arrest and conviction of this coward." Its not clear if this incident could be related to the Jan. 9, 2017, case in which a 75-year-old Mercer County motorist driving in the same area southbound on the turnpike near milepost 6.6 was struck by a 50-pound dumbbell. State police investigating that case said at the time it was unclear if the weight had been tossed from an overpass or fell from another vehicle traveling ahead of the victims SUV. Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us: nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf on Sunday requested a major-disaster declaration from President Donald Trump through the Federal Emergency Management Agency that could bring more funding and programs to the state during the coronavirus pandemic . This would provide additional support for state, county and municipal governments and some nonprofits, as well as struggling individuals during the COVID-19 outbreak, according to a press release issued by the governors office on Sunday. The COVID-19 outbreak has taxed our commonwealth and our communities in ways that are almost incomprehensible, Wolf said. I am calling on the president and the federal government to make available to us the assistance that will make a tangible difference in the lives of our friends and neighbors, and the dedicated public servants who are working in overdrive to support them. Pennsylvania already received an emergency declaration under the presidents nationwide emergency proclamation Jan. 20, providing reimbursement for eligible expenses for emergency protective measures to state, county and local governments and some nonprofits for the duration of the emergency incident. Wolfs new request for a major disaster declaration, if approved, would provide the same emergency protective measures available under the nationwide emergency proclamation. The following Individual Assistance programs would be available, as well: Disaster Unemployment Assistance, Crisis Counseling, Community Disaster Loans and the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Program and Statewide Hazard Mitigation. It is not known how quickly the president will decide whether to grant or deny Wolfs request for additional federal assistance. Wolf signed a Proclamation of Disaster Emergency for the COVID-19 outbreak, which is a required step to request a federal major disaster declaration, on March 6. As of Saturday, Pennsylvania was reporting 2,751 cases of the coronavirus with 34 deaths. Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. Latest News Understanding the 'perfect storm' that was the Sydney property market in 2021 Leading expert reflects on the crazy year that brokers and buyers experienced and throws forward to the 12 months to come How to manage home buyer regret Tips for brokers on how they can keep their clients onside once they have bought Following the introduction of a six-month repayment holiday for home loan holders to compensate for the financial strain introduced by the COVID-19 pandemic, many lenders have come out to clarify their stance on broker trail commission over that period of time. Pepper Money and Westpac were among the institutions which last week committed to honouring all broker trail commission payments for customers who opt to defer payments. Teachers Mutual Bank Limited has also announced it will continue to provide trail payments for brokers up to 30 June, at which point it will assess whether that provision needs to be extended. As a mutual bank and a community, it is important to us that we come together with our broker partners and our members to support each other, and look forward for better times ahead, said Mark Middleton, head of third party distribution. We are so grateful for the support that brokers continually show our bank and we are pleased to be able to support them in a challenging time. Our aim is to keep our lines of communication open and continue to work together with our broker network to serve our members. MyState Bank has also committed to honouring broker trail commission. While we have measures in place to support customers during this unprecedented time, we have taken the pro-active stance that we continue to support our brokers, said Tony MacRae, MyState Bank GM of banking. This decision provides certainty and support for brokers to ensure their income is not impacted in what is going to be a challenging period for the entire nation. Mortgage broker Aussie will also continue to pay trail to their brokers for all three of its active home loan products: Aussie Activate, Aussie Elevate, and Aussie Select. This decision is an indication of our commitment to brokers, who alongside their customers are facing uncertain times amid the COVID-19 crisis, said Aussie CEO James Symond. I applaud the growing number of lenders also providing this support and it is fantastic to see an industry united in support of brokers, who represent thousands of small businesses around the country providing an invaluable service to Australians at this time. The important work brokers provide is increasingly in high demand as customers are rightly weighing up their financial options during the current COVID-19 economic environment, with many enquiring about hardship support, variations to existing loans, or refinancing. The flag of North Korea is seen in Geneva By Josh Smith SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea fired what appeared to be two short-range ballistic missiles into the ocean off its east coast on Sunday, the latest in an unprecedented flurry of launches that South Korea decried as "inappropriate" amid the global coronavirus pandemic. Two "short-range projectiles" were launched from the coastal Wonsan area, and flew 230 kilometers (143 miles) at a maximum altitude of 30 kilometers (19 miles), South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff reported. "In a situation where the entire world is experiencing difficulties due to COVID-19, this kind of military act by North Korea is very inappropriate and we call for an immediate halt," South Korea's JCS said in a statement, according to Yonhap news agency. Japan's Ministry of Defense said they appeared to be ballistic missiles, and they did not land in Japanese territory or its exclusive economic zone. They would be the eighth and ninth missiles launched in four rounds of tests this month as North Korean troops conduct ongoing military drills, usually personally overseen by leader Kim Jong Un. That would be the most missiles ever fired in a single month by North Korea, according to a tally by Shea Cotton, senior researcher at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. "Coming this early in the year, the only time we've seen tests this frequently were in 2016 and 2017, both of which were huge years for North Korea's missile program," he said in a post on Twitter. All of the missiles fired so far this year have been small, short-range weapons, such as the KN-24 fired during the last launch on March 21. But Kim has warned that North Korea is developing a new "strategic weapon" to be unveiled this year, with analysts speculating that it could be a new long-range ballistic missile, or a submarine capable of launching such missiles. United Nations Security Council resolutions bar North Korea from testing ballistic missiles, and the country has been heavily sanctioned over its missile and nuclear weapons programs. Story continues MILITARY DRILLS CONTINUE This month's military drills have been conducted despite a border lockdown and quarantine measures imposed in North Korea in an effort to prevent an outbreak of the new coronavirus. South Korea and the United States have postponed some of their joint military exercises because of the coronavirus outbreak in South Korea. Politically and economically isolated, North Korea has not reported any confirmed cases, though some foreign experts have expressed doubts. In the past, North Korea has typically conducted military drills, including tests of its ballistic missiles, in March as the wintry weather turns warmer. For the previous two years, however, it had avoided such springtime launches amid denuclearisation talks with the United States. Those talks have since stalled, and this year's string of tests and military drills appear aimed at underscoring North Korea's return to a more hard-line policy, said Ankit Panda, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Federation of American Scientists. "There is an element of projecting a business-as-usual image amid the COVID-19 situation, but I think it's not overriding," he said. "These tests do allow Kim Jong Un to show that he's sticking to the hard-line policy he laid out in December 2019." (Reporting by Josh Smith; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Rosalba O'Brien & Simon Cameron-Moore) Ignoring these instructions is tantamount to committing sins, Al-Tayyeb stressed in a televised speech on Sunday. He added that spreading rumours on the coronavirus to intimidate people and undermine their confidence in the state's measures to cope with this crisis is religiously prohibited. "My advice to tackle this affliction is to make use of all available medical, preventive and scientific means... in addition to maximizing philanthropic acts," he added. Al-Tayyeb has also praised all health sector workers, saying that they "risk their lives to confront the deadly illness." The Grand Imam also expressed his solidarity with all countries hit with the fast-growing virus. The virus has claimed thousands of lives around the world in several months since it first surfaced in the chinese city of Wuhan. Egypt has so far detected 609 coronavirus cases, including 40 fatalities. Search Keywords: Short link: Help India! Ranchi: Jharkhand had been witnessing a wave of protests against CAA- NRC-NPR since December last year leading the State assembly to eventually pass a resolution against NPR-NRC on March 23, 2020. Kadru, Ranchis Shaheen Bagh was the major a sit-in protest site for women, running for two months until the latest shutdown for Coronavirus pandemic. The sit-in registered massive student and women protestors, most of them young and old Muslim women on the forefront taking the movement ahead. Among them is Afreen Azad Khan, 30-year-old protester from Purani Ranchi who has been the most active on ground for creating awareness and mobilization of the masses. Afreen, along with her team had also met CM Hemant Soren urging him to stop the process NPR in Jharkhand. Support TwoCircles TwoCircles.net reporter Nazish Hussain spoke to Afreen on the challenges, opportunities and experiences on the ground against CAA-NRC. Here are the excerpts: CAA got passed in the Lok Sabha on 9 December, 2019, triggering protests across the country. What was your initial reaction and how did you follow the developments as the protests intensified? I was getting news of NRC process being carried out in Assam. It didnt hit hard until we saw names of distinguished government personnel and military officials out of the NRC list. It was then that I started following it closely, reading more about CAA. The whole exercise seemed to me as Anti-Constitution and Anti-Indian. It would affect not just Muslims but also Dalits and Adivasis, who are huge in number in my State. At this point there were many protests taking place across country and I felt the need to finally start learning about it and educating the same to people in Ranchi. When and how did you decide to join the protest against CAA and took it to streets, campaigning against it? Particularly after the police violence on students of Jamia Millia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim University I was very much affected. Many things have happened before this, like Gujarat riots, but this time I felt the jolts when I saw young, unarmed students being attacked inside a university. I decided then that I must do something against it, whatever was in my capacity. How did your family respond to your decision of joining the protest and later leading them? I have three sisters, a younger brother and my mother. I received full support from my family since day one as they got actively engaged at the protest site at Kadru Bagh readily. My mother and sisters would daily go to the sit-in and sometimes when they couldnt, they never stopped me from going anywhere to these protests. There were times I reached home very late at night due to ground work but I had full family support and it never became an issue. My family let me do things form a free mind. Being a Muslim woman activist, tell us about your experience of mobilizing and interacting with the community? What has been the biggest challenge you had to overcome? The biggest challenge was to engage with women for their active participation. They were mostly fear-stricken and only knew that something against Muslims was happening. It took us a while to get them to fully understand the larger implication of the situation. We had to educate them about the broader perspective and motivate them to reach out to other communities for a dialogue on CAA-NRC. Since many women, who are mostly housewives came out and continuously took part in the protests, how did it affect the traditional family dynamics? Tell us about the role male members played to support the participation of women. Interestingly, there has been huge support from the male members of the families. Personally I have felt that usually mobility and safety are two of the important issues involving women protestors but thankfully it was the men this time taking that responsibility by cooperation and understanding. It would not have been possible to women to out in large numbers for a sit-in protest if they did not have support of the male members in their families. It is no surprise that CAA-NRC would impact other communities including indigenous people of Jharkhand largely. Did you try to reach out to the indigenous communities of Jharkhand? If so, what response did you receive from them? We went to remote localities and tried reaching out to them but the initial response was not good. Many were not interested to even listen to us. Few people dismissed saying these are mere rumors and nothing will happen. But we kept on our efforts and slowly we started getting responses from Adivasis and Sikh communities as well. Many Adivasi activists came to our support and they mobilized their communities. And to our success in one of the dharnas, near Raj Bhawan there was a mixed crowd. Many Adivasi women joined in along with Muslim women. In Jharkhand, if any community that came out in large numbers against Anti-CAA after Muslims, it was the Adivasi community. You met CM Hemant Soren regarding CAA, NRC, NPR and he has now passed the resolution against it which had been one of your demands. So, do you think your protest has been successful? It was definitely great news for us and we all had a sigh of relief. We had been waiting for this since long seeing other states pass resolution against it. We formed a group and arranged a meeting with the CM with a list of appeals and finally met Hemant Soren on February 27, 2020. He was very responsive when we presented our case against CAA-NRC-NPR and finally we saw that the Jharkhand government considered our voices and passed the resolution against NPR -NRC. What will be the future course of action now, would you continue with your Ant-CAA protests against the centre? As of now everyone is more concerned of the Corona virus pandemic. So there are no more protests sites. I dont know how long will it take for this virus threat to end completely. So we are not thinking of the protests now. But people are vigilant. Do you think the momentum of the protest has been broken by the pandemic and it will be difficult to gather people again for a sit-in protest against Centre? Women here at Kadru Bagh were not ready to clear the protest site, as Delhis Shaheen Bagh protest was still going on. It was hard to convince them but after we reasoned with them, they agreed. Things may have gone quiet for now, but if the Centre starts any exercise on NPR-NRC people will start protesting as well. Beijing, March 29 (IANS) The annual observation of Earth Hour took place this year in a digital form in various places across the world due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Initiated by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in 2007, the Earth Hour has become a popular movement worldwide, reports Xinhua news agency. Held every last Saturday in the month of March, individuals, communities, enterprises and government departments around the globe are encouraged to turn off their lights for an hour, with the purpose of inspiring reflections and actions regarding environmental issues. At 8.30 p.m. on Saturday evening in Moscow, the facade lighting of the Kremlin was turned off and so was the external lighting of the Russian White House, as part of the global environmental event. Indonesia also joined the movement on Saturday evening but without traditional gatherings to avoid the spread of novel coronavirus. Awareness calling for serious efforts to slow down the global warming were relayed online. "Through the participation in this Earth Hour and the voice for planet movement, we have helped world leaders make a decision to support improvement in the health sector and earth protection as well as the welfare for all the living things," said Lukas Adhyakso, acting CEO of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Indonesia. Due to the pandemic, restaurants or museums were closed in Hungary. However, the lockdown did not stop people from joining the Earth Hour movement. They too observed it in a digital way. "In the midst of the coronavirus epidemic, the Earth Hour is also a sign of solidarity for the planet: communities around the world are organizing their events digitally. WWF is also relocating this year's Earth Clock to the online world," WWF Hungary told Xinhua. Kenya on Saturday also leveraged digital platforms to raise visibility on the green agenda to mark the Earth Hour during the curfew. Partners and stakeholders were encouraged to stay at home and use digital tools like Skype and mobile phones to sensitize the public on the need to adopt sustainable lifestyles. Mohamed Awer, CEO of WWF Kenya, said the event highlighted the need for the east African nation to accelerate low carbon development while supporting ongoing efforts to contain the highly contagious disease. The Earth Hour will always remain a people-led movement to raise awareness on sustainable practices that communities should adapt to reduce global warming, he added. --IANS ksk/ Rampaging youths in Kusada town in Katsina State burnt down a Police station after the officers attached to the station stopped them from observing their Friday March 27th Jumat prayers. The state government on March 25th, announced a ban on social gatherings including religious gatherings to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the state. Acting on this directive, the police officers dispersed youths in the town who were gathered in a mosque to pray. Their leader was also arrested for defying the orders of the state. Angered that the police prevented them from observing their prayers, the rampaging youths today March 28, stormed the police station, overpowered the police officers and destroyed every property in sight. Nigeria: In Kusada Katsina state an Imam who defied order banning large gathering and lead Friday prayers was arrested. -His followers attacked and razed police station and other government buildings. #CoronaUpdate#CovidNGR#COVID19pic.twitter.com/nqmwHXPIUp Isa Sanusi (@sanuxiii) March 28, 2020 Reacting to the incident, the spokesperson of the state police command, SP Gambo Isah, said 90 suspects have been arrested in connection with the attack. Read the statement he released below Recall that Katsina state Government under the leadership of His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Katsina state, Rt. Hon. Aminu Bello Masari, CFR, fnim, issued a restriction orders Nos. SEC.2/T/3 and SEC.2/T/14 dated 25th and 27th March, 2020 respectively, directing for the total closure of its borders and suspension of large gatherings for the weekly Friday prayers and Sunday Church services while marriage ceremonies to be conducted in a low key across the state as part of measures taken to curtail the spread of the Corona virus pandemic. However, yesterday 27/03/2020 some disgruntled youths under the leadership of one Mallam Hassan tested the will of the state and conducted a Friday prayer in one of the Kusada jummaat mosques. Subsequently, he was arrested for questioning at Area Commanders office, Malumfashi which did not go down well with some of his followers. Consequently, today 28/03/2020 at about 09:00hrs, this particular group organized themselves in such a tumultuous manner, rioting, attacked and over powered the policemen on duty at Kusada Division, set ablaze the police station and DPOs Quarters. They also burnt down seven motor vehicles and ten motorcycles in custody of the police station. The Commissioner of Police, Katsina state Command, CP Sanusi Buba, psc ordered for the deployment of police patrol teams and a special joint security task force on the Enforcement of public gathering in the state led by DC Operations, to the area which have already restored normalcy. Ninety (90) suspected rioters have been arrested while one of the rioters lost his life as a result of the encounter. Investigation is ongoing. SP GAMBO ISAH POLICE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER, (PPRO) FOR:COMMISSIONER OF POLICE, KATSINA STATE POLICE COMMAND Post Views: 14 [March 29, 2020] TEGNA Reports on Acquisition Approaches TEGNA Inc. (NYSE: TGNA) today reported on recent acquisition approaches. As has been widely reported, TEGNA has received four unsolicited acquisition proposals in recent weeks. TEGNA and its advisors engaged substantially with two of these parties and provided them extensive non-public due diligence information. These two parties made their proposals shortly before the recent market dislocation due to the COVID-19 pandemic and both subsequently informed TEGNA that they were ceasing discussions. The other two parties have not signed confidentiality agreements to enable due diligence and have not delivered any information on financing sources. Howard Elias, chairman of the Board, said, "In addition to our focus on executing our standalone plan, the TEGNA Board and management have meaningfully engaged with third parties to explore opportunities to create value. The Board has been, and remains, willing to consider transactions that create compelling value, and our focus now is on helping management navigate through an unprecedented environment." Dave Lougee, president and CEO, said, "Like every other company, TEGNA is operating in uncharted waters due to COVID-19 as we focus on ensuring the health and safety of our employees while continuing to create and preserve value. High-quality local news has never been more important, and we are fortunate to have significant contractual subscription revenues and a strong balance sheet with minimal near-term debt maturities. We are working through the current challenges raised by COVID-19 and are very confident that our long-term growth drivers remain intact." TEGNA does not intend to update this disclosure. Forward Looking Statements Certain statements in this communication may constitute "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including the statements regarding the receipt and consideration by the Board of Directors of TEGNA (the "Board") of the unsolicited acquisition proposals or the actions of third parties with respect thereto. Any forward-looking statements contained herein are subject to a number of risks, trends and uncertainties that could cause actual results or company actions to differ materially from what is expressed or implied by these statements, including risks relating to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and its effect on U.S. and world financial markets, potential regulatory actions, changes in consumer behaviors and impacts on and modifications to TEGNA's operations and business relating threto, TEGNA's ability to execute on its standalone plan and potential developments involving one or more of the unsolicited acquisition proposals. Other economic, competitive, governmental, technological and other factors and risks that may affect TEGNA's operations or financial results are discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, and in subsequent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC (News - Alert)"). We disclaim any obligation to update these forward-looking statements other than as required by law. Important Additional Information TEGNA has filed a definitive proxy statement and form of GOLD proxy card with the SEC in connection with the solicitation of proxies for TEGNA's 2020 Annual Meeting of shareholders (the "Proxy Statement" and such meeting the "2020 Annual Meeting"). TEGNA, its directors and certain of its executive officers will be participants in the solicitation of proxies from shareholders in respect of the 2020 Annual Meeting. Information regarding the names of TEGNA's directors and executive officers and their respective interests in TEGNA by security holdings or otherwise is set forth in the Proxy Statement. To the extent holdings of such participants in TEGNA's securities have changed since the amounts described in the Proxy Statement, such changes have been reflected on Initial Statements of Beneficial Ownership on Form 3 or Statements of Change in Ownership on Form 4 filed with the SEC. Additional information can also be found in TEGNA's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, filed with the SEC on March 2, 2020. Details concerning the nominees of TEGNA's Board of Directors for election at the 2020 Annual Meeting are included in the Proxy Statement. BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING DECISION, INVESTORS AND SHAREHOLDERS OF TEGNA ARE URGED TO READ ALL RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH OR FURNISHED TO THE SEC, INCLUDING THE PROXY STATEMENT AND ANY SUPPLEMENTS THERETO BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Investors and shareholders will be able to obtain a copy of the definitive Proxy Statement and other documents filed by TEGNA free of charge from the SEC's website, www.sec.gov. TEGNA's shareholders will also be able to obtain, without charge, a copy of the definitive Proxy Statement and other relevant filed documents by directing a request by mail to TEGNA, 8350 Broad Street, Suite 2000, Tysons, VA 22102, or from TEGNA's website, https://www.tegna.com. About TEGNA TEGNA Inc. (NYSE: TGNA) is an innovative media company that serves the greater good of our communities. Across platforms, TEGNA tells empowering stories, conducts impactful investigations and delivers innovative marketing solutions. With 62 television stations in 51 markets, TEGNA is the largest owner of top 4 affiliates in the top 25 markets among independent station groups, reaching approximately 39 percent of all television households nationwide. TEGNA also owns leading multicast networks Justice Network and Quest. TEGNA Marketing Solutions (TMS) offers innovative solutions to help businesses reach consumers across television, email, social and over-the-top (OTT) platforms, including Premion, TEGNA's OTT advertising service. For more information, visit www.TEGNA.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200329005027/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Wheat flour supplier Primas measures to ensure food security View(s): Prima Ceylon (Pvt) Ltd (PCL), a primary producer and supplier of wheat flour in the country, has reassured the public and the government of Sri Lanka that it is fully prepared to continue its supply uninterrupted, to ensure national food security. Even in the event of more stringent measures being adopted within the country, with the cooperation of the Government, Prima has the ability to ship flour through its road, rail, and sea distribution network. This will ensure the continuous supply of flour for the country to consumers, as well as for bakeries and other flour-based industries. Therefore, no shortage of wheat flour is envisaged during this period in the country, the company said on Tuesday. In addition, the company has sufficient stock to meet three months of national domestic consumption. Proactive measures have been taken to prevent the spread of the virus at all Prima offices and their production facility. Prima Ceylon Ltd reiterates its commitment to national food security and extends its fullest co-operation towards the Government, to ensure the people of Sri Lanka have adequate supplies of wheat flour for their daily consumption, the statement said. Many residents affected by the TPC Group explosion and fire at its Port Neches plant have expressed frustration with a seeming lack of response from local elected officials and other leaders. The Enterprise called those leaders to give them an opportunity to respond. Click through the photos to see their answers. Direct quotes have been lightly edited for space and clarity. Iran's President Hassan Rouhani on Sunday said that country will continue practicing social distancing and 'new lifestyle' that it adopted in the backdrop of coronavirus pandemic. The Islamic Republic has declared the death toll reaching 2,640 due to the novel coronavirus. Speaking during a cabinet session, the president said that the government will do its best to provide support for the doctors and nurses who are in the frontline of the battle against the virus, IRNA reported Rouhani appreciated all the Iranian people who obey the advice of health officials as well as all those who are working tirelessly to meet the vital demands of the people. He said that resuming activities will not mean that all health protocols should be set aside. He added, "This new lifestyle we are now practicing such as refraining from shaking hands, observing social distancing, doing many things by means of phone and cyberspace and the fact that our life has become electronic has to be continued for a while." Rouhani said that the country has to get well prepared for a lifestyle with a weaker and more limited coronavirus over the next months leading to a sound life without the virus. He said that as long as a vaccine or any other cure is not found for this disease, the government has to keep prepared to meet the essential needs of the people. The president said that he relies on the cooperation of the people, as well as the doctors and medical staff of the hospitals, more than ever, to pass through these tough days. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mother of Catholic priest found dead in Turkey, father still missing after abduction Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The decaying remains of an elderly woman and mother of a Catholic Chaldean priest in Turkey were found last week, two months after she was abducted alongside her husband who is still missing. Christian Solidarity Worldwide, a Christian persecution watchdog based in the United Kingdom, reports that the body of 65-year-old Simoni Diril was found on March 20 near the mountainous village of Mehre in Turkeys southeastern Srnak province. Diril was abducted along with her husband, Hurmuz, on Jan. 11. Hurmuz Diril, 71, is still missing. The Dirils are the parents of Remzi Diril, a priest at the Catholic Chaldean Church in Istanbul who is known for providing care to thousands of refugees. We are deeply saddened by the death of Simoni Diril and extend our sincere condolences to Father Diril and the rest of Mrs. Dirils family and loved ones, CSW Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas said in a statement. We are also gravely concerned for the well-being of Mr. Hurmuz Diril, whose whereabouts and condition remain unknown. CSW is calling for a full and intensive investigation into the case. Thomas urged Turkish authorities to expedite efforts to secure Hurmuz Dirils release as well as take extra measures to protect the Christian minority, and to tackle hate speech, anti-Christian sentiments and all forms of religious discrimination in Turkey. According to International Christian Concern, another U.S.-based persecution watchdog organization, the couple's abduction was carried out by PKK members, also known as the Kurdistan Workers' Party. Turkey considers the PKK to be a terrorist group. International Christian Concern reports that a search conducted in the early days of the couples disappearance was hindered by winter weather but the investigation is ongoing. The Srnak province borders both Iraq and Syria and Mehre is a historically Assyrian Christian village that has often been victimized by ongoing conflicts. ICC notes that the village was evacuated in 1989 and 1992 because of conflict between the PKK and the Turkish Army. The Dirils returned to the village about a decade ago, ICC reports. In interviews with Bianet, an independent Turkish press agency, the victims nephew, George Diril, and Parliament Member Tuma Celik said Dirils body no longer had bodily integrity when it was found. "The streamside where her dead body was found is 10 minutes from the houses in the village, George Diril was quoted as saying. If the search had been sincerely conducted, maybe, it would not end like this. "A real search was not carried out, weather conditions were used as an excuse. Drones hovered in the air twice, that was all, he added. "We constantly asked state authorities for help. But they were not sincere. A confidentiality order was imposed on the file. "On the day when this order was issued, authorities came to the village. It was an utter production. They circled the house, took pictures and left. Then, news were reported that 'search was carried out despite harsh weather conditions.' But no search was done, our voice was not heard. No one cared." Celik, a member of the pro-minority Peoples' Democratic Party, told the news agency that the body was discovered in a spot that had been checked during the search. "The dead body has swollen a lot, a long time must have passed, Celik said. But where she was found is very close to the village. It is a place frequently passed by people. The autopsy report will reveal whether the body was left there afterwards and when she was killed. The family is now concerned about the father's fate. Works should be intensified to find him as soon as possible." The Iraqi Christian Relief Council, an Assyrian-run nonprofit, reports that Dirils body was buried on Wednesday in Istanbul. Turkey, a predominantly-Muslim country and NATO member, is ranked as the 36th-worst country in the world when it comes to Christian persecution, according to Open Doors USAs 2020 World Watch List. In January, an Assyrian priest and two other Assyrian Christians were arrested and charged with terrorism reportedly for offering bread and water to Kurdish militants who visited their monastery. According to CSW, Father Sefer Bilecen was scheduled to have a hearing on March 19. However, that hearing was postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. CSW continues to call for the immediate and unconditional release of Father Aho, who faces unfounded accusations, Thomas said in a statement. We urge the international community to raise this case and others in which Christians have been arbitrarily targeted with Turkey at every opportunity. Some Positives in a Virus Wracked World It should be pretty obvious that we need to rethink how our supply chains are constructed. The U.S. is running out of something as simple as mouth-testing swabs. It seems the entire world supply is made by two companies. When asked where I thought those were, I replied China. It is worse. They are both in Milan, Italy. Milan is currently under siege in total lockdown, and the swabs are stranded on the docks in their own kind of quarantine. The link in that supply chain has snapped. We are now all too familiar with the concept of social distancing. We need to think about economic distancing. When we have economic partners who act irrationally hiding data about a new virus for months allowing it to spread worldwide and destroying supply chains in the meantime how much do we want to rely on them in the future? Every major flu of the past 20 years has come out of China. Just saying. This is a virus we can beat. Along the way we are going to learn many vital lessons, so lets not forget them. Countries that want to hide their data are candidates for economic distancing. Now lets look at some positives Jobs and manufacturing were already migrating closer to the marketplaces of end users, albeit using robots and 3D printing. But that still means jobs. This trend shift away from globalization and toward localization will accelerate. Over time, that means a lot more jobs in North America and Europe. And that will build more reliable supply chains. Next, we really need to look at where critical medical and socially necessary products are made. We cant fix it all at once, but we should be seriously toeing the starting blocks right now. Once the CDC and FDA stopped trying to control things and got out of the way, we started seeing a Cambrian Explosion of innovation and drugs to deal with COVID-19. The Milken Institute has a list of 101 different vaccines and drugs that are in development or being tested. Freed of government regulation, doctors have found that certain drugs already available can reduce the time a patient is sick from 11 days to four days. That will greatly increase the survival rate. It turns out the malaria drug has a significant effect. Who knew? Well, pretty much nobody until doctors began throwing everything against the wall to see what would stick. People have started to post do-it-yourself ventilators made from parts you can buy at a hardware store. Put some of those idled automobile and Boeing workers on an assembly line. History note: The first ventilators were made by Boeing for bombers in World War II. American ingenuity can help us a great deal. Dr. Mike Roizen asked me to emphasize that there are things you can do to improve your own immunity. His top three: Get a lot of sleep, eat healthy, and manage your stress. I would add as much social distancing as you practically can. We can do this. And when I say we, I mean myself and my American investor-readers, because our country has blessed us greatly. We have the means to get through this. Not everyone does. In fact, relatively few do. We are the fortunate ones. This is our calling and our responsibility. Not only can we do it, we must do it. If you are not in America, you can do it as well. I am pulling for everyone in the world. Every country is going to have to figure out how to deal with its own problems. We need a world that is thriving and growing so that humanity can move forward to a much brighter future. Hang in there. There is going to be so much opportunity as we come out of this. All the opportunities that Ive been talking and writing about over the years are not going away. Just postponed for a few months. The Great Reset: The Collapse of the Biggest Bubble in History New York Times best seller and renowned financial expert John Mauldin predicts an unprecedented financial crisis that could be triggered in the next five years. Most investors seem completely unaware of the relentless pressure thats building right now. Learn more here. Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors. John Mauldin Archive 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. PM Modis security breach: SC to announce name of judge to head probe panel today India has everything needed to be hub for medical tourism: PM Modi Mann Ki Baat: PM Modi interacts with coronavirus survivors, says their stories are inspiring India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Mar 29: In his monthly radio broadcast 'Mann Ki Baat', Modi interacted with coronavirus survivors Ramagampa Teja, an IT professional, and Agra resident Ashok Kapoor. He also said that their stories are inspiring and encouraging. Shares his experience with Modi, Coronavirus survivor Ramagampa Teja, an IT professional, who contracted virus while on a trip to Dubai said that he was initially frightened but felt reassured because of doctors and hospital staff. Teja said that even after getting discharged from hospital he follows hygiene including washing hands. Lot of coronavirus patients recovered in Pune: Dr Borse tells PM Modi in 'Mann Ki Baat Another Coronavirus survivor, Ashok Kapoor from Agra who along with entire family including young son was infected by coronavirus, also spoke to Prime Minister Modi. Sharing his experience, Kapoor, a shoe manufacturer, told PM Modi that his two sons, family member had caught the virus in Italy and infected others upon returning. Narendra Modi also told Kapoor to spread awareness about anti-coronavirus measures in Agra, use social media for the purpose. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, March 29, 2020, 12:44 [IST] By Trend S&P Global Ratings, one of top three international credit rating agencies has issued a report reflecting Azerbaijan's financial stability, Trend reports referring to Azerbaijan's Ministry of Finance. The report shows that the international credit rating of Azerbaijan remained stable at "BB +" level. "Due to the sharp drop in oil prices on world markets, S&P Global Ratings decided to conduct an extraordinary assessment of the ratings of oil exporting countries. This assessment was also carried out for Azerbaijan," the ministry said. In a report published by the agency, the reaffirmation of Azerbaijans international credit rating and rating outlook was justified by the fact that the country has significant foreign exchange reserves, a strong fiscal position (assets), and a low level of external debt. Standard and Poors agency traditionally carries out an assessment of Azerbaijans credit rating twice a year, in January and July, and the latest assessment was carried out on January 25 of this year and published by the agency. My sister has just returned to her home in Beijing after some weeks in the UK. She was allowed back into China only under the strictest conditions because, Im afraid to say, the Chinese regard our measures to contain the virus as inadequate. She and her children were met at the airport by medical staff and their temperatures taken before they were driven home for a mandatory two-week quarantine. My sisters husband, who had stayed in Beijing, was required to leave the family home and check into a hotel. Then they sealed her front door and ordered her and the children not to leave. Former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt talking to staff during a visit to St George's Hospital A police car patrols regularly up and down her street and she must submit her and her childrens temperatures through an app twice daily. To Westerners, this may seem like a grotesquely disproportionate and illiberal response. But Im afraid these sorts of measures, with testing and contact-tracing at their heart, show us the only way out of this crisis. Covid-19 emerged in China and spread out into Asia. But that region now seems to have the virus under control without the blanket lockdowns we see in Europe. Lockdowns can work but they are the bluntest of instruments in any pandemic. Shopping malls are open in Taiwan and starting to reopen in mainland China. Restaurants are doing good business in South Korea. And in Singapore, where there have been just three deaths, offices are open as usual. In many of these places, you have to pass through a machine taking your temperature before you are allowed in. Those with fevers must go home to isolate. Because of their terrifying experience with the Sars outbreak of 2003, Asian governments viewed Covid-19 from the outset as a potentially lethal virus. A cleaner in an NHS hospital wearing protective clothing as they go about their job In the West, conversely, it was viewed by many as a rather nasty flu. Now the death toll is over 1,200 in the UK, a rough rule of thumb used by modellers at Imperial College London suggests we are likely to have over a million cases here. Michael Gove said it is doubling every three to four days. But because we stopped testing in the community two weeks ago we do not know where those cases are. Of course, we would like to do more testing and the Government has made big efforts to expand this. But now that the whole world has woken up to its importance, there is a global shortage of testing kits. So if we want to avoid lockdowns during the next wave of the virus any time in the next year to 18 months until we can get a vaccine we will need to manufacture testing kits at home. We need a huge national effort, just as we have made with ventilators. We should aim to be the first country able to test all its health and care frontline staff every week so they can be confident they are not infecting their own patients. We owe our brilliant and brave frontline professionals no less. We need to do not just the basic diagnostic test, but also the anti-body test so we know who has the virus, who has had it and who can return to work safely. And we need to ramp up the contacttracing which accompanies every test so we track down and test every single person who an infected patient has been near during their infectious period. Public Health England has just 290 people dedicated to this we probably need that number in every city and county in the country. We are Europes tech hub. So lets also enlist our brilliant tech companies to emulate Singapore, where everyone has been instructed to download an app called TraceTogether on to their phones. If they contract the virus, all their recent contacts can be downloaded by medical personnel so they too can be tested. Some say this is overly intrusive, but could it be any more irksome than being confined to your home by the State as is happening in an extreme form in Italy today? Testing earlier may also be the reason why countries like Germany running four times as many tests as we are have much lower death rates. If through testing you find someone vulnerable with the virus earlier, you can get them vital hospital care before they deteriorate. The NHSs response to date has been magnificent and awe-inspiring, which is no surprise to me as a former health secretary. In such a short time to have created three brand new field hospitals, freed up an extra 33,000 hospital beds and recruited 18,000 recently-retired nurses and doctors alongside an army of volunteers is a superhuman achievement. Health Secretary Matt Hancock and NHS chief executive Sir Simon Stevens should rightly be proud. But if we are to reduce the pressure on the NHS later in the year when the virus could well be back, we need to start ramping up Asian-style testing now. Is it too far-fetched to aim to be the first country that tests every single member of the population at home? In these extraordinary times, with our great British willpower anything is possible. Mass social distancing will help flatten the curve, but only testing will save us from months, maybe years, of anguish and economic paralysis. The Phoenix Hill Sports Park in the capital of Southwest Chinas Sichuan province hosted the 2021 Chinese FA Cup final as its inaugural event Sunday. Covering an area of 128,000 square meters, the park consists of two world-class sports venues, a retail and hotel complex, and a public plaza. It will be one of the venues of the 31st Summer World University Games Jan 12, 2022 05:45 PM OKLAHOMA CITY>> Former U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn was stubborn as a mule and conservative to his core. But the Oklahoma family doctor, known for railing against federal earmarks, didnt let political differences dictate whom he called friends even if it didnt sit well with some of his supporters. Coburn, who died early Saturday at age 72, joined the U.S. Senate the same year as President Barack Obama, and the pair became fast friends despite their contrasting ideologies. In Oklahoma, where Obama failed to carry a single county in his 2008 presidential bid, voters took note. But the Republican senator shrugged off complaints in 2009, when the states largest newspaper, The Oklahoman, ran a front-page photograph that showed him hugging Obama after the Democratic president gave a speech to a joint session of Congress. Im not aligned with him politically. I dont know what people back home in Oklahoma would be worried about, Coburn, who was re-elected the following year, said at the time. But you need to separate the difference in political philosophy versus friendship. How better to influence somebody than love them? Coburns death was confirmed to The Associated Press by cousin Bob Coburn. He did not provide a cause of death, but Tom Coburn had been undergoing treatment for prostate cancer for years. Coburn earned a reputation as a conservative political maverick in Congress. He also delivered more than 4,000 babies while an obstetrician and family doctor in Muskogee, where he treated patients for free while in the Senate. Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford called Coburn an inspiration to many. He was unwavering in his conservative values, but he had deep and meaningful friendships with people from all political and personal backgrounds, Lankford said in a statement. Known for bluntly speaking his mind, Coburn frequently criticized the growth of the federal deficit and what he said was excessive government spending endorsed by politicians from both political parties. Ive got a flat forehead from beating my head against the wall, he told voters in July 2010. First elected to the U.S. House during the so-called Republican Revolution in 1994, Coburn fiercely criticized the use of federal money for special state projects and was among the few members of Congress who refused to seek such earmarks for their home states. He represented northeastern Oklahoma for three terms, keeping a pledge in 2000 not to seek re-election. He returned to his medical practice in Muskogee before asking voters to send him back to Washington in 2004, this time to the Senate, so he could fight big spenders and ensure that our children and grandchildren have a future. Coburn was re-elected in 2010, but left his second term early, in January 2015, after he was diagnosed with a recurrence of prostate cancer. He said he was convinced he could best serve my own children and grandchildren by shifting my focus elsewhere. In the Senate, Coburn released a series of oversight reports detailing what he described as wasteful government spending. A 37-page report in 2011, dubbed Subsidies of the Rich and Famous, detailed nearly $30 billion spent annually in government subsidies, tax breaks and federal grant programs to millionaires. From tax write-offs for gambling losses, vacation homes, and luxury yachts to subsidies for their ranches and estates, the government is subsidizing the lifestyles of the rich and famous, Coburn wrote in the report. A joint report issued in August 2010 by Coburn and Arizona Sen. John McCain, who died in 2018, criticized stimulus spending, including $1.9 million for international ant research and $39.7 million to upgrade the Statehouse and political offices in Topeka, Kansas. Coburns stubbornness and thwarting of legislation considered worthy by Democrats frustrated then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. You cannot negotiate with Coburn, Reid, a Democrat, declared in 2008. Its just something you learn over the years is a waste of time. During debate over the debt ceiling in the summer of 2011, Coburn was part of a bipartisan Gang of Six senators who supported an alternative plan to cut the deficit by almost $4 trillion over the next decade through budget cuts and increased revenue through changes to the tax code. After leaving the Senate, Coburn continued to crusade against taxes, criticizing the Oklahoma Legislature when it passed increases in 2018 to shore up the state budget. A group led by Coburn attempted to launch a petition drive to overturn the tax hikes, but was ultimately unsuccessful. Born in Casper, Wyoming, on March 14, 1948, Coburn grew up in Muskogee, Oklahoma. After graduating from Oklahoma State University, he went to work at his familys business in Virginia, Ophthalmic Division of Coburn Opticals, from 1970 to 1978. He later attended medical school at the University of Oklahoma. By the time he jumped into politics a decision he said was based on runaway government spending and his distaste for career politicians he was married to his wife, Carolyn, with three children and had established a successful medical practice. Coburn had several health scares during his time in office. He was treated for malignant melanoma in 1975, and in 2011, he underwent surgery for prostate cancer. Health woes didnt seem to damper his contentious attitude. After revealing in 2003 that he had been diagnosed with colon cancer and underwent surgery and chemotherapy, he told a Tulsa World reporter: You should be writing about Medicaid and Medicare instead of my health. - Maria Theresa died on Thursday, March 26, in Paris, France after contracting coronavirus - Her brother Prince Sixtus Henry of Bourbon-Parma said the funeral was held on Friday, March 27 - Spain has registered at least 73,235 coronavirus cases of which 12,285 are recoveries and over 5,800 deaths Spanish Princess Maria Theresa of Bourbon-Parma, 86, has died after contracting coronavirus. The death was announced by her brother Prince Sixtus Henry of Bourbon-Parma, the Duke of Aranjuez on Thursday, March 26. She died in Paris, France. READ ALSO: 10 Kenyan series you, kids can watch online Maria Theresa died on Thursday, March 26, in Paris, France after contracting coronavirus. Photo: Philip Borcke. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Murang'a senator Irungu Kang'ata wants his travel allowance channeled to coronavirus fund Theresa has become the first member of a royal family to succumb to the fast-spreading ailment as the global death toll hits 30,000. "Don Sixto Enrique is very sorry and begs for prayers for his sister's eternal rest," read part of a statement by Prince Sixtus Henry. READ ALSO: Coronavirus yawazima wanasiasa na cheche zao READ ALSO: Maisha Magic Plus launches on DStv Theresa was born on July 28, 1933. Her funeral was held in Madrid on Friday, March 27. News of Theresa's death comes as the coronavirus death toll in Spain hits 5,900. Some 12,228 people have, however, recovered from the ailment. Italy remains the hardest-hit country with over 10,000 coronavirus related deaths. Some 12,384 people have recovered. Italy, however, has at least 70,065 active cases. With 123,750 cases, the USA becomes the country with the highest number of infections. At least 2,227 have died and some 3,231 have recovered. In Kenya, where the government has imposed a 7pm to 5am curfew, the number of cases stands at 38. One patient succumbed to the ailment while two others have tested negative. Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly. Opinion : Uhuru has failed this country -Angry Kenyan rants | Tuko TV. Source: TUKO.co.ke President Donald Trump talks with Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom, left, during a visit to a neighborhood impacted by the Camp wildfire in Paradise, Calif. on Nov. 17, 2018. (Evan Vucci/AP) Evan Vucci/AP California received 170 ventilators from the federal stockpile to help battle the coronavirus outbreak in the state. However, California Governor Gavin Newsom said all of the ventilators sent to Los Angeles County were "broken." The state is sending the medical equipment to a company to repair the devices before returning them to hospitals in Los Angeles. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. As hospitals across the country lack the critical medical supplies they need to battle the coronavirus, the Trump administration has been sending ventilators to states whose health care systems are straining in the midst of the outbreak. California, which has the third-highest number of infections in the US, finally received ventilators from the national stockpile but none of the medical devices worked, according to California Governor Gavin Newsom. In a press conference about his state's efforts to curb the novel virus, Newsom on Saturday said the Department of Health and Human Services had sent 170 ventilators to Los Angeles County straight from the federal stockpile. However, officials were surprised to discover that all of the mechanical breathing devices were "broken." Related: 6 Times Trump Contradicted Coronavirus Officials Instead of "lamenting" the issue, Gavin Newsom said he announced that officials immediately sent the medical equipment to a local company to be repaired. "Rather than complaining about it, rather than pointing fingers about it...We got a car and a truck, we had those 170 taken to a facility," Newsom said at a Bloom Energy facility in Sunnyvale, California. Bloom Energy, an energy company that had been working to refurbish medical equipment in the wake of the outbreak, received the devices early Saturday morning. The company already repaired 80 ventilators and plan to refurbish an additional 120 today. According to Newsom, the broken ventilators from the Trump administration will be fixed and sent back to Los Angeles by Monday. Story continues Ventilators, a mechanical breathing device, is critical to treating COVID-19, a respiratory illness that assails the lungs. As the novel coronavirus sweeps the country, healthcare systems have been scrambling to get their hands on critical medical gear that have been in high demand and short supply. Hospitals have resorted to asking nurses and doctors to reuse their personal protective gear and asking local businesses and residents to donate what medical supplies they have. "I can't find any more equipment. It's not a question of money," said New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, where the number of infections have soared past 59,000. "We need the federal help and we need the federal help now." Although the federal government has enlisted the help of manufacturing companies like 3M and GM to boost the production of masks and ventilators, states have begun bidding against each other for the medical gear causing the market to descend into chaos. At the onset of the pandemic, California had approximately 7,500 ventilators across its hospital systems. Since then, the state has secured 4,252 ventilators, approximately 1,000 of which needed to be refurbished before they can be used to treat COVID-19 patients, according to a press release from Gov. Newsom's office. In the midst of the crisis, local businesses in California have re-vamped their facilities to make and repair medical supplies needed to treat COVID-19 patients. California has reported 5,688 coronavirus infections and 121 deaths the third-highest caseload in the US. Although the spread of infection is nowhere near that of New York, on Saturday, Newsom said that the number of coronavirus patients in California's intensive care unit doubled overnight, LA Times reported. The arrival of the broken ventilators came shortly after Newsome announced the Golden State was on the verge of a critical medical gear shortage. In spite of the setback, Newsome remained optimistic. "That's the spirit of California, that's the spirit of this moment," Newsom said at the press conference. "Take responsibility, take ownership, and take it upon ourselves to meet this moment head on." Business Insider Make sure that your monetary contribution towards fight against coronavirus is going into right hands. Government has warned donors against fake UPI IDs in the guise of PM's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM-CARES) fund doing the rounds. In a tweet, PIB Fact Check noted that fictitious UPI IDs are being circulated on the pretext of PM CARES Fund. "Beware of Fake UPI ID being circulating on the pretext of PM CARES Fund. #PIBFactcheck: The correct UPI ID of #PMCaresFunds is pmcares@sbi," PIB Fact Check tweeted. Beware of Fake UPI ID being circulating on the pretext of PM CARES Fund.#PIBFactcheck: The correct UPI ID of #PMCaresFunds is pmcares@sbi#PMCARES #IndiaFightsCorona pic.twitter.com/eHw83asBQ9 PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) March 29, 2020 On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the creation of the emergency relief fund where people can contribute and help in the government's fight against coronavirus. Donations can be made via debit and credit cards, internet banking, UPI, RTGS, or NEFT, and will be exempted from income tax under section 80(G) of the Income-tax Act. People from all walks of life have donated to the fund so far. ALSO READ: Coronavirus vaccine: Zydus, Serum Institute among 43 global firms in race President Ram Nath Kovind said he will donate a month's salary to the PM CARES fund. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and several Union ministers including Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal, Dharmendra Pradhan, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Prakash Javadekar, Kiren Rijiju and Santosh Gangwar were among those who made a similar commitment. Railway Minister Piyush Goyal announced that Indian Railways will contribute Rs 151 crore to the relief fund. The Army, Navy and the Indian Air Force, as well as employees of the Defence Ministry, have decided to donate one day's salary to the fund, amounting to around Rs 500 crore. Home Minister Amit Shah said in a tweet that the Central Armed Police Forces contributed one-day salary of its personnel, amounting to Rs 116 crore. Billionaire Gautam Adani announced a Rs 100-crore contribution by his group's philanthropy arm to the fund, joining Tata Group, Reliance Industries and other corporates who have come forward to support the fight against the pandemic. ALSO READ: Now all goods - essential and non-essential - can move in coronavirus lockdown Tata Sons and Tata Trusts have pledged to contribute Rs 1,500 crore for the cause while Reliance Industries had made an initial contribution of Rs 5 crore besides opening India's first COVID-19 hospital in Mumbai. The JSW Group said it will extend financial assistance of Rs 100 crore to combat the deadly virus. The Sajjan Jindal-led group will provide equipment to healthcare workers and its employees will donate one day's salary. Private sector lender Kotak Mahindra Bank and its Managing Director Uday Kotak announced a Rs 60-crore donation. The bank will donate Rs 25 crore to PM Cares Fund and Rs 10 crore to Maharashtra Chief Minister's Relief Fund, it said in a tweet. A host of Bollywood celebrities have also made contributions to the PM CARES fund, including actor Akshay Kumar, filmmakers Karan Johar and Aanand L Rai, T-Series head Bhushan Kumar and TV host and actor Maniesh Paul. ALSO READ: Coronavirus crisis: Spain's Princess Maria Teresa first royal to die from COVID-19 Boris Johnsons most senior aide is facing fresh allegations he flouted lockdown rules by taking a sightseeing trip on Easter Sunday. The prime minister is facing mounting calls to sack Dominic Cummings amid claims he made several trips to see his family in County Durham, while the country was being told to stay at home. Ministers vociferously defended Mr Cummings after it emerged he had made the 260-mile journey, insisting he had obeyed the rules by staying in one place while there. However, an eyewitness told The Observer and the Sunday Mirror he had seen Mr Cummings on 12 April, 30 miles from Durham in Barnard Castle. Another eyewitness said they saw the prime ministers most trusted aide in Durham on 19 April, days after he had been photographed returning to Downing Street. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 30 December 2021 Sunrise at Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 29 December 2021 The Very Revd Dr Robert Willis, Dean of Canterbury Cathedral, looks at Becket, a six month old red-billed chough as he visits Wildwood Wildlife Park in Kent on the anniversary of the murder of Thomas Becket PA UK news in pictures 28 December 2021 Troops of the Household Cavalry are seen reflected in a puddle during the changing of the Queens Life Guard, on Horse Guards Parade, in central London PA UK news in pictures 27 December 2021 A pedestrian walks past a winter sale sign outside a John Lewis store on Oxford street in London Getty UK news in pictures 26 December 2021 Riders take their bikes through the snow near Castleside, County Durham PA UK news in pictures 25 December 2021 Patrick Corkery wears a santa hat and beard as waves crash over him at Forty Foot near Dublin during a Christmas Day dip PA UK news in pictures 24 December 2021 People stand inside Kings Cross Station on Christmas Eve in London Reuters UK news in pictures 23 December 2021 Christmas shoppers fill the car park at Fosse Shopping Park in Leicester PA UK news in pictures 22 December 2021 The sun rises behind the stones as people gather for the winter solstice at Stonehenge. Getty UK news in pictures 21 December 2021 People take part in a winter solstice swim at Portobello Beach in Edinburgh to mark the solstice and to witness the dawn after the longest night of the year PA UK news in pictures 20 December 2021 An auction employee displays poultry to buyers and sellers attending the Christmas Poultry Sale at York Auction Centre in Murton PA UK news in pictures 19 December 2021 Joao Moutinho of Wolverhampton Wanderers looks on during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea at Molineux Getty Images UK news in pictures 18 December 2021 Freight lorries queuing at the port of Dover in Kent PA UK news in pictures 17 December 2021 Newly elected Liberal Democrat MP Helen Morgan, bursts 'Boris' bubble' held by colleague Tim Farron, as she celebrates following her victory in the North Shropshire by-election PA UK news in pictures 16 December 2021 Brussels sprouts are harvested by workers as they prepare for the busy Christmas period near Boston in Lincolnshire PA UK news in pictures 15 December 2021 Lewis Hamilton is made a Knight Bachelor by the Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 14 December 2021 The Royal Liver Buildings surrounded by early morning fog in Liverpool PA UK news in pictures 13 December 2021 People queue outside a walk-in Covid-19 vaccination centre at St Thomas's Hospital in Westminster Getty Images UK news in pictures 12 December 2021 People take part in the Big Leeds Santa Dash in Roundhay Park, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 11 December 2021 People arrive at a Covid-19 vaccination centre at Elland Road in Leeds, PA UK news in pictures 10 December 2021 Stella Moris speaks to the media after the US Government won its High Court bid to overturn a judges decision not to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange PA UK news in pictures 9 December 2021 Camels are lead around Salisbury Cathedral during a rehearsal for the Christmas Eve Service PA UK news in pictures 8 December 2021 Margaret Keenan and Nurse May Parsons, a year after Margaret was the first person in the UK to receive the Pfizer vaccine PA UK news in pictures 7 December 2021 Snowfall in Leadhills, South Lanarkshire as Storm Barra hits the UK with disruptive winds, heavy rain and snow PA UK news in pictures 6 December 2021 A person tries to avoid sea spray on New Brighton promenade in Wallasey as the UK readies for the arrival of Storm Barra Getty UK news in pictures 5 December 2021 People release balloons during a tribute to six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes outside Emma Tustin's former address in Solihull, West Midlands, where he was murdered by his stepmother PA UK news in pictures 4 December 2021 People walk through a Christmas market in Trafalgar Square Reuters UK news in pictures 3 December 2021 A pedestrian carries a dog as they dodge shoppers on Oxford Street in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 2 December 2021 Duchess of Cambridge inspects a Faberge egg at the Victoria and Albert Museum Getty UK news in pictures 1 December 2021 Meerkats at London Zoo with an advent calendar PA UK news in pictures 30 November 2021 Workers put the finishing touches to the Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree ahead of the lighting ceremony later in the week PA UK news in pictures 29 November 2021 Home Secretary Priti Patel is greeted by a police dog at a special memorial service for Met Police Sergeant Matiu Ratana Getty UK news in pictures 28 November 2021 Riyad Mahrez of Manchester City battles for possession with Aaron Cresswell of West Ham United during a match at the Etihad during snow Manchester City/Getty UK news in pictures 27 November 2021 Residents clear branches from a fallen tree in Birkenhead, north west England as Storm Arwen triggered a rare red weather warning AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 December 2021 An aerial picture shows a worker using a quad bike and trailer to transport freshly harvested trees at Pimms Christmas Tree farm in Matfield, southeast England AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 26 November 2021 A shopper browses Christmas trees for sale at Pines and Needles in Dulwich, London Reuters UK news in pictures 25 November 2021 A murmuration of hundreds of thousands of starlings fly over a field at dusk in Cumbria, close to the Scottish border PA UK news in pictures 3 December 2021 A pedestrian carries a dog as they dodge shoppers on Oxford Street in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 24 November 2021 Migrants are helped ashore from a RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) lifeboat at a beach in Dungeness, on the south-east coast of England, on November 24, 2021, after being rescued while crossing the English Channel. AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 23 November 2021 The coffin of Sir David Amess is carried past politicians, including former Prime Ministers Sir John Major, David Cameron and Theresa May, Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Home Secretary Priti Patel and Prime Minister Boris Johnson during the requiem mass for the MP at Westminster Cathedral, central London PA UK news in pictures 22 November 2021 The scene in Dragon Rise, Norton Fitzwarren, Somerset where police have launched a murder probe after two people were found dead Tom Wren/SWNS UK news in pictures 21 November 2021 London-based midwife Sarah Muggleton, 27, takes part in a 'March with Midwives' in central London to highlight the crisis in maternity services PA UK news in pictures 20 November 2021 Police officers monitor as climate change activists sit down and block traffic during a protest action in solidarity with activists from the Insulate Britain group who received prison terms for blocking roads, on Lambeth Bridge in central London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 19 November 2021 A giant installation of Prime Minister Boris Johnson made from recycled clothing goes on display at Manchester Central, as part of Manchester Art Fair, in a 'wake-up call for the Prime Minister to tackle textile waste' PA UK news in pictures 18 November 2021 The scene at a recycling centre in Stert, near Devizes in Wiltshire after a large blaze was brought under control. The fire broke out on Wednesday night the fire service has said and local residents were advised to keep windows and doors shut due to large amounts of smoke PA UK news in pictures 17 November 2021 The sun rises over South Shields Lighthouse, on the North East coast of England PA UK news in pictures 16 November 2021 ancer Maithili Vijayakumar at the launch of 2021 Diwali celebrations at St Andrew Square in Edinburgh PA UK news in pictures 15 November 2021 Forensic officers work outside Liverpool Women's Hospital, following a car blast, in Liverpool Reuters UK news in pictures 14 November 2021 Wreaths by the Cenotaph after the Remembrance Sunday service in Whitehall, London PA UK news in pictures 13 November 2021 Richard Ratcliffe, the husband of detainee Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, is ending his hunger strike in central London after almost three weeks. Ratcliffe has spent 21 days camped outside the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in London without food. He began his demonstration on 24 October after his wife lost her latest appeal in Iran, saying his family was caught in a dispute between two states PA Earlier, Downing Street had described the first trip as essential, saying Mr Cummings needed his familys help to care for his young son because his wife was sick with coronavirus and he feared he was next. Cabinet ministers lined up to defend Mr Cummings, saying he had put his family first and accused critics of trying to politicise the issue. Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, used the daily Downing Street press conference to suggest that Mr Cummings had not broken lockdown rules because he had stayed put upon arrival in Durham. But Robin Lees, 70, a retired chemistry teacher, told the papers he had seen Mr Cummings in Barnard Castle on Easter Sunday. Mr Lees compared him to Catherine Calderwood, Scotlands former chief medical officer, who stood down after visiting her second home twice during lockdown. Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the SNP have written to Sir Mark Sedwill, the cabinet secretary, calling for an inquiry into Mr Cummingss decision to travel from London to Durham. They want the probe to include when the prime minister was made aware Mr Cummings had left the capital. Senior Tories also expressed concern that Mr Cummings's behaviour could encourage others to flout the rules, jeopardising the governments plans to gradually lift the lockdown. The Independent can reveal that senior MPs are set to question Mr Johnson over Mr Cummings later this week, as pressure grows on the prime minister to explain what he knew about the trip under lockdown. Parliament is in recess until June, meaning Mr Johnson will not have to face MPs at Prime Ministers Questions. But members of the Commons Liaison Committee, which is made up of the chairs of other select committees, said they expected Mr Johnson to be questioned about Mr Cummings when he makes his first appearance before them later this week. Pete Wishart, an SNP MP who sits on the committee and is a member of the "quad" which organises its business, said: If nothing has changed and Dominic Cummings is still in post by Wednesday, it would be very surprising if this was an issue that was not raised. Another member of the committee said: Im sure one of my colleagues will crowbar the Cummings question in. In a statement defending Mr Cummings, Downing Street said his trip had been essential to ensure his young son was properly cared for. After an offer of help from his sister and nieces, he travelled to a house near to but separate from his extended family. A spokesperson for No 10, said: "Yesterday [Friday] the Mirror and Guardian wrote inaccurate stories about Mr Cummings. Today [Saturday] they are writing more inaccurate stories including claims that Mr Cummings returned to Durham after returning to work in Downing Street on 14 April. We will not waste our time answering a stream of false allegations about Mr Cummings from campaigning newspapers." There was confusion about the involvement of police, however. No 10 also said that at no stage was Mr Cummings or his family spoken to by the police. On Saturday night Durham Police took the unusual step of confirming they had spoken to Mr Cummingss father. Steve White, the police and crime commissioner for Durham Police, a former head of the Police Federation in England and Wales, said it was "most unwise" for Mr Cummings to have travelled when "known to be infected". The SNP accused No 10 of a "cover up" after reports some in Downing Street knew Mr Cummings had made the 260-mile journey during lockdown. Former Tory cabinet minister David Lidington, Theresa Mays de facto deputy prime minister, told Newsnight: "There's clearly serious questions that No 10 are going to have to address, not least because the readiness of members of the public to follow government guidance more generally is going to be affected by this sort of story." Professor Neil Ferguson, the epidemiologist whose modelling prompted the lockdown, quit as a government adviser for flouting the rules when he was visited at this home by his lover. At the time Mr Hancock, the health secretary, said he was "speechless" and that he backed any police action against Mr Ferguson. Sir Ed Davey, acting leader of the Liberal Democrats, called for Mr Cummings to quit over the allegations, while a spokesperson for Labour said: "The British people do not expect there to be one rule for them and another rule for Dominic Cummings." Asked by reporters on Saturday if he had considered his position, Mr Cummings said "obviously not". A retired Venezuelan general who was charged by the United States with "narco-terrorism" along with President Nicolas Maduro and other officials has surrendered in Colombia to US authorities, prosecutors said Saturday. "The national Attorney General learned that Mr Cliver Alcala surrendered to US authorities," the Colombian prosecutor said in a statement, adding there was no arrest warrant when he gave himself up. Alcala turned himself in on Friday to the Colombians, who in turn handed him over to US authorities, the El Tiempo de Bogota newspaper said. He is among several current and former top Venezuelan government officials, along with Maduro, indicted by Washington on Thursday for "narco-terrorism." The US offered a $15 million reward for information leading to Maduro's capture. As part of the US Justice Department indictment, up to $10 million was offered for the capture of Alcala, who has been living in the northern Colombian city of Barranquilla for the last two years. He was sent to New York on a flight that was granted special permission to break the total lockdown imposed by Colombia's President Ivan Duque as part of measures to restrict the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, El Tiempo said. Former Venezuelan security chief Ivan Simonovis, who was welcomed by US authorities last year after escaping Venezuela following 15 years of detention under the leftist regime, told AFP he had information that Alcala was either en route to or already in New York. "Family, I say goodbye for a while. I'm facing my responsibilities for my actions with the truth," Alcala, 58, said in a video message published on his Instagram account on Friday. The US embassy in Bogota did not respond to AFP's request for comment. The US Justice Department and Drug Enforcement Administration also declined to comment. Along with Maduro, 14 top serving and former Venezuelan officials were charged with drug-trafficking by the US, among them Alcala who was a close collaborator of Maduro's predecessor, the late socialist firebrand Hugo Chavez. Alcala retired in 2013 after Chavez died of cancer and Maduro took over. The former general became an opponent of Maduro's and fled to Colombia, joining forces with Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido in his challenge to the socialist leader's authority. Guaido is recognized as Venezuela's leader by the US and more than 50 other countries. The series of indictments against top Venezuelan officials is the latest attempt by President Donald Trump's administration to force Maduro from power. Like Guaido, the National Assembly speaker and self-proclaimed acting president, the US considers Maduro illegitimate due to his controversial 2018 re-election in a poll widely viewed as rigged. Maduro hit back at Trump over the indictment, describing him as a "wretched" man who "will go down in history as the most harmful and most irrational of American presidents. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Beirut, March 29 (IANS) Lebanese security forces have dismantled the remains of protest camps set up in Beirut's Martyrs Square by demonstrators who poured into the streets of the capital city last October, the government said. The tents were removed "within the framework of the protection of peaceful protesters against the risk of the coronavirus and as a gesture of goodwill toward them", the Interior Ministry said in a statement on Saturday. At the same time, the Ministry cited an increase in acts of aggression against people and property by some occupants of the camp as a reason for the move, reports Efe news. Also taken down were the tents in Riad al-Solh Square, the site of the other major concentration of protesters in the capital. All of the tents from both squares were disinfected, the Interior Ministry said. The uprising, which erupted on October 17, 2019, was spurred by popular rage over the corruption of the ruling class and demands for an end to Lebanon's sectarian political system, which reserves the presidency for a Christian and the Prime Minister's office for a Sunni Muslim, while the Speaker of the parliament must be a Shia Muslim. While the movement has yet to secure fundamental change, the protests succeeded in forcing Saad Hariri to step down as prime minister. Though the protests were peaceful in the beginning, that changed last December, when clashes between demonstrators and security forces left thousands injured. A spokesperson for the Sabaa independent party, which maintained a presence in Martyrs Square, told Efe Saturday that once party members abandoned the site due to the coronavirus, homeless people occupied the tents. Some Sabaa activists remained in the square to aid the homeless, Malek Kabrit said, adding that those activists actively resisted the security forces when they started removing the tents on Friday. The Lebanese government has imposed a 7 p.m.-5 a.m. curfew through April 12 as part of measures to prevent the spread of the virus. Lebanon has sealed its borders, shut down Beirut International Airport and ordered the majority of businesses to close to deal with the pandemic, which comes amid ongoing economic crisis and political instability in the country. The Health Ministry says that Lebanon has 412 confirmed coronavirus cases and eight deaths. --IANS ksk/ Details added (first version posted on 15:00) BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 12 Trend: The Azerbaijani government submitted a document to the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly in connection with the events in Azerbaijans Sumgayit city as of February 1988, Trend reports on March 12. This information was posted on the official Twitter page of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry. The official investigation confirmed that the February 1988 events were prepared and carried out by the Armenian extremist organizations to undermine Azerbaijans authority and hide Armenias illegal occupation intentions, the document reads. The document was presented to the General Assembly by Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan to the United Nations, Ambassador Yashar Aliyev. As a result of riots in Sumgayit city, 32 people were killed on the night of February 28, 1988, 26 of them are Armenians, six - Azerbaijanis. These events were an integral part of the plan, which was created and implemented by the Committee for State Security of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) together with the Armenians. Armenian by nationality Eduard Grigoryan was chosen to organize these riots. Previously he was convicted twice. Although Azerbaijani by nationality Ahmad Ahmadov was shot as the organizer of the Sumgayit events, the testimony of witnesses prove that Grigoryan was the real culprit of the riots in Sumgayit. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal Its been a while since the famous saloon owner and courtesan Maria Gertrudis Tules Barcelo was spotted around Santa Fe, but she was recently seen at the bar at El Farol on Canyon Road. Of course, it wasnt Dona Tules in the flesh; she died in 1852. But her image is gracing the bottles of a line of high-quality mezcal named in her honor. With the governors proclamation shutting down bars, it might be a while before you can sip spirits in a public place. But guess what? Theres a virtual club thats marketing the anejo mezcal online. Founded by filmmaker Scott Andrews, the Dona Tules Single Barrel Club purchases small lots of mezcal produced in Mexico and brings them up the Turquoise Trail to Santa Fe, where they are aged in French and American oak for a minimum of 15 months. The youngest release to date is 19 months, and the oldest 30 months. The venture has pledged to give 50% of its profits to local community organizations in Mexico that are selected with the help of its traditional producers. The other half will go to a nonprofit called The Wisdom Archive (thewisdomarchive.com), which makes documentaries about disappearing traditional culture here, in Mexico and around the world. In the spirit of full disclosure, it must be revealed that Andrews declined to be interviewed by Journal North because he promised another publication an exclusive in June. In light of recent events, that seems a long time to wait for an interview. Bottles of Dona Tules barrels No. 1, 2 and 3 are in town right now. Why wait to talk about the Single Barrel Club, especially when theres plenty of information about it on the companys website? Heres how it works, according to the website: In every barrel, 250 bottles are reserved for club members. When the club is full, the bottles will not be sold to the general public. When there are a few extra bottles or special editions outside the regular club offerings, they will be made available first to club members. Members agree to buy one bottle of each release (two releases per year) at $150 (including shipping) each. These releases will be bottled and shipped on May 1 and November 1. Subscribing members are entitled to buy additional bottles of each edition, when available, for $120. Once the coronavirus crisis has passed and bars are open again, you can spend the evening sipping mezcal from the first three barrels, which were produced by mezcalero Edgar Gonzalez in the village of San Cristobal Lachirioag in Mexico. To educate mezcal aficionados about Gonzalez, Andrews has made a documentary about him, which can be viewed on forsippingonly.com. Dona Tules Single Barrel Anejo Mezcals can be found at Geronimo, Sazon, El Farol and Paloma in Santa Fe. The company also offers a craft aging kit, which contains 11 aging sticks that promise to turn your bottle into a barrel, your silver tequila into an anejo and your run-of-the-mill scotch or bourbon into a double-barreled beauty, according to the website. The $120 kit comes with instructions, oxidation membranes and reabsorption tubes. No doubt Dona Tules would be proud of her namesake. The card sharp was one of the first saloon owners to bring barrels of Mexican agave spirits up the Turquoise Trail for her patrons in Santa Fe. Medinat Somuyiwa Sunday PUNCH reports that the family members of a medical doctor with the Lagos State Government, Medinat Somuyiwa, are in distress after she went missing on Thursday. It was gathered that the doctor who resides in Oworonsoki, left home around 5pm that day for her family house to visit her elder sister at New Garage a neighbouring community. It was learnt that she neither reached her destination nor returned home. Her husband, Dr Nurudeen Osagie, told PUNCH on Saturday, that the family also searched for her at her workplace at Gbaja Randle Hospital, Surulere, without success. Osagie added that apart from someone who called in and offered to prepare charms that would make her return home, no one had contacted the family to demand a ransom. He said, She said she was going to her family house at New Garage around 5pm to visit her elder sister. Since then, we have not seen her. It was discovered that she didnt get to her sisters place. She didnt go with her phones. We reported at the Oworoshoki Police Station and they radioed the Lagos Police Command to escalate it. The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Bala Elkana, promised to get back to our correspondent on the incident. He had yet to do so as of 9pm on Saturday. Meghan Markles relationship with her former Suits co-star Patrick J. Adams has raised more than a few eyebrows over the years. Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, starred on Suits as Patricks romantic interest until their mutual departure in season 7. Long before Meghan married into the royal family, royal experts say that her relationship with Patrick made some of her close friends uncomfortable. Patrick J. Adams and Meghan Markle on Suits | Shane Mahood/USA Network/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images Inside Meghan Markles steamy on-screen romance Prior to her wedding to Prince Harry in 2018, Meghan enjoyed a successful run on the popular legal drama Suits. The Duchess of Sussex played Rachel Zane on the show, who was romantically involved with Patricks Mike Ross. Fans immediately picked up on the chemistry between Meghan and Patrick, and experts believe producers were thrilled that casting Meghan worked out. According to Express, Andrew Morton explained how Meghan and Patricks chemistry was one of the driving forces behind the shows early success. Cast, crew and the money men at the network were ecstatic, the producers thrilled that their gamble to cast Meghan opposite Patrick had paid off big time, the shows fans buzzing about the couples on-screen chemistry, Morton shared. Their off-screen chemistry was equally noticeable, almost uncomfortably so, according to guests at Meghan and Trevors wedding, which took place in Jamaica in 2011. While fans loved watching Meghan Markle and Patrick interact on the series, their chemistry outside of work was also getting attention. In fact, Morton revealed that the two had a strong bond off the set, mostly because they spent so much time working together on the show. And during a 2011 wedding, guests recalled feeling uncomfortable about their relationship. Did the Duchess of Sussex fall for Adams? Morton went on to claim that several guests at Meghan Markles 2011 wedding to Trevor Engelson felt uncomfortable with the future Duchess of Sussexs relationship with Patrick. Their off-screen chemistry was equally noticeable, almost uncomfortably so, according to guests at Meghan and Trevors wedding, which took place in Jamaica in 2011, Morton stated. Actors falling for each other after working on a project is nothing new. There are plenty of examples of this happening, from Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton to Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. A few years before Suits, Patrick started dating his Equivocation co-star, Troian Bellisario. After experiencing some ups and downs, the pair tied the knot in 2016. Meghan and Trevor, meanwhile, parted ways in 2013. She started dating Harry a few years later and they exchanged vows in the spring of 2018. Patrick and Troian were invited to the wedding and attended the lavish ceremony, which was held inside St. Georges Chapel. Patrick J. Adams opens up about his relationship with Meghan Markle Once things heated up between Meghan and Harry, the actress decided to leave the series for a new life with the royal family. With his on-screen romance gone, Patrick left the series as well, though he did return for a brief appearance in season 9. In speaking about their relationship outside of the show, Patrick revealed that they developed a close bond because they shared so many scenes together. He also noted that they were both cast as young actors and basically grew up together. In some ways, Meghan and I were the closest because we were the youngest people in the cast and both came in with the least experience, he explained. We grew up together over the course of the show. Meghan Markle, of course, had more than one friend on the set of Suits. She was close with most of her co-stars, including Gina Torres, Gabriel Macht, Sarah Rafferty, Abigail Spencer, and Rick Hoffman, all of whom made it her wedding. It is unclear if Meghan has remained in contact with her old friends in Hollywood. The actress is currently living in Canada with Harry and their son, Archie Harrison, so it is possible that she has kept in touch. Was Patrick forced to delete his Instagram because of Meghan Markle? While it is clear that Patrick and Meghan shared a close connection, he was forced to delete his Instagram account after sharing a questionable photo of himself and Meghan. The image was a throwback pic of Meghan Markle giving Patrick a kiss on the cheek and was taken during one of the first episodes they worked together. Unfortunately, Patrick shared the photo while Meghan was getting ready to tie the knot with Harry. I went to bed, and woke up in the morning and realized Oh, yeah. I live in a world where you cant post things about Meghan, Patrick admitted. Patrick went on to assure fans that the kiss was perfectly innocent and that nothing romantic has ever happened between him and Meghan. He even went as far as to say that he views Meghan as a sister, which explains why they share such a tight bond. Meghan Markle has not commented on the reports surrounding her relationship with Patrick. Now that she is no longer a part of the royal family, it is possible that she addresses the reports at some point in the future. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 22:51:13|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WUHAN, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Central China's Hubei Province has realized complete disposal of its previous medical waste and wastewater, and achieved total treatment of newly-added waste within 24 hours, the provincial ecology and environment department said. Lyu Wenyan, head of the department, said Hubei's daily medical waste disposal capability has been improved to 667.4 tonnes from 180 tonnes before the COVID-19 outbreak, while that of Wuhan, the provincial capital, to the current 265.6 tonnes from the previous 50 tonnes. Medical wastewater produced in designated hospitals and concentrated isolation sites across the province has been disinfected, and all the 132 urban sewage treatment plants are operating normally, Lyu said. Li Ruiqin, deputy head of the department, said the amount of daily medical waste in Hubei jumped to 458 tonnes from the previous 136 tonnes, while in Wuhan from about 45 tonnes to 291 tonnes. The department has mobilized idle facilities and transformed abandoned kilns across the province to assist disposing of medical waste from Wuhan, Li added. Surveys of drinking water sources showed that "the water quality is not affected," according to Lyu. New Delhi, March 29 : About 30 per cent of Indian retailers may be out of business in six months time if the government does not provide them support amidst the nation-wide lockdown, Retailers Association of India (RAI) CEO Kumar Rajagopalan said. Speaking to IANS on Sunday, Rajagoplan also noted that the business has been severely subdued since February, with 50-60 per cent of normal trade last month and nearly no trade in March. "Outlook looks quite grim, I think if it continues, for example till April 15-20, I think most of the retailers would already be in very deep trouble," he said. Rajagopalan said that retailers are accustomed to be paid every day and that is how they pay their expenses. Rent costs about 8 per cent of their earnigs and salaries cost about 7-8 per cent of their earnings. They also have to pay he suppliers and payments are still pending but there is no income, he said. "As many as 85 per cent of their expenses are fixed expenses. Unless the government intervenes, I thing the 30 per cent of retailers are going to be out of the market in the next 6 months time," the RAI CEO said. Saying that the industry body has written to the government seeking an stimulus package, Rajagopalan told IANS that for retail businesses to sustain, the government needs to take up steps such as subsidising rents and paying wages for the employees. The retail industry in the country employs around 60 lakh people and according to Rajagopalan, most of them right now are in jeopardy. "Many of them will get paid this month and possibly even next month but that's at the cost of the retailer. They don't have that deep a pocket, that they can withstand, 2-3 months of salary," he said. "We have reached out to the government and asked for some kind of subsidy, for rentals, for payment of salary and also some moratorium on loan repayment." He said that although the moratorium has been impose on repayment of loan payments, there is no clarity in terms of bills of exchange. "But in terms of bill of exchanges, that the retailers have taken against suppliers, those are not clear whether we have to pay now or not. If that payment is to be done, we don't have the money to pay, so most of them would be default," he said. About availability of essential goods including food items during the ongoing lockdown, he said the association, in collaboration with local retailers and the authorities is trying to ensure availability of essential products. He said that issues of price hike and non-availability of products are likely to get sorted in the next three to four days. The nation-wide lockdown announced by the Prime Minister last Tuesday is scheduled to end on April 14. However, anticipations have been made that the lockdown may be extended, which may come at a greater economic cost. Pleading migrant labourers to stay put in Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Sunday that the "biggest patriotism" right now is to "stay wherever you are" and make the 21-day countrywide lockdown a success or India could fail against the coronavirus outbreak. Kejriwal said the country has to fight the virus with "Arjuna's vision", totally focussed. Thousands of labourers, rendered jobless due to the lockdown, had gathered at a bus terminus near UP-Delhi border and hundreds even started walking down thousands of kilometres in a desperate attempt to reach their homes, triggering fears that efforts to contain the spread of the virus could fail. In an online press briefing, the chief minister referred to mass exodus and warned if even one person among the labourers has the virus, he could infect others and the disease could reach the villages. "A large number of people are returning from cities to their villages. I appeal to them please stay wherever you are," Kejriwal said, citing developed countries like the US and Italy, who have been struggling to contain the virus and where it has killed thousands of people and infected lakhs. "Thankfully, India is not in that stage yet," he said. "The biggest patriotism right now is to stay inside your homes," he said, urging those who step out of their homes to remain indoors."If people don't follow the mantra, this lockdown will fail, we will fail, and this county will fail in containing the outbreak." Kejriwal said his government has made arrangements to provide food and accommodation in schools. "We have emptied the stadiums and made arrangements for people to stay there too if a need arises. We are giving freed food to four lakh people daily, lunch and dinner. Let's fight this together." In an appeal to industrialists and businessmen, he said, "I appeal to you with folded hands, if you have earned wealth, this is the time to use it...God bestowed wealth on you for times like these."He also appealed to contractors to pay their workers and not let them sleep hungry. "This is the time to be humane, to help one another. We spend our lives accumulating wealth, but it is of no use after we die," he added. Kejriwal also urged people to spend their time reading the holy text of the Gita. "There are 18 chapters of Bhagavad Gita. In my family, we have started reading Gita. You can also do so," he added. He said it's heartening that the entire country was fighting against this pandemic "like one bid team". "From the Centre to the state government, irrespective of the party, and people are fighting it like one big team. Delhi government is learning from the good practices of other governments," he said. The number of cases of coronavirus in Delhi on Sunday mounted to 72, up from 49 on Saturday night, according to the Delhi Health Department. The chief minister again flagged the issue of landlords "forcing" their tenants to pay monthly rents. "I appeal to all landlords in Delhi, if you consider me your son, your brother, please assure your tenants, you will not force them to pay rent. Postpone it for two-three months," Kejriwal urged. "If a tenant is unable to pay after this crisis is over, I assure you my government will pay for them," the chief minister said, warning those who try to evict their tenants of strong government action. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Married At First Sight star Aleks Markovic appears to have taken a savage swipe hr TV 'husband' Ivan Sarakula after the couple's acrimonious split. Ahead of this week's MAFS reunion episode, the 26-year-old seemingly made her feelings known in a TikTok video. Dressed in a midriff-baring top, Aleks chose to recreate a trending video on the app, where she lip synced a conversation about her feelings being dead for an ex-partner. Scroll down for video 'Bye boy': Did Married At First Sight star Aleks Markovic (pictured) just take a savage swipe at TV 'husband' Ivan Sarakula on TikTok following their split? 'Got a text from my ex the other day that said he missed me,' she mouthed in the clip on the popular social media app. 'I said ''I'm sorry I can't talk right now I'm at a funeral,'' he said ''oh my god, who died?'' I said, ''my feelings for you did, bye f**ker'',' Aleks lip-synced to the track. She titled the clip 'Byeeeeeee boy' before adding the hashtag, 'ex-boyfriend challenge' to the clip. Confession or just #content? Dressed in a midriff-baring top, Aleks chose to recreate a trending video on the app, where she lip synced a conversation about her feelings being dead for an ex-partner She also flipped the bird to the camera at the end of the clip. Aleks showcased her post-show makeover in the clip, with her newly blond tresses cascading past her shoulders. She also opted for a high-glam makeup look. While Ivan is Aleks last known boyfriend, it's unclear if the video was aimed at him or if it was just a fun video for her to post on the app. Not so friendly? Aleks titled the clip 'Byeeeeeee boy' before adding the hashtag, 'ex-boyfriend challenge' Aleks and Ivan had a rocky path at love, with the couple splitting in November before getting back together a month later. They broke up for good just after Valentine's Day in February, with Daily Mail Australia understanding it was Ivan's decision to call time on their relationship. A source told Daily Mail Australia this month: 'It was Ivan's decision to end things and he dumped Aleks out of the blue. He didn't want to be with her anymore. 'She was blindsided and is still upset. The rest of the cast are so confused, but Aleks and Ivan are respecting each other's privacy and keeping things to themselves.' Over: Ivan and Aleks quit the show in scenes that were filmed in November Ivan and Aleks quit the show in scenes that were filmed in November. After leaving the experiment, Ivan flew to Perth to celebrate New Year's Eve with Aleks and they officially got back together. They returned as a couple for the show's reunion, which was filmed in Sydney on January 15, but broke-up five weeks later As the government imposed a 21-day lockdown to curtail the spread of coronavirus, migrant workers across the country were left with no alternative except to walk home on foot. Most have no money and no food to eat. In this time of need, people of India have opened their hearts, and along with the local police are doing their bit to help make their arduous journey a little easier. Management of Kintampo Community Water Supply System in the Bono East Region has assured residents of the town and its environs of an adequate supply of water to enable them to adhere to the regular hand-washing campaign currently on-going to curtail the spread of coronavirus and other diseases. Management has therefore allayed the fears of residents of any possible shortage of water in these trying times and asked them to remain calm and go about their normal duties. Corporate social responsibility Chairman of the Kintampo Water and Sanitation Management team, Isaac Kwabena Sarkodie Boahin gave the assurance last Thursday when Management of the of Kintampo Community Water Supply System distributed Veronica buckets and several pieces of soap to some public and private institutions in the Kintampo municipality as part their corporate social responsibility. Among the beneficiary institutions were the Kintampo North Municipal Assembly, Police Service, the District Magistrate Court, private and public health institutions, and traditional authorities in the area as well as the various lorry stations in the town. Speaking to the media after the presentation, Mr Boahin noted that it is about time hand-washing became a basic practice among all Ghanaians as a major way of fighting the novel coronavirus and other ailments and called on the public to wash their hands at regular intervals as being explained by health authorities. The Water System is taking all measures required to ensured that there is regular and adequate flow of water to all parts of our catchment area so that residents can easily access water to wash their hands and also for other purposes, Mr Boahin stated. The Kintampo Municipal Co-ordinating Director, Naa Thaddeus Zaasa, who received the items on behalf of the various institutions, thanked the management of the water system for their kind gesture, describing it as very timely considering the upsurge of COVID-19 in the country. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have insisted they never intended to ask Donald Trump for help with security costs after the President tweeted to say US taxpayers would not contribute towards protecting them. 'The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have no plans to ask the U.S. Government for security resources,' a Sussex spokesman set yesterday. 'Privately funded security arrangements have been made.' Today the palace refused to comment about whether this meant UK taxpayers would no longer have to contribute towards any future bill. The Sussexes' quick fire reply came hours after Mr Trump said the couple should foot the bill for their bodyguards, now they have moved across the border to LA from Vancouver where Canadian police helped with security. Trump said: 'I am a great friend and admirer of the Queen & the United Kingdom. It was reported that Harry and Meghan, who left the Kingdom, would reside permanently in Canada . Now they have left Canada for the U.S. however, the U.S. will not pay for their security protection. They must pay!' The bill for their security, which includes a roster of nine highly skilled British officers shuttling between the UK and US, is estimated to be as much as 8 million a year and is covered by British taxpayers through the Metropolitan Police budget. They also received support from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Royal sources had said that if Harry and Meghan wanted help with security from the Secret Service in the US, which protects international diplomats, a request would have to be made to the State Department. Ultimately the decision would have rested with Trump, and he made clear today that the US taxpayer would not help fund the couple's security. It is not known what the 'private' security arrangements Meghan and Harry claim to have made are. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and ten-month-old baby Archie made a last minute dash across the border from Canada to the US this week to start their new life in LA. President Donald Trump has said the US will not help with security costs once they settle to live in Los Angeles It emerged last week that the duke, 35, and duchess, 38, had moved to California before the border with Canada closed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Meghan's mother Doria lives in Los Angeles, and the former actress grew up there. The couple took a private jet with their son Archie, ten months, just before non-essential travel between Canada and the US was suspended. Trump has the final say over whether the couple can have US-funded diplomatic protection in the US, because Harry will no longer be classed as an 'international protected person' when he completes the final phase of Megxit next week, according to a royal source. Their decision to move to California came shortly after the Canadian authorities said they would refuse to contribute to the cost of protecting them with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police after March 31. They have been clear from the beginning that they wish to 'stand on their own feet' and there are already lucrative contracts in the pipeline, including one with the Oprah Winfrey Network. Norman Baker, former Home Office Minister and author of And What Do You Do?: What The Royal Family Don't Want You To Know, told the Mail on Sunday yesterday: 'They're going to Los Angeles in order to make packets of money. There will be waterfalls of dollars cascading their way. And they're now private citizens. Why should we pay for them? 'We can't have a situation in which members of the Royal Family can choose to live anywhere in the world, however dangerous, and expect us to pay. The dangers in LA are much more significant than in the backwoods of Windsor.' A royal source said the pair's stepping down removes any obligation on the US government to pay for their security The Prince's chances of building a good relationship with the US President may have been undermined when a leaked phone call saw him say Mr Trump has 'blood on his hands'. Russian hackers managed to connect to the couple's Canadian bolthole where they persuaded the prince that he was speaking to Swedish eco-activist Greta Thunberg and her father. In the calls Harry took aim at the President's environmental record, he said: 'I think the mere fact that Donald Trump is pushing the coal industry is so big in America, he has blood on his hands'. He later added: 'Unfortunately the world is being led by some very sick people so the people like yourselves and younger generation are the ones that are going to make all the difference.' Meghan has also had issues with President Trump in the past, blasting him as 'misogynistic' and 'divisive' in a television interview before he was elected to office. Last year the President hit back at the former actress saying: 'I didn't know she was nasty'. Harry and Meghan caused quite a stir earlier this year when they made the shock announcement that they were quitting Royal life and leaving the UK. The Megxit process will finally be complete on Tuesday when the couple will stand down as senior Royals. Trump has the final say on whether the U.S. will foot the bill for the couple. In a tweet on Sunday, he knocked back the idea, saying: 'I am a great friend and admirer of the Queen & the United Kingdom. It was reported that Harry and Meghan, who left the Kingdom, would reside permanently in Canada . Now they have left Canada for the U.S. however, the U.S. will not pay for their security protection. They must pay!' A royal source said the pair's stepping down removes any obligation on the US government to pay for their security. The UK and US have a long standing reciprocal agreement when it comes to bodyguards protecting diplomats and members of the Royal family. President Trump's Secret Service agents would have been allowed to carry their weapons on his state visit and likewise bodyguards for the Queen and Prince Charles when they made official trips to the US. But Harry's exit from the Royal family means he is no longer considered an 'international protected person' and so these rules don't apply. The couple would have had to rely on President Trump to make an exception to cover the costs, the source said. 'It will be down to Harry or his Met Police protection officers to ask for help,' they said. 'There is a reciprocal agreement between the US that allows protection officers to carry their weapons. But Harry is no longer a serving royal and that is why his protection in Canada from the Mounties was withdrawn. 'Someone is going to have to ask the State Department, and ultimately the decision rests with Donald Trump, for assistance. Harry cannot live in the US without armed protection.' Given Meghan's criticism of the US leader and snubbing him at a Buckingham Palace banquet it's not surprising that Trump doesn't feel so generous to the pair. The LAPD and California Governor Newsom's Office did not return a request from DailyMail.com about their involvement in the couple's security plans. Conference (NC) President and former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah on Sunday released an additional amount of Rs 1.5 crore for Srinagar based hospitals to combat COVID-19. The amount will be equally distributed among three hospitals in Srinagar -- SMHS hospital, CD Hospital and GB Pant Hospital. "Continuing our commitment to fight #COVID19, Party President and MP Srinagar Dr Farooq Abdullah today released an additional amount of Rs 1.5 crore to Srinagar based hospitals. The amount is to be equally distributed among SMHS hospital, CD Hospital and G B Pant Hospital," the Conference wrote on its official Twitter handle. The Srinagar MP had on Saturday released an amount of Rs 1 crore to combat COVID-19 threat in Jammu and Kashmir from his MPLAD (Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme) fund."Out of Rs 1 crore, Rs 50 lakh has been earmarked for SKIMS (Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences) Srinagar and Rs 25 lakh each for Budgam and Ganderbal districts," the party said in a release."As per directions from party president Dr Farooq Abdullah, Anantnag MP Hasnain Masoodi has released Rs 1 crore to combat the threat of COVID-19 in his constituency. The amount will be equally distributed to Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian and Pulwama districts," the party added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The InfoWars website is still up and running, with a live feed of Alex Jones' rants and other conspiracy theories being featured as it were the truth. Chennai: Alex Jones is in some ways similar to our desi gurus spouting unscientific information on primetime TV. His radio show InfoWars spins conspiracy theories faster than an industrial mill and has a following among extreme right-wingers and gullible conservatives in the US. For a long time, tech companies were enabling the widespread reach of the fake news propagated on InfoWars by allowing Alex Jones on their platforms. But with the coronavirus having become a frightful pandemic, and the spread of fake news about it blunting the effectiveness of lockdowns, Alex Jones strides on the internet have been cut short. Google has finally removed the InfoWars app from its play store, which was the only mainstream platform on which it was allowed to continue till now. The app had more than 1,00,000 downloads. Already, YouTube, Twitter, Apple, Facebook and Instagram had banned Alex Jones from their platforms in 2018 and 2019. The Android app was removed after Alex Jones was reported to have put out a video on COVID-19 disputing the need for physical distancing and self-isolation to slow the spread of the contagion. Studies have proven that physical distancing helps flatten the curve or in other words slow down the spread of the contagion over a longer period of time, which keeps the healthcare system from being overwhelmed by numerous cases all at once. Now more than ever, combating misinformation on the Play Store is a top priority for the team, a Google spokesperson was quoted as saying by Wired. When we find apps that violate Play policy by distributing misleading or harmful information, we remove them from the store. While in India fake babas have been touting gomutra (cows urine) as a cure for the coronavirus COVID-19, Alex Joness app asked users to buy his toothpaste claming that it kills the whole SARS-corona family at point-blank range. Only after a courts cease-and-desist order stopped the phony product from being sold. Alex Jones of course called Googles action suppression of free speech guaranteed to the American people. He put out a video response on his InfoWars video platform, claiming that Google and other big tech companies were working against President Donald Trump, and that his app was thrown out of Play Store because he had shared information about supposed coronavirus treatment. Scientists are yet to find a cure for COVID-19, although several clinical trials are experimental treatments are being conducted, most of which treats the symptoms that could overwhelm the human bodys immune system, rather than kills the virus altogether. Earlier this month, Google issued a joint statement along with other companies such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Microsoft, LinkedIn and Reddit on combating misinformation related to the coronavirus outbreak. That appears to have become the final nail on the coffin of Alex Joness false propaganda. Yet, though his reach may be severely limited now, his website infowars.com is still up. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Every morning for the last three weeks, Jarred Binney has grabbed a bottle of disinfectant. Before the pharmacy manager and director of clinical services at Bocage Pharmacy Centre begins working, he sprays his white lab coat. Binney has no choice. Though most of Louisiana has been ordered to stay at home as coronavirus threatens the state, Binney works at an essential business. People still need vitamins, supplements and medication. While many of the store fronts around Bocage Pharmacy Centre have temporarily closed, Binney and his staff cant work from home. The pharmacy has taken extra precautions to protect its employees and customers from contracting the virus. It has installed curbside delivery, disinfected surfaces several times a day and made its own hand sanitizer for employees. The staff wears masks, which have to be reused. We knew we would be coming to work no matter what, Binney said. And we know a lot of people's lives depend on our job right now. At the same time, Binney has studied coronavirus, which has infected 3,540 people in Louisiana as of Sunday. He understands how easily the virus spreads. He worries about passing it to his family, especially his newborn baby. He changes his clothes and washes his hands the moment he gets home. Then he applies hand sanitizer. I am afraid, Binney said. I'm not going to lie. Deep down. With coronavirus keeping Louisiana at home, remote doctor visits skyrocket through telemedicine Before the coronavirus arrived in Louisiana, the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System was averaging 14 telemedicine visits a day Binneys not alone. Some employees at pharmacies, grocery stores and markets throughout Baton Rouge worry theyll contract the virus or unknowingly give it to someone else. But they have to work. They supply services vital to maintaining society. Were an essential business, said a woman working behind the deli at Sprouts Farmers Market. She weighed an order of pepper jack cheese. Everybody got to eat. Like Bocage Pharmacy Centre, many grocery stores and pharmacies have made efforts to limit the spread of the virus. Signs encourage shoppers to practice social distancing, and lines of tape keep customers 6 feet apart at checkout. Most grocery stores have installed Plexiglas shields at the cash registers. At the Red Stick Farmers Market downtown on Saturday morning, cars stretched down the block for hours, resembling a school carpool line. The market, which runs twice a week, had decided to operate as a drive-thru to limit contact. Customers steered their cars between a row of tents. Vaccine news in your inbox Once a week we'll update you on the progress of COVID-19 vaccinations. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up As cars pulled through, director of marketing and development Darlene Adams Rowland stood near a table with gloves and disinfecting wipes. She had started wearing safety gloves more often, trying to follow recommended health guidelines. Over the last couple weeks, she has stopped herself from hugging regular customers. While Rowland explained how farmers need the market to support their income, a man in a wheelchair rolled onto the corner. Rowland offered to help him shop. Ive got to get my gloves, Rowland said. She looked at the table. Are these fresh? Across town at Southside Produce Market, signs near the cash registers asked shoppers to wait behind a yellow line while cashiers scanned their order. The employees wore gloves. When customers paid, the cashiers stepped back, keeping their distance. You dont know who has it or who doesnt have it, said Andy Pizzolato, who co-owns the store with his father. Before the virus swept through Louisiana, Pizzolatos 74-year-old father worked the same hours as him. They opened the location together, expanding the latest version of a produce stand the family has operated since the 1930s. The last few weeks, the family told Pizzolatos father to stay home. He begged to work. +2 Running low on toilet paper? Georgia-Pacific plant near Zachary maxing out at 120% capacity Don't blame manufacturers for that empty toilet paper shelf at the grocery store. Plants like Georgia-Pacific just north of Baton Rouge are ru Look, Pizzolatos son said, even if you stay in the office, it can still infect you. When the first cases of coronavirus reached Louisiana, people overwhelmed grocery stores and pharmacies, stocking up on items they needed during periods of quarantine. Binney consoled crying patients who worried they couldnt get their medication. He reassured them the pharmacy would remain open. They didnt need to panic. Once Binney finishes his work every day, he hangs his lab coat in a back room. He sprays the coat again with disinfectant, trying to protect himself from the virus. Then he leaves for the night and returns to his family. His coat waits there until the next morning. Russian President Vladimir Putin visited a hospital for coronavirus patients in Moscows Kommunarka because it was important for him to see with his own eyes how things were going "on the frontline" of the battle against the disease, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with the "Moscow. Kremlin. Putin" program on Rossiya-1 TV, TASS reported. "He always prefers to see with his own eyes how things are going on the frontline," Peskov said, commenting on Putins visit to the Kommunarka hospital. "Putin would not be Putin if he did not decide to go there. With regard to danger, all safety precautions were taken and he put on that yellow suit that has already become famous." Peskov stressed that Putins decision to visit the hospital in Kommunarka came as a surprise. "Usually, the presidents visit somewhere comes after certain preparations and after a task force arrives there. Now we came without any preparations at all," he explained. Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the Kommunarka hospital on March 24 to inspect the facility for treating suspected coronavirus patients. The hospitals chief doctor, Denis Protsenko, accompanied the president during the visit. The pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus has affected most countries in the world, beginning with the outbreak in central China in late December 2019. According to the latest data, more than 620,000 people have contracted the coronavirus globally and nearly 30,000 have died. Russia has registered a total of 1,534 coronavirus cases, including 1,014 of them in Moscow. The death toll has reached eight and 64 patients have recovered, according to the anti-coronavirus crisis center. MILAN, MI Every evening at 7 p.m., Milan residents have been going outside to check on their neighbors amid the coronavirus outbreak and the states stay home order. The effort, known as Milan Moments, brings dozens of neighbors outdoors every day, regardless of weather conditions. Milan Mayor Dominic Hamden said residents are keeping their distance by staying in their own yards during the daily event. This is a way for people to comply with the order, and at the same time, get some form of social interaction, Hamden said. This is an opportunity for all of us to come out and socialize with each other for a few seconds and check on everybody. The idea started with Milan resident Erin Held and has grown to include neighborhoods all over the area. One participant, Dennis Albers, even created a wearable social distancing guideline to help him comply with the six-foot contact order while outside. Jill Tewsley, Milan resident and executive director of Milan Main Street, joined her daughter outside Thursday on First Street to check on about a dozen other neighbors. There is something comforting about just being able to wave hello from across the street or even talk for a few minutes, said Tewsley. Human connection is important, especially during times like these. But the connection doesn't end there. People are posting about it on social media and sharing their Milan Moments selfies and stories. Milan resident Angela Thomas, president of Aid in Milan and secretary of the Milan Area Chamber Board, said she looks forward to Milan Moments every evening. Milan has been doing a pretty good job with the 'stay home order, so this is a great opportunity for us to socialize from a safe distance, said Thomas. We have to be very mindful of our mental health at this time, and this is just another way to stay sane. CORONAVIRUS PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and when you go into places like stores. MORE: Ann Arbor fitness studio to host free virtual community workout classes Ypsilanti closes some park amenities to comply with social distancing guidelines Washtenaw County seeks hotel space, additional emergency funds to fight coronavirus Ann Arbor psychosocial rehab program lays off staff as coronavirus complicates revenue stream Whitmer says Michigan schools very unlikely to reopen this year under coronavirus pandemic Michigan has become a U.S. epicenter for coronavirus. Why? A man has been arrested after coughing in the face of a paramedic, just a day after thug Paul Leivers (pictured), who spat at police, was jailed for a year A man has been arrested after deliberately coughing in the face of a paramedic, just a day after a thug who spat at police was jailed for a year. The ambulance service was called just before 11pm on Saturday to a man in Stroud, Gloucestershire, who was feeling unwell. While there, another man who was self-isolating allegedly deliberately coughed in the face of one of the paramedics, a spokeswoman for Gloucestershire Police said. 'The man, a 43-year-old, was arrested, charged and remanded for assaulting an emergency worker by way of coughing and threatening GBH by infecting with Covid-19,' they added. The arrest came after the jailing of Paul Leivers, 48, for spitting at officers while claiming to have coronavirus. Leivers admitted two counts of assault on an emergency worker after being arrested in Mansfield on Thursday. Nottinghamshire Police said Leivers, of Tideswell Court, Mansfield, spat at custody officers. He appeared at Nottingham Magistrates' Court on Saturday in front of District Judge Leo Pyle. The court heard Leivers did not have coronavirus or any symptoms of the disease. Sentencing the defendant, District Judge Pyle said: 'It was in the public interest to deal with the matter sooner rather than later. A paramedic was coughed at by a man who was self-isolating in Stroud, Gloucestershire. They had been called to treat a different person at the address who was feeling unwell (file photo) 'These are two distinct acts and it was appalling behaviour, these offences were deliberate and pre-mediated. 'Emergency workers have a difficult job at the best of time, even more so at the minute and the court will not flinch to protect officers.' Assistant Chief Constable Steve Cooper, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: 'This sentence sends out a very powerful and clear message that this behaviour will not be tolerated in any shape or form and especially not now in the current climate. The arrest came after the jailing of Paul Leivers, 48, for spitting at officers while claiming to have coronavirus. He appeared at Nottingham Magistrates' Court (pictured) on Saturday in front of District Judge Leo Pyle 'In these worrying times for us all, having someone spitting at front line officers threatening them with coronavirus is both despicable and appalling. 'Our officers are putting their duty to the public ahead of their own welfare at this current time. They put themselves at risk every single to day in order to protect our communities - they should not and will not have to put up with this. 'I want to thank the judge for making an example of this situation which I know will send a message loud and clear not just here in Nottinghamshire but across the country.' Chief Constable Craig Guildford added: 'This is the exact reassurance our officers need - that this will not be tolerated and new powers we now have means swift action will be taken to deal with those that choose to offend in this way. 'Despicable, thoughtless and disgraceful acts such as this will not go unpunished.' The force said the officers who were spat at are safe and well. Two Australians are stranded in Peru after the South American country imposed a lockdown while they were on their honeymoon. Gabrielle and Matthew Ryan were forced to cut their eight-month long biking tour around South America short when the coronavirus pandemic forced Peru into lockdown, effectively banning travel between cities. The couple is more than 850km away from Lima, where they could make their way back home, according to Nine News. Ms Ryan told the network the government had made it very clear theyre not interested in coming and getting us. The government has been working with an Australian travel company based in Peru to charter a flight out of Lima this weekend, but the tickets cost $5,000. The safety of citizens shouldn't be discriminated on their ability to pay, Ms Ryan told Nine News. An Australian couple who ventured to Peru for their honeymoon are now stranded. Source: Nine News Another Australian stranded in Peru, Thomas Curnow, spoke to AAP on Friday and said the flight was completely sold out. The travel company chartering the rescue flight has organised to get people from Cusco to Lima, but Mr Curnow says people outside the two cities are stuck. "There's about 300 of us outside Cusco and Lima wondering how we are going to get home," he told AAP on Friday. The stranded 25-year-old hit out at the government and the $5,000 plane ticket which he labelled a burden. No financial support, and with tickets at $5000 it's a burden on most people, he said. For a country that's just bailed out its national airline it's a disgrace they haven't helped in any other way. Peruvian army soldiers control traffic in Lima on March 16, 2020. Source: Getty Images Mr Curnow said the only thing the Australian government has done was facilitate the permissions needed for the flight to take off. They haven't done anything else, Mr Curnow said. More than 260 Australian nationals and permanent residents are expected to be on the fully booked flight out of Peru, which is subject to final approval from local authorities, AAP reported on Friday. Story continues According to Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Centre, 671 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Peru with 16 reported deaths as of Sunday. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has had more than 18,500 requests for assistance from Australians stranded overseas since March 13. Australians have now been banned from travelling overseas as authorities try to contain the virus. With AAP Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play. Together they will add 2300 beds to the war against corona Kolkata: Following up on Narendra Modis telephonic talk with Mamata Banerjee last week, the central government has sent 10,000 coronavirus testing kits to West Bengal, which has so far seen 19 Covid-19 positive cases and onedeath. The test kits were delivered to the National Institute of Cholera & Enteric Diseases from National Institute of Virology, Pune. While that will boost the states corona preparedness a bit, the government is planning to turn two big hospitals into dedicated Covid-19 facilities -- Calcutta Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) in central Kolkata and the new campus of the Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI) in New Town. The CMCH will be ready to receive Covid-19 patients after shifting patients with other ailments to other hospitals. It will have 1600 beds. The states health department is in talks with the Union Health Ministry on using CNCI as a coronavirus facility. The plan is to have nearly 700 beds there. The Oman Ministry of Tourism recently revealed that significant investments will be poured in to transform ancient houses into heritage inns and guest houses in an aim to boost tourism efforts promoting the sultanates vibrant local heritage. As one of the ministrys top priorities, the preservation of ancient houses - which are considered architectural treasures that show Omans archaeological character are central to national initiatives showcasing the unique heritage and rich history and civilization of the sultanate. Ancient local neighbourhoods have already been restored using innovative engineering and architectural techniques to turn them into an attractive tourist destination. The Ministry said that tourists can visit these communities, among others, to get a glimpse of the Omani way of life during the ancient times as well as gain a rich cultural experience by immersing themselves into activities that define authentic local traditions. Heritage inns, green cabins, and guest houses will serve as a unique style of accommodation for the growing number of travellers arriving to the Sultanate. The ministrys announcement is expected to result in higher tourist arrivals to meet the governments goal of attracting 11 million local and international visitors by 2040. Boosting domestic tourism will also lead to new job opportunities for citizens and a diversified national economy. Saleh bin Ali Al Khaifi, director of Promotion and Marketing Department, Oman Ministry of Tourism, said that preserving heritage houses and building green houses are also aligned with the sultanates intensified tourism initiatives that are responsive to the rapidly changing global tourism community and to the international environmental sustainability calls. Oman also aimed to sustain its top position on the list of the best cultural and heritage tourist destinations for 2019. Al Khaifi added: Investing in heritage homes is a step in the right direction amid our continued efforts to entice more tourists from all over the world to come visit Oman. Therefore, we are moving forward with our mega tourism projects aimed at transforming old traditional homes into heritage inns with the best services, while preserving and protecting the old structures and the atmosphere of the neighborhoods in our ancient areas. We will observe the highest standards in these projects, keeping sustainability and the finest hospitality in mind. We look forward to bringing the Oman experience of all tourists to new heights in conjunction with us promoting sustainability and heritage tourism, a sector that is fundamental to the sultanates development and global positioning. - TradeArabia News Service Pakistan on Sunday asked the international community to urge India to release all political prisoners in Kashmir and allow unfettered access to medical and other essential supplies there. The Foreign Office in a statement alleged that thousands of Kashmiri youth, members of civil society, journalists and Kashmiri leaders were in prisons, many of them at undisclosed locations and away from their families. It asked the international community to "urgently demand from India the lifting of communication restrictions and allowing unfettered access to medical and other essential supplies." "The Indian government must also be urged to immediately allow release of all political prisoners from Indian jails,," it added. Tensions between India and Pakistan have spiked since New Delhi abrogated the Article 370 of the Constitution to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in August last year. India's decision evoked strong reactions from Pakistan, which downgraded diplomatic ties and expelled the Indian envoy. India has categorically told the international community that the scrapping of the Article 370 was its internal matter. It also advised Pakistan to accept the reality and stop all anti-India propaganda. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (Photo : Image by MariaShvedova from Pixabay ) Advertisement Image by MariaShvedova from Pixabay Like Us on Facebook Advertisement President Vladimir Putin said Russia had "under control" the spread of coronavirus just over a week ago. Now, the country is shifting strategies, as officials admit that they are planning for a significant outbreak of Covid-19. Putin admitted in a nationwide address on Wednesday that it was objectively difficult to avoid [coronavirus] from spilling over into a country the size of Russia. He encouraged Russians to "comprehend the difficulty of the situation" and stay home, announcing a paid stay-at-home holiday plan next week. The Kremlin announced a case of coronavirus in the administration of Putin on Friday and the government said that steps to contain the virus introduced in Moscow would be extended across the country. For the third day in a row, the official count of confirmed cases jumped by a record regular sum taking Russia's total to 1,036. The governor of the Krasnodar region, which includes Sochi's Black Sea resort, had to order the closure of all shopping centers, parks and restaurants, and ban flights. It was a classic display of leadership but Putin stopped short of supplying the public with a bitter pill. While announcing a range of steps to improve the economy of the country and encouraging people not to go out of their residences, he left it to other officials to announce more comprehensive lockdowns. Moscow officials said the government took measures to stop the virus from spreading further after a presidential staff member tested positive of the virus. The person did not come into contact with Putin, officials disclosed but declined to reveal the person's identity. After Putin's speech early Wednesday, the Russian government declared it would close all its borders and cancel international flights except repatriation planes which are expected to carry thousands of Russians from hard-hit areas back home. The number of reported cases of coronavirus in Russia remains considerably lower than in other European countries, but Moscow's mayor told Putin on Tuesday that the real scale of the problem in the capital far exceeded official estimates. An opinion poll conducted by the Moscow-based Levada Center showed that most Russians do not believe the official figures, some 59 percent. Twenty-four percent said they "completely" didn't believe them and 35 percent said they believed them only partly, the survey revealed. Meanwhile, as a gift from Alibaba founder Jack Ma, Russia has received over a million face masks and 200,000 coronavirus test kits, becoming the latest country to welcome a donation from the Chinese billionaire businessman in the midst of the global health crisis. Advertisement TagsRussia, lockdown, COVID-19 A New South Wales woman will face court after speeding through a South Australian border checkpoint and allegedly coughing in the faces of two police officers. The Navara Utility sped through the checkpoint on the Barrier Highway in Oodla Wirra about 10:45pm on Saturday and was followed by a police car. Patrols tried to stop the vehicle and pursued it along the highway until the car's tyres were spiked about 1.5km north of Whyte-Yarcowie. Police searched the car and found two knives and an open carton of beer. A woman has been the first person fined under strict COVID-19 legislation after she allegedly sped away from a border control point in South Australia (pictured is another border check point in Australia) The 51-year-old woman, who refused a roadside breath test, was arrested and taken to hospital for a medical assessment. It was at the hospital that the woman allegedly intentionally coughed in the officers' faces but they were wearing protective equipment at the time. The woman has been charged with various offences, including engaging in a police pursuit and carrying an offensive weapon. She was also issued a $1060 fine for not complying with COVID-19 directions. The woman was refused police bail and will appear in the Port Pirie Magistrates Court on Monday. It's allege the 51-year-old woman also coughed in the faces of two officers after refusing a breath test and being taken to hospital for a health check (South Australian checkpoint pictured) SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens (pictured left) said it was important for the public to be made aware of the harsh penalties associated with -non-compliance of COVID-19 directions SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said it was important the public knew the severity of the penalties for breaching COVID-19 directions. 'This in turn is key to achieving the desired public health outcomes, namely, minimising transmission of COVID-19 to flatten the infection rate curve,' he said 'While most people are doing the right thing and complying with these directions, there are still a minority within the community who are not complying with the restrictions and are putting others at risk.' Mark Twain, on hearing an American newspaper had prematurely published his obituary, clarified matters by saying, The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated. Some things do not change. False reports abound in a time of national and international panic. As Dr. Deborah Birx pointed out in her recent report on the coronavirus, it turns out that British scientist Dr. Neil Fergusons initial model for the death rate from coronavirus was severely exaggerated. He has since walked back his dire predictions. His retraction comes after many governments adopted draconian measures to protect the public from his scenarios of death and destruction. Although the good news was disappointing for true believers actively desiring a Malthusian apocalypse, the rest of those who have been in lockdown now see a ray of sunshine through their metaphorically boarded windows. History will judge whether or not Dr. Ferguson did the equivalent of shouting Fire! in a global theater, but his mistake does call into question the use of similar scientific models as the basis of public policy. It may be legitimate to question the usefulness of predictive models based on the way Dr. Ferguson and others do science. After all, we have seen similar scientific models and methods used to justify policies that proved worse than the conditions that created them. Chinas disastrous One Child policy was based on a Malthusian scientific model that predicted the entire society would starve if Chinas population was not culled by abortion and even infanticide. The results of that policy are apparent today, as China faces a shortage of women, a surplus of single men and an aging population. Historians will also recall devastation caused by Lysenkoism. Lysenkoism was actually an ideological political campaign buttressed by Lamarckism, an evolutionary philosophy better matched to communist propaganda than Mendelian science. Trofim Lysenko forced a system of agriculture on the Russian people that was completely anti-scientific. Lysenkos kooky theory of "vernalization" was supposed to produce record crops. The model failed completely. But for sixteen long years, Russian agriculture was blasted by pseudo-scientific policies enforced by Stalins draconian measures. All the above examples are to say nothing of ruinous pseudo-scientific models concerning diseases, races, ethnicities, criminality, and intelligence. All pseudo-science models have one thing in common: They are essentially deeply religious, accompanied as they are by apocalyptic end times scenarios that goad the public into actions fomented by panic and despair. The use of mathematics and charts adds an air of legitimacy to apocalyptic predictions that are almost the exact duplicate of end time scenarios prophesied by cult leaders. Such prophets have used biblical verses, gnostic numerology, guilt and fear to panic their followers into selling all their possessions, buying white robes and heading to the mountains or digging shelters underground in hopes of surviving as the chosen remnant. In a similar panicked manner, there are those whose disruptive plans are now being put into play while they appeal to science and to their higher moral discernment; wisdom that is hidden from the rest of us mortals. Nothing is more tempting to potential tyrants than utilization of a panic stoked to white heat in order to reinforce and extend state control. The use of partial truth -- yes, the virus is real -- can be inflated and massaged in order to achieve nefarious ends. Alas, the fact is that the final writhing of a diseased system built on lies can still create havoc. Some ideologues just like to see things burn. Some see ways to profit from societal collapse. Some see the possibility that society can be fundamentally transformed. While the coronavirus is real, and sensible measures should be taken to prevent its spread, perhaps it is well to listen to a voice from Italy, now an epicenter of the viral plague. Italy, which has long had an off again; on again flirtation with communism, has a few voices of caution as the measures to contain the virus look more and more like a state takeover worthy of Bolsheviks. An author of a prescient column who goes by the nom de plume Mundabor writes: it seems to me that, in Italy at least, the emergency is now morphing into madness. I have little doubt that other Countries like Spain and France will very soon follow, then they tend to react in the same way. I can only hope that the United Kingdom and the United States will keep a cooler head, following a tradition of stiff upper lip in times of crisis. Listen, people: factories do not close even in war times, with the enemy bombers flying over them. The decision of the Italian Prime Minister, Conte, to shut down the countrys factories starting tomorrow is exactly an example of what should not, never (not if we had enemy bombers on our heads!) be done. He adds: Social distancing is all fine. Work from home whenever possible is all fine. The enforcement of the end of mass gathering is something which has always been done for public order reasons. But when you begin to shut down factories and condemn to closure every shop that is not essential, you are playing with the very fabric of the country and making of Italy the next Venezuela. The Left will rise, as it is always the case when misery and poverty do. This may result in an entirely home-made World War I, with the citizen shooting themselves out of sheer panic rather than being shot at by the enemy. Mundabors words should give us Americans pause. We need to consider what will happen if our entire nation is shut down. We need to consider that what is happening in our own country goes far beyond an attempt to take down Donald Trump and is rapidly morphing into hysteria that if unchecked, could change our entire nation beyond recognition. As Mundabor writes: As the hysteria grows (which I am afraid it will), Conte and the other politicians will not have any interest in trying to plant their feet, draw a line in the sand and say that there must be a limit to the measures taken to prevent the diffusion of the China Virus. On the contrary, the temptation will be big to put themselves at the head of the movement and look caring, even as they carelessly destroy the lives of millions and cause untold suffering for years to come. The coronavirus madness puts before Americans a choice: Revive the progressive/leftist Frankenstein monster or immolate it at last. Lets hope America chooses the latter and doesnt accede to embracing an ideological vision that has long relied on deathly visions of apocalypse now, visions bound to destroy the flawed but redeemable peoples and institutions of the West. All the while, hope and pray that the panic engendered by an ideological paradigm bolstered by pseudo-science and errant philosophical underpinnings at last collapses; and that true reform and restoration can begin. Meanwhile, those addicted to the rush engendered by the apocalypse now scenarios might do well to think about the words of wisdom from a prophet who spoke about the real thing thousands of years ago. We wont know when it will happen; and when it does, we wont miss it. Fay Voshell holds a M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary, which awarded her the prize for excellence in systematic theology. Her thoughts have appeared in many online magazines, including the Christian Post, National Review, RealClearReligion, Russia Insider and American Thinker. She may be reached at fvoshell@yahoo.com Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal MADRID This time of year, the town of Madrid is typically bustling with tourists crowded into shops and cars cruising up main street for spring break. That was before the novel coronavirus crashed the party, bringing with it closures and empty streets. Now the town of 149 looks more like a neighboring ghost town. Nestled behind the Sandia Mountains, Madrid rests almost as a halfway mark between Santa Fe and Albuquerque. For more than 30 miles in either direction the only grocery store is the Old Boarding House Mercantile run by Annette Bruso and a handful of workers. Bruso has lived in Madrid for 40 years and, for 26 years, has independently run her grocery store 10 hours a day, seven days a week. Customers are normally greeted by baskets of 5-cent bubble gum and shelves of food, ranging from chips and donuts to fresh produce and New York strips. But these days, like in other stores across the U.S., her shelves are becoming sparse. Im 73 years old, and Im scrambling to get essentials in this store, Bruso said. I just ran out of eggs. Bruso doesnt run her store like others who have a reliable shipment to stock their shelves. Instead, she stocks her store by hand, buying products from other stores. Thanks to limits on products, she has trouble keeping her shelves stocked with the essentials. (We need) toilet paper, paper towels anything with bleach in it, she said. Its all disappearing. Bruso has resorted to raiding her own home for disinfectant wipes just to help keep her workers at the counter safe. Bruso tries to keep her local community stocked and supplied. But the 30-mile distance hasnt stopped people from outside Madrid from loading up on the stores paper towels and toilet paper. Bruso wont restrict her sales from people outside Madrid, but it has become a concern for her. Were doing what we can to give stuff to people who have nothing, but we dont have much left to give anybody, Bruso said. We need to be able to stock our store to be able to keep people home. Next door and across the street from one another are shops that cater to tourists. Some sell handcrafted, Native American jewelry. Others sell colorful T-shirts and sparkling minerals. Though their novelties are different, all of them are now closed after Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham ordered non-essential businesses to shut down in an effort to stem the spread of the virus that has infected more than 200 people in New Mexico, killing two, as of Saturday. Right now, itd be slamming. It should be a lot busier than it is, Levi Williams said, two days before Lujan Grisham issued her closure order. Williams, a miner who helps sell jewelry at Gypsy Gems, first noticed business taper off after March 16 when the states Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department ordered all state parks to close until April 9. Williams biggest fear is the pandemic lasting into August and not being able to work. He has already been laid off from a pizza place in Santa Fe because of the coronavirus. Before the governors announcement to close all non-essential businesses, the job in Madrid was all he had. Worst comes to worst, Ill go fishing, Williams said, adding that he has a freezer full of meat to get him through the next months. I need to make money while I can because who knows how long this is going to last, he said. While the pandemic has kept students out of school, it didnt stop Jacob Edwards and Paige Rifford from starting their Southwest road trip, from Kansas City, Missouri. They embarked on the adventure after Rifford was laid off from two jobs, as a server and her retail job, back home. Its like a spiritual trip to get my mind off everything thats been going on instead of sitting in my apartment and freaking out over everything, Rifford said. The biggest question for them is whether to go back home. Both said they have been captivated by the beauty of the state. We need to move here so bad, Edwards said. Police have apprehended alleged coronavirus rulebreakers across the country this weekend, the first since the lockdown measures came into force. Members of the public have been found holding house parties and on cross-country road trips by officers in various parts of the UK and Ireland. One motorist was stopped on the motorway with his wife in the boot of his car, having made a 224-mile round trip to collect a 15 eBay purchase, despite people only being told to make essential journeys. The driver had travelled from Coventry to Salford to pick up the windows he had bought and was stopped by a motorway patrol on the return part of his journey. His wife, unable to fit in the car alongside the windows, was found in the boot when they were stopped on the M6 in Cheshire. A traffic offence report was written, according to the North West Motorway Police. A driver has travelled from Coventry to Salford to collect a 15 EBay purchase of windows. His wife could not fit in the vehicle so she was travelling in the boot for the return journey when stopped on the M6 Cheshire. The driver was given a TOR for the offence. North West Motorway Police (@NWmwaypolice) March 29, 2020 In Derbyshire, police posted pictures from the 25-person karaoke party they went to break up. Officers were said to be in absolute shock about the gathering in Dover Street, Normanton, at 10pm on Saturday. Images shared on Twitter showed a table covered in buffet food and large speakers. Derbyshire Police told the PA news agency that strong words of advice were given to all those inside and the party was dispersed but no further action was taken. Group 1 Officers have just attended an address in absolute shock to find 25 adults and children having a massive party with speakers and karaoke. Everyone dispersed and hosts dealt with. It is clear people are still having complete disregard for the Government advice and rules. pic.twitter.com/g3GFGhFN6e Derby West Response (@DerWestResponse) March 29, 2020 South Wales Police urged Labour MP Stephen Kinnock, who represents Aberavon, to comply with restrictions after he had a socially distanced celebration to mark his fathers 78th birthday. The force tweeted: We know celebrating your Dads birthday is a lovely thing to do, however this is not essential travel. We all have our part to play in this, we urge you to comply with @GOVUK restrictions, they are in place to keep us all safe. Thank you. Mr Kinnock replied: I felt that this was essential travel as I had to deliver some necessary supplies to my parents. I stayed long enough to sing happy birthday to Dad, and then I was off. All the best, Stephen. Dad turned 78 today. Incredible, but true. @HelleThorning_S and I took a couple of chairs over, and sat in their front garden for a socially distanced celebration. As you do Happy birthday, mate. pic.twitter.com/ipGuN2WzsC Stephen Kinnock (@SKinnock) March 28, 2020 Emergency service workers have also been subject to abuse. In Cork, Ireland, a 19-year-old man has been charged after allegedly spitting in the face of a Garda member and claiming he had coronavirus. He was due to appear at a special sitting of Anglesea Street District Court on Sunday afternoon. Three women from the south-west will all be in front of magistrates next month after Avon and Somerset police enforced the new rules on Saturday. A 26-year-old woman was charged with assaulting an emergency worker after an officer attending reports of a house party in Bridgwater was coughed and spat at just after 7pm on Saturday. In Bath, a 42-year-old woman was charged with two counts of assaulting an emergency worker one relating to an officer being spat at just after 7.30pm on Saturday. A 36-year-old woman has also been charged with two counts of assaulting an emergency worker after officers were physically assaulted while attending a domestic-related incident in Bridgwater just before 8pm on Saturday. In neighbouring Gloucestershire, a 43-year-old man has been charged with assaulting an emergency worker and threatening GBH by infecting with Covid-19 after he allegedly deliberately coughed in the face of a paramedic. In Manchester, a man has been charged after police said he refused to stop approaching queuing shoppers at the Tesco in Stalybridge. Steven Norman Mackie, 53, is due to appear at Tameside Magistrates Court on Monday charged with one count of failing to maintain public health and causing public disorder and nuisance contrary to regulations 6, 9(1b and 4) of the Health Protection Regulations 2020. Liberal Senator Andrew Bragg has accused super funds questioning the government's decision to free up retirement savings for people affected by the coronavirus pandemic of poor risk management. He claims some funds are too reliant on illiquid assets, including property and infrastructure. Senator Bragg's criticisms are disputed by industry superannuation leaders, including Cbus chairman Steve Bracks, who warned longer-term retirement savings and the sharemarket could be distorted if stocks were sold in the midst of a severe downturn to satisfy demand for the scheme. Liberal Senator Andrew Bragg says the coronavirus pandemic should not give cover to super funds' "imprudent practices." Credit:Alex Ellinghausen People who have lost their job or 20 per cent of their income as a result of the coronavirus pandemic will be able to apply to withdraw two tranches of $10,000 tax-free from their superannuation, starting mid-April. The policy has sparked a broader debate about the role of superannuation in helping Australians facing financial hardship. Horse-riding gunmen on Saturday kidnapped an elderly woman in Takanebu community, Miga Local Government Area of Jigawa State. Residents said the gunmen stormed the community on horses and abducted Harira Nasir, the mother of Abdulkarim Nasir, an influential member of the community. The Jigawa police spokesperson, Audu Jinjiri, confirmed the incident. He said the victim was abducted at her sons residence and that the gunmen also went away with some valuables. Mr Jinjiri said the police have dispatched more personnel to the area to comb the bush where the suspected gunmen are believed to be hiding. A relative of the victim told reporters that about 10 armed gunmen arrived their victims house early on Saturday. READ ALSO: They gained entrance by jumping over the fence and demanded the whereabouts of their prime target which is Hajiya. We saw all of them carrying guns, we know we have no other alternative than to surrender her, the source said asking not to be named. They went away with the victim on their horses, he added. Jigawa is one of the North-western states that have suffered from attacks by armed bandits. Other states that have suffered such attacks are Zamfara, Katsina and Kaduna. Apart from kidnapping for ransom, the bandits have also killed hundreds of people in the last few years. It's raining gold. That's probably how Warren Buffett would summarize the stock market crash. Buffett wrote to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders in 2010: "Big opportunities come infrequently. When it's raining gold, reach for a bucket, not a thimble." The problem for many investors, though, is that they don't exactly have a big bucket. Don't worry if you're in that group. Even if you don't have a ton of cash, it's still a very good time to buy stocks if you're prepared to hold them over the long run. I think it's an especially opportune time to invest in strong dividend stocks with yields that soared as the market sank. If you have $1,000 to invest, here are three great high-yield dividend stocks to buy right now. 1. AbbVie AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV) belongs to an elite group of stocks known as Dividend Aristocrats. These stocks, all of which are members of the S&P 500, have increased their dividend payouts for at least 25 consecutive years. AbbVie easily surpasses that threshold, with a sterling track record of 47 years in a row of dividend hikes. Its dividend currently yields a little under 7%. Many investors would be perfectly content to just receive a 7% return each year. The good news is that AbbVie has pretty good growth prospects to go along with its mouthwatering dividend. The big pharma company launched two new immunology drugs last year, Rinvoq and Skyrizi, that should become megablockbusters within the next few years. Sales for its cancer drugs Imbruvica and Venclexta continue to soar. There's one big knock against AbbVie: Its dependence on Humira, the company's top-selling immunology drug that's already losing market share in Europe and will face biosimilar competition in the U.S. in three years. However, AbbVie's other products and pipeline candidates along with its pending acquisition of Allergan should offset the sales losses for Humira and keep the drugmaker's great dividends flowing. 2. Brookfield Infrastructure Partners Brookfield Infrastructure Partners (NYSE:BIP) doesn't have the long history of dividend increases that AbbVie does. But its dividend yield of close to 5.6% is very attractive. So is the fact that the company has boosted its dividend by 52% over the last five years. Another big plus for Brookfield Infrastructure Partners is its diversification. The company owns lots of different kinds of infrastructure assets, including cell towers, data centers, electricity transmission systems, natural gas pipelines, ports, and railroads. Brookfield's biggest sector is utilities, but it contributes a little under one-third of the company's total cash flows -- a great sign of how diversified the company is. You'll also probably like the financial stability that Brookfield Infrastructure offers. The company takes a conservative stance with how much debt it takes on. And roughly 95% of its total cash flows are regulated or contracted. Brookfield Infrastructure likes to refer to itself as a "grow-tility" that provides investors both security and growth. This growth comes from a continual reevaluation of assets, with the company selling off lower performers to invest in assets that have a better chance of outperforming. Wall Street analysts agree that the company will deliver solid growth with consensus projections of average annual earnings growth of nearly 8% over the next five years. 3. Chevron Chevron (NYSE:CVX) has been a favorite for income-seeking investors for a long time. And with a dividend that currently yields close to 7.5%, it should still be a favorite. The entire oil and gas industry has been hit hard by the reduced travel caused by the coronavirus pandemic. To make matters even worse, an oil price war initiated by Russia wreaked havoc on oil stocks. But if there's any company that's prepared to emerge a winner from a period of lower oil prices, it's Chevron. The energy giant has a strong balance sheet. It hasn't been spending aggressively like some in the industry have. In light of the current challenges, Chevron is reducing its capital spending by 20% and suspending its share buybacks to conserve cash. If you think that oil prices will stay at current levels for a long time, it makes sense to avoid all oil and gas stocks. However, travel will pick up as the numbers of COVID-19 cases begin to decline. No one, including Russia and Saudi Arabia, wants the oil price wars to go on indefinitely. Sooner or later, oil prices will rebound, with Chevron benefiting. In the meantime, investors who buy the stock will enjoy a juicy dividend yield. No signs of talks on LAC, but Chinese psy ops in full swing Infrastructure construction to safeguard territorial sovereignty: China on building bridge over Pangong lake What to expect from the Indo-China military commander level talks We will continue to deal with Chinese PLA in firm, resolute manner: Army chief Viral Video: People forced to quarantine in metal boxes as China enforces zero Covid policy COVID-19: China sends medical assistance to Pakistan International oi-Vicky Nanjappa Islamabad, Mar 29: A special plane from China carrying a team of eight medical experts and relief assistance landed here on Saturday to help Pakistan to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus, which has infected over 1,400 people in the country, the Pakistani foreign ministry said. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood welcomed the Chinese guests at the Islamabad airport. "The Chinese medical team will be in Pakistan for two weeks," the Foreign Office said. WHO 'very much' sided with China on coronavirus: Donald Trump The team of eight medical experts will assist Pakistani doctors and health experts to contain the coronavirus outbreak, it said. The Foreign Office said Pakistan's all-weather ally China has extended full support to the country in its fight against the deadly viral infection. "China's assistance to Pakistan so far includes 12,000 test kits, 3,00,000 masks, 10,000 protective suits, and support to build an isolation hospital," it said. A considerable amount of donations from private sources from China has also arrived in Pakistan. COVID-19 cases in Pakistan now at 990: Domestic flights suspended Alibaba Foundation and Jack Ma Foundation have donated 50,000 test kits and 5,00,000 face masks, the Foreign Office said. "The Pakistan-China All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership has acquired greater strength and depth in recent years, guided by the shared vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan and (Chinese) President Xi Jinping," it said, adding that the two countries will continue to collaborate closely and coordinate relief assistance to counter the formidable challenges posed by COVID-19. The Foreign Office said Qureshi thanked the Chinese government for its timely support in this difficult time. The novel coronavirus, which first originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December last year, has wreaked havoc across the globe, upending life and businesses. The deadly virus has so far claimed over 28,200 lives and infected over 613,000 people across 199 countries and territories. #Stayathome and send us your selfie Italy has the highest number of deaths at 9,134, followed by Spain at 5,690 and China 3,174. The United States leads in the number of COVID-19 cases with 104,007 infections confirmed so far, followed by Italy at 86,498 and China over 81,900 cases. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, March 29, 2020, 8:49 [IST] The Osun State Government has announced the total lockdown of the state following the confirmation of the second case of the deadly Corona... The Government reaffirmed the commitment to shut down all the land boundaries effective from midnight, Sunday, March 29, 2020.The Governor of the State, Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola, made the disclosure during a statewide broadcast on Sunday morning.Oyetola maintained that there would be no movement within the State during the shutdown while those on essential duties such as health personnel, fire service, environmental officials, security personnel, power and water supply agencies, media and telecommunication officers will be on duty.He described the decision as imperative in view of the devastating nature of the pandemic, adding that the first priority of any responsive and responsible government is to respond effectively to protect its citizens when an emergency occurs.Oyetola, who expressed sadness over the latest incident, reiterated that the decision remained the only way to go if the State was to contain the spread of the disease.He said, Following a review of our current situation, we have in addition to the subsisting measures taken in the past one week, decided to shut down all our boundaries, effective from midnight Sunday, March 29, 2020. In addition, a complete lockdown of the State will come into effect from midnight, Tuesday, March 31, 2020We believe this is the way to go, if we must contain the spread of this virus. To this end, we urge citizens and residents to take advantage of the hours between now and Tuesday to stock up provisions that will last them two weeks in the first instance.During the lockdown, there will be no movement within the state. The closed boundaries also means there will be no inter-state movements. However, those on essential duties such as health personnel, fire service, environmental officials, security personnel, power and water supply agencies, media and telecommunication officers will be on duty. Also, pharmaceutical and medical outfits will be allowed to open.We have mandated and mobilised the States taskforce and security operatives to enforce measures to the letter. We, therefore, strongly advise our people to remain in their homes during the period of the lockdown.The governor urged the residents not to panic by the new measures but continue to adhere to governments instructions and directives. Advertisement By West Kentucky Star Staff Mar. 28, 2020 | WESTERN KENTUCKY By West Kentucky Star Staff Mar. 28, 2020 | 08:24 PM | WESTERN KENTUCKY Thirty-three law enforcement officers from agencies across the state graduated Thursday from basic training at the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training, including three from western Kentucky. The western Kentucky officers are Dustin M. Bevil and Colin P. Kelly of the Murray Police Department, and Jaclyn T. Kliest of the Hopkinsville Police Department. The graduates of Class 510 completed 20 weeks of training, which consisted of 800 hours of recruit-level instruction. Major training areas included law offenses and procedures, vehicle operations, firearms, investigations, first aid and CPR, patrol procedures, orientation for new law enforcement families and the mechanics of arrest, restraint and control. Basic training is mandatory for Kentucky law enforcement officers to comply with the states Peace Officer Professional Standards Act of 1998. The Department of Criminal Justice Training provides basic training for city and county police officers, sheriffs deputies, university police, airport police and others. The agency also provides in-service and leadership training for Kentucky law enforcement officers and public safety dispatch training. Four recruits graduated additionally with an associates degree from the Educating Heroes program. Recruits participating in the program earned 45 college-credit hours for completing Basic Training Academy, and additionally completed 15 college-credit hours to earn an Applied Science associates degree. Degrees are earned online through a partnership with Bluegrass Community and Technical College. The graduates of Class 510 and their agencies are: CHANCELLOR ANTHONY LEITCHFIELD POLICE DEPARTMENT (COORDINATORS AWARD) DUSTIN M. BEVIL MURRAY POLICE DEPARTMENT (MOST IMPROVED AWARD FOR PHYSICAL FITNESS AND DEFENSIVE TACTICS) ALEATHA R. BROWN FORT MITCHELL POLICE DEPARTMENT HUNTER L. CHRISTIAN LIBERTY POLICE DEPARTMENT SAMUEL T. DAVIDSON BATH COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE BENJAMIN K. ENNIS ELIZABETHTOWN POLICE DEPARTMENT CODIE J. FORD TOMPKINSVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT (OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE IN PHYSICAL FITNESS AWARD) CAS S. GRASS JR. MONTGOMERY COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE (EDUCATING HEROES GRADUATE) DOMINIQUE J. GUEVARA SCOTT COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE RYAN H. HASHEMI RADCLIFF POLICE DEPARTMENT SHELLY JAMISON ELIZABETHTOWN POLICE DEPARTMENT COLIN P. KELLY MURRAY POLICE DEPARTMENT JACLYN T. KLIEST HOPKINSVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT NATHAN T. KLING TAYLOR MILL POLICE DEPARTMENT JACOB L. LASHLEY SPENCER COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE TANNER D. MILES GALLATIN COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE TYLER N. MITCHAM BRANDENBURG POLICE DEPARTMENT TEDDY B. NEWSOME LOUISA POLICE DEPARTMENT EVAN W. NEWTON RADCLIFF POLICE DEPARTMENT (EDUCATING HEROES GRADUATE) JAMES NORRIS LETCHER COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE JORDAN C. NORRIS TAYLOR MILL POLICE DEPARTMENT TRENT M. OHARA BOONE COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE BRYAN J. PESIS MEADE COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE JOSHUA W. PUCKETT CYNTHIANA POLICE DEPARTMENT (EDUCATING HEROES GRADUATE) WILLIAM J. PURDOM LEBANON POLICE DEPARTMENT JACOB ROGERS STANTON POLICE DEPARTMENT NEIL F. ROSE SCOTT COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE (ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARD AND RECRUIT OF DISTINCTION AWARD) WILLIAM B. RUDD OWINGSVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT NATHAN M. STINCHCOMB WEBSTER COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE MICHAEL T. TERRELL BOONE COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE JALEN K. THOMAS CYNTHIANA POLICE DEPARTMENT (EDUCATING HEROES GRADUATE) GARY WHALEY SCOTT COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE HOSEA S. WHITAKER LETCHER COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE The Department of Criminal Justice Training is a state agency located on Eastern Kentucky Universitys campus. The agency is the first in the nation to be accredited under the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies public safety training program designation. DOCJT also earned accreditation through the International Association for Continuing Education and Training in 2013. Abhilash Chandran By Express News Service KOTTAYAM: We are advised to be under home isolation for 14 days from the day when our swab samples tested negative for Covid-19 disease. However, we decided to extend our home isolation till the lockdown period expires on April 14 as I want to ensure that no one receives Coronavirus from me and my family, said the 34-year-old man hailing from Chengalam near Kottayam, who survived Covid-19. He along with his wife, who also completely recovered from the disease, and their four-and-a-half-years-old daughter on Saturday reached their house after 20 days of treatment at the isolation ward at the Government Medical College Hospital in Kottayam. They had been admitted to the hospital on March 8 after his in-laws, who returned from Italy on February 29 tested positive. The man, wife and their daughter had travelled with the family that returned from Italy from Nedumbassery to the latters house in Ranni, Pathanamthitta. As the couples swab samples tested negative in the lab examinations conducted on March 18 and 20, they were discharged from the hospital on Saturday. They were sent to the house in an ambulance arranged by the Health Department in the evening. My parents are with me here and they are above 70. Hence, I already told them to keep a distance till the mandatory isolation period ends, he said, adding that he wont move beyond the courtyard during the restriction period. We were a little scared when we realized that we were infected with SARS-CoV2 virus as we had heard about Covid deaths till then. However, after undergoing treatment at the MCH, we understood that there is no need to fear the disease, he said. Though they suffered Covid-19, the family is unfazed and they are ready to work anywhere in the world once the pandemic dies down. Illinois residents are in line for payments of $1,200 per person plus $500 per child from federal tax dollars under terms of a bill President Donald Trump is set to sign. The legislation will provide payments of $1,200 to each adult and $500 to each child younger than age 17, depending on last years household income. A married couple with children could get up to $3,400. The payments start to phase out for people with income of $75,000 or more, or income of $150,000 for couples filing jointly. People making more than $99,000 per year or couples earning more than $198,000 would not be eligible. The U.S. House passed the Senates Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, on Friday. In addition to direct payments to residents, it also expands unemployment insurance, provides $350 billion to help small businesses and a refundable payroll tax credit, among other things. Inside the $2 trillion bill the largest relief measure ever passed, Illinois state and local governments are set to get $4.9 billion. Thats part of $150 billion all states and local governments will share in. While Chicago will get a sizable chunk of that directly, the Illinois Municipal League (IML) has urged the governor to distribute the rest proportionately. Congress has turned a blind eye to the economic crisis facing all municipalities and has effectively ignored 1,297 of Illinois cities, villages and towns, IML Executive Director Brad Cole said in a letter to Gov. J.B. Pritzker. (The IML) formally requests any aid received by the state designated for municipal governments be dispersed by your office to all 1,298 cities, villages and towns on a per capita basis, so that every community receives the financial help they need to weather this crisis. Fitch Ratings Agency analysts said any money that state and local governments get from the stimulus will likely only cover additional costs in dealing with the crisis, and wont offset the loss of tax revenue from the government shutdown of nonessential businesses in Illinois, a move the governor said is meant to curb the spread of the virus. The Illinois Farm Bureau praised the measure from Congress. Farm Bureau President Richard Guebert said it will help prop up the economic well-being of farmers and support the supply chain. The CARES Act includes funding that will support farmers in two major ways: Funds to replenish the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), and additional funds to give (USDA flexibility) to support livestock producers, dairies and farmers who grow food for local markets, Guebert said. The bill also featured another element that U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Peoria, said he got in, and that would be policies giving individuals the ability to use Health Savings Accounts and Flexible Spending Accounts to purchase over-the-counter medications and menstrual care products. People are looking for relief during this time of uncertainty and we must provide them with every tool we can, LaHood said in a statement Thursday. I am pleased that legislation I authored will help Illinoisans and Americans, as we work together to combat COVID-19. U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, D-Naperville, said the bill wasnt perfect, and wont be the last action needed in the fight against COVID-19, but its a strong step towards helping those who are hurting right now and cannot afford to wait. After the vote This emergency funding will help make sure hospitals and health care workers on the front lines of the pandemic have the necessary equipment they need to protect themselves and treat patients, Foster said after the vote. It will deliver crucial financial help for small businesses that have been devastated and allow them to keep employees on payroll and remain in business. After the vote, LaHood also said the compromise was not perfect. While I have real concerns about some provisions in the bill, as well as the massive amount of deficit spending, I am also worried about delaying support for millions of hurting Americans and the prospect of a costly recession for our country, LaHood said in a statement. No compromise is perfect, and this pandemic requires each of us to put aside our differences and provide relief for Illinoisans and Americans. In any other week it would have been seismic news: Alex Salmond acquitted on all charges relating to sexual misconduct while he was in office as Scotland's First Minister. No less than the Weinstein case in America, or the rugby rape trial in Northern Ireland, Salmond's case was seen as a litmus test for the MeToo movement, out of which it grew. In the end, it proved to be much more similar to the latter, than the former: Salmond was officially exonerated but, as with the protagonists in Belfast, emerged from his court ordeal looking like something less than a victor. Much of this owed itself to the nasty aftertaste left by Salmond's acquittal. The case represented a clash between the values of the 1970s and the woke present; in the descriptions in court, Salmond often sounded like something from a Benny Hill skit. Day after day, we heard examples of him behaving inappropriately - awkward kisses on the lips, or his hands running down a woman's body, tracing her "hourglass curves". Another witness described tangling with Salmond as like "wrestling an octopus". His lawyers often did not try to deny that the incidents happened, but they successfully sought to set them in context and put them in perspective. Salmond's QC, Gordon Jackson, wished that his client had been "a better man". After the trial, Salmond's former speechwriter, Alex Bell, said the case boiled down to "sleazy but not criminal". In court, this proved to be a much more successful defence than it ever was in the court of public opinion. One of the problems with the MeToo movement was that it lumped all inappropriate behaviour - from off-colour comments and awkward passes to rape - into the same area of opprobrium. Salmond's case underlined that, as far as the law is concerned, they are still very different. If the case was a day of reckoning for the MeToo movement, it may also be significant in its impact on the future of Scottish independence and the effect of that in Ireland. A lot of that depends on what happens next. Most people involved in such a case might have gone off for a lengthy break to lick their wounds - but that has never been Salmond's style. On the steps of the court he mentioned "evidence that has not come to light" and his supporters have already indicated he plans to sue the Scottish government for "ruining three years of his life". This court action stems from the genesis of the allegations against Salmond, which were first a political inquiry that petered out, and then a criminal case. Salmond wants revenge on former colleagues who are accused of what he sees as a conspiracy against him. He will reveal the details of the alleged plot in a "tell-all" book, it is reported. Salmond's main target in all of this is Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland's current First Minister and his former protege. At the next elections in Scotland, scheduled for May of next year, the SNP hopes to secure a majority and, in doing so, gain a mandate to force another referendum on independence. Instead of this, it now looks likely that Sturgeon's party will be wracked by a messy, factional battle between her supporters and Salmond's. This could in turn see voters punish the party for its disunity and torpedo Scottish claims to independence, which would have knock-on consequences across the Irish Sea. Officially (and diplomatically) Ireland took no position in the last referendum but the diminishing prospect of Scottish independence would undoubtedly change the playing field for us in a post-Brexit world. The numerous alliances that would have been expected between two small English-speaking member states will instead take place in the overall context of negotiations between the EU and London. The dominance of London would be greatly reinforced. For the moment, all of this will play second fiddle to the unifying danger of coronavirus. But as that abates and ordinary politics restart, Salmond's defence may prove curiously fateful. The mortality rate for coronavirus patients in intensive care is as high as nearly 50 per cent, raising fears about the effectiveness of the treatment. Of the 165 people treated in critical care in England, wales and Northern Ireland since the end of February, 79 died and 86 were discharged, date from the Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre (ICNARC) shows. A further 610 have been admitted to intensive care and were included in the data but they remain in hospital in the intensive care wards, The Guardian has reported. The mortality rate for coronavirus patients in intensive care is as high as nearly 50 per cent Britain's coronavirus death toll rocketed by 260 to 1,019 today as the UK suffers its worst day yet and sees a huge spike in victims The shocking mortality rate is leading many to question the effectiveness of critical care in treating coronavirus patients. The NHS is rapidly opening field hospitals in London, Manchester and Birmingham which will contain some of the largest intensive care units the country has seen. The report also found that nine of the 79 people who died during their study were aged 16 to 49, while the majority were over 70. A medic can be seen attending to the occupants of a car at a coronavirus drive-through testing station in Chessington A doctor revealed: 'The truth is that quite a lot of these individuals [in critical care] are going to die anyway and there is a fear that we are just ventilating them for the sake of it, for the sake of doing something for them, even though it won't be effective. That's a worry.' The data also suggested men were more at risk from the virus, with as many as seven out of ten patients in intensive care being male. Another indicator was obesity, with 70 per cent of patients overweight on the BMI scale. The age spread also varies according to gender, with 30 per cent of men in intensive care aged under 60, compared to 15 per cent of women. The news comes as Governmental advisers warn that even stricter social distancing measures could be under way if the staggering increase in figures doesn't stop A Tory MP and former health minister who works in the NHS said health service staff who had not displayed any coronavirus symptoms but may still be infected due to their proximity to patients should be among those tested. Dan Poulter, who works as a psychiatrist, says widespread testing for the NHS would be a 'game-changer'. Michael Gove said extra testing would be carried out on NHS staff from this weekend but it would initially be targeting key workers who are self-isolating. It comes as Britain's coronavirus death toll rocketed by 260 to 1,019 on Saturday as the UK suffered its worst day yet and saw a huge spike in victims. Across the country a total of 120,776 coronavirus tests have taken place, and a whopping 17,089 have come back positive for Covid-19. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 02:05:51|Editor: ZD Video Player Close A team of medical workers from east China's Shandong Province arrive at Heathrow Airport in London, Britain, on March 28, 2020. A group of Chinese medical workers arrived in London on Saturday to assist in the fight against COVID-19. The 15-member team from Shandong Province includes six medical experts specializing in disease prevention and control, traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine and psychological counselling, among others. (Shandong Medical Team/Handout via Xinhua) LONDON, March 28 (Xinhua) -- A group of Chinese medical workers arrived at Heathrow Airport in London on Saturday to assist in the fight against COVID-19. The 15-member team from east China's Shandong Province includes six medical experts specializing in disease prevention and control, traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine and psychological counselling, among others. The team brought medical supplies, which will be donated to local hospitals and Chinese communities. They will also provide health consultancy to the Chinese communities, according to Chinese diplomats here. A total of 1,019 patients who tested positive for COVID-19 have died in Britain as of Friday afternoon, according to the figures released Saturday by the Department of Health and Social Care. As of Saturday morning, the number of confirmed cases in the country reached 17,089. Woman Accused of Coughing on Supermarket Items Charged With Terrorist Threats A woman accused of intentionally coughing on about $35,000 worth of goods at a grocery store in Pennsylvania has been charged with making terrorist threats. Margaret Cirko, 35, was arrested by Hanover Township police on March 26 and charged with two counts of terrorist threats, one count of threats to use a biological agent, and one count of criminal mischief following an investigation. Police said Cirko entered the store while making verbal threats that she was sick, and intentionally coughed and spit on fresh produce, meat, and other merchandise, amid the CCP virus pandemic. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the regimes coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China before it was transmitted worldwide. The woman continued the behavior in several aisles before trying to steal a 12-pack of beer and being ordered to leave the store by employees. While there is little doubt this woman was doing it as a very twisted prank, we will not take any chances with the health and well-being of our customers, Joe Fasula, the co-owner of the supermarket, wrote on Facebook. We had no choice but to throw out all product she came in contact with. Fasula estimated that he had to throw out more than $35,000 worth of goods. I am also absolutely sick to my stomach about the loss of food. While it is always a shame when food is wasted, in these times when so many people are worried about the security of our food supply, it is even more disturbing, he wrote. Cirko is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on April 8. Similar incidents have occurred in other states, with suspects being charged with terrorist threats. New Jersey attorney general announced March 24 that his office charged a 50-year-old-man for terroristic threats, among other charges, for allegedly coughing on a food-store employee and telling her that he had the virus. Similarly, a Missouri man has been charged with making a terrorist threat after he was filmed licking a number of items at a Walmart store. The federal government also is taking action against individuals who deliberately spread the CCP virus. In a memo on March 24, Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen directed U.S. attorneys, department heads, and law enforcement chiefs around the country to focus their efforts on prosecuting pandemic-related crimes. The memo indicated that individuals who engage in the purposeful exposure and infection of others with COVID-19 could face criminal charges under federal terrorism-related laws. Because coronavirus appears to meet the statutory definition of a biological agent such acts potentially could implicate the nations terrorism-related statutes, Rosen wrote in the memo. Threats or attempts to use COVID-19 as a weapon against Americans will not be tolerated. Amidst the rapidly rising coronavirus cases in the United States, Japan is reportedly taking steps to ban all foreigners travelling on a United States passport. According to reports, the ban will also include persons who have visited the United States in the two weeks prior to their arrival in Japan. The decision is expected as early as next week. Travel advisory to be issued According to reports, discussions on the details of the ban are still underway. It is still unclear if the ban will apply to the whole of the United States or only the parts that have been severely affected by coronaviruses like New York. The measure is expected to take place under provisions of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law. In addition to banning visitors from the United States, reports also indicate that the Japanese Foreign Ministry will be raising the infectious disease warning in regards to the United States to Level 3, in a 4-tier grading scale wherein Level 4 is the most serious warning. The Ministry is also expected to advise Japanese nationals to cancel any planned trips to the United States. Crisis in the US worsens The deadly coronavirus pandemic has infected more than 6,00,000 people across the world and the death toll from the virus crossed 30,000 globally. According to reports, the death toll in the United States has recently crossed 2,000. The state of New York has become the epicentre of the virus in the United States. Read: United States: Coronavirus Death Toll Crosses 2,000, More Than 1,23,00 Infected Read: Coronavirus: Europe Becomes Worst Affected Continent As Death Toll Crosses 20,000 As per reports, New York has reported more than 53,000 coronavirus cases which are almost half of the 123,750 cases reported in the United States. On March 28, New York reported 155 new coronavirus related deaths taking the death toll in New York to 617. Neighbouring New Jersey has also reported more than 11,100 coronavirus cases. New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo has recently dismissed suggestions made by US President Donald Trump about an enforceable quarantine in the New York City Metro area. As per reports, Cumo said that he believes that such a measure will not achieve anything from a medical point of view. Trump reportedly said on Saturday that he is considering an enforceable quarantine "maybe for a short period of time" in the New York City Metro Area due to the increase in the number of coronavirus cases. The New York City Metro Area comprises of New York City, New Jersey and Connecticut. Read: Mann Ki Baat: PM Modi Appeals To People To Help Poor & Hungry During Coronavirus Lockdown Read: Coronavirus: 93-year-old Queen Elizabeth's Royal Footman Tests Positive Bengaluru: An IndiGo flight from Bengaluru to Hyderabad on was the first flight to take off from the second new south runway of the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru on Dec 6, 2019. (Photo: IANS) Image Source: IANS News New Delhi/Mumbai, March 29 : As fears of coronavirus spread grows, air crews are often faced with stigma and not salute for their contribution in rescuing Indians, mainly pilgrims or students, who were stranded abroad. It's a phenomenon that often repeats across metros, when air crews, doctors and even journalists and their families face the ordeal of being ostracised on a daily basis. Lately, Air India and IndiGo's air crew faced such situations, as many of them were asked by neighbours to vacate their homes, just out of fear that they might be asymptomatic carriers of coronavirus. This, even while many of them were on a self-imposed quarantine or are currently working as essential services providers. The problem, says a senior Air India commander, who faced such a situation recently in one of the posh localities of South Delhi is "the lack of understanding and rumour mongering that is going on, especially on certain mobile-app based chat groups". "I was under a self-imposed quarantine, after completing a tour from Europe. Understandably, local administration placed a poster outside my house which mentions that the flat is under quarantine. Within a few hours pictures of that poster were all over many chat groups." "What's worse is the fact that my family members weren't even allowed to take our dog out for walks or the fact that daily supplies which are meant to be delivered at our door steps under the provisions of the quarantine rule was not facilitated by my neighbourhood association." This experience is of a senior commander who was instrumental in operating some of the last few flights to major European capitals to bring stranded Indians back home. However, without holding any animosity, the Commander added: "At the end of the day, they are just people who are scared. After all this is over, I really wish they collectively realise that empathy is the real motivation that drives air crews to go for such rescue ops." Similarly, in Mumbai, a female air crew, who works for a foreign airline was not even allowed to use her residential building's lift. "People are just paranoid. My last tour was in February, I don't have any symptoms and I have been medically checked. Yet they feel that somehow they will get the virus from me, if I use the lift or touch the staircase railings," she told IANS. At present, the air crew lives in a south Mumbai colony on the 12th floor. Not just air crews, but even doctors and paramedics have also faced similar dilemmas, which they choose not to aggravate, as by law they are protected for providing essential services. "A group compromising of my neighbours recently came to my house to know whether I have seen COVID-19 patients or not," a general physician working for a private hospital in New Delhi told IANS. "I see every patients who come to me, without discrimination of the disease, was my reply. When I informed that these patients are treated at government-run predesignated hospitals or facilities, they asked me to even take leave from work." "How can they expect us to be selfish and hide behind a veil. Coronavirus can spread, but we are experts in this field and we take the maximum number of precautions." Apart from these professionals, even foreign returns are looked at with suspicion. Interestingly, even domestic travellers face similar challenges. A Central government employee based in Manipur, who had come to Delhi for a conference in early March said that after his return some colleagues and even neighbours shied away from him for more than a week, as the news of the first confirmed case of COVID-19 had surfaced in Delhi at that time. Additionally, the Senior AI Commander said: "Our household help cannot work at another house. She cannot even venture out to the common areas of the locality. Now, that everyone is confined to their houses, I just hope they realise that there is a vast difference between self-imposed quarantine and a lockdown. I just hope they develop empathy." On the flip side, the plight of these professionals has not gone unnoticed, as even the Prime Minister has lauded their efforts. Besides, their companies have stood solidly behind them. Last week, Air India said that its crew who have been successfully evacuating stranded Indians in several coronavirus-hit countries are being ostracised by vigilante groups, including their neighbours and Resident Welfare Associations (RWA). Further, national carrier appealed to the law enforcement agencies that its crew members were treated with respect as every other citizen. It said that the airline has taken every precaution to ensure the safety of its crew and protect their well being for each and every flight. A senior AI executive looking after operations said: "All precautionary procedures under the supervision of doctors were taken even before the first flight even took-off to rescue people from Wuhan or Europe." On its part, budget airline IndiGo said that there have been cases of its employees facing the same situation due to their duty and travel history. The airline sought support of the public towards its operating staff during such a difficult time. It noted that IndiGo employees are supporting passengers who have to travel during these days and the airline has taken every possible precaution for their crew members' protection from infection during their duties. (Rohit Vaid can be contacted at rohit.v@ians.in) Any worker or employee infected with coronavirus and quarantined either at hospital or at home will be given a 28-day paid leave by their employer across Noida and Greater Noida, the Gautam Buddh Nagar district administration has ordered. In the order passed late on Saturday night, the administration also said that shops, industries and factories closed because of the lockdown will have to give daily wage along with leave to their workers and labourers during the closure period. The order came amid an exodus of thousands of daily wage earners to their far-flung homes, towns and villages as they have been rendered jobless due to the 21-day countrywide lockdown ordered by the Centre to fight coronavirus. Gautam Buddh Nagar District Magistrate B N Singh said the Uttar Pradesh government has already declared the pandemic as a "disaster" and the lockdown has been ordered with an objective to contain the virus from spreading. "Workers and employees who are infected with COVID-19 and those quarantined for suspected coronavirus for treatment will get 28 days' paid leave. This will be done only when such patients produce a certificate of treatment to their employers upon being discharged as healthy," Singh said. "All such shops, commercial facilities and factories, which have been closed temporarily because of the order of the state government or the district administration, will provide paid leave to their workers and labourers for the duration of the closure," he said in the order. Arrangement should be made by such establishments to make the payments to their workers and labourers on March 30 and 31 or April 3 and 4, depending on their situation, the order stated. Singh said he has invoked the powers vested in him as the district magistrate under the National Disaster Management Act, 2005 to issue this order and any violation of it would attract legal action. Action will be taken against offenders under Section 51 of the Act, which provides for one year of imprisonment or financial penalty or both and two years of jail if violation of the order causes any loss to life or property, the order stated. People can use the administration's integrated control room number (0120-2544700) to report any related violation, the district magistrate said. Gautam Buddh Nagar has recorded 32 cases of coronavirus till Sunday, a Health Department official said. The administration had in an order passed on Saturday asked landlords to collect rent from their worker-tenants only after a month, with reports claiming that migrant workers had set off to their homes as they did not have money to pay rent. The administration has already sought financial support from those willing to help it in the fight against the coronavirus. Those willing to contribute can make donations in the name of the district magistrate, Gautam Buddh Nagar to account number 30049902873 of State Bank of India with IFSC code SBIN0005106 or send a demand draft or cheque also, Singh said in his appeal to the people. Separately, the administration has also formed 30 teams for monitoring that essential items, including food items and medicines, are being made available to people and sold at correct rates. Chief Development Officer Anil Kumar Singh has been appointed as the nodal officer for these teams which will also check black marketing, hoarding and profiteering, if any, across Noida and Greater Noida, officials said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Faced with the great challenge of his time the thermonuclear menace of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Jack Kennedy famously laid out the American position: We shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty. This much we pledge and more. That was heady stuff but exhausting, too, and expensive. Americans tire of heroism pretty quickly. We are the weary kind, and the weariness is thoroughly bipartisan: Kennedys determination to fight the Cold War was met with opposition not only from the Left, which was sympathetic to the Soviet Union, but also from the Right, with some conservatives of the old school taking to heart Randolph Bournes dictum that war is the health of the state and believing that what they saw as imperialism abroad was inexorably linked to imperialism at home. And both sides coveted the money that was being spent, calculating that we could fill a lot of potholes in Poughkeepsie for the cost of an aircraft carrier or three. The Walter Mondale Democrats and the Ron Paul Republicans saw eye to eye on that, at least. That dynamic has not changed much: Barack Obama complained about the money the George W. Bush administration spent chasing jihadists around the world and declared, America, it is time to focus on nation-building at home. Donald Trumps embarrassing nickel-and-dime attitude toward U.S. commitments abroad, from NATO to USAID, is the barstool version of Obamas schoolboy posturing. But, of course, we are Americans, we are restless, we like a fight, and we cannot actually mind our own business for very long. Our method is to get ourselves into a fight, grow bored with it, become agitated by the expense of keeping it up, and then retreat in a huff. That makes for a peculiar politics on the Right, especially, as conservatives make like a guy trying to pat his head and rub his belly at the same time, simultaneously beating their chests and pinching pennies. On 24 June 2019, Sean Hannity lamented that President Trump had failed to follow through on his insane proposal to hijack Iraqi oil output, which Hannity proposed using to compensate the families of American soldiers who died in the American invasion and occupation of Iraq at a rate of millions of dollars per family. Warming to his theme but never quite managing to call his proposal tribute, the AM-radio moral philosopher concluded We have every right to force you to pay for your own liberation. Story continues Us pay any price, bear any burden? No, you will pay any price, and you will bear any burden we damned well tell you to, buddy. Kennedy laid out an invitation to ancient friends and new cooperators alike: To those old allies whose cultural and spiritual origins we share, we pledge the loyalty of faithful friends. United, there is little we cannot do in a host of cooperative ventures. Divided, there is little we can dofor we dare not meet a powerful challenge at odds and split asunder. To those new States whom we welcome to the ranks of the free, we pledge our word that one form of colonial control shall not have passed away merely to be replaced by a far more iron tyranny. We shall not always expect to find them supporting our view. . . . To those peoples in the huts and villages across the globe struggling to break the bonds of mass misery, we pledge our best efforts to help them help themselves, for whatever period is required not because the Communists may be doing it, not because we seek their votes, but because it is right. That is . . . not exactly how we talk about those things today. It is easy to criticize President Trump for his pettiness in rhetoric and in fact but he is not the cause of American surrender, only its symptom. It is impossible to blame the American people for their weariness. For one thing, the critics of JFK-style imperialism and those Poughkeepsie pothole-watchers are not without a point: There is an economic and a moral price to be paid for that kind of leadership, and government should, in most ordinary times, be mainly preoccupied with those potholes and not with dreaming up new crusades through which to aggrandize itself and its officers. And didnt Hercules himself, sometime between killing the Nemean lion and that unpleasant Augean housekeeping business, look over his shoulder and mutter about the unfairness of it all, and wonder aloud why the . . . Belgians . . . werent shouldering more of the burden? They have been very unfair to us, I am sure he said. The coronavirus epidemic is a global problem, one that points to the current deficit in global leadership. Americans are paralyzed by resentment. The European Union, having just been gutted by the departure of the United Kingdom, does not know quite what to do, and those European universal health-care systems so admired by U.S. progressives are failing. China has just reminded the world that it is a socially backward gulag state that is stalled right there between Mexico and Bulgaria in real economic performance. Putin is the czar of Twitter trolls. The U.S. president has two pornographic films, six bankruptcies, and a game show on his curriculum vitae, and the country is so short of emergency supplies that Ralph Lauren is making medical garments and Titos is producing hand sanitizer instead of vodka not exactly in a position to exercise global leadership. With the prominent exception of the European Union and a few relatively minor exceptions (ASEAN, OIC, etc.), the success of the prominent multilateral institutions of the post-war era depended to an extraordinary degree upon the willingness of the United States to carry them, applying its vast wealth, military power, and credibility to their missions. The United States is, at least for the moment, no longer as willing to do that as it once was our relationship with NATO in the Trump era is indicative of a deeper and broader change in our national orientation. This is the age of the Little American, who turns up his nose at the world and asks, Whats in it for me? The absence of American leadership in the current crisis is not an aberration, and it is not temporary. This is the new world order, light on the order. More from National Review Egypt has announced that a total of 127,600 social housing units have already been constructed in three new cities - Sadat City, 6th of October City and Badr City - across the country, said a report. The housing ministry has executed 9,680 units of the social housing project in Sadat City, reported Arab Finance, citing Deputy Executive Director of the Social Housing Mortgage Finance Fund (SHMFF) Salah Hassan. Hassan said that 6,100 additional units are currently under construction, it added. In new 6th of October City, the ministry already accomplished 37,968 units, while 32,304 other units are being built. In Badr City, the ministry has been constructing 79,968 units in the social housing project, while 26,976 new units are considered to be built. New York: The first of many calls that night involved a 24-year-old man who had a fever, body aches and a cough that sounded like a cement mixer. While the Brooklyn paramedics took the man's fever 39.4 degrees they noticed frightening vitals that hinted at the coronavirus: a critically low level of oxygen was flowing into his otherwise clear lungs, while his heart thumped with the intensity of a marathon runner's. He was taken to the nearest hospital. A patient is brought into the Elmhurst Hospital Centre in the Queens borough of New York. Credit:Bloomberg Then almost immediately came the next call: a 73-year-old man with symptoms similar to the young man's. They took him to the hospital, too. "It's all a war zone," one of the paramedics said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 00:39:30|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Pedestrians wearing face masks walk along the Brooklyn Bridge in New York, the United States, on March 27, 2020. (Photo by Michael Nagle/Xinhua) "Unfortunately, we have learned that one person in the United States has died after he and his wife reportedly took chloroquine used to treat their fish in an attempt to prevent COVID-19; his wife also became very ill," said the FDA in a letter to stakeholders. WASHINGTON, March 28 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday warned against taking antimalarial drug chloroquine phosphate used to cure fish disease in aquariums as treatment against COVID-19 cases. The warning followed a misuse of the drug in Arizona, which caused one death and one critical illness. The FDA said some consumers may mistake chloroquine phosphate used to treat disease in aquarium fish for FDA-approved drugs that are being studied as a COVID-19 treatment for humans. "Unfortunately, we have learned that one person in the United States has died after he and his wife reportedly took chloroquine used to treat their fish in an attempt to prevent COVID-19; his wife also became very ill," said the FDA in a letter to stakeholders. "While FDA is aware of the use of unapproved drugs to treat aquarium fish, our primary concern during the COVID-19 pandemic is the imminent threat to the health of consumers who may take animal drugs thinking they are interchangeable with approved human drugs," said the agency. Chloroquine products sold for aquarium use have not been evaluated by the FDA to determine whether they are safe, effective, properly manufactured, and adequately labeled for use in fish, let alone humans. People should not take any form of chloroquine unless it has been prescribed by a licensed healthcare provider and is obtained through a legitimate source, the FDA noted. U.S. President Donald Trump said earlier an antimalarial drug, which he called as "chloroquine" or "hydroxychloroquine", will soon be made available with a prescription to treat the novel coronavirus. Trump said the drug has shown "very, very encouraging" early results, adding he has pushed the FDA to eliminate barriers to getting therapeutics for coronavirus patients. But some medicine and immunology experts expressed concern about the results and safety of the drug. "The drugs of this class can have side effects and it is also still quite possible that it is not effective," Robert Schooley, professor of medicine at the Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health at the University of California, San Diego, told Xinhua. The Deputy Greater Accra Regional Youth Organizer of the National Democratic Congress, Amos Blessing Amorse, has lashed out at the Akufo-Addo government over what he describes as its abysmal handling of funding for the prevention of the novel coronavirus. According to the vociferous youth leader of the biggest opposition Party, government's over-reliance on the International Monetary Fund for resources to fight the global pandemic shows that it "went to sleep when the first case was reported in China, until we were hit by the virus then we started looking for money to fight it." "I'm sorry to say this at this crucial moment but it appears our government thinks going in for funds from the IMF is like accessing MTN Quick loan. Though the IMF has made available funds to be accessed by countries that need it to fight the virus, you cannot walk into their premises today and expect them to hand over bagfuls of monies to you and spend. You'll go through processes and that will take time. So if you have a government that is waiting for the IMF to release funds for it to start moving at a time when the virus is busily spreading and killing people, then you know Ghana's case is worse compared to other countries," he asserted. The NDC activist further alleged that the current administration has depleted all reserves "hence the reason why we're waiting for the IMF to release funds to tackle the pandemic. No reasonable government will have funds in it's reserve and still be struggling to raise funds to avert a global deadly virus like what we have on our hands. The money belongs to Ghanaians and the same people are dying so if the funds are available, why not spend it on the taxpayer? There is nothing is our reserves". Ghana Applies For Funds The IMF has confirmed that Ghana has applied for funds to fight the COVID-19. The IMF citing its African Department director, Abebe Aemro Salassie Tuesday, March 24, 2020, said Ghana last week requested for a Rapid Credit Facility Disbursement to help fight the coronavirus. Last week, the IMF received Ghanas request for a disbursement under the Rapid Credit Facility to help the country address the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are working hard to evaluate the authorities request and bring it forward for Executive Board consideration as soon as possible, the Fund posted on its website. IMFs Rapid-Disbursement Funds Two weeks ago, the IMF announced that it is providing about $50 billion through its rapid-disbursement emergency financing facilities for low income and emerging market countries that could potentially seek support. Of this, $10 billion is available at zero interest for the poorest members through the Rapid Credit Facility, it said. Prez Directs Finance Minister The President, Nana Adoo Danquah Akufo-Addo in an address to the nation Wednesday, March 11, 2020, had said he had directed the Minister of Finance to make available the cedi equivalent of $100 million to enhance Ghanas coronavirus (COVID-19) preparedness and response plan. The Minister of Finance has made available the cedi equivalent of $100 million to enhance our coronavirus preparedness and response plan, that is to fund infrastructure, purchase materials and equipment and public education, he said. Funds Ain't Available But,... However, when the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta appeared before the countrys Parliament to answer questions, he said the money wasnt available and that the government at that time was in talks with the two Bretton Woods Institutions the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) to try and access a total of $22 billion the two international financial institutions are making available to its member-countries to fight the disease. We are currently in discussion with the World Bank to tap into the $12 billion Bank fast-track COVID-19 facility to help close the financing gap. In addition, we are in discussion with the IMF to access part of a $10 billion facility made available by the IMF to address the coronavirus through the rapid credit facility, he told the House. In the meantime, it is not clear what funds the government is using to tackle the pandemic as the country observed one-day fasting and prayer against the disease Wednesday, March 25, 2020, while waiting for the IMF facility. Shocked by the development, the NDC Youth Organizer said "when the President made the announcement, some us were expecting the Finance Minister to tell us that the money will be disbursed on a specific day as soon as possible and the source of same. But the Finance Minister told us they were in talks with IMF. What then happens if IMF bounces us? The number of affected persons keep rising by the day, the death toll keeps surging and we're now in talks with IMF? Look at what other countries are doing. They are mostly utilizing domestic funds while looking up to the IMF but we are banking all our hopes on IMF. Very sad". Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Kerala on Saturday approached Prime Minister Narendra Modi after Karnataka closed its border points even as the state reported its first Covid-19 related death, two months after the virus was detected in the country. After Karnataka blocked all roads leading to Kerala, many areas in the state witnessed scarcity of vegetables, fruits and other essential items. Karnatakas actions are against the federal structure of the country. How can you block roads with boulders and sand? We sought the help of the Prime Minister. Despite the Centres assurance, the situation remained same, Pinarayi Vijayan, the chief minister, said. He cited the death of a heart patient in Kasaragod after his vehicle was denied entry to a hospital in the port city Mangaluru in Karnataka. In such a crisis situation we never expected such an attitude from our neighbour. Union minister Sadananda Gowda intervened first. Later, the state chief secretary also approached the cabinet secretary, the CM said. Usually, people of north Kerala turn to Mangaluru, a medical hub, for treatment but after the closure of entry points many patients were left stranded at check posts. Besides the death of the heart patient, a pregnant woman gave birth in the ambulance after it was sent back. The PM talked in length about unity and solidarity at the critical juncture. But we havent got a fair deal from our neighbour and we hope it will be corrected at the earliest, the CM said. Pinarayi Vijayan added it was the responsibility of the Centre to find a solution before it develops into an interstate dispute. After Karnataka witnessed violence over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) a couple of months ago, many BJP leaders in the state had blamed some fundamentalist outfits from Kerala for inciting it. Two neighbouring states have been keeping an uneasy relation since then. Meanwhile, state health minister KK Shailaja said despite doctors best efforts they could not save the life a 69-year-old man, who came back from Dubai in the UAE. Doctors tried their best to save his life. He had multiple complications. He died this morning at the Ernakulam medical college hospital. It is really sad, she said. The man, who had bypass surgery five years ago, came to the country on March 16 from Dubai. He was tested positive on March 22, six days after he returned. At least 42 people from his apartment complex and 200 passengers, who travelled in the flight he took from Dubai, are also under observation. His wife and driver were already tested positive for the virus. His body was buried as per the World Health Organization (WHO) protocol and only four of his family members were allowed during the burial. The minister said the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has given its nod for rapid test and it will cut time. Six new cases were reported in Kerala on Saturday, taking the total number to 165 in the state. Two of the new cases are from Thiruvananthapuram district, and one each from Kollam, Palakkad, Malappuram and Kasaragod districts. Two patients from Kottayam and one each from Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam districts have fully recovered. This includes one foreign national. At least 134,370 people are under observation in the state which reported the first case in the country in January. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Michael Gove has blamed China for the failure to curb the spread of coronavirus, prompting accusations of feeble excuses and that Chinese people in the UK are being put at risk. Facing criticism that the government failed to prepare properly for the pandemic, the Cabinet Office minister instead deflected attention to Beijings actions in the early days of the crisis. Weve been increasing the number of tests over the course of the last month, Mr Gove said. He added: The first case of coronavirus in China was established in December of last year, but it was also the case that some of the reporting from China was not clear about the scale, the nature, the infectiousness of this. Ed Davey, the acting leader of the Liberal Democrats, dismissed the claim, saying: The evidence this was a serious virus was well documented through January into February. We need to understand precisely how ministers were responding, rather than feeble excuses that they didnt know. And Nick Lowles, the head of the Hope not Hate anti-racism group, said: Gove is quick to throw the blame at China over lack of UK coronavirus testing. The comments come after a report that Downing Street believes the communist state faces a reckoning over its handling of the outbreak and even risks becoming a pariah state. The Mail on Sunday said ministers and officials believe China is guilty of a campaign of misinformation and attempts to exploit the pandemic for economic gain. Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Show all 12 1 /12 Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Agnetha Septimus, Matthew Septimus, and children Ezra and Nora Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Husband and wife filmmakers, Claire Ince and Ancil McKain pose for a portrait for the series by Shutterstock Staff Photographer, Stephen Lovekin, shot around the Ditmas Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Khadijah Silver and son Eliot Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Anna Beth Rousakis and daughter Mary Rousakis Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Mike Pergola and Denise Pergola with children Henry, Jack, and Will Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Artist Shirley Fuerst Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Jean Davis and Danny Rosenthal, with children Simone, Naomi, and Leah Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Robert E Clark Jr Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Lisa Draho and Josh Zuckerman, with children Ruby and Ava Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Professor and activist Dr Kristin Lawler Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Tom Smith and Laura Ross, with daughters Caroline, Elizabeth, and Abigail Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Callie Lovekin and Lucas Lovekin Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock The claim has echoes of Donald Trumps controversial labelling of the disease as the Chinese virus, which undermined G7 efforts to coordinate the fight back. Mr Lowles added: Prepare for a steady stream of anti-Chinese rhetoric coming from government politicians as they try to deflect from any criticism of their own handling of the crisis. This will lead to an upsurge in attacks and abuse on the UKs Chinese community. Criticism of Boris Johnsons government has focused on the crucial delay before unpopular restrictions already in place in many other countries were introduced. Ministers also held back on securing sufficient ventilators, protective equipment and testing of NHS staff, even as the scale of the outbreak became clear. However, Carl Bildt, a former prime minister of Sweden, also turned his fire on Beijing, saying: According to one recent study, if Chinese authorities had openly acknowledged the threat and responded properly just three weeks earlier than they did, the spread of Covid-19 could have been reduced by as much as 95 per cent. Because local negligence, ignorance, and censorship prevailed at the critical moment, the entire world is now paying an enormous price. Iain Duncan Smith, who has protested against Chinese firm Huawei helping to build the UKs 5G network, said the UK must rethink its relationship with the nation. As a result of Beijings cover-up and delay, global health experts are convinced the rest of the world had insufficient time to prepare for the pandemic, which means the effect of the outbreak has most likely been worse, he claimed. For too long, nations have lamely kowtowed to China in the desperate hope of winning trade deals. Mr Gove, speaking on the BBCs Andrew Marr programme, announced that the UK had reached its initial target of testing 10,000 people a day for coronavirus. The aim is to raise the rate to 25,000 a day, but he was unable to say when mass testing would be introduced. Pauline Hanson's daughter may have contracted coronavirus but can't be tested because there aren't enough kits available in her home state of Tasmania. The One Nation leader told the Today Show she felt for the average Australian who had been affected by Prime Minister Scott Morrison's tough new restrictions. The government imposed limits on social gatherings and closed state borders, meaning Hanson, a Queenslander, is unable to fly to her daughter's side while she is sick. Hanson said her 36-year-old daughter, Lee, suffers respiratory problems but doesn't meet the criteria for a COVID-19 test. Pauline Hanson (pictured left with her daughter Lee, right) is concerned that her 36-year-old daughter may have contracted coronavirus Scott Morrison has put a ban on all non-essential travel and states have closed their borders to slow the spread of the virus. Pictured: A passenger arriving back in Australia on Sunday 'They can't test whether its pneumonia or COVID-19 because there is no test kits,' Hanson told the morning show. 'I'm very concerned for her. If it is pneumonia they can't put her into the ICU because she might get infected with COVID-19.' Australia is working with suppliers to access more test kits and recently broadened the testing criteria due to increased community transmission. Hanson said she knows 'doctors are frustrated' about the current circumstances, but is hoping new kits arrive soon so that her daughter can get some answers. 'She's struggling to breathe,' Hanson said. 'They've actually put her on steroids... Its pretty tough.' Hanson said she feels for all Australians affected by the new restrictions because she is unable to visit her daughter (pictured back right) in Tasmania Hanson told the Today Show she hopes the tough new measures will be effective in slowing the spread of the virus CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement 'I can't get to Tasmania - so I understand what people are going through. Those people who have lost loved ones, I understand.' Hanson said under any other circumstances, she'd like to fly down to Tasmania to help care for her daughter's two children and 'just try to help.' But tough new border restrictions were imposed to slow the spread of the deadly respiratory virus, and anybody entering Tasmania would be forced to self isolate for 14 days on arrival. Mr Morrison has also ended all non-essential travel. 'This is tough on a lot of people,' Hanson said of the restrictions. 'Closing the border, for parents like myself who need to be there to help their kids, its really tough on a lot of people.' Despite her own problems Ms Hanson conceded that the measures have been enforced to ensure Australia eliminates coronavirus as quickly as possible. On Sunday, Mr Morrison said the tough restrictions and greater cooperation in terms of self-isolation and social distancing was delivering dividends. Scott Morrison has put a ban on all non-essential travel and states have closed their borders to slow the spread of the virus. Pictured: A passenger at Sydney international airport on Sunday There are currently 4,167 diagnosed cases of COVID-19 in Australia, including 18 deaths 'They are still strong rates of increase, there's no doubt about that,' the prime minister said. 'But as we take the measures that we have been taking and put them in place and we have the co-operation from the Australian people, then that obviously in turn that has an impact on how we are managing the spread of the virus.' Mr Morrison also said just a third as many Australians were catching coronavirus as a week ago with the borders, pubs, and restaurants shut. He said the rate of virus infections was 25 to 30 per cent a day, but slowed to about 13-15 per cent in the past few days. There are currently 4,167 diagnosed cases of COVID-19 in Australia, including 18 deaths. Globally, there have been 663,740 reported infections. Abu Dhabi-based property developer and investor Aldar Properties has announced a Dh100 million ($27.2 million) commitment to support residents, tenants, customers and partners as part of its long-term sustainable stakeholder management approach. In a statement, the property developer stated that it will focus efforts on various initiatives that include providing tenants in its over 5,000 unit residential portfolio with monthly payment plans to support and ease rental commitments until the end of 2020. Aldar also added that it will be allocating Dh4 billion ($1.08 billion) towards the timely payment and fulfilment of its commitments to its contractors, consultants and suppliers. It re-affirmed its commitment to its shareholders by recommending to pay dividends of Dh1.14 billion, which will in turn boost the economy. Commenting on the announcement, Chairman Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak said: "We commend and are grateful for our wise leadership for its prompt and decisive action to limit the impact of unprecedented market conditions on the community and businesses." "The latest initiatives launched by the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, and the Dh100 billion support package launched by the UAE Central Bank, will strengthen the resilience of our economy," stated Al Mubarak. "The programmes launched by Aldar form part of our long term sustainable approach towards our economy and stakeholders," he added. The Abu Dhabi developer said it will also adopt a series of initiatives with retail partners across its portfolio, with a particular focus on SMEs and start-ups, totalling up to Dh50 million. The Abu Dhabi property developer will also connect residents to retailers via the delivery and virtual personal shopper programmes through customised offering and free delivery services. Parents of students within the Aldar Education portfolio will also be given a monthly payment plan to help ease the burden of school fees for the current academic year. Aldar noted that it is also committing up to Dh10 million to enhance distance learning capabilities across its education network. It is also developing initiatives to assist households that are unable to afford connectivity or hardware so that all students within its network are provided equal access to education. The property developer is also coordinating closely with leading Abu Dhabi financial institutions to offer attractive and subsidised financing solutions to existing customers and new homeowners to ease upcoming and final payments. It will waive all administrative fees associated with transactions with Aldar, including transfer fees and late payment fees applicable during 2020. All resources available at Khidmah will be deployed to support the enhanced sanitisation efforts and offer discounts to customers for maintenance and disinfection services in their homes and offices throughout the upcoming period, it added. CEO Talal Al Dhiyebi said: "As the leading real estate company in Abu Dhabi, we are focussed on long term sustainable value creation. As such, we will continue to demonstrate our leadership and responsibility in support of the long-term success of our stakeholders." "The schemes we are launching today will help ensure that we emerge from this period together in a position of strength and resilience. The underlying fundamentals of our market remain uniquely sound and we believe that we have the resources to see ourselves through the coming period," he added. Aldar pointed out that it has activated its robust business continuity plan to cope with the current environment. As such, the company has initiated remote working, postponed business travel, limited personal travel and reduced external meetings in line with its commitment to protecting the health and wellbeing of all its employees and guests, it stated. Aldar is continuously reviewing regulations in place and preparedness plans, which include higher levels of sanitisation across its communities, office buildings, shopping malls, hotels and schools in line with World Health Organisation and Department of Health guidelines, it added.-TradeArabia News Service JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. You should upgrade or use an You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.You should upgrade or use an alternative browser By Associated Press ATLANTA: The Rev Joseph E Lowery fought to end segregation, lived to see the election of the countrys first black president and echoed the call for justice to roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream in America. For more than four decades after the death of his friend and civil rights icon, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the fiery Alabama preacher was on the front line of the battle for equality, with an unforgettable delivery that rivaled Kings - and was often more unpredictable. Lowery had a knack for cutting to the core of the countrys conscience with commentary steeped in scripture, refusing to back down whether the audience was a Jim Crow racist or a US president. We ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get in back; when brown can stick around; when yellow will be mellow; when the red man can get ahead, man; and when white will embrace what is right, Lowery prayed at President Barack Obamas inaugural benediction in 2009. 98-year-old Lowery died on Friday at home in Atlanta, surrounded by family members, they said in a statement. He died from natural causes unrelated to the coronavirus outbreak, the statement said. "Tonight, the great Reverend Joseph E Lowery transitioned from earth to eternity. He was a champion for civil rights, a challenger of injustice, a dear friend to the King family," The King Center in Atlanta remembered Lowery in a Friday night tweet. Lowery led the Southern Christian Leadership Conference for two decades - restoring the organizations financial stability and pressuring businesses not to trade with South Africas apartheid-era regime - before retiring in 1997. Considered the dean of civil rights veterans, he lived to celebrate a November 2008 milestone that few of his movement colleagues thought they would ever witness - the election of an African-American president. At an emotional victory celebration for President-elect Barack Obama in Atlanta, Lowery said, "America tonight is in the process of being born again." An early and enthusiastic supporter of Obama over then-Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton, Lowery also gave the benediction at Obama's inauguration. "We thank you for the empowering of thy servant, our 44th president, to inspire our nation to believe that, yes, we can work together to achieve a more perfect union," he said. In 2009, Obama awarded Lowery the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nations highest civilian honor. In another high-profile moment, Lowery drew a standing ovation at the 2006 funeral of Kings widow, Coretta Scott King, when he criticized the war in Iraq, saying, "For war, billions more, but no more for the poor." The comment also drew head shakes from then-President George Bush and his father, former president George HW Bush, who were seated behind the pulpit. Lowery's involvement in civil rights grew naturally out of his Christian faith. He often preached that racial discrimination in housing, employment and health care was at odds with such fundamental Christian values as human worth and the brotherhood of man. "I've never felt your ministry should be totally devoted to making a heavenly home. I thought it should also be devoted to making your home here heavenly," he once said. Lowery remained active in fighting issues such as war, poverty and racism long after retirement, and survived prostate cancer and throat surgery after he beat Jim Crow. We have lost a stalwart of the Civil Rights Movement, and I have lost a friend and mentor, House Majority Whip, US Rep. James E Clyburn, in a statement Saturday. "His wit and candor inspired my generation to use civil disobedience to move the needle on 'liberty and justice for all'. It was his life's work and his was a life well lived." Former President Bill Clinton remembered walking with Lowery across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, on the 35th anniversary of Bloody Sunday. "Our country has lost a brave, visionary leader in the struggle for justice and a champion of its promise, still unrealized, of equality for all Americans. Throughout his long good life, Joe Lowery's commitment to speaking truth to power never wavered, even in the hottest fires." His wife, Evelyn Gibson Lowery, who worked alongside her husband of nearly 70 years and served as head of SCLC/WOMEN, died in 2013. "Ill miss you, Uncle Joe. You finally made it up to see Aunt Evelyn again," King's daughter, Bernice King, said in a tweet Friday night. Lowery was pastor of the Warren Street Methodist Church in Mobile, Alabama, in the 1950s when he met King, who then lived in Montgomery, Alabama. Lowerys meetings with King, the Rev. Ralph David Abernathy and other civil rights activists led to the SCLCs formation in 1957. The group became a leading force in the civil rights struggle of the 1960s. Lowery became SCLC president in 1977 following the resignation of Abernathy, who had taken the job after King was assassinated in 1968. He took over an SCLC that was deeply in debt and losing members rapidly. Lowery helped the organization survive and guided it on a new course that embraced more mainstream social and economic policies. Coretta Scott King once said Lowery "has led more marches and been in the trenches more than anyone since Martin." He was arrested in 1983 in North Carolina for protesting the dumping of toxic wastes in a predominantly black county and in 1984 in Washington while demonstrating against apartheid. He recalled a 1979 confrontation in Decatur, Alabama, when he and others were protesting the case of a mentally disabled black man charged with rape. He recalled that bullets whizzed inches above their heads and a group of Klan members confronted them. "I could hear them go 'whoosh,'" Lowery said. "I'll never forget that. I almost died 24 miles from where I was born." In the mid-1980s, he led a boycott that persuaded the Winn-Dixie grocery chain to stop selling South African canned fruit and frozen fish when that nation was in the grip of apartheid. He also continued to urge blacks to exercise their hard-won rights by registering to vote. "Black people need to understand that the right to vote was not a gift of our political system but came as a result of blood, sweat and tears," he said in 1985. Like King, Lowery juggled his civil rights work with ministry. He pastored United Methodist churches in Atlanta for decades and continued preaching long after retiring. Born in Huntsville, Alabama, in 1921, Joseph Echols Lowery grew up in a Methodist church where his great-grandfather, the Rev. Howard Echols, was the first black pastor. Lowerys father, a grocery store owner, often protested racism in the community. After college, Lowery edited a newspaper and taught school in Birmingham, but the idea of becoming a minister "just kept gnawing and gnawing at me," he said. After marrying Evelyn Gibson, a Methodist preachers daughter, he began his first pastorate in Birmingham in 1948. In a 1998 interview, Lowery said he was optimistic that true racial equality would one day be achieved. "I believe in the final triumph of righteousness. The Bible says weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning," he said. A member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, Lowery is survived by his three daughters, Yvonne Kennedy, Karen Lowery and Cheryl Lowery. While plans are underway for a private family service in alignment with public health guidelines on social distancing amid the pandemic, the family said late Saturday, a public memorial will be held in late summer or early fall. Flash Photo taken on March 21, 2020 shows the field hospital set up at the IFEMA Exhibition center in Madrid, Spain. [Photo/Xinhua] The COVID-19 pandemic continued to overrun Europe, with the death toll in Italy and the UK passing 10,000 and 1,000 marks, respectively, on Saturday. According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), as of Saturday, the pandemic has hit 201 countries and regions with 571,678 confirmed cases, of which 324,761 cases, or 56.8 percent, were recorded in Europe. The pandemic deaths have risen to 26,495 worldwide, of which 18,743, or 70.7 percent, were registered in Europe, the WHO data showed. Among the hardest-hit European nations are Italy, Spain, Germany, France and the UK, all of which had introduced lockdowns of varying severity. More medical supplies reach Italy The coronavirus pandemic has claimed 10,023 lives in locked-down Italy as of Saturday, with the cumulative total infections reaching 92,472, according to new data released by the Civil Protection Department. As health service is buckling under the strains of unrelenting infections, Italy continues to purchase supplies for hospitals and emergency personnel who are on the frontlines of the fight against the virus. The Public Informational Services Dealer (CONSIP), a procurement company owned by the Ministry of Finance, said Saturday that it has obtained a delivery of medical supplies from various parts of the world. The supplies consist of around 100,000 endotracheal tubes, over 870,000 surgical masks, 12 million items of protective gear for medical and civil protection staff, and almost 170,000 test swabs for the virus. CONSIP added that 370 intensive and sub-intensive care ventilators arrived from Hong Kong earlier in the day. Meanwhile, the Albanian government has sent a medical team of 30 doctors and nurses to Italy on Saturday to assist the fight against coronavirus infections. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, seeing off the team before their departure, said Albania and Albanians will never abandon their friends in difficult times. Spain to add new restrictions Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez of Spain, second only to Italy in terms of confirmed cases in Europe, said Saturday that his cabinet will approve a measure that obliges all non-essential workers to remain at home for the next two weeks. Sanchez said the measure will come into effect on Monday, March 30, and last until April 9. "We have almost seven days of Easter ahead of us and that is why we propose this as the moment to close non-essential economic activities, so people who work in these non-essential activities can still be paid," he said in a televised speech. The prime minister added that workers would be able to make up the hours of work they miss over the rest of the year. Spain was in its 14th day of a State of Alarm, which began on March 14 and will last until at least April 12. The State of Alarm has drastically limited freedom of movement and closed all restaurants, bars and shops, except those selling "essential products." Saturday saw the number of deaths in Spain from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, rise to 5,690, with 72,248 cases confirmed by the country's Ministry of Health, Consumer Affairs and Social Services. France steps up 'long-term' effort In France, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said Saturday that the combat to contain rapid-circulating coronavirus epidemic "has only just begun" as the government was stepping up "long-term intense effort." "I will tell you things with clarity and frankness: the first 15 days of April will be difficult, harder than those we have just gone through," Philippe said in a press conference. "We are in a difficult period. We are setting up in a fight that will last. We will win the combat by respecting confinement and barrier gestures," he added, stressing that "France is armed and it is not alone." On March 17, France placed its 67 million population under a two-week containment. Tough restrictions on people's movement would remain in place until at least April 15. As of Saturday, infections in France rose by further 4,611 to 37, 575 while a total of 2,314 people had died, an increase of 319 within a day. They saw Elizabeth and were smitten. Back then, adoption wasnt so formal and there wasnt a lot of paperwork, her father said with Elizabeth interpreting. Katherine Reynolds, interim director of the Elon Immigration Humanitarian Law Clinic, could not comment on Elizabeths case because she is not familiar with the details. But she says that there are requirements that sometimes get overlooked that can cause immigrants problems later on. Refugees, for example, are required by U.S. immigration law to apply for a green card even for children. She has seen situations where parents have put off applying for the children because of the cost, and it becomes an issue later on. Sometimes, when the missives are passed along, it might not be in the language the applicant speaks, she said. While the process involves translators, with Montagnards, for example, there are many dialects. Reynolds also said that refugees, for example, must also sign paperwork that adopted children have been with them at least two years. That detail might seem minor, but it can be a sticking point in the childs ability to get a green card. Elizabeths parents were not able to get a green card because of the lack of paperwork. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 11:37:00|Editor: Wang Yamei Video Player Close SEOUL, March 29 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) fired two short-range unidentified projectiles into the eastern waters on Sunday, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The JCS said in a statement that the projectiles, believed to be short-range ballistic missiles, were launched near the DPRK's eastern coastal town of Wonsan toward the East Sea at about 6:10 a.m. local time. The projectiles flew about 230 km at an altitude of around 30 km. The intelligence authorities of South Korea and the United States are making a precision analysis on further details, the JCS noted. It was the DPRK's fourth launch of the projectiles this year. The latest test-firing was conducted on March 21. The JCS urged the DPRK to immediately stop such military acts that are very inappropriate, adding that the South Korean military maintained a defense posture while closely monitoring relevant situations in preparation for possibly additional launches. Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Tony Ferguson - mental health While UFC president Dana White is trying to keep UFC 249 intact, lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is trying not to let things get too personal between himself and challenger Tony Ferguson. There has been a lot of trash talk between Nurmagomedov and Ferguson over the years. After all, the bout has been previously scheduled on four other occasions and never successfully made it to the Octagon. But there are certain realms where Nurmagomedov doesn't want to tread when it comes to Ferguson. Ferguson had some issues in his personal life over the last couple of years that kept him out of the cage for a period of time, but has since been cleared by doctors to continue fighting. Upon his return, he stopped Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone and re-established himself as the No. 1 contender. Nurmagomedov isn't going to use Ferguson's personal turmoil as a promotional tool or mental warfare tactic in the lead-up to their fight, which White is trying feverishly to keep on the docket for April 18 somewhere in the world. When a reporter at a recent Dominance MMA Media Day asked Nurmagomedov about Ferguson's mental health, the champion refused to go there. "It's nothing personal here. I don't want to talk about this problem, like family stuff, mental stuff. This is his problem. Leave him alone," he said. "If he need help, we need to get him help... Talk about his mental problem, I don't think it's good stuff." It's currently not clear where White intends for UFC 249 to take place, particularly with the numerous travel restrictions and other limitations in place when it comes to dealing with the covid-19 global pandemic. Ferguson is based in the United States, while Nurmagomedov recently returned to Russia to complete his fight preparations on his home turf. TRENDING > Dana White to Mike Tyson on UFC 249: Im gonna try to pull off Tony vs. Khabib and get some normalcy Tony Ferguson slams reporter for bringing up his mental health (Subscribe to MMAWeekly.com on YouTube) Madrid, March 29 : All non-essential workers in Spain must stay home for the next two weeks, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, as the government extended measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus throughout the country. At a cabinet meeting on Sunday, the government will approve the "exceptional" measures ahead of the Easter celebrations, known in Spain as Holy Week, that start on April 5. The new restrictions will be in place until at least April 9, reports Efe news. "We are doing this now because we're about to enter the Easter holidays, so we can more aggressively cut down on social contacts and, therefore, hospital admissions and the pressure on Intensive Care Units," Sanchez told a press conference on Saturday. The new restrictions were announced after authorities confirmed the deaths of 832 coronavirus patients in the last 24 hours, a record daily death toll in the country. Already the second deadliest global hotspot after Italy, Spain's health ministry said the total number of deaths now stood at 5,960. Some 769 Covid-19 patients died between Thursday and Friday. However, the number of new infections continued to stabilize, according to Fernando Simon, the head of Spain's public health emergency department. "Several indicators suggest the disease is stabilizing. But this is preliminary information. Some areas of the country may have already reached the peak, but at a national level we cannot confirm anything." Simon said however, that the main concern at the moment was the situation in the country's intensive care units (ICU), some of which are already near full capacity. ICU cases, he added, will therefore not reach a peak until the end of next week "at the earliest". There were 4,575 people in ICUs across the country at the moment. Another concern for the Spanish government is the number of health workers who have contracted COVID-19, which is 32 per cent more than in Italy, the deadliest hotspot. Officials attributed it, in part, to the level of exposure professionals had to patients in Spain. As of Friday, more than 9,000 health workers were known to have contracted the disease. Simon said most of those had light symptoms. There were 8,189 additional coronavirus cases reported on Saturday, a 12.8 per cent jump that brought the overall tally since the outbreak began to 72,248, lower than the 14 per cent increase observed the previous day. Some 54,000 of those cases are still active. Almost 3,000 people recovered in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 12,285, a recovery rate of 17 per cent. Spain is the fourth worst-hit nation in the world in terms of confirmed cases after Italy, the US and China. The government also said it was preparing further lockdown measures in case the number of infections fails to slow. Currently, Spaniards are only allowed to leave their house to buy food and pharmaceuticals, tend to dependent relatives or go to doctors appointments. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) A cruise ship battling a Covid-19 outbreak while stranded off the coast of Panama has been told it will be allowed to pass through the Panama Canal. Four passengers have died and more than 130 people have reported suffering "flu-like symptoms" and respiratory issues on board the Zaandam, which last docked in Chile two weeks ago and is headed for Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Two individuals onboard have tested positive for coronavirus. Amid the outbreak, authorities in Panama had stopped the vessel from passing through the country's artificial waterway. However, on Saturday evening the Government said it would reverse that decision for "humanitarian" reasons. None of the 1,243 passengers on the ship or any members of the 586 crew will be able to disembark on Panamanian soil, Panama's government added. As of Friday, Panama's government had reported 14 people had died in the country after contracting Covid-19, with 786 confirmed cases of infection. Two individuals onboard the Zaandam have tested positive for coronavirus / AP The move came after the owners of the Zaandam, Holland America, said in a statement posted on the company's Facebook page on Friday that symptom-free passengers were being moved across to its sister ship, the Rotterdam. The Rotterdam is located nearby and has also been granted permission to pass through the Panama Canal. The company confirmed that four "older guests" had passed away while on the Zaandam, without giving further details about the causes of death. It said medical supplies and staff - as well as an unspecified number of passengers - were being transferred between its two vessels. WHO announce historic coronavirus drug trial In a fresh statement issued on Saturday evening, Holland America said it was "aware of reported permission for both Zaandam and Rotterdam to transit the Panama Canal in the near future". "We greatly appreciate this consideration in the humanitarian interest of our guests and crew," the company added. "This remains a dynamic situation, and we continue to work with the Panamanian authorities to finalize details." Meanwhile families of Britons travelling on the Zaandam called on the UK Government to rescue their relatives - many of whom have been confined to their cabins since Sunday. Guy Jones told the Press Association his parents were among some 229 British nationals on the luxury cruise liner. Nick Jones, a retired head teacher, and Celia Jones, a retired university staff member, both from Bristol, left the UK for the cruise on March 1. Their son Guy, 33, said: "At that time, this pandemic had not been announced as a pandemic by the World Health Organization. "Our Foreign Office was still saying that travel to unaffected areas was fine." Canadian passengers Chris and Anna Joiner ask for help onboard the cruise ship / via Reuters His 65-year-old father, who has no known underlying health conditions, said they were "very worried" and wanted the difficulty of the situation to be recognised by authorities. "We're sure that UK citizens on board would welcome some news from a government source to show what action is being taken," he said. A spokeswoman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: "We are doing all we can to help British people on board the Zaandam cruise ship. "Our staff are in close contact with the cruise operator and the authorities in the region to ensure British people can get home safely." On political sins committed during the covid-19 panic View(s): A global health pandemic is not the time for political upmanship. It is also the worst time to engage in fragrant violations of justice in the exploitative belief that the uproar therein would be muted when the citizenry is in survivalist mode. At any point, this would be abhorrent but to do so during a pandemic speaks to a special kind of contempt towards the Rule of Law. Classic examples of criminal foolishness On both these counts, this Presidency and this Government needs to be held to account by the nation even as Sri Lanka faces an unprecedented public health emergency. In fact, on the first count, there are uncanny similarities between the United Statess bellicose President Donald Trump bellowing abuse at beleagured Governors requesting urgent federal support for hospitals and hospital staff under siege by the surging number of covid-19 cases and our own Ministers whose trumpted claims that Sri Lanka is poised to be a role model for tackling this pandemic is a classic example of criminal foolishness. Let us be clear about this. If election priorities had not dominated the mindset of this Government earlier in the month, preventative measures would have been taken much earlier. This is amply borne out by President Gotabhaya Rajapaksas proclaimation during the recent teleconference with SAARC leaders, that there will be no postponement of the national polls from its due date (25th April) which position was then reversed scarcely a week later by the Elections Commission as the covid-19 virus took its hold on the population. If there had not been such insistence on preserving a veneer of normalcy in order to persist with the aim of holding the parliamentary polls, the lockdown that the country is currently experiencing would have been imposed earlier. Probably the spread of the pandemic may have been minimalised. As it is, the Government did not do so. For that negligence, the blame must be fairly and squarely placed where it should be. So these off and on triumphant announcements by the Health Minister that no new covid-19 cases are being reported must be taken with the proverbial pinch of salt. Scarcely believable narratives On the one hand, the official narrative of scarcely believable positivism flies in the face of basic commonsense, (somewhat like the zero casualties claim floated by the Mahinda Rajapaksa Presidency at the ending of the war in the Wanni, to be stealthily reversed later). On the other hand, both the doctors and the police warn us to the contrary. Coming close on the heels of the Health Ministers exuberance this Wednesday, the police spokesman warned the public of a hidden community of carriers (true unconfirmed number) that are reluctant to come forward (Economy Next, March 25th 2020). Even more ominously, the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) cautioned that the true number of Sri Lankas covid-19 cases may be far more than the confirmed number. Those sensible words of caution dampened silly statements of the Governments men and women who seemed determined to place their political agendas over the nations necessities. We can only hope that Sri Lanka will not emulate the asininity of the US President who wants the churches to be full on Easter and press forward with holding parliamentary elections until the public health situation in the country fully returns to normal. On top of all that and during a time when the country was blanketed with curfew, the Presidential pardoning of former Army Staff Sergeant R.M. Sunil Ratnayake who had been convicted for the summary killing of eight Tamil civilians in Mirusuvil in December 2000 gives rise to considerable outrage. This case is a poster child example of what is so terribly wrong with Sri Lankas justice system. As such and even in the first instance, it must be said that the conviction itself is not to be feted as a typical illustration of justice being done. Rather, the Presidential pardon this week was the final indignity visited on the victims of this atrocity. A historic atrocity that did not get justice This case concerned the fate of a few villagers who had been forced to abandon their homes in Mirusovil due to shelling during the height of the conflict in the North and had cycled back to the village during a lull to get whatever possible produce to exist. As they were leaving their homes, one of the group who was the father of a five year old toddler as the Supreme Court observed in upholding the conviction on appeal, had been diverted by his five year son who demanded that the father get some gauva fruit for him. Accordingly the small group had proceeded to the gauva tree but had been accosted by a a patrol of soldiers of the Gajaba regiment.They were summarily shot at point blank range and their bodies were thrown into a cesspit. Five soldiers (of Sinhalese ethnicity) including a lieutenant were indicted and a trial-at-bar of the Colombo High Court. Finally the trial-at-bar acquitted four accused soldiers for insufficient evidence but had little option to convict Army Staff Sergeant R.M. Sunil Ratnayake after a lengthy and spluttering trial process that took well over a decade. The trial (due to start in 2003) was postponed for almost four years due to the assassination of one judge (Sarath Ambepitiya) in 2004 with another judge being removed from the judiciary on disciplinary grounds. Witnesses were also reluctant to travel to Colombo for court hearings. Ratnayakes meagre and solitary conviction, (veritably a sop thrown to those demanding justice), was upheld by the Supreme Court following a meticulous consideration of the evidence and the evidence of the sole and traumatized survivor of that atrocity. Even this was however, rendered as naught by the Presidential pardon this week. Heightened vigilance is needed So in sum, this leads us to the question of political actions during the covid-19 panic, from the Government persistence to downplay the severity of the health crisis to presidential pardons of those committing cold blooded murder. This does not bode well for the future. We are in extraordinary times, where the call will soon be for a rolling back of civil liberties and civil rights in the name of the common good. But the path thereon is disastrous as this will be a dangerously slippery slope. It is precisely in times like these that heightened vigilance is needed. Sri Lanka faces severe tests of its resilience, not the least of which is the fact that our weakened economy, with which politicians have played games with among themselves, cannot sustain these cruelly massive blows. Whether and how we meet multiple crises, of public health, the support given to the weak to survive the storm and adherence to the Rule of Law will determine what this country will be in the decades to come. The changes werent just local. The George W. Bush administration four years earlier had used Sept. 11 another calamity as a pretext to strip Americans of their civil liberties, to conduct a pair of wars that were themselves humanitarian, diplomatic and economic catastrophes, and to amplify its own authority. In fact you can see the administrations response to Sept. 11 as a struggle primarily not to subjugate terrorists or battle distant regimes, but the American public. It did so by instilling fear, chipping away at rights, demonizing Muslims, expanding its powers and using wartime ideas of patriotism to quell dissent. The failure to prevent the Al Qaeda attacks could have discredited the regime; the regime was trying, as regimes often do, to shore up its authority. That authority came crumbling down with the administrations callous and incompetent response to Hurricane Katrina, particularly to the stranding of New Orleanians, mostly poor and mostly black, in their flooded city. (Two days after Katrina hit the Gulf Coast and put 80 percent of New Orleans underwater, Bush said, I dont think anyone anticipated the breach of the levees, videotape of him being warned of that possibility a day before the catastrophe later hit the media.) The outrage over the response undermined the Bush administrations mandate to govern. Katrina to me was the tipping point. The president broke his bond with the public, Bush pollster Matthew Dowd said. I was like, man, you know, this is it, man. Were done. It ended the post-Sept. 11 era of deference to this particular authority and some argue that by exposing the festering racism in American society, it strengthened the case for electing a black president a few years later. This is our Chernobyl, a doctor in New York City said recently. He seemed to mean that not only were medical staff front-line workers in grave danger, but also that institutional authorities were in the process of failing civil society, as Soviet hierarchies all the way up to the Kremlin did in the 1986 disaster of a nuclear meltdown that spewed radiation internationally and contaminated hundreds of square miles of Ukraine for millenniums to come. The man at the top of that hierarchy, Mikhail Gorbachev, reflected years later: The nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl 20 years ago this month, even more than my launch of perestroika, was perhaps the real cause of the collapse of the Soviet Union five years later. Indeed, the Chernobyl catastrophe was an historic turning point. Managua, Nicaragua, in 1972 and Mexico City in 1985 both suffered major earthquakes after which the corrupt and venal government response prompted long-term change. The Somoza dictatorship seized more powers in the wake of the Nicaraguan disaster, but in so doing it strengthened the case for the Sandinista revolution that swept it away later in the decade. In the wake of the quake in the Mexican capital, made worse by corruption in the enforcement of building codes beforehand and in the distribution of relief and rescuing the trapped afterward, public dissatisfaction with the one-party government boiled over. (In one instance, the police provided support for a sweatshop owner who wanted to rescue his equipment from a collapsed building but not the seamstresses trapped inside; this concern for property and profit over human life is often one of the flash points for ensuing political conflict.) A seamstresses union, a housing rights movement for the displaced and challenges to one-party rule were among the results. Disasters test regimes. Some fail the test. Incompetence, indifference and self-interest are easy to see in the stark light of an emergency. People whose lives have been thrown into turmoil are no longer cautious or deferential, and no longer accept the inevitability of a status quo that is already in disarray. Things that seemed impossible have already happened in our case, much of the economy has shut down, much of the population has suspended its ordinary activities, and sweeping new social programs (canceling student debt, for example) suddenly seem within reach. Newspaper is sold in market at a lower price than actual cost. Deficit (also profit) is managed by commercial advertisers Prior to declaring the 21-day nationwide lockdown to fight against Covid-19, Modi interacted with some selected media barons in the country and received suggestions from them over the issue. It is quite amazing that Modi did not organize such interactions with news media owners prior to the shocking announcement of demonetisation (2016), abrogation of Article 370 from Jammu & Kashmir (2019) and paving ways for the citizenship amendment act 2019. Even Indian Union information & broadcasting minister Prakash Javadekar commented, Do not believe in the rumours. You will not get infected by reading newspapers. There is just one rule to follow wash your hands after doing any work. A former journalist, Javadekar asserted that newspapers have tremendous credibility and those can play a constructive role in the time of crisis. Understanding the heat of changing social engineering, various print media houses opted for boosting their presences in the digital media. As millions of Indians now start using smart phones with internet connectivity, the media owners come to the realization that they would now prefer to get all necessary and almost free news contents from the digital platforms rather than paying for newspapers or even news channels. So the advertisers have also substantially shifted their focus to the digital media space. It need not to be reminded that a newspaper in India is sold in the market at a lower price than its actual cost. The deficit (also profit) is managed by the commercial advertisers. They want a newspaper to reach more people (with a price or even without it) so that their products get necessary visibilities. Minus circulation, the advertisers would not support the newspapers anymore. So no distribution of newspapers (even it is duly published) simply means low advertisement flow for print media outlets. The situation can emerge alarming for regional newspapers like those published from Guwahati, Imphal, Agartala, Aizawl etc., as the owners may not be able to sustain their publications for a longer period. It would directly impact the employees including thousands of scribes in the region. A number of media bodies came out with statements against the rumour that newspapers can carry the corona virus. They also appealed to the governments to support the media houses to deal with the situation. A host of Guwahati-based media houses including "Asomiya Pratidin", "The Assam Tribune", "Dainik Janambhumi", "Niyomiya Barta", "Dainik Asom", "Amar Asom", "Purbanchal Prahari", "Sadin", "The North East Times", "The Meghalaya Guardian" etc. made a collective statement that there is no scientific proof for newspapers carrying the corona virus to the readers. The managements also asserted that a section of electronic and social media outlets spread the unauthenticated news. But countering it, many social media users put a harsh question to those media houses if they could assure their valued readers of authenticated, credible and balanced news here after! The world would return to normalcy fighting against Covid-19 in some day, but will the traditional media houses in the region ever get its dedicated readers back in the post-corona era, a difficult question to be answered indeed! --- *Northeast India-based media activist The largest democracy in the world today supports over 82,000 registered newspapers with a cumulative daily circulation of 11 crore estimated to be a Rs 32,000 crore (5 billion USD) industry. As India has been improving its literacy rate up to 75 percent, more citizens now develop the capacity and resources to access newspapers and digital forums. More middle class Indian families now start using the internet for various activities for the first time in their lives. Newspapers in India face an uphill task to maintain its readership index as New Delhi declared for a complete lockdown till the middle of April because of pandemic Covid-19 outbreak in the large country. A shutdown that instantly prevented the vendors to deliver morning newspapers at their doorsteps of buyers and the rumour that the paper itself can carry the novel corona virus forced many publishers to drastically reduce their circulation figure. As the China-originated deadly virus started smashing almost all the countries on the planet resulting in affecting over a hundred thousand people and casualties up to few thousands, Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to front to lead the fight against the deadly virus. Modi in a televised address to the billion-plus nation on March 24, 2020 declared a total shutdown to break the chain of infection so that the spreading of Covid-19 can be prevented.As the pandemic infected around 1,000 Indians with tens of casualties, its immediate impact was observed over the circulation of newspapers in Mumbai as the vendors ceased to work because of Covid-19 outbreak.Managements of all print media houses after a meeting with Brihanmumbai Vruttapatra Vikreta Sangh resolved to suspend publications till 30 March. The decision finally resulted in no newspaper day for the residents of Mumbai as well as Thane, Pune, Nagpur etc.However, managements of "The Times of India", "The Indian Express", "The Hindu", "Hindustan Times", "Mid-Day" etc. made it clear that even though no physical editions would hit the stands on account of the new-found restrictions their newspapers would be thoroughly available in the internet. Many media houses started sharing the PDF version of complete newspaper free of cost. Acclaimed news magazine "Outlook" also suspended its print edition pushing its digital edition available to nurture the need of readers.After Mumbai, it was the turn for hundred thousand residents of Bangalore, Hyderabad along with Guwahati, Imphal, Agartala, Aizawl in northeast India to miss their favourite morning newspapers as the local distributors decided to suspend their works because of the virus outbreak. Guwahati newspaper-hawkers association, Manipur hawkers association, Tripura and Mizoram-based newspaper vendors separately came out with the resolution that they would not distribute the newspapers for some days.The region witnesses the publication of over 50 morning dailies in different languages including English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Boro, Meitei, Karbi, Khasi, Mizo, Nagamese, Nepali, etc. Few viral posts on social media indicating the newspapers as a potential career of corona virus created panic to the newspaper agents and hawkers along with other media employees. Even many apartment societies and families prevented the vendors delivering newspapers to them.The World Health Organization (WHO) has however asserted that newspapers are still safe to touch by anybody even though the corona virus can live on some surfaces for several days. The papers used in print media outlets are produced in highly automated mills and the process hardly needs human hands.Moreover, the likelihood of an infected person contaminating commercial goods is low and the risk of catching the virus that causes Covid-19 from a package that has been moved, travelled, and exposed to different conditions and temperature is also low, it added. But reports relating to suspended publication of physical editions because of Covid-19 started pouring from different parts of the globe.From Sylhet (Bangladesh) to Colombo (Sri Lanka), Rabat (Morocco) to Rome (Italy), Vatican City to Jordan, Oman, Yemen capitals along with American cities like Pittsburgh, Seattle, Missouri, West Virginia, Lewisburg etc. witness temporary suspension of newspaper productions. Those media outlets have already committed for entering into the digital platforms completely. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 23:13:22|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KUNMING, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 1,000 people have been sent to put out a forest fire that started Sunday afternoon in southwest China's Yunnan Province, local authorities said. In addition to over 130 professional firefighters and over 800 local officials and residents, six fire engines and two helicopters were also dispatched to extinguish the fire, according to the county government of Nanjian under Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture. The government said no casualties were caused and an investigation into the cause of the fire is underway. Consistent with her commitment to childrens health and education, Bharti Shah, CEO, CTIS, Inc. is joining hands with Childrens National Hospital to build the first of its kind pediatric COVID-19 test site in the country for the District of Columbia. Leading the effort against COVID-19, Rina Shah, CTISs Advisory Board Member for Strategic Development, is working on philanthropic efforts to raise funds, support Government and private sector industries and spearhead innovative technologies to help both patients and practioners. The Shah family is honored to support Childrens National Hospital in their unwavering effort to provide the best possible care for our countrys children. When I was approached by Childrens National with this unique opportunity was a no brainer. Mrs. Shah said In defining moments like these it is incumbent upon leaders in the community to get involved and see that needs are being met and the most vulnerable among us are taken care of. This facility is operational, and we need to make sure people in the area are aware and take advantage of this important service. Bharti, has long history of supporting her local community as well as projects in her native country of India. Additionally, Mrs. Shah established a Montessori school which has been educating children for 20 years and continues to support non-profit organizations including NIH Childrens Inn and Childrens National Hospital. Childrens National Hospital Launches Pediatric Drive-Up COVID-19 Specimen Collection Site The drive-up/walk-up site and other urgent needs are made possible by the generosity of philanthropists who raised more than 1 million dollars. It was jumpstarted by Scott Nathan and Laura DeBonis and matched by A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation, The Bharti and Raj Shah Family and The UAE Embassy in Washington, DC. https://childrensnational.org/news-and-events/childrens-newsroom/2020/drive-up-collection About CTIS: CTIS is a Women Owned Small Business, with proven expertise in providing informatics solutions for over 30 years. CTIS is amongst a few US Federal Government Contractors appraised at CMMI Level 3 using CMMI DEV 2.0 as well as a SAFe Bronze Partner. CTIS capabilities span the IT enterprise and associated operational lifecycles with extensive experience providing mission-critical oversight, strategy and planning for our government clients. We provide web strategy, IT program and strategic IT initiatives support, enterprise information management, big data, mobile applications, web development, optimization and production support, document management, web operations, software applications development and maintenance support, secure and robust infrastructure management, and training. CTIS supports its partner agencies by bringing unique and innovative approaches to offer leading technology solutions and empowering stakeholders. New Delhi, March 29 : Upset with no Hollywood movies releasing due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic? You can turn to streaming platforms to keep yourself entertained with stories from all over the world. IANS suggests a few Hollywood movies you can watch during lockdown: John Sears, a political strategist who helped guide Richard M. Nixon to the White House in 1968 and who was a key architect of Ronald Reagan's rising political fortunes a decade later, only to be fired by both men, died March 26 at a hospital in Miami, where he lived. He was 79. The cause was a heart attack, said his son, James Sears. Sears was a precocious political operative who joined Nixon's law firm in his 20s and helped engineer his boss's triumph in the Republican primary of 1968, ultimately leading to Nixon's victory over Democrat Hubert H. Humphrey in the general election. Eight years later, Sears became known for leading Reagan's challenge to President Gerald Ford, which nearly resulted in a political coup that would have seized the GOP nomination from a sitting president. The daring maneuver, which fell short at the Republican convention, raised Reagan's national profile and led to his victory in the 1980 presidential election. By then, however, Sears was watching from the sidelines, forced out of his job after clashes with other political advisers and Reagan himself - and for what many observers considered an icy disdain for his candidate's intellect, conservatism and jovial manner on the campaign trail. Once hailed by Washington Post political writer Lou Cannon as "the resident mastermind of Republican politics," Sears had little ideological commitment to politics. Instead, he saw his role as a master of electoral gamesmanship. After helping coordinate Nixon's campaign in the Northeast in 1968, Sears worked in the White House. Friction between him and Nixon's inner circle, including Attorney General John Mitchell and top advisers H.R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman, led to his increasing isolation. Sears' openness to the media led to further suspicion, and it was later revealed that White House officials were tapping his phone. He left the Nixon administration in September 1969, as many of his antagonists stayed on and became caught up in the Watergate scandal. "Nixon is the most complex person I ever ran into," Sears told The Post in 1974. "Do I have to like the person I'm working for?" One of Nixon's advisers, Leonard Garment, suggested in a book that Sears may have been the secret source, known as Deep Throat, cultivated by Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein in their Watergate coverage and the book "All the President's Men." Instead, Deep Throat was identified in 2005 as FBI official Mark Felt. Sears practiced law for a few years before signing on in 1975 with Reagan, who was then ending his second term as California governor. The two were an odd match: Sears was three decades younger and born in New York and never a true conservative. Reagan battled Ford through the Republican primaries, waging an insurgent campaign that stretched all the way to the party convention in Kansas City, Missouri. In an effort to broaden Reagan's appeal beyond his conservative base, Sears persuaded Reagan to name liberal Sen. Richard Schweiker, R-Pa., as his running mate. Sears then sought to win more delegates for Reagan by demanding, in a procedural ploy, that Ford reveal his vice presidential choice at the convention. The effort backfired, giving the nomination to Ford, who went on to lose the general election to Jimmy Carter. Still, the bold move made Reagan a major political force - and earned Sears plaudits for his strategic thinking. Four years later, as Reagan's principal campaign manager, Sears sought to keep his candidate out of the rough-and-tumble of debates and flesh-pressing campaigning. Many complained that the tactic blunted Reagan's principal political asset, his folksy charm. As Sears took control of the inner workings of the campaign, he pushed out other internal rivals, including Reagan's longtime California friend Michael Deaver. He reportedly had a low regard for Reagan's grasp of major issues, and Reagan's opinion of Sears was even lower. He noted that Sears seldom smiled, didn't say "good morning" and often stayed up all night playing poker. "He won't look me in the eye," Reagan reportedly told onetime aide Lyn Nofziger, who had been ousted by Sears. "He looks me in the tie." When MSears demanded that Reagan's California friend Edward Meese III be demoted in the campaign, it was the final straw. In a four-hour meeting in a motel room recounted in Newsweek magazine, Sears maintained his cool reserve as the mild-mannered Reagan lost his temper. "You did in Mike Deaver," he shouted, "but by God, you're not going to get Ed Meese!" In the meantime, Sears helped engineer a turnaround in the polls, as Reagan overtook his leading rival, George H.W. Bush, in the New Hampshire primary. But when the votes were being counted, Sears was not around to celebrate the victory. On the afternoon of the New Hampshire primary, Reagan, his wife Nancy Reagan and former Securities and Exchange Commission chairman William Casey summoned Sears and his two top lieutenants to a meeting and handed them letters, announcing that they had "resigned." Casey, later named CIA director, took over as campaign manager. Reagan went on to claim the nomination, win 44 states in the general election and serve two terms as president. Sears, who was then 39, never managed another political campaign. John Patrick Sears was born July 3, 1940, in Syracuse, New York, and spent his early years on a family dairy farm in Baldwinsville, New York. He was 10 when his father died in a barn fire. His mother was a teacher and high school guidance counselor. Sears skipped two grades in school before going to the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, intending to become a psychiatrist. He changed course when he managed a friend's successful campaign for class president. He received a bachelor's degree in chemistry in 1960, then attended law school at Georgetown University, graduating in 1963. After serving as a clerk to a judge on New York's highest state court, Sears joined Nixon's law firm in New York in 1965. He began writing speeches for the former vice president and helped organize his appearances in the off-year elections of 1966. Sears spent a year teaching at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government after leaving the Nixon White House, then joined the Washington law firm of Gadsby Hannah. In 1981, he formed a law partnership with Democratic fundraiser Philip Baskin. One of their clients was the apartheid government of South Africa, which led other clients to break ties with the firm. Ultimately, the Baskin & Sears firm dissolved, and Sears opened a solo practice, representing Japanese automakers. He also advised tobacco companies during the payout of billions of dollars to state authorities to resolve lawsuits. He retired to Miami in the late 1990s. In 1962, Sears married Carol Osborne. They separated in the late 1980s but did not divorce. She died in 2011. Survivors include three children, James Sears of Easton, Pennsylvania, Ellen Rayhill of New Hartford, New York, and Amy Nichols of Philadelphia; two sisters; and nine grandchildren. Sears, who never ran for elective office on his own, often pondered the character of people who sought the presidency. No one puzzled him more than Nixon. "I helped get him elected," he once told The Post. "I felt if he ever actually made it, certain levels of his insecurity might disappear. That was an unrealistic expectation. None of us changes that much." Chevron and EagleClaw Midstream have made donations to help nonprofits and first responders. Chevron is contributing $230,000 across Permian Basin nonprofits responding to the coronavirus pandemic, according to a press release from the oil company. EagleClaw donatewd $50,000 for personal protective equipment. Organizations receiving funding include the West Texas Food Bank and United Way agencies in Eddy and Lea counties in New Mexico. The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented and evolving crisis that necessitates a community-wide response, Nathan Carroll, Chevron Operations superintendent in Carlsbad, said in a statement. Whether its an individual doing their part to social distance, a teacher facilitating tele-learning from their home, or a healthcare worker on the front lines, we want to say thank you to our Permian heroes. Chevron is proud to do our part. Funds from Chevron will go toward community COVID-19 response efforts, with a focus on food and housing security. The West Texas Food Bank distributes food to children, families and senior through a network of 80+ partner agencies across 34,000 square miles of West Texas, says Libby Campbell, executive director of the West Texas Food Bank. Linda Dodd, executive director of the Eddy County United Way, said, This donation comes at a time when our agency is going full throttle to fulfill our mission of meeting community needs, whether they be senior citizen meals, food for children and families, housing insecurity, and more. We see a long road ahead, and we cant thank Chevron enough for this vital support. Chevron and its legacy companies have operated in the Permian Basin for almost 100 years, said Don Puckett, general manager of Operations for the Chevron Mid-Continent Business Unit. We have weathered many storms alongside our Permian communities, and we will weather this one the same way we have the others together and with a focus on helping our neighbors in need. EagleClaw Midstream has donated $50,000 for protective equipment for nurses, doctors and emergency responders in the Midland area. EagleClaw made donations to hospitals in Midland and Odessa and the emergency response organization in Reeves County to provide much-needed personal protective equipment for front-line responders and paramedics, as well as fuel to transport critically ill coronavirus patients by air ambulance, if needed, according to a press release. One of our core values is safety, and we saw an opportunity to step in and provide some help with ensuring the safety of those on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic, said Jamie Welch, president and CEO. Having the right personal protective equipment and working safely is part of how we operate, and the nurses and doctors and paramedics helping those who are ill need PPE to continue to do their jobs and avoid getting sick themselves. We are glad to provide some funds to help. Photo: Getty The UK government is delivering the first round of free food boxes to those most at risk from coronavirus, in an operation that has not been seen since the Second World War. Whitehall confirmed in a statement that the first 2,000 of 50,000 free food boxes, which contain essential supplies and household items such as pasta and tinned goods, will be delivered this weekend. This weekend sees the start of extraordinary steps to support the most clinically vulnerable, while they shield from coronavirus, said communities secretary, Robert Jenrick MP in a statement. We will support these people at this difficult time, and the scale of an operation like that has not been seen since the Second World War. This is an unprecedented package of support and I want to thank the food suppliers, local councils and everyone who has come together to create this essential service in just a matter of days. Over the last week, the UK government and National Health Service (NHS) identified 1.5 million clinically vulnerable people that have been advised to stay at home for 12 weeks. Around 900,000 vulnerable people have received letters from the NHS giving them guidance this week. READ MORE: NHS partners with Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Palantir in fight against coronavirus There are now 17,089 confirmed coronavirus cases in the UK. On 28 March, a jump of 260 deaths were announced, bringing the total number of people who have died from Covid-19 in Britain to 1,019. The UK prime minister Boris Johnson, who recently tested positive for coronavirus, is sending a letter to 30 million households warning citizens that the crisis will get worse before it gets better. "From the start, we have sought to put in the right measures at the right time, the letter will say. "We will not hesitate to go further if that is what the scientific and medical advice tells us we must do." Since more drastic measures have been undertaken by the government to stop the spread of the coronavirus, it has made it hard for the most vulnerable people in society in to gain access to food and medical supplies. Furthermore, supermarkets have had to limit items to shoppers to stem panic-buying. Story continues This is why the government is giving out free food parcels, which will be left on the doorstep, and will include pasta, cornflakes, tea bags, tinned fruit, apples, rolls of loo roll and biscuits. READ MORE: Coronavirus: Shoppers warned food prices could rise despite drop in inflation At a time of national crisis the foodservice industrys two largest distributors are coming together to work with the Government to create packages of food and essential supplies that will be delivered to vulnerable people as part of the Local Support System, said Andrew Selley, CEO of Bidfood, and Hugo Mahoney, CEO of Brakes both bosses of food suppliers and distributors in the joint statement. In these difficult times, were proud to join forces and play such a vital role in supporting people in need during their period of isolation. Together we are experts in food service and our distribution networks reach into every corner of the country. Our highly professional drivers and warehouse teams will be keeping the wheels turning in this vital national endeavour. WASHINGTON President Trump on Friday ended nine days of equivocating over whether to deploy the Defense Production Act, announcing that he would use his presidential powers under the legislation to compel General Motors to produce ventilators for the U.S. medical system. The White House released a statement by Trump saying he had signed a memorandum instructing the Department of Health and Human Services to use any and all authority available under the Defense Production Act to require General Motors to accept, perform, and prioritize Federal contracts for ventilators. In invoking the act, Trump blamed GM for the delays. Our negotiations with GM regarding its ability to supply ventilators have been productive, but our fight against the virus is too urgent to allow the give-and-take of the contracting process to continue to run its normal course, Trump said. GM was wasting time. Todays action will help ensure the quick production of ventilators that will save American lives. In a statement published on its website, GM affirmed its ability to meet the demand: Depending on the needs of the federal government, Ventec and GM are poised to deliver the first ventilators next month and ramp up to a manufacturing capacity of more than 10,000 critical care ventilators per month with the infrastructure and capability to scale further. Less than 24 hours earlier, Trump had downplayed the need for the crucial medical equipment, which is used to help the most ill patients suffering from respiratory failure due to the coronavirus. Appearing on Fox News Thursday night, the president dismissed calls by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo for his state to receive 30,000 more ventilators on top of the 7,000 or so they currently have. I dont believe you need 40,000 or 30,000 ventilators, Trump said. You go into major hospitals sometimes, and theyll have two ventilators. And now, all of a sudden, theyre saying, Can we order 30,000 ventilators? Story continues President Trump signing the $2.2 trillion coronavirus aid package bill. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters) By Friday morning, Trumps tone had changed. A little less than an hour before noon he tweeted that General Motors said they were going to give us 40,000 much needed Ventilators, very quickly. Now they are saying it will only be 6,000, in late April, and they want top dollar. The president threw in a few personal digs at GM CEO Mary Barra, and added in another tweet, General Motors MUST immediately open their stupidly abandoned Lordstown plant in Ohio, or some other plant, and START MAKING VENTILATORS, NOW!!!!!! Trump added in another auto company that has expressed interest in making ventilators. FORD, GET GOING ON VENTILATORS, FAST!!!!!! he wrote. It was a head-spinning reversal by the president from his statements the evening before, and came after more than a week of confusing and contradictory statements by Trump about his intention to use the Cold War-era legislation. The Defense Production Act, or DPA, allows the president to compel private industries to produce products deemed necessary for the nations defense. Officials at HHS were reported to be thinking about using the act as early as late February, a month ago. But at that time, Trump was downplaying the risk of the virus, which set the tone for the rest of the government. Because of all weve done, the risk to the American people remains very low, Trump said on Feb. 27. He promised that the 15 cases in the U.S. within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero. General Motors world headquarters office in Detroit. (Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) The number of cases in the U.S. on Friday afternoon had reached 99,706, and at least 1,554 Americans had died of the disease. Trump first said he had invoked the DPA on March 18: We have targets for certain pieces of equipment. Weve ordered millions of masks, but we need millions more. We need ventilators. But he quickly began making statements indicating a reticence to actually use the powers available to him under the act. A day later he tweeted that he only planned to use the DPA in a worst case scenario in the future. Hopefully there will be no need, he said. On March 20, Trump said he was using the DPA. We are using it for certain things that we need, Trump said under questioning from reporters at the White House. I wouldnt say ventilators. Probably more masks. Two days after that, Trump and HHS Secretary Alex Azar said they didnt need to use the DPA after all. Trump explained that when he said he was using the act, he really just meant he had activated it. Well, we are using it now. The fact that I signed it, its in effect, Trump told reporters. It appeared that Trumps ideological opposition to government intervention in the free market was behind much of the delay in using the DPA. But, you know, were a country not based on nationalizing our business. Call a person over in Venezuela; ask them how did nationalization of their businesses work out. Not too well. The concept of nationalizing our business is not a good concept, Trump said. Azar added: What weve seen with this outpouring of volunteers from private enterprise: Were getting what we need without putting the heavy hand of government down. Trump during a bill signing ceremony at the White House on Friday. (Erin Schaff/Getty Images) But Trump added another wrinkle on Friday, telling reporters that he had essentially threatened companies that he might use the DPA against them multiple times, but had relented after they agreed to produce medical supplies. We pulled it back three times because the companies came through in the end and we did not need the act. It has been great leverage, he said. On March 24, the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Peter Gaynor, told CNN that the Trump administration would use the DPA for the first time to obtain 60,000 coronavirus test kits. Later that day, a FEMA spokesperson added yet another reversal to the ongoing saga. At the last minute, we were able to procure the test kits from the private market without invoking the DPA, said FEMA spokeswoman Lizzie Litzow. On Thursday night, the New York Times reported that FEMA had been close to announcing a partnership between General Motors and Ventec Life Systems to produce many new ventilators, but had balked at a price tag of up to $1 billion. And there were questions about how many ventilators that partnership might actually produce, with promises of up to 80,000 machines shrinking down to only about 7,500. In the White House statement late Friday, Trump did not say how many ventilators the government had ordered from General Motors. But while talking to reporters in the Oval Office after he had signed a $2.2 trillion rescue package passed by Congress earlier in the day, Trump said General Motors had eventually only been able to deliver 6,000. We thought we had a deal for 40,000 ventilators and all of a sudden 40,000 came down to 6,000. And then they talked about a higher price than we were discussing. So I didnt like it, he said. And even then, he added yet one more equivocation. We did activate it with respect to General Motors, he said. Hopefully, we wont need the full activation. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: T he Government has put all parts of the UK on an "emergency footing" as it battles with the coronavirus pandemic, Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick has said. Speaking at the daily Government Covid-19 press briefing on Sunday, Mr Jenrick said the move comes as part of "unprecedented" peace time measures and are unlike anything implemented by a British administration "since the Second World War". "This means that we are establishing strategic coordination centres across the whole country," Mr Jenrick said. The Communities Secretary said that senior members of the emergency services will be brought together with local authorities and the NHS to "lead communities through this challenging period, from Cornwall to Cumbria". Coronavirus in numbers: UK deaths pass 1,200 Members of the Armed Forces will be embedded in each of these groups, which will be lead by a "gold commander", Mr Jenrick confirmed. He also told the Downing Street briefing that millions of items of personal protective equipment (PPE) were being delivered to NHS staff. "We simply cannot and should not ask people to be on the frontline without the right protective equipment," he said. He said the Government had established a "national supply distribution response team" to deliver PPE to those in need, supported by the Armed Forces and other emergency services. Some 170 million masks and almost 10 million items of cleaning equipment are among the items being delivered to NHS trusts and healthcare settings, he said. "All delivered to 58,000 NHS trusts and healthcare settings, including GP surgeries, pharmacies and community providers," he told the briefing. "Every single GP practice, dental practice and community pharmacy has had a PPE delivery. All care homes, hospices, and home care providers have, or will shortly, receive a delivery." The briefing came after the Department of Health confirmed the nationwide Covid-19 death toll has now reached 1,228 - an increase of 209 since Saturday and the second biggest day-on-day rise since the outbreak erupted. Amid the mounting crisis, the Government warned the public to ready itself to remain in lockdown for a "significant period" of time as the pandemic continues to surge. Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove said it was unclear when the current restrictions may be able to be lifted, admitting officials were "very concerned" by the spiralling rise in coronavirus deaths. "I cant make an accurate prediction, but everyone does have to prepare for a significant period when these measures are still in place," Mr Gove told the BBC's Andrew Marr programme via video link on Sunday. In other key developments: Boris Johnson warned in a letter sent to every household in the UK that "things will get worse before they get better" The Prime Minister reiterated people must stay at home in order to "protect the NHS and save lives" Mr Gove said Covid-19 testing for NHS staff and those working in social care was the "absolute top priority" for the Government He added that supermarket staff, prison officers and workers in other areas of the public sector will also be tested NHS England confirmed a UK hospital worker has died after contracting coronavirus Amged El-Hawrani is the first confirmed hospital frontline worker to die after testing positive for Covid-19 More than 750,000 people have now volunteered to help the NHS battle the coronavirus pandemic Separately on Sunday, NHS England confirmed a first frontline healthcare worker had died after testing positive for coronavirus. Consultant Amged El-Hawrani, 55, passed away at Leicester Royal Infirmary on Saturday evening. Gove: Its Difficult To Know Precisely When Coronavirus Will Peak Professor Stephen Powis, the national medical director of NHS England, said: "My deepest condolences are with Amgeds family at this extremely sad time. "The NHS is a family and we all feel deeply the loss of any of our colleagues, as we all continue to unite and work together to tackle the spread of coronavirus, I know that the whole of the NHS and the public we serve will want to extend our sympathies to the El-Hawrani family. "Nobody can be in any doubt about the scale of the challenge we face with this virus, and Amgeds death is not just an individual human tragedy but a stark reminder to the whole country that we all must take this crisis seriously." Listen to today's episode of The Leader - coronavirus daily podcast Mr Powis called on people to abide by the Government's "clear instructions" to "stay indoors, self-isolate, keep strictly to social distancing advice and practise good hygiene, which means washing hands more often and for longer". Airbnb is offering NHS workers free accommodation during the coronavirus outbreak. Hosts on the home rental website have agreed to waive all fees associated with stays at their properties to support medical staff on the frontline of the pandemic, with roughly 1,500 places already already on offer. The initiative is a local expansion of Airbnbs global plans to help house 100,000 healthcare professionals, relief workers, and first responders working with Covid-19 patients. Airbnb has also offered to help medical workers to book their accommodation, directing them to its website for further information. Patrick Robinson, director of public policy, at Airbnb, said: The entire country is behind our heroic NHS and medical staff as they battle the coronavirus outbreak. We have made it our priority to stand with the Airbnb community to do what we can to help. By working together, we can ensure that frontline workers can find a free and convenient place to stay as they continue their critical work. We thank our doctors and nurses across the country from the bottom of our hearts and are grateful to hosts who have already opened their homes during these difficult times. The offering from Airbnb comes after several major companies have launched initiatives to support NHS workers. Earlier this week, mindfulness app Headspace announced it would be offering free subscriptions to medical staff while food delivery service Just Eat has pledged to give NHS workers 25 per cent off on all orders. Andrew Kenny, UK managing director of Just Eat, said of the initiative: Millions of NHS staff are working round the clock to keep us safe, help the most vulnerable and keep this country going. Theres never been a more important time for us to show our support and appreciation for their heroic efforts. Were all in this together. In a time that will no doubt continue to put a huge strain on our front line healthcare workers and their families, we hope this gesture helps many to enjoy a hot meal and provides a small sense of normality. With three more persons testing positive for coronavirus in Maharashtra, the number of such patients in the state has gone up to 196, state Health Minister Rajesh Tope said on Sunday. However, he did not specify the places where these three new patients belong to. "Three more people have tested positive, taking the tally to 196. However, 34 people have been discharged so far in the state. So the number of active COVID-19 patients in the state is 155," Tope said. All the cured and discharged people have been advised to observe mandatory home quarantine for 14 days from the date of discharge, he said. "The current count of COVID-19 patients in the state is 196- Mumbai and Thane Region 107, Pune 37, Nagpur 13, Ahmednagar 3, Ratnagiri 1, Aurangabad 1, Yavatmal 3, Miraj 25, Satara 2, Sindhudurg 1, Kolhapur 1, Jalgaon 1 and Buldhana 1," he said. "Of the total number of discharged people, 14 are from Mumbai, 15 from Pune, one each from Nagpur and Aurangabad and three from Yavatmal, taking the total to 34. There are only 155 active cases in reality," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Amy Hembrow is due to give birth later this year. And now, the 29-year-old has revealed which one of her famous sisters will join her in the delivery room. Speaking on the Hanging With The Hembrows podcast, Amy said she had actually invited younger sister Starlette Thynne, 18, to be with her. Oh baby! Amy Hembrow, 29, (pictured) has revealed which sister she has asked to be in the delivery room for the birth of her child on the latest episode of Hanging with the Hembrows 'Star is going to know what she is there for,' Amy said, explaining her decision. Star is going to be in the delivery room alongside Amy's partner, Rory, with Amy setting out a clear birthing plan. 'Next week she's coming to my midwife appointment and we're going over the birth plan,' Amy added of her involvement. Supportive: 'Next week [Starlette] is coming to my midwife appointment and we're going over the birth plan,' Amy said. Pictured Starlette Thynne (pictured) Despite Amy's being stoic in her choice, sister Emilee was less than impressed with the decision: 'I do not know why you chose Star,' she said. 'I love Star so much but she is so young. And like has no idea. She's going to be like "This isn't a Disney movie".' Amy said for her birthing plan she really wanted to be left alone, with Emilee saying maybe that was the reason she didn't choose her or Tammy. Not so sure! 'I love Star so much but she is so young. And like has no idea. She's going to be like 'This isn't a Disney movie,' Emilee chimed-in. Here: with her daughter, Aaliyah, 2 Amy announced she was expecting her first child with fiance Rory on their podcast in December. 'It's my turn!' the 29-year-old giggled as she broke the news, adding that her unborn baby is now the size of a 'large lemon' at the time. Amy explained that she and her partner, Rory Carmody, had been trying for a baby but she did not expect to become pregnant so soon. Amy and Rory got engaged in June while on holiday in Japan last year. Four-year-old Juniper Assis Finlayson colors in blank spots with chalk on a rainbow she and her Mom drew earlier in the week on Tuesday, in Philadelphia, March 27, 2020. Juniper also enjoys going for walks with her mom's and participating in the rainbow scavenger hunt around 26th and Poplar Streets. Read more In the last few weeks, his world narrowed to the distance between his home and the nearest grocery store, Mark Strandquist observed uneasily the creeping desolation settling over his neighborhood. What youre seeing is empty businesses, empty schools, empty playgrounds. What is the emotional toll that takes? Strandquist said. But as artists, he and his friends also couldnt help noticing that all those plywood boards looked a lot like blank canvases. It gave them an idea, he said: How can we replace some of that emptiness with images of hope, resilience, anger, and also dreams of a future that is hopefully not far off?" READ MORE: Philly artist captures the magic of D-Nices big virtual dance party That impulse was the spark for one of a growing number of DIY public art projects that have sprouted from the gloom of Philadelphias pandemic response turning boarded-up storefronts and silent sidewalks into one big, plein-air exhibition bearing messages of solidarity and comfort. The rush of creative energy is coming from all angles: professional artists, shut out of museums and galleries, and families, stranded and stir-crazy at home. Mural Arts Philadelphia has stepped up, hiring artists to design vinyl decals for supermarkets to place at six-foot intervals, and working with Broad Street Ministries to beautify new hand-washing stations for homeless people. And hundreds of kids with buckets of sidewalk chalk are collaborating to turn the city into a rainbow scavenger hunt, at a time when so many other childhood pleasures, from playgrounds to ice cream trucks, are suddenly off limits. Some projects, like the one Strandquist is working on, are sprawling, multi-tentacled group efforts. He invited artists and poets to answer a question: If you could paint Phillys empty walls, what would you put up to support peoples emotional and physical health? Dozens of submissions are posted online, at coverthewallswithhope.weebly.com for anyone to download, print, and post in their windows, or to post with wheat-paste in their neighborhoods. Artists are putting up posters around town, and businesses are invited to partner with the effort by offering up walls or printing up banners. READ MORE: Philly fashion designers pivot to face masks to protect health-care workers from COVID-19 Other efforts are evolving week by week, like One Philly Art, a project started in a flash of inspiration by Robin Mack-Ward, a South Philadelphia mother and real estate agent. I was thinking, What are we all going to do when were just stuck in our houses? I thought about the One Book, One Philadelphia program. Its so cool of course, Ive never actually done it. But art was something she could do. She made a Facebook group March 15, and within a week it grew to 2,500 members, and a map of 200 sites where artists, laboring in isolation, have enlivened their front doors and windows with paintings, paper crafts, and drawings aligned with weekly themes. Mack-Ward said others have asked her if the works will be archived, collected for some future exhibition. I would love to see that happen, she said. For me, I cant even think that far ahead. We are very much on a one-week-at-a-time basis here in my household. READ MORE: Philadelphia florists give away 2,000 flowers from events canceled due to coronavirus Other acts of public art are at the scale of one lone soul, taping drawings to her storm door. Thats Lisa Solis, who started a project called Fishtown Doodle to distract from the despair thats overtaken her day job, crunching numbers for the Pennsylvania Ballet, which canceled midway through its March run of the ballet La Bayadere, and postponed its April program indefinitely. She invited neighborhood kids and parents to submit suggestions and requests via email or Instagram. To help clear my head, I decided to sharpen my pencils and get back to being creative, and maybe brighten someones day when they walk past," she said. That same impulse has led hundreds of families to install rainbows in front of their homes, a meme translated into sidewalk chalk and columns of helium-filled balloons. Fairmount resident Julie Assis said the daily rainbow hunts have become the one way shes able to coax her 4-year-old daughter, Juniper, into going outside for walks which are, according to Juniper, boring, without a trip to the playground or to see other kids. This is a way of playing with other kids without touching them, said Assis, who helped Juniper contribute her own enormous chalk rainbow to the gallery. Kathryn Snyder, whose art therapy practice, Parent to Child Therapy Associates, has relocated from South Broad Street to the Zoom app, said even those who dont consider themselves artistic can benefit from such healthy diversions. She suggested swirling around some watercolors, seeing what emerges, giving yourself permission at this time of strangeness to make a mark without inhibition. All the feelings are coming up, and people are looking for places to put them, she said. People want to express and people want to connect." Conrad Benner, 34, who runs the StreetsDept photo blog and podcast, said hes been encouraged to look out his South Philadelphia window and see the rainbows drawn on his block. Its hard to ignore the storm clouds, though: His artist friends are suddenly jobless. Their photography gigs, craft shows, and exhibits canceled, some are already trying to sell laptops and other gear to make rent. Benner volunteered to help curate the installation for Broad Street Ministries nine artist-designed hand-washing stations, a project at the intersection of public art and public health. It was one thing he could do to help his friends, and the greater community. READ MORE: The Cecil B. Moore mural has been restored after it was vandalized Jane Golden, Mural Arts executive director, said that project is just one way the organization has shifted gears to keep programming going, serve the public in this crisis, and get artists paid even as the city has shut down. Some mural-making has moved online: Theyre asking the public to submit photos, videos, and artwork for a virtual mosaic mural that will reside on their website, but also may eventually be projected on an actual wall for a post-pandemic public showing. But other Mural Arts projects will be tangible, like coloring books and art-making kits to be distributed at sites where the city is offering meals to replace free school lunches. What Golden is seeing now across Philadelphia reminds her of the first time she stepped into the grim confines of the maximum-security prison where Mural Arts ran programming for decades. It was overwhelming, she said. "But the art therapist told me: Wait until you get into the classrooms and see the artwork. Creativity is like the wildflowers that grow in a vacant parking lot. You cant tamp it down. President Donald Trump on Sunday abandoned his timetable for life returning to normal in the United States, extending emergency coronavirus restrictions for another month, while Spain suffered its deadliest day. Trump, who had hoped to shortly re-open much of the US, said the death rate in the country was likely to increase for two weeks and announced "social distancing" guidelines would be in place until at least the end of April. More than 40 percent of the world's population has been asked to stay at home to halt the deadly march of a disease that has claimed some 33,880 lives. Hospitals are rapidly filling with patients in Europe and the United States -- now the focal points of a pandemic that began in Asia but has upended the global economy and upset everyday life in unprecedented ways. Spain announced 838 deaths in a 24-hour period, the third consecutive day it has seen a rise. The US has witnessed explosive growth in coronavirus cases, including a doubling in cases in only two days, with New York hardest hit. Trump said the better that Americans obey the emergency guidelines to stay home "the faster this whole nightmare will end." "Nothing would be worse than declaring victory before the victory is won," Trump said, altering his previously upbeat tone. He said he expected the country to "be well on our way to recovery" by June 1 -- dropping his previous target of mid-April. "We will defeat this invisible curse, this invisible enemy," he added. Senior US scientist Anthony Fauci issued a tentative prediction that COVID-19 could claim from 100,000 to 200,000 lives -- a figure Trump described as "horrible." As of Sunday, more than 3.38 billion people were asked or ordered to follow confinement measures, according to an AFP database, as the virus infects every sphere of life, wiping out millions of jobs, postponing elections and pressing pause on the sporting scene. Worst-hit Italy, with 10,779 deaths, and Spain, with 6,803 dead, together have accounted for more than half of the world's deaths. Both countries are clinging to the hope, however, that they are closing in on the peak of the crisis. - 'We are on the verge' - Several countries warned citizens that lockdowns will be the new normal for an indefinite period. Spain is toughening already tight restrictions on movement while Italian authorities said they would extend a shutdown past an April 3 deadline. "My ICU (intensive care unit) is completely full," said Eduardo Fernandez, a nurse at Infanta Sofia hospital in Madrid, where authorities have set up a 5,500-bed field hospital and transformed an ice rink into a morgue. "If it is not a complete collapse, we are on the verge," he added. The pandemic has spurred a worldwide scramble for medical gear as doctors and nurses struggle to dole out limited stocks of face masks and life-saving ventilators. "I have nothing for my head, nothing for my shoes," said Diana Torres, who works in a rehabilitation centre in New York. "Everybody is scared." - Long haul - The US is now home to the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 infections globally with more than 140,000 cases, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally. The US death toll reached 2,467 on Sunday, with cities like Detroit and New Orleans joining New York as hotspots. Across the Atlantic, Britain's death toll passed 1,200 as Prime Minister Boris Johnson -- who tested positive for the virus last week -- warned that dark days lay ahead. "We know things will get worse before they get better," said Johnson, who reports only mild symptoms. The country's deputy chief medical officer warned that life would not return to normal for six months or more. France deployed two specially equipped trains to transport coronavirus patients from overcrowded hospitals in the east to facilities along the western coast. In hard-hit Iran, President Hassan Rouhani also said the country must prepare to adjust to "the new way of life" for the foreseeable future, after 123 more deaths were recorded. The mayor of Moscow ordered self-isolation for all residents as Russia prepares to close its borders on Monday and take a week off work. - Global divide - More than 720,000 cases of the novel coronavirus have been officially declared around the world since the outbreak began late last year, according to the Johns Hopkins tally. Variations in testing regimes mean the true number is likely far higher. As health facilities in rich countries buckle under the pressure, aid groups warn of the toll for the millions in poor states and war zones such as Syria and Yemen. Three billion people around the world lack access to running water and soap, the most basic weapons of protection against the virus, according to UN experts. In Africa, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari ordered a two-week lockdown in Lagos and capital Abuja. But in Benin, President Patrice Talon said his country could not enforce public confinement because it lacks the "means of rich countries." In China, however, life is creeping back to normal in the ground-zero city of Wuhan. Officials say the biggest threat to public health is now imported cases. "Initially we were more scared and maybe thought it was safer overseas," said Han Li, who is helping floods of locals returning to Wuhan. "But now it doesn't seem this way. It seems it might be safer within China." burs-ssm/har/bbk/bgs/cl President Donald Trump said the US death rate was likely to increase for two weeks and announced "social distancing" guidelines would be in place until at least the end of April Countries and territories with confirmed new coronavirus cases, as of March 29 at 1900 GMT The US has witnessed explosive growth in coronavirus cases, including a doubling in cases in only two days Worst-hit Italy, with 10,779 deaths, and Spain, with 6,803 dead, together have accounted for more than half of the world's deaths The pandemic has spurred a worldwide scramble for medical gear as doctors and nurses struggle to dole out limited stocks of face masks and life-saving ventilators In hard-hit Iran, President Hassan Rouhani also said the country must prepare to adjust to "the new way of life" for the foreseeable future A coronavirus patient from France arrives at the Bundeswehr hospital in Ulm, southwestern Germany As health facilities in rich countries buckle under the pressure, aid groups warn of the toll for the millions in poor states and war zones such as Yemen A young Northern Ireland woman upped sticks and moved to England last weekend to marry her fiance before the coronavirus lockdown kicked in. Zara Grant (29) spent a year planning her dream wedding to Baptist pastor Adam this May - only for the worldwide outbreak to scupper their plans. Zara, from Richhill, Co Armagh, wed in jeans and a T-shirt instead of the beautiful dress which she had to leave at home as she dashed to England. In a rush move to get hitched before the stringent new rules took effect, Zara, who works in communications, travelled by ferry to Liverpool last Sunday before making her way to the village of Barrowby, Lincolnshire, where Adam lives. "As the days went on we realised lockdown was coming," says Zara. "So we decided to go ahead and get married before any new rules would mean we might not see each other for weeks or months on end." The couple planned a small wedding ceremony for Wednesday, to be carried out by a pastor pal of Adam's, with both sets of parents set to travel there to join them - Zara's from Northern Ireland and Adam's from Kent. But as they watched Prime Minister Boris Johnson's historic announcement on Monday evening, the loved-up couple decided they needed to rush their plans even more - and got married that night. "It was pretty mad," says Adam (22). "I was trying to set up a Netflix account and I got a buzz on my phone. It was Boris. "So we turned the news on and as we watched what was happening we realised our plans for Wednesday weren't going to work. It was either right then on Monday night, or we didn't know when we'd manage it." Expand Close Zara Grant (29) from NI and new hubby Adam (22) from Lincolnshire. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Zara Grant (29) from NI and new hubby Adam (22) from Lincolnshire. The couple, who met while Adam was studying at Belfast Bible College in 2016, immediately called Adam's pastor friend. "I asked him, 'What are you doing now?' and he said he was free," says Adam, who is originally from Luton. "So that was it, and we headed to his house." The couple called their parents on the way to explain the change of plans, and with a nod of approval from both sets of mums and dads, they went ahead and got married on Monday night at 9.30pm. "It's not what I had pictured at all," says Zara. "My beautiful wedding dress is sitting in my parents' house at home, and I'd even bought a simpler one for the small ceremony we planned for Wednesday. "But in the end we were both in jeans and T-shirts, and I wasn't wearing a pick of make-up. Adam's friend was the most suited and booted one there. "The wedding we'd planned was completely different. It was all booked for May, with the ceremony at my church in Richhill followed by a reception at Malone House in Belfast. "We'd invited about 100 people, but in reality there were only four of us, me and Adam, his friend and his wife. It was brilliant though and we'll never forget it." While the wedding was not legally binding as no registrar was available at such short notice, Zara and Adam, both devout Christians, say the religious basis of their marriage is what matters most to them. "We're married in the eyes of God, and that's what's most important to us," says Adam. "When things start getting back to normal, we'll get all the legal documentation sorted out." And, says Zara, they'll have a big party to celebrate their marriage in style. "Definitely," she says. "All my bridesmaids' dresses arrived at home this week for my four best friends I've known since primary school. We'll have a big party eventually where we can get together with everyone and do what we'd planned to do all along." And as they start their lives as man and wife, Adam admits starting out in lockdown is giving the couple a "crash course" in marriage. "We've never lived together before, and we've already had our first row," laughs Adam. "We were building a flat pack bed and there was a good bit of shouting." "But it was definitely the right thing to do," adds Zara, who had planned to move to England after their wedding in May. "If we hadn't done it then, if we hadn't rushed on with our wedding, we could have been apart for weeks or even months. "Adam moved back to England from Northern Ireland last year so we've already done the long distance thing for long enough. "We just wanted to be together, and we feel so lucky to have each other and to be able to do our bit by staying home and staying safe until this thing is over." Soldiers operate a HJ-12, or Red Arrow 12, anti-tank missile. Photo: Screenshot from China Central Television A leading Chinese arms firm has delivered a batch of advanced portable HJ-12E anti-tank missiles to an undisclosed foreign buyer amid the pandemic of novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) in the first export case of this type of high-end weaponry, prompting Chinese analysts to note on Sunday that this showcased the company's reliability and its potential share of the market. Despite the COVID-19 outbreak that had brought difficulties in personnel exchanges since the Spring Festival holidays in late January and early February, state-owned China North Industries Group Corporation (Norinco) was able to deliver containers carrying the missiles to foreign clients as of Wednesday, before the scheduled shipment date, according to a statement the company released Wednesday on its WeChat account. It was the first time a third-generation anti-tank weapon system developed by the Chinese company has been exported, according to the statement. As the client was in urgent need of the missiles, the successful delivery had significant meaning for establishing Norinco's market position and further opening up the market, the company said. Norinco did not disclose more details on the deal in the statement, including the name of the buyer, the quantity purchased and the value of the deal. The delivery demonstrated the Chinese arms firm's reliability and proved it can fulfill a contract even under seeming force majeure, overcoming difficulties and prioritizing the client's interest, a military expert who asked not to be named told the Global Times on Sunday. This would win trust not only from the buyer for this deal, but also other potential clients, the expert said, noting the product would also get a chance to shine on the international market. Often compared with the FGM-148 Javelin missile used by the US military, the HJ-12, or Red Arrow 12, is a portable, fire-and-forget anti-tank missile domestically developed by China, Weihutang, a column on military affairs affiliated with China Central Television, reported on Thursday. It can hit targets including tanks, bunkers, ships and helicopters from above, where armor is likely the thinnest, with a penetration capability of 1,100 millimeters, Weihutang reported. The HJ-12 enables soldiers to lock on target, fire and then move on without maintaining position to guide the missile to its target, providing many tactical advantages, the expert said. The missile is capable of destroying even the most advanced tanks in the world, he noted. It is expected to be a high-end weapon that not every military can afford in mass quantities, but it should be more cost-efficient than its competitors like the Javelin, the expert said. China does not attach political premise to arms sales, he noted. China provides not only affordable and easy-to-use weapons, but also advanced and sophisticated ones. By Express News Service CHENNAI: Four persons tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday, taking the tally in Tamil Nadu to 42. With the State officially entering the Phase-2 of transmission, authorities have decided to implement a new containment plan to prevent further spread of the disease. As per the plan, a containment zone with radius of five kilometres would be created around every area where a positive case has been reported. Further, there would be a three kilometre buffer zone around that containment area, explained Health Secretary Beela Rajesh. Once the demarcation is done, health workers would go door to door, each of them covering 50 houses, checking the residents for symptoms such as cough, cold, and breathing issues. Those would symptoms would be refered for checkup, she said. The health workers would make a list of persons above the age of 60, persons with comorbidity issues, and persons with mental health issues. Counsellors would be appointed to help those required, Beela Rajesh said. Meanwhile, four persons, tested positive on Saturday, in various parts of the State. A 42-year-old was admitted to the TMCH in Thanjavur. He, a native of Kumbakonam, recently returned from the West Indies. The second patient (49), in Vellore, had recently returned from the United Kingdom. He is being treated in a private facility. The third patient is a 60-year-old man from Rajapalayam undergoing treatment at the Madurai Medical College, and the fourth a 25-year-old from West Mambalam in Chennai, with travel history to the US, admitted to a private hospital. The death of three persons at an isolation ward in Kanniyakumari created panic on Saturday. However, Beela Rajesh denied COVID-19 as the cause. According to officials, a two-year-old died of osteoporosis, a sexagenarian of kidney disease, and a 24-year-old of pneumonia. Later in the evening, reports showed two of them tested negative for COVID-19. The toddlers report is awaited. Chennai pilgrims in Indo-Nepal border rescued A group of 33 pilgrims from Chennai, who were stranded at the Indo-Nepal border, at Sunauli in Uttar Pradesh, have been rescued, following the efforts of Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and P Raveendranath, MP. Three more from other states were also rescued SIBA and Simply Hops create online initiative to help independent beer sector The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) has joined forces with hope producer Simply Hops to create a not-for-profit website, in a bid to save thousands of small independent breweries, taprooms, bottle shops and retailers affected by coronavirus across the UK and Europe. BeerisHere.org has been created by the two organisations and supported by Simpsons malt, Lallemand Yeast and Brewers Select to help people get beer delivered to them from their local independent breweries, bottle shops and retailers. The move comes after the government announced last week that all cafes, pubs, bars and restaurants must close as part of measures to curb the spread of the virus. The aim of the site is to help show consumers where they can buy beer from and showcase the huge amount of varieties which are available to them during this time when they cant visit a local pub or bar. Consumers will only have to enter their postcode to find out where they can easily get beer delivered to their homes. Separately, SimplyHops is also encouraging people to join a virtual social hangout organised by their local breweries at 5pm every Friday. The concept also aims to create a place where people can have a chat with other beer lovers, friends or work colleagues instead of going to pubs and bars, while sharing the love using the hashtag #BeerisHere and #5oClockClub. John Willetts, director at Simply Hops, said: The reality is that these independent breweries, taprooms, bottle shops and retailers will close if we do not support them in this difficult time. Simply Hops along with SIBA and our other friends of craft beer, Simpsons Malt and Lallemand Yeast, just wanted to do what we could to help the fantastic independent brewers across the UK and Europe get through this tough time. We felt that helping them change the shape of their businesses during this time when the bulk sales of beer to pubs, restaurants and taprooms have suddently stopped was a small thing to do. We want people to be aware that there are a lot of ways to get great beer to your house and try lots of different beers and support the large number of small businesses people for people that need it right now. This is a free of charge, not for profit service that allows all true lovers of great beer to find all the independent breweries, retailers or taprooms that can deliver to their door, therefore supporting the small brewers and giving the consumers a real opportunity to connect with breweries they may never have been heard of before. "We are looking for some beer patriotism, and for consumers to make a small extra effort to save the beautiful diversity of beer that now exists. We want to make sure the product everyone in our industry has dedicated their whole lives to is still here for people during and after this unusual and difficult time. Its what the craft beer scene is all about really. Working together to lift each other up when its needed. James Calder, SIBA Chief Executive, said: "Independent beer businesses across Europe are under incredible pressure, with many struggling to keep afloat. The BeerisHere initiative is something SIBA are very happy to support and which we believe will have a hugely positive effect on all involved. If you run a beer business providing takeaway services, local delivery, or other low-contact sales options anywhere in Europe then we would strongly encourage you to get involved." Kier McAllister Wilde, owner of Wilde Child Brewery in Leeds, said: This website will be a lifeline for our brewery. It is vitally important to keep our heads above water, but we really need a sustainable route to the local market to keep ticking over in these exceptional times. There will be major issues if the network of breweries and good beer goes away. Beer delivery drivers are just as important and essential as any other delivery drivers at this time. Andy Parker Director at Elusive Brewing Limited in Berkshire said: It's great to see key brewing industry suppliers support independent pubs, bars and breweries during these challenging times by helping to spread the word about our services. These direct sales are the only thing which will keep us afloat. We are currently dispensing via our taproom, so having one central place for locals to be able to find us, who havent discovered him before will be a big help to keep my wife and I going through the coming months. Scott Steffens, Head of Brewing at Dois Corvos Cervejeira in Portugal, said: Our sales went off a cliff this week with all of our direct customers and distributors closing due to the coronavirus. With the recent State of Emergency in place in Portugal, everyone is doing their part to stay isolated. It's great that the craft breweries are coming together to get beer to people through this global crisis and to provide these simple pleasures. At least we can have that common sense of discovery and trying new things that craft beer always brings - even when we're stuck at home. Craft beer is a simple luxury that makes life better - wherever you are. Related articles: WellSpan Health has confirmed its first coronavirus death. "A WellSpan Health patient, who had tested positive for COVID-19 and was being treated for the disease, has died, WellSpan CEO and president Roxanna Gapstur said in a press release Sunday. To protect the privacy of this patient, we will not be releasing any additional details. Our sympathy and thoughts are with the patients loved ones at this time of loss." The news comes as 643 more cases have been reported in Pennsylvania Sunday, along with four additional deaths over Saturdays total. The total cases reached 3,394 statewide, including 38 deaths. WellSpan officials say as the pandemic continues to spread, WellSpan has seen an increase in positive cases. Most patients have mild symptoms, but some will be sick enough to require hospital care, and more deaths are likely. We cant do it alone, Gapstur said in the statement. We need everyone to come together, as one united front, to slow the spread and keep our friends and neighbors safe. Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. A 27-year-old medical representative was arrested from Badharghat area here on Sunday for spreading rumours on the social media on COVID-19, police said. He put up a social media post claiming that one person has tested positive for novel coronavirus in Tripura, an officer said. The man has been booked under sections of the Tripura Police Act, 2007, the officer said. No coronavirus case has been reported in the state so far, health officials said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) More than 100,000 visitors to the province of Ontarios website have been directed to seek immediate medical assistance due to COVID-19 symptoms in the past week, data from the provinces online assessment tool reveals. Another half-million visitors to the online site had symptoms serious enough to be instructed to self-isolate another indication of how serious the situation in Ontario is. Around the world, governments have created online tools that ask people a series of questions to help them determine if they have symptoms of the rapidly spreading coronavirus. Ontarios assessment tool, accessible through the Health Ministry website, officially went online March 23, after a soft launch three days earlier. (A word about the numbers in this story: The provincial site does not account for people who visit the site more than once. This story will refer to visits or visitors to the site. It is possible that some people have visited the site and used the tool more than once.) When the online tool was launched, people were encouraged by the Health Ministry to take this self-assessment if you think you have coronavirus (COVID-19) or have been in close contact with someone who has it. As of Friday, 920,271 visitors to the site had taken the assessment, a series of questions that begin with the most serious symptoms: Are you experiencing severe difficulty breathing, severe chest pain, confusion, lost consciousness? The online tool also asks if the visitor has a fever, a new cough or shortness of breath. Other questions ask if the visitor has muscle aches, fatigue, sore throat, runny nose or a headache. According to provincial data released to the Star, here is the result of the past week of online traffic to the self-assessment tool. The ministry was only able to provide a breakdown for 920,271 visits to the site as of 11:59 p.m. on Friday. Additional visits to the site put the total number of visitors over a million by Saturday afternoon. Of those 920,271 visitors: 100,645 visitors to the site were directed to seek immediate assistance by calling 911 or going to a hospital emergency ward. Those visitors would have indicated they had the most serious symptoms, including severe difficulty breathing and severe chest pain. 119,071 visitors to the site were directed to seek clinical assessment by contacting Telehealth Ontario or calling their doctor. Those people would have been told either to visit an emergency room, if their symptoms and history indicated this was necessary, or to self-isolate. 197,115 visitors to the site reported moderate symptoms such as cough and fever. The online tool directed them to self-isolate and the tool provides timelines for that restriction. 246,641 visitors to the site were exhibiting mild symptoms such as headache or runny nose. They were also directed to self-isolate. 256,799 people (roughly one-quarter) reported no symptoms at all. Ministry officials are struggling to understand the final category the visitors reporting no symptoms and there are several explanations. Some people who are healthy might use the tool out of curiosity, but it is likely that the larger number are returning travellers or those in the high-risk age category, 70 and older, who are seeking additional information. On the weekend the province, to help understand the numbers in greater detail, launched an enhanced version of the online tool. The new version asks people if they have just returned to Canada; if so, the tool instructs them to self-isolate for 14 days. The updated version also asks people if they are over 70 or immunocompromised, and therefore at higher risk. Local health units and Dr. David Williams, Ontarios chief medical officer of health, are working together to further fine-tune the tool, a provincial official told the Star. In its news release announcing the new tool, the province said it is critical to providing real-time data on the number and geography of users. Meanwhile, Ontario is making plans to free up hospital beds and is in discussion with hotels in case there is a dramatic influx of patients over the next few weeks. To put the online tools numbers in perspective, as of Sunday, Ontario was reporting 1,355 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the province, including 23 deaths. All of the provinces confirmed cases are patients who have tested positive for the virus; however, as the Star has reported, many people who doctors believe have the virus have not been tested because Ontario is focusing its testing efforts on front-line workers in hospitals and nursing homes, and people (including nursing home and homeless shelter residents) who come into contact with large groups of people. There is also a testing backlog, which Ontario is gradually reducing. As of Sunday, there were 7,203 tests awaiting results, a significant drop from 10,000 backlogged tests just a few days before. https://www.aish.com/f/mom/Corona-Home-Attire.html What are you wearing all day cooped up in your home? I was always so proud of myself. I tried not to change into something more comfortable as soon as I walked in the door. I always believed that my husband should get the best me, not my neighbors, friends or students and certainly not the cashier at the local market. Even on those occasions where I did relax my attire, I tried to put my sheitel back on and add a little lipstick before my husband got home from work. This became more of a challenge when he started working at home more and I began to have more appointments outside the house. But I remained conscious of the issue. I tried (even if not always successfully) to be true to my principles, to make sure I treated him as my priority. This has all been completely thrown out the window with the new coronavirus experience, with our shelter in place restrictions. We are all home together, all the time. And my schedule has changed. I move a little slower. I get on the treadmill a little later which means I shower a little later (TMI?!) which means I get dressed a little laterwhich means Im running around the house in my robe a lot longer! Additionally, since I dont go anywhere not out to teach, not even out to the grocery store any more, reserving that chore for my hopefully less vulnerable children I feel less concerned about my appearance, less focused on what I wear. Oops! What happened here? What about all my lessons about how you dress for your husband? What about my self-righteous proclamations about not putting on my sweats the minute I arrive home? Now Im practically living in the modest version of sweats all day, every day. This is a sobering realization that became even more pointed when I started doing zoom classes. Although I didnt put on fancier clothing, I did put my sheitel back on. God forbid my students should see me in the shmatta Ive been wearing on my head around the house! But of course, who is seeing me? And what is the only time I leave the house? To take a walk with my husband. And what am I wearing? That same shmatta unless I happen to be teaching right afterwards. Amazing how years of teaching are thrown right out the window in the wake of this unprecedented virus and the ensuing shut-downs. Amazing how quick I was to abandon years of behavior and principles! Im totally embarrassed with myself. I will give myself one small pat on the back for getting dressed nicely for Shabbos, for recognizing that, isolated or not, Shabbos was still a day of holiness that required attire, food and dishes that attested to that. But what about the holiness of my marriage? What about the demands of that relationship? I can see its too easy for some of the attention to detail that any successful relationship requires to fall by the wayside when we are with each other non-stop, when we are experiencing the demands of this new reality. But there is a real danger here. Please God, this virus will pass. We cant live in this cocoon forever. But the changes in attitudes in relationships could be lasting. Its up to us to make those positive or negative. There are so many ways this could go, so many details to be dealt with. Im focusing on a relatively simple one here. Despite the challenges of our situation, despite our being cooped up in our homes, despite the fact that I see no one except my immediate family, Im going to make more of an effort. Not just to get dressed every day (I am doing that!) but to get dressed nicely, to keep my husband and marriage in mind as I decide what to wear. When the Jewish people were slaves in Egypt and succumbing to despair, it was the Jewish women who refused to give up, who maintained their faith and who continued to dress in ways that were attractive to their husbands, despite their situation. Certainly, in much less dire circumstances, I can make a similar choice. I can dress up not down for the one person who matters the most. Unions that represent the police, prison officials, and traffic officers have complained the government has not provided them with sufficient protection against the COVID-19 coronavirus, reported the City Press. The employer seems reluctant to provide protective gear, they cannot be saying that the SA Police Service is failing to get masks and sanitisers, said Tumelo Mogodiseng, general secretary of the SA Police Union (SAPU). Mogodiseng highlighted an example in Limpopo, where he claims traffic officers have had nothing with which to protective themselves against the virus. As SAPU, we are worried because everyone should be covered to make sure that we are safe before we can protect society at large, said Mogodiseng. Unions left out of discussions A joint statement by the Public Servants Association of South Africa (PSA), the SA Cabin Crew Association, and the SA Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) said they were also confused as to why Minister of Public Service and Administration Senzo Mchunu had not informed them about the lockdown before making it public. We really believe that with our inputs we would have seen a smooth transition into the lockdown, said Reuben Maleka, assistant general manager of the PSA. He said that correctional services officials are claiming they dont have sanitisers, masks, or protective gear at their centres. Maleka added that these claims were primarily originating from KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo. Correctional services spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said the department was focused on prevention, containment, treatment, and recovery. Intervention measures include screening, improved hygiene, provision of equipment, and decontamination. These intervention aspects depend heavily on behavioural change and adaptation on the part of officials, inmates and anyone else who visits our correctional facilities and administrative offices, Nxumalo said. The urgent procurement of necessary equipment products and other resources has been effected in order to enable the various sections of the department to respond appropriately. Mchunu, responded to complaints that unions had not been notified of the shutdown, said that as the pandemic was an emergency, there had not been enough time to consult with unions. Mchunu recommended that workers make use of the open communication opportunity between unions and government, and encouraged workers to speak to their supervisors. 1,187 cases There are currently 1,187 confirmed cases of coronavirus in South Africa. Gauteng has the most cases at 533, followed by the Western Cape on 271 and KwaZulu-Natal on 156. We must outrightly state that these numbers do not indicate a reduction in the number of infections, said Health Minister Zweli Mkhize. Instead, these numbers are a reflection of positive results that were received, verified and ready for reporting. The National Institute for Communicable Diseases said it is cleaning COVID-19 patient data to ensure the information is verified and accurate. Figures may not always add up sequentially due to the activities being performed with regard to data cleaning and quality assurance of the dataset. South Africas biggest labor-union federation and a key political ally of President Cyril Ramaphosa is pushing the government to tap state institutions for a stimulus plan to combat the fallout from the coronavirus outbreak. The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), which represents about 1.8 million workers ranging from miners to teachers, wants state companies such as the Public Investment Corp., which oversees government pensions, to provide relief to hard-hit industries including hospitality, manufacturing and mining. Its also seeking private companies to contribute. We want them to mobilize a public- and private-funded stimulus plan that can target heavily affected economic sectors, Matthew Parks, the federations parliamentary coordinator, said in a response to questions. Talks are taking place with business and government representatives at the National Economic Development and Labour Council. South Africas government has limited fiscal space and is facing a long recession as measures to contain the pandemic shut down industries. Its had to bail out the indebted state power and airline companies and lost its last investment-grade credit rating at Moodys Investors Service on Friday. Still, there is significant financial firepower in some of the institutions over which it has influence. Prior to the outbreak, the PIC managed 2.13 trillion rand ($121 billion) in assets. State-owned lenders, the Industrial Development Corp. and the Development Bank of Southern Africa, have tens of billions of rands of assets. Government and business representatives have already agreed to a Cosatu proposal that money from the Unemployment Insurance Fund be used to compensate workers who are temporarily laid off. Other demands include an increase in the value of welfare grants over the next three months and for commercial banks to defer debt repayments. The banks regulator, which falls under the central bank, on Saturday proposed relaxing capital requirements for banks in a move that Kuben Naidoo, a deputy central bank governor and head of the prudential authority, said could free up 300 billion rand for additional lending. We have an economic firestorm heading our way and bold and decisive leadership is needed, Cosatu said in a later statement. We need a serious recovery package to fix this and kick-start the economy. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 14:15:40|Editor: zyl Video Player Close NEW DELHI, March 29 (Xinhua) -- More than 400 prisoners were released from Delhi's "Tihar Jail" in a bid to decongest one of the biggest jails in South Asia amid the COVID-19 pandemic spread. So far as many as 25 deaths have been reported from across India, and around 979 people infected. The move to released prisoners nearing completion of their jail sentence is aimed at maintaining "Social Distancing" to check COVID-19's community spread. According to media reports, out of the 419 prisoners who were released on Saturday evening, 356 were released on a 45-day interim bail, while the rest 63 were released on an eight-week "Emergency Parole." This was the first batch of prisoners to be released. The Jail officials had stated a few days ago that they would be letting out nearly 3,000 inmates to ease congestion in the prison complex. "More prisoners would be released over the next few days," media reports quoted a senior Jail official as saying. Washington Early on, the dozen federal officials charged with defending America against the coronavirus gathered day after day in the White House Situation Room, consumed by crises. They grappled with how to evacuate the U.S. consulate in Wuhan, China, ban Chinese travelers and extract Americans from the Diamond Princess and other cruise ships. The members of the coronavirus task force typically devoted only five or 10 minutes, often at the end of contentious meetings, to talk about testing, several participants recalled. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, its leaders assured the others, had developed a diagnostic model that would be rolled out quickly as a first step. LIFE-SAVING THERAPY: Houston Methodist first in the nation to try coronavirus blood transfusion therapy But as the deadly virus from China spread with ferocity across the U.S. between late January and early March, large-scale testing of people who might have been infected did not happen because of technical flaws, regulatory hurdles, business-as-usual bureaucracies and lack of leadership at multiple levels, according to interviews with more than 50 current and former public health officials, administration officials, senior scientists and company executives. The result was a lost month, when the world's richest country armed with some of the most highly trained scientists and infectious disease specialists squandered its best chance of containing the virus' spread. Instead, Americans were left largely blind to the scale of a looming public health catastrophe. The absence of robust screening until it was "far too late" revealed failures across government, said Dr. Thomas Frieden, a former CDC director. Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins, said the Trump administration had "incredibly limited" views of the pathogen's potential impact. Dr. Margaret Hamburg, a former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, said the lapse enabled "exponential growth of cases." And Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, a top government scientist involved in the fight against the virus, told members of Congress that the early inability to test was "a failing" of the administration's response to a deadly, global pandemic. "Why," he asked later in a magazine interview, "were we not able to mobilize on a broader scale?" Across government, they said, three agencies responsible for detecting and combating threats like the coronavirus failed to prepare quickly enough. Even as scientists looked at China and sounded alarms, none of the agencies' directors conveyed the urgency required to spur a no-holds-barred defense. Dr. Robert R. Redfield, 68, a former military doctor and prominent AIDS researcher who directs the CDC, trusted his veteran scientists to create the world's most precise test for the coronavirus and share it with state laboratories. When flaws in the test became apparent in February, he promised a quick fix, though it took weeks to settle on a solution. The CDC also tightly restricted who could get tested and was slow to conduct "community-based surveillance," a standard screening practice to detect the virus' reach. Had the U.S. been able to track its earliest movements and identify hidden hot spots, local quarantines might have confined the disease. Dr. Stephen Hahn, 60, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, enforced regulations that paradoxically made it tougher for hospitals, private clinics and companies to deploy diagnostic tests in an emergency. Other countries that had mobilized businesses were testing tens of thousands daily, compared with fewer than 100 on average in the U.S., frustrating local health officials, lawmakers and desperate Americans. Alex Azar, who led the Department of Health and Human Services, oversaw the two other agencies and coordinated the government's public health response to the pandemic. While he grew frustrated as public criticism over the testing issues intensified, he was unable to push either agency to speed up or change course. CORONAVIRUS LIVE UPDATES: Over 2,500 cases in Texas, 10 HPD officers test positive Azar, 52, who chaired the coronavirus task force until late February, when Vice President Mike Pence took charge, had been at odds for months with the White House over other issues. The task force's chief liaison to the president was Mick Mulvaney, acting White House chief of staff, who was being forced out by President Donald Trump. Without high-level interest the testing issue festered. At the start of that crucial lost month, when his government could have rallied, the president was distracted by impeachment and dismissive of the threat to the public's health or the nation's economy. By the end of the month, Trump claimed the virus was about to dissipate in the U.S., saying: "It's going to disappear. One day it's like a miracle it will disappear." By early March, after federal officials finally announced changes to allow more expansive testing, it was too late to escape serious harm. Now, the U.S. has more than 100,000 coronavirus cases, the most of any country in the world. Yet even with deaths on the rise, cities shuttered, the economy sputtering and everyday life upended, many Americans who come down with symptoms of COVID-19 still cannot get tested. In a statement, Judd Deere, a White House spokesman, said that "any suggestion that President Trump did not take the threat of COVID-19 seriously or that the United States was not prepared is false." He added that at Trump's direction, the administration had "expanded testing capacities." Dr. Bruce Aylward, a senior adviser at the World Health Organization, led an expert team to China last month to research the mysterious new virus. Testing, he said, was "absolutely vital" for understanding how to defeat a disease what distinguishes it from others, the spectrum of illness and, most important, its path through populations. "You want to know whether or not you have it," Aylward said. "You want to know whether the people around you have it. Because you know what? Then you could stop it." "You can't stop it," he warned, "if you can't see it." Startling setback The first time Redfield heard about the severity of the virus from his Chinese counterparts was around New Year's Day, when he was on vacation with his family. He spent so much time on the phone that they barely saw him. And what he heard rattled him; in one grim conversation about the virus days later, George F. Gao, the director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, burst into tears. Redfield, a longtime AIDS researcher, had never run a government agency before his appointment to lead the CDC in 2018. Until then, his biggest priorities had been fighting the opioid epidemic and the spread of HIV. At first, Redfield's agency moved quickly. On Jan. 7, the CDC created an "incident management system" for the coronavirus and advised travelers to Wuhan to take precautions. By Jan. 20, just two weeks after Chinese scientists shared the genetic sequence of the virus, the CDC had developed its own test, as usual, and deployed it to detect the country's first coronavirus case. "That's our prime mission," Redfield said later in an interview, "to get eyes on this thing." To identify the virus, the CDC test used three small genetic sequences to match up with portions of a virus' genome extracted from a swab. A German-developed test that the WHO was distributing to other countries used just two, potentially making it less precise. But soon after the FDA cleared the CDC to share its test kits with state health department labs, some discovered a problem. The third sequence, or "probe," gave inconclusive results. While the CDC explored the cause contamination or a design issue it told those state labs to stop testing. The startling setback stalled the CDC's efforts to track the virus when it mattered most. By mid-February, the nation was testing only about 100 people per day, according to the CDC's website. "Had we had done more testing from the very beginning and caught cases earlier," said Nuzzo, of Johns Hopkins, "we would be in a far different place." The consequences became clear by the end of February. For the first time, someone with no known exposure to the virus or history of travel tested positive, in the Seattle area, where the U.S.'s first case had been detected more than a month earlier. The virus had probably been spreading there and elsewhere for weeks, researchers later concluded. Without a more complete picture of who had been infected, public health workers could not do "contact tracing" finding all those with whom any contagious people had interacted and then quarantining them to stop further transmission. The CDC gave little thought to adopting the test being used by the WHO. The CDC's test was working in its own lab still processing samples from states which gave agency officials confidence. Dr. Anne Schuchat, the agency's principal deputy director, would later say that the CDC did not think "we needed somebody else's test." Barriers to testing Hahn's first day as FDA commissioner came just six weeks before Azar declared a public health emergency Jan. 31. A radiation oncologist and researcher who helped turn around MD Anderson in Houston, one of the nation's leading cancer centers, Hahn had come to Washington to oversee a sprawling federal agency that regulates everything from lifesaving therapies to dog food. But overnight, his mission to manage 15,000 employees in a culture defined by precision and caution was upended. A pathogen that Trump would later call the "invisible enemy" was hurtling toward the U.S. It would fall to the newly arrived Hahn to help build a huge national capacity for testing by academic and private labs. Instead, under his leadership, the FDA became a significant roadblock, according to current and former officials as well as researchers and doctors at laboratories around the country. Even though researchers around the country quickly began creating tests that could diagnose COVID-19, many said they were hindered by the FDA's approval process. New tests sat unused at labs across the nation. Lack of trust Azar had sounded confident at the end of January. At a news conference in Washington, he said he had the government's response to the new coronavirus under control, pointing out high-ranking jobs he had held in the department during the 2003 SARS outbreak and other infectious threats. "I know this playbook well," he told reporters. As public attention on the virus threat intensified in January and February, Azar grew increasingly frustrated about the harsh spotlight on his department and the leaders of agencies who reported to him, according to people familiar with the response to the virus inside the agencies. By Feb. 26, Fauci was concerned that the stalled testing had become an urgent issue that needed to be addressed. He called Brian Harrison, Azar's chief of staff, and asked him to gather the group of officials overseeing screening efforts. Around noon on Feb. 27, Hahn, Redfield and top aides from the FDA and HHS dialed in to a conference call. Harrison began with an ultimatum: No one leaves until we resolve the lag in testing. We don't have answers and we need them, one senior administration official recalled him saying. Get it done. By the end of the day, the group agreed the FDA should loosen regulations so that hospitals and independent labs could move forward quickly with their own tests. Tacit acknowledgment Previous presidents have moved quickly to confront disease threats from inside the White House by installing a "czar" to manage the effort. But faced with the coronavirus, Trump chose not to have the White House lead the planning until nearly two months after it began. President Obama's global health office had been disbanded a year earlier. And until Pence took charge, the task force lacked a single White House official with the power to compel action. Since then, testing has ramped up quickly, with nearly 100 labs at hospitals and elsewhere performing it. On Friday, health care giant Abbott said it had received emergency approval for a portable test that could detect the virus in five minutes. Public health experts reacted positively to the increased capacity. But having the ability to diagnose the disease three months after it was first disclosed does little to address why the U.S. was unable to do so sooner, when it might have helped reduce the toll of the pandemic. "Testing is the crack that split apart the rest of the response, when it should have tied everything together," said Dr. Nahid Bhadelia, medical director of the Special Pathogens Unit at Boston University School of Medicine. "It seeps into every other aspect of our response, touches all of us," she said. "The delay of the testing has impacted the response across the board." As historians, our ears prick up and our hearts beat faster when pundits, presidents, and prime ministers reach for historical analogies to illuminate the present. The war on COVID-19 is proving exceptionally rich in this respect. Across the globe, one favoured analogy is the Second World War, the last good war and one quickly fading just beyond the 70 years that Toronto writer Edna Paris recently identified as the end-point of useful historical memory. We are at war, French President Emmanuel Macron said in a speech last week. The enemy is there invisible, elusive and it is advancing. Like the Second World War, the fight against COVID-19 has justifiably become a total war, mobilizing all quarters of society. States from China to Canada have called on industries, among them automotive manufacturers, distilleries, and perfumeries, to pump out life-saving face masks and hospital gowns, ventilators and hand-sanitizer. In Canada, no less than 5,800 companies have answered the call. There are other parallels too, and even hoary old British Prime Minister Winston Churchill has been mobilized to remind our leaders how to lead. But the Second World War involved much more than dollar-a-year men directing the industrial war effort and great leadership. It was fought with the lessons of the First World War and the Great Depression of the 1930s clearly in mind. It was indisputably a peoples war, and governments in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada waged it with some clear and popular ideals in mind. Three, in particular, seem especially relevant today. First, all too aware of the pork-packing profiteers of the First World War, Prime Minister W.L. Mackenzie Kings wartime government put the squeeze on profiteers and the black market right from the start. An excess profits tax in 1940 eventually clawed back 100 per cent of business profits beyond a companys average annual profit between 1936 and 1939. The tax swelled Ottawas coffers by nearly $430 million in 1944 alone, giving Ottawa some of the funds required to fight the war. The government targeted black marketeers too by rationing commodities, discouraging stockpiles, and aggressively enforcing legal limits more than 5,000 convictions were obtained for the evasion of gasoline consumption regulations alone. Second, Mackenzie Kings government vigorously championed equality of sacrifice. Then as now, not everyone had the skills required for front line combat, but everyone could contribute. Paul Martin Sr., a young backbench MP, tramped the country, asking Canadians, Am I doing everything I can? Governments made sure you were. A 1942 agreement with the provinces, for instance, allowed Ottawa to slap a wide range of new taxes on civilian goods and services, revenue for the war effort. And income taxes went up too. Way, way up. A married man with two children, for example, paid just $10 in tax on a $3,000 annual income in 1939. By 1943, he paid $334 on the same income in addition to a $1,200 compulsory saving surcharge loaned to Ottawa for the duration. Canadian consumers and businesses also supported the war effort through voluntary contributions, with nearly $12 billion raised by nine Victory Loan campaigns. Pay as you go was another hard lesson of the First World War. Third, as the lights went out in 1939, Canadians knew that there was no going back. Like the Great Recession of 2008 and COVID-19, the Great Depression and the war that followed exposed the deep cracks and fissures in Western liberal democracies. If we could mobilize the state to fight Hitler, the argument ran, why couldnt we mobilize the state to fight poverty and unemployment? We could, and we did. The wartime emergency transformed Canada. The 1940 Unemployment Insurance Act permanently placed employment insurance in Ottawas hands. Leonard Marshs influential Report on Social Security for Canada, issued in 1943, laid the foundation for the full adoption of Keynesian social welfare policies in Canada. Immediate movement toward a more progressive society came with mandatory collective bargaining in 1944 and the new baby bonus allowance one year later. The Veterans Charter, designed to rehabilitate hundreds of thousands of discharged service personnel into civilian society, provided cash payments, vocational training, and university education to ex-soldiers. The Second World War earned its reputation as a good war, partly because of the evil nature of the Nazi foe, but also because of how it was fought. Governments in Canada as well as elsewhere in the West fought alongside their citizens for democratic ideals that we ought to bear in mind today. They imposed strict and transparent measures to prevent excess profits and to ensure that the burden was shared equitably. These are steps our current government, however rushed it is, might take too. Most important, they looked ahead, planning for the future to come, aware that peace would bring its own tough challenges. As a staggering number of Canadians apply for the dole and countless others tighten their belts, perhaps now might be the time to pursue the national discussion on such bold measures as a guaranteed minimum annual income. And that would make this a war really worth fighting for. Greg Donaghy is director of the Bill Graham Centre for Contemporary International History, Trinity College, University of Toronto.Michael Stevenson is associate professor of history and interdisciplinary studies at Lakehead University. Read more about: The Hyderabad police on Sunday arrested three persons for illegally selling duplicate hand sanitisers amid the Coronavirus crisis. According to reports, the police also seized around 188 bottles of duplicate instant hand sanitiser liquid worth Rs 20,000. As per the official release from Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Chakravarthy Gummi, the sleuths of Commissioners Task Force, South Zone Team, Hyderabad, along with Mirchowk and Bhavani Nagar Police conducted a joint operation and busted Duplicate Hand Sanitiser sellers at Murad Mahal Road and Sara Medical, Mirchowk, Hyderabad respectively on March 27. About the accused According to the official release, the accused have been identified as Mohd Shakeeluddin, Syed Azher Hussain, Abdul Wajid, and Mohd Abdul Wasey. Reportedly, Mohd Shakeeluddin and Azher Hussain have been purchasing the duplicate hand sanitisers with the label -- Soft Care Med-Plus Sanitisers, Diamond Sanitisers and Healthy Hobby Hand Sanitiser from Abdul Wajid and Mohd. Further, Abdul Wasey at his residence situated at Moghalpura has been selling the same to the local Medical Shops and to innocent people illegally at higher rates. Read: FULL Mann Ki Baat: PM Modi addresses India on Coronavirus situation & nationwide lockdown The release further stated that "Abdul Wajid is one of the working partners of Sagar Homoeo Stores and Clinic and he is well known to prepare Homeo Medicine. They themselves preparing medicine for all diseases like hair loss, dandruff, skin pigmentation problems, pimples, psoriasis, eczema, etc., Due to the spread of COVID-19, the demand for usage of sanitisers is increased within a short period, they hatched a plan to earn easy money." Read: Centre clarifies: Donations to PM-CARES fund for Coronavirus relief to constitute CSR act COVID-19 crisis in India As of date, India has reported over 1,000 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19. Out of all the states, Kerala and Maharashtra have reported the most in the country. Meanwhile, over 20 people have died so far due to the deadly virus. Due to the outbreak, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had put India under a national lockdown for 21 days. Further, India has also closed the India-Pakistan border and restricted passenger movement at the border with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Myanmar. Read: TDP Chief Naidu appeals to AP CM Reddy to give Rs 5,000 each to poor amid COVID lockdown Read: Mann Ki Baat: PM Modi apologises for Coronavirus lockdown hardship; asserts it's essential (With ANI Inputs) After Akshay Kumar and Varun Dhawan, actor Shilpa Shetty Kundra on Sunday said that she has pledged to donate a sum of Rs 21 lakhs to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's PM-CARES Fund. The actor took to Twitter to make the announcement and also urged people to do their bit in the fight to combat the coronavirus outbreak. "For humanity, our country, & fellow citizens that need us; now is the time, let's do our bit.@TheRajKundra & I pledge 21 lacs to @narendramodi ji's PM-CARES Fund," she tweeted. "Every drop in the ocean counts, so I urge you all to help fight this situation. #IndiaFightsCorona @PMOIndia," she added. Other celebrities who have chipped in support to combat the outbreak of the virus are Akshay Kumar, Kapil Sharma, and Varun Dhawan. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the total number of positive coronavirus cases in India rose to 1023 on Sunday inclduing 95 recoveries and 27 deaths. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Closing drive-through restaurants might have been an 'overreaction' and undermined the battle against coronavirus, Boris Johnson's former business adviser warned today. Andrew Griffith, who worked for the PM until he was elected as a Tory MP in December, said outlets such as McDonald's were widely used by emergency workers before and after shifts. He lashed out at those who had 'shamed' companies for remaining open, saying they should be 'applauded' for helping the country stay 'open for business' as much as possible. The Arundel and South Downs MP warned that otherwise the economy will struggle to recover after the crisis. Andrew Griffith said outlets such as McDonald's (pictured, a branch in Northampton last week) were widely used by emergency workers before and after shifts Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Mr Griffith - who used to be a senior executive at Sky - hailed health workers and others on the front line of the coronavirus war. But he said there should also be praise for the companies that have 'stayed open to keep the lights of the economy on and to maintain vital aspects of life for the fortunate 99 per cent of households who are not expected to end up admitted to hospital as a result of this virus'. He said the NHS 'chain' was 'only as strong as its weakest link'. 'Indeed, in an era of complex, interconnected supply chains, the roles of warehouse staff, the postmen and women, farmers, garage mechanics, takeaway owners, telecoms engineers, bank loan processors and all those working in supermarkets, factories and food processing companies are equally vital. 'Far from such firms being shamed for remaining open as some on the Left have chosen to advocate, they too deserve our thanks and applause for their work helping during this national emergency.' Mr Griffiths complained that 'some large firms may have already overreacted and actually undermined the national effort at this time'. 'The drive-through McDonald's in my constituency was one of few such facilities in rural West Sussex, full of blue-light workers day and night, who were grateful for a freshly-made coffee, a clean WC and a hot bite to eat on the way to or from their shift,' he said. 'Where are all those essential workers supposed to go now?' Mr Griffith (pictured in a previous role as a Sky executive) lashed out at those who had 'shamed' companies for remaining open, saying they should be 'applauded' for helping the country stay 'open for business' as much as possible Mr Griffith warned that rival powers such as China had not shut down to the same extent. 'The economy - not to mention our children's generation - will thank business leaders for not overreacting,' he said. 'Export markets founded on historical ties and trading patterns once lost may never return. 'Those Asian economies that never shut down to the extent that we already have are awakening and more than happy to plug the gaps left when the phone at a UK supplier sits ringing unanswered.' Mr Griffith said Chancellor Rishi Sunak had put in place support for business and workers that was the 'most comprehensive anywhere in the world'. 'With this sort of support, business and the self-employed now have greater certainty and a valuable safety net,' he wrote. 'In return, let's maintain cool heads and keep the economy open for business. ' One of the wells built by EYN Disaster Ministry and the Nigeria Crisis Response The staff at Brethren Disaster Ministries have requested an additional allocation of $300,000 from the Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) to cover remaining program expenses for the Nigeria Crisis Response program for 2020 and to carry the response through March 2021. Since 2014, the Nigeria Crisis Response has provided more than $5 million in ministry resources to five response partners, has helped stabilize Ekklesiyar Yanuwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria), and provided extensive humanitarian aid and recovery for some of the most vulnerable people in the world. The response was begun after Boko Haram insurgent violence and lack of security heavily affected EYN and Nigerian Brethren in northeast Nigeria. The violence continues to affect EYN and recent attacks have come within 50 miles of the EYN Headquarters in Kwarhi. The killing of a district secretary of EYN in January and a devastating attack on the town of Garkida, where EYN began, highlight how vulnerable the EYN members and churches continue to be. The 2020 response plans, developed in coordination with EYN and partner organization Mission 21, continue key ministries at a reduced level of funding, due to a planned scaling down of the program and reduced donations. Primary focus areas include home repair, peace building and trauma recovery, agriculture, livelihood support, education, food, medical and home supplies, EYN security along with recovery and capacity building, support for US volunteers and staff, and emergency relief. Prior EDF grants for the Nigeria Crisis Response total $5,100,000. Find out more about the Nigeria Crisis Response, a joint effort of EYN and the Church of the Brethren, at www.brethren.org/nigeriacrisis . This COVID-19 has forced us all to stay locked indoors, maintain social distancing to prevent spreading of this novel coronavirus. But staying stuck indoors felt okay only in the first few days. Now it feels suffocating while making us feel more anxious than ever. But if there's anyone who's truly conquered living in isolation like no other on this planet, it's astronauts who've travelled to and lived on the International Space Station. NASA This Coronavirus lockdown is a good time to marvel at just how astronauts stay for months on the International Space Station, away from family, social life, surviving and living inside a vessel? Theyve shared some advice for people to get through the dreadful feeling of feeling isolated. Compassion for others Scott Kelly, NASA astronaut who spent nearly a year on the ISS suggests that people staying in self-quarantine at home should follow a particular routine to bring a sense of normalcy in these rather unusual times. NASA He said, in a statement to the New York Times, One of the side effects of seeing Earth from the perspective of space, at least for me, is feeling more compassion for others. As helpless as we may feel stuck inside our homes, there are always things we can do. He also emphasised that too much work can be harmful, and it's important to pace yourself, "Take time for fun activities: I met up with crewmates for movie nights, complete with snacks, and binge-watched all of '"Game of Thrones'" twice." Five skills to master during the lockdown Anne McClain from NASA also suggested five skills that help keep isolated groups functioning in a healthy way, in a post. NASA Communication -- sharing your thoughts clearly and listening and understanding others opinions/views. Leadership -- Setting goals, understanding your responsibility. Self-care -- keep a track of your psychological and physical status, assess strength and weaknesses. Team care -- Taking care of the groups physical and psychological status, being patient. Group living -- Removing competition out of the equation, dealing with conflicts in a calm manner, respecting roles etc. Being productive in difficult situations Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield also mentioned the fact that if astronauts on the ISS can learn how to be productive under extremely dangerous and stressful circumstances, people on Earth can too. Recognising the higher purpose Astronaut Peggy Whitson, in a conversation with CBS This Morning made people understand that staying in self-isolation has a higher purpose. She said, "Recognizing that the team purpose is the most important, COVID-19 gives us a very higher purpose, much like space does. We are saving lives by quarantining. It is important to understand that bigger purpose and to embrace that purpose to give you reason and rationale for continuing putting up with the situation." She further added, "So much of our lives these days is busy and cluttered. What are the things you would do if you had more time?" she said. "What is it that has been the thing that's been in the back of your head that, 'I've wanted to try and do this, but I didn't have time'?" North Korea fired what appeared to be two short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast on Sunday, the fourth such launch this month as the world battles the coronavirus pandemic. Two projectiles were fired eastwards from the port city of Wonsan and flew 230 kilometres (143 miles) into the Sea of Japan -- also known as the East Sea -- at a maximum altitude of 30 kilometres, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. "Such military action by North Korea is an extremely inappropriate act when the entire world is having difficulties due to the COVID-19 outbreak," they added. Tokyo's defence ministry said the "ballistic missile-like objects" did not cross into Japanese waters or the country's exclusive economic zone. The latest launch by Pyongyang comes as a prolonged hiatus in disarmament talks with the United States drags on. A little over a week ago, the nuclear-armed North fired what were believed to be two short-range ballistic missile, describing them as a new "tactical guided weapon". A day later, North Korean state media announced that US President Donald Trump had sent a letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un detailing a plan to develop ties. The report cited Kim's powerful sister Kim Yo Jong, who warned that the apparently good personal relationship between the two leaders would not be enough to foster broader relations. "In the letter, he... explained his plan to propel the relations between the two countries of the DPRK and the US and expressed his intent to render cooperation in the anti-epidemic work," an apparent reference to the coronavirus pandemic, she said in the statement reported by the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). A senior US administration official confirmed Trump had sent a letter to Kim, "consistent with his efforts to engage global leaders during the ongoing pandemic". North Korea has one of the few remaining countries in the world yet to report a case of novel coronavirus infection. But the outbreak has turned into a major international crisis, with more than 640,000 confirmed cases and 30,000 dead worldwide. - Negotiations deadlocked - Analysts say the North has been continuing to refine its weapons capabilities more than a year after a summit between Kim and Trump broke down in Hanoi. Negotiations have since been deadlocked over sanctions relief and what the North would be willing to give up in return, despite in Pyongyang set a unilateral end-2019 deadline for Washington to offer fresh concessions, and in late December, Kim declared his country no longer considered itself bound by moratoriums on nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests. North Korea is under multiple sets of United Nations, US and other sanctions over its weapons programmes. Heightened tensions in 2017 were followed by two years of nuclear diplomacy between Pyongyang and Washington, including three meetings between Kim and US President Donald Trump, but little tangible progress was made. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 15:59:03|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ZHENGZHOU, March 29 (Xinhua) -- China's major zoo housing the rare South China tiger saw three new cubs born early this year, bringing the total number of such tigers in the zoo to 42, the zoo said Sunday. The three cubs, two females and one male, were born on Jan. 10. The cubs are being cared for around the clock by four keepers, according to the Wangcheng Park Zoo in the city of Luoyang in central China's Henan Province. The cubs weighed about 1.1 kg each at birth, but after three months, their average weight reached around 3.5 kg, said Liu Zhaoyang, deputy head of the zoo. The South China tiger is a rare kind of tiger with a population of only 203 worldwide by November last year. The city of Luoyang has had the greatest number of South China tigers in China for six consecutive years. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 20:59:47|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ADEN, Yemen, March 29 (Xinhua) -- At least seven Yemeni workers were injured when shells fired by the Houthi militia targeted a commercial facility in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah on Sunday, a military official told Xinhua. The local military official who asked to remain anonymous said that "Houthi-fired shells landed on a commercial compound belonging to a local investor, injuring seven workers." "The wounded were all workers and employees at the private commercial facility located in a government-controlled area in the outskirts of Hodeidah," the source said. In October of 2019, the United Nations started deploying cease-fire observers in Hodeidah, establishing five observation points near the military contact lines between the two warring parties. The observation points are manned by liaison officers from both parties in accordance with the cease-fire agreement reached last year in Sweden that also called on both warring sides to move forces away from ports and parts of the strategic city. However, sporadic exchange of gunfire and artillery shelling continued to rock the strategic port city despite the presence of the cease-fire observers. The Iran-allied Houthi group control much of Hodeidah while the Saudi-backed government troops have advanced to its southeastern districts. Carabinieri officers, wearing protective suits, pull a coffin in Ponte San Pietro, near Bergamo, Northern Italy, on March 28, 2020. Italy's death toll is now the highest in the world at at over 9,000.(Emanuele Cremaschi/Getty Images) Italys CCP Virus Death Toll Passes 10,000 When Milan resident Antonia Mortensen was pulled over by police while driving recently, it wasnt for a traffic offense. It was to instruct her fellow passenger to sit in the back of the car and to check that both were wearing face masks. We were told we cannot both sit in the front, said the CNN journalist, who was on her way to hospital with her husband to visit a sick relative. We have a special certificate giving us permission to go to the hospital, she said, adding that the relative does not have CCP virus. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. Such are the tight restrictions on Italians now living in the deadliest hotspot of the global coronavirus pandemic. Italys death toll is now at 10,023. This is higher than Chinas official death toll of 3,299 which has been critized for a lack of transparency. Fatalities passed the grim milestone on Saturday, with an increase of 889 since the last figures were released on Friday, according to Italys Civil Protection Agency. The European country has reported another 92,472 confirmed cases. The United States has also reported a high number of infections, which stands at 105,470. As Italy enters its sixth week of restrictions, many are asking: why does its death rate seem so much higher than other countries? Experts say its down to a combination of factors, like the countrys large elderly population which is more susceptible to the virus, and the method of testing thats not giving the full picture about infections. Distorted Numbers Italys number of confirmed cases is not representative of the entire infected population, said Dr. Massimo Galli, head of the infectious disease unit at Sacco Hospital in Milan. The real figure was much much more. Only the most severe cases are being tested, added Galli, and not the entire populationwhich in turn, skews the death rate. People wave and clap their hands next to a Italian flags, during a flash mob Una canzone per lItalia (A song for Italy) at Magliana district in Rome on March 15, 2020. (Andreas Solaro/AFP via Getty Images) In the northern Lombardy region, which has the majority of cases, about 5,000 swabs are being carried out daily, said Galli. He added this was much lower than needed, with thousands of people waiting for diagnosis at their home. A major obstacle for health workers carrying out tests, was limited protective gear available, he said. In a stark warning to other countries, Galli said: We have a national healthcare system that works very well, especially in Lombardybut even our system has been hit by this. Miracles have been done in multiplying the numbers of beds in hospitals, said the health expert. But medicine has been lackingand this is a big problem that will be felt by other countries. Elderly at Risk Another factor in the seemingly high death rate is Italys elderly population, which is the largest in the world behind Japan. The average age of Italian patients who have died after testing positive for the virus was 78, the countrys Health Institute said Friday. Galli said that until now, Italys public healthcare system was able to keep a lot of elderly people with pre-existing medical conditions alive. A woman wearing a face mask walks through the Jewish district in central Rome, Italy, during the countrys lockdown aimed at stopping the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, in Rome, Itaky, on March 24, 2020, (Vincenzo Pinto / AFP via Getty Images) But these patients were in a really fragile situation that can be broken by a virus like coronavirus, he added. Still, there have been some stories of hope. Like 102-year-old woman Italica Grondona, who recovered from coronavirus in the northern city of Genoa after spending more than 20 days in hospital, doctors who treated the woman and her nephew told CNN. We nicknamed her Highlanderthe immortal, said doctor Vera Sicbaldi. Italica represents a hope for all the elderly facing this pandemic. Severity of Sanctions Meanwhile, some experts have questioned whether Italys restrictions have gone far enough in halting the virus spread. Chinas Wuhan city was the first to impose a sweeping lockdown on its 11 million citizens back in January, with all flights, trains and buses canceled and highway entrances blocked. Now, more than two months later, officials in the pandemic epicenter are looking to ease those restrictions as new cases dry up. Italy meanwhile, is steadily ramping things up. Italians now face steep fines of up to 3,000 euros ($3,350) for defying government orders of only going outside for essential items like food, Reuters reported. But Dr. Giorgio Palu, former president of the European and Italian Society for Virology and a professor of virology and microbiology of the University of Padova, told CNN that the Italian measures are not so forceful or strict like the Chinese ones. But this is the best you can do in a democracy, he added, pointing to the draconian restrictions implemented by Chinas communist state. That said, some constitutional rights are taken from us, Palu said of Italians freedom. We cant have public gatherings now. But with the death toll continuing to rise, Italys restrictions dont look like easing up any time soon. The Epoch Times contributed to this report. The-CNN-Wire & 2020 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. Vendors in Vasai threw vegetables on Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC) officials on Sunday protesting against its decision to shift them to a nearby playground.VVMC had shut the market at Ambadi Road, Vasai and had banned vendors from sitting on the streets and asked them to shift their business to Manickpur civic ground. When a VVMC squad came to seize the wares of vendors still sitting on streets they threw vegetables at them. HTC (Newser) The coronavirus is continuing its relentless spread, as the daily number of infections worldwide continues to jump sharply. World Health Organization figures show the increase in new infections is now about 70,000 per dayup from about 50,000 just a few days ago, the AP reports. More than 32,000 people have died worldwide. Italy reported more than 750 new deaths Sunday, bringing the countrys total to nearly 10,800vastly more than any other country. But the number of new infections showed signs of narrowing again. Officials said more than 5,200 new cases were recorded in the last 24 hours, the lowest number in four days, for a total of almost 98,000 infections. For more: story continues below Health care: The mammoth, $2.2 trillion stimulus package to shore up the US economy during the coronavirus pandemic doesn't provide what doctors, nurses and other health care providers need most: protective equipment. Cuomo: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says the state's coronavirus death toll is nearing 1,000. It accounts for more than 40% of deaths from COVID-19 in the US. People under 50: Risk factors other than age are becoming more apparent. As much as 10% to 15% of people under 50 have moderate to severe symptoms, according to the World Health Organization. Merkel: German Chancellor Angela Merkel's handling of the coronavirus crisis meets with strong approval in her country. EU: Coronavirus pandemic causes tensions in the hard-hit European Union. Somalia: Impoverished Somalia has little in the way of health care to battle the coronavirus should the limited number of cases there rise. (Read more coronavirus stories.) Petrol (Photo : Image by Rudy and Peter Skitterians from Pixabay ) Image by Rudy and Peter Skitterians from Pixabay Advertisement As gas prices plummet across the United States, the Trump administration has been urging Saudi Arabia to end its ongoing price war with Russia. The low oil prices could devastate the U.S. shale industry. "The secretary stressed that as a leader of the G-20 and an important energy leader, Saudi Arabia has a real opportunity to rise to the occasion and reassure global energy and financial markets when the world faces serious economic uncertainty," State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said, referring to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's call with Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman this week. Riyadh and Moscow have both bolstered oil production, racing for market share. The price war was spurred by the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, due to lower global demand for oil. Saudi Arabia originally urged Russia to cut production, but Moscow refused, as they believed that would benefit the U.S. shale industry, a major competitor to the Russian energy market. The resulting price war has caused gas prices across the U.S. to drop well below $2. If the price war continues, there is a chance that oil prices could even drop below zero. "There is no reason to think that oil prices couldn't go negative for a period of time," Raymond James analyst Jeremy McCrea told Yahoo Finance Canada. "I would have never considered it before. But in the current context, it's not out of the realm of possibilities now." In response to the low prices, President Trump has instructed the Department of Energy to buy crude for the nation's Strategic Oil Reserve. Yet, the Energy Department has suspended its plans to purchase crude, as financing for the operation was left out of the $2 trillion stimulus bill. TOP ARTICLES1/3READ MOREItaly, Spain Suffer Record Virus Deaths AsInfection Rate Surges Rep. Mike McCaul, R-Texas, has written a letter to the Undersecretary of State for Energy Keith Krach to encourage the State Department to continue its pressure on the Saudis. "I commend [Secretary of State Mike Pompeo] for emphasizing the need for global economic stability on his recent call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, and I encourage you to keep up this pressure until we see changes," McCaul wrote. "The Trump administration stood in solidarity with Saudi Arabia amid Iran's attack on Saudi oil facilities last September, which was a deliberate attempt to disrupt the global economy. I ask that you remind Saudi Arabia of that support as they consider next steps for OPEC and for the Group of 20, which it currently chairs." The coronavirus has changed global economic activity, as countries around the world shut down to prevent the spread of the disease. U.S. gasoline demand has plummeted up to 40% this week, Pilot Flying J truck stop chain CEO Jimmy Haslam told CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Friday. U.S. crude on Friday dropped to $21.51 per barrel. The first local government elections since a corruption watchdog investigation sparked criminal charges and major reform look set to usher in new leadership at dozens of Queensland councils. Saturdays elections were the first since the Crime and Corruption Commission uncovered major corruption risks in several councils, resulting in criminal charges and a ban on political donations from developers. Operation Belcarra investigated complaints in councils including Ipswich, Logan, Moreton Bay and the Gold Coast. From those four councils, only Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate, who the CCC found used ratepayers' funds to pay for a Gold Coast Titans membership, $500 headphones, home media and "selfie sticks", survives in the office in 2020. London, March 30 : Amged El-Hawrani, an ear, nose and throat trainer at Queen's Hospital Burton in Staffordshire, died with coronavirus in the UK on Sunday. In a statement, his family said he was "incredibly strong" and "compassionate", the BBC reported. "His greatest passions were his family and his profession, and he dedicated his life to both", they added. His colleague Gavin Boyle, chief executive at University Hospitals of Derby and Burton (UHDB), said he was "known for his dedication and commitment to his patients" and that his death had left hospital staff "desperately saddened". NHS national medical director, Professor Stephen Powis said his death was "a stark reminder to the whole country that we all must take this crisis seriously". It is with regret that Western Health wishes to advise that we are no longer able to allow visitors to our intensive care units," a statement said. "This measure will be in place while we respond to the COVID-19 outbreak. This decision has been made in the best interests of our patients and staff as well as visitors. Western Health said families of patients would be advised of the new measures by the ICU care teams. Ms Mikakos said the state was performing about 4400 coronavirus tests each day, with 11, mostly public, labs joining the effort. That testing capacity was expected to grow in the coming days, she said. Strict quarantine regulations forcing international arrivals to spend 14 days in a hotel began at midnight on Saturday. About 470 returned travellers were due to fly into Melbourne Airport on seven flights on Sunday. They will be housed in hotels around the city. Ms Mikakos said the process had gone smoothly from the first of several flights to arrive under the tough new regime. Victoria Police conducted 139 checks on returning travellers quarantining at home in the 24 hours to 8am Sunday. Of those 11 were not at home. A police spokeswoman said there were a range of reasons why someone may not be at the residential address they provide and didn't necessarily mean they were deliberately flouting the restrictions. Police also checked 614 businesses, 210 populous places and 467 non-essential services and businesses. "At this time, no one has been charged with refusing or failing to comply with the direction however a number of warnings were given to people found at populous gatherings," a spokeswoman said. Ms Mikakos condemned the stupid behaviour of those Victorians who went to beaches at the weekend, saying they had put lives at risk through their conduct. Loading I share the frustration of my Chief Health Officer, she said, echoing Dr Brett Sutton's comments on Saturday criticising people's "crap" behaviour. It is, it is stupid behaviour," Ms Mikakos said. We all need to do our bit, so it's just those small minority of people who are putting the rest of the community at risk. We all need to make some sacrifices here. The minister said the latest number of positive tests was worrying and the social-distancing rules were the only way Victoria could avoid being overwhelmed by the pandemic. The numbers do continue to trend up and that is very, very concerning to us," she said. If you can stay at home, you must stay at home. This is the only way we're going to defeat COVID-19 It's the only way we're going to slow down the spread of COVID-19. Ms Mikakos acknowledged that it had been difficult for the public to keep up with the social-distancing rules in what she called an evolving situation and promised more government advertising with clear and simple guidelines. "I acknowledge that the rules have have evolved over time and that is because national cabinet has been responding to an evolving situation," the minister said. "So we want to make it as easy for people to understand as possible, and so there will be more advertising that will be coming ... and making the rules very clear to people." A Royal footman who worked closely with the Queen has 'tested positive for the killer coronavirus'. The man, who has not been named, is self-isolating at home but it has raised questions over whether he came into contact with Her Majesty while infected. Buckingham Palace aides have confirmed the Queen, 93, is in good health as she remains in lockdown with her husband Prince Philip, 98, at Windsor Castle. The man, who has not been named, is self-isolating at home but it has raised questions over whether he came into contact with Her Majesty (pictured on the phone to the PM this week) while infected The long-serving worker's role was to give the monarch food and drink after he got promoted six months ago. He would also walk her precious Dorgis - Vulcan and Candy - as well as greet guests and open letters. A source told the Sun: 'Everyone is terrified, not just for themselves but also for the Queen and the Duke. A source said: 'Everyone is terrified, not just for themselves but also for the Queen and the Duke' (pictured in December) 'If everyone around them hasn't been tested yet they should be and I'm sure they will be. There is a palpable sense of fear in the air at the moment. 'The footman would come and collect the dogs and see the Queen on a daily basis performing normal duties. It's terrifying to think how close they were.' Up to a dozen Buckingham Palace workers have been tested for the deadly bug, but have given negative results. One staff member was diagnosed with coronavirus last week - before the Queen left the capital for Windsor. Prince Charles, who met his mother at Buckingham Palace on March 12, tested positive for the illness on Tuesday. His doctor is convinced he would have been contagious from March 13 at the earliest, based on when the 71-year-old started to develop symptoms. Prince Charles (pictured in 2008 in Balmoral), who met his mother at Buckingham Palace on March 12, tested positive for the illness on Tuesday The Duchess of Cornwall has tested negative but is now isolated from her husband at Birkhall, their Scottish retreat where they are both staying. Buckingham Palace, while refusing to comment on whether the Queen had been tested for coronavirus, took pains to stress she was well this week. The Palace unusually released a picture of the Queen during her weekly audience with the PM by telephone from Windsor Castle. It showed her wearing a blue blouse and cardigan, surrounded by china corgis and racing trophies, and speaking on a 1970s-style white telephone. A Palace spokesman said: 'Her Majesty The Queen remains in good health. The Queen last saw the Prince of Wales briefly on the morning of March 12 and is following all the appropriate advice with regard to her welfare.' Charles began to feel ill last weekend at his Highgrove estate in Gloucestershire before flying to Scotland on Sunday. He was tested via the NHS on Monday and the results came back positive late on Tuesday evening. Clarence House insists that neither Charles nor Camilla were given special treatment. Sources said his symptoms were mild and he had not even taken to his bed. He has spent the past few days working and is expected to make a full recovery. A statement from Clarence House said: 'The Prince of Wales has tested positive for coronavirus. 'He has been displaying mild symptoms but otherwise remains in good health and has been working from home throughout the last few days as usual. 'In accordance with government and medical advice, the prince and the duchess are now self-isolating at home in Scotland. 'The tests were carried out by the NHS in Aberdeenshire where they met the criteria required for testing.' It added: 'It is not possible to ascertain from whom the prince caught the virus owing to the high number of engagements he carried out in his public role during recent weeks.' With so many states now deep in crisis, the signs of provisional success in the Seattle area offer a lesson for other cities and regions that are just beginning to see the onset of the coronavirus: Early and aggressive action to contain the spread may help lower the trajectory of a virus that could otherwise overwhelm health systems. Officials in Washington State first began to plead with people to keep their distance from one another at the end of February, after discovering that the virus had infected people in the Seattle area with no known exposure or history of foreign travel, followed by an outbreak at a suburban nursing home now linked to dozens of deaths. Within a week, the county was asking organizations to consider postponing large events and for people to work from home if possible. People over 60 were encouraged to remain indoors. Some of the regions major employers, including the headquarters campuses of Amazon and Microsoft, responded by encouraging workers to work from home, quieting workplace hubs that would otherwise be bustling during commutes and lunchtime. The demographics of those workplaces, with tens of thousands of tech workers who were able to telecommute, may have given the region an early edge in keeping people separated. Perhaps the citys social norms helped, too, as local residents have long had a reputation for keeping to themselves or within circles of longtime friends a phenomenon often explained to newcomers as the Seattle Freeze. Ms. Durkan said the region also benefited from a robust network of researchers who were able to do early modeling to assess the reach of the virus in the community. Without that, she said, policymakers may not have taken the drastic steps to shut down the city as quickly as they did. The region has also benefited from more widespread testing than most states, helping feed data to the researchers models and give a sense of how much infection might be missed. After scientists found evidence that the virus had been circulating weeks before some of the earliest cases were identified, researchers from local groups, led by the Institute for Disease Modeling, began looking at what it would take to slow the progress of the virus. On March 10, they developed projections showing that significant changes in human-to-human contact would be needed to avert hundreds more deaths by April 8. In a bid to prevent exodus of migrant labourers from the state, the Punjab government on Sunday asked all industrial units and brick kilns to commence their operations. The industrial plants and brick kiln units, however, should have adequate facilities and provisions to accommodate the labourers safely within their premises, a government statement said. The owners of industrial units and brick kilns can commence production if they have enough space to accommodate and feed migrant labourers, said Chief Minister Amarinder Singh in a statement here. He appealed to the owners to ensure that the social distancing is maintained during this period. The chief minister said this would be beneficial for both, the industry and brick kiln owners as well as labourers who have lost their employment and undertaking interstate marches to reach back home in other states amid the nationwide lockdown. All hygiene precautions must be fully adhered to at all such industrial facilities for workers, said Singh, adding the owners should also make soaps and water freely available for the use by workers and regularly sanitise the common facilities. Hand wash facilities and sanitisers should be placed prominently at strategic points, said the chief minister. The directions came amid reports of lakhs of migrant labourers stranded across the country with the problem assuming ominous proportions with such labourers gathering in large numbers at borders in many states. Singh said his government was also in discussion with the Radha Soami Satsang Beas, which has already offered its 'Bhawans' as quarantine facilities, to allow migrant labourers to stay there as these people would be needed for wheat harvesting in the fields in two weeks' time. The government of India has directed states to strictly adhere to the national lockdown, including sealing of borders for human movement, to check the spread of the deadly coronavirus. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Harris County Jail inmate has tested positive for the novel coronavirus nearly two weeks after his March 17 arrest, officials said Sunday morning in federal court. The 39-year-old man was being held in general population at the 1200 Baker St. facility on a motion to revoke parole, according to the Harris County Sheriffs Office. He was tested Thursday after coming down with a fever. The results came back Sunday and Murray Fogler, a lawyer for Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, revealed the diagnosis to Chief U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal during an emergency hearing on releasing some inmates. He is being quarantined at the jails medical facility, said Jason Spencer, spokesman for the sheriffs office. He is symptomatic but well enough that a hospital visit is not necessary at this time, he continued. About 500 inmates have been quarantined. The jail has had 20 tests administered and so far, five have come back negative. Results from the other tests are pending. About 30 inmates are experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19, according to officials. The Houston police officer who handled the March 17 arrest is quarantining at home and is waiting for the results of a test. There are more than 7,800 people in the lock-up. Last week, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo had been working on an executive order that would allow broad-scale compassionate releases of medically vulnerable, nonviolent inmates. The order was aimed at preventing a large scale outbreak in the jail. She held back on the order believing that state Attorney General Ken Paxton would issue an injunction, effectively freezing the effort. The disclosure of the sick inmate was revealed as state and county officials negotiated on terms of release during a phone call with Rosenthal. A Hyderabad street bears a deserted look on Day 5 of the 21-day countrywide lockdown imposed to contain the spread of novel coronavirus, on March 29, 2020. An American couple, th Savilles, from Georgia, were scheduled to leave the country on March 26, but said the U.S. Embassy told them the day before that airlines were refusing to help evacuate them and hundreds of other U.S. citizens. (IANS photo) New Delhi, March 29 : The Centre on Sunday directed the states to strictly follow the nationwide lockdown norms and stop the movement of people across the cities, advising them to arrange shelter, food and other facilities for migrant labourers at their workplace. The direction came amid migration of labourers from cities to their villages in different states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced nationwide lockdown to break the chain of COVID-19 transmission. Noting that there has been movement of migrant workers in some parts of the country, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba through video conferencing with officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs, state Chief Secretaries and Directors General of Police on Sunday morning decided to "seal" the district and state borders. The Ministry of Home Affairs later today wrote to states and Union Territories (UTs) to take measures to prevent large-scale migration of workers. In a five-point guideline, Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla directed the states and UTs to ensure adequate arrangements like "temporary shelters and provision for food to poor and needy people, incuding migrant labourers, stranded due to lockdown measures in their respective areas". In a five-point guideline, Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla directed the states and UTs to ensure adequate arrangements like "temporary shelters and provision for food to poor and needy people, incuding migrant labourers, stranded due to lockdown measures in their respective areas". As per the direction, the migrant labourers who have moved out to reach their home states must be kept in the nearest shelter by the state and UT government quarantine facilities after proper "screening for a minimum of 14 days" as per standard health protocol. "All the employers, be it in the industry or in the shops and commercial establishments, shall make payment or wages of their workers, at their work places, on the due date, without any deduction, for the period their establishments are under closure during the lockdown," the order said. The order mentions that the landlords of properties where migrant labourers are living in rented accommodations shall not demand payments or rents for a period or one month. On sealing the borders, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba said during video conferencing: "Directions were issued that district and state borders should be effectively sealed and states were directed to ensure there is no movement of people across cities or on highways," said a government statement. "Only movement of goods should be allowed. District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police should be made personally responsible for implementation of these directions which have been issued under the Disaster Management Act". Saying that "sufficient funds are available with states in the SDRF head, the Cabinet Secretary advised states to ensure timely payment of wages to labourers at their place of work during the 21-day "period of lockdown without any cut". It was ordered that house rent should not be demanded from the labourers for this period and action should be taken against those who are asking labourers or students to vacate the premises. "Those who have violated the lockdown and travelled during the period of lockdown will be subject to a minimum of 14 days of quarantine in government quarantine facilities. Detailed instructions on monitoring of such persons during quarantine have been issued to states," Cabinet Secretary instructed. "It was impressed upon all the states that three weeks of strict enforcement is essential to contain the spread of coronavirus. This is in the interest of everyone." It was noted that, by and large, there has been effective implementation of guidelines across all states and Union Territories (UTs). "Essential supplies have also been maintained. Situation is being monitored round the clock and necessary measures are being taken as required." India on Sunday took urgent measures to halt the march of hundreds of thousands of migrant workers across states in an exodus prompted by a 21-day national lockdown to control the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), with the government ordering the closure of borders and announcing steps to ensure food, shelter and wages to informal workers who form the backbone of the economy. Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana launched coordinated efforts to control swelling crowds of migrant workers retreating from the National Capital Region (NCR), arranging about 2,500 buses to take people off the streets and ferry them to their hometowns. While officials worked through Saturday night to transport stranded workers from Anand Vihar in the Capital to bordering areas, by Sunday morning, the operation shifted to Lal Kuan in Ghaziabad. From Lal Kuan, long-range buses took people to their villages in several districts of Uttar Pradesh. Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the lockdown beginning March 25, highways across the national capital and other metropolises have teemed with people walking hundreds of kilometres with their belongings. While stranded migrants cited the shortage of money and food as reasons for leaving big cities, health experts warned that an exodus could run contrary to the purpose of the lockdown breaking the chain of infections. On Sunday, the Centre asked state governments and Union Territories to effectively seal state and district borders to stop the movement of the migrant workers. Those who have already reached their destinations will be put in 14-day quarantines for violating the lockdown to make sure they havent contracted the infection. In an order, the Union home ministry said: Movement of a large number of migrants have taken place in some parts of the country so as to reach their home towns. This is a violation of the lockdown measures on maintaining social distance. It said that to effectively implement the lockdown and to mitigate the economic hardship of the migrant workers, district magistrates and police officers were being directed to take a host of measures. The five measures are: temporary shelters and provision of food for the poor, including stranded migrants; 14-day quarantine of those who have already moved; uninterrupted wages and exemption from paying rent for a month. If any landlord is forcing labourers and students to vacate their premises, they will be liable to action, the government said. Many of Indias estimated 100 million migrant workers have walked along arterial roads in the National Capital Region (NCR), tried to hitch rides in commercial vehicles and gathered in thousands at bus terminals to leave for their towns and villages since Tuesday midnight. The number of cases of Covid-19, caused by the pathogen Sars-CoV-2, rose to 1,139 on Sunday, according to official data from the states. The death toll climbed to 30, a sharp jump from 21 a day earlier. On Sunday, thousands gathered at the Anand Vihar bus terminal, images of which were widely shared on social media to portray their plight amid the unprecedented lockdown. The crowds thinned as about 500 buses ferried them in an emergency move. However, many still waited to be picked up, sleeping on pavements and surviving on food packets provided by the government and passersby. Many have walked for days to reach their villages in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, with the government having completely shut down Indian Railways passenger trains, interstate buses and Metro rail services. The governments of Delhi and UP and Haryana arranged buses in concerted efforts to bring the migrant workers back to their villages and control the swelling crowd. Jagtap Singh, who worked at a toy factory in Shahdara before it was shut, said: We have been told that UP buses are waiting at Lal Kuan to take us to the interiors of the state. I have to go Etawah. He spent Saturday night shuttling between the Anand Vihar and Kaushambi bus terminals but failed to board a bus due to the massive crowd. At a news briefing, home ministry joint secretary Punya Salila Srivastava said: We have asked the states to make arrangements for shelters so that the migrant workers who have violated the lockdown and travelled could be put in quarantined for 14 days at their destinations. Health workers are being prepared for this. The government said DMs and police officers should be made personally responsible for the implementation of the directions. It was noted that, by and large, there has been effective implementation of the lockdown guidelines across all States and UTs. Essential supplies have also been maintained. Situation is being monitored round the clock and necessary measures are being taken as required, the government said. It was impressed upon all the states that three weeks of strict enforcement is essential to contain the spread of coronavirus; this is in the interest of everyone, it added. In a video conference with chief secretaries and state police chiefs, cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba and Union home secretary Ajay Bhalla asked them to ensure there was no movement across cities or on highways. Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologised to the public on Sunday for imposing the three-week national lockdown, calling it harsh but needed to win the battle against the Covid-19 pandemic, which has killed at least 33,000 worldwide. I apologise for taking these harsh steps that have caused difficulties in your lives, especially the poor people, Modi said in his Mann Ki Baat radio address. I know some of you will be angry with me. But these tough measures were needed to win this battle. In a column published in The Indian Express on Sunday, Nobel Prize winners Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo said that more aid for the poor was needed because of the situation arising from the lockdown. Without that, the demand crisis will snowball into an economic avalanche, and people will have no choice but to defy orders, they wrote. Delhi reported 23 fresh positive cases on Sunday, taking its count to 72, while more people tested positive in adjoining Noida, Maharashtra and Bihar, among other states. The new cases included a SpiceJet pilot with no history of international travel, a doctor and a junior commissioned officer in the Indian Army. Globally, the death toll crossed 33,000 on Sunday, with more than 20,000 deaths in Europe itself. Nearly one-third of the world population is under lockdown to check the spread of this virus, with jobs, manufacturing and all economic activities coming to almost a standstill. The confirmed infections worldwide has topped 700,000, with the US topping the list. For the past eight years, Mahesh Sharma has been a full time politician, handing over the running of his Kailash Group of hospitals in Noida, to his doctor wife, Uma. But for the first time since he became a legislator in the Uttar Pradesh assembly in 2012 and then a union minister in 2014, Sharma has switched back to his white lab coat. It is not because he is no longer a minister, but because his hospitals staff members seemed to be crumbling under the work and mental pressure unleashed by the Covid-19 pandemic. I just got a call that a coronavirus positive patient had come to the hospital, he said. The first reaction of my staff was to feel hesitant, to back off a bit. I think when I go and stand with the patient, it helps them feel stronger. The staff members feel reassured that Im here. For 25 years, Sharma practised general medicine after studying in UCMS College in the Capital. Graduating to becoming an administrator, Sharma started and quickly expanded his chain of hospitals along with his gynaecologist wife. Their two children are also doctors and he did not have to bother with the daily operations of hospital administration, till the full impact of the coronavirus hit India. For the last two weeks, Ive been here for at least 14 hours daily. Its not that Im consulting or it is my area of work but I am back to managing the place, he said. As research about the disease is still evolving, Sharmas main firefighting has been to mentally prepare his staff. All hospitals, even private ones, have been roped in by district authorities to keep a certain number of beds for Covid-19 patients. The other day, a brigadier died and his body had to be taken. One driver told the other that he had died from coronavirus. The driver panicked to such an extent that he just abandoned the body and didnt come for two days and still has not come back, said Sharma. ``We had to then address all staff members, especially the other driver. We told him that brigadier didnt die of corona. And even if he did, they had protective gears like masks and gloves and so they can safely do their jobs. You have to be a human and do your duty. Sharma said there was a direction to all hospitals to treat all respiratory disease patients like coronavirus, until it is proved otherwise. So we first take their samples and send it for testing, he said. No patient had tested positive at his hospitals yet but they did have half a dozen suspected cases. His son Dr Kartik Sharma welcomed his help and advice. Its good to have his guidance on this. Even when we are home, we are constantly discussing how to get more equipment, whether it is N95 masks or personal protection equipment. It isnt possible to do testing at a mass scale here. Even America cant afford to do that. My friend there tells me they have no gloves or mask. Compared to that, India is much better off. I dont think we will face any shortages any time soon, the doctor said. So how does a doctor like him stay safe? I leave my clothes here and the ones I wear at home I just dip in detergent. This virus is detergent sensitive and so I do this and then shower before meeting my family. WASHINGTONEarly on, the dozen federal officials charged with defending America against the coronavirus gathered day after day in the White House Situation Room, consumed by crises. They grappled with how to evacuate the United States consulate in Wuhan, China; ban Chinese travellers; and extract Americans from the Diamond Princess and other cruise ships. The members of the coronavirus task force typically devoted only five or 10 minutes, often at the end of contentious meetings, to talk about testing, several participants recalled. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), its leaders assured the others, had developed a diagnostic model that would be rolled out quickly as a first step. But as the deadly virus from China spread with ferocity across the U.S. between late January and early March, large-scale testing of people who might have been infected did not happen because of technical flaws, regulatory hurdles, business-as-usual bureaucracies and lack of leadership at multiple levels, according to interviews with more than 50 current and former public-health officials, administration officials, senior scientists and company executives. The result was a lost month, when the worlds richest country armed with some of the most highly trained scientists and infectious-disease specialists squandered its best chance of containing the viruss spread. Instead, Americans were left largely blind to the scale of a looming public-health catastrophe. The absence of robust screening until it was far too late revealed failures across government, said Dr. Thomas Frieden, a former CDC director. Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins, said the Trump administration had incredibly limited views of the pathogens potential impact. Dr. Margaret Hamburg, a former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said the lapse enabled an exponential growth of cases. And Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, a top government scientist involved in the fight against the virus, told members of Congress that the early inability to test was a failing of the administrations response to a deadly, global pandemic. Why, he asked later in a magazine interview, were we not able to mobilize on a broader scale? Across government, they said, three agencies responsible for detecting and combating threats like the coronavirus failed to prepare quickly enough. Even as scientists looked at China and sounded alarms, none of the agencies directors conveyed the urgency required to spur a no-holds-barred defence. Dr. Robert R. Redfield, a former military doctor and prominent AIDS researcher who directs the CDC, trusted his veteran scientists to create the worlds most precise test for the coronavirus and share it with state laboratories. When flaws in the test became apparent in February, he promised a quick fix, though it took weeks to settle on a solution. The CDC also tightly restricted who could get tested and was slow to conduct community-based surveillance, a standard screening practice to detect the viruss reach. Had the U.S. been able to track its earliest movements and identify hidden hot spots, local quarantines might have confined the disease. FDA commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn enforced regulations that paradoxically made it tougher for hospitals, private clinics and companies to deploy diagnostic tests in an emergency. Other countries that had mobilized businesses were testing tens of thousands daily, compared with fewer than 100 on average in the U.S., frustrating local health officials, lawmakers and desperate Americans. At the start of that crucial lost month, when his government could have rallied, U.S. President Donald Trump was distracted by impeachment and dismissive of the threat to the publics health or the countrys economy. By the end of the month, Trump claimed the virus was about to dissipate in the U.S., saying: Its going to disappear. One day its like a miracle it will disappear. By early March, after federal officials finally announced changes to allow more expansive testing, it was too late to escape serious harm. Now, the U.S. has more than 100,000 coronavirus cases, the most of any country in the world. Yet even with deaths on the rise, cities shuttered, the economy sputtering and everyday life upended, many Americans who come down with symptoms of COVID-19 still cannot get tested. VIENNA, March 29 (Reuters) - The Swiss government could increase a 20 billion Swiss francs ($21 billion) loan programme to help keep companies afloat and safe jobs amidst the coronavirus crisis, the finance minister told weekly Sonntagsblick. Like other European countries, Switzerland is pumping money into its crisis-hit economy. The government has signed off on a 20-billion-Swiss-franc emergency scheme under which companies can get state-backed, no-interest loans of up to 500,000 Swiss francs via their banks. "It is possible that we might have to step this up," Ueli Maurer said in an interview published on Sunday. "The 20 billion are tight." More than 30,000 loan applications have been submitted already, and guarantees worth more than 4 billion francs have been given on Thursday and Friday alone, the finance minister said. Asked how much money the state was ready to provide, he said: "As much as is needed. We are borrowing to safe jobs." "If we do not pump money into the economy quickly, we will have tens of thousands of unemployed within weeks." Maurer had pointed out on Saturday that the government was happy to help with loans, but that the money must be paid back and could not cover income losses. More than 13,000 coronavirus cases and 235 related deaths have been confirmed in the Alpine country of 8.6 million people. The government has urged people to stay at home, imposed strict border controls and banned gatherings of more than five people to curb the epidemic's spread. Maurer said it was important to prepare now for how best to begin to ease the restrictions in public life. "The current situation is not sustainable in the long term, neither mentally nor economically." (Reporting by Kirsti Knolle, editing by Louise Heavens) SHANGHAI, March 29, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- James Liang is an economist and entrepreneur. Trip.com Group Ltd. is one of the world's largest OTAs. The following are his thoughts on current events. These opinions are his own, and do not necessarily reflect those of Trip.com Group Ltd. as a whole: The international outbreak of COVID-19 has been met with encouraging mutual support from many countries, but unfortunately, xenophobia and anti-global tendencies have also become more apparent than ever. Following the initial outbreak of the virus in Wuhan, countries began to close their borders, and in some places, people of Asian appearance were blamed for allegedly spreading the 'Chinese virus'. Conversely, during the initial stages of the outbreak in China, one popular theory postulated that the disease was in fact a genetic weapon designed to target Chinese, and Asians more widely. A month later, as the outbreak continues to spread across Europe and the US, such baseless speculations should cease gaining traction. Similarly, it should be clear by now that the virus does not belong to one country, and that racial profiling should stop, in the same way that over one month ago, residents of Hubei should not have been ostracized in China. In this crisis, humanity shares a single fate, and to achieve victory, the world must come together to affirm global co-operation, and prevent an 'outbreak' of blind xenophobia. At a time when the world depends on their leadership to affirm solidarity, it is regrettable that some world leaders such as US President Donald Trump have only further stirred negative sentiment, joining fearmongers in making incendiary comments like dubbing the COVID-19 novel coronavirus 'the Chinese virus' on Twitter. By the same logic, the 2009 outbreak of H1N1 in North America could've been called the 'American flu' but nobody stooped so low as to stigmatize it. Of course, viruses know no borders, race, or ideology. The World Health Organization (WHO) explicitly named the virus in a neutral manner precisely to avoid discriminatory association with regions, races or classes. The world must be vigilant not to let xenophobia manifest at times like this, when countries should come together to secure a victory for humanity. Sharing of information Despite the various stigmas and allegations that have inevitably arisen, and although the health authorities in Wuhan and Hubei Province made various errors of judgment during the initial stages of the COVID-19 outbreak, following the intervention of the central government, China worked to provide information to WHO and the international community as quickly as possible. When the virus was confirmed to be a novel strand of coronavirus, the country ensured that the complete gene sequence, primers and probes were made available internationally. As the containment effort progressed, China shared findings related to epidemic prevention control measures and treatment methods, and held dozens of remote sessions with organizations like WHO, ASEAN, the European Union, and countries including Japan, Korea, Russia, Germany, France and the US. This information would prove to be invaluable to other countries later in the global fight against the pandemic. Just as some of the world was occupied with heaping the blame on China, commentators in the country were quick to entertain all sorts of international conspiracies. On 29 January, the internationally renowned New England Journal of Medicine published a paper on the initial outbreak in Wuhan, which found that the virus may have been transmitted between humans as early as mid-December 2019, and that as early as 11 January 2020, there were already 200 confirmed cases in Wuhan. This article, co-written by researchers from various institutions including the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Hubei Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and the University of Hong Kong, conducted retrospective analysis on the early stages of the epidemic on the basis of data that was only made available later. Some online commentators questioned whether the authors had intentionally concealed this data in order to secure a publication. But such postulations couldn't be further from the truth. As epidemiologists argue, availability of information is critical to the effective containment of an outbreak. The publication of this article in an international forum in late January, written on the basis of data that was available at the time, had nothing to do with the fact that the epidemic did not receive the attention that it should have in China in December 2019. In reality, the timely publication of these papers was conducive to ensuring that the outbreak received due attention in the international community, and that effective measures were able to be formulated. Recently, following effective containment of the epidemic in China, the country shared its findings with the world so that other countries would benefit, and a global victory could be secured. For example, shortly after WHO designated the outbreak as a pandemic, a forum that brought together 60 countries and WHO was held in Beijing, at which Chinese experts shared their findings in the earlier stages of epidemic control. Having effectively contained the outbreak at home, China has demonstrated a strong willingness to contribute to securing a global victory in the fight against the COVID-19 outbreak, in the same way that others came to its assistance in its moment of need. Developing a cure Experts argue that medicines and vaccines for the virus are the greatest hopes for humanity to achieve a victory in the fight against COVID-19, and there have been a number of international developments in this regard. The most prominent development thus far is Radixivir, a drug developed by US biotechnology company Gilead Sciences, which has produced encouraging preliminary results in a 14-patient clinical trial held in Japan, in which most patients recovered. Although randomized double-blind controlled trials are needed for conclusive results, due to the urgent need for treatment, Gilead is expected to produce sufficient supply to support treatment worldwide in the near future. On 16 March, a China-developed COVID-19 vaccine proceeded to the trial stage for the first time. On the same day, the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases announced that a US-developed vaccine for COVID-19 had also entered the first stage of clinical trials, and that volunteers had already begun to receive experimental injections. Germany, the UK, France, Japan, Israel and other countries have also been working as part of an international effort to develop a vaccine for the virus. The timely development of a safe and effective vaccine is of top priority for prevention of widespread COVID-19 infection. Only through working together can countries have confidence in these new medical developments and beat the virus. Providing support In the early days of the outbreak in China, masks were a scarce commodity. In response, Japan, South Korea and others, sent medical masks and protective clothing to the country. Packages from Japan with words of encouragement drawn from Chinese poetry were well-received online, and became a symbol of mutual support between countries in the fight against the epidemic. By March, however, when the number of new cases across many Chinese provinces had reached nil, the number of diagnoses outside China had quickly grown to exceed the total number of cases within China, and various countries began to experience similar shortages of medical supplies. In response, China transitioned from the role of beneficiary to benefactor. In addition to government support, international enterprises based in the country made significant contributions. Trip.com Group donated 1 million masks to various countries including Japan, South Korea and Italy, and the Alibaba Foundation donated masks, protective clothing and test kits to 54 countries in Africa. These donations were significant not only in terms of their material value, but as symbols of the determination and willingness of international enterprises and society to support other countries in overcoming this common challenge. In addition to medical essentials, China also reciprocated the support it received earlier from other nations by sending teams of medical experts to countries and regions severely affected by the outbreak to assist with prevention and control. On 12 March, medical experts from the National Health Commission and the Chinese Red Cross arrived in Rome with 31 tons of medical supplies to support Italy in the fight against the epidemic, after having already sent support teams to Iran and Iraq. Experts will agree that with the support of other countries, China achieved encouraging results in containing the outbreak. Now, the country has much to share in terms of both resources and findings, and has expressed a willingness to contribute to a global solution to the outbreak. Improving screening and quarantine In the early stages of the epidemic, many countries implemented entry restrictions for Chinese nationals. As the situation begins to improve in China and worsen in other parts of the world, the country has introduced stricter quarantine policies for travelers arriving from abroad, to prevent a second outbreak in the country. On 16 March, for example, Beijing city implemented a policy requiring all international arrivals, regardless of origin and nationality, to quarantine at designated locations at their own expense for 14 days. Shanghai also announced regulations requiring all international arrivals with recent travel history in heavily affected countries and regions, which are updated according to the latest available information, to quarantine for 14 days. Economists have argued that the measures taken in Shanghai are more precise and conducive to allowing life to return to normal, and ultimately, containing the outbreak without causing unnecessary damage to the economy. Countries must work together, not alone, to prevent a second outbreak. Concerns to do with false reporting could be addressed by working with international telecommunications companies to verify the travel history of travelers, developing an international system on the basis of the 'health code' currently in use in China. More precise identification of at-risk travelers would also allow restrictions to be opened up for countries and regions with comparatively better epidemic control (for example, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan). This would serve to reduce obstacles to daily life, business and exchanges, as well as concentrating the use of relatively limited resources on the isolation of areas with material risk. Conclusion Once seamless and frequent exchanges have been disrupted by the pandemic, and the impacts of these disruptions may very well be as significant as the epidemic itself. This experience is also a wake-up call. Having unprecedented restrictions placed on communications and exchanges has forced many of us to search for alternatives where we might not have otherwise. The barriers to exchange that have been imposed upon us in this desperate time should also serve as a sobering reminder that there remain various self-imposed, and unnecessary barriers to productive exchange between countries, which we should alleviate. As economists have argued for some time, breaking down the various barriers to trade between the US and China, and ensuring that key channels for information sharing and communications such as the Internet remain open are imperative to ensuring the future of the world economy. Unfortunately, in the same way that entry-exit restrictions made travel virtually impossible, experts have argued that the so-called 'Great Firewall of China' has continued to serve as a significant hurdle to important international exchanges. With unprecedented restrictions on movement and contact worldwide, and scores of people taking temporary refuge in their home countries, alternative digital avenues for cross-border communications have a determining role to play in allowing economic activity to continue, and it is critical that these are not hindered by unnecessary restrictions. Students shouldn't have to worry about being unable to access their university's official website due to the Internet restrictions of the 'Great Firewall', for example. Under the impetus of the present epidemic, a failure to address these evident pitfalls runs the risk of sending globalization backwards. During times like these, the importance of international co-operation becomes apparent. When China faced the initial outbreak, many countries extended a helping hand, and now that the epidemic has been brought under control, China has reciprocated by offering its findings and resources to help other countries overcome this common challenge. Our actions in this epidemic determine not the fate of a single country, ethnicity, or ideology, but of the human race. Viruses are the common enemy of humanity. The present epidemic has given us a chance to reflect deeply on the true meaning of a common destiny for all of humanity, and brought the pitfalls of present to our immediate attention. Countries will need to work together closely to respond to the challenges that we collectively face, and to break down the barriers to exchange that still exist. Only then can we truly secure a victory for humanity. SOURCE Trip.com Group Related Links www.ctrip.com A lone bullet fired by a gunman at police officers early Saturday morning went through the bedroom window of a neighbors sleeping child in Bellmawr, police said. Bellmawr Police officers were called to a home on the 100 block of Catherine Avenue shortly after midnight after they received a report of a man who was pointing his gun at two other people, according to a joint statement from the Camden County Prosecutors Office and the department. Three officers arrived and the man, later identified as Logan Vancamp, 31, of Bellmawr, pointed a handgun at them and fired before dropping the weapon and laying down on the driveway, the office said. After investigating, police found the bullet went through the neighbors childs bedroom window before stopping inside the bathroom, authorities said. No injuries were reported. Vancamp was charged with attempted murder, second- and fourth-degree aggravated assault, criminal mischief and weapons-related offenses, police said. He was taken to the Camden County Jail to await his pretrial detention hearing. Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrisrsheldon Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Seattle Fire SEATTLE -- A large fire in an abandoned building sent smoke billowing across SR 99 for hours on Saturday, forcing the closure of the busy highway into the early evening hours. The fire broke out late Saturday morning in the 600 block of Roy St., according to Seattle Fire. Mexico's president finally warned Mexicans at the end of this week to stay home and avoid contact with others, as COVID-19 cases in the country jumped to 848 on Saturday, 131 more than the previous day. "If we don't stay inside our homes the number of infections could shoot up, and it would saturate our hospitals. It would be overwhelming," said President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, known as "AMLO" to Mexicans. The tone was serious and new. In some other recent comments, the president focused on supernatural, rather than scientific, solutions to COVID-19. As Mexico moves to Phase 2 of its pandemic response plan, the country's medical workers can only hope that its federal government has now finally been scared out of its complacency, and will stop sending messages that make it harder to fight COVID-19. "We think we're about two weeks behind the U.S.," said Dr. Mauricio Trevino, a specialist in reconstructive surgery in Monterrey who's volunteered to help treat COVID-19 patients. "It was the World Health Organization that made us move to Phase 2," he said. "The president and the government have been telling everyone not to worry." Submitted by Mauricio Trevino Trevino said that in his city at least, the most meaningful efforts have come from local politicians and private enterprise, not from lawmakers in the capital. He said many medical professionals feel foreboding and indignation at the attitude taken by some politicians and business leaders who've minimized the epidemic, and even promoted crackpot theories. "It's a disgrace what they've been doing," said Dr. Trevino. 'Disease is not serious' Mexico's reaction to COVID-19 has been starkly at odds with those of its neighbours, including most countries in North and South America. To the south, Guatemala has closed airports and brought in a 4 p.m.-4 a.m. curfew. But the Mexican government has seemed more concerned about preventing panic or economic damage than preventing contagion, putting out public messages that encouraged Mexicans to continue their normal routines, attend work and school, and even high-five when they meet. Story continues One such ad, entitled "COVID-19 is not an emergency situation," exhorted Mexicans that "there is no need to cancel mass events," because: "Remember, the disease caused by coronavirus COVID-19 is not serious." Government of Mexico 'The poor are immune' Even members of the ruling Morena Party were dismayed when Luis Miguel Barbosa, governor of Puebla state, told a news conference that only rich people get coronavirus. Puebla is Mexico's fifth most populous state and a centre of its automobile industry. At the news conference to discuss 38 confirmed cases in his state, Barbosa argued that "the majority are well-off people, eh? If you are rich, you are at risk. If you are poor, you are not. "We the poor are immune," he said, using an unusually wide definition of poverty to include himself. The comments were widely ridiculed and condemned, but Barbosa's message was only a more extreme version of one that has at times come from AMLO himself, as in a news conference a week ago, where he revealed his personal protection plan. Rebecca Blackwell/The Associated Press "The protective shield is the detente (a prayer card or patch of cloth with a religious message). Do you know what that is? The protective shield is honesty. Not permitting corruption," the president said. He then reached in his pocket and pulled out a small red prayer card, which he squinted at for several seconds of silence. "People give these to me," he said, pulling out another one. "These are my bodyguards." Among other amulets AMLO displayed and claimed will protect him from COVID-19 were a picture of a six-leaf clover, and a $2 US bill. Cartoon superhero Now that Mexico has moved into Phase 2 of its response plan, the federal government is at last encouraging Mexicans to practice physical distancing. A new cartoon superhero, "Susana Distancia" has appeared to spread the message her name is a play on the words "sana distancia" or "healthy distance." AMLO himself seems to be heeding the new message. He announced on Friday he would not be holding mass rallies this weekend and would no longer hug and kiss supporters as he visited parts of the country. Rebecca Blackwell/The Associated Press At a news conference this week, a presidential aide stood and squirted hand sanitizer onto everyone entering the stage. While other officials diligently scrubbed hands, AMLO has made a point of breezing past, sometimes giving the aide a cheery pat on the arm. The director of Human Rights Watch in the Americas, Jose Miguel Vivanco, called AMLO's conduct "an extremely dangerous example that threatens the health of Mexicans." Dr. Trevino believes the rate of infection is still lower in Mexico than in the United States. But he said wide disparities in the official count on either side of the U.S.-Mexico border mean little, "because there's really very little testing being done here." "There are patients coming forward with symptoms that strongly resemble coronavirus, but since there's no test they're not registered as such," he said. Can't afford not to work Dr. Trevino's sister Sofia has lived for almost 30 years in Quebec. Her work for WIEGO, a U.K.-based organization that seeks better conditions for women working in the informal economy, often takes her back to Mexico where WIEGO runs projects focused on helping female domestic workers. "I'm in constant conversation with the different informal workers groups. Domestic workers are 2.2 million women in Mexico. Most of them are being dismissed without compensation," said Sofia Trevino. Fernando Llano/The Associated Press Sixty per cent of Mexican workers work in the informal economy, she said, and tens of millions of Mexicans do not have bank accounts. Trevino said AMLO has "downplayed" COVID-19. "His response has been uneven, unco-ordinated, and he's now using amulets." But she says understanding the lives of informal workers is key to understanding why it's hard to put the Mexican economy on ice, as Canada has attempted to do. "These are the people that have to work on a day-to-day basis and they're still going out," she said. "A billionaire like [telecom magnate] Carlos Slim he's put $45 million into his foundation and he's said he'll pay his workers while they're on quarantine. However, what about the thousands and thousands of informal workers he has on the street selling his phone cards? Street vendors are not stopping their work." Class divisions Both Trevino siblings describe a Mexico where the middle and upper classes are aware of the dangers of COVID-19, and take precautions, while the poor fend for themselves. "If we think about the vulnerable people," said Sofia Trevino, "and how the populations are gathered, say in shantytowns where there's not even the infrastructure to wash your hands they're not equipped to cope." Monterrey, where Mauricio Trevino lives, is in the state of Nuevo Leon, which is run by Gov. Jaime Rodriguez Calderon, known as "El Bronco." The Trevinos say he's been more active than the federal government. Submitted by Sofia Trevino "It's left to the governors and mayors to take action. In Nuevo Leon, Bronco implemented better measures. He closed parks, schools, bars, restaurants, movie theatres and casinos, big gatherings, and he dispatched police to the streets to make sure businesses are complying," Sofia Trevino said. Mauricio Trevino, who often operates on people injured in motor vehicle accidents, says accidents have almost ceased as Monterrey shuts down. He hopes those local measures will slow the spread of disease along with the weather. "Here it's fairly hot right now, around 33 C. That won't stop the virus. But there is evidence that higher temperatures do make it more unstable, which can slow transmission." But he shares the view of his sister in Canada that a wave of contagion is building just under the surface. "I feel like there's a tsunami coming," said Sofia Trevino, "and they're not even preparing themselves." A Cortland man who has been accused of shooting an officer was arrested and charged after a standoff, according to Cortland police. Zachary L. Clark, 26, of 12 Elm St., faces several charges stemming from the incident. The officer appears to have been released from Upstate University Hospital, according to a video posted by a City of Cortland police Facebook page. The Cortland Police Department has yet to identify the officer. Thin Blue Line. Thank you to all who have reached out and all who were involved. Posted by City of Cortland Office of Community Oriented Policing on Saturday, March 28, 2020 At 8 p.m. on Friday, police responded to Clarks address for a call about a domestic dispute involving the threatened use of a weapon, police said. An officer arrived and talked to the man who had called the Cortland County dispatch, according to police. The officer then walked up to the door of the home to talk to another man, later identified as Clark, police said. Clark immediately fired at the officer with a .22 caliber rifle, hitting the officer three times in the lower extremities, police said. The officer ran from the front door and took cover behind his patrol car, where he put a tourniquet on his leg, according to police. Clark pursued the officer and kept firing from the porch of his house, breaking the windshield of the patrol car, police said. A second officer arrived, saw Clark firing and fired back, police said. After Clark ran back into his home, the wounded officer was taken to Upstate, according to police. Officers surrounded the home and tried to negotiate with Clark to come out, though he ignored orders to leave the house, police said. Eventually, police used chemical irritants and forced Clark from the home at 7:50 a.m. on Saturday, police said. Clark had been shot once in the left forearm and the injury is considered non-life threatening, police said. He was charged with: First-degree assault Aggravated assault of a police officer First-degree reckless endangerment Menacing a police officer Fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon Prohibited use of weapons Clark will be held for arraignment after being released from Upstate, police said. Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact Chris Libonati via the Signal app for encrypted messaging at 585-290-0718, by phone at the same number, by email or on Twitter. Thanks for visiting Syracuse.com. Quality local journalism has never been more important, and your subscription matters. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. 4 Christian aid workers freed in Iraq after abduction 2 months ago Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Four Christian aid workers who were kidnapped in Iraq in January have been freed, according to the office of French President Emmanuel Macron. Those released are French nationals Antoine Brochon, Julien Dittmar, Alexandre Goodarzy and Iraqi national Tariq Madoka. All of them served with the French-based Catholic nongovernmental organization SOS Chretiens d'Orient (Christians in the Middle East). The charity served in Iraq since 2014 to help Christian communities rebuild in the wake of the Islamic State's reign of terror that displaced thousands from their homes. A statement released by Macrons office Friday only confirmed the captives were released but offered very few details on the conditions of their release except to say that Elysee Palace made "every effort to reach this outcome. "The president of the republic welcomes the release of our three nationals Antoine Brochon, Julien Dittmar, Alexandre Goodarzy and Iraqi Tariq Mattoka," the presidents office said in a statement. "The president expresses his gratitude to the Iraqi authorities for their co-operation. The release comes one day after it was announced that the French government would withdraw all troops stationed in Iraq until further notice due to the novel coronavirus outbreak. There are at least over 458 confirmed cases of the virus in Iraq as of Friday, according to Johns Hopkins University & Medicine Coronavirus Resource Center. Jean-Remi Meneau, the deputy head of mission in Iraq for SOS Chretiens d'Orient, said in a statement that the darling freedom that was taken from his colleagues is finally back. This forced isolation, this withdrawn comfort and this imposed distance end this beautiful evening, Meneau wrote, according to a Google translation. Our Lady of Pontmain had said: But pray my children. God will hear you in no time. Then we prayed as a group, individually, or hidden in public, we prayed and we have been granted. I can't help but keep a thought for all these hostages around the world who have not yet experienced this joy of liberation, and who may never know it, Meneau added. Let us continue to raise our prayers to the Lord for them and their families. The organizations director, Benjamin Blanchard, explained at a news conference in January that the kidnapped workers were in Baghdad to renew their visas and register the association with Iraqi authorities. They were also in the city to inspect the organizations programs and the opening of a new school. According to the BBC, SOS Chretiens d'Orient released a statement last week explaining that no group had claimed responsibility for the abduction and that no demand for ransom was received. International Christian Concern, a United States-based persecution watchdog group, reports that kidnappings have become increasingly commonplace in Iraq. Iraq ranks as the 15th-worst country in the world when it comes to Christian persecution, according to Open Doors USAs 2020 World Watch List. The killing and kidnapping of Christians; since 2003 this has occurred in waves, causing feelings of great insecurity, an Open Doors USA country dossier on Iraq reads. These two reasons are among the main causes for Iraqi Christian emigration and for the depletion of the Christian community in Iraq. In Iraq, Christians have faced a drastic decline in their population since the start of the Iraq War in 2003. Christians were further driven out of the country due to the rise of the Islamic State in 2014. The Obama administration was criticized for repeatedly refusing to label the Islamic States atrocities against Christians, Yazidis and other religious minorities in Iraq and Syria a "genocide" following two years of mass slaughter and crimes against humanity. At the time, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said they were hesitant to say whether the term "can be properly applied in this scenario," and were concerned about the "legal ramifications" if they did so. A month later, in March 2016, then-Secretary of State John Kerry finally called the Islamic State's terrorist acts in Iraq and Syria a genocide. Although the Islamic State has lost most of its territory in Iraq, Open Doors warns that their ideology remains and has influenced society as militants have simply blended back into the general population. How did you go bankrupt? Bill asked. Two ways, Mike said. Gradually, then suddenly. The line, of course, is from Ernest Hemingways 1926 classic, The Sun Also Rises. But its an apt way to describe whats about to happen to the Texas economy, which was already slowing in the big cities, stalled in the oil patch with ports buffeted by both a global slowdown and a trade war. All of these are pillars of the Texas economy and, based upon data and interviews with a range of people in varying industries, are set to topple. Because of the federal and state governments lethargic and so-far failing response to the coronavirus crisis, I expect a long period of social distancing with economic impacts easily three more months, but probably six and even a year. There will be a recession at least; a depression is possible. At best, the impact on the national economy will cost more than 11 million jobs and 1 million jobs in Texas alone. This period of globalization, crucial to Texas, will come to an end with lasting political consequences, including this one: The era of Big Government is back. By way of context, 91 years ago this spring, just after Hemingways novel was published, Texans were happy and confident. Their farms had expanded from cotton to irrigated citrus groves and vegetable fields. The oil patch boomed and drew an entirely new generation of Texans from far and wide. The population swelled 20 percent. And Texans considered their state big, strong and unique, even impervious, in the union. Even as the stock market crashed on Black Tuesday, Oct. 29, 1929, a false sense of isolation reigned across the Lone Star State. Politicians and newspapers alike engaged in happy talk. Even as the mayor of Houston dismissed hundreds of employees, the Houston Post-Dispatch proclaimed: Houston is comparatively free of discontent due to economic conditions. Then, banks collapsed. The price of cotton fell. Unemployment soared, along with foreclosures and layoffs. Strikes and crime followed. If that episode seems eerily familiar, it should: It is strikingly like this one. Two months before Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick went on Fox News to say grandparents should die for the sake of the economy, Gov. Greg Abbott went on Fox News himself to crow. We want businesses to come to the state of Texas. We want fewer regulations, lower taxes. We want to make it easy for businesses to be able to succeed, because we understand something in Texas that it seems like some other states do not, Abbott said. That is, when your business succeeds in Texas, we, as a state, succeed. Abbott has since refocused from deregulation to government aid. He declared the state a major disaster area, asking for federal funds, having already spent $50 million as 466 cities, towns and counties have asked for help. We expect that number to rise, he wrote to the president. Already in Texas, the states comptroller, Glenn Hegar, has used the R-word in briefing legislators: Recession. Defined as two consecutive quarters of negative growth, we are likely already in it. But the big question is: How long will this last? The telling figure is the size of the federal economic relief package: $2.2 trillion in spending, of which a half-billion will backstop another $4 trillion in loans from the Federal Reserve for a total of more than $6 trillion. That is roughly equal to three months of gross domestic output, one full quarter: April 1 through June 30. And Democrats in Congress say they are prepared to to fund three more such aid packages. Yes, the deficit will soar. And yes, depending on the strings attached, this could be tantamount to nationalizing parts of the economy. So, what does this mean for Texas? Already most coronavirus cases are afflicting the major population centers in the Texas Triangle, which are the most densely populated and have the most airport hub access to the rest of the country and the world. But all local governments have nearly shut down economic activity in anticipation of a larger wave of the disease. So the economic wave is already gathering. With a $1.6 trillion economy in Texas, a similar loss of productivity a single quarter would mean a loss of $400 billion in productivity. Without federal help, this one-quarter hit would dwarf the so-called rainy day fund of the state government, some $18 billion. In short, Texas will need a massive amount of federal aid. And all of the pillars of the Texas economy are at risk: from oil and gas to trade, from technology to trade. Will we see Texas tip into a recession? Given the rapid increase in cases, the numbers of aspects of the economy that are being affected, and the oil situation, I think that Texas will experience at least some period of reduced activity, Ray Perryman, the states leading private economist, said in an exclusive interview. Because the underlying economy was strong prior to this situation and this situation is more of a pause than a fundamental change, we should see a fairly rapid recovery. Perryman predicted on Friday a nearly $1 trillion drop in U.S. output with more than 11 million jobs lost. For Texas, that translates into a $100 billion loss from the states gross domestic product and 1 million jobs lost. Job losses in Greater Houston: 256,000 with slightly more in Dallas-Fort Worth, more than 80,000 in San Antonio and nearly as many in Austin. The ultimate length of time required for things to return to normal remains unknown, and by setting the stage for a somewhat longer adjustment period, as we are doing now, future surprises may be reduced, he said. The rapidly unfolding situation, such as the recent (negative) economic news from China, suggests that the drop will likely be relatively severe. Here is what a range of executives in a range of industries I surveyed told me: Oil and gas. Optimistically, the ongoing price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia will ease up at some point, according to a leading industry consultant. Saudi Arabia needs the U.S market for a range of strategic reasons. However, the industry is being crushed not just by low prices but a lack of capital from Wall Street. Expect massive layoffs in the oil and gas patch; there already is a one-year supply of natural gas. Also expect consolidation, led by the major oil companies. Smaller companies? Bought or eliminated. Construction. In a single week, major infrastructure and construction projects around the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean basin, worth hundreds of millions of dollars, have gone from postponed to canceled. Financing and insurance firms began reporting drops in earnings of 10 percent, then decided they could not reliably report projections to investors for the time being, according to a leading U.K.-based firm. Transportation. In just the last week, there have been massive shipping disruptions representing the massive scaling back of the restaurant industry. Shipments from the East Coast to Texas have been turned around or goods returned, sticking suppliers not just with the cost of goods with no buyers but round-trip shipping costs. The trucking industry has little excess capacity, says one supplier, because Amazon had already dominated the industry and is only increasing its demands, Real estate. So far, business office tenants are already widely petitioning landlords for forbearance on coming rent payments. National and Texas-based companies, with billions of dollars in assets under management, are considering these requests; they dont want to lose tenants, according to two commercial real estate executives. However, these firms are not reporting projections to investors for lack of knowledge as to where the bottom might be. They do agree on one thing: the retail sector, a major tenant, seems dead. Technology. The investment outlook for the technology sector has turned sharply conservative; many of these companies, such as Uber in Dallas, which went public, have been all about growth. Investors are shifting to survival mode for their companies, at best. Its shelter in place, at best, said one major investor in the sector. Ive seen it myself: Running a startup in Austin during the dot-com bust in 2000, I saw investor money dry up like a raindrop in a windstorm. Restaurants. Anecdotally, restaurants with existing drive-thru or quick customer experiences seem likely to do okay, according to an expert in internet advertising and search data. Local restaurants that have been building brand through civic involvement are doing well, say, in Austin. However, high-end, white-tablecloth restaurants are suffering. One such seafood place is bringing in only $300 per week and will be forced to shut its doors. In addition, expect the U.S.-Mexico border cities to take a big hit in the loss of cross-border retail traffic. This will, in turn, hurt not just retail sales, employment where 2.3 million Texans live, as well. It will also hit sales taxes and, along with a drop in oil revenues, hurt the states coffers, highly dependent on consumer spending as well as oil and gas revenue. The state governments budget amounts to $250 billion. Next years legislature seems likely to be a fight over finding any way to make money, plus raiding the rainy day fund for basic services. Because its pouring. Right now, we need to be prioritizing basic survival, said state Rep. Victoria Neave, D-Dallas. Its no secret the economy is taking a downturn. A note of optimism: Some of the fundamentals in the Texas economy were strong, though, in my opinion oversold by business and government leaders for years, just as it was nearly a century ago. Yet Perryman says this: Even with a period of time where the economy goes potentially decidedly negative, it's a different situation this time, and I think the potential for a fast recovery is in place, once things finally settle down, he said. One other issue that matters is the policy response. Hopefully, politics can be minimized and a rapid response for individuals and sectors most affected will be rapidly forthcoming. This is where I strike a discordant cord. Economics, like politics and social relationships, is all about confidence. We are witnessing more than the collapse of confidence in Wall Street or the oil patch, but justifiably in the governments slow and, frankly, piecemeal response. The ultimate confidence man, President Donald Trump, has preyed upon his audience. This will only make consequences worse and ultimately will lead to a massive new government role in the economy. Perhaps thats fine. There has been far too much volatility and far too many government bailouts in the last 20 years to suggest otherwise. For example, there is already a rising tide of business bankruptcies in Texas. Business bankruptcy filings in Texas west and south of Austin made up just 15 percent of the business of Michael Baumer, the states leading bankruptcy attorney in Austin. Now they constitute 50 percent of his caseload. There will be a stampede for the bankruptcy courts because business was already loaded with debt. Federal aid to business will largely create more debt requiring more legal help. You dont want to have to know a heart surgeon, he said. But if you need one, you want to know a good one. In any respect, this federal intervention will put government front and center in the economy; some loans might provide for warrants to take equity stakes in case of default. That will certainly be the case in future packages at the very least. And that is as it should be. Business in Texas had too much debt already and so did it nationally. The long-standing right-wing politics of Texas government will, in my opinion, collapse in the face of the rising tide of federal help that will be needed. And thats the price to be paid for an era of cheap money and a con man in the White House, who is an expert at bankruptcy. So, in the end, we are finding out a simpler lesson of Hemingways characters: We went broke slowly. Then, we went broke all at once. Parker, author of Lone Star Nation: How Texas Will Transform America, is a contributing columnist for the Houston Chronicle. But then, opera had been his most troublesome genre. Even The Devils of Loudun (1969), his first opera and the most popular, got mixed reviews and two thumbs down from the Vatican, which tried in vain to keep the composer from going ahead with his interpretation of a 17th-century scandal in the church. Image A rehearsal for The Devils of Loudun in Dresden in 2002. Credit... Matthias Rietschel/Associated Press On the podium, Mr. Penderecki was a powerful, bearded figure who conducted with sweeping gestures befitting his music. Consider the mighty forces required for his heavily choral Seventh Symphony, subtitled Seven Gates of Jerusalem, written to commemorate the citys third millennium in 1996. It calls for a huge orchestra, offstage brass and woodwinds, three choirs, five soloists and a narrator. He seldom regarded his work as completely finished, adding new layers at will to old compositions. The Polish Requiem, for example, began with a single piece, the Lacrimosa, written for the unveiling of a statue at the Gdansk shipyard to honor those killed in the anti-government riots in 1970. He expanded it into a large-scale Mass, first performed in 1984; expanded it again in 1993; and in 2005 added a final Ciaccona in honor of Pope John Paul II. Whatever the form of Mr. Pendereckis music, darkness was a constant. The New York Times critic Bernard Holland, writing about a Carnegie Hall concert in 1986 with Mr. Penderecki leading his Krakow Philharmonic, called the composer our most skillful purveyor of anxiety, foreboding and depression. He found it strange that Shostakovichs gloomy Sixth Symphony, the only work on the program not written by Mr. Penderecki, should end up being a leavening agent. The composers personal circumstances, by contrast, were the opposite of dreary. Born on Nov. 23, 1933, in Debica, in southeastern Poland, to Tadeusz, a lawyer, and Zofia Penderecki, he became a prosperous man, living in a manor house on 20 acres in Lutoslawice, Poland, that he lovingly developed as an arboretum. Government officials across the United States are using cellphones of millions in the country to get a better understanding of how the virus is spreading. The federal government through Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, state and local governments have started reviewing data about the presence and movement of people from certain geographic areas using cellphone data. The data comes from the mobile advertising industry, people familiar with the matter explained to the Wall Street Journal. Approximately 500 cities could eventually be monitored in a portal that will be accessible by federal, state and local officials to help implement epidemic response. The federal government through Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, state and local governments have started reviewing data about the presence and movement of people from certain geographic areas using cellphone data. Prospect Park on Friday Void from the data is sensitive data like cellphone user's name. The goal of the portal would be to help officials learn how COVID-19 is spreading across the United States. It would show which destinations are still being frequented by large crowds that could help spread the coronavirus, people familiar with the matter explained. For instance, one source shared that researchers learned that a huge number of New Yorkers had been visiting Brooklyn's Prospect Part and handed the information over to authorities. Parks have been posted with advisory warnings but they have not been closed across the city. The data would also potentially show how much the general public is complying with stay-at-home or shelter-in-place orders, according to experts familiar with the matter. Approximately 500 cities could eventually be monitored in a portal that will be accessible by federal, state and local officials to help implement epidemic response It can also measure the economic impact the coronavirus has by showing the drop-off in retail customers at stores and decreases in automobile miles driven. A combo of tech companies and data providers have been assisting the CDC in providing them the analyzed location data. The CDC nor the White House responded to the Wall Street Journal for comment. The government commissioned programs calling for mobile phone location data are raising concerns about privacy protections. Wolfie Christl, a privacy activist, said the location-data industry was 'covidwashing' what are generally privacy-invading products. 'In the light of the emerging disaster, it may be appropriate to make use of aggregate analytics based on consumer data in some cases, even if data is being gathered secretly or illegally by companies,' added Christl. A combo of tech companies and data providers have been assisting the CDC in providing them the analyzed location data Wolfie Christl, a privacy activist, said the location-data industry was 'covidwashing' what are generally privacy-invading products 'As true anonymization of location data is nearly impossible, strong legal safeguards are mandatory.' Some US location data companies do allow public access and have already allowed for government agencies to access them. LotaData, a San Francisco-based company, launched a portal analyzing movement patters in Italy that could help officials plan for plans to implement in Spain, California and New York. Unacast launched a 'social distancing scoreboard' that uses location data to share with places how well their communities are doing with following stay-at=home orders. Foursquare Labs Inc. is also in talks with numerous states on how to make use of their data. Unacast launched a 'social distancing scoreboard' that uses location data to share with places how well their communities are doing with following stay-at=home orders The move even extends to research institutions as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has launced a project to track volunteer COVID-19 patients through a mobile phone app. There are 123,778 cases of the coronavirus in the United States So far in the United States, data used has mostly come from the advertising industry as the mobile marketing industry has billions of geographic data points on cell phone devices across the country. Most come from applications users have installed on their phones that allow the tracking of one's location. The industry is mostly unregulated under privacy laws that are currently in existence as consumers have signed off on tracking and because most data does not contain sensitive information. Cellphone carriers also have access to geolocation data. That data is protected under much stricter privacy protection under US law than in most other places. What will the world look like after the coronavirus induced shut down? I am not in possession of a crystal ball for global survey but I can activate my intuition on the basis of two stories I have covered. I was in the US for the 2016 Presidential elections and I have followed the 2020 drama within the Democratic Party. In both the campaigns Democrats have been in convulsions not to select a nominee but to keep out the one they do not want -- Bernie Sanders. And now they are all mimicking the Sanders platform. The coronavirus has brought out in bold relief, the idea of Bernie Sanders as the panacea for the general distress. The platform the senator from Vermont stood on was total anathema to the great American establishment, its soul torn between Mammon and Joe McCarthy. The pandemic has brought the powerful establishment to its knees. People now matter and democracy begins to look like one. Neither the Democrats nor the Republicans will ever mention Sanders by name. That would be like eating crow. But they are all furtively lifting the Sanders manifesto. The idea of Sanders in todays context is larger than the possible nomination of Joe Biden. In the Indian context, the idea of Shaheen Bagh, has likewise acquired a post pandemic, durability. The statement issued by "Shaheen Bagh protests" speaks for itself. "As we continue our struggle to be heard by our government, we wish to reiterate that we have merely suspended public gatherings, our movement is on. We will use other means to continue to resist CAA, NPR, NRC. For our detractors, it would be a sobering exercise to compare our protests with any in recent history." "Shaheen Bagh all over the country now soars with our strong resolve and blooms in our hearts. Each one of us is now a Shaheen Bagh." The authors of the statement, from protest sites across the country, sign off with "Inquilab", which means "revolution", a term Bernie Sanders' supporters have been using to describe their challenge. And in the American context, revolutionary his platform is: Medicare for all, $15 an hour as minimum wages, expanding social security, no tuition fees, housing for everyone who needs it." Does this list sound all that outlandish in the time of coronavirus? What explains the eruption of hashtags, and twitters: "We deserve Sanders." This chant by the voters in total defiance of the Democratic establishment is not surprising. I shall never forget the banners in Philadelphia explaining why Trump won. "If you make Bernie Sanders impossible, you make Trump inevitable." It was a prescient statement. During the 2016 campaign as in 2020 when Sanders was on a roll, he had sensed the electorate's mood. It was totally against the Washington centered establishment. While Sanders was hammering away at the Establishment from the Left, Donald Trump was doing exactly the same from the Right. When even Jeb Bush failed the nomination bid, the Trump candidacy seemed inevitable. At this stage, Laura Bush, the former first lady, let the cat out of the bag. "Let's support Hillary Clinton then", she squealed. In other words, the Bush family, the central column of the Republicans, sees Hillary Clinton as a member of the same club which goes under the label "Washington Establishment". The same discredited Establishment that electorates everywhere are disgusted by. They find themselves hemmed in by two party systems serving the same corporate interests. Even though it was universally accepted that Hillary Clinton was untrustworthy, indeed a liar, the Democratic party hierarchy chose to keep its corporate interests in humour even if it meant electoral defeat. Three months before the 2016 election, film maker Michael Moore was prescient. "This election is only about who gets out to vote, who gets the most rabid supporters -- the kind of candidate who inspires people to get out of bed at 5.00am on election day because a wall needs to be built. Muslims are killing us! Women are taking over! First in line with the polls." Moore was emphatic: "Those who vote for Clinton are those who would do so only to keep Trump out. They are not running towards someone they love; they are running away from someone they dislike." Therefore, personal persuasion on a large level was required and it wasn't available to Clinton. "Those depressed at Bernie having been grounded would need extraordinary persuasion to walk to the polling booths to vote for Hillary." Had the Democratic Establishment learnt a lesson from their 2016 reversal, they would have seen the popular surge for Sanders as an asset. But they have once again produced a candidate (most likely) whom Laura Bush from the other side of the aisle would reach out to in preference to Trump. It is a compelling speculation: would Laura Bush and the Democratic establishment have acquiesced in Trump rather than risk American capitalism in the hands of a Democratic Socialist? And now look at the alchemy of coronavirus: even Trump is dusting up measures which Prof. Jean Cohen, a political theory expert at Colombia University, describes with great emphasis, "that's not free market capitalism." She offers descriptive choices: "regulated capitalism; interventionist state or Democratic Socialism." Private profit making is making way for policies which serve the public good. Ed Murrow, the great CBS reporter, had single handedly, and successfully taken on Senator Joseph McCarthy's witch hunt against Americans who deviated from raw capitalism. Has Bernie Sanders altered the terms of the socialism-capitalism debate in the very citadel of capitalism? In the same way, an apolitical movement spontaneously evolving at Shaheen Bagh, has the potential to tone down the shrill tenor of Indian politics. Coronavirus has cast a pall on all our lives but, as Shakespeare said, "There is a soul of goodness in all things evil, would men observingly distil it out." (Saeed Naqvi is a senior commentator on political and diplomatic issues. The views expressed are personal. He can be reached on saeednaqvi@hotmail.com) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 29) San Juan City Science High School will soon become a quarantine facility for patients suspected of and confirmed with COVID-19 who could no longer be accommodated by hospitals, Mayor Francis Zamora said Sunday. The school, in partnership with Xavier School, will house 100 beds for COVID-19 patients, Zamora told CNN Philippines. We are doing this to make sure that our COVID-19 patients - in case the hospital cannot handle the volume anymore - well have a separate area, a field hospital, so to speak, for them and also for our PUIs (patients under investigation), we will already immediately isolate them and quarantine them, he said. The national government has tasked local governments to identify spaces which can be used as quarantine facilities, but discourages the use of schools as quarantine facilities. However, they may do so if they get approval from the Education Department. San Juan City has the one of the highest number of COVID-19 cases, second only to Quezon City, with 77 patients with the viral disease. COVID-19 cases in the Philippines surged for the second-straight day, with the country reporting Sunday an additional 343 new cases of the viral disease, bringing the total of those who have contracted it to 1,418. The death toll due to the disease is now at 71, while recoveries stand at 42. New Delhi, March 28 : Teachers and the non-teaching staff of Jawaharlal Nehru University will be contributing a day's salary to fighting coronavirus, according to Vice Chancellor Jagadesh Kumar Mamidala. "In our fight against COVID-19, JNU has decided to voluntarily contribute one-day salary of regular teaching and non-teaching employees for the month of April to the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund," the Vice Chancellor said on Saturday. Mamidala, however, added that this contribution is voluntary. "Those who do not wish to contribute can indicate by email," Mamidala added. Earlier today actor Akshay Kumar donated Rs 25 crore to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initiative PM CARES Fund to lend support to the ongoing battle against the coronavirus pandemic. The government has set up the Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund, or the PM CARES Fund, with the objective of dealing with emergency situations such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Contributors to the fund will enjoy tax benefits, it has been announced. The Irish tourists who couldn't leave Peru due to the South American country being on lockdown are returning home, Tainiste Simon Coveney has said. Mr Coveney said that the flight has left the capital city Lima as "work continues to get all remaining citizens home" amid Covid-19 pandemic. [March 29, 2020] Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation Donate to Seven More Countries in Asia to Fight COVID-19 The Jack Ma Foundation and the Alibaba Foundation today announced donations of essential medical supplies to seven more countries, namely Azerbaijan, Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200328005024/en/ An India bound flight loaded with the first batch of medical supplies donated by the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation departed Shanghai, China yesterday. The donations arrived at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport last night and were received by the Indian Red Cross Society which would help distribute the supplies across the country. The supplies are part of the donation pledged to seven more countries announced today by the two foundations, namely Azerbaijan, Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. (Photo: Business Wire) Collectively, these seven countries will receive a total of 1.7 million face masks, 165,000 test kits as well as protective clothing and medical equipment such as ventilators and forehead thermometers. With this announcement, the two Foundations have now donated essential medical supplies to 23 Asian countries totalling 7.4 million masks; 485,000 test kits; 100,000 sets of protective clothing along with other medical equipment. The first batch of medical supplies for India arrived in Delhi last night and were received by the Indian Red Cross Society. Similar to the arrangement with the Italian Red Cross Society, the Indian charity will facilitate the distribution of these supplies in thecountry. The donations are expected to reach other countries in the coming days. Mr. Neel Kamal Singh, Deputy Secretary, Indian Red Cross Society took receipt of the donations from Mr. Vivek Sehgal, Manager, Alibaba Cloud India, acting on behalf of the Jack Ma Foundation and the Alibaba Foundation. Ms. Ma Jia, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of China in India, was also present to show the embassy's support towards this humanitarian initiative. "Government of India has taken extensive steps to manage the COVID-19 situation. To supplement the efforts of government, Indian Red Cross has mobilised first tranche of supplies consisting of facemasks, protective body suits and essential medical equipment. This consignment, which was received yesterday, has been donated by Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation. Indian Red Cross appreciates their magnanimity at this difficult juncture," said Mr. R.K Jain, IAS (Rtd), Secretary General, Indian Red Cross. "We are one with the global community in the intense battle to protect all families against Covid-19. We are committed to doing everything we can to make a difference, most importantly by sourcing these supplies and overcoming logistical challenges to get the medical supplies to where they are needed as fast as we can," said the Jack Ma Foundation. These donations are among a number of aid initiatives from the Alibaba Foundation and Jack Ma Foundation to support the areas of the world affected by the Covid-19 crisis, sourcing and delivering various types of medical supplies to countries across Asia, North America, Latin America, Europe and Africa. The donation by the two foundations to Vietnam is in addition to the recent donation by Lazada Group, Alibaba Group's local e-commerce business unit in Southeast Asia. More initiatives and donations may be announced in the coming days and weeks. The Jack Ma Foundation and the Alibaba Foundation also supported the publication of a handbook with key lessons and experience from doctors, healthcare workers, and hospital administrators at the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine (FAHZU), who were on the frontline of COVID-19 treatment in China and crucial to slowing its spread. The handbook is available for global medical health professionals at https://covid-19.alibabacloud.com/. Follow @JackMa and @foundation_ma on Twitter (News - Alert) for the latest efforts of Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation to support the global fight against COVID-19. About Jack Ma Foundation Established by Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba Group, the Jack Ma Foundation was founded on 15 December 2014 and has been focusing on education, entrepreneurship, women's leadership, and the environment. The Foundation aspires to be a reliable, participative, and sustainable philanthropic organization. The Jack Ma Foundation has so far supported projects worldwide including the Jack Ma Rural Education Program, the Africa Netpreneur Prize Initiative, the Ma & Morley Scholarship Program, and Jordan's Queen Rania Foundation. Additionally, the Foundation has also funded a number of projects in its priority areas. The Jack Ma Foundation is committed to empowering rural educators, entrepreneurs, rural children, young start-ups, and women to equip them for the future and to help build a happier, healthier, more sustainable and more inclusive society. About Alibaba Foundation The Alibaba Foundation, established in December 2011, aims to create a culture that encourages people to get involved in philanthropy, make it sustainable and genuinely contribute to civil society and nature. Its key funding aspects include water protection, environmental awareness promotion and development of green organizations. Alibaba Group is committed to devoting a percentage of its annual income to the Alibaba Foundation to ensure stable long-term funding that will allow for timely response in the event of natural disasters or expansion of philanthropic projects. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200328005024/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] These challenges are best filed in federal courts, where those who have trampled our liberties will get no special quarter. I can tell you from my prior life as a judge that most state governors fear nothing more than an intellectually honest, personally courageous, constitutionally faithful federal judge. by Andrew P. Napolitano "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) One of my Fox colleagues recently sent me an email attachment of a painting of the framers signing the Constitution of the United States. Except in this version, George Washington who presided at the Constitutional Convention looks at James Madison who was the scrivener at the Convention and says, "None of this counts if people get sick, right?" In these days of state governors issuing daily decrees purporting to criminalize the exercise of our personal freedoms, the words put into Washington's mouth are only mildly amusing. Had Washington actually asked such a question, Madison, of all people, would likely have responded: "No. This document protects our natural rights at all times and under all circumstances." It is easy, 233 years later, to offer that hypothetical response, particularly since the Supreme Court has done so already when, as readers of this column will recall, Abraham Lincoln suspended the constitutionally guaranteed writ of habeas corpus the right to be brought before a judge upon arrest only to be rebuked by the Supreme Court. The famous line above by Benjamin Franklin, though uttered in a 1755 dispute between the Pennsylvania legislature and the state's governor over taxes, nevertheless provokes a truism. Namely, that since our rights come from our humanity, not from the government, foolish people can only sacrifice their own freedoms, not the freedoms of others. Thus, freedom can only be taken away when the government proves fault at a jury trial. This protection is called procedural due process, and it, too, is guaranteed in the Constitution. Of what value is a constitutional guarantee if it can be violated when people get sick? If it can, it is not a guarantee; it is a fraud. Stated differently, a constitutional guarantee is only as valuable and reliable as is the fidelity to the Constitution of those in whose hands we have reposed it for safekeeping. Because the folks in government, with very few exceptions, suffer from what St. Augustine called libido dominandi the lust to dominate when they are confronted with the age-old clash of personal liberty versus government force, they will nearly always come down on the side of force. How do they get away with this? By scaring the daylights out of us. I never thought I'd see this in my lifetime, though our ancestors saw this in every generation. In America today, we have a government of fear. Machiavelli offered that men obey better when they fear you than when they love you. Sadly, he was right, and the government in America knows this. But Madison knew this as well when he wrote the Constitution. And he knew it four years later when he wrote the Bill of Rights. He intentionally employed language to warn those who lust to dominate that, however they employ governmental powers, the Constitution is "the Supreme Law of the Land" and all government behavior in America is subject to it. Even if the legislature of the State of New York ordered, as my friend Gov. Andrew Cuomo who as the governor, cannot write laws that incur criminal punishment has ordered, it would be invalid as prohibited by the Constitution. This is not a novel or an arcane argument. This is fundamental American law. Yet, it is being violated right before our eyes by the very human beings we have elected to uphold it. And each of them every governor interfering with the freedom to make one's own choices has taken an express oath to comply with the Constitution. You want to bring the family to visit grandma? You want to engage in a mutually beneficial, totally voluntary commercial transaction? You want to go to work? You want to celebrate Mass? These are all now prohibited in one-third of the United States. I tried and failed to find Mass last Sunday. When did the Catholic Church become an agent of the state? How about an outdoor Mass? What is the nature of freedom? It is an unassailable natural claim against all others, including the government. Stated differently, it is your unconditional right to think as you wish, to say what you think, to publish what you say, to associate with whomever wishes to be with you no matter their number, to worship or not, to defend yourself, to own and use property as you see fit, to travel where you wish, to purchase from a willing seller, to be left alone. And to do all this without a government permission slip. What is the nature of government? It is the negation of freedom. It is a monopoly of force in a designated geographic area. When elected officials fear that their base is slipping, they will feel the need to do something anything that will let them claim to be enhancing safety. Trampling liberty works for that odious purpose. Hence a decree commanding obedience, promising safety and threatening punishment. These decrees issued by those who have no legal authority to issue them, enforced by cops who hate what they are being made to do, destructive of the freedoms that our forbearers shed oceans of blood to preserve and crushing economic prosperity by violating the laws of supply and demand should all be rejected by an outraged populace, and challenged in court. These challenges are best filed in federal courts, where those who have trampled our liberties will get no special quarter. I can tell you from my prior life as a judge that most state governors fear nothing more than an intellectually honest, personally courageous, constitutionally faithful federal judge. Fight fear with fear. The main opposition Popular Party (PP) said yesterday that it supported the measures announced by the central government to suspend all non-essential activity in Spain, in a bid to slow the spread of the coronavirus and decongest overwhelmed intensive care units (ICUs). But the partys general secretary, Teodoro Garcia Egea, also criticized Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez for what he described as continuous improvisation during the crisis. This crisis is moving faster than the government, he said. They are not up to the task. The Popular Party called on Sanchez to suspend taxes for Spanish citizens while the country is on total lockdown, and to exempt self-employed workers from paying their monthly social security contributions On Saturday the Health Ministry announced that a total of 5,704 people had died so far in Spain as a result of the global coronavirus pandemic, with 72,248 infections detected. More than 40,600 coronavirus patients are currently hospitalized, while 12,285 have recovered from the Covid-19 disease and have been discharged from hospital. A total of 4,575 patients are currently in the ICUs of Spanish hospitals. Garcia Egea also called on Sanchez to suspend taxes for Spanish citizens while the country is on total lockdown, and to exempt self-employed workers from paying their monthly social security contributions. The president of center-right party Ciudadanos (Citizens), Ines Arrimadas, also criticized the actions of Sanchez. Many Spaniards see the strengthening of measures to guarantee social distancing as necessary, she wrote via Twitter last night. But the government cannot generate more uncertainty. Sanchez should be clear about his decisions and give guarantees and convey calm to workers, the self-employed and companies. Today he didnt do that. Earlier this week, the majority of parties in Spains lower house of parliament, the Congress of Deputies, voted in favor of extending the state of alarm from the initial two weeks to a month. The initial lockdown is due to last until April 12. The new measures that are due to be approved by the Cabinet today, however, and will see all non-essential workers confined to their homes, will go into place on Monday March 30 and will last until Thursday April 9. Friday April 10 is a national holiday in Spain for Easter week. The majority of Spains political parties also expressed their support this week for tougher confinement measures in a bid to slow the spread of the Covid-19 disease. PP leader Pablo Casado said that he would prefer to err on the side of caution in the battle against the epidemic. Although during the debate in Congress this week on extending the state of alarm, he did not present any amendments to the governments plan to demand new measures. Labor union response Spains two main labor unions also responded on Saturday to the governments stricter lockdown measures, saying that they supported the move. Business sources, meanwhile, warned that the measure will generate an unprecedented huge impact on the Spanish economy, particularly in sectors such as industry. Labor union leaders Unai Sordo and Pepe Alvarez. The important thing is to follow the recommendations of the experts, thats why we support the measure, said the leader of the UGT union, Pepe Alvarez. The priority is to deal with the health emergency. If activity needs to be restricted further to do this, we support this, added the general secretary of the CCOO union, Unai Sordo. Sources from the business sector stated that if the health authorities understand that we must stop, there is no other option but to do so, because the most important thing is health and to fight the pandemic. The same sources added, however, that the total stop is not good news because it is going to have a very negative impact on the economies of companies. Business chiefs underlined that once industry stops entirely, it is very difficult to get back up to speed once more. English version by Simon Hunter. From all of us at WAtoday, we hope you're staying happy and healthy. Thank you for reading. We're closing off the blog for tonight but rolling live coverage of local and national devleopments will resume tomorrow. If you have any tips or comments, please email news@watoday.com.au. Good night and stay healthy. And remember, go two-by-two and keep a 1.5m distance in public. Akshay Kumar won the hearts of millions after he donated an outstanding Rs 25 crores to the PM's relief fund. Money that would be used to fight the novel Coronavirus. This is that time when all that matters is the lives of our people. And we need to do anything and everything it takes. I pledge to contribute Rs 25 crores from my savings to @narendramodi jis PM-CARES Fund. Lets save lives, Jaan hai toh jahaan hai. https://t.co/dKbxiLXFLS Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) March 28, 2020 Naturally, praises and blessings started flowing in for Akshay but the sweetest one was by dearest wife, Twinkle Khanna. Twinkle Khanna did not only take to Twitter to praise her husband's generosity but also reveal as to why Akshay Kumar didn't hesitate even once before donating this massive amount of money. The man makes me proud. When I asked him if he was sure as it was such a massive amount and we needed to liquidate funds, he just said, I had nothing when I started and now that I am in this position, how can I hold back from doing whatever I can for those who have nothing. https://t.co/R9hEin8KF1 Twinkle Khanna (@mrsfunnybones) March 28, 2020 Twinkle tweeted: "The man makes me proud. When I asked him if he was sure as it was such a massive amount and we needed to liquidate funds, he just said, ' I had nothing when I started and now that I am in this position, how can I hold back from doing whatever I can for those who have nothing'." And that's not it. Today morning Twinkle Khanna was driven back home from the hospital by her husband Akshay Kumar. In the video too, Twinkle can be heard saying, "My husband's pockets are lighter and our hearts have ever been fuller." Watch below. This money donated by Akshay Kumar is going to save a lot of people's lives and right now the entire country is blessing Akshay for his generosity. Thank you for instilling our faith in humanity, always. michael barbaro From The New York Times, Im Michael Barbaro. This is The Daily. Today: As the pandemic quickly spreads across the U.S., hundreds of hospitals are now confronting their first serious cases of the coronavirus. Susan Dominus on the lessons from the first confirmed case in New Jersey. Its Monday, March 30. Sue, tell me how you first heard about James Cai. susan dominus Well, a few weeks ago I heard about this young guy, a 32-year-old physician assistant, who was the very first patient in all of New Jersey to test positive for Covid-19. And so I reached out to him while he was still at the hospital. And I was sort of wondering, would it possibly be OK, could you maybe find some time to talk? And he said, sure, call me now. Im in isolation, in other words, and I have time. james cai Hello? [COUGHING] susan dominus Are you there? james cai Yes. [COUGHING] susan dominus OK. michael barbaro And what was the story that he told you? susan dominus So James lives and works in New York City. james cai So my name is James Cai, and Im a physician assistant. susan dominus And his mother and grandfather live in New Jersey, and so he spends quite a bit of time there as well. james cai And I work as a primary care, urgent care and nursing home P.A. susan dominus He came to this country when he was about 16 from Shanghai. And hes married and has a 20-month-old daughter, whom he adores. susan dominus Why did you go into medicine in the first place? Why were you drawn to medicine? james cai Oh, because of my grandparents. They are doctors. My grandfather is an anesthesiologist in Shanghai. And when I was young, I always sick, so I always went to his hospital. So I had a good impression. michael barbaro And as someone working in the medical field, was James expecting to interact with this epidemic, the coronavirus? Was he maybe even thinking he would end up treating coronavirus patients? susan dominus Well, he doesnt work in a hospital. And because he works in private practice, I think he probably imagined he might be working remotely with telemedicine. james cai I actually heard about coronavirus many months ago when China had outbreak. But I always followed the disease. susan dominus But because of the family background and because he does work in medicine, when news of the coronavirus did start coming out of Wuhan, he definitely understood how quickly the virus could spread. And he definitely understood that the only way to guarantee that you could survive this was by not getting it in the first place. james cai Around end of February, I started to pile up all the food, like canned foods, frozen vegetables, dumplings. susan dominus So soon after the coronavirus landed on the west coast, he and his family went to Costco and stocked up james cai Our family plan is to stay home for two months. susan dominus for like, two months worth of supplies. michael barbaro Right. So they were going to avoid any meaningful exposure to the virus? susan dominus Yeah, if there was communal spread and it had become widespread, their plan was to shelter in place. michael barbaro And well ahead of the rest of us. susan dominus Yeah, I think thats right. susan dominus So you werent sure at what point you would start doing that, but you felt youd know when it was time? james cai Yes. susan dominus But, you know, hes stocking up at the end of February. You know, people in the U.S. were still flying all over the country. Kids were going to school. Bloomberg was in the race for president. People were planning vacations and weddings and all sorts of conferences and events. And the same was true of James. So like everybody else, hes going about his life. And around this time, without really too much concern about his health, he went to a medical conference in Times Square. james cai So I changed diaper for my daughter and gave her morning milk. And I kissed my wife and to go to conference. susan dominus On the fourth day of the conference, Monday, March 2, he comes down with a cough. And he starts to realize hes actually getting sick. james cai I start to cough and a fever and tired. susan dominus So he leaves and texts his wife that hes going to go to New Jersey, where his mom has a house. His moms away. And he doesnt want to come home and get his wife and the baby sick. james cai Because of my daughter, when I went home, she always hugged me and kissed me. And she will catch it. michael barbaro And whats running through his head at this moment? Is he thinking, I have a bad cough? I might have the flu? Is coronavirus even on his mind? susan dominus Not really. I mean, there had not been a single case in all of New Jersey. He thought he probably had the flu. By then, he was mostly feeling this bad cough. He had an elevated heart rate. His eyes were really runny. He had diarrhea. He was not feeling well at all. But he also was not alarmed. You know, he decided to go to one of those drop-in centers to get a flu test, because he wanted to be told he didnt have the flu so he could go home. So the doctor gives him a strep test and a flu test. They discuss whether he should get a coronavirus test, in fact, but the doctor didnt have one. So they moved on. And the results came back that although the strep and the flu tests were negative, his symptoms were consistent with something called a pulmonary embolism, which is a clot in your lung that can be fatal. michael barbaro So this could potentially be even more serious than just a seasonal flu or susan dominus Yes. Certainly more serious than the flu. james cai So after, I went direct to the Hackensack emergency room. susan dominus So the doctor sends him to the E.R. at the Hackensack University Medical Center, which is not far from that doctors office. james cai And in the emergency room, they asked me questions. Asked me if I cough. I said, I do, I do have cough. I do have shortness of breath. susan dominus So as called for, the doctors do a CT scan. And after they do, they realize that, no, he does not have a pulmonary embolism. But that in fact, because of the symptoms hes having and the way his lungs look in the scan james cai They see a ground glass nodules. So this can be coronavirus. susan dominus he might actually have coronavirus. michael barbaro And how do the doctors at this hospital react to that? susan dominus Well, at this point, they havent seen any coronavirus patients. So they dont seem to him terribly alarmed. That said, they do put him in a tiny isolation room, a windowless room on the floor of the emergency room. Thats where he spends the night, texting his friends and his wife and getting increasingly unnerved and feeling quite ill. james cai I was nervous. And at the same time, since Im in the hospital, Im going to check everything. Make sure Im OK and then I go home. susan dominus So then on Tuesday, March 3, which is the second day in the hospital james cai They decide to do a test on me. So the test takes about 24 hours or 48 hours. susan dominus they do a Covid-19 test. And they tell him hes going to have to wait a few days for the result, but he shouldnt worry, hes young and healthy. At the same time, hes wildly Googling symptoms for Covid-19 and realizing that he has almost every one of them. james cai I had maybe lied to myself, was like, trying to calm myself down. I dont have the Covid-19, I shouldnt have it. susan dominus And so, its day three for James in the hospital. Its Wednesday, March 4. Hes still waiting for the results in his tiny little room with a TV. And archived recording [SOUND OF LOCAL NEWS THEME] susan dominus a local news report comes on. archived recording (newscaster 1) We we begin tonight with breaking news regarding the coronavirus. archived recording (newscaster 2) Yeah, that virus arriving in the Garden State tonight. Governor Phil Murphy announcing the first presumptive positive case of the virus right here in New Jersey. susan dominus And the news report says archived recording (newscaster 2) A man in his thirties is hospitalized in Bergen County. susan dominus Theres a guy in his thirties in Bergen County, which is where he is, whos tested positive for coronavirus. Its the first case in New Jersey. archived recording (newscaster 2) Governor Murphy saying susan dominus Theres even a tweet from the governor of New Jersey confirming it. archived recording (newscaster 2) We take this situation very seriously and have been preparing for this for weeks. I urge residents to remain calm susan dominus And it occurs to James, they really might be talking about him. james cai And then I asked the doctor, saying, is this me? And the doctors saying, no, your test is not back yet. michael barbaro And of course, he hasnt heard anything about the results of his test yet? susan dominus No, he has not heard anything. susan dominus Wow. So you found out from the news from the governor of New Jersey? james cai Yes. On TV. And I asked the doctor. The doctor say, the result is not back yet. susan dominus And then the next day, his doctors come to him and say, yes, you have tested positive. And he is the first person in New Jersey to have tested positive for Covid-19. michael barbaro Right. And perhaps the first person in the history of the universe to find out he has a disease, not from his doctor, but from TV news. susan dominus Lets hope so. michael barbaro And how does the hospital react in this moment? susan dominus So hes really scared. But the hospital is telling him that he really has nothing to worry about. Hes a 32-year-old guy. Hes got no preexisting conditions. james cai Even Dr. [INAUDIBLE] was telling me, oh youre so young. Its like a flu. susan dominus In fact, one doctor even told him james cai If its not because everybody is talking about corona, you can go home already. susan dominus You know, if it werent for all this attention about the coronavirus, youd be home right now, just getting better in the comfort of your own bedroom. michael barbaro In other words, it would probably just self-resolve in somebody of his health? susan dominus That was definitely the expectation. james cai I mean, that day, I was so depressed. susan dominus I think he felt that as a medical professional, he actually he knew that he was quite vulnerable, that nobody was invulnerable. And there was this disconnect between his own concerns and their own insistence that he was overly anxious. james cai America is not ready. susan dominus It also dawns on him that he is the first person in this hospital to be treated for coronavirus. james cai I feel like, Im in real trouble. Why I come to this hospital? Because I feel they dont know how to treat this disease, and they dont have deep understanding about this disease. susan dominus Nobody there has any experience. Nobody there can make good predictions. Nobody there has institutional knowledge about what happens when this goes wrong or something unexpected happens. Hes the first person, and thats a very frightening position to be in. michael barbaro Well be right back. So Sue, James is newly diagnosed. Hes in isolation at this hospital in Hackensack, New Jersey. Hes been there for about four days. Physically, how is he doing at this point? susan dominus When you first got the results of the positive test, on a scale of 1 to 10, how bad did you feel physically? 10 being the worst? james cai I would say 10. susan dominus Wow. susan dominus He is feeling worse by the day. james cai Getting worse. So my heart is compensating, beating very fast. susan dominus He definitely has that cough. And he also is having real trouble breathing. james cai Its like Im in the water. susan dominus Tell me more about that. james cai Its like, normally, we can just take very deep breaths in and out. susan dominus He describes it as that feeling when youre underwater and you have to come up to gasp for breath, but you cant quite get that oxygen that you want. And its very panicking feeling. Its a very scary feeling. james cai So my lung is not allowing me to take deep breaths. michael barbaro And how is the hospital treating him now that hes officially tested positive? susan dominus They move him to a room with certain protections in place. And theyre keeping an eye on his numbers. And theyre giving him oxygen when he needs it. And hes also keeping an eye on his numbers. And hes worried, because he is not breathing well. And on Friday, March 6, his fifth day in the hospital, he worries that he is desaturating to a dangerous level. james cai And I desats. susan dominus He desats. susan dominus You desaturated. michael barbaro And what does that mean, to desaturate? susan dominus It means that when you desaturate below a certain level, your blood is not getting enough oxygen from your lungs for you to function in a normal, healthy way. And this is really concerning to him. james cai You have pneumonia, its normal. Just use oxygen. susan dominus But he still has the sense that the hospital is telling him hes overreacting, that hes being too anxious. Hes going to recover just fine. james cai I was confused. And also, I was worried, because I think Im not getting enough care. And my oxygen level dropped, and they they cannot even see it. michael barbaro And why do you think people in hospital are saying that? And maybe more importantly, why are they thinking that? Why are they insisting on being so calm about what it would mean to have an infection like this? susan dominus I would have to guess that its because the widespread impression that people had was that young people were not going to be terribly affected by this virus, and that it was going to feel like a very, very bad flu. And that he was going to recover just fine, just like the statistics supposedly said he was going to. susan dominus And did you actually feel yourself having difficulty breathing at that point? james cai I just feel tightness. susan dominus Tightness in your chest? james cai I feel like, a very scary very scared. And I dont know what to do next. susan dominus And James is all too aware that no one in that hospital has ever treated anyone with coronavirus. And hes really worried about his symptoms, because he knows hes feeling worse and worse every day. james cai So I told my cousin, I told everybody, and they just start searching. . susan dominus So he starts reaching out to friends of his who are plugged into the Chinese medical community, including his best friend, whos a physician and whom he calls his cousin and his boss. And they start making phone calls and trying to get information from experienced people who can maybe share what theyve learned. michael barbaro Which is what? susan dominus You know, theres advice that he should get high doses of vitamin C, theres some discussion of whether he should get a steroid treatment if things get worse. james cai He translate the seventh edition. susan dominus They say that maybe he wants to look into antiviral medication. They tell him he shouldnt wait too long before getting a second CT scan. But his doctors were really reluctant to do that. michael barbaro Why was that? susan dominus They felt like they were giving him good care and that probably the results of the CT scan would not change that. michael barbaro So James is more or less beginning to advise his own doctors on how to treat him, based on his research, based on his relationship with other medical professionals, which is pretty unusual. susan dominus Yes. Very unusual. And then the evening of the 7th, he starts desaturating to a level that really scares him. Hes concerned that if he desaturates to a certain degree, there could be no turning back. Hed have to be intubated, which definitely increases, you know, all of the risks of the illness. It would mean that a machine was going be doing all the breathing for him. It could lead to organ failure and in some cases, of course, death. james cai And I mean, if I intubated at night, I probably would just die by myself alone, without seeing the loved ones. susan dominus And his friends also, some of them see this real urgency to save his life. And you know, one of his friends said to me that he personally felt responsible for making sure that the doctors took Jamess case as seriously as possible. Here he is. Hes the first health care worker in New Jersey also to come down with Covid-19. If he didnt make it, it was going to feel like the battle was over before it had even begun. james cai You always live in fear that youre never going to wake up. And also, in isolation. And nobody can see you. So its very miserable. If people die, think about it, people die and they cannot see their loved ones. What I mean, like, I feel like its very tough, right? For somebody to die alone. susan dominus You were scared. I mean, you were probably too weak to really speak forcefully, but you were letting them know that you felt that your life was on the line at this point. james cai Yeah. susan dominus And we dont exactly know why, but on the 8th, he did get that second CT scan. james cai And it come back very bad. susan dominus Its bad. He has pneumonia in both lungs. 30 to 40 percent of his lungs seem to be affected. Thats astonishing, that it would go from a small spot just a few days earlier to where it is now. And if he had gotten that bad in three days or four days since the last CT scan, how much worse was he going to be in another four days? And now, James starts to worry that he really might not survive this. james cai I was praying to everybody, to God, to Buddha, to everybody, saying, dont let me die. When I know my oxygen levels keep desaturating, one of my requests is can I see my mother and my wife or my daughter for the last time? It was that time, when my chest X-rays show so bad, and my oxygen level every day is dropping, and I would tell them that I have to be strong, but I dont know how many days I can live. And the good thing is, after the CT, they listened. When she saw second CT, she was like, OK, we have to treat you. susan dominus I spoke to a doctor at the hospital who was part of the team overseeing his care. And he said theyd been looking at the whole clinical picture, had recognized that he was declining even before the CT scan. But from Jamess point of view, everything changed after the scan. He feels like, now theyre taking this very seriously and theyre listening to him. Theyre coming around to seeing just how serious it is. And also recognizing that, yes, even a young person can get very, very sick with coronavirus. And theyre willing to try something. michael barbaro And at this stage, what is he asking them to do? james cai So then a doctor in China recommend a high-flow machine. susan dominus James wants a few different types of treatment. Hes been advised that the doctors should try providing him a more intensive form of oxygen therapy. And he wants to go on three experimental antiviral medications Kaletra, chloroquine and remdesivir. And at this point, he and the doctors at Hackensack and all the other doctors hes working with are pretty much all on the same page. He finally gets the main things hes been asking for. james cai And I think the next day, Dr. [INAUDIBLE] came in. He said, the medications here. Were going to give it to you. susan dominus And finally, after more than a week in the hospital, James starts to turn around. He does start to feel better. james cai So after the first day, my fever finally dropped. And my oxygen stopped dropping. Im getting better and better every day. So thats the whole thing. michael barbaro And does he have a sense, do you have a sense, do his doctors have a sense of which of these treatments was responsible for that? susan dominus Not really. I mean, it might have been any one of the drugs, or all of the drugs, or the oxygen, or some combination of that. Or he might have just gotten better on his own. We really dont know. susan dominus And so I asked you how you felt on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the worst, when you first got the results of the test, and you said that you were a 10. On a scale of 1 to 10, how do you feel now? james cai I would say now, maybe 3. susan dominus Thats pretty good. james cai Yeah, because I feel like all the symptoms have gone. I mean, I will be maybe no worry if tests come back negative. Then I know the virus is dead. Now, I dont know if it is dead or not. susan dominus Its now 10:37, and I need you to get a good nights sleep. So Im going to call you in the morning and see how your oxygen level were. Is that OK? james cai Yes. OK. Thank you. susan dominus All right. Thanks, James. Bye. Bye. james cai Good night. Bye-bye. michael barbaro Sue, it feels correct me if Im wrong like a big reason why James survived was because he was such an aggressive advocate for himself. And he had this network of expertise that he could tap into. He himself was a medical professional. And that that put him in a very strong position. But I wonder why the people around him in this hospital were not better prepared, given the stage of this pandemic when he arrived in Hackensack. susan dominus We dont really know what saved his life, because these drugs are still in clinical trials. What we do know is that the entire story of coronavirus in this country is a story of lack of preparation. People did not believe that it simply was never going to be as bad here as it was in Wuhan or Milan. That is a universal story. It was hardly just these doctors at this hospital. I mean, part of it is that they are busy people. They are moving things really quickly. They are saving lives every day. In fact, we all know that theyre saving lives and putting their own lives on the line right now. But also, it is just hard to put yourself back in that moment March 1, March 2 or the end of February and remember how unlikely we all still hoped and believed, against all evidence, that this wasnt going to be devastating here the way it was elsewhere. michael barbaro Right. susan dominus That said, to their credit, the doctors at this hospital were open-minded and they were flexible and they were nimble. And they were willing to try whatever they could that was safe when they realized that whatever they had been doing definitely was not working. And I know James feels really appreciative, ultimately. He sent out a tweet that expressed his gratitude for the hospital saving, as he sees it, his life. michael barbaro Sue, what do you think the lesson of this story is, of James, his very unique situation in these early days of the pandemic in the United States, and of what happened to him at this hospital? susan dominus One of the things that Im hearing from doctors is that until you are in this moment and experiencing the onslaught of patients, it is very hard to imagine it. You cant really know until youre actually living it. And you know, every hospital in this country is likely to have its James. Its going to have that first patient who comes in, who is really ill. Theyre not exactly sure how to treat it. We still really dont know how best to treat this virus. That is the hard, cold truth of it. There are some protocols that we hope will help, that are thought might help. But its unclear. Its so new. And its going to be really hard for all those hospitals. And theyre going to have to make difficult choices. Theyre going to have to make complicated ethical choices. Theyre going to have to make decisions on the fly and build up their clinical experience. And its not going to be easy for any of them. michael barbaro Sue, how is James doing at this point? I dont know when the last time it was that you spoke with him, but what did he tell you? susan dominus Hes home. He is still in quarantine. So he still has not been able to see his wife or daughter. And his lungs are still recovering. Its unclear just how fully they will recover. You know, its definitely a long road ahead of him. And at the same time, you know, hes reading the news and he is feeling so lucky. michael barbaro Lucky to be alive? susan dominus To be alive. michael barbaro Thank you, Sue. susan dominus Thank you, Michael. james cai Hello? susan dominus Hi, James, its Sue. How are you doing? james cai Im good. susan dominus Are you actually in your own home? james cai Yes. susan dominus How does it feel? james cai It feels great. Im going to sleep on my own bed. susan dominus Fantastic. james cai Once Im out of the hospital, I feel like Im alive. I feel like everything is so new to me. The grass, trees, cars, new people face, the sky. And then when I drive on the road, I appreciate every building, every people I see. I feel like its a second chance to live again, to be alive. susan dominus What is the first thing youre going to say to your daughter and wife when you finally get to see them in person? I know youre quarantining for almost two more weeks now. james cai Yes. So when I see my daughter and my wife, I definitely will give them big hugs. Try to dont let them go. I maybe will, like, have my daughter in my arms all the time. I will come home and spend every minute with my family. Appreciate every day, living. susan dominus All right. Good night. Have a great nights sleep. Thanks, James. james cai Thank you. Thank you for checking in on me. susan dominus My pleasure. Bye. Goodbye. james cai Bye-bye. [music] michael barbaro Well be right back. Heres what else you need to know today. In interviews on Sunday, members of the presidents coronavirus task force delivered dire warnings about the pandemics projected path in the United States. archived recording (dr. deborah birx) No state, no metro area will be spared. And the sooner we react, and the sooner the states and the metro areas react and ensure that they put in full mitigation, at the same time understanding exactly what their hospitals need, then well be able to move forward together and protect the most Americans. michael barbaro Speaking to NBC News, Dr. Deborah Birx said that the White House was asking every state to prepare for the kind of outbreak now occurring in New York, where there are about 60,000 infections. archived recording (jake tapper) Well, Dr. Birx said yesterday, as you know, that she doesnt think any city will be spared from this virus. How many cases do you think the U.S. will reach? archived recording (dr. anthony fauci) I mean, looking at what were seeing now, you know, I would say between 100 and 200,000 cases excuse me, deaths. But I just dont think that we really need to make a projection when its such a moving target. michael barbaro On CNN, Dr. Anthony Fauci said that millions of Americans could eventually be infected, and that between 100,000 and 200,000 could die. archived recording (dr. anthony fauci) What we do know, Jake, is that weve got a serious problem in New York. We have a serious problem in New Orleans. And were going to be developing serious problems in other areas. michael barbaro I will not ask why is it that we did not relocate the Beetham Waste Disposal (garbage) site Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dian Septiari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sun, March 29, 2020 12:41 655 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206e19b93 1 World #UN,UN,UN-General-Assembly,COVID-19,#COVID19,coronavirus,#coronavirus Free Amid global calls for a multilateral presence and response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Indonesia and a handful of other countries drafted on Friday a United Nations General Assembly resolution calling for global solidarity to fight the outbreak. Indonesian representative to the UN Dian Triansyah Djani said the draft resolution by Indonesia, Ghana, Liechtenstein, Norway, Singapore and Switzerland had gained support from almost 150 UN countries. It is time for all of us to hold hands and address this global pandemic. Together. No one is immune, he said on Twitter on Saturday. Stressing the importance of multilateralism and international cooperation amid the coronavirus outbreak, the six countries, in the draft resolution, called for intensified international cooperation to contain, mitigate and defeat the pandemic, including by exchanging information, scientific knowledge and best practices, and by applying the relevant WHO [World Health Organization] recommended guidelines. Unlike those of the UN Security Council, any resolutions adopted by the UN General Assembly's 193 members are not binding but can have strong political messages if enough countries sign on. The draft resolution would be the first response proposed by UN member countries in the General Assembly since the WHO described the coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic on March 10. On Saturday, acting as one of the UN General Assembly vice presidents, the Indonesian representative to the UN also participated in the first virtual meeting of General Assembly leadership to discuss its business continuity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, in an op-ed published in The Jakarta Post on Wednesday, called for global solidarity and coordinated action against COVID-19. Difficult times can reveal peoples true colors, she said, stressing that countries must not allow themselves to be divided by COVID-19 and calling for coordinated measures against it. The first multilateral coordination over the COVID-19 pandemic took place on Thursday, when leaders of G20 countries pledged to inject over US$5 trillion into the global economy to limit job and income losses from the coronavirus in a virtual summit hosted by Saudi Arabia. Read also: Jokowi urges G20 countries to develop vaccine, win 'war' against the pandemic Although the group represents 85 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP), 75 percent of international trade and two-thirds of the world's population, it does not represent many of the other UN member countries that are vulnerable to the crisis. The G20 leaders, however, expressed concern about the risks to fragile countries, notably in Africa, as well as vulnerable populations like refugees, acknowledging the need to bolster global financial safety nets and national health systems. The coronavirus, which has killed nearly 30,000 people globally, was first detected in Chinas Wuhan city late last year and has so far infected more than half a million people in at least 180 countries and territories. At home, the government has faced a barrage of criticisms for its sluggish response to COVID-19, including a shortage of protective gear for medical workers battling the deadly coronavirus. Read also: Indonesian medical workers threaten to stop COVID-19 treatment if protective gear not provided With 1,155 confirmed cases and 102 fatalities as of Saturday, Indonesia's death toll is now the highest in Southeast Asia and its mortality rate of 8.83 percent is among the highest in the world. The Indonesian government is also now under pressure to impose a lockdown. Diplomatic activities at the UN headquarters in New York, meanwhile, have significantly reduced as New York state is becoming the epicenter in the United States coronavirus epidemic with more than 37,000 cases and 517 deaths as of Saturday, according to data compiled by the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering. Since earlier this month, various diplomatic events have been canceled. Both the UN Security Council and UN General Assembly have announced plans to limit the number of diplomats coming to meetings. Concerns grew after it was confirmed a diplomat from the Philippines tested positive on March 12, prompting the 193-member world body to begin implementing coronavirus prevention measures at its Manhattan headquarters. The Security Council, having held its last meeting on UN premises on March 12, has yet to produce any statement amid various procedural and political disputes. One of the disputes was about the procedure of having virtual votes, which most members agreed on, but Russia believes the 15-member body shouldnt be afraid to meet in person in the council chamber in New York, Reuters reported. AFP reported that a draft resolution related to COVID-19's impact on "peace and security situations" is circulating between the five permanent members of the Security Council, according to a diplomat who requested anonymity. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued Monday an appeal for ceasefire in support of the bigger battle against COVID-19 as the common enemy that is now threatening all of humankind. Russia tends to turn a blind eye to some fraudsters and hackers, but it just clamped down on a particularly large group. Investigators have charged at least 25 people involved in a credit card fraud ring that included a notorious hacker. While Russian authorities didn't provide a formal list of those caught in the bust, records and security blogger Andrey Sporov have revealed that one of those arrsted was Alexey Stroganov, also known as "Flint." As a Krebs on Security source said, Stroganov apparently had a stake in "almost every major [card] hack" from the past 10 years, and sent "hundreds of millions of dollars" through the seized cryptocurrency exchange BTC-e. Stroganov was caught back in 2006 and sentenced to six years in prison alongside his associate Gerasim Selivanov, but the two were set free after two years. Selivanov was also arrested as part of this week's bust. While it's unclear why officials chose to act now, cybercrime discussion forum members believe Stroganov and crew were arrested because they committed a cardinal sin in Russia: they targeted people within the country. While authorities are frequently tolerant of cybercriminals targeting the US (and orchestrate hacks themselves), they may have reached a breaking point with a fraudster on their own soil. It's not certain that the hacker will get a long sentence. We wouldn't count on this deterring other crime rings, even those targeting Russia. However, it could disrupt attempts to swipe your financial info -- if just for a little while. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Sunday urged Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to amend rules for the utilisation of Finance Commission grants to enable Urban Local Bodies and Panchayati Raj Institutions to spend them to fight coronavirus spread at the grassroots level. Singh asked the Union minister to advise the Union ministries of Housing & Urban Affairs and Panchayati Raj to initiate immediate action so that the grants by the 14th Finance Commission could be used to provide emergency reliefs like medicines, food etc to the poorest sections by the ULBs and the PRIs. The ULBs and PRIs should be allowed to utilise grants received under the 14th Finance Commission for emergency provision of relief to mitigate the suffering caused in towns and villages due to the lockdown in the country to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, the chief minister said in a release. Singh said the Punjab government had recently allowed ULBs to use these funds for fumigation of urban areas. Pleading the state's case, Singh said the emergency reliefs like distribution of medicines and food should also be allowed both by the ULBs and PRIs to ease the burden on the state's resources and provide much needed relief to the most deserving people at the grassroots level. Singh told Sitharaman that these grants are utilized as per guidelines issued by the government of India. He said both urban and rural local self-government institutions have available with them the unspent funds which could be immediately utilized for the provision of relief to the poor, distressed and the most vulnerable population living in slums and villages. Maintaining that these groups were the worst affected ones due to the COVID-19 pandemic due to dearth of resources, the CM said in order to mitigate their distress, the ULBs and the Gram Panchayats are well placed to contribute effectively to the anti-coronavirus fights as structures of local self-government at the grassroots. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Evelyn Sides, better known as Vadie, and her dog Lucy were playing in the backyard of a family friends house Wednesday when they suddenly wandered off into the deep Alabama woods. When the friend who had been watching 4-year-old Vadie realized she was missing, she called 911. Within hours, a search was organized that would eventually expand to include 400 volunteers, two helicopters and K-9 search teams. Together, they scoured the woods for Vadie, their fears growing as night fell without a trace of the girl or her dog. On Thursday, they searched again, finding only what appeared to be a girls footprints in the woods but there was no sign of Vadie. Then Friday, volunteers walking along a county road heard a bark. It was Lucy. They ran toward the dog and there, sleeping in a piney valley was a 3-foot, 40-pound girl with bright red hair. Vadie had been found, unharmed and in remarkably good spirits. She had been in the woods with Lucy for just over 48 hours. She was less than 1 mile from the house where she was last seen in Lee County, Alabama, which is about 60 miles east of Montgomery. It was such an amazing sight, said Col. Edward Casey, the commander of the 187th Fighter Wing of the Alabama Air National Guard, who was among the first volunteers to find Vadie. She woke up, stood up, and we saw it was her. It was so, so surreal and so amazing. And whats more amazing was how calm she was. Volunteers gave Vadie orange Gatorade and a bite of a banana and a granola bar, he said. I figured after two nights alone in the woods, she would be panicked and distraught and crying, Casey said, adding that instead, Vadie had exclaimed, Oh, I cant wait to tell my mommy about my two nights out here. She was just talking, talking, talking, he said. Jay Jones, the Lee County sheriff, said that other than some scratches and dehydration, Vadie was in good condition. She made a couple of comments to the effect of, Why are there so many people in the woods? he said. Jones credited Vadies rescue to the community members who came out in force, despite warnings to stay at home during the coronavirus pandemic. The effort was also a reminder, he said, of how strong the community remained, one year after a tornado struck the county, killing 23 people. The best part of this whole thing was getting to see this child reunited with her parents, Jones said. Ecstatic may not be a good enough word. It was extremely emotional. There was no answer Saturday at phone numbers listed for Vadies parents, Amanda and Stephen Sides. But Amanda Sides posted a message on Facebook thanking the law enforcement officials and volunteers who helped find her daughter, along with a video of Vadie recounting her ordeal. To all of the volunteers who came out in the middle of a global pandemic to traipse around in the woods, sometimes into the early morning hours, God Bless you all, Amanda Sides wrote. We have been on an emotional roller coaster the last few days, and today Im finally starting to breathe normally again. Amanda Sides said Vadie was recovering at a hospital Saturday and doing very well. In the video, Vadie, dressed in a yellow-print hospital johnny, recalled how she wandered away from her family friend, Nanny. We took a walk, but then I got too fast and got running and got lost and then I started calling for Nanny, but Nanny was too far, Vadie said. Later, she said, I slided, slided down a waterfall that was so slippery and walked by a house, but I was brave not to go in. I slept by a road the first night and the second night I slept where they found me, she said. Jones said no charges were expected against the unidentified caregiver who was watching Vadie. She looked down and looked back up and realized, I dont see her, and then immediately notified authorities after she searched briefly in the woods, he said. It appears to be an accident from all angles. Jones said he had felt his own hopes for finding Vadie sinking with every passing hour during the search and was overjoyed that she was rescued along with Lucy, her mountain cur, who had remained by her side. Its truly one of those situations where it was an answered prayer, he said. It was desperately needed good news at a time when we needed it most. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. For the second time in two days, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention to ensure vehciles carrying essential commodities to the state were not blocked at the borders by neighbouring Karnataka during the national lockdown to check spread of coronavirus. He also brought to the PM's attention an incident relating to the death of a critically ill patient after the ambulance carrying her was allegedly not allowed to cross over to nearby Mangaluru from Thalappady in Kasaragod. Despite pleas by the family and ambulance driver, police did not allow the vehicle to cross the border and turned it back on Saturday after which she was taken to a primary health centre and then to home, but died this morning In a letter to Modi, the second in two days on the issue, Vijayan said it was "incorrect" to portray certain districts in the state as "highly affected" by the coronavirus. While pointing that the state had 165 COVID-19 cases as of Saturday and 1,34,370 were under observation as a precautionary measure, he said not all of them were positive for the virus. Kerala had put its entire machinery in "full swing" to combat the coronavirus, he said. Karnataka had justified blocking roads pointing that majority of the positive cases were from the bordering districts in Kerala and opening of the inter-state routes would lead to possibilities of the infection reaching the other side, Vijayan said. However, this was "totally contrary" to the facts and ground realities, he said adding the incident of the virus spread in Kerala and border districts has been mainly noticed among people returning from abroad. The Kerala Government had taken effective measurers to contain spread of the infection to social contacts, he said. "We have put our machinery in full swing. It is totally incorrect to portray certain districts in the state has been highly affected by COVID-19. A large number of people have been kept in isolation and observation as a precautionary measure and all of them are not positive for the infection", he said. The blockade by Karantaka police in the border areas on Thalassery-Coorg state highway goes against facilitating movement of essential commodities across the country and this action was "totally unacceptable" and it should be lifted forthwith, he said. At a time when the country faced an unprecedented crisis, "local and partisan vested interests" should not prevail over national interest, Vijayan said in his letter. The Kerala government has no dispute on the fact that movement of people in a routine manner across the border during the lockdown should be prevented, but transportation of essential commodities should be ensured without any obstruction, he added. On Saturday, he had told Modi that the Thalassery-Coorg State Highway 30, connecting Kerala with Coorg in Karnataka via Veerajapetta, was "a lifeline for the flow of essential commodities to Kerala." If this route was blocked, the lorries would have to traverse a longer route to reach the state, he had said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Title: "Masters of the Air -- Americas Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Germany" Authors: Donald L. Miller Publisher: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks 2006 Donald L. Millers history of the U.S. 8th Air Force operating out of England during World War II is filled with stories and anecdotes, as well as facts about missions flown, planes lost, crews killed, wounded or captured. His account of the bombing missions flown is relentless. (T)he Eight Air Force mounted its first heavy bombing mission flown on August 17, 1942. On that short run to Rouen there had been no losses. On April 25, 1945 Heavy Bombing Mission Number 968, six bombers succumbed to withering flak fire over the Skoda Works (in Czechoslovakia). The forty-two crewman missing in action were the last combat casualties sustained by the Eight Air Force. Leading that first mission was Maj. Paul W. Tibbets Jr., who on Aug. 6, 1945, over Japan would drop the first atomic bomb. The 15th Air Force flying out of Italy also heavily bombed targets in occupied Europe. Both the 8th and 15th Air Forces flew B-17 Flying Fortresses and B-24 Liberators, and both had their own fighter squadrons. As newer fighters came on line, their range increased to allow them to accompany the bombers for increasingly longer distances into Germany. The P-47 Thunderbolt was able to go part way, the P-38 Lighting went farther, and the P-51 Mustang escorted the bombers all the way to Germany. Those early bombing missions suffered heavy losses without long range fighter cover. Miller writes that a critical mistake made by bomber strategists was the mistaken belief that the heavily armed bombers could make it to their targets and back defending themselves. In fact, he finds it was a mistake not to rush into production the P-51, which by the time they arrived in great numbers turned the air war around as they usually out-fought the Luftwaffe fighters. Those early crews were told they would only have to fly 25 missions, later increased to 30 and 35 missions. In October 1943, fewer than one out of four Eighth Air Force crew members could expect to complete his tour of duty: twenty-five combat missions. Two-thirds of the men could expect to die in combat or be captured by the enemy. By the end of the war, the Eighth Air Force would have more fatal casualties -- 26,000 -- than the entire United States Marine Corps. In April 1943 twenty-year-old radio gunner Michael Roscovich became the first flyer to complete twenty-five missions. And I found out it was the crew of Hells Angels that on May 14, 1943, completed 25 missions, not the Memphis Belle three days later. As the war was about to end, one brave and eager pilot finished his record 91st mission. The British Bomber Command flew nighttime bombing missions to destroy targets, while the 8th Air Force flew daylight precision bombing missions, although no mission was that precise as most bombs fell somewhere in the broad target area. In the later part of the air war, the Americans joined the British in simply pulverizing cities. Miller discusses the morality of such massive bombing, but it was what it was, and the Germans started it. While the stories of heroics and gruesome causalities make for interesting or depressing reading, I learned a great deal in the last 150 pages or so about the American POWs. There were more than 90,000 American POWs, about one-third of which were air crew members. The stories of them toward the end of the war, and how Hitler ordered them to be force-marched away from the advancing Soviet forces, are filled with suffering. One of those was former Lt. Gov. Ernie Sands, whose one term with Gov. Al Olson coincided with my one term as attorney general. He told me about his time as a POW in Germany. He was a Bombardier on a B-24 that was shot down over Cologne, Germany. He was able to evade capture for several days, but he was captured and spent the rest of the war in Stalag Luft III and Stalag VIIA until he was repatriated by Patton's forces on April 29, 1945. He told me of being forced to march in winter, and how as he marched out of his POW camp the guards sprayed him with water that froze and added to his problems. He was not forgiving when he described this to me. There was a great deal of controversy about the bombing missions carried out by the 8th Air Force and the Bomber Command. Miller writes: The World War II record of the Eighth Air Force is mixed. Early in the war, its target planning was abysmal. It bombed U-boat pens that were indestructible and ball bearing factories whose machine tools it was incapable of destroying with undersize 500-pound bombs. The deep penetration raids against Schweinfurts ball bearing complex should not have been mounted until a larger bomber force was assembled and protected by long range fighters. In miscalculating the ability of the unfortunately named Fortress to stand up to the Luftwaffe, American war planners needlessly sacrificed the lives of young men who were unable to fully appreciate the desperate nature of their mission. This is a very interesting book with many stories of heroes, brave men and famous personalities such as Jimmy Stewart and Clark Gable. Maj. Stewart was one of the Eighths finest squadron commanders. The fliers respected his cool, measured leadership and quiet authenticity. Capt. Clark Gable was unfairly characterized as posing for photo ops, but he was simply a waist gunner, who on his first mission was nearly killed by a shell that blew off the heel of his boot. After his second mission, though, which was really a tough one, the kids adored him, They couldnt stay away from him. At a Bob Hope USO show, Hope tried to get Rhett Butler to stand up, but the boys around him wouldnt point him out. The guys in his crew loved going out with him. (B)eautiful girls -- English, French, Belgian -- would crowd around our table. It was great just being in Gables wake -- picking up the leftovers. Bob Wefald is a retired North Dakota State District Court judge, former attorney general and a retired Navy Captain. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Guwahati/Agartala, March 29 : With two positive coronavirus cases found last week, the northeastern states on Sunday further stepped up their efforts to reach out to people and maintain the supply of essentials. Several northeastern states have asked the Central government to sanction allocation of rice, fuel and cooking gas. According to the officials of Airport Authority of India, Alliance Air has been operating special cargo flights to carry various medical equipment, medicines, protective gears and medical necessities from Delhi to different northeastern states. Many organisations and individuals have been donating money to the Chief Ministers' Relief Fund to aid the governments' efforts to fight the coronavirus pandemic. In Guwahati, Assam police declared a series of helpline numbers in all 33 districts besides a central control room facility in the police headquarters to address various issues arising out of the outbreak of COVID-19 and enforcement of lockdown. Shops and markets, various commercial establishments, most offices, including educational institutions, were closed and vehicles remained off the road across Assam on Sunday, the sixth day of the nationwide lockdown. In some districts, people defied the lockdown and came out of their homes, prompting the police to use force, including baton charge. However, at many places, the police distributed rice, vegetables, medicines and other essentials to the poor. In Agartala, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb wrote to his counterparts in Delhi, West Bengal, Assam, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telengana, and Tamil Nadu for providing food, accommodation, security and health services to the people of Tripura stranded in their states. In Nagaland, some groups, including associations, clubs, SHGs and civil society, have been extending community services to those in need during the lockdown period and assisting the government in whatever ways they can. Nagaland government employees donated over Rs 26 lakh to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund to meet the expenses in dealing with COVID-19. The opposition Naga People's Front MLAs has announced donation of one-month salary to meet the exigencies. In Mizoram, a 33-year-old woman was arrested in Aizawl for allegedly hiding her foreign travel details. According to health department officials, the wife and two children of the lone COVID-19 patient from Mizoram were discharged from a state-run hospital here after they tested negative for the disease. In Manipur, apart from taking strict action against those violating curfew, the government has undertaken an extensive sanitisation programme. According to health officials, two isolation wards have been arranged at Regional Institute of Medical Sciences and Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences for possible COVID-19 patients. In Meghalaya, Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma reviewed the state's preparedness to deal with the COVID-19 outbreak. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Cash could be almost killed off by the end of the summer as shoppers switch to using cards and never go back, the head of the ATM network warned last night. John Howells, chief executive of Link, which runs Britain's 70,000 cashpoints, said the coronavirus pandemic has dramatically sped up the switch from cash to card and online payments. Before the shutdown, cash was still used in around a third of transactions. Now Link predicts its use will slump to just 10 per cent by August as people shop and go out less, use cards when they stock up at supermarkets and avoid coins and notes for fear of picking up the virus. End of an era?: Before the shutdown, cash was still used in around a third of transactions Research shows that once people switch to using cards and digital payments they rarely use cash again. Previously, cash use had been expected to fall to 10 per cent by 2025 meaning a change that should have taken five years will now take five months. Howells said the rapid fall could see vast numbers of ATMs close as they are used less often, while withdrawal fees could be rapidly introduced on other ATMs to ensure they remain profitable. Older and more vulnerable people would be the worst hit as they might be forced to travel miles to withdraw cash. But Howells warned the rapid decline would hit tourism, as those visiting Britain would be unable to withdraw money, as well as self-employed workers who only accept cash, plus 1.4 million people who do not have a bank account. Link's prediction comes after figures last week showed the number of ATM transactions fell 50 per cent in March compared to last year. 'Cash use is not going to come back again and resume its slow decline,' he said. The tap-and-go contact-less spending limit was last week increased from 30 to 45. Natalie Ceeney, the former chief financial ombudsman who conducted a major review on how people access cash, said: 'A lot of people will get used to using digital, and they will find it quite easy and get into the habit of using it. 'I just think of my parents who never used online shopping. They are now doing it for the first time in their lives.' Howells warned that Britain is not ready to lose its access to cash machines and bank notes. Analysis from Ceeney's Access to Cash review found that a fifth of Britons could not cope without cash. Experts also warned new digital systems are vulnerable to cyber attacks. 'We are simply not ready to move to digital systems because they do go wrong,' Howells said. Ceeney added: 'We were already worried about leaving parts of the population behind and the virus has accelerated that. What we mustn't do is sleepwalk into being cashless.' The government of Russias North Caucasus Republic of Chechnya ordered to close the regions administrative borders due to an outbreak of the novel coronavirus, a member of the regions crisis management office said on Saturday night, TASS reported. "No one will be allowed in and out, except for medical workers and food industry employees. Transit cars travelling via the republic should choose alternative routes," Adam Delimkhanov said. He called upon Chechen residents outside the region to stay in self-isolation. Meanwhile, Chechen parliament speaker and head of the crisis management office, Magomed Daudov, announced tough quarantine measures on the entire territory of the republic. "For the safety of our population, tough quarantine is imposed in our region. Starting from tomorrow, residents of the Chechen Republic are prohibited from leaving their homes for reasons other than going to a pharmacy or a grocery shop, or if they dont have an urgent medical necessity," he said. "Up until now, patrol cars were merely driving along and calling citizens to remain in self-isolation. Starting from tomorrow, people will be taken back home and fined according to the law." He also announced that passengers without face masks and medical gloves will not be allowed to use public transport and licensed taxis. So far, only 12 people tested positive for novel coronavirus in Chechnya, the infection was later confirmed in five of them. Some 820 people are under medical supervision. In late December 2019, Chinese authorities notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, central China. Since then, cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have been reported in more than 160 countries. The WHO on March 11 declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. As of now, more than 575,000 people have been infected around the world and over 26,000 have died. Russia has 1,264 confirmed coronavirus cases, while 49 people recovered. According to the federal coronavirus prevention headquarters, four patients died, even though the fifth death was reported but this information needs to be verified. He confirmed his romance with new girlfriend Melissa Spalding at the end of last year. And Paul Hollywood appeared in good spirits as he stepped out for some fresh air on a country stroll in Kent on Sunday. The Great British Bake Off star, 54, cut a casual figure for the day as he got some exercise during Britain's ongoing lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic. Out and about: Paul Hollywood, 54, appeared in good spirits as he stepped out for some fresh air on a country stroll in Kent on Sunday Paul sported a black T-shirt and blue jeans for the day, completing his look with a pair of brown boots. The TV star is likely resting up at home after it emerged filming of Bake Off has been delayed due to the COVID-19 crisis. Channel 4 was due to start taping the 11th series in spring, with Matt Lucas replacing Sandi Toksvig as the show's new co-host alongside Noel Fielding. A Channel 4 spokesperson confirmed the show would resume filming once it was 'safe to proceed'. Fresh air: The Great British Bake Off star cut a casual figure for the day as he got some exercise during Britain's ongoing lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic Meanwhile, Paul and girlfriend Melissa spent Christmas Day at the Chequers Inn in Smarden, Kent, a spokesman for Paul told the Mail On Sunday: 'They are very happily together.' It is understood that the new couple headed on a mini break shortly after Christmas. A source close to the couple said: 'Melissa was pulling pints and cleaning tables on Christmas Day so they didnt get to spend much time together, but they are away now.' In November, the pair were spotted holding hands by the pool at the five-star Annabelle hotel in Paphos, Cyprus, where he also met and married his estranged wife Alex. Casual: Paul sported a black T-shirt and blue jeans for the day, completing his look with a pair of brown boots However, despite being loved-up with Melissa, Paul is set for more drama as he is reported to be settling his divorce and battle for his 10 million fortune from wife Alex out of court. While the TV baker's ex-girlfriend Summer Monteys-Fullam recently revealed that she is taking her former flame to court for 4,000 over her two horse shelters, built at his 800,000 Kent farmhouse earlier in the year. Summer claimed she'd been left with 'no alternative' but to take legal action against the Bake Off judge four months after they ended their two-year relationship. Relationship: Paul confirmed his romance with new girlfriend Melissa Spalding at the end of last year Split: However, despite being loved-up with Melissa, Paul is set for more drama as he is reported to be settling his divorce and battle for his 10 million fortune from wife Alex out of court (pictured in 2015) She told MailOnline: 'All I have ever wanted was to get back what is rightfully mine - stuff I bought with my own savings... he's punishing my horses with his spite.' The social media influencer purchased the first stable when she moved her horses to his Grade II listed home in January, and built the second in March for her mare who was pregnant. 'I'm incredibly disappointed that I've had to choose this course of action against Paul', she said. 'Dealing with Paul is a nightmare - everything is done through his lawyers.' Paul and Summer split over the summer after she refused to sign a non-disclosure agreement, as requested by the Bake Off star. Trammel said he asked the prison bureau on Saturday to send specialized medical teams to the facility to help with staffing shortages. Hes also asking for hazard pay, which would increase their salaries by 25 percent as they respond to the crisis. And hes asking for more robust protective gear, including masks with respirators and perhaps face shields. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Abidjan, Ivory Coast Mon, March 30, 2020 06:13 654 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206e3209b 2 World Ivory-Coast,coronavirus,COVID-19,pandemic,health,SARS-CoV-2 Free Ivory Coast's health minister announced the country's first confirmed coronavirus death during a daily briefing Sunday on the outbreak there. Eugene Aka Aouele gave no details on the victim's age or sex, but said the diagnosis had been made "post-mortem". Aouele also announced another 25 cases of the virus had been recorded, bringing the official total in the country to 165. President Alassane Ouattara declared a state of emergency last Monday to tackle the outbreak, imposing a curfew between 9:00 pm and 5:00 am, and shutting the country's borders. He also banned movement in and out of the economic capital Abidjan, and closed bars, restaurants and schools. Neighboring Burkina Faso has recorded 222 cases of the virus and 12 deaths. 275 Iran-returnees shifted from Delhi to Jodhpur for quarantine on IndiGo, SpiceJet aircraft India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Mar 29: SpiceJet and IndiGo aircraft took 275 Indians, who were recently evacuated from coronavirus-hit Iran, from Delhi to Jodhpur for quarantine on Sunday, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said. India is currently under a 21-day lockdown till April 14 to curb the spread of the coronavirus and consequently, all international and domestic commercial passenger flights have been suspended for this period. #Stayathome and send us your selfie "Operation Namaste! Efforts to safeguard Indian citizens against Covid19 continue," Puri wrote on Twitter. "The 275 Indians who were evacuated from Iran have been screened & shifted by IndiGo and SpiceJet aircraft to Army Wellness Centre at Jodhpur for quarantine," he added. According to the Union Health Ministry, 979 people have tested positive for the virus in India so far and 25 deaths due to COVID-19 have been reported. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, March 29, 2020, 13:45 [IST] Silly me. Add 5. Thats the answer Ive come up with to something that has been bothering me ever since the coronavirus pandemic has been ramping up. Ive asked myself what can we do, as individuals, to help each other get through this, besides staying home, of course. Obviously, what makes matters more complicated is trying to do something constructive even with the restriction of staying home. My suggestion: Add 5. Most of us are not scientists, doctors, nurses, other health care professionals or policy makers who are on the front lines of battling the virus. We look to all of them for guidance and advice and hopefully trust it and abide by it. The virus is an octopus that has so many legs that need to be tamed illness, the markets, the general economy, the need for more hospital beds, medical supplies, protective gear for health care workers the list is endless. The Average Joe, which includes most of us, feels helpless. As good citizens, we want to help but how? Add 5. One of the hardest hit segments in most communities is small business the mom-and-pop operations that depend on the Average Joes to help keep them afloat. In many ways, they are the heart and soul of the community. We patronize them regularly for our coffee times and happy hours, for buying clothing and gifts, and for being the center points for community. These are also the endangered species, the most likely to go under if the economy doesnt turn around pretty soon. Trust me General Motors and Amazon and Microsoft will weather this storm. But think about your favorite gathering spot in Mason City, Clear Lake and all of North Iowa. What can we do to help them? Add 5. When we do venture out of our homes, to go to the drive-up window to pick up a cup of coffee, a doughnut or lunch or dinner, why doesnt each of us add $5 to whatever our total bill is? If a business only had 20 customers in a day, that one gesture would add $100 to their coffers. At the end of the day, the business would still be short of what it usually takes in, but the Add 5 would help and it would show them they live in a community that cares. For those who are totally housebound and cannot get out, perhaps you can write a check for $5 and send it to your favorite small business. For those of you who can afford to contribute more than $5, by all means, do so. If any of you think this is a dumb idea, it wont be the first time Ive been accused of that. For the rest of us, the message is simple. Add 5. Silly me. John Skipper retired from the Globe Gazette in February 2018 after 52 years in newspapers, most of that in Mason City covering North Iowa government and politics. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Sligo, with its sensational coastline, and abundance of things to see and do, is the perfect place for a break on the Wild Atlantic Way. If I arrived on Friday, I'd grab a bite at Hooked Restaurant. With beachy, fun decor and local and artisan suppliers, it's at the heart of Sligo's amazing food scene. Then I'd go see a performance at the Hawk's Well Theatre, or check out Sligo's music scene. On Saturday morning, I'd set myself up for the day with breakfast at Lyons Cafe and Bakeshop on Quay Street, whose tearooms have been open since 1926. Then I'd take a walk on Queen Maeve's trail on Knocknarea mountain and take in the views. I'd head to Strandhill beach for lunch at Shells Cafe, and pop next door for ice cream from the award-winning Mammy Johnston's. Then I'd either attempt a surf lesson or relax in the Voya Seaweed Baths - probably the latter! I'd go for dinner on Saturday night at The Driftwood in Rosses Point, and take in the views over Sligo Bay and Oyster Island, and then have a drink at Thomas Connolly's pub. Established in 1861, it's one of Sligo's oldest pubs. Before I head home, I'd have brunch at Knox, and then visit The Model, home to the Niland Collection, which features Irish artists, including Jack B Yeats, with a focus on the northwest of Ireland. Miriam Kennedy is head of the Wild Atlantic Way, Failte Ireland. Over 150 attractions nationwide will be available for free tours on Tourism Day, April 17. See tourismday.ie The Lake County Jail has seven inmates medically isolated for flu-like symptoms as the sheriffs department works to get COVID-19 tests, officials said. As of Friday, coronavirus test kits have not been available to the Lake County Jail and no inmates or staff have been tested, said Pam Jones, spokeswoman for the Lake County Sheriffs Department. We are currently making attempts to acquire COVID-19 test kits for sheriffs department personnel and inmates to help ensure the early detection of this potentially deadly disease and prevent its spread, said Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. We are taking several measures to reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19. We have issued hand sanitizer, sanitizing wipes and masks to corrections officers and medical staff. Over the past few days, organizations in the community have donated some masks. Employees exhibiting flu-like symptoms will be sent home immediately and told to self-quarantine as well as see their health care provider, Jones said. Medical evaluations and health screenings are done on all inmates admitted to Lake County Jail in the booking process. The evaluation includes checking vital signs and screening for symptoms related to the flu and COVID-19. Twenty-five new cases of COVID-19 have been identified in Manitoba since Friday morning, bringing the total number of probable or lab-confirmed cases to 64 as the province prepares to enact new, stricter guidelines on gathering sizes in a bid to slow the spread of the virus. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 28/3/2020 (655 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Twenty-five new cases of COVID-19 have been identified in Manitoba since Friday morning, bringing the total number of probable or lab-confirmed cases to 64 as the province prepares to enact new, stricter guidelines on gathering sizes in a bid to slow the spread of the virus. It was too soon to say whether any of the 25 new cases came through so-called "pop up" community transmission, Manitobas chief public health officer Brent Roussin said at Saturday mornings news briefing. So far, he said, all of the previously identified cases have been linked to travel. Roussin emphasized the significant increase is not surprising, as COVID-19 continues its march across the globe. "These are numbers that we expected to see," he said. "These are the numbers weve been planning all along to see, and we know that were going to expect numbers to increase over time. Were going to see community transmission here in Manitoba. Its what weve been preparing for." One person is now battling the virus in intensive care, Roussin said. He had no further details about that patient. The increase in cases comes as Manitoba is preparing to implement stricter public health orders, which will come into effect at 12:01 a.m. Monday. Public gatherings will now be limited to 10 people, while retail stores and public transit must ensure there is space of one to two metres between people. The 10-person limit applies to places of worship and gatherings such as weddings and funerals. It does not apply to health-care facilities or social service providers, such as child-care centres and homeless shelters. These changes, along with Manitobans adherence to physical distancing, can help contain COVID-19, Roussin stressed. "This is not the time for fear," Roussin said. "This is the time for knowledge. Its the time for credible information. And its time for action. So if you havent been able to implement those social distancing strategies yet, start today. Its not too late. We can interrupt the transmission starting today if everyone starts doing their part." Meanwhile, Manitoba is still working to get a handle on a mountain of COVID-19 tests and notifications. On Friday, 919 tests for COVID-19 were processed, bringing the total number of completed tests to 7,147. New screening sites opened Friday in Portage la Prairie and Eriksdale, which tested 19 and six people respectively. In addition, the new Pine Falls site tested 18 people in advance of its official opening on Monday. Chief nursing officer Lanette Siragusa stressed that these are not walk-in locations. Testing in Manitoba is done via referral only. Any person concerned about their exposure to or risk of having COVID-19 should call Health Links at 204-788-8200, or toll-free at 1-888-315-9257 to see if a test is required. Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba's chief public health officer, delivers a COVID-19 update at the Manitoba legislature.(John Woods / The Canadian Press files) Siragusa also described how the province is making progress clearing a large notification backlog for negative tests, after enlisting laboratory company Dynacare to help handle making calls. While positive tests were given priority for notification, those with negative results waited days just to learn they didnt have the virus. With Dynacare taking over some of that backlog on Friday, 800 Manitobans were informed of their negative results, Siragusa said. She added that those still waiting for results can expect a call on Monday. Some Manitobans have found their lives disrupted by the slow pace of notifications. After returning from a trip to the U.S. early this month, one Winnipeg health-care worker began a 14-day quarantine. When she developed mild flu symptoms, she was referred for testing at the Access Fort Garry site on March 19, and was initially told she would receive results within four days. Saturday nine days later a call confirmed her test was negative. On Saturday, the provincial NDP called for greater transparency from the province around testing. Specifically, the opposition is asking the province to publicly report how many swabs have been taken and tests completed at each screening site, and to report on the number of tests in queue to be processed. "Testing plays an important part in our ability to flatten the curve," NDP leader Wab Kinew said in a statement. "When armed with all the information they need, Manitobans will feel better about their health, and the health of our own communities." Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Elsewhere in Canada, there are some early signs of hope. The jump in Manitoba comes one day after British Columbia released new internal data showing that its mitigation strategies, including physical distancing, may be showing success at flattening the curve of the viruss spread from an average 24 per cent daily increase to 12 per cent as of March 21. The two provinces are at very different places in the epidemics spread. B.C. recorded its first case of COVID-19 in January, and has documented community transmission since the first week of March. But its models could offer an encouraging sign that efforts to slow the spread of the virus can work. Roussin said Manitoba hopes to have similar projections to show Manitobans in the coming weeks. "We are working on that, and we will try to get something together," he said. "All along weve had early statistical analyses done... We have partners at the national level helping us." melissa.martin@freepress.mb.ca Good Morning, welcome to Information Nigerias Newspaper headlines for today, 29th March 2020. Here are the major headlines. Benue state government has confirmed its first case of the COVID-19. The governor, Samuel Ortom, who confirmed this to newsmen today March 28, said the index case is a lady, Susan Okpe, who recently returned from the UK. He said she is presently undergoing treatment. Health Minister, NCDC DG Gives Briefing To Buhari The whereabouts of President Muhammadu Buhari has no doubt raised a lot of highbrow in the last few days with many calling in him to do a national broadcast as the nation fights the coronavirus pandemic. Ministers Donates 50% Of Salaries To Fight Coronavirus Lai Mohammed Nigerias minister for culture and information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed says the 43 ministers of the nation have forfeited 50 percent of the March salaries to the cause of fighting coronavirus. Coronavirus: US Moves To Evacuate Citizens In Nigeria The US government has revealed plans to evacuate its citizens in Nigeria despite airport closures due to the coronavirus outbreak. The US Embassy and Consulate in Nigeria made this known on Friday evening through a notice titled Health Alert: US Mission in Nigeria. Enugu State Closes Borders After Recording First Case In The East The Enugu State Government has announced the closure of its borders and markets, just after two cases of coronavirus were confirmed in the state. Coronavirus: Oyo State Imposes Dusk To Dawn Curfew Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, has on Friday ordered a dusk to dawn curfew in a bid to halt the spread of coronavirus across the state. Nigeria Will Go Into Recession Of Coronavirus Persists Beyond Six Months Nigerias Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, has predicted that the country will go into recession if the Coronavirus pandemic continues longer than six months. Stay-At-Home Order Lagos Provides Stimulus Package For Residents Governor of Lagos, Babajide Sanwo-Olu says the state will provide economic stimulus package to residents as part of efforts to cushion the effect of the stay-at-home directive. Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has expressed his appreciation to President Muhammadu Buhari for approving a 1 billion Naira grant for his state towards the fight against coronavirus. Buhari Appreciates Atiku, Others For Contributions Against Coronavirus President Muhammadu Buhari has released a statement commending his rival and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), Atiku Abubakar and a host of others following their contribution over the fight against coronavirus The S&P 500 fell more than 30% in only 30 days, one of the sharpest and quickest market declines in the past half-century. Market drops of 30% are rare things -- they've happened only about once every eight years over the past 50 years. It's part of my investing plan to take advantage of these rare opportunities, and I've acted quickly and aggressively to buy. Here are 15 stocks I have bought during the crash: Company Price Change From 2020 Peak Visa NYSE:V) (21%) American Express NYSE:AXP) (31%) Wells Fargo NYSE:WFC) (42%) SVB Financial Group NASDAQ:SIVB) (37%) U.S. Bancorp NYSE:USB) (38%) Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son NYSE:NTB) (53%) First Solar NASDAQ:FSLR) (37%) Brookfield Infrastructure Partners NYSE:BIP) (30%) Atlantica Yield NASDAQ:AY) (31%) Clearway Energy NYSE:CWEN.A) (17%) Terraform Power NASDAQ:TERP) (25%) Telaria NYSE:TLRA) (54%) Alphabet NASDAQ:GOOGL) (24%) CareTrust REIT NASDAQ:CTRE) (31%) Ryman Hospitality Properties NYSE:RHP) (62%) So, even with the market having recovered some of its losses in the past few days, all 15 still represent a discount to their pre-crash prices. Let's take a closer look at why I bought them. This isn't 2008 This is not the same situation as we saw in 2008 through 2010. The increased capital requirements implemented after the global financial crisis mean most banks have far stronger balance sheets than a decade ago. Sure, a few will probably still fail -- it happens every recession -- but the implications are completely different. So there's less risk. There's also enormous value. American Express, N.T. Butterfield, U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo, and SVB Financial Group have seen their valuations plummet: I know what many of you are thinking: P/E ratio is useless right now! Their earnings are going to fall! Yes, that's probably true. However, 2019's results are still a good benchmark for the level of earnings these banks should generate in a normal, non-global-pandemic-that's-crashing-the-economy environment. And that means there is enormous value to be had for anyone willing to buy now and hold through what could be a very sharp recession. I've added -- or added to -- all five in the past few weeks. The "war on cash" has a new viral ally I don't want it to seem like I'm making light of the impact of COVID-19 on so many people and families, but the spread of this contagious disease is changing how a lot of people pay for things. Despite the growth of electronic payments in recent years, cash is still king in global payments. COVID-19 won't completely upend cash, but millions of people are having to adapt to restrictions on personal interactions, and that's pushing more commerce online and encouraging people to use touchless payments. Visa will be a big beneficiary of that in the long run. Today, investors are hyperfocused on the next few months, erasing about a year's worth of gains for Visa shareholders. That's an excellent entry point for someone looking to own the company for many years. Businesses built for downturns I've had trouble understanding why this group of stocks has declined over the past month: In every market crash, there are certain stocks that get unnecessarily beaten down by investors looking to sell anything and everything. Atlantica Yield, Brookfield Infrastructure, Clearway Energy, and Terraform Power meet that description. They own renewable power generation, water supply systems, gas and electricity transmission systems, and other kinds of critical infrastructure. These are the things people rely on no matter the economic environment. While other investors sold off great businesses with cash flows that could prove reliable even during a downturn, I moved quickly to load up on them all. A fortress of a balance sheet and a bright future The solar panel industry goes through regular and somewhat abrupt cycles. Demand can be especially up and down in the utility-scale sector, where First Solar is a leader. It's also the kind of high-growth, relatively volatile business that adds even more volatility to stock prices, and that's led to First Solar being a particularly hard-hit stock, down more than 36% in 2020 as of this writing. And I think it's fallen into deep-value territory as a result. The company has a long track record of generating positive cash, and looks likely to continue with that track record in the years to come as demand for solar power increases and the company moves beyond a 2019 that required significant spending to upgrade to its newest products. At recent prices, the market values First Solar at $3.6 billion. That's for its entire solar business, which has averaged about $500 million in operating cash flows over the past decade and $1.8 billion in net cash. That's a bargain-basement price, so I backed up the truck. 2 top stocks driving the future of advertising At this writing, Alphabet and Telaria have seen their shares fall 24% and 54%, respectively. There's little I can write about Alphabet that hasn't already been written, but the reason I bought was plain and simple: I've never bought nearly as much of it as I have wanted, and I wasn't about to let the recent market crash pass by without making it a bigger piece of my portfolio. Moreover, it has more than $120 billion in cash and equivalents, meaning that it has enormous resources to ride out a likely downturn in ad spending this year and to act aggressively if management sees opportunities to invest during the next year. Telaria is a speck of a company compared to Alphabet, but it's also a leader in the world of advertising. While Alphabet and its investors have seen enormous gains from the growth in ad revenue on the internet, Telaria is primed for the next shift, away from cable and broadcast TV to streaming and connected TV platforms. With its upcoming merger with The Rubicon Project moving ahead quickly, Telaria could prove one of the best growth stocks to own over the next decade. I was able to pick up shares for 60% off the 2020 high; at recent prices it's still down by half. Some risk, a lot of reward In general, real estate investment trusts, or REITs, are considered to be on the safer side of stocks. That's because their values are underpinned by the properties they own, and the steady cash flows they generate. Fast-forward to 2020, two kinds of real estate nobody wants to own are nursing homes and hotels. As a result, that has sent shares of CareTrust REIT (skilled nursing and retirement properties) and Ryman Hospitality Properties (hotels) down hard and fast: Even after rallying sharply over the past week, they're still down 31% and 62%, respectively, since late February. It's easy to see why investors are worried about Ryman Hospitality. The company counts on about 70% of its bookings from groups, including convention business that probably won't begin to recover this year. Moreover, Ryman has suspended operations at all five of its properties, so it will earn essentially no revenue for some time to come. But with almost $1 billion in cash and liquidity, it isn't at significant risk of insolvency, for at least a few quarters, and would likely be able to secure additional liquidity if needed: Its Gaylord Hotels are some of the most valuable convention and leisure properties outside Las Vegas. Investors have been scared out of CareTrust along with many of its skilled nursing peers due to a large number of deaths at nursing homes from COVID-19 in Washington state. As a result, one of the best-run REITs out there is trading at a bargain price, and paying a dividend (it was just increased 11% on March 12) that yields over 6% at recent prices. I've more than doubled my investment in CareTrust in the past three weeks, and it's on my list of stocks to consider buying more of if it remains so beaten down. While investors see a lot of risk, I see an important business with a massive tailwind for growth in the years ahead. You haven't missed out History makes it clear that investors who seize on rare 30% market drops come out far ahead in the long term. I'm not expecting any quick gains -- frankly, there's a good chance we could see stocks fall again in the weeks ahead as COVID-19 cases continue to rise and the full economic impacts become more apparent. But even if every one of these 15 stocks is cheaper in a week or a month, I am fully confident that five years or a decade from now, today's prices should prove to be absolute bargains. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 21:09:35|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close Lusaka, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Zambia on Sunday recorded one new COVID-19 case, bringing the total number of cases to 29. The new case is part of the matrix of people who traveled to Pakistan recently. Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya said the Ministry of Health conducted 50 tests from suspected cases in the last 24 hours where the new Lusaka-based man tested positive. Meanwhile, one of the patients who is among the quarantined patients has become extremely ill. The Zambian minister said the patient has an underlying respiratory disorder and had recently traveled to Pakistan and South Africa. He noted that the pandemic was vicious and requires concreted efforts from all stakeholders. OTTAWA Peter MacKay is self-isolating. The presumptive front-runner in the Conservative leadership campaign had sought to avoid this, keeping himself separate from his family after they returned from a holiday in Mexico and they then entered into isolation per Canadas rules to prevent spread of the COVID-19 virus. According to his camp, Nazanin Afshin-Jam MacKay and their three children travelled to Mexico on March 10, before any travel restrictions were in place, and returned on March 18. His leadership team said Sunday that he had kept his distance from his family in the intervening days. Mr. MacKay temporarily moved to a hotel prior to his family returning from their vacation. This was done so that Mr. MacKay could continue with a digital campaign which required some staff to be on-site (all followed public health officials social distancing guidelines), wrote Jordan Paquet, a spokesperson for the MacKay campaign, on Sunday. After the Conservative Party suspended the leadership race, MacKay, 54, returned back to the family home. Mr. MacKay returned home on Friday and will remain at the home with his family for the duration of their 14-day isolation period, Paquet wrote. Prior to returning home of Friday, he stopped for some needed groceries and has not left the property since. MacKay, a longtime MP and former cabinet minister under prime minister Stephen Harper, had been urging party officials to move forward with the leadership contests schedule, with a vote slated for June 27. But late Thursday night, the partys leadership election committee determined the party could not properly administer its leadership race. Iranian medical workers and global public health experts say it is not possible to determine exactly how much U.S. sanctions have affected Irans capacity to fight a virus that by official counts has infected more than 35,000 Iranians and killed at least 2,500 some estimates put the toll far higher while spawning outbreaks in other countries. But they say it is clear that the Iranian health-care system is being deprived of equipment necessary to save lives and prevent wider infection. NASA has tapped SpaceX as the first provider of space-based logistics to deliver experiment materials, cargo and supplies to its lunar Gateway, the agency announced on Friday. This means SpaceX will be among the companies that NASA can turn to when it needs things shuttled via spaceship between Earth and this forthcoming platform, which will orbit the Moon and provide a staging ground for future crewed Moon missions. The contract means that SpaceX will play a key role in not only NASA's forthcoming Artemis Moon missions, which will eventually seek to establish a permanent scientific human lunar presence, but that it also will be involved as NASA begins to work toward extending its reach to Mars, as well. NASA plans to launch multiple cargo supply missions to the Gateway, which has yet to be constructed, with spacecraft designed to go to the station and remain there for between six and 12 months at a time. The total value of these contracts will top out at a maximum of $7 billion for the entire contract, with a guaranteed minimum of two missions per provider. Other providers will likely be selected, but SpaceX is the first company to be signed by NASA under the agreement. SpaceX is already contracted by NASA to deliver regular supply runs to the International Space Station in Earth orbit using its Dragon cargo spacecraft. SpaceX is going to be launching a new variant of its Dragon spacecraft called the "Dragon XL" in order to support these missions, and they will be able to carry more than five metric tons to the Moon-orbiting station. They'll use SpaceX's existing Falcon Heavy craft to launch from Earth for the trip. In terms of timing, we'll likely have to wait a while for the first of these missions to actually take off: While the current plan is to launch the first module for the station as early as 2022, it'll likely only be a few years after that that the station is in any shape to receive regular cargo runs. The Centre on Sunday ordered state governments to place the thousands of migrant workers who are heading home in state-run quarantine facilities for 14 days to ensure that they do not take the coronavirus disease home. Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba and Home Secretary , who held a meeting with top bureaucrats of states, said there had been movement of migrant workers in some parts of the country. For the future, Gauba told the states to strictly enforce the lockdown and seal the borders. As for the migrant workers who are already on their way home, the Centre has ordered state governments to place all of them under government-run quarantine facilities so that they do not spread the coronavirus disease, or Covid-19. District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police would be held personally responsible for enforcement of directions issued to them under the Disaster Management Act, a central government statement said. People familiar with the developments said this warning was aimed at sending a clear message to DMs and SPs that the ball was in their court to set systems in place to ensure that the migrant workers were kept in isolation and to make arrangements for their stay and lodging for the quarantine period. Detailed instructions on monitoring of such persons during quarantine have been issued to states, the statement said. Migrant workers, many of them daily wage earners have lost work and means of sustenance, in cities. There have been reports from many parts of the country how some of them had marched back home in the absence of public transport. Yesterday, tens of thousands of them reached the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border in east Delhi after the Yogi Adityanath government made arrangements for their travel. As images of thousands of workers crowding the bus stations were beamed on television through Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had even dialled Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to take steps. Kejriwal told the PM that he had appealed to them to stay back and promised to take care of their needs but it hadnt worked. The home ministry, simultaneously, asked all states and Union territories to take immediate steps to provide temporary accommodation, food, clothing and medical care to homeless people and migrant workers stranded due to the lockdown. The states were also allowed to tap the State Disaster Response Fund to pay for temporary accommodation, food and medical care of the migrants during the three-week lockdown. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who focused on the challenges posed by the disease, did not directly mention the migrant workers but underscored that people should not be under any misconception that they had to adhere to the lockdown for someone elses sake but their own. A projectile is fired during DPRK's missile tests in this undated picture released by DPRK's Central News Agency (KCNA) on Nov 28, 2019. [Photo/Agencies] SEOUL -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) fired two short-range unidentified projectiles into the eastern waters on Sunday, according to the Republic of Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The JCS said in a statement that the projectiles, believed to be short-range ballistic missiles, were launched near the DPRK's eastern coastal town of Wonsan toward the East Sea at about 6:10 am local time. The projectiles flew about 230 km at an altitude of around 30 km. The intelligence authorities of ROK and the United States are making a precision analysis on further details, the JCS noted. It was the DPRK's fourth launch of the projectiles this year. The latest test-firing was conducted on March 21. The JCS urged the DPRK to immediately stop such military acts that are very inappropriate, adding that the ROK's military maintained a defense posture while closely monitoring relevant situations in preparation for possibly additional launches. March 29 is National Vietnam War Veterans Day. More than 58,000 Americans died in the Vietnam War - between South Vietnam and the communist North Vietnam. The United States became involved in November 1955. The war continued until April 30, 1975 - the fall of Saigon. The Vietnam War bitterly divided Americans. American military men in South Viet Namthere are some 14,000 there as adviser to the nations armed forces are fighting, August 22, 1963. this type of war against communist infiltration from the north. The Kennedy administration feels victory will come in the Guerrilla war but is worried that bad government in Saigon Highlighted by Buddhist - Government conflict may reverse the tide. (AP Photo)AP The Vietnam War was a long, costly and divisive conflict that pitted the communist government of North Vietnam against South Vietnam and its principal ally, the United States. The conflict was intensified by the ongoing Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, according to history.com. Protests against the war were common. In October of 1967 about 35,000 people joined a protest outside the Pentagon. According to history.com, a protest on Nov. 15, 1969, was the largest anti-war demonstration in American history in Washington, D.C. More than 250,000 Americans gathered to support the withdrawal of American troops from Vietnam. U.S. door gunners in H-21 Shawnee gunships look for a suspected Viet Cong guerrilla who ran to a foxhole from the sampan on the Mekong Delta river bank, Jan. 17, 1964. The U.S. provided air support during a South Vietnamese offensive in the Mekong Delta. (AP Photo/Horst Faas)AP Major battles of the Vietnam War included: The Battle of Ia Drang, Nov. 14-18, 1965. Battle of Khe Sanh, Jan. 21-April 9, 1968 Tet Offensive, Jan. 30-March 28, 1968 Hamburger Hill, May 10-20, 1969 National Vietnam War Veterans Day was established in 2017 with The Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act. The commemoration makes no distinction between veterans who served in-country, in-theater, or were stationed elsewhere during those 20 years. A rose left by a visitor lies against the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 2, 1992. (AP Photo/Greg Gibson)ASSOCIATED PRESS Ground was broken for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., on March 26, 1982. The memorial is north of the Lincoln Memorial near the intersection of 22nd St. and Constitution Ave. NW. The Three Servicemen statue, at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, which was unveiled after it underwent six weeks of restoration work, is seen, Thursday, July 8, 2010. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)ASSOCIATED PRESS The memorial wall includes the names of more than 58,000 servicemen and women who gave their lives in service in the Vietnam War. The memorial also includes The Three Servicemen statue and the Vietnam Womens Memorial. The memorial was dedicated on Veterans Day in 1982. Diane Carlson Evans, creator of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, left, hugs fellow Vietnam veterans during the dedication ceremony for the statue, Nov. 11, 1993, in Washington. (AP Photo/Greg Gibson)AP Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. Yoenis Cespedes hit his first major-league home run in his second game with the As, Bartolo Colon earned the win in his Oakland debut and the As salvaged a split of their season-opening two-game series against Seattle in Tokyo with a 4-1 decision March 29, 2012. With the Mariners leading 1-0 with two outs and a man aboard in the seventh, Cespedes took Shawn Kelley deep to left-center. Josh Reddick followed Cespedes with another home run and Jonny Gomes also hit a solo shot in the eighth. Anthony Fauci said Sunday that officials had to convince Donald Trump not to impose a quarantine on parts of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut after the U.S. death toll from coronavirus doubled to more than 2,000 over the weekend. The top immunologist at National Institutes of Health told CNN that officials had a 'very intense discussion' with the president at the White House Saturday night against quarantining. 'After discussions with the President we made it clear and he agreed, it would be much better to do what's called a strong advisory,' Fauci told State of the Union's Jake Tapper Sunday morning. 'The reason for that is you don't want to get to the point that you're enforcing things that would create a bigger difficulty, morale and otherwise, when you could probably accomplish the same goal,' Fauci, who serves on the White House coronavirus task force, continued. Anthony Fauci said Sunday Donald Trump only decided against quarantining New York City's tri-state area after 'very intense discussions' at the White House Saturday night. 'After discussions with the President we made it clear and he agreed, it would be much better to do what's called a strong advisory' Trump, who was previously considering a full quarantine of New York and parts of New Jersey and Connecticut, said Saturday he instead was issuing a travel advisory Dr. Anthony Fauci says President Trump opted not to impose a quarantine on parts of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut after "very intensive discussions" at the White House. #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/p3MUGW1GYU State of the Union (@CNNSotu) March 29, 2020 Even though Fauci admitted that about 56 per cent of the nation's new coronavirus infections are coming from around New York City, he still doesn't feel a total quarantine of the area would be the best move. Trump backed down from attempting to quarantine New York and instead ordered a travel advisory. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued the advisory late on Saturday. 'Due to extensive community transmission of COVID -19 in the area, CDC urges residents of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to refrain from non-essential domestic travel for 14 days effective immediately,' the advisory recommended. The orders do not apply to employees of critical infrastructure industries, 'including but not limited to trucking, public health professionals, financial services, and food supply,' the CDC said. The agency said that the governors of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut will have 'full discretion' on whether to implement the advisory or not.On Saturday night, Trump backed down from his threat to impose a quarantine on the Tri-state area after New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the proposal to the limit the spread of coronavirus would be tantamount to a 'federal declaration of war'. 'On the recommendation of the White House CoronaVirus Task Force, and upon consultation with the Governor's of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, I have asked the [CDC] to issue a strong Travel Advisory, to be administered by the Governors, in consultation with the Federal Government,' Trump tweeted on Saturday from the White House. 'A quarantine will not be necessary. Full details will be released by CDC tonight. Thank you!' he continued. On Saturday night, confirmed cases of coronavirus hit 123,788 and deaths surpassed 2,100 nationwide, with 672 deaths in New York City alone. 'If you start walling off areas all across the country it would just be totally bizarre, counter-productive, anti-American, anti-social,' said New York governor Andrew Cuomo in an interview with CNN on Saturday Trump had said earlier on Saturday that he was considering quarantining 'heavily infected' New York, and parts of Connecticut and New Jersey, in a desperate effort to slow the spread of coronavirus. Within hours, Cuomo blasted the proposal in strong terms. 'If you start walling off areas all across the country it would just be totally bizarre, counter-productive, anti-American, anti-social,' said Cuomo in an interview with CNN on Saturday evening. 'This is a civil war kind of discussion,' Cuomo said of the proposal. 'I don't believe that any administration could be serious about physical lockdowns of states.' Cuomo said that it would probably be illegal to quarantine New York, as well as totally ineffective, given the rise of other virus hotspots in the country such as New Orleans. 'It makes absolutely no sense and I don't think any serious governmental personality or professional would support it,' Cuomo said. Trump's earlier proposed quarantine would have restricted travel to and from the three states, which are some of the hardest-hit by the outbreak, as it emerged that 209 people died in New York state in the last 24 hours. New York state now has at least 53,399 confirmed cases, nearly half the national total of more than 123,000. In New York City alone, there are 30,765 confirmed cases, and there have been at least 672 deaths. 'Some people would like to see New York quarantined because it's a hotspot New York, New Jersey maybe one or two other places, certain parts of Connecticut quarantined. I'm thinking about that right now,' he said Saturday. 'We might not have to do it but there's a possibility that sometime today we'll do a quarantine - short term - two weeks for New York, probably New Jersey, certain parts of Connecticut.' Trump said his proposed quarantine would be 'short-term' but that it would be 'enforceable'. The president dismissed the idea that he would need to deploy the National Guard to ensure residents comply with the quarantine rules. 'We're not going to need that,' he said. 'We're looking at it and will be making a decision. A lot of the states that are infected - they've asked me if I'd look at it so we're going to look at it. Maybe for a short period of time,' Trump said. 'It would be for a short time' for parts of New York, Connecticut and New Jersey, he said. However when asked if he would shut down the New York City subway he said: 'No we wouldn't do that.' Cuomo said he had spoken with Trump earlier Saturday and the two had not discussed a possible quarantine. The governors of New Jersey and Connecticut also said that they had not spoken with Trump about a potential quarantine. It was not clear whether Trump would be able to block road, air and sea travel out of a region that serves as the economic engine of the eastern United States, accounting for 10 percent of the population and 12 percent of GDP. Some states have already imposed limits. New Yorkers arriving in Texas, Florida and Rhode Island face orders to self-isolate if they intend to stay. Trump speaks in front of the US Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort at Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk, Virginia, Saturday. He said he is considering quarantining New York and parts of Connecticut and New Jersey in a desperate effort to slow the spread of coronavirus An elderly patient is wheeled into the emergency entrance to Elmhurst Hospital Center in New York on Saturday A medical worker prepares to reenter a COVID-19 testing tent set up outside Elmhurst Hospital Center in New York on Saturday. The hospital is caring for a high number of coronavirus patients in the city, and New York leads the nation in cases A man wears a face mask while he visits Times Square as rain falls on Saturday in New York City. Trump said on March 28, 2020 that he's considering a short-term quarantine of New York state, New Jersey, and parts of Connecticut A map shows which parts of New York City have had the highest rates of positive test results for coronavirus The Rhode Island National Guard started going door to door on Saturday in coastal areas to inform any New Yorkers who may have come to the state that they must self-quarantine for 14 days. Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo also expanded the mandatory self-quarantine to anyone visiting the state. Raimondo also ordered residents to stay at home, with exceptions for getting food, medicines or going to the doctor, and ordered nonessential retail businesses to close Monday until April 13 to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. She also directed realtors and hotel operators to include new requirements that any out-of-state residents must quarantine for 14 days in their purchase agreements. State Police set up a checkpoint on I-95 in Hope Valley on Friday where drivers with New York license plates must stop and provide contact information and were told to self-quarantine for two weeks. A sign in Rhode Island instructs motorists with New York license plates to pull over at a checkpoint on I-95 over the border with Connecticut on Saturday. Rhode Island's governor ordered the military-style checkpoints A member of the Rhode Island National Guard Military Police directs a motorist with New York license plates at a checkpoint on I-95 near the border with Connecticut on Saturday. All New York motorists must register and self-quarantine In Rhode Island on Saturday, drivers with New York license plates must stop and provide contact information and were told to self-quarantine for two weeks after entering the state If New Yorkers don't comply, they face fines and jail time, Raimondo said, adding that that's not the goal. 'I want to be crystal clear about this: If you're coming to Rhode Island from New York you are ordered into quarantine. The reason for that is because more than half of the cases of coronavirus in America are in New York,' Raimondo said, adding that it's not meant to be discriminatory. The governors of Pennsylvania and West Virginia have also asked visiting New Yorkers to voluntarily self-quarantine. New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu on Saturday asked all visitors to his state who don't come for work reasons to voluntarily self-quarantine. Trump said any New York-area lockdown would only apply to people leaving the region. It would not cover truckers making deliveries or driving through the area, he said. U.S. law gives the president the authority to restrict travel between states, legal experts said. But he would not be able to enlist local police to set up checkpoints along state lines, and it would be difficult to determine who would be allowed to get through, said Louisiana State University law professor Edward Richards. 'The logistics of deciding who is an essential person or essential cargo could shut down the ability to transport essential personnel and supplies,' he said. Even if it were possible, a New York-area lockdown might have come too late for the rest of the country. The number of coronavirus patients in California hospitals increased by more than one-third overnight, Governor Gavin Newsom said. Officials in Louisiana, where Mardi Gras celebrations late last month in New Orleans fueled an outbreak, reported 17 additional deaths and 569 new cases on Saturday. The disease has proven most fatal among the elderly, but Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker said on Saturday that an infant had died in his state. NYC healthcare workers warn of dire shortages of protective gear and equipment New York City healthcare workers are appealing for more protective gear and equipment as they face a surge of patients. Doctors are also especially concerned about a shortage of ventilators, breathing machines needed for those suffering from COVID-19, the pneumonia-like respiratory ailment caused by the highly contagious novel coronavirus. Hospitals have also sounded the alarm about scarcities of drugs, oxygen tanks and trained staff. On Saturday, nurses protested outside the Jacobi Medical Center in New York, saying supervisors asked them to reuse their masks, putting their own health at risk. A nurse demonstrates along with others outside the emergency entrance to Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx on Saturday, where some nurses say they don't have enough personal protective equipment and have forced to reuse theirs The city leads the nation in the number of coronavirus cases. Nurses at Jacobi and across the city say they are having to reuse their protective equipment, endangering patients and themselves Nurses demonstrated on Saturday demanding resupply of personal protective equipment (PPE) in New York City One medical trainee at New York Presbyterian Hospital said they were given just one mask. 'It's not the people who are making these decisions that go into the patients' rooms,' said the trainee, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Inside the city's hospitals, stretched to their limits by the crisis, healthcare workers faced unspeakable scenes of suffering and death. 'Hell. Biblical. I kid you not. People come in, they get intubated, they die, the cycle repeats,' said Dr Steve Kassapidis of Mount Sinai Queens, in an interview with Sky News. '9/11 was nothing compared to this, we were open waiting for patients to come who never came. Now they just keep coming.' FDNY officials are strongly urging New Yorkers to call 911 only if they are having urgent emergencies, such as heart troubles or problems breathing. 'Please allow first responders to assist those most in need. Only call 911 if you need help right away,' the department said in a statement. On both Thursday and Friday, another 85 people died of the virus here, or an average of one New Yorker every 17 minutes. How did COVID 19 begin and spread all over the world? By Prof. Shanthi Mendis MD, FRCP,FACC View(s): View(s): The world is in the grip of a pandemic caused by a new virus. It began when a large number of cases of unexplained pneumonia (lung infection) were detected in Wuhan, in Chinas Hubei province. China first reported it to the World Health Organisation (WHO), on December 31, 2019. The new virus belonged to the Coronavirus (CoV) family. This virus proved to be very contagious and quickly spread to other countries. By the end of January 2020, it had spread to 18 countries with four of them reporting human-to-human transmission. On January 30, 2020, as per the International Health Regulations (IHR, 2005), the outbreak was declared by the WHO a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Within a few weeks, by March 2020, number of COVID-19 cases outside China increased more than tenfold and more than 118,000 cases were reported in 114 countries and over 4,000 deaths. On March 11, WHO declared it a pandemic What is this new virus? Where did it come from? Corona viruses (CoVs) have become major causative organisms of emerging respiratory disease outbreaks. They cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to pneumonia. In 2012, the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Corona virus (MERS-CoV) was identified in Saudi Arabia. It was responsible for about 2,500 cases and 800 deaths. The new virus responsible for the current pandemic, is called the SARS-CoV-2, as it is very similar to the one that caused the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV) in 2002 to 2003. Despite the similarity, SARS-CoV2 is more deadly than SARS-CoV due to mutation. Corona virus is so named because it has a crown of spikes on its surface (see figure). Corona viruses are a large family of single-stranded RNA viruses that can be isolated in people and in different species of animals, including bats, camels, cattle and cats. For reasons yet to be explained, animal coronaviruses can infect people and then spread between people. This is what happened with this new virus (SARS-CoV-2) as well as with MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV. Although the exact dynamics of SARS-Cov-2 are yet unknown, all three viruses probably originated from bats and moved on to other mammalian hosts before jumping to humans. The SARS outbreak of 2003 was traced to a wet market in the Guangdong Province in China. At that time the Chinese government imposed a temporary ban on wet markets and the wild-animal industry which was lifted later that year. After the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan the Chinese Government again issued an edict banning the countrys wet markets. Such markets are found in many other countries posing a major public health risk. To reduce these risks, consolidated and coordinated global and national efforts are necessary to ban illegal wildlife markets and trade. How does the SARS-CoV-2 virus infect you and make you ill? The virus is carried in the secretions of an infected person and often it contaminates their hands. If an infected person coughs or sneezes the virus is transmitted in the breath in droplets to another person, if that person is less than about 3 feet away. Infected people transmit the virus to surfaces and objects they touch. The virus enters cells by attaching to docking stations known as ACE-2 receptors. These receptors are found on the surface of cells of many organs including blood vessels, lungs, heart and kidney. Once the virus enters the human cells it takes over the cell machinery and uses it to make thousands of virus particles. A person infected with this virus may experience fever, tiredness, headache, runny nose, cough and breathing difficulty. As ACE-2 receptors are abundant in the lungs, they get infected readily and become scarred and malfunctional causing acute breathing difficulties. Such patients may require treatment in intensive care units. As shown in figures, chest X ray and CT scan of lung of COVID-19 patients may show ground glass opacities. The case studies of Li et al. published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) on January 29, 2020, provides information on the first 425 cases recorded in Wuhan. As reported, the clinical spectrum of COVID-19 varies from asymptomatic or mild symptomatic forms to clinical conditions characterised by respiratory failure that necessitates mechanical ventilation and support in an intensive care unit (ICU), to multiorgan failure and septic shock. About half the cases of critical patients had pre-existing conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer. Overall 2.3% of confirmed cases died but in elderly patients, in particular those aged 80 or above death rates were about five fold higher. Anyone can get infected with COVID-2. The following conditions make people more vulnerable to COVID-19 infection: The elderly Cardiovascular disease or diabetes Chronic respiratory disease including asthma Cancer There is a possibility that certain blood pressure lowering medicines e.g. ACE-inhibitors and angiotensin receptor inhibitor drugs may amplify COVID-19 severity. However, at present international cardiology bodies strongly recommend that patients stay on current antihypertensive therapies. How can you to control and prevent spread ? There is a lot of good advice and guidance in this regard including from the World Health Organisation and the Ministry of Health (//www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public). In summary there are five key advice to the public: 1. Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth as hands may pick up viruses from contaminated surfaces and transfer the virus to your body through your eyes, nose or mouth. 2. Frequently wash your hands taking at least 20 seconds, with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand rub to kill viruses that may be on your hands. 3. Maintain at least 3 feet distance between yourself and others because sneezing and coughing may spray liquid droplets from their nose or mouth which may contain the virus. 4. Avoid gatherings as much as possible and if you are going to a crowded place wear a face mask covering your nose and mouth. 5. If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical care early and follow the directions of your local health authority. What is on the horizon to control COVID-19? Currently, no approved vaccines exist to prevent infection with SARS-CoV-2. Scientists are racing to come up with an effective vaccine. One such research effort is a Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating an investigational vaccine designed to protect against COVID-19, which is ongoing at Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute in Seattle. The National Institutes of Health, is funding the trial. The open-label trial will enrol 45 healthy adult volunteers and the results are expected to be available in a few months. The WHO has just launched a global megatrial of the four most promising coronavirus treatments. An experimental antiviral compound called remdesivir; the malaria medications chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine; a combination of two HIV drugs, lopinavir and ritonavir; and that same combination plus interferon-beta, an immune system messenger that can help cripple viruses. According to WHO, enrolling subjects in the trial from anywhere in the world will be easy. When a confirmed case of COVID-19 is deemed eligible, the physician can enter the patients data into a WHO website, including any underlying condition that could change the course of the disease, such as diabetes. The participant has to sign an informed consent form that is scanned and sent to WHO electronically. After the physician states which drugs are available, the website will randomize the patient to one of the drugs available or to the local standard care for COVID-19. Physicians will record the day the patient left the hospital or died, the duration of the hospital stay, and whether the patient required oxygen or ventilation. Impact of good political leadership and solidarity on the progress of the pandemic The outbreak is progressing at different speeds in different countries, depending on demographics and other factors. As recommended by WHO all countries need to work to 1. prepare and be ready; 2. detect, protect and treat; 3 reduce transmission; and 4. innovate and learn, while protecting vulnerable people. Many countries are following this guidance and taking bold actions. Some countries have declared a state of emergency, and some form of lockdown order, shutting down schools and virtually closing airports. In Sri Lanka, the Government, the Ministry of Health, the police and the armed forces under the able leadership of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, have taken laudable and timely measures to detect, protect, treat while reducing transmission. In this regard, the leadership of certain other countries should be held accountable for not taking adequate steps to protect their citizens and limit the spread of the disease outside their boundaries. In the days and months to come the WHO will have a central role to play due to its core global functions of establishing, monitoring and enforcing international norms and standards, and coordinating multiple actors toward common goals. One hopes that achieving this very important global mission of WHO will not be hampered by recent short-sighted budget cuts. These are unprecedented times. Everyone in society has a role to play: to take precautions not to be infected yourself, and if infected, to protect others. The virus can be pushed back only by solidarity within communities and within and in between nations. The whole world has to work together in a harmonised manner to outlive this pandemic. The writer is a former Senior Adviser, World Health Organization, Geneva, for 20 years and former Professor of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Peradeniya) Up to 6.5million Australians are set to get a one-off $750 payment on Tuesday in a bid to ward off a looming recession brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. The payments will go to anyone already receiving income support and the first part of the Government's two-part $17.6 billion stimulus package announced on March 12 as COVID-19 began to sweep through Australia. They include pensioners, veterans, Job seekers (Newstart), Youth Allowance recipients and more. The money will start hitting bank accounts starting Tuesday, with a second $750 payment for welfare recipients and pensioners coming in July. Those who are entitled to the benefit and who don't receive the money in their accounts should call Centrelink or log on to their MyGov accounts to check for updates. The $750 payment will be a much-needed lifeline for many Australians after thousands lost their jobs amid coronavirus shutdown (pictured: people queuing outside Centrelink on Gold Coast) Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured) speaks about the two-part economic stimulus package at a press conference in Canberra on March 29, 2020. Small, medium and not-for-profit businesses with a turnover of less than $50 million will also be eligible for a handout under the plan. Tax-free payments from $20,000 up to $100,000 will be given out automatically through the Australian Taxation Office, to help companies retain staff between January 1 and June 30. The Government believes this will help about 7.8 million employees in 700,000 businesses. 'Our targeted stimulus package will focus on keeping Australians in jobs and keeping businesses in business so we can bounce back strongly,' Scott Morrison said when he announced the stimulus. 'The economy needs temporary help right now to bounce back better so the livelihoods of all Australians are protected.' While the $750 payments will be a welcomed sight for millions of Australians, Westpac Bank chief economist Bill Evans has warned they are unlikely to save Australia from a recession. 'The Government's Fiscal Stimulus Package is a bold initiative to bolster the Australian economy's defences against the damage likely to be wrought by COVID-19,' Mr Evans said. WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR THE $750 PAYMENT? The $750 payment will be given to anyone who is on income support and is expected to go to 6.5million Australians. Eligible payments include: Pensioners Veterans Disability Support Pension Carers' Allowance Carer Payment Job Seekers on Newstart Youth Allowance Veterans' Affairs payments Family Tax Benefit Parenting Payment Wife Pension Widow B Pension ABSTUDY (Living Allowance) Austudy Bereavement Allowance Partner Allowance Sickness Allowance Special Benefit Widow Allowance Farm Household Allowance Advertisement People queue to enter Centrelink Service Centre on March 24, 2020 in Melbourne, as all non-essential business and travel shuts down in a bid to stop the spread of COVID-19 'However, the current domestic and global environment has deteriorated more rapidly than we had expected despite the Government's bold efforts the June quarter is still likely to show negative growth and Australia will experience a technical recession.' Westpac forecasts around 800,000 job will be lost as a result of the coronavirus crisis, which will see Australia's unemployment rate hit 11 percent by June. On Sunday Prime Minister Scott Morrison asked businesses to hold fire on any further shutdowns or job cuts ahead of a third stimulus package to be announced in the next few days. The package is expected to include a $1500 a fortnight 'job keeper' allowance for those whose employers go into 'hibernation' for the next six months, Seven News reported on Sunday night. The government has so far announced two stimulus packages worth more than $80 billion aimed at trying to shield business and workers from the impact of coronavirus. The economic impact of COVID-19 starts to be felt as people queue for access to a Centrelink Service Centre in Sydney on March 23, 2020 'The next stage ... will be even bigger than anything you have so far seen,' Mr Morrison said in a press conference. CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement 'It is part of the hibernation strategy of ensuring that we keep people connected with their businesses and with their jobs, so on the other side of this Australia can bounce back stronger.' As well as the wage subsidy, there is also expected to be an easing of restrictions on claiming benefits, and rental assistance for both business and individuals. It comes at a time when economists are predicting a jump in the unemployment rate, possibly as high as 17 per cent. The government has to date resisted the idea of a wage subsidy similar to the UK's, which would fund 80 per cent of the wage bill of a business so it can keep its workers on the payroll rather than having them join a lengthening dole queue. Mr Morrison said it wasn't a question of just 'cutting and pasting' what other countries were doing and that the government had been working to find a scheme to fit with Australia's system. He asked businesses to hold off on any further decisions until they see the measures the government will be announcing in the next few days. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg flagged a significant announcement for Monday as part of the government's next phase of economic stimulus for the nation The Government believes the payouts will help about 7.8 million employees in 700,000 businesses 'We will be ensuring also that those who have already gone into this very devastating situation, where they have had to stand down workers, that any measures that we're announcing will be taking them on as well,' he said. Labor's industrial relation's spokesman Tony Burke said a wage subsidy needed to be implemented urgently. 'It has to be enough of a subsidy to give a real incentive to employers to keep people in their jobs,' he said in Sydney. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg flagged a significant announcement as part of the government's next phase of economic stimulus for the nation. '[It's] about what we will do to support employers and employees and this is all about ensuring that people can continue to remain in jobs,' he told Sky News on Monday. Finance Minister Mathias Cormann said having doubled the level of income support under the JobSeeker payment, the government was also going to ease restrictions in terms of partner income. This would ensure that those with partners who are seeking support would not be negatively affected. The current partner income test kicks in once a partner earns more than $48,000. Finance Minister Mathias Cormann said having doubled the level of income support under the JobSeeker payment, the government was also going to ease restrictions in terms of partner income People are seen waiting in line at the Prahran Centrelink office in Melbourne on Tuesday Several major companies including Qantas, Virgin Australia and Myer, and smaller companies - particularly in the hospitality and retail industries - have already stood down tens of thousands of workers. Former ANZ chief economist Warren Hogan said the crisis had rapidly become an employment problem. 'I think a wage subsidy is critical at this juncture ... because we have such a significant amount of jobs losses,' Mr Hogan told Sky News. Treasury had estimated the impact of the coronavirus would see an additional one million people out of work, but already firms are shedding or have stood down between 60 to 90 per cent of their staff. 'I think very quickly we can talk about over a million jobs being lost. It looks like we are going to get through that in very short order,' Mr Hogan said. 'I think by the time we get to Easter we are going to probably see about 1.5 to 1.8 million job losses due to stand downs. That would see the unemployment rate soar from 5.1 per cent as of February to somewhere above, between 15 and 17 per cent.' Pope Francis is backing the UN chief's call for a cease-fire in all conflicts raging across the globe to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. He also said his thoughts are with those constrained to live in groups, citing in particular rest homes for the elderly, military barracks and jails. During his traditional Sunday blessing, the pope called for ''the creation of humanitarian aid corridors, the opening of diplomacy and attention to those who are in situations of great vulnerability.'' He cited U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' appeal this past week for a global truce ''to focus together on the true fight of our lives'' against the coronavirus. Francis, as he has throughout most of the coronavirus emergency due to bans on public gatherings, addressed the faithful from his private library in the Apostolic Palace, and not from a window overlooking St. Peter's Square as is tradition. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New footage has emerged of the aftermath of the arrest of a woman who allegedly spat in a policeman's face while claiming she could have coronavirus. Hannah Ayoub, 25, allegedly failed to stop for police in Greenacre, southwest Sydney, on Friday afternoon while driving at 120km/h in a 50km/h zone. The Audi driver was filmed yelling at an officer as he handcuffed her, then allegedly spitting in his face twice before he threw her to the ground. New footage showed Ayoub struggling with the officer while on the ground and yelling 'I can't wait to sue you, you dog'. A family member was also seen yelling at the policeman, forcing him to threaten them with pepper spray until they backed off. Police then put a mask on Ayoub and marched her to a paddy wagon where she struggled and shouted 'you dogs' as three officers forced her inside. Other videos showed several onlookers arguing with police, including one older man who got right in their faces while yelling 'don't touch me'. Ayoub was arrested after police allegedly saw her run a red light and overtake a vehicle on unbroken lines on Waterloo Road and gave pursuit. During the chase, police allege she ran through a stop sign before she was halted by heavy traffic on Roberts Road where the officers caught up to her about 5pm. She allegedly refused to get out of her car, forcing officers to physically remove her from the vehicle. Hanah Ayoub, 25, was filmed yelling at an officer as he handcuffed her, then allegedly spitting in his face twice before he threw her to the ground New footage showed Ayoub struggling with the officer while on the ground and yelling 'I can't wait to sue you, you dog'm and then being marched to a paddy wagon as a family member got in the officers' face yelling 'don't touch me' As she was handcuffed, she allegedly told the officer she was on her way to get tested for coronavirus before spitting in his face. The policeman can then be heard saying 'do not spit on me or I will put you on the ground'. Ayoub demanded the officer let her speak to her lawyer and to let her go, but when he didn't respond, she smashed her head against the back seat window. The officer asked her if she understood why she was under arrest but she continued to protest and said she was on her way to the doctor. She spat in the officer's face a second time and he yelled 'do not f**king spit on me' and slammed the woman onto the ground. In response, the man who filmed the incident said 'don't f**king touch her.' Police put a mask on Ayoub and marched her to a paddy wagon where she struggled and shouted 'you dogs' as three officers forced her inside Other videos showed several members of her family aggressively arguing with police Ayoub was charged with dangerous driving, speeding by more than 45 km/h, driving while disqualified, and assaulting a police officer. Her case was heard in Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday, but she was not present as she was undergoing hospital treatment. The court heard that Ayoub, who is unemployed, also told the officer that her brother had coronavirus. Her lawyer Tom Hughes said she had serious psychological issues, including post traumatic stress disorder and depression, The Daily Telegraph reported. Mr Hughes said the arrest was a collision of circumstances heightened by the anxiety both in the community and in police by the ongoing pandemic. CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement 'This woman has not been tested positive and nor has her brother been tested for coronavirus,' he said. The prosecutor argued Ayoub knew she did not have coronavirus when she made the claim, indicating that the incident was callous. She did not display any coronavirus symptoms but the officer was tested as a precaution. 'That is another officer off the streets for two weeks at a time when the community certainly needs them,' the prosecutor said. Ayoub was granted bail until she is due to appear at Bankstown Local Court on June 17. The bail conditions included a strict curfew at her parents' home, a $5000 surety, and not driving. The Chhattisgarh government requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday to help bring back around 500 students from the state, who are stranded in Kyrgyzstan due to the coronavirus outbreak. Amarjeet Bhagat, the states food and culture minister, wrote a letter to the Prime Minister, on Saturday. In the view of Covid-19 outbreak, about 500 students of Chhattisgarh who are pursuing medical courses in colleges of Kyrgyzstan are stranded and they want to return home. I urge the PM to take appropriate action to ensure their return, the government press release quoting Bhagat said. The son of Congress MLA Brihaspat Singh is among the stranded students in Kyrgyzstan. Bhagat has also spoken to the ministry of external affairs in this connection, the release added. Six people have contracted the Covid-19 disease in the state so far. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON 16 national and regional industry bodies and sectoral business lobbies video-conferenced with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday and raised key concerns facing Indian industry in the wake of the 21-day lockdown over coronavirus. IMAGE: igrant workers wait for a bus to their village in Ghaziabad, March, 27, 2020. Photograph: Arun Sharma/PTI Photo. The mass exodus of workers, bottlenecks in transportation, and harassment by local authorities continue to impede industrial production just four days into the 21-day national lockdown, India Inc informed the government. The issues formed key concerns raised by industry during a meeting with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal held via video conference on Saturday. Multiple sources said the issue of seizures of goods and restrictions on the movement of industrial and consumer goods imposed by local authorities were the primary complaint. The meeting was attended by 16 national and regional industry bodies and sectoral business lobbies. Apart from industrial goods, stakeholders said key grocery items and essential fast-moving consumer goods were stuck. Businesses said the Centre could marshal resources to help provide additional transport facilities to industry as existing channels had reduced. Smaller businesses depend upon vehicles to source, move and distribute products. With widespread panic of getting beaten by police, many companies have found it difficult to move stockpiles, a senior functionary of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry said. Businesses also requested that the minister ensure better coordination between the Centre and states to implement these measures as local authorities were often not aware of the Union home ministrys guidelines. However, Goyal is believed to have said that updated government instructions make it clear that movement of any type of goods would not be curtailed and assured that local authorities would make sure of it. Loss of labour Industry also sought government help to stem the mass exodus of workers -- both fixed employees and casual workers -- from industrial areas to the countryside. While some corporates have begun to provide housing and food to employees, its not possible to extend this to all workers. As a result, the government has been requested to use facilities like schools, which are closed, to house them, said a senior automobile industry functionary present at the meeting. The government has been hard-pressed to stem the flow of workers. Shipping Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, also present at the video conference, stressed on retaining workers and labourers on firms payrolls. He said that the migration would jeopardise the lockdown, and also impair chances of early normalisation after the virus passes. CII has mobilised a coalition of manufacturers in collaboration with other industry associations. Manufacturers will produce and procure medical equipment including ventilators, masks, and personal protection equipment for medical and other emergency staff, Chandrajit Banerjee, CII director general, said. As a result, CII has asked the government to consider removing Customs duty on the items and their inputs temporarily. A follow-up meeting has been scheduled for next week to take stock of the situation, sources said. Advertisement Some Australian travellers cooped up in five-star hotels for 14 days of isolation after returning from overseas have complained they are living in 'quarantine hell' with no fresh air and terrible food. Thousands of people flying into Australia have been shuttled to makeshift quarantine facilities as the government turns to law-and-order to fight coronavirus. With two-thirds of the country's Covid-19 cases from or closely linked to overseas travellers, vacant luxury hotels are being used to ensure new arrivals are not able to spread the disease. In Sydney, travellers are being sent to the InterContinental, Swissotel and the Novotel on Darling Harbour. All three hotels are upmarket with starting prices of over $200 a night for standard rooms. In Melbourne people are being accommodated in the Crown Promenade, where guests typically pay a minimum price of $233 per night. Returning overseas travellers are ushered into Sydney's InterContinental Hotel for the beginning of their 14-day imposed quarantine on Sunday Thousands of people flying into Australia have been shuttled to makeshift quarantine facilities as the government turns to law-and-order to fight coronavirus. Pictured return travellers in Brisbane getting onto shuttle buses to go to hotels for quarantine Recently arrived overseas travellers get off their bus and wait to check in at the Crown Promenade Hotel in Melbourne on Sunday The Swissotel on Market Street in Sydney's CBD is hosting 292 Australians who on Thursday arrived home by plane after disembarking the Norwegian Jewel cruise ship in Hawaii. All travellers have been escorted to the hotels by border authorities upon arrival in Australia, but won't have to pay a cent for their mandatory quarantine stay. In one Facebook group for those quarantined in the Swissotel, members complained about everything from the quality of their free food to the size of their rooms and the fact they couldn't access Deliveroo or Uber Eats. Some claimed hotel staff weren't accommodating the specific needs of elderly people and parents with kids, while others described the hotel as a 'miserable hell hole' and said they were being treated like 'prisoners and refugees'. But their complaints have fallen on deaf ears, with NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller saying he had little sympathy for people being forced into quarantine while hundreds of thousands across Australia were facing unemployment. 'The hotels, I will not mention them by name, but they are five star hotels. They are not going that badly. There are people after the bushfires still living in tents and caravans. People are going okay, thank you,' he said. 'I know there will be people who are unhappy with the bed, the pillow, the heater, dinner and all those type of things. 'The reality is they are in a hotel room, and yes, they will be isolated for 14 days. That is for their own protection, the protection of their family members and the protection of the NSW community.' The Australian government is paying for all the expenses including transport, accommodation and food. One unimpressed Aussie quarantined in Sydney said her Deliveroo meal order had been turned away from the hotel as it was deemed a health risk by authorities. 'There are three security guards on each floor, police guarding the entrance to the hotel and NOW we are not allowed to have anything delivered,' she wrote. 'Prisoners get treated better than we do.' Other quarantined travellers said they heard 'yelling and banging' on the hotel walls, and said there was no way to access fresh air. In Sydney, travellers are being sent to the Swissotel Sydney (left, a standard room) and given three meals every day Returning overseas travellers are ushered into the InterContinental Hotel for the beginning of their 14-day imposed quarantine in Sydney In Melbourne people are being accommodated in the Crown Promenade, where guests pay a minimum price of $233 per night Temperature checks, military escorts and around-the-clock monitoring: What new quarantine rules mean for EVERY arrival All travellers arriving in Australia from overseas are being escorted off flights by defence force personnel and whisked away to new quarantine hotels set up across capital cities. Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the measures on Friday, more than a week after the Ruby Princess debacle that saw 3,000 cruise ship passengers disembark in Sydney without a single health check. From midnight on Saturday, all arrivals at international airports have been forced to stay at accommodation facilities for their two weeks mandatory self-isolation under the close watch of border force officials, before getting the all clear to return home. It comes as the first arrivals - 288 passengers from the Norwegian Jewel cruise ship - continue to reside inside the Swissotel in Sydney's CBD, after being quietly ferried in the hotel's back door at 4am on Thursday. Australians arriving home from overseas (pictured) will be escorted off flights by defence force personnel and whisked away to new quarantine hotels set up across all capital cities This traveller was taking no precautions as they arrived at Sydney International Airport early on Friday morning, wearing a protective suit, mask and goggles Those who live in residential apartments on the top nine floors above the Swissotel received an email from building management on Thursday evening, outlining strict measures that are being taken to isolate them. It is understood all hotels putting up travellers will undertake the same safety measures. Swissotel's general manager said the passengers arrived at the 5-star hotel wearing masks, gloves and protective suits. They were then moved through the 'back corridors' and into the biggest elevators in the hotel, so they could abide by social distancing. As they were led to their rooms, a team of cleaners followed disinfecting all surfaces, the email stated. Border force guards are understood to be watching each floor, with those in isolation warned they will be handed $1000 on-the-spot fines if they leave their hotel room. A passenger walks from the MV Artania to be attended to waiting paramedics on the wharf at Fremantle, Western Australia, on Friday In announcing the new isolation measures during his press conference on Friday, Mr Morrison said international arrivals would be quarantined in the city they touch down in and not allowed to catch a connecting flight to their home state. 'States and territories will be quarantining all arrivals through our airports in hotels and other accommodation facilities for the two weeks of their mandatory self-isolation before they are able to return to their home,' he said. 'If their home is in South Australia or in Perth or in Tasmania and they have arrived in Melbourne, they will be quarantining in Melbourne. 'If it's in Sydney, it will be if Sydney. If it's Brisbane, and so on. 'The ADF will be supporting those states and territories with compliance checks to ensure that people are at their residences, that they have so worn sworn they would be at, to ensure we get compliance with the self-isolation.' New arrivals to Australia will also have their temperatures check at the airport, with anyone suspected of being sick taken to hospital for observation. It comes as the first arrivals - 288 passengers from the Norwegian Jewel cruise ship - continue to reside inside the Swissotel in Sydney's CBD, under the watchful eye of police (pictured) Advertisement 'None of the windows open so there is no fresh air. The food was not nutritious or it was delivered at strange times, you could tell no one was prepared for this,' photographer Tom Huntley told The Daily Telegraph. Kev Moorse and his wife Libby said they felt like 'test dummies' for the hotel quarantine measures. Mr Moorse claim they weren't given basic food and medicine, and said a diabetic man couldn't get any insulin. 'There have been people yelling and banging on the walls. Really we have not been told anything,' he said. Another person in quarantine, Dianne Griffiths, said a traveller who had an anxiety in her room wasn't even allowed to open her door. Someone else said the arrivals were 'prisoners and refugees within our own country' and had been stripped of their 'human right and constitutional rights'. Another man said the quarantine was not helping anyone, but rather harming people at the hotel. 'I'm not sure the government are even aware of the conditions and the fact the hotel and medical group assigned to look after as are clearly unprepared and incapable of fulfilling their duty of care to anywhere near a satisfactory standard,' he wrote. 'We are still not being fed nutritious food. Or have any choice in what food we eat.' 'To make matters worse we have now been BANNED from ordering food from outside the hotel. The medic team has deemed this a health risk. What a joke!' 'Mothers have been separated from their kids with no access to even see each other. One mother has her five kids split into three rooms.' Returning overseas travellers are complaining about the standard of their accommodation during their 14-day mandatory quarantine. The government is paying for them to stay in hotels including Crown Melbourne (right) and Novotel Sydney (left) Some people have even taken to having their family send them care packages including junk food and alcohol Some of the hundreds of Australians stuck in quarantine have complained about the free three meals they are being given every day. Pictured left is a breakfast served at the Swissotel after complaints, and right is pictured before One person took their complaint a step further, describing the five-star hotel they were staying at as a 'hell hole'. 'The way people are being detained is a disgrace to Australia. It will become a blot on your legacy if action is not taken to treat people decently, whose only 'crime' was to go on a holiday,' they added. Which hotels are being used for quarantine SYDNEY Swissotel on Market Street in Sydney's CBD - housing 292 former Norwegian Jewel cruise ship passengers who flew into Sydney on Thursday The InterContinental Novotel on Darling Harbour Rydges Airport Hotel (not an official quarantine hotel but is housing forcibly quarantined travellers) MELBOURNE Crown Promenade in Southbank, in the CBD - housing travellers who arrived from Auckland, Santiago, Doha and other destinations BRISBANE Airport Novotel Hotel - housing passengers from the flight that arrived into Brisbane from Denpasar at 4.46am on Sunday Ibis hotel at Brisbane Airport Advertisement Some guests labelled their hotel isolation a knee-jerk reaction to NSW Health's failure to stop passengers on the Ruby Princess cruise ship which was last week allowed to disembark without adequate checks. More than 170 Ruby Princess passengers now have COVID-19. In a letter to guests on Saturday, Swissotel management promised everyone could access three meals per day, some shopping requests, medical services and rubbish and linen collection. All arrivals must wear masks and gloves when interacting with hotel staff and room doors must be left closed. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Saturday admitted hotel-quarantined arrivals would likely experience a frustrating fortnight but made no apologies for government policy. Swissotel for the next three months has been deemed a 'human health response zone' with heavy restrictions on entry. 'It will not be perfect and foolproof,' Ms Berejiklian told reporters. 'We understand some people have had a very stressful time trying to get back home and we want to consider their position, but we also need to consider the health and safety of eight million residents in NSW and also more broadly, 25million people in Australia.' It is not suggested that any of the travellers shown in photographs in this article have complained about staying in the hotels. One member of the group said her Deliveroo meal order had been turned away from the hotel as it was deemed a health risk by authorities, while the hotel-issued food is poor Recently arrived overseas travellers get off their bus and wait inside to check in at the Crown Promenade Hotel in Melbourne In Sydney, travellers are being sent to the InterContinental (pictured are travellers arriving on Sunday), Swissotel and the Novotel on Darling Harbour. All three hotels are upmarket with starting prices of over $200 a night for standard rooms. Joint report prepared by experts in the health, management, logistics and finance sectors favoured another lockdown in May as there are chances of a second peak in Covid-19 cases. (AFP) Vijayawada: India may have to go in for a second lockdown sometime in May to avoid a second peak in the incidence of Covid-19, a report says. The joint report prepared by experts in the health, management, logistics and finance sectors favoured another lockdown in May as there are chances of a second peak in Covid-19 cases. Significantly, the report recommended the first lockdown between March 20 and April 12 as the best remedy to contain the virus. The report prepared on March 17, a few days before prime minister Narendra Modi announced the nationwide 21-day lockdown, was in favour of restrictions including clamping of Section 144. Taking lessons from the 1918 flu pandemic in the United States, which formed the base across the globe for the present lockdown of several nations in the wake of Covid-19, the report recommended easing restrictions for a month from April 17 and clamping down again between May 18 and 31. It suggested that normalcy would be restored thereafter while the government should encourage people to continue to maintain hygiene and social distancing as much as possible. Countries which acted early and tough like South Korea, Japan, Thailand and Singapore are able to flatten the curve and bring down cases compared to those in the wait-and-watch mode like the US, Italy, France and Iran. The first batch of countries succeeded in containing the infections to below 10,000 population, the second group remained a mute witness to the infections crossing the 25,000-mark. The Wuhan lockdown experience also proved that at least 10,000 lives could be saved in India by imposing the lockdown from March 20 rather than waiting for a month more, the report said. It prepared worst and best case scenarios and concluded that mortality in the country in a 100-day period could be reduced by at least five to six times with aggressive social distancing. The susceptibility, exposure, mid to critical infections, health care facilities and recovery were taken into consideration while preparing the two different scenarios. The researchers as well as governments preparing the action plans to fight Covid-19 have been largely depending on learnings from the 1918 Flu Pandemic in the cities of Philadelphia and St Louis in the US. The infections started reporting from September 17, 1918, in Philadelphia but the administration took light of it and even allowed a city-wide parade on September 28 and implemented lockdown only on October 3 by which time the death rate peaked. In contrast, St Louis which detected the first case on October 5 clamped restrictions by October 7 and contained the spread. The time delay of 14 days from detection of first case to clampdown resulted in three to five doubling times of death rate in Philadelphia, the report pointed out. London, March 29 : England captain Heather Knight said that she has joined UK's National Health Service's (NHS) volunteer scheme amidst the outbreak of coronavirus in the country. Knight said that she will be helping in transporting medicines and spreading awareness about the pandemic in the United Kingdom. "I signed up to the NHS' volunteer scheme as I have a lot of free time on my hands and I want to help as much as I can," wrote Knight in her columb for BBC Sport. "My brother and his partner are doctors, and I have a few friends who work in the NHS, so I know how hard they are working and how difficult it is for everyone," she said. "I'm going to get the car out as I've volunteered to transport medicine, and also speak to people who are self-isolating. If someone is home alone, you can ring them up and chat. They have had so many people sign up." British media reports state that over 170,000 people have signed up for the NHS volunteer scheme since the outbreak of the endemic. Britain has reported nearly 20,000 cases of coronavirus infection thus far, which includes Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Britons will also get a leaflet detailing government rules on leaving the house and health information. It follows criticism over the clarity of government advice to date. Director Karan Johar has been posting videos of his children, Yash and Roohi, and some of his mother Hiroo, during the 21-day lockdown. His latest has a funny twist and an Amitabh Bachchan connection. Sharing a video of son Yash, Karan asks him: Yash, how sad these corona times are. Who do you think will take it away? How do you think this coronavirus can leave our life. To which, Yash replies Amitabh Bachchan. A stumped Karan then says if he should call Mr Bachchan and request him to do so, telling him that Yash wants this coronavirus to go away and can he (Bachchan) help. Just when he says that he will going to call the senior actor, Yash says, Amitabh Bachchan no coming to my room. Also read: When Angad Bedi broke the news of Neha Dhupias pregnancy to her parents before marriage The comments section was inundated with stars commenting. Abhishek Bachchan said too cute while Alia Bhatt dropped a bunch of heart emojis. Shweta Bachchan Nanda said: Hahahahaha!!! Miss them. Athiya Shetty and Diane Penty too left pink heart emojis. Neha Dhupia said: Uff Yash! Such a cutie. Lisa Haydon, Vaani Kapoor and Malaika Arora too reacted to the video. Also Watch | COVID-19 | A fly can spread the virus: Amitabh Bachchan quotes Lancet study Some time back he had shared another video where he asked his kids about coronavirus. The 47-year-old director shared the video on Instagram and wrote: Need to start making them more aware of the current circumstance! Much more than @officialpeppa and George! The director started the video by recording Yash who is seeing lazing on the sofa. After his name is called out twice, the kid responds and says, Sunny. Sunny? It is hardly a sunny day. It is rather gloomy these days, Karan replied. He further questions both of his twins about their knowledge of coronavirus to which the kids have nothing but playful acts and answers. Clearly you are not keeping up with international affairs, we have to do something about that, Karan concluded. (With ANI inputs) Follow @htshowbiz for more The Pennsylvania National Guard is lending a hand during the coronavirus outbreak, and this weekend, assisted FEMA in setting up a federal medical station at a school in Delaware County. The 25 guardsmen on state active duty provided logistical support to FEMA in their efforts to open this facility at the Glen Mills School, which can house non-coronavirus patients with less severe conditions should hospitals become too full, Pennsylvania National Guard spokesman Lt. Col. Keith Hickox said in a press release Sunday. Southeastern Pennsylvania is seeing the bulk of coronavirus cases. As of Sunday, there were 3,394 cases reported in the state. The FEMA medical center will be able to house 250 beds, and it will be staffed by medical personnel from around the region, CBS Philadelphia is reporting. The soldiers converting the school to a temporary hospital are from the 103rd Engineer Battalion, which traces its roots to the Associators, established by Benjamin Franklin in 1747, Hickox said. We were one part of a team of teams coming together to support the local community, Maj. Joseph D. Martinkis, commander of the 103rd Engineer Battalion, said. Being able to work alongside these civilian authorities is part of the diverse skill set held by our National Guardsmen. Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. An illustration of a coronavirus provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows its protruding spike-like structures AFP/Lizabeth MENZIES There were 605,010 cases of infection with 27,982 deaths in 183 countries and territories. The United States had 104,837 cases of which 1,711 were fatal. Italy had the highest number of deaths at 9,134 and a total of 86,498 cases. In Spain, the death toll surged to 5,690 on Saturday after a record 832 people died in 24 hours, and the number of infections soared to 72,248, the government said. China, the epicentre of the outbreak, had 81,394 cases and 3,295 deaths. Brunei reported its first coronavirus death on Saturday - a 64-year-old man who was the country's 25th confirmed COVID-19 case. The man had travelled to Cambodia and Kuala Lumpur but did not take part in a huge Islamic gathering in the Malaysian capital last month that has been linked to infections across the region, authorities said. It came as Malaysia, which has recorded 2,320 cases, received tens of thousands of virus test kits, masks and items of protective clothing from China, and 200 ventilators. The COVID-19 figures represent only a fraction of the number of infections as many countries only carry out tests on suspected cases if they are hospitalised. Wuhan, the central Chinese city where the coronavirus first emerged last year, partly reopened on Saturday after more than two months of near total isolation for its population of 11 million. People are now allowed to enter the city but not leave. AFP saw crowds of passengers arriving at Wuhan railway station on Saturday, most wheeling suitcases alongside them. The metropolis in Hubei province was placed under lockdown in January with its outskirts ring-fenced by roadblocks and drastic restrictions on daily life. A top Asian security conference that gathers defence ministers - including from the US and China - and senior military officials was cancelled due to the pandemic. The Shangri-La Dialogue, held annually since 2002, had been scheduled for early June in Singapore with more than 40 countries set to participate. Barry Aston, Balnarring Government must use all types of expertise If behaviour is key to flattening the curve, are experts in human factors and modifying human behaviour part of the team of experts advising government at the highest level? It is one thing to have the technical medical knowledge, it is quite another thing to have the knowledge on how to modify human behaviour to achieve a desired outcome that benefits the community. Joanna Wriedt, Eaglemont Just think in commonsense ways My family and I returned from an overseas trip on March 18, arriving at Sydney Airport; we then got on a bus to go to the domestic terminal to travel home to Melbourne. On arrival, we were taken home by our son to self-isolate. In this process, we used common sense and self-responsibility. We kept our distance in queues. At home we have been able to access online supermarket deliveries, Uber Eats and friends helping dropping things off at our front verandah. My neighbour cut the grass on my nature strip as an act of kindness. We are all well and keeping sane in isolation. It's us who have to change in these uncertain times and stay connected with family and friends through the internet. Margaret Forster, Aberfeldie Every little bit counts During a visit to a local supermarket we saw a sign at the front indicating we should use the hand sanitiser provided before entering. OK, full marks for taking this precaution. While waiting outside later I saw two employees collecting trolleys and after securing them entered the supermarket. One went straight to the checkout serving customers and the other disappeared into the aisles, no sanitising occurred. What's the point of these rules if people don't realise the importance of adhering to them in even the smallest instance? John Paine, Kew East FORUM Shame them all Just as a list of recipients for Australia Day Honours is published in The Age on Australia Day, can the names of all the self-absorbed (and I use the word deliberately), stupid people who have flocked to our beaches also be published. If appealing to their common sense and common decency doesn't work, then maybe shaming them will. Sharon Harris, Thornbury Self-examination needed Still too many people are not getting the message. I watched in horror as a woman at my supermarket picked up and examined at least a dozen heads of broccoli, putting them up close to her face. Please, only take what you want and do not examine produce or any other products. How do we get the message out? Anne Maki, Alphington This is service? Has Telstra shut down? A week ago I lost my internet and landline. Contacted Telstra and was told it would be fixed by the end of the week. Last Friday, I received a text to say all was working and, if it wasn't, to call. It wasn't fixed and I tried calling numerous times. I rang during business hours and was told the centre was closed. Got through once and, after being on hold for an hour, was disconnected. Went to Telstra shop and told, "Nothing we can do about it." Tried online support and was told to call the centre. I am a healthcare worker and have a very elderly mother in a home, so I have more than enough stress without Telstra issues. If I have a problem with my mobile I cannot be contacted, which is a serious issue. Linda Jarvis, North Balwyn Community values Surely the time has come to get serious about job sharing. A Cambridge University journal, Social Science and Medicine, concludes that moving from unemployment into paid work of up to eight hours a week reduces the risk of mental health problems by an average of 30 per cent. Improvement after that amount is only gradual. This is consistent with other research starting with a pioneering study about the Austrian village of Marienthal in the early 1930s. That report chronicled how the sudden collapse of the local textile industry in the Depression plunged a town with thriving clubs and a vibrant civic culture into mass apathy and mental illness. Mental health professionals have long understood the importance of structure and connection, especially in hard times. Now that we are all socialists, surely the time is right to move to a mix of a guaranteed minimum income for all and a sharing of paid work. May CV become the acronym for Community Values, rather than being code for individualism and queue jumping in a ceaseless scrambling for enhanced life chances for self and family. John Carmichael, Hawthorn Not so super Now that we're in virtual lockdown, our focus must be on supermarkets. People are kidding themselves if they think the virus will dissipate after going to the supermarket three or four times a week. It astounded me when I saw staff not sanitising their hands after every customer, and people wandering around with trolleys touched by thousands of other people. Phone texts must inform citizens to wash their hands before and after supermarket visits, use gloves to hold on to trolleys and go no more than twice a week. Lucas Lewit-Mendes, Kew Days of sacrifice With the likely shortage of medical resources why should the elderly be sacrificed in favour of young adults who fail to obey the directions to self-isolate? Fred Gower, Drysdale Character forming Thanks to Tony Wright for his sensitive piece ("Lucky generation can thank gift of science", 28/3) remembering other epidemics. Those of us who missed out on that vaccine are still living with "infantile paralysis". As are 20million people in Africa, Afghanistan, India and Pakistan. We were isolated during wartime food rationing, used makeshift splints and bed boards. Surviving that shaped our characters, as it did Kerry Packer and Kim Beazley. Tough, stubborn, determined. A new breed of survivors is on the way. Fran Henke, Hasting Paying the price Deborah Snow ("Has Australia's coronavirus response been too slow off the mark?", 28/3) questions the speed of Australia's response to coronavirus. Snow reports that leading infectious diseases experts of UNSW "alerted health authorities last June" to critical medical shortages. Just as with scientists and firefighting experts warning about bushfire risks in May and marine biologists continuing to warn of coral reef bleaching for the past five years, and climate scientists about climate change for five decades, these warnings were ignored. Now the government wants to tell us they are "listening to the experts". I am sorry, but they have not listened to experts, other than neo-liberal economists who still seem to hold their ear even in the current pandemic. We are paying and will continue to pay a dreadful price. Michael Langford, Ivanhoe Pandemic unity Pity it takes a pandemic to bring bosses and workers together to try to make sensible suggestions without oneupmanship or tit-for-tat ridiculous claims and demands. Marie Nash, Balwyn Disturbing disclosure The statement by Professor Edward Holmes of Sydney University ("Complacent regimes dropped the ball on vaccine: researcher", 29/3) that a pandemic was inevitable but complacent governments did not take thethreat seriously is most disturbing. Holmes was the first to publish a genetic sequence of the virus that causes COVID-19, and he warned that we should have started on making and testing broad-based coronavirus vaccines some time ago. Hopefully, one outcome of our horrible sequence of events (drought, bushfires and pandemic) will be acknowledgment that we should take the advice of our brilliant scientists seriously. Please, Prime Minister, set up a thorough and transparent national system of scientific research and advice, and acceptance and action on this advice so we can act before events become catastrophic. Rob Evans, Glen Iris Over to you, MPs With the leaders of large businesses in Australia admirably taking pay cuts themselves as workers are stood down, why are the leaders in Parliament not doing the same? Dianne Wilson, Belgrave Nonsense revealed For years now the Coalition has spruiked that the smaller the government the better the economy will function. The economic ill effects of the coronavirus have shown this to be a complete nonsense. Phil Alexander, Eltham A Trumpian delusion Sadly and perhaps tragically, it hasn't taken long for US President Donald Trump to return to type. Well-known for ignoring climate science in dealing with the climate emergency, he is now doing the same thing with the medical advice in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. According to Trump, "Everyone is telling me they want to go back to work." Really? Are doctors advising him that America should go back to work by Easter. And to associate this desire with Easter only serves to confirm Trump's messianic delusion. Nick Toovey, Beaumaris Retire the 'things' I am sickened by the ugly images on the TV news. My ABC sets the standard with 7.30's images of huge, grey circular things with strange protrusions. Other ABC sets show mauve things of varying sizes which move around the screen eerily. Other channels are keen to compete. The colours are vivid. The shapes are similar, with varying sizes and different protrusions. The objective must bethat the things look grotesque and frightening. I can imagine a bright six-year-old asking: "Mum, what are those funny things on the telly?" How on earth can the mother answer? "Oh, they're pictures of the coronavirus, darling. That's the germ that's making people sick all over the world." So, please, stop showing them on TV. They frighten me, and I'm a great-grandmother. You're only adding to our panic and distress. Margery Joan, Lower Templestowe Calling it for what it is Victoria's Chief Medical Officer, Brett Sutton, says the behaviour of some Victorians is "crap". I couldn't agree more. I hope he also calls out the medical professionals who returned from South America after being at a medical convention and not going into quarantine. With their knowledge they should be named and shamed. With all the wonderful medicos working their fingers to the bone for us, this behaviour by their colleagues is totally disrespectful. Everyone returning from overseas has a responsibility to do the right thing. Joan Johnson, Camberwell Suspend burn-offs I agree with Martin Davis (Letters, 26/3). Many of us are quietly dreading controlled burning as we move into the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic. Those of us with respiratory and cardiac difficulties struggle with air pollution under the best of conditions. Added to this, households in built-up urban environments are about to crank up their wood heaters. Now more than ever it is important to keep our air clean. Smoking chimneys and burn-offs will not achieve this. Karina Kanepe, Northcote The great schism It's wonderful to watch the capitalists who call capitalism the greatest "ism" there is turn to socialism when the economy tanks. Bruce McMillan, Grovedale AND ANOTHER THING Pandemic Norman Swan for PM informed, sincere, succinct, direct, reassuring and apolitical. Lindy Herbert, Glen Iris Saturday night in St Kilda there was more drinking and dancing than distancing. Bryan Fraser, St Kilda From Cool Hand Luke: "What we have here is a failure to communicate. Some men you just can't reach." Pull the trigger now, Daniel Andrews, please. Mike Keating, Brunswick I note the adoption of the term covidiots. I sincerely hope these stupid people are not covignorant. Phil Quinn, Williamstown "We're all in this together": words I have seen in the newspapers every day since the lockdown due to coronavirus began. Really? Don't count on it. Sharon Jensen, Neerim South The residential market will see a significant change when all those short-term Airbnb type properties suddenly become available. Landlords with long-term residents would be wise to hang on to them. John Simmonds, Collingwood The Victorian and NSW premiers are both to be commended in the way they have led their states, first with the bushfires and now COVID-19. Australia needs leadership not preachership. Daniela Goldie, Camperdown Just watched four Bunnings employees stand close together and discuss where best to put the physical distance barriers. Lisa James, Mernda At a time of physical distancing, isn't it a shame that we no longer have drive-in cinemas? A "massive" 25-person karaoke party at a house in Derbyshire has been dispersed by police as UK-wide forces continue to crack down on those flouting the coronavirus social distancing rules. One motorist was stopped on the motorway with his wife in the boot of his car, having made a 224-mile round trip to collect a 15 eBay purchase, despite people only being told to make "essential" journeys. Another man who repeatedly approached shoppers at a Tesco superstore has been charged with breaking the measures near Greater Manchester. A 26-year-old woman was charged by Avon and Somerset Police after allegedly coughing and spitting at a police officer responding to reports of a house party. A karaoke machine found at an address in Normanton at 10pm on Saturday. / PA Derbyshire Police officers were said to be "in absolute shock" about the karaoke party in Dover Street, Normanton, at 10pm on Saturday. They posted photos of the party on social media, showing a table covered in food and drink and large speakers in use. The force said that "strong words of advice" were given to all those inside and the party was dispersed but no further action was taken. A Twitter account for Derbyshire Police, @DerWestResponse, tweeted: "Officers have just attended an address in absolute shock to find 25 adults and children having a massive party with speakers and karaoke. "It is clear people are still having complete disregard for the Government advice and rules." This week, Derbyshire Police introduced measures to prevent gatherings in the county by dyeing a "blue lagoon" in Buxton black to deter visitors. The force had already come under fire from some quarters for using drone footage to shame people travelling into the Peak District to walk in the hills. Meanwhile, the motorist, who was stopped on the motorway with his wife in the boot of his car, had travelled from Coventry to Salford to pick up the windows he had bought and was stopped by a motorway patrol on the return part of his journey. His wife, unable to fit in the car alongside the windows, was found in the boot when they were stopped on the M6 in Cheshire. A traffic offence report was written, according to the North West Motorway Police. The man was charged for allegedly repeatedly approaching Tesco shoppers / Getty Meanwhile, Steven Norman Mackie, 53, was charged with repeatedly approaching members of the public at Tesco. He was allegedly out of his home without good reason and was walking towards shoppers queueing at the Tesco store in Stalybridge, Greater Manchester, on Saturday. Police officers "advised" him about his conduct but he continued to approach people contrary to social distancing rules and Government guidelines on the restriction of movement during the emergency period, Greater Manchester Police said. Mackie, of Stamford Street, Stalybridge, has been charged with one count of failing to maintain public health and causing public disorder and nuisance contrary to regulations 6, 9(1b and 4) of the Health Protection Regulations 2020. He is due to appear at Tameside Magistrates' Court on Monday. Meanwhile, a 26-year-old was charged by police after allegedly spitting and coughing at officers responding to reports of a party. She is one of three woman arrested by Avon and Somerset Police after officers were spat on, coughed at and physically attacked in the force area over the weekend. Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures 1 /81 Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures A deserted Westminster Bridge PA A man wearing a face mask or covering due to the COVID-19 pandemic, walks past customers sat outside a restaurant AFP via Getty Images Boris Johnson addresses the nation on the Coronavirus lockdown Andrew Parsons Runners pass cardboard cutouts of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince William during the London Marathon in London AP An empty escalator at Charing Coss London Underground tube station Jeremy Selwyn Electronic bilboards displays a message warning people to stay home in Sheffield PA A sign is displayed in the window of a student accommodation building following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Mancheste Reuters People take part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions, in Londo AP People sing and dance in Leicester Square on the eve on the 10PM curfew Reuters Hearts painted by a team of artists from Upfest are seen in the grass at Queen Square, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Bristol Reuters Graffiti reads 'good luck and stay safe', as the number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases grow around the world, under a bridge in London Reuters A sign is pictured in Soho, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London Reuters Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures, during a coronavirus briefing in Downing Street, London AP A person runs past posters with a message of hope, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Manchester REUTERS Riot police face protesters who took part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions in London AP An image of The Queen eith quotes from her broadcast to the UK and the Commonwealth in relation to the Coronavirus epidemic are displayed on lights in London's Piccadilly Circus PA Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' hospital Getty Images Durdle Door in Dorset Reuters Captain Tom Moore via Reuters Mia, aged 8, and Jack, aged 5, take part in "PE with Joe" a daily live workout with Joe Wicks on Youtube to help kids stay fit who have to stay indoors due to the Coronavirus outbreak PA An NHS worker reacts at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital during the Clap for our Carers campaign in support of the NHS Reuters Goats which have taken over the deserted streets of Llandudno @AndrewStuart via PA Tobias Weller PA Novikov restaurant in London with its shutters pulled down while the restaurant is closed London Landscapes: Hyde Park and the Serpentine, central London. Matt Writtle A newspaper vendor in Manchester city centre giving away free toilet rolls with every paper bought as shops run low on supplies due to fears over the spread of the coronavirus PA Theo Clay looks out of his window next to his hand-drawn picture of a rainbow in Liverpool, as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continue Reuters A young man cuts another man's hair on top of a closed hairdresser in Oxford Reuters General view of the new NHS Nightingale Hospital, built to fight against the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London via Reuters Jason Baird is seen dressed as Spiderman during his daily exercise to cheer up local children in Stockport, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters A woman wearing a face mask walks past Buckingham Palace Getty Images A man holds mobile phone displaying a text message alert sent by the government warning that new rules are in force across the UK and people must stay at home PA Medical staff on the Covid-19 ward at the Neath Port Talbot Hospital, in Wales, as the health services continue their response to the coronavirus outbreak. PA Prime Minister Boris Johnson taking part in a virtual Cabinet meeting with his top team of ministers PA A shopper walks past empty shelves in a Lidl store on in Wallington. After spates of "panic buying" cleared supermarket shelves of items like toilet paper and cleaning products, stores across the UK have introduced limits on purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some have also created special time slots for the elderly and other shoppers vulnerable to the new coronavirus. Getty Images People on a busy tube train in London at rush hour PA Mia, aged 8 and her brother Jack, aged 5 from Essex, continue their school work at home, after being sent home due to the coronavirus PA Children are painting 'Chase the rainbows' artwork and springing up in windows across the country Reuters Social distancing in Primrose Hill Jeremy Selwyn A general view of a locked gate at Anfield, Liverpool as The Premier League has been suspended PA Homeless people in London AFP via Getty Images A piece of art by the artist, known as the Rebel Bear has appeared on a wall on Bank Street in Glasgow. The new addition to Glasgow's street art is capturing the global Coronavirus crisis. The piece features a woman and a man pulling back to give each other a kiss PA The Queen leaves Buckingham Palace, London, for Windsor Castle to socially distance herself amid the coronavirus pandemic PA A general view on Grey street, Newcastle as coronavirus cases grow around the world Reuters Matt Raw, a British national who returned from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, leaves quaratine at Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside PA Britain's Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty (L) and Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance look on as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures as he speaks during a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) news conference inside 10 Downing Street Reuters The ticket-validation terminals at the tram stop on Edinburgh's Princes Street are cleaned following the coronavirus outbreak. PA Locked school gates at Rockcliffe First School in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear PA A sign at a Sainsbury's supermarket informs customers that limits have been set on a small number of products as the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases grow around the world Reuters Jawad Javed delivers coronavirus protection kits that he and his wife have put together to the vulnerable people of their community of Stenhousemuir, between Glasgow and Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images A sign advertising a book titled "How Will We Survive On Earth?" Getty Images A man who appears to be homeless sleeping wearing a mask today in Victoria Jeremy Selwyn A pedestrian walks past graffiti that reads "Diseases are in the City" in Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images Staff from The Lyric Theatre, London inform patrons, as it shuts its doors PA A quiet looking George IV Bridge in Edinburgh PA A quieter than usual British Museum Getty Images A racegoer attends Cheltenham in a fashionable face mask SplashNews.com A commuter wears a face mask at London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn A empty restaurant in the Bull Ring Shopping Centre Getty Images A deserted Trafalgar Square in London PA Passengers determined to avoid the coronavirus before leaving the UK arrive at Gatwick Airport Getty Images She was charged with assaulting an emergency worker after an officer attending reports of a house party in Bridgwater was coughed and spat at just after 7pm on Saturday. In Bath, a 42-year-old woman was charged with two counts of assaulting an emergency worker - one relating to an officer being spat at - just after 7.30pm on Saturday. A 36-year-old woman has also been charged with two counts of assaulting an emergency worker after officers were physically assaulted while attending a domestic-related incident in Bridgwater just before 8pm on Saturday. Chief Superintendent Carolyn Belafonte said such incidents were particularly abhorrent amid the coronavirus pandemic. "Officers are simply trying to do their job to protect the public and keep our communities safe in these worrying times," she said. "They do not deserve to be assaulted in any way, particularly being spat on and coughed at. "Anyone who does this can expect to be arrested and as we have already seen elsewhere they could face a prison sentence as a result." Welcome, DISH customer! Please note that we cannot save your viewing history due to an arrangement with DISH. Watchlist and resume progress features have been disabled. ACCEPT BYD highlighted a video of the Blade Battery successfully passing a nail penetration test, which is seen as the most rigorous way to test the thermal runaway of batteries due to its sheer difficulty. "In terms of battery safety and energy density, BYD's Blade Battery has obvious advantages," said Professor Ouyang Minggao, Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Professor at Tsinghua University. The Blade Battery has been developed by BYD over the past several years. The singular cells are arranged together in an array and then inserted into a battery pack. Due to its optimized battery pack structure, the space utilization of the battery pack is increased by over 50% compared to conventional lithium iron phosphate block batteries. While undergoing nail penetration tests, the Blade Battery emitted neither smoke nor fire after being penetrated, and its surface temperature only reached 30 to 60C. Under the same conditions, a ternary lithium battery exceeded 500C and violently burned, and while a conventional lithium iron phosphate block battery did not openly emit flames or smoke, its surface temperature reached dangerous temperatures of 200 to 400C. This implies that EVs equipped with the Blade Battery would be far less susceptible to catching fire even when they are severely damaged. The Blade Battery also passed other extreme test conditions, such as being crushed, bent, being heated in a furnace to 300C and overcharged by 260%. None of these resulted in a fire or explosion. He Long, Vice President of BYD and Chairman of FinDreams Battery Co., Ltd., covered four distinct advantages of the Blade Battery including a high starting temperature for exothermic reactions, slow heat release and low heat generation, as well as its ability to not release oxygen during breakdowns or easily catch fire. In the past few years, many EV manufacturers have fallen into a competition for ever-greater cruising range. When the range becomes the prime factor to consider, this focus is then transferred to power battery makers, leading to unreasonable pursuits of "energy density" in the battery industry. It is due to this unpractical focus on "energy density" that safety has been sidelined from power battery development. BYD's Blade Battery aims to bring battery safety back to the forefront, a redirection from the industry's tenuous focus on this crucial aspect. "Today, many vehicle brands are in discussion with us about partnerships based on the technology of the Blade Battery," said He Long. He added that BYD will gladly share and work with global partners to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes for all industry players. The Han EV, BYD's flagship sedan model slated for launch this June, will come equipped with the Blade Battery. The new model will lead the brand's Dynasty Family, boasting a cruising range of 605 kilometers and an acceleration of 0 to 100km/h in just 3.9 seconds. About BYD BYD Company Ltd. is one of China's largest privately-owned enterprises. Since its inception in 1995, the company quickly developed solid expertise in rechargeable batteries and became a relentless advocate of sustainable development, successfully expanding its renewable energy solutions globally with operations in over 50 countries and regions. Its creation of a Zero Emissions Energy Ecosystem comprising affordable solar power generation, reliable energy storage, and cutting-edge electrified transportation has made it an industry leader in the energy and transportation sectors. BYD is listed on the Hong Kong and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges. More information on the company can be found at http://www.byd.com Contacts In Asia-Pacific: Richard Li [email protected]; tel:+86-755-8988-8888-61777 In North America: Frank Girardot [email protected]; tel: +1 213 245 6503 In Europe: Penny Peng [email protected]; tel: +31-102070888 SOURCE BYD Company Limited As the global pandemic escalates, health services are rapidly changing, creating tension between reproductive rights and safeguarding against COVID-19 spread, revealing the question: what is essential and what is not? As the world grapples with the growing threat of COVID-19, health systems are being put to the test, rushing to radically reconfigure themselves in time to absorb a large influx of sick people with complex care needs. In the midst of this reconfiguration, reproductive care and services, particularly for pregnancy, labour and birth, are experiencing rapid changes that have left parents more anxious than before and that lay bare questions of essentiality and optionality in regards to reproductive health. In the U.S. state of Ohio, there is a debate as to whether abortion care is an essential service, after the Attorney General issued a letter instructing Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers to delay procedures without risk to the current or future health of the patient. Similar actions are being undertaken in Texas. In the United Kingdom (U.K.), where termination of pregnancy requires signatures from two doctors after face-to-face consultations, temporary changes to abortion law, allowing remote consultations and letting women take medical abortion pills at home, were instated only to be swiftly withdrawn, leaving thousands of women in limbo as to whether they will be able to access services. Many advocates of telemedicine for abortion care, such as the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, argue that sending women to multiple face-to-face appointments is non-essential, and travel to them should also be considered non-essential, meaning it would be subject to restriction under the governments recent lockdown measures. The challenges are not limited to abortion services. Antenatal classes, though still regarded as necessary, are being curtailed and going digital. In England, where multiple birth place settings are available for women with straightforward pregnancies, reports trickle in that birth centres, which are solely midwifery-led, and home birth services are being suspended, as staff are reassigned to labour wards. Women will now have to choose between their partner and their doula in British maternity units. In the U.S., New York hospitals have barred all visitors, including partners, for women admitted in labour. The COVID-19 cases in the state currently account for half of those reported in the U.S., and as the numbers rise in other regions, more health systems are sure to implement this ban. Equally concerning is the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) recommendation that hospitals should consider temporarily separating (e.g., separate rooms) women with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 from their newborns. Similar measures have been reported in France and Italy. This means thousands of women will not only be alone when they give birth, but they will also be denied skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding initiation, both of which help infants thrive, if they have or are suspected to have novel coronavirus. What is essential, and what is optional when it comes to reproductive health? The boundaries, as we have found out, are incredibly malleable, just as those of risk and safety. Doula care, birth centres and home birth, only on the cusp of being recognised as essential, are suddenly deemed optional and, therefore, subject to limitations. In a blink of an eye, birth partners, breastfeeding and even skin-to-skin contact have been relegated to non-essential in some areas of the world, which should make us question how clinicians, medical systems and health infrastructures perceive and produce essentiality. To provide a foil to these reports of shrinking reproductive health services, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recognizes womens right to a safe and positive birth experience, regardless of confirmed COVID-19 infection. This includes: Being treated with respect and dignity; Having a companion of choice present during delivery; Clear communication by maternity staff; Appropriate pain relief strategies; Mobility in labour where possible, and birth position of choice. The WHO guidance also supports skin-to-skin contact, safe breastfeeding, which means practicing respiratory etiquette, wearing a mask if available and hand washing before and after feeding, and room sharing with babies for women with COVID-19. All of these constitute a safe and positive birth, to which all women have a right. They are, by the WHO standards, essential, in that they immutable, remaining stable in the face of the shifting services and considered constants in all systems, regardless of resource level. Yet, this essentiality has not held with the emergence of COVID-19. Likewise, abortion care, though considered essential by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Board of Obstetrics & Gynecology, American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists, American Gynecological & Obstetrical Society, American Society for Reproductive Medicine, Society for Academic Specialists in General Obstetrics and Gynecology, Society of Family Planning and Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, will become even more embroiled in biopolitical contestations over essentiality, bodily autonomy and right-to-care. It is important not to forget that, at the centre of these spinning tensions, are women and their families, who are anxious and uncertain, perhaps vulnerable and exposed, now more than ever, to higher chances of medical interventions, such as forceps delivery and caesarean sections, and birth trauma. The consequences of service changes are intensely corporeal. Thus, amending the discrepancies between international guidelines, national policies, professional mandates and local reproductive health services takes on an urgency because the erosion of reproductive rights is an erosion of human rights. As a medical anthropologist, my research focuses on health decision-making, particularly about maternity care, examining the convergence of policy, history and choice in the British health system. From my analysis of English maternal health policy history and ethnographic work in East London, a population-dense area of the city that includes pockets of ultra-wealth despite high rates of deprivation, I dissected how contemporary notions of choice in maternity are often built on a market ideology, rather than on a platform of human rights. The recent developments in reproductive care have only reinforced this argument. If certain reproductive health choices, such as choice of companion, choice of place of birth and choice of infant feeding, were considered a right, as opposed to an action made by a health services consumer, they would not be reproduced as optional, something that women can just go without. If crisis alters the parameters by which we judge what is essential and what is not, how do reproductive health services pragmatically respond to the novel coronavirus, when making reproductive choices are in themselves considered a human right? So far, logistical decisions are made with the aim to slow the spread of COVID-19, but these actions uncover the contradictory nature of biomedically managed reproduction. For instance, centralising all births, even for healthy women with straightforward pregnancies, to hospitals where chance of infection is potentially higher. Others, such as restricting breastfeeding and recommending separation at birth of an infected woman and her infant, reveal that obstetric concerns remain rooted with the health of the infant, rather than the health of the parent-infant, as initially demonstrated over 20 years ago by Emily Martin (1987), Robbie Davis-Floyd (1993), and Brigitte Jordan (1997). COVID-19, as Helen Lewis pointed out in The Atlantic, is a disaster for feminism. It has the potential to not only exacerbate and prolong gender inequality, as woman disproportionally shoulder care roles, but also diminish bodily rights. Things that arent priorities get cancelled. That can have an effect on maternal mortality, or access to contraception, Clare Wenham, an assistant professor of global health policy at the London School of Economics, told Lewis. The cancellation has already started in reproductive health, with little or no way to argue against it. It seems that biopolitical contentions about reproduction have been forced to a head by the COVID-19 crisis, displaying how power dynamics, usually obfuscated by patient-centred care, choice and health ownership narratives enshrined in policy, are distributed. However, in unpacking the apparent tension between essentiality and optionality in reproductive health, we need to also scrutinise this tension in and of itself: is it, perhaps, illusory? The very rationale that there is a tension and so the pandemic takes precedence over reproductive rights because it is a public health emergency requiring short term containment rests on a set of assumptions about whether reproductive rights conflict with the greater good of public health and the deeply embedded beliefs that, for example: small services, such as birth centres, are inefficient and, therefore, a luxury to be cast aside; core maternity services are acute ones, and primary care services are peripheral; and hospitals are safe places for people who are not in an acute health crisis. From a human rights perspective, reproductive rights are not incongruous with public health, as providing them is essential to establishing an effective, humane care system and, therefore, diminishing them in times of crisis are counterproductive to this systems functioning. Yet, rights to choice in contraceptive and pregnancy care and to safe, positive childbirth experiences are evaporating in the name of public health, making tangible this illusory tension, and increasingly, it will become difficult to argue against reproductive care changes, as they are reproduced as necessary actions for staggering infection. This is the rub for biopolitics in the time of COVID-19, which Panagiotis Sotiris articulated: Is it possible to have collective practices that actually help the health of populations, including large-scale behaviour modifications, without a parallel expansion of forms of coercion and surveillance? Sotiris suggests that social distancing and restricted movement measures fall more in line with a democratic biopolitics, in which individual and collective care are amalgamated without coercion. Suspending our individual movement and physical interactions, collectively, does benefit wider health and well-being, but at what point does this suspension infringe on rights to dignified, respectful and positive health care? Navigating health, care and rights during COVID-19 is, therefore, (Campbell, 2006) slippery, with the potential to slide between quasi states of exception, which Giorgio Agamben has argued are being enacted through pandemic responses, and democratic biopolitics. It remains a fact that anyone with eyes to see cannot deny the constant deployment of biopolitics, wrote Roberto Esposito in his response to Agamben. What is crucial is how biopolitics is deployed. As Esposito elaborated in his discussion of immunity and community, an affirmative biopolitics is one of life, not over life, the opening to which takes place when we recognize that harming one part of life or one life harms all lives (Campbell, 2006, p. 16; Esposito, 2008). In this sense, prioritising social distancing measures, including supporting telemedicine for abortion care, remote work and generous maternity leave, among pregnant women can be seen asaffirmative biopolitics. Complicating access to abortion, isolating labouring woman from their birth partners and separating women with COVID-19 from their newborns should not. Supporting and strengthening the capacities of birth centres and home birth services are forms of affirmative biopolitics. Centralising birth care to hospitals and making healthy women go to these units with potentially higher chances of infection are not. This is why cohesively setting boundaries, such as establishing a distinction between essential and optional reproductive services, becomes necessary in the midst of a pandemic conditions, when some care, viewed as fundamental by those who receive it, is not viewed as a priority by those who provide it. Medical anthropologists already interrogate taken-for-granted boundaries and investigate how they are made up and expanded, but it is in helping others to navigate and set them, where we could be useful during this extraordinary period of global health. References Campbell, T. (2006). Bios, Immunity, Life: The Thought of Roberto Esposito. Diacritics, 36(2), 2-22. Davis-Floyd, R. (1993). The technocratic model of birth. In S. Hollis, L. Pershing, & M. Young (Eds.), Feminist Theory in the Study of Folklore (pp. 297-326). Champaign: University of Illinois. Esposito, R. (2008). Bios: Biopolitics and Philosophy. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. Jordan, B. (1997). Authoritative Knowledge and Its Construction. In R. Davis-Floyd, & C. Sargent (Eds.), Childbirth and Authoritative Knowledge: Cross-Cultural Perspectives (pp. 56-79). Berkeley: University of California Press. Martin, E. (1987). The Woman in the Body: A Cultural Analysis of Reproduction. Boston: Beacon. Cassandra Yuill, PhD, is a medical anthropologist specialising in maternal health and health decision-making in the United Kingdom. Her research interests encompass a range of reproductive health topics, including interaction of policy and maternity services, midwifery-led care and e-Health. She is currently a Research Fellow in the Centre for Maternal and Child Health Research at City, University of London, working on a project about induction of labour. Share this: Share Email Facebook Twitter Reddit Tumblr LinkedIn [view academic citations] [hide academic citations] Police have been left in 'absolute shock' after shutting down a massive 25-person karaoke party which flouted strict coronavirus lockdown rules. Derbyshire police were 'absolutely shocked' by the enormous buffet and sound system when they entered the property in Dover Street, Normanton, at 10pm on Saturday. Despite the scene, however, officers only gave those at the party 'strong words of advice' before dispersing the party. Derbyshire Police published images of an enormous 1970s-style buffet (pictured) and karaoke system held indoors at a house in Dover Street, Normanton The group of 25, which is understood to have included a mix of adults and children, was 'dispersed and hosts dealt with', officers said (pictured, karaoke system) Derbyshire Police broke up a massive house party at an unspecified location 'It is clear people are still having complete disregard for the Government advice and rules,' a statement to Twitter added. Twitter users, however, are more baffled by the eclectic 1970s-style buffet the alleged lockdown rule-breakers were enjoying. MailOnline has contacted Derbyshire Police for more information. The extraordinary scene comes as the force is facing charges of 'overzealousness' from ex-MPs, lawyers, and human rights groups. Officers from Derbyshire Police have been accused of officious muscle-flexing since the Coronavirus Act received Royal Assent last week. This week, officers poured black dye into a crystal blue lagoon in the Peak District to deter people from making 'non-essential trips'. In a Facebook post Buxton safer neighbourhood policing team said: 'No doubt this is due to the picturesque location and the lovely weather (for once) in Buxton. However, the location is dangerous and this type of gathering is in contravention of the current instruction of the UK Government. 'With this in mind, we have attended the location this morning and used water dye to make the water look less appealing.' Local resident Alex John Desmond wrote on Facebook: 'This is a joke, the way this force is acting is not representative of policing by consent which is the way the UK is meant to be governed. You should be ashamed of yourselves. 'You have taken something beautiful and damaged it.' Derbyshire Police dyeing the 'blue lagoon' in Harpur Hill, Buxton black, as gatherings there are 'dangerous' and are 'in contravention of the current instruction of the UK Government' Derbyshire Police dyeing the 'blue lagoon' in Harpur Hill, Buxton black, as gatherings there are 'dangerous' and are 'in contravention of the current instruction of the UK Government' Derbyshire Police dyeing the 'blue lagoon' in Harpur Hill, Buxton black, as gatherings there are 'dangerous' and are 'in contravention of the current instruction of the UK Government' He added that the force was promoting a culture of 'shaming' individuals, claiming that he was shouted down on his first trip out since lockdown began. Officers have been given powers to arrest people who are out of their homes on 'non-essential' journeys, with a three-strike fine policy which starts at 60 for a first offence, rises to 120 for the second and reaches 1,000. Derbyshire Police previously tracked dog walkers, ramblers, and a group posing for Instagram pictures on a cliff top at sunset on Thursday night. Using the unmanned aircraft they also gathered number plates from parked cars and traced their owners to their homes in Sheffield saying: 'Walking your dog in the Peak District: Not essential.' Derbyshire Police sent up their drone and filmed people on 'not essential' trips to the Peak District including people posing for an 'Instagram snap' The force says that people should not be heading to the Peak District to admire the sunset while Britain is in lockdown Big Brother Watch civil liberties group hit out at the behaviour, alleging: 'It's not at all clear what police powers are being used to do this. It's critical we protect public health and critical we protect basic democratic norms too. 'Arbitrary policing will not help the country to fight this pandemic.' Derbyshire Police also broke up a picnic and shisha party where eight people were found chomping away on kebabs at Snake Pass in the Peak District on Thursday. The individuals had travelled hundreds of miles from Manchester, Sheffield and Ipswich to meet, police said - who gave them a stern warning and sent them home. Eight people were found chomping away on kebabs at Snake Pass in the Peak District on Thursday by horrified officers Derbyshire Constabulary released the images as a warning and reminder to others that they must 'stay at home', in line with government advice Liberty rights group director Martha Spurrier called the lockdown 'without doubt the biggest restriction on our individual and collective freedoms in a generation'. She explained: 'What people may not realise is the extent of its powers, and how long they can be in place for. It gives the authorities new powers to detain any one of us that they deem to be potentially infected with the coronavirus. 'The breadth of this legislation is also extraordinary. 'It runs to more than 300 pages and includes some spectacular restrictions, including powers to rearrange or cancel elections. 'We'll beat this virus, but these measures must be a last resort in that battle and these powers must be removed as soon as possible. We cannot and must not sacrifice all of our hard-won rights and freedoms.' Meanwhile, chiefs have encouraged Britons to snitch on neighbours suspected of flouting lockdown rules, with Hampshire, West Midlands, Greater Manchester, and Avon and Somerset creating hotlines and portals for tip-offs. People can fill out an online form specifying the nature of the alleged infraction. In the backdrop of COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent lockdown, a high-level meeting of Union Ministers was held at the residence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday. Home Minister Amit Shah, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Smriti Irani, and other senior ministers also attended the meeting. In the ministerial group meeting, the ministers reviewed all issues related to COVID-19, including maintaining the supply chain of essential commodities like food, medicine, energy products, etc, said government sources. Government sources said it was decided that migrants will be provided temporary shelters to stay. "On the directions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the second meeting of a group of ministers, apart from reviewing the preparations to combat coronavirus outbreak, feedback on the supply of essential goods were also shared. The discussion in the meeting is regularly being shared with the Prime Minister," read the Defence Minister's tweet, roughly translated from Hindi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) https://www.aish.com/tp/i/sacks/Left--and-Right-Brain-Judaism.html The institution of the Haftarah reading a passage from the prophetic literature alongside the Torah portion is an ancient one, dating back at least 2000 years. Scholars are not sure when, where, and why it was instituted. Some say that it began when Antiochus IVs attempt to eliminate Jewish practice in the second century BCE sparked the revolt we celebrate on Chanukah. At that time, so the tradition goes, public reading from the Torah was forbidden. So the Sages instituted that we should read a prophetic passage whose theme would remind people of the subject of the weekly Torah portion. Another view is that it was introduced to protest the views of the Samaritans, and later the Sadducees, who denied the authority of the prophetic books except the book of Joshua. The existence of haftarot in the early centuries CE is, however, well attested. Early Christian texts, when relating to Jewish practice, speak of the Law and the Prophets, implying that the Torah (Law) and Haftarah (Prophets) went hand-in-hand and were read together. Many early midrashim connect verses from the Torah with those from the haftarah. So the pairing is ancient. Often the connection between the parsha and the haftarah is straightforward and self-explanatory. Sometimes, though, the choice of prophetic passage is instructive, telling us what the Sages understood as the key message of the parsha. Consider the case of Beshallach. At the heart of the parsha is the story of the division of the Red Sea and the passage of the Israelites through the sea on dry land. This is the greatest miracle in the Torah. There is an obvious historical parallel. It appears in the book of Joshua. The river Jordan divided allowing the Israelites to pass over on dry land: The water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away The Priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground. (Josh. ch. 3). This, seemingly, should have been the obvious choice as haftarah. But it was not chosen. Instead, the Sages chose the song of Devorah from the book of Judges. This tells us something exceptionally significant: that tradition judged the most important event in Beshallach to be not the division of the sea but rather the song the Israelites sang on that occasion: their collective song of faith and joy. This suggests strongly that the Torah is not humanitys book of God but Gods book of humankind. Had the Torah been the our book of God, the focus would have been on the Divine miracle. Instead, it is on the human response to the miracle. So the choice of haftarah tells us much about what the Sages took to be the parshas main theme. But there are some haftarot that are so strange that they deserve to be called paradoxical, since their message seems to challenge rather than reinforce that of the parsha. One classic example is the haftarah for the morning of Yom Kippur, from the 58th chapter of Isaiah, one of the most astonishing passages in the prophetic literature: Is this the fast I have chosen a day when a man will oppress himself? Is this what you call a fast, a day for the Lords favour? No: this is the fast I choose. Loosen the bindings of evil and break the slavery chain. Those who were crushed, release to freedom; shatter every yoke of slavery. Break your bread for the starving and bring dispossessed wanderers home. When you see a person naked, clothe them: do not avert your eyes from your own flesh. (Is. 58:5-7) The message is unmistakable. We spoke of it in last weeks Covenant and Conversation. The commands between us and God and those between us and our fellows are inseparable. Fasting is of no use if at the same time you do not act justly and compassionately to your fellow human beings. You cannot expect God to love you if you do not act lovingly to others. That much is clear. But to read this in public on Yom Kippur, immediately after having read the Torah portion describing the service of the High Priest on that day, together with the command to afflict yourselves, is jarring to the point of discord. Here is the Torah telling us to fast, atone and purify ourselves, and here is the Prophet telling us that none of this will work unless we engage in some kind of social action, or at the very least behave honourably toward others. Torah and haftarah are two voices that do not sound as if they are singing in harmony. The other extreme example is the haftarah for todays parsha. Tzav is about the various kinds of sacrifices. Then comes the haftarah, with Jeremiahs almost incomprehensible remark: For when I brought your ancestors out of Egypt and spoke to them, I did not just give them commands about burnt offerings and sacrifices, but I gave them this command: Obey Me, and I will be your God and you will be My people. Walk in obedience to all I command you, that it may go well with you. (Jer. 7:22-23) This seems to suggest that sacrifices were not part of Gods original intention for the Israelites. It seems to negate the very substance of the parsha. What does it mean? The simplest interpretation is that it means I did not only give them commands about burnt offerings and sacrifices. I commanded them but they were not the whole of the law, nor were they even its primary purpose. A second interpretation is the famously controversial view of Maimonides that the sacrifices were not what God would have wanted in an ideal world. What He wanted was avodah: He wanted the Israelites to worship Him. But they, accustomed to religious practices in the ancient world, could not yet conceive of avodah shebalev, the service of the heart, namely prayer. They were accustomed to the way things were done in Egypt (and virtually everywhere else at that time), where worship meant sacrifice. On this reading, Jeremiah meant that from a Divine perspective sacrifices were bediavad not lechatchilah, an after-the-fact concession not something desired at the outset. A third interpretation is that the entire sequence of events from Exodus 25 to Leviticus 25 was a response to the episode of the Golden Calf. This, I have argued elsewhere, represented a passionate need on the part of the people to have God close not distant, in the camp not at the top of the mountain, accessible to everyone not just Moses, and on a daily basis not just at rare moments of miracle. That is what the Tabernacle, its service and its sacrifices represented. It was the home of the Shechinah, the Divine Presence, from the same root as sh-ch-n, neighbour. Every sacrifice in Hebrew korban, meaning that which is brought near was an act of coming close. So in the Tabernacle, God came close to the people, and in bringing sacrifices, the people came close to God. This was not Gods original plan. As is evident from Jeremiah here and the covenant ceremony in Exodus 19-24, the intention was that God would be the peoples sovereign and lawmaker. He would be their king, not their neighbour. He would be distant, not close (see Ex. 33:3). The people would obey His laws; they would not bring Him sacrifices on a regular basis. God does not need sacrifices. But God responded to the peoples wish, much as He did when they said they could not continue to hear His overwhelming voice at Sinai: I have heard what this people said to you. Everything they said was good (Deut. 5:25). What brings people close to God has to do with people, not God. That is why sacrifices were not Gods initial intent but rather the Israelites spiritual-psychological need: a need for closeness to the Divine at regular and predictable times. What connects these two haftarot is their insistence on the moral dimension of Judaism. As Jeremiah puts it in the closing verse of the haftarah, I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight, (Jer. 9:23). That much is clear. What is genuinely unexpected is that the Sages joined sections of the Torah and passages from the prophetic literature so different from one another that they sound as if coming from different universes with different laws of gravity. That is the greatness of Judaism. It is a choral symphony scored for many voices. It is an ongoing argument between different points of view. Without detailed laws, no sacrifices. Without sacrifices in the biblical age, no coming close to God. But if there are only sacrifices with no prophetic voice, then people may serve God while abusing their fellow humans. They may think themselves righteous while they are, in fact, merely self-righteous. The Priestly voice we hear in the Torah readings for Yom Kippur and Tzav tells us what and how. The Prophetic voice tells us why. They are like the left and right hemispheres of the brain; or like hearing in stereo, or seeing in 3D. That is the complexity and richness of Judaism, and it was continued in the post-biblical era in the different voices of halachah and Aggadah. Put Priestly and Prophetic voices together and we see that ritual is a training in ethics. Repeated performance of sacred acts reconfigures the brain, reconstitutes the personality, reshapes our sensibilities. The commandments were given, said the Sages, to refine people.1 The external act influences inner feeling. The heart follows the deed, as the Sefer ha-Chinnuch puts it.2 I believe that this fugue between Torah and Haftarah, Priestly and Prophetic voices, is one of Judaisms great glories. We hear both how to act and why. Without the how, action is lame; without the why, behaviour is blind. Combine Priestly detail and Prophetic vision and you have spiritual greatness. NOTES 1. Tanhuma, Shemini, 12. 2. Sefer ha-Chinnuch, Bo, Mitzvah 16. CONNECT WITH THE CHIEF RABBI Download the Chief Rabbis new iPhone and iPad app via www.chiefrabbi.org for mobile access to his video study sessions as well as his articles and speeches. Alternatively, search for Chief Rabbi in the App Store on your iPhone. SUBSCRIBE TO COVENANT & CONVERSATION To receive Covenant & Conversation and other news from the Office of the Chief Rabbi direct to your inbox each week, please subscribe at www.chiefrabbi.org. Many of the thousands of jobless workers, marching from their workplaces to their native villages in states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh hundreds of kilometres away amid the coronavirus lockdown, are not being welcomed back home. IMAGE: A group of migrants carry their belongings as they walk to their villages, amid a nationwide lockdown in the wake of coronavirus pandemic, near Delhi-UP Border in New Delhi. Photograph: Ravi Choudhary/PTI Photo In many places in Bihar and elsewhere, those returning back home from states and even from neighbouring countries like Nepal and Bhutan were reported to the police, who, in turn, handed them over to medical authorities for tests and subsequent measures. Some villages in Bihar have gone into lockdown, refusing entry of people even from neighbouring areas, to curb the spread of infection. "Four of my co-villagers working in Nepal returned home two days ago. But villagers informed police about them following which they swooped on the village with ambulances and handed them over to the medical team," Abhishek Singh said of Alawalpur village on the outskirts of Bihar's capital Patna. "In neighbouring Fatehpur village, six people returned home from Bhutan yesterday, undertaking part of their journey on foot in Bihar and West Bengal, but were handed over to police by neighbours," said Singh. In a similar case, nine people returning to their village Jamalpur, near Alawalpur, from Mumbai were handed over to police and medical authorities, said Luv Singh of Jamalpur village, though they had been examined earlier in Mumbai by medical authorities. They too were asked to stay at home, he added. Station House Officer Nagmani Kumar of Guari Chack police station, having jurisdiction over these villages, confirmed this trend. "Yes, it's true. Initially over 15 people coming from outside the state were reported to us by villagers and we handed them over to medical teams," said Inspector Kumar. Later the medical teams have begun picking them up on their own after getting information about such cases, he said, adding at least 40 people, belonging to various villages like Alwalpur, Fatehpur, Kamarjee, Kandap and Masadhi in the jurisdiction of Gaurichack police station were reported to the police. In fact, Piariya village near Alawalpur has locked itself down, refusing entry to even people from neighbouring areas, he said. "Good for us," he quipped. In other instances, some youths, who had recently jumped quarantine in Karnataka and reached their village in West Champaran in north Bihar, were handed over to the police. The imposition of 21-day nationwide lockdown to break the coronavirus transmission chain has triggered large-scale migration of jobless daily wagers, undertaking marches from cities outside their states to their native places, braving days of hunger and fatigue and breaking down on slightest gesture of sympathy. But the villagers' stance of reporting them back to the police is not in variance with the stands of various governments, which have been urging workers to stay put at places where they are, assuring them of food and other essentials. Many have also panicked over rumours that the lockdown would be extended further. A group of four construction labourers, marching from Gurgaon in Haryana to Badaun in Uttar Pradesh, met this reporter on National Highway 9 in Delhi leading to Ghaziabad on Saturday night. They said they are returning back home on foot itself because "experts say the lockdown period would be further extended by at least three months", referring to some WhatsApp forward messages they received. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Moscow Sun, March 29, 2020 15:01 654 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206e229e4 2 Science & Tech meme,coronavirus,Russia,COVID-19,Internet,work-from-home Free Russia's biggest telecoms provider on Friday pleaded with clients to stop sending coronavirus memes and viral videos, as networks began to overload as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. "Memes and keeping in good spirits are important, but it is important to be responsible about using content online," MTS president Alexei Kornya said in a statement on the company's website. Read also: Indonesian minister calls on stay-at-home citizens to stop illegally streaming movies "I'm not saying you should stop watching films online or participate in video conferences for work," he said. But he called on Russians to "refrain from sending around funny but 'heavy' videos via messengers to dozens of contacts," straining the telecoms infrastructure. MTS has 80 million clients in Russia and has seen a "considerable increase in the load on the network," mostly in large cities, particularly Moscow, Kornya said. Russia has not ordered a mandatory lockdown, but many companies switched to telecommuting earlier this month to lower the risk of coronavirus infection. The internet has exploded with coronavirus-related memes worldwide as face-to-face contacts have decreased because of lockdowns and quarantines. The government has stressed that people working to support those who are homeless are deemed essential workers, and it has also changed time periods for planning applications because of the Covid-19 crisis. Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy also clarified that any NGOs and private operators working in providing emergency accommodation is deemed to be offering an essential service, as per the terms of the government's wide-ranging restrictions set out last Friday. TEHRAN, Iran - Prisoners in southern Iran broke cameras and caused other damage during a riot, state media reported Monday, the latest in a series of violent prison disturbances in the country, which is battling the most severe coronavirus outbreak in the Middle East. Israel meanwhile announced that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will enter self-quarantine after an aide tested positive for the virus. His office says the 70-year-old leader has undergone a test and will remain in quarantine until he receives results or is cleared by the Health Ministry and his personal doctor. His close advisers are also isolating. Speaking from confinement at home, Netanyahu called on Israelis to remain at home and avoid family gatherings during the upcoming spring holiday season. The Jewish holiday of Passover, the Christian holiday of Easter, and the month-long Muslim holiday of Ramadan all fall in April. All three festivals traditionally entail large social gatherings. Netanyahu told Israelis in a televised address that they should avoid family visits for the sake of preventing the further spread of the virus. Netanyahu said the government would discuss possible further restrictions on gatherings of more than two people, a ban on public worship of any kind, as well as a 80 billion shekel ($22 billion) economic rescue plan. More than 4,600 Israelis have been infected with the new virus and 16 have died. Iran had temporarily released around 100,000 prisoners as part of measures taken to contain the pandemic, leaving an estimated 50,000 people behind bars, including violent offenders and so-called security cases, often dual nationals and others with Western ties. Families of detainees and Western nations say Iran is holding those prisoners for political reasons or to use them as bargaining chips in negotiations. The state-run IRNA news agency quoted Gov. Enayatollah Rahimi of the southern Fars province as saying a riot broke out at Adel Abad Prison, the main lockup in the city of Shiraz. Rahimi said prisoners broke cameras and caused other damage in two sections housing violent criminals. No one was wounded and no one escaped. IRNA reported Friday that 70 inmates had escaped Saqqez Prison in Irans western Kurdistan province. Prisoners beat guards during the chaos, a local prosecutor said. Several inmates later returned on their own to the prison. Since the beginning of the year, riots have broken out in prisons in Aligudarz, Hamedan and Tabriz as well, with some prisoners escaping, IRNA reported. In a separate development, Islamic State militants rioted inside in a prison in northeastern Syria and a number of them managed to escape. That riot did not appear to be connected to the pandemic. In Lebanon, a criminal court ordered the release of 46 prisoners who were being held without trial to protect them from getting infected, the state-run National News Agency reported. Lebanon has reported 446 cases and 11 deaths from the virus. In war-torn Yemen, more than 240 prisoners were released in government-held areas as a precaution against the spread of the coronavirus, according to provincial officials, some of whom spoke on condition of anonymity under regulations. The majority were being held on low-level charges, the officials said. Yemen has not yet detected a case of the coronavirus, likely because of its weak disease surveillance systems. Public health experts have been warning of catastrophic consequences if the illness spreads to the Arab worlds poorest country, which is mired in a bloody civil war. Iran has reported more than 40,000 infections and 2,757 deaths from COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, including 117 fatalities in the last 24 hours. The Health Ministry says more than 3,500 people are in critical condition, while around 14,000 have recovered. The virus causes mild symptoms, including fever and cough, in most patients, who recover within a few weeks. But it is highly contagious and can be spread by people showing no symptoms. It can also cause severe illness and death, particularly in older patients or those with underlying health problems. The virus has infected more than 740,000 people worldwide, causing more than 35,000 deaths, according to data gathered by Johns Hopkins University. More than 150,000 have recovered. Elsewhere in the region on Monday, Jordan began releasing thousands of travellers who were quarantined for the last two weeks at five-star hotels on the Dead Sea in order to prevent the spread of the virus. More than 4,200 Jordanians and 1,500 foreigners have been held at the hotels. The Jordanians will be sent home via Uber, the popular ride-hailing service, and are requested to remain at home for another 14 days. Travellers with other nationalities will be released on Tuesday. It was not immediately clear where they would go, but authorities said they would be in contact with their embassies and the Foreign Ministry. Jordan has reported 268 infections and five deaths from the virus. At least 26 people have recovered. Jordan halted all flights and closed its borders on March 17. It later imposed an indefinite round-the-clock curfew before providing limited times for people to shop for basic goods on foot. In Egypt, the government extended the closure of the countrys famed museums and archaeological sites, including the Pyramids and the Sphinx at Giza, until at least April 15. Authorities still plan to light up the pyramids on Monday night in an expression of support for health workers battling the virus. Egypt has reported 656 infections and 41 deaths from the virus. ___ Heller reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Omar Akour in Amman, Jordan, Samy Magdy in Cairo, Bassem Mroue in Beirut, Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Joseph Krauss in Jerusalem contributed to this report. A doctor and a junior commissioned officer in the Indian Army tested positive for coronavirus on Sunday, official sources said. The Colonel-rank doctor is serving at the Command Hospital in Kolkata while the JCO is posted to an Army base in Dehradun. The sources said the Army has traced all those who have come in contact with the two persons and accordingly they were quarantined. Both the doctor and the JCO are understood to have visited an Army facility near the national capital earlier this month. The two persons are keeping good health, said the sources. A couple of weeks back, an Army jawan tested positive for COVID-19. The soldier was on leave at his home in Leh, taking care of his father who had returned from Iran and was infected. The soldier has already recovered, according to an official. On Friday, Army Chief Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane launched an initiative christened 'Operation Namaste' to insulate the 1.3 million strong Army from the pandemic and extend all possible assistance to the government in containing it. Gen Naravane asked all Army personnel to take prescribed precautions against the virus. "I would request everyone to take care of themselves and their families. Your safety is my first responsibility," the Army Chief said. "I want to assure all the soldiers posted on the border that we will take special care of your families. We will achieve success in the 'Operation Namaste'," he told reporters. India has reported over 1,000 coronavirus cases and 27 deaths. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) As the coronavirus rages across the United States, mainly in large urban areas, more than a third of U.S. counties have yet to report a single positive test result for COVID-19 infections, an analysis by The Associated Press shows. Data compiled by John Hopkins University shows that 1,297 counties have no confirmed cases of COVID-19 out of 3,142 counties nationwide. Of the counties without positive tests, 85% are in rural areas from predominantly white communities in Appalachia and the Great Plains to majority Hispanic and Native American stretches of the American Southwest that generally have less everyday contact between people that can help transmit the virus. At the same time, counties with zero positive tests for COVID-19 have a higher median age and higher proportion of people older than 60 the most vulnerable to severe effects of the virus and far fewer intensive care beds should they fall sick. Median household income is lower too, potentially limiting health care options. The demographics of these counties hold major implications as the Trump administration develops guidelines to rate counties by risk of the virus spreading, empowering local officials to revise social distancing orders that have sent much of the U.S. economy into freefall. President Donald Trump has targeted a return to a semblance of normalcy for the economy by Easter Sunday, April 12. Experts in infectious disease see an opportunity in slowing the spread of coronavirus in remote areas of the country that benefit from natural social distancing and isolation, if initial cases are detected and quarantined aggressively. That can buy rural health care networks time to provide robust care and reduce mortality. But they also worry that sporadic testing for coronavirus could be masking outbreaks that -- left unattended -- might overwhelm rural health networks. They'll be later to get the infection, they'll be later to have their epidemics, said Christine K. Johnson, a professor of epidemiology at the University of California, Davis. But I don't think they're going to be protected because there's nowhere in the U.S. that's isolated. Counties that have zero confirmed COVID-19 cases could raise a red flag about inadequate testing, she said. I hope the zeros are really zeros -- I worry that theyre not doing enough testing in those regions because theyre not thinking theyre at risk, she said. Mike Johnston, a clerk at the Maupin Market in tiny Maupin, Oregon, wipes down the ice cream case to protect customers from the new coronavirus. (AP Photo/Gillian Flaccus)AP In New Mexico, a state with 2 million residents spanning an area the size of Italy, Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has moved aggressively to contain the coronavirus' spread with a statewide school shutdown and prohibition on most gatherings of over five people. Nearly half of the state's 33 counties are free of any positive coronavirus cases. New Mexico is among the top five states in coronavirus testing per capita, though some virus-free counties aren't yet equipped with specialized testing sites beyond samplings by a handful of doctor offices. Torrance County Manager Wayne Johnson said plans are being prepared for the first three dedicated COVID-19 testing sites, in the high-desert county of 15,000 residents that spans an area three times the size of Rhode Island. A statewide stay-at-home order is keeping many residents from commuting to jobs in adjacent Bernalillo County, the epicenter of the states COVID-19 infections, with 93 confirmed cases out of a state government tally of 208 as of Saturday night. We dont have any test sites open, and part of that is that we dont have any needs for the test yet, Johnson said. Still, Johnson said he worries that an outbreak could overwhelm the county's sole local medical clinic and an all-volunteer corps of emergency medical technicians. The states first of two coronavirus-related deaths occurred last Sunday within a southern oil-producing region in Eddy County, where two other positive tests have surfaced. A man in his late-70s died shortly after arriving at a hospital in Artesia, and tested positive postmortem. He had previously visited two health clinics, and at the hospital five staff were quarantined for possible exposure even though they wore face masks. State Deputy Epidemiologist Chad Smelser said health officials have continued to painstakingly retrace the steps of infected patients and notify people who came into contact with them. There are dozens of connections per infection on average. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 28) The Philippine government will import rice, country's main food staple, if the situation amid the COVID-19 outbreak calls for it, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles has disclosed. If necessary, the importation of an additional 300,000 metric tons of rice through government to government arrangements with ASEAN trading partners and/or from all sources including India and Pakistan at the ASEAN tariff, Nograles said via Facebook Live Friday night. Separately, the Inter-agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) ordered farming and fishing activities to continue despite the enhanced community quarantine. Nograles said the Department of Agriculture shall be provided with 31 billion in order to implement, expand, and increase food adequacy in the country. RELATED: Agriculture dept. seeks 32-B extra funds for unhampered food supply In the days before remote instruction began, Chauntae Brown, a second-grade teacher at P.S. 80 in Jamaica, Queens, scrambled to teach parents without Wi-Fi how to use cellphone hot spots. She rummaged in her garage to find materials a world map, a Welcome sign, an apple-shaped chalkboard to transform her living room wall into a classroom. She grabbed a plastic tiara because, she said, Im the queen of this castle. At 8:45 a.m. on Monday, as her students logged on for their first day of remote learning, one after another, she was thrilled to see them blurt hello for the first time in a week. But all did not go smoothly. A third of the students were not present. There were technical issues. And the class had the feel of a slumber party, since so many children were in their pajamas or in their beds, with parents in the same live shot. By the second day, though, attendance was up to 88 percent, and most students were dressed for school. There were fewer technical problems, fewer parents to be seen. Students were so excited about Ms. Brown reading Mercy Watson to the Rescue aloud that several had already clicked through future assignments. There was something I read yesterday that has been proven true over and over again. The internet can collectively troll Akshay Kumar and even bully him into leaving behind his Canadian citizenship, but his love for India doesn't end with his movies. He has, on many occasions, gone above and beyond to help the people of the country and that is actually a commendable thing. While so many Bollywood celebrities are making TikToks instead of contributing in a way that needed, Akshay Kumar alone has decided to donate Rs 25 crores to help the people of the country who have lost everything during this pandemic. Replying to PM Modi's tweet about how anyone who wants to help can contribute to the PM-Cares fund, he made the announcement about his generous donation because jaan hai toh jahaan hai. This is that time when all that matters is the lives of our people. And we need to do anything and everything it takes. I pledge to contribute Rs 25 crores from my savings to @narendramodi jis PM-CARES Fund. Lets save lives, Jaan hai toh jahaan hai. https://t.co/dKbxiLXFLS Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) March 28, 2020 Not to sound pessimistic or anything, I just really hope this money reaches to the people for whom it is intended for, that's extremely important, especially right now. Even Modiji is impressed with Akshay Kumar. Great gesture @akshaykumar. Lets keep donating for a healthier India. https://t.co/3KAqzgRFOW Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 28, 2020 The man makes me proud. When I asked him if he was sure as it was such a massive amount and we needed to liquidate funds, he just said, I had nothing when I started and now that I am in this position, how can I hold back from doing whatever I can for those who have nothing. https://t.co/R9hEin8KF1 Twinkle Khanna (@mrsfunnybones) March 28, 2020 After this you are my real life hero! Respect and respect only @akshaykumar https://t.co/3NdRkRxH7g hardik pandya (@hardikpandya7) March 28, 2020 How much have the Khan trio given? https://t.co/TwKWRxnOtp Shefali Vaidya. (@ShefVaidya) March 28, 2020 Bhai jaan @akshaykumar you have proved that you are the real hero of India! https://t.co/grJJ2ZPHt5 KRK (@kamaalrkhan) March 28, 2020 Tripathi, that Canadian has donated 25 Crores to help India in this crisis. That Canadian donated 3 crores during Assam & Bihar floods. #AkshayKumar donated money on many other occasions. And you hiding your face in New York.? The only favour U did for India is.. when you left it https://t.co/ockqDmENHs Paresh Rawal fan (@Babu_Bhaiyaa) March 29, 2020 Akshay Kumar is a real hero. This meme has been updated for use with immediate effect. pic.twitter.com/awx5o9XAOM Akshar (@AksharPathak) March 29, 2020 Wow, thats indeed tremendous @akshaykumar - Amazing gesture. I am sure many more celebrities will keep forward for this noble initiative! https://t.co/8cwzaHGYcO Joginder Tuteja (@Tutejajoginder) March 28, 2020 With no ulterior motives or desire for a political career, or setting sight for Ambassadorship or favours from the Gov; here is this gentleman citizen who pays his taxes honestly & does charity passionately. Yet some low lives call @akshaykumar a Canadian citizen ! Paresh Rawal (@SirPareshRawal) March 29, 2020 That's a massive amount. Respect Arun Bothra (@arunbothra) March 28, 2020 That is so heartwarming, not gonna lie.He is.Do something!KRK approved.Umm.Yes.Definitely.Please keep going.Now, that's the kind of influencer we need.Hmm.So much respect. Sri Lanka has recorded its first death due to coronavirus, a 65-year-old diabetic man. The man, who was being treated for the deadly viral infection at Colombo's Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH), died on Saturday, said Anil Jasinghe, Director General of the Health Services. The patient had a history of high blood pressure and blood sugar, he said. According to Health Ministry officials, the man had contracted the virus from Lanka's second coronavirus patient who was in contact with a group of Italian tourists. As of Saturday, there were 115 confirmed COVID-19 cases and one death in the island nation. Nine persons have been cured of the disease, while 199 were under observation at designated hospitals across the country. Meanwhile, the country continues to remain under curfew and a restriction remained imposed on foreign arrivals. Indefinite curfew will continue in Colombo, Gampaha, Kaluthra, Puttalam, Jaffna and Kandy, while for other regions, the ban will be lifted for eight hours -- from 6:00 AM to 2:00 PM -- on Monday. The ban on foreign arrivals has been extended till April 7 to contain the spread of the virus. The Commissioner General of Prisons said some 1,460 prisoners will be released in view of the coronavirus threat. Those inmates will be released who are serving jail terms for failing to fulfil bail conditions, he said. Last week there was a riot in the north central province jail, causing at least two deaths, as inmates feared that they may get infected by the virus. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Laman Ismayilova Azerbaijan major cultural institutions have closed their doors amid coronavirus pandemic. However, there are some of them you can still visit while sitting on the couch. Moreover, the museums offer art lovers to take part in various projects. Here's a list of the country`s museums you can visit virtually. Azerbaijan National Art Museum National Art Museum invites you to join a unique project, using the hashtag #MuseumFromHome. The museum offers art lovers to share their best photos, captured in the museum. Share your photos with hashtags ## and #artinart or send them to us. The most interesting photos will be posted soon, the message says. At the same time, the museum calls on everyone to join a virtual tour, using the hashtag #ArtoftheDay . The National Art Museum will plunge you into the wonderful world of art. Every day, viewers have a chance to enjoy the museum`s rich collections. In addition, art lovers can take part in the interesting quizzes, presented under the motto "Explore art!". Founded in 1937, the museum consists of two buildings standing next to each other. Over 3,000 items in 60 rooms are on permanent display at the museum. Moreover, about 12,000 items are kept in storage. Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum Every Thursday, the Carpet Museum shares its most valuable exhibits from the following collections: Jewelry; Artistic Metal; Textile, Clothing, Embroidery; Ceramics; and Glass, Wood, Paper. The museum has already displayed exhibits from its jewelry and carpet collections. For more information, please visit the museum`s Facebook page. Notably, the National Carpet Museum is a research-training and cultural-educational center which aims to present unique examples of the Azerbaijani carpet weaving art. The museum is not only an exhibition ground, but also a forum for scientific debates. In 2019, the museum received the national status for its significant contribution in popularization and promotion of the Azerbaijani Carpet Weaving Art. Old City Museum Center Since March 27, Old City Museum Center has screened documentaries, videos, 3D and 2D animations about the Shirvanshahs' State on social networks as part of the #MuseumFromHome campaign. The main goal of #MuseumFromHome campaign is to promote Azerbaijan`s historical and cultural heritage. Moreover, the project aims to educate young people and organize interesting leisure activities for both the old and young generations. As part of the project, the audience enjoyed animated film about the first historical naval battle (1174) of the Shirvanshahs`s State as well as film dedicated to this dynasty. On March 28, viewers watched the documentary film Shah Shirvan, shot by Baku Media Center and took part in a virtual tour The Shirvanshahs Heritage in World Museums". On the next day, the Old City Center is going to present architectural monuments of the Shirvanshah era that have not been preserved to this day, prepared by young architects in 2018. The Old City Museum Center is a structural division of the Administration of the Icherisheher State Historical-Architectural Reserve. The Center is open to the public with the legendary Maiden Tower, the Shirvanshahs' Palace Complex, Gala State Historical-Ethnographic Reserve Museum, Siratagli (arched -shaped) and Beyler Mosque that unites the time and the people with the feeling of love to humanity. The Museum Center aims to introduce its own rich history, diverse culture and homeland Azerbaijan to all over the world. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz DETROIT The 2020 Detroit Auto Show, scheduled for June, was canceled Saturday, and its venue will be converted into a field hospital as the coronavirus pandemic increasingly devastates Michigan. The Detroit show, officially known as the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), is one of the oldest and most prestigious auto shows in the world. Traditionally held in January, this year was the first time the show was to have been held in June, as organizers shifted dates amid competition from other shows. The coronavirus has already forced organizers to cancel the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year in Switzerland. The New York Auto Show, scheduled for April, was postponed. Its venue, the Javits Center, will be repurposed as a field hospital that's expected to open Monday. "Although we are disappointed, there is nothing more important to us than the health, safety and well-being of the citizens of Detroit and Michigan, and we will do what we can to support our communitys fight against the coronavirus outbreak, NAIAS Executive Director Rod Alberts said in a statement. With the more than 100 convention centers and facilities around the country being considered to potentially serve as temporary hospitals, it became clear to us that TCF Center would be an inevitable option to serve as a care facility to satisfy our communitys urgent health needs, he said. The Detroit show has been held at the TFC Center, formerly known as Cobo Center, for decades. It will be held next in June 2021, organizers say. The move to June was part of an ambitious plan to remake the show with outdoor events, test drives and other activities. With the cancellation of the 2020 show, Detroit will go more than two-and-a-half years without one of its signature events, as the last one was held in January 2019. Related Video: Click here to See Video >> Theres all this doom and gloom for local journalism stories that have happened in the last week or so, and I hope that other people see what were doing and understand that the important thing is the journalism its the stories, its the investigations thats what matters, Mr. Ward said. He will also be on the staff of the nonprofit investigative powerhouse ProPublica and will have support from Report for America, another growing nonprofit organization that sends young reporters to newsrooms around the country. The news business, like every business, is looking for all the help it can get in this crisis. Analysts believe that the new federal aid package will help for a time and that the industry has a strong case to make. State governments have deemed journalism an essential service to spread public health information. Reporters employed by everyone from the worthiest nonprofit group to the most cynical hedge fund-owned chain are risking their lives to get their readers solid facts on the pandemic, and are holding the government accountable for its failures. Virtually every news outlet reports that readership is at an all-time high. We all need to know, urgently, about where and how the coronavirus is affecting our cities and towns and neighborhoods. But the advertising business that has sustained the local newspapers the car dealers, retailers and movie theaters that for generations filled their pages with ads has gone from slow decline to free fall. So the leaders trying to get the local news industry through this economic shock need to confront reality. The revenue from print advertising and aging print subscribers was already going away. When this crisis is over, it is unlikely to come back. Some local weeklies recently shut down for good. Many of the worthy suggestions for saving the news business dodge this central issue. Margaret Sullivan, at The Washington Post, suggested a broad coronavirus stimulus plan, and a column in The Atlantic called for a huge government spending on public health ads. Without careful restrictions, a huge share of that government money will go to doomed newspaper chains for whom a major goal, as Gannetts chief executive said on his last earnings call in late February, is paying a dividend to shareholders unwise enough to invest in his doomed business. (Gannett executives declined to speak to me for this column.) So what comes next? That decision will be made in the next few months by public officials, philanthropists, Facebook (which is expected to announce another wave of local news funding soon) and other tech companies, and people like you. The right decision is to consistently look to the future, which comes in a few forms. The most promising right now is Ms. Greens dream of a big new network of nonprofit news organizations across the country on the model of The Texas Tribune, which Mr. Thornton co-founded. There are also a handful of local for-profit news outlets, like The Seattle Times, The Los Angeles Times and The Boston Globe, with rich and civic-minded owners, and The Philadelphia Inquirer, which is owned by the non-profit Lenfest Institute for Journalism. And there is a generation of small, independent membership or subscription sites and newsletters like Berkeleyside. Helensburgh could get new French twin town Helensburgh may soon get a second twin town in France, with members of a local community organisation currently looking at various options for this. The town has been happily twinned with Thouars, which is located in western France, for four decades now. This relationship is set to continue, but the Helensburgh Community Council (HCC) is keen to seek a similar bond with another French town. One of those that have been contacted about a potential link-up is Le Taillan, situated in Bordeauxs Medoc region, in the heart of French wine country. This is an area of France that is celebrated for its many vineyards and members of the HCC have already been in contact with Le Taillan about the idea. Tariq Durrani from the HCC stated at a recent meeting that it is very common for a town to have several twins and that Le Taillans Mayor Agnes Versepuy had responded positively. According to the Helensburgh Advertiser, her letter states: Our town, Le Taillan-Medoc, is seeking an English-speaking twin town, more particularly in Scotland. Indeed, we like the culture and the traditions of this beautiful country. Brochure printing from local print shops can be used in situations like this, to help with the exchange of materials showcasing towns to wider areas. Other possible twin towns being considered include the towns namesake Helensburgh in New South Wales, Australia. When Cana Jenkins finishes a 12-hour shift treating COVID-19 patients inside the emergency department tents at UCSF Medical Center, a different kind of work begins. She takes off the kit that makes up her personal protective equipment: face shield, hair bonnet, gown, N95 mask and UCSF-issued scrubs. The hair bonnet gets thrown away, the gown and scrubs head to hospital laundry, and the face shield and N95 mask the crucial covering that keeps Jenkins from inhaling coronavirus-laden droplets go into a numbered bag to be reused. Under normal circumstances, the nurse practitioner would chuck that mask too, but these are not normal circumstances. Next, Jenkins changes into a clean set of scrubs, walks to her car and places her shoes in a plastic bag in the trunk. She sanitizes her hands and drives home to Penngrove, a small town just north of Petaluma. There, she pulls straight into the garage, stuffs her scrubs into the washer and heads for the shower. And I shower vigorously. Only then is she ready to see her husband and two kids, Isaac, 3, and Samara, 5. Jenkins choreography of cleanliness is the new normal for medical workers treating coronavirus patients in the Bay Area. And for those coming home to children and partners, a new question lingers over every shift: How can they provide care for the people who need them and also keep their families safe? Now Playing: Jessica Boykin, 32, had stuck plenty of people with needles by the time she graduated from the nursing school at Los Medanos College in 2018, but nothing prepared her for the coronavirus pandemic. Now she's an ER nurse on the front lines, where equipment and staff are short. Many nursing students who are just inches away from graduation are hoping to join her, and begging the state to bend its licensing rules so they can work. Video: SFGATE Doctors and nurses in the Bay Area have watched the pandemic play out abroad like an ominous preview of whats to come. China wrangled its crisis under control through aggressive quarantining and a massive national health care effort, but not before the virus infected around 81,000 people including more than 3,300 medical workers. In Europe, where Italy and Spain have been particularly hard hit, at least 30 health care professionals have died from COVID-19, and medical staff make up almost 15% of Spains confirmed cases. Jenkins says following the news feels like pre-traumatic stress disorder ... watching your colleagues from around the world just get annihilated. Lately, the devastation has moved closer to home. In New York, the surge in coronavirus cases has sickened health care workers and killed a 48-year-old nurse. In California, 73 medical professionals have tested positive, including seven staff members at Laguna Honda Hospital and an emergency department worker at San Francisco General Hospital. Jenkins has worked through pandemics before in 2009, she treated H1N1 and fell brutally sick with the virus for three weeks but this feels different. H1N1 was a lot less deadly than this is, she says. And this time, she has a family. Medical professionals manage the risk to themselves through an array of procedures. There are strict protocols around what to wear, how to don and doff, and screening questions meant to reroute symptomatic patients from primary care to home isolation or emergency rooms. But the shortage of personal protective equipment haunts many workers, and how each person mitigates the risk to their families is essentially up to them. The City of San Francisco is securing hotel rooms to house workers between shifts or in quarantine, but medical staff who spoke with The Chronicle said theyve received no guidance from employers or health departments on additional precautions to avoid bringing the virus home. Some believe infection is inevitable, that the best they can hope for is a mild case. Jenkins says she trusts UCSF to keep her safe, but she still purchased hazmat suits on eBay. She wonders aloud about what would happen if the hospital ran out of personal protective equipment: Does that mean I walk off my job? What level of sacrifice should we as health care workers be willing to make? Tania Yarema is an intensive care unit nurse practitioner at California Pacific Medical Center and lives with her partner and 6-year-old son. Since the coronavirus arrived in the Bay Area, she has dedicated one car to work and wipes it down after every shift. Then she cleans the doorknobs and handles of her home in the Oakland hills, anything she might touch. You know nurses, were a little obsessive, she says. She showers before she lets 6-year-old Julian hug her and has bribed him with movies to sleep in his own bed. Keeping her family safe is on her mind 24 hours a day, a layer of stress on top of patient care and her own health. Were morally compelled to help these people, because weve done this our whole lives, she says. And then youre so scared of getting sick and passing it to your family. Its a tough position to be in. Valerie Sobel-Twain feels the same. A nurse practitioner, widow and single parent to 6-year-old Miles, she works evenings at San Francisco General. When schools closed, she worried about finding child care, about sending Miles to emergency centers, about exposing him every time she picked him up. Miles was staying with his grandparents for the weekend when the shelter-in-place order went into effect, and Sobel-Twain decided he should stay. Any decision I made was going to be painful and difficult and also imperfect, she says. I explained that theres a virus out there thats making people sick, and theyve asked all the doctors and nurses and nurse practitioners to come out and help the sick people. ... Im almost glad that when I dropped him off I didnt know about the shelter in place. It would have been really difficult to say goodbye. Jana Asenbrennerova / Special to The Chronicle Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. For medical workers coming home to kids, parenting during the coronavirus outbreak is its own challenge. Yarema is working 12-hour shifts in the ICU, then, in the time it takes her to cross the Bay Bridge, tries to flip the switch to mom of a kindergartener. Its a hard transition made easier by a great kindergarten teacher leading virtual classes, co-parenting with Julians father and long walks around the neighborhood. After years in the ICU, Yarema believed she was well-practiced at work/home separation, but the coronavirus is testing those skills. Exercise, she says, is the one thing that gets her mind off whats waiting back at the hospital. You wake up in the morning like, Is this really happening? she says. I go back to work tomorrow. Ive been home, and Im trying to psych myself up to do it. Kaiser Permanente doctor Stephanie Scott comes home to Noe Valley and three teenage daughters who are sometimes more up to date on the news than she is. We talk a lot about washing hands. We talk about why its important that were social distancing, says Scott, who does primary care and has been working in the drive-through testing clinic. With the kids out of school and her wife, a school social worker, home all day, Scott sometimes feels outside the bubble. Shes working six days a week, exhausted, and the rest of the family is together constantly, going on walks and really connecting with each other. I feel like an outsider. I feel like Im watching my family from afar, she says. I also know that that will end. Jenkins describes the feeling of coming home as whiplash, the cognitive dissonance of trading hospital scrubs and COVID patients for an acre of Sonoma County with her husband and two young kids. It can be tough to jump into mom mode, and Isaac and Samara are too young to understand why shes picking up extra shifts or wiping down door knobs after work. But the other day when Jenkins stopped to listen to the two of them, they were playing coronavirus. Even if her family emerges from the pandemic unscathed, she worries about how this will impact her children. Trying to lead a child or children through something horrific without causing them trauma or harm is an absolute art form, she says. And I think thats kind of the situation that were faced with. Shes stressed about protecting them from the virus, from the news, from the anxiety thats given her chest pains and headaches. But her kids are also a form of stress relief. Some days when Jenkins comes home all her daughter cares about is if shes drawn the enchanted forest from Frozen 2 correctly. The kids just want to make up stories and dance and play. Theres a joy that comes from watching them, from forgetting the pandemic for a second and being fully present in their universe. Beyond the front door, the coronavirus has made us scared to touch each other, Jenkins says, but in their universe there are still hugs. Its kind of wonderful to have these little people that want nothing more than to be close to you. Sarah Feldberg is assistant features editor for the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: sarah.feldberg@sfchronicle.com T he UK's coronavirus death toll will continue to rise as the outbreak moves towards an expected peak in two to three weeks, scientists have warned. More than 1,000 people have died after contracting the virus, the Department of Health revealed on Saturday. Covid-19 related deaths in the UK jumped from 759 to 1,019 - an increase of 260 and by far the biggest day-on-day rise since the outbreak began. Brendan Wren, Professor of Microbial Pathogenesis at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said the report of the further UK deaths "approximates to a person dying every five minutes in our hospitals from Covid-19". He added: "With the doubling rate of infection every four/five days and the epidemic expected to peak in two/three weeks it is possible that we may get to much higher levels in the coming weeks before we see if the social distancing interventions have an impact. The UK's coronavirus death toll will continue to rise as the outbreak moves towards an expected peak in two to three weeks / PA "Coupled with the observation that the infection can affect all walks of life even without underlying health conditions, this may be a sobering thought for any of the population flouting hygiene measures and/or social distancing." Dr Simon Clarke, Associate Professor in Cellular Microbiology at the University of Reading, said it was "very sad" but "unsurprising" that the UK had passed the 1,000 Covid-19 related deaths milestone. He said: "Over the coming weeks we can expect to see the UK's toll of the disease grow substantially, with increasingly large day-on-day numbers of the deceased. NHS Nightingale Hospital - In pictures 1 /33 NHS Nightingale Hospital - In pictures Work being carried out at the ExCel Centre, where the new temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital PA General view of the new NHS Nightingale Hospital via Reuters Work being carried out at the ExCel Centre, where the new temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital PA Work being carried out at the ExCel Centre, where the new temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital will be PA Medical equipment is labelled and prepared for use by NHS staff at the ExCel centre PA Work being carried out at the ExCel Centre, where the new temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital PA Work being carried out at the ExCel Centre, where the new temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital PA Medical equipment is labelled and prepared for use by NHS staff at the ExCel centre in London PA Natalie Forrest, Chief Operating Officer of the Nightingale Hospital at the ExCel centre PA Work being carried out at the ExCel Centre, where the new temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital PA Work being carried out at the ExCel Centre, where the new temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital PA Work being carried out at the ExCel Centre, where the new temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital will be PA Work being carried out at the ExCel Centre, where the new temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital will be PA Work being carried out at the ExCel Centre, where the new temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital will be PA Work being carried out at the ExCel Centre, where the new temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital will be PA Work being carried out at the ExCel Centre, where the new temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital will be PA Work being carried out at the ExCel Centre, where the new temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital will be PA The new NHS Nightgale Hospital at London's ExCel Centre PA AP The new NHS Nightgale Hospital at London's ExCel Centre PA The new NHS Nightgale Hospital at London's ExCel Centre PA The new NHS Nightgale Hospital at London's ExCel Centre PA Work being carried out at the new NHS Nightgale Hospital at London's ExCel Centre PA Work being carried out at the new NHS Nightgale Hospital at London's ExCel Centre PA Worker at the new NHS Nightgale Hospital at London's ExCel Centre PA "It is widely anticipated that we will reach a peak of numbers in around a fortnight, but it should be remembered that the strategy of suppressing the peak, will cause it to broaden and we will see peak mortality level off and stay high for some time before it starts to decrease. "It's therefore essential that people observe social distancing rules in order to start to turn the tide on the coronavirus." It took 13 days for the number of deaths in the UK to go from one to just over 100. It has taken a further 10 days for the total to go from just over 100 to just over 1,000. Professor Stephen Powis, national medical director of NHS England, appearing at the Government's daily press briefing, said it was basing its response to the outbreak on "the best scientific advice". Asked about an Imperial College London study which suggested coronavirus deaths in the UK could be lower than feared, Prof Powis said expert input, including from Imperial, came through the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage). He added: "The number of deaths that arise out of this epidemic in the UK, if it's less than 20,000 as (government chief scientific adviser) Sir Patrick Vallance said, that would be a good result, although every death... is absolutely a tragedy. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 20:54:22|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close KABUL, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Militants in Afghanistan have intensified their activities while efforts are under way to bring the Taliban and the Afghan government into negotiating table as over four dozen people have been killed across the country over the past 24 hours, officials confirmed Sunday. With the mediation of a U.S. delegation led by Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation of the U.S. State Department Zalmay Khalilzad, the Afghan government has constituted a 21-member team to hold talks with the Taliban. However, the armed outfit has rejected the talks with the negotiating team, saying the team represents Kabul administration and it is a negation to the outfit's stance. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in his Twitter account, "We reject to talk with the team constituted by Kabul administration and instead we want to talk with a broad based team comprised of all Afghan factions." Mujahid has also confirmed that a 10-member Taliban delegation headed by Mawlawi Ziaudin would soon visit Bagram to initiate the process of prisoners release agreed in the U.S.-Taliban peace deal. The Afghan government has yet to agree with the release of 5,000 Taliban detainees within 10 days as agreed in the U.S-Taliban peace accord. Meanwhile, Khalilzad has reportedly welcomed the Afghan government negotiating team as an inclusive team for holding dialogue with the Taliban outfit. The U.S. and the Taliban outfit inked a peace deal on Feb. 29 to end Washington's longest war in its history by pulling thousands of troops out of Afghanistan. The deal also pledges to swap prisoners and facilitate intra-Afghan dialogue to find political solution to the country's endemic conflict. Afghan observers believe that the Taliban group would intensify activities ahead of possible talks with the Afghan government so as to sit on negotiating table from a strong position and that is why the armed outfit have stepped up attacks over the past couple of weeks. "The armed outfit would do its best to expand its territory ahead of talks with Afghan government," political analyst Khan Mohammad Daneshjo told Xinhua. Nevertheless, Daneshjo opined that the security forces would defend their positions at this critical stage. The militants overran the headquarters of Yamgan district in the northern Badakhshan province on Saturday, but their attempts to gain grounds in Kunduz, Takhar, Baghlan, Badghis, Ghor, Daikundi and Herat provinces have been foiled, according to security officials. More than four dozen fighters, with majority of them militants, have been killed elsewhere in Afghanistan over the past 24 hours. Here comes the recession again! View(s): Fall of the West and rise of Asia, was the title of a couple of lectures I used to deliver a few years ago. It was about the global economic crisis in 2008/09. Although the crisis was called global, it was the advanced countries particularly the US, Europe, and Japan, which suffered the most and, not so much the Asian countries. In fact, the Asian developing countries benefitted from it, as the title of the lecture inferred. After little more than 10 years, here comes a global economic recession again, led by the global epidemic, coronavirus. But this time, it is really global in which Asia is not excluded. Unlike in the previous case, this time the recession is visible too. The global crisis in 2008/09 was like a tsunami in the midnight so that it was a surprise to the world economy. But the present recession is in the daylight so that everyone can see the tsunami coming and, they anticipate it too. The only questions which have no clear answers would be as to how big and deep it is going to be and that what types of policy regimes and economic orders that it would bring about. Boom and bust An economic recession is a significant decline in the volume of economic activity. Accordingly, we would see businesses plummeting, trade and exchange contracting, distribution and sales dropping, consumption and investment declining, and economic growth falling. Finally, it is people who would bear the cost with income losses, job losses, poverty and increased hardships. The fallout can be very severe too to the extent that it can wipe out the values of investment and accumulated global debt. Perhaps, in some places the economic crises can lead to political repercussions as well. Usually the recessions are also followed by a change in economic policies too. After sometime, there would be a recovery a period of expansion in economic activity. It would reverse all negatives back to their normal levels. Recessions are all about demand and supply, whatever the cause may be. It can be seen from falling demand or falling supply or both. The global economic crisis of 2008/09 was primarily demand-driven and originated in the financial markets. The world became poorer as the accumulated wealth was lost overnight causing a credit crunch so that the world consumer demand started falling. When the consumer demand falls, production has to be down and, trade and exchange contracts too. When production is cut down, demand for producer goods raw materials, parts, components, machinery, falls too. As business plummeted, people lost incomes and jobs, causing another round of loss in consumer demand. It is the continuation of the recession with spiral effects. Asian countries did not suffer the global financial crisis in 2008/09 unlike advanced countries did. The economies of high-income countries contracted by 3.5 per cent in 2009, with a loss of nearly US$3 trillion from their GDP. Asia and the Pacific still reported around 7.5 per cent GDP growth in the same year. Road to recession The outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Wuhan, was reported by China on December 31, 2019. The world first thought it as a local issue that China had to take care of. Within less than three months it had spread over to more than 150 countries in the world. Among them, the impact of the spread quickly exceeded the prevailing health capacity in Italy, Spain and Iran, while some other countries are in the line to follow them. The spread of infections was exponential. According to world authorities, the first 100,000 cases of infected persons was reported in 67 days, the second 100,000 in 11 days, and the third 100,000 in just four days. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a pandemic on March 11. Most of the countries in the world are now in lockdown mode, which is an isolation from engaging in daily affairs of economic activity, which is the road to an economic recession. There are no interactions and transactions. It cuts down both aggregate supply on the one hand and, aggregate demand on the other hand. Carrying capacity For example, more than 100 countries in the world have imposed travel restrictions, as BBC reported on March 20. The EU has sealed the borders banning travellers from outside for 30 days, grounding 48,200 flights with over 10 million passenger seats a cut down in supply. The airlines dont demand for fuel, food and drinks, airport services and, the passengers dont demand for air tickets, local travels, accommodation, and whatever the businesses they planned to attend a cut down in demand. People, firms and countries dont generate incomes and jobs. Countries have adopted strict measures to keep citizens in isolation confining to their homes. They dont work and dont generate incomes and employment. Production declines, resulting in lower supply. Consumption declines, resulting in lower demand. As one of the first indicators of the recession, the values of the company stocks all over the world declined. Here is the dilemma: The longer the lockdown, the easier would be the control over the spread of the virus, keeping it below the capacity limit. But the longer the lockdown, the harder would be the impact over the economy, which determine the depth and the width of the recession. Nationalist distancing There is, apparently, a boom followed by the recession, and that boom period would also be accompanied by new policy regimes. Booms and busts are usually characterized by different policy regimes. It is not because the governments decide to change their ideologies, but because it is the need of the hour. Countries cannot go on endlessly along one policy regime, since there would be time requiring them to change the policy package. A typical policy response after a recession would essentially require monetary and fiscal policy stimuli a policy package that has been used for too long since the global economic crisis in 2008/09. Today the need for the same policy package is even more than ever before, but the world has been approaching their limits now. Depending on the depth and the width of the recession, countries would be forced to more disciplined monetary and fiscal policy management as well as, perhaps, even to more painful levels of their implementation. There is also a possibility of moving towards policies of nationalist distancing as a side effect of the social distancing. Its foundation was already laid down since the global financial crisis in 2008/09 with the resurgence of protectionist tendencies, US-China trade war and the Brexit. The forthcoming recession has all necessary ingredients to usher controlled policy regimes with domestic market focus, until the need for integration and globalisation arise again as a necessary condition. (The writer is a Professor of Economics at the University of Colombo and can be reached at sirimal@econ.cmb.ac.lk). By AFP MADRID: The global coronavirus death toll surged past 30,000 over the weekend as Europe and the United States endured their darkest days of the crisis. A back-flip from US President Donald Trump on quarantining New York highlighted the panic and confusion across many parts of the world in trying to contain the pandemic, which has seen more than a third of humanity placed under unprecedented lockdowns. More than 30,800 deaths had been reported worldwide by Sunday, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally, as the virus continued to leave a devastating imprint on nearly every aspect of society: wiping out millions of jobs, overwhelming healthcare services and draining national treasuries. Europe alone accounted for more than 20,000 fatalities, where hardest-hit Italy and Spain each reported more than 800 dead in one day. Pablo Rodriguez, a radiologist at a Madrid hospital, described the influx of patients as "a total tsunami". "It's like going to the front line in a war," he said. Officials in some countries have warned that the worst is yet to come. But in the Chinese city of Wuhan where the virus first struck late last year, officials took tentative steps back towards normality, partially reopening it after more than two months of near-total isolation for its 11 million residents. Trump decided late Saturday against imposing a broad lockdown on New York and its neighbours after a strong pushback from local political leaders and warnings of the panic it could spark. ALSO READ | COVID-19: New York medical workers decry 'abysmal' lack of coronavirus protection "A quarantine will not be necessary," Trump tweeted, about eight hours after he stunned the New York metropolitan region -- the epicentre of the US outbreak -- with a proposal to place it under quarantine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, however, asked area residents not to travel except for essential purposes. Trump's reversal came on the same day the US death toll topped 2,100, more than doubling in just three days. Of the fatalities, more than a quarter were in New York City. Health officials say they fear New York may follow the deadly path charted by Italy, with health professionals exhausted and hospitals desperately short of protective equipment and ventilators. "It's abysmal," said Andrew, a psychiatry resident in a New York hospital who spoke on condition his name be changed. He is now quarantined at home with a likely case of the virus himself. "There's not enough money, there aren't enough tests, there's not enough personal protective equipment for people who are dealing with this," he told AFP in an interview punctuated by coughs. The United States now has the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 infections globally with more than 124,000 cases, according to the Johns Hopkins tally. One of the fatalities announced Saturday was that of a Chicago infant less than a year old, marking an extremely rare case of juvenile death in the pandemic. Italy and Spain European nations have been harder hit than the US on a per capita basis with over 20,000 deaths -- around half in worst-hit Italy. Spain, with the world's second-highest toll, added 832 deaths on Saturday for a total of 5,812. Madrid toughened a nationwide lockdown, halting all non-essential activities, though officials said the epidemic in the country seemed to be nearing a peak. Russia said it would close its borders on Monday, despite reporting relatively low levels of the virus. More than 664,000 cases of the novel coronavirus have been officially recorded around the world since the outbreak began late last year, according to the Johns Hopkins tracker. Variations in testing regimes -- and delays in some countries -- mean the true number is likely far higher. In France, which has seen close to 2,000 deaths, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe warned the "battle" was just beginning. The British toll passed 1,000 on Saturday while Belgium saw a steep climb in deaths, with 353 recorded on Saturday -- up from 289 the day before. Elsewhere, Iran announced 139 more deaths, and India sealed a dozen villages that had been visited by a guru now known to be infected and a possible "super-spreader". South African police used rubber bullets in Johannesburg to enforce social distancing on a crowd queueing for supplies outside a supermarket during a national lockdown. 'Enough, enough' In Italy, a cardiologist from Rome who has recovered from COVID-19 recalled his hellish experience. "The oxygen therapy is painful, looking for the radial artery is difficult. Desperate other patients were crying out, 'Enough, enough'," he told AFP. Infection rates in Italy are on a downward trend. The head of the national health institute Silvio Brusaferro predicted a peak "in the next few days". Europe has suffered the brunt of the coronavirus crisis in recent weeks, with millions across the continent on lockdown and the streets of Paris, Rome and Madrid eerily empty. Other countries across the world were bracing for the virus's full impact. As even rich countries struggle, aid groups warn the toll could be in the millions in low-income countries and war zones such as Syria and Yemen, where healthcare systems are in tatters. Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence. John Adams The media has a fetish that Trump lies. According to the Washington Post (no link, because its behind a paywall), Trump has uttered more than 16,000 lies. Drilling down, though, one discovers that, while Trump has lied (what politician hasnt?), the WaPos humorless and biased habit of taking seriously puffery, exaggeration, and jokes turns everything into a lie. What reasonable people understand is that Trump exaggerates or jokes about things that dont matter, but sticks with the truth about things that do. Leftists do something even more serious, which is to classify as a lie anything with which they disagree. In other words, they set themselves up as the arbiters of absolute truth. From this pedestal, they shout down or completely censor statements they dislike even if the statement is subjective or reasonably debatable on the ground that the statement is a lie. To support this tactic, leftists have to resort to blatant lies themselves. For example, when Trump expressed hope that chloroquine would help fight coronavirus, leftists immediately transformed the drug from a longtime, reputable standby into something evil. Thats how we got the Trump made stupid American people eat fish tank cleaner lie. And the Trump made stupid Nigerian people eat fish tank cleaner lie. Another category of lies in recent days is the claim that Trump is failing to get needed supplies to hard-hit states. Just yesterday, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued a tweet revealing the lie behind her claim that Trump's administration won't send us supplies. The most recent example of this supply lie comes from Governor Andrew Cuomo. It's a significant lie because Cuomo is the latest sparkling object to attract Democrats as they see that their designated frontrunner, Groping Joe Biden, is mentally failing. They dream of gaming the primary system to oust Biden and insert Cuomo. (Sanders and his supporters will not be pleased.) Cuomos lie arose because Trump issued a tweet pointing out that, even as Cuomo insists that he needs at least 30,000 new ventilators to meet future needs, New York has ventilators in storage: When a reporter asked Cuomo about this tweet, Cuomo immediately said that Trump was lying and then explained that the ventilators werent in storage for future needs, they were being stockpiled for future needs: Unless were missing something here, Cuomo just called Trump a liar because Trump said ventilators are in storage and are immediately available to New York, but the truth is that the ventilators are stockpiled because New York might need them later. Diogenes would not be happy with Cuomo. Theres something even more serious going on in the truth v. lie category, which is that, when the Democrat establishment disagrees with something that is reasonably open for debate, it will call it a lie if it comes from Trump or his supporters. The Democrats do this with subjective issues, such as Trumps hope (now proven correct) that chloroquine would work. They also do this with factual matters that are reasonably debatable, such as the fact (now proven correct) that chloroquine would work. The most recent, and perhaps most obvious, example is how Twitter, a leftist-run institution, handled tweets from Rudy Giuliani and Charlie Kirk. Both of those tweets said that Hydroxychloroquine is 100% effective at treating COVID-19 and that Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer is threatening doctors who prescribe it. Twitter deleted both posts for being false. Contrary to Twitter, the tweets are almost entirely accurate. In the latest and best study, Hydroxychloroquine was 97.5% efficacious, which is damn close to 100%. Moreover, Whitmer did issue a notice to doctors threatening their licenses if they prescribe Hydroxychloroquine for any off-label use. Twitter has established itself as the arbiter of coronavirus science. The media also claim to be final judges about scientific accuracy. These are the same media types whom Ben Rhodes, Barack Obamas aide, described as incredibly stupid: The average reporter we talk to is 27 years old, and their only reporting experience consists of being around political campaigns. Thats a sea change. They literally know nothing. All Americans, regardless of their political viewpoints, should find disturbing the fact that, in a time of fear and confusion, marginally educated know-nothings have anointed themselves as the ultimate arbiters of truth. Sonam Kapoor, who is no stranger to being trolled online, seems to have figured out the best way to deal with it. The actor wrote on Twitter that she will be criticised no matter what, so she has decided to do whatever she wants. Ive realised in trolliverse Im damned I do and damned if I dont. So Ill just do as I please, she tweeted. Ive realised in trolliverse Im dammed Id do and dammed if a I dont. So Ill just do as I please. Sonam K Ahuja (@sonamakapoor) March 29, 2020 From the looks of it, Sonam was responding to the trolls who targetted her for pledging to contribute to the Maharashtra chief ministers relief fund. After she lauded the governments efforts to fight the coronavirus pandemic and said that she would donate, a volley of negative comments were directed at her. This is an excellent initiative. And I will be donating, Sonam had written. While some asked her to donate first and then tweet, others questioned the amount she would be donating. Sonam was also slammed for not contributing to the Prime Ministers Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM CARES) fund. Why donate only for maharashtra....your films are viewed by people of india....donate for india #PMCARES, one Twitter user wrote to her. This is an excellent initiative. And I will be donating. https://t.co/xpLAzalhgg Sonam K Ahuja (@sonamakapoor) March 29, 2020 Currently, Sonam and her husband Anand Ahuja are in self-isolation at their residence in Delhi, after they flew back from London earlier this month. In videos posted on her Instagram stories, she lauded the government for its efforts to tackle the coronavirus pandemic and thoroughly screen people entering the country. In fact, when we were leaving London, there was no screening, there was nothing. Anand and I were in massive shock that there wasnt, she said. Also read: Bhushan Kumars T-Series contributes Rs 12 crore for Covid-19 relief, Randeep Hooda and Jay Patel donate Rs 1 crore Sonam said that she and Anand were asked to fill a form and give details of their recent travel history upon their arrival at the Delhi airport, before they cleared immigration. We went to immigration; they again rechecked where we had been on our passports, which was extremely responsible. Then, Anand and I, had our gloves on and our masks on. Everybody also had their gloves and masks on. We got our luggage and we went through, the actor said. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Egypt is, however, a major producer of sanitisers and alcohol products and the country will not run out of these supplies, an official said Due to increased demand amid the COVID-19 crisis, Egypt is witnessing a moderate shortage in medical supplies like sanitisers and alcohol products and a serious shortage of gloves and facemasks. Head of the medical supplies division at the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce (FECC) Mohamed Ismail revealed to Ahram Online that the domestic market has already run out of facemasks and is seeing a shortage in gloves. Ismail said that Egypt depends mainly on China for filling its domestic needs for medical supplies due to the cheap cost, as supplies imported from China are up to 50 percent cheaper than those that are domestically produced, especially facemasks. Ismail assured, however, that Egypt is a major producer of sanitisers and alcohol products and that the country will not run out of these supplies. Ismail also revealed that at the time of the H1N1 viral outbreak in 2009, a total of four factories were the main producers of facemasks for the domestic market, with seven production lines producing 24 million facemasks per year. These factories stopped their operations in 2014/2015 due to economic difficulties. However, two of the factories are working again after Egypt stopped importing medical supplies from China following the coronavirus outbreak in the Asian country. The two factories cannot meet the needs of the domestic market for many reasons. Besides the heavy demand on such supplies, their total production is only 50,000 face masks per day, and these masks are slated for use by the health ministry and are not headed for the commercial market, Ismail said. Ismail also said that contributing to the current shortage is the move by wholesalers to hand over EGP 1 million worth of facemasks to Cairo governorate in protest against what they described as mistreatment by regulatory authorities following the increased demand for masks amid the coronavirus outbreak. Ismail explained that the only masks currently in the domestic market are those that came into the market before mid-March. However, Ismail asserted that this situation will not last for very long, saying that Egypt will shift from being an importer of medical supplies to a major exporter within one month, without elaborating. Regarding gloves, Ismail said that Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand are Egypts main sources of gloves, but due to the coronavirus outbreak in China, the country has monopolised the three countries production lines for gloves until August. Egypt has contracted for new glove shipments, but these will be available in the domestic market by September, Ismail said. Search Keywords: Short link: By Express News Service NAGERCOIL: A pregnant woman gave birth to a baby in the COVID-19 ward of Kanniyakumari Government medical college hospital in Tamil Nadu's Nagercoil on the early hours of Sunday. According to sources, a 34-week pregnant woman, who had returned from Dubai on March 20 was admitted in the medical college hospital on Saturday following symptoms of COVID-19. The 27-year-old woman gave birth to a female baby on the early hours on Sunday. The baby was born at 1.40 am. According to doctors, the mother is safe but the baby is preterm. FOLLOW LIVE UPDATES ON COVID-19 HERE Doctors said that the baby is under treatment and continuous monitoring. Sample was taken for swab and blood test from both the mother and newborn and sent to the laboratory. Meanwhile, the sources also added that a 54-year-old male, from the district, with a known case of Diabetes and Myelofibrosis (a chronic illness) and on long treatment, was admitted to the isolation ICU ward of the medical college on Saturday late night. He died within two hours of admission. The sources said that he was having a cough and was brought to the hospital in an unconscious state. The Coronavirus pandemic has taken over the entire world. PM Narendra Modi has imposed a 21-day lockdown in the entire nation to curb the further spread of the virus. With the country entering a total lockdown and all the industries coming to a standstill, a lot of Bollywood celebrities have come forward and made contributions to the Prime Minister relief care fund to fight this major pandemic. Celebrities like Akshay Kumar, Varun Dhawan, Hrithik Roshan, Prabhas and others have already made contributions to the PM-Cares fund. Now we read that Bollywood actor Rajkummar Rao have also come forward to make a donation to the government in the fight against Corona. The actor took to twitter to urge his fans to support the nation in whatever way they can. He wrote, Its time to stand together & to help our administration in this fight against Coronavirus. Ive done my bit..Donated to #PMReliefFund #CMReliefFund and to #ZomatoFeedingIndia to help feed families in need. Please support in whatever way you can. Our Nation Needs Us. Jai Hind AAAAAAAA iAA At least 25 worshippers were killed and eight others injured when a heavily armed suicide bomber stormed his way into a prominent gurdwara on March 25, in the heart of Afghanistan's capital of Kabul. This was one of the deadliest attacks on the minority Sikh community in the strife-torn country; here are some heartbreaking photos of the massacre: Advertisement By West Kentucky Star Staff Mar. 28, 2020 | MURRAY By West Kentucky Star Staff Mar. 28, 2020 | 04:46 AM | MURRAY The Murray State University Institute of Engineering is producing and donating face shield apparatuses as part of its response to the novel coronavirus health crisis. Engineering Graphics and Design program coordinator Dr. Rudy Ottway and student worker Clay Doron, a junior majoring in the program, are using 3D printers and an open-source 3D computer aided drafting model to produce face shield headbands. Coupled with a snapped-on plastic shield and surgical mask, this solution offers vital protection to area healthcare workers for little cost. Were grateful for the work of Murray State and the Institute of Engineering to help us confront this pandemic, said Murray Calloway County Hospital Vice President for Institutional Development, Keith Travis. This effort helps us replenish our reserves and adapt to this ever-changing situation, all while protecting our doctors, nurses and staff as they interact with patients. We had everything we needed in personal protective equipment supplies from the health department except for the important face shields, said Dr. Bob Hughes, chief medical officer of Murray State University Health Services. Murray State University stepped up and provided those when we needed them most. We cannot thank them enough at this very important time for being there for us. We are all in this together. The Institute of Engineering is honored to donate this gear to those who are in need, said Dr. Danny Claiborne, chair of the Institute of Engineering. Were truly all in this together, and we want to support our community any way we can. Typically, these shields can run as much as $30 per unit, and 3D printing allows us to produce them for less than a dollar each. "I am very proud of our faculty, staff and students in the Institute of Engineering who have responded to the needs of our local medical providers, said Murray State President Dr. Bob Jackson. There is a tremendous shortage of personal protective equipment and we are pleased to do our part during this period of uncertainty." The Institute expects to have 300 completed apparatuses by early next week. WASHINGTON Over a week after President Donald Trump closed the U.S.-Canada border to non-essential travel due to coronavirus, crossings are down 90 percent excluding trade traffic along New York's northern frontier. U.S. Customs and Border Patrol said in Buffalo, the busiest port of entry along the entire northern border, only about 500 passenger cars a day are crossing. Border officials did have to turn away some people looking to cross for recreational or tourism purposes in the days after the temporary closure took effect on March 21. We had some, but very few. The public has actually been really good," said Aaron Bowker, a supervisory Customs and Border Patrol officer. "We're not seeing very many." Commercial traffic remains at normal levels across the border, said Bowker. Travel for trade reasons is considered essential under the border restrictions that are expected to remain in place until April 20. People are also allowed to cross into the U.S. if they are health care workers, U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents, Bowker said. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, whose district lines the U.S.-Canada border, said she has heard of no problems with essential medical personnel crossing the border. "That has been working well," she said. "I am in close touch, including texts, with hospital CEOs, and I have not had any particular issues with members of their work force." While trade can continue across the border, ongoing restrictions may create challenges for cross-border supply chains and other commerce, Stefanik said. "There is going to be significant economic challenges because we are so closely tied into the supply chain across the border," she said. "Theres a lot of small businesses and manufacturers that are facing challenging times. For the over 1,400 employees who work at the northern border in New York between Buffalo and Champlain, the coronavirus is a new and unusual obstacle to their work. "Typically we can see our threats," said Bowker. "We have our frontline personnel out in the lanes and they interview every person that comes into the United States, whether they are a U.S. citizen or a foreign national. They're able to visibly identify certain threats, say for example, drug smuggling or weapon smuggling or currency smuggling. They're able to talk to people about possible illegal immigration. This is one of those things, you can't see it but it's dangerous." Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. U.S. Customs do not conduct medical screenings at the border, but will refer people to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention if they display symptoms of coronavirus or have recently traveled from places that have severe outbreaks. Customs staff wear personal protective equipment, like masks and gloves, if they must conduct inspections that force them to break distancing protocols, Bowker said. Around the country, this equipment is in short supply. We have enough right now to conduct operations, Bowker said. "We have more coming. At least one Customs official has contracted coronavirus, according to the Buffalo News. Senate Democratic Leader Charles E. Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., both signed a letter to Trump last week with senators representing other northern border states requesting he consider the effects of border restrictions on medical supply chains, families and businesses with any future limitations. "With more cases of coronavirus being diagnosed in New Yorks border communities each day its imperative that the proper supplies, staff, and assistance that New Yorkers desperately need dont get interrupted, Schumer said. Yazmin Oukhellou made the most of her one hour a day outdoors as she took her dogs for a walk in Essex on Sunday. In accordance with government guidelines UK citizens are only permitted to venture outside for specific reasons, among them shopping and excercise, as the world continues to battle the coronavirus pandemic. But with gyms closed until further notice, Yazmin, 25, stretched her legs while giving her beloved dogs their daily walk around Harlow. Here she comes: Yazmin Oukhellou made the most of her one hour a day outdoors as she took her dogs for a walk in Essex on Sunday While social distancing rules remain in play until further notice, the former TOWIE star still turned heads in a busty pink gym vest and matching leggings. Drawing attention to her busty physique, Yazmin appeared to be in high spirits as she guided her two pets across a leafy footpath. On a warm morning the reality star partially concealed her features with a pair of heavily tinted sunglasses, while black running shoes rounded things off. Looking good: While social distancing rules remain in play until further notice, the former TOWIE star still turned heads in a busty pink gym vest and matching leggings New rules: In accordance with government guidelines UK citizens are only permitted to venture outside for specific reasons, among them shopping and excercise Yazmin has been single ever since she split from on/off boyfriend James Lock following a string of rows. But she was recently seen putting on an extremely cosy display with Celebrity Big Brother winner Stephen Bear, 30, as they headed out for dinner after she closed her clothing boutique in Hertforedshire. The pair were spotted cuddling as Yazmin locked up her boutique before heading to dinner at the Turkish and Mediterranean restaurant Hayta. Don't mind me: While social distancing rules remain in play until further notice, the former TOWIE star still turned heads in a busty pink gym vest Hard to miss: Drawing attention to her busty physique, Yazmin appeared to be in high spirits as she guided her two pets across a leafy footpath I say: Yazmin's curves were on full display as she took a walk through Essex town Harlow on Sunday morning Stephen showered Yazmin with kisses on the cheek as they sat down inside the eatery, with the two insisting they are just friends. Despite their cosy display, a source close to Yazmin told MailOnline: 'Bear and Yazmin are just friends, shes far too busy running her businesses to be dating anyone right right now.' MailOnline has contacted a representative for Stephen Bear for comment. Bored at home? Click onto Google Digital Garage to learn something new View(s): If like me, you have been aimlessly scrolling through Google, you may come across Google Digital Garage. Amazingly the content is all free, and its user- friendly too. With the recent curfew due to the corona virus pandemic, a lot of us are at home with nothing much to do. Instead of spending countless hours staring at memes or watching pointless videos, make use of the internets array of learning tools. Google Digital Garage is one such a free learning platform set up by Google where one can learn and develop skills for free. The courses fall into three categories: Data and Tech, Digital Marketing, and Career Development. The time span of these courses range from under two hours, 210 hours, 1120 hours, and 20+ hours. There are also several courses offered by Deakin University, Monash University, University of Auckland and many more institutes of higher education. Two of the many courses available give you a certification if you complete the course successfully. Offered by Google and accredited by Interactive Advertising Bureau Europe and the Open University, the Fundamentals of Digital Marketing is a 40 hour, 26 module course that teaches you the basics of Digital Marketing. The second certified course is Prepare for the G Suite Certification Exam which is offered by Applied Digital Skill. This teaches how to use cloud-based tools to create and share documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and files. The courses offered by Google are on Google Garage itself, while the university and other learning platforms take you to their respective websites. How the courses work is firstly you watch a video and then you answer questions and move on to another section if you get them right. More advancedcourses give you a 10 question quiz after completing a topic and when you get them right you move on to the next. Google offers courses such as Get a Business Online, How to Enhance and Protect your Online Campaign, Machine Learning Crash Course, as well as courses that can help you in your career such as Land your Next Job, which guides you on how to compile a CV and how to prepare for job interviews. Another great course that they offer, and which takes less than an hour to complete, is the Intro to Digital Wellbeing, which is all about developing healthy tech habits. So switch off your phone and TV and visit http://www.sundaytimes.lk/200329/ to find out more. The Delhi government has converted several schools into shelter homes to accommodate migrant workers to stop their exodus in the face of the nationwide lockdown to stem the spread of coronavirus. Vinay Kumar, a caretaker of one of the many newly set up shelter homes in Paharganj area, says that the Delhi government is working tirelessly to provide food and accommodation facilities to the migrants hit by the lockdown. "In one of the Paharganj schools, there are around 30 rooms where these poor people can be accommodated. Five to six people can live together in a single room," KUmar told ANI. He also said that food would be served thrice in a day and added that "special arrangements have been put in place for stranded migrant workers". "The Delhi government is constantly giving us information about the needy so that no other person can take advantage of these facilities," Kumar said. Earlier today Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal made an appeal to migrant workers leaving the capital to stay back, stating that his government is doing its best to provide them all basic facilities for living during the lockdown imposed to curb COVID-19 spread. In a tweet, the Chief Minister said, "Some people are getting desperate to go back to their homes. Prime Minister ji has appealed everyone not to move out and remain wherever they are. I am also requesting you people to stay back and not go to your villages, because in such crowds, you may also fall prey to coronavirus. Then the virus will also spread to villages through you. It will reach several corners of the country. Then it would be difficult for us to combat this menace." "I am assuring you all that the Delhi government has made arrangements for your food and stay. In the country's interest, do not move to your villages." The Central government had on Tuesday announced a 21-day lockdown in a bid to stop the spread of the deadly virus that has left several thousands dead globally. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Patients crammed into hospital corridors, on trolleys, or simply slumped against walls. The oldest and sickest left gasping for air, abandoned. Doctors forced to decide who must be given treatment and a chance to live, and who is beyond help. Accounts of the situation in some Italian and Spanish hospitals read like something out of a horror film. Many commentators have likened the chronic lack of vital equipment and the mounting death rate to a war or an apocalypse. And the older generation are reportedly suffering the most. In what seems like the cruellest of choices, health chiefs in Turin reportedly ordered that vital equipment such as ventilators be reserved for young, fit patients with a higher chance of survival. Caring until the end: Medical staff will continue to give treatment based on clinical need, not a persons age, writes NHS intensive care specialist Dr Ron Daniels The message is that those over 80 have only a few years left to live anyway, so are somehow less important. It makes especially uncomfortable reading for me, an intensive care doctor faced with making such life-and-death treatment decisions every day. But over the past few weeks, a troubling rumour has spread across social media. Reports, even published by some newspapers, have suggested that millions here could be shunned from intensive care departments purely because theyre deemed too old or ill. Having spent the past two months caring for the most gravely ill Covid-19 patients in hospitals in the West Midlands, I can tell you this couldnt be further from the truth. Not only are these pernicious falsehoods insulting, they are harmful to patients. In the past couple of weeks, Ive heard of many older patients refusing to seek vital medical help for fear theyll be left alone in a hospital corridor. Some even believe theyre safer at home, without doctors playing God. But, in fact, the UK has an outstanding record in triage prioritising who gets treatment based on clinical needs. Thats not about to change, even in the grip of a pandemic. Id be lying if I said that we may not have to, at some point, prioritise, especially with vital ventilators in such short supply. The cold, hard truth is that doctors will be forced to make hard decisions they never thought they would face. People applaud in front of a big screen in Piccadilly Circus during the Clap for Our Carers campaign in support of the NHS, as the spread of coronavirus continues (file photo) But these decisions are far from as simplistic as some would have you believe. As well as being a critical care consultant with more than two decades of experience, I am also a founder of The Sepsis Trust charity. Sepsis is an acute, potentially fatal reaction to an infection, and it kills more than 40,000 Britons a year. It can send a perfectly healthy patient into downward spiral at frightening speed. It is not uncommon for sepsis patients to need intensive care, and life-support. But whether a patient is admitted to an intensive care ward and given life-saving equipment such as ventilation is based on an intricate decision-making process, not simply their age. First, we take vital signs of each patient everything from heart rate and blood pressure as these tell us just how ill a person is. If their scores are far from normal, theyre considered a good candidate for intensive care. But if patients do pull through, they many never fully recover. So when making a decision to put a patient on a ventilator, we always consider their quality of life afterwards. Using a ventilator to treat any patient does not necessarily give them the best chance. Like every medical treatment, it comes with risks. The device pushes air and oxygen in and out of the lungs mechanically. An ambulance parked outside St Thomas' Hospital in London, UK, on March 26 (file photo) Attaching it is risky for the patient, as it sometimes involves a procedure to slot a tube down their throat and into their windpipe. The risk of potentially deadly, secondary infections, such as sepsis, increases staggeringly so for those who are older or with chronic conditions. Once a patient comes off a ventilator, it can take almost a month before their lungs are able to breathe without supplementary oxygen, which means an extended hospital stay. And if a coronavirus patient has been breathing via ventilator for weeks, its unlikely they will reach full lung capacity again. VIRUS FACT If a patient is severely physically incapacitated, we dont simply deem them not worth helping the team talks to the patients GP and family members to come to a collaborative decision about what can realistically be achieved. Advertisement According to studies, just a fifth of 80-year-olds live for more than a year after an intensive care admission, such is the trauma of aggressive treatment. And only 57 per cent of working-age ICU patients are well enough to return to work a year after being discharged. As a result of all this, doctors work hand in hand with a team of experts called critical care outreach teams. These are usually made up of senior nurses who have undergone advanced training and it is their job not only to deliver care on the wards, but also to decide if the benefit of intensive care treatment, including ventilation, will be greater than the risks. If a patient is severely physically incapacitated, we dont simply deem them not worth helping the team talks to the patients GP and family members to come to a collaborative decision about what can realistically be achieved. A worker prints pieces for a ventilator in Barcelona, Spain, on 23 March (file photo) If there is a reasonable chance of getting them back to a good quality of life, then its likely they are a good candidate. A healthy 75-year-old with no serious underlying conditions is just as likely to get treatment as someone in their 30s. If ever there is a situation in which we feel the risks outweigh the benefits, we must call on another expert body within the hospital, called an ethics committee, to make the final call. This might be a group of senior colleagues from specialities such as intensive care or respiratory medicine who come together to discuss whether an ICU referral really is the best option. And for some patients such as those with terminal cancer it simply wont be. Many would much rather live their final weeks or months surrounded by loved ones at home rather than undergoing aggressive, risky treatment. Deciding against critical care treatment for these patients is not cruel, nor heartless. It is the opposite it allows them the chance to die with dignity. And that will remain our aim, even in the face of this frightening pandemic. As coronavirus cases increase around the world, so do reports of desperate phone calls, emails and texts from women stuck in their homes, who fear for their safety and that of their children. While lockdowns have been put in place to protect us, for some women and children the threat inside their homes is greater than the one outside. Google has seen more searches for domestic violence help than in any other time over the past five years, and services are reporting an increase in demand. The government's extra $150 million to help victims of domestic violence, announced at the weekend, is critical because coronavirus is exacerbating an already dire situation for many women, who struggle to find refuge and support in a system beset by public funding cuts. Coronavirus lockdowns are making life more dangerous for women facing domestic violence. Credit:Sandy Scheltema "Our national response to COVID-19 is actually putting women and children at risk in very real danger, and this is only going to get worse," the head of NSW Womens Safety, Hayley Foster, told Julia Baird last week. "We must do everything we can to ensure we mitigate this risk or the cost will be unthinkable. On top of this funding, the federal government must also include a human rights framework in its terms of reference for its new COVID-19 Co-ordination Commission, which has been set up to anticipate and mitigate the economic and social effects of the pandemic. https://www.aish.com/j/fs/Passover-Punchlines.html What was Aaron's official title? Chief of Staff. Pesach is fast approaching and perhaps this year, more than ever, we need all of the Pesach jokes we can get. For the record, Passover jokes should not be recited during the seder if they will disrupt it. In other words, during the seder, please do not attempt to put the "ha!" in Haggadah, Hallel or Halach Maanya. For your consideration, below are some Passover jokes, some of which might make you smile while others might be worse than bondage. Take some comfort, however, that even worse jokes were omitted. They will remain on the cutting-room floor so that they are trampled into farfel. 1. Why didn't most Egyptians know about the Ninth Plague? They were kept in the dark. 2. What is the best way to describe baby Moses' mother after baby Moses was sent floating down the Nile? She was a basket case. 3. If Dr. Jekyll finds the Afikoman without even trying, who should you blame? Mr. Hide. 4. Why was Pharaoh unable to get his stock brokers license? He was involved in a pyramid scheme. 5. What did the lion say after tasting the bitter herbs? Ma-Roar! 6. What did the Hebrews say when Pharaoh declared that they must make bricks without using other materials: Ok, Rameses, now youve gone too far. This is the last straw! (Pharaoh replied: I agree, it is the last straw. Thats what I just said! At that point a very awkward moment set in as both sides were stymied by the literal vs.figurative last straw conflict. Pharaoh summoned his chief linguist and grammarian, exclaiming that this last straw conundrum was plaguing his mind. At that moment, Moshe quickly responded: Funny you should mention plagues . . . 7. What was Aaron's official title? Chief of Staff. 8. Why are gold-colored knee-high socks forbidden on Passover? They create golden calves. 9. During the Red Sea miracle, what diagnosis did Moses receive from his psychiatrist? He had a split personality. 10. What is the most appropriate item to serve on Passover to commemorate the Red Sea miracle? Split-pea soup and a banana split. 11. Why didn't Pharaoh call for help during the second plague? He had a frog in his throat. 12. What is the best way to describe Moses and Aaron when the first plague started? Blood brothers. 13. What song would arguably have been appropriate to sing to Pharaoh during the seventh plague? "Hail to the Chief. 14. What is the last thing an Egyptian likely would have ordered for breakfast during the sixth plague? A hard-boiled egg. 15. What dessert might have been served in Egypt during the third plague? Lice cream. 16. What type of beer did the Egyptians serve to the slaves? He-Brew. 17. What type of person does not believe that the main river in Egypt turned into blood? A Nilehist. 18. What is King of Egypts favorite side dish? Farro. 19. What do you call it when you are dipping parsley in salt water while doing a drive-by? Youre doing a karpas car pass. 20. What did the child ask at the seder when his mother set the table with new and unusual cutlery? Why is this knife different from all over knives? 21. How should you describe an incredibly patriotic child who mistakenly eats both types of horseradish and then starts to cry? Red, White and Blue. 22. Where did Moses go when he wanted to exercise with his brother? He went out for Aa-run. 23. If Pharaohs magicians were to double as fact-checkers, what should you call them? Sorcerers who source errors. 24. Why did Moses make Aaron hold the staff? Because Moses had a staff infection. 25. Where does the U.S. military store its chametz? Fort Leavenworth. 26. If you have a seder on a large and fancy boat, what song should you sing at the end of the night? "Chad Gad Yacht." 27. What starchy vegetable did Moses' sister enjoy eating? Miri-yams. 28. What sport did the Hebrews enjoy playing in the desert? Matzah-ball. 29. Which Star Wars character is the most fascinated by the punishments that the Egyptians received? Darth Plagueis. 30. Why did some Hebrews ask their task masters for designer work clothes? They were slaves to fashion. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE Researchers at the University of Washington project that hundreds of New Mexicans could die in the coronavirus outbreak through late June or early July with a peak of 16 people dying each day for a stretch in late April. Even with social-distancing efforts through the end of May, their model forecasts that COVID-19 will kill somewhere between 245 and 803 people in New Mexico through the summer. The outbreak would hit its peak the week of April 23, when 10 to 19 people would die each day. Deaths would taper off and end in mid- to late-June or early July. The analysis was conducted by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. The researchers acknowledge theres uncertainty in the forecast, given the number of potential variables in how the spread of the disease will actually play out. Just two deaths in New Mexico have been attributed to COVID-19 so far the second of which was announced Saturday. Each of the men who died were older adults with chronic underlying health conditions. The University of Washington projection triggered a plea by top physicians at Artesia General Hospital which recorded New Mexicos first coronavirus death for residents to stay home to avoid spreading the disease. We need to double down in our efforts to contain the coronavirus, doctors Marshall Baca, Marshall Baca Jr. and Joe Salgado of Artesia General Hospital said in a letter released Saturday. We are nowhere near the anticipated spike in virus activity in our state. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is also urging New Mexicans to do more to limit their contact with other people. The explosion in confirmed cases in recent days now up to 208, with 17 additional positive tests announced Saturday is a sign that more social distancing is necessary, she said. Her administration has banned public gatherings of five or more people and ordered the closure of schools and non-essential businesses. She declared a public health emergency March 11, when the first virus cases emerged. Local models New Mexico health officials havent released any of their own modeling yet. But Lujan Grisham has warned the public that the state may not hit its peak in new cases until sometime next month. Health Secretary Kathy Kunkel has appointed a team that is examining at least five statistical models to determine best- and worst-case scenarios for New Mexico, said Nora Meyers Sackett, a spokeswoman for Lujan Grisham. Some of the information theyre reviewing is reflected in the University of Washington model, but not all of it, Sackett said. The group is working hard on its modeling this weekend and will have more information soon, she said. The states medical advisory team, Sackett said, believes that the aggressive actions described in the WA study and in our power to bend the curve have been taken here in New Mexico: educational facilities were closed early, on March 12, and the stay at home order was published on March 18, putting NM as one of the leading states by doing all three of these within 8 days of the first case. These all improve the outlook for NM as calculated in the WA model. Two dead The pandemic has killed two New Mexicans so far over the last seven days. The most recent is a Bernalillo County man in his 80s with chronic underlying health conditions. He died Friday. The other was an Eddy County man in his 70s, also with chronic health conditions. He died Monday in Artesia. For most people, the coronavirus causes mild to moderate symptoms, and they recover within two to three weeks. Older adults and people with chronic health problems are most at risk. Symptoms include a fever and respiratory trouble. Nineteen people in New Mexico are hospitalized for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, according to the state. Some have required intensive care or a ventilator to help them breathe. Twenty-six people in New Mexico are classified as having recovered from the disease. Forecast The University of Washington health institute projects that New Mexico will face a shortage of intensive care beds as the virus sweeps through the state. At the peak in late April, the state would need 238 ICU beds, or twice as many as the 117 available, according to the projection. The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation said on its website that the projections are based on data provided by local governments, hospital networks, the World Health Organization and other sources. The model was developed initially to help the universitys school of medicine prepare for the outbreak. Other states reached out for help, so the institute said it released a national forecast to help policymakers plan for the demands on the health care system. The researchers are projecting more than 81,000 deaths in the United States overall and a shortage of 14,600 intensive care beds at the national peak, in mid-April. New York City has emerged as a hotspot for the virus. Some nurses and doctors there say they have worked nonstop for weeks and that they fear getting the virus themselves because of a shortage of gear. In addition to a large number of deaths from COVID-19, the epidemic in the U.S. will place a load well beyond the current capacity of hospitals to manage, especially for ICU care, Christopher J.L. Murray, director of the institute, wrote of the research, published Thursday. The research paper was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the state of Washington. The model projects 513 deaths in New Mexico through June 26, after which no one else is projected to die through early August. The model also shows a great deal of uncertainty in the forecast, with the projected range in actual deaths expected somewhere between 245 and 803. The model looks only at what its calling the first wave of the pandemic, which would end in June. The question of whether there will be a second wave of the epidemic will depend on what we do to avoid reintroducing COVID-19 into the population, the institute said on its website. Mass screening of the population for the disease, tracing the contacts of anyone who has it and quarantines will be essential to avoiding the second wave, the institute said. Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation: Projections President Donald Trump issued an order Friday night that permits the Pentagon to bring back to active duty some veterans and reserve members of the military to augment forces already involved in the response to the coronavirus pandemic, senior U.S. officials said. The president said Friday night that the decision will "allow us to mobilize medical, disaster and emergency response personnel to help wage our battle against the virus by activating thousands of experienced service members, including retirees." The president did not clarify whether anyone will be involuntarily recalled to duty but said some retirees have "offered to support the nation in this extraordinary time of need." "It's really an incredible thing to see," Trump said, speaking at the White House. "It's beautiful." An Army spokesman, Lt. Col. Emmanuel Ortiz-Cruz, said some 15,000 veterans have expressed interest in rejoining the service to help the military's response to the pandemic. But a U.S. military official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, would not rule out that involuntary recalls also are possible. "That's to be determined based on requirements," the official said. Trump's executive order allows Defense Secretary Mark Esper to order units and individual members to duty, including "certain Individual Ready Reserve" members, chief Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Rath Hoffman said in a statement. The Individual Ready Reserve comprises retired active-duty and reserve service members, who are commonly considered out of the military and rarely recalled. Hoffman said decisions about which people may be activated are still being reviewed. "Generally, these members will be persons in Headquarters units and persons with high demand medical capabilities whose call-up would not adversely affect their civilian communities," Hoffman's statement said. The spokesman said on Saturday evening that it is difficult to project how many additional service members are needed. "But this step gives us the authority to rapidly activate persons if it becomes necessary," he said. Hoffman said each service is working to identify what skill sets they need. He said the Pentagon has "seen interest in voluntary support" for the coronavirus response but also did not rule out the possibility of involuntary recalls. "We do not have any indications as to whether inactive call-ups would be necessary," he said. Before relying on any National Guard Reserve forces, Esper and the Department of Health and Human Services will consult with state officials, Hoffman added. Governors have control of their own National Guard forces in most cases. The executive order released by the White House states that anyone recalled can remain on active duty for up to 24 months straight. Separately, the Army announced Saturday that it will deploy another 800 reservists and guardsmen to join the pandemic response. The forces will provide medical, planning, communication, transportation and logistics support, the service said. Those forces will join 1,100 active-duty personnel that the Army announced earlier this week it would deploy to several locations across the country, and at least 12,300 National Guardsmen who have been activated to assist. The Pentagon already has dispatched its two Navy hospital ships, the USNS Comfort and USNS Mercy, to New York and Los Angeles, respectively, and deployed Army hospital units to other locations. The hospital ships are heavily staffed with military reservists. Earlier this week, the Army sent a message to some veterans who served in medical fields to ask whether they would be interested in serving in the coronavirus response. Service officials were interested in people who previously served in eight jobs: critical-care officer, anesthesiologist, nurse anesthetist, critical-care nurse, nurse practitioner, emergency-room nurse, respiratory specialist and medic. "When the Nation called - you answered, and now, that call may come again," wrote Lt. Gen. Thomas Seamands, the Army's deputy chief of staff. In response to The News-Times editorial Gun shops have no place on list of essentials, March 25, when firearms are the issue, fact is replaced by political rhetoric. Law abiding citizens purchasing a firearm or ammunition are no different than those stocking up on food, paper goods, water, etc. They are concerned about the safety and welfare of their families and homes. Fact: Each individual citizen is responsible for their own safety and their families and property, not the police. New Delhi/Kolkata: When Satyaki Mitra's father developed a mild fever in mid-March, the graduate student in Philadelphia wasn't especially worried. He told his 57-year-old father, living in Kolkata, to get tested for the new coronavirus. The initial test came back negative, but Samir Kumar Mitra's condition steadily worsened. On Monday, two days after testing positive for the virus, Samir died, plunging his family into grief and triggering a public backlash that has left his 27-year-old son stunned. On a Kolkata street, crowds battled with police for hours to stop Samir's cremation, fearing it would spread the coronavirus and endanger lives. On Facebook, users left abusive messages on Samir's account, accusing him of meeting with Satyaki and his American wife and bringing the deadly virus to Kolkata, a sprawling city of 4.5 million people. The case underscores how vitriol and disinformation can fan paranoia and even violence in a country already reeling from the worst communal riots in years, partly whipped up by fake news. That risks complicating the government's efforts to manage the unfolding crisis in the nation of 1.3 billion people. The nation is under a 21-day lockdown and so far, the number of cases and deaths related to the coronavirus have been low compared with many other large countries. But experts and some officials are concerned they could spike. Satyaki and his wife have been targeted on social media, he said, and his mother and grandmothers took shelter at a hospital because they were too scared to return home. "I can't understand how people can be so hateful," Satyaki told Reuters from the United States. He was unable to return for his father's last rites, as restrictions in the wake of the pandemic made the journey impossible. Lists Circulate Online On March 20, the Central government issued an advisory to social media companies to clamp down on the circulation of false information and unverified data on the outbreak, and deployed its own officials to debunk fake news. Two independent fact-checkers told Reuters they had seen a sharp increase in misinformation and fake news on the coronavirus across platforms since the outbreak was first detected in India. Rajneil Kamath, publisher of Newschecker, said the increase mirrored misinformation typically seen during major political events, including a flood of queries in regional Indian languages. "Everybody is just forwarding things and asking: is this true?" he said. People are also using online platforms to identify those who have recently returned from locations considered high-risk or who may have come into contact with people with the disease. Authorities in Karnataka posted lists of quarantined people across several districts online, which were shared on local WhatsApp groups. The lists, complete with addresses, have been used to create at least one website where users can put in their zip code to check if anyone is quarantined nearby. In response to questions from Reuters, WhatsApp and Facebook said they were working to connect people directly with public health officials. As of Sunday evening, there are 1024 confirmed cases. Samir was the first confirmed coronavirus patient to die in West Bengal, and one of 27 killed by the disease so far in the country. The health authorities have said the virus remains largely restricted to those who travelled to affected areas and others who came into direct contact with them, but experts have warned the spread may be wider. According to one projection, more than 1,00,000 Indians could be infected with the disease by mid-May, putting India's health system under severe strain. Italian Connection? While Facebook and WhatsApp messages alleged that Samir had travelled to Europe's coronavirus epicentre Italy, or members of his family had visited from there, Satyaki and a colleague of his father's denied the deceased had gone abroad. In separate interviews, both said Samir had travelled to central India to attend a wedding in early March, and returned to Kolkata by train before falling ill. "He didn't come into contact with anyone that I know who had travelled abroad," Satyaki said, adding he was always in close touch with his parents. Ajoy Chakraborty, director of West Bengal's health services, said it was still unclear how Samir contracted the virus. "The case is under intense investigation," Chakraborty said. Samir, a lifelong employee of Indian Railways, did not suffer from any serious ailments, according to his son. Less than a week after his birthday on March 8, Samir came down with a fever and cough, and visited a local doctor. Within days, he had to be hospitalised and put on a ventilator, Satyaki said. He was being treated for a bacterial pneumonia. "On the 21st, my mother called and informed me he had COVID. The tests had come back positive," he said, referring to COVID-19, the disease associated with the coronavirus. "I was absolutely shattered." CREMATION AND CHAOS Following Samir's death on March 23, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee instructed officials to ensure Samir was safely and quickly cremated. "The virus should not escape," she said, in a video uploaded by a local Bengali news channel. By the time paperwork was completed and the body was taken to a riverside crematorium on Monday night, local residents had surrounded the hearse, said two police officers, who asked not to be named. A crowd of around a hundred people demanded the body be taken elsewhere, fearing Samir's cremation would contaminate the area, one of the officers said. "The mob grew in numbers and turned aggressive," the officer said. Police called in reinforcements and baton-charged the crowd, before cremating Samir's remains around midnight. The backlash in Kolkata may not be an anomaly. News reports have emerged across India of mobs harassing people they suspect of carrying the virus, including doctors and air crew. Some healthcare workers in rental accommodation have been forcefully evicted by their landlords over infection fears, a doctor's association said this week. A day after India went into lockdown, Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to citizens to stop harassing essential service workers. "This is not done," Modi said in a speech. "We should help those who are serving us." 'They Should Be Shot Dead' Even as his father lay on his death bed on Monday, rumours were circulating on social media, Satyaki said. In a WhatsApp forward received by several Kolkata residents, a message posted below a picture of Samir, his wife, son and daughter-in-law, read: "The son and Italian daughter-in-law had come to India recently. What a gift they got for the father!" The only child of middle-class Indian parents, Satyaki said he hadn't been back home since July last year. "I was going to lose my father and on top of that people were just trying to vilify me and my wife," Satyaki said, adding he felt helpless knowing there was no way he could go back home. On Samir's Facebook profile, a message posted below a photo of him and his family said: "It's because of people like him that the coronavirus has come to us. They should be shot dead." While the president had originally signed an order on March 18 to activate the broad powers under the 1950 wartime legislation, he repeatedly said he did not need to use its powers to force the private sector to provide critical equipment. His initial reluctance to use the DPA came as several governors and hospital officials were publicly pleading with his administration to provide more personal protective equipment and ventilators before health systems became overwhelmed. KIEV, Nov. 9, 2019 (Xinhua) -- Jack Ma, founder of China's Internet giant Alibaba, speaks at the Kiev International Economic Forum (KIEF) in Kiev, Ukraine, on Nov. 8, 2019. Electronic commerce holds great promise for strengthening ties between China Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, March 29 : The Jack Ma Foundation and the Alibaba Foundation have donated essential medical supplies to India along with six more countries -- Azerbaijan, Bhutan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. Collectively, these seven countries will receive a total of 1.7 million face masks, 1,65,000 test kits as well as protective clothing and medical equipment such as ventilators, forehead thermometers. "We are committed to doing everything we can to make a difference, most importantly by sourcing these supplies and overcoming logistical challenges to get the medical supplies to where they are needed as fast as we can," a Jack Ma Foundation spokesperson said in a statement on Sunday. With this announcement, the two foundations have now donated essential medical supplies to 23 Asian countries, totalling 7.4 million masks, 4,85,000 test kits along with other medical equipment. The first batch of medical supplies for India arrived in Delhi on Saturday night and was received by the Indian Red Cross Society. "To supplement the efforts of government, Indian Red Cross has mobilised first tranche of supplies consisting of facemasks, protective body suits and essential medical equipment," said R.K Jain, Secretary General, Indian Red Cross. Similar to the arrangement with the Italian Red Cross Society in Italy, the Indian charity will facilitate the distribution of these supplies in the country. These donations are among a number of aid initiatives from the Alibaba Foundation and Jack Ma Foundation to support the areas of the world affected by the COVID-19 crisis. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 20:58:56|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close by Ndalimpinga Iita WINDHOEK, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Namibians are adopting hygiene and safety measures in public spaces to curb the further spread of COVID-19. Namibia's health ministry has so far recorded 11 confirmed coronavirus cases. Local retail and shopping centres have designated sanitation dispensers and stations. While other shops in Namibia's capital Windhoek implement other hygiene measures for customers before entering the shop. Wessie van der Westhuizen, general manager of Windhoek-based Wernhill Shopping Centre in the central business district, said that the centre had increased hygiene measures in all outlets to fight the spread of coronavirus. "The centre availed sanitation stations as per guidelines set by the health ministry to enhance safety within the shopping centre as a public space," he said. Shops have also marked standing points to ensure that queues comply with the prescribed social distancing of one or more metres. Shoppers have also since maximized on the sanitation points and hygiene practices to protect themselves. Selma Erastus, a Windhoek resident, said that she ensures her hands are sanitized and thoroughly washed in public spaces. "The shops offer sanitation facilities. So before I enter and exit shops, I make sure I sanitize my hands. I also make sure I keep my distance in the queues," Erastus said on Friday. In the labour fraternity, institutions have also adopted precautionary measures to ensure the safety of clients and employees. To comply with the national response measures, the Environmental Investment Fund of Namibia (EIF) has suspended access to its national building amid the COVID-19 virus outbreak. "All our engagements will be restricted to virtual platforms, such as telephonic and teleconference means during this period," said Lot Ndamanomhata, the head of communication and corporate services at EIF. Meanwhile, government through the office of the minister has since instructed public institutions through a circular; to promote hygiene awareness to all staff members. Geroge Simataa, secretary to the cabinet urged public institutions to develop contingency and response continuity plans to prepare workplaces for possible COVID-19 outbreak in institutions. "As a precautionary measure, it is recommended that institutions put sanitizing hand rub dispenses in prominent places around the workplace. Where possible, hold meetings online instead of all staff seated in one room," Simaata said. Beyond the city boundaries, the regional structures have also embarked on robust public education. The Outapi Town Council in Namibia's Omusati region in northern Namibia is rolling out best hygiene practices to stakeholders. Ananias Titus, Chief Executive Officer of Outapi Town Council, said that the aim was to raise awareness. According to Titus, the session entailed verified information sharing on social distancing, avoiding mass social gatherings and crowded places. They also raised awareness on hand washing, and how the public member should conduct themselves socially. "The aim is to create a safe public space through individual responsibility. When our people are informed, they will know how to conduct themselves for their safety and that of others. Also, to ensure adherence to the guidelines provided to create safe public spaces to curb the spread of coronavirus," he said. Temporarily, the transport sector has since adopted a similar measure to prevent further spread of the virus. The City of Windhoek external communication officer, Lydia Amutenya, said that the municipal buses are cleaned frequently. "Sanitizers are also provided on-board. Further, the City also limiting the number of passengers and providing protective gear to all the drivers," she said. Meanwhile, following a shortage of sanitizers, a tertiary institution has seized the opportunity to manufacture sanitizers locally for the university community to ensure a safe environment. The University of Namibia's Faculty of Science and School of Pharmacy manufactured hand sanitizers, prepared in accordance with the World Health Organization standards. The aim of this effort, according to professor Timothy Rennie, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the university, is underlined by the saying 'prevention is better than cure'. In the interim, Namibian Ministry of Health and Social Services jointly with stakeholders, has enhanced public education through mobile services, social, print and broadcast media, with efforts coordinated through a dedicated local taskforce. The government announced the suspension of mass gatherings early March. President Hage Geingob on Tuesday also announced more stringent measures in the fight against COVID-19, declaring a lockdown in the Khomas and Erongo regions. The country will from March 27 midnight go into lockdown. "The aim of the lockdown is for people to stay at home to halt the further spread of COVID-19," said Geingob on Friday. Help him! Help him! Help who? Help the bombardier! Im the bombardier, Im all right. Then help HIM, help HIM! From Catch-22 Just because you think youre all right in this coronavirus pandemic, doesnt mean its not out to get you. Thats why Ive been thanking virtually everyone whos still working in the public realm. The delivery guy? Here, take this $10 bill. Supermarket shelve stockers? Thank you, thank you, thank you. The woman who drives by and throws the newspaper toward the front stoop in the predawn? Sooner or later I will catch up with you. The garbage collector? See you Monday morning, man. Theres a daily flood of quiet heroism in our midst. Those whose jobs have been officially called essential might be there out of reluctant necessity, handling the extra work for the rest of us while trying to dodge the clouds of viral spray. Even more quietly is the death, the people, mostly elderly who might have had years left, but COVID-19 wrapped around them and slowly strangled them, out of sight, away from even their families, tallied only as a statistic the next day, and a death notice in the paper. It seems like months since the General Assembly suspended its session. It was only Wednesday, March 11, when leaders announced a four-day closure, which soon became April 13, at the earliest. Were hoping to get back to some stasis. But its all entirely different now, and were trying to stay healthy, keep some kind of income to chase after expenses. Yeah, people are worried, in the tsunami of unemployment claims, about Connecticuts instant recession with the collapse of the restaurant, leisure and hotel industries. Well come back, eventually. I was on the phone the other day with Joe McGee, vice president of the Business Council of Fairfield County. You know what we were talking about: keeping people safe, hopefully working from home and physically apart so the virus dies on a shop floor or business carpet or sidewalk, rather than getting inhaled and gripping another victim. After talking about bending the curve, maybe looking ahead to three, five months from now when life regains some normalcy, McGee spoke about the plight of Connecticuts nonprofits. Business councils and chambers of commerce are going to be challenged, McGee said, stressing that much of their operating expenses and cash flow come from large events, gatherings of hundreds of professionals that cant be accomplished in the new era of physical distance. I dont think people realize the full effect of this. The very next day the Business Council of Fairfield County, a dependable advocacy group for Southwestern Connecticut and really, the entire state, announced that its ceasing operations at the end of the month. Gian-Carl Casa, president and CEO of The Alliance: The Voice of Community Nonprofits, told me that presently, social service agencies are still providing residential and other support for people with developmental disabilities, mental health problems, the homeless, people with behavioral and substance abuse issues, as well as those making the transition from prison. They continue to try to meet the requirements of their mission, Casa said. Thats what they do. Thats who they are. Many have some differing levels of state funding. The Department of Developmental Services has been good on funding, Casa said. You know your local social service agencies. They are places around the state such as the Kennedy Center in Trumbull and Ability Beyond in Bethel. Theyre in all of our towns and cities, such as the Kids In Crisis youth shelter in Greenwich. There are dozens more nonprofits. Luis Perez, president and CEO of the 112-year-old Mental Health Connecticut, said more of their employees are working remotely, but the caregivers are in the front lines in Stamford, Bridgeport, West Hartford, Danbury, Torrington and elsewhere with no protective medical equipment. Six field offices have been closed in the pandemic. As a leader Im trying to mandate the mission supporting those more vulnerable than we are, but to ask staff to go out and support individuals is hard, Perez admitted. Were managing to support people in our large vulnerable populations. The organization helps 1,000 people in residential settings and others in congregate housing. Seven years ago, when Perez started, 95 percent of the groups funding was from the state. Now its 80 percent. In the accompanying fiscal crisis, who knows what it will be, although the new $2 trillion federal support package includes funding for nonprofits, thanks, Perez said, to their lobbyists in Washington. Donations from groups and individuals will still be desperately needed to keep these local services alive. In the next few days Mental Health Connecticut will open an online MHC at Home link for anyone with concerns for themselves or others. It could be just in time for people throughout the state under varying degrees of stress in the coronavirus pandemic. Perez recalled another crisis: the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. That was overwhelming, but it was a finite event, Perez said. We knew what the enemy was, if I can use the wartime analogy. Here it is so unknown. For people under stress, you say you solved it today, but can I solve it tomorrow? kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCT A western Pennsylvania nursing home is dealing with an outbreak of the coronavirus as more and more residents have tested positive. Officials at the Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center in Beaver County have confirmed 14 residents so far tested positive with additional tests pending, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is reporting. Were taking appropriate measures to care for everyone affected, Dr. Dave Thimons, the medical director of the facility, told the Post-Gazette. Everyones working hard and were doing what we can. So far, 13 of the 14 tested are being treated at the nursing home, and another was transported to the hospital, according to reports. It started on Friday with three residents testing positive, WTAE is reporting. There were 17 more showing signs or symptoms. By Saturday, 11 of those 17 tests came back positive, reports indicate. Nursing home officials said in a statement they are working with the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to try to contain the spread. Senior citizens and those with underlying health conditions are among those most susceptible to COVID-19. According to reports, the home is monitoring all residents for symptoms, screening staff members on a regular basis and has suspended in-person visits. These residents are part of the doubling of cases seen in Beaver County, which has 22 confirmed cases and no deaths as of Saturday. Saturdays total revealed 2,751 cases in Pennsylvania with 34 deaths. Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. The central government on Sunday ordered the sealing of state and district borders across the country in a bid to stop community transmission of coronavirus by migrant workers, and warned that violators face 14-day quarantine. But thousands continued to march on highways as the nationwide positive cases neared 1000 with at least 25 dead. As the 21-day lockdown entered its 5th day, the exodus of migrant workers from big cities continued unabated, desperate to return to their villages after being left jobless and many of them without food or shelter. Charitable organisations, volunteers, religious institutions and government bodies including Railway Protection Force fed tens of thousands of people across the nation but many more remained outside the safety net. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his 'Mann Ki Baat' radio broadcast, sought the nation's forgiveness for the hardships caused by the stringent nationwide lockdown, saying it was necessary because the country was fighting a battle between life and death. He, however, expressed confidence that "we will definitely win the battle" against the coronavirus menace and praised the front-line workers in this fight against as well as countless workers delivering the essential services. The total number of positive cases rose by 106 in the last 24 hours and six deaths reported in this period, according to official figures. The new cases, which included a SpiceJet pilot with no history of international travel, were reported from the national capital's satellite town Noida, Bihar and Maharashtra, among other states. A migrant worker reportedly died of heart attack in Uttar Pradesh after walking more than 200 kms on way to his hometown in Madhya Pradesh from Delhi. A panic-like situation emerged due to mass exodus of migrant workers from various parts of the country, including the national capital, Maharashtra and Kerala, where thousands of people came out of relief camps and demanded being allowed to go to their homes. "People are talking about the danger of some virus which can kill all of us. I don't understand all these. As a mother, I am pained when I cannot feed my children. No one is there to help. All are equally worried about their lives," Savitri, 30, a New Delhi slum dweller, told PTI as she walked along the Mathura Highway carrying her belongings on her head. "We will die of hunger before any disease if we stay here," she said, determined to walk 400 kms to her village in Uttar Pradesh's Kannauj district. Hundreds of migrant workers also gathered again near the Anand Vihar terminus near the Delhi-UP border, hoping to board buses to their villages but they were turned back by police. A large number were seek walking in groups on highways and even on railway tracks. Concerned over such movements causing the risk of a community spread, the Centre asked state governments and Union Territory administrations to effectively seal all state and district borders and warned that those violating the curbs will be sent to 14-day quarantine in government facilities. During a video conference with chief secretaries and DGPs, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba and Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla asked them to ensure that there is no movement of people across cities or on highways as the lockdown continues. "There has been movement of migrant workers in some parts of the country. Directions were issued that district and state borders should be effectively sealed," an official statement said. States were directed to ensure that there is no movement of people across cities or on highways and there should be strict implementation of the lockdown. Only the movement of goods and of those involved in delivery of essential services is allowed during the 21-day nationwide lockdown announced by Prime Minister Modi on March 24. States have been also told to ensure timely payment of wages to labourers at their place of work during the period of lockdown without any cut. House rent should not be demanded from the labourers for this period. Action should be taken against those who are asking labourers or students to vacate the premises, the government statement said. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Maharashtra's Uddhav Thackeray, among other state leaders, asked migrant workers in their respective states stay put and promised them food and other facilities. The Indian Railways said it will now run special trains of parcel vans to ferry essential commodities. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also wrote to Modi, saying the sudden lockdown has created immense "panic" and "confusion". He called for steps other than a total lockdown announced by some developed nations to tackle the deadly disease. Gandhi said the number of poor people in India who are dependent on a daily income is too large to unilaterally shut down all economic activities in the wake of the pandemic. "The consequences of a complete economic shut down will disastrously amplify the death toll arising from COVID-19," he feared. The Prime Minister's Office said Modi is interacting with over 200 people on a daily basis to get a first-hand feedback on India's fight against the coronavirus crisis. These include phone calls to governors, chief ministers and state health ministers, as also with doctors, nurses, health workers and sanitation staff in various parts of the country. Several ministers, as also various government departments, announced donations towards the coronavirus fight, while a number of corporates also announced their own contributions to relief funds. The government said such contributions by companies would qualify as their statutory Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) spending. While the total number of deaths in India is still low compared to many other countries, there are widespread concerns including among the experts that the count may see a sudden spike and social distancing remains the only way to prevent community spread. Globally, more than 30,000 people have died with more than 20,000 in Europe itself, while Spain and Italy have reported more than 800 deaths in a day. Nearly one-third of the world population is under lockdown to check the spread of this virus with the jobs, manufacturing and all economic activities coming to almost a standstill. Ironically, authorities in China's Wuhan, from where this deadly virus is said to have begun before eventually becoming a worldwide crisis with a 'pandemic' declaration, began steps towards partial re-opening of the city after more than two months of near total isolation for its 11 million people. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Aggressive action just a week earlier in mid-January could have cut the number of infections by two-thirds, according to a recent study whose authors include an expert from Wuhans municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Another study found that if China had moved to control the outbreak three weeks earlier, it might have prevented 95 percent of the countrys cases. I regret that back then I didnt keep screaming out at the top of my voice, Ai Fen, one of the doctors at Wuhan Central Hospital who spotted cases in December, said in an interview with a Chinese magazine. Ive often thought to myself what would have happened if I could wind back time. Chinas leader, Xi Jinping, has sought to move quickly past the early failings and shift attention to the countrys drive to end the outbreak. The Chinese government has been widely castigated for its initial mistakes, which have become a top talking point of President Trump. The central leadership has focused blame on local bureaucrats, including for censuring doctors who warned others about the infections. It promptly dismissed two health officials and, later, the party secretaries for Hubei Province and its capital, Wuhan. Now, interviews with doctors, health experts and officials, leaked government documents, and investigations by the Chinese media reveal the depth of the governments failings: how a system built to protect medical expertise and infection reports from political tampering succumbed to tampering. Others tried to fill the void of information when the early warning system failed. The medical community found other, informal ways to alert others, disclosing government directives and hospital reports on the internet. During a rare burst of relative transparency early in the epidemic, Chinese journalists did much to expose the problems, but censors closed that window. The government has vowed to fix flaws exposed in the disease surveillance system, but similar promises were made after SARS. Fresh efforts to repair the system now could also falter under a political hierarchy that leaves experts doctors, even public health officials unwilling to take on local leaders. In China, politics often ends up overriding the very safeguards created to prevent interference in the flow of information. A Government exercise four years ago predicted a deadly virus from Asia would arrive in the UK and leave the NHS on its knees, but was not published because the results were 'too terrifying'. In October 2016, epidemiologists from Imperial College London told Government ministers what Britain would look like seven weeks into a pandemic. Exercise Cygnus showed the NHS unable to cope, with a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) for doctors and nurses, inadequate numbers of ventilators and mortuaries overflowing. It was carried out by the same experts responsible for the nation's coronavirus modelling, but the results were never revealed, reports the Sunday Telegraph. Urgent questions have now been raised over why then-Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt's administration failed to act on many of the alarming findings. In October 2016, epidemiologists from Imperial College London told Government ministers what Britain would look like seven weeks into a pandemic and revealed the NHS on its knees, a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) for NHS staff (pictured) and a lack of beds Urgent questions have now been raised over why then-Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt's (he is pictured at St George's Hospital Tooting in 2017) administration failed to act on the alarming findings A paper detailing Imperial's research read: 'The exercise was set seven weeks into a severe pandemic outbreak and challenged the NHS to review its response to an overwhelmed service with reduced staff availability.' Cygnus was based on a virus similar to H2N2 influenza, which like COVID-19 causes deadly respiratory illness in patients. It pretended that the hypothetical virus had reported its first cases in South East Asia two months before. The infection had then arrived in the UK a month later via a group of travellers. It had not yet reached its peak in the researchers' scenario, but the NHS was already 'about to fall over', according to the paper. Cygnus highlighted a terrifying lack of critical care beds, ventilators and general NHS capacity. It came at a time when Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt was cutting beds. The model also showed that the Government's emergency messaging was not resonating with the public - similar to the situation Boris Johnson has found himself in this week. Boris Johnson is writing to every home in Britain warning them that they must stay home or suffer even more devastating consequences than we face now Mr Johnson is writing to every home in Britain warning them that they must stay home or suffer even more devastating consequences than we face now. The Government's leading epidemiology advisor Professor Neil Ferguson yesterday warned Britons that they will need to stay indoors for a full three months to stem the spread of the virus. The Government's leading epidemiology advisor Professor Neil Ferguson (pictured) yesterday warned Britons that they will need to stay indoors for a full three months to stem the spread of the virus Yesterday, the UK death toll reached 1,019, with more than 17,000 cases reported nationwide. Questions have been raised as to why Exercise Cygnus never saw the light of day. One source, close to the Government at the time, said the results were 'too terrifying' to be made public. They told the Telegraph: 'It's right to say that the NHS was stretched beyond breaking point [by Cygnus]. 'People might say we have blood on our hands, but the fact is that it's always easier to manage the last outbreak than the one coming down the track. Hindsight is a beautiful thing.' But insiders told the newspaper the findings were acted upon in some respects. Instead of bulk-buying critical care beds and ventilators, which some feared may have gone out of date, the Government focused instead on bolstering their supply chains, reports the Telegraph. Although little can be found about it online, a very small number of local authorities mention the term 'Cygnus' in their contingency planning. These include Croydon Council's 'Pandemic Response Plan' from earlier this month, Rotherham's Health Protection annual report from 2016 and Northamptonshire's Health and Wellbeing Board annual report from 2018. A Department for Health and Social Care spokesman told MailOnline: 'The coronavirus outbreak calls for decisive action, at home and abroad, and the World Health Organisation recognises that the UK is one of the most prepared countries in the world for pandemic flu. 'As the public would expect, we regularly test our pandemic plans and the learnings from previous exercises have helped allow us to rapidly respond to COVID-19. 'We are committed to be as transparent as possible, and in publishing the SAGE evidence the public are aware of the science behind the government's response. 'We are delivering a science-led action plan to contain, delay, research and mitigate the outbreak and have acted swiftly to contain and slow the spread of the virus significantly to save lives and support our NHS.' The coronavirus toll in Italy shot past 10,000 on Saturday and showed little sign of slowing despite a 16-day lockdown. The 889 new fatalities reported in the worlds worst-hit nation came a day after it registered 969 deaths on Friday the highest single toll since the COVID-19 virus emerged late last year. Italy now looks certain to extend its economically debilitating and emotionally stressful business closures and the ban on public gatherings past their April 3 deadline. Is it time to reopen the country? I think we have to think about it really carefully, civil protection service chief Angelo Borrelli told reporters.- The country is at a standstill and we must maintain the least amount of activity possible to ensure the survival of all. Italians had begun to hope that their worst disaster in generations was easing after the increase in daily death rates began to slow on March 22. But the new surge has changed the Mediterranean nations mood. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte told Italians late Saturday to be ready to spend more time cooped up at home. If one is being reasonable, one cannot envision a quick return to normal life, Conte said in his latest sombre television address. Going into debt The monumental economic toll of fighting the pandemic has triggered a huge row among European leaders about how best to respond. The southern European nations worst-hit by the virus are urging the EU to go abandon its budget rules. The bloc has already loosened its purse strings in ways not seen since the 2008-2009 global financial crisis. But Conte argues that this is not enough. France is backing a push by Italy and Spain for the EU to start issuing corona bonds a form of common debt that governments sell to raise money to address individual economic needs. More spendthrift nations such as Germany and the Netherlands are baulking at the idea of joint debt. Conte said he and German Chancellor Angela Merkel had not just a disagreement but a hard a frank confrontation this week about how to proceed. If Europe does not rise to this unprecedented challenge, the whole European structure loses its raison detre to the people, Conte told Saturdays edition of the Il Sole 24 Ore financial newspaper. Critical point in history The entire eurozone is expected to slip into a recession over the coming months. But Italy is facing the threat of a near economic collapse after being the first European country to shutter almost all its businesses on March 12. Some forecasts suggest that its economy the third-largest among nations that use the euro common currency could contract by as much as seven percent this year. It shrank by 5.3 percent of gross domestic product in 2009. Conte warned that EU leaders were in danger of making tragic mistakes. I represent a country that is suffering a lot and I cannot afford to procrastinate, Conte said. The energetic 55-year-old has seen his popularity shoot up thanks to a general sense that he has been doing all he could. A growing number of medics are warning that Italys fatalities could be much higher because retirement homes often do not report all their COVID-19 deaths. The number of people who have died from the new disease at home is also unknown. This is something very different from the 2008 crisis, Conte warned in the newspaper interview. We are at a critical point in European history. SOURCE: AFP From a Canadian town with a traumatic past to a Pakistani prisoner of war in India stories to pass the time indoors. From the tale of a rural Canadian town with a traumatic past, to a daughters tribute to her father, a Pakistani prisoner of war who never recovered from his wounds, to a group of women fighting to end femicide in France, here are five powerful stories to read under lockdown. Howard McGillvery, 55, hitchhikes back to St Paul, after spending the night in Saddle Lake, Alberta on January 8, 2020 [Amber Bracken/Al Jazeera] Then I heard my wife yelling for me she was standing there over my baby daughter; she was shot in the head I went outside I couldnt even think who I was. Two weeks later, Howards wife, Ursula, hung herself in their home. The grief was too heavy. So Howard to turned to alcohol for solace, and left his other children for the streets of St Paul. There, he adopted a different family a family of wanderers, addicts, outcasts and others running from some sort of trauma or tragedy. Read the story of 55-year-old Howard McGillvery, the leader of the Back Streeters a name the homeless and transient give themselves in the Canadian prairie town of St Paul, Alberta. The writer in London with her sister and paternal grandparents in 2008 [Photo courtesy: Danai Nesta Kupemba] At around the same time in a remote area a couple of kilometres outside what was then Umtali and now Mutare, my mother was 11 years old and being tortured by colonial soldiers the same people my father was preparing to fight. They beat my mother and her nine-year-old brother with electrical wires until their skin was raw and their throats hoarse from screaming. A seed of resentment was planted in her. Writer Danai Nesta Kupemba grew up in the United Kingdom, embracing her British identity while rejecting the Zimbabwean identity for which her parents had fought during Zimbabwes War of Independence. But when she was forced to return home to Zimbabwe with them, she started to listen more closely to their stories and came to understand that the country she saw as home, they saw as an oppressor. Read their story here. Sandrine Bouchait looks at a photo with her sister Ghylaine who was killed by her boyfriend in 2017 [Sara Farid/ Al Jazeera] Sandrine Bouchait remembers the possessions laid out on the bed in her sister Ghylaines apartment. Ghylaine had put them there the night she had tried to leave her partner, Christophe. As she was packing, Sandrine says Christophe hit Ghylaine, knocking her to the ground. He took a bottle in which he had mixed petrol and water and doused her with the contents before setting her alight, Sandrine explains. Thirty-four-year-old Ghylaine was the 96th woman to be killed by domestic violence in France in 2017. Last year, even more women were killed by a partner or former partner. Now, a collective of volunteers are ensuring that their deaths do not go unnoticed, that their names are remembered. Read some of their stories here. Naeem Ahmad, the writers father [Ahmad family photograph] My father remained in hospital for eight months. And, upon being deemed well enough to leave, was sent to a prisoner of war camp in Bihar, India. He was transported there, along with other Pakistani soldiers, in a train boarded up with wooden planks intended to hide those inside from the angry mobs outside. When my father disembarked at Camp 95 Ranchi he had nothing but the hospital clothes he wore. A fellow POW gave him some fabric from which he stitched his own trousers. Then, in February 1974, along with 93,000 other POWs who had been held by India, he was repatriated to Pakistan. But the country they returned to did not extend the welcome they had expected. The hostility was palpable. Pakistan had been shamed by its surrender and the reports of rape and mass murder attributed to some of its troops. A daughter tells the story of the father who never recovered from his war wounds. Read it here. The writer and her mother cooking [Photo courtesy: Kim OConnell] My parents divorced only 10 years after their marriage on Okinawa, with my father receiving primary custody of my brother and me. By the time I was in my mid-twenties, we were completely estranged. But even when we were not speaking, I kept making her spring rolls. With every batch, I got a little better. And with every batch, my empathy for my mother grew. Writer Kim OConnell and her mother lived worlds apart, having grown distant in the years following her parents divorce. But after years of silence, they begin to reconnect and find solace in an unexpected place using a recipe with healing powers. Read her story and the recipe here. 4.3k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard During a week when we became number one for coronavirus cases in the world and when we saw the death toll multiplying at dizzy rates, Trump stuck to happy talk. The current number of 1600-plus deaths is likely to be much larger by the time this column is published. (You can see how much here .) There are those are masters at arousing emotions. But perhaps because of years of writing for academic journals and preparing legal documents, Ive learned to self-edit to the point of understating my complete contempt for this administration. The facts tell us we have a monster for a leader. Previously, I said that life during this public health crises really is bad if youre an American citizen and its even worse if youre an immigrant. Ive written about the conditions that innocent asylum seekers live in. The concentration camps, the cages, the rotten food, the lack of soap, hot water, shampoo, toothpaste. Its what you would expect from someone as monstrous as Stephen Miller and the man who follows his advice, Donald J. Trump. If you arent outraged because Immigration judges were ordered to continue to hold deportation proceedings during this pandemic, I dont know how to make you feel the outrage. If you arent disgusted by the likelihood that COVID-19 will spread like wildfire among children and people of all ages being held by ICE and border control, I honestly dont know what words you need to move you. If you arent disgusted by Trump insisting on a bit of suck-up from governors if they want lifesaving respirators, I doubt there is anything I can say that will change that. We live in times when some of us want to turn off emotions because it hurts too much. At least, it does for me. The absence of expressing them doesnt mean they dont exist. In fact, they lurk beneath the surface as we fumble our way through the worst public health crises in over one hundred years. Fear figured prominently this week as two people dear to me showed symptoms but couldnt be tested. Fortunately, by the grace of God, they are feeling better. But, many families are mourning, and they are mourning because Donald Trump is the monster who tried to dismiss the coronavirus as a Chinese hoax and fake news put out by the Democrat Party because, even as thousands of people fall ill and die, he still thinks its all about him. Donald Trump dreams of opening the country for business at Easter. Some pro-Trump governors still encourage the people who trust them to go about business as usual. Within the next week or two, we will see numbers in those states as scary as the ones in New York. Even without that, people will die because of his actions. Families will be shattered. Nothing about this should need especially poetic, emotion-inducing prose. The facts speak for themselves! Doctors are readying themselves to prioritize who gets respirators and who gets pain management as they suffocate to death. No one should have to make such decisions. And it didnt have to be this way. Its a fact that we had a pandemic plan and infrastructure. It is also a fact that monster in the White House destroyed it because of his obsession with erasing everything Barack Obama did during his presidency. Thats the most maddening thing of all. Trump destroyed the things designed to defend America from the deadly pandemic. He destroyed protecting Americans because he couldnt stand a black man being president. There are some positive elements in all this. After a week of negotiations by both Democrats and Republicans, Trump finally signed an imperfect aid package. Ever determined to prove how small he is, though, Trump refused to invite Democrats to the signing ceremony. Thats actually a good thing, because we know hes been exposed to COVID-19. So we should be glad that rather than feeling snubbed, Democrats had the good sense to socially distance from a man who cares more about social distancing from the truth than from a deadly virus. Meanwhile, weve seen America coming together, recognizing that we are on our own because theres a monster in our White House. We saw great leadership from governors like Andrew Cuomo, Jay Inslee and Gretchen Whitmer this past week. They showed evidence of understanding how quickly the virus spreads and at what point the curve collapses the healthcare system. Theyve done things within their powers, looking at less-safe treatment options, at creating hospitals out of stadiums and hotels. (One particular hotel comes to mind.) At the same time, we saw them plead with Trump on live television, but then we hear him grouse about how all they do is take, take, take. Amid these emotion-rousing, outrage-inducing facts, amid the grander landscape of Trumps affront to the nation, is an affront to our nations capital. The same COVID-19 bill that is so generous to the rest of the country gives less to Washington than it ought to. Traditionally it would be treated like a state. Instead its ripped off by some 700 million dollars. But Washington, DC, which pays more per capita in taxes than many states, is also the site of the Trump International Hotel. I so wish District of Columbia council would expropriate this crown jewel of the Trump empire. Its nowhere nearly enough to make up the difference, but it hits the monster in what passes for his heart. Note: Occasional PoliticusUSA writer Tobias Grant contributed to this column. President Zelensky held a meeting with representatives of the Cabinet of Ministers and the main government departments responsible for combating the spread of Covid-19 coronavirus . This was reported by the press service of the head of state.Already the second plane brought today personal protective equipment, disinfection, necessary medical equipment. Manufacturers have huge queues for the necessary equipment to overcome the infection. But they make a priority for the Ukrainian government, so we dont have to wait for purchases for weeks. Next week we expect the arrival of several more aircraft," the president said.Zelensky also stressed that each pharmacy should have masks."And not at prices inflated ten times, but at normal, affordable ones. And it is important that our doctors are protected because they are actually at the forefront today. The National Guard must be protected and, certainly, our military," he stressed. Is Prince Harry selfish? This is what some are calling him because he's nowhere to be found in the United Kingdom amid crisis. A commentator warns that no matter how logical their actions are today, they can still be misconstrued by people who feel left behind. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly in LA while the pandemic sweeps across the world, the UK included. While their absence is justified, since they already stepped down from their senior roles, one royal commentator claimed that the two are just disappointing. For the commentator, the couple could do so much more to show that they care about the crisis in Prince Harry's home country, and both had missed an opportunity by not immediately returning when they knew something could happen to the royal family and the country. On March 31, Harry and Meghan will officially cease to be royals. They will have the opportunity to pursue whatever they want in full freedom. However, with the coronavirus, their choices are quite hindered as of the moment. When they left the UK, it is understood that they would be based in Canada for a while with their son Archie Harrison, but it is now reported that they already moved to Meghan's native town, which is LA. They are free to pursue what they want but people believe that continuing to do so even if the country that once looked up to them is in crisis, is a tad bit cold. According to the commenter, their posts on Instagram are just serving to irk people more. "However logical leaving Britain for Canada and then leaving Canada for Hollywood may seem to them, their contribution to helping those afflicted and those feeling threatened by COVID-19 has been limited to a few Instagram posts which are worth little," the commenter shared. Criticisms intensified further, especially against Prince Harry, because his own father has tested positive of the dreaded virus. And yet, this news was matched by the report that Meghan and Harry moved to LA, which for some is just a clear sign of their selfishness. He said that people expect so much more from Harry because he was brought up by Charles and Diana with "certain values." Even though their leaving was because of the imminent closing of the borders between the US and Canada, people are mostly going to believe that they made a move to pursue some ambitions. "The image this will create is that they are on a journey for themselves at a time when their undoubted global reach could give some succor to others," the commentator warned. Another damning report is that Prince Harry burned bridges with QUeen Elizabeth only through an email. The two were reportedly pissed for the complaints they were receiving about Markle's behaviors right from the start, and this irritation just build over time. The insider claimed that the Palace did more to bend over the two's wishes, but ultimately still did not satisfy them. As a result, Megxit happened. One royal insider told the Daily Mail, "Harry has given up everything, literally everything. He has burnt every single bridge back at home. And Meghan? Well, I rather think she's got what she wanted..." READ MORE: Meghan Markle Fears Prince Harry Incompetent, Cannot Financially Support Her? The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Muhammad Babandede has tested positive for the deadly Coronavirus COVID-19. Babandede was said to had gone into isolation after he returned from the United Kingdom March 22, 2020, through a British airways flight which touched down in Lagos State. Speaking with PUNCH on Sunday, Babandede confirmed that he have contracted the virus. Today, I tested positive for COVID-19. I have been on self-isolation since my return from UK on Sunday 22nd of this month with British Airways in Lagos. I urge my loved ones, Immigration Officers and Nigerians to pray for me and all those affected. Babandede urged immigration officers to continue working with his deputy to move the service forward. He added: It is a very difficult time but we cant change what God destined for us. I urge officers to continue working with my able Deputy to further move our Service to another level. As advised by NCDC, I am totally isolated. A statement from the media office of the Immigration service on Sunday, reads: The Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service Muhammad Babandede health status with regard to Corona Virus and his self-isolation since he returned from UK. As a top official of the government, he has adhered to the NCDC instructions to self-isolate and undergoes the test. The result of the test came out positive, hence the need to make it public, he conveys his goodwill to all and he is in stable condition responding to treatment. The Comptroller General is active and directing as expected the affairs of the service online, while the Deputy Comptroller General Overseeing the administration of the service is in touch online to keep service activities running within this period. The Nigeria Immigration Service community will continue to deliver on its mandate for the nation even in this trying times as we pray the whole world get over it, Nigeria inclusive. This is coming barely 12 hours after the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, tested positive for COVID-19. Chandigarh, March 28 : Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday sought urgent intervention of the Union Finance Minister to mitigate the crisis caused by COVID-19 outbreak in the state, including immediate release of GST compensation arrears of Rs 2,088 crore. In a letter, which followed a telephonic conversation, the Chief Minister sought from Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman some additional urgent steps to mitigate the crisis caused by the outbreak of COVID-19 global pandemic. The Union Finance Minister had earlier called up the Chief Minister, who subsequently sent her a detailed letter listing out certain important proposals to help the state in this critical time, according to an official spokesperson. The Chief Minister conveyed to Sitharaman that for opening the banks, he had asked the state Finance Department to issue necessary guidelines to facilitate the common man in meeting his banking requirements. In addition to the Punjab-specific GST compensation arrears, the Chief Minister proposed that the balance GST compensation dues may be released with other states. In his letter, Amarinder Singh further proposed that the Centre should ask the RBI to raise the ways and means advances for all states to tide over the shortfall in receipts. He also suggested that the government of India may raise the borrowing limit of states under the FRBM Act from three to four per cent. In addition to deferment of instalments of industrial loans, the Chief Minister has urged that commercial banks should defer loan instalments for agriculture or crop loans, which the Punjab government had already done for the state cooperative banks. Further, in line with the initiative taken by the state government with respect to cooperative banks, he has also sought waiver of three months' interest on agricultural and crop loans by commercial banks. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text DR Congo security forces have killed 31 armed assailants in clashes around Lubumbashi, the country's second-largest city, a human rights group said Sunday, denouncing the action as human butchery". The NGO, Justicia, said that seven attackers and one police officer were killed in Lubumbashi on Saturday, 13 militia men were killed in Likasi, nine in Kasumbalesa on the border with Zambia and two in Bunkeya, another town in region which is rich in cobalt. While denouncing what it described as an "destabilisation attempt" by the attackers, Justicia also hit out at the army for "opening fire without warning" on the militia men who were more lightly armed, some just carrying knives. This, the group said, amounted to "human butchery". Congolese police had said on Saturday that the militia men, loyal to former warlord Gedeon Kyungu Mutanga, were "forced back by police and the armed forces". Mutanga had left his home in Lubumbashi during the fighting, police said, without specifying whether the residence had been placed under surveillance. The Congolese warlord was jailed for life in 2009 for crimes against humanity, war crimes, insurrection and terrorism. But he broke out of prison in September 2011 and made a dramatic public appearance in Lubumbashi in October 2016 during an official ceremony given in his honour. France said it had frozen Mutanga's assets at the start of 2018. Lubumbashi was placed under lockdown for two days last Monday and Tuesday after two suspected case of coronavirus were reported. However, both cases tested negative to COVID-19. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bihar has been exposed to "a potential explosion of COVID-19 in near future with its borders "choking with people" on account of large-scale exodus of migrants from places like Delhi, a key aide of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said here on Sunday. Sanjay Kumar Jha, who is the minister for water resources and a national general secretary of the JD(U) which is headed by the chief minister, rued that despite having followed "the finest protocols", "COVID-19 stares menacingly at Bihar and the nationwide lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi "looks defeated". The chief minister on Saturday had also disapproved of the move by governments of Uttar Pradesh and Delhi to ferry thousands of people from the Delhi-UP border to their places. In a flurry of tweets, Jha launched a veiled attack on the Arvind Kejriwal government without mentioning the Delhi CM or his Aam Aadmi Party by name saying "those who have driven people away from Delhi are being hailed while those who took care to follow #lockdown21 in letter and spirit are being falsely accused". In an indirect reference to reports that AAP supporters had allegedly raised an alarm that the lockdown could be extended for months together and got migrants transported to the Delhi-UP border on buses, Jha said, "For some, their narrow priorities and mischievous politics weighed over everything else". "Suddenly, like in Harry Potter books, lakhs started to flee Delhi and today Bihars borders are choking with people," he lamented. The mass exodus, he said, has "not only put Bihar in a quandary but also exposed us to a potential explosion of COVID-19 cases in near future, since people on borders insist on going to their respective homes". He added that on Saturday, the chief minister had spoken to all those who matter in Delhi and apprised them of the impending danger that the mindless yet engineered push from Delhi poses for us all. "COVID-19 stares at Bihar menacingly!" he tweeted tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. "Under CM Sri @NitishKumar Bihar followed finest protocols upon call by PM @narendramodi of a lockdown to combat coronavirus. The norm of social distancing was vigorously followed along with aggressive communication outreach to sensitize people," he said, expressing regret that the efforts could come undone because of the large-scale influx. "We understand our responsibility towards all people hailing from Bihar," he said adding that a total of 78 Aapada Rahat Kendras (disaster relief camps) have been set up across the state, including along its borders with Nepal and states like UP, West Bengal and Jharkhand, where people were being provided with assistance like food, shelter and medical facilities. "At the state's borders, people are being quarantined and subject to medical examinations. We are committed to ensuring health and safety of all our citizens," Jha added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 17:10:23|Editor: yhy Video Player Close KUNMING, March 29 (Xinhua) -- China on Sunday sent a team of 12 medical experts to Laos to assist the Southeast Asian country's fight against the novel coronavirus outbreak. The team consists of experts specialized in infectious disease, nursing, virus testing and traditional Chinese medicine from hospitals in southwest China's Yunnan Province and the Yunnan provincial center for disease control and prevention. The medical team left Kunming, the provincial capital of Yunnan, on Sunday, bringing with them medical supplies donated by the Yunnan provincial government, including medicines, nucleic acid testing kits, 10,560 N95 masks, 60,000 medical masks and 6,000 protective suits. The experts are expected to share their experience in COVID-19 prevention, control and treatment, and provide suggestions to their counterparts in Laos on epidemic prevention, diagnosis and treatment and medical staff training. Muni Metro, San Franciscos usually busy subway and light rail system, will shut down after the last trains complete their runs Sunday night. Beginning Monday, buses will replace the citys light rail service as part of the Municipal Transportation Agencys effort to cope with the coronavirus outbreak and plunging ridership while maintaining service for people working essential jobs. Shutting down the seven rail lines will enable custodians to shift their attention to cleaning buses and facilities and let Muni send more operators to run busy neighborhood bus lines, MTA transit director Jeffrey Tumlin said Friday on Twitter after the agency announced the rail shutdown. Tumlin also reported that ridership on the light rail lines recently has been less than 10% of the usual load, about 174,000 riders on a normal day. I'll miss all our trains but this decision helps keep our operators and passengers healthier, he said in a tweet that included a picture of him riding Muni Metro. Passengers who rely on the J, K, L, M, N, T and shuttle lines to get around San Francisco may find themselves facing longer rides. While the time difference varies depending on line and length of trip, it usually takes buses longer than trains. Our advice would be to allow extra time, said Erica Kato, a Muni spokeswoman, but this is far from the first time we have ever used a bus shuttle. Some shuttles, particularly during the closure of the Twin Peaks Tunnel, caused serious delays and choked the Muni Metro system. But with most people staying at home, ridership is light and so is the traffic that can slow buses. How long the rail shutdown will last has yet to be determined, she said, but it is likely to last as long as the shelter-in-place health orders are in effect and Muni ridership remains low. Muni officials said theyll take advantage of the shutdown to do maintenenance on the Metro system, which includes 151 vehicles, 72 miles of track on seven lines, three tunnels, nine subway stations, 24 surface stations and 87 surface stops. Its a unique opportunity to improve the state of good repair of our system and come out of this shutdown stronger than ever, the MTA said in a statement. Some Muni passengers worried that the switch to buses could make it tougher to stay six feet away from other riders as health officials recommend. Trains are safer, said a commenter identified as Ruth California on the MTA website. Closing down light rail significantly slows down any trip and increases exposure to the virus. Street people abound on the buses above ground and are more likely not to abide safety rules. Train operators are less exposed in their own enclosed/protected space. Buses pose too many chances for risky interaction. MTA officials have said theyre monitoring passenger loads on all buses in an attempt to give riders some elbow room and recommended social distance. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. If a vehicle reaches its recommended passenger threshold it will need to skip stops the MTA tweeted. We apologize in advance but this is a needed step to ensure the health and safety of all on board. Muni is not the only Bay Area transit operator to reduce service. Caltrain plans to cut its weekday service by more than half starting Monday, reducing its daily schedule from 92 trains to 42 indefinitely. Trains will make all local stops between San Francisco and San Jose and run every 30 minutes to an hour. Limited and Baby Bullet trains will be suspended. BART moved up its closing time for train service to 9 p.m., three hours earlier last week and delayed the start of its Saturday service. BARTs ridership continues to plunge, reaching 8% of normal on both Friday and Saturday. On Wednesday, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, known as VTA, shut down light rail service indefinitely after an operator in training tested positive for the coronavirus. Light rail service in the South Bay remains shut down. The plummeting ridership on Bay Area transit is also leading to big revenue losses. They should be eased by an expected $1.3 billion in emergency funding that was included in the federal coronavirus stimulus bill. Michael Cabanatuan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Mr. Hart said he chose to sit in front of a Whats Up? South! map while teaching remotely because it is attractive and makes a humanistic point: North and South are relative to each other, he said. Depending on your perspective the world may appear upside down, and yet there is no absolute up or down. He also wears school swag. The message to his dispersed students, he said, is that we are all still at Amherst regardless of where we are currently. An American Airlines Inc. McDonnell Douglas MD-82 plane sits parked at a gate while a United Continental Holdings plane taxis down the runway at LaGuardia Airport in the Queens borough of New York. U.S. airlines and the Department of Transportation may soon have to consider consolidating service to dozens of cities around the country in a bid to help carriers cut losses, several airline industry executives told CNBC. Executives with U.S. airlines are discussing whether to push leaders of the Transportation Department to allow temporary modifications to their service routes as the carriers continue to make adjustments to their operations following approval of a $50 billion bailout package. The aid package requires airlines to not furlough employees for the next six months, while also maintaining service, to the best of their ability, to the cities the airlines currently serve. The problem with maintaining service is that many planes are virtually empty. "Does it make sense for more than one of us to be flying to a city when there are only a few seats filled on each plane"? one airline executive asked rhetorically in a conversation discussing the situation with CNBC. "It may make more sense to maintain service to that city, but put all passengers on one plane." Executives with multiple airlines, who talked on background with CNBC, stress the idea has not yet been formally broached with the Transportation Department. Andy Post, a spokesman for the agency told CNBC, "This is an important issue and the Department supports the intent of maintaining a national network of air service to communities across the country. We will have further guidance about how this will be accomplished in the days to come." How would service consolidation work? Take the route from New York City to St. Louis, Missouri. Right now, American, Delta and Southwest all fly the route from LaGuardia Airport to St. Louis Lambert International Airport. If the route were temporarily consolidated, all airlines would continue selling tickets on the route, but the carriers would agree to put all the passengers on one plane. Industry executives say the move would not only require approval from the Trump administration, but also for carriers to negotiate to complex issues including scheduling and sharing costs. Consolidating service to some cities under one airline idea makes sense given the dramatic and rapid drop in passenger levels, with airlines filling just 5% to 15% of the seats on their flights. On Saturday, the Transportation Security Administration screened just 184,026 passengers at U.S. airports compared to 2.17 mIllion passengers on the same day last year, a decline of more than 91%. "I can assure you, we're losing money on every single flight and big money so that can't be sustained indefinitely," Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly said during a video message distributed to employees on Friday morning. Kelly, along with the CEOs of American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta and Frontier Airlines, had updated their employees on the state of their industry as Congress prepared to pass a $50 billion aid package for carriers. All emphasized they will not be laying off workers, while trying to maintain as much service as possible. "We need to continue flying, as requested, and serving those that need to travel," American Airlines CEO Doug Parker said late last week in a video message to employees. "These are still extraordinarily difficult times and we need to do everything we can support each other and ensure we do not waste one dollar of this government support." If the Transportation Deparment agrees to temporarily consolidate service to dozens of cities under one airline, it would allow airlines to further cut costs without totally shutting the industry. Executives at multiple airlines told CNBC there has never been serious consideration of asking the agency to completely suspend domestic air travel. Still, the increasing number of travel advisories from state and federal officials has created a situation where airlines are flying many routes with almost no one on board. As a result, U.S. carriers are cutting their April schedules between 25% and 90%. Frontier Airlines, a low cost-carrier based in Denver, is going the furthest, maintaining just 10% of its schedule in April. The pullback is not only because of slow demand, but also because Frontier said a reduced schedule is the only way to maintain safe operations. "We believe it is in the interest of everyone's safety that we reduce flying to a level which lessens the strains now being place on ATC's (air traffic controllers) TSA and our many other partners," CEO Barry Biffle wrote in an employee letter sent out Saturday. Even as U.S. airlines cut schedules, the companies are maintaining a belief that eventually business will rebound. Nobody is ready to call a bottom on demand, but as Delta CEO Ed Bastian told employees Sunday, the airline is optimistic over the long term. "We are committed to bringing them [flights] back as quickly as possible when the crisis passes." SL Retail Association urges precautions to staff, customers to contain COVID-19 View(s): The Sri Lanka Retailers Association (SLRA) has stressed on the utmost need for the business community to take all necessary precautions to protect their employees, their customers, and the community at large against COVID-19 outbreak. The virus is an infectious condition which can spread both directly and indirectly, from one person to another. It involves your nose, throat, airway, and lungs, with older people being twice as likely to be susceptible to the illness. However, a few basic precautions can help contain the spread of the virus. COVID-19 can survive up to 8-10 hours on surfaces like paper, untreated wood, cardboard, sponge, and fabric, and survive for longer over non-porous surfaces like glass, plastics, metals, and untreated wood, the association said in a statement. Keeping this in mind, the SLRA has a series of recommendations for both employers and employees to follow in order to minimise health and business risks posed by COVID-19. Employers have to take necessary steps to create a hygienic environment, SLRA President, Sidath Kodikara said. This includes simple steps such as: Washing ones hands thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and avoiding bodily contact when greeting clients and colleagues. It is also important for employers to take precautions when an employee feels unwell, and advise the employee how to deal with sick family members. Inform employees of steps taken to mitigate risks, in all three languages. Maintain hygiene in common areas of the workplace, by frequently cleaning surfaces such as desks, objects like phones, elevators, and washrooms. Avoid meetings and events unless absolutely necessary. Prohibit travelling out of the country for personal reasons, unless it is at the discretion of the organisations Chairperson. Consider establishing an Isolation Room in case you identify an employee who has the symptoms Mr. Kodikara also listed out general guidelines for employees to follow. This includes: Informing the company if employees feel unwell Avoiding public spaces such as malls, parks, and recreational areas. To conduct interviews and meetings via online platforms. For employees temperatures to be taken before entering office premises. For gyms and recreational facilities at workplaces to be temporarily suspended. To work from home where possible. To be mindful of surroundings in public transport, and to sanitise frequently when there is no running water available. The SLRA also advises all supermarket operators and places of business to notify customers through poster campaigns of steps taken by their respective organisations to contain the virus, and on what customers and employees can do to be safe during this time period. The Association said it is strongly committed to following the WHOs, the Centre for Disease Controls, and the governments requirements to prevent the spread of COVID-19, as the safety of retail sector employees, customers, and the general public is of the highest priority. The Associations members have been fully briefed on hygiene and preventive measures, both within the workplace and out of it. We hope and pray that Sri Lanka will not have an outbreak of COVID-19, Mr. Kodikara further said. While the governments efforts to mitigate spread has been commendable, we do not want the spread of disease as resources will be stretched to the limit in the event of an exponential outbreak. The best remedy right now is to contain the disease, and we all have a part to play in this. Krishna: Andhra Pradesh government on Sunday distributed free ration to the poor for the month of April in Krishna district in wake of COVID-19 lockdown.People at these shops also maintained social distancing and waited for the ration at lines earmarked for them. "The distribution of free rice along with 1 kg of dal started at 6 am this morning and will continue till 1 pm. The Andhra Pradesh government is serving the poor with this free ration in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. The beneficiaries shall have to produce their bio-data and get confirmation from village or ward volunteers," Kona Sasidhar, Commissioner Civil Supplies Department said. The state government had on March 24 said April ration of rice and 1 kg of red gram dal will be given free of cost to all rice card holders. The Commissioner said YSRCP-led government has also decided to provide financial assistance of Rs 1,000 to the poor, on April 4. Andhra Pradesh government had earlier constituted a five-member task-force to monitor the spread of coronavirus in the state. A 21-day lockdown was enforced in the country from Tuesday midnight to contain the spread of coronavirus. Undine Weiler felt huge relief when Ottawa relaxed its travel ban for foreign workers earlier this month . It meant she would soon be back with her husband and four children in Calgary. Or so she thought. Weiler, a German citizen with an open work permit, was reassured by the Canadian embassy in Germany that shed be allowed to return to Canada, despite severe restrictions enacted to stem the spread of COVID-19. She booked a ticket aboard an Air Canada flight from Frankfurt last Thursday. But, when she arrived for her flight, Weiler was denied boarding and told it was because her open work permit was issued as a dependant to her husband, a software engineer, who brought his family to Calgary as a temporary foreign worker in 2018. I showed them the family photos on my phone and all the (Canadian) documents I have, but they wouldnt let me get on the flight, said a distraught Weiler, 44, who flew to Germany in mid-February to wrap up her academic work for a masters degree in education. All my kids are very anxious to see me, especially in this emotional time during a pandemic, she said of her daughters Fiona, 16, twins Naja and Nele, both 14, and seven-year-old son Fenno. It just makes no sense to keep the family apart. We are already suffering and we are going to suffer more. The Canadian government imposed travel restrictions on non-Canadian citizens and permanent residents on March 18, but relaxed the air travel rules two days later to provide exemptions to migrant farm workers, fish/seafood workers and other temporary foreign workers. Allowing foreign workers to enter Canada recognizes their vital importance to the Canadian economy, including food security for Canadians and the success of Canadian food producers, the government said in the news release. Those affected by these exemptions should not try to travel to Canada immediately, it warned. We will announce when the exemptions are in place. Released Thursday, the details also specified that the travel ban does not apply to those with valid work permits, among other exempted groups. Immigration officials could not be reached on Saturday for comment on Weilers case. Weiler reached out to the Canadian embassy and officials advised her by email that she needed to be authorized in writing by a consular officer for the purpose of reuniting family members. The email also told her she must provide the original or copies of documentation showing the relationship between her and her family members in Canada, such as a marriage certificate or birth certificate. Weiler now has digital images of those documents and plans to go to the Canadian embassy in Berlin on Monday. We appreciate Canadas measures to stop the (spread of) the virus, but it would be nice if our officials can make their decisions on a human level rather than based just on official documents, said Weiler, who now hopes to get on the next flight to Canada on Wednesday. Im just anxious to be home with my family. This battle for perceptions within the war against the virus exposes the anxiety of the great competition between China and the US in our time. A decisive winner could help convince the world of their political systems superiority in the years to come. For a White House consumed with messaging and public perception (and no stranger to disinformation itself), the idea that a pathogen with origins in China could tank the US economy and sap confidence is not something that would go uncontested. While trying to ensure blame for the crisis flowed away from Washington and towards Beijing, Trump insisted coronavirus was the Chinese virus, whipping up anger against Asians and Americans who have Asian backgrounds. A meeting of G7 foreign ministers on Wednesday ended without a joint statement after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pushed unsuccessfully to get member nations to agree to call coronavirus Wuhan virus. The Trump administration is now reportedly considering forcing Chinese journalists it suspects of spying to leave the US. Beijing has dialled up the volume and variety of messaging on coronavirus through diplomatic channels, state media and social media for weeks, to deflect blame for the outbreak and to try to position itself in the worlds eyes as the competent, generous problem-solver. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the Group of Seven members were all aware of China's "disinformation campaign" regarding the coronavirus outbreak. Credit:AP "The Chinese Communist Party is waging a propaganda campaign to desperately try to shift responsibility for the global COVID-19 pandemic to the United States," said a US Embassy spokesperson. "This campaign began when we started to call out the risk that was created not only for the Chinese people, but for people all across the world." Images of Chinese aid have circulated widely on Chinas Western-facing media and social networks. State media has leaned heavily into the idea that COVID-19 didnt necessarily begin in China, and that democracies were incapable of meeting the challenge from it. Spokeswomen from the US and China have even engaged in a Twitter battle about it. When Italy, where COVID-19 cases soared to 80,000 with 8100 deaths, received 30 tonnes of Red Cross medical aid from China, it was highly publicised by the Chinese and Italian media. But as The Diplomat notes, the Chinese Red Cross reciprocated for the help received from the Italian Red Cross only one month earlier, when Italy sent 18 tonnes of supplies to Wuhan. China even promoted a faked video of an Italian suburb playing the Chinese national anthem. Surprisingly, there has been more fakery of the viral kind: Chinese state spokesman Zhao Lijian tweeted a story from a Canadian-based disinformation site that claims COVID-19 originated in the US. The US-China contest over global public perceptions looks set to harden further. Earlier this week, the White House reportedly launched a communications plan across multiple federal agencies to push back on China's messages. Thanks to the cover-up, Chinese and international experts missed a critical window to contain the outbreak within China and stop its global spread, one internal presentation read, according to the Daily Beast. Saving lives is more important than saving face. The propaganda war is simply another dimension to the US-China competition. The Trump White Houses unrelenting response matches the speed with which China converted what had been an internal crisis into an opportunity to criticise democracy in general and the US specifically. Asked if the People's Republic of China was trying to shift the coronavirus story to reflect the weaknesses of other countries, China's Australian embassy said: "The virus is a common scourge facing all. With our future linked together, countries can only overcome the challenge by standing in solidarity." The reality is a bit more divisive. Its not clear if China is acting from growing confidence or growing fear. Its also not clear how systematic this effort is: Zhao Lijians conspiracy tweets were disavowed by Chinas ambassador to the US. China's embassy told The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald that its government departments worked "in co-ordination" on the global coronavirus response but "media outlets worked on their own". What's clear is that the Communist Party of China has faced unprecedented criticism domestically for both its initial inaction and then cover-up around coronavirus despite its media controls, said China Media Project editor David Bandurski. There is certainly an element of desperation for China over the question of the epidemic and its origins, he said. So the leadership is keen to ensure that international opinion does not turn against China, further impacting the partys perceived legitimacy. Adam Ni, director of the China Policy Centre, said its noteworthy that China is stepping up its external propaganda efforts. Beijing may actually believe that it has a superior system compared to liberal democracies, and the current crisis may reinforce that perception among those in China and beyond, said Ni. That means highlighting the supposed superiority of China's political and governance system while focusing heavily on the shortcoming of the international response to the virus, especially in Europe and the US. The twin goals explain why the Chinas state messaging promotes images that celebrate its aid to Italy, while posting interviews, like CGTN did to its 14 million followers on Twitter, suggesting COVID-19 was in Italy in October, weeks before it was reported in China. The Australian Strategic Policy Institutes Fergus Ryan said that the worse the West does at preventing the spread of the virus, the easier it will be for China to promote an image of itself as a responsible and humanitarian global power. Yet the more China tries to hide its role about the initial coronavirus outbreak, the more damage it will do to its image in the world. Bandurski said that part of the issue of the moment is how much communications have changed. The post-truth malaise is about more than just the Trump White House, he said. We now have a global media ecosystem that thrives on falsehoods, innuendo and could-be truths. Whoever understands that environment and its opportunities best will have the upper hand in this information confrontation. The US, as in many areas of competition with China - space, cyber, technology policy, supply chains - appears to have been caught flat-footed by Beijing's shift in strategy. Sign up to our Coronavirus Update newsletter Get our Coronavirus Update newsletter for the day's crucial developments at a glance, the numbers you need to know and what our readers are saying. Sign up to The Sydney Morning Herald's newsletter here and The Age's here. Should China succeed in the global propaganda war around coronavirus, as it appears to be attempting, the CCP will have achieved a revision of history in real-time on the screens of social media users everywhere. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday addressed the nation through his radio broadcast show 'Mann Ki Baat' over the Coronavirus crisis in the country. This was PM Modi's first Mann Ki Baat show since the nationwide lockdown began on 25th March. He spoke to survivors of the virus and the doctors who are treating the Coronavirus-detected patients. During his show, PM Modi urged the people to use the chance to not go outside as an opportunity to look into oneself and know themselves better. He said, "I have asked you to not step outside. But I have also given you an opportunity to look into yourself." He further added that the main point of the lockdown is 'Social Distancing' and not to end the social interaction. He said, "Increase the social distance, decrease the emotional distance." Talking about aspects relating to COVID-19 during #MannKiBaat https://t.co/JJpOShFBpB Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 29, 2020 Read: No words enough to thank individuals working hard to combat COVID-19: Mamata India under lockdown Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 21 had announced a 21-day lockdown in the entire country effective from midnight of March 25 to deal with the spread of Coronavirus, saying that "social distancing" is the only option to deal with the disease, which spreads rapidly. The 21-day curfew is applicable to all states, districts, and villages - irrespective of whether they were earlier under curfew or not. Read: PM Modi pulls no punches; tells India it's at war with COVID-19 & hails frontline warriors As of date, India has reported over 1,000 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19. Out of all the states, Kerala and Maharashtra have reported the most in the country. Meanwhile, 19 people have died so far due to the deadly virus. Due to the outbreak, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had put India under a national lockdown for 21 days. Further, India has also closed the India-Pakistan border and restricted passenger movement at the border with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Myanmar. Read: Coronavirus outbreak pushes ambulance services in New York close to breaking point Read: Mann Ki Baat: PM Modi apologises for Coronavirus lockdown hardship; asserts it's essential By Trend Rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on Azerbaijan made another biased statement against the country on March 25, Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan to the Council of Europe Fakhraddin Ismayilov told Trend. Azerbaijan firmly condemns this biased statement, the permanent representative added. A categorical protest in this regard has already been conveyed to the PACE leadership both in written and verbal form. "The PACE platform, based on mutual respect, is unfortunately used to promote an unfair campaign rather than dialogue and cooperation, Ismayilov said. Azerbaijan, which, by its will, has joined the Council of Europe, has always demonstrated an approach consistent with the spirit of constructive and targeted cooperation. At the same time, Azerbaijan is unequivocally and decisively rejecting forms of relations based on pressure and threats. Azerbaijans foreign policy, determined by the president and based on the national interests, implies a system of equal relations, the permanent representative added. As for the statement made on March 25, it is possible to see that its authors act as controllers of the colonial system of the 19th century rather than as rapporteurs of PACE, representing the totality of democratic societies. Azerbaijan firmly rejects the regular threats, as well as the instructions and recommendations that they address from their countries to the country which is faced with such injustice as military occupation," Ismayilov said. The diplomat stressed that this is unthinkable indeed. Instead of welcoming the large-scale efforts being carried out in Azerbaijan to combat the serious threat which is observed in most countries, the solidarity of the society and public support for these measures, the rapporteurs continue to demonstrate an approach based on rumors and speculations, Ismayilov said. Unfortunately, this biased approach may prove that these rapporteurs want to receive political and other possible dividends from certain circles, and even the humanitarian catastrophe that the world is facing cannot stop them, the permanent representative said. On the other hand, PACE rapporteurs, and a day later, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights made an attempt to describe the legal measures taken by the country's law enforcement agencies in connection with a fact that occurred on domestic grounds from a political point of view. The political affiliation does not give any privileges before the law in any country, and legal measures were taken towards that person within the rule of law in Azerbaijan, the permanent representative said. We hope that PACE, as well as other institutions of the Council of Europe, will conclude that the effective tool is a dialogue with Azerbaijan, a member of the structure within 20 years, built exclusively on mutual respect." In general, neither rapporteurs on Azerbaijan, nor PACE have the authority and the power to regulate the organizations relations with the country, Ismayilov said. "The Parliamentary Assembly is a platform for cooperation between the national parliaments of the member-states of the Council of Europe, and from time to time it expresses its position on various issues, the permanent representative said. The work of the Council of Europe is based on multidisciplinary activity in various fields, and regardless of the PACE approach, Azerbaijan actively participates in most of them. However, the unreasonable and biased steps of some PACE members do not contribute to the intensification of cooperation between Azerbaijan and the Council of Europe and in most cases cast a shadow on the positive dynamics, the permanent representative added. We think that the PACE leadership must thoroughly analyze this issue and make appropriate adjustments to the approach that is periodically demonstrated in relation to Azerbaijan within this institution. In any case, Azerbaijan is a democratic country that respects human rights and the rule of law, Ismayilov said. Despite the periodic partial statements and attacks by some PACE members, Azerbaijan, under the wise leadership of the president, intends to achieve more success on the path to sustainable development. Let no one doubt that we will fulfill the tasks." Missouri City City Council Member Jeffrey L. Boney tested positive for COVID-19 Friday, March 27, and has been hospitalized. I am currently in ICU, working with some of the top infectious disease doctors, and they are working diligently to ensure I get completely healed and back home to my family, Boney said in a telephone interview Sunday, March 29. Boney, an award-winning journalist for Houston Forward Times newspaper and contributor for CNN Headline News, said the source of the infection couldnt be determined. It is extremely difficult for me to pinpoint when and where and how I contracted the virus, said Boney, who maintains a busy travel schedule both professionally and as a community activist and elected official. From his hospital bed, Boney shared the news with his constituents Saturday morning via Facebook. I want to be extremely clear with you...I am in great spirits and I plan to overcome this temporary challenge. But, please know that this is a very serious epidemic and anyone is susceptible, he wrote. It is time for all of us to not only know this pandemic is real and affecting lives, it is also time for us to take seriously all of the things that we have been asked to do by our local leaders. I am here and I am fighting and I will get through this with the support of my family and friends, Boney wrote. Related: Fort Bend County bars close, restaurants limited to pickup, delivery orders The ripples could be felt around the city as hundreds of residents voiced their support for Boney and uhis family via social media. Boney has served as the District D representative on the Missouri City City Council since November 2017. On HoustonChronicle.com: 10 HPD officers test positive for COVID-19, one is hospitalized knix@hcnonline.com S everal frontline NHS staff have expressed scepticism over measures being taken to protect them from coronavirus. This comes 10 days after Wales began screening staff in a bid to help the health service cope with the outbreak. Those working in hospitals across the UK said the move has not come quickly enough, with some wards crippled by up to a quarter of doctors and nurses taking time off to self-isolate. Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures 1 /81 Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures A deserted Westminster Bridge PA A man wearing a face mask or covering due to the COVID-19 pandemic, walks past customers sat outside a restaurant AFP via Getty Images Boris Johnson addresses the nation on the Coronavirus lockdown Andrew Parsons Runners pass cardboard cutouts of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince William during the London Marathon in London AP An empty escalator at Charing Coss London Underground tube station Jeremy Selwyn Electronic bilboards displays a message warning people to stay home in Sheffield PA A sign is displayed in the window of a student accommodation building following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Mancheste Reuters People take part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions, in Londo AP People sing and dance in Leicester Square on the eve on the 10PM curfew Reuters Hearts painted by a team of artists from Upfest are seen in the grass at Queen Square, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Bristol Reuters Graffiti reads 'good luck and stay safe', as the number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases grow around the world, under a bridge in London Reuters A sign is pictured in Soho, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London Reuters Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures, during a coronavirus briefing in Downing Street, London AP A person runs past posters with a message of hope, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Manchester REUTERS Riot police face protesters who took part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions in London AP An image of The Queen eith quotes from her broadcast to the UK and the Commonwealth in relation to the Coronavirus epidemic are displayed on lights in London's Piccadilly Circus PA Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' hospital Getty Images Durdle Door in Dorset Reuters Captain Tom Moore via Reuters Mia, aged 8, and Jack, aged 5, take part in "PE with Joe" a daily live workout with Joe Wicks on Youtube to help kids stay fit who have to stay indoors due to the Coronavirus outbreak PA An NHS worker reacts at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital during the Clap for our Carers campaign in support of the NHS Reuters Goats which have taken over the deserted streets of Llandudno @AndrewStuart via PA Tobias Weller PA Novikov restaurant in London with its shutters pulled down while the restaurant is closed London Landscapes: Hyde Park and the Serpentine, central London. Matt Writtle A newspaper vendor in Manchester city centre giving away free toilet rolls with every paper bought as shops run low on supplies due to fears over the spread of the coronavirus PA Theo Clay looks out of his window next to his hand-drawn picture of a rainbow in Liverpool, as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continue Reuters A young man cuts another man's hair on top of a closed hairdresser in Oxford Reuters General view of the new NHS Nightingale Hospital, built to fight against the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London via Reuters Jason Baird is seen dressed as Spiderman during his daily exercise to cheer up local children in Stockport, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters A woman wearing a face mask walks past Buckingham Palace Getty Images A man holds mobile phone displaying a text message alert sent by the government warning that new rules are in force across the UK and people must stay at home PA Medical staff on the Covid-19 ward at the Neath Port Talbot Hospital, in Wales, as the health services continue their response to the coronavirus outbreak. PA Prime Minister Boris Johnson taking part in a virtual Cabinet meeting with his top team of ministers PA A shopper walks past empty shelves in a Lidl store on in Wallington. After spates of "panic buying" cleared supermarket shelves of items like toilet paper and cleaning products, stores across the UK have introduced limits on purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some have also created special time slots for the elderly and other shoppers vulnerable to the new coronavirus. Getty Images People on a busy tube train in London at rush hour PA Mia, aged 8 and her brother Jack, aged 5 from Essex, continue their school work at home, after being sent home due to the coronavirus PA Children are painting 'Chase the rainbows' artwork and springing up in windows across the country Reuters Social distancing in Primrose Hill Jeremy Selwyn A general view of a locked gate at Anfield, Liverpool as The Premier League has been suspended PA Homeless people in London AFP via Getty Images A piece of art by the artist, known as the Rebel Bear has appeared on a wall on Bank Street in Glasgow. The new addition to Glasgow's street art is capturing the global Coronavirus crisis. The piece features a woman and a man pulling back to give each other a kiss PA The Queen leaves Buckingham Palace, London, for Windsor Castle to socially distance herself amid the coronavirus pandemic PA A general view on Grey street, Newcastle as coronavirus cases grow around the world Reuters Matt Raw, a British national who returned from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, leaves quaratine at Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside PA Britain's Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty (L) and Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance look on as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures as he speaks during a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) news conference inside 10 Downing Street Reuters The ticket-validation terminals at the tram stop on Edinburgh's Princes Street are cleaned following the coronavirus outbreak. PA Locked school gates at Rockcliffe First School in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear PA A sign at a Sainsbury's supermarket informs customers that limits have been set on a small number of products as the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases grow around the world Reuters Jawad Javed delivers coronavirus protection kits that he and his wife have put together to the vulnerable people of their community of Stenhousemuir, between Glasgow and Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images A sign advertising a book titled "How Will We Survive On Earth?" Getty Images A man who appears to be homeless sleeping wearing a mask today in Victoria Jeremy Selwyn A pedestrian walks past graffiti that reads "Diseases are in the City" in Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images Staff from The Lyric Theatre, London inform patrons, as it shuts its doors PA A quiet looking George IV Bridge in Edinburgh PA A quieter than usual British Museum Getty Images A racegoer attends Cheltenham in a fashionable face mask SplashNews.com A commuter wears a face mask at London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn A empty restaurant in the Bull Ring Shopping Centre Getty Images A deserted Trafalgar Square in London PA Passengers determined to avoid the coronavirus before leaving the UK arrive at Gatwick Airport Getty Images All the NHS staff, who spoke out, asked to remain anonymous due to fear of repercussions from their respective trusts. One Norfolk junior doctor said she could not understand why wider testing had not been done sooner. She said: "I'm not too optimistic. I and my colleagues don't understand why this wasn't done sooner - I've had colleagues having to take two weeks off work because they're living with someone who has a cough and because there are no tests available, so we've been super short on the wards. Frontline NHS staff to receive coronavirus tests next week "If testing is readily available it would help so much with staffing issues. "The hospital I'm in at the moment is quiet - the calm before the storm - but we've been over 100 nurses/doctors short due to the coronavirus, and with no way of knowing if it's just a common cold or if it actually is Covid-19." Both she and her partner work in the NHS with him working daily on a Covid-19 ward. She said: "The fear hasn't completely set in yet. But to be in your 20s and to have to discuss with your partner the possibility one of you may be hospitalised and might die is completely surreal." A critical care nurse in Manchester said her unit has around 50 staff off, either sick or self-isolating with potential symptoms. She has been forced to self-isolate, alongside the two other healthcare professionals she lives with, after experiencing mild symptoms a week ago. She said: "I've called 111 yesterday and today and called the hospital I work at and our local Boots to ask about testing. 111 don't know anything more than the news and neither does the hospital. I don't feel optimistic at all. "It's very frustrating. I am trained in extracorporeal life support so would be far more use at work if I could just get a test - I feel well enough to work but feel I've a responsibility to keep my colleagues safe. "There are constant pleas from management on our Facebook group asking for staff. And the NHS staff bank has 50+ shifts per day out for ICU in our trust." NHS staff conduct Covid-19 tests at Chessington drive-through centre She said the normal staff ratios are usually strictly protected but have "gone out the window" due to the pandemic. Another doctor who worked in West Africa for the government during the Ebola crises told PA they have been isolated for a full 14 days, and are set to return to front-facing clinical work on Wednesday. They said: "All these things are positive developments, we can't just criticise them for the sake of it, but equally, I've heard nothing (about testing). S pains coronavirus death toll has soared again by 838 to hit 6,528. The country has also recorded another 6,549 cases, bringing the total amount to nearly 79,000. Fatalities in the Mediterranean nation - where the daily rate has doubled since last Sunday - are now second only to Italy, where 10,023 people have died after testing positive for Covid-19. In a televised address on Saturday night, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez ordered all non-essential workers to stay at home for a fortnight. Makeshift morgues have been set up in Madrid to cope with the surging death toll / Getty Images It marks a toughening of lockdown measures that have already been in place there for two weeks, with police roadblocks in force and all schools and non-essential shops shut. It comes as Spain and Italy demand help from their European Union neighbours as they battle a crisis unseen since the Second World War. The two countries alone account for more than half of the worlds death toll. A surge in Europe helped contribute to global cases passing 600,000 on Saturday. Elsewhere on the continent, confirmed infections in Germany have risen by 3,965 to 52,547, with another 64 deaths meaning 389 have died The countrys Robert Koch Institute, which oversees disease control and prevention, said the data excludes the large regional states of Baden-Wuerttemberg, Hesse and Saarland. In France, the death toll has risen to 2,314 up from 1,995 on Friday prompting Prime Minister Edouard Philippe to admit the virus was submerging our care system. The World on Coronavirus lockdown 1 /60 The World on Coronavirus lockdown Getty Images A UK government public health campaign is displayed in Piccadilly Circus Reuters Chinese paramilitary police and security officers wear face masks to protect against the spread of the new coronavirus as they stand guard outside an entrance to the Forbidden City in Beijing AP A usually busy 42nd Street is seen nearly empty in New York AFP via Getty Images Bondi Beach, Australia Getty Images Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' hospital Getty Images View of the illuminated statue of Christ the Redeemer that reads "Thank you" as Archbishop of the city of Rio de Janeiro Dom Orani Tempesta performs a mass in honor of Act of Consecration of Brazil and tribute to medical workers amidst the Coronavirus (COVID - 19) pandemic Getty Images Rome AFP via Getty Images An Indian man paddles his bicycle in front of a mural depicting the globe covered in a mask, as India remains under an unprecedented lockdown over the highly contagious coronavirus Getty Images Aerial view of the empty 9 de Julio avenue in Buenos Aires in Argentina AFP via Getty Images A view of an empty Grand Canal Reuters Las Ramblas, Barcelona, Spain Getty Images Aerial view of the empty Central cemetery in Bogota, Columbia AFP via Getty Images The facade of the Palacio de Lopez (seat of the government palace) AFP via Getty Images Miami, Florida AFP via Getty Images Aerial view of the empty Simon Bolivar park in Bogota AFP via Getty Images An LAPD patrol car drives through Venice Beach Boardwalk AP Venice Beach, California Getty Images Los Angeles, California Getty Images Surfers Paradise is seen empty in Australia Getty Images Many shops stand shuttered on the Venice Beach boardwalk Getty Images Empty escalators are seen at a deserted train station during morning rush hour after New South Wales began shutting down non-essential businesses Reuters A nearly empty Times Square in New York AFP via Getty Images Caracas AFP via Getty Images Metropolitan Cathedral of San Salvador AFP via Getty Images A general view of an unusually quiet Midland Park in Wellington, New Zealand Getty Images A general view of an unusually quiet Civic Square at lunchtimein Wellington, New Zealand Getty Images A policeman rides his motorcycle wearing a face mask in front of a closed shopping mall in Buenos Aires, Argentina AFP via Getty Images Florida Keys AP The historic Channel 2 Bridge closed to fishermen, bikers and pedestrians in Florida Keys AP The Beach on Scenic Gulf Drive near Seascape Resort in south Walton County, Florida sits empty of tourists AP Surfers Paradise is seen empty in Australia Getty Images A deserted Rajpath leading to India Gate in New Delhi AFP via Getty Images A general view is seen of a closed Luna Park in Sydney, Australia Getty Images A general view is seen of a closed Luna Park in Sydney, Australia Getty Images Empty roads are pictured following the lockdown by the government amid concerns about the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Kathmandu, Nepal Reuters An empty New York Subway car i AFP via Getty Images The empty pedestrian zone is seen in the city of Cologne, western Germany, AFP via Getty Images Place de la Comedie in the city of Montpellier , southern France AFP via Getty Images An empty street in Kuwait city AFP via Getty Images A building is covered by the Portuguese message: "Coronavirus: take precaution" over empty streets in downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil, AP A general view shows an empty street after a curfew was imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Reuters Parliament of Canada is pictured with empty street during morning rush hour AFP via Getty Images A near empty beach on Southend seafront in England PA Near empty Keswick town centre in Cumbria, England PA Britain experienced its deadliest day yet on Saturday with 260 fatalities in one day, as cases passed 17,000. The US now has the most cases in the world - 115,000 - with more than 1,900 deaths, although some officials have put this down to testing. Ukraine's government proposes pay cut for state-run enterprises' top managers 17:30, 29.03.20 5539 The measure doesn't concern those who are involved in the fight against COVID-19. TRENTON, N.J. - Additional ventilators are currently the New Jerseys biggest need to combat the coronavirus outbreak, Gov. Phil Murphy said Sunday. Murphy, a Democrat, said on ABCs This Week that he made a request for more ventilators during a call with federal officials Saturday night. The big headline for us right now are ventilators. We had a very specific conversation with the White House last night about ventilators. Thats our No. 1 ask. Its our No. 1 need. And thats the one that we are focused most on right now, Murphy said. He said the state also has significant need of personal protective equipment for medical professionals. Murphy said President Trumps proposed travel advisory for New Jersey, New York and Connecticut was fine with him, noting that state residents were largely avoiding travel. The fact of the matter is people arent really travelling a whole lot, Murphy said. A travel warning were fine with. The fact of the matter is we are all in flattening that curve, social distancing as aggressive as any states in America and well continue to be that way. More than 11,000 people in New Jersey have tested positive and 140 have died from COVID-19. For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, or death. A look at coronavirus developments Sunday: ___ FATAL WRECK-TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS Authorities say a New York man facing charges in a traffic accident in New Jersey that claimed the lives of three people, including an infant, is also accused of violating the governors executive order restricting nonessential activities. Middlesex County prosecutors and Perth Amboy police say a pickup truck they allege was driving aggressively, cutting in and out of traffic in excess of the posted speed limit struck a minivan at about 6:30 pm. Friday. Two minivan passengers were pronounced dead at the scene and an 8-month-old infant died the following day at a hospital; the minivan driver was also treated. Prosecutors say the Staten Island man driving the pickup faces aggravated manslaughter, vehicular homicide and aggravated assault charges. Prosecutors allege that he told detectives that he was in the state to visit friends, and he also faces charges stemming from alleged violation of the executive order. ___ OFFICERS TESTING POSITIVE The acting superintendent of New Jerseys state police said more than 160 officers in the state have so far tested positive for the coronavirus. NJ.com quoted Col. Patrick Callahan saying two officers who had been in serious condition are now considered stable, and none have died. New Jersey has about 36,000 full-time police officers. HOBOKEN PARKS CLOSED The Hoboken mayor and emergency management department have announced the closure of all parks in the city for two weeks to help stop the spread of the coronavirus epidemic. Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla said Sunday that many people have been adhering to proper social distancing protocols. But Bhalla said weve still seen congregating in our public green spaces, including at our waterfront parks, despite our best efforts to dissuade people from doing so. He said warmer weather next month will likely draw even more people to parks, and the risks of further spread of the virus will grow unless more measures are taken to contain the epidemic. __ This story has been corrected to show more than 160 New Jersey police officers have tested positive for coronavirus, not more than 700. The New Jersey State police said it overstated the number of officers with the virus and revised its total. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Who will deliver my baby? Will my partner be allowed in the delivery room? Who can come visit me after I give birth? These are the questions pregnant women are facing during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. For this reason, the state Health Department is allowing one support person who is considered essential to patient care throughout labor, delivery, and the immediate postpartum period. New York ordered all hospitals to allow one support person in delivery rooms despite the coronavirus, after some private hospitals barred partners or another support person in labor and delivery. This person can be the patients spouse, partner, sibling, doula, or another person they choose. This person is the only support person allowed to be present during the pregnant patients inpatient care. Individuals ages 60 years or older are not encouraged to be support persons at this time due to the increased risk of morbidity with the coronavirus infection. According to the state health department, this restriction must be explained to the pregnant patient in plain terms upon arrival, or ideally prior to arriving at the hospital. The support person must be asymptomatic for COVID-19 and must not be a suspect or recently confirmed case. Hospital staff should screen the support person for symptoms -- including fever, cough, or shortness of breath -- and should check their temperature prior to entering the labor and delivery floor and every 12 hours thereafter. The support person must stay in the room. After Staten Island University Hospital (SIUH) said medical staff would be the sole source of support last week, it said effective Saturday, March 28, it was relaxing the visitation policy in labor and delivery to one support person. A spokesman for Richmond University Medical Center (RUMC) said it understands the importance of laboring mothers having a support person with them during their care. Th hospital will continue to allow one support person to be with a patient throughout their care. *** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK *** According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is unknown if pregnant women are more susceptible to COVID-19 than the general public. However, due to changes that occur in pregnancy, the state Health Department said pregnant people may be more susceptible to viral respiratory infections. Dr. Adi Davidov, associate chair of the department of obstetrics at Staten Island University Hospital (SIUH), recently told the Advance/SILive.com that pregnant women arent at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19, but they are at higher risk for complications with the pregnancy, like pre-term labor and miscarriage, aside from complications of the virus itself. Its important for pregnant women to protect themselves from illness, and for their health care providers to have the most current and updated information to provide the best care. The state Health Department said it doesnt know yet the risk COVID-19 may have on pregnancy or potential problems during delivery or post-partum. Small studies suggest the virus doesnt pass from parent to fetus across the placenta during pregnancy. Other studies suggest that blood-borne transmission of COVID-19 is unlikely. In small studies, the virus hasnt been detected in amniotic fluid, umbilical cord blood, placental tissue or breastmilk. The CDC provided guidance for pregnant and postpartum patient care. It includes recommendations for: Prehospital considerations Pregnant patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 should notify their physician, and the obstetric unit should be informed prior to arrival so that the facility can make appropriate infection control preparations before the patient arrives for care. During hospitalization Birthing hospitals must insure labor and delivery staff are correctly trained and capable of implementing recommended infection control interventions. Staff should ensure they can understand and can adhere to infection control requirements. Birthing hospitals should follow infection control guidance, such as managing visitor access, including essential support persons during labor and delivery. Parent/baby contact Its unknown whether newborns with COVID-19 are at increased risk for severe complications. Transmission after birth via contact with an infected individual is a concern. To reduce risk of transmission from an infected parent, facilities should consider temporary separation of parent and newborn when the parent has confirmed or suspect COVID-19 until transmission-based precautions are discontinued. Breastfeeding Limited research has been conducted on COVID-19 virus and breast milk. Small studies havent found the virus in breast milk of infected postpartum patients. Patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 with the intent to breastfeed, should be encouraged to express their breast milk to establish and maintain milk supply. A dedicated breast pump should be provided to the patient. It is important to implement hand hygiene prior to, and thorough washing of the breast pump components follow use, to reduce the risk of infection to the newborn. Bottle feeding should be provided by a healthy caregiver, either the patients support person or hospital staff as available. If direct breastfeeding is preferred by a patient, she should wear a face mask and practice hand hygiene before each feeding. Lisa Paladino, an international board certified lactation consultant (IBCLC), former resident nurse and midwife, told the Advance/SILive.com that women who are breastfeeding should proceed as normal. COVID-19 is similar to chickenpox, she said, in that is does not transfer into a mothers milk, but if a breastfeeding mother is sick, precautions should be taken. Wearing a mask while nursing and wearing gloves will help prevent transfer, as well as basic hand washing procedures. Pregnant women should take the same precautions as the general public to avoid infection. That includes: Stay home if youre sick. Call your health care provider for advice that can be provided over the phone or using telehealth, before seeking care in the office. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing and then discard it in a closed container, or if a tissue is not available, use the inside of your elbow. Keep your hands clean by washing them often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are unavailable, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands. Avoid close contact with others, especially those who are sick. Get the flu shot (at this time, there is no current vaccination for coronaviruses). 53 Fighting the coronavirus: NYC on pause Sign up for text message alerts from SILive.com on coronavirus: RELATED COVERAGE S.I. coronavirus diary: Being pregnant during a pandemic 13 more coronavirus-related deaths reported over 24-hour span on Staten Island Cuomo: New York pause extended until at least April 15 Raising money to help Staten Island hospital workers Coronavirus: New nasal swab test to start next week Remote learning a juggling act for those teachers with kids at home Coronavirus: de Blasio, feds address NY travel advisory Coronavirus: 98 members of NYPD test positive, police commissioner says Coronavirus: Temporary hospital sites chosen; none on Staten Island Coronavirus: DMV shuts down all offices, auto bureaus Relief for homeowners: 90-day mortgage extension and more Coronavirus: Senate passes paid-leave bill for all New Yorkers Staten Island sees 120% jump in confirmed coronavirus cases, with 165, as testing capacity expands Small business owner: Coronavirus is going to crush us Governor: 75% of non-essential employees must work at home Coronavirus: NYC travel industry in triage mode FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. By Tom Conway, the international president of the United Steelworkers Union (USW). This article was produced by the Independent Media Institute. Under normal circumstances, Jerry Porter would be spending his time helping the veterans he finds in tent camps and run-down housing. But the escalating threat of COVID-19 forces the community activist and retired Steelworker to remain at home for now, even though vulnerable vets need him more than ever. As the coronavirus spreads across America, the poor bear the brunt of a pandemic thats exposed the deep class lines in U.S. society. The rich have big savings accounts and quality health care. Theyll emerge from the crisis just fine. But Americans at the margins, including homeless vets who rely on a frayed safety net stretched to the breaking point by COVID-19, now face an even greater struggle to survive. I dont know where they end up, said Porter ruefully. Porter, 75, is a Vietnam veteran and longtime member of United Steelworkers (USW) Local 105 who worked more than 40 years at the aluminum plant in Davenport, Iowa, now owned by Arconic. Porter and a group of friends work together to help veterans in the Quad Cities area of Iowa and Illinois. But now, theyre heeding the request of public health officials. They stay home to help their community slow the spread of COVID-19. That prevents them from helping veterans like the one Porter found sleeping on a squalid mattress in a junky house. He got the man into a clean apartment andthanks to a friend who owned a bedding storea new mattress and box spring for just $180. Just as alarming, COVID-19 halted the fund-raising supporting that kind of intervention. Local veterans groups just canceled a taco dinner and a poppy sale that together raise about $6,000 each year. For some veterans, that money is the difference between sleeping indoors or on the street. Porter and his friends use some of the funds to provide lifes basics to the homeless vets they move into government-subsidized housing with little but the clothes on their backs. Theres nothing, Porter explained. Theres no bedding, silverware, dishes, glassware, towels, sheets. Twice a year, advocates in the Quad Cities hold stand down events that serve as a one-stop shop for veterans needing anything from counseling to jobs. Porter already worries that the three-day event planned for September will be canceled because of COVID-19, leaving veterans to face a long winter without important services. Porters union job ensured good wages, a pension and affordable health care. He devotes his retirement to the less fortunate, feeling a duty to fellow vets with no one else to help them. The federal government fails veterans who struggle to find adequate employment or wrestle with health problems, such as post-traumatic stress disorder. For example, the nation hasnt adequately addressed the challenges that doom many vets to unemployment or low-wage jobs. Among other problems, veterans have difficulty converting their skills to the private sector, finding purpose in civilian work and obtaining occupational licenses enabling them to apply skills learned in the military. Raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, up from the current $7.25, would benefit about 1.8 million vets, along with millions of other Americans, who barely scrape by. The House last year approved a bill to increase the minimum wage, but Senate Republicans refuse to act on it. Although significant progress in combating veteran homelessness has been made in recent years, unemployment, low wages and health problems still force veterans onto the streets or into shelters. About 40,000 are homeless, and 1.4 million more are only a lost paycheck or other crisis away from losing the roof over their heads. A collection of government agencies and nonprofits operates soup kitchens, shelters and other services to serve Americas homeless. But this underfunded system is strained to capacity even in ordinary times. Volunteers like Porter provide crucial support, stepping in when government agencies dont know who else to call for help. A veterans hospital once contacted Porter and asked him to help a man who lived outdoors. His tent was broken, and rain kept getting inside. Porter picked up the vet and drove him to see a friend who owned an awning company. The businessman fixed the tent for free. In a crisis, like the COVID-19 pandemic, this patchwork system is easily overwhelmed. Some service providers already reduced services or limited new admissions to slow the spread of the disease. Agencies closed drop-in centers where homeless veterans can get out of the elements. Some now want to counsel clients remotely, even though homeless people may not have cell phones. And in the Quad Cities, Porter and his crew are sidelined, too. Homeless vets face even greater odds during the COVID-19 crisis even though they have a higher risk of contracting the disease than other Americans. Many live in cramped quarters without the social distancing and sanitary measures vital to controlling the virus. The closing of libraries, malls and coffee shops deprived them of places to wash their hands. They have nowhere to isolate themselves if they get sick. Some cities are scrambling to place homeless people in places such as unused motel rooms, vacant houses and recreational vehicles on public streets. The goal is to disperse the population and keep the disease from spreading like wildfire if someone contracts it. While the COVID-19 crisis is unprecedented, the slapdash response underscores how fragile the safety net for Americas homeless really is. As cities struggle to adapt, the ranks of the homeless likely will grow because of the economic slowdown, putting more stress on the overtaxed system. The governments response to COVID-19 must include injecting funds into programs that support homeless veterans and keep other vets from losing their homes. But federal officials also must think about what the economy and social-service network will look like after the pandemic. That means better funding a system now overly reliant on fundraisers like taco dinners and poppy sales. It means comprehensively addressing the problems servicemen and servicewomen face when they leave the armed forces. Thoughtful interventions will save lives, says Porter, who recently ran into the veteran he rescued from the junky house. Im on my feet, the man told him. Im doing OK. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has confirmed the government is putting together plans for a wage subsidy, to stem the flow of job losses amid the coronavirus shutdown. No specific details of the plan have been outlined, but Morrison said it would not be based on similar efforts from other nations such as Canada and the UK. It followed a report in the Australian Financial Review on Saturday night that the government was planning a wage subsidy. Visit Business Insider Australia's homepage for more stories. Australia is set to follow the UK and Canada in announcing a wage subsidy in an attempt to slow the massive job losses caused by the coronavirus shutdowns, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has confirmed, as he urged employers to hold off on standing down staff until the package can be finalised. Speaking at a press conference on Sunday morning, Morrison said the wage subsidy in which the government will agree to fund the wage bills for employers up to a certain level was still being hashed out, and would not be necessarily be based on any other country's plans. "You cannot just cut and paste somebody else's system, because we have seen in many other jurisdictions, putting these in place, they having to rapidly redesign and change them," he said. "So I would say to employers, who I know are going through very difficult times, these changes will be announced soon and I would ask that before you make any further decisions that you take the opportunity to see the further measures that the government will be announcing, and we will be seeking to enlist you in that process." Morrison suggested any subsidy would be delivered through existing government payment mechanisms. The announcements followed a report in the Australian Financial Review late on Saturday night, which confirmed the government was planning to "pay a generous share of wages for closed and hobbled businesses that retain their employees during the coronavirus recession". Story continues According to the AFR's report, the subsidy will be in the 75 to 80 percent range similar to the schemes announced in the UK and Canada and will be capped at middle income earnings. Much of the discourse around any potential wage subsidy effort concerns the hundreds of thousands of workers who have already been laid off across multiple sectors including hospitality and retail. Morrison said those already affected would be included in any package. "We will be ensuring also that those who have already gone into this very devastating situation, where they have had to stand down workers, that any measures we are announcing will be taking them on as well and we will be working with them to that end," he said. Speaking to the ABC's "Insiders" ahead of the prime minister's comments, Finance Minister Mathias Cormann suggested the measures would put the economy in "hibernation" while the country rides out the severe impact of the coronavirus. "We are going to provide the best possible support that we sensibly can to support business to support Australians who are deeply impacted by this crisis," Cormann said. So we are working very hard on further expanding the level of income support through businesses to enable more businesses either to stay in hibernation or to survive through this difficult period ahead for a strong bounce back on the other side." For Louisiana nurses on the front lines of a coronavirus outbreak that ranks among the biggest in the nation, the most perilous moment of a shift can come when a patient codes, or starts to lose a heartbeat. With shortages of personal protective equipment now affecting most hospitals in southern Louisiana, nurses are facing a difficult choice: hunting for protective attire like an N95 mask, or rushing to save a patient on the brink of cardiac arrest. "If you dont have PPE available to you to put on and grab at that moment, it can cause you to have a delay in caring for your patient or putting yourself at risk," said one ER nurse at University Medical Center in New Orleans. Nurses working with coronavirus patients in hospitals and clinics say they feel increasingly vulnerable to the virus ability to spread rapidly in hospitals. Short on protective gear and repeatedly reusing N95 masks and gowns for days instead of hours, nurses say they worry about picking up infections from their patients, and either spreading the virus to other patients at the hospital, or bringing it back home to their own families. We are learning that hospitals might be the main COVID-19 carriers, as they are rapidly populated by infected patients, facilitating transmission to uninfected patients, reads a new New England Journal of Medicine report from doctors in Italy, the global epicenter of the pandemic. Patients are transported by our regional system, which also contributes to spreading the disease as its ambulances and personnel rapidly become vectors. Health workers are asymptomatic carriers or sick without surveillance; some might die, including young people, which increases the stress of those on the front line. Last week, health care workers across south Louisiana began sounding alarm bells in interviews with The Times-Picayune | The Advocate about a lack of protective equipment amid a surge in new coronavirus cases in the region. The nurse and doctors who have been speaking to reporters did so under the condition that the newspaper not publish their names, because they are barred by hospital policy from publicly speaking out about their experiences. Reporters took steps to verify their identities. Over the last week, the number of confirmed cases in Louisiana has increased by 334%, with 3,315 known cases as of Saturday. Between Tuesday and Saturday, the number of patients needing to be hospitalized has risen from 271 to 927, and the number needing to be on a ventilator has soared as well. So far, Orleans Parish has by far the highest per capita death rate for coronavirus cases of any county in the United States. Now, nurses tell the newspaper that while some supplies are coming in, they still don't have enough to protect themselves against all of the patients now needing help. And their concerns about spreading the disease further are mounting. One New Orleans ER nurse with children at home described an elaborate routine that he still fears is insufficient. +4 Most Louisiana coronavirus victims had diabetes, other pre-existing conditions, data shows Nearly every person who has died from the coronavirus in Louisiana had a pre-existing condition of some kind, according to data released Frida When he gets home from work, he strips to his boxers outside of his house, throws his scrubs in the washing machine with color-safe bleach and then takes a hot shower. As long as he and his co-workers are asymptomatic, they can keep coming to work, where he has used the same N95 mask for two weeks. He thinks hes likely spreading the virus, and he said the idea of infecting another person would eat me alive inside. If they get ill, whose fault is it? Mine, he said. Thats something I dont want to live with. Its fear-inducing. Local hospitals say theyve taken a variety of steps to protect employees and patients in the face of a nationwide shortage of protective gear. Many are cohorting, separating patients with coronavirus or its symptoms from the rest of the patient population. They are limiting or ending nonessential visits to hospital grounds. They also say they are searching high and low for masks. LCMC Health gets much-needed shipment of N95 masks, protective gear, more for New Orleans hospitals Several hospitals in the New Orleans area received shipments of new personal protective gear and medical supplies Thursday to aid in the treat LCMC Health, the local hospital system that runs UMC, praised Gov. John Bel Edwards on Thursday for helping to locate 17 pallets of supplies that included N95 masks, surgical gowns and surgical masks. LCMC did not respond to questions for this story about the risks of hospital employees spreading infections. Still, shortages persist and the problem extends across the state. Shelly Hebert, a legal nurse consultant in Shreveport, said she had spoken with two nurses there who were threatened theyd be fired and reported to the state nursing board after they raised concerns about working in coronavirus units without sufficient PPE. "They are bullying nurses and treating them with incivility, said Hebert, who works for lawyer Gia Kosmitis. They are threatening their jobs. They are telling nurses that if they don't go to the COVID-19 unit, they will be fired, they won't be rehired and they will be reported to the state board of nursing. Vaccine news in your inbox Once a week we'll update you on the progress of COVID-19 vaccinations. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up +3 Louisiana speeds licensing for new doctors, nurses in 'surge' against coronavirus Louisiana officials say they are fast-tracking licenses for new doctors and nurses, and in one case moving up the date a medical school's stud Ochsner Health System officials said Friday that theyre following U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines on preserving PPE, and that they track and trace which employees have come into contact with coronavirus patients. When they alert employees that they might have been exposed, the employees are told to monitor their own symptoms. On Wednesday, Ochsner announced that 300 of its employees were in quarantine for possible coronavirus, while roughly 50 staffers had tested positive. Officials said they were bringing in nurses from other regions and redeploying nurses from clinics and other locations to deal with shortages. Asked about the risk of hospital employees spreading the infection, Dr. Sandra Kemmerly, Ochsners medical director of hospital quality, noted that similar hazards also exist outside of hospitals during a pandemic: in grocery stores, pharmacies and elsewhere. She said that Ochsner is using telemedicine and other remote communication options to try and reduce any inadvertent role in spreading the infection. Baton Rouge General officials said theyre also following CDC guidelines that allow exposed hospital staffers to keep working as long as they wear a mask at all times and they dont have symptoms. +2 Louisiana hospitals could be overwhelmed by surge of coronavirus patients: 'Its frightening' The spread of the coronavirus across the U.S. and within Louisiana could dramatically overwhelm the capacity of hospitals to care for patients But the UMC nurse said those guidelines have evolved because of the shortage of gear. All standards went out the window, she said. For some nurses who have worked with coronavirus patients in intensive care units, concerns about protecting themselves have them leaving the hospitals. One New Orleans-area nurse said shes home self-quarantining with dizziness and headaches after she also ran a fever. Shes still waiting on her coronavirus test results, but believes she picked up an infection in the hospital. The nurse recently tendered her resignation over concerns about workplace conditions. She said an increased workload for nurses contributes to errors because they risk contaminating themselves if they rush to put on and take off gowns and re-use equipment. I feel really guilty having to leave, she said. I love being a nurse, but Im not going to suffer the long-term effects of this. Edwards says Louisiana on track to run out of ventilators, beds for coronavirus patients in April Gov. John Bel Edwards struck a noticeably harsher tone in his press conference Thursday as he announced another day had gone by that officials A registered nurse at a hospital on the north shore said staffers there are mostly being given level 3 masks one step down from the N95 masks that are recommended for health care workers in contact with the coronavirus, tuberculosis and other particularly infectious diseases. Staffers there are only meant to use N95 masks for coronavirus patients who are strongly showing symptoms or need to be intubated, and hospital staffers receive emails instructing them to return masks at the end of their shifts. The majority of the hospitals are understaffed, so I dont see what the hospitals are going to do, the nurse said. If it does come down to a large spike in patients becoming sick at one time, it wont be good, thats for sure. Youll have a lot of nurses wanting to walk out, especially without having the equipment to protect us. Louisiana officials identify 6 coronavirus nursing home clusters; only 3 publicly named State leaders said Wednesday they had identified six nursing home "clusters" of coronavirus across Louisiana, up from three they had identifie Others said that the hospitals seem more concerned about filling manpower shortages than employee health. "If youve been exposed and youre asymptomatic, you can come back as soon as the next day," said the UMC emergency room nurse. "They want warm bodies. Warm, licensed bodies that are asymptomatic." The North Carolina legislature has been taking steps meeting remotely by videoconference to consider ways to help those who are suffering because of the coronavirus and its financial consequences. State lawmakers contribution is welcome and necessary, in addition to local, federal and volunteer efforts. We need all hands on deck. In addition to providing resources for local health care providers, and funds to assist the election cycle in November, legislators need to address the more than 210,475 claims that have been filed for unemployment benefits since March 16. More than 88% of the applicants say their job loss or wage reduction was related to coronavirus. Some worthwhile ideas already have materialized. Rep. Julia Howard, R-Davie, has suggested allowing employers to file claims on behalf of all of their employees, which would dramatically reduce the flood of applications. Now is the time to get those benefits out to the working public who need them, and the sooner we can do that, the better, she said. Make it so, legislature. Thiruvananthapuram, March 29 : Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, here on Sunday, said the protest by migrant labourers in the Kottayam district shouldn't have happened and those behind it would "be brought to book". "It, now appears, was a purported act by vested interests, out to create trouble. It would be dealt with strongly. Kerala considers migrant labourers as 'guests'. We have taken all steps. There are over 5,000 camps housing over 1.70 lakh of them. "When they said they wanted to cook their own food, we supplied them provisions. Despite all this, it happened at Payipadu. We will bring to book, those behind this," said Vijayan. At this moment, he said they couldn't return to their homes. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked all to stay where they were, he added. In morning, over a thousand migrant labourers from various states gathered at Payipadu near Changnacherry in the Kottayam district in violation of the lockdown and demanded that they be sent back home. They also staged a protest, only to be chased away by the police. Local legislator C.F. Thomas said though there were no complaints about food or accommodation. But the migrants wanted to return home, he added. "Payipadu has been a central place for migrant workers for long. Every day, they converge there and then move to their respective work locations. A series of meetings have taken place in the past few days. Almost 50 per cent of workers have returned. But the rest who had made arrangements to travel back to their homes were unable to do so due to the nationwide lockdown and cancellation of all trains," said Thomas. Kottayam District Collector Sudhir Babu said till the other day the migrants had raised no issue. "Till Saturday, they never ever raised any issue. The demand that they wanted to go home surfaced only on Sunday. The issue will have to be discussed in view of the lockdown," said Babu. However, Payipadu village council member Sibi said the migrants were facing trouble over availability of food and accommodation. "I am seized of the issue. These labourers are finding it tough arranging food and accommodation. They are brought to Kerala by agents and put up after charging money. The agents have washed their hands off the matter. That's the real issue," said Siby. State BJP chief K. Surendran said, "They are restless because they are not getting food and accommodation. Hence, they want to go home." -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Pastor abducted at gunpoint released by Arakan Army in Myanmar Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A pastor abducted at gunpoint by a rebel group in Myanmars Rakhine State last January and later presumed to be dead has been released and is now with his family, according to a U.S.-based persecution watchdog. Pastor U Tun Nu of Believers Church Myanmar was released earlier this month by his abductors from the Arakan Army after 14 months of detention, International Christian Concern reported, saying soldiers from the rebel group handed him over to the village elders. Christian group Gospel for Asia had earlier confirmed his death. However, he has now been reunited with his wife and youngest daughter. After his release, the pastor spoke to ICC and shared his harrowing experience. Those 14 months were the [most] hellish time of my life, be it spiritually, mentally and in particular physically, he was quoted as saying. Sometimes I even prayed to God that I could not stand any longer and asked God to just take my life. The rebel group comprises Rakhine Buddhists who are calling for greater autonomy in the Rakhine State, where the Rohingya people belong. The pastor recalled that the rebels questioned faith and mocked him. Ask your God to come and save you, they would say. He said he was given a plate of plain rice and a liter of water each day. U Tun Nu also narrated an incident where a rebel soldier carrying a gun behind him accidentally pulled the trigger. He got scared but heard a voice in his head saying, You are protected by God, and no harm will come to you. When he opened his eyes, he saw a big hole on his shirt under his arm, yet there was no wound on his body. The Buddhist and Burman majoritarian military of Myanmar, earlier known as Burma, also routinely persecutes Christians due to the various ethnic conflicts in the country, especially along the borders with China, Thailand and India. Open Doors ranks Myanmar 19th on its 2020 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian. The group notes that due to ongoing fighting, more than 100,000 Christians have been forced to flee their homes and are living in camps where they have been denied access to food and healthcare. Earlier this month, members of the predominantly Christian ethnic Chin group were among those killed in Myanmar army airstrikes, prompting some church leaders to speculate that Christians were targeted because of their faith. In Paletwa Township, Chin State, the army struck Meiksa Wa village, killing 12 civilians, according to Morning Star News. Eight more died in attacks the next day on Wetma village, and one was killed in Pyaing Tain village. Among those killed was a 7-year-old child, locals said. Another 28 civilians were wounded in the attacks, according to the outlet, and more than 1,500 villagers fled the areas as some of their houses were burned down. Last year, Texas pastor Bob Roberts told The Christian Post that the military had bombed as many as 60 churches in the previous 18 months in the majority-Christian Kachin province. He added that about 20 of them were converted into Buddhist pagodas. [To] be clear, most of it is about ethnic cleansing, Roberts told CP at the time. At the U.S. State Departments second Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom last July, a Christian pastor from northern Myanmar spoke about the horrors he faced when jailed and tortured for over a year. Pastor Langjaw Gam Seng, who was jailed in 2016 for helping journalists report on the bombing of Christian churches in the majority-Christian Kachin province, said that his hands were constantly tied behind his back and he passed out due to lack of food. I was detained, handcuffed and shackled for over one month with my eyes tied sealed and I was unable to see for an entire month, Seng explained through a translator. And they put me in something like a dungeon for an entire month and gave me minimal food. I was going in and out of consciousness for several weeks. Hotels that have so far agreed are not being identified and its unclear how many rooms have been committed, but eight properties in suburbs including Crestwood, Matteson and Tinley Park are willing to earmark rooms for potential quarantining purposes, according to the state association. Joe Biden has taken a commanding 25-point lead in close counties where in 2016 Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton were within 10 points of each other, a poll released Saturday revealed. The Fox News poll shows Biden ahead with 57 per cent support to Trumps 32 per cent in close counties defined by the poll as counties where Hillary Clinton and Trump were within 10 percentage points of each other in 2016. The former vice president also has a 49-40 per cent lead over Trump in the national head-to-head matchup, according to the first Fox poll taken after Biden became the assumed Democratic candidate. When looking at swing states overall which were a considerable factor to Trump winning in 2016 Bidens lead shrinks to an eight-point margin. Joe Biden is shown with a commanding 25-point lead against Donald Trump in key battleground counties. The new Fox News poll has Biden with 57 per cent support in these areas to Trump's 32 per cent The counties considered in the poll are ones where Donald Trump fell within 10 points of Hillary Clinton in the 2016 elections Although the primary election has been derailed due to the coronavirus outbreak this month, the last elections held March 17 cemented Bidens position as the front-runner and presumed nominee after he won all three states participating Arizona, Florida and Illinois. Bernie Sanders has still not dropped out of the race yet, even though its virtually impossible for him to best Biden at this point as hes more than 300 delegates behind his establishment competitor. It is still unclear how the rest of the primary elections will pan out as the nation deals with adapting as several states have gone on lockdown and thousands have been diagnosed with coronavirus. The timing of this poll, taken March 21-24, is encouraging for Biden considering it was conducted during a time when Trumps approval rating skyrocketed in the midst of the coronavirus crisis. This could be a signal that the rally behind Trump during this time might not translate to votes in November. Biden also has a massive boost in support, according to the poll, due to his pledge to choose a woman as his running mate 63 per cent of voters approve of his promise. When hypothetical Democratic tickets were put up against Trumps ballot with Vice President Mike Pence, Biden still emerged victorious. The Biden ticket with former Democratic primary candidates and U.S. Senators, Kamala Harris of California and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota both showed the former vice president winning with 50 per cent support to Trump-Pences 42 per cent. If Biden were to run with Elizabeth Warren, also a former Democratic candidate and a current Massachusetts senator, the win goes up by 2 percentage points to 52 per cent to 42 per cent. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points and was taken among 1,011 registered voters. Mourners are remembering civil rights icon Joseph Lowery today as a courageous and charismatic leader who stood on the front lines of many of the pivotal conflicts of the civil rights movement. Lowery died on Friday, his family announced. He was 98. He was a man of great courage but also humility, U.S. Sen. Doug Jones said on Twitter. Lowery, a native of Huntsville, was a pastor and was president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference from 1977 to 1997. Rev. Joseph Lowery was a giant who let so many of us stand on his shoulders, former President Barack Obama said in a tweet. With boundless generosity, patience, and moral courage, he encouraged a new generation of activists and leaders. Obama awarded Lowery the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009. Lowery took part in the mass meetings that led to the Montgomery bus boycott in 1955 after the arrest of Rosa Parks. In 1957, Lowery was one of 60 southern pastors King invited to Atlanta to form the group that would become the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. King was the first president of the organization, while Lowery was the secretary and later the vice president and eventually the president. Lowery became pastor of St. Paul United Methodist Church in 1964 and preached nonviolent response to the violent acts of white supremacists, such as the bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church that killed four girls in 1963, according to the Encyclopedia of Alabama. Lowery was a leader in the Selma-to-Montgomery voting rights march in 1965. Our prayers are extended to the family of Rev. Lowery, my dear friend, mentor and fellow comrade in the civil rights movement," SCLC President and CEO Charles Steele Jr. said in a statement. Rev. Lowery led our organization through some trying times. He was an exceptional visionary with tremendous follow through and he was very successful in taking the SCLC to the next level in terms of entrepreneurship, building the worldwide recognition of the organization and educating society about Dr. Kings philosophy and contributions. He was a highly effective leader. This story will be updated. Rev. Joseph Lowery was a giant who let so many of us stand on his shoulders. With boundless generosity, patience, and moral courage, he encouraged a new generation of activists and leaders. Michelle and I remember him fondly today, and our love and prayers are with his family. pic.twitter.com/xxjY2habOm Barack Obama (@BarackObama) March 28, 2020 Rev. Joseph Lowery gave a powerful speech in Kelly Ingram Park, the site of firehoses and police dogs in 1963, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing. He was man of great courage but also humility. RIP my friend - and thank you. pic.twitter.com/a64H8DkSmE Doug Jones (@DougJones) March 28, 2020 Rev. Joseph Lowery was one of those leaders in our history who expanded the moral imagination of our country. He committed his life to the cause of equalityunrelentingly confronting bigotry to advance justice. We are forever indebted to him for his work. https://t.co/NsTifLTM7h Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) March 28, 2020 With the passing of Rev. Joseph Lowery, the world lost a spiritual leader - a sage who understood that politics did not stand separate from who we are but told the story of who we are willing to be. May Gods face smile upon his newest angel, peace to his beloveds. #JosephLowery pic.twitter.com/jFbpbXBCLe Stacey Abrams (@staceyabrams) March 28, 2020 I was honored to know Dr. Lowery. In 1985, I was sandwiched between Dr. Lowery and Charles Steele now SCLCs President, holding hands, singing and swaying to We shall overcome.My last conversation with Dr. Lowery was immediately before I went back to prison in September 2012. Don Siegelman (@DonSiegelman) March 28, 2020 RIP Rev. Joseph Lowery. A civil rights icon and a drum major for justice whose legacy will live on in all of us he touched. pic.twitter.com/j01BaVUcYN Rep. Terri A. Sewell (@RepTerriSewell) March 28, 2020 "Today we pause to remember and honor the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. #JosephLowery. His messages of love and justice will reverberate for generations. -SPLC Interim President and CEO Karen Baynes-Dunning https://t.co/f01alTPt9A Southern Poverty Law Center (@splcenter) March 28, 2020 Chandigarh, March 29 : In a bid to persuade people to follow the 21-day nationwide lockdown to break the transmission chain of coronavirus in Punjab, the state police has come up with a unique idea of reaching out to the people to stay indoors. The state police is now using youth-centric platforms like Tik Tok, Sharechat, Facebook and Twitter to spread the message and collect feedback. According to Punjab Police officials, it was Police Chief Dinkar Gupta, who took the lead and launched a video appealing to people to share creative ideas to reach out to more people so that the purpose of imposing curfew is met and people stay home and not face trouble in getting essential items. The state police also made a debut on Tik Tok and Sharechat where it shared information on corona in an entertaining way. Videos on these youth-centric sites got more than 2 lakh views in less than 24 hours as it helped people in sharing their feedback in the form of ideas, besides, airing their grievances. Among many of these videos 'Deepu di Biryani' animation remains the top trend. This creative video spreads the message of staying at home during the lockdown. The video shared by the Punjab Police shows how 'Deepu' became a Biryani specialist watching videos on YouTube in relatively free time during the lockdown. 'Deepu' can now show off his culinary skills. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his second special address to the nation on Tuesday had announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown to combat the spread of Covid-19 in India. A Muslim woman from Jammu and Kashmir has donated her savings of Rs 5 lakh, meant for the Hajj pilgrimage, to the RSS-affiliated 'Sewa Bharati' after apparently being "impressed with the welfare work" done by the outfit amid the lockdown due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Khalida Begum, 87, who saved Rs 5 lakh for Hajj, was forced to defer her plans for the pilgrimage to due to ongoing lockdown. Hajj is the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, the holiest city of Muslims. "Khalida Begum ji was impressed with the welfare work done by the Sewa Bharati in Jammu and Kashmir during the tough time the country is passing through due to sudden outbreak of COVID-19 and decided to donate Rs 5 lakh to the organisation," Arun Anand, head of RSS media wing Indraprastha Vishwa Samvad Kendra (IVSK), said. The woman wants that this money should be used by the community service organisation Sewa Bharati for the poor and the needy in Jammu and Kashmir. She had saved this amount for performing Hajj, plans for which she deferred due to the present situation, Anand said. "Khalida Begum ji was among the first few women in Jammu and Kashmir who got educated in English medium a convent. She is the daughter-in-law of Colonel Peer Mohd Khan, who was president of the Jana Sangh," he said. Jana Sangh was also an associate of RSS and later became the Bharatiya Janata Party. Anand said despite her age, she had been very active in welfare works for the women and the downtrodden in Jammu and Kashmir. Her son, Farooq Khan, a retired IPS officer, is presently serving as an adviser to the Jammu and Kashmir lieutenant governor. Meanwhile, since the lockdown was announced, Sewa Bharati volunteers across the country have been providing food and other essential items to the needy. The Sangh-affiliate's volunteers were seen on Saturday managing crowd and providing food to them at the Anand Vihar bus terminal in Delhi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The United States says it has imposed sanctions against 20 companies based in Iran and Iraq, along with officials and other individuals there who are accused of supporting terrorist groups. The U.S. Treasury Department said on March 26 that the targeted front companies, senior officials, and business associatesprovide support to or act for or on behalf of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and its branch for elite operations abroad, the Quds Force. The individuals and entities are also accused of transferring lethal aid to Iranian-backed terrorist militias in Iraq such as Kataib Hizballah (KH) and Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH), the Treasury Department said. Among other activities, the companies and individuals were said to be involved in smuggling weapons to Yemen, selling U.S.-blacklisted Iranian oil to the Syrian government, promoting propaganda efforts in Iraq, and intimidating Iraqi politicians. The sanctions freeze any U.S.-held assets of those designated and bar Americans from doing business with them. Related: The Reason Why Russia Refused To Cut Oil Production Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Iran employs a web of front companies to fund terrorist groups across the region, siphoning resources away from the Iranian people and prioritizing terrorist proxies over the basic needs of its people. The targeted entities and individuals include the Reconstruction Organization of the Holy Shrines in Iraq, which the U.S. Treasury Department described as an organization based in Iran and Iraq that is controlled by the Quds Force. Also targeted by the sanctions is that organization's executive chairman, Mohammad Jalal Maab. Maab, an Iranian citizen from the town of Kerman, was appointed to the post in 2019 by Qasem Soleimani, the IRGC's Quds Force commander who was killed by a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad in early January. By RFE/RL More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Read this article on OilPrice.com For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. Once in place they can engage their plan to exterminate 80% of the world's population, while enabling the "elites" to live forever with the aid of advanced technology. For the first time, crusading filmmaker ALEX JONES reveals their secret plan for humanity's extermination: Operation ENDGAME. Jones chronicles the history of the global elite's bloody rise to power and reveals how they have funded dictators and financed the bloodiest warscreating order out of chaos to pave the way for the first true world empire. Watch as Jones and his team track the elusive Bilderberg Group to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. Learn about the formation of the North America transportation control grid, which will end U.S. sovereignty forever. Discover how the practitioners of the pseudo-science eugenics have taken control of governments worldwide as a means to carry out depopulation. View the progress of the coming collapse of the United States and the formation of the North American Union. Never before has a documentary assembled all the pieces of the globalists' dark agenda. Endgame's compelling look at past atrocities committed by those attempting to steer the future delivers information that the controlling media has meticulously censored for over 60 years. It fully reveals the elite's program to dominate the earth and carry out the wicked plan in all of human history. Endgame is not conspiracy theory, it is documented fact in the elite's own words. Advertisement Hundreds of people planning to leave Australia amid the coronavirus pandemic have ignored social distancing guidelines outside Sydney International Airport. One security guard was seen hopelessly trying to enforce a separation of 1.5metres between people as they queued at the airport's departures terminal on Sunday. The queue moved slowly as staff checked every traveller's passport and proof of departure before they were allowed into the airport. It comes as thousands of people flying into Australia have been shuttled to makeshift quarantine facilities as the government turns to law-and-order to fight coronavirus. With two-thirds of the country's 3,929 cases from or closely linked to overseas travellers, vacant luxury hotels and other accommodation services are being used to ensure no more travellers have a chance to spread the disease. NSW Police urged friends and families to stay away from Sydney Airport, saying those being quarantined would not be able to see or communicate with their loved ones. Scroll down for video Queues to get into the departures terminal at Sydney Airport snaked down the street - as people ignored social distancing rules Airport staff assisted the most vulnerable passengers after family and friends were urged not to visit the airport The army was called in to help ensure the transition ran smoothly on the first day of the new policies, with returning travellers escorted onto buses for a 14-day quarantine Members of the defence force were present in Sydney to ensure everybody who arrived in Australia boarded buses bound for mandatory self isolation CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement The first group to be ushered out of the airport and onto a bus had just landed from Tokyo. When asked whether they were shocked by the new rules put in place by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, one woman replied no. However, she said she was shocked to see so many army officers patrolling the area. Sydney man Andrew Cowling went to the airport just to get a fleeting glimpse of his 85-year-old father as he got onto a bus. Jeffrey, 85, and his wife Judith had no assistance as they carried their luggage onto the standard Sydney metro bus after a 35-hour journey from the United States. 'They would be so much safer in their own self-contained flat,' Mr Cowling told Daily Mail Australia. 'They're surround by so many people, there's such a high risk if he gets it.' Two young men appeared extra cautious while visiting Sydney airport as they wore masks, gloves, goggles and protective outfits Pictured: People ignoring social distancing policies while they queue to enter the airport at Sydney to fly home Staff and passengers arriving at Sydney airport took the necessary precautions - including wearing face masks - to reduce their chances of catching COVID-19 In Brisbane, passengers who arrived from Bali were ushered into waiting buses to be taken to their quarantine hotels Police were present at Brisbane International Airport as passengers arriving from Bali were forced to board buses which would take them to hotels where they will be expected to isolate for the next 14 days to slow the spread of COVID-19 'He doesn't have it - unless he caught it on the flight - but being herded onto a bus is such a high risk situation, it's just not safe.' Returned travellers will live out their 14 days of quarantine in state-funded hotel rooms, with doors guarded by state police, defence personnel or private security guards. In Sydney alone, 3,000 people are expected to land on Sunday. 'We will treat these people with absolute respect and dignity but we will need their support,' NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said. 'The 14 days, I am sure, will be a challenge for them and perhaps the food is not up to standard or they feel that the bed is not as comfortable as their own. International arrivals said they were shocked to see the army waiting for them when they were waiting to get onto buses Sydney man Andrew Cowling went to the airport just to get a fleeting glimpse of his 85-year-old father as he got onto a bus. One couple were pictured wearing bright yellow ponchos, shower caps over their hair, goggles, gloves and masks while waiting to enter the airport to board a flight out of Sydney on Sunday. Non residents or citizens won't be able to return to Australia during the coronavirus crisis because the nation has closed its borders A woman and two young children were seen ready to board the bus to the quarantine hotels after touching down in Sydney Buses lined up ready to take arriving passengers to their 14-day quarantine in hotels throughout Sydney Pictured: A woman holding a child's hand as they leave Sydney airport, while an official boarded a bus which was taking passengers to their 14 day quarantine hotels 'They need to understand that we are trying to protect the community of NSW.' Deputy federal chief medical officer Paul Kelly said the compulsory quarantine was supported by the 'very best' medical evidence. 'Realistically, a vaccine for the coronavirus is many months away. In the meantime, Australians can be reassured we are constantly monitoring COVID-19 developments - both domestically and abroad - and adapting what we do to minimise its spread,' Dr Kelly said in an opinion piece released on Saturday. He said that a 'blanket lockdown' hadn't been implemented in Australia because 'unlike countries such as Italy, Spain and Iran, and cities such as Wuhan in China, we have remained ahead of the curve'. Meanwhile, private and non-profit hospitals are calling for funding certainty after bans on surgery left them laying off staff. Officials from the army and police force in Brisbane attended the international airport on Sunday to enforce Prime Minister Scott Morrison's new self-isolation policies Hundreds of people were spotted queuing to get inside the departures terminal to catch flights out of Australia People arriving in the country were all wearing face masks as they prepared for 14 day coronavirus quarantine The doctors union also called on government to move urgent and semi-urgent medical care services into private hospitals to free up public hospital capacity for escalating COVID-19 admissions. The Australian Medical Association also wants governments to reduce barriers to access of surgical masks and other personal protection equipment for hospital workers and other primary carers. 'Diminishing PPE is a key health workforce challenge that needs to be solved for our healthcare system to keep working. PPE supply must be at the heart of all health sector planning,' AMA vice-president Chris Zappala said. Meanwhile, all Australians will be able to consult their GP over the phone and access new coronavirus-specific mental health support under a $1.1 billion package. The Morrison government is expanding Medicare subsidies for telehealth to the entire population, giving more money to domestic violence and mental health support services, and providing $200 million to charities and community organisations who give emergency relief, such as food banks, and financial counselling. Fourteen people have died from coronavirus in Australia, including four from one Sydney nursing home. THIRTY-THREE medics were told to isolate at a Sydney airport hotel after arriving from a cruise - but jumped on another flight instead Thirty-three medical professionals who flew from South America to Sydney after going on a cruise ignored quarantine orders and got on a domestic Australian flight, police say. The large group of medics had been aboard the Roald Amundsen and Scenic Eclipse Antarctic cruises before they flew into Australia from Chile. Despite police telling them they had to quarantine at hotels for two weeks after arriving from overseas, the 33 went to the domestic departures terminal and tried to leave. The large group of medics had been aboard the Roald Amundsen and Scenic Eclipse Antarctic cruises (pictured) before they flew into Australia from Chile Twenty-seven flew interstate, while police caught up with the other six before they were able to leave, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. The group were among 290 people on board the flight from Santiago to Sydne yon Friday night. From today, all passengers arriving in Australia will be required to quarantine at designated hotels for two weeks. Police Minister David Elliott was 'disappointed to hear medical professionals chose to ignore rules in place to save lives and protect the most vulnerable in our community'. He added that 'no one is above the law'. Advertisement BOISE In a Tuesday virtual town hall with Idaho Gov. Brad Little, a caller identified as Ginger from McCall urged Little to keep visitors from areas already infected with coronavirus away from small, rural towns that havent yet been affected. We are seeing people who are coming all over the place to come here from vacation. I saw that half of the people at Albertsons had Ada County plates. We counted five cars with Washington state plates, she said. Can you put an announcement out there to please stop coming to the mountains? Do something to safeguard us. Can you please do something to help us? At the time, Little said education was key. The next day, he issued a statewide stay-home order banning all travel thats not essential. But people from out of town (and out of state) have already been fleeing to mountain towns and rural counties that have yet to confirm their own cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus. Its prompted residents and officials to echo Gingers plea to the governor: Please stay away. They cannot handle the effects of this pandemic. VALLEY COUNTY MAYORS, HEALTH CARE WORKERS: PLEASE AVOID VISITING Last weekend, officials from a handful of small towns in Valley County issued statements asking visitors to steer clear of the area. They cited the outbreak of COVID-19 cases in Blaine County, another popular resort community that has become the epicenter of coronavirus in Idaho. We must avoid reproducing this outcome in other communities like McCall. Though our hospital is prepared to care for the citizens of Valley County and surrounding areas, an influx of people from elsewhere risks overwhelming the limited resources at our hospital. It also continues the spread of the COVID-19 virus, said Dr. Greg Irvine, St. Lukes McCall Medical Center chief of staff, in the McCall statement. McCall city manager Anette Spickard said in an email Wednesday that it is best if people stay in their own community during this uncertain time. Bob Powell, mayor of Crouch, said in a phone interview ahead of Littles order that people were already swarming the area, raising concern from residents over how the town of 170 people would handle an outbreak. If somebody comes up here (and spreads coronavirus), just one person, we could be devastated, Powell said. He said he was prompted to issue his Sunday statement after hearing from city commissioners, who had seen visitors camping in the mud and driving through snowbanks. Visitors arent just being destructive, Powell said. Theyre straining local resources, like the town grocery store, which Powell said is selling out of food. If I drive around, I see more cars from out of state than people who are from here, Powell said. Hes noticed license plates from California and Oregon, as well as other Idaho counties including Blaine County. People are saying, Lets go to the mountains, its safe there, Powell said. More people are coming here to wait things out. But that creates unsafe conditions for the towns full-time residents, many of whom are elderly, Powell said. Being in the mountains is not a safe haven. All it takes is one person (to spread the virus), he said. BOISE, OWYHEE, IDAHO, CUSTER COUNTIES ALSO DEALING WITH INFLUX OF VISITORS The Lewiston Tribune on Wednesday reported that Idaho County, home to Grangeville and Riggins, also had seen visitors who told officials they were taking refuge from COVID-19 hot spots in the state and beyond. A Riggins man told the newspaper hed seen cars and campers with Ada County license plates packed along the Salmon River last weekend. Ada County visitors also have frequented neighboring Owyhee and Boise counties, contributing to the closure of the Boise National Forest and a letter from Owyhee officials asking recreators to stay away. Owyhee County commissioner Jerry Hoaglund said in a phone interview that recreation traffic last weekend was unlike anything hed seen before. Valley County kind of closed off, so its forced everybody over into our county and its pretty much overwhelming, he said. Campers set up on private land or near livestock grazing equipment, prompting concerns about the impact on agriculture, a major asset for Owyhee County. Its almost time to turn livestock out, Hoagland said. If this continues again, there could be issues with cows getting to water tanks if there are people and dogs and kids running around. Recreators riding off-highway vehicles also caused damage to the landscape that officials said could take years to rectify, and Hoagland said people heading up snow-covered mountain roads were becoming stuck. When they need to be rescued, they potentially put local first responders at risk, Hoagland said. Its just overwhelming. I know its public lands and they have a right to go out there, but I sure wish they would at least respect the area, he said. CLOSING A FOREST Forest Service officials Thursday chose to shutter the Boise National Forest in an attempt to protect communities like Crouch and Idaho City that border or sit within forest limits. In the midst of spring break, we have visitors that want to enjoy the forest but many areas, including hot springs, are drawing more people than social distancing guidelines recommend, said Tawnya Brummett, Boise National Forest supervisor, in a news release. People arent just visiting. Boise County Emergency Management coordinator Bob Showalter said theres evidence some people were trying to camp in the forest for extended periods. People are coming up here basically to live, Showalter said. He said Littles stay-home directive, which exempts outdoor activity for exercise, is not an invitation to head to the Boise National Forest. The order states you can run, hike, bike, etc., but the reference is doing those things close to your home. It doesnt mean to load up the truck or camper to come to our communities to do those things, Showalter said in an email. Please do not go to other counties in the state and jeopardize healthy populations. That warning came too late for Custer County, which confirmed its first coronavirus case in the tiny town of Stanley on Wednesday. Mayor Steve Botti said in a phone interview that traffic is dropping off very rapidly now after the governors order. But earlier in the week, visitors including from Blaine County, which was under its own shelter-in-place order were common. For a place where people are supposedly on lockdown and supposed to stay home, youre seeing a lot of 5B license plates around, Gary Cvecich, a Stanley resident, said Wednesday. Theyre coming up to go steelhead fishing. My personal thoughts are its rather irresponsible. On a local level, its quite frustrating for people here. We are a small, close-knit community. Our feelings are, when something like this isnt going on, we love the tourists, Cvecich added. But for now? Do what the whole countrys been asked to do: Stay home. Its that simple. It was during the fight that Whareva picked up a wooden log and started assaulting the now deceased with it several times all over the body. Church leaders urged to prepare for long-term shift in how people worship amid pandemic Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Denominational executives are urging pastors to protect their mental health as well as prepare for a long-term shift in the way the church worships as the world struggles to respond to the new coronavirus pandemic that currently has no cure. The advice came Thursday during a panel discussion hosted by Walter Kim, president of the National Association of Evangelicals at the COVID-19 Church Online Summit. Doug Clay, general superintendent of the Assemblies of God, said their mental health committee recently polled their pastors on advice for other pastors during the pandemic and they developed a nine-point list of best practices which they are now circulating among leaders. At the top of the list pastors were asked to be mindful of boundaries. All of us are going to be stretched in ways we havent been stretched before, Clay said. Pastors were also urged to find a trusted friend to help process decisions and leadership; intentionally manage their input, like taking a break from the news; take care of themselves by finding good physical and emotional rhythms; allow themselves a laugh break; hold to realistic expectations; have private worship; control only what they can control and dont get stressed out by what they cant; and seek to find hope in creative ways. Colin Watson, acting executive director of the Christian Reformed Church, said pastors should get used to the idea that there isnt going to be a quick fix for the pandemic. I think the idea that this is really a long term situation that were dealing with [is something that we have to get used to]. This is not just a short term something [that] will be fixed in a few weeks [and] we can go back to being the way we used to be, he said while praising Clays recommendations. The idea of we need to establish some practices and rhythms for the long-term is very, very, important, he said. Watson said he has been discussing the idea of social distancing a lot with his pastors and he said he asked them to reframe that narrative as just physical distancing. We want some social closeness so we need to figure out some new ways to be church together, he said, noting that pastors will have to figure out whether they will use old school technologies like the telephone or new school technologies available on the internet. He said leaders are being urged to worship and focus more on who God is to get their priorities right. Scott Ridout, president of Converge, a movement of churches working to help people meet, know and follow Jesus, agreed. He said while he hasnt told pastors how to respond to the pandemic, he has facilitated online gatherings and is allowing them to do what works best for them based on their needs. In times of uncertainty, people need clarity and agility, he said is his main message. The denominational executives also talked about the kinds of prayers they have been praying. Certainly, as we think about the environment that we find ourselves in, there is no shortage of things to bring before our Lord. Right now of course, we think about our churches. We think about the leaders in those churches, pastors and ministers. And certainly from my perspective, theres been a lot of prayer for the churches, for the leaders, for the members, frankly, as they walk through this valley. And our prayer is that they might see God clearly, especially at this difficult time, Watson said. In a real sense we think about what might be ahead of us, and certainly Ive been praying for a cure for this pandemic. But in the meantime, were praying for the church to be unified so that we can be a great witness, especially at this time. So just prayers for the entire community and prayers that we can come together as God has ordained us so that we can be salt and light, especially at this time for our nation, he added. Ridout noted that he was recently talking to a pastor who said, the value of our portfolio is falling but the value of our prayer is rising. We dont have much else that we can depend on. We dont know whats going to happen. We know we can depend of God, he said. Ive been praying Psalm 146 and Psalm 46. Psalm 46 says that God is an ever present help in time of trouble, he said. He also noted that his group has been seeing historic levels of online engagement with churches online. People are looking for hope. All they get on television is despair and they are looking for hope, and theyre gonna find it in God. So my prayer is that this is an awakening, he said, agreeing with Clay that he hopes this period leads to a pandemic of prayer. I agree with that, Ridout said. That therell be a pandemic of prayer, it would be fantastic. ... So my prayer is that God will use this to draw more people to himself. A man watches a news program on a TV at Seoul Station, Sunday, showing a file image of North Korean missile launches. AP-Yonhap By Yi Whan-woo North Korea launched two suspected short-range ballistic missiles, Sunday, the fourth in a series of tests of major weapons this month. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) called the launches "very inappropriate," as they came as the world is battling the coronavirus pandemic. The JCS said the two projectiles were fired into the East Sea from the eastern coastal city of Wonsan at 6:10 a.m. They flew 230 kilometers at a maximum altitude of around 30 kilometers. South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities are analyzing the flight characteristics. "In a situation where the entire world is experiencing difficulties due to COVID-19, this kind of military act by North Korea is very inappropriate and we call for an immediate halt," the JCS said. It added the military was closely monitoring the situation while maintaining its readiness posture. Cheong Wa Dae said it was "keeping an eye" on the situation, while receiving up-to-date reports from the Ministry of National Defense and the National Intelligence Service (NIS). The presidential office, however, did not convene a National Security Council (NCS) meeting. The move was seen as a bid not to provoke the North and not to disrupt President Moon Jae-in's cross-border peace initiative. Instead, NSC chief Chung Eui-yong held an emergency teleconference with the heads of the defense ministry and the NIS at around 7:00 a.m., according to the presidential office. The North has carried out a series of weapons tests and artillery exercises this month. Except for small artillery drills, Sunday's launch is the North's fourth major weapons test this month. The last test was March 21, when it launched two short-range ballistic missiles believed to be its version of the U.S. Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) from the western county of Sonchon in North Pyongan Province. The provocations are seen as efforts to upgrade its military capability amid deadlocked nuclear talks with the U.S. The weapons launched recently, however, were all short range and didn't pose a direct threat to the U.S. homeland. Some military sources say a resumption of a major weapons test by North Korea could completely disrupt negotiations. The North has also been engaged in an intense campaign to prevent the spread of the coronavirus that has infected more than 660,000 people worldwide. The reclusive state, despite its chronic lack of medical supplies and poor health care infrastructure, has claimed that no single virus infection has occurred on its soil. The North's state-controlled Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) recently said U.S. President Donald Trump sent a personal letter to leader Kim Jong-un, seeking to maintain good relations and offering cooperation in fighting COVID-19. The KCNA did not say whether Trump mentioned any of the recent weapons tests. Olam Ghana, a leading food and agri-business and one of Ghanas biggest cocoa buying agencies reaching over 180,000 cocoa farmers, has donated a consignment of medical supplies to the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (GARH) and the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research (KCCR), in support of the governments efforts to curb the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic in the country. Olams donation is specifically intended to help control the impact of the disease on frontline health personnel and includes examination gloves, surgical gloves, nose masks, surgical face shields, disposable aprons and overalls goggles, N95 respirators, secondary containers for sample collection, hand sanitizers, other PPE items and cartons of Nutrifoods biscuits. Whereas the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (also known as the Ridge Hospital) was the first medical facility in the country to be designated as a Case Management Centre to deal with the outbreak of COVID 19, KCCR is one of two lead agencies of the Ministry of Health which provide diagnostic confirmation for the pandemic in Ghana. The medical supplies were presented to the authorities of the two medical institutions by a management delegation from Olam which included Mr. Kenneth Antwi, National Head, Human Resources and Mr. Eric Botwe, Business Head, Olam Cocoa. Mr Kenneth Antwi said: As a manufacturer of food for the population, Olam Ghana takes a serious view of public health and safety and we have been moved by the relentless efforts of medical and health professionals to stem the spread of COVID 19 throughout the country. The fight against the spread of this disease is certainly a collective one and not that of the government or health workers alone; what we need to do together to subdue the effects of this pandemic is to abide strictly by all the directives provided by medical experts and the government. Dr. Emmanuel Srofenyoh, Medical Director at the GARTH who jointly received the supplies with Prof. Richard Phillips, Scientific Director at KCCR, highly commended Olam Ghana for its socially responsible gesture and entreated others in the corporate community to emulate Olams example. These items you see here are all very valuable supplies for the battle aheadand this is a battle we have to fight and win collectively. But we must understand that the treatment of COVID 19 is expensive because a lot of the material we use must be discarded immediately after use, which is why we consider support from organisations like Olam as most welcome, Dr Srofenyo said. Prof. Phillips, on his part, expressed profound gratitude to Olam Ghana for thinking about the labs behind the treatment of COVID 19. All too often, people tend to forget about the work of the diagnostic centres, but it is a relief to realise that Olam has remembered us and for this we are most grateful; over the period, we have been busy processing COVID 19 patient samples from the Middle and Northern belt of Ghana including Ashanti, Northern, Bono East, Upper East, Upper West, Central and Western Region, Prof. Phillips said. KCCR is a joint venture between the Ministry of Health, the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the Bernhard-Nocht Institute of Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video 'Change comes as a result of cataclysmic events like this," was one rural principal's conclusion when I asked him how his teachers and Leaving Certificate students were coping with the new reality of home-based school. "More than 95pc of our LC students were online this morning when I checked in with them," he added. I was amazed; this is a farming area, some students travel to school on tractors. "All of our students are using One Note and Office 365 and some of our teachers are using Zoom and Teams to link in with them. We are using a blended learning approach. It is an amazing movement that has emerged in response to Covid-19. Online is better in some subjects than others but with past exam papers and access to marking schemes on the State Examinations Commission site we're managing well." I decided to spread my net wider to see if this practice was the new normal in most schools. I contacted principals, deputy principals and teachers of Leaving Cert students in 10 schools across Galway, Mayo and Tipperary. More than half the schools I spoke to were teaching remotely. A Tipperary school said: "We have our digital learning platform in place, if Covid-19 happened three or four years ago it would have been a different story." Some teachers spoke about being "stressed to the gills" trying to teach online while their own primary school children were at their feet. Other schools were not as ready for IT and were more reliant on emailing the students, assigning the work in the mornings and giving a deadline by which to have the work back. "Students are emailing at all hours. My computer is on from 9am until midnight. We had no time to prepare for this," said one teacher. Another said: "They're not used to it - some students didn't even have the notifications turned on for their school provider. Email is fine - if you have a committed class." A teacher of honours maths said: "Many Leaving Cert students stay home (to study) after Easter. The ones I'm concerned about are the weaker ones who are taking honours maths just because of the bonus points; they're the ones that would come to school because they know they need help." The majority of teachers have their course content covered in time for the mock exams. A teacher of ordinary level English was worried about students' exam technique. "That's the point I was at when school stopped. I need to cement this and do more on comparative text. I've done a crash course on Zoom so I can show them, but not all households share adequate broadband and have devices at home." Other teachers highlighted the need for technical support. Teachers' most pressing concern is that the Leaving Cert will go ahead even if it has to be postponed until August. One middle-aged teacher said: "My students are my priority. I won't be travelling this year. I will be around and willing to work." Many teachers expressed their concern for the weaker students that need hand-holding. A geography teacher emphasised that the new reality is demanding independent learning and responsibility on the students' behalf, noting that the support of the SNA and learning support will be missed. Another underlined that ''there isn't now the benefit of the stronger pupil pulling the weaker lads along''. The Leaving Cert is a high stakes exam for students. One student I spoke to said: "Since school stopped, I don't find it easy doing stuff on my own. When I'm in school I just automatically do the work. Now I can't be bothered, especially being unsure if the Leaving Cert will go ahead or not'. The feedback from another worried student that "my teachers aren't teaching me, they just assign work for us to do ourselves" highlights that independent learning is not easy. But when asked if she wanted the exams to go ahead, this normally laid-back student was adamant: "I want the Leaving Cert to go ahead. We need to have a fair Leaving Cert like every other year. I don't mind if it's delayed a bit as long as I can sit the exams." In the UK, A-levels have been cancelled with grades to be awarded via a ''teacher-predicted'' grade, plus data extrapolated from performance in previous exams like mocks, on the assurance of a strong grade moderation process. The majority of teachers here disagree with this approach, offering the view that the mocks result would not be a fair result. One said: "A way has to be found to have an external examination, and mock papers often have issues between the standard of the paper and the standard of correction." Another teacher said he has often seen students improve their grades by 20pc between the mocks and the real exam, citing one student going from 500 points in the mocks to 575 in the Leaving Cert. When asked how college admissions should be handled there was some clarity among those I surveyed. "That is a matter for the colleges; the CAO is a gift of the colleges." The general view was that we are in uncharted territory and colleges have to make adjustments too. One experienced teacher said: "The State Examinations Commission and the colleges need to liaise and offer certainty." The fundamental concern expressed was that a fair system has to be found if the Leaving Cert doesn't go ahead. The Covid-19 crisis in Ireland shines a light on the expertise that resides within our health system. Similarly, this snapshot of educational practice highlights the dedication and care of our teaching profession, while acknowledging challenges faced during this emergency. A resilient, innovative bunch, like their students, principals and teachers want the Leaving Cert to go ahead. After two weeks of school closure, with no definite end in sight, clarity is being sought regarding the way forward in order to alleviate the stress on students and their families. This crisis is bringing about a sea change in how education is delivered. Still, no one yet knows how the story of Leaving Cert 2020 will end. To be or not to be? Dr Fidelma Healy Eames is a teacher and director of Galway Careers and Study Skills Published on 2020/03/29 | Source An exhibition of contemporary Korean art at the State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia is going online as the museum has closed its doors temporarily due to the coronavirus pandemic. Advertisement The exhibition, which opened on Thursday, was scheduled to last until March 10, but that has been extended by over a month until June 28. "The museum is temporarily closed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus", a source told the Chosun Ilbo. "The exhibition will be livestreamed on the Internet, and only a few art figures will be invited for a tour". The Hermitage is one of the three largest museums in the world. This is the first time that an exhibition by contemporary Korean artists has been held there. Exploring themes of creativity and daydreaming, the exhibition is part of a project, dubbed "Korean Eye", launched in 2008 to promote contemporary Korean art. It presents works by 16 Korean artists in various genres including painting, sculpture and installation art. The exhibition will next travel to the Saatchi Gallery in London and finally to Seoul at the end of the year. Iain Duncan Smith Covid-19 has swept across the world like a medieval plague from China and in its wake it has created one of the greatest health scares in modern history. This has resulted in the implementation of sweeping powers to alter and direct the balance of our way of life, last seen on this scale during the Second World War. Of course, this has in turn prompted a debate on what should change. From justifying the climate emergency demands to questioning the way we work, there is no end to the thoughts of amateur soothsayers and their predictions. Astonishingly, even Jeremy Corbyn claims the pandemic proves he has been right all of his life Hmmm. All issues can and will be discussed, except for one, it seems our future relationship with China. The moment anyone mentions China, people shift uncomfortably in their seats and shake their heads. Yet I believe it is vital that we start to discuss how dependent we have become on this totalitarian state. For this is a country which ignores human rights in the pursuit of its ruthless internal and external strategic objectives. However, such facts seem to have been swept aside in our rush to do business with China. Remember how George Osborne made our relationship with China a major plank of UK Government policy? So determined were Ministers to increase trade that they were prepared to do whatever was necessary. Chinese President Xi Jinping attending the G20 Extraordinary Virtual Leaders' Summit on COVID-19 via video link in Beijing, 26 March 2020 amidst talk of a cover-up Indeed, I am told that privately this was referred to as Project Kow-Tow a word defined by the Collins dictionary as 'to be servile or obsequious'. We were not alone. Countless national leaders over recent years have brushed aside China's appalling human rights behaviour in the blind pursuit of trade deals with Beijing. There has been shamefully scant attention paid to how the Communist regime brutally represses the Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities, not to mention its continuing mistreatment of Tibet. It is also a country that beyond its borders has aggressively laid claim to 90 per cent of the South China Sea a vital region with large gas and oil reserves through which trade shipments in goods totalling 4billion pass every year. What's more, when a United Nations tribunal ruled in 2016 that China had no legal basis to its claim to control the waters or resources of this region, Beijing simply rejected its ruling. Thanks to Project Kow-Tow, the UK's annual trade deficit with China is 22.1billion. But we are not alone in being in hock to Beijing. For China has racked up a global trade surplus of 339billion. Distressingly, the West has watched as many key areas of production have moved to China. The recent debate about giving telecoms giant Huawei a mega-contract on 5G networks in Britain and deals for China to help run our new nuclear power stations exemplify how dependent we all are on Beijing. Whereas there used to be ten non-Chinese companies which might have been able to compete with Huawei (which is bankrolled by the state-run Bank of China), there are now only three: Nokia, Ericsson and Samsung. It doesn't stop there. The vast majority of our mobile phones, including their microprocessors, are made in China. One successful entrepreneur involved in security products told me it was nigh on impossible to secure good business in China as companies there either undercut their bid or, if they were allowed to succeed, the Chinese often stole their technology. And now, the coronavirus issue. It is reported that the Chinese authorities delayed informing the world about the severity of the outbreak. Worse, Li Wenliang, 33, a hospital doctor in Wuhan who tried to warn about the virus, was silenced by Beijing. He was ordered to attend a police station and told he had 'severely disturbed the social order', and that he would be brought to justice if he continued 'this illegal activity'. Soon afterwards, Dr Li died from the virus he had tried to warn against. Other brave voices were gagged. Dr Xie Linka, a cancer specialist at Wuhan Union Hospital, posted a message on social media, warning people not to go to the South China Seafood Market because some were 'suffering from pneumonia of an unknown cause (similar to SARS)'. She was immediately summoned by the Public Security Bureau and told not to 'spread rumours' and false information. As a result of Beijing's cover-up and delay, global health experts are convinced the rest of the world had insufficient time to prepare for the pandemic, which means the effect of the outbreak has most likely been worse. The brutal truth is that China seems to flout the normal rules of behaviour in every area of life from healthcare to trade and from currency manipulation to internal repression. For too long, nations have lamely kow-towed to China in the desperate hope of wining trade deals. But once we get clear of this terrible pandemic, it is imperative that we all rethink that relationship and put it on a much more balanced and honest basis. In the recent past, there has been one rule for China and another for the rest of us. Whatever else, that must never be allowed to happen again. Our weekly roundup of books that should be on your radar. We love stories, and even in the age of Netflix-and-chill, there's nothing like a good book that promises a couple of hours of absorption whether curled up in bed, in your favourite coffeehouse, or that long (and tiresome) commute to work. Every Sunday, we'll have a succinct pick of books, across diverse genres, that have been newly made available for your reading pleasure. Get them wherever you get your books the friendly neighbourhood bookseller, e-retail website, chain store and in whatever form you prefer. Happy reading! For more of our weekly book recommendations, click here. *** FICTION My Dark Vanessa: A Novel By Kate Elizabeth Russell HarperCollins | Rs 629 | 384 pages Writer Kate Elizabeth Russells debut novel follows Vanessa Wye who at 15, has an affair with her 42-year-old English teacher Jacob Strane. Several years later in 2017, amid a wave of allegations against powerful men, Strane is accused of sexual abuse by a former student, who also reaches out to Vanessa. Now Vanessa must decide if he was her first love or whether she needs to redefine herself as a rape victim. Read more about the book here. MEMOIRS and BIOGRAPHIES From the Trenches: India's top lawyer on his most important cases By Abhishek Singhvi, with Satyajit Sarna Juggernaut Books | Available for free because of COVID-19 lockdown | 248 pages Along with lawyer and writer Satyajit Sarna, lawyer Abhishek Singhvi talks about some of the most important cases he has fought, from the Sabarimala temple case where he argued against the right of women to worship, to Cyrus Mistry against Tata Sons. Through the cases detailed in this book, he discusses issues of freedom of speech, custodial torture, the right to fly the Indian flag, animal rights, and state elections. The book also touches upon larger questions of law and the judiciary in the country. Read more about the book here. An Extraordinary Life: A Biography of Manohar Parrikar By Sadguru Patil and Mayabhushan Nagvenkar Penguin Random House India | Rs 499 | 256 pages In An Extraordinary Life, journalists Sadguru Patil and Mayabhushan Nagvenkar detail the life of Manohar Parrikar. An IIT-Bombay alumnus, he changed the mainstream Indian outlook of Goa and greatly impacted the states politics. From being the son of a grocery store owner to the defence minister of the country, the book traces his politics and uses the voices of his relatives, friends, bureaucrats, and fellow IIT classmates to bring his lifes story to readers. Read more about the book here. NON-FICTION Musicophilia in Mumbai: Performing Subjects and the Metropolitan Unconscious By Tejaswini Niranjana Duke University Press | Rs 695 | 256 pages Head of Cultural Studies at Lingnan University, Tejaswini Niranjana, traces Hindustani classical music in Mumbai throughout the twentieth century, as it transitioned from British colonial power to postcolonial city. She shows how love for music created a collective listening culture, and what she calls 'musicophiliacs', whose form of expression was different from the West. She traces music in the city through historical archives, newspapers, oral histories, and interviews with musicians, critics, students, and instrument makers; and her personal experience as a student of Hindustani classical music. Read more about the book here. Animosity at Bay: An Alternative History of the India-Pakistan Relationship, 1947 to 1952 By Pallavi Raghavan HarperCollins India | Rs 699 | 260 pages Assistant professor of international relations at Ashoka University, Pallavi Raghavan, references untapped archival material to create a new narrative about the post-Partition state-making experiences. She challenges the existing idea of animosity and the rhetoric of war, showing how Indian and Pakistani relations were cordial for the first five years after Partition. The book examines the No War correspondence and early stages of the Indus Waters negotiations, arguing that such considerations should be included in an analysis of bilateral dialogue. Read more about the book here. YOUNG READERS Gravepyres School for the Recently Deceased By Anita Roy Red Panda | Rs 499 | 232 pages Writer Anita Roys debut Young Adult fantasy novel follows Joseph Srinivas, latest transitioner at Gravepyres. The only thing he wants to learn is how to get home to his family. Soon he stumbles upon the secret of the Eternal Spring and the majestic vultures who are custodians of ancient knowledge. Together with his friend Mishi he sets off for the Kozitsthereistan mountains. As they embark on the adventure, the fate of the entire world hangs in the balance. I Hate my Curly Hair By Divya Anand Penguin Random House India | Rs 250 | 40 pages Writer Divya Anand tells the story of the curly-haired girl who does everything she can to straighten her curls, taking a lead from all the heroines with smooth, silky hair. One day a big bully comes along, and everything changes, leading to a tale of self-acceptance. Read more about the book here. CURRENT EVENTS The Coronavirus: What you Need to Know about the Global Pandemic By Dr Swapneil Parikh, Maherra Desai, and Dr Rajesh M Parikh Penguin Random House India | Rs 299 | 224 pages Mumbai-based physician Dr Swapneil Parikh, clinical psychologist and medical researcher Maherra Desai, and Director of Medical Research at Jaslok Hospital Dr Rajesh M Parikhs The Coronavirus addresses the history, evolution, facts and myths around the pandemic. It provides information to help readers understand the virus, and explains its symptoms and how to prepare for and protect against it. Read more about the book here. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 18:11:41|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Passengers prepare for boarding at Wudangshan Airport in Shiyan, central China's Hubei Province, March 29, 2020. Domestic passenger flights resumed operations in Hubei Province, which was once hit hard by COVID-19 pandemic, except in the Wuhan Tianhe International Airport. (Photo by Cao Zhonghong/Xinhua) WUHAN, March 29 (Xinhua) -- With a Fuzhou Airlines flight departing Yichang city on Sunday morning, civil aviation service began to resume in central China's Hubei Province after a suspension for the control of the novel coronavirus outbreak in January. Flight FU6779 with 64 passengers left the Three Gorges Airport in Yichang for Fuzhou, capital of east China's Fujian Province. According to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), except for the Tianhe International Airport in Wuhan, the provincial capital of Hubei, all passenger and cargo flights on domestic air routes via airports in Hubei were resumed from Sunday. The province hard hit by the COVID-19 outbreak lifted outbound travel restrictions on highway traffic in all areas except Wuhan on March 25, with all checkpoints at expressway exits, national and provincial-level highways reopened within two days, as the virus outbreak continues to subdue. Xu Zuoqiang, chairman and general manager of the Three Gorges Airport, said that before the resumption of flights, the airport had carried out a comprehensive disinfection and organized staff training for epidemic control and prevention. The airport has newly installed thermal imaging equipment for mass body temperature checks on people in the departure and arrival halls. Isolation areas have also been prepared to quarantine people tested with fever. The CAAC's central and southern regional subsidiary said that on Sunday, airports in Hubei will have a total of 98 departing flights. Hubei is a central China air traffic hub. All air traffic control units in the central and southern regions have cooperated to fully ensure the safe and orderly resumption of Hubei civil aviation, the CAAC said. The Jack Ma Foundation and the Alibaba Foundation today announced donations of essential medical supplies to seven more countries, namely Azerbaijan, Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: An India bound flight loaded with the first batch of medical supplies donated by the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation departed Shanghai, China yesterday. The donations arrived at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport last night and were received by the Indian Red Cross Society which would help distribute the supplies across the country. The supplies are part of the donation pledged to seven more countries announced today by the two foundations, namely Azerbaijan, Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. (Photo: Business Wire) Collectively, these seven countries will receive a total of 1.7 million face masks, 165,000 test kits as well as protective clothing and medical equipment such as ventilators and forehead thermometers. With this announcement, the two Foundations have now donated essential medical supplies to 23 Asian countries totalling 7.4 million masks; 485,000 test kits; 100,000 sets of protective clothing along with other medical equipment. The first batch of medical supplies for India arrived in Delhi last night and were received by the Indian Red Cross Society. Similar to the arrangement with the Italian Red Cross Society, the Indian charity will facilitate the distribution of these supplies in the country. The donations are expected to reach other countries in the coming days. Mr. Neel Kamal Singh, Deputy Secretary, Indian Red Cross Society took receipt of the donations from Mr. Vivek Sehgal, Manager, Alibaba Cloud India, acting on behalf of the Jack Ma Foundation and the Alibaba Foundation. Ms. Ma Jia, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of China in India, was also present to show the embassys support towards this humanitarian initiative. Government of India has taken extensive steps to manage the COVID-19 situation. To supplement the efforts of government, Indian Red Cross has mobilised first tranche of supplies consisting of facemasks, protective body suits and essential medical equipment. This consignment, which was received yesterday, has been donated by Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation. Indian Red Cross appreciates their magnanimity at this difficult juncture, said We are one with the global community in the intense battle to protect all families against Covid-19. We are committed to doing everything we can to make a difference, most importantly by sourcing these supplies and overcoming logistical challenges to get the medical supplies to where they are needed as fast as we can, said the These donations are among a number of aid initiatives from the Alibaba Foundation and Jack Ma Foundation to support the areas of the world affected by the Covid-19 crisis, sourcing and delivering various types of medical supplies to countries across Asia, North America, Latin America, Europe and Africa. The donation by the two foundations to Vietnam is in addition to the recent donation by Lazada Group, Alibaba Groups local e-commerce business unit in Southeast Asia. More initiatives and donations may be announced in the coming days and weeks. The Jack Ma Foundation and the Alibaba Foundation also supported the Follow @JackMa and @foundation_ma on Twitter for the latest efforts of Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation to support the global fight against COVID-19. Established by Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba Group, the Jack Ma Foundation was founded on 15 December 2014 and has been focusing on education, entrepreneurship, womens leadership, and the environment. The Foundation aspires to be a reliable, participative, and sustainable philanthropic organization. The Jack Ma Foundation has so far supported projects worldwide including the Jack Ma Rural Education Program, the Africa Netpreneur Prize Initiative, the Ma & Morley Scholarship Program, and Jordan's Queen Rania Foundation. Additionally, the Foundation has also funded a number of projects in its priority areas. The Jack Ma Foundation is committed to empowering rural educators, entrepreneurs, rural children, young start-ups, and women to equip them for the future and to help build a happier, healthier, more sustainable and more inclusive society. The Alibaba Foundation, established in December 2011, aims to create a culture that encourages people to get involved in philanthropy, make it sustainable and genuinely contribute to civil society and nature. Its key funding aspects include water protection, environmental awareness promotion and development of green organizations. Alibaba Group is committed to devoting a percentage of its annual income to the Alibaba Foundation to ensure stable long-term funding that will allow for timely response in the event of natural disasters or expansion of philanthropic projects. BRECKSVILLE, Ohio The Ohio & Erie Towpath Trail is closed Sunday due to flooding caused by heavy overnight rain. The National Park Service closed the Towpath Train between Botzum Trailhead in Cuyahoga Falls to Lock 39 Trailhead in Valley View, according to a news release from the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Visitors are being asked to stay away from all CVNP park trails Sunday, the release says. Park rangers and maintenance crews are assessing damage caused by high water. The Cuyahoga River reached near-historic high crest levels Sunday, with a reading of 21.62 feet about 9:30 a.m. at the National Weather Services Independence gauge spot. The river had lowered to 21.45 feet at the 10:30 a.m. reading, according to the NWS website. Cuyahoga Valley National Park officials shared photos on Facebook of very high waters in the park areas Sunday morning. A flash flood warning issued by the National Weather Service in Cleveland expired after 11:45 a.m. Sunday. There is still a flood advisory in place for some portions of Northeast Ohio, notably areas of Geauga County. Related coverage: Historically high flooding on Cuyahoga River after overnight storms, National Weather Service says Cleveland police officers taken to hospital after helping person escape flooding Twelve new Covid-19 cases were recorded in the last 24 hours in Karnataka, the highest spike till date, on Saturday bringing the number of patients to 76 in the state. Bengaluru alone accounted for 41 of those cases followed by Chikkaballapura at eight and Dakshin and Uttara Kannada districts at seven each. Chief minister BS Yediyurappa has called for an all-party meet on the issue on Sunday. In a letter sent to opposition party leaders, BS Yediyurappa said the state government had taken all necessary steps to control the spread of the coronavirus and a lockdown was in place. Also read: Kerala turns to PM Modi after Karnataka closes its borders The meeting is expected to arrive at an all-party consensus on what further steps needs to be taken to address the current challenge. B Sriramulu, state health and family welfare minister, appealed to private doctors to keep their clinics and hospitals open at this time of distress. Sriramulu, who was in Ramnagara district reviewing the preparedness of the health administration, visited the isolation ward without any protective gear. Also read: Covid-19 shock to lives, livelihoods the biggest in a century, says McKinsey Meanwhile, the state government did yet another U-turn on the issue of supplying free food to the needy at the 178 Indira Canteens. After announcing that free food would be supplied to labourers and whoever needed them on March 23, it had cancelled the move after a huge number of people thronged them. Now, the state government again has decided to provide food but this time pre-packed and also take adequate precautions to ensure that there is no crowding and social distancing as prescribed would be maintained. The government has also set up a food helpline for those in need of food to be delivered to them. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sun, March 29, 2020 12:30 655 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206e18fcc 1 News Agoda,travel,travelers,tourism Free Travel platform Agoda has launched long-term stays as its newest feature. To provide a service for travelers taking a gap year, accepting overseas assignments or relocations, Agoda offers properties for stays of up to 90 days. The service is available for both Agoda Homes and hotels. Travelers can search for Agoda Homes or hotels that are suitable for their needs, including the number of bedrooms, high-speed Wi-Fi and hotel apartments with gymnasiums. Agoda is passionate about making it easier for travelers to find a great choice of accommodation for their needs, said David Salamon, product director for Agoda Homes, in a statement. Whether they want a beach villa, a big apartment or something in between, Agoda now enables travelers to book longer stays, without the hassle of stitching together multiple bookings. The feature allows travelers to search dates from 30 to 90 days and will extend to include other property types on Agoda, including hotels, making it easier for guests to compare prices for homes on one single platform. If you need inspiration for long-term stays, below is a list of properties available on Agoda. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Located in the city center, the cozy apartment can host up to six people and is equipped with an electric cooker and a washing machine. Parking is also available. Bali, Indonesia Properties in beach towns and at hillsides wait for you, along with the natural beauty of the island. Villas and apartments in Ubud, Bali, as listed on Agoda (Courtesy of/Agoda) Bangkok, Thailand An apartment or a hotel with high-speed internet connectivity will enable you to work seamlessly, combined with having gym sessions right in the building. Dubai, United Arab Kingdom Agoda recommends this fully furnished one-bedroom apartment in Dubai, with great access to the central business district and its fabulous nightlife. It is also in close proximity to Dubai Musical Fountains, Dubai Opera and the Dubai Mall. Apartment in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (Courtesy of/Agoda) Cornwall, United Kingdom Famous for its beaches, Cornwall is a destination one should keep in mind. (wng) Topics : Agoda travel travelers tourism Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 28) Two people died on Saturday in a clash with communist rebels in Rodriguez, Rizal. The two casualties are a member of the Philippine Armys Community Support Program team and a member of the New Peoples Army. Maj. Gen. Arnulfo Burgos Jr., commander of the Armys 2nd Infantry Division based in Rizal, condemned the incident as it violated the reciprocal declaration of ceasefire declared between the national government and the communist rebels on March 26. President Rodrigo Duterte declared a unilateral ceasefire with the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, NPA, on March 19. The ceasefire will last until April 15. RELATED: Duterte declares unilateral ceasefire with CPP-NPA to focus on COVID-19 fight The CPP, through the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, also recommended a ceasefire to heed the United Nations' call for global truce amid the COVID-19 pandemic. RELATED: Reds concede to UNs call for ceasefire Concerned citizens alerted the Army troops about the presence of the NPA rebels in Barangay Puray at around 3 p.m. today. . The two sides engaged in an encounter, resulting to two other soldiers wounded in action. Both are now in stable condition. Our 18 soldiers were able to repel the planned attack by around 30 terrorists, whom we believe suffered considerable losses as manifested by the heavy bloodstains in the encounter site, said Burgos. The military recovered the dead body of the NPA rebel, along with with his M16 rifle, hand grenade, rifle grenade and jungle pack. Despite the attack, Burgos affirmed the militarys commitment to securing the safety of the Filipinos and preventing the spread of COVID-19. We will remain steadfast in performing our mandate to serve our people and secure this part of our land while committing ourselves to the urgent task of containing the spread of Covid-19. We will adhere to the provisions of the unilateral ceasefire without prejudice to the safety and security of the people in our communities, he said. To travel to Wuhan from Shanghai, you get on a high-speed train at Hongqiao Station in the latter city, relax in your seat, and watch the scenery of Jiangsu and Anhui provinces go by, as you cover 800 kilometers westward. That journey usually takes four hours and 40 minutes or so. This time, it will have taken an extra 77 days to return to Wuhan. The two-and-a-half-month-long lockdown of the capital city of Hubei is being completely lifted on April 8. Wuhan people have been suffering great losses and difficulties; now, there is reason for revived optimism. The efforts of doctors, nurses, public health professionals, volunteers, citizens who donated supplies, and everyone contributing their efforts have paid off. All is not over for Wuhan, nor for the nation. Stimulating the moribund economy is another necessity. One way to do so is through tourism, eating, drinking, and general consumption. Wuhan is a beautiful city and very deserving of our visits. Wuhan has suffered some unwarranted hits to its reputation. The term "Wuhan virus," for example, is ignominiously used by some Western politicians to refer to coronavirus. As someone who has visited Wuhan before, I felt it was my duty to share my wonderful experience and impressions of the city on the Yangtze River. The three things I think of most when considering Wuhan are its rich history, beautiful architecture, and delicious food. Wuhan has occupied a central and strategic location since ancient times. It has been the site of many great battles throughout China's history. Most famously, the Battle of Red Cliffs took place about 100 km to the southwest of modern-day Wuhan, where Sun Quan and his state of Wu, allied with Liu Bei of Shuhan, defeated the massive army of Cao Cao. The battles between warring kingdoms provided the impetus for some of Wuhan's great architectural feats. Construction on the city walls began around 200 CE, and Huang He Lou (Yellow Crane Tower) was built in 223 to keep a lookout for invaders. The tower, which is 51.4 meters (169 ft) tall and situated on top of a commanding hill, is considered one of the Three Great Pagodas south of the Yangtze River and one of the Four Great Pagodas in all of China. It was glorified in a famous poem by Cui Hao in the Tang Dynasty, and it is the site of many legends, including that Lu Dongbin, one of the Eight Immortals of Daoism, ascended to heaven from the foot of the pagoda. Wuhan developed as a major river-rail transit hub, and after the 19th Century Opium Wars, it became a treaty port, with concessions developed by the U.K., France, Russia, Japan, Germany, and Belgium at various times. Such colonialism did result in the construction of grand palatial buildings in one section along the north bank of the Yangtze River that still stand today. If you go wandering around Chezhan Road and Jingshan Avenue in Jiang'an District, you can see such classic buildings as Dazhimen Railway Station and its four towers with green-domed turrets, which was used for nine decades of the 20th century, the Eastern Orthodox Church built in 1893, and the Minzhong Fairyland. Wuhan University, one of the oldest and most acclaimed, is included on any list of the most beautiful campuses in China. Not only are its buildings, with traditional Chinese upturned eaves, jade-colored roofs, and ornate decoration, a delight to the eyes; the campus is also full of cherry blossoms. These are so beautiful that more than four million people tuned in when People's Daily and Xinhua combined to broadcast a live stream during March. In 1911, the Chinese people rose up in Wuchang to lead a revolution against the Qing Dynasty, which had by then become weak and unable to serve the people. After the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949, the three cities in the Wuhan area Wuchang, Hankou and Hanyang were merged to form Wuhan. After your eyes are satiated, it is time to fill your belly. Wuhan is well known for its vast and delicious array of local snacks. Among the most famous are season's dumplings (si ji mei jiao), fried bean sheets (san xi'an doupi), and fried pie (mian wo). My two favorite Wuhan snacks are hot and dry noodles (re-gan mian) and sweet dumpling soup with rice wine (mijiu tangyuan). Hot and dry noodles have a thick and savory sauce of sesame paste on top of alkaline noodles, which are strong and stretchy, like ramen. They are an ultimate comfort food, and they are not easy to find outside of Wuhan. Mijiu tangyuan is also a uniquely Wuhan specialty. Tangyuan are sweet rice balls, and they are in a rice soup, where the rice itself is fermented. It's nothing strong, but it's just enough to get your day started right at breakfast. These delicious snacks are, of course, available all over Wuhan. But there is one place where you can find all kinds of snacks and a bustling atmosphere. That is the historic Banqiao Avenue snack street, or, as Chinese call it, "Hao Chi Jie" (Good-tasting Street), in Huangpi District. Folks first began serving food along these "nine streets and eighteen alleyways" in 1573. The smells and tastes and crowds are overwhelming. Wuhan has withstood so much. It has a lot to offer tourists, and tourists, in coming months, can offer Wuhan some help in getting up and running again. Mitchell Blatt is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit: http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/MitchellBlatt.htm Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn. If you would like to contribute, please contact us at opinion@china.org.cn. Jakarta extends state of emergency after surge in coronavirus cases Spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Jakarta JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia's capital Jakarta announced a two-week extension of its state of emergency following the nationwide surge in coronavirus cases, its governor said on Saturday. Anies Baswedan told reporters on a video conference call that the state of emergency, imposed on March 20 to try to slow the spread of the virus in Southeast Asias biggest city, would be extended until April 19. "We're preparing ways to anticipate all possibilities that could happen in the city," Baswedan said. "We implore people of Jakarta to not leave Jakarta, especially for their home towns." Indonesia's chief security minister Mahfud MD said on Friday that the government was considering a plan to ban "mudik" - the tradition which sees millions of Indonesians leave towns and cities for their native villages at the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan in May. Indonesia confirmed 109 new coronavirus infections on Saturday, taking the total cases in the country to 1,155, a health ministry official said. Achmad Yurianto, the ministry official, confirmed 15 additional deaths, bringing the total to 102. According to government data, a total of 627 cases have been recorded in Jakarta and 62 people have died. The airline AirAsia Indonesia said in a statement posted on its website on Saturday that it would suspend flights starting on April 1. Domestic flights are due to resume on April 21 and international flights to restart on May 17. (Reporting by Agustinus Beo Da Costa and Stanley Widianto; Editing by Shri Navaratnam and Ed Osmond) Egypt will extend a temporary closure of mosques to the customary five daily prayers and Friday congregations over coronavirus fears indefinitely , the endowment minister said on Sunday. Egypt ordered all mosques and churches to shut their doors to worshipers on 21 March for two weeks in a drastic move aimed at curbing the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. The suspension will be extended and mosques will remain completely shut until the cause of the closure disappears, Minister of Endowment Mohamed Gomaa said, according to a cabinet statement. Last week, Egypt declared a two-week nighttime curfew from 7 pm to 6 am to contain the spread of the virus. Authorities have also shut cafes, gyms and sporting clubs in a bid to limit large gatherings. Restaurants are only restricted to deliveries. The country also extended an ongoing suspension of schools and universities that was due to end later this month for an additional two weeks. International flights, which were halted on 19 March, will remain grounded until mid-April. Egypt has registered 576 coronavirus cases, including 36 fatalities. Search Keywords: Short link: Spain has suffered its worst day yet as 838 die from coronavirus as the country's death total soars to 6,528. It surpasses the death toll for the previous 24 hours, announced yesterday morning by six. Only Italy's single-day death tally is worse than Spain's - with 969 dying there from coronavirus in the 24 hours between Thursday and Friday. Spain is tightening its coronavirus lockdown by ordering all non-essential workers to stay indoors. Pictured: Members of the Military Emergencies Unit (UME) prepare to carry out a general disinfection Spain has suffered its worst day yet as 838 die from coronavirus as the country's death total soars to 6,528 The new Spanish Ministry of Health figures show 78,797 people have been infected, 43,397 have needed to be hospitalised, 4,907 people have been admitted to intensive care and 14,709 people have been cured of the disease. Spain is tightening its coronavirus lockdown by ordering all non-essential workers to stay indoors. The ban on a range of work activities which were allowed in the first two weeks after a state of emergency was introduced, will start tomorrow (MON) and last until April 9. Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez announced the new restrictions in an address to the nation yesterday evening. He said: 'I'm announcing to you that the Spanish government will tomorrow (SUN) approve in an emergency Cabinet meeting an exceptional measure. 'All workers performing non-essential activities must remain at home for the next fortnight like they do at the weekend.' He added: 'If we achieve the level of mobility we're seeing at weekends on working days, we can halt even more the spread of this pandemia.' Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced the new restrictions in an address to the nation this evening Mortuary employees wearing face masks bury the coffin of a COVID-19 coronavirus victim at Fuencarral cemetery in Madrid on Sunday Spain confirmed another 838 deaths in 24 hours from coronavirus today, a new daily record bringing the total number of deaths to 6,528 Four men wearing masks carry the coffin of a coronavirus victim to a grave in Madrid, Spain The period of the ban covers eight working days. Employees who have to stay at home will be paid but will be expected to do extra hours over the next few months to make up the time they are not at work. The government announcement came as no surprise as ministers had hinted a tightening of the work regulations was being looked at earlier in the week. Construction workers and workers in factories which are not producing medical equipment or essentials like food will be among those who will join the likes of restaurant and bar staff who have already spent two weeks under lockdown. The measure will not affect medical workers, police and lorry drivers who are transporting food and other basic commodities. Supermarket staff will also continue to work. The number of confirmed cases in Spain has now reached 78,797 - after a one-day increase of 9.1 per cent Pictured: Mortuary employees wear masks as they carry the coffins of coronavirus victims Men prepare to close a grave at the Fuencarral cemetery in Madrid, Spain on Sunday afternoon The army now being handed emergency powers to transfer bodies because undertakers can't cope. Pictured: Priest gives a response in front the coffin of a woman who died of coronavirus disease Those who have died of coronavirus in Spain include the head of an elite Spanish police unit created to fight ETA terrorism. Jesus Gayoso Rey, 48, lost his fight for life on Friday at a hospital in the northern Spanish city of Logrono. He was head of the Civil Guard's Rapid Action Group, which has become heavily involved in recent years in the fight against radical Islamic terrorism. Members of the special forces unit, which has also undertaken international missions in places like Kosovo and Haiti, arrested British fugitive Daniel Dobbs in January at his hideaway in Malaga. Today's death toll surpasses the death toll for the previous 24 hours, announced yesterday morning by six. Pictured: Field hospital in Madrid Pictured: Emergency services and the Military using disinfectant to combat the coronavirus The 32-year-old had gone missing from a South Yorkshire prison in November 2018 after being sentenced to 13-and-a-half years in jail in January 2014 for trafficking heroin and amphetamines. He was held during a dawn raid linked to an operation against an illegal subterranean Costa del Sol cigarette factory he was suspected of running with another Brit. Spain has now entered the third week of a state of emergency which has meant the closure of theatres, restaurants, nightclubs and clothes shops. On March 14 peoples' free movement was also limited to prevent people doing things like going out for a jog or cycle ride. Spain's emergency health director Fernando Simon claimed yesterday/on Saturday: 'The disease is stabilising and we can say some areas of the country may have surpassed the peak, although we can't say the same at a national level.' But during questions from the press at a daily coronavirus briefing he declined to specify which areas he was referring to. It comes after t he army were handed emergency powers to transfer bodies because undertakers are unable to cope. The government gave soldiers temporary authorisation to help alleviate the problem by publishing the new order in an official state bulletin today. The Ministry of Health-issued order states: 'The Armed Forces that form part of the operation against Covid-19 are authorised to drive and transfer corpses at the request of the appropriate authorities.' The figures comes after the army was given special powers to transfer bodies because of the saturation undertakers are facing. Pictured: Members of the Military Emergencies Unit The new temporary morgue, known locally as the Donut because of the way it looks from the sky, was built to be Madrid's Institute of Forensic Medicine but never opened (pictured) Reaction from Spain's emergency health director Spain's emergency health director Fernando Simon claimed today: 'The disease is stabilising and we can say some areas of the country may have surpassed the peak, although we can't say the same at a national level.' Responding to overnight reports in Spanish media pointing to the likelihood the number of coronavirus deaths was higher than the official figures, he insisted: 'It's true we can't test all those people infected and there may be some that escape us. 'But Spain is making a great effort to be as transparent as possible.' He said the key at the moment was making sure intensive care units were not 'saturated' and avoiding a hospital collapse in the worst-affected areas. During questions from the press at a daily coronavirus he declined to specify which areas he believed may have surpassed the peak. Advertisement Health Minister Salvador Illa said: 'Special attention needs to be paid during this health crisis to the issue of the transfer of corpses, to properly manage the removal and conservation of bodies through accumulation and the absence of available funeral services.' The task of removing coronavirus victims' bodies is expected to fall on Spain's military emergency unit called UME which has been at the forefront of the mass disinfecting of residential elderly care homes and other public areas. The order is valid until mid-April but are expected to be extended if Spain's state of emergency goes from four weeks to six. Spain's Defence Minister Margarita Robles told a Spanish TV programme earlier this week soldiers tasked with disinfecting the homes as part of the fight against coronavirus were discovering abandoned bodies. She said: 'The army, during some visits, has seen elderly people absolutely abandoned, if not dead in their beds. Her comments have been criticised by senior nursing home workers who say the problem has been that undertakers were saturated by the number of deaths and could not cope. The sharp increase in the number of deaths caused by coronavirus has laid to bodies being left longer than normal. Pictured: Members of the Emergency Military Unit Spain is now the fourth worst effected country in the world. Pictured: Medical staff in Madrid transfer a patient in a wheelchair The latest figures recording the rise in Spain's coronavirus death toll come after: Princess Maria Teresa of Spain has died aged 86 after testing positive for coronavirus. Queen Letizia was forced to go into lockdown after coming into contact with a minister who has since tested positive for coronavirus. Harrowing video from a hospital in Albacete, 85 miles west of Valencia, showed patients lining the corridors of a hospital waiting to be treated. The Spanish government forced to return 'faulty' coronavirus testing kits to China that were delivering incorrect test results. Spain extended a nationwide lockdown on Thursday by a further 15 days to April 12 and said it was fighting a 'real war' over medical supplies to contain the death toll. Health authorities are hoping it will soon become clear whether the lockdown is having the desired effect. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, whose wife is infected with the virus, previously said this is the country's most difficult moment since its 1936-39 civil war. 'Only the oldest, who knew the hardships of the civil war and its aftermath, can remember collective situations that were harsher than the current one. 'The other generations in Spain have never, ever had to face as a collective something so hard.' First royal death from coronavirus: 86-year-old Princess Maria Teresa of Spain's Bourbon-Parma dynasty dies after testing positive for bug as nation mourns 5,690 dead Princess Maria Teresa of Spain has died aged 86 after testing positive for coronavirus. The princess, of the Bourbon-Parma Royal Family in Spain, passed away yesterday her younger brother, Prince Sixtus Henry of Bourbon-Parma, announced. She was born in Paris, France on July 28, 1933 to parents, Prince Xavier and Madeleine de Bourbon, who had a total of six children. Princess Maria Teresa de Bourbon Parme and Prince Jaime de Bourbon Parme arrive for the presentation of her book ion 2014 The royals are members of the House of Bourbon-Parma which is a cadet branch of the Spanish royal family, descended from the French Capetian dynasty. A cadet branch is created when a young member of a Royal Family, who is not the current heir, is granted lands and titles of his own. Members of the family once ruled as King of Etruria and as Duke of Parma and Piacenza, Guastalla, and Lucca until 1859. The news comes after it was revealed Prince Charles, 71, has a 'mild' form of the illness. He is on the Balmoral estate with his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, who has tested negative and is without any symptoms of the virus, which has killed 435 and infected 8,200 more in the UK so far. Maria Teresa Of Bourbon Parma Wearing A Jacques Heim Evening Dress in her younger years Advertisement Head of elite Spanish police unit created to fight terrorism has died of coronavirus The head of an elite Spanish police unit created to fight ETA terrorism has died of coronavirus. Jesus Gayoso Rey, 48, lost his fight for life on Friday at a hospital in the northern Spanish city of Logrono. He was head of the Civil Guard's Rapid Action Group, which has become heavily involved in recent years in the fight against radical Islamic terrorism. Jesus Gayoso Rey, 48, (pictured) lost his fight for life on Friday at a hospital in the northern Spanish city of Logrono Members of the special forces unit, which has also undertaken international missions in places like Kosovo and Haiti, arrested British fugitive Daniel Dobbs in January at his hideaway in Malaga. The 32-year-old had gone missing from a South Yorkshire prison in November 2018 after being sentenced to 13-and-a-half years in jail in January 2014 for trafficking heroin and amphetamines. He was held during a dawn raid linked to an operation against an illegal subterranean Costa del Sol cigarette factory he was suspected of running with another Brit. Civil Guards were joined last night night by National Police officers and emergency services workers in an emotional tribute outside the force's HQ in Logrono Mr Gayoso, who had no known underlying health issues, had joined the unit he headed nearly 25 years ago. The married dad-of-two started to feel unwell on March 8 and thought he had common flu. He is said to have been sent home after going to hospital four days later before being admitted to San Pedro Hospital in Logrono on March 17 in a serious condition. He became the fourth Civil Guard to die of Covid-19. Nearly 800 Spanish police officers have died after testing positive for the virus. After a round of applause they sang a hymn used to honour Armed Forces members who lose their lives in service. The Christian song translates in English as 'Death Is Not The End' The Civil Guard said in a tweet: 'We regretfully confirm the death of Jesus, head of the force's Rapid Action Group, victim of Covid-19. 'Our hearts are with his relatives, friends and colleagues. Rest in peace brother. We will never forget your example.' Civil Guards were joined last night night by National Police officers and emergency services workers in an emotional tribute outside the force's HQ in Logrono. After a round of applause they sang a hymn used to honour Armed Forces members who lose their lives in service. The Christian song translates in English as 'Death Is Not The End.' The married dad-of-two (pictured) became the fourth Civil Guard to die of Covid-19. Nearly 800 Spanish police officers have died after testing positive for the virus Members of Mr Gayoso's unit were involved in making sure coronavirus sufferers in a northern Spanish town which was one of the first to be hit by a mass outbreak earlier this month, obeyed quarantine orders. More than 30 people tested positive for the virus in Haro, which has a population of just over 12,000, after attending a gypsy funeral in the Basque capital Vitoria. Police sources said he started to display the tell-tale symptoms of coronavirus before his officers were sent to Haro in hazmat suits. He is believed to have caught it during a work trip to Belgium at the start of the month. In October of 1820, typhus raged in Naples. With his artist friend, Joseph Severn, the British poet John Keats rocked in the citys harbor for 10 days, not nearly the quaranta giorni 40 days that give us our word quarantine. Before this journey, Keats always felt intense melancholy. In On Seeing the Elgin Marbles, he wrote mortality / Weighs heavily on me like unwilling sleep. (And in the smooth pentameter of Ode to a Nightingale: I have been half in love with easeful Death.) Not a holiday, this voyage out of England was a desperate trip to the sunny climate of Italy. His cough had grown steadily worse. Since the morning hed seen a splotch of blood on his pillow, he knew he had little chance of surviving the consumption that had invaded his lungs. His last-ditch: Go to Rome. Meanwhile, exile at sea. I have seen Naples from his vantage of a ship anchored offshore one of the most sublime locations in the world, that sweep of coast stacked with apricot, carmine, azure and rose villas; the blue, blue U of the harbor; the emphatic Vesuvius anchoring the view. See Naples and die, indeed. But sublime as it is, under our current shelter in place order, I went a bit stir crazy in under a week; 10 days of enforced idleness could seem like a year. Image Credit... Getty I imagine his future biographers are grateful, because Keats took the blank days to write a brief recounting of his not-at-all-poetic upbringing, with almost everyone he loved dying throughout his childhood, instability, poverty and constant fights with bullies who teased him for his lack of inches. After this tough and tragic early youth, he apprenticed at 14 to a doctor for medical training, a hideous experience, followed by other gruesome training years at Guys Hospital. Along the way, he fell in love with poetry and spent all his spare time studying. He clawed his way into a literary life and only wanted his name to be among the English poets. That it is. The unprecedented impact of the quickly spreading Corona-crisis is profoundly threatening the aviation and travel industry in Europe. The Board of Airline Representatives in Germany (BARIG), the joint representation of interests of more than 100 German, European and global airlines, has appealed to politicians in Berlin as well as in Brussels to use all available measures to support airlines and the aviation industry in their efforts to secure liquidity. The reimbursement obligation arising from the EU regulation on air passenger rights poses a substantial challenge for airlines. BARIG, thus, advocated a short-notice temporary suspension of such regulation. Accordingly, BARIG formulated an urgent appeal in a letter to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, as well as to the Directorate General for Mobility and Transport of the European Commission: "The reimbursement obligation under the EU regulation on air passenger rights should be temporarily suspended on short-notice for the duration of the current crisis. Vouchers or wide-ranging re-booking options would be an appropriate solution, which passengers would be free to use at the earliest opportunity or at a later date at their convenience," it said Customers' reasonable interests and concerns are to be considered still. As BARIG Secretary General Michael Hoppe explained: "Vouchers may, for instance, be hedged by the respective member states in order to guarantee their value to customers and to increase customer confidence. Some EU countries, such as Belgium, have already agreed to such a state voucher guarantee, while other countries, including the Netherlands and Italy, are in the corresponding preparations. In addition, we are pleased that the Federal Government Commissioner for Tourism, Thomas Barei, and the Federal Government Coordinator of German Aerospace Policy, Thomas Jarzombek, are supportive of such a proposal. The European Commission has already acknowledged that such a crisis due to the coronavirus could not have been anticipated at the time of the introduction of the EU regulation on air passenger rights, and has accordingly extended the regulation's scope for interpretation. In principle, the regulation is intended to cover the cancellation of individual flights, but not the overall collapse of air traffic. The current exceptional situation requires adequate adjustments. Michael Hoppe commented: The European aviation and travel industry at large has almost completely come to a standstill due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. At present, this industry, which employs several million people, generates virtually no revenues, but has significant unavoidable fixed costs. Needless to say, this extreme situation constitutes a serious threat to the industry's liquidity. The EU legal requirements for obligatory reimbursements pose a further serious problem. - TradeArabia News Service Inside Hook If you heard about a high-profile theft in London involving guns associated with one of the nations top spies, you might well think that it was a case tailor-made for James Bond. (Minus, obviously, the fact that hes a fictional character.) But as it turns out, this isnt the plot of the forthcoming Bond film; instead, its a real-life heist involving firearms you might recognize from some of 007s big-screen adventures over the years. A report at The Guardian has the details. The theft involved a number of prop guns taken from a home in north London all of which had connections to various Bond films. Instead, the most at-risk homeless, such as the elderly and those with chronic health problems, are being housed overnight in hotels and motels. To help fund that effort, county officials said they were looking to contribute $50,000 to DuPagePads and $35,000 to Catholic Charities. Hes not bottling any more for the time being, and hes moving what stock he has out the door as soon as possible, because while the state allows him to sell the beer during the shutdown, he cant serve it in the taproom. Holm, 42, said he has had to lay off most of his staff during the outbreak as he prepares to pay two rents: One for the current brewery, soon to be demolished to make room for Googles expanding campus, and the other for the new location, still being fitted. Mahika Sharma, whos best remembered for starring in Sab TVS FIR, is currently stuck in the UK due to the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus disease all over the world. The actress is scared beyond words as she fears for her safety whilst coping up with social distancing in a foreign land. Mahika who is self-isolating by staying indoors told SpotBoyE, "I'm alone in London. I feel very lonely and caged. Im found of Indian food but here I need to depend only on salads, fruits and juice. I am missing our food. It's honestly not a good feeling. I'm scared. I'm keeping healthy though still after reading and listening about virus everywhere. I feel disturbed and feel whats next, said the actress." (sic) She went on to add, "Being in India, even if in lockdown, the air and the environment pampers you. You feel like being surrounded by your people and everything makes you feel relaxed. But, being stuck in a foreign country is really very disturbing. Even I'm feeling weird to return to India as people will not enjoy coming close to me. They will feel I'm carrying the infection. I really dont understand anything as I feel I'm badly stuck." Mahika, who also appeared in Rani Mukerjis Mardaani, concluded by stating that shes worshipping goddess Durga for strength to deal with the ordeal. I'm spending my time here by worshiping Maa Durga as its Chaitra Navratree. Im reading mantras, shlokas and offering prayers from Google. I hope that things change and it just turns out to be a bad dream that ends up with a beautiful morning and sunshine, she said. ALSO READ: Say What? Rashami Desai Performs At An Event In Goa Amidst Coronavirus Scare WATCH NOW! ALSO READ: Coronavirus Lockdown: Channels Should Re-run Bepannaah, Meri Aashiqui Tum Se Hi & Other Shows Maharashtra Health Department on Sunday informed that a 45-year-old coronavirus positive man died in Buldhana district of the state. However, the exact cause behind his death is yet to be ascertained. "45-year-old COVID-19 positive man dies in Buldhana, Maharashtra. The exact cause behind his death is yet to be ascertained," informed State Health Department. Earlier in the day, Health Minister Rajesh Tope said that so far 196 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Maharashtra. The area-wise break up is Mumbai and Thane Region 107, Pune 37, Nagpur 13, Ahmednagar 3, Ratnagiri 1, Aurangabad 1, Yavatmal 3, Miraj 25, Satara 2, Sindhudurg 1, Kolhapur 1, Jalgaon 1 and Buldhana 1. Six persons have lost their lives due to COVID-19 in the state. A total of 1024 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported in India. 27 deaths have been caused due to COVID-19 in the country so far, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Sunday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Victoria Beckham's fashion empire is continuing to look positively to the future amid the current COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the globe, as well as staff changes at the company. As the world and its economy adjusts to the unprecedented and worrying coronavirus crisis, VB and co are calmly pushing through, with a hopeful attitude towards future business. A close source to the Beckhams told MailOnline on Sunday that there's a feeling of camraderie and support at the fashion company - with Victoria, 45, currently working from home in the Cotswolds as the UK's lockdown continues. Positive outlook: Victoria Beckham's fashion empire is continuing to look positively to the future amid the current COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the globe, as well as staff changes at the company Despite longstanding fashion PR strategist Natalie Lewis moving on from her role, the source said: 'Natalie and Victoria remain close personal friends. And as some of the team transition out of the business they continue to support and work with Victoria and will do through the next few months.' While Victoria's Head Of Communications Bella Blenkinsopp is also moving on, she too leaves on friendly terms with the Beckhams, who have been 'very supportive' of this. The Sun reported this weekend that the staff departures were 'blows' to the empire, yet sources retain that the situation is far from dramatic. They also inaccurately reported that another long-term member of staff, Nadine Gough, had resigned, which is not the case. Business as usual: As the world and its economy adjusts to the unprecedented and worrying coronavirus crisis, VB and co are calmly pushing through, with a hopeful attitude towards future business Forward thinking: A close source to the Beckhams told MailOnline on Sunday that there's a feeling of camraderie and support at the fashion company - with Victoria currently working from home in the Cotswolds as the UK's lockdown continues Victoria is still busy while on lockdown, last week marking her new working from hoke set-up with a classic Posh Spice throwback. The mother of four shared a snap to mark the occasion on Tuesday, of her working at a computer. She declared in the caption: 'For as long as this is our new normal we will make it positive.' Working it: Victoria is still busy while on lockdown, last week marking her new working from hoke set-up with a classic Posh Spice throwback '#TeamVB is WFH. And for those of us with kids we are also all working around a classroom schedule Keep smiling!' she wrote. Victoria and husband David, 44, are parents to Brooklyn, 21, Romeo, 17, Cruz, 15 and Harper, eight. While their eldest is in lockdown in the US with his actress girlfriend Nicola Peltz, Victoria and David are caring from the UK with the rest of the family. She captioned the snap: '#TeamVB is WFH. And for those of us with kids we are also all working around a classroom schedule Keep smiling!' Victoria took to her Instagram Stories to show sweet footage of David leading an art class for Romeo, Cruz and Harper on Monday, the first day of no school for millions across the UK. Victoria revealed that David was moonlighting as an art teacher for the day, with his heavily tattooed arms in shot. She proudly showed off her husband getting stuck in with their daughter's creation, writing alongside one video: '@davidbeckham has some teaching skills.' School time! Victoria took to her Instagram Stories to show sweet footage of husband David leading an art class for their children Romeo, Cruz and Harper on Monday Later, Victoria filmed Harper using an Ipad to practice her math skills with the help of digital games. The family also took part in a nationwide applause in honour of NHS workers during the coronavirus lockdown on Thursday. Victoria and Harper also FaceTimed with nurses who were working at King's Hospital in London on Friday. The fashion mogul was in good spirits as she posed in a photo beside her little one who smiled brightly as they chatted with the NHS staff. Sweet: Victoria and daughter Harper FaceTimed nurses who were working at King's Hospital in London on Friday Gushing about the occasion, Victoria wrote on the photo of their chat: 'Face Time with the nurses at King's hospital in London today x' On Thursday, Victoria shared a video of husband David leading the applause along with their children as the family took part in the Clap For Carers initiative. As they applauded, Victoria said behind the camera: 'So us Beckhams are clapping to show our thanks to all the people working for the NHS, the doctors the nurses, keeping us safe, working so so hard.' Supportive: On Thursday, husband David led the applause along with their sons Romeo, and Cruz, and their daughter Harper as the family took part in the Clap For Carers initiative The Clap For Carers campaign, which started online, has been staged because 'during these unprecedented times they need to know we are grateful', the organisers said. It followed similar moves in Italy and Spain - which have the world's highest death tolls - which created astonishing scenes earlier this month as they applauded from terraces in the countries' cities At the time of writing, there has been 677,705 confirmed COVID-19 cases across the planet, with a current death tally of 31,737. Rae Bareli, March 29 : Politics continues to pay out even in times of crisis and lockdown in Uttar Pradesh. In Rae Bareli, the parliamentary constituency of Congress president Sonia Gandhi,'missing' posters cropped up on Saturday night in which Gandhi's absence from the constituency has been questioned. The posters are titled' 'chitthi na koi sandesh' and questioned the Congress president for not giving any financial aid to the constituency, despite being one of the richest MPs. "Tumhara haath, nahin hamare saath/ sabse badi bhool, tumko kiya kabool", the posters adds. Incidentally, on Friday, Sonia Gandhi had sent a letter to the District Magistrate of Rae Bareli, pledging all the funds under the MPLAD scheme for combating coronavirus in her constituency. The posters do not carry any name and do not even have the printer's name which is mandatory. Congress leader Kamal Singh Chauhan said that the posters reflected the mindset of the party's political rivals who are using the crisis to settle scores. "Sonia Gandhi has always been connected to her constituency and just two days ago, she pledged all her funds for the Corona crisis. The people know the truth and will not be misled by this low level of politics," he said. Congress district president Pankaj Kumar demanded action against those who had put up the posters and asked the district administration to take note of this. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday appealed to the Rajya Sabha MPs to contribute at least Rs 1 crore initially from their Members of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) funds to supplement the Centre's efforts in the fight against coronavirus pandemic. In a letter to the Members of the upper House of Parliament, Naidu, who is the Chairman of Rajya Sabha, referred to the extraordinary situation arising from the outbreak of coronavirus and the plethora of measures being undertaken by the government and other stakeholders, including the private sector, to control and mitigate the situation for the people. Highlighting the requirement of the enormous amount of resources - financial, material and human- to successfully combat COVID-19, Naidu stated that the central government is pooling financial resources from various avenues to augment the availability of funds at the national, state and district levels. Meanwhile, the Vice President also urged the common people to come forward and contribute to the PM-CARES Fund to strengthen disaster management capacities. While appreciating various civil society organizations for providing help to the needy and poor in this hour of crisis, he appealed to people to stay safe and healthy and strictly follow the guidelines issued by the government. Earlier, the Vice President held a meeting with the speaker of Lok Sabha, Om Birla, Secretary Generals of both the Houses and spoke to the Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha and leaders of different political parties in Rajya Sabha about MPLADS. He also appreciated the gesture of people from various walks of life in contributing towards to the PM-CARES Fund and appealed to all to come forward and donate to this noble cause, while reminding everyone of India's age-old tradition of share and care, which is the core of our philosophy. Appealing to one and all to take care of the stranded migrant labour in their areas, Venkaiah Naidu requested state governments, voluntary and philanthropic bodies to provide them with food and shelter. He also wanted the agencies which hired the migrant labour to come to their rescue. The Vice President also spoke to Minister for State for Labour and Employment, Santosh Kumar Gangwar, and to Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba and enquired about the coordination with various state governments on the issue of migrant labour. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-30 04:22:28|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DAMASCUS, March 29 (Xinhua) -- A total of 12 inmates of the Islamic State (IS) militant group escaped a prison run by Kurdish militia in Syria's northeastern province of Hasakah on Sunday, state TV reported. The inmates escaped the Ghweiran prison that is run by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and houses 3,000 IS militants, said the TV. Following the prisoners' escape, warplanes of the U.S.-led anti-terror coalition flew over the prison and dropped flare bombs. The SDF controls large swathes of Hasakah Province and the areas in the eastern Euphrates River region in eastern Syria. The SDF also captured hundreds of IS militants during battles in northern Syria. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Reuters) Johannesburg Sun, March 29, 2020 18:03 654 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206e2cc08 2 People donation,philanthropy,South-Africa,coronavirus,COVID-19,Patrice-Motsepe Free South African billionaire businessman Patrice Motsepe said on Saturday his group of companies would donate 1 billion rand ($57 million) to help fight the coronavirus outbreak that has forced the country into total lockdown as infections climb. South Africa entered a 21-day lockdown on Friday with people restricted to their homes and most businesses shuttered. The country has reported 1,170 cases of coronavirus and now faces a near certain deep recession. Read also: Jack Ma pledges $14.5 million to help fight coronavirus Motsepe, President Cyril Ramaphosa's brother-in-law and head of investment firm African Rainbow Capital, said at a media conference the money would be channelled through the government to build water, health and education facilities. The pledge follows a 1 billion rand donation each by the Oppenheimer and Rupert families, and a government package of more than 3 billion rand for industrial firms, and comes a day after the country lost its last investment-grade credit rating. Home Just In Nepal brings medical equipment from China on chartered aircraft Kathmandu, March 29 The government on Nepal on Sunday morning brought various medical equipment from China for the test of suspected coronavirus infected cases and the treatment of Covid-19 patients. A Nepal Airlines Corporation aircraft had flown to Guangzhou of China yesterday to fetch the goods including personal protective equipment for doctors and health workers. The aeroplane landed back at the Tribhuvan International Airport at 5:30 am today, according to the corporation. Chinese Ambassador to Nepal, Hou Yanqi, has informed that the aircraft carried the emergency materials including the PPEs and thermometers donated by Sichuan provincial government, Sichuan Provincial Investment Group and the Chinese Embassy. The first batch of emergency epidemic prevention materials including masks donated by Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation will also arrive on the same flight, she wrote on her Twitter, Others like testing kits are coming soon! Earlier, the Chinese government had floated a proposal to send any kind of support it needs for combatting the crisis. Though the virus originated in China, Nepals northern neighbour has significantly recovered from the loss and now has begun to offer help to other countries. Four bridegrooms have been arrested by the Zaria Zonal Command of Kaduna state Vigilante Service (KadVS) for violating a lockdown order instituted by the Kaduna State Government over coronavirus outbreak in the country. The bridegrooms were arrested alongside their friends at Lowcost, Mangwaron Babayo, Magajiya and Bakin Kasuwa settlements in Zaria. Zaria Zonal Commandant of KadVS, Malam Bala Galadima confirmed the arrest of the suspects and further disclosed that they also effected the arrest of a bride, her groom and other guests at a marriage ceremony in the city on Wednesday following an intelligence they got. READ ALSO Governor, Nasir El-Rufai Accused of Allegedly Banning Christian Activities In The State Recall that the Kaduna state government announced a total lockdown in the state on Thursday March 26, after closing down schools and other public places in a bid to curb the spread of coronavirus. French and Italian authorities are evacuating coronavirus patients from their worst-hit regions to Germany for treatment. Patients were seen arriving at Hamburg Airport where medics stretchered them from planes to hospital for treatment. The French authorities have established a centre for migrants to use as shelter at the Jean Jaures gymnasium in Paris. France has been evacuating dozens over the past week from the east, hoping to stay ahead of a crisis that Prime Minister Edouard Philippe warned would only worsen over the next two weeks. Pictured: A patient from Bergamo is carried on a stretcher from a German Bundeswehr air force Airbus A-310 'Medivac' during their arrival at Helmut-Schmidt-Airport Pictured: Medics treat a patient at Helmut-Schmidt-Airport in Hamburg as researchers prepare to issue immunity certificates Pictured: A man sits on a bed and looks at his phone at the Jean Jaures gymnasium which has been organised to welcome migrants in Paris Pictured: Migrants rest in their beds at the Jean Jaures gymnasium which has been organised to welcome migrants today Pictured: Migrants go about with their lives as they stay at the Jean Jaures gymnasium in Paris on the thirteenth day of lockdown The east of France has been savaged by the deadly virus, with more cases there than anywhere else in the country. Francois Brun, head of emergency services at the regional hospital in nearby Metz said: 'We have to free up beds, it's absolutely crucial that we air out these intensive care units. We're still seeing an increase in patient numbers.' The evacuations came as Germany sent a military plane to Strasbourg for the first time to bring two patients to a hospital in Ulm. Two specially modified TGV high-speed trains (one pictured) carried 36 patients from Mulhouse and Nancy toward hospitals along France's western coast today French medics are pictured wearing hazmat suits escorting a coronavirus patient on a stretcher in Mulhouse, eastern France, before putting them on a special TGV train to the west Today a French helicopter transported two patients to Metz and Essen in Western Germany. 'This war will probably be won on the basis of intensive care beds, and our ability to strategically use all our intensive care resources on the national level,' said Marie-Odile Saillard, director of the Metz regional hospital. In total, 80 French patients have been hospitalised in Germany, Switzerland and Luxembourg, European Affairs Minister Amelie de Montchalin told France Inter radio. The minister also revealed Germany had provided France with urgently-needed ventilators as recently as yesterday. Overall nearly 4,300 coronavirus patients are in intensive care, many with severe respiratory problems requiring ventilators that officials worry could soon be in short supply. Philippe said the government was racing to have 14,000 intensive care beds available soon, compared with around 5,000 before the outbreak began in January. There are now 37,575 confirmed cases of coronavirus infection in France, up 4,611 on the day before. A French helicopter transported two patients to Metz and Essen (pictured landing there today) in Western Germany One of two coronavirus patients who were transported by French military helicopter are pictured after they landed at Essen Airport in Germany today French medics are pictured aboard one of the country's high speed TGV trains at Nancy station in the east, ready to take coronavirus patients to the west where there are more resources The death toll stands at 2,314, but the numbers do not include deaths reported by the roughly 7,000 retirement homes and assisted-living facilities across the country, where officials fear the virus risks spreading quickly. Those figures will start to be reported this week, the prime minister said Sunday, warning that 'the battle is only starting.' The government has ordered one billion face masks, mainly from China, but warned that worldwide demand for protective equipment meant they might not arrive soon enough for medical workers facing shortages. France has been on lockdown since March 17 in a bid to limit the outbreak, a situation it now expects to last until at least April 15. Left to right: Metz' mayor Dominique Gros, Mercy hospital's emergencies head and president of SAMU Urgences de France president Francois Braun, Nancy mayor Laurent Henart and Nancy hospital emergency units' head Lionel Nace talk next to a medicalised TGV train today Germany to issue coronavirus 'immunity certificates' to people who have recovered in a bid to bring their lockdown to an end By Sebastian Murphy-Bates for MailOnline 'Immunity certificates' are set to be introduced in Germany as part of preparations for the country to cease its lockdown. Researchers want to bring in the documents for citizens not at risk of contracting the novel coronavirus. It comes as Chancellor Angela Merkel's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic has secured a boost in poll ratings. Chancellor Angela Merkel (pictured) has secured a boost in poll ratings over her handling of the crisis As part of Germany's fight against the virus, scientists are using antibodies in test participants to find out which of them have had the illness and healed, Der Spiegel reports. The team plans to test 100,000 people at a time, issuing documentation to those who have built up an immunity. They will then use the information gleaned from the testing to assess how and when the lockdown should conclude. Researchers will utilise the data as they advise the government on when schools will be re-opened and mass gatherings permitted once again. The Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research in Braunschweig is overseeing the project. It will conduct blood tests over the next few weeks to look for antibodies produced in carriers of the illness. 'Those who are immune can then be given a vaccination certificate that would, for example, allow them to be exempt from any (lockdown-related) restrictions on their work,' said project-leading epidemiologist Gerard Krause. The tests will also offer a clearer look at how many people in Germany have contracted the coronavirus. Some items from around the game Cardinals reliever Andrew Miller spoke to Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch about several topics, including the recent agreement between the league and players union about the 2020 season, how Miller is handling the shutdown, and the rather mysterious arm problem that sidelined Miller earlier this month. There are some explanations for some of what Im going through and I have a lot of appreciation for the amount of time [Cardinals head athletic trainer] Adam Olsen and Dr. [Brian] Mahaffey have put in helping me to look for some answers, Miller said. Though there still isnt an actual diagnosis of Millers issue, I think I have answers that make a lot of sense and theyre not the type of thing that brings any sort of concern to my health and my livelihood. The southpaw is currently throwing, albeit under notideal circumstances working out at his home rather than in a normal training environment. reliever spoke to Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch about several topics, including the recent agreement between the league and players union about the 2020 season, how Miller is handling the shutdown, and the rather mysterious arm problem that sidelined Miller earlier this month. There are some explanations for some of what Im going through and I have a lot of appreciation for the amount of time [Cardinals head athletic trainer] Adam Olsen and Dr. [Brian] Mahaffey have put in helping me to look for some answers, Miller said. Though there still isnt an actual diagnosis of Millers issue, I think I have answers that make a lot of sense and theyre not the type of thing that brings any sort of concern to my health and my livelihood. The southpaw is currently throwing, albeit under notideal circumstances working out at his home rather than in a normal training environment. Michael Wacha turned to some offseason video analysis with his father to help solve mechanical problems from the 2019 season, which put him in a good place heading into his first Spring Training with the Mets , Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News writes. By the time Wacha met with pitching coach Jeremy Hefner and assistant pitching coach Jeremy Accardo in camp, they said my mechanical changes that I made over the offseason were exactly what they were going to be telling me, Wacha said. Exactly the same type of information or helpful tips that they were trying to get me into, I already made them on my own. The early returns in Grapefruit League action were somewhat promising, as Wacha posted a 1.17 ERA over 7 2/3 innings, albeit with four walks against only five strikeouts. However, Wacha also didnt allow any home runs, which was a positive sign after an ugly 1.8 HR/9 helped push his ERA to 4.76 over 126 2/3 innings with the Cardinals last season. Wacha signed a one-year, $3MM with the Mets in the offseason and now looks to be a member of their starting five, in the wake of Noah Syndergaard s season-ending Tommy John surgery. turned to some offseason video analysis with his father to help solve mechanical problems from the 2019 season, which put him in a good place heading into his first Spring Training with the , Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News writes. By the time Wacha met with pitching coach and assistant pitching coach in camp, they said my mechanical changes that I made over the offseason were exactly what they were going to be telling me, Wacha said. Exactly the same type of information or helpful tips that they were trying to get me into, I already made them on my own. The early returns in Grapefruit League action were somewhat promising, as Wacha posted a 1.17 ERA over 7 2/3 innings, albeit with four walks against only five strikeouts. However, Wacha also didnt allow any home runs, which was a positive sign after an ugly 1.8 HR/9 helped push his ERA to 4.76 over 126 2/3 innings with the Cardinals last season. Wacha signed a one-year, $3MM with the Mets in the offseason and now looks to be a member of their starting five, in the wake of s season-ending Tommy John surgery. With league revenues bound to take a massive hit due to the shutdown, could expansion be an ideal way to inject some new money into the sport? Fangraphs Craig Edwards explores the question, noting that adding two new teams worth $750MM each (which is perhaps a conservative estimate for the price tag of a new club) in franchise fees would give each current team an extra $50MM in revenue. Commissioner Rob Manfred has often said that the league would only consider increasing its membership after all of the current 30 teams (namely the As and Rays) had some type of plans in place for a new ballpark, and Edwards observes that the league hasnt had any real financial incentive to expand in recent years. Of course, the pandemic could now change that stance entirely, though Edwards also points out that the worldwide financial uncertainty caused by the ongoing crisis could lead to fewer potential owners willing meet the price for an expansion team, and cash-strapped cities will now have even less of a reason to spend resources on building a new stadium for a new team. ENGLEWOOD, Colo., March 29, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- WOW! Internet, Cable & Phone (NYSE: WOW), a leading broadband provider, today issued the following statement: WOW! CEO Teresa Elder, was admitted to a local Denver hospital on Friday, March 27, after testing positive for COVID-19. Ms. Elder had been working remotely since March 16, following WOW!'s decision to transition all non-essential positions to work-from-home status. "All of WOW! is united in wishing Teresa a quick and full recovery," said Jeff Marcus, board chairman for WOW!. " The board, her leadership team and every WOW! employee offers their support and prayers to her and her family." While Ms. Elder recovers, Bill Case, chief information officer, will serve as acting CEO. Additionally, cable pioneer and WOW! board chairman, Jeff Marcus, will temporarily take on a formal leadership role as executive chairman. About WOW! Internet, Cable & Phone WOW! is one of the nation's leading broadband providers, with an efficient, high-performing fiber network that passes three million residential, business and wholesale consumers. WOW! provides services in 19 markets, primarily in the Midwest and Southeast, including Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Maryland, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, Florida and Georgia. With an expansive portfolio of advanced services, including high-speed Internet services, cable TV, streaming, phone, business data, voice, and cloud services, the company is dedicated to providing outstanding service at affordable prices. WOW! also serves as a leader in exceptional human resources practices, having been recognized by the National Association for Business Resources' for six years as a Best & Brightest Company to Work For, winning the award for the last two consecutive years. Visit wowway.com for more information. SOURCE WideOpenWest, Inc. Related Links http://www.wowway.com Coronavirus is negatively affecting every industry on Staten Island, from small businesses to large corporations, scaring people of all ages into apocalyptic lifestyles. Is our government really looking for a cure? When will they announce free federal grants available to physicians, scientists and citizens to assist in the discovery of a cure and further research this new pandemic? This can easily turn into another incurable disease, like cancer and AIDS. Elected officials are hoping this virus will just fade away. Instead, its getting worse. Businesses have been ordered closed, hoping this will stop the spread. What if it doesnt get better? We might see a permanent closing of businesses. Businesses financially devastated since day one of NYCs new restrictions may never recover. What does our government do to help? Nothing but offer zero interest loans, putting us further in debt with a lifetime of installment payments or bankruptcy. Are taxpayers tired of their hard-earned money being thrown at problems with little to no planning? One industry taking hard hits daily is real estate. Landlord evictions and court proceedings are halted for 90 days, while tenants continue not paying rent. Protecting tenants in their time of need is totally understandable. But, landlords still have to pay bills, like taxes, utilities and make repairs. Mayor Bill de Blasio does not yet have any plans to freeze quarterly property tax payments due April 15. Thats unfair to landlords and sounds more like a one-sided bailout. Landlords with no rental income will soon face late fees, penalties and liens that can result in losing their property. Who would have ever thought that Staten Island businesses would be brought to their knees by a microscopic organism no eye can see? (Peter Lisi is a Stapleton resident.) LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) Kroger announced it has hired some 23,000 employees since announcing new openings due to COVID- 19. The company started looking for the hires due to increased demand related to the pandemic. Kroger, which also operates as Payless, says many of the new hires had been laid off from hard-hit industries like restaurants and hotels. They are still looking to hire as many as 20,000 more nation-wide. In Indiana and Illinois, that could be as many as 35 new hires per store. You can apply at jobs.kroger.com. They're trying to get applicants started on the job in as little as 72 hours. "That's not correct," she says. "China didn't lock down for six months. They're already looking at starting flights back into the country." The normally busy Rawson Place, near Sydney's Central Station, was deserted on Wednesday as the city shuts down. Credit:Roger Stonehouse As part of an expert academic panel, MacIntyre has provided advice to the government which was noted but not adopted. She has been critical of the government's refusal to commit to a full-scale lockdown, but says it is not too late. "When you do it when the epidemic is smaller, the impact is quicker and more successful. As you wait for the epidemic to get bigger, it's going to take longer," she says. "It'll still work, it's never too late. Four weeks should be effective, maybe six weeks. That's kind of the ball park." MacIntyre's concept of a full lockdown is severe. People would have to exercise inside or on their balcony; those who live alone wouldn't be allowed to see their partners but they could choose to live together during the lockdown period. She recognises such conditions would be tough for six weeks but says "it should be feasible". Under New Zealand's lockdown, slated to last four weeks, people are allowed to exercise outdoors alone. But all cafes and restaurants are shut (including for takeaway), and there are certainly no hairdressers open (not even for 30 minutes). The aim is to eradicate the illness from the country. Neighbours have turned their backyards into makeshift gyms as they face months without a place to work out. Credit:Christopher Pearce It is more difficult to do that here. Our objective now is to "flatten the curve" - accepting a reduced level of infection over time, so as not to overwhelm the health system. This plan can mean a longer but slightly more gentle and sustainable shutdown of society. University of Melbourne epidemiologist and public health medicine specialist Tony Blakely says Australia's window for a quick, hard, eradication-style lockdown probably closed last week. "I just think the time has passed," he says. "Maybe it hasn't for Tasmania. But certainly for NSW, probably for Victoria, the cat's out of the bag." In Blakely's view, the way forward now is to enforce a manageable level of social distancing for a protracted period. As the proportion of the population who have already been infected grows, you can start to relax the conditions for some people. For example employers could allow more and more people back into the office. "It's like we're steering an oil tanker, we're down the back and we've got this tiny little rudder," he says. "It's going to be hard." Some restrictions won't be relaxed at all, Blakely says, particularly in relation to the elderly and vulnerable: "The whole way through this game we're not going to visit grandma. It's going to be a really long haul for grandma." Then there is the widely-held perception that Australia is heading for a severe lockdown at some point anyway, so it might as well be sooner rather than later. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews clearly flagged more widespread shutdowns, and Morrison himself has indicated there will be "greater variation in how far restrictions go" in different states. Stephen Duckett, the director of the Grattan Institute's health program, says a tight three to four-week lockdown is "obviously coming" and should already be in place. But he cautions against assuming it's an instant cure. "Let's say you have a strong lockdown and it stops the spread of disease quite quickly," he says. "Then the question is: what do you loosen up and in what order do you loosen up? You would not return to the January situation the next day. You'd still have some sort of restrictions." Crucially, however: "It would not be possible for people to be not leaving their house for six months." Duckett's point is that this method would at least give people some clear expectations and would allow them to start resuming normal life earlier, if only piece by piece. "I would prefer [Morrison] to say: we're expecting to go four weeks. He might have to say 'oh I'm sorry, we haven't stopped it, we have to extend'," Duckett says, but at least it would give people "some certainty of the time frame". Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says a stage three shutdown is coming but now is not the time. Credit:AAP Andrews also hinted at this on Friday. People want to know "when will this be over?" he said. "It is deeply frustrating not to be able to give people the answers to those sorts of questions." He repeated that "there will be a stage three" to the shutdowns but "exactly when and its exact nature, and how long it will run for, and what we expect it to do to case numbers and the curve - that's not for today". In another key message, Andrews said ideally NSW, Victoria and parts of Queensland would stay in lock-step to minimise confusion along the eastern seaboard. Andrews has been the most aggressive premier when it comes to telling people to just stay at home. He has explicitly told people not to visit other people's homes for beers and not to leave their own houses unless they absolutely must. Loading But experts say the message needs to broaden beyond the simple "stay at home", which won't cut it for months on end. We need messages about how people can move around outside rarely but safely, as well as information campaigns on how to maintain social and mental health. Psychiatrist and youth mental health professor Patrick McGorry, who has been in close contact with Morrison on this issue, is urging the government to establish a parallel national cabinet to deal with mental health during the pandemic and resulting isolation. "The mental health consequences of being in isolation for six months - I don't think they've ever been studied," he says. "People are already finding it difficult I think, just a week or two into it. We are cutting off a lot of the sources of what makes life worth living for people, for a long period." MacIntyre says we can do three things to make people's lockdown experience more comfortable. Firstly, make it possible for people to get food and medicine - something that is not realistically under threat. Secondly, provide significant mental health support to help people cope with the isolation. Finally, expand the financial support on offer. "You can't have these narrow, restrictive criteria for Newstart," she says. "You need to make it quick and easy. That is an urgent priority." A man takes some time to meditate at Bondi Beach, Sydney on Friday. Credit:Cole Bennetts McGorry says it's hard to fathom living our lives in isolation for as long as Morrison predicts. But he also recognises humans have endured much worse hardships and for longer periods of time. "We know from past disasters like world wars and through the Great Depression that people will get through it. Most people will survive it and be OK," McGorry says. Provocation overshadows 'friendly' letter to President Moon North Korea launched what appeared to be two short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea, Sunday, about a week after it fired two missiles believed to be its version of the U.S. Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), March 21. This time, the two missiles were fired from the eastern coastal city of Wonsan at 6:10 a.m. within a 20-second interval and flew 230 kilometers at a maximum altitude of around 30 kilometers, according to the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff. This was the North's fourth major weapons test this year. It is deplorable that North Korea is raising military tensions at a time when South Korea and the rest of the world are struggling to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Such provocations at this time are not justifiable at all, and will only alienate Pyongyang further. North Korea has not yet reported a COVID-19 infection, but there been reports that the virus is already spreading there, particularly among soldiers. It is notable that the North is more vulnerable to the new virus as it lacks medical supplies and infrastructure to test and treat infected people. The continued provocations surely bode ill for possible inter-Korean cooperation in the future. The latest provocation is more awful because it came only two days after the South marked the 10th anniversary of the North's torpedo attack on the South Korean warship Cheonan, which killed 46 sailors. During a ceremony, Friday, South Korea President Moon Jae-in vowed unwavering efforts for peace on the Korean Peninsula. Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly sent a letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, offering assistance in the fight against the new coronavirus. But Pyongyang has not responded, according to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Cheong Wa Dae recently unveiled that Kim had sent a letter to Moon to console South Koreans fighting the virus and "wish for their good health." But the continued provocations by the North raise doubts over the sincerity of the letter, and the seriousness of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's commitment to inter-Korean reconciliation. Chennai, March 29 : Two Covid-19 patients were discharged from a Tamil Nadu hospital while eight persons were found to be coronavirus positive on Sunday as the fifth day of the nationwide lockdown passed off peacefully in the state. With the eight new coronavirus positive cases, the total number of persons who have tested positive for the virus has touched the half century mark in the state. State Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar said that two persons who had returned from the US and tested positive for coronavirus were discharged from the hospital on Sunday, after testing negative for the presence of coronavirus. The two persons have been advised to be under home quarantine for next 14 days, he said. Vijayabaskar also said the eight new positive cases from Erode were the contacts of the Thai nationals undergoing treatment at Perundurai hospital and all of them have been isolated for treatment. On Sunday, the government also began implementing the containment zone plan across the state. Municipal Administration Minister S.P.Velumani said that the containment zone plan has begun in the state. As per the containment zone plan, officials would be marking out a seven kilometre radius from the residence of any person who had tested coronavirus positive. Within this radius, officials will check each house to ascertain whether anyone in the family show signs of coronavirus infection. The day began with people crowding at vegetable and fish markets here and in other places, throwing away the caution of maintaining social distance to prevent the virus spread. As the new timing regulations, stores selling essential items downed their shutters at 2.30 p.m. Meanwhile, 97 persons hailing from Jharkhand and West Bengal who were stranded at the MGR Central Railway Station were housed in a community centre here and were treated with good food amd healthcare by the Greater Chennai Municipal Corporation. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) BAMAKO (Reuters) - Mali held its long-delayed parliamentary election on Sunday despite an insurgency in its central and northern regions, concerns about coronavirus and the recent kidnapping of the main opposition leader. The election, originally scheduled for 2018, has been postponed twice because of intensifying violence in parts of Mali where the government struggles to suppress jihadist groups with links to al Qaeda and Islamic State. The coronavirus pandemic has posed a further threat to the vote but authorities in the West African nation have insisted it will go ahead, promising to enforce additional hygiene measures to protect Mali's 7.6 million voters. "The government will do everything to make sure this is the case," President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita said in the run-up to the election. Mali had confirmed 20 cases of coronavirus as of Sunday morning. Polls opened on Sunday at 0800 and turnout in the capital Bamako appeared low, a Reuters witness said. There was no queue at one polling station, which allowed voters to cast their ballot while keeping the recommended distance from each other. Handwashing facilities were meant to be available, but the kits arrived too late for early voters. "I voted without a problem, but the hygiene kit against coronavirus wasn't there," said 30-year-old driver Ibrahim Konare. "The priority for the new parliament should be the fight against insecurity and the eradication of coronavirus." It was not clear how voting was going in the large areas of central and northern Mali that are effectively lawless and used by the jihadists as a base for attacks in Mali and into neighboring Niger and Burkina Faso. Mali's main opposition leader Soumaila Cisse was ambushed last week while on the campaign trail in the northern region of Timbuktu. The attackers killed Cisse's bodyguard and took Cisse and six members of his delegation hostage. They have not been seen since. Story continues The election will select 147 lawmakers for the national assembly, which has not had a mandate since 2018 because of the electoral delays. Polling stations close at 1800 GMT with results due in the coming days. A second round is scheduled for April 19 in constituencies where no candidate wins a majority. (Reporting by Tiemoko Diallo; Writing by Alessandra Prentice; Editing by David Goodman) National oil marketing companies have come out on Sunday allaying the fears of consumers about product shortages, saying there is absolutely no shortage of any fuel, especially cooking gas, which is being supplied to customers at their doorsteps. On average, the daily supply of cooking gas has gone up by at least 35-40 per cent since the lockdown, in spite of working with minimal staff, the companies said. The collective assurance of uninterrupted supplies of all oil products, especially LPG cylinders, by Indian Oil, BPCL and HPCL, come amidst panic booking of cooking gas by consumers since the national lockdown imposed to contain the spread of Covid-19 pandemic. This, coupled with staff shortage, has led to some delays in the initial days of the lockdown but now it has been normalised, they added. Talking to PTI in Mumbai on Sunday, Mukesh Kumar Surana, the chairman and managing director of the ONGC-run Hindustan Petroleum said, there is absolutely no room for consumers to worry about LPG shortages at all. "I assure all public that there is no shortage of any oil products at all. All the more let me assure that there is absolutely no shortage of LPG at all. In fact, our LPG plants are working at over capacity to meet any spike in demand. I request all not to engage in panic booking of cooking gas," Surana said. Explaining how HPCL has augmented LPG supplies, he said at the national level the daily supply has gone from 12 lakh cylinders to 15 lakh a day for his company. In Mumbai, HPCL has supplied 56 per cent more cylinders on Saturday, from 34,000 to 51,000, while in Pune the spike in supplies is 54 per cent, he added. Surana also said, HPCL has equipped all its delivery boys with masks, sanitisers and also trained them in social distancing. Accordingly, they have been asked not to carry cylinders to individual homes but to the society gates as there are restrictions on entry for outsiders at many societies. "Unfortunately, we had many instances of cylinders being returned from many societies in the city which is a logistical problem as wastage of resources, who are anyways are in very short supply," Surana rued. Similarly, the second largest player, BPCL said its daily LPG supplies in Maharashtra has gone up by 32 per cent, while the same is up 40 per cent in Mumbai and 37 per cent each in Navi Mumbai and Thane, a BPCL spokesman told PTI. In an interview to PTI earlier in the day in New Delhi, the IOC chairman said there is absolutely no need to worry about any shortage of fuel items. "We have mapped demand for all fuel for entire April and beyond. We have refineries operating at levels enough to meet all of the demand. Besides all bulk storage points, LPG distributorships and petrol pumps are functioning normally. There is absolutely no shortage of any fuel," Singh said. At another level, the oil companies are also out in the media explaining that there is no shortage of LPG. While IOC has released an ad on the DD with the chairman Sanjiv Singh himself assuring of uninterrupted supplies of all oil products, especially LPG, and also launched a Twitter campaign saying it is delivering gas with the help of the police machinery, BPCL is undertaking social media campaign on its Facebook page, Twitter handle and the Instagram page since the lockdown was announced. The BPCL campaign promises LPG delivery at the door step, assuring ample product availability and also exhorting sanitisation methods and social distancing. In IOC ad, the chairman is assuring the public of absolutely no issues in supplying all petroleum products, especially cooking gas and kerosene, and that all its depots, and LPG bottling plants, including import terminals, are functioning at full capacity. "All our stakeholders and our employees are working round the clock to ensure that supplies are normal. I once again assure everyone that all the products are available for all customers and there is absolutely no need for any panic booking," says Singh. IOC's Twitter campaign says 'home delivery of LPG cylinders is on as usual and the delivery chain is being supported by the state police. Citizens need not expose themselves to health by going personally to distributors. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Just a couple of months ago, it was business as usual. The world economy was moving on predicted trajectories and then patient zero in Wuhan chowed on an infected wild animal, giving Covid-19 the evolutionary jumpstart any species could only dream of. It also gave researchers an opportunity to use this massive shock to rethink everything from evaluating public health preparedness to global supply chains of goods and services. This global pandemic of Covid-19 helps us in questioning the inevitable rise of China, not just as an economic but also geo-political power. The Chinese government claims to have contained the virus and is starting to help other countries during the crisis. However, it is their myopic thinking riddled with a characteristic lack of transparency that has brought the world to a standstill in just a span of a few weeks. Figure 1: The coronavirus outbreak could cost the global economy up to $2 trillion this year China had geo-political and hegemonic motives. All knew and all chose to ignore. Lack of transparency and lax labour laws made workers who were often forced to migrate from their villages in millions slog in massive assembly lines of factories without much choice. All voices of concern were drowned in politico-economic justifications of an unchecked capitalist system driven by invisible hand. World order stands to change due to Covid-19. Even assuming erratic pandemics do not recur, what is clear is that the Chinese governments totalitarianism and lack of transparency will continue to hurt us. Today it is Covid-19, tomorrow it may be their financial system we dont know. What is clear is that putting all eggs in one basket and shifting 80% of supply chains to China just on considerations of profit was myopically unsustainable. We all have now observed Chinese authority's deliberate attempt to hide a preventable crisis and consequent repercussions across the world markets. And that is the fundamental problem with closed regimes with regulated public discourse. It helps in creation of a convoluted informational flow which will inevitably crash and burn. China has always aspired to exert greater influence in international agencies like UN and increase its military and economic footprint across the world. It was constrained to do that by helping states like Pakistan and was the other side to a liberal and inclusivist geo-political normal. It has made a quick move to become the new normal taking advantage of crisis and posing as a messiah in fight against self-generated killer pandemic. China is moving in space created by acute need for help for medical assistance and supplies, as other countries are unable to fill that gap. The current crisis also harbors the risk for the world order to go entirely in the hands of rhetorical nationalists whose theories of trade sanctions are based more on populist considerations than reason. There needs to be balance. Philosophically, nature has forcibly reset our choices and placed us at crossroads where the way ahead involves re-establishing the status quo or evolve into a system where no one is more equal than the other and power is not concentrated in the hands of a few. The latter is by far superior. In this context, India is very well positioned to help build a more dynamic and sustainable world. Based on the Global Competitiveness Index, India is the most competitive country in South Asia. India has a competitive advantage in the services including the Information Technology Services, Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology, and Medical tourism sectors. Right now, it is particularly ripe for market reforms in view of solid platform created by Make in India and Invest India initiatives of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Other factors going in our favor are: Declining Chinese Growth: A recent report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development suggests that there could be a 2% reduction in annualised exports Decreasing Global Demand: There is also going to be a decreased global demand resulting in cheap raw materials which could be used for capacity building. This is a really good time to give substantial financial incentives for investors searching for safe investments and build economic capacity. Political Support: With a faltering economy, the appetite for economic reform would be higher. India is in desperate need for structural reforms and COVID-19 could be very helpful for political posturing of reforms. As President Obamas former chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, once said never let a crisis go to waste. Chinas Reliability Crisis: The Covid-19 has brought about a clear reliability crisis for the Chinese government. Investors will certainly reconsider if it is wise to invest in a country known for its shoddy transparency. Potential to Grow: India has massive potential to grow. Just 35 years ago, the Indian and Chinese economy had similar exports. The Chinese economy experienced massive growth, in part, due to substantial market friendly reforms. If a communist country which doesnt speak English or share little values with western world can serve the world economy, so can India. Figure 3: Total Exports of Goods and Services in Current US Dollars We stand to gain through our Make in India and allied initiatives. Commendable job has been done to offer ease of doing business to investors, reducing rent seeking and ensuring transparency. However, lots needs to be done to cover large ground very quickly. Land and labour reforms are certainly key aspects to it. India needs to have more market friendly land and labour laws with adequate safeguards to protect individual freedoms. Its administration services are understaffed at the upper levels relative to its population leading to excessive stress, possible reductions in speed of bureaucratic service and concentration of power. Its regulatory regime still involves jumping through multiple hoops. The emergence of single window clearance system is a great positive which needs to be rapidly expanded in both scope and scale. To attain investors confidence, Parliament should consider laws which would help prevent decisions like retrospective taxation on Vodafone. India also looks at economic slowdown due to the pandemic. Once the pandemic is brought under control, India must actively engage in rebuilding the world economy. The world must think beyond naked profit and look to shift manufacturing and sourcing the services to a democratic and competitive nation which guarantees basic freedoms, is committed to reforms and can continuously adapt and innovate to changing global market needs. That is the essential economic take away from the catastrophic disruption of supply chains due to Covid-19 pandemic. We cannot predict the recurrence of such drastic external shocks, but we know these processes carry a non-zero probability. Such events carry risk of annihilation warranting an all-out, no-prisoner-taken approach as per precautionary principle. To account for uncertainty in the face of possible irreversible catastrophe, world needs to prepare for the worst-case scenario. Unhinged reliance on a totalitarian state for supply of essential commodities need a completely rational and new look. Disclaimer: Allocation of resources to public health machinery to fight Covid-19 pandemic is the foremost necessity. Strategic thinking on economy especially trade must be for a post containment scenario with long term objectives. (The author is a doctor and IAS officer who has worked as special secretary, Health, Commissioner Food Safety, Drug Controller, and project director for HIV/AIDS control for Delhi Government. Views expressed are personal.) Hollywood star Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson gave their first health update on Saturday (local time) since returning to the United States. According to People magazine, the couple, who were both diagnosed with coronavirus earlier this month, recently returned to Los Angeles after self-quarantining in Australia for two weeks. The 63-year-old actor said on Twitter on Saturday that he and Wilson would want to quarantine. His tweet said, Hey, Folks... Were home now and, like the rest of America, we carry on with sheltering in place and social distancing,.Many, many thanks to everyone in Australia who looked after us. Their care and guidance made possible our return to the USA. And many thanks to all of you who reached out with well wishes. Rita and I so appreciate it. Hanx. Hanks shared a statement on how the couple was feeling, several days before the couple return to Los Angeles. Hanks issued a joint statement on Twitter and wrote,Hey, folks. Two weeks after our first symptoms and we feel better, The couple then urged their fans and followers to stay home and self isolate. On March 11, Hanks announced that he and Wilson had contacted Covid-19 in Australia, where he was filming Baz Luhrmanns untitled Elvis Presley biopic. Filming for the movie was halted following Hanks diagnosis. Also read: When Angad Bedi broke the news of Neha Dhupias pregnancy to her parents before marriage Hanks and Wilson were released from a Queensland hospital on March 16. A representative for the actor told People magazine at the time that they were doing very well under quarantine at their home in Australia. The rep to Hanks, Leslee Dart, said, Tom and Rita are doing very well and continue to recover. Their recovery is very much on course for healthy adults with this virus. They are feeling better each day. Follow @htshowbiz for more by Adam Koffler | Ravens Correspondent | Sat, Mar 28th 4:59pm EDT Former Broncos DE Derek Wolfe is signing a one-year, $6M deal with the Baltimore Ravens. (Adam Schefter on Twitter) Fantasy Impact: Wolfe, an eight-year veteran out of Cincinnati, was drafted by the Broncos in the second round of the 2012 draft. The edge rusher started 12 games last season for the Broncos and recorded a career-high seven sacks. Wolfe has 299 tackles and 33 sacks in his career with Denver and now hell take his pass rushing ability to Baltimore, a nice consolation prize for the Ravens after they were unable to land DE Michael Brockers. President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday oversaw the release of dozens of South Africans who had been in quarantine since returning from Wuhan in China earlier this month. South Africa, which has the highest number of infections of any African country, was on Sunday observing the third day of its 21-day lockdown to halt the spread of the virus. Ramaphosa went to a remote resort near Polokwane city in the northern Limpopo province to free the 114 South Africans who had been isolated since March 14 when they were evacuated from China. The group had been working and studying in Wuhan, then the epicentre of the virus, which was placed under lockdown for more than two months after the novel coronavirus was first detected in December. Ramaphosa ordered their repatriation late last month, responding to calls from their families. They were all free of the deadly novel coronavirus on their return, but still quarantined. Ramaphosa said the group - having been under quarantine in Wuhan for 51 days and a further 14 days in South Africa - were proof that lockdowns were the right strategy. "You are the best campaigners for a lockdown because you more than anyone else have seen that a lockdown does work. "As you go back tomorrow ... we would like you to spread the word that you were able to be coronavirus free in China because you were locked down and you continue to be coronavirus free. With 1,187 confirmed infections and one death, South Africa has the highest numbers of confirmed infections on the continent. Ramaphosa has ordered a 21-day lockdown for the country's 57 million inhabitants, deploying police and the military to enforce restrictions. But authorities often struggle to get people to comply. "This lockdown must be taken seriously by our people," said Ramaphosa on Sunday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Namita Bajpai By LUCKNOW: A migrant worker from Madhya Pradesh, who had left for home from Delhi on foot, died after experiencing chest pain in Agra on Saturday. His death has turned the spotlight on the plight of distressed migrant labourers, many of whom decided to leg it home after the nationwide lockdown came into effect. Short of food and water, and with public transport off the streets, they were left with no recourse but to head home on foot. Sources said the victim, 39-year-old Ranveer Singh, was working as a delivery boy for a restaurant in Delhis Tughlaqabad. A native of Amba in Muraina district of Madhya Pradesh, he left for home on Friday after being told that he had been laid off as the eatery had shut down. He walked about 200km before collapsing in Agra on Saturday morning. A father of three, Ranveer and his friends had covered a part of the journey by clinging perilously to a vehicle from Delhi but then had to walk a long distance to reach Agra on Saturday. COVID-19 LIVE | India records highest single-day jump, fresh cases in UP, Bengal, Tamil Nadu It was learnt that after reaching Sikanda in Agra, Ranveer sat down in front of a hardware store, showing visible signs of discomfort. As the shop owner came to check on him, he said he was experiencing chest pain. The shop owner lent him a tent, asking him to spread it on the ground and lie down. Sources said the shop owner even offered him tea and eatables. However, his health continued to deteriorate and he was pronounced dead at 7.30 am. District police took custody of the body and sent it for autopsy. Agra SSP Babloo Kumar said the cause of death could only be ascertained after the autopsy report is out. Meanwhile, the UP government on Saturday deployed 1,000 state buses to ferry a massive of migrant workers, walking on the Delhi-Noida highway, home. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath assured counterparts in other states that his government would arrange food and shelter for all workers from UP. Hong Kongs domestic helpers have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, with the Philippine consul general revealing that 70 of them lost their jobs recently and his Indonesian counterpart warning of sanctions against unscrupulous employers and recruitment agencies. Philippine Consul General Raly Tejada told the Post on Friday the consulate had assisted 70 displaced Filipino workers between February 9 and March 25, some 93 per cent of whom were affected due to the relocation of their employers. Tejada, who did not offer any comparative figures, said the consulate had helped in settling outstanding money claims and securing air tickets from employers for those intending to return home. Around 32 have found new employers, while 38 have returned to the Philippines. There are nearly 400,000 domestic helpers in Hong Kong mostly from the Philippines and Indonesia. Photo: Nora Tam There are nearly 400,000 domestic helpers in Hong Kong mostly from the Philippines and Indonesia. Indonesian Consul General Ricky Suhendar said domestic helpers should take notice of the Labour Departments advice on Friday, which asked them to refrain from gathering in public places and stay home on rest days, while also maintaining social distancing where possible. We also communicate closely with agencies and employers to stress the importance of supporting domestic helpers and maintaining their good health and welfare, Suhendar said. If they do not obey the regulations of Hong Kong and do not maintain communication between the consulate, agencies and employers, we will impose some sanctions. This is very serious advice from us. The heaviest sanction includes revoking agencies accreditation. Agencies in Hong Kong cannot recruit Indonesian domestic helpers without accreditation from the Indonesian consulate. Tejada called on all Filipinos in Hong Kong to stay home whenever possible in the next two weeks, as the city battles a new wave of Covid-19 cases. He also urged employers to respect the rest days of helpers if they choose to stay home. A recent online survey of 1,127 domestic helpers found more than half claimed they worked more in the past month than at any other time. Story continues Of the helpers surveyed, 40 per cent said they had not left their residence at all over that period. The poll was conducted online by the Asian Migrants Coordinating Body with the support of the Mission for Migrant Workers and the Asia-Pacific Mission for Migrants, between March 8 and 10. Shiela Tebia-Bonifacio, the chairwoman of Gabriela Hong Kong, an organisation that supports Filipinos in Hong Kong, has raised concerns about domestic helpers not having proper accommodation. She said helpers were often sharing rooms with members of the household they work for. It added that the helpers needed to go out of their house on rest days or risk exhaustion. Proper space to rest is a basic need, but many migrant domestic helpers sleep in the living room or kitchen. How can you perform your duty if you cannot have proper rest? Tebia-Bonifacio said. I know this [social distancing] will impact domestic helpers significantly. But we need to sacrifice for some time, so all Hongkongers can get out of this crisis Ricky Suhendar, Indonesian consul general The Philippine consul general called on domestic helpers to report any violation by employers. The consulate considers the suitability of accommodation as an integral part of an employment contract that all employers have the responsibility to uphold, Tejada said. Three more Filipinos in Hong Kong have recently tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of infections in the local community to 16. All are being treated in hospitals. The virus has infected more than 536,000 worldwide and killed more than 24,500. Hong Kong recorded its highest ever daily tally of 65 cases on Friday, bringing the citys infection total to 518. The Philippine consulate said it was in close contact with the Filipino patients. The Philippine government stands ready to provide some financial help, about US$200 to cover their needs after recovering from the disease, Tejada said. The Hong Kong government on Friday imposed social-distancing measures, including limiting public gatherings to four people, to combat the spread of the virus. Tebia-Bonifacio , a 35-year-old Filipino domestic helper, said migrant workers organisations regularly conducted public health and hygiene education workshops, including asking workers to wear a mask. We will observe social distancing among ourselves, she said. One woman told us we will not die of the virus, but our family will die of hunger if we do not send them money Lucinda Pike, executive director, Enrich, Hong Kong-based charity Suhendar admitted the social-distancing move by the government would not be popular among domestic helpers, who mostly spent their rest days outdoors. I know this will impact domestic helpers significantly. But we need to sacrifice for some time, so all Hongkongers can get out of this crisis, he said. Domestic helpers enjoy their day out in Hong Kong. Photo: Dickson Lee The Indonesian consulate gave away 223,320 masks to its citizens in the city, and the Philippine consulate made a similar move. Dolores Balladares-Pelaez, chairwoman of the United Filipinos in Hong Kong, said several helpers who were in quarantine in their employers houses were still being asked to work. They do not go out, but that does not mean they do not work, said the 50-year-old, who has lived in Hong Kong for 26 years. Lucinda Pike, executive director of Hong Kong-based charity Enrich, which promotes economic empowerment of migrant domestic helpers, said if the helpers were unable to go out on their rest days, they would not be able to send money back home. One woman told us we will not die of the virus, but our family will die of hunger if we do not send them money, she said. Hong Kongs migrant domestic helpers last year contributed an estimated US$12.6 billion (HK$97.7 billion) to the citys economy, representing 3.6 per cent of the citys gross domestic product, according to a report. Pike said domestic helpers were providing an essential service at a time of crisis and faced high risks. We know there are doctors and nurses in hospitals, but there are also 400,000 migrant domestic helpers here who are fulfilling care duties If there are elderly people who cannot leave their homes because they are serving quarantine orders, the domestic helpers are with them, providing necessary care. What happens if they cannot provide that? More from South China Morning Post: This article Dont forget us: Hong Kongs hard-hit domestic helpers urge city to recognise their role in battling coronavirus crisis first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. WASHINGTON - Eager to demonstrate that he is in control of a viral outbreak that is spreading rapidly across the country, President Donald Trump has ramped up efforts to show he is using some of his broadest powers as commander in chief. But the unprecedented push has been plagued by growing confusion about how far his authorities actually extend and how much he is willing to use them. He blindsided New York's governor Saturday by publicly announcing a potential quarantine order on the state's residents, only to retreat from the idea hours later. This came a day after he authorized his government to use the Defense Production Act, a move on which he'd been taking an on-again, off-again stance, but it remains unclear whether that power will be used. And he is due to issue new guidelines this next week about whether the country should continue social distancing practices - but he's vacillated between all but declaring victory against the coronavirus and acceding to experts who say the national slowdown may have to continue for several more weeks. On Saturday, Trump flew on Air Force One to Norfolk, Virginia, where he delivered remarks before the departure of a naval hospital ship bound for New York. "As we gather today, our country is at war with an invisible enemy," he said. "We are marshaling the full power of the American nation - economic, scientific, medical and military - to vanquish the virus. And we will do that." After Defense Secretary Mark Esper introduced him as "the president of the United States and our commander in chief," Trump spoke against a backdrop of a dozen waving American flags and the massive hull of the USNS Comfort. It was the latest example of Trump presenting himself as a "wartime president," a phrase he has used regularly even as his efforts to marshal his presidential powers have at times been unsteady and infused with partisan politics. Trump signed an executive order Friday to invoke the Defense Production Act and compel General Motors to manufacture ventilators to help handle the surge of coronavirus patients. While the president had originally signed an order on March 18 to activate the broad powers under the 1950 wartime legislation, he repeatedly said he did not need to use its powers to force the private sector to provide critical equipment. His initial reluctance to use the DPA came as several governors and hospital officials were publicly pleading with his administration to provide more personal protective equipment and ventilators before health systems became overwhelmed. Trump's decision to finally pull the trigger Friday on invoking the act earned him some plaudits from Democrats, who also chided him for not acting earlier. "The only thing we know in these crises of pandemics is, the only thing that you really make a mistake is going too slow," former vice president Joe Biden said Friday during a CNN town hall. "Going too fast, meaning providing the kind of help that is needed is - and planning for it - is not a problem." But it's not clear how the order will impact GM, which said it was already working on making ventilators with Ventec Life Systems. Trump suggested Friday it may not be necessary to use the law to get GM to do what he wants despite authorizing its use. "We'll see. Maybe they'll change their tune," he told reporters. "But we didn't want to play games with them." Trump has increasingly invoked his presidential powers in recent days as the United States has seen its number of confirmed coronavirus cases soar to more than 100,000, the most in the world. He signed a wave of major disaster declarations and issued an order activating additional National Guard troops to help states such as New York and New Jersey, where the outbreak has had the largest impact. Trump could next use his presidential authority to effectively seal off those and other highly affected states. He said Saturday that he was considering a forced quarantine for New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, announcing the potential move publicly without consulting the states' governors. "And I am now considering - we'll make a decision very quickly, very shortly - a quarantine, because it's such a hot area, of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut," Trump said. "We'll be announcing that, one way or the other, fairly soon." He also took to Twitter to float the idea. "I am giving consideration to a QUARANTINE of developing 'hot spots', New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. A decision will be made, one way or another, shortly," he wrote. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, said the topic had not come up during his phone call with Trump on Saturday morning - just minutes before the president announced the idea publicly. "I haven't had those conversations," Cuomo said when asked about Trump's comments. "I don't even know what that means." Cuomo said later on CNN that such a move would be an illegal "declaration of war" against states. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, said he saw the news "as I was walking into this room" to hold a news conference. Though he had spoken with the president as recently as Friday, Murphy said, "nothing like a quarantine came up." Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, a Democrat, said he had been in touch with Cuomo and Murphy. "I look forward to speaking to the President directly about his comments and any further enforcement actions, because confusion leads to panic," he wrote on Twitter. For several hours after the president floated the idea publicly, the White House did not provide any details or guidance about what such a quarantine would look like and what authorities the president would draw from. Some residents of New York opted to flee the city before an order that might trap them in the coronavirus epicenter. "We're evaluating all the options right now," acting chief of staff Mark Meadows said in response to a question about Trump's authority to quarantine certain states. On Saturday night, Trump said he had decided against a quarantine and had asked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to issue a "strong Travel Advisory" for the New York metro area in consultation with the region's governors. "A quarantine will not be necessary," Trump tweeted. "Thank you!" The idea for the quarantine came about after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) complained to Trump that people from the New York metro area were pouring into his state, according to two White House officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the private deliberations. Administration aides spent time Saturday explaining to Trump the quarantine would be impossible to enforce and could cause more problems, the officials said. He agreed and spoke with Cuomo on Saturday night after making the decision. Trump's flurry of activity could also have a political impact as he attempts to show that he is not "aloof" as the country faces a national crisis, said Barbara Perry, a presidential historian at the University of Virginia's Miller Center. It's a lesson that President George W. Bush learned after Hurricane Katrina, when he was photographed surveying the damage from a helicopter and was accused of not showing enough interest in the fate of New Orleans residents. "Trump is following that lesson, and just digging right in," she said. "He's making up for lost time by saying, 'But here I am today.' " The president's efforts to showcase his actions in response to the crisis have been more forceful and consistent than his attempts to provide Americans with information about what they should be doing to protect themselves. He is scheduled to release new guidelines this next week after the White House's "15 Days to Slow the Spread" - a social distancing and pandemic mitigation effort - comes to an end. While Trump has appeared eager to end the nationwide slowdown - he called for an April 12 "reopening" last this week and began speaking about the coronavirus crisis in the past tense - many of his public health experts have cautioned against prematurely abandoning social distancing practices. On Friday, Trump appeared to move away from embracing Easter as a preferred date for reopening the country, saying his decision would be guided by the need to prioritize protecting "life and safety, and then the economy." Trump sent a letter to governors on March 26 informing them that his administration would soon be publishing new guidelines for state and local officials about whether to relax, maintain or enhance social distancing measures such as business closures and bans on large gatherings. He said his administration would provide guidelines for counties categorized as high-risk, medium-risk and low-risk. Despite Trump's broad powers as president, he may have trouble persuading state and local officials to follow his lead, said Michael Strain, an economist at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute. "The president can say, 'Everybody go back to work,' but the governors and the mayors who have instituted these temporary shutdowns and these shelter-in-place orders are the ones that would have to lift those orders," he said. "It's very much an open question whether these mayors and governors would reverse their positions because of what the president has said." Trump has occasionally tried to appeal to a sense of national unity and pride in an effort to marshal a wartime footing. During his speech in Norfolk on Saturday, he described the world as "under attack by this horrible, invisible enemy." "And when we achieve our victory - this victory, your victory - we will emerge stronger and more united than ever before," he added. But he has also lashed out against his perceived political enemies, abandoning the bipartisanship that typically emerges during times of crisis. On Friday, Trump attacked Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, and said he was inclined not to take phone calls from governors who were not sufficiently "appreciative." - - - The Washington Post's Josh Dawsey, Derek Hawkins and Colby Itkowitz contributed to this report. The enemy used proscribed weapons, namely 120mm and 82mm mortars. Donbas, eastern Ukraine, saw escalation on Saturday, March 28, as Russia-led forces had mounted 15 attacks on Ukrainian positions as a result of which two soldiers were wounded in action. The enemy used proscribed weapons, namely 120mm and 82mm mortars, as well as grenade launchers of various systems, large-caliber machine guns, a sniper rifle, and small arms, the press center of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) Headquarters said on Facebook in a morning update on Sunday. Read alsoDonbas war update: Russian invaders violate truce 12 times in past day Yet, from 00:00 to 07:00 Kyiv time on March 29, the enemy was observing the ceasefire. No COVID-19 cases were reported in Ukrainian Army ranks over the period under review. As UNIAN reported earlier, 12 enemy attacks were recorded on Friday, March 27. By IANS NEW DELHI: Chinese manufacturer Oppo on Sunday said that it has donated Rs 1 crore to Prime Minister's National Relief Fund and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister's Distress Fund to fight the novel coronavirus pandemic. "It is a small step towards ensuring the well-being of those fighting at the frontline and showing our gratitude for the services they are providing to the citizens," the company said in a statement. The smartphone maker has also initiated an online repair service that will help with basic troubleshooting and software related issues. "We have initiated an Online Repair Service that will help you with basic troubleshooting and software related issues,"Athe company added. Meanwhile, the company has suspended all on-ground operations due to lockdown announced by the government and has also postponed the launch of OPPO Emco M31. Federal help is available to businesses hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic through the newly passed federal stimulus law, known as the CARES Act, and the CEO of Mid Penn Bank said he will have a team ready to assist them. Rory Ritrievi said Saturday his team has set up a war room in the Harrisburg office, where experienced financial experts are available to help business owners access the loans, which are available in amounts up to $10 million. The federal Small Business Administration is administering the $349 billion Paycheck Protection Program, according to a statement released by Mid Penn Bank. "There is going to be a great volume of loan requests from existing and new customers on Monday that are going to help a lot of people get back to work, Ritrievi said in a phone interview. We have a team of people ready. Some of the undefined terms of the loans: the maximum amount is $10 million for small businesses with 500 or fewer employee, it will be forgivable, interest cant be more than 4 percent, there are no upfront costs, and it can go toward things like payroll, mortgage payments, and utility expenses. The loan has the potential to be paid back over 10 years, he said. "Were still waiting for the government to give us final guidance, he said. Its a very generous program for the borrower. And, the banks that are implementing them on behalf of the Small Business Administration, its really not a profitable thing for them. Its really the right thing to do. No bank should look at this as a profit-making venture. This is the right thing to do. He acknowledged the priority is the health crisis, but getting ahead of the financial crisis is also imperative. Natalie Falatek, the first vice president and director of Small Business Administration/guaranteed lending, is leading the program. For more information contact Falatek at 717-692-7118 or Natalie.Falatek@midpennbank.com. Sir Philip Green's retail empire is suspending payments to its pension scheme as it desperately tries to cling on to cash in the face of the coronavirus lockdown. Arcadia, which owns High Street brands including Topshop, Wallis and Dorothy Perkins, will halt the 2m monthly contributions which were agreed with The Pensions Regulator last summer to reduce a shortfall in the pension scheme. Under pressure: Sir Philip Green's Arcadia owns High Street brands including Topshop, Wallis and Dorothy Perkins The deal saw Sir Philip's wife, Tina, who technically owns Arcadia, agree to plug the gap in the scheme by also making her own 25m per year contributions. She will continue to make those payments, despite the crisis hitting High Street sales. But pensions expert John Ralfe, who advised MPs investigating the collapse of Sir Philip's High Street chain BHS, estimates that if Arcadia were to go bust the current shortfall in its pension scheme would be around 350m to 400m. Self-employed workers can apply for a second emergency coronavirus grant worth up to 6,570. After the government placed the UK under lockdown and unveiled 330bn of government-backed loans for businesses big and small to help them through the coronavirus pandemic, chancellor Rishi Sunak faced increasing pressure to do the same for self-employed workers. In April, Mr Sunak announced the governments plans during the daily Downing Street press conference, in which he reassured the self-employed that they had not been forgotten. At the time, the chancellor set out the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme (SEISS), which he described as one of the most generous in the world. And now, the government has extended the initiative, meaning people can apply for financial support a second time. But, what exactly is the grant, who is eligible and how do you apply? Here is everything you need to know. What help is included in the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme? The initial SEISS scheme allowed people to claim a taxable grant worth 80 per cent of their trading profits up to a maximum of 2,500 per month over a period of three months. Mr Sunak said that the money would be given to people in one lump-sum payment, and would start to be paid from the beginning of June 2020. The second and final taxable grant is worth 70 per cent of your average monthly trading profits, paid out in a single instalment covering three months worth of profits, and capped at 6,570 in total. Who is eligible for a grant? You can apply for a grant if you are self-employed individual or a member of a partnership. However, the government has issued a number of restrictions on applications, meaning that you can only apply if you: have submitted your Income Tax Self Assessment tax return for the tax year 2018-19 traded in the tax year 2019-20 are trading when you apply, or would be except for COVID-19 intend to continue to trade in the tax year 2020-21 have lost trading/partnership trading profits due to COVID-19 To be eligible, your self-employed trading profits must also be less than 50,000 with more than half of your income from self-employment. This is determined by at least one of the following conditions being true: having trading profits/partnership trading profits in 2018-19 of less than 50,000 and these profits constitute more than half of your total taxable income having average trading profits in 2016-17, 2017-18, and 2018-19 of less than 50,000 and these profits constitute more than half of your average taxable income in the same period If you started trading between 2016-19, HMRC will only use those years for which you filed a Self-Assessment tax return. Those who pay themselves a salary and dividends through their own company are not covered by the scheme but will have 80 per cent of their salary covered by the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme if operating through PAYE. How much money will people get? Those eligible for the scheme will get a taxable grant which will be 70 per cent of the average monthly profits from the tax years (where applicable) 2016 to 2017, 2017 to 2018 and 2018 to 2019. To work out the average, HMRC will add together the total trading profit for the three tax years then divide by three and use this to calculate a monthly amount. The grant will be up to a maximum of 6,570 in total and will be paid directly into your bank account, in one instalment. How do you apply for a grant? Applications for the second and final grant are now open. If you are eligible and your business has been adversely affected on or after 14 July 2020, you must make your claim for the second grant on or before 19 October 2020. You can claim a grant through the SEISS here. How many people are affected? According to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the number of self-employed workers in the UK increased from 3.3 million in 2001 to 4.8 million in 2017. Approximately one fifth are from the construction sector, with hundreds of thousands more working in the motor trade, professional services, and education. The first grant saw 7.8bn in taxable grants claimed by 2.7 million people. SPOKANE, Wash. Many towns and cities have legends people or places that carry a story of an incident involving something strange, inexplicable or tragic, including murder. Ian Pisarcik, a New Hartford native, recently released his first novel, Before Familiar Woods that was inspired by his hometowns own legend. The book was released in February by Crooked Lane Books. Pisarcik is an attorney who now lives in Spokane, Wash., with his wife, Sarah Arpian, a psychology professor at a local university, and their 6-month-old daughter, Aoife. He always enjoyed writing, but didnt really consider it as a second career until 2009, when he was completing his last year of law school, he said. In 2009 I was just really into working on writing stories, Piscarcik said. I found myself trying to finish up my studies so I could stay up and do my own writing. Writing the novel Developing the novel took many years. The seed for the story of Before Familiar Woods involves New Hartford, he said. I grew up on Steele Road and Jones Mountain was behind my house. I spent a lot of time at the library; we were a rural town, and we didnt have a bookstore. The library was so important to me at that time. The legend he heard claimed that two boys were found dead in a tent in the woods near the mountain. Thats all I ever heard, that it happened at Jones Mountain. So I went ahead and wrote this book about these two boys, who were found in a tent with human bite marks on them. I researched this legend, and it was based on the Steven Asherman case, Pisarcik said. In 1978, two medical students went camping on Jones Mountain, and one ended up dead and covered with human bite marks. The survivor, Steven Asherman, winds up at someones house, all confused, and said he couldnt find his friend. The case was enthusiastically covered by newspapers and television. Asherman was found guilty of his friends murder. He was released after serving 14 years , according to stories published in the Register Citizen, the New York Times and the Hartford Courant in 1978, 1979 and 1992. So there was some real history behind the story I did, Pisarcik said. Its an interesting story in its own right, because it was one of the first cases to use bite mark technology against Steven Asherman. It was found later that the technique was not (considered) legitimate, and there were a lot of errors in the investigation. He was released on technicalities, and there was some protest about his release at the time. Pisarciks story is fiction, he said, but the legend of the two boys always stuck in his mind. When we were kids, people used to say, Dont go up there, the ghosts of the boys are up there. The book tells a timely story. A review from Publishers Weekly said, Pisarciks outstanding debut begins in the aftermath of a tragedy. Three years after teenagers Mathew Fenn and William Downing died in a burst of violence triggered by heroin and fentanyl, Matthews mother, Ruth, remains shunned by the townsfolk of North Falls, Vermont. Though everyone in the dying town at least ignores the flood of illegal drugs, Ruth is slowly coming to terms with the fact that she deserves personal blame; she should have done more to protect her son. Meanwhile, she meets Milk Raymond, an alienated Iraq War vet whos trying to figure out how to be a father to his son, Daniel, who has been traumatized by his mothers addiction. Then Ruths husband vanishes, along with Williams father. And so Ruth is forced into an awkward, tentative, altogether convincing investigation. Familiar landscapes become quietly ominous as the characters set about doing what they have to do. The action builds toward a devastating yet hopeful conclusion. Pisarcik is a writer to watch. Growing up in New Hartford Pisarcik always enjoyed writing, and was encouraged in school as a young man. He attended Ann Antolini School, Pine Meadow /New Hartford Elementary, then went on to Northwest Region 7. The main character, Ruth Fenn, is a potter who takes in troubled children and teaches them art for free. She helps some of poorer families, he said. While this character is certanily not based specifically on someone, I had an art teacher at Pine Meadow, Ann Raymond, and her husband was a potter. I used to walk over to her studio and take lessons. Ann was very kind and talented, and she did a lot of artwork for the community. He recalled being told to write a story in second grade, and I got really carried away with it, he said. Eventually I wrote so many pages that my teacher took it home, typed it up and gave it to me. I have it up in my office right now. So the interest was always there. I also read a lot, he said. My mother would drop me off at what was then the New Hartford Library and there was a nice chair; Id just sit there for hours with a stack of books. Pisarcik graduated from Marist College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., then attended law school at the University of Pittsburgh. After law school, he moved to Portland, Ore., and took a job representing children in the foster care system. Eventually he met Sarah, a grad student at Portland State University. She grew up in Spokane, he said. After grad school, she was offered a job at a local university, we decided to move to Spokane to start a family. His parents, Jerry and Cathy Pisarcik, recently relocated from New Hartford to Spokane; he also has a sister, Tania Pisarcik. My father grew up in New Hartford, he said. My grandfather, John Pisarcik, was a barber in town. Getting published After his agent, Robert Steele of New York City, found a publisher, Pisarcik went through the somewhat grueling task of editing, cover design and publicizing the book. I was pretty fortunate, really, Pisarcik said. Ive heard horror stories about writers having to do things like eliminate characters, but my edits were relatively minor. The story started out with three points of view, and the editor suggested removing one that was painful. I pushed back a little, then took a couple days to think about it and decided the editor was probably right. Since theyre often right, I realize now that it was a good thing to do, he said. Editors have the adequate distance to say, This is taking away from the story, and that can make a difference. So far the book is doing well. Ive gotten some great reviews, which has been really nice, Pisarcik said. People have emailed me on my website, and say theyve really connected with the book. The pandemic is affecting the publishing world in general, he said. Amazons not shipping books until April, so its a real mess. But independent bookstores are allowing online orders, thats been doing well. And while bookstores are closed, people are stuck at home, and they need something to do, so theyre reading. A new book Pisarcik is working on another novel. Im in the second draft of my second one, but probably a long way away from sending it out, he said. Im hoping to have it in my agents hands by next spring. And while his debut as an author is going well, hes not giving up his day job anytime soon. I do litigation and write law articles for a local firm, so my day job is writing, and my other job is writing, he said. That would certainly be a dream, to write full time. Visit www.crookedlanebooks.com/authors/ian-pisarcik/ or www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/622793/before-familiar-woods-by-ian-pisarcik/9781643852959. Two-thirds of people in the UK want the government to request an extension to the Brexit transition period in order to focus on the coronavirus outbreak, a new opinion poll indicates. The poll of over 2,000 adults revealed such an extension was supported by all age groups, social grades and UK regions, and also had relatively high support among Conservative and Brexit Party voters. The Focaldata poll was commissioned by cross-party campaign groups Best for Britain and Hope Not Hate. The call for an extension to the transition period has been echoed by numerous bodies and pressure groups, including the Scottish and Welsh governments. Two-thirds of respondents (64 per cent) said they agreed with the statement: The government should request an extension to the transition period in order to focus properly on the coronavirus. However, just a third (36 per cent) agreed with the statement: The Brexit transition period must end on 31 December whether a deal has been fixed or not. Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Show all 66 1 /66 Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A message projected onto the White Cliffs of Dover Sky News/AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Big Ben, shows the hands at eleven o'clock at night AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Nigel Farage speaks to pro-Brexit supporters PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-Brexit demonstrators celebrate on Parliament Square REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU The Union flag is taken down outside the European Parliament in Brussels PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU campaigners outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-Brexit supporter jumps on an EU flag in Parliament Square PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU EU Council staff removed the Union Jack-British flag from the European Council in Brussels, Belgium EPA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-Brexit supporter pours beer onto an EU flag PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pedestrians pass in front of the Ministry of Defence Building on Whitehall, illuminated by red, white and blue lights in central London AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A Brexit supporter shouts during a rally in London AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU campaigners outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU campaigners take part in a 'Missing EU Already' rally outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A large pro-EU banner is projected onto Ramsgate cliff in Kent PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU supporters light candles in Smith Square in Westminster PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man waves Union flags from a small car as he drives past Brexit supporters gathering in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU The five-year old Elisa Saemann, left, and her seven-year old sister Katie hold a placard during a rally by anti-Brexit protesters outside the Scottish parliament in Edinburgh AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Europe supporters gather on Brexit day near the British embassy in Berlin, Germany EPA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Anti-Brexit protester hugs a man while holding a placard REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A decorated, old fashioned fire pump in Parliament Square PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit Elvis impersonator performs at Parliament Square Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU An anti-Brexiteers stands with his dog in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Paddy from Bournemouth wears Union colours as he sits next to an EU flag decorated bag in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-EU activist plays a guitar decorated with the EU flag during a protest organised by civil rights group New Europeans outside Europe House, central London AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU People celebrate Britain leaving the EU REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A Pro Brexit supporter has a Union Jack painted onto his face at Parliament Square Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Men hold placards celebrating Britain leaving the EU REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporters dance in the street draped with Union Jack flags at Parliament Square Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU An anti-Brexit demonstrator spreads his wings during a gathering near Downing Street AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro EU supporters display a banner ' Here to Stay, Here to Fight, Migrants In, Tories Out' from Westminster bridge EPA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-Brexit supporters burn European Union flags at Parliament Square Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man poses for a picture on Parliament Square in a 'Brexit Day' t-shirt Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU People celebrate Britain leaving the EU Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man wears a pro-Brexit t-shirt Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Anti-Brexit demonstrators visit Europe House to give flowers to the staff on Brexit day Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporter wears a novelty Union Jack top hat outside the Houses of Parliament Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Customers Scott Jones and Laura Jones at the Sawmill Bar in South Elmsall, Yorkshire, where a Brexit party is being held throughout the day PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU activists protest Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-Brexit demonstrator burns a European Union flag AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporters Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporters Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A Brexit supports holds a sign in Parliament Square AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man carries an EU themed wreath Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Ann Widdecombe reacts with other members of the Brexit party as they leave en masse from the European Parliament PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Anti-Brexit demonstrators in Parliament Square PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro EU supporters let off flares from Westminster Bridge Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU British MEPs Jonathan Bullock, holding the Union Jack flag and Jake Pugh leave the European Parliament, in Brussels on the Brexit day AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Newspapers and other souvenirs at a store, near Parliament Square Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Brexit supporters hold signs in Parliament Square AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU protesters hold placards in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU French newspapers PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald with a Border Communities Against Brexit poster before its unveiling in Carrickcarnon on the Irish border PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU National growers organisation British Apples & Pears has renamed a British apple to EOS, the Greek goddess of dawn, to commemorate Brexit day AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU protesters hold placards in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Britain's departure from the European Union was set in law on January 29, amid emotional scenes, as the bloc's parliament voted to ratify the divorce papers. After half a century of membership and three years of tense withdrawal talks, the UK will leave the EU at midnight Brussels time (23.00 GMT) on January 31 Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man poses with paintings on Parliament Square Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU People sporting Union Flags gather in Parliament Square Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man walks with a St. George's flag at Westminster bridge on Brexit day Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A British bulldog toy and other souvenirs at a souvenir store Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU British pro-brexit Members of the European Parliament leave the EU Parliament for the last time Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Jonathan Bullock waves the Union Jack as he leaves the European Parliament EPA Best for Britain said the responses broke down into predictable support from those who voted for Labour (84 per cent) and the Lib Dems (83 per cent) at the last election, but that the first statement was also supported by nearly half of those who voted Conservative (44 per cent) and a fifth of Brexit Party voters (19 per cent). An extension was supported by more than 50 per cent of people across all age groups, with 18-24 year olds the most supportive (78 per cent) and 65-plus year olds the least supportive (although still 52 per cent) meaning there is no generational divide in the country over an extension request. The SNP has also urged the UK government to hit pause on the Brexit negotiations and seek an extension to the transition period while authorities grapple with the coronavirus pandemic. The partys Brexit spokeswoman, MP Philippa Whitford, said it would be irresponsible and an act of economic and social self-harm to continue hurtling towards the transition deadline. The Focaldata poll also indicated most people would like the government to seek membership of the EU Early Warning and Response System (EWRS) for medical emergencies, after it emerged earlier this month the Department of Health had been unsuccessful in lobbying No 10 to remain a member. A total of 65 per cent of people in the UK, including 55 per cent of those who voted Conservative at the last election, want the government to seek membership of the EWRS. The EWRS was set up in 1998 to allow exchange of information on risk assessment and risk management for more timely, efficient and coordinated public health action. The NHS Confederation has identified membership of the EWRS as a priority, arguing that tackling global outbreaks such as coronavirus would become more difficult if the UK loses access. Speaking about the poll, Best for Britain chief executive Naomi Smith said: Its simply not reasonable to expect we will have tied up negotiations with the EU by the end of the year while dealing with a warlike emergency. Nor is it desirable. By thinking it can complete both challenges at once, the government would be setting itself up for failure with profound economic consequences. Most people just want the government to get on with the job at hand so that lives can be saved and normality restored as quickly as possible. She added: The country is simply not in a place to weather two storms at the moment. Hope Not Hate chief executive Nick Lowles said: EU schemes like the Early Warning and Response System and the ventilator procurement programme are critical tools for responding to this urgent public health crisis. Healthcare workers are doing a fantastic job, but they cannot fight this disease alone. They need all the help they can get. The government must put politics aside and urgently seek participation in these schemes. It would be foolhardy for ideology to get in the way of practical measures to keep people safe. The government has recently said it remains fully committed to the negotiations, which it said are continuing. The Independent has contacted Downing Street for comment. By days end Monday, most of the Bay Area will have been holed up in their homes for two weeks long enough, experts say, to see whether the unprecedented efforts to keep people apart are beginning to halt, or at least slow down, the coronavirus. There are hopeful signs. Though the case counts keep climbing, theyre not rising so fast as to suggest the regional outbreak is out of control, as it is in New York. The death toll in the Bay Area is mounting, and while thats sobering news, its not increasing faster than anticipated. But this pandemic has been fast-moving, often exploding out of nowhere in communities and overwhelming hospitals in just a matter of days. On Saturday, Gov. Gavin Newsom said the number of coronavirus patients in intensive care had more than doubled overnight in California, and the number of people hospitalized grew by a third, to more than 1,000. Its too early to say whether the regional outbreak will mushroom into the kind of crisis striking New York. Public health authorities warn it may be several weeks before they can say that sheltering in place saved the Bay Area and the state. And only then can everyone start to talk about what happens next: When is it safe to go back to some kind of normal? People want us to say when its going to be over, and we cant tell them. We have to follow the data, said Chris Farnitano, the Contra Costa County health officer. I think weve been ahead of the epidemic more so than other areas, he said. The Bay Area was the first to institute shelter in place. But we are still seeing our case numbers go up exponentially. Its really, really important for all of us to continue to shelter in place and to do social distancing. We need to hang in there, because we wont know whether its working for a while. The United States last week became the first country in the world to top 100,000 cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. The U.S. has 30,000 more cases than China, where the pandemic began and spiraled out of control for weeks before public health authorities were aware the new virus existed. But even with a month or two head start on China, the U.S. has struggled to control or accurately describe its own epidemic. Reports of people who test positive for the coronavirus are the simplest and easiest to track, but theyre also not very reliable markers of the actual spread of disease or the severity of illness in a community. Other important signals include the number of people hospitalized, how many people have died and how many people in the community have symptoms. More than 2,000 people have died from COVID-19 in the U.S. But much of that data isnt reported publicly at all, and when available, its often a week or two old. The virus itself can incubate in an individual for up to 14 days before making someone sick. Those who are infected may not get tested or go to a hospital for care for another week or so after that. In other words: Understanding when the outbreak has passed is going to take time and careful analysis. Lea Suzuki / The Chronicle Counting coronavirus cases Testing has proved a major hurdle to understanding the epidemic, with missteps at federal and state levels hampering the process along the way. That in turn means public health officials dont have a very good sense of how far and fast local outbreaks are spreading. California has tested far fewer people than other states, including New York. As of Friday, 89,600 tests had been done in California, compared with 145,000 in New York. And about 64,000 of the California tests results are still pending. Testing problems mean that the case counts that public health officials use to determine when the outbreak is starting to subside are unreliable. But case counts in many places are the only consistent, real-time marker available. In the Bay Area, the pace of growth over the past month suggests that this region is doing better than other places. New cases have been roughly tripling every week for the past three weeks. In New York, the new cases have been doubling or tripling every few days. The Bay Area had nearly 1,800 cases as of Saturday. New York City had nearly 31,000 cases. As testing increases and Gov. Gavin Newsom and other policymakers promise that it will then so too will the case counts in the Bay Area and the rest of the state. But infectious disease experts say that even with more testing, the counts ultimately should be a good marker of when the outbreak is starting to slow down. The data are full of caveats, but at the end of the day, the case counts are what we know. And we need to see those going down, said Travis Porco, a UCSF bio-statistician. Hospital numbers The most reliable marker of the outbreak is the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19, infectious disease experts say. But its also the least publicly available information. Hospital numbers tell public health officials exactly how many people in the community are seriously ill with the virus. And yet, as of Friday, only Santa Clara County was reporting daily hospitalization numbers and the county removed those numbers from its website Friday afternoon. The California Department of Public Health said it plans to start regularly reporting statewide hospitalization numbers soon. Santa Clara County hospitalization numbers climbed about 10% to 15% a day for the past week, which is concerning but not surprising, said Steven Goodman, a Stanford epidemiologist. We dont want to see that going up too much higher, he said. He hopes those daily increases will slow over the next couple of weeks. As of Friday, 154 people had been hospitalized with COVID-19 in Santa Clara County. Statewide, 1,034 people who have tested positive were hospitalized Saturday a 39% increase overnight, Newsom said in a news conference. About 410 people were in intensive care, more than twice as many as the day before, he said. Hospital numbers, like case counts, will tell public health officials when the outbreak is growing and when its ebbing. But people dont typically end up in the hospital until two to three weeks after theyre infected, so the numbers have a lag time. Tracking symptoms Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. The U.S. already has in place a national surveillance system that tracks the percentage of people who see a doctor for flu-like illness. Because flu and COVID-19 share many symptoms, that system can also be used to track the coronavirus. And its especially useful now, as the flu season winds down. This time of year, reports of flu-like illness would typically steadily drop, but in fact theyre climbing thats pretty strong evidence of COVID-19 in the community, infectious disease experts said. The downside of that data is that its typically about a week old, and its reported on a statewide level. So its not a great marker of whats happening in San Francisco right now, for example. Still, health care providers study these reports to understand how many sick people are in the community and to adjust staffing and other resources accordingly. Theyre doing that now with COVID-19, watching the flu reports and bracing for a rush of patients. If we start to see a spike in influenza reporting this would be a weird time of year for that. So its a very useful source of information that is being monitored for sure, said Porco. As of last week, when the most recent data were available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reports of flu-like illness were higher in the second week of March than they were at the peak of the traditional flu season in February. What the death tolls say The most accurate portrayal of the spread of disease is how many people have died, public health experts say. These cases are the least likely to be missed by testing shortages or reporting delays. The problem with using deaths as a marker of disease is twofold. First, most people die about a month or so after being infected, so the deaths that are being reported now are a reflection of what was happening in the community four or more weeks ago. Second and this is a good problem to have there arent enough deaths yet in the Bay Area to accurately reflect whether the epidemic is expanding or waning, infectious disease experts said. Forty-five people have died in the region so far, 34 in just the past week. But day to day, deaths dont reveal much about whether the outbreak is slowing down. Statewide, the number of deaths is more significant: 119 people have died, 91 in the past week alone. And the numbers have been increasing steadily day to day. None of the reports that public health leaders are looking at point to an end of the statewide near-lockdown. It seems very unlikely that the Bay Area shelter-in-place orders will lift on April 7, as was originally directed. The state should have more clarity by Easter April 12 but the outbreak probably wont be over by then, either. But there are signs that sheltering in place is working, said Santa Clara County Executive Jeffrey Smith. People just need to keep staying home, keep their distance from others, and keep their spirits up. Every little bit of hope helps, Smith said at a news conference in San Jose on Friday. Hes hopeful that the case counts arent climbing too fast, and that other markers are, if not quite encouraging, at least not alarming. Two weeks from the shelter-in-place orders which would be Tuesday he hopes to have more answers. And then it takes four weeks before you actually see some substantial change, Smith said. We should know we should have a much better idea by then. Erin Allday is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: eallday@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @erinallday Wawa, a super-convenience store chain with almost 900 sites along the East Coast, closed one of its 255 stores in New Jersey this month after a worker tested positive for the coronavirus virus, a store spokeswoman said Sunday. The store at 511 Berlin-Cross Keys Road in Gloucester Township closed on March 19 and reopened on March 28. The action was taken after a worker tested positive for the virus. Their last day on the job was March 16. The store was the only one in the state reported closed because of the virus, an official said Sunday. "It is our policy to immediately and proactively close stores for professional deep cleaning and disinfecting after being notified by an associate of a confirmed case of COVID-19, Lori Bruce, a Wawa spokeswoman said Sunday. We also work with local departments of health regarding notifications to any of our associates who may have had close contact with the impacted associate and immediately ask them to follow CDC-recommended guidelines to self-quarantine for the appropriate period of time. A Wawa on Little Gloucester Road in Clementon was also reported closed recently but Bruce said that was because of a lack of staff to operate it. At least three Wawa stores in Pennsylvania and one in Delaware have also recently been closed because of workers contracting the coronavirus, according to published reports. Wawa voluntarily stopped allowing self-serve beverage options from all of its stores after officials in Camden County requested the practice, particularly with coffee, be stopped until the virus pandemic is over. NJ.com staff writer Pete Genovese needs his Wawa. Please help. Camden County officials this week praised Wawa as a model of compliance during the epidemic. The coronavirus has killed at least 140 statewide and infected at least 11,124. Hours after New Jersey officials announced the largest one-day increase in deaths since the coronavirus pandemic began earlier this month, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control issued a domestic travel advisory this weekend for New Jersey, New York and Connecticut. New York has the most coronavirus cases in the country with more than 52,000. More than half of those about 29,000 are in New York City. New Jersey is second nationally. Nationwide the pandemic has killed 2,191 and infected 124,686. Worldwide the total is 31,700 deaths and 678,720 infections. If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. Bill Duhart may be reached at bduhart@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @bduhart. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. It's honestly time for all of us to realise our privilege and how lucky we actually have gotten during this pandemic. We can self-quarantine comfortably in our homes and somewhat still have financial sustainability right now and even after this is over. So many, actually way too many, people are not as lucky. I'm talking about the daily wage workers, the migrant workers, the workers who not only lost their only source of earning because of coronavirus and the lockdown but were also left stranded hundreds of kilometres away from their homes. Reuters Because of no notice about the lockdown, a lot of these workers who were in major cities, most of them away from their families, working and trying to earn a living were left with no way to get back to their homes, their villages. We've all seen the heartbreaking pictures of thousands of people enduring a long journey on foot without any money or food and felt helpless because there's really nothing we can do to help them. I'm really not trying to call out the government but I think everyone can agree that this should have been handled better by the authorities. Everyone knew this was inevitable and it's disappointing that the government failed such a huge chunk of the citizens of India during this already stressful time. Us privileged lot could make do with the four-hour notice of lockdown but what about these people? What's the point of shutting down all forms of transportation before everyone was back to the safety of their homes to self-quarantine? Reuters The worst part is reading reports of how so many people have already lost their lives, not because of the deadly virus this lockdown is trying to fight, but the repercussions of the lockdown itself which could have easily been avoided with better planning. Someone on Twitter shared a thread of all the people who have lost their lives while trying to travel back home or just because of police brutality and there needs to be some accountability. 1. A 39-year-old man, a home delivery boy for a private restaurant in Delhi & was the father of three, died in Agra after walking for about 200 kilometers: https://t.co/cRoIaSeMpr Kanika (@_kanikas_) March 29, 2020 Why weren't there better provisions? 2. Three workers and two children, heading home on foot crushed to death in Haryana: https://t.co/AIrVgoVutw Kanika (@_kanikas_) March 29, 2020 A baby! A one and a half year old baby! 3. Seven migrants workers and 18-month old baby returning home after lockdown killed in a road accident in Hyderabad: https://t.co/qsct4JTgUT Kanika (@_kanikas_) March 29, 2020 Think about this when you're hoarding food. 4. 11-year-old Rahul Musahar died of hunger yesterday when Jawahar Tola in Bhojpur, Biharhttps://t.co/NZw4AeB1HE Kanika (@_kanikas_) March 29, 2020 Will they get justice? 5. Four migrants, walking back to their village in Rajasthan, run over in Mumbai https://t.co/NrclYq8l8V Kanika (@_kanikas_) March 29, 2020 Even the elderly aren't spared. 6. 62-year-old dies after walking home from hospital in Surat:https://t.co/3bFjKZCu2u Kanika (@_kanikas_) March 29, 2020 But I thought PM Modi said going out to get essentials is allowed. Is the police not even listening to the prime minister of our country? 7. The 32-year-old man stepped out of his house to buy milk during the lockdown in Kolkata. The family says he was beaten up by the police. A local hospital declared him brought dead.https://t.co/P1symrpj7J Kanika (@_kanikas_) March 29, 2020 What was their fault? Four TN workers, who had to take a forest path after State borders were closed, die in forest fire:https://t.co/C8InW9K7ff gopu mohan (@gm_madras) March 29, 2020 Turns out, you don't need to be infected with the virus to die during this pandemic. Thank you for compiling this. I have heard a pregnant lady from Kasargod was not allowed to cross into Managalore, Karnataka and died. Another man seeking tertiary treatment outside of Kerala also died due to Karnataka sealing all roads. Both were not #covid infected. Leo Saldanha (@leofsaldanha) March 29, 2020 Someone needs to be held responsible for these deaths and I think we all know who those people are. I really hope no one else loses their life over completely avoidable situations and I really hope the government gets some compassion and help the people, all the people. James Govan is not taking any chances with the novel coronavirus. A retired federal employee who lives in Arlington, Virginia, he's 83 and has a heart condition. He doesn't go outside for food and hasn't left the house for two weeks. When Govan tried to order groceries online from Safeway, he found the store's system would let him fill his virtual cart but wouldn't let him schedule a delivery. All the slots were taken for several days, and a calendar for later dates wasn't available. Govan won't starve. He has friends and a son who can help, although he said he doesn't "feel like imposing." The shopping experience worried him: If grocery stores can't make timely deliveries, seniors will need to shop in person or rely on a network of friends and family members, which some don't have. "I took an hour diddling with this online shopping business - it's kind of new to me," Govan said. "I guess they're just having a stress of staff power." Govan stumbled on a hiccup in the food supply chain affecting grocery stores across the nation as the number of coronavirus cases surges and people avoid public places. Stores are struggling to hire more workers to fill and deliver additional online orders. Andrew Whelan, a spokesman for Albertsons, Safeway's parent company, said the grocery giant plans to hire 30,000 workers and is partnering with companies in the service industry, such as Hilton and MGM Resorts, that have laid off workers to find them. Whelan said the new hires will boost the timeliness of online deliveries. "As you can imagine, we are experiencing high demand. We appreciate our customers' patience on this," he said. "Certainly, as you know, these are unprecedented times." Other companies are making similar moves. Instacart is planning to hire 300,000 personal shoppers. A Giant spokesperson said the company is hiring store clerks, pharmacy technicians, delivery drivers and warehouse workers - and suggested customers use Instacart as well as Giant's own drivers. A Whole Foods Market spokesperson said the company is seeing an increase in online orders and is "working around the clock to continue to deliver grocery orders to customers as quickly as possible." The company declined to release details about grocery delivery demand but referred to Amazon's companywide announcement of plans to hire 100,000 full- and part-time workers. (Whole Foods is an Amazon subsidiary, and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post.) There seemed to be a bottleneck Friday in the delivery process from grocers in the Washington region. Safeway's earliest delivery time was noon Tuesday. Peapod, Giant's delivery service, had no delivery available through April 3. Amazon, which delivers for Whole Foods, had a delivery slot at 9 p.m. Friday but none Saturday, the only other day listed. Toilet paper was unavailable at all three. Seeking to keep shoppers safe in a period of social distancing, several grocers have introduced special hours reserved for older shoppers and those with compromised immune systems, an effort to reduce their risk of infection. Some shoppers are finding plexiglass shields for cashiers and marked floors so shoppers can stand six feet apart to maintain social distancing. At least one grocery store in the Washington, D.C., region is switching to curbside pickup, worried that shopping inside isn't safe. The Takoma Park Silver Spring Co-op closed this week to transition to an online ordering system. Mike Houston, the store's general manager, said he hopes to reopen Saturday to complete orders filed with the web-based system, which was built from scratch. The co-op has operated "massively beyond capacity" since the coronavirus outbreak hit, Houston said. Worried about risks to shoppers and employees in a 4,200-square-foot store - and skeptical that special hours for older guests will prevent infection - he decided "the only safe way to protect our employees and the public is to close the store off entirely." "It's unbelievably hard," he said. "I've been in natural foods for a long time. Closing your door to people that purchase food goes against my DNA." At least two small co-ops, in Minneapolis and Seattle, have had to temporarily close after employees tested positive for the coronavirus. From small grocers to national chains, some stores have boosted worker pay by $2 an hour amid the outbreak. Houston said his store's brief closure might preserve business in the long run. He said he's "a week ahead of a bunch of other stores in coming to this conclusion." "I would love to think we can sanitize our way out of this," he said, "but I don't think it's safe for people to crowd into a grocery store to shop." In Northwest Washington, the Broad Branch Market's newest delivery method removes the possibility of human-to-human coronavirus spread: Deliveries are being made with robots. The small, six-wheeled computer-controlled vehicles resemble large white coolers. After a customer places an order, the cargo hold is filled, and using global positioning data, the battery-powered robot buzzes off to its destination, generally a few blocks away. The customer is alerted to keep an eye out. Such robots have been around for a while, often on college campuses, but are new to the Broad Branch Market. "You've got to change the batteries a lot," store owner Tracy Stannard said. "They've gotten stranded a couple of times, going too far. It adds a little fun to the dire situation." The robots are loaded with sensors and cameras, and they proceed cautiously. Each can carry two full bags of groceries. And they are fairly sanitary. "It's pretty hands free," Stannard said. "We've been wiping them down anyway." If there's one glitch, it's that the cargo area is too small for the store's long baguette. Other businesses are reluctant or unable to switch to alternative delivery methods. Scott Nash, founder of Mom's Organic Market - started in Maryland in 1987, now with 19 locations in four states and the District of Columbia - said it doesn't do curbside pickup or delivery and has no plans to. Nash said the store is trying to mitigate the effects of the coronavirus outbreak, taking precautions such as increasing the frequency of cleanings and encouraging social distancing, while also hiring laid-off restaurant workers. But a switch to delivery in the grocery industry isn't sustainable for the long term, he said. "Curbside and home delivery is a bit of a debacle right now with so many people placing orders," he said. "I feel like with the precautions that we've taken, each person can - if they're careful, mindful - be in control as to whether they catch it at the store." - - - The Washington Post's Hannah Natanson contributed to this report. More details are emerging of a recent military operation by Nigerian soldiers battling Boko Haram fighters in the North-east. The Nigerian general leading the operations said the insurgents attacked troops he was leading with 15 gun trucks from different flanks. We have been met with very strong resistance from Boko Haram since yesterday. They are more than pockets of insurgents. Today morning, and from every flank, not less than 15 gun trunks faced us. The Boko Haram terrorists fired more than 100 RPGs and mortars on us, Olusegun Adeniyi, a major-general and theatre commander of Operation Lafiya Dole said in a video. PRNigeria, a news agency with close ties to security agencies, said it sourced the video on Sunday morning. The exact day Mr Adeniyi shot the video was not stated, but PREMIUM TIMES learnt the video was shot about three days ago meaning the attack occurred around Wednesday. Mr Adeniyi did not also state the exact location where the attack took place in the North-east, but our security source said it was in Borno State. In the video, Mr Adeniyi said he and other generals led the Nigerian troops to successfully fight off the insurgents. Yet, we are not running or fleeing from them. Me and other generals are on the ground. We are good to go. But this is the true situation of things, he added. The attack occurred days after the military blamed local informants for the death of about 47 soldiers killed the Boko Haram in Yobe State. Read the full statement from PRNigeria below. Amid reports that troops of Operation Lafiya Dole (OLD) retreated and fled after Boko Haram insurgents launched multiple attacks in North-East a few days ago, the Commander of the Theatre, Major General Olusegun Adeniyi, said both officers and soldiers of the three battalions deployed to neutralize the terrorists are still on the ground. Gen. Adeniyi, in one of the short videos obtained by PRNigeria, on Sunday morning, said though the troops he was leading recorded some casualties, and injuries, they still resisted and gallantly confronted the terrorists. We have been met with very strong resistance from Boko Haram since yesterday. They are more than pockets of insurgents. Today morning, and from every flank, not less than 15 gun trunks faced us. The Boko Haram terrorists fired more than 100 RPGs and mortars on us. Yet, we are not running or fleeing from them. Me and other generals are on the ground. We are good to go. But this is the true situation of things, the Theatre Commander added. In another short video obtained by PRNigeria, troops counted 27 mangled bodies of terrorists killed in an encounter, while two men suspected to be terrorists informants were captured and handcuffed. By PTI CHENNAI: Coming to the rescue of migrant workers stranded in the state owing to the lockdown due to COVID-19, the Tamil Nadu government on Sunday advised district collectors to ensure that the employees from other states get proper food and accommodation. Orders were also issued to the Collectors to take up alternative arrangements if there was any difficulty in the present accommodation offered to the migrant employees, Chief Minister K Palaniswami said in a statement. For workers who have already stepped out of their respective towns or if they were staying in railway stations in Tamil Nadu, Palaniswami told the Collectors to arrange temporary accommodation. The funds for providing the accommodation may be utilised from the State Disaster Relief Fund, he said in the statement. Two committees headed by senior IAS officers would be formed to provide the necessary assistance for the welfare of the employees and students from other states, it said. The two committees would operate along with the existing nine special teams comprising senior IAS officials which were already constituted to contain the spread of coronavirus in the state, he said. Chief Minister said a crisis management committee led by a district collector would be formed. It would comprise leaders of chambers of commerce, executive directors of private hospitals, medical experts, NGOs to take precautionary measures on the spread of coronavirus. Palaniswami said medical officers were asked to lay special focus on 1.50 lakh pregnant women during the next two months, who were advised to call 102 and 104 for necessary assistance. He said private hospitals should send details of those individuals who suffer from chronic breathing problem to the health department. Orders were also issued to collectors that social distancing was strictly followed in places like a fish market, meat and vegetable shops, the statement said. Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday reached out to migrant workers in the state appealing to them not to leave for their native places during the lockdown and assuring all help to them. He also said the number of coronavirus cases in the state touched 70 with three people testing positive for the infection on Sunday. Rao, referred to as KCR, appealed to migrant workers not to leave the state during the coronavirus lockdown and assured that the state government will provide each person with 12 kg rice of flour, Rs 500 cash assistance and shelter. "As Chief Minister of Telangana I am telling how many crores of rupees are needed to be spent we will not go back, we will arrange for the money. You stay comfortably. At any cost nobody should starve in Telangana from any state," Rao said reaching out to the workers. His appeal came on a day when incidents of migrant workers hitting roads in a bid to return to their homes were reported in different parts of the country including Kerala and Delhi. After a video conference with officials to discuss the measures taken to prevent the spread of the virus, Rao told reporters here that the total COVID-19 cases in the state stood at 70, including one who was discharged earlier. Rao also said he spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi (during 'Mann ki Baat' radio address) on Sunday. "The total number of cases are now 70. We have 11 persons who are being treated in Gandhi Hospital and they have tested negative after final checks. They will be discharged tomorrow, "the Chief Minister said. Rao said nearly 26,000 people were under surveillance for 14 days as per the mandated protocol for checking the spread of coronavirus. A 74-year old man has become Telangana's first coronavirus fatality as samples of him taken after his death two days ago tested positive for the infection on Saturday. Referring to migrant workers, Rao said his government considered them as partners in Telangana's development and asked those migrating to stay back in the state. "Don't make desperate attempts to leave Telangana to reach your native places. You have come (to Telangana) for state's progress and to serve Telangana and hence we see you as a family member. Don't worry for anything. We will take care of you," he said. It was the state's responsibility to take care of them and provide food, ration, water and medicine for those having health problems, Rao said. He asked the migrant labourers to stay comfortably in Telangana adding "don't worry about going back to your native places. As long as you want to stay back we will take care of you as a family member. "Each person will get 12 kg ration (rice or flour) and Rs 500. The Telangana government will take care of your requirements don't migrate and stay back at your places (in Telangana), he said. There are around 3.5 lakh migrant workers from different states working in various districts of Telangana, he said. He asked the workers to approach the local Collector, MLA, Municipality or Police official if they face any problem. Rao further assured farmers that paddy from them will be bought and asked them not to rush to paddy procurement centres as the government would be issuing coupons mentioning the date and time. The state government has released Rs 25,000 crore to Civil Supplies Department for procuring paddy and Rs 3,500 crore to Markfed (Cooperative Marketing Federation) for procuring maize, he said adding if rice millers wanted to buy paddy from farmers they should pay the MSP. Rao said as huge number of labourers are required in view of the ensuing harvesting season, the Telangana Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar is in discussion with his Bihar counterpart for getting workers from there. He lashed out at the rumour mongers who spread false in social media with regard to coronavirus and warned of initiating stringent action against such persons. An advertisement to recruit doctors and para-medical staff has been issued to create a pool of health care professional as part of the preparedness and on need basis their services will be utilised, Rao added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 29 Trend: The entry to and exit from Azerbaijans Goranboy district is limited due to the special quarantine regime, Trend reports on March 29 referring to the Ganja regional group of the Interior Ministrys press-service. The police officers of the Goranboy district are working intensively. While informing citizens on the territory of the district, the police officers urge them to stay at home. Police officers accompany the individuals older 65 up to their houses, warning them that they must not go out. Employers skimming from government support schemes have been sent a strong message to treat employees right during the coronavirus crisis, a union boss says. Another says most employers are doing the right thing, and are under incredible pressure - but should not be put off applying for wage subsidies for fear of getting it wrong. Finance Minister Grant Robertson announced changes to the wage subsidy scheme on Friday, saying they were needed to prevent employers keeping the government's new wage subsidy. The subsidy is intended to support workers and to stop double-dipping where both the wage subsidy and special sick leave subsidy were being claimed for an employee. Employers drawing on the wage subsidy scheme are still being asked to make their best efforts to pay employees 80 percent of their normal wages - but if that's not possible they have been told workers must receive at least the full value of the wage subsidy payments. The sick leave support has been merged into the wage subsidy scheme to simplify it. The wage subsidies allow a fulltime worker to be subsidised $585 a week, and a part-time worker $350 a week, for 12 weeks. Richard Wagstaff, president of the NZ Council of Trade Unions, says representatives had been getting reports of businesses taking the money and not passing it on to employees, but it's hard to gauge how widespread this has been. "That's alarming when you consider how New Zealand as a whole - to get through this we need to work with each other for each other, against this thing. "And anybody trying to clip the ticket or take unfair advantage of the high trust methods put in place through necessity should look in the mirror and wonder just what kind of business they're operating." He says the subsidies did not cost businesses anything, so no one should have to lose their job right now. "The subsidy means there's absolutely no excuse for employers to lay people off - the government is clearly moving quickly to save people's jobs, and that's very important now. "They just simply need to pass it through, that will keep people in work and connected to their employment - we hope businesses do the right thing, take up this offer from the government, add to it as best they can and pass it through to workers." How organisations treat their staff during this crisis is likely to be remembered by their employees and communities for a very long time, Richard says. However, Employers and Manufacturers Asssociation representative Alan McDonald says there was only "one or two" businesses that had tried to take advantage. "We're taking 1500 calls a day through our advice line, and I can tell you not one of those people are trying to do the wrong thing by their employees. They're trying the utmost to look after their employees." Alan knows of three businesses who closed their doors on Friday, each with more than 100 employees. "These are businesses with no income, and no prospect of any income. One was a tourism business that was taking half a million people a year through its doors, and is now taking no-one. "I don't think you can pay staff when they've got no prospect of the borders opening again any time soon. So, I just don't think that's a realistic - I think that view from the CTU's a little naive." Alan says before the Covid-19 pandemic, members were reporting that the standout biggest handbrake to growth has been getting employees with good skills. "So when you've got them, you want to hang on to them. In the vast majority of cases we're seeing, the first step is certainly not to try to make staff redundant," he says. "The main focus is trying to look after the people they've got, so when or if things pick up again they are in a position to take advantage of that and start trading again, and try to get back to some sort of normality, so that people have got jobs and employers can fire up their business and get that revenue going again and trying to make an economic difference again." The wage subsidy scheme is vital, Alan says, but there's inevitable kinks that need to be worked out. "The government is trying to bolt a one-size-fits all scheme onto several hundred thousand businesses across New Zealand - that's going to have problems. But you have to give the government credit in this, they are moving to change things as they see these problems come along." Issues the association's members raised included uncertainty about how subsidies should be apportioned to part-time workers, which was clarified yesterday, and confusion about overlaps in the sick leave subsidy and wage subsidies, before they were rolled into one. "Some people it is a little difficult for them - the scale of their business, there are some privacy issues that cause some issues, there are all sorts of different ways of working," he says. Association members have also reported a backlog in applications, but Alan says the union was satisfied that was to be expected because of the sheer numbers involved. He says he was reassured that the earliest applications were paid quickly, and more government staff had been brought in to help process them. "The biggest problem is we're hearing there's some reluctance to actually apply because people are worried about possibly some form of prosecution or something at the end, if they get it wrong - but I'll reiterate the advice from both MBIE and MSD: just apply and if there's an issue with your application they'll come back to you. "The subsidy is there to and try and help businesses get through this period, and that's the focus. And I think there's a lot of concerns about what-ifs in the future, but the main focus just now is just trying to survive, and keep your people with some level of wage or salary coming in." Karoline Tuckey/RNZ A 21-year-old resident of Ram Nagar in Ghanaur block of Patiala was tested positive for coronavirus. The youth was admitted at Ambala civil hospital two days back and his samples were sent to PGIMER, Chandigarh, which confirmed that he is positive for the virus on Saturday night. This is the first Covid-19 positive case in Patiala district. Earlier, the health department had collected samples of 10 suspected patients but all had been tested negative. According to the health department, the youth, who works as an electrician, had returned from Nepal on March 20. Immediately after the reports came, a team of doctors led by the district epidemiologist reached his village and quarantined his family. District epidemiologist Dr Sumeet Singh said, We are at the patients village and taking samples of his family and others he came in contact with after his return. A total of 14 people, including his family and other villagers have been quarantined at Government Rajindra Hospital in Patiala, he added. , We're sorry, this article is not currently available The total number of COVID-19 cases in India reached 918 with 179 fresh cases being reported on March 28, the highest single-day increase so far, while the death toll rose to 19, according to the Union Health Ministry data. Deaths have so far been reported from Maharashtra (5), Gujarat (3), Karnataka (2), Madhya Pradesh (2) and one each from Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Punjab, Delhi, West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. In its updated data at 5.45 pm, the ministry stated that the number of active COVID-19 cases in the country was 819, which is an increases of 179 since March 27 when it was 640. The total number of 918 cases in the country included 47 foreigners, the data stated. As many as 79 people were either cured or discharged and one had migrated. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show Maharashtra has reported the highest number of COVID-19 cases so far at 180 (including three foreign nationals), followed by Kerala at 176, including eight foreign nationals, according to the ministry data. In Telangana, the number of cases has gone up to 56, including 10 foreigners while Karnataka has reported 55 cases till now. The number of cases in Rajasthan has climbed to 54, including two foreigners. Uttar Pradesh has reported 55 cases, including a foreigner while in Gujarat, it has gone up to 45, including one foreign national. In Tamil Nadu 40 people, including six foreigners, have tested positive, while the number of positive cases in Delhi has gone up to 39, including a foreigner. Punjab has reported 38 cases, while 33 COVID-19 cases have so far been detected in Haryana, including 14 foreigners. Madhya Pradesh has recorded 30 cases, Jammu and Kashmir 20, West Bengal 15, Andhra Pradesh 14 and Ladakh has reported 13 COVID-19 cases. Bihar has nine cases, Chandigarh eight and Chhattisgarh has reported six cases so far. Uttarakhand has five cases, including a foreigner. Himachal Pradesh and Odisha have reported three cases each. Six cases have been reported from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Goa has reported three coronavirus cases. Puducherry, Mizoram and Manipur have reported one case each. The ministry on its website stated, "Remaining nine cases are being assigned to states to initiate contact tracing." By IANS MUMBAI: Author-entrepreneur Twinkle Khanna was driven to the hospital by her actor husband Akshay Kumar, whom she called her "driver from Chandni Chowk". The jocular quip was a reference to the fact that Akshay grew up in the Old Delhi locality of Chandni Chowk. Twinkle took to Instagram, where she shared a video of herself along with Akshay. ALSO READ: Karni Sena disrupts shoot of Akshay Kumars Prithviraj In the clip, Akshay can be seen driving while wearing a mask as Twinkle sits besides him and films the scene from inside her car. Twinkle captioned the video: "Deserted roads all the way back from the hospital. Please don't be alarmed, I am not about to kick the bucket because I really can't kick anything at all." In the video, she also assured fans that she wasn't in hospital owing to the coronavirus scare but because she broke a foot. She shared a glimpse of the heavily-bandaged foot. The video currently has over 4,00,000 likes on Instagram. (Bloomberg Opinion) -- Day after day, Israel toughens its measures to fight coronavirus. The measures are an escalating version of the same quarantine message. In a televised message on Wednesday night, a frustrated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu put it in blunt terms. You must stay at home. Stay at home -- stay alive. The religious and ethnic communities of Israel, divided in so much, now find themselves on the same side against a common enemy. Not all communities, however, are equally ready to shoulder the burden of compliance. On the day that new regulations were announced, Israeli television news showed split screen evidence of the disparity. On one side of the screen was an almost deserted Tel Aviv seaside promenade. On the other was a street scene from Mea Sharim, the heart of Jerusalems ultra-Orthodox neighborhood. There shoppers crowded stores which were supposed to be closed, and young men in black suits and black fedoras preened for the camera. In his televised speech, Natanyahu had said that the virus does not distinguish between those who are bareheaded (secular Jews), those who wear a kippa (religious Jews) and those who wear a kufiyah (Arab headdress). It was a rare, and welcome, ecumenical statement by the prime minister. But he didnt include fedoras -- the symbol of Israels million-strong ultra-orthodox communities and that was no accidental omission. The black hats are Israeli citizens and Netanyahu voters, but their first loyalty is to Jewish law as interpreted by their rabbis. They do not serve in the Israeli army as a matter of principle, do not fly the Israeli flag in their institutions and dont generally accept Israeli authority. When police have tried to enforce emergency regulations in their neighborhoods, mobs of young men have greeted them with a barrage of rotten vegetables, stones and cries of Nazi! This week it was reported that 30% of coronavirus cases were contracted in synagogues and yeshivas. The government has banned indoor synagogue services. Some rabbis have ordered compliance. Many refuse. The us first attitude has been encouraged by Minister of Health Yaakov Litzman, himself an ultra-orthodox rabbi, who has fought the synagogue ban and lobbied, so far successfully, to keep ritual baths open. Story continues It is impossible not to contrast such irresponsible isolationism with the behavior of the Israeli Arab community. Like the ultra-orthodox, they are largely estranged from the mainstream, live mostly in their own towns and villages, do not speak Hebrew as a first language and have leaders who do not accept the legitimacy of the Jewish state. In the early stages of the corona crises, the Arabs were slow to comply with government restrictions. There was a low level of inflection among them that caused skepticism about the size of the problem. For this community, doubting government restrictions is a reflex. That changed when alarms were sounded by doctors and nurses who are also their neighbors and relations. Seventeen percent of Israelis doctors, a quarter of nurses and almost half of all pharmacists are Arabs. These men and women have been on the frontline of the fight against Covid-19 from the very start, witnesses to the epidemic. Muslim religious authorities, who hold sway in most towns and villages, were convinced by their reports. The Islamic Movement of Israel, one of the political parties that make up the Joint Arab List, a political alliance of the main Arab parties in Israel, formed an emergency committee. Six fatwas have so far been issued, exempting believers from attending mosque services, even on Fridays. Word spread on the Islamic Movements sophisticated cell phone network. Their message was emphatic: Stay at home. For once, Bibi and the Imams found themselves on the same page. The Israeli public has certainly noted the presence of Arab medical personnel in the emergency rooms and corona isolation wards of the countrys hospitals. Old stereotypes have melted away as Israelis realize that their welfare depends on the expertise and commitment of these doctors and nurses. For the first time they are part of the same army. There is no doubt that Israeli attitudes toward their Arab fellow citizens will be affected by this. How deeply and for how long depends to a large extent on Arab political leadership. On Saturday, Arab Mothers Day, a Knesset member from the Joint Arab List sent a special greeting to the mothers of Palestinian prisonersmany of whom are unrepentant terrorists. This had a chilling effect on many Israelis. On the other hand, Ayman Odeh, head of the Joint Arab List, posted a message declaring the Arabs an integral part of Israel. This raised eyebrows. Usually Odeh, like his fellow Arab parliamentarians, declares himself and his voters to be an integral part of the Palestinian people. If the prestige of the Arab community has risen, the image of the ultra-orthodox, already low, has hit rock bottom. Israelis wont soon forget their indifference and foot-dragging in the midst of a crisis that threatens us all. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners. Zev Chafets is a journalist and author of 14 books. He was a senior aide to Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and the founding managing editor of the Jerusalem Report Magazine. For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Across Nebraska, communities are taking action in creative, energetic ways to help fellow residents in need in the wake of the virus crisis. These inspiring examples of community spirit reflect one of Nebraskas great strengths that will help it move forward through this period of challenge. Consider the examples set by Nebraska community foundations, which draw on local financial donations to meet residents needs. These local institutions, some of which are decades old, are important sources of community vision and vitality across the state. In southwest Nebraska, the Imperial Community Foundation Fund recently established a new grant to buy webcams for residents in a local assisted living facility. As a result, even though access to the center is necessarily restricted due to the virus, these seniors can still connect with family members. Such contact enabling a senior to see a grandchilds smile or a son and daughters expressions of love is invaluable. This project is a stellar example of Nebraska community vision at its best. Montgomery County public health officials on Sunday confirmed two new cases of COVID-19 in the county. With the two new cases, both in the city of Montgomery, the county is up to a total of 65 confirmed cases. The county also announced that it has 376 negative results and 135 pending tests, according to a release from the Montgomery County Public Health District. On Saturday, county health officials confirmed 16 new cases. I cant explain that, other than I can say historically Sundays numbers are lower, Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security Executive Director Jason Millsaps said of the small increase today, compared to the dramatic increase in cases announced the day before. During the week we tend to get more results, faster. And testing ramps up during the week as well. The time it takes to get results back from tests depends on where it is sent, Millsaps said. Public labs are taking between three and six days, he said. Private labs are taking between two and four days. And theres new tests that are coming on the market now that is supposed to shorten that by several days down to just a couple minutes. Its unlikely that Montgomery County would be able to get these new tests due to high demand. Some of the area hospitals are already working with the lab thats producing them and will probably receive the tests, Millsaps said. The Woodlands continues to have the most confirmed new coronavirus cases, with 17. The rest of the county tallies: Montgomery, 13; Spring, 13; Conroe, 10; Porter, four; Oak Ridge North, three; Hockley, one; Shenandoah, one; Pinehurst, one; Splendora, one; and Willis, one. Yesterday county officials announced the recovery of the second case, a woman from Spring in her 40s who had been receiving treatment at a hospital in Harris County. More Information Keep clean Wash hands often for 20 seconds and encourage others to do the same. If no soap and water are available, use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue, then throw the tissue away. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. Disinfect surfaces, buttons, handles, knobs, and other places touched often. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. For more information, please see www.dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus. See More Collapse Today the good news continues with the announcement of another recovery. The countys third case, a man in his 40s from Montgomery who was recovering at home. According to county health officials, both cases were travel-related. Of the 65 cases, 33 of them were transmitted through community spread. As of March 27, County Judge Mark Keough issued a stay-at-home order to residents to help prevent more community spread. Restaurants except for to-go or pick up orders and bars are closed, as well as tattoo shops, barber shops, beauty salons, gyms, and event spaces are closed until at least April 12. For a complete list of all confirmed new coronavirus cases in Montgomery County, visit mcphd-tx.org/coronavirus-covid-19/confirmed-cases. jamie.swinnerton@chron.com Even as the financial system grapples with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) went ahead with the public sector bank (PSB) mega-merger plan that goes into effect from today - April 1. Last year, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced the merger of 10 state-run banks into four. According to this plan, Punjab National Bank (PNB) has absorbed Oriental Bank of Commerce and United Bank which makes it Indias second-largest bank after State Bank of India (SBI). Similarly, Syndicate Bank merges with Canara Bank, Union Bank of India absorbs both Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank. Indian Bank and Allahabad Bank's merger also comes into effect from April 1. The RBI announced the mergers coming into effect from April 1 as per a press release issued on March 28. Branches of Allahabad Bank will now operate as branches of Indian Bank from April 1, branches of Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank will operate as branches of Union Bank of India, branches of Oriental Bank of Commerce and United Bank will function as branches of PNB and those of Syndicate Bank will operate as Canara Bank branches from April 1. Depositors of these banks will be moved to the amalgamated entity. Along with these mergers, the finance minister had also announced a slew of governance reforms. These included the appointment of chief risk officers with market-linked compensation. This is a big positive for state-run banks. Until now, risk management has not received adequate focus in government banks through specialist officers. The mega-merger is a positive step in the path of PSB reforms. PSBs came into existence with the idea of expanding banking services to far-flung areas of the country. But five decades after nationalisation, it made very little sense to retain too many state-run banks competing in the same segments. These banks continue to exist at the mercy of the governments aid. Many of them score relatively less with respect to efficiency when pitted against private and foreign rivals. With this merger, India will have at least six big banks. However, a few questions remain: One, does the mega-merger make these banks strong? Most of these banks have relatively high non-performing assets (NPAs). Merging these banks will not make the NPAs disappear, but it will be like bundling small problems into a big one. Also, the capital required to support these banks will be commensurately high. Two, is there real synergy here? Most of these banks, except the big ones, have strong regional focus. The work culture is also shaped accordingly. The government has taken care of the technology synergy by clubbing banks using the same technology platform. But, what about the work culture and regional focus? Three, why is a bank like PNB, which has a history of poor governance and risk management (remember the Nirav Modi episode), being given the charge of handholding two other weak banks? Four, has the government ensured that heads of the anchor banks are in a position to lead these mergers? In some of these anchor banks, the terms of bank chiefs are getting over this year. A new appointee as the bank chief will be walking into a tough spot as he/she will have a herculean task of merging these banks. Five, state-run banks have strong trade unions that command influential positions in the running of these entities and the policy formulation for decades. Has the government taken these employee unions into confidence? The employee unions have occasionally threatened strike against the merger plan. Six, what happened to the promise of privatising these banks and the governments commitment to get out of the business? In 2014, the PJ Nayak panel had recommended privatisation of PSBs so that the government will be free of the burden of running these banks. These are critical questions that the government needs to answer. Also, at a time when the economy is reeling under the shock of the novel coronavirus pandemic, implementing the merger and then ensuring smooth functioning will likely add extra burden on the bank managements. This is a time when banks need to focus on lending activities to productive sectors to revive the economy while ensuring asset quality. In the context of the COVID-19 crisis, should the government have postponed the mega-merger process? It is a question worth pondering over. Taking note of doctors suggestions and a PIL in the high court, the UT administration on Sunday decided to the curtail the curfew relaxation period from eight hours to four. As the curfew enters seventh day on Monday, shops of essential items can now remain open from 11am to 3pm instead of the earlier 10am to 6pm. Residents are allowed to visit the shops only on foot, and using vehicles will invite legal action. Besides, residents can also order ration through e-commerce websites. These providers will have to ensure sanitisation and social distancing norms. Punjab governor and UT administrator VP Singh Badnore said, Respecting the high court order and the concerns raised in the PIL and those by the PGIMER doctors, the administration has decided to relax the curfew only from 11am to 3pm for essential items with full precautions of social distancing as directed by the Prime Minister. On Saturday, some members of the Faculty Association of PGIMER had met the administrator and apprised him that UTs move to relax the curfew for eight hours was against the essence of national lockdown, which was intended to ensure social distancing. Taking up the PIL on Sunday, the high court recommended that the administration consult experts to lay down the parameters of social distancing during distribution of essential items to the public and take stringent action against the violators. ENSURE SOCIAL DISTANCING IN MARKETS: COURT Calling it a policy matter, the Punjab and Haryana high court (HC) on Sunday refused to interfere in the UT administrations decision to relax the curfew imposed in the city from March 24 in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, it recommended that the administration consult experts to lay down the parameters of social distancing during distribution of essential items and take stringent action against the violators. Conducting the hearing through videoconferencing, the HC bench of justices Rajiv Sharma and RK Jain heard all parties on Sunday morning and pronounced the judgment around 3pm. HC lawyer Adityajit Singh Chadha had on Saturday challenged UTs decision to relax the curfew between 10am and 6pm from Saturday. The decision was taken after the administrations door-to-door delivery plan in the wake of the curfew flopped, leaving residents high and dry. Chadha argued in court that just when things were being streamlined and residents were adhering to the curfew, the administration relaxed timings, defeating the purpose of social distancing. It (the order) has been issued in larger public interest. The scope of judicial interference in a policy matter is very limited. The Chandigarh administration has weighed all pros and cons before taking the decision. We will not substitute our wisdom for the wisdom of the administration during this crisis, the HC bench said, adding that it was a valid order. Earlier, admitting it had failed to effectively implement the delivery system, the administration said it was now taking all steps to combat Covid-19. Efforts had been made to ensure supplies of essential items, but due to various problems it was not possible to maintain the supply chain for long without involving the traditional network of shops, UTs senior standing counsel Pankaj Jain told HC. A huge crowd thronged the buses/trucks loaded with fruits, vegetables and grocery items. The very purpose of social distancing was being challenged. A number of complaints were received, Jain said. Curfew was relaxed after factoring in feedback and in consultation with the director of the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), he added. The court was also informed by the UT standing counsel that a nodal officer had been appointed for contact tracing and enforcing home quarantine for those with travel history. Police teams were supporting such persons and the backs of their right hands were being date stamped. The situation was being monitored on a day-to-day basis, he said. BANKS OPEN TODAY, TOMORROW All bank branches, administrative offices, bank offices and ATMs will be operational on March 30 and 31. Police personnel will be deputed to ensure social distancing norms and manage the crowds. The bank branches engaged in treasury business, currency chest and facilitating import/ export business; regional collection centres for cheque clearing, cash in transit/ cash replenishment agencies and IT and engineering support vendors for banks will also be operational on a daily basis. SUPPLY IMPROVES, WHOLESALERS ASSURE MORE STOCKS COMING On the second day of curfew relaxation, the supply of essential commodities like groceries, medicines, vegetables and milk improved. Since Saturday, the queues for essential items shortened in most parts of the city. I went to the market in the afternoon. Medicine, vegetables, fruits, milk and groceries were easily available and there were not many people in the market, said Pankaj Sharma, a resident of Sector 35. Nitish Singla, a retailer in Sector 48, said the crowds had started decreasing on Sunday. Two long queues had formed outside my shop on Saturday, but the queue was shorter on Sunday. He added that their shop was running low on supplies, but his wholesaler had assured to restock these soon. Tarsem Kumar Bansal, a wholesaler in Sector 26, said trucks filled with essential goods will start coming to the city on Monday. Flour was starting to run low in the market, but supplies will be replenished soon, he said. However, he said the police needed to be sensitised about the movement of trucks. A truck driver transporting supplies was beaten up by the Punjab Police near Daria despite having all necessary documents. The ground-level personnel have no idea what essential commodities include. Chairman of Federation of Sector Welfare Associations Chandigarh (FOSWAC), Baljinder Singh Bittu said distribution had improved and opening up the grocery stores had helped decrease panic among city residents. TAKE NOTE Shops of essential items will be open from 11am to 3pm One person from a family allowed to visit a shop on foot Use of vehicles prohibited through the day Home delivery of ration is allowed through e-commerce websites. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 19:28:23|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits the Chuanshan port area of the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port in east China's Zhejiang Province, March 29, 2020. Xi on Sunday inspected the resumption of work and production in Zhejiang. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) NINGBO, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, Sunday inspected the resumption of work and production in east China's Zhejiang Province. Xi visited the Chuanshan port area of the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, one of the world's top container ports, which handled about 1.12 billion tonnes of cargo in 2019. Xi also went to an industrial park in Ningbo, which produces high-end auto parts and molds. Zhejiang is one of China's major foreign trade provinces. Businesses are fast resuming operations. The second youngest of 11 children, Don Mescall remembers an idyllic childhood in the late 1960s in the Co Limerick parish of Ahane/Lisnagry. He was carefree and unperturbed, until one day when he was 10, while he was playing hurling, his father - "who wanted me to play at county level, which my brother Tom Jnr went on to do" - dropped dead on the sidelines from a heart attack at 56. "That day changed my life, forever. I was a boy from the country and this was the early 1970s, I was a very young 10," says the singer/songsmith, who has performed and written with the best of them - Cliff Richard, Sharon Corr, Henry McCullough, Lone Star, The Backstreet Boys, Brian Kennedy, Ronan Keating, Boyzone, Geri Halliwell, Francis Black and Richie Havens, with whom he cement a great friendship. ("He was my biggest influence. I kept coming back to his song Freedom, which he sang at Woodstock. And then one day, years later, I got to open for him. He championed me. He was the black Messiah to me," Don says.) "The world changed that day for me, the light changed," continues Don of his father's death, but it was in that time of grief - "looking back now, I understand the weight of it all" - that the boy became the man, turning to song-writing to find a semblance of sorts to his life. "Music became my best friend. I started listening to mainly American stuff - Dylan, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, James Taylor... music handed down by my older sisters. There was no schooling in Irish music, though from my dad's old vinyl collection I found the wonderful Josef Locke." Expand Close Morah Ryan met Don while he was working with her daughter Bonnie / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Morah Ryan met Don while he was working with her daughter Bonnie By his late teens, still playing hurling, Don had started to perform in the pubs around Clare and Limerick. "I was doing covers seven nights a week. I had started to write my own songs, but to try and convert those Irish audiences that just wanted American Pie was difficult. "The awakening moment was a chance to play in a little place in Queens in New York on Paddy's Day. That night, with an appreciative audience, I realised my songs could matter, in fact did matter, so to reinvent myself I left Limerick and went to London. One of the first songs I wrote there was about missing home. I was filled with longing for my home, Sunday mornings, going to Mass... that sort of stuff." The song, Road To Glory, was eventually recorded by Eleanor Shanley and was Don's longed-for breakthrough to a wider audience. It was to take until the 1990s, and a deal with Curb Records, for him to fully gain the recognition he craved. "I went through a rough time," he says of the "dark periods" he has little memory of: lost weekends drenched in alcohol and drugs, he and the then banjo player with The Pogues, the late Tom McManamon. It was a lifestyle that eventually cost him his marriage. "I have to take all the responsibility for that," he says. "I'm so lucky... my ex, Dav (Davina), is my best friend." He sings the praises of their daughter Eve, who is at university studying marketing and advertising. Expand Close Bonnie Ryan / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Bonnie Ryan Video of the Day Thirty-odd years on, his artistry now established, Don has found himself in the limelight of late for reasons he finds "puzzling to get my head around". "I just don't get all the publicity about Morah and I," he says over coffee in Dublin's Clontarf Castle. He is talking about the new woman in his life, the sculptor Morah Ryan, former wife of Gerry, the radio maverick who died 10 years ago this April, aged 53. Ryan's sudden passing left his many fans and admirers reeling. They felt for Morah when some of the more unsettling facts of their life together emerged after his death, and more recently, there has been a curiosity about the new man in her life. "Morah and I first met four years ago," says Don. "Her daughter Bonnie was working on her pop career and I got involved in some song-writing with her. We were in Stockholm and an EP was produced, and we were then back in London to celebrate and we all had dinner in Chelsea and Morah was there... "I love art. The conversation back then was very much about art. We just seemed to have a lot in common. It was a wonderful evening. "I then did not meet or speak to Morah for another four years until last November when Shay Healy - he paid for my first EP and has been trying to get the money back ever since! - asked me to come over from London to perform at an after-party following a John McColgan production, In My Life, at the Gaiety. "It was a big after-party, but I'm no night owl and had planned to make my escape after I performed but, as I was about to leave, John offered to buy me a drink and then matter-of-factly introduced me to the lovely Morah. "She's a very special lady, and it was such an obvious attraction that we both were quite nervous that evening! I feel very lucky. Are we courting? I don't like that word. We go on dates, which seems weird at a certain age, I guess. She is just a quiet-spoken, well-read, beautiful woman with a joyous sense of humour and a lovely family... great kids and all so talented..." Don pauses to gather his thoughts, the evening light reflecting in his blue eyes. "I've been living away for so long, I was not here when Gerard passed away. I was perplexed by the publicity of all that, I did not really understand the dynamic." I have to ask, does he see himself 'popping the question' to Morah? "Jesus, that's a big question, Paul. I have no idea. We are just enjoying each other very much, taking each day as it comes. I would like to think there is chemistry at work here..." America has been good to Don Mescall. His song, Secret Smile, was included on the Rascal Flatts album Still Feels Good, which debuted at No 1 in the Billboard chart. The Backstreet Boys entered the charts at No 7 with their album Unbreakable, which featured Mescall's song Trouble Is. Following his success writing for other artists, Don released his own album, Lighthouse Keeper, in November 2018; it went in at No 1 in the Irish Independent Album charts, and included a duet with Stella Parton. Last August saw the release of Live Long Rock & Roll, a tribute single for the late Henry McCullough, written by Mescall and McCullough, and performed with Paul McCartney and super-band The McCullough Fusiliers. "Primarily my songs are story-based, about life," Don says. "It's like, here's what I see, here's what's going on... They're not your generic pop songs. Pop just doesn't hold a lot of interest for me. A Best Pop Artist award back in the 1990s - well, what was that all about?" Asked whether he is politically motivated, Don replies: "I'm environmentally conscious - Jesus, isn't everybody? We all have completely managed to mismanage this planet on which we live. If that's politically motivated, then, yes, I'm politically motivated." A recent collaboration has been with the Canadian CMA award-winning artist Laurie LeBlanc, who features six of Don's songs on his forthcoming album When It's Right. Don's new single, Stormy Weather Friend, is with good pal Sharon Corr. He is putting the final touches in his recording studio in London to an album due out end of the year titled Seven Setting Suns. As we part I ask, what would his dad make of him now, that he never did play senior hurling for his county? "That's the question, isn't it," he smiles, and he ambles towards the evening light beyond the large doors of Clontarf Castle, heading into the night and his future. The global death toll has surpassed 33,800 with over 718,000 infections confirmed, causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness. Here's a roundup of developments in RFE/RL's broadcast countries. Russia Authorities in Moscow will impose on March 30 tighter restrictions on residents in an attempt to contain the spread of the new coronavirus, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. Residents of the Russian capital will only be allowed to go out to buy food or medicines at their nearest shop, get urgent medical treatment, walk the dog, or take out the trash. Those needing to go to work will also be allowed to leave their homes, and authorities will introduce a system of passes in the coming days. "Gradually but steadily, we will keep tightening control as needed in this situation," Sobyanin said on his website on March 29. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Russia has exceeded 1,500, with 270 new cases in the past 24 hours, health authorities reported. Eight fatalities have been recorded so far, Russia's anti-coronavirus crisis center said on March 29. Most of the news cases -- 197 -- were reported in Moscow, which accounts for more than 1,000 infections, according to Sobyanin. Earlier on March 29, Sobyanin said the situation with the coronavirus spread has entered a new phase. More than 1,000 coronavirus cases have been recorded in Moscow." Russian health officials have warned that a sharp increase in the number of cases in the country is expected in the coming days due to expanded testing in Moscow. Authorities in Moscow also closed shopping centers, restaurants, and larger parks from March 28 for at least a week. Moscow authorities have encouraged people to stay home, and begun restricting public transit. Meanwhile, the Russian government has announced it will temporarily close the borders starting on March 30 to curb the spread of the outbreak. The measure will not apply to Russian diplomats and the drivers of freight trucks, among others, the government said on March 28. Earlier, the Kremlin said that a member of President Vladimir Putin's administration has been infected with the coronavirus, but the person had not been in direct contact with Russia's leader. On March 25, Putin postponed next month's referendum on sweeping constitutional changes that could allow him to remain in power until 2036 because of concerns over the coronavirus outbreak. Putin also called for the week between March 28 to April 5 to be a nonworking week -- essentially a weeklong holiday for the country to "prevent the threat of the quick spread of the illness." The government also ordered all vacation and health resorts closed until June. Other restrictions ordered by the government included the cancelation of all international flights. Uzbekistan Less than 15 days after Uzbekistan detected its first coronavirus infection, the government in Tashkent reported 11 new cases on March 29, bringing the nationwide total to 144. "Another 11 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the country, the total number of infections is 144," the press service of the Health Ministry said in a statement. The Central Asian country reported its first case of the respiratory illness on March 15 and on the same day authorities imposed a quarantine in all preschools and educational facilities and canceled all mass gatherings. Outdoor markets, commercial stores, and eateries were also shuttered. Uzbekistan, a country of 32 million people, has since March 24 been closed off for entry and exit for all modes of transportation. Interregional transportation connections were suspended on March 27. An order is in place for the wearing of protective masks in all public areas. Iran Iranian authorities said they have extended the temporary releases of thousands of prisoners in an attempt to curb the spread of the new coronavirus in the countrys overcrowded jails. Authorities said they would also temporarily free another 15,000 prisoners, bringing the total number released to 100,000. Iran is one of the countries worst hit by the virus, with a declared death toll of 2,640 as of March 29, although experts estimate the total to be much higher. Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili told state TV on March 29 that the release of 15,000 more inmates on temporary releases "had already started." He said all 100,000 prisoners would be temporarily released until April 19. On March 17, Iran said it had freed about 85,000 people from jail temporarily, including political prisoners. Iran said it had 189,500 people in prison, according to a report submitted by the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran to the Human Rights Council in January. In recent days there have been several prison riots and mass escapes from prisons, as inmates try to avoid the coronavirus amid substandard prison conditions. Meanwhile, President Hassan Rohani said "the new way of life" in Iran was likely to be prolonged by the coronavirus outbreak. Rohani told a cabinet meeting on March 29, "We must prepare to live with this virus until a treatment or vaccine is discovered, which has not yet happened to date." "The new way of life we have adopted" is to everyone's benefit, he said, adding that "these changes will likely have to stay in place for some time." Tehran on March 25 decided to ban all intercity travel until at least April 8. Without an official lockdown in place, the government has repeatedly urged Iranians to stay home "as much as possible." Schools and universities in some provinces were closed in late February and the closure was later extended to the whole country. The reopening of schools following this year's Persian New Year holidays of March 19 to April 3 appears unlikely after Rohani's warning. Iran has refused the United States' offer of humanitarian assistance, saying that Washington should lift sanctions if it wants to help Tehran fight the epidemic. Iran has been under crippling U.S. sanctions in connection with its nuclear and missile program. Kazakhstan Kazakhstan has locked down its fifth major city as part of measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus and will tap into its emergency fund to help alleviate the economic effects of the outbreak, authorities said on March 29. Karaganda and several of its satellite towns were added to the list after seven cases of the disease were diagnosed in the city on March 29. The Central Asian nation has confirmed 265 coronavirus cases and has already locked down its capital, Nur-Sultan, its biggest city, Almaty, as well as Shymkent, a large city in the south, and Aktau, a Caspian Sea port. Among the satellites under lockdown is Temirtau, home to Kazakhstan's biggest steel mill owned by steel giant Arcelor Mittal. Energy-rich Kazakhstan will tap its $60 billion National Fund for an additional 1.825 trillion tenge ($4.1 billion) this year, Information Minister Dauren Abayev said on March 29. The money will help finance Kazakhstan's $10 billion stimulus package aimed at softening the blow from the coronavirus outbreak and the plunge in the price of oil, the Central Asian nation's main export. Armenia Armenia has reported two more deaths of patients who had been infected by the coronavirus, raising the Caucasus nations total to three fatalities. Armenia's Health Ministry on March 29 said the total number of confirmed cases has reached 424. On March 28, in a Facebook post, Health Minister Arsen Torosian wrote: I regret to inform you that two deaths have occurred in [Yerevans] Nork infectious diseases hospital during the past hour. The victims are a 55-year-old woman and a 73-year-old man who had the new coronavirus in combination with other chronic diseases, he added. On March 26, Armenia reported its first fatality among patients diagnosed with COVID-19 -- a 72-year-old woman who Armenias health authorities said had suffered from multiple medical conditions, including heart disease. According to official data, 30 patients with COVID-19 have recovered in Armenia. A state of emergency was declared on March 16, set to run until at least April 14. On March 25, to further slow the spread of the highly contagious and potentially deadly virus, Armenias government introduced a one-week self-isolation regime throughout the country, restricting the movement of citizens. Under the order, citizens can leave their homes only for permitted work and for a number of vital reasons, such as the purchase of food and medicine, or to exercise. Torosian, the health minister, said on March 28 that he did not exclude that the self-isolation period could be extended beyond April 1. Ukraine Ukraine's Health Ministry on March 29 said that the number of confirmed coronavirus cases reached 475, including 10 deaths. Five people have recovered, Deputy Health Minister and Chief Medical Officer Viktor Lyashko told journalists on March 29. Ukraines parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, has scheduled an extraordinary session for the afternoon of March 30 to adopt legislation that would protect the Eastern European country during the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, a second transport of medical equipment arrived in Kyiv from China on March 29. The plane carrying 300,000 respirators, 35,000 protection suits, and 1.8 million surgical masks landed at Boryspil airport, said Kirill Tymoshenko, the deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine. Romania Romania on March 29 reported 308 more confirmed cases of infection with the new coronavirus and two more deaths, bringing the total number of infections to 1,760 and the fatalities to 40. Romania's crisis group dealing with the outbreak said one of the two victims was a 27-year-old woman who was suffering from diabetes -- the youngest victim so far -- and the other was a 71-year-old man. Both fatalities were from northeastern Romania, where most cases have been identified. As of March 29, a total of 21,460 Romanians have been tested. Some 8,666 people are in quarantine, and 132,641 are in isolation at home under medical supervision. A total of 12 Romanians died from the coronavirus abroad, eight of them in Italy. An estimated 4 million Romanians work in Italy and Spain, two of the world's worst-affected countries. Romania declared a state of emergency on March 16 over the pandemic and went into a "total quarantine" on March 25, with army troops deployed to help enforce the order. Pakistan Pakistani authorities said that 121 more coronavirus cases were recorded in the country over the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 1,526 cases, including 13 deaths. Health Minister Zafar Mirza said on March 29 that 71 percent of coronavirus cases in Pakistan were imported, mainly pilgrims who returned from neighboring Iran, which has seen the Mideast's worst outbreak. Cases in Pakistan have been gradually increasing despite the imposition of a lockdown in the country of 220 million. Lawmakers and experts have voiced fears of an exponential increase in the coming days and urged the government to conduct more testing. The data coming in of patients across the country is not indicative of the true picture. The real number of patients is much higher, Attaur Rehman, the head of Prime Minister Imran Khans task force on science and technology, told reporters. The Health Ministry said that there were 13,324 suspected cases of the new coronavirus. More than 8,000 were in quarantine across the country. With reporting by Reuters, AP, TASS, Interfax, dpa, AFP, hotnews.ro, and g4media.ro 891 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard The ineptitude and general inability of President Donald Trump to function properly and appropriately in his role as chief executive were known well-before these past few weeks, but the coronavirus crisis has seemed to highlight what weve already understood for quite some time: if the United States ever faced a real crisis with Trump still in office, it would be a very, very bad thing. We caught glimpses of how bad things could get before examples include how close we almost got to nuclear war when he bragged vociferously to Kim Jong Un about the size of his nuclear button, or when he very nearly started a war with Iran by assassinating (perhaps illegally) their top general earlier this year. Those events, thankfully, didnt end up producing the worst-case scenarios that they could have ended up being. With coronavirus, however, we are slowly, but surely, headed toward disastrous outcomes. Is it an impeachable offense when a President grossly fails to protect 330 million Americans from a pandemic by doing nothing to stop it for months? Read this history of Trump's bungling and there is only one conclusion: he is unfit to remain as President.https://t.co/xVpvgA3siv Tom Coleman (@RepTomColeman) March 26, 2020 As of Sunday morning, there have been nearly 2,200 deaths reported as a result of COVID-19 in the U.S., and close to 125,000 cases reported although, according to some statisticians, the number of cases could be as many as five times greater than what we know. And yet, through it all through his insistence on calling the disease a racist name, his spending the entire month of February gloating about himself and calling any criticisms to his lackadaisical approach to the disease a hoax, or his promise (which has since been rescinded) that anyone who wanted a test could get one the presidents approval rating is actually increasing at the moment. Part of this can be explained as a rally around the flag mentality, the idea that, in a crisis situation, a presidents approval rating tends to increase. Nevertheless, a number progressives in my network of friends urgently asked me several times this past week: how in the hell could Trump be getting higher marks after all the failures hes had, especially with regards to his response to coronavirus? The answer is actually one that creates more questions than it answers: its Democrats that are giving him higher ratings. Trump Approval Tops Disapproval for First Time in ABC News-Washington Post Poll https://t.co/gGn8DOmL7N via @gatewaypundit Jim Hoft (@gatewaypundit) March 27, 2020 Looking at two surveys in particular over the past week the Economist/YouGov poll and the ABC News/Washington Post poll a quick glimpse gives progressives worried about this years presidential race reason to feel alarmed. Both polls show an increase in Trumps approval rating, with a 4-point increase in the Economist/YouGov poll versus Februarys numbers, and a 5-point increase in the case of the ABC News/Washington Post poll compared to last months survey. In the latters case, Trumps approval rating is actually in the positive column, with 48 percent saying they approve of his job performance and 46 percent saying they disapprove. Why the big jump? Looking closer at the numbers, mainly at the crosstab data, its a small number of Democrats who are giving Trump better numbers though, reluctantly so, it appears. In Februarys Economist/YouGov numbers, only 7 percent of Democratic-leaning voters said they approved of Trumps job as president. In March, that number increased to 15 percent. Of that, however, two-thirds of those giving him an approving job rating this month said they only somewhat approved of his work perhaps indicative of the support the president during a crisis mentality some moderates in the Democratic Party may have. The same pattern is noticeable in the ABC News/Washington Post poll. In February, only 6 percent gave him approving marks, while 20 percent of Dems said they approved of his job performance in March but again, of that 20 percent, more than two-thirds said their approval was only somewhat (versus less than a third who said they strongly approved Trumps work). There is evidence elsewhere that independents are giving Trump higher marks, too, but their shift is less pronounced than what some Democrats are doing. So why are Democrats saying they give Trump a good grade now? Question: "What do you say to Americans who are watching you right now who are scared?" President Trump: "I say that you're a terrible reporter. That's what I say. I think that's a very nasty question." https://t.co/7Qs1ME25ie pic.twitter.com/IaDJzKyLYn The Hill (@thehill) March 20, 2020 Like I said before, it could be because some (a small minority) in the Democratic Party believe any president, during a time of crisis, deserves support no matter what. It could also be that some Dems actually believe that Trump has done some good shifting his tone early last week, for example, away from being antagonistic toward critics to recognizing the pandemic is a real and present danger. That tone shift, of course, was short-lived. Trump scolded a reporter who dared to suggest Americans were scared about this crisis, and hes shown more signs since then that he doesnt intend to make his tonal changes into anything permanent. Democrats who gave the president positive marks this past week are a minority among those in the party, but theyre also unlikely to vote for Trump when November rolls around. For starters, the fact that they said they approve of him only somewhat in the polls demonstrates that their approval of his work is reluctant, at best. Given the choice between Trump and a Democratic candidate for president, this small group of Democrats is likely to choose the latter 99 times out of 100, if not more often than that. But the approval numbers arent likely to stick for another reason: Trumps gotta be Trump, and hell inevitably ruin what little goodwill he earned these past 10 days. Its just the kind of guy this president is he cant help but be a jerk, even during a national crisis, and thats going to translate into bad grades, sooner rather than later, into his aptitude for the job he presently has. Michael Gove has admitted the coronavirus lockdown is likely to last longer than three weeks, saying: I wish I could predict when this will end. Amid suggestions that the restrictions will have to remain in place until June much longer than the three weeks announced the cabinet office minister signalled a likely extension. I cant make an accurate prediction, he said, urging everyone to keep making a sacrifice. Mr Gove also refused to back scientists who have suggested the peak of the outbreak will now be in mid-April, rather than late May or early June as originally expected. The date of the peak depends on all of our behaviour its not a fixed date in the calendar like Easter, he told the BBCs Andrew Marr programme. Recommended Boris Johnson writes to every household in UK urging them to stay home And he defended the governments record on testing for the virus, as the daily total hit the target of 10,000 still a fraction of the 500,000 tested each week in Germany. NHS workers would soon be tested at 'drive in centres' run by the likes of high street chain Boots, Mr Gove revealed. Strikingly, he also took a swipe at Beijing over the early spread of the virus, saying: Some of the reporting from China was not clear about the nature, the scale, the infectiousness of it. And he declined to say who would pay for the looming recession and black hole in the public finances, saying: The most important thing at the moment is to save lives. Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Show all 12 1 /12 Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Agnetha Septimus, Matthew Septimus, and children Ezra and Nora Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Husband and wife filmmakers, Claire Ince and Ancil McKain pose for a portrait for the series by Shutterstock Staff Photographer, Stephen Lovekin, shot around the Ditmas Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Khadijah Silver and son Eliot Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Anna Beth Rousakis and daughter Mary Rousakis Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Mike Pergola and Denise Pergola with children Henry, Jack, and Will Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Artist Shirley Fuerst Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Jean Davis and Danny Rosenthal, with children Simone, Naomi, and Leah Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Robert E Clark Jr Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Lisa Draho and Josh Zuckerman, with children Ruby and Ava Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Professor and activist Dr Kristin Lawler Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Tom Smith and Laura Ross, with daughters Caroline, Elizabeth, and Abigail Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Callie Lovekin and Lucas Lovekin Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Mr Gove faced questions about the length of the lockdown after Professor Neil Ferguson, a government adviser, warned it would have to continue until June. Even then, schools and universities should not reopen until the autumn and people should be told to continue working from home rather than return to their offices, he argued. Mr Gove said The reason all of us are making these sacrifices is because all of us will have people whom we love who are at risk from this virus. I cant make an accurate prediction, but everyone does have to prepare for a significant period when these measures are still in place. On the peak of virus cases and deaths after the 1,000 mark was reached on Saturday Mr Gove said: It depends on the action all of us take. If we practice the social distancing measures, if we follow the rules the government has outlined, if we follow that good scientific advice, then we can delay the infection rate and that gives our NHS the chance to become more resilient. In a letter being sent to all households, Boris Johnson has warned he will not hesitate to go further in strengthening the lockdown, if necessary. It prompted suggestions the UK could copy some EU countries in telling people not to leave home at all to exercise or allowing them to do so only with slip of paper. But Mr Gove declined to comment on what the prime minister was hinting at in his letter. Flash U.S. President Donald Trump said on March 28 that he has dropped the idea of quarantining the New York state, the hardest-hit region by the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, despite a rapid increase in confirmed cases. "On the recommendation of the White House Coronavirus Task Force and upon consultation with the Governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, I have asked the @CDCgov to issue a strong Travel Advisory, to be administered by the Governors, in consultation with the Federal Government," Trump said on Twitter on Saturday night. "A quarantine will not be necessary," he said. Earlier in the day, Trump said he is considering a short-term quarantine for the state of New York as the situation of the coronavirus outbreak continued to get worse there. The president told reporters outside the White House that in addition to New York, "enforceable quarantine" might also be imposed on New Jersey and parts of Connecticut to curb the spread of the virus, adding he will make a decision later in the day. The confirmed cases in the United States have reached to over 122,000 as of Saturday night, up from about 101,600 of the previous day, with reports of more than 2,000 deaths, according to the tally from Johns Hopkins University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering. New York state has become the hardest-hit region in the country with more than 53,000 cases as of Saturday afternoon. New Jersey and California have registered 11,124 and 5,551 respectively. In response to Trump's suggestion of quarantine, Cuomo said at a news briefing on Saturday afternoon that he did not discuss the quarantine with the president. "I haven't had those conversations," said Cuomo. "I don't even know what that means." "I don't know how that could be legally enforceable, and from a medical point of view, I don't know what you would be accomplishing," he added. "Not even understanding what it is, I don't like the sound of it. Meanwhile, the governor said the state's presidential primary election would be rescheduled for June 23 from April 28, aligning it with the congressional and legislative primaries in New York. "We are continuing to advance emergency measures that reduce density as much as possible, and to that end we are going to delay the presidential primary election until June because it's not wise to be bringing large numbers of people to one place to vote," he said. Three new sites will be serving as places for emergency beds, said Cuomo, including South Beach Psychiatric Center in Staten Island, Westchester Square in the Bronx and Health Alliance in Ulster County, which will add 695 more hospital beds. The governor also announced that the first 1,000-bed temporary hospital at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center is expected to open on Monday. Both the new sites and the makeshift hospital are part of Cuomo's plan to bolster the state's existing hospital capacity, which are expected to be well below the need when the state's apex of COVID-19 comes. The state is also preparing college dormitories and hotels and identifying nursing homes and other facilities to serve as places for emergency beds, according to the governor. First President of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and second President of the Republic of Armenia Robert Kocharyan has addressed a message to the people of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic) which reads as follows: Dear people of Artsakh, During these crucial days, I am addressing you to share my thoughts and concerns with you. The Republic of Armenia followed the example of several countries and declared a state of emergency to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Artsakh has not reported any case of coronavirus yet, but the close cooperation between Armenia and Artsakh clearly entails risks. This sparks deep concern since the pandemic can spread quickly and take many lives. The spread of the pandemic can also deal a serious blow to our security, especially in the current geopolitical situation. In this sense, the authorities of Artsakh have to make decisions responsibly and place the security of Artsakh and the safety of its people above everything else. In this situation, what is also important is the consolidation of the people. It is clear that the election campaign entailed certain objective difficulties. I am addressing the candidates and the population of Artsakh to be maximally responsible and show restraint to overcome these serious and pan-national challenges with honor. As I was following the events and developments this past month, once again, I became convinced that Artsakh needs a leader with a heroic past and a leader who will be able to make decisions responsibly. I hope the people of Artsakh elect a person who has proved his unconditional dedication to the independence of Artsakh through the life he or she has lived. Dear people of Artsakh, during these crucial days, I wish you unbreakable will and unity. The streets of Stockholm are quiet but not deserted amid the coronavirus outbreak. People still sit at outdoor cafes in the centre of Swedens capital. Vendors still sell flowers. Teenagers still chat in groups in parks. Some still greet each other with hugs and handshakes. After a long, dark Scandinavian winter, the coronavirus pandemic is not keeping Swedes at home even while citizens in many parts of the world are sheltering in place and will not find shops or restaurants open on the few occasions they are permitted to venture out. Swedish authorities have advised the public to practise social distancing and to work from home, if possible, and urged those over age 70 to self-isolate as a precaution. Yet compared to the lockdowns imposed elsewhere in the world, the governments response to the virus allows a liberal amount of personal freedom. People sit at outdoor cafes in the centre of Swedens capital (David Keyton/AP) High schools and universities are closed, but pre-schools and primary schools are still running classes in person. Sweden is an outlier on the European scene, at least, said Johan Giesecke, the countrys former chief epidemiologist and now adviser to the Swedish Health Agency, a government body. And I think thats good. Other European nations have taken political, unconsidered actions instead of ones dictated by science, Mr Giesecke asserted. It remains unclear how long Swedens exceptional state will last. Spoke on the phone tonight with Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel. Germany and Sweden are in the midst of fighting COVID-19. International cooperation is needed to manage this crisis and tackle its consequences. I appreciate the close and good cooperation between our countries. SwedishPM (@SwedishPM) March 23, 2020 Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, warning of many tough weeks and months ahead, announced on Friday that as of Sunday, gatherings would be limited to 50 people instead of 500. The government noted that weddings, funerals and Easter celebrations would be affected. Still, to reduce the spread of the virus in Germany and the UK, groups larger than two are currently prohibited unless they are composed of people who already live together. Officials in Italy and France introduced increasingly restrictive limits on public activities and eventually authorised fines because they said too many people ignored social-distancing recommendations. For now, the Swedish government maintains that citizens can be trusted to exercise responsibility for the greater good and will stay home if they experience any Covid-19 symptoms. Many Swedes are indeed keeping the recommended distance from others. Victoria Holmgren, 24, praised the Swedish governments handling of the public health crisis as very good. And its partly because I dont think I could manage being inside the whole day, Ms Holmgren said. But some scientists have criticised the Swedish Public Health Agencys approach as irresponsible during a worldwide pandemic that has already killed over 21,000 people in Europe. In an open letter to the government, some 2,000 academics called for greater transparency and more justification for its infection prevention strategy. Sten Linnarsson, a professor at Karolinska Institute, a prominent medical university in Sweden, said the concern centres on the assessments and the course that the Swedish government has taken through this epidemic, and especially because there is really a lack of scientific evidence being put forward for these policies. Mr Linnarsson compared Swedens handling of the virus to letting a kitchen fire burn with the intent of extinguishing it later. That doesnt make any sense. And the danger, of course, is that it burns the whole house down, he said. Swedens current chief epidemiologist, Anders Tegnell, argued that even if the countrys comparatively permissive policies are an anomaly, they are more sustainable and effective in protecting the publics health than drastic moves like closing schools for four or five months. Sweden, a nation of 10 million, had a total of 3,447 confirmed virus cases and 105 deaths by Sunday, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally. However, there has been limited testing, with some 24,500 tests conducted by Wednesday, according to official statistics. The goal is to slow down the amount of new people getting infected so that health care gets a reasonable chance to take care of them. And thats what we all do in every country in Europe, Mr Tegnell said. We just choose different methods to do it. Susanna Moberg, a 63-year-old retired teacher, said she trusted the government and also believes Swedens experience with the virus will not be as dire as Italys, which has by far the most virus-related deaths in the world at more than 10,000. Im not so worried. Im not 70 years yet. And my children are not sick so we will go to a restaurant on Sunday, Ms Moberg said. We said Everybody is well and the restaurant is open. So we will go there to celebrate. We cant stay at home the whole day, all week. Mumbai: The Mumbai crime branch on Saturday conducted raids at three places in the city and seized face masks and sanitisers worth Rs 1.5 crore. The police have arrested a total of 10 accused in three separate cases. The first raid was conducted by an official of the crime branchs unit 10 in Govandi area. They seized total 2,97,800 face masks worth Rs. 74.90 lakh from a godown situated in Baiganwadi area and arrested four people. The second raid was conducted by unit 11 in the Dharavi area. Police seized 2,800 bottles sanitisers worth Rs. 26 lakh. While the third raid was conducted by unit 8 in a medical store at Gokuldham area in Goregaon (East). Police seized sanitisers worth Rs2.22 lakh. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The daughter of a black cab driver who died of coronavirus believes he may have caught the virus from one of his fares. Spencer Kurash, 56, died from the deadly illness at his Chigwell home after ferrying passengers around London. His daughter, Natasha, 18, thinks it is likely Spencer caught covid-19 from a passenger handing over money. Black cab driver Spencer Kurash, 56, is one of the latest coronavirus victims in the UK, and his daughter believes a passenger may have passed it on to him The student told The Mirror: 'It could have been an infected passenger who handed over money. Its just devastating.' Spencer had been a cabbie for 22 years and was a keen Tottenham fan and season ticket holder. He first noticed symptoms after a shift on March 18 and immediately went into self-isolation. On Wednesday, his symptoms quickly deteriorated and his wife of 19 years, Esther, tried to resuscitate him. He first noticed symptoms after a shift on March 18 and immediately went into self-isolation As Spencer's condition failed to improve, the family called 999 and paramedics worked on him at his north-east London home for an hour. But they were unable to save him. Tests are now being carried out to confirm the cabbie died from the virus. It comes as Britain's coronavirus death toll rocketed by 260 to 1,019 today as the UK suffered its worst 24 hours yet. The number of confirmed cases of the killer bug has hit 17,089. If San Antonio fails to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, medical professionals fear the region could run short of life-saving ventilators and qualified personnel to operate them. An estimated 657 ventilators are available in the state-designated trauma care region that includes San Antonio. That number is based on information from 43 of the regions 55 general hospitals. The data were provided to Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff by University Hospital and reflect the ventilator supply as of Thursday morning. The numbers can change by the minute, depending on how many patients are using the machines. I think thats adequate if we flatten this curve, said Wolff, referring to the rate at which the virus sickens people. But if we have a big spike, we could have a big problem. A dozen of the regions general hospitals didnt provide figures on how many ventilators they have available. The San Antonio trauma care region, one of 20 in Texas, encompasses 22 counties with a combined population of more than 2.8 million. Ventilators are one of the best weapons in the fight against COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. In the most serious cases, people can become too sick to breathe on their own and can die if their lungs arent assisted by the oxygen-pumping machines. As of Saturday, five people had died and 140 had tested positive for the virus in Bexar County, the largest county in the trauma care region, with more than 2 million residents. Its unclear exactly how many ventilators there are in San Antonio. University Hospital, the centerpiece of the county health system and one of the largest hospitals in the city, said it has 104. None of the other major hospital systems in the city disclosed figures. Texas hospital and government officials have said they have enough machines and health care workers to run them for now. Gov. Greg Abbott said Thursday that about 100 Texans had been hospitalized with COVID-19. Officials havent said publicly how many have been placed on ventilators. Local officials hope that taking strict measures such as ordering residents to stay home and closing businesses will slow the spread of the virus. But if those measures are inadequate and the number of patients requiring life-saving care increases sharply, hospitals across South Texas could quickly become overwhelmed. Were in good shape right now, and were in good shape to take some surge, said Eric Epley, executive director of the Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council, which oversees regional health care emergency planning. The gray area is no one really can tell exactly whats going to happen. If U.S. hospitals run short, health workers fear a worst-case scenario like the one that has unfolded in Italy, the epicenter of Europes coronavirus pandemic. There, shortages of ventilators have forced physicians to reserve the machines for patients most likely to survive effectively choosing who lives and who dies. In San Antonio, Epley said hospital leaders are preparing for surges of patients by stepping up staffing and planning to set up beds in nontraditional settings, such as surgery centers. But the most difficult part about preparing for the coronavirus is that no one knows for sure what to expect. Its like trying to plan for parking at the Spurs game and saying, There may be about 15,000, but there may be 150,000, Epley said. If we have 15,000, we can handle that. But if its 150,000, no one can handle that. A study by the Center for Health Security at Johns Hopkins University said that across the U.S., nearly 65,000 people could need ventilators during a moderate pandemic. But if the coronavirus pandemic rises to the level of the 1918 Spanish Flu, more than 742,000 Americans could need the machines to survive. The total number of existing machines in the United States is a fraction of that: an estimated 160,000 ventilators at most. If hospitals run short, there are just 16,600 ventilators in the federal governments emergency stockpile, the Center of Public Integrity recently reported. This past week, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said his states hospitals, which are among the worst-hit in the nation, need an additional 30,000 ventilators to save patients. He said the federal government planned to send 400. You cannot buy them. You cannot find them, Cuomo said. Every state is trying to get them. Other countries are trying to get them. After 9/11, the federal government established systems that allow local and state authorities to track the number of available hospital beds and ventilators. Last week, Vermonts health department said its hospitals had 250 ventilators. In Oregon, the state health authority said it has 688 for the entire state. In California, the number stands at 9,500. But in Texas, state leaders havent released information about the number of available ventilators in hospitals or emergency stockpiles. Abbott disclosed the number of open hospital beds in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex about 2,300 but he hasnt provided figures for other cities. Asked about the number of available ventilators, he said state officials were in the process of collecting those figures. Some early information shows that we have some supply to make sure we will be able to respond to immediate needs, Abbott said. We are working on multiple strategies as we speak to make sure that we will have supply capacity for the worst-case scenario. A state plan for the years 2012-2016 reported that Texas emergency stockpile stood at 428 ventilators. Neither the governors office nor state health department responded to requests for more current figures. Therapist shortage If efforts to contain the spread of the virus dont work, no one knows exactly how much COVID-19 patients could strain local hospitals and how many more ventilators they might need. A study that examined the 2009 swine flu pandemic, which killed 240 Texans, found hospitals across the state had an estimated 3,730 ventilators total at that time. If a pandemic of the magnitude of the 1918 flu were to strike, researchers predicted Texas could need up to 10,333 ventilators. But the states medical professionals and respiratory therapists says its not only a matter of having enough machines a surge of sick patients also could overwhelm the limited number of qualified respiratory therapists needed to operate the ventilators. The shortage of therapists is particularly acute in rural hospitals. Its always been the human resources that are the limiting factor, and I dont think people are thinking about that, said David Gibson, a respiratory therapist in the Dallas area and a member of the Texas Society of Respiratory Care. Theyre talking about Ford and Chevy building more ventilators and, of course, Elon Musk but its only as good as there are people competent to work that equipment. Over the past decade, Texas has added more than 3.7 million residents but just 1,300 more licensed respiratory care practitioners, state health data show. As of last year, 49 Texas counties had no respiratory care practitioners at all. Respiratory therapists work in hospitals as ventilator experts, collecting blood samples and deciding how best to deliver oxygen to patients struggling to breathe. Typically, they receive years of training. But amid the coronavirus pandemic, hospitals are exploring how to train other medical personnel, such as nurses and paramedics, to operate the complex machines. Ideally, if you want to train someone to be competent to do critical care in a respiratory sense, you need a better part of a year, Gibson said. If youre just going to use them as sort of an extension of the physician or respiratory therapist six to eight weeks, maybe. But we dont have that. If the spread of the virus isnt contained, it could be a matter of weeks before Texas hospitals are swamped like those in Seattle and New York have been. In those cities, health care workers are facing shortages of intensive-care beds and ventilators. Dallas hospital executives have said hospitals could run out of beds by late April if Abbott does not issue a statewide shelter-in-place order. On March 22, Abbott said he was reluctant to do so because 200 of the states 254 counties didnt have any cases of COVID-19. As of Saturday, 111 counties had reported cases. Seattle is four weeks ahead of us, said Dr. Pablo Feuillet, an infectious disease specialist in San Antonio. Thats the difference we have. In San Antonio, officials are hoping aggressive measures to contain the virus will mean hospitals wont reach that point. Wolff, the Bexar County judge, said that only one or two COVID-19 patients were relying on ventilators at University Hospital as of Thursday morning. He didnt know the situation at other hospitals. Although the inventory of ventilators is enough to keep up with the current demand, Wolff said hospitals are trying to acquire more. Thus far, those efforts havent been as successful as hospital executives hoped. I just left University Hospital a minute ago and (the hospitals president) said the supply lines are clogged, or theyre not getting an answer from the federal government on them, Wolff said. All I know is that people arent getting the numbers they want to get. Across the 22-county San Antonio trauma care region, as of Thursday morning there were more than 950 ICU beds available to patients who are severely ill with COVID-19, and 426 negative pressure rooms, which prevent contaminated air from escaping into other spaces in hospitals. Most hospitals have been adjusting over the last decades to just-in-time supplies and just-in-time everything to minimize costs, said Dr. Charles Lerner, a San Antonio infectious disease specialist. They dont have rooms full of ventilators. Hospital-grade ventilators cost from $25,000 to $50,000 each, a price tag that has discouraged hospitals from stockpiling the machines. The shortage is especially pronounced in rural communities, where hospitals have an average of two, according to the Texas Organization of Rural and Community Hospitals. Usually, patients in rural hospitals who require more advanced levels of care to survive are transferred to major medical centers. But health care workers worry that with a surge in cases in metropolitan areas, even major hospitals could become overwhelmed. We got one report in East Texas of a rural hospital that was trying to transfer a patient, said Don McBeath, director of government relations for the Texas Organization of Rural and Community Hospitals. The urban hospital said they wouldnt accept it because they were full. Other options Kristina Ramirez, a local respiratory therapist who serves as the South Texas regional director for the Texas Society of Respiratory Care, said San Antonios hospitals are preparing for the worst including surges of patients from urban and rural areas. So far, the hospitals havent experienced shortages. For now, theres definitely enough ventilators and staff, Ramirez said. But if the shelter-in-places dont work and people dont take that seriously and it spreads too fast, then it will be a problem. Definitely. Supplies of ventilators vary from one hospital to the next, she said. Larger hospitals can plan to accommodate more than 100 patients needing ventilators. A smaller hospital might have only 18 intensive-care rooms and a dozen ventilators. Besides looking to tap national stockpiles, Ramirez said respiratory therapists and hospital administrators are looking for substitutes: older devices no longer in use and other equipment, such as anesthesia machines, that can provide oxygen to patients if their lungs fail. Hospitals are asking respiratory therapists to work overtime and exploring how to train nurses and paramedics to manage ventilators. As a last resort, multiple patients could be hooked up to a single machine, she said. New York on Thursday moved to allow hospitals to do just that. The only way that were going to prevent whats happening in places like New York and Washington and California is if we learn from whats going on now, Ramirez said. Thats the only way we can prevent this from overwhelming our health care system. Staff writers Laura Garcia and Peggy OHare contributed to this report. Marina Starleaf Riker is an investigative reporter for the San Antonio Express-News with extensive experience covering affordable housing, inequality and disaster recovery. To read more from Marina, become a subscriber. marina.riker@express-news.net | Twitter: @MarinaStarleaf Malians voted in a long-delayed parliamentary election on Sunday, barely a day after the country recorded its first coronavirus death and with the leading opposition figure kidnapped and believed to be in the hands of jihadists. There were security fears about the vote to elect new MPs to the 147-seat National Assembly even before the war-torn West African country recorded its first coronavirus infection on Wednesday. But then late Saturday, just hours before polls opened at 0800 GMT Sunday, the country's first coronavirus death was announced -- a 71-year-old man recently returned from France. Mali's number of confirmed infection has risen to 20. "I came to vote, but I'm afraid," said Souleymane Diallo, a 34-year-old teacher voting in the capital Bamako. "As you can see there's nobody here. Maybe because it's the morning, but it's also not surprising because of the situation." There are fears that the impoverished state of some 19 million people -- where large swathes of territory lie outside state control -- is particularly exposed to a COVID-19 outbreak. Malian voters greet each other without touching their hands outside a polling booth. By MICHELE CATTANI (AFP) Prime Minister Boubou Cisse admitted that turnout was not very large so far. "I appeal to the voters: remember to respect the barrier gestures and use the sanitary measures," he said as he voted, adding that turnout was "sufficiently satisfactory". It is the country's first parliamentary poll since 2013, when President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita's Rally for Mali party won a substantial majority. Parliamentary elections were meant to take place again in late 2018 following Keita's re-election, but the poll was postponed several times, largely due to security concerns. Some 200,000 people displaced by the near-daily violence in Mali's centre and north will not be able to vote, a government official has said. Very few people showed up to polling stations in the northern city of Timbuktu in the morning, but attendance had somewhat increased by midday, an AFP reporter observed. Voters wash their hands before casting their ballots as a member of the security forces looks on. By MICHELE CATTANI (AFP) While the distance between people in lines was too close, voters did wash their hands before entering polling stations, the reporter said. Polls are to close for Sunday's first round vote at 1800 GMT, with first results not expected for several days. A second round is scheduled for April 19. Kidnapped opposition leader Casting a shadow over the vote is the fate of veteran opposition leader Soumaila Cisse, who was kidnapped on Wednesday while campaigning in the centre of the country. Veteran opposition leader Soumaila Cisse was kidnapped while campaigning in the conflict-ravaged centre of the country. By Michele CATTANI (AFP/File) Cisse, 70, who has been runner-up in three presidential elections, and six members of his team were abducted in an attack in which his bodyguard was killed. It is "likely" he was being held by jihadists loyal to Fulani preacher Amadou Koufa, who leads a branch of the al-Qaeda-aligned GSIM active in the Sahel, according to a security source and a local official. Cisse and his entourage were probably now "far from where they were abducted," the security source told AFP. The government's election spokesman, Amini Belko Maiga, has admitted that voting conditions were not ideal. "It's true that we cannot say that everything is perfect, but we're doing the maximum," he said, referring to the threat of coronavirus. He added that hand-washing kits had been distributed in the countryside, while in Bamako, authorities would make masks and hand sanitisers available. Experts hope that the elections will lead to reforms that might drag Mali out of its cycle of violence. By DaphnA BENOIT (AFP/File) Cisse's Union for the Republic and Democracy (URD) on Saturday urged its supporters to turn out in even greater numbers in response to the leader's ordeal. However several other opposition parties called for the vote to be postponed due to coronavirus fears. Hopes for peace There are fears that Mali is particularly exposed to a coronavirus outbreak. By AFP (AFP/File) The country has been plagued by conflict since 2012, when rebels captured much of the country's arid north. Jihadists overtook the rebels in the north and swept into the country's centre, accelerating a conflict which has killed thousands of soldiers and civilians. Despite the numerous difficulties, experts nonetheless hope that Sunday's election will lead to reforms that might drag Mali out of its cycle of violence. In particular, the hope is that the new parliament will implement reforms from a peace agreement brokered between the Bamako government and several armed groups, in Algiers in 2015. Implementation has been painfully slow, although this year saw the Malian army deploy units made up of both former rebels and regulars, one the provisions of the Algiers agreement. The pact also provides for the decentralisation of governance in Mali, a demand of some of the rebel groups. In Brazil, with more than 3,900 confirmed cases, the most in Latin America by far, the virus came from Europe and is now tracking more broadly into society. One wealthy woman who contracted the coronavirus in Italy is believed to have infected her 63-year-old domestic employee, Cleonice Goncalves. Goncalves died at a small hospital in her hometown of Miguel Pereira, a remote mountain village a two-hour drive from the tony community where she worked. Her family blames the boss, who they say withheld information of her illness. Joanne Rogers, wife of Fred Rogers, in her Pittsburgh home prior to the November 2019 premiere of "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood." (Jeff Swensen / For The Times) Joanne Rogers has been getting a lot of phone calls this week. Which makes sense, because she is 92, and lives alone in an apartment in Pittsburgh, and everyone wants to make sure she is OK. She is OK, by the way shes self-isolating, has plenty of friends who are willing to drop off groceries and has no symptoms of the coronavirus. But theres another reason Joannes phone has been ringing off the hook lately. People want to know what wisdom she thinks her late husband, Fred Rogers, would have imparted to the world during this pandemic. When Fred was a boy and scary things would happen to him, his mother used to tell him: Freddy, look for the helpers. So he would have talked about the helpers, Joanne tells those on the other end of the line. Helpers, she explains, are those individuals who even at the height of global chaos try to find a way to ease the burden for others. Doctors, nurses, grocery store cashiers, mail carriers the friend who called Joanne to offer to bring her food even though he was not a young man and had heart issues. I called Joanne on Tuesday to check in on her. Since my visit to Pennsylvania in November when we finally met in person after a yearlong pen-pal relationship we have only been in touch a few times. In February, she spent three days in the hospital after developing atrial fibrillation. Doctors performed a cardioversion sending electric shocks to her heart to restore its normal rhythm and she says shes been fine ever since. Fred Rogers would have told society to focus on the "helpers," his wife believes. (Jim Judkis / Focus Features) Still, I felt relieved to hear her answer her cellphone, as upbeat and spunky as ever. This is all so spooky, she said of the pandemic. Id like to stop listening to the news and just have somebody like you call and ask me how I am. I am an optimist, essentially. But this is the hardest trial I've had as an optimist." Like most of us, Joanne has been "addicted" to television news over the past few weeks. She says shes not quite sure she really trusts any news anchor, though she likes MSNBCs Rachel Maddow best. When I hear her deliver the news," she said, "she is kind of like a minister delivering a good sermon. Story continues Sometimes, while watching President Trumps news conferences, she gets so frustrated that she starts yelling at her television set. She notices the aides standing behind him and shouts: If youd just take him on right now, youd make him get mad and carry on and talk himself into a fit! When she manages to turn away from the news, she turns to her beloved British mysteries by Deborah Crombie. Shes also returned to the piano she was a professional duo pianist to play some Bach, even though its starting to hurt her shoulders. She is still an active e-mailer, though she has yet to reach out to Tom Hanks who played Fred in "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" last fall during his bout with COVID-19. (She's considering writing to him this week since the actor and his wife, Rita Wilson, will likely be less bombarded with messages.) She just got out a jigsaw puzzle, though it didnt entertain [her] much, and shes been listening to Yo-Yo Mas Six Evolutions Bach: Cello Suites. In a pinch, shell try to find an old movie on television, though shes not a big TV watcher, outside of the news. Despite having his own show, Fred was also not a big fan of TV. Joanne only remembers him watching it when he was sick, and hed always put on kind of soupy things that it wouldnt have occurred to her to watch that seemed like they were based on Danielle Steele novels. Joanne and Fred Rogers on Nantucket. (Lynn Johnson ) Hed never sit down with her and tune in to the news. He hated the sensationalized 24-hour churn. When the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks happened, Fred and Joanne were at their vacation home on Nantucket. They didnt have a TV in the house, so Joanne turned on the radio to listen to the news. But Fred couldnt even bear hearing the reports that way, so he told Joanne he was going for a walk on the beach. People would see him on the beach and ask him to come in and see their television sets, she said. But he never would. He worked very hard to just think about these things, and he needed his quiet. He didnt need visual help for it. Fred had a difficult time talking about tragedy with Joanne. He digested it in a different way than I do, she said. It wasnt something he liked to talk about, and I knew that. I paused to think about what this meant. Was Joanne implying that Fred might have been as lost as the rest of us right now? Would he have shielded his eyes from the trauma because it was simply too painful to bear? Oh, no, Joanne answered swiftly. I think he would have had good ideas, and as soon as he got them figured out, he would have told us. But he wasnt going to spurt out the first thing that came into his mind. He didnt talk just to make a noise in the world. Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray warned on Sunday there will be a rise in the number of Covid-19 cases in the state as he urged doctors, hospitals and all stakeholders to be proactive in stopping the coronavirus disease from spreading further. The state is the worst-affected by the highly contagious disease, which has also claimed the lives of seven people. The number of infected rose to 196 in the state on Sunday and a seven-month-old baby tested positive to become the youngest Covid-19 patient in Maharashtra. The number of cases has started rising and it will rise even further. However, we want this rise to be restricted This is the phase when the multiplication of cases will startIf we stop its spread now it can be contained and we will win this war. Its time everyone should follow their responsibilities, the chief minister said. Doctor and hospitals will have to more careful now as there could be a rise in pneumonia patients, the Shiv Sena chief said in his address to the state through Facebook. If anyone is found suffering from fever and cold, get an X-ray and a haemogram test conducted and if found with any symptoms refer them to government facilities immediately, he said. Thackeray also warned that strict action will be taken if people do not stop crowding the markets as he reminded that this is the phase when Covid-19 cases will multiply. It is an emergency-like situation, the chief minister said. Also read: Cop in Maharashtra sings Zindagi Maut Na Ban Jaye to convince people to stay home Thackeray also said people need to take more care of the high-risk group that comprises pregnant women, babies, the elderly suffering from diabetes, high blood pressure etc. It has been observed that the severity of the epidemic in this group of people is more than others, he said. Also read: Is this how coronavirus outbreak ends? Thackeray also asked migrant workers to stay where they are and do not rush back home as the state government is making arrangements for their food and shelter. He also said the price of Shiv Bhojan thali, a subsidised meal scheme for the poor, will be reduced to Rs 5 per plate from Rs 10. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday apologised to citizens, especially the poor, for harsh decisions that have caused difficulties yet reiterated the importance of the nationwide lockdown as the only way to beat back the coronavirus disease pandemic while reaching out to a wide range of individuals affected by the disease and its aftermath. In his monthly Mann ki Baat radio address, the PM explained the rationale of his decision to impose the 21-day lockdown; asked citizens to strictly abide by it; spoke about how this period can be used to enhance emotional bonds; asked for empathy and understanding for those who were infected by the virus or were in quarantine; spoke to patients and doctors to understand their experiences of the disease; and acknowledged the role of those in the front-line of battling the pandemic and keeping essential services running. This was the third time the PM was speaking to the nation in less than 10 days. In his first address, on March 19, he had alerted the country to the dangers of the pandemic and called for a janta curfew for a day on March 22. In his second address, on March 25, Modi announced the three-week lockdown (except essential services) and advised people to stay home. The decision, acknowledged by experts as a necessary preventive measure, has disrupted economic activity and caused an exodus of migrant workers from cities towards their villages, often on foot in the process enhancing the risks of spreading the disease. The PM took into account precisely this situation at the beginning of his 35-minute address, and said: I first want to apologise to the citizens of this country. We have had to take some decisions which have caused difficulties. Many people would be angry at me and wonder how I have locked everyone at home. I understand your pain and difficulties. But the PM added that he was confident he would be forgiven because there was no other way for a country of Indias size to battle the pandemic, which had, in a way, chained the entire world. He underlined that it was important to battle an illness at a nascent stage, for if it escalated, defeating it would become far more difficult. Amid reports that those who had got infected, or were in quarantine, were facing a degree of stigma, the PM said that he was deeply pained to hear this. This is deeply unfortunate. They are not criminals...in fact, they are staying in quarantine to protect others. They are displaying responsible behaviour. He added that this was a period where social distancing had to be enforced and increased, while emotional distancing had to be decreased. Modi also spoke about people who thought that by staying at home, they were doing a favour to others, or did not understand the importance of social distancing. Dont be under any such illusion. With this lockdown, you are saving yourself, you are saving your own family...There are people who are still not understanding the gravity of the situation. If you break the rules of the lockdown, you will find it hard to save yourself from the virus. The PM, as he had done in the previous two addresses, once again acknowledged the role of the front-line workers in this battle doctors, paramedics, nurses, safai karamcharis, those who had kept the supply chain intact for essentials, those who had kept basic infrastructure running, those at the forefront of banking services, and others. He then spoke to patients who had recovered from the infection and who narrated the sequence of how they got infected, the process of getting tested, the hospital care they received and to doctors who spoke about how they were providing care specific to the disease as well as counselling to those infected and fearful of the future. Modi also conveyed the experiences of those who were staying home and using this period to strengthen their bonds with their children, contribute to household work, and pursuing hobbies. Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill said: The Prime Minister need not apologise for imposing lockdown but must apologise for the unplanned lockdown impacting especially the 48-crore strong labour force in the informal sector. The moot question is that he gave three days notice for taali and thaali ceremony but only three hours notice for locking down 1.2 billion people. As they say, better late than never, it is high time that the Prime Minister provide solutions. Neelanjan Sircar, political scientist at Ashoka University and Centre for Policy Research, said, PM Modis greatest strength is as a communicator with the people, which he has leveraged in times of distress like demonetisation and the coronavirus outbreak. He is well-suited to get the people focused on social distancing the need of the hour to slow the spread of the virus. But his biggest strength will continue to be to address the needs of the most vulnerable over the course of the lockdown, as they will need government assistance to meet basic needs. Over 260 people died in county Kildare during the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic, including three students at a Kildare school. Comparisons have been made between the coronavirus and the so-called Spanish flu which broke out in 1918. Research suggests that county Kildare had the highest death rate in Ireland. There were 263 deaths in the county. They included students in Clongowes Wood College in Clane. Some areas of Ireland suffered severely during all three waves of the Spanish flu, notably Dublin, where troops returning from the war may have been a major factor in spreading the flu. In Kildare, water and power shortages in Naas during the height of the second wave contributed to a particularly severe local outbreak in the county. In a short article in the Clane History Group journal, Coiseanna, published in 2018, Brendan Cullen highlighted research by Dr Ida Milne, about the great flu which entered Clongowes Wood College in Clane in mid October 2018, about the same time as the epidemic was its peak in Dublin city. The school had 300 pupils and the first contact in the college with the flu was noticed on October 19. By October 23, 91 students at the boarding school were down with the flu. A day later the numbers had grown to 173 and staff, including medical staff, a total of 207. By evening time that day it was 220. Staff were apparently advised not to attend the funerals of local people who had died from the disease. On November 2, a student at the college, Willie Carroll died from septic pneumonia, his father having spent the last few days at his sons beside. No one was allowed into the room where he died and the corpse was not brought into the chapel on the advice of Archbishop of Dublin, William Walsh. A second student, George Lidwell, died in December and a third, Donal Gorman, in January 19, as a result of the flu. The school erected a marble plaque to the memory of all three students in the corridor adjacent to the Boys Chapel in the school. The Spanish Flu, and related infections from pneumonia, claimed 23,000 lives and infected some 800,000 people in Ireland over a 12-month period, according to research by Dr Ida Milne from Trinity and an article by her and two other researchers, Guy Beiner and Patricia Marsh. Despite its high death toll, it has not featured, until relatively recently, on our historical radar. The National Museum of Ireland ran a programme The Enemy Within places the public at the forefront of Spanish Flu research and remembrance, during its centenary years. Now know as the H1N1 influenza virus, infected one billion people around the globe and may have killed approximately 100 million. Joe Biden downplayed Donald Trump's approval rating boost during the coronavirus outbreak, claiming all president's have seen a surge during times of crisis in the U.S. 'I think that's a typical American response,' Biden told NBC's Meet the Press Sunday morning. 'In every single crisis we've had president's ratings have always gone up in crisis.' He made reference to former President Jimmy Carter, who saw a surge from 31 per cent approval in October 1979 to 54 per cent by December 1979 after Iranian militants stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran in November and kidnapped seventy Americans. Donald Trump's approval rating has seen a boost in several polls as he holds daily briefings and works round-the-clock to address the continuing coronavirus crisis. Joe Biden asserted Sunday that all president's approval ratings surge during times of crisis 'I think that's a typical American response,' Biden told host of NBC's Meet the Press Chuck Todd on Sunday morning. 'In every single crisis we've had president's ratings have always gone up in crisis' Biden is attempting to downplay Trump's approval rating boost in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak as the former vice president became the presumed Democratic nominee earlier this month A Washington Post-ABC News poll showed the president with 48 per cent approval on Friday, which is the first time that particular poll yielded results with Trump having a higher approval than disapproval. The survey found that Trump's approval rating got a boost of five points since mid-February, when Americans were last asked their impressions of the president. Perhaps the most notable example of a crisis-surge for approval ratings was with former President George W. Bush after the September 11 terrorist attacks. Immediately before the attacks, Bush had a relatively high approval rating of 51 per cent, and about a week-and-a-half after the attacks, it skyrocketed to 89 per cent. Biden told NBC's Chuck Todd Sunday that despite the boost, Trump needs to act less childish and get the situation under control as the death rate from coronavirus doubled in just one day over the weekend from 1,000 to 2,000. 'I hope we're in a situation going into the fall where this is under control, where we've done all the right things and things are beginning to move, and the president is listening to scientists, as I said,' Biden sad. 'And stopping the, you know, the personal attacks on people that disagree with him. Let's get away from the childishness of this and focus on the problem.' Trump is up for reelection, and Biden is the presumed Democratic nominee who will take him on in November. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, however, has not yet dropped out of the primary race but at this point, it would be nearly impossible for him to clinch the nomination. Some aides close to Sanders said the progressive candidate feels the tides of the election could turn as coronavirus continues to rock the nation. Trump, along with the coronavirus task force led by Vice President Mike Pence, have held daily press briefings at the White House to address the fast-spreading respiratory disease. The president and his administration, with efforts headed by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, have also worked with lawmakers on Capitol Hill to get three economic relief packages passed that will inject the economy and Americans with trillions. On Friday, Trump signed the phase three stimulus bill, which includes direct checks for Americans who make $75,000 or less coming in the next few weeks. Critics of Trump have lauded him in the past few weeks for appearing more presidential at briefings and taking a more somber stance on the outbreak. Disneyland and Walt Disney World will not be opening theirs doors for the public anytime soon. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the two theme parks, based in California and Florida, were expected to open on Wednesday next week. But in light of the rising numbers of coronavirus cases, which recently crossed the 600,000 mark globally with over 27,000 deaths, the theme parks will remain closed till further notice. "While there is still much uncertainty with respect to the impacts of COVID-19, the safety and well-being of our guests and employees remains The Walt Disney Company's top priority," a statement from the company reads. "As a result of this unprecedented pandemic and in line with direction provided by health experts and government officials, Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort will remain closed until further notice," it added. Earlier, Universal Studios Hollywood announced that its park would extend its closure to April 19. Disney further said that it will extend paying hourly parks and resorts cast members through April 18. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Lata Mangeshkar health update: Veteran singer still in ICU, but there has been a slight improvement Coronavirus fear: Students from northeast denied entry at Mysuru supermarket India oi-Deepika S Mysuru, Mar 29: Amid growing coronavirus scare, yet another case of racial abuse against people from the North East has come to light from in Mysuru, in the state of Karnataka, where two students who went to a supermarket to purchase grocery were denied entry inside the store. As per media reports, the victim has been identified as Yokai Johny Konyak and Ali Meren. He was pursuing a degree at a college in Mysuru went to a supermarket at JLB road to purchase grocery on Sunday. The duo were denied entry inside the store by the staff and security, alleging that they were not Indians. "The world is fighting with pandemic together, nobody should sleep without food. Whether it be Indian, foreigner or northeastern or whatever, remember we are humans first and underneath every skin colour or face runs the same blood that is red," Konyak, posted in his Instagram profile along with the video. Taking note of the issue, deputy commissioner Abhiram G Sankar has assured to look into the issue. City Police Commissioner Chandragupta said an FIR has been registered and the manager and staff of the outlet have been taken into custody. Reacting to this, Union minister for state of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Kiren Rijiju, in his Twitter reaction said, "This is unacceptable. Union Home Ministry has already issued clear advisory to all the States and Union Territories to prevent any such discrimination against the people of North-East. Pls inform the local Police wherever this incident had occurred as soon as possible." Meanwhile in Karnataka, Naga migrants from Northeast India not allowed to buy food. Shameful. Racism in India is an everyday affair. pic.twitter.com/MPt0Eip4gi Dolly Kikon (@DollyKikon) March 29, 2020 Bengaluru Police chief Bhaskar Rao tweeted action will be taken against harassment of people from the north-east. "Some misguided persons have made unwanted Covid 19 remarks against our brethren from NorthEastern States. These misguided will be dealt with very sternly. Brothers & Sisters from NorthEast, you are secure here, approach nearest Police station or Me directly Live Fearless," he tweeted. However, More Megastores tweeted it does not accept discrimination of any kind in its stores. We deeply regret the unfortunate incident. Our staff is working under tremendous pressure & risks. The matter is now Sub-Judice & we are committed to fully co-operate with the Law Enforcement Authorities. Assure you that our organization does not discriminate on any grounds More Retail Limited (@moreretailltd) March 29, 2020 The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued an advisory to all states to take appropriate action against those persons found harassing people from North East an associating them with the coronavirus. Multiple instances of racial slurs against people of the North east, including sportspersons has come to light. There have been cases where people of the North East have been harassed by linking them to COVID-19. This is racially discriminatory and painful to them. Three incidents have been reported in Delhi. In one case, a woman from Manipur was spat on by a biker, who called her coronavirus. In another incident, a student was was called corona before being hit by a water balloon on Holi. In the third case, a woman from North East was chased out of a restaurant on Pandora road by the guests. The Katsina State Police Command has arrested 90 persons for allegedly setting ablaze Kusada Divisional Police Station over suspension of Friday congregational prayer by the state government to contain the spread of COVID-19. The police command spokesman, Gambo Isah, made this known in a statement issued to newsmen on Saturday in Katsina. According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the state government directed closure of state borders, suspended large gatherings, Friday congregational prayer and church services. Isah in the statement revealed that some youths, under the leadership of one Malam Hassan, conducted Friday prayer in one of the Jumaat mosques in Kusada, in defiance of the directives. Read Also: BREAKING: Governor El-Rufai Tests Positive For Covid-19 Subsequently, he was arrested for questioning at Area Commanders office, Malumfashi, which did not go down well with some of his followers. Consequently, today, March 28, 2020, at about 09:00hrs, this particular group organised themselves in such a tumultuous manner, rioting and attacked police station and over-powered the policemen on duty at Kusada Division. They set ablaze the police station and DPOs Quarters, Mr Isah, a superintendent of police, said. He explained that the youth also burnt down seven vehicles and 10 motorcycles and that one of the rioters lost his life in the scene. Mr Isah, however, said normalcy had been restored to the area, and added that the Commissioner of Police, Sanusi Buba, has deployed police patrol teams and Special Joint Security Task Force to beef up security. Amit Kapoor, son of Ashok Kapoor with whom Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted during 'Mann Ki Baat' on Sunday, said the Prime Minister praised the courage of the six family members, who recovered from the coronavirus infection. "Prime Minister Modi Ji praised our courage that we reported to the hospital on time and recovered from the coronavirus. He asked us to spread awareness about the government guidelines on the disease in the city," Kapoor told ANI. The Prime Minister in his monthly 'Mann Ki Baat' radio programme spoke to coronavirus survivors -- Ramagampa Teja and Ashok Kapoor -- urging them to share their success against the infection with people. He asked the people to listen to the survivors, who had successfully defeated the coronavirus. "I have spoken to a few people who were infected with the virus. Speaking to such people while I tried to boost their morale, they also lifted my spirit when I talked to them," he said. Earlier in his address, Modi asked for the forgiveness of all the countrymen, and especially the poor, for the nationwide lockdown in the country in view of the novel coronavirus. He termed the decision as a necessary measure needed to defeat the infection in India. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The COVID-19 pandemic is presenting all of us with unforeseen challenges. As members of the North Dakota State Teacher of the Year Chapter, we feel compelled to share our perspectives. Guided by love for our students and pride in the teaching profession, we are focusing on a statement made by Sara Medalen, the 2020 State Teacher of the Year, who was interviewed in a recent news story. While handing out lunches to students in Minot, Medalen said, We really are all in this together. We know it is true. We will get through this challenging time ... together. As our classrooms suddenly are without walls, educators are innovating at a speed unseen in most industries. We feel pressure to do it right and to make the transition to distance learning as seamless as possible. We are aware that every family situation is unique, and every student has individual interests, strengths, and struggles. We understand that students and parents may be apprehensive about how this will work. Our students are on a journey of learning, and it is our lifes work to guide them. For us, its heartbreaking to have limited contact with students when our classrooms are empty. We know the human connections in our classrooms are crucial to a well-rounded education, and even with so many cancellations disrupting our days, those connections will not be canceled. Academics and positive relationships will continue as educators seek innovative strategies to maintain both. It isnt just teachers who are looking for ways to support our students. We are heartened by the ways that food service personnel, bus drivers, paraprofessionals, custodians, counselors, and administrators across the state are working to ensure that students will continue to learn and maintain classroom relationships, even when the buildings are not accessible. The greatness of many individuals shines through. We appreciate the leadership at the state and local levels that encourage exploring all ideas to meet the needs of students and staff across North Dakota. A powerful example of how the guidance of leaders enhances the hard work of individuals can be seen in the way thousands of meals are delivered to students in our cities and rural areas each day. Our community agencies and local businesses have also come together to support our students and their families. During this time of so many unknowns, it is reassuring to have community members stepping up to provide security and opportunities. Beyond the local resources, numerous state and national educational companies are waiving fees to provide resources to enhance distance learning for teachers, students, and families. Whether you are a teacher providing distance learning, a parent providing guidance at home, or a student dealing with so many uncertainties and changes, it is going to be okay! If we all give our very best effort, we trust it will be enough to learn amazing things, to do good for our community, and to be even stronger than we were before because we are all in this together, and together we can do great things! Dean Aamodt, Wahpeton; Melessa Bosch, Minot; Jessica Brandt, Central Cass; Dr. Karyn Chiapella, Scranton; Nanci Dauwen, West Fargo; Kayla Dornfeld, Mapleton; Mary Eldredge Sandbo, Des Lacs; Andrea Fox, West Fargo; Lynae Holmen, Minot; Linda Hope, Langdon; Annette Hovey, New Rockford; Leah Juelke, Fargo; Julia Koble, Minot; Sara Medalen, Minot; Amy Neal, Minot; Debra Nelson, Bottineau; Marlene Srock, retired, Minot; Melissa Stanley, Minot; Fred P. Strand, Mayville State University; Heather Tomlin-Rohr, Jamestown; Brenda Tufte, Bismarck; Karen Toavs, Williston; David Volk, Fargo Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The world's largest glove manufacturer is expecting product shortage as demand from Europe and the United States has risen rapidly. According to reports, Malaysia's Top Glove Corporation Bhd, which makes one in every five gloves globally, has extended shipping time to cope up with the growing demand. Top Glove's Executive Chairman Lim Wee Chai reportedly told the press that some customers are panic ordering, normally they would order 10 containers, now they are ordering 20. Read: COVID-19: China Risks 'good Relations' With UK As Boris Johnson Faces Pressure From Allies Executive Chairman Lim Wee Chai reportedly said that Top Glove can produce 200 million natural and synthetic rubber gloves a day. Customers have reportedly increased their orders by 100 per cent and the company can increase production by only 20 per cent, so there is a shortage of about 50-80 per cent. Lim while talking to the media said that the company is adding new machines every week and could increase its production by as much as 30 per cent. Read: North Korea Tests Two Missiles, South Condemns 'inappropriate' Timing Amid COVID-19 Crisis According to media reports, Top Glove hired most workers from Nepal and amid lockdown and travel restrictions the company is forced to hire locals to help out in packing. The company is reportedly looking to source 1,000 workers to keep up the production. As the coronavirus has shifted its base from China to Europe and America, demands from those regions are expected to rise even higher in the coming days. The United States on Friday surpassed China to record the most number of infections anywhere in the world, while Italy overtook it in terms of deaths. Read: Coronavirus Claims More Than 30,000 Lives, Over 6,00,000 Infected Globally Coronavirus outbreak COVID-19 has claimed more than 30,800 lives across the world and has infected more than 6,64,000 people globally since it first broke out in December 2019. China was the most affected country until last week before Italy and Spain surpassed it to record the most number of deaths anywhere in the world due to COVID-19. The virus is believed to have originated from a seafood market in China's Wuhan city, the epicentre of the disease, where animals were reportedly being traded illegally. Read: China Bans Entry Of Foreign Nationals To Curb Coronavirus Spread Read: COVID-19: Video Of Doctors Singing Song To Boost Morale Is Being Lauded By Netizens; Watch Billionaire businessman, Aliko Dangote, has said that he tested negative for coronavirus. He said this via his verified Twitter handle ... The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly disrupted modern society, affecting our collective health and well-being. As a global citizen and business leader, I took the COVID-19 test and the result came back NEGATIVE. (1/2) Aliko Dangote (@AlikoDangote) March 29, 2020 He said this via his verified Twitter handle on Sunday.Dangotes status had come under doubt by many Nigerians over suspicion that had contact with some governors and the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, who tested positive.He tweeted, The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly disrupted modern society, affecting our collective health and well-being.As a global citizen and business leader, I took the COVID-19 test and the result came back NEGATIVE.Coalition Against COVID-19 is an initiative that I am leading with other private sector leaders&our common goal is to support ongoing Government initiatives with our resources in the fight against COVID-19.We are in this together and I am optimistic we will overcome. Well known photographers debut novel a page turner By Meleeza Rathnayake View(s): View(s): In the 21st century, the younger generation has seemingly forgotten the wonders of print media. Modern media has affected the print media, and Padmakumar P. Mettasena wrote his novel Muslim Sinhala keeping this development in mind. Mettasena stepped into the field of writing at a young age. His first publication was a comic strip for the Madura newspaper that was the start of my artistic journey, he says. A freelance writer at Lake House, he wrote for Sinhala publications such as Madura, Sarasaviya, Tharuni and Navayugaya. In 1983, he discovered a different artistic field for himself which would fascinate him a lot more. His photograph of beauty queen Rosy Senanayake was published as the cover picture of the Sarasaviya and that was his launching pad into the field of photography. He was a photographer for more than 30 years and his pictures were a regular feature in the Sunday Times Mirror Magazine which was how he came into the limelight, he says. Now returning to creative writing, his debut novel, Muslim Sinhala reveals the dark secrets of all humans irrespective of their race and religion. It portrays the complicated social relationships that people are entrapped in. The protagonist, Kashyapa Karunarathne is fully immersed in the unwanted gossip swirling around him. His ever-vigilant eyes always travel to his bosss cubicle and what fascinates him most are the secret affairs of his coworkers. Kashyapas view is that office environments are prone to immorality. He works at a newspaper company where journalists, writers and photographers are keen on learning the latest gossip in the office. The story is written as a screenplay that portrays the life of the protagonist. Kashyapas unsavoury living conditions in Maradana, where his friends are gangsters and pretty women who live double lives also has an impact on him. Living conditions are terrible on some days, when he bathes the water is mixed with sewer water, and he ends up smelling like faeces, he says in a graphic description. Apart from the gossip Kashyapas habit of staring at women in the office takes the story into a sexual context. When it comes to immorality- ethnicity does not play a vital role in society. A human cannot be framed by his race or religion, is a strong message delivered by the story. The topic of sex is rarely discussed in Sri Lanka, but Mettasena breaks boundaries to bring out the reality. All decency and norms of sexual behaviour are being destroyed by pornography through modern media and this reaches all age groups, he writes. Mettasenas debut novel is in the genre of erotic-thriller fiction. Politics also comes into play when the protagonist tells the reader how the government oppressed writers and activists through social media. Overall Muslim Sinhala is a page-turner, delivering on its themes of equality and modern social relationships set against a political context A teacher gives a lecture through online at Gyeonggi Academy of Foreign Languages in Uiwang City, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. /Yonhap By Bahk Eun-ji More than 70 percent of teachers of kindergartens, elementary, middle and high schools here are expressing concerns over the April 6 start of the new school year with the delayed spring semester, amid lingering concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic, a survey showed Sunday. The Ministry of Education (MOE) delayed the spring semester by five weeks amid the spread of the highly-contagious coronavirus and schools are set to begin their academic year that day. According to the Good Teacher Movement, an organization of teachers and educational research center, which conducted the online survey of 4,002 teachers at kindergartens, and elementary and secondary schools nationwide for two days from March 26, 73 percent of respondents said the MOE should extend the school closures due to fear of infection among young children. About 21 percent said schools should open as scheduled April 6, while 6 percent said they "couldn't decide." Among respondents, 75 percent of teachers from Seoul and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province, and 71 percent from Daegu, North Gyeongsang Province, the epicenter of the virus outbreak here, called for the date to be pushed back again. Nearly 60 percent of those who want to delay the school opening said schools should kick off the spring semester through online classes first, while 18 percent said online and offline semesters should be operated at the same time. With continuing concerns over possible mass infections in classrooms, the MOE has been considering opening online classes so that students can take classes on computers at home rather than go to school. As to rescheduling the College Scholastic Aptitude Test (CSAT), 87 percent said it should be postponed in accordance with the delay of the academic calendar, while 13 percent said it should not be delayed. The education ministry plans to announce next week whether schools can open April 6. "If the closure is extended, then classes may be held remotely," said Lee Sang-soo, a senior official at the MOE, during an online briefing Friday. The education ministry said it has been collecting feedback from parents on the opening, while the interior ministry was in talks with local communities. The education authorities' decision has come as the number of COVID-19 infections among young children has steadily increased over the last five days since March 23. According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), 604 adolescents and children under the age of 18 had contracted COVID-19 as of March 27, up from 563, March 23. A 70-year-old man in Singapore on Sunday died of the novel coronavirus after fighting the disease for 27 days, taking the country's death toll in COVID-19 pandemic to three, officials said. The patient, a Singaporean citizen with no recent travel history to affected countries and regions, died at about 12.12 PM on Sunday, Channel Asia quoted Ministry of Health as saying. The patient developed serious complications and eventually died due to the infection. He had a history of hypertension and hyperlipidaemia, the ministry said. He was admitted to the Singapore General Hospital on February 29, and was confirmed to have COVID-19 infection on March 2. On March 21, a 75-year-old Singaporean woman and a 64-year-old Indonesian man died of the disease. The woman had a history of chronic heart disease and hypertension, while the man had a history of heart disease. On Saturday, Singapore reported 70 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of infections to 802. Nineteen of the 420 confirmed cases still in hospital are in critical condition in the intensive care unit. Meanwhile, the passport of a Singaporean man has been cancelled for flouting stay-home notice rules, a first tough action taken by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on Sunday. Goh Illya Victor, 53, had travelled from Singapore to the nearby Indonesian island of Batam. He returned to Singapore about two weeks ago via a ferry and was served with the stay-home notice at entry point. But he went back to Batam on same day despite the stay-home notice and warnings from ICA officers in breach of the notice, attracting penalties. Those under the notice are not allowed to leave their homes for 14 days, or they can face a fine of up to 10,000 Singapore dollars (USD 7,003) or up to six months in prison, or both. Last Tuesday, he returned to Singapore through the Singapore Cruise Centre and was issued a second notice. The ICA said Goh displayed "irresponsible conduct" for not complying with the first stay-home notice and then returning to Singapore last Tuesday. "In view of the wilful breach, the ICA has cancelled his passport and referred the case to the Ministry of Health for investigation," it said in a statement. This means that Goh, without a valid passport, cannot leave the country. He remains a Singapore citizen. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Even as traffic to news websites has surged of late because of the constant demand for updates on the COVID-19 pandemic, publishers are downsizing their staff and cutting pay due to slumping ad revenue. One problem the sites are facing is that advertisers are working with ad-tech companies that, in trying to prevent those brands from appearing on particular sites or near certain topics, have prevented promotions from running alongside coronavirus-related content. With the crisis having become the dominant global story, one that's poised to continue for at least the coming months, parts of the news industry face an existential threat if advertisers continue to stay away. Publishers want the rampant blocking on news to stop. Jason Kint, CEO of Digital Content Next, the trade body representing CNBC, Bloomberg, The New York Times and other publications, wrote an open letter this week urging certain advertising technology companies including Integral Ad Sciences and DoubleVerify to exempt "premium, trusted media properties" from brand safety filters around COVID-19 and related terms. Now that the virus has touched virtually every facet of society, ad industry experts argue, there should be no stigma for running ads on stories tied to the pandemic. Ryan Pauley, chief revenue officer at Vox Media, said the type of content getting flagged includes updates on what people need to know about the health crisis and recommendations for how to support small businesses. "There is no brand suitability problem for advertisers being adjacent to this content, in fact quite the opposite," Pauley said in an email. "The fact that a high percentage of articles are being flagged as brand unsafe across premium news outlets like the New York Times or Vox is a misapplication of generic 'brand safety' concerns.'" Married At First Sight's Seb Guilhaus appeared tense before filming his final vows with Elizabeth Sobinoff last year. The ex-footy player, 30, looked downcast outside the Skye Suites apartment building in Sydney on November 27 - a week before he made his decision to stay or leave. It comes as a trailer for Monday night's episode shows Elizabeth reducing Seb to tears, hinting she's going to break his heart. Something on your mind? Married At First Sight's Seb Guilhaus appeared tense before filming his final vows with Elizabeth Sobinoff last year. Pictured at a cafe in Sydney on November 27 In Daily Mail Australia's exclusive photos, Seb appeared to have a lot on his mind while heading out for lunch at a cafe in the CBD. He sported three plasters across his shin from an unknown injury, and wore a singlet and shorts. Elizabeth did not join him, and instead stayed in their apartment. Tough choices: The ex-footy player, 30, looked downcast outside the Skye Suites apartment building in Sydney on November 27 - a week before he made his decision to stay or leave Mystery injury: He sported three plasters across his shin from an unknown injury He was glued to his mobile phone and looked unsure of his decision. The following day, on November 28, a visibly upset Elizabeth moved out of their apartment and loaded her belongings into a chauffeur-driven car. She was helped by a female producer as she left, but there were no camera crews around. Tellingly, Seb was nowhere in sight. What happened? The following day, on November 28, Elizabeth moved out of their apartment and loaded her belongings into a chauffeur-driven car. Tellingly, Seb was nowhere in sight Minutes later, Seb was spotted in the lobby with the same producer, who was possibly breaking the news of Elizabeth's sudden exit. The two sets of pictures - taken over consecutive days - suggest the couple had a fight before heading home for a week to make their decisions. When they reunited for their final vows on a remote property in Bowral on December 3, it looked like tensions were still running high. Breaking the news? Minutes later, Seb was spotted in the lobby with a MAFS producer, who was possibly breaking the news of Elizabeth's sudden exit A preview for Monday's episode shows Elizabeth reducing Seb to tears. She says: 'He fell quicker than me and it scares me to think, "Is this just because he's wrapped up in the experiment?" It worries me he may not like what I have to say.' Elizabeth then tells Seb: 'I'm scared that you wanted to find love so badly that no matter who you were matched with, you'd try to make it work.' He then breaks down in tears before the advert abruptly ends. Tears: When the pair reunited for their final vows in Bowral on December 3, it looked like tensions were still running high. Pictured: Seb crying in a trailer for Monday's episode New York: The coronavirus outbreak could kill 100,000 to 200,000 Americans, the US government's top infectious-disease expert warned as smouldering hotspots in nursing homes and a growing list of stricken cities heightened the sense of dread across the country. Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, made the dire prediction of fatalities on CNN, adding that millions in the US could become infected. By midafternoon on Sunday, the US had over 135,000 infections and 2300 deaths, according to the running tally kept by Johns Hopkins University, though the true number of cases is thought to be considerably higher because of testing shortages and mild illnesses that have gone unreported. Worldwide, more than 710,000 infections were reported, and deaths topped 33,000, half of them in Italy and Spain, where hospitals are swamped and the health system is at the breaking point. Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued an order which stops landlords from demanding rent from students, workers and migrant labourers for a month. Those landlords who force people to vacate their houses will face action, the statement warns. It also urges states to provide food and shelter to thousands of migrant workers who are without jobs and essentials amid the ongoing lockdown. The MHA order also instructs states to enforce a 14-day quarantine on workers who have left for their hometowns. MHA order, issued under the Disaster Management Act, reads, "The states and Union territories shall ensure adequate arrangements of temporary shelters, and provisions of food etc. for the poor and needy people, including migrant labourers, stranded due to lockdown measures in their respective areas." "The migrant people who have moved out to reach to their home states/home towns must be kept in the nearest shelter by the respective state/union territory government quarantine facilities after proper screening for a minimum period of 14 days," it adds. The order also states that the employers must pay wages to their workers without any deduction and on due dates. A large number of migrant workers are stranded in big cities after the government announced a 21-day lockdown which ends on April 14. Unable to find any means of transport, many such migrant workers have stepped out on national highways to walk to their villages hundreds of kilometres away. Seeing their plight, some state governments have made arrangements for their transport, accommodation and food. Coronavirus has killed 25 people in India, while over 950 have been infected. (With inputs from PTI) An Israeli-chartered Air India flight from New Delhi landed late in the night March 26 at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, carrying 316 passengers. In a statement released by the Israeli Foreign Ministry, spokesperson Lior Hayat explained that the Israeli Embassy and consulates in India had been working more than a week to enable the Israeli travelers, most of them young people who had finished their army service, to board the flight and come home. A similar flight was organized the day before by Israels ambassador in Bogota, Chris Cantor, bringing back from Colombia some 70 young tourists. On March 24, a special El Al flight carried 230 Israelis who had been traveling in Australia and New Zealand back to Tel Aviv from Perth. It was the first-ever direct flight from Australia to Israel and took 17 hours. All these flights and several others reflect ongoing efforts by the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem to help Israelis stranded abroad as countries have closed borders and canceled flights as a result of the novel coronavirus pandemic. The efforts of the ministry seem to have stopped at nothing, with complex operations and out-of-the-box solutions such as the use of a private airplane that on March 26 picked up 23 Israelis who had been traveling in Bolivia and transferred them to a location where a Bolivia military airplane waited for them. The military plane then flew the Israelis all the way to Sao Paolo, Brazil, where they flew commercial back to Israel. In Costa Rica, Ambassador Amir Ofek managed to gather travelers from five Central American countries to board the first-ever flight from San Jose to Tel Aviv. In the past two weeks, teams of the prime minister's office, the Finance Ministry and other government ministries have been preparing plans for the country going into emergency mode and have been identifying workers in both public and private sectors to be considered as essential for maintaining Israel operations. When the planning started, Foreign Ministry employees were not defined as such, but as discussions advanced, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus people realized the workers' importance. Currently, about 50% of the Foreign Ministry's employees at the headquarters in Jerusalem are working, while Israeli missions abroad are continuing to work with full staffs. The Foreign Ministry estimates that at the beginning of the coronavirus crisis, there were around 10,000 Israelis traveling across the globe, many of them under 30. Most of these travelers mochileros [backpackers] as they are nicknamed in Israel were in the Far East, South America or elsewhere for periods of several months after finishing their military service and before starting university. In recent weeks, their parents kept pressuring authorities to bring back their children, who were often traveling in developing countries and in remote areas. And the pressure worked. In his numerous announcements, Foreign Minister Israel Katz has been using terms such as rescue operation and solidarity, touching upon the most sensitive Israeli chord of saving one another. A similar sensitive chord and public pressure on Netanyahu had helped bring about the January release of Naama Issachar, who had been imprisoned in Russia. Family members of diplomats in China, in Russia and in several African countries have been evacuated back home while the diplomats themselves stayed put. But personal difficulties aside, embassy staffers work relentlessly, doing what they know to do best in dealing with foreign governments and agencies. And we are not talking only about flights. Following diplomatic efforts by Israels ambassador in Amman, Amir Weissbrod, 200 Israelis studying in Jordan reached the Allenby Bridge crossing point March 26, entered Israel and came home. For the past three years, Netanyahu has monopolized Israels diplomacy, crisscrossing the globe on his own while sidelining ambassadors and diplomatic advisers. But an Israeli diplomat told Al-Monitor that now, after years of ignoring the Foreign Ministry, cutting its responsibilities and budgets and tarnishing its leadership, the prime minister has suddenly recognized its necessity. With queries ranging from when schools will reopen to how one should safeguard themselves against coronavirus and keep children engaged at home, psychological counsellors employed at several private schools across Delhi-NCR are flooded with distressed calls round the clock from students and parents who are worried about the COVID-19 situation amid a 21-day nationwide lockdown. The classes at schools were suspended two weeks before the lockdown was announced and exams were postponed. With several teaching and learning activities moving online, many students and parents are worried about the uncertainty as they follow daily According to various school authorities, the counsellors who are providing counselling services either through phone or video conferencing are also doing it from their respective homes and have been asked to not follow any time schedule to ensure maximum queries are answered for students and parents to remain at peace. "Since the counsellor is also working from home, the students are able to communicate only by phone or on the virtual platforms such as online conferencing and WhatsApp. The most common queries are related to board examinations and results. Parents often call to enquire about commencement of the new academic session and periodic test schedules," Pallavi Upadhyaya, Principal, Delhi Public School, Rajnagar Extension, Ghaziabad told PTI. "Parents and students also want to know that even if the threat of infection is relatively less when they resume school there will always be fear of the virus returning. So, they are asking us how the school will make provisions for social distancing and how many students will be accommodated per classroom," she added. Ameeta Mohan, Principal, Amity International School, Pushp Vihar, said, "Parents are being counselled about how to keep the children busy at home. For this purpose, online links for extra reading material are being provided. Parents are being advised about indoor games and activities. Students have been calling with queries related to academics." "From do's and don'ts to deal with the pandemic effectively, to new hobbies that can be pursued during the lockdown period and queries about how to motivate students to read books and help their parents with household chores, are also being received," said Nidhi Bansal, Pro-Vice Chairperson, Pacific World School-Greater Noida. Noor Sinha, Counsellor, Shiv Nadar School, Noida is receiving queries about handling boredom at home and how to help those impacted due to lockdown including daily wage workers and homeless people. "Senior students have called with concerns of seeing their parents visibly stressed with businesses being impacted and the situation. They have shared their anxiety about the efficacy of the measures taken and how to manage staying at home and its implication on routine, mood and weight," she said. According to Priyanka Barara, Principal, Delhi International School, Rohini, "The school counsellor is receiving around 20 queries every day. Interestingly, a lot more are from parents who need advice to keep their children maintain their physical and mental health. Students of the age group 14-17 have queries related to coronavirus worries and confinement. The students who will be appearing in the board exam next year are also anxious about how they will cope with the curriculum." "Most of the queries coming across are related to precautions and tips. With so many rumours doing rounds on social media, people are bound to get anxious. Students are anyway in their developing years, so their worries are genuine. We try to conduct our counselling sessions on a lighter note," said Sangeeta Hajela, Principal, DPS Indirapuram. "The principles of privacy are kept intact throughout. The involvement of parents is also very crucial to these sessions, although the students are given full liberty to hold a one-on-one session with the counsellor as well," she added. The Central Board of Secondary (CBSE) has also launched a telephone helpline to make students aware about how to protect themselves and others by following the guidelines, how to get on with studies at home and how to plan their days effectively. According to the Union health ministry, the death toll in India due to COVID-19 climbed to 25 on Sunday with a total of 979 cases so far. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Research shows that fluids spread when coughing/sneezing are a big transmitter of COVID-19. Each of us needs to do what we can to stop the spread. One easy thing we all can do, today, is wear homemade masks in public. My mask could help you, your mask could help me. #Masks4All pic.twitter.com/6JGNNMtdJD Senator Pat Toomey (@SenToomey) March 29, 2020 U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey is encouraging Lehigh Valley residents to cover their nose and mouth with makeshift masks on the chance they have the coronavirus and could inadvertently spread it. The advice, which came in a recorded tweet Saturday evening by Toomey, R-Pa., tells Lehigh Valley residents to follow a popular catchphrase trending on social media titled, Masks4All. The hashtag takes users on social media to tutorials and other information on how to craft their own basic face masks, which can be used as hands-free sneeze guards while traveling to grocery stores and other essential businesses. Sometimes people ask me what can I do, what can I do personally to help? Toomey said in the video. And there is something that I think we all can do to help slow down the rate at which this virus is transmitted among us. Toomey suggests DIY pieces -- stitched together with a few layers of cotton, elastic straps and, on some ambitious designs, a flexible bridge over the nose. These makeshift masks can provide a barrier if someone at a store is carrying things with both arms and has to sneeze or cough, Toomey said. I think its a really important and a really constructive idea, Toomey said. Many authorities still advise only people with symptoms to wear masks. This doesnt help with a virus like COVID-19, since a person who does not yet show symptoms may still be contagious, Toomey said. We all know and weve all hopefully observe that if you sneeze or you cough, you sneeze into your arm and you cover your cough and thats for the obvious reason that we dont want particles that are leaving our mouth or nose to possibly infect someone else," he said. "Many of us could be walking around with the virus. Maybe we have no symptoms, we may never get the symptoms but we might be able to transmit the virus and all the science suggests that the most common method of transmission is the little droplets of fluid that are emitted when we sneeze or cough. The World Health Organization and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have both said that only people with COVID-19 symptoms and those caring for them should wear surgical masks, such as a N95 respirator. Toomey stresses in the video he is not suggesting a substitute for those types of masks -- worn by healthcare professionals who are coming in contact with patients testing positive for COVID-19. By Saturday afternoon, there were a total of 533 new positive cases statewide and 12 total additional deaths. Pennsylvania now has 2,751 total coronavirus cases in 56 counties. Lehigh County has 109 cases and Northampton County has 94 as of Saturday. Toomey told the public to first follow the advice of Gov. Tom Wolf, who ordered several counties across the state, including the Lehigh Valley on March 25, to stay home. It took effect at 8 p.m. and stays in effect through April 6. However, Toomey said residents will need to leave the house to receive essential items, such as grocery store items and medicine. While we can and should continue to observe the social distancing -- that is a really important part of reducing the rate of transmission -- we also could be wearing just a homemade mask or even just a bandana, Toomey said. "Something that we can put over our nose and mouth so that we reduce the likelihood that droplets from our own breath would inadvertently be inhaled by someone and thereby infect them. These types of DIY face masks, Toomey said, were deployed in the Czech Republic and were successful. I would encourage people to make sure if youre going outside, cover up," he said. "Cover your nose and mouth. My mask will keep someone else safe and their mask will keep me safe. Im not suggesting that this is any kind of guarantee and it probably doesnt have tremendous value for the person wearing the mask. But it probably does significantly reduce the risk that people could inadvertently transmit it. Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. If theres anything about this story that needs attention, please email her. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Bread and pastry vendors missing from usual rounds View(s): Most people had not been able to buy bakery products despite efforts to operate mobile vendors better known as Chuun pan Karayas to distribute items including bread and pastries. Particularly, in Colombo and suburbs, people who depend on mobile vendors even on normal days could not be served due to some issues, including police preventing their operation at times, All Ceylon Bakery Owners Association president Jayawardene told the Sunday Times. However, Mr. Jayawardene said measures have been taken to distribute bakery products to homes in some areas within the stipulated time using mobile services. He said police had told them that some vendors had misused the permission to sell bread and bakery products. For vendors, handling soiled money could pose health risks, he said. Even though the sellers are following health precautions, if one person in a crowd is infected, then the virus will spread, he said. Another issue is that not all bakeries are operating. Some dont have enough ingredients to continue baking. For instance, if they dont have yeast, there is no place to buy. Some bakers dont have enough resources to deal with a potentially large-scale outbreak and dont have enough workers. Krishani Dhanushka, 30, a resident of Mount Lavinia, said, some of the bakeries opened the day the curfew was lifted, but there were crowds. Thats how it was everywhere from Mt Lavinia to Fort and back. As there were no bread-tuks, we had to queue up for hours to buy a loaf. So I keep my bread sliced in the freezer because it lasts longer. Sachira De Silva, 32, a resident of Kalutara, said, The government announced that bread will be sold from trucks, but nothing turned up. There was no sandwich bread on the day the curfew was lifted. Supermarket shelves were empty. Dilini Perera, 33, a resident of Pannipitiya said people who are stuck at home are not looking for a gastronomic experience, just some bread, as they are fed up with eating the same food for a longer period. I have a child, who keeps me busy, so I cant make pastries at home. My mother is suffering from diabetes so she only eats brown bread, but its not available in the bakery. Samadara Jayasekara, 39, a resident of Panadura, said the youngest child, who is 10, keeps asking for fish buns, rolls, and pastries. Wimal Rupasinghe, owner of Susiko Bakers Kohuwala, said he owns 25 bakeries in the Colombo district. We dont have enough staff to distribute the food. We have to make all the food for all the bakeries. Most of the staff have gone back to their homes because of the curfew, he said. The day the curfew was lifted in the Colombo district we were able to prepare enough food for the customers and they rushed to the bakery shops to buy bread. We dont have bread trucks to deliver. With the coronavirus pandemic our business broke down. Public Health Inspector Manjula Mudalige said the mobile bread trucks are being monitored. Drivers have to follow the health guidelines provided by the government. They must wear a face mask and gloves. They must not serve food with bare hands. Some Torontonians are refusing to comply with a city order to stay out of dog parks and sports fields, infuriating Mayor John Tory and risking a $750 penalty. Tory told the Star on Sunday he is baffled by people removing signs and tape blocking park amenities. He ordered their closure Wednesday after public health officials said continued park clustering could help spread COVID-19. To see people not just using (park equipment) but tearing the signs off and tearing the signs down I mean, cmon people, Tory said. I dont think people yet comprehend these measures have literally life-or-death consequences. I think there will be instances where people dont accept that advice. That certainly happened yesterday at some off-leash parks people who simply refused to leave so we had to padlock those overnight. They need to look at their TVs and see whats happening in Italy and New York. Were trying to stop that from happening here and they are ignoring or flouting that and I just dont get it, I cant even begin to explain it to you. Toronto Public Health has reported, as of Sunday afternoon, four COVID-19 deaths. In New York the death toll topped 670 on Sunday, while the pandemic has hit Italy harder than any other country with more than 10,000 deaths so far. City of Toronto spokesperson Brad Ross said city staff have wrapped caution tape around more than 800 playgrounds and 50 fitness stations, as well as posting thousands of signs explaining that park amenities are off limits. Open park areas and trails remain open for strolling, including on-leash dog walking, with users urged to remain at least two metres apart. Signage and caution tape, disappointingly, is being removed and amenities then used at a number of locations in spite of the bylaw enacted to close parks amenities, Ross said. The City has received more than 200 complaints to date from residents about people flouting the closure order to use sports fields, picnic areas and dog parks, he said, adding that staff have now locked dog parks across the city. Gates are also closed at parking lots attached to city parks, and are being installed at lots for high-use parks that dont currently have them. City staff, and if necessary police, will focus enforcement on problem areas including Trinity Bellwoods, Christie Pits, Riverdale, the entire waterfront system, Bluffers Park, Tommy Thompson Park, Earl Bales Park, High Park, Earlscourt Park, Weston Lions Park and Coronation Park. David Rider is the Stars City Hall bureau chief and a reporter covering city hall and municipal politics. Follow him on Twitter: @dmrider Read more about: Two thirds of Britons want Boris Johnson to delay post-Brexit trade talks so he can focus on coronavirus, a poll suggests today. The UK and EU have been trying to thrash out details of their future relationship, with the 'standstill' transition period due to end in December. The PM has repeatedly insisted that the deadline will not be extended, and it has been enshrined in law as part of the Withdrawal Act. However, both UK negotiator David Frost and counterpart MIchel Barnier have come down with symptoms of coronavirus - as has Mr Johnson himself. UK envoy David Frost (left) and counterpart Michel Barnier (right) have both come down with symptoms of coronavirus Whitehall sources told the Sunday Times there was 'zero' chance of a trade agreement being place in time, and 'no-one' was working on it any more amid the health crisis. A Focaldata poll commissioned by campaign groups Best for Britain and Hope Not Hate found that 64 per cent of voters want Mr Johnson to 'request an extension to the transition period in order to focus properly on the coronavirus'. A majority of voters in every age group backed a delay, although support was lower among Tory voters at 44 per cent. The latest round of talks was cancelled this month after efforts to find a way of video conferencing failed. Downing Street source has insisted the claim an extension will be sought is 'totally untrue'. Mr Johnson - who has himself come down with coronavirus - has repeatedly insisted that the transition period will not be extended But a Whitehall source told the Sunday Times: 'There is no one in Whitehall working on Brexit. 'The civil servants have either been sent home or have been redeployed to work on the coronavirus. 'No one will say it explicitly, but there is zero expectation that we will leave on December 31. 'The work on a variety of vital areas just hasn't been done and I can't see that changing for the foreseeable future.' Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. New Delhi, March 29 : Kotak Mahindra Bank and its CEO Uday Kotak have together committed a total of 50 crore to the PM-CARES Fund for the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. In a tweet on Sunday, the bank said: "Kotak Mahindra Bank & Mr. Uday Kotak personally, commit immediate support of Rs 50cr to PM-CARES (Rs 25cr each)." The 'Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund' (PM- CARES Fund)' is a public charitable trust with the primary objective of dealing with any kind of emergency or distress situation, like posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and to provide relief to the affected. The bank has also separately committed Rs 10 crore for the cause to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. "Kotak Mahindra Bank commits immediate support of Rs 10cr to Chief Minister of Maharashtra towards COVID relief and rehabilitation efforts. @CMOMaharashtra," said another tweet by the bank. Several corporate entities have made announcements and come up with steps help combat the deadly virus. The total tally of coronavirus cases in India climbed up to 1,024 on Sunday, said the Health Ministry. Of this 901 are active COVID 19 cases, 95 people have recovered from the disease and 27 have died. One coronavirus patient migrated abroad. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Realtors apex body CREDAI's Gujarat chapter has donated Rs 5 crore to Chief Minister Relief Fund to fight against coronavirus infections. CREDAI Gujarat tweeted that it has "donated Rs 5 crore towards Chief Minister Relief Fund to fight against Covid-19". The donation was given to Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Saturday in the presence of CREDAI National Chairman Jaxay Shah. Sandip Sheth is the Chairman of CREDAI- Gujarat, while Ashish Patel is the President of the association. Some individual realtors have also come forward to support the central and state governments as well as migrant labourers and underprivileged. DLF Foundation has donated Rs 5 crore to Haryana CM Relief Fund and is also distributing masks, sanitisers, cooked food and dry rations to workers. Bengaluru-based Embassy Group has stepped forward to support the city traffic Police. "Identifying the zones around Embassy Manyata Business Park, Embassy Tech Village, Embassy Icon and Embassy Paragon, Embassy Group has set up four hydration stations where the police personnel can take refreshing time breaks.The stations are equipped with drinking water, refreshments and toilet stops," Embassy said in a statement. In addition, Embassy Group has procured hand sanitizers, disposable masks and nutritional snacks. These items have been handed over to the Headquarters and will be distributed daily over the next 8 days to the 44 stations and their 3,800-person task force. Aditya Virwani, Chief Operating Officer, Embassy Group, said, "With our police and healthcare professionals at the forefront of controlling the spread, felt that it was our duty to support them in performing their duties. I would like to request other companies and Bangalore's citizens to come forward to join us in helping out". On behalf of the association, Naredco-Uttar Pradesh President R K Arora has handed over cheque of 10 lakh to district magistrate of Gautam Buddh Nagar for Covid-19 pandemic relief fund. Gurugram-based M3M group, is providing relief materials to 5,000 daily wage workers till the lockdown. Earlier Supertech had said that it has set up a technical expert committee to carry out saitisation work free of cost in various societies as directed by the local authorities. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) EUGENE, Ore. -- One man is in custody accused of threatening employees with a handgun at a 7-Eleven on Saturday night. Eugene Police responded to a reported armed robbery at the 7-Eleven store on 6th Avenue and Blair Street. When the initial officers arrived they found the suspect, Noah Miles Vincelli, 25, at the front counter confronting employees, police said. The officers immediately entered the store and confronted Vincelli. Police said he complied with orders and was taken into custody. Police said Vincelli initially entered the store and attempted to purchase beer while intoxicated. Vincelli was refused service and was asked to leave by store employees. Police told KEZI 9 News that he initially complied but quickly returned, pulled a handgun from his waistband, loaded it and pointed it at the employees, demanding to purchase items. The investigation is ongoing and additional charges may be filed later. Vincelli was lodged at the Lane County Jail and charged with first-degree robbery, unlawful use of a firearm, two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, two counts of menacing, and driving under the influence of intoxicants. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 17:34:41|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, March 29 (Xinhua) -- China Petrochemical Corporation (Sinopec), China's largest oil refiner, saw its net profits decline in 2019, the company said Sunday. Net profits attributable to shareholders stood at 57.59 billion yuan (about 8.1 billion U.S. dollars) in 2019, down 8.7 percent year on year, the company said in a report filed with the Shanghai Stock Exchange. The total operating revenue came in at nearly 2.97 trillion yuan, up 2.6 percent year on year. The sales revenue of refined oil products decreased, mainly dragged down by lower oil prices, said the company. The earnings per share stood at 0.48 yuan, according to the report. A special police officer was killed and his colleague injured on Sunday when a private car they were travelling in plunged into a deep gorge in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said. Special police officers Mushtaq Ahmad and Sajjad Hussain were on the way to Kishtwar town from their Tatani Saroor village when the vehicle skidded off the road and rolled down a 200-feet gorge at Fogumarh village, a police official said. They were evacuated and admitted to the Kishtwar district hospital where Ahmad succumbed to the injuries, the official said. The condition of Hussain is stated to be serious, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) About 200 South Korean peacekeeping troops returned home Saturday from South Sudan after completing their nine-month rotational mission. They arrived at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, shortly before noon on an Ethiopian Airlines plane chartered by the South Korean government. The soldiers are scheduled to be tested for the coronavirus and be self-quarantined for two weeks if they all test negative. All the troops, however, will be quarantined at the Army Cadet Military School in Goesan County, about 160 kilometers southeast of Seoul, if anyone tests positive for COVID-19, according to the defense ministry. The troops returned home without replacement as South Sudan asked South Korea and other foreign countries not to send fresh troops due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Still, some of the 270-strong Hanbit Unit are staying in South Sudan to perform basic surveillance duties until a replacement contingent arrives, according to the defense ministry. South Korea said it will continue to consult with South Sudan and the U.N. to swiftly send the new 12th batch to the African country at the earliest possible date. South Korea began troop deployments to the war-torn country in 2013 at the U.N.'s request in accordance with a U.N. Security Council resolution aimed at assisting peaceful reconstruction work. The African nation declared its independence from its Arab-dominated northern neighbor Sudan in July 2011 after decades of civil war that killed more than 2 million people. (Yonhap) Tasmania has recorded its first coronavirus death, taking the national death toll to 17. The victim was a woman in her 80s who died in the North West Regional Hospital. Premier Peter Gutwein announced the news this morning as he banned public gatherings of more than two people. He said: 'Tasmania now has its first death. All Tasmanians need to accept and understand that this is not a game. This is serious. People's lives are at risk.' Mr Gutwein said officials are still deciding how much people who break the rule on gatherings should be fined. The victim was a woman in her 80s who died in the North West Regional Hospital (pictured) Tasmania has recorded its first coronavirus death, taking the national death toll to 17. Pictured: Young women wear masks Meanwhile, people who gather in groups bigger than two in New South Wales face a $1,000 fine from midnight. Repeat offenders can even face six months in jail under the Public Health Act. NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said on Monday morning that he was prepared to be lenient over the new laws. 'We don't want to have to enforce these laws. We want to work with you,' he said. He also announced that 1,200 Australians arriving from overseas today will be quarantined in hotels for two weeks to slow the spread of the virus. On Sunday, 1,400 Australians arrived and were taken to hotels by the Army. People who break social distancing rules face a $1,000 fine in New South Wales from midnight, Premier Gladys Berejiklian (pictured) announced today Recently arrived overseas travellers get off their bus and wait to check in at the Crown Promenade Hotel in Melbourne on Sunday. Travellers who arrive into the country today from overseas are being sent straight to makeshift quarantine facilities across Australia CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement Victorians who are caught with more than one other person except immediate family will be slapped with a $1,652 on the spot fine from Tuesday. 'If you are having friends over for dinner or friends over for drinks that are not members of your household, then you are breaking the law,' Premier Andrews said. 'If we allow our health system to be overrun, then people will die. That is just a price that is just not worth paying. No gathering with friends is worth someone's life,' he warned. It comes as the number of cases in Australia soars past 4,000. New South Wales saw 127 new cases in the past 24 hours. In the 24 hours to Saturday morning there were 212 new cases and on Sunday morning 174 new cases were announced, meaning the rate of infection appears to be declining due to the restrictions. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian urged Australians over 70 to stay at home. She said: 'If you are over 70 you shouldn't leave home at all. I know this is difficult and I appreciate that for some parts of the day, people might want to get out and exercise. 'That is OK, so long as you don't come into contact with anybody else. 'This disease, this virus is particularly - has a horrible impact on those who are older and vulnerable and it is time for us to protect the most vulnerable in the community. 'Can I stress please take care of each other and make sure people over 70 are not leaving their homes and make sure they have support.' 1.6k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard When Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker tried to purchase the protective gear necessary for healthcare workers in his state, the problem wasnt necessarily that the inventories of the equipment he sought didnt exist. Rather, the obstacle he faced was that the companies warehousing these supplies were sitting on them, letting a bidding war play out between states and between states and the federal government. These companies wanted to be sure they were securing the highest price before releasing the products absolutely essential to safeguarding the lives of healthcare workers themselves laboring to save American lives. For Baker, the biggest competitor has been the federal government, whose purchasing power enables them routinely to outbid states. Baker expressed this frustration last Thursday, lamenting, I stand here as someone who has had confirmed orders for millions of pieces of gear evaporate in front of us, and I cant tell you how frustrating it is. And he insist he is not alone: I cant tell you how frustrated governors, including this one, are about the issue associated with landing the order. Its happened to us. Its happened to many governors across the country. He and other governors have called for the Trump administration to spearhead much more rigorously a coordinated effort at the national level. That the Trump administration has most certainly proven feckless in coordinating any serious response to the COVID-19 pandemic, being slow to act and utterly negligent in either assisting states or enacting a national plan, is absolutely obvious. And lets not forget Trumps dangerous peddling of misinformation which has impeded the nations ability to combat and slow the spread of the virus. But while certainly governors are right to ask for a more coordinated effort and more assistance from Trump, who has basically told states to fend for themselves and even actively worked against states whose governors have criticized his administrations woeful leadership, a more fundamental issue has gone largely unaddressed: The issue of the values that guide and inform the everyday functioning of the U.S. economic system. The U.S. system valorizes both competition and the role of the market in determining the value of commodities. So, companies waiting out a bidding war to garner the highest price for their products, even if it looks a little shady and comes off as inhumane in the current environment of coronavirus pandemic, is really just a case of these companies abiding by, even celebrating, the values America typically hails as definitive, at least in part, of its exceptionality. American capitalism, rooted in so-called free markets, adheres strongly to, indeed valorizes, the sentiment of whatever the market can bear. The free market economy is the cornerstone of American freedom, no? Well, the coronavirus seems to be calling in to question the effectiveness of markets in the American capitalist economy. Lets remember that the primary point, the main function, of an economy is to produce and distribute goods and services as efficiently and effectively as possible to meet the needs of those living in that economy. Clearly, the ethos of competition is not yielding this result at this crucial moment. Competition is inhibiting the distribution of goods and services to aid the saving of lives, not enhancing it. We really cant even talk about competition as an ethos because it is hard to see any ethical dimension, any human benefit, to this economic competition and market behavior. The conventional wisdom is that competition is necessary to incentivize people to do their best, thus producing the highest functioning world. The coronavirus reveals, more than arguably I think, that cooperation, collaboration, and coordination would be more effective values in organizing our economic behavior to meet the needs of the American people. As the thinker Peter Kropotkin has expressed it in his landmark 1902 work Mutual Aid, the strongest people are the most cooperative people, and the strongest societies are the most cooperative societies. So, does this competitive behavior and the overall mechanism of having the market determine value just look a little shady and more than a tad inhumane because of the particular context of the coronavirus pandemic, or have we just been blinded to the bankruptcy of these values in pre-coronavirus everyday life in the American capitalist system? Well, as I pointed out recently on Politicususa, our for-profit capitalist has, particularly in the private healthcare industry, inarguably hobbled rather than advanced efforts to address the pandemic. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, for example, has been clear that private hospitals, operating to produce profit, limit the number of beds so they dont carry excess capacity, which is inefficient in the capitalist business model. Similarly, hospitals and companies do not stockpile goods, as capitalist models of efficiency, striving for leanness, dictate just-in-time rather than just-in-case inventory management to be most effective in generating profit and to remain most competitive in business and industry. But, it aint workin in terms of serving the lives of we humans livingor trying to livein this system. Rather, the values of the capitalist marketplace, including competition, are and have been obstructing the project of mutual aid, our ability to address human needs and the nations health. Trump finally invoked the national defense act to compel private companies to direct production to public health needs because the capitalist market failed in this regard. We need only look to the pharmaceutical industry to see how, for example, EpiPens have been outrageously priced to prohibit access to people, especially children, with allergies who need these devices potentially to save their lives. Or, we can look at how other big pharma corporations, fueled in the competitive drive for profit, marketed and oversold opioids to the detriment of human life, costing many lives in fact. The coronavirus pandemic is only making clear the content of Americas dominant market values to which we have largely been blind in everyday life in America. We see it even now. Governors rightly blaming Trump, but letting our system and its values off the hook. Guinness Ghana Breweries PLC has presented products to support governments campaign to check the spread of the deadly COVID 19. The 1,500 packs of Malta Guinness were handed over to the Ministry of Information and received by the sector minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah on behalf of government at a ceremony in Accra on Sunday, 29th March 2020. Presenting the items, the Corporate Relations Director of Guinness Ghana Sylvia Owusu-Ankomah said the donation is intended to support the frontline workers who are leading the fight against the pandemic. We understand how dangerous and stressful it is for our frontline workers who are leading the fight against the virus. We want to recognize them for their bravery and say thank you for their sacrifices. She said Guinness Ghana is committed to supporting governments efforts to keep Ghanaians informed with the right information during these challenging times. That is why we have pledged to print thousands of Coronavirus educational packs for the Ministry and to distribute them through our already established nationwide distribution channels she added. The Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah thanked the company for their kind gesture and assured them that the items will go a long way to support hardworking frontline workers assisting the state to fight COVID 19. Ghana has so far recorded 152 confirmed cases with 5 deaths. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Mar 29, 2020 KRR Filmmaker Zoya Akhtar's Gully Boy was a favourite at the Critics' Choice Film Awards this year. In the Hindi category, Ranveer Singh picked up Best Actor for his role in the film that saw him showcasing his rapping skills. The Best Director award went to Zoya Akhtar for Gully Boy, which also bagged the Best Film honour. The Best Actress award was given to Geetika Vidya Ohlyan for Soni. Anubhav Sinha and Gaurav Solanki won the Best Writing award for Article 15. The Critics' Choice Film Awards winners were announced on Saturday. The event was supposed to be held on March 14 but was cancelled due to the Covid-19 outbreak. A decision was made to announce the winners digitally. There were awards for Best Film, Best Actor (Male), Best Actor (Female), Best Director and Best Writing for releases in Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi and Gujarati languages, too. Click the Movie button below for more info: Gully Boy Alia Bhatt Pictures Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-27 00:20:12|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close A staff member unloads a box of testing kits donated by Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation at Blaise Diagne International Airport in Dakar, Senegal, on March 28, 2020. The African Union (AU) on Thursday disclosed that about 32 African countries have so far received their respective share of medical supplies provided by the Jack Ma Foundation. (Photo by Eddy Peters/Xinhua) ADDIS ABABA, March 26 (Xinhua) -- The African Union (AU) on Thursday disclosed that about 32 African countries have so far received their respective share of medical supplies provided by the Jack Ma Foundation. The African Union (AU), through the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), has so far distributed to 32 members, the 55-member pan African bloc disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday. According to the AU, more flights are leaving tonight. Deputy Director of Africa CDC, Ahmed Ogwell Ouma, also stressed that "distribution will be complete by March 29." On Sunday, massive medical supplies donated by China's Jack Ma Foundation to 54 African countries arrived in Addis Ababa, capital of the East African nation of Ethiopia, through an Ethiopian Airlines cargo flight. The donated supplies include 100,000 medical masks, 20,000 test kits and 1,000 protective suits and face shields that are being distributed to each of the 54 nations on the African continent. On Monday, the AU also stressed that "Africa's response to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak has received a major boost, after the donation of medical equipment by the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation." On Thursday, the Africa CDC has disclosed that the death toll from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in the African continent has reached 73 as the number of confirmed positives cases surpassed 2,819 as of Thursday. According to figures from the Africa CDC, about 46 African countries have so far reported confirmed cases. The Africa CDC also disclosed that some 211 people who have been infected with the COVID-19 have recovered across the continent. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday reiterated his appeal to migrant workers to stay put in the city and not cross the border to the neighbouring states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, warning that it would defeat the purpose of the three-week lockdown aimed at stopping the spread of the coronavirus disease. Kejriwal posted a note in Hindi on Twitter in which he assured migrant workers that they will be provided food and shelter in the capital as tens of thousands massed in the Anand Vihar bus terminal to board promised buses back home from across the border in Kaushambi, Uttar Pradesh. Some people are desperate to go to their villages. The prime minister has appealed to everyone that people should stay put where they are. I also appeal to all of you not to go to your villages and remain where you are, he wrote. Gathering in such large numbers make you more vulnerable to contracting coronavirus. And then through you, the virus will reach your village and your family. It will reach different parts of the country. After this, it will become extremely difficult for the country to contain this epidemic, Kejriwal wrote in the note. I am assuring you that the Delhi government has arranged for your shelter and food. It is in the interest of the country that you do not go to your villages at the moment, Kejriwal added. On Saturday too, Kejriwal had urged the migrants to stay back in the city during the 21-day lockdown that went underway on March 25, pointing out that his government was serving lunch and dinner to over .400,000 people A gathering of tens of thousands of migrant workers from across the city, walking towards Anand Vihar bus terminal , took the government officials by surprise on Saturday. The situation hadnt changed on Sunday morning as people thronged the Delhi-UP border, hoping the UP government would provide more buses. On Saturday, the UP government said it had arranged 1,000 buses to pick up all the migrant workers in Delhi and drop them at their hometowns. Queen Elizabeth is currently a great-grandmother to eight kids, including Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harrys son, Archie. While some of the queens great-grandchildren do live near her home, Archie will now be spending a lot of time on another continent. This means that Her Majesty could be missing out on a lot of bonding moments with him. However, it has been reported that Queen Elizabeth will be able to see Archie this summer for an extended period of time. Read on below to find out what Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan will be doing with the queen in several months. Prince Harry and Meghan will visit Balmoral Castle this summer Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a reception for young people at the Palace of Holyroodhouse on February 13, 2018 in Edinburgh, Scotland | Andrew Milligan WPA Pool/Getty Images It has been reported that Prince Harry and Meghan accepted the queens invitation to spend time at Balmoral Castle in Scotland this summer. Balmoral Castle is Her Majestys summer home, where she and her husband, Prince Philip, stay every year for a few months. She often invites other members of the royal family to visit for a short period of time. Princess Eugenie once described it as a place where you just have room to breathe and run. Last year, Prince Harry and Meghan made headlines when they declined the queens invitation to come to Balmoral Castle. A source told The Sun that the Sussexes did not feel comfortable bringing Archie up to Scotland when he was only a few months old. There were even rumors that Her Majesty was quite disappointed in the couple, but it seems like everything is water under the bridge now. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been spending time in Canada The royal hangout at Balmoral Castle will be important because Prince Harry and Meghan will no longer be living in the U.K. full time. Rather, they announced earlier this year that they will be splitting their time between the U.K. and North America. The couple has been staying at a mansion in Canada and making trips back to the U.K. for family and work purposes. A source shared with Us Weekly that the queen was worried about not being able to have a relationship with Archie. The queens worst fear is that she may never see Archie again, the insider revealed. Shes trying to stay optimistic about this situation and would never stoop to casting any aspersions on Meghans character even after everything thats happened. Meanwhile, Keir Simmons, a royal correspondent for The Today Show said that Queen Elizabeth isnt into babies, so she is generally fine with Archie not being in the U.K. all the time. Queen Elizabeth is also trying to normalize her relationship with the Sussexes Although it does not seem like Queen Elizabeth and the Sussexes are having an all-out feud, a lot of people believe that their relationship could still be rocky, especially since Prince Harry and Markle announced their departure from the royal family almost out of nowhere. However, sources believe that the queen is trying her best to normalize her relationship with them. She has released several statements concerning their departure, and she often noted that, despite rumors of a feud, Prince Harry and Markle have her full support as they figure out the next step for their family. A few weeks ago, Queen Elizabeth also invited Prince Harry to eat lunch with her. Later, she invited him and Markle to a church service in Windsor. Both moves show that Her Majesty does not want to make them feel alienated from the rest of the family. An insider confirmed this to Harpers Bazaar, saying that the queen has continuously made sure that they feel welcome and loved. The highest court in Europe has ruled that proceeds of crime legislation, used to confiscate illegally obtained assets, is lawful. The case is seen as a major test for the legislation, which has become a powerful weapon for law enforcement agencies across Europe in the war against organised crime and terrorism. Each EU member state is now using the legal tool, which was first introduced in Ireland with the setting up of the inter-agency Criminal Assets Bureau and has since been adopted by more than two dozen other countries. The measure was brought in here after the brutal murder of Sunday Independent investigative journalist Veronica Guerin in 1996 and the passing of the hugely successful Proceeds of Crime Act. If the EU Court of Justice had ruled against the legislation, it would have effectively scuppered the seizure of criminal assets, which has played a key role in the fight against the organised gangs over more than two decades. The question mark over the legality of the measure was referred to the EU court in Luxembourg by Bulgaria, which asked if EU law precluded member states from providing for civil proceedings for confiscation, which were unrelated to a finding of a criminal offence. It arose from a case in the Sofia City Court in which a Bulgarian banker is the subject of criminal proceedings for allegedly having incited others, between December 2011 and June 2014, to misappropriate funds belonging to the bank, amounting to about 105m. A final judgment in that case has not yet been given. Independently of those proceedings, the Bulgarian commission for the combating of corruption and the confiscation of assets found that the banker and members of his family had "acquired assets of a considerable value whose origin could not be established". The commission brought civil proceedings before the Sofia City Court with a view to confiscating those assets. The Sofia court, in essence, asked the EU Court of Justice whether it was legal in a civil action to seize assets if there had been no finding of a criminal offence being committed or a person convicted of such an offence. In its judgment, the EU Court held that the proceedings before the Sofia court were civil and co-existed in national law with the confiscation regime under criminal law. The civil proceedings concerned assets alleged to have been illegally obtained and were conducted independently of any criminal proceedings brought against the person accused of committing offences and of any conviction of that person. The court concluded that EU law did not preclude national legislation, which provided that a court "may order the confiscation of illegally obtained assets following proceedings, which are not subject to a finding of a criminal offence or the conviction of the person accused of committing such an offence". In Dublin, the Criminal Assets Bureau last night welcomed the judgment and said it reinforced the use in many countries of legislation such as the Proceeds of Crime Act. The bureau's most recent annual report, published last year, showed that CAB returned 5.6m to the State in 2019, including 323,000 from social welfare overpayments, while it also recovered 2.2m seized as the proceeds of crime and just over 3m in taxes. CAB has targeted a number of high-profile Irish criminals since 1996 including Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch, Kinahan cartel member Liam Byrne and convicted drug trafficker John Gilligan. Last December Gilligan's final property was sold on behalf of the Criminal Assets Bureau. The three-bedroom house at Willsbrook in Lucan, Co Dublin, was sold for 380,000 after the CAB received approval from the High Court to go ahead. Waiting to Load No, its not your imagination: The pandemic is slowing down the internet. Now that were all stuck at home, holding meetings on Zoom, doing virtual happy hours, watching Netflix and poking around online to distract ourselves, broadband networks are buckling under the sudden surge in traffic. Median download speeds have dropped 24 percent in New York, and theyre down 4.9 percent across the country. To ease stress on internet infrastructure, YouTube has said it will lower the definition of its videos worldwide, while other tech companies have pushed back new streaming services and product releases. Tips for impatient consumers: Watch videos on standard definition instead of high, and make sure to install software updates. Image Credit... Giacomo Bagnara Whats Next? (March 29-April 4) Whats Your Number? A hallmark of the new stimulus bill is that most Americans will get cash payouts deposited straight into their bank accounts within the next three weeks, a historic move by the federal government. (If the Internal Revenue Service doesnt have your banking information, youll have to wait a little longer for a check to arrive in the mail.) So how much are we talking? If youre a single adult with an adjusted gross income of less than $75,000 a year, youll be eligible to receive $1,200. Married couples who make less than $150,000 a year can receive $2,400. And any of the above can tack on $500 for every dependent child. Those who make more than $75,000 (or couples who make more than $150,000) will get less, and those who make more than $99,000 a year (or $198,000, for a couple) wont get anything. Dont Hurry Back Contradicting health officials, President Trump said early last week that he hoped Americans would go back to work around Easter, adding that the economic damage of the coronavirus should not be worse than the disease itself. But medical professionals have cautioned that prematurely resuming business as usual would be disastrous. Jerome Powell, the Federal Reserve chair, sided with science, reiterating in case it was up for debate that the deadly virus was a bigger enemy than a recession. The first order of business will be to get the spread of the virus under control, and then to resume economic activity, he said. Oil Wars You thought gas was cheap now? Just wait until later this week, when the current OPEC deal to curb oil production runs out on April 1, opening the floodgates. Negotiations among the major oil-producing countries fell apart after the two biggest players, Saudi Arabia and Russia, failed to agree on terms. This is good news, theoretically, for your next trip to the gas station whenever that day may come but not great for stock markets, which plunged after efforts to renew the deal collapsed two weeks ago. Analysts predict that oil prices will remain unusually low for months, especially as the coronavirus continues to hurt demand. The Government has a 30m emergency back-up plan which would see over 20 'field hospitals' built to treat critical Covid-19 patients nationwide. The plan will come into play if the health system becomes overburdened from the expected huge influx of coronavirus-infected patients in the coming weeks. The prefabricated structures will be built on or near under-pressure hospitals in Dublin, Cork, Sligo and Limerick and will cater for over 250 critically ill patients, with more builds to follow as the crisis worsens. A source confirmed to the Sunday Independent the nationwide roll-out is 'ready to go" if the Government green-lights it. The projects will take just eight weeks to complete. "Each hospital will be able to cater for 12 intensive care beds," said the source, highlighting the need to keep numbers small to stop the spread of infection, while providing the best care for patients. Locations for the hospitals have been selected, with many of them in the vicinity of active hospitals. The newly built prefabricated units will remain available for use after the crisis eases. The news comes after Taoiseach Leo Varadkar raised concerns last Friday about intensive care unit (ICU) capacity. "Just the way things are heading indicate that ICU will be at capacity in a number of days," he said. Mr Varadkar said he was concerned about admission rates to intensive care and there was an unprecedented effort being made by the health services. Up to last Wednesday, 419 patients had been hospitalised with the disease, with 59 admitted to ICU. Some 23pc of cases are associated with healthcare workers. When contacted by this newspaper about the back-up plan for the field hospitals, a spokesperson for the HSE said: "Planning for contingency is ongoing nationally. This includes additional temporary accommodation. Current plans use existing structures both within the HSE and externally." A Department of Health spokesperson said: "Ireland has advanced plans in place as part of its comprehensive preparedness to deal with this public health emergency. However, the Department of Health is not providing information about individual activations of preparedness plans." Meanwhile Dr Chris Luke, an emergency department consultant at Cork University Hospital, said the health service is "expecting a year's worth of critically ill people within two months". "We are trying to be several moves ahead here. We are trying to get enough kit organised, we are trying to train our teams, we are reconfiguring hospitals, we are preparing to have lots and lots of extra hospitals so we can have field hospitals and repurposed hotels and reopen old medical facilities," he said. "We are recruiting lots of extra doctors and nurses so they are there in reserve because come the main engagement we will have an enormous need for people to fill in the gaps and we will have gaps." The news about the field hospitals comes just days after the Government revealed plans for temporary mortuaries in the event that a surge in cases leads to a shortage of storage space for bodies. Senior official at the Department of the Taoiseach Liz Canavan said the "deeply sensitive issue" is being worked on. The Irish Independent reported that undertakers had concerns that storage space could come under pressure if there is an increase in the number of Covid-19 deaths. The South Korean military has described Pyongyangs decision to fire two ballistic missiles into the sea on Sunday as very inappropriate, as the world struggles to tackle the coronavirus outbreak. South Korea and Japan said North Korea fired the projectiles from Wonsan, a city in the east of the country, on Sunday morning. After flying approximately 230km (143 miles), the missiles landed in the waters between the Korean peninsula and Japan. South Koreas military urged its neighbour to refrain from such military action, labelling the launches as very inappropriate at a time when the world is dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. Japans defence ministry said in a statement that the presumed missiles were thought to have entered the sea outside of Japans exclusive economic zone. Inside London's North Korean community Show all 13 1 /13 Inside London's North Korean community Inside London's North Korean community londons-north-korean-community-12.jpg Catherine Hyland Inside London's North Korean community londons-north-korean-community-11.jpg Catherine Hyland Inside London's North Korean community londons-north-korean-community-10.jpg Catherine Hyland Inside London's North Korean community londons-north-korean-community-9.jpg Catherine Hyland Inside London's North Korean community londons-north-korean-community-8.jpg Catherine Hyland Inside London's North Korean community londons-north-korean-community-7.jpg Catherine Hyland Inside London's North Korean community londons-north-korean-community-lee-sook-sung.jpg Catherine Hyland Inside London's North Korean community londons-north-korean-community-6.jpg Catherine Hyland Inside London's North Korean community londons-north-korean-community-5.jpg Catherine Hyland Inside London's North Korean community londons-north-korean-community-2.jpg Pictures by Catherine Hyland Inside London's North Korean community londons-north-korean-community-3.jpg Catherine Hyland Inside London's North Korean community londons-north-korean-community-4.jpg Pictures by Catherine Hyland Inside London's North Korean community londons-north-korean-community.jpg Catherine Hyland Referring to these and other short-range projectiles Pyongyang has launched in the past few weeks, the statement added: Recent repeated firings of ballistic missiles by North Korea is a serious problem to the entire international community including Japan. Experts think that these launches are an attempt to display leader Kim Jong-uns control in the face of US sanctions and the Covid-19 pandemic. Kim Dong-yub, an analyst at Seouls Institute for Far Eastern Studies, said the North Korean leader wants to show he rules in a normal way amid the coronavirus (pandemic) and his latest weapons tests were aimed at rallying unity internally, not launching a threat externally. Pyongyang has so far denied that the country has any coronavirus cases but has acknowledged that the virus is a matter of national existence. The countrys shortage of medical supplies and poor healthcare infrastructure make it particularly vulnerable to an epidemic. Last week, President Donald Trump sent a letter to Kim Jong-un offering cooperation in the fight against the virus. Non-Japanese speakers who want advice on the new coronavirus can call hotlines run by the Japan Tourism Agency and some local governments. The agency offers consultation services in English, Chinese, and Korean for 24 hours every day. The number is 050-3816-2787. The hotline was launched in 2018 to assist tourists in the event of disasters and other emergencies. Agency officials say they had about 4,500 consultations dealing with the coronavirus as of last Sunday. The Tokyo metropolitan government has set up a coronavirus call center, which offers advice in English, Chinese, and Korean. The number is 0570-550571. It's available from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day. Tokyo officials say they received 246 calls in foreign languages through last Sunday. The non-Japanese service became available on February 28. The officials say many callers were worried that they might have been infected with the coronavirus, or seeking advice on prevention and treatment of infection. Tokyo also offers telephone consultations on medical services in English, Chinese, Korean, Thai, and Spanish. Officials say they have received calls from people who want to be tested for the virus, and who were asked by their employers to present certificates to prove they are not infected. Those who are suspected of infection should contact a local health care office. But officials there do not necessarily speak a foreign language. Maputo (Mozambique) 29 March 2020 (SPS)- Saharawi President addressed a condolence letter to the President of Mozambique, H.E. Filipe Nyusi, condemning the latest terrorist attacks in Cabo Delgado perpetuated on March 23 and 25th. With strong condemnation and enormous sadness, we received in the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic the news of the terrorist attack On the 23rd and 25th of this March, in the two towns of Quissanga and Mocimboa da Praia, province of Cabo Delgado, which left many victims and destroyed numerous public installations and amenities, the letter reads. President Ghali extended his condolences to his Mozambican counterpart and to the families of the victims, on behalf of the Saharawi People and Government. He further considered that the SADR is certain of the ability of the Government and people of Mozambique to pass this ordeal to defeat the threat of terrorism, thanks to your wise leadership, good governance and the deep consciousness of People of Mozambique, in line with the efforts already done to restore and establish peace and security. He further seized this opportunity to express our solidarity and support to Your Excellency and through you to the people of Mozambique, Wishing you more progress and stability, the letter concludes. (SPS) 90/500/60 (SPS) (Newser) President Trump backed away from calling for a quarantine for coronavirus hotspots in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, instead directing Saturday night that a strong Travel Advisory be issued to stem the outbreak. Vice President Mike Pence tweeted that the CDC was urging residents of the three states to refrain from non-essential travel for the next 14 days. The quarantine had been advocated by governors, including Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, who sought to halt travelers from the heavily affected areas to their states. But it drew swift criticism from leaders of the states in question, who warned it would spark panic in an already suffering populace. Trump said he had directed the CDC "to issue a strong Travel Advisory, to be administered by the Governors, in consultation with the Federal Government. He added, per the AP: A quarantine will not be necessary. story continues below New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said roping off states would amount to a federal declaration of war. If you start walling off areas all across the country, it would be totally bizarre, counterproductive, anti-American, anti-social. Cuomo added that locking down the nations financial capital would paralyze the economy. The federal government is empowered to take measures to prevent the spread of communicable diseases between states, but it's not clear that means Trump can ban people from leaving their state. It has never been tested in the modern era. It is entirely unprecedented that governors or the president would prevent people from traveling from one state to another during an infectious disease outbreak," says a Georgetown law professor. Trump said the idea of isolating many in the trio of Democratic strongholds in the Northeast was pushed by DeSantis. Trump said people go to Florida and a lot of people dont want that." (Read more coronavirus stories.) Four patients were discharged from the Cu Chi field hospital in HCMC Sunday after testing negative three times in a row. Hospital director Nguyen Thanh Dung said that the newly discharged patients will be quarantined for another 14 days to make doubly sure that any chance of the virus being spread among the community is removed, as per Health Ministry regulations. "Patient 64", a 36-year-old resident of Nguyen Thi Tan Street in Ward 2, District 8, HCMC, had flown back from Switzerland to Vietnam, transiting in Dubai before landing March 12 at the Tan Son Nhat airport on Emirates flight EK392 along with her boyfriend, who had traveled to Hong Kong. "Patient 66", 21, is a resident of the Park View apartment building at 107 Nguyen Duc Canh Street in HCMC's District 7. "Patient 79" is a 48-year-old woman who resides in Dong Hai District in the Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu. She'd been living in the U.K. for the last two years. "Patient 90" is a 21 year-old Vietnamese woman living in Binh Thanh District, HCMC. She was in Barcelona, Spain for a month as an intern. On March 15, she traveled from Barcelona to Dubai on Emirates flight EK188 and then to the Tan Son Nhat airport on Emirates flight EK392, seat 36A. It is expected that three more patients at the Cu Chi field hospital, around 70 kilometers (43 miles) northwest of downtown HCMC, will be discharged Monday. HCMC has so far recorded 45 Covid-19 cases, three of whom were discharged from hospitals in February. Of Vietnam's 179 Covid-19 infections, 25 have been discharged after treatment, including four let go Sunday. Many of the currently active cases are Vietnamese nationals returning from Europe and the U.S. and foreigners coming from the same regions. Starting March 22, Vietnam suspended entry for all foreign nationals, including those of Vietnamese origin and family members with visa waivers and halted all international flights from March 25 until further notice. Only Vietnamese nationals and foreigners having diplomatic and official passports such as business managers, experts and high-skilled workers are being allowed to enter the country at this time, and all entrants are quarantined for 14 days. The Covid-19 pandemic has so far killed more than 30,800 people in 199 countries and territories. Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday urged Indians to follow lockdown lockdown protocol for several more days in the fight against coronavirus. I urges Indians to show courage and resolve, follow Lakshman Rekha for several days more, he said in his month radio address Maan ki Baat. The lockdown, by which the government hopes to break the transmission of coronavirus in the country, has brought the country to a virtual standstill by stopping all forms of transport. Follow coronavirus live updates here. Modi, who announced a 21-day lockdown on Tuesday, expressed displeasure at some people violating lockdown protocol. Some people are breaking regulations because they seem unaware about the consequences. They are playing with their lives, he said. The lockdown has stranded thousands of migrant workers across major metros. Many of them have started walking to their homes in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan among other places after the lockdown began. On Saturday, the Uttar Pradesh government ramped up evacuation of migrant works from the state from Delhi national capital region and pressed into service about a hundred busses to ferry the workers home. But the evacuation also meant that lockdown protocol was given the go by and social distancing to stop the spread of coronavirus was simply was not possible as thousands thronged the inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT) at Kaushambi on the Delhi border. More than a thousand people have so far tested positive for coronavirus in the country with Maharashtra and Kerala being the two states with the highest number of cases. Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical Company Limited (HKG:338) last week reported its latest annual results, which makes it a good time for investors to dive in and see if the business is performing in line with expectations. The results don't look great, especially considering that statutory losses grew 100% to per share. Revenues of CN100b did beat expectations by 9.6%, but it looks like a bit of a cold comfort. This is an important time for investors, as they can track a company's performance in its report, look at what experts are forecasting for next year, and see if there has been any change to expectations for the business. So we gathered the latest post-earnings forecasts to see what estimates suggest is in store for next year. Check out our latest analysis for Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical SEHK:338 Past and Future Earnings March 29th 2020 Following the recent earnings report, the consensus fromeight analysts covering Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical is for revenues of CN73.0b in 2020, implying a disturbing 27% decline in sales compared to the last 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are expected to shrink 7.1% to CN0.19 in the same period. In the lead-up to this report, the analysts had been modelling revenues of CN89.0b and earnings per share (EPS) of CN0.19 in 2020. So there's been a clear change in sentiment after these results, with the analysts making a substantial drop in revenues and reconfirming their earnings per share estimates. The average price target was steady at CN2.09 even though revenue estimates declined; likely suggesting the analysts place a higher value on earnings. That's not the only conclusion we can draw from this data however, as some investors also like to consider the spread in estimates when evaluating analyst price targets. There are some variant perceptions on Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical, with the most bullish analyst valuing it at CN2.78 and the most bearish at CN1.38 per share. Note the wide gap in analyst price targets? This implies to us that there is a fairly broad range of possible scenarios for the underlying business. Story continues One way to get more context on these forecasts is to look at how they compare to both past performance, and how other companies in the same industry are performing. We would highlight that sales are expected to reverse, with the forecast 27% revenue decline a notable change from historical growth of 4.4% over the last five years. By contrast, our data suggests that other companies (with analyst coverage) in the industry are forecast to see their revenue decline 1.2% annually for the foreseeable future. So it's pretty clear that Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical's revenues are expected to shrink faster than the wider industry. The Bottom Line The most obvious conclusion is that there's been no major change in the business' prospects in recent times, with the analysts holding their earnings forecasts steady, in line with previous estimates. Unfortunately they also downgraded their revenue estimates, and our analysts estimates suggest that Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical is still expected to perform worse than the wider industry. Even so, earnings are more important to the intrinsic value of the business. The consensus price target held steady at CN2.09, with the latest estimates not enough to have an impact on their price targets. Following on from that line of thought, we think that the long-term prospects of the business are much more relevant than next year's earnings. We have estimates - from multiple Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical analysts - going out to 2022, and you can see them free on our platform here. However, before you get too enthused, we've discovered 3 warning signs for Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical that you should be aware of. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. How long is this going to last? Thats what I want to know, so I called an expert at Rutgers and asked. You wont like his answer, because it sounds like all the other experts and its a bit depressing: It looks like at least eight weeks, probably more, he says. In that period, it would be crazy to lift the restrictions. Thats from Brian Strom, Chancellor of Biomedical and Health Sciences at Rutgers, a medical doctor with an advanced degree in epidemiology. You can believe him, or you can believe President Trumps estimate, based on his gut call, he says, that we can start up again in two weeks. Strom, unlike our president, was quick to concede that he cant know for sure, that hes offering his best guess based on what evidence we have. But hes looking at countries that have contained the virus, like China and South Korea, as a starting point. The level of clampdown they did would never be tolerated here, Strom says. And even so, it took them eight weeks or so, not two weeks, to control the epidemic. In China, police knocked on doors to take temperatures, forcibly removed some who resisted. Those who were found to be infected during exhaustive testing campaigns were isolated, even parent from child. More than 40,000 doctors and nurses were rushed in from other regions, as most travel to and from Wuhan was banned. In South Korea, temperatures and virus checks are everywhere -- at office buildings, apartment towers, buses and trains -- and all those found to be infected report to government shelters for isolation. Their phone data is used to trace prior movements and warn anyone they had come in contact with. A GPS app tells police if the infected person goes outside, which draws a fine of $8,000. The severe tactics in China and South Korea have worked, and there are early signs that the softer American brand of social distancing is working as well. But now the president wants us to charge in the opposite direction, to relax our vigilance for the sake of the economy. And this time, hes giving fair warning that he plans to ignore the advice of those pesky public health experts. If it were up to the doctors, they may say lets keep it shut down, lets shut down the entire world, Trump said. You cant do that with a countryI think its very important as a country that we go back. Most people think Im right about that. Hes reading the polls right. Gallup says that 60 percent of Americans believe that Trump is doing a good job on the virus. Those numbers may drop as the death toll rises, but for now its comforting to hear the president say that everything will bounce back to normal fast, at least for that 60 percent. But the virus is not swayed by polls, nor by presidential pluck. It is busy doing its work, spreading faster and faster. Doctors and nurses in New Jersey are terrified because they cant get the gloves and masks they need to protect themselves, let alone the ventilators they need to save their patients. Weve gotten really slammed, says Michael Maron, the CEO at Holy Name Hospital in Teaneck, the states hot spot for the epidemic, who is himself infected and quarantined at home, along with dozens of his doctors and nurses. The entire ICU has been converted for this, Maron says. We have about 100 Covid-19 patients today, many of them on ventilators, and we have 655 more on home monitoring. Were not out of the woods at all. On the front lines, Trumps talk of returning to normal by Easter is regarded as prattle. "For all of us, including those for whom the holiday is sacred, to resurrect a pandemic for Easter would combine a grotesque sacrilege with unspeakable tragedy." https://t.co/jB6IlqGbck Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) March 27, 2020 Thats not even a serious consideration, says Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-5th, who represents most of Bergen County, including Teaneck. I speak to the hospitals every day at 5:30 on a conference call. The numbers are getting worse every day, not better. I dont see how its remotely possible. The only way were going to contain this is to be smart and stay inside. How will we know when the moment is right? If youre serious, you dont pick a date based on your gut. You set benchmarks that will tell you when its safe. Well be ready, Strom says, only after social distancing slows the pace of the spread so that hospitals can handle the traffic. After we establish sturdy supply lines for protective gear and ventilators in the hospitals. After we get a massive national testing program up and running, to tell us who is most vulnerable, how the virus spreads, and when and if it makes a comeback. When were ready, in other words. You release the controls slowly, and you look to see whats happening, Strom says. There will be a second and third wave. Trump has no power to force his crazy policy on the states, since the restrictions come from governors and mayors. But some red states could be swayed, and by continuing to downplay the crisis, hes bound to encourage risk-taking. As one of nine children, this isolation feels unnerving to me, as if a bit of my life force drains away each day. Tasks are becoming more difficult. Even washing the dishes requires a concerted push. But thats nothing. This pandemic is going to badly hurt a lot of vulnerable people. The only way out is to follow the advice of the public health experts, not the ravings of the Mad King. We have to face hard realities, not run from them. And that means we all need to stay home. And wash our hands. We can return to normal when its safe, and not before then. Sign up for text message alerts from NJ.com on coronavirus in New Jersey: Tom Moran may be reached at tmoran@starledger.com or call (973) 836-4909. Follow him on Twitter @tomamoran. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. The Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's wife has recovered from the coronavirus, it has been confirmed. Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, 44, who was diagnosed with the virus earlier this month following a trip to the UK, announced she had received clearance from her doctor and Ottawa Public Health on Saturday and was now feeling 'so much better'. It comes weeks after Trudeau's office announced on March 12 that she had tested positive for the coronavirus after she fell ill upon returning from a trip to London. Taking to Facebook to confirm her recovery and thank well-wishers, Ms Trudeau wrote: 'Hello my dear friends, Canadians, and allies everywhere. 'I wanted to give you all an update: I am feeling so much better and have received the all clear from my physician and Ottawa Public Health. Justin Trudeau's wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau (right), 44, who was diagnosed with coronavirus earlier this month, has recovered from the virus The leader's wife announced she had received clearance from her doctor and Ottawa Public Health on Saturday It comes weeks after it was confirmed that Ms Trudeau had tested positive for the virus following a We Day UK charity event in London on March 12 'From the bottom of my heart, I want to say thank you to everyone who reached out to me with their well wishes. And to everyone who is suffering right now, I send you all my love. 'These are challenging times. I know it's not easy to be alone we are all social beings, me included! But just because we're increasing the physical distance between us doesn't mean we have to do the same emotionally. 'From social media to a simple phone call, there are so many ways for us to stay connected while we're apart and actually deepen our relationships. 'I strongly believe that science AND compassion will get us through this crisis. That means listening and following the health protocols and staying at home for the time being. 'I feel so inspired to see so many people help and care for each other and help fight and control the spread of COVID-19. 'Neighbours are picking up groceries for each other, businesses are making the supplies we need, and artists are offering free performances to lift our spirits! This is what the world needs right now and so many Canadians are doing that! Ms Trudeau thanked well-wishers for the messages of support and said she strongly believed that science and compassion would get everyone through the crisis Pictured: The Canadian Prime Minister speaks to the press during a news conference on COVID-19 situation 'We're going to get through this, my courageous friends and fellow Canadians, and we're going to get through it together.' The leader's wife had been attending a WE Day UK charity event, which took place at the SSE Arena in Wembley earlier this month, before she was tested positive for coronavirus. During the event, Ms Trudeau was seen posing in photographs next to celebrities Lewis Hamilton and Idris Elba who were also in attendance. Elba, who had been at the event to discuss social issues with 12,000 schoolchildren and teachers, also tested positive for the virus following the event. He later told fans that he and his wife Sabrina Dhowre, 29, had gone into self isolation. Following Ms Trudeau's positive diagnosis, the Canadian prime minister and his family had been living in self isolation at their home. He and their three children did not show symptoms Also in attendance at the London event was the actor Idris Elba who also tested positive for the virus earlier this month On Saturday, the Canadian Prime Minister, who has been giving daily news conferences outside his residence, said that his wife was in fine form. He also suggested that he would continue to work from home to set an example for Canadians who are being asked to stay at home. Yesterday, Ontario, Canada's most populous province, said that it would be prohibiting gatherings of five people or more. The order was effective immediately and replaced one that prohibited public events of more than 50 people. It does not apply to households with five or more people, and funerals will be permitted with up to 10 people at one time. Pictured: Conservation officers issue information sheets to drivers of vehicles as they enter Manitoba from Ontario amid the coronavirus outbreak Pictured: Officers hand drivers COVID-19 information sheets as they enter Manitoba Meanwhile Quebec announced police checkpoints in eight regions outside the province's major cities where the population is deemed more at risk. Quebec Deputy Premier Genevieve Guilbault said that only essential travel will be allowed in those areas and that provincial police have also set up checkpoints near the Canada-U.S. border to intercept snowbirds coming back to Quebec to ensure they understand there is a 14-day quarantine. The latest move comes as Canada reported it had more than 5,616 confirmed coronavirus cases, including 61 deaths. US civil rights leader Reverend Joseph Lowery who campaigned with Martin Luther King died on Friday aged 98. "Our beloved, Rev. Dr. Joseph Echols Lowery, made his transition peacefully at home" surrounded by his daughters, the Joseph & Evelyn Lowery Institute said, adding "his legacy of service and struggle was long and rich." Born in Huntsville, Alabama in 1921, Lowery worked closely alongside leading figures in the civil rights movement and with King co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) civil rights group in 1957. He was chosen to speak at the inauguration of the country's first black president Barack Obama in 2009, and later that year was awarded the Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States. "Rev. Joseph Lowery was a fighter for civil rights," fellow civil rights leader Congressman John Lewis told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "He spoke up spoke out he never gave up. He marched and he protested all across America. We mourn his passing this evening," Lewis said. "By being born black, I can't ever remember not being in the movement," Lowery told the Journal-Constitution in a 2001 interview. He recalled one day in 1933 that almost set him on a very different path to the civic action, protest marches and impassioned oratory that made his name. As he was leaving his father's candy store in Huntsville, the 11-year-old Lowery almost collided with a white police officer entering the shop. "'Don't you see a white man coming in?'" he recalled the officer saying, after referring to the boy using a racial epithet and hitting him in the stomach with his stick. Incensed, Lowery went home to fetch his father's gun. But by chance his father was in the house too, and after taking the weapon away, gave his son a long lecture. After decades campaigning against racial discrimination during which he was arrested several times, Lowery was dubbed "the Dean" of the civil rights movement by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. In 2006 he was one of many figures to criticize then president George W. Bush at the funeral for civil rights "first lady" Coretta Scott King over the US-led war in Iraq, a domestic eavesdropping program and the government's response to Hurricane Katrina. Speaking in verse, Lowery said no weapons of mass destruction were found in Iraq but that there were "weapons of misdirection" employed in the United States. "For war billions more, but no more for the poor," he said to cheers and applause. "Tonight, the great Reverend Joseph E. Lowery transitioned from earth to eternity. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family," The Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change tweeted. "He was a champion for civil rights, a challenger of injustice, a dear friend to the King family." The emphasis is on social distancing. Wouldnt anti-social distancing work better? Asking for a friend curmudgeonly neighbor. If this is a war, why arent we hearing calls for negotiations, and interventions by conflict resolution specialists? Where are the people asking, Why does the virus hate us? Why isnt Congress invoking the War Powers Act to exercise oversight over Trumps incipient fascism overdue executive action? (Dont worry, if Trump does indeed declare an enforced quarantine on New York City, hell go back to being being called a fascist in a New York minute.) First, Trump tweets out in praise ofchecks notesRachel Maddow: Then inexplicably he praises the $35 million earmarked for the Kennedy Center in the relief bill. Whats going on here? Ahheres the kicker, from the Washington Post today: Trump appoints Jon Voight, Mike Huckabee and 8 others to Kennedy Center board President Trump will appoint actor Jon Voight, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee and eight others to the Kennedy Centers board of trustees, the White House announced Wednesday. . . The appointees will replace [among others] . . . Rose Kennedy Schlossberg. Heh. Trump is just doing this to drive liberals (even more) insane. You can just hear the gasps of outrage among the glitterati over Voight and Mike Huckabee being appointed to the Kennedy Center board. Hes really stepping up his 3-D chess game. Keep this tweet from the World Health Organization in mind when you hear that Trump was slow to respond to the coronavirus epidemic: What should we do to China for lying to the world and pressuring the WHO not to declare an epidemic? How about defaulting on their U.S. Treasury bondholdings? It would be a totally Trumpian move. Defaulting on our debt was something Trump actually mentioned once during the 2016 campaign, to the gasps and horrors of everyone. You know the old saying: if you owe the bank $100,000, you have a problem; if you owe the bank $1 million, the bank has a problem. China has been our bank for the last 20 years. Make em hurt. What are they going to sostop making iPhones? Unlikely. At the very least Trump should demand China take a 20 percent haircut on their U.S. debt instruments as compensation for our $2 trillion relief package and damage to our economy. Paul has already noted the extensive evidence that China is continuing to lie on a massive scale about the presence of the virus there, and Ill all one more detail: China has closed its movie theaters again. Nothing to see here. Move along. And now China is banning foreign visitors. Yeah, right. And todays video to lighten your spirits from some the people who also bring you Black Rifle Coffee: And one more time, another trainspotting adventure Im calling Two Trains Runnin' in homage to Lowell George (this one two minutes long): A least 20 more positive cases of coronavirus were reported in Kerala on Sunday, informed Kerala Health Minister's Office. "Out of the 20 positive cases of coronavirus, 18 have a history of foreign travel and two have contact history with positive cases," said the Health Minister's Office. It further read, "The total number of cases in the state rise to 202, of which 181 are active and four people under treatment have tested negative today." The Central government had on Tuesday announced a 21-day lockdown in a bid to stop the spread of the deadly virus that has left several thousand dead globally. In India, the virus has infected 979 people so far. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) OGDEN, Utah Brett Borg thought the offer for free flour was a joke. He was busy baking the bread Schmidts Pastry Cottage has been giving away each day since the economic impacts of the new coronavirus started hitting Utah, so when a call came in offering free flour, he asked his co-worker to take a message. When he read the message, he was stunned. The message was that someone wants to donate 2,500 pounds of flour, said Borg, whose father, Steve Borg, founded and runs the string of bakeries. I thought it was a joke. I thought, Who would donate 2,500 pounds of flour?' Skeptical, he suggested his father return the call. Turns out the offer was legit, the Deseret News reported. We were kind of blown away, Brett Borg said. Thats an incredible donation. Its huge. It will yield about 6,500 loaves of bread. The donation from Ardent Mills came after employee Alex Nelson saw a television news story about Schmidts daily bread giveaway. When coronavirus fears shut down most businesses, Steve Borg was desperate to find a way to keep his employees busy and paid. Theyre like family to me, Borg said. He proposed the idea to his son, Brett, and his wife, and they were both skeptical as to how giving bread away might help the 44-year-old business stay afloat. Borg said the purpose was more to keep his employees busy and thank the community for its support. It was also an opportunity to give people a chance to do something nice without spending a dime. Schmidts gives each person two loaves of bread one is for them to keep and enjoy and the other is intended for them to give to someone else. So far, the giveaway has been successful, with donations helping to support the effort. Nelson was moved by the endeavor, and said Ardent Mills has a number of charitable efforts each April. So were just getting a bit of a jump on it, Nelson said. I saw what they were doing, and I thought we could help out. Despite all the bad news you hear about bread, we feel like its a nourishing food. The Ogden man talked with his boss and a plant manager and more than one person at the companys corporate office. They all said, Give them some flour,' Nelson said. Were up in Ogden, and I just moved back to Utah last May. Ive moved all around with the company, and I came back here. I just love Utah, and I think this is one of our best locations in our whole company. Ardent Mills not only sent 2,500 pounds of flour to Schmidts, they sent people to help unload the gift. He said he didnt have a dock or a forklift, so we sent people down to help out, Nelson said. Well see how this thing goes. Maybe well give him more to keep it going. Brett Borg said the response has been a ray of hope in a very stressful and frightening time for the small business. People havent let a single loaf go to waste. I think all of our regular customers have come through, he said. Now were going to see if we can get new people to come in to keep it going. But well keep making (the bread) as long as people are asking for it. Up to this point, weve been able to give everything away. And well just keep doing it for as long as people come through the doors. A funeral for Paula Lockhart was held in Kentville, N.S., last week, after the 55-year-old passed away following a long battle with cancer. For Paulas son Keith, it wasnt the service he expected. Most of his mothers wide circle of friends, and some relatives living out of the country, were unable to attend due to restrictions on group gatherings, instead watching remotely by livestream. The few dozen in attendance were seated six feet apart. There were no hugs during or after the service. It was difficult for Lockhart to see his grandmother seated across the room without a comforting hand within reach. It was good for her to be there, but it was hard to watch because no parent should outlive their child, Lockhart said by phone from his home in Ottawa. It was kind of hard not to be able to comfort her during the service. The global COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the grieving process for many across Canada. Those grappling with losing a loved one are also contending with travel restrictions, isolation and limits on gatherings keeping them apart from family and friends when they need them most. A mid-March service at a St. Johns, N.L., funeral home was later linked to more than half of the provinces known cases of COVID-19, illustrating the ease in which the virus can spread in such settings. But religious leaders, family members and funeral directors say its not easy to keep people separated when they are grieving. Allan Cole, vice-president of the Funeral Service Association of Canada, said the pandemic has forced people to change the way they mourn. Thats a normal human comfort that all people experience, the comfort associated with a caring touch from loved ones. Its difficult to somehow encourage people not to think that way at this particular moment, said Cole. Even though were there to support one another, we have to adhere to the guidance of health-care professionals that say, Dont do that for now. So a phone call from a loved one, an email, anything that takes the place of that touch is really the best we can do for now. Imam Hamid Slimi, who leads the Sayeda Khadija Centre in Mississauga, Ont., said he has not yet had to organize a funeral under the state of emergency, though any gatherings would be limited under Ontarios measures. If someone were to pass away from COVID-19, Slimi said, ritual washing of the body would have to be suspended and the person would be buried as received from the hospital. This is very difficult for the families but we have no other choice, Slimi said in an email. Those running services in Canada have also been looking to the tough circumstances faced by mourners in other parts of the world hit hard by outbreaks. In Bergamo, the site of hundreds of deaths at the centre of Italys outbreak, sobering images last week showed military vehicles transporting bodies of those who succumbed to COVID-19 to another region, to be buried in the clothes they died in. Bereavement workers have also been advocating for access to protective equipment. Alan MacLeod Jr., director of Ettinger Funeral Home in Shubenacadie, N.S., said hed been struggling to place an order for gloves amid skyrocketing demand. Ettinger said operators have been racing to keep up with changing regulations aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19. Were trying to be prepared to make do to help people through their bereavement, MacLeod said. This is unprecedented. So were doing what we can. Others have struggled with the painful experience of losing relatives while unable to travel across international borders. Rabbi Hannah Dresner, who leads Or Shalom synagogue in Vancouver, saw both the limitations and possibilities offered by technology in such circumstances, after her husband Ross was forced to say goodbye to his Dallas-based sister over FaceTime. The unpredictability of international travel meant he also had to deliver a eulogy through an iPad while the burial took place in Tulsa, Okla. He watched from Vancouver as a nephew shovelled dirt into the grave, an important element of the rituals around death in Judaism. That whole part of the process was extremely saddening and difficult and felt very, very isolating, Dresner said from Vancouver. But the isolation of the burial was reversed during a seven-day virtual shiva that Dresner arranged over Zoom, a teleconferencing app. Around 60 people participated each night, sharing memories of Alice during pauses in the service. We felt our home to be filled with loved ones who couldnt or might not ordinarily have been able to attend, Dresner said. The response was beautiful and I think (Ross) felt profoundly accompanied. Popular Nigerian Instagram socialite, Hushpuppi, has lashed out at Christians who still went to church today in spite of the coronavirus outbreak in the country. Hushpuppi also stated that such people deserve the consequences of their actions, as he also said that the Nigerian government is trying its best to contain the disease. He further disclosed that Pastors will only donate prayers which cant cure coronavirus if any issue arises from services their members attended. READ ALSO Nigeria Will Never Be Better Hushpuppi In another news, former finance minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala also expressed her concerns over public gatherings as opposed to staying indoors. See His Post Here: A mason who has been working in Delhi for the last 10 years walked for over 800 km and finally managed to reach his village Nadwa, in Uttar Pradeshs Sidhharthnagar around noon on Sunday. Om Prakash (38), covered the distance over five nights and six days to reach his destination. He first walked for 580 km till Barabanki, reached Balrampur in an LPG delivery van and then covered the pending 240 km on foot. Om Prakashs family were profoundly relieved when he reached home. They had been praying for his safe return amid the mass migration of workers during the pan-India lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. Om Prakash had walked the entire distance with a group of eight migrant workers from Delhi and had spent sleepless nights en route to his destination. My heart is at peace now. We couldnt even eat or sleep properly after my son decided to walk home without any money. The only good thing for him was that he was part of a group. We were also scared that the police might assault them, Bablu Chauhan, Om Prakashs father said. There was no option but to leave Delhi immediately on foot as we all lost our jobs and there was no money left with us. Transport services were suspended and the disease posed a threat to our lives, Om Prakash, a father of three said. I was more concerned about my old parents and family. At home, at least we are together and can look after each other in case anyone falls sick due to this virus or if there is a situation of starvation, he added. While leaving Delhi on March 24, a day before the 21-day lockdown was announced by the PM, Om Prakash carried with him some rotis, which he consumed by the time he reached Hapur via Ghaziabad. After that he lived on whatever was offered by generous people on the way. Asked how he would manage if the lockdown continues, Om Prakash said: I have heard that the government has planned free ration and LPG for all BPL card holders. Besides, we grow some crops on our little field. Another mason Noor Alam and his three brothers, who were stranded in Gorakhpur without food and money since the lockdown began, managed to reach home to Taryasujan of Kushinagar. This happened after district magistrate Vijyendra Pandian responded to their call for help and got them to board a UPSRTC bus on Saturday evening. They were given lunch packets and screened by health officials. We are dependent on daily work for survival. And now when there is no work, how will we survive? asked his father Jabbar Ali, 50, who is suffering from diabetes and seemed relaxed after the return of his three sons. Another native of the village, Shakir Ali, who was among the stranded labourers and returned home to the same village, rued: I am left with no money, so I have no choice but to borrow from local lenders to keep going. Washington, March 29 : The United States has reported more than 2,000 COVID-19 deaths, according to the latest tally from Johns Hopkins University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE). As of 6.40 p.m. on Saturday (2240 GMT), there were more than 121,000 confirmed cases in the United States, with 2,010 deaths, an interactive map maintained by the CSSE showed, Xinhua news agency reported. New York state's cases have topped 52,000, followed by states of New Jersey and California, with 11,124 and 5,065 cases respectively, according to the update. As COVID-19 cases continued increasing, U.S. President Donald Trump floated an idea on Saturday of putting in place an "enforceable quarantine" on travel for some of the hardest-hit areas. "Some people would like to see New York quarantined because it's a hot spot - New York, New Jersey, maybe one or two other places, certain parts of Connecticut quarantined. I'm thinking about that right now," Trump told reporters at the White House. "We might not have to do it but, there's a possibility that sometime today we'll do a quarantine - short term," he added. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, in an interview with CNN on Saturday, said that he did not believe a possible New York quarantine was legal and that it would be a "federal declaration of war." "It would be chaos and mayhem," said Cuomo, who has ordered New York residents to stay at home as much as possible. "It's totally opposite everything he's been saying. I don't think it is plausible. I don't think it is legal." Globally, the number of COVID-19 cases has exceeded 650,000, with more than 30,000 deaths, while nearly 140,000 people have recovered from the disease, according to the latest tally on Saturday. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Frankfurt Am Main: Thomas Schaefer, the finance minister of Germany's Hesse state, has committed suicide apparently after becoming "deeply worried" over how to cope with the economic fallout from the coronavirus, state premier Volker Bouffier said Sunday (March 29, 2020). Schaefer, 54, was found dead near a railway track on Saturday. The Wiesbaden prosecution's office said they believe he died by suicide. "We are in shock, we are in disbelief and above all, we are immensely sad," Bouffier said in a recorded statement. Hesse is home to Germany's financial capital Frankfurt, where major lenders like Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank have their headquarters. The European Central Bank is also located in Frankfurt. A visibly shaken Bouffier recalled that Schaefer, who was Hesse's finance chief for 10 years, had been working "day and night" to help companies and workers deal with the economic impact of the pandemic. "Today we have to assume that he was deeply worried," said Bouffier, a close ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel. "It's precisely during this difficult time that we would have needed someone like him," he added. Popular and well-respected, Schaefer had long been touted as a possible successor to Bouffier. Like Bouffier, Schaefer belonged to Merkel's centre-right CDU party. He leaves behind a wife and two children. Giovanni Ribisi has made a habit of taking extra precautions by wearing a protective mask and gloves when he stocks up on groceries amid the coronavirus crisis. But when it comes to taking a reprieve from his home quarantine, while adhering to the social distancing mandate, the Sneaky Pete star opts to not wear any of the protective gear. And that's exactly what he did when he headed out for a stroll with his partner Emily Ward and their one-year-old fraternal twins in Los Angeles on Saturday. Scroll down to video Cabin fever remedy: Giovanni Ribisi and partner Emily Ward took a break from self-quarantine and went on a walk with their one-year-old fraternal twins in Los Angeles on Saturday With the Southern California sun shining down, the 45-year-old actor donned baggy brown khaki pants with a light blue dress shirt. The Avatar star completed the outfit with a pair of black New Balance sneakers and dark sunglasses. But the most important part of the ensemble -- son Enzo -- was securely strapped to the front of his chest in a harness. Good day sunshine: The Sneaky Pete actor had son Enzo strapped to his chest, while Ward carried daughter Maude in the same fashion during their afternoon stroll Ward, who's an interior designer, had Enzo's sister Maude strapped to her in the same fashion. She wore military-green cargo pants that were rolled up at the ankles with a black-and-white striped shirt and light blue Adidas sneakers. Just in case of a temperature tumble, Ward also had a gold sweater tied around her waist, that she eventually put on later in the walk. Casual: The 45-year-old actor donned baggy brown khaki pants with a light blue dress shirt and black sneakers during their break from home quarantine Over the last couple of years, Ribisi has been filming the two upcoming sequels to the 2009 mega-hit, Avatar, which are being shot simultaneously. But the production in New Zealand has been postponed indefinitely in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. The much-anticipated epic science fiction films are both being directed by James Cameron. At this point, Avatar 2 is slated to premiere in December 2021 and Avatar 3 in December 2023. But there's no telling whether the coronavirus shutdown will push back both of those dates. Most recently Ribisi starred in the Amazon Prime crime drama, Sneaky Pete, which was cancelled last June after three seasons. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-28 02:34:36|Editor: Xiaoxia Video Player Close The Turkish branch of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) announces that it will donate medical supplies and cash to support Turkey in its combat against COVID-19 on March 27, 2020. (Xinhua) ISTANBUL, March 27 (Xinhua) -- The Turkish branch of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) announced on Friday that it would donate medical supplies and cash worth about 100,000 U.S. dollars to support Turkey in its combat against COVID-19. The first batch of 1,200 sets of protective clothing, 100 pairs of goggles and 3,000 masks will also be delivered to Turkey, the ICBC said in a press release. Adopting a series of measures against COVID-19, the ICBC Turkey has been providing financial services to support locals to combat the virus. The total number of deaths from the virus in Turkey has climbed to 92 among 5,698 confirmed cases, according to the latest figures announced by Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca. ICBC Turkey was established after the Chinese lender purchased a majority of shares of Turkey's Tekstilbank in May 2015. It has been licensed for commercial banking, investment banking and asset management. Over the years, ICBC Turkey has been financing major projects under the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and supporting Turkey's economic, industrial and social development. Vishrampuri in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh became one of the villages to be declared a nagar panchayat in 2009. But this move took away the residents' rights under the housing welfare scheme and they were no longer entitled to benefits under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act In areas covered under the Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA Act), municipalities cannot be created. However, in violation of this Act and without consulting the gram sabha a mandatory process in these scheduled areas the Vishrampuri village in Chhattisgarhs Bastar region became one of the villages to be declared a nagar panchayat in 2009. A nagar panchayat is an area in transition from a rural to an urban one. On the face of it, this sounds like development, but the consequence was that the area actually became more deprived of benefits. Higher status, fewer rights In the gotul or the indigenous knowledge centre of Vishrampuri, its walls decorated with traditional musical instruments, a group of young and old village representatives gathered to tell the story of the village. Jagat Markam, a youth active in raising awareness about community rights in the area, said, The nagar panchayat that was formed was a group of 14 villages, each with a population of above 1000 people. All block headquarters were ordered to be changed and the gram sabha was never consulted in all this. People needed infrastructure facilities at the village level, but they were forced to travel seven to eight kilometres to avail of them. Ramcharan Shourie, sarpanch of Birapara, added, Nagar panchayat aane ke liye nadi jungle paar karke aana padta tha (We had to cross rivers and forests to reach the nagar panchayat office). We had to take permission to build a house. We did not get work that we would have been entitled to under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). We also lost rights under the housing welfare scheme. Additionally, we had to pay property tax even for kutcha houses. With 15 wards, we were the biggest nagar panchayat in the area, and we were suffering. Some of these places did not even have electricity. Where available, people had to pay higher unit charges, per city council rules. The patel, the elderly head of the community in Vishrampuri, Saru Thakur, explained, Ours is a rural area of farmers and labourers heavily dependent on forest produce. We are not rich people. Whatever few benefits came to the nagar panchayat were claimed by those who were influential or better off financially. In an interview held in his house, Fool Singh, a teacher in the village, said, Even the street lights were installed close to the houses of such influential people. The budget had to be divided among many villages, so naturally, most of the villages never got to see much of it. In fact, common people were scared to approach the panchayat office because the moment they came forward, they would be asked, Makan tax pataye ho ki nahin? (Have you paid property tax?) These taxes were no meagre amounts but went as high as Rs 25,000 - 30,000. How can an ordinary person pay this much? A collective decision, and efforts at change When the nagar panchayat was formed in December 2009, Kishan Pandey, the head of the nagar panchayat nominated by the administration, was not from an indigenous community. This upset people further. It was not just about us adivasis, Jagat Markam, who is also a member of Koya Bhoomkal Kranti Sena, a youth group working for indigenous rights, asserted, Dalits, Other Backward Classes all groups were against this. What about dissenting voices who wanted Vishrampuri to remain a nagar panchayat? Those who disagreed were the ones who would have benefited from tenders and contracts as a result of the formation of the nagar panchayat. The first election in the panchayat was held in December 2010. But the villagers got the elected head, Suman Markam, removed through a no-confidence motion. A re-election took place, but once again, the rest of the village representatives voted the elected head out of power. The residents of Vishrampuri felt that while they needed the development of basic infrastructure, they could avail of it only if they were small. They started organising gram sabhas to tackle the issue and proposed that they get their nagar panchayat status cancelled, and instead have the area divided into five gram panchayats. They wrote to the collector and the governor underlining their rights under the PESA Act and a delegation of 20-25 people met the governor in 2014. Thousands of villagers staged a chakka jam in front of the tehsil. Even cyclists could not cross, Fool Singh recalled with pride. The road block continued for four to five days. An RTI application was filed asking about the status of the villagers demand to change Vishrampuri back into a gram panchayat. When there was no reply, thousands got into trucks and went to meet the administration in Kondagaon to show that the majority of residents were not in favour of the nagar panchayat. Finally, the administration had to relent and issue an order in October 2015 for the dissolution of the nagar panchayat. Relief at last Once Vishrampuri became a village again, each individual village that had been put in the Vishrampuri cluster started getting its due. Santu Ram, ward panch from Birapara, stated in the meeting at Fool Singhs house, Now finally we are getting work under MGNREGA. Toilets are being built. We can benefit from the Pradhanmantri Awas Yojna, and have anganwadis for our children. We also get assistance for repairs, for zameen marammat. If there are repairs to be done on our farms, we can get government assistance. Because of the equitable budget allocation that could now be implemented across particular villages instead of a whole nagar panchayat, a village like Raunaguda finally witnessed its first bridge and electricity connection being put in place, in 2017. When Vishrampuri was a nagar panchayat, the residents felt powerless. But now, said Fool Singh with a smile, it is the villagers who are powerful again, not officials and contractors. This transformation came at a cost. Jagat Markam and Ramsharan Shourie had to face police cases, which the villagers say were pushed by those insisting that Vishrampuri should retain its newly acquired status as a nagar panchayat. After fighting for about a year or so, they were acquitted. There were also other irreparable losses. Rangeelal Markam, the mukhia of Parsadih village, earlier a part of the nagar panchayat said, A man whose family had been living on a piece of land and farming it for 70-80 years got evicted because the place was suddenly declared government land. His house got bulldozed and he was unable to rebuild it even after the nagar panchayat got dissolved. Still, despite these losses and the FIRs they had to fight, the villagers seemed equally determined in their resolve to resist any further attempt at making Vishrampuri a nagar panchayat again. After Chhattisgarh became an independent state in 2000, it started transforming a number of villages to nagar panchayats. But Vishrampuri remains an example of a village where people came together in large numbers and put up a strong resistance for years till they could reclaim their rights under the PESA Act and the development schemes that every rural area deserves. Boris Johnson is to write to every household in the UK urging people to remain at home at this moment of national emergency and warning that tougher lockdown measures may be needed to stop the spread of coronavirus. In his letter to the nation, the prime minister urges the public to obey social distancing restrictions to prevent the NHS from being overwhelmed by patients. Mr Johnson, who began self-isolating in Downing Street on Friday after testing positive for Covid-19, warns that things will get worse before they get better. The publicity campaign, which will be delivered to 30 million homes across the UK, is estimated to have cost 5.8m. From the start, we have sought to put in the right measures at the right time, the prime minister writes. We will not hesitate to go further if that is what the scientific and medical advice tells us we must do Its important for me to level with you we know things will get worse before they get better. But we are making the right preparations, and the more we all follow the rules, the fewer lives will be lost and the sooner life can return to normal. It has been truly inspirational to see our doctors, nurses and other carers rise magnificently to the needs of the hour. Thousands of retired doctors and nurses are returning to the NHS and hundreds of thousands of citizens are volunteering to help the most vulnerable. That is why, at this moment of national emergency, I urge you, please, to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives. Mr Johnson adds that the lockdown, while disruptive to daily life, is absolutely necessary to save as many lives as possible. I know many of you will be deeply worried about the financial impact on you and your family, he writes. The government will do whatever it takes to help you make ends meet and put food on the table. The letter will be accompanied by a leaflet attempting to reduce confusion about the rules on leaving the house. Guidance will also be given about the symptoms of the virus, the shielding of the vulnerable and the merits of hand washing. Here is his letter in full: I am writing to you to update you on the steps we are taking to combat coronavirus. In just a few short weeks, everyday life in this country has changed dramatically. We all feel the profound impact of coronavirus not just on ourselves, but on our loved ones and our communities. I understand completely the difficulties this disruption has caused to your lives, businesses and jobs. But the action we have taken is absolutely necessary, for one very simple reason. If too many people become seriously unwell at one time, the NHS will be unable to cope. This will cost lives. We must slow the spread of the disease, and reduce the number of people needing hospital treatment in order to save as many lives as possible. That is why we are giving one simple instruction - you must stay at home. You should not meet friends or relatives who do not live in your home. You may only leave your home for very limited purposes, such as buying food and medicine, exercising once a day and seeking medical attention. You can travel to and from work but should work from home if you can. When you do have to leave your home, you should ensure, wherever possible, that you are two metres apart from anyone outside of your household. These rules must be observed. So, if people break the rules, the police will issue fines and disperse gatherings. I know many of you will be deeply worried about the financial impact on you and your family. The Government will do whatever it takes to help you make ends meet and put food on the table. The enclosed leaflet sets out more detail about the support available and the rules you need to follow. You can also find the latest advice at gov.uk/coronavirus From the start, we have sought to put in the right measures at the right time. We will not hesitate to go further if that is what the scientific and medical advice tells us we must do. It's important for me to level with you - we know things will get worse before they get better. But we are making the right preparations, and the more we all follow the rules, the fewer lives will be lost and the sooner life can return to normal. I want to thank everyone who is working flat out to beat the virus, in particular the staff in our fantastic NHS and care sector across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It has been truly inspirational to see our doctors, nurses and other carers rise magnificently to the needs of the hour. Thousands of retired doctors and nurses are returning to the NHS - and hundreds of thousands of citizens are volunteering to help the most vulnerable. It is with that great British spirit that we will beat coronavirus and we will beat it together. That is why, at this moment of national emergency, I urge you, please, to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives. A crew member works on a cell tower to update it to handle the new 5G network in Orem, Utah, on Dec. 10, 2019. (George Frey/AFP via Getty Images) White House Outlines 5G Security Strategy, Warns of High-Risk Vendors The United States needs to lead the development of 5G wireless network standards, assess any vulnerabilities to hacking, and address national security dangers posed by high-risk 5G vendors, according to a document titled National Strategy to Secure 5G. The strategy, recently released by the Trump administration, makes no mention of who high-risk 5G vendors might be, but the field of candidates is so narrow as to make clear the target is Huawei. Washington has stressed that the Chinese companyfounded in 1987 by a former Peoples Liberation Army engineeris an extension of the Chinese regime and that it assists Chinese intelligence. Huawei denies that assertion. The strategy refers to President Donald Trumps May 2019 executive order, which establishes the authorities to prohibit certain transactions that involve information and communications technology or services designed, developed, manufactured, or supplied by persons owned by, controlled by, or subject to the jurisdiction or direction of a foreign adversary that pose an undue or unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States. To outmaneuver the Chinese regime in the 5G market, the United States will focus on leading the development of robust standards for 5G that would be quickly developed under open and transparent processes. Regarding the hacking risks, the administration will work with the private sector to identify, develop, and apply core security principlesbest practices in cyber security, supply chain risk management, and public safetyto United States 5G infrastructure, the strategy document says (pdf). In addition, the United States will work to promote vendor diversity, the document says, including by the use of incentives and accountability mechanisms. The diversity likely applies to the promotion of Huawei competitors. The two likely candidates would be Ericsson and Nokia, both advanced players in the 5G field and both floated before as companies that could be propped up to undercut Huawei. It may be unrealistic for those companies to outcompete Huawei on their own. The Chinese giant has received some $75 billion in state subsidies from the regime in Beijing, according to The Wall Street Journal. The United States has gone to some lengths to exclude Huawei and other key Chinese players from its telecom infrastructure. On March 12, Trump signed the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act, which provides $1 billion to replace any equipment made by Huawei or ZTE, another Chinese company, used by rural telecom carriers in the United States. Other countries, however, arent so eager. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Huawei will supply up to 35 percent of the countrys 5G communications infrastructure. Excluding Huawei would have delayed the 5G rollout and cost consumers more, Britain has argued. 5G technology enables cell phone networks to reach data transmission bandwidth comparable to Wi-Fi networks. However, it has a more limited reach, so it requires a denser web of cell towers. Aside from faster mobile internet, its expected to allow billions of other devices to be connected to the internet. In view of the lockdown, India and Bangladesh have extended stay of their teams that measure crucial hydrological data of Ganga in each other's countries, and also postponed the next month's high-level joint inspection under the Joint River Commission, sources said on Sunday. The sources said Bangladesh has even agreed to take reading of the gauge post at the Farakka Barrage and Ganga Feeder Canalsources added. Earlier, the teams would go in boats to take measurements, but due to the lockdown imposed in the wake of coronavirus pandemic that has been suspended, they added. "Everything has been done after taking the Bangladeshi side into confidence and even they have agreed to it, a senior official told PTI. An Indo-Bangladesh Joint Rivers Commission (JRC) is functioning since 1972. It was established with a view to maintain liaison in order to ensure the most effective joint effort in maximising the benefits from common river systems. Under the Sharing of Ganga Waters at Farakka' signed in 1996, The Joint Committee shall set up suitable teams at Farakka and Hardinge Bridge to observe and record at Farakka the daily flows below Farakka Barrage, in the Feeder Canal, and at the Navigation Lock, as well as at the Hardinge Bridge. The treaty also states that if the Farakka Bridge has 70,000 cusecs or less water then both the countries have to share 50 per cent of water equally. Accordingly, from January 1 to May 31, three Indian teams take turn to go Bangladesh at Hardinge Bridge located in western part of the country. Roughly, each team comprising two engineers stay and monitor water levels at Hardinge Bridge for 50 days. From the Bangladesh side, two teams consisting of two members in each group are stationed at Farrakah Barrage and the Ganga Feeder Canal. The Bangladesh teams rotate after every 75 days. The two sides have also agreed to postpone India's visit to Hardinge Bridge under the Joint River Commission scheduled next month, the sources added. The Bangladeshi team had visited India earlier this year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Representational picture Armoured vehicles in the streets, hundreds arrested, smartphone surveillance -- sweeping measures to fight the coronavirus have raised concerns in the Middle East over the erosion of already threatened human rights. As the world battles the COVID-19 pandemic, more than three billion people are now living under lockdown and, in some cases, strict surveillance. While there is widespread acceptance that robust measures are needed to slow the infection rate, critics have voiced fears that authoritarian states will overreach and, once the public health threat has passed, keep some of the tough new emergency measures in their toolkits. This concern is amplified in the Middle East and North Africa, with poorly ranked human rights records, a cast of authoritarian regimes able to bulk up security apparatuses largely unopposed and many states already reeling from political turmoil and economic hardship. The sight of military vehicles patrolling otherwise empty roads to enforce curfews or lockdowns in countries such as Morocco and Jordan stands in stark contrast to mass protests which last year brought down leaders in Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon and Sudan. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show The region had as of Saturday recorded 2,291 COVID-19 deaths out of 35,618 confirmed cases, according to figures collated from states and the World Health Organisation, which has urged "concrete action" from governments to contain the virus. Authorities have curtailed movement, clamped down on gatherings and arrested those who disobey the confinement orders. In Jordan, where King Abdallah II signed a decree giving the government exceptional powers, hundreds of people have been arrested for breaking a curfew. While the government said the powers would be used to the "narrowest extent", Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged Amman not to abuse fundamental rights for the cause of combatting the virus. In Morocco, known for its muscular security policy, the arrests of offenders -- who risk heavy fines and jail time -- have generated little protest and are even praised on social media. Like many countries, Rabat has bolstered a campaign against misinformation, but the adoption without debate of a law on social media controls has elicited concern. Many are crying foul over surveillance in Israel, where domestic security agency Shin Bet, usually focused on "anti-terrorist activities", is now authorised to collect data on citizens as part of the fight against COVID-19. Embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu drew criticism for imposing the measure with an emergency decree after a parliamentary committee rejected it. In an editorial published by the Financial Times, Israeli historian and best-selling author Yuval Noah Harari warned that, "If we are not careful, the epidemic might nevertheless mark an important watershed in the history of surveillance. "A big battle has been raging in recent years over our privacy. The coronavirus crisis could be the battle's tipping point," he said. In Algeria, more than a year into an unprecedented popular movement known as "Hirak", it took the emergence of the pandemic to pause weekly protests. But rights groups have accused Algerian authorities of using the health crisis to crack down on dissent via the courts. "The Hirak has suspended its marches but the #Algeria government has not suspended its repression," HRW's Eric Goldstein wrote on Twitter after journalist Khaled Drareni, who had been arrested several times for covering the protests, was put in pre-trial detention on Thursday. Lebanon faced similar accusations as police on Friday night dismantled tents in the heart of the capital Beirut where protesters had maintained a sit-in to keep up pressure on authorities. The authorities "are taking advantage of the fact that people are preoccupied with their health and confined to repress any dissenting voices," activist and film director Lucien Bourjeily tweeted. In the fledgling democracy of Tunisia -- a former police state where security apparatuses have seen little reform -- many have denounced heavy-handed police enforcement of pandemic-related movement restrictions. The Tunisian League for Human Rights has requested clarifications on social distancing measures after people expressed frustration online over apparently arbitrary police interventions. In Egypt, authorities have targeted media questioning low official virus infection figures. British newspaper The Guardian said its correspondent was forced out of the country over an article that suggested authorities were underreporting cases. With the number of cases rising, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's government imposed movement restrictions and threatened heavy fines and prison sentences for non-compliance. In a country lacking an independent media or judiciary, families of prisoners of conscience sounded the alarm over the possibility of a coronavirus outbreak in overcrowded and unsanitary prisons. Amnesty International has called for the "immediate and unconditional" release of political prisoners, estimated by rights groups to number around 60,000, only 15 of which have so far been let out by Egyptian authorities. Jordan, Tunisia and Sudan have ordered thousands of inmates to be freed to limit the risk of contagion. Activists in the Gulf too have called for the release of political prisoners held in what HRW researcher Hiba Zayadin said are often overcrowded and unsanitary conditions with limited access to health care. Kuwaiti activist Anwar al-Rasheed asked on Twitter, "In the midst of this pandemic, is it not yet the time to release prisoners of conscience?" Rapidly falling demand for crude oil amid the coronavirus pandemic may soon have pipeline operators with full storage tanks seeking legal protection for events out of their control. Pipeline operators with maxed out storage tanks are asking some Texas oil companies to stop production as the ongoing price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia has exacerbated a global supply as the coronavirus pandemic has dramatically cut demand. Youre facing a situation where theres so much demand destruction from people staying home because of COVID-19 and theres so much oil flowing right now with no place to go, Texas Railroad Commissioner Ryan Sitton told the Houston Chronicle. The supply chain is facing a problem and it backs up all the way to the gas stations. Under normal circumstances, oil companies rely on pipeline operators to either store or distribute their crude to refineries that make gasoline and other products. But with millions of people are driving less, the oil and gas industrys supply is becoming disrupted. If producers do not cooperate and refiners are not buying, pipeline operators can apply force majeure clauses, said Anas Al-Hajji, an energy market expert based in Dallas. Oil War: U.S. shale industry braces for pain as budget cuts run deeper Companies typically invoke force majeure clauses for natural disasters but they can also be applied to a broad range of unforeseen circumstances that prevent them from fulfilling a contract. If the clauses are invoked, pipeline operators will no longer buy or ship up to millions of barrels of crude oil per day from the Permian Basin and other shale plays, creating billions of dollars of losses for oil companies and meaning they will also have shut down oil wells. That scenario would cascade through the industry, leading to thousands more jobs cut in production and oil field services. Its not clear how many pipeline companies or which ones are asking producers for the cuts but Sitton, one of three officials elected to oversee the state agency that regulates the oil and gas industry, said that some oil companies have received letters from shippers asking for production cuts. Fuel Fix: Get energy news sent directly to your inbox The storage problem, Sitton said, appears to be most impacting pipeline companies with contracts to buy crude oil directly from producers in the field. Those pipeline companies, he said, move that purchased oil to storage tanks for future sale. But with falling gasoline demand due to pandemic-related shutdowns and the price war resulting in unattractive, 18-year low crude prices of $21 per barrel, that oil is just sitting in storage tanks that are getting more full each day. Right now, as a globe, we have a common enemy and its COVID-19, Sitton said. Weve got to do things that weve never done before because were facing a problem that weve never faced before. Oil Bust: Energy companies slash billions from their budgets Port of Corpus Christi CEO Sean Strawbridge said the South Texas waterway is using a federal critical infrastructure designation to continue construction work on storage tanks that can hold between 12 million and 15 million barrels. Following social distancing and other safety precautions, storage tank and pipeline operators such as Buckeye Partners, Moda Midstream, Epic Midstream and Flint Hills Resources will have their expanded facilities ready over the next two or three months, Strawbridge said. Ed Longanecker, president of the Texas Independent Producers & Royalty Owners Association, said some of the letters being received by oil companies state that shippers are terminating or reducing oil purchase contracts due to a backup in inventory due a drop in demand and refinery slowdowns. TIPRO requests that President Donald Trump escalate U.S. diplomatic efforts with Saudi Arabia and Russia in response to their deliberate decision to flood world markets with oil, while considering other options to protect domestic energy producers, Longanecker said. sergio.chapa@chron.com @SergioChapa on Twitter A robber armed with a handgun approached a man sitting in his vehicle Saturday afternoon outside CVS in Wilson Borough, stole cash and fled into Easton, authorities said. Borough police were called just after 4 p.m. to the parking lot of the store at 1520 Northampton St., just west of the border with Easton, according to a news release from Detective Daniel Pacchioli. The victim, a 55-year-old man from Brooklyn, New York, told officers he was sitting in his vehicle when the male assailant entered through the passenger side door, according to the release. The intruder unsuccessfully tried to get the victim to buy a cellphone, then pulled out a black semiautomatic handgun and demanded money, police said. The robber fled with an undetermined amount of cash and was last seen in the 1400 block of Pine Street in Easton. The victim was uninjured. Police said the robber is described as black, in his early 20s, standing about 5 feet 6 inches tall with a thin build, and was wearing jeans, a gray jacket and black beanie. Police asked anyone with information on the incident to contact Pacchioli at 610-258-8542 or by email at Dpacchioli@wilsonpd.org. Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. If theres anything about this story that needs attention, please email him. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. CURFEW violators in time of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) will still be arrested but they will no longer be detained, Joint Task Force Coronavirus Shield (JTF-CV Shield) commander and the Philippine National Police (PNP) deputy chief for operations Police Lieutenant General Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar clarified on Sunday, March 29. Eleazar said following appeals from the local government units (LGU) through the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) they made adjustment on the apprehension of curfew violators which is part of the home quarantine rules being implemented in Luzon. We decided to be a little lenient against curfew violators by allowing them to go home after booking them instead of detaining them until they posted bail, out of compassion, and the lack of suitable jail facilities as well as government prosecutors that would attend to the cases that would be filed since the DOJ (Department of Justice) is only manned by limited number of personnel, he said. The agreement was that the names and circumstances of the arrest would be documented and that the charges would later be pursued after the ECQ is lifted and the situation normalizes, he added. Eleazar said PNP chief Archie Gamboa has approved the following guidelines for the conduct of arrest of curfew violators: To coordinate with the Local Chief Executives (LCEs) for the identification of the temporary detention center big enough to observe social distancing for arrested curfew violators; To coordinate with the LCEs on proper disposition of arrested curfew violators based on the penalties stipulated in the LGUs ordinances; If the curfew violators will be released over a decision that the regular filing of the case will be done after the ECQ, curfew violators must be held for a maximum of 12 hours while being admonished so as to deter them from repeating the offense; and No physical punishment must be imposed on arrested curfew violators. Story continues Eleazar said they may also use the e-inquest project of the DOJ for the conduct of a virtual inquest proceedings using any online platform for video calls and conferences and all available electronic communications, but in the absence of which, regular filing will take place. Since March 17, when President Rodrigo Duterte placed the entire Luzon under ECQ, a measure to stop or prevent the spread of the 2019 coronavirus disease (Covid-19), the police has arrested a total of 42,826 curfew violators in which 12,094 were in the National Capital Region (NCR). While the ECQ is only in Luzon, a number of LGUs in the Visayas and Mindanao have already implemented their own lockdowns to protect their constituents from the spread of the virus. Eleazar said the task force which is the enforcement arm of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases composed of the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine Coast Guard and the Bureau of Fire Protection, cannot fully loosen its grip of the curfew violators as it will defeat the purpose of the ECQ which is to keep the people at home to contain the virus. Just imagine if, shall we say a quarter of these violators are already virus carriers, they will not only endanger the health and the lives of our policemen and other people manning the quarantine control points but also the health workers and other frontliners who are exempted from the quarantine, he said. Based on our assessment, the number of curfew violators will just continue to rise if we become lenient on them. This will definitely defeat the purpose of the declaration of the Enhanced Community Quarantine which President Duterte approved purposely to contain the COVID-19, he added. Eleazar reiterated their appeal to the public to stay home for their own and their families sake. We look up to all the frontliners as heroes in this war against COVID-19. But ordinary people can be heroes too by staying at their home as their own contribution in this war. Once we win this war, you can proudly tell the stories to your grandchildren about your contributions, how you helped the government to win the war against COVID-19, he said. The virus does not move. People move it. We stop moving, the virus stops. Its that simple, he added. (SunStar Philippines) The network enters the war against coronavirus infection because modern problems require modern solutions. We are talking about apps that would help control the spread of the virus and even recognize it in the early stages. Several developers of the world are already offering their ideas, including Ukrainian ones. But speaking about the World Wide Web, one shouldn't forget about the risk of hacker attacks, it is not surprising that there also exist "experts" who want to earn extra money. What apps exist on the market today, what Ukrainian developers offer, how to recognize malware? Apps and different software for smartphones have long served as a kind of assistant for people in their every life. For example, with their help, you can communicate, get acquainted, order things and services, pay for them, study, take tests or manage the entire ecosystem of devices in your dwelling. Therefore, it would be strange that in a world where the majority of the citizens of Earth cannot imagine their lives without smartphones at all, and the word digitalization sounds from every teapot if they dont take advantage of these innovations in the fight against a new virus that continues spreading around the planet (in particular, as of today, the infection claimed over 27,000 lives, 8 of them are Ukrainian citizens). What solutions other countries have? China. It is not surprising that one of the first countries to develop these apps was China (in support of several government agencies and ministries of the country). Now there are about 10 apps to fight against coronavirus. In particular, an application for checking possible contact with infected people (YiKuang), which was launched back in February. The app helps to check whether there were cases of infection registered in your building, riser blocks of flats, airplane or bus that you traveled over the past 14 days. You can access the function using a special QR code. To sign in, you must specify your cell phone number and get verified by entering the real name and ID number. A foreigner will not be able to register with his documents since the system only accepts a certificate of citizens of China. The application also contains information about the most common places of infection, as well as places of mass gathering areas (so that users can avoid them). Presentation of one of Chinese apps Open source The app uses various programs and trackers that show geolocation. QuantUrban and WeChat have developed a platform that uses information from official sources and marks locations and entire zones with an increased risk of infection with a new coronavirus (based on officially confirmed cases of infection). If a user is broadcasting his geodata, the application may send a warning of closeness to the places of the virus outbreaks. Geographically, the application covers the southern cities of Shenzhen and Guangzhou, as well as nine other cities in the province. Volunteers help update the map as the government publishes new data daily. "Checking map is a psychological comfort. You cannot guarantee that there will be no new cases, but you can avoid visiting an area that is already infected," developers note. As of March 27, China registered 81,340 thousand cases of infection, with 3,292 deaths. 74 588 thousand citizens (over 90%) recovered. *** Israel. Using the data of the mobile network, the country's authorities track the movement of citizens who have a confirmed Covid-19, as well as their contacts with other people. The Israeli Ministry of Defense, together with the startup company Vocalis Health, is developing a mobile application that will help identify symptoms of coronavirus by the user's voice. Vocalis Health was formed after the merger of two companies: Beyond Verbal and Healthymize. These companies have joined their efforts to use the voice of man as a revolutionary tool in the healthcare industry. The Vocalis Health algorithm using artificial intelligence (AI) identifies the patients condition according to voice markers for various diseases (respiratory, cardiac or diseases associated with behavioral disorders such as depression). In the fight against coronavirus, commissioned by the Israeli Ministry of Defense, Vocalis Health is creating a mobile application that will detect the symptoms of coronavirus using the same algorithm (after all, the virus is also a respiratory disease that affects the human respiratory system, reflected in the breath and voice). The country's Ministry of Defense noted that the algorithm will be used for remote diagnostics and monitoring in order to prevent the spread of the disease and overload of the national health system. Thus, according to the developers, it will be possible to determine who should be tested in the first place, who needs immediate hospitalization, and which patients can stay at home because the symptoms are mild. So far, the platform is available only to healthcare providers and patients who take part in the study (so that the algorithm learns to recognize the symptoms of infection, this week they will begin gathering voices of Covid-19 patients). However, on the company's website, everyone can join and also send their recorded voice to the developers for research. *** The United Kingdom. The Covid Symptom Tracker app is designed to help British specialists track the spread of coronavirus, as well as to better understand which citizens are at risk of infection. British researchers recently launched the free Covid Symptom Tracker - users fill out data, including age, gender, even a zip code, chronic diseases like heart disease, asthma, and diabetes (its also worth indicating whether the user is using drugs such as immunosuppressants or ibuprofen and whether he/she uses a wheelchair). Then the application asks everyone who provided the information to make a maximum of one minute every day in order to report their well-being. If the user does not feel healthy, then it will be necessary to answer a few more questions regarding the symptoms (both physical and mental health). Thus, the country's specialists created an early warning radar device, which, according to them, in addition to the geographical spread of the disease, can also indicate more accurate symptoms (after all, they are different for many patients). And although the app is already available to the general public, developers continue to look for new information that would help to improve it. In particular, the team asked 5,000 twins and their families across the UK (who are already part of another broader research project) to use the app. If they detect signs of Covid-19, specialists will send test systems to families for verification. Since the twins have already shared a wide range of data - from genetic information to the composition of the microbes in the intestines - the researchers say they hope the work can help shed light on why only some people become infected and why some of them develop more severe symptoms than others. What we can do is quickly figure out whether genes play a role or not because we just compare identical and non-identical twins. We can do this in a few days, said Tim Spector is a Professor of Genetic Epidemiology and Director of the Twins UK Registry at Kings College, London. He As of March 27, 11,658 infections were recorded, 578 citizens died, 135 recovered the United Kingdom. *** Singapore. TraceTogether is a mobile application for monitoring the spread of coronavirus infection in Singapore. The application, using tracking tools (which are available for the country's authorities), tracks people who are at risk of infection. The developers note that it was because of the application that the country managed to prevent the lockdown (schools, institutions are still working, although the states borders are closed). It is also worth noting that twice a day, Singapore authorities, through WhatsApp, inform citizens about the number of cases in the country, places with the highest infection rates and tips for preventing cases of infection. According to the latest information, 683 cases of infection with a new coronavirus have been confirmed in the country, 2 of them died. 172 people recovered. *** Taiwan. The country's experts developed a special device that can track the mobile signal of people who are at home in quarantine. If a citizen turns off the phone or leaves the house, the device will automatically notify the police of the violation. It will not be possible to leave the phone at home because they can call for verification. In case of violation, the police will get to the place in 15 minutes. As of March 27, there are 267 cases of infection in the country, 2 of them died, 30 people recovered. *** South Korea. The country has also developed a special GPS system that helps users track places of the greatest concentration of people, as well as places visited by patients with confirmed coronavirus. According to the latest information, 9,332 cases of infection have been confirmed in South Korea, 139 of them died, 4,528 people recovered. *** Slovakia. A law has been passed that allows authorities to track the movement of individuals according to mobile operators. 269 cases of infection were confirmed in Slovakia, 2 of them died. *** Poland. In Poland, the Home Quarantine application has been launched, in which you need to take a selfie in order to confirm that a person who has committed to self-isolation adheres to the quarantine conditions. The application is free, tested and available on the Google Play and App Store. "Home Quarantine" app interface Open source "The application should be used by those who have arrived from abroad and are in quarantine for 14 days. From time to time they must take selfies indicating the geolocation," the website of the Ministry of Digitalization of Poland reports. The program creates accounts for those quarantined automatically after crossing the border when the citizen fills out an application, where he notes his phone number and location (address) for the next 14 days. Every day, we will send quarantined persons a request to complete the task by SMS, the ministrys website explains. You will need to take one or more of these photos per day. We will send requests unexpectedly. The idea is exactly the same as for unforeseen visits by police, explains the country's digitalization minister Marek Zagorsky. Explanations on the website of Poland's Ministry of Digital Affairs Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland The time allotted for the submission of the task (selfie) is 20 minutes after receiving an SMS. If a person does not catch up in time, this will be a signal for the police, which must check whether the quarantine rules are violated or not. In case of violation, the citizen must pay a fine of 5,000 zlotys (1,110 euros). Besides, users will also be able to quickly access the necessary information during quarantine, use a special hotline, or seek help from a social worker (similar to sending a report to local social assistance centers that can help with medicines or food in justified cases). As of March 27, 1289 cases of infection were recorded in the country, 16 of them died. 7 people recovered. And what about Ukraine? In Ukraine, an application to control coronavirus infected people is being prepared to be launched next week, similar to the solutions that are already operating in Poland and South Korea. This was noted by Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Anton Herashchenko. The corresponding app has been developed by the Ministry of the Interior and the Digital Transformation Ministry. A special package of documents is being developed that would allow using mobile devices to control the self-isolation of people. The Ministry of the Interior will also propose that the government allows the State Border Service to transmit information to local authorities about people who crossed the border and are required to be in quarantine so that local authorities can also control this. The application will carry out mandatory control for those infected with coronavirus and voluntary control for those self-isolated using geolocation data and FaceID. According to the Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov, such actions are needed in order to stop the pandemic. I would like to assure you: no big brother or surveillance of citizens shall be applied. Mandatory monitoring will be applied for those ill, and voluntary monitoring of geolocation and FaceID randomly - for those self-isolated. There's no other way to stop the epidemic, Mykhailo Fedorov emphasized. Also, with the help of the application, Ukrainians will be able to order products, medicines or to report online on their health status. The next step, according to the initiators, should be the implementation of monitoring contact with a sick person. The idea is to use a wide network of QR codes in stores, taxis and other public places. If a person starts to voluntarily scan codes, we can warn him about possible contact with the patient. Again, no geo-targeting or surveillance, the minister adds. Things to remember when working with such apps Taking into account the rate of expansion and complication of the situation with coronavirus, there appear more and more cases of fraud in various areas of life globally. Internet is not an exception, where there were always those who wanted to steal the personal data of users and use them for their own purposes. For example, after recent events related to user complaints about malware, Googe Play and the App Store began to carefully check and block all apps related to coronavirus infection that were downloaded from suspicious sources. One such malignant product was the CovidLock (Coronavirusapp), which promised to provide users with real-time information on the state of coronavirus infection in the world. However, instead, the program blocked the phone and demanded a fee for keeping confidential information. Therefore, cybersecurity experts advise against using unofficial links to applications or downloading them from sources other than Googe Play and AppStore. Indeed, given the events, companies are conducting a multi-stage verification of such applications, trying to protect their consumers from low-quality goods. For example, Apple recommends using the Time-Sensitive Event label to speed up the process of this test. Mumbai, March 29 : A 45-year old man with no known history of foreign travel has died in Maharashtra's Buldhana due to Covid's-19, raising the state fatality numbers to eight, while the number of infected breached the 200 mark to touch 203 on Sunday, officials said. "The patient, who suffered from diabetes, was admitted to a private hospital late on Thursday and then shifted to the district civil hospital on Saturday morning. He succumbed in barely two hours," Buldhana Collector Suman Chandra told IANS. Since he died due to respiratory issues, the district authorities had sent the deceased's samples for testing and he turned out to be Covid-19 positive, according to the test reports received on Sunday. "In view of this, we have activated all relevant protocols and measures to check out his contacts and collect other details pertaining to his medical history," she added. Earlier on Sunday, the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai announced the state's seventh death - of a 40-year woman with a medical history of hypertension and severe respiratory complaints since past 3-4 days. Belonging to an economically weaker section, she succumbed late on Saturday night due to breathlessness and chest pains, and her Covid-19 report came positive on Sunday. So far, all the Covid-19 deaths, save one, are from Mumbai, including the latest woman victim who becomes the youngest among all the victims who were in their 60s and above. The Health Department announced that the number of positive cases overshot the 200-mark to touch 203 with maximum number of cases from Mumbai and Pune regions. Among the positive cases under treatment till date, the condition of at least five has been described as "critical". The current breakdown is: Mumbai 85, Pune 37, Sangli 25, Thane 23, Nagpur 14, Ahmednagar five, Yavatmal four, Satara two, and one each in Ratnagiri, Aurangabad, Sindhudurg, Kolhapur, Gondiya, Buldhana and Jalgaon, besides one from Gujarat. Against these, 34 patients who have fully recovered have been discharged in the state so far, including 14 in Mumbai, 15 in Pune, three in Yavatmal, one each in Nagpur and Aurangabad, Health Minister Rajesh Tope said. As many as 17,151 persons are in home quarantine across the state and 960 in institutional quarantine. All government hospitals in cities and districts are fully geared to handle the coronavirus crisis and isolation wards have been set up in all medical colleges in the state. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Leader of the Opposition in Assam Assembly Debabrata Saikia on Sunday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to arrange Army vehicles to transport all stranded people to their homes across the country. He also appealed to the Prime Minister to give food and accommodation to all the stranded people until they are sent home by following medical guidelines. "I would like to request you kindly to mobilize Army vehicles to transport these stranded and cash-strapped people to their respective homes," Saikia said in his letter. In case healthcare imperatives pertaining to the lockdown precludes their transportation at this stage, then instructions should be issued to ensure that all the stranded people are housed in vacant schools, colleges and other places with adequate provision of food, water, medicines and sanitizers, he added. "In this context, the Army may use the trains also under supervision, and arrange quarantine facilities before letting these people go and join their relatives in villages," the senior Congress leader said. As the lockdown commenced with immediate effect to stop spreading the deadly COVID-19, crores of countrymen were unable to prepare properly for the lockdown and got stranded, he added. "This is especially true of the economically challenged sections of our society. Although petty vendors and daily-wage earners have been adversely affected, the worst-hit appears to be migrant labourers who work on a contractual basis in states other than their home state," Saikia said. He said numerous such labourers have not only been rendered unemployed in a flash but also left stranded thousands of miles away from their homes. "As the lockdown commenced at the month-end, most of these hapless people did not receive their full wages, thereby adding to their woes. "The financial aid announced by the Central government is still a distant dream for them, stranded as they are so long away from home," Saikia emphasised. He pointed out that hundreds of labourers from Assam are currently stranded in a pitiable condition in neighbouring states like Nagaland and Mizoram. "Sir, these people are not foreigners. They are the sons of the soil and bonafide citizens. As such, just like the NRIs they too deserve help from the government during this unprecedented crisis," Saikia added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Civil Defense worker wearing a protective suit sprays disinfectant as a precaution against the coronavirus in the main market, Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, March 10, 2020. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban) The Union Health Ministry on Saturday said 22.12 lakh public healthcare providers, including community health workers, will get Rs 50 lakh insurance cover under a national scheme for them. They will be covered under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package Insurance Scheme for Health Workers Fighting COVID-19, which was announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on March 26. In an order, the ministry said that "as per the announcement made under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan package, the central government has approved the launch of insurance scheme for health workers fighting COVID19 outbreak." Besides, healthcare workers in government institutions, the insurance scheme will also cover private hospital staff, retired staff, volunteers, contract workers, daily wagers and even outsourced staff hired by the central government, state governments and autonomous healthcare institutions, it said. The insurance will provide a "comprehensive personal accident cover of Rs 50 lakh for 90 days to a total of around 22.12 lakh public healthcare providers, including community health workers, who may have to be in direct contact and care of patients suffering from coronavirus infection and who may be at risk of being impacted by this," the ministry said. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show These cases will also be covered subject to numbers indicated by the Ministry of Health. The scheme will be funded through the National Disaster Response Fund budget operated by the ministry for this purpose. "The actual payment by the insurance company to the beneficiary will be under certification of the authorised Central/State government officials. The insurance provided under this scheme would be over and above any other insurance cover being availed by the beneficiary," the order said. Ireland's coronavirus death toll has jumped by nearly a third in one day with ten further fatalities bringing the total to 46. There are now 2,615 confirmed cases in the country after a daily increase of 200. Eight of the latest victims were male, two were female. Six of the deaths occurred in the east of the country, three in the north west and one in the south. Ireland's coronavirus death toll has jumped by a third in one day with ten further fatalities bringing the total to 46. Pictured: Police patrolled the N11 in Dublin today The rise comes after the country was put under a sweeping lockdown with people ordered to remain in their homes for all but a limited set of specific circumstances until Sunday April 12. Pictured: A woman wearing a protective face mask walks her dog in Dublin The rise comes after the country was put under a sweeping lockdown with people ordered to remain in their homes for all but a limited set of specific circumstances until April 12. The figures were reported hours after it was announced that a Dublin hotel and conference centre will be the first of a series of new coronavirus centres for isolation and stepdown care. The new centres are part of a ramping-up of preparations across the healthcare sector in Ireland for the anticipated surge in cases. HSE chief executive Paul Reid (pictured) said about 1,700 additional beds with ventilation support would be available, with plans to increase that number by 100 each week for the next 10 weeks HSE chief operations officer Anne O'Connor (pictured) predicted around 1,200 ICU beds would be required in the peak of the outbreak Health chiefs also detailed efforts to increase critical care capacity today amid fears that ICUs could be overwhelmed at the peak of the outbreak. They said the peak was expected in the middle of April but cautioned it was impossible to predict the exact timing. On Sunday afternoon the first of dozens of planned flights transporting more than 200 million euros of personal protective equipment from China landed at Dublin airport. The weekend marked the start of a further major clampdown on movement in Ireland. The restrictions were ordered by the Government on Friday night amid fears that critical care hospitals will soon exceed capacity. People have been ordered to remain in their homes in all but a limited set of specific circumstances until Sunday April 12. Eight of the latest victims were male, two were female. Six of the deaths occurred in the east of the country, three in the north west and one in the south. The median age of the 10 people who died was 77. The usually-bustling Moore Street Market was left empty today after Ireland imposed lockdown rules Ireland's chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan expressed his condolences. He said: 'While we continue to build our capacity for intensive care, our strategy remains to prevent people from needing intensive care in the first place. 'We know the virus will not survive if we prevent it from passing among ourselves. 'The enhanced restrictions announced on Friday aim to slow down and restrict the spread of the virus.' An AerLingus aircraft arrived at Dublin Airport with a delivery of medical supplies from China The Citywest hotel in Dublin will provide 750 rooms for people who are unable to self-isolate due to the nature of their own living arrangements. It will open at the end of the week. The Citywest conference centre is being turned into a stepdown care facility for coronavirus patients who are recovering from the infection. The 450 beds earmarked for the facility will only be used once capacity in hospital settings has been exceeded. It will start operating, if needed, in two or three weeks' time. Irish Defence Forces logistics vehicles arrived at Dublin Airport today to pick up a delivery of medical supplies from China Similar facilities will be opened in other urban centres across Ireland, including Cork, Limerick and Galway. Senior Health Service Executive officials announced the moves at the Citywest centre on Sunday morning. By utilising private hospital facilities and securing additional equipment, the HSE is set to double the number of critical care beds from 250 to 500. As of Sunday morning, 88 patients with the bug were in ICUs in Ireland. However, there are fears that number is likely to soar in the coming days and weeks. A lone walker was seen on the beach near Dublin Port today after officials urged people to stay home HSE chief executive Paul Reid said about 1,700 additional beds with ventilation support would be available, with plans to increase that number by 100 each week for the next 10 weeks. HSE chief operations officer Anne O'Connor predicted around 1,200 ICU beds would be required in the peak of the outbreak. She said it was impossible to be certain when that peak might come but said HSE planning models suggested it could be mid-April. 'I don't know that any of us can really say exactly when the peak is going to be,' she said. A person was seen kite surfing near Dublin Port as the country-wide lockdown continues 'We are certainly working towards the peak in mid-April - so over the next two to three weeks. And that is what we are planning for, but clearly we don't know. 'But we do have to work on some basis when it comes to planning, so we are planning for a peak kind of between the 10th and the 14th of April, around that time.' Mr Reid said the hospital system would come under significant pressure as he acknowledged that the HSE was nervous about what lay ahead. 'Our hospital system in particular will be under significant pressure in the coming weeks,' he said. Mr Reid urged the public to support healthcare workers in any way they could. 'I know the public is nervous, our healthcare workers are very nervous too and we are nervous for them,' he said. 'So it is going to be a difficult period. So this is a special call-out from me as the CEO of the HSE to really support our healthcare workers in the coming weeks.' Pilibhit (Uttar Pradesh), March 29 (IANS) Thirty-five people of a group of 37 that returned from a religious trip from Saudi Arabia, have been booked for hiding their travel history and defying the quarantine. A mother and son from the group have tested positive for coronavirus and are undergoing treatment. According to reports, the group that belongs to Amaria town of Pilibhit district, had gone to perform 'umrah' in Mecca and the members returned to the villages via Mumbai on March 19 and all its members were stamped for self-quarantine at their homes. Members of the group, however, allegedly removed the 'home quarantine' stamp with the help of a perfume. Suspicion arose when the health condition of a woman, a part of the group, deteriorated and later she was found coronavirus positive. Her son, too, has been declared corona positive. "The group avoided air route and chose to travel by train from Mumbai to Lucknow," said an official. All 37 members of the group had been stamped 'home quarantine'. Three days ago, the 73-year-old woman was found to be infected with novel coronavirus (Covid-19) and her 33-year-old son tested positive on Wednesday. The elderly woman was accompanied by 36 other pilgrims of Pilibhit who have been kept under quarantine for at least 28 days. The man's report was released by King George's Medical University (KGMU). The Covid-19 infection was believed to have been transmitted to the man from his mother as he had stayed with her in the isolation ward despite not showing any preliminary symptoms of the virus. "We tried our best to keep the man in quarantine at old district government hospital along with his father, elder brother's wife and 36 other pilgrims but he insisted on staying with his mother," said Dr C.M. Chaturvedi, the Additional Chief Medical Officer. A district official said that the 35 others in the group have been booked for deliberately risking the health of the community by avoiding detection and undergoing thermal screening. --IANS amita/vd Residents of New Alipore area in Kolkata woke up to a surprise on March 26 when they received WhatsApp messages from the local police station containing a list of grocery shops and their phone numbers. The police urged people to select a grocery shop from the list, order goods worth at least Rs 1,000 and send the order details to the police. The message said the police will pick up their order and deliver at their doorsteps. We did it to reduce crowding at markets and grocery shops. We roped in rickshaw-pullers, who had gone out of jobs, our staff and civic volunteers. We run 50 broadcasting groups on WhatsApp and spread the message through all members of these groups, said Amit Shankar Mukherjee, inspector-in-charge of the New Alipore police station. Gradually, other police stations started following. On March 28, the south suburban division of Kolkata police wrote on Twitter, During #Lockdown all PSs raised hands to help elderly citizens by delivering food, medicine etc. at doorsteps. Dont hesitate #Dial100. Less than a year after the Mamata Banerjee government in Bengal suffered a major electoral jolt in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the extraordinary situation over Covid-19 has offered the state administration an opportunity to reach out to the common people and the administration has swung into action. The state-wide municipal elections, which were slated to be held in April, are expected to take place in May-June. The Assembly elections are due in just about a year. The chief minister has been seen leading the entire battle from the front attending regular meetings with administrative officers, the private health sector and even opposition parties--aired live on social media, visiting hospitals to boost the confidence of doctors and nursing staff, distributing food at night shelters and to rickshaw-pullers and addressing the people using social media. Coronavirus live updates The administration also played a pro-active role in issues concerning migrant workers. She was the first chief minister to write to counterparts in other states requesting to take care of states migrant workers stranded there. Chief secretary Rajiva Sinha spoke to his counterparts in all states to ensure the wellbeing of the migrant workers. In Bengal, when a group of migrant workers got stranded in a district distant from their own, the administration arranged for special buses to ferry them home. The Mamata government has announced free ration to 7.5 crore people (Bengal has a population of 9.13 crore) for six months, Rs 1,000 grant to workers in the unorganised sector and advance payment of two months social pension. A chief minister who has often earned criticism for not heeding to anything that the opposition says, Mamata Banerjee was seen accepting most of the proposals given by opposition party leaders during an all-party meeting at the state secretariat. The police proactively provided cooked food, dry food and grains to the poor and arranged ambulances for the ill. When a person informed the police that Bibha Saha, a senior citizen living in Sinthee area of north Kolkata, landed in trouble because her cook was not able to come, the police promptly issued a travel pass for her cook. Click Here for Latest Reports on Coronavirus Besides, the firefighters are sanitizing hospitals and localities, municipalities and panchayats are carrying out awareness campaigns and the health-department staff, along with AASHA workers, are busy keeping a watch on those required to be in-home or institutional isolation. All fire stations have been asked to spray disinfectants where the public usually gathers such as markets and hospitals. Our men are also making rounds of localities and spreading awareness, said Jagmohan, director-general of the fire brigade. The role of the administration, the police and the chief minister is earning praise on social media. The chief ministers role deserves praise. I cannot remember any other Bengal chief minister, except for our first chief minister Bidhan Chandra Roy, who got engaged with disaster management at such a personal level, said Biswanath Chakraborty, a professor of political science at Rabindra Bharati University. Political analyst Amal Mukhopadhyay, former principal of Presidency College, said, Our state government has from the very beginning been very alert and active. The chief minister is actively monitoring the whole situation and advising people on a regular basis. It is good to see the state and Centre are working in smooth coordination, Even supporters of Left parties and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have praised her on social media. I may be a staunch opponent of Mamata Banerjees politics but I must praise her for dealing with the Covid-19 situation, BJP supporter and blogger Sabyasachi Bhattacharjee wrote on Facebook. Communist Party of India (Marxist) state secretary Surya Kanta Mishra refused to criticise the government. The chief minister is trying. The administration has listened to our suggestions. Its time everybody stood together, he said. BJP state unit president Dilip Ghosh, however, indirectly said that the chief minister was resorting to showmanship. One crore member of our party in Bengal will provide food for free to five crore poor people. But we will not publicise it. We prefer working without the limelight. Ghosh said. The Haryana government has issued an advisory to industries and commercial establishments in the state, asking them not to terminate their work force and deduct wages during the current lockdown, enforced to check spread of Covid-19. At the outset, the advisory issued on Saturday by the state's Industries and Commerce Department makes a mention of the "present situation facing the country because of Covid-19 outbreak which calls for greater understanding and cooperation from various segments of society". The termination of employee from the job or reduction in wages in this scenario would further deepen the crisis and will not only weaken the financial condition of the employee, but also hamper their morale to combat their fight against this epidemic, as per the advisory. Earlier, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had asked all private industries not to sack employees for their absence during the lockdown in the state. "The prevailing circumstances may lead to instances of employees/ workers not being able to discharge their services on account of Covid-19 outbreak. "In the backdrop of this challenging situation, all the employers of public/private establishments are to be advised by Joint Director/Assistant Director, District industries centres and deputy/assistant labour commissioner, district labour offices to extend their cooperation by not terminating their employees, particularly casual or contractual workers from their jobs or reduce their wages," the advisory said. It says that if any worker takes leave, he should be deemed to be on duty without any consequential deduction in wages. "Further, if the place of employment is rendered out of operation due to Covid-19, the employees of such unit will be deemed to be on duty," it said, and pointed out that an advisory in this matter issued by Union Ministry of Labour and Employment. The officials have been directed to bring these instructions to the notice of all industrial and commercial establishments under their jurisdiction. "These officials are required to closely monitor the incidences of layoffs/retrenchment/reduction of wages of workers employed by industrial and commercial establishments in their jurisdiction. "The instances of this kind should be compiled and brought to the notice of the state government immediately for further necessary action," as per the advisory. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Afghan government has slammed the Taliban after the militant group rejected Kabul's negotiating team for upcoming intra-Afghan peace talks aimed at ending the nearly 19-year war. Waheed Omar, President Ashraf Ghani's adviser, told reporters in Kabul on March 29 that the Taliban "should not make excuses any more" to start the long-delayed negotiations. The talks were scheduled to begin on March 10, but were delayed due to political bickering in Kabul over the composition of the negotiating team. After weeks of delays, the government on March 27 announced a 21-member team -- including five women -- to take part in the talks, a key step in the U.S.-facilitated peace process. But the Taliban on March 28 rejected the negotiation team, saying the government had failed to put forward an "inclusive" team. "In order to reach true and lasting peace, the aforementioned team must be agreed upon by all effective Afghan sides so that it can represent all sides," said Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid on March 28. Omar rejected the Talibans claim, saying the negotiating team represented a united Afghanistan. Peace Ministry spokeswoman Najia Anwari said the Taliban's stance was unjustified as the negotiating team was made after wide consultations among Afghan society. Ghani's political rival Abdullah Abdullah has not confirmed whether he will support the delegation. Ghani and Abdullah are locked in a political standoff, with the latter rejecting the outcome of the disputed September 2019 presidential election and threatening to form a parallel government. Abdullah's spokesman Fraidoon Khwazoon said that although the announced list was not final and there were "considerations that needed to be addressed," it should not be rejected outright. U.S. envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad had congratulated Afghan political and civil-society leaders for forming what he called an inclusive negotiating team. Under a deal signed by the United States and the Taliban in Doha on February 29, Taliban representatives agreed to commit to direct talks with the Afghan government. In return for the start of talks and a series of security commitments from the Taliban, all U.S. troops and other foreign coalition forces are meant to withdraw from Afghanistan by July 2021. With reporting by dpa and ToloNews Following the outbreak of COVID-19, the Uttar Pradesh government has decided that people who are returning to the state from other states will be quarantined at hostels and dharamshalas instead of them reuniting with families. In a statement issued here on Sunday, Chief Secretary R K Tiwari said, "To stop the possible spread of the pandemic, people who are returning to the state from other states will be quarantined at hostels and dharamshalas instead of them reuniting with families. They should be allowed to go to their homes only after they complete the quarantine period." The quarantine period will be for 14 days. He added that adequate arrangement of food and water should be made at the hostels and dharamshalas. Earlier in the day, nearly one lakh people who have already arrived in the state over the last few days have been asked by the government to remain in home quarantine with instructions conveyed to the village pradhans. Principal Secretary, Medical and Health, Amit Mohan Prasad had told PTI, "Through community surveillance and our departmental officers, they (people arriving in the state) have been told to be in homes. They will be in home quarantine for a period of 14 days." On Saturday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had issued directions to officials to keep the approximately one lakh people, who have arrived in the state in the last three days from other parts of the country, in home quarantine. Their names, addresses and phone numbers have been made available to the district magistrates and are being monitored, the spokesperson added. Meanwhile in Gorakhpur, people who entered the district on Sunday were stamped on their arms at two places with more than 5,000 people sent to home quarantine. However, district officials later decided to paste notices outside the home of the person who has symptoms stating that he/she is in quarantine instead of the stamping. "The people arriving from outside are being screened and stamped at Nausad crossing, railway station, bus station before allowing them to move towards their destinations. They were directed to live in home quarantine for 14 days. If anyone is found with high temperature or any other sign, he/she will be sent to the district hospital," Gorakhpur Chief Medical Officer Srikant Tiwari said. "Till now more than 5,000 people have been home quarantined. As many as 10 samples of coronavirus suspects were sent for test but all of them were found to be negative," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Geologists in Australia recently published a paper in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, which reported the discovery of the first known ancestor in the family tree where we and most animals belong. It is a worm-like animal and is the oldest known bilaterian, an organism having both a front and a back with two symmetrical sides and which also have two openings on each end connected together by a gut. It was discovered in deposits belonging to the Ediacaran Period. The authors from the University of California Riverside explained that the Ediacaran Biota group includes the oldest known fossils of complex and multicellular organisms, most of which are not direct ancestors of extant animals. These creatures did not have the basic features we see in almost all animals, which include mouths and guts. They expounded that bilateral symmetry is a feature that developed as an important evolutionary step. It gave creatures the capacity to move with purpose and organize their physical bodies. Millions of animals, starting from the lowly worms to the higher vertebrates, are bilaterian. In their paper, Erwin and Davidson described what scientists thought bilaterian ancestors looked like. Evolutionary biologists predicted that the oldest ancestor of bilaterian organisms would be small and simple and will have rudimentary sense organs. They believed that identifying and preserving the fossils of these animal will probably be impossible. They added that they believe earliest bilaterians lived 555 million years in the past. However, no sign of these creatures were ever found. In the current study, scientists found the animal in fossilized burrows in the old deposits in the Ediacaran Period located in Nilpena in South Australia. UC Riverside doctoral graduate Scott Evans and geology professor Mary Droser noticed oval, tiny impressions near these burrows. They scanned them with a 3D laser scanner and found a regular and consistently shaped cylindrical body having a distinct head & tail, with a faintly grooved musculature. It was two to seven millimeters in length and around one to two and a half millimeters in width. The largest specimen was roughly the shape and size of a rice grain, which is the perfect size for making those burrows. Evans noted that they always believed that these animals lived during this period, but always knew that they will have difficulty finding them. Everything changed with their use of the 3D scanner. They named the animal Ikaria wariootia, after the Adnyamathanha custodians of this land. "Ikara" is their word for "meeting place," and is their name for the Wilpena Pound mountains. "Wariootia" is derived from Warioota Creek encompassing Flinders Ranges up to Nilpena Station. Drosed stated that it is the oldest fossils anyone can find with such bodily complexity. Other larger organisms in the period are most likely evolutionary dead ends. Despite being relatively simple, the researchers explained that the animal was more complex than other fossils found in this period. It burrowed in the thin layers of ocean sands as it searched for organic matter, which indicates rudimentary sense abilities. Its depth and curvature show distinct front & rear ends which support directed movement in burrowing. The researchers also found "V"-shaped, crosswise ridges in the burrows which suggested that the animal contracted its muscles, like worms do. The sediment displacement they found, along with signs that Ikaria subsisted on buried organic matter, means it may have possessed a gut, mouth, and anus. Droser noted that this discovery is exciting as it lined up very neatly with the predictions of evolutionary biologists. The iconic 1986 television epic, Ramayana has come back to the small screen. While the reason for its return may not be the most wholesome, it sure arrives at a time when people could really use a big dose of nostalgia and the comfort of simpler times. Soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the 21-day lockdown to fight the coronavirus outbreak in the country, tweets started cropping up, asking Doordarshan to bring back the old epics, Ramayana and Mahabharat. Many thought the shows will bring some respite from the tense environment created by the pandemic and give people more incentive to stay at home. And their pleas were soon heard. The two shows are back on the telly just a couple of days into the lockdown. However, these are not the only two versions of the epic to ever hit the screen. So why do we favour them so much more over the others? Over the years, I have managed to watch the countless reruns of Ramayana and on the basis of that, here is a comparison between the 1986 series and the 2015 Star Plus series Siya Ke Ram. However, apart from these two, Sagar Arts made another rather miserable attempt at Ramayan in 2008 with NDTV Imagine and we will talk about it too. The Characters Ram: Left to right: Arun Govil, Gurmeet Chaudhary and Ashish Sharma in Ramayan (1986), Ramayan (2008) and Siya Ke Ram. You will notice how all the actors just kept getting younger and younger with each new iteration. While Gurmeet and Ashish were more or less of the same age, Arun Govil looked like middle-age Ram. Arun Govils voice was his biggest asset which was gentle and calming. One could actually listen to him with your eyes closed and attain spiritual bliss. Ashish Sharma was a muscular, powerful Ram with a forever pokerface. But he did look a lot more like a prince than Arun Govil. Gurmeet Chaudhary, however, was always over the top at everything he did. Always super angry, super romantic or super coy. Sita: Left to right: Deepika Chiklis, Debina Bonnerjee and Madirakshi Mundle in Ramayan (1986), Ramayan (2008) and Siya Ke Ram. The makes of Siya Ke Ram has always maintained that the show is a retelling of the epic from Sitas perspective which Madirakshi a lot more room to impress. She is not mute or opinionless like Deepika Chiklis Sita. Yes, she is still self-sacrifising like we know Sita to be, but she is also has opinions of her own. In the first few episodes, she was not just a beautiful princess but one who helped her father and the people of her land in need. Madirakshi was also more expressive without going overboard. Talking about going overboard, Debina Bonnerjee overdid everything, just like Gurmeet. She would make the most animated faces and talk while smiling through her teeth even when the scene called for a normal conversation. Ravana: Left to right: Arvind Trivedi, Akhilendra Mishra and Karthik Jayaram in Ramayan (1986), Ramayan (2008) and Siya Ke Ram. Akhilendra Mishra maybe the only actor of the three that people know outside from his role as Ravana. He is a great actor and also pretty scary. But the shoddy series could not be saved even with Mishra on their side. Trivedi made Ravana iconic with his pot-belly with a heavy moustache. Karthik is big too but in a gym-jock way rather than a fat-demon way. But it does seem logical that Ravana should be muscular because how else would he be able to wreak havoc on an entire army? Surely not with a pot-belly. Karthiks accent was not popular among the audience as many Hindi words would give him trouble. Like rather than saying dha-nush he would always say daa-nuss. They did get a voice actor to dub over his words but it was all too evident on screen and a tad irritating. Hanuman: Left to right: Dara Singh, Vikram Sharma and Danish Akhtar in Ramayan (1986), Ramayan (2008) and Siya Ke Ram. Dara Singh was just brilliant as Hanuman. There are two things expected of anyone who plays Hanuman- a) that he is big and muscular and b) that he is funny. Dara Singh was the perfect mix of both these qualities. Vikram fell short on both these criteria. He was not very big, which we could have overlooked had he been funny. Danish was huge but inspired! And the make up department did him dirty. The Sets and Costumes A still from Ramananda Sagars Ramayan. (YouTube) The 1986 version was all about super bright colours and we can understand that considering how the Indian population was just getting introduced to colour television. Its obvious that producers would go ballistic with the pinks and the reds. The sets were rather simple and so were the costumes.But a big undertaking still, considering the time and era. But looks like with time, peoples aesthetic doesnt always mature. Look at this: A still from the 2008 Ramayan. (NDTV Imagine) And it was so yellow. The entire 300-episode series was made in ugly yellows and sepia tones. All men were made to wear shiny, brown lipsticks, oodles of kohl and nothing about their makeup was natural. Making an epic TV series means CGI is inevitable. In Siya Ke Ram, the computer graphics helped give an appearance of grandeur. The attention to detail and the costumes were beautiful as well: A still from Siya Ke Ram. (Hotstar) A still from Siya Ke Ram. (Hotstar) Also read: Krishna Shroff works out with boyfriend Eban Notice the lamps behind the actors, the divan, the beautiful artwork and the colourful sheets. Everything was just right for a kings room. Sure the CGI did go a bit awry from time to time: Ram and Sita with a horrible CGI deer. (Hotstar) The story: While the earlier two versions stuck closely to the original work by Valmiki and Tulsidas Ramcharitmanas, Siya Ke Ram took full liberty with the content. For instance, they included the story of Rams elder sister which was something not many knew about. They even snuck in the sidestory of Ravana getting his sister Surpanakhas husband killed because she married out of her clan. The great acting from even the secondary characters like Kaikeyi (Grusha Kapoor) and Dasharath (Dalip Tahil) was also enough to keep viewers hooked. But the 1986 Ramayana has something none of the other two have. The sheer pull of nostalgia. As for me, my personal favourite will forever be the 1992 animated film Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Ram. Every year on Dushera, Cartoon Network would air this Japanese wonder and it would be perfect, fire-cracker free way to celebrate the festival. Do any of you desi millennials still remember it? Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON BEEF HOUSE 12:15 a.m. Monday on Adult Swim. Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, the comedy duo behind wacky Adult Swim series such as Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! and its spinoff, Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule, spoof multicamera sitcoms in this new series. (The first episode debuted a week earlier than planned on Adult Swims website, and now its hitting the small screen.) Tim plays an aimless musician; Eric is a stay-at-home husband, and the two share a house with three other beef boys and Erics wife. In this premiere, Erics Easter egg hunt is ruined when Tims old friend from the army stops by and causes a rift in Tim and Erics friendship. The duo throw in laugh tracks and oohs and awws from the (fake) audience, which make the show all the more surreal. For more late-night comedy, tune in early to watch THREE BUSY DEBRAS, a new show about three affluent, unhinged housewives that debuts at midnight. CALL THE MIDWIFE 8 p.m. on PBS (check local listings). The hardworking women of the Nonnatus House nursing convent in London are back for a ninth season. In this premiere, the team face an outbreak of diphtheria and try to find the mother of a baby abandoned in a trash can. The latest COVID-19 figures for Michigan show 836 new cases reported Sunday. The figure released by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services raises the statewide total cases to 5,486 -- up from 4,650 on Saturday -- and 132 deaths, up by 21 since Saturday. The latest deaths include 5 in Detroit, 1 in Hillsdale County, 1 in Isabella County, 1 in Jackson County, 3 in Macomb County, 3 in Oakland County, 2 in Washtenaw County, and 5 in Wayne County outside of Detroit. Sundays new case total falls below the daily record on Saturday -- 993 -- which topped the 801 new cases reported Friday. The numbers have continued to spike since March 18, when the state began to increase the number of people tested. Among the hardest-hit areas in the state are Detroit with 1,542 cases, an increase from 1,377 on Saturday, as well as Oakland County with 1,170 cases, up from 1,018 cases on Saturday. Wayne County stands at 1,162 cases, a jump from 939 cases on Saturday, and 620 cases in Macomb County, an increase from 534 cases reported Saturday. Michigan has become a U.S. epicenter for coronavirus. Why? The cases are split 50-50 percentage wise between males and females. Percentages of those whove died from the virus skew more male, at 69 percent, to 30 percent female, with gender not known for the remaining 1 percent. Of the people who have died, the average age is 64 years, median age of 65 years, with the youngest 25 and the oldest 97. According to the data, 58 of Michigans 83 counties now has at least one COVID-19 case, the same figures as Saturday. A stay-at-home order was issued Monday, March 23 by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, requiring Michigan residents to stay at home except for essential business. Read all of MLives coverage on the coronavirus at mlive.com/coronavirus. Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus. CORONAVIRUS PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home ( door handles, faucets, countertops) and when you go into places like stores. Related news: Sunday, March 29: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan Faith-based gatherings should be canceled to guard against coronavirus, says Washtenaw Health Department Bay County librarian using virtual storytime to cheer up families during coronavirus shutdown Milan neighbors arrange daily sessions of socializing at a distance outdoors First coronavirus death reported in Isabella County 2020 Detroit auto show canceled after FEMA picks TCF Center as field hospital site in coronavirus battle Two more UAW members die of coronavirus, 6 deaths this week 580 Shares Share Was everyone in medical school as young, innocent, and wildly stupid as we were? The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine required superlatives: most, best, fastest dumbest? Before each test, my friend Frank and I would scroll through our mental Rolodexes of What are our other options? (As opposed to being stuck inside with Clinical Microbiology Made Ridiculously Simple.) I preferred the morbid: Eating so many McDonalds cheeseburgers, we gave ourselves tiny MIs, getting hit by a car, but only enough to cast a limb. All of which (theoretically) would prevent us from taking the test, and shock us into appreciating our young and healthy lives previously neglected in damp libraries. Frank preferred the practical: Jaywalking in front of a police car, pulling the fire alarm in the medical school dorm. All of which (somehow) would land us in jail (which, clearly, we knew nothing about), and would force us to study for the multiple 24-hour-straight-blocks required to pass immunology. In these ridiculous scenarios, we would escape relatively unharmed, just in time for us to score perfectly on our makeup test. That, however, was in the middle of our stories: Before wed learned what captivity meant, before wed learned what illness was. Before medical school, wed prepared for captivity by simply giving away our freedom. At my womens college, Signature Ball was the annual spring triumph, made to display hard-won male conquest. While others dressed for, drank before, and danced during, I spent time alone with my partner. My boyfriend, you see, lived on campus, in my room. His name was p-chem: physical chemistry. (I should mention that Frank, judging by his permanently startled look during medical school orientation, presumably had a similar experience at Yale and from the grandness of the school name, we might as well extrapolate to high school too.) We repeated this form of social distancing for decades: 100-hour-a-week-in-house neurosurgery residency; 30-hour-continuous-in-house-call fellowship. Frank became a professor at another grand university; I returned to my hometown to start its first-ever ICU. We both married co-residents from our respective programs (weddings planned by others). Then came my retribution: Experiencing illness, which Id so lightly imagined. After delivering my son, I began sweating, vomiting when sitting up, losing consciousness, and losing my pulse. When Id asked the nurse to monitor my blood pressure, she laughed and said, Doctors are the worst patients! Were going to stop checking BPs to let you sleep. My husband Aaron, ignoring her eye-rolling, called the obstetrician himself. Because he bypassed an its fine inertia, I received six units of blood and emergency surgery, reaching a hemoglobin of 8. When Aaron saved my life by questioning a diagnosis: At the time, it was just being a doctor; he was performing his ordinary duty as an anesthesiologist. Now Frank is also completing his foreshadowing. COVID-19 has sequestered him to either home or hospital during a statewide quarantine. He enters the hospital, operates, returns home. Scrub, rinse, repeat. The narrow rhythm of residency, revisited. News media rightly call Frank a hero: He operates on emergency cases even if it means risking infection during a global pandemic. Frank is suddenly a hero today, for performing his duty of ten thousand days. Surgeons, anesthesiologists, physicians: These are acknowledged heroes now yet their heroism already existed, unnoticed, every day beforehand. Here is the other part of the story: Heroism is a process for physicians. It the essence of training that brought them to this point in history. Every friends wedding slept-through; every Christmas under the fluorescent OR lights; every break up with someone who couldnt understand why the hospital always, always, always won. Taking calls with double pneumonia (sneaking in ICU breathing treatments between consults); being told youre a glorified nurse by a patient wanting to speak to a real doctor; missing your childs first Easter; miscarrying during morning rounds. Thousands of sleepless nights: Did I make the right call today? Thousands of reflections: Did that TB patient cough on me? Did the needle pierce my skin during the hep C paracentesis? Doctors are not overnight heroes, showing up to save the day. Physicians are the heroes of ten thousand days. They have sacrificed at every moment and today, you see the fruit of that lifestyle: That they would even sacrifice themselves. Physicians will find these anecdotes mundane theyll recognize each within themselves immediately. So ordinary. Now we realize: so extraordinary. These were times of silent heroism. Showing up every day: Transforming extraordinary tenacity into ordinary life, through repetition in spite of ten thousand obstacles. Today, the obstacles threaten patients and physicians both. We rightfully acknowledge the sacrifice of intubating someone aerosolizing COVID-19 inches from your face. I hope we also remember the echoes every day beforehand. And when, God willing, we come out from this specter of uncertainty and fear, I hope that physicians regain the honor of their position: hero, even on ordinary days. Before COVID-19, we were in a massive crisis of confidence in (and by) physicians. If we dont come out of this seeing their importance now, who will make the extraordinary, ordinary? Who would give up their youth, their normal life only to be sued frivolously? Who would train for a hundred thousand hours only to have the government vote them as replaceable? Who would fight insurance companies and corporate hospital systems only to be told to watch the bottom line? I look back fondly at the foolish innocence of medical school when our biggest problems were test scores. We didnt know then, but these tests were also exercises in tenacity, isolation, repetition: the essence of our careers. Wed minimized the obstacles of illness and captivity, in order to endure them. To those who have always done it, who will do it, even at their own risk: Thank you for your daily heroism. Happy Doctors Day, now and always. Giannina L. Garces-Ambrossi Muncey is a critical care physician. Image credit: Shutterstock.com Betty Scottino, 92, leaves the Atlantic City International Airport with her grandson Ed Bober of Hammonton on Sunday after arriving on a near-empty flight from Florida, seemingly unfazed by the coronavirus pandemic and a related travel advisory. Read more POMONA, N.J. Nobody seemed overly concerned about flying on Sunday, the day after a federal advisory was issued strongly urging people in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut not to travel. At least, that seemed to be the case for the people arriving and departing from Atlantic City International Airport. Not at all, said Alexia Glass, flying out of ACY to get home to Atlanta, where she works as a model. I have to go to Florida first. No, said a restaurant owner who said he was on his way to his other house in Florida, when asked whether he was concerned. (He did not give his name as he entered the terminals revolving doors, where one Spirit Airlines person worked the check-in desk.) Theres no travel ban," he said. "Im hoping this thing blows over where everybody realizes its the flu. It is the flu. Eventually the hospitals wont be overflowing. Im not nervous at all about it. Eduardo Rodriguez and Marianella Martinez, traveling home to Miami with their son, to whom theyd given a mask, were equally nonchalant. They said they were not planning to strictly self-quarantine upon arrival, as the governor of Florida has mandated for travelers from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut in yet another directive aimed at limiting the spread of the coronavirus, but would keep things low-key. No, Rodriguez said when asked about the quarantine. No," was also his reply when asked whether he was worried about flying. The quarantining in Miami is normal, Martinez said, before blowing a kiss to the person whod dropped her off at the airport. Keep in your house. The advisory was issued in a late-night tweet by President Donald Trump, who earlier Saturday had threatened a stricter quarantining of the three states. It urged against nonessential travel. On Sunday, people made their own calculus of what that meant. Both Gov. Phil Murphy and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the advisory just echoed their own guidelines for their states. Arriving from Fort Lauderdale, Joseph Thompson, 68, of Vineland, a retired mason, said he felt like, well, the president as he stretched out in the first row of a Spirit Airlines flight that had four passengers on it. I feel like a king. I had the whole airplane to myself," Thompson said. "I felt like I was Donald Trump. He paid $38 round trip. Do you want to see the ticket? he asked. Hed gone down there to visit his former boss at Philadelphias Broad Street Diner, John Patitucci, whod been in the hospital for an operation on his toes, said Thompson, who wasnt allowed in because of coronavirus-inspired precautions. He said he could understand a travel restriction involving New York, which has the most coronavirus cases in the U.S., but not New Jersey. Everythings going to be good," Thompson said, echoing the optimism of his fellow travelers Sunday. "Everythings going to get ready to be opened up. You know what I miss the most? I miss the casinos. In the meantime, hes not going to let a global pandemic tie him down. Im going to travel back [to Florida] in a couple weeks, Thompson said. Tina Giacomo of Florida said she flew up from Fort Myers, on a plane with about 16 people, to take care of some business in Atlantic County. It wasnt bad, she said. I mean, Im not doing it a lot. I washed my hands, took a shower before I went to the airport. Showing more worry than others at the airport was Ed Bober, who hurried inside to meet his 92-year-old grandmother, Betty Scottino, who was flying in from Fort Myers. The family, he said, had made its own calculation: Scottino was better off at home in Hammonton, closer to doctors, than in Fort Myers, where she had been staying with another relative for the winter. Wearing a light white sweater, Scottino emerged from the terminal first in a wheelchair, balancing a small blue duffel, then walked to a waiting car unassisted. She said she felt fine and that she had not been worried about flying. It was very good, she said. Im glad to be home. Bober said the family was not planning on sending her back to Florida anytime soon. Were gonna keep her here, he said. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, left, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom. (Associated Press) To the editor: I start each day listening to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's coronavirus news conference. I find his manner and message to be reassuring. His daily updates remind me of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's fireside chats during World War II. ("Andrew Cuomo and Gavin Newsom deliver the leadership and straight talk Trump won't," Opinion, March 26) Later in the day I listen to our own Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, both of whom deliver reality and encouragement. In contrast, listening to President Trump only increases my fear and stress. He does not reassure the public and his words ring hollow. His manner conveys that he does not want to have to deal with this, he wants to move on to what is important to him, and he does not have control of the situation. Trump cannot be blamed for this terrible situation, but he signed up for the job of president and now the country looks to him to carry out his work. Liz Sherwin, Los Angeles .. To the editor: Columnist Virginia Heffernan is so biased against the president that she praises the two governors whose states account for more than half of all confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States. As usual, let's blame someone else. Does anyone really believe that if President Obama were still in the White House, New York would be in any better shape? No, but with his gift of gab, we would be made to feel better about it. Robert Rose, Brentwood .. To the editor: Heffernan does not give enough credit to Washington Gov. Jay Inslee. Because of Inslee's leadership, Washington state, once the hotspot of the U.S. COVID-19 epidemic, is now no longer even mentioned in the national news. What a shame that he had to drop out of the presidential race. Carolyn Major, Newcastle, Wash. .. To the editor: Heffernan says that governors like Cuomo and Newsom, and not the president, are delivering needed straight talk on the coronavirus crisis. She herself did not use "straight talk" when she mentioned "Trumpist lies that imply the sick will rise from their beds and the dead from their graves on Easter Sunday." I admit that Trump gave a rather early date, and a special day, for when Americans might be able to go back to work, but Heffernan's play on words was an insult to Christians. Elizabeth Norling, Long Beach Houston Methodist Hospital Saturday night transfused the blood plasma of a patient who has recovered from COVID-19 into a critically ill patient, the first hospital in the nation to try the experimental therapy. A Houston individual who has been in good health for more than two weeks since being diagnosed donated the plasma for whats known as convalescent serum therapy. The concept dates back to the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918. Convalescent serum therapy could be a vital treatment route because unfortunately there is relatively little to offer many patients except supportive care, and the ongoing clinical trials are going to take a while, Dr. Eric Salazar, a physician scientist with Methodists Research Institute, said in a statement. We dont have that much time. On Sunday, Salazar said the team also transfused the same donor's plasma into a second critically ill patient. Salazar said it is still "too early" to determine whether the therapy is benefiting the patients. CORONAVIRUS UPDATES: Stay informed with accurate reporting you can trust The treatment was fast-tracked to the bedside over the weekend as the death toll in the pandemic caused by the coronavirus rose to more than 2,000 people in the United States, including 34 in Texas. The Food and Drug Administration earlier Saturday evening had approved Methodist's "emergency investigational new drug" application to test the therapy in the first patient. Methodist Friday began recruiting donors from among the roughly 250 patients who have tested positive for the virus at the systems hospitals. Donors gave a quart of plasma in a procedure, much like donating whole blood. Dr. Marc Boom, Houston Methodist's president and chief executive officer, said the hospital felt obligated to try. There is so much to be learned about this disease while its occurring, he said in a statement. If an infusion of convalescent serum can help save the life of a critically ill patient, then applying the full resources of our blood bank, our expert faculty, and our academic medical center is incredibly worthwhile and important to do. Plasma from someone who has recovered from COVID-19 contains antibodies made by the immune system to attack the virus. The hope is that transfusing such plasma into a patient still fighting the virus may transfer the power of the antibodies into a healing, possibly life-saving therapy. There is much literature on the theory behind the therapy, but results over the years have varied. A description of the treatment of five COVID-19 patients in China, published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association, suggested that the treatment was beneficial. In addition to its use in the 1918 flu pandemic, convalescent serum therapy was also tried during a diphtheria outbreak in the 1920s, a flesh-eating bacteria epidemic in the 1930s and the Ebola outbreak in Africa earlier this decade. In New York City earlier this week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo had announced patient recruitment for plasma donations would begin in a matter of days. He said it would focus initially on the heavily hit New York City suburb of New Rochelle. There are nearly 2,500 confirmed cases in Texas, including 744 in the Houston region. Four people have died here. Employees and gazetted officers of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board have donated part of their salaries to the Jammu and Kashmir Relief Fund to contribute towards efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19, a senior official said on Sunday. While the board employees have contributed their one day's salary, the gazetted officers have donated their two days' salary, Chief Executive Officer, SMVDSB, Ramesh Kumar said. On the directions of Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu, who is also the chairman of SMVDSB, the board on Sunday distributed ration kits among slum dwellers and other stranded workers in Katra, the base camp for pilgrims visiting the Vaishno Devi shrine, he said. Kumar said the board has earmarked a quarantine facility with 600 beds at Ashirwad Complex in Katra which has been handed over to the district administration. The board has also provided accommodation in Katra to the district administration officers on emergency duty in connection with COVID-19, he said. A total of 979 people have tested positive for coronavirus in India and it has claimed 25 lives so far. Jammu and Kashmir has reported 31 cases, according to the Union Health Ministry. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu: Some 200 villagers made a bonfire of their new clothes after receiving news that the man who sold them has been put in precautionary quarantine for coronavirus infection. This bizarre incident happened Friday night at Omethepalli village, along the Chennai-Bengaluru national highway in Shoolagiri taluk of Krishnagiri district in Tamil Nadu. According to a local person, R. Manujnatha, the villagers had purchased new clothes for Ugadi (the Telugu new years day) from a textile merchant from Shoolagiri. When they came to know of the merchant being quarantined, they dumped the clothes in the street and set them on fire. People did not sleep all night. Some cried in fear that they will be infected by the coronavirus, said Manjunatha. The merchant had returned from Malaysia on March 11, and as per the preventive protocol being followed, he and his family have been advised home quarantine although none of them has any sign of illness. Health authorities pasted a sticker on the familys house warning people to avoid direct contact with them. The story circulated on What'sApp groups and triggered panic in Omthepalli vilage. Krishnagiri district collector S Prabhakar said admin officials visited the village and explained to the villagers why the textile merchant was put in isolation. We told the villagers not to panic and not to believe fake information sent on social media groups, he said. No coronapositive case has been detected in Krishnagiri district. However, 900 people, including 621 foreign returnees and 279 people who are visiting from other states, are being kept in home quarantine. In a frantic effort to stop the mass movement of migrant workers who are travelling to their villages across India, the BJP-led government at the Centre on Sunday asked state governments and Union Territory administrations to effectively seal all state and district borders. The migrant labourers will be put under 14-days quarantine at their destinations for ignoring the lockdown. India on Sunday reported 25 deaths from the highly contagious disease Covid-19 while the total number of people infected climbed to 979. The Union health ministry said out of the 979 cases, 867 were active Covid-19 cases, 86 people have been cured or discharged and one had migrated. A day earlier, on Saturday, the number of positive Covid-19 cases had been 918. Heres a look at the latest news on coronavirus in 10 points: 1. States were directed to ensure that there is no movement of people across cities or on highways and there should be strict implementation of the lockdown. Only the movement of goods will be allowed, the Centre said in a directive. 2. Those who have violated the lockdown and travelled during the period will be subject to a minimum of 14 days of quarantine in government quarantine facilities when they reach their destination, according to a government statement. 3. Top central government officials have asked chiefs of police and civil administrations of all states to make sufficient arrangements for food and shelter for the poor and homeless people, including migrant workers in the cities in which they work. 4. The total number of Covid-19 positive cases in Maharashtra climbed to 203 on Sunday with 2 new cases being reported from Nagpur, 1 from Pune, 3 from Mumbai, 1 from Buldhana, and 3 from Nagar, the Maharashtra government said in a statement. 5. On Sunday, a SpiceJet pilot who did not fly any international flight in March tested positive for the coronavirus. The last domestic flight that he operated was on March 21 from Chennai to Delhi and since then he had quarantined himself at home. The airline is now carrying out a contact tracing exercise to establish how many people he came in contact with. 6. The Centre on Saturday issued orders for the use of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) funds for the purpose of feeding the homeless as well as migrant workers. Sufficient funds are available with states, a government statement said. 7. States have also been told to ensure timely payment of wages to labourers at their places of work during the period of lockdown without any cuts. 8. The Centre has provided 10,000 coronavirus testing kits to West Bengal. Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar has said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee are working together to fight the pandemic and this is the time to avoid politics in conduct. 9. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has once again appealed to migrant workers not to leave the national capital region. In a series of tweets in Hindi, he said, I assure you that the Delhi government has made sufficient arrangements for your food and accommodation. For now, do not go to your villages in the countrys interest. 10. In Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed all the district magistrates to trace over 1.5 lakh migrants who have returned to the state over the last few days and quarantine them in state-run camps. Credit a central New Jersey congressman with one victory in the fight against coronavirus. U.S. Rep. Chris Smiths successful attempt to release 41 million medical gloves that had been holed up in warehouses will contribute greatly to the ability of medical personnel and first responders to keep providing critical care. At the same time, the fact that Smith, R-4th Dist., had to prod maybe even shove a federal agency into allowing the gloves to move is more damning evidence of the Trumps administrations failure to take charge of distributing supplies under emergency powers. It seems that U.S. Customs and Border Protection was holding the shipments, destined for a New Jersey-based distributor, to check out claims that the gloves might have been produced by slave labor in Malaysia. They were stored in warehouses in Baltimore and Oakland, California. Under normal conditions, its among CBPs jobs to impound and check out imports of questionable origin, including counterfeits and potentially dangerous items. So, CBP was performing its duties properly in temporarily sequestering the protective hand coverings. See, the agency is not there just to impound asylum-seekers. As it turns out, CPB had already cleared the shipments in question, and it took Smiths intervention to get things moving. The gloves are the property of Ansell Ltd., whose U.S. headquarters are in Iselin, Middlesex County. The company asked for Smiths help, even though its not located in the congressmans district. Possibly, thats because Smith is recognized as a leading authority in Congress against human trafficking and other forms of slavery. He has intervened before, but this might mark the first time hes acted to free inanimate objects instead of a person. So, good for him. Whats not so good: It took dozens of calls to numerous different federal officials, Smith told New Jersey Advance Media. "But it was just too important to give up on. Rubber or vinyl gloves might not be the No. 1 need of stressed care providers right now. Those honors likely go to respirators, and to ventilator machines, which are required for the sickest COVID-19 patients. Still, a federal administration that truly had a handle on the inventory of gloves would not have to be pushed into getting them moved out of warehouses that are under CBPs command. Smith said that the gloves are already being shipped, and some will go to New Jersey, which has asked the federal government for some 2.9 million of them. One also must consider the moral implications if it had turned out that the 41 million gloves had indeed been manufactured by, say, enslaved children in a third-world nation. In non-emergency times, it would be a no-brainer to send these items back to where they were made, or destroy them before they were distributed domestically. Right now, even the most ardent child labor activist should not be conflicted about sending the items to where theyre most needed: our hospitals, our police, fire and EMT departments, even our food-service workers who must adapt to newly stringent measures to protect themselves and their customers. Fines or penalties can still be levied against bad actors who force mistreated workers into making vital items. But, blocking these items from use during a crisis would not avenge the tears shed by the exploited people who assembled them. Meanwhile, the White House pandemic crew should find out ASAP what else is hanging around in limbo that governors and providers are clamoring for. The much-disputed 40,000 ventilators might not be there, but if 41 million gloves have popped up, who can say for sure without an accurate, top-down, inventory search? Send a letter to the editor of South Jersey Times at sjletters@njadvancemedia.com Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. How Soon Will You Get Your Coronavirus Stimulus Check? Most Americans can expect to get a cash payment of over $1,000 as part of the heaping $2 trillion coronavirus relief bill President Donald Trump signed on Friday to stimulate the faltering economy. The nonpartisan Tax Policy Center estimates that the free money will go to about 90% of U.S. households to help ease some of their financial pain from the pandemic, which has caused massive business shutdowns and layoffs and is making it tough for people to pay their rent, mortgages and other bills. When will I get my stimulus check? Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin has indicated taxpayers should start receiving the money by mid-April. "Were determined to get money in peoples pockets immediately," he told CNBC. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says the president hopes things can move even more quickly. The New York Democrat says Trump wants the payments to start going out on April 6. But former tax officials and other experts say the administration is being too optimistic. They say the last time the government distributed relief money on a large scale in the midst of the 2008 financial crisis and Great Recession it took two to three months to get payments going. By the way, while media outlets are using the shorthand that Americans will get "stimulus checks," that's not entirely accurate. Mnuchin says most people will see the cash infusions show up automatically in their bank accounts through direct deposit. You'll be mailed a paper check only if the IRS doesn't have your account information, maybe because you normally receive tax refunds by check. There's no type of sign-up necessary to get your money, so beware of scammers who might call or email claiming they have an application you need to fill out. How much coronavirus money will I get? cabania / Shutterstock The standard payment amount is $1,200, though you may receive less depending on your income. The full amount will go to: Single adults earning $75,000 or less. Those who file as head of household with incomes of $112,500 or lower. Story continues Married couples who file jointly and make $150,000 or less will get $2,400. And, households with kids qualify for an additional $500 for each child under the age of 17. Payment amounts phase out for taxpayers with higher incomes. You won't receive any money if: You're single and earn more than $99,000. You're a married couple making more than $198,000. You're a head-of-household filer and your annual income exceeds $136,500. The income that counts toward eligibility is the adjusted gross income on your tax return, which is the money you made during the year minus certain deductions. The IRS will base your payment on the most recent tax return you filed. If you haven't filed your 2019 return yet and you now have until July 15 to do that the tax agency will pull up your 2018 filing. If you earned too much during 2018 to receive a payment but would qualify based on last year's income, because it was lower, you'll want to file your 2019 return quickly. You can do that easily and for free using Credit Karma. Other reasons you may not receive a relief payment Having a higher income isn't the only reason you may not receive any stimulus money. You might not get anything: If you don't file tax returns. Some people earn so little that, technically, they don't have to file taxes. If you haven't filed a 2018 or 2019 return, you should submit one immediately to get yourself on the IRS' radar. If you've moved. Before anyone receives any relief cash, the IRS will send out notices about the money to Americans' addresses on file with the tax agency. If you normally take tax refunds by check and you've moved since you filed your last return, you need to submit an IRS change-of-address form. If you're a teenager. Sorry, but you won't get a payment if you're claimed as a dependent on someone else's tax return, and that goes for children 17 and older who are too old to score their families the $500 payments for kids but who are likely claimed on their parents' returns. They can't receive any of the money. If you're a college student. The same goes for college students. If you're under age 24, still in school and relying on your parents to pay at least half your expenses, the IRS considers you a dependent and ineligible for a stimulus check. If you owe back child support. Your payment won't be reduced or wiped out if you owe back taxes or are behind on student loans or any other government payments. The only exception is if you are past due with child support that states have reported to the Treasury Department, says Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. What if I'm on Social Security? Will I get money? Halfpoint / Shutterstock Yes, seniors collecting Social Security are eligible for stimulus cash. If you're retired and living strictly on Social Security, you're not required to file tax returns but you don't need to rush to get one into the hands of the IRS. You'll receive a coronavirus relief payment based on the information the tax agency has from your annual Social Security benefits statement, according to AARP. Will I have to pay taxes on my stimulus check? In a word: Nope. Will any more cash be coming? The record $2 trillion stimulus package called the Care Act calls for just a one-time injection of cash into Americans' wallets. But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says there could be more. "We think we'll get more direct payments in another bill," she told CNN. During the financial crisis of the 2000s, the government sent two rounds of checks: one batch in 2008 that went to most taxpayers, and another in 2009 that provided an extra boost to Social Security recipients, railroad retirees and disabled veterans. Need to decide on the best use for your stimulus cash? While you make up your mind, park it in a high-interest savings account and let it grow. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- It was a learning curve for many New York City teachers when remote learning began on Monday. In addition to educating their students, preparing lessons, uploading videos, and grading assignments, they also needed to be able to help their own children navigate the new distance learning model. Mayor Bill de Blasio announced schools would close beginning March 16 until at least April 20 -- with the possibility that schools would be closed for the rest of the school year -- and many teachers are trying to juggle helping both their students and their own children at the same time. Teaching them [my daughters] and my students is hard, said Kim Russell, a social studies teacher for P373R, co-located at PS 58 in New Springville. It cannot be at the same time. Thats why I have a routine. Also, I worry about everyone. All of them, and us, and everyone. This is a really stressful time for all of us right now. I am happy that they have all this schoolwork, and that I do because it keeps us busy and keeps our mind active. You cant think about the coronavirus all day. Russell explained that the current climate feels like we are in the Twilight Zone. She said she knew that after the first day of remote learning, the family would need a schedule. Her two daughters -- Carina Russell, a junior at Gaynor McCown High School, and Sierra Russell, a fifth-grader at PS 58 -- work independently for most of the morning. But if they need help, Russell said she allocates time after she finishes her workday to assist them. Basically, if I didnt make a routine, schedule and guidelines, this wouldnt work, she said. *** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK *** ROUTINE IS KEY Lisa Accardi, a teacher in Brooklyn, said the transition to remote learning has been pretty easy for both her eighth-grade students and her fourth-grade daughter, who goes to PS 53 in Bay Terrace. She said she has also begun a daily routine for both herself and her daughter. I worked on setting up my online classroom before the students left school because I anticipated the closure, so its been an easier transition for my eighth-graders, since they were already introduced to the platform, she explained. Additionally, my daughter has been using Google Classroom for several years -- since second grade, so she is able to easily complete her assignments and mostly independently. Accardi said she begins her day at 6:30 a.m. to write out her lessons, and uploads a video to YouTube that provides direct instruction to her students so they can see her face. Then Ill post my daily assignment and a link to my video on Edmodo, which is the platform Im using to talk to my kids. I also post a welcome message for the day and a daily wellness check,'" she added. By 8 a.m., it becomes busier as students begin to reach out with questions and Accardi communicates with school staff. She said she has been trying to set boundaries and office hours, but said she wants to be available to her students during this difficult situation. These conversations used to take place in person, and its a lot to type out everything youd normally say, she explained. Simultaneously, my daughter is logging onto Google Classroom to begin her daily assignments. And then its me running back and forth from computer to computer to help everyone at the same time. HOW KIDS ARE TRANSITIONING Russell said that her daughter Carina has easily transitioned to remote learning because her school has been working with Google Classroom and already completed assignments online. But she said that her fifth-grade daughter Sierra is having a harder time and misses school. She has more schoolwork to complete, and doing everything on her own has been difficult. She misses her friends and her teachers. She doesnt like Google Classroom and likes to learn with her friends and teachers, Russell explained. Her teachers have been great answering her questions and helping her. Russell added that her daughter also misses going to dance classes at Mrs. Rosemarys Dance Studio in New Dorp, but has been keeping up by watching videos uploaded by her dance teachers. Francesco Portelos, a STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) Career Lab teacher at Prall Intermediate School (I.S. 27) in West Brighton, has been managing his 340 students while also helping his own two sons. I already see my second- and third-grade sons navigate easier in just the second day, he said. STRESS WILL BE TEMPORARY The stress from a parents perspective I believe will be temporary, said Portelos. At least Im hoping. For everyone, educators, parents and students, there is a learning curve. Donna Zucconi, a third-grade teacher at a Brooklyn school, said shes fortunate that her fourth-grade son who goes to St. Clare School, Great Kills, is independent -- but she said she still feels guilty for not being able to help him as much as she wants to. His school St. Clare is advanced with technology, so he has been able to navigate well, she said. That being said, the guilt I have because Im not checking in on him as I should, and my 9-year-old is swimming on his own is profound. Zucconi said she has been spending much of her time modifying remote schoolwork, as a majority of her students are English as a New Language (ENL) students who have never used Google Classroom. Constantly working to upload assignments and resources for her students, she said its hard for her to make time to help her son. My son is understanding, she said. I hope it gets better -- or yes, Im going to have to sign off at a certain point. Then my guilt will be that Im not meeting my students needs. HELP FROM OTHER EDUCATORS Russell said the switch to remote learning hasnt been too difficult, because her co-workers have been offering help along the way. Plus, her daughter Carina has been helping her navigate online educational tools. The term it takes a village applies to us, she said. I am very blessed to be working with such talented and knowledgable teachers, and we share information and help each other. Portelos said the transition to remote learning has been virtually seamless for him and his students. The school administration allocated time for faculty to turnkey the resources necessary for online learning -- both at the beginning of the school year and last week, he added. Since September, we have been learning and using the Google Classroom environment. That, coupled with my online video lessons and communication, had made it easy for them. Some, who have limited access, learned to make the best using just their phone or their parents devices, he explained. As a way to help others navigate remote learning, Portelos has been sharing his own tips and tricks on Facebook and Twitter when using Google Classroom and other online learning tools. Since the announcement that schools would close and move online, he has been supporting fellow teachers, including his wife, a third-grade teacher in Brooklyn. Education must continue, he said. Ive already experienced the complications of navigating and teaching programs like Google Classroom and Google Drive. If I see my wife, colleagues, or children experiencing an issue, I decided to just make quick video tips and share them online. My hope is to alleviate everyones stress during these very trying times. You can view some of his tips, including video tutorials at his website, mrportelos.com. REMOTE LEARNING Staten Island parents are saying that while the new normal of remote learning was a bit overwhelming at first, both teachers and students are living up to the task. It was a little overwhelming at first, said Kerryann Hassan, the parent of both a fifth-grader at PS 50, Oakwood, and a freshman at New Dorp High School. I think if I wasnt home, Im very fortunate enough to work from home, they wouldnt have done anything. They cant copy and paste, they cant open this so it was a bit of a struggleBut we got through it. Jennifer Kain, a parent of a seventh-grader and eighth-grader, both at Barnes Intermediate School (I.S. 24) in Great Kills, said the first day of remote learning went well. The support they are receiving from their teachers and their administrative staff is amazing, she said. "The teachers have checked in on them at least one to two times a day. They are answering all their questions and calming them down if they get upset about not being able to access a document. Some Staten Island parents last week were trying to secure electronic devices last week to allow their kids to participate in online learning. The city is still working to distribute necessary technology to the estimated 300,000 students who currently lack an internet-connected device. Those who are in need of technology should fill out an online form to sign up for a remote learning device via the Department of Education (DOE). For students who lack an internet-connected device, the DOE has provided supplemental learning materials to keep them engaged during the transition to remote learning. Online learning will look different for every child. For example, some children were instructed to create a Google Classroom account, others were told classes would be held via Zoom, a video communication program. Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza has asked parents to sign up for the NYC Schools account, which will be critically important as the DOE pushes information out and resources for remote learning needs. You can go to www.myschools.nyc for more information. 53 Fighting the coronavirus: NYC on pause Sign up for text message alerts from SILive.com on coronavirus: RELATED COVERAGE: Staten Island school principal tests positive for coronavirus New York Public Library: Free virtual tutoring, read-alouds and more College of Staten Island vacates dorms; may be used as medical facilities DoorDash will deliver meals to medically fragile NYC kids Will first responder child care centers offer special ed services? Staten Island parents on remote learning: Teacher, school support amazing' First responder child care centers open with a lot of precautions Mayor: NYC schools may be closed for rest of 2019-2020 academic year Coronavirus: AP exams will be online, shortened to 45 minutes Schools closed: Heres where NYC students can get free meals Coronavirus: Several Staten Island schools announce confirmed cases The streets of Stockholm are quiet but not deserted. People still sit at outdoor cafes in the centre of Sweden's capital. Vendors still sell flowers. Teenagers still chat in groups in parks. Some still greet each other with hugs and handshakes. After a long, dark Scandinavian winter, the coronavirus pandemic is not keeping Swedes at home even while citizens in many parts of the world are sheltering in place and won't find shops or restaurants open on the few occasions they are permitted to venture out. Swedish authorities have advised the public to practice social distancing and to work from home, if possible, and urged those over age 70 to self-isolate as a precaution. Yet compared to the lockdowns imposed elsewhere in the world, the government's response to the virus allows a liberal amount of personal freedom. Standing at bars has been banned in Sweden, but restaurant customers can still be served at tables instead of having to take food to go. High schools and universities are closed, but preschools and primary schools are still running classes in person. "Sweden is an outlier on the European scene, at least," said Johan Giesecke, the country's former chief epidemiologist and now adviser to the Swedish Health Agency, a government body. "And I think that's good." Other European nations "have taken political, unconsidered actions" instead of ones dictated by science, Giesecke asserted. It remains unclear how long Sweden's exceptional state will last. Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, warning of "many tough weeks and months ahead", announced Friday that as of Sunday, gatherings would be limited to 50 people instead of 500. The government noted that weddings, funerals and Easter celebrations would be affected. Still, to reduce the spread of the virus in Germany and the UK, groups larger than two are currently prohibited unless they are composed of people who already live together. Officials in Italy and France introduced increasingly restrictive limits on public activities and eventually authorized fines because they said too many people ignored social distancing recommendations. For now, the Swedish government maintains that citizens can be trusted to exercise responsibility for the greater good and will stay home if they experience any COVID-19 symptoms. Many Swedes are indeed keeping the recommended distance from others. Victoria Holmgren, 24, praised the Swedish government's handling of the public health crisis as "very good". "And it's partly because I don't think I could manage being inside the whole day," Holmgren said. But some scientists have criticized the Swedish Public Health Agency's approach as irresponsible during a worldwide pandemic that has already killed over 21,000 people in Europe. In an open letter to the government, some 2,000 academics called for greater transparency and more justification for its infection prevention strategy. Sten Linnarsson, a professor at Karolinska Institute, a prominent medical university in Sweden, said the concern centres on "the assessments and the course that the Swedish government has taken through this epidemic, and especially because there is really a lack of scientific evidence being put forward for these policies". Linnarsson compared Sweden's handling of the virus to letting a kitchen fire burn with the intent of extinguishing it later. "That doesn't make any sense. And the danger, of course, is that it burns the whole house down," he said. Sweden's current chief epidemiologist, Anders Tegnell, argued that even if the country's comparatively permissive policies are an anomaly, they are more sustainable and effective in protecting the public's health than "drastic" moves like closing schools for four or five months. Sweden, a nation of 10 million, had a total of 3,447 confirmed virus cases and and 105 deaths by Sunday, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally. However, there has been limited testing, with some 24,500 tests conducted by Wednesday, according to official statistics. "The goal is to slow down the amount of new people getting infected so that health care gets a reasonable chance to take care of them. And that's what we all do in every country in Europe," Tegnell said. "We just choose different methods to do it." Susanna Moberg, a 63-year-old retired teacher, said she trusted the government and also believes Sweden's experience with the virus will not be as dire as Italy's, which has by far the most virus-related deaths in the world at more than 10,000. "I'm not so worried. I'm not 70 years yet. And my children are not sick so we will go to a restaurant on Sunday," Moberg said. "We said 'Everybody is well and the restaurant is open.' So we will go there to celebrate. We can't stay at home the whole day, all week. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Staying positive while practising social distancing By Ruqyyaha Deane and Joshua Surendraraj View(s): View(s): Being forced to stay at home, despite its inviting nature will eventually start getting to you after a while. The novelty of binge watching a TV series you never had the time to enjoy or catching up on the latest blockbusters, slowly begins to lose its charm. This week we spoke to a few individuals who gave us an insight into some activities theyve been focusing on at home in an attempt to stay positive. Sharan Velauthan, an instagram personality, TedX speaker and founder of Cosplay Cleanup Global felt miserable at the thought of not having the physical comfort of people around him. And he realized that he might not be the only one feeling this way. So he reached out to his friends and came up with the idea of Going live for Kindness. Taking advantage of the Instagrams feature of going live to your followers, Sharan has been collaborating with other social media personalities, such as Shenelle Rodrigo, Gaia Kodithuwakku, Kapila Rasnayakam,Ornella Gunesekere, Minesh D, Amandha Amarasekera and more,since March 17, where they all spread the message of kindness to those who watch them. There are enough people out there spreading news, but sometimes too much of the same thing can be quite daunting so I was just like why dont we just chat about the importance of spreading kindness and have a good chat and spend time together. Together, they conduct insightful conversations about various topics such as mental health, inspirational stories, funny anecdotes and personal advice. Sharan hopes more people will want to come on and talk about themselves, to make it a talk show of sorts that will help people out there. Making the most of a bad situation and trying to learn things such as new skills, learning to play a musical instrument etc would be ideal during a curfew. As Romesh Dodangoda puts it, anything to keep the mind occupied is good! Romesh, who is a Sri Lankan recorder/ mixer based in the United kingdom explains the internet is a powerful tool in these times for those who have access to it. Theres a world of learning online. Hopefully by doing that, people can come out of this with some new skills under their belt which they can utilise going forward. However, if you feel the pressure to be productive, Romesh finds that theres nothing wrong with doing very little and having some quiet time. Aside from his day job of producing and mixing, Romesh also runs an online audio community Control Room for producers, mixers and anyone who has an interest in the field. And now that he finds more time on his hands, hes putting the work into articles about recording that are helpful for learning, Q&As with big producers, discussions on production and mixing techniques etc. Im really impressed with how all our members have been so supportive of one another during this time, he shares adding that he hopes this will help people take some time out of the world and have some fun whilst learning at the same time. Were all in this together really so we just have to be supportive to one another as much as possible and well come out of this as a stronger people. People lead busy lives in the world today and Eshan Denipitiya feels this is natures way of hitting the pause button. Ive realized that life has slowed down and I think the silver lining for those at home is that they get to spend time with their loved ones, he shares. As a music artist, Eshan is happy to have more time to work on his craft and get creative. Aside from this he also realized that artists have the responsibility to bring joy and comfort into peoples lives. So Eshan, a talented pianist himself turned to his instagram page for several song requests. I saw most of our local artists doing live sessions and doing their part as well. Which was really nice and encouraging to see, he adds. Like most adversities, Eshan believes this too shall pass. And while we do our part to help our country he feels we could use this time to reconnect and reflect on how we live our lives everyday Working together, acting responsibly and spreading positivity. Mayor Bill de Blasio is downplaying a federal travel advisory for New York and two other states, emphasizing instead the need for more supplies and equipment to save more lives. "I dont think its the most central question before us right now because Im going to befocused on making sure we have what we need to save lives in New York City," de Blasio said of the travel ban during an interview with CNNs Jake Tapper on Sunday morning. "The only comment I have on it is weve got to be mindful of families that at this crucial moment want to reunite, whether that means families coming back to New York or leaving New York to go to another place where theyre based." President Donald Trump announced Saturday that he would not quarantine New York Citys metro area after suggesting the idea earlier in the day. Soon after Trumps statement, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a travel advisory for residents of New York, Connecticut and New Jersey, instructing them to refrain from non-essential domestic travel for 14 days effective immediately. All three states already have issued their own travel restrictions. The advisory does not apply to employees of critical infrastructure industries, including trucking, public health professionals, food supply and financial services. The mayor rejected criticism that his response has been behind the curve, adding that if the country had the testing it needed, "this could have been a different reality." "Other than that concern, a travel advisory isnt something Im going to fixate on," de Blasio added. "I want to know when were going to get the ventilators, the PPEs [personal protective equipment] and the doctors and the nurses to save lives here in New York that would be lost otherwise, because thats the standard." The city has enough supplies until April 5, with the exception of ventilators, he said. De Blasio also requested more doctors, nurses and military personnel by that deadline. "Were talking about a sharp escalation ahead, the mayor said. Weve got almost 30,000 cases now, over 500 deaths already. We are over a quarter of the nations cases here in New York City. Fourteen medical staffers, including doctors and nurses, who were part of a team treating COVID-19 patients at RML Hospital have been sent into home quarantine and their samples are being tested, official sources said. The sources said one of the nurses developed fever since Sunday evening, so the entire team has been asked to go quarantine themselves at their homes. "This team of six doctors and nurses and other staff from RML were exposed to COVID-19 patients and as one of the nurses developed fever since evening today the entire team has been sent for home quarantine. Their samples have been taken (for testing)," one of the sources said. Delhi has reported 72 COVID-19 cases while 1,024 cases have been reported across the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Army, Navy and the Indian Air Force as well as employees of the defence ministry have decided to donate one day's salary totalling around Rs 500 crore to the relief fund announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to help fight the coronavirus outbreak in the country. Separately, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced that he will donate one month's salary to the fund. On Saturday, Modi announced setting up of the Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM-CARES) to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. A number of union ministers, private entities, industrialists and government organisations have responded to the prime minister's announcement and contributed to the fund. So far, India has recorded a total of 979 positive cases of coronavirus and 25 deaths. "I have decided to donate my one month's salary to the PM-CARES Fund. You can also contribute in this fund and strengthen India's resolve to fight against the menace of COVID-19," the defence minister said. Singh said he has also asked the Chairman MPLADS (Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme) to release Rs 1 crore to the PM-CARES Fund. A defence ministry spokesperson said Singh has approved a proposal for contribution of one day's salary by employees of the ministry to the Fund. "It is estimated that around Rs 500 crore will be collectively provided by the Defence Ministry to the Fund from various wings, including Army, Navy, Air Force, Defence PSUs and others," he said. The employees' contribution is voluntary and those desirous of opting out will be exempted. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) I cant be sure whats going on with individuals who are not being tested but who are advised to self-isolate, said Kerry Gateley, the health director of the Central Virginia Health District, which covers Lynchburg. I would assume that if clinicians were concerned enough about the possibility of Covid-19 disease to urge self-isolation that appropriate screening and testing would be arranged. After initial publication of this article, the university said it had asked four students who returned from the New York area and two of their roommates to self-quarantine, but none of them were referred for testing and none had symptoms. One student who returned from a county with a high number of cases was running a fever and had a cough. He was tested and elected to go home pending the results rather than self-isolate, the university said. Of the 1,900 students who initially returned last week to campus, Mr. Falwell said more than 800 had left. But he said he had no idea how many students had returned to off-campus housing. If I were them, Id be more nervous, he added, because they live in more crowded conditions. For critical weeks in January and February, the nations far right dismissed the seriousness of the pandemic. Mr. Falwell derided it as an overreaction driven by liberal desires to damage Mr. Trump. Though the current crisis would appear epidemiological in nature, Dr. Eppes said he saw it as a reflection of the political divide. If Liberty sneezes, there are people who dont like the fact that Liberty sneezed, he said in an interview. Mr. Falwell called me to listen to a view that wasnt exactly his. Great leaders do that type of thing. The city of Lynchburg is furious. We had a firestorm of our own citizens who said, Whats going on? said Treney Tweedy, the mayor. She was 14. He was turning 18. It was New Years Eve Day in 2015, and the two had never met. They were in a room alone together. She said no. He didnt listen. Afterward he left without saying a word. Mackaylee Kohner is Cotter High Schools Above and Beyond nominee and is a young woman who refuses to let sexual abuse define her life. After years of court battles, therapy and a lot of time out in nature, Kohner has become determined to use her pain to make the world a better place instead of letting the sexual abuse eat her up inside. The emotional pain certainly tried. The day of the abuse, Kohner had been with some friends and they had decided to go over to someone elses house. A few hours later, after the abuse had taken place, they walked back across town. Her head was buzzing. She felt gross. She hadnt told her friends. As a matter of fact, she wouldnt tell a single soul until nearly four months later. I never imagined telling anyone, she said. Especially my parents. During the months of silence, Kohner began to change. She became quiet. Angry. Edgy. Finally in April 2016, a friend pulled her aside, intent on knowing what had happened that caused such a drastic change in her personality. Kohner mustered the courage to say out loud what had happened. Kohners friend encouraged her to tell an adult and even went as far to say he would tell if she didnt. So the next day she told her teacher. At the time it was too much to face her parents. She was thankful when the Cotter High School principal and her teacher agreed to meet with her parents and explain what had happened. It was a relief, she said. Its hard to share something like (that). The day of the meeting, Kohner stayed home and waited anxiously for her mother to return. When she finally saw her pull into the driveway, Kohner went outside to meet her. She waited until her mom stepped out and slowly closed the door. She gave me a hug and didnt say anything, Kohner recalled. She just held me and we cried. She said no matter what shed be there for me. Kohner would certainly need the support for the chapter that came after. Soon after her parents were told, the family went to the police and thus began a long journey of court battles. But it didnt stop there. Social media had blown up with news of what had happened and everyone had an opinion to share. Not everybody was going to hate him, Kohner said with an edge of frustration. Some people accused her of being drunk, among other things. Thats one thing we as a society need to get better at, Kohner said bluntly. Going through the two-year court process was an emotional roller coaster, Kohner said. Every court appearance was another opening of a wound she was desperately trying to heal and it made it harder knowing there was no guarantee a conviction would come of it. But she kept going. And she kept speaking up. Finally it started to make a difference for her. The day I started feeling empowered was the day I did my impact speech where I spoke in the courtroom, she said. She told her story, and after a third-degree sexual conduct conviction in 2018 was able to take a sigh of relief. Kohner worked to move on in her life. That was at least until she got a message from a boy who said his sister was assaulted by the same individual. He knew Kohner had gone through the same thing and was searching for advice. It sparked a fire within her. Just knowing I could help somebody felt powerful, she said. Not long after, she found out another individual had come forward saying she was also assaulted. Advocating against sexual assault has become a passion for Kohner. This ignited a fire in my heart, my mind, my soul, Kohner said. Kohner said she wants victims to know they are more than what happened to them. That sexual assault changes them, but doesnt have to define them. Looking toward the future, Kohner plans to go to Saint Marys University to major in environmental science. She hopes to connect her love of outdoors and her passion for healing trauma. The most peaceful place for me was to be outside, she said. Nature never judged me. It brought a sense of peace. For Kohner theres no better way to cope with her trauma than to use it to make the world a better place. Thats why all of us were put on the planet, she said. To help others. Thats why all of us were put on the planet to help others. Mackaylee Kohner Love 188 Funny 0 Wow 3 Sad 10 Angry 3 Kampala In a bid to further mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic, Airtel Uganda has partnered with a number of websites to provide free access to health tips and updates as well as educational material for the school-going children who are currently at home. This announcement comes a few days after the telecommunications company waived charges on the Airtel Money platform to enable subscribers to send money to their loved ones at no charge and discourage the physical exchange of cash to curb the spread of the Coronavirus. Currently, sending money from Airtel to Airtel is free for a period of 30 days as well as Airtel Money wallet to Bank and Bank to Airtel Money wallet. In addition, Airtel Money Pay charges to the customers and merchants are free. Commenting about the partnership, Airtel Uganda Managing Director Mr. V.G. Somasekhar noted that these interventions are Airtels humble contribution to Ugandans during this critical period. It is important for the school going Ugandans to keep up with their curriculum and for the entire country to get health tips free of charge, he said. Access to the following websites is free of charge for purposes of healthy tips as we together fight against corona and share Education information for all the school going children at home. Airtel has also ensured that all shops and branches remain open for the subscribers while conveniently following all safety measures, social distancing and availing sanitizers. Somasekhar further pledged to continue supporting Ugandans during this period. We know that with connectivity, communities here will be able to access reliable information to overcome this pandemic and improve their lives through trade, education and commerce and full offerings of Airtel Ugandas reliable network, he concluded. Related This week in Christian history: Assemblies of God, Charles Wesley's popular sermon, Knights Templar Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Christianity is a faith with a long and detailed history, with numerous events of lasting significance occurring throughout the ages. Each week brings the anniversaries of great milestones, horrid tragedies, amazing triumphs, telling tribulations, inspirational progress, and everything in between. Here are just a few things that happened this week, March 29 to April 4, in Church history. They include the pope issuing a decree supporting the Knights Templar, the founding of the Assemblies of God, and the preaching of a popular Charles Wesley sermon. 1 2 3 4 Next The Sri Lankan police on Sunday arrested a key suspect in the last year's devastating Easter Sunday terror attack that killed over 250 people. The suspect was arrested from the Colombo suburb of Mount Lavinia and was the handler of the suicide bomber who carried out the blast at the Zion church in the eastern town of Batticaloa while the Easter Sunday mass was going on, police spokesman Jaliya Senaratne said. He had provided lodging and transport to the suicide bomber, the official said. The bomber was part of the nine-member suicide-squad belonging to local Islamist extremist group National Thawheed Jamaat (NTJ) linked to ISIS that carried out a series of devastating blasts, tearing through three churches and as many luxury hotels on the Easter Sunday, killing 258 people, including 11 Indians. The police had arrested over 200 suspects in connection with the attacks. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Since the announcement of the partial lockdown by the president, several people have left and continue to leave the areas earmarked for the partial lockdown to unaffected areas. 1. Are these people made to undergo screening before entering the areas not affected by the partial lockdown? 2. Do the MMDAs in the areas they are fleeing to take their data and possible locations for purposes of close monitoring? 3. Should there be a mandatory quarantine for these people at their new locations? 4. How well resourced are our MMDAs to support mandatory quarantine of the people entering their jurisdiction? 5. What role is the police service playing in managing these issues at the District level? What I think 1. The various M/DHDs across the country should immediately be well resourced to intensify their surveillance activities. In their current state, and considering the fact that GOG funding has been almost zero in the last couple of years, they may not have the resources to undertake any effective surveillance on their own. 2. The NHIA must as a matter of urgency make some payments to Service Providers across the country. The effect of this panic movements across the country is that the virus may spread on mass scale across the country. Facilities need to acquire consumables for management of any suspected cases prior to confirmation n relocation to d designated isolation centres. The staff of these facilities need to be protected while at work. Suppliers of consumables to these Service Providers have suddenly increased prices of medical consumables astronomically. On top of that, suppliers are demanding for cash before consumables will be delivered to the hospitals. Where is the money? It is locked up with NHIA. 3. Test kits should immediately be made available to all M/DHDs to commence mass testing of people nationwide before we get to any severe to critical stages of this pandemic due to this panic movements across the country. 4. Most Hospitals are relying on their MMDAs for support to augment their efforts in combatting this pandemic. Some of the MMDAs support with their meagre resources, and complain of DACF not being released so they cannot do much. We are getting to a point where at the District Health Service delivery level a lot of support will be needed from the MMDAs. Please and please, we need to release some funding to them to support the health systems delivery at the district level. 5. Corporate Ghana should strongly support the Corona Virus battle. Some have started and that is commendable. The rest who are yet to come onboard should do so. Logistics are urgently needed. 6. Comparative Health Systems has made us aware that our healthcare system is relatively efficient compared to that of our neighbouring countries. Our neighbours are likely to move into Ghana using the numerous unapproved routes scattered all over the country, knowing that the approved borders have been closed to human entry. And they easily integrate with us at communities along these unapproved entry routes. As we concentrate on the approved borders, let us strengthen our monitoring of the communities along the unapproved entry points as well. We are in this together *#ThisTooShallPass* *ABULAIS YARO* At 93, Heather Lee is a woman still very much on a mission. Born on the idyllic Isle of Wight off the south coast of England in 1927, the champion speed walker was just 12 at the outbreak of the Second World War, spending her teenage years living on rations and developing a sense of resilience armour tough. She relocated to Sydney in 1965, living in Richmond in the city's western suburbs and dedicating much of her time to fundraising for the Australian Cancer Council since her beloved husband Leonard passed away in 1996. For the past four years, Heather has walked in the March Charge, a month-long personal fitness challenge where participants set themselves a distance goal to raise money in aid of cancer research, prevention and support services. This year is no different for the nonagenarian great-grandmother, who is on track to walk 300km by March 31 - even as the world is gripped by the intensifying coronavirus pandemic. Champion speed walker Heather Lee, 93, is determined to keep the pace by walking 300km in aid of cancer research by March 31 Heather (pictured in action) is still walking every day, heading to her local park to train at 6am to avoid crowds of people as the Australian government encourages greater social distancing In typically determined fashion, Heather is still out walking every morning, but says she is mindful to keep her distance from other people on her daily jaunt. 'I head out about 6am to train in the park close to my house. Yesterday I did 14,000 steps,' she told Daily Mail Australia. 'There's only one other woman there at that time, but I still keep to myself. I get up early anyway, so it's no problem for me!' Heather has dedicated much of her life to fundraising for the Australian Cancer Council since her beloved husband Leonard (left) passed away in 1996 Heather is still shopping for groceries at her local supermarket, but plans to enlist the help of younger friends and family if the situation deteriorates. Once Heather has her phone, computer and household treadmill, she feels well able to cope with the challenge of self-isolation With the UK already advising those over 70 to self-isolate for the next four months, she is anticipating a similar instruction from Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. 'I'm sort of expecting it here sooner rather than later,' she said, but insists she will be well able to cope should the need arise. A regular Facebook user, Heather says she can manage so long as she has her phone, computer and home exercise equipment - especially the treadmill she keeps in her living room. 'I think I would do well, mentally. The treadmill keeps me going. Once I have that, I can cope!' she said. Having lived through some of the darkest days the world has ever known, including the reign of Adolf Hitler and the bombing of her native Britain, Heather said she is 'ashamed' to see people panic buying during the current COVID-19 crisis. 'I can't believe it, the way people are going on. They're not leaving anything for older people. The other day I went to the supermarket and there was no meat, no bread, no toilet paper, the shelves were just empty. 'And that was in the hour that's supposedly for the elderly. I think I might have to resort to powdered milk; I remember that from the war,' she laughed. Heather is saddened to see what she perceives as selfish behaviour from young Australians, adding: 'People made do with a lot less when I was young, and they still looked out for each other. No one was in a mad rush, we shared and we managed.' Having grown up during the Second World War on the Isle of Wight off England's south coast, Heather is ashamed to see the panic buying and hysteria sweeping Australia amid the current coronavirus crisis (pictured with her dog and sister Jean on the Isle of Wight in 1933) For now at least, her greatest concern is the cancellation of a string of walking races she was due to compete in, including one in Bankstown in southwestern Sydney, where she had hoped to break her own world record last Saturday. 'The hardest part is not being able to get out to train when I want and compete in the events I've been working towards, but it's okay. This won't last forever.' In the meantime, Heather is keeping fit just like she always has, by walking, working out with her personal trainer Liz, eating plenty of fresh wholefoods and enjoying indulgences in moderation. In the midst of the pandemic, Heather is keeping fit just like she always has, by walking and working out with her personal trainer Liz (left) When the COVID-19 crisis is over, Heather intends to continue inspiring others to stay active and start walking to raise money for cancer research 'I'm very fit and well, and I'm hoping my fitness will help me [against coronavirus]. 'I've never had the flu, and I don't intend to start now.' When the COVID-19 crisis is over, Heather intends to continue inspiring others to stay active and start walking to raise money for cancer research. Donations for Heather's March Charge challenge can be made here, with funds going toward research and support services in New South Wales. T-Series owner Bhushan Kumar donates Rs 12 crores: When the nation is gripped in the fear of COVID-19, Bollywood's prominent personalities have joined hands to save lives. Today T-Series owner Bhushan Kumar through his tweet announced to donate Rs s 12 crores for the Prime Ministers Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM CARES) fund. T-Series owner Bhushan Kumar donates Rs 12 crores: Amid novel coronavirus outbreak, the whole nation has joined hands to fight against COVID-19. Ratan TATA, BCCI, Sachin Tendulkar, Prabhas, Suresh Raina, P.V. Sindhu, and many BJP leaders have donated big amount to save their country. Meanwhile, T-Series owner Bhushan Kumar has announced the donation of Rs 12 crores to the Prime Ministers Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM CARES) fund, while actor Randeep Hooda and entrepreneur cum philanthropist Jay Patel has come forward in the mission #Indiafightsagainstcoronavirus by contributing Rs 1 crore respectively. Bhushan in his recent tweet said, Our nation is in a critical stage, its important to help with what we have. He with his entire T-series family commits to donating Rs. 11 crore to the PM-cares fund, while Rs 1 crore for Maharashtra chief ministers relief fund. We will fight this battle together, hope we all get out through this difficult time soon. Stay home, stay safe. Jai Hind. Check the post: Today, we are all at a really crucial stage & its extremely important to do all we can to help. I, along with my entire @TSeries family pledge to donate Rs. 11 crores to the PM-CARES Fund. We can & will fight this together, Jai Hind @PMOIndia @narendramodi #IndiaFightsCorona https://t.co/mBBhuVgW1t Bhushan Kumar (@itsBhushanKumar) March 29, 2020 In this hour of need, I pledge to donate Rs. 1 crore to the CMs relief fund along with my family at @Tseries. Hope we all get through this difficult time soon. Stay home, stay safe. @CMOMaharashtra @OfficeofUT @AUThackeray #IndiaFightsCorona https://t.co/HbIuOKWL0C Bhushan Kumar (@itsBhushanKumar) March 29, 2020 Hooda said we salute to the front like workers who are fighting against coronavirus disease and serving the nation without fear doctors, nurses, police and daily needs suppliers. The world is facing a severe destructive situation which no one of us living today has ever experienced. Let us fight this together. Earlier on Saturday, Khiladi Kumar tweeted that he will donate Rs 25 crore as protecting the lives of people is the most crucial thing right now. We have to do anything and everything, to save lives. Jaan Hai Toh Jahaan Hai. Check the post: This is that time when all that matters is the lives of our people. And we need to do anything and everything it takes. I pledge to contribute Rs 25 crores from my savings to @narendramodi jis PM-CARES Fund. Lets save lives, Jaan hai toh jahaan hai. https://t.co/dKbxiLXFLS Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) March 28, 2020 For all the latest Entertainment News, download NewsX App Up to 10 percent of coronavirus patients leaving medical facilities in Wuhan after being tested negative for Covid-19 seem to have subsequently been re-infected, according to the South China Morning Post. This is not the first time that there have been reports of re-infection. Nevertheless, scientists say that it is unlikely that the virus is striking twice. Doctors in Wuhan are bemused. Healthcare workers in this central Chinese city where the coronavirus first emerged have observed several instances in which patients have left hospital with no remaining traces of the virus in their bodies and then tested positive for the coronavirus a second time. In all, up to 10 percent of coronavirus patients seem to have been re-infected, according to one hospital and several quarantine centres in Wuhan, where daily life is gradually returning to normal after several months of confinement. Tongji Hospital where the first cases of Covid-19 were detected announced that out of 147 patients who were sent back home within a week, five tested positive again; that is to say, 3 percent. This was the case for a higher proportion of patients in the quarantine centres, with this figure ranging from 5 to 10 percent. Defying the laws of virology? This is not the first time that the coronavirus has appeared to infect the same person twice. At the end of February, a 40-year-old woman tested positive ten days after leaving a healthcare centre in the Japanese city Osaka, after apparently having been cured. At the same time, a Chinese man from Jiangsu province who had officially recovered from the coronavirus was admitted to hospital three days later, having becoming infected again. These numerous potential cases of re-infection have left scientists perplexed. These instances would seem to suggest that Covid-19 operates differently from its predecessors, SARS and MERS-CoV. These two viruses never infected the same person twice. Any virus that did this would be defying the laws of virology. Needless to say, it would also pose a major health challenge. During a viral infection, the patients body develops antibodies that are very specific to the virus that infected them and after theyve recovered, these antibodies dont disappear, said Robin May, a professor of infectious disease and director of the Institute of Microbiology and Infection at Birmingham University. They go into hibernation, and are ready to wake up as soon as the same pathogen tries to contaminate the body again. This characteristic of the immune system is the same against all known viruses. Research on Covid-19 suggests that this immune mechanism is working. The data were getting from China show that infected patients develop many antibodies which are likely doing their job in protecting the body, added Olivier Terrier, a virologist at the French research institute CNRSs International Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Lyon. From a scientific point of view, added May, theres no sign at this stage that there might be re-infection. One of the remaining uncertainties is to do with the time during which antibodies are doing their job as a barrier against the disease. These cells generally do this job for a period from a few weeks to a few months and in the case of other coronaviruses, this immunity lasts for a long time, Terrier said. Questions about the reliability of tests In those reported cases of re-infections, the people concerned had been tested in the days after their discharge from hospital, which excludes the possibility that ineffective antibodies created the impression that they had contracted the coronavirus for a second time. So there must be another reason that explains this phenomenon of positive tests amongst patients who have recovered. These incidents have raised questions about whether nucleic acid tests might not be reliable in detecting traces of the virus in some of the recovered patients, the South China Morning Post observed. Its possible that the concentration of the virus in these peoples bodies was too low to be detected and that, for one reason or another, the disease has restarted, Terrier said. The fact that these people appear to have infected no one else reinforces the hypothesis that they still have a tiny bit of the virus left in their bodies, May added. The other potential explanation is that these coronavirus patients may have problems with their immune systems, so that they havent produced the appropriate antibodies, Terrier pointed out. This is one of the reasons why he argues that more research is needed on the immune response to the coronavirus. Were only starting to understand how it works, he said. This work would help refine the identification of at-risk groups, as well as potentially opening up new avenues in the search for effective treatments and vaccines. Enhanced understanding of the immune response could also help if the question of repeated infection returns through a mutation of the virus. If the pathogen changes in such a way that the body no longer recognises it, the virus can infect somebody twice, May said. The same thing happens with the flu: People dont get the same strain twice, but they can get it the following year after the virus has mutated slightly, he continued. Coronaviruses are known for their tendency to mutate although for now the one that originated in Wuhan to take the world by storm has not undergone any such modification. While it certainly seems scientifically unlikely, the notion of a single virus that infects the same person twice is instructive. It warns against blind confidence in screening tests and underlines the importance of monitoring patients who appear to be cured. Mr. Sim Chy, Chairman of the Khmer-Vietnam Association in Cambodia (Photo: VNA) According to Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Phnom Penh, Mr. Sim Chy, Chairman of the Khmer-Vietnam Association in Cambodia, as of March 26th, the Khmer-Vietnam branch in Takeo province reported that there was only one Vietnamese Cambodian person working in Poipet city, bordering Thailand, currently being isolated. Mr. Sim Chy said that he was in contact with the branch in Takeo province regularly in case of needing support and had confirmed that so far, there has not been any confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection related to Cambodian-Vietnamese people. The Khmer-Vietnamese Association in Cambodia also recommends that if any Vietnamese Cambodian people are infected or isolated, they should report to branches in the locality where they live, or the phone number +85588.999.5162 of the Office of the Khmer-Vietnam Association to receive support. According to Pham Thanh Thuy, Vice Chairwoman and Secretary General of the Khmer-Vietnam Association in Cambodia, the majority of Cambodian-Vietnamese people in Phnom Penh do small businesses. About 50% of them have closed their shops, limited travel and avoid crowds, and strictly complied with the anti-epidemic recommendations of the local authorities. However, she also said that in the coming time, they will face a lot of difficulties if the Cambodian Government declares an emergency situation and limits travel, because they only do small businesses every day, and can not afford to store a lot of food./. Arunachal Pradesh Governor Brig (Retd) B D Mishra on Sunday donated a months salary to the Chief Ministers Relief Fund in his bid to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The governor also appealed to people of the state to stay at home, practice social distancing and visit the nearest hospital if they have symptoms of the deadly disease. The Eastern Army Commander Lt Gen Anil Chauhan has also volunteered to provide all help to the people of Arunachal Pradesh in fighting COVID-19. The governor thanked Lt Gen Chauhan and expressed confidence that the spread of the deadly virus can be defeated by the joint efforts of all, a Raj Bhawan communiqu said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) On Sunday, six more persons were found positive for Covid-19 in Gautam Budh Nagar who had direct or indirect link with a security and fire safety solutions company in Sector 135 where 22 people were infected. After district officials informed the police that some of the company employees hid their foreign travel history, an FIR was registered against it for negligence. The total number of cases in the district is now 32. The infection is thought to have come about after a Briton visited the firm, Ceasefire Industries Pvt Ltd, in the third week of March for an audit and met its managing director. Ever since the first confirmed case that of the managing directors wife was brought to the notice of the authorities last Tuesday, they began an intensive contact tracing exercise. The newly identified patients are a 19-year-old woman employee of the company who stays in a rented apartment in Sector 27, a 34-year-old employee of the company and his brother and sister-in law, both 35-years-old, and a 31-year-old employee from Bismoli village in Dadri. The sixth person is a 42-year-old employee and a resident of Hazratpur Wajidpur village in Dadri. The initial report of the 34-year-old man had come negative but the health officials decided to test him again as his mother and wife were found positive. He was quarantined and tested again because we had our doubts. His current report has confirmed him positive, said a senior health department official. The new patients were isolated at the Government Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) and they were said to be stable. On Saturday, the district chief medical officer had ordered an FIR against the company the managing director had a travelled to the UK and the Briton had violated their quarantine period that allegedly led to the spread of the virus. Administration officials are going to seal the whole area where the newly identified patients live in Dadri and sector 27. The residential society in sector 137 was sanitised when the mans wife and mother were found positive for the virus. More reports are awaited from the same exercise, said Dr Anurag Bhargava, district chief medical officer (CMO). He wrote to the Expressway police station that appropriate legal action should be taken under the Uttar Pradesh Epidemic COVID-19 Act 2020. Following this, station house officer Yogesh Malik said they have registered a case under section 45 (Punishment of offences committed within India), 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 270 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the Indian Penal Code. Drivers can find a new vehicle quickly and easily with the Serra Hyundai website. Car shoppers looking for a different vehicle can enjoy an easy shopping experience when they visit the Serra Hyundai website at http://www.serrahyundai.com. The dealership offers many tools on its website so that drivers can find the right vehicle for their budget. Drivers can first find their ideal vehicle by browsing through the up-to-date inventory of new Hyundai vehicles available at Serra Hyundai. Some of the new vehicles available include the Elantra and Sonata sedans, along with the Venue, Kona, Tucson, Santa Fe and Palisade crossovers. Additional information pages focusing on each model are available on the website. After finding a vehicle, drivers can schedule a test drive on the website or visiting the dealership during open hours. To help determine if the chosen vehicle is in their budget, drivers can take advantage of the financing tools available on the Serra Hyundai website. These tools include an application for credit pre-approval and a payment estimator. A trade calculator is also available if the driver is interested in trading in their current vehicle. Drivers will also enjoy reading the blog available on the Serra Hyundai website. This blog shares specific information about the vehicles in the Hyundai lineup, such as fuel economy and driving range, color options, new features and maintenance tips. Car shoppers interested in learning more about the Hyundai brand and its vehicles are encouraged to visit the Serra Hyundai website or contact the dealership at 205-304-0929. Serra Hyundai is located at 1503 Gadsden Highway in Trussville. He had never owned a gun before, but last week, a Pendleton man decided it was time. John Battenfield went to the local farm and ranch supply store to make the purchase. After waiting a couple of days for his background check to clear, he returned and picked up the gun. He was one of thousands around the state that day to do so. In the one month since the coronavirus reached Oregon, waves of layoffs and social restrictions have given rise to panicked buying. Oregonians are stocking up in bulk on household and health care items like toilet paper, hand sanitizer and bottled water. But theyre also buying guns and ammunition in staggering numbers. The state police department has seen a sudden surge of requests to perform background checks required to purchase firearms. Gun store owners attribute the increase in sales to visits from regular customers, but say many people are also coming in to buy their first gun. One county law enforcement agency said similar spikes happen when people fear lawmakers might pass new gun restrictions. Battenfield worries about the economic and social fallouts from the coronavirus closures. I got one because I was concerned about how irrational people are being, he said. Oregon State Police conducted nearly 40,000 background checks on people purchasing guns between Feb. 29 and March 22, according to a database maintained by the agency. On March 20 alone, state police processed 3,189 checks through the Firearms Instant Check System. The agency typically handles between 22,000 and 28,000 background checks every month. According to state police data from 2018 and 2019, gun sales seem to go up around the end of the year the agency conducted more than 33,000 background checks in December of both years. Scott Wyke, owner of Hammer Down Firearms in Bend, said hes seen a huge increase in customers since tests confirmed the first Oregon case of coronavirus Feb. 28. Id say there are probably 150 people a day coming in, compared to usually 30, he said. As the virus spread nationwide, some cities and states have deemed the sales of firearms non-essential and have ordered gun stores to close. Gov. Kate Browns sweeping stay-home restrictions do not include firearms stores on the list of businesses that must close. The shutdowns are meant to slow the spread of COVID-19 and prevent the disease from overwhelming the states health care system. But the closures also spurred a sudden economic recession as shuttered businesses laid off thousands of workers. Wyke said the fears have led many people to his store. Most are nervous and scared theyve thought about it before and now they can justify it," he said. "They can protect themselves if the world falls apart. Gerardo Ovalle, who lives in Portland, said he recently decided to buy ammunition because he worried how people might respond if there are major supply shortages. He said it took hours to find a store with 9-millimeter ammunition. The way people have been acting the last couple weeks with fights over toilet paper and people breaking into cars for toilet paper makes me question what people will do when they lose their jobs and run out of money, he said in an email to The Oregonian/OregonLive. I fear what people will do with a home full of toilet paper and no food. Still, many buyers said they dont foresee needing to use their guns any time soon. As far as some giant scenario, I dont really have one, Battenfield said. I just think the possibility of some desperate person breaking into my house is higher now than it was, maybe ever. Tritac Shooting Solutions, a Salem shooting range that also offers classes, added more sessions after gun sales began to spike. Its been difficult to schedule classes to comply with the governors social distancing order to limit crowds and ensure people can remain a safe distance apart, said general manager Joseph Woodworth. But he said people are still signing up to learn the skills offered in the two courses, Defending the Home and Basic Handgun - Level 1. Woodworth said hes happy to see the uptick in gun sales accompanied by an increase in people seeking out lessons. Our primary goal is safety, Woodworth said. Concealed handgun permits halted, but gun sales go on At almost the exact time gun sales began to climb in Oregon, most sheriffs departments around the state put a freeze on processing new concealed handgun license applications. New handgun licenses require applicants to give their fingerprint, which cant be done in compliance with the governors social distancing guidelines, said Washington County Sgt. Danny DiPietro. The county, which has been hit hardest in the state by the coronavirus, has closed off its sheriffs office to most public interactions. Many other county sheriffs departments have done the same. Most counties are still renewing concealed handgun licenses, which can be done by mail or online. The freeze doesnt prevent new gun owners from having guns in their home. As long as a person passes the background check through the Oregon State Police, and faces no other special restrictions such as a valid restraining order, they can have a gun inside their house. Additionally, Oregon is an open carry state, meaning a person can carry a gun as long as it is not hidden. Many cities have ordinances against open carry, DiPietro said. Washington County deputies dont plan to change their normal routines in response to gun sales going up. Weve seen this trend in the past when anything comes up, like new laws or restrictions," DiPietro said. However, the sheriffs department and other law enforcement agencies have made changes in the time of social distancing. Portland police, for instance, have said they will not respond in person to incidents if no ones life is in danger. Officers will still respond to calls of crimes like domestic violence, sexual assault, armed robberies and violence with weapons, as well as many car crashes. Such approaches may have also spurred at least some people to buy guns. Matthew Bell, a Beaverton resident, said he already owned a gun, but recently went to BiMart and bought 500 rounds of ammunition for a 9-millimeter gun. He said he believes the reason many people are buying guns is because they dont trust those in charge. For him, he said, having a gun is about having something to rely on. Its about home defense in my case, Bell said. Wyke, the Bend gun store owner, said hes not worried about customers being irresponsible with their purchases, even though several of them are new to using guns. He said his staff helps train new gun owners. But he said he wishes people hadnt waited until now to buy guns. I feel its kind of ridiculous, he said. I wish people would have taken care of themselves before all this, if they were concerned. Spokespeople for the Portland police and the Washington County Sheriffs Office encouraged people who do purchase firearms to buy them safely and legally. But DiPietro noted that if people are concerned that they need to make up for a lag in police response, they shouldnt be. Anything thats a domestic dispute, someone was assaulted and the suspects still there, if anyones injured, were not going to take that by phone, he said. People basically taking the law into their own hands thats not what were doing." Jayati Ramakrishnan; 503-221-4320; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com; @JRamakrishnanOR Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Chhattisgarh police registered a case against a Congress corporator in Bilaspur district on Saturday for allegedly asking his tenant, a nurse to vacate the house fearing she could be a carrier of coronavirus. However, the landlord has denied the allegations against him and claimed that the nurse voluntarily vacated the house and was framing him. We have registered an FIR against one Sitaram Jaiswal with the Civil Lines Police station on Saturday evening, based on the complaint of the doctor who is the owner of a private hospital where the nurse works, said Inspector General of Ppolice , Bilaspur range , Dipanshu Kabra talking to HT. Follow coronavirus live updates here. The IGP said that according to the complainant the landlord asked the nurse to vacate his house fearing that she could transmit coronavirus. Jaiswal was booked under sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint) of the IPC and the provision of the Epidemic Disease Act 1897, Kabra said. But Jaiswal refuted the charges. He told reporters that the nurse had returned from her village on Thursday and told him that she wanted to quit her job and vacate the house. Also read:Covid-19: How it will change companies I did not force her to vacate the house, she is falsely implicating me, said Jaiswal. Police have started investigation but no arrest was made till Saturday night. There have been reports of harassment against medical staff involved in Covid-19 care in other parts of the country also. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned people against misbehaving with doctors and nurses who are caring for Covid-19 patients. In a television address to his constituency of Varanasi he said he had told the Union home ministry and police chief of all states to take strict action against those who are not supporting or are not cooperating with doctors, nurses and other professionals who are serving us in this critical time. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A baby girl has been born on the same day as both her mother and grandmother - defying odds of 50-million-to-one. Harper Taylor, from Birmingham, West Midlands, was born on February 8 this year, joining her mother Evie Berry, 26, and grandmother Jacqui Berry, 59, who both share the same birthday. Evie was due to give birth in January but ended up being induced on February 4, with her baby daughter holing on to arrive on the special day. Evie, a telephone salesperson, revealed: 'I still can't get my head around it. It wasn't how I'd planned to spend my birthday - but we have so many wonderful birthdays to look forward to together now!' Evie Berry, 26, from Birmingham, and her mother Jacqui Berry, 55, were astonished when she gave birth to her daughter Harper Taylor on February 8 this year - meaning all three generations share the same birthday Jacqui, a business owner, was celebrating her 29th birthday when she went into labour with her daughter Evie, now 26. It meant she had to forgo her own birthday celebrations for a few years so her little girl could take the limelight on their special day. But she insists it was 'completely worth it' to see the joy on her face. William Hill claims the chances of three members of the same family having the same birthday are 50million-to-one. A spokesperson said: 'This is astonishing. We would put the odds in the region of 50 million to one for three generations of the same family sharing a birthday.' Grandmother Jacqui and her partner Andy Brownhill, 55, moved away from Birmingham to Dumfries, Scotland, 10 years ago, but it became a birthday tradition for Evie to travel up north for the occasion in order to spend it as a family. A couple of their 'big birthdays' have even fallen in the same year, with the pair turning 50 and 21 in 2015. 'Andy took us both out for a surprise birthday meal to a fancy restaurant to celebrate that year,' Evie said. 'We both got dressed up and had an amazing steak and a few glasses of wine. 'We've never had a big party or anything, mainly because we want to spend the time together as we live further apart now.' The mother and daughter duo have always been close, having shared a love of horse riding since Evie was young. Harper was born on February 8 this year - joining her mother and grandmother (pictured together) who both share the same birthday Despite the geographical distance between Dumfries and Birmingham, they speak every day and think one reason they're so close is because of their joint birthday. 'We FaceTime a lot so mum can see the girls,' said Evie, who has a daughter Georgia, two. 'Georgia loves to show off on camera to her nanny - it's a great way for her to watch them grow up despite being 250 miles away.' Evie's first daughter Georgia, two, was born on September 7 2017, and was excited in summer 2019 to hear that her mother was going to be having another baby. When Evie and her partner Josh Taylor, 29, announced to the rest of the family they were expecting, nobody did the maths to work out when Evie's due date would be. Mother Evie Berry (pictured on her 21st birthday with her mother who was turning 50), 26, was induced four days earlier on February 4, but incredibly her baby girl held on to arrive on the special day In fact, it was meant to be January 9 - nearly a whole month before her baby ended up arriving. But the due date came and went, and only then did the family start to think about the possibility of the baby arriving on Jacqui and Evie's birthday. 'To begin with, I was so over being pregnant,' Evie said. 'I was so big - my body had had enough, and I just wanted her to arrive and for it to be over. 'But as I waited to be induced, I was happy at the thought we could be sharing the same birthday, and that it wouldn't be such a bad thing if she held on a little longer.' They plan to have a big party next year to celebrate the first birthday they will share together. Harper Taylor with mother Evie, father Josh and sister Georgia Doctors decided to induce Evie on February 4, which looked to scupper any hopes that her baby would arrive on her birthday. By this time, Jacqui had raced down from Scotland to support her daughter on the arrival of her second child and take care of Georgia. The close-knit family just wanted the baby to be healthy but that didn't stop them from placing bets on when the newest arrival would appear. 'I'm not normally a betting man,' Andy, Evie's step-dad said. 'But I wish I'd gone down to the bookies and placed a bet on this one!' Diane Tomlinson, grandmother of Evie at home in Birmingham, pictured left, and Harper with mother Evie, pictured right When Evie woke up on her birthday in Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, she was told by medics that 'enough was enough' and it was about time to artificially break her waters to move the pregnancy along. Evie was delighted when her second little girl Harper arrived at 6.48pm weighing 7lbs 8ozs. The little one remained in hospital for 10 days under observation, but is now home with her family and bringing a smile to all those who meet her. Evie said: Now I can relate to how my mum must have felt having me. I don't think anyone would choose to be in labour on their birthday - but I wouldn't change it for the world.' Evie revealed she and her family are already planning a big party together next year to celebrate their birthdays They plan to have a big party next year to celebrate the first birthday they will share together. 'Next year will be a big celebration,' Evie said. 'Harper's 1st birthday, and our first chance to celebrate all together, the three of us.' Evie is excited to share the same bond with her little girl as she shared with her mother, but won't forget to mention what it meant for Harper to be born on her mother's birthday. 'When she's old enough to understand, I'll always be reminding her of the hell of a lot of pain I went through to bring her into the world on my birthday,' Evie joked. Meanwhile Jacqui said: 'Evie's getting a taste of her own medicine now!' Saudi military chiefs have displayed ballistic missiles intercepted over the capital of Riyadh. Yemen's Huthi group launches the weapons at the capital city which is in lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. Colonel Turki al-Malki yesterday revealed missile debris that the authorities had recovered. Colonel Turki al-Malki (pictured, on the left) revealed missile debris that the authorities had recovered at a press conference yesterday Saudi-led coalition spokesman, Colonel Turki al-Malki, displays the debris of a ballistic missile which he says was launched by Yemen's Houthi group The debris of ballistic missiles which Saudi-led coalition spokesman, Colonel Turki al-Malki, says were launched by Yemen's Houthi group Saudi air defences intercepted Yemeni rebel missiles over Riyadh and a city on the Yemen border, leaving two civilians wounded in the curfew-locked capital amid efforts to combat coronavirus, state media said on Sunday. Multiple explosions shook Riyadh late Saturday in the first major assault on Saudi Arabia since the Huthi rebels offered last September to halt attacks on the kingdom after devastating twin strikes on Saudi oil installations. The Iran-aligned insurgents claimed responsibility around 15 hours after the attacks, with a rebel spokesman calling it 'the largest operation of its kind' as the Riyadh-led military intervention in Yemen enters its sixth year. 'Two ballistic missiles were launched towards the cities of Riyadh and Jizan,' the official Saudi Press Agency reported, citing the Saudi-led coalition that is fighting the rebels in Yemen. Their interception sent shrapnel raining on residential neighbourhoods in the cities, leaving two civilians injured in Riyadh, a civil defence spokesman said in a separate statement released by SPA. At least three blasts rocked the capital, which is under a 15-hour-per-day coronavirus curfew, just before midnight, said AFP reporters. Jizan, like many other Saudi cities, faces a shorter dusk-to-dawn curfew. The Huthi spokesman said the rebels struck 'sensitive targets' in Riyadh with long-range Zolfaghar missiles and Sammad-3 drones. The rebels also claimed to have hit 'economic and military targets' in the border regions of Jizan, Najran and Assir. Saudi Arabia, the Yemeni government and rebels all welcomed an appeal from UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres for an 'immediate global ceasefire' to protect civilians from the coronavirus pandemic Riyadh, like the rest of the country, is currently under a 15-hour curfew, a measure designed to slow the advance of the coronavirus The assault comes despite a show of support on Thursday by all of Yemen's warring parties for a United Nations call for a ceasefire to protect civilians from the coronavirus pandemic. Saudi Arabia, the Yemeni government and the Huthi rebels all welcomed an appeal from UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres for an 'immediate global ceasefire' to help avert disaster for vulnerable people in conflict zones. The call coincided with the fifth anniversary of Saudi Arabia's military intervention in Yemen's civil war, which was launched to shore up the internationally recognised government against the Huthis. Yemen's government condemned the attack, which it said undermined efforts to scale down the conflict amid the coronavirus outbreak. Information Minister Moammer al-Eryani said in a tweet that the strikes also confirmed the 'continued flow of Iranian weapons' to the Huthi militias. 'This militia lives only on wars and doesn't understand peace language,' he said. Yemen's broken healthcare system has so far recorded no case of the COVID-19 illness, but aid groups have warned that when it does hit, the impact will be catastrophic. The country is already gripped by what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Smoke billows up following an air strike by the Saudi-led coalition in the Yemeni capital Sanaa targeting ballistic missile and drone depots on February 23, 2020 Saudi Arabia is also scrambling to limit the spread of the disease at home. The kingdom's health ministry has reported 1,203 coronavirus infections and four deaths from the illness so far. Fighting has recently escalated again between the Huthis and Riyadh-backed Yemeni troops around the strategic northern districts of Al-Jouf and Marib, ending a months-long lull. 'I am gravely dismayed and disappointed by these actions at a time when the Yemeni public's demands for peace are unanimous and louder than ever before,' UN special envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths said on Sunday. 'Yemen needs its leaders to focus every minute of their time on averting and mitigating the potentially disastrous consequences of a COVID-19 outbreak.' The warring sides had earlier shown an interest in de-escalation, with a Saudi official saying in November that Riyadh had an 'open channel' with the rebels with the goal of ending the war. The Huthis also offered to halt all missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia after strikes on oil installations last September, which were claimed by the rebels but widely blamed on Iran, despite its denials. But those efforts seem to have unravelled. Observers say the rebels may have used the lull to bolster their military capabilities. Riyadh had expected a quick victory when it led a multi-billion dollar intervention in 2015 to oust the Huthi rebels, under a newly assertive foreign policy led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. But the costly intervention has failed to uproot the rebels from their northern strongholds, while pushing the Arab world's poorest nation into a humanitarian crisis. Every day, at the White House briefing about the coronavirus, Donald Trump gets the undivided attention of the media, a national television audience bloated by crisis and as many minutes as he wants to play a wartime president, as he grandiosely calls himself. Never mind that he flubs his lines and turns tragedy into farce. Hes the star. His billing communicates that hes in command. And every day, Joe Biden watches from the far reaches of the upper balcony as he waits and waits to be declared the de facto Democratic presidential nominee and assume leadership of his party. The coronavirus has postponed state primaries, prolonged the contest, yanked him out of the news and left him in political limbo, where he wonders if Bernie Sanders will ever acknowledge defeat and shivers in the shadow of another Democrat, Andrew Cuomo, who didnt even run for president. There was never any doubt that this pandemic would scramble November 2020, but how much and how? At first, all the great oracles augured Trumps long-delayed reckoning and his certain demise, given his hemming, his hawing, his lying and his economy, which was suddenly in tatters. This was it. Hed finally met his undoing. It couldnt have happened to a more cavalier guy. But over the past two weeks, that prophecy has changed or at least turned cloudier. In recent polls, his approval rating ticked upward. His disapproval rating inched downward. Theres talk of a Trump bump, an appallingly cute phrase for an unthinkably dire development. Now more than ever, its hard to fathom four more years of this president. Edward Howard was a member of the Los Angeles Community Action Network, the Skid Row Community Improvement Coalition, the Skid Row Community Coalition and Black Lives Matter. He also worked his own street outreach ministry. All the positions were unpaid. (Christopher Freedman) Edward Howard was the student body president at his junior college in Detroit and a civil rights leader who revered the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and brought radical feminist activist and academic Angela Davis to campus. In the 1980s, Howard came to Los Angeles, like so many others, for job opportunities and ended up managing a perfume and cosmetics counter at a Macys department store, and later was a caregiver for developmentally disabled people, before falling into drug addiction and landing on skid row, his brother Lee Howard said. With his recovery at the Los Angeles Mission, Howard emerged once again as a community leader, this time pressing years-long fights with the city over providing homeless people on skid row with jobs, self-determination, bathrooms and hygiene resources. Howard, who lived in a skid row residential hotel, died March 24 after battling congestive heart disease. He was 63. The COVID-19 pandemic had lent new urgency to the community leader who brought movies and bathrooms to skid row. For Howard, bathrooms were always a civil rights issue and a matter of treating people with respect and dignity, friend Charles Porter said. He always said the community has the answers; what we lack are the resources, Porter said, adding that his favorite expression was This is egregious and reprehensible and his favorite King quote, An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity. Howard was known as Eddie H., reflecting his rejection of the legacy of trauma and oppression tied to names that owners bestowed on African American slaves, friends said. He took great pride in his blackness and his African names; Yao (an Akan name from Ghana given to males born on a Thursday) and Akinyemi (a Yoruba name from Nigeria, which means "the courageous one), said Porter, who works with United Coalition East, a skid row community drug prevention project of Social Model Recovery Systems Inc. Story continues Howard was a member of the Los Angeles Community Action Network, the Skid Row Community Improvement Coalition, the Skid Row Community Coalition and Black Lives Matter. He also worked his own street outreach ministry. All the positions were unpaid. He was a giver, even growing up, his brother said. While he avoided taking credit for his work, he was honored by the performance company Los Angeles Poverty Department as a skid row visionary at their Walk the Talk parade and festival. He also helped bring a work source office to skid row to train community residents for jobs. In 2016, Howard advocated for outdoor films at Gladys and San Julian pocket parks on skid row. While some were apprehensive of the gatherings and feared they could incite violence, the movie nights proved to be highly successful, officials said. He was key in getting people excited and making sure little things were provided like the popcorn, said Alisa Orduna, Mayor Eric Garcettis former director of homeless policy, who now works in a similar capacity in Santa Monica. Howard was also active in protesting police sweeps and petty arrests in homeless encampments and in the skid row campaign to break away from the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council. The drive failed in 2017, ending in acrimony and litigation. It was in the arena of skid row's neverending battle over bathrooms for its homeless population that he made a lasting mark. He and other members of the Skid Row Community Improvement Coalition worked with the mayors office. And in December 2017, the ReFresh Spot, a 24-hour, community-run laundry, bathroom and shower center, opened in trailers in skid row. Howard is survived by his son Darrius, daughter Dejah, sisters Mary and Lois, and brothers Lee and Darryl. Rules, so many new rules. They govern our behaviour through every waking moment. Washing our hands: there is a right and a wrong way. Then there is touching not our faces, preferably not cash, nothing outside the home, really. Keep away from each other. The rules are tightening on where we can go, what we do, who we should do it with, whether we can work or not and, if we can, where we can do that work. Police started shutting St Kilda beach down from 6pm on Friday. Credit:Justin McManus None of us has ever before had to observe such a panoply of community-wide directives about our individual behaviour. And the stakes could not be higher. The ultimate price of non-observance, were told, is that we could kill ourselves or others, or both. And yet, outside our immediate personal environment, rules that governed our lives, shaped our society and our economy, and determined our prosperity are being smashed. Simply in order to help as many Australians as possible to survive the COVID-19 pandemic, governments have been forced to obliterate the economic and fiscal orthodoxy thats been painstakingly established since the early 1980s recession. Decades of economic transformation have been wiped out in less than a month. The Prime Minister and the national cabinet offer the notion that for, say, the next six months businesses will go into hibernation and re-emerge when the worst is over. Its an appealing idea, suggesting that things will almost be back to normal soon enough. It gives the sense that our federal and state leaders are imposing order on chaos. A new problem attributed to the coronavirus pandemic is slowly brewing out in the oil patch. Pipeline operators with full storage tanks are asking some Texas oil companies to stop production as the ongoing price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia has exacerbated a global supply while the pandemic has dramatically cut global demand. In a Saturday morning tweet, Texas Railroad Commissioner Ryan Sitton, one of three officials elected to oversee the state agency that regulates the oil and gas industry, reported that some oil companies are getting letters from shippers asking for production cuts because they are out of storage. "You're facing a situation where there's so much demand destruction from people staying home because of COVID-19 and there's so much oil flowing right now with no place to go," Sitton told the Houston Chronicle. "The supply chain is facing a problem and it backs up all the way to the gas stations." Oil War: U.S. shale industry braces for pain as budget cuts run deeper The storage problem, Sitton said, appears to be most impacting pipeline companies with contracts to buy crude oil directly from producers in the field. Those pipeline companies, he said, move that purchased oil to storage tanks for future sale. But with falling gasoline demand due to pandemic-related shutdowns and the price war resulting in unattractive, 18-year low crude prices of $21 per barrel, that oil is just sitting in storage tanks that are getting more full each day. "Right now, as a globe, we have a common enemy and it's COVID-19," Sitton said. "We've got to do things that we've never done before because we're facing a problem that we've never faced before." Fuel Fix: Get daily energy news headlines in your inbox Port of Corpus Christi CEO Sean Strawbridge said the South Texas waterway is using a federal critical infrastructure designation to continue construction work on storage tanks that can hold between 12 million to 15 million barrels, among other projects. Following social distancing and other safety precautions, storage tank and pipeline operators such as Buckeye Partners, Moda Midstream, Epic Midstream and Flint Hills Resources will have their expanded facilities ready over the next two or three months, Strawbridge said. Oil Bust: Energy companies slash billions from their budgets Ed Longanecker, president of the Texas Independent Producers & Royalty Owners Association, said some of the letters being received by oil companies state that shippers are terminating or reducing oil purchase contracts due to a backup in inventory due a drop in demand and refinery slowdowns. "TIPRO requests that President Donald Trump escalate U.S. diplomatic efforts with Saudi Arabia and Russia in response to their deliberate decision to flood world markets with oil, while considering other options to protect domestic energy producers," Longanecker said. Read the latest oil and gas news from HoustonChronicle.com https://www.aish.com/ci/s/Jewish-Teen-Running-Worlds-Most-Popular-Coronavirus-Website.html An Aish.com interview with 17-year-old whiz kid Avi Schiffman, the brains behind a popular website tracking Covid-19. When the Covid-19 was first starting to make headlines in 2019, Avi Schiffmann, a high school junior from Seattle, wanted to learn all he could about the new disease. It was very hard to find information I had to go to all these local Chinese government websites, Avi explained in an Aish.com exclusive interview. So I decided to start my own website to track the virus." The site he started ncov2019.live is now the worlds most popular website for real-time updates about the disease. Avi lives with his parents, younger brother and younger sister in a heavily Jewish neighborhood in the Seattle area. His family is traditional in Jewish observance and celebrate Shabbat dinner together. When he was little they lived in Israel for a year where the family has lots of relatives. I can read Hebrew, but I dont always understand what Im reading, Avi quips. The family moved to Washington State when Avi was eleven. By then, he was already fascinated by coding and had been creating his own websites and video games for several years. Ive been programming for about a decade, which is kind of crazy because Im only seventeen, Avi observes. Everything he learned about coding is self-taught. He used online articles and videos to teach himself how to create programs and run websites. He experimented with several different websites before Covid-19 emerged in 2019, and he applied the lessons hed learned in website design to create a new site where information about the number of Covid-19 cases and their locations could be tracked in real time. Avis father is a medical writer and his mother is a physician; their expertise has come in handy when it comes to understanding the science and medicine behind Covid-19. To make his website easily usable, Avi turned to a brilliant idea that enables him update information in real time. I use something called web scraping, Avi explains. His website constantly monitors local and national public health bodies in jurisdictions around the world, waiting for them to release updated information. The numbers of sites he has to monitor is vast. China alone has local health authorities for every province. Each time new data is made public, no matter where in the world, ncov2019.live updates itself to reflect these new numbers. The result is an easy to use way to see the numbers of Covid-19 cases around the world at a glance. Launched in January, its already received 250 million visits. Every 24 hours there are another 25 million visitors. For Avi, having up to the minute information is a key goal. In this day and age it shouldnt be hard to find the information you want. It should be a basic human right. With so many people around the world living under lockdown and having anxiety over Covid-19, ncov2019.live has become phenomenally popular globally. Launched in January, its already received 250 million visits. Every 24 hours there are another 25 million visitors, Avi notes. People have logged onto his website from every single country in the world, even Greenland. Its crazy, Avi says. About half the users come from the United States and the rest from elsewhere. Israelis have viewed his site ten million times to date. The site contains no advertisements, even though accepting them could potentially earn Avi huge sums in profit. I didnt want to clutter it with stuff, he says of his website. He also feels that including ads would make the website seem sell out-ey as if he was doing it only for money. It would ruin the user experience; people dont like advertisements. Thousands of people email Avi from around the world each day, and he does his best to read and reply to every single message. Some users have explained how much the website meant to them. One American businessman was trapped in lockdown in Beijing and wrote to Avi to say that ncov2019.live was his only independent source of information about the virus and how grateful he was to be able to read something that wasnt controlled by the Chinese government. Some users complained that an earlier version of the website was overly negative because it only listed the number of Covid-19 cases and fatalities from the disease, and said nothing about the very large numbers of people who have recovered. After getting that feedback, Avi started including recovery rates as well. It makes the website more hopeful, he feels. Im just a random kid who learned everything by myself." Avis high school stopped classes a couple of weeks ago, and since then hes been spending virtually all his time on running it and making it better. Ive had so many cool opportunities, learning how to run a high traffic website, he observes. Theres also been a lot of pressure: he doesnt want his website to experience glitches even for a moment. Even if its nighttime and Im sleeping, its daytime in Africa, and I have thousands of people trying to visit the site." God willing, the Covid-19 pandemic wont last forever. Afterwards, Avi hopes to take a gap year to enter coding competitions, then go to college, possibly to study business and computer science. Even though hes running one of the worlds most popular websites, and is also taking classes in his local community college, Avi characterizes himself as a terrible student in high school. Its mostly because I spend 100% of my time on other interesting things, he explains with a laugh. For now, the entire world is benefiting from Avis passion for programming and the website he runs. He hopes that his experience inspires other people to push themselves to reach their potential, too. I didnt go to some college class to learn how to make this website,'' he explains. Im just a random kid who learned everything by myself. That could be really inspiring to other people around the world who are also dreaming of following their passions and making their mark on the world." In line with global protocols, Hon. Bawa, MP who doubles as NDC parliamentary candidate for Ejura-Sekyedunase wish to draw the attention of the good people of Ghana especially the people of His constituency on the need for us to observe internationally accepted best practices, that can help combat the Coronavirus pandemic. As if that was not enough, in a short ceremony this morning, Hon MP donated items to the Municipal Health directorate and some identifiable organizations in aid of the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. The items include; 1000 pieces of hand sanitizers, 50 pieces of Veronica buckets, 50 pieces of buckets, 50 pieces of washing Basins, 100 liters of liquid soaps, 3 boxes of Nose mask and groves. Nana Ejurahene, Barima Osei Hwedie ll who was present during the ceremony acknowledged receipt of the items and showed gratitude to the Member Of Parliament on behalf of the people of Ejura. Other dignitaries like Sarki Zongo, Nananom of Ejura traditional council, municipal health Director, Doctors and staff of the Hospital, etc. Dr. Mensah, The Municipal Health superintendent who took delivery of the items also thank Hon MP and encourage well-doing citizens to emulate MP. Other beneficiary departments/Organizations were the Ejura Prison camp, Ejura police station, Yam sellers Association, Abota Market, Taxi Rang, Ejura- Kumasi Lorry Station. Geneva/Taipei/IBNS: The World Health Organization (WHO), which is under fire for its alleged efforts to protect China over the transmission of coronavirus, has been slammed again for its bias against Taiwan, which is officially known as the Republic of China (ROC) and has been governed independently despite the Chinese claim of the island nation as its province. The world is witnessing a massive COVID 19 outbreak and in such a scenario several experts have questioned the role played by World Health Organization (WHO) in dealing with the disease and its alleged move of siding with China, the nation from which the virus supposedly spread across the globe since its inception late last year in Wuhan city. A recent reaction given by a WHO official during an interview over not recognizing Taiwan as a member even as the nation is putting up a strong fight against the virus also earned criticisms from experts who could smell a Chinese interference in the global health body. Taiwan had last week questioned the role WHO is playing as it accused the international health body of ignoring its questions at the start of the coronavirus outbreak that has hit lives in nearly all the nations across the globe now. Taiwan is prevented from becoming a WHO member allegedly under pressure from China as Beijing views it as a province rather than a state. However, Taiwan was one of the nations which responded fast to the COVID 19 outbreak in China and have so far reported limited deaths from the disease in comparison to the Chinese mainland. Taiwan slams WHO forcing a response Last week, Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu tweeted a complaint to the WHO after an interview of WHO Assistant Director-General Bruce Aylward with a Hong Kong reporter in which he reportedly rejected to answer questions on whether Taiwan should be a member of the international health body. Wow, cant even utter Taiwan in the WHO? You should set politics aside in dealing with a pandemic. FYI @WHO, 450+ news reports from 40+ countries so far positively covered #Taiwans handling of #COVID19. These reports do not mistake us as part of China & #TaiwanCanHelp. JW https://t.co/KbupbUb7NG aae Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ROC (Taiwan) YY (@MOFA_Taiwan) March 29, 2020 Sharing a video of the interview, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs tweeted: "Wow, cant even utter 'Taiwan' in the WHO? You should set politics aside in dealing with a pandemic. FYI @WHO , 450+ news reports from 40+ countries so far positively covered #Taiwans handling of #COVID19. These reports do not mistake us as part of China & #TaiwanCanHelp. JW." Meanwhile, WHO on Sunday said it is following the development of the coronavirus in Taiwan and they are trying to learn lessons from the manner in which the nation is combating the disease. "WHOs focus at all times is to ensure that all areas of the globe have the information they need to manage the health of their people. In a recent interview, the WHO official who headed the joint international mission to China, did not answer a question on Taiwans response to the COVID-19 outbreak," the WHO said in a statement. "The question of Taiwanese membership in WHO is up to WHO Member States, not WHO staff. However, WHO is working closely with all health authorities who are facing the current coronavirus pandemic, including Taiwanese health experts," it said. "The Taiwanese caseload is low relative to population. We continue to follow developments closely. WHO is taking lessons learned from all areas, including Taiwanese health authorities, to share best practices globally," WHO said. With respect to the COVID-19 outbreak, the WHO said it Secretariat is working with Taiwanese health experts and authorities, following established procedures, to facilitate a fast and effective response and ensure connection and information flow. WHO responds not before crticisms: According to an article by Council on Foreign Relations, the WHOs weak response to Chinas mishandling of the COVID-19 outbreak has laundered Chinas image at the expense of the WHOs credibility. "The time is ripe for clear leadership from the WHO based on science not politics," the piece said pointing finger at WHO Director-General (DG) Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus who it said "has been an outspoken advocate for the Chinese governments COVID-19 response". Critics had earlier attacked Aylward and WHO for what they suggested was the global body's kowtowing to China. Author Gordon Chang demanded WHO Assistant Director-General Bruce Aylward's resignation and tweeted: "Resign, Bruce Aylward, resign. #China #Taiwan #coronavirus #WorldHealthOrganization." Journalist Ezra Cheung said: "It is an embarrassing scene. @WHO Director General, Bruce Aylward, hangs up in an interview with RTHK when he is asked about reconsidering Taiwans membership. Ironically, despite being so close to China, Taiwan manages to keep the #coronavirus infection and fatality rate low." It is an embarrassing scene. @WHO Director General, Bruce Aylward, hangs up in an interview with RTHK when he is asked about reconsidering Taiwans membership. Ironically, despite being so close to China, Taiwan manages to keep the #coronavirus infection and fatality rate low. pic.twitter.com/bFWRXpCyHN Ezra Cheung (@ezracheungtoto) March 28, 2020 Axios reporter Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian tweeted: "This is really stunning. Beijings power over the speech of a Canadian WHO official." Grabien media company founder/editor Tom Elliott criticised WHO and China and said: " When exactly did the WHO become a front for Chinese propaganda?" This is an artificial living which takes the blood out of his body through thick tubes, oxygenates it outside and pumps it back into the body. by Victor Cherubim Inside the epicentre of the deadly Coronavirus hospital Back in 8 December 2019 the first confirmed case diagnosed as Coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic was noticed at the Public Hospital in Jinyintan,Wuhan, a sub district of Jianghan in Hubei Province in China. A man aged 55 was admitted to this hospital complaining of difficulty in breathing having high temperature and not responding to medication. The doctors treating him did notice that he was not responding to the normal treatment as was put in Intensive Care,while further tests were being done. Stages of illness The reports emanating from Jinyintan ICU Hospital Consultants now give us a picture of the stages of his severe condition. Based on the data from Jinyintan Hospital, they reveal that a particular strain of virus similar to SARS was detected in the pathogen tests. At first his prognosis was pneumonia, which caused the inflammation of his lungs. Due to his immune system overreacting to the virus,the chemical signals which caused the inflammation of his lungs also caused collateral damage throughout his body. How it was doing this,they were at first unable to know. But it now appears,they were able to trace that the virus had travelled through his mouth,down the windpipe through the tiny tubes in both his lungs and eventually ended up in the tiny air sacks. They came to know that this virus had triggered an imbalance in the immune response causing too much inflammation. This was where oxygen moved into the bloodstream and carbon dioxide moved out. In this condition the tiny sacs started to fill in with fluid (water) and eventually caused him shortness of breath and difficult breathing. He was then put on a tubular ventilator by the ICU Consultant to help him with assisted breathing. The ICU Consultants at Jinyintan Hospital now state that this stage affects some 14 % of patients and around 6% of cases generally become critically ill. Inside an ICU In the case of the first Corona virus (COVID-19) patient they treated at Jinyintan in December 2019, his body was starting to fail and there was a real chance of imminent death. They knew at this point that his immune system was now spiralling out of control and was causing damage throughout his body. It then lead to septic shock as his blood pressure dropped to dangerously low levels and his organs stopped working properly. To avoid acute respiratory distress syndrome caused by widespread inflammation in both his lungs and to stop the body getting enough oxygen it needed to survive,the Consultants at this stage put him on a highly invasive procedure called ECMO or extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation. This is an artificial living which takes the blood out of his body through thick tubes, oxygenates it outside and pumps it back into the body. This procedure did at first manage to clean his infected lungs, The ICU and ECMO Consultants at this stage after some time noticed that this did not stop the kidneys from cleaning the blood and the damage to the lining of the patient's intestines had caused multi-organ failure. At this stage they had to take an ethical decision as to whether to keep him ventilated in the ICU to keep his keep his organs in the body alive or to treat him as clinically dead and switch off his life support. This is a life or death clinical decision which was difficult to make. To avoid more pain and suffering to the patient he was under continuous sedation. At this point the patient's next of kin were informed of his fatal condition and asked to give their consent to turn off the ventilator, thus giving him hours and minutes to be able to breathe without life support. He was pronounced dead as all his organs had collapsed and his body was taken to the mortuary in the hospital. Report on first death of patient of Coronavirus at Jinyintan Hospital, Wuhan was in late December 2019 while the first patient to recover from the new deadly virus was 23 year old man, Mr.Huang, a worker in a train station in early January 2020. The 2011 movie Contagion tells the story of a viral disease that infects millions of people around the world. In the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, Contagion has peaked in popularity. Many viewers are noting things in common between the COVID-19 pandemic and the fictional one in Contagion. But a scientific adviser who served as an expert on Contagion was not at all surprised by the recent coronavirus outbreak. She also laments that people didnt take the film seriously when it was released in 2011. The seventh day of the Lunar New Year celebration on January 31, 2020, in Hanoi, Vietnam| Linh Pham/Getty Images Contagion scientific adviser talks about similarities to the coronavirus pandemic Tracey McNamara was a scientific expert on the 2011 movie Contagion. She told BuzzFeed News that there were many eerie similarities between the COVID-19 pandemic and the films fictional disease. The veterinary pathologist said: The thing that really rang true in that film is when someone at a press conference asks the character who works for the CDC if this virus had been weaponized, and his response is, Mother Nature weaponized it. And thats also very, very real because thats what weve been warning people about for 20 years. The coronavirus under the microscope | BSIP/UIG Via Getty Images McNamara went on to advise: we will have to be patient when it comes to developing a cure to coronavirus. Contagion shows the long process that a vaccine requires. In the film, there is also a lottery system for the virus vaccine. That rings true because to get a vaccine to market and approved by the FDA, its a very lengthy process, the scientist shared with BuzzFeed. Overall, McNamara is disappointed that people didnt take Contagion seriously at the time. I wish people had paid closer attention to it when the film came out, she said. Because it really was a warning to the federal government that this could happen and you need to prepare. 2011 pandemic movie could have taught us more about infectious disease outbreaks Actress Kate Winslet plays Dr. Erin Mears, a CDC employee in Contagion. Mears is tasked with helping to find a vaccine and solution for the disease. McNamara pointed out that Winslets character points out a key fact of which many people arent aware. The average person touches their face [2,000] or 3,000 times a day. Thats three to five times every waking minute, Mears says in the 2011 pandemic movie. In between, were touching doorknobs, water fountains, elevator buttons, and each other. McNamara told BuzzFeed this is central. And yet, most people just arent aware of it. The publication reported: While more and more people continue to stream the fictional Contagion while they also try to make sense of the real-life coronavirus. McNamara said she hopes one of the major lessons viewers take away pertains to our societys response to previously unknown diseases. Actress Marion Cotillard attends the Contagion premiere | Michael Loccisano/Getty Images However, the veterinary pathologist doesnt have her hopes set too high. I wish I could be optimistic about that, she said. But weve been warned by the Hendra virus, H1N1, monkey pox, the West Nile, and so many other diseases. The Contagion adviser hopes that we learn something from the coronavirus pandemic. I think the lesson that will come out of this is we need to have another look at how we respond to rapidly evolving novel disease threats, she told BuzzFeed. COVID-19 breached the walls of the massive Harris County Jail Sunday as local officials continued to squabble over terms of a plan to release inmates to combat spread of coronavirus. Then Gov. Greg Abbott acted to scuttle the entire effort with an order suspending portions of state law. He forbade the release of violent jail or prison inmates an action that had no one had proposed saying it would endanger public safety. Releasing dangerous criminals from jails into the streets is not the right solution and doing so is now prohibited by law by this declaration, Abbott said at a Sunday afternoon briefing, hours after officials announced that a 39-year-old man had tested positive for the coronavirus. The order said such a release would also hinder efforts to cope with the COVID-19 disaster. The newly appointed monitor over Harris Countys misdemeanor bail protocol, Duke law professor Brandon Garrett, said the decree violated many state and federal constitutional provisions. Alec Karakatsanis, a civil rights attorney who represents thousands of indigent defendants awaiting trial at the lockup on felony charges, called the governors stance illegal and perilous. The edict is dangerous, unprecedented, chaotic, and a flagrantly unconstitutional attempt to infringe fundamental constitutional rights, he said. If enforced it would have catastrophic public health consequences. The executive action came as federal, state and local government officials continued to discuss details of what a jail release would look like in an effort to ward off a catastrophic outbreak among roughly 7,900 people incarcerated at the county jail in downtown Houston. Officials said that the man who tested positive had been held in general population at the jail nearly two weeks after his March 17 arrest. About 500 inmates have been quarantined and the jail has administered 20 tests with five coming back negative. About 30 inmates are experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19, according to officials. One state prisoner has tested positive among more than 140,000 housed at Texas facilities, and prisons have taken steps to prevent an influx of infected or exposed people. To that end, the state has temporarily suspended the transfer of incoming inmates from facilities in Harris or Dallas counties, where inmates tested positive, said spokesman Jeremy Desel. The governors order suspends portions of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure and statues related to personal bonds, barring any personal bonds for anyone with a prior violent conviction or a conviction involving the threat of violence. He also outlawed releasing inmates with prior violent convictions on electronic monitoring. In a barely veiled reference to the preparations taking place by Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, the governor suspended portions of the Texas Government Code permitting a county judge, mayor or emergency management director from releasing people outlawed under his new order. He said criminal court judges who handle misdemeanor and felony cases may still consider such releases on an individualized basis for health or medical reasons proper notice to prosecutors. Among prison inmates, Abbott suspended portions of the state criminal code related to commuting sentences for anyone convicted of violence or threats. Multiple plans for lowering the jail population have evolved in the past two weeks, including an executive order by Hidalgo that never came to fruition and a request by the lawyers who sued the county over its bail practices. District Attorney Kim Ogg also entered the discussion, telling the sheriff and presiding district judge that she wanted to weigh in and expedite releases of low-risk inmates in the high likelihood of a federal court order dictating either substantive bail hearings or outright release on personal bonds. As the legal representatives of the State of Texas, we also have the duty to be advocates for victims and the community in a full and fair bail hearing related to the proposed release of individuals who do pose a substantial risk to public safety, Ogg wrote, in the letter obtained by the Houston Chronicle. Hours before Abbotts announcement, Chief U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal convened an emergency hearing by phone to address incomplete plans by plaintiffs in a federal civil rights case to craft the a release order for people accused of some nonviolent offenses, along with lawyers for the sheriff and the county judge. An official from Attorney General Ken Paxtons office told the federal judge that Paxton was poised to appeal any order by Rosenthal that called for blanket releases of inmates. Rosenthal indicated there were several routes to reducing the jail population amid the pandemic and she was seeking the cleanest path to doing it while avoiding any action might slow the process. Rosenthal set a hearing for Tuesday to address plans for releases by the county and lawyers in the case challenging felony bail. She will also take up a request by Paxton to intervene in the civil rights case involving wealth-based discrimination at felony bail hearings. It is not clear what effect the governors order will have on the county or federal efforts to address the risk of a jail coronavirus outbreak. The judge acknowledged that Sundays outcome was not ideal for anyone. I knew at the end of this hearing nobody would be happy, including me, she said. In that, Im right. Jason Spencer, spokesman for the sheriff, said its imperative for officials to move from talk to action to avoid exhausting the county's resources. "It's time for everyone with the ability to act to mitigate a potentially catastrophic outbreak in the county jail to do that to protect the people who work there and inmates theyre entrusted to protect and the people in the community." Nicole Hensley contributed. gabrielle.banks@chron.com The video of a Maharashtra policeman singing a popular Hindi film song to persuade people to stay indoors amid rising coronavirus positive cases in the state has gone viral on social media. In the video, apparently shot in north Maharashtra, the policeman can be seen with a cordless microphone in hand, asking people stay at home as part of the social distancing to contain spread of coronavirus. Zindagi maut na ban jaye, sambhalo yaaron...(Friends, ensure that life doesnt turn into death), the cop is seen crooning the song from Aamir Khan-starrer Sarfarosh. A Maharashtra police constable breaks into song in a bid to convince people to co-operate & stay indoors... Hope people listen to his musical entreaty!#FootSoldiersofWarOnCorona pic.twitter.com/RhuEdBN9h6 ANIL DESHMUKH (@AnilDeshmukhNCP) March 27, 2020 The policemans out of the box thinking to drive home the message of social distancing was lauded by state home minister Anil Deshmukh. The NCP minister posted the video of the policeman singing on his Twitter handle and hoped people take notice. A Maharashtra police constable breaks into a song in a bid to convince people to cooperate and stay indoors ...hope people listen to his musical entreaty!, Deshmukh tweeted. Also Read | Rajasthan doctors sing Chhodo Kal Ki Baatein in video going viral. Watch SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON (CNN) When Milan resident Antonia Mortensen was pulled over by police while driving recently, it wasn't for a traffic offense. It was to instruct her fellow passenger to sit in the back of the car and to check that both were wearing face masks. "We were told we cannot both sit in the front," said the CNN journalist, who was on her way to hospital with her husband to visit a sick relative. "We have a special certificate giving us permission to go to the hospital," she said, adding that the relative does not have coronavirus. Such are the tight restrictions on Italians now living in the deadliest hotspot of the global coronavirus pandemic. Italy's death toll is now the highest in the world at 10,023. Fatalities passed the grim milestone on Saturday, with an increase of 889 since the last figures were released on Friday, according to Italy's Civil Protection Agency. With 92,472 confirmed cases, Italy appears to have the highest death rate on the planet. Compare it to China, the epicenter of the pandemic, which has a roughly similar number of confirmed cases at 81,997, but under a third as many deaths, at 3,299, according to Johns Hopkins University and Medicine. Indeed Italy now has the second-highest number of confirmed cases in the world after the United States, which stands at 105,470. But the US has a fraction of the deaths, at just over 1,700. As Italy enters its sixth week of restrictions, many are asking: why does its death rate seem so much higher than other countries? Experts say it's down to a combination of factors, like the country's large elderly population which is more susceptible to the virus, and the method of testing that's not giving the full picture about infections. Distorted numbers Italy's number of confirmed cases is "not representative of the entire infected population," said Dr. Massimo Galli, head of the infectious disease unit at Sacco Hospital in Milan. The real figure was "much much more." Only the most severe cases are being tested, added Galli, and not the entire population which in turn, skews the death rate. In the northern Lombardy region, which has the majority of cases, about 5,000 swabs are being carried out daily, said Galli. He added this was "much lower than needed, with "thousands of people waiting for diagnosis at their home." A major obstacle for health workers carrying out tests, was limited protective gear available, he said. In a stark warning to other countries, Galli said: "We have a national healthcare system that works very well, especially in Lombardy but even our system has been hit by this. "Miracles have been done in multiplying the numbers of beds in hospitals," said the health expert. But medicine "has been lacking and this is a big problem that will be felt by other countries." Elderly at risk Another factor in the seemingly high death rate is Italy's elderly population, which is the largest in the world behind Japan. The average age of Italian patients who have died after testing positive for the virus was 78, the country's Health Institute said Friday. Galli said that until now, Italy's public healthcare system was able to keep a lot of elderly people with pre-existing medical conditions alive. But these patients were in "a really fragile situation that can be broken by a virus like coronavirus," he added. Still, there have been some stories of hope. Like 102-year-old woman Italica Grondona, who recovered from coronavirus in the northern city of Genoa after spending more than 20 days in hospital, doctors who treated the woman and her nephew told CNN. 'We nicknamed her Highlander the immortal," said doctor Vera Sicbaldi. "Italica represents a hope for all the elderly facing this pandemic." Severity of sanctions Meanwhile, some experts have questioned whether Italy's restrictions have gone far enough in halting the virus spread. China's Wuhan city was the first to impose a sweeping lockdown on its 11 million citizens back in January, with all flights, trains and buses canceled and highway entrances blocked. Now, more than two months later, officials in the pandemic epicenter are looking to ease those restrictions as new cases dry up. Italy meanwhile, is steadily ramping things up. Italians now face steep fines of up to 3,000 euros ($3,350) for defying government orders of only going outside for essential items like food, Reuters reported. But Dr. Giorgio Palu, former president of the European and Italian Society for Virology and a professor of virology and microbiology of the University of Padova, told CNN that the Italian measures are "not so forceful or strict like the Chinese ones." "But this is the best you can do in a democracy," he added, pointing to the draconian restrictions implemented by China's communist state. That said, "some constitutional rights are taken from us," Palu said of Italians' freedom. "We can't have public gatherings now." But with the death toll continuing to rise, Italy's restrictions don't look like easing up any time soon. This story was first published on CNN.com 'Italy's coronavirus death toll passes 10,000. Many are asking why the fatality rate is so high' BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 29 Trend: The Jack Ma Foundation and the Alibaba Foundation have announced donations of essential medical supplies to seven more countries, namely Azerbaijan, Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam, to fight coronavirus, Trend reports citing Businesswire. Collectively, these seven countries will receive a total of 1.7 million face masks, 165,000 test kits as well as protective clothing and medical equipment such as ventilators and forehead thermometers, said the report. Established by Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba Group, the Jack Ma Foundation was founded on 15 December 2014 and has been focusing on education, entrepreneurship, womens leadership, and the environment. The Alibaba Foundation, established in December 2011, aims to create a culture that encourages people to get involved in philanthropy, make it sustainable and genuinely contribute to civil society and nature. Its key funding aspects include water protection, environmental awareness promotion and development of green organizations. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-29 01:54:45|Editor: zyl Video Player Close WASHINGTON, March 28 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday that he is considering a short-term quarantine for the state of New York as the situation of the coronavirus outbreak continued to get worse there. The president told reporters outside the White House that in addition to New York, "enforceable quarantine" might also be imposed on New Jersey and parts of Connecticut to curb the spread of the virus, adding he will make a decision later in the day. "We're thinking about certain things. Some people would like to see New York quarantined because it's a hotspot. ... We might not have to do it, but there's a possibility that sometime today we'll do a quarantine, short-term, two weeks on New York. Probably New Jersey, certain parts of Connecticut," he said. Departing for Norfolk, Virginia, to bid farewell to Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort that is heading to New York to help with the fight against the disease, Trump said he spoke with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in the morning. "I'd rather not do it, but we may need it." Cuomo, for his part, said at a news briefing in his state in the afternoon that he did not discuss the quarantine with the president. "I haven't had those conversations," said Cuomo. "I don't even know what that means." "I don't know how that could be legally enforceable, and from a medical point of view, I don't know what you would be accomplishing," he added. "Not even understanding what it is, I don't like the sound of it." The governor told reporters that a total of 52,318 people in New York State have tested positive for COVID-19, including 29,766 in New York City. Death toll has reached 728 in the state, he said. In the afternoon, Trump said on Twitter he is mulling the quarantine measures for the three states. "A decision will be made, one way or another, shortly." Today's Highlight in History: On March 29, 1971, Army Lt. William L. Calley Jr. was convicted of murdering 22 Vietnamese civilians in the 1968 My Lai massacre. (Calley ended up serving three years under house arrest.) A jury in Los Angeles recommended the death penalty for Charles Manson and three female followers for the 1969 Tate-La Bianca murders. (The sentences were later commuted.) On this date: In 1638, Swedish colonists settled in present-day Delaware. In 1812, the first White House wedding took place as Lucy Payne Washington, the sister of first lady Dolley Madison, married Supreme Court Justice Thomas Todd. In 1861, President Abraham Lincoln ordered plans for a relief expedition to sail to South Carolina's Fort Sumter, which was still in the hands of Union forces despite repeated demands by the Confederacy that it be turned over. In 1912, British explorer Robert Falcon Scott, with his doomed expedition stranded in an Antarctic blizzard after failing to be the first to reach the South Pole, wrote the last words of his journal: "For Gods sake look after our people." In 1951, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were convicted in New York of conspiracy to commit espionage for the Soviet Union. (They were executed in June 1953.) In 1951, The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical "The King and I" opened on Broadway. In 1962, Jack Paar hosted NBC's "Tonight" show for the final time. (Johnny Carson debuted as host the following October.) In 1973, the last United States combat troops left South Vietnam, ending America's direct military involvement in the Vietnam War. In 1974, eight Ohio National Guardsmen were indicted on federal charges stemming from the shooting deaths of four students at Kent State University. (The charges were later dismissed.) In 2003, in Iraq, a bomber posing as a taxi driver blew up his vehicle, killing himself and four American soldiers. A Turkish man who'd hijacked a Turkish Airlines flight the day before was persuaded by Turkey's prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan (REH'-jehp TY'-ihp UR'-doh-wahn), to release his 204 hostages after the plane landed in Athens, Greece. In 2009, General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner resigned under White House pressure. A gunman killed seven residents of the Pinelake Health and Rehabilitation Center in Carthage, N.C., along with a nurse. (Robert Kenneth Stewart was convicted of second-degree murder and other charges and sentenced to more than 140 years in prison.) In 2010, two female suicide bombers blew themselves up in twin attacks on Moscow subway stations jam-packed with rush-hour passengers, killing at least 40 people and wounding more than 100. Pop star Ricky Martin confirmed he was gay in bilingual online posts. In 2015, a two-day Arab summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, ended with a vow to defeat Iranian-backed Shiite rebels in Yemen and the formal unveiling of plans to form a joint Arab intervention force. In 2017, Britain filed for divorce from the European Union as Prime Minister Theresa May sent a six-page letter to EU Council President Donald Tusk. Two former aides to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie were sentenced to prison for creating a colossal traffic jam at the George Washington Bridge for political revenge, a scandal that sank Christie's White House hopes. In 2019, a federal judge found that President Donald Trump had exceeded his authority when he reversed bans on offshore drilling in vast parts of the Arctic Ocean and dozens of canyons in the Atlantic Ocean; the ruling blocked oil and gas development off Alaska and in parts of the Atlantic. As they were honored along with five all-male British bands with induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Stevie Nicks and Janet Jackson offered support and encouragement for other female artists. President Donald Trump threatened to shut down Americas border with Mexico unless Mexican authorities immediately halted all illegal immigration. (Trump later eased off of that threat.) Lyft shares soared as the ride-hailing company went public; the stock opened 21 percent higher than its initial offering price and closed with a gain of 8.7 percent. Thought for Today: "A ship is safe in harbor, but that's not what ships are for." William G.T. Shedd, American theologian (1820-1894). Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Authorities are preparing for a spike in domestic abuse cases during the UK's coronavirus lockdown, a senior police officer has told Sky News. Deputy Chief Constable Louisa Rolfe, from West Midlands Police, said data from China and Italy suggested incidents could "increase by three-fold" over the coming weeks, and that some abusers have already tried to manipulate the crisis. "We did have one or two cases last week where offenders told us 'you cant arrest me, I've got COVID-19' but yes we can," she said. "We have appropriate custody facilities set up, so we can still arrest people, we can still deal with them and we can ensure that we can keep victims safe at this difficult time." Sky News spoke to one victim who said being told to stay home with an abusive partner had made things "much more intense". "Usually it's quite easy to get out and away from a situation but obviously at times like this you can't get out and away. Routes of escape are very, very limited." Additional financial hardship due to job losses, looking after children full-time and many more hours at home were also adding to the strain. "There's more pressure about money, with alcohol. It's absolutely draining, emotionally and mentally," they continued. "I wake up, dreading to wake up. And go to sleep, dreading to go to sleep because I know I'll have to wake up and do it all again." Home Secretary Priti Patel has pledged that domestic abuse victims who are isolated with their abusers during the virus lockdown will not be forgotten. Ms Patel told the Mail on Sunday she was aware that home was not a "safe haven" for everyone and vowed domestic abusers will be punished for their crimes. :: Listen to the All Out Politics podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker She said: "I am acutely aware that the necessary guidelines about social distancing and self-isolation may leave the victims of hidden crime, such as domestic abuse and child sexual abuse, feeling especially isolated, vulnerable and exposed. Story continues "And now schools are closed, millions of children are spending more time online than they otherwise would have and may be even more vulnerable to online predators. "My message to every potential victim is simple: we have not forgotten you and we will not let you down. And my message to every perpetrator is equally simple: you will not get away with your crimes." Domestic abuse charities say they are already receiving calls from victims who are particularly concerned about their children's safety during isolation. Lucy Hadley, from charity Women's Aid, told Sky News, "Women are worried about sending their child to contact visits during isolation. They are worried that the perpetrators might not keep them safe." She continued: "They are also worried that they might get in trouble with the court system itself for breaching a contact order, because they simply don't feel like they can let their child out during the lockdown period. "So there is a lot of worry, and a lot of concern." The Duchess of Cornwall recently urged domestic violence victims in isolation with their abusers to seek help if needed. "If this is your situation, or you are worried about someone else, I want you to know that you are not alone," Camilla said on her official Clarence House Twitter account. "Even if you cannot leave your home, you can call the National Domestic Abuse Helpline or contact one of the domestic violence charities. Please stay safe and get help." Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 29) The University of the Philippines announced over the weekend that the release of the UP College of Admissions Test (UPCAT) 2020 results will be postponed indefinitely due to the Luzon-wide enhancedcommunity quarantine. The University of the Philippines Office of Admissions is postponing the release of the [UPCAT] 2020 results, which was originally scheduled on 30 March 2020, it announced Saturday. Due to the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine in the region, UP weighed the reality that the UPCAT applicants will have different levels of access to online results. It also suspended the processing of results in consideration of the welfare of the team of employees who live in various locations within and at the outskirts of Metro Manila. UP has always been committed to ensuring the integrity and timely release of the UPCAT results, the statement read. The examination for UPCAT 2020 took place on October 5 and 6 last year. President Rodrigo Duterte has placed the entire Luzon under enhanced community quarantine to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the country.